Nebraska

BadgerBlitz – No.6 Wisconsin Prepare For Nebraska's Home Cooking

Published

2 years ago

January 31, 2024

BadgerBlitz – No.6 Wisconsin Prepare For Nebraska's Home Cooking

MADISON, Wis. – The second-ranked team in the country is looming on Wisconsin’s schedule, a home tilt against Purdue in front of a national television audience Sunday afternoon. That’s the furthest thing from the mind of head coach Greg Gard and his players.

With the way Nebraska has lit up opponents at Pinnacle Bank Arena, the Badgers have enough to worry about heading into their Thursday road contest against the Huskers.

“I’ll have enough sleepless nights worrying about Keisei Tominaga running around shooting threes,” Gard quipped Tuesday.

Most Big Ten teams are better at home than on the road, but Nebraska (15-6, 5-5 Big Ten) takes it to the extreme. In 14 home games, the Huskers are averaging 80.6 points on 46.2 percent shooting, including 37.2 percent from three-point range. In their seven games away from Lincoln, the Huskers’ numbers dip to 70.3 points per game on 42.7 percent shooting and 31.9 percent from the perimeter.

It’s even more dramatic in conference games, as Nebraska has shot 48.7 percent from the perimeter in five conference home games and 32.5 percent in its five conference losses.

It’s no surprise that the Huskers are undefeated against Big Ten opponents with an average margin of victory of 11.8 points with no game closer than six.

Wisconsin (16-4, 8-1) has experienced raucous games at “the Bank” before. The Badgers 2014 Final Four team’s last regular season loss after February 1 was at Nebraska. Last season, Wisconsin led by 17 points with 16 minutes to play, but Keisei Tominaga hit four 3-pointers to force overtime.

Nebraska proceeded to outscore Wisconsin, 12-2, in overtime to register its largest comeback since 2013. It’s a loss that’s still cringeworthy to returning UW players.

“Playing in Lincoln is a whole different environment,” said point guard Chucky Hepburn, an Omaha native. “They are more locked in when they are playing at their crib, so you got to really lock in defensively.

“Last year we let them come back in the game from little mistakes that we did. We let Tominaga get loose and let him get hot. That’s what really sparked their energy. They got going and it seemed like they were hard to stop.”

Tominaga is the leading sharpshooter on Nebraska, attempting 30 more three-pointers than anyone on the team and making 2.2 three-pointers per game (fourth in the Big Ten). The senior has proven to shoot well anywhere, shooting 45.1 percent overall and 45.9 percent at home.

The same can’t be said for forward Rienk Mask. The transfer from Bradley is averaging 8.6 points in conference road games and 15.4 at home, boosted largely by his career-high 34 points and 10 rebounds against Ohio State and 18 points against No.1 Purdue. He made a third of his 24 three-pointers on the season in those two games.

“We knew he would shoot the ball, but he’s gotten a lot more confident these last few weeks,” forward Tyler Wahl said of Mask, who had 16 points (6-for-14) in Madison. “He’s kind of been up and down, but he’s been playing really well. That’s something that’s been a little different, as we haven’t seen too many five men that are kicking out shooting threes.”

Toss in guard C.J. Wilcher (38-for-82, team-best 46.2 percent), who Is averaging 12.4 ppg over his last 10 games dating back to Dec. 20 with splits of .577/.563/1.000, and the Huskers are ninth in the country in three-point per game (9.6) and tops in the conference in attempts (552, 60 ahead of second-place Illinois).

The Badgers are last in the league in three-point defense (36.2), but Gard said players have done a better job at minimizing attempts from the perimeter than in past seasons.

“Some teams we don’t run off the line as much, aren’t quite as aggressive with as long as contest shots,” Gard said. “Nebraska is a team you want to minimize attempts … You try not to make mistakes on screens. You try not to let Wilcher and Tominaga get loose on you.”

That will be the challenge Thursday in an arena where Nebraska seems to be near invincible.

“Most teams if you look at them, they have a tendency to play a little better at home,” Gard said. “More comfortable environment, energy from the crowd, etc., so I don’t think there is anything schematically that’s different. They are a very confident group at home.”

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Nebraska

Hundreds lose power across southeast Nebraska after Thursday morning storm

Published

9 hours ago

June 11, 2026

Press Room

Hundreds lose power across southeast Nebraska after Thursday morning storm

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Hundreds of people are without power in southeast Nebraska after a severe storm passed through Thursday morning.

The Lincoln Electric System outage map showed 115 customers without power across the city at 11:36 a.m.

Norris Public Power District’s outage map also shows 45 customers affected by the storm. As of 11:36 a.m., there were nine active outages.

According to the Nebraska Public Power District outage map, 657 customers were affected by the storm. Most of the affected customers were near Plattsmouth in southeast Nebraska. As of 11:37 a.m., 27 customers remain without power.

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Nebraska

Mandatory evacuation orders for area near Crawford, Fort Robinson

Published

19 hours ago

June 11, 2026

Press Room

Mandatory evacuation orders for area near Crawford, Fort Robinson

Mandatory evacuations have been ordered near Crawford, including Fort Robinson State Park, as the South Fork Fire continues to spread in western Nebraska.

According to the City of Crawford, evacuations are currently underway for an area north of Crawford that includes the area south of Dodd Road, west of Dodd Road, and FF Street.

Fort Robinson has also been evacuated.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission said Fort Robinson State Park and Peterson Wildlife Management Area have been temporarily closed due to the fire.

The fire has burned approximately 9,000 acres and is currently 0% contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Nebraska Game and Parks said the park and the WMA will remain closed until further notice to support firefighting operations and protect public safety.

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Nebraska

Nebraska State Runner-up and Futures Finalist Matt Brailita (2026) to Swim for Johns Hopkins

Published

1 day ago

June 10, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska State Runner-up and Futures Finalist Matt Brailita (2026) to Swim for Johns Hopkins

Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

Omaha, Nebraska native Matt Brailita is headed to Baltimore in the fall. He announced his commitment to Johns Hopkins University earlier this spring, writing on social media:

“I am very excited to announce my commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Johns Hopkins University ! I’m extremely grateful for everything my family, friends, and teammates have done to support me every step of the way. A special thanks to Coach Tom and Coach Andy for always pushing me beyond what I believed in. Also a huge thanks to Coach Scott and Coach Chris for giving me this opportunity of a lifetime. GO BLUE JAYS!”

Brailita swam for Omaha’s Millard North High School under coach Andy Cunningham. He wrapped up his senior season with a pair of runner-up finishes at the 2026 NSAA Championships, earning lifetime-best times in both the 200 IM (1:50.84) and 100 breast (56.01). He also notched a PB in the 50 free (20.76) while leading off Millard North’s 200 free relay in prelims. He anchored the same relay in finals, splitting 20.01. Brailita leaves Millard North High School as a 10-time State medalist and a multiple-event team record-holder. He was 2026 Metro Conference champion in the 100 fly and as a member of 2 relays, and he was nominated for Metro Omaha World Herald Swimming Athlete Scholar.

Brailita swims year-round with Greater Omaha Aquatic Leopardsharks under coach Tom Beck. In addition to IM and breast, he excels in fly and free. In March, he competed at Columbia Sectionals, where he finaled in the 50 free (15th), 100 breast (11th), 50 fly (8th), 100 fly (10th), and swam prelims in the 50 breast (8th) and 200 IM (10th). He left the meet with new PBs in the 100 free (46.30), 50 breast (26.25), 50 fly (22.51), and 100 fly (49.86).

Last summer, Brailita hit LCM lifetime bests in the 50 breast (30.81), 100 breast (1:06.84), 200 breast (2:29.93), and 200 IM (2:11.12) at Madison Futures, making finals in the IM. He opened the 2026 long-course season with a pair of PBs (24.83 in the 50 free and 27.09 in the 50 fly) at the GOAL Sprint Cup in April.

Brailita will join the Blue Jays’ class of 2030 with Alistair Guth, Finn Nelson, Lukas Funderburk, Matthew Ko, Nicolas Aldana Huelga, Samuel Zhang, and William Thurk. His best times would have scored in the ‘A’ finals of the 200 IM, 100/200 breast, and 50/200 free, and the ‘B’ finals of the 100 free and 100 fly at the 2026 Centennial Conference Championships.

Best SCY times :

200 IM – 1:50.84
100 breast – 56.01
200 breast – 2:06.83
50 free – 20.76
50 free relay split – 20.01
100 fly – 49.86
200 free – 1:41.83
100 free – 46.30

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