Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotoAaron Miles and his Kansas University basketball teammates felt a sense of dread as Nebraska’s Corey Simms released a last-second, potential game-winning three-pointer Wednesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
“I thought he was going to go to the hole,” Miles said. “When he stepped back to shoot, I said, ‘Noooooo.’ He had a real good look. Luckily, he missed. It’s a relief.”
The Jayhawks were feeling mighty lucky after Simms’ shot clanged with 2.5 seconds left. The rebound fell into the hands of Alex Galindo, ending a tense 59-57 victory over the Cornhuskers.
“Yeah, yeah, I think we were lucky,” Miles said after the Jayhawks remained unbeaten despite missing 15 of 28 free throws and hitting just 42 percent of their field goals.
“Nebraska played good, though,” Miles quickly added.
“Coach wasn’t happy. Coach said we got lucky,” senior Michael Lee said. “It was too close. You can’t let a team have a shot to win in your own house. Whenever you give a team a shot to win the game … that shot falls, we lose. You have to say it’s luck.”
NU’s last possession came after Miles hit one of two free throws at :24.3, giving KU just a two point advantage.
Simms, who had attempted, and missed, just two threes all season, had the ball on the left wing as the game clock dipped to about four seconds.
He wasn’t bothered by J.R. Giddens, who went flying by as he tried to decide what to do with the ball.
Nor was he distracted by Keith Langford, who threw up a hand as Simms stepped behind the arc and released.
“J.R. jumped, which was a great play,” Miles said. “We’d rather have him take a two-pointer. I was surprised he didn’t go to the hole. We knew from scouting he wasn’t really a three-point shooter.”
KU coach Bill Self, who was dismayed by all aspects of the Jayhawks’ game, said the Huskers did the “smart thing” in trying for the three and a victory.
“They got the shot. If you are down two and have a chance to win on the road and get an open look … ” he said. “They executed perfectly. We also made a big miscue defensively there.”
What was the mistake?
“We ran to double-team a guarded guy,” Self said. “That left the guy wide-open.”
Simms’ miss let a packed fieldhouse crowd breathe a sigh of relief on a night Self said he wasn’t sure the Jayhawks deserved to win.
“I sensed at the shootaround and before the game there wasn’t much bounce in our step for whatever reason,” Self said. “Nebraska made us play poorly, but our energy level was bad. When you have to beg guys to have energy and enthusiasm even though you are 13-0 and coming home to a full student body, I think it is pretty sad, and that is what happened tonight.”
He wasn’t thrilled KU’s starters had just seven points at halftime, six of those from Giddens.
“That was a sad display,” Self said. “It’s about as poor as you can play from an offensive standpoint because you hold a team to 24 points in your building, at halftime you shouldn’t be behind (24-21).
“When the bench has to keep us in the game, it isn’t very good, especially when it is a home game in front of a huge crowd. Our upperclassmen got frustrated tonight. That usually shouldn’t happen.”
| 0-for-8Shooting by Kansas starters Wayne Simien, C.J. Giles, Keith Langford and Aaron Miles in the first half1First-half points by those four starters combined0Fast-break points for NU, compared to 6 for KU5.8KU’s average winning margin over the past 6 games |
Self said lack of focus and intensity showed in a lot of areas, most notably at the stripe.
Simien, who picked up two quick fouls and sat the final 17 minutes of the first half, was 2-for-6 from the line, while Langford, who left for about a six minute stretch in the first half after appearing to twist an ankle, was 5-for-10.
“You don’t make your free throws when you are not ready to play. We didn’t deserve to make ’em because we were not ready,” Self said.
The players were alarmed at their bricks at the line.
“We have to shoot free throws better. Thirteen of 28 is terrible,” said Miles, who made four of six. “If we want to get to St. Louis and win a national championship, we’ve got to shoot them better than that.”
The Jayhawks missed their first eight shots of the game before Sasha Kaun hit a bank shot to slice an early 6-0 deficit to four points.
An 8-0 run, all by Alex Galindo, in the first half gave KU a 14-8 lead at 9:39.
KU also had a 12-0 run to open the second half, Simien scoring five points with five boards in the surge that gave the Jayhawks a 33-24 lead.
“We had one good stretch the second half where we played with more energy — we ran, we pushed it, something we didn’t do at all the first half,” Self said. “We got stops and rebounded the ball for a stretch probably because ‘Dub’ was in the game. It was about the only highlight as far as the numerous possessions for us. We didn’t have very many back-to-back-to-back possessions.
“It all starts with the mind-set, the approach. It all comes from being focused, ready and alert. We weren’t that tonight.”
KU (14-0, 4-0) next will meet Villanova in a nonconference battle at 11 a.m. Saturday in Philadelphia.
Nebraska fell to 8-6 overall and 2-2 in the league.
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