Friday Morning Sports – 3/29/2024

CNT Sports // Basketball // NRG CN

SWEET SIXTEEN BEGINS WITH UPSETS, CONTINUE TONIGHT: 

The Sweet Sixteen turned bitter for three of the four higher seeds on Thursday night, as only top-rated UConn escaped with a win. 

The Huskies blasted last year’s national runner-up in a 82-52 win, while fellow one-seed North Carolina fell to Alabama 89-87. Both two-seeds dropped as well, with Arizona falling to Clemson and Illinois downing Iowa State 72-69. 

Today’s action features Marquette and NC State, Purdue battling Gonzaga, Houston faces Duke in Dallas, and Tennessee matches up with Creighton. 

The Women’s Sweet Sixteen also begins today with all games on ESPN. Notre Dame takes on Oregon State, South Carolina faces Indiana, Stanford will battle NC State, and Texas matches up with Gonzaga.

Full schedules, results, game times, TV designations, and more can be found at KGFW and Central Nebraska Today.

KEARNEY ADJUSTS HOME TRIANGULAR TO RYDER PARK:

The blizzard from Monday and Tuesday continues to carry lingering effects into today’s contests scheduled for Kearney Baseball. 

Originally, the Bearcats were set to host Grand Island and Lincoln East at Memorial Field on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. The matchups were then rescheduled to a home triangular for today, until Memorial Field was deemed unplayable due to field conditions from lingering snow coverage. 

Instead, the Bearcats will now head to Ryder Park in Grand Island as the Islanders will host the triangular beginning at 11 AM with GISH and Lincoln East. The Spartans will match up with Kearney around 1 PM, with Kearney facing Grand Island to follow in the final afternoon game. 

KGFW will provide radio coverage of the KHS/LE contest due to the ongoing St. Jude Radiothon. Pregame is scheduled around 12:45 PM with first pitch anticipated at 1 PM. 

Join Austin Jacobsen for the action on 1340 KGFW, 96.1 FM, on the free KGFW mobile app, and online at KGFW.com. 

NEBRASKA BASEBALL BEGINS CONFERENCE PLAY IN EVANSTON:

Nebraska Baseball is set to begin their Big Ten conference opening series today in Evanston, Ill. as the Huskers travel to battle Northwestern. 

Through 29 all-time meetings, the Huskers hold a 17-12 advantage over the Wildcats in the all-time series. Nebraska and Northwestern meet for the second consecutive season after the Big Red swept the Wildcats in Lincoln last year.

Brett Sears is set to toe the rubber in the series opener this afternoon. Sears is 4-0 in six starts, posting a 1.14 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 39.1 innings, while holding opponents to a .119 hitting clip.

Coverage will pickup after the conclusion of Kearney Baseball facing Lincoln East on KGFW.

MATT RHULE THURSDAY SPRING PRACTICE PRESS CONFERENCE COMMENTS:

RHULE – EMMETT JOHNSON SHOWCASING ATHLETICISM:

Head Football coach for Nebraska Matt Rhule was asked about who has stuck out in the running back lineup early in spring practices…

Johnson was the second leading running back in total yards, ending with just over 400 rushing yards in 2023. 

RHULE – QUARTERBACK DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES:

The hot topic for Nebraska Football has been the new addition quarterbacks, especially No. 1 rated quarterback Dylan Raiola. Head Coach Matt Rhule was asked how all the quarterbacks are developing…

Rhule also referenced fellow freshman from Bellevue West Daniel Kaelin, who is among three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster for the Big Red. 

RHULE – EVERYONE RECEIVES MORE REPS:

Matt Rhule has stayed consistent from this 2023 spring practices to his 2024 comments early in camp, as he spoke on Thursday morning about the importance of reps for his team…

Rhule continued that no starters have been established yet, but first-team preference is given to returning starters or players with strong offseason performances. 

RHULE – NEED THREE STARTING QUARTERBACKS:

Nebraska Football stands with three scholarship quarterbacks on its active roster currently. Head Coach Matt Rhule spoke Thursday morning about the need for his two freshmen – Dylan Raiola and Daniel Kaelin – to be ready to go…

The Huskers played three quarterbacks the past three seasons, including Heinrich Haarberg, Jeff Sims, and Chubba Purdy last year.

RHULE – GOOD DEPTH ACROSS ALL POSITIONS:

Nebraska Football has continued to develop and build depth in key position groups, as head coach Matt Rhule spoke Thursday about what position group has stood out the most…

The Huskers aim to continue to build depth leading to their April 27 Red-White Spring Game.

RHULE – FRESHMEN ARE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE:

Nebraska Football may rely on their incoming freshman quarterbacks, Dylan Raiola and Daniel Kaelin, throughout spring practices as referenced by head coach Matt Rhule on Thursday. Rhule added that he believes his freshmen are ahead of schedule due to their high school preparation…

Nebraska awaits their Red-White Spring Game set for Saturday, April 27. 

LOPER TENNIS ROLLS PAST NEWMAN:
The Nebraska-Kearney tennis teams worked around the weather to get past Newman, 6-1 (women) and 4-3 (men), Thursday in Kearney.

Due to the recent winter storm, both duals were both pushed back to 2 p.m. with the men playing on three courts at Harmon Park and the women heading inside to the Ernest Grundy Center. The 22nd-ranked Loper women are now 10-3 (1-0) while the men move to 10-6 (2-1).

UNK hosts Emporia State Friday afternoon at 11 a.m. (women) and 1 p.m. (men). This will be “Senior Day” for the men.

NCAA TOURNAMENT: MEN’S SWEET SIXTEEN SCHEDULES/SCORES:

THURSDAY SWEET SIXTEEN RESULTS:

No. 6 Clemson 77-72 No. 2 Arizona

No. 1 UConn 82-52 No. 5 San Diego State

No. 4 Alabama 89-87 No. 1 North Carolina

No. 3 Illinois 72-69 No. 2 Iowa State

FRIDAY SWEET SIXTEEN SCHEDULE:

No. 2 Marquette v. No. 11 NC State – 6:09 PM (CBS)

No. 1 Purdue v. No. 5 Gonzaga – 6:39 PM (TBS/truTV)

No. 1 Houston v. No. 4 Duke – 8:39 PM (CBS)

No. 2 Tennessee v. No. 3 Creighton – 9:09 PM (TBS/truTV)

NCAA TOURNAMENT: WOMEN’S SWEET SIXTEEN SCHEDULES/SCORES:

FRIDAY SWEET SIXTEEN SCHEDULE:

No. 2 Notre Dame v. No. 3 Oregon State – 1:30 PM (ESPN)

No. 1 South Carolina v. No. 4 Indiana – 4 PM (ESPN)

No. 2 Stanford v. No. 3 NC State – 6:30 PM (ESPN)

No. 1 Texas v. No. 4 Gonzaga – 9 PM (ESPN)

Buffalo County Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN BUFFALO COUNTY SPORTS:

THURSDAY:

High School Sports:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Girls Soccer: @ Omaha Buena Vista – KHS 10-0 OBV
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Girls Soccer: @ Grand Island – KCHS 3-0 GISH

College Athletics:

• UNK LOPERS:
  • M/W Tennis: v. Newman @ Harmon Park – UNK W 6-1 NU // UNK M 4-3 NU
• HASTINGS COLLEGE BRONCOS:
  • Softball: @ Morningside – Morningside 2-1 Hastings College
  • Softball: @ Morningside – Morningside 6-3 Hastings College

FRIDAY:

High School Sports:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Baseball: v. Lincoln East @ Ryder Park (GI) – 1 PM
    • KGFW Pregame around 12:45 PM
  • Baseball: @ Grand Island @ Ryder Park – 3 PM
  • Girls Soccer: v. Lincoln Southeast @ Kearney High School – 1 PM
  • Boys Soccer: @ Omaha Buena Vista – 6 PM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Baseball: v. Lincoln East @ Ryder Park (GI) – 1 PM
    • KGFW Pregame around 12:45 PM
  • Baseball: @ Grand Island @ Ryder Park – 3 PM
• AMHERST:
  • N/a
• PLEASANTON:.
  • N/a
• GIBBON:
  • N/a
• SHELTON:
  • N/a
• ELM CREEK:
  • N/a
• RAVENNA:
  • N/a

College Athletics:

• UNK LOPERS:
  • M/W Tennis: v. Emporia State @ Harmon Park – 11 AM / 1 PM
  • Softball: @ Pittsburg State @ Pittsburg, KS – 3 PM / 5 PM
• HASTINGS COLLEGE BRONCOS:
  • Baseball: @ Northwestern – 1 PM
  • Baseball: @ Northwestern – 3:30 PM
• NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS:
  • Track & Field: @ Florida Relays
  • Track & Field: @ Stanford Invite
  • Baseball: @ Northwestern – 3 PM
    • KGFW Coverage after KHS Baseball
  • Women’s Tennis: @ Minnesota – 4 PM
  • Softball: @ Wisconsin – 5 PM

KGFW Sports Schedule:

• Kearney Baseball v. Lincoln East (12:45 PM – 2:45 PM)
• Nebraska Baseball @ Northwestern (2:45 PM – 7:30 PM)