HUSKER MEN END SEASON FALLING TO NORTHWESTERN:
It was a tale of two halves for the Nebraska men’s basketball team Wednesday night in the opening game of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. The Huskers dominated the first half en route to a 14-point halftime lead, but Northwestern outscored Nebraska by 16 in the second half, as the Wildcats rallied for a 71-69 victory.
The loss snapped Nebraska’s three-game winning streak, as the Huskers ended their season with a 10-22 record.
Alonzo Verge Jr. led Nebraska with a game-high 21 points in his final game. He also added nine assists and seven rebounds, flirting with the first triple-double in Big Ten Tournament history. Derrick Walker tied his career high with 16 points, and he grabbed seven rebounds. Lat Mayen had nine points and seven boards, while Kobe Webster knocked down two of Nebraska’s three 3-pointers and finished with eight points.
NEBRASKA BASEBALL LOSES TO OLD FOE KANSAS STATE:
Nebraska baseball dropped a midweek matchup at Kansas State on Wednesday, falling 6-4 at Tointon Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kan.
Nebraska (4-8) scored four runs on six hits and committed three errors, while the Wildcats (4-7) scored six runs on eight hits.
Emmett Olson fell to 0-2 on the season, allowing four runs, two earned, on seven hits in three innings. Mason Ornelas gave up a hit and two unearned runs in two innings of relief, while Tyler Martin and CJ Hood combined to pitch three perfect innings with four combined strikeouts.
The Huskers return to action with a two-game home-and-home series with Omaha on Sunday-Monday, March 13-14. Sunday’s game is set for a 3 p.m. start at Tal Anderson Field in Omaha, while first pitch on Monday is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Haymarket Park.
LOCAL TEAMS TAKE ON STATE TOURNAMENT, DAY 1 RESULTS & DAY 2 SCHEDULE:
Area teams in action taking on the NSAA Boys & Girls state basketball tournament:
WEDNESDAY TEAMS IN ACTION: (SEMIFINALS)
GIRLS:
CLASS C1:
#1 Lincoln Luthern 35 – 23 #5 Gothenburg
#2 North Bend Central 44 – 32 #3 GICC
BOYS:
CLASS C2:
#4 GICC 58 – 47 #8 Amherst
CLASS D1:
#3 Loomis 60 – 48 #2 Dundy Co. Stratton
THURSDAY TEAMS IN ACTION: (SEMIFINALS)
GIRLS:
CLASS B:
#3 Adams Central v. #2 Omaha Skutt Catholic – 3:15 PM (Pinnacle Bank Arena)
CLASS D1
#4 Shelton v. #8 Hartington Cedar Catholic – 9 AM (Devaney)
BOYS:
CLASS C1:
#3 Kearney Catholic v. #2 Ashland Greenwood – 11 AM (Pinnacle Bank Arena)
KEARNEY CATHOLIC TAKES ON ASHLAND-GREENWOOD FOR CHANCE AT FINALS:
The Kearney Catholic Stars Boys Basketball team had yet to win a quarterfinal contest in the state tournament in their six previous trips to Lincoln, but after defeating Wayne 47-40 on Tuesday afternoon the Stars now sit in the semifinals for the first time since their last State Championship in 2004.
Kearney Catholic’s road does not get any easier, battling Ashland-Greenwood (25-1). Tip-off is set for 11 AM from Pinnacle Bank Arena today. The winner will move onto the State Championship to take on the winner of Fort Calhoun and Auburn.
NEBRASKA FOOTBALL SPRING PRACTICE – HEINRICH HAARBERG COMMENTS:
HAARBERG – ADVANTAGE LEARNING NEW OFFENSE
Former Kearney Catholic Star and sophomore quarterback for the Huskers Heinrich Haarberg is entrenched in the quarterback battle for Nebraska Football, and he adds that he feels he may have a leg up in the competition due to the learning curve of the new offense…
Haarberg did not see any action last season, but is still expected to compete for the starting position this spring.
HAARBERG – WHIPPLE MAKES LEARNING EASIER
Sophomore quarterback for the Nebraska Football team Heinrich Haarberg was asked about one of his favorite traits of new offensive coordinator of the Huskers Mark Whipple…
Haarberg did not see action as a freshman last season, coming into the Big Red as a three-year starter at Kearney Catholic after being the first in-state quarterback to sign with Nebraska since 2001.
HAARBERG – DEEP QUARTERBACK ROOM HELPS TEAM
The Huskers have plenty of options to go under center heading into the 2022 season. With a bevy of transfers such as Chubba Purdy and Casey Thompson, returning Huskers such as Logan Smothers and Heinrich Haarberg look to duke it out for the number one spot at quarterback.
Haarberg adds he feels the extra depth can help the Huskers overall…
The Huskers currently have five quarterbacks on scholarship: Thompson, Purdy, Smothers, Haarberg, and Matt Masker.
NEBRASKA FOOTBALL SPRING PRACTICE – SCOTT FROST COMMENTS:
FROST – GOOD FIRST FOUR DAYS
Nebraska Football has hit the ground running into Week 2 of spring practices. Head Coach Scott Frost met with the media on Wednesday and while there are still some things to correct, he likes the energy from his team…
Nebraska now sets its sights on spring break upcoming for the student-athletes next week, meaning a break from practices and spring action.
FROST – QUARTERBACKS LEADING BY EXAMPLE
Head Coach of the Nebraska Football team Scott Frost spoke about his quarterback situation during Wednesday’s spring practice media session…
Frost also added that Chubba Purdy has been somewhat limited due to an injury but is still learning the offense with the rest of the quarterback room.
SCHANAMAN NAMED BIG TEN PITCHER OF THE WEEK:
Senior Shay Schanaman has been named the Big Ten Baseball’s Pitcher of the Week, the league office announced Wednesday morning.
Schanaman earned his first win of the season in Omaha’s 6-0 victory against Northwestern State on Saturday.
The Grand Island, Neb., native tossed a complete-game three-hit shutout and posted a season-high eight strikeouts with one walk. Schanaman allowed only two NSU baserunners to reach second base and faced 31 batters.
Schanaman’s performance was the first nine-inning complete-game shutout by a Nebraska pitcher since Jake Meyers vs. Western Carolina on March 12, 2017.
NEBRASKA SPRING PRACTICE: FISHER, BUFORD COMMENTS:
FISHER – CTB SET GOOD EXAMPLE TO GET TO NFL
Defensive Back coach Travis Fisher spoke on Monday regarding Cam Taylor Britt’s performance at the NFL scouting combine, and said that even without CTB still in the defensive backfield, he is still leading by example…
Taylor-Britt is projected as a 5th round NFL Draft pick after running a 4.38 40 yard dash and competing well at the scouting drills.
FISHER – OLDER DEFENSIVE BACKS NEED TO HELP TEACH YOUNG GUYS
Defensive Backs coach Travis Fisher is expecting his older DB’s to step into leadership and mentorship roles this season with plenty of new faces spotting the defensive backfield…
Fisher continued by saying he won’t make any older player step up into a leadership position, but will expect leadership to come through the group.
FISHER – DEFENSIVE BACKS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO SPECIAL TEAMS
Travis Fisher, the defensive backs coach for the Nebraska football team, was very adamant during his Monday press conference saying that if you want playing time in the defensive backfield, you’ll need to contribute on special teams…
New special teams coordinator Bill Busch has said publicly that some of the most talented and skilled players on the roster will dot the special teams as to make up for the deficiencies in last year’s play.
BUFORD – LEARNING AS MUCH OF DEFENSE AS I CAN
Sophomore defensive back Marques Buford Jr. spoke to the media on Monday after practice and was asked what position he has been focusing on this off-season…
Buford played in 12 contests last year but was limited in action due to the strong play of seniors Cam Taylor-Britt at cornerback and Deonte Williams in the backfield.
BUFORD – SAFETY RESPONSIBILTY
Marques Buford Jr. was at the podium on Monday in his post-practice press conference and spoke about his responsibilities on the field as the safety…
The defensive backfield starting lineup is up for grabs this season with the graduation or departures of key pieces and starters from last season’s Blackshirts.
BUFORD – HELPING THE YOUNGER GUYS
Sophomore Marques Buford Jr. spoke after Monday’s practice about how he sees his responsibility to help the younger defensive backs in their transition as he was in that spot last season…
Buford looks to make a starting role this season with the departure of his former teammates after appearing in 12 contests last season.
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
THURSDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- BOYS BASKETBALL: State Tournament @ Lincoln (Semifinals)
- #3 Kearney Catholic v. #2 Ashland-Greenwood – 11 AM (Pinnacle Bank Arena)
- BOYS BASKETBALL: State Tournament @ Lincoln (Semifinals)
- UNK:
- N/a
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
-
- BASEBALL: @ Rusmatt Tournament
- V. Rochester University – 6:30 PM
- BASEBALL: @ Rusmatt Tournament
FRIDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- UNK MENS TRACK: @ NCAA Indoor Championships, Pittsburg, KS
- WRESTLING: @ NCAA Div. 2 Championships
- WOMENS TENNIS: @ Cameron Lawton, OK
- WOMENS BASKETBALL: @ NCAA TOURNAMENT (Hays, KS)
- UNK v. Minnesota-Duluth – 12 PM
- SOFTBALL: @ Missouri Western (Doubleheader) – 2 PM, 4 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
-
- WOMENS WRESTLING: @ NAIA National Championships
- SOFTBALL: @ McPherson Tournament
- v. No. 24 Central Baptist College – 10:30 AM
- v. Tabor College – 12:45 PM
- BASEBALL: @ Rusmatt Tournament
- v. Cornerstone University
SATURDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- BOYS BASKETBALL: State Tournament @ Lincoln (Championship)
- UNK:
- UNK MENS TRACK: @ NCAA Indoor Championships, Pittsburg, KS
- WRESTLING: @ NCAA Div. 2 Championships
- WOMENS TENNIS: @ Angelo State
- SOFTBALL: @ Northwest Missouri State – 12 PM, 2 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
-
- WOMENS WRESTLING: @ NAIA National Championships
- BASEBALL: @ Rusmatt Tournament
- v. Cornerstone University
