Sports News-March 15, 2013
ESPN Radio now at 105.9 WJAG-FM & 780 WJAG-AM Mon-Fri at 5:00 PM; Sat & Sun at 4:00!
The United States will have to win today to advance to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic for the first time. The Dominican Republic scored twice in the top of the ninth to beat the Americans 3-1 and reach the semis in San Francisco. Erick Aybar snapped a 1-1 tie with an RBI single before scoring on a Jose Reyes single. The U.S. failed to score after Eric Hosmer walked with the bases loaded in the first inning. Team USA third baseman David Wright missed the game due to an injured ribcage after collecting a tournament-leading ten RBIs in four games. Manager Joe Torre doesn't expect him to rejoin the lineup.
Shavon Shields scored 19 points, Brandon Ubel added 16 points and eight rebounds and Nebraska beat Purdue 57-55 yesterday in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. The Cornhuskers hung on after the Boilermakers’ Terone Johnson missed two shots in the closing seconds and will meet tenth ranked 23-7 Ohio State in the quarterfinals this evening at 5:30. Shields also added six rebounds and two steals. Nebraska started the second half on a 9-0 run to turn a two-point lead into a 39-28 advantage and withstood a late push by Purdue to come away with a surprising victory. It was 54-53 after the Boilermakers’ D.J. Byrd made a three-pointer with 40 seconds left. N-U's Ray Gallegos then made the first free throw and missed the second, but the Cornhuskers recovered the ball. Ubel then hit the second foul shot after missing the first to make it 56-53 with 28 seconds left. Byrd put back a missed three-pointer by Ronnie Johnson to pull Purdue within one with 13 seconds left. Gallegos then made one of two free throws to make it a two-point game. The Boilermakers had one last chance but Johnson missed two shots in the lane and Gallegos grabbed the rebound to secure the win. Nebraska is now 15-17 while Purdue’s season ends at 15-17. Other scores in the tournament yesterday had Illinois edging Minnesota 51-49, Michigan beat Penn State 83-66, and Iowa defeated Northwestern 73-59.
Creighton men’s basketball coach Greg McDermott says he isn't sure how the layoff between the Missouri Valley Conference tournament and NCAA tournament will affect his team. He's hoping it works to his team’s advantage. The 23rd-ranked 27-7 Bluejays won the Valley tournament title last Sunday and were among the first five teams to earn one of the 31 automatic NCAA bids. Valley player of the year Doug McDermott said he senses a different vibe on the team. Last year, Creighton was making their first NCAA appearance since 2007, and he said there was anxiety. He said he and his teammates are more "laid back" and know what to expect. The NCAA bracket will be announced Sunday.
The Nebraska sand volleyball team ended its first day of competition with two losses, falling 4-1 to Florida State and then 5-0 to Pepperdine yesterday at the Chula Vista tournament. The No. 1 team of Kelsey Robinson and Alexa Strange got the Huskers’ only match win of the day, edging Florida State’s Fatma Yildirim and Aurora Davis 19-21, 21-19, 15-7. The Huskers will return to action today at the tournament, which also features CSU Bakersfield and Grand Canyon.
The Wayne State softball team split a non-conference doubleheader at Washburn University yesterday in Topeka, Kansas as the host Lady Blue scored four runs in the seventh inning to rally for a 5-3 win in the opener while WSC came back in the second game to post a 13-5 win. WSC is now 8-4 on the season while Washburn sports a 4-10 mark.
Wayne State College placed 24 student-athletes on the 2013 Northern Sun Conference Winter All-Academic Team. To be eligible for the NSIC Winter All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must be a member of the varsity traveling team and have a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.20 or better. The student-athlete must also have reached sophomore academic and athletic standing at the institution represented with one full year completed at that particular institution. The WSC men’s indoor track and field team had seven athletes named All-Academic followed by women’s indoor track and field and women’s basketball with six selections each while men’s basketball had five athletes selected. Among the honored were Wayne’s Zach Thomsen, Winside’s Matt Peter Jr., and Howells’ Sidney Blum & Megan Svitak from the Indoor Track & Field team.
The Mid States Conference has announced its all-conference girls basketball team. Reaching the squad from Norfolk Catholic were Michaela Barry & Amy Miller. Also on the team were West Point Guardian Angels’ Abby Ortmeier, Madison’s Alayna Daberkow, Hartington Cedar Catholic’s Katelyn Dickes, Boone Central/Newman Grove’s Jade Gottier, and Rachel Wiedenfeld from the Class “C-1” Champion Pierce Bluejays. Also, honored on the team from the Class “C-2” Two-time State Champion Crofton Lady Warriors were Allison Arens, Bridget Arens, and Quinn Wragge.
The Lincoln Journal Star has announced its preseason high school baseball rankings. Class “A” Defending State Champion Omaha Creighton Prep is ranked first in their class while Norris is number one in Class “B”
Local Schedule: Columbus at Nfk High (Bsbl-4:30); Nebraska Vs. Ohio St. At Chicago, IL (Big 10 MBB Tourn. Quarterfinal-5:30); Creighton Vs. Southern Illinois at St. Charles, MO (MVC WBB Tourn. Quarterfinal-6:05); Nebraska at UC Irvine at Irvine, CA (Bsbl-8:30); Pacific at Creighton (Bsbl-6:00); Nebraska-Omaha at Minnesota St.-Mankato (WCHA Hockey Playoffs-7:05).
Saturday Morning: Sportstalk on 106 KIX & 106KIX.com from 9:00-10:00 AM from Hy-Vee East. This week we’ll hear from boys basketball coaches Ben Ries from Norfolk High, Boone Central/Newman Grove’s Dan Zoucha, and Cole Fischer from Howells/Dodge. Also, girls basketball coaches Tim Kassmeier from Norfolk Catholic, Pender’s Larry Ballinger, and Northeast Hawks women’s coach Matt Svehla.
Local Scores: Nebraska 57 Purdue 55 (MBB Big Ten Tourn.); Creighton 4 North Dakota 1 (Bsbl); Washburn 5-5 WSC 3-13 (SB DH).
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final San Antonio 92 Dallas 91
Final Portland 105 New York 90
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final 2OT Chicago 2 Columbus 1 (SO Chicago 2-1)
Final Boston 4 Florida 1
Final Pittsburgh 3 Toronto 1
Final Washington 3 Carolina 2
Final N-Y Islanders 2 Tampa Bay 0
Final Minnesota 5 Colorado 3
Final Winnipeg 3 N-Y Rangers 1
Final St. Louis 3 Phoenix 0
Final 2OT Anaheim 2 Dallas 1 (SO Anaheim 2-0)
Final Vancouver 7 Nashville 4
Final San Jose 4 Los Angeles 3
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final ( 4) Louisville 74 Villanova 55
Final ( 5) Georgetown 62 Cincinnati 43
Final ( 6) Michigan 83 Penn St. 66
Final ( 7) Kansas 91 Texas Tech 63
Final (11) Kansas St. 66 Texas 49
Final (24) Notre Dame 73 (12) Marquette 65
Final (14) Oklahoma St. 74 Baylor 72
Final (19) Syracuse 62 (17) Pittsburgh 59
Final (18) Arizona 79 Colorado 69
Final (20) Memphis 81 Tulane 68
Final (21) UCLA 80 Arizona St. 75
On Air
Weekend Programming
12am - 6pm
11pm - 12am
Star Athlete of the Week
Tyler Pflueger
of the Lutheran High Northeast Wrestling Team
Sponsored by Spracklen Physical Therapy of Norfolk