• Box Score: Nebraska 70, Indiana 69
• Photo Showcase: NU basketball, Jan. 18
• Poster: Pick up a copy of Thursday's editions of The World-Herald to see a poster page from the game
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LINCOLN — To Nebraska's list of Big Ten “firsts,'' add this from Wednesday night: storming the court after a men's basketball victory.
The Huskers created a Devaney Center mob scene by rallying from an 11-point deficit with 7:07 to go and upsetting No. 11 Indiana 70-69.
Two free throws with 11 seconds left from center Jorge Brian Diaz gave NU its first lead since the 13:22 mark of the first half. The Huskers (10-8, 2-5) then survived a hurried shot under the basket and a desperation 3-pointer by the Hoosiers.
Nebraska coach Doc Sadler isn't a believer in “signature wins,'' and he didn't embrace that label after the game.
“I wouldn't care if it was against Southeast High School,'' he said. “We need wins.''
Still, Indiana's status as one of the nation's royalty programs and the fact the Hoosiers already this season have beaten both a No. 1 (Kentucky) and No. 2 team (Ohio State) had part of the crowd of 8,613 feeling that the win was worth celebrating.
“I wish I could see them on the floor after every game,'' said Sadler, his tie still askew from the mosh pit at midcourt. “That means everybody is happy.''
Indiana coach Tom Crean applauded his team's “edge and effort,'' discounting any talk that the Hoosiers (15-4, 3-4) overlooked Nebraska, which entered the game tied for last in the Big Ten.
“This league had got 12 teams that can play with anybody,'' Crean said. “We're one of them, as is Nebraska. You can't get too concerned about records with anybody in this league.
“They are a very good team. I've said it since they got into the league, they are extremely well-coached. Doc is an excellent coach. They are so sound in so many areas.''
Diaz got the hero treatment for his late-game free throws. He drew a foul inside with 11 seconds left after a nifty bounce pass from guard Bo Spencer on a set play. Spencer led all scorers with 23 points.
It was one of the few times this season Diaz has had reason to smile. Chronic foot problems sidelined the 6-foot-11 junior for five games and have severely hampered his practice time since last summer.
“It feels great to win a game,'' Diaz said after hobbling from the training room to the locker room. “We've been working hard. We knew at some point we had to win. We know we are a good team and that we are going to win some games.''
Starting Big Ten play 1-5 had dented the Huskers' resolve, but not broken it.
For weeks, players have talked about taking their strong practice performances and replicating them in games.
On Wednesday night, it happened.
“We ran what we do in practice every day,'' said senior wing Toney McCray, whose 11 points included consecutive 3-pointers during the late rally. “We did everything normally. The only difference is the ball went in this game.
“We've been playing so hard in practice. The scout team has been so good. They are our unsung heroes. It finally paid off.''
Nebraska was down 41-34 at halftime, but it could have been worse if not for Spencer's 15 points in the first 20 minutes.
NU's miserable first five minutes of the second half — five straight missed shots and a turnover around two free throws — allowed Indiana to bolt to a 51-38 lead.
Then, the Huskers' defense began to take effect. Indiana, which shot 61.5 percent in the first half, hit only 40 percent in the second half. Even bigger were nine IU turnovers on the next 18 possessions after taking that 13-point lead.
That allowed Nebraska to creep back within three points with 4:28 left.
It also left the Huskers with hope and led to another rare sight: The Devaney Center crowd, instead of leaving early, stood and cheered for the rest of the game.
Said Crean: “We're going to go back and look at the film and see the turnovers in the second half and see how excruciatingly painful those were for us.
“We knew they weren't going to go away. We had to put them away. And we didn't do that.''
Sadler, who saluted his team at Tuesday's practice for their continued resilience despite an ugly record, did it again Wednesday.
“This team has faced a lot of adversity,'' he said. “For them to keep practicing like they have is pretty impressive.''
Contact the writer:
402-444-1024, lee.barfknecht@owh.com
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