GIRLS STATE HOOPS DAY 1 RESULTS / DAY SCHEDULE:
Day 1 of the Nebraska State Girls Basketball championships concluded yesterday with Classes A, C1, and D1 finishing their quarterfinal rounds.
#1 Ravenna took down #8 SEM 51-37 and will face #4 Hastings St. Cecilia after the Bluehawks won 49-37 over Elmwood-Murdock in the Class D1 semifinals tomorrow.
#3 Adams Central eliminated #6 Gothenburg with a 45-38 victory. They take on the undefeated and #2 seeded Bridgeport Bulldogs on Friday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Today’s action has Classes B, C2, and D2 beginning their tournaments. Area teams in action include: #4 York facing #5 Scottsbluff at 3:15 PM in Class B, #3 GACC takes on #6 Southern Valley at 3:15 in C2, and #2 Shelton will face #7 Wilcox-Hildreth in D2 at 6 PM.
Start times and locations can be found at the NSAA Website. Semifinals for all classes begin on Friday in Lincoln.
UNK WOMEN PREPARE FOR MIAA TOURNAMENT OPENING MATCHUP:
The No.1 seed and conference regular season champion UNK Women’s Basketball faces their first matchup of the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City today facing off against No. 7 Northwest Missouri State. Tip-off is set for 6 PM.
The Bearcats took down No. 9 Newman on Wednesday 70-54.
The Lopers are currently on an eight game winning streak over Northwest, including a 66-65 win over the Bearcats in the Health & Sports Center back on Jan. 26. UNK’s Shiloh McCool sank a free throw with five seconds remaining to take the win.
The winner of the UNK/Northwest Missouri State matchup faces the winner of No. 4 Pittsburg State and No. 5 Missouri Southern on Saturday in the MIAA Semifinal game.
LOPER WOMEN SIT FIRST AGAIN IN CENTRAL REGION RANKINGS:
The Nebraska Kearney women’s basketball team is once again first in the NCAA Rankings for the Central Region.
These rankings determine the 64-team NCAA Division II Tournament field (eight teams, eight regions).
Each conference tourney winner receives an automatic bid to the Central Regional; the MIAA tourney is this weekend in Kansas City with the Lopers (27-3) the number one seed.
The NCAA “Selection Show” will be aired Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. Central at www.ncaa.com with regional play set for March 10-11 & 13.
UNK is currently seventh in the Women’s Basketball Coaches (WBCA) Top 25 and eighth in the D2 Sports Information Directors of America poll.
SPORTS NIGHTLY COMMENTS – TREV ALBERTS:
ALBERTS – WANTED VOLLEYBALL ATTENDANCE RECORD:
Athletic Director Trev Alberts joined Sports Nightly on Wednesday night and was asked why it was important to bring Nebraska Volleyball – as well as UNO, UNK, and Wayne State – into Memorial Stadium for “Volleyball Day” in Memorial Stadium…
The Huskers owned the attendance record after the match at the CHI Health Center in Omaha last season, until Wisconsin ultimately broke the record later that season. Volleyball Day is set for Aug. 30.
ALBERTS – SPRING FOOTBALL SHOULD BE COMPETITIVE:
Athletic Director for Nebraska Trev Alberts spoke on his excitement for the Nebraska Football team as Matt Rhule leads his first spring practices after the conclusion of winter conditioning later this month…
Nebraska is aiming to back Memorial Stadium with 45,000 spring game tickets already sold for the April 22 scrimmage.
HUSKER BEACH VOLLEYBALL FINISHES PERFECT DAY AT HOME:
The Nebraska beach volleyball team won two matches on Wednesday at the Hawks Championship Center to finish the home portion of their schedule with a perfect 4-0 record.
On Wednesday, Nebraska beat Oklahoma Wesleyan, 5-0, and Ottawa (Kan.), 5-0. All five Husker pairs swept their matches in straight sets. All six Husker pairs have won all eight sets they’ve played so far this season.
The Huskers will leave for Gulf Shores, Ala., today for four matches in two days. Nebraska will play Huntingdon College at 7:30 a.m. on Friday at West Public Beach in Gulf Shores, followed by a match against Spring Hill on Friday at 9:30 a.m.
LOPER SOFTBALL HAS WEEKEND CHANGES:
The schedule for the Nebraska Kearney softball team has changed this weekend due to expected wintry weather in Springfield, Mo.
The Lopers (7-11) were scheduled to play two games Friday and two more on Saturday in the Drury Classic. The tourney has been pushed back a full day with the Lopers still facing the host Panthers (9-9) and Augustana (2-4) on Saturday but now playing NAIA Cottey College, Mo. (7-6) and No. 9 Central Oklahoma (8-3) on Sunday.
The Blue & Gold was supposed to play Minnesota-Crookston and NAIA Evangel (Mo.)
Weather permitting, the Lopers host Missouri Western (March 10) and Northwest Missouri (March 11) next weekend at Patriot Park.
TOP NFL PROSPECT JALEN CARTER CHARGED WITH RACING IN FATAL WRECK:
Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, projected as one of the top players in next month’s NFL draft, has been charged with reckless driving and racing in conjunction with the crash that killed offensive lineman Devin Willock and a recruiting staff member.
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department has issued an arrest warrant that alleges Carter was racing his 2021 Jeep Trackhawk against the 2021 Ford Expedition driven by the recruiting staffer, 24-year-old Chandler LeCroy, which led to the Jan. 15 wreck.
Carter had been due in Indianapolis on Wednesday for the NFL’s scouting combine, and he is expected to address the arrest warrant when he returns to Athens, according to Lt. Shaun Barnett of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.
DURANT FLOURISHES TO 23 POINTS IN SUNS’ DEBUT:
New team, same Kevin Durant.
The Durant era in Phoenix got off to a solid start Wednesday night with the 13-time NBA All-Star scoring 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting, adding an explosive offensive element to an already dangerous offense in his Suns debut.
Durant, playing for his fourth team in the last seven seasons, added six rebounds and two blocks as Phoenix beat the Charlotte Hornets 105-91.
The Suns (34-29) are in fourth place in the Western Conference.
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
THURSDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- Women’s Basketball: MIAA TOURNAMENT @ Kansas City, MO
- #1 UNK v. #7 Northwest Missouri State – 6 PM
- Women’s Basketball: MIAA TOURNAMENT @ Kansas City, MO
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Women’s T&F: @ NAIA Indoor Championships @ Brookings, SD – 1 PM
- Women’s Tennis: v. Fort Hays State – 2 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Women’s Basketball v. BIG TEN TOURNEY – TBD (11:15 AM – 2:15 PM)
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
FRIDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- Softball: v. Minnesota-Crookston @ Springfield, MO – 10 AM
- Softball: @ Drury @ Springfield, MO – 12:15 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Women’s T&F: @ NAIA Indoor Championships @ Brookings, SD – 1 PM
- Softball: @ Hosea Bell Red Dirt Classic @ USA Softball HOF
- v. Mid-America Christian
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- TBD
SATURDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- Softball: v. Evangel, MO @ Springfield, MO – 10 AM
- Softball: v. Augustana @ Springfield, MO – 12 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Women’s T&F: @ NAIA Indoor Championships @ Brookings, SD – 1 PM
- Softball: @ Hosea Bell Red Dirt Classic @ USA Softball HOF
- Baseball: v. Mayville State – 12 PM
- Baseball: v. Mayville State – 3 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- TBD
SUNDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- N/a
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Baseball: v. Mayville State – 1 PM
- Baseball: v. Mayville State – 4 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Men’s Basketball @ Iowa (12 PM – 3:45 PM)
