The Nebraska won the Crown Championship on UCF
Four games. Seven days. A crown.
A championship crown.
The Male Basketball Program of Nebraska defeated UCF Knights 77-66 on Sunday to win the first university basketball crown inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“We did not get the goal that we wanted to play in the NCAA tournament, but we took advantage of it and came out here concentrated and remained together as a group and played a hell of a good basketball,” said Fred Hoiberg at the post-match press conference. “I hope this will give us momentum before next season. And I think that the experience of playing in an after-season event like this will help all those who will be back on our list next year.”
It was a game that presented the history of Husker basketball. Brice Williams, the player of all Big Ten and all-all ten-all ten, broke the score record for a season by James Palmer Jr. (708) and ended his naked career with 713.
Williams entered the match 17 shy points to break the record and did it with an effort of 21 points against the Knights. Williams was one of the three Huskers who scored at least 20 points.
Connor Essegian paid 21 points – 14 in the second period – while Juwan Gary was his usual dawg dump with 20 points, eight rebounds and two interceptions.
Nebraska pulled 48% in the field and 43% on a 3 -point beach (9 out of 21). The NU defense limited UCF to 40% in the field and 24% out of 3 (7 out of 29).
This is the first title of eliminations for male basketball in Nebraska since the 1996 NIT.
Although it was not the big dance, winning this tournament was still huge for the program, said Nude assistant Ernie Zeigler.
“When you think back to the ups and downs of the season and to what could have been in terms of NCAA tournament, but to finish this thing, and these children stay together throughout this, because they could have very easily said, hey, no mas, after we lost this last regular season match at the Iowa” “therefore, it is a testimony of our guys. Obviously, a huge will for the coach. Seeing the strength of our guys, the objective they had to prepare for each opponent, and to be here now, looking here and seeing the guys cut these nets, it’s just a huge and huge business. “
Naked seemed to run away in the first games of the match and even pushed his advance at 12 points, 23-11, with 10:21 on the left before half time. There was a 14-2 naked race which included 3s consecutive 3 and a horseman from Williams as well as a triple of Essegian.
But UCF rippied and did it without his best Darius Johnson player, who was slowed down with a hamstring injury and only played 11 minutes. Instead, it was the 6-3 Jordan Ivy-Curry-Curry goalkeeper who got out of the bench to match Williams’ production in the first half with 15 points.
The UCF finished half a strong half and scored seven consecutive points to transform a deficit of 33-26 into a 33-year-old ball game. Naked has not made a basket in the last five minutes.
The offensive difficulties continued to start the second half. At one point, Nu missed 14 consecutive shots on the ground, and UCF scored 16 consecutive points to enter an edge of 14 points, 49-35, with 15 minutes remaining.
But then the Huskers woke up.
Naked has shaken races of 11 and 13 while going to a 24-3 massive momentum race to give it an advance of 59-52 with seven minutes to do. Naked no longer dragged.
During this 24-3 race, Essegian scored 11 points and sank three 3 while Gary, the Junkyard Dawg that he is, triggered the return by providing tenacity in the painting and marking at the edge.
Gary even had to leave the match for a brief moment because he was bleeding after being poured in his head on a rebound. He returned to the courtyard and did not miss a beat. Zeigler called him “Willis Reed Moment” by Gary.
“He returned and was a huge catalyst by cutting us who leads quickly and recovering into the game,” said Zeigler about Gary, who was appointed MVP.
The UCF has reduced its four-point deficit, but naked obtained a solid jacobsen wedge game, which had answers with a 3 and a lay-up, which came above the central center of 7 feet 2 inches of the UCF.
The two naked walks, Sam Hoiberg and Jacobsen, who found their way in the starting program during the crown again played their roles. Hoiberg did not score but moved the ball and finished with seven assists and two interceptions. Jacobsen added five points, six rebounds, a flight and a block.
Nu sealed the victory on the free throw line while Williams sank six gifts in the last 1:10. Huskers only drew 59% from the line (10-17), but these 10 points were better than the UCF gathered on the line, while the Knights pulled only six games, doing five.
>> Win entirely with an annual or monthly subscription for less than $ 10 / month
>> New subscribers get 30 days for free
>> SOND OFF on hot subjects on our Initiate Board of Directors
>> Follow us on Twitter (@Nebraskarivals))
>> Follow us on Instagram (@Nébraskarivals))
>> Subscribe for free inside the YouTube channel of Nebraska
