Offense shines, defense doesn’t in exhibition win

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By BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star

Those shiny new shot clocks at the Devaney Sports Center?

Probably could’ve done without ’em Friday night.

That’s part of the good news-bad news report from the Nebraska men’s basketball team’s 86-66 exhibition victory against Arkansas- Fort Smith.

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Nebraska's Lance Jeter drives past Cedric Henderson of Arkansas-Fort Smith during the Huskers' first exhibition game of the season Friday. (William Lauer / Lincoln Journal Star)

Nebraska's Lance Jeter drives past Cedric Henderson of Arkansas-Fort Smith during the Huskers' first exhibition game of the season Friday. (William Lauer / Lincoln Journal Star)

The good, of course, was the 86 points. Nebraska averaged 64 points per game last season and topped 80 points only four times. That’s what some height and more athleticism will get you.

Of course, those newcomers with the height and athleticism have yet to consistently buy into coach Doc Sadler’s defensive philosophy. That was evident by the Lions’ share of transition scores and easy baskets.

Sadler warned during the week that “nobody is guarding anybody” in scrimmages and that his team had the mind-set of simply outscoring people.

“It’s about what I would’ve expected,” Sadler said after Friday night’s game. “The mistakes you’ve been making in practice, you expect to see those in a game.”

Sadler had no qualms about his team’s effort on defense.

“The execution was as bad as it gets,” he said. “We didn’t contain the dribble and they got the ball into the lane 35 times off the bounce.”

Sadler took the blame for UA-Fort Smith’s seven three-pointers in the first half. He adjusted the defense, and the Lions had one in the second half.

Ryan Anderson scored 18 points and Christian Standhardinger added 17 to lead Nebraska. Standhardinger, a 6-foot-8 freshman forward, must sit out Nebraska’s first 15 regular-season games per an NCAA eligibility ruling.

Nebraska outrebounded the Lions 48-26 and shot 47.4 percent from the field.

Lance Jeter, the junior transfer who’s taking over the starting point guard position, had 8 points, five rebounds, two assists and two turnovers in a team-high 29 minutes

“Offense definitely flowed a lot, but that’s not my concern, because Nebraska’s known for defense,” Jeter said. “I should’ve been talking more on defense.”

Sadler, though, said Jeter played “the best of anybody on our team.”

UA-Fort Smith, in its first season transitioning from the junior college ranks to NCAA Division II, shot 51.7 percent in the first half, and led by as many as four points.

Grant Clark led UA-Fort Smith with 14 points. He scored all of them in the first half on 5-of-5 shooting, including 4-of-4 from three-point range. But he fouled out with 1 minute, 25 seconds remaining – before halftime.

Briefly

* UA-Fort Smith was called for 19 fouls in the first half, when Nebraska was 20-of-29 from the free-throw line. The Huskers were 30-of-41 for the game.

* Freshman center Jorge Brian Diaz challenged an unenviable triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and eight turnovers.

* Nebraska hosts Hastings in its final exhibition game Tuesday.

Reach Brian Rosenthal at brosenthal@journalstar.com or 473-7436.