Sports – Page 258 – North Platte Post Archive

Kentucky goes Wire to Wire as No. 1 in AP Poll

Posted on March 16, 2015

Kentucky, the overall top seed in the NCAA Tournament, is the first team in 23 years to be No. 1 in The Associated Press’ college basketball poll from the preseason rankings to the final Top 25.

The Wildcats (34-0) are looking to become the first undefeated men’s national champion since Indiana in 1976. They were a unanimous No. 1 Monday for the seventh straight week and 11th overall this season. Kentucky received all 65 first-place votes from the national media panel to match Duke in 1992 as the last team to run the table at the top.

Villanova and Wisconsin, two of the other No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, were second and third in the poll. The Wildcats moved up two places, the Badgers three. Duke, the fourth No. 1 seed, dropped two spots to No. 4. Arizona stayed at No. 5.

Virginia, which dropped from third, was sixth followed in the top 10 by Gonzaga, Notre Dame, Iowa State and Kansas. Michigan State, at No. 23, and VCU, at 25th, moved into the rankings this week, replacing Davidson and Butler.

The top 25 teams in The Associated Press’ final 2014-15 college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through March 15, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week’s ranking:

	Record	Pts	Prv
1. Kentucky (65)	34-0	1,625	1
2. Villanova	32-2	1,522	4
3. Wisconsin	31-3	1,460	6
4. Duke	29-4	1,406	2
5. Arizona	31-3	1,405	5
6. Virginia	29-3	1,333	3
7. Gonzaga	32-2	1,229	7
8. Notre Dame	29-5	1,178	11
9. Iowa St.	25-8	1,043	13
10. Kansas	26-8	995	9
11. N. Iowa	30-3	979	10
12. Maryland	27-6	935	8
13. Oklahoma	22-10	740	15
14. Wichita St.	28-4	737	12
15. North Carolina	24-11	703	19
16. Baylor	24-9	680	16
17. Louisville	24-8	614	14
18. SMU	27-6	485	20
19. Utah	24-8	455	17
20. West Virginia	23-9	398	18
21. Arkansas	26-8	373	21
22. Georgetown	21-10	177	23
23. Michigan St.	23-11	159	—
24. Butler	22-10	142	22
25. VCU	26-9	109	—

Others receiving votes: Oregon 91, Providence 62, Xavier 18, Davidson 16, Ohio St. 12, Stephen F. Austin 12, Wyoming 6, Boise St. 5, LSU 5, BYU 3, Valparaiso 3, Harvard 2, Murray St. 2, Wofford 2, Colorado St. 1, Dayton 1, Iowa 1, Purdue 1.

This Week in Nebraska Athletics

Posted on March 16, 2015

Monday, March 16 Women’s Basketball NCAA Selection Show (ESPN) Hendricks Complex 6 p.m.

Tuesday, March 17 Baseball Indiana State Hawks Field 4:05 p.m.

Wednesday, March 18 Baseball Indiana State Hawks Field 1:35 p.m.

Thursday, March 19 Men’s Golf at Denver Desert Shootout Goodyear, Ariz. 9 a.m.

Thursday, March 19 Wrestling at NCAA Championships St. Louis, Mo. 11 a.m.

Thursday, March 19 Swimming & Diving at NCAA Championships Greensboro, N.C. 12:45/6 p.m.

Thursday, March 19 Sand Volleyball vs. USC Honolulu, Hawaii 3 p.m.

Friday, March 20 Men’s Golf at Denver Desert Shootout Goodyear, Ariz. 10 a.m.

Friday, March 20 Women’s Golf at Mountain View Collegiate Tucson, Ariz. 10:30 a.m.

Friday, March 20 Women’s Tennis Indiana Lincoln, Neb. 11 a.m.

Friday, March 20 Wrestling at NCAA Championships St. Louis, Mo. 11 a.m.

Friday, March 20 Swimming & Diving at NCAA Championships Greensboro, N.C. 12:45/6 p.m.

Friday, March 20 Sand Volleyball at Queen of the Beach Challenge Honolulu, Hawaii 1 p.m.

Friday, March 20 Men’s Tennis at Wisconsin Madison, Wis. 3 p.m.

Friday, March 20 Softball Michigan State Bowlin Stadium 5:30 p.m.

Friday, March 20 Baseball Michigan Bowlin Stadium 6:35 p.m.

March 20-23 Women’s Basketball NCAA First & Second Rounds 16 Campus Sites TBA

Saturday, March 21 Men’s Golf at Denver Desert Shootout Goodyear, Ariz. 10 a.m.

Saturday, March 21 Women’s Golf at Mountain View Collegiate Tucson, Ariz. 10:30 a.m.

Saturday, March 21 Wrestling at NCAA Championships St. Louis, Mo. 11 a.m.

Saturday, March 21 Women’s Gymnastics at Big Ten Championships Ann Arbor, Mich. 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 21 Sand Volleyball at Queen of the Beach Challenge Honolulu, Hawaii 1 p.m.

Saturday, March 21 Softball Michigan State Bowlin Stadium 1 p.m.

Saturday, March 21 Baseball Michigan Hawks Field 2:05 p.m.

Sunday, March 22 Baseball Michigan Hawks Field 11:05 a.m.

Sunday, March 22 Softball Michigan State Bowlin Stadium Noon

Sunday, March 22 Men’s Tennis Minnesota Lincoln, Neb. Noon

Sunday, March 22 Sand Volleyball vs. California Honolulu, Hawaii 8 p.m.

Sunday, March 22 Sand Volleyball vs. Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii Midnight

Williams and Thomas named to Region IX All Tournament Team

Posted on March 16, 2015

The National Junior College Athletic Association Region IX men’s Division I All-Tournament team was announced at the regional tournament in Powell, Wyoming. North Platte Community College Knights had two players selected to the team. They are Cameron Williams, a sophomore from Omaha South, and Matt Thomas, a freshman from Elkhorn South.

In the Region IX tournament games, Williams averaged 19 points per game in the three tournament games, had 5.3 rebounds per game, and 1.7 assists per game.

NPCC Freshman Matt Thomas goes up for a layup against Central Wyoming in the Region IX quarterfinals. / Photo Courtesy of NWC Sports Information.

Thomas averaged 12.3 points per game in the tournament. Thomas was instrumental in the Knights 16 – 0 run at the beginning of the second half against Northwest College scoring six points in the run.

The Knights finished the season 24 – 9 and was second in the Region IX South Sub-region.

NCAA Hoping New Travel Policy Will Help Avoid Problems

Posted on March 16, 2015

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA is ending most overnight travel in this year’s Division I basketball tournaments.

Under a new policy, teams that fly to tournament sites and have start times after 3 p.m. local time will spend the night, win or lose. Teams that take buses to games, within 350 miles, will have the option of driving home when they’re eliminated.

The changes come after several snafus last year led to complaints.

Teams making the men’s and women’s Final Four also will receive $3,000 per athlete from the NCAA for up to two family members to attend games. An additional $1,000 per player will be added for teams that advance. The family stipend is being used as a first-time pilot program.

Kentucky Leads the Way

Posted on March 15, 2015

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Two Wildcats, a Badger and a Blue Devil. The NCAA has announced its 68-team field for the men’s basketball tournament, and there were no major surprises when the top seeds were revealed.

As expected Kentucky is the top overall seed and No. 1 in the Midwest Region. The unbeaten Wildcats will open play Thursday in Louisville against either Manhattan or Hampton.

Kansas has the No. 2 seed in the Midwest despite its loss to Iowa State in the Big 12 title game. ACC champion Notre Dame is third, followed by Big 10 semifinalist Maryland.

The top-seed in the East is Villanova of the Big East. This is the second time ‘Nova has been a No. 1 seed. The Wildcats will face Lafayette Thursday in Pittsburgh.

Virginia is No. 2 in the East, followed by Oklahoma and Louisville. The Cavaliers had a top seed in their grasp until they lost in the ACC quarterfinals.

Duke is the top seed in the South. This marks the 13th time the Blue Devils have been a No. 1 seed. They open play Friday in Charlotte, North Carolina, against the winner of the North Florida and Robert Morris game in Dayton, Ohio.

The second seed in the South is Gonzaga, the West Coast Conference champs. Iowa State is third and Georgetown fourth.

And the top-seed in the West is Wisconsin. The Badgers are the top team from the Big Ten and will play Friday in Omaha, Nebraska against Coastal Carolina. This is the first time Wisconsin has been a top seed.

Arizona has to settle for the second seed in the West despite winning the Pac-12 title in convincing fashion. Baylor is third, followed by North Carolina.

The 68 team field is comprised of 32 teams that won automatic berths by winning a conference championship and 36 at-large schools.

The first games in the NCAA Tournament are Tuesday and Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio, in what the NCAA now calls the First Four.

Barton leads Nuggets to 118-111 Win over Pelicans in 2 OTs

Posted on March 15, 2015

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Will Barton scored 25 points, including the tying 3-pointer late in the first overtime, and the undermanned Denver Nuggets won their fourth straight, 118-111 over the New Orleans Pelicans in double overtime Sunday night.

Kenneth Faried had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Denver. Danilo Gallinari added 17 points, including a 3 that gave the Nuggets a 114-109 lead with 1:30 left in the second overtime.

Ty Lawson added 19 points and Jameer Nelson 18 for Denver, which won even as coach Melvin Hunt chose to rest three regulars — Wilson Chandler, Randy Foye and Darrell Arthur — so the team could get a better look at some younger players.

Anthony Davis had 36 points, 14 rebounds, nine blocks and a career-high seven assists for New Orleans, which fell a game behind Oklahoma City for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

NPCC Knights Swept by Iowa Western

Posted on March 15, 2015

The North Platte Community College Knights had their seven game winning streak come to a halt, losing to the Iowa Western Community College Lady Reivers in both games of a double header 6 – 1 in the first game, and 10 – 1 in the finale.

In the first game, the Reivers scored in the first inning on a run by Tracey Edwards. Edwards walked to start the game. Kayla Chase advanced Edwards to second on a sacrifice. Knights pitcher Baileigh Oleson hit the next two Lady Reiver hitters and Edwards scored on an error by Knights left-fielder Tara Crouch to make the score 1 – 0.

The Knights held the Lady Reivers scoreless until the fifth inning, when the Rievers scored their five remaining runs. The Reivers scored their five runs on five hits and a walk including doubles by Jocelyn Hernandez and Raylene Uribe which knocked in three runs.

The Knights got on the scoreboard in the seventh when Caroline Motis singled and was batted in on Sara Runia’s double.

Rachel Henks of the Reivers pitched seven innings and allowed five hits, one unearned run, and two walks and struck out nine North Platte hitters.

Baileigh Oleson pitched six innings for the Knights and allowed five earned runs on nine hits and four walks. Oleson struck out four hitters.

Game two was all Iowa Western, The Reivers scored three runs in the second, three runs in the third and four runs in the fourth to defeat the Knights in five innings.

Sara Runia led the Knights at the plate by going two for three and scoring the Knights only run. Runia had a single in the first, reached on a fielder’s choice in the third and doubled in the fifth.

The Knights had the bases loaded in the fifth but only managed to score the run by Runia on a single by Shelby Clark.

Shannon Lieber picked up the loss for the Knights. Lieber allowed 10 runs on 12 hits and two walks. Lieber also struck out two batters.

The Knights are now 10 – 14 on the season, while .the Lady Reivers are 15 – 11 on the season.

The Knights travel to McCook on Thursday, March 19 to face the 19^th rated McCook Community College Lady Indians. The games will be live streamed on www.coachesaid.com . Game times are at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m CDT.

Huskers Win 3-2, Sweep Eagles In Front of Record Crowd

Posted on March 15, 2015

Lincoln – The Nebraska baseball team (12-6, 0-0 Big Ten) polished off a three-game sweep of the Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles (8-12-1, 0-0 Atlantic Sun) and improved to 5-0 at home this season with a 3-2 win on Sunday afternoon.

Husker fans posted a three-day attendance of 17,083 during the series, which easily broke the previous facility record of 14,885 for a non-conference series at Hawks Field. The previous mark was set in 2006, when the Huskers opened their home schedule with a three-game series against Alabama.

Sophomore Derek Burkamper improved to 2-1 on the year with 6.0 innings of work, while Josh Roeder notched his fifth save of the season. After Burkamper retired the Eagles in order in the sixth, Jeff Chesnut, Colton Howell and Roeder each tossed a perfect inning of relief, as the Huskers retired FGCU’s final 12 batters of the game.

With Ryan Boldt and Blake Headley each out of the lineup with illness, the Huskers need contributions from other players and got it. Freshman Scott Schreiber was 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and a RBI. The Menasha, Wis., native scored NU’s first run of the game after leading off the fifth with a double and then drove in the eventual game winning run in the sixth with a two-out single after Ben Miller tied the game with an RBI triple.

Freshman Jake Meyers, who was making his first start in the field after making five appearances on the mound, drove in NU’s first run of the game in the fifth with a one-out single.

The Huskers had to rally on the day after the Eagles took their first lead of the series with a pair of runs in the fourth. The Huskers didn’t score until the fifth after scoring in the first inning in each of their last five games.

The Eagles notched all five of their hits in the first four innings and tallied just two base runners after the fourth frame. On the other hand, Nebraska had just one hit through the first four innings, before notching six total hits over the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

The Huskers will take Monday off before getting back to their 16-game homestand with a two-game series against the Indiana State Sycamores. Tuesday’s game is scheduled for 4:05 p.m., and Wednesday’s game is set for 1:35 p.m.

Varlamov helps Avalanche beat Flames 3-2

Posted on March 15, 2015March 15, 2015

DENVER (AP) — Alex Tanguay and Ryan O’Reilly scored 1:47 apart in the second period, Semyon Varlamov stopped 29 shots and the Colorado Avalanche held off the Calgary Flames 3-2 on Saturday night.

John Mitchell added another goal for the Avalanche, who went 2-1 on a three-game homestand to remain in the playoff chase. They have a few days off before embarking on a five-game trip.

Varlamov remains unbeaten in his last five starts. He made a crucial stop in the waning seconds to secure the win for Colorado.

David Jones and Lance Bouma scored for the Flames. Karri Ramo made 23 saves as he filled in for Jonas Hiller, who played the night before in a 6-3 win against Toronto. Calgary is 5-2-1 and holding onto a playoff spot after losing top defenseman Mark Giordano for the season because of a torn biceps tendon.

Storm Move Into First With Come From Behind Win

Posted on March 14, 2015

KEARNEY, Neb. – Three unanswered third period goals helped the Tri-City Storm (32-14-6) defeat the Omaha Lancers (29-15-7) and move into first place in the USHL’s Western Conference with a 5-3 victory on Saturday night at the Viaero Event Center.

Storm captain Garrett Gamez led the way with four assists, while Nick Master scored his third goal of the weekend and Chris Wilkie notched his league leading 31st goal of the seson.

The Storm finished the season with a record of 4-2-2 against the Lancers, splitting the series with their in-state rival. After eight games played, each team had a total 205 shots on net.

Tri-City erased three Lancer leads in the game, and didn’t lead until 4:45 of the third period.

Omaha took their first advantage early on, getting an unassisted goal by Matthew Meier at 6:15 of the first.

The Storm responded when Nick Master scored his third goal of the weekend from Gamez and Christopher Brown at 15:10 to take a 1-1 game into the first intermission.

Steven Spinner game the Lancers their second lead at 7:30 of the second period, making it 2-1 on a rebound in front with assists from Meier and Ryan Donato.

Tri-City tied the game six minutes later on a goal by Vince Pedrie that hit off a Lancer skate in front and got past netminder Zach Driscoll. Gamez and Master were both rewarded with assists on the play.

But Omaha re-took the lead heading into the second intermission on a power play goal by Shane Gersich at 15:18 of the second period.

It was all Storm in the third, as Tri-City tied the game for the third time on a deflection by Chase Berger at 3:49 of the final period. Berger’s ninth goal of the season came from defenseman Kevin Kerr and forward Kyle Eastman.

Tory Dello gave the Storm a 4-3 lead less than a minute later, scoring his second goal of the season on a wrist shot that beat Driscoll low blocker side. Gamez found the Notre Dame commit for the first assist, while Wilkie earned the second helper on the go-ahead goal.

With their first lead all weekend, Tri-City got the insurance they needed from Wilkie at 11:18 of the third. The tally was the Omaha native’s fifth goal against his hometown team this season, which leads the team.

Gamez picked up his fourth first assist of the game on Wilkie’s strike, while Nick Master was credited with his third point of the evening with the second assist.

Storm goaltender Alec Dillon picked up the victory, making 25 saves in the win. The Victoria, B.C. native leads the USHL with a goals against average of 2.12, and has earned 21 victories in 36 appearances this season.

The Storm will have a chance to clinch a playoff berth next weekend when they host the Des Moines Buccaneers for two games in Kearney. Friday’sgame begins at 7:30 p.m., while Saturday’s starts at 7:05.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Matthew Freytag, Mason Appleton and Nolan Aibel…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period
Omaha – Matthew Meier (unassisted) 6:15
Tri-City – Nick Master (Garrett Gamez, Christopher Brown) 15:10

2nd Period

Omaha – Steven Spinner (Ryan Donato, Matthew Meier) 7:30
Tri-City – Vince Pedrie (Garrett Gamez, Nick Master) 13:37
Omaha – Shane Gersich (power play) (Steven Spinner, Louie Rowe) 15:18

3rd Period
Tri-City – Chase Berger (Kevin Kerr, Kyle Eastman) 3:49
Tri-City – Tory Dello (Garrett Gamez, Chris Wilkie) 4:45
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (Garrett Gamez, Nick Master) 11:18

PENALTIES

1st Period
Tri-City – Bench Minor – (Too Many Men), 2 min, 1:11
Omaha – Anthony Angello – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 3:11

2nd Period
Omaha – Jake Henderson – (Slashing), 2 min, 10:47
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin – (Tripping), 2 min, 14:52
Omaha – Steven Spinner – (Tripping), 2 min, 18:00
Tri-City – Conner Valesano – (Roughing), 4 min, 20:00
Omaha – Jake Henderson – (Roughing), 4 min, 20:00

3rd Period
Tri-City – Tory Dello – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 12:30

Power Play

Omaha – 1/3

Tri-City – 0/3

Shots

Omaha: 8, 12, 8 = Total: 28
Tri-City: 8, 16, 4 = Total: 28

Saves
Omaha – Zach Driscoll – 23/28
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 25/28