Taking in some basketball

Due to various reasons, I have not seen as much high school or Husker basketball games as I would like to up to this date, but hopefully, I can finish the season strong. 

Last weekend, I did get to see North Platte Community College play and then also watched Lincoln Pius and North Platte High play. Really hadn’t planned on any of those games but circumstances led me to North Platte and the games were being played so why not go see them?

 I missed the NPCC women’s game because they played at 2 p.m. and we were busy lining up tow trucks and stuff at that time and that is a story for another day. But after getting a friend’s car to North Platte, I just had time to make it to the college and watch the second half of the NPCC and Central Community College men’s game. 

NPCC edged CCC out 78-73 in what could be described as not really good basketball. The ball would not go in the basket with much regularity and passes were going astray with regularity. NPCC has what looks like some basketball talent, but the roster is filled with players from many nations, and at times it didn’t look as if the nations were getting along. They were not declaring war or anything, just making things difficult because of their inability to pass, shoot or defend. 

Still, if you have more points at the end of the game, your team wins and you worry about the fundamentals come next practice. I know that NPCC Head Coach Kevin O’Conner is an outstanding coach and I also could tell his patience was being tested in the game. 

I got to the North Platte gym in time to watch some of the Pius and North Platte girl’s game and then the boy’s game that followed. The North Platte girl’s team is coached by Curt Softley, and the Pius team had Lauren Taubenheim, a 6-1 sophomore, playing a big role on their team. Coach Softley is the son of Don and Kay Softley of Grant, and Lauren is the granddaughter of Bonnie and the late Glenn Taubenheim of Grant.

I have to mention that Saturday was also a KU and K-State game and it was played at Allen Field House. I have to admit that sometimes I think the ghost of James Naismith, the inventor of the game of basketball and the first coach at KU, sweeps out of the rafters and makes the officials make some strange calls, always of course in KU favor, and Bruce Weber, the coach of K-State, must feel the same way because he indicated he questioned some of the calls and the same thing happened last year. 

Well, last year he was right! KU won on a last-second shot when Sivi Mykhailiuk took about four Mother-May-I steps, to hit a layup for the win. This year, K-State had a chance to hit the last shot but ran a terrible looking high screen and roll and got off an equally terrible looking shot for the loss.

Like all games, there were some calls that could have gone either way, but most of the time officials don’t win or lose games for you, the players usually take care of that. Although once in the 1971 state tournament we had these two officials who, well, maybe would be better just forgot about.

SPVA tournament is going on when this edition comes out, so go support the Plainsmen if you can. The players and coaches would appreciate it.