North Platte, NE (KOOQ) – The North Platte Community College men’s basketball team is separating themselves from last years rough start any way they can.

After the performance they put on this weekend, its safe to say they have succeeded. The men improve to 8-1 to start the season after a pair of very convincing wins against teams from Wyoming.

The weekend started off with a rematch against Laramie County, the team that took the Knights to OT in the very first game of the season. Things started fast in that game for the Knights, they opened up with a 19-5 lead. The Golden Eagles would clamp down on defense for the rest of the first half and the Knights would take a 27-22 lead into the half.

Laramie College would increase the intensity to start the 2nd half getting as close as 4 points 35-31. A big 3 point shot by Courtney Murrell would kick the lead back to 7 and the Knights would never look back. The final score in the Knights favors 67-50.

The second game of the weekend would go much differently for the Knights. Eastern Wyoming was in town for another rematch from earlier in the season, when the Knights beat them 88-80. Saturday’s game would be a statement win for the Knights.

The Knights started off by jumping on the Lancers, taking a 23-4 lead to open the game and took a 43-29 lead into halftime. The first half the Knights seemed to score at will with a good mix of down low play by Jakub Karwowski and outside shooting by Edgars Kaufmanis. Karwowski would end the half leading all scorers with 14.

The Lancers made a small run at the start of the second half behind stellar offensive rebounding and scoring from Brandon Meadows but could never get closer than 10 points at 45-35.

North Platte cruised to the victory 82-57. Karwowski was officially on triple-double watch through the second half, he finished with 21 pts, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Kaufmanis finished right behind him with 20 pts on 6-7 shooting from the three-point line.

The Knights (8-1) have one more game at home before the long holiday break, they take on Southeast Community College December 11th, tipoff at 5 p.m.

• The No. 6 Nebraska volleyball team continues the NCAA Tournament in Minneapolis this weekend with a regional semifinal match against No. 10 Kentucky on Friday at 1 p.m. at Minnesota’s Maturi Pavilion. The other regional semifinal match features No. 2 Minnesota against No. 14 Oregon at 3:30 p.m. Friday’s winners will meet in the regional final on Saturday at 5 p.m.

• Friday’s match will be televised on ESPNU and streamed on WatchESPN.com. Husker Sports Network will broadcast the match on HSN radio affiliates, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and AM 590 in Omaha. A live audio stream will be provided at Huskers.com and on the official Huskers app. John Baylor is in his 25th season doing play-by-play for the Husker volleyball program. Lauren (Cook) West, a former All-America setter for the Huskers, will provide color commentary.

The No. 24/25 Nebraska men’s basketball team led by double-digits with 10 minutes to play Wednesday night at Minnesota, but the Huskers could not hold the lead down the stretch in an 85-78 loss to the Golden Gophers at Williams Arena.

Nebraska (7-2, 1-1) led for much of the game and was on top 67-56 midway through the second half. But the Husker offense went cold from there and Minnesota’s offense caught fire, as the Gophers (7-2, 1-1) outscored Nebraska 29-11 over the game’s final 10 minutes. During that stretch, Nebraska was just 3-of-12 from the field, while Minnesota was 9-of-16.

The Gophers used a 9-0 run to turn a five-point deficit into a 77-73 lead with 2:26 remaining, and the Huskers were never able to get closer than two the rest of the way. Minnesota won by shooting 51.8 percent from the field – including 57.1 percent in the second half – becoming the first Husker opponent in 35 games to shoot better than 50 percent.

Amir Coffey paced the Gopher offense with a career-high 32 points, including 18 in the second half. Jordan Murphy had a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds, with 12 of his points coming in the second half.

Nebraska shot 45.9 percent on the game, but the Huskers hit only 38 percent of their shots in the second half. It was a balanced night offensively for the Big Red as six Huskers finished with at least nine points. Isaac Copeland had 17 points and Isaiah Roby added 15 points, but both players fouled out down the stretch. Glynn Watson Jr. had 14 points and James Palmer Jr. rounded out Nebraska’s double-figure scorers with 11 points, but he was held scoreless in the second half while missing all seven of his shots. Thomas Allen Jr. and Brady Heiman scored nine points apiece.

Things started out well as Nebraska scored on five of its first six possessions to start the game. A pair of 6-0 runs gave Nebraska a 12-4 lead and forced a Minnesota timeout less than three minutes into the contest. The timeout did not slow down NU’s offense, as the Huskers stretched the lead to 19-10 three minutes later.

The Huskers’ offensive efficiency kept Minnesota at bay, as Nebraska maintained its nine-point advantage when Allen knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 28-19 with 9:19 left in the first half.

But following Allen’s three, Nebraska’s offense hit a lull over the next five minutes, allowing Minnesota to go on a 15-4 run to take a 36-32 lead. Coffey scored 11 straight Gopher points during the run, while Heiman accounted for all four Husker points.

Heiman then delivered a key offensive rebound that sparked a half-ending run for the Huskers. Heiman’s rebound led to a pair of Palmer free throws, snapping NU’s nearly four-minute scoring drought. Palmer went to the line after he drew a foul on Coffey, which forced Coffey to the bench for the final 4:11 of the half with three fouls.

With Coffey on the bench, Nebraska closed the half on a 10-3 run, turning a two-point deficit into a five-point halftime lead. Palmer (six points) and Heiman (four points) combined to score all 10 points during the run, while Nebraska held Minnesota without a field goal for the final 2:57 of the half. Palmer led the Huskers with 11 first-half points, and Nebraska forced eight first-half turnovers which led to a 15-3 Husker advantage in points off turnovers.

After closing the first half on a 10-3 run, Nebraska opened the second half on a 7-1 spurt to build its first double-digit lead at 51-40 two minutes into the period. The Huskers extended the lead to 13 one minute later on a pair of Watson free throws.

Nebraska continued to lead by double digits until the Gophers went on a 6-0 run during a three-minute Husker scoring drought, trimming the lead to 58-50 with 13 minutes remaining. Roby ended the run with a pair of free throws before the teams began trading baskets.

The Huskers led 67-56 at the 10-minute mark following a Nana Akenten 3-pointer. But Nebraska’s offense went cold from there, as the Huskers hit only three field goals and scored just 11 points over the final 10 minutes.

A three-minute scoring drought allowed Minnesota to trim the lead to four before Watson nailed a jumper to put the Huskers on top 71-65 with 4:57 to play. The Huskers then went nearly three more minutes without scoring, but Minnesota was not able to cut into the deficit until a game-changing run.

Trailing by five, Dupree McBrayer hit a 3-pointer and Minnesota knocked down four consecutive free throws to take their first lead of the second half at 74-73. Coffey then capped a 9-0 Gopher run in a span of just 1:49 to give Minnesota a 77-73 lead with 2:24 to play.

Watson snapped the run with a driving basket to pull the Huskers within two but Minnesota scored four of the next five points to build a five-point lead. Copeland responded with a driving layup that brought it back to a one-possession game at 81-78 with 43.8 seconds left. But Nebraska missed a pair of late 3-pointers and Minnesota hit all four of its free throws in the final minute to seal the win.

Nebraska returns to action on Saturday, when the Huskers host Creighton at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Tipoff between the Huskers and Bluejays is set for 5 p.m. and the game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. is the offensive player of the year and Michigan linebacker Devin Bush is defensive player of the year on The Associated Press All-Big Ten Conference team released Wednesday.

Freshman receiver Rondale Moore of Purdue was voted newcomer of the year, and Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald was named coach of the year after leading the Wildcats to the Big Ten championship game for the first time.

Michigan had seven players on the first team, including five from the nation’s top-ranked defense. Wisconsin had five first-team picks and conference champion Ohio State had three.

Haskins, in his first year as a starter, set Big Ten records and leads the nation with 4,580 passing yards and 47 touchdown passes. He passed for more than 300 yards in nine games, including five games with better than 400 yards.

Bush has been a disruptive force for Michigan, leading the team with 80 tackles and ranking second from his linebacker position in sacks (five) and tackles for loss (9.5).

Moore occupied two spots, as a wide receiver and all-purpose player. Moore’s 103 receptions are most in the nation and second-most in a season by a Big Ten player, and his 1,164 receiving yards lead the conference. Moore also rushed for 203 yards on 18 carries and returned punts and kicks for the Boilermakers.

Four of Wisconsin’s five first-team picks are repeat selections — running back Jonathan Taylor, offensive linemen Michael Deiter and Beau Benzschawel and linebacker T.J. Edwards. Taylor was a unanimous choice. Ohio State defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones also made the first team for the second straight year.

Fitzgerald, Northwestern’s 13th-year coach, led the Wildcats to an 8-1 record in Big Ten play, matching the best mark in program history. They went 0-3 in nonconference play and had to overcome a spate of injuries to win their first West Division title.

The All-Big Ten team was selected by 27 writers and broadcasters who cover the conference.

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The Associated Press All-Big Ten Conference football team, with position, name, school, height, weight, class and hometown:

FIRST TEAM

Offense

WR — Rondale Moore, Purdue, 5-9, 175, Fr., New Albany, Indiana.

WR — Tyler Johnson, Minnesota, 6-2, 200, Jr., Minneapolis.

T — Isaiah Prince, Ohio State, 6-7, 310, Sr., Greenbelt, Maryland.

T — Jon Runyan, Michigan, 6-5, 310, Sr., Moorestown, New Jersey.

G — Michael Deiter, Wisconsin, 6-6, 310, Sr., Curtice, Ohio.

G — Beau Benzschawel, Wisconsin, 6-6, 315, Sr., Grafton, Wisconsin.

C — Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin, 6-3, 319, So., Amherst, Wisconsin.

TE — T.J. Hockenson, Iowa, 6-5, 250, So., Chariton, Iowa.

QB — Dwayne Haskins Jr., Ohio State, 6-3, 214, So., Potomac, Maryland.

u-RB — Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin, 5-11, 221, So., Salem, New Jersey.

RB — Karan Higdon, Michigan, 5-10, 202, Sr., Sarasota, Florida.

PK — Chase McLaughlin, Illinois, 6-1, 190, Sr., Cypress, Texas.

All-Purpose — Rondale Moore, Purdue, 5-9, 175, Fr., New Albany, Indiana.

Defense

DE __ Kenny Willekes, Michigan State, 6-4, 260, Jr., Rockford, Michigan.

DE __ Chase Winovich, Michigan, 6-3, 255, Sr., Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania.

DT __ Raequan Williams, Michigan State, 6-4, 300, Jr., Chicago.

DT __ Dre’Mont Jones, Ohio State, 6-3, 290, Jr., Cleveland.

LB — Devin Bush, Michigan, 5-11, 233, Jr., Pembroke Pines, Florida.

LB — Paddy Fisher, Northwestern, 6-4, 241, So., Katy, Texas.

LB — T.J. Edwards, Wisconsin, 6-1, 242, Sr., Lake Villa, Illinois.

CB — Amani Oruwariye, Penn State, 6-1, 203, Sr., Tampa, Florida.

CB — Lavert Hill, Michigan, 5-11, 181, Jr., Detroit.

S — Josh Metellus, Michigan, 6-0, 204, Jr., Pembroke Pines, Florida.

S — Amani Hooker, Iowa, 6-0, 210, Jr., Minneapolis.

P — Will Hart, Michigan, 6-3, 192, Jr., Hunting Valley, Ohio.

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SECOND TEAM

Offense

WR — Stanley Morgan Jr., Nebraska, 6-1, 195, Sr., New Orleans.

WR — Parris Campbell, Ohio State, 6-1, 208, Sr., Akron, Ohio.

T — David Edwards, Wisconsin, 6-7, 315, Jr., Downers Grove, Illinois.

T — Alaric Jackson, Iowa, 6-7, 320, So., Detroit.

G — Ross Reynolds, Iowa, 6-4, 295, Sr., Waukee, Iowa.

G — Ben Bredeson, Michigan, 6-5, 320, Jr., Hartland, Wisconsin.

C — Michael Jordan, Ohio State, 6-7, 310, Jr., Canton, Michigan.

TE — Noah Fant, Iowa, 6-5, 241, Jr., Omaha, Nebraska.

QB — Trace McSorley, Penn State, 6-0, 201, Sr., Ashburn, Virginia.

RB — Miles Sanders, Penn State, 5-11, 215, Jr., Pittsburgh.

RB — Antony McFarland, Maryland, 5-8, 193, Fr., Hyattsville, Maryland.

PK — Matt Coghlin, Michigan State, 5-9, 190, So., Cincinnati.

All-Purpose — Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Iowa, 6-1, 175, So., Newark, New Jersey.

Defense

DE — A.J. Epensea, Iowa, 6-5, 277, So., Glen Carbon, Illinois.

DE — Rashan Gary, Michigan, 6-5, 283, Jr., Plainfield, New Jersey.

DE — Carter Coughlin, Minnesota, 6-4, 245, Jr., Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

DT — Robert Windsor, Penn State, 6-4, 295, Jr., Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin.

LB — Tre Watson, Maryland, 6-2, 236, Sr., Tampa, Florida.

LB — Joe Bachie, Michigan State, 6-2, 238, Jr., Brook Park, Ohio.

LB — Blake Cashman, Minnesota, 6-2, 235, Sr., Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

CB — David Long, Michigan, 5-11, 198, Jr., Los Angeles.

CB — Justin Layne, Michigan State, 6-3, 185, Jr., Cleveland.

S — Darnell Savage Jr., Maryland, 5-10, 200, Sr., Newark, Delaware.

S — Jordan Fuller, Ohio State, 6-2, 204, Jr. Old Tappan, New Jersey.

P — Drue Chrisman, Ohio State, 6-3, 215, So., Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

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Offensive Player of the Year — Dwayne Haskins Jr., Ohio State, 6-3, 214, So., Potomac, Maryland.

Defensive Player of the Year — Devin Bush, Michigan, 5-11, 233, Jr., Pembroke Pines, Florida.

Coach of the Year — Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern,

Newcomer of the Year — Rondale Moore, Purdue, 5-9, 175, Fr., New Albany, Indiana.

Creston, Iowa – The North Platte Community College Knights women’s basketball were defeated Saturday afternoon, 62-35, by the Southwestern Community College Spartans.

The Spartans jumped out to an 8-0 lead and led at the end of the first quarter 28-11.

The Spartans outscored the Knights in the second quarter 15-6 to take a 43-17 lead going into the break.

The third quarter was a little closer, as each team scored 12 points, which gave the Spartans a 55-29 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The Knights, now 2-7, were led in scoring by Nahatabaa Nacona, from Chinle, Ariz. Nacona was the only Knight to score in double figures. Emily Joseph, from St. Petersburg, Fla., was the next leading scorer with seven points. Katie Cox, from New Port Richey, Fla., had 10 rebounds to lead the Knights.

The Knights will play Doane College Junior Varsity tomorrow in Crete.