LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska officials have begun collecting walleye eggs to help stock Nebraska waters with the fish.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission says staffers began collecting walleyes Monday night at Sherman Reservoir, when the dam is closed. It also plans to collect adult, spawning walleyes in Merritt Reservoir and Lake McConaughy in April, based on the results of collection efforts at Sherman Reservoir.
Anglers and boaters must avoid Game and Parks boats and nets at all three reservoirs.
Commission plans to collect approximately 76 million eggs to meet walleye stocking requests for Nebraska waters this year.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Matt Duchene scored the winning goal about halfway through the third period as the Colorado Avalanche kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 4-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night.
Duchene pulled in the puck after Corey Perry could not control it in the Avalanche zone and rocketed down the ice. Barely a step ahead of Sami Vatanen, Duchene beat John Gibson under the goalie’s left leg for his 21st of the season.
That goal keeps the Avalanche mathematically alive for another day, trailing the Los Angeles Kings by six points for the final berth with only four games remaining. The Avalanche play their final road game Saturday at the Kings.
Reto Berra overcame a shaky first period and made 35 saves for the Avalanche.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Danny Green scored 21 points, including 6-for-6 shooting on 3-pointers, and the San Antonio Spurs cruised to a 123-93 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night after losing Tiago Splitter to a right calf injury during a strong start.
Kawhi Leonard had 20 points and Aron Baynes added 18 points in 19 minutes for San Antonio, which has won six straight.
Danilo Galinari scored 20 points to lead Denver and Jameer Nelson added 14. The Nuggets trailed by as many as 37 points despite shooting 47 percent from the field.
The Spurs (50-26) extended their league record of consecutive 50-win seasons to 16 straight. San Antonio moved into a tie with the Los Angeles Clippers for fifth in the Western Conference.
Tiger Woods has made up his mind — he will play the Masters.
After two trips to Augusta National this week, Woods announced his return to competition on his website Friday. He wrote: “I’m playing the Masters. It’s obviously very important to me, and I want to be there.”
Woods hasn’t played since Feb. 5, when he walked off the golf course at Torrey Pines with what he described as tightness in his lower back. He said a week later he would not play again until his game was acceptable for tournament standards.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — John Calipari, whose Kentucky team is the first in 24 years to reach the Final Four undefeated, has been selected The Associated Press’ coach of the year.
The Wildcats were the talk of the college basketball this season in winning the Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament championships. They were ranked No. 1 the entire season and were a unanimous choice for 12 weeks.
Many thought Kentucky had so much talent that it would be hard to instill a team-first attitude. Calipari started the season with two five-man units he substituted in groups. It worked well enough that eight players in the rotation are averaging between 5.6 and 11.0 points a game.
Calipari is the third Kentucky coach to win the award, which started in 1967. Eddie Sutton won in 1986 and Tubby Smith in 2003.
Calipari received 40 votes Friday from the 65-member national media panel that picks the weekly Top 25.
Tony Bennett of Virginia was second with nine votes while Mike Brey of Notre Dame got five.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Frank Kaminsky, the 7-footer who anchored Wisconsin’s run to a second straight Final Four, is the runaway choice as The Associated Press’ player of the year.
Kaminsky averaged 18.7 points and 8.0 rebounds while shooting 54.9 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from 3-point range as the Badgers ran up a 35-3 record and won the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles.
“Frank the Tank'” is the first Wisconsin player to win the award, which started in 1961. He is the third from the Big Ten in the last six seasons, joining Ohio State’s Evan Turner in 2010 and Michigan’s Trey Burke in 2013.
Kaminsky received 58 votes Friday from the 65-member national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor received five votes and Kentucky’s Wille Caulaey-Stein and Notre Dame’s Jerian Grant had one each.
College Park, Md. – Due to rain today in College Park, Md., Nebraska baseball’s series opener against Maryland has been postponed to tomorrow. The two teams will now play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 11 a.m. (CT).
As of now, the games tomorrow will not be on TV or streamed online. Greg Sharpe and Lane Grindle will have the call of both games on the Husker Sports Network.
The North Platte High School track and field teams hosted the Buffalo Bill Invite at Bauer Field on Thursday and the North Platte boys won their home event.
The Bulldogs scored 138 points, 32 points ahead of second place finisher Scottsbluff, which scored 106 points. Hastings took third with 86 points followed by York, Alliance, Gering and Northwest.
In the girls meet Kearney won the team title with 133 points. North Platte finished sixth win 30 points. Northwest took second with 99 points, followed by York with 98.
The full meet results for the Buffalo Bill Invite can be seen by clicking on the link below.
The North Platte Community College Softball Team will be having a “Pink Out” night when they play McCook Community College on April 17 at the Wayne Dowhower Memorial Softball Complex at 5 p.m and 7 p.m. CDT.
The “pink out” night will benefit research on breast cancer.
Shirts are available to purchase for $20.00 for sizes youth small to adult extra-large. For larger sizes add $2.00 for XXL and $3.00 for XXXL. All proceeds will go to the Callahan Cancer Center.
The shirts must be ordered before April 10.
They can be ordered by contacting Knights Head Coach Janelle Higgins, Knights softball players or downloading the form at www.npccknights.com.
KEARNEY, Neb. – Tri-City Storm assistant captain Kyle Eastman made his decision official Thursday, announcing his commitment to play Division I college hockey for the Robert Morris University Colonials of the Atlantic Hockey conference.
Eastman is in his third USHL season with Tri-City and has played in 133 games with the Storm.
It’s been a long time coming for the forward from Angola, N.Y., but Eastman isn’t thinking about next season just yet; he wants to see his current team succeed.
“It feels good to be finally committed but I’m more worried about finishing out this season first,” Eastman said. “We’ve got to finish off on a good note and get home ice for the first round against whoever we’re facing. I want to win out the last four games.”
In his comments, Eastman echoed the way he plays the game. Someone who isn’t always on the scoresheet, the 20-year-old is more worried about playing hard and doing the best he can in his role.
“I try not to think about [college] too much and just play my game,” Eastman said. “I play for the guys on the team and try to play the same way all the time.”
The veteran has had some offensive success as of late, including a three-game assist streak at the end of March. In his three seasons, Eastman has a total of 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points along with 161 penalty minutes.
As for the school, Robert Morris is located in Moon, Penn., a suburb of Pittsburgh.
“I liked that the campus was kind of in the country out in the hillsides,” Eastman said. “It was really nice and pretty modern but it’s old too at the same time.”
The forward who grew up in the Buffalo area is also excited to be a little closer to home.
“Going back east is nice because I get to see my parents a little bit more and they get to see me play,” Eastman said. “I like the weather out there more than Nebraska.”
Eastman will become the sixth player in Storm history to move on to Robert Morris, and the first to wear a Colonials sweater since Jake Obermeyer in 2009. Obermeyer is currently in his sixth season of professional hockey, enjoying another successful year with the Tulsa Oilers in the ECHL.
Including Eastman, Tri-City now has 20 players on their active roster committed to play Division I college hockey.
Tri-City is currently in second place in the USHL’s Western Conference with 74 points. Four games remain in the regular season and the Storm have clinched a spot in the 2015 Clark Cup Playoffs.
The Storm are back in action on Friday night in Sioux Falls, facing the Stampede at 7:05 p.m. Tri-City will complete their home schedule the following evening against Cedar Rapids on Fan Appreciation Night at the Viaero Event Center at 7:05.
For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Viaero Event Center Box Office at 308.338.8011 or visit www.stormhockey.com.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska officials have begun collecting walleye eggs to help stock Nebraska waters with the fish.
