NEBRASKA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FALTER IN FOURTH QUARTER:
Nebraska built a 13-point lead with 7:35 left but Penn State erupted on a 15-0 run in just 1:21 to take the lead and escape with an 83-76 victory over the Huskers at the Bryce Jordan Center on Thursday night.
Freshman Alexis Markowski led five Huskers in double figures with 23 points and seven rebounds. Markowski’s three-point play with 7:35 left put the Big Red up 68-55, but an explosive run by Penn State dropped Nebraska to 19-7 overall and 8-7 in the Big Ten. Penn State improved to 10-15 overall and 4-11 in the conference while snapping its eight-game losing streak.
Nebraska returns to Big Ten home action on Sunday when the Huskers take on Minnesota. Tip-off between the Huskers and the Golden Gophers is set for 2 p.m.
HUSKER MEN BATTLE MARYLAND ON FRIDAY NIGHT:
The Nebraska men’s basketball team returns home Friday night, as the Huskers take on the Maryland Terrapins in the only regular-season matchup between the teams. Tipoff from Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 8 p.m.
Friday’s meeting will mark the first matchup in Lincoln between the schools since the 2018-19 campaign. The teams met only once in College Park in 2019-20, and Maryland was scheduled to visit PBA last season, but NU’s COVID pause and the revised Big Ten schedule nixed those plans.
The Huskers (7-18, 1-13 Big Ten) look to rebound from a tough 98-75 loss at Iowa on Sunday. Maryland (11-14, 3-11 Big Ten) comes off a tough 62-61 loss to No. 3 Purdue on Sunday.
NSAA HIGH SCHOOL STATE WRESTLING DAY 1 RESULTS:
CLICK HERE for Classes B & C for area schools.
CLICK HERE for Classes A & D for area schools.
UNK BASKETBALL FALLS IN DISAPPOINTING DOUBLEHEADER IN WARRENSBURG:
Both Loper teams traveled to Central Missouri on Thursday night but couldn’t eke out a victory over the Jennies or Mules.
UCM Redshirt freshman forward Brooke Litterell recorded 31 points and 13 rebounds to help Central Missouri get past Nebraska-Kearney’s Women’s Basketball team, 65-59.
The defending Central Region Champions improve to 17-9 (13-6) and take the season series from the Lopers (19-6, 4-5). UNK is now 2-12 all-time vs. UCM with the most recent NCAA Central Region Rankings having the Lopers ninth and the Mules 10th. The top eight teams make the NCAA Tournament next month.
Meanwhile, Division I transfers and redshirt seniors Ja’Cor Nelson and Cameron Hunter combined for 40 points and were big down the stretch to help Central Missouri edge the UNK Men in overtime, 78-76.
The Mules improve to 12-11 (9-10 MIAA) and to 8-6 at home while the Lopers fall to 10-15 (6-13). UCM takes the season series to improve to 8-6 against the Lopers since 2013.
Loper Guard David Simental (Pueblo West, Colo.)was sizzling in the second half and over time, to the tune of 25 points, but missed a game-winning three at the end of regulation and a game-tying jumper at the end over time. He finished with 33 points, tying his season-high.
UNK heads to Lincoln on Saturday.
NEBRASKA BASEBALL TABBED BIG TEN FAVORITE BY COACHES:
The Nebraska baseball team was selected as the preseason favorite in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches’ Poll
The Huskers look to defend their 2021 regular-season title after going 34-14 (31-12 Big Ten) and advancing to the regional final in the Fayetteville Regional last season.
Nebraska was selected in the top spot, followed by Michigan in second and Iowa in third. Maryland was selected fourth, while Ohio State and Indiana round out the preseason poll in fifth and sixth, respectively.
Seniors Kyle Perry and Shay Schanaman and sophomore Max Anderson were named to the Big Ten’s Preseasons Honors List.
HUSKER BASEBALL STARTS SEASON AT SAM HOUSTON:
The Nebraska baseball team opens the 2022 campaign on Friday, Feb. 18, at Don Sanders Stadium in Huntsville, Texas, with the first of four games against the Sam Houston Bearkats. First pitch of the season opener is set for 6:30 p.m. (CT).
STORM RETURN HOME TO HOST UNITED WAY GAME:
The Tri-City Storm returns to action tonight at the Viaero Center in Kearney for the organization’s annual “United Way Game”.
The Storm will match up against the Omaha Lancers in a rivalry game after playing the last six games on the road. The Storm will wear specialty sweaters for tonight’s home game and $5 Kids’ tickets are available for purchase.
Puck drop for tonight’s “United Way Game” is scheduled for 7:05pm CT.
UNK SOCCER NAMES NEIL PIPER NEW HEAD COACH:
Nebraska-Kearney Athletic Director Marc Bauer announced Thursday morning that Neil Piper will be the fourth head women’s soccer coach in Loper history.
Piper will begin his duties effective Mar. 1. The Lopers are currently going through winter conditioning with spring ball set to begin in late March.
One of the winningest active head coaches in NCAA Division II, Piper led the Texas A&M-Commerce program for the past 24 years (1998-21). During that time, he guided the Lions to four Lone Star (LSC) Conference regular season titles, four LSC Tournament titles and eight trips to the NCAA Tournament. That includes one Elite Eight (1999) appearance and three Sweet 16’s trips (2008, 2014 and 2016).
Piper not only has Nebraska ties – his wife Anne (Cillessen) was born in Omaha – but also Loper soccer ties as he worked as an assistant coach under Mike Munch at Commerce in 1997. Munch was the first soccer head coach in school history, officially coming aboard in January 2009.
WOMEN’S TACKLE FOOTBALL TEAM COMING TO KEARNEY:
A new minor league sports franchise will come to Kearney this summer as the Nebraska Warriors look to field a team in the NWFL, as first reported by KSNB.
The Warriors will don the black, orange and gray for the 2022 season and will compete in the nine-women division of the NWFL.
The Warriors will play a six-game schedule starting this summer and will conclude in August with the crowning of the NWFL champion.
The team is seeking head coach and coaches for the squad, so if you are interested, you’re asked to email nwflfootball@gmail.com and players must be 17 or older to tryout for the squad. Tryouts will happen in April.
HUSKERS TRACK & FIELD HOST NEBRASKA TUNE UP FRIDAY:
The Nebraska track and field team has its final meet of the year before the Big Ten Indoor Championships, hosting the Nebraska Tune-Up on Friday at 1 p.m. at the Devaney Center Indoor Track.
12 teams are scheduled to compete at the Nebraska Tune-Up. The 11 teams joining the 15th-ranked Nebraska men and No. 18 Husker women include Augustana, Creighton, Fort Hays State, Langston, Nebraska Wesleyan, Nebraska-Kearney, Northwest Missouri State, Omaha, South Dakota, Southern Nazarene and William Jewell.
NEBRASKA SOFTBALL LEADS HOME RUNS IN WIN:
The Nebraska softball team opened the Troy Cox Classic with a win against New Mexico State on Thursday afternoon, topping NMSU (0-4) by a score of 14-4.
Five home runs including a back-to-back-to-back showing in the top of the fourth inning lifted the Huskers to a six-inning win.
The Huskers return to action Friday, Feb. 18 at 12:30 p.m. CT to face Southeastern Louisiana. The game will be broadcasted live on the Huskers Radio Network and Huskers.com.
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
THURSDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- WRESTLING: BOYS STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
- 106 POUNDS: Tavean Miller – lost in first round 8-0
- 113 POUNDS: Kaedun Goodman – lost in first round FALL
- 120 POUNDS: Archer Heelan – WON in first round (PIN); WON in quarterfinals FALL
- 126 POUNDS: Jackson Lavene – Lost in first round 9-3
- 132 POUNDS: Perry Swarm – WON in first round 9-0; Lost in quarterfinals 4-3
- 138 POUNDS: Cisco Rivas – Lost in first round 14-2
- 145 POUNDS: Rian Green – Lost in first round FALL
- 152 POUNDS: Jakob Ransdell – Lost in first round FALL
- 160 POUNDS: Nick Sutton – WON in first round FALL; Lost in quarterfinals 17-2
- 170 POUNDS; Tate Kuchera – WON in first round FALL; Lost in quarterfinals 6-3
- 182 POUNDS: Riley Johnson – Lost in first round FALL
- 195 POUNDS: Sawyer Schilke – WON in first round FALL; Lost in quarterfinals FALL
- 220 POUNDS: Noah Molina – lost in first round
- WRESTLING: BOYS STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- WRESTLING: BOYS STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
- 126 POUNDS: Sam Luther – lost in first round 7-1
- 160 POUNDS: Kade Uelman – lost in first round 7-3
- WRESTLING: BOYS STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
- UNK:
- WOMENS BASKETBALL: @ Central Missouri
- UCM 65-59
- MENS BASKETBALL: @ Central Missouri
- UCM 78-76 (OT)
- WOMENS BASKETBALL: @ Central Missouri
FRIDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- WRESTLING: BOYS STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
- GIRLS BASKETBALL: v. Millard North – 6 PM @ Kearney High School
- Pregame on KGFW at 5:45 PM
- BOYS BASKETBALL: v. Millard North – 7:45 PM @ Kearney High School
- Pregame on KGFW at 7:30 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- WRESTLING: BOYS STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
- BOYS BASKETBALL: @ Adams Central – 5:30 PM
- UNK:
- SOFTBALL: @ Oklahoma City, OK (Central Oklahoma)
- v. Harding – 10:30 AM
- v. Oklahoma Christian – 5:15 PM
- MENS/WOMENS TRACK @ Nebraska Tune Up @ Lincoln, NE
- MENS/WOMENS TRACK @ Loper Tune Up @ Kearney, NE
- WOMENS TENNIS: @ Augustana
- SOFTBALL: @ Oklahoma City, OK (Central Oklahoma)
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- SOFTBALL: @ Lindsborg, KS
- v. Bethany College (Doubleheader)
- M/W T&F: GPAC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
- SOFTBALL: @ Lindsborg, KS
SATURDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- WRESTLING: BOYS STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- WRESTLING: BOYS STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
- UNK:
- SOFTBALL: @ Bethany, OK
- v. Arkansas Tech – 12:45 PM
- v. Southern Nazarene – 3 PM
- WOMENS BASKETBALL: @ Lincoln U. – 1:30 PM
- MENS BASKETBALL: @ Lincoln U. – 3:30 PM
- SOFTBALL: @ Bethany, OK
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- SOFTBALL: @ Salina, KS
- v. Kansas Wesleyan U. (Doubleheader)
- BASEBALL: @ Joplin, MO
- v. University of St. Mary
- v. Evangel University
- M/W T&F: GPAC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
- WOMENS BASKETBALL: v. No. 16 Northwestern College @ Lynn Farrell Arena – 2 PM
- MENS BASKETBALL: v. Northwestern College @ Lynn Farrell Arena – 3:45 PM
- SOFTBALL: @ Salina, KS
