True freshman Bryce McGowens didn’t take over the game, but he took full advantage of his scoring opportunities to the tune of 29 points on just 13 shots from the field, leading Nebraska (1-1) to a 74-65 victory over Sam Houston (1-1) on Friday night inside Pinnacle Bank Arena.
While many of his teammates were anything but, McGowens was efficient in all phases, hitting 9 of 13 field goals, 4 of 7 from 3-point range, and 7 of 9 free throws. Take away his totals, and the rest of the Huskers shot only 31.7% overall and missed all 15 of their 3-pointers.
The Bearkats were a tough out, leading a majority of the game until NU took the lead for good with just over 8 minutes left. Savion Flagg, a Texas A&M transfer, led all scorers with 31 points, shooting 12-22 and 5-10 from downtown.
Early on, it was ugly basketball as each team came out physical. Sam Houston defended Nebraska well, forcing 12 straight missed shots in the middle of the first half. NU started the game an ice-cold 3-18 from the field, keying a 22-12 Bearkat lead with 7:22 before halftime.
While McGowens was a big part of the Husker comeback, so too was reserve center Eduardo Andre. In just 8 first half minutes, the second-year player from London scored 6 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and snatched some momentum back with a monster dunk after a turnover, cutting the deficit to 27-24 with 1:24 left in the half.
“I thought the key person to this whole night was Eduardo,” Head Coach Fred Hoiberg said. “He just gave us such a spark out there when we needed it most. Controlled the glass, he got out in the passing lanes, he was active, made his free throws – just a really complete game.”
Flagg nailed a shot to beat the buzzer and give Sam Houston a 5-point halftime lead. They’d score 5 more points on the first possession out of the locker room, as Trey McGowens was assessed a technical foul after a video review, which followed a made basket and resulted in a made free throw and another bucket for a 37-27 lead.
Nebraska began to chip away immediately. “We just were able to build each other up in the locker room,” Bryce McGowens said. “We can’t lose this, we’re not here to lose, especially not on our home court again.”
McGowens started a quick 6-0 run with a pair of free throws, then nabbed a defensive rebound, passed to his brother Trey, who found a cutting Derrick Walker for a layup. Trey McGowens then snatched the next rebound after another strong defensive possession and drew a foul. NU gave up a couple more offensive boards, but still prevented a score, and Alonzo Verge scored on the other end.
“We grinded one out when that thing wasn’t going in the basket, and you have to have those,” Hoiberg said. “I thought the ball movement was so much better in the second half tonight.”
Bryce McGowens hit one of his four triples to cut it to 39-36 with 16:22 to go. After some back-and-forth play, Trey McGowens knocked down a pair of free throws to grab the lead back at 46-45 at the 11:32 mark. It was NU’s first lead since 7-6.
While Alonzo Verge scored 13 points, he struggled with shot selection for much of the game, shooting only 4-16 and 0-4 from deep. He converted a 3-point play with 8:20 to go, putting the Huskers back in front for good at 55-53.
Hoiberg noted that Verge is playing more on the ball than he did at Arizona State, and that more experience and film review will improve his game. “He can make tough shots, but we don’t always need that. He’s a very capable passer, it’s just about going out there and make the right play, make the right read, and get a good quality shot on the board.” Verge dished out 7 assists and nabbed 4 steals.
Andre finished with 11 points, 7 rebounds, and a block. Walker added 7 points, 8 boards, and two blocks. The two frontcourt players set up Nebraska with a 36-24 points-in-the-paint advantage.
But the star of the game was Bryce McGowens. He gave NU some breathing room with his final 3-pointer of the game with 4:26 left, creating a 65-57 lead. Then he brought the house down with a big-time put-back dunk off of a Verge missed layup.
Bryce McGowens described his night, saying he was “letting everything come to me instead of forcing everything.”
His coach agreed. “We ran a couple plays for him coming off screens there at the end of the game and he knocked the shots down,” Hoiberg said. “I thought he had some really aggressive takes to the basket as well. You can see his confidence grow throughout this game, and hopefully he can carry this over and continue to get better and better.”
While it took a while to get going, and the early season has seen a last-second loss and a come-from-behind win in which they trailed for over 21 minutes, Hoiberg is confident in this squad’s ability to show their offensive prowess. “We’re gonna take the lid off this thing. We’ve got too many weapons, we’ve got too many shooters.”
The Huskers are in action at home again Tuesday, Nov. 16 against their in-state rival Creighton.
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