NEBRASKA WOMEN’S HOOPS SELECTED TO NIT:
Nebraska became the eighth Big Ten Conference women’s basketball program to earn a postseason bid this year when it was chosen to participate in the 64-team Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT)
The Huskers will begin their latest postseason run at home, playing host to Missouri State at 6 p.m. (CT) Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb. Tickets are available through the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at Huskers.com
With a victory, Nebraska would advance to a second-round matchup against either Northern Iowa or Colorado State during a window from March 18-21.
Nebraska is making its seventh WNIT appearance since the current tournament format began in 1998, and earns its first trip since 2021, when the Huskers reached the round of 16 in a modified 32-team event necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nebraska also competed in the 1992 National Women’s Invitation Tournament (NWIT), finishing fourth that season.
HUSKER MEN SHUT OUT OF POSTSEASON HOOPS:
Despite getting hot in February, the Huskers’ Men basketball team will not be selected to the 2023 NIT field of 32 that was released on Sunday.
The Huskers finished the 2022-23 season 16-16. Three other Big Ten teams get the nod including Wisconsin, Rutgers and Michigan.
Nebraska beat both Wisconsin and Rutgers in February while also finishing ahead of the Badgers in the Big Ten standings.
HUSKER BASEBALL’S EVANS NAMED CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Junior Cole Evans has been named the Big Ten Baseball’s Player of the Week.
The Grand Island, Neb., native hit .818 (9-for-11) with three doubles, two home runs, seven RBI and four runs in three games against Northern Colorado and Illinois State, while recording a 1.636 slugging percentage and .833 on-base percentage.
Evans went 3-for-4 with a double, two homers, three RBI and a pair of runs scored in a 14-3 seven-inning win against Northern Colorado.
The junior opened the Illinois State series with a 2-for-3 day, before going 4-for-4 with two doubles, four RBI and two runs in the second game against the Redbirds.
BOYS STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS:
The winter high school sports season wrapped on Saturday, as Boys State Basketball championships were determined in Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.
In Class A, Bellevue West overcame two straight years of state title losses to Millard North to finish a perfect season and state champions in Class A.
Class B had Omaha Skutt Catholic taking down Platteview 57-50.
Class C1 saw Ashland-Greenwood crush underdog Auburn 54-24, while Ogallala ended third overall with a win over Omaha Concordia.
Class C2 had Freeman win 53-35 over runner-up Amherst.
In Class D1 Johnson-Brock took down North Platte St. Pats while Dundy County Stratton was third in a win over Maywood-Hayes Center.
Finally, Class D2 saw Lincoln’s Parkview Christian claim the title over Wynot 52-49 while SEM nabbed third place over Shelton.
Full bracket results can be found at the NSAA website. Spring sports – including soccer, track and field, baseball, and boys golf competitions will begin this week.
LOPER WRESTLING’S ELDREDGE CLAIMS NATIONAL TITLE:
Nebraska Kearney redshirt senior Austin Eldredgehad two takedowns and racked up six near fall points to win the 174-pound national title match, 12-4, over previously unbeaten Abner Romero of St. Cloud State Saturday night in Cedar Rapids, Ia.
This was the second and final day of the 2023 NCAA Division II Championships. The seventh-ranked Lopers came in with six qualifiers and finished with three All-Americans. Heavyweight Lee Herrington was seventh with Billy Higgins sixth at 184 lbs.
UNK scored 43 team points to finish eighth; this is the 21st straight year (not counting 2020) the program has finished in the top eight.
STORM COMPLETE WEEKEND SWEEP IN DES MOINES:
The Tri-City Storm completed a two-game weekend sweep of the Des Moines Buccaneers Saturday night at Buccaneer Arena in a 4-2 victory. The Storm improved to 8-1-0-0 on the season in net for Tri-City.
The Storm extended its season-high eight-game winning streak, and nine-game point streak in the victory.
Tri-City is now set to return home for five consecutive games at the Viaero Center, including two next weekend against the Sioux City Musketeers.
LOPER SOFTBALL SWEEPS BEARCATS IN HOME OPENER:
The Nebraska Kearney softball team belted five home runs, including a Grand Slam and going back-to-back twice, to sweep Northwest Missouri State, 16-12 and 10-2 (5 innings), Sunday afternoon at Patriot Park.
This was the home and MIAA opener for UNK. This weekend’s games were also pushed back two full days due to weather and field conditions. The Lopers (11-13, 2-0) host Missouri Western State (11-4, 1-1) today starting at noon.
HUSKER SOFTBALL END WEEKEND WITH WINS:
The Nebraska softball team finished the weekend with a 7-2 win over Missouri State (9-12) on Sunday afternoon in Wichita, Kan.
The Huskers (16-8) scored seven runs on 12 hits, while the Bears had two runs on nine hits.
Nebraska returns to action on Wednesday, March 12 at 4 p.m. (CT) in Omaha, Neb., to take on the Mavericks.
MADNESS BEGINS – TOP SEEDS IN NCAA TOURNAMENT:
The Alabama Crimson Tide, Houston Cougars, Kansas Jayhawks and Purdue Boilermakers were named as the No. 1 seeds in the men’s NCAA tournament on Sunday.
The Kansas Jayhawks return as one of the top seeds after capturing the fourth national championship in school history last season.
The defending national champions are seeking to become the first back-to-back March Madness champions since the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2007. Kansas will play Howard in the first round.
The NCAA tournament is scheduled to tip off on March 14 and run through April 3.
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
MONDAY:
- UNK:
- Women’s Golf: @ Hillcat Classic, Owasso, OK
- Women’s Tennis: @ Rollins College @ Winter Park, FL – 10 AM
- Softball: v. Missouri Western State @ Patriot Park – 12 PM
- Softball: v. Missouri Western State @ Patriot Park – 2 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Baseball: v. Southeastern @ RussMatt Invite @ Lakeland, FL – 11 AM
- Men’s Tennis: v. Kentucky Wesleyan @ Nashville, TN – 11 AM
- Women’s Tennis: v. Kentucky Wesleyan @ Nashville, TN – 11 AM
- Baseball: v. Southeastern @ RussMatt Invite @ Lakeland, FL – 2 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- High School Coaches Show (5 PM – 6 PM)
- Sports Nightly w/ Husker Baseball HC Will Bolt (6 PM – 8 PM)
TUESDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- Women’s Golf: @ Hillcat Classic, Owasso, OK
- Volleyball: @ Eckerd College @ St. Petersburg, FL – 5:30 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Baseball: v. Aquinas, MN @ Winter Haven, FL – 8 AM
- Men’s Tennis: v. Hanover @ Louisville, KY – 10 AM
- Women’s Tennis: v. Hanover @ Louisville, KY – 10 AM
- Baseball: v. Aquinas, MN @ Winter Haven, FL – 11 AM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Baseball v. Omaha (5:30 PM – 10 PM)
WEDNESDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- STATE SPEECH @ KHS
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- Volleyball: @ Tampa, FL – 7:30 AM
- Women’s Tennis: @ Palm Beach Atlantic @ West Palm Beach, FL – 1:30 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Men’s Tennis: v. Oakland City @ Louisville, KY – 1 PM
- Women’s Tennis: v. Oakland City @ Louisville, KY – 1 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
THURSDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- STATE SPEECH @ KHS
- Boys Soccer: @ Lincoln Southwest @ Lincoln Northwest – 3 PM
- Girls Soccer: v. Grand Island @ Kearney High School – 7 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 6:45 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Girls Soccer: @ York – 5 PM
- Boys Soccer: @ York – 7 PM
- UNK:
- N/a
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney Girls Soccer v. Grand Island (6:45 PM – 8:45 PM)
FRIDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- STATE SPEECH @ KHS
- Baseball: @ Lincoln Southeast @ Den Hartog Field – 12 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 11:45 AM
- T&F: @ UNK Indoor Invite @ Cushing Coliseum – 1 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- Softball: v. Wayne State @ St. Joseph, MO – 10 AM
- Softball: v. Upper Iowa @ St. Joseph, MO – 2 PM
- Women’s Tennis: @ Florida Southern @ Lakeland, FL – 2 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Baseball: @ Dordt @ Sioux Center, IA – 4 PM
- Baseball: @ Dordt @ Sioux Center, IA – 7 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney Baseball @ Lincoln Southeast (11:45 AM – 2:45 PM)
- Nebraska Baseball v. Nicholls (5:30 PM – 10 PM)
SATURDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Girls Soccer: KEARNEY HIGH INVITE @ KHS/UNK
- Boys Soccer: KEARNEY HIGH INVITE @ KHS/UNK
- Baseball: v. Fremont @ Memorial Field – 12 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 11:45 AM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- T&F: @ UNK Indoor Invite @ Cushing Coliseum – 11 AM
- UNK:
- Softball: v. Bemidji State @ St. Joseph, MO – 12 PM
- Softball: v. St. Cloud State @ St. Joseph, MO – 4 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Softball: @ Peru State – 1 PM
- Softball: @ Peru State – 3 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney Baseball v. Fremont (11:45 AM – 2:45 PM)
- Nebraska Baseball v. Nicholls (2:45 PM – 6 PM)
SUNDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- Softball: v. Minnesota State @ St. Joseph, MO – 9 AM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Baseball: v. Concordia – 1 PM
- Baseball: v. Concordia – 4 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Baseball v. Nicholls (12:30 PM – 5 PM)
