A pair of Denver Broncos have one more game to play. Offensive lineman Zane Beadles and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas were named to the AFC’s roster for the Pro Bowl as injury replacements. Beadles will replace New England’s Logan Mankins, while Thomas also replaces a Patriot, Wes Welker. Both Mankins and Welker are sitting out the game due to injury. Thomas caught 94 passes for 1,434 yards and scored 10 touchdowns this season. Beadles started all 16 games for the Broncos at left guard.

Nebraska freshman Shavon Shields was named the Big Ten’s freshman of the week for his performance in Nebraska’s two games last week. Shields scored 18 points and hauled in eight rebounds in a loss to Purdue last Wednesday night. That career high in points lasted all of three days before Shields blew it away with a 29-point performance in Nebraska’s win at Penn State last Saturday. Shields is the first Husker to win the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Week, and is the first Husker to win a Freshman player of the week award since Toney McCray in the 2008-09 season.

The Husker football team will receive some unexpected, but welcome depth at kicker next year. Pat Smith, who kicked and punted at Division II Western Illinois last season, will walk on at Nebraska for his final year of eligibility. Smith was a finalist for the Fred Mitchell Award, given to the best non-Division I kicker in the nation. With Brett Maher graduating, the Huskers return just one scholarship kicker, junior-to-be Mauro Bondi.

The Colorado Rockies’ nostalgia trip continues. The club has reportedly offered a minor league contract to veteran catcher Yorvit Torrealba. The 34 year-old Torrealba played for three different teams in 2012 and posted his worst offensive numbers, batting just .227 with 4 home runs in 64 games. Torrealba played for the Rockies from 2006 to 2009 and was the primary catcher on the Rockies’ last two playoff teams.

The North Platte Community College Knights squeaked by the Hastings College JV 72-70 in Hastings yesterday afternoon. Ethan Montalvo’s three-pointer gave the Knights the winning points in a back-and forth affair. Damon Brown scored 24 points to lead the Knights offensively. Eric Richardson added 12 points and Montalvo finished with 10 points. The Knights snap a two-game losing skid with the win and improve to 13-4. They host Laramie County Community College in a Region IX South Sub-region clash Wednesday night. The game will be broadcast on ESPN Radio 1410.

The Husker women’s basketball team rolled to an 84-63 win over Minnesota in Minneapolis. An 11-0 run midway through the second half moved the Husker’s lead to 17 points and allowed them to cruise to the win. Point guard Lindsey Moore put together her best game of the season. Her 26 points and seven rebounds were both season highs. Jordan Hooper scored 17 points and Emily Cady posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Rachel Theriot also scored in double figures, coming off the bench to contribute 13 points. As a team, the Huskers shot a season-high 48.3 percent from the field and made eight of fifteen three-point shots. They held the Gophers to 37.5 percent shooting. Nebraska improves to 13-6 overall and 3-3 in Big Ten play with the win. They’re back in action Thursday night, when they host Michigan State.

In an overtime thriller at the Pepsi Center, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-118. Kenneth Faried’s bucket with 46 seconds left in OT gave the Nuggets the lead for good after the Thunder had erased an 11-point deficit late to force the extra session. Corey Brewer’s 26 points led the Nuggets in the win. The Nuggets move to 25-18 overall. They play at Houston on Wednesday.

Husker football landed a pair of impressive recruits yesterday. Matt Finnin is a monster offensive tackle out of the College of DuPage. The 6’8”, 330 pound Finnin will have two years of eligibility with the Huskers. Trevell Dixon is a four-star all-purpose recruit out of Baldwin, Louisiana who had previously committed and then decommitted to weigh his options. Dixon played quarterback in high school but projects as a defensive back. The two signings move the Huskers to 23 commitments. Their class moves up to 14th in the Rivals.com rankings.

The Colorado Rockies have agreed to minor league contracts with a pair of pitchers. On Saturday it was announced that Miguel Batista will be joining the ballclub. The 41 year-old right-hander split his 2012 season between the Mets and Braves, posting a 4.61 ERA in 52.2 innings. Sunday the Rockies announced they had signed Chris Volstad. The 26-year old righty was 3-12 with a 6.31 ERA with the Cubs last season. He was acquired by the Royals in a trade but later released. Both players will receive invites to major league spring training.