PRESCOTT, Ariz. – Thanks to four pins and two other victories that earned bonus points, the Chadron State College wrestling team earned its first dual victory of the season by turning back Embry Riddle 37-9 in non-conference action Friday afternoon.
Both Chadron State College basketball teams will return to action this weekend by hosting Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference rivals in Armstrong Gymnasium.
Fort Lewis will visit on Friday and Adams State on Saturday. Each doubleheader will start at 6 p.m.
Both Chadron State teams have many new pieces and won only one of their 10 games during the 2012 segment of their seasons. But the coaches say the players continue to work hard and are intent on becoming more competitive during the next two months.
The CSC women’s basketball team has benefited as its players have become healthier. Three Eagles, including the only senior, Sadie Waugh, and guards Kate Simonton and Lisa Durden, missed several early-season games or had their playing time limited because of various ailments.
The CSC men seemed to be rounding into form, but suffered a setback when leading scorer Zac Bargen sustained a sprained ankle on Dec. 12 at Regis. The Christmas break has given him considerable recovery time, but his status for this weekend is still not certain.
The CSC men, in particular, will be meeting teams with impressive records. The Fort Lewis men are 6-1, losing only to Adams State 82-76 on Dec. 8, and the Adams State Grizzlies are 7-1.
Fort Lewis opened with two non-conference wins over Northern New Mexico by comfortable margins and an 89-82 victory in overtime over Dixie State of Utah.
Since beginning RMAC play, the Skyhawks have edged Colorado-Colorado Springs 72-69 and CSU-Pueblo 82-80 in overtime and defeated Colorado Mesa 71-61 the next game after falling to Adams State.
Fort Lewis’s top scorer is Nick Tomsick, a 6-foot-1 junior guard who is averaging 17.3 points and has made 21 of 48 3-point shots. Also averaging in double figures are 6-10 sophomore Alex Herrera at 12.7 points and 5-11 senior Marcus Ayala at 12.1. Herrera is also averaging eight rebounds a game.
The Adams State men were 7-0 before losing to Division I Colorado State in Fort Collins 80-55 last Saturday afternoon while shooting just 29 percent from the field and making only six of 16 free throws. The Rams are now 11-2.
The Grizzlies defeated Iowa Wesleyan and Northern New Mexico before opening their RMAC schedule with five victories, four of them by six or fewer points.
Besides the win over Fort Lewis, coach Lewis Wilson’s team nipped Pueblo in overtime, 77-73, Colorado Springs 67-65 and Mesa 84-79. The Grizzlies’ lone blowout in conference action was a 101-76 thumping of Western State.
James Lake, a 6-2 senior, is the team’s leading scorer at 16.7 points, followed by Norvell Arnold, a 6-5 senior, at 14.0 and Kaimyn Pruitt, a 6-8 senior, at 12.6. Pruitt is also averaging nearly 14 rebounds a game, tops in the RMAC.
John Jackson, a 6-2 senior, who was averaging 7.2 points, made his first start against Colorado State and led the Grizzlies with 17 points.
The Fort Lewis women are 2-6 for the season and 1-3 in the RMAC. The Skyhawks opened with a 64-53 win over McMurry of Texas, then lost five straight, three of them by eight or fewer points, before downing Adams State 69-55 at home on Dec. 8. The Skyhawks fell to Colorado Mesa, perhaps the best women’s team in the RMAC, 77-62 on Dec. 16, their last game in 2012.
Three Skyhawks are averaging in double figures for coach Jason Flores, led by 5-8 junior Ashley Kuchar at 12.5 points. She’s 20 of 50 from 3-point range. Christie Groh, a 6-1 junior, is averaging 11.5 points and 7.3 rebounds.
The Adams State women are 4-5 and have won just one conference game, a 53-45 decision over Western State.
Besides the loss to Fort Lewis, the Lady Grizzlies have been stopped by Pueblo 67-55, Colorado Springs 69-45 and Mesa 65-51.
Keyondra White, a 5-5 guard, is the averaging 12 points a game to lead Adams State women in scoring.
The Chadron State wrestling team will return to action Friday and Saturday during a busy weekend in the Phoenix area.
The Eagles are slated to dual Embry-Riddle on Friday and then participate in the Grand Canyon University duals on Saturday.
The opponents on Saturday will include the host Antelopes, along with Minot State of North Dakota, California Baptist and Simon Fraser of British Columbia.
CSC coach Brett Hunter noted Grand Canyon is ranked No. 2 in NCAA Division II and Cal Baptist is ranked first in the National Collegiate Wrestling Association that is made up of non-NCAA programs.
Hunter said 14 Eagles will make the trip. Two starters at the beginning of the season, C.J. Clark at 149 pounds and Bret Klopp at 174, will not go because of leg injuries. Clark is out for the season and Klopp may not return until at least mid-January, the coach said.
Both Grand Canyon and Simon Fraser will be among the teams competing in the NCAA Super Region 4 Championships that Chadron State will host Feb. 22-23.
Grand Canyon is moving up to Division I next year, when Cal Baptist will come into the region, Hunter said.
Lincoln – (Huskers.com) Lindsey Moore scored 26 points and tied a career high with five three-pointers to lead the No. 25/19 Nebraska women’s basketball team past Wisconsin, 70-52, in the Big Ten opener on Wednesday night.
With the victory, Nebraska improved to 11-3 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten, while the Badgers slipped to 8-6 and 0-1 in the conference.
Moore, a 5-9 senior point guard from Covington, Wash., hit her first four three-point attempts of the game to lead a Nebraska attack that hit a season-high 12 threes on the night. She added four assists and four steals in a tremendous all-around effort, while hitting 5-of-8 threes on the night.
Emily Cady added 13 points and a career-high 14 rebounds for her first double-double of the season and fourth of her career. The 6-2 sophomore forward from Seward, Neb., also hit a season-high three-pointers.
Junior forward Jordan Hooper added 14 points, six rebounds and two steals, including three more three-pointers for the Huskers.
Cassie Rochel led Wisconsin with a double-double of her own with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Jacki Gulczynski finished with 13 points, including three second-half three-pointers. Tiera Stephen added 10 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals for the Badgers.
Nebraska hit 40.4 percent (23-57) from the field, including 44.4 percent (12-27) from three-point range. The Huskers also made 85.7 percent (12-14) of their free throws. NU matched the Badgers on the glass and won the turnover battle, 20-13, committing only five turnovers in the second half.
Wisconsin outshot NU from the floor, hitting 42 percent (21-50) from the floor, but just 3-of-15 from three-point range. The Badgers also struggled to hit just 7-of-13 free throws.
Moore shot Nebraska to a 37-26 halftime lead with 14 points to go along with two assists and three steals. Moore hit all three of her first-half three-point attempts in the opening 6:22 to help the Huskers run to a 19-5 lead.
But Wisconsin answered with a 17-5 surge of its own to cut NU’s lead to 24-22 with 3:26 left. The Huskers answered with a 13-4 run to close the half, sparked by back-to-back baskets from Hailie Sample off assists from Moore, and back-to-back buckets from Rachel Theriot, before Tear’a Laudermill scored her only two of the half with 48 seconds left.
Moore then closed the half with a tough one-on-one finish under the rim against Stephen as time expired.
The Huskers hit 48.1 percent (13-27) of their shots in the half, including 5-of-12 three-pointers. NU also connected on 6-of-8 free throws. Nebraska outrebounded Wisconsin 16-14, led by nine boards from Cady. The Huskers also won the first-half turnover battle 10-8.
Wisconsin hit 45.8 percent (11-24) of its shots, but went 0-for-4 from three-point range. The Badgers were also just 4-of-8 at the free throw line in the half.
In the second half, Moore hit her fourth three-pointer to match NU’s biggest lead at 14 points on the first possession of the second half, but the Badgers refused to quit. UW trimmed NU’s margin to 46-42 on a Gulczynski three with 11:43 left, before Moore scored five straight, including her career-high matching fifth three-pointer. She then found Hooper for another three-pointer moments later to push the Husker margin back to 10 at 54-44. The lead was never less than double digits again, as NU led by 19 points before settling for the 18-point victory.
Tear’a Laudermill played a strong second half, snagging all four of her steals after halftime. She added four points and a block off the bench.
Nebraska concludes its four-game homestand on Saturday when they play host to No. 14 Purdue at the Devaney Center. Tip-off between the Huskers and Boilermakers is set for 1 p.m. (CST) with live national television coverage on CBS. Tickets are available now at Huskers.com.
Deshaun Thomas had 18 of his game-high 22 points in the first half, as the eighth-ranked Ohio State topped Nebraska, 70-44, Wednesday evening.
Thomas, a consensus first-team preseason All-American, keyed a pair of first-half runs for the Buckeyes, as Ohio State (11-2, 1-0 Big Ten) used a 16-2 run late in the first half to build a 19-point halftime cushion.
Ray Gallegos was the only Husker to finish in double figures, finishing with 14 points, as the Huskers (9-5, 0-1 Big Ten) shot 30 percent on the night and were out-rebounded 43-32. Dylan Talley was held to nine points, while David Rivers came off the bench for nine points in a losing effort.
The Huskers could not get untracked in the first half, shooting 25 percent from the field, as the Buckeyes surged at the end of the half to take a 36-17 lead. Thomas led the Buckeyes with 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting in the half, while Lenzelle Smith Jr. added eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, before intermission on his way to a 17-point night on 5-of-7 from 3-point range.
The Huskers took an early 3-2 on a Dylan Talley 3-pointer, but the Buckeyes ran off nine straight points, including seven by Thomas, to take an 11-3 lead. Talley ended the drought with a basket before a Brandon Ubel driving basket pulled Nebraska within 11-7. OSU eventually pushed the lead back to 11 points, at 18-7, but Gallegos keyed an 8-2 surge for the Huskers, as his second 3-poiner made it a 20-15 game with 6:44 left in the half.
That would be as close as Nebraska got, as the Buckeyes closed the half on a 16-2 run to take a 19-point halftime lead. Thomas had seven points in the run, but the key play was a Smith 3-pointer after Ohio State got an offensive rebound after a pair of missed Buckeye free throws.
The first-half run was costly in more ways than one, as senior Andre Almeida suffered an ankle injury late in the first half and did not return. Almeida joined Mike Peltz, who did not play because of a knee injury.
Any hopes for a Husker second-half comeback were dashed early, as the Buckeyes opened the half with a 10-2 spurt, keyed by two 3-pointers by Smith, to build a 27-point lead and were in control the rest of the evening.
The Huskers return home Sunday afternoon to take on Wisconsin in the Big Ten home opener. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m
OMAHA – Following a successful season, several members of the Chadron State College football team were selected to the Omaha World-Herald’s All-Nebraska Division II Team.
In all, 15 Eagles comprise the 26-member team. The University of Nebraska-Kearney has six selections and Wayne State has five.
Sophomore quarterback Jonn McLain and senior linebacker Kevin Lindholm are the honorary captains for the offensive and defensive squads, while Wayne State punter Randy Weich is the special teams captain.
Including McLain, seven CSC players help make up the offensive unit. They are tailback Glen Clinton, inside receiver Cody Roes, wide receiver Nathan Ross, and offensive linemen Garrett Gilkey, Brandon Ratcliff and Jake McCrary.
The Eagles landed six on the defensive team. They are defensive linemen Keifer Burke and Jan Karlos Medina, linebackers Shea Koch and Lindholm, and defensive backs Lane Haller and Bryce Huebner.
On special teams, kicker Alex Ferdinand and punt returner Trelan Taylor round out CSC’s selections.
In addition, three CSC players – all Rapid City, S.D., natives – earned honorable mention. They are Conor Casey, Chapman Ham and Allan Schmaltz.
Defense
DL: Keifer Burke, CSC
DL: Jan Karlos Medina, CSC
DL: Justin Thiel, UNK
DL: Richard Daniel, WSC
LB: Kevin Lindholm, CSC
LB: Shea Koch, CSC
LB: Kellen Werner, UNK
DB: Lane Haller, CSC
DB: Sam Kuck, UNK
DB: Bryce Huebner, CSC
DB: Austin Pomajzl, WSC
Special Teams
P: Randy Weich, WSC
K: Alex Ferdinand, CSC
KR: Kevin Paulsen, WSC
PR: Trelan Taylor, CSC
Honorable Mention
Conor Casey, Chapman Ham, Allan Schamltz, Chadron State; Pete Kropp, Dex Schwieger, Pete Trausch, Ricky Trinidad, UNK; Charlie Davidson, Max Martin, Jeff Pokorny, Nick Pulscher, Wayne State.
Nebraska ended its 2012 campaign with a 10-4 overall record that included a 7-1 Big Ten mark and a Legends Division title. Georgia, the SEC runner-up, finished with a 12-2 overall mark.
Senior I-back Rex Burkhead led the Huskers with 140 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, while adding four receptions for 39 yards and another score in his final game as a Husker.
Burkhead, who produced his 14th 100-yard rushing performance, closed his career with 3,329 yards at No. 5 on Nebraska’s all-time rushing list. He also became the 10th player in NU history with 30 career rushing touchdowns. Burkhead’s 357 rushing yards on 76 attempts in four bowl games are both Nebraska records.
Burkhead fueled a Nebraska running attack that rolled up 239 yards against Georgia’s defense. Junior quarterback Taylor Martinez added 46 yards on the ground to push his season rushing total past 1,000 yards. He finished with 1,019 rushing yards in 2012 as just the fourth Husker quarterback to produce a 1,000-yard campaign.
Martinez also completed 16-of-27 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns, finishing his junior year with 2,871 passing yards for the third-best total in school history. His 3,890 total yards on the year set a Nebraska record.
The Huskers ended the day with 443 yards of total offense against the Bulldogs, but Georgia responded with 589 yards of its own, including 427 yards and five touchdown passes from quarterback Aaron Murray. Running back Todd Gurley added 119 yards and a score on the ground to lead a UGA attack that managed 160 rushing yards.
Murray’s pass on the first play of the fourth quarter went for a 24-yard touchdown to Keith Marshall to give UGA a 38-31 lead with 14:52 left, after the two teams entered the final quarter tied at 31.
Georgia’s defense then forced a three-and-out on the Huskers’ first drive of the fourth quarter. UGA started the next drive at its own 15 and faced a 3rd-and-12 from the 13. But Murray hit Chris Conley on a short route across the middle and the speedster raced 87 yards untouched down the middle of the field for the game’s final score with 11:03 left. The play was the longest from scrimmage by a Husker opponent in a bowl game, and the third-longest touchdown pass ever against Nebraska.
Nebraska had two more chances to answer in the final quarter, and drove into Georgia territory on both drives before being turned away.
Georgia’s special teams opened the scoring with a safety on a blocked punt just 3:21 into the game. The Bulldogs added a 29-yard pass from Murray to Arthur Lynch on the ensuing drive to take a 9-0 lead with 7:54 left in the first quarter.
Martinez and the Huskers answered with a seven-play, 75-yard drive capped by Jamal Turner’s 14-yard touchdown catch with 4:42 left. Turner finished with three receptions for 22 yards on the day.
The Huskers took their first lead of the game on Georgia’s next drive, as senior linebacker Will Compton made an outstanding interception on a screen pass from Murray. Compton raced 24 yards to the end zone with his first career interception to put the Huskers up 14-9 with 4:15 left in the opening quarter. Compton added a team-high nine tackles for the Blackshirts on the day.
Georgia struck quickly to regain the lead on its next drive, as Murray heaved a 75-yard touchdown pass to Tavarres King on the first play of the ensuing drive. Husker defensive back Andrew Green was in perfect position to bat the ball away, but was unable to knock it down as it fell into King’s hands. King closed the day with three catches for 104 yards for the Bulldogs as one of two UGA receivers to cross the century mark.
Georgia took a 16-14 lead to the second quarter and pushed the lead back to nine on Gurley’s 24-yard touchdown run. Bulldog defender Damian Swann set up UGA with a short field after pulling down the first of his two interceptions of Martinez in the game.
The Huskers responded with a 39-yard field goal from Brett Maher to cut the Georgia lead to 23-17 with 8:48 left in the half. The field goal also gave Maher NU’s single-season scoring record by a kicker. He added two more extra points in the game to finish his senior year with 119, eclipsing Kris Brown’s previous school mark of 116 points in 1997.
The Blackshirts stopped the Bulldogs on the ensuing drive and Burkhead took over.
After Burkhead carried three straight times for a total of 13 yards to open the drive, Martinez found Kenny Bell for a 35-yard completion down the middle of the field.
After a one-yard dive by Ameer Abdullah and a tack-on 11-yard facemask penalty by the Bulldogs, Martinez found Burkhead wide open down the middle for the go-ahead touchdown. Maher’s extra point sent the Huskers to halftime with a 24-23 lead.
Nebraska started the second half with the ball and immediately mounted the game’s most sustained drive. Burkhead carried six times for 18 yards on the march, including a two-yard plunge for paydirt to give NU a 31-23 edge with 9:36 left in the third quarter. Martinez also carried three times for 16 yards on the drive, while completing two passes for 17 yards to Bell, who finished with four catches for 60 yards on the day.
Abdullah added the biggest play of the drive with his nifty 26-yard burst from the middle to the left side. The I-back finished the game with seven carries for 48 yards, and closed the season with 1,137 rushing yards – the sixth-most by a sophomore in Husker history.
But Nebraska’s lead was short-lived, as Georgia answered with a five-play, 79-yard drive capped by Murray’s 49-yard scoring strike to Conley. Conley finished with a game-high 136 receiving yards and two touchdowns on his two catches. Murray’s two-point conversion pass to Rhett McGowan tied the game at 31 with 7:20 left in the quarter.
The two defenses took control for the remainder of the third quarter, before Georgia produced the game’s two decisive touchdown passes in the final 15 minutes.
First Quarter (Georgia, 16-14)
UGA – 11:39 – Team Safety (blocked punt out of back of end zone) UGA, 2-0
UGA – 7:54 – Arthur Lynch 29 pass from Aaron Murray (Marshall Morgan kick) – 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:37; UGA, 9-0
NEB – 4:42 – Jamal Turner 14 pass from Taylor Martinez (Brett Maher kick) – 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:12; UGA, 9-7
NEB – 4:15 – Will Compton 24 INT return (Maher kick) NEB, 14-9
UGA – 4:04 – Tavarres King 75 pass from Murray (Morgan kick) – 1 play, 75 yards, 0:11; UGA, 16-14
DENVER (AP) – The remaining tickets to the Denver Broncos’ playoff game are all gone.
It took just nine minutes for all of the 5,000 tickets to disappear once they went on sale at noon Monday. Sales were limited to people with billing addresses in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Montana, South Dakota and western Kansas.
Spokesman Patrick Smyth (http://bit.ly/VsjDPs ) told The Denver Post that the sale “speaks volumes for the fan enthusiasm the region holds for the team.”
The Broncos’ 22,000 season ticket holders were given the first chance to buy playoff tickets earlier. All but 500 purchased some.
The Broncos secured the top seed in the playoffs on Sunday with their biggest win ever over the Kansas City Chiefs, their AFC West rivals.
The AFC divisional playoff game will be Jan. 12 at 2:30 p.m.
