Sports News-November 14, 2012
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The Miami Marlins appear to be dumping salaries again. A person familiar with the deal says the Marlins have undergone another payroll purge by trading shortstop Jose Reyes, left-hander Mark Buehrle, and right-hander Josh Johnson to the Toronto Blue Jays as part of a blockbuster deal for shortstop Yunel Escobar and several Jays prospects.
Doug McDermott of the Creighton men’s basketball team, who was named a finalist for the award last season is a member of the 2012-2013 Naismith early season watch list, the Atlanta Tip-off Club announced yesterday. McDermott averaged 22.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game last season, after which he became Creighton's first consensus First Team All-American. He's been tabbed Preseason MVC Player of the Year for the league favorite Bluejays, who tied a school-record with 29 wins last year.
Running back Rex Burkhead is hopeful he'll be able to play Saturday when the Nebraska football team celebrates senior day against Minnesota. The 2011 All-Big Ten running back sprained his left knee in the opener and has aggravated the injury twice. He's missed five games and had to leave early in three others. Burkhead practiced Monday on a limited basis. He said he's "pretty close" to being able to play in a game, but he doesn't know if it will be this week. Burkhead says it would "mean the world" to him to play against the Gophers because it's his last home game. Nebraska is 8-2 overall and 5-1 going into a 2:30 home kickoff on Saturday with Minnesota. The Golden Gophers are 6-4 overall and 2-4 in the Legends. The Huskers are ranked 14th in the BCS Standings, Associated Press Top 25 & USA Today poll.
The Creighton men's soccer team jumped four spots, for the second straight week, to eighth in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll yesterday. The team has earned the twelve seed in the 2012 NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament. As a result, the Bluejays claimed a first-round bye in the 48-team tournament and will host the winner of Thursday's Air Force at Washington match on Sunday at 5:00 at Morrison Stadium in Omaha. Creighton earned its 20th NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 21 years by virtue of Sunday's 2-1 win over SIU Edwardsville in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament final. They are 15-3-2 on the season.
Wayne State received two post season awards and had ten players selected to the 2012 Northern Sun Conference All-Conference Football Team announced yesterday by the league office. Defensive end Richard Daniel was voted by league coaches as the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year while running back Charlie Davidson collected NSIC Offensive Newcomer of the Year honors. Daniel, punter Randy Weich, and defensive lineman Jeff Pokorny landed on the NSIC South Division First Team. Wide receiver Kevin Paulsen & offensive lineman Brent Schlote were honored on the second team. Safety Austan Pomajzl and defensive lineman Jeff Van Den Top were named NSIC South Division Second Team Defense. Place-kicker Max Martin, running back Nick Pulscher and offensive lineman Abram Walker were each selected to the NSIC South Division Honorable Mention Team. Wayne State finished the 2012 season with a 6-5 record.
The 16th ranked Wayne State women’s basketball team extended their home winning streak to 47 straight games last night with a 83-46 season opening win over York College. The Wildcats are now 1-0 on the young season while York College falls to 1-6. Freshman Katie Hoskins led the Wildcats in scoring with 18 points while also recording four rebounds, four blocks and four steals. Sophomore Ashton Yossi chipped in 17 points while Ellen Hansen and Jordan Spencer each had double-doubles as Hansen poured in eleven points and grabbed 16 rebounds while Spencer netted 13 points and snared 14 rebounds. Wayne State will be back in action at home on Tuesday when William Penn University comes to Rice Auditorium with tip-off set for 7:00.
The Class “C-1” Two-time Defending State Champion Norfolk Catholic Knights are going back to the championship game for the fourth year in a row after a 34-14 semifinal road victory over Pierce last night. Knight quarterback Jordan Bellar threw three touchdown passes and Jackson Love had two T-D runs in the victory. Bellar threw two touchdowns to Riley Knake and hooked up with Connor Ketter along the way as part of his 145 passing yards. Love ran for 85 yards on 23 carries. Pierce running back Nate Meier ran for 225 yards off 15 carries and two scores. He had a 99-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and a 65-yard gallop in the fourth quarter. Norfolk Catholic totaled 297 yards of total offense and led at halftime 20-0. The Bluejays after only accruing 41 yards of total offense at halftime finished with 289. N-C is now 11-1 on the season while Pierce’ campaign concludes at 10-2. The win marked Norfolk Catholic head coach Jeff Bellar’s 300th of his career. He becomes just the fifth coach in Nebraska to ever win 300 games. Bellar’s overall record is now 300-54 for a win percentage of .847. The Knights will now face 11-1 Boone Central/Newman Grove in the State Championship Game next Tuesday at 2:45 at Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium. The Cardinals beat Adams Central of Hastings in their semifinal game last night 21-14. N-C dealt Boone Central/Newman Grove their only loss of the year on September 7th in Albion 35-31. Norfolk Catholic rallied from a ten-point third quarter deficit to win. The Knights beat Boone Central in the championship game in 2004 by a 26-13 score.
The Lutheran High Northeast football team have fallen just short of the Class “C-2” State Championship Game. The Norfolk Daily News reports Eagle quarterback Kenny Blank was stopped just short of the goal-line on a two-point conversion attempt in overtime and Defending State Champion David City Aquinas beat Lutheran High Northeast 42-41 in overtime last night in David City in a semifinal game. The Eagles rallied from a 35-21 fourth quarter deficit to force overtime. Blank ran for three touchdowns and threw two scores to Shaka Taylor. Blank combined for 203 yards of total offense while Taylor caught four passes for 105 yards. Teammate running back Arrin Rathke ran for 166 yards off 29 carries and a touchdown. Lutheran High Northeast totaled 449 yards of total offense with 342 coming on the ground. The Monarchs accrued 351 yards of total offense. David City Aquinas led 27-14 at halftime. The Eagles’ season ends at 11-1 while Monarchs improve to 12-0. They will face Sutton in the State Championship Game on Tuesday at 10:15. Sutton won their semifinal game over Doniphan/Trumbull yesterday 36-18.
The Northeast Hawks women’s basketball team routed the Midland Lutheran JV last night at the Cox Activities Center 96-58. The Hawks continue their best start in program history since 2000-2001 improving to 6-0. The 2000-2001 squad started 9-0 that season. Northeast’ Raveen Murray led seven players in double figures with 16 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, two blocked shots, and three steals. The Hawks shot 53% from the field the Midland Lutheran JV shot just 31%. Northeast led 64-26 at half-time.
Local Schedule: NECC at Quakerdale Prep at New Providence, IA (MBB-7:00); Alabama-Birmingham at Creighton (MBB-7:05); Creighton at South Dakota St. At Brookings, SD (WBB-7:00); Nebraska-Omaha at Texas Tech at Lubbock, TX (MBB-7:00).
Area High School Class “C” Playoff Football Scores: Boone Central/Newman Grove 21 Adams Central 14 (C-1); Sutton 36 Doniphan/Trumbull 18 (C-2).
Spracklen Physical Therapy Star Athlete of the Week: Blake Anderson of the Elgin Public/Pope John football team.
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final New York 99 Orlando 89
Final Toronto 74 Indiana 72
Final Charlotte 92 Washington 76
Final Brooklyn 114 Cleveland 101
Final Portland 103 Sacramento 86
Final San Antonio 84 L-A Lakers 82
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final ( 9) Duke 75 ( 3) Kentucky 68
Final ( 5) Michigan 77 Cleveland St. 47
Final (21) Michigan St. 67 ( 7) Kansas 64
Final OT (13) UCLA 80 UC Irvine 79
Final (14) Missouri 91 Alcorn St. 54
Final (19) Gonzaga 84 West Virginia 50
Final (23) UConn 67 Vermont 49
Final (24) Cincinnati 102 MVSU 60
Final (25) San Diego St. 91 San Diego Christian 57
TOP-25 WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final ( 1) Baylor 85 ( 6) Kentucky 51
Final (22) Oklahoma St. 74 Missouri St. 71
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