NEBRASKA WOMEN CRUSH PENN STATE, EARN WILLIAMS WIN No. 300:
Freshman Callin Hake scored a career-high 16 points off the bench to lead five Huskers in double figures, as the Nebraska women’s basketball team rolled to an 80-51 victory over Penn State win over Penn State on Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Jaz Shelley (Moe, Australia) nearly added a triple-double with 10 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, while Alexis Markowski contributed her seventh double-double of the season with 11 points and 15 boards as Nebraska dominated the Lady Lions from start to finish.
Nebraska improved to 11-6 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten, while dropping Penn State to 11-6 overall and 2-4 in the conference.
The victory was the 300th career head coaching win for Amy Williams.
Nebraska returns to Big Ten home action on Saturday when the Huskers play host to unbeaten and No. 3 Ohio State. Tip-off between NU and OSU is set for 1:30 p.m.
KEARNEY BASKETBALL HITS THE ROAD TO LINCOLN EAST:
The Kearney Basketball teams return to action tonight traveling back to the capital city taking on a tough test in a doubleheader at Lincoln East.
The Bearcat Girls (8-5) aim to take down a conference opponent against the 6-3 Spartans, while the Keanrey Boys (9-3) are motivated to prove their hot start is no fluke taking on the #1 seed from the HAC Holiday Tournament in Lincoln East (7-2).
Pregame coverage begins at 5:30 PM from East High School on KGFW for the Kearney Girls and Spartans. Boys pregame coverage begins at the conclusion of the girls postgame report.
Listen to the game on 1340 KGFW, 96.1 FM, on the free KGFW mobile app, and online at KGFW.com with Austin Jacobsen on the call.
BIG RED PIPELINE RECEIVES STANFORD TRANSFER BOOST:
The Huskers continue to get older and add significant remodeling pieces in the trenches, landing a commitment from veteran offensive tackle transfer Walter Rouse.
Nebraska beat out Oklahoma and Iowa for the former Stanford tackle, who finished his string of visits in Lincoln on Saturday and Sunday, a visit that he said “pleasantly surprised all the way throughout.”
In Rouse, NU is landing a four-year college starter who has already played 2,552 snaps in his college career dating back to 2019. His 67.3 grade by Pro Football Focus last season would have been best amongst the Husker linemen in 2022.
The 6-foot-6, 318-pound Rouse joins incoming Husker transfer center Ben Scott, who has played 1,777 college snaps – adding experience and more options for offensive line coach Donovan Raiola to work with.
HUSKER FOOTBALL OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCE NEW ADDITIONS TO ASSISTANT STAFF:
Nebraska Head Football Coach Matt Rhule has completed the hiring of his first full-time Husker coaching staff with the announcement of the addition of three assistant coaches on Wednesday.
Bob Wager will join the Nebraska staff as tight ends coach, Rob Dvoracek will coach the Husker linebackers and Garret McGuire will serve as wide receivers coach. The three newest additions are pending the completion of the University hiring process and join seven assistant coaches hired to Rhule’s staff since he was named Nebraska’s head coach on Nov. 26.
Wager comes to Nebraska after a highly successful high school head coaching career in Texas. Wager has been a head coach for more than 20 seasons and has posted a record of 206-100-1.
Dvoracek joins the Nebraska staff after spending the previous two seasons coaching for the Carolina Panthers. Overall, Dvoracek has spent four years working on Rhule’s coaching staff, including two years at Baylor and two in the National Football League.
McGuire worked for two seasons in the National Football League with the Panthers in 2021 and 2022. He joined Rhule’s staff in Charlotte immediately after his playing career at Baylor and worked as an offensive assistant for the Panthers.
HAMLIN RETURNS HOME:
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is finally home.
Nine days after he stunned and saddened his teammates by going into cardiac arrest and being resuscitated on the field in Cincinnati, and placed the NFL on hold, Hamlin was released from a Buffalo hospital on Wednesday, the Bills announced.
This marks the next major step in what doctors have called Hamlin’s remarkable recovery, which came two days after he was deemed healthy enough to be transferred from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center to the Buffalo General Medical Center. Dr. Jamie Nadler said the 24-year-old Hamlin will continue his rehabilitation with the Bills.
The Bills and Nadler did not disclose the results of the tests Hamlin had over the past two days in Buffalo to determine the reason his heart stopped after he struck squarely in the chest by Bengals receiver Tee Higgins.
DOLPHINS’ TUA RULED OUT FOR PLAYOFFS:
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has not been cleared to return to football activities and was ruled out for Sunday’s playoff game against the Buffalo Bills as he remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol, coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday.
The Dolphins are preparing for rookie Skylar Thompson to be their starter when they face the Bills for the third time this season. Backup Teddy Bridgewater is working his way back to full strength after dislocating his pinky finger.
Tagovailoa was diagnosed with his second concussion of the season after a Week 16 loss to Green Bay and missed the Dolphin’s final two games of the regular season. He has missed several weeks due to multiple concussions suffered this season.
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
THURSDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Girls Basketball: @ Lincoln East – 5:45 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 5:30 PM
- Boys Basketball: @ Lincoln East – 7:30 PM
- KGFW Pregame after KHS GBB
- Wrestling: v. North Platte Dual @ Kearney High School – 7 PM
- Girls Basketball: @ Lincoln East – 5:45 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Swimming & Diving: @ North Star Triangular – 4 PM
- Girls Basketball: v. Broken Bow – 5:30 PM
- Boys Basketball: v. Broken Bow – 7:30 PM
- UNK:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney High Girls Basketball @ Lincoln East (5:30 PM – 7:30 PM)
- Kearney High Boys Basketball @ Lincoln East (7:30 PM – 9:30 PM)
FRIDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Swimming & Diving: @ Lincoln High School (Diving Only) – 4:30 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Swimming & Diving: @ Lincoln High Invite (Diving Only) – 4:30 PM
- Wrestling: Triangular @ Gibbon (v. Gibbon & Mitchell) – 7 PM
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: @ Graduate Classic @ Lincoln, NE – 4 PM
- Wrestling: @ Newman – 7 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Men’s Basketball @ Purdue (5 PM – 8:45 PM)
SATURDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Wrestling: HAC Championships @ Lincoln Southwest – 9:30 AM
- Swimming & Diving: @ Lincoln High Invite – 10 AM
- Boys Basketball: @ Omaha Bryan – 2 PM
- KGFW Pregame beginning at 1:45 PM
- Girls Basketball: v. Bellevue West @ Kearney High School – 4:15 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Swimming & Diving: @ Lincoln High Invite – 10 AM
- Wrestling: @ Gibbon Invite – 10 AM
- Girls Basketball: @ Hastings St. Cecilia – 1 PM
- Boys Basketball: @ Hastings St. Cecilia – 3 PM
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: @ Graduate Classic @ Lincoln, NE – 11:30 AM
- Swimming: @ OC Invite @ Irvine, CA
- Women’s Basketball: @ Fort Hays State – 2 PM
- Men’s Basketball: @ Fort Hays State – 4 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney High Boys Basketball @ Omaha Bryan (1:45 PM – 3:45 PM)
SUNDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- N/a
