Tonight marks the final day of prep sports competition before Christmas, and North Platte’s boys and girls basketball teams are making a trek to the capital city. The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs hope to go into the holiday on the strength of back-to-back wins as they take on Lincoln East. The girls game tips off first at 5:15, with the boys to follow at 7 PM. ESPN Radio 1410 will have all the action, starting with pregame coverage at 5 PM. North Platte wrestling also competes tonight. They welcome Grand Island to the Dawghouse for what should be an electrifying dual between two of the top teams in Class A.
Month: December 2012
Hooper Carries Huskers to Win Over Golden Eagles
A monster first half from Jordan Hooper propelled the Husker women’s basketball team past Oral Roberts 80-67 at the Devaney Center last night. Hooper scored 22 of her game high 33 points in the first 20 minutes as the Huskers rolled to a 44-20 halftime advantage. They would extend their lead to as many as 30 points early in the second half before coasting to the finish line. Lindsey Moore joined Hooper in double figures with 15 points. Hooper led the team with nine rebounds, while Moore pitched in eight assists. Those assists moved Moore into second place on Nebraska’s all-time list. The Huskers improve to 9-3 with the win. They’re off for the next eight days before resuming their season next Saturday, in the second of four consecutive home games, as they host Grambling State.
Nuggets Set NBA Record… For Terrible Three-Point Shooting in Loss
A staggeringly poor display of shooting spelled doom for the Denver Nuggets in a 101-93 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland. Denver missed all 22 of their three-point attempts, setting an NBA record for futility. The Nuggets did not even score a basket outside the paint until 38 seconds remained in the game. Ty Lawson, Andre Iguodala and Corey Brewer shared high scoring honors for the Nuggets with 13 points apiece. The Nuggets drop to 14-13 with the loss. They host the Charlotte Bobcats Saturday night.
Broncos OL Beadles Named Team’s Man of the Year
Denver Broncos offensive lineman Zane Beadles was named his team’s recipient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award yesterday. Each team recognizes a player for outstanding team leadership and community service each year. Beadles, who has started every game and played every snap at left guard for the Broncos, is involved with multiple charities in Denver, including the Boys and Girls Clubs. He is eligible for the league-wide award, which is announced at the Super Bowl.
Maxwell Wildcat Sports Update – December 20
The Wildcat basketball teams are excited to hit the hardwood for their home tournament tonight! They’re even more eager to get into the win column after tough starts to their season. The Wildcat wrestlers have had a great start to their campaign, and last week they showed a Denver-area team what Nebraska wrestling is all about. Hear all about it in this week’s Maxwell Wildcat Sports Update!
Thursday Sports Day – Former US Olympian in Prostitution Scandal
Suzy Favor Hamilton says she has worked as escort
Three-time Olympian runner Suzy Favor Hamilton has admitted leading a double life as an escort.
She apologized Thursday after a report by The Smoking Gun website said she had been working as a prostitute in Las Vegas.
The 44-year-old Favor Hamilton lives in Madison, Wis. The Smoking Gun said she has been working for the last year for an escort service.
Soon after the story appeared online, Hamilton released a series of tweets saying in part that she was “drawn to escorting in large part because it provided many coping mechanisms for me when I was going through a very challenging time with my marriage and my life.”
A middle-distance runner, Favor Hamilton competed for the U.S. at the Olympics in 1992, 1996 and 2000 but did not win a medal. She won seven U.S. national titles.
Thunder eye 13th straight win…Heat-Mavericks
UNDATED (AP) — The NBA has its usual limited Thursday night schedule in place with just three games on tap.
The best matchup of the night is the first as Oklahoma City takes on the Timberwolves in Minnesota. The Thunder have won an NBA season-high 12 straight games and area a league-best 21-4 following last night’s victory in Atlanta.
The Wolves have dropped two straight since a four-game winning streak, leaving them 12-11 this season. Minnesota has split the two games it has played with guard Ricky Rubio, who’s being slowly brought back into the lineup following major surgery.
It’s the first meeting of the season between the two teams. The Thunder were 3-0 against the Timberwolves last season, including a 149-140 overtime game last March.
Game 2 has the Miami Heat visiting the Dallas Mavericks, who’ve opened the season 12-13 while playing without forward Dirk Nowitzki. The Heat have the second best record in the East at 16-6, but they are just 4-4 on the road.
The two teams haven’t faced each other since March 29, when Miami beat the Mavericks 106-85 to complete a sweep of the two-game season series.
Nos. 1 & 2 in action on otherwise light schedule
UNDATED (AP) — The nation’s No. 1 and No. 2 teams in men’s college basketball are in action tonight while the rest of the top 25 have the day off.
Top-ranked Duke is playing its second game in as many nights, taking on Elon at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils improved to 10-0 with last night’s win over Cornell.
Duke and Elon haven’t met since December 2010, when the Blue Devils ripped the Phoenix 99-72 to take a 17-7 lead in the overall series. Elon is 6-4 and hasn’t beaten an ACC team since December 2005 against Clemson.
No. 2 Michigan goes against Eastern Michigan in the other game. The Wolverines are 11-0 for the first time in 24 years following an 81-66 win over West Virginia last weekend. The Eagles are 6-3 and come off Saturday’s 74-48 loss to Illinois-Chicago.
The two teams haven’t squared off since December 2008, when Michigan cruised to a 91-60 rout at Crisler Arena.
DePauw hires Bill Lynch as new football coach
GREENCASTLE, Ind. (AP) — DePauw has hired Bill Lynch as its new football coach — for the second time.
The school made the announcement Thursday.
The former Indiana and Ball State coach also went 8-2 with the Tigers in 2004 before becoming Indiana’s offensive coordinator under the late Terry Hoeppner. Lynch was promoted to interim coach in 2007, following Hoeppner’s death, took the Hoosiers to their first bowl game since 1993 and kept the job until being fired following the 2010 season.
Since then, Lynch has been the associate athletic director for development at Butler, his alma mater.
He has coached 32 years in college football and one season in the defunct USFL. He is 100-97-3 overall as a head coach, including a 44-14-3 mark in six seasons with Butler and DePauw.
(ed note – DePauw is the Sports Director’s alma mater, so it’s noteworthy to him, anyway!)
NSP Update On I-80 Closure Near Kearney
Interstate 80 from Utica to Kearney remains closed as of 11:00 a.m., (CST), due to snow pack and rough ice. The Nebraska State Patrol and the Nebraska Department of Roads are working to open the stretch of road, but no timeframe for reopening is yet available.
On other parts of Interstate 80 that are open, travelers are advised to reduce their speed, turn off cruise control, and use extreme caution due to snow being blown back onto the road and reduced visibility in some areas.
Motorists are encouraged to keep up to date with the latest weather and road conditions by utilizing 511, Nebraska’s Advanced Travelers Information System.
511 should be accessed via phone by calling 511 or 800-906-9069 from any cell phone or landline. Travelers may also access the webcams and weather forecasts from < www.ndortraveler.mobi>, which is viewable on any mobile device or PC.
Father Of Teen Inmate Who Hung Himself, Sues
The father of a 16-year-old Lincoln boy who hanged himself in a youth detention center has filed a lawsuit accusing county officials and employees of deliberate indifference to the teen’s mental illness and suicidal statements.
The Lincoln Journal Star reports that the lawsuit filed in Lincoln’s U.S. District County names Lancaster County and five unnamed employees as defendants.
Detention center staff found Jonathan Kennedy unresponsive in his cell the night of Feb. 26. He was taken to a local hospital, where he later died. The teen was being detained due to suspected drug use and self-harming behavior.
In the lawsuit, the teen’s father says detention center staff should have protected the teen from himself. The lawsuit seeks funeral expenses and an unspecified amount for other damages.
Kim K Stands Up Against Instagram
Kim Kardashian decided not to sit out of the fight over Instagram’s new Terms of service policy, which has many users upset including one of Instagram’s top 10 most followed users, Kardashian.
The new policy that Instagram rolled out implies that Instagram can sell users photos without having to compensate the user. TMZ reports that Instagram announced that they are revising the wording to clarify that they’re not going to sell any photos.
Kardashian is threatening to move her picture sharing to a different platform as a way to rebel from the possible policy change.
Kardashian has influence on many people such as her family who are also in the top 10 of Instagram.
Read more here
Wednesday Sports Wrap – Clippers, Thunder Stay Red Hot
Thunder streak reaches a dozen…’Melo scores 31 in return
UNDATED (AP) — Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were responsible for 68% of Oklahoma’s points Wednesday night, sending the Thunder to their 12th straight win.
Durant poured in a season-high 41 points on 14-of-23 shooting and had 13 rebounds as the Thunder topped the Hawks 100-92 in Atlanta. Westbrook added 27 points and 11 rebounds while helping the Thunder improve to a NBA’-best 21-4.
The winning streak matches the longest for the franchise since 1996, when it had a 14-game winning streak as the Seattle SuperSonics.
The Los Angeles Clippers ran their winning streak to a franchise record-tying 11 games with an easy win over New Orleans, which dropped its ninth in a row.
The Clippers are 19-6 after Blake Griffin scored 18 points and Jamal Crawford added 17 in a 93-77 win over the Hornets. Chris Paul had 12 assists to surpass 5,000 for his career as the Clippers matched the club-record winning streak set by the 1974-75 Buffalo Braves.
The New York Knicks had Carmelo Anthony back in the lineup following a two-game absence due to an ankle sprain.
Anthony helped the Knicks improve to 11-1 at home by scoring 31 points in a 100-86 win over Brooklyn. J.R. Smith added 19 points and Tyson Chandler had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, who bounced back from their first home loss Monday against Houston.
The outcome keeps the Knicks atop the Eastern Conference at 19-6.
The Nets have dropped eight of 10 since an 11-4 start.
The NBA slate includes Indiana’s 104-84 romp over Utah. Paul George finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks, while Gerald Green added a season-high 21 points.
Zach Randolph had 15 points and 17 rebounds as Memphis topped Milwaukee 90-80. Marc Gasol added 12 points and 12 rebounds to the Grizzlies’ third straight win.
Charlotte’s losing streak has grown to an NBA season-high 13 games after Shannon Brown scored a season-high 26 points to lead Phoenix past the Bobcats 121-104. Goran Dragic added 21 points and Jared Dudley had 20 in the Suns’ fourth straight win.
Sacramento ended a five-game losing streak as DeMarcus Cousins scored 24 points and Aaron Brooks had 23 in a 131-127 win over Golden State. Brooks hit a pair of three-pointers in the final minute after the Kings blew a 15-point lead.
Houston was a 125-103 winner against Philadelphia as James Harden chipped in 33 points and seven assists. Toney Douglas hit five 3-pointers and scoring all 17 of his points in the final period.
J.J. Redick scored 17 points and fellow reserve E’Twaun Moore had 15 to lead Orlando past Washington 90-83. Redick had four 3-pointers in leading the Magic to their fourth straight win.
Boston’s Paul Pierce scored 25 of his season-high 40 points in the second half of a 103-91 win over Cleveland. Rajon Rondo had 20 points and eight assists as the Celtics ended a three-game skid.
Alan Anderson scored 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter to help Toronto close out its fourth straight win, a 97-91 decision over Detroit. DeMar DeRozan finished with 23 points and Jose Calderon had 17 assists.
Nowitzki practices, still unsure of return
DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki has gone through his first full practice with the Dallas Mavericks since undergoing knee surgery that forced the 11-time All-Star to miss every game so far this season.
After practice, Nowitzki gave no real timetable on when he might make his season debut, except to say “maybe any time after Christmas.”
Nowitizki had arthroscopic surgery on his ailing right knee Oct. 19.
Griffin takes full practice for Redskins
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Robert Griffin III has taken part in his first full practice since spraining his right knee. The Washington Redskins quarterback said he did all of his usual work as the team held its first workout ahead of this week’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Coach Mike Shanahan said doctors will examine Griffin’s knee on Thursday to see if there’s any swelling. He could then be cleared to play against the Eagles.
Washington has won five in a row to move into a three-way tie atop the NFC East.
Elsewhere around the league:
— LeSean McCoy will start at running back for the Eagles against Washington in his first game back after missing four because of a concussion. Michael Vick will be the No. 3 quarterback behind starter Nick Foles and Trent Edwards because of his extended layoff.
— Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall returned to practice after serving a one-game suspension for deciding not to show up at Heinz Field for Pittsburgh’s game with the San Diego Chargers on Dec. 9. Mendenhall, who was inactive during the game, declined to talk about his decision to stay away but later added “there’s a lot of thought” that goes into anything he does.
— Running back Trent Richardson of the Browns doesn’t think his college coach, Alabama’s Nick Saban, will follow him to Cleveland. Saban will lead the Crimson Tide against Notre Dame in the BCS national championship game and has been mentioned as a possible replacement in Cleveland if the Browns fire second-year coach Pat Shurmur at season’s end.
— Giants receiver Victor Cruz hopes meeting with the family of a 6-year-old boy killed in the Connecticut school shootings has helped them cope with the tragedy. Cruz described to reporters his meeting with Jack Pinto’s family and said he was most affected when asked about their decision to bury their son in his No. 80 jersey. The family said Cruz was their son’s favorite player.
Angels and M’s pull off deal/Red Sox sign Dempster
UNDATED (AP) — Ichiro Suzuki will remain with the New York Yankees after the 10-time Gold Glove outfielder accepted a two-year, $13 million contract. The 39-year-old will make $6.5 million in each of the next two seasons and needs 394 hits to reach 3,000 for his major league career. Suzuki’s batting average jumped from .261 with the Mariners to .322 with the Yankees, with five homers, 27 RBIs and 14 steals.
In other baseball news:
— The Los Angeles Angels have traded Kendrys Morales to the Seattle Mariners for left-hander Jason Vargas. The 29-year-old Morales. Morales hit .273 with 22 home runs and 73 RBIs last season. Vargas led Seattle in wins last season, going 14-11 with a 3.85 ERA.
— The Red Sox have signed right-hander Ryan Dempster to a two-year contract. The signing came six days after two people familiar with the negotiations said Dempster had agreed to a $26.5 million deal. The 35-year-old has pitched more than 200 innings in four of the past five seasons. He went 12-8 with a 3.38 ERA this year playing for the Cubs and Rangers.