Seven people ID’d for threats to referee after Kentucky loss

Seven people have been identified for threatening basketball referee John Higgins after an NCAA Tournament game in March. Information will be referred to authorities in their jurisdictions, a Nebraska prosecutor said.

Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov said the identities were ascertained after a lengthy investigation following Kentucky’s 75-73 loss to North Carolina in the South Region final on March 26. Polikov did not release the names.

Kentucky coach John Calipari criticized the officiating during his postgame news conference. Higgins, of Omaha, saw his La Vista-based roofing company inundated with approximately 3,000 harassing emails, phone calls and voice mails, including death threats against Higgins and his family.

Football: Former NFL running back Michael Bennett, 38, a first-round draft pick by Minnesota in 2001, was sentenced to five years in prison on felony burglary and theft charges from a 2015 incident in which he fraudulently took out $225,000 in loans in his girlfriend’s parents’ names.

Boxing: At Sheffield, England, hometown favorite Kell Brook (36-2) lost his IBF welterweight belt in his fourth defense when American challenger Errol Spence Jr. (22-0, 19 knockouts) stopped him in the 11th round.

Soccer: At London, manager Arsene Wenger’s turbulent year ended with a third Football Association Challenge Cup triumph in four seasons after Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 to deny the English Premier League champion a double.

Horse racing: At Arcadia, Calif., Cupid, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, won the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Park by 3¼ lengths in an upset, giving trainer Bob Baffert a sixth career victory in the Grade 1 race. Softball: At Cedar Grove, N.J., Cedar Grove sophomore pitcher Mia Faieta struck out all 21 batters she faced Friday in a 4-0 win over North Warren in a state playoff game.