Connect with us

Nebraska

Connor Essegian’s Career High Lifts Nebraska Basketball Over South Dakota

Published

on

Connor Essegian’s Career High Lifts Nebraska Basketball Over South Dakota


Nebraska men’s basketball followed up the domination in Omaha with a dominant showing at home.

NU topped South Dakota 96-79 Wednesday evening at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Huskers improve to 5-1 as the Coyotes fall to 6-3.

“It’s been a good week for us obviously with the Creighton win,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said. “Last year, we had a game that we won on the road at Kansas State, and we followed that up against North Dakota and they were up 16 on us in the first half. We talked a lot about that the last couple days, so I really did like our start. I thought we had the right mentality going into it, I thought we did a good job going out there and playing with energy, and playing with physicality.”

For the second consecutive game, the Huskers did not trail for a second over the 40 minutes of game time. Nebraska built the lead to 19 points at halftime and up to 23 early in the second half, but the Coyotes put together some runs to close the gap to close as 12. Unfortunately for the visitors, the home side answered the call each time and held off any chances of a full comeback.

Advertisement

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t put them away, again we have to keep that edge for 40 minutes,” Hoiberg said. “That being said, there were a lot of positives in this game tonight. We’re going to enjoy tomorrow, a lot of them will be over at my house for Thanksgiving, and then we’ll get back to work on Friday and have a two day prep for an early game on Sunday. We have a lot of work ahead of us for a really good basketball team.”

Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Brice Williams (3) drives against South Dakota Coyotes guard Dre Bullock (11).

Nov 27, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Brice Williams (3) drives against South Dakota Coyotes guard Dre Bullock (11) during the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Nebraska got the shooting going from deep, finally. The Huskers shot 48.5% overall and finished 13-of-33 from deep. NU was 9-of-16 at one point on 3s, but the pace fell off in the second half.

“It’s a confidence builder,” Hoiberg said. “You see what happens when the first couple go down, it’s the domino effect that goes on to the rest of the team. It’s just a confidence builder. And Connor (Essegian), I thought our guys did a good job finding him.

South Dakota shot 43.3% for the game, including 8-of-28 on 3s.

Connor Essegian scored a game-high 29 points on 10-of-22 shooting, including six made 3s. That mark is a new career-high for the Wisconsin transfer.

Advertisement

“It definitely doesn’t hurt to have a night like this for the team,” Essegian said. “To be able to score 96 points as a team is pretty good. It definitely boosts a lot of guys, the energy is going into it with that. We really have got to lock in on the defensive side of things. If we can score but we can’t defend, it usually doesn’t end very well.”

Nebraska Cornhuskers center Braxton Meah (34) dunks the ball against the South Dakota Coyotes.

Nov 27, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers center Braxton Meah (34) dunks the ball against the South Dakota Coyotes during the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Brice Williams added 21 points. Braxton Meah had his best night as a Husker, scoring 12 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting.

“It took a minute trying to understand everything,” Meah said. “There’s a lot Coach Hoiberg puts into his system, so it just took me a little while to figure it out. We’re getting there.”

Juwan Gary and Berke Buyuktuncel both left the game early with injuries. Gary took an elbow to the face while Buyuktuncel left with a hip injury.

“We’ll know a lot more about those two in the next 24 hours,” Hoiberg said.

Advertisement
Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Juwan Gary walks off the court after an injury during the first half against the South Dakota.

Nov 27, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Juwan Gary (4) walks off the court after an injury during the first half against the South Dakota Coyotes at Pinnacle Bank Arena. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Nebraska stays home Sunday to host North Florida. Tip is set for 3 p.m. CST on the Big Ten Network.

Box score

Nebraska Athletics Notes

MORE: Dave Feit’s 2024 Husker Gift Guide

MORE: Huskers Up Three Spots in College Huddle’s Latest Big Ten Football Rankings

MORE: Big Ten Football Head Coach Hot Seat Index After Week 13

MORE: Carriker Chronicles: Iowa-Nebraska Football Prediction and a Whole Lot More

MORE: Nebraska-Iowa Analytics Preview

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.



Source link

Advertisement

Nebraska

Nebraska outfielder Will Jesske coaches local legion team

Published

on

Nebraska outfielder Will Jesske coaches local legion team


LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) — After a hamstring injury during Nebraska’s baseball season, Will Jesske was advised to take it easy this summer. He is, but Jesske has found a new way to stay involved in the game.

Jesske is coaching a local legion baseball team. He is a volunteer assistant for Lincoln Hotel Group, the senior legion team for Standing Bear High School.

Jesske, a Lincoln Southeast graduate, describes himself as the “hype man” in the LHG dugout. He brings energy and enthusiasm, which players enjoy. Jesske said coaching is a way he can give back to local players while helping LHG’s coaching staff. Jesske played under Tanner Lewis and Kyle Beacom in high school. They now lead the LHG legion program.

Jesske is entering his senior season at Nebraska. He has appeared in 95 games over his career, including 33 during the Huskers’ 43-win season this spring. Jesske was injured early in the season but played through it as Nebraska hosted an NCAA regional. He hit .318 in his junior season. Jesske said he is fully healthy and credited extended rest with his recovery.

Advertisement

Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.

Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.

Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading

Nebraska

Former Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari wanted in Lincoln, accused of assaulting pregnant woman

Published

on

Former Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari wanted in Lincoln, accused of assaulting pregnant woman


LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Former Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari is wanted in Lancaster County on suspicion of assaulting a pregnant woman in May.

An arrest warrant was filed for Ferrari on Thursday. He faces three felony charges which include first-degree false imprisonment and assault by strangling a pregnant woman.

According to an arrest affidavit, a woman from California contacted police in Lincoln on May 8 just after midnight. She told officers her daughter called for help and pointed them to Ferrari’s apartment.

Police arrived at the apartment and knocked on the door. A pregnant woman came out after several minutes of knocking with no answer. Officers said the woman was visibly upset.

Advertisement

She told officers that Ferrari tried taking her phone away after an argument, but she wouldn’t let him take it. The arrest affidavit shows Ferrari then dragged her off a bed by her feet.

Police think Ferrari then got on top of her and strangled her, likely until she was unconscious. The woman told police that she felt as though her throat “collapsed” and that she was “breathing through a straw.”

Once regaining consciousness, police said the woman tried hiding in a closet and contacting her mother on another device. But Ferrari followed her, pushed her onto a bed and sat on her until she apologized, according to the affidavit.

She apologized in order to be released, police said. The woman then tried to leave the apartment, but police said Ferrari dragged her by the arm back inside. She found her phone and contacted her mother, yelling “help!”, prosecutors wrote.

Ferrari grabbed the phone and hung up, according to the affidavit. The woman’s mother tried calling several more times before calling police.

Advertisement

Authorities transported the woman to Bryan West for treatment. Officers said she sustained injuries consistent with strangulation, including bruising around her neck and other abrasions.

Last weekend, Ferrari was arrested in Lincoln County on suspicion of flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving and obstructing the police. He was cited after a trooper chased a Corvette in the North Platte area.

Lincoln County authorities told KOLN that Ferrari is out on bond. His current whereabouts are unclear.

Court records show that the woman has filed for a protection order against Ferrari. A hearing has been set for July 7 to give him an opportunity to show the court why one should not be issued.

AJ Ferrari appears in Lancaster County Court(KOLN)

Previously, Ferrari was booked in Lancaster County, Nebraska for an outstanding warrant in January of this year, but those charges were dismissed later that week.

Advertisement

Ferrari parted ways with the Huskers in April of this year.

Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.

Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Nebraska

Discounted tickets for Nebraska State Fair over 4th of July Weekend

Published

on

Discounted tickets for Nebraska State Fair over 4th of July Weekend


The Nebraska State Fair is celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with a special 72-hour flash sale on Season Passes.

From July 3 through July 5, fans can purchase a 2026 Season Pass for just $50—a significant discount from its regular value of $132.

The pass includes one admission per day for all 11 days of the 2026 Nebraska State Fair, making it ideal for visitors who plan to attend multiple days.

Fair officials say the promotion is one of the biggest Season Pass discounts offered in years and will not be extended.

Advertisement

After July 5, Season Passes will remain available at a higher discounted price.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending