Saturday Morning Sports – Bearcats Fall in Doubleheader to Northeast, Husker Men Trounced by Boilermakers, Storm Dominate Force, Nebraska Wrestling Ousted by Minnesota, Local Sports Schedule

BEARCATS FALL IN DOUBLEHEADER TO ROCKETS, TRAVEL TO PAPILLION ON SATURDAY:

The Kearney High Bearcats basketball teams fell to Lincoln Northeast on Friday night, as both teams could not keep up with the up-start Rockets.

The Bearcat girls fell 59-32 to the 7-4 Rockets. Kearney (8-3) travels to Papillion-LaVista South Saturday afternoon.

The Kearney boys nearly completed a miraculous comeback after trailing by 16 at halftime, but the win was not in the cards for the Bearcats as they fall 57-53. Lincoln Northeast improved to 11-1 while Kearney fell to 6-5. 

Pregame coverage of the doubleheader today begins at 1:45 PM from Papillion-LaVista South high school.

HUSKER MEN THROTTLED BY PURDUE:

Keisei Tominaga’s 11 points led three Huskers in double figures, but Nebraska was unable to slow down No. 7/5 (AP/Coaches) Purdue in a 92-65 setback Friday night. 

Alonzo Verge Jr. and CJ Wilcher added 10 each for the Huskers, who shot 45.6 percent from the field, but committed 17 turnovers which led to 28 Purdue points

The Huskers return home on Monday afternoon, as they host Indiana. Tipoff for the MLK Day game is scheduled for 5 p.m.

STORM BLANK FORCE, REMATCH TONIGHT:

The Tri-City Storm blanked the Fargo Force by a final score of 3-0 Friday at the Viaero Center to take control of the top spot in the USHL’s league standings. With a record of 23-5-1-0 (47 Points), Tri-City now sits alone at the top of the league standings for the first time this season.

The Storm returns to action tonight at the Viaero Center in another home game against the Force. Saturday’s game is “Concrete Cares” night, and the Storm will wear specialty jerseys in the matchup. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05pm CT.

NEBRASKA WRESTLING FALLS TO MINNESOTA:

The No. 10 Nebraska wrestling team battled but came up short against No. 14 Minnesota Golden Gophers, who won six of ten bouts and defeated the Huskers 19-13 at Maturi Pavilion on Friday night.

With the loss, the Huskers fall to 3-2 (0-2 Big Ten) and the Gophers improve to 3-2 (2-1 Big Ten). 

The Huskers will be back in action next Friday when they travel to Madison, Wisc., to take on the #14 Badgers (6-0, 2-0 Big Ten).

FORMER BEARCAT FINISHES RUNNER-UP FOR HUSKER T&F:

Hannah Godwin, a former Kearney High Bearcat, competed in her first meet for the Nebraska Track & Field team on Friday night at the Graduate Invite hosted by Nebraska. 

The current Husker flew by the field as Godwin finished runner-up in the 3000m and now has the eighth fastest time in the Big Ten conference overall with a blazing finish of 9:25.25.

NEBEKER’S HEROICS SAVE LOPER MEN AT MO WEST; FACE NW MISSOURI STATE SATURDAY:

Senior forward Darrian Nebeker hit a 17-footer from the left wing with four seconds left to help Nebraska-Kearney edge Missouri Western State, 81-79, Thursday night in St. Joseph.

The Lopers (6-9, 2-7) stopped a four-game losing streak while the Griffons (8-9, 4-5) drop a fifth straight. These two teams will close out the regular season on February 25th at the Health & Sports Center.

UNK heads to two-time defending national champion Northwest Missouri State on Saturday.

LOPER WOMEN TAKE DOWN MISSOURI WESTERN STATE, FACE BEARCATS:

Point guard Haley Simental and forward Elisa Backes tallied 16 points apiece and post Brooke Carlson recorded a double-double to help No. 16/15 Nebraska-Kearney down No. 22/RV Missouri Western State, 60-48, Thursday night in St. Joseph, Mo.

The Lopers (13-2, 8-1) beat the Griffons (12-2, 6-2) for a fifth straight time and also hands Mo West its second home loss of the year.

The Lopers heads to Northwest Missouri on Saturday. The Bearcats (11-3, 6-2) fell in the last minute to No. 2 Fort Hays State on Wednesday night, 63-60.

NEBRASKA WOMEN BATTLE IOWA IN SUNDAY REMATCH:

The Nebraska women’s basketball team completes its two-game regular-season series with Iowa on Sunday when the Huskers travel to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes.

Tip-off between the Huskers (13-3, 2-3 Big Ten) and the Hawkeyes (9-4, 3-1 Big Ten) just one week after battling each other in Lincoln is set for 5:10 p.m

Nebraska is looking to rebound from back-to-back losses to Iowa (95-86, Jan. 9) and Indiana (72-65, Jan. 13) after taking the No. 6 Hoosiers down to the wire in Bloomington on Thursday night. 

Iowa enters Sunday’s rematch with Nebraska at 9-4 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten after posting a 79-66 win at Purdue on Thursday. 

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

FRIDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • GIRLS BASKETBALL: v. Lincoln Northeast
    • LNE 59-32
  • BOYS BASKETBALL: v. Lincoln Northeast
    • LNE 57-53

SATURDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • WRESTLING: HAC Championships@ Columbus High School
  • SWIMMING & DIVING: @ Lincoln High Invite
  • GIRLS BASKETBALL: @ Papillion-LaVista South – 2 PM
    • Pregame on KGFW at 1:45 PM
  • BOYS BASKETBALL: @ Papillion-LaVista South – 3:45 PM
    • Pregame on KGFW at 3:30 PM

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • SWIMMING & DIVING: @ Lincoln High Invite
  • GIRLS BASKETBALL: v. Hastings St. Cecilia
  • BOYS BASKETBALL: v. Hastings St. Cecilia

• UNK:
  • M/W T&F: @ Graduate Classic, Lincoln NE
  • WRESTLING: v. Grand View, IA – 1 PM
  • WOMENS BASKETBALL: @ Northwest Missouri St. – 2 PM
  • MENS BASKETBALL: @ Northwest Missouri St. – 4 PM

• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • MENS WRESTLING: @ Lakeland, FL
    • Fire Duals
  • WOMENS WRESTLING: @ York Open
  • M/W T&F: @ Doane Invite
  • WOMENS BASKETBALL @ College of St. Mary – 2 PM