<a href="https://d2o2figo6ddd0g.cloudfront.net/f/e/4ulnpccodhk0gu/2023-24_DI_MBB_Championship_Bracket_-_v1.pdf">CLICK FOR FULL TOURNAMENT BRACKET</a>

With only two teams left to be announced on Sunday's NJCAA Tournament selection show, the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team started to get a bit nervous waiting for the Blue Dragons' name to be called.

Finally, a huge roar was heard in the Club 1928 Room at the Sports Arena during the team's watch as the Blue Dragons found out they will be the No. 11 seed as an at-large selection for the 2024 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, which begins on March 24 at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons' 2024 resume had a 27-6 overall record and a third-place finish in the Jayhawk Conference with a 20-4 mark. The Dragons were Region 6 Tournament runner-up, losing to the nation's top seed in Barton in Saturday's championship game.

Hutchinson will play USC-Salkehatchie in an opening-round game at 12:15 p.m. on Monday, March 25. The winner of that game will play No. 6-seed Chipola in the second round at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26.

The Blue Dragons will be making their 24th overall appearance in program history, their seventh straight as an at-large selection. Hutchinson, which won national championships in 1988, 1994 and 2017 – the 2017 title was won as an at-large selection – is 51-27 overall in NJCAA Tournament play.

Hutchinson returns to the tournament after missing the field last season. This is the second time in head coach Tommy DeSalme's first three seasons to earn a national championship berth.

Hutchinson and USC-Salkehatchie will be playing for the first time ever.

USC-Salkehatchie is making its third tournament appearance in that program's history.

Three Jayhawk Conference teams earned spots in the 2024 field. Barton is the No. 1 overall seed and Cowley earned the No. 10 overall seed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710724859376.jpeg" alt="The Blue Dragon men's basketball team reacts after finding out it was selected as an at-large selection for the 2024 NJCAA Tournament at at watch party on Sunday at the Sports Arena. (Andrew Carpenter/Digital Fox Photography)" />
 <figcaption>The Blue Dragon men's basketball team reacts after finding out it was selected as an at-large selection for the 2024 NJCAA Tournament at at watch party on Sunday at the Sports Arena. (Andrew Carpenter/Digital Fox Photography)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://d2o2figo6ddd0g.cloudfront.net/f/e/4ulnpccodhk0gu/2023-24_DI_MBB_Championship_Bracket_-_v1.pdf">CLICK FOR FULL TOURNAMENT BRACKET</a>Courtesy of HutchCCWith only two teams left to be announced on Sunday's NJCAA Tournament selection show, the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team started to get a bit nervous waiting for the Blue Dragons' name to be called.Finally, a huge roar was heard in the Club 1928 Room at the Sports Arena during the team's watch as the Blue Dragons found out they will be the No. 11 seed as an at-large selection for the 2024 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, which begins on March 24 at the Sports Arena.The Blue Dragons' 2024 resume had a 27-6 overall record and a third-place finish in the Jayhawk Conference with a 20-4 mark. The Dragons were Region 6 Tournament runner-up, losing to the nation's top seed in Barton in Saturday's championship game.Hutchinson will play USC-Salkehatchie in an opening-round game at 12:15 p.m. on Monday, March 25. The winner of that game will play No. 6-seed Chipola in the second round at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26.The Blue Dragons will be making their 24th overall appearance in program history, their seventh straight as an at-large selection. Hutchinson, which won national championships in 1988, 1994 and 2017 – the 2017 title was won as an at-large selection – is 51-27 overall in NJCAA Tournament play.Hutchinson returns to the tournament after missing the field last season. This is the second time in head coach Tommy DeSalme's first three seasons to earn a national championship berth.Hutchinson and USC-Salkehatchie will be playing for the first time ever.USC-Salkehatchie is making its third tournament appearance in that program's history.Three Jayhawk Conference teams earned spots in the 2024 field. Barton is the No. 1 overall seed and Cowley earned the No. 10 overall seed.

🏀 MBB: Blue Dragons earn at-large bid in NJCAA Tournament

The 2024 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/njcaabasketball?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZX1RnU6En70N9rIds4C6TLVRAUjTK4E5tKic6efv8zxvfP-it_CyvjXNABDXEq8YlU_bijicR3PUyalh5I7ZtSQA76Yg6REHWG6P0-Ah7YQQFjeNrlml0gT53tK6VCNT9sr1RC2R5n4LfD8ozszSPTY3SSkKOOo9TvXqCeitc5kBSRlUyEqE1AZgkOBOrV1-9w3QGhlPgWu3rQ-4B91ZJma&amp;__tn__=*NK-y-R">#NJCAABasketball</a> DI Men's Selection Show

Tune into the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/njcaanetwork?__cft__[0]=AZX1RnU6En70N9rIds4C6TLVRAUjTK4E5tKic6efv8zxvfP-it_CyvjXNABDXEq8YlU_bijicR3PUyalh5I7ZtSQA76Yg6REHWG6P0-Ah7YQQFjeNrlml0gT53tK6VCNT9sr1RC2R5n4LfD8ozszSPTY3SSkKOOo9TvXqCeitc5kBSRlUyEqE1AZgkOBOrV1-9w3QGhlPgWu3rQ-4B91ZJma&amp;__tn__=-]K-y-R">NJCAA Network</a> at 6:00 PM CT today as the full 24-team bracket for Hutch is revealed!

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/road2hutch?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZX1RnU6En70N9rIds4C6TLVRAUjTK4E5tKic6efv8zxvfP-it_CyvjXNABDXEq8YlU_bijicR3PUyalh5I7ZtSQA76Yg6REHWG6P0-Ah7YQQFjeNrlml0gT53tK6VCNT9sr1RC2R5n4LfD8ozszSPTY3SSkKOOo9TvXqCeitc5kBSRlUyEqE1AZgkOBOrV1-9w3QGhlPgWu3rQ-4B91ZJma&amp;__tn__=*NK-y-R">#Road2Hutch</a> | CLICK HERE&nbsp;<a href="http://njcaa.org/network?fbclid=IwAR3biwdPQzvgYSZrwkmmEm99rmj4eA-IyTqqDVE59ora6QHJG1KJDE6TLPc" target="_blank">njcaa.org/network</a>

The 2024&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/njcaabasketball?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZX1RnU6En70N9rIds4C6TLVRAUjTK4E5tKic6efv8zxvfP-it_CyvjXNABDXEq8YlU_bijicR3PUyalh5I7ZtSQA76Yg6REHWG6P0-Ah7YQQFjeNrlml0gT53tK6VCNT9sr1RC2R5n4LfD8ozszSPTY3SSkKOOo9TvXqCeitc5kBSRlUyEqE1AZgkOBOrV1-9w3QGhlPgWu3rQ-4B91ZJma&amp;__tn__=*NK-y-R">#NJCAABasketball</a>&nbsp;DI Women's Selection Show

The 2024 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/njcaabasketball?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZUUtd7O5omeEWREq3i6vhRiVlvQ3Pbe6UecivtRGGx3m-btMZWfhw5-HWABu2Q_Q-gD8hJEq4FTNek05k9_4Ot7imeDk5oGc0IR9rozhC1tdpW-9FraeiXXLMeTr4HrSPyvKjGs4veHe11JB7b3OcnnalwL_CR2H-J6rkYs7rc90MdeIpj_S9JbUcjoIAVfPQ8&amp;__tn__=*NK-R">#NJCAABasketball</a> DI Women's Selection Show

Tune into the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/njcaanetwork?__cft__[0]=AZUUtd7O5omeEWREq3i6vhRiVlvQ3Pbe6UecivtRGGx3m-btMZWfhw5-HWABu2Q_Q-gD8hJEq4FTNek05k9_4Ot7imeDk5oGc0IR9rozhC1tdpW-9FraeiXXLMeTr4HrSPyvKjGs4veHe11JB7b3OcnnalwL_CR2H-J6rkYs7rc90MdeIpj_S9JbUcjoIAVfPQ8&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">NJCAA Network</a> at 7:00 PM CT today as at-large selections and tournament seeding for Casper are announced!

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/road2casper?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZUUtd7O5omeEWREq3i6vhRiVlvQ3Pbe6UecivtRGGx3m-btMZWfhw5-HWABu2Q_Q-gD8hJEq4FTNek05k9_4Ot7imeDk5oGc0IR9rozhC1tdpW-9FraeiXXLMeTr4HrSPyvKjGs4veHe11JB7b3OcnnalwL_CR2H-J6rkYs7rc90MdeIpj_S9JbUcjoIAVfPQ8&amp;__tn__=*NK-R">#Road2Casper</a> | CLICK HERE &nbsp;<a href="http://njcaa.org/network?fbclid=IwAR0ZX4PVMuaSN2HFv8fAU-9BIN6B1s2EuGJ9ruk_9hUNrRgxhLQWSwS8vIE" target="_blank">njcaa.org/network</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701116844926.png" alt="njcaa basketball selection shows on njcaa.tv" />
 <figcaption>njcaa basketball selection shows on njcaa.tv</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710713645552.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure> The 2024 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/njcaabasketball?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZX1RnU6En70N9rIds4C6TLVRAUjTK4E5tKic6efv8zxvfP-it_CyvjXNABDXEq8YlU_bijicR3PUyalh5I7ZtSQA76Yg6REHWG6P0-Ah7YQQFjeNrlml0gT53tK6VCNT9sr1RC2R5n4LfD8ozszSPTY3SSkKOOo9TvXqCeitc5kBSRlUyEqE1AZgkOBOrV1-9w3QGhlPgWu3rQ-4B91ZJma&amp;__tn__=*NK-y-R">#NJCAABasketball</a> DI Men's Selection Show Tune into the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/njcaanetwork?__cft__[0]=AZX1RnU6En70N9rIds4C6TLVRAUjTK4E5tKic6efv8zxvfP-it_CyvjXNABDXEq8YlU_bijicR3PUyalh5I7ZtSQA76Yg6REHWG6P0-Ah7YQQFjeNrlml0gT53tK6VCNT9sr1RC2R5n4LfD8ozszSPTY3SSkKOOo9TvXqCeitc5kBSRlUyEqE1AZgkOBOrV1-9w3QGhlPgWu3rQ-4B91ZJma&amp;__tn__=-]K-y-R">NJCAA Network</a> at 6:00 PM CT today as the full 24-team bracket for Hutch is revealed!<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/road2hutch?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZX1RnU6En70N9rIds4C6TLVRAUjTK4E5tKic6efv8zxvfP-it_CyvjXNABDXEq8YlU_bijicR3PUyalh5I7ZtSQA76Yg6REHWG6P0-Ah7YQQFjeNrlml0gT53tK6VCNT9sr1RC2R5n4LfD8ozszSPTY3SSkKOOo9TvXqCeitc5kBSRlUyEqE1AZgkOBOrV1-9w3QGhlPgWu3rQ-4B91ZJma&amp;__tn__=*NK-y-R">#Road2Hutch</a> | CLICK HERE&nbsp;<a href="http://njcaa.org/network?fbclid=IwAR3biwdPQzvgYSZrwkmmEm99rmj4eA-IyTqqDVE59ora6QHJG1KJDE6TLPc" target="_blank">njcaa.org/network</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710713886700.jpeg" alt="The 2024&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/njcaabasketball?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZX1RnU6En70N9rIds4C6TLVRAUjTK4E5tKic6efv8zxvfP-it_CyvjXNABDXEq8YlU_bijicR3PUyalh5I7ZtSQA76Yg6REHWG6P0-Ah7YQQFjeNrlml0gT53tK6VCNT9sr1RC2R5n4LfD8ozszSPTY3SSkKOOo9TvXqCeitc5kBSRlUyEqE1AZgkOBOrV1-9w3QGhlPgWu3rQ-4B91ZJma&amp;__tn__=*NK-y-R">#NJCAABasketball</a>&nbsp;DI Women's Selection Show " />
 <figcaption>The 2024&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/njcaabasketball?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZX1RnU6En70N9rIds4C6TLVRAUjTK4E5tKic6efv8zxvfP-it_CyvjXNABDXEq8YlU_bijicR3PUyalh5I7ZtSQA76Yg6REHWG6P0-Ah7YQQFjeNrlml0gT53tK6VCNT9sr1RC2R5n4LfD8ozszSPTY3SSkKOOo9TvXqCeitc5kBSRlUyEqE1AZgkOBOrV1-9w3QGhlPgWu3rQ-4B91ZJma&amp;__tn__=*NK-y-R">#NJCAABasketball</a>&nbsp;DI Women's Selection Show </figcaption>
 </figure>The 2024&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/njcaabasketball?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZX1RnU6En70N9rIds4C6TLVRAUjTK4E5tKic6efv8zxvfP-it_CyvjXNABDXEq8YlU_bijicR3PUyalh5I7ZtSQA76Yg6REHWG6P0-Ah7YQQFjeNrlml0gT53tK6VCNT9sr1RC2R5n4LfD8ozszSPTY3SSkKOOo9TvXqCeitc5kBSRlUyEqE1AZgkOBOrV1-9w3QGhlPgWu3rQ-4B91ZJma&amp;__tn__=*NK-y-R">#NJCAABasketball</a>&nbsp;DI Women's Selection ShowThe 2024 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/njcaabasketball?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZUUtd7O5omeEWREq3i6vhRiVlvQ3Pbe6UecivtRGGx3m-btMZWfhw5-HWABu2Q_Q-gD8hJEq4FTNek05k9_4Ot7imeDk5oGc0IR9rozhC1tdpW-9FraeiXXLMeTr4HrSPyvKjGs4veHe11JB7b3OcnnalwL_CR2H-J6rkYs7rc90MdeIpj_S9JbUcjoIAVfPQ8&amp;__tn__=*NK-R">#NJCAABasketball</a> DI Women's Selection Show Tune into the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/njcaanetwork?__cft__[0]=AZUUtd7O5omeEWREq3i6vhRiVlvQ3Pbe6UecivtRGGx3m-btMZWfhw5-HWABu2Q_Q-gD8hJEq4FTNek05k9_4Ot7imeDk5oGc0IR9rozhC1tdpW-9FraeiXXLMeTr4HrSPyvKjGs4veHe11JB7b3OcnnalwL_CR2H-J6rkYs7rc90MdeIpj_S9JbUcjoIAVfPQ8&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">NJCAA Network</a> at 7:00 PM CT today as at-large selections and tournament seeding for Casper are announced!<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/road2casper?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZUUtd7O5omeEWREq3i6vhRiVlvQ3Pbe6UecivtRGGx3m-btMZWfhw5-HWABu2Q_Q-gD8hJEq4FTNek05k9_4Ot7imeDk5oGc0IR9rozhC1tdpW-9FraeiXXLMeTr4HrSPyvKjGs4veHe11JB7b3OcnnalwL_CR2H-J6rkYs7rc90MdeIpj_S9JbUcjoIAVfPQ8&amp;__tn__=*NK-R">#Road2Casper</a> | CLICK HERE &nbsp;<a href="http://njcaa.org/network?fbclid=IwAR0ZX4PVMuaSN2HFv8fAU-9BIN6B1s2EuGJ9ruk_9hUNrRgxhLQWSwS8vIE" target="_blank">njcaa.org/network</a>

🏀 NJCAA Basketball D1 selection shows to stream tonight

AP Sports Summary for Sunday, March 17th, 2024.

Bears trade Justin Fields to Steelers, clear way to take a QB such as Caleb Williams with No. 1 pick

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears traded quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers a 2025 sixth-round draft pick that could potentially become a fourth-rounder this year in return. The move is a strong signal the Bears will draft a QB — perhaps USC's Caleb Williams — with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Fields figures to back up Russell Wilson, who signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh on Friday.

No. 7 Iowa State blitzes No. 1 Houston in second half, wins Big 12 tourney title 69-41

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Milan Momcilovic had 18 points and Keshon Gilbert scored 16 as No. 7 Iowa State used a big second-half to rout No. 1 Houston 69-41 in the Big 12 Tournament final. The Cyclones won their sixth championship in six appearances in the title game. Iowa State came out of the locker room on an 18-3 run to turn a seven-point lead at halftime into a blowout. The Cyclones wound up outscoring the regular-season Big 12 champs 39-18 in the second half. Jamal Shead had 10 points on 3-for-17 shooting to lead Houston, which had likely already wrapped up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament next week.

No. 2 UConn beats No. 10 Marquette 73-57 to win 1st Big East Tournament title since 2011

NEW YORK (AP) — Donovan Clingan had 22 points and a career-best 16 rebounds, Jaylin Stewart gave No. 2 UConn an unexpected boost with three second-half 3-pointers during a decisive surge and the Huskies beat No. 10 Marquette 73-57 to win the Big East Tournament championship. Tournament MVP Tristen Newton added 13 points and 10 assists as the top-seeded Huskies won their eighth title, matching Georgetown for the most in conference history. It was their first since 2011, when Kemba Walker led UConn to five wins in five days — and then a national title. Kam Jones led the third-seeded Golden Eagles, the defending tournament champions, with 13 points and eight rebounds.

Bad news for the bubble: NC State and Oregon swipe bids as wild tournament results continue

WASHINGTON (AP) — Conference tournament season took an even more chaotic turn — and that's bad news for at least a couple teams on the bubble. North Carolina State's thrilling five-wins-in-five-days march through the ACC Tournament pushed one borderline team out of the NCAA Tournament. The Wolfpack were a classic bid thief, snatching their league's automatic bid as the conference's No. 10 seed. And the night wasn't over yet. Shortly after N.C. State's confetti-filled celebration in Washington began, Oregon beat Colorado 75-68 to win the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. That meant another bubble team would be bumped.

Curry scores 31 in return as Warriors defeat Lakers 128-121 despite 40 points from James

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Stephen Curry scored 31 points in his return to Golden State's lineup, Klay Thompson added 26 off the bench and the Warriors beat the Los Angeles Lakers 128-121 on Saturday night in a pivotal Western Conference matchup. LeBron James had 40 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Lakers, who had to play without Anthony Davis for the final three quarters after he suffered an eye injury. The Warriors won a game that dragged to the finish because of a pair of replay reviews — one that overturned an apparent 3-pointer by James — then a malfunctioning clock.

Xander Schauffele overcomes a 4-shot deficit to take the lead at The Players Championship

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Xander Schauffele started the day with a four-shot deficit. He had to settle for a one-shot lead over U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark at The Players Championship. Schauffele delivered another bogey-free round and shot 65. Clark was still tied until hitting some 20 yards short of the island on the par-3 17th and escaping with bogey. He shot 70. Right behind them is British Open champion Brian Harman. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is among six players within five shots of the lead on a TPC Sawgrass course where anything can happen. No one has ever won back-to-back in The Players.

NC State beats No. 4 North Carolina to win the ACC Tournament and earn an automatic NCAA bid

WASHINGTON (AP) — North Carolina State is heading back to the NCAA Tournament after beating fourth-ranked North Carolina 84-76 in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title game. DJ Horne scored 29 points and big man DJ Burns had 20 including the first 3-pointer of his college career to pull off the upset. ACC player of the year RJ Davis had a game-high 30 in defeat for the Tar Heels. UNC had already likely secured an NCAA No. 1 seed by making it to the final. N.C. State snatching an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament means trouble for other teams who are on the at-large bubble.

Wisconsin battles to 76-75 OT win over No. 3 Purdue, securing spot in Big Ten championship game

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Max Klesmit made a runner in the lane with 4.8 seconds to play in overtime and Wisconsin beat Big Ten Tournament top-seed Purdue 76-75 for a spot in the conference championship game. Klesmit's clutch shot followed his teammate Chucky Hepburn's in regulation, when Hepburn made a layup as time expired to force overtime. Hepburn finished with 22 points on Saturday. AJ Storr had 20 points and Klesmit had 12 points, five assists and five rebounds for fifth-seeded Wisconsin. Zach Edey led No. 3 Purdue with 28 points and 11 rebounds. Edey surpassed Rick Mount's school record of 2,323 career points.

KC Current hold off Portland for a 5-4 victory in their new stadium

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Vanessa DiBernardo scored the first goal for Kansas City in its new stadium and the Current held off the Portland Thorns 5-4 in the regular-season opener for the National Women's Soccer League. Debinha's rebound shot deflected off Thorns goalkeeper Shelby Hogan and fell to DiBernardo, who scored in the 22nd minute. Rookie Ellie Wheeler scored moments later and the Current built a 3-1 lead by halftime. Bia Zaneratto, Kristen Hamilton and Alex Pfeiffer added goals for the Current. Sophia Smith and Janine Beckie each had a pair of goals for the Thorns.

It's March Madness and more people than ever can legally bet on basketball games

As March Madness gets underway, more people than ever now can legally bet on sports. North Carolina became the latest state to allow online sports betting last week. A total of 38 states and the District of Columbia now allow some form of sports betting. That's up from just one state, Nevada, where people could legally wager on games before a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for expansion. The American Gaming Association estimates $2.7 billion will be bet on the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments through legal sports betting operators.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

Final	San Francisco	11	Chicago White Sox	7	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Sunday, March 17th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Sunday, March 17th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for Sunday, March 17th, 2024.Bears trade Justin Fields to Steelers, clear way to take a QB such as Caleb Williams with No. 1 pickCHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears traded quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers a 2025 sixth-round draft pick that could potentially become a fourth-rounder this year in return. The move is a strong signal the Bears will draft a QB — perhaps USC's Caleb Williams — with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Fields figures to back up Russell Wilson, who signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh on Friday.No. 7 Iowa State blitzes No. 1 Houston in second half, wins Big 12 tourney title 69-41KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Milan Momcilovic had 18 points and Keshon Gilbert scored 16 as No. 7 Iowa State used a big second-half to rout No. 1 Houston 69-41 in the Big 12 Tournament final. The Cyclones won their sixth championship in six appearances in the title game. Iowa State came out of the locker room on an 18-3 run to turn a seven-point lead at halftime into a blowout. The Cyclones wound up outscoring the regular-season Big 12 champs 39-18 in the second half. Jamal Shead had 10 points on 3-for-17 shooting to lead Houston, which had likely already wrapped up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament next week.No. 2 UConn beats No. 10 Marquette 73-57 to win 1st Big East Tournament title since 2011NEW YORK (AP) — Donovan Clingan had 22 points and a career-best 16 rebounds, Jaylin Stewart gave No. 2 UConn an unexpected boost with three second-half 3-pointers during a decisive surge and the Huskies beat No. 10 Marquette 73-57 to win the Big East Tournament championship. Tournament MVP Tristen Newton added 13 points and 10 assists as the top-seeded Huskies won their eighth title, matching Georgetown for the most in conference history. It was their first since 2011, when Kemba Walker led UConn to five wins in five days — and then a national title. Kam Jones led the third-seeded Golden Eagles, the defending tournament champions, with 13 points and eight rebounds.Bad news for the bubble: NC State and Oregon swipe bids as wild tournament results continueWASHINGTON (AP) — Conference tournament season took an even more chaotic turn — and that's bad news for at least a couple teams on the bubble. North Carolina State's thrilling five-wins-in-five-days march through the ACC Tournament pushed one borderline team out of the NCAA Tournament. The Wolfpack were a classic bid thief, snatching their league's automatic bid as the conference's No. 10 seed. And the night wasn't over yet. Shortly after N.C. State's confetti-filled celebration in Washington began, Oregon beat Colorado 75-68 to win the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. That meant another bubble team would be bumped.Curry scores 31 in return as Warriors defeat Lakers 128-121 despite 40 points from JamesLOS ANGELES (AP) — Stephen Curry scored 31 points in his return to Golden State's lineup, Klay Thompson added 26 off the bench and the Warriors beat the Los Angeles Lakers 128-121 on Saturday night in a pivotal Western Conference matchup. LeBron James had 40 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Lakers, who had to play without Anthony Davis for the final three quarters after he suffered an eye injury. The Warriors won a game that dragged to the finish because of a pair of replay reviews — one that overturned an apparent 3-pointer by James — then a malfunctioning clock.Xander Schauffele overcomes a 4-shot deficit to take the lead at The Players ChampionshipPONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Xander Schauffele started the day with a four-shot deficit. He had to settle for a one-shot lead over U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark at The Players Championship. Schauffele delivered another bogey-free round and shot 65. Clark was still tied until hitting some 20 yards short of the island on the par-3 17th and escaping with bogey. He shot 70. Right behind them is British Open champion Brian Harman. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is among six players within five shots of the lead on a TPC Sawgrass course where anything can happen. No one has ever won back-to-back in The Players.NC State beats No. 4 North Carolina to win the ACC Tournament and earn an automatic NCAA bidWASHINGTON (AP) — North Carolina State is heading back to the NCAA Tournament after beating fourth-ranked North Carolina 84-76 in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title game. DJ Horne scored 29 points and big man DJ Burns had 20 including the first 3-pointer of his college career to pull off the upset. ACC player of the year RJ Davis had a game-high 30 in defeat for the Tar Heels. UNC had already likely secured an NCAA No. 1 seed by making it to the final. N.C. State snatching an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament means trouble for other teams who are on the at-large bubble.Wisconsin battles to 76-75 OT win over No. 3 Purdue, securing spot in Big Ten championship gameMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Max Klesmit made a runner in the lane with 4.8 seconds to play in overtime and Wisconsin beat Big Ten Tournament top-seed Purdue 76-75 for a spot in the conference championship game. Klesmit's clutch shot followed his teammate Chucky Hepburn's in regulation, when Hepburn made a layup as time expired to force overtime. Hepburn finished with 22 points on Saturday. AJ Storr had 20 points and Klesmit had 12 points, five assists and five rebounds for fifth-seeded Wisconsin. Zach Edey led No. 3 Purdue with 28 points and 11 rebounds. Edey surpassed Rick Mount's school record of 2,323 career points.KC Current hold off Portland for a 5-4 victory in their new stadiumKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Vanessa DiBernardo scored the first goal for Kansas City in its new stadium and the Current held off the Portland Thorns 5-4 in the regular-season opener for the National Women's Soccer League. Debinha's rebound shot deflected off Thorns goalkeeper Shelby Hogan and fell to DiBernardo, who scored in the 22nd minute. Rookie Ellie Wheeler scored moments later and the Current built a 3-1 lead by halftime. Bia Zaneratto, Kristen Hamilton and Alex Pfeiffer added goals for the Current. Sophia Smith and Janine Beckie each had a pair of goals for the Thorns.It's March Madness and more people than ever can legally bet on basketball gamesAs March Madness gets underway, more people than ever now can legally bet on sports. North Carolina became the latest state to allow online sports betting last week. A total of 38 states and the District of Columbia now allow some form of sports betting. That's up from just one state, Nevada, where people could legally wager on games before a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for expansion. The American Gaming Association estimates $2.7 billion will be bet on the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments through legal sports betting operators.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___INTERLEAGUEFinal	Milwaukee	5	Texas	1	Final	Chicago Cubs	7	Kansas City	6	Final	Arizona	5	Texas	4	Final	Chicago Cubs	4	L.A. Angels	3	Final	San Francisco	6	Cleveland	0	Final	Detroit	6	Pittsburgh	4	Final	San Francisco	11	Chicago White Sox	7	Final	Seattle	11	Cincinnati	7	Final	Milwaukee	11	Oakland	4	Final	Colorado	11	Oakland	9	Final	N.Y. Mets	6	Houston	1	Final	L.A. Dodgers	14	Kiwoom Heroes	3	___AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Baltimore	5	Boston	4	Final	Minnesota	6	Tampa Bay	5	Final	N.Y. Yankees	10	Toronto	9	Final	Seattle	8	Chicago White Sox	2	___NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	St. Louis	8	Washington	5	Final	Pittsburgh	4	Atlanta	2	Final	Philadelphia	3	Miami	3	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Houston	117	Cleveland	103	Final	New Orleans	126	Portland	107	Final	Indiana	121	Brooklyn	100	Final	Philadelphia	109	Charlotte	98	Final	Chicago	127	Washington	98	Final	Oklahoma City	118	Memphis	112	Final	Golden State	128	L.A. Lakers	121	Final	Minnesota	119	Utah	100	Final	New York	98	Sacramento	91	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Detroit	4	Buffalo	1	Final OT	Ottawa	4	N-Y Islanders	3	Final	N-Y Rangers	7	Pittsburgh	4	Final	Arizona	4	New Jersey	1	Final	Tampa Bay	5	Florida	3	Final	Columbus	4	San Jose	2	Final	Calgary	5	Montreal	2	Final	Boston	6	Philadelphia	5	Final SO	Carolina	5	Toronto	4	Final	Dallas	4	Los Angeles	1	Final SO	St. Louis	3	Minnesota	2	Final	Washington	2	Vancouver	1	Final	Nashville	4	Seattle	1	Final OT	Colorado	3	Edmonton	2	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(7)Iowa St.	69	(1)Houston	41	Final	(2)UConn	73	(10)Marquette	57	Final	Wisconsin	76	(3)Purdue	75	Final	NC State	84	(4)North Carolina	76	Final	(12)Auburn	73	Mississippi St.	66	Final	(13)Illinois	98	Nebraska	87	___MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCERFinal	Chicago	4	CF Montréal	3	Final	Miami	3	D.C. United	1	Final tie	Colorado	1	Seattle	1	Final	Columbus	3	New York	0	Final	New York City FC	2	Toronto FC	1	Final tie	Philadelphia	2	Austin FC	2	Final	Vancouver	3	FC Dallas	1	Final	Houston	1	Portland	0	Final	Sporting Kansas City	2	San Jose	1	Final	Minnesota	2	Los Angeles FC	0	Final	Nashville	2	Charlotte FC	1	Final tie	St Louis City	3	LA Galaxy	3	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE		Korea	at	San Diego	6 a.m.			Boston	at	Atlanta	1:05 p.m.			Atlanta	at	Baltimore	1:05 p.m.			Toronto	at	Philadelphia	1:05 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	Pittsburgh	1:05 p.m.			Houston	at	St. Louis	1:05 p.m.			Texas	at	Chi Cubs	4:05 p.m.			L-A Angels	at	Arizona	4:10 p.m.			Arizona	at	Seattle	4:10 p.m.			Cincinnati	at	Cleveland	7:05 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	Kansas City	7:05 p.m.			San Diego	at	LG Twins	11 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		N-Y Yankees	at	Boston	1:05 p.m.			Baltimore	at	Detroit	1:05 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Toronto	1:07 p.m.			Chi White Sox	at	Oakland	4:05 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		N-Y Mets	at	Washington	1:05 p.m.			Miami	at	N-Y Mets	1:10 p.m.			Colorado	at	San Francisco	4:05 p.m.	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Phoenix	at	Milwaukee	1 p.m.			Miami	at	Detroit	3 p.m.			Denver	at	Dallas	3:30 p.m.			Boston	at	Washington	6 p.m.			Toronto	at	Orlando	6 p.m.			Brooklyn	at	San Antonio	7 p.m.			Atlanta	at	L.A. Clippers	9:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		N-Y Islanders	at	N-Y Rangers	1 p.m.			New Jersey	at	Vegas	3:30 p.m.			Carolina	at	Ottawa	6 p.m.			Detroit	at	Pittsburgh	6 p.m.			San Jose	at	Chicago	6 p.m.			Winnipeg	at	Columbus	6 p.m.			Anaheim	at	St. Louis	7 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		Florida	at	(12)Auburn	1 p.m.			Wisconsin	at	(13)Illinois	3:30 p.m.	___MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER		Cincinnati	at	New England	2 p.m.			Orlando City	at	Atlanta	7 p.m.	___

📢📰 Sports Headlines for Sunday

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 16 Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team had no answer for No. 1 Barton, falling 74-57 in the Region VI Tournament championship game on Saturday evening.&nbsp;

Hutchinson is now 26-6 overall and will await the NJCAA Tournament Selection Show on Sunday evening to see if its season will continue as an at-large bid.

Barton showed why it is the No. 1 team in the country, building a 40-23 lead at halftime.

The Cougars kept the foot down to start the second half, opening the half on a 15-3 run and building a 29-point lead, 55-26.

The Blue Dragons showed they weren't going to go down quietly. Hutchinson went on a 12-4 run to pull within 59-38 with just over 12 minutes to play.

Hutchinson pulled within 12 with 5:58 to play following a Kernan Bundy turnaround jumper to cap a 13-0 Blue Dragon run.

The Blue Dragons then got within 10, 65-55 after a Kobe Smith shot, but HutchCC never got any closer than that.

Barton finished the game on a 7-2 run to pull away and claim the region title.

Hutchinson was led by Valentino Simon and Kam Thomas each with 13 points, while Kernan Bundy had 11.

Barton was led by Hutchinson native, Myles Thompson with 24 points and nine rebounds.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710633770205.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 16 Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team had no answer for No. 1 Barton, falling 74-57 in the Region VI Tournament championship game on Saturday evening.&nbsp;Hutchinson is now 26-6 overall and will await the NJCAA Tournament Selection Show on Sunday evening to see if its season will continue as an at-large bid.Barton showed why it is the No. 1 team in the country, building a 40-23 lead at halftime.The Cougars kept the foot down to start the second half, opening the half on a 15-3 run and building a 29-point lead, 55-26.The Blue Dragons showed they weren't going to go down quietly. Hutchinson went on a 12-4 run to pull within 59-38 with just over 12 minutes to play.Hutchinson pulled within 12 with 5:58 to play following a Kernan Bundy turnaround jumper to cap a 13-0 Blue Dragon run.The Blue Dragons then got within 10, 65-55 after a Kobe Smith shot, but HutchCC never got any closer than that.Barton finished the game on a 7-2 run to pull away and claim the region title.Hutchinson was led by Valentino Simon and Kam Thomas each with 13 points, while Kernan Bundy had 11.Barton was led by Hutchinson native, Myles Thompson with 24 points and nine rebounds.

🏀 MBB: Blue Dragon comeback bid falls short in region title game

<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2023-24/boxscores/20240316_0upw.xml?view=boxscore">BOX SCORE</a>

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 1 Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team claimed its ninth Region VI title in program history with a 54-52 win over Butler on Saturday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons earn the automatic bid to the NJCAA DI women's basketball national tournament held in Casper, Wyoming March 26-April 1.

Hutchinson will head to the national tournament with a 33-0 overall record.

Kiki Smith scored the go-ahead layup with 5.6 seconds to go, giving the Blue Dragons the 54-52 lead.&nbsp;

Butler, after a missed Smith free throw called a timeout and advanced the ball into the Grizzly front court. Maycee James' shot attempt fell short and was rebounded by the Blue Dragons to seal the victory.

Hutchinson built a 27-23 lead at halftime, but saw the Grizzlies come back in the second half and hold a four point lead in the first minute of the fourth quarter.

The final period featured both teams trading leads back and forth, in total there were six ties and six lead changes. Hutchinson led by as many as seven in the first half, while the four-point lead was the largest Butler had.

Hailey Jackson finished with a game-high 15 points, 12 of which came in the fourth quarter. Smith had 13, while Monae Duffy finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.

Butler was led by Randi Harding with 14 points, while Freddie Wallace had 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Blue Dragons will now await their NJCAA Tournament seed, which will be announced in the NJCAA Tournament Selection Show on Sunday at 7 p.m.

Sean Boston will be making the trip to Casper to broadcast each and every HutchCC game in the national tournament on KHMY-FM (93.1).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710627847695.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2023-24/boxscores/20240316_0upw.xml?view=boxscore">BOX SCORE</a>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 1 Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team claimed its ninth Region VI title in program history with a 54-52 win over Butler on Saturday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.The Blue Dragons earn the automatic bid to the NJCAA DI women's basketball national tournament held in Casper, Wyoming March 26-April 1.Hutchinson will head to the national tournament with a 33-0 overall record.Kiki Smith scored the go-ahead layup with 5.6 seconds to go, giving the Blue Dragons the 54-52 lead.&nbsp;Butler, after a missed Smith free throw called a timeout and advanced the ball into the Grizzly front court. Maycee James' shot attempt fell short and was rebounded by the Blue Dragons to seal the victory.Hutchinson built a 27-23 lead at halftime, but saw the Grizzlies come back in the second half and hold a four point lead in the first minute of the fourth quarter.The final period featured both teams trading leads back and forth, in total there were six ties and six lead changes. Hutchinson led by as many as seven in the first half, while the four-point lead was the largest Butler had.Hailey Jackson finished with a game-high 15 points, 12 of which came in the fourth quarter. Smith had 13, while Monae Duffy finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.Butler was led by Randi Harding with 14 points, while Freddie Wallace had 11 points and nine rebounds.The Blue Dragons will now await their NJCAA Tournament seed, which will be announced in the NJCAA Tournament Selection Show on Sunday at 7 p.m.Sean Boston will be making the trip to Casper to broadcast each and every HutchCC game in the national tournament on KHMY-FM (93.1).

🏀 WBB: Blue Dragons claim region title and remain unbeaten

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 16 Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team plays No. 1 Barton in the Region VI Tournament championship game at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.

You can listen to the game on KHUT-FM (102.9) and KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5). You can also listen by <a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">clicking here</a>.

Glen Grunwald (play-by-play) and Dan Naccarato (color) will have the call.

There will also be a live video stream available to purchase through the KJCCC Sports Network by <a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/?B=1002959">clicking here</a>.

The winner of the championship game earns an automatic bid to the NJCAA DI Men's Basketball National Tournament, March 24-30 in Hutchinson.

Region VI Men's First Round Games (8) Coffeyville 88, (9) Pratt 77 (5) Cloud County 79, (12) Colby 54 (6) Garden City 78, (11) Seward County 65 (7) NW Tech 85, (10) Dodge City 74&nbsp;&nbsp;

Region VI Men's Quarterfinal Games (1) Barton 83, (8) Coffeyville 72 (2) Cowley 87, (7) NW Tech 69 (3) Hutchinson 88, (6) Garden City 87 (OT) (4) Butler 77, (5) Cloud County 69

Region VI Men's Semifinal Games (1) Barton 79, (4) Butler 76 (3) Hutchinson 89,&nbsp;(2) Cowley 83

Region VI Men's Championship Game 5 p.m. - (1) Barton vs. (3) Hutchinson

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710423202921.jpeg" alt="Hutchinson Sports Arena/Sean Boston" />
 <figcaption>Hutchinson Sports Arena/Sean Boston</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 16 Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team plays No. 1 Barton in the Region VI Tournament championship game at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.You can listen to the game on KHUT-FM (102.9) and KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5). You can also listen by <a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">clicking here</a>.Glen Grunwald (play-by-play) and Dan Naccarato (color) will have the call.There will also be a live video stream available to purchase through the KJCCC Sports Network by <a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/?B=1002959">clicking here</a>.The winner of the championship game earns an automatic bid to the NJCAA DI Men's Basketball National Tournament, March 24-30 in Hutchinson.Region VI Men's First Round Games (8) Coffeyville 88, (9) Pratt 77 (5) Cloud County 79, (12) Colby 54 (6) Garden City 78, (11) Seward County 65 (7) NW Tech 85, (10) Dodge City 74&nbsp;&nbsp;Region VI Men's Quarterfinal Games (1) Barton 83, (8) Coffeyville 72 (2) Cowley 87, (7) NW Tech 69 (3) Hutchinson 88, (6) Garden City 87 (OT) (4) Butler 77, (5) Cloud County 69Region VI Men's Semifinal Games (1) Barton 79, (4) Butler 76 (3) Hutchinson 89,&nbsp;(2) Cowley 83Region VI Men's Championship Game 5 p.m. - (1) Barton vs. (3) Hutchinson

🎧 LISTEN: No. 16 HutchCC men vs. No. 1 Barton in Region VI championship game

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 1 Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team plays the Butler Grizzlies in the Region VI Tournament championship game at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Sean Boston (play-by-play) and Dan Naccarato (color) will have the call.

There will also be a live video stream available to purchase through the KJCCC Sports Network by <a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/?B=1002957">clicking here</a>.

The winner of the championship game earns an automatic bid to the NJCAA DI Women's Basketball National Tournament, March 26-April 1 in Casper, Wyoming.

Region VI Women's First Round Games (9) Cloud County 73, (8) Cowley 67 (5) Coffeyville 67, (12) Colby 52 (7) Garden City 78, (10) Independence 71 (6) Seward County 56, (11) Pratt 50&nbsp;&nbsp;

Region VI Women's Quarterfinal Games (1) Hutchinson 90, (9) Cloud County 56 (2) Dodge City 92, (7) Garden City 57 (3) Butler 75, (6) Seward County 58 (4) Barton 67, (5) Coffeyville 43

Region VI Women's Semifinal Games (1) Hutchinson 49, (4) Barton 39 (3) Butler 65, (2) Dodge City 52&nbsp;

Region VI Women's Championship Game 3 p.m. - (1) Hutchinson vs. (3) Butler

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710423202921.jpeg" alt="Hutchinson Sports Arena/Sean Boston" />
 <figcaption>Hutchinson Sports Arena/Sean Boston</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 1 Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team plays the Butler Grizzlies in the Region VI Tournament championship game at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.You can listen to the game on KHUT-FM (102.9) and KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5). You can also listen by <a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">clicking here</a>.Sean Boston (play-by-play) and Dan Naccarato (color) will have the call.There will also be a live video stream available to purchase through the KJCCC Sports Network by <a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/?B=1002957">clicking here</a>.The winner of the championship game earns an automatic bid to the NJCAA DI Women's Basketball National Tournament, March 26-April 1 in Casper, Wyoming.Region VI Women's First Round Games (9) Cloud County 73, (8) Cowley 67 (5) Coffeyville 67, (12) Colby 52 (7) Garden City 78, (10) Independence 71 (6) Seward County 56, (11) Pratt 50&nbsp;&nbsp;Region VI Women's Quarterfinal Games (1) Hutchinson 90, (9) Cloud County 56 (2) Dodge City 92, (7) Garden City 57 (3) Butler 75, (6) Seward County 58 (4) Barton 67, (5) Coffeyville 43Region VI Women's Semifinal Games (1) Hutchinson 49, (4) Barton 39 (3) Butler 65, (2) Dodge City 52&nbsp;Region VI Women's Championship Game 3 p.m. - (1) Hutchinson vs. (3) Butler

🎧 LISTEN: No. 1 HutchCC women vs. Butler in Region VI championship game

AP Sports Summary for Friday, March 16th, 2024.

Aaron Donald announces his retirement after a standout 10-year career with the Rams

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Defensive lineman Aaron Donald has announced his retirement after a standout 10-year career with the Los Angeles Rams. The three-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year made his surprising announcement on social media. Donald spent his entire career with the Rams, who drafted him in the first round in 2014. He was selected for 10 Pro Bowls and eight All-Pro first teams, and he won the award as the league's top defensive player in 2017, 2018 and 2020. He was the cornerstone of every Rams defense during his career, drawing habitual double-teams away from his teammates and still racking up 111 total sacks.

Conferences and Notre Dame agree on 6-year deal to continue College Football Playoff through 2031

The nine Bowl Subdivision conferences and Notre Dame have reached an agreement on a six-year deal to continue the College Football Playoff through the 2031 season. The move establishes a revenue-sharing plan and allows the CFP to finalize a new media rights agreement. Executive Director Bill Hancock says the agreement doesn't lock in a format for the CFP for 2026 and beyond. The playoff is expanding this season from four teams to 12, but that number could grow after the current contract with ESPN expires after the 2025 season. The new deal guarantees playoff access for at least five conferences through 2031.

Wyndham Clark sets a big target at The Players Championship. Scheffler coping with pain in his neck

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Wyndham Clark is leading The Players Championship by four shots after another 65. The big concern was for Scottie Scheffler. The No. 1 player in the world felt pain in his neck area on his second hole of the day and was trying to just finish the round. Scheffler shot 69 and was six back. It was his 25th consecutive round under par. Scheffler had treatment on the course and after his round. Clark is tough even in the best of circumstances. The U.S. Open champion opened his second nine with four straight birdies and shot 30.

Sakkari outlasts Gauff in 3 sets of rain-delayed semi at Indian Wells. She plays Swiatek for title.

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Maria Sakkari outlasted Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-2 after blowing three match points in the second set of their rain-delayed semifinal at the BNP Paribas Open. Sakkari advanced to Sunday's final against top-ranked Iga Swiatek. She routed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-2, 6-1 in the other semi. Swiatek has beaten Sakkari in three of their five meetings. There were delays of 20 minutes and two hours in the Sakkari-Gauff match. An hour and 10 minutes after holding three match points, Sakkari earned her fourth with a forehand winner. She closed out the match on Gauff's forehand error.

Baseball superstar Ohtani and his wife arrive in South Korea for Dodgers-Padres MLB opener

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Shohei Ohtani and his wife have arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates ahead of their season-opening Major League Baseball games against the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon international airport west of Seoul. His wife Mamiko Tanaka walked behind him. Before departing for South Korea, Ohtani revealed the identify of his wife by posting a photo of him and Tanaka, an ex-professional basketball player, on his Instagram account.

Jokic scores 31, Nuggets top Spurs 117-106 in front of record crowd in Texas' capital city

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Nikola Jokic scored 31 points and the Denver Nuggets beat San Antonio 117-106 on Friday night in a game played in the Texas capital as the Spurs drew a record crowd in their bid to broaden their regional fan base. Jamal Murray added 15 points and 10 assists for Denver, which won its fifth straight game and for the 11th time in 12 games to remain atop the Western Conference standings. Jeremy Sochan scored 19 points and Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama each had 17 points for San Antonio, which lost its third straight. The game proved a popular choice as the Spurs set the attendance record for a sporting event at the Moody Center with 16,223 on Friday.

Antelope Valley was the college basketball team without a college. Its season has come to an end

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Antelope Valley men's basketball team is done after one of the stranger seasons in recent memory. The Pioneers lost in the first round of the NAIA men's national tournament and finished with a 26-5 record. The private university in Lancaster, California, announced it was closing on March 6 because of financial difficulties, which potentially could have ended the basketball team's season early. But men's basketball coach Jordan Mast started a GoFundMe page that raised nearly $50,000, which contributed to travel costs to finish out their season.

Cryer helps No. 1 Houston ride big second half to 82-59 rout of No. 25 Texas Tech in Big 12 tourney

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — L.J. Cryer hit six 3-pointers and scored 20 points as top-ranked Houston used a big second half to rout No. 25 Texas Tech 82-59 in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament. The Cougars will play seventh-ranked Iowa State for the title on Saturday night. Houston went most of the way without big man J'Wan Roberts, who hurt his leg early in the game and only played a few minutes in each half. It hardly mattered as the Cougars used a 17-0 second-half run to pull away. Chance McMillian had 15 points and Joe Toussaint had 10 for Texas Tech.

Newton leads No. 2 UConn past St. John's 95-90 and into first Big East title game since 2011

NEW YORK (AP) — Tristen Newton had 25 points and nine assists as No. 2 UConn advanced to the Big East championship game with a rollicking 95-90 victory over St. John's at Madison Square Garden. Cam Spencer added 20 points and nine assists for the top-seeded Huskies, who will face 10th-ranked Marquette on Saturday night. It's the 11th appearance in the Big East final for Connecticut and first since Kemba Walker carried the team to its most recent title in 2011. UConn had been 0-3 in conference semifinals since rejoining the league for the 2020-21 season. Daniss Jenkins scored 27 for fifth-seeded St. John's.

No. 9 seed Mississippi State stuns 5th-ranked Tennessee in SEC quarterfinals 73-56

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Cameron Matthews and Josh Hubbard each scored 18 points and ninth-seeded Mississippi State simply dominated fifth-ranked Tennessee 73-56 in the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals. The victory should push the Bulldogs firmly off the NCAA Tournament bubble with their second win over the SEC's regular season champions. They will play in the semifinals Saturday for the first time since winning this event in 2009. The Bulldogs held AP SEC Player of the Year Dalton Knecht to 14 points. Tennessee hurt its hopes for the first No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament in program history with a second straight loss.

		Kansas City	at	Cincinnati	4:05 p.m.	(Canceled)

		San Francisco	at	Oakland	4:05 p.m.	(Canceled)

Final	Chicago White Sox	3	Chicago Cubs	2	

		Seattle	at	L-A Angels	4:10 p.m.	(Canceled)

		Arizona	at	Milwaukee	4:10 p.m.	(Canceled)

Final	(4)North Carolina	72	Pittsburgh	65	

Final	Mississippi St.	73	(5)Tennessee	56	

Final	(12)Auburn	86	(15)South Carolina	55	

		San Francisco	at	Chi White Sox	4:05 p.m.	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Saturday, March 16th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Saturday, March 16th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for Friday, March 16th, 2024.Aaron Donald announces his retirement after a standout 10-year career with the RamsLOS ANGELES (AP) — Defensive lineman Aaron Donald has announced his retirement after a standout 10-year career with the Los Angeles Rams. The three-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year made his surprising announcement on social media. Donald spent his entire career with the Rams, who drafted him in the first round in 2014. He was selected for 10 Pro Bowls and eight All-Pro first teams, and he won the award as the league's top defensive player in 2017, 2018 and 2020. He was the cornerstone of every Rams defense during his career, drawing habitual double-teams away from his teammates and still racking up 111 total sacks.Conferences and Notre Dame agree on 6-year deal to continue College Football Playoff through 2031The nine Bowl Subdivision conferences and Notre Dame have reached an agreement on a six-year deal to continue the College Football Playoff through the 2031 season. The move establishes a revenue-sharing plan and allows the CFP to finalize a new media rights agreement. Executive Director Bill Hancock says the agreement doesn't lock in a format for the CFP for 2026 and beyond. The playoff is expanding this season from four teams to 12, but that number could grow after the current contract with ESPN expires after the 2025 season. The new deal guarantees playoff access for at least five conferences through 2031.Wyndham Clark sets a big target at The Players Championship. Scheffler coping with pain in his neckPONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Wyndham Clark is leading The Players Championship by four shots after another 65. The big concern was for Scottie Scheffler. The No. 1 player in the world felt pain in his neck area on his second hole of the day and was trying to just finish the round. Scheffler shot 69 and was six back. It was his 25th consecutive round under par. Scheffler had treatment on the course and after his round. Clark is tough even in the best of circumstances. The U.S. Open champion opened his second nine with four straight birdies and shot 30.Sakkari outlasts Gauff in 3 sets of rain-delayed semi at Indian Wells. She plays Swiatek for title.INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Maria Sakkari outlasted Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-2 after blowing three match points in the second set of their rain-delayed semifinal at the BNP Paribas Open. Sakkari advanced to Sunday's final against top-ranked Iga Swiatek. She routed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-2, 6-1 in the other semi. Swiatek has beaten Sakkari in three of their five meetings. There were delays of 20 minutes and two hours in the Sakkari-Gauff match. An hour and 10 minutes after holding three match points, Sakkari earned her fourth with a forehand winner. She closed out the match on Gauff's forehand error.Baseball superstar Ohtani and his wife arrive in South Korea for Dodgers-Padres MLB openerSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Shohei Ohtani and his wife have arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates ahead of their season-opening Major League Baseball games against the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon international airport west of Seoul. His wife Mamiko Tanaka walked behind him. Before departing for South Korea, Ohtani revealed the identify of his wife by posting a photo of him and Tanaka, an ex-professional basketball player, on his Instagram account.Jokic scores 31, Nuggets top Spurs 117-106 in front of record crowd in Texas' capital cityAUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Nikola Jokic scored 31 points and the Denver Nuggets beat San Antonio 117-106 on Friday night in a game played in the Texas capital as the Spurs drew a record crowd in their bid to broaden their regional fan base. Jamal Murray added 15 points and 10 assists for Denver, which won its fifth straight game and for the 11th time in 12 games to remain atop the Western Conference standings. Jeremy Sochan scored 19 points and Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama each had 17 points for San Antonio, which lost its third straight. The game proved a popular choice as the Spurs set the attendance record for a sporting event at the Moody Center with 16,223 on Friday.Antelope Valley was the college basketball team without a college. Its season has come to an endGLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Antelope Valley men's basketball team is done after one of the stranger seasons in recent memory. The Pioneers lost in the first round of the NAIA men's national tournament and finished with a 26-5 record. The private university in Lancaster, California, announced it was closing on March 6 because of financial difficulties, which potentially could have ended the basketball team's season early. But men's basketball coach Jordan Mast started a GoFundMe page that raised nearly $50,000, which contributed to travel costs to finish out their season.Cryer helps No. 1 Houston ride big second half to 82-59 rout of No. 25 Texas Tech in Big 12 tourneyKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — L.J. Cryer hit six 3-pointers and scored 20 points as top-ranked Houston used a big second half to rout No. 25 Texas Tech 82-59 in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament. The Cougars will play seventh-ranked Iowa State for the title on Saturday night. Houston went most of the way without big man J'Wan Roberts, who hurt his leg early in the game and only played a few minutes in each half. It hardly mattered as the Cougars used a 17-0 second-half run to pull away. Chance McMillian had 15 points and Joe Toussaint had 10 for Texas Tech.Newton leads No. 2 UConn past St. John's 95-90 and into first Big East title game since 2011NEW YORK (AP) — Tristen Newton had 25 points and nine assists as No. 2 UConn advanced to the Big East championship game with a rollicking 95-90 victory over St. John's at Madison Square Garden. Cam Spencer added 20 points and nine assists for the top-seeded Huskies, who will face 10th-ranked Marquette on Saturday night. It's the 11th appearance in the Big East final for Connecticut and first since Kemba Walker carried the team to its most recent title in 2011. UConn had been 0-3 in conference semifinals since rejoining the league for the 2020-21 season. Daniss Jenkins scored 27 for fifth-seeded St. John's.No. 9 seed Mississippi State stuns 5th-ranked Tennessee in SEC quarterfinals 73-56NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Cameron Matthews and Josh Hubbard each scored 18 points and ninth-seeded Mississippi State simply dominated fifth-ranked Tennessee 73-56 in the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals. The victory should push the Bulldogs firmly off the NCAA Tournament bubble with their second win over the SEC's regular season champions. They will play in the semifinals Saturday for the first time since winning this event in 2009. The Bulldogs held AP SEC Player of the Year Dalton Knecht to 14 points. Tennessee hurt its hopes for the first No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament in program history with a second straight loss.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___INTERLEAGUE		Kansas City	at	Cincinnati	4:05 p.m.	(Canceled)		San Francisco	at	Oakland	4:05 p.m.	(Canceled)		Texas	at	Colorado	4:10 p.m.	(Canceled)Final	Detroit	6	Atlanta	1	Final	Chicago White Sox	3	Chicago Cubs	2	Final	Houston	5	Philadelphia	3	Final	Pittsburgh	6	N.Y. Yankees	2	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		Seattle	at	L-A Angels	4:10 p.m.	(Canceled)Final	Tampa Bay	7	Baltimore	2	Final	Detroit	9	Toronto	6	Final	Cleveland	6	Kansas City	1	Final	Boston	8	Minnesota	5	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		Arizona	at	Milwaukee	4:10 p.m.	(Canceled)Final	Washington	7	N.Y. Mets	3	Final	Miami	8	St. Louis	4	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Miami	108	Detroit	95	Final	Phoenix	107	Charlotte	96	Final	Orlando	113	Toronto	103	Final	New Orleans	112	L.A. Clippers	104	Final	Denver	117	San Antonio	106	Final	Utah	124	Atlanta	122	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Winnipeg	6	Anaheim	0	Final	Los Angeles	5	Chicago	0	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(1)Houston	82	(25)Texas Tech	59	Final	(2)UConn	95	St. John's	90	Final	(3)Purdue	67	Michigan St.	62	Final	(4)North Carolina	72	Pittsburgh	65	Final	Mississippi St.	73	(5)Tennessee	56	Final	Oregon	67	(6)Arizona	59	Final	(7)Iowa St.	76	(14)Baylor	62	Final	Texas A&amp;M	97	(9)Kentucky	87	Final	(10)Marquette	79	Providence	68	Final	(12)Auburn	86	(15)South Carolina	55	Final	(13)Illinois	77	Ohio St.	74	Final	San Diego St.	86	(18)Utah St.	70	Final	Florida	102	(19)Alabama	88	Final	Colorado	58	(22)Washington St.	52	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE		Kansas City	at	Chi Cubs	4:05 p.m.			San Francisco	at	Chi White Sox	4:05 p.m.			Seattle	at	Cincinnati	4:05 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	Oakland	4:05 p.m.			Detroit	at	Pittsburgh	4:05 p.m.			Cleveland	at	San Francisco	4:05 p.m.			Arizona	at	Texas	4:05 p.m.			Oakland	at	Colorado	4:10 p.m.			Chi Cubs	at	L-A Angels	4:10 p.m.			Texas	at	Milwaukee	4:10 p.m.			N-Y Mets	at	Houston	6:05 p.m.			L-A Dodgers	at	Kiwoom Heroes	11 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		Boston	at	Baltimore	1:05 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	Minnesota	1:05 p.m.			Toronto	at	N-Y Yankees	1:05 p.m.			Chi White Sox	at	Seattle	4:10 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		St. Louis	at	Washington	12:05 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Miami	1:10 p.m.			Pittsburgh	at	Atlanta	6:05 p.m.	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Cleveland	at	Houston	5 p.m.			Brooklyn	at	Indiana	7 p.m.			Charlotte	at	Philadelphia	7 p.m.			Portland	at	New Orleans	7 p.m.			Oklahoma City	at	Memphis	8 p.m.			Washington	at	Chicago	8 p.m.			Golden State	at	L.A. Lakers	8:30 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Utah	9:30 p.m.			New York	at	Sacramento	10 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Buffalo	at	Detroit	12:30 p.m.			Ottawa	at	N-Y Islanders	12:30 p.m.			N-Y Rangers	at	Pittsburgh	3 p.m.			New Jersey	at	Arizona	5 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	Florida	6 p.m.			Carolina	at	Toronto	7 p.m.			Montreal	at	Calgary	7 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Boston	7 p.m.			San Jose	at	Columbus	7 p.m.			Los Angeles	at	Dallas	8 p.m.			Minnesota	at	St. Louis	8 p.m.			Colorado	at	Edmonton	10 p.m.			Nashville	at	Seattle	10 p.m.			Washington	at	Vancouver	10 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		(7)Iowa St.	at	(1)Houston	6 p.m.			(10)Marquette	at	(2)UConn	6:30 p.m.			Wisconsin	at	(3)Purdue	1 p.m.			NC State	at	(4)North Carolina	8:30 p.m.			Mississippi St.	at	(12)Auburn	1 p.m.			Nebraska	at	(13)Illinois	3:30 p.m.	___MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER		CF Montréal	at	Chicago	2 p.m.			Miami	at	D.C. United	2 p.m.			Colorado	at	Seattle	3:30 p.m.			New York	at	Columbus	7:30 p.m.			Toronto FC	at	New York City FC	7:30 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Austin FC	8:30 p.m.			Vancouver	at	FC Dallas	8:30 p.m.			Portland	at	Houston	8:30 p.m.			San Jose	at	Sporting Kansas City	8:30 p.m.			Los Angeles FC	at	Minnesota	8:30 p.m.			Charlotte FC	at	Nashville	8:30 p.m.			St Louis City	at	LA Galaxy	10:30 p.m.	___

📢📰 Sports Headlines for Saturday

<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2023-24/boxscores/20240315_0mfm.xml?view=boxscore">BOX SCORE</a>

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 16 Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team knocked off No. 11 Cowley College, 89-83 in the Region VI semifinal on Friday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.&nbsp;

The Blue Dragons advance to the Region VI championship game for the 31st time in program history. Hutchinson will face No. 1 Barton on Saturday at 5 p.m. in the Sports Arena.

Hutchinson built a comfortable 42-27 halftime lead thanks to a hot shooting performance. The Blue Dragons knocked down 16-of-30 shots in the first half, including six 3-pointers.&nbsp;

Cowley struggled to produce in the half, going just 8-of-31 and 1-of-8 from the 3-point line. Despite the struggles from the floor, the Tigers did knock down 10-of-12 free throw shots.

The Tigers turned up the defense in the second half, leading to multiple points off turnovers. Cowley finished with 30 points off of 20 Blue Dragon turnovers.&nbsp;

The Tigers knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to start the second half and pull within 42-33.&nbsp;

Hutchinson responded by scoring the games next seven points to push the lead back to 49-33.

Cowley did not go away though, continuing to take advantage of Blue Dragon turnovers. The Tigers pulled within six with 1:56 to play after Hutchinson led by as many as 19.

The Tigers then pulled within three, 86-83 with 19 seconds remaining following a 3-pointer from Jeff Nwankwo.

J.P. Ricks was then fouled and knocked down 1-of-2 from the foul stripe to put Hutch up four. After a missed Cowley shot, Kam Thomas was fouled and delivered both free throws to put the Blue Dragons in front 89-83 with 2.1 seconds to play and put the game on ice.

Thomas finished with a team-high 23 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Kobe Smith scored 17 big points off the bench, 12 of which came in the second half. Kernan Bundy added 14 off the bench, while JP Ricks (12 points) and Russell Branch (10 points) each scored in double figures, as well.

Nwankwo led the Cowley offense with a game-high 27 points, while Corey Thomas had 17.

The Blue Dragons knocked down 30-of-40 free throw attempts compared to 23-of-34 for the Tigers.&nbsp;

With the win, the Blue Dragons should have secured at least an at-large bid in the upcoming NJCAA Tournament.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710558496896.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2023-24/boxscores/20240315_0mfm.xml?view=boxscore">BOX SCORE</a>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 16 Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team knocked off No. 11 Cowley College, 89-83 in the Region VI semifinal on Friday at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.&nbsp;The Blue Dragons advance to the Region VI championship game for the 31st time in program history. Hutchinson will face No. 1 Barton on Saturday at 5 p.m. in the Sports Arena.Hutchinson built a comfortable 42-27 halftime lead thanks to a hot shooting performance. The Blue Dragons knocked down 16-of-30 shots in the first half, including six 3-pointers.&nbsp;Cowley struggled to produce in the half, going just 8-of-31 and 1-of-8 from the 3-point line. Despite the struggles from the floor, the Tigers did knock down 10-of-12 free throw shots.The Tigers turned up the defense in the second half, leading to multiple points off turnovers. Cowley finished with 30 points off of 20 Blue Dragon turnovers.&nbsp;The Tigers knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to start the second half and pull within 42-33.&nbsp;Hutchinson responded by scoring the games next seven points to push the lead back to 49-33.Cowley did not go away though, continuing to take advantage of Blue Dragon turnovers. The Tigers pulled within six with 1:56 to play after Hutchinson led by as many as 19.The Tigers then pulled within three, 86-83 with 19 seconds remaining following a 3-pointer from Jeff Nwankwo.J.P. Ricks was then fouled and knocked down 1-of-2 from the foul stripe to put Hutch up four. After a missed Cowley shot, Kam Thomas was fouled and delivered both free throws to put the Blue Dragons in front 89-83 with 2.1 seconds to play and put the game on ice.Thomas finished with a team-high 23 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Kobe Smith scored 17 big points off the bench, 12 of which came in the second half. Kernan Bundy added 14 off the bench, while JP Ricks (12 points) and Russell Branch (10 points) each scored in double figures, as well.Nwankwo led the Cowley offense with a game-high 27 points, while Corey Thomas had 17.The Blue Dragons knocked down 30-of-40 free throw attempts compared to 23-of-34 for the Tigers.&nbsp;With the win, the Blue Dragons should have secured at least an at-large bid in the upcoming NJCAA Tournament.

🏀 MBB: Blue Dragons top Cowley, advance to Region VI championship

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 16 Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team plays No. 11 Cowley in the semifinals of the Region VI Tournament at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

You can listen to the game on KHUT-FM (102.9), the flagship station of Blue Dragon athletics. You can also listen by <a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">clicking here</a>.

There will also be a live video stream available to purchase through the KJCCC Sports Network by <a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/?B=1002961">clicking here</a>.

The winner of this semifinal will play the winner of Barton and Butler, which will be played at 3 p.m. in the Sports Arena. The championship game will be played on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Region VI Men's Quarterfinal Games (1) Barton 83, (8) Coffeyville 72 (2) Cowley 87, (7) NW Tech 69 (3) Hutchinson 88, (6) Garden City 87 (OT) (4) Butler 77, (5) Cloud County 69

Region VI Men's Semifinal Games 3 p.m. - (1) Barton vs. (4) Butler 7:30 p.m. - (2) Cowley vs. (3) Hutchinson

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710423202921.jpeg" alt="Hutchinson Sports Arena/Sean Boston" />
 <figcaption>Hutchinson Sports Arena/Sean Boston</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 16 Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team plays No. 11 Cowley in the semifinals of the Region VI Tournament at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.You can listen to the game on KHUT-FM (102.9), the flagship station of Blue Dragon athletics. You can also listen by <a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">clicking here</a>.Glen Grunwald (play-by-play) and Dan Naccarato (color) will have the call.There will also be a live video stream available to purchase through the KJCCC Sports Network by <a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/?B=1002961">clicking here</a>.The winner of this semifinal will play the winner of Barton and Butler, which will be played at 3 p.m. in the Sports Arena. The championship game will be played on Saturday at 5 p.m.Region VI Men's First Round Games (8) Coffeyville 88, (9) Pratt 77 (5) Cloud County 79, (12) Colby 54 (6) Garden City 78, (11) Seward County 65 (7) NW Tech 85, (10) Dodge City 74&nbsp;&nbsp;Region VI Men's Quarterfinal Games (1) Barton 83, (8) Coffeyville 72 (2) Cowley 87, (7) NW Tech 69 (3) Hutchinson 88, (6) Garden City 87 (OT) (4) Butler 77, (5) Cloud County 69Region VI Men's Semifinal Games 3 p.m. - (1) Barton vs. (4) Butler 7:30 p.m. - (2) Cowley vs. (3) Hutchinson

🎧 LISTEN: No. 16 HutchCC men vs. Cowley in Region VI semifinal

<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2023-24/boxscores/20240315_asp7.xml">BOX SCORE</a>

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 1 Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team punched its ticket to the Region VI Tournament championship game following a 49-39 win over Barton on Friday afternoon in the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons are now 32-0 overall, and will play in the Region VI championship game for the 11th time in program history on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.

HutchCC will face the winner of the 5:30 p.m. semifinal on Friday between Dodge City and Butler.

Hutchinson trailed Barton (22-10) after the first quarter, 15-10, before picking up the defensive intensity. 

The Blue Dragons held Barton to 3-of-10 (30 percent) from the floor in the second quarter, while Hutchinson outscored the Cougars 20-7 to build a 30-22 lead at halftime.

Hutchinson built an 18-point lead at the 2:25 mark in the quarter, their largest lead of the contest. The Blue Dragons led 44-31 heading into the final quarter.

Neither team cracked double-figure scoring in the final frame, as the Cougars outscored Hutchinson, 8-5. The Cougars pulled within 44-33 early in the fourth quarter, but would not get any closer than that until the final 30 seconds.

Hutchinson was led by Bree Horyna with 11 points, all coming in the first half. Journey Armstead scored 10 while dishing off five assists, and Hailey Jackson finished with nine points and eight rebounds.

Barton was led by a double-double performance from Vera Ojenuwa with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Vivian Onugha had nine points and 12 rebounds.

The Blue Dragons are now 11-10 all-time in Region VI semifinal games following the win.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710533463634.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2023-24/boxscores/20240315_asp7.xml">BOX SCORE</a>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 1 Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team punched its ticket to the Region VI Tournament championship game following a 49-39 win over Barton on Friday afternoon in the Sports Arena.The Blue Dragons are now 32-0 overall, and will play in the Region VI championship game for the 11th time in program history on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.HutchCC will face the winner of the 5:30 p.m. semifinal on Friday between Dodge City and Butler.Hutchinson trailed Barton (22-10) after the first quarter, 15-10, before picking up the defensive intensity. The Blue Dragons held Barton to 3-of-10 (30 percent) from the floor in the second quarter, while Hutchinson outscored the Cougars 20-7 to build a 30-22 lead at halftime.Hutchinson built an 18-point lead at the 2:25 mark in the quarter, their largest lead of the contest. The Blue Dragons led 44-31 heading into the final quarter.Neither team cracked double-figure scoring in the final frame, as the Cougars outscored Hutchinson, 8-5. The Cougars pulled within 44-33 early in the fourth quarter, but would not get any closer than that until the final 30 seconds.Hutchinson was led by Bree Horyna with 11 points, all coming in the first half. Journey Armstead scored 10 while dishing off five assists, and Hailey Jackson finished with nine points and eight rebounds.Barton was led by a double-double performance from Vera Ojenuwa with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Vivian Onugha had nine points and 12 rebounds.The Blue Dragons are now 11-10 all-time in Region VI semifinal games following the win.&nbsp;

🏀 WBB: Blue Dragons punch ticket to Region VI championship game

One of the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes' goals before the season began was to qualify for the NAIA Men's National Championship for a third consecutive season.

Mission accomplished and there's a bonus they did not anticipate - playing their first-round game and perhaps a second-round game in the cozy, comfortable confines of Mabee Arena, their home gymnasium.

KWU plays Louisiana State-Shreveport at 8 p.m. Friday. Concordia (Neb.) takes on Indiana University Northwest in the first game at 6 p.m. Winners advance to the second round at 6 p.m. Saturday, a trip to the Final Site that starts March 21 in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri at stake.

The Coyotes (23-8) are the fifth seed in the Duer Quadrant and LSU-Shreveport (22-8) the 12th seed. Concordia (23-7) is the fourth seed and IU Northwest (21-10) the 13th.

KWU is the first Kansas Conference team to play a first-round game on its home floor since the NAIA expanded the field to 64 teams.

"I think it's pretty great to be in front of all our fans, hopefully it's a packed house," senior point guard <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0ffc7ef4-a2f1-4966-91ea-e3507d834109?elinkdata=7222">Jun Murdock</a> said. "Our crowd has been doing a good job of coming out to all the games so I think it's going to be great."

His coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d25786eb-f180-46cb-90db-9b447121fcca?elinkdata=7222">Anthony Monson</a> agrees.

"Some comfort and understanding 'hey, we've played in this gym, won a lot of games in this gym,'" he said. "It's fun to be able to have a national tournament at your home site.

"This school has been to five national tournaments and this group's done three of them. It's pretty exciting for the school, for the program and for the city of Salina have the chance to actually host one of these."

While playing in Mabee Arena is great the Coyotes view it as an avenue in their quest to get beyond the second round. They've won first-round games each of the last two years only to fall short in the second round - last year they defeated Indiana Kokomo before falling to Morningside.

"We're comfortable in here, we practice in here every day, but I think it's more than just playing at home," Murdock said. "We're trying to take it to another level and we're trying to get to that next round."

"Our goal from the beginning of the year was to get the Final Site and have a chance to play for a national title and nothing's changed since then," Monson said.

KWU qualified for the national championship by finishing second in the KCAC Tournament behind No. 4-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan and tied No. 9 Southwestern for second in the regular season standings.

The Coyotes are 12-3 in Mabee Arena this season, but their first NAIA hurdle is a tall one. LSU-Shreveport plays in the rugged Red River Conference and lost to a talented LSU-Alexandria team in the conference tournament semifinals.

"Very long, very athletic," Monson said. "They play a lot of zone with their length, mix in their man-to-man with it. They like to get up and down the court and play fast. Lot of really good players - 6-8, 6-9 and 6-11 kids. We're going to have our work cut out for us."

Four Pilots' starters score in double figures led by senior guard Calvin Carpenter who averages 12.8 points. Junior point guard Melvion Flanagan is next at 11.7 and is no stranger to Kansas. He played for Wichita State last season and averaged 4.9 points in 21 games that included three starts. The Pilots score just over 84 points per game.

Coach Kyle Blankenship will be busy Friday. He also coaches the LSU-Shreveport women's team that plays Tabor earlier in the day in Mabee Arena.

"We're going to have to do our jobs, boxing out, just playing disciplined basketball," Murdock said. "Everybody's going to give their best shot to us, we know that."

Murdock, an All-American and the starting point guard the last three years, averages a team-best 18 points along with five assists and four rebounds. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/157b9657-ab58-4f32-ae74-ccb9aa13ea96?elinkdata=7222">Alex Littlejohn</a> is next at 17.3 points with 11.5 rebounds (fifth in the NAIA) and 3.4 assists. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/77e921db-218f-426c-a79f-0eea9273d0c7?elinkdata=7222">Izaiah Hale</a> averages 10.2 points and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2cf2cb6f-4002-4b69-b71b-62cae6c71dff?elinkdata=7222">Thurbil Bile</a> 9.6 and five rebounds.

Monson wants to win but also wants his team to enjoy the experience.

"I had a coach once tell me 'don't ever take winning for granted,'" he said. "When you get to these moments you've got to really enjoy them regardless of the situation that you're in. There's 230-plus teams in the NAIA and only 64 get to play in this thing.

"This team's done it all year long. They've been doubted, questions about this, questions about that and yet they still find themselves where they're at."

"It's the national tournament," Murdock said. "No one wants to go home."

Tonight's game can be heard on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM) with pregame coverage beginning at 7:30.

One of the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes' goals before the season began was to qualify for the NAIA Men's National Championship for a third consecutive season.Mission accomplished and there's a bonus they did not anticipate - playing their first-round game and perhaps a second-round game in the cozy, comfortable confines of Mabee Arena, their home gymnasium.KWU plays Louisiana State-Shreveport at 8 p.m. Friday. Concordia (Neb.) takes on Indiana University Northwest in the first game at 6 p.m. Winners advance to the second round at 6 p.m. Saturday, a trip to the Final Site that starts March 21 in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri at stake.The Coyotes (23-8) are the fifth seed in the Duer Quadrant and LSU-Shreveport (22-8) the 12th seed. Concordia (23-7) is the fourth seed and IU Northwest (21-10) the 13th.KWU is the first Kansas Conference team to play a first-round game on its home floor since the NAIA expanded the field to 64 teams."I think it's pretty great to be in front of all our fans, hopefully it's a packed house," senior point guard <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0ffc7ef4-a2f1-4966-91ea-e3507d834109?elinkdata=7222">Jun Murdock</a> said. "Our crowd has been doing a good job of coming out to all the games so I think it's going to be great."His coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d25786eb-f180-46cb-90db-9b447121fcca?elinkdata=7222">Anthony Monson</a> agrees."Some comfort and understanding 'hey, we've played in this gym, won a lot of games in this gym,'" he said. "It's fun to be able to have a national tournament at your home site."This school has been to five national tournaments and this group's done three of them. It's pretty exciting for the school, for the program and for the city of Salina have the chance to actually host one of these."While playing in Mabee Arena is great the Coyotes view it as an avenue in their quest to get beyond the second round. They've won first-round games each of the last two years only to fall short in the second round - last year they defeated Indiana Kokomo before falling to Morningside."We're comfortable in here, we practice in here every day, but I think it's more than just playing at home," Murdock said. "We're trying to take it to another level and we're trying to get to that next round.""Our goal from the beginning of the year was to get the Final Site and have a chance to play for a national title and nothing's changed since then," Monson said.KWU qualified for the national championship by finishing second in the KCAC Tournament behind No. 4-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan and tied No. 9 Southwestern for second in the regular season standings.The Coyotes are 12-3 in Mabee Arena this season, but their first NAIA hurdle is a tall one. LSU-Shreveport plays in the rugged Red River Conference and lost to a talented LSU-Alexandria team in the conference tournament semifinals."Very long, very athletic," Monson said. "They play a lot of zone with their length, mix in their man-to-man with it. They like to get up and down the court and play fast. Lot of really good players - 6-8, 6-9 and 6-11 kids. We're going to have our work cut out for us."Four Pilots' starters score in double figures led by senior guard Calvin Carpenter who averages 12.8 points. Junior point guard Melvion Flanagan is next at 11.7 and is no stranger to Kansas. He played for Wichita State last season and averaged 4.9 points in 21 games that included three starts. The Pilots score just over 84 points per game.Coach Kyle Blankenship will be busy Friday. He also coaches the LSU-Shreveport women's team that plays Tabor earlier in the day in Mabee Arena."We're going to have to do our jobs, boxing out, just playing disciplined basketball," Murdock said. "Everybody's going to give their best shot to us, we know that."Murdock, an All-American and the starting point guard the last three years, averages a team-best 18 points along with five assists and four rebounds. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/157b9657-ab58-4f32-ae74-ccb9aa13ea96?elinkdata=7222">Alex Littlejohn</a> is next at 17.3 points with 11.5 rebounds (fifth in the NAIA) and 3.4 assists. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/77e921db-218f-426c-a79f-0eea9273d0c7?elinkdata=7222">Izaiah Hale</a> averages 10.2 points and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2cf2cb6f-4002-4b69-b71b-62cae6c71dff?elinkdata=7222">Thurbil Bile</a> 9.6 and five rebounds.Monson wants to win but also wants his team to enjoy the experience."I had a coach once tell me 'don't ever take winning for granted,'" he said. "When you get to these moments you've got to really enjoy them regardless of the situation that you're in. There's 230-plus teams in the NAIA and only 64 get to play in this thing."This team's done it all year long. They've been doubted, questions about this, questions about that and yet they still find themselves where they're at.""It's the national tournament," Murdock said. "No one wants to go home."Tonight's game can be heard on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM) with pregame coverage beginning at 7:30.

Coyotes eager to play NAIA Tournament in Mabee Arena 

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 1 Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team plays the Barton Cougars in the semifinals of the Region VI Tournament at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

There will also be a live video stream available to purchase through the KJCCC Sports Network by <a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/?B=1002966">clicking here</a>.

The winner of this semifinal will play the winner of Dodge City and Butler, which will be played at 5:30 p.m. in the Sports Arena. The championship game will be played on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Region VI Women's Semifinal Games 1 p.m. - (1) Hutchinson vs. (4) Barton 5:30 p.m. - (2) Dodge City vs. (3) Butler

Region VI Women's Championship Game 3 p.m. - Semifinal winners

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710423202921.jpeg" alt="Hutchinson Sports Arena/Sean Boston" />
 <figcaption>Hutchinson Sports Arena/Sean Boston</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 1 Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team plays the Barton Cougars in the semifinals of the Region VI Tournament at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.You can listen to the game on KHUT-FM (102.9), the flagship station of Blue Dragon athletics. You can also listen by <a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">clicking here</a>.Sean Boston (play-by-play) and Dan Naccarato (color) will have the call.There will also be a live video stream available to purchase through the KJCCC Sports Network by <a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/?B=1002966">clicking here</a>.The winner of this semifinal will play the winner of Dodge City and Butler, which will be played at 5:30 p.m. in the Sports Arena. The championship game will be played on Saturday at 3 p.m.Region VI Women's First Round Games (9) Cloud County 73, (8) Cowley 67 (5) Coffeyville 67, (12) Colby 52 (7) Garden City 78, (10) Independence 71 (6) Seward County 56, (11) Pratt 50&nbsp;&nbsp;Region VI Women's Quarterfinal Games (1) Hutchinson 90, (9) Cloud County 56 (2) Dodge City 92, (7) Garden City 57 (3) Butler 75, (6) Seward County 58 (4) Barton 67, (5) Coffeyville 43Region VI Women's Semifinal Games 1 p.m. - (1) Hutchinson vs. (4) Barton 5:30 p.m. - (2) Dodge City vs. (3) ButlerRegion VI Women's Championship Game 3 p.m. - Semifinal winners

🎧 LISTEN: No. 1 HutchCC women vs. Barton in Region VI semifinal

Courtesy of Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Following Tuesday night's thrilling come-from-behind overtime buzzer-beating victory over Garden City in the quarterfinals, the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team is set to make its 46th appearance in the Region VI Tournament semifinals on Friday.

The No. 16-ranked and third-seeded Blue Dragons (26-5) will take on the No. 11-ranked and second-seeded Cowley Tigers (27-4) at 7:30 p.m. at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

The Hutchinson-Cowley winner will play the Barton-Butler winner in the Region VI Tournament men's championship game at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons play in the Region VI Tournament semifinals for the second time in head coach Tommy DeSalme's three seasons on the Hutchinson bench. Two seasons ago, the Blue Dragons defeated Butler 92-85 in the semifinals at the Tony's Pizza Events Center in Salina.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710505276904.jpeg" alt="Kamryn Thomas, who hit the game winner in overtime on Tuesday vs. Garden City, and the No. 16 Blue Dragons play the No. 11 Cowley Tigers in the Region VI Tournament semifinals at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at the Sports Arena. (Andrew Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports information)" />
 <figcaption>Kamryn Thomas, who hit the game winner in overtime on Tuesday vs. Garden City, and the No. 16 Blue Dragons play the No. 11 Cowley Tigers in the Region VI Tournament semifinals at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at the Sports Arena. (Andrew Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports information)</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Hutchinson CC Sports InformationFollowing Tuesday night's thrilling come-from-behind overtime buzzer-beating victory over Garden City in the quarterfinals, the Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team is set to make its 46th appearance in the Region VI Tournament semifinals on Friday.The No. 16-ranked and third-seeded Blue Dragons (26-5) will take on the No. 11-ranked and second-seeded Cowley Tigers (27-4) at 7:30 p.m. at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.The Hutchinson-Cowley winner will play the Barton-Butler winner in the Region VI Tournament men's championship game at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Sports Arena.The Blue Dragons play in the Region VI Tournament semifinals for the second time in head coach Tommy DeSalme's three seasons on the Hutchinson bench. Two seasons ago, the Blue Dragons defeated Butler 92-85 in the semifinals at the Tony's Pizza Events Center in Salina.Hutchinson is 30-15 all-time in the semifinal round of the Region VI Tournament and are 144-52 in 73 regional tournament appearances.Friday's matchup with Cowley will be the 21st Region VI Tournament meeting with the Tigers. The Blue Dragons lead that series 21-19, but Cowley has won the last two postseason matchups, including a 116-107 loss to the Tigers in the 2021 championship game. The 21 games regional tournament games against Cowley ties 21 regional games against Independence for the most Region VI Tournament games against a single opponent in program history.The Blue Dragons advanced to the 2024 semifinals when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2023-24/bios/thomas_kamryn_j9zm">Kamryn Thomas</a>&nbsp;hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer in overtime to defeat Garden City 88-87 at the Sports Arena. Thomas banked in a 3-pointer with 6.1 seconds remaining regulation to force overtime. Thomas had 20 points, while&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2023-24/bios/simon_valentino_8svq">Valentino Simon</a>&nbsp;had 11 points and 13 rebounds and J.P. Ricks added 12 points and nine assists in the victory over the Broncbusters.Friday's game will be the third-straight nationally ranked matchup between the Blue Dragons and Tigers this season.Cowley game into the Sports Arena on December 9 and stung the Blue Dragons 83-70. Corey Thomas has 21 points and nine rebounds to lead the Tigers. Thomas had 14 points, but Hutchinson shot a season-low 32.9 percent in the loss.The Dragons returned the favor on February 14 winning 88-86 at Scott Auditorium in Arkansas City. Trailing by 14 points with 9:42 to play in the second half,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2023-24/bios/smith_kobe_csmn">Kobe Smith</a>&nbsp;hit the game winner with 1.6 seconds to play to give the Dragons a series split with Cowley.The Blue Dragons are 3-4 against NJCAA-ranked opponents this season.