Sports – Page 619 – North Platte Post Archive

Amputee Has Basketball Dreams Put on Hold

Posted on January 31, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Safety concerns have put a double-amputee high school basketball player’s dreams on hold.

The Colorado High School Activities Association told Bailey Roby earlier this month he could no longer play after game officials balked when they learned Roby didn’t have an official letter of authorization.

At the heart of the issue is a national high school rule that bans players with prosthetic devices if they place opponents at a disadvantage or increase the risk of injury to the athlete or others. His coach at Mountain Vista High School says he understands the concerns.

Roby tells the Denver Post the ruling does not make sense because he has been playing school basketball for several years, beginning with a junior varsity team.

Blazers, Rockets Each Get 2 NBA All-Star Reserves

Posted on January 31, 2014January 31, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets each had two players picked as reserves for the NBA All-Star game, while the Indiana Pacers had to settle for just Roy Hibbert despite the league’s best record.

LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard made it from the Trail Blazers, who have been among the Western Conference leaders all season.

Dwight Howard, who was passed late in fan voting for a starting spot, was chosen Thursday along with Houston teammate James Harden.

Old reliables Chris Paul, Tony Parker and Dirk Nowitzki round out the West reserves for the Feb. 16 game in New Orleans.

The rest of the East reserves are: Miami’s Chris Bosh, Washington’s John Wall, Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan, Brooklyn’s Joe Johnson, Chicago’s Joakim Noah and Atlanta’s Paul Millsap.

Nebraska Rallies From 16 Down to Top Indiana 60-55

Posted on January 31, 2014January 31, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Terran Petteway scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half, and Nebraska came back from a 16-point deficit to defeat Indiana 60-55 on Thursday night.

The Cornhuskers (11-9, 3-5 Big Ten) won for the third time in four games and back-to-back conference games for the first time in their three years in the Big Ten. They also improved to 10-1 at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

The Hoosiers (13-8, 3-5) have lost three of their last four.

Shavon Shields and Walter Pitchford scored 11 points apiece and Ray Gallegos added 10 for Nebraska.

Yogi Ferrell, who made 4 of 7 3-pointers, led the Hoosiers with 14 points. Will Sheehey and Stanford Robinson had 12 apiece. Noah Vonleh, the Hoosiers’ freshman sensation and the Big Ten’s top rebounder, was held to seven points and three boards.

No. 5 NPCC Knights Defeat Hastings JV Behind Simmons 21 Points

Posted on January 31, 2014

North Platte – The No. 5 North Platte Community College men’s basketball team’s (20-1, 9-1 South Sub-Region) earned their 20th victory of the season on Thursday night as they knocked off the Hastings College JV Broncos 82-71 behind 21 points from Tim Simmons.

Playing in their second game in as many days, the Knights couldn’t take control of the game in the first half as they played back and forth with the Broncos. The Knights would eventually take a 34-29 lead into the locker room.

In the second half, the Knights upped the pace and intensity as they scored 48 points in the half. North Platte was able to stretch their lead to 10 points, but could not stretch their lead any more until the latter stages of the game. Free throws down the stretch iced the game for the Knights.

To go along with Simmons game high, Ethan Montalvo and Cameron Williams each scored 16 points for the Knights. Freshman Luke Pittle came off the bench to score a career-high 11 points. Sophomore Tre’Vaun Hymer led the Knights with six rebounds to go along with six points.

Alex Thayer and Nate Maloley led the Broncos with 17 points each. Calista Nyambura was also in double-figures with 13 as was Derek Kissinger with 12.

“It was a hard fought victory,” said head coach Kevin O’Connor. “Give a lot of credit to Hastings, they really shot the ball well. Another short turnaround as we have to get prepared for Central on Saturday.”

The Knights play their third game of the week at home Saturday as they host the Central Community College Raiders (17-4, 2-1 NCCAC) on Saturday Feb. 1 at 3 p.m. The Knights defeated the Raiders 78-71 in Columbus earlier this year.

Saturday’s game will also be Boy Scout Night at the college as Boy Scout’s will be given free admission and the Knights basketball team will sign autographs after the game.

Saturday’s will be broadcast live by Coaches Aid and ASBN. A link to all live broadcasted games is available on the Knights webpage at www.npccknights.com. The game with Central Community College will also be broadcast live by ESPN radio 1410 and online.

Next week the Knights take to the road to face the Northeastern Junior College Plainsmen (19-2, 6-2 South Sub-Region) on Tuesday Feb. 4 at 8:30 p.m. CST and the Lamar Community College Runnin’ Lopes (6-16, 2-6 South Sub-Region) on Friday Feb. 7 at 8:30 p.m. CST.

Spring Game Tickets on Sale on Feb. 5

Posted on January 30, 2014January 30, 2014

Nebraska fans can secure their ticket to get their first glimpse of the 2014 Huskers when Red-White Spring Game tickets go on sale Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 8 a.m. The 2014 spring game is set for Saturday, April 12 at Memorial Stadium.

Nebraska fans may purchase tickets online at Huskers.com, by phone at 1-800-8-BIG-RED or in person at the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office, located in the Stadium Drive Parking Garage (8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays).

All tickets for the Red-White Spring Game are reserved and cost $10 each. All individuals must have a ticket for the game. Fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets early to ensure good seats for the contest. Each of the past several years, more than 20,000 tickets were sold by the end of the first day of sales.

Nebraska has drawn more than 54,000 fans for the Red-White game every year since 2004, with the exception of 2012 when weather forced the cancellation of the game.

Nebraska will once again conduct the Drug Free Pledge at halftime of this year’s game. Youth (eighth grade or younger) are encouraged to take part in the Drug Free Pledge on the field, and those who do will be admitted to the game for free. Drug Free pledge participants must secure a ticket in advance of the contest by calling or visiting the Ticket Office. Parents or sponsors of the youth taking part in the pledge will need to buy a reserved ticket ($10).

A limited number of $15 club seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. UNL faculty and staff will be able to purchase reserved tickets to the spring game for $5. Faculty and staff should purchase their tickets in person at the Ticket Office or over the phone, and will also be asked to show their staff ID at the gate on game day. UNL students will be admitted free to the game, but will need to have a ticket in hand for admittance. UNL students may also visit Huskers.com beginning Feb. 5 to secure their ticket.

2014 Red-White Spring Game
Date: Saturday, April 12
Kickoff: TBD
Tickets: $15 club seats (limited availability); $10 reserved tickets, UNL Faculty & Staff, $5; UNL Students, Free (must secure a ticket) all tickets on sale Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 8 a.m.
Drug Free Pledge: Youth 8th grade and younger are encouraged to take Drug Free Pledge at halftime (admitted for free, but must have a ticket)
Radio/Internet: Husker Sports Network/Huskers.com

Season Ticket Prices Set for 2014 Football Season
Season ticket prices for the 2014 football season have been set. Season ticket holders and UNL faculty and staff will pay the same price per game for their tickets in 2014 as they did each of the past three seasons.

Public season ticket holders will pay $56 per game for seven home games in 2014 ($392 total) and UNL faculty and staff will be charged $53 per game ($371 total). Nebraska students will pay $161 ($23 per game) in 2014.

Single-game tickets prices for 2014 will be $65 each for non-conference contests against Florida Atlantic and McNeese State. Nebraska’s final non-conference game against Miami, and Big Ten home contests with Illinois (Homecoming), Rutgers, Purdue and Minnesota will all be priced at $75 each.

The matchup between Miami and Nebraska is the Hurricanes’ first visit to Memorial Stadium since 1976, while Rutgers and Purdue will both be visiting Lincoln for the first time. Nebraska will enter the 2014 season with an NCAA-record 333 consecutive sellouts.

Renewal Period Begins for Season Tickets
Football season ticket renewal information will be sent to Nebraska fans via e-mail and mail this week. Fans are encouraged to renew their tickets on-line before the initial deadline of Feb. 19. Those who pay by e-check during this renewal period will receive a $25 savings on their total bill.

All fans who renew by Feb. 19 will also be eligible for season ticket renewal prizes that will be given away daily during the month of February. Prizes that will be available will include two free football season tickets, autographed items, Husker apparel and gift certificates from local restaurants and sponsors. Top prizes include a football helmet signed by Nebraska’s three Heisman winners, and viewing the Tunnel Walk from the sidelines.

Fans can check out the full list of prizes at Huskers.com/Memorial Stadium.

New options for season ticket holders in 2014 include FedEx delivery of season tickets for an additional $10 charge, and those that renew on-line will have the option of paying for their season tickets in three installments.

Season Ticket Request List Available at Huskers.com
In addition to purchasing spring game tickets, Nebraska fans now also have the ability to secure their place on the football season ticket request list.

Fans interested in becoming a football season ticket holder for the 2014 season should add their name to the request list by visiting Huskers.com/MemorialStadium. Those who add their name to the request list and pay a $25 charge will get the first opportunity to purchase any tickets that may become available.

The availability of tickets will be determined following Nebraska’s season ticket renewal period. After that time, those on the request list will receive e-mail information from Nebraska Athletics regarding their opportunity to purchase tickets through Nebraska’s new Seat Yourself on-line ticketing option.

Full information on the process is available on-line at Huskers.com.

Getting to the Super Bowl is Not Easy for Many

Posted on January 30, 2014January 30, 2014

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — They are former kids who played in their back yards and dreamed of scoring the winning touchdown, making the big play on defense and somehow sharing in the spotlight of helping a team win the Super Bowl.

Not all dreamers get to the NFL, and certainly, many who get to football’s highest level don’t get the chance to play in the Super Bowl.

There are at least a dozen who will be participating for the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks in Sunday’s Super Bowl who toiled for at least eight years in the NFL before getting a chance to play for the title.

Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey is their poster child. He waited 15 years. The other included the last XFL player still in the NFL.

NFL: 13 Percent Fewer Concussions in ’13 than ’12

Posted on January 30, 2014January 30, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL says the number of concussions in practices and games in the preseason and regular season dropped 13 percent from 2012 to 2013.

Using information collected from team doctors, the league also says there was a 23 percent decrease over the past two seasons in the number of concussions caused by helmet-to-helmet contact.

Speaking at a pre-Super Bowl news conference Thursday, Jeff Miller, the league’s senior VP of health and safety policy, calls the data “positive trends.”

Some players have expressed concern that the NFL’s emphasis on decreasing hits to the head could lead to more low hits and more knee injuries. But Miller says there has not been an overall increase in damaged knee ligaments.

NASCAR Creates Winner-Take-All Championship Format

Posted on January 30, 2014

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR has overhauled its championship format to create an elimination, winner-take-all system designed to reward “the most battle-tested” driver at the end of the season.

The Chase for the Sprint Cup championship will now be a 16-driver field with a premium placed on winning.

NASCAR will cut four drivers from the field after every three races in the 10-race Chase, leaving four eligible drivers headed into the season finale. The first of those four to cross the finish line will be crowned champion.

NASCAR Chairman Brian France said Thursday the new format has no math and no bonus points and is “simple as it gets.”

No. 5 NPCC Knights Emerge Victorious over McCook, Earn Program’s 900th Win

Posted on January 30, 2014January 30, 2014

North Platte – The No. 5 North Platte Community College men’s basketball team’s (19-1, 9-1 South Sub-Region, 3-0 NCCAC) emerged victorious Tuesday night in a hard fought game over the McCook Community College Indians (15-7, 6-4 South Sub-Region, 1-2 NCCAC) by a score of 82-79. The win was the 900th win in program history and 586th in head coach Kevin O’Connor’s career.

“McCook is a very talented team,” said assistant coach Nathan Wieseler. “Any time you get two rivals in the same building it is going to be a great game and tonight was no exception. We were fortune to come out on top tonight.”

The Knights and Indians battled back and forth all night as neither team was able to gain a substantial advantage. Over the course of the game, there were eight lead changes and seven ties. The largest lead of the game was when the Knights earned an 11 point lead that was very short lived.

During the first half both teams battled back and forth with the Knights gaining a 41-36 lead at the intermission. Ethan Montalvo shouldered most of the load in the first half as he had 16 points as the only Knight in double-figures. Dominic Williams was the only Indian in double-figures with 12 points as the Knights held a slim 41-36 advantage at the break.

In the second half the Knights and Indians continued to battle back and forth with the Knights able to gain an 11 point advantage as their largest lead of the game. The Indians would not go quietly and continued to battle.

A banked 3-pointer by Cody Wudtke gave the Indians their only lead of the second half at a score of 77-76. The Knights would increase their defensive intensity and hold the Indians to only a lay-up by Tony Dobbinson late in the game.

The play of the game was a Tim Simmons offensive rebound with under a minute to go in a tie game. In one motion, Simmons rebounded the missed shot and put it back up as he was fouled for an and one. Simmons made the free throw to give the Knights a three point lead. On the ensuing possession, Dobbinson made his last field goal of the game to cut the deficit to one. Cameron Williams was fouled and made one of two free throws to give the Knights an 81-79 lead.

Williams missed the second free throw and during the ensuing scramble, the ball went out of bounds off the Knights with eight seconds remaining. After a McCook timeout, Dobbinson missed a contested 3-pointer to take the lead. Williams was again fouled by the Indians with 0.4 seconds remaining, where he made the first free throw and missed the second as the desperation heave hit the speakers in the rafters to preserve the victory for the Knights.

Montalvo led the Knights in scoring with 25 points on 8 of 11 shooting from the floor. Cameron Williams was huge in the second half as he finished with 23 points on 11 of 14 shooting from the free throw line. Marco Pascolo was the only other Knight in double-figures with 11 points. Jacob Maslo led the Knights with eight rebounds and also contributed eight points.

“We came into the game knowing it was a huge rivalry game and we played really good as a team,” said sophomore Jacob Maslo. “Our focus was to get rebounds and guard them as a team. It was a great crowd and win for our team.”

Dominic Williams fouled out of the game but led the Indians with a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. The Indians leading scorer Tony Dobbinson finished with 19 points on 8 of 21 shooting from the floor. D’Andre Downey was the third Indian in double-figures as he finished with 13 points.

The Knights return to action tomorrow as they host the Hastings College JV Broncos at 7 p.m. at McDonald-Belton Gymnasisum. The Knights then finish out the week by hosting the Central Community College Raiders (16-4, 1-1 NCCAC) on Saturday Feb. 1 at 3 p.m. The Knights defeated the Broncos in Hastings 82-79 and the Raiders 78-71 in Columbus earlier this year.

Saturday’s game will also be Boy Scout Night at the college as Boy Scout’s will be given free admission and the Knights basketball team will sign autographs after the game.

Both home games will be broadcast live by Coaches Aid and ASBN. A link to all live broadcasted games is available on the Knights webpage at www.npccknights.com. Thursday’s game with Hastings JV will also be broadcast live by ESPN radio 1410 and online.

NPCC Lady Knights Defeat McCook in Overtime

Posted on January 30, 2014January 30, 2014

North Platte – The North Platte Community College Lady Knights basketball team (11-9, 1-1 Region IX Division II, 2-1 NCCAC) defeated the McCook Community College Lady Indians (3-19, 0-3 NCCAC) in overtime Wednesday night at McDonald-Belton Gymnasium 64-58 after out-scoring the Lady Indians 9 to 3 in the overtime period.

The game is a Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference (NCCAC) and the win gives the Lady Knights a 2-1 record while dropping the Lady Indians to 0-3.

The Lady Knights and Lady Indians both struggled to gain an offensive rhythm. Both teams broke the 10 point mark within seconds as both teams hit 3-pointers to break a 7 to 7 tie with 12:23 remaining in the first half. The Lady Knights used a 6-0 run to gain an eight point lead near the end of the first half before a Lady Indians basket made the halftime score 26-20.

In the second half, it was again a defensive struggle with the Lady Knights able to maintain their lead and stretch it out to 11 points at 49-38. The Lady Knights struggled to hit free throws down the stretch and gave the Lady Indians a chance. McCook was able to tie the game with 30 seconds remaining with North Platte having one more chance to win the game in regulation. After a Lady Knights timeout, Aliyah Brown was unable to convert and the game headed into overtime.

In overtime, the Lady Knights took control early to win the game by six points as they converted free throws down the stretch to preserve the victory and add a game in the win column of the NCCAC standings.

“I thought we shot well from the field and played good defense,” said head coach Richard Thurin. “It was a good win for our team with a huge game coming up Saturday.”

The Lady Knights were led by Courtney Widick who finished with 18 points on 6 of 13 shooting. Aliyah Brown was the only other Lady Knight in double-figures with 12 points. Leading scorer DaVontaye Merritt was held to only 6 points but contributed 11 rebounds.

Mary-Ann Frederick led the Lady Indians with 14 points and nine rebounds. Cydnee Ceballos was the only other Lady Indian in double-figures as she finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.

The Lady Knights finish out the week hosting the Central Community College Lady Raiders (16-6, 1-0 Region IX Division II, 2-0 NCCAC) on Saturday Feb. 1 at 1 p.m. The Lady Knights fell 67-74 two weeks ago in Columbus. The game is very important in the Region IX Division II standings and the NCCAC standings.

The game with Central Community College will also be the annual Girl Scout Night with Girl Scouts getting into the game. After the game, the Lady Knights will sign autographs for the Girl Scouts.

The game with Central Community College will be broadcast live online with links available on the Knights website (www.npccknights.com) through the partnership with Coaches Aid and ASBN.