<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nixwqGA7Jorn1nGFP6d40KYGbMdPT6Iq/view">FULL RESULTS FROM BUHLER REGIONAL</a>

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Buhler High School bowling teams both qualified for the Class 4-1A state championship following regional play on Tuesday at The Alley.&nbsp;

The Crusader girls won the regional team title with a 2737 series, over 600 pins better than McPherson, who finished in second place. The Crusader boys finished in second place, 161 pins behind McPherson, who won the team title.

Buhler senior Teigan Nielsen won the girls individual title with a 554 series, bowling games of 164, 204 and 186. Fellow Crusader, senior Kenzie Welch finished in second with a 544 series, bowling games of 174, 170 and 200.

McPherson senior Alex Wheat won the boys individual title with a 693 series, bowling games of 212, 256 and 225.&nbsp;

Boys Team Standings 1. McPherson 3076 2. Buhler 2915 3. Holcomb 2907 4. Sacred Heart 2117 5. Solomon 2067 6. Hesston 1113

Buhler Medalists 4th - Malachi Willis: 586 8th - Trevor Tustian: 562 Girls Team Standings 1. Buhler 2737 2. McPherson 2121 3. Holcomb 831 4. Solomon 282 Buhler Medalists Champion: Teigan Nielsen - 554 Runner-Up: Kenzie Welch - 544 3rd: Sloane Adkins - 536 6th: Cheyann Geesling - 467 8th: Aubrey Ewing - 442 10th: Eva Goertz - 406&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708481252773.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Buhler High School Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Buhler High School Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nixwqGA7Jorn1nGFP6d40KYGbMdPT6Iq/view">FULL RESULTS FROM BUHLER REGIONAL</a>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Buhler High School bowling teams both qualified for the Class 4-1A state championship following regional play on Tuesday at The Alley.&nbsp;The Crusader girls won the regional team title with a 2737 series, over 600 pins better than McPherson, who finished in second place. The Crusader boys finished in second place, 161 pins behind McPherson, who won the team title.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/BowlingBuhler?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BowlingBuhler</a> Girls are the 4-1A Regional Champs!! Medalists!! Eva Goertz, 10th Aubrey Ewing, 8th Cheyann Geesling, 6th Sloane Adkins, 3rd Kenzie Welch, 2nd Teigan Nielsen, 1st <a href="https://t.co/otIke9YxaR">pic.twitter.com/otIke9YxaR</a>&mdash; Buhler AD (@SeuserJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeuserJ/status/1760051625081639371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Buhler senior Teigan Nielsen won the girls individual title with a 554 series, bowling games of 164, 204 and 186. Fellow Crusader, senior Kenzie Welch finished in second with a 544 series, bowling games of 174, 170 and 200.McPherson senior Alex Wheat won the boys individual title with a 693 series, bowling games of 212, 256 and 225.&nbsp;Boys Team Standings 1. McPherson 3076 2. Buhler 2915 3. Holcomb 2907 4. Sacred Heart 2117 5. Solomon 2067 6. Hesston 1113Buhler Medalists 4th - Malachi Willis: 586 8th - Trevor Tustian: 562 Girls Team Standings 1. Buhler 2737 2. McPherson 2121 3. Holcomb 831 4. Solomon 282 Buhler Medalists Champion: Teigan Nielsen - 554 Runner-Up: Kenzie Welch - 544 3rd: Sloane Adkins - 536 6th: Cheyann Geesling - 467 8th: Aubrey Ewing - 442 10th: Eva Goertz - 406&nbsp;&nbsp;

🎳 Buhler girls, McPherson boys win regionals at The Alley

Hutchinson Community College freshman guard&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2023-24/bios/smith_kiki_x1vf">Kiki Smith</a>&nbsp;had a pair of clutch performances to help the No. 1-ranked Blue Dragon women's basketball team earn a pair of big victories last week.

Smith was named the Jayhawk Conference Division I Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the second-straight week on Tuesday and it was her four conference honor this season.

The 5-foot-7 guard from Topeka led the top-ranked Blue Dragons to big wins at Cowley on the road and over No. 21 Butler last week.

Smith averaged 23.0 points per game, shooting 68.4 percent from the field and hitting 8 of her 10 attempted 3-pointers. She also averaged 2.5 rebound, 2.0 assists and 3.5 steals per game.

Against Cowley, Smith scored 17 points with five steals to power the Dragons on the road. She then scored 15 of her game-high 29 points in the second half to lead a Blue Dragon comeback from 10 points down to defeat the No. 21 Grizzlies. The 10 free throws were a single-game season high.

The Blue Dragon guard was also named KJCCC Player of the Week on November 14, December 12 and February 13.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708464657411.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of HutchCC AthleticsHutchinson Community College freshman guard&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2023-24/bios/smith_kiki_x1vf">Kiki Smith</a>&nbsp;had a pair of clutch performances to help the No. 1-ranked Blue Dragon women's basketball team earn a pair of big victories last week.Smith was named the Jayhawk Conference Division I Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the second-straight week on Tuesday and it was her four conference honor this season.The 5-foot-7 guard from Topeka led the top-ranked Blue Dragons to big wins at Cowley on the road and over No. 21 Butler last week.Smith averaged 23.0 points per game, shooting 68.4 percent from the field and hitting 8 of her 10 attempted 3-pointers. She also averaged 2.5 rebound, 2.0 assists and 3.5 steals per game.Against Cowley, Smith scored 17 points with five steals to power the Dragons on the road. She then scored 15 of her game-high 29 points in the second half to lead a Blue Dragon comeback from 10 points down to defeat the No. 21 Grizzlies. The 10 free throws were a single-game season high.The Blue Dragon guard was also named KJCCC Player of the Week on November 14, December 12 and February 13.

🏀 WBB: Smith repeats as KJCCC Player of the Week

Hutchinson Community College sophomore pitcher&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2023-24/bios/wandless_caden_3vbw">Caden Wanless</a>&nbsp;became the second Blue Dragon pitcher this season to be named Jayhawk West Pitcher of the Week.

Announced on Tuesday, Wanless earned the weekly conference honor after working two innings in relief in a 10-2 Hutchinson victory over Rose State on Saturday in Midwest City, Oklahoma.

Wanless, a 5-foot-10, 220-pound right-handed pitcher from Liberty, Missouri, worked to just six Rose State batters and struck out five as part of 15-strikeout performance by four Blue Dragon pitchers against the Raiders.

Wanless has made three appearances for Hutchinson early in the season and is 1-0 with a 1.50 earned-run average with 12 strikeouts in six inning worked.

Wanless joins&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2023-24/bios/roehler_trenton_3q7k">Trenton Roehler</a>&nbsp;as Blue Dragon pitchers to earn conference pitcher of the week honors.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708462586437.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of HutchCC AthleticsHutchinson Community College sophomore pitcher&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2023-24/bios/wandless_caden_3vbw">Caden Wanless</a>&nbsp;became the second Blue Dragon pitcher this season to be named Jayhawk West Pitcher of the Week.Announced on Tuesday, Wanless earned the weekly conference honor after working two innings in relief in a 10-2 Hutchinson victory over Rose State on Saturday in Midwest City, Oklahoma.Wanless, a 5-foot-10, 220-pound right-handed pitcher from Liberty, Missouri, worked to just six Rose State batters and struck out five as part of 15-strikeout performance by four Blue Dragon pitchers against the Raiders.Wanless has made three appearances for Hutchinson early in the season and is 1-0 with a 1.50 earned-run average with 12 strikeouts in six inning worked.Wanless joins&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2023-24/bios/roehler_trenton_3q7k">Trenton Roehler</a>&nbsp;as Blue Dragon pitchers to earn conference pitcher of the week honors.

⚾ Wanless named KJCCC West Pitcher of the Week

The Hutchinson Community College baseball team is adding a game to its schedule this week to make up for a game lost last weekend at Rose State.

The Blue Dragons will travel to McPherson on Wednesday to play the Central Christian College junior varsity at 4 p.m. The game will be played at Light Capital Baseball Stadium, located at 551 S Fisher in McPherson.

The 7-0 Blue Dragons and Central Christian have already played once this season. The Blue Dragons won 21-10 in seven innings on February 6 at Hobart-Detter Field.

Hutchinson was supposed to play a three-game series last weekend at Rose State in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Cold weather conditions for the third game of that series to be cancelled.

The Blue Dragons will now play Central Christian on Wednesday and a three-game series at No. 5 McLennan College on Friday and Saturday in Waco, Texas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708460257464.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of HutchCC AthleticsThe Hutchinson Community College baseball team is adding a game to its schedule this week to make up for a game lost last weekend at Rose State.The Blue Dragons will travel to McPherson on Wednesday to play the Central Christian College junior varsity at 4 p.m. The game will be played at Light Capital Baseball Stadium, located at 551 S Fisher in McPherson.The 7-0 Blue Dragons and Central Christian have already played once this season. The Blue Dragons won 21-10 in seven innings on February 6 at Hobart-Detter Field.Hutchinson was supposed to play a three-game series last weekend at Rose State in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Cold weather conditions for the third game of that series to be cancelled.The Blue Dragons will now play Central Christian on Wednesday and a three-game series at No. 5 McLennan College on Friday and Saturday in Waco, Texas.

⚾ Blue Dragons add game to schedule

<a href="https://kshsaa.org/Public/Wrestling/State.cfm">State Boys Wrestling Information</a>

The 2024 Kansas State High School Activities Association state boys wrestling championship will run Thursday, Feb. 22 through Saturday, Feb. 24. Class 6A and Class 5A will be held at Hartman Arena in Park City, while Class 4-1A will be held at the Tony's Pizza Events Center in Salina.

BUHLER 126 - Sammy Hershberger, So., 24-4 144 - Cruz Hershberger, Jr., 35-3 165 - Dawsyn Valdois, Sr., 28-11

HALSTEAD 126 - Clayton Considine, Jr., 31-11 285 - Connor Herman, Jr., 32-4

HAVEN 120 - Tanner Loughrie, So., 21-4 126 - Jacob Moore, Jr., 42-3 144 - Dustin Loughrie, Sr., 41-5 150 - Ty Lastinger, Sr., 19-17

HUTCHINSON 106 - Cruz Cannon, Fr., 30-12 120 - Jair Maciel, So., 17-17 144 - Max Harris, Fr., 20-8 150 - Jackson Anderson, So., 21-14 157 - Kade Smith, Jr., 28-5 190 - Skyler Ray, Jr., 17-15 285 - Camden Jensen, Sr., 32-6

KINGMAN 144 - Kade Osborn, Jr., 34-12 175 - Collin Schreiner, Jr., 26-13

LYONS 106 - Easton Benavidez, So., 31-3 113 - AJ Almanza, So., 26-5 120 - Jace Grizzle, Fr., 26-1 132 - Isaac Fall, Jr., 31-10 157 - Nate Dold, Jr., 19-4 215 - Elijah Martinez, Sr., 37-4

McPHERSON 106 - John Robben, Jr., 19-15 157 - Hayden Farley, Sr., 36-8 165 - Landon Thompson, Sr., 26-11 175 - Jase Fitzmorris, Jr., 33-10 190 - Brock Richardson, Jr., 17-16 285 - Carter Spotted-Elk, Sr., 22-12

NICKERSON 150 - Kristopher Monroe, So., 36-9

PRATT 106 - Alex Chavez, Fr., 28-12 138 - Brandon Western, Jr., 15-14 144 - Trace Mehlhorn, Sr., 28-14 150 - Blake Winsor, Jr., 32-7 157 - Wyatt Lovell, Jr., 29-11 165 - Taye Wilson, Jr., 38-0

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708374763735.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas State High School Activities Association." />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas State High School Activities Association.</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://kshsaa.org/Public/Wrestling/State.cfm">State Boys Wrestling Information</a>The 2024 Kansas State High School Activities Association state boys wrestling championship will run Thursday, Feb. 22 through Saturday, Feb. 24. Class 6A and Class 5A will be held at Hartman Arena in Park City, while Class 4-1A will be held at the Tony's Pizza Events Center in Salina.BUHLER 126 - Sammy Hershberger, So., 24-4 144 - Cruz Hershberger, Jr., 35-3 165 - Dawsyn Valdois, Sr., 28-11HALSTEAD 126 - Clayton Considine, Jr., 31-11 285 - Connor Herman, Jr., 32-4HAVEN 120 - Tanner Loughrie, So., 21-4 126 - Jacob Moore, Jr., 42-3 144 - Dustin Loughrie, Sr., 41-5 150 - Ty Lastinger, Sr., 19-17HUTCHINSON 106 - Cruz Cannon, Fr., 30-12 120 - Jair Maciel, So., 17-17 144 - Max Harris, Fr., 20-8 150 - Jackson Anderson, So., 21-14 157 - Kade Smith, Jr., 28-5 190 - Skyler Ray, Jr., 17-15 285 - Camden Jensen, Sr., 32-6KINGMAN 144 - Kade Osborn, Jr., 34-12 175 - Collin Schreiner, Jr., 26-13LYONS 106 - Easton Benavidez, So., 31-3 113 - AJ Almanza, So., 26-5 120 - Jace Grizzle, Fr., 26-1 132 - Isaac Fall, Jr., 31-10 157 - Nate Dold, Jr., 19-4 215 - Elijah Martinez, Sr., 37-4McPHERSON 106 - John Robben, Jr., 19-15 157 - Hayden Farley, Sr., 36-8 165 - Landon Thompson, Sr., 26-11 175 - Jase Fitzmorris, Jr., 33-10 190 - Brock Richardson, Jr., 17-16 285 - Carter Spotted-Elk, Sr., 22-12NICKERSON 150 - Kristopher Monroe, So., 36-9PRATT 106 - Alex Chavez, Fr., 28-12 138 - Brandon Western, Jr., 15-14 144 - Trace Mehlhorn, Sr., 28-14 150 - Blake Winsor, Jr., 32-7 157 - Wyatt Lovell, Jr., 29-11 165 - Taye Wilson, Jr., 38-0

🤼‍♂️ Area KSHSAA state boys qualifiers

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team remains No. 15 in the NJCAA poll released on Tuesday afternoon. This marks the third straight week at No. 15.

The Blue Dragons are currently 21-4 overall, 16-3 in Jayhawk Conference play.

Hutchinson will travel to Goodland on Wednesday to face Northwest Kansas Tech. The Blue Dragons and Mavericks will tip at 8:30 p.m. central standard time.

NJCAA DI Men's Basketball Poll | Week Twelve - 2-20-24

Place Name Record Points 1st Place Prev

1) South Plains, 25-0, 350, 14, 1 2) Barton, 25-1, 336, 0, 2 3) Daytona St, 24-1, 320, 0, 3 4) Triton, 24-1, 309, 0, 5 5) Mineral Area, 26-1, 291, 0, 7 6) Odessa, 21-4, 274, 0, 8 7) Salt Lake, 23-3, 265, 0, 10 8) Vincennes, 22-3, 255, 0, 4 9) Lee, 22-3, 237, 0, 11 10) Northwest Florida St, 23-4, 209, 0, 6 11) Chipola, 23-4, 208, 0, 18 12) Cowley, 22-4, 198, 0, 9 13) Indian Hills, 21-5, 187, 0, 16 14) Trinity Valley, 20-5, 145, 0, 12 15) Hutchinson, 21-4, 136, 0, 15 16) Eastern Florida St, 22-4, 135, 0, 13 17) Caldwell, 23-1, 111, 0, 19 18) Panola, 21-5, 110, 0, 14 19) Butler, 20-5, 95, 0, 22 20) Moberly Area, 20-6, 89, 0, 17 21) Walter St, 22-1, 88, 0, 21 22) NEO A&amp;M, 20-3, 59, 0, 23 23) North Dakota SCS, 26-1, 29, 0, 24 24) Florida Southwestern St, 19-6, 19, 0, 25 25) Bishop St, 24-3, 18, 0, N/A

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701116844926.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team remains No. 15 in the NJCAA poll released on Tuesday afternoon. This marks the third straight week at No. 15.The Blue Dragons are currently 21-4 overall, 16-3 in Jayhawk Conference play.Hutchinson will travel to Goodland on Wednesday to face Northwest Kansas Tech. The Blue Dragons and Mavericks will tip at 8:30 p.m. central standard time.NJCAA DI Men's Basketball Poll | Week Twelve - 2-20-24Place Name Record Points 1st Place Prev1) South Plains, 25-0, 350, 14, 1 2) Barton, 25-1, 336, 0, 2 3) Daytona St, 24-1, 320, 0, 3 4) Triton, 24-1, 309, 0, 5 5) Mineral Area, 26-1, 291, 0, 7 6) Odessa, 21-4, 274, 0, 8 7) Salt Lake, 23-3, 265, 0, 10 8) Vincennes, 22-3, 255, 0, 4 9) Lee, 22-3, 237, 0, 11 10) Northwest Florida St, 23-4, 209, 0, 6 11) Chipola, 23-4, 208, 0, 18 12) Cowley, 22-4, 198, 0, 9 13) Indian Hills, 21-5, 187, 0, 16 14) Trinity Valley, 20-5, 145, 0, 12 15) Hutchinson, 21-4, 136, 0, 15 16) Eastern Florida St, 22-4, 135, 0, 13 17) Caldwell, 23-1, 111, 0, 19 18) Panola, 21-5, 110, 0, 14 19) Butler, 20-5, 95, 0, 22 20) Moberly Area, 20-6, 89, 0, 17 21) Walter St, 22-1, 88, 0, 21 22) NEO A&amp;M, 20-3, 59, 0, 23 23) North Dakota SCS, 26-1, 29, 0, 24 24) Florida Southwestern St, 19-6, 19, 0, 25 25) Bishop St, 24-3, 18, 0, N/A

🏀 MBB: HutchCC stays put at No. 15

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team remains No. 1 in the latest NJCAA poll released this afternoon. This marks the second straight week HutchCC has claimed the top spot.

The Blue Dragons are currently 25-0 overall, 19-0 in Jayhawk Conference play.&nbsp;

HutchCC will travel to Goodland to face Northwest Kansas Tech on Wednesday evening. Tip off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. central standard time.&nbsp;

The Blue Dragons will then make another long road trip on Saturday to face Seward County in Liberal.

NJCAA DI Women's Basketball Poll | Week Twelve - 2-20-24 Place Name Record Points 1st Place Prev. 1) Hutchinson, 25-0, 250, 10, 1 2) Collin County, 23-1, 240, 0, 3 3) Wabash Valley, 21-2, 230, 0, 6 4) Gulf Coast St, 22-3, 220, 0, 2 5) Shelton St, 23-4, 210, 0, 7 6) NW Florida St, 21-3, 200, 0, 4 7) Eastern Florida St, 22-3, 190, 0, 8 8) New Mexico JC, 20-5, 180, 0, 5 9) Odessa, 23-3, 170, 0, 11 10) McLennan, 20-5, 160, 0, 9 11) Pearl River, 20-3, 150, 0, 10 12) Trinity Valley, 18-5, 140, 0, 12 13) Three Rivers, 21-4, 130, 0, 13 14) Pensacola St, 20-6, 120, 0, 14 15) Dodge City, 22-4, 110, 0, 16 16) Eastern Arizona, 23-3, 100, 0, 18 17) Temple, 22-2, 90, 0, 19 18) Salt Lake, 21-4, 80, 0, 20 19) College of Southern Idaho, 23-5, 70, 0, 15 20) Casper, 21-5, 60, 0, 22 21) Chipola, 21-6, 50, 0, 24 22) Northeastern JC, 25-3, 40, 0, 23 23) Mineral Area, 23-3, 30, 0, 17 24) East Georgia St, 20-3, 20, 0, 25 25) Butler, 19-6, 6, 0, 21

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708458306648.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy NJCAA" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy NJCAA</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team remains No. 1 in the latest NJCAA poll released this afternoon. This marks the second straight week HutchCC has claimed the top spot.The Blue Dragons are currently 25-0 overall, 19-0 in Jayhawk Conference play.&nbsp;HutchCC will travel to Goodland to face Northwest Kansas Tech on Wednesday evening. Tip off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. central standard time.&nbsp;The Blue Dragons will then make another long road trip on Saturday to face Seward County in Liberal.NJCAA DI Women's Basketball Poll | Week Twelve - 2-20-24 Place Name Record Points 1st Place Prev. 1) Hutchinson, 25-0, 250, 10, 1 2) Collin County, 23-1, 240, 0, 3 3) Wabash Valley, 21-2, 230, 0, 6 4) Gulf Coast St, 22-3, 220, 0, 2 5) Shelton St, 23-4, 210, 0, 7 6) NW Florida St, 21-3, 200, 0, 4 7) Eastern Florida St, 22-3, 190, 0, 8 8) New Mexico JC, 20-5, 180, 0, 5 9) Odessa, 23-3, 170, 0, 11 10) McLennan, 20-5, 160, 0, 9 11) Pearl River, 20-3, 150, 0, 10 12) Trinity Valley, 18-5, 140, 0, 12 13) Three Rivers, 21-4, 130, 0, 13 14) Pensacola St, 20-6, 120, 0, 14 15) Dodge City, 22-4, 110, 0, 16 16) Eastern Arizona, 23-3, 100, 0, 18 17) Temple, 22-2, 90, 0, 19 18) Salt Lake, 21-4, 80, 0, 20 19) College of Southern Idaho, 23-5, 70, 0, 15 20) Casper, 21-5, 60, 0, 22 21) Chipola, 21-6, 50, 0, 24 22) Northeastern JC, 25-3, 40, 0, 23 23) Mineral Area, 23-3, 30, 0, 17 24) East Georgia St, 20-3, 20, 0, 25 25) Butler, 19-6, 6, 0, 21

🏀 WBB: Blue Dragons remain No. 1 in NJCAA poll

Courtesy of the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association

CLASS 6A (GIRLS) 1) Shawnee Mission South 2) Olathe South 3) Olathe West 4) Blue Valley Northwest 5) Blue Valley North 6) Wichita Heights 7) Blue Valley 8) Derby 9) Washburn Rural 10) Wichita South

CLASS 5A (GIRLS) 1) Andover 2) Topeka Seaman 3) Maize South 4) Emporia 5) De Soto 6) Bishop Carroll 7) Shawnee Heights 8) St. Thomas Aquinas 9) Great Bend 10) Hays

CLASS 4A (GIRLS) 1) Bishop Miege 2) Wellington 3) Fort Scott 4) McPherson 5) Ottawa 6) Wamego 7) Labette County 8) Circle 9) Eudora 10) Clearwater

CLASS 3A (GIRLS) 1) Siler Lake 2) Topeka Hayden 3) Halstead 4) Nemaha Central 5) Hesston 6) Rossville 7) Goodland 8) Santa Fe Trail 9) Anderson County 10) Southeast of Saline

CLASS 2A (GIRLS) 1) Pittsburg-St. Mary's Colgan 2) Hillsboro 3) Riverside 4) Wichita County 5) Hoxie 6) Wichita Independent 7) Smith Center 8) Maur Hill 9) Moundridge 10) Berean Academy

CLASS 1A-I (GIRLS) 1) Little River 2) St. John-Hudson 3) South Gray 4) Centralia 5) Frankfort 6) Norwich 7) Olpe 8) Clifton-Clyde 9) Spearville 10) Osborne

CLASS 1A-II (GIRLS) 1) Lebo 2) Bucklin 3) Sharon Springs-Wallace County 4) Hanover 5) South Haven 6) Hutchinson-Central Christian 7) Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton 8) Ingalls 9) McPherson-Elyria Christian 10) Attica

CLASS 6A (BOYS) 1) Shawnee Mission Northwest 2) Wichita Heights 3) Blue Valley Northwest 4) Junction City 5) Olathe North 6) Olathe West 7) Blue Valley West 8) Mill Valley 9) Wichita Northwest 10) Olathe South

CLASS 5A (BOYS) 1) Maize South 2) Kapaun Mt. Carmel 3) Highland Park 4) KC–Piper 5) De Soto 6) Shawnee Heights 7) Andover 8) Pittsburg 9) St. Thomas Aquinas 10) Hutchinson

CLASS 4A (BOYS) 1) McPherson 2) Atchison 3) Hugoton 4) Circle 5) Abilene 6) Chanute 7) Pratt 8) Fort Scott 9) St. George-Rock Creek 10) Baldwin

CLASS 3A (BOYS) 1) Beloit 2) Goodland 3) Cheney 4) Hesston 5) Wichita-Collegiate 6) Ellsworth 7) Wellsville 8) Sabetha 9) Humbodlt 10) Norton

CLASS 2A (BOYS) 1) Lyndon 2) Sterling 3) Pittsburg-St. Mary’s Colgan 4) Bennington 5) Moundridge 6) Meade 7) Ell-Saline 8) Wichita-Classical School 9) Salina-Sacred Heart 10) Oxford

CLASS 1A-I (BOYS) 1) South Gray 2) Olpe 3) Coldwater – South Central 4) Osborne 5) La Crosse 6) Clyde-Clifton Clyde 7) Quinter 8) Burden-Central 9) Centralia 10) Lawrence-Seabury Academy

CLASS 1A-II (BOYS) 1) Almena-Northern Valley 2) McPherson-Elyria Christian 3) Dighton 4) Axtell 5) Hanover 6) Cunningham 7) Lebo 8) Logan - Palco 9) Bird City-Cheylin 10) Bucklin

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700783607464.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of the Kansas Basketball Coaches AssociationCLASS 6A (GIRLS) 1) Shawnee Mission South 2) Olathe South 3) Olathe West 4) Blue Valley Northwest 5) Blue Valley North 6) Wichita Heights 7) Blue Valley 8) Derby 9) Washburn Rural 10) Wichita SouthCLASS 5A (GIRLS) 1) Andover 2) Topeka Seaman 3) Maize South 4) Emporia 5) De Soto 6) Bishop Carroll 7) Shawnee Heights 8) St. Thomas Aquinas 9) Great Bend 10) HaysCLASS 4A (GIRLS) 1) Bishop Miege 2) Wellington 3) Fort Scott 4) McPherson 5) Ottawa 6) Wamego 7) Labette County 8) Circle 9) Eudora 10) ClearwaterCLASS 3A (GIRLS) 1) Siler Lake 2) Topeka Hayden 3) Halstead 4) Nemaha Central 5) Hesston 6) Rossville 7) Goodland 8) Santa Fe Trail 9) Anderson County 10) Southeast of SalineCLASS 2A (GIRLS) 1) Pittsburg-St. Mary's Colgan 2) Hillsboro 3) Riverside 4) Wichita County 5) Hoxie 6) Wichita Independent 7) Smith Center 8) Maur Hill 9) Moundridge 10) Berean AcademyCLASS 1A-I (GIRLS) 1) Little River 2) St. John-Hudson 3) South Gray 4) Centralia 5) Frankfort 6) Norwich 7) Olpe 8) Clifton-Clyde 9) Spearville 10) OsborneCLASS 1A-II (GIRLS) 1) Lebo 2) Bucklin 3) Sharon Springs-Wallace County 4) Hanover 5) South Haven 6) Hutchinson-Central Christian 7) Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton 8) Ingalls 9) McPherson-Elyria Christian 10) AtticaCLASS 6A (BOYS) 1) Shawnee Mission Northwest 2) Wichita Heights 3) Blue Valley Northwest 4) Junction City 5) Olathe North 6) Olathe West 7) Blue Valley West 8) Mill Valley 9) Wichita Northwest 10) Olathe SouthCLASS 5A (BOYS) 1) Maize South 2) Kapaun Mt. Carmel 3) Highland Park 4) KC–Piper 5) De Soto 6) Shawnee Heights 7) Andover 8) Pittsburg 9) St. Thomas Aquinas 10) HutchinsonCLASS 4A (BOYS) 1) McPherson 2) Atchison 3) Hugoton 4) Circle 5) Abilene 6) Chanute 7) Pratt 8) Fort Scott 9) St. George-Rock Creek 10) BaldwinCLASS 3A (BOYS) 1) Beloit 2) Goodland 3) Cheney 4) Hesston 5) Wichita-Collegiate 6) Ellsworth 7) Wellsville 8) Sabetha 9) Humbodlt 10) NortonCLASS 2A (BOYS) 1) Lyndon 2) Sterling 3) Pittsburg-St. Mary’s Colgan 4) Bennington 5) Moundridge 6) Meade 7) Ell-Saline 8) Wichita-Classical School 9) Salina-Sacred Heart 10) OxfordCLASS 1A-I (BOYS) 1) South Gray 2) Olpe 3) Coldwater – South Central 4) Osborne 5) La Crosse 6) Clyde-Clifton Clyde 7) Quinter 8) Burden-Central 9) Centralia 10) Lawrence-Seabury AcademyCLASS 1A-II (BOYS) 1) Almena-Northern Valley 2) McPherson-Elyria Christian 3) Dighton 4) Axtell 5) Hanover 6) Cunningham 7) Lebo 8) Logan - Palco 9) Bird City-Cheylin 10) Bucklin

🏀 KBCA releases final regular season rankings

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/ralph-d-russo">RALPH D. RUSSO</a> Associated Press

The field for the 12-team College Football Playoff will comprise five conference champions and seven at-large selections after the university presidents who oversee the CFP voted unanimously Tuesday to tweak the format.

The move to decrease the number of spots reserved for conference champions from six to five was prompted by realignment and the disassembling of the Pac-12, and has been anticipated for several months. An expected vote last month was delayed at the Pac-12’s request.

The original plan for the 12-team format was to have the six highest-ranked conference champions, with the top four receiving first-round byes, and six at-large selections. But with one fewer power conference after the Pac-12’s demise, the commissioners who manage the CFP recommended to make the change from a 6-6 format to a 5-7.

No conference will have automatic access. Those five slots will go to the highest-ranked conference champs as determined by the CFP selection committee, ensuring at least one team from outside the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12 and Southeastern Conference will make the 12-team field.

The selection committee’s rankings also will determine the seven at-large bids. There will be no limit to how many teams can come from the same league.

“This is a very logical adjustment for the College Football Playoff based on the evolution of our conference structures since the board first adopted this new format in September 2022,” said Mark Keenum, president of Mississippi State University and chair of the CFP Board of Managers. “I know this change will also be well received by student-athletes, coaches and fans. We all will be pleased to see this new format come to life on the field this postseason.”

The coming season will be the first with a 12-team playoff after 10 years of it being a four-team event.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704801729404.jpeg" alt="Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh celebrates with the trophy after their win in the national championship NCAA College Football Playoff game against Washington Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)" />
 <figcaption>Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh celebrates with the trophy after their win in the national championship NCAA College Football Playoff game against Washington Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/ralph-d-russo">RALPH D. RUSSO</a> Associated PressThe field for the 12-team College Football Playoff will comprise five conference champions and seven at-large selections after the university presidents who oversee the CFP voted unanimously Tuesday to tweak the format.The move to decrease the number of spots reserved for conference champions from six to five was prompted by realignment and the disassembling of the Pac-12, and has been anticipated for several months. An expected vote last month was delayed at the Pac-12’s request.The original plan for the 12-team format was to have the six highest-ranked conference champions, with the top four receiving first-round byes, and six at-large selections. But with one fewer power conference after the Pac-12’s demise, the commissioners who manage the CFP recommended to make the change from a 6-6 format to a 5-7.No conference will have automatic access. Those five slots will go to the highest-ranked conference champs as determined by the CFP selection committee, ensuring at least one team from outside the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12 and Southeastern Conference will make the 12-team field.The selection committee’s rankings also will determine the seven at-large bids. There will be no limit to how many teams can come from the same league.“This is a very logical adjustment for the College Football Playoff based on the evolution of our conference structures since the board first adopted this new format in September 2022,” said Mark Keenum, president of Mississippi State University and chair of the CFP Board of Managers. “I know this change will also be well received by student-athletes, coaches and fans. We all will be pleased to see this new format come to life on the field this postseason.”The coming season will be the first with a 12-team playoff after 10 years of it being a four-team event.

🏈 CFP approves 5+7 format and reduces spots for conference champions

Courtesy of the Kansas City Royals

SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Kansas City Royals today announced their radio and television broadcast schedules for the 2024 Spring Training season.

Kansas City’s flagship radio station will broadcast 17 Spring Training games on KCSP-AM, including the March 25 exhibition game against the Double-A affiliate Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Of those 17 games, 10 will be broadcast on 610 Sports Radio and the remaining 7 will be broadcast on its sister station 1660 The Bet.

Of Kansas City’s 32 exhibition games, 29 of them will be available for audio streaming on royals.com, including the games on 610 Sports Radio and 1660 The Bet. Twelve games will air via webcast exclusively on royals.com, plus Kansas City’s Spring Breakout Game on March 17 at 3:05 p.m. CT.

Spring Training action will be called on radio by Ryan Lefebvre, Steve Stewart and Jake Eisenberg.

Bally Sports Kansas City will televise 4 games this spring, beginning on Sunday, March 17 at 6:05 p.m. CT, when the Royals host the Milwaukee Brewers at Surprise Stadium.

Coverage continues on Wednesday, March 20 vs. the Los Angeles Angels (8:05 p.m. CT), Thursday, March 21 in a split-squad game vs. the Chicago White Sox (3:05 p.m. CT) and the Cactus League finale on Saturday, March 23 vs. the Texas Rangers (2:05 p.m. CT). Bally Sports Kansas City’s telecasts will feature Lefebvre, Rex Hudler and Eisenberg.

Three additional games will stream on the Bally Sports app and BallySports.com: Sunday, Feb. 25 vs. the Los Angeles Angels (2:10 p.m. CT), Wednesday, March 13 vs. the Los Angeles Angels (3:05 p.m. CT) and Friday, March 15 in a split-squad game vs. the Cleveland Guardians (3:05 p.m. CT). Those games will be available for streaming to fans who sign in with their pay-TV login and password or with a subscription to Bally Sports+, the stand-alone streaming service.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708447303414.jpeg" alt="File Photo. (Charlie Riedel/AP)" />
 <figcaption>File Photo. (Charlie Riedel/AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of the Kansas City RoyalsSURPRISE, Ariz. — The Kansas City Royals today announced their radio and television broadcast schedules for the 2024 Spring Training season.Kansas City’s flagship radio station will broadcast 17 Spring Training games on KCSP-AM, including the March 25 exhibition game against the Double-A affiliate Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Of those 17 games, 10 will be broadcast on 610 Sports Radio and the remaining 7 will be broadcast on its sister station 1660 The Bet.Of Kansas City’s 32 exhibition games, 29 of them will be available for audio streaming on royals.com, including the games on 610 Sports Radio and 1660 The Bet. Twelve games will air via webcast exclusively on royals.com, plus Kansas City’s Spring Breakout Game on March 17 at 3:05 p.m. CT.Spring Training action will be called on radio by Ryan Lefebvre, Steve Stewart and Jake Eisenberg.Bally Sports Kansas City will televise 4 games this spring, beginning on Sunday, March 17 at 6:05 p.m. CT, when the Royals host the Milwaukee Brewers at Surprise Stadium.Coverage continues on Wednesday, March 20 vs. the Los Angeles Angels (8:05 p.m. CT), Thursday, March 21 in a split-squad game vs. the Chicago White Sox (3:05 p.m. CT) and the Cactus League finale on Saturday, March 23 vs. the Texas Rangers (2:05 p.m. CT). Bally Sports Kansas City’s telecasts will feature Lefebvre, Rex Hudler and Eisenberg.Three additional games will stream on the Bally Sports app and BallySports.com: Sunday, Feb. 25 vs. the Los Angeles Angels (2:10 p.m. CT), Wednesday, March 13 vs. the Los Angeles Angels (3:05 p.m. CT) and Friday, March 15 in a split-squad game vs. the Cleveland Guardians (3:05 p.m. CT). Those games will be available for streaming to fans who sign in with their pay-TV login and password or with a subscription to Bally Sports+, the stand-alone streaming service.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾ Royals announce Spring Training broadcast schedule

IRVING, Texas –&nbsp;Kansas sophomore Kodey Shojinaga was named Big 12 Co-Player of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday. Shojinaga wins the honor in the first week of Big 12 awards this season.

Shojinaga hit .462/.533/1.077 (6-for-13), with two doubles, two home runs, five RBIs, four runs scored and a 1.610 OPS in three games against Illinois-Chicago this past weekend. In the season opener, Shojinaga had four hits, two home runs and five RBIs, which were all the most in a Kansas season opener since at least 2003.

His two home runs in the season opener marked his first career multi-homer game. One of those home runs was his first career grand slam. Shojinaga hit the first home run of the season for the Jayhawks in 2023 and now in 2024. The two home runs are tied for the most in the Big 12 through the first weekend. He also had 14 total bases, which is tied for the most in the conference.

Shojinaga earns the first Big 12 weekly honor of his career and becomes the first Kansas player to win Big 12 Player of the Week since Caleb Upshaw on May 2, 2022. He is the 19th player in Kansas history to win the honor.

Kansas (1-2) plays a midweek contest against Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT at Whataburger Field.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708440634193.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Kansas AthleticsIRVING, Texas –&nbsp;Kansas sophomore Kodey Shojinaga was named Big 12 Co-Player of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday. Shojinaga wins the honor in the first week of Big 12 awards this season.Shojinaga hit .462/.533/1.077 (6-for-13), with two doubles, two home runs, five RBIs, four runs scored and a 1.610 OPS in three games against Illinois-Chicago this past weekend. In the season opener, Shojinaga had four hits, two home runs and five RBIs, which were all the most in a Kansas season opener since at least 2003.His two home runs in the season opener marked his first career multi-homer game. One of those home runs was his first career grand slam. Shojinaga hit the first home run of the season for the Jayhawks in 2023 and now in 2024. The two home runs are tied for the most in the Big 12 through the first weekend. He also had 14 total bases, which is tied for the most in the conference.Shojinaga earns the first Big 12 weekly honor of his career and becomes the first Kansas player to win Big 12 Player of the Week since Caleb Upshaw on May 2, 2022. He is the 19th player in Kansas history to win the honor.Kansas (1-2) plays a midweek contest against Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT at Whataburger Field.

⚾ KU's Shojinaga named Big 12 Co-Player of the Week

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Tuesday, February 29th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Tuesday, February 29th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="February 20th, 2024 Early Morning Sports" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=g4qjj-158971f-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 LISTEN: 🏀 Texas gets by K-State; 🏀 Hutch High on the road to Derby

HOUSTON (AP) — Jamal Shead had 26 points, including 20 in the second half, and No. 2 Houston took sole possession of first place in the Big 12 with a 73-65 win over No. 6 Iowa State. Emanuel Sharp added 20 points for the Cougars, who won their 20th consecutive home game — the longest active streak in the country. They hold a one-game lead over the Cyclones with five games remaining in the regular season for both teams. Shead shot 5 of 7 from the field and 8 for 9 at the free-throw line in the second half. He finished 6 of 10 from the floor and added six assists. Houston, which never trailed, turned 16 Iowa State turnovers into 20 points. Keshon Gilbert had 17 points for the Cyclones.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Max Abmas became the 12th player in men’s Division I history to reach 3,000 career points and Texas held off Kansas State 62-56. Abmas, a graduate transfer who played his first four seasons for Oral Roberts University, entered play needing six points to reach the milestone. He finished with eight and has scored 450 points for the Longhorns (17-9, 6-7 Big 12 Conference) this season. Dylan Disu scored 20 to lead Texas. Arthur Kaluma paced the Wildcats (15-11, 5-8) with 15 points and seven rebounds.

UNDATED (AP) — UConn became the first unanimous No. 1 in The Associated Press men's college basketball poll this season, earning all 62 votes from a national media panel. The Huskies picked up the 16 that went to Purdue last week after the Boilermakers lost to Ohio State. Houston was second, with Purdue, Arizona and Tennessee rounding out the top five. San Diego State returned to the poll at No. 19 and Washington State entered at No. 21 to end a 302-week poll drought. Colorado State, Texas Tech and Florida also entered the poll at the expense of Virginia, Wisconsin, Florida Atlantic, Indiana State and Oklahoma.

NEW YORK (AP) — Southern California has climbed three spots to No. 7 in The Associated Press women’s basketball poll while South Carolina remains a unanimous No. 1. USC swept Oregon and then-No. 11 Oregon State over the weekend. The Trojans moved into a tie for second place in the Pac-12. The six teams in front of USC didn’t change, with South Carolina leading the way as it has since the regular season began. The Gamecocks received all 35 votes from a national media panel. Ohio State was right behind South Carolina, marking the first time in seven weeks that a No. 2 team held its place for two consecutive polls. Stanford, Iowa, Texas and North Carolina State followed the Buckeyes.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — William Byron launched Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th anniversary season by snapping the team’s nine-year Daytona 500 losing streak with his Monday win in the rain-postponed “Great American Race.” The last Hendrick driver to win the Daytona 500 was Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2014. The 26 year old from Charlotte, North Carolina is the sixth different driver to win the 500 for Rick Hendrick, the winningest team owner in NASCAR history who made his way to victory lane on the actual 40th anniversary of his first Cup win. Byron beat Hendrick teammate Alex Bowman as the race ended under one lap of caution.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Alex Bowman never saw how the big wreck started that marred the end of the Daytona 500. He was surprised to learn he triggered the big one. Bowman sparked the crash that involved nearly two dozen cars and knocked six former NASCAR champions out of contention in the Daytona 500. Bowman bump-drafted Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron on the backstretch with nine laps to go when Byron lost control, turned into Brad Keselowski and pretty much wrecked the field. Byron and Bowman were the biggest beneficiaries of the melee. They escaped with little damage to their cars and went on to give Hendrick Motorsports a 1-2 finish in “The Great American Race.”

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Defense wasn’t really played in the All-Star Game, which explains why the Eastern Conference scored a record 211 points and the game saw nearly 400 points combined on Sunday night. Points couldn’t have been easier to come by. But in the regular season — although some might dispute this — defense does get played. And points just keep piling up anyway with the NBA on pace to see its highest-scoring season in more than 50 years with teams averaging more than 115 points per game, up about 1% from last year and up a staggering 15.5% from where it was a decade ago.

UNDATED (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets have fired Jacque Vaughn after ending a disappointing first half of the season with a 50-point loss in Boston in their final game before the All-Star break. About a year after giving Vaughn a contract extension, the Nets changed course on Monday and said an interim coach would be named soon. The Nets are 21-33 and in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. They dropped five of their last six games. Nets general manager Sean Marks says “this was an incredibly difficult decision, but one we feel is in the best interest of the team going forward.”

UNDATED (AP) — It was a bruising opening weekend in college baseball for Sacramento State’s Matt Masciangelo. The Hornets’ junior left fielder was hit by pitch on eight of his first nine plate appearances against Loyola Marymount. The teams played a doubleheader Friday, with Masciangelo plunked three times in the first game and four times in the second. The teams didn’t play Saturday. He got on base his first time up Sunday when a pitch grazed his jersey. Masciangelo says he and his teammates got a good laugh and he was happy to get on base so often.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, February 20th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, February 20th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure>HOUSTON (AP) — Jamal Shead had 26 points, including 20 in the second half, and No. 2 Houston took sole possession of first place in the Big 12 with a 73-65 win over No. 6 Iowa State. Emanuel Sharp added 20 points for the Cougars, who won their 20th consecutive home game — the longest active streak in the country. They hold a one-game lead over the Cyclones with five games remaining in the regular season for both teams. Shead shot 5 of 7 from the field and 8 for 9 at the free-throw line in the second half. He finished 6 of 10 from the floor and added six assists. Houston, which never trailed, turned 16 Iowa State turnovers into 20 points. Keshon Gilbert had 17 points for the Cyclones.AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Max Abmas became the 12th player in men’s Division I history to reach 3,000 career points and Texas held off Kansas State 62-56. Abmas, a graduate transfer who played his first four seasons for Oral Roberts University, entered play needing six points to reach the milestone. He finished with eight and has scored 450 points for the Longhorns (17-9, 6-7 Big 12 Conference) this season. Dylan Disu scored 20 to lead Texas. Arthur Kaluma paced the Wildcats (15-11, 5-8) with 15 points and seven rebounds.UNDATED (AP) — UConn became the first unanimous No. 1 in The Associated Press men's college basketball poll this season, earning all 62 votes from a national media panel. The Huskies picked up the 16 that went to Purdue last week after the Boilermakers lost to Ohio State. Houston was second, with Purdue, Arizona and Tennessee rounding out the top five. San Diego State returned to the poll at No. 19 and Washington State entered at No. 21 to end a 302-week poll drought. Colorado State, Texas Tech and Florida also entered the poll at the expense of Virginia, Wisconsin, Florida Atlantic, Indiana State and Oklahoma.NEW YORK (AP) — Southern California has climbed three spots to No. 7 in The Associated Press women’s basketball poll while South Carolina remains a unanimous No. 1. USC swept Oregon and then-No. 11 Oregon State over the weekend. The Trojans moved into a tie for second place in the Pac-12. The six teams in front of USC didn’t change, with South Carolina leading the way as it has since the regular season began. The Gamecocks received all 35 votes from a national media panel. Ohio State was right behind South Carolina, marking the first time in seven weeks that a No. 2 team held its place for two consecutive polls. Stanford, Iowa, Texas and North Carolina State followed the Buckeyes.DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — William Byron launched Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th anniversary season by snapping the team’s nine-year Daytona 500 losing streak with his Monday win in the rain-postponed “Great American Race.” The last Hendrick driver to win the Daytona 500 was Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2014. The 26 year old from Charlotte, North Carolina is the sixth different driver to win the 500 for Rick Hendrick, the winningest team owner in NASCAR history who made his way to victory lane on the actual 40th anniversary of his first Cup win. Byron beat Hendrick teammate Alex Bowman as the race ended under one lap of caution.DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Alex Bowman never saw how the big wreck started that marred the end of the Daytona 500. He was surprised to learn he triggered the big one. Bowman sparked the crash that involved nearly two dozen cars and knocked six former NASCAR champions out of contention in the Daytona 500. Bowman bump-drafted Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron on the backstretch with nine laps to go when Byron lost control, turned into Brad Keselowski and pretty much wrecked the field. Byron and Bowman were the biggest beneficiaries of the melee. They escaped with little damage to their cars and went on to give Hendrick Motorsports a 1-2 finish in “The Great American Race.”INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Defense wasn’t really played in the All-Star Game, which explains why the Eastern Conference scored a record 211 points and the game saw nearly 400 points combined on Sunday night. Points couldn’t have been easier to come by. But in the regular season — although some might dispute this — defense does get played. And points just keep piling up anyway with the NBA on pace to see its highest-scoring season in more than 50 years with teams averaging more than 115 points per game, up about 1% from last year and up a staggering 15.5% from where it was a decade ago.UNDATED (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets have fired Jacque Vaughn after ending a disappointing first half of the season with a 50-point loss in Boston in their final game before the All-Star break. About a year after giving Vaughn a contract extension, the Nets changed course on Monday and said an interim coach would be named soon. The Nets are 21-33 and in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. They dropped five of their last six games. Nets general manager Sean Marks says “this was an incredibly difficult decision, but one we feel is in the best interest of the team going forward.”UNDATED (AP) — It was a bruising opening weekend in college baseball for Sacramento State’s Matt Masciangelo. The Hornets’ junior left fielder was hit by pitch on eight of his first nine plate appearances against Loyola Marymount. The teams played a doubleheader Friday, with Masciangelo plunked three times in the first game and four times in the second. The teams didn’t play Saturday. He got on base his first time up Sunday when a pitch grazed his jersey. Masciangelo says he and his teammates got a good laugh and he was happy to get on base so often.MONDAY SCORESTOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal (2)Houston 73 (6)Iowa St. 65NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal Anaheim 4 Buffalo 3Final Toronto 4 St. Louis 2Final SO Boston 4 Dallas 3Final Minnesota 10 Vancouver 7Final OT Detroit 4 Seattle 3Final Calgary 6 Winnipeg 3Final Vegas 4 San Jose 0Final Edmonton 6 Arizona 3Final Carolina 6 Chicago 3Final Ottawa 4 Tampa Bay 2

📢📰 Sports Headlines for Tuesday

DERBY, Kan. — The Hutchinson Salthawk basketball teams travel to Derby tonight for two key AVCTL-I matchups.

Catch all the action on KWBW Radio 1450-AM/98.5-FM with the award winning EAGLE Media sportscast crew, consisting of Glen Grunwald with the play-by-play call and Dan "Coach Nac" Naccarato.&nbsp;

The broadcast is available and archived on the Hutch High&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/">NFHS Video Stream</a>. The stream&nbsp;is free but you must register to watch if you don't have a NFHS Network account.&nbsp;

Here is a "How to Video" to assist you in setting up your NFHS Network account. &nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/yzsjAoVP5Ts">CLICK HERE</a>

The girls game will tip at 6 p.m. followed by boys action at 7:30 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708431443453.png" alt="Derby Gameday Feb. 20th" />
 <figcaption>Derby Gameday Feb. 20th</figcaption>
 </figure>DERBY, Kan. — The Hutchinson Salthawk basketball teams travel to Derby tonight for two key AVCTL-I matchups.Catch all the action on KWBW Radio 1450-AM/98.5-FM with the award winning EAGLE Media sportscast crew, consisting of Glen Grunwald with the play-by-play call and Dan "Coach Nac" Naccarato.&nbsp;The broadcast is available and archived on the Hutch High&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/">NFHS Video Stream</a>. The stream&nbsp;is free but you must register to watch if you don't have a NFHS Network account.&nbsp;

Here is a "How to Video" to assist you in setting up your NFHS Network account. &nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/yzsjAoVP5Ts">CLICK HERE</a>The girls game will tip at 6 p.m. followed by boys action at 7:30 p.m.<div><iframe src="https://player.nfhsnetwork.com/#/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamcd431196a4" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" width="640" height="360"></iframe>
</div>

🎧🎥🏀 Hutch High travel to Derby for key AVCTL matchup

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Max Abmas became the 12th player in men's Division I history to reach 3,000 career points and Texas held off Kansas State 62-56 on Monday night.

Abmas, a graduate transfer who played his first four seasons for Oral Roberts University, entered play needing six points to reach the milestone. He finished with eight and has scored 450 points for the Longhorns (17-9, 6-7 Big 12 Conference) this season.

Dylan Disu finished with a game-high 20 points for Texas. He made 5 of 11 shots from the floor and 10 of his 11 free throws, adding eight rebounds and three steals. Tyrese Hunter had nine points and seven boards. Dillon Mitchell totaled eight points and 10 rebounds with a pair of blocked shots.

Arthur Kaluma paced the Wildcats (15-11, 5-8) with 15 points and seven rebounds. Tylor Perry added 13 points and four assists, but he also had six of K-State's 13 turnovers. David N'Guessan pitched in with 12 points and seven rebounds.

Disu had eight points, Mitchell scored six and the pair combined for half of Texas' 22 rebounds as the Longhorns took a 27-22 advantage into halftime. N'Guessan had seven points to keep Kansas State close.

Both teams struggled to 32.3% shooting in the first half. That included Texas missing 10 of 12 attempts from 3-point range and the Wildcats misfiring on 9 of 10. The Longhorns were 5 for 7 at the free-throw line, while K-State made 1 of 4.

Abmas reached the milestone on a jumper with 14:04 remaining in the second half, giving Texas a 35-31 lead. Ithiel Horton followed with a 3-pointer and Hunter's layup capped a 7-0 run as the Longhorns moved in front 40-31.

Kansas State closed within 48-42 on a layup by N'Guessan with five minutes left. Texas pushed its lead to 12 — its largest of the game — but Kaluma had a four-point play and Will McNair added a layup to get the Wildcats within 54-48 with 2:12 left to play.

Cam Carter hit two free throws with 50 seconds remaining to cut K-State's deficit to 56-52, but Disu sank four foul shots in a row to seal it.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Max Abmas became the 12th player in men's Division I history to reach 3,000 career points and Texas held off Kansas State 62-56 on Monday night.Abmas, a graduate transfer who played his first four seasons for Oral Roberts University, entered play needing six points to reach the milestone. He finished with eight and has scored 450 points for the Longhorns (17-9, 6-7 Big 12 Conference) this season.Dylan Disu finished with a game-high 20 points for Texas. He made 5 of 11 shots from the floor and 10 of his 11 free throws, adding eight rebounds and three steals. Tyrese Hunter had nine points and seven boards. Dillon Mitchell totaled eight points and 10 rebounds with a pair of blocked shots.Arthur Kaluma paced the Wildcats (15-11, 5-8) with 15 points and seven rebounds. Tylor Perry added 13 points and four assists, but he also had six of K-State's 13 turnovers. David N'Guessan pitched in with 12 points and seven rebounds.Disu had eight points, Mitchell scored six and the pair combined for half of Texas' 22 rebounds as the Longhorns took a 27-22 advantage into halftime. N'Guessan had seven points to keep Kansas State close.Both teams struggled to 32.3% shooting in the first half. That included Texas missing 10 of 12 attempts from 3-point range and the Wildcats misfiring on 9 of 10. The Longhorns were 5 for 7 at the free-throw line, while K-State made 1 of 4.Abmas reached the milestone on a jumper with 14:04 remaining in the second half, giving Texas a 35-31 lead. Ithiel Horton followed with a 3-pointer and Hunter's layup capped a 7-0 run as the Longhorns moved in front 40-31.Kansas State closed within 48-42 on a layup by N'Guessan with five minutes left. Texas pushed its lead to 12 — its largest of the game — but Kaluma had a four-point play and Will McNair added a layup to get the Wildcats within 54-48 with 2:12 left to play.Cam Carter hit two free throws with 50 seconds remaining to cut K-State's deficit to 56-52, but Disu sank four foul shots in a row to seal it.

🏀 Abmas leads Texas over Kansas State 

NEW YORK (AP) — Southern California, which has won six straight games, climbed three spots to No. 7 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll" target="_blank">The Associated Press women’s basketball poll</a>&nbsp;Monday while South Carolina remained a unanimous No. 1.

USC swept Oregon and then-No. 11 Oregon State over the weekend. The Trojans moved into a tie for second place in the Pac-12 Conference, two games behind Stanford. They host Colorado and Utah this weekend.

The six teams in front of USC didn’t change, with South Carolina leading the way, as it has since the regular season began. The Gamecocks received all 35 votes from a national media panel. South Carolina was tested in both its game last week, rallying to beat Tennessee and Georgia. Coach Dawn Staley’s team&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bulldogs-gamecocks-basketball-score-8149d14d2cf1061de873ef0660279fb3" target="_blank">trailed at halftime at home</a>&nbsp;against Georgia on Sunday before winning by 14 points.

Ohio State was right behind South Carolina, marking the first time in seven weeks that a No. 2 team held its place for two consecutive polls. No. 3 Stanford, Iowa, Texas and North Carolina State followed the Buckeyes.

Virginia Tech climbed four spots to eighth after beating Duke and Louisville. The Hokies have won nine in a row and sit in first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference, a game in front of Syracuse.

Oregon State moved up to ninth despite the loss to USC after beating then-No. 9 UCLA.

Kansas State fell three places to No. 10, while Colorado and UCLA also dropped three places.

With the NCAA career&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caitlin-clark-ncaa-womens-record-kelsey-plum-885e58a5e600eb2961542408b9167af7" target="_blank">scoring record in the rearview mirror,</a>&nbsp;Caitlin Clark leads Iowa into Indiana for a key Big Ten Conference matchup. Iowa is tied for second, a game behind Ohio State. The Hawkeyes beat the Hoosiers by 27 points at home last month. Expect Thursday’s rematch to be a bit more competitive.

It was an exciting weekend in the Pac-12 Conference, with Oregon State topping UCLA on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ucla-oregon-state-women-34d1350d07d6dd1a3899b6a444475bc8" target="_blank">shot at the buzzer</a>&nbsp;as well as Utah beating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-utah-score-23c4fd49c595698f57911c0cbe57039a" target="_blank">Colorado in the last second as well.</a>&nbsp;The conference is still tops in the poll, with five teams in the first 12 and six ranked in the Top 25 overall.

The ACC and Big 12 are next with five teams each. The Big 12 has three teams and the Big East and SEC each have two. The Ivy and West Coast each have one.

The NCAA&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/womens-ncaa-tournament-top-seeds-reveal-8fd25e3a2360d557e0c5b29be67d359a" target="_blank">had its first reveal last Thursday</a>&nbsp;of the top 16 teams at that point. South Carolina, Ohio State, Stanford and Colorado were the 1 seeds. The Buffaloes went on to lose after that. The next reveal will be on Feb. 29.

No. 25 Princeton has won 15 straight games and sits a game in front of Columba in the Ivy League standings. The Tigers won the first meeting last month, and the two teams play in New York on Saturday with first place in the conference on the line. They shared the regular-season title last year, the first in Columbia’s history.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699875693382.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Southern California, which has won six straight games, climbed three spots to No. 7 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll" target="_blank">The Associated Press women’s basketball poll</a>&nbsp;Monday while South Carolina remained a unanimous No. 1.USC swept Oregon and then-No. 11 Oregon State over the weekend. The Trojans moved into a tie for second place in the Pac-12 Conference, two games behind Stanford. They host Colorado and Utah this weekend.The six teams in front of USC didn’t change, with South Carolina leading the way, as it has since the regular season began. The Gamecocks received all 35 votes from a national media panel. South Carolina was tested in both its game last week, rallying to beat Tennessee and Georgia. Coach Dawn Staley’s team&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bulldogs-gamecocks-basketball-score-8149d14d2cf1061de873ef0660279fb3" target="_blank">trailed at halftime at home</a>&nbsp;against Georgia on Sunday before winning by 14 points.Ohio State was right behind South Carolina, marking the first time in seven weeks that a No. 2 team held its place for two consecutive polls. No. 3 Stanford, Iowa, Texas and North Carolina State followed the Buckeyes.Virginia Tech climbed four spots to eighth after beating Duke and Louisville. The Hokies have won nine in a row and sit in first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference, a game in front of Syracuse.Oregon State moved up to ninth despite the loss to USC after beating then-No. 9 UCLA.Kansas State fell three places to No. 10, while Colorado and UCLA also dropped three places.<h2>GAME OF THE WEEK</h2>With the NCAA career&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caitlin-clark-ncaa-womens-record-kelsey-plum-885e58a5e600eb2961542408b9167af7" target="_blank">scoring record in the rearview mirror,</a>&nbsp;Caitlin Clark leads Iowa into Indiana for a key Big Ten Conference matchup. Iowa is tied for second, a game behind Ohio State. The Hawkeyes beat the Hoosiers by 27 points at home last month. Expect Thursday’s rematch to be a bit more competitive.<h2>EXCITEMENT OUT WEST</h2>It was an exciting weekend in the Pac-12 Conference, with Oregon State topping UCLA on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ucla-oregon-state-women-34d1350d07d6dd1a3899b6a444475bc8" target="_blank">shot at the buzzer</a>&nbsp;as well as Utah beating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-utah-score-23c4fd49c595698f57911c0cbe57039a" target="_blank">Colorado in the last second as well.</a>&nbsp;The conference is still tops in the poll, with five teams in the first 12 and six ranked in the Top 25 overall.The ACC and Big 12 are next with five teams each. The Big 12 has three teams and the Big East and SEC each have two. The Ivy and West Coast each have one.<h2>OPENING REVEAL</h2>The NCAA&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/womens-ncaa-tournament-top-seeds-reveal-8fd25e3a2360d557e0c5b29be67d359a" target="_blank">had its first reveal last Thursday</a>&nbsp;of the top 16 teams at that point. South Carolina, Ohio State, Stanford and Colorado were the 1 seeds. The Buffaloes went on to lose after that. The next reveal will be on Feb. 29.<h2>IVY LEAGUE SHOWDOWN</h2>No. 25 Princeton has won 15 straight games and sits a game in front of Columba in the Ivy League standings. The Tigers won the first meeting last month, and the two teams play in New York on Saturday with first place in the conference on the line. They shared the regular-season title last year, the first in Columbia’s history.

🏀 WBB: K-State slips to No. 10 in latest AP poll

BY&nbsp;DAVE SKRETTA Associated Press

UConn became the first unanimous No. 1 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll" target="_blank">The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll</a>&nbsp;this season, while Washington State jumped into the rankings Monday at No. 21 to end a 302-week drought stretching back to the 2007-08 season.

The Huskies remained atop the poll for the sixth consecutive week after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uconn-depaul-score-8427d5793be1980b7ec3d865dd242be8" target="_blank">a blowout of DePaul</a>&nbsp;and an impressive 81-53&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marquette-uconn-score-3af15ded2bcb19517338ed633a344a32" target="_blank">win over then-No. 4 Marquette</a>&nbsp;over the weekend. They received all 62 first-place votes from a panel of national media members, scooping up the 16 first-place votes that Purdue lost when the Boilermakers fell to Ohio State on Sunday.

UConn is riding the second-longest streak at No. 1 in school history behind a 10-week stay during the 1998-99 season, when the team coached by Jim Calhoun and led by Richard Hamilton and Khalid El-Amin beat Duke for the national championship.

“All we can control is taking a championship approach to the next game,” said UConn coach Dan Hurley, whose team was the No. 2 overall seed behind Purdue in the first look provided by the NCAA Tournament selection committee over the weekend.

UConn has won 14 straight games, the longest streak in men’s Division I basketball.

“We just talk about a championship-level approach, mentality, execution,” said Hurley, whose team is aiming for the first repeat national championship since Florida in 2006-07. “We’re not going to talk about standings. There’s no reason to talk about that.”

Houston rode&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-houston-basketball-score-a69253016ffb6fb15a007f41510af384" target="_blank">an easy win against Texas</a>&nbsp;over the weekend into the second spot ahead of Purdue, while Arizona moved up one spot into fourth and Tennessee climbed three spots to round out the top five.

Iowa State ran its winning streak to four straight in the rugged Big 12 with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-tech-iowa-state-basketball-score-fe4d5cc9e1744bcfce3cac62b9893cf8" target="_blank">wins over Cincinnati and Texas Tech</a>&nbsp;last week, and that sent the Cyclones up four spots to No. 6. That’s the highest the program has been ranked since Dec. 14, 2015.

Marquette dropped three spots following its loss to the Huskies and was seventh. Duke was eighth, Kansas fell three positions to ninth after a lopsided loss to Texas Tech and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-oklahoma-basketball-score-cc64884948e1c89c59c6470bcba37f32" target="_blank">a win over Oklahoma</a>, and North Carolina rounded out the top 10.

Baylor was 11th and was followed by Illinois, Alabama, Auburn and Creighton. Dayton stayed put at No. 16, with Kentucky up five spots to No. 17. Saint Mary’s was next after extending its winning streak to 13 games, and San Diego State leaped back into the poll at No. 19. South Carolina fell nine spots to No. 20 after losses to Auburn and LSU.

There were four newcomers or returning teams among the final five on Monday: Washington State at No. 21, followed by Colorado State, Texas Tech and Florida. BYU fell six spots but held down the final position in the Top 25.

The Cougars,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanford-washington-state-basketball-score-26878477b1c57bc32a03de3b8aae1c42" target="_blank">who have won seven straight</a>, returned to the poll for the first time since they were No. 21 in the final ranking of the 2007-08 season. That team reached the Sweet 16 before losing to Final Four participant North Carolina.

Their first test as a ranked team will be a trip to No. 4 Arizona on Thursday night.

“It’s the hardest place to play in the country,” Washington State coach Kyle Smith said. “They’re going to have a really good crowd. You’re going to have to handle the onslaught. There’s going to be a lot of juice in the building. That’s the No. 1 challenge — can we handle that environment? But it’s a privilege. Pressure is a privilege.”

The volatility that has marked the back half of the poll all season continued this week. The Aztecs, Cougars, Rams, Red Raiders and Gators all moved into the ranking at the expense of Virginia, Wisconsin, Florida Atlantic, Indiana State and Oklahoma.

The Badgers have been in free-fall since climbing to sixth the final week of January, losing five of their last six. FAU climbed to No. 7 the final week of December before last year’s NCAA Tournament darling finally slipped from the poll altogether.

Kentucky made the biggest jump among teams that were ranked last week, using impressive wins over Ole Miss and then-No. 13 Auburn to climb five spots to No. 17. Iowa State jumped four positions to land at sixth.

South Carolina’s wild ride also continued this week. The Gamecocks vaulted from out of the poll to No. 15 two weeks ago, moved up four spots to No. 11 last week, then plummeted nine spots to No. 20 after a pair of losses last week.

The SEC moved into a tie with the Big 12 for the most teams in the poll with six apiece. The Big East had three, while the Big Ten, Pac-12, ACC and Mountain West each had two teams in the Top 25.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699875693382.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;DAVE SKRETTA Associated PressUConn became the first unanimous No. 1 in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll" target="_blank">The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll</a>&nbsp;this season, while Washington State jumped into the rankings Monday at No. 21 to end a 302-week drought stretching back to the 2007-08 season.The Huskies remained atop the poll for the sixth consecutive week after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uconn-depaul-score-8427d5793be1980b7ec3d865dd242be8" target="_blank">a blowout of DePaul</a>&nbsp;and an impressive 81-53&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marquette-uconn-score-3af15ded2bcb19517338ed633a344a32" target="_blank">win over then-No. 4 Marquette</a>&nbsp;over the weekend. They received all 62 first-place votes from a panel of national media members, scooping up the 16 first-place votes that Purdue lost when the Boilermakers fell to Ohio State on Sunday.UConn is riding the second-longest streak at No. 1 in school history behind a 10-week stay during the 1998-99 season, when the team coached by Jim Calhoun and led by Richard Hamilton and Khalid El-Amin beat Duke for the national championship.“All we can control is taking a championship approach to the next game,” said UConn coach Dan Hurley, whose team was the No. 2 overall seed behind Purdue in the first look provided by the NCAA Tournament selection committee over the weekend.UConn has won 14 straight games, the longest streak in men’s Division I basketball.“We just talk about a championship-level approach, mentality, execution,” said Hurley, whose team is aiming for the first repeat national championship since Florida in 2006-07. “We’re not going to talk about standings. There’s no reason to talk about that.”Houston rode&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-houston-basketball-score-a69253016ffb6fb15a007f41510af384" target="_blank">an easy win against Texas</a>&nbsp;over the weekend into the second spot ahead of Purdue, while Arizona moved up one spot into fourth and Tennessee climbed three spots to round out the top five.Iowa State ran its winning streak to four straight in the rugged Big 12 with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-tech-iowa-state-basketball-score-fe4d5cc9e1744bcfce3cac62b9893cf8" target="_blank">wins over Cincinnati and Texas Tech</a>&nbsp;last week, and that sent the Cyclones up four spots to No. 6. That’s the highest the program has been ranked since Dec. 14, 2015.Marquette dropped three spots following its loss to the Huskies and was seventh. Duke was eighth, Kansas fell three positions to ninth after a lopsided loss to Texas Tech and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-oklahoma-basketball-score-cc64884948e1c89c59c6470bcba37f32" target="_blank">a win over Oklahoma</a>, and North Carolina rounded out the top 10.Baylor was 11th and was followed by Illinois, Alabama, Auburn and Creighton. Dayton stayed put at No. 16, with Kentucky up five spots to No. 17. Saint Mary’s was next after extending its winning streak to 13 games, and San Diego State leaped back into the poll at No. 19. South Carolina fell nine spots to No. 20 after losses to Auburn and LSU.There were four newcomers or returning teams among the final five on Monday: Washington State at No. 21, followed by Colorado State, Texas Tech and Florida. BYU fell six spots but held down the final position in the Top 25.The Cougars,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stanford-washington-state-basketball-score-26878477b1c57bc32a03de3b8aae1c42" target="_blank">who have won seven straight</a>, returned to the poll for the first time since they were No. 21 in the final ranking of the 2007-08 season. That team reached the Sweet 16 before losing to Final Four participant North Carolina.Their first test as a ranked team will be a trip to No. 4 Arizona on Thursday night.“It’s the hardest place to play in the country,” Washington State coach Kyle Smith said. “They’re going to have a really good crowd. You’re going to have to handle the onslaught. There’s going to be a lot of juice in the building. That’s the No. 1 challenge — can we handle that environment? But it’s a privilege. Pressure is a privilege.”<h2>IN AND OUT</h2>The volatility that has marked the back half of the poll all season continued this week. The Aztecs, Cougars, Rams, Red Raiders and Gators all moved into the ranking at the expense of Virginia, Wisconsin, Florida Atlantic, Indiana State and Oklahoma.The Badgers have been in free-fall since climbing to sixth the final week of January, losing five of their last six. FAU climbed to No. 7 the final week of December before last year’s NCAA Tournament darling finally slipped from the poll altogether.<h2>RISING AND FALLING</h2>Kentucky made the biggest jump among teams that were ranked last week, using impressive wins over Ole Miss and then-No. 13 Auburn to climb five spots to No. 17. Iowa State jumped four positions to land at sixth.South Carolina’s wild ride also continued this week. The Gamecocks vaulted from out of the poll to No. 15 two weeks ago, moved up four spots to No. 11 last week, then plummeted nine spots to No. 20 after a pair of losses last week.<h2>CONFERENCE WATCH</h2>The SEC moved into a tie with the Big 12 for the most teams in the poll with six apiece. The Big East had three, while the Big Ten, Pac-12, ACC and Mountain West each had two teams in the Top 25.

🏀 MBB: KU drops to No. 9 in latest AP Top 25

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Monday, February 19th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Monday, February 19th, 2024.</figcaption>
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🎧 LISTEN: 🏀 NBA scores point record; 🏀 WSU drops 9th straight road game; 🏀 HutchCC splits with Butler; HHS Wrestling regional finals

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NBA wanted more competition. It got more points instead — more than ever before.

And once again, the All-Star Game was all offense.

All-Star MVP Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks scored 39 points and the Eastern Conference beat the Western Conference 211-186 on Sunday night, with the winners putting up the most points in the game's 73-year history. The previous mark: 196 by the West in 2016.

“We had fun,” East captain Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks said.

It was a flurry of records: The total points of 397 smashed the record of 374 set in 2017, while the East made 42 3-pointers to break the mark of 35 set by Team LeBron in 2019. The sides combined for 193 points in the first half to break the any-half record of 191 set last year, and the East tied an any-half record by scoring 104 by intermission.

Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics had 36 and Tyrese Haliburton from the hometown Indiana Pacers finished with 32 for the East, while Antetokounmpo had 23 and Jayson Tatum finished with 20.

“To be able to have this kind of accomplishment, it's special,” Lillard said.

Perhaps unnoticed: Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves scored 50 points for the West in just 28 minutes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder scored 31 points for the West.

“The shot-making from the East was incredible,” West forward Kevin Durant said. “Hard to play defense when somebody's shooting 30-, 40-footers over you.”

The West scored a ton of points, too: At 186, it had the fourth-most by any team in All-Star history. And obviously, the most ever in a loss.

— The East tried 97 3-pointers; the previous record was 90 by Team LeBron in 2019.

— The teams combined for 66 3s made and 168 3s attempted (previous records were 62 and 167 in 2019).

— The teams combined for 163 field goals made and 289 attempted (previous records were 162 in 2017 and 286 in 2016).

“Obviously, it wasn’t high intensity, at all,” Haliburton said.

Lillard made some history, too. He defended his 3-point shootout title on Saturday night — then won MVP on Sunday night. The only other player to win a Saturday event and All-Star MVP in the same weekend was Michael Jordan in 1988, when he won the dunk contest as well as the MVP trophy.

“Dame put on a show,” Tatum said, “and I was happy for him.”

The highlights were from everywhere. Lillard pulled up from halfcourt in the third quarter — swish. Luka Doncic tried a shot from about 70 feet late in the first half; it hit near the top of the backboard. Towns even threw an alley-oop to Stephen Curry; the Warriors star is much more of a shooter than a dunker, so he simply laid it in instead.

The only drama in the fourth was about the record — and really, that wasn’t in doubt. The East had 160 points through three quarters, only needing 37 more to set the team All-Star record.

Brown’s 3-pointer with 1:54 left broke the mark, giving the East 197. Haliburton made the shot that sent a scoreboard to the 200-point mark for the first time in any sort of official NBA history, connecting from deep with 1:27 left.

“Everybody was asking what the record was,” Lillard said. “We found out and went after it.”

And Lillard ended it in style — a 44-footer to close the scoring. He made 11 3-pointers on the night, with the official distance of those recorded at 347 feet. A typical NBA 3-pointer is 24 or 25 feet; Lillard averaged 31 1/2 feet on his 3s Sunday night.

Durant said he was watching Lillard on the West bench while sitting with the Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard. “We were in awe,” Durant said.

Defense was optional, sometimes accidental. There were 14 steals, most of those coming off wayward passes. And there were even three blocked shots.

Otherwise, it was shooting practice. And the tone was set quickly — Haliburton had five 3-pointers in a wild span of just 1:32 in the first quarter, helping the East take a 53-47 lead after the opening 12 minutes.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and other league executives were seeking a more competitive All-Star Game after last season's 184-175 matchup was widely panned — and television ratings plummeted.

Even Hall of Famer Larry Bird, honored Sunday at the NBA Legends Brunch, said was hoping the message from the league resonated and players took the All-Star Game a little more seriously.

“I know what this league’s all about and I’m very proud of it,” Bird said. “I’m proud of today’s players. I like the game they play. ... I think it’s very important when you have the best players in the world together, you’ve got to compete and you’ve got to play hard and you’ve got to show the fans how good they really are.”

They might not have competed the way Bird wanted — but they showed the fans plenty about how good they are.

It had a big-game, Finals-type atmosphere — but obviously, nothing near a playoff feel. Donovan Mitchell threw a 50-foot inbounds pass underhand, Bam Adebayo inbounded a ball off Nikola Jokic’s backside before dribbling downcourt and making a 3, and Devin Booker went through pregame with a hat on backwards.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675877206884.jpeg" alt="Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, left, hands the ball to Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James after passing Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis).jpg" />
 <figcaption>Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, left, hands the ball to Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James after passing Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis).jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NBA wanted more competition. It got more points instead — more than ever before.And once again, the All-Star Game was all offense.All-Star MVP Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks scored 39 points and the Eastern Conference beat the Western Conference 211-186 on Sunday night, with the winners putting up the most points in the game's 73-year history. The previous mark: 196 by the West in 2016.“We had fun,” East captain Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks said.It was a flurry of records: The total points of 397 smashed the record of 374 set in 2017, while the East made 42 3-pointers to break the mark of 35 set by Team LeBron in 2019. The sides combined for 193 points in the first half to break the any-half record of 191 set last year, and the East tied an any-half record by scoring 104 by intermission.Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics had 36 and Tyrese Haliburton from the hometown Indiana Pacers finished with 32 for the East, while Antetokounmpo had 23 and Jayson Tatum finished with 20.“To be able to have this kind of accomplishment, it's special,” Lillard said.Perhaps unnoticed: Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves scored 50 points for the West in just 28 minutes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder scored 31 points for the West.“The shot-making from the East was incredible,” West forward Kevin Durant said. “Hard to play defense when somebody's shooting 30-, 40-footers over you.”The West scored a ton of points, too: At 186, it had the fourth-most by any team in All-Star history. And obviously, the most ever in a loss.Among the other records:— The East tried 97 3-pointers; the previous record was 90 by Team LeBron in 2019.— The teams combined for 66 3s made and 168 3s attempted (previous records were 62 and 167 in 2019).— The teams combined for 163 field goals made and 289 attempted (previous records were 162 in 2017 and 286 in 2016).“Obviously, it wasn’t high intensity, at all,” Haliburton said.Lillard made some history, too. He defended his 3-point shootout title on Saturday night — then won MVP on Sunday night. The only other player to win a Saturday event and All-Star MVP in the same weekend was Michael Jordan in 1988, when he won the dunk contest as well as the MVP trophy.“Dame put on a show,” Tatum said, “and I was happy for him.”The highlights were from everywhere. Lillard pulled up from halfcourt in the third quarter — swish. Luka Doncic tried a shot from about 70 feet late in the first half; it hit near the top of the backboard. Towns even threw an alley-oop to Stephen Curry; the Warriors star is much more of a shooter than a dunker, so he simply laid it in instead.The only drama in the fourth was about the record — and really, that wasn’t in doubt. The East had 160 points through three quarters, only needing 37 more to set the team All-Star record.Brown’s 3-pointer with 1:54 left broke the mark, giving the East 197. Haliburton made the shot that sent a scoreboard to the 200-point mark for the first time in any sort of official NBA history, connecting from deep with 1:27 left.Lillard said the East wanted the record.“Everybody was asking what the record was,” Lillard said. “We found out and went after it.”And Lillard ended it in style — a 44-footer to close the scoring. He made 11 3-pointers on the night, with the official distance of those recorded at 347 feet. A typical NBA 3-pointer is 24 or 25 feet; Lillard averaged 31 1/2 feet on his 3s Sunday night.Durant said he was watching Lillard on the West bench while sitting with the Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard. “We were in awe,” Durant said.Defense was optional, sometimes accidental. There were 14 steals, most of those coming off wayward passes. And there were even three blocked shots.Otherwise, it was shooting practice. And the tone was set quickly — Haliburton had five 3-pointers in a wild span of just 1:32 in the first quarter, helping the East take a 53-47 lead after the opening 12 minutes.NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and other league executives were seeking a more competitive All-Star Game after last season's 184-175 matchup was widely panned — and television ratings plummeted.Even Hall of Famer Larry Bird, honored Sunday at the NBA Legends Brunch, said was hoping the message from the league resonated and players took the All-Star Game a little more seriously.“I know what this league’s all about and I’m very proud of it,” Bird said. “I’m proud of today’s players. I like the game they play. ... I think it’s very important when you have the best players in the world together, you’ve got to compete and you’ve got to play hard and you’ve got to show the fans how good they really are.”They might not have competed the way Bird wanted — but they showed the fans plenty about how good they are.It had a big-game, Finals-type atmosphere — but obviously, nothing near a playoff feel. Donovan Mitchell threw a 50-foot inbounds pass underhand, Bam Adebayo inbounded a ball off Nikola Jokic’s backside before dribbling downcourt and making a 3, and Devin Booker went through pregame with a hat on backwards.Fun was had, and LeBron James — in his 20th All-Star Game, extending his record — said there was one big takeaway.“The good thing that came out of tonight is none of the players were injured,” James said. “Everybody came out unscathed.”Except the scoreboard, perhaps.UP NEXTThe 74th NBA All-Star Game is scheduled for Feb. 16, 2025, at Chase Center in San Francisco, the home of the Golden State Warriors. It’ll be the first time for the game in the Bay Area since 2000.