North Platte, NE (KOOQ) – The North Platte Community College men’s basketball team is separating themselves from last years rough start any way they can.

After the performance they put on this weekend, its safe to say they have succeeded. The men improve to 8-1 to start the season after a pair of very convincing wins against teams from Wyoming.

The weekend started off with a rematch against Laramie County, the team that took the Knights to OT in the very first game of the season. Things started fast in that game for the Knights, they opened up with a 19-5 lead. The Golden Eagles would clamp down on defense for the rest of the first half and the Knights would take a 27-22 lead into the half.

Laramie College would increase the intensity to start the 2nd half getting as close as 4 points 35-31. A big 3 point shot by Courtney Murrell would kick the lead back to 7 and the Knights would never look back. The final score in the Knights favors 67-50.

The second game of the weekend would go much differently for the Knights. Eastern Wyoming was in town for another rematch from earlier in the season, when the Knights beat them 88-80. Saturday’s game would be a statement win for the Knights.

The Knights started off by jumping on the Lancers, taking a 23-4 lead to open the game and took a 43-29 lead into halftime. The first half the Knights seemed to score at will with a good mix of down low play by Jakub Karwowski and outside shooting by Edgars Kaufmanis. Karwowski would end the half leading all scorers with 14.

The Lancers made a small run at the start of the second half behind stellar offensive rebounding and scoring from Brandon Meadows but could never get closer than 10 points at 45-35.

North Platte cruised to the victory 82-57. Karwowski was officially on triple-double watch through the second half, he finished with 21 pts, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Kaufmanis finished right behind him with 20 pts on 6-7 shooting from the three-point line.

The Knights (8-1) have one more game at home before the long holiday break, they take on Southeast Community College December 11th, tipoff at 5 p.m.

• The No. 6 Nebraska volleyball team continues the NCAA Tournament in Minneapolis this weekend with a regional semifinal match against No. 10 Kentucky on Friday at 1 p.m. at Minnesota’s Maturi Pavilion. The other regional semifinal match features No. 2 Minnesota against No. 14 Oregon at 3:30 p.m. Friday’s winners will meet in the regional final on Saturday at 5 p.m.

• Friday’s match will be televised on ESPNU and streamed on WatchESPN.com. Husker Sports Network will broadcast the match on HSN radio affiliates, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and AM 590 in Omaha. A live audio stream will be provided at Huskers.com and on the official Huskers app. John Baylor is in his 25th season doing play-by-play for the Husker volleyball program. Lauren (Cook) West, a former All-America setter for the Huskers, will provide color commentary.

The No. 24/25 Nebraska men’s basketball team led by double-digits with 10 minutes to play Wednesday night at Minnesota, but the Huskers could not hold the lead down the stretch in an 85-78 loss to the Golden Gophers at Williams Arena.

Nebraska (7-2, 1-1) led for much of the game and was on top 67-56 midway through the second half. But the Husker offense went cold from there and Minnesota’s offense caught fire, as the Gophers (7-2, 1-1) outscored Nebraska 29-11 over the game’s final 10 minutes. During that stretch, Nebraska was just 3-of-12 from the field, while Minnesota was 9-of-16.

The Gophers used a 9-0 run to turn a five-point deficit into a 77-73 lead with 2:26 remaining, and the Huskers were never able to get closer than two the rest of the way. Minnesota won by shooting 51.8 percent from the field – including 57.1 percent in the second half – becoming the first Husker opponent in 35 games to shoot better than 50 percent.

Amir Coffey paced the Gopher offense with a career-high 32 points, including 18 in the second half. Jordan Murphy had a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds, with 12 of his points coming in the second half.

Nebraska shot 45.9 percent on the game, but the Huskers hit only 38 percent of their shots in the second half. It was a balanced night offensively for the Big Red as six Huskers finished with at least nine points. Isaac Copeland had 17 points and Isaiah Roby added 15 points, but both players fouled out down the stretch. Glynn Watson Jr. had 14 points and James Palmer Jr. rounded out Nebraska’s double-figure scorers with 11 points, but he was held scoreless in the second half while missing all seven of his shots. Thomas Allen Jr. and Brady Heiman scored nine points apiece.

Things started out well as Nebraska scored on five of its first six possessions to start the game. A pair of 6-0 runs gave Nebraska a 12-4 lead and forced a Minnesota timeout less than three minutes into the contest. The timeout did not slow down NU’s offense, as the Huskers stretched the lead to 19-10 three minutes later.

The Huskers’ offensive efficiency kept Minnesota at bay, as Nebraska maintained its nine-point advantage when Allen knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 28-19 with 9:19 left in the first half.

But following Allen’s three, Nebraska’s offense hit a lull over the next five minutes, allowing Minnesota to go on a 15-4 run to take a 36-32 lead. Coffey scored 11 straight Gopher points during the run, while Heiman accounted for all four Husker points.

Heiman then delivered a key offensive rebound that sparked a half-ending run for the Huskers. Heiman’s rebound led to a pair of Palmer free throws, snapping NU’s nearly four-minute scoring drought. Palmer went to the line after he drew a foul on Coffey, which forced Coffey to the bench for the final 4:11 of the half with three fouls.

With Coffey on the bench, Nebraska closed the half on a 10-3 run, turning a two-point deficit into a five-point halftime lead. Palmer (six points) and Heiman (four points) combined to score all 10 points during the run, while Nebraska held Minnesota without a field goal for the final 2:57 of the half. Palmer led the Huskers with 11 first-half points, and Nebraska forced eight first-half turnovers which led to a 15-3 Husker advantage in points off turnovers.

After closing the first half on a 10-3 run, Nebraska opened the second half on a 7-1 spurt to build its first double-digit lead at 51-40 two minutes into the period. The Huskers extended the lead to 13 one minute later on a pair of Watson free throws.

Nebraska continued to lead by double digits until the Gophers went on a 6-0 run during a three-minute Husker scoring drought, trimming the lead to 58-50 with 13 minutes remaining. Roby ended the run with a pair of free throws before the teams began trading baskets.

The Huskers led 67-56 at the 10-minute mark following a Nana Akenten 3-pointer. But Nebraska’s offense went cold from there, as the Huskers hit only three field goals and scored just 11 points over the final 10 minutes.

A three-minute scoring drought allowed Minnesota to trim the lead to four before Watson nailed a jumper to put the Huskers on top 71-65 with 4:57 to play. The Huskers then went nearly three more minutes without scoring, but Minnesota was not able to cut into the deficit until a game-changing run.

Trailing by five, Dupree McBrayer hit a 3-pointer and Minnesota knocked down four consecutive free throws to take their first lead of the second half at 74-73. Coffey then capped a 9-0 Gopher run in a span of just 1:49 to give Minnesota a 77-73 lead with 2:24 to play.

Watson snapped the run with a driving basket to pull the Huskers within two but Minnesota scored four of the next five points to build a five-point lead. Copeland responded with a driving layup that brought it back to a one-possession game at 81-78 with 43.8 seconds left. But Nebraska missed a pair of late 3-pointers and Minnesota hit all four of its free throws in the final minute to seal the win.

Nebraska returns to action on Saturday, when the Huskers host Creighton at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Tipoff between the Huskers and Bluejays is set for 5 p.m. and the game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. is the offensive player of the year and Michigan linebacker Devin Bush is defensive player of the year on The Associated Press All-Big Ten Conference team released Wednesday.

Freshman receiver Rondale Moore of Purdue was voted newcomer of the year, and Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald was named coach of the year after leading the Wildcats to the Big Ten championship game for the first time.

Michigan had seven players on the first team, including five from the nation’s top-ranked defense. Wisconsin had five first-team picks and conference champion Ohio State had three.

Haskins, in his first year as a starter, set Big Ten records and leads the nation with 4,580 passing yards and 47 touchdown passes. He passed for more than 300 yards in nine games, including five games with better than 400 yards.

Bush has been a disruptive force for Michigan, leading the team with 80 tackles and ranking second from his linebacker position in sacks (five) and tackles for loss (9.5).

Moore occupied two spots, as a wide receiver and all-purpose player. Moore’s 103 receptions are most in the nation and second-most in a season by a Big Ten player, and his 1,164 receiving yards lead the conference. Moore also rushed for 203 yards on 18 carries and returned punts and kicks for the Boilermakers.

Four of Wisconsin’s five first-team picks are repeat selections — running back Jonathan Taylor, offensive linemen Michael Deiter and Beau Benzschawel and linebacker T.J. Edwards. Taylor was a unanimous choice. Ohio State defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones also made the first team for the second straight year.

Fitzgerald, Northwestern’s 13th-year coach, led the Wildcats to an 8-1 record in Big Ten play, matching the best mark in program history. They went 0-3 in nonconference play and had to overcome a spate of injuries to win their first West Division title.

The All-Big Ten team was selected by 27 writers and broadcasters who cover the conference.

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The Associated Press All-Big Ten Conference football team, with position, name, school, height, weight, class and hometown:

FIRST TEAM

Offense

WR — Rondale Moore, Purdue, 5-9, 175, Fr., New Albany, Indiana.

WR — Tyler Johnson, Minnesota, 6-2, 200, Jr., Minneapolis.

T — Isaiah Prince, Ohio State, 6-7, 310, Sr., Greenbelt, Maryland.

T — Jon Runyan, Michigan, 6-5, 310, Sr., Moorestown, New Jersey.

G — Michael Deiter, Wisconsin, 6-6, 310, Sr., Curtice, Ohio.

G — Beau Benzschawel, Wisconsin, 6-6, 315, Sr., Grafton, Wisconsin.

C — Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin, 6-3, 319, So., Amherst, Wisconsin.

TE — T.J. Hockenson, Iowa, 6-5, 250, So., Chariton, Iowa.

QB — Dwayne Haskins Jr., Ohio State, 6-3, 214, So., Potomac, Maryland.

u-RB — Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin, 5-11, 221, So., Salem, New Jersey.

RB — Karan Higdon, Michigan, 5-10, 202, Sr., Sarasota, Florida.

PK — Chase McLaughlin, Illinois, 6-1, 190, Sr., Cypress, Texas.

All-Purpose — Rondale Moore, Purdue, 5-9, 175, Fr., New Albany, Indiana.

Defense

DE __ Kenny Willekes, Michigan State, 6-4, 260, Jr., Rockford, Michigan.

DE __ Chase Winovich, Michigan, 6-3, 255, Sr., Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania.

DT __ Raequan Williams, Michigan State, 6-4, 300, Jr., Chicago.

DT __ Dre’Mont Jones, Ohio State, 6-3, 290, Jr., Cleveland.

LB — Devin Bush, Michigan, 5-11, 233, Jr., Pembroke Pines, Florida.

LB — Paddy Fisher, Northwestern, 6-4, 241, So., Katy, Texas.

LB — T.J. Edwards, Wisconsin, 6-1, 242, Sr., Lake Villa, Illinois.

CB — Amani Oruwariye, Penn State, 6-1, 203, Sr., Tampa, Florida.

CB — Lavert Hill, Michigan, 5-11, 181, Jr., Detroit.

S — Josh Metellus, Michigan, 6-0, 204, Jr., Pembroke Pines, Florida.

S — Amani Hooker, Iowa, 6-0, 210, Jr., Minneapolis.

P — Will Hart, Michigan, 6-3, 192, Jr., Hunting Valley, Ohio.

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SECOND TEAM

Offense

WR — Stanley Morgan Jr., Nebraska, 6-1, 195, Sr., New Orleans.

WR — Parris Campbell, Ohio State, 6-1, 208, Sr., Akron, Ohio.

T — David Edwards, Wisconsin, 6-7, 315, Jr., Downers Grove, Illinois.

T — Alaric Jackson, Iowa, 6-7, 320, So., Detroit.

G — Ross Reynolds, Iowa, 6-4, 295, Sr., Waukee, Iowa.

G — Ben Bredeson, Michigan, 6-5, 320, Jr., Hartland, Wisconsin.

C — Michael Jordan, Ohio State, 6-7, 310, Jr., Canton, Michigan.

TE — Noah Fant, Iowa, 6-5, 241, Jr., Omaha, Nebraska.

QB — Trace McSorley, Penn State, 6-0, 201, Sr., Ashburn, Virginia.

RB — Miles Sanders, Penn State, 5-11, 215, Jr., Pittsburgh.

RB — Antony McFarland, Maryland, 5-8, 193, Fr., Hyattsville, Maryland.

PK — Matt Coghlin, Michigan State, 5-9, 190, So., Cincinnati.

All-Purpose — Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Iowa, 6-1, 175, So., Newark, New Jersey.

Defense

DE — A.J. Epensea, Iowa, 6-5, 277, So., Glen Carbon, Illinois.

DE — Rashan Gary, Michigan, 6-5, 283, Jr., Plainfield, New Jersey.

DE — Carter Coughlin, Minnesota, 6-4, 245, Jr., Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

DT — Robert Windsor, Penn State, 6-4, 295, Jr., Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin.

LB — Tre Watson, Maryland, 6-2, 236, Sr., Tampa, Florida.

LB — Joe Bachie, Michigan State, 6-2, 238, Jr., Brook Park, Ohio.

LB — Blake Cashman, Minnesota, 6-2, 235, Sr., Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

CB — David Long, Michigan, 5-11, 198, Jr., Los Angeles.

CB — Justin Layne, Michigan State, 6-3, 185, Jr., Cleveland.

S — Darnell Savage Jr., Maryland, 5-10, 200, Sr., Newark, Delaware.

S — Jordan Fuller, Ohio State, 6-2, 204, Jr. Old Tappan, New Jersey.

P — Drue Chrisman, Ohio State, 6-3, 215, So., Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

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Offensive Player of the Year — Dwayne Haskins Jr., Ohio State, 6-3, 214, So., Potomac, Maryland.

Defensive Player of the Year — Devin Bush, Michigan, 5-11, 233, Jr., Pembroke Pines, Florida.

Coach of the Year — Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern,

Newcomer of the Year — Rondale Moore, Purdue, 5-9, 175, Fr., New Albany, Indiana.

Creston, Iowa – The North Platte Community College Knights women’s basketball were defeated Saturday afternoon, 62-35, by the Southwestern Community College Spartans.

The Spartans jumped out to an 8-0 lead and led at the end of the first quarter 28-11.

The Spartans outscored the Knights in the second quarter 15-6 to take a 43-17 lead going into the break.

The third quarter was a little closer, as each team scored 12 points, which gave the Spartans a 55-29 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The Knights, now 2-7, were led in scoring by Nahatabaa Nacona, from Chinle, Ariz. Nacona was the only Knight to score in double figures. Emily Joseph, from St. Petersburg, Fla., was the next leading scorer with seven points. Katie Cox, from New Port Richey, Fla., had 10 rebounds to lead the Knights.

The Knights will play Doane College Junior Varsity tomorrow in Crete.

The Nebraska baseball team produced two All-Big Ten performers and two All-Freshman Team selections, when the conference announced its all-conference teams and individual awards on Tuesday.

Senior Scott Schreiber and junior Jesse Wilkening each earned second-team honors from the conference. Jaxon Hallmark and Gunner Hellstrom each made the All-Freshman Team. Mojo Hagge captured Nebraska’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.

Schreiber, who was named one of 25 semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award on Monday, achieves All-Big Ten status for the third year in a row after making the first team in 2016 and 2017. Schreiber led the Big Ten in runs scored (62) and tied for first in the league in hits (79). He ranked second in home runs (18) and total bases (148), while his .369 batting average ranked sixth in the Big Ten.

Wilkening, who has been on the Johnny Bench Award Watch List each of the last two seasons, led the Huskers with a .372 batting average, which ranked fourth in the Big Ten. He ranked second in the Big Ten in RBIs (56), fourth in hits (74) and fifth in total bases (117).

Hallmark, who started 50 of Nebraska’s 52 games in 2018, batted .261 with two doubles, two triples and a home run. He went 7-for-7 stealing bases to lead the Huskers in that category this season.

Hellstrom, who made 19 starts and 26 appearances altogether, batted .310 with 22 hits, 13 RBIs, five runs scored and one double. On April 21 at Rutgers, he led the Husker offense with a 5-for-6 performance in NU’s win over the Scarlet Knights.

All-Big Ten Second Team: Jesse Wilkening (C), Scott Schreiber (1B)

Big Ten All-Freshman Team: Gunner Hellstrom (C), Jaxon Hallmark (OF)

Big Ten Sportsmanship Award: Mojo Hagge

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – For the first time in team history, the Tri-City Storm have a Kearney native vying for a spot on their roster.

Matt Lewis, a 5-foot, 10-inch forward that weighs in at 175 pounds, calls Kearney home.

Last season, Lewis played for the U18 AAA team at Shattuck St. Mary’s in Fairbault, Minn.

“I think it’s great for the community to have a local kid come to camp,” said Storm head coach Josh Hauge. “It means a lot to the young kids in town that would like to pursue playing for the Storm. Hopefully someday we have that happen. Maybe it’s even this year, who knows.”

Lewis has taken the first step, as he was one of 11 forwards chosen to move on to the Storm’s main camp after open tryouts were completed Tuesday.

Kearney’s own turned heads right away during tryouts on Monday, scoring the first goal in the first game of the day.

Lewis got his start locally with the Tri-City Optimist Youth Ice Hockey Association. He is one of 112 players competing in the main phase of tryout camp. There will be 25-30 players invited to fall camp upon the completion of the Las Vegas tryouts.

“He’s asked me for advice a few times since I’ve been with the Storm and I’ve just tried to help him any way I can,” Hauge said.

The Storm will continue their annual tryout camp through Saturday afternoon. For all the latest updates from Las Vegas, log on to stormhockey.com and follow the Storm on Facebook and Twitter.

Lincoln – The Nebraska Athletic Department announced plans Wednesday, June 19, for a historic day-night doubleheader for Husker women’s and men’s basketball to celebrate their regular-season openers at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Friday, Nov. 8.

The first regular-season basketball game inside the arena tips off at noon between a pair of 2013 top-20 teams when Coach Connie Yori’s Husker women face UCLA. The game between the Huskers, who advanced to the 2013 NCAA Sweet 16 and finished No. 18 in the final USA Today Coaches Top 25, and the Bruins, who finished No. 15 in the USA Today rankings after advancing to the NCAA second round, will follow a special morning Husker Life Skills event inside Pinnacle Bank Arena. The “Invest 2 Be The Best” pep rally is expected to include approximately 5,000 middle school students from Lincoln and surrounding communities.

The Huskers’ historic day at Pinnacle Bank Arena will conclude with another marquee matchup between the Nebraska men’s basketball team and 2013 NCAA Sweet 16 participant Florida Gulf Coast. The tip time for the season-opening sellout with “Dunk City” in the “Star City” has not been set, but the game will be televised nationally in primetime by BTN.

Season tickets for Nebraska men’s basketball have sold out for the first time in school history, and the sellout promises to give the men the largest season-opening home crowd in Husker history in their first regular-season game inside Pinnacle Bank Arena. The $179 million arena will seat more than 15,000 fans. Coach Tim Miles’ second Husker team will face a Florida Gulf Coast squad that returns four starters from a team that became the first No. 15 seed in NCAA history to reach the Sweet 16. The Eagles will be under the direction of new head coach Joe Dooley.

“We’re thrilled with the caliber of competition our teams will face on opening day and night at Pinnacle Bank Arena,” Nebraska Executive Associate Athletic Director Marc Boehm said. “We also wanted to reach out to people of all ages from Lincoln and the surrounding communities, so they could join us in the celebration of a truly historic day in the Haymarket. Partnering with Lincoln Public Schools and other schools in the area gives local youth a chance to see the first regular-season game inside the arena and be a part of history.

“With school-record record season-opening crowds for both the men and women for NCAA Tournament-caliber teams, we think it will be a momentous day for the city of Lincoln and the state of Nebraska, and the start of a memorable first season at the new arena.”

Nebraska Associate Athletic Director for Life Skills Keith Zimmer and his staff will be coordinating a pep rally, which will give students a chance to hear inspirational life skills and academic messages from Husker student-athletes and staff, before helping to tip off the opening of the arena.

“The interest level and enthusiasm from school administrators in Lincoln and nearby communities for the ‘Invest 2 Be the Best’ pep rally has been very strong,” Zimmer said. “Through music and other entertainment, students and staff will be encouraged to discover unique talents, get involved in their communities and strive to be multi-dimensional. It promises to be a memorable morning and afternoon, not only to be inspired at the pep rally but to enjoy a marquee women’s basketball game at the new arena.”

Nebraska has sold a school record of more than 2,600 women’s basketball season tickets for 2013-14, an increase of nearly 500 tickets over the start of last season. Season tickets went on sale May 8, and NU’s total has been growing on a daily basis. The increase in season ticket sales and the “Invest 2 Be The Best” pep rally will not only guarantee the Husker women the largest season-opening crowd in school history, but also the largest crowd for a non-conference game in the history of the program.

The women’s game between Nebraska and UCLA will be televised live statewide by NET-HD.