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The Tigers looked good right out of the gate and a 25-point first quarter set the pace high early on. Austin Kaczor opened the contest with nine points in the first quarter and as the Tiger lead built to 48-to-19 at the half the Tigers looked to be money for their second straight title. The Knights offense rallied a bit in the third quarter behind nine points from Derek Camp but the North Central defense could not slow the Tigers as they put up another 25-points in the third quarter and won going away at 84-to-47.
Austin Kaczor led the scoring with 33 points while Alex Hyde tossed in 11 off the bench and Josiah Switzer added ten. Nine different Tigers would score in the contest. Ewing just looked well oiled. They shot 46% from the floor, 59% from inside the three-point line and 69% from the free throw line. The Tigers would give up just 10 turnovers and scored 14 points off North Central miscues. North Central played a solid game all things considered. Derek camp had a break-out night with 16 points while Jeff Knox added 10. The Knights shot 30% inside the arch but hit nine-of-22 back of the arch at a solid 40%. 23 turnovers did not help the Knights cause. The Tigers improve to 18-and-oh on the year and set their sights on a salty strech run. Ewing plays three on the road for the final run with trips to Clearwater-Orchard, Stuart and a trip to the Heartland Hoops Classic in Grand Island to battle C2 powerhouse the Axtell Wildcats. North Central slides to 11-and-seven on the year with a trip to Colome to play the Cowboys on Tuesday night. They close with a home game against the Valentine Badgers and a trip to Stuart to play the Broncos.
Chambers got off to a quick start with a bothersome defense that saw them quickly up 7-0. Erin Devries found herself under the basket for 6 points in the first quarter to lead Chambers to a 16-7 first quarter score. In the second quarter neither team would find much success offensively with Chambers outscoring the Wolfpack by only 8-7 and took a ten point lead 24-to-14 into the locker room at halftime. The Wolfpack had only 2 girls in the scorebook at half as Stoltz and Beckman scored 7 points each. The third quarter again saw the Chambers defense give EP-PJ more trouble In the fourth quarter Chambers offense took control of the clock as they had 3 posessions that were over one minute. They were only outscored 8-7 by Elgin Public-Pope John and held on for the win 45-31. The Coyotes were led by Montana Libolt with 14, Laura Tomjack had 13 and Erin Devries and Megan Hoffman had 7 each. Leading the Wolf Pack were Jenna Beckman with 13 and Kasi Stoltz with 12. As this was the first meeting of these two teams they will turn around and meet again on Tuesday. (KBRX Scott Poese)
The Spartans led after the first quarter 13-to-nine but as the Spartan offense cooled the Cyclones got some wind behind the storm. The Cyclones got strong in the second quarter behind the play of the paint by Logan Hoffman and as Hoffman finished with 15 in the first half the Cyclones led going to the half at 25-to-22. The Cyclones began to run out of wind in the third quarter but the Spartans heated back up. The Spartans hit three-of-five behind the arch in the third quarter while the Cyclones mustered just two field goals. That led to a 40-to-31 lead for the Spartans after three quarters.
Todd Dawson led the way with 22 on the night while Sam Johnson tossed in 17. The Spartans hit at 57% from inside the arch and 36% back of the arch but the impressive number was from 15-feet away as the Spartans connected on 18-of-22 freethrow attempts. The Cyclones were led by Logan Hoffman as he went off for 25 on the night and was the only Cyclone in double-figures. Clearwater-Orchard shot 41% inside the arch, while hitting just one-of-eight from behind the arch and eight-of-18 from the free throw line. The Cyclones rebounded well grabbing 13 offensive rebounds that led to 11 points. Both teams committed 16 turnovers each. The West Boyd Spartans improve to 13-and-four on the year and will prepare for the St. Mary's Cardinals to come to town on Tuesday February 9th before closing the season with a road trip to Verdigre and a home contest with the Clearwater-Orchard Cyclones. The Cyclones drop to a tough 10-and-seven and ready for the Ewing Tigers to come to town on Tuesday before finishing the season with road trips to Elgin Public-Pope John and West Boyd.
West Boyd would come out scoring 6 of their 11 first quarter points shooting 6 of 8 at the stripe, while Ewing was 3 of 15 from the floor and West Boyd would lead after the first eight minutes 11-7, Both teams would continue to struggle at times in the second and would score 11 points each and the Spartans had the lead 22-18 at the half. In the third quarter Ewing would break the seal on the basket and knock down two three-point-shots and outscore West Boyd 12-to-7 and the Tigers would lead by one point 30-29 at the end of three.
West Boyd improves to 14-5 with the win and get the third place trophy while Ewing falls to 13-5 and finishes fourth in the NVC. (KBRX Scott Poese)
The Eagles finished eighth as a team but still managed two gold medals on the tournament. Sam Gillham (pictured left) had another great day going four-and-oh on the day for a gold medal. He put up an impressive championship round win as he hammered the number one seed Garcia from Kenasaw/Sheldon 15-to-three.
The only other medal belonged to 103 pounder Daniel Dominguez. He fell in the finals two-to-one and finished silver at two-and-one. The Eagles will spend the week in tune-up mode. They open their district bid in the B-Two at Schuyler High School on Friday and conclude on Saturday. (with help from Dave Laursen) (2/08/10) UNDATED (KBRX SPORTS) -- Wrestling fans of the area rejoice as the 2009-2010 wrestling season now stands just in the shadows of the Qwest Center at the 2010 Nebraska State Wrestling Championships. It has come time for district wrestling tournaments and area teams are getting ready for the push to finals. O'Neill heads to Schuyler High School on Friday to compete in the B-Two District. The field opens on Friday and concludes on Saturday and features the Eagles along with Bennington, Blair, Boone Central, Boys Town, Columbus Lakeview, Mount Michael Benedictine, Omaha Roncalli Catholic, Omaha Skutt Catholic, Schuyler, Wahoo/Cedar Bluffs and Wayne. The C-Two will certainly be a district of interest as Cereighton/Verdigre, Crofton and West Holt all head to West Point-Beemer for the two day run. That district also includes Battle Creek, Hartington Cedar Catholic, Laurel-Concord, Logan View, Lutheran High Northeast, Madison, Newman Grove/Lindsay Holy Family, Norfolk Catholic, North Bend Central, Pierce, Tekamah-Herman, West Point-Beemer, and Wisner-Pilger. Everyone else from around the neighborhood can be seen at one site. The D-Two at Stanton will be loaded with local talent as Clearwater-Orchard, Elgin Public-Pope John, Elkhorn Valley, Neligh-Oakdale, Plainview, and Omsond all make the same trip. The district also includes Archbishop Bergan, Howells, Oakland-Craig, Pender, Ponca, Randolph, Scribner-Snyder, Stanton, Wakefield, West Point Central Catholic and Winside. District tournaments run on Friday February 12th, and Saturday February 13th while the state tournament is on the slate for Thursday the 18th through Saturday the 20th.
(2/08/10) UNDATED (KBRX SPORTS) -- As the 2009-2010 basketball season slides toward the finish KBRX O'Neill is proud to announce their 2010 Girls Basketball Sub-District coverage. On AM 1350 "The Shamrock", KBRX will be covering the O'Neill Lady Eagles as they make the short trip to West Holt High School for the C-One Ten. In theroy, the Eagles will miss the bunny bracket game on Monday and should play the late game on Tuesday against Ord but again that is pure speculation as brackets will not be released until Thursday Febraury 11th. Meanwhile on 102.9FM, the "Top Dog in Country" will travel to the C-Two Eight at Neligh-Oakdale. The tournament features Burwell, Creighton, Elgin Public/Pope John, Plainview and West Holt. Again by pure speculation, it would appear that Burwell and Plainview will meet in the play-in game on Monday as the Elgin Public-Pope John Wolfpack appears to be the number one seed while West Holt looks to hook up with Creighton as the two and three seeds for the tournament. Official brackets will be released by the NSAA on Thursday February 11th and KBRX will posted projected brackets on Tuesday morning.
Nebraska extended its school-record winning streak to 21 games, while improving to 21-0 overall and 8-0 in the Big 12, while Texas A&M slipped to 16-5 overall and 4-4 in the league. The Huskers also improved to 5-0 against Big 12 South foes this season, while notching their fifth win over a top-25 foe this year. Griffin scored eight of NU's last 10 points in the final six minutes, as the Huskers weathered an Aggie rally that trimmed Nebraska's lead to 65-60 with 3:06 left. Griffin then answered A&M's surge with a layup off a spectacular assist from Dominique Kelley with one second on the shot clock to give the Huskers a seven-point edge. Kelley then added a defensive rebound and a layup with 1:55 left to push the Husker margin back to nine points at 69-60 with 1:55 left. Griffin then capped the victory off an assist from Lindsey Moore with 31 seconds left, and blocked A&M's final shot of the game to secure NU's 18th double-digit win of the year. Cory Montgomery, a 6-2 forward from Cannon Falls, Minn., also had a big day inside and out for the Huskers, matching her season high with 18 points, while adding five rebounds. Montgomery hit 7-of-13 shots from the field, including 2-of-5 three-point attempts. She added an assist and a steal. Kelley, a 5-7 guard from Lincoln, had a big second half with six points, four rebounds and three assists, to finish with 11 points, five boards and five assists on the afternoon. Fellow Nebraskan Yvonne Turner, a 5-8 guard from Omaha, added 11 points, including a trio of three-pointers, while adding three rebounds, two steals and an assist. Moore rounded out the NU starting five with six rebounds and six assists. Junior Catheryn Redmon added major production for the Huskers off the bench. The 6-3 center from Grand Prairie, Texas, went 4-for-4 from the field to finish with eight points, five rebounds, two blocked shots and a steal. For the game, Nebraska hit 43.1 percent (25-58) of its shots from the field, including 5-of-22 three-pointers, while draining 16-of-21 free throws. The Huskers also outrebounded A&M, 40-37, and forced the Aggies into 16 turnovers, while committing just 14 of their own. A&M, led by 18 points from Danielle Adams and 15 points and eight rebounds from Tyra White, hit 40.3 percent (27-67) of its shots from the floor, including 5-of-14 three-pointers. The Aggies hit just 1-of-2 free throws. The Huskers jumped out to another quick start in front of the third straight crowd of more than 10,000 fans at the Devaney Center, by answering Texas A&M's first basket of the game by Sydney Carter with a 12-0 run to take a 10-point lead just over two minutes into the contest. Nebraska was able to maintain the double-digit lead at halftime, carrying a 40-29 edge into the locker room. The Aggies were able to cut the NU advantage to four points on one occasion at 22-18, before Griffin answered with six straight points to push the Husker margin back to double figures. The Huskers led by as many as 12 points two times in the first half, thanks to 11 points from Montgomery and eight points apiece from Griffin and Turner. The Huskers also got six big first-half points and three rebounds from Redmon. The Huskers shot 50 percent (12-24) from the field in the first half, including 3-of-9 three-pointers. NU also hit 13-of-17 free throws in the opening half, outscoring A&M 13-1 at the line. A&M outrebounded NU, 19-16, in the first half, but the Huskers were plus-four (10-6) in the turnover department. Adams led the Aggies with eight first-half points, while White pitched in seven points, as A&M hit 13-of-33 shots from the field, including 2-of-8 three-pointers. The aggressive and physical Aggies were saddled with first-half foul trouble as Tanisha Smith picked up two early fouls and a third late in the half, while Maryann Baker also had three fouls. Adams and Adaora Elonu also committed two first-half fouls, as the Aggies committed 14 first-half fouls, compared to just seven for NU. Nebraska returns to Big 12 road action with a pair of North Division battles next week. The Huskers open the week on Wednesday, Feb. 10, by clashing with Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., with live television coverage provided by Fox Sports Midwest (Ch. 37 in Lincoln, Ch. 47 in Omaha). The game will also be available to DirecTV customers in Nebraska on Ch. 657 and on DISH Network Ch. 450. The game can also be heard live on the Husker Sports Network, including 98.1 KFGE in Lincoln, 93.3 KTWI in Omaha and 880 KRVN in Lexington, and free world-wide on Huskers.com. (thanks University of Nebraska)
(2/08/10) LAWRENCE --- Nebraska took a four-point lead with less than 16 minutes remaining but preseason first-team All-Americans Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich powered a 15-1 run that helped No. 1 Kansas grab control of the game as KU held off the Huskers 75-64 at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday. The duo combined for 25 points on the day, including eight straight to start the run, as the Jayhawks improved to 22-1 on the season and 8-0 in league play. The Huskers, which played two of their best offensive games of the season against Kansas, fell to 13-10 on the year and 1-7 in Big 12 action. Kansas led by four, 37-33, at the half, but the Huskers came out red-hot, using a 10-2 run in the first four minutes of the period to move ahead by a 43-39 margin and forcing a Jayhawk timeout. KU needed two timeouts to regroup and slow the Huskers in the first half, but this one proved more effective. Collins came out and promptly hit a 3-pointer to pull KU within a point before Aldrich, who had been straddled with early foul trouble and held scoreless in the opening period, recorded a powerful dunk off a missed 3-pointer. Aldrich then connected on the back end of a pair of free throws and completed a traditional three-point play to push KU to a 48-44 advantage and power the momentum into Kansas' favor. The Jayhawks continued the offensive push behind the charged up crowd, moving ahead by as many as 19 points, 67-48, as KU extended the run to 28-5. When the Huskers finally responded, it came in decisive fashion despite being too late into the contest to change the outcome. With just less than five minutes remaining, Lance Jeter drained a 3-pointer and Ryan Anderson added his third trey of the game to start a quick 8-0 Husker run completed on Jorge Brian Diaz's jumper with 3:18 to play. Diaz then added another basket less than a minute later to post his second 20-point game of the season. Diaz finished with 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting and added nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks for his best all-around game of the season. He helped Nebraska keep close on the glass against the talented Jayhawks. KU finished with just a 36-35 rebound margin as the Huskers trailed by just one, 15-14, on the offensive glass. Anderson and fellow senior Sek Henry hit 3-pointers down the stretch to help pull Nebraska within 11 points for the final margin, the Huskers' best showing on the Jayhawks' home court since missing the final shot in a two-point loss to No. 2 Kansas in 2005. Henry and Anderson helped Nebraska hit 10-of-17 3-point attempts (58.8 percent) on the day but the Huskers were only able to hit 13-of-37 (35.1 percent) inside the arc against the tough Jayhawk defense. KU hit 48.1 percent from the floor with Marcus Morris leading the way, nailing 9-of-15 shots for 20 points while adding 11 rebounds. Collins also had 17 points and six assists as the Jayhawks had 19 assists against 13 turnovers while forcing the Huskers into 19 miscues. Kansas also blocked nine shots. Anderson finished with 12 points for the Huskers on 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range as became the 25th Husker in program history to reach the 1,000-point plateau, improving his career totals to 1,010 points, 526 rebounds and 163 3-pointers. He became just the eighth player in the Big 12 era and the third Husker ever to reach the 1,000-point, 500-rebound and 150 3-pointers plateau in a career. Kansas started the game red-hot, hitting seven of its first 10 shots while running out to a 20-13 lead with 12 minutes left before intermission. The Jayhawks, who came into the weekend hitting better than 39 percent from long range to rank among the national leaders this year, did much of their damage from beyond the arc to open the game, hitting four of their first six long-range attempts as they took control of the game. But foreshadowing the second period, the Huskers showed they were not going to go away easily, cutting the lead to just three points twice in the final 10 minutes. NU started by using an 8-2 run, including five straight points by Christian Standhardinger, to pull within 24-21 with 9:31 to play. Standhardinger added a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer in the run and finished the first half with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting while adding two steals with his hustle plays. Following their second timeout of the half, the Jayhawks rolled off three straight baskets to move back ahead by nine points, 30-21, before Nebraska made a final push in the period. Nebraska cut the deficit to just four points, 37-33, at the break by scoring 12 of the last 19 points of the period. Quincy Hankins-Cole hit 3-of-5 free throws in the stretch, after entering the game hitting just 36.2 percent from the charity stripe. Along with Hankins-Cole, freshman Brandon Ubel stemmed any chance of an early big KU run with a pair of 3-pointers. Ubel, who entered the contest hitting 50 percent from long range this season, canned a trey with one second on the shot clock to pull the Huskers within 30-26 with 4:49 to play and added his second straight triple just 38 seconds later to counter a Kansas 3-pointer by Collins. The Huskers had the ball with a chance to pull within one in the final 20 seconds but a turnover and missed KU attempt in the final seconds left NU down by four at the break. Nebraska had an uncharacteristic 11 turnovers in the opening period and hit just 40.7 percent (11-of-27) from the field, but connected on 4-of-6 3-pointers to offset the miscues. Kansas, which was among the top 10 nationally in field-goal percentage defense coming into the weekend, also had a fair number of turnovers, finishing the period with nine while hitting 46.7 percent (14-of-30) from the field. Nebraska returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 10, when the Huskers play another nationally televised contest on ESPN2 as NU plays host to No. 20 Baylor in Lincoln. If the Bears, who lost at Texas A&M Saturday, remain ranked, it will be the second straight ranked opponent to enter the Devaney Center and the third of what would likely be five straight ranked opponents for the Huskers. (thanks University of Nebraska) (2/05/10) STUART, NE (KBRX SPORTS) -- It was a contest that will be dicussed for awhile as the Chambers Lady Coyotes survived a 44-37 win over the West Boyd Lady Spartans on Thursday night in the Niobrara Valley Conference West Girls Final. This was push and shove most of the way but the Coyotes never really trailed either. Chambers opened a 14-to-eight lead in the first eight minutes and rode the lead home. After leading by seven at half, the Coyotes had to survive a strong Spartan rally. In the third quarter, the Coyotes went ice cold from the floor and the Spartans made up some ground closing the third quarter trailing by just five points at 35-to-30. West Boyd would get back to within four points late in the contest but late free throws from Montana Libolt and Kelsey Owen would seal a Coyote win 44-to-37. Chambers would be led by Kelsey Owen as she threw down 15 points in the win. Montana Libolt added 10. The Coyotes did a lot of things well minus shooting freethrows. While shooting over 40% from the floor the Coyotes missed the front half of four one-and-ones in the fourth quarter and shot just eight-of-17 from the freethrow line. West Boyd was led by Erica Engelhaupt with 10 while Makaela Krugman added seven in the second half to finish with nine. The Spartans took fair care of the basketball but 14 turnovers they committed led to four Coyote points and that was just enough for the win. The Chambers Lady Coyotes improve to 17-and-oh on the year and look to repeat as NVC Champions as they lock up with the 15-and-two Elgin Public-Pope John Wolfpack on Saturday night in the NVC Girls Championship game at West Holt High School. The Spartans will slide to 13-and-five and hook up with the Ewing Tigers in a rematch of the NVC 2009 NVC Consolation game. The Tigers come into the 2010 battle after a 47-to-43 loss to the Wolfpack dropped their record to 13-and-four. Girls consolation is set for Saturday afternoon at 2:00PM in West Holt High School. (2/05/10) STUART, NE (KBRX SPORTS) -- The West Boyd Spartans rained down 38 three pointers on Thursday night in the Niobrara Valley Conference West Boys Final. Trouble was only six-of-38 found the rain barrel and North Central Knights beat the Spartans 41-to-34. West Boyd looked solid in the first eight minutes jumping out to a 11-to-eight but as the three-point well started to dry the Knights put on a second quarter surge and led going to half at 20-to-19. The Spartans must have taken their break outside as they hit the floor ice cold in the third quarter. While West Boyd went almost the entire third quarter without points the Knights put together an eight point run through the first seven minutes of the half and led the Spartans 30-to-22 at the end of three. It was a lead the Spartans never broke. The Knights did what they did well, pounding out six fourth quarter points of the back of plow horse Brandon Udd and added four free throws down the stretch and sealed the win 41-to-34. Derek Camp led the Knights with 14 points as he hit two three-pointers in the second quarter. Brandon Udd tossed in 13 while Jeff Knox added nine. The Knights were simply solid. They shot 48% from inside the arch, hit four-of-seven three point attempts and went steady at the free throw line at seven-of-13. Six offensive rebounds led to eight extra points and despite giving up 16 points off 16 turnovers the Knight were good enough for the win. The Spartans were led by Todd Dawson with 11 points but he was the only Spartan in double-figures. Jon Alford added nine and Sam Johnson tossed in eight in the loss. West Boyd shot well inside the arch but they only attempted nine shots and converted on five. The Spartans would try 38 three-pointers against the Knights zone but hit just six of them. The Knights improve to 11-and-six on the season and get a shot a defending Niobrara Valley Conference champions, the Ewing Tigers. The Tigers come in at 17-and-oh on the back of a 67-to-30 win over the Clearwater-Orchard Cyclones. The boys championship final of the Niobrara Valley Conference is slated for Saturday night at 8:00PM at West Holt High School. The West Boyd Spartans drop to 12-and-four and with battle the Clearwater-Orchard Cyclones in the NVC Consolation game slated for 4:00PM Saturday afternoon. (2/05/10) LINCOLN (KBRX SPORTS) -- The NSAA has released their 2010-2011 football schedules for all schools around the state of Nebraska and we have them posted below:
Santee, Wheeler Central and Lynch will all be playing six man football for the 20101 and 2011 seasons. (2/05/10) LINCOLN -- No. 4 Nebraska wraps up its two-game home stand against top-15 Big 12 South Division opponents when the Huskers take on No. 12 Texas A&M on Saturday in Lincoln. Tip-off between the Huskers (20-0, 7-0 Big 12) and Aggies (16-4, 4-3 Big 12) at the Bob Devaney Sports Center is set for Noon with live television coverage provided by Fox Sports Net (Time Warner Ch. 37 in Lincoln, Cox Cable Ch. 47 in Omaha), with Brent Stover and Brenda VanLengen on the call. Live radio coverage is available on the Husker Sports Network on Froggy 98.1 KFGE in Lincoln, Twister 93.3 KTWI in Omaha and 880 KRVN in Lexington. Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will have the call for free on Huskers.com. Nebraska is coming off an 88-67 win over No. 10 Oklahoma State in front of more than 10,000 fans on Wednesday night at the Devaney Center. The Huskers jumped to a 29-5 lead by the second media timeout and the Cowgirls were never able to get NU’s lead under 20 points the rest of the way. Nebraska built the margin to 36 points in the second half. All five Husker starters scored in double figures despite playing fewer than 25 minutes. National Player-of-the-Year candidate Kelsey Griffin leads Nebraska with 19.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game on the season. Griffin owns a Big 12-leading 10 double-doubles and staggering per-40-minute averages of 29.5 points, 15.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.7 steals per game, while shooting 61.7 percent from the field. Griffin also leads the Huskers with 36 steals and 16 charges drawn. The Big Red’s "Big Four" of Cory Montgomery (12.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg), Yvonne Turner (12.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and Dominique Kelley (12.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg) are all averaging better than 12 points per game, while freshman point guard Lindsey Moore has pushed all the right buttons to produce a 20-0 mark as a starter to open her career. Moore leads the Big 12 in conference play with a 2.4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, while matching All-American Andrea Riley for the conference-only lead with 5.6 assists per game. (thanks University of Nebraska) (2/05/10) LINCOLN -- Behind a pair of bonus-point victories from seniors Craig Brester (197) and Stephen Dwyer (174), the Nebraska wrestling team jumped out to a 15-0 lead on No. 9 Oklahoma, but the Huskers dropped the last six bouts and fell to the Sooners, 22-15, Thursday night at the Devaney Center. Wrestling in front of a season-high 1,640 fans, Brester (24-0) and Dwyer (20-3) could not have performed better in their last home matches. Each delivered lasting impressions with powerful wins, as Brester dominated No. 6 Eric Lopotsky by an 18-2 technical fall, while Dwyer overcame a slow start with a seven-point third period to earn a 10-2 major decision over No. 18 Jeff James. Along with early victories from redshirt freshman Josh Ihnen (184) and sophomore Tucker Lane (285), the bonus-point triumphs from NU's seniors gave the Huskers a 15-point advantage before OU fought back and eventually took its first lead on Nebraska's forfeit at 149 pounds. Nebraska came up against a tough Sooner lineup that included eight ranked wrestlers, although the Huskers defeated two and fell only by decision to three others. Brester, ranked No. 2 in the nation, nailed down perhaps the best performance of his senior season with his technical fall over the sixth-ranked Lapotsky. The Howells, Neb., native left no doubt that he would go out a winner in his final home match, earning his first takedown just 15 seconds into the match. Brester then rolled Lapotsky over twice to gain a pair of three-point near falls and build an 8-0 lead after the first period. The worn-down Lapotsky did not last through the second period, as Brester picked up two takedowns and a third three-point near fall to end the match in 4 minutes, 46 seconds. Beginning the dual at 174 pounds, Dwyer immediately put the Huskers on the board after battling through a slow start against the 18th-ranked James. The Rockton, Ill., native led just 3-2 after two periods until he worked his way to a takedown with 1 minute remaining, and then solidified the victory with a three-point near fall just 10 seconds before the final horn. While doing so, Dwyer moved a step closer to Nebraska's 100-win club, now sitting at 98-33 as a Husker. Ihnen's victory was his first in Big 12 action, and moves the redshirt freshman to 14-10, including a 10-8 mark in duals. Four of Nebraska's six losses were by four points or less, including a near upset at 125 pounds when freshman David Klingsheim took No. 12 Jarrod Patterson to overtime, eventually falling 4-3. The Huskers are competing in a stretch that will see NU take on five ranked opponents in the last four weeks of the regular season. That road continues next week when Nebraska travels to No. 3 Oklahoma State, facing the Cowboys on Friday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. (thanks University of Nebraska) (2/05/10) SHELBY, NE (AP) - A Nebraskan will be among the athletes vying for Olympic gold later this month. Curt Tomasevicz and the U.S. bobsled team finished in sixth place at the Winter Games in Torino and won the world championship last year. They hope to pick up gold in Vancouver. Tomasevicz grew up in Shelby and played football for Nebraska. He says he didn't grow up wanting to go into bobsledding. He says while attending graduate school, he fell into the sport in an attempt to stay in shape. He says he's drawn wide support from Shelby and across Nebraska. He says it's one of the greatest feelings and calls it the best job perk. (2/05/10) MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins made it official with Jim Thome on Thursday, agreeing with the veteran lefty slugger on a one-year, $1.5 million contract after the 39-year-old passed his physical. The deal also includes up to $750,000 in incentives. The Twins cleared room on their 40-man roster after Steve Tolleson was claimed off waivers from the Athletics on Monday. The Twins had been looking for ways to upgrade a relatively thin bench, and they're hoping Thome -- with his 564 home runs over a 19-year career -- can help. Although the five-time All-Star has been an everyday player throughout his career, he primarily served as a lefty power hitter off the bench with the Dodgers toward the end of 2009, batting .235 (4-for-17) with three RBIs. Thome, who made $13 million in 2009, recently said the White Sox and Rays were also interested. In the end, however, it was the Twins' aggressive pursuit coupled with his familiarity with the American League Central that led him to sign with Minnesota. "They were really excited about me coming there, and so to me, it was a no-brainer," said Thome. "I've always enjoyed the way they've played and how they've gone about their business. To be a part of that, it will be a lot of fun to go there and help them win." Thome, currently five home runs shy of Rafael Palmeiro for 11th place on the all-time list, batted .249 with 23 homers and 74 RBIs in 107 games with the White Sox in 2009 before being dealt to Los Angeles on Aug. 31. For his career, he sports a .277 batting average and is a .220 hitter with three homers over 99 plate appearances in the pinch-hit role. The Twins already have a lefty-hitting designated hitter in Jason Kubel, and the club is committed to Delmon Young as its everyday left fielder. So Thome -- primarily a DH the past four years -- will be relegated to a bench role. And Twins manager Ron Gardenhire couldn't be happier. "We just signed a guy that's going to be in the Hall of Fame and it doesn't get much better than that," Gardenhire said during a conference call to announce the deal on Tuesday night. "One of the classiest acts in the game. A great hitter, a great player and great for our clubhouse. I think we got the package deal here." (thanks Alden Gonzalez, MLB.com) (2/04/10) O'NEILL, NE (KBRX SPORTS) -- National Letter of Intent Signing Day has come and gone across the county for fall sports and a few area atheletes have inked letters. In the football world, Chad Rokahr, 6' 4" and 260 pound Ewing Tiger, has signed with the Wayne State Wildcats. Rokahr (pictured left) was named Class D2 All State defensive lineman by Omaha World Herald and Lincoln Journal Star after helping Ewing Tigers to an 11-1 record and the Class D2 semifinals of the football playoffs during senior season…also named to the Norfolk Daily News Class D Elite Eight Third Team and named to the All Huskerland First Team Offense/Defense…helped Ewing to a 12-1 record and Class D2 state title as a junior…finished high school career with 300 tackles, averaging 11.5 tackles per game...also started two years in basketball and three years in track and field. The Wildcats have also added Hartingtoc Cedar Catholic running back Chad Koch. At 6 Foot even and 205 pounds Koch (running the ball on your right) was a four year starter in football and wrestling and a three year letter winner in track and field at Hartington Cedar Catholic HS…rushed for 2,475 yards and scored 36 TD’s in his senior season while leading Trojans to a 10-3 record and the Class C2 runner up spot…finished high school career with 5,847 rushing yards with 77 total TD’s…was selected honorary captain of Omaha World Herald and Lincoln Journal Star Class C2 All-State Teams and was captain of the Norfolk Daily News Class C Elite Eight as a senior…holds Class C2 state playoff record for rushing yards in a season with 883 set last fall. Meanwhile a Lincoln East athlete with local ties has committed to the University of South Dakota. Britni Waller (pictured left), with relatives in the Chambers, O'Neill and Stuart areas, has committed to the Coyotes to run both Cross Country and Track and Field. More names are sure to come in and we will continue to up lists as those names become availble to us. If you know of an area athlete who has committed send your information to sports@kbrx.com or call Michael at (402) 336-1612 or 340-6820. (2/04/10) LINCOLN -- Bo Pelini's annual Meet the Press on Recruiting Day was about to end Wednesday at Memorial Stadium when one reporter asked Nebraska's head football coach to rank the 2010 recruiting class. "Talk to me in a few years after we've had a chance to work with them and get them developed," Pelini said before deciding to be as frank as possible. "I obviously recruited the class," he said. "I came here to win a national championship and win championships. I recruited a class that I fully believe will help us get that accomplished." Earlier, Pelini said his coaches and staff were "real excited" about the talent they lured to Lincoln, regardless of how any recruiting service might rate the class. Pelini said Wednesday was not an end, but a beginning. "I've said this before, and I'll say it again: Everybody thinks that recruiting ends today, but to me it just starts because now our job is to develop the young men that came to play in this football program and make them become the best players they can be," he said. "I believe that most people lose sight of that fact," Pelini added. "Now it's our job to take these young men who have high goals and high expectations and help them, enable them, to make those dreams come true. I believe that is where this staff is at its best." Pelini thanked all of his coaches for their dedication road work to produce a top-notch recruiting effort. He had particular praise for Ted Gilmore, NU's receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. "He really did a nice job of making this go," Pelini said. Asked if recruits had a different perception of Nebraska's program after Nebraska led the nation last season in scoring defense, Pelini said it's more about "where the program is and where it's headed" than what the defense did. "It's obvious that we already have a few good men and a nice group of kids committed for next year," Pelini said. "People are starting to take notice of what we're doing. I always say, the best recruiting tool is to win. We're starting to do that. We're right at that point. We're right at that verge of doing some great things in the program. That helps get people's attention. But now we have to take it to that next level." For a complete look at the Huskers 2010 recruits click to huskers.com! (thanks University of Nebraska) (2/04/10) LINCOLN -- In the first-ever top-10 NCAA Division I basketball game in the history of the state of Nebraska, the No. 4 Husker women's basketball ran to another lopsided midweek win with an 88-67 victory over No. 10 Oklahoma State in front of 10,227 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Wednesday night. With the victory, Nebraska stretched its school-record winning streak to 20 games while improving to a program best 7-0 in Big 12 Conference action. The Huskers registered their 12th 20-win season in school history, while picking up their third win over a top-10 opponent this season. Entering the year, NU had just three wins over top-10 foes in 35 seasons of women's basketball. "I told the team in the locker room that they continue to leave me without words," Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said. "They left me speechless with how well they played in the first 30 minutes of that basketball game. We can't play much better than that, but we're going to keep trying." The Huskers were never threatened in the game by the Cowgirls, who slipped to 18-4 overall and 6-2 in the Big 12, after OSU earned its first-ever top-10 national ranking on Monday. Nebraska jumped out to a 9-0 lead before reserve Lindsey Keller hit OSU's first field goal with 17:30 left in the first half. By the time OSU hit its second field, Nebraska led 29-5 with just over 10 minutes left in the half. OSU never pulled within 20 points the rest of the night. Each of the Big Red's "Big Four" scorers produced double figures in the first half, and all five NU starters finished in double figures on the night. All-America candidate Kelsey Griffin led Nebraska with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists in just 19 minutes of action. Yvonne Turner added 17 points, including four three-pointers, to move ahead of former NU All-American and two-time WNBA All-Star Anna DeForge on Nebraska's career three-point list. "Vonnie really keyed our defense with how she played (Andrea) Riley on the ball tonight," Yori said. "She set the tone and she got some help from Dominique Kelley and Tiny (Nicole) Neals. Our defense was excellent early in the game." Dominique Kelley added 13 points, while Cory Montgomery added all 10 of her points in the first half on 5-of-7 shooting from the field. True freshman point guard Lindsey Moore also produced the best game of her career, matching her career best with 11 points, including a career-best matching two three-pointers. Moore also pulled down a career-high eight rebounds, while adding five assists, all in the first half, against just one turnover. Turner, Kelley, Moore and senior guard Nicole Neals, led a terrific defensive effort against OSU All-American Andrea Riley, holding the nation's leading scorer to just 15 points on 4-of-15 shooting from the field, and just 1-of-5 three-point attempts. Riley also committed three turnvoers, and committed three fouls in the first four minutes of the second half, and did not return to the court. Nebraska's lead grew as large as 36 points with just over eight minutes left in the game. NU hit 49.2 percent (31-63) of its shots from the field, including 11-of-31 three-pointers, while hitting 15-of-24 free throws. The Huskers were outrebounded 38-32 for the game, but NU's starters did not play the final 12 minutes of the game, and still held a 16-6 turnover margin on the night. OSU hit 27-of-59 shots from the field, but just 2-of-13 three-pointers, while hitting 11-of-16 free throws. Precious Robinson led OSU with 12 points and 10 boards, while Toni Young added 14 points and Lindsey Keller pitched in 12. In one of its most impressive first halves of the season, Nebraska led 51-27 at halftime after bolting out to a 29-5 lead by holding OSU to just one made field goal in the first 9:54. The stretch included an 18-0 run for the Huskers. In running to the most points scored by a Cowgirl opponent in a half this season, Nebraska produced its fifth 50-point half of the year. All four of the Big Red's "Big Four" scorers went to the locker room in double figures, led by Griffin's 13 points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal in 14 first-half minutes. Turner added 12 first-half points on a trio of three-pointers, including a four-point play midway through the half. Kelley added 11 points and a pair of threes, while Montgomery pitched in 10 points on 5-of-7 first-half shooting. Moore, NU's freshman starting point guard, also pushed all the right buttons in the first half with five points, five rebounds and five assists. Nebraska shot 48.6 percent in the opening half, including 6-of-17 threes. NU also outrebounded OSU, 18-17, while committing just one first-half turnover against the Cowgirls. NU also forced OSU in 10 miscues, while holding the Cowgirls to just 38.5 percent shooting, including just 1-of-7 three-pointers. Nebraska concludes its two-game home stand by playing host to No. 12 Texas A&M on Saturday, Feb. 6, in Lincoln. Tip-off between the Huskers and Aggies at the Devaney Center is set for Noon. For tickets, visit Huskers.com or call the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-8-BIG-RED. Live national television coverage will be provided by FSN with live radio coverage on the Husker Sports Network, including a free live audio broadcast world-wide on Huskers.com. (thanks University of Nebraska) (2/04/10) WAYNE, NE -- Wayne State College head football coach Dan McLaughlin announced today that 27 student athletes have signed national letters of intent and/or written offers of admission and financial aid to attend Wayne State College and continue their football careers with the Wildcats. The 2010 recruiting class includes 25 high school recruits and two transfers. 20 of the 25 high school signees are from Nebraska with five from Iowa. The Wildcats signed nine offensive linemen followed by six defensive linemen, five wide receivers, four linebackers, one tight end, one quarterback and one running back. “This is the largest signing class in the five years that I have been here,” said Coach McLaughlin. “Our focus this year was to sign offensive line prospects because we only signed two last year and I feel our hard work was rewarded with the signing of nine new offensive linemen. On the offensive side of the ball, we also added a quarterback, running back, tight end and five wide receivers. We also bolstered our defense by signing six new defensive linemen and four linebackers and we signed some quality kids from northeast Nebraska.” Wayne State College is an NCAA Division II school located in Wayne, Nebraska and competes in the 14-team Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The Wildcats posted an 8-3 record in the 2009 season, going 7-3 in the NSIC to finish in a tie for third place overall. WSC graduated 16 seniors from the 2009 squad. For a complete list of Wayne State Recruiting click on over to Wayne State's website! (thanks Wayne State College) (2/04/10) OMAHA, NE (AP) - Five players scored in double figures as Creighton shot a school-record 67 percent in an 84-71 victory over Evansville on Wednesday night. Justin Carter led the way with 17 points as the Bluejays (12-11, 7-5) moved into sole possession of third place in the Missouri Valley. The Purple Aces (6-16, 0-12) dropped their 13th in a row. Josh Jones had 14 points, Antoine Young 12, Cavel Witter 11 and Ethan Wragge 10 for Creighton, which shot 70 percent (16 of 23) in the second half. Freshman Colt Ryan scored a career-high 31 points for Evansville. His previous high was 26, which came against Creighton earlier this year. Evansville knocked down 7 of its first 8 3-point attempts while claiming a 38-32 halftime advantage. Creighton turned up its intensity after the break. The Bluejays scored 15 of the first 17 points of the second half and never trailed after that. (2/04/10) WAYNE, NE -- Savannah Wakeley, former Wausa Viking and now of Wayne State College, was selected as the Northern Sun Conference Women's Field Athlete of the Week for Indoor Track and Field following her performance at last weekend's Minnesota State Open in Mankato, Minnesota. The freshman from Wausa, Nebraska won the high jump with a season-best mark of 5' 7", good for an NCAA provisional national qualifying mark. It was Wakeley's second win the season in the high jump and she is now tied for fifth place in NCAA Division II with her winning mark in Mankato last weekend. Wayne State will compete in two meets this weekend as the Wildcats will participate in the Husker Invite in Lincoln on Friday and Saturday and at the John Dalton Open at the University of South Dakota on Saturday. (thanks Wayne State College) (2/03/10) STUART, NE (KBRX SPORTS) -- It was a game of lead changes all the way to the final second as the West Boyd Spartans used a last second put back from Kendall McCarthy to defeat the St. Mary's Cardinals 43-to-41 in the Niobrara Valley Conference West Semi-Final last night. Lead changes all night long. St. Mary's opened with a 11-to-seven lead after one period on the back of six offensive rebounds and four stick back points. West Boyd would regain the lead at half by 20-to-17 as the Spartans hit four-of-four on two point goals and a big three pointer. The lead would stretch to ten points as the Spartans got out of the gate strong in the third quarter but St. Mary's Tait Sibbel would pop for ten points late in the third quarter and West Boyd would cling to a one-point lead going to the fourth quarter. The entire fourth, the teams would trade baskets and while tied at 41-all, St. Mary's had an oppertunity to pull ahead with less the one minute to play, but the Cardinals would commit a turnover giving the Spartans the ball back and 17 seconds to play. The Cardinal pressure was solid and the Spartans struggled to get the ball across the midcourt line, and when they did the points would not come easy. The Spartans would miss back-to-back shots but when all the dust settled Kendall McCarthy saved the day for the Spartans as off a missed shot, McCarthy pulled the rebound off the left block and hit the game winner with seven-tenths of a second left giving the Spartans the 43-to-41 win. Sam Johnson would lead the way for the Spartans with 12 points while Todd Dawson chipped in 10 and Kendall McCarthy and Jon Alford added eight each. Tait Sibbel was again impressive for the Cardinals. The Sophomore tossed in 26 in the win but no other Cardinal would enter double-figures. The Cardinals shot 52% inside the arch while going two-of-nine back of the arch. They really suffered at the freethrow line hitting on just three-of-11 freethrow attempts. The West Boyd Spartans improve to 12-and-three and prepare for the North Central Knights on Thursday night in the Niobrara Valley Conference West Boys Final. Game time is slated for 8:00PM in Stuart. The Cardinals slide to seven-and-eight on the year and will sit idle until February 9th when they again battle the West Boyd Spartans. (2/03/10) STUART, NE (KBRX SPORTS) -- The Chambers Coyotes put the North Central Knights to the free throw line 27 times on Tuesday night and the Knights burried the Coyotes from the 15-foot mark to win the semi-final contest from the Niobrara Valley Conference west 57-to-52. The Knights got going early behind six points from Brandon Udd and four more from Jeff Knox and led the Coyotes after the first quarter 16-to-12. The lead held at four points going to the the halftime break at Knights 28, Coyotes 24. Then the Coyotes would make their run. Behind three three-pointers and the defense holding the Knights to just ten third quarter points, the Coyotes retook the lead at the 6:23 mark in the third quarter and led after three 43-to-38. Bad news was for the Coyotes, that the fouls were pilling up and as the Knights went to the freethrow line 12 times in the fourth quarter, the Coyote lead dried up and blew away as the Knights outscored Chambers 19-to-nine down the strech run and sealed the win 57-to-52. Brandon Udd led the Knights with 16 as he tossed in six-of-seven free throw attempts. Jeff Knox added 12 and Austin Barstow had 11 as the Knights hit 50% from inside the arch and an outstanding 20-of-27 from the free throw line. The Coyotes were led by junior Ross Miller. He tossed in 13 while Jed Dankert added 12 and Riley Sichender added a tough ten from the paint. The Coyotes went deep and went deep often casting up 28 three-point attempts and hitting on 10 of them. The Coyotes simple had no answer for the free-throws as they only attempted 10 and hit just six losing the battle from the stripe by 14 points. North Central improves to 10-and-six on the year and with hook up with the West Boyd Spartans in the Niobrara Valley Conference West Boys Final on Thursday night in Stuart with game time slated for 8:00PM. Chambers drops to 11-and-five and will sit on the shelf until they travel to Elgin Public-Pope John on the 9th of February. | |||||||||||||||||||||