LINCOLN, Neb.—Finally, after four years, Colorado left a Big 12 opponent’s arena happy.
Reserve forward Casey Crawford had career highs with 20 points and six 3-pointers, and the Buffaloes ended their 36-game conference road losing streak with an 81-68 victory over lowly Nebraska on Tuesday night.
“It’s a strange feeling,” Crawford said. “We usually go home on the plane, and we’re all mad and a little upset and coaches are upset with us. You know what, we’re going to go home smiling. It’s a good thing.”
Colorado’s previous Big 12 road win was an 80-78 overtime victory at Oklahoma State on Jan. 21, 2006.
The Buffaloes also ended a 28-game road losing streak against Division I opponents, having not won since a 73-70 win at Colorado State on Dec. 22, 2007.
“I can at least look out the window of this plane I’m flying on tonight and enjoy myself,” coach Jeff Bzdelik said.
Alec Burks and Cory Higgins added 19 points apiece and Marcus Relphorde 12 for the Buffaloes (14-15, 5-10 Big 12).
Jorge Brian Diaz had 15 points, Lance Jeter 14 and Ryan Anderson 10 for the Cornhuskers (14-16, 2-13).
Colorado had runs of 19-4 in the first half and 19-5 in the second. After Crawford hit his sixth 3, putting the Buffaloes up 65-45 with 7:48 left, fans started leaving the Devaney Sports Center.
Crawford, who averages 4.2 points a game, seemed to catch the Huskers by surprise. He was 1 for 3 on 3s with five points in Colorado’s 72-60 win in January.
The 6-foot-9, 245-pound junior was left open as Nebraska tried to concentrate its defensive efforts on Burks and Higgins. He missed only one of his seven attempts from long range.
“It’s always nice when you have a hot hand,” Crawford said. “They left me open a couple times, so I was like, ‘I’m going to shoot it if I’m open.’ I don’t think I forced any shots. Our offense was manufacturing shots for me.”
Crawford made his first 3 during an early 12-0 spurt and hit four straight in the second half as the Buffaloes’ lead grew to 20 points.
Crawford, who had 10 points in 12 minutes in Saturday’s 75-72 win over Iowa State, matched his career high with 30 minutes.
“As a player, all you need to do is go out there and play confident,” he said. “If you do there’s a chance that everything can fall into place.”
Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said he didn’t forget to include Crawford in the scouting report, but he had no explanation for how Crawford got loose.
“I didn’t have them ready,” he said of his players. “It’s my fault.”
The Buffaloes won in spite of being outrebounded 40-20.
But they finished with a season-high 12 3-pointers on 17 attempts (71 percent) and shot 62 percent from the field.
The Huskers, down 35-28 at half, closed to 46-40 with 13:40 left. But then Colorado went on its 19-5 run to put the game out of reach.
Colorado’s season sweep of Nebraska was its first over a Big 12 opponent since beating Missouri twice in 2006.
The win was the Buffaloes’ first in Lincoln since 2004.
The loss spoiled the Huskers’ Senior Night. Anderson, Sek Henry, Ben Nelson and student assistant coach Chris Balham, whose career ended prematurely because of injury, were honored before the game.
Sadler said he felt bad that the seniors were sent off with a loss.
“I told the team I’m so, so sorry,” Sadler said. “It’s my responsibility to not put a performance like that on the floor. You put up 81 (defensively) in their last game. It’s inexcusable.
“I’m sorry for the fans who came out. We’re going to get it corrected.”
Sadler said the Huskers would practice at 5 a.m. on Wednesday.
“We’re going to work hard,” he said, repeating himself three times. “That’s all I know to do is go to work.”
Jeter said Sadler shouldn’t take the fall for what Jeter called a “pitiful” effort by the players.
“It isn’t coach Doc’s fault. We’re the ones playing,” Jeter said. “They get us ready like every other game. It’s character. Coach said it. We’ve got to go out there and play. We’re the ones who’ve got to play defense. We’re the ones who’ve got to put the ball in the hoop. We didn’t do that.”
