By: John Murphy CSC Sports Information Director

CHADRON, Neb. -- The 2024 Panhandle Athletic Conference basketball tournament will take place on Friday and Saturday in the Chicoine Center on Chadron State's campus.

The conference includes local high schools Sioux County, Crawford, Hay Springs, Hemingford, Morrill, Hyannis and Edgemont.

Other than the number one seed in each bracket, teams played each other earlier this week. On the girl's side, #3 Edgemont will meet #2 Morrill in one side of the semifinals while #1 Hay Springs plays #4 Crawford.

Crawford defeated Hyannis 54-17 and Edgemont beat Hemingford 38-24 on Monday.

There are only six girls' teams entered, compared to seven boy's teams. Crawford and Sioux County are combined for high school girls' basketball.

The boy's bracket #1 seed is undefeated Hay Springs. The Hawks will play #4 Crawford in one semifinal game while #3 Morrill is the home team against #2 Hyannis on the other side.

In Tuesday's pre-tournament games, Crawford beat Hemingford 46-36, Morrill beat Sioux County 47-25 and Hyannis was victorious over Edgemont, 58-32.

The tournament begins at 12:15 pm on Friday with Edgemont and Sioux County boys facing off for a spot in the 5th and 6th place game on Saturday.

A complete schedule and brackets can be found below.

Game 1 (Boys)– Edgemont vs Sioux County – 12:15 pm

Game 2 (Girls)– Hay Springs vs Crawford – 2:00 pm

Game 3 (Boys)– Hay Springs vs Crawford – 3:45 pm

Game 4 (Girls)– Edgemont vs Morrill – 5:30 pm

Game 5 (Boys)– Morrill vs Hyannis – 7:15 pm

Game 1 (Girls)– Hyannis vs Hemingford (5th/6th place) – 10:00 am

Game 2 (Boys)– Hemingford vs (Winner of Friday Game 1) – 11:45 am

Game 3 (Girls)– Losers of Friday Games 2 and 4 (3rd/4th place) – 1:30 pm

Game 4 (Boys)– Losers of Friday Games 3 and 5 (3rd/4th place)– 3:15 pm

Game 5 (Girls)– Winners of Friday Games 2 and 4 (Championship) – 5:00 pm

Game 6 (Boys)– Winners of Friday Games 3 and 5 (Championship)– 6:45 pm

By: John Murphy CSC Sports Information DirectorCHADRON, Neb. -- The 2024 Panhandle Athletic Conference basketball tournament will take place on Friday and Saturday in the Chicoine Center on Chadron State's campus.The conference includes local high schools Sioux County, Crawford, Hay Springs, Hemingford, Morrill, Hyannis and Edgemont.Other than the number one seed in each bracket, teams played each other earlier this week. On the girl's side, #3 Edgemont will meet #2 Morrill in one side of the semifinals while #1 Hay Springs plays #4 Crawford.Crawford defeated Hyannis 54-17 and Edgemont beat Hemingford 38-24 on Monday.There are only six girls' teams entered, compared to seven boy's teams. Crawford and Sioux County are combined for high school girls' basketball.The boy's bracket #1 seed is undefeated Hay Springs. The Hawks will play #4 Crawford in one semifinal game while #3 Morrill is the home team against #2 Hyannis on the other side.In Tuesday's pre-tournament games, Crawford beat Hemingford 46-36, Morrill beat Sioux County 47-25 and Hyannis was victorious over Edgemont, 58-32.The tournament begins at 12:15 pm on Friday with Edgemont and Sioux County boys facing off for a spot in the 5th and 6th place game on Saturday.A complete schedule and brackets can be found below.Friday, January 19, 2024Game 1 (Boys)– Edgemont vs Sioux County – 12:15 pmGame 2 (Girls)– Hay Springs vs Crawford – 2:00 pmGame 3 (Boys)– Hay Springs vs Crawford – 3:45 pmGame 4 (Girls)– Edgemont vs Morrill – 5:30 pmGame 5 (Boys)– Morrill vs Hyannis – 7:15 pmSaturday, January 20, 2024Game 1 (Girls)– Hyannis vs Hemingford (5th/6th place) – 10:00 amGame 2 (Boys)– Hemingford vs (Winner of Friday Game 1) – 11:45 amGame 3 (Girls)– Losers of Friday Games 2 and 4 (3rd/4th place) – 1:30 pmGame 4 (Boys)– Losers of Friday Games 3 and 5 (3rd/4th place)– 3:15 pmGame 5 (Girls)– Winners of Friday Games 2 and 4 (Championship) – 5:00 pmGame 6 (Boys)– Winners of Friday Games 3 and 5 (Championship)– 6:45 pm

🏀Panhandle Conference High School Tournament taking over CSC arena



Spartan baseball player registration and meeting for the 2024 season will be on Sunday, January 21st at 5:00pm at the AHS PAC commons area.

All new players must bring a copy of birth certificate. Players must have a birth year of 2011 or before to be eligible to play. 

If you are interested in playing and cannot attend the meeting, please contact Coach <a href="https://www.facebook.com/carlos.palomo.7921?__cft__[0]=AZUur-vwltT3FGQsTiBl1el3kp0NKpdNypq-p3jX_9BQJtFJ7-cKKXo3pGkBbzPLAIf-t-Jat8T2AEME7G-AS1uoiwobQR3BCxZ1zESjO6TlRKOteqz5_WI_o2zUePL0b3c7hrI9PGhr_MrmBG76ebxAMOj3YacYXZ0_RKUUrvFg9Q&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Carlos Palomo</a> or Erica Muhr.&nbsp;

More information can also be found on the Alliance Spartans Facebook page.

By Alliance Spartans baseball

Spartan baseball player registration and meeting for the 2024 season will be on Sunday, January 21st at 5:00pm at the AHS PAC commons area.All new players must bring a copy of birth certificate. Players must have a birth year of 2011 or before to be eligible to play. If you are interested in playing and cannot attend the meeting, please contact Coach <a href="https://www.facebook.com/carlos.palomo.7921?__cft__[0]=AZUur-vwltT3FGQsTiBl1el3kp0NKpdNypq-p3jX_9BQJtFJ7-cKKXo3pGkBbzPLAIf-t-Jat8T2AEME7G-AS1uoiwobQR3BCxZ1zESjO6TlRKOteqz5_WI_o2zUePL0b3c7hrI9PGhr_MrmBG76ebxAMOj3YacYXZ0_RKUUrvFg9Q&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Carlos Palomo</a> or Erica Muhr.&nbsp;More information can also be found on the Alliance Spartans Facebook page.

Alliance Spartans player registration and meeting is on Sunday 

Alliance High School Senior Jaelynne Clarke on Wednesday signed her National Letter of Intent to continue her volleyball career at the collegiate level, at Des Moines Area Community College.&nbsp;

Clarke finished her career as one of the most decorated players in school history, finishing with over 1,000 career kills, most blocks in a match with 10, all-state honors along with a plethora of other accolades. More importantly, she has helped lead Alliance to great team success in multiple sports, going to the District Final in volleyball last fall, and basketball last winter.

Clarke talked to KCOW Sports Director Alex Benzegala about signing at DMACC.

<div><iframe title="POST PODCAST: Alliance's Jaelynne Clarke talk college signing to Des Moines Area Community College" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:300px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=yqvgp-1553883-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=2&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=5&size=300" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705554840606.jpeg" alt="AHS Senior Jaelynne Clarke with her parents Manda and Jess after she signed with Des Moines Area Community College." />
 <figcaption>AHS Senior Jaelynne Clarke with her parents Manda and Jess after she signed with Des Moines Area Community College.</figcaption>
 </figure>Alliance High School Senior Jaelynne Clarke on Wednesday signed her National Letter of Intent to continue her volleyball career at the collegiate level, at Des Moines Area Community College.&nbsp;Clarke finished her career as one of the most decorated players in school history, finishing with over 1,000 career kills, most blocks in a match with 10, all-state honors along with a plethora of other accolades. More importantly, she has helped lead Alliance to great team success in multiple sports, going to the District Final in volleyball last fall, and basketball last winter.Clarke talked to KCOW Sports Director Alex Benzegala about signing at DMACC.

POST PODCAST: Jaelynne Clarke signs to play volleyball at Des Moines Area Community College

Lincoln&nbsp;- Freshman Natalie Potts produced her third double-double of the season with game highs of 13 points and 10 rebounds to lead four Huskers in double figures, as the Nebraska women's basketball team rolled to a 62-43 win over Michigan at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Wednesday night.

Potts, a five-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, scored her 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field and a 5-for-5 night at the free throw line to help the Huskers pull away from the Wolverines and improve to 5-2 in the Big Ten and 13-5 overall. The 6-2 forward from O'Fallon, Mo., also pulled down six offensive rebounds to power the Big Red's 21 offensive boards on the night, which they turned into 15 second-chance points against Michigan. The Wolverines slipped to 12-6 overall and 3-3 in the conference.

Graduate guard Darian White matched Potts with 13 points, while adding five defensive rebounds. It was White's first double-digit scoring effort since Dec. 5.

Junior guard Kendall Moriarty added a huge effort off the bench with a season-high 11 points to go along with a pair of steals, as the Huskers won the turnover battle against the Wolverines, 18-15.

Junior center Alexis Markowski added double figures for the 18th straight game this season while contributing seven rebounds and two steals of her own for the Huskers. Graduate guard Jaz Shelley also produced a strong game with eight points, seven rebounds and a game-high six assists while holding Michigan star Laila Phelia to just 1-for-8 shooting from the field.

In a low-scoring defensive slugfest, Nebraska led from start-to-finish for the second straight home game, jumping to a 12-3 lead in the first five minutes. The Huskers held a 17-8 lead at the end of the first quarter and maintained the nine-point edge (28-19) at halftime.

The Wolverines cut the margin to 28-24 with a 5-0 run to open the third quarter, before Potts answered with four straight points. Nebraska pushed the margin to 40-30 late in the third quarter on a basket by White and took a 46-31 lead to the fourth quarter after Potts closed the period with a pair of free throws with 2.8 seconds left.

Michigan cut the margin to 53-40 with five minutes left, but a 7-0 run that included a bucket by Markowski, a three-pointer by White and two free throws by Potts pushed Nebraska's margin to 20 points at 60-40 with 1:45 left.

The Big Red held Michigan to just 32.6 percent (15-46) shooting from the field, including 4-of-15 three-pointers (.267), while limiting their sixth opponent of the season to fewer than 50 points, including their second straight Big Ten foe at home (Illinois, 48).&nbsp;

Lauren Hansen led Michigan with 12 points, including a pair of three-pointers, while Phelia managed eight points by going 6-of-6 at the free throw line. Jordan Hobbs also finished with eight points. The Wolverines were held to just six assists.

Nebraska managed 39 percent (23-59) shooting from the field despite hitting a season-low three three-pointers (3-17, .176). The Huskers did hit 13-of-18 free throws (.722) and produced a commanding 46-28 edge on the boards, including 21-8 on the offensive glass.

Nebraska returns to Big Ten road action on Sunday when the Huskers take on Penn State in University Park. Tip-off with the Lady Lions is set for Noon (CT) with a live video stream available from B1G+. The game is also available across the Huskers Radio Network, including free live audio on Huskers.com.

By NU Athletic CommunicationsLincoln&nbsp;- Freshman Natalie Potts produced her third double-double of the season with game highs of 13 points and 10 rebounds to lead four Huskers in double figures, as the Nebraska women's basketball team rolled to a 62-43 win over Michigan at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Wednesday night.Potts, a five-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, scored her 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field and a 5-for-5 night at the free throw line to help the Huskers pull away from the Wolverines and improve to 5-2 in the Big Ten and 13-5 overall. The 6-2 forward from O'Fallon, Mo., also pulled down six offensive rebounds to power the Big Red's 21 offensive boards on the night, which they turned into 15 second-chance points against Michigan. The Wolverines slipped to 12-6 overall and 3-3 in the conference.Graduate guard Darian White matched Potts with 13 points, while adding five defensive rebounds. It was White's first double-digit scoring effort since Dec. 5.Junior guard Kendall Moriarty added a huge effort off the bench with a season-high 11 points to go along with a pair of steals, as the Huskers won the turnover battle against the Wolverines, 18-15.Junior center Alexis Markowski added double figures for the 18th straight game this season while contributing seven rebounds and two steals of her own for the Huskers. Graduate guard Jaz Shelley also produced a strong game with eight points, seven rebounds and a game-high six assists while holding Michigan star Laila Phelia to just 1-for-8 shooting from the field.In a low-scoring defensive slugfest, Nebraska led from start-to-finish for the second straight home game, jumping to a 12-3 lead in the first five minutes. The Huskers held a 17-8 lead at the end of the first quarter and maintained the nine-point edge (28-19) at halftime.The Wolverines cut the margin to 28-24 with a 5-0 run to open the third quarter, before Potts answered with four straight points. Nebraska pushed the margin to 40-30 late in the third quarter on a basket by White and took a 46-31 lead to the fourth quarter after Potts closed the period with a pair of free throws with 2.8 seconds left.Michigan cut the margin to 53-40 with five minutes left, but a 7-0 run that included a bucket by Markowski, a three-pointer by White and two free throws by Potts pushed Nebraska's margin to 20 points at 60-40 with 1:45 left.The Big Red held Michigan to just 32.6 percent (15-46) shooting from the field, including 4-of-15 three-pointers (.267), while limiting their sixth opponent of the season to fewer than 50 points, including their second straight Big Ten foe at home (Illinois, 48).&nbsp;Lauren Hansen led Michigan with 12 points, including a pair of three-pointers, while Phelia managed eight points by going 6-of-6 at the free throw line. Jordan Hobbs also finished with eight points. The Wolverines were held to just six assists.Nebraska managed 39 percent (23-59) shooting from the field despite hitting a season-low three three-pointers (3-17, .176). The Huskers did hit 13-of-18 free throws (.722) and produced a commanding 46-28 edge on the boards, including 21-8 on the offensive glass.Nebraska returns to Big Ten road action on Sunday when the Huskers take on Penn State in University Park. Tip-off with the Lady Lions is set for Noon (CT) with a live video stream available from B1G+. The game is also available across the Huskers Radio Network, including free live audio on Huskers.com.

Huskers WBB dominates Michigan

Brice Williams had a game-high 22 points to lead three Huskers in double figures, but Nebraska suffered an 87-82 overtime setback at Rutgers Wednesday evening.&nbsp;

The Huskers (13-5, 3-4 Big Ten) led 63-51 with 9:39 remaining in regulation after consecutive 3-pointers from Wilcher only to see the Scarlet Knights rally in the final 10 minutes of regulation. The Huskers had two chances in the final 10 seconds to win, but could not capitalize and get a shot off, sending the game to an extra session.&nbsp;

Williams finished with 22 points, six rebounds and three steals, while Keisei Tominaga and Wilcher added 16 and 12 points, respectively.

In the extra session, Nebraska tied it at 74 after a Tominaga 3-pointer but Cliff Omoruyi’s basket with 2:58 left in overtime gave the Scarlet Knights the lead for good. Rutgers led 79-74, but the Huskers would continue to battle.&nbsp;NU got to within 83-82 after a pair of 3-pointers by Sam Hoiberg, the last with 20.9 seconds left, but Rutgers Noah Fernandes hit a pair of free throws to make it a 3-point game before Tominaga’s 3-pointer with 10 second left was off the mark, allowing Rutgers to escape with the win.

Aundre Hyatt led five Rutgers (10-7, 2-4) players in double digits with 17 points while Mawot Mag added 16. Omoruyi finished with 14 points and 15 boards, as Rutgers out-rebounded NU, 56-42, including 25 offensive rebounds which led to 20 second-chance points.

The first half saw runs by both teams before going into the locker room deadlocked at 36-all. Brice Williams had 11 first-half points to pace NU in the opening 20 minutes. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The Huskers trailed 11-7 before a Tominaga 3-pointer and a conventional 3-point play from Jamarques Lawrence started a 10-0 Husker run that gave NU 17-11 lead after Rienk Mast’s basket with 12:42 left in the half.&nbsp;

Nebraska eventually stretched its margin to 12, at 27-15 after a 3-point from Juwan Gary with 8:51 left in the half before Rutgers charged back. The Huskers led 33-25 after an Eli Rice free throw with 5:23 left in the half but Rutgers went on a 9-0 run of its own to take a 34-33 lead. Williams hit a trio of free throws on NU’s next possessions, but Mawot Mag’s putback with 14.1 seconds left in the half tied the game.&nbsp;

Nebraska trailed 42-41 after Derek Simpson’s 3-pointer, but four straight points from Josiah Allick started an 9-0 run that saw Nebraska build a 50-42 advantage after a Williams 3-pointer.&nbsp;

Rutgers pulled to within 57-51 after a putback from Hyatt before Wilcher hit consecutive 3-pointers to give NU its largest lead of the half. Unfortunately, that would be NU’s last field goal of regulation, as the Scarlet Knights mounted a comeback and used a 11-2 spurt, including eight straight to pull within 65-62 after an Omoruyi dunk.&nbsp;

Nebraska, which went 12-of-15 from the line in the second half, kept hitting free throws to stay ahead and led 69-66 after Jamarques Lawrence hit a pair of free throws with 1:06 left in regulation. On Rutgers’ next possession, Omoruyi scored, but could not convert the 3-point play to make it a one-point game. With 26.5 seconds left, Omoruyi was fouled, but missed the front end of the one-and-one. That would hurt NU as the Scarlet Knights kept possession and Hyatt split a pair of free throws to tie it a 69-all with 19.8 seconds left.&nbsp;

Nebraska returns home this Saturday, Jan. 20, to take on Northwestern at 1:15 p.m. It is Husker Basketball Alumni Weekend, and some 300 Level tickets are available by visiting Huskers.com or calling the NU Athletic Ticket Office at 800-8-BIGRED.&nbsp;

By NU Athletic CommunicationsBrice Williams had a game-high 22 points to lead three Huskers in double figures, but Nebraska suffered an 87-82 overtime setback at Rutgers Wednesday evening.&nbsp;The Huskers (13-5, 3-4 Big Ten) led 63-51 with 9:39 remaining in regulation after consecutive 3-pointers from Wilcher only to see the Scarlet Knights rally in the final 10 minutes of regulation. The Huskers had two chances in the final 10 seconds to win, but could not capitalize and get a shot off, sending the game to an extra session.&nbsp;Williams finished with 22 points, six rebounds and three steals, while Keisei Tominaga and Wilcher added 16 and 12 points, respectively.In the extra session, Nebraska tied it at 74 after a Tominaga 3-pointer but Cliff Omoruyi’s basket with 2:58 left in overtime gave the Scarlet Knights the lead for good. Rutgers led 79-74, but the Huskers would continue to battle.&nbsp;NU got to within 83-82 after a pair of 3-pointers by Sam Hoiberg, the last with 20.9 seconds left, but Rutgers Noah Fernandes hit a pair of free throws to make it a 3-point game before Tominaga’s 3-pointer with 10 second left was off the mark, allowing Rutgers to escape with the win.Aundre Hyatt led five Rutgers (10-7, 2-4) players in double digits with 17 points while Mawot Mag added 16. Omoruyi finished with 14 points and 15 boards, as Rutgers out-rebounded NU, 56-42, including 25 offensive rebounds which led to 20 second-chance points.The first half saw runs by both teams before going into the locker room deadlocked at 36-all. Brice Williams had 11 first-half points to pace NU in the opening 20 minutes. &nbsp;&nbsp;The Huskers trailed 11-7 before a Tominaga 3-pointer and a conventional 3-point play from Jamarques Lawrence started a 10-0 Husker run that gave NU 17-11 lead after Rienk Mast’s basket with 12:42 left in the half.&nbsp;Nebraska eventually stretched its margin to 12, at 27-15 after a 3-point from Juwan Gary with 8:51 left in the half before Rutgers charged back. The Huskers led 33-25 after an Eli Rice free throw with 5:23 left in the half but Rutgers went on a 9-0 run of its own to take a 34-33 lead. Williams hit a trio of free throws on NU’s next possessions, but Mawot Mag’s putback with 14.1 seconds left in the half tied the game.&nbsp;Nebraska trailed 42-41 after Derek Simpson’s 3-pointer, but four straight points from Josiah Allick started an 9-0 run that saw Nebraska build a 50-42 advantage after a Williams 3-pointer.&nbsp;Rutgers pulled to within 57-51 after a putback from Hyatt before Wilcher hit consecutive 3-pointers to give NU its largest lead of the half. Unfortunately, that would be NU’s last field goal of regulation, as the Scarlet Knights mounted a comeback and used a 11-2 spurt, including eight straight to pull within 65-62 after an Omoruyi dunk.&nbsp;Nebraska, which went 12-of-15 from the line in the second half, kept hitting free throws to stay ahead and led 69-66 after Jamarques Lawrence hit a pair of free throws with 1:06 left in regulation. On Rutgers’ next possession, Omoruyi scored, but could not convert the 3-point play to make it a one-point game. With 26.5 seconds left, Omoruyi was fouled, but missed the front end of the one-and-one. That would hurt NU as the Scarlet Knights kept possession and Hyatt split a pair of free throws to tie it a 69-all with 19.8 seconds left.&nbsp;Nebraska returns home this Saturday, Jan. 20, to take on Northwestern at 1:15 p.m. It is Husker Basketball Alumni Weekend, and some 300 Level tickets are available by visiting Huskers.com or calling the NU Athletic Ticket Office at 800-8-BIGRED.&nbsp;

Huskers MBB fall in OT, 87-82 to Rutgers

Alliance girls and boys' basketball played Gordon-Rushville on Tuesday night, here is the full broadcast of both games, as heard on KCOW.&nbsp;

Alex Benzegala on the radio call for KCOW.

<div><iframe title="1-16- Alliance vs Gordon-Rushville basketball Full broadcast" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=ts2s8-1552598-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=2&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=5" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>Alliance girls and boys' basketball played Gordon-Rushville on Tuesday night, here is the full broadcast of both games, as heard on KCOW.&nbsp;Alex Benzegala on the radio call for KCOW.

1-16 Alliance vs Gordon Rushville full radio broadcast

By Alex Benzegala Panhandle Post&nbsp;

The Alliance Bulldogs Girls and Boys basketball teams got a pair of big non-conference wins on Tuesday night, with the girls using a fast start and stifling defense to beat the 9-4 Gordon Rushville Mustangs 46-35.

&nbsp;Seven players scored for Alliance, as the Bulldogs forced over 20 steals in the win to improve to 5-7.

On the boy's side, Alliance cruised to a 73-18 win, after leading 23-3 after one quarter and 53-9 at halftime. Three Bulldogs scored in double-figures in Tristen Timbers, Espen Lanik and Seth Meyring. Six players scored off the bench for Alliance in Jackson Norris, Bert Trevino, Lexton Salcido, Jonah Amill and Trevor Zurn.

Alliance now faces a 13-1 Ogallala team on Friday, both games will be on KCOW.

By Alex Benzegala Panhandle Post&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705514332599.jpeg" alt="Regan Braun hits a long shot for the Bulldogs. (Photo Courtesy of Chelsie Herian)" />
 <figcaption>Regan Braun hits a long shot for the Bulldogs. (Photo Courtesy of Chelsie Herian)</figcaption>
 </figure>The Alliance Bulldogs Girls and Boys basketball teams got a pair of big non-conference wins on Tuesday night, with the girls using a fast start and stifling defense to beat the 9-4 Gordon Rushville Mustangs 46-35.&nbsp;Seven players scored for Alliance, as the Bulldogs forced over 20 steals in the win to improve to 5-7.On the boy's side, Alliance cruised to a 73-18 win, after leading 23-3 after one quarter and 53-9 at halftime. Three Bulldogs scored in double-figures in Tristen Timbers, Espen Lanik and Seth Meyring. Six players scored off the bench for Alliance in Jackson Norris, Bert Trevino, Lexton Salcido, Jonah Amill and Trevor Zurn.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705514055377.jpeg" alt="Tristen Timbers scores a layup for Alliance on Tuesday night. (Photo Courtesy of Chelsie Herian)" />
 <figcaption>Tristen Timbers scores a layup for Alliance on Tuesday night. (Photo Courtesy of Chelsie Herian)</figcaption>
 </figure>Alliance now faces a 13-1 Ogallala team on Friday, both games will be on KCOW.

Alliance basketball gets big wins over Gordon Rushville

🏀 High School Basketball Scoreboards - January 16

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629461621684.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>🏀 High School Basketball Scoreboards - January 16BOYSBridgeport 73, Sutherland 22Cody-Kilgore 72, Hay Springs 71Crawford 46, Hemingford 36Garden County 54, Creek Valley 36Hyannis 58, Edgemont, SD 32Leyton 57, Minatare 21Mitchell 71, Pine Bluffs, WY 49Morrill 47, Sioux County 25Ogallala 71, Scottsbluff 65Potter-Dix 59, Banner County 48South Platte 67, Bayard 41GIRLSAlliance 46, Gordon-Rushville 35Bayard 78, Banner County 10Chase County 47, Kimball 18Garden County 42, Potter-Dix 39Hay Springs 50, Cody-Kilgore 33Leyton 76, Minatare 8Pine Bluffs, WY 61, Mitchell 31Scottsbluff 46, Ogallala 34South Platte 69, Creek Valley 30

By Alex Benzegala Panhandle Post

The Alliance Bulldogs girls' and boys' basketball teams are back in action tonight, as Alliance hosts Gordon-Rushville starting with varsity girls at 5:30, boys at 7. Coverage on KCOW.

In the girl's game, Alliance is 4-7 on the season and hope to end a 3-game losing skid, against a very strong G-R team who is 9-3.

Alliance Head Coach Stephen Crile wants his team to share the ball and play inside out offensively, but also limiting turnovers and containing the Mustangs is key.

"We have to protect the basketball and to set the intensity on the defensive end," Crile said.

On the boy's side, Alliance will look to bounce back from a tough 60-58 loss to Bridgeport, as they are 4-7 while Gordon-Rushville is 0-10.

Bulldogs head coach Dalton Holst says that the Mustangs record can be deceiving, since they do a lot of good things defensively, and knows his team has to be locked in and ready.

"They're a worthy opponent no matter what, Holst said. They're a good team, a well-coached team that has a lot of good players, so we have to take it one possession at a time, one quarter at a time."

Listen to all of the action on KCOW, 92.5 and 1400 locally in Alliance, and worldwide at Panhandlepost.com, click on on KCOW.

By Alex Benzegala Panhandle PostThe Alliance Bulldogs girls' and boys' basketball teams are back in action tonight, as Alliance hosts Gordon-Rushville starting with varsity girls at 5:30, boys at 7. Coverage on KCOW.In the girl's game, Alliance is 4-7 on the season and hope to end a 3-game losing skid, against a very strong G-R team who is 9-3.Alliance Head Coach Stephen Crile wants his team to share the ball and play inside out offensively, but also limiting turnovers and containing the Mustangs is key."We have to protect the basketball and to set the intensity on the defensive end," Crile said.On the boy's side, Alliance will look to bounce back from a tough 60-58 loss to Bridgeport, as they are 4-7 while Gordon-Rushville is 0-10.Bulldogs head coach Dalton Holst says that the Mustangs record can be deceiving, since they do a lot of good things defensively, and knows his team has to be locked in and ready."They're a worthy opponent no matter what, Holst said. They're a good team, a well-coached team that has a lot of good players, so we have to take it one possession at a time, one quarter at a time."Listen to all of the action on KCOW, 92.5 and 1400 locally in Alliance, and worldwide at Panhandlepost.com, click on on KCOW.

PREVIEW: Alliance hosts Gordon-Rushville on KCOW

Story by NU Athletic Communications

Minneapolis&nbsp;- Nebraska used a 17-0 third-quarter run to turn a 13-point halftime deficit into a four-point lead, but the Huskers could not complete the comeback with a victory in a 62-58 women's basketball loss at Minnesota on Sunday afternoon.

Nebraska, which slipped to 4-2 in the Big Ten and 12-5 overall, trailed 32-19 at halftime before surging to a 38-34 lead with 4:45 left in the third period at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. Alexis Markowski, who notched her 11th double-double of the year and fifth in six Big Ten games, scored seven points during the run. She finished with team highs of 17 points and 14 rebounds.

Jaz Shelley, who added 12 points and eight assists for the Big Red on the day, added a pair of three-pointers during the run, while Natalie Potts contributed four of her 10 points in the surge. Potts added six rebounds on the afternoon.

However, Minnesota (13-3, 3-2 Big Ten) responded with a 12-0 run of its own over the final 4:30 of the third quarter to regain a 46-38 advantage heading to the fourth. The Gopher run was capped by five points in the final five seconds of the quarter after a layup and missed free throw from Janay Sanders. NU was unable to secure the free throw rebound, and Mallory Heyer sank a three-pointer at the buzzer. Heyer led Minnesota with 16 points and seven boards, while Sanders contributed 11 points off the bench.

The two teams continued to fight hard early in the third with Minnesota pushing the lead back to double digits at 57-47 with three minutes remaining after the first field goal of the game from Mara Braun. The Gophers' leading scorer finished with nine points on 2-of-17 shooting, but both field goals came in the closing minutes.

With their backs to the wall, the Huskers got eight points, including a pair of three-pointers, from Callin Hake in a two-minute span to cut the Minnesota lead to 59-58 with 50 seconds left. Shelley added a three-pointer in the middle of Nebraska's 11-2 surge.

Minnesota got the decisive three-pointer from Amaya Battle with eight seconds left to seal the 62-58 win. Battle finished with 11 points, four rebounds and five assists.

For the game, Nebraska hit just 34.4 percent (22-64) of its shots, including 30 percent (9-30) of its three-pointers. NU also went just 5-for-7 (.714) at the free throw line. The Big Red outrebounded Minnesota, 42-36, including 25-14 in the second half.

Minnesota hit 40.7 percent (24-59) of its field goals, including 5-of-17 threes (.294), while knocking down 9-of-10 free throws. The Gophers won the turnover battle 14-13.&nbsp;

Nebraska will return to Big Ten home action on Wednesday when the Huskers play host to Michigan. Tip-off between the Huskers and Wolverines in a "Red Out" at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 7 p.m. with tickets available now at Huskers.com. Fans are encouraged to wear red in support of the Huskers wearing red uniforms at home. A live video stream will be provided to B1G+ subscribers, while free live audio will be available from the Huskers Radio Network on Huskers.com.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsMinneapolis&nbsp;- Nebraska used a 17-0 third-quarter run to turn a 13-point halftime deficit into a four-point lead, but the Huskers could not complete the comeback with a victory in a 62-58 women's basketball loss at Minnesota on Sunday afternoon.Nebraska, which slipped to 4-2 in the Big Ten and 12-5 overall, trailed 32-19 at halftime before surging to a 38-34 lead with 4:45 left in the third period at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. Alexis Markowski, who notched her 11th double-double of the year and fifth in six Big Ten games, scored seven points during the run. She finished with team highs of 17 points and 14 rebounds.Jaz Shelley, who added 12 points and eight assists for the Big Red on the day, added a pair of three-pointers during the run, while Natalie Potts contributed four of her 10 points in the surge. Potts added six rebounds on the afternoon.However, Minnesota (13-3, 3-2 Big Ten) responded with a 12-0 run of its own over the final 4:30 of the third quarter to regain a 46-38 advantage heading to the fourth. The Gopher run was capped by five points in the final five seconds of the quarter after a layup and missed free throw from Janay Sanders. NU was unable to secure the free throw rebound, and Mallory Heyer sank a three-pointer at the buzzer. Heyer led Minnesota with 16 points and seven boards, while Sanders contributed 11 points off the bench.The two teams continued to fight hard early in the third with Minnesota pushing the lead back to double digits at 57-47 with three minutes remaining after the first field goal of the game from Mara Braun. The Gophers' leading scorer finished with nine points on 2-of-17 shooting, but both field goals came in the closing minutes.With their backs to the wall, the Huskers got eight points, including a pair of three-pointers, from Callin Hake in a two-minute span to cut the Minnesota lead to 59-58 with 50 seconds left. Shelley added a three-pointer in the middle of Nebraska's 11-2 surge.Minnesota got the decisive three-pointer from Amaya Battle with eight seconds left to seal the 62-58 win. Battle finished with 11 points, four rebounds and five assists.For the game, Nebraska hit just 34.4 percent (22-64) of its shots, including 30 percent (9-30) of its three-pointers. NU also went just 5-for-7 (.714) at the free throw line. The Big Red outrebounded Minnesota, 42-36, including 25-14 in the second half.Minnesota hit 40.7 percent (24-59) of its field goals, including 5-of-17 threes (.294), while knocking down 9-of-10 free throws. The Gophers won the turnover battle 14-13.&nbsp;Nebraska will return to Big Ten home action on Wednesday when the Huskers play host to Michigan. Tip-off between the Huskers and Wolverines in a "Red Out" at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 7 p.m. with tickets available now at Huskers.com. Fans are encouraged to wear red in support of the Huskers wearing red uniforms at home. A live video stream will be provided to B1G+ subscribers, while free live audio will be available from the Huskers Radio Network on Huskers.com.

 Husker rally falls short at Minnesota

By&nbsp;<a href="https://dignittanyvolleyball.com/author/ethank/">Ethan Kasales</a> DigNittanyVolleyball.com

Story originally published by DigNittanyVolleyball.com. All credit in this story goes to them.

Jordan Hopp, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker from Alliance, Nebraska, announced her transfer from Iowa State to Penn State women’s volleyball Saturday evening on her Instagram account and will join the program after her graduation this spring.

Hopp, a member of the 2020 recruiting class, is technically a redshirt junior with two years of eligibility remaining due to her bonus season granted by the NCAA in the wake of COVID-19. She had 199 kills and led the Cyclones with a .325 hitting percentage in 2023, which&nbsp;<a href="https://big12sports.com/stats.aspx?path=vb&amp;year=2023" target="_blank">ranked ninth</a>&nbsp;among Big 12 players, and added a team-high 104 total blocks.

“I am excited to announce my commitment to Penn State,” Hopp wrote on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2DgRZBOHjM/?igsh=cWdoZ3VxNnU0OHk2" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. “Thank you Cyclone nation for the opportunities, love, and support. See you soon, Happy Valley.”

Hopp visited Penn State’s campus last Wednesday and Thursday, touring the facilities with the coaching staff and attending the men’s volleyball team’s sweep of Lees-McRae at Rec Hall. Hopp will join Penn State middle blockers Taylor Trammell, Maggie Mendelson, and Catherine Burke on the program’s 2024 roster. Hopp wore No. 5 in her photoshoot donning a couple different Penn State uniforms.

Hopp is the third player to join the Nittany Lions via the transfer portal this offseason, as they also landed&nbsp;<a href="https://dignittanyvolleyball.com/maggie-mendelson-transfers-to-penn-state-volleyball/" target="_blank">Mendelson</a>&nbsp;and pin hitter&nbsp;<a href="https://dignittanyvolleyball.com/caroline-jurevicius-transfers-to-penn-state-volleyball/" target="_blank">Caroline Jurevicius</a>&nbsp;from Nebraska, both of whom are enrolled in classes at Penn State for the spring semester. After finishing up her undergraduate degree at Iowa State, Hopp will likely arrive in University Park sometime in May.

Hopp was a three-sport athlete at Alliance High School, also lettering all four years in basketball and track and field, but given her hometown’s lack of proximity to a club program (the closest being four hours away in Denver, Colorado, or six hours away in Lincoln, Nebraska), she did not play club volleyball growing up. Hopp had 623 kills and 407 total blocks for the Bulldogs, per&nbsp;<a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/ne/alliance/alliance-bulldogs/athletes/jordan-hopp/volleyball/stats/?careerid=mc3tciv070f44" target="_blank">MaxPreps</a>, recording 100-plus blocks each of her final three varsity seasons.

“Because of where I lived, there was no national club around, so I decided to continue to play three sports in high school,” Hopp said in a November 2023&nbsp;<a href="https://cyclones.com/news/2023/11/6/volleyball-breakout-season-jordan-hopps-iowa-state-journey.aspx" target="_blank">article</a>. “During the summertime, I would sign up for the elite camps at Division I colleges and play with top recruits around the country. In between each camp, I participated in high school team camps for volleyball and basketball. It was always my goal to play Division I sports, but not until the high school level is when I truly found the passion for volleyball.”

Hopp took two swings in her collegiate debut as a true freshman in 2020 against Wayne State, then didn’t see any action the following season, but made solid strides as a junior in 2022, with her best performance coming against Penn State in LSU’s Tiger Challenge on September 2 in Baton Rouge. Hopp had a season-high 12 kills, hit .409, and added two total blocks and an ace in Penn State’s&nbsp;<a href="https://dignittanyvolleyball.com/penn-state-volleyball-beats-iowa-state-troy-in-doubleheader/" target="_blank">3-1 win</a>&nbsp;over the Cyclones, finishing the year with 35 kills and 22 total blocks.

“When you haven’t played club, it can be hard to catch up on all those reps, and that’s what Jordan was facing her first couple of years,” Iowa State head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch said in the same in-house article in which Hopp was quoted. “She was trying to catch up compared to other middles who came in who had so many more repetitions over the years.”

Hopp started all 30 matches for Iowa State in 2023, putting together by far her best collegiate season so far. Hopp had a career-high 14 kills in a pair of 3-2 road wins over Iowa and Houston, which eventually took No. 1 seed Stanford to five sets in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Hopp had seven total blocks against the Cougars and a career-high nine in a 3-2 road win over Grand Canyon on September 2, 2023.

Hopp will now have the chance to continue improving her game under the tutelage of Katie Schumacher-Cawley and her staff in the highly competitive environment of practice in South Gym at Rec Hall. She will compete with Trammell, Mendelson, and Burke for playing time.

By&nbsp;<a href="https://dignittanyvolleyball.com/author/ethank/">Ethan Kasales</a> DigNittanyVolleyball.com Story originally published by DigNittanyVolleyball.com. All credit in this story goes to them.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705288114881.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Photo by dignittanyvolleyball.com&nbsp; (Co-publishers Ethan Kasales and Daniel Chun)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Photo by dignittanyvolleyball.com&nbsp; (Co-publishers Ethan Kasales and Daniel Chun)</figcaption>
 </figure>Jordan Hopp, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker from Alliance, Nebraska, announced her transfer from Iowa State to Penn State women’s volleyball Saturday evening on her Instagram account and will join the program after her graduation this spring.Hopp, a member of the 2020 recruiting class, is technically a redshirt junior with two years of eligibility remaining due to her bonus season granted by the NCAA in the wake of COVID-19. She had 199 kills and led the Cyclones with a .325 hitting percentage in 2023, which&nbsp;<a href="https://big12sports.com/stats.aspx?path=vb&amp;year=2023" target="_blank">ranked ninth</a>&nbsp;among Big 12 players, and added a team-high 104 total blocks.“I am excited to announce my commitment to Penn State,” Hopp wrote on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2DgRZBOHjM/?igsh=cWdoZ3VxNnU0OHk2" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. “Thank you Cyclone nation for the opportunities, love, and support. See you soon, Happy Valley.”Hopp visited Penn State’s campus last Wednesday and Thursday, touring the facilities with the coaching staff and attending the men’s volleyball team’s sweep of Lees-McRae at Rec Hall. Hopp will join Penn State middle blockers Taylor Trammell, Maggie Mendelson, and Catherine Burke on the program’s 2024 roster. Hopp wore No. 5 in her photoshoot donning a couple different Penn State uniforms.Hopp is the third player to join the Nittany Lions via the transfer portal this offseason, as they also landed&nbsp;<a href="https://dignittanyvolleyball.com/maggie-mendelson-transfers-to-penn-state-volleyball/" target="_blank">Mendelson</a>&nbsp;and pin hitter&nbsp;<a href="https://dignittanyvolleyball.com/caroline-jurevicius-transfers-to-penn-state-volleyball/" target="_blank">Caroline Jurevicius</a>&nbsp;from Nebraska, both of whom are enrolled in classes at Penn State for the spring semester. After finishing up her undergraduate degree at Iowa State, Hopp will likely arrive in University Park sometime in May.Hopp was a three-sport athlete at Alliance High School, also lettering all four years in basketball and track and field, but given her hometown’s lack of proximity to a club program (the closest being four hours away in Denver, Colorado, or six hours away in Lincoln, Nebraska), she did not play club volleyball growing up. Hopp had 623 kills and 407 total blocks for the Bulldogs, per&nbsp;<a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/ne/alliance/alliance-bulldogs/athletes/jordan-hopp/volleyball/stats/?careerid=mc3tciv070f44" target="_blank">MaxPreps</a>, recording 100-plus blocks each of her final three varsity seasons.“Because of where I lived, there was no national club around, so I decided to continue to play three sports in high school,” Hopp said in a November 2023&nbsp;<a href="https://cyclones.com/news/2023/11/6/volleyball-breakout-season-jordan-hopps-iowa-state-journey.aspx" target="_blank">article</a>. “During the summertime, I would sign up for the elite camps at Division I colleges and play with top recruits around the country. In between each camp, I participated in high school team camps for volleyball and basketball. It was always my goal to play Division I sports, but not until the high school level is when I truly found the passion for volleyball.”Hopp took two swings in her collegiate debut as a true freshman in 2020 against Wayne State, then didn’t see any action the following season, but made solid strides as a junior in 2022, with her best performance coming against Penn State in LSU’s Tiger Challenge on September 2 in Baton Rouge. Hopp had a season-high 12 kills, hit .409, and added two total blocks and an ace in Penn State’s&nbsp;<a href="https://dignittanyvolleyball.com/penn-state-volleyball-beats-iowa-state-troy-in-doubleheader/" target="_blank">3-1 win</a>&nbsp;over the Cyclones, finishing the year with 35 kills and 22 total blocks.“When you haven’t played club, it can be hard to catch up on all those reps, and that’s what Jordan was facing her first couple of years,” Iowa State head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch said in the same in-house article in which Hopp was quoted. “She was trying to catch up compared to other middles who came in who had so many more repetitions over the years.”Hopp started all 30 matches for Iowa State in 2023, putting together by far her best collegiate season so far. Hopp had a career-high 14 kills in a pair of 3-2 road wins over Iowa and Houston, which eventually took No. 1 seed Stanford to five sets in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Hopp had seven total blocks against the Cougars and a career-high nine in a 3-2 road win over Grand Canyon on September 2, 2023.Hopp will now have the chance to continue improving her game under the tutelage of Katie Schumacher-Cawley and her staff in the highly competitive environment of practice in South Gym at Rec Hall. She will compete with Trammell, Mendelson, and Burke for playing time.

 Alliance's Jordan Hopp Transfers To Penn State Volleyball

CHADRON – Liberty Line's offensive put-back with 0.3 seconds remaining proved to be the difference in Chadron State College's 62-61 victory over visiting Westminster Saturday evening at the Chicoine Center.

Line, who finished the contest as one of three Eagles who scored in double figures, grabbed an Olivia Waufle attempt and scooped the game-winner in. Line's layup capped a back and forth affair between the Eagles (5-9, 3-6 RMAC) and Griffins (2-15, 0-9). Neither team led by more than eight points and the lead switched sides four times. Westminster owned a 36-32 advantage after two quarters but the Eagles outscored the visitors 30-25 in the final two stanzas.

CSC's comeback was buoyed by its strong shooting at free throw line, hitting seven of nine attempts, while Westminster hit four of eight.

Ashayla Powers, who was honored before the game for eclipsing 1,000 career points, led the Eagles with 20 points and nine rebounds. Line added 11, Megan Counts chipped in 10 points, and Waufle scored eight points, while adding seven rebounds, and six assists.

Westminster had just seven players suited for the contest and three scored in double figures. Teulia Nawahine finished with 22 points and Maunayia Harrigfeld had a double double of 13 points and 12 rebounds.

The Eagles will travel to Fort Lewis College and Adams State University next weekend for two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference contests.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705263508642.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By: CSC Sports InformationCHADRON – Liberty Line's offensive put-back with 0.3 seconds remaining proved to be the difference in Chadron State College's 62-61 victory over visiting Westminster Saturday evening at the Chicoine Center.Line, who finished the contest as one of three Eagles who scored in double figures, grabbed an Olivia Waufle attempt and scooped the game-winner in. Line's layup capped a back and forth affair between the Eagles (5-9, 3-6 RMAC) and Griffins (2-15, 0-9). Neither team led by more than eight points and the lead switched sides four times. Westminster owned a 36-32 advantage after two quarters but the Eagles outscored the visitors 30-25 in the final two stanzas.CSC's comeback was buoyed by its strong shooting at free throw line, hitting seven of nine attempts, while Westminster hit four of eight.Ashayla Powers, who was honored before the game for eclipsing 1,000 career points, led the Eagles with 20 points and nine rebounds. Line added 11, Megan Counts chipped in 10 points, and Waufle scored eight points, while adding seven rebounds, and six assists.Westminster had just seven players suited for the contest and three scored in double figures. Teulia Nawahine finished with 22 points and Maunayia Harrigfeld had a double double of 13 points and 12 rebounds.The Eagles will travel to Fort Lewis College and Adams State University next weekend for two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference contests.

Line hits game-winner at horn for Chadron State Saturday

By: Con Marshall CSC Sports Information

CHADRON, Neb. -- It was not an easy victory, but the Chadron State College men's basketball team outscored the Westminster Griffins 13-6 during the final five minutes and defeated the Utah team 80-73 on Saturday night in the Chicoine Center.

The final score matched the game's biggest lead. The Eagles also were ahead 64-57 midway in the second half, but it was nearly always nip-and-tuck. There were 15 lead changes and 12 ties.

CSC Coach Shane Paben called it an ugly victory, but said he'd still take it. He added that his crew made some excellent plays, but also was not up to par at times. The Eagles are now 9-6 overall and 6-3 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, good for fourth place.  

Westminster is having a tough season. The Griffins, who also lost to Colorado Christian 75-72 on Friday night, are 4-11 for the season and 0-9 in the conference. But they still have some fight. They are tall and like to take the ball to the hoop. 

The score was deadlock at 65-65 when the Eagles took the lead for keeps. The go-ahead basket came on Bryce Latimer's layup after he'd slipped to the floor but kept the ball alive so he wasn't called for traveling, spun into the lane and his shot rolled  through the net.

That was the first of some sparkling plays by the Eagles down the stretch. 

Before long, another CSC guard, Jalen Patterson, drove along the baseline and scooped a layup off the glass.  On the Eagles' next possession, Josh Robinson put up one of his patented soft floaters from about eight feet away.

To their credit, the Griffins kept the pressure on by also taking the ball to the basket for layups. The score was 74-71 with just under two minutes to play.

On their ensuing possession, the Eagles ran the clock down about as far as they dared before Latimer fed the ball to Jarrett Taylor, who nailed his only shot of the game, a 3-pointer, to put the Eagles on top by a 77-71 margin with 80 seconds remaining.

Westminster added still another layup and the Eagles were called for traveling the next time they had the ball. But the visitors missed their 3-point attempt with 45 seconds remaining.  CSC got the rebound and closed out the scoring by making three of four free shots.

Robinson was the Eagles' top scorer with 19 points while making eight-of-nine field goal shots and all three of his free throws.  Both Patterson and 6-9 John Jenkins, who saw limited action the first 40% of the season, but is now a starter, added 14. 

Latimer, who scored 30 points Friday night during the Eagles' overtime setback to Colorado Mesa, was limited to 10 points, but he handed out a game-high five assists. 

Westminster was paced by 6-9 senior, Trey Wood, a transfer from Portland State, with 24 points, 16 of them in the second half.  He was 10-of-15 from the field and made all four of his charity shots.  Another senior, guard Pierce Sterling, finished with 14 points.  

The team stats were similar.  Each launched 60 field goal attempts with the Eagles making 28, one more than the visitors.  CSC's eight 3-pointers were twice the Griffins' total, and the Eagles went 16-of-19 at the free throw line while Westminster was 15-of-17. CSC had 10 turnovers and 14 assists. The Salt Lake City team's numbers were 12 and 11.

The Eagles will be on the road the next two weekend against some salty RMAC foes.  Their next home date is Saturday, Feb. 3 versus South Dakota Tech.    

Westminster—Trey Wood 24, Pierce Sterling 14, Rylan O'Brien 10, Parker Christensen 9, Drake Middleton 9, Cole Kadoguchi 5, Tyler Kurtz 2. Totals: 27-60 (4-14) 15-17 73 points, 34 rebounds, 12 turnovers, 11 assists.

Chadron State—Josh Robinson 19, John Jenkins 14, Jalen Patterson 14, Bryce Latimer 10, Dalton Peterson 9, Martin Poznanovic 7, Jarrett Taylor 3, Julio Phipps 2, Akene Agee 2. Totals: 28-60 (8-22) 16-19 80 points, 33 rebounds, 10 turnovers, 14 assists.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705263352457.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By: Con Marshall CSC Sports InformationCHADRON, Neb. -- It was not an easy victory, but the Chadron State College men's basketball team outscored the Westminster Griffins 13-6 during the final five minutes and defeated the Utah team 80-73 on Saturday night in the Chicoine Center.The final score matched the game's biggest lead. The Eagles also were ahead 64-57 midway in the second half, but it was nearly always nip-and-tuck. There were 15 lead changes and 12 ties.CSC Coach Shane Paben called it an ugly victory, but said he'd still take it. He added that his crew made some excellent plays, but also was not up to par at times. The Eagles are now 9-6 overall and 6-3 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, good for fourth place. Westminster is having a tough season. The Griffins, who also lost to Colorado Christian 75-72 on Friday night, are 4-11 for the season and 0-9 in the conference. But they still have some fight. They are tall and like to take the ball to the hoop. The score was deadlock at 65-65 when the Eagles took the lead for keeps. The go-ahead basket came on Bryce Latimer's layup after he'd slipped to the floor but kept the ball alive so he wasn't called for traveling, spun into the lane and his shot rolled through the net.That was the first of some sparkling plays by the Eagles down the stretch. Before long, another CSC guard, Jalen Patterson, drove along the baseline and scooped a layup off the glass. On the Eagles' next possession, Josh Robinson put up one of his patented soft floaters from about eight feet away.To their credit, the Griffins kept the pressure on by also taking the ball to the basket for layups. The score was 74-71 with just under two minutes to play.On their ensuing possession, the Eagles ran the clock down about as far as they dared before Latimer fed the ball to Jarrett Taylor, who nailed his only shot of the game, a 3-pointer, to put the Eagles on top by a 77-71 margin with 80 seconds remaining.Westminster added still another layup and the Eagles were called for traveling the next time they had the ball. But the visitors missed their 3-point attempt with 45 seconds remaining. CSC got the rebound and closed out the scoring by making three of four free shots.Robinson was the Eagles' top scorer with 19 points while making eight-of-nine field goal shots and all three of his free throws. Both Patterson and 6-9 John Jenkins, who saw limited action the first 40% of the season, but is now a starter, added 14. Latimer, who scored 30 points Friday night during the Eagles' overtime setback to Colorado Mesa, was limited to 10 points, but he handed out a game-high five assists. Westminster was paced by 6-9 senior, Trey Wood, a transfer from Portland State, with 24 points, 16 of them in the second half. He was 10-of-15 from the field and made all four of his charity shots. Another senior, guard Pierce Sterling, finished with 14 points. The team stats were similar. Each launched 60 field goal attempts with the Eagles making 28, one more than the visitors. CSC's eight 3-pointers were twice the Griffins' total, and the Eagles went 16-of-19 at the free throw line while Westminster was 15-of-17. CSC had 10 turnovers and 14 assists. The Salt Lake City team's numbers were 12 and 11.The Eagles will be on the road the next two weekend against some salty RMAC foes. Their next home date is Saturday, Feb. 3 versus South Dakota Tech. Westminster—Trey Wood 24, Pierce Sterling 14, Rylan O'Brien 10, Parker Christensen 9, Drake Middleton 9, Cole Kadoguchi 5, Tyler Kurtz 2. Totals: 27-60 (4-14) 15-17 73 points, 34 rebounds, 12 turnovers, 11 assists.Chadron State—Josh Robinson 19, John Jenkins 14, Jalen Patterson 14, Bryce Latimer 10, Dalton Peterson 9, Martin Poznanovic 7, Jarrett Taylor 3, Julio Phipps 2, Akene Agee 2. Totals: 28-60 (8-22) 16-19 80 points, 33 rebounds, 10 turnovers, 14 assists.

Eagles escape last-place Griffins' upset bid Saturday

CHADRON, Neb. -- Olivia Reed scored 28 points and Colorado Mesa outscored Chadron State 30-8 in the third period enroute to defeating CSC 70-49, Friday evening in the Chicoine Center.

The Eagles led 32-30 at halftime and 34-32 with nine minutes remaining in the third quarter before Laura Gutierrez made a fast break jumper to tie the game at 34. The jumper by Gutierrez, who scored 12 points, sparked a 26-6 scoring run for the Mavericks to end the period in Colorado Mesas favor, 60-40. The Mavericks outscored CSC 10-9 in the fourth period.

CSC finished the game shooting 34.8 percent (16-46) from the field but shot 61.5 percent (8-13) in the second period, in which they outscored Colorado Mesa 20-17.

The Mavericks finished 26 of 56 (46.4 percent) from the field in the victory including 10 of 23 from three and eight of 17 from the free throw line. The visitors shot 75 percent from the field and were six of eight from three in the third period that decided the game.

The Eagles shot six of 11 from three for 55 percent, a new season high, and were 11 of 20 (55 percent) from the charity stripe.

Chadron State committed 17 turnovers in the loss that resulted in 21 Maverick points. The Eagles scored nine points on eight Maverick turnovers.

Reed, the daughter of former Chadron State men's basketball head coach Houston Reed, led both teams in scoring and rebounding, recording 28 and nine, respectively. Claire Heitschmidt joined Reed and Gutierrez in double digits, scoring 11. Kylie Kravig had a game high 10 assists for the Mavericks.

Ashayla Powers, a junior from Longmont, Colorado was the only Eagle to score in double-digits with 13. Megan Counts, a sophomore from Green River, Wyoming had a team high seven rebounds and added eight points.

The Eagles, who drop to 4-8 overall with the loss, will host Westminster tomorrow evening in the Chicoine Center at 5:30 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705163658413.jpeg" alt="CSC guard Kadyn Comer" />
 <figcaption>CSC guard Kadyn Comer</figcaption>
 </figure>By: John Murphy CSC Sports Information DirectorCHADRON, Neb. -- Olivia Reed scored 28 points and Colorado Mesa outscored Chadron State 30-8 in the third period enroute to defeating CSC 70-49, Friday evening in the Chicoine Center.The Eagles led 32-30 at halftime and 34-32 with nine minutes remaining in the third quarter before Laura Gutierrez made a fast break jumper to tie the game at 34. The jumper by Gutierrez, who scored 12 points, sparked a 26-6 scoring run for the Mavericks to end the period in Colorado Mesas favor, 60-40. The Mavericks outscored CSC 10-9 in the fourth period.CSC finished the game shooting 34.8 percent (16-46) from the field but shot 61.5 percent (8-13) in the second period, in which they outscored Colorado Mesa 20-17.The Mavericks finished 26 of 56 (46.4 percent) from the field in the victory including 10 of 23 from three and eight of 17 from the free throw line. The visitors shot 75 percent from the field and were six of eight from three in the third period that decided the game.The Eagles shot six of 11 from three for 55 percent, a new season high, and were 11 of 20 (55 percent) from the charity stripe.Chadron State committed 17 turnovers in the loss that resulted in 21 Maverick points. The Eagles scored nine points on eight Maverick turnovers.Reed, the daughter of former Chadron State men's basketball head coach Houston Reed, led both teams in scoring and rebounding, recording 28 and nine, respectively. Claire Heitschmidt joined Reed and Gutierrez in double digits, scoring 11. Kylie Kravig had a game high 10 assists for the Mavericks.Ashayla Powers, a junior from Longmont, Colorado was the only Eagle to score in double-digits with 13. Megan Counts, a sophomore from Green River, Wyoming had a team high seven rebounds and added eight points.The Eagles, who drop to 4-8 overall with the loss, will host Westminster tomorrow evening in the Chicoine Center at 5:30 p.m.

Olivia Reed dominates for CMU in return to Chadron

🏀 Western Nebraska High School Scoreboard - January 12

Cheyenne Central, Wyo. 61, Scottsbluff 59

Cheyenne Central, Wyo. 58, Scottsbluff 51

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607523818440.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>🏀 Western Nebraska High School Scoreboard - January 12GIRLSBridgeport 66, Kimball 18Cheyenne Central, Wyo. 61, Scottsbluff 59Morrill 59, Minatare 10Potter-Dix 73, Leyton 19Sidney 53, Ogallala 32BOYSCheyenne Central, Wyo. 58, Scottsbluff 51Kimball 57, Bridgeport 48Leyton 55, Potter-Dix 47Morrill 64, Minatare 36&nbsp; Sidney 68, Ogallala 60 (2 OT)

🏀 Western Nebraska High School Scoreboard - January 12

CHADRON, Neb.-- It was bitterly cold outside with a wind chill of minus 20 degrees.  But inside the Chicoine Center at Chadron State College there was a red-hot basketball game Friday night.  It didn't end the way Eagles' fans had hoped, but it seemed to suggest that their favorites can play with the best.

Sparked by buzzer-beating 3-pointers at the end of both the first half and regulation, the Eagles sent the game into overtime, but finally succumbed to Colorado Mesa by a 102-95 score.  The Mavericks came into the shootout ranked No. 11 in NCAA Division II with an 11-2 record and a 7-0 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference mark. 

There're a tall and talented team, but the Eagles have clout, too, as this game proved.   

"We had some opportunities (to win)," Coach Shane Paben said, but he agreed that for at least the last 30 minutes, his team had played extra well.

It was the first 10 minutes that were costly. The Eagles might have won it they'd gotten off to a better start.

Mesa jumped out to a game-high 16-point lead--29-13--while sinking one of its 11 3-pointers with 10:16 left in the opening half.  Chadron State had made just five of its first 15 shots from the field.

Eventually, the Eagles started getting better shots and the ball began to drop.  In the ensuing 10 minutes, the hosts hit 11 of their 18 shots from the field and trailed by just 45-42 at halftime.

Two treys in the final seven seconds of the half helped close the gap. Dalton Peterson hit the first and, following a Mesa turnover, Josh Robinson made the second from the right corner as the buzzer was blaring. 

The buzzer-beater was a surprise to even the loyalist Chadron State fans. Robinson earned first-team All-RMAC honors last year, when he shot 59.2% from the field and averaged 14 points, but he was just one of four on 3-pointers a year ago. So far this year, he was 0-of-2 from behind the arc, but his third shot of the season from afar was nothing but net.

Another of the Eagles' veterans both began and ended the second half with 3-pointers.

Jarrett Taylor opened the half by nailing a trey that tied the score at 48-all. Some 19 minutes and 35 seconds later, the Eagles' John Jenkins was desperately looking for an open teammate, found Taylor at the top of the key, fired the ball and him and the senior guard instantly launched the shot that tied the count at 85 and sent the barn-burner into overtime.

Taylor's shot was so close to the buzzer's blare that the officials studied the video several minutes before declaring that it had indeed left Taylor's hand before the horn sounded.

Mesa opened the extra session with a free throw, before Jenkins made a layup to put Chadron State ahead- 87-86. That turned out to be the Eagles' only overtime lead. The margin was just three points with a minute left, but the Mavericks were 12 of 16 at the free throw line and CSC just four of six there in OT to determine the outcome.

Chadron State's sensational 5-10 senior guard Bryce Latimer was the game's leading scorer with 30 points on nine of 15 shooting from the field and by going 12-14 at the line. He also handed out 10 assists. Jenkins was 10-18 from the field while pouring in 25 points, Robinson scored 17 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.  Taylor finished with 11 points for the Eagles.

Five Mavericks scored in double digits. Guard Owen Koonce led with 22 points, followed by Mac Riniker with 19 to go with 11 rebounds. Trevor Baskin added 16 points and Elijah Knudsen and Chris Speller had 12 and 11, respectively.

Each team meshed 34 field goals, but Mesa sank 11 treys, three more than the Eagles, and finished 23-33 at the charity stripe while the Eagles were 19-25.

Chadron State is now 8-6 overall and 5-3 in the RMAC. It will host the Westminster Griffons on Saturday night, following the women's game that will begin at 5:30.  

Colorado Mesa—Owen Koonce 22, Mic Riniker 19, Trevor Baskin 16, Elijah Knutsen 12, Chris Speller 11, Christian Speller 7, Aidan Kuhl 6, Isaac Jessup 5, Reece Johnson 2, Ty Allred 2. Totals: 34-64 (11-28) 23-33 103 points, 46 rebounds, 15 turnovers, 16 assists.

Chadron State—Bryce Latimer 30, John Jenkins 25, Josh Robinson 17, Jarrett Taylor 11, Dalton Peterson 5, Jalen Patterson 3, Malakai Harris 2, Julio Phipps 2. Totals: 34-74 (8-24) 19-25 95 points 34 rebounds, 8 turnovers, 19 assists.

Colorado Mesa           45          42         17         ---102

Chadron State             42          43         10         ----95

3-pointers: CMU—Knudson 3, Koonce 2, Baskin 1, Jessup 1, Riniker, 1, Kuhl 1, Knudsen 1, Christian Speller 1, CSC—Taylor 3, Jenkins 2, Robinson 1, Patterson 1, Peterson 1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705163532951.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By: Con Marshall CSC Sports InformationCHADRON, Neb.-- It was bitterly cold outside with a wind chill of minus 20 degrees. But inside the Chicoine Center at Chadron State College there was a red-hot basketball game Friday night. It didn't end the way Eagles' fans had hoped, but it seemed to suggest that their favorites can play with the best.Sparked by buzzer-beating 3-pointers at the end of both the first half and regulation, the Eagles sent the game into overtime, but finally succumbed to Colorado Mesa by a 102-95 score. The Mavericks came into the shootout ranked No. 11 in NCAA Division II with an 11-2 record and a 7-0 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference mark. There're a tall and talented team, but the Eagles have clout, too, as this game proved. "We had some opportunities (to win)," Coach Shane Paben said, but he agreed that for at least the last 30 minutes, his team had played extra well.It was the first 10 minutes that were costly. The Eagles might have won it they'd gotten off to a better start.Mesa jumped out to a game-high 16-point lead--29-13--while sinking one of its 11 3-pointers with 10:16 left in the opening half. Chadron State had made just five of its first 15 shots from the field.Eventually, the Eagles started getting better shots and the ball began to drop. In the ensuing 10 minutes, the hosts hit 11 of their 18 shots from the field and trailed by just 45-42 at halftime.Two treys in the final seven seconds of the half helped close the gap. Dalton Peterson hit the first and, following a Mesa turnover, Josh Robinson made the second from the right corner as the buzzer was blaring. The buzzer-beater was a surprise to even the loyalist Chadron State fans. Robinson earned first-team All-RMAC honors last year, when he shot 59.2% from the field and averaged 14 points, but he was just one of four on 3-pointers a year ago. So far this year, he was 0-of-2 from behind the arc, but his third shot of the season from afar was nothing but net.Another of the Eagles' veterans both began and ended the second half with 3-pointers.Jarrett Taylor opened the half by nailing a trey that tied the score at 48-all. Some 19 minutes and 35 seconds later, the Eagles' John Jenkins was desperately looking for an open teammate, found Taylor at the top of the key, fired the ball and him and the senior guard instantly launched the shot that tied the count at 85 and sent the barn-burner into overtime.Taylor's shot was so close to the buzzer's blare that the officials studied the video several minutes before declaring that it had indeed left Taylor's hand before the horn sounded.Mesa opened the extra session with a free throw, before Jenkins made a layup to put Chadron State ahead- 87-86. That turned out to be the Eagles' only overtime lead. The margin was just three points with a minute left, but the Mavericks were 12 of 16 at the free throw line and CSC just four of six there in OT to determine the outcome.Chadron State's sensational 5-10 senior guard Bryce Latimer was the game's leading scorer with 30 points on nine of 15 shooting from the field and by going 12-14 at the line. He also handed out 10 assists. Jenkins was 10-18 from the field while pouring in 25 points, Robinson scored 17 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. Taylor finished with 11 points for the Eagles.Five Mavericks scored in double digits. Guard Owen Koonce led with 22 points, followed by Mac Riniker with 19 to go with 11 rebounds. Trevor Baskin added 16 points and Elijah Knudsen and Chris Speller had 12 and 11, respectively.Each team meshed 34 field goals, but Mesa sank 11 treys, three more than the Eagles, and finished 23-33 at the charity stripe while the Eagles were 19-25.Chadron State is now 8-6 overall and 5-3 in the RMAC. It will host the Westminster Griffons on Saturday night, following the women's game that will begin at 5:30. Colorado Mesa—Owen Koonce 22, Mic Riniker 19, Trevor Baskin 16, Elijah Knutsen 12, Chris Speller 11, Christian Speller 7, Aidan Kuhl 6, Isaac Jessup 5, Reece Johnson 2, Ty Allred 2. Totals: 34-64 (11-28) 23-33 103 points, 46 rebounds, 15 turnovers, 16 assists.Chadron State—Bryce Latimer 30, John Jenkins 25, Josh Robinson 17, Jarrett Taylor 11, Dalton Peterson 5, Jalen Patterson 3, Malakai Harris 2, Julio Phipps 2. Totals: 34-74 (8-24) 19-25 95 points 34 rebounds, 8 turnovers, 19 assists.Colorado Mesa 45 42 17 ---102Chadron State 42 43 10 ----953-pointers: CMU—Knudson 3, Koonce 2, Baskin 1, Jessup 1, Riniker, 1, Kuhl 1, Knudsen 1, Christian Speller 1, CSC—Taylor 3, Jenkins 2, Robinson 1, Patterson 1, Peterson 1.

Eagles push #11 Colorado Mesa to overtime Friday

(Results can be found on TrackWrestling.com)

106: Jude Connelly (GERI) over (ALLI) (For.) 113: Frost Wallace (GERI) over Kegan Nelson (ALLI) (Fall 3:16) 120: Isaiah Murillo (GERI) over Trini Trejo (ALLI) (Fall 4:54) 126: Jackson Bailey (ALLI) over Maddox Gardner (GERI) (Fall 3:56) 132: Benjamin Cassatt-Reina (ALLI) over Jayden Roberts (GERI) (Fall 0:58) 138: Jayden Hakert (GERI) over Silas Fancher (ALLI) (Fall 1:52) 144: Raul Ayala (GERI) over Brendan Watt (ALLI) (Dec 7-5) 150: Tate Thompson (ALLI) over Chace Hergenrader (GERI) (Fall 3:55) 157: Rece Knight (GERI) over Jarron Santos (ALLI) (MD 11-3) 165: Che Molina (GERI) over Andrew Fancher (ALLI) (Fall 1:54) 175: David Campos (GERI) over Matthew Moomey (ALLI) (Dec 12-8) 190: Mitchell Moravec (GERI) over Lucas Weber (ALLI) (Fall 3:40) 215: Tyler Cape (GERI) over (ALLI) (For.) 285: Noah Sentelle (GERI) over (ALLI) (For.)&nbsp;

<a href="javascript:openEvent(21)">Bridgeport, NE 56 Sidney, NE 22</a>

<a href="javascript:openEvent(7)">Bridgeport Girls, NE 25 Sidney Girls, NE 24</a>

(Results can be found on TrackWrestling.com)Boys Wrestling Dual: Gering 58, Alliance 18106: Jude Connelly (GERI) over (ALLI) (For.) 113: Frost Wallace (GERI) over Kegan Nelson (ALLI) (Fall 3:16) 120: Isaiah Murillo (GERI) over Trini Trejo (ALLI) (Fall 4:54) 126: Jackson Bailey (ALLI) over Maddox Gardner (GERI) (Fall 3:56) 132: Benjamin Cassatt-Reina (ALLI) over Jayden Roberts (GERI) (Fall 0:58) 138: Jayden Hakert (GERI) over Silas Fancher (ALLI) (Fall 1:52) 144: Raul Ayala (GERI) over Brendan Watt (ALLI) (Dec 7-5) 150: Tate Thompson (ALLI) over Chace Hergenrader (GERI) (Fall 3:55) 157: Rece Knight (GERI) over Jarron Santos (ALLI) (MD 11-3) 165: Che Molina (GERI) over Andrew Fancher (ALLI) (Fall 1:54) 175: David Campos (GERI) over Matthew Moomey (ALLI) (Dec 12-8) 190: Mitchell Moravec (GERI) over Lucas Weber (ALLI) (Fall 3:40) 215: Tyler Cape (GERI) over (ALLI) (For.) 285: Noah Sentelle (GERI) over (ALLI) (For.)&nbsp;Other scores:<a href="javascript:openEvent(21)">Bridgeport, NE 56 Sidney, NE 22</a>Girls scores:<a href="javascript:openEvent(7)">Bridgeport Girls, NE 25 Sidney Girls, NE 24</a>

Alliance Wrestling falls to Gering, Bridgeport tops Sidney

Lincoln&nbsp;- Jaz Shelley scored a game-high 17 points, while Alexis Markowski added her 10th double-double of the season to power Nebraska to a 56-48 women's basketball win over Illinois on Thursday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Shelley, who hit 4-of-7 three-pointers while adding five rebounds and game highs of six assists and five steals, helped the Huskers improve to 4-1 in the Big Ten for the first time since their inaugural season in the conference (2011-12) and 12-4 overall.

Markowski, who leads the Big Ten in both double-doubles and rebounding, contributed 14 points and a game-high 15 rebounds to send Illinois to 0-4 in the conference and 6-8 overall. Nebraska's 6-3 center hit the only field goal of the fourth quarter for the Big Red with 45 seconds left in the game to extend Nebraska's lead to 53-48.&nbsp;

Shelley was also huge down the stretch for the Huskers, hitting a trio of free throws around Markowski's field goal to stretch a 49-48 NU lead to 54-48 with 32 seconds left. Maddie Krull, who finished with seven points, four rebounds and two assists, closed the scoring by sealing the win with a pair of free throws with 22 seconds left.

Until Shelley hit two free throws with 2:33 left, Nebraska had been shut out in the fourth quarter, as Illinois opened the fourth with a 9-0 run after trailing 49-39 heading to the final period.&nbsp;

While Nebraska's offense struggled, its defense was spectacular down the stretch, holding Illinois to just a Makira Cook jump shot with 2:55 left. Cook, who finished with eight points and six turnovers, had the only points for the Illini in the final 5:45, as the Huskers outscored Illinois 7-0 in the final 2:54.

Nebraska led from start to finish, erupting to an 18-4 lead in the opening 7:30 of the game with a pair of three-pointers from Shelley, five points from Krull, including a three, and a three-pointer from Logan Nissley to go along with the first four points of the game inside from Markowski.&nbsp;

Illinois closed the first on a 9-0 run on three three-pointers with two from Genesis Bryant and one from Jada Peebles to trail 18-13 at the end of the opening quarter. Bryant finished with nine points on 3-of-10 three-point shooting for the game, while Peebles added six points on a pair of threes.

Nebraska pushed the lead back to eight points on a three-point play from Natalie Potts with just over six minutes left in the second quarter, only to be held to just a Markowski field goal in the final six minutes. The Huskers still managed to take a 30-29 lead to halftime.

The four-time Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week Potts then sparked Nebraska by scoring the first five points of the second half to quickly extend NU's lead to 35-29. A pair of Shelley free throws pushed the margin back to double digits at 39-29, and her fourth three-pointer of the game with 44 seconds left in the third quarter gave Nebraska its biggest lead of the half at 49-37.

Brynn Shoup-Hill led Illinois with 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks in arguably her best effort of the season. She hit 4-of-7 three-pointers after entering the game just 1-for-8 from long range in Big Ten play.

She helped the Illini hit 9-of-25 threes (.360), after opening league play just 10-for-47 (.213) from long range through the first three contests. But Nebraska held Illinois to just 8-for-24 (.333) shooting from two-point range and allowed just 5-of-8 free throws to limit the Illini to a season-low 48 points.

Nebraska answered with 20-of-59 shooting (.339), including 6-of-18 threes (.333), while doubling the Illini at the free throw line on 10-of-12 shooting. Nebraska dominated the glass 45-29, including a 12-1 edge on the offensive boards. The Huskers did not allow an offensive rebound to the Illini in the second half. The Big Red also won the turnover battle, 17-16.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsLincoln&nbsp;- Jaz Shelley scored a game-high 17 points, while Alexis Markowski added her 10th double-double of the season to power Nebraska to a 56-48 women's basketball win over Illinois on Thursday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena.Shelley, who hit 4-of-7 three-pointers while adding five rebounds and game highs of six assists and five steals, helped the Huskers improve to 4-1 in the Big Ten for the first time since their inaugural season in the conference (2011-12) and 12-4 overall.Markowski, who leads the Big Ten in both double-doubles and rebounding, contributed 14 points and a game-high 15 rebounds to send Illinois to 0-4 in the conference and 6-8 overall. Nebraska's 6-3 center hit the only field goal of the fourth quarter for the Big Red with 45 seconds left in the game to extend Nebraska's lead to 53-48.&nbsp;Shelley was also huge down the stretch for the Huskers, hitting a trio of free throws around Markowski's field goal to stretch a 49-48 NU lead to 54-48 with 32 seconds left. Maddie Krull, who finished with seven points, four rebounds and two assists, closed the scoring by sealing the win with a pair of free throws with 22 seconds left.Until Shelley hit two free throws with 2:33 left, Nebraska had been shut out in the fourth quarter, as Illinois opened the fourth with a 9-0 run after trailing 49-39 heading to the final period.&nbsp;While Nebraska's offense struggled, its defense was spectacular down the stretch, holding Illinois to just a Makira Cook jump shot with 2:55 left. Cook, who finished with eight points and six turnovers, had the only points for the Illini in the final 5:45, as the Huskers outscored Illinois 7-0 in the final 2:54.Nebraska led from start to finish, erupting to an 18-4 lead in the opening 7:30 of the game with a pair of three-pointers from Shelley, five points from Krull, including a three, and a three-pointer from Logan Nissley to go along with the first four points of the game inside from Markowski.&nbsp;Illinois closed the first on a 9-0 run on three three-pointers with two from Genesis Bryant and one from Jada Peebles to trail 18-13 at the end of the opening quarter. Bryant finished with nine points on 3-of-10 three-point shooting for the game, while Peebles added six points on a pair of threes.Nebraska pushed the lead back to eight points on a three-point play from Natalie Potts with just over six minutes left in the second quarter, only to be held to just a Markowski field goal in the final six minutes. The Huskers still managed to take a 30-29 lead to halftime.The four-time Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week Potts then sparked Nebraska by scoring the first five points of the second half to quickly extend NU's lead to 35-29. A pair of Shelley free throws pushed the margin back to double digits at 39-29, and her fourth three-pointer of the game with 44 seconds left in the third quarter gave Nebraska its biggest lead of the half at 49-37.Brynn Shoup-Hill led Illinois with 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks in arguably her best effort of the season. She hit 4-of-7 three-pointers after entering the game just 1-for-8 from long range in Big Ten play.She helped the Illini hit 9-of-25 threes (.360), after opening league play just 10-for-47 (.213) from long range through the first three contests. But Nebraska held Illinois to just 8-for-24 (.333) shooting from two-point range and allowed just 5-of-8 free throws to limit the Illini to a season-low 48 points.Nebraska answered with 20-of-59 shooting (.339), including 6-of-18 threes (.333), while doubling the Illini at the free throw line on 10-of-12 shooting. Nebraska dominated the glass 45-29, including a 12-1 edge on the offensive boards. The Huskers did not allow an offensive rebound to the Illini in the second half. The Big Red also won the turnover battle, 17-16.The Huskers return to Big Ten road action at Minnesota on Sunday. Tip-off with the Golden Gophers, who are coming off an impressive win over Michigan on Tuesday will have two extra days rest and home-court advantage for the 2 p.m. (CT) tip with the Huskers. A live video stream will be provided for subscribers of B1G+, while fans can access free live audio across the Huskers Sports Network and Huskers.com.