SPRINGFIELD, Mass.&nbsp;– Kansas senior Hunter Dickinson has been named one of five finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced today.

The annual Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, named after the&nbsp;Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion, celebrates its 10th year by&nbsp;honoring&nbsp;the top centers in Division I men’s college basketball.

Joining Dickinson as finalists are Armando Bacot (North Carolina), Zach Edey (Purdue), PJ Hall (Clemson) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton).

A six-time Big 12 weekly award winner and on nearly every national player of the year and All-America watch list, Dickinson leads the Big 12 and is seventh nationally in rebounds per game at 11. The Alexandria, Virginia, native recorded his 16th double-double of the season with 15 points and 20 rebounds against Kansas State (3/5) and his 16 double-doubles lead the Big 12 and are 10th nationally. With an 18.2 ppg, which is second in the Big 12 behind Kansas teammate Kevin McCullar Jr., Dickinson is the only player in the Big 12 averaging a double-double. He also leads the Big 12 with 14 games of 20-plus points and leads KU with 42 blocked shots and has 29 steals.

Dickinson enters Saturday’s game at Houston with 2,163 points and 1,117 rebounds and is one of four active players in&nbsp;NCAA&nbsp;Division I to surpass both 2,100 points and 1,100 rebounds for his career. Prior to joining Kansas last summer, Dickinson was a three-time all-conference honoree while at Michigan and a 2021 Consensus All-America Second Team selection.

Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, starting Friday, March 8, on&nbsp;<a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhoophallawards.com%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ctheisen%40ku.edu%7C34ec120da7f640f83a7508dc3f839382%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638455081569690651%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=TfpZsNAcbKRNS2bEcKCvbPqWqhm4jrN9ruB3oVNUeIY%3D&amp;reserved=0">hoophallawards.com</a>. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process.

Later this month, the finalists will be presented to Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame’s selection committees.&nbsp;The Selection Committee for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award are composed of top men’s basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.

The winner of the 2024 Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Men’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Award (Point Guard), the&nbsp;Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), the&nbsp;Julius Erving Award (Small Forward) and the Karl Malone Award (Power Forward). In 2017 Kansas’ Frank Mason III won the Bob Cousy Award and in 2023 KU’s Jalen Wilson won the Julius Erving Award.

Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award are Edey, Purdue (2023), Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky (2022), Luka Garza, Iowa (2020-21), Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (2019), Angel Delgado, Seton Hall (2018), Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga (2017), Jakob Poeltl, Utah (2016), and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709930832970.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Kansas AthleticsSPRINGFIELD, Mass.&nbsp;– Kansas senior Hunter Dickinson has been named one of five finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced today.The annual Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, named after the&nbsp;Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion, celebrates its 10th year by&nbsp;honoring&nbsp;the top centers in Division I men’s college basketball.Joining Dickinson as finalists are Armando Bacot (North Carolina), Zach Edey (Purdue), PJ Hall (Clemson) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton).A six-time Big 12 weekly award winner and on nearly every national player of the year and All-America watch list, Dickinson leads the Big 12 and is seventh nationally in rebounds per game at 11. The Alexandria, Virginia, native recorded his 16th double-double of the season with 15 points and 20 rebounds against Kansas State (3/5) and his 16 double-doubles lead the Big 12 and are 10th nationally. With an 18.2 ppg, which is second in the Big 12 behind Kansas teammate Kevin McCullar Jr., Dickinson is the only player in the Big 12 averaging a double-double. He also leads the Big 12 with 14 games of 20-plus points and leads KU with 42 blocked shots and has 29 steals.Dickinson enters Saturday’s game at Houston with 2,163 points and 1,117 rebounds and is one of four active players in&nbsp;NCAA&nbsp;Division I to surpass both 2,100 points and 1,100 rebounds for his career. Prior to joining Kansas last summer, Dickinson was a three-time all-conference honoree while at Michigan and a 2021 Consensus All-America Second Team selection.Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, starting Friday, March 8, on&nbsp;<a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhoophallawards.com%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ctheisen%40ku.edu%7C34ec120da7f640f83a7508dc3f839382%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638455081569690651%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=TfpZsNAcbKRNS2bEcKCvbPqWqhm4jrN9ruB3oVNUeIY%3D&amp;reserved=0">hoophallawards.com</a>. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process.Later this month, the finalists will be presented to Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame’s selection committees.&nbsp;The Selection Committee for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award are composed of top men’s basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.The winner of the 2024 Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Men’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Award (Point Guard), the&nbsp;Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), the&nbsp;Julius Erving Award (Small Forward) and the Karl Malone Award (Power Forward). In 2017 Kansas’ Frank Mason III won the Bob Cousy Award and in 2023 KU’s Jalen Wilson won the Julius Erving Award.Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award are Edey, Purdue (2023), Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky (2022), Luka Garza, Iowa (2020-21), Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (2019), Angel Delgado, Seton Hall (2018), Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga (2017), Jakob Poeltl, Utah (2016), and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015).

🏀 MBB: Dickinson named finalist for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award

(AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are bringing back versatile linebacker Drue Tranquill on a three-year, $19 million contract, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Thursday night.

The person requested anonymity because the team had not announced the contract.

Tranquill signed with the Chiefs relatively late last offseason after spending the previous four years with the AFC West rival Los Angeles Chargers. But rather than an afterthought, Tranquill emerged as an important contributor for the league’s second-ranked defense, making 4 1/2 sacks and helping to fill in as a starter while Nick Bolton was out with an injury.

Tranquill, who will turn 29 in August, was at his best in the playoffs, making four tackles apiece in the wild-card and divisional rounds before making eight stops in the AFC championship game against Baltimore. He also had a pair of assists in the Super Bowl, when the Chiefs rallied to force overtime against San Francisco and then won their second straight Lombardi Trophy.

“Unfinished business,” Tranquill wrote in a social media post Thursday.

The Chiefs have a number of decisions to make if they want to return one of the NFL’s best defenses largely intact, and the first big one came earlier this week, when they used the franchise tag on L’Jarius Sneed.

Sneed arguably would have been the top cornerback in free agency, and now he faces the prospect of playing next season on a $19.8 million deal with Kansas City if the sides are unable to work out a long-term contract. The Chiefs also could trade him to a team willing to give him that lucrative contract in return for draft picks and salary cap relief.

The other big decision facing Kansas City is whether to give All-Pro pass rusher Chris Jones the long-term deal he desires after failing to reach an agreement the past two offseasons. Jones held out all of last offseason and through the Chiefs’ Week 1 loss to Detroit before ultimately signing a revised one-year agreement so that he would get back on the field.

As those two situations play out, the Chiefs have other moves to make on the defensive side of the ball. They must decide whether to re-sign or replace safety Mike Edwards, who became an important player alongside Justin Reid after Bryan Cook sustained a season-ending injury. Willie Gay Jr. is due to hit free agency after proving to be the Chiefs’ most athletic linebacker. And defensive linemen Tershawn Wharton, Derrick Nnadi and Mike Danna also are becoming free agents.

In the meantime, the Chiefs made sure Tranquill will be back as they chase a third straight Super Bowl title.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709907018545.png" alt="AP Photo/Julio Cortez" />
 <figcaption>AP Photo/Julio Cortez</figcaption>
 </figure>(AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are bringing back versatile linebacker Drue Tranquill on a three-year, $19 million contract, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Thursday night.The person requested anonymity because the team had not announced the contract.Tranquill signed with the Chiefs relatively late last offseason after spending the previous four years with the AFC West rival Los Angeles Chargers. But rather than an afterthought, Tranquill emerged as an important contributor for the league’s second-ranked defense, making 4 1/2 sacks and helping to fill in as a starter while Nick Bolton was out with an injury.Tranquill, who will turn 29 in August, was at his best in the playoffs, making four tackles apiece in the wild-card and divisional rounds before making eight stops in the AFC championship game against Baltimore. He also had a pair of assists in the Super Bowl, when the Chiefs rallied to force overtime against San Francisco and then won their second straight Lombardi Trophy.“Unfinished business,” Tranquill wrote in a social media post Thursday.The Chiefs have a number of decisions to make if they want to return one of the NFL’s best defenses largely intact, and the first big one came earlier this week, when they used the franchise tag on L’Jarius Sneed.Sneed arguably would have been the top cornerback in free agency, and now he faces the prospect of playing next season on a $19.8 million deal with Kansas City if the sides are unable to work out a long-term contract. The Chiefs also could trade him to a team willing to give him that lucrative contract in return for draft picks and salary cap relief.The other big decision facing Kansas City is whether to give All-Pro pass rusher Chris Jones the long-term deal he desires after failing to reach an agreement the past two offseasons. Jones held out all of last offseason and through the Chiefs’ Week 1 loss to Detroit before ultimately signing a revised one-year agreement so that he would get back on the field.As those two situations play out, the Chiefs have other moves to make on the defensive side of the ball. They must decide whether to re-sign or replace safety Mike Edwards, who became an important player alongside Justin Reid after Bryan Cook sustained a season-ending injury. Willie Gay Jr. is due to hit free agency after proving to be the Chiefs’ most athletic linebacker. And defensive linemen Tershawn Wharton, Derrick Nnadi and Mike Danna also are becoming free agents.In the meantime, the Chiefs made sure Tranquill will be back as they chase a third straight Super Bowl title.

🏈 Chiefs bringing back LB Drue Tranquill on 3-year deal

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Friday, March 8th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Friday, March 8th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="March 8th, 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=rwjtz-15a4022-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: 🏀 Class 3A results from Thursday 🏀 WSU final regular season game

Semifinal Friday is here across the Sunflower State. Below you will find all of the matchups across all seven classifications. For complete brackets and more information&nbsp;<a href="https://kshsaa.org/Public/Basketball/State.cfm">here</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

CLASS 6A (Wichita) 2 p.m. (G) - Shawnee Mission South (22-1) vs. Blue Valley North (19-4) 4 p.m. (B) - Shawnee Mission NW (23-0) vs. Mill Valley (18-5) 6 p.m. (G) - Washburn Rural (16-7) vs. Derby (20-3) 8 p.m. (B) - Wichita Heights (22-1) vs. Wichita Northwest (18-5)

CLASS 5A (Emporia) 2 p.m. (B) - Highland Park (22-1) vs. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (20-3) 4 p.m. (G) - Andover (23-0) vs. Topeka Seaman (21-2) 6 p.m. (B) - Maize South (23-0) vs. KC Piper (20-3) 8 p.m. (G) - Maize South (22-1) vs. Emporia (22-1)

CLASS 4A (Salina) 2 p.m. (G) - Wellington (22-1) vs. McPherson (19-4) 4 p.m. (B) - McPherson (23-0) vs. Baldwin (20-3) 6 p.m. (G) - Fort Scott (22-1) vs. Bishop Miege (20-3) 8 p.m. (B) - Atchison (21-2) vs. Hugoton (21-2)

CLASS 3A (Hutchinson) 2 p.m. (B) - Beloit (23-1) vs. Wellsville (21-3) 4 p.m. (G) - Silver Lake (24-0) vs. Topeka Hayden (20-4) 6 p.m. (B) - Southeast of Saline (15-9) vs. Goodland (21-3) 8 p.m. (G) - Goodland (21-3) vs. Hesston (21-3)

CLASS 2A (Dodge City) 2 p.m. (G) - Valley Heights (19-5) vs. Riverside (22-2) 4 p.m. (B) - Lyndon (24-0) vs. Salina Sacred Heart (21-3) 6 p.m. (G) - St. Mary's Colgan (24-0) vs. Wichita Independent (20-3) 8 p.m. (B) - Sterling (22-2) vs. Moundridge (21-3)

CLASS 1A DIVISION I (Colby) 2 p.m. (B) - South Gray (22-2) vs. Olpe (21-3) 4 p.m. (G) - Little RIver (24-0) vs. Centralia (22-2) 6 p.m. (B) - Bishop Seabury (20-4) vs. Quinter (21-3) 8 p.m. (G) - South Gray (23-1) vs. Frankfort (21-3)

CLASS 1A DIVISION II (Great Bend) 2 p.m. (B) - Dighton (23-1) vs. Cunningham (20-3) 4 p.m. (G) - Northern Valley (13-11) vs. Hanover (21-4) 6 p.m. (B) -Axtell (22-2) vs. Lebo (17-7) 8 p.m. (G) -Lebo (22-2) vs. Wallace County (21-3)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709668859588.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas State High School Activities Association." />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas State High School Activities Association.</figcaption>
 </figure>Semifinal Friday is here across the Sunflower State. Below you will find all of the matchups across all seven classifications. For complete brackets and more information&nbsp;<a href="https://kshsaa.org/Public/Basketball/State.cfm">here</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;CLASS 6A (Wichita) 2 p.m. (G) - Shawnee Mission South (22-1) vs. Blue Valley North (19-4) 4 p.m. (B) - Shawnee Mission NW (23-0) vs. Mill Valley (18-5) 6 p.m. (G) - Washburn Rural (16-7) vs. Derby (20-3) 8 p.m. (B) - Wichita Heights (22-1) vs. Wichita Northwest (18-5)CLASS 5A (Emporia) 2 p.m. (B) - Highland Park (22-1) vs. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (20-3) 4 p.m. (G) - Andover (23-0) vs. Topeka Seaman (21-2) 6 p.m. (B) - Maize South (23-0) vs. KC Piper (20-3) 8 p.m. (G) - Maize South (22-1) vs. Emporia (22-1)CLASS 4A (Salina) 2 p.m. (G) - Wellington (22-1) vs. McPherson (19-4) 4 p.m. (B) - McPherson (23-0) vs. Baldwin (20-3) 6 p.m. (G) - Fort Scott (22-1) vs. Bishop Miege (20-3) 8 p.m. (B) - Atchison (21-2) vs. Hugoton (21-2)CLASS 3A (Hutchinson) 2 p.m. (B) - Beloit (23-1) vs. Wellsville (21-3) 4 p.m. (G) - Silver Lake (24-0) vs. Topeka Hayden (20-4) 6 p.m. (B) - Southeast of Saline (15-9) vs. Goodland (21-3) 8 p.m. (G) - Goodland (21-3) vs. Hesston (21-3)CLASS 2A (Dodge City) 2 p.m. (G) - Valley Heights (19-5) vs. Riverside (22-2) 4 p.m. (B) - Lyndon (24-0) vs. Salina Sacred Heart (21-3) 6 p.m. (G) - St. Mary's Colgan (24-0) vs. Wichita Independent (20-3) 8 p.m. (B) - Sterling (22-2) vs. Moundridge (21-3)CLASS 1A DIVISION I (Colby) 2 p.m. (B) - South Gray (22-2) vs. Olpe (21-3) 4 p.m. (G) - Little RIver (24-0) vs. Centralia (22-2) 6 p.m. (B) - Bishop Seabury (20-4) vs. Quinter (21-3) 8 p.m. (G) - South Gray (23-1) vs. Frankfort (21-3)CLASS 1A DIVISION II (Great Bend) 2 p.m. (B) - Dighton (23-1) vs. Cunningham (20-3) 4 p.m. (G) - Northern Valley (13-11) vs. Hanover (21-4) 6 p.m. (B) -Axtell (22-2) vs. Lebo (17-7) 8 p.m. (G) -Lebo (22-2) vs. Wallace County (21-3)

🏀 KSHSAA state semifinals schedule for Friday

AP Sports Summary for Friday, March 8th, 2024.

Nikola Jokic's triple-double helps Nuggets to season sweep of Celtics with 115-109 win

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 32 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in leading the Denver Nuggets to a 115-109 win over Boston and a season sweep of the Celtics. It was Jokic's 20th triple-double of the season. Jaylen Brown led Boston with a season-best 41 points but the NBA-best Celtics lost back-to-back games for the first time since early November. The Nuggets improved to 7-1 after the All-Star break. Jamal Murray added 19 points and eight assists for Denver. Boston's Kristaps Porzingis scored 24 points.

Stephen Curry injures right ankle late in loss to Bulls

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Warriors star Stephen Curry injured his troublesome right ankle again, though the severity wasn't immediately known. Coach Steve Kerr had yet to speak with Golden State's medical staff immediately after a 125-122 loss to the Chicago Bulls but said the two-time MVP had his ankle in a bucket of ice. Curry rolled the ankle driving to the basket then quickly limped off while exiting and headed to the locker room with 3:51 to play having scored 15 points.

Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns will have meniscus surgery, out at least 4 weeks

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns will have surgery next week to address a meniscus tear in his left knee. The team announced the injury Thursday night, saying Towns will miss at least four weeks. That means the All-Star will be sidelined for at least 13 more games. That's the majority of Minnesota's remaining regular-season schedule. The Wolves sit atop the Western Conference. Towns didn't play in the Wolves' win at Indiana on Thursday night. The team revealed after the game that an MRI exam, performed Wednesday, showed the meniscus tear.

Hurricanes make a big NHL trade deadline eve splash by getting Jake Guentzel from the Penguins

The Carolina Hurricanes made the biggest splash in the league on the eve of the NHL trade deadline. Carolina acquired two-time 40-goal scorer Jake Guentzel in a blockbuster deal finalized Thursday night with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Guentzel was considered the top player available at the deadline. The Hurricanes became the latest Stanley Cup contender to make a major acquisition prior to 3 p.m. Eastern Friday deadline. Colorado added two more forwards in Brandon Duhaime and Yakov Trenin, while the Oilers and Maple Leafs each acquired a defenseman with Troy Stecher going to Edmonton and Joel Edmundson to Toronto.

Las Vegas fans get first look at A's since stadium funding and relocation were approved

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Oakland Athletics return to Las Vegas this weekend for exhibition games against Milwaukee, their first appearance since announcing the relocation to what the team envisions as its future home city. The games at Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the franchise's Triple-A Aviators, feature an A's team planning a new regular-season ballpark on the Strip it hopes will open in 2028. The Nevada Legislature enacted $380 million in funding for a $1.5 billion stadium and baseball owners unanimously approved the relocation in November. Close to a sellout crowd is expected in the 10,000 capacity ballpark for the Saturday afternoon game.

Some of the biggest deals in NFL free agency could actually be re-signings

Another NFL free agency period is about to begin but buyers should beware that signing other teams' veterans comes with plenty of risk. Some veterans will test the open market only to come back and re-sign with their old team. Every general manager in the league has a topflight player or two that he wants to keep from calling the moving trucks.

Shane Lowry shows good form is more valuable than a bad track record at Bay Hill

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Shane Lowry knows he's playing good golf. He also knows he has a horrible record at Bay Hill. Good golf mattered more in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Lowry opened with a 66 on Thursday and has a one-shot lead. That not only is his best score at Bay Hill, he had never broken 70 the previous five times he played. Lowry had a share of the 54-hole lead last week, so he knows his form is good. He leads by one shot over Hideki Matsuyama and Justin Lower. Jordan Spieth had another wild day of bogeys and birdies and shot 69.

Venus Williams loses at Indian Wells in her first match since the US Open. Naomi Osaka advances

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Venus Williams has played a match on tour for the first time in about six months. The 43-year-old owner of seven Grand Slam titles gave away the lead and the last 10 games in a 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 loss to qualifier Nao Hibino at the BNP Paribas Open. Thursday was Williams' first competition since a first-round exit at the U.S. Open on Aug. 29. When the defeat ended with Williams getting broken for the seventh time in 12 service games, she walked to the net to congratulate Hibino, then left the court with a smile and a wave as much of the sparse crowd stood to applaud. Thursday's winners included Naomi Osaka.

No. 5 Arizona thrashes UCLA 88-65 to clinch the Pac-12 regular-season title in final league season

LOS ANGELES (AP) — KJ Lewis scored 18 points, Caleb Love added 17 and No. 5 Arizona routed UCLA 88-65. The Wildcats clinched the Pac-12 regular-season title in their final season in the league. Arizona improved to 24-6 overall and 15-4 in conference games. The Wildcats got some help with Washington's win over second-place Washington State. The Wildcats had five players in double figures in their fourth straight victory. The Bruins were led by Lazar Stefanovic with 20 points. UCLA fell to 14-16 and 9-10 while losing its season-worst fifth in a row. Arizona is headed to the Big 12 next season, while the Bruins are bound for the Big Ten.

Luis Suárez, Lionel Messi rally Inter Miami for a 2-2 tie with Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Luis Suárez scored in stoppage time and Lionel Messi also scored after halftime to help Inter Miami tie Nashville 2-2 in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The teams will meet Wednesday in Florida for the second leg of the home-and-home, total-goals series in the round of 16. Suárez tied it up by scoring in the fifth minute of stoppage time with a header off a cross from former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets. Messi got Inter Miami on the board with his first CONCACAF goal in the 52nd minute. Jacob Shaffelburg scored twice to put Nashville up 2-0.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

		Kansas City	at	Colorado	3:10 p.m.	(Canceled)

		Cleveland	at	Oakland	3:05 p.m.	(Canceled)

		L-A Dodgers	at	San Francisco	9:05 p.m.	(Canceled)

Final	Washington	74	(18)Washington St.	68	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Friday, March 8th, 2024," />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Friday, March 8th, 2024,</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="March 8th, 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=rwjtz-15a4022-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>AP Sports Summary for Friday, March 8th, 2024.Nikola Jokic's triple-double helps Nuggets to season sweep of Celtics with 115-109 winDENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 32 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in leading the Denver Nuggets to a 115-109 win over Boston and a season sweep of the Celtics. It was Jokic's 20th triple-double of the season. Jaylen Brown led Boston with a season-best 41 points but the NBA-best Celtics lost back-to-back games for the first time since early November. The Nuggets improved to 7-1 after the All-Star break. Jamal Murray added 19 points and eight assists for Denver. Boston's Kristaps Porzingis scored 24 points.Stephen Curry injures right ankle late in loss to BullsSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Warriors star Stephen Curry injured his troublesome right ankle again, though the severity wasn't immediately known. Coach Steve Kerr had yet to speak with Golden State's medical staff immediately after a 125-122 loss to the Chicago Bulls but said the two-time MVP had his ankle in a bucket of ice. Curry rolled the ankle driving to the basket then quickly limped off while exiting and headed to the locker room with 3:51 to play having scored 15 points.Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns will have meniscus surgery, out at least 4 weeksINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns will have surgery next week to address a meniscus tear in his left knee. The team announced the injury Thursday night, saying Towns will miss at least four weeks. That means the All-Star will be sidelined for at least 13 more games. That's the majority of Minnesota's remaining regular-season schedule. The Wolves sit atop the Western Conference. Towns didn't play in the Wolves' win at Indiana on Thursday night. The team revealed after the game that an MRI exam, performed Wednesday, showed the meniscus tear.Hurricanes make a big NHL trade deadline eve splash by getting Jake Guentzel from the PenguinsThe Carolina Hurricanes made the biggest splash in the league on the eve of the NHL trade deadline. Carolina acquired two-time 40-goal scorer Jake Guentzel in a blockbuster deal finalized Thursday night with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Guentzel was considered the top player available at the deadline. The Hurricanes became the latest Stanley Cup contender to make a major acquisition prior to 3 p.m. Eastern Friday deadline. Colorado added two more forwards in Brandon Duhaime and Yakov Trenin, while the Oilers and Maple Leafs each acquired a defenseman with Troy Stecher going to Edmonton and Joel Edmundson to Toronto.Las Vegas fans get first look at A's since stadium funding and relocation were approvedLAS VEGAS (AP) — The Oakland Athletics return to Las Vegas this weekend for exhibition games against Milwaukee, their first appearance since announcing the relocation to what the team envisions as its future home city. The games at Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the franchise's Triple-A Aviators, feature an A's team planning a new regular-season ballpark on the Strip it hopes will open in 2028. The Nevada Legislature enacted $380 million in funding for a $1.5 billion stadium and baseball owners unanimously approved the relocation in November. Close to a sellout crowd is expected in the 10,000 capacity ballpark for the Saturday afternoon game.Some of the biggest deals in NFL free agency could actually be re-signingsAnother NFL free agency period is about to begin but buyers should beware that signing other teams' veterans comes with plenty of risk. Some veterans will test the open market only to come back and re-sign with their old team. Every general manager in the league has a topflight player or two that he wants to keep from calling the moving trucks.Shane Lowry shows good form is more valuable than a bad track record at Bay HillORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Shane Lowry knows he's playing good golf. He also knows he has a horrible record at Bay Hill. Good golf mattered more in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Lowry opened with a 66 on Thursday and has a one-shot lead. That not only is his best score at Bay Hill, he had never broken 70 the previous five times he played. Lowry had a share of the 54-hole lead last week, so he knows his form is good. He leads by one shot over Hideki Matsuyama and Justin Lower. Jordan Spieth had another wild day of bogeys and birdies and shot 69.Venus Williams loses at Indian Wells in her first match since the US Open. Naomi Osaka advancesINDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Venus Williams has played a match on tour for the first time in about six months. The 43-year-old owner of seven Grand Slam titles gave away the lead and the last 10 games in a 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 loss to qualifier Nao Hibino at the BNP Paribas Open. Thursday was Williams' first competition since a first-round exit at the U.S. Open on Aug. 29. When the defeat ended with Williams getting broken for the seventh time in 12 service games, she walked to the net to congratulate Hibino, then left the court with a smile and a wave as much of the sparse crowd stood to applaud. Thursday's winners included Naomi Osaka.No. 5 Arizona thrashes UCLA 88-65 to clinch the Pac-12 regular-season title in final league seasonLOS ANGELES (AP) — KJ Lewis scored 18 points, Caleb Love added 17 and No. 5 Arizona routed UCLA 88-65. The Wildcats clinched the Pac-12 regular-season title in their final season in the league. Arizona improved to 24-6 overall and 15-4 in conference games. The Wildcats got some help with Washington's win over second-place Washington State. The Wildcats had five players in double figures in their fourth straight victory. The Bruins were led by Lazar Stefanovic with 20 points. UCLA fell to 14-16 and 9-10 while losing its season-worst fifth in a row. Arizona is headed to the Big 12 next season, while the Bruins are bound for the Big Ten.Luis Suárez, Lionel Messi rally Inter Miami for a 2-2 tie with NashvilleNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Luis Suárez scored in stoppage time and Lionel Messi also scored after halftime to help Inter Miami tie Nashville 2-2 in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The teams will meet Wednesday in Florida for the second leg of the home-and-home, total-goals series in the round of 16. Suárez tied it up by scoring in the fifth minute of stoppage time with a header off a cross from former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets. Messi got Inter Miami on the board with his first CONCACAF goal in the 52nd minute. Jacob Shaffelburg scored twice to put Nashville up 2-0.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___INTERLEAGUE		Kansas City	at	Colorado	3:10 p.m.	(Canceled)Final	Tampa Bay	3	Philadelphia	2	Final	Atlanta	3	Boston	2	Final	Houston	6	St. Louis	3	Final	Milwaukee	8	Chicago White Sox	2	Final	Texas	7	Arizona	5	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		Cleveland	at	Oakland	3:05 p.m.	(Canceled)Final	Seattle	5	L.A. Angels	0	Final	Toronto	5	Detroit	4	Final	Detroit	11	N.Y. Yankees	5	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		L-A Dodgers	at	San Francisco	9:05 p.m.	(Canceled)Final	N.Y. Mets	3	Washington	1	Final	Chicago Cubs	2	Cincinnati	2	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Detroit	118	Brooklyn	112	Final	Minnesota	113	Indiana	111	Final	Dallas	114	Miami	108	Final	Phoenix	120	Toronto	113	Final	Sacramento	131	San Antonio	129	Final	Chicago	125	Golden State	122	Final	Denver	115	Boston	109	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Philadelphia	2	Florida	1	Final	Columbus	4	Edmonton	2	Final	Washington	6	Pittsburgh	0	Final	New Jersey	4	St. Louis	1	Final	Calgary	6	Tampa Bay	3	Final	Carolina	4	Montreal	1	Final	Boston	4	Toronto	1	Final	Nashville	4	Buffalo	2	Final	Minnesota	5	Arizona	2	Final	Vancouver	3	Vegas	1	Final	N-Y Islanders	7	San Jose	2	Final OT	Los Angeles	4	Ottawa	3	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(5)Arizona	88	UCLA	65	Final	Washington	74	(18)Washington St.	68	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE		Houston	at	Philadelphia	1:05 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Pittsburgh	1:05 p.m.			Seattle	at	Chi Cubs	3:05 p.m.			Colorado	at	L-A Angels	3:10 p.m.			Oakland	at	Milwaukee	3:10 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	Oakland	9:05 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		N-Y Yankees	at	Toronto	1:07 p.m.			Chi White Sox	at	Cleveland	3:05 p.m.			Kansas City	at	Texas	3:05 p.m.			Detroit	at	Baltimore	6:05 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		Pittsburgh	at	Atlanta	1:05 p.m.			Chi Cubs	at	Arizona	3:10 p.m.			St. Louis	at	Washington	6:05 p.m.			N-Y Mets	at	Miami	6:40 p.m.			Cincinnati	at	L-A Dodgers	8:05 p.m.			San Francisco	at	San Diego	8:40 p.m.	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Charlotte	at	Washington	7 p.m.			New Orleans	at	Philadelphia	7 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Cleveland	7:30 p.m.			Orlando	at	New York	7:30 p.m.			Atlanta	at	Memphis	8 p.m.			Miami	at	Oklahoma City	8 p.m.			Houston	at	Portland	10 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	L.A. Lakers	10 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Detroit	at	Arizona	9 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Colorado	9 p.m.			Dallas	at	Anaheim	10 p.m.			Winnipeg	at	Seattle	10 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		Boise St.	at	(21)San Diego St.	10 p.m.			VCU	at	(25)Dayton	7 p.m.	___

📢📰 Sports Headlines for Friday

&nbsp; Find complete brackets and more information&nbsp;<a href="https://kshsaa.org/Public/Basketball/State.cfm">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

CLASS 6A (BOYS) Venue: Charles Koch Arena (Wichita) 2 p.m. - [1] Shawnee Mission NW&nbsp;72&nbsp;[8] Wichita East 57 4 p.m. - [4] Olathe North 69 vs. [5] Mill Valley 57 6 p.m. - [2] Wichita Heights 86 [7] Campus 57 8 p.m. - [6] Wichita NW 44 [3] Blue Valley NW 43

CLASS 5A (GIRLS) Venue: White Auditorium (Emporia) 2 p.m. - [1] Andover 65 [8] Blue Valley SW 42 4 p.m. - [4] Topeka Seaman 51 [5] De Soto 38 6 p.m. - [2] Maize South 55 [7] St. Thomas Aquinas 52 (OT) 8 p.m. - [3] Emporia 38&nbsp;[6] Bishop Carroll&nbsp;35

CLASS 4A (BOYS) Venue: Tony's Pizza Events Center (Salina) 2 p.m. - [1] McPherson 61&nbsp;[8] Fort Scott 48 4 p.m. - [5] Baldwin 63&nbsp;[4] Circle 53 6 p.m. - [2] Atchison 68 [7] St. George Rock Creek 54 8 p.m. - [3] Hugoton 53&nbsp;[6] Abilene 41

CLASS 3A (GIRLS) Venue: Hutchinson Sports Arena 2 p.m. - [1] Silver Lake 75 [8] Haven 38 4 p.m. - &nbsp;[5] Topeka Hayden 48
[4] Heritage Christian&nbsp;33 6 p.m. - [2] Goodland 32&nbsp;[7] Girard 30 8 p.m. - [3] Hesston 65 [6] Cheney 43

CLASS 2A (BOYS) Venue: United Wireless Arena (Dodge City) 2 p.m. - [1] Lyndon 51&nbsp;[8] Conway Springs 38 4 p.m. - [4] Salina Sacred Heart 74 [5] Erie 35 6 p.m. - [2] Sterling 57 [7] Plainville 43 8 p.m. - [3] Moundridge 55&nbsp;[6] Jefferson County North 37

CLASS 1A-DIVISION I (GIRLS) Venue: Colby Event Center (Colby) 2 p.m. - [1] Little River 61 [8] Olpe 44 4 p.m. - [5] Centralia 52&nbsp;

[4] Norwich&nbsp;30 6 p.m. - [2] South Gray 58 [7] Rawlins County 29 8 p.m. -&nbsp;

[6] Frankfort&nbsp;51&nbsp;[3] St. John-Hudson 34&nbsp;

CLASS 1A-DIVISION II (GIRLS) Venue: Barton Community College (Great Bend) 2 p.m. - [8] Northern Valley 49&nbsp;[1] South Haven 42 4 p.m. - [5] Hanover 57&nbsp;[4] Bucklin 43 6 p.m. - [2] Lebo 56&nbsp;[7] Marais Des Cygnes Valley 29 8 p.m. - [3] Wallace County 58&nbsp;[6] St. John's/Tipton 44

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709668859588.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas State High School Activities Association." />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas State High School Activities Association.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp; Find complete brackets and more information&nbsp;<a href="https://kshsaa.org/Public/Basketball/State.cfm">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;CLASS 6A (BOYS) Venue: Charles Koch Arena (Wichita) 2 p.m. - [1] Shawnee Mission NW&nbsp;72&nbsp;[8] Wichita East 57 4 p.m. - [4] Olathe North 69 vs. [5] Mill Valley 57 6 p.m. - [2] Wichita Heights 86 [7] Campus 57 8 p.m. - [6] Wichita NW 44 [3] Blue Valley NW 43CLASS 5A (GIRLS) Venue: White Auditorium (Emporia) 2 p.m. - [1] Andover 65 [8] Blue Valley SW 42 4 p.m. - [4] Topeka Seaman 51 [5] De Soto 38 6 p.m. - [2] Maize South 55 [7] St. Thomas Aquinas 52 (OT) 8 p.m. - [3] Emporia 38&nbsp;[6] Bishop Carroll&nbsp;35CLASS 4A (BOYS) Venue: Tony's Pizza Events Center (Salina) 2 p.m. - [1] McPherson 61&nbsp;[8] Fort Scott 48 4 p.m. - [5] Baldwin 63&nbsp;[4] Circle 53 6 p.m. - [2] Atchison 68 [7] St. George Rock Creek 54 8 p.m. - [3] Hugoton 53&nbsp;[6] Abilene 41CLASS 3A (GIRLS) Venue: Hutchinson Sports Arena 2 p.m. - [1] Silver Lake 75 [8] Haven 38 4 p.m. - &nbsp;[5] Topeka Hayden 48
[4] Heritage Christian&nbsp;33 6 p.m. - [2] Goodland 32&nbsp;[7] Girard 30 8 p.m. - [3] Hesston 65 [6] Cheney 43CLASS 2A (BOYS) Venue: United Wireless Arena (Dodge City) 2 p.m. - [1] Lyndon 51&nbsp;[8] Conway Springs 38 4 p.m. - [4] Salina Sacred Heart 74 [5] Erie 35 6 p.m. - [2] Sterling 57 [7] Plainville 43 8 p.m. - [3] Moundridge 55&nbsp;[6] Jefferson County North 37CLASS 1A-DIVISION I (GIRLS) Venue: Colby Event Center (Colby) 2 p.m. - [1] Little River 61 [8] Olpe 44 4 p.m. - [5] Centralia 52&nbsp;

[4] Norwich&nbsp;30 6 p.m. - [2] South Gray 58 [7] Rawlins County 29 8 p.m. -&nbsp;

[6] Frankfort&nbsp;51&nbsp;[3] St. John-Hudson 34&nbsp;CLASS 1A-DIVISION II (GIRLS) Venue: Barton Community College (Great Bend) 2 p.m. - [8] Northern Valley 49&nbsp;[1] South Haven 42 4 p.m. - [5] Hanover 57&nbsp;[4] Bucklin 43 6 p.m. - [2] Lebo 56&nbsp;[7] Marais Des Cygnes Valley 29 8 p.m. - [3] Wallace County 58&nbsp;[6] St. John's/Tipton 44

🏀 KSHSAA state quarterfinal results from Thursday

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701263164849.png" alt="Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Thursday, March 7th, 2024" />
 <figcaption>Early Morning Sports with Rob Dreher for Thursday, March 7th, 2024</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="March 7th, 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=hwcs2-15a266e-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: Kershaw dead at 93 🏀 HutchCC Women perfect 30-0 in regular season 🏀 HutchCC Men smack Garden 🏀 KSHSAA Class 3A boys results

Gerald R. “Jerry” Kershaw died Sunday, March 3, 2024.&nbsp;

Jerry’s life passion was sports, especially basketball, football, and baseball. In 1961, he put his passion to use by becoming one of the voices of the Hutchinson High School Salthawks and the Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragons, providing color analysis for all football and basketball games alongside Bob Watson on KWBW Radio. He had a remarkable memory for sports facts and this gained him many fans. He eventually took over the play-by-play duties. He took special pride in being the voice of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Tournament held every year in March in Hutchinson. He spent many years working with the American Legion to put the tournament together and was responsible for the committee overseeing the tournament program. He continued helping with the program via email and phone until his death. He was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Blue Dragon Hall of Fame in 2015. He was also honored on his 50th year of tournament broadcasting with the prestigious NJCAA Appreciation Award in 2014. He continued to return to Hutchinson every March to be a part of the tournament broadcasting crew after moving to Norman until 2016.&nbsp;

The family will be present to receive friends from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at the Havenbrook Funeral Home in Norman, Oklahoma. Memorial Services will begin at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at McFarlin Memorial United Methodist Church, 419 S.University Blvd. in Norman.

Memorials may be made in memory of Gerald Kershaw to the Michael Kershaw Scholarship Fund, c/o Cindy Keast, Director, Hutchinson Community College Endowment Association, <a href="mailto:keastc@hutchcc.edu">keastc@hutchcc.edu</a> or McFarlin Memorial United Methodist Church.

Online condolences may be shared at <a href="http://www.HavenbrookFuneralHome.com">www.HavenbrookFuneralHome.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709811539954.jpeg" alt="Jerry Kershaw" />
 <figcaption>Jerry Kershaw</figcaption>
 </figure>Gerald R. “Jerry” Kershaw died Sunday, March 3, 2024.&nbsp;Jerry’s life passion was sports, especially basketball, football, and baseball. In 1961, he put his passion to use by becoming one of the voices of the Hutchinson High School Salthawks and the Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragons, providing color analysis for all football and basketball games alongside Bob Watson on KWBW Radio. He had a remarkable memory for sports facts and this gained him many fans. He eventually took over the play-by-play duties. He took special pride in being the voice of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Tournament held every year in March in Hutchinson. He spent many years working with the American Legion to put the tournament together and was responsible for the committee overseeing the tournament program. He continued helping with the program via email and phone until his death. He was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Blue Dragon Hall of Fame in 2015. He was also honored on his 50th year of tournament broadcasting with the prestigious NJCAA Appreciation Award in 2014. He continued to return to Hutchinson every March to be a part of the tournament broadcasting crew after moving to Norman until 2016.&nbsp;The family will be present to receive friends from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at the Havenbrook Funeral Home in Norman, Oklahoma. Memorial Services will begin at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at McFarlin Memorial United Methodist Church, 419 S.University Blvd. in Norman.Memorials may be made in memory of Gerald Kershaw to the Michael Kershaw Scholarship Fund, c/o Cindy Keast, Director, Hutchinson Community College Endowment Association, <a href="mailto:keastc@hutchcc.edu">keastc@hutchcc.edu</a> or McFarlin Memorial United Methodist Church.Online condolences may be shared at <a href="http://www.HavenbrookFuneralHome.com">www.HavenbrookFuneralHome.com</a>.

Voice of Blue Dragons and NJCAA, Jerry Kershaw, dead at 93

<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2023-24/boxscores/20240306_3yhl.xml?view=boxscore">BOX SCORE</a>

GARDEN CITY, Kan. — Dadrevius "Dre" Weathers scored 25 of his game-high 27 points in the second half to help the No. 16-ranked Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team to a 96-78 win in the regular season finale on Wednesday at Conestoga Arena.

Hutchinson finishes the regular season 25-5 overall, 20-4 in the Jayhawk Conference.

The Blue Dragons and Broncbusters saw seven ties and 10 different lead changes in the first half. Garden City (18-12, 14-10) took the 39-37 lead into the halftime break.

Hutchinson flipped the switch in the second half and came out strong and firing on all cylinders. The Blue Dragons shot 62 percent (23-of-37) from the floor in the second half after shooting 40 percent (13-of-32) in the first half.

The Blue Dragons took advantage of many open looks, plus took care of the basketball, turning it over just twice in the second half and eight times total for the game.

Valentino Simon also helped spark the second half comeback, scoring 12 of his 15 points in the second. J.P. Ricks finished the game with 18 points, three rebounds, nine assists, three steals and most importantly no turnovers at the point guard position.

Garden City head coach Rusty Elmore picked up two technical fouls and was ejected with 9:59 remaining, as Hutch held a 68-64 lead. The Blue Dragons turned that into a five-point possession. Hutchinson never looked back from that point on and built a 21-point lead in the second half.

Hutchinson outscored the Broncbusters in the second half, 59-39.

The Broncbusters were led by Brody Robinson with 25 points and 10 assists, while Braxton Jones added 19 points.

Hutchinson is the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Region VI tournament and will host a quarterfinal game on Tuesday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the Sports Arena. The opponent is to be determined, depending on the results from the first round games on Saturday.

You can find the complete Region VI bracket and information <a href="https://kjccc.prestosports.com/sports/mbkb/2023-24/files/2024_Men-s_Basketball_Playoffs">here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709797573993.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2023-24/boxscores/20240306_3yhl.xml?view=boxscore">BOX SCORE</a>GARDEN CITY, Kan. — Dadrevius "Dre" Weathers scored 25 of his game-high 27 points in the second half to help the No. 16-ranked Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team to a 96-78 win in the regular season finale on Wednesday at Conestoga Arena.Hutchinson finishes the regular season 25-5 overall, 20-4 in the Jayhawk Conference.The Blue Dragons and Broncbusters saw seven ties and 10 different lead changes in the first half. Garden City (18-12, 14-10) took the 39-37 lead into the halftime break.Hutchinson flipped the switch in the second half and came out strong and firing on all cylinders. The Blue Dragons shot 62 percent (23-of-37) from the floor in the second half after shooting 40 percent (13-of-32) in the first half.The Blue Dragons took advantage of many open looks, plus took care of the basketball, turning it over just twice in the second half and eight times total for the game.Valentino Simon also helped spark the second half comeback, scoring 12 of his 15 points in the second. J.P. Ricks finished the game with 18 points, three rebounds, nine assists, three steals and most importantly no turnovers at the point guard position.Garden City head coach Rusty Elmore picked up two technical fouls and was ejected with 9:59 remaining, as Hutch held a 68-64 lead. The Blue Dragons turned that into a five-point possession. Hutchinson never looked back from that point on and built a 21-point lead in the second half.Hutchinson outscored the Broncbusters in the second half, 59-39.The Broncbusters were led by Brody Robinson with 25 points and 10 assists, while Braxton Jones added 19 points.Hutchinson is the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Region VI tournament and will host a quarterfinal game on Tuesday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the Sports Arena. The opponent is to be determined, depending on the results from the first round games on Saturday.You can find the complete Region VI bracket and information <a href="https://kjccc.prestosports.com/sports/mbkb/2023-24/files/2024_Men-s_Basketball_Playoffs">here</a>.

🏀 MBB: Weathers carries HutchCC to regular season finale victory

<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2023-24/boxscores/20240306_zdk8.xml?view=boxscore">BOX SCORE</a>

GARDEN CITY, Kan. — The No. 1 Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team joined rare company on Wednesday following a 74-64 win at Garden City.

The Blue Dragons finished the regular season unbeaten at 30-0 overall, 24-0 in Jayhawk Conference play. This marks the fourth time in program history that HutchCC has finished a regular season unbeaten. The 2023-24 team joins the list of 1977, 2012 and 2014 teams to accomplish the feat.

Hutchinson and Garden City (16-13, 11-13) shared leads back and forth in the opening quarter before Hailey Jackson buried a 3-pointer to give the Blue Dragons a 14-11 lead after one.

The Blue Dragons built a five point lead in the second quarter before Garden City answered with a 9-0 run to go in front 20-16. The Blue Dragons countered with a 13-2 run to go into the halftime break in front, 29-22.

Both teams continued to go back and forth in the third quarter. Hutchinson knocked down four 3-pointers in the quarter, three of which belonged to Kiki Smith. The Blue Dragons also knocked down 7-of-8 free throws to lead 52-44.

Smith hit her sixth 3-pointer of the night at the 4:20 mark in the final frame to give the Blue Dragons its largest lead of the night, 71-52. Hutchinson made substitutions shortly thereafter, which allowed Garden City to pull within single digits, but never closer than nine.

Smith led the way for the Blue Dragons with a game-high 28 points in the win. Hailey Jackson added 19 points, going 9-of-10 from the foul stripe. Journey Armstead finished with six points, six rebounds, nine assists and three steals.

The Blue Dragons knocked down 22-of-28 free throw attempts, while also knocking down 10 3-pointers in the win.&nbsp;

Garden City was paced by Maya Nieto with 16 points off the bench, while Antonicia Moultrie posted a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

HutchCC is off until Tuesday, March 12, a Region VI quarterfinal game that will be played in the Sports Arena at 5:30 p.m. The opponent is to be determined, with the Region VI tournament officially getting underway with first round games on Saturday.

You can find a complete bracket for the Region VI tournament <a href="https://kjccc.prestosports.com/sports/wbkb/2023-24/files/2024_Women-s_Basketball_Playoffs">here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709797435411.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2023-24/boxscores/20240306_zdk8.xml?view=boxscore">BOX SCORE</a>GARDEN CITY, Kan. — The No. 1 Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team joined rare company on Wednesday following a 74-64 win at Garden City.The Blue Dragons finished the regular season unbeaten at 30-0 overall, 24-0 in Jayhawk Conference play. This marks the fourth time in program history that HutchCC has finished a regular season unbeaten. The 2023-24 team joins the list of 1977, 2012 and 2014 teams to accomplish the feat.Hutchinson and Garden City (16-13, 11-13) shared leads back and forth in the opening quarter before Hailey Jackson buried a 3-pointer to give the Blue Dragons a 14-11 lead after one.The Blue Dragons built a five point lead in the second quarter before Garden City answered with a 9-0 run to go in front 20-16. The Blue Dragons countered with a 13-2 run to go into the halftime break in front, 29-22.Both teams continued to go back and forth in the third quarter. Hutchinson knocked down four 3-pointers in the quarter, three of which belonged to Kiki Smith. The Blue Dragons also knocked down 7-of-8 free throws to lead 52-44.Smith hit her sixth 3-pointer of the night at the 4:20 mark in the final frame to give the Blue Dragons its largest lead of the night, 71-52. Hutchinson made substitutions shortly thereafter, which allowed Garden City to pull within single digits, but never closer than nine.Smith led the way for the Blue Dragons with a game-high 28 points in the win. Hailey Jackson added 19 points, going 9-of-10 from the foul stripe. Journey Armstead finished with six points, six rebounds, nine assists and three steals.The Blue Dragons knocked down 22-of-28 free throw attempts, while also knocking down 10 3-pointers in the win.&nbsp;Garden City was paced by Maya Nieto with 16 points off the bench, while Antonicia Moultrie posted a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.HutchCC is off until Tuesday, March 12, a Region VI quarterfinal game that will be played in the Sports Arena at 5:30 p.m. The opponent is to be determined, with the Region VI tournament officially getting underway with first round games on Saturday.You can find a complete bracket for the Region VI tournament <a href="https://kjccc.prestosports.com/sports/wbkb/2023-24/files/2024_Women-s_Basketball_Playoffs">here</a>.

🏀 WBB: Blue Dragons complete unbeaten regular season

AP Sports Summary for Thursday, March 7th, 2024.

Rafael Nadal withdraws from Indian Wells. It would have been his first tournament since January

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the BNP Paribas Open a day before he was supposed to play his first official match in two months. The 22-time Grand Slam champion posted the news on social media Wednesday night, writing that he was announcing the withdrawal "with great sadness." The 37-year-old from Spain missed nearly all of last season because of a hip injury that required surgery, then briefly returned to action for three matches in early January before tearing a muscle near the hip. That forced him to bypass the Australian Open — and he has not been on tour since. He was scheduled to face Milos Raonic on Thursday.

Bills releasing Jordan Poyer and Mitch Morse. Tre'Davious White also will be cut, AP source says

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills' salary cap-related purge of players cut deep into the team's core. Veteran safety Jordan Poyer and center Mitch Morse were among five players the team announced it had released. And cornerback Tre'Davious White is also being cut, a person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke to The AP on the condition of anonymity because the Bills did not announce White being cut because of the timing of his release is designated for June 1. Also cut were sixth-year backup cornerback Siran Neal, backup receiver Deonte Harty and running back Nyheim Hines.

Rangers, Panthers, Avalanche, Golden Knights and Oilers make pre-NHL trade deadline day moves

Stanley Cup contenders aren't waiting until the NHL trade deadline day to shore up depth for what they hope is a long playoff run. The league-leading Florida Panthers got deeper on the wing by acquiring Vladimir Tarasenko from Ottawa. Connor McDavid's Edmonton Oilers added a pair of centers in Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick from Anaheim. The New York Rangers added a player they coveted in Alexander Wennberg from Seattle. And Colorado loaded up by getting defenseman Sean Walker from Philadelphia and center Casey Mittelstadt from Buffalo.

Bay Hill still boasts a strong field. It's just a lot smaller

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Bay Hill had a $20 million purse and a strong field that produced a dynamic finish last year. Now it's a signature event, and really the only change is a smaller field. Only 69 players are in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The signature events have smaller fields for the elite players, along with 16 players who earned their way in. But it's been quiet so far. Still to be determined is what kind of finish Bay Hill produces. The year so far on the PGA Tour has produced four first-time winners and only one winner from the top 50.

De'Aaron Fox ties career high with 44 points as Kings roll to a 130-120 victory over Lakers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — De'Aaron Fox tied his career high with 44 points, Malik Monk added 26 and the Sacramento Kings bounced back with a 130-120 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. It was Fox's seventh game this season with at least 40 points, fourth-most in the NBA. Domantas Sabonis recorded his fourth triple-double in seven games with 16 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists. He's the sixth player in NBA history with at least 22 triple-doubles in a season. LeBron James led the Lakers with 31 points and 13 assists while Rui Hachimura scored 29. Anthony Davis had 14 points and 11 rebounds.

From Herschel Walker to Russell Wilson, here's a look at some of the worst NFL trades ever

In a span of just a few days in the 2022 offseason, the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns made aggressive trades to acquire what they hoped would be franchise-altering quarterbacks. The results so far have been very underwhelming, with the Broncos set to cut Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson providing little so far for the Browns. Those are part of a list of some of the worst deals in NFL history, including Minnesota's deal with Dallas for Herschel Walker and a trade that sent future Hall of Famer Brett Favre to Green Bay.

Magic rally from 21 down to win 119-109 as Wizards tie franchise record with 16th straight loss

WASHINGTON (AP) — Franz Wagner scored 28 points, Paolo Banchero added 25 and the Orlando Magic rallied from a 21-point second-quarter deficit to beat Washington 119-109 and hand the Wizards their 16th consecutive loss. Washington tied a team record for its longest losing streak. It matched a skid from the 2009-10 season. The Wizards looked on their way to ending this slide, but they were done in by a 44-point second half against one of the league's best defensive teams. Orlando has won eight of nine. Jordan Poole scored 26 points for Washington.

No. 1 Houston tops UCF 67-59 to clinch at least a share of Big 12 title in 1st season in conference

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — L.J. Cryer scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half to lift No. 1 Houston to a 67-59 comeback victory over UCF that clinched at least a share of the Big 12 regular-season title in the Cougars' first season in the conference. Houston led by nine points after a Cryer 3-pointer with 2:18 to play. UCF closed to within four with just over a minute to play, and then Cryer hit another clutch shot to pull away for the win. The Cougars trailed by as many as seven points and never led in the first half. C.J. Walker led UCF with 15 points.

Knecht leads No. 4 Tennessee to outright SEC crown with 66-59 win at No. 17 South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Dalton Knecht had 26 points with five 3-pointers as No. 4 Tennessee won its first Southeastern Conference regular-season title since 2018 with a 66-59 victory over No. 17 South Carolina. The Volunteers withstood a late run by the Gamecocks, who cut a 14-point second-half deficit to 59-56 with 1:13 to play. But then Tennessee hit seven foul shots down the stretch to hold on and take a two-game lead in the SEC with one to play. Six years ago, Tennessee shared first place with Auburn. The last time the Vols had won an outright SEC regular-season title was 2008.

Alyssa Naeher has 3 saves in a penalty shootout over Canada and the US heads to Gold Cup final

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Alyssa Naeher had three saves in the penalty shootout after a rain-soaked 2-2 draw with Canada on Wednesday night, earning the United States a spot in the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup final. The United States advanced 3-1 on penalties and will play Brazil in the title game on Sunday evening. Brazil defeated Mexico 3-0 in the earlier semifinal match on Wednesday. The game was a sloppy mess with standing water on the field at San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium from heavy rain in San Diego. The players had difficulty with control. The U.S. got goals from Jadyn Shaw and Sophia Smith, while Jordyn Huitema and Adriana Leon scored for Canada.

		N-Y Mets	at	Houston	1:05 p.m.	(Canceled)

Final	L.A. Dodgers	12	Chicago White Sox	9	

Final	(4)Tennessee	66	(17)South Carolina	59	

		L-A Dodgers	at	San Francisco	9:05 p.m.	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for March 7th, 2024." />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for March 7th, 2024.</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="March 7th, 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=hwcs2-15a266e-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>AP Sports Summary for Thursday, March 7th, 2024.Rafael Nadal withdraws from Indian Wells. It would have been his first tournament since JanuaryINDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the BNP Paribas Open a day before he was supposed to play his first official match in two months. The 22-time Grand Slam champion posted the news on social media Wednesday night, writing that he was announcing the withdrawal "with great sadness." The 37-year-old from Spain missed nearly all of last season because of a hip injury that required surgery, then briefly returned to action for three matches in early January before tearing a muscle near the hip. That forced him to bypass the Australian Open — and he has not been on tour since. He was scheduled to face Milos Raonic on Thursday.Bills releasing Jordan Poyer and Mitch Morse. Tre'Davious White also will be cut, AP source saysORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills' salary cap-related purge of players cut deep into the team's core. Veteran safety Jordan Poyer and center Mitch Morse were among five players the team announced it had released. And cornerback Tre'Davious White is also being cut, a person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke to The AP on the condition of anonymity because the Bills did not announce White being cut because of the timing of his release is designated for June 1. Also cut were sixth-year backup cornerback Siran Neal, backup receiver Deonte Harty and running back Nyheim Hines.Rangers, Panthers, Avalanche, Golden Knights and Oilers make pre-NHL trade deadline day movesStanley Cup contenders aren't waiting until the NHL trade deadline day to shore up depth for what they hope is a long playoff run. The league-leading Florida Panthers got deeper on the wing by acquiring Vladimir Tarasenko from Ottawa. Connor McDavid's Edmonton Oilers added a pair of centers in Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick from Anaheim. The New York Rangers added a player they coveted in Alexander Wennberg from Seattle. And Colorado loaded up by getting defenseman Sean Walker from Philadelphia and center Casey Mittelstadt from Buffalo.Bay Hill still boasts a strong field. It's just a lot smallerORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Bay Hill had a $20 million purse and a strong field that produced a dynamic finish last year. Now it's a signature event, and really the only change is a smaller field. Only 69 players are in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The signature events have smaller fields for the elite players, along with 16 players who earned their way in. But it's been quiet so far. Still to be determined is what kind of finish Bay Hill produces. The year so far on the PGA Tour has produced four first-time winners and only one winner from the top 50.De'Aaron Fox ties career high with 44 points as Kings roll to a 130-120 victory over LakersLOS ANGELES (AP) — De'Aaron Fox tied his career high with 44 points, Malik Monk added 26 and the Sacramento Kings bounced back with a 130-120 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. It was Fox's seventh game this season with at least 40 points, fourth-most in the NBA. Domantas Sabonis recorded his fourth triple-double in seven games with 16 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists. He's the sixth player in NBA history with at least 22 triple-doubles in a season. LeBron James led the Lakers with 31 points and 13 assists while Rui Hachimura scored 29. Anthony Davis had 14 points and 11 rebounds.From Herschel Walker to Russell Wilson, here's a look at some of the worst NFL trades everIn a span of just a few days in the 2022 offseason, the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns made aggressive trades to acquire what they hoped would be franchise-altering quarterbacks. The results so far have been very underwhelming, with the Broncos set to cut Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson providing little so far for the Browns. Those are part of a list of some of the worst deals in NFL history, including Minnesota's deal with Dallas for Herschel Walker and a trade that sent future Hall of Famer Brett Favre to Green Bay.Magic rally from 21 down to win 119-109 as Wizards tie franchise record with 16th straight lossWASHINGTON (AP) — Franz Wagner scored 28 points, Paolo Banchero added 25 and the Orlando Magic rallied from a 21-point second-quarter deficit to beat Washington 119-109 and hand the Wizards their 16th consecutive loss. Washington tied a team record for its longest losing streak. It matched a skid from the 2009-10 season. The Wizards looked on their way to ending this slide, but they were done in by a 44-point second half against one of the league's best defensive teams. Orlando has won eight of nine. Jordan Poole scored 26 points for Washington.No. 1 Houston tops UCF 67-59 to clinch at least a share of Big 12 title in 1st season in conferenceORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — L.J. Cryer scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half to lift No. 1 Houston to a 67-59 comeback victory over UCF that clinched at least a share of the Big 12 regular-season title in the Cougars' first season in the conference. Houston led by nine points after a Cryer 3-pointer with 2:18 to play. UCF closed to within four with just over a minute to play, and then Cryer hit another clutch shot to pull away for the win. The Cougars trailed by as many as seven points and never led in the first half. C.J. Walker led UCF with 15 points.Knecht leads No. 4 Tennessee to outright SEC crown with 66-59 win at No. 17 South CarolinaCOLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Dalton Knecht had 26 points with five 3-pointers as No. 4 Tennessee won its first Southeastern Conference regular-season title since 2018 with a 66-59 victory over No. 17 South Carolina. The Volunteers withstood a late run by the Gamecocks, who cut a 14-point second-half deficit to 59-56 with 1:13 to play. But then Tennessee hit seven foul shots down the stretch to hold on and take a two-game lead in the SEC with one to play. Six years ago, Tennessee shared first place with Auburn. The last time the Vols had won an outright SEC regular-season title was 2008.Alyssa Naeher has 3 saves in a penalty shootout over Canada and the US heads to Gold Cup finalSAN DIEGO (AP) — Alyssa Naeher had three saves in the penalty shootout after a rain-soaked 2-2 draw with Canada on Wednesday night, earning the United States a spot in the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup final. The United States advanced 3-1 on penalties and will play Brazil in the title game on Sunday evening. Brazil defeated Mexico 3-0 in the earlier semifinal match on Wednesday. The game was a sloppy mess with standing water on the field at San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium from heavy rain in San Diego. The players had difficulty with control. The U.S. got goals from Jadyn Shaw and Sophia Smith, while Jordyn Huitema and Adriana Leon scored for Canada.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___INTERLEAGUE		N-Y Mets	at	Houston	1:05 p.m.	(Canceled)Final	Chicago Cubs	6	L.A. Angels	5	Final	L.A. Dodgers	12	Chicago White Sox	9	Final	Baltimore	6	Pittsburgh	4	Final	Texas	6	Colorado	6	Final	Cleveland	3	Milwaukee	3	___AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Tampa Bay	4	N.Y. Yankees	3	Final	Minnesota	7	Boston	1	Final	Seattle	8	Kansas City	7	Final	Oakland	12	L.A. Angels	5	___NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Washington	9	Miami	3	Final	Milwaukee	2	Cincinnati	0	Final	Cincinnati	6	San Diego	2	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Orlando	119	Washington	109	Final	Atlanta	112	Cleveland	101	Final	L.A. Clippers	122	Houston	116	Final	Memphis	115	Philadelphia	109	Final	Chicago	119	Utah	117	Final	Golden State	125	Milwaukee	90	Final	Oklahoma City	128	Portland	120	Final	Sacramento	130	L.A. Lakers	120	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal OT	Toronto	2	Buffalo	1	Final	Anaheim	2	Ottawa	1	Final	Colorado	7	Detroit	2	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(1)Houston	67	UCF	59	Final	(2)UConn	74	(8)Marquette	67	Final	(4)Tennessee	66	(17)South Carolina	59	Final	(6)Iowa St.	68	(20)BYU	63	Final	(15)Kentucky	93	Vanderbilt	77	Final	(22)Utah St.	90	San Jose St.	70	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___INTERLEAGUE		Atlanta	at	Boston	1:05 p.m.			Houston	at	St. Louis	1:05 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Tampa Bay	1:05 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	Chi White Sox	3:05 p.m.			Arizona	at	Texas	3:05 p.m.			Kansas City	at	Colorado	3:10 p.m.	___AMERICAN LEAGUE		Cleveland	at	Oakland	3:05 p.m.			L-A Angels	at	Seattle	3:10 p.m.			Toronto	at	Detroit	6:05 p.m.			Detroit	at	N-Y Yankees	6:35 p.m.	___NATIONAL LEAGUE		Washington	at	N-Y Mets	6:10 p.m.			Chi Cubs	at	Cincinnati	8:05 p.m.			L-A Dodgers	at	San Francisco	9:05 p.m.	___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Brooklyn	at	Detroit	7 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Indiana	7 p.m.			Miami	at	Dallas	7:30 p.m.			Toronto	at	Phoenix	9 p.m.			Boston	at	Denver	10 p.m.			Chicago	at	Golden State	10 p.m.			San Antonio	at	Sacramento	10 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Calgary	at	Tampa Bay	7 p.m.			Edmonton	at	Columbus	7 p.m.			Montreal	at	Carolina	7 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Florida	7 p.m.			St. Louis	at	New Jersey	7 p.m.			Toronto	at	Boston	7 p.m.			Washington	at	Pittsburgh	7 p.m.			Buffalo	at	Nashville	8 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Arizona	9 p.m.			Vancouver	at	Vegas	10 p.m.			N-Y Islanders	at	San Jose	10:30 p.m.			Ottawa	at	Los Angeles	10:30 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		(5)Arizona	at	UCLA	9:30 p.m.			Washington	at	(18)Washington St.	9 p.m.	___

📢📰 Sports Headlines for Thursday

Kapaun Mount Carmel 60, De Soto 53

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701785757574.png" alt="Eagle Media HS Basketball Scoreboard from KSHSAA Quarterfinal Games played on Wednesday" />
 <figcaption>Eagle Media HS Basketball Scoreboard from KSHSAA Quarterfinal Games played on Wednesday</figcaption>
 </figure>Wednesday's ScoresThe Associated Press<h2>BOYS PREP BASKETBALL=</h2><h2>KSHSAA State Tournament=</h2>Class 1A, Div. 1=Quarterfinal=Bishop Seabury 72, La Crosse 51Olpe 58, Clifton-Clyde 50South Gray 79, Canton-Galva 43Class 1A, Div. 2=Quarterfinal=Axtell 54, St John's Beloit 32Cunningham 70, Bucklin 66Dighton 72, Marmaton Valley 26Lebo 59, Northern Valley 56Class 3A=Quarterfinal=Beloit 56, Topeka Hayden 42Goodland 68, Riverton 46Southeast of Saline 54, Cheney 51Wellsville 48, Ellsworth 38Class 5A=Quarterfinal=Highland Park 57, Andover 32KC Piper 72, Shawnee Heights 71Kapaun Mount Carmel 60, De Soto 53Maize South 61, Great Bend 53Wednesday's ScoresThe Associated Press<h2>GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL=</h2><h2>KSHSAA State Tournament=</h2>Class 2A=Quarterfinal=Pittsburg St Mary's-Colgan 66, Eureka 50Riverside 43, Hoxie 38Valley Heights 52, Wichita County 35Wichita Independent 39, Hillsboro 36Class 4A=Quarterfinal=Bishop Miege 68, Labette County 33Fort Scott 64, Clearwater 42McPherson 66, Ottawa 44Wellington 71, Andale 53Class 6A=Quarterfinal=BV North 58, Olathe South 50Derby 48, SM Northwest 47SM South 50, Manhattan 35Washburn Rural 50, Wichita Heights 43

🏀 EAGLE Media Scoreboard from Wednesday

CLASS 6A (BOYS) Venue: Charles Koch Arena (Wichita) 2 p.m. - [1] Shawnee Mission NW (22-0) vs. [8] Wichita East (7-15) 4 p.m. - [4] Olathe North (18-4) vs. [5] Mill Valley (17-5) 6 p.m. - [2] Wichita Heights (21-1) vs. [7] Campus (14-8) 8 p.m. - [3] Blue Valley NW (20-2) vs. [6] Wichita NW (17-5)

CLASS 5A (GIRLS) Venue: White Auditorium (Emporia) 2 p.m. - [1] Andover (22-0) vs. [8] Blue Valley SW (12-10) 4 p.m. - [4] Topeka Seaman (20-2) vs. [5] De Soto (19-3) 6 p.m. - [2] Maize South (21-1) vs. [7] St. Thomas Aquinas (16-6) 8 p.m. - [3] Emporia (21-1) vs. [6] Bishop Carroll (19-3)

CLASS 4A (BOYS) Venue: Tony's Pizza Events Center (Salina) 2 p.m. - [1] McPherson (22-0) vs. [8] Fort Scott (16-6) 4 p.m. - [4] Circle (20-2) vs. [5] Baldwin (19-3) 6 p.m. - [2] Atchison (20-2) vs. [7] St. George Rock Creek (18-4) 8 p.m. - [3] Hugoton (20-2) vs. [6] Abilene (19-3)

CLASS 3A (GIRLS) Venue: Hutchinson Sports Arena 2 p.m. - [1] Silver Lake (23-0) vs. [8] Haven (16-7) 4 p.m. - [4] Heritage Christian (20-3) vs. [5] Topeka Hayden (19-4) 6 p.m. - [2] Goodland (20-3) vs. [7] Girard (17-6) 8 p.m. - [3] Hesston (20-3) vs. [6] Cheney (19-4)

CLASS 2A (BOYS) Venue: United Wireless Arena (Dodge City) 2 p.m. - [1] Lyndon (23-0) vs. [8] Conway Springs (15-8) 4 p.m. - [4] Salina Sacred Heart (20-3) vs. [5] Erie (18-5) 6 p.m. - [2] Sterling (21-2) vs. [7] Plainville (16-7) 8 p.m. - [3] Moundridge (20-3) vs. [6] Jefferson County North (16-7)

CLASS 1A-DIVISION I (GIRLS) Venue: Colby Event Center (Colby) 2 p.m. - [1] Little River (23-0) vs. [8] Olpe (18-5) 4 p.m. - [4] Norwich (21-1) vs. [5] Centralia (21-2) 6 p.m. - [2] South Gray (22-1) vs. [7] Rawlins County (19-4) 8 p.m. - [3] St. John-Hudson (22-1) vs. [6] Frankfort (20-3)

CLASS 1A-DIVISION II (GIRLS) Venue: Barton Community College (Great Bend) 2 p.m. - [1] South Haven (21-2) vs. [8] Northern Valley (12-11) 4 p.m. - [4] Bucklin (20-3) vs. [5] Hanover (20-4) 6 p.m. - [2] Lebo (21-2) vs. [7] Marais Des Cygnes Valley (14-9) 8 p.m. - [3] Wallace County (20-3) vs. [6] St. John's/Tipton (16-5)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709668859588.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas State High School Activities Association." />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas State High School Activities Association.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp; Find complete brackets and more information&nbsp;<a href="https://kshsaa.org/Public/Basketball/State.cfm">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;CLASS 6A (BOYS) Venue: Charles Koch Arena (Wichita) 2 p.m. - [1] Shawnee Mission NW (22-0) vs. [8] Wichita East (7-15) 4 p.m. - [4] Olathe North (18-4) vs. [5] Mill Valley (17-5) 6 p.m. - [2] Wichita Heights (21-1) vs. [7] Campus (14-8) 8 p.m. - [3] Blue Valley NW (20-2) vs. [6] Wichita NW (17-5)CLASS 5A (GIRLS) Venue: White Auditorium (Emporia) 2 p.m. - [1] Andover (22-0) vs. [8] Blue Valley SW (12-10) 4 p.m. - [4] Topeka Seaman (20-2) vs. [5] De Soto (19-3) 6 p.m. - [2] Maize South (21-1) vs. [7] St. Thomas Aquinas (16-6) 8 p.m. - [3] Emporia (21-1) vs. [6] Bishop Carroll (19-3)CLASS 4A (BOYS) Venue: Tony's Pizza Events Center (Salina) 2 p.m. - [1] McPherson (22-0) vs. [8] Fort Scott (16-6) 4 p.m. - [4] Circle (20-2) vs. [5] Baldwin (19-3) 6 p.m. - [2] Atchison (20-2) vs. [7] St. George Rock Creek (18-4) 8 p.m. - [3] Hugoton (20-2) vs. [6] Abilene (19-3)CLASS 3A (GIRLS) Venue: Hutchinson Sports Arena 2 p.m. - [1] Silver Lake (23-0) vs. [8] Haven (16-7) 4 p.m. - [4] Heritage Christian (20-3) vs. [5] Topeka Hayden (19-4) 6 p.m. - [2] Goodland (20-3) vs. [7] Girard (17-6) 8 p.m. - [3] Hesston (20-3) vs. [6] Cheney (19-4)CLASS 2A (BOYS) Venue: United Wireless Arena (Dodge City) 2 p.m. - [1] Lyndon (23-0) vs. [8] Conway Springs (15-8) 4 p.m. - [4] Salina Sacred Heart (20-3) vs. [5] Erie (18-5) 6 p.m. - [2] Sterling (21-2) vs. [7] Plainville (16-7) 8 p.m. - [3] Moundridge (20-3) vs. [6] Jefferson County North (16-7)CLASS 1A-DIVISION I (GIRLS) Venue: Colby Event Center (Colby) 2 p.m. - [1] Little River (23-0) vs. [8] Olpe (18-5) 4 p.m. - [4] Norwich (21-1) vs. [5] Centralia (21-2) 6 p.m. - [2] South Gray (22-1) vs. [7] Rawlins County (19-4) 8 p.m. - [3] St. John-Hudson (22-1) vs. [6] Frankfort (20-3)CLASS 1A-DIVISION II (GIRLS) Venue: Barton Community College (Great Bend) 2 p.m. - [1] South Haven (21-2) vs. [8] Northern Valley (12-11) 4 p.m. - [4] Bucklin (20-3) vs. [5] Hanover (20-4) 6 p.m. - [2] Lebo (21-2) vs. [7] Marais Des Cygnes Valley (14-9) 8 p.m. - [3] Wallace County (20-3) vs. [6] St. John's/Tipton (16-5)

🏀 KSHSAA schedule for Thursday state quarterfinals

No. 16 Hutchinson (24-5, 21-4) at Garden City (18-11, 14-9) When: Wednesday, March 6, 2024 Where: Conestoga Arena, Garden City, KS Time: 7:30 p.m. Radio: KHUT-FM (102.9); KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5), 7:15 p.m. -Sean Boston (play-by-play) X: @bluedragonsport

The Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team goes after a 25th regular-season victory and a 20th Jayhawk Conference victory on Wednesday as the Blue Dragons travel to play the Garden City Broncbusters in the final game of the 2023-24 regular season.

The No. 16-ranked Blue Dragons (24-5, 19-4 Jayhawk Conference) and sixth-place Broncbusters (18-11, 14-9 Jayhawk Conference) tip off at 7:30 p.m. at Conestoga Arena in Garden City.

The game will be broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and on sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) beginning at 7:15 p.m. with Sean Boston (play-by-play) calling the action. The Blue Dragon Sports Network will stream the game live at free beginning at 7:15 p.m.

Heading into the final game of the regular season, the Blue Dragons are locked into the No. 3 seed for the Region VI Tournament, which begins Saturday at sites around the state of Kansas. A Hutchinson win and a Cowley loss to Butler on Wednesday would give the Blue Dragons a tie for second place in the Jayhawk Conference with the Tigers

Hutchinson was picked to finish sixth in the KJCCC this season - but Cowley owns a tiebreaker over the Dragons for the No. 2 regional seed.

Garden City could tie Cloud County for fifth place in the KJCCC, but is locked into the sixth seed for the Region VI Tournament after losing a tiebreaker with the Thunderbirds.

Hutchinson looks to enter the postseason on a high note after falling 91-78 to No. 1-ranked Barton on Saturday in Great Bend. Playing without leading scorer Kamryn Thomas, the Blue Dragons shot 50 percent against the Cougars, but Barton had two key second-half runs to pull away in the second half. Valentino Simon had his 30th career double-double (11th as a Blue Dragon) with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Garden City has won 3 of its last 4 games after Saturday’s 86-75 home victory over Dodge City. Brody Robinson, who is No. 2 in the NJCAA in assists, had 33 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to lead the Busters. Braxton Jones hit four 3-pointers and finished with 24 points.

The Dragons won the first meeting with Garden City this season, topping the Busters 85-64 on January 20. Thomas led Hutchinson with 22 points, hitting 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Kernan Bundy added 15 points off the bench. The Blue Dragons shot 47.7 percent from the floor. The Busters were held to 35.6 percent shooting and Robinson was held to five points and two assists. Jones had 23 points to pace the Busters.

Hutchinson’s next action will be the Region VI Quarterfinals on March 12 at the Sports Arena

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707506598122.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy Billy Watson/Blue Dragon Sports Information" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Billy Watson/Blue Dragon Sports Information</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of HutchCC AthleticsNo. 16 Hutchinson (24-5, 21-4) at Garden City (18-11, 14-9) When: Wednesday, March 6, 2024 Where: Conestoga Arena, Garden City, KS Time: 7:30 p.m. Radio: KHUT-FM (102.9); KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5), 7:15 p.m. -Sean Boston (play-by-play) X: @bluedragonsport The Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team goes after a 25th regular-season victory and a 20th Jayhawk Conference victory on Wednesday as the Blue Dragons travel to play the Garden City Broncbusters in the final game of the 2023-24 regular season.The No. 16-ranked Blue Dragons (24-5, 19-4 Jayhawk Conference) and sixth-place Broncbusters (18-11, 14-9 Jayhawk Conference) tip off at 7:30 p.m. at Conestoga Arena in Garden City.The game will be broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and on sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) beginning at 7:15 p.m. with Sean Boston (play-by-play) calling the action. The Blue Dragon Sports Network will stream the game live at free beginning at 7:15 p.m.Heading into the final game of the regular season, the Blue Dragons are locked into the No. 3 seed for the Region VI Tournament, which begins Saturday at sites around the state of Kansas. A Hutchinson win and a Cowley loss to Butler on Wednesday would give the Blue Dragons a tie for second place in the Jayhawk Conference with the TigersHutchinson was picked to finish sixth in the KJCCC this season - but Cowley owns a tiebreaker over the Dragons for the No. 2 regional seed.Garden City could tie Cloud County for fifth place in the KJCCC, but is locked into the sixth seed for the Region VI Tournament after losing a tiebreaker with the Thunderbirds.Hutchinson looks to enter the postseason on a high note after falling 91-78 to No. 1-ranked Barton on Saturday in Great Bend. Playing without leading scorer Kamryn Thomas, the Blue Dragons shot 50 percent against the Cougars, but Barton had two key second-half runs to pull away in the second half. Valentino Simon had his 30th career double-double (11th as a Blue Dragon) with 20 points and 10 rebounds.Garden City has won 3 of its last 4 games after Saturday’s 86-75 home victory over Dodge City. Brody Robinson, who is No. 2 in the NJCAA in assists, had 33 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to lead the Busters. Braxton Jones hit four 3-pointers and finished with 24 points.The Dragons won the first meeting with Garden City this season, topping the Busters 85-64 on January 20. Thomas led Hutchinson with 22 points, hitting 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Kernan Bundy added 15 points off the bench. The Blue Dragons shot 47.7 percent from the floor. The Busters were held to 35.6 percent shooting and Robinson was held to five points and two assists. Jones had 23 points to pace the Busters.Hutchinson’s next action will be the Region VI Quarterfinals on March 12 at the Sports Arena

🏀 MBB: Dragons head west for regular season finale

No. 1 Hutchinson (29-0, 23-0) at Garden City (16-12, 11-12) When: Wednesday, March 6, 2024 Where: Conestoga Arena, Garden City, KS Time: 5:30 p.m. Radio: KHUT-FM (102.9); KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5), 5:15 p.m. -Sean Boston (play-by-play) X: @bluedragonsport

The Jayhawk Conference champion Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team looks to complete its fourth perfect regular season on Wednesday night as the Blue Dragons close out the regular season with a road trip to play the Garden City Broncbusters.

The No. 1-ranked Blue Dragons (29-0, 23-0 Jayhawk Conference) and the Broncbusters (16-12, 11-12 Jayhawk Conference) will tip off at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Conestoga Arena in Garden City.

The game will be broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and on sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) beginning at 5:15 p.m. with Sean Boston (play-by-play) calling the action. The Blue Dragon Sports Network will stream the game live and free beginning at 5:15 p.m.

The 2024 Blue Dragons look to match the 1977, 2012 and 2014 teams who completed a regular season undefeated.

The current Blue Dragons won its 29th consecutive game after a 57-39 victory on Saturday at Barton. The Dragons rallied from nine points down late in the first quarter for its 27th victory in double figures in 29 games. Kiki Smith led the Blue Dragons with 14 points. Monae Duffy finished with 11 points.

The Blue Dragons trailed 12-5 after the first quarter, marking the fourth-consecutive game they have trailed after 10 minutes. The Blue Dragons are now 8-0 when trailing after the first quarter, mainly because the they have outscored their opponents by 323 points.

Garden City bids for a second-straight victory over a ranked opponent. Last Saturday, the Broncbusters upset No. 14 Dodge City 55-53 at Conestoga Arena. The Busters got 18 points off the bench from Maya Nieto and Ana Ramos Pires had 14 points.

The Busters have a lot on the line on Wednesday. The Busters are one of four teams battling for the sixth, seventh and eighth seeds and home games in the opening round in the Region VI Tournament, which begins Saturday at home sites around the state.

The Blue Dragons will go after a 13th-consecutive victory over Garden City. Hutchinson defeated Garden City 73-56 on January 20 at the Sports Arena. Duffy led the Blue Dragons with 17 points and Smith had 16 points to lead the Blue Dragons. Stevi Yanci led the Busters with 11 points.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706151037392.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics." />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics.</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of HutchCC AthleticsNo. 1 Hutchinson (29-0, 23-0) at Garden City (16-12, 11-12) When: Wednesday, March 6, 2024 Where: Conestoga Arena, Garden City, KS Time: 5:30 p.m. Radio: KHUT-FM (102.9); KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5), 5:15 p.m. -Sean Boston (play-by-play) X: @bluedragonsport The Jayhawk Conference champion Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team looks to complete its fourth perfect regular season on Wednesday night as the Blue Dragons close out the regular season with a road trip to play the Garden City Broncbusters.The No. 1-ranked Blue Dragons (29-0, 23-0 Jayhawk Conference) and the Broncbusters (16-12, 11-12 Jayhawk Conference) will tip off at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Conestoga Arena in Garden City.The game will be broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and on sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) beginning at 5:15 p.m. with Sean Boston (play-by-play) calling the action. The Blue Dragon Sports Network will stream the game live and free beginning at 5:15 p.m.The 2024 Blue Dragons look to match the 1977, 2012 and 2014 teams who completed a regular season undefeated.The current Blue Dragons won its 29th consecutive game after a 57-39 victory on Saturday at Barton. The Dragons rallied from nine points down late in the first quarter for its 27th victory in double figures in 29 games. Kiki Smith led the Blue Dragons with 14 points. Monae Duffy finished with 11 points.The Blue Dragons trailed 12-5 after the first quarter, marking the fourth-consecutive game they have trailed after 10 minutes. The Blue Dragons are now 8-0 when trailing after the first quarter, mainly because the they have outscored their opponents by 323 points.Garden City bids for a second-straight victory over a ranked opponent. Last Saturday, the Broncbusters upset No. 14 Dodge City 55-53 at Conestoga Arena. The Busters got 18 points off the bench from Maya Nieto and Ana Ramos Pires had 14 points.The Busters have a lot on the line on Wednesday. The Busters are one of four teams battling for the sixth, seventh and eighth seeds and home games in the opening round in the Region VI Tournament, which begins Saturday at home sites around the state.The Blue Dragons will go after a 13th-consecutive victory over Garden City. Hutchinson defeated Garden City 73-56 on January 20 at the Sports Arena. Duffy led the Blue Dragons with 17 points and Smith had 16 points to lead the Blue Dragons. Stevi Yanci led the Busters with 11 points.

🏀 WBB: Blue Dragons seek fourth unbeaten regular season at Garden City

Information courtesy MIAA, Emporia State University and Pittsburg State University.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Several area former student-athletes were recognized by the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) on its all-conference teams, released on Tuesday.

FAITH PARAMORE | EMPORIA STATE | HAVEN HS

Paramore, a former standout at Haven High School is in her senior year at Emporia State and earned Third-Team All-MIAA honors.&nbsp;

Paramore is second in the MIAA and is ranked 15th in the nation with 12 double-doubles while ranking third in the association in rebounding and ninth in scoring. She is averaging 14.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. She has reached double figures in scoring 21 times this season with eight 20 point games. Her career high of 26 points came this season against Bethel. She has 12 double figure rebound games with a career high of 14 against Washburn.

KARENNA GERBER | PITTSBURG STATE | HALSTEAD HS

Former Halstead High School standout Karenna Gerber is in her junior year at Pittsburg State and earned First-Team All-MIAA honors.

Gerber becomes a two-time All-MIAA honoree after securing third-team All-MIAA recognition during her sophomore campaign in 2022-23. The Halstead, Kan., native is averaging 16.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots per game this season, while shooting .588 from the field. Gerber leads the MIAA in field goal percentage, ranks second in blocked shots, fourth in scoring, eighths in rebounding and 10th in free throw percentage (.737).

GRACE PYLE | PITTSBURG STATE | McPHERSON HS

Former McPherson High School standout Grace Pyle is in her junior year at Pittsburg State and earned First-Team All-MIAA honors.

Pyle garnered All-MIAA honors for a second season after landing on the honorable mention All-MIAA list last year. The McPherson, Kan., native has contributed 15.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.7 3-point field goals per game this season. Pyle leads the MIAA in 3-point field goals, ranks third in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.336), sixth in the league in scoring and ninth in the MIAA in field goal percentage (.404).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709737604791.png" alt="Photo Courtesy MIAA" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy MIAA</figcaption>
 </figure>Information courtesy MIAA, Emporia State University and Pittsburg State University.KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Several area former student-athletes were recognized by the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) on its all-conference teams, released on Tuesday.FAITH PARAMORE | EMPORIA STATE | HAVEN HSParamore, a former standout at Haven High School is in her senior year at Emporia State and earned Third-Team All-MIAA honors.&nbsp;Paramore is second in the MIAA and is ranked 15th in the nation with 12 double-doubles while ranking third in the association in rebounding and ninth in scoring. She is averaging 14.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. She has reached double figures in scoring 21 times this season with eight 20 point games. Her career high of 26 points came this season against Bethel. She has 12 double figure rebound games with a career high of 14 against Washburn.KARENNA GERBER | PITTSBURG STATE | HALSTEAD HSFormer Halstead High School standout Karenna Gerber is in her junior year at Pittsburg State and earned First-Team All-MIAA honors.Gerber becomes a two-time All-MIAA honoree after securing third-team All-MIAA recognition during her sophomore campaign in 2022-23. The Halstead, Kan., native is averaging 16.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots per game this season, while shooting .588 from the field. Gerber leads the MIAA in field goal percentage, ranks second in blocked shots, fourth in scoring, eighths in rebounding and 10th in free throw percentage (.737).GRACE PYLE | PITTSBURG STATE | McPHERSON HSFormer McPherson High School standout Grace Pyle is in her junior year at Pittsburg State and earned First-Team All-MIAA honors.Pyle garnered All-MIAA honors for a second season after landing on the honorable mention All-MIAA list last year. The McPherson, Kan., native has contributed 15.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.7 3-point field goals per game this season. Pyle leads the MIAA in 3-point field goals, ranks third in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.336), sixth in the league in scoring and ninth in the MIAA in field goal percentage (.404).

🏀 WBB: Paramore, Gerber, Pyle among former area athletes on All-MIAA teams

ENID, Oklahoma – The Northern Oklahoma-Enid Jets hit a pair of home runs and pounded out 14 hits to snap the Hutchinson Community College baseball team’s four-game win streak on Tuesday at David Allen Memorial Ballpark.

After tying the game at 4-all, the Blue Dragons weren’t able to sustain their momentum and fell to NOC-Enid 12-7 in a non-conference midweek match.

The Blue Dragons are now 12-4 overall and will open Jayhawk West play at 1 p.m. on Wednesday at Hobart-Detter Field. The Hutchinson-Garden City conference opener was moved up a day because or forecasted inclement weather on Thursday.

Trailing 4-0 after three innings on Tuesday, Tyson Vassart hit a two-run home run to right field in the fourth inning to get the Dragons on the board. Hutchinson tied the game at 4-all in the fifth when Cody Gunderson hit a two-run home run to center.

NOC-Enid immediately answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth as the Jets scored eight unanswered runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

Hank Griffin hit a three-run double in the top of the ninth to round out the Blue Dragons’ scoring.

The Blue Dragons pounded out 10 hits on Tuesday.

Gunderson was 2 for 3 with a double, home run, two RBIs and three runs scored. Vassart was 2 for 5 with a double, his first home run of the season and two RBIs. Jarrett Herrman also had two hits with a pair of singles in four at-bats.

Seven different Blue Dragons pitchers were used on Tuesday. Nic Perez (0-1) was tagged with the loss. Blue Dragon pitching combined for eight strikeouts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706552972158.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of HutchCC AthleticsENID, Oklahoma – The Northern Oklahoma-Enid Jets hit a pair of home runs and pounded out 14 hits to snap the Hutchinson Community College baseball team’s four-game win streak on Tuesday at David Allen Memorial Ballpark.After tying the game at 4-all, the Blue Dragons weren’t able to sustain their momentum and fell to NOC-Enid 12-7 in a non-conference midweek match.The Blue Dragons are now 12-4 overall and will open Jayhawk West play at 1 p.m. on Wednesday at Hobart-Detter Field. The Hutchinson-Garden City conference opener was moved up a day because or forecasted inclement weather on Thursday.Trailing 4-0 after three innings on Tuesday, Tyson Vassart hit a two-run home run to right field in the fourth inning to get the Dragons on the board. Hutchinson tied the game at 4-all in the fifth when Cody Gunderson hit a two-run home run to center.NOC-Enid immediately answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth as the Jets scored eight unanswered runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.Hank Griffin hit a three-run double in the top of the ninth to round out the Blue Dragons’ scoring.The Blue Dragons pounded out 10 hits on Tuesday.Gunderson was 2 for 3 with a double, home run, two RBIs and three runs scored. Vassart was 2 for 5 with a double, his first home run of the season and two RBIs. Jarrett Herrman also had two hits with a pair of singles in four at-bats.Seven different Blue Dragons pitchers were used on Tuesday. Nic Perez (0-1) was tagged with the loss. Blue Dragon pitching combined for eight strikeouts.

⚾ Blue Dragons fall at NOC-Enid

Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp;

NORMAN, Okla. --&nbsp;Oklahoma used five stolen bases and a series of clutch two-out hits to defeat Wichita State 5-3 on Tuesday night at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

The Sooners (6-5) used eight pitchers on the evening, getting a solid start from Will Carsten before the parade of relievers. Carsten held the Shockers off the board for three innings, giving time for Oklahoma to grab an early lead they did not relinquish. After Wichita State starter&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyler-dobbs/7616">Tyler Dobbs</a>&nbsp;tossed zeroes in each of the first two innings, the Sooners pushed across a run in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly from Easton Carmichael. Another productive out in the fourth doubled the advantage, as Rocco Garza-Gongora plated a run with a ground out.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709735017676.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics&nbsp;NORMAN, Okla. --&nbsp;Oklahoma used five stolen bases and a series of clutch two-out hits to defeat Wichita State 5-3 on Tuesday night at L. Dale Mitchell Park.The Sooners (6-5) used eight pitchers on the evening, getting a solid start from Will Carsten before the parade of relievers. Carsten held the Shockers off the board for three innings, giving time for Oklahoma to grab an early lead they did not relinquish. After Wichita State starter&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyler-dobbs/7616">Tyler Dobbs</a>&nbsp;tossed zeroes in each of the first two innings, the Sooners pushed across a run in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly from Easton Carmichael. Another productive out in the fourth doubled the advantage, as Rocco Garza-Gongora plated a run with a ground out.Oklahoma grabbed a pair of crucial two-out runs in the fifth to extend the lead to 4-0. Carmichael and Jackson Nicklaus both rapped run-scoring singles after the first two hitters in the inning were retired.Wichita State (7-4) cut the deficit in half by getting the two runs right back in the top of the sixth.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/derek-williams/7627">Derek Williams</a>&nbsp;homered for a third consecutive game, launching an opposite field two-run blast to slice the Oklahoma lead to 4-2.Carmichael responded with a two-out solo homer of his own in the bottom of the seventh for a 5-2 advantage.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/josh-livingston/7602">Josh Livingston</a>&nbsp;came off the bench with his second pinch-hit homer of the season in the ninth, cranking a long blast over the wall in right that produced the final margin. Oklahoma's Malachi Witherspoon bounced back after the homer and recorded the final two outs to nail down his first save.Dobbs (1-1) took the loss despite allowing just one earned run over 3.2 innings. Six Wichita State relievers followed, allowing three runs (two earned) over the final 4.1 innings. Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/baseball/roster/drew-iverson/7618">Drew Iverson</a>&nbsp;struck out a career-best three hitters to highlight the efforts out of the bullpen.Grant Stevens (1-0) earned the win for Oklahoma, allowing one run in 2.2 innings in relief.The Shockers return home on Friday to open a three-game series against Long Beach State. First pitch of the series opener is scheduled for 3:00 pm.&nbsp;&nbsp;