Story by NU Athletic Communications

Nebraska scored 10 of its runs with two outs and overcame a five-run deficit for the first time since 2021, as the Huskers clinched the series over South Alabama with a 12-7 win on Sunday afternoon at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.

The Huskers (9-4) scored 12 runs on 15 hits and five errors, while the Jaguars (11-5) had seven runs on eight hits and an error.

Rhett Stokes continued his hot stretch at the plate this weekend, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Tyler Stone was 3-for-5 with a double and team-high three runs scored.

Dylan Carey had a 2-for-3 afternoon at the plate with a home run, three RBI and a pair of walks. Case Sanderson, Garrett Anglim and Dylan Hufft recorded two hits apiece, while Cole Evans had a double.

Ty Horn made his first career start on Sunday, pitching three innings. The freshman allowed six runs, two earned, on three hits and struck out four Jaguars. Mason McConnaughey pitched the next three innings and picked up his first win to improve to 1-2 on the season. McConnaughey struck out a career-high seven hitters and allowed just two hits and a walk.

Kyle Perry recorded two outs, setting up Tucker Timmerman to finish the game for the NU pitching staff. Timmerman struck out four and issued one walk and two hits in 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.

A leadoff walk, followed by back-to-back errors on routine ground balls plated the game’s first run for the Jaguars in the opening frame. South Alabama’s lead enlarged to four after Lucas Ismaili’s three-run homer to left.

The Big Red had the bases loaded in the second with no outs after a leadoff double by Stone and consecutive walks to Clay Bradford and Garrett Anglim. An RBI groundout from Ben Columbus scored Stone but that would be all the Huskers could get, as a 5-4-3 double play put an end to Nebraska’s threat and kept it a 4-1 game.

A hit and an error in the top of the third added two more to the lead for the Jaguars. A two-out single, followed by an NU fielding error made it a 5-1 game, before a wild pitch later in the inning grew the lead to 6-1.

The Huskers got one of the two runs back in the bottom of the third after Silva reached on a leadoff walk and Sanderson poked an RBI single through the right side.

McConnaughey blanked the Jaguars in the fourth and fifth innings, while the NU offense put up four runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth to lock the game at six. Josh Caron reached on a fielder’s choice, while Stone singled to center to put runners on first and second with one out. Anglim continued the rally in the fifth with an RBI double to left-center, plating Caron.

Carey drew a full-count walk with the bases loaded to score Stone, while Stokes smacked a two-RBI single back up the middle to lock the game at six through five innings.

South Alabama began the sixth with a leadoff single, but McConnaughey retired the next three Jaguars to maintain the tie at six heading into the bottom of the sixth.

The NU offense picked up where it left off from in the fifth, scoring six two-out runs in the sixth to jump ahead 12-6. A walk to Caron and Stone’s second single of the day set up Evans’ two-RBI double to the fence in right-center.&nbsp; Evans came around to score on Anglim’s RBI single in the next at-bat to give the Big Red a 9-6 lead.

Hufft sent a 3-2 pitch to center for an RBI single to plate Anglim and grow the lead to four, before Carey launched a 353-foot two-run homer into the left-field berm for his first homer of the season.

A leadoff solo homer in the top of the seventh brought the Jaguars within five, while a pair of NU errors placed runners on first and second for the visitors with two outs. Timmerman replaced Perry on the mound and induced a first-pitch fielder’s choice to elude the damage.

Timmerman worked around a single in the eighth and faced traffic on the basepath in the ninth, but the freshman clinched the series win with a three-pitch strikeout of Robbie Petracci to finish off the Jaguars for Nebraska’s 12-7 win.

Nebraska travels to Wichita, Kan., for a pair of midweek games at Wichita State on Tuesday-Wednesday, March 12-13.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNebraska scored 10 of its runs with two outs and overcame a five-run deficit for the first time since 2021, as the Huskers clinched the series over South Alabama with a 12-7 win on Sunday afternoon at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.The Huskers (9-4) scored 12 runs on 15 hits and five errors, while the Jaguars (11-5) had seven runs on eight hits and an error.Rhett Stokes continued his hot stretch at the plate this weekend, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Tyler Stone was 3-for-5 with a double and team-high three runs scored.Dylan Carey had a 2-for-3 afternoon at the plate with a home run, three RBI and a pair of walks. Case Sanderson, Garrett Anglim and Dylan Hufft recorded two hits apiece, while Cole Evans had a double.Ty Horn made his first career start on Sunday, pitching three innings. The freshman allowed six runs, two earned, on three hits and struck out four Jaguars. Mason McConnaughey pitched the next three innings and picked up his first win to improve to 1-2 on the season. McConnaughey struck out a career-high seven hitters and allowed just two hits and a walk.Kyle Perry recorded two outs, setting up Tucker Timmerman to finish the game for the NU pitching staff. Timmerman struck out four and issued one walk and two hits in 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.A leadoff walk, followed by back-to-back errors on routine ground balls plated the game’s first run for the Jaguars in the opening frame. South Alabama’s lead enlarged to four after Lucas Ismaili’s three-run homer to left.The Big Red had the bases loaded in the second with no outs after a leadoff double by Stone and consecutive walks to Clay Bradford and Garrett Anglim. An RBI groundout from Ben Columbus scored Stone but that would be all the Huskers could get, as a 5-4-3 double play put an end to Nebraska’s threat and kept it a 4-1 game.A hit and an error in the top of the third added two more to the lead for the Jaguars. A two-out single, followed by an NU fielding error made it a 5-1 game, before a wild pitch later in the inning grew the lead to 6-1.The Huskers got one of the two runs back in the bottom of the third after Silva reached on a leadoff walk and Sanderson poked an RBI single through the right side.McConnaughey blanked the Jaguars in the fourth and fifth innings, while the NU offense put up four runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth to lock the game at six. Josh Caron reached on a fielder’s choice, while Stone singled to center to put runners on first and second with one out. Anglim continued the rally in the fifth with an RBI double to left-center, plating Caron.Carey drew a full-count walk with the bases loaded to score Stone, while Stokes smacked a two-RBI single back up the middle to lock the game at six through five innings.South Alabama began the sixth with a leadoff single, but McConnaughey retired the next three Jaguars to maintain the tie at six heading into the bottom of the sixth.The NU offense picked up where it left off from in the fifth, scoring six two-out runs in the sixth to jump ahead 12-6. A walk to Caron and Stone’s second single of the day set up Evans’ two-RBI double to the fence in right-center.&nbsp; Evans came around to score on Anglim’s RBI single in the next at-bat to give the Big Red a 9-6 lead.Hufft sent a 3-2 pitch to center for an RBI single to plate Anglim and grow the lead to four, before Carey launched a 353-foot two-run homer into the left-field berm for his first homer of the season.A leadoff solo homer in the top of the seventh brought the Jaguars within five, while a pair of NU errors placed runners on first and second for the visitors with two outs. Timmerman replaced Perry on the mound and induced a first-pitch fielder’s choice to elude the damage.Timmerman worked around a single in the eighth and faced traffic on the basepath in the ninth, but the freshman clinched the series win with a three-pitch strikeout of Robbie Petracci to finish off the Jaguars for Nebraska’s 12-7 win.Nebraska travels to Wichita, Kan., for a pair of midweek games at Wichita State on Tuesday-Wednesday, March 12-13.

Huskers baseball overcome early deficit to clinch series against Jaguars

College Park, Md.&nbsp;- For the second-straight year, the Huskers have a Big Ten Champ as Ridge Lovett claimed the crown at 149 and the Nebraska wrestling team finished third at the 2024 Big Ten Championships with 118.0 team points.&nbsp;

The Huskers put eight wrestlers in the final, third-place and fifth-place bouts combined this weekend and clinched nine automatic bids to the NCAA Championships.&nbsp;

In a rematch of this year’s home dual against the Wolverines, No. 1 Lovett met No. 2 Austin Gomez in the finals. Gomez got the takedown in Period One, but Lovett responded with a move of his own and took a 5-3 lead to open the final period. Lovett gave up a stall point, but he hung on for the 5-4 victory and claimed the 149 Big Ten title.

At 157, after falling to Iowa’s No. 4 Jared Franek in the quarterfinals, No. 5 Peyton Robb won four-straight to finish third and qualify for the NCAA Championships for the fifth time. Then at 184, No. 2 Lenny Pinto secured a third-place finish after defeating Michigan’s No. 5 Jaden Bullock in the third-place match, 4-1 and is a two-time NCAA Qualifier. Rounding out the group of third-place finishers was No. 4 Silas Allred at 197. Allred recorded four victories, including an opening tech. fall, to earn his second-straight NCAA Qualification.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In his first career Big Ten Championships, No. 4 Jacob Van Dee (133) dropped to consolation after a tough-fought match against No. 5 Aaron Nagao (PSU) in the quarterfinals and won three-straight for a spot in the third-place match. He faced Nagao again and battled, but fell by pin in the first period and finished fourth.&nbsp;

Both No. 4 Brock Hardy (141) and No. 5 Antrell Taylor (165) finished fifth after commanding victories in their fifth-places matches. Hardy dropped two matches on the weekend, but bounced back with a pin over Rutgers’ No. 7 Mitch Moore in his final match. Taylor had an impressive performance in his first career Big Ten Tournament, going 3-2 and earning himself a spot at the NCAA Championships.

At heavyweight, No. 10 Nash Hutmacher had a successful showing, finishing sixth and securing a spot at the NCAA Tournament. Hutmacher won two-straight in consolation to secure the automatic qualification. No. 5 Caleb Smith (125) finished 2-3 with an eighth-place finish to secure his spot in Kansas City. Rounding out the Huskers competing at Big Tens was No. 12 Bubba Wilson at 174. He will await a potential at-large bid for NCAAs as he finished ninth with a 3-2 record.&nbsp;

Up next, NU has two weeks to prep for the 2024 NCAA Championships which are set for March 21-23 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.&nbsp;

XFINITY Center | College Park, Md.

125: No. 5 Caleb Smith 8th (2-3) NCAA Qualifier&nbsp;

First Round: No. 5 Caleb Smith (NEB) tech. fall No. 12 Massey Odiotti (NU) 24-8

Quarterfinals: No. 4 Patrick McKee (MINN) dec. No. 5 Caleb Smith (NEB) 5-2

Cons. Second Round: No. 5 Caleb Smith (NEB) dec. No. 14 Blaine Frazier (IND) 8-2

Cons. Quarterfinals: No. 1 Matt Ramos (PUR) dec. No. 5 Caleb Smith (NEB) 5-2

Seventh-Place Match: No. 3 Eric Barnett (WIS) tech. fall No. 5 Caleb Smith (NEB) 17-2

133: No. 4 Jacob Van Dee 4th (4-2) NCAA Qualifier

First Round: No. 4 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) tech. fall&nbsp; No. 13 Patrick Adams (NU) 21-5

Quarterfinals: No. 5 Aaron Nagao (PSU) dec. No. 4 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) 4-3

Cons. Second Round: No. 4 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) dec. No. 3 Nic Bouzakis (OSU) 10-8

Cons. Quarterfinals: No. 4 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) dec. No. 10 Cayden Rooks (IND) 11-6

Cons. Semifinals: No. 4 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) dec. No. 14 Brody Teske (IOWA) 9-6 SV-1

Third-Place Match: No. 5 Aaron Nagao (PSU) pinned No. 4 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) (1:52)

141: No. 4 Brock Hardy 5th (4-2) NCAA Qualifier&nbsp;

First Round: No. 4 Brock Hardy (NEB) pinned No. 13 Kolby McClain (NU) (1:48)

Quarterfinals: No. 5 Sergio Lemley (MICH) dec. No. 4 Brock Hardy (NEB) 4-2

Cons. Second Round: No. 4 Brock Hardy (NEB) dec. No. 11 Kal Miller (MD) 5-3

Cons. Quarterfinals: No. 4 Brock Hardy (NEB) major dec. No. 10 Vance Vombaur (MINN) 10-2

Cons. Semifinals: No. 3 Real Woods (IOWA) dec. No. 4 Brock Hardy (NEB) 8-4

Fifth-Place Match: No. 4 Brock Hardy (NEB) pinned No. 7 Mitch Moore (RUT) (2:38)

149: No. 1 Ridge Lovett 1st (3-0) NCAA Qualifier

Quarterfinals: No. 1 Ridge Lovett (NEB) pinned No. 8 Graham Rooks (IND) (3:57)

Semifinals: No. 1 Ridge Lovett (NEB) dec. No. 4 Tyler Kasak (PSU) 4-0

Finals: No. 1 Ridge Lovett (NEB) dec. No. 2 Austin Gomez (MICH) 5-4

157: No. 5 Peyton Robb 3rd (5-1) NCAA Qualifier&nbsp;

First Round: No. 5 Peyton Robb (NEB) tech. fall No. 12 Michael North (MD) 15-0

Quarterfinals: No. 4 Jared Franek (IOWA) dec. No. 5 Peyton Robb (NEB) 7-3

Cons. Second Round: No. 5 Peyton Robb (NEB) tech. fall No. 11 Al Desantis (RUT) 15-0

Cons. Quarterfinals: No. 5 Peyton Robb (NEB) dec. No. 9 Trevor Chumbley (NU) 5-0

Cons. Semifinals: No. 5 Peyton Robb (NEB) dec. No. 3 Brayton Lee (IND) 2-1

Third-Place Match: No. 5 Peyton Robb (NEB) over No. 4 Jared Franek (IOWA) MFF

165: No. 5 Antrell Taylor 5th (3-2) NCAA Qualifier&nbsp;

First Round: No. 5 Antrell Taylor (NEB) dec. No. 12 Maxx Mayfield (NU) 7-2

Quarterfinals: No. 5 Antrell Taylor (NEB) dec. No. 4 Caleb Fish (MSU) 8-5 SV-1&nbsp;

Semifinals: No. 1 Dean Hamiti (WIS) pinned No. 5 Antrell Taylor (NEB) (1:04)

Cons. Semifinals: No. 6 Cameron Amine (MICH) dec. No. 5 Antrell Taylor (NEB) 3-2 TB-2

Fifth-Place Match: No. 5 Antrell Taylor (NEB) dec. No. 11 Chris Moore (ILL) 4-1

174: No. 12 Bubba Wilson 9th (3-2)&nbsp;

First Round: No. 5 Rocco Welsh (OSU) major dec. No. 12 Bubba Wilson (NEB) 14-4

Cons. First Round: No. 12 Bubba Wilson (NEB) dec. No. 13 DJ Shannon (MSU) 7-3

Cons. Second Round: No. 6 Jackson Turley (RUT) pinned No. 12 Bubba Wilson (NEB)&nbsp;

Ninth-Place Bracket: No. 12 Bubba Wilson (NEB) major dec. No. 11 Dominic Solis (MD) 18-9

Ninth-Place Match: No. 12 Bubba Wilson (NEB) dec. No. 13 DJ Shannon (MSU) 8-6

184: No. 2 Lenny Pinto 3rd (3-1) NCAA Qualifier&nbsp;

Quarterfinals: No. 2 Lenny Pinto (NEB) dec. No. 10 Roman Rogotzke (IND) 14-7

Semifinals: No. 3 Bernie Truax (PSU) dec. No. 2 Lenny Pinto (NEB) 4-2

Cons. Semifinals: No. 2 Lenny Pinto (NEB) dec. No. 4 Ryder Rogotzke (OSU) 15-9

Third-Place Match: No. 2 Lenny Pinto (NEB) dec. No. 5 Jaden Bullock (MICH) 4-1 SV-1

197: No. 4 Silas Allred 3rd (4-1) NCAA Qualifier

First Round: No. 4 Silas Allred (NEB) tech. fall No. 13 Bobby Striggow (MICH) 19-4

Quarterfinals: No. 4 Silas Allred (NEB) dec. No. 5 Garrett Joles (MINN) 5-4

Semifinals: No. 1 Aaron Brooks (PSU) major dec. No. 4 Silas Allred (NEB) 14-2

Cons. Semifinals: No. 4 Silas Allred (NEB) dec. No. 6 Luke Geog (OSU) Inj. 4:08

Third-Place Match: No. 4 Silas Allred (NEB) dec. No. 2 Jaxon Smith (MD) 10-3

HWT: No. 10 Nash Hutmacher 6th (2-3) NCAA Qualifier

First Round: No. 7 Bradley Hill (IOWA) dec. No. 10 Nash Hutmacher (NEB) 4-2

Cons. Second Round: No. 10 Nash Hutmacher (NEB) major dec. No. 8 Bennett Tabor (MINN) 9-1

Cons. Quarterfinals: No. 10 Nash Hutmacher (NEB) dec. No. 5 Seth Nevills (MD) 7-0

Cons. Semifinals: No. 3 Lucas Davison (MICH) pinned No. 10 Nash Hutmacher (NEB) (3:46)

Fifth-Place Match: No. 7 Bradley Hill (IOWA) dec. No. 10 Nash Hutmacher (NEB) 4-1

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsCollege Park, Md.&nbsp;- For the second-straight year, the Huskers have a Big Ten Champ as Ridge Lovett claimed the crown at 149 and the Nebraska wrestling team finished third at the 2024 Big Ten Championships with 118.0 team points.&nbsp;The Huskers put eight wrestlers in the final, third-place and fifth-place bouts combined this weekend and clinched nine automatic bids to the NCAA Championships.&nbsp;In a rematch of this year’s home dual against the Wolverines, No. 1 Lovett met No. 2 Austin Gomez in the finals. Gomez got the takedown in Period One, but Lovett responded with a move of his own and took a 5-3 lead to open the final period. Lovett gave up a stall point, but he hung on for the 5-4 victory and claimed the 149 Big Ten title.At 157, after falling to Iowa’s No. 4 Jared Franek in the quarterfinals, No. 5 Peyton Robb won four-straight to finish third and qualify for the NCAA Championships for the fifth time. Then at 184, No. 2 Lenny Pinto secured a third-place finish after defeating Michigan’s No. 5 Jaden Bullock in the third-place match, 4-1 and is a two-time NCAA Qualifier. Rounding out the group of third-place finishers was No. 4 Silas Allred at 197. Allred recorded four victories, including an opening tech. fall, to earn his second-straight NCAA Qualification.&nbsp;&nbsp;In his first career Big Ten Championships, No. 4 Jacob Van Dee (133) dropped to consolation after a tough-fought match against No. 5 Aaron Nagao (PSU) in the quarterfinals and won three-straight for a spot in the third-place match. He faced Nagao again and battled, but fell by pin in the first period and finished fourth.&nbsp;Both No. 4 Brock Hardy (141) and No. 5 Antrell Taylor (165) finished fifth after commanding victories in their fifth-places matches. Hardy dropped two matches on the weekend, but bounced back with a pin over Rutgers’ No. 7 Mitch Moore in his final match. Taylor had an impressive performance in his first career Big Ten Tournament, going 3-2 and earning himself a spot at the NCAA Championships.At heavyweight, No. 10 Nash Hutmacher had a successful showing, finishing sixth and securing a spot at the NCAA Tournament. Hutmacher won two-straight in consolation to secure the automatic qualification. No. 5 Caleb Smith (125) finished 2-3 with an eighth-place finish to secure his spot in Kansas City. Rounding out the Huskers competing at Big Tens was No. 12 Bubba Wilson at 174. He will await a potential at-large bid for NCAAs as he finished ninth with a 3-2 record.&nbsp;Up next, NU has two weeks to prep for the 2024 NCAA Championships which are set for March 21-23 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.&nbsp;Big Ten ChampionshipsXFINITY Center | College Park, Md.Sessions I-IVMarch 9-10, 2024125: No. 5 Caleb Smith 8th (2-3) NCAA Qualifier&nbsp;First Round: No. 5 Caleb Smith (NEB) tech. fall No. 12 Massey Odiotti (NU) 24-8Quarterfinals: No. 4 Patrick McKee (MINN) dec. No. 5 Caleb Smith (NEB) 5-2Cons. Second Round: No. 5 Caleb Smith (NEB) dec. No. 14 Blaine Frazier (IND) 8-2Cons. Quarterfinals: No. 1 Matt Ramos (PUR) dec. No. 5 Caleb Smith (NEB) 5-2Seventh-Place Match: No. 3 Eric Barnett (WIS) tech. fall No. 5 Caleb Smith (NEB) 17-2133: No. 4 Jacob Van Dee 4th (4-2) NCAA QualifierFirst Round: No. 4 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) tech. fall&nbsp; No. 13 Patrick Adams (NU) 21-5Quarterfinals: No. 5 Aaron Nagao (PSU) dec. No. 4 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) 4-3Cons. Second Round: No. 4 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) dec. No. 3 Nic Bouzakis (OSU) 10-8Cons. Quarterfinals: No. 4 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) dec. No. 10 Cayden Rooks (IND) 11-6Cons. Semifinals: No. 4 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) dec. No. 14 Brody Teske (IOWA) 9-6 SV-1Third-Place Match: No. 5 Aaron Nagao (PSU) pinned No. 4 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) (1:52)141: No. 4 Brock Hardy 5th (4-2) NCAA Qualifier&nbsp;First Round: No. 4 Brock Hardy (NEB) pinned No. 13 Kolby McClain (NU) (1:48)Quarterfinals: No. 5 Sergio Lemley (MICH) dec. No. 4 Brock Hardy (NEB) 4-2Cons. Second Round: No. 4 Brock Hardy (NEB) dec. No. 11 Kal Miller (MD) 5-3Cons. Quarterfinals: No. 4 Brock Hardy (NEB) major dec. No. 10 Vance Vombaur (MINN) 10-2Cons. Semifinals: No. 3 Real Woods (IOWA) dec. No. 4 Brock Hardy (NEB) 8-4Fifth-Place Match: No. 4 Brock Hardy (NEB) pinned No. 7 Mitch Moore (RUT) (2:38)149: No. 1 Ridge Lovett 1st (3-0) NCAA QualifierFirst Round: BYEQuarterfinals: No. 1 Ridge Lovett (NEB) pinned No. 8 Graham Rooks (IND) (3:57)Semifinals: No. 1 Ridge Lovett (NEB) dec. No. 4 Tyler Kasak (PSU) 4-0Finals: No. 1 Ridge Lovett (NEB) dec. No. 2 Austin Gomez (MICH) 5-4157: No. 5 Peyton Robb 3rd (5-1) NCAA Qualifier&nbsp;First Round: No. 5 Peyton Robb (NEB) tech. fall No. 12 Michael North (MD) 15-0Quarterfinals: No. 4 Jared Franek (IOWA) dec. No. 5 Peyton Robb (NEB) 7-3Cons. Second Round: No. 5 Peyton Robb (NEB) tech. fall No. 11 Al Desantis (RUT) 15-0Cons. Quarterfinals: No. 5 Peyton Robb (NEB) dec. No. 9 Trevor Chumbley (NU) 5-0Cons. Semifinals: No. 5 Peyton Robb (NEB) dec. No. 3 Brayton Lee (IND) 2-1Third-Place Match: No. 5 Peyton Robb (NEB) over No. 4 Jared Franek (IOWA) MFF165: No. 5 Antrell Taylor 5th (3-2) NCAA Qualifier&nbsp;First Round: No. 5 Antrell Taylor (NEB) dec. No. 12 Maxx Mayfield (NU) 7-2Quarterfinals: No. 5 Antrell Taylor (NEB) dec. No. 4 Caleb Fish (MSU) 8-5 SV-1&nbsp;Semifinals: No. 1 Dean Hamiti (WIS) pinned No. 5 Antrell Taylor (NEB) (1:04)Cons. Semifinals: No. 6 Cameron Amine (MICH) dec. No. 5 Antrell Taylor (NEB) 3-2 TB-2Fifth-Place Match: No. 5 Antrell Taylor (NEB) dec. No. 11 Chris Moore (ILL) 4-1174: No. 12 Bubba Wilson 9th (3-2)&nbsp;First Round: No. 5 Rocco Welsh (OSU) major dec. No. 12 Bubba Wilson (NEB) 14-4Cons. First Round: No. 12 Bubba Wilson (NEB) dec. No. 13 DJ Shannon (MSU) 7-3Cons. Second Round: No. 6 Jackson Turley (RUT) pinned No. 12 Bubba Wilson (NEB)&nbsp;Ninth-Place Bracket: No. 12 Bubba Wilson (NEB) major dec. No. 11 Dominic Solis (MD) 18-9Ninth-Place Match: No. 12 Bubba Wilson (NEB) dec. No. 13 DJ Shannon (MSU) 8-6184: No. 2 Lenny Pinto 3rd (3-1) NCAA Qualifier&nbsp;First Round: BYEQuarterfinals: No. 2 Lenny Pinto (NEB) dec. No. 10 Roman Rogotzke (IND) 14-7Semifinals: No. 3 Bernie Truax (PSU) dec. No. 2 Lenny Pinto (NEB) 4-2Cons. Semifinals: No. 2 Lenny Pinto (NEB) dec. No. 4 Ryder Rogotzke (OSU) 15-9Third-Place Match: No. 2 Lenny Pinto (NEB) dec. No. 5 Jaden Bullock (MICH) 4-1 SV-1197: No. 4 Silas Allred 3rd (4-1) NCAA QualifierFirst Round: No. 4 Silas Allred (NEB) tech. fall No. 13 Bobby Striggow (MICH) 19-4Quarterfinals: No. 4 Silas Allred (NEB) dec. No. 5 Garrett Joles (MINN) 5-4Semifinals: No. 1 Aaron Brooks (PSU) major dec. No. 4 Silas Allred (NEB) 14-2Cons. Semifinals: No. 4 Silas Allred (NEB) dec. No. 6 Luke Geog (OSU) Inj. 4:08Third-Place Match: No. 4 Silas Allred (NEB) dec. No. 2 Jaxon Smith (MD) 10-3HWT: No. 10 Nash Hutmacher 6th (2-3) NCAA QualifierFirst Round: No. 7 Bradley Hill (IOWA) dec. No. 10 Nash Hutmacher (NEB) 4-2Cons. First Round: BYECons. Second Round: No. 10 Nash Hutmacher (NEB) major dec. No. 8 Bennett Tabor (MINN) 9-1Cons. Quarterfinals: No. 10 Nash Hutmacher (NEB) dec. No. 5 Seth Nevills (MD) 7-0Cons. Semifinals: No. 3 Lucas Davison (MICH) pinned No. 10 Nash Hutmacher (NEB) (3:46)Fifth-Place Match: No. 7 Bradley Hill (IOWA) dec. No. 10 Nash Hutmacher (NEB) 4-1Team Score (Points):1. Penn State (170.5)2. Michigan (123.5)3. Nebraska (118.0)4. Iowa (110.5)5. Ohio State (89.0)

Lovett wins Title, Huskers finish Third at Big Tens 

Post Sports Director Paxton Gordon had the opportunity to talk with Jakob Buck and Zach Huerta, fighters for Midwest Championship Fighting about the upcoming St. Paddy's Beatdown on March 16th. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655346441244.png" alt="<a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a></figcaption>
 </figure>North Platte PostPost Sports Director Paxton Gordon had the opportunity to talk with Jakob Buck and Zach Huerta, fighters for Midwest Championship Fighting about the upcoming St. Paddy's Beatdown on March 16th. <div><iframe title="Midwest Championship Fighting's Jakob Buck and Zach Huerta talk about up coming St. Paddy Beatdown" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=ax8b8-15a797f-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=1&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

(Audio) Midwest Championship Fighting's Jakob Buck and Zach Huerta talk about upcoming St. Paddy's Beatdown

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The&nbsp;Big Ten Conference has announced the full bracket for the 2024 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament, set to take place March 13-17 at the Target Center in Minneapolis.&nbsp;All-session tickets for the 27th&nbsp;edition of the tournament are available for purchase at the Target Center box office or online&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axs.com/events/487649/2024-big-ten-men-s-basketball-tickets" target="_blank">AXS.com</a>. Single session tickets will go on sale Monday at 12 p.m. CT.&nbsp; All ticket purchases are subject to AXS and facility fees.&nbsp;For more information on this year’s tournament, visit the Big Ten Tournament Central page at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bigten.org/mbbt" target="_blank">bigten.org/MBBT</a>.&nbsp;All 13 games of this year’s Big Ten Tournament will be broadcast live, with the first-round broadcast on Peacock. Second and quarterfinal round games on Thursday and Friday will air on the Big Ten Network, as well as on the FOX Sports app. The Big Ten Tournament semifinal and championship games will be televised live on CBS and the Paramount+ app.

Purdue&nbsp;(28-3, 17-3 Big Ten) is the No. 1 seed for the second consecutive year, as the Boilermakers claimed their league-best 26th&nbsp;Big Ten championship. Purdue’s 28 wins are the most in a regular season in school history, while its 17 conference victories are third most in league history behind only Indiana’s 18 in 1975 and 1976.&nbsp;

Illinois&nbsp;(23-8, 14-6)&nbsp;will be the tournament’s No. 2 seed, the ninth time the Illini have earned a top-2 seed since the tournament began in 1998.&nbsp;Illinois is one of only four teams nationally to record 20-win regular seasons each of the last five years, joined by Baylor, Houston and San Diego State.

Nebraska&nbsp;(22-9, 12-8) secured the No. 3 seed with Sunday’s 85-70 win at Michigan, the program’s first-ever win in Ann Arbor.&nbsp;This marks the Huskers’ best Big Ten finish since joining the conference in 2011-12 and the program’s best conference finish since tying for second in the Big Eight in 1992-93.&nbsp; Nebraska’s 22 wins and 12 conference victories also tie for second on the Huskers’ all-time single-season list.

Northwestern&nbsp;(21-10, 12-8) claimed the No. 4 seed in the tournament after tying a program record with 12 conference wins. Northwestern tallied&nbsp;10-plus league wins in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history and secured a .500 or better conference record for the fourth time in the last 56 years.&nbsp;Its 24 Big Ten wins over the last two seasons are&nbsp;their most in consecutive seasons in school history, surpassing 20 wins over the 1930-31 and 1931-32 campaigns.

Each of the tournament’s top four seeds have earned double-byes and will open tournament play in Friday’s quarterfinal round.&nbsp;The 2024 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament schedule is as follows:&nbsp;Wednesday, March 13 (First Round)Game 1 (#12 Maryland vs. #13 Rutgers) – 5:30 p.m. CT (Peacock)Game 2 (#11 Penn State vs. #14 Michigan) – 25 minutes following Game 1 (Peacock)&nbsp;Thursday, March 14 (Second Round)Game 3 (#8 Michigan State vs. #9 Minnesota) – 11 a.m. CT (BTN)Game 4 (#5 Wisconsin vs. Game 1 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 3 (BTN)Game 5 (#7 Iowa vs. #10 Ohio State ) – 5:30 p.m. CT (BTN)Game 6 (#6 Indiana vs. Game 2 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 5 (BTN)&nbsp;Friday, March 15 (Quarterfinals)Game 7 (#1 Purdue vs. Game 3 winner) – 11 a.m. CT (BTN)Game 8 (#4 Northwestern vs. Game 4 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 7 (BTN)Game 9 (#2 Illinois vs. Game 5 winner) – 5:30 p.m. CT (BTN)Game 10 (#3 Nebraska vs. Game 6 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 9 (BTN)&nbsp;Saturday, March 16 (Semifinals)Game 11 (Game 7 vs. Game 8 winner) – 12 p.m. CT (CBS)Game 12 (Game 9 vs. Game 10 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 11 (CBS)&nbsp;Sunday, March 17 (Championship)Game 13 (Game 11 vs. Game 12 winner) – 2:30 p.m. CT (CBS)&nbsp;NOTES: All times are approximate and subject to change … BTN games are also available on the FOX Sports app … CBS games is also available on the Paramount+ app … for more information, please visit the tournament web site at (<a href="http://www.bigten.org/mbbt" target="_blank">bigten.org/MBBT</a>).

Story by Big Ten CommunicationsROSEMONT, Ill. – The&nbsp;Big Ten Conference has announced the full bracket for the 2024 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament, set to take place March 13-17 at the Target Center in Minneapolis.&nbsp;All-session tickets for the 27th&nbsp;edition of the tournament are available for purchase at the Target Center box office or online&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axs.com/events/487649/2024-big-ten-men-s-basketball-tickets" target="_blank">AXS.com</a>. Single session tickets will go on sale Monday at 12 p.m. CT.&nbsp; All ticket purchases are subject to AXS and facility fees.&nbsp;For more information on this year’s tournament, visit the Big Ten Tournament Central page at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bigten.org/mbbt" target="_blank">bigten.org/MBBT</a>.&nbsp;All 13 games of this year’s Big Ten Tournament will be broadcast live, with the first-round broadcast on Peacock. Second and quarterfinal round games on Thursday and Friday will air on the Big Ten Network, as well as on the FOX Sports app. The Big Ten Tournament semifinal and championship games will be televised live on CBS and the Paramount+ app.Purdue&nbsp;(28-3, 17-3 Big Ten) is the No. 1 seed for the second consecutive year, as the Boilermakers claimed their league-best 26th&nbsp;Big Ten championship. Purdue’s 28 wins are the most in a regular season in school history, while its 17 conference victories are third most in league history behind only Indiana’s 18 in 1975 and 1976.&nbsp;Illinois&nbsp;(23-8, 14-6)&nbsp;will be the tournament’s No. 2 seed, the ninth time the Illini have earned a top-2 seed since the tournament began in 1998.&nbsp;Illinois is one of only four teams nationally to record 20-win regular seasons each of the last five years, joined by Baylor, Houston and San Diego State.Nebraska&nbsp;(22-9, 12-8) secured the No. 3 seed with Sunday’s 85-70 win at Michigan, the program’s first-ever win in Ann Arbor.&nbsp;This marks the Huskers’ best Big Ten finish since joining the conference in 2011-12 and the program’s best conference finish since tying for second in the Big Eight in 1992-93.&nbsp; Nebraska’s 22 wins and 12 conference victories also tie for second on the Huskers’ all-time single-season list.Northwestern&nbsp;(21-10, 12-8) claimed the No. 4 seed in the tournament after tying a program record with 12 conference wins. Northwestern tallied&nbsp;10-plus league wins in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history and secured a .500 or better conference record for the fourth time in the last 56 years.&nbsp;Its 24 Big Ten wins over the last two seasons are&nbsp;their most in consecutive seasons in school history, surpassing 20 wins over the 1930-31 and 1931-32 campaigns.Each of the tournament’s top four seeds have earned double-byes and will open tournament play in Friday’s quarterfinal round.&nbsp;The 2024 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament schedule is as follows:&nbsp;Wednesday, March 13 (First Round)Game 1 (#12 Maryland vs. #13 Rutgers) – 5:30 p.m. CT (Peacock)Game 2 (#11 Penn State vs. #14 Michigan) – 25 minutes following Game 1 (Peacock)&nbsp;Thursday, March 14 (Second Round)Game 3 (#8 Michigan State vs. #9 Minnesota) – 11 a.m. CT (BTN)Game 4 (#5 Wisconsin vs. Game 1 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 3 (BTN)Game 5 (#7 Iowa vs. #10 Ohio State ) – 5:30 p.m. CT (BTN)Game 6 (#6 Indiana vs. Game 2 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 5 (BTN)&nbsp;Friday, March 15 (Quarterfinals)Game 7 (#1 Purdue vs. Game 3 winner) – 11 a.m. CT (BTN)Game 8 (#4 Northwestern vs. Game 4 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 7 (BTN)Game 9 (#2 Illinois vs. Game 5 winner) – 5:30 p.m. CT (BTN)Game 10 (#3 Nebraska vs. Game 6 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 9 (BTN)&nbsp;Saturday, March 16 (Semifinals)Game 11 (Game 7 vs. Game 8 winner) – 12 p.m. CT (CBS)Game 12 (Game 9 vs. Game 10 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 11 (CBS)&nbsp;Sunday, March 17 (Championship)Game 13 (Game 11 vs. Game 12 winner) – 2:30 p.m. CT (CBS)&nbsp;NOTES: All times are approximate and subject to change … BTN games are also available on the FOX Sports app … CBS games is also available on the Paramount+ app … for more information, please visit the tournament web site at (<a href="http://www.bigten.org/mbbt" target="_blank">bigten.org/MBBT</a>).

Big Ten announces 2024 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament Bracket

Minneapolis&nbsp;- Nebraska took No. 3 Iowa to the brink, forcing overtime against the defending champion Hawkeyes before falling 94-89 in the extra period in front of 18,534 fans and a CBS national television audience at the Target Center on Sunday.

Junior first-team All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski tied the Nebraska school record with her 40th career double-double by leading the Huskers (22-11) with 23 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals. The Hawkeyes could only slow Markowski, who joined her Husker teammates in sending a strong message about the rise of the Nebraska program throughout the successful week in Minneapolis.

With Iowa focused on stopping Markowski, Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year Natalie Potts added a huge game of her own with 21 points and nine boards to help keep Nebraska in control for most of the game.

All-Big Ten guard Jaz Shelley added the 13th double-double of her career with 16 points and a career-high 13 assists to go along with six rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots. Her free throws with 2:38 left in regulation put Nebraska in front 75-67 after the two teams went to the fourth quarter tied at 58.&nbsp;

However, behind All-America Caitlin Clark, Iowa rallied to tie the score at 77 heading to overtime. Clark's leaner with 29.3 seconds left tied the game, and the Hawkeye defense held for the final possession to force OT.

Clark finished with 34 points and 12 assists for Iowa, while Hannah Stuelke contributed 25 points and nine boards. Sydney Affolter added a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Kate Martin added 13 points, including a key three-pointer with just over a minute left in regulation, and two more threes and a free throw in overtime to put Iowa in the driver's seat for the first time in the game.

While Iowa solved the puzzle to win in overtime, the Huskers came up with some big answers as well. Trailing 82-81, freshman Logan Nissley drained a pair of threes to give the Big Red an 87-86 advantage with one minute left. But Clark countered with five straight points to give Iowa its a 91-87 lead with 37 seconds left. Nissley finished with 13 points and five assists, while draining four threes.

Nebraska got a layup from Markowski with 21.5 seconds left to trim the margin to 91-89, but the Huskers could get no closer.

The Huskers were playing their fourth game in four days after entering the tournament as the No. 5 seed with an 11-7 Big Ten regular-season mark that included an 82-79 win over then-No. 2 Iowa (Feb. 11). They hit 41.6 percent (32-77) for the game, including 14-of-34 threes (.412). NU also sank 11-of-14 free throws, while winning the turnover battle 15-14.

Iowa hit 44.6 percent (33-74) of its shots, including 13-of-33 threes (.394), while connecting on 15-of-19 free throws (.789). The Hawkeyes, who won their third game of the weekend, won the battle of the boards late, 48-43.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Huskers got big contributions up and down the roster in an outstanding first half, taking a 46-35 lead to the locker room. Potts scored 10 of her first-half points in the second quarter, while adding seven first-half rebounds. Potts scored six straight points as part of a 9-0 run that started with a Callin Hake three. The run gave Nebraska its biggest lead of the half at 43-30 with 1:27 left.

Shelley added 10 first-half points, including a buzzer-beating three from the left wing to end the half that sent the Huskers to halftime with a double-digit edge. Shelley, who hit a pair of first-half threes, also had four rebounds and three assists in the first 20 minutes.

Markowski added eight points and eight boards in the half, including a four-point play early in the first quarter that started with her made free throw before Shelley got a rebound and an assist on a Markowski three after she missed the second free throw. That four-point play started a 12-0 run that included back-to-back threes by Minnesotans Annika Stewart and Kendall Coley that gave the Huskers their first double-digit lead at 16-5 with 4:22 left in the first period.

Nebraska hit 17-of-37 (.459) first-half shots, including 7-of-16 threes (.438), while going 5-of-6 at the free throw line. The Huskers won the rebounding battle, 26-20.

Hannah Stuelke led Iowa with 11 first-half points, while Affolter added nine points and six boards, but Clark had just four points on 2-of-13 shooting, including 0-for-9 from beyond the arc.

The Hawkeyes were just 13-of-38 (.342) from the floor and 4-for-16 from three, while going 5-for-5 at the line.&nbsp;

Iowa controlled the third quarter, eliminating Nebraska's halftime edge to take a pair of one-point leads late in the period before the game went to the fourth quarter tied at 58.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsMinneapolis&nbsp;- Nebraska took No. 3 Iowa to the brink, forcing overtime against the defending champion Hawkeyes before falling 94-89 in the extra period in front of 18,534 fans and a CBS national television audience at the Target Center on Sunday.Junior first-team All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski tied the Nebraska school record with her 40th career double-double by leading the Huskers (22-11) with 23 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals. The Hawkeyes could only slow Markowski, who joined her Husker teammates in sending a strong message about the rise of the Nebraska program throughout the successful week in Minneapolis.With Iowa focused on stopping Markowski, Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year Natalie Potts added a huge game of her own with 21 points and nine boards to help keep Nebraska in control for most of the game.All-Big Ten guard Jaz Shelley added the 13th double-double of her career with 16 points and a career-high 13 assists to go along with six rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots. Her free throws with 2:38 left in regulation put Nebraska in front 75-67 after the two teams went to the fourth quarter tied at 58.&nbsp;However, behind All-America Caitlin Clark, Iowa rallied to tie the score at 77 heading to overtime. Clark's leaner with 29.3 seconds left tied the game, and the Hawkeye defense held for the final possession to force OT.Clark finished with 34 points and 12 assists for Iowa, while Hannah Stuelke contributed 25 points and nine boards. Sydney Affolter added a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Kate Martin added 13 points, including a key three-pointer with just over a minute left in regulation, and two more threes and a free throw in overtime to put Iowa in the driver's seat for the first time in the game.While Iowa solved the puzzle to win in overtime, the Huskers came up with some big answers as well. Trailing 82-81, freshman Logan Nissley drained a pair of threes to give the Big Red an 87-86 advantage with one minute left. But Clark countered with five straight points to give Iowa its a 91-87 lead with 37 seconds left. Nissley finished with 13 points and five assists, while draining four threes.Nebraska got a layup from Markowski with 21.5 seconds left to trim the margin to 91-89, but the Huskers could get no closer.The Huskers were playing their fourth game in four days after entering the tournament as the No. 5 seed with an 11-7 Big Ten regular-season mark that included an 82-79 win over then-No. 2 Iowa (Feb. 11). They hit 41.6 percent (32-77) for the game, including 14-of-34 threes (.412). NU also sank 11-of-14 free throws, while winning the turnover battle 15-14.Iowa hit 44.6 percent (33-74) of its shots, including 13-of-33 threes (.394), while connecting on 15-of-19 free throws (.789). The Hawkeyes, who won their third game of the weekend, won the battle of the boards late, 48-43.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Huskers got big contributions up and down the roster in an outstanding first half, taking a 46-35 lead to the locker room. Potts scored 10 of her first-half points in the second quarter, while adding seven first-half rebounds. Potts scored six straight points as part of a 9-0 run that started with a Callin Hake three. The run gave Nebraska its biggest lead of the half at 43-30 with 1:27 left.Shelley added 10 first-half points, including a buzzer-beating three from the left wing to end the half that sent the Huskers to halftime with a double-digit edge. Shelley, who hit a pair of first-half threes, also had four rebounds and three assists in the first 20 minutes.Markowski added eight points and eight boards in the half, including a four-point play early in the first quarter that started with her made free throw before Shelley got a rebound and an assist on a Markowski three after she missed the second free throw. That four-point play started a 12-0 run that included back-to-back threes by Minnesotans Annika Stewart and Kendall Coley that gave the Huskers their first double-digit lead at 16-5 with 4:22 left in the first period.Nebraska hit 17-of-37 (.459) first-half shots, including 7-of-16 threes (.438), while going 5-of-6 at the free throw line. The Huskers won the rebounding battle, 26-20.Hannah Stuelke led Iowa with 11 first-half points, while Affolter added nine points and six boards, but Clark had just four points on 2-of-13 shooting, including 0-for-9 from beyond the arc.The Hawkeyes were just 13-of-38 (.342) from the floor and 4-for-16 from three, while going 5-for-5 at the line.&nbsp;Iowa controlled the third quarter, eliminating Nebraska's halftime edge to take a pair of one-point leads late in the period before the game went to the fourth quarter tied at 58.Nebraska Notes<ul>
 <li>The Huskers came up short of their second Big Ten title in 13 seasons in the conference. Nebraska won the Big Ten Tournament title with a win over Iowa in Indianapolis in 2014. NU also played in the Big Ten Championship game in its first season in the league in 2012, falling in double-overtime to Purdue.</li><li>Alexis Markowski recorded her 19th double-double of the season with 23 points and 13 rebounds. She needs one more to tie the school single-season record shared by first-team All-Americans Jordan Hooper (20) and Kelsey Griffin (20).</li><li>Markowski's 13 rebounds pushed her to 355 on the season, surpassing Griffin (2009-10) for the No. 3 spot on the Nebraska single-season rebounding chart (354).</li><li>Shelley set the Nebraska season Big Ten Tournament records with 33 assists over four games. She also set a Husker season tournament record with 16 three-pointers in the 2024 tournament.</li><li>Alexis Markowski and Jaz Shelley earned spots on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. Caitlin Clark was the MVP, while Sydney Affolter and Michigan's Laila Phelia completed the five-player team.</li>
 </ul>

Huskers Push No. 3 Iowa to OT in Big Ten Title Game

Story by NPCC Athletic Communications

La Junta, Colo. –&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/mbkb/2023-24/bios/evans_davion_v6ux">Davion Evans</a>&nbsp;led three North Platte players in double figures with 24 points, but Otero Junior College rallied in the overtime period to earn the 91-87 win to open the Region IX postseason tournament on Saturday.

North Platte erased a double-digit halftime deficit to retake the lead on an&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/mbkb/2023-24/bios/oladeru_emmanuel_d76p">Emmanuel Oladeru</a>&nbsp;layup midway through the second half. The margin stayed within two possessions down the stretch, before the Rattlers rallied late to force the overtime period.

Otero never trailed in overtime as they built a five-point advantage in the opening 1:12 of the period. North Platte once again chipped away at the deficit to knot the game up on an Evans runner inside the final two minutes. Rattlers responded with a 6-2 spurt in the final minute to seal the opening round win.

Knights finished the game shooting 41.4 percent (29-70) from the field, while connecting on 8-of-25 from long range. Otero won the rebounding battle, 50-37, while their bench chipped in 32 points in the win.

A long run helped Otero shake off a slow start as they jumped out to an 18-8 lead with 13:04 to play in the opening half.&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/mbkb/2023-24/bios/hallberg_jesper_4m2o">Jesper Hallberg</a>&nbsp;got his follow attempt to fall, but the Rattlers quickly pushed their lead back into double digits. Otero stretched their lead to 41-23, until a 12-4 rally cut the deficit to ten at the halftime break.

North Platte completes the 2023-24 season with a 13-16 record.&nbsp;

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsLa Junta, Colo. –&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/mbkb/2023-24/bios/evans_davion_v6ux">Davion Evans</a>&nbsp;led three North Platte players in double figures with 24 points, but Otero Junior College rallied in the overtime period to earn the 91-87 win to open the Region IX postseason tournament on Saturday.North Platte erased a double-digit halftime deficit to retake the lead on an&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/mbkb/2023-24/bios/oladeru_emmanuel_d76p">Emmanuel Oladeru</a>&nbsp;layup midway through the second half. The margin stayed within two possessions down the stretch, before the Rattlers rallied late to force the overtime period.Otero never trailed in overtime as they built a five-point advantage in the opening 1:12 of the period. North Platte once again chipped away at the deficit to knot the game up on an Evans runner inside the final two minutes. Rattlers responded with a 6-2 spurt in the final minute to seal the opening round win.Knights finished the game shooting 41.4 percent (29-70) from the field, while connecting on 8-of-25 from long range. Otero won the rebounding battle, 50-37, while their bench chipped in 32 points in the win.A long run helped Otero shake off a slow start as they jumped out to an 18-8 lead with 13:04 to play in the opening half.&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/sports/mbkb/2023-24/bios/hallberg_jesper_4m2o">Jesper Hallberg</a>&nbsp;got his follow attempt to fall, but the Rattlers quickly pushed their lead back into double digits. Otero stretched their lead to 41-23, until a 12-4 rally cut the deficit to ten at the halftime break.North Platte completes the 2023-24 season with a 13-16 record.&nbsp;

Knights fall in postseason opener to Otero

Cedar
Rapids, Iowa – Mariah Gardner led the Knights with 13 points, but it was not
enough to upset No. 2 Kirkwood Community College, 75-53, in the North Central A
District Championship on Saturday.

Kirkwood
came out strong as they pushed their advantage to 19 points twice in the
opening quarter. North Platte responded by shutting down the Eagles offense in
the second quarter, as a 7-0 run cut the margin to 27-18 on a jumper by Nevaeh
Golden.

Kirkwood
pushed their lead back into double digits, but the Knights never let up down
the stretch. Back-to-back three pointers by Gardner aided in an 8-0 run to cut
the deficit to 32-28 at the halftime break.

North
Platte knotted the game up in the opening minute of the third, but a 12-0 run
helped the Eagles regain a double-digit lead. Kirkwood continued to stretch
their lead in the fourth quarter, as another long run helped the Eagles close
out the win.

As
a team, the Knights shot 30.3 percent (20-66) from the field, while connecting
on 7-of-22 (.318) from long range. Kirkwood won the rebounding battle, 48-26,
but North Platte forced 16 Kirkwood turnovers.&nbsp;

North
Platte concludes the season with an 18-12 record, while claiming their third
Region IX title in the past four seasons.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsCedar
Rapids, Iowa – Mariah Gardner led the Knights with 13 points, but it was not
enough to upset No. 2 Kirkwood Community College, 75-53, in the North Central A
District Championship on Saturday.Kirkwood
came out strong as they pushed their advantage to 19 points twice in the
opening quarter. North Platte responded by shutting down the Eagles offense in
the second quarter, as a 7-0 run cut the margin to 27-18 on a jumper by Nevaeh
Golden.Kirkwood
pushed their lead back into double digits, but the Knights never let up down
the stretch. Back-to-back three pointers by Gardner aided in an 8-0 run to cut
the deficit to 32-28 at the halftime break.North
Platte knotted the game up in the opening minute of the third, but a 12-0 run
helped the Eagles regain a double-digit lead. Kirkwood continued to stretch
their lead in the fourth quarter, as another long run helped the Eagles close
out the win.As
a team, the Knights shot 30.3 percent (20-66) from the field, while connecting
on 7-of-22 (.318) from long range. Kirkwood won the rebounding battle, 48-26,
but North Platte forced 16 Kirkwood turnovers.&nbsp;North
Platte concludes the season with an 18-12 record, while claiming their third
Region IX title in the past four seasons.

Knights season ends in district championship

Minneapolis - Jaz Shelley erupted
for 30 points while adding nine assists to shoot Nebraska into the championship
game of the TIAA Big Ten Tournament with a 78-68 semifinal win over Maryland on
Saturday afternoon at the Target Center.

Shelley, a 5-9
graduate guard from Moe, Australia, hit 10-of-16 shots from the field,
including 6-of-12 three-pointers, while going 4-for-4 at the free throw line to
seal the win down the stretch.

The
fifth-seeded Huskers improved to 22-10 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten
Tournament, while the No. 8 seed Terrapins closed at 19-13 overall and 2-1 in
the tournament.

Nebraska's win
sets up a third game this season against second-seeded and national No. 3 Iowa
on Sunday at 11 a.m. (CT) at the Target Center. Iowa defeated the Huskers 92-73
in Iowa City (Jan. 27), before the Huskers evened the series with an 82-79 win
in Lincoln (Feb. 11). The game will be televised live nationally by CBS.

Shelley was
dynamic from start to finish, pouring in 17 points in the first half including
an electric 11-0 run that included three threes in less than 90 seconds to end
the first quarter.

The Huskers,
who never trailed in the game, held a 13-point lead late in the second quarter,
but Maryland rallied to tie the game at 51 with more than four minutes left in
the third period.

Shelley
answered with a big bucket to regain the lead for the Huskers at 53-51 with
3:27 left in the period. Minneapolis native Kendall Coley then connected on one
of the game's biggest shots with her three-pointer in the left corner 30
seconds later to put Nebraska up five. Minnesotan Annika Stewart then scored
inside to cap a crucial 7-0 Husker run and give the Big Red a 58-51 lead.
Stewart finished with nine points off the bench, while Coley added six points
on a pair of threes.

Maryland
answered Nebraska's spurt with eight points late in the quarter to narrow the
margin to 60-59 heading to the fourth.

Minnesotan
Callin Hake, who finished with seven points, five rebounds, two assists and two
key charges drawn, then sank a pair of free throws to open the final quarter.

Shelley took
center stage again by sinking her sixth three-pointer with 7:50 left. After a
basket by Maryland's Allie Kubek, freshmen Logan Nissley and Natalie Potts
scored five straight points before Shelley hit another shot to push Nebraska's
lead back to double digits at 72-61 with 4:31 left. Nissley (6) and Potts (4)
combined for 10 points on the day, while fellow freshman Jessica Petrie pitched
in five more.

Maryland
fought back one more time to cut the margin to six, but Shelley scored
Nebraska's next six points to finish with 11 in the fourth quarter on her way
to her sixth career 30-point performance, including her second in seven career
Big Ten Tournament contests.

Shelley, whose
previous season high of 23 points came in a win over No. 2 Iowa (Feb. 11),
added nine assists, four rebounds and two steals on the day.

Alexis
Markowski added a strong performance inside despite being strapped with foul
trouble, scoring nine points to go along with a game-high 13 rebounds.

As a team,
Nebraska finished by shooting 45.2 percent (28-62) from the field, including
13-of-28 three-pointers (.464). The Huskers also hit 9-of-14 free throws, while
winning the battle of the boards, 36-32. The Big Red also won the tournament
fight, 16-15.

Maryland hit
45.6 percent (26-57) of its shots, but just 4-of-13 threes (.308), while
hitting 12-of-15 free throws. Shyanne Sellers led five Terps in double figures
with 15 points, six rebounds and seven assists, while Faith Masonius
contributed 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

Nebraska
jumped out to a quick start, building an early six-point lead. Maryland trimmed
the margin to 14-12, before Shelley caught fire. Her 11-0 run in the final 90
seconds of the first quarter included a mesmerizing double-crossover that sent
defensive star Shyanne Sellers to the floor before Shelley drained a three.
Shelley hit two more threes to end the quarter, including a 30-footer ahead of
the buzzer to give the Big Red a 25-12 lead after one period.

Maryland
answered early in the quarter to cut NU's lead to 32-27 before Shelley and
fellow Australian Jessica Petrie teamed for three straight three-pointers in
less than a minute to push Nebraska's margin back to 41-29 with 4:54 left.

A Kendall
Coley three-pointer with 2:14 left in the half extended Nebraska's margin back
to 13 points at 47-34, but the Terrapins closed the half with a 6-0 run in the
final two minutes.

Shelley, who
led NU with 17 points and four assists in the half, hit five of Nebraska's 10
first-half three-pointers, as the Huskers connected on 10-of-18 long range
attempts in the half. Overall, NU knocked down 17-of-32 shots (.531) and 3-of-6
free throws. Nebraska also outrebounded the Terps 16-12 in the half. Markowski
pulled down 10 first-half rebounds while adding seven points.

Maryland hung
tough by hitting 59.3 percent (16-27) of its first-half shots, including 1-of-2
threes. The Huskers also sank 7-of-10 free throws. The Terps won the first-half
turnover fight, 9-7.

Sellers
led Maryland with 13 points and six assists in the half, while Masonius added
10 points.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsMinneapolis - Jaz Shelley erupted
for 30 points while adding nine assists to shoot Nebraska into the championship
game of the TIAA Big Ten Tournament with a 78-68 semifinal win over Maryland on
Saturday afternoon at the Target Center.Shelley, a 5-9
graduate guard from Moe, Australia, hit 10-of-16 shots from the field,
including 6-of-12 three-pointers, while going 4-for-4 at the free throw line to
seal the win down the stretch.The
fifth-seeded Huskers improved to 22-10 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten
Tournament, while the No. 8 seed Terrapins closed at 19-13 overall and 2-1 in
the tournament.Nebraska's win
sets up a third game this season against second-seeded and national No. 3 Iowa
on Sunday at 11 a.m. (CT) at the Target Center. Iowa defeated the Huskers 92-73
in Iowa City (Jan. 27), before the Huskers evened the series with an 82-79 win
in Lincoln (Feb. 11). The game will be televised live nationally by CBS.Shelley was
dynamic from start to finish, pouring in 17 points in the first half including
an electric 11-0 run that included three threes in less than 90 seconds to end
the first quarter.The Huskers,
who never trailed in the game, held a 13-point lead late in the second quarter,
but Maryland rallied to tie the game at 51 with more than four minutes left in
the third period.Shelley
answered with a big bucket to regain the lead for the Huskers at 53-51 with
3:27 left in the period. Minneapolis native Kendall Coley then connected on one
of the game's biggest shots with her three-pointer in the left corner 30
seconds later to put Nebraska up five. Minnesotan Annika Stewart then scored
inside to cap a crucial 7-0 Husker run and give the Big Red a 58-51 lead.
Stewart finished with nine points off the bench, while Coley added six points
on a pair of threes.Maryland
answered Nebraska's spurt with eight points late in the quarter to narrow the
margin to 60-59 heading to the fourth.Minnesotan
Callin Hake, who finished with seven points, five rebounds, two assists and two
key charges drawn, then sank a pair of free throws to open the final quarter.Shelley took
center stage again by sinking her sixth three-pointer with 7:50 left. After a
basket by Maryland's Allie Kubek, freshmen Logan Nissley and Natalie Potts
scored five straight points before Shelley hit another shot to push Nebraska's
lead back to double digits at 72-61 with 4:31 left. Nissley (6) and Potts (4)
combined for 10 points on the day, while fellow freshman Jessica Petrie pitched
in five more.Maryland
fought back one more time to cut the margin to six, but Shelley scored
Nebraska's next six points to finish with 11 in the fourth quarter on her way
to her sixth career 30-point performance, including her second in seven career
Big Ten Tournament contests.Shelley, whose
previous season high of 23 points came in a win over No. 2 Iowa (Feb. 11),
added nine assists, four rebounds and two steals on the day.Alexis
Markowski added a strong performance inside despite being strapped with foul
trouble, scoring nine points to go along with a game-high 13 rebounds.As a team,
Nebraska finished by shooting 45.2 percent (28-62) from the field, including
13-of-28 three-pointers (.464). The Huskers also hit 9-of-14 free throws, while
winning the battle of the boards, 36-32. The Big Red also won the tournament
fight, 16-15.Maryland hit
45.6 percent (26-57) of its shots, but just 4-of-13 threes (.308), while
hitting 12-of-15 free throws. Shyanne Sellers led five Terps in double figures
with 15 points, six rebounds and seven assists, while Faith Masonius
contributed 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists.Nebraska
jumped out to a quick start, building an early six-point lead. Maryland trimmed
the margin to 14-12, before Shelley caught fire. Her 11-0 run in the final 90
seconds of the first quarter included a mesmerizing double-crossover that sent
defensive star Shyanne Sellers to the floor before Shelley drained a three.
Shelley hit two more threes to end the quarter, including a 30-footer ahead of
the buzzer to give the Big Red a 25-12 lead after one period.Maryland
answered early in the quarter to cut NU's lead to 32-27 before Shelley and
fellow Australian Jessica Petrie teamed for three straight three-pointers in
less than a minute to push Nebraska's margin back to 41-29 with 4:54 left.A Kendall
Coley three-pointer with 2:14 left in the half extended Nebraska's margin back
to 13 points at 47-34, but the Terrapins closed the half with a 6-0 run in the
final two minutes.Shelley, who
led NU with 17 points and four assists in the half, hit five of Nebraska's 10
first-half three-pointers, as the Huskers connected on 10-of-18 long range
attempts in the half. Overall, NU knocked down 17-of-32 shots (.531) and 3-of-6
free throws. Nebraska also outrebounded the Terps 16-12 in the half. Markowski
pulled down 10 first-half rebounds while adding seven points.Maryland hung
tough by hitting 59.3 percent (16-27) of its first-half shots, including 1-of-2
threes. The Huskers also sank 7-of-10 free throws. The Terps won the first-half
turnover fight, 9-7.Sellers
led Maryland with 13 points and six assists in the half, while Masonius added
10 points.

Shelley shoots Huskers into Big Ten Title game

Minneapolis - Jaz Shelley pumped
in 19 points, while Minnesotan Callin Hake added 15 points off the bench to
help Nebraska overcome a slow start on its way to a 64-56 women's basketball
win over Purdue in the second round of the TIAA Big Ten Tournament at the Target
Center on Thursday afternoon.

With the
victory, the fifth-seeded Huskers improved to 20-10 overall and advanced to
Friday's quarterfinal match-up against No. 4 seed Michigan State (22-7).
Tip-off for the Big Red's battle with the Spartans is set for 2 p.m. (CT) with
live television coverage by the Big Ten Network.

Shelley, who
scored 10 points in the second half, added seven rebounds and seven assists for
the game while knocking four three-pointers in a strong all-around effort to
help Nebraska secure its second 20-win campaign in the last three seasons.

Hake, a
sophomore from Victoria, Minn., was even more impactful in the second half,
scoring 12 points after halftime including nine in the fourth quarter. With the
game tied at 40 with nine minutes left, Hake sank a three-pointer to put
Nebraska back in front before adding a layup 30 seconds later to give NU a
45-40 lead with 8:21 left. The Huskers never relinquished the lead.

Sophie
Swanson, who scored a career-high 25 points on seven three-pointers for Purdue,
sank a three with 8:07 left to cut NU's margin to 45-43, before Shelley and
Hake scored six straight points to spark a decisive 14-0 run over the next four
minutes.

Alexis
Markowski, who finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and a career-high six
assists, added four points during the run including the next bucket to give
Nebraska its first double-digit lead at 53-43 with 5:40 left.&nbsp;

Darian White
also contributed three points during the surge as Nebraska's lead ballooned to
59-43 with four minutes remaining.

Husker
starters Natalie Potts (6) and Logan Nissley (4), who were both Big Ten
All-Freshman Team selections, combined for 10 points, while fellow freshman
Jessica Petrie contributed three points down the stretch to help Nebraska
complete a 3-0 season series sweep of Purdue.

The Huskers
outscored Purdue 39-31 in the second half after a low-scoring first 20 minutes.

Nebraska hit
41.1 percent (23-56) of its shots for the game, including 54 percent in the
second half, while going 8-for-22 (.364) from three-point range for the game.
NU went 10-for-15 at the line and won the battle of the boards, 41-36.&nbsp;

The Huskers
held Purdue to 36.1 percent (22-61) shooting, including 7-of-20 threes (.350),
with Swanson going 7-for-9 while the rest of the Boilermakers were 0-for-11
from beyond the arc. The Big Red also limited the Boilers to just five free
throw attempts.

Nebraska held
Purdue leading scorer Abbey Ellis to just 11 points on 5-of-16 shooting. The
other eight Boilermakers who played in the game combined for just 20 points.

In a
low-scoring first half, Shelley led the Huskers with a trio of three-pointers
including the final one just before the halftime buzzer to send the two teams
to the locker room tied at 25.&nbsp;

Shelley
finished with nine first-half points, while Markowski and Nissley each pitched
in four points, while Potts and Hake both contributed three-pointers. Shelley
and Markowski both helped the Huskers with four first-half assists.

Purdue jumped
to a 12-7 lead at the end of the first quarter before pushing the lead to 14-7
to open the second. Nebraska responded with an 8-0 run to take a brief 15-14
lead, before the Boilers rebuilt a six-point edge after seven straight points
from Swanson.

Swanson led
Purdue with those seven first-half points, while Mary Ashley Stevenson, Jeanae
Terry and Ellis each scored four points.

The Huskers
hit just 31.3 percent (10-32) of their first-half shots, including 33.3 percent
(5-15) of their threes. Purdue managed 35.5 percent (11-31) shooting, including
1-of-7 threes (.143) and made the only two free throws of the half.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsMinneapolis - Jaz Shelley pumped
in 19 points, while Minnesotan Callin Hake added 15 points off the bench to
help Nebraska overcome a slow start on its way to a 64-56 women's basketball
win over Purdue in the second round of the TIAA Big Ten Tournament at the Target
Center on Thursday afternoon.With the
victory, the fifth-seeded Huskers improved to 20-10 overall and advanced to
Friday's quarterfinal match-up against No. 4 seed Michigan State (22-7).
Tip-off for the Big Red's battle with the Spartans is set for 2 p.m. (CT) with
live television coverage by the Big Ten Network.Shelley, who
scored 10 points in the second half, added seven rebounds and seven assists for
the game while knocking four three-pointers in a strong all-around effort to
help Nebraska secure its second 20-win campaign in the last three seasons.Hake, a
sophomore from Victoria, Minn., was even more impactful in the second half,
scoring 12 points after halftime including nine in the fourth quarter. With the
game tied at 40 with nine minutes left, Hake sank a three-pointer to put
Nebraska back in front before adding a layup 30 seconds later to give NU a
45-40 lead with 8:21 left. The Huskers never relinquished the lead.Sophie
Swanson, who scored a career-high 25 points on seven three-pointers for Purdue,
sank a three with 8:07 left to cut NU's margin to 45-43, before Shelley and
Hake scored six straight points to spark a decisive 14-0 run over the next four
minutes.Alexis
Markowski, who finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and a career-high six
assists, added four points during the run including the next bucket to give
Nebraska its first double-digit lead at 53-43 with 5:40 left.&nbsp;Darian White
also contributed three points during the surge as Nebraska's lead ballooned to
59-43 with four minutes remaining.Husker
starters Natalie Potts (6) and Logan Nissley (4), who were both Big Ten
All-Freshman Team selections, combined for 10 points, while fellow freshman
Jessica Petrie contributed three points down the stretch to help Nebraska
complete a 3-0 season series sweep of Purdue.The Huskers
outscored Purdue 39-31 in the second half after a low-scoring first 20 minutes.Nebraska hit
41.1 percent (23-56) of its shots for the game, including 54 percent in the
second half, while going 8-for-22 (.364) from three-point range for the game.
NU went 10-for-15 at the line and won the battle of the boards, 41-36.&nbsp;The Huskers
held Purdue to 36.1 percent (22-61) shooting, including 7-of-20 threes (.350),
with Swanson going 7-for-9 while the rest of the Boilermakers were 0-for-11
from beyond the arc. The Big Red also limited the Boilers to just five free
throw attempts.Nebraska held
Purdue leading scorer Abbey Ellis to just 11 points on 5-of-16 shooting. The
other eight Boilermakers who played in the game combined for just 20 points.In a
low-scoring first half, Shelley led the Huskers with a trio of three-pointers
including the final one just before the halftime buzzer to send the two teams
to the locker room tied at 25.&nbsp;Shelley
finished with nine first-half points, while Markowski and Nissley each pitched
in four points, while Potts and Hake both contributed three-pointers. Shelley
and Markowski both helped the Huskers with four first-half assists.Purdue jumped
to a 12-7 lead at the end of the first quarter before pushing the lead to 14-7
to open the second. Nebraska responded with an 8-0 run to take a brief 15-14
lead, before the Boilers rebuilt a six-point edge after seven straight points
from Swanson.Swanson led
Purdue with those seven first-half points, while Mary Ashley Stevenson, Jeanae
Terry and Ellis each scored four points.The Huskers
hit just 31.3 percent (10-32) of their first-half shots, including 33.3 percent
(5-15) of their threes. Purdue managed 35.5 percent (11-31) shooting, including
1-of-7 threes (.143) and made the only two free throws of the half.

Huskers shoot past Purdue at Big Ten Tournament

Story by UNK Athletic Communications&nbsp;

Kearney,
Neb. – Junior forward Kelsey Fields had 19 points and 14
rebounds to help Northwest Missouri State shackle Nebraska-Kearney, <a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-basketball/stats/2023-24/nw-missouri-st-/boxscore/7934">64-42</a>,
Thursday afternoon in a MIAA Tournament quarterfinal game in Kansas City.
The second-seeded Bearcats (23-6) advance to Saturday's semifinals and are in
good shape to make the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, the seventh-seeded Lopers end up at 19-11 and are now 9-10
all-time in the MIAA Tourney.
UNK beat Northwest in this tournament each of the past two seasons and had
taken 14 of the last 17 matchups between
the two. While the Lopers got out to a
4-0 lead in what was a defensive struggle throughout, they never led again. The
Blue &amp; Gold had season-lows in both points and field goals percentage
(26.3; 15 of 57) and was out rebounded by six. Meanwhile, Northwest shot a
respectable 41% from the field and salted things away with three straight
triples in the fourth.
"It was a bad day to have a bad day. They guarded us one-on-one, and we
just couldn't get by or get downhill. They did a great job of not over helping
and making you finish," said UNK head coach Drew Johnson. "We
couldn't quite get the ball to fall. I thought we had a couple of punches at
them, and we guarded and guarded so it wasn't a defensive thing."
Northwest erased that early 4-0 deficit with two threes and then held leads of
16-10 (first quarter), 30-20 (halftime) and 44-32 (end of three). UNK was down
51-38 with 4:39 to play when the 'Cats quickly sank four freebies and those
treys.
"We tried several different modes but just couldn't quite find it,"
said Johnson.&nbsp;


Sixth-year senior Shiloh
McCool (Pleasant Hill, Ia.) tied the school-record for double
doubles (15) and rebounds (284) in a single season after a 22-point, 10
rebounding effort. She was 7 of 20 from the field; the rest of the squad went 8
for 37. All-American Ginger Keller had 15 double doubles back in 1993-94 with
All-American Amy Mathis having 284 boards in the 2007-08 campaign. Finally, her
9.46 season rebound averaging is second best in in the annuals and she ends up
11th on the career scoring list (1,498) and second in both rebounds
(984) and double doubles (34).
Fields, mainly on pick and rolls, was 8 for 10 from the field with six of her
rebounds coming on the offensive end. She also drew four fouls and had two
blocks over 27 minutes. Next, guard Caely Kesten had 16 points and seven
rebounds with All-MIAA guard Molly
Hartnett controlling the action with nine points, nine rebounds and five
assists.
Also for UNK, point guard Jillian
Aschoff (Lincoln Pius) finished up with the second most assists
(167) and second highest assists per game (5.57) tally for a single season.
Inside, redshirt freshman post Bailee Sobczak (Rapid City, S.D.) had 99
offensive rebounds, second most by a Loper.
She had a team-best 11 rebounds today (four offensive).
"As you try and quickly recap the year, in what was going to be a
transition, I'm just so proud of this team. How hard they fought and what the
gave every single day," said Johnson. "We asked them to do things
counter cultural; buy into something that's not guaranteed success and be
willing to invest in that every day for each other. They did that."
Besides McCool, UNK says goodbye to fifth-year seniors Trinity Law (Brandon,
S.D.) and Lexi Moes (Smithville,
Mo.), redshirt junior guard Halle Duft (South Weber, Utah) and forward Dani Winslow (Olathe,
Kan.) who medically retired before the year started. Law ends up 42nd
on the career scoring list (850).
"I've been only around them for the past 10 months but what a special,
special group. They did a lot of amazing things in their careers, and you feel
grateful to be here. Grateful to get a chance to coach them and invest in their
lives," said Johnson. "One of the special things about this team is
how much they care about each other and that just doesn't happen
overnight."





Story by UNK Athletic Communications&nbsp;Kearney,
Neb. – Junior forward Kelsey Fields had 19 points and 14
rebounds to help Northwest Missouri State shackle Nebraska-Kearney, <a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-basketball/stats/2023-24/nw-missouri-st-/boxscore/7934">64-42</a>,
Thursday afternoon in a MIAA Tournament quarterfinal game in Kansas City.
The second-seeded Bearcats (23-6) advance to Saturday's semifinals and are in
good shape to make the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, the seventh-seeded Lopers end up at 19-11 and are now 9-10
all-time in the MIAA Tourney.
UNK beat Northwest in this tournament each of the past two seasons and had
taken 14 of the last 17 matchups between
the two. While the Lopers got out to a
4-0 lead in what was a defensive struggle throughout, they never led again. The
Blue &amp; Gold had season-lows in both points and field goals percentage
(26.3; 15 of 57) and was out rebounded by six. Meanwhile, Northwest shot a
respectable 41% from the field and salted things away with three straight
triples in the fourth.
"It was a bad day to have a bad day. They guarded us one-on-one, and we
just couldn't get by or get downhill. They did a great job of not over helping
and making you finish," said UNK head coach Drew Johnson. "We
couldn't quite get the ball to fall. I thought we had a couple of punches at
them, and we guarded and guarded so it wasn't a defensive thing."
Northwest erased that early 4-0 deficit with two threes and then held leads of
16-10 (first quarter), 30-20 (halftime) and 44-32 (end of three). UNK was down
51-38 with 4:39 to play when the 'Cats quickly sank four freebies and those
treys.
"We tried several different modes but just couldn't quite find it,"
said Johnson.&nbsp;
Sixth-year senior Shiloh
McCool (Pleasant Hill, Ia.) tied the school-record for double
doubles (15) and rebounds (284) in a single season after a 22-point, 10
rebounding effort. She was 7 of 20 from the field; the rest of the squad went 8
for 37. All-American Ginger Keller had 15 double doubles back in 1993-94 with
All-American Amy Mathis having 284 boards in the 2007-08 campaign. Finally, her
9.46 season rebound averaging is second best in in the annuals and she ends up
11th on the career scoring list (1,498) and second in both rebounds
(984) and double doubles (34).
Fields, mainly on pick and rolls, was 8 for 10 from the field with six of her
rebounds coming on the offensive end. She also drew four fouls and had two
blocks over 27 minutes. Next, guard Caely Kesten had 16 points and seven
rebounds with All-MIAA guard Molly
Hartnett controlling the action with nine points, nine rebounds and five
assists.
Also for UNK, point guard Jillian
Aschoff (Lincoln Pius) finished up with the second most assists
(167) and second highest assists per game (5.57) tally for a single season.
Inside, redshirt freshman post Bailee Sobczak (Rapid City, S.D.) had 99
offensive rebounds, second most by a Loper.
She had a team-best 11 rebounds today (four offensive).
"As you try and quickly recap the year, in what was going to be a
transition, I'm just so proud of this team. How hard they fought and what the
gave every single day," said Johnson. "We asked them to do things
counter cultural; buy into something that's not guaranteed success and be
willing to invest in that every day for each other. They did that."
Besides McCool, UNK says goodbye to fifth-year seniors Trinity Law (Brandon,
S.D.) and Lexi Moes (Smithville,
Mo.), redshirt junior guard Halle Duft (South Weber, Utah) and forward Dani Winslow (Olathe,
Kan.) who medically retired before the year started. Law ends up 42nd
on the career scoring list (850).
"I've been only around them for the past 10 months but what a special,
special group. They did a lot of amazing things in their careers, and you feel
grateful to be here. Grateful to get a chance to coach them and invest in their
lives," said Johnson. "One of the special things about this team is
how much they care about each other and that just doesn't happen
overnight."

Lopers finish up at 19-11; Five Seniors bow out

HONOLULU,
Hawaii - The Nebraska beach volleyball team fell to No. 12
Hawaii and Pepperdine, both by 4-1 scores, in their first matches of the
Queen's Cup at Queen's Beach on Thursday.&nbsp;

Merritt
Beason and Skyler Pierce were the lone Husker pair to earn a team point on
Thursday. They teamed up for a 21-19, 15-21, 15-11 win over Hawaii's No. 3
pair, and followed that with a 16-21, 21-19, 17-15 victory over Pepperdine's
No. 4 team.&nbsp;

The
Huskers are now 8-5 on the beach season. Hawaii improved to 1-5, and Pepperdine
improved to 4-3.&nbsp;

The
Huskers have two matches again on Friday, against Chaminade at 3:30 p.m. (CT)
and against Saint Mary's at 6 p.m. (CT).

#12 Hawaii 4,
Nebraska 1
1. Jaime Santer/Alana Embry (UH) def. Lexi Rodriguez/Lindsay Krause (NEB)
21-10, 21-9
2. Kaylee Glagau/Julia Thelle (UH) def. Ally Batenhorst/Bergen Reilly (NEB)
21-15, 27-25
3. Merritt Beason/Skyler Pierce (NEB) def. Julia Lawrenz/Pani Naopleon (UH)
21-19, 15-21, 15-11
4. Riley Wagoner/Sydney Amiatu (UH) def. Laney Choboy/Harper Murray (NEB)
21-18, 21-16
5. Anna Maidment/Sydney Miller (UH) def. Olivia Mauch/Andi Jackson (NEB) 21-11,
21-19
Order
of finish: 1,5,4,2,3

Pepperdine 4,
Nebraska 1
1. Kate Clermont/McKenna Thomas (PEP) def. Ally Batenhorst/Bergen Reilly (NEB)
21-19, 21-18
2. Madison Oriskovich/Kristine Briede (PEP) def. Lindsay Krause/Lexi Rodriguez
(NEB) 16-21, 21-16, 16-14
3. Gabriella Perez/Sarlota Svobodova (PEP) def. Harper Murray/Laney Choboy
(NEB) 21-16, 21-18
4. Merritt Beason/Skyler Pierce (NEB) def. Gracie Pedersen/Kaydon Meyers (PEP)
16-21, 21-19, 17-15
5. Emi Erickson/Aubrey Roberts (PEP) def. Andi Jackson/Olivia Mauch (NEB)
21-17, 21-12
Order
of finish: 5,1,3,2,4

Queen's
Cup Schedule
Thursday,
March 7
1 p.m. (CT) - #12 Hawaii 4, Nebraska 1|&nbsp;<a href="https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=521571" target="_blank">Live
Stats</a>
7:15 p.m. (CT) - Pepperdine 4, Nebraska 1 | <a href="https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=521602" target="_blank">Live
Stats</a>

Friday,
March 8
3:30 p.m. (CT) - Nebraska vs. Chaminade |&nbsp;<a href="https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=521604" target="_blank">Live
Stats</a>
6 p.m. (CT) - Nebraska vs. Saint Mary's |&nbsp;<a href="https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=521605" target="_blank">Live
Stats</a>

Saturday,
March 9
1 p.m. (CT) - Quarterfinal #1&nbsp;
2:15 p.m. (CT) - Quarterfinal #2&nbsp;
3:30 p.m. (CT) - Semifinal #1&nbsp;
4:45 p.m. (CT) - Semifinal #2&nbsp;
6 p.m. (CT) - 5th Place Match&nbsp;
7:15 p.m. (CT) - Bronze Medal Match&nbsp;
8:30 p.m. (CT) - Gold Medal Match&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsHONOLULU,
Hawaii - The Nebraska beach volleyball team fell to No. 12
Hawaii and Pepperdine, both by 4-1 scores, in their first matches of the
Queen's Cup at Queen's Beach on Thursday.&nbsp;Merritt
Beason and Skyler Pierce were the lone Husker pair to earn a team point on
Thursday. They teamed up for a 21-19, 15-21, 15-11 win over Hawaii's No. 3
pair, and followed that with a 16-21, 21-19, 17-15 victory over Pepperdine's
No. 4 team.&nbsp;The
Huskers are now 8-5 on the beach season. Hawaii improved to 1-5, and Pepperdine
improved to 4-3.&nbsp;The
Huskers have two matches again on Friday, against Chaminade at 3:30 p.m. (CT)
and against Saint Mary's at 6 p.m. (CT).#12 Hawaii 4,
Nebraska 1
1. Jaime Santer/Alana Embry (UH) def. Lexi Rodriguez/Lindsay Krause (NEB)
21-10, 21-9
2. Kaylee Glagau/Julia Thelle (UH) def. Ally Batenhorst/Bergen Reilly (NEB)
21-15, 27-25
3. Merritt Beason/Skyler Pierce (NEB) def. Julia Lawrenz/Pani Naopleon (UH)
21-19, 15-21, 15-11
4. Riley Wagoner/Sydney Amiatu (UH) def. Laney Choboy/Harper Murray (NEB)
21-18, 21-16
5. Anna Maidment/Sydney Miller (UH) def. Olivia Mauch/Andi Jackson (NEB) 21-11,
21-19
Order
of finish: 1,5,4,2,3Pepperdine 4,
Nebraska 1
1. Kate Clermont/McKenna Thomas (PEP) def. Ally Batenhorst/Bergen Reilly (NEB)
21-19, 21-18
2. Madison Oriskovich/Kristine Briede (PEP) def. Lindsay Krause/Lexi Rodriguez
(NEB) 16-21, 21-16, 16-14
3. Gabriella Perez/Sarlota Svobodova (PEP) def. Harper Murray/Laney Choboy
(NEB) 21-16, 21-18
4. Merritt Beason/Skyler Pierce (NEB) def. Gracie Pedersen/Kaydon Meyers (PEP)
16-21, 21-19, 17-15
5. Emi Erickson/Aubrey Roberts (PEP) def. Andi Jackson/Olivia Mauch (NEB)
21-17, 21-12
Order
of finish: 5,1,3,2,4
Queen's
Cup Schedule
Thursday,
March 7
1 p.m. (CT) - #12 Hawaii 4, Nebraska 1|&nbsp;<a href="https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=521571" target="_blank">Live
Stats</a>
7:15 p.m. (CT) - Pepperdine 4, Nebraska 1 | <a href="https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=521602" target="_blank">Live
Stats</a>

Friday,
March 8
3:30 p.m. (CT) - Nebraska vs. Chaminade |&nbsp;<a href="https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=521604" target="_blank">Live
Stats</a>
6 p.m. (CT) - Nebraska vs. Saint Mary's |&nbsp;<a href="https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=521605" target="_blank">Live
Stats</a>

Saturday,
March 9
1 p.m. (CT) - Quarterfinal #1&nbsp;
2:15 p.m. (CT) - Quarterfinal #2&nbsp;
3:30 p.m. (CT) - Semifinal #1&nbsp;
4:45 p.m. (CT) - Semifinal #2&nbsp;
6 p.m. (CT) - 5th Place Match&nbsp;
7:15 p.m. (CT) - Bronze Medal Match&nbsp;
8:30 p.m. (CT) - Gold Medal Match&nbsp;

Huskers Beach VB drop matches to No. 12 Hawaii and Pepperdine

Story by NU Athletic Communications&nbsp;

The Nebraska wrestling team begins its postseason push this weekend as it travels to Maryland for the 2024 Big Ten Championships. The two-day event kicks off Saturday, March 9 at the XFINITY Center in College Park, Md.&nbsp;

The Big Ten Network will offer live linear and streaming coverage of the championships. Session I begins Saturday at 9 a.m. (CT) and Session II semifinals start at 6 p.m. (CT). The championship coverage continues Sunday at 11 a.m. (CT) with consolation matches on B1G+ and returns to BTN at 3:30 p.m. (CT) for the final bouts. Additional mat coverage can be streamed on B1G+ (subscription required) for every session.

The Huskers have nine wrestlers seeded 10th or higher in their conference championship lineup. After wrapping up the regular season with only one loss, Ridge Lovett grabs the top spot at 149. Lenny Pinto is seeded second at 184, followed by Jacob Van Dee (133), Brock Hardy (141) and Silas Allred (197) all in fourth. Caleb Smith (125), Peyton Robb (157) and Antrell Taylor (165) sit in fifth. Making his Big Ten Tournament debut is Nash Hutmacher (HWT) in 10th, and two-time NCAA Qualifier Bubba Wilson (174) received a 12th-place seed.

Live stats and brackets will be available on trackwrestling.com. Updates will also be posted to the Nebraska wrestling twitter throughout the weekend.

Last Time Out:&nbsp;Five-straight bout wins helped the Huskers secure the 26-9 victory over No. 19 Arizona State on Sunday afternoon in the Huskers’ regular-season finale.&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic Communications&nbsp;The Nebraska wrestling team begins its postseason push this weekend as it travels to Maryland for the 2024 Big Ten Championships. The two-day event kicks off Saturday, March 9 at the XFINITY Center in College Park, Md.&nbsp;The Big Ten Network will offer live linear and streaming coverage of the championships. Session I begins Saturday at 9 a.m. (CT) and Session II semifinals start at 6 p.m. (CT). The championship coverage continues Sunday at 11 a.m. (CT) with consolation matches on B1G+ and returns to BTN at 3:30 p.m. (CT) for the final bouts. Additional mat coverage can be streamed on B1G+ (subscription required) for every session.The Huskers have nine wrestlers seeded 10th or higher in their conference championship lineup. After wrapping up the regular season with only one loss, Ridge Lovett grabs the top spot at 149. Lenny Pinto is seeded second at 184, followed by Jacob Van Dee (133), Brock Hardy (141) and Silas Allred (197) all in fourth. Caleb Smith (125), Peyton Robb (157) and Antrell Taylor (165) sit in fifth. Making his Big Ten Tournament debut is Nash Hutmacher (HWT) in 10th, and two-time NCAA Qualifier Bubba Wilson (174) received a 12th-place seed.Live stats and brackets will be available on trackwrestling.com. Updates will also be posted to the Nebraska wrestling twitter throughout the weekend.Last Time Out:&nbsp;Five-straight bout wins helped the Huskers secure the 26-9 victory over No. 19 Arizona State on Sunday afternoon in the Huskers’ regular-season finale.&nbsp;Up Next:&nbsp;NU will set its focus on the 2024 NCAA Championships, which will be held March 21-23 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.&nbsp;Nebraska's Big Ten Championship LineupWith preliminary seeding125: #5 Caleb Smith • High Point, N.C. (18-6)133: #4 Jacob Van Dee • Union City, Pa. (18-6)141: #4 Brock Hardy • Brigham City, Utah (15-6)149: #1 Ridge Lovett • Post Falls, Idaho (21-1)157: #5 Peyton Robb • Owatonna, Minn. (16-5)165: #5 Antrell Taylor • Millard, Neb. (17-5)174: #12 Bubba Wilson • Manhattan, Kan. (12-10)184: #2 Lenny Pinto • Stroudsburg, Pa. (19-3)197: #4 Silas Allred • Muncie, Ind. (20-5)HWT: #10 Nash Hutmacher • Oacoma, S.D. (5-3)Quick Notes:•&nbsp;Two Huskers claimed individual titles as the Huskers finished second at the 2023 Cliff Keen Invitational earlier this year. Lovett and Robb finished atop their weight classes as NU amassed 125.5 team points.&nbsp;•&nbsp;Lovett earned the Big Ten Championship top seed at 149 pounds for the first time. He is just the third one-seed at the tournament since Robert Kokesh was seeded first at 174 pounds for the 2015 Big Ten Championships.&nbsp;•&nbsp;Stat leaders among starters:&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Team Points: Lovett (52)&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Pins: Lovett (6)&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Major Decisions: Smith, Lovett, Taylor (4)&nbsp;