NEW YORK (AP) — Reggie Bush has been reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner more than a decade after Southern California returned the award following an NCAA investigation that found he received what were impermissible benefits during his time with the Trojans, the Heisman Trust announced Wednesday.

“We are thrilled to&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/HeismanTrophy/status/1783139051849085118">welcome Reggie Bush back</a>&nbsp;to the Heisman family in recognition of his collegiate accomplishments,” said Michael Comerford, president of The Heisman Trophy Trust. “We considered the enormous changes in college athletics over the last several years in deciding that now is the right time to reinstate the Trophy for Reggie. We are so happy to welcome him back.”

Bush had won the trophy awarded to the top player in college football after amassing more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage and scoring 18 touchdowns in 2005. His 784 first-place votes were the fifth most in Heisman history.

The Heisman Trust has returned the trophy to Bush and the replica to USC. Bush will be invited to all future Heisman Trophy ceremonies.

“Personally, I’m thrilled to reunite with my fellow Heisman winners and be a part of the storied legacy of the Heisman Trophy, and I’m honored to return to the Heisman family,” Bush said in a statement to ESPN. “I also look forward to working together with the Heisman Trust to advance the values and mission of the organization.”

The USC football program wrote in a social media post,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/uscfb/status/1783133293996814470">“back where it belongs.</a>&nbsp;" The reinstatement of Bush gives USC a total of eight Heisman winners, most of any school.

The Trust said in its statement that its decision followed a “deliberative process” in which it closely monitored changes in the college athletics landscape. That included the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2021 decision that questioned the legality of the NCAA’s amateurism model and opened the door to athlete compensation; the ability of players to be paid for their name, image, and likeness; and the NCAA’s recent proposal to remove the cap on education-related payments.

“Recognizing that the compensation of student athletes is an accepted practice and appears here to stay, these fundamental changes in college athletics led the Trust to decide that now is the right time to return the Trophy to Bush, who unquestionably was the most outstanding college football player of 2005,” the Trust said.

Johnny Manziel, the 2012 Heisman winner from Texas A&amp;M,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/JManziel2/status/1763937014766821689">said on social media</a>&nbsp;last month that he would not participate in Heisman festivities unless Bush got his trophy back. He&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/JManziel2/status/1783127654599991675">thanked the Trust on Wednesday</a>&nbsp;“for doing what’s right and welcoming a storied member of our history back into the fold. There were many voices throughout this process that stood on the table for Reggie simply because of the kind of human being he is. I look forward to being on that stage with you this December (Reggie Bush) you deserve it.”

Among others praising the decision were 2022 winner and the projected No. 1 pick in Thursday's NFL draft,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CALEBcsw/status/1783122113672429952">Caleb Williams</a>&nbsp;of USC, 2001 winner&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/croucheric/status/1783131968147779800">Eric Crouch</a>&nbsp;of Nebraska and 2011 winner&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RGIII/status/1783125679975895198">Robert Griffin III</a>&nbsp;of Baylor.

Bush had his award vacated in 2010 after USC was hit with NCAA sanctions when it was found that Bush and his family received money and gifts from fledgling marketing agents who were hoping to represent him.

The NCAA also erased 13 wins in which Bush played, as well as the 55-19 victory over Oklahoma in the Bowl Championship Series title game at the Orange Bowl following the 2004 season.

Bush was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft, by New Orleans, and he played for five teams over 11 seasons.

NEW YORK (AP) — Reggie Bush has been reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner more than a decade after Southern California returned the award following an NCAA investigation that found he received what were impermissible benefits during his time with the Trojans, the Heisman Trust announced Wednesday.“We are thrilled to&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/HeismanTrophy/status/1783139051849085118">welcome Reggie Bush back</a>&nbsp;to the Heisman family in recognition of his collegiate accomplishments,” said Michael Comerford, president of The Heisman Trophy Trust. “We considered the enormous changes in college athletics over the last several years in deciding that now is the right time to reinstate the Trophy for Reggie. We are so happy to welcome him back.”Bush had won the trophy awarded to the top player in college football after amassing more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage and scoring 18 touchdowns in 2005. His 784 first-place votes were the fifth most in Heisman history.The Heisman Trust has returned the trophy to Bush and the replica to USC. Bush will be invited to all future Heisman Trophy ceremonies.“Personally, I’m thrilled to reunite with my fellow Heisman winners and be a part of the storied legacy of the Heisman Trophy, and I’m honored to return to the Heisman family,” Bush said in a statement to ESPN. “I also look forward to working together with the Heisman Trust to advance the values and mission of the organization.”The USC football program wrote in a social media post,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/uscfb/status/1783133293996814470">“back where it belongs.</a>&nbsp;" The reinstatement of Bush gives USC a total of eight Heisman winners, most of any school.The Trust said in its statement that its decision followed a “deliberative process” in which it closely monitored changes in the college athletics landscape. That included the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2021 decision that questioned the legality of the NCAA’s amateurism model and opened the door to athlete compensation; the ability of players to be paid for their name, image, and likeness; and the NCAA’s recent proposal to remove the cap on education-related payments.“Recognizing that the compensation of student athletes is an accepted practice and appears here to stay, these fundamental changes in college athletics led the Trust to decide that now is the right time to return the Trophy to Bush, who unquestionably was the most outstanding college football player of 2005,” the Trust said.Johnny Manziel, the 2012 Heisman winner from Texas A&amp;M,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/JManziel2/status/1763937014766821689">said on social media</a>&nbsp;last month that he would not participate in Heisman festivities unless Bush got his trophy back. He&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/JManziel2/status/1783127654599991675">thanked the Trust on Wednesday</a>&nbsp;“for doing what’s right and welcoming a storied member of our history back into the fold. There were many voices throughout this process that stood on the table for Reggie simply because of the kind of human being he is. I look forward to being on that stage with you this December (Reggie Bush) you deserve it.”Among others praising the decision were 2022 winner and the projected No. 1 pick in Thursday's NFL draft,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CALEBcsw/status/1783122113672429952">Caleb Williams</a>&nbsp;of USC, 2001 winner&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/croucheric/status/1783131968147779800">Eric Crouch</a>&nbsp;of Nebraska and 2011 winner&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RGIII/status/1783125679975895198">Robert Griffin III</a>&nbsp;of Baylor.Bush had his award vacated in 2010 after USC was hit with NCAA sanctions when it was found that Bush and his family received money and gifts from fledgling marketing agents who were hoping to represent him.The NCAA also erased 13 wins in which Bush played, as well as the 55-19 victory over Oklahoma in the Bowl Championship Series title game at the Orange Bowl following the 2004 season.Bush was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft, by New Orleans, and he played for five teams over 11 seasons.

Reggie Bush is reinstated as 2005 Heisman Trophy winner, with organizers citing NIL rule changes

DENVER (AP) — Brendan Rodgers hit a go-ahead grand slam in a five-run fourth inning, and the Colorado Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 7-4 on Tuesday night for just their second win in 10 games.

Colorado trailed 4-1 before Rodgers' first career slam, a drive into the left-field bleachers on an up-and-in fastball from Michael King (2-2) with an 0-2 count. Rodgers had not homered since Sept. 29 — he hit all four of his homers last year in a 10-day span.

“Bases loaded, 0-2 count. We’re going, ‘Come on, B!’” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “And he got the head on a fastball. Big exhale. The dugout was pumped. That was big, and you hope that these types of moments can give us a jumpstart.”

Rodgers said he was relieved to come through in that situation and give his struggling team a lift.

“You know, (Ryan McMahon) came up to me and said, ‘That’s one of the biggest swings of the year,'’' Rodgers said. "And it kind of felt like it, being down early and then getting guys on base in that inning. I got down in the count and then I took a good short, two-strike swing. It definitely was a good feeling.”

King allowed six runs — four earned — eight hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings, leaving after a bases-loaded walk to Elehuris Montero.

“I got away from my sinker/sweeper and was throwing a lot of four-seamers,” King said. “I was executing early in the count but I felt they were making the mid-at bat adjustment. I should have gone to other pitches to either get them off of it or go back to it and I got burned on it.”

Ezequiel Tovar added an RBI single in the fifth for the Rockies, who stopped a six-game losing streak to the Padres.

Nolan Jones had an RBI single in the second that stopped an 0-for-26 skid. He left after six innings because of back stiffness.

Colorado, 4-7 at Coors Field but 2-11 on the road, ending a streak of six consecutive home games in which it had been held to three or fewer runs. The Rockies have trailed at some point in each of their first 24 games to start the season — a feat that since 1900 had been accomplished only by the 1910 St. Louis Browns in their opening 28 games.

Jalen Beeks (2-1) pitched three three hitless innings in relief of Ryan Feltner, who allowed four runs and 10 hits in four innings. Justin Lawrence got three outs for his first save this season.

Jake Cronenworth had an RBI single in the first and Jurickson Profar a sacrifice fly. Luis Campusano had a run-scoring double in the third and scored on Jackson Merrill's single.

Rockies: INF/OF Kris Bryant, sidelined since April 14 with a lower back strain, has not yet been able to resume baseball activities and won’t come off the 10-day IL when he’s eligible on Wednesday, manager Bud Black said. Bryant was injured April 13 when he crashed into an outfield wall at Toronto. “He’s still in the training room and weight room trying to strengthen his back,” Black said.

RHP Matt Waldron (0-2, 4.74 ERA) is slated to start for San Diego on Wednesday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713970001930.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — Brendan Rodgers hit a go-ahead grand slam in a five-run fourth inning, and the Colorado Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 7-4 on Tuesday night for just their second win in 10 games.Colorado trailed 4-1 before Rodgers' first career slam, a drive into the left-field bleachers on an up-and-in fastball from Michael King (2-2) with an 0-2 count. Rodgers had not homered since Sept. 29 — he hit all four of his homers last year in a 10-day span.“Bases loaded, 0-2 count. We’re going, ‘Come on, B!’” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “And he got the head on a fastball. Big exhale. The dugout was pumped. That was big, and you hope that these types of moments can give us a jumpstart.”Rodgers said he was relieved to come through in that situation and give his struggling team a lift.“You know, (Ryan McMahon) came up to me and said, ‘That’s one of the biggest swings of the year,'’' Rodgers said. "And it kind of felt like it, being down early and then getting guys on base in that inning. I got down in the count and then I took a good short, two-strike swing. It definitely was a good feeling.”King allowed six runs — four earned — eight hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings, leaving after a bases-loaded walk to Elehuris Montero.“I got away from my sinker/sweeper and was throwing a lot of four-seamers,” King said. “I was executing early in the count but I felt they were making the mid-at bat adjustment. I should have gone to other pitches to either get them off of it or go back to it and I got burned on it.”Ezequiel Tovar added an RBI single in the fifth for the Rockies, who stopped a six-game losing streak to the Padres.Nolan Jones had an RBI single in the second that stopped an 0-for-26 skid. He left after six innings because of back stiffness.Colorado, 4-7 at Coors Field but 2-11 on the road, ending a streak of six consecutive home games in which it had been held to three or fewer runs. The Rockies have trailed at some point in each of their first 24 games to start the season — a feat that since 1900 had been accomplished only by the 1910 St. Louis Browns in their opening 28 games.Jalen Beeks (2-1) pitched three three hitless innings in relief of Ryan Feltner, who allowed four runs and 10 hits in four innings. Justin Lawrence got three outs for his first save this season.Jake Cronenworth had an RBI single in the first and Jurickson Profar a sacrifice fly. Luis Campusano had a run-scoring double in the third and scored on Jackson Merrill's single.TRAINER’S ROOMRockies: INF/OF Kris Bryant, sidelined since April 14 with a lower back strain, has not yet been able to resume baseball activities and won’t come off the 10-day IL when he’s eligible on Wednesday, manager Bud Black said. Bryant was injured April 13 when he crashed into an outfield wall at Toronto. “He’s still in the training room and weight room trying to strengthen his back,” Black said.UP NEXTRHP Matt Waldron (0-2, 4.74 ERA) is slated to start for San Diego on Wednesday night.

Rodgers belts a grand slam sparking Rockies to win over Padres

Nebraska couldn’t climb out of an early four-run deficit, as the Huskers fell 9-4 vs. Kansas on Tuesday night at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.

Nebraska (25-13) scored four runs on eight hits, while Kansas (22-15) totaled nine runs, 11 hits and an error.

Tyler Stone led the way for the Huskers, going 3-for-4 with a solo home run in the second inning. Cayden Brumbaugh finished 1-for-4 with an RBI double, while Riley Silva extended his on-base streak to 13 games and stole his 23rd base of the season. Josh Caron, Dylan Carey and Joshua Overbeek each added a hit for the Big Red.

Drew Christo fell to 1-3 on the season after giving up four runs on four hits in two innings. The junior recorded a season-high five strikeouts and issued two walks. Caleb Clark allowed one run on one hit with a pair of strikeouts in an inning of work.

Tucker Timmerman and Kyle Froehlich combined to pitch an inning, while Jalen Worthley, Evan Borst, Kyle Perry and Casey Daiss threw one relief inning apiece. Grant Cleavinger and Trey Frahm teamed up to record the final three outs for the NU pitching staff.

Silva was plunked in the first inning, before stealing second and taking third on an errant throw from the KU pitcher with one out. A lineout followed by a strikeout prevented the Husker offense from plating the game’s first run in the opening frame.

The Jayhawks erupted for four runs in the top of the second to jump ahead 4-0. KU had runners on first and second with a one-out single and a walk, while an RBI double to left-center, followed by an RBI groundout had the visitors up a pair. Kansas plated their third run of the night on a wild pitch, before John Nett’s solo homer to right made it a four-run game.

Nebraska immediately got one of the four runs back with Stone’s 418-foot solo homer to begin the bottom of the second.

The lead grew back to four in the top of the third after a leadoff solo home run to right off the bat of Michael Brooks.

Kansas led off the inning for the second straight time with a solo homer in the fourth, while an RBI single later in the inning built the lead to 7-1.

The Huskers trimmed the deficit to four with a pair of runs on two hits in the fourth inning. Walks to Garrett Anglim and Overbeek gave the NU offense a pair of baserunners with two outs, setting up Brumbaugh’s two-RBI double off the wall in right-center.

After two scoreless frames in the fifth and sixth innings, the Jayhawks added to the lead with a two-RBI single from Collier Cranford to extend the lead to 9-3 in the seventh.

Nebraska had a pair of baserunners with two outs in the eighth after a full-count walk to Clay Bradford and Carey’s first-pitch single through the left side. Bradford came around to score on Overbeek’s RBI single that was drilled to right field.

The Huskers loaded the bases in the ninth inning, but couldn't come through as a flyout ended it.

Nebraska wraps up its homestand with a weekend series vs. Iowa on Friday-Sunday, April 26-28 at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. First pitch in Friday’s series opener between the Huskers and Hawkeyes is set for 6:05 p.m. (CT)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713969781996.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy: Husker AthleticsNebraska couldn’t climb out of an early four-run deficit, as the Huskers fell 9-4 vs. Kansas on Tuesday night at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.Nebraska (25-13) scored four runs on eight hits, while Kansas (22-15) totaled nine runs, 11 hits and an error.Tyler Stone led the way for the Huskers, going 3-for-4 with a solo home run in the second inning. Cayden Brumbaugh finished 1-for-4 with an RBI double, while Riley Silva extended his on-base streak to 13 games and stole his 23rd base of the season. Josh Caron, Dylan Carey and Joshua Overbeek each added a hit for the Big Red.Drew Christo fell to 1-3 on the season after giving up four runs on four hits in two innings. The junior recorded a season-high five strikeouts and issued two walks. Caleb Clark allowed one run on one hit with a pair of strikeouts in an inning of work.Tucker Timmerman and Kyle Froehlich combined to pitch an inning, while Jalen Worthley, Evan Borst, Kyle Perry and Casey Daiss threw one relief inning apiece. Grant Cleavinger and Trey Frahm teamed up to record the final three outs for the NU pitching staff.Silva was plunked in the first inning, before stealing second and taking third on an errant throw from the KU pitcher with one out. A lineout followed by a strikeout prevented the Husker offense from plating the game’s first run in the opening frame.The Jayhawks erupted for four runs in the top of the second to jump ahead 4-0. KU had runners on first and second with a one-out single and a walk, while an RBI double to left-center, followed by an RBI groundout had the visitors up a pair. Kansas plated their third run of the night on a wild pitch, before John Nett’s solo homer to right made it a four-run game.Nebraska immediately got one of the four runs back with Stone’s 418-foot solo homer to begin the bottom of the second.The lead grew back to four in the top of the third after a leadoff solo home run to right off the bat of Michael Brooks.Kansas led off the inning for the second straight time with a solo homer in the fourth, while an RBI single later in the inning built the lead to 7-1.The Huskers trimmed the deficit to four with a pair of runs on two hits in the fourth inning. Walks to Garrett Anglim and Overbeek gave the NU offense a pair of baserunners with two outs, setting up Brumbaugh’s two-RBI double off the wall in right-center.After two scoreless frames in the fifth and sixth innings, the Jayhawks added to the lead with a two-RBI single from Collier Cranford to extend the lead to 9-3 in the seventh.Nebraska had a pair of baserunners with two outs in the eighth after a full-count walk to Clay Bradford and Carey’s first-pitch single through the left side. Bradford came around to score on Overbeek’s RBI single that was drilled to right field.The Huskers loaded the bases in the ninth inning, but couldn't come through as a flyout ended it.Nebraska wraps up its homestand with a weekend series vs. Iowa on Friday-Sunday, April 26-28 at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. First pitch in Friday’s series opener between the Huskers and Hawkeyes is set for 6:05 p.m. (CT)

Kansas takes Tuesday tilt at Nebraska, 9-4

KEARNEY, NE.&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Tri-City Storm is set to host Game #3 of the 2024 Western Conference Semifinals tonight at the Viaero Center against the Fargo Force after dropping the opening two games of the series at Scheels Arena. The Storm must fight off elimination tonight to guarantee tomorrow night’s Game #4 of the Best-Of-Five playoff series. Tomorrow’s “If Necessary” Game will also be played at the Viaero Center. Tickets to tonight’s playoff game in Kearney may be purchased online by skating to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>, or by calling the Viaero Center Box Office during Box Office Hours at 308-338-8144. Puck drop for tonight’s battle between the Storm and the Force is set for 7:05pm CT. Tri-City (2-3) (#4 Seed) returns home to the Viaero Center tonight following consecutive losses on the road against Fargo at Scheels Arena to open the Best-Of-Five Western Conference Semifinals series. The Storm suffered two 3-1 losses on the road and now faces elimination for the third time this postseason in tonight’s game. Ryan Smith and Nick Roukounakis netted goals for Tri-City during the road trip. The Storm has been outscored 6-2, and outshot 73-43 through the first two games of the series. The Storm’s powerplay is 0/3, and Tri-City’s penalty kill is 2/5 entering Game #3 tonight. Tri-City tied the regular season series against Fargo with a final head-to-head record of 3-2-0-1. The Storm captured five of a possible six points against the Force in a three-game home series at the Viaero Center March 15th-18th, 2024. Scoring leaders for Tri-City through the opening five games of the postseason include Artemi Nizameyev (3), Jake Rozzi (3), Nolan Roed (3), Owen Beckner (3), August Falloon (2), and Nick Roukounakis (2).Fargo (2-0) (#1 Seed) posted consecutive two-goal victories over Tri-City at Scheels Arena to take a two-game lead in this year’s Western Conference Semifinals series. The Force swept the Storm in last year’s Conference Semifinals Round, and has advanced past the Storm in three previous postseason battles over the past seven seasons. Fargo’s powerplay is 3/5, and the Force’s penalty kill is 3/3 through the first two games of the series. Goal scorers for the Force to this point in the postseason include Michael La Starza (2), Mac Swanson (1), Michael Quinn (1), Zam Plante (1), and Tate Taylor (1). Fargo enters tonight’s road game only one win away from advancing to play the Sioux City Musketeers in the Western Conference Final round of the 2024 Clark Cup Playoffs. Tonight’s playoff game is set to begin at&nbsp;7:05pm&nbsp;CT, and will be streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://flosports.link/3pkG3Ge" target="_blank">FloHockey</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://mixlr.com/tri-city-storm/" target="_blank">Storm Radio</a>. Tickets to postseason games at the Viaero Center may be purchased online by skating to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>, or by calling the Viaero Center Box Office at 308-338-8144. Viaero Wireless is the presenting sponsor of the Tri-City Storm.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Story by Tri-City CommunicationsKEARNEY, NE.&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Tri-City Storm is set to host Game #3 of the 2024 Western Conference Semifinals tonight at the Viaero Center against the Fargo Force after dropping the opening two games of the series at Scheels Arena. The Storm must fight off elimination tonight to guarantee tomorrow night’s Game #4 of the Best-Of-Five playoff series. Tomorrow’s “If Necessary” Game will also be played at the Viaero Center. Tickets to tonight’s playoff game in Kearney may be purchased online by skating to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>, or by calling the Viaero Center Box Office during Box Office Hours at 308-338-8144. Puck drop for tonight’s battle between the Storm and the Force is set for 7:05pm CT. Tri-City (2-3) (#4 Seed) returns home to the Viaero Center tonight following consecutive losses on the road against Fargo at Scheels Arena to open the Best-Of-Five Western Conference Semifinals series. The Storm suffered two 3-1 losses on the road and now faces elimination for the third time this postseason in tonight’s game. Ryan Smith and Nick Roukounakis netted goals for Tri-City during the road trip. The Storm has been outscored 6-2, and outshot 73-43 through the first two games of the series. The Storm’s powerplay is 0/3, and Tri-City’s penalty kill is 2/5 entering Game #3 tonight. Tri-City tied the regular season series against Fargo with a final head-to-head record of 3-2-0-1. The Storm captured five of a possible six points against the Force in a three-game home series at the Viaero Center March 15th-18th, 2024. Scoring leaders for Tri-City through the opening five games of the postseason include Artemi Nizameyev (3), Jake Rozzi (3), Nolan Roed (3), Owen Beckner (3), August Falloon (2), and Nick Roukounakis (2).Fargo (2-0) (#1 Seed) posted consecutive two-goal victories over Tri-City at Scheels Arena to take a two-game lead in this year’s Western Conference Semifinals series. The Force swept the Storm in last year’s Conference Semifinals Round, and has advanced past the Storm in three previous postseason battles over the past seven seasons. Fargo’s powerplay is 3/5, and the Force’s penalty kill is 3/3 through the first two games of the series. Goal scorers for the Force to this point in the postseason include Michael La Starza (2), Mac Swanson (1), Michael Quinn (1), Zam Plante (1), and Tate Taylor (1). Fargo enters tonight’s road game only one win away from advancing to play the Sioux City Musketeers in the Western Conference Final round of the 2024 Clark Cup Playoffs. Tonight’s playoff game is set to begin at&nbsp;7:05pm&nbsp;CT, and will be streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://flosports.link/3pkG3Ge" target="_blank">FloHockey</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://mixlr.com/tri-city-storm/" target="_blank">Storm Radio</a>. Tickets to postseason games at the Viaero Center may be purchased online by skating to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>, or by calling the Viaero Center Box Office at 308-338-8144. Viaero Wireless is the presenting sponsor of the Tri-City Storm.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Storm set to host Conference Semifinals Game at Viaero Center

Story by Supernovas Athletic Communications&nbsp;

SAN DIEGO, CA. -&nbsp;The&nbsp;Omaha Supernovas (12-7)&nbsp;fell to the San Diego Mojo (8-9) in a 25-19, 17-25, 22-25, 25-21, 8-15 five-set thriller Tuesday night at Viejas Arena. The result means the Supernovas and Mojo have split the season series at two wins apiece with each team winning its home matches.

Olympian and Supernovas’ outside hitter&nbsp;Bethania de la Cruz&nbsp;led the team with 15 kills and a season-high 19 digs. She also added one block and her league-leading 26th ace of the season. Recent Omaha signee and opposite&nbsp;Stephanie Samedy&nbsp;made her Supernovas debut, adding 12 kills on a .206 clip with 10 digs for a double-double. The Minnesota graduate also earned a block and her first ace.&nbsp;

Team captain&nbsp;Brooke Nuneviller&nbsp;excelled off the bench on Tuesday, recording 10 kills on a .307 hitting percentage with 10 digs for her first double-double since April 4 when Omaha beat Columbus. Rookie&nbsp;Paige Briggs&nbsp;chipped in eight kills in her second career pro start.&nbsp;Jess Schaben-Lansman&nbsp;added seven kills.&nbsp;

Hristina Vuchkova&nbsp;led the middle blockers with six kills, three blocks and three digs.&nbsp;Tori Dixon&nbsp;and&nbsp;Sophie Davis&nbsp;each tallied one kill, but it was Davis who earned two blocks compared to Dixon’s one.&nbsp;

Setters&nbsp;Sydney Hilley&nbsp;and&nbsp;Natalia Valentín-Anderson&nbsp;each saw playing time as Valentín-Anderson finished with a team-high 29 assists and nine digs. Hilley added 22 assists and 11 digs. Libero&nbsp;Kendall White&nbsp;posted 15 digs and six assists.&nbsp;

The Supernovas hit .155 with 10 blocks and three aces.&nbsp;

Mojo hitter Temi Thomas-Ailara continued her good fortunes against Omaha with a match-high 22 kills and 17 digs. Two more Mojo players reached double-digit kills as opposite and lefty Willow Johnson recorded 14 kills and 15 digs while Lindsay Vander Weide totaled 11 kills and 14 digs.&nbsp;

San Diego hit .184 with a franchise-record 20 blocks and three aces.&nbsp;

Set 1:&nbsp;The Supernovas came firing out of the gate with a 6-2 lead as Schaben-Lansman chipped in a couple kills while Omaha took advantage of some Mojo hitting errors. San Diego rallied with a 3-0 run, but Briggs answered with back-to-back kills and Vuchkova won a net battle to increase the lead to 9-5. Lewis and Stone tallied consecutive kills. A 6-0 run followed to open up the set as Schaben-Lansman, de la Cruz, Vuchkova and a Briggs ace occurred in the sequence. A 3-0 Mojo run halted the momentum as Thomas-Ailara hammered down two kills. A four-hit violation ended the run, but a Thomas-Ailara kill and consecutive blocks cut the lead to 16-13. De la Cruz came up with a block and Briggs delivered her fourth kill of the set to go ahead 19-15. De la Cruz later added two more kills to give Omaha set point. A reaching over the net violation on San Diego clinched the 25-19 set one win for the Supernovas.&nbsp;

Omaha hit .174 with two blocks and one ace. Briggs and Schaben-Lansman led the offense with four kills apiece. De la Cruz added three while Vuchkova had a pair of kills.&nbsp;

San Diego hit .143 with four blocks and zero aces. Thomas-Ailara continued her effectiveness against the Supernovas with a team-high four kills in the set.&nbsp;

Set 2:&nbsp;Alison&nbsp;Bastianelli led the Mojo charge with two kills to put San Diego up 4-1. Vander Weide posted a solo block and a Johnson kill from the right pin put the lead to 6-1 Mojo to force an Omaha timeout. Briggs and Vuchkova buried back-to-back blocks. The Mojo answered with consecutive blocks of their own to hold the lead. A Vander Weide kill and ace from Johnson extended the lead to 10-3. Schaben-Lansman and Vuchkova tallied kills to make it 10-6. San Diego held the lead at 14-8, but Omaha regrouped for a 4-0 run including a trio of de la Cruz kills and a Dixon block to put the Mojo lead at 14-12. Johnson hit a crafty shot from the pin to end the Supernovas’ rally. Vander Weide came up with another block and kill to put the Mojo up 18-14. Vuchkova found the floor for a kill to keep the Mojo lead at six. Johnson used a low angle for a kill to give the Mojo set point. Thomas-Ailara finished off the set by tooling off the block to give the Mojo a 25-17 set win.&nbsp;

San Diego hit .256 with five blocks and two aces. Thomas Ailara led the Mojo with five kills while Johnson, Bastianelli, and Vander Weide each posted three.&nbsp;

Omaha hit .119 with three blocks and zero aces. De la Cruz added four kills in the set with Vuchkova and Schaben-Lansman each chipping in three.&nbsp;

Set 3:&nbsp;The woes for Omaha continued as action began in the third set with San Diego shooting out to a 5-1 lead with a Thomas-Ailara ace and two kills from Johnson. A Mojo service error ended the rally, but San Diego answered with a 4-0 run as a Ronika Stone middle attack forced a timeout at 9-2 Mojo. Briggs ended the rally with her second kill. Trailing 11-4, the Supernovas went to the bench as recent signee and opposite Samedy made her Omaha debu. She earned her first kill as a Supernovas two points later. Thomas-Ailara secured a block and kill in back-to-back points to extend the Mojo lead back to 14-6. The Supernovas gained momentum behind the bench reinforcements, building a 6-2 run behind a Samedy kill and ace to make it 16-12. Two-straight blocks from San Diego extended the lead back to 20-14, but Omaha rallied for a 4-0 run with de la Cruz, Nuneviller and Samedy each recording a kill. Thomas-Ailara hammered another kill. Samedy earned two more kills to make the score 24-22 Mojo, but the Minnesota graduate committed a service error to give the Mojo a 25-22 set win.&nbsp;

San Diego hit .135 with five more blocks and one ace. Thomas Ailara stacked five more kills to her total with Johnson and Vander Weide each adding three.&nbsp;

Omaha hit .140 with two blocks and one ace. Samedy paced the offense with six kills on a .417 clip in her debut set with Briggs adding three kills before being taken out for Nuneviller.&nbsp;

Set 4:&nbsp;The Supernovas gained their first lead since the first set with the opening two points which included one of Davis' two blocks. San Diego took advantage of two Omaha errors to tie the set up at two, but de la Cruz earned consecutive kills. Nuneviller added her first kill of the set a few points later. De la Cruz delivered another kill to make it 10-8 Omaha. Nuneviller began a 5-0 run for Omaha with a back-row kill and later secured a block. A de la Cruz service error ended the run, but the damage was done as the Supernovas led 15-9. Nuneviller added two more kills to her set total to make it 18-12 Omaha. The Mojo rallied for a 4-0 run as Johnson added a kill and the Supernovas committed a pair of hitting errors to cut the lead down to 20-18 forcing an Omaha timeout. De la Cruz got a touch for her sixth kill of the set to end the run. She followed that point by securing her league-leading 26th ace of the season. Samedy added another kill to stamp a 3-0 run and force a San Diego timeout with a 23-18 lead. Nuneviller tooled a block to make it set point Omaha before she terminated her sixth kill of the set to give the Supernovas a 25-21 set win and force a decisive fifth.

Omaha hit .213 with a pair of blocks and once ace. Nuneviller and de la Cruz were the dynamic duo as each tallied six kills in the set while Samedy added three.&nbsp;

San Diego recorded a clip of .098 with four more blocks and zero aces. Johnson earned four of the team’s nine kills in the set.&nbsp;

Set 5:&nbsp;Thomas-Ailara reentered the match and made her presence known with two kills off the bat to give San Diego a quick 3-1 lead. Samedy and Nuneviller recorded back-to-back kills to tie it up. Johnson put down another kill which was followed by an Omaha double hit to give the Mojo a two-point lead again. The two teams rallied back and forth, but San Diego gained the upper hand with a 5-0 run behind four kills and a block from Thomas-Ailara to make it 12-6 Mojo. A service error ended the run, but the Mojo’s 20th block gave them match point. Davis recorded a block, but Thomas-Ailara ended the match with her 22nd kill.&nbsp;

The Supernovas are back at home for their next match on Friday, April 26 with Omaha hosting the Grand Rapids Rise at the CHI Health Center. First serve is set for 8:30 p.m. CDT with Omaha making its debut on CBS Sports Network. Fans can also listen to all the action on the Supernovas Radio Network led by the flagship station 93.7 The Ticket.&nbsp;

Story by Supernovas Athletic Communications&nbsp;SAN DIEGO, CA. -&nbsp;The&nbsp;Omaha Supernovas (12-7)&nbsp;fell to the San Diego Mojo (8-9) in a 25-19, 17-25, 22-25, 25-21, 8-15 five-set thriller Tuesday night at Viejas Arena. The result means the Supernovas and Mojo have split the season series at two wins apiece with each team winning its home matches.Olympian and Supernovas’ outside hitter&nbsp;Bethania de la Cruz&nbsp;led the team with 15 kills and a season-high 19 digs. She also added one block and her league-leading 26th ace of the season. Recent Omaha signee and opposite&nbsp;Stephanie Samedy&nbsp;made her Supernovas debut, adding 12 kills on a .206 clip with 10 digs for a double-double. The Minnesota graduate also earned a block and her first ace.&nbsp;Team captain&nbsp;Brooke Nuneviller&nbsp;excelled off the bench on Tuesday, recording 10 kills on a .307 hitting percentage with 10 digs for her first double-double since April 4 when Omaha beat Columbus. Rookie&nbsp;Paige Briggs&nbsp;chipped in eight kills in her second career pro start.&nbsp;Jess Schaben-Lansman&nbsp;added seven kills.&nbsp;Hristina Vuchkova&nbsp;led the middle blockers with six kills, three blocks and three digs.&nbsp;Tori Dixon&nbsp;and&nbsp;Sophie Davis&nbsp;each tallied one kill, but it was Davis who earned two blocks compared to Dixon’s one.&nbsp;Setters&nbsp;Sydney Hilley&nbsp;and&nbsp;Natalia Valentín-Anderson&nbsp;each saw playing time as Valentín-Anderson finished with a team-high 29 assists and nine digs. Hilley added 22 assists and 11 digs. Libero&nbsp;Kendall White&nbsp;posted 15 digs and six assists.&nbsp;The Supernovas hit .155 with 10 blocks and three aces.&nbsp;Mojo hitter Temi Thomas-Ailara continued her good fortunes against Omaha with a match-high 22 kills and 17 digs. Two more Mojo players reached double-digit kills as opposite and lefty Willow Johnson recorded 14 kills and 15 digs while Lindsay Vander Weide totaled 11 kills and 14 digs.&nbsp;San Diego hit .184 with a franchise-record 20 blocks and three aces.&nbsp;Set 1:&nbsp;The Supernovas came firing out of the gate with a 6-2 lead as Schaben-Lansman chipped in a couple kills while Omaha took advantage of some Mojo hitting errors. San Diego rallied with a 3-0 run, but Briggs answered with back-to-back kills and Vuchkova won a net battle to increase the lead to 9-5. Lewis and Stone tallied consecutive kills. A 6-0 run followed to open up the set as Schaben-Lansman, de la Cruz, Vuchkova and a Briggs ace occurred in the sequence. A 3-0 Mojo run halted the momentum as Thomas-Ailara hammered down two kills. A four-hit violation ended the run, but a Thomas-Ailara kill and consecutive blocks cut the lead to 16-13. De la Cruz came up with a block and Briggs delivered her fourth kill of the set to go ahead 19-15. De la Cruz later added two more kills to give Omaha set point. A reaching over the net violation on San Diego clinched the 25-19 set one win for the Supernovas.&nbsp;Omaha hit .174 with two blocks and one ace. Briggs and Schaben-Lansman led the offense with four kills apiece. De la Cruz added three while Vuchkova had a pair of kills.&nbsp;San Diego hit .143 with four blocks and zero aces. Thomas-Ailara continued her effectiveness against the Supernovas with a team-high four kills in the set.&nbsp;Set 2:&nbsp;Alison&nbsp;Bastianelli led the Mojo charge with two kills to put San Diego up 4-1. Vander Weide posted a solo block and a Johnson kill from the right pin put the lead to 6-1 Mojo to force an Omaha timeout. Briggs and Vuchkova buried back-to-back blocks. The Mojo answered with consecutive blocks of their own to hold the lead. A Vander Weide kill and ace from Johnson extended the lead to 10-3. Schaben-Lansman and Vuchkova tallied kills to make it 10-6. San Diego held the lead at 14-8, but Omaha regrouped for a 4-0 run including a trio of de la Cruz kills and a Dixon block to put the Mojo lead at 14-12. Johnson hit a crafty shot from the pin to end the Supernovas’ rally. Vander Weide came up with another block and kill to put the Mojo up 18-14. Vuchkova found the floor for a kill to keep the Mojo lead at six. Johnson used a low angle for a kill to give the Mojo set point. Thomas-Ailara finished off the set by tooling off the block to give the Mojo a 25-17 set win.&nbsp;San Diego hit .256 with five blocks and two aces. Thomas Ailara led the Mojo with five kills while Johnson, Bastianelli, and Vander Weide each posted three.&nbsp;Omaha hit .119 with three blocks and zero aces. De la Cruz added four kills in the set with Vuchkova and Schaben-Lansman each chipping in three.&nbsp;Set 3:&nbsp;The woes for Omaha continued as action began in the third set with San Diego shooting out to a 5-1 lead with a Thomas-Ailara ace and two kills from Johnson. A Mojo service error ended the rally, but San Diego answered with a 4-0 run as a Ronika Stone middle attack forced a timeout at 9-2 Mojo. Briggs ended the rally with her second kill. Trailing 11-4, the Supernovas went to the bench as recent signee and opposite Samedy made her Omaha debu. She earned her first kill as a Supernovas two points later. Thomas-Ailara secured a block and kill in back-to-back points to extend the Mojo lead back to 14-6. The Supernovas gained momentum behind the bench reinforcements, building a 6-2 run behind a Samedy kill and ace to make it 16-12. Two-straight blocks from San Diego extended the lead back to 20-14, but Omaha rallied for a 4-0 run with de la Cruz, Nuneviller and Samedy each recording a kill. Thomas-Ailara hammered another kill. Samedy earned two more kills to make the score 24-22 Mojo, but the Minnesota graduate committed a service error to give the Mojo a 25-22 set win.&nbsp;San Diego hit .135 with five more blocks and one ace. Thomas Ailara stacked five more kills to her total with Johnson and Vander Weide each adding three.&nbsp;Omaha hit .140 with two blocks and one ace. Samedy paced the offense with six kills on a .417 clip in her debut set with Briggs adding three kills before being taken out for Nuneviller.&nbsp;Set 4:&nbsp;The Supernovas gained their first lead since the first set with the opening two points which included one of Davis' two blocks. San Diego took advantage of two Omaha errors to tie the set up at two, but de la Cruz earned consecutive kills. Nuneviller added her first kill of the set a few points later. De la Cruz delivered another kill to make it 10-8 Omaha. Nuneviller began a 5-0 run for Omaha with a back-row kill and later secured a block. A de la Cruz service error ended the run, but the damage was done as the Supernovas led 15-9. Nuneviller added two more kills to her set total to make it 18-12 Omaha. The Mojo rallied for a 4-0 run as Johnson added a kill and the Supernovas committed a pair of hitting errors to cut the lead down to 20-18 forcing an Omaha timeout. De la Cruz got a touch for her sixth kill of the set to end the run. She followed that point by securing her league-leading 26th ace of the season. Samedy added another kill to stamp a 3-0 run and force a San Diego timeout with a 23-18 lead. Nuneviller tooled a block to make it set point Omaha before she terminated her sixth kill of the set to give the Supernovas a 25-21 set win and force a decisive fifth.Omaha hit .213 with a pair of blocks and once ace. Nuneviller and de la Cruz were the dynamic duo as each tallied six kills in the set while Samedy added three.&nbsp;San Diego recorded a clip of .098 with four more blocks and zero aces. Johnson earned four of the team’s nine kills in the set.&nbsp;Set 5:&nbsp;Thomas-Ailara reentered the match and made her presence known with two kills off the bat to give San Diego a quick 3-1 lead. Samedy and Nuneviller recorded back-to-back kills to tie it up. Johnson put down another kill which was followed by an Omaha double hit to give the Mojo a two-point lead again. The two teams rallied back and forth, but San Diego gained the upper hand with a 5-0 run behind four kills and a block from Thomas-Ailara to make it 12-6 Mojo. A service error ended the run, but the Mojo’s 20th block gave them match point. Davis recorded a block, but Thomas-Ailara ended the match with her 22nd kill.&nbsp;The Supernovas are back at home for their next match on Friday, April 26 with Omaha hosting the Grand Rapids Rise at the CHI Health Center. First serve is set for 8:30 p.m. CDT with Omaha making its debut on CBS Sports Network. Fans can also listen to all the action on the Supernovas Radio Network led by the flagship station 93.7 The Ticket.&nbsp;

Omaha falls to San Diego in five sets as Samedy Makes Supernovas Debut

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thank you for the opportunity! <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachMattRhule?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachMattRhule</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Callaghan_NEB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Callaghan_NEB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/HuskerCoachTW?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HuskerCoachTW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Rob_Dvoracek?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Rob_Dvoracek</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachEJbarthel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachEJbarthel</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/HuskerFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HuskerFootball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GBR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GBR</a> <a href="https://t.co/DuQrAXe1Au">pic.twitter.com/DuQrAXe1Au</a>&mdash; Vincent Genatone (@genatone_v) <a href="https://twitter.com/genatone_v/status/1782910443041780088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Huskers add former North Platte High superstar Vince Genatone

DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray didn't even see the biggest basket of his career. At least not live, he didn't.

Murray swished a step-back 15-footer over Anthony Davis at the buzzer Monday night, giving the Denver Nuggets a stunning 101-99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers and capping a comeback from a 20-point second-half deficit.

Murray tumbled into the Nuggets' bench along with Davis just as his shot fluttered in the net and the roar from the crowd shook Ball Arena.

“I just lost my balance and fell. I think A.D. was in my way or somebody was in my way and I just heard everybody scream and that's how I knew it went in," said Murray, who was mobbed by his teammates after his bucket gave the reigning NBA champions their 10th consecutive win over the Lakers.

More importantly, it gave Denver a 2-0 lead in a Western Conference first-round series that shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday night.

Murray missed 13 of his first 16 shots and was easily the most flustered, frazzled and frustrated of all his teammates when it appeared the Nuggets would lose to the Lakers for the first time in 494 days.

“I told my teammates when I was struggling, ‘I’m gonna look for y'all,' and every single one of them told me to keep shooting,” recounted Murray, who did just that, going 6 for 8 for 14 points in the fourth quarter to finish with 20 points.

“They told me to stay aggressive and keep looking for it, keep hunting and when I had the ball with 2 seconds left, I knew once I had made a couple, the next one should go down, as well.”

Nuggets coach Michael Malone chose not to call a timeout after Michael Porter Jr. grabbed the rebound off LeBron James' missed 3-pointer with 13 seconds left and the game knotted up at 99.

“We got the stop. Tie game. Why let them get set?” Malone reasoned. “Because, when they can get set and they switch out everything, you might not even get the ball inbounds. So, I wanted to make sure we could just flow into it and let our best players make plays.”

Murray faked like he was going to take a 3-pointer, got A.D. to close and then beat him to his spot along the right baseline for the clear look.

“That's Jamal Murray right there," Malone said. “He can struggle, he can struggle, he can struggle. He sees one go in and he's never shying away from the moment, the spotlight. And that was just an incredible play.”

Nikola Jokic said Murray “made the tough shots today and he missed the easy ones. It was that kind of game.”

Asked to go though that final sequence, Davis demurred, saying simply, “Jamal Murray made a shot,” then standing up, dropping the mic — not figuratively — and walking off from the postgame podium.

Jokic posted a triple-double with 27 points, 20 boards and 10 assists. Porter added 22 points and Aaron Gordon 14 for Denver.

Davis led the Lakers with 32 points, James had 26 points plus a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lakers-nuggets-nba-score-852aa29e2f83f98414c806ec203af643">major beef with the officiating</a>&nbsp;and D’Angelo Russell added 23 with a career playoff-high seven 3s, including six in the first half to help the Lakers build a 59-44 lead at the break.

The Lakers stretched their advantage to 68-48 two minutes into the second half and they still led by 10 entering the fourth quarter.

“I don't have a 20-point play,” Malone said. “You've got to just keep chipping away.”

That they did, finally tying it at 95-all on Porter's 3-pointer with 1:15 left before the frenzied final minute.

“A 20-point lead in this league, it's not safe, especially against the defending champion,” James said. “We've got to do better. But we had our chances.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713898974443.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray didn't even see the biggest basket of his career. At least not live, he didn't.Murray swished a step-back 15-footer over Anthony Davis at the buzzer Monday night, giving the Denver Nuggets a stunning 101-99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers and capping a comeback from a 20-point second-half deficit.Murray tumbled into the Nuggets' bench along with Davis just as his shot fluttered in the net and the roar from the crowd shook Ball Arena.“I just lost my balance and fell. I think A.D. was in my way or somebody was in my way and I just heard everybody scream and that's how I knew it went in," said Murray, who was mobbed by his teammates after his bucket gave the reigning NBA champions their 10th consecutive win over the Lakers.More importantly, it gave Denver a 2-0 lead in a Western Conference first-round series that shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday night.Murray missed 13 of his first 16 shots and was easily the most flustered, frazzled and frustrated of all his teammates when it appeared the Nuggets would lose to the Lakers for the first time in 494 days.“I told my teammates when I was struggling, ‘I’m gonna look for y'all,' and every single one of them told me to keep shooting,” recounted Murray, who did just that, going 6 for 8 for 14 points in the fourth quarter to finish with 20 points.“They told me to stay aggressive and keep looking for it, keep hunting and when I had the ball with 2 seconds left, I knew once I had made a couple, the next one should go down, as well.”Nuggets coach Michael Malone chose not to call a timeout after Michael Porter Jr. grabbed the rebound off LeBron James' missed 3-pointer with 13 seconds left and the game knotted up at 99.“We got the stop. Tie game. Why let them get set?” Malone reasoned. “Because, when they can get set and they switch out everything, you might not even get the ball inbounds. So, I wanted to make sure we could just flow into it and let our best players make plays.”Murray faked like he was going to take a 3-pointer, got A.D. to close and then beat him to his spot along the right baseline for the clear look.“That's Jamal Murray right there," Malone said. “He can struggle, he can struggle, he can struggle. He sees one go in and he's never shying away from the moment, the spotlight. And that was just an incredible play.”Nikola Jokic said Murray “made the tough shots today and he missed the easy ones. It was that kind of game.”Asked to go though that final sequence, Davis demurred, saying simply, “Jamal Murray made a shot,” then standing up, dropping the mic — not figuratively — and walking off from the postgame podium.Jokic posted a triple-double with 27 points, 20 boards and 10 assists. Porter added 22 points and Aaron Gordon 14 for Denver.Davis led the Lakers with 32 points, James had 26 points plus a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lakers-nuggets-nba-score-852aa29e2f83f98414c806ec203af643">major beef with the officiating</a>&nbsp;and D’Angelo Russell added 23 with a career playoff-high seven 3s, including six in the first half to help the Lakers build a 59-44 lead at the break.The Lakers stretched their advantage to 68-48 two minutes into the second half and they still led by 10 entering the fourth quarter.“I don't have a 20-point play,” Malone said. “You've got to just keep chipping away.”That they did, finally tying it at 95-all on Porter's 3-pointer with 1:15 left before the frenzied final minute.“A 20-point lead in this league, it's not safe, especially against the defending champion,” James said. “We've got to do better. But we had our chances.”

Murray sinks Lakers at buzzer to give Nuggets 2-0 series lead

(AP) Zach Wilson was expected to be the face of the franchise for the New York Jets. Instead, he became a symbol of disappointment.

And now, the 2021 second overall draft pick will get the chance to rejuvenate his career with the Denver Broncos.

The Jets traded Wilson to the Broncos on Monday, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The Jets are sending Wilson and a seventh-round pick in this week’s NFL draft to the Broncos for a sixth-rounder, the person said.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the teams haven’t announced the deal. NFL Network first reported the trade.

The Jets are parting ways with Wilson after three disappointing seasons. ESPN reported New York and Denver are splitting Wilson’s $5.5 million salary for this season as part of the deal.

Wilson came to the Jets with massive expectations after he was selected out of BYU because of his exceptional athletic ability and knack for making throws on the run from various arm angles. But he struggled mightily in his first two seasons in New York before the Jets acquired Aaron Rodgers to be their starter last offseason.

When Rodgers went down for the season with a torn left Achilles tendon four snaps into his debut, Wilson took over as the starter again — and was unable to play with consistency or effectiveness while showing few signs of improvement from his first two years.

After being benched twice in his second season, Wilson was again sent to the sideline after 10 games. He sat out for two games while Tim Boyle was ineffective in two starts. The Jets turned back to Wilson, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jets-wilson-siemian-rodgers-quarterbacks-768041dfe0b2af5a181a14d6ba6d2ea9">found himself in the headlines</a>&nbsp;when The Athletic reported he was reluctant to step back into his role as the starter because of potential injury concerns. Wilson denied that later in the week and said he was excited to start again.

He returned with perhaps the best performance of his career, going 27 of 36 for 301 yards — his third career game of 300 or more yards — and two touchdowns in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texans-jets-score-wilson-1ad9c2d71113d328ce5340192052e3af">New York’s 30-6 victory</a>&nbsp;over Houston. Wilson was named the AFC offensive player of the week, but suffered a concussion the following week in the first half of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jets-dolphins-score-rodgers-77260c584a56842a833edcdea67952c5">Jets’ 30-0 loss at Miami on Dec. 17</a>.

“I thought he had a great OTAs, a great training camp,” coach Robert Saleh said late in the season. “I thought he battled. He fought. He’s a fighter, he really is. Obviously there’s things that he wishes he could have back and I know there’s a lot of things he improved on. Some things were out of his control.

“I’ve said it and I’ll say it again: I think he’s going to have a long career in this league.”

Rodgers is back this season, and the Jets signed veteran Tyrod Taylor last month to be his primary backup. The original plan last year was for Wilson to sit behind Rodgers and learn, and then perhaps take over again. But Rodgers’ injury changed all that.

“It’s just an unfortunate series of events that occurred,” Saleh said.

General manager Joe Douglas told reporters during the NFL combine in Indianapolis in February that the Jets had given Wilson and his agents permission to seek a trade. Douglas reiterated that last Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jets-zach-wilson-joe-douglas-d78ce5ed46db1972f368b9a08d64050b">calling Wilson an “asset”</a>&nbsp;while also saying New York was open to trading him.

And now, Wilson will look to restart his career in Denver.

He joins a quarterback room that also includes Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci after Russell Wilson was released last month after two seasons with the Broncos and signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Denver currently holds the 12th overall pick and could still be in the market for a quarterback.

The Broncos have a lot of other needs, however, and if they don't select a quarterback, it will be Wilson and Stidham in a training camp tussle to see who gets the job. Stidham is a fifth-year pro who has a 1-3 record as a starter. He went 1-1 after the Broncos benched Russell Wilson for the final two games last season. DiNucci lost his only NFL start back in 2020 with Dallas.

Stidham was the 13th quarterback to start for Denver since Peyton Manning retired after the 2015 season. The Broncos haven't been back to the playoffs since and have posted seven consecutive losing seasons, including last year's 8-9 under first-year coach Sean Payton.

The Broncos, who are on the hook for $37.79 million of Russell Wilson's $39 million salary in 2024 — which is in addition to $85 million in dead cap charges over the next two seasons — are unlikely to pick up the $22.4 million fifth-year option on Zach Wilson's rookie contract, meaning he will likely be a free agent next offseason.

Wilson went 12-21 in 33 games as a starter, throwing for 6,293 yards and 23 touchdowns with 25 interceptions. He has a 57% career completion percentage and 73.2 passer rating, ranking among the NFL’s worst in both categories in all three of his seasons. Wilson also has five touchdown runs.

The move is reminiscent of how the Jets moved on from Sam Darnold in 2021, trading him to Carolina just a few weeks before New York drafted Wilson. Darnold was the third overall pick out of Southern California in 2018, but — like Wilson — failed to live up to the lofty expectations.

(AP) Zach Wilson was expected to be the face of the franchise for the New York Jets. Instead, he became a symbol of disappointment.And now, the 2021 second overall draft pick will get the chance to rejuvenate his career with the Denver Broncos.The Jets traded Wilson to the Broncos on Monday, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The Jets are sending Wilson and a seventh-round pick in this week’s NFL draft to the Broncos for a sixth-rounder, the person said.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the teams haven’t announced the deal. NFL Network first reported the trade.The Jets are parting ways with Wilson after three disappointing seasons. ESPN reported New York and Denver are splitting Wilson’s $5.5 million salary for this season as part of the deal.Wilson came to the Jets with massive expectations after he was selected out of BYU because of his exceptional athletic ability and knack for making throws on the run from various arm angles. But he struggled mightily in his first two seasons in New York before the Jets acquired Aaron Rodgers to be their starter last offseason.When Rodgers went down for the season with a torn left Achilles tendon four snaps into his debut, Wilson took over as the starter again — and was unable to play with consistency or effectiveness while showing few signs of improvement from his first two years.After being benched twice in his second season, Wilson was again sent to the sideline after 10 games. He sat out for two games while Tim Boyle was ineffective in two starts. The Jets turned back to Wilson, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jets-wilson-siemian-rodgers-quarterbacks-768041dfe0b2af5a181a14d6ba6d2ea9">found himself in the headlines</a>&nbsp;when The Athletic reported he was reluctant to step back into his role as the starter because of potential injury concerns. Wilson denied that later in the week and said he was excited to start again.He returned with perhaps the best performance of his career, going 27 of 36 for 301 yards — his third career game of 300 or more yards — and two touchdowns in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texans-jets-score-wilson-1ad9c2d71113d328ce5340192052e3af">New York’s 30-6 victory</a>&nbsp;over Houston. Wilson was named the AFC offensive player of the week, but suffered a concussion the following week in the first half of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jets-dolphins-score-rodgers-77260c584a56842a833edcdea67952c5">Jets’ 30-0 loss at Miami on Dec. 17</a>.And he didn’t play again.“I thought he had a great OTAs, a great training camp,” coach Robert Saleh said late in the season. “I thought he battled. He fought. He’s a fighter, he really is. Obviously there’s things that he wishes he could have back and I know there’s a lot of things he improved on. Some things were out of his control.“I’ve said it and I’ll say it again: I think he’s going to have a long career in this league.”It won’t be with the Jets, though.Rodgers is back this season, and the Jets signed veteran Tyrod Taylor last month to be his primary backup. The original plan last year was for Wilson to sit behind Rodgers and learn, and then perhaps take over again. But Rodgers’ injury changed all that.“It’s just an unfortunate series of events that occurred,” Saleh said.General manager Joe Douglas told reporters during the NFL combine in Indianapolis in February that the Jets had given Wilson and his agents permission to seek a trade. Douglas reiterated that last Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jets-zach-wilson-joe-douglas-d78ce5ed46db1972f368b9a08d64050b">calling Wilson an “asset”</a>&nbsp;while also saying New York was open to trading him.And now, Wilson will look to restart his career in Denver.He joins a quarterback room that also includes Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci after Russell Wilson was released last month after two seasons with the Broncos and signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Denver currently holds the 12th overall pick and could still be in the market for a quarterback.The Broncos have a lot of other needs, however, and if they don't select a quarterback, it will be Wilson and Stidham in a training camp tussle to see who gets the job. Stidham is a fifth-year pro who has a 1-3 record as a starter. He went 1-1 after the Broncos benched Russell Wilson for the final two games last season. DiNucci lost his only NFL start back in 2020 with Dallas.Stidham was the 13th quarterback to start for Denver since Peyton Manning retired after the 2015 season. The Broncos haven't been back to the playoffs since and have posted seven consecutive losing seasons, including last year's 8-9 under first-year coach Sean Payton.The Broncos, who are on the hook for $37.79 million of Russell Wilson's $39 million salary in 2024 — which is in addition to $85 million in dead cap charges over the next two seasons — are unlikely to pick up the $22.4 million fifth-year option on Zach Wilson's rookie contract, meaning he will likely be a free agent next offseason.Wilson went 12-21 in 33 games as a starter, throwing for 6,293 yards and 23 touchdowns with 25 interceptions. He has a 57% career completion percentage and 73.2 passer rating, ranking among the NFL’s worst in both categories in all three of his seasons. Wilson also has five touchdown runs.The move is reminiscent of how the Jets moved on from Sam Darnold in 2021, trading him to Carolina just a few weeks before New York drafted Wilson. Darnold was the third overall pick out of Southern California in 2018, but — like Wilson — failed to live up to the lofty expectations.

Broncos trading for failed Jets quarterback leading up to draft this week

Story by NU Athletic Communications

The Nebraska women’s gymnastics team will add Nya Kraus to the 2024-25 roster, the team announced Monday.&nbsp;

Kraus, a sophomore, was previously a member of the Lindenwood gymnastics team and competed in every meet for the Lions, including four in the all-around. Kraus earned NQS of 9.835 on bars, 9.880 on beam and 9.830 on floor. Her beam NQS was the highest on the team, and she was in the lineup on the event in every meet.&nbsp;

“I believe Nya will be an excellent addition to our team, and we are excited to welcome her to Lincoln,” Head Coach Heather Brink said. “She has proven her abilities and consistency in her first two years of competition. Nya is not only a talented athlete, but an awesome person and teammate. I know the experience at Lindenwood is important to her and she will always cherish it, but we are excited for what is to come. I have full confidence that Nya will excel as a Husker, and I’m looking forward to watching her shine.”

The Saskatchewan, Canada, native represented Lindenwood on beam at the second round of the NCAA Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Over the course of the season, she earned two beam event titles and scored a 9.900 three times, which ties the third-highest score in Lion history.

Kraus was named a First-Team All-MIC honoree and posted impressive scores on bars (9.875) and beam (9.900) at the conference championships. On Jan. 17, she was named the MIC gymnast of the week.

Kraus helped Lindenwood gymnastics to a 8-4 record in its final season as a program and will have two years of eligibility with the Huskers.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe Nebraska women’s gymnastics team will add Nya Kraus to the 2024-25 roster, the team announced Monday.&nbsp;Kraus, a sophomore, was previously a member of the Lindenwood gymnastics team and competed in every meet for the Lions, including four in the all-around. Kraus earned NQS of 9.835 on bars, 9.880 on beam and 9.830 on floor. Her beam NQS was the highest on the team, and she was in the lineup on the event in every meet.&nbsp;“I believe Nya will be an excellent addition to our team, and we are excited to welcome her to Lincoln,” Head Coach Heather Brink said. “She has proven her abilities and consistency in her first two years of competition. Nya is not only a talented athlete, but an awesome person and teammate. I know the experience at Lindenwood is important to her and she will always cherish it, but we are excited for what is to come. I have full confidence that Nya will excel as a Husker, and I’m looking forward to watching her shine.”The Saskatchewan, Canada, native represented Lindenwood on beam at the second round of the NCAA Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Over the course of the season, she earned two beam event titles and scored a 9.900 three times, which ties the third-highest score in Lion history.Kraus was named a First-Team All-MIC honoree and posted impressive scores on bars (9.875) and beam (9.900) at the conference championships. On Jan. 17, she was named the MIC gymnast of the week.Kraus helped Lindenwood gymnastics to a 8-4 record in its final season as a program and will have two years of eligibility with the Huskers.

Huskers add Transfer Nya Kraus for 2024-25

Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg has announced that&nbsp;Connor Essegian&nbsp;(pronounced eh-SEE-jin) will join the Husker basketball program for the 2024-25 season. Essegian, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound guard from Fort Wayne, Ind., spent the last two years at Wisconsin and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Hoiberg said that Essegian’s combination of shooting ability and Big Ten Conference experience made him an ideal fit for the Huskers.

“As we build our roster, Connor’s skillset fits what we are looking for,” Hoiberg said. “He has performed at a high level in the Big Ten and was one of the top freshmen in the conference two years ago when he set a school record for 3-pointers by a freshman. Connor is an outstanding shooter and has that confidence that good shooters have. He’s been on successful teams at both the high school and college level and the experience he has gained playing in the Big Ten the past two years should help him make the transition to our system.

Essegian played in 33 games for the Badgers in 2023-24, averaging 3.2 points per game, as Wisconsin went 22-14 and reached the NCAA Tournament. Essegian posted a pair of double-figure efforts, a season-high 15- point effort at Rutgers and 12 points, including a season-high four 3-pointers in a win over the Huskers in Madison.

Essegian was one of the best freshmen in the Big Ten in 2022-23, as he helped Wisconsin to 20 wins and an NIT semifinal appearance. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team as he played in all 35 games, including 19 starts, and averaged 11.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. He was third on the team in scoring and became just the fourth Wisconsin freshman in the last 25 years to average double figures. Essegian set a school record for a freshman with 69 3-pointers while he was 10th&nbsp;in the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game while shooting nearly 36 percent from beyond the arc.&nbsp; He reached double figures 24 times, including a pair of 20-point efforts. Essegian had a season-high 24 points at Michigan after having 23 points, including 9-of-10 from the foul line, in the first matchup with the Wolverines. Essegian recorded his first career double-double at Indiana with 14 points and 11 rebounds and had 17 points against Kansas in the 2022 Battle 4 Atlantis as well as an 18-point effort, with four 3-pointers at Penn State.

Essegian was a prolific scorer during his career at Central Noble High School in Fort Wayne, totaling 2,526 points to finish 10th all-time in the state of Indiana. As a senior, he led Central Noble to the Class 2A state basketball title game, averaging 26.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, while shooting 43 percent from 3-point range. He was a finalist for Mr. Basketball and an all-state selection as Central Noble went 28-3 as a senior. His 2526 points broke a school record which had stood for 44 years. During his junior season, he led the Cougars to a 20-1 season averaging 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game, while shooting better than 41 percent from 3-point range. That season featured a school-record 44 points during an 81-71 victory against Churubusco in the conference tournament quarterfinals. Essegian led Central Noble to its first NECC Tournament title in 50 years during his sophomore season, averaging 24.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. His 648 points that season was the highest single-season scoring total in Noble county history.

Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg has announced that&nbsp;Connor Essegian&nbsp;(pronounced eh-SEE-jin) will join the Husker basketball program for the 2024-25 season. Essegian, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound guard from Fort Wayne, Ind., spent the last two years at Wisconsin and will have two years of eligibility remaining.Hoiberg said that Essegian’s combination of shooting ability and Big Ten Conference experience made him an ideal fit for the Huskers.“As we build our roster, Connor’s skillset fits what we are looking for,” Hoiberg said. “He has performed at a high level in the Big Ten and was one of the top freshmen in the conference two years ago when he set a school record for 3-pointers by a freshman. Connor is an outstanding shooter and has that confidence that good shooters have. He’s been on successful teams at both the high school and college level and the experience he has gained playing in the Big Ten the past two years should help him make the transition to our system.Essegian played in 33 games for the Badgers in 2023-24, averaging 3.2 points per game, as Wisconsin went 22-14 and reached the NCAA Tournament. Essegian posted a pair of double-figure efforts, a season-high 15- point effort at Rutgers and 12 points, including a season-high four 3-pointers in a win over the Huskers in Madison.Essegian was one of the best freshmen in the Big Ten in 2022-23, as he helped Wisconsin to 20 wins and an NIT semifinal appearance. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team as he played in all 35 games, including 19 starts, and averaged 11.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. He was third on the team in scoring and became just the fourth Wisconsin freshman in the last 25 years to average double figures. Essegian set a school record for a freshman with 69 3-pointers while he was 10th&nbsp;in the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game while shooting nearly 36 percent from beyond the arc.&nbsp; He reached double figures 24 times, including a pair of 20-point efforts. Essegian had a season-high 24 points at Michigan after having 23 points, including 9-of-10 from the foul line, in the first matchup with the Wolverines. Essegian recorded his first career double-double at Indiana with 14 points and 11 rebounds and had 17 points against Kansas in the 2022 Battle 4 Atlantis as well as an 18-point effort, with four 3-pointers at Penn State.Essegian was a prolific scorer during his career at Central Noble High School in Fort Wayne, totaling 2,526 points to finish 10th all-time in the state of Indiana. As a senior, he led Central Noble to the Class 2A state basketball title game, averaging 26.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, while shooting 43 percent from 3-point range. He was a finalist for Mr. Basketball and an all-state selection as Central Noble went 28-3 as a senior. His 2526 points broke a school record which had stood for 44 years. During his junior season, he led the Cougars to a 20-1 season averaging 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game, while shooting better than 41 percent from 3-point range. That season featured a school-record 44 points during an 81-71 victory against Churubusco in the conference tournament quarterfinals. Essegian led Central Noble to its first NECC Tournament title in 50 years during his sophomore season, averaging 24.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. His 648 points that season was the highest single-season scoring total in Noble county history.

Huskers add Connor Essegian to 2024-25 Basketball roster

FARGO, ND–&nbsp;The Tri-City Storm dropped the second game of the team’s Western Conference Semifinal series against the Fargo Force Monday night at Scheels Arena by a final score of 3-1. The Storm have now dropped each of the first two games in the Best-Of-Five series. Nick Roukounakis scored Tri-City’s only goal of the contest in the opening minute of the 1st&nbsp;period. The Storm now returns home for Game #3 of the series at the Viaero Center on Wednesday night. Puck drop for the playoff matchup between the Storm and the Force is scheduled for 7:05pm CT.Nick Roukounakis opened the scoring forty-six seconds into Monday’s opening period with his second goal of the postseason. Zach Bade collected an assist on the goal. Tri-City was outshot by an 11 to 8 margin during the 1st&nbsp;period, but carried a one-goal lead into Monday’s middle period. The Force netted two goals during Monday’s 2nd period to take a one-goal advantage into the 3rd&nbsp;period. Michael Quinn scored his first goal of the postseason twenty-five seconds into the period to bring the game to a 1-1 tie. Mac Swanson and Brasen Boser each collected an assist on the scoring play. Tate Taylor scored his first goal of the playoffs at 7:39 of the 2nd&nbsp;period to give Fargo a 2-1 lead in the battle. Jake Fisher and Brasen Boser each recorded an assist on Taylor’s powerplay goal. Fargo outshot Tri-City 16-4 during the 2nd&nbsp;period, and carried a 2-1 lead into Monday’s 3rd&nbsp;period. The only goal of Monday’s 3rd period was scored by Mac Swanson into an empty net with less than a minute to play. The goal was netted at 19:23 of the period, and was assisted by Brasen Boser. The Storm outshot the Force 7-6 during the 3rd&nbsp;period, but was outshot by an overall margin of 33-19. Tri-City fell by a final score of 3-1, and will now face elimination for the third time this postseason in Game #3 of the series at the Viaero Center on Wednesday night. Thatcher Bernstein made 30 saves on 32 shots in his postseason debut for Tri-City in net. Hampton Slukynsky won the game for Fargo in net in an 18-save-on-19-shot performance. Tickets to Wednesday’s playoff game at the Viaero Center may be purchased online by skating to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>, or by calling the Viaero Center Box Office during Box Office hours at 308-338-8144. All non-first-row seats are available for only $7 per game. Glass tickets are $15 for Adults, and $12 for Kids. Season Tickets to the Storm’s 25th Anniversary Season are on sale now and can be purchased by contacting a member of the Storm Sales Staff at 308-338-8144. Pricing, and the Season Ticket Order Form for the 2024-2025 season, can be found online at&nbsp;<a href="https://stormhockey.com/sports/2022/8/19/season-tickets.aspx" target="_blank">https://stormhockey.com/sports/2022/8/19/season-tickets.aspx</a>.The Storm hits the ice again on Wednesday, April 24th, in a playoff game at the Viaero Center against the Fargo Force. Puck drop for the matchup is scheduled for 7:05pm CT. Skate to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>for playoff tickets and more information regarding the Tri-City Storm&nbsp;organization. The Tri-City Storm is presented by Viaero Wireless.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Story by Tri-City CommunicationsFARGO, ND–&nbsp;The Tri-City Storm dropped the second game of the team’s Western Conference Semifinal series against the Fargo Force Monday night at Scheels Arena by a final score of 3-1. The Storm have now dropped each of the first two games in the Best-Of-Five series. Nick Roukounakis scored Tri-City’s only goal of the contest in the opening minute of the 1st&nbsp;period. The Storm now returns home for Game #3 of the series at the Viaero Center on Wednesday night. Puck drop for the playoff matchup between the Storm and the Force is scheduled for 7:05pm CT.Nick Roukounakis opened the scoring forty-six seconds into Monday’s opening period with his second goal of the postseason. Zach Bade collected an assist on the goal. Tri-City was outshot by an 11 to 8 margin during the 1st&nbsp;period, but carried a one-goal lead into Monday’s middle period. The Force netted two goals during Monday’s 2nd period to take a one-goal advantage into the 3rd&nbsp;period. Michael Quinn scored his first goal of the postseason twenty-five seconds into the period to bring the game to a 1-1 tie. Mac Swanson and Brasen Boser each collected an assist on the scoring play. Tate Taylor scored his first goal of the playoffs at 7:39 of the 2nd&nbsp;period to give Fargo a 2-1 lead in the battle. Jake Fisher and Brasen Boser each recorded an assist on Taylor’s powerplay goal. Fargo outshot Tri-City 16-4 during the 2nd&nbsp;period, and carried a 2-1 lead into Monday’s 3rd&nbsp;period. The only goal of Monday’s 3rd period was scored by Mac Swanson into an empty net with less than a minute to play. The goal was netted at 19:23 of the period, and was assisted by Brasen Boser. The Storm outshot the Force 7-6 during the 3rd&nbsp;period, but was outshot by an overall margin of 33-19. Tri-City fell by a final score of 3-1, and will now face elimination for the third time this postseason in Game #3 of the series at the Viaero Center on Wednesday night. Thatcher Bernstein made 30 saves on 32 shots in his postseason debut for Tri-City in net. Hampton Slukynsky won the game for Fargo in net in an 18-save-on-19-shot performance. Tickets to Wednesday’s playoff game at the Viaero Center may be purchased online by skating to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>, or by calling the Viaero Center Box Office during Box Office hours at 308-338-8144. All non-first-row seats are available for only $7 per game. Glass tickets are $15 for Adults, and $12 for Kids. Season Tickets to the Storm’s 25th Anniversary Season are on sale now and can be purchased by contacting a member of the Storm Sales Staff at 308-338-8144. Pricing, and the Season Ticket Order Form for the 2024-2025 season, can be found online at&nbsp;<a href="https://stormhockey.com/sports/2022/8/19/season-tickets.aspx" target="_blank">https://stormhockey.com/sports/2022/8/19/season-tickets.aspx</a>.The Storm hits the ice again on Wednesday, April 24th, in a playoff game at the Viaero Center against the Fargo Force. Puck drop for the matchup is scheduled for 7:05pm CT. Skate to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>for playoff tickets and more information regarding the Tri-City Storm&nbsp;organization. The Tri-City Storm is presented by Viaero Wireless.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Storm drops Game #2 of Conference Semifinals

2024-25 CSO All-Star Game rosters

By: John Murphy CSC Sports Information Director

ALAMOSA, Colo. -- The Chadron State College softball continued its dominance from Saturday on Sunday when they defeated the Adams State Grizzlies in two five inning games, winning 15-2 and 18-3.

The Eagles improve to 11-35 overall and 11-25 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. The Grizzlies are now 5-44 overall and 3-27 in the RMAC.

Over the four-game weekend, CSC exploded for 57 total runs. On Sunday, the Eagles had 33 runs and only allowed five from their opponents.

In the 15-2 game one victory, Chadron State trailed for the first time all series in the first inning.

The Eagles took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. After Angelina Quezada tripled to right center, a Lauren Zimmerman sacrifice fly brought her home.

Chadron State's defense struggled in the bottom of the inning, committing three errors. The Grizzlies found the bases loaded with one out after CSC had committed all three errors on the first four batters.

A single to right field would score two runs, giving the Grizzlies a 2-1 lead.

After trailing for the first time all series, it didn't take the Eagles long to answer back in the top of the second.

With runners on first and second, a defensive error by the Grizzlies allowed Kroll to score and the 10-run rally to begin.

Jazlyn Arvizo brought home J'lyssa Martinez and pinch runner Devyn Thornton with a double to right field to make the score 4-2.

Quezada followed her triple up with a double to left center that added two more runs when Jaelyn Martinez and Arvizo reached home.

After a Zimmerman single, Ashland Baca made the score 8-2 when she brought Zimmerman and Quezada home with a double to right center.

The next two runs of the inning would be scored when Kroll smashed a homer to left center to bring Baca home, making the score 10-2.

Chadron State made the score 11-2 when a Jorja Sierra single brought Jessie Henchenski home.

The Eagles added two more runs in the top of the third and the top of the fifth inning on way to the 15-2 victory.

In the third, Quezada's second triple of the game brought home Arvizo from first for one run. The second was scored on a Baca single that scored Quezada.

The final two runs of the game were scored when Henchenski homered to center field in the top of the fifth inning, scoring herself and Kroll.

Kenzi Garner earned her second consecutive victory. In five innings, she allowed six hits and two runs while striking out four and walking two batters.

The Eagles had 15 runs, 11 hits and four errors in the victory compared to their opponents two runs, six hits and three errors.

In game two's 18-3 victory, CSC scored one run in the second inning to break a tie before adding nine runs in the third and five more in the fourth inning.

Scoring began in the top of the first when a Kroll single brought Arvizo home from third. The Eagles extended their lead to 2-0 when a bases loaded grounder allowed Thornton to score.

A bases loaded single by the Grizzlies scored two runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at two.

After Sierra drew a walk to begin the second inning, pinch runner Chloe Brown advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch. Another single from Zimmerman scored Brown, making the score 3-2 in the Eagles favor.

The scoring of nine runs began with bases loaded in the top of the third inning.

Kroll began the inning with a double to right center and was able to reach third after Henchenski singled to left field. The bases were loaded when J'lyssa Martinez was hit by a pitch.

A Sierra single to center field allowed each runner to advance a base and made the score 4-2. Two more runs were scored on a Jaelyn Martinez single to right center.

Arvizo would add another RBI-double to her stat line for the weekend next, making the score 7-2. Back-to-back singles by Zimmerman and Baca each added another run.

The final three runs were added when Kroll hit her second home run of the day, making the score 12-2 to end the inning.

Chadron State used a two-RBI single and a three-RBI double to add five more runs in the top of the fourth inning.

Zimmerman recorded two more of her five RBI's in the game when she singled to center field, scoring Arvizo and Jaelyn Martinez.

Henchenski scored the final three runs with a bases loaded double to left center, making the score 17-2.

The Eagles final run was scored on a bases loaded sacrifice fly for Zimmermans fifth RBI of the game.

The Grizzlies added one run in the bottom of the fifth inning with an RBI-Double, making the final score 18-3 in CSC's favor.

Brooklyn Levin earned her third consecutive victory in the complete game. In five innings, she allowed four hits and three runs while striking out a career-high eight batters.

CSC had 18 runs, 14 hits and two errors in the victory. Adams State finished with three runs, four hits and two errors.

Chadron State's softball season will conclude next weekend when they host Black Hills State on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27. Friday's games are scheduled to begin at 12 and 2 p.m., while Saturday's first game will start at 11 a.m.

The seniors on this year's team will be honored between games on Saturday and a Title IX Celebration will be occurring at 10 a.m. prior to the games.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713797040324.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By: John Murphy CSC Sports Information DirectorALAMOSA, Colo. -- The Chadron State College softball continued its dominance from Saturday on Sunday when they defeated the Adams State Grizzlies in two five inning games, winning 15-2 and 18-3.The Eagles improve to 11-35 overall and 11-25 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. The Grizzlies are now 5-44 overall and 3-27 in the RMAC.Over the four-game weekend, CSC exploded for 57 total runs. On Sunday, the Eagles had 33 runs and only allowed five from their opponents.In the 15-2 game one victory, Chadron State trailed for the first time all series in the first inning.The Eagles took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. After Angelina Quezada tripled to right center, a Lauren Zimmerman sacrifice fly brought her home.Chadron State's defense struggled in the bottom of the inning, committing three errors. The Grizzlies found the bases loaded with one out after CSC had committed all three errors on the first four batters.A single to right field would score two runs, giving the Grizzlies a 2-1 lead.After trailing for the first time all series, it didn't take the Eagles long to answer back in the top of the second.With runners on first and second, a defensive error by the Grizzlies allowed Kroll to score and the 10-run rally to begin.Jazlyn Arvizo brought home J'lyssa Martinez and pinch runner Devyn Thornton with a double to right field to make the score 4-2.Quezada followed her triple up with a double to left center that added two more runs when Jaelyn Martinez and Arvizo reached home.After a Zimmerman single, Ashland Baca made the score 8-2 when she brought Zimmerman and Quezada home with a double to right center.The next two runs of the inning would be scored when Kroll smashed a homer to left center to bring Baca home, making the score 10-2.Chadron State made the score 11-2 when a Jorja Sierra single brought Jessie Henchenski home.The Eagles added two more runs in the top of the third and the top of the fifth inning on way to the 15-2 victory.In the third, Quezada's second triple of the game brought home Arvizo from first for one run. The second was scored on a Baca single that scored Quezada.The final two runs of the game were scored when Henchenski homered to center field in the top of the fifth inning, scoring herself and Kroll.Kenzi Garner earned her second consecutive victory. In five innings, she allowed six hits and two runs while striking out four and walking two batters.The Eagles had 15 runs, 11 hits and four errors in the victory compared to their opponents two runs, six hits and three errors.In game two's 18-3 victory, CSC scored one run in the second inning to break a tie before adding nine runs in the third and five more in the fourth inning.Scoring began in the top of the first when a Kroll single brought Arvizo home from third. The Eagles extended their lead to 2-0 when a bases loaded grounder allowed Thornton to score.A bases loaded single by the Grizzlies scored two runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at two.After Sierra drew a walk to begin the second inning, pinch runner Chloe Brown advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch. Another single from Zimmerman scored Brown, making the score 3-2 in the Eagles favor.The scoring of nine runs began with bases loaded in the top of the third inning.Kroll began the inning with a double to right center and was able to reach third after Henchenski singled to left field. The bases were loaded when J'lyssa Martinez was hit by a pitch.A Sierra single to center field allowed each runner to advance a base and made the score 4-2. Two more runs were scored on a Jaelyn Martinez single to right center.Arvizo would add another RBI-double to her stat line for the weekend next, making the score 7-2. Back-to-back singles by Zimmerman and Baca each added another run.The final three runs were added when Kroll hit her second home run of the day, making the score 12-2 to end the inning.Chadron State used a two-RBI single and a three-RBI double to add five more runs in the top of the fourth inning.Zimmerman recorded two more of her five RBI's in the game when she singled to center field, scoring Arvizo and Jaelyn Martinez.Henchenski scored the final three runs with a bases loaded double to left center, making the score 17-2.The Eagles final run was scored on a bases loaded sacrifice fly for Zimmermans fifth RBI of the game.The Grizzlies added one run in the bottom of the fifth inning with an RBI-Double, making the final score 18-3 in CSC's favor.Brooklyn Levin earned her third consecutive victory in the complete game. In five innings, she allowed four hits and three runs while striking out a career-high eight batters.CSC had 18 runs, 14 hits and two errors in the victory. Adams State finished with three runs, four hits and two errors.Chadron State's softball season will conclude next weekend when they host Black Hills State on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27. Friday's games are scheduled to begin at 12 and 2 p.m., while Saturday's first game will start at 11 a.m.The seniors on this year's team will be honored between games on Saturday and a Title IX Celebration will be occurring at 10 a.m. prior to the games.

🥎 Chadron State sweeps Adams State with two blowout wins Sunday

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Captain Adam Lowry and Kyle Connor each scored twice to propel the Winnipeg Jets to a 7-6 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

“He loves these challenges," Jets coach Rick Bowness said of Lowry. "He’s going up against one of the best players in the world, not necessarily the league, but the world in Nate (Nathan MacKinnon). So, he loves those challenges and he takes his game to another level.”

MacKinnon, who had a goal and one assist, was second in league scoring with 140 points during the regular season.

“That’s our captain, man. He’s a gamer,” Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon said of Lowry. “The physicality, he plays against the top guys every night. Sometimes when it seems like our group doesn’t have it, he’s able to pull us into the fight.”

Mark Scheifele had a goal and two assists and Josh Morrissey registered a goal and assist. Vladislav Namestnikov also scored. Brenden Dillon, Gabriel Vilardi and Nino Niederreiter each added a pair of assists and Connor picked up one helper.

There were 100 hits in the game, with the Avalanche having a 54-46 edge.

Connor Hellebuyck made 40 saves for the Jets, who are on a nine-game win streak.

Cale Makar had a goal and two assists for Colorado. Artturi Lehkonen notched a goal and one assist. Valeri Nichushkin, Miles Wood and Casey Mittelstadt also scored. Mikko Rantanen chipped in with two helpers.

“Unfortunately, all the mistakes that we made ended up in the back of our net,” Makar said. “That’s just the way she goes sometimes. A couple things to clean up and then turn the page.”

Alexandar Georgiev stopped 16 of the 23 shots he faced for Colorado, which is trying to repeat its 2022 Stanley Cup-championship run. He was backed up by Arvid Holm instead of Justus Annunen, who wasn’t at the morning skate.

It was the first time the two teams have met in the NHL playoffs.

The Avalanche came into the series having lost all three regular-season games against Winnipeg.

“We played extremely hard,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “We did a lot of good things. You don’t get six (goals) on the Jets without doing that.

“We also made some mistakes that they capitalized on. Too many, obviously tonight, and it ends up costing us the hockey game.”

The first period ended in a 3-3 tie, including the teams combining to score three goals in 66 seconds.

“It’s not the way we drew it up, a 7-6 game, but sometimes you’ve just got to play that game that’s in front of you,” Connor said. “It turned into a bit of a track meet there and we know we’ve got to be better.”

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Captain Adam Lowry and Kyle Connor each scored twice to propel the Winnipeg Jets to a 7-6 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.“He loves these challenges," Jets coach Rick Bowness said of Lowry. "He’s going up against one of the best players in the world, not necessarily the league, but the world in Nate (Nathan MacKinnon). So, he loves those challenges and he takes his game to another level.”MacKinnon, who had a goal and one assist, was second in league scoring with 140 points during the regular season.“That’s our captain, man. He’s a gamer,” Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon said of Lowry. “The physicality, he plays against the top guys every night. Sometimes when it seems like our group doesn’t have it, he’s able to pull us into the fight.”Mark Scheifele had a goal and two assists and Josh Morrissey registered a goal and assist. Vladislav Namestnikov also scored. Brenden Dillon, Gabriel Vilardi and Nino Niederreiter each added a pair of assists and Connor picked up one helper.There were 100 hits in the game, with the Avalanche having a 54-46 edge.Connor Hellebuyck made 40 saves for the Jets, who are on a nine-game win streak.Cale Makar had a goal and two assists for Colorado. Artturi Lehkonen notched a goal and one assist. Valeri Nichushkin, Miles Wood and Casey Mittelstadt also scored. Mikko Rantanen chipped in with two helpers.“Unfortunately, all the mistakes that we made ended up in the back of our net,” Makar said. “That’s just the way she goes sometimes. A couple things to clean up and then turn the page.”Alexandar Georgiev stopped 16 of the 23 shots he faced for Colorado, which is trying to repeat its 2022 Stanley Cup-championship run. He was backed up by Arvid Holm instead of Justus Annunen, who wasn’t at the morning skate.It was the first time the two teams have met in the NHL playoffs.The Avalanche came into the series having lost all three regular-season games against Winnipeg.“We played extremely hard,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “We did a lot of good things. You don’t get six (goals) on the Jets without doing that.“We also made some mistakes that they capitalized on. Too many, obviously tonight, and it ends up costing us the hockey game.”The first period ended in a 3-3 tie, including the teams combining to score three goals in 66 seconds.“It’s not the way we drew it up, a 7-6 game, but sometimes you’ve just got to play that game that’s in front of you,” Connor said. “It turned into a bit of a track meet there and we know we’ve got to be better.”The teams then combined for four goals in just under four minutes.Lowry got the only goal of the second period.Lowry’s second goal of the game&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/situation-room/colorado-avalanche-winnipeg-jets-game-1-situation-room-april-21">had to be reviewed</a>&nbsp;as the puck hit one post, went across and hit the other post and then slid along the goal line and hit the post again before bouncing out. It counted as crossing the line at 3:31.Mark Scheifele’s first-period goal was his 20th career playoff goal, scored in his 38th game.Only three active players have reached that mark in fewer games. Alex Ovechkin did it in 26 games, Jake Guentzel in 32 and Connor McDavid in 36 games.UP NEXTGame 2 is Tuesday in Winnipeg.