NU frosh Reid savors game-winning hoop in front of home fans

By Kurt Caywood     Jan 28, 1988

LINCOLN, Neb. – Beau Reid had a big, BIG two points against Kansas on Wednesday night.

The 6-7 Nebraska freshman, who converted just one of two floor shots, hit a 16-foot jumper with one second left to sink the Jayhawks, 70-68, in Bob Devaney Center.

“I wanted to cry almost,” Reid said. “It was so exhilarating. I used to be one of those people who dreamed about hitting one of those.”

He knew he didn’t have to dream anymore as soon as the shot was away.

“It felt good,” he said. “I concentrated and saw nothing but the rim. I knew it was going in as soon as I shot it, but it was a little shaky getting there.”

A little shaky is a little understated. The Huskers trailed by as many as 16, but pulled even on two Derrick Vick free throws at :24. The ball was inbounded to Danny Manning, who made it to the top of Nebraska’s key before turning it over.

Henry T. Buchanan was there to recover Manning’s bobble.

“He was trying to bring the ball up on Pete (NU center Manning),” Buchanan said. “I was playing the passing lane between my man and him. I faked at him, and he backed up and just lost the ball.”

Nebraska called time out with 16 seconds remaining. With about 10 ticks left, Reid tried to hand the ball to Eric Johnson.

“I was trying to get the ball to E.J. so he could go one-on-one to the basket,” Reid said. “I gave him the ball, but someone reached in and knocked it between his legs.

“I got it with my left arm – I thought it was going out of bounds. I knew there wasn’t time for another pass, so I concentrated and shot it.”

Reid’s main responsibility to that point was fouling during the Huskers’ run.

“Coach (Danny) Nee decided with two minutes left we’d start fouling,” Reid said. “We’d picked out two guys in the first half (apparently Milt Newton and Otis Livingston) and one of them was my man. He wanted me to use my fouls because Vick had four.”

Reid said NU coach Nee also wanted him to be ready to shoot if he needed to.

“He told me when I went back in to be strong with the ball and be ready to take the shot. He said to have confidence in myself because he had confidence in me.”

With identical 70-68 upsets of both Kansas and Missouri – NU came back from 14 down to beat the Tigers just 10 days earlier – the Huskers have reason to be confident in the Devaney Center.

“They ended up about the same way,” forward Jeff Rekeweg said. “So far we’ve been up for the big games and we’ve played well when the fans got into it.”

Buchanan said: “It goes with playing at home. I don’t think we could have done it at Kansas.”

Reid said they had a lot of confidence in their coach, too.

“We got back in it with hard work,” he said. “Coach Nee is a master at working the clock. When it’s under five minutes we just feel he’ll find a way to win.”

Nee said he was just glad the Huskers were in position to win when Kansas made its mistakes.

“It’s just unbelievable,” Nee said. “Kansas was the superior basketball team and they played well for 39 minutes and 30 seconds. A couple of mistakes in the last 30 seconds meant the ballgame.

“Kansas’ pressure really bothered us. God was just with us.”

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