BOULDER — On senior night, Colorado turned out the lights for Big 12 Conference play at the Coors Events Center with a 67-57 victory Saturday over Nebraska, and it was only fitting that senior leader Cory Higgins would clinch it for the Buffaloes.
Perhaps keeping Colorado’s hopes alive for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid, Higgins broke a double-team near the CU bench with a strong dribble and blew past two more Nebraska defenders for a driving layup to put the Buffs up 59-50 with 2:25 left.
Getting 19 points from senior Marcus Relphorde, the Buffs (19-12, 8-8 Big 12) finished their final Big 12 regular season with their first nonlosing league record since going 9-7 in 2006 and sent out five seniors with a special memory, including Higgins and co-starters Relphorde and Levi Knutson.
Nebraska (19-11, 7-9) also held out hopes to remain on the bubble for an NCAA Tournament bid, but that likely has burst. As for the Buffs, they may need to make some noise at the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Mo.
Colorado avenged a 79-67 loss to Nebraska in Lincoln on Jan. 18.
CU couldn’t seem to shake the Huskers, but a tip-in by Buffs freshman Andre Roberson with 4:45 left gave the hosts some breathing room at 57-48.
Nebraska had pulled to within 42-41 with 12:12 remaining but never led.
A fast-break dunk by sophomore Alec Burks put the Buffs up 40-34 early in the second half, but Nebraska sent in its not-so-secret weapon: 6-foot-11 center Andre Almeida, a Brazilian who is listed at 310 pounds but looked like a 350-pound Andre the Giant against CU’s skinny post players.
Almeida powered his way to two straight baskets in the paint and suddenly the Huskers were within 40-38.
CU coach Tad Boyle retaliated by sending in 6-10, 240-pound walk-on Trent Beckley, a fifth-year senior from Vail who is playing for his third Buffs coach. Beckley got the crowd going when he scored on a jump hook. More important, he was able to hold his ground against Almeida.
The biggest problem for CU was finding a hot shooter. There weren’t any. With 11 minutes left, CU was hitting only 39 percent from the field.
