Friday Morning Sports – Kearney High New Opening for Bearcat Girls Basketball, Husker Women Dominate Illinois, Nebraska Baseball Returns to Texas, Softball Win Home Opener, Allen Competes in Combine, Local Sports Schedule

KEARNEY HIGH GIRLS BASKETBALL SEARCHES FOR NEW HEAD COACH:

After ending the season at 13-11 – the best record in four years for the Bearcats girls basketball program – and a District Runner-up, Head Coach Kyle Fletcher has stepped down from the Head Coach position. 

Fletcher ends his tenure at the helm of the Kearney High Girls program with a 28-42 record, improving the team’s mark every season. 

HUSKER WOMEN OUT-GUN ILLINOIS, FACE MICHIGAN IN REMATCH:

Jaz Shelley set the Nebraska single-game school record with nine three-pointers to lead a Big Red barrage from long range, as the Huskers rolled to a 92-74 win over Illinois in the second round of the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday night.

Shelley drained a tournament record-tying nine threes, while the Huskers sank a tournament team record 15 triples on the night. The 5-9 guard finished with a Nebraska career-high 32 points, tying the fourth-most points ever scored by a Big Red player in a conference tournament game.

With the victory, Nebraska improved to 23-7 overall on the season with its sixth win in the last seven games. The sixth-seeded Huskers advanced to Friday’s quarterfinal match-up with No. 3 seed Michigan. The AP No. 10 Wolverines fell to the Huskers in the only regular-season meeting in Lincoln (Jan. 4). Nebraska will face Michigan in the fourth and final game of the day at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday, with an approximate tip time of 7:30 p.m. (CT)

NEBRASKA BASEBALL LOADS UP FOR A RETURN TO TEXAS:

The Nebraska baseball team makes its final trek to the Lone Star State to begin the season, as the Huskers play four games at UT Arlington, including two games each against the Mavericks and Northwestern State on Friday-Saturday, March 4-5 at Clay Gould Ball Park in Arlington, Texas.

The Huskers and Northwestern State meet at 11 a.m. on both days before the Big Red end each day against UT Arlington at 3 p.m.

Nebraska went 0-3 in last weekend’s series against No. 17 TCU at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The Huskers brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth of game one and the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth of game three, but the Horned Frogs held off the late Husker rallies to complete the series sweep.

AUSTIN ALLEN COMBINE PERFORMANCE:

The former Husker and Big Ten Tight End of the Year competed at the NFL Combine on Thursday in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. 

Allen impressed with smooth hands in transition drills while running a 4.83 40 yard dash, elevating for a 34 inch vertical, exploding through a 4.26 shuttle run, broad jumping 10’1”, and completing the three-cone drill in 7.0 seconds. 

Allen is currently rated as a border-line 7th round pick.

NEBRASKA SOFTBALL WINS HOME OPENER OVER SHOCKERS:

The Nebraska softball team (9-5) opened the weekend with a 10-4 win against Wichita State (9-5). The Huskers were led by the Andrews sisters who each recorded a home run in the win. 

In the circle, Olivia Ferrell (4-2) recorded the win after pitching a complete game. The senior tallied seven strikeouts while giving up eight hits

Nebraska returns to action today at 2:30 p.m. for another matchup against Wichita State. Following the game against the Shockers, the Huskers will take on South Dakota State at 5 p.m. 

NEBRASKA BEACH VOLLEYBALL HEADS TO FLORIDA:

After a 2-0 start to the beach volleyball season last week, the Huskers will head to Jacksonville, Florida this weekend for the North Florida Invitational at Cooper Beach Volleyball Complex.

The Huskers will play three matches on Friday and two on Saturday before returning home. On Friday at 9 a.m. (CT), Nebraska will begin play against No. 17 Florida International. The Huskers will follow with matches against Coastal Carolina at 1 p.m. and North Florida at 3 p.m. On Saturday, the Huskers play Jacksonville at 7 a.m. and Mercer at 11 a.m. 

Upon returning home, the Huskers will have a quick turnaround before their next matches. Nebraska will play Oklahoma Wesleyan at Noon on Monday at the Hawks Championship Center. NU will then host Ottawa (Kan.) on Tuesday at Noon in the final home match of the spring. 

STORM SIGN DEFENSEMAN:

The Tri-City Storm has announced the signing of defenseman Matthew Virgilio to a tender agreement for the 2022-2023 season. Virgilio currently skates for the St. Andrew’s College Saints in Aurora, Ontario.

Matthew Virgilio, 15, of Vaughan, Ontario, has appeared in forty-two games during the 2021-2022 regular season for St. Andrew’s College and has scored seven goals. He has also provided the Saints offense with sixteen assists for twenty-three total points. Virgilio previously skated for the Toronto Marlboros AAA program in Toronto, Ontario before joining St. Andrew’s College for this season. He previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future at the University of Michigan.  

TRI-CITY STORM SCHEDULE UPDATE:

The United States Hockey League (USHL), in conjunction with the Tri-City Storm and Fargo Force has announced the following schedule update: The Fargo Force at Tri-City Storm game, originally scheduled for January 15th, will now be played April 19th at 7:05pm CT. 

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

FRIDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • N/a
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • WOMENS BASKETBALL: @ MIAA TOURNAMENT – 2:15 PM
    • #3 UNK v. #6 Northwest Missouri St.
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • SOFTBALL: @ Langston Red Dirt Tourney
  • WRESTLING: @ NAIA National Championships
  • M/W T&F @ NAIA Indoor Championships

SATURDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • N/a
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • N/a
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • WRESTLING: @ NAIA National Championships
  • M/W T&F @ NAIA Indoor Championships