LINCOLN Nebraska senior center Aleks Maric brokered a deal with his teammates and coaches Sunday to have everyone keep their emotions in check prior to Senior Day ceremonies at the Devaney Sports Center.
As things turned out, Maric was the first one to break it.
"Very emotional I'm not going to lie," said Maric, who had 17 points and 16 rebounds to lead Nebraska to a 68-49 Big 12 Conference victory over Colorado. "You know that if one person lets the tears go then it's going to go down the track and it's my fault.
"A river started coming out of my eyes, actually."
As if playing the national anthem of his home country and having his parents in attendance wasn't enough, the big Australian said he lost it when the public address announcer read a special Senior Day message for Maric. It was from his sisters and nephews, who were back listening to the game Down Under.
"They haven't had the chance to come and watch me or be with me much, but their support is second to none," Maric said. "That meant more than anything in the world to me."
As for the game itself, there wasn't much of one.
Nebraska (18-11, 7-9 Big 12) surged to a 15-2 lead on its way to a 36-14 halftime advantage as Colorado (11-19, 3-13) got off just six shots in the first nine minutes. The Huskers' strong start included Maric sinking a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 5:10 left before intermission.
It was one of three 3-pointers attempted by Maric on the day. He entered the contest 0-for-2 from behind the arc in Nebraska's first 28 games.
"I guess he probably thought, 'What's the guy going to do, take me out?'" Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said when asked about Maric's sudden penchant for shooting threes. "Aleks has sacrificed so much for this team, but one of the things that Aleks can do is shoot the basketball. It was good that he made one today."
Maric said his mission during his final regular-season home game was simply to have a great time. That was especially evident to Nebraska point guard and West Virginia native Cookie Miller when he came into the game.
"I told him, 'Just pretend like you're at the West Virginia State Fair and just have fun,'" Maric said. "He sort of turned around and just started laughing at me. I don't know if he thought I was funny or thought I was stupid."
Maric scored on a dunk and a layup on consecutive trips down the floor to give the Huskers their largest lead of the game at 57-23 with 10:13 to play.
Colorado shot just 34.1 percent, going 5-of-16 (31.3 percent) in the first half. Javon Coney scored 15 points off the bench to lead the Buffaloes, while Richard Roby had 12 points before fouling out with 9:37 to play and Marcus Hall scored 11.
Maric left the floor with 2:03 remaining to a standing ovation from the home fans. The 6-foot-11 center extended his league record with his 26th career double-double against Big 12 foes and also had a career-high six assists.
"Again, what more can you ask of a guy?" Sadler said. "It was a tremendous effort on his part and some other guys stepped up and made some plays."
Taking advantage of Colorado's double-teaming of Maric in the post, Paul Velander scored a season-high 16 points for Nebraska, hitting 5-of-9 attempts from 3-point range. Steve Harley added 14 points for the Huskers, who shot 45.5 percent from the field, going 9-of-26 (34.6 percent) from behind the arc.
"That's been the case (lately)," Sadler said of Maric being double-teamed. "Everybody says, 'What's wrong with Aleks?' when he's not getting 25 and 30 a game, but as the season has gone along, they have taken that away."
Despite the open 3-point looks he might get due to Maric's inside presence, Velander said he's going to miss the Aussie more as a friend than a teammate next season.
"But definitely as a teammate, too," Velander said. "Of course, his playing days are going to go on long after mine."
Right now, Maric said his goal is to extend his collegiate career for as long as possible.
"I'm going to give everything I've got," Maric said. "Whatever it takes to slow this ugly guy down I'm going to keep going."
Maric, who came to Nebraska from Sydney, said he hasn't regretted the sacrifices he made to come and play for the Huskers.
"At first, when I was a small kid, I wished I could go to Italy or Spain and play soccer," Maric said. "I went the other way and came to America, but I do not regret that."
Maric said the biggest challenge of it all was leaving his comfort zone.
"But nothing has ever come easy to my family, so I knew I had to persevere and get through things," Maric said. "That challenged me and I think that made me a better man."
Game notes
& Maric entered Sunday's game ranked second in Nebraska history in rebounds, second in double-doubles, second in free throws and free throws attempted, seventh in blocked shots and eighth in scoring
& Miller, who had missed the last three games due to a shoulder injury, entered the game with 14:42 left in the first half. Sadler said the freshman was "rusty," turning the ball over the first two times he touched it and finished no points, four rebounds, three assists, three turnovers and two steals in 19 minutes.
& With Texas' victory over Oklahoma State Sunday, Nebraska will be the No. 7 seed in the Big 12 Tournament at Kansas City, Mo. The Huskers will play Thursday in a first-round game against No. 10 seed Missouri.
& Colorado won its first meeting with Nebraska 55-51 back on Jan. 15 in Boulder, Colo. The Huskers own a 74-68 advantage over the Buffs in the all-time series.
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