Story by Ronald Blum - Associated Press

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Major League Baseball’s financial fight cost regular-season games for the first time in 27 years when often acrimonious talks to end a management lockout collapsed Tuesday and Commissioner Rob Manfred scrapped March 31 openers.

With owners and players unable to agree on a contract to replace the collective bargaining agreement that expired Dec. 1, Manfred canceled the first two series for each of the 30 teams, cutting each club’s schedule from 162 games to likely 156 at most. A total of 91 games were erased.

“We exhausted every possibility of reaching an agreement before the cancellation of games,” Manfred said during a news conference in the left-field corner of Roger Dean Stadium as fans outside the spring training home of the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals chanted: “We want baseball!”

Five miles away and 90 minutes later, the players’ association held its own news conference at a hotel, with union head Tony Clark and chief negotiator Bruce Meyer flanked by pitchers Max Scherzer and Andrew Miller — both members of the union’s eight-man executive subcommittee — and Noah Syndergaard seated among about a dozen players in the audience.

“This has been making in the years, seeing things that have happened over the course specifically of this last CBA,” Scherzer said, “things that have happened to different players in certain situations, that we absolutely have to have corrections.”

Manfred vowed players will not receive salary or major league service for games missed, exacerbating already visceral anger of the roughly 1,200 players locked into a contest of will against 30 controlling owners. Manfred maintained daily interleague play made rescheduling impossible.

“To say they won’t reschedule games if games are canceled or they won’t pay players for those games that are canceled is solely their position,” Meyer said. “We would have a different position.”

Talks that began last April went nowhere, and MLB locked out players Dec. 2 in the sport’s first work stoppage since 1995. There were just six economic negotiating sessions over the next 2 1/2 months in New York, but more intensive talks began Feb. 21 in Florida.

After 13 negotiating sessions over 16 1/2 hours Monday, the sides recessed at 2:30 a.m. having made progress but still far apart on key economic issues.

Tone changed with the daylight, and the league sent the players what it termed a “best offer” on the ninth straight day of talks. The union held a Zoom call of 30-40 players and reacted angrily with a rejection. Both sides said they were leaving town, and there was no date scheduled for bargaining to resume.

At 5:07 p.m. of the lockout’s 90th day, Manfred declared the opposite of play ball!

“Against that backdrop of growing revenues and record profits for owners of the league,” Clark said, “players seek and deserve nothing more than fundamental fairness.”

Baseball’s ninth work stoppage will be the fourth causing regular-season games to be canceled, leaving ballparks quiet from Fenway Park to Dodger Stadium.

Caught in the crossfire of the money fight, players said they would only discuss — but not commit to — possible on-field changes that Manfred says are needed, such as pitch clocks and the elimination of defensive shifts. An expanded postseason was another casualty — for now.

“Manfred gotta go,” tweeted Chicago Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman.

The bulk of fan ire on social media was aimed at Manfred, who was spotted practicing his golf swing between bargaining sessions by an Associated Press photographer Tuesday. Others were upset that Manfred was laughing and jovial with reporters at his news conference announcing the cancellation.

“Have no clue how he has the ability to laugh about anything right now,” Los Angeles Angels pitcher Michael Lorenzen tweeted. “Mind is blown.”

Players are angry payrolls decreased by 4% from 2015 through last year and many teams jettisoned a portion of high-priced veteran journeymen in favor of lower-priced youth.

“The game has suffered damage for a while now. ... The game has been manipulated,” Clark said. “The value inherent and how players are respected and viewed has changed. Players have been commoditized, monetized in a way that is really hard to explain.”

Some clubs gave up on competing in the short term to better position themselves for future seasons.

“We have been screaming for years about competition issues,” Miller said.

The sport will be upended by its second shortened season in three years following a 2020 schedule cut to 60 games because of the pandemic. The disruption will create another issue if 15 days are wiped out and stars such as Shohei Ohtani, Pete Alonso, Jake Cronenworth and Jonathan India would be delayed an extra year from free agency.

Players would lose $20.5 million in salary for each day of the season that is canceled, according to a study by the AP, and the 30 teams would lose large sums that are harder to pin down.

The first 86 games of the 1973 season were canceled by a strike over pension negotiations, the 1981 season was fractured by a 50-day midseason strike over free agency compensation rules that canceled 713 games, and a strike that started in August 1994 over management’s attempt to gain a salary cap canceled the final 669 regular-season games and the World Series. It also led to a three-week delay of the 1995 season, when schedules were cut from 162 games to 144.

The most contentious proposals involve luxury tax thresholds, the size of a new bonus pool for pre-arbitration players and minimum salaries.

MLB proposed raising the tax threshold from $210 million to $220 million in each of the next three seasons, $224 million in 2025 and $230 million in 2026.

“We have a payroll disparity problem,” Manfred said, “and to weaken the only mechanism in the agreement that’s designed to promote some semblance of competitive balance is just something that I don’t think the club group is prepared to do right now.”

Players asked for $238 million this year, $244 million in 2023, $250 million in 2024, $256 million in 2025 and $263 million in 2026.

“We’re seeing it act as a salary cap,” Scherzer said. “The San Diego Padres have the higher payroll than the New York Yankees.”

MLB offered $25 million annually for a new bonus pool for pre-arbitration players, and the union $85 million this year, with $5 million yearly increases.

“There’s dollars to be allocated toward them that would fairly compensate their contributions on the field, more so than what’s on the table,” Scherzer said.

MLB proposed raising the minimum salary from $570,500 to $700,000 this year, with increases of $10,000 annually, and the union asked for $725,000 this year, $745,000 in 2023, $765,000 in 2024 and increases for 2025 and 2026 based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners.

“The last five years have been very difficult years from a revenue perspective for the industry given the pandemic,” Manfred said.

Story by Ronald Blum - Associated PressJUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Major League Baseball’s financial fight cost regular-season games for the first time in 27 years when often acrimonious talks to end a management lockout collapsed Tuesday and Commissioner Rob Manfred scrapped March 31 openers.With owners and players unable to agree on a contract to replace the collective bargaining agreement that expired Dec. 1, Manfred canceled the first two series for each of the 30 teams, cutting each club’s schedule from 162 games to likely 156 at most. A total of 91 games were erased.“We exhausted every possibility of reaching an agreement before the cancellation of games,” Manfred said during a news conference in the left-field corner of Roger Dean Stadium as fans outside the spring training home of the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals chanted: “We want baseball!”Five miles away and 90 minutes later, the players’ association held its own news conference at a hotel, with union head Tony Clark and chief negotiator Bruce Meyer flanked by pitchers Max Scherzer and Andrew Miller — both members of the union’s eight-man executive subcommittee — and Noah Syndergaard seated among about a dozen players in the audience.“This has been making in the years, seeing things that have happened over the course specifically of this last CBA,” Scherzer said, “things that have happened to different players in certain situations, that we absolutely have to have corrections.”Manfred vowed players will not receive salary or major league service for games missed, exacerbating already visceral anger of the roughly 1,200 players locked into a contest of will against 30 controlling owners. Manfred maintained daily interleague play made rescheduling impossible.“To say they won’t reschedule games if games are canceled or they won’t pay players for those games that are canceled is solely their position,” Meyer said. “We would have a different position.”Talks that began last April went nowhere, and MLB locked out players Dec. 2 in the sport’s first work stoppage since 1995. There were just six economic negotiating sessions over the next 2 1/2 months in New York, but more intensive talks began Feb. 21 in Florida.After 13 negotiating sessions over 16 1/2 hours Monday, the sides recessed at 2:30 a.m. having made progress but still far apart on key economic issues.Tone changed with the daylight, and the league sent the players what it termed a “best offer” on the ninth straight day of talks. The union held a Zoom call of 30-40 players and reacted angrily with a rejection. Both sides said they were leaving town, and there was no date scheduled for bargaining to resume.At 5:07 p.m. of the lockout’s 90th day, Manfred declared the opposite of play ball!“Against that backdrop of growing revenues and record profits for owners of the league,” Clark said, “players seek and deserve nothing more than fundamental fairness.”Baseball’s ninth work stoppage will be the fourth causing regular-season games to be canceled, leaving ballparks quiet from Fenway Park to Dodger Stadium.Caught in the crossfire of the money fight, players said they would only discuss — but not commit to — possible on-field changes that Manfred says are needed, such as pitch clocks and the elimination of defensive shifts. An expanded postseason was another casualty — for now.“Manfred gotta go,” tweeted Chicago Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman.The bulk of fan ire on social media was aimed at Manfred, who was spotted practicing his golf swing between bargaining sessions by an Associated Press photographer Tuesday. Others were upset that Manfred was laughing and jovial with reporters at his news conference announcing the cancellation.“Have no clue how he has the ability to laugh about anything right now,” Los Angeles Angels pitcher Michael Lorenzen tweeted. “Mind is blown.”Players are angry payrolls decreased by 4% from 2015 through last year and many teams jettisoned a portion of high-priced veteran journeymen in favor of lower-priced youth.“The game has suffered damage for a while now. ... The game has been manipulated,” Clark said. “The value inherent and how players are respected and viewed has changed. Players have been commoditized, monetized in a way that is really hard to explain.”Some clubs gave up on competing in the short term to better position themselves for future seasons.“We have been screaming for years about competition issues,” Miller said.The sport will be upended by its second shortened season in three years following a 2020 schedule cut to 60 games because of the pandemic. The disruption will create another issue if 15 days are wiped out and stars such as Shohei Ohtani, Pete Alonso, Jake Cronenworth and Jonathan India would be delayed an extra year from free agency.Players would lose $20.5 million in salary for each day of the season that is canceled, according to a study by the AP, and the 30 teams would lose large sums that are harder to pin down.The first 86 games of the 1973 season were canceled by a strike over pension negotiations, the 1981 season was fractured by a 50-day midseason strike over free agency compensation rules that canceled 713 games, and a strike that started in August 1994 over management’s attempt to gain a salary cap canceled the final 669 regular-season games and the World Series. It also led to a three-week delay of the 1995 season, when schedules were cut from 162 games to 144.The most contentious proposals involve luxury tax thresholds, the size of a new bonus pool for pre-arbitration players and minimum salaries.MLB proposed raising the tax threshold from $210 million to $220 million in each of the next three seasons, $224 million in 2025 and $230 million in 2026.“We have a payroll disparity problem,” Manfred said, “and to weaken the only mechanism in the agreement that’s designed to promote some semblance of competitive balance is just something that I don’t think the club group is prepared to do right now.”Players asked for $238 million this year, $244 million in 2023, $250 million in 2024, $256 million in 2025 and $263 million in 2026.“We’re seeing it act as a salary cap,” Scherzer said. “The San Diego Padres have the higher payroll than the New York Yankees.”MLB offered $25 million annually for a new bonus pool for pre-arbitration players, and the union $85 million this year, with $5 million yearly increases.“There’s dollars to be allocated toward them that would fairly compensate their contributions on the field, more so than what’s on the table,” Scherzer said.MLB proposed raising the minimum salary from $570,500 to $700,000 this year, with increases of $10,000 annually, and the union asked for $725,000 this year, $745,000 in 2023, $765,000 in 2024 and increases for 2025 and 2026 based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners.“The last five years have been very difficult years from a revenue perspective for the industry given the pandemic,” Manfred said.

MLB cancels opening day after sides fail to end lockout

Story by NU Athletic Communications

The Nebraska men's basketball team had an answer for everything No. 23 Ohio State tried Tuesday night, as the Huskers led for the entire second half to upset the Buckeyes 78-70 and give&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/coaches.aspx?rc=8210">Fred Hoiberg</a>&nbsp;his first win over a ranked opponent at Nebraska. Nebraska trailed by five late in the first half before scoring eight straight points. The 8-0 run gave the Huskers a 33-30 lead with 4:34 left in the opening half and Nebraska led the rest of the way. With their second Big Ten road win in three days, the Huskers improved to 9-21 on the season and 3-16 in conference action. In a battle of the Big Ten's top two freshmen,&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42989">Bryce McGowens</a>&nbsp;was outstanding for the Big Red. He scored 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting while knocking down 8-of-9 free throws. McGowens scored 14 second-half points to help the Huskers hold the lead. While McGowens was scoring,&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=43284">Alonzo Verge Jr.</a>&nbsp;was outstanding running the Husker offense. Verge had a double-double with 13 points and 11 assists while adding five rebounds. He had nine assists in the first half and then scored nine points in the second half.&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42988">C.J. Wilcher</a>&nbsp;scored 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42978">Trey McGowens</a>&nbsp;chipped in seven points, six rebounds and four steals, which highlighted a tremendous defensive performance for the senior. Nebraska shot 49.1 percent in the game and knocked down nine 3-pointers. The Huskers were also solid at the free throw line, going 15-of-18 at the charity stripe. The Huskers turned the ball over only four times and outscored the Buckeyes 30-24 in the paint. Ohio State&nbsp;was limited to 39 percent shooting, but the Buckeyes stayed in the game thanks to 14 offensive rebounds which led to 17 second-chance points. E.J. Liddell led Ohio State (18-9, 11-7) with 27 points, while freshman Malaki Branham added 16 points.&nbsp;&nbsp; The teams traded baskets early before an 8-2 run put Nebraska on top 12-8 six minutes into the game. Ohio State responded by scoring the next seven points to grab a three-point lead. The Huskers tied the game at 17 on a&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42984">Kobe Webster</a>&nbsp;3-pointer, but the Buckeyes answered with a trio of 3-pointers over the next two minutes to take a 26-19 lead and force a Husker timeout with 9:28 left in the half. Wilcher then got hot, scoring eight straight Husker points over the next two-and-a-half minutes. Wilcher hit a pair of 3-pointers to pull the Huskers within three at 28-25. Three different Huskers then scored during an 8-0 run that gave Nebraska a 33-30 lead when Ohio State called a timeout at the 4:34 mark. Three minutes later,&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42989">Bryce McGowens</a>&nbsp;scored five straight points in 51 seconds to give Nebraska its biggest lead at 43-36 with less than a minute in the half. The Husker defense limited the Buckeyes to just one field goal over the final nine minutes of the half, although Ohio State did go 8-of-9 from the free-throw line during that stretch. That lone basket was a second-chance 3-pointer from Branham just 10 seconds before the first-half buzzer, trimming the Husker lead to 43-39 at the break. Nebraska was 15-of-27 (55.6) from the field in the first half, the fifth consecutive half where the Huskers made more than half of their shots. The Huskers were 6-of-12 from the 3-point line and had 10 assists on 15 baskets. Wilcher knocked down three 3-pointers en route to 13 first-half points, while Bryce McGowen added 12 points and Verge dished out nine first-half assists, one shy of the school record for assists in a half. The Huskers held Ohio State to 41 percent shooting in the first half, but the Buckeyes hit five 3-pointers and had 10 offensive rebounds leading to 11 second-chance points. Ohio State opened the second half with a pair of free throws, but Nebraska scored the next six points to build a 49-41 lead. The final two points of the six-point spurt were a&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42978">Trey McGowens'</a>&nbsp;layup, starting a streak of 17 straight Husker points scored by the McGowens brothers over the next nine minutes. Five straight points from&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42989">Bryce McGowens</a>&nbsp;gave the Huskers their first double-digit lead at 53-43 five minutes into the second half. Ohio State cut the lead to six with 10 minutes to play before a&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42989">Bryce McGowens'</a>&nbsp;three-point play pushed the lead back to nine at 64-55 with 9:06 remaining. With eight minutes left, Ohio State made three free throws over two possessions, but Nebraska had an answer as Verge snapped the McGowens' scoring spree with a step-back 3-pointer that made it 67-58 with less than seven minutes remaining. Verge went on to score nine straight points for Nebraska, answering every Ohio State basket to help the Huskers lead 73-62 with 3:33 left. But the Buckeyes scored the next five points to cut the lead to 73-67 with less than two minutes to play. After Nebraska saw its scoreless drought extend past two minutes, Ohio State called a timeout following another offensive rebound with 58.3 seconds left. Still down by six, the Buckeyes got back to the line again and knocked down a pair of free throws to trim the lead to four.&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42977">Lat Mayen</a>&nbsp;then knocked down 1-of-2 free throws on Nebraska's next possession to snap a 7-0 Buckeye scoring run. Ohio State missed a 3-pointer with 38 seconds left and&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42989">Bryce McGowens</a>&nbsp;pulled down the rebound and was fouled. The freshman went to the line on a 1-and-1 and knocked down both free throws to push the lead to seven. The Buckeyes went back to the line 10 seconds later but could only make 1-of-2. The second free throw was missed and rebounded by&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42983">Derrick Walker</a>&nbsp;Jr., who got the ball to Webster, who was fouled. Webster then knocked down both free throws to push the lead to 78-70, which proved to be the final margin. The Huskers outscored the Buckeyes by four in the second half, despite shooting 42.9 percent from the field. Nebraska's defense held Ohio State to 36.0 percent shooting in the final 20 minutes, helping the Huskers overcome 11 second-chance points from the Buckeyes. Nebraska continues it road trip on Sunday, when the Huskers close out the regular season with a matchup against No. 10 Wisconsin. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be televised on the Big Ten Network, with radio coverage on the Huskers Radio Network. Nebraska Post-Game Notes

Story by NU Athletic Communications

The Nebraska men's basketball team had an answer for everything No. 23 Ohio State tried Tuesday night, as the Huskers led for the entire second half to upset the Buckeyes 78-70 and give&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/coaches.aspx?rc=8210">Fred Hoiberg</a>&nbsp;his first win over a ranked opponent at Nebraska. Nebraska trailed by five late in the first half before scoring eight straight points. The 8-0 run gave the Huskers a 33-30 lead with 4:34 left in the opening half and Nebraska led the rest of the way. With their second Big Ten road win in three days, the Huskers improved to 9-21 on the season and 3-16 in conference action. In a battle of the Big Ten's top two freshmen,&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42989">Bryce McGowens</a>&nbsp;was outstanding for the Big Red. He scored 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting while knocking down 8-of-9 free throws. McGowens scored 14 second-half points to help the Huskers hold the lead. While McGowens was scoring,&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=43284">Alonzo Verge Jr.</a>&nbsp;was outstanding running the Husker offense. Verge had a double-double with 13 points and 11 assists while adding five rebounds. He had nine assists in the first half and then scored nine points in the second half.&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42988">C.J. Wilcher</a>&nbsp;scored 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42978">Trey McGowens</a>&nbsp;chipped in seven points, six rebounds and four steals, which highlighted a tremendous defensive performance for the senior. Nebraska shot 49.1 percent in the game and knocked down nine 3-pointers. The Huskers were also solid at the free throw line, going 15-of-18 at the charity stripe. The Huskers turned the ball over only four times and outscored the Buckeyes 30-24 in the paint. Ohio State&nbsp;was limited to 39 percent shooting, but the Buckeyes stayed in the game thanks to 14 offensive rebounds which led to 17 second-chance points. E.J. Liddell led Ohio State (18-9, 11-7) with 27 points, while freshman Malaki Branham added 16 points.&nbsp;&nbsp; The teams traded baskets early before an 8-2 run put Nebraska on top 12-8 six minutes into the game. Ohio State responded by scoring the next seven points to grab a three-point lead. The Huskers tied the game at 17 on a&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42984">Kobe Webster</a>&nbsp;3-pointer, but the Buckeyes answered with a trio of 3-pointers over the next two minutes to take a 26-19 lead and force a Husker timeout with 9:28 left in the half. Wilcher then got hot, scoring eight straight Husker points over the next two-and-a-half minutes. Wilcher hit a pair of 3-pointers to pull the Huskers within three at 28-25. Three different Huskers then scored during an 8-0 run that gave Nebraska a 33-30 lead when Ohio State called a timeout at the 4:34 mark. Three minutes later,&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42989">Bryce McGowens</a>&nbsp;scored five straight points in 51 seconds to give Nebraska its biggest lead at 43-36 with less than a minute in the half. The Husker defense limited the Buckeyes to just one field goal over the final nine minutes of the half, although Ohio State did go 8-of-9 from the free-throw line during that stretch. That lone basket was a second-chance 3-pointer from Branham just 10 seconds before the first-half buzzer, trimming the Husker lead to 43-39 at the break. Nebraska was 15-of-27 (55.6) from the field in the first half, the fifth consecutive half where the Huskers made more than half of their shots. The Huskers were 6-of-12 from the 3-point line and had 10 assists on 15 baskets. Wilcher knocked down three 3-pointers en route to 13 first-half points, while Bryce McGowen added 12 points and Verge dished out nine first-half assists, one shy of the school record for assists in a half. The Huskers held Ohio State to 41 percent shooting in the first half, but the Buckeyes hit five 3-pointers and had 10 offensive rebounds leading to 11 second-chance points. Ohio State opened the second half with a pair of free throws, but Nebraska scored the next six points to build a 49-41 lead. The final two points of the six-point spurt were a&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42978">Trey McGowens'</a>&nbsp;layup, starting a streak of 17 straight Husker points scored by the McGowens brothers over the next nine minutes. Five straight points from&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42989">Bryce McGowens</a>&nbsp;gave the Huskers their first double-digit lead at 53-43 five minutes into the second half. Ohio State cut the lead to six with 10 minutes to play before a&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42989">Bryce McGowens'</a>&nbsp;three-point play pushed the lead back to nine at 64-55 with 9:06 remaining. With eight minutes left, Ohio State made three free throws over two possessions, but Nebraska had an answer as Verge snapped the McGowens' scoring spree with a step-back 3-pointer that made it 67-58 with less than seven minutes remaining. Verge went on to score nine straight points for Nebraska, answering every Ohio State basket to help the Huskers lead 73-62 with 3:33 left. But the Buckeyes scored the next five points to cut the lead to 73-67 with less than two minutes to play. After Nebraska saw its scoreless drought extend past two minutes, Ohio State called a timeout following another offensive rebound with 58.3 seconds left. Still down by six, the Buckeyes got back to the line again and knocked down a pair of free throws to trim the lead to four.&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42977">Lat Mayen</a>&nbsp;then knocked down 1-of-2 free throws on Nebraska's next possession to snap a 7-0 Buckeye scoring run. Ohio State missed a 3-pointer with 38 seconds left and&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42989">Bryce McGowens</a>&nbsp;pulled down the rebound and was fouled. The freshman went to the line on a 1-and-1 and knocked down both free throws to push the lead to seven. The Buckeyes went back to the line 10 seconds later but could only make 1-of-2. The second free throw was missed and rebounded by&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42983">Derrick Walker</a>&nbsp;Jr., who got the ball to Webster, who was fouled. Webster then knocked down both free throws to push the lead to 78-70, which proved to be the final margin. The Huskers outscored the Buckeyes by four in the second half, despite shooting 42.9 percent from the field. Nebraska's defense held Ohio State to 36.0 percent shooting in the final 20 minutes, helping the Huskers overcome 11 second-chance points from the Buckeyes. Nebraska continues it road trip on Sunday, when the Huskers close out the regular season with a matchup against No. 10 Wisconsin. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be televised on the Big Ten Network, with radio coverage on the Huskers Radio Network. Nebraska Post-Game Notes<ul>
 <li>The win over Ohio State marked NU's second straight road win&nbsp;and snapped a 24-game losing streak against ranked opponents dating back to the 2019 Big Ten Tournament. Prior to tonight, NU's last win against a ranked team was a 69-61 win over No. 21 Maryland on March 14, 2019.</li><li>Tonight's win was Nebraska's first road win over a ranked opponent since downing No. 25 Indiana on Jan. 14, 2019.</li><li>Alonzo Verge posted his fourth game with at least 10 assists with 11 against Ohio State, which was one off his career high.&nbsp;His nine first-half assists tied his single-game high in Big Ten play (vs. No. 25 Illinois).</li><li>Verge's nine first half assists were the most ever by a Husker in a half of a conference game. NU's single-half record was 10 assists, but both took place in non-conference games.</li><li>Verge posted his team-high fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 assists.</li><li>Verge now has 154 assists this season, moving from 10th&nbsp;to sixth on NU's season chart. He is just the sixth Husker with 150+ assists in a season&nbsp;and the second Husker in three seasons to accomplish the feat.</li><li>With his three 3-pointers tonight,&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42988">C.J. Wilcher</a>&nbsp;moved into second place on NU's freshmen 3-point chart, passing Ryan Anderson (48, 2006-07). Wilcher joins Joe McCray (80, 2004-05) as the only NU freshmen with at least 50 3-pointers in a season.</li><li>Wilcher's 15 points marked the 20th&nbsp;double-figure scoring performance by a Husker reserve this season.</li><li><a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42989">Bryce McGowens</a>&nbsp;posted his 11th&nbsp;20-point game of the year with 26 points, breaking the school record for 20-point games by a freshman. He shared the record with Joe McCray (2004-05). It was McGowens' sixth 25-point game of the year.</li><li><a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42989">Bryce McGowens</a>&nbsp;reached double figures for the 25th&nbsp;time this season and 12th consecutive game, extending his Nebraska freshman record for consecutive games in double figures.</li><li><a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42989">Bryce McGowens</a>&nbsp;went over 500 points this season in tonight's game, becoming just the fourth NU freshman or sophomore to accomplish the feat (sophomore Tyronn Lue in 1996-97; sophomore Dave Hoppen in 1983-84 and sophomore Terran Petteway in 2013-14).</li><li>Nebraska shot 55.6 percent from the field in the first half, the fifth straight half NU has shot 50 percent or better from the floor. For the game, NU shot 49 percent from the field.</li><li>Nebraska committed a season-low four turnovers.</li><li><a href="https://huskers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42978">Trey McGowens</a>&nbsp;tied his season high with four steals for the second straight game.</li>
 </ul>

Huskers Upset No. 23 Ohio State

By HEATHER JOHNSON North Platte Community College

NORTH PLATTE, Neb.-The Business and Community Education department at North Platte Community College will offer a variety of weightlifting classes this month.

All will be in the McDonald-Belton Weight Room on the NPCC South Campus, 601 W. State Farm Rd. in North Platte, and all will be taught by instructor Camden Grasmick.

Co-Ed Weightlifting is scheduled for March 7 through May 2. Sessions will be 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Mondays.

The class was created by a certified trainer and strength and conditioning coach. Students will receive a customized workout routine to fit their individual weight loss and exercise needs.

Women’s Weightlifting is designed specifically for women, and as with the co-ed class, each student will receive customized instruction based on her needs.

The class will be 6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, March 9 through May 4.

The college will also offer Youth Weightlifting Fundamentals from noon to 1 p.m. Fridays, March 11 through May 6.

The class is open to youth ages 12 and older. Each will learn the basics of weightlifting in a controlled setting.

The cost of every weightlifting class offered is $69. Registration can be done at&nbsp;<a href="https://bceregister.mpcc.edu/" target="_blank">bceregister.mpcc.edu</a>, or by contacting Jeff Smeltzer, Business and Community Education coordinator, at (308) 535-3687 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:smeltzerj@mpcc.edu" target="_blank">smeltzerj@mpcc.edu</a>.

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 </figure>By HEATHER JOHNSON North Platte Community CollegeNORTH PLATTE, Neb.-The Business and Community Education department at North Platte Community College will offer a variety of weightlifting classes this month.All will be in the McDonald-Belton Weight Room on the NPCC South Campus, 601 W. State Farm Rd. in North Platte, and all will be taught by instructor Camden Grasmick.Co-Ed Weightlifting is scheduled for March 7 through May 2. Sessions will be 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Mondays.The class was created by a certified trainer and strength and conditioning coach. Students will receive a customized workout routine to fit their individual weight loss and exercise needs.Women’s Weightlifting is designed specifically for women, and as with the co-ed class, each student will receive customized instruction based on her needs.The class will be 6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, March 9 through May 4.The college will also offer Youth Weightlifting Fundamentals from noon to 1 p.m. Fridays, March 11 through May 6.The class is open to youth ages 12 and older. Each will learn the basics of weightlifting in a controlled setting.The cost of every weightlifting class offered is $69. Registration can be done at&nbsp;<a href="https://bceregister.mpcc.edu/" target="_blank">bceregister.mpcc.edu</a>, or by contacting Jeff Smeltzer, Business and Community Education coordinator, at (308) 535-3687 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:smeltzerj@mpcc.edu" target="_blank">smeltzerj@mpcc.edu</a>.

North Platte Comm. College offers public weightlifting classes

Story by NU Athletic Communications Photo by Jordan Opp

Lincoln - Alexis Markowski captured Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year and second-team All-Big Ten honors to headline an impressive list of Nebraska winners when the conference announced its annual awards for the 2021-22 women's basketball season on Tuesday, March 1.

Markowski, a 6-3 freshman forward/center from Lincoln, Neb., swept Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year honors from the conference coaches and media after claiming eight Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week awards during the regular season. The only Big Ten freshman to lead her team in scoring (13.0 ppg) and rebounding (7.9 rpg), Markowski continued to improve throughout the season. 

The only unanimous choice by the league coaches on the five-player Big Ten All-Freshman Team, Markowski averaged team bests of 15.6 points and 8.6 rebounds in conference games-only to lead Nebraska to an 11-7 Big Ten mark and a 22-7 record overall. She also ranked second among the Huskers in blocked shots (10) and third in steals (17) during league play, while hitting 54 percent of her shots from the field including 53.6 percent (15-28) of her three-pointers.

In her first career start against Michigan in the third game of the conference season on Jan. 4, Markowski produced her first career 20-point performance while adding seven rebounds in leading Nebraska to a 79-58 victory over the No. 8 Wolverines. Twelve days later, she produced a career-high 27 points including six three-pointers at Iowa. She scored 16 points in the first quarter alone, outscoring the high-powered Hawkeyes 16-14 by herself to stake Nebraska to a 30-14 lead at the end of the first 10 minutes.

Over the final five weeks of the regular season (Jan. 27-Feb. 27), Markowski averaged a double-double each week to power Nebraska to a 9-3 finish down the stretch, including a 72-57 win over No. 5 Indiana (Feb. 14). It marked Nebraska's largest victory margin in school history against a top-five opponent. She finished with a double-double against the Hoosiers with 10 points and a career-high-tying 15 rebounds, one of her six double-doubles on the season.

While Markowski's major award took the headlines, she was far from the only Husker honored by the Big Ten for outstanding play throughout the 2021-22 season.

Husker newcomer Jaz Shelley joined Markowski on the All-Big Ten Second Team. The 5-9 sophomore guard from Moe, Australia, is the only player to rank among the top 20 in the conference in all five major statistical categories, including scoring (12.4 ppg, 17th), rebounding (6.8 rpg, 12th), assists (5.0 apg, 5th), steals (1.8 spg, 7th) and blocked shots (1.1 bpg, 7th). Shelley produced a triple-double early in the season with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in just 20 minutes in a November win over North Carolina Central. She finished the year with five double-doubles, including 12 points and 12 rebounds in Nebraska's win over No. 8 Michigan (Jan. 4). 

Shelley scored 20 or more points four times, including a season-high 30 in a win over Drexel (Nov. 26) when she knocked down 6-of-7 three-pointers. She added 20 points most recently in a win at Wisconsin (Feb. 23) after scoring 21 at Illinois (Feb. 12). She grabbed double-digit rebounds on seven occasions while dishing out double-digit assists three times, including a season-high 12 in a win over Minnesota (Feb. 20).

Shelley was also recognized by the conference media as one of five players on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team. She finished the regular season with a team-leading 30 blocked shots while adding a team-best 50 steals.

Sam Haiby claimed honorable-mention All-Big Ten recognition from both the league coaches and media. The 5-9 junior guard from Moorhead, Minn., continued to prove herself as one of the most versatile guards in the Big Ten, averaging 10.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals. With seven assists in Nebraska's regular-season closing victory over Northwestern, Haiby became the first Husker in history to achieve the combined career milestones of 1,000 points (1,320), 500 rebounds (511) and 400 assists (400). Haiby was a second-team All-Big Ten choice last season for the Huskers.

Isabelle Bourne joined Haiby on the coaches' honorable-mention All-Big Ten team. The 6-2 forward from Canberra, Australia played her best basketball during the second half of the conference campaign, averaging 14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist while hitting 53 percent of her shots, including 54.5 percent (12-22) of her three-pointers over the final nine games of the season. She finished the regular season averaging 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists to give Nebraska one of the best one-two punches inside in the Big Ten alongside Markowski. 

Junior forward Bella Cravens capped the list of Nebraska award winners by claiming her second straight Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. A starter to open the season, Cravens helped the Big Red to a perfect 12-0 record. She suffered an ankle injury prior to NU's win over Michigan (Jan. 4) and missed the next four starts because of the injury. Markowski took over the starting role, and since returning to action Cravens has continued to play outstanding basketball in a supporting role. She finished the season averaging 6.2 points and 5.6 rebounds, including 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds over the last five games.

Nebraska will be back in action to begin the postseason on Thursday at the 2022 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The sixth-seeded Huskers will face either Wisconsin or Illinois in the final game of the second round at approximately 7:30 p.m. (CT).

Big Ten Freshman of the Year: Alexis Markowski (Coaches, Media) Big Ten All-Freshman Team: Alexis Markowski (Coaches, Media) Big Ten All-Defensive Team: Jaz Shelley (Media) All-Big Ten Second Team: Alexis Markowski, Jaz Shelley (Coaches, Media) All-Big Ten Honorable Mention: Sam Haiby (Coaches, Media), Isabelle Bourne (Coaches) Big Ten Sportsmanship Award: Bella Cravens

Story by NU Athletic Communications Photo by Jordan OppLincoln - Alexis Markowski captured Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year and second-team All-Big Ten honors to headline an impressive list of Nebraska winners when the conference announced its annual awards for the 2021-22 women's basketball season on Tuesday, March 1.Markowski, a 6-3 freshman forward/center from Lincoln, Neb., swept Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year honors from the conference coaches and media after claiming eight Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week awards during the regular season. The only Big Ten freshman to lead her team in scoring (13.0 ppg) and rebounding (7.9 rpg), Markowski continued to improve throughout the season. The only unanimous choice by the league coaches on the five-player Big Ten All-Freshman Team, Markowski averaged team bests of 15.6 points and 8.6 rebounds in conference games-only to lead Nebraska to an 11-7 Big Ten mark and a 22-7 record overall. She also ranked second among the Huskers in blocked shots (10) and third in steals (17) during league play, while hitting 54 percent of her shots from the field including 53.6 percent (15-28) of her three-pointers.In her first career start against Michigan in the third game of the conference season on Jan. 4, Markowski produced her first career 20-point performance while adding seven rebounds in leading Nebraska to a 79-58 victory over the No. 8 Wolverines. Twelve days later, she produced a career-high 27 points including six three-pointers at Iowa. She scored 16 points in the first quarter alone, outscoring the high-powered Hawkeyes 16-14 by herself to stake Nebraska to a 30-14 lead at the end of the first 10 minutes.Over the final five weeks of the regular season (Jan. 27-Feb. 27), Markowski averaged a double-double each week to power Nebraska to a 9-3 finish down the stretch, including a 72-57 win over No. 5 Indiana (Feb. 14). It marked Nebraska's largest victory margin in school history against a top-five opponent. She finished with a double-double against the Hoosiers with 10 points and a career-high-tying 15 rebounds, one of her six double-doubles on the season.While Markowski's major award took the headlines, she was far from the only Husker honored by the Big Ten for outstanding play throughout the 2021-22 season.Husker newcomer Jaz Shelley joined Markowski on the All-Big Ten Second Team. The 5-9 sophomore guard from Moe, Australia, is the only player to rank among the top 20 in the conference in all five major statistical categories, including scoring (12.4 ppg, 17th), rebounding (6.8 rpg, 12th), assists (5.0 apg, 5th), steals (1.8 spg, 7th) and blocked shots (1.1 bpg, 7th). Shelley produced a triple-double early in the season with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in just 20 minutes in a November win over North Carolina Central. She finished the year with five double-doubles, including 12 points and 12 rebounds in Nebraska's win over No. 8 Michigan (Jan. 4). Shelley scored 20 or more points four times, including a season-high 30 in a win over Drexel (Nov. 26) when she knocked down 6-of-7 three-pointers. She added 20 points most recently in a win at Wisconsin (Feb. 23) after scoring 21 at Illinois (Feb. 12). She grabbed double-digit rebounds on seven occasions while dishing out double-digit assists three times, including a season-high 12 in a win over Minnesota (Feb. 20).Shelley was also recognized by the conference media as one of five players on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team. She finished the regular season with a team-leading 30 blocked shots while adding a team-best 50 steals.Sam Haiby claimed honorable-mention All-Big Ten recognition from both the league coaches and media. The 5-9 junior guard from Moorhead, Minn., continued to prove herself as one of the most versatile guards in the Big Ten, averaging 10.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals. With seven assists in Nebraska's regular-season closing victory over Northwestern, Haiby became the first Husker in history to achieve the combined career milestones of 1,000 points (1,320), 500 rebounds (511) and 400 assists (400). Haiby was a second-team All-Big Ten choice last season for the Huskers.Isabelle Bourne joined Haiby on the coaches' honorable-mention All-Big Ten team. The 6-2 forward from Canberra, Australia played her best basketball during the second half of the conference campaign, averaging 14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist while hitting 53 percent of her shots, including 54.5 percent (12-22) of her three-pointers over the final nine games of the season. She finished the regular season averaging 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists to give Nebraska one of the best one-two punches inside in the Big Ten alongside Markowski. Junior forward Bella Cravens capped the list of Nebraska award winners by claiming her second straight Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. A starter to open the season, Cravens helped the Big Red to a perfect 12-0 record. She suffered an ankle injury prior to NU's win over Michigan (Jan. 4) and missed the next four starts because of the injury. Markowski took over the starting role, and since returning to action Cravens has continued to play outstanding basketball in a supporting role. She finished the season averaging 6.2 points and 5.6 rebounds, including 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds over the last five games.Nebraska will be back in action to begin the postseason on Thursday at the 2022 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The sixth-seeded Huskers will face either Wisconsin or Illinois in the final game of the second round at approximately 7:30 p.m. (CT).Nebraska All-Big Ten SelectionsBig Ten Freshman of the Year: Alexis Markowski (Coaches, Media) Big Ten All-Freshman Team: Alexis Markowski (Coaches, Media) Big Ten All-Defensive Team: Jaz Shelley (Media) All-Big Ten Second Team: Alexis Markowski, Jaz Shelley (Coaches, Media) All-Big Ten Honorable Mention: Sam Haiby (Coaches, Media), Isabelle Bourne (Coaches) Big Ten Sportsmanship Award: Bella Cravens

Markowski Heads Hardware Haul

The Platte Valley Girls Softball Association is the premier softball league for North Platte. 

PVGSA Board did increase the registration fee this year due to an increase in umpires' wages for the 2022 season. The board also made a motion not to sell coupon books at registration but to wait and have coupon books be sold for our PVGSA Hit A thon and fun day for the girls (TBA).

The 2022 season will have an 8 game schedule.

Below is a breakdown of the costs associated with the registration fee increase:

USA Sanction Softball Insurance per girl- $25.00

Field Maintenance: Approximately $16.00 per game

*Online payments include registration fees.

Gameday/times will vary... schedule will be posted when registration is complete. Always Monday - Thursday. Ages 5&amp;6 and 7&amp;8 game times will be 6 or 7 p.m. 10U - 13 &amp; 18 Rec game times will be 6 or 7:30 p.m. Please check back on our website for full game schedules. Please include your email for all communication by PVGSA along with the Platte Valley Girls Softball Association Facebook Page.

The Platte Valley Girls Softball Association is the premier softball league for North Platte. Age as of January 1, 2022Registration Fees:5&amp;6 T-Ball - $757&amp;8 Coach Pitch - $7510U &amp; 12U - $9013-18 Rec League - $90PVGSA Board did increase the registration fee this year due to an increase in umpires' wages for the 2022 season. The board also made a motion not to sell coupon books at registration but to wait and have coupon books be sold for our PVGSA Hit A thon and fun day for the girls (TBA).The 2022 season will have an 8 game schedule.Below is a breakdown of the costs associated with the registration fee increase:Umpires- $30.00 per gameUSA Sanction Softball Insurance per girl- $25.00Field Maintenance: Approximately $16.00 per game*Online payments include registration fees.Gameday/times will vary... schedule will be posted when registration is complete. Always Monday - Thursday. Ages 5&amp;6 and 7&amp;8 game times will be 6 or 7 p.m. 10U - 13 &amp; 18 Rec game times will be 6 or 7:30 p.m. Please check back on our website for full game schedules. Please include your email for all communication by PVGSA along with the Platte Valley Girls Softball Association Facebook Page.

PVGSA Registration details

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Here is the West Team for this summers Sertoma All-Star Classic. The game is June 18th @ 6:00pm in Hastings <a href="https://twitter.com/HCBroncoFball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HCBroncoFball</a> Good looking squad. 🏈🏈🏈🏈<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/N8M?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#N8M</a> <a href="https://t.co/WBpoDYoV4v">pic.twitter.com/WBpoDYoV4v</a>&mdash; NEMFCA (@NE8manFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/NE8manFB/status/1498502913836077056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The East team for this summers Sertoma All-Star Classic. The game is June 18th @ 6:00pm in Hastings <a href="https://twitter.com/HCBroncoFball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HCBroncoFball</a> Salty Looking Team. 🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/N8M?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#N8M</a> <a href="https://t.co/DXpxTuyjOW">pic.twitter.com/DXpxTuyjOW</a>&mdash; NEMFCA (@NE8manFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/NE8manFB/status/1498503611243978754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

NEMFCA Sertoma 2022 All-Star rosters for 8-man football

“Welcome back. We got an early start to spring this year. A lot of good things about that. It is great to be back on the field with all the players. It has been really energizing and invigorating having the new faces around in the coaching staff and on the team. There is going to be a lot of hard work and a lot of good things happening. There is a lot of work left to do. A lot of pieces do not make a good team. You need to bring those pieces together to make a good team. We have a long way to go in that regard, but it has been a lot of fun being around the guys again. They were really anxious to get started so it was a good start to spring.”

On quarterbacks getting reps while competing for the starting spot:

“We will just get as many reps as we can number one, and we are splitting teams. We had two team works going at a time so it doubles the reps, and we are a little short at a couple positions but we need to keep doing that for some of the positions (because) there are a lot of guys to make sure everybody gets the reps they need.”

“There was some sloppy out there and it was not all on the field. We have some new coaches that need to learn where they need to go for each period and do things in practice. Guys need to get familiar with things. You need to get familiar with some new concepts and ideas and terms and signals and places to go in practice and that is coaches and players alike. That was kind of expected today but it will get better fast.”

On which quarterback took the first snap: 

“I cannot tell you for sure because I have not watched it yet, and I was with the twos today with the young guys when we split so I do not need know for sure.”

“We have been rotating today but I was down with the young guys. (Heinrich) Haarberg was down there. Richard (Torres) was down there. (Matt) Masker was down there and I saw Logan (Smothers) down there so there will be a rotation and again it will be a fight.”

“I think it is a work in progress. It has been great sitting in a room with smart guys that see the game a little different and have some different ideas, but it is amazing how much you have to go through to make sure you are on the same page with everything. The name of every blitz and pressure that you bring. The name of every front and what we call the coverages and what we call concepts and what the signal is for the concepts and how we handle certain things in protection. To marry things together is a lot of work and we have been putting in a lot of work, but I am sure there are some stones unturned that we will get to through spring.”

On Casey Thompson’s thumb injury and if that will limit him in the spring:

“He will not be limited at all. I think he is still in the training room working with it and getting it loosened up and feeling normal again, but it does not seem to affect him right now.”

“We have depth at the offensive line right now and a lot of guys that had a good first day. Obviously we are missing two of our hopefully main pieces and those guys are taking mental reps. What is great about that is we are going to get reps for a lot of other guys to try and compete and see who the guys are going to be on the field. We have to field the best five guys and get them out there, but we have a long time to try to figure that out where everybody fits and how it all comes together.”

“I mean there are challenges to it obviously but I cannot say enough about the guys that are here. What they are demanding out of their room, what I have seen from them in recruiting already, there are a lot of things to work through with new guys just getting familiar with each other and familiar with what the expectations are and what everybody is thinking about communication but it is a fun challenge too.  Like I said these guys are bringing in fresh ideas and a lot of energy and I think it is going to benefit us.”

“Continuity is going to be hard especially in regards to your roster. That is just the way college football is moving. You are going to have to do a great job as a coaching staff every year plugging in some new pieces and teaching guys a lot faster. The days of recruiting 25 freshmen and keeping them until they are in their third year and training them and getting ready to play it is just not quite going to be that way anymore. Some guys it is and with some other guys you are going to have new pieces on your team in winter and maybe even in summer. We have to do a great job as a coaching staff getting them on the same page as everybody else.”

“I would just say it is great to have Coach (Mark) Whipple here and that gave me a chance to go and spend more time with the defense but we are all pulling the rope in the same direction. We are on the field coaching. There are 150 guys there are plenty of people to talk to and plenty of problems on the field to fix for all of us.”

“I thought we made some improvements last year. I think consistency and getting more guys on special teams is a big thing. We need our starters on some of our special teams units and we need complete buy-in from everybody. I think some of the assistants are really putting a bug in some of the guys’ ears and making sure they are contributing. Coach (Bill) Busch was in a meeting this morning and did a great job. We started off with kickoff team today and energy enthusiasm and detail were all great so we need to keep improving on those things and keep getting more talent on the field.”

On how much time he gets to spend with the defense this spring compared to previous years: 

“Yeah some but I just had to carry a lot of the load on offense or I did however you want to look at it. I still expect to but I know they are in capable hands if I need to go and spend some time on the other side.”

“He was with us last year and I think a lot of the improvement we made was because of him schematically. Now he has a voice which is great running the meetings and there is not two layers of communication then. Right away you can see a lot of buy-in from players and a lot of detail from coach that I think is going to make us better.”

On how Bill Busch helped make improvements last year: 

“He was able to help us off the field and maybe get ahead and scout and give us some schematic ideas.”

“I am really impressed with the leadership that we have right now. Garrett Nelson has done an unbelievable job on defense throughout all of winter conditioning. I am really impressed with some of the new guys and just the energy they are bringing and the look in their eye to be great on the field, and I am not saying we did not have that but some of these guys just really seem to have that. I want to be on the field with a bunch of competitors that when they have the chance to make a play when it matters they are going to make it. Some of these guys certainly give you that impression. I have not seen them in those situations yet here at Nebraska but certainly impressed with the energy and leadership we are getting right away.”

On if it’s challenging for the new quarterbacks to come in and be a leader: 

“Yes and no. Those guys have been studying hard, and I think they are very knowledgeable about what guys are supposed to be doing. The guys that are here and the new guys have played enough football to know what the expectations are and what works and what does not. They are doing a really good job of holding people accountable and bringing energy that other people are following. You do not have to be front and center all the time particularly if you are new to being a good leader. There are ways to do it without being front and center and eventually whoever the quarterback is we are going to want to be one of the main guys. I think we have several that are ready to do that.”

“I think that is a work in progress, too. We have a lot of new pieces on offense. I maybe would comment on Alante Brown. He has had a really good offseason, and he really has a voice in the wide receiver room that we have needed, and I hope he keeps coming on the way that he has because we are seeing some good things from him.”

On if having a large number of newcomers in the spring is the ‘new normal’: 

“Time will tell but I would guess so. I think that is just happening across the board. Teams are not taking full recruiting classes of high school kids and looking for other ways to improve the team. Again that is going to be a lot of work for the coaches to make sure that you get new guys up to speed on Xs and Os and scheme and terminology and everything else. I think we are probably going to need to be ready to do that every year.”

On Rahmir Johnson noting a difference in the running game: 

“If he noticed a difference I think it is probably a compliment to the guys up front and the guys coaching the guys up front. The schemes were not different. Hopefully they felt a little different to the defense.”

On Mark Whipple’s influence on the run scheme: 

“Pretty much the same as what we have been doing. (Mark Whipple) certainly has ideas and will bring a lot to the table but I think for the most part what we did today is consistent to what we have done before.”

“I did not bring my list. I would say Travis Vokolek will not be back until summer. Casey (Rogers) will probably miss most or all of the spring. Luke Reimer had another procedure and he could be back later in the spring but it will probably be summer. I hate listing them because we are missing quite a few guys that we are expecting to help us next year and a couple up front on the offensive line. Again we miss those guys but the positive side of that is other guys getting reps that we need to develop.”

On the correlation of leadership and new coaches: 

“I do not think much. We just need guys to step forward. We certainly have a lot of guys capable of doing that. Some of them are young but we need guys to step into those roles and take advantage of that.”

“We have a lot of guys in the receiver room, and they are not getting away with much right now with Mickey (Joseph) in there. They know the expectations and the standards and they know there is going to be a lot of competition in the room because we have a lot of guys and a lot of depth. Today was day one. They are going to have 15 practices this spring and a bunch of time over summer and fall to try to battle it out and see who the main guys are going to be and they are off to a good start.”

On if new offensive linemen Hunter Anthony and Kevin Williams Jr. will play multiple spots: 

“I think they both probably could. Coming in and learning stuff new we are going to try to leave them in one place during the spring if we can but I think both are capable of playing guard and tackle.”

“It is TBD again. I think we have a lot of guys that can do that. Trent Hixson was playing there today. Ethan Piper was playing there today. I think Turner (Corcoran) could play there when he is back so there are a bunch of options and when the dust all settles we will get our best five guys on the field.”

On how his role with special teams has changed:

“Not really at all. I was involved with it last year, too. I think I’ll have a little more time with more help on offense which is going to be great. I wasn’t much of an NFL player so I had to make my living on special teams and got to know it pretty intimately. If there are some things I can help with I’m certainly going to have more time to be able to do that.”

On the advantage of a head coach being more involved in special teams:

“I think if the head coach cares about special teams the rest of the team sees the importance and you get buy-in from everybody. We are certainly working toward that.”

On how he prioritizes the goals for the spring:

“We want to be a little simple this spring. We didn’t have trouble last year creating big plays or moving the ball at times. It was being consistent at the little things when we needed it. I think if we get good at blocking technique and running with it and throwing it and catching it we can change a rout or a run concept. If we block with good technique, it’s going to work. We’ve got plenty of time to get creative with a lot of smart people. Spring is really going to be about fundamentals and doing the small things well.”

On specific fundamentals to focus on in the spring:

“I don’t want to single one out because I don’t want to act like I’m pointing figures at something we did wrong. I was really impressed today with the way the line just came off the ball. If we can get more movement initially in the run game I think that’s going to help us a lot.”

On what adjustments need to be made to succeed on special teams:

“We’ve got to punt it well, kick it well and have some guys that are dangerous in the return game. For the most part I think our coverage units did a good job last year. There is still improvement to be made. I think we have some guys that are going to be able to catch the ball and do something with it. We’ve got to punt it well and make our kicks. We hopefully added some guys that are going to be able to do that and we are bringing some guys back.”

On what he has seen from transfer punter Brian Buschini:

“I actually haven’t seen him yet. We were inside today working on kickoff. We can’t really be on the field with players and balls in the winter. Looking forward to seeing it but I haven’t yet.”

“There is competition in that room, too. Gabe Ervin is another one that will miss spring. He’s doing a great job trying to get back. We got Rahmir (Johnson) back and Jaquez (Yant) back. Brody Belt is going to take some reps back there. Anthony Grant is new to the program. I thought all those guys had a good first day. Jaquez has had a good off season. He looks the part right now. We’ve got a lot of guys that need to grow up and become men and reliable pieces to our team. I think Jaquez and several others are doing a good job of trying to get there.”

Nebraska Football Press ConferenceFeb. 28, 2022Head Coach Scott FrostOpening Statement:“Welcome back. We got an early start to spring this year. A lot of good things about that. It is great to be back on the field with all the players. It has been really energizing and invigorating having the new faces around in the coaching staff and on the team. There is going to be a lot of hard work and a lot of good things happening. There is a lot of work left to do. A lot of pieces do not make a good team. You need to bring those pieces together to make a good team. We have a long way to go in that regard, but it has been a lot of fun being around the guys again. They were really anxious to get started so it was a good start to spring.”On quarterbacks getting reps while competing for the starting spot:“We will just get as many reps as we can number one, and we are splitting teams. We had two team works going at a time so it doubles the reps, and we are a little short at a couple positions but we need to keep doing that for some of the positions (because) there are a lot of guys to make sure everybody gets the reps they need.”On offensive cleanliness: “There was some sloppy out there and it was not all on the field. We have some new coaches that need to learn where they need to go for each period and do things in practice. Guys need to get familiar with things. You need to get familiar with some new concepts and ideas and terms and signals and places to go in practice and that is coaches and players alike. That was kind of expected today but it will get better fast.”On which quarterback took the first snap: “I cannot tell you for sure because I have not watched it yet, and I was with the twos today with the young guys when we split so I do not need know for sure.”On the top group of quarterbacks: “We have been rotating today but I was down with the young guys. (Heinrich) Haarberg was down there. Richard (Torres) was down there. (Matt) Masker was down there and I saw Logan (Smothers) down there so there will be a rotation and again it will be a fight.”On coaches meshing together: “I think it is a work in progress. It has been great sitting in a room with smart guys that see the game a little different and have some different ideas, but it is amazing how much you have to go through to make sure you are on the same page with everything. The name of every blitz and pressure that you bring. The name of every front and what we call the coverages and what we call concepts and what the signal is for the concepts and how we handle certain things in protection. To marry things together is a lot of work and we have been putting in a lot of work, but I am sure there are some stones unturned that we will get to through spring.”On Casey Thompson’s thumb injury and if that will limit him in the spring:“He will not be limited at all. I think he is still in the training room working with it and getting it loosened up and feeling normal again, but it does not seem to affect him right now.”On the offensive line coming together: “We have depth at the offensive line right now and a lot of guys that had a good first day. Obviously we are missing two of our hopefully main pieces and those guys are taking mental reps. What is great about that is we are going to get reps for a lot of other guys to try and compete and see who the guys are going to be on the field. We have to field the best five guys and get them out there, but we have a long time to try to figure that out where everybody fits and how it all comes together.”On maintaining coaching continuity:“I mean there are challenges to it obviously but I cannot say enough about the guys that are here. What they are demanding out of their room, what I have seen from them in recruiting already, there are a lot of things to work through with new guys just getting familiar with each other and familiar with what the expectations are and what everybody is thinking about communication but it is a fun challenge too. Like I said these guys are bringing in fresh ideas and a lot of energy and I think it is going to benefit us.”On the value of continuity: “Continuity is going to be hard especially in regards to your roster. That is just the way college football is moving. You are going to have to do a great job as a coaching staff every year plugging in some new pieces and teaching guys a lot faster. The days of recruiting 25 freshmen and keeping them until they are in their third year and training them and getting ready to play it is just not quite going to be that way anymore. Some guys it is and with some other guys you are going to have new pieces on your team in winter and maybe even in summer. We have to do a great job as a coaching staff getting them on the same page as everybody else.”On the new staff:“I would just say it is great to have Coach (Mark) Whipple here and that gave me a chance to go and spend more time with the defense but we are all pulling the rope in the same direction. We are on the field coaching. There are 150 guys there are plenty of people to talk to and plenty of problems on the field to fix for all of us.”On special teams work in the spring: “I thought we made some improvements last year. I think consistency and getting more guys on special teams is a big thing. We need our starters on some of our special teams units and we need complete buy-in from everybody. I think some of the assistants are really putting a bug in some of the guys’ ears and making sure they are contributing. Coach (Bill) Busch was in a meeting this morning and did a great job. We started off with kickoff team today and energy enthusiasm and detail were all great so we need to keep improving on those things and keep getting more talent on the field.”On how much time he gets to spend with the defense this spring compared to previous years: “Yeah some but I just had to carry a lot of the load on offense or I did however you want to look at it. I still expect to but I know they are in capable hands if I need to go and spend some time on the other side.”On initial impressions on Bill Busch: “He was with us last year and I think a lot of the improvement we made was because of him schematically. Now he has a voice which is great running the meetings and there is not two layers of communication then. Right away you can see a lot of buy-in from players and a lot of detail from coach that I think is going to make us better.”On how Bill Busch helped make improvements last year: “He was able to help us off the field and maybe get ahead and scout and give us some schematic ideas.”On developing a winning mentality: “I am really impressed with the leadership that we have right now. Garrett Nelson has done an unbelievable job on defense throughout all of winter conditioning. I am really impressed with some of the new guys and just the energy they are bringing and the look in their eye to be great on the field, and I am not saying we did not have that but some of these guys just really seem to have that. I want to be on the field with a bunch of competitors that when they have the chance to make a play when it matters they are going to make it. Some of these guys certainly give you that impression. I have not seen them in those situations yet here at Nebraska but certainly impressed with the energy and leadership we are getting right away.”On if it’s challenging for the new quarterbacks to come in and be a leader: “Yes and no. Those guys have been studying hard, and I think they are very knowledgeable about what guys are supposed to be doing. The guys that are here and the new guys have played enough football to know what the expectations are and what works and what does not. They are doing a really good job of holding people accountable and bringing energy that other people are following. You do not have to be front and center all the time particularly if you are new to being a good leader. There are ways to do it without being front and center and eventually whoever the quarterback is we are going to want to be one of the main guys. I think we have several that are ready to do that.”On offensive leaders: “I think that is a work in progress, too. We have a lot of new pieces on offense. I maybe would comment on Alante Brown. He has had a really good offseason, and he really has a voice in the wide receiver room that we have needed, and I hope he keeps coming on the way that he has because we are seeing some good things from him.”On if having a large number of newcomers in the spring is the ‘new normal’: “Time will tell but I would guess so. I think that is just happening across the board. Teams are not taking full recruiting classes of high school kids and looking for other ways to improve the team. Again that is going to be a lot of work for the coaches to make sure that you get new guys up to speed on Xs and Os and scheme and terminology and everything else. I think we are probably going to need to be ready to do that every year.”On Rahmir Johnson noting a difference in the running game: “If he noticed a difference I think it is probably a compliment to the guys up front and the guys coaching the guys up front. The schemes were not different. Hopefully they felt a little different to the defense.”On Mark Whipple’s influence on the run scheme: “Pretty much the same as what we have been doing. (Mark Whipple) certainly has ideas and will bring a lot to the table but I think for the most part what we did today is consistent to what we have done before.”On players’ injury status: “I did not bring my list. I would say Travis Vokolek will not be back until summer. Casey (Rogers) will probably miss most or all of the spring. Luke Reimer had another procedure and he could be back later in the spring but it will probably be summer. I hate listing them because we are missing quite a few guys that we are expecting to help us next year and a couple up front on the offensive line. Again we miss those guys but the positive side of that is other guys getting reps that we need to develop.”On the correlation of leadership and new coaches: “I do not think much. We just need guys to step forward. We certainly have a lot of guys capable of doing that. Some of them are young but we need guys to step into those roles and take advantage of that.”On the wide receiver room: “We have a lot of guys in the receiver room, and they are not getting away with much right now with Mickey (Joseph) in there. They know the expectations and the standards and they know there is going to be a lot of competition in the room because we have a lot of guys and a lot of depth. Today was day one. They are going to have 15 practices this spring and a bunch of time over summer and fall to try to battle it out and see who the main guys are going to be and they are off to a good start.”On if new offensive linemen Hunter Anthony and Kevin Williams Jr. will play multiple spots: “I think they both probably could. Coming in and learning stuff new we are going to try to leave them in one place during the spring if we can but I think both are capable of playing guard and tackle.”On the center spot: “It is TBD again. I think we have a lot of guys that can do that. Trent Hixson was playing there today. Ethan Piper was playing there today. I think Turner (Corcoran) could play there when he is back so there are a bunch of options and when the dust all settles we will get our best five guys on the field.”On how his role with special teams has changed:“Not really at all. I was involved with it last year, too. I think I’ll have a little more time with more help on offense which is going to be great. I wasn’t much of an NFL player so I had to make my living on special teams and got to know it pretty intimately. If there are some things I can help with I’m certainly going to have more time to be able to do that.”On the advantage of a head coach being more involved in special teams:“I think if the head coach cares about special teams the rest of the team sees the importance and you get buy-in from everybody. We are certainly working toward that.”On how he prioritizes the goals for the spring:“We want to be a little simple this spring. We didn’t have trouble last year creating big plays or moving the ball at times. It was being consistent at the little things when we needed it. I think if we get good at blocking technique and running with it and throwing it and catching it we can change a rout or a run concept. If we block with good technique, it’s going to work. We’ve got plenty of time to get creative with a lot of smart people. Spring is really going to be about fundamentals and doing the small things well.”On specific fundamentals to focus on in the spring:“I don’t want to single one out because I don’t want to act like I’m pointing figures at something we did wrong. I was really impressed today with the way the line just came off the ball. If we can get more movement initially in the run game I think that’s going to help us a lot.”On what adjustments need to be made to succeed on special teams:“We’ve got to punt it well, kick it well and have some guys that are dangerous in the return game. For the most part I think our coverage units did a good job last year. There is still improvement to be made. I think we have some guys that are going to be able to catch the ball and do something with it. We’ve got to punt it well and make our kicks. We hopefully added some guys that are going to be able to do that and we are bringing some guys back.”On what he has seen from transfer punter Brian Buschini:“I actually haven’t seen him yet. We were inside today working on kickoff. We can’t really be on the field with players and balls in the winter. Looking forward to seeing it but I haven’t yet.”On the running backs as a group:“There is competition in that room, too. Gabe Ervin is another one that will miss spring. He’s doing a great job trying to get back. We got Rahmir (Johnson) back and Jaquez (Yant) back. Brody Belt is going to take some reps back there. Anthony Grant is new to the program. I thought all those guys had a good first day. Jaquez has had a good off season. He looks the part right now. We’ve got a lot of guys that need to grow up and become men and reliable pieces to our team. I think Jaquez and several others are doing a good job of trying to get there.”

Coach Frost Press Conference transcript from first spring practice

Story by NU Athletic Communications Photo by Nebraska Athletics

The Nebraska baseball team fell 5-3 on Sunday afternoon in the series finale against No. 17 TCU at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The Huskers loaded the bases with two outs in top of the ninth but had their ninth-inning rally fall short in a bang-bang play at first base.

Nebraska scored three runs on 10 hits with no errors, while TCU had five runs on nine hits and committed an error.

Starter Dawson McCarville fell to 0-1 on the season after allowing five runs on eight hits in four innings. McCarville walked a pair and struck out three TCU hitters. Emmett Olson pitched the final four innings in relief, allowing only one hit and striking out two.

Griffin Everitt led the Huskers at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a run scored. Brice Matthews went 2-for-4 with a double, home run, an RBI and two runs. Leighton Banjoff added two hits and an RBI, while Colby Gomes, Josh Caron and Garrett Anglim recorded one hit apiece.

TCU began the scoring in the bottom of the first with an RBI single by David Bishop. The Horned Frogs appeared to double the lead in the next at-bat when Gray Rodgers flied out to center to score the runner from third, but Cam Chick gunned down Bishop advancing to second before the runner touched home to end the first with a double play.

Matthews opened the second with a double down the left line on the first pitch he saw before Banjoff roped an RBI single to center, scoring Matthews and tying the game at one in the third.

The Horned Frogs got the run back in the bottom of the third after Brayden Taylor drew a walk and Rodgers hit a two-out RBI double down the left field line to plate Taylor.

TCU hung three runs on three hits in the fifth to expand its lead to 5-1 in the fifth. An RBI single through the right side for Luke Boyers and Taylor's RBI double down the right field line stretched the lead to three, while an RBI groundout by Rodgers concluded the scoring in the fifth for the Horned Frogs.

Matthews blasted an 0-1 pitch over wall in left field to trim the TCU lead to 5-2 in the seventh. Nebraska tacked on its third run of the game in the eighth when Everitt singled to center and later came around to score on Cam Chick's sacrifice fly to left.

Back-to-back singles by Caron and Anglim put runners on first and second with no outs in the top of the ninth for the Big Red. With two outs, Banjoff reached safely at first to load the bases after his hit ricocheted off the pitcher and landed behind the mound where no Horned Frog infielder could get to it in time. With two outs and the bases loaded, Everitt hit a slow-chopping ground ball to third and appeared to beat the throw at first by the charging third baseman by half a step but was called out on the play to clinch the 5-3 win on Sunday for the Horned Frogs.

Nebraska returns to Arlington next weekend for four games at UT Arlington, including two games each against the Mavericks and Northwestern State. Next weekend's schedule includes non-traditional doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday. The Huskers and Northwestern State meet at 11 a.m. on both days before the Big Red end each day against UT Arlington at 3 p.m.

Story by NU Athletic Communications Photo by Nebraska AthleticsThe Nebraska baseball team fell 5-3 on Sunday afternoon in the series finale against No. 17 TCU at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The Huskers loaded the bases with two outs in top of the ninth but had their ninth-inning rally fall short in a bang-bang play at first base.Nebraska scored three runs on 10 hits with no errors, while TCU had five runs on nine hits and committed an error.Starter Dawson McCarville fell to 0-1 on the season after allowing five runs on eight hits in four innings. McCarville walked a pair and struck out three TCU hitters. Emmett Olson pitched the final four innings in relief, allowing only one hit and striking out two.Griffin Everitt led the Huskers at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a run scored. Brice Matthews went 2-for-4 with a double, home run, an RBI and two runs. Leighton Banjoff added two hits and an RBI, while Colby Gomes, Josh Caron and Garrett Anglim recorded one hit apiece.TCU began the scoring in the bottom of the first with an RBI single by David Bishop. The Horned Frogs appeared to double the lead in the next at-bat when Gray Rodgers flied out to center to score the runner from third, but Cam Chick gunned down Bishop advancing to second before the runner touched home to end the first with a double play.Matthews opened the second with a double down the left line on the first pitch he saw before Banjoff roped an RBI single to center, scoring Matthews and tying the game at one in the third.The Horned Frogs got the run back in the bottom of the third after Brayden Taylor drew a walk and Rodgers hit a two-out RBI double down the left field line to plate Taylor.TCU hung three runs on three hits in the fifth to expand its lead to 5-1 in the fifth. An RBI single through the right side for Luke Boyers and Taylor's RBI double down the right field line stretched the lead to three, while an RBI groundout by Rodgers concluded the scoring in the fifth for the Horned Frogs.Matthews blasted an 0-1 pitch over wall in left field to trim the TCU lead to 5-2 in the seventh. Nebraska tacked on its third run of the game in the eighth when Everitt singled to center and later came around to score on Cam Chick's sacrifice fly to left.Back-to-back singles by Caron and Anglim put runners on first and second with no outs in the top of the ninth for the Big Red. With two outs, Banjoff reached safely at first to load the bases after his hit ricocheted off the pitcher and landed behind the mound where no Horned Frog infielder could get to it in time. With two outs and the bases loaded, Everitt hit a slow-chopping ground ball to third and appeared to beat the throw at first by the charging third baseman by half a step but was called out on the play to clinch the 5-3 win on Sunday for the Horned Frogs.Nebraska returns to Arlington next weekend for four games at UT Arlington, including two games each against the Mavericks and Northwestern State. Next weekend's schedule includes non-traditional doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday. The Huskers and Northwestern State meet at 11 a.m. on both days before the Big Red end each day against UT Arlington at 3 p.m.

Huskers Drop Series Finale vs. No. 17 TCU

Story by NU Athletic Communications Photo by Molly Houser

Lincoln - Isabelle Bourne, Jaz Shelley and Alexis Markowski put together big games to power the Nebraska women's basketball team to a 73-59 victory over Northwestern to close out the regular season on Sunday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

With the victory, Nebraska improved to 22-7 overall while tying the school record with its 16th home win of the year. The Huskers, who have won five of their past six games, capped the Big Ten regular season with an 11-7 record to earn the No. 6 seed in this week's conference tournament in Indianapolis. A total of 15 of Nebraska's 16 home wins were by double digits, including wins over top-10 Big Ten foes Michigan and Indiana.

Nebraska, which earned a first-round bye in the 14-team tournament, will take on the winner of Wednesday's first-round game between No. 11 seed Wisconsin and No. 14 seed Illinois. The Huskers will take the court in Thursday's final game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which will begin at approximately 7:45 p.m. (CT) [25 minutes after conclusion of the 5:30 p.m. CT game between No. 7 Northwestern and No. 10 Minnesota).  Live television coverage will be provided by the Big Ten Network while free live audio will be available on Huskers.com from the Huskers Radio Network.

Bourne led all scorers with 20 points, including 14 in the first half to help the Huskers take a 30-27 lead to halftime. The 6-2 sophomore from Canberra, Australia hit 7-of-10 shots from the field, including all three of her three-point attempts on the afternoon. She added five rebounds and a pair of assists in arguably her best performance of the season.

While Bourne sparked the Huskers in the first half, Shelley helped carry Nebraska to a huge third quarter. The 5-9 sophomore guard from Moe, Australia, scored 13 points in the period, including a trio of three-pointers to help Nebraska outscore the Wildcats 28-14 in the quarter and take a 58-41 edge into the fourth quarter. Shelley, who finished with 17 points, hit 6-of-11 shots on the day, including 3-of-6 threes, while adding three rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Markowski, a 6-3 freshman from Lincoln, Neb., put together another big effort with her sixth double-double of the season. The front-runner for Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year honors scheduled to be announced by the conference on Tuesday morning, finished with 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while adding two blocked shots and an assist. She hit 6-of-10 shots from the floor, including a pair of first-half three-pointers. She was also instrumental in keeping Northwestern's Courtney Shaw off the boards. Shaw, who entered the game averaging 10 rebounds, including five per game on the offensive glass in conference play, was held to just five total boards and did not score in the contest.

Fellow freshman Allison Weidner also played a big role for the Big Red in the third quarter, teaming with Shelley to split Nebraska's first 10 points of the second half. The 5-10 guard from Humphrey, Neb., finished with eight points, five rebounds and two assists. Junior guard Sam Haiby pitched in six points, five rebounds and a game-high seven assists along with two steals, while Bella Cravens contributed six points and five rebounds.

As a team, Nebraska hit 50 percent (26-52) of its shots from the field, including 9-of-18 threes. In the decisive third quarter, Nebraska went a sizzling 10-of-13, including 5-of-6 from long range, while holding the Wildcats to just 3-for-13 shooting and 1-of-5 from beyond the arc.

For the game, Nebraska's Big Ten-best field goal percentage defense held Northwestern to just 27.1 percent (16-59), although the Wildcats did connect on 8-of-23 threes. However, Northwestern opened 5-of-9 from the arc before connecting on just 3-of-14 the rest of the way, including a triple on the final shot of the game from Hailey Weaver.

All-Big Ten guard Veronica Burton led Northwestern with 16 points and four steals, but Burton hit just 3-of-14 shots from the floor, while going 8-for-8 at the foul line. Laya Hartman was the only other Cat in double figures with 12 points. No other Northwestern player finished with more than seven points.

Nebraska won the rebounding battle with Northwestern, 43-31, to overcome an 18-11 disadvantage in turnovers. The Big Red dominated points in the paint, 32-12.

In a methodically paced first half, Nebraska led 30-27 thanks to 14 points from Bourne and 10 from Markowski. Although the posts did most of the scoring, it wasn't necessarily from pounding the ball on the block, as Bourne and Markowski combined to go 4-for-4 from three-point range in the half.

The duo combined to hit 9-of-15 shots, but the rest of the Huskers went just 2-for-12 and 0-4 from long range. Northwestern got 10 first-half points from Hartman, who scored all 10 in the second quarter to account for 10 of Northwestern's 13 second-period points. Burton added five points in the half but missed four minutes of time after picking up her second foul with 6:06 left in the half.

Nebraska hit 40.7 percent (11-27) of its first-half shots, including 4-of-8 threes and 4-of-6 free throws. The Huskers also won the first-half battle of the boards, 21-15. Northwestern answered by hitting 32.1 percent (9-28) from the floor, including 5-of-11 threes and 4-of-6 free throws. The Wildcats won the first half turnover margin, 10-7, but both teams scored eight points off turnovers.

The Huskers finished February with a 7-3 record, matching NU's second-highest win total in school history in the month. Nebraska went 9-3 from Jan. 27-Feb. 27.

Story by NU Athletic Communications Photo by Molly HouserLincoln - Isabelle Bourne, Jaz Shelley and Alexis Markowski put together big games to power the Nebraska women's basketball team to a 73-59 victory over Northwestern to close out the regular season on Sunday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena.With the victory, Nebraska improved to 22-7 overall while tying the school record with its 16th home win of the year. The Huskers, who have won five of their past six games, capped the Big Ten regular season with an 11-7 record to earn the No. 6 seed in this week's conference tournament in Indianapolis. A total of 15 of Nebraska's 16 home wins were by double digits, including wins over top-10 Big Ten foes Michigan and Indiana.Nebraska, which earned a first-round bye in the 14-team tournament, will take on the winner of Wednesday's first-round game between No. 11 seed Wisconsin and No. 14 seed Illinois. The Huskers will take the court in Thursday's final game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which will begin at approximately 7:45 p.m. (CT) [25 minutes after conclusion of the 5:30 p.m. CT game between No. 7 Northwestern and No. 10 Minnesota). Live television coverage will be provided by the Big Ten Network while free live audio will be available on Huskers.com from the Huskers Radio Network.Bourne led all scorers with 20 points, including 14 in the first half to help the Huskers take a 30-27 lead to halftime. The 6-2 sophomore from Canberra, Australia hit 7-of-10 shots from the field, including all three of her three-point attempts on the afternoon. She added five rebounds and a pair of assists in arguably her best performance of the season.While Bourne sparked the Huskers in the first half, Shelley helped carry Nebraska to a huge third quarter. The 5-9 sophomore guard from Moe, Australia, scored 13 points in the period, including a trio of three-pointers to help Nebraska outscore the Wildcats 28-14 in the quarter and take a 58-41 edge into the fourth quarter. Shelley, who finished with 17 points, hit 6-of-11 shots on the day, including 3-of-6 threes, while adding three rebounds, five assists and two steals.Markowski, a 6-3 freshman from Lincoln, Neb., put together another big effort with her sixth double-double of the season. The front-runner for Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year honors scheduled to be announced by the conference on Tuesday morning, finished with 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while adding two blocked shots and an assist. She hit 6-of-10 shots from the floor, including a pair of first-half three-pointers. She was also instrumental in keeping Northwestern's Courtney Shaw off the boards. Shaw, who entered the game averaging 10 rebounds, including five per game on the offensive glass in conference play, was held to just five total boards and did not score in the contest.Fellow freshman Allison Weidner also played a big role for the Big Red in the third quarter, teaming with Shelley to split Nebraska's first 10 points of the second half. The 5-10 guard from Humphrey, Neb., finished with eight points, five rebounds and two assists. Junior guard Sam Haiby pitched in six points, five rebounds and a game-high seven assists along with two steals, while Bella Cravens contributed six points and five rebounds.As a team, Nebraska hit 50 percent (26-52) of its shots from the field, including 9-of-18 threes. In the decisive third quarter, Nebraska went a sizzling 10-of-13, including 5-of-6 from long range, while holding the Wildcats to just 3-for-13 shooting and 1-of-5 from beyond the arc.For the game, Nebraska's Big Ten-best field goal percentage defense held Northwestern to just 27.1 percent (16-59), although the Wildcats did connect on 8-of-23 threes. However, Northwestern opened 5-of-9 from the arc before connecting on just 3-of-14 the rest of the way, including a triple on the final shot of the game from Hailey Weaver.All-Big Ten guard Veronica Burton led Northwestern with 16 points and four steals, but Burton hit just 3-of-14 shots from the floor, while going 8-for-8 at the foul line. Laya Hartman was the only other Cat in double figures with 12 points. No other Northwestern player finished with more than seven points.Nebraska won the rebounding battle with Northwestern, 43-31, to overcome an 18-11 disadvantage in turnovers. The Big Red dominated points in the paint, 32-12.In a methodically paced first half, Nebraska led 30-27 thanks to 14 points from Bourne and 10 from Markowski. Although the posts did most of the scoring, it wasn't necessarily from pounding the ball on the block, as Bourne and Markowski combined to go 4-for-4 from three-point range in the half.The duo combined to hit 9-of-15 shots, but the rest of the Huskers went just 2-for-12 and 0-4 from long range. Northwestern got 10 first-half points from Hartman, who scored all 10 in the second quarter to account for 10 of Northwestern's 13 second-period points. Burton added five points in the half but missed four minutes of time after picking up her second foul with 6:06 left in the half.Nebraska hit 40.7 percent (11-27) of its first-half shots, including 4-of-8 threes and 4-of-6 free throws. The Huskers also won the first-half battle of the boards, 21-15. Northwestern answered by hitting 32.1 percent (9-28) from the floor, including 5-of-11 threes and 4-of-6 free throws. The Wildcats won the first half turnover margin, 10-7, but both teams scored eight points off turnovers.The Huskers finished February with a 7-3 record, matching NU's second-highest win total in school history in the month. Nebraska went 9-3 from Jan. 27-Feb. 27.

Huskers Power Past Wildcats

State College, Pa. - Bryce McGowens' 25 points led five Huskers in double figures, as Nebraska put together its most complete performance of the season in a 93-70 win over Penn State Sunday night. 

McGowens was efficient, hitting 8-of-13 shots from the floor, including a trio of 3-pointers, as Nebraska shot 58.2 percent from the field, including 13-of-20 from 3-point range against a Penn State team that was allowing less than 65 points per game in Big Ten play to lead the conference.  

Alonzo Verge Jr. had 15 points and five assists, while Lat Mayen (13), Trey McGowens (12) and Derrick Walker (10) all cracked double figures, as Trey McGowens, who also had four steals and Mayen both enjoyed season highs.

The McGowens brothers keyed an 18-2 first-half run over a span of 4:26, combining for 12 points as the Huskers turned a 13-10 deficit into a 13-point lead at 28-15 after a Bryce McGowens putback.

The Huskers, who shot 61 percent in the first half, including 7-of-12 from 3-point range, kept building the lead and closed the half on an 8-2 spurt to take a 49-31 lead into the locker room after Verge's 3-pointer.

Nebraska (8-21, 2-16 Big Ten) quickly stretched the lead to 23, at 54-31 after a Mayen jumper just 1:35 into the second half, and Penn State was never able to cut the deficit to less than 20 the rest of the way, as Nebraska snapped a 13-game road losing streak.

Sam Sessoms, Seth Lundy and Jalen Pickett had 12 points apiece for Penn State (12-14, 7-11 Big Ten), which shot 46 percent, but was rebounded 34-22

The Huskers continue their two-game road swing on Tuesday night, as the Huskers travel to No. 22 Ohio State. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (central) and the game will be televised by BTN and carried on the Huskers Radio Network.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsState College, Pa. - Bryce McGowens' 25 points led five Huskers in double figures, as Nebraska put together its most complete performance of the season in a 93-70 win over Penn State Sunday night. McGowens was efficient, hitting 8-of-13 shots from the floor, including a trio of 3-pointers, as Nebraska shot 58.2 percent from the field, including 13-of-20 from 3-point range against a Penn State team that was allowing less than 65 points per game in Big Ten play to lead the conference. Alonzo Verge Jr. had 15 points and five assists, while Lat Mayen (13), Trey McGowens (12) and Derrick Walker (10) all cracked double figures, as Trey McGowens, who also had four steals and Mayen both enjoyed season highs.The McGowens brothers keyed an 18-2 first-half run over a span of 4:26, combining for 12 points as the Huskers turned a 13-10 deficit into a 13-point lead at 28-15 after a Bryce McGowens putback.The Huskers, who shot 61 percent in the first half, including 7-of-12 from 3-point range, kept building the lead and closed the half on an 8-2 spurt to take a 49-31 lead into the locker room after Verge's 3-pointer.Nebraska (8-21, 2-16 Big Ten) quickly stretched the lead to 23, at 54-31 after a Mayen jumper just 1:35 into the second half, and Penn State was never able to cut the deficit to less than 20 the rest of the way, as Nebraska snapped a 13-game road losing streak.Sam Sessoms, Seth Lundy and Jalen Pickett had 12 points apiece for Penn State (12-14, 7-11 Big Ten), which shot 46 percent, but was rebounded 34-22The Huskers continue their two-game road swing on Tuesday night, as the Huskers travel to No. 22 Ohio State. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (central) and the game will be televised by BTN and carried on the Huskers Radio Network.

Huskers Roll Past Penn State, 93-70

Story by: Ronald Blum - Associated Press

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Major League Baseball negotiations to end the lockout are extending to the limit.

Management says a deal must be reached by the end of Monday’s negotiations to salvage a March 31 start to the regular season and a 162-game schedule.

With that in mind, the sides are scheduled to meet starting at 10 a.m., three hours earlier than usual. This will be the eighth straight day of talks at Roger Dean Stadium, the vacant spring training home of the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals.

The lockout is in its 89th day. MLB has not fixed an exact time to the deadline, which leads to the possibility of bargaining sessions stretching into the wee hours if both sides see a deal within reach.

Sides were still far apart, but pressure is increasing. Players would lose $20.5 million in salary for each day of the season that is canceled, according to a study by The Associated Press, and the 30 teams would lose large sums that are harder to pin down.

Monday was picked as a deadline because MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says at least 28 days of training are needed before the season starts. The union has not said whether it agrees, and baseball has shortened spring training to as few as three weeks in the past.

Baseball’s ninth work stoppage started Dec. 2. Spring training games were to have begun Saturday and already have been canceled through March 7.

Just three players attended the talks Sunday: Max Scherzer, Andrew Miller and Marcus Semien. Scherzer left the ballpark before bargaining broke for the night.

Players and owners did not meet directly.

Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem telephoned union chief negotiator Bruce Meyer on Sunday morning and asked for a 1-on-1 session in place of the scheduled larger group gathering.

That started a series of four short meetings characterized as an exchange of ideas that gave the union and MLB a better idea of the tradeoffs it would take to reach the endpoint of bargaining that began last spring and resulted in the sport’s first work stoppage since 1995.

Players and teams enter deadline day far apart on many key issues and unresolved on others. The most contentious proposals involve luxury tax thresholds and rates, the size of a new bonus pool for pre-arbitration players, minimum salaries, salary arbitration eligibility and the union’s desire to change the club revenue sharing formula.

In addition, MLB has tied the elimination of direct free-agent compensation to players agreeing to higher luxury tax rates and still wants to expand the playoffs to 14 teams rather than the union’s preference for 12. MLB also has kept its proposal for an international amateur draft on the table.

Not since Aug 30, 2002, has MLB come this close to losing regular-season games to labor strife. The union was set to strike at 3:20 p.m., but roughly 25 consecutive hours of meetings and caucuses culminated in an agreement at 11:45 a.m.

Bargaining has not had that type of frequency this year, but has gained momentum since talks shifted from New York to Florida last week.

MLB is offering to raise the luxury tax threshold from $210 million last season to $214 million this year, increasing it to $220 million by 2026. Teams also want higher tax rates, which the union says would tend to act like a salary cap.

Players have asked for a $245 million threshold this year, rising to $273 million by the final season.

The union wants to expand arbitration to include the top 35% by service time of players with at least two seasons of major league service and less than three, up from the 22% cutoff in place since 2013.

The union proposed the pre-arbitration pool have $115 million distributed to 150 players, and management wants $20 million to be split among 30.

Story by: Ronald Blum - Associated PressJUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Major League Baseball negotiations to end the lockout are extending to the limit.Management says a deal must be reached by the end of Monday’s negotiations to salvage a March 31 start to the regular season and a 162-game schedule.With that in mind, the sides are scheduled to meet starting at 10 a.m., three hours earlier than usual. This will be the eighth straight day of talks at Roger Dean Stadium, the vacant spring training home of the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals.The lockout is in its 89th day. MLB has not fixed an exact time to the deadline, which leads to the possibility of bargaining sessions stretching into the wee hours if both sides see a deal within reach.Sides were still far apart, but pressure is increasing. Players would lose $20.5 million in salary for each day of the season that is canceled, according to a study by The Associated Press, and the 30 teams would lose large sums that are harder to pin down.Monday was picked as a deadline because MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says at least 28 days of training are needed before the season starts. The union has not said whether it agrees, and baseball has shortened spring training to as few as three weeks in the past.Baseball’s ninth work stoppage started Dec. 2. Spring training games were to have begun Saturday and already have been canceled through March 7.Just three players attended the talks Sunday: Max Scherzer, Andrew Miller and Marcus Semien. Scherzer left the ballpark before bargaining broke for the night.Players and owners did not meet directly.Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem telephoned union chief negotiator Bruce Meyer on Sunday morning and asked for a 1-on-1 session in place of the scheduled larger group gathering.That started a series of four short meetings characterized as an exchange of ideas that gave the union and MLB a better idea of the tradeoffs it would take to reach the endpoint of bargaining that began last spring and resulted in the sport’s first work stoppage since 1995.Players and teams enter deadline day far apart on many key issues and unresolved on others. The most contentious proposals involve luxury tax thresholds and rates, the size of a new bonus pool for pre-arbitration players, minimum salaries, salary arbitration eligibility and the union’s desire to change the club revenue sharing formula.In addition, MLB has tied the elimination of direct free-agent compensation to players agreeing to higher luxury tax rates and still wants to expand the playoffs to 14 teams rather than the union’s preference for 12. MLB also has kept its proposal for an international amateur draft on the table.Not since Aug 30, 2002, has MLB come this close to losing regular-season games to labor strife. The union was set to strike at 3:20 p.m., but roughly 25 consecutive hours of meetings and caucuses culminated in an agreement at 11:45 a.m.Bargaining has not had that type of frequency this year, but has gained momentum since talks shifted from New York to Florida last week.MLB is offering to raise the luxury tax threshold from $210 million last season to $214 million this year, increasing it to $220 million by 2026. Teams also want higher tax rates, which the union says would tend to act like a salary cap.Players have asked for a $245 million threshold this year, rising to $273 million by the final season.The union wants to expand arbitration to include the top 35% by service time of players with at least two seasons of major league service and less than three, up from the 22% cutoff in place since 2013.The union proposed the pre-arbitration pool have $115 million distributed to 150 players, and management wants $20 million to be split among 30.

MLB: It’s deadline day to save opening day, 162-game season

2.28.2022 NPHS District basketball home vs Millard South - LIVESTREAM

Friday (02/25/2022) Diller-Odell 65, Wauneta-Palisade 43 Grand Island Central Catholic 48, Chase County 35 Wynot 44, Maywood-Hayes Center 20

Papillion-LaVista South 55, North Platte 38

Girls basketballFriday (02/25/2022) Diller-Odell 65, Wauneta-Palisade 43 Grand Island Central Catholic 48, Chase County 35 Wynot 44, Maywood-Hayes Center 20Saturday (02/26/2022)Papillion-LaVista South 55, North Platte 38Boys basketballSaturday (02/26/2022)Elgin Public/Pope John 55, Maywood-Hayes Center 36 Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 81, Maxwell 33 Ogallala 70, Milford 60