Story by NPCC Athletic Communications

Torrington, Wyo. – The North Platte Community College men’s basketball team returned to the win column Saturday afternoon with a 95-89 victory over Eastern Wyoming.

Dennis Rocha finished the game with a team-high 23 points and nine rebounds. Justus Michael (18), Brady Kennison (18) and Sedrick Nari (14) rounded out the North Platte scorers in double figures.

"We made way too many mental mistakes that gave them easy shots around the rim in the first half” said head coach Jacob Brandl. “We made some adjustments at the break and played a great second half.”

The opening twenty minutes featured a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to gain much separation. Eastern Wyoming used a late surge, closing the half on a 12-2 run, but a deep three from Daniel Benjamin in the final seconds helped North Platte cut the deficit to 43-37 at the break.

Kennison ignited a 10-0 run by connecting from long range to knot the game up at 49-49 with 16:50 remaining. The teams continued trading blows, resulting in 10 ties in the second half. North Platte made the most of their opportunities down the stretch using a 16–2 run to secure the road win.

"Felt like this was a must win, and we had a lot of guys step up and make big plays," Brandl said.

Knights (6-6) return to action at home on Monday against Hastings College JV. Tip is set for 7 p.m. in the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsTorrington, Wyo. – The North Platte Community College men’s basketball team returned to the win column Saturday afternoon with a 95-89 victory over Eastern Wyoming.Dennis Rocha finished the game with a team-high 23 points and nine rebounds. Justus Michael (18), Brady Kennison (18) and Sedrick Nari (14) rounded out the North Platte scorers in double figures."We made way too many mental mistakes that gave them easy shots around the rim in the first half” said head coach Jacob Brandl. “We made some adjustments at the break and played a great second half.”The opening twenty minutes featured a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to gain much separation. Eastern Wyoming used a late surge, closing the half on a 12-2 run, but a deep three from Daniel Benjamin in the final seconds helped North Platte cut the deficit to 43-37 at the break.Kennison ignited a 10-0 run by connecting from long range to knot the game up at 49-49 with 16:50 remaining. The teams continued trading blows, resulting in 10 ties in the second half. North Platte made the most of their opportunities down the stretch using a 16–2 run to secure the road win."Felt like this was a must win, and we had a lot of guys step up and make big plays," Brandl said.Knights (6-6) return to action at home on Monday against Hastings College JV. Tip is set for 7 p.m. in the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.

Knights rebound in second half to defeat Lancers

Torrington, Wyo. – The North Platte women’s basketball team fell to Eastern Wyoming on Saturday afternoon, 72-53.

Reece Yahn led the Knights with 11 points, knocking down all three of her attempts from beyond the arc, while Joie Rodriguez anchored the effort on the glass with five rebounds.

"If we do not defend and fight, these will be the outcomes of our games moving forward," said head coach Jeff Thurman. “We played with no passion and heart today on the defensive end.”

Eastern Wyoming set the tone early, holding the Knights to just three points while scoring 14 of their own to open the game. A jumper from Alexa Stevens helped North Platte find some rhythm as the Knights went on to score eight of the next 18 points but trailed 24-13 headed into the second.

The Lancers put together a 7-0 run heading into the first media timeout of the second quarter. North Platte responded with a quick basket, but Eastern Wyoming countered with another 8-0 surge. The Knights closed the half on a positive note, outscoring the Lancers over the final minutes, but still entered the break facing a 17-point deficit.

North Platte chipped away in the third, trimming the margin to 11 with 1:30 remaining in the third quarter. The Lancers responded with four quick points to close the frame with a double-digit lead.

North Platte attempted to rally in the fourth, but the early gap proved too much to overcome. Eastern Wyoming maintained control down the stretch to secure the win, pulling away to finish with a 19–point victory.

“Back to the drawing board, we have to figure out what type of team we want to be," Thurman said.

Knights (2-8) return to action at home on Tuesday against Hastings College JV. Tip is set for 5:30 p.m. in the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsTorrington, Wyo. – The North Platte women’s basketball team fell to Eastern Wyoming on Saturday afternoon, 72-53.Reece Yahn led the Knights with 11 points, knocking down all three of her attempts from beyond the arc, while Joie Rodriguez anchored the effort on the glass with five rebounds."If we do not defend and fight, these will be the outcomes of our games moving forward," said head coach Jeff Thurman. “We played with no passion and heart today on the defensive end.”Eastern Wyoming set the tone early, holding the Knights to just three points while scoring 14 of their own to open the game. A jumper from Alexa Stevens helped North Platte find some rhythm as the Knights went on to score eight of the next 18 points but trailed 24-13 headed into the second.The Lancers put together a 7-0 run heading into the first media timeout of the second quarter. North Platte responded with a quick basket, but Eastern Wyoming countered with another 8-0 surge. The Knights closed the half on a positive note, outscoring the Lancers over the final minutes, but still entered the break facing a 17-point deficit.North Platte chipped away in the third, trimming the margin to 11 with 1:30 remaining in the third quarter. The Lancers responded with four quick points to close the frame with a double-digit lead.North Platte attempted to rally in the fourth, but the early gap proved too much to overcome. Eastern Wyoming maintained control down the stretch to secure the win, pulling away to finish with a 19–point victory.“Back to the drawing board, we have to figure out what type of team we want to be," Thurman said.Knights (2-8) return to action at home on Tuesday against Hastings College JV. Tip is set for 5:30 p.m. in the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.

Knights come up short against Eastern Wyoming

Amherst 56 vs South Loup (Callaway/Arnold) 16

Bridgeport 61 vs North Platte St. Patrick's 31

Amherst 61 vs South Loup (Callaway/Arnold) 30

Bridgeport 60 vs North Platte St. Patrick's 32

<h2>Girls</h2>Amherst 56 vs South Loup (Callaway/Arnold) 16Bridgeport 61 vs North Platte St. Patrick's 31Cozad 50 @ Maxwell 46Garden County 50 @ Banner County 22Maywood-Hayes Center 84 vs Southwest 46North Platte 54 vs South Sioux City 34Ogallala 74 vs Minden 20<h2>Boys</h2>Amherst 61 vs South Loup (Callaway/Arnold) 30Arthur County 50 @ Hay Springs 43Bridgeport 60 vs North Platte St. Patrick's 32Cozad 69 @ Maxwell 22Garden County 60 @ Banner County 18Maywood-Hayes Center 72 vs Southwest 53North Platte 54 vs South Sioux City 45Ogallala 74 vs Minden 20

Area NSAA Basketball scores from 12-6

NPHS Basketball - South Sioux City Vs. North Platte

Twin Loup 35 @ South Loup (Callaway/Arnold) 33

Valentine 65 @ North Platte St. Patrick's 29

Twin Loup 62 @ South Loup (Callaway/Arnold) 33

GirlsBrady 61 @ Garden County 37Bridgeport 60 vs Perkins County 34Chase County 34 vs McCook 32Dundy County Stratton 77 @ Cambridge 61Elm Creek 60 @ Southern Valley 39Holdrege 55 vs Broken Bow 42Maxwell 51 @ Sandhills/Thedford 42Maywood-Hayes Center 60 @ Wallace 18Norfolk 49 @ North Platte 36Ogallala 67 vs Mullen 18Paxton 69 @ Medicine Valley 21Twin Loup 35 @ South Loup (Callaway/Arnold) 33Valentine 65 @ North Platte St. Patrick's 29Wauneta-Palisade 54 @ Creek Valley 23BoysAnselmo-Merna 61 @ Sandhills Valley 16Bridgeport 70 vs Perkins County 34Broken Bow 73 @ Holdrege 61Creek Valley 53 vs Wauneta-Palisade 29Dundy County Stratton 77 @ Cambridge 61Elm Creek 54 @ Southern Valley 43Garden County 68 vs Brady 29Maywood-Hayes Center 45 @ Wallace 39McCook 66 @ Chase County 52Medicine Valley 50 vs Paxton 44Norfolk 67 @ North Platte 41Sandhills/Thedford 67 vs Maxwell 56South Platte 66 @ Minatare 44Twin Loup 62 @ South Loup (Callaway/Arnold) 33

Area NSAA Basketball Scores from 12-5

Kwik Stop Pregame set for 5:15 PM on FM 98.1 / AM 1410 and video livestreaming on our Cedar Room Livestream

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 </figure><h2></h2>Kwik Stop Pregame set for 5:15 PM on FM 98.1 / AM 1410 and video livestreaming on our Cedar Room Livestream

NPHS Basketball - Norfolk Vs. North Platte

Kearney, Neb. – The second-ranked Nebraska Kearney volleyball team kept its 2025 season alive by using a reverse sweep to get past Oklahoma Baptist (22-25, -21-25, -12, -18, -12) Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament in Kearney.

The Lopers (30-3) are the top seed in the eight-team Central Regional and advance to Friday’s second semifinal match vs. fourth-seed St. Cloud State (27-6). First serve will be no earlier than 7:30 p.m. On the other side of the bracket is sixth-seed Washburn (27-4) and second-seed Concordia-St. Paul (27-5). That match starts at 4 p.m.

“You get out of one like that and it’s kind of ‘whew.’ It was not looking good for a while and I was certainly proud of our group for hanging in there,” said UNK head coach Rick Squiers. “I wasn’t surprised the matchup was difficult for us because we had plenty of time to watch them on film and that’s kind of what they are. They were coming together at the right time of the year, they are really physical on the pins, they were able to take away our outside attack in different rotations and put pressure on us from the service line."

The OBU Bison (22-10) came in as the eighth seed after winning the Great American Conference (GAC) Tournament. Using a balanced attack, multiple setters and big block, OBU more than held its own as they pretty much led the first two sets from start to finish. UNK got withing 23-22 in set one and 23-21 in set two but found itself in a rare 2-0 hole.

The Lopers began to warm up as they hit .379 (13-2-29) in the third set and .350 (18-4-40) in the fourth to tie things at two. On the other side of the net, OBU had just 18 combined kills in these sets and hit -.029 in the third. Not surprisingly, the Lopers never trailed in either.

“It turned into a slugfest and kind of a defensive matchup. I thought we played pretty good defense for most of the match, but it was frustrating to look down and see we’re holding them to .160, .150 and losing the first two sets,” said Squiers. “Fortunately, we had some girls that didn’t want their season to end today. They reached down and found a little extra.”

But the momentum swung back to the Green &amp; White as they jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the fifth. UNK called timeout and it worked as they went on a 7-2 run that featured kills by four different players, two OBU unforced errors and solo block from sophomore middle Sidney Davis (Danneborg).

The teams were tied at eight, nine and 10 all before the Lopers closed on a 5-2 spurt. Sophomore right side Brynn Stowell (Olathe, Kan.) had four kills down the stretch with a Bison service error being the other point.  

“(In the fifth set timeout) we talked about how a lot of 5-0, 5-1 leads evaporate in fifth sets for some reason. You tend to play a little bit differently with that kind of lead, you can’t wait for the end, you start pressing a little, and you’ve got something to lose now,” said Squiers. “So, we try to sell them that concept a little bit but it’s true. We had a mini-run to get right back into int which was huge.”

Five Lopers were between 11-13 kills including Davis, Kansas senior middle Abby Rose (.526 pct.), and Stowell (.323 pct.). Davis then added a team-best eight blocks. Next, Indiana junior libero Ellie Spang had 24 digs and was 20 for 20 in serve receive with Kansas sophomore DS Anna Laincz 27 for 27 in the serve game and digging 11 balls. Finally, North Platte graduate setter Peyton Neff provided 53 assists, 16 digs, six kills and two blocks.

OBU was led by Washburn transfer Rylee Unruh (16 kills, 52 of 53 in serve receive), outside Lauren Safrit (17 kills, 16 digs) and libero Karsyn Hunter (27 digs, nine assists).

Washburn 3, Wayne State 0 (-16, -14, -22)

Concordia-St. Paul 3, Central Oklahoma 0 (-11, -22, -23)

St. Cloud State 3, Missouri Western State 1 (-21, -11, 25-27, -21)

<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Funkathletics%2Fposts%2Fpfbid036Q1t64n1CrDcio4JUrVjy5A5f8nVSZCw3msaGyFXQZJDE1RouHFhikavYpcxwLpbl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="674" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Kearney, Neb. – The second-ranked Nebraska Kearney volleyball team kept its 2025 season alive by using a reverse sweep to get past Oklahoma Baptist (22-25, -21-25, -12, -18, -12) Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament in Kearney.The Lopers (30-3) are the top seed in the eight-team Central Regional and advance to Friday’s second semifinal match vs. fourth-seed St. Cloud State (27-6). First serve will be no earlier than 7:30 p.m. On the other side of the bracket is sixth-seed Washburn (27-4) and second-seed Concordia-St. Paul (27-5). That match starts at 4 p.m.“You get out of one like that and it’s kind of ‘whew.’ It was not looking good for a while and I was certainly proud of our group for hanging in there,” said UNK head coach Rick Squiers. “I wasn’t surprised the matchup was difficult for us because we had plenty of time to watch them on film and that’s kind of what they are. They were coming together at the right time of the year, they are really physical on the pins, they were able to take away our outside attack in different rotations and put pressure on us from the service line."The OBU Bison (22-10) came in as the eighth seed after winning the Great American Conference (GAC) Tournament. Using a balanced attack, multiple setters and big block, OBU more than held its own as they pretty much led the first two sets from start to finish. UNK got withing 23-22 in set one and 23-21 in set two but found itself in a rare 2-0 hole.The Lopers began to warm up as they hit .379 (13-2-29) in the third set and .350 (18-4-40) in the fourth to tie things at two. On the other side of the net, OBU had just 18 combined kills in these sets and hit -.029 in the third. Not surprisingly, the Lopers never trailed in either.“It turned into a slugfest and kind of a defensive matchup. I thought we played pretty good defense for most of the match, but it was frustrating to look down and see we’re holding them to .160, .150 and losing the first two sets,” said Squiers. “Fortunately, we had some girls that didn’t want their season to end today. They reached down and found a little extra.”But the momentum swung back to the Green &amp; White as they jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the fifth. UNK called timeout and it worked as they went on a 7-2 run that featured kills by four different players, two OBU unforced errors and solo block from sophomore middle Sidney Davis (Danneborg).The teams were tied at eight, nine and 10 all before the Lopers closed on a 5-2 spurt. Sophomore right side Brynn Stowell (Olathe, Kan.) had four kills down the stretch with a Bison service error being the other point. “(In the fifth set timeout) we talked about how a lot of 5-0, 5-1 leads evaporate in fifth sets for some reason. You tend to play a little bit differently with that kind of lead, you can’t wait for the end, you start pressing a little, and you’ve got something to lose now,” said Squiers. “So, we try to sell them that concept a little bit but it’s true. We had a mini-run to get right back into int which was huge.”Five Lopers were between 11-13 kills including Davis, Kansas senior middle Abby Rose (.526 pct.), and Stowell (.323 pct.). Davis then added a team-best eight blocks. Next, Indiana junior libero Ellie Spang had 24 digs and was 20 for 20 in serve receive with Kansas sophomore DS Anna Laincz 27 for 27 in the serve game and digging 11 balls. Finally, North Platte graduate setter Peyton Neff provided 53 assists, 16 digs, six kills and two blocks.OBU was led by Washburn transfer Rylee Unruh (16 kills, 52 of 53 in serve receive), outside Lauren Safrit (17 kills, 16 digs) and libero Karsyn Hunter (27 digs, nine assists).Other Tournament ScoresWashburn 3, Wayne State 0 (-16, -14, -22)Concordia-St. Paul 3, Central Oklahoma 0 (-11, -22, -23)St. Cloud State 3, Missouri Western State 1 (-21, -11, 25-27, -21)

Former North Platte High School alumni lead Lopers to Regional Semi-Final game 

On today's late episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jacob Brandl, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Men's Basketball team, and dived into the recent struggles the team has faced over the past three games, and discussed an impressive victory against Hastings College JV on Monday.

<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><div><iframe title="🎙️ Knight's Weekly #9 2025 featuring North Platte Community College Men's Basketball Coach Jacob Brandl" 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=9y8cw-19e14d0-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=654771&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=3ab278" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>On today's late episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jacob Brandl, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Men's Basketball team, and dived into the recent struggles the team has faced over the past three games, and discussed an impressive victory against Hastings College JV on Monday.

🎙️ Knight's Weekly #9 2025 featuring North Platte Community College Men's Basketball Coach Jacob Brandl

Story by NU Athletic Communications

Lincoln&nbsp;- Britt Prince led five Huskers in double figures with 17 points, and Jessica Petrie added her first double-double of the season, as Nebraska tied a school record by hitting the 80-point scoring mark for the eighth consecutive game in a 92-53 women's basketball win over Bradley on Wednesday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Prince hit 7-of-9 shots from the field, including 2-of-3 threes, while adding five assists and four rebounds in an efficient effort to help Nebraska improve to 8-0 on the season, while Bradley slipped to 4-4.

Petrie scored all 15 of her points in the first half before grabbing her 10th rebound in the third quarter to secure her second career double-double.

Amiah Hargrove continued her strong early season play with 13 points and six rebounds in just 13 minutes off the bench. The 6-2 forward from Christopher, Ill., hit 5-of-8 shots from the floor.

Petra Bozan just missed a double-double of her own with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go along with nine rebounds in 19 minutes of work.

Logan Nissley rounded out the five Huskers in double figures with 10 points, five rebounds, a career-high seven assists, no turnovers and two steals in 17 minutes off the bench.&nbsp;

Callin Hake's line was also impressive, as the senior guard finished with seven points, seven rebounds and six assists without a turnover. Eliza Maupin added seven points - all in the second quarter- to go with three boards, a steal and a blocked shot.

In all, 11 Huskers found the scoring column, nine players grabbed at least one rebound and seven players dished out at least one assist in a dominant effort for the Big Red.

As a team, Nebraska shot 56.1 percent (37-66) from the field, despite going just 6-of-21 (.286) from three-point range and 63.2 percent (12-19) from the free throw line. The Huskers produced a season-high plus-23 rebound margin (48-25) against the Braves and won the turnover battle, 17-11, while dishing out 26 assists.

The Huskers held Bradley to just 32.8 percent (20-61) shooting, including 7-of-31 (.226) from long range. The Braves hit 6-of-7 free throws.

Kaylen Nelson, who entered the game averaging nearly 20 points per contest, was the only Brave to manage double figures with 13 points. Maya Foz added nine points, and Kali Fortson contributed eight points and four rebounds.

Nebraska trailed 5-2 in the first two minutes before Hargrove scored six straight points in a one-minute span midway through the first quarter to help fuel a 15-2 surge that gave the Huskers a 17-7 lead. Nissley and Petrie hit back-to-back threes to give NU its biggest lead of the opening quarter at 20-9 with 3:15 left, before Bradley responded and trimmed the margin to 22-16 at the end of the first.

Nebraska opened the second quarter on an 11-0 run that included five straight points from Maupin to push the lead to 33-16 with 6:05 left in the half. Petrie then caught fire, scoring 10 points in just over four minutes to extend the NU lead to 47-26 with 51 seconds left in the half.&nbsp;

The Huskers took a 48-28 lead to halftime.&nbsp;Petrie went 7-of-9 from the floor in the half to put up 15 points while grabbing four rebounds, as the Huskers hit 22-of-36 shots (.611), despite going just 2-for-11 (.182) from three-point range in the opening 20 minutes.&nbsp;

Nebraska shared the ball exceptionally well in the half with 16 assists on 22 made baskets while committing just five first-half turnovers. The Huskers forced eight miscues by Bradley and limited the Braves to just four assists.

Nelson led Bradley with eight points, but the Huskers held the Braves to just 11-of-30 first-half shooting, including 2-of-11 from long range. Nebraska outrebounded Bradley 23-10 in the half.

The Big Red bolted out of the locker room after halftime on a 12-2 surge that included points from five different Huskers to take a 60-30 lead with 5:15 left in the period. Nissley scored the final five points of the quarter for NU to send the Huskers to the fourth with a 65-36 advantage.

Nebraska opens Big Ten Conference play on Saturday at Penn State. Tip-off between the Huskers and Lady Lions (6-1) is set for Noon (CT) at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College. The game can be heard across the Huskers Radio Network, including Huskers.com and the Huskers App. A live video stream will be available B1G+ subscribers.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsLincoln&nbsp;- Britt Prince led five Huskers in double figures with 17 points, and Jessica Petrie added her first double-double of the season, as Nebraska tied a school record by hitting the 80-point scoring mark for the eighth consecutive game in a 92-53 women's basketball win over Bradley on Wednesday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena.Prince hit 7-of-9 shots from the field, including 2-of-3 threes, while adding five assists and four rebounds in an efficient effort to help Nebraska improve to 8-0 on the season, while Bradley slipped to 4-4.Petrie scored all 15 of her points in the first half before grabbing her 10th rebound in the third quarter to secure her second career double-double.Amiah Hargrove continued her strong early season play with 13 points and six rebounds in just 13 minutes off the bench. The 6-2 forward from Christopher, Ill., hit 5-of-8 shots from the floor.Petra Bozan just missed a double-double of her own with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go along with nine rebounds in 19 minutes of work.Logan Nissley rounded out the five Huskers in double figures with 10 points, five rebounds, a career-high seven assists, no turnovers and two steals in 17 minutes off the bench.&nbsp;Callin Hake's line was also impressive, as the senior guard finished with seven points, seven rebounds and six assists without a turnover. Eliza Maupin added seven points - all in the second quarter- to go with three boards, a steal and a blocked shot.In all, 11 Huskers found the scoring column, nine players grabbed at least one rebound and seven players dished out at least one assist in a dominant effort for the Big Red.As a team, Nebraska shot 56.1 percent (37-66) from the field, despite going just 6-of-21 (.286) from three-point range and 63.2 percent (12-19) from the free throw line. The Huskers produced a season-high plus-23 rebound margin (48-25) against the Braves and won the turnover battle, 17-11, while dishing out 26 assists.The Huskers held Bradley to just 32.8 percent (20-61) shooting, including 7-of-31 (.226) from long range. The Braves hit 6-of-7 free throws.Kaylen Nelson, who entered the game averaging nearly 20 points per contest, was the only Brave to manage double figures with 13 points. Maya Foz added nine points, and Kali Fortson contributed eight points and four rebounds.Nebraska trailed 5-2 in the first two minutes before Hargrove scored six straight points in a one-minute span midway through the first quarter to help fuel a 15-2 surge that gave the Huskers a 17-7 lead. Nissley and Petrie hit back-to-back threes to give NU its biggest lead of the opening quarter at 20-9 with 3:15 left, before Bradley responded and trimmed the margin to 22-16 at the end of the first.Nebraska opened the second quarter on an 11-0 run that included five straight points from Maupin to push the lead to 33-16 with 6:05 left in the half. Petrie then caught fire, scoring 10 points in just over four minutes to extend the NU lead to 47-26 with 51 seconds left in the half.&nbsp;The Huskers took a 48-28 lead to halftime.&nbsp;Petrie went 7-of-9 from the floor in the half to put up 15 points while grabbing four rebounds, as the Huskers hit 22-of-36 shots (.611), despite going just 2-for-11 (.182) from three-point range in the opening 20 minutes.&nbsp;Nebraska shared the ball exceptionally well in the half with 16 assists on 22 made baskets while committing just five first-half turnovers. The Huskers forced eight miscues by Bradley and limited the Braves to just four assists.Nelson led Bradley with eight points, but the Huskers held the Braves to just 11-of-30 first-half shooting, including 2-of-11 from long range. Nebraska outrebounded Bradley 23-10 in the half.The Big Red bolted out of the locker room after halftime on a 12-2 surge that included points from five different Huskers to take a 60-30 lead with 5:15 left in the period. Nissley scored the final five points of the quarter for NU to send the Huskers to the fourth with a 65-36 advantage.Nebraska opens Big Ten Conference play on Saturday at Penn State. Tip-off between the Huskers and Lady Lions (6-1) is set for Noon (CT) at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College. The game can be heard across the Huskers Radio Network, including Huskers.com and the Huskers App. A live video stream will be available B1G+ subscribers.

Huskers blow by Bradley, 92-53

By Anthony Gorges JC/Little Apple Post

Kansas State Athletics announced on Wednesday that head football coach Chris Klieman was retiring. Klieman, who has spent seven years with the school and is 58 years old, stated that for the first time, he’s putting his family first and looks forward to spending more time with them moving forward. K-State held a press conference at the Vanier Family Football Complex on Wednesday afternoon where Klieman and Athletics Director Gene Taylor spoke about Klieman’s decision.

A full room of media and K-State staff gave Coach Klieman a round of applause as he made his way to the podium. Klieman began his press conference by thanking everyone for being there. “It just goes to show me that the good guys win,” Kansas State head football coach Chris Klieman said. “Doing things the right way, doing it with class and doing it with integrity is the right way. Guys, that’s the K-State way.”

Klieman said despite it being an emotional day, “I am at peace.” He noted that colleagues, former players, and parents of current players reached out to him and congratulated him and his wife, Rhonda. Klieman stated one of the reasons he was in the business of coaching was to have that kind of impact.

Chris Klieman previously served as head coach at North Dakota State before coming to Kansas State to lead the Wildcats. He held many other coaching positions after spending more than thirty years as a coach. “I am one of the lucky ones,” Klieman said. He pointed out that he spent fifteen years at his last two stops and noted that is very rare in the coaching profession. Current Kansas State Athletic Director (AD) Gene Taylor previously served as AD at North Dakota State and was the one who hired Klieman to be a head coach at both schools. Klieman expressed his thanks and gratitude to Taylor at the press conference.

Speaking about his twelve years as a head coach (five at NDSU and seven at K-State), Klieman said, “I am damn proud of the body of work that all of us put together.” He stated that he was up for the challenge of following in the footsteps of legendary K-State coach Bill Snyder, and said, “I think we did a pretty damn good job here.” Klieman closed out the press conference by thanking everyone “for allowing the Kliemans to come into Manhattan and build something here.” As Klieman left the press conference, he and Director of Athletics Gene Taylor shared a hug.

*Highlights for Klieman at K-State include winning the 2022 Big 12 Championship, winning eight or more games for four straight years, and qualifying for a bowl game in six out of seven years. (The only year KSU did not make a bowl game was during the 2020 COVID season.)

K-State Athletic Director Gene Taylor spoke after Klieman officially announced his retirement. Taylor was passionate that changes need to be made in the current era of college athletics. Taylor, a very close friend of Klieman, was very emotional when speaking to the media. “You just saw one of the greatest guys in this industry walk out of this room and retire from coaching, from the business that he loves,” Taylor said. He continued, “What really pisses me off is he is doing it because of where we are in this industry.” Taylor is referring to the new era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal, among other issues as well. “If we don’t get this thing fixed, and I am a part of that, as is every other AD in the country and conference commissioners, more really, really good guys like Chris Klieman are going to walk away from this business.”

When asked about the timeline of events and when he knew Klieman would retire, Gene Taylor said they met on Monday, where Klieman expressed he needed a few days to think about what he wanted to do. Taylor admitted he was somewhat caught off guard by the retirement talks because he thought they were meeting to discuss the bowl game and potential coaching/staffing changes.

Klieman told Taylor Wednesday morning he was going to retire, and Taylor admitted he had been emotional all day since their discussion. When asked about if Klieman would coach the bowl game, he said it is still being determined. He said he plans to meet with the players on Thursday and discuss it.

As for the rumors and speculation about a new head coach being named, Gene Taylor said at the press conference that he had not had any conversations prior to that moment. He said with the current landscape, the process will certainly move fast, but he wanted to wait and be respectful to Coach Klieman and let him announce his retirement before anything was officially done.

Lastly, Gene Taylor was very complimentary of Klieman’s seven-year run leading the Wildcats and thanked him for what he gave to the Kansas State program.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764815483798.jpeg" alt="Chris Klieman officially announcing his retirement at a press conference on Wednesday in the Vanier Family Football Complex.-photo photo" />
 <figcaption>Chris Klieman officially announcing his retirement at a press conference on Wednesday in the Vanier Family Football Complex.-photo photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By Anthony Gorges JC/Little Apple PostKansas State Athletics announced on Wednesday that head football coach Chris Klieman was retiring. Klieman, who has spent seven years with the school and is 58 years old, stated that for the first time, he’s putting his family first and looks forward to spending more time with them moving forward. K-State held a press conference at the Vanier Family Football Complex on Wednesday afternoon where Klieman and Athletics Director Gene Taylor spoke about Klieman’s decision.A full room of media and K-State staff gave Coach Klieman a round of applause as he made his way to the podium. Klieman began his press conference by thanking everyone for being there. “It just goes to show me that the good guys win,” Kansas State head football coach Chris Klieman said. “Doing things the right way, doing it with class and doing it with integrity is the right way. Guys, that’s the K-State way.”Klieman said despite it being an emotional day, “I am at peace.” He noted that colleagues, former players, and parents of current players reached out to him and congratulated him and his wife, Rhonda. Klieman stated one of the reasons he was in the business of coaching was to have that kind of impact.Chris Klieman previously served as head coach at North Dakota State before coming to Kansas State to lead the Wildcats. He held many other coaching positions after spending more than thirty years as a coach. “I am one of the lucky ones,” Klieman said. He pointed out that he spent fifteen years at his last two stops and noted that is very rare in the coaching profession. Current Kansas State Athletic Director (AD) Gene Taylor previously served as AD at North Dakota State and was the one who hired Klieman to be a head coach at both schools. Klieman expressed his thanks and gratitude to Taylor at the press conference.Speaking about his twelve years as a head coach (five at NDSU and seven at K-State), Klieman said, “I am damn proud of the body of work that all of us put together.” He stated that he was up for the challenge of following in the footsteps of legendary K-State coach Bill Snyder, and said, “I think we did a pretty damn good job here.” Klieman closed out the press conference by thanking everyone “for allowing the Kliemans to come into Manhattan and build something here.” As Klieman left the press conference, he and Director of Athletics Gene Taylor shared a hug.*Highlights for Klieman at K-State include winning the 2022 Big 12 Championship, winning eight or more games for four straight years, and qualifying for a bowl game in six out of seven years. (The only year KSU did not make a bowl game was during the 2020 COVID season.)<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764817709243.jpeg" alt="Gene Taylor speaking at Klieman's retirement press conference.-Post photo&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Gene Taylor speaking at Klieman's retirement press conference.-Post photo&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>K-State Athletic Director Gene Taylor spoke after Klieman officially announced his retirement. Taylor was passionate that changes need to be made in the current era of college athletics. Taylor, a very close friend of Klieman, was very emotional when speaking to the media. “You just saw one of the greatest guys in this industry walk out of this room and retire from coaching, from the business that he loves,” Taylor said. He continued, “What really pisses me off is he is doing it because of where we are in this industry.” Taylor is referring to the new era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal, among other issues as well. “If we don’t get this thing fixed, and I am a part of that, as is every other AD in the country and conference commissioners, more really, really good guys like Chris Klieman are going to walk away from this business.”When asked about the timeline of events and when he knew Klieman would retire, Gene Taylor said they met on Monday, where Klieman expressed he needed a few days to think about what he wanted to do. Taylor admitted he was somewhat caught off guard by the retirement talks because he thought they were meeting to discuss the bowl game and potential coaching/staffing changes.Klieman told Taylor Wednesday morning he was going to retire, and Taylor admitted he had been emotional all day since their discussion. When asked about if Klieman would coach the bowl game, he said it is still being determined. He said he plans to meet with the players on Thursday and discuss it.As for the rumors and speculation about a new head coach being named, Gene Taylor said at the press conference that he had not had any conversations prior to that moment. He said with the current landscape, the process will certainly move fast, but he wanted to wait and be respectful to Coach Klieman and let him announce his retirement before anything was officially done.Lastly, Gene Taylor was very complimentary of Klieman’s seven-year run leading the Wildcats and thanked him for what he gave to the Kansas State program.

K-State’s Chris Klieman and AD Gene Taylor discuss Klieman's decision to retire

By Allison Peck | North Platte Post/Sandhills Post

The World Boxing Council has stripped Terence “Bud” Crawford of its super-middleweight world title, ending his reign less than three months after his landmark victory over Canelo Álvarez. The WBC announced its decision on December 3, stating that Crawford failed to pay required sanctioning fees for his last two fights, including the September bout that crowned him undisputed at 168 pounds.

Crawford captured the title on September 30, 2025, when he defeated Álvarez in one of the year’s most anticipated matchups. The win made him the first male boxer in the four-belt era to become undisputed champion in three divisions. His return to Omaha drew thousands to a celebratory parade and homecoming event, but the night took a turn in the early morning hours. Around 1:30 a.m., Omaha police stopped Crawford for alleged reckless driving. Officers reported seeing a firearm on the floorboard and ordered Crawford and his passengers out of the vehicle at gunpoint before briefly detaining them. All occupants were legally permitted to carry firearms, including a member of Crawford’s security team, and Crawford was ultimately cited only for reckless driving. Even so, the stop attracted national attention and shifted the conversation surrounding Crawford from a career-defining victory to unexpected controversy.

In the weeks that followed, the WBC says it reached out repeatedly to Crawford, his manager, and his legal team regarding the reduced sanctioning fee he owed from the Álvarez fight. According to ESPN, the organization lowered the fee to roughly $300,000—down from its usual three percent—due to the size of Crawford’s purse, but officials say they never received a response or payment. WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán called the silence “a slap in the face,” emphasizing the body’s role in approving and sanctioning the fight that delivered Crawford another historic milestone. With no communication from the fighter’s camp, the WBC declared the title vacant.

The decision ends Crawford’s brief tenure as the WBC’s super-middleweight champion, breaking the undisputed status he achieved in September. He retains his other belts, but the loss of the WBC strap marks a significant setback and adds another layer to what has become a turbulent period following what should have been a celebratory high point in his career.

The WBC has already ordered a fight between interim champion Christian Mbilli and contender Hamzah Sheeraz to determine the new titleholder. The outcome of that matchup will reshape the top of the division, while Crawford’s next move remains uncertain. He has not commented publicly on the stripping of the title or the fee dispute, leaving open questions about whether he will attempt to regain the belt, move forward in another division, or pursue other high-profile opportunities.

For now, Crawford’s remarkable run at 168 pounds, highlighted by a historic victory over Canelo Álvarez, has been overtaken by administrative disputes, legal attention, and organizational fallout—an abrupt and complicated turn for one of boxing’s most accomplished champions.

History of Title Revocations and Vacancies

Terence “Bud” Crawford has faced multiple instances where boxing’s governing bodies have stripped or vacated his titles, highlighting the sometimes complicated intersection of in-ring performance, contractual obligations, and sanctioning rules. In November 2023, Crawford was stripped of the IBF welterweight title after a contractual rematch with Errol Spence Jr. conflicted with the IBF’s mandatory defense requirement against Jaron Ennis. The IBF does not recognize rematch clauses as an exception to compulsory defenses, leaving Crawford without the belt despite his previous victory.

By Allison Peck | North Platte Post/Sandhills Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1764789063977.png" alt="Terence "Bud" Crawford (Terence Crawford Instagram)" />
 <figcaption>Terence "Bud" Crawford (Terence Crawford Instagram)</figcaption>
 </figure>The World Boxing Council has stripped Terence “Bud” Crawford of its super-middleweight world title, ending his reign less than three months after his landmark victory over Canelo Álvarez. The WBC announced its decision on December 3, stating that Crawford failed to pay required sanctioning fees for his last two fights, including the September bout that crowned him undisputed at 168 pounds.<div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DOktLePDsEx/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DOktLePDsEx/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; 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transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DOktLePDsEx/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Terence Bud Crawford (@tbudcrawford)</a></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>Crawford captured the title on September 30, 2025, when he defeated Álvarez in one of the year’s most anticipated matchups. The win made him the first male boxer in the four-belt era to become undisputed champion in three divisions. His return to Omaha drew thousands to a celebratory parade and homecoming event, but the night took a turn in the early morning hours. Around 1:30 a.m., Omaha police stopped Crawford for alleged reckless driving. Officers reported seeing a firearm on the floorboard and ordered Crawford and his passengers out of the vehicle at gunpoint before briefly detaining them. All occupants were legally permitted to carry firearms, including a member of Crawford’s security team, and Crawford was ultimately cited only for reckless driving. Even so, the stop attracted national attention and shifted the conversation surrounding Crawford from a career-defining victory to unexpected controversy.In the weeks that followed, the WBC says it reached out repeatedly to Crawford, his manager, and his legal team regarding the reduced sanctioning fee he owed from the Álvarez fight. According to ESPN, the organization lowered the fee to roughly $300,000—down from its usual three percent—due to the size of Crawford’s purse, but officials say they never received a response or payment. WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán called the silence “a slap in the face,” emphasizing the body’s role in approving and sanctioning the fight that delivered Crawford another historic milestone. With no communication from the fighter’s camp, the WBC declared the title vacant.The decision ends Crawford’s brief tenure as the WBC’s super-middleweight champion, breaking the undisputed status he achieved in September. He retains his other belts, but the loss of the WBC strap marks a significant setback and adds another layer to what has become a turbulent period following what should have been a celebratory high point in his career.The WBC has already ordered a fight between interim champion Christian Mbilli and contender Hamzah Sheeraz to determine the new titleholder. The outcome of that matchup will reshape the top of the division, while Crawford’s next move remains uncertain. He has not commented publicly on the stripping of the title or the fee dispute, leaving open questions about whether he will attempt to regain the belt, move forward in another division, or pursue other high-profile opportunities.For now, Crawford’s remarkable run at 168 pounds, highlighted by a historic victory over Canelo Álvarez, has been overtaken by administrative disputes, legal attention, and organizational fallout—an abrupt and complicated turn for one of boxing’s most accomplished champions.<h2>History of Title Revocations and Vacancies</h2>Terence “Bud” Crawford has faced multiple instances where boxing’s governing bodies have stripped or vacated his titles, highlighting the sometimes complicated intersection of in-ring performance, contractual obligations, and sanctioning rules. In November 2023, Crawford was stripped of the IBF welterweight title after a contractual rematch with Errol Spence Jr. conflicted with the IBF’s mandatory defense requirement against Jaron Ennis. The IBF does not recognize rematch clauses as an exception to compulsory defenses, leaving Crawford without the belt despite his previous victory.

Omaha's Terence “Bud” Crawford Stripped of WBC Title After Sanctioning Fee Dispute

On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jeff Thurman, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Women's Basketball team, and discussed a record-breaking performance vs Midland University JV and what they need to take from that game to keep the momentum going.

<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><div><iframe title="🎙️ Knight's Weekly #5 2025 featuring North Platte Community College Women's Basketball Coach Jeff Thurman" 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=9yp68-19de4ca-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=c73a3a&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=3ab278" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jeff Thurman, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Women's Basketball team, and discussed a record-breaking performance vs Midland University JV and what they need to take from that game to keep the momentum going.

🎙️ Knight's Weekly #6 2025 featuring North Platte Community College Women's Basketball Coach Jeff Thurman

After completing the Big Ten's first 20-0 campaign since 2009, the Nebraska volleyball program was well represented in the Big Ten Volleyball Postseason Honors announced on Tuesday. 

Junior setter Bergen Reilly was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Setter of the Year. Head Coach Dani Busboom Kelly was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year by both the coaches and media. 

Reilly was joined on the All-Big Ten First Team by Rebekah Allick, Andi Jackson and Harper Murray. Jackson, Murray and Reilly were three of nine unanimous selections. 

Laney Choboy and Taylor Landfair were selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team. Virginia Adriano was named to the All-Freshman Team, and Maisie Boesiger earned a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. 

Reilly became the first setter to win Big Ten Player of the Year since Minnesota's Samantha Seliger-Swenson in 2018. She is Nebraska's second-ever Big Ten Player of the Year (Kelsey Robinson, 2013) and the first Husker setter to earn conference player of the year since Greichaly Cepero in 2002. Reilly also became the second player in Big Ten history to be named Big Ten Setter of the Year three times (Sydney Hilley, Wisconsin). 

In her first year as head coach at Nebraska, Busboom Kelly has made history with a 30-0 regular-season record and 20-0 mark in Big Ten play. She was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year after becoming the first coach to win a Big Ten volleyball conference title in the first year as head coach at the school. Busboom Kelly has won four conference coach of the year honors in the last six years, as she was a three-time ACC Coach of the Year at Louisville (2020, 2021, 2022). Busboom Kelly has had two undefeated regular seasons in her nine-year coaching career (2021 at Louisville). 

Reilly and Murray are three-time All-Big Ten First Team selections. Jackson earned her third career All-Big Ten honor and second selection to the first team. Allick earned her third career All-Big Ten honor, but her first selection to the first team.

Landfair is a four-time All-Big Ten honoree, while Choboy was named All-Big Ten for the first time in her career.

• Senior middle blocker Rebekah Allick is having the best season of her standout career with 2.52 kills per set on .431 hitting with a team-high 1.33 blocks per set. 

• Allick’s blocks per set and hitting percentage rank third in the Big Ten, and the latter ranks 11th nationally.

• Allick’s .431 hitting percentage ranks as the No. 6 single-season mark in school history.

• Allick ranks No. 5 in career blocks at Nebraska in the rally scoring era with 531, which also ranks No. 4 among active Division I players.

• Allick has been named AVCA National Player of the Week, a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, and to the AVCA All-First Serve Team.

• Allick was on the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List at the midway point of the season.

• Junior middle blocker Andi Jackson is averaging 2.75 kills per set on .471 hitting with 1.13 blocks per set and is an AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist.

• Jackson’s hitting percentage leads the nation and ranks as the second-best single-season hitting percentage in school history behind Tracy Stalls (.473 in 2007).

• In conference-only matches, Jackson hit .559 to break the Big Ten record for hitting percentage in conference-only matches in a season, which was .541 by Arielle Wilson from Penn State in 2008.

• The reigning AVCA All-American has a career hitting percentage of .437, which is the No. 1 mark in school history and the No. 1 mark among active Division I players. 

• Jackson earned Big Ten Player of the Week, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and AVCA First Serve Match MVP honors this season. 

• Outside hitter Harper Murray is having a sensational junior season. The two-time AVCA All-American leads the balanced Huskers with career highs of 3.55 kills per set and a .304 hitting percentage.

• Murray averages 2.15 digs per set and has a team-high 28 aces along with 56 blocks for a team-leading 4.21 points per set, and she is an AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist.

• One of the best passers in the nation at her position, Murray has 348 reception attempts on the season and is passing 2.50.

• A Big Ten Player of the Week honoree this season, Murray has 1,132 career kills, which ranks 21st in school history. She needs 18 more to move into the top 20 all-time at NU. 

• Murray is seventh in school history in the rally scoring era in career aces with 103.

• Junior setter Bergen Reilly orchestrates the balanced Husker attack with 10.31 assists per set, despite playing partial sets a number of times, and she is an AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist. 

• Behind Reilly’s setting, the Huskers are on pace for a single-season school record with a .352 team hitting percentage, which ranks first nationally and is the best hitting percentage by a Big Ten team since 2009 Penn State.

• Reilly has set Nebraska to a .400 or better hitting percentage seven times this season. Only the 2005 Huskers had more matches over .400 (eight times).

• A standout defensive player, Reilly is a huge reason the Huskers rank first nationally in opponent hitting percentage (.125). She is second on the team in digs (2.73 per set) and has 59 blocks.

• Reilly has double-doubles in all five of the Husker matches that have gone longer than three sets, and she has three double-doubles in sweeps. She also has 65 kills on a .400 attack percentage and has 14 aces.  

• Of Reilly’s top five attacking options, all five average at least 2.06 kills per set, and all five are having career-best years hitting at least .287 or better. Four of the five have hitting percentages over .300.

• A two-time Big Ten Setter of the Year and AVCA All-American, Reilly has been named Big Ten Setter of the Week four times this season and 13 times in her career.  

• Reilly ranks No. 3 in school history in career assists in the rally scoring era with 3,562.

• Reilly’s career assists per set average of 10.66 ranks No. 4 among active Division I players and No. 2 in school history in the rally scoring era.

• Junior libero Laney Choboy leads the Huskers in digs at 2.74 per set, as the Huskers rank first nationally in opponent hitting percentage at .125. 

• Choboy was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 10 after a career-high 20 digs against Illinois and 15 digs at Minnesota. 

• Choboy was also on the AVCA All-First Serve Team in August after 16 digs against Pittsburgh. 

Taylor Landfair, Sr., OH, Plainfield, Ill.

• Senior outside hitter Taylor Landfair averages 2.06 kills per set and is hitting a career-best .320.

• In Big Ten play, Landfair’s numbers are even better at 2.08 kills per set with a .355 hitting percentage.

• Landfair has 1,517 career kills, which ranks 19th among active Division I players.

• A 2022 AVCA All-American, Landfair has played in 149 career matches, the most by any active DI player. 

• Freshman opposite hitter Virginia Adriano was a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week and averages 2.21 kills per set with a .287 hitting percentage in her first season playing volleyball in America. 

• Adriano also contributes 0.62 blocks per set and has 13 service aces on the year.

• In Big Ten play, Adriano came on strong with 2.34 kills per set on .318 hitting. 

2025 BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL POSTSEASON HONORS   

Player of the Year: Bergen Reilly, Jr., S, Nebraska 

Setter of the Year: Bergen Reilly, Jr., Nebraska 

Libero of the Year: Gillian Grimes, Sr., Penn State 

Freshman of the Year: Alanah Clemente, OPP, Oregon 

Coach of the Year (Coaches &amp; Media): Dani Busboom Kelly, Nebraska 

Candela Alonso-Corcelles, Sr., OH, Indiana 

Karolina Staniszewska, Jr., OH, Michigan State 

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsAfter completing the Big Ten's first 20-0 campaign since 2009, the Nebraska volleyball program was well represented in the Big Ten Volleyball Postseason Honors announced on Tuesday. Junior setter Bergen Reilly was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Setter of the Year. Head Coach Dani Busboom Kelly was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year by both the coaches and media. Reilly was joined on the All-Big Ten First Team by Rebekah Allick, Andi Jackson and Harper Murray. Jackson, Murray and Reilly were three of nine unanimous selections. Laney Choboy and Taylor Landfair were selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team. Virginia Adriano was named to the All-Freshman Team, and Maisie Boesiger earned a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. Reilly became the first setter to win Big Ten Player of the Year since Minnesota's Samantha Seliger-Swenson in 2018. She is Nebraska's second-ever Big Ten Player of the Year (Kelsey Robinson, 2013) and the first Husker setter to earn conference player of the year since Greichaly Cepero in 2002. Reilly also became the second player in Big Ten history to be named Big Ten Setter of the Year three times (Sydney Hilley, Wisconsin). In her first year as head coach at Nebraska, Busboom Kelly has made history with a 30-0 regular-season record and 20-0 mark in Big Ten play. She was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year after becoming the first coach to win a Big Ten volleyball conference title in the first year as head coach at the school. Busboom Kelly has won four conference coach of the year honors in the last six years, as she was a three-time ACC Coach of the Year at Louisville (2020, 2021, 2022). Busboom Kelly has had two undefeated regular seasons in her nine-year coaching career (2021 at Louisville). Reilly and Murray are three-time All-Big Ten First Team selections. Jackson earned her third career All-Big Ten honor and second selection to the first team. Allick earned her third career All-Big Ten honor, but her first selection to the first team.Landfair is a four-time All-Big Ten honoree, while Choboy was named All-Big Ten for the first time in her career.ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAMRebekah Allick, Sr., MB, Lincoln, Neb.• Senior middle blocker Rebekah Allick is having the best season of her standout career with 2.52 kills per set on .431 hitting with a team-high 1.33 blocks per set. • Allick’s blocks per set and hitting percentage rank third in the Big Ten, and the latter ranks 11th nationally.• Allick’s .431 hitting percentage ranks as the No. 6 single-season mark in school history.• Allick ranks No. 5 in career blocks at Nebraska in the rally scoring era with 531, which also ranks No. 4 among active Division I players.• Allick has been named AVCA National Player of the Week, a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, and to the AVCA All-First Serve Team.• Allick was on the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List at the midway point of the season.Andi Jackson, Jr., MB, Brighton, Colo.• Junior middle blocker Andi Jackson is averaging 2.75 kills per set on .471 hitting with 1.13 blocks per set and is an AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist.• Jackson’s hitting percentage leads the nation and ranks as the second-best single-season hitting percentage in school history behind Tracy Stalls (.473 in 2007).• In conference-only matches, Jackson hit .559 to break the Big Ten record for hitting percentage in conference-only matches in a season, which was .541 by Arielle Wilson from Penn State in 2008.• The reigning AVCA All-American has a career hitting percentage of .437, which is the No. 1 mark in school history and the No. 1 mark among active Division I players. • Jackson earned Big Ten Player of the Week, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and AVCA First Serve Match MVP honors this season. Harper Murray, Jr., OH, Ann Arbor, Mich.• Outside hitter Harper Murray is having a sensational junior season. The two-time AVCA All-American leads the balanced Huskers with career highs of 3.55 kills per set and a .304 hitting percentage.• Murray averages 2.15 digs per set and has a team-high 28 aces along with 56 blocks for a team-leading 4.21 points per set, and she is an AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist.• One of the best passers in the nation at her position, Murray has 348 reception attempts on the season and is passing 2.50.• A Big Ten Player of the Week honoree this season, Murray has 1,132 career kills, which ranks 21st in school history. She needs 18 more to move into the top 20 all-time at NU. • Murray is seventh in school history in the rally scoring era in career aces with 103.Bergen Reilly, Jr., S, Sioux Falls, S.D.• Junior setter Bergen Reilly orchestrates the balanced Husker attack with 10.31 assists per set, despite playing partial sets a number of times, and she is an AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist. • Behind Reilly’s setting, the Huskers are on pace for a single-season school record with a .352 team hitting percentage, which ranks first nationally and is the best hitting percentage by a Big Ten team since 2009 Penn State.• Reilly has set Nebraska to a .400 or better hitting percentage seven times this season. Only the 2005 Huskers had more matches over .400 (eight times).• A standout defensive player, Reilly is a huge reason the Huskers rank first nationally in opponent hitting percentage (.125). She is second on the team in digs (2.73 per set) and has 59 blocks.• Reilly has double-doubles in all five of the Husker matches that have gone longer than three sets, and she has three double-doubles in sweeps. She also has 65 kills on a .400 attack percentage and has 14 aces. • Of Reilly’s top five attacking options, all five average at least 2.06 kills per set, and all five are having career-best years hitting at least .287 or better. Four of the five have hitting percentages over .300.• A two-time Big Ten Setter of the Year and AVCA All-American, Reilly has been named Big Ten Setter of the Week four times this season and 13 times in her career. • Reilly ranks No. 3 in school history in career assists in the rally scoring era with 3,562.• Reilly’s career assists per set average of 10.66 ranks No. 4 among active Division I players and No. 2 in school history in the rally scoring era.ALL-BIG TEN SECOND TEAMLaney Choboy, Jr., DS/L, Raleigh, N.C. • Junior libero Laney Choboy leads the Huskers in digs at 2.74 per set, as the Huskers rank first nationally in opponent hitting percentage at .125. • Choboy was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 10 after a career-high 20 digs against Illinois and 15 digs at Minnesota. • Choboy was also on the AVCA All-First Serve Team in August after 16 digs against Pittsburgh. Taylor Landfair, Sr., OH, Plainfield, Ill.• Senior outside hitter Taylor Landfair averages 2.06 kills per set and is hitting a career-best .320.• In Big Ten play, Landfair’s numbers are even better at 2.08 kills per set with a .355 hitting percentage.• Landfair has 1,517 career kills, which ranks 19th among active Division I players.• A 2022 AVCA All-American, Landfair has played in 149 career matches, the most by any active DI player. ALL-FRESHMAN TEAMVirginia Adriano, Fr., OPP, Turin, Italy• Freshman opposite hitter Virginia Adriano was a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week and averages 2.21 kills per set with a .287 hitting percentage in her first season playing volleyball in America. • Adriano also contributes 0.62 blocks per set and has 13 service aces on the year.• In Big Ten play, Adriano came on strong with 2.34 kills per set on .318 hitting. 2025 BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL POSTSEASON HONORS Player of the Year: Bergen Reilly, Jr., S, Nebraska Setter of the Year: Bergen Reilly, Jr., Nebraska Libero of the Year: Gillian Grimes, Sr., Penn State Freshman of the Year: Alanah Clemente, OPP, Oregon Coach of the Year (Coaches &amp; Media): Dani Busboom Kelly, Nebraska ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM* Avry Tatum, Sr., OPP, Indiana Teodora Kričković, Fr., S, Indiana Candela Alonso-Corcelles, Sr., OH, Indiana ALLISON JACOBS, Gr., OH, Michigan JULIA HANSON, Sr., OH, Minnesota Rebekah Allick, Sr., MB, Nebraska ANDI JACKSON, Jr., MB, Nebraska HARPER MURRAY, Jr., OH, Nebraska BERGEN REILLY, Jr., S, Nebraska Alanah Clemente, Fr., OPP, Oregon Valentina Vaulet, Jr., OH, Oregon Gillian Grimes, Sr., L, Penn State KENNEDY MARTIN, Jr., OPP, Penn State Taylor Anderson, Jr., S, Purdue Grace Heaney, R-So., OPP, Purdue KENNA WOLLARD, Jr., OH, Purdue Cheridyn Leverette, Sr., OH, UCLA Lola Schumacher, So., L, UCLA Marianna Singletary, Jr., MB, UCLA Reese Messer, Fr., S, USC LONDON WIJAY, So., OH, USC Kierstyn Barton, Jr., OH, Washington Carter Booth, Sr., MB, Wisconsin MIMI COLYER, Sr., OH, Wisconsin Charlie Fuerbringer, So., S, Wisconsin ALL-BIG TEN SECOND TEAM* Taylor de Boer, R-So., OH, Illinois Kenna Phelan, Jr., S, Illinois Jaidyn Jager, Fr., OH, Indiana Claire Ammeraal, Sr., S, Iowa Milana Moisio, Sr., L, Iowa Serena Nyambio, Sr., MB, Michigan Karolina Staniszewska, Jr., OH, Michigan State Stella Swenson, R-Fr., S, Minnesota Taylor Landfair, Sr., OH, Nebraska Laney Choboy, Jr., L, Nebraska Ayah Elnady, Gr., OH, Northwestern Maggie Mendelson, Sr., MB, Penn State Akasha Anderson, Sr., OH, Purdue Ryan McAleer, So., L, Purdue Leah Ford, R-So., MB, USC Taylor Deckert, Fr., L, USC Zoria Heard, Sr., L, Washington ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM* Alyssa Aguayo, OH, Illinois Teodora Kričković, S, Indiana JAIDYN JAGER, OH, Indiana Stella Swenson, S, Minnesota Carly Gilk, OPP, Minnesota Virginia Adriano, OPP, Nebraska Alanah Clemente, OPP, Oregon Reese Messer, S, USC Abigail Mullen, OPP, USC Kristen Simon, L, Wisconsin SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREES Cari Bohm, Sr., MB, Illinois Luca Fickell, Jr., S, Indiana Milana Moisio, Sr., L, Iowa Alex McGillivray, Jr., L, Maryland Sydney Schnichels, R-So., OPP, Michigan Danyle Courtley, Gr., OH, Michigan State Lauren Crowl, R-Sr., OPP, Minnesota Maisie Boesiger, Sr., L, Nebraska Drew Wright, Jr., L, Northwestern Kamiah Gibson, Sr., S, Ohio State Maya De Los Reyes, Sr., L, Oregon Addie Lyon, Gr., S, Penn State Bianka Lulić, R-So., MB, Purdue Zora Hardison, Jr., MB, Rutgers Gala Trubint, Sr., L, USC Kate Duffey, So., S, UCLA Elise Hani, Jr., MB, Washington Alicia Andrew, R-Sr., MB, Wisconsin * - Additional player(s) due to tie in voting ALL CAPS denotes unanimous selection

Huskers haul in Big Ten Postseason honors

Hastings, Neb. – The North Platte Community College men’s basketball team returned to the win column Monday night with a 99–69 victory over Hastings College JV.

“It was good for the guys to see the ball go in,” said head coach Jacob Brandl. “In our last couple of games, we’ve had great looks, but we just couldn’t make anything. So, it was good to see multiple guys get their shot going again.”

North Platte set the tone early, opening the game on a 13–3 run that forced a Hastings timeout. The Knights continued to build on their momentum, scoring 20 of the next 34 points before the next timeout. Daniel Benjamin capped the first half with a layup in the final seconds, sending the Knights into the locker room with a commanding 27-point lead.

The second half opened with balanced scoring that helped the Knights extend their lead, before Hastings charged back with a 13-3 run. The Broncos managed to cut the margin to 18, but a late North Platte rally helped close out the win.

“As in any game, we had some mistakes we need to clean up, but overall, I’m really happy with the intensity we saw tonight,” Brandl said.

Knights (5-5) return to action on Friday against Laramie County. Tip is set for 8:30 p.m. at Ken Garff Court in Cheyenne, Wyo.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsHastings, Neb. – The North Platte Community College men’s basketball team returned to the win column Monday night with a 99–69 victory over Hastings College JV.“It was good for the guys to see the ball go in,” said head coach Jacob Brandl. “In our last couple of games, we’ve had great looks, but we just couldn’t make anything. So, it was good to see multiple guys get their shot going again.”North Platte set the tone early, opening the game on a 13–3 run that forced a Hastings timeout. The Knights continued to build on their momentum, scoring 20 of the next 34 points before the next timeout. Daniel Benjamin capped the first half with a layup in the final seconds, sending the Knights into the locker room with a commanding 27-point lead.The second half opened with balanced scoring that helped the Knights extend their lead, before Hastings charged back with a 13-3 run. The Broncos managed to cut the margin to 18, but a late North Platte rally helped close out the win.“As in any game, we had some mistakes we need to clean up, but overall, I’m really happy with the intensity we saw tonight,” Brandl said.Knights (5-5) return to action on Friday against Laramie County. Tip is set for 8:30 p.m. at Ken Garff Court in Cheyenne, Wyo.

Knights return to win column with victory over Hastings College JV

North Platte, Neb. – Reece Yahn set a new school record with 15 offensive rebounds as North Platte powered its way back into the win column with a 121-65 win over Midland University JV on Monday night.

"This was a great team win tonight," said head coach Jeff Thurman. “Proud of our unselfishness on the offensive end.”

The Knights came out firing, with a dominant 17–1 run before Midland finally broke through at the 5:34 mark. North Platte continued to control the pace, laying in 17 of the next 30 points to close the first quarter with a commanding 34-16 lead.

Dezirae Gonzales set the tone early in the second, knocking down a shot in the paint to ignite a 12-2 surge. The Knights defense held the Warriors to just 12 points for the rest of the quarter while adding 17 of their own to take a 33-point advantage into halftime.

North Platte’s momentum never wavered. Yahn’s short-range bucket pushed the Knights to the 70-point mark, and they wrapped up the third quarter just three points shy of triple digits.

Jasmine Gilbert opened the fourth with a deep three, pushing North Platte into triple digits. The Knights outscored Midland in every quarter and maintained complete control from start to finish, sealing the night with a dominant 56-point victory.

"Now we have two big games this weekend in Wyoming," Thurman said.

Knights (2-6) return to action on Friday against Laramie County. Tip is set for 6:30 p.m. at Ken Garff Court in Cheyenne, Wyo.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNorth Platte, Neb. – Reece Yahn set a new school record with 15 offensive rebounds as North Platte powered its way back into the win column with a 121-65 win over Midland University JV on Monday night."This was a great team win tonight," said head coach Jeff Thurman. “Proud of our unselfishness on the offensive end.”The Knights came out firing, with a dominant 17–1 run before Midland finally broke through at the 5:34 mark. North Platte continued to control the pace, laying in 17 of the next 30 points to close the first quarter with a commanding 34-16 lead.Dezirae Gonzales set the tone early in the second, knocking down a shot in the paint to ignite a 12-2 surge. The Knights defense held the Warriors to just 12 points for the rest of the quarter while adding 17 of their own to take a 33-point advantage into halftime.North Platte’s momentum never wavered. Yahn’s short-range bucket pushed the Knights to the 70-point mark, and they wrapped up the third quarter just three points shy of triple digits.Jasmine Gilbert opened the fourth with a deep three, pushing North Platte into triple digits. The Knights outscored Midland in every quarter and maintained complete control from start to finish, sealing the night with a dominant 56-point victory."Now we have two big games this weekend in Wyoming," Thurman said.Knights (2-6) return to action on Friday against Laramie County. Tip is set for 6:30 p.m. at Ken Garff Court in Cheyenne, Wyo.

Yahn breaks school record in win over Warriors

https://npccknights.com/watch_live

NPCC WBB vs. Midland JV

On today's late episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jacob Brandl, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Men's Basketball team, to discuss another tough loss this time against Frank Philips at home and what Coach Brandl is looking for from his team after the short Thanksgiving break.

<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>On today's late episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jacob Brandl, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Men's Basketball team, to discuss another tough loss this time against Frank Philips at home and what Coach Brandl is looking for from his team after the short Thanksgiving break.<div><iframe title="🎙️ Knight's Weekly #8 2025 featuring North Platte Community College Men's Basketball Coach Jacob Brandl" 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=gsgj4-19da4c6-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2baf9e" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎙️ Knight's Weekly #8 2025 featuring North Platte Community College Men's Basketball Coach Jacob Brandl

Story by NU Athletic Communications&nbsp;

The Nebraska volleyball team was selected as the No. 1 overall seed for the 2025 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship on Sunday night and will host the first and second rounds at John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center this Friday and Saturday.

The Huskers, making their 44th straight NCAA Tournament appearance and hosting the first round for the 40th time, will open the tournament on Friday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. against Long Island (20-8), champions of the Northeast Conference. The 4:30 p.m. match will feature San Diego (25-4) of the West Coast Conference and Kansas State (17-9) of the Big 12. Friday's winners will meet in the second round on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m.

A limited number of tickets to the first and second round matches in Lincoln go on sale at Huskers.com/Tickets on Sunday night at 7 p.m. First and second round matches will be streamed on ESPN+. Huskers Radio Network will have audio coverage of all Nebraska matches on Huskers Radio Network affiliates, Huskers.com and the Huskers app.

The top four overall seeds are Nebraska, Kentucky, Texas and Pittsburgh. Should Nebraska advance past the second round, it would host an NCAA Regional on Dec. 11-14 at the Devaney Center. The national seeds in the same region as Nebraska are No. 8 Louisville, No. 9 Texas A&amp;M and No. 16 Kansas. Two of the four regionals will be played on Thursday and Saturday. The other two will be played on Friday and Sunday. Regional dates and times will not be announced until the conclusion of the second round.

Nebraska will be playing Long Island for the second time ever. The teams met in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Lincoln in 2023, a 25-13, 25-16, 25-22 Husker win.&nbsp;

Nebraska (30-0) finished the regular season unbeaten for the third time in school history (1994 and 2000), dropping only seven sets overall and one in Big Ten play. The Huskers won their 37th all-time conference title and third straight Big Ten title with a perfect 20-0 record in conference play. It was the Huskers' first unbeaten conference season since 2004 in the Big 12.

Nebraska's 30 straight wins is the fourth longest win streak in school history. The Huskers also hold a nation-leading home court win streak of 60 matches, the third-longest home win streak in program history. Nebraska has won 26 consecutive NCAA Tournament matches played in the Devaney Center, a school record.&nbsp;

This year's NCAA Championship is set for December 18-21 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., site of the Huskers' 2017 NCAA Championship. &nbsp;

NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST AND SECOND ROUND SCHEDULE

4:30 p.m. – San Diego vs. Kansas State (ESPN+)

7 p.m.* – Nebraska vs. Long Island (ESPN+)

*or 30 minutes following the conclusion of the 4:30 p.m. match, but no sooner than 7 p.m.

Story by NU Athletic Communications&nbsp;The Nebraska volleyball team was selected as the No. 1 overall seed for the 2025 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship on Sunday night and will host the first and second rounds at John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center this Friday and Saturday.The Huskers, making their 44th straight NCAA Tournament appearance and hosting the first round for the 40th time, will open the tournament on Friday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. against Long Island (20-8), champions of the Northeast Conference. The 4:30 p.m. match will feature San Diego (25-4) of the West Coast Conference and Kansas State (17-9) of the Big 12. Friday's winners will meet in the second round on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m.A limited number of tickets to the first and second round matches in Lincoln go on sale at Huskers.com/Tickets on Sunday night at 7 p.m. First and second round matches will be streamed on ESPN+. Huskers Radio Network will have audio coverage of all Nebraska matches on Huskers Radio Network affiliates, Huskers.com and the Huskers app.The top four overall seeds are Nebraska, Kentucky, Texas and Pittsburgh. Should Nebraska advance past the second round, it would host an NCAA Regional on Dec. 11-14 at the Devaney Center. The national seeds in the same region as Nebraska are No. 8 Louisville, No. 9 Texas A&amp;M and No. 16 Kansas. Two of the four regionals will be played on Thursday and Saturday. The other two will be played on Friday and Sunday. Regional dates and times will not be announced until the conclusion of the second round.Nebraska will be playing Long Island for the second time ever. The teams met in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Lincoln in 2023, a 25-13, 25-16, 25-22 Husker win.&nbsp;Nebraska (30-0) finished the regular season unbeaten for the third time in school history (1994 and 2000), dropping only seven sets overall and one in Big Ten play. The Huskers won their 37th all-time conference title and third straight Big Ten title with a perfect 20-0 record in conference play. It was the Huskers' first unbeaten conference season since 2004 in the Big 12.Nebraska's 30 straight wins is the fourth longest win streak in school history. The Huskers also hold a nation-leading home court win streak of 60 matches, the third-longest home win streak in program history. Nebraska has won 26 consecutive NCAA Tournament matches played in the Devaney Center, a school record.&nbsp;This year's NCAA Championship is set for December 18-21 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., site of the Huskers' 2017 NCAA Championship. &nbsp;NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST AND SECOND ROUND SCHEDULEFirst Round – Friday, Dec. 54:30 p.m. – San Diego vs. Kansas State (ESPN+)7 p.m.* – Nebraska vs. Long Island (ESPN+)*or 30 minutes following the conclusion of the 4:30 p.m. match, but no sooner than 7 p.m.Second Round – Saturday, Dec. 67 p.m. – First Round Winners (ESPN+)

Huskers open NCAA Tournament as No. 1 Seed against Long Island

Lincoln&nbsp;-&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/emmett-johnson">Emmett Johnson</a>&nbsp;rushed for a career-high 217 yards, but it was not enough in Nebraska's 40-16 loss to Iowa at Memorial Stadium on Friday.

Johnson carried 19 times for 177 yards and a touchdown in the first-half alone, including a career-long 70-yard sprint down the Nebraska sideline on the Big Red's opening drive to set up his own 1-yard touchdown plunge one play later to give the Huskers a 7-0 lead less than five minutes into the game.

Nebraska, which slipped to 7-5 on the season and ended Big Ten Conference play at 4-5, still trailed 24-16 at halftime. The Husker defense got a stop to open the third quarter, but a fumbled punt led to a safety to push Iowa's lead to 10 points.&nbsp;

Iowa, which improved to 8-4 and 6-3 in the Big Ten, got the ball back after the safety and the Blackshirts stiffened again, before Nebraska's offense went three-and-out. The Hawkeyes capitalized with a touchdown on the ensuing drive to push the lead to 33-16 with just under five minutes left in the third quarter.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsLincoln&nbsp;-&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/emmett-johnson">Emmett Johnson</a>&nbsp;rushed for a career-high 217 yards, but it was not enough in Nebraska's 40-16 loss to Iowa at Memorial Stadium on Friday.Johnson carried 19 times for 177 yards and a touchdown in the first-half alone, including a career-long 70-yard sprint down the Nebraska sideline on the Big Red's opening drive to set up his own 1-yard touchdown plunge one play later to give the Huskers a 7-0 lead less than five minutes into the game.Nebraska, which slipped to 7-5 on the season and ended Big Ten Conference play at 4-5, still trailed 24-16 at halftime. The Husker defense got a stop to open the third quarter, but a fumbled punt led to a safety to push Iowa's lead to 10 points.&nbsp;Iowa, which improved to 8-4 and 6-3 in the Big Ten, got the ball back after the safety and the Blackshirts stiffened again, before Nebraska's offense went three-and-out. The Hawkeyes capitalized with a touchdown on the ensuing drive to push the lead to 33-16 with just under five minutes left in the third quarter.The Huskers ran only six offensive plays in the third quarter, and the Hawkeyes opened the fourth quarter with their final touchdown.&nbsp;Nebraska threatened to narrow the margin back to 17 points by driving to the Iowa 1 with just under seven minutes left, but another fumble at the goal line ended the Husker hopes, and Iowa closed out the victory.Outside of Johnson's career-best 217 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries, Nebraska mustered just 83 more yards of total offense. Freshman quarterback&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/tj-lateef">TJ Lateef</a>&nbsp;completed 9-of-24 passes for 69 yards and had just two yards on one carry.Johnson's 200-yard rushing game was the first by a Husker since Abdullah rushed for 225 yards against Rutgers on Oct. 25, 2014.It was Johnson’s fifth straight 100-yard rushing game, a first at Nebraska since&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/ameer-abdullah">Ameer Abdullah</a>&nbsp;in 2013. It was Johnson’s eighth 100-yard rushing game of the season, the most at Nebraska since 2013. His six 100-yard rushing games in Big Ten play are the most by any Power Four conference player in league games this season.&nbsp;Johnson finished the regular season with 1,451 rushing yards.Iowa ended with 379 yards of total offense, as Mark Gronowski completed 9-of-16 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown while adding 64 rushing yards and two more scores on 13 carries.Kamari Moulton led the Iowa ground game with 93 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, while Nathan McNeil contributed 35 yards on eight totes.DJ Vonnahme led the Hawkeye receivers with three receptions for 91 yards, including a first-quarter touchdown, while Reece Vander Zee pitched in two catches for 53 yards, including a highlight-reel diving one-handed catch to set up Iowa's final touchdown.Johnson pounded the Hawkeye defense in the first half, but the Iowa offense found success both on the ground and through the air against the Blackshirts. Gronowski completed 5-of-9 passes for 86 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown pass to Vonnahme in the first quarter to give the Hawkeyes their first lead. He added six carries for 38 yards and a one-yard touchdown on Iowa's final offensive play of the half to send the Hawkeyes to the locker room with a 24-16 halftime lead.Moulton added 64 yards on 11 carries and Iowa's second touchdown of the game on a three-yard run.&nbsp;Lateef moved the Huskers into the red zone four times in the first half, but Nebraska settled for three&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/kyle-cunanan">Kyle Cunanan</a>&nbsp;field goals of 35 yards or less to account for the rest of NU's scoring in the opening 30 minutes.Nebraska's offense mustered just 69 yards in the second half.<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/javin-wright">Javin Wright</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/donovan-jones">Donovan Jones</a>&nbsp;led the Blackshirts with nine tackles apiece.