By: Con Marshall CSC Sports Information

Las Vegas, N.M. --  The Chadron State College men's basketball team went on a 21-7 run to build a 52-41 lead in the first eight minutes of the second half of its game against New Mexico Highlands in Las Vegas, N.M., Saturday night. However, the Cowboys outscored the Eagles 18-1 in the next six minutes and went on to win the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference game 75-61.

During their early second half surge, the Eagles made seven of 10 field goal attempts, including a 3-pointer, and six of eight free throws.  However, they missed their next five shots from the field, had five turnovers and made only one of two free shots while Highlands caught fire and went ahead 59-53.

Even after Jarrett Taylor's 3-pointer broke CSC's six-minute field goal drought, Highlands tallied the next 10 points to go on top 69-56 to secure its victory.

Three players did most of the damage for the Cowboys. Kenard Richardson led with 20 points, 18 of them in the second half, while AC Curry scored 18 and Kyrie Thomas 15 for the game.  The trio combined to make eight of 18 three-point shots.  Other Cowboys were 0-9 from behind the arc.

Another force for the New Mexico team was 6-foot-11 Ezichi Kalu, who scored just two points in 28 minutes on the court, but grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked three shots.

Chadron State was led by guard Bryce Latimer with 25 points on eight of 19 from the field, including a pair of treys to give the Eagles a quick 6-2 lead, and he was seven of nine from the free throw line.

CSC's only other double-figure scorer was Jalen Patterson with 12 points.

Overall, the Eagles shot just 37% from the field. Highlands hit 46%. Despite Kalu's 11 rebounds, CSC finished with 34 caroms and Highlands 30. 

The Eagles, who edged Colorado State-Pueblo 84-82 on Friday night when Latimer made a layup with three seconds remaining, are 3-4 for the season.  They will be at home for their next four games before Christmas.

They'll meet Western Colorado at 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 9, Colorado Christian at 7:30 Tuesday, Dec. 12 and play Regis and Colorado-Colorado Springs on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 16 and 17, respectively, both at 4 p.m.

Women's games against the same rivals will precede the men's contests by two hours each date.    

Chadron State—Bryce Latimer 25, Jalen Patterson 12, Josh Robinson 9, Martin Poznanovic 6, Jarrett Taylor 3, Dalton Peterson 3, Porter Anderson 3. Totals: 21-57 (6-17) 13-18 61 points, 34 rebounds, 14 turnovers.

N.M Highlands—Kenard Richardson 20, AC Curry 19, Kyrie Thomas 15, Messiah Turner 7, Rodney Mason 5, Nathan Hasberry 3, Ezichi Kalu 2, Aahmond Scarbrough 2, Eric Sonnenberg 2. Totals: 28-61 (8-27) 11-13 75 points, 30 rebounds, 14 turnovers.

Chadron State            31                 30           ---61

N.M. Highlands          34                 41           ---75

3-pointers: CSC—Latimer 2, Patterson 2, Taylor 1, Peterson 1. NMHU—Curry 3, Thomas 3, Richardson 2.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701619262533.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By: Con Marshall CSC Sports InformationLas Vegas, N.M. -- The Chadron State College men's basketball team went on a 21-7 run to build a 52-41 lead in the first eight minutes of the second half of its game against New Mexico Highlands in Las Vegas, N.M., Saturday night. However, the Cowboys outscored the Eagles 18-1 in the next six minutes and went on to win the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference game 75-61.During their early second half surge, the Eagles made seven of 10 field goal attempts, including a 3-pointer, and six of eight free throws. However, they missed their next five shots from the field, had five turnovers and made only one of two free shots while Highlands caught fire and went ahead 59-53.Even after Jarrett Taylor's 3-pointer broke CSC's six-minute field goal drought, Highlands tallied the next 10 points to go on top 69-56 to secure its victory.Three players did most of the damage for the Cowboys. Kenard Richardson led with 20 points, 18 of them in the second half, while AC Curry scored 18 and Kyrie Thomas 15 for the game. The trio combined to make eight of 18 three-point shots. Other Cowboys were 0-9 from behind the arc.Another force for the New Mexico team was 6-foot-11 Ezichi Kalu, who scored just two points in 28 minutes on the court, but grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked three shots.Chadron State was led by guard Bryce Latimer with 25 points on eight of 19 from the field, including a pair of treys to give the Eagles a quick 6-2 lead, and he was seven of nine from the free throw line.CSC's only other double-figure scorer was Jalen Patterson with 12 points.Overall, the Eagles shot just 37% from the field. Highlands hit 46%. Despite Kalu's 11 rebounds, CSC finished with 34 caroms and Highlands 30. The Eagles, who edged Colorado State-Pueblo 84-82 on Friday night when Latimer made a layup with three seconds remaining, are 3-4 for the season. They will be at home for their next four games before Christmas.They'll meet Western Colorado at 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 9, Colorado Christian at 7:30 Tuesday, Dec. 12 and play Regis and Colorado-Colorado Springs on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 16 and 17, respectively, both at 4 p.m.Women's games against the same rivals will precede the men's contests by two hours each date. Chadron State—Bryce Latimer 25, Jalen Patterson 12, Josh Robinson 9, Martin Poznanovic 6, Jarrett Taylor 3, Dalton Peterson 3, Porter Anderson 3. Totals: 21-57 (6-17) 13-18 61 points, 34 rebounds, 14 turnovers.N.M Highlands—Kenard Richardson 20, AC Curry 19, Kyrie Thomas 15, Messiah Turner 7, Rodney Mason 5, Nathan Hasberry 3, Ezichi Kalu 2, Aahmond Scarbrough 2, Eric Sonnenberg 2. Totals: 28-61 (8-27) 11-13 75 points, 30 rebounds, 14 turnovers.Chadron State 31 30 ---61N.M. Highlands 34 41 ---753-pointers: CSC—Latimer 2, Patterson 2, Taylor 1, Peterson 1. NMHU—Curry 3, Thomas 3, Richardson 2.

🏀MBB: Cowboys ride 18-1 run to win over Chadron State

By: John Murphy CSC Sports Information Director

PUEBLO, Colo. -- CSU-Pueblo outscored Chadron State 15-4 in the first quarter on its home court to propel the hosts to a 62-52 victory in the conference opener Friday for both teams in Pueblo, Colorado.

The loss drops the Eagles to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in conference play.

Chadron State's lone lead of the game occurred with 6:59 to play in the first quarter. Awoti Akoi, a junior from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, made two free throws that gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead. A CSU-Pueblo basket gave them a 3-2 lead in which they never lost.

The Eagles outscored their opponents by three in the second quarter to trail by eight at half. A buzzer beater three at the end of the third period extended the hosts lead to seven and the Eagles never were able to lower their deficit to less than six in the final period.

The Pack shot 36.5 percent from the field in the victory compared to CSC's 31.3 percent. Both teams struggled from behind the arc, where the Eagles made four of their 16 attempts while CSU-Pueblo made seven of their 25.  Chadron State outrebounded its opponent 39 to 35 in the loss.

A total of 26 Eagle turnovers resulted in 23 points for the home team. CSU-Pueblo had 19 turnovers that Chadron State turned in to 18 points.

Liberty Line, a redshirt sophomore from Parker, Colorado, stayed true to her name, making 10 of her 11 attempts from the line for a team high 14 points. The Eagles finished 18 of 21 from the free throw line, good for 85.7 percent.

Kylie Krise, a Western Colorado transfer and native of Briggsdale, Colorado, chipped in ten points to join Line in double-digits.

Three Thunderwolves scored in double-digits, led by Alisha Little with 16 points. Autumn Watts and Landri Hudson added 15 and 14 points, respectively.

Ashayla Powers, a junior from Longmont, Colorado had a team high eight rebounds for CSC. Little also led the Thunderwolves in rebounds with 13 to finish with the double-double.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701529482954.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By: John Murphy CSC Sports Information DirectorPUEBLO, Colo. -- CSU-Pueblo outscored Chadron State 15-4 in the first quarter on its home court to propel the hosts to a 62-52 victory in the conference opener Friday for both teams in Pueblo, Colorado.The loss drops the Eagles to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in conference play.Chadron State's lone lead of the game occurred with 6:59 to play in the first quarter. Awoti Akoi, a junior from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, made two free throws that gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead. A CSU-Pueblo basket gave them a 3-2 lead in which they never lost.The Eagles outscored their opponents by three in the second quarter to trail by eight at half. A buzzer beater three at the end of the third period extended the hosts lead to seven and the Eagles never were able to lower their deficit to less than six in the final period.The Pack shot 36.5 percent from the field in the victory compared to CSC's 31.3 percent. Both teams struggled from behind the arc, where the Eagles made four of their 16 attempts while CSU-Pueblo made seven of their 25. Chadron State outrebounded its opponent 39 to 35 in the loss.A total of 26 Eagle turnovers resulted in 23 points for the home team. CSU-Pueblo had 19 turnovers that Chadron State turned in to 18 points.Liberty Line, a redshirt sophomore from Parker, Colorado, stayed true to her name, making 10 of her 11 attempts from the line for a team high 14 points. The Eagles finished 18 of 21 from the free throw line, good for 85.7 percent.Kylie Krise, a Western Colorado transfer and native of Briggsdale, Colorado, chipped in ten points to join Line in double-digits.Three Thunderwolves scored in double-digits, led by Alisha Little with 16 points. Autumn Watts and Landri Hudson added 15 and 14 points, respectively.Ashayla Powers, a junior from Longmont, Colorado had a team high eight rebounds for CSC. Little also led the Thunderwolves in rebounds with 13 to finish with the double-double.

🏀WBB: Line's strong night not enough to bring CSC back at Pueblo to open RMAC play

PUEBLO, Colo. -- Thanks to a driving layup by senior guard Bryce Latimer with three seconds remaining, the Chadron State College men's basketball won  84-82 over homestanding Colorado State-Pueblo on Friday night in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opener for both teams.

The Eagles took a 7-5 lead and never trailed the rest of the game. They outscored the ThunderWolves 10-2 in the final 2:14 of the first half to own a 45-35 halftime advantage. Chadron State took a 13-point lead early in the second half and was still on top 78-67 with 3:53 to play.

But things got dicey late in the game when Brevin Walter, a 6-foot-4 senior transfer from South Dakota Mines, scored the ThunderWolves' final 10 points, six of them at the free throw line.

His two fouls shots with 18 seconds remaining tied the score at 82-82. But Latimer was able to take the ball to the hoop for the winning shot. Just three seconds were left when Pueblo got the clock stopped, and the hosts could not respond before the buzzer sounded.

Latimer led the Eagles with 25 points on 11 of 25 shooting from the field and going three of four at the free throw line. Walter paced Pueblo with 26 points, making seven of 16 field goal shots and 12 of 14 free throws.

Senior forward Josh Robinson scored 19 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for the Eagles.  Center Porter Anderson added nine points while making all four of his field goal shots and his only free throw.  He also pulled down seven rebounds, but played only 12 minutes because of early foul trouble.

De'Shaun Cooper, a 6-foot-9 junior, made eight of his nine field goal attempts while scoring 16 points for Pueblo, but he grabbed only one rebound.

Chadron State outrebounded the Wolves by a 39 to 26 margin, helping the Eagles get off 10 more field goal attempts.  CSC was 33 of 66 from the field while Pueblo was 29-56, but the hosts were 21-29 at the charity stripe and the Eagles 13-18.

Now 3-3 for the season, the Eagles will play at New Mexico Highlands on Saturday night. The Cowboys defeated Colorado Christian 72-63 Friday night,

Chadron State—Bryce Latimer 25, Josh Robinson 19, Porter Anderson 9, Jalen Patterson 8, Dalton Peterson 5, Jarrett Taylors 5, Raul Nunez 5, Martin Poznanovic 4, Malakai 4. Totals: 33-66 (5-16) 13-18, 85 points, 39 rebounds. 11 turnovers.

CSU-Pueblo—Brevin Walter 26, De'Shaun Cooper 16, Armon Muldrew 11, Makiah Morris 10, Daeyon James 6, Ty Adams 6, Aurrion Harris 5, Isaish Morris 2.  Totals: 29-56 (3-15) 21-29 82 points, 26 rebounds, 7 turnovers.

Chadron State                45             39       ---84

CSU-Pueblo                   35             47       ---82

3-pointers: CSC—Patterson 2, Peterson, 1, Taylor 1, Harris 1.  CSU-P—James 2, Adam 1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701529328616.jpeg" alt="Bryce Latimer CSC Basketball" />
 <figcaption>Bryce Latimer CSC Basketball</figcaption>
 </figure>By: Con Marshall CSC Sports InformationPUEBLO, Colo. -- Thanks to a driving layup by senior guard Bryce Latimer with three seconds remaining, the Chadron State College men's basketball won 84-82 over homestanding Colorado State-Pueblo on Friday night in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opener for both teams.The Eagles took a 7-5 lead and never trailed the rest of the game. They outscored the ThunderWolves 10-2 in the final 2:14 of the first half to own a 45-35 halftime advantage. Chadron State took a 13-point lead early in the second half and was still on top 78-67 with 3:53 to play.But things got dicey late in the game when Brevin Walter, a 6-foot-4 senior transfer from South Dakota Mines, scored the ThunderWolves' final 10 points, six of them at the free throw line.His two fouls shots with 18 seconds remaining tied the score at 82-82. But Latimer was able to take the ball to the hoop for the winning shot. Just three seconds were left when Pueblo got the clock stopped, and the hosts could not respond before the buzzer sounded.Latimer led the Eagles with 25 points on 11 of 25 shooting from the field and going three of four at the free throw line. Walter paced Pueblo with 26 points, making seven of 16 field goal shots and 12 of 14 free throws.Senior forward Josh Robinson scored 19 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for the Eagles. Center Porter Anderson added nine points while making all four of his field goal shots and his only free throw. He also pulled down seven rebounds, but played only 12 minutes because of early foul trouble.De'Shaun Cooper, a 6-foot-9 junior, made eight of his nine field goal attempts while scoring 16 points for Pueblo, but he grabbed only one rebound.Chadron State outrebounded the Wolves by a 39 to 26 margin, helping the Eagles get off 10 more field goal attempts. CSC was 33 of 66 from the field while Pueblo was 29-56, but the hosts were 21-29 at the charity stripe and the Eagles 13-18.Now 3-3 for the season, the Eagles will play at New Mexico Highlands on Saturday night. The Cowboys defeated Colorado Christian 72-63 Friday night,Chadron State—Bryce Latimer 25, Josh Robinson 19, Porter Anderson 9, Jalen Patterson 8, Dalton Peterson 5, Jarrett Taylors 5, Raul Nunez 5, Martin Poznanovic 4, Malakai 4. Totals: 33-66 (5-16) 13-18, 85 points, 39 rebounds. 11 turnovers.CSU-Pueblo—Brevin Walter 26, De'Shaun Cooper 16, Armon Muldrew 11, Makiah Morris 10, Daeyon James 6, Ty Adams 6, Aurrion Harris 5, Isaish Morris 2. Totals: 29-56 (3-15) 21-29 82 points, 26 rebounds, 7 turnovers.Chadron State 45 39 ---84CSU-Pueblo 35 47 ---823-pointers: CSC—Patterson 2, Peterson, 1, Taylor 1, Harris 1. CSU-P—James 2, Adam 1.

Latimer wins it with driving layup for CSC in final seconds

Kearney, Neb. –&nbsp;All-American middle Taya Beller had a match-high 22 kills and third-ranked Wayne State controlled the final two sets to rally past 13th-ranked Nebraska Kearney (<a href="https://lopers.com/boxscore.aspx?path=wvball&amp;id=7814" target="_blank">18-25, -23, 20-25, -22, -9</a>) Friday night in an NCAA Tournament second round match in St. Paul, Minn.This was the first meeting between the Wildcats (30-2) and the&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;(29-6) in eight years and the first-ever national tourney battle between the two. UNK still has a healthy 69-10 all-time series advantage.

Wayne will meet either Concordia-St. Paul or Central Missouri on Saturday night for the right to advance to the “Elite Eight.”"In both matches this weekend I thought we competed at a different level. I'm proud of our team as if we had won because they came out here and left it all out on the court," said UNK head coach&nbsp;Rick Squiers&nbsp;on the&nbsp; Radio&nbsp;postgame&nbsp;show. "A little bit of the inexperience we have that maybe they don't shows up once or twice and that's about all it takes to put you in a tough spot."Ranked number one for much of the last two seasons, Wayne had fewer kills and digs than the&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;and hit six points lower. However, they registered six more blocks, took advantage of seven UNK service errors and hit .260 over the final two sets. The Blue &amp; Gold amassed 21 kills in the fourth and fifth sets but had only early leads in both."In the fourth when we kind of made a run at them at the end (7-1 run to make it 21-20), I thought we're right there again. It comes down to just a play or two in moments like that and they were able to make a couple. Some of that is because they have good athletes who have a little more margin for error," said Squiers.

UNK's best set was the third when it hit .306 (14-3-36) to help erase deficits of 4-1, 7-3 and 10-6. The Lopers closed on an 11-6 run with back-to-back blocks making it 2-1 on the scoreboard. In the first set, Kearney had an 18-9 outburst to erase a four-point hole. They then closed with three straight points, the final one being a block.In the fifth, Wayne took advantage of two service errors and four kills from senior outside&nbsp;Kelsie&nbsp;Cada&nbsp;to control the&nbsp;action. UNK led 2-1 after a kill from sophomore outside&nbsp;Emilee&nbsp;Lane&nbsp;(Hays, Kan.) but the 'Cats zoomed ahead to lead 7-4 and 9-7.

The&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;got within 11-9 but the final four points of the match all went to the Black &amp; Gold."We ran out of juice a little bit," said&nbsp;Squiers. "Every year is a different journey but this one was unique by the way it started … the outdoor match and then going for the regular season attendance record."Beller, a 6-2 fifth-year junior, hit .383 and added six blocks to her offensive output. She had six kills in each of the first two sets and then four in both the third and fourth. Next,&nbsp;Cada&nbsp;had 14 kills and went 26 for 27 in serve receive with freshman outside Channatee Robles and fifth-year junior middle Maggie Brahmer having 11 kills apiece. A 2022 All-American, Brahmer had a team-best nine blocks with sophomore Taylor Bunjer adding seven more. 

Finally,&nbsp;libero&nbsp;Jordan McCormick had 23 digs.Lane, in relief of All-American&nbsp;Emersen Cyza&nbsp;(Alliance) due to injury, went for 16 kills in a team-best 50 swings. The total was one shy of tying her career high. For the fifth straight match, junior outside&nbsp;Asha Regier&nbsp;(Newton, Kan.) had a double digit kill total, going for 16 in 48 swings. Next, right side&nbsp;Jaden Ferguson&nbsp;(Lincoln SW) had her 10th double double (17 digs, 13 kills, .297 pct.) of the year with freshman middle&nbsp;Mia Berg&nbsp;(Eureka, Mo.) hot early and ending with 10 kills and six stuffs. Sophomore middle&nbsp;Trista&nbsp;Marx&nbsp;(Limon, Colo.) was strong late to the tune of eight kills, two blocks and a .375 efficiency.Also for the&nbsp;Lopers,&nbsp;libero&nbsp;Lauren Taubenheim&nbsp;(Lincoln Pius) had 23 digs, junior DS&nbsp;Jensen&nbsp;Rowse&nbsp;(Minden) had 16 and two aces with setter&nbsp;Peyton Neff&nbsp;(North Platte) having her typical all-around effort; 59 assists, 17 digs, four aces, block and kill.This was the curtain call for&nbsp;Cyza&nbsp;and Ferguson with&nbsp;Taubenheim,&nbsp;Rowse&nbsp;and DS/S&nbsp;Rhianna Wilhelm&nbsp;(Henderson) all having a "COVID" year available if they wish to return in 2024.

Peter Yazvac/ UNK Media RelationsKearney, Neb. –&nbsp;All-American middle Taya Beller had a match-high 22 kills and third-ranked Wayne State controlled the final two sets to rally past 13th-ranked Nebraska Kearney (<a href="https://lopers.com/boxscore.aspx?path=wvball&amp;id=7814" target="_blank">18-25, -23, 20-25, -22, -9</a>) Friday night in an NCAA Tournament second round match in St. Paul, Minn.This was the first meeting between the Wildcats (30-2) and the&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;(29-6) in eight years and the first-ever national tourney battle between the two. UNK still has a healthy 69-10 all-time series advantage.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701529474714.png" alt="Wayne State Postgame" />
 <figcaption>Wayne State Postgame</figcaption>
 </figure>Wayne will meet either Concordia-St. Paul or Central Missouri on Saturday night for the right to advance to the “Elite Eight.”"In both matches this weekend I thought we competed at a different level. I'm proud of our team as if we had won because they came out here and left it all out on the court," said UNK head coach&nbsp;Rick Squiers&nbsp;on the&nbsp; Radio&nbsp;postgame&nbsp;show. "A little bit of the inexperience we have that maybe they don't shows up once or twice and that's about all it takes to put you in a tough spot."Ranked number one for much of the last two seasons, Wayne had fewer kills and digs than the&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;and hit six points lower. However, they registered six more blocks, took advantage of seven UNK service errors and hit .260 over the final two sets. The Blue &amp; Gold amassed 21 kills in the fourth and fifth sets but had only early leads in both."In the fourth when we kind of made a run at them at the end (7-1 run to make it 21-20), I thought we're right there again. It comes down to just a play or two in moments like that and they were able to make a couple. Some of that is because they have good athletes who have a little more margin for error," said Squiers.(Wayne State Postgame Press Conference)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I9JnegOVrj4?si=588veHnmJxDaLMsV" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>UNK's best set was the third when it hit .306 (14-3-36) to help erase deficits of 4-1, 7-3 and 10-6. The Lopers closed on an 11-6 run with back-to-back blocks making it 2-1 on the scoreboard. In the first set, Kearney had an 18-9 outburst to erase a four-point hole. They then closed with three straight points, the final one being a block.In the fifth, Wayne took advantage of two service errors and four kills from senior outside&nbsp;Kelsie&nbsp;Cada&nbsp;to control the&nbsp;action. UNK led 2-1 after a kill from sophomore outside&nbsp;Emilee&nbsp;Lane&nbsp;(Hays, Kan.) but the 'Cats zoomed ahead to lead 7-4 and 9-7. The&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;got within 11-9 but the final four points of the match all went to the Black &amp; Gold."We ran out of juice a little bit," said&nbsp;Squiers. "Every year is a different journey but this one was unique by the way it started … the outdoor match and then going for the regular season attendance record."Beller, a 6-2 fifth-year junior, hit .383 and added six blocks to her offensive output. She had six kills in each of the first two sets and then four in both the third and fourth. Next,&nbsp;Cada&nbsp;had 14 kills and went 26 for 27 in serve receive with freshman outside Channatee Robles and fifth-year junior middle Maggie Brahmer having 11 kills apiece. A 2022 All-American, Brahmer had a team-best nine blocks with sophomore Taylor Bunjer adding seven more. Finally,&nbsp;libero&nbsp;Jordan McCormick had 23 digs.Lane, in relief of All-American&nbsp;Emersen Cyza&nbsp;(Alliance) due to injury, went for 16 kills in a team-best 50 swings. The total was one shy of tying her career high. For the fifth straight match, junior outside&nbsp;Asha Regier&nbsp;(Newton, Kan.) had a double digit kill total, going for 16 in 48 swings. Next, right side&nbsp;Jaden Ferguson&nbsp;(Lincoln SW) had her 10th double double (17 digs, 13 kills, .297 pct.) of the year with freshman middle&nbsp;Mia Berg&nbsp;(Eureka, Mo.) hot early and ending with 10 kills and six stuffs. Sophomore middle&nbsp;Trista&nbsp;Marx&nbsp;(Limon, Colo.) was strong late to the tune of eight kills, two blocks and a .375 efficiency.Also for the&nbsp;Lopers,&nbsp;libero&nbsp;Lauren Taubenheim&nbsp;(Lincoln Pius) had 23 digs, junior DS&nbsp;Jensen&nbsp;Rowse&nbsp;(Minden) had 16 and two aces with setter&nbsp;Peyton Neff&nbsp;(North Platte) having her typical all-around effort; 59 assists, 17 digs, four aces, block and kill.This was the curtain call for&nbsp;Cyza&nbsp;and Ferguson with&nbsp;Taubenheim,&nbsp;Rowse&nbsp;and DS/S&nbsp;Rhianna Wilhelm&nbsp;(Henderson) all having a "COVID" year available if they wish to return in 2024.

Wayne St takes down UNK to move on in NCAA Tournament

Perkins County Schools has announced that Ava Reese has committed to Hastings College to continue her education and athletic career to run track. Reese signed in the school's gym.

Perkins County Schools has announced that Ava Reese has committed to Hastings College to continue her education and athletic career to run track. Reese signed in the school's gym.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FPerkinsCntySchools%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0ArS55tfgoDcjQsYou9EwJizuvLcr5uLWJmsVYw6F97NuNRmvBNqf6vTAJ4c82aFal&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="703" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>

Perkins County Ava Reese commits to Hastings College for track

Story by Pro Volleyball Federation

<a href="https://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">Pro Volleyball Federation</a>, North America’s premier women’s professional volleyball league, has announced a multi-year agreement with&nbsp;<a href="https://franklinsports.com/" target="_blank">Franklin Sports</a>, a leading manufacturer in the sporting goods industry. As part of the partnership, Franklin’s newly designed REAL Pro Volleyball will become the exclusive volleyball of the League. &nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The partnership between Pro Volleyball Federation and Franklin Sports comes at the perfect time. Both organizations share a collective goal and commitment of bringing the highest level of women’s professional volleyball to the United States. In teaming up, Franklin and the League will shine a light on the first real opportunity for women to play professional volleyball in North America at a major league level. To that end, the Franklin REAL Pro Volleyball was designed for Pro Volleyball Federation to rival any other ball played in any other league in the world. &nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “We always aimed to be able to design and produce our own ball for Pro Volleyball Federation that would stand up to any other ball in the world, and our partners at Franklin have helped us accomplish that goal,” said Dave Whinham, co-founder of Pro Volleyball Federation. “From the start Franklin expressed a desire to disrupt the status quo in the volleyball space and become a real leader in the production and development of the highest quality volleyballs. That commitment to excellence, and its desire to disrupt, made Franklin the perfect partner in developing this new ball for our League.”&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Designed specifically for Pro Volleyball Federation, the Franklin REAL Pro Volleyball is renowned for its innovative and cutting-edge features including a distinctive cover material, a 12-panel design, and an innovative wave surface texture. The ball’s embossed cover and precisely balanced construction play a pivotal role in ball tracking, assisting in generating consistent float and spin through the air while ensuring a seamless experience for players. The cover material, pattern, and surface texture are meticulously crafted to enhance touch, providing superior ball control and making it conducive to high-intensity performance. &nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The ball is designed to meet all&nbsp;Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) size and weight requirements and has passed all performance standards. This guarantees that players at all levels, from amateur enthusiasts to professional athletes, can rely on the Franklin REAL Pro Volleyball for quality and performance during play.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “We are incredibly excited to partner with Pro Volleyball Federation and to have Franklin’s REAL Pro Volleyball designated as the exclusive volleyball of the federation. This collaboration milestone highlights our commitment to innovation and quality, aligning with Pro Volleyball Federation’s vision for the sport’s future growth,” said Adam Franklin, President of Franklin Sports. “The REAL Pro Volleyball is not just a ball; it represents our shared dedication to empowering the players. We are beyond thrilled to be a part of Pro Volleyball Federation’s inaugural season and working together to shape a new era in women’s volleyball.”&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Franklin&nbsp;also manufactures licensed products for Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, and USA Pickleball.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Seven teams for the inaugural season will compete, with squads in Atlanta, Columbus, Ohio, Grand Rapids, Mich., Las Vegas, Omaha, Neb., Orlando, Fla. and San Diego. Two additional markets (Dallas and Kansas City, Mo.) have already been announced for 2025. Overall, the League will be showcased in three different time zones in the United States in season one. Matches will take place on 67 different dates between January and May 2024 as opponents will be competing every day of the week.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Franklin Sports will have prominent visibility on the court in all Pro Volleyball Federation arenas, inclusion during games and commercials, along with dedicated Franklin product exhibits showcasing fan favorites and participating in League contests and sweepstakes. The Franklin REAL Pro Volleyball will be on display for the first time at the American Volleyball Coaches Association Convention (AVCA) in Tampa, Fla. from December 14-17. The ball will officially debut on the court for Pro Volleyball Federation’s inaugural match between the Atlanta Vibe and Omaha Supernovas at CHI Center on January 24 at 8 p.m. ET.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As a valuable league partner, Franklin Sports will collaborate with Pro Volleyball Federation on growth initiatives for the sport that seek to drive participation in volleyball nationwide. Support of the numerous camps and clinics organized by each League franchise throughout the year will be integral to this grassroots development.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; For more information about the Franklin REAL Pro Volleyball visit&nbsp;<a href="https://franklinsports.com/elite-pro-volleyball" target="_blank">franklinsports.com/elite-pro-volleyball</a>&nbsp;and for photography assets visit&nbsp;<a href="https://app.frame.io/presentations/283ca123-0881-4ae5-88d6-fdc920507d4a" target="_blank">here</a>. To learn more about Pro Volleyball Federation, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">ProVolleyball.com</a>. &nbsp;

Pro Volleyball Federation is&nbsp;REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL&nbsp;and the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. Pro Volleyball Federation will begin play in January 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players and elite players from around the world. Our entire focus is on ensuring that our level and quality of play, our treatment of players, the quality of our event presentations, and our day-to-day fan experience is world class and the very best offered in North America. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">ProVolleyball.com</a>.&nbsp;

Founded by Irving Franklin in 1946, Franklin Sports is a Stoughton, Massachusetts-based sporting goods brand that manufactures and sells over 10,000 products across many different categories. Franklin Sports is proud of its partnerships with Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, USA Pickleball, Pro Volleyball Federation and Hasbro’s Nerf brand including the leagues’ youth participation programs. Franklin also works with hundreds of elite athletes through sports equipment and apparel collaborations. Franklin is a multigenerational, family-owned business with a rich history and trusted reputation as a quality sporting goods brand – from recreational sports all the way up to the professional level – has made it one of the perennial leaders in the industry. At Franklin Sports, the team believes that sports make life better. Driven by Franklin’s passion to get people moving, playing, and competing, the Franklin mission is to bring sports to life for athletes of all ages. Whether designing a product for a World Series MVP or a child enjoying their first swings of the bat, Franklin Sports is dedicated to making sports inspiring, fun and accessible for all. For more information on Franklin Sports, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.franklinsports.com/" target="_blank">www.franklinsports.com</a>&nbsp;or follow Franklin on Instagram&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/franklinsports/" target="_blank">@franklinsports</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/franklinsportseqp/" target="_blank">@franklinsportseqp</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/franklinpickleball/" target="_blank">@franklinpickleball</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/FranklinSports" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and Twitter&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/FranklinSports" target="_blank">@franklinsports</a>.

Story by Pro Volleyball Federation<a href="https://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">Pro Volleyball Federation</a>, North America’s premier women’s professional volleyball league, has announced a multi-year agreement with&nbsp;<a href="https://franklinsports.com/" target="_blank">Franklin Sports</a>, a leading manufacturer in the sporting goods industry. As part of the partnership, Franklin’s newly designed REAL Pro Volleyball will become the exclusive volleyball of the League. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The partnership between Pro Volleyball Federation and Franklin Sports comes at the perfect time. Both organizations share a collective goal and commitment of bringing the highest level of women’s professional volleyball to the United States. In teaming up, Franklin and the League will shine a light on the first real opportunity for women to play professional volleyball in North America at a major league level. To that end, the Franklin REAL Pro Volleyball was designed for Pro Volleyball Federation to rival any other ball played in any other league in the world. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “We always aimed to be able to design and produce our own ball for Pro Volleyball Federation that would stand up to any other ball in the world, and our partners at Franklin have helped us accomplish that goal,” said Dave Whinham, co-founder of Pro Volleyball Federation. “From the start Franklin expressed a desire to disrupt the status quo in the volleyball space and become a real leader in the production and development of the highest quality volleyballs. That commitment to excellence, and its desire to disrupt, made Franklin the perfect partner in developing this new ball for our League.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Designed specifically for Pro Volleyball Federation, the Franklin REAL Pro Volleyball is renowned for its innovative and cutting-edge features including a distinctive cover material, a 12-panel design, and an innovative wave surface texture. The ball’s embossed cover and precisely balanced construction play a pivotal role in ball tracking, assisting in generating consistent float and spin through the air while ensuring a seamless experience for players. The cover material, pattern, and surface texture are meticulously crafted to enhance touch, providing superior ball control and making it conducive to high-intensity performance. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The ball is designed to meet all&nbsp;Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) size and weight requirements and has passed all performance standards. This guarantees that players at all levels, from amateur enthusiasts to professional athletes, can rely on the Franklin REAL Pro Volleyball for quality and performance during play.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “We are incredibly excited to partner with Pro Volleyball Federation and to have Franklin’s REAL Pro Volleyball designated as the exclusive volleyball of the federation. This collaboration milestone highlights our commitment to innovation and quality, aligning with Pro Volleyball Federation’s vision for the sport’s future growth,” said Adam Franklin, President of Franklin Sports. “The REAL Pro Volleyball is not just a ball; it represents our shared dedication to empowering the players. We are beyond thrilled to be a part of Pro Volleyball Federation’s inaugural season and working together to shape a new era in women’s volleyball.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Franklin&nbsp;also manufactures licensed products for Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, and USA Pickleball.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Seven teams for the inaugural season will compete, with squads in Atlanta, Columbus, Ohio, Grand Rapids, Mich., Las Vegas, Omaha, Neb., Orlando, Fla. and San Diego. Two additional markets (Dallas and Kansas City, Mo.) have already been announced for 2025. Overall, the League will be showcased in three different time zones in the United States in season one. Matches will take place on 67 different dates between January and May 2024 as opponents will be competing every day of the week.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Franklin Sports will have prominent visibility on the court in all Pro Volleyball Federation arenas, inclusion during games and commercials, along with dedicated Franklin product exhibits showcasing fan favorites and participating in League contests and sweepstakes. The Franklin REAL Pro Volleyball will be on display for the first time at the American Volleyball Coaches Association Convention (AVCA) in Tampa, Fla. from December 14-17. The ball will officially debut on the court for Pro Volleyball Federation’s inaugural match between the Atlanta Vibe and Omaha Supernovas at CHI Center on January 24 at 8 p.m. ET.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As a valuable league partner, Franklin Sports will collaborate with Pro Volleyball Federation on growth initiatives for the sport that seek to drive participation in volleyball nationwide. Support of the numerous camps and clinics organized by each League franchise throughout the year will be integral to this grassroots development.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; For more information about the Franklin REAL Pro Volleyball visit&nbsp;<a href="https://franklinsports.com/elite-pro-volleyball" target="_blank">franklinsports.com/elite-pro-volleyball</a>&nbsp;and for photography assets visit&nbsp;<a href="https://app.frame.io/presentations/283ca123-0881-4ae5-88d6-fdc920507d4a" target="_blank">here</a>. To learn more about Pro Volleyball Federation, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">ProVolleyball.com</a>. &nbsp;ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION&nbsp;Pro Volleyball Federation is&nbsp;REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL&nbsp;and the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. Pro Volleyball Federation will begin play in January 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players and elite players from around the world. Our entire focus is on ensuring that our level and quality of play, our treatment of players, the quality of our event presentations, and our day-to-day fan experience is world class and the very best offered in North America. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">ProVolleyball.com</a>.&nbsp;ABOUT FRANKLIN SPORTS&nbsp;Founded by Irving Franklin in 1946, Franklin Sports is a Stoughton, Massachusetts-based sporting goods brand that manufactures and sells over 10,000 products across many different categories. Franklin Sports is proud of its partnerships with Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, USA Pickleball, Pro Volleyball Federation and Hasbro’s Nerf brand including the leagues’ youth participation programs. Franklin also works with hundreds of elite athletes through sports equipment and apparel collaborations. Franklin is a multigenerational, family-owned business with a rich history and trusted reputation as a quality sporting goods brand – from recreational sports all the way up to the professional level – has made it one of the perennial leaders in the industry. At Franklin Sports, the team believes that sports make life better. Driven by Franklin’s passion to get people moving, playing, and competing, the Franklin mission is to bring sports to life for athletes of all ages. Whether designing a product for a World Series MVP or a child enjoying their first swings of the bat, Franklin Sports is dedicated to making sports inspiring, fun and accessible for all. For more information on Franklin Sports, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.franklinsports.com/" target="_blank">www.franklinsports.com</a>&nbsp;or follow Franklin on Instagram&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/franklinsports/" target="_blank">@franklinsports</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/franklinsportseqp/" target="_blank">@franklinsportseqp</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/franklinpickleball/" target="_blank">@franklinpickleball</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/FranklinSports" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and Twitter&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/FranklinSports" target="_blank">@franklinsports</a>.

Pro Volleyball Federation announces multi-year agreement with Franklin Sports

Story by UNK Athletic Communications

Senior transfer guard Rodney Battle scored 21 points to help Rogers State down Nebraska Kearney,&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2023-24/rogers-state/boxscore/7551" target="_blank">79-68</a>, Thursday night in Claremore, Okla. This was the MIAA opener for both squads and the only meeting between the Hillcats (2-2) and Lopers (2-3) this year. Rogers has now won six of the eight all-time meetings between the two. UNK rallied from two seven-point deficits, 14-7 and 46-39, but couldn't do it a third time.

RSU went on a 7-0 run to lead 53-46 with 12:03 remaining and never trailed again. A three from junior lefty&nbsp;Damiri Lindo&nbsp;(Oakland) got the Lopers within six, 72-66, at the 1:19 mark but Rogers made its free throws down the stretch. Battle was a first-team all-league selection last year for Division II Miles (Ala.) College. He made 7 of 12 shots (4 of 7 threes) as well as going 3 for 4 at the line and handing out three assists. Coming off a two-week break, RSU had three others in double figures including 5-11 junior guard Anthony Marshall Jr. (14) and veteran forward Kofi Hamilton (13). Marshall Jr. had six dimes, two steals and two rebounds as well with Hamilton (11 rebounds) recording a double double.

UNK came in ranked eighth nationally in field goal percentage (.531) but ended up at .391 (25 of 64). That included and 8 of 29 effort from behind the arc. The 'Cats also made seven more freebies, got 36 points off its bench and was plus four on the glass. For the Lopers, Colorado junior guard&nbsp;Sean Evans&nbsp;went 6 of 13 from the floor to have a team-high 17 with Lindo making four shots to tally 11 points while also having a team-best seven rebounds and three assists. Next, Idaho junior lefty&nbsp;Taden King&nbsp;scored 10 thanks to two triples with New Zealand junior forward&nbsp;Sean Murphy&nbsp;at eight points and five rebounds. Finally, California junior point guard&nbsp;Miguel Robles&nbsp;provided six rebounds, five points and two steals. &nbsp;UNK heads to Northeastern State on Saturday afternoon. The RiverHawks (4-2) fell tonight to Fort Hays State, 65-43.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Story by UNK Athletic CommunicationsSenior transfer guard Rodney Battle scored 21 points to help Rogers State down Nebraska Kearney,&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2023-24/rogers-state/boxscore/7551" target="_blank">79-68</a>, Thursday night in Claremore, Okla. This was the MIAA opener for both squads and the only meeting between the Hillcats (2-2) and Lopers (2-3) this year. Rogers has now won six of the eight all-time meetings between the two. UNK rallied from two seven-point deficits, 14-7 and 46-39, but couldn't do it a third time. RSU went on a 7-0 run to lead 53-46 with 12:03 remaining and never trailed again. A three from junior lefty&nbsp;Damiri Lindo&nbsp;(Oakland) got the Lopers within six, 72-66, at the 1:19 mark but Rogers made its free throws down the stretch. Battle was a first-team all-league selection last year for Division II Miles (Ala.) College. He made 7 of 12 shots (4 of 7 threes) as well as going 3 for 4 at the line and handing out three assists. Coming off a two-week break, RSU had three others in double figures including 5-11 junior guard Anthony Marshall Jr. (14) and veteran forward Kofi Hamilton (13). Marshall Jr. had six dimes, two steals and two rebounds as well with Hamilton (11 rebounds) recording a double double. UNK came in ranked eighth nationally in field goal percentage (.531) but ended up at .391 (25 of 64). That included and 8 of 29 effort from behind the arc. The 'Cats also made seven more freebies, got 36 points off its bench and was plus four on the glass. For the Lopers, Colorado junior guard&nbsp;Sean Evans&nbsp;went 6 of 13 from the floor to have a team-high 17 with Lindo making four shots to tally 11 points while also having a team-best seven rebounds and three assists. Next, Idaho junior lefty&nbsp;Taden King&nbsp;scored 10 thanks to two triples with New Zealand junior forward&nbsp;Sean Murphy&nbsp;at eight points and five rebounds. Finally, California junior point guard&nbsp;Miguel Robles&nbsp;provided six rebounds, five points and two steals. &nbsp;UNK heads to Northeastern State on Saturday afternoon. The RiverHawks (4-2) fell tonight to Fort Hays State, 65-43.&nbsp;&nbsp;

UNK leads at the Break but Drops lone game with RSU

Redshirt junior wing&nbsp;Meg Burns&nbsp;scored 17 points and Nebraska Kearney limited Rogers State to 27 percent field goal shooting to win&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-basketball/stats/2023-24/rogers-state/boxscore/7573" target="_blank">58-51</a>&nbsp;Thursday night in Claremore, Okla. This was the MIAA opener for both teams with UNK (7-0) now 8-0 all-time against the Hillcats (4-2). This was the only meeting between the two this season. Under first-year head coach Heather Davis, a former assistant at Central Oklahoma, Rogers has almost equaled its win total (five) from a year ago. One big reason is 6-3 transfer Alayzha Knapp, a former UCO Broncho who came in averaging 23 points and six boards per game. The 'Cats next two leading scorers are 6-2 posts in Trinity Jackson and Kylee Day. While that trio altered and blocked several shots, UNK still managed to be plus seven on the glass and out scored the 'Cats 26-12 in the paint. However, RSU opened a 26-10 first half lead on the strength of five triples, including one from Knapp, and some early offensive struggles for the Lopers. A three from freshman guard Amaya Gallegos gave RSU its biggest lead of the night at 6:41 of the second quarter. But, UNK followed with a 12-0 spurt and then started the second half on a 12-9 run to retake the lead at 39-38. The Lopers finally got some breathing room in the fourth after point guard&nbsp;Jillian Aschoff&nbsp;(Lincoln Pius) sunk two freebies to make it 51-46. Jackson went 2 for 4 at the line over the next couple of minutes with RSU ending just 10 of 20 from the stripe. Burns and guard&nbsp;Trinity Law&nbsp;(Brandon, S.D.) each sunk freebies to push the lead to five, 53-48, with under a minute remaining. RSU continued to miss hard from the field as several threes hit nothing but the backboard. They came in at 17 of 63 (7 of 24 threes) while UNK was 10 percentage points higher at 18 of 50 (5 of 14 threes).Finishing two shy of her career-high, Burns made five field goals (three treys) and four free throws while drawing five fouls and having three boards in nearly 36 minutes of work. Next, post&nbsp;Shiloh McCool&nbsp;(Pleasant Hill, Ia.) worked around RSU's height advantage to have 13 rebounds (12 defensive) and nine points with forward&nbsp;Kia Wilson&nbsp;(St. George, Kan.) at 10 points over 24 minutes. Next, veteran wing&nbsp;Lexi Moes&nbsp;(Smithville, Mo.) bounced back from a first half injury to hit two second half triples to tally seven with Aschoff at five points, five fouls drawn and four assists. Finally, redshirt freshman post&nbsp;Bailee Sobczak&nbsp;(Rapid City, S.D.) had five caroms and four points in just 13 minutes. Knapp (12 points, five rebounds, three blocks) paced Rogers with five others between four-nine points. That included Jackson (six, seven rebounds).UNK heads to Northeastern State on Saturday afternoon. The RiverHawks (3-3) led Fort Hays State after three quarters tonight but fell, 63-52.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Story by UNK Athletic CommunicationsRedshirt junior wing&nbsp;Meg Burns&nbsp;scored 17 points and Nebraska Kearney limited Rogers State to 27 percent field goal shooting to win&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-basketball/stats/2023-24/rogers-state/boxscore/7573" target="_blank">58-51</a>&nbsp;Thursday night in Claremore, Okla. This was the MIAA opener for both teams with UNK (7-0) now 8-0 all-time against the Hillcats (4-2). This was the only meeting between the two this season. Under first-year head coach Heather Davis, a former assistant at Central Oklahoma, Rogers has almost equaled its win total (five) from a year ago. One big reason is 6-3 transfer Alayzha Knapp, a former UCO Broncho who came in averaging 23 points and six boards per game. The 'Cats next two leading scorers are 6-2 posts in Trinity Jackson and Kylee Day. While that trio altered and blocked several shots, UNK still managed to be plus seven on the glass and out scored the 'Cats 26-12 in the paint. However, RSU opened a 26-10 first half lead on the strength of five triples, including one from Knapp, and some early offensive struggles for the Lopers. A three from freshman guard Amaya Gallegos gave RSU its biggest lead of the night at 6:41 of the second quarter. But, UNK followed with a 12-0 spurt and then started the second half on a 12-9 run to retake the lead at 39-38. The Lopers finally got some breathing room in the fourth after point guard&nbsp;Jillian Aschoff&nbsp;(Lincoln Pius) sunk two freebies to make it 51-46. Jackson went 2 for 4 at the line over the next couple of minutes with RSU ending just 10 of 20 from the stripe. Burns and guard&nbsp;Trinity Law&nbsp;(Brandon, S.D.) each sunk freebies to push the lead to five, 53-48, with under a minute remaining. RSU continued to miss hard from the field as several threes hit nothing but the backboard. They came in at 17 of 63 (7 of 24 threes) while UNK was 10 percentage points higher at 18 of 50 (5 of 14 threes).Finishing two shy of her career-high, Burns made five field goals (three treys) and four free throws while drawing five fouls and having three boards in nearly 36 minutes of work. Next, post&nbsp;Shiloh McCool&nbsp;(Pleasant Hill, Ia.) worked around RSU's height advantage to have 13 rebounds (12 defensive) and nine points with forward&nbsp;Kia Wilson&nbsp;(St. George, Kan.) at 10 points over 24 minutes. Next, veteran wing&nbsp;Lexi Moes&nbsp;(Smithville, Mo.) bounced back from a first half injury to hit two second half triples to tally seven with Aschoff at five points, five fouls drawn and four assists. Finally, redshirt freshman post&nbsp;Bailee Sobczak&nbsp;(Rapid City, S.D.) had five caroms and four points in just 13 minutes. Knapp (12 points, five rebounds, three blocks) paced Rogers with five others between four-nine points. That included Jackson (six, seven rebounds).UNK heads to Northeastern State on Saturday afternoon. The RiverHawks (3-3) led Fort Hays State after three quarters tonight but fell, 63-52.&nbsp;&nbsp;

UNK shuts down tall Hillcats

• The Nebraska volleyball team was selected as the No. 1 overall seed for the 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship and will host the first and second rounds at the Bob Devaney Sports Center this Friday and Saturday.&nbsp;• The Huskers, making their 42nd straight NCAA Tournament appearance and hosting the first round for the 38th time, will open the tournament on Friday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. against Long Island University (13-18), champions of the Northeast Conference. The 4:30 p.m. match will feature Missouri (17-12) of the SEC and Delaware (24-4) of the Colonial Athletic Association. Friday’s winners will meet in the second round on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.• All first and second round matches will be streamed on ESPN+.&nbsp;• The Huskers Radio Network will broadcast all the action on their radio affiliates, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and AM 590 in Omaha. A live audio stream will be provided at Huskers.com and on the Huskers app.&nbsp;• John Baylor is in his 30th season doing play-by-play for the Husker volleyball program. Lauren (Cook) West, a former All-American setter for the Huskers, will provide color commentary.

ABOUT THE HUSKERS• Nebraska is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in program history. The other years were 2000 (NCAA Champion), 2004 (NCAA Regional Finalist), 2005 (NCAA Runner-Up), 2006 (NCAA Champion) and 2016 (NCAA Semifinalist).• The Huskers won the outright Big Ten title this season with a 19-1 league record, earning their first Big Ten title since 2017. Nebraska has now won four Big Ten titles since joining the conference in 2011. The years were 2011, 2016, 2017 (co-champions) and 2023. All-time, Nebraska volleyball has won 35 conference titles. John Cook has been head coach for 13 of them.&nbsp;• Nebraska won 27 matches in a row to begin the season and finished 28-1, its best regular-season record since going 28-1 in 2005.&nbsp;• NU went 17-0 in home matches in the regular season. The last time the Huskers went undefeated at home in the regular season was 2017 (15-0).&nbsp;• From Sept. 12-Sept. 29, Nebraska played five straight ranked teams and won all five matches. It was the sixth time in school history Nebraska played five matches in a row against ranked teams but the first time NU won all five.&nbsp;• The Huskers went undefeated in non-conference play for the first time since 2016 and just the second time since 2008.• The Huskers, who led the nation in defense in 2022, have held their opponents this season to a combined .141 hitting percentage, which ranks third nationally.&nbsp;• Nebraska has been sharp offensively this season, hitting .282 to rank 15th nationally. The Huskers rank 10th nationally with 14.16 kills per set and 12th in assists per set at 13.10.&nbsp;• Nebraska had four All-Big Ten First Team selections and two All-Big Ten Second Team selections for a total of six all-conference players this season, the most in program history.

HUSKERS RACK UP POSTSEASON AWARDS• Junior libero Lexi Rodriguez was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in her career, becoming the fifth player in Big Ten history to receive that honor twice in a career. Rodriguez, who averages 3.60 digs and 1.24 assists per set with a .979 serve reception percentage, leads a Husker defense that ranks third nationally in opponent hitting percentage. She also received All-Big Ten First Team (unanimous) honors for the third time in three years. The junior from Sterling, Ill., was twice named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week this season despite opponents frequently tailoring their game plans to avoid Rodriguez on the court. Rodriguez was a first-team AVCA All-American in 2021 and a second-team AVCA All-American in 2022, as well as an All-Big Ten libero both years. Rodriguez was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman in 2021 and also excels academically, earning Academic All-America honors in 2022.&nbsp;• Freshman setter Bergen Reilly was chosen Big Ten Setter of the Year, becoming the first ever freshman to earn the award since it originated in 2012. She also earned All-Big Ten First Team and unanimous All-Big Ten Freshman Team accolades. Reilly, just the second true freshman setter to be the starter at Nebraska under head coach John Cook, is putting up 10.74 assists and 2.60 digs per set and has 12 double-doubles this season. The Sioux Falls, S.D., native ranks 13th nationally in assists per set. Reilly was named Big Ten Setter of the Week four times this year and Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice. She paces a Husker offense that ranks in the top 15 nationally in hitting percentage (.282) and kills per set (14.16). Reilly posted her career high of 54 assists in a 3-2 win at then-No. 17 Purdue on Sept. 29. She also recorded 12 digs and a career-best five kills in that match.&nbsp;• Freshman outside hitter Harper Murray was voted Big Ten Freshman of the Year, making her the second ever Husker (Madi Kubik, 2019) to receive that distinction. She also earned All-Big Ten First Team and unanimous All-Big Ten Freshman Team accolades. Murray, a freshman outside hitter from Ann Arbor, Mich., ranks second on the Huskers in kills with 3.29 per set on .250 hitting and adds 2.10 digs per set with a team-high 31 service aces. Murray was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times this season and has seven double-doubles. She hit a career-high 21 kills in a 3-2 win at then-No. 17 Purdue on Sept. 29.&nbsp;• Merritt Beason, a junior opposite hitter who transfered to NU from Florida, has stepped in as a team captain and is contributing a team-leading 3.81 kills per set this season with 2.08 digs per set and a .284 hitting percentage. Beason was a unanimous All-Big Ten First Team selection. A native of Gardendale, Ala., Beason earned four Big Ten Player of the Week honors this season and was the AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 24 following 21 kills in a 3-2 win over then-No. 1 Wisconsin. Beason had a career-high 27 kills on .426 hitting in a 3-2 reverse sweep at then-No. 16 Penn State on Nov. 3. As a sophomore at Florida in 2022, Beason was an All-SEC and AVCA All-Region selection.• Bekka Allick, a sophomore middle blocker from Lincoln, Neb., has been Nebraska’s top defensive presence at the net with a team-best 1.35 blocks per set this season. Offensively, Allick adds 1.82 kills per set on .324 hitting. Allick had a career-high nine blocks in the regular-season finale at Minnesota. Allick received second-team All-Big Ten honors for the second year in a row.&nbsp;• Andi Jackson, a freshman middle blocker from Brighton, Colo., averages 2.10 kills per set and 1.06 blocks per set and has a team-high .408 hitting percentage, which ranks 15th nationally. Jackson was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week in November and has hit .500 or better in 12 matches this season. She was selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team and All-Big Ten Freshman Team. &nbsp;

SCOUTING REPORT: LIU• LIU (13-18) is making its 13th NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the Northeast Conference Tournament as the No. 4 seed. After finishing 9-5 in NEC play, LIU upset No. 1 seed Sacred Heart (3-1) and No. 2 Fairleigh Dickinson (3-1) to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020.&nbsp;• Libero Alasha Colon was the NEC Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-NEC after averaging 5.45 digs per set, which ranks 10th nationally. Camelia Melendez leads the Sharks with 3.08 kills per set and was first-team All-NEC.&nbsp;• Amable Martinez is in his first year as head coach at LIU. Martinez was previously the head coach at St. Francis Brooklyn for four years, but the school ended its athletic programs following the 2022-23 year. Prior to that, Martinez was head coach at Saint Peter’s for two seasons.&nbsp;

SCOUTING REPORT: MISSOURI• Missouri (17-12) earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020. The Tigers went 9-9 in the SEC to finish seventh in the standings.&nbsp;• Libero Maya Sands and opposite hitter Jordan Iliff were named to the All-SEC Team. Sands was named the SEC Libero of the Year, averaging 4.81 digs per set. Iliff leads the Tigers with 3.44 kills per set and 42 service aces.&nbsp;• Dawn Sullivan is in her first year as head coach and was the SEC Coach of the Year. Sullivan was previously at UNLV, where she was the Mountain West Coach of the Year in 2020 and 2022.&nbsp;

SCOUTING REPORT: DELAWARE• Delaware (24-4) won the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time and first since 2011.&nbsp;• Outside hitter Lani Mason was an All-CAA First Team member for the third year in a row, averaging 3.66 kills per set. Setter Ezgi Basaranlar and middle blocker Kirah Johnson were honored on the second team. Basaranalar averages 9.55 assists per set, while Johnson provides 2.38 kills per set and 1.01 blocks per set. &nbsp;• Kimberly Lambert is in her second season as head coach at Delaware after serving as associate head coach for three years.&nbsp;

SERIES HISTORY• Nebraska and LIU will be playing for the first time.&nbsp;• Nebraska is 73-3-1 all-time against Missouri. The Huskers have won 17 straight matches against their former Big 8 and Big 12 Conference foe dating back to 2003. The last time the teams met was Dec. 7, 2019 in the NCAA Tournament Second Round in Lincoln, a 3-1 Husker win.&nbsp;• Nebraska has never played Delaware.&nbsp;

HUSKERS RANKED NO. 1 IN AVCA COACHES POLL• Nebraska is ranked No. 1 in the AVCA Coaches Poll this week.• Nebraska has been ranked No. 1 in 108 all-time polls, the most in NCAA history.&nbsp;• The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 557 times, which is also the most in NCAA history.• Nebraska has appeared in all 618 AVCA Coaches Polls it has been eligible for since it was established in 1982. Nebraska is the only program to be ranked in every eligible poll all-time.• Nebraska’s 618 consecutive weeks of being ranked is the longest active streak in Division I for any sport, leading Connecticut women’s basketball and North Carolina women’s soccer.

AVCA HALL OF FAMER JOHN COOK IN 24TH SEASON AT NEBRASKA• Nebraska head coach John Cook is in his 24th season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2023. He has led the Huskers to four national championships, 10 final fours, 13 conference championships and 21 top-10 final rankings since 2000.&nbsp;• Cook has 845 career wins and is one of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook has led the Huskers to a nation-leading .874 win percentage (684-99).&nbsp;• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 64 AVCA All-Americans and 20 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, both among the best in the nation. He is a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000 and 2005, and an eight-time conference coach of the year, including Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016, 2017 and 2023.• Cook was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year by both coaches and media this season after leading a young Nebraska team with no seniors to its first Big Ten title since 2017. The Huskers finished the regular season 28-1 overall, their best regular season record since going 28-1 in 2005. After going 26-6 last year and missing the NCAA Regional Finals for the first time since 2011, the Huskers started over with a starting lineup featuring four true freshmen and a junior transfer (Beason). Cook’s Huskers won their first 27 matches of the season and held the No. 1 ranking from Oct. 23 through the end of the regular season. Despite having no seniors on the roster for just the second time in Cook’s 24 years at Nebraska - as well as starting a true freshman at setter for only the second time in Cook’s tenure - the Huskers earned the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016 and the sixth time overall under Cook.• Cook is one of only two active coaches - and one of six all-time - to be a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year and was honored in 2008 by USA Volleyball, receiving its All-Time Great Coach Award.• Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017, joining former Husker volleyball coach Terry Pettit in the hall.&nbsp;

• The Nebraska volleyball team was selected as the No. 1 overall seed for the 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship and will host the first and second rounds at the Bob Devaney Sports Center this Friday and Saturday.&nbsp;• The Huskers, making their 42nd straight NCAA Tournament appearance and hosting the first round for the 38th time, will open the tournament on Friday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. against Long Island University (13-18), champions of the Northeast Conference. The 4:30 p.m. match will feature Missouri (17-12) of the SEC and Delaware (24-4) of the Colonial Athletic Association. Friday’s winners will meet in the second round on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.• All first and second round matches will be streamed on ESPN+.&nbsp;• The Huskers Radio Network will broadcast all the action on their radio affiliates, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and AM 590 in Omaha. A live audio stream will be provided at Huskers.com and on the Huskers app.&nbsp;• John Baylor is in his 30th season doing play-by-play for the Husker volleyball program. Lauren (Cook) West, a former All-American setter for the Huskers, will provide color commentary.ABOUT THE HUSKERS• Nebraska is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in program history. The other years were 2000 (NCAA Champion), 2004 (NCAA Regional Finalist), 2005 (NCAA Runner-Up), 2006 (NCAA Champion) and 2016 (NCAA Semifinalist).• The Huskers won the outright Big Ten title this season with a 19-1 league record, earning their first Big Ten title since 2017. Nebraska has now won four Big Ten titles since joining the conference in 2011. The years were 2011, 2016, 2017 (co-champions) and 2023. All-time, Nebraska volleyball has won 35 conference titles. John Cook has been head coach for 13 of them.&nbsp;• Nebraska won 27 matches in a row to begin the season and finished 28-1, its best regular-season record since going 28-1 in 2005.&nbsp;• NU went 17-0 in home matches in the regular season. The last time the Huskers went undefeated at home in the regular season was 2017 (15-0).&nbsp;• From Sept. 12-Sept. 29, Nebraska played five straight ranked teams and won all five matches. It was the sixth time in school history Nebraska played five matches in a row against ranked teams but the first time NU won all five.&nbsp;• The Huskers went undefeated in non-conference play for the first time since 2016 and just the second time since 2008.• The Huskers, who led the nation in defense in 2022, have held their opponents this season to a combined .141 hitting percentage, which ranks third nationally.&nbsp;• Nebraska has been sharp offensively this season, hitting .282 to rank 15th nationally. The Huskers rank 10th nationally with 14.16 kills per set and 12th in assists per set at 13.10.&nbsp;• Nebraska had four All-Big Ten First Team selections and two All-Big Ten Second Team selections for a total of six all-conference players this season, the most in program history.HUSKERS RACK UP POSTSEASON AWARDS• Junior libero Lexi Rodriguez was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in her career, becoming the fifth player in Big Ten history to receive that honor twice in a career. Rodriguez, who averages 3.60 digs and 1.24 assists per set with a .979 serve reception percentage, leads a Husker defense that ranks third nationally in opponent hitting percentage. She also received All-Big Ten First Team (unanimous) honors for the third time in three years. The junior from Sterling, Ill., was twice named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week this season despite opponents frequently tailoring their game plans to avoid Rodriguez on the court. Rodriguez was a first-team AVCA All-American in 2021 and a second-team AVCA All-American in 2022, as well as an All-Big Ten libero both years. Rodriguez was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman in 2021 and also excels academically, earning Academic All-America honors in 2022.&nbsp;• Freshman setter Bergen Reilly was chosen Big Ten Setter of the Year, becoming the first ever freshman to earn the award since it originated in 2012. She also earned All-Big Ten First Team and unanimous All-Big Ten Freshman Team accolades. Reilly, just the second true freshman setter to be the starter at Nebraska under head coach John Cook, is putting up 10.74 assists and 2.60 digs per set and has 12 double-doubles this season. The Sioux Falls, S.D., native ranks 13th nationally in assists per set. Reilly was named Big Ten Setter of the Week four times this year and Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice. She paces a Husker offense that ranks in the top 15 nationally in hitting percentage (.282) and kills per set (14.16). Reilly posted her career high of 54 assists in a 3-2 win at then-No. 17 Purdue on Sept. 29. She also recorded 12 digs and a career-best five kills in that match.&nbsp;• Freshman outside hitter Harper Murray was voted Big Ten Freshman of the Year, making her the second ever Husker (Madi Kubik, 2019) to receive that distinction. She also earned All-Big Ten First Team and unanimous All-Big Ten Freshman Team accolades. Murray, a freshman outside hitter from Ann Arbor, Mich., ranks second on the Huskers in kills with 3.29 per set on .250 hitting and adds 2.10 digs per set with a team-high 31 service aces. Murray was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times this season and has seven double-doubles. She hit a career-high 21 kills in a 3-2 win at then-No. 17 Purdue on Sept. 29.&nbsp;• Merritt Beason, a junior opposite hitter who transfered to NU from Florida, has stepped in as a team captain and is contributing a team-leading 3.81 kills per set this season with 2.08 digs per set and a .284 hitting percentage. Beason was a unanimous All-Big Ten First Team selection. A native of Gardendale, Ala., Beason earned four Big Ten Player of the Week honors this season and was the AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 24 following 21 kills in a 3-2 win over then-No. 1 Wisconsin. Beason had a career-high 27 kills on .426 hitting in a 3-2 reverse sweep at then-No. 16 Penn State on Nov. 3. As a sophomore at Florida in 2022, Beason was an All-SEC and AVCA All-Region selection.• Bekka Allick, a sophomore middle blocker from Lincoln, Neb., has been Nebraska’s top defensive presence at the net with a team-best 1.35 blocks per set this season. Offensively, Allick adds 1.82 kills per set on .324 hitting. Allick had a career-high nine blocks in the regular-season finale at Minnesota. Allick received second-team All-Big Ten honors for the second year in a row.&nbsp;• Andi Jackson, a freshman middle blocker from Brighton, Colo., averages 2.10 kills per set and 1.06 blocks per set and has a team-high .408 hitting percentage, which ranks 15th nationally. Jackson was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week in November and has hit .500 or better in 12 matches this season. She was selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team and All-Big Ten Freshman Team. &nbsp;SCOUTING REPORT: LIU• LIU (13-18) is making its 13th NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the Northeast Conference Tournament as the No. 4 seed. After finishing 9-5 in NEC play, LIU upset No. 1 seed Sacred Heart (3-1) and No. 2 Fairleigh Dickinson (3-1) to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020.&nbsp;• Libero Alasha Colon was the NEC Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-NEC after averaging 5.45 digs per set, which ranks 10th nationally. Camelia Melendez leads the Sharks with 3.08 kills per set and was first-team All-NEC.&nbsp;• Amable Martinez is in his first year as head coach at LIU. Martinez was previously the head coach at St. Francis Brooklyn for four years, but the school ended its athletic programs following the 2022-23 year. Prior to that, Martinez was head coach at Saint Peter’s for two seasons.&nbsp;SCOUTING REPORT: MISSOURI• Missouri (17-12) earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020. The Tigers went 9-9 in the SEC to finish seventh in the standings.&nbsp;• Libero Maya Sands and opposite hitter Jordan Iliff were named to the All-SEC Team. Sands was named the SEC Libero of the Year, averaging 4.81 digs per set. Iliff leads the Tigers with 3.44 kills per set and 42 service aces.&nbsp;• Dawn Sullivan is in her first year as head coach and was the SEC Coach of the Year. Sullivan was previously at UNLV, where she was the Mountain West Coach of the Year in 2020 and 2022.&nbsp;SCOUTING REPORT: DELAWARE• Delaware (24-4) won the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time and first since 2011.&nbsp;• Outside hitter Lani Mason was an All-CAA First Team member for the third year in a row, averaging 3.66 kills per set. Setter Ezgi Basaranlar and middle blocker Kirah Johnson were honored on the second team. Basaranalar averages 9.55 assists per set, while Johnson provides 2.38 kills per set and 1.01 blocks per set. &nbsp;• Kimberly Lambert is in her second season as head coach at Delaware after serving as associate head coach for three years.&nbsp;SERIES HISTORY• Nebraska and LIU will be playing for the first time.&nbsp;• Nebraska is 73-3-1 all-time against Missouri. The Huskers have won 17 straight matches against their former Big 8 and Big 12 Conference foe dating back to 2003. The last time the teams met was Dec. 7, 2019 in the NCAA Tournament Second Round in Lincoln, a 3-1 Husker win.&nbsp;• Nebraska has never played Delaware.&nbsp;HUSKERS RANKED NO. 1 IN AVCA COACHES POLL• Nebraska is ranked No. 1 in the AVCA Coaches Poll this week.• Nebraska has been ranked No. 1 in 108 all-time polls, the most in NCAA history.&nbsp;• The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 557 times, which is also the most in NCAA history.• Nebraska has appeared in all 618 AVCA Coaches Polls it has been eligible for since it was established in 1982. Nebraska is the only program to be ranked in every eligible poll all-time.• Nebraska’s 618 consecutive weeks of being ranked is the longest active streak in Division I for any sport, leading Connecticut women’s basketball and North Carolina women’s soccer.AVCA HALL OF FAMER JOHN COOK IN 24TH SEASON AT NEBRASKA• Nebraska head coach John Cook is in his 24th season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2023. He has led the Huskers to four national championships, 10 final fours, 13 conference championships and 21 top-10 final rankings since 2000.&nbsp;• Cook has 845 career wins and is one of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook has led the Huskers to a nation-leading .874 win percentage (684-99).&nbsp;• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 64 AVCA All-Americans and 20 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, both among the best in the nation. He is a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000 and 2005, and an eight-time conference coach of the year, including Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016, 2017 and 2023.• Cook was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year by both coaches and media this season after leading a young Nebraska team with no seniors to its first Big Ten title since 2017. The Huskers finished the regular season 28-1 overall, their best regular season record since going 28-1 in 2005. After going 26-6 last year and missing the NCAA Regional Finals for the first time since 2011, the Huskers started over with a starting lineup featuring four true freshmen and a junior transfer (Beason). Cook’s Huskers won their first 27 matches of the season and held the No. 1 ranking from Oct. 23 through the end of the regular season. Despite having no seniors on the roster for just the second time in Cook’s 24 years at Nebraska - as well as starting a true freshman at setter for only the second time in Cook’s tenure - the Huskers earned the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016 and the sixth time overall under Cook.• Cook is one of only two active coaches - and one of six all-time - to be a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year and was honored in 2008 by USA Volleyball, receiving its All-Time Great Coach Award.• Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017, joining former Husker volleyball coach Terry Pettit in the hall.&nbsp;

Husker NCAA Volleyball Tournament preview

Story by NU Athletic Communications

After guiding Nebraska football to its best defensive performance in the Big Ten era, Husker associate head coach/defensive coordinator Tony White has signed a restructured contract. &nbsp;White has been a nominee for the Broyles Award in both 2022 and 2023, an honor given to the nation’s top assistant coach.&nbsp;

Under the terms of the restructured contract, White’s annual salary has been increased to $1.6 million per year for each of the two remaining seasons on his contract.&nbsp;

“Tony White has all the attributes you look for in a coordinator or assistant coach,” Nebraska Head Coach Matt Rhule said. “He builds great relationships with his players and fellow coaches and is an elite teacher and communicator. We made great strides on defense this past season, and I look forward to continuing to work with Tony as we move forward and build this program.”

The 2023 Nebraska defense was the nation’s third-most improved unit against the run, and ranked as the fourth-most improved in total defense. Eight Nebraska defensive players earned All-Big Ten recognition for their play this fall.

“I am proud of what our players accomplished this year and am excited to build on that success moving forward,” White said. “It is a privilege to have the opportunity to coach at Nebraska, and to work for a great leader in Coach Rhule, and I feel honored to work alongside our defensive staff every day. &nbsp;Go Big Red!”&nbsp;

The statistical milestones for the Nebraska defense in the first season under Rhule and White in 2023 included:

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsAfter guiding Nebraska football to its best defensive performance in the Big Ten era, Husker associate head coach/defensive coordinator Tony White has signed a restructured contract. &nbsp;White has been a nominee for the Broyles Award in both 2022 and 2023, an honor given to the nation’s top assistant coach.&nbsp;Under the terms of the restructured contract, White’s annual salary has been increased to $1.6 million per year for each of the two remaining seasons on his contract.&nbsp;“Tony White has all the attributes you look for in a coordinator or assistant coach,” Nebraska Head Coach Matt Rhule said. “He builds great relationships with his players and fellow coaches and is an elite teacher and communicator. We made great strides on defense this past season, and I look forward to continuing to work with Tony as we move forward and build this program.”The 2023 Nebraska defense was the nation’s third-most improved unit against the run, and ranked as the fourth-most improved in total defense. Eight Nebraska defensive players earned All-Big Ten recognition for their play this fall.“I am proud of what our players accomplished this year and am excited to build on that success moving forward,” White said. “It is a privilege to have the opportunity to coach at Nebraska, and to work for a great leader in Coach Rhule, and I feel honored to work alongside our defensive staff every day. &nbsp;Go Big Red!”&nbsp;The statistical milestones for the Nebraska defense in the first season under Rhule and White in 2023 included:<ul>
 <li>Nebraska allowed 303.5 yards per game in 2023, the best total defense average at Nebraska since 2009. Nebraska ranks 14th nationally in total defense, the program’s first top-25 defensive ranking since 2010.&nbsp;</li><li>The Blackshirts rank eighth nationally in rushing defense, allowing just 92.9 yards per game, which is Nebraska’s best run defense since 1999. Nebraska held eight of 12 opponents to less than 100 rushing yards in 2023.</li><li>Husker opponents were held to 14 or fewer points in eight games in 2023, and Nebraska ranks 17th nationally in scoring defense at 18.3 points per game. That is the program’s best scoring defense average since 2010.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We’ve agreed to a restructured contract with <a href="https://twitter.com/HuskerCoachTW?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HuskerCoachTW</a> ✍️ 🔗 <a href="https://t.co/R5bHR5yhQo">https://t.co/R5bHR5yhQo</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GBR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GBR</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhatsNExt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhatsNExt</a>! <a href="https://t.co/qkeaWennR4">pic.twitter.com/qkeaWennR4</a>&mdash; Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/HuskerFootball/status/1730619669017436661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Nebraska announces restructured contract for Tony White

The 13th-ranked Nebraska&nbsp;Kearney&nbsp;volleyball team had three players with double digit kill totals and&nbsp;libero&nbsp;Lauren Taubenheim&nbsp;reached 1,000 career digs to help the&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;down seventh-ranked Southwest Minnesota State (-<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/stats/2023/southwest-minn-st-/boxscore/7531" target="_blank">19-25, -22, -23, -21</a>) in an NCAA Tournament first-round match Thursday afternoon in St. Paul, Minn. Seeded sixth in the&nbsp;uber-tough&nbsp;Central Regional, UNK (29-5) advances to the quarterfinals to face either second-ranked Wayne State (28-2) or 15th-ranked Minnesota-Duluth (18-10). Those teams played today's second match; the winner and UNK play Friday at 5 p.m. For all tourney information, go to the&nbsp;<a href="https://cspbears.com/feature/2023CentralVB" target="_blank">regional webpage.</a>&nbsp;"Couldn't be prouder of our team. It was hard fought match, and we just showed a lot of grit today and kind of turned it into the type of match we thought maybe gave us a chance," said UNK head coach&nbsp;Rick Squiers. "That was long rallies, lots of defense … it couldn't be a first ball kill match. Credit to us for getting block touches and serving tough."Facing a big and physical Southwest squad (23-7) that finishes on a three-match losing streak, UNK turned to its defense to extend rallies and keep the Mustangs on their heels. Having leads in all four sets, the&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;took control of things in the third when they finished on an 8-2 run. Kills from outside&nbsp;Emersen Cyza&nbsp;(Alliance) and right side&nbsp;Jaden Ferguson&nbsp;(Lincoln SW) broke a 21-21 tie, forcing&nbsp;SMSU&nbsp;to call timeout. After the break, kills from Ferguson and outside&nbsp;Asha Regier&nbsp;(Newton, Kan.) made it 2-1 on the scoreboard."We wanted to put a little pressure on them (from the serve line) by hitting certain zones. Just a good win that a whole lot of people contributed to," said&nbsp;Squiers. "It's hard enough to get here but when you do, you're obviously playing nationally-ranked opponents in every round.”Showing great balance all afternoon, UNK saw Cyza, Ferguson and Regier have four kills apiece in the fourth set. The Blue &amp; Gold out hit&nbsp;SMSU&nbsp;by nearly 100 points but a 24-18 lead was trimmed to just three after three straight unforced attack errors. However, the 'Stangs&nbsp;returned the favor with a ball handling error being the final point of the match.Regier and&nbsp;Cyza&nbsp;both had 15 kills with Ferguson adding 10 more and five others having at least one. Making the&nbsp;All-MIAA&nbsp;Tournament team two weeks ago, Regier has now reached 10 kills in fourth straight matches and hit a team-best .343. Next,&nbsp;Cyza&nbsp;is up to 1,314 career kills (Wyoming and UNK) with Ferguson having her ninth double double and posting a .897 serve receive percentage."Our servers bothered them just enough so we could dig some balls and then we made some ridiculous hustle plays," said&nbsp;Squiers. "It fed off each other … someone would make a really good play and then their teammates would rally behind them and go make another one."SMSU&nbsp;served BB’s all afternoon long but ended up with five aces and nine errors. Veteran DS&nbsp;Jensen Rowse&nbsp;(Minden) was 12 for 12 in the serve game, sophomore DS&nbsp;Addyson&nbsp;Mock&nbsp;(Stilwell, Kan.) went 14 of 15 with Taubenheim 16 for 16. Her dig tally is now up to 1,002 and she is the 35th&nbsp;Loper&nbsp;to reach four figures in digs.&nbsp;Rowse&nbsp;(1,052) reached this milestone earlier this season.&nbsp;"It means a lot. I went through a position switch this year (right side to&nbsp;libero), so it's been an adjustment but a lot of fun. I've had some amazing teammates&nbsp;that've&nbsp;helped me along the way," said&nbsp;Taubenheim. "It's special to do it at this point of the season. "At the net, sophomore middle&nbsp;Abby Rose&nbsp;(Lindsborg, Kan.) had a career-high 10 blocks (one solo) with Regier at four and setter&nbsp;Peyton Neff&nbsp;(North Platte) posting five. UNK finished with 13 stuffs and SMSU committed 15 unforced attack errors to hit .166. They came in averaging .236. Finally, Neff had 41 assists, eight digs, ace and kill, Mock dug up 10 balls with&nbsp;Rowse&nbsp;at 15 and sophomore middles&nbsp;Trista&nbsp;Marx&nbsp;(Limon, Colo.) and&nbsp;Mia Berg&nbsp;(Eureka, Mo.) combined for five kills, two blocks and several block touches."Coach emphasized watching the player and watching the ball instead of just going to the pin. We worked on that and finding the ball (to get blocks and block touches) helped our&nbsp;backrow," said Regier. Central Region&nbsp;Freman&nbsp;of the Year, 6-2 outside Leah Jones, paced&nbsp;SMSU&nbsp;with 13 kills, 12 digs and a 32 for 34 effort in serve receive. Three others had double digit kill totals as well with&nbsp;All-NSIC&nbsp;libero&nbsp;Mackenzie Tolk having a 19 digs and several long service runs. UNK is now 34-26 all-time in the NCAA's, improving to 15-18 in neutral site matches,&nbsp;4-5 at Concordia-St. Paul and 3-1 vs. the Mustangs.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Story by UNK Athletic CommunicationsThe 13th-ranked Nebraska&nbsp;Kearney&nbsp;volleyball team had three players with double digit kill totals and&nbsp;libero&nbsp;Lauren Taubenheim&nbsp;reached 1,000 career digs to help the&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;down seventh-ranked Southwest Minnesota State (-<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/stats/2023/southwest-minn-st-/boxscore/7531" target="_blank">19-25, -22, -23, -21</a>) in an NCAA Tournament first-round match Thursday afternoon in St. Paul, Minn. Seeded sixth in the&nbsp;uber-tough&nbsp;Central Regional, UNK (29-5) advances to the quarterfinals to face either second-ranked Wayne State (28-2) or 15th-ranked Minnesota-Duluth (18-10). Those teams played today's second match; the winner and UNK play Friday at 5 p.m. For all tourney information, go to the&nbsp;<a href="https://cspbears.com/feature/2023CentralVB" target="_blank">regional webpage.</a>&nbsp;"Couldn't be prouder of our team. It was hard fought match, and we just showed a lot of grit today and kind of turned it into the type of match we thought maybe gave us a chance," said UNK head coach&nbsp;Rick Squiers. "That was long rallies, lots of defense … it couldn't be a first ball kill match. Credit to us for getting block touches and serving tough."Facing a big and physical Southwest squad (23-7) that finishes on a three-match losing streak, UNK turned to its defense to extend rallies and keep the Mustangs on their heels. Having leads in all four sets, the&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;took control of things in the third when they finished on an 8-2 run. Kills from outside&nbsp;Emersen Cyza&nbsp;(Alliance) and right side&nbsp;Jaden Ferguson&nbsp;(Lincoln SW) broke a 21-21 tie, forcing&nbsp;SMSU&nbsp;to call timeout. After the break, kills from Ferguson and outside&nbsp;Asha Regier&nbsp;(Newton, Kan.) made it 2-1 on the scoreboard."We wanted to put a little pressure on them (from the serve line) by hitting certain zones. Just a good win that a whole lot of people contributed to," said&nbsp;Squiers. "It's hard enough to get here but when you do, you're obviously playing nationally-ranked opponents in every round.”Showing great balance all afternoon, UNK saw Cyza, Ferguson and Regier have four kills apiece in the fourth set. The Blue &amp; Gold out hit&nbsp;SMSU&nbsp;by nearly 100 points but a 24-18 lead was trimmed to just three after three straight unforced attack errors. However, the 'Stangs&nbsp;returned the favor with a ball handling error being the final point of the match.Regier and&nbsp;Cyza&nbsp;both had 15 kills with Ferguson adding 10 more and five others having at least one. Making the&nbsp;All-MIAA&nbsp;Tournament team two weeks ago, Regier has now reached 10 kills in fourth straight matches and hit a team-best .343. Next,&nbsp;Cyza&nbsp;is up to 1,314 career kills (Wyoming and UNK) with Ferguson having her ninth double double and posting a .897 serve receive percentage."Our servers bothered them just enough so we could dig some balls and then we made some ridiculous hustle plays," said&nbsp;Squiers. "It fed off each other … someone would make a really good play and then their teammates would rally behind them and go make another one."SMSU&nbsp;served BB’s all afternoon long but ended up with five aces and nine errors. Veteran DS&nbsp;Jensen Rowse&nbsp;(Minden) was 12 for 12 in the serve game, sophomore DS&nbsp;Addyson&nbsp;Mock&nbsp;(Stilwell, Kan.) went 14 of 15 with Taubenheim 16 for 16. Her dig tally is now up to 1,002 and she is the 35th&nbsp;Loper&nbsp;to reach four figures in digs.&nbsp;Rowse&nbsp;(1,052) reached this milestone earlier this season.&nbsp;"It means a lot. I went through a position switch this year (right side to&nbsp;libero), so it's been an adjustment but a lot of fun. I've had some amazing teammates&nbsp;that've&nbsp;helped me along the way," said&nbsp;Taubenheim. "It's special to do it at this point of the season. "At the net, sophomore middle&nbsp;Abby Rose&nbsp;(Lindsborg, Kan.) had a career-high 10 blocks (one solo) with Regier at four and setter&nbsp;Peyton Neff&nbsp;(North Platte) posting five. UNK finished with 13 stuffs and SMSU committed 15 unforced attack errors to hit .166. They came in averaging .236. Finally, Neff had 41 assists, eight digs, ace and kill, Mock dug up 10 balls with&nbsp;Rowse&nbsp;at 15 and sophomore middles&nbsp;Trista&nbsp;Marx&nbsp;(Limon, Colo.) and&nbsp;Mia Berg&nbsp;(Eureka, Mo.) combined for five kills, two blocks and several block touches."Coach emphasized watching the player and watching the ball instead of just going to the pin. We worked on that and finding the ball (to get blocks and block touches) helped our&nbsp;backrow," said Regier. Central Region&nbsp;Freman&nbsp;of the Year, 6-2 outside Leah Jones, paced&nbsp;SMSU&nbsp;with 13 kills, 12 digs and a 32 for 34 effort in serve receive. Three others had double digit kill totals as well with&nbsp;All-NSIC&nbsp;libero&nbsp;Mackenzie Tolk having a 19 digs and several long service runs. UNK is now 34-26 all-time in the NCAA's, improving to 15-18 in neutral site matches,&nbsp;4-5 at Concordia-St. Paul and 3-1 vs. the Mustangs.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Lopers record 34th All-Time NCAA Win; #2 Wayne or #15 UMD Friday night

Coach Rhule's after season press conference

OGALLALA - The Ogallala Indians boy's and girls' basketball teams are ready to get their season started today when they travel east to take on Class B Lexington Minutemaids/Minutemen.&nbsp;

Both Lexington teams played last night in Gothenburg where the girls' team lost 57-12 and the boys' team lost 62-19. We will have LIVE coverage of today's games on Flatrock 100.7 with Canon Rath. Kwik Stop pregame coverage is set to begin at 4:45pm MT/5:45pm CT with tipoff set for 5:00pm MT/6:00pm CT. Listen along on Flatrock 100.7 FM or online by <a href="https://flatrock1007.com/">click here.</a>

Sandhills PostOGALLALA - The Ogallala Indians boy's and girls' basketball teams are ready to get their season started today when they travel east to take on Class B Lexington Minutemaids/Minutemen.&nbsp;Both Lexington teams played last night in Gothenburg where the girls' team lost 57-12 and the boys' team lost 62-19. We will have LIVE coverage of today's games on Flatrock 100.7 with Canon Rath. Kwik Stop pregame coverage is set to begin at 4:45pm MT/5:45pm CT with tipoff set for 5:00pm MT/6:00pm CT. Listen along on Flatrock 100.7 FM or online by <a href="https://flatrock1007.com/">click here.</a>

Ogallala basketball ready to kick off the 2023-2024 season today 

Story by Tri-City Storm Communications

The Tri-City Storm returns to action tonight at the Viaero Center in a home game against the Green Bay Gamblers following a Thanksgiving holiday break last weekend. The Storm’s last game was a 5-3 road victory over the Lincoln Stars on Wednesday, November 22nd. Tickets to tonight’s matchup between the Storm and the Gamblers can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>, or by calling the Viaero Center Box Office during Box Office Hours at 308-338-8144. Puck drop for tonight’s home game at the Viaero Center is scheduled for 7:05pm CT. &nbsp;

Ticket specials to tonight’s game include a $5 Kids’ Friday presented by Big Apple Fun Center in Kearney. Kids’ tickets to non-Friday games are available for $8 when purchased in advance. College Student advanced ticket pricing is $5 for each Storm home game at the Viaero Center. More information on single-game ticket pricing can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://stormhockey.com/sports/2022/8/19/single-game-tickets.aspx" target="_blank">https://stormhockey.com/sports/2022/8/19/single-game-tickets.aspx</a>. Tri-City will wear its Military Appreciation jerseys during tomorrow’s game against Green Bay. The jerseys will be auctioned off following the matchup. &nbsp;

Tri-City (11-7-1-0) enters tonight’s home game against Green Bay as the 3rd&nbsp;place team in the USHL’s Western Conference standings. The Storm has won six of nine games played at the Viaero Center in the 2023-2024 regular season. Trevor Connelly (2), Owen Beckner, A.J. Lacroix, and August Falloon scored goals for the Storm during the team’s pre-Thanksgiving victory over the Lincoln Stars at the Ice Box. Scoring leaders for Tri-City entering tonight’s home game at the Viaero Center include August Falloon (11), Ryan Smith (8), Trevor Connelly (6), Cam Briere (6), Owen Beckner (5), and Artemi Nizameyev (5). &nbsp;

Green Bay (13-6-1-0) has posted an 8-1-1-0 record over the last ten games entering this weekend’s road series against Tri-City. The Gamblers won a 4-3 decision over the Madison Capitols at the Resch Center in a pre-Thanksgiving battle on November 22nd. Blake Bechen, Ben Poitras, Libor Nemec, and Brady Zugec each netted a goal for the Gamblers in the victory. Scoring leaders for Green Bay entering tonight’s game include Libor Nemec (11), Julian Lutz (9), Blake Bechen (9), Lev Kazin (6), and Geno Carcone (5). The Gamblers last battled the Storm in back-to-back games at the Viaero Center on February 8th, and February 9th, 2019. Green Bay’s most recent win over Tri-City at the Viaero Center came 2,611 days ago, on October 7th, 2016.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Tonight’s game is set to begin at&nbsp;7:05pm&nbsp;CT and will be streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://flosports.link/3pkG3Ge" target="_blank">FloHockey</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://mixlr.com/tri-city-storm/" target="_blank">Storm Radio</a>. Tickets to home games at the Viaero Center may be purchased online by skating to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>, or by calling the Viaero Center Box Office during Box Office hours at 308-338-8144. The Tri-City Storm is presented by Viaero Wireless. &nbsp;

Story by Tri-City Storm CommunicationsThe Tri-City Storm returns to action tonight at the Viaero Center in a home game against the Green Bay Gamblers following a Thanksgiving holiday break last weekend. The Storm’s last game was a 5-3 road victory over the Lincoln Stars on Wednesday, November 22nd. Tickets to tonight’s matchup between the Storm and the Gamblers can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>, or by calling the Viaero Center Box Office during Box Office Hours at 308-338-8144. Puck drop for tonight’s home game at the Viaero Center is scheduled for 7:05pm CT. &nbsp;Ticket specials to tonight’s game include a $5 Kids’ Friday presented by Big Apple Fun Center in Kearney. Kids’ tickets to non-Friday games are available for $8 when purchased in advance. College Student advanced ticket pricing is $5 for each Storm home game at the Viaero Center. More information on single-game ticket pricing can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://stormhockey.com/sports/2022/8/19/single-game-tickets.aspx" target="_blank">https://stormhockey.com/sports/2022/8/19/single-game-tickets.aspx</a>. Tri-City will wear its Military Appreciation jerseys during tomorrow’s game against Green Bay. The jerseys will be auctioned off following the matchup. &nbsp;Tri-City (11-7-1-0) enters tonight’s home game against Green Bay as the 3rd&nbsp;place team in the USHL’s Western Conference standings. The Storm has won six of nine games played at the Viaero Center in the 2023-2024 regular season. Trevor Connelly (2), Owen Beckner, A.J. Lacroix, and August Falloon scored goals for the Storm during the team’s pre-Thanksgiving victory over the Lincoln Stars at the Ice Box. Scoring leaders for Tri-City entering tonight’s home game at the Viaero Center include August Falloon (11), Ryan Smith (8), Trevor Connelly (6), Cam Briere (6), Owen Beckner (5), and Artemi Nizameyev (5). &nbsp;Green Bay (13-6-1-0) has posted an 8-1-1-0 record over the last ten games entering this weekend’s road series against Tri-City. The Gamblers won a 4-3 decision over the Madison Capitols at the Resch Center in a pre-Thanksgiving battle on November 22nd. Blake Bechen, Ben Poitras, Libor Nemec, and Brady Zugec each netted a goal for the Gamblers in the victory. Scoring leaders for Green Bay entering tonight’s game include Libor Nemec (11), Julian Lutz (9), Blake Bechen (9), Lev Kazin (6), and Geno Carcone (5). The Gamblers last battled the Storm in back-to-back games at the Viaero Center on February 8th, and February 9th, 2019. Green Bay’s most recent win over Tri-City at the Viaero Center came 2,611 days ago, on October 7th, 2016.&nbsp; &nbsp;Tonight’s game is set to begin at&nbsp;7:05pm&nbsp;CT and will be streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://flosports.link/3pkG3Ge" target="_blank">FloHockey</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://mixlr.com/tri-city-storm/" target="_blank">Storm Radio</a>. Tickets to home games at the Viaero Center may be purchased online by skating to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>, or by calling the Viaero Center Box Office during Box Office hours at 308-338-8144. The Tri-City Storm is presented by Viaero Wireless. &nbsp;

Storm returns to action against Gamblers 

<h2>Girl's wrestling results North Platte</h2><div><style type="text/css">
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
 <tr>
 <th class="tg-in6k">G-130-II</th>
 <th class="tg-hgg0">Round 1 - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=1662270135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brooklynn Brown</a> (North Platte Girls) over Abigail Nelson (Hay Springs Girls) (Fall 0:36)</th>
 </tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-oevy">G-130-II</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 3 - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=1662270135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brooklynn Brown</a> (North Platte Girls) over Aiva Raymer (Alliance Girls) (Fall 5:17)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-155</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 1 - Caylee O`Brien (North Platte Girls) over Brooke Winters (Hay Springs Girls) (Fall 0:19)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-155</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 3 - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=332801096" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Addie Diers</a> (Chadron Girls) over Caylee O`Brien (North Platte Girls) (Fall 0:26)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-130</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 1 - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=1526100135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Suubi Alexander</a> (North Platte Girls) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=1177814132" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lydia Newhoff</a> (Gering Girls) (Fall 0:28)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-130</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 2 - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=1526100135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Suubi Alexander</a> (North Platte Girls) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=1135773135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kyra Robbins</a> (Bridgeport Girls) (Dec 7-5)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-130</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 3 - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=1526100135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Suubi Alexander</a> (North Platte Girls) over Breanna Stinson (Alliance Girls) (Fall 0:14)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-235-II</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 1 - Surenity Lewis (Alliance Girls) over Gisela Rivas (North Platte Girls) (Fall 0:40)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-235-II</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 2 - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=1864808135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Leeann Mulleavey</a> (Sidney Girls) over Gisela Rivas (North Platte Girls) (Fall 0:35)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-125</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 1 - Aaliyah Ramos (North Platte Girls) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=741319135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Paige Dalimata</a> (Bridgeport Girls) (Fall 3:28)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-125</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 2 - Aaliyah Ramos (North Platte Girls) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=1606296135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ashley Garza</a> (Bayard Girls) (Fall 2:40)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-125</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 3 - Aaliyah Ramos (North Platte Girls) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=1043789135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Macie Vallejo</a> (Mitchell Girls) (Fall 2:32)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-115-II</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 1 - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=744906135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Morgan Amateis</a> (Bridgeport Girls) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=1026156135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Isabel Shepherd</a> (North Platte Girls) (Fall 3:28)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-115-II</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 2 - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=120072138" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rylee Luce</a> (Gering Girls) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=1026156135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Isabel Shepherd</a> (North Platte Girls) (Fall 4:39)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-115-II</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 3 - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=1026156135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Isabel Shepherd</a> (North Platte Girls) over Ahria Aviles (Mitchell Girls) (Fall 2:56)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-170</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 1 - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=1366301135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jayden Mueller</a> (Bridgeport Girls) over Madeline Junker (North Platte Girls) (Fall 3:44)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-170</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 2 - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=482097135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Isabell Gomez</a> (Hemingford Girls) over Madeline Junker (North Platte Girls) (Fall 0:13)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-170</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 3 - Memphis Erdman (Mitchell Girls) over Madeline Junker (North Platte Girls) (Fall 0:55)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-170-II</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 1 - Ayve Marez (Mitchell Girls) over Jasmine Northey (North Platte Girls) (Fall 1:14)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-170-II</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 2 - Jasmine Northey (North Platte Girls) over Shelby Brown (Gordon-Rushville Girls) (Fall 2:23)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-170-II</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 3 - Bailee French (Morrill Girls) over Jasmine Northey (North Platte Girls) (Fall 1:00)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-115</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 1 - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=263451135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jadyn Cottam</a> (Sidney Girls) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=1629434135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jade Stockton</a> (North Platte Girls) (Fall 1:45)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-115</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 2 - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=1031467135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Aurora Hinman</a> (Hemingford Girls) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=1629434135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jade Stockton</a> (North Platte Girls) (Fall 2:16)</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tgze">G-115</td>
 <td class="tg-tgze">Round 3 - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1701435717413&twSessionId=eqrmrleyge&twId=1629434135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jade Stockton</a> (North Platte Girls) over Eugenia Canales (Scottsbluff Girls) (Fall 1:50)</td>
 </tr>
</tbody>
</table></div><h2>Girl's Basketball Results</h2>Anselmo-Merna 44, Paxton 36Broken Bow 56, Arcadia/Loup City 16Cambridge 41, Hitchcock County 30Gothenburg 57, Lexington 12Hershey 60, Perkins County 54Lincoln Southwest 53, North Platte 27Mullen 45, Sutherland 38South Platte 44, Arthur County 40Southwest 51, Medicine Valley 28Wauneta-Palisade 49, Wallace 45Chase County50, Cozad 41<h2>Boy's Basketball</h2>Anselmo-Merna 44, Paxton 33Cambridge 62, Hitchcock County 57Cozad 57, Chase County 39Gothenburg 62, Lexington 19Lincoln Southwest 70, North Platte 36Medicine Valley 60, Southwest 57 (OT)Mullen 45, Sutherland 32South Platte 51, Arthur County 35Wallace 42, Wauneta-Palisade 30Hershey34, Perkins County 31

Area sports scores November 30th

Husker Miu Takahashi was named the 2023 state Women's Amateur of the Year by the Nebraska Golf Association on Tuesday, Nov. 28.

The junior from Nasu-machi, Japan is the first-ever international winner of the Nebraska Women's Amateur Golfer-of-the-Year award, which dates back to 1997. Takahashi claimed the award after winning the 49th Nebraska Women's Amateur Championship at the Fremont Golf Club with a three-round total of 225 (+12) that included an even-par 71 in the opening round. The victory made her the first international player to ever win the Nebraska Women's Amateur, a tournament that began in 1975.

Later in the summer of 2023, Takahashi qualified for the 123rd U.S. Women's Amateur by claiming one of six qualifying spots in Dallas, Texas. At the U.S. Amateur in Los Angeles, Takahashi fired rounds of 78 and 73 to finish at 151.

During the fall of 2023, Takahashi posted a 74.00 stroke average over 12 rounds for the Nebraska women's golf team. In 2022-23, Takahashi helped the Huskers earn a berth to the NCAA Raleigh Regional by setting the Nebraska sophomore stroke average record (73.49). Her sophomore season included a career-best 213 (-3) to capture her first collegiate title at the Dale McNamara Invitational (Oct. 10-11, 2022). She was named the Big Ten Conference Golfer of the Week on Oct. 12, 2022.

Takahashi will be honored at the Nebraska Golf Association awards banquet on Friday, Dec. 1 at the Omaha Country Club.&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsHusker Miu Takahashi was named the 2023 state Women's Amateur of the Year by the Nebraska Golf Association on Tuesday, Nov. 28.The junior from Nasu-machi, Japan is the first-ever international winner of the Nebraska Women's Amateur Golfer-of-the-Year award, which dates back to 1997. Takahashi claimed the award after winning the 49th Nebraska Women's Amateur Championship at the Fremont Golf Club with a three-round total of 225 (+12) that included an even-par 71 in the opening round. The victory made her the first international player to ever win the Nebraska Women's Amateur, a tournament that began in 1975.Later in the summer of 2023, Takahashi qualified for the 123rd U.S. Women's Amateur by claiming one of six qualifying spots in Dallas, Texas. At the U.S. Amateur in Los Angeles, Takahashi fired rounds of 78 and 73 to finish at 151.During the fall of 2023, Takahashi posted a 74.00 stroke average over 12 rounds for the Nebraska women's golf team. In 2022-23, Takahashi helped the Huskers earn a berth to the NCAA Raleigh Regional by setting the Nebraska sophomore stroke average record (73.49). Her sophomore season included a career-best 213 (-3) to capture her first collegiate title at the Dale McNamara Invitational (Oct. 10-11, 2022). She was named the Big Ten Conference Golfer of the Week on Oct. 12, 2022.Takahashi will be honored at the Nebraska Golf Association awards banquet on Friday, Dec. 1 at the Omaha Country Club.&nbsp;

Takahashi named Nebraska Women’s Amateur of the Year

The Nebraska swimmers head to Iowa City, Iowa this week for the mid-season Hawkeye Invite, Nov. 30-Dec. 2. Competition begins each morning at 10 a.m. (CT) with prelims, followed by a finals session at 5 p.m. (CT)

The Huskers will face the Hawkeyes for the second time this season. The Hawkeyes bested the Huskers earlier this season 160-141 on Nov. 10. Colorado State, Iowa State, New Mexico State and Rutgers round out the field for the week.

In NU’s win over Omaha on Nov. 18, eight different Huskers won individual titles, and a group of Giulia Marchi, Emily Haimes, Beatrix Tanko and Gena Jorgenson claimed the 400 freestyle relay title (3:28.99).

Sophomore Gena Jorgenson logged three wins against the Mavericks in the 200 freestyle (1:52.22), 200 backstroke (2:03.75) and 200 IM (2:08.23). Jorgenson has 16 top-three finishes this season and set a new career-best of 2:29.20 in the 200 breaststroke against South Dakota State.

JoJo Randby grabbed a first-place finish against the Mavericks in the 200 breaststroke (2:20.86). Randby currently holds the school record in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.07) and has ten top-three finishes this season.&nbsp;

Tanko has a Big Ten Freshman of the Week award under her belt and has been an immediate contributor for the Huskers. Against South Dakota State, Tanko claimed victories in the 50 freestyle (24.22) and the 500 freestyle (5:06.84). She also swam portions of the winning 200 medley relay (1:46.25) and 200 freestyle relay (1:36.27).&nbsp;

A junior from Whitby, England, Maia Hall currently has five first-place finishes this season, most recently in the 100 breaststroke against the Mavericks (1:05.78).

Co-captain Emily Haimes had a strong showing earlier in the season against Kansas. Haimes logged first-place finishes in the 50 freestyle (23.97) and the 100 freestyle (51.76). She also set a career-best in the 200 freestyle (1:55.02) against the Jackrabbits.

Sarah Barton has 14 top-three finishes this season. She opened her senior season with a trio of titles against Iowa State, winning the 200 butterfly (2:03.02), 200 backstroke (2:03.64) and 200 IM (2:07.61). Against the Mavericks, she earned a second-place finish in the 500 freestyle (5:10.80) and a third-place finish in the 100 backstroke (57.85).&nbsp;

The meet is set to kick off at 10 a.m. on Thursday and will be streamed live on B1G+ (subscription required). Live results will be available through the Meet Mobile app and huskers.com.

Nebraska’s divers will take on the CAMO International Invitational in Montreal, Canada from Nov. 30-Dec. 2.

Hawkeye InvitationalNov. 30-Dec. 2, 2023Iowa City, Iowa (Campus Recreation &amp; Wellness Center)Prelims: 10 a.m. (CT) each dayFinals: 5 p.m. (CT) each day

Order of EventsThursday200 Free Relay (Finals)500 Free200 IM50 FreeOne-Meter Dive400 Medley Relay (Finals)

Friday200 Medley Relay (Finals)100 Fly400 IM200 Free100 Breast100 BackThree-Meter Dive800 Free Relay (Finals)

Saturday1,650 Free200 Back100 Free200 Breast200 FlyPlatform Dive (Finals)400 Free Relay (Finals)

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe Nebraska swimmers head to Iowa City, Iowa this week for the mid-season Hawkeye Invite, Nov. 30-Dec. 2. Competition begins each morning at 10 a.m. (CT) with prelims, followed by a finals session at 5 p.m. (CT)The Huskers will face the Hawkeyes for the second time this season. The Hawkeyes bested the Huskers earlier this season 160-141 on Nov. 10. Colorado State, Iowa State, New Mexico State and Rutgers round out the field for the week.In NU’s win over Omaha on Nov. 18, eight different Huskers won individual titles, and a group of Giulia Marchi, Emily Haimes, Beatrix Tanko and Gena Jorgenson claimed the 400 freestyle relay title (3:28.99).Sophomore Gena Jorgenson logged three wins against the Mavericks in the 200 freestyle (1:52.22), 200 backstroke (2:03.75) and 200 IM (2:08.23). Jorgenson has 16 top-three finishes this season and set a new career-best of 2:29.20 in the 200 breaststroke against South Dakota State.JoJo Randby grabbed a first-place finish against the Mavericks in the 200 breaststroke (2:20.86). Randby currently holds the school record in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.07) and has ten top-three finishes this season.&nbsp;Tanko has a Big Ten Freshman of the Week award under her belt and has been an immediate contributor for the Huskers. Against South Dakota State, Tanko claimed victories in the 50 freestyle (24.22) and the 500 freestyle (5:06.84). She also swam portions of the winning 200 medley relay (1:46.25) and 200 freestyle relay (1:36.27).&nbsp;A junior from Whitby, England, Maia Hall currently has five first-place finishes this season, most recently in the 100 breaststroke against the Mavericks (1:05.78).Co-captain Emily Haimes had a strong showing earlier in the season against Kansas. Haimes logged first-place finishes in the 50 freestyle (23.97) and the 100 freestyle (51.76). She also set a career-best in the 200 freestyle (1:55.02) against the Jackrabbits.Sarah Barton has 14 top-three finishes this season. She opened her senior season with a trio of titles against Iowa State, winning the 200 butterfly (2:03.02), 200 backstroke (2:03.64) and 200 IM (2:07.61). Against the Mavericks, she earned a second-place finish in the 500 freestyle (5:10.80) and a third-place finish in the 100 backstroke (57.85).&nbsp;The meet is set to kick off at 10 a.m. on Thursday and will be streamed live on B1G+ (subscription required). Live results will be available through the Meet Mobile app and huskers.com.Nebraska’s divers will take on the CAMO International Invitational in Montreal, Canada from Nov. 30-Dec. 2.Hawkeye InvitationalNov. 30-Dec. 2, 2023Iowa City, Iowa (Campus Recreation &amp; Wellness Center)Prelims: 10 a.m. (CT) each dayFinals: 5 p.m. (CT) each dayOrder of EventsThursday200 Free Relay (Finals)500 Free200 IM50 FreeOne-Meter Dive400 Medley Relay (Finals)Friday200 Medley Relay (Finals)100 Fly400 IM200 Free100 Breast100 BackThree-Meter Dive800 Free Relay (Finals)Saturday1,650 Free200 Back100 Free200 Breast200 FlyPlatform Dive (Finals)400 Free Relay (Finals)

NEB Swim&Dive: Huskers ready for Hawkeye Invite

Eight members of Nebraska’s defense were honored on Tuesday as the Big Ten Conference office announced its 2023 defensive honors.&nbsp;

The 2023 defense ranked as Nebraska’s best since joining the Big Ten in several statistical categories. The Blackshirts’ averages in total defense (303.5 ypg), scoring defense (18.3 ppg) and rushing defense (92.9 ypg) were all program bests since at least 2010. The Huskers held eight of 12 opponents to 14 or fewer points. NU limited eight opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards and six foes under 300 yards of total offense.

The honorees included senior linebacker&nbsp;Luke Reimer,&nbsp;who earned third-team honors by the Big Ten coaches and honorable-mention accolades from the media panel. Other honorable-mention selections included safety&nbsp;Omar Brown&nbsp;(coaches, media), rover&nbsp;Isaac Gifford&nbsp;(coaches, media), cornerback&nbsp;Tommi Hill&nbsp;(coaches, media), nose tackle&nbsp;Nash Hutmacher&nbsp;(coaches, media), cornerback&nbsp;Quinton Newsome&nbsp;(coaches, media), defensive lineman&nbsp;Ty Robinson&nbsp;(coaches, media), and defensive end&nbsp;Jimari Butler&nbsp;(media).

Reimer, a graduate of Lincoln North Star High School, earned all-conference recognition for the third consecutive season. He finished the season with 48 tackles in 10 games, while his five sacks ranked second on the team and his 7.5 tackles for loss were third for the Blackshirts. Reimer, who had earned honorable-mention recognition in both 2021 and 2022, finished his Husker career third on the school’s all-time tackles list with 293 stops.

A senior cornerback from Suwanee, Ga., Newsome earned conference honors for the second straight season after also being an honorable-mention choice in 2022. Newsome finished the year with 37 tackles, an interception and a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown.

The remaining defensive honorees earned All-Big Ten recognition for the first time in 2023. Brown tied for second on the team with 51 tackles, while forcing two fumbles, recovering a fumble and adding an interception. Gifford manned the rover position for Nebraska and led the Huskers in tackles with 86 stops, the most by a Husker defensive back in nine seasons. Gifford was second on the team with eight pass breakups while his 6.5 tackles for loss was among the best for Big Ten defensive backs.

The fourth member of the secondary to be honored was junior cornerback Tommi Hill, who led the Huskers with four interceptions and nine pass breakups. In conference play, Hill led the Big Ten with 1.33 passes defended per game.

Nebraska’s strong run defense was led by a trio of defensive linemen who earned honorable-mention recognition. Hutmacher manned the middle of the Nebraska defense and recorded 40 tackles to go along with eight tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and a blocked field goal against Iowa. Robinson finished the year with 29 tackles, including four tackles for loss. He was disruptive at the line of scrimmage with six pass breakups and a team-high 11 quarterback hurries along with a blocked field goal against Iowa. Defensive end Jimari Butler led the Huskers with 5.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss among his 34 overall tackles on the season.

The Big Ten will announce all-conference offensive honors on Wednesday.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsEight members of Nebraska’s defense were honored on Tuesday as the Big Ten Conference office announced its 2023 defensive honors.&nbsp;The 2023 defense ranked as Nebraska’s best since joining the Big Ten in several statistical categories. The Blackshirts’ averages in total defense (303.5 ypg), scoring defense (18.3 ppg) and rushing defense (92.9 ypg) were all program bests since at least 2010. The Huskers held eight of 12 opponents to 14 or fewer points. NU limited eight opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards and six foes under 300 yards of total offense.The honorees included senior linebacker&nbsp;Luke Reimer,&nbsp;who earned third-team honors by the Big Ten coaches and honorable-mention accolades from the media panel. Other honorable-mention selections included safety&nbsp;Omar Brown&nbsp;(coaches, media), rover&nbsp;Isaac Gifford&nbsp;(coaches, media), cornerback&nbsp;Tommi Hill&nbsp;(coaches, media), nose tackle&nbsp;Nash Hutmacher&nbsp;(coaches, media), cornerback&nbsp;Quinton Newsome&nbsp;(coaches, media), defensive lineman&nbsp;Ty Robinson&nbsp;(coaches, media), and defensive end&nbsp;Jimari Butler&nbsp;(media).Reimer, a graduate of Lincoln North Star High School, earned all-conference recognition for the third consecutive season. He finished the season with 48 tackles in 10 games, while his five sacks ranked second on the team and his 7.5 tackles for loss were third for the Blackshirts. Reimer, who had earned honorable-mention recognition in both 2021 and 2022, finished his Husker career third on the school’s all-time tackles list with 293 stops.A senior cornerback from Suwanee, Ga., Newsome earned conference honors for the second straight season after also being an honorable-mention choice in 2022. Newsome finished the year with 37 tackles, an interception and a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown.The remaining defensive honorees earned All-Big Ten recognition for the first time in 2023. Brown tied for second on the team with 51 tackles, while forcing two fumbles, recovering a fumble and adding an interception. Gifford manned the rover position for Nebraska and led the Huskers in tackles with 86 stops, the most by a Husker defensive back in nine seasons. Gifford was second on the team with eight pass breakups while his 6.5 tackles for loss was among the best for Big Ten defensive backs.The fourth member of the secondary to be honored was junior cornerback Tommi Hill, who led the Huskers with four interceptions and nine pass breakups. In conference play, Hill led the Big Ten with 1.33 passes defended per game.Nebraska’s strong run defense was led by a trio of defensive linemen who earned honorable-mention recognition. Hutmacher manned the middle of the Nebraska defense and recorded 40 tackles to go along with eight tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and a blocked field goal against Iowa. Robinson finished the year with 29 tackles, including four tackles for loss. He was disruptive at the line of scrimmage with six pass breakups and a team-high 11 quarterback hurries along with a blocked field goal against Iowa. Defensive end Jimari Butler led the Huskers with 5.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss among his 34 overall tackles on the season.The Big Ten will announce all-conference offensive honors on Wednesday.All-Big Ten Defensive HonorsThird TeamLuke Reimer, LB (Coaches)Honorable-MentionLuke Reimer, LB (Media)Jimari Butler, DE (Media)Omar Brown, S (Coaches, Media)Isaac Gifford, Rover (Coaches, Media)Tommi Hill, CB (Coaches, Media)Nash Hutmacher, NT (Coaches, Media)Quinton Newsome, CB (Coaches, Media)Ty Robinson, DL (Coaches, Media)

Eight Blackshirts earn Big Ten Honors

OMAHA, Neb.&nbsp;– The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.supernovas.com/" target="_blank">Omaha Supernovas,</a>&nbsp;Nebraska’s professional volleyball team in the newly-established&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">Professional Volleyball Federation</a>, has signed a quartet of former college standouts,&nbsp;including Kansas Jayhawk&nbsp;record holders&nbsp;Anna&nbsp;Church&nbsp;and&nbsp;Allison Mayfield,&nbsp;as well as national champion libero&nbsp;Gabby Curry&nbsp;and former UNK setter&nbsp;Maddie Squiers.&nbsp;

Church brings a rich background of international experience having played professionally for seven years in countries such as Germany, Switzerland,&nbsp;and France before returning to the U.S. Most recently, Church played for USC Münster in Germany and served on&nbsp;the team’s Player Council. Münster finished 7th in the Bundesliga, the highest level of professional play, and competed in the 2022&nbsp;Western European Volleyball Zonal Association (WEVZA) Cup in Italy.&nbsp;

Church is all too familiar with Omaha. Coming to Kansas in 2015 as a transfer after three seasons at Saint Louis University, she helped lead the Jayhawks to their first Final Four in school history. The 2015 Final Four was held&nbsp;in Omaha, but the Jayhawks’ memorable&nbsp;season ended with a four-set defeat to Nebraska – who would eventually win the national championship. Church was instrumental as a defensive specialist, posting 2.06 digs and 0.19 aces per set in 95 sets that season. In August, Church was inducted into the University of Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame for her contributions during that historic season.&nbsp;

“My top moment from college volleyball was playing in the NCAA Final Four for KU in Omaha, 2015,”&nbsp;Church&nbsp;said. “After playing professionally overseas for so long, it is a dream come true&nbsp;to have an opportunity to&nbsp;play professionally back home in the United States. It feels like a full circle moment to return to and compete for such a great volleyball state. I can’t&nbsp;wait to get started playing in Omaha!”&nbsp;

Mayfield&nbsp;played for Kansas from 2008-2011 and finished her career as one of the most decorated Jayhawks in program history. Mayfield reset the school record books for a single season during her senior year, securing the most kills (462) and points (507) while having the highest kills and points per set (4.57) averages across one season. Mayfield earned an All-Big 12 honorable mention award that year while her 1,367 attacks&nbsp;remain&nbsp;the single-season record. Mayfield finished her KU career fourth all-time in career kills with 1,282. &nbsp;

“Allison is a veteran player with a strong history of success at the collegiate level and as a professional player overseas,” Supernovas Head Coach&nbsp;Shelton Collier&nbsp;said. “It will be exciting to have her experience and skills in our gym"&nbsp;

Mayfield parlayed her college success into a diverse overseas resume which includes stops in France, Switzerland, Finland, Peru, Greece, and Hungary. After finishing her second stop with Universidad San Martin in Peru, Mayfield returned to the U.S. to begin her coaching career. Mayfield spent the 2020-2021 college volleyball season serving as a volunteer assistant coach for Texas A&amp;M, which was under the tutelage of&nbsp;Laura “Bird” Kuhn, former head coach of A&amp;M&nbsp;and current assistant coach&nbsp;for the Supernovas.&nbsp;Mayfield just finished her second season as an assistant coach&nbsp;at South Dakota State.&nbsp;

“I’m elated to be signing with the Omaha Supernovas for this inaugural season of the Pro Volleyball Federation,”&nbsp;Mayfield&nbsp;said. “Growing up in the Midwest, and playing for Kansas, I know there is no better fan base for volleyball in the country than in Nebraska. I’m&nbsp;so excited for this opportunity to finally be able to play closer to home again. The U.S. has been missing out on&nbsp;women’s professional volleyball for a long time now. I’m&nbsp;so excited to see how this league will assist&nbsp;in growing the sport even more in our country.”&nbsp;

Curry&nbsp;was a three-time SEC Libero of the Year during her four-year college career at&nbsp;Kentucky that spanned from 2017-2021. The Buford, Georgia native anchored the Wildcats’ defense in route to four SEC championships under Head Coach&nbsp;Craig Skinner&nbsp;who was a former assistant under Nebraska Head Coach&nbsp;John Cook. Curry capped off her career with a national championship in the spring of 2021 after Kentucky beat Texas 3-1 to become the first SEC school to win a volleyball national title. &nbsp;

"I couldn’t&nbsp;be more excited for this opportunity to compete at the highest level, further the game of volleyball that gave so much to me and grow in and through this living testimony while using this platform to further The Kingdom,” Curry said.&nbsp;

Squiers&nbsp;just wrapped up her second season as a graduate assistant at the University of Nebraska-Kearney (UNK) where she established&nbsp;herself as one of the best setters in program history. Playing under her father, Rick, Maddie was a two-time All-American for the Lopers earning second-team honors in both 2019 and 2021.&nbsp;

UNK went 90-11 with Squiers as the starting setter as she guided&nbsp;the Lopers to a national runner-up finish in 2019. She finished&nbsp;her career with over 6,200 assists and 1,600 digs with her 11.30 assists per set mark in Kearney fifth all-time in program history.&nbsp;

“It’s&nbsp;an honor to be included in the Supernova mini-camp,” Squiers said. “It really is an exciting time to be a part of the sport of volleyball, especially in Nebraska, and I look forward to seeing what the Supernovas and this league can do for the game.”&nbsp;

The Supernovas will begin their first-ever training camp in early January to finalize&nbsp;a 14-person roster for the inaugural season of the Pro Volleyball Federation beginning on January 24, 2024.&nbsp;

REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL&nbsp;competition will officially begin in the United States with the Omaha Supernovas hosting the Atlanta Vibe in the first match in league history at the CHI Health Center in downtown Omaha on January 24, at 7:00 p.m. CT. Nebraska supports volleyball better than anyone, as evidenced by the more than 92,000 fans that turned out this season for a collegiate match at the Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium in August, setting a new world record for the highest attended women’s sporting event.&nbsp;

The Supernovas are one of seven U.S. teams for the 2024 inaugural season: Omaha Supernovas,&nbsp;<a href="https://atlantavibe.com/inaugural-season-tickets-on-sale/" target="_blank">Atlanta Vibe</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://orlandoprovb.com/" target="_blank">Orlando Valkyries</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbusfury.com/" target="_blank">Columbus Fury</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.grrise.com/" target="_blank">Grand Rapids Rise</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://sandiegoprovb.com/" target="_blank">San Diego Mojo</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://vegasprovb.com/" target="_blank">Vegas Pro Volleyball</a>. Two expansion teams,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dallasprovolleyball.com/" target="_blank">Dallas Pro Volleyball</a>&nbsp;and Kansas City Pro Volleyball, have been announced for 2025. In Season One, the Pro Volleyball Federation will be showcased&nbsp;in three different U.S. time zones. Matches will take place on 67 different dates between January and May 2024, occurring on every day of the week.&nbsp;

The Supernovas will play 12 home matches and 12 away matches, for a total of 24 matches in the 16-week regular season.&nbsp;The full schedule is available on the team’s website,&nbsp;<a href="https://supernovas.com/" target="_blank">Supernovas.com</a>. After the regular season, the Supernovas are aiming to be one of the top four squads in the standings that will compete for the Pro Volleyball Federation Championship in May. The location of the championship will be determined and announced at a later date.&nbsp;

The current Supernovas world-class roster includes Olympians, U.S. National Team veterans, NCAA National Champions and All-Americans, to include Anna Church, Gabby Curry, Bethania de la Cruz, Tori Dixon, Danielle Hart, Sydney Hilley, Gina Mancuso-Prososki, Allison Mayfield, Brooke Nuneviller, Yossiana&nbsp;Pressley, Nia Reed, Jess Schaben-Lansman, Maddie Squiers, Natalia Valentín-Anderson, Hristina Vuchkova, Lindsey Vander Weide and Kendall White.&nbsp;

Season Tickets are available at the team’s website and on the team’s app, available for download on smartphones and tablets.&nbsp;

The Omaha Supernovas aims to be the premier home of professional volleyball throughout the world. The team is owned by global music sensation Jason Derulo and entrepreneurs Danny White and Chris Erickson, Co-Founders of City+Ventures, an investment and business acceleration organization headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.&nbsp;

ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION&nbsp;

Pro Volleyball Federation is&nbsp;REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL&nbsp;and the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. Pro Volleyball Federation will begin play in January 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players and elite players from around the world. Our entire focus is on ensuring that our level and quality of play, our treatment of players, the quality of our event presentations, and our day-to-day fan experience is world class and the very best offered in North America.&nbsp;For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">ProVolleyball.com</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701275141989.jpeg" alt="Maddie Squiers/Photo provided by the Omaha Supernovas" />
 <figcaption>Maddie Squiers/Photo provided by the Omaha Supernovas</figcaption>
 </figure>Geoff ExstromOmaha SupernovasOMAHA, Neb.&nbsp;– The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.supernovas.com/" target="_blank">Omaha Supernovas,</a>&nbsp;Nebraska’s professional volleyball team in the newly-established&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">Professional Volleyball Federation</a>, has signed a quartet of former college standouts,&nbsp;including Kansas Jayhawk&nbsp;record holders&nbsp;Anna&nbsp;Church&nbsp;and&nbsp;Allison Mayfield,&nbsp;as well as national champion libero&nbsp;Gabby Curry&nbsp;and former UNK setter&nbsp;Maddie Squiers.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701275258909.jpeg" alt="Anna Church/Photo provided by the Omaha Supernovas" />
 <figcaption>Anna Church/Photo provided by the Omaha Supernovas</figcaption>
 </figure>Church brings a rich background of international experience having played professionally for seven years in countries such as Germany, Switzerland,&nbsp;and France before returning to the U.S. Most recently, Church played for USC Münster in Germany and served on&nbsp;the team’s Player Council. Münster finished 7th in the Bundesliga, the highest level of professional play, and competed in the 2022&nbsp;Western European Volleyball Zonal Association (WEVZA) Cup in Italy.&nbsp;Church is all too familiar with Omaha. Coming to Kansas in 2015 as a transfer after three seasons at Saint Louis University, she helped lead the Jayhawks to their first Final Four in school history. The 2015 Final Four was held&nbsp;in Omaha, but the Jayhawks’ memorable&nbsp;season ended with a four-set defeat to Nebraska – who would eventually win the national championship. Church was instrumental as a defensive specialist, posting 2.06 digs and 0.19 aces per set in 95 sets that season. In August, Church was inducted into the University of Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame for her contributions during that historic season.&nbsp;“My top moment from college volleyball was playing in the NCAA Final Four for KU in Omaha, 2015,”&nbsp;Church&nbsp;said. “After playing professionally overseas for so long, it is a dream come true&nbsp;to have an opportunity to&nbsp;play professionally back home in the United States. It feels like a full circle moment to return to and compete for such a great volleyball state. I can’t&nbsp;wait to get started playing in Omaha!”&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701275316318.jpeg" alt="Allison Mayfield/Photo provided by the Omaha Supernovas" />
 <figcaption>Allison Mayfield/Photo provided by the Omaha Supernovas</figcaption>
 </figure>Mayfield&nbsp;played for Kansas from 2008-2011 and finished her career as one of the most decorated Jayhawks in program history. Mayfield reset the school record books for a single season during her senior year, securing the most kills (462) and points (507) while having the highest kills and points per set (4.57) averages across one season. Mayfield earned an All-Big 12 honorable mention award that year while her 1,367 attacks&nbsp;remain&nbsp;the single-season record. Mayfield finished her KU career fourth all-time in career kills with 1,282. &nbsp;“Allison is a veteran player with a strong history of success at the collegiate level and as a professional player overseas,” Supernovas Head Coach&nbsp;Shelton Collier&nbsp;said. “It will be exciting to have her experience and skills in our gym"&nbsp;Mayfield parlayed her college success into a diverse overseas resume which includes stops in France, Switzerland, Finland, Peru, Greece, and Hungary. After finishing her second stop with Universidad San Martin in Peru, Mayfield returned to the U.S. to begin her coaching career. Mayfield spent the 2020-2021 college volleyball season serving as a volunteer assistant coach for Texas A&amp;M, which was under the tutelage of&nbsp;Laura “Bird” Kuhn, former head coach of A&amp;M&nbsp;and current assistant coach&nbsp;for the Supernovas.&nbsp;Mayfield just finished her second season as an assistant coach&nbsp;at South Dakota State.&nbsp;“I’m elated to be signing with the Omaha Supernovas for this inaugural season of the Pro Volleyball Federation,”&nbsp;Mayfield&nbsp;said. “Growing up in the Midwest, and playing for Kansas, I know there is no better fan base for volleyball in the country than in Nebraska. I’m&nbsp;so excited for this opportunity to finally be able to play closer to home again. The U.S. has been missing out on&nbsp;women’s professional volleyball for a long time now. I’m&nbsp;so excited to see how this league will assist&nbsp;in growing the sport even more in our country.”&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701275304342.jpeg" alt="Gabby Curry/Photo provided by the Omaha Supernovas" />
 <figcaption>Gabby Curry/Photo provided by the Omaha Supernovas</figcaption>
 </figure>Curry&nbsp;was a three-time SEC Libero of the Year during her four-year college career at&nbsp;Kentucky that spanned from 2017-2021. The Buford, Georgia native anchored the Wildcats’ defense in route to four SEC championships under Head Coach&nbsp;Craig Skinner&nbsp;who was a former assistant under Nebraska Head Coach&nbsp;John Cook. Curry capped off her career with a national championship in the spring of 2021 after Kentucky beat Texas 3-1 to become the first SEC school to win a volleyball national title. &nbsp;"I couldn’t&nbsp;be more excited for this opportunity to compete at the highest level, further the game of volleyball that gave so much to me and grow in and through this living testimony while using this platform to further The Kingdom,” Curry said.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701275141989.jpeg" alt="Maddie Squiers/Photo provided by the Omaha Supernovas" />
 <figcaption>Maddie Squiers/Photo provided by the Omaha Supernovas</figcaption>
 </figure>Squiers&nbsp;just wrapped up her second season as a graduate assistant at the University of Nebraska-Kearney (UNK) where she established&nbsp;herself as one of the best setters in program history. Playing under her father, Rick, Maddie was a two-time All-American for the Lopers earning second-team honors in both 2019 and 2021.&nbsp;UNK went 90-11 with Squiers as the starting setter as she guided&nbsp;the Lopers to a national runner-up finish in 2019. She finished&nbsp;her career with over 6,200 assists and 1,600 digs with her 11.30 assists per set mark in Kearney fifth all-time in program history.&nbsp;“It’s&nbsp;an honor to be included in the Supernova mini-camp,” Squiers said. “It really is an exciting time to be a part of the sport of volleyball, especially in Nebraska, and I look forward to seeing what the Supernovas and this league can do for the game.”&nbsp;The Supernovas will begin their first-ever training camp in early January to finalize&nbsp;a 14-person roster for the inaugural season of the Pro Volleyball Federation beginning on January 24, 2024.&nbsp;REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL&nbsp;competition will officially begin in the United States with the Omaha Supernovas hosting the Atlanta Vibe in the first match in league history at the CHI Health Center in downtown Omaha on January 24, at 7:00 p.m. CT. Nebraska supports volleyball better than anyone, as evidenced by the more than 92,000 fans that turned out this season for a collegiate match at the Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium in August, setting a new world record for the highest attended women’s sporting event.&nbsp;The Supernovas are one of seven U.S. teams for the 2024 inaugural season: Omaha Supernovas,&nbsp;<a href="https://atlantavibe.com/inaugural-season-tickets-on-sale/" target="_blank">Atlanta Vibe</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://orlandoprovb.com/" target="_blank">Orlando Valkyries</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbusfury.com/" target="_blank">Columbus Fury</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.grrise.com/" target="_blank">Grand Rapids Rise</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://sandiegoprovb.com/" target="_blank">San Diego Mojo</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://vegasprovb.com/" target="_blank">Vegas Pro Volleyball</a>. Two expansion teams,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dallasprovolleyball.com/" target="_blank">Dallas Pro Volleyball</a>&nbsp;and Kansas City Pro Volleyball, have been announced for 2025. In Season One, the Pro Volleyball Federation will be showcased&nbsp;in three different U.S. time zones. Matches will take place on 67 different dates between January and May 2024, occurring on every day of the week.&nbsp;The Supernovas will play 12 home matches and 12 away matches, for a total of 24 matches in the 16-week regular season.&nbsp;The full schedule is available on the team’s website,&nbsp;<a href="https://supernovas.com/" target="_blank">Supernovas.com</a>. After the regular season, the Supernovas are aiming to be one of the top four squads in the standings that will compete for the Pro Volleyball Federation Championship in May. The location of the championship will be determined and announced at a later date.&nbsp;The current Supernovas world-class roster includes Olympians, U.S. National Team veterans, NCAA National Champions and All-Americans, to include Anna Church, Gabby Curry, Bethania de la Cruz, Tori Dixon, Danielle Hart, Sydney Hilley, Gina Mancuso-Prososki, Allison Mayfield, Brooke Nuneviller, Yossiana&nbsp;Pressley, Nia Reed, Jess Schaben-Lansman, Maddie Squiers, Natalia Valentín-Anderson, Hristina Vuchkova, Lindsey Vander Weide and Kendall White.&nbsp;Season Tickets are available at the team’s website and on the team’s app, available for download on smartphones and tablets.&nbsp;ABOUT OMAHA SUPERNOVAS&nbsp;The Omaha Supernovas aims to be the premier home of professional volleyball throughout the world. The team is owned by global music sensation Jason Derulo and entrepreneurs Danny White and Chris Erickson, Co-Founders of City+Ventures, an investment and business acceleration organization headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.&nbsp;ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION&nbsp;Pro Volleyball Federation is&nbsp;REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL&nbsp;and the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. Pro Volleyball Federation will begin play in January 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players and elite players from around the world. Our entire focus is on ensuring that our level and quality of play, our treatment of players, the quality of our event presentations, and our day-to-day fan experience is world class and the very best offered in North America.&nbsp;For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">ProVolleyball.com</a>.&nbsp;

Supernovas Sign Accomplished Quartet including former Loper Maddie Squiers

DENVER (AP) — For the first time in seven seasons, the Denver Broncos will head into December with a winning record, something that seemed unfathomable when they stumbled to a 1-5 start.

In their first month under Sean Payton, the Broncos (6-5) lost three games at home to underdogs — the Raiders, Commanders and Jets — who are a combined 10-22 against other opponents.

Of course, their worst loss was that 70-20 meltdown in Miami in Week 3 when they surrendered 10 touchdowns — one more than they've given up in their last six games combined.

They put together their most complete game yet in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/broncos-browns-score-wilson-turnovers-injuries-edc63231bcc7864487f330d104324ad1">29-12 rout of the Browns</a>&nbsp;(7-4), neutralizing Myles Garrett and the league's best defense, thwarting Cleveland's vaunted ground game, recovering three fumbles and scoring three red zone touchdowns, which has been their bugaboo.

“There were a lot of things we did that I was pleased with,” the notoriously nitpicking Payton said after moving above .500 for the first time with the Broncos. “And I felt like we beat a good football team.”

The Broncos jumped out to a 14-0 lead, which helped the defense capitalize on heavier fronts to stop the run.

“Our offense did such a great job to set us up, to be able to pin our ears back and put them in passing situations to let us get after it,” safety Justin Simmons said. “It was just great team ball. I am really proud of this team and how we have fought to keep it rolling."

The Broncos allowed only two field goals in the first half, but the second one, with 22 seconds left before the break, prevented Denver from taking its first double-digit halftime lead in the 26 games Russell Wilson has been their starting quarterback.

And the Broncos again slogged through the third quarter, which has been their weakness all season. They took a 17-12 lead into the fourth quarter before pulling away on a Wilson touchdown pass, a Wil Lutz field goal and a safety by Zach Allen that gave Denver its largest margin of victory in nearly two years.

The Broncos' resiliency, which has been on display going back to their last loss (19-8 at Kansas City on Oct. 12), was epitomized by how they handled Baron Browning's debatable roughing-the-passer flag that knocked rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson out of the game and turned a third-and-12 stop into a first down for the Browns.

Two plays later, defensive tackle D.J. Jones recovered a fumble by backup QB P.J. Walker for Denver's second takeaway, this one setting up Wilson at the Cleveland 20-yard line to start the fourth quarter.

“First of all, we’re resilient," said Wilson, who responded with an 8-yard touchdown toss to tight end Adam Trautman. "The best part about us is we’ve been resilient for all of these games. We’ve played some really great teams, top-echelon teams, Kansas City, obviously, Buffalo on the road, which is a tough environment. Cleveland has been great all year. It’s a great defense.

“I think the best thing about us, though, is it’s about us. It’s about us being together,” Wilson said. "Our defense has been lights out. One of the best defenses in the world. Those guys have been unbelievable. ... We’ve handled the adversity. The reality is that we have a lot more ball to go. We have to stay humble and hungry. We have a lot more to do. We feel like we’re just getting started.”

Denver’s defense has done an about-face since its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/broncos-dolphins-penalties-52f51e639d6483640334095c3c2b81f2">Miami meltdown</a>&nbsp;in Week 3.

Halftime adjustments. The Broncos have managed just one field goal and one touchdown on their opening drives after halftime. Seven times they've punted, including four 3-and-outs, and they've missed a field goal and saw another one blocked. Overall, they've been outscored 71-20 in the third quarter, an eerily similar score to their loss to the Dolphins.

RB Samaje Perine has been Mr. Reliable all season and on Sunday he ran seven times for 55 yards and and a touchdown.

WR Jerry Jeudy had three targets and two catches for a season-low 11 yards.

There were no injuries of consequence in the game as the Broncos remain one of the league's healthiest teams. WR Brandon Johnson (hamstring) is eligible to return from IR this week.

5:1 — Wilson's NFL-best touchdown-to-interception ratio. Wilson has thrown for at least one touchdown in every game this season and he hasn't thrown an interception during Denver's five-game winning streak.

Plus-12 — Denver's turnover differential over its last four games, its best such stretch since 2000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701191612835.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — For the first time in seven seasons, the Denver Broncos will head into December with a winning record, something that seemed unfathomable when they stumbled to a 1-5 start.In their first month under Sean Payton, the Broncos (6-5) lost three games at home to underdogs — the Raiders, Commanders and Jets — who are a combined 10-22 against other opponents.Of course, their worst loss was that 70-20 meltdown in Miami in Week 3 when they surrendered 10 touchdowns — one more than they've given up in their last six games combined.They put together their most complete game yet in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/broncos-browns-score-wilson-turnovers-injuries-edc63231bcc7864487f330d104324ad1">29-12 rout of the Browns</a>&nbsp;(7-4), neutralizing Myles Garrett and the league's best defense, thwarting Cleveland's vaunted ground game, recovering three fumbles and scoring three red zone touchdowns, which has been their bugaboo.“There were a lot of things we did that I was pleased with,” the notoriously nitpicking Payton said after moving above .500 for the first time with the Broncos. “And I felt like we beat a good football team.”The Broncos jumped out to a 14-0 lead, which helped the defense capitalize on heavier fronts to stop the run.“Our offense did such a great job to set us up, to be able to pin our ears back and put them in passing situations to let us get after it,” safety Justin Simmons said. “It was just great team ball. I am really proud of this team and how we have fought to keep it rolling."The Broncos allowed only two field goals in the first half, but the second one, with 22 seconds left before the break, prevented Denver from taking its first double-digit halftime lead in the 26 games Russell Wilson has been their starting quarterback.And the Broncos again slogged through the third quarter, which has been their weakness all season. They took a 17-12 lead into the fourth quarter before pulling away on a Wilson touchdown pass, a Wil Lutz field goal and a safety by Zach Allen that gave Denver its largest margin of victory in nearly two years.The Broncos' resiliency, which has been on display going back to their last loss (19-8 at Kansas City on Oct. 12), was epitomized by how they handled Baron Browning's debatable roughing-the-passer flag that knocked rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson out of the game and turned a third-and-12 stop into a first down for the Browns.Two plays later, defensive tackle D.J. Jones recovered a fumble by backup QB P.J. Walker for Denver's second takeaway, this one setting up Wilson at the Cleveland 20-yard line to start the fourth quarter.“First of all, we’re resilient," said Wilson, who responded with an 8-yard touchdown toss to tight end Adam Trautman. "The best part about us is we’ve been resilient for all of these games. We’ve played some really great teams, top-echelon teams, Kansas City, obviously, Buffalo on the road, which is a tough environment. Cleveland has been great all year. It’s a great defense.“I think the best thing about us, though, is it’s about us. It’s about us being together,” Wilson said. "Our defense has been lights out. One of the best defenses in the world. Those guys have been unbelievable. ... We’ve handled the adversity. The reality is that we have a lot more ball to go. We have to stay humble and hungry. We have a lot more to do. We feel like we’re just getting started.”WHAT’S WORKINGDenver’s defense has done an about-face since its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/broncos-dolphins-penalties-52f51e639d6483640334095c3c2b81f2">Miami meltdown</a>&nbsp;in Week 3.WHAT NEEDS WORKHalftime adjustments. The Broncos have managed just one field goal and one touchdown on their opening drives after halftime. Seven times they've punted, including four 3-and-outs, and they've missed a field goal and saw another one blocked. Overall, they've been outscored 71-20 in the third quarter, an eerily similar score to their loss to the Dolphins.STOCK UPRB Samaje Perine has been Mr. Reliable all season and on Sunday he ran seven times for 55 yards and and a touchdown.STOCK DOWNWR Jerry Jeudy had three targets and two catches for a season-low 11 yards.INJURIESThere were no injuries of consequence in the game as the Broncos remain one of the league's healthiest teams. WR Brandon Johnson (hamstring) is eligible to return from IR this week.KEY NUMBERS5:1 — Wilson's NFL-best touchdown-to-interception ratio. Wilson has thrown for at least one touchdown in every game this season and he hasn't thrown an interception during Denver's five-game winning streak.Plus-12 — Denver's turnover differential over its last four games, its best such stretch since 2000.NEXT STEPSIf the Broncos can extend their winning streak to six on Sunday at Houston, they'll have wins — and tiebreakers — over the Bills, Browns and Texans, three teams they're jockeying with to get into the AFC playoff picture.