Sports – Page 377 – North Platte Post Archive

NPCC Knights Defeat Hastings JV, Improve to 3-0

Posted on November 7, 2014

North Platte – The North Platte Community College Knights (3-0) men’s basketball team opened up their home slate of games Thursday night at McDonald-Belton Gymnasium by hosting the Hastings College JV. The Knights shot 50% from the field in the first half to earn a halftime lead and would go on to earn an 85-79 victory.

The Knights were led by sophomore Cameron Williams who scored 24 points on 9 of 14 shooting from the field to go along with 5 of 8 free throws. Williams also led the Knights in assists with three and steals with two. Sophomore Marco Pascolo led the Knights with eight rebounds while also chipping in 13 points. Matt Thomas was the only other Knight in double-figures as he scored 14. Both freshman Tyree Peter and Fadil Robinson chipped in eight points and seven rebounds.

Hastings JV was led by Jake Hansen and Creighton Buhr who each scored 15 points. Buhr had a double-double also pulling down 11 rebounds. Kendall Ferguson contributed 14 points and Calisto Nyumbura had 11 rebounds.

“It was a game of runs,” said assistant coach Ryan Glenney. “We were able to maintain the lead throughout the game but need to build and sustain leads better. That takes discipline and experience.”

The Knights return to action next Friday, November 14 as they host the Midland University JV at McDonald-Belton Gymnasium at 7 p.m. The Knights then take to the road to face Dodge City Community College on Tuesday, November 18 at 7 p.m.

“White Out” Set for Saturday Against Indiana

Posted on November 7, 2014

The No. 13 Nebraska volleyball team will host Indiana on “White Out” night at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday at 7 p.m. on NET. All fans are encouraged to wear white as the Huskers go for their fourth straight win. Saturday’s matchup marks the first of two between NU and Indiana over the next two weeks, as the Huskers will visit Bloomington on Nov. 19.

The Huskers are 15-7 overall and 9-4 in the Big Ten after a resounding sweep against No. 12 Purdue on Wednesday. The Huskers lost twice to the Boilermakers last year, but turned a dominating defensive effort into a 25-21, 25-22, 25-20 sweep. The Huskers have now swept three straight conference matches for the first time since 2010, when the Huskers won eight Big 12 matches in a row by sweep. John Cook is in his 15th season as head coach at Nebraska and is 428-55 leading the Huskers.

Indiana is 14-11 overall and 5-8 in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers fell in five sets at Iowa on Wednesday, marking their second straight loss and seventh in their last nine. The Hoosiers do have three conference road wins over Maryland, Rutgers and Northwestern. Sherry Dunbar-Kruzan is in her eighth season as head coach with a record of 116-137.

Media Information
Saturday’s match will air on NET and stream online with a BTN Plus subscription. The match was not originally scheduled for any TV coverage, but BTN did not select the match for its wildcard pick, so NET was granted the rights to the match. Fans can also listen to the action with John Baylor and Diane Mendenhall on the 25-station Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and The Wolf 93.3 FM in Omaha. Fans inside and outside the state of Nebraska will also be able to catch the live audio feed on Huskers.com for free. Live stats will be available at Huskers.com as well.

Series History
Nebraska leads the all-time series with the Hoosiers, 7-1. The Huskers have won seven straight matches against Indiana after dropping the series opener in 1978. NU swept Indiana twice last year – 25-15, 25-16, 25-16 in Lincoln on Oct. 18 – and 25-22, 25-21, 25-11 in Bloomington on Nov. 23.

Up Next
The Huskers play host to Michigan State on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m.

Noting the Huskers
• Kadie Rolfzen leads the Huskers with 3.58 kills per set and ranks fifth in the Big Ten. The 2013 third-team AVCA All-American has 15 or more kills nine times this season. Rolfzen is also second on the team in digs with 2.72 per set.
• Kelsey Fien is second on the team in kills per set with 3.02. Over her last five matches, Fien is averaging 3.69 kills per set and hitting .323.
• Amber Rolfzen adds 2.17 kills per set with 1.82 digs per set and is second on the team in blocks with 59.
• Justine Wong-Orantes leads the Huskers in digs with 3.94 per set and ranks eighth in the Big Ten.
• Mary Pollmiller, the Huskers’ lone senior, has 808 set assists for 10.36 per set to rank fifth in the conference. She also adds a defensive presence at the net with 57 blocks to rank third on the team.
• Nebraska ranks first in the Big Ten and 15th nationally with 2.90 blocks per set. Meghan Haggerty is third in the Big Ten with 1.36 blocks per set and tied her career high with 11 against Purdue.
• The Huskers are fourth in the Big Ten in digs with 14.51 per set. The Huskers are 14-1 when outdigging their opponents and 0-4 when getting outdug.
• The Huskers are 10-1 in matches played on Monday through Friday this season, while they are 5-6 in matches played on Saturday and Sunday.
• The Huskers are 230-0 when hitting .300 or better under John Cook.
• Nebraska is 376-16 when winning the first set under Cook.
• Cook is 141-42 (.770) against ranked opponents at Nebraska. Just under one-third of Cook’s total victories at Nebraska (428) have come against ranked teams.
• Nebraska volleyball leads the nation with 213 consecutive sellouts, the longest sellout streak in the history of NCAA women’s athletics. NU owns a 195-18 record during the streak.

Scouting Indiana
The Hoosiers (14-11, 5-8 Big Ten) are led by Amelia Anderson’s 3.12 kills per set. Taylor Lebo adds 2.70 kills per set and has 44 service aces, second most in the Big Ten. Megan Tallman averages 10.20 assists per set to rank sixth in the Big Ten. Awele Nwaeze leads the team in blocks with 1.12 per set, and Courtney Harnish is the team’s top digger with 4.16 per set to rank sixth in the Big Ten.

Pollmiller Named B1G Co-Setter of the Week
Senior setter Mary Pollmiller was named Big Ten Co-Setter of the Week on Nov. 3. The award is the fifth career weekly Big Ten honor for Pollmiller and the first of this season for her or any Husker. Pollmiller led the Huskers to a pair of road sweeps at Rutgers and Maryland over the weekend. The Littleton, Colo., native averaged 11.67 assists per set and tallied seven kills, eight digs and two blocks. Pollmiller had 42 assists in the win against Rutgers, and she added 28 at Maryland with five kills on nine attacks for a .556 attacking percentage, helping the team hit .329 for the match. Pollmiller shared the honor with Wisconsin’s Lauren Carlini.

Heads Up Play
The Husker volleyball team made their way onto SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays on Wednesday, Nov. 5 in the sweep over Purdue. A Boilermaker serve deflected off the net and bounced off Kelsey Fien’s head. Kadie Rolfzen dove in and kept the ball alive with her knee, and Mary Pollmiller was in the right spot at the right time to punch the ball over the net. The Huskers stuffed the ensuing Purdue attack for one of the most remarkable points of the season, earning the Huskers the No. 7 play of the night on ESPN’s SportsCenter.

Tanguay’s Shootout Goal lifts Avalanche past Leafs

Posted on November 7, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Alex Tanguay scored in regulation and had the decisive goal in the shootout, lifting the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.

Matt Duchene also scored in regulation and the shootout for the Avalanche, which ended a three-game skid.

Colorado lost a late lead but made up for it in the shootout. All three shooters scored, starting with Nathan MacKinnon.

Reto Berra had 33 saves through overtime in his first start in six games.

Tyler Bozak scored in regulation and had Toronto’s only goal in the shootout. Phil Kessel and Richard Panik also scored for the Maple Leafs, who got a scare when teammate Daniel Winnik hit his head on the ice 45 seconds of the game.

Huskers Win Exhibition Opener

Posted on November 7, 2014

Lincoln – No. 21 Nebraska shook off a slow start in its exhibition opener and rebounded for an 83-61 win over Southwest Minnesota State Thursday evening.

The Huskers, who shot just 30 percent in the second half, rallied behind the play of sophomore Tai Webster, who scored nine of his 16 points in a 15-4 surge to open the second half.

Webster went 4-of-5 from the floor on the night, including a trio of 3-pointers as four Huskers finished in double figures. Junior Shavon Shields led all scorers with a game-high 29 points and nine rebounds, while Terran Petteway and Benny Parker added 10 points apiece for the Big Red.

The Huskers, who trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half, were down 34-30 at the break before Webster took over. The sophomore hit consecutive 3-pointers during an 8-0 Husker run to give Nebraska its first lead since the opening minutes. The 6-foot-4 sophomore then capped the run with a conventional 3-point play, putting Nebraska ahead 45-38 with 15:06 left.

Southwest Minnesota State continued to hang around and was within 45-43 with 12:55 left, but a jumper by David Rivers and four Webster free throws capped a 6-0 spurt and put the Huskers ahead 51-43. SMSU pulled to within five at 51-46 on a Cole Martin 3-pointer, but the Huskers put the game away with a 16-3 run highlighted by eight straight points from Shields.

Martin, an Omaha native, led SMSU with 12 points, while Joey Bartlett added 11 in a losing effort.

Early on, the Mustangs gave the Huskers fits, using a 16-2 first-half run to build an 11-point lead after a 3-pointer from Bartlett. The Huskers were ice cold for the first 12 minutes, hitting just two of their first 15 shots from floor, as SMSU pushed the lead to 22-9 after Bartlett’s second 3-pointer of the half.

The Huskers roared back with increased intensity on the defensive end, as a Shields 3-pointer and a Petteway steal and dunk cut the margin to eight and forced SMSU to take a timeout. The Huskers kept chipping away and got a strong effort from Benny Parker off the bench, as he had six points and three steals and helped NU converted nine Mustang turnovers into 12 points in the half.

Nebraska trailed 34-25 before closing the half with five straight points, including Webster’s first 3-pointer of the night, to pull within 34-30.

The Huskers open the season on Sunday, Nov. 16, when they take on Northern Kentucky. Tipoff is at 1 p.m. and a limited number of tickets are available by visiting Huskers.com or calling 800-8-BIGRED.

Trout, McCutchen Win Silver Slugger Awards

Posted on November 6, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout, Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen and Washington’s Ian Desmond have won their third straight Silver Slugger Awards.

Chicago White Sox rookie first baseman Jose Abreu and Houston second baseman Jose Altuve were among eight first-time winners announced Thursday by Louisville Slugger, which presents the annual honors following voting by major league managers and coaches for the top hitter in each league at every position.

Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre won for the fourth time and was joined on the AL team by White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez, Cleveland catcher Yan Gomes and Detroit designated hitter Victor Martinez. Trout joined Mike Piazza (1993-95) as the only players to win in each of their first three full big league seasons and was joined in the outfield by Toronto’s Jose Bautista and Cleveland’s Michael Brantley.

NFL to Stage 3 More Games in London in 2015

Posted on November 6, 2014

LONDON (AP) — The NFL will stage three more regular-season games at Wembley Stadium in London again next season, including the first-ever division game in England.

The schedule also includes games played on consecutive Sundays in London for the first time.

The Miami Dolphins will return to London for a third time to face the New York Jets on Oct. 4 in an AFC East matchup.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will play the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 25. And, the following week, the Detroit Lions will be back for the second year in a row to face the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 1.

The Dolphins, Jaguars and Chiefs will be the “home” teams. The Bills, Chiefs and Jets will play regular-season games in the U.K. for the first time.

Phelps DUI Trial Delayed by a Month

Posted on November 6, 2014

BALTIMORE (AP) — Michael Phelps’ trial on a DUI charge has been postponed by a month.

The 18-time Olympic champion had been scheduled for trial on Nov. 19. It’s been moved to Dec. 19 at the request of his attorney.

Phelps was charged Sept. 30 with DUI, excessive speed and crossing double lane lines on Interstate 95 in his native Baltimore. Police say he registered .14 percent on a blood-alcohol test; The legal limit is .08 percent in Maryland.

A week after that, USA Swimming suspended the 29-year-old for six months and forced him to withdraw from next year’s world championships.

If convicted, Phelps faces up to a year in jail.

In 2004, Phelps pleaded guilty to DUI on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. His conviction was waived because he was a young first-time offender.

AP Analysis: NFL HGH Testing Setup Has Flaws

Posted on November 6, 2014

Exactly one month has passed since the NFL instituted blood testing for human growth hormone — a test experts say is almost impossible to fail.

An AP analysis of the testing protocol approved by the league and the NFL Players Association after more than three years of wrangling found that only the most reckless or uninformed player would seem to have a chance of getting caught using HGH.

Of nearly 2,800 HGH tests from various sports analyzed last year at labs accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency, zero turned up positive.

Says Travis Tygart, the CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency: “You pretty much have to be a fool to test positive” at a team facility.

NFLPA spokesman George Atallah says: “There are always things that can be worked out or need to be improved, but generally, it’s working like it’s supposed to.”

NFL Says Peterson Must Wait for Review Process

Posted on November 6, 2014

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The NFL has formally begun a review of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson’s case, for potential punishment under the league’s personal conduct policy.

Spokesman Brian McCarthy said Peterson was told by the NFL on Thursday that his status on paid leave from the Vikings will not change until completion of the process.

That means Peterson’s return could take a while. He pleaded no contest in Texas on Tuesday to misdemeanor reckless assault, down from a felony charge of child abuse for disciplining his 4-year-old son with a wooden switch.

The league said it requested that Peterson submit relevant information from his case and meet with designated experts who will make recommendations for Commissioner Roger Goodell’s consideration. He’ll have the opportunity for a hearing before any punishment is levied.

Rice NFL Suspension Hearing Concludes After 2 Days

Posted on November 6, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — A hearing for Ray Rice appealing his NFL suspension has concluded after two days and testimony from the former running back and the head of the league.

Rice and his wife Janay Rice left the hearing separately on Thursday about three hours apart, after each testified at the New York office of a neutral arbiter. The arbitration hearing will determine whether the NFL overstepped its authority in modifying a two-game suspension of Rice, making it indefinite after video of the running back hitting his wife was released by TMZ.

Rice’s attorney, Peter Ginsberg, said after the hearing that he can trust that the process has been fair.

Two people familiar with the case say there’s no timetable for the former federal judge presiding over the case to make her decision. Both spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the arbiter has told the sides not to discuss details of the private hearing.