NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Bryce Young's decision to opt in to the Sugar Bowl only enhanced his chances of cashing in as a pro.

Young passed for 321 yards and five touchdowns in a game that other top NFL prospects might have skipped, and No. 5 Alabama responded to an early two-score deficit with 35 straight points to defeat 11th-ranked Kansas State 45-20 on Saturday.

“For me it was just about doing everything I can to help the team,” Young said. "We had pride in how we played and how we prepared — us wanting to finish, us wanting to push ourselves and hold each other accountable.”

While a number of pro-bound college stars sat out bowl games that were not part of the College Football Playoff, the Crimson Tide and Wildcats had their best prospects on the field for the Sugar Bowl and they made a number of memorable plays — from Young's pivotal passes to Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn's 88-yard touchdown run to interceptions by Alabama's Jordan Battle and Brian Branch.

“These guys sent a message to everybody that you create value for yourself by playing football,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “It speaks volumes of your character when you choose to be a part of your team and you can be counted on to be part of your team, regardless of the circumstances."

With the game in hand in the fourth quarter, Young was ceremoniously substituted out, raising his right hand to Alabama fans who loudly rose to their feet as the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner trotted to the sideline.

Kansas State coach Chris Klieman asked a member of Alabama's staff to thank Young for playing.

“That’s what college football is about. I was happy Bryce played,” Klieman said. “That was really good for college football and really good for kids to see.”

Jermaine Burton caught three passes for 87 yards and a touchdown for Alabama (11-2). Tide running back Jahmyr Gibbs had 142 yards from scrimmage — 76 rushing and 66 receiving. Young's other touchdowns went to Isaiah Bond (6 yards), Cameron Latu (1 yard), Ja'Corey Brooks (32 yards) and Kobe Prentice (47 yards). Jase McClelland added a 17-yard scoring run.

“We had a little bit of a taste in our mouth that if we had a dominant performance, it would show people that we probably did deserve to do a little better than we did in terms of the playoff picture,” Saban said. “But I’m most proud that there was a team out there that cared.”

Kansas State (10-4) entered its first Sugar Bowl on a four-game winning streak and was riding high after knocking off No. 3 TCU — a CFP team — in the Big 12 title game.

Although Battle's leaping interception of Will Howard ended K-State's opening drive on the Alabama 21, the Wildcats scored the Sugar Bowl’s first 10 points, surging in front on Ty Zentner's 41-yard field goal and Vaughn's long run.

Alabama was on the brink of punting a third time when Young, on third and 10, stepped up in a collapsing pocket and flicked a short pass to Gibbs, who was cutting across the middle and turned up field for 60 yards. Young stepped up similarly to avoid pressure on his touchdown pass to Bond soon after.

Young threw over the top to Burton for 47 yards to setup his scoring pass to Latu that put Alabama in front for good.

Kansas State drove to the Alabama 2 late in the first half — converting two fourth-downs along the way — only to fail on fourth-and-goal when Howard threw out of reach of tight end Ben Sinnott, who was breaking open after Will Anderson fell while trying to cover him.

“I would have done it again,” Klieman said. “I’m never going to second-guess myself."

Young needed just 51 seconds to produce another touchdown, completing passes of 12, 28 and 22 yards before hitting Burton from 12 yards out to make it 21-10 at halftime.

“That was a huge swing in the game,” Saban said.

Kansas State paid for another risk when its onside kick to open the second half was recovered by Alabama, which scored shortly after on Young's strike to Ja'Corey Brooks in the corner of the end zone.

“We came here to win, man,” Klieman said. “We didn’t come here to try to keep this thing close.”

Kansas State: Howard finished 18-of-35 passing for 210 yards. Vaughn rushed for 133 yards on 22 carries. Jordan Schippers had a late 1-yard TD run.

Alabama: The Tide upended the narrative that it doesn't get up for low-stakes bowl games, having lost by two touchdowns in each of its previous two Sugar Bowls that were not part of the BCS or CFP. Alabama has now won 10 Sugar Bowls in 17 appearances.

Kansas State: Opens its 2023 campaign at home against Southeast Missouri on Sept. 2.

Alabama: Hosts Middle Tennessee on Sept. 2 to begin its 2023 season.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Bryce Young's decision to opt in to the Sugar Bowl only enhanced his chances of cashing in as a pro.Young passed for 321 yards and five touchdowns in a game that other top NFL prospects might have skipped, and No. 5 Alabama responded to an early two-score deficit with 35 straight points to defeat 11th-ranked Kansas State 45-20 on Saturday.“For me it was just about doing everything I can to help the team,” Young said. "We had pride in how we played and how we prepared — us wanting to finish, us wanting to push ourselves and hold each other accountable.”While a number of pro-bound college stars sat out bowl games that were not part of the College Football Playoff, the Crimson Tide and Wildcats had their best prospects on the field for the Sugar Bowl and they made a number of memorable plays — from Young's pivotal passes to Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn's 88-yard touchdown run to interceptions by Alabama's Jordan Battle and Brian Branch.“These guys sent a message to everybody that you create value for yourself by playing football,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “It speaks volumes of your character when you choose to be a part of your team and you can be counted on to be part of your team, regardless of the circumstances."With the game in hand in the fourth quarter, Young was ceremoniously substituted out, raising his right hand to Alabama fans who loudly rose to their feet as the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner trotted to the sideline.Kansas State coach Chris Klieman asked a member of Alabama's staff to thank Young for playing.“That’s what college football is about. I was happy Bryce played,” Klieman said. “That was really good for college football and really good for kids to see.”Jermaine Burton caught three passes for 87 yards and a touchdown for Alabama (11-2). Tide running back Jahmyr Gibbs had 142 yards from scrimmage — 76 rushing and 66 receiving. Young's other touchdowns went to Isaiah Bond (6 yards), Cameron Latu (1 yard), Ja'Corey Brooks (32 yards) and Kobe Prentice (47 yards). Jase McClelland added a 17-yard scoring run.“We had a little bit of a taste in our mouth that if we had a dominant performance, it would show people that we probably did deserve to do a little better than we did in terms of the playoff picture,” Saban said. “But I’m most proud that there was a team out there that cared.”Kansas State (10-4) entered its first Sugar Bowl on a four-game winning streak and was riding high after knocking off No. 3 TCU — a CFP team — in the Big 12 title game.Although Battle's leaping interception of Will Howard ended K-State's opening drive on the Alabama 21, the Wildcats scored the Sugar Bowl’s first 10 points, surging in front on Ty Zentner's 41-yard field goal and Vaughn's long run.Alabama was on the brink of punting a third time when Young, on third and 10, stepped up in a collapsing pocket and flicked a short pass to Gibbs, who was cutting across the middle and turned up field for 60 yards. Young stepped up similarly to avoid pressure on his touchdown pass to Bond soon after.Young threw over the top to Burton for 47 yards to setup his scoring pass to Latu that put Alabama in front for good.Kansas State drove to the Alabama 2 late in the first half — converting two fourth-downs along the way — only to fail on fourth-and-goal when Howard threw out of reach of tight end Ben Sinnott, who was breaking open after Will Anderson fell while trying to cover him.“I would have done it again,” Klieman said. “I’m never going to second-guess myself."Young needed just 51 seconds to produce another touchdown, completing passes of 12, 28 and 22 yards before hitting Burton from 12 yards out to make it 21-10 at halftime.“That was a huge swing in the game,” Saban said.Kansas State paid for another risk when its onside kick to open the second half was recovered by Alabama, which scored shortly after on Young's strike to Ja'Corey Brooks in the corner of the end zone.“We came here to win, man,” Klieman said. “We didn’t come here to try to keep this thing close.”THE TAKEAWAYKansas State: Howard finished 18-of-35 passing for 210 yards. Vaughn rushed for 133 yards on 22 carries. Jordan Schippers had a late 1-yard TD run.Alabama: The Tide upended the narrative that it doesn't get up for low-stakes bowl games, having lost by two touchdowns in each of its previous two Sugar Bowls that were not part of the BCS or CFP. Alabama has now won 10 Sugar Bowls in 17 appearances.UP NEXTKansas State: Opens its 2023 campaign at home against Southeast Missouri on Sept. 2.Alabama: Hosts Middle Tennessee on Sept. 2 to begin its 2023 season.

🏈 Young throws for 5 TDs, Alabama tops K-State in Sugar Bowl

WICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;Behind a career-high 24 points from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/trajata-colbert/7155">Trajata Colbert</a>, Wichita State defeated Cincinnati in the American Athletic Conference opener, 61-49, Friday night in Charles Koch Arena. Wichita State (11-3, 1-0) starts conference play 1-0 for the first time since 2014-15 as members of the Missouri Valley Conference. Colbert was nearly unstoppable down low. The fifth-year senior was 9-for-16 from the floor on the way to her 24-point night, while adding eight rebounds and two steals.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/dj-mccarty/7157">DJ McCarty</a>&nbsp;added 15 points, five assists and four steals.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jane-asinde/7152">Jane Asinde</a>&nbsp;just missed a double-double with eight points and 15 rebounds. She also swiped a career-high tying four steals. Wichita State attempted only four three-pointers and shot 38 percent from the floor, but shot 26 free throws compared to just seven for Cincinnati. Despite making five more three-pointers, Cincinnati finished the game at 31 percent overall and gave up 15 points off 15 turnovers. The Bearcats did however set a new Charles Koch Arena record with 14 blocked shots. Malea Williams had seven of them, also a Koch Arena record for an opponent. A fast-paced, competitive first quarter saw it tied at 15 after 10 minutes. Wichita State hit six of its first 10 attempts and finished at 50 percent for the period. Five turnovers helped Cincinnati who connected on only 6-of-16 tries. Cincinnati's shooting woes carried over to the second quarter where they went just 3-of-15, including a scoring drought over the last 5:04 of the period. Wichita State was able to grab the lead going into the locker room thanks to the drought, but only by four, 26-22. The Shockers missed six of their final seven attempts and couldn't take full advantage. Wichita State shot 41 percent for the half and held Cincinnati to 29 percent. McCarty led the Shockers with eight first half points, followed by Asinde and Colbert with six each. The Bearcats' troubles on the offensive end would extend to the 4:20 mark of the third quarter. They missed their first seven shots and Wichita State pushed the margin to double digits, 32-22. Five straight from Cincinnati forced a Wichita State timeout but the Shockers answered with four unanswered from Colbert to make it a 10-point game with less than 2:00 left in the third period. Cincinnati refused to go away. Caitlyn Wilson would score the final five points to pull the Bearcats within five, 37-32, at the end of three quarters. Leading by five entering the final 10 minutes, Wichita State immediately pushed the lead to 10. Cincinnati had one last comeback attempt in them when they pulled within 47-41 and 3:54 remaining, but that would be as close as they would get. A three-point play from Colbert and a corner triple from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/shamaryah-duncan/7156">Shamaryah Duncan</a>&nbsp;on back-to-back possessions gave the Shockers a 53-41 lead and only 2:16 to go. The lead grew to as many as 16 after two Duncan free throws and a run-out&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jeniah-thompson/7223">Jeniah Thompson</a>&nbsp;layup. Free throws inside the final minute from McCarty and Colbert officially iced the win to close out 2022. Up Next Wichita State travels to Tulsa for the first time in league play next Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 6:30 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672512915049.jpeg" alt="WSU WBB vs Cincinnati" />
 <figcaption>WSU WBB vs Cincinnati</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;Behind a career-high 24 points from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/trajata-colbert/7155">Trajata Colbert</a>, Wichita State defeated Cincinnati in the American Athletic Conference opener, 61-49, Friday night in Charles Koch Arena. Wichita State (11-3, 1-0) starts conference play 1-0 for the first time since 2014-15 as members of the Missouri Valley Conference. Colbert was nearly unstoppable down low. The fifth-year senior was 9-for-16 from the floor on the way to her 24-point night, while adding eight rebounds and two steals.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/dj-mccarty/7157">DJ McCarty</a>&nbsp;added 15 points, five assists and four steals.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jane-asinde/7152">Jane Asinde</a>&nbsp;just missed a double-double with eight points and 15 rebounds. She also swiped a career-high tying four steals. Wichita State attempted only four three-pointers and shot 38 percent from the floor, but shot 26 free throws compared to just seven for Cincinnati. Despite making five more three-pointers, Cincinnati finished the game at 31 percent overall and gave up 15 points off 15 turnovers. The Bearcats did however set a new Charles Koch Arena record with 14 blocked shots. Malea Williams had seven of them, also a Koch Arena record for an opponent. A fast-paced, competitive first quarter saw it tied at 15 after 10 minutes. Wichita State hit six of its first 10 attempts and finished at 50 percent for the period. Five turnovers helped Cincinnati who connected on only 6-of-16 tries. Cincinnati's shooting woes carried over to the second quarter where they went just 3-of-15, including a scoring drought over the last 5:04 of the period. Wichita State was able to grab the lead going into the locker room thanks to the drought, but only by four, 26-22. The Shockers missed six of their final seven attempts and couldn't take full advantage. Wichita State shot 41 percent for the half and held Cincinnati to 29 percent. McCarty led the Shockers with eight first half points, followed by Asinde and Colbert with six each. The Bearcats' troubles on the offensive end would extend to the 4:20 mark of the third quarter. They missed their first seven shots and Wichita State pushed the margin to double digits, 32-22. Five straight from Cincinnati forced a Wichita State timeout but the Shockers answered with four unanswered from Colbert to make it a 10-point game with less than 2:00 left in the third period. Cincinnati refused to go away. Caitlyn Wilson would score the final five points to pull the Bearcats within five, 37-32, at the end of three quarters. Leading by five entering the final 10 minutes, Wichita State immediately pushed the lead to 10. Cincinnati had one last comeback attempt in them when they pulled within 47-41 and 3:54 remaining, but that would be as close as they would get. A three-point play from Colbert and a corner triple from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/shamaryah-duncan/7156">Shamaryah Duncan</a>&nbsp;on back-to-back possessions gave the Shockers a 53-41 lead and only 2:16 to go. The lead grew to as many as 16 after two Duncan free throws and a run-out&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jeniah-thompson/7223">Jeniah Thompson</a>&nbsp;layup. Free throws inside the final minute from McCarty and Colbert officially iced the win to close out 2022. Up Next Wichita State travels to Tulsa for the first time in league play next Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 6:30 p.m.

🏀 WBB: Colbert Powers Shockers to Conference-Opening Win

No. 6 Tennessee tops No. 10 Clemson 31-14 in Orange Bowl

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Joe Milton passed for 251 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 6 Tennessee finished off its best season in more than two decades by topping No. 10 Clemson 31-14 in the Orange Bowl. Squirrel White, Bru McCoy and Ramel Keyton had the scoring catches for the 11-2 Volunteers, who matched their best record since 2001. Cade Klubnik, in his first start for Clemson, completed 30 of 54 passes for 320 yards for the 11-3 Tigers. But Clemson just kept coming up empty on chances. The Tigers got into Tennessee territory on nine of their first 10 possessions. They turned those trips into only two field goals.

Aaron Judge is AP male athlete of year after setting HR mark

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has been voted The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. He hit 62 home runs to break an American League record that lasted six decades. The outfielder edged Los Angeles Angels pitching and hitting star Shohei Ohtani in balloting. Ohtani won the award last year. Judge joins an esteemed list that includes Muhammad Ali, Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan. Among the former Yankees to win was Roger Maris, who set the previous AL mark of 61 homers in 1961.

Brazil mourns Pelé, who made every part of the country proud

Bocaina de Minas, BRAZIL (AP) — With Pelé's death, Brazilians have lost a piece of their hearts. Down a dirt road in the mountains of Minas Gerais, Pelé's home state, Jorge Tavares received the news of the soccer star's death from a 4 a.m. newscast. As a boy, Tavares and his cousins listened to Pelé's World Cup games on the radio. His dazzling performance inspired them to play a game they had never seen, first using a ball made of socks and string. "We feel this a lot. He leaves a legacy, a person of color who was crowned king of soccer, and he also brought a lot of peace outside Brazil," Tavares, a 67-year-old school-van driver, said in an interview at the barbed-wire fence outside his home. "He represented Brazil to everyone abroad."

James has season-high 47 on 38th birthday, Lakers beat Hawks

ATLANTA (AP) — LeBron James scored a season-high 47 points on his 38th birthday with many of the sellout crowd at State Farm Arena cheering his every move, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Atlanta Hawks 130-121. James, a four-time NBA MVP and an 18-time All-Star, nearly finished with a triple-double that included 10 rebounds and nine assists. He scored 16 in the second quarter, 13 in the third and 16 in the fourth. James began the game ranked ninth in scoring with a 27.8 average.

Cristiano Ronaldo makes big-money move to Saudi Arabian club

LONDON (AP) — Saudi Arabian soccer club Al Nassr has announced the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, ending speculation about the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's future. Al Nassr posted a picture on social media of Ronaldo holding up the team's jersey, with the club hailing the deal as "history in the making." Ronaldo had been a free agent has his contract was terminated by Manchester United following an explosive TV interview in which he criticized manager Erik ten Hag and the club's owners. He is coming off a disappointing World Cup where he was benched in the knockout rounds and Portugal lost in the quarterfinals to Morocco.

Pelé invigorated US soccer, paved way for '94 World Cup, MLS

NEW YORK (AP) — Clive Toye started his pursuit of Pelé with a trip to Jamaica and a cold call in 1971. Pelé signed with the New York Cosmos four years later. It put U.S. soccer on a path to hosting the World Cup in 1994 and launching Major League Soccer two years later. The Cosmos averaged 3,578 fans in 1974. Pelé joined in June 1975 and that season's average nearly tripled to 10,450. Pelé was 34 when he joined the Cosmos and scored 37 goals in 64 matches. He agreed to countless interviews and promotional appearances as part of a mission to make soccer mainstream.

Buchner accounts for 5 TDs, Notre Dame wins Gator Bowl 45-38

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Tyler Buchner accounted for five touchdowns to help offset two interceptions returned for TDs, and No. 19 Notre Dame beat 20th-ranked South Carolina 45-38 in a wild TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. The highest-scoring game in the bowl's history was filled with big plays and memorable moments. Buchner delivered the knockout blow when he found tight end Mitchell Evans wide open for a 16-yard touchdown on a third-and-7 play with 1:38 remaining. Buchner, who regained the starting job after Drew Pyne entered the transfer portal following the regular-season finale, threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 61 yards and two scores.

Zaidi: Giants immediately communicated concerns about Correa

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Giants executive Farhan Zaidi says the club expressed concerns to Carlos Correa's representative immediately when an issue arose with the shortstop's physical exam that led to the deal collapsing. Zaidi, San Francisco's president of baseball operations, spoke publicly for the first time about how the $350 million, 13-year contract for Correa fell through Dec. 20. An introductory news conference was called off about three hours before it had been set to begin that day, and Correa agreed to a new deal with the New York Mets overnight.

Georgia-Ohio St: Perennial powerhouses who've met just once

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia and Ohio State have met just once, three decades ago in an era before playoffs and NIL. The Bulldogs won the Citrus Bowl on New Year's Day in 1993. The teams will be playing for a whole lot more on New Year's Eve in the Peach Bowl semifinal of the College Football Playoff — a berth in the national title game. The top-ranked Bulldogs are looking to take the penultimate step toward their second straight national championship. No. 4 Ohio State slipped into the final playoff spot without winning its division in the Big Ten.

TCU brings 'fight for credibility' to CFP against Michigan

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 TCU meet for the first time Saturday at the Fiesta Bowl. It is a matchup of one of college football's bluest blue bloods and the most unlikely team ever to reach the College Football Playoff. The Horned Frogs became just the second team to reach the final four after starting the season unranked. The first was Michigan last year. Michigan is the winningest program in college football history. TCU played in three conferences over 16 years before landing in the Big 12 11 years ago. It was picked to finish seventh in the league this year.

Christopher Newport 98, Wilmington (Ohio) 48

Saint Joseph (Conn.) 67, Worcester Tech 55

Fort Lauderdale Eagles 71, Fort Valley St. 59

Georgia Southwestern 87, Middle Georgia 59

St. Mary's (Md.) 78, Bridgewater (Va.) 76

Cornerstone Golden Eagles 84, Davenport 82

AP Sports Headlines for Saturday MorningNo. 6 Tennessee tops No. 10 Clemson 31-14 in Orange BowlMIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Joe Milton passed for 251 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 6 Tennessee finished off its best season in more than two decades by topping No. 10 Clemson 31-14 in the Orange Bowl. Squirrel White, Bru McCoy and Ramel Keyton had the scoring catches for the 11-2 Volunteers, who matched their best record since 2001. Cade Klubnik, in his first start for Clemson, completed 30 of 54 passes for 320 yards for the 11-3 Tigers. But Clemson just kept coming up empty on chances. The Tigers got into Tennessee territory on nine of their first 10 possessions. They turned those trips into only two field goals.Aaron Judge is AP male athlete of year after setting HR markNEW YORK (AP) — New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has been voted The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. He hit 62 home runs to break an American League record that lasted six decades. The outfielder edged Los Angeles Angels pitching and hitting star Shohei Ohtani in balloting. Ohtani won the award last year. Judge joins an esteemed list that includes Muhammad Ali, Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan. Among the former Yankees to win was Roger Maris, who set the previous AL mark of 61 homers in 1961.Brazil mourns Pelé, who made every part of the country proudBocaina de Minas, BRAZIL (AP) — With Pelé's death, Brazilians have lost a piece of their hearts. Down a dirt road in the mountains of Minas Gerais, Pelé's home state, Jorge Tavares received the news of the soccer star's death from a 4 a.m. newscast. As a boy, Tavares and his cousins listened to Pelé's World Cup games on the radio. His dazzling performance inspired them to play a game they had never seen, first using a ball made of socks and string. "We feel this a lot. He leaves a legacy, a person of color who was crowned king of soccer, and he also brought a lot of peace outside Brazil," Tavares, a 67-year-old school-van driver, said in an interview at the barbed-wire fence outside his home. "He represented Brazil to everyone abroad."James has season-high 47 on 38th birthday, Lakers beat HawksATLANTA (AP) — LeBron James scored a season-high 47 points on his 38th birthday with many of the sellout crowd at State Farm Arena cheering his every move, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Atlanta Hawks 130-121. James, a four-time NBA MVP and an 18-time All-Star, nearly finished with a triple-double that included 10 rebounds and nine assists. He scored 16 in the second quarter, 13 in the third and 16 in the fourth. James began the game ranked ninth in scoring with a 27.8 average.Cristiano Ronaldo makes big-money move to Saudi Arabian clubLONDON (AP) — Saudi Arabian soccer club Al Nassr has announced the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, ending speculation about the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's future. Al Nassr posted a picture on social media of Ronaldo holding up the team's jersey, with the club hailing the deal as "history in the making." Ronaldo had been a free agent has his contract was terminated by Manchester United following an explosive TV interview in which he criticized manager Erik ten Hag and the club's owners. He is coming off a disappointing World Cup where he was benched in the knockout rounds and Portugal lost in the quarterfinals to Morocco.Pelé invigorated US soccer, paved way for '94 World Cup, MLSNEW YORK (AP) — Clive Toye started his pursuit of Pelé with a trip to Jamaica and a cold call in 1971. Pelé signed with the New York Cosmos four years later. It put U.S. soccer on a path to hosting the World Cup in 1994 and launching Major League Soccer two years later. The Cosmos averaged 3,578 fans in 1974. Pelé joined in June 1975 and that season's average nearly tripled to 10,450. Pelé was 34 when he joined the Cosmos and scored 37 goals in 64 matches. He agreed to countless interviews and promotional appearances as part of a mission to make soccer mainstream.Buchner accounts for 5 TDs, Notre Dame wins Gator Bowl 45-38JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Tyler Buchner accounted for five touchdowns to help offset two interceptions returned for TDs, and No. 19 Notre Dame beat 20th-ranked South Carolina 45-38 in a wild TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. The highest-scoring game in the bowl's history was filled with big plays and memorable moments. Buchner delivered the knockout blow when he found tight end Mitchell Evans wide open for a 16-yard touchdown on a third-and-7 play with 1:38 remaining. Buchner, who regained the starting job after Drew Pyne entered the transfer portal following the regular-season finale, threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 61 yards and two scores.Zaidi: Giants immediately communicated concerns about CorreaSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Giants executive Farhan Zaidi says the club expressed concerns to Carlos Correa's representative immediately when an issue arose with the shortstop's physical exam that led to the deal collapsing. Zaidi, San Francisco's president of baseball operations, spoke publicly for the first time about how the $350 million, 13-year contract for Correa fell through Dec. 20. An introductory news conference was called off about three hours before it had been set to begin that day, and Correa agreed to a new deal with the New York Mets overnight.Georgia-Ohio St: Perennial powerhouses who've met just onceATLANTA (AP) — Georgia and Ohio State have met just once, three decades ago in an era before playoffs and NIL. The Bulldogs won the Citrus Bowl on New Year's Day in 1993. The teams will be playing for a whole lot more on New Year's Eve in the Peach Bowl semifinal of the College Football Playoff — a berth in the national title game. The top-ranked Bulldogs are looking to take the penultimate step toward their second straight national championship. No. 4 Ohio State slipped into the final playoff spot without winning its division in the Big Ten.TCU brings 'fight for credibility' to CFP against MichiganSCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 TCU meet for the first time Saturday at the Fiesta Bowl. It is a matchup of one of college football's bluest blue bloods and the most unlikely team ever to reach the College Football Playoff. The Horned Frogs became just the second team to reach the final four after starting the season unranked. The first was Michigan last year. Michigan is the winningest program in college football history. TCU played in three conferences over 16 years before landing in the Big 12 11 years ago. It was picked to finish seventh in the league this year.<h2>College Basketball Scores</h2>Friday, Dec. 30EAST Albertus Magnus 91, Nichols 85American 60, Lafayette 47Army 80, Lehigh 78Baruch 62, Rutgers-Camden 47Berry 79, Emory 74Brandeis 60, Westfield St. 47Christopher Newport 98, Wilmington (Ohio) 48Colgate 101, Loyola (Md.) 67Curry 89, Bard 78Drew 75, Keystone 68East Stroudsburg 93, Slippery Rock 66Edinboro 71, Bloomsburg 62Elizabethtown 70, Stevenson 69Fairfield 73, Marist 54Frostburg St. 78, Dist. of Columbia 76Holy Cross 60, Bucknell 58Hood 109, Waynesburg 51Indiana (Pa.) 76, Millersville 45Keene St. 62, Emerson 54Kutztown 92, California (Pa.) 82Lock Haven 69, Gannon 64Marywood 83, Mount St. Mary 63McDaniel 72, St. Vincent 70, OTMercyhurst 88, Mansfield 58Moravian 81, Bryn Athyn 78Morgan St. 61, Hartford 54Mount St. Vincent 79, Union (NY) 72Navy 75, Boston U. 58Nazareth 82, Clark 63Pitt.-Bradford 89, Grove City 75Pitt.-Johnstown 79, Shepherd 62Pittsburgh 76, North Carolina 74Rutgers 90, Coppin St. 57Saint Joseph (Conn.) 67, Worcester Tech 55Saint Joseph's (Maine) 75, S. Maine 52Shippensburg 78, Clarion 52Siena 83, Quinnipiac 76Springfield 81, Roger Williams 63St. Peter's 67, Manhattan 57Swarthmore 87, Immaculata 57Trinity (Conn.) 71, Framingham St. 51West Chester 82, Seton Hill 68Wheaton 89, Colby Sawyer 81Wheeling Jesuit 88, Franciscan 64SOUTH Anderson (SC) 82, Southern Wesleyan 77Belmont Abbey 60, Lenoir-Rhyne 56Centenary 90, Dallas 70Clemson 78, NC State 64E. Mennonite 60, Mary Baldwin 58Ferrum 74, William Peace 68Fort Lauderdale Eagles 71, Fort Valley St. 59Francis Marion 87, Coker 75Georgia Southwestern 87, Middle Georgia 59Guilford 76, Centre 39Hendrix 83, Ozarks 80Lee 89, Lindsey Wilson 50North Alabama 66, Jacksonville St. 62Oglethorpe 92, LaGrange 88SC State 111, St. Andrews 58South Carolina 74, E. Michigan 64St. Mary's (Md.) 78, Bridgewater (Va.) 76Stetson 86, Lipscomb 80, OTVanderbilt 93, SE Louisiana 55Virginia Union 88, Fairmont St. 83, OTMIDWEST Akron 84, Concord 58Ashland 81, Wayne St. (Mich.) 70Aurora 76, Monmouth (Ill.) 64Bemidji St. 77, Mary 67Carleton 99, Bethany Lutheran 91Cornerstone Golden Eagles 84, Davenport 82Elmhurst 84, Calvin 80Hiram 87, Adrian 68Illinois College 74, Augustana (Ill.) 69Lake Forest 80, Carroll (Wis.) 74Lakeland 109, Cardinal Stritch 80Malone 96, Central St. (Ohio) 61Marian 79, Wis.-Oshkosh 74Miami 76, Notre Dame 65Michigan St. 89, Buffalo 68Minot St. 77, Minn.-Crookston 57Missouri S&amp;T 102, Baptist Bible 77N. Dakota St. 71, North Dakota 49Notre Dame (Ohio) 94, Mount Aloysius 56Ohio 76, Chicago St. 59Penn State-Altoona 83, Oberlin 78, 2OTRockford 75, Beloit 64Rockhurst 75, William Woods 71Saginaw Valley St. 87, Grace Bible 68St. Mary's (Minn.) 83, North Park 82Wabash 90, Edgewood 63Washington (Mo.) 86, Westminster (Mo.) 49Wis.-River Falls 73, St. Scholastica 55Wisconsin 76, W. Michigan 66Wooster 68, Heidelberg 65SOUTHWEST Dallas Baptist 75, Ark.-Fort Smith 64Embry-Riddle (AZ) 88, Barry 79Houston Christian 101, New Orleans 96, OTLubbock Christian 85, Cameron 61Oklahoma Christian 87, Texas-Tyler 76, 2OTSouthwestern (Texas) 76, Howard Payne 63St Edwards 88, Texas A&amp;M International 72St. Thomas (Texas) 67, Austin 62Texas A&amp;M 86, Prairie View 66FAR WEST Academy of Art 97, Holy Names 82Angelo St. 77, W. New Mexico 63Black Hills St. 84, Adams St. 64Claremont Mudd 71, Haverford 44Colorado Mesa 67, CSU-Pueblo 60E. New Mexico 84, Texas-Permian Basin 75Fort Lewis 93, S.D. Mines 82Fresno Pacific 80, Dominican (Cal.) 63Hawaii 74, UC Davis 66Milwaukee Engineering 89, Caltech 83, 2OTOccidental 60, Husson 59Pacific Lutheran 64, Gustavus Adolphus 61Southern Cal 80, Washington 67UCLA 67, Washington St. 66West Texas A&amp;M 72, Midwestern St. 71Willamette 98, Douglas College Royals 66___

Sports Headlines for Saturday

AUSTIN, Texas—K-State Women's Basketball will be in action in Austin, Tx on Saturday.

GAME 14 Television Longhorn Network Play-by-Play: Alex Loeb Analyst: Andrea Lloyd Radio K-State Sports Network Online: kstatesports.com Play-by-Play: James Westling Analyst: Randy Peterson Live Stats kstatesports.com Series History vs. Texas • Texas leads the series with K-State, 28-17. • The Longhorns have won five straight in the series, including the last meeting on March 11, 2022, in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championships in Kansas City. • Head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a>&nbsp;is 5-18 in his career against Texas. MANHATTAN, Kansas -&nbsp;K-State (11-2) begins its Big 12 slate on Saturday, as the Wildcats visit the newest arena in the league, the Moody Center in Austin, to face Texas at 2 p.m.&nbsp; • The Wildcats have started 11-2 for the second straight season and reached 11 overall wins before Big 12 action for the first time since the 2008-09 season.&nbsp; • Saturday's game airs on Longhorn Network, as Alex Loeb (play-by-play) and Andrea Lloyd (analyst) will have the call. Starting 5 Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State WBB 1. All the Delicious Turnovers • In the last four games, K-State has forced 88 turnovers including a season-high 33 by Kansas City on Dec. 7. In the four games, the Wildcats have scored 101 points off opponent turnovers (25.3 ppg). 2. G-Squared Leading the Big 12 • Senior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/8613">Gabby Gregory</a>&nbsp;leads the Big 12 and ranks 12th in the nation in scoring average (21.0 ppg). She is the only player in the Big 12 currently averaging 20.0 or more points per game. She also leads the Big 12 in games with 30 or more points (2) and games with 20 or more points (9).&nbsp; 3. Sundell Evenly Distributed • Sophomore guard&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/serena-sundell/8612">Serena Sundell</a>&nbsp;needs seven assists to become the 20th player in program history with 250 or more career assists. 4. Ebert at the Line • Senior guard&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/emilee-ebert/8605">Emilee Ebert</a>&nbsp;tied the longest consecutive free throws made streak in school history (38 straight) and is 34-of-35 this season. Ebert has reached the minimum of 2.5 free throws made per game to lead the Big 12 andis second in the NCAA for free throw percentage this season (.971). 5. K-State in Big 12 Road Openers • K-State starts its 27th Big 12 season on the road. The Wildcats are 9-17 all-time in Big 12 road openers and have won two of their last three road openers. Number to Know: 11 • K-State has registered 11 games this season with 70 or more points.&nbsp; • The 11 games with 70 or more points are the most through the first 13 games of a season for K-State since the 2001-02 season, when the Wildcats also tallied 11 games. • Amongst the Big 12 this season, K-State is tied with Kansas for the league lead for games with 70 or more points scored with 11. • Since the 2001-02 season, K-State is 238-28 (.895) when scoring 70 or more points in a game including an 86-14 (.860) record in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a>&nbsp;era. At a Glance: Texas • (rv/rv) Texas (9-4, 0-0 Big 12) enters Saturday's Big 12 opener with a six-game win streak in tow following a 96-53 win over Texas A&amp;M Commerce on December 28. • The Longhorns are guided on the sideline by third-year head coach Vic Schaefer. The 1984 graduate of Texas A&amp;M owns a career record of 360-192 (.652) during his 18 seasons which includes head coaching stops at Sam Houston State and Mississippi State. He led Mississippi State to a pair of NCAA Championship Game appearances and has guided the Longhorns to consecutive Elite Eight appearances with a 59-20 (.747) record. • Texas features six players averaging double figures in scoring and are led by Sonya Morris, Shaylee Gonzales and Rori Harmon. • Morris, a graduate transfer guard from St. Louis, Missouri, is averaging 11.6 points per game this season after spending her first four seasons at DePaul. • Gonzales, a graduate transfer guard from Gilbert, Arizona, is averaging 11.0 points per game and 3.8 rebounds this season after playing at BYU. • After missing the first five games of the season due to injury, Harmon has returned to average 10.6 points, 6.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds. The Longhorns are 7-1 with Harmon in the lineup. Against Texas A&amp;M Commerce, the sophomore guard from Houston, tallied 15 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and three steals. Last Time Out at K-State 77, Morgan State 46 &nbsp;(Dec. 21, 2022; Manhattan, Kan.) • K-State improved its non-conference home court winning streak to 19 with a 77-46 win over Morgan State on Dec. 21. • Of the 12 Wildcats to see the floor against the Bears, 10 registered four or more points. •&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/8613">Gabby Gregory</a>&nbsp;tallied her ninth game with 20 or more points with 20 points and six rebounds. •&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/rebekah-dallinger/8604">Rebekah Dallinger</a>&nbsp;scored a career-high 12 points off the bench. K-State Off to Solid Start • With its 11-2 record through 13 games, K-State has tied its best start to begin a season under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a>. • The 11-2 record through 13 games equals the best start from the 2021-22 season and the best start for the Wildcats since opening the 2008-09 season with a 13-0 mark.&nbsp; • This is the eighth time since at least the 2000-01 season K-State has started a season 11-2 or better. • K-State's 11 non-conference wins were the most in a season since the 2008-09 season (11). K-State's 12th Month Record • In the 55th year of women's basketball at K-State, the Wildcats own a record of 237-102 (.699) in the month of December. • Under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a>, K-State is 36-17 (.679) in the month of December. • K-State has had a .500 or better record in the month of December 47 times in its history, including a current streak of 27 consecutive seasons. Wildcats on the Road • K-State has a 286-311 (.479) record in road games during the program's 55-year history.&nbsp; • Since the 2000-01 season, K-State owns a 126-132 (.488) mark in road contests. K-State is 20-26 (.435) in the last four seasons in road games.&nbsp; • In his career in games played on the road, head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a>&nbsp;is 162-191 (.459) including a 37-54 (.407) mark during his time at K-State. • In the 2021-22 season, the Wildcats were 5-10 in road games, which included a four-game road winning streak from mid-December to mid-January. This was the longest road winning streak for K-State since the end of the 2018-19 regular season. The five wins were the most since the 2019-20 season. Cats Cash in at the Charity Stripe • Kansas State continues to earn trips to the free throw line, which is a trend during head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a>'s time at K-State. • The Wildcats are shooting 80.4 percent (230-of-286) from the foul line this season and have made more free throws than their opponents have attempted, 230-218. K-State has recorded 23.1 percent of its points this season from the foul line. • Kansas State leads the Big 12 and ranks second in the nation for free throw percentage. • K-State has shot 80.0 percent or better from the line seven times this season (5-2), including a high of 94.7 percent (18-of-19) against South Dakota State on Dec. 10. • The Wildcats have made 20 or more free throws in a game four times this season. • Against Northern Arizona on Nov. 25, the Wildcats made a season-high 28 free throws and attempted 39 freebies. The 39 attempts were the most in the Mittie era and the most since K-State attempted 41 against Colorado on Jan. 13, 1990.&nbsp; • The 28 made fouls shots were the most since K-State made 29 against TCU on March 1, 2021.&nbsp; • Last season, K-State shot 420-of-551 (.762) from the foul line. K-State is receiving 19.3 percent of its point total from the charity stripe. • K-State's free throw percentage of 76.2 percent established a school record for team free throw percentage in a single-season.&nbsp; • The Wildcats ranked second in the Big 12 and 27th in the nation for free throw percentage and ranked second in league-only games (.765). • This was the seventh season under Mittie in which K-State &nbsp;made 350 or more free throws in a season with a high of 462 in the 2016-17 season. K-State's 420 free throws made this season are the most since the 2018-19 season (424). • The Wildcats made 80.0 percent or more of its free throws in a game 14 times last season (11-3). K-State had more free throw attempts than its opponents in 16 games (12-4). Generating Offense from Defense • Kansas State has used an opportunistic defense to create additional offensive chances this season. • K-State's opponents have turned the ball over 241 times (18.5 topg). K-State ranks third in the Big 12 and 24th in the nation in turnover margin at +5.8.&nbsp; • The Wildcats have tallied 251 points off opponent turnovers (19.3 per game | 1.04 points per turnover). The 251 points are 25.2 percent of K-State's overall point total.&nbsp; • K-State has a +137 margin in points off turnovers compared to its opponents (251-114). • The Wildcats have six games with 20 or more points off turnovers, including a season-high 32 against Kansas City on Dec. 7. The 32 points off turnovers marked the most since the Wildcats score 34 points off turnovers by Central Arkansas on Nov. 9, 2021. • K-State has eight games with 25 percent or more of its points off turnovers, including a season-high 44.4 percent against Kansas City on Dec. 7. Sundell Sets the Table •&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/serena-sundell/8612">Serena Sundell</a>&nbsp;has established herself at the point for K-State with her distribution skills. • In the 2022-23 season, Sundell has handed out 67 assists (5.2 apg) including a season-high nine against Clemson on Nov. 24 and eight assists with zero turnovers against Houston on Dec. 4. Sundell owns three career games with five or more assists and zero turnovers.&nbsp; • &nbsp;Sundell ranks third in the Big 12 in assists per game and is 23rd ninth in the nation for assist to turnover ratio (2.68). Sundell ranks 22nd in the nation for total assists (67). • She has 28 career games with five or more assists including a career-high 11 assists. • Sundell's career total stands at 243 and ranks 21st on the K-State career assists list. She needs seven assists to become the 20th player in program history with 250 or more career assists.&nbsp; • Her career assist to turnover ratio of 2.03 is the school record (min. 100 career assists). • The 2022 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention recipient handed out 176 assists (5.3 apg) and a 1.85 assist to turnover ratio in her freshman season.&nbsp; • Sundell's total of 176 assists ranked seventh in school history for a single season. Sundell was responsible for 32.3 percent of K-State's assists last season. • Sundell was the second freshman in program history with 175 or more assists in their debut season and her total of 175 ranked second among K-State freshmen behind Shalee Lehning's school record of 189 in 2005-06.&nbsp; • Sundell, a five-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week recipient in 2021-22, was third in the Big 12 and 20th in the nation for total assists. She was second in the Big 12 and 23rd in the nation for assists per game. • Among the nation's freshmen, Sundell was second in total assists and assists per game.&nbsp; • Against Iowa State on Jan. 11, Sundell tallied a career-high 11 assists. This was the 15th time a K-State player handed out 11 assists in a game and was the most assists by a Wildcat since Kayla Goth tied the school record with 13 against West Virginia on March 9, 2019. • At South Dakota State on Dec. 11, Sundell dished 10 assists with just one turnover. • Sundell handed out nine assists with one turnover against Central Arkansas in the season-opener on Nov. 9. Her nine assists set the school record for assists in a K-State debut. Gregory Secures 1,000 Career Points • Guard&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/8613">Gabby Gregory</a>&nbsp;has been a dynamic addition to the K-State lineup this season. • In her career, Gregory has scored 1,058 points (12.4 ppg). She is the first player to transfer to K-State and reach the 1,000-point mark in her collegiate career. • This season, Gregory is averaging 21.0 points on a .432 field goal percentage, including a .340 three-point percentage and an .845 free throw percentage. She also leads the team on the glass with &nbsp;6.3 rebounds.&nbsp; • Gregory leads the Big 12 and ranks 12th in the nation in scoring average and is 10th in the nation for total points scored (273). • She leads the Big 12 in games with 20 or more points (9) and games with 30 or more points (2). • The product of Tulsa, Oklahoma, earned her first career Big 12 Player of the Week honor following the first week, as she averaged 22.0 points per contest &nbsp;on a 50.0 percent field goal percentage including a 40.0 percent effort from 3-point range, a 90.9 percent effort from the foul line, 8.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Her 44 points in the first two games were the most by a Wildcat in their first two games in purple and white. Gregory Quickly Climbing Chart • Guard&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/8613">Gabby Gregory</a>&nbsp;has been a dynamic addition to the K-State lineup this season. • Gregory is averaging 21.0 points per game (273 points) and ranks fifth in school history since the 2011-12 season for points scored by a K-State transfer in their first season with the Wildcats. • The most points scored by a transfer player in their first season with the Wildcats is 335 by Tasha Dickey in the 2011-12 season.&nbsp; • Only three transfer players completed their first season with K-State with 300 or more points scored: Dickey, Angela Harris (329) and Karyla Middlebrook (301).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672403078871.jpeg" alt="KSU WBB at Texas.jpg" />
 <figcaption>KSU WBB at Texas.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas—K-State Women's Basketball will be in action in Austin, Tx on Saturday.<ul>
 <li>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=84676e8f-7167-4362-9cee-519002163716" target="_blank">Longhorn TV Network</a>&nbsp; </li><li>&nbsp;<a href="https://thevarsitynetwork.com/feed/source/oas-1358?audioPlayer=kstate%3Aallaccess-Live-5441" target="_blank">Listen Live</a>&nbsp;</li><li>&nbsp;<a href="https://texassports.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary" target="_blank">Live Stats</a>&nbsp;</li><li>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/documents/2022/12/29/2022-23_WBB_Game_Notes_Texas_123122.pdf" target="_blank">K-State notes (pdf)</a></li>
 </ul>GAME 14 Television Longhorn Network Play-by-Play: Alex Loeb Analyst: Andrea Lloyd Radio K-State Sports Network Online: kstatesports.com Play-by-Play: James Westling Analyst: Randy Peterson Live Stats kstatesports.com Series History vs. Texas • Texas leads the series with K-State, 28-17. • The Longhorns have won five straight in the series, including the last meeting on March 11, 2022, in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championships in Kansas City. • Head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a>&nbsp;is 5-18 in his career against Texas. MANHATTAN, Kansas -&nbsp;K-State (11-2) begins its Big 12 slate on Saturday, as the Wildcats visit the newest arena in the league, the Moody Center in Austin, to face Texas at 2 p.m.&nbsp; • The Wildcats have started 11-2 for the second straight season and reached 11 overall wins before Big 12 action for the first time since the 2008-09 season.&nbsp; • Saturday's game airs on Longhorn Network, as Alex Loeb (play-by-play) and Andrea Lloyd (analyst) will have the call. Starting 5 Five names, numbers or storylines about K-State WBB 1. All the Delicious Turnovers • In the last four games, K-State has forced 88 turnovers including a season-high 33 by Kansas City on Dec. 7. In the four games, the Wildcats have scored 101 points off opponent turnovers (25.3 ppg). 2. G-Squared Leading the Big 12 • Senior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/8613">Gabby Gregory</a>&nbsp;leads the Big 12 and ranks 12th in the nation in scoring average (21.0 ppg). She is the only player in the Big 12 currently averaging 20.0 or more points per game. She also leads the Big 12 in games with 30 or more points (2) and games with 20 or more points (9).&nbsp; 3. Sundell Evenly Distributed • Sophomore guard&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/serena-sundell/8612">Serena Sundell</a>&nbsp;needs seven assists to become the 20th player in program history with 250 or more career assists. 4. Ebert at the Line • Senior guard&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/emilee-ebert/8605">Emilee Ebert</a>&nbsp;tied the longest consecutive free throws made streak in school history (38 straight) and is 34-of-35 this season. Ebert has reached the minimum of 2.5 free throws made per game to lead the Big 12 andis second in the NCAA for free throw percentage this season (.971). 5. K-State in Big 12 Road Openers • K-State starts its 27th Big 12 season on the road. The Wildcats are 9-17 all-time in Big 12 road openers and have won two of their last three road openers. Number to Know: 11 • K-State has registered 11 games this season with 70 or more points.&nbsp; • The 11 games with 70 or more points are the most through the first 13 games of a season for K-State since the 2001-02 season, when the Wildcats also tallied 11 games. • Amongst the Big 12 this season, K-State is tied with Kansas for the league lead for games with 70 or more points scored with 11. • Since the 2001-02 season, K-State is 238-28 (.895) when scoring 70 or more points in a game including an 86-14 (.860) record in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a>&nbsp;era. At a Glance: Texas • (rv/rv) Texas (9-4, 0-0 Big 12) enters Saturday's Big 12 opener with a six-game win streak in tow following a 96-53 win over Texas A&amp;M Commerce on December 28. • The Longhorns are guided on the sideline by third-year head coach Vic Schaefer. The 1984 graduate of Texas A&amp;M owns a career record of 360-192 (.652) during his 18 seasons which includes head coaching stops at Sam Houston State and Mississippi State. He led Mississippi State to a pair of NCAA Championship Game appearances and has guided the Longhorns to consecutive Elite Eight appearances with a 59-20 (.747) record. • Texas features six players averaging double figures in scoring and are led by Sonya Morris, Shaylee Gonzales and Rori Harmon. • Morris, a graduate transfer guard from St. Louis, Missouri, is averaging 11.6 points per game this season after spending her first four seasons at DePaul. • Gonzales, a graduate transfer guard from Gilbert, Arizona, is averaging 11.0 points per game and 3.8 rebounds this season after playing at BYU. • After missing the first five games of the season due to injury, Harmon has returned to average 10.6 points, 6.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds. The Longhorns are 7-1 with Harmon in the lineup. Against Texas A&amp;M Commerce, the sophomore guard from Houston, tallied 15 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and three steals. Last Time Out at K-State 77, Morgan State 46 &nbsp;(Dec. 21, 2022; Manhattan, Kan.) • K-State improved its non-conference home court winning streak to 19 with a 77-46 win over Morgan State on Dec. 21. • Of the 12 Wildcats to see the floor against the Bears, 10 registered four or more points. •&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/8613">Gabby Gregory</a>&nbsp;tallied her ninth game with 20 or more points with 20 points and six rebounds. •&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/rebekah-dallinger/8604">Rebekah Dallinger</a>&nbsp;scored a career-high 12 points off the bench. K-State Off to Solid Start • With its 11-2 record through 13 games, K-State has tied its best start to begin a season under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a>. • The 11-2 record through 13 games equals the best start from the 2021-22 season and the best start for the Wildcats since opening the 2008-09 season with a 13-0 mark.&nbsp; • This is the eighth time since at least the 2000-01 season K-State has started a season 11-2 or better. • K-State's 11 non-conference wins were the most in a season since the 2008-09 season (11). K-State's 12th Month Record • In the 55th year of women's basketball at K-State, the Wildcats own a record of 237-102 (.699) in the month of December. • Under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a>, K-State is 36-17 (.679) in the month of December. • K-State has had a .500 or better record in the month of December 47 times in its history, including a current streak of 27 consecutive seasons. Wildcats on the Road • K-State has a 286-311 (.479) record in road games during the program's 55-year history.&nbsp; • Since the 2000-01 season, K-State owns a 126-132 (.488) mark in road contests. K-State is 20-26 (.435) in the last four seasons in road games.&nbsp; • In his career in games played on the road, head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a>&nbsp;is 162-191 (.459) including a 37-54 (.407) mark during his time at K-State. • In the 2021-22 season, the Wildcats were 5-10 in road games, which included a four-game road winning streak from mid-December to mid-January. This was the longest road winning streak for K-State since the end of the 2018-19 regular season. The five wins were the most since the 2019-20 season. Cats Cash in at the Charity Stripe • Kansas State continues to earn trips to the free throw line, which is a trend during head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a>'s time at K-State. • The Wildcats are shooting 80.4 percent (230-of-286) from the foul line this season and have made more free throws than their opponents have attempted, 230-218. K-State has recorded 23.1 percent of its points this season from the foul line. • Kansas State leads the Big 12 and ranks second in the nation for free throw percentage. • K-State has shot 80.0 percent or better from the line seven times this season (5-2), including a high of 94.7 percent (18-of-19) against South Dakota State on Dec. 10. • The Wildcats have made 20 or more free throws in a game four times this season. • Against Northern Arizona on Nov. 25, the Wildcats made a season-high 28 free throws and attempted 39 freebies. The 39 attempts were the most in the Mittie era and the most since K-State attempted 41 against Colorado on Jan. 13, 1990.&nbsp; • The 28 made fouls shots were the most since K-State made 29 against TCU on March 1, 2021.&nbsp; • Last season, K-State shot 420-of-551 (.762) from the foul line. K-State is receiving 19.3 percent of its point total from the charity stripe. • K-State's free throw percentage of 76.2 percent established a school record for team free throw percentage in a single-season.&nbsp; • The Wildcats ranked second in the Big 12 and 27th in the nation for free throw percentage and ranked second in league-only games (.765). • This was the seventh season under Mittie in which K-State &nbsp;made 350 or more free throws in a season with a high of 462 in the 2016-17 season. K-State's 420 free throws made this season are the most since the 2018-19 season (424). • The Wildcats made 80.0 percent or more of its free throws in a game 14 times last season (11-3). K-State had more free throw attempts than its opponents in 16 games (12-4). Generating Offense from Defense • Kansas State has used an opportunistic defense to create additional offensive chances this season. • K-State's opponents have turned the ball over 241 times (18.5 topg). K-State ranks third in the Big 12 and 24th in the nation in turnover margin at +5.8.&nbsp; • The Wildcats have tallied 251 points off opponent turnovers (19.3 per game | 1.04 points per turnover). The 251 points are 25.2 percent of K-State's overall point total.&nbsp; • K-State has a +137 margin in points off turnovers compared to its opponents (251-114). • The Wildcats have six games with 20 or more points off turnovers, including a season-high 32 against Kansas City on Dec. 7. The 32 points off turnovers marked the most since the Wildcats score 34 points off turnovers by Central Arkansas on Nov. 9, 2021. • K-State has eight games with 25 percent or more of its points off turnovers, including a season-high 44.4 percent against Kansas City on Dec. 7. Sundell Sets the Table •&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/serena-sundell/8612">Serena Sundell</a>&nbsp;has established herself at the point for K-State with her distribution skills. • In the 2022-23 season, Sundell has handed out 67 assists (5.2 apg) including a season-high nine against Clemson on Nov. 24 and eight assists with zero turnovers against Houston on Dec. 4. Sundell owns three career games with five or more assists and zero turnovers.&nbsp; • &nbsp;Sundell ranks third in the Big 12 in assists per game and is 23rd ninth in the nation for assist to turnover ratio (2.68). Sundell ranks 22nd in the nation for total assists (67). • She has 28 career games with five or more assists including a career-high 11 assists. • Sundell's career total stands at 243 and ranks 21st on the K-State career assists list. She needs seven assists to become the 20th player in program history with 250 or more career assists.&nbsp; • Her career assist to turnover ratio of 2.03 is the school record (min. 100 career assists). • The 2022 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention recipient handed out 176 assists (5.3 apg) and a 1.85 assist to turnover ratio in her freshman season.&nbsp; • Sundell's total of 176 assists ranked seventh in school history for a single season. Sundell was responsible for 32.3 percent of K-State's assists last season. • Sundell was the second freshman in program history with 175 or more assists in their debut season and her total of 175 ranked second among K-State freshmen behind Shalee Lehning's school record of 189 in 2005-06.&nbsp; • Sundell, a five-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week recipient in 2021-22, was third in the Big 12 and 20th in the nation for total assists. She was second in the Big 12 and 23rd in the nation for assists per game. • Among the nation's freshmen, Sundell was second in total assists and assists per game.&nbsp; • Against Iowa State on Jan. 11, Sundell tallied a career-high 11 assists. This was the 15th time a K-State player handed out 11 assists in a game and was the most assists by a Wildcat since Kayla Goth tied the school record with 13 against West Virginia on March 9, 2019. • At South Dakota State on Dec. 11, Sundell dished 10 assists with just one turnover. • Sundell handed out nine assists with one turnover against Central Arkansas in the season-opener on Nov. 9. Her nine assists set the school record for assists in a K-State debut. Gregory Secures 1,000 Career Points • Guard&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/8613">Gabby Gregory</a>&nbsp;has been a dynamic addition to the K-State lineup this season. • In her career, Gregory has scored 1,058 points (12.4 ppg). She is the first player to transfer to K-State and reach the 1,000-point mark in her collegiate career. • This season, Gregory is averaging 21.0 points on a .432 field goal percentage, including a .340 three-point percentage and an .845 free throw percentage. She also leads the team on the glass with &nbsp;6.3 rebounds.&nbsp; • Gregory leads the Big 12 and ranks 12th in the nation in scoring average and is 10th in the nation for total points scored (273). • She leads the Big 12 in games with 20 or more points (9) and games with 30 or more points (2). • The product of Tulsa, Oklahoma, earned her first career Big 12 Player of the Week honor following the first week, as she averaged 22.0 points per contest &nbsp;on a 50.0 percent field goal percentage including a 40.0 percent effort from 3-point range, a 90.9 percent effort from the foul line, 8.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Her 44 points in the first two games were the most by a Wildcat in their first two games in purple and white. Gregory Quickly Climbing Chart • Guard&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/8613">Gabby Gregory</a>&nbsp;has been a dynamic addition to the K-State lineup this season. • Gregory is averaging 21.0 points per game (273 points) and ranks fifth in school history since the 2011-12 season for points scored by a K-State transfer in their first season with the Wildcats. • The most points scored by a transfer player in their first season with the Wildcats is 335 by Tasha Dickey in the 2011-12 season.&nbsp; • Only three transfer players completed their first season with K-State with 300 or more points scored: Dickey, Angela Harris (329) and Karyla Middlebrook (301).

🏀 WBB: K-State Opens Big 12 Action at Texas

WICHITA, Kan.—A New Year's Eve date with East Carolina tips off the home portion of Wichita State's American Athletic Conference schedule (Saturday, 3 p.m. CT, ESPN+).

EAST CAROLINA (9-5, 0-1) at WICHITA STATE (7-6, 0-1) Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022 | 3:02 p.m. CT Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena TV:&nbsp;ESPN+ Radio:&nbsp;KEYN 103.7 GM (GoShockers.com/Listen) Live Stats:&nbsp;shockerstats.com Series:&nbsp;WSU leads 6-0 (3-0 in Wichita) | Last: Mar 5, 2022 in Wichita (WSU, 70-62) TICKETS: Fans can purchase tickets online at goshockers.com/tickets, by phone at 316-978-FANS (3267) or in person at the Shocker Ticket Office, open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on game days beginning 90 minutes before tipoff. TELECAST: The game will air on ESPN+ with Shane Dennis (PxP) and Bob Hull (Analyst) on the call. ESPN+ subscribers can stream live and on demand via the ESPN App. Subscriptions for the ESPN+ app are $9.99 monthly or $99.99 annually and can be packaged with Hulu and Disney+ streaming services. Visit plus.espn.com for more information. SHOCKER RADIO: Listen live on KEYN 103.7 FM and online at GoShockers.com/Listen. Division I college basketball's longest-tenured duo, Mike Kennedy (pbp) and Dave Dahl (analyst) are in their 42nd season together on radio. Kennedy is in his 43rd season as Voice of the Shockers. Pregame coverage begins one hour before tipoff. OPENING TIPS:

Mar. 5, 2022 | Wichita | WSU 70, ECU 62 The one-two scoring punch of&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/craig-porter-jr-/7213">Craig Porter Jr.</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/ricky-council-iv/6190">Ricky Council IV</a>&nbsp;helped knock out ECU in the 2022 regular season finale. The win gave WSU the No. 7 seed in the AAC tournament and knocked ECU down to No. 9. A Pirate win would have flipped those seeds... Council and Porter combined for 25 of the last 30 WSU points, beginning&nbsp; with Council's go-ahead layup at the 14:00-mark of the second half. Up 56-55 with 5:00 left, Porter and Council each drove for dunks to set off a 10-0 run... Tristen Newton supplied 16 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to lead ECU... The win was WSU's 750th all-time at the Roundhouse. Jan. 1, 2020 | Wichita | #24 WSU 75, ECU 69 An all-around effort from Erik Stevenson (17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, 1 block) helped WSU survive an ECU upset bid... Jayden Gardner scored 20 of his 29 points after halftime and the Pirates led 45-44 with less than 13:00 to play before WSU took control. Mar. 14, 2019 | Memphis, Tenn. | WSU, 73-57 Markis McDuffie scored 15 points on 11-of-12 foul shooting to lead the sixth-seeded Shockers past No. 11 seed ECU in the first round of the AAC tournament... The Shockers led 39-27 at the break and by 26 near the 12:00-mark before resting the regulars... WSU outscored ECU 14-2 off turnovers and 23-4 on second-chances, helped by 17 offensive rebounds. WSU was +12 on the glass and its three centers combined for 27 points and 18 rebounds... Jayden Gardner led ECU with 16 points, six boards. Mar. 5, 2019 | Wichita | WSU, 72-55 Using depth and defense, the Shockers overcame a cold shooting performance to win on senior night... McDuffie scored 16 points in his final home game... Isaac Fleming had 17 for ECU and Rico Quinton posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds... WSU shot 39% but held ECU to 36% on 3-of-15 three-point shooting and out-rebounded the Pirates 47-37... WSU used a 14-4 surge to go up 32-18 late in the first half and coasted. Feb. 6, 2019 | Greenville | WSU, 65-49 Samajae Haynes-Jones hit his first seven shots on his way to a team-high 18 points, and WSU out-rebounded ECU by 19... Asbjørn Midtgaard grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds and Jaime Echenique provided 10... The Shockers won despite shooting just 39.7% but held ECU to 34.6%... They led 34-20 at halftime and extended the margin to as many as 21 points late in the second half. Jan. 11, 2018 | Greenville | #5 WSU 95, ECU 60 WSU recorded 32 assists on 38 baskets to win the first-ever meeting between the programs. Landry Shamet finished with 11 points and a career-high 11 assists with just one turnover. Rauno Nurger scored a team-high 14 points. WSU shot 59.4% including 70% (21-of-30) after halftime. The Shockers trailed 14-9 at the 12:06-mark but outscored ECU 36-9 over the remainder of the first half. They led by as many as 41 points down the stretch. UP NEXT: CINCINNATI Thursday, Jan. 5 | 8 p.m. CT | ESPNU or ESPN2 Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672402346069.jpeg" alt="WSU hosts East Carolina on New Year's Eve" />
 <figcaption>WSU hosts East Carolina on New Year's Eve</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan.—A New Year's Eve date with East Carolina tips off the home portion of Wichita State's American Athletic Conference schedule (Saturday, 3 p.m. CT, ESPN+).

EAST CAROLINA (9-5, 0-1) at WICHITA STATE (7-6, 0-1) Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022 | 3:02 p.m. CT Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena TV:&nbsp;ESPN+ Radio:&nbsp;KEYN 103.7 GM (GoShockers.com/Listen) Live Stats:&nbsp;shockerstats.com Series:&nbsp;WSU leads 6-0 (3-0 in Wichita) | Last: Mar 5, 2022 in Wichita (WSU, 70-62) TICKETS: Fans can purchase tickets online at goshockers.com/tickets, by phone at 316-978-FANS (3267) or in person at the Shocker Ticket Office, open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on game days beginning 90 minutes before tipoff. TELECAST: The game will air on ESPN+ with Shane Dennis (PxP) and Bob Hull (Analyst) on the call. ESPN+ subscribers can stream live and on demand via the ESPN App. Subscriptions for the ESPN+ app are $9.99 monthly or $99.99 annually and can be packaged with Hulu and Disney+ streaming services. Visit plus.espn.com for more information. SHOCKER RADIO: Listen live on KEYN 103.7 FM and online at GoShockers.com/Listen. Division I college basketball's longest-tenured duo, Mike Kennedy (pbp) and Dave Dahl (analyst) are in their 42nd season together on radio. Kennedy is in his 43rd season as Voice of the Shockers. Pregame coverage begins one hour before tipoff. OPENING TIPS:<ul>
 <li>WSU defeated ECU 70-62 in the 2022 regular season finale at Charles Koch Arena behind 15 points and 10 rebounds from&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/craig-porter-jr-/7213">Craig Porter Jr.</a>&nbsp;That's the only time the teams have met in the past two seasons, thanks to three different rounds of COVID-19 cancelations. The Shockers lead the all-time series, 6-0.</li><li>WSU is 32-11 in AAC home games (3-0 vs. ECU).</li><li>Both sides are coming off losses in their respective AAC openers. Playing without Porter (ankle) WSU fell 52-45 at UCF.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/melvion-flanagan/7218">Melvion Flanagan</a>&nbsp;(11 points) became the first Shocker walk-on in the NCAA's 13-scholarship era (1993-94 to present) to earn high-scoring honors.</li><li>ECU fell at home to Temple, 59-57, despite Brandon Johnson's league-best seventh double-double (11 points, 18 rebounds). The sophomore is also the conference's top rebounder (9.8 rpg).</li><li>Picked last in the AAC preseason poll, the Pirates are out to a 9-5 start under new coach Michael Schwartz.</li><li>ECU averages over 15 points at the foul line on a league-best 23.3 attempts (26th nationally). However, WSU is the conference's least-penalized team, averaging league-lows for fouls (14.4) as well as opponent free throws (9.9) and attempts (13.9).</li><li>Overall, WSU has been one of the nation's stingiest defensive units, ranking 36th in efficiency, per KenPom.</li><li>The Shockers are one of just 20 teams that are surrendering less than 60-points-per-game (59.7).</li><li>WSU also ranks eighth nationally in field goal percentage defense (.363). The Shockers have held all six December opponents under 40% from the field (.356 collectively). That streak is tied for the fifth-longest by a WSU team in the shot clock era (1985-86 to present).</li><li>One of the nation's most-versatile performers, Porter is WSU's leading scorer (12.8 ppg) and ranks among the AAC leaders in blocks (3rd, 1.75), assists (5th, 3.9), steals (7th, 1.67), field goal % (4th .512), rebounds (13th, 6.1).</li><li>One of 10 transfers on the WSU roster, junior wing&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/jaykwon-walton/7208">Jaykwon Walton</a>&nbsp;averages 11.9 points and a team-best 6.7 rebounds (AAC #10). He's posted three double-doubles.</li><li><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/isaac-brown/1064">Isaac Brown</a>&nbsp;has used seven different starting lineup combos in the last nine games. Wednesday at UCF,&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/shammah-scott/7224">Shammah Scott</a>&nbsp;become the ninth different Shocker to take a turn in the starting five when he replaced the injured Porter.</li>
 </ul> TRENDING:<ul>
 <li>Porter's 60.5% success rate on two-point field goal attempts is tops among AAC guards.</li><li>Wednesday's game at UCF marked the first time in 63 games under&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/isaac-brown/1064">Isaac Brown</a>&nbsp;that WSU hasn't recorded at least one block. WSU had done so in 75-straight going back to the 2019-20 season. Notably, the Shockers faced the Knights without the services of&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/craig-porter-jr-/7213">Craig Porter Jr.</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/quincy-ballard/7220">Quincy Ballard</a>. Both players rank among the nation's top-100 in blocks.</li><li>The Shockers are 3-3 in December. All three losses came in games where the opposition scored less than 60 points.</li><li>45 points against UCF marked WSU lowest offensive output since a 76-43 loss at No. 25 Houston on Feb. 9, 2020.</li><li>WSU reserves are averaging a league-best 25.2 points.</li><li>Both Brown and UCF coach Johnny Dawkins were content to let the air out of the ball. WSU finished with just 53 offensive possessions -- its fewest since Jan. 25, 2015 when it also had 53 chances in a 58-47 win over Loyola Chicago.</li><li>WSU managed just 14 baskets but posted its highest assist rate this season (.643).&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/kenny-pohto/7214">Kenny Pohto</a>&nbsp;had three of the Shockers' nine assists (a career-high).</li><li>WSU has made incremental progress with its passing over the last few weeks, posting a 50.4 assist rate over its last five games (up from 38.5 over the first eight).</li><li>In a span of three weeks, 5-10 walk-on&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/melvion-flanagan/7218">Melvion Flanagan</a>&nbsp;has gone from invisible to indispensable. While he doesn't have enough minutes to qualify for KenPom's national rankings, his 132.1 O-Rating would otherwise be the nation's highest among players with at least a 24% usage rate.</li><li>WSU has frustrated foes into some lengthy scoring funks. Over the first 13 games, opponents have had 21 scoring droughts of at least four minutes.</li>
 </ul> SCOUTING THE PIRATES:<ul>
 <li>ECU has a new coach (former Tennessee assistant Michael Schwartz) and an almost entirely new cast.</li><li>The Pirates returned just one starter and five total lettermen from last year's 15-15 squad that finished ninth in the AAC standings at 6-11.</li><li>That's not to say the cupboard was completely bare. A trio of sophomore returners form this year's nucleus:</li><li>6-2 Javon Small ranks among the AAC leaders in scoring (16.6 ppg, 6th), assists (5.5, 3rd) and minutes (34:47, 2nd) and can beat opponents from the perimeter (2.1 threes-per-game) or at the foul line (71/85, .835).</li><li>6-8 forward Brandon Johnson (12.5 ppg) is the AAC leader in rebounds (9.8) and double-doubles (7).</li><li>6-3 guard RJ Felton is the team's top returning scorer from a season ago (6.1 ppg). He's nearly doubled his production this year, averaging 11.5 points.</li><li>That trio has combined for 55.7% of the ECU points and 52% of the shots.</li><li>WSU (81.2%) and ECU (78.6%) rank second and third respectively among AAC schools in percentage of minutes played by newcomers.</li>
 </ul> THE SERIES WITH ECU:<ul>
 <li>WSU and ECU had never played prior to the Shockers joining the league in July, 2017, and they haven't had many encounters since then, either. This is only the seventh game in six seasons.</li><li>The Shockers are 6-0 (3-0 Wichita).</li><li>Half of the six meetings came in 2018-19 when WSU swept the home-and-home and defeated ECU in the first round of the AAC tournament in Memphis.</li><li>The teams met just once in 2017-18 and 2019-20 due the league' unbalanced schedule. Both 2020-21 dates were canceled due to COVID-19. The Shockers traveled to Greenville for the 2021-22 AAC opener, but that contest was called off just hours before tipoff.</li><li>WSU is 2-0 at ECU's Minges Coliseum but hasn't played a game there since Feb. 6, 2019.</li>
 </ul> Mar. 5, 2022 | Wichita | WSU 70, ECU 62 The one-two scoring punch of&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/craig-porter-jr-/7213">Craig Porter Jr.</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/ricky-council-iv/6190">Ricky Council IV</a>&nbsp;helped knock out ECU in the 2022 regular season finale. The win gave WSU the No. 7 seed in the AAC tournament and knocked ECU down to No. 9. A Pirate win would have flipped those seeds... Council and Porter combined for 25 of the last 30 WSU points, beginning&nbsp; with Council's go-ahead layup at the 14:00-mark of the second half. Up 56-55 with 5:00 left, Porter and Council each drove for dunks to set off a 10-0 run... Tristen Newton supplied 16 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to lead ECU... The win was WSU's 750th all-time at the Roundhouse. Jan. 1, 2020 | Wichita | #24 WSU 75, ECU 69 An all-around effort from Erik Stevenson (17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, 1 block) helped WSU survive an ECU upset bid... Jayden Gardner scored 20 of his 29 points after halftime and the Pirates led 45-44 with less than 13:00 to play before WSU took control. Mar. 14, 2019 | Memphis, Tenn. | WSU, 73-57 Markis McDuffie scored 15 points on 11-of-12 foul shooting to lead the sixth-seeded Shockers past No. 11 seed ECU in the first round of the AAC tournament... The Shockers led 39-27 at the break and by 26 near the 12:00-mark before resting the regulars... WSU outscored ECU 14-2 off turnovers and 23-4 on second-chances, helped by 17 offensive rebounds. WSU was +12 on the glass and its three centers combined for 27 points and 18 rebounds... Jayden Gardner led ECU with 16 points, six boards. Mar. 5, 2019 | Wichita | WSU, 72-55 Using depth and defense, the Shockers overcame a cold shooting performance to win on senior night... McDuffie scored 16 points in his final home game... Isaac Fleming had 17 for ECU and Rico Quinton posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds... WSU shot 39% but held ECU to 36% on 3-of-15 three-point shooting and out-rebounded the Pirates 47-37... WSU used a 14-4 surge to go up 32-18 late in the first half and coasted. Feb. 6, 2019 | Greenville | WSU, 65-49 Samajae Haynes-Jones hit his first seven shots on his way to a team-high 18 points, and WSU out-rebounded ECU by 19... Asbjørn Midtgaard grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds and Jaime Echenique provided 10... The Shockers won despite shooting just 39.7% but held ECU to 34.6%... They led 34-20 at halftime and extended the margin to as many as 21 points late in the second half. Jan. 11, 2018 | Greenville | #5 WSU 95, ECU 60 WSU recorded 32 assists on 38 baskets to win the first-ever meeting between the programs. Landry Shamet finished with 11 points and a career-high 11 assists with just one turnover. Rauno Nurger scored a team-high 14 points. WSU shot 59.4% including 70% (21-of-30) after halftime. The Shockers trailed 14-9 at the 12:06-mark but outscored ECU 36-9 over the remainder of the first half. They led by as many as 41 points down the stretch. UP NEXT: CINCINNATI Thursday, Jan. 5 | 8 p.m. CT | ESPNU or ESPN2 Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena <ul>
 <li>This is the final American Athletic Conference regular season game between the schools. WSU will not travel to Cincinnati this year and the Bearcats are set to depart this summer for the Big 12.</li><li>Cincinnati -- picked third in the preseason -- is 9-4 under second-year head coach Wes Miller.</li><li>The Bearcats have won nine of the 11 AAC era matchups agains the Shockers and swept last year's home-and-home.</li>
 </ul>

🏀 MBB: Shockers to host East Carolina on New Year's Eve

LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;No. 4 Kansas (11-1) hosts Oklahoma State (8-4)&nbsp;on Saturday, Dec. 31, at 1 p.m. (Central)&nbsp;in the Big 12 opener for both teams. The contest from Allen Fieldhouse will be televised on CBS with Rich Waltz and Clark Kellogg calling the action.

Kansas will play its first conference road contest of the 2022-23 season at Texas Tech&nbsp;on Tuesday, Jan. 3.&nbsp;Tip from United Supermarkets Arena will be&nbsp;at 8 p.m. (Central)&nbsp;and the game will be televised on ESPN2.

Kansas leads the overall series with Texas Tech, 41-7, including a 31-7 record in Big 12 regular-season contests. KU is 12-4 in United Supermarkets Arena but the series is 2-2 in the last four meetings in the venue.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672456866194.jpeg" alt="KU host OSU" />
 <figcaption>KU host OSU</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;No. 4 Kansas (11-1) hosts Oklahoma State (8-4)&nbsp;on Saturday, Dec. 31, at 1 p.m. (Central)&nbsp;in the Big 12 opener for both teams. The contest from Allen Fieldhouse will be televised on CBS with Rich Waltz and Clark Kellogg calling the action.TIPOFF<ul>
 <li>Kansas has a four-game winning streak after its 68-54 win against Harvard on Dec. 22. Oklahoma State has won two straight after its 81-58 win versus Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 20.</li><li>Last season, Kansas became the all-time winningest program in NCAA Division I, currently at 2,368 victories.</li><li>Kansas has won a mind-boggling 31-straight conference openers dating back to the 1991-92 season, with 12 of those at home in Allen Fieldhouse and 19 on the road. The last time Kansas lost a league opener was at Oklahoma, 88-82, on Jan. 8, 1991.</li><li>The Kansas-Oklahoma State series dates back to 1926 with KU holding a 121-60 all-time advantage. KU has won three straight and eight of the last nine versus OSU.</li><li>Kansas has appeared in the Associated Press top 10 in each of the last 27 polls dating back to the 2021-22 preseason poll. The 27 consecutive is the longest active streak in men’s college basketball.</li><li>Kansas is No. 5 in the NET rankings through games played on Dec. 27. Kansas is first among Big 12 teams with Texas at No. 9 and West Virginia at No. 11. KU’s four Quadrant 1 wins are tied for the most nationally.</li><li>Kansas is second in the conference in assists (18.2), which is 13th nationally, in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.47) and steals per game (9.8).</li><li>Redshirt-junior Jalen Wilson leads the conference in scoring at 21.1 ppg, which is 13th nationally. He also leads the Big 12 with six double-doubles, which is 10th nationally.</li><li>Redshirt-junior Dajuan Harris Jr. has 39 assists and nine turnovers in his last five games. He is second in the Big 12, sixth nationally, in assists per game at 6.6.</li><li>Redshirt-senior Kevin McCullar Jr. leads the Big 12 in steals (2.7), which is seventh nationally.</li>
 </ul>UP NEXTKansas will play its first conference road contest of the 2022-23 season at Texas Tech&nbsp;on Tuesday, Jan. 3.&nbsp;Tip from United Supermarkets Arena will be&nbsp;at 8 p.m. (Central)&nbsp;and the game will be televised on ESPN2.Kansas leads the overall series with Texas Tech, 41-7, including a 31-7 record in Big 12 regular-season contests. KU is 12-4 in United Supermarkets Arena but the series is 2-2 in the last four meetings in the venue.

🏀MBB: Jayhawks to host Cowboys in Big 12 opener Saturday

HUTCHINSON, Kan.:&nbsp;(Transcript from KWBW Sports)&nbsp;For BW Radio Sports, I'm Nick Gosnell.

The Wichita State Shocker Women open up a play on Friday night at the Roundhouse. It's a 6 p.m. tip against Cincinnati. They come into conference play at 10 and 3. On the women's side according to go shockers dot com. The shocker women hold teams to a 36.1% shooting percentage third in the AFC, their second in rebound margin at plus 9.6 and lead the conference by grabbing 75.2% of available defensive rebounds. The Shockers commit 12 or fewer turnovers. They did so in their last three games. They won two of those easily, including their record setting win over South Carolina State 105 to 38. The top eight team coming in on the women's side is considered the bulls from South Florida. They're number 35 in the net rankings and on wins over Alabama, Texas and Arkansas. Wichita State is number 111. 

And the Kansas City Chiefs have already clinched the AFC West for the seventh straight year and are tied with Buffalo for the best record in the conference. Then there's the Denver Broncos, their opponent on Sunday. They mortgaged their future to acquire struggling Russell Wilson from Seattle and just fired coach Nathaniel Hackett. With two games left in his first season. 67 year old Jerry Rosberg will guide the Broncos through the next couple of weeks. 

Kansas City has beaten the Broncos 14 straight times. Of course, every game is huge for Kansas City as the Chiefs are tied with the bills for the AFC's best record. But Buffalo would get the number one seed in the lone first round bye because of its head to head win in October in Kansas City. 

So not only the Chiefs need to beat Denver and probably Las Vegas next week, they need the Bengals or Patriots to beat the Bills down the stretch. 

The Chiefs expect to have Michael Hardman back after his abdominal injury in week nine. He should be playing on Sunday. 

Coverage begins at noon here on KWBW Hutchinson.  &nbsp; &nbsp;

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<div><iframe title="Eagle Media Sports for December 30th, 2022" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=dvgd2-134d5d4-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=7"></iframe></div>HUTCHINSON, Kan.:&nbsp;(Transcript from KWBW Sports)&nbsp;For BW Radio Sports, I'm Nick Gosnell. The Wichita State Shocker Women open up a play on Friday night at the Roundhouse. It's a 6 p.m. tip against Cincinnati. They come into conference play at 10 and 3. On the women's side according to go shockers dot com. The shocker women hold teams to a 36.1% shooting percentage third in the AFC, their second in rebound margin at plus 9.6 and lead the conference by grabbing 75.2% of available defensive rebounds. The Shockers commit 12 or fewer turnovers. They did so in their last three games. They won two of those easily, including their record setting win over South Carolina State 105 to 38. The top eight team coming in on the women's side is considered the bulls from South Florida. They're number 35 in the net rankings and on wins over Alabama, Texas and Arkansas. Wichita State is number 111. And the Kansas City Chiefs have already clinched the AFC West for the seventh straight year and are tied with Buffalo for the best record in the conference. Then there's the Denver Broncos, their opponent on Sunday. They mortgaged their future to acquire struggling Russell Wilson from Seattle and just fired coach Nathaniel Hackett. With two games left in his first season. 67 year old Jerry Rosberg will guide the Broncos through the next couple of weeks. Kansas City has beaten the Broncos 14 straight times. Of course, every game is huge for Kansas City as the Chiefs are tied with the bills for the AFC's best record. But Buffalo would get the number one seed in the lone first round bye because of its head to head win in October in Kansas City. So not only the Chiefs need to beat Denver and probably Las Vegas next week, they need the Bengals or Patriots to beat the Bills down the stretch. The Chiefs expect to have Michael Hardman back after his abdominal injury in week nine. He should be playing on Sunday. Coverage begins at noon here on KWBW Hutchinson. &nbsp; &nbsp;This has been BW radio sports. &nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

🎙 📰 Eagle Media Sports for Friday Morning

Here is the latest Big 12 Conference sports news from The Associated Press

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Michigan's Sherrone Moore and TCU's Garrett Riley will arrive at the Fiesta Bowl for a College Football Playoff semifinal Saturday between No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 TCU as rising-star offensive coordinators. A couple of millennials with old souls, Moore and Riley seem to be on a fast-track to head coaching jobs —- eventually. Neither is in a rush to move up, but it's apparent bigger things lie ahead in their careers.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Quentin Johnston came to TCU because of its coaching stability. Now he's playing in the biggest football game of his career because of a coaching change. Johnston embraced first-year coach Sonny Dykes and is one of many reasons the Horned Frogs have flourished this season with a 12-1 record. They'll face Michigan on Saturday in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Johnston is expected to be a coveted prize in this spring's NFL draft. His size, speed and strong hands have some evaluators saying he'll be the first receiver drafted and a potential top 10 pick.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Michael Penix, Jr. threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns and No. 12 Washington held off No. 21 Texas 27-20 on Thursday night in the Valero Alamo Bowl. Texas scored 10 late points, pulling within seven on Bert Auburn's 26-yard field goal with 1:40 remaining, but failed on an onside kick try. The Longhorns (8-5) stopped the Huskies (11-2) on the ensuing possession and took over on their own 16 with 32 seconds and got to the Washington 40 on the final play of the game. Penix finished the season with 4,641 yards passing to break the 20-year-old Washington season mark of 4,458 set by Cody Pickett.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Jordan Travis threw for 418 yards and two touchdowns and No. 13 Florida State beat Oklahoma 35-32 on Thursday night in the Cheez-It Bowl. Johnny Wilson made a one-handed grab for a 58-yard gain to set up Ryan Fitzgerald's 32-yard field goal with 55 seconds left. The Seminoles (10-3) held on, sacking quarterback Dillon Gabriel on the Sooners' comeback bid. Jovante Barnes tied it at 32 for Oklahoma (6-7) with 3:37 left on a 12-yard run. That was after Travis fired a 17-yard pass to tight end Markeston Douglas in the end zone to put the Seminoles up 32-25 midway through the fourth. Florida State won its first bowl since the 2017 season, and its first under coach Mike Norvell.

HOUSTON (AP) — Texas Tech is denying claims by Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin that a Red Raiders player spit on one of his players and possibly used a racial slur in the Texas Bowl. There was pushing and shoving between players after a fumble. When asked to clarify if a Texas Tech player used a racial slur, Kiffin said he wasn't sure but he said there was a slur involved. Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire and Moore both issued statements saying the allegations are false. The Red Raiders beat Ole Miss, 42-25.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In an age of opt outs in college football, top NFL prospects for Alabama and Kansas State are opting in at the Sugar Bowl. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. headline those players who could have skipped Saturday's game and the risk of injury. Same goes for K-State running back Deuce Vaughn and defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah. All decided to play. Anudike-Uzomah says he and Vaughn worked three years to get the Wildcats to a major bowl and that it's a "dream" to play against Alabama.

WACO, Texas (AP) — Matt Powledge is returning to Baylor as defensive coordinator after a season away at Oregon. Powledge replaces Ron Roberts, who was fired after the 6-6 regular season and has since become defensive coordinator at Auburn for new coach Hugh Freeze. Before spending this season as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Oregon, Powledge had been on Aranda's original staff at Baylor. Powledge, a Texas native, was the Bears' safeties coach and special team's coordinator in 2020 and 2021.

Here is the latest Big 12 Conference sports news from The Associated PressSCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Michigan's Sherrone Moore and TCU's Garrett Riley will arrive at the Fiesta Bowl for a College Football Playoff semifinal Saturday between No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 TCU as rising-star offensive coordinators. A couple of millennials with old souls, Moore and Riley seem to be on a fast-track to head coaching jobs —- eventually. Neither is in a rush to move up, but it's apparent bigger things lie ahead in their careers.SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Quentin Johnston came to TCU because of its coaching stability. Now he's playing in the biggest football game of his career because of a coaching change. Johnston embraced first-year coach Sonny Dykes and is one of many reasons the Horned Frogs have flourished this season with a 12-1 record. They'll face Michigan on Saturday in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Johnston is expected to be a coveted prize in this spring's NFL draft. His size, speed and strong hands have some evaluators saying he'll be the first receiver drafted and a potential top 10 pick.SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Michael Penix, Jr. threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns and No. 12 Washington held off No. 21 Texas 27-20 on Thursday night in the Valero Alamo Bowl. Texas scored 10 late points, pulling within seven on Bert Auburn's 26-yard field goal with 1:40 remaining, but failed on an onside kick try. The Longhorns (8-5) stopped the Huskies (11-2) on the ensuing possession and took over on their own 16 with 32 seconds and got to the Washington 40 on the final play of the game. Penix finished the season with 4,641 yards passing to break the 20-year-old Washington season mark of 4,458 set by Cody Pickett.ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Jordan Travis threw for 418 yards and two touchdowns and No. 13 Florida State beat Oklahoma 35-32 on Thursday night in the Cheez-It Bowl. Johnny Wilson made a one-handed grab for a 58-yard gain to set up Ryan Fitzgerald's 32-yard field goal with 55 seconds left. The Seminoles (10-3) held on, sacking quarterback Dillon Gabriel on the Sooners' comeback bid. Jovante Barnes tied it at 32 for Oklahoma (6-7) with 3:37 left on a 12-yard run. That was after Travis fired a 17-yard pass to tight end Markeston Douglas in the end zone to put the Seminoles up 32-25 midway through the fourth. Florida State won its first bowl since the 2017 season, and its first under coach Mike Norvell.HOUSTON (AP) — Texas Tech is denying claims by Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin that a Red Raiders player spit on one of his players and possibly used a racial slur in the Texas Bowl. There was pushing and shoving between players after a fumble. When asked to clarify if a Texas Tech player used a racial slur, Kiffin said he wasn't sure but he said there was a slur involved. Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire and Moore both issued statements saying the allegations are false. The Red Raiders beat Ole Miss, 42-25.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In an age of opt outs in college football, top NFL prospects for Alabama and Kansas State are opting in at the Sugar Bowl. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. headline those players who could have skipped Saturday's game and the risk of injury. Same goes for K-State running back Deuce Vaughn and defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah. All decided to play. Anudike-Uzomah says he and Vaughn worked three years to get the Wildcats to a major bowl and that it's a "dream" to play against Alabama.WACO, Texas (AP) — Matt Powledge is returning to Baylor as defensive coordinator after a season away at Oregon. Powledge replaces Ron Roberts, who was fired after the 6-6 regular season and has since become defensive coordinator at Auburn for new coach Hugh Freeze. Before spending this season as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Oregon, Powledge had been on Aranda's original staff at Baylor. Powledge, a Texas native, was the Bears' safeties coach and special team's coordinator in 2020 and 2021.

Big 12 Conference News

MANHATTAN, Kan.—It’s game day. The high school athlete has her jersey on and prepares to go into action.&nbsp;&nbsp;All eyes are on her as she makes her move. But right now this athlete isn’t using a ball, she’s using a book.&nbsp;

On game days at Frankfort High School, the athletes don’t just perform on the court, they read to younger kids in the classroom. This is small-town athletics at its best.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dean Dalinghaus is principal at Frankfort High School, home of the Wildcats. He went to high school at B&amp;B, graduated from K-State, and has been principal at Frankfort since 2006. He has observed the significance of hometown sports teams in rural communities.&nbsp;

“I think it brings the community together,” he said. “It creates a sense of pride. It’s the joy of seeing the kids put their heart and soul on the line, for the (town) name on the front of the jersey.”&nbsp;

Among the competitive athletes who recently came from his school is Emilee Ebert. In fact, her parents are directly involved with the school. Her father, Brian, is a teacher and was Emilee’s basketball coach at Frankfort. Her mother, Jennifer, is the school librarian.&nbsp;

Emilee Ebert had a standout athletic career at Frankfort. She set the school record with 1,648 career points in basketball. A four-time Kansas Basketball Coaches Association honoree, she earned first-team honors in 2018 and 2019. She completed her basketball career as a four-time All-Twin Valley League First Team recipient and a four-time All-Flint Hills First Team honoree by the&nbsp;Manhattan Mercury.&nbsp;

At the end of her senior season in 2018-19, Emilee was a McDonald’s All-American nominee and garnered top-15 All-Class honors as well as Class 1A All-State First Team honors from multiple sources. Not only was she selected to play in several all-star games, but she was also selected as the most valuable player at two of them.&nbsp;

Ebert was also an outstanding competitor in volleyball and track and field.&nbsp;

Emilee Ebert chose to come to K-State to play basketball for women’s coach Jeff Mittie.&nbsp;&nbsp;By her sophomore season, she was the only Wildcat to start all 27 games. That year, she finished among the Big 12’s best in assists, blocks per game, and assist-to-turnover ratio. Ebert set the school record for blocks by a guard in a season and was the only player in the Big 12 to appear in the top 15 in assists and blocks.&nbsp;

In her junior year, she played in a career-high 31 games with 24 starts. As this is being written—partway through her senior season—she has helped lead the Cats to a 9-2 record and a top 25 ranking. On Dec. 7, she led K-State in scoring in its win against Kansas City and has been consistently good from the free-throw line.&nbsp;

She is also an excellent example of a student-athlete. Ebert has made the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll twice, plus the Big 12 All-Rookie Academic Team, and the Academic All-Big 12 Team the following year.&nbsp;

Dalinghaus said he wants his students to appreciate academics as well. Frankfort has a K-12 attendance center, so all grades are in the same building. This creates an opportunity for interaction between older and younger students.&nbsp;

Three years ago, Dalinghaus created an initiative called Wildcat Readers. On game days, the athletes take turns reading a book to the elementary school children while wearing their jerseys or dress clothes, depending on the sport.&nbsp;

“It lets the little kids see the older kids as student-athletes, not just athletes,” Dalinghaus said. By modeling reading and encouraging the kids to read, it is a win-win for academics as well as athletics.&nbsp;

This type of interaction works especially well in a school in a rural community such as Frankfort, population 723 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

All eyes are on the athlete as she makes her move—not to the basket, but to the book.&nbsp;&nbsp;We commend Dean Dalinghaus for making a difference with this initiative to connect learning and athletics, and we salute Emilee Ebert and all small-town athletes for representing their communities so well.

Ron Wilson is the director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University .

MANHATTAN, Kan.—It’s game day. The high school athlete has her jersey on and prepares to go into action.&nbsp;&nbsp;All eyes are on her as she makes her move. But right now this athlete isn’t using a ball, she’s using a book.&nbsp;On game days at Frankfort High School, the athletes don’t just perform on the court, they read to younger kids in the classroom. This is small-town athletics at its best.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dean Dalinghaus is principal at Frankfort High School, home of the Wildcats. He went to high school at B&amp;B, graduated from K-State, and has been principal at Frankfort since 2006. He has observed the significance of hometown sports teams in rural communities.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672283436581.jpeg" alt="Emilee Ebert, K-State basketball. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Emilee Ebert, K-State basketball. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>“I think it brings the community together,” he said. “It creates a sense of pride. It’s the joy of seeing the kids put their heart and soul on the line, for the (town) name on the front of the jersey.”&nbsp;Among the competitive athletes who recently came from his school is Emilee Ebert. In fact, her parents are directly involved with the school. Her father, Brian, is a teacher and was Emilee’s basketball coach at Frankfort. Her mother, Jennifer, is the school librarian.&nbsp;Emilee Ebert had a standout athletic career at Frankfort. She set the school record with 1,648 career points in basketball. A four-time Kansas Basketball Coaches Association honoree, she earned first-team honors in 2018 and 2019. She completed her basketball career as a four-time All-Twin Valley League First Team recipient and a four-time All-Flint Hills First Team honoree by the&nbsp;Manhattan Mercury.&nbsp;At the end of her senior season in 2018-19, Emilee was a McDonald’s All-American nominee and garnered top-15 All-Class honors as well as Class 1A All-State First Team honors from multiple sources. Not only was she selected to play in several all-star games, but she was also selected as the most valuable player at two of them.&nbsp;Ebert was also an outstanding competitor in volleyball and track and field.&nbsp;Emilee Ebert chose to come to K-State to play basketball for women’s coach Jeff Mittie.&nbsp;&nbsp;By her sophomore season, she was the only Wildcat to start all 27 games. That year, she finished among the Big 12’s best in assists, blocks per game, and assist-to-turnover ratio. Ebert set the school record for blocks by a guard in a season and was the only player in the Big 12 to appear in the top 15 in assists and blocks.&nbsp;In her junior year, she played in a career-high 31 games with 24 starts. As this is being written—partway through her senior season—she has helped lead the Cats to a 9-2 record and a top 25 ranking. On Dec. 7, she led K-State in scoring in its win against Kansas City and has been consistently good from the free-throw line.&nbsp;She is also an excellent example of a student-athlete. Ebert has made the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll twice, plus the Big 12 All-Rookie Academic Team, and the Academic All-Big 12 Team the following year.&nbsp;Dalinghaus said he wants his students to appreciate academics as well. Frankfort has a K-12 attendance center, so all grades are in the same building. This creates an opportunity for interaction between older and younger students.&nbsp;Three years ago, Dalinghaus created an initiative called Wildcat Readers. On game days, the athletes take turns reading a book to the elementary school children while wearing their jerseys or dress clothes, depending on the sport.&nbsp;“It lets the little kids see the older kids as student-athletes, not just athletes,” Dalinghaus said. By modeling reading and encouraging the kids to read, it is a win-win for academics as well as athletics.&nbsp;This type of interaction works especially well in a school in a rural community such as Frankfort, population 723 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;All eyes are on the athlete as she makes her move—not to the basket, but to the book.&nbsp;&nbsp;We commend Dean Dalinghaus for making a difference with this initiative to connect learning and athletics, and we salute Emilee Ebert and all small-town athletes for representing their communities so well.Ron Wilson is the director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University .

🏀 WBB: Now That’s Rural: Dalinghaus, Frankfort High, Emilee Ebert, K-State basketball

WICHITA, Kan.—Wichita State (10-3, 0-0) vs. Cincinnati&nbsp;(7-6, 0-0) will host the Bearcasts on&nbsp;Friday, Dec. 30, 2022 |&nbsp;6:00 PM CT | Charles Koch Arena, ESPN+ | GoShockers.com/Listen&nbsp;| ShockerStats.com Friday's game will be: Frontline Worker Appreciation -&nbsp;Celebrate our frontline workers including&nbsp;Fire, EMS, Police and Healthcare. ON THE AIR Friday's game can be heard online at GoShockers.com/Listen with Steve Strain calling the action. Strain is in his ninth season as the radio voice for Wichita State women's basketball. The game will also be televised on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. LAST TIME OUT Wichita State broke a 41-year old school record in a 105-38 thrashing of South Carolina State Tuesday night. The 67-point win marked the largest in school history, besting the record of 64 set in 1981 vs. Phillips. The 105 points were two shy of a school record and the 28 assists were the most in the&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/keitha-adams/1047">Keitha Adams</a>&nbsp;era. Wichita State shot a season-high 60.3 percent from the field and held SC State to 21.3 percent.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/ambah-kowcun/7201">Ambah Kowcun</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jeniah-thompson/7223">Jeniah Thompson</a>&nbsp;both set season highs with 14 points apiece. Thompson also dished out a season-high five assists.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jane-asinde/7152">Jane Asinde</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/dj-mccarty/7157">DJ McCarty</a>&nbsp;chipped in 12 points each and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/trajata-colbert/7155">Trajata Colbert</a>&nbsp;added 10. SCOUTING THE BEARCATS Led by fifth year head coach Michelle Clark-Heard, Cincinnati enters Friday's matchup at 7-6 this season. The Bearcats are scoring just 66.8 points per game on 40.3 percent shooting. They are one of the league's top shooting teams from long range at 34.7 percent. Cincinnati ranks in the top 40 nationally in free throws made and attempted and offensive rebounds. Jillian Hayes does it all for the Bearcats, leading the team in scoring (15.0), rebounding (8.5), blocks (21) and steals (23). Mya Jackson has dished out a team-leading 43 assists to go with 13.4 points. THE SERIES VS. CINCINNATI Wichita State and Cincinnati have met seven times prior to Friday, but the series dates all the way back to the first meeting on Dec. 9, 1983. The Shockers have won back-to-back games in the series after dropping the first five. Wichita State is seeking its first-ever win vs. the Bearcats in Wichita. LAST MEETING Behind a big second quarter, Wichita State recorded a 76-66 win at Cincinnati on Jan. 13, 2022. Despite missing 15-of-16 attempts from beyond the arc and Cincinnati going 8-for-25, Wichita State was able to get to the free throw line 25 times.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jane-asinde/7152">Jane Asinde</a>&nbsp;scored a team-high 17 points to go with six rebounds and four steals.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/seraphine-bastin/5960">Seraphine Bastin</a>&nbsp;added 14 points and seven rebounds, while going 10-for-11 at the free throw line.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/dj-mccarty/7157">DJ McCarty</a>&nbsp;scored 13 points off the bench and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/asia-strong/5968">Asia Strong</a>&nbsp;chipped in 12. JANE GOT GAME Wichita State senior&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jane-asinde/7152">Jane Asinde</a>&nbsp;has been unstoppable for the Shockers. The Uganda native has double-doubles in five of the 11 games she's played in, including back-to-back 20-point double-doubles at the LMU Thanksgiving Classic. Asinde opened the LMU Thanksgiving Classic with a career-high 19 rebounds to go with 20 points against Montana and followed that with a career-high 22 points and 15 rebounds vs. Loyola Marymount. She also has double digit rebounds in six of the 11 games. GETTING DEFENSIVE Wichita State boasts a top 70 defense through the first 13 games of the season. They have held all but three opponents to less than 38 percent shooting, and only four teams have shot better than 30 percent from three-point range. Wichita State's field goal defense is holding teams to just 34.9 percent, good for 25th nationally. Opponents are connecting on only 28.4 percent of their attempts from long range. GLASS CLEANERS &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wichita State is one of the top rebounding teams in the country once again this season. Through 13 games Wichita State ranks 21st nationally in rebound margin, 24th in defensive rebounds per game and 45th in total rebounds per game. The Shockers have outrebounded 11 of their 13 opponents. HUGE WIN In Wichita State's 105-38 win over South Carolina State on Dec. 27, the Shockers broke a 41-year old school record for largest margin of victory. Wichita State won by 67, besting the previous mark of 64 set in 1981 vs. Phillips. It also marked just the second 100-point game of the&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/keitha-adams/1047">Keitha Adams</a>&nbsp;era, two points shy of the school record for most points in a game. Wichita State's 28 assists were also the most of the Adams era. Wichita State's field goal percentage of 60.3 was the highest since Feb. 2018 when the Shockers shot a school record 70.0 percent vs. Temple in Charles Koch Arena. Wichita State did set Charles Koch Arena records for points (105), field goals made (38) and assists (28). COLBERT CASHING IN &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/trajata-colbert/7155">Trajata Colbert</a>&nbsp;has improved dramatically the last two years at the free throw line. The Georgia native began her career shooting 42.1 percent as a freshman, 61.1 percent as a sophomore and 50.9 percent as a COVID sophomore. In 2021-22 she shot a career-high 76.0 percent and so far through 13 games in 2022-23, she is 45-for-53 (84.9 percent). Colbert ranks second in the American in free throw percentage. EXTRA TIME NEEDED Wichita State needed overtime in two of its first five games of the season. The Shockers fell in overtime at Omaha on Nov. 12, but collected an overtime win vs. Montana on Nov. 25. Wichita State is 4-4 in overtime games under&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/keitha-adams/1047">Keitha Adams</a>. Wichita State is 21-24 all-time in overtime games. BEST START IN SCHOOL HISTORY Wichita State's 8-1 record to open the season marked the best start in program history. The Shockers got there behind a seven-game win streak. The seven-game win streak was the longest since 2015 when Wichita State won 12 in a row. STATISTICALLY SPEAKING Through 13 games Wichita State ranks in the top 70 nationally in the following categories: No. 21 in rebound margin (10.5), No. 24 in defensive rebounds (29.9), No. 25 in field goal defense (34.9), No. 28 in free throws made per game (15.3), No. 45 in rebounds per game (42.3), No. 54 in free throw attempts per game (20.5), No. 57 in fouls per game (14.8) and No. 63 in free throw percentage (74.8).&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jane-asinde/7152">Jane Asinde</a>&nbsp;ranks 14th nationally in defensive rebounds per game, No. 16 in rebounds per game, No. 26 in total rebounds and No. 30 in double-doubles. WANTED FOR THEFT Junior guard&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/dj-mccarty/7157">DJ McCarty</a>&nbsp;and senior forward&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jane-asinde/7152">Jane Asinde</a>&nbsp;have been a pest on defense for opposing offenses through 13 games. McCarty has recorded at least one steal in all but one game, and has multiple in seven of the 13 games. Her 24 steals are the most on the team and she ranks 8th in the American Athletic Conference. Asinde averages a team-high 2.0 steals a game and has multiple steals in six games this season. A SHOCKER WIN WOULD... ... make them 11-3 on the season ... make them 7-1 at home this season ... move them to 3-5 all-time vs. Cincinnati ... be their third straight win vs. the Bearcats ... bring&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/keitha-adams/1047">Keitha Adams</a>' record to 73-81 at Wichita State ... make Adams 357-290 at the Division I level ... run Adams' career coaching record to 484-327 ... make them 393-249 all-time in Charles Koch Arena ... make Wichita State 643-729 all-time A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD... ... make them 10-4 this the season ... drop them to 6-2 at home this season ... make them 2-6 all-time vs. Cincinnati ... bring&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/keitha-adams/1047">Keitha Adams</a>' record to 72-82 at Wichita State ... make Adams 356-291 at the Division I level ... lower Adams' career coaching record to 483-328 ... make them 392-250 all-time in Charles Koch Arena ... make Wichita State 642-730 all-time UP NEXT Wichita State hits the road for its conference opener on Wednesday, Jan. 4 at Tulsa.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672402680156.jpeg" alt="WSU WBB to host Cincy.jpg" />
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 </figure>WICHITA, Kan.—Wichita State (10-3, 0-0) vs. Cincinnati&nbsp;(7-6, 0-0) will host the Bearcasts on&nbsp;Friday, Dec. 30, 2022 |&nbsp;6:00 PM CT | Charles Koch Arena, ESPN+ | GoShockers.com/Listen&nbsp;| ShockerStats.com Friday's game will be: Frontline Worker Appreciation -&nbsp;Celebrate our frontline workers including&nbsp;Fire, EMS, Police and Healthcare. ON THE AIR Friday's game can be heard online at GoShockers.com/Listen with Steve Strain calling the action. Strain is in his ninth season as the radio voice for Wichita State women's basketball. The game will also be televised on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. LAST TIME OUT Wichita State broke a 41-year old school record in a 105-38 thrashing of South Carolina State Tuesday night. The 67-point win marked the largest in school history, besting the record of 64 set in 1981 vs. Phillips. The 105 points were two shy of a school record and the 28 assists were the most in the&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/keitha-adams/1047">Keitha Adams</a>&nbsp;era. Wichita State shot a season-high 60.3 percent from the field and held SC State to 21.3 percent.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/ambah-kowcun/7201">Ambah Kowcun</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jeniah-thompson/7223">Jeniah Thompson</a>&nbsp;both set season highs with 14 points apiece. Thompson also dished out a season-high five assists.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jane-asinde/7152">Jane Asinde</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/dj-mccarty/7157">DJ McCarty</a>&nbsp;chipped in 12 points each and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/trajata-colbert/7155">Trajata Colbert</a>&nbsp;added 10. SCOUTING THE BEARCATS Led by fifth year head coach Michelle Clark-Heard, Cincinnati enters Friday's matchup at 7-6 this season. The Bearcats are scoring just 66.8 points per game on 40.3 percent shooting. They are one of the league's top shooting teams from long range at 34.7 percent. Cincinnati ranks in the top 40 nationally in free throws made and attempted and offensive rebounds. Jillian Hayes does it all for the Bearcats, leading the team in scoring (15.0), rebounding (8.5), blocks (21) and steals (23). Mya Jackson has dished out a team-leading 43 assists to go with 13.4 points. THE SERIES VS. CINCINNATI Wichita State and Cincinnati have met seven times prior to Friday, but the series dates all the way back to the first meeting on Dec. 9, 1983. The Shockers have won back-to-back games in the series after dropping the first five. Wichita State is seeking its first-ever win vs. the Bearcats in Wichita. LAST MEETING Behind a big second quarter, Wichita State recorded a 76-66 win at Cincinnati on Jan. 13, 2022. Despite missing 15-of-16 attempts from beyond the arc and Cincinnati going 8-for-25, Wichita State was able to get to the free throw line 25 times.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jane-asinde/7152">Jane Asinde</a>&nbsp;scored a team-high 17 points to go with six rebounds and four steals.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/seraphine-bastin/5960">Seraphine Bastin</a>&nbsp;added 14 points and seven rebounds, while going 10-for-11 at the free throw line.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/dj-mccarty/7157">DJ McCarty</a>&nbsp;scored 13 points off the bench and&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/asia-strong/5968">Asia Strong</a>&nbsp;chipped in 12. JANE GOT GAME Wichita State senior&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jane-asinde/7152">Jane Asinde</a>&nbsp;has been unstoppable for the Shockers. The Uganda native has double-doubles in five of the 11 games she's played in, including back-to-back 20-point double-doubles at the LMU Thanksgiving Classic. Asinde opened the LMU Thanksgiving Classic with a career-high 19 rebounds to go with 20 points against Montana and followed that with a career-high 22 points and 15 rebounds vs. Loyola Marymount. She also has double digit rebounds in six of the 11 games. GETTING DEFENSIVE Wichita State boasts a top 70 defense through the first 13 games of the season. They have held all but three opponents to less than 38 percent shooting, and only four teams have shot better than 30 percent from three-point range. Wichita State's field goal defense is holding teams to just 34.9 percent, good for 25th nationally. Opponents are connecting on only 28.4 percent of their attempts from long range. GLASS CLEANERS &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wichita State is one of the top rebounding teams in the country once again this season. Through 13 games Wichita State ranks 21st nationally in rebound margin, 24th in defensive rebounds per game and 45th in total rebounds per game. The Shockers have outrebounded 11 of their 13 opponents. HUGE WIN In Wichita State's 105-38 win over South Carolina State on Dec. 27, the Shockers broke a 41-year old school record for largest margin of victory. Wichita State won by 67, besting the previous mark of 64 set in 1981 vs. Phillips. It also marked just the second 100-point game of the&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/keitha-adams/1047">Keitha Adams</a>&nbsp;era, two points shy of the school record for most points in a game. Wichita State's 28 assists were also the most of the Adams era. Wichita State's field goal percentage of 60.3 was the highest since Feb. 2018 when the Shockers shot a school record 70.0 percent vs. Temple in Charles Koch Arena. Wichita State did set Charles Koch Arena records for points (105), field goals made (38) and assists (28). COLBERT CASHING IN &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/trajata-colbert/7155">Trajata Colbert</a>&nbsp;has improved dramatically the last two years at the free throw line. The Georgia native began her career shooting 42.1 percent as a freshman, 61.1 percent as a sophomore and 50.9 percent as a COVID sophomore. In 2021-22 she shot a career-high 76.0 percent and so far through 13 games in 2022-23, she is 45-for-53 (84.9 percent). Colbert ranks second in the American in free throw percentage. EXTRA TIME NEEDED Wichita State needed overtime in two of its first five games of the season. The Shockers fell in overtime at Omaha on Nov. 12, but collected an overtime win vs. Montana on Nov. 25. Wichita State is 4-4 in overtime games under&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/keitha-adams/1047">Keitha Adams</a>. Wichita State is 21-24 all-time in overtime games. BEST START IN SCHOOL HISTORY Wichita State's 8-1 record to open the season marked the best start in program history. The Shockers got there behind a seven-game win streak. The seven-game win streak was the longest since 2015 when Wichita State won 12 in a row. STATISTICALLY SPEAKING Through 13 games Wichita State ranks in the top 70 nationally in the following categories: No. 21 in rebound margin (10.5), No. 24 in defensive rebounds (29.9), No. 25 in field goal defense (34.9), No. 28 in free throws made per game (15.3), No. 45 in rebounds per game (42.3), No. 54 in free throw attempts per game (20.5), No. 57 in fouls per game (14.8) and No. 63 in free throw percentage (74.8).&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jane-asinde/7152">Jane Asinde</a>&nbsp;ranks 14th nationally in defensive rebounds per game, No. 16 in rebounds per game, No. 26 in total rebounds and No. 30 in double-doubles. WANTED FOR THEFT Junior guard&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/dj-mccarty/7157">DJ McCarty</a>&nbsp;and senior forward&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jane-asinde/7152">Jane Asinde</a>&nbsp;have been a pest on defense for opposing offenses through 13 games. McCarty has recorded at least one steal in all but one game, and has multiple in seven of the 13 games. Her 24 steals are the most on the team and she ranks 8th in the American Athletic Conference. Asinde averages a team-high 2.0 steals a game and has multiple steals in six games this season. A SHOCKER WIN WOULD... ... make them 11-3 on the season ... make them 7-1 at home this season ... move them to 3-5 all-time vs. Cincinnati ... be their third straight win vs. the Bearcats ... bring&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/keitha-adams/1047">Keitha Adams</a>' record to 73-81 at Wichita State ... make Adams 357-290 at the Division I level ... run Adams' career coaching record to 484-327 ... make them 393-249 all-time in Charles Koch Arena ... make Wichita State 643-729 all-time A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD... ... make them 10-4 this the season ... drop them to 6-2 at home this season ... make them 2-6 all-time vs. Cincinnati ... bring&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/keitha-adams/1047">Keitha Adams</a>' record to 72-82 at Wichita State ... make Adams 356-291 at the Division I level ... lower Adams' career coaching record to 483-328 ... make them 392-250 all-time in Charles Koch Arena ... make Wichita State 642-730 all-time UP NEXT Wichita State hits the road for its conference opener on Wednesday, Jan. 4 at Tulsa.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 WBB: Wichita State hosts Cincinnati in AAC opener

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are perhaps the most stable franchise in the NFL these days, led by a coach in Andy Reid who commands league-wide respect and a quarterback in Patrick Mahomes who is in the mix for a second MVP award.

So it's no surprise they have clinched the AFC West and are tied with Buffalo for the conference's best record.

Then there's the Denver Broncos (4-11), the Chiefs' opponent Sunday, who mortgaged much of their future to acquire struggling Russell Wilson from the Seahawks and just fired coach Nathaniel Hackett with two games left in his first year.

So it's also not surprising they'll be sitting out the playoffs for the seventh straight season.

“They played us tough this last one. They gave us everything that we could ask for,” said Mahomes, who nevertheless led the Chiefs (12-3) to a 34-28 victory in Denver three weeks ago. “We have to go out and play our best ball. If you look at the tape, you see the talent that they have and how hard they play.”

It will be up to 67-year-old Jerry Rosburg to finally get that talent playing at a high level.

The Broncos turned to the career assistant, who has 18 years of NFL coaching experience, to bridge the gap from Hackett's firing into next season. He was special teams coordinator in Baltimore for a decade with stops in Atlanta and Cleveland, and was hired by the Broncos in September to hire in-game management when Hackett struggled in his first two games.

“He actually worked for (Ravens coach) John Harbaugh for a number of years,” Reid said. “One of the top special teams coaches in the NFL and a good football coach, period. But a tremendous special teams coach. Good guy.”

“He’s a fine man. He’s been so gracious with my family over the years,” Rosburg said of Reid, who was Harbaugh's mentor in Philadelphia. “He’s a model for all coaches. We should all aspire to be like Andy Reid.”

While Wilson is suffering through the worst season of his career, Mahomes is on another tear for the Chiefs, putting himself in position to break the NFL record for yards passing in a season — albeit in a 17-game schedule rather than 16. And Rosburg has seen enough of Mahomes over the years that he's plenty impressed by him.

He's just not so excited about facing Mahomes in his first game running the show for Denver.

“I could list them, and you all know them,” Rosburg said of the Chiefs' playmakers. “Who would sign up for this? You get to coach in the National Football League? OK, here are the Kansas City Chiefs. Here I am, choose me.”

While the Chiefs are tied with the Bills for the AFC's best record, Buffalo would get the No. 1 seed and lone first-round bye because of its head-to-head win in October in Kansas City. So not only do the Chiefs need to beat Denver, and probably Las Vegas next week, they also need the Bengals or Patriots to beat the Bills down the stretch.

The Chiefs have won 14 straight against their longtime division rival, a franchise record for any opponent. It's the fifth-longest streak by any team against an opponent in NFL history, and one more would tie for the third longest. The last time the Broncos beat the Chiefs was a 31-24 victory on Sept. 17, 2015, in Kansas City.

The priority for the Broncos is fixing Wilson, who was brought in at a high cost (three players, four prime draft picks to Seattle) and signed to a five-year extension with about $165 million in guarantees. But this version of Wilson has been head-scratching: He’s on pace for career worsts in touchdowns, completion percentage and sacks.

“I believe in myself at the highest level,” Wilson said. “It’s not going to happen this year, but the mission is still the same and that’s to help bring Super Bowls to Denver. That’s the goal.”

Rosburg makes five different Broncos coaches for safety Justin Simmons since he was taken in the third-round of the 2016 draft. If owner and CEO Greg Penner wanted his opinion on, say, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero getting a shot at the head coaching job, Simmons would gladly give it. Denver’s defense has been one of the best in the league until a clunker last weekend in a 51-14 loss to Baker Mayfield and the Los Angeles Rams.

“I just want to win,” Simmons said. “When stuff like this happens like with Coach Hackett, I think about what I could’ve done better to help keep his job stable. Whatever it is, whoever it is, I just want to win.”

The Chiefs expect to have wide receiver Mecole Hardman back for the first time since an abdominal injury in Week 9 put him on injured reserve. He practiced the last couple of weeks, but has not been inactive for games. He was on a tear before getting hurt, too, scoring five touchdowns in his last three games.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are perhaps the most stable franchise in the NFL these days, led by a coach in Andy Reid who commands league-wide respect and a quarterback in Patrick Mahomes who is in the mix for a second MVP award.So it's no surprise they have clinched the AFC West and are tied with Buffalo for the conference's best record.Then there's the Denver Broncos (4-11), the Chiefs' opponent Sunday, who mortgaged much of their future to acquire struggling Russell Wilson from the Seahawks and just fired coach Nathaniel Hackett with two games left in his first year.So it's also not surprising they'll be sitting out the playoffs for the seventh straight season.“They played us tough this last one. They gave us everything that we could ask for,” said Mahomes, who nevertheless led the Chiefs (12-3) to a 34-28 victory in Denver three weeks ago. “We have to go out and play our best ball. If you look at the tape, you see the talent that they have and how hard they play.”It will be up to 67-year-old Jerry Rosburg to finally get that talent playing at a high level.The Broncos turned to the career assistant, who has 18 years of NFL coaching experience, to bridge the gap from Hackett's firing into next season. He was special teams coordinator in Baltimore for a decade with stops in Atlanta and Cleveland, and was hired by the Broncos in September to hire in-game management when Hackett struggled in his first two games.“He actually worked for (Ravens coach) John Harbaugh for a number of years,” Reid said. “One of the top special teams coaches in the NFL and a good football coach, period. But a tremendous special teams coach. Good guy.”Turns out the affection goes both ways.“He’s a fine man. He’s been so gracious with my family over the years,” Rosburg said of Reid, who was Harbaugh's mentor in Philadelphia. “He’s a model for all coaches. We should all aspire to be like Andy Reid.”While Wilson is suffering through the worst season of his career, Mahomes is on another tear for the Chiefs, putting himself in position to break the NFL record for yards passing in a season — albeit in a 17-game schedule rather than 16. And Rosburg has seen enough of Mahomes over the years that he's plenty impressed by him.He's just not so excited about facing Mahomes in his first game running the show for Denver.“I could list them, and you all know them,” Rosburg said of the Chiefs' playmakers. “Who would sign up for this? You get to coach in the National Football League? OK, here are the Kansas City Chiefs. Here I am, choose me.”PLAYOFF POSITIONWhile the Chiefs are tied with the Bills for the AFC's best record, Buffalo would get the No. 1 seed and lone first-round bye because of its head-to-head win in October in Kansas City. So not only do the Chiefs need to beat Denver, and probably Las Vegas next week, they also need the Bengals or Patriots to beat the Bills down the stretch.DOMINANCE OF DENVERThe Chiefs have won 14 straight against their longtime division rival, a franchise record for any opponent. It's the fifth-longest streak by any team against an opponent in NFL history, and one more would tie for the third longest. The last time the Broncos beat the Chiefs was a 31-24 victory on Sept. 17, 2015, in Kansas City.FIXING WILSONThe priority for the Broncos is fixing Wilson, who was brought in at a high cost (three players, four prime draft picks to Seattle) and signed to a five-year extension with about $165 million in guarantees. But this version of Wilson has been head-scratching: He’s on pace for career worsts in touchdowns, completion percentage and sacks.“I believe in myself at the highest level,” Wilson said. “It’s not going to happen this year, but the mission is still the same and that’s to help bring Super Bowls to Denver. That’s the goal.”COACHING CAROUSELRosburg makes five different Broncos coaches for safety Justin Simmons since he was taken in the third-round of the 2016 draft. If owner and CEO Greg Penner wanted his opinion on, say, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero getting a shot at the head coaching job, Simmons would gladly give it. Denver’s defense has been one of the best in the league until a clunker last weekend in a 51-14 loss to Baker Mayfield and the Los Angeles Rams.“I just want to win,” Simmons said. “When stuff like this happens like with Coach Hackett, I think about what I could’ve done better to help keep his job stable. Whatever it is, whoever it is, I just want to win.”WEAPON RETURNINGThe Chiefs expect to have wide receiver Mecole Hardman back for the first time since an abdominal injury in Week 9 put him on injured reserve. He practiced the last couple of weeks, but has not been inactive for games. He was on a tear before getting hurt, too, scoring five touchdowns in his last three games.

🏈 Broncos in midst of playoff push

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In an age of opt outs in college football, the best NFL prospects for Alabama and Kansas State are opting in at the Sugar Bowl.

Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. have high-first-round draft grades and could have minimized exposure to injury by sitting out Saturday's game in the Superdome.

For Kansas State, standout players including running back Deuce Vaughn and defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah are risking their draft stock as well.

They say they have weighed the competing factors carefully and the benefits of playing won out.

“I love this program,” Young said. "I see how hard we work as a group, how much we pour into this and how much this means to us — how much it means to me. And it was easy.

“As a leader, I feel like it was important to me to make sure that we finish this year,” Young added. “With there being no opt-outs on both of the teams, I think that speaks to both of the programs.”

This season, as much as any other, opt-outs have been a common theme across games not tied into the four-team College Football Playoff, which this year are the Fiesta and Peach bowls.

Tennessee will be missin top receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman and linebacker Jeremy Banks in Friday night's Orange Bowl against Clemson, which will be without top defensive end Myles Murphy.

Kentucky will play the Music City Bowl without quarterback Will Levis and running back Chris Rodriguez. Texas was without 1,580-yard rusher Bijan Robinson in Thursday night's Alamo Bowl against Washington. LSU will play the Citrus Bowl without edge rusher BJ Ojulari and receiver Kayshon Boutte.

All of those players have turned their attention to NFL draft preparations rather than exposing themselves to injury in one final college game.

Anudike-Uzomah said he and Vaughn never considered missing the Sugar Bowl, arguably the highest-profile postseason game for Kansas State in a decade.

“We worked so hard for this team, why would we just leave it, honestly? Just go finish it,” Anudike-Uzomah said. "It took us three years really to do this, me and Deuce. And it’s just been a dream come true.

“Growing up, I always looked at Alabama as the best program in college football history. So, it’s a dream come true and an honor the play them, honestly,” Anudike-Uzomah added. “I’m not going to lie; I never thought I would be in the Sugar Bowl.”

Anderson, along with fellow pro prospects on Alabama’s defense such as linebacker Henry To’oto’o and safety Jordan Battle, essentially said they would have felt like hypocrites had they opted out.

All season they had preached the importance of living up the “Alabama standard.” So, shortly after beating Auburn, seniors and other draft-eligible leaders made a pact that they would go out together in a bowl game.

“If you want to go out the right way and you want to be legendary, you want people to remember you by doing something good, this is how you do it,” Anderson said. He said he felt he was showing younger Alabama players “the right thing to do.”

In other words, the college team that, year-after-year, fields as many NFL caliber players as any is fostering an anti-opt-out culture. It's made an impression on younger Alabama players like sophomore defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry.

Anderson's decision to play “made me feel even more confident about the guy that I already thought he was,” McKinstry said. “I feel like I'll make the same decision” should he end up facing a similar choice.

Young has not yet declared for the next NFL draft but is widely expected to do so. He was watching the Sugar Bowl a year ago when Mississippi quarterback Matt Corral was helped off of the field after injuring his ankle.

After finishing seventh in voting for the 2021 Heisman Trophy, which Young won that season, Corral was largely seen as a second-round NFL prospect. Carolina selected him 94th overall, at the end of the third round.

“Everything that happens happens for a reason," said Young, emphasizing that his faith in God also influenced his decision to play. "I know what happened (to Corral). I understand what happened. But again, I walk by faith.”

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In an age of opt outs in college football, the best NFL prospects for Alabama and Kansas State are opting in at the Sugar Bowl.Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. have high-first-round draft grades and could have minimized exposure to injury by sitting out Saturday's game in the Superdome.For Kansas State, standout players including running back Deuce Vaughn and defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah are risking their draft stock as well.They say they have weighed the competing factors carefully and the benefits of playing won out.“I love this program,” Young said. "I see how hard we work as a group, how much we pour into this and how much this means to us — how much it means to me. And it was easy.“As a leader, I feel like it was important to me to make sure that we finish this year,” Young added. “With there being no opt-outs on both of the teams, I think that speaks to both of the programs.”This season, as much as any other, opt-outs have been a common theme across games not tied into the four-team College Football Playoff, which this year are the Fiesta and Peach bowls.Tennessee will be missin top receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman and linebacker Jeremy Banks in Friday night's Orange Bowl against Clemson, which will be without top defensive end Myles Murphy.Kentucky will play the Music City Bowl without quarterback Will Levis and running back Chris Rodriguez. Texas was without 1,580-yard rusher Bijan Robinson in Thursday night's Alamo Bowl against Washington. LSU will play the Citrus Bowl without edge rusher BJ Ojulari and receiver Kayshon Boutte.All of those players have turned their attention to NFL draft preparations rather than exposing themselves to injury in one final college game.Anudike-Uzomah said he and Vaughn never considered missing the Sugar Bowl, arguably the highest-profile postseason game for Kansas State in a decade.“We worked so hard for this team, why would we just leave it, honestly? Just go finish it,” Anudike-Uzomah said. "It took us three years really to do this, me and Deuce. And it’s just been a dream come true.“Growing up, I always looked at Alabama as the best program in college football history. So, it’s a dream come true and an honor the play them, honestly,” Anudike-Uzomah added. “I’m not going to lie; I never thought I would be in the Sugar Bowl.”Anderson, along with fellow pro prospects on Alabama’s defense such as linebacker Henry To’oto’o and safety Jordan Battle, essentially said they would have felt like hypocrites had they opted out.All season they had preached the importance of living up the “Alabama standard.” So, shortly after beating Auburn, seniors and other draft-eligible leaders made a pact that they would go out together in a bowl game.“If you want to go out the right way and you want to be legendary, you want people to remember you by doing something good, this is how you do it,” Anderson said. He said he felt he was showing younger Alabama players “the right thing to do.”In other words, the college team that, year-after-year, fields as many NFL caliber players as any is fostering an anti-opt-out culture. It's made an impression on younger Alabama players like sophomore defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry.Anderson's decision to play “made me feel even more confident about the guy that I already thought he was,” McKinstry said. “I feel like I'll make the same decision” should he end up facing a similar choice.Young has not yet declared for the next NFL draft but is widely expected to do so. He was watching the Sugar Bowl a year ago when Mississippi quarterback Matt Corral was helped off of the field after injuring his ankle.After finishing seventh in voting for the 2021 Heisman Trophy, which Young won that season, Corral was largely seen as a second-round NFL prospect. Carolina selected him 94th overall, at the end of the third round.“Everything that happens happens for a reason," said Young, emphasizing that his faith in God also influenced his decision to play. "I know what happened (to Corral). I understand what happened. But again, I walk by faith.”

🏈 Alabama, Kansas St extol virtues of opting in at Sugar Bowl

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have already clinched the AFC West for the seventh straight year and are tied with Buffalo for the best record in the conference. Then there's the Denver Broncos who are their opponent Sunday. They mortgaged their future to acquire struggling Russell Wilson from Seattle and just fired coach Nathaniel Hackett with two games left in his first season. It will be up to 67-year-old Jerry Rosburg to guide the Broncos through the next couple of weeks as the interim coach. Kansas City has beaten the Broncos 14 straight times. A 15th win would tie the third longest streak by any team against any opponent in NFL history.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Dak Prescott threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns to Dalton Schultz as the Dallas Cowboys beat the banged-up and resting Tennessee Titans 27-13 for their sixth win in seven games. The Cowboys posted their first back-to-back 12-win seasons since 1994 and 1995, when Dallas won its last of the franchise’s five Super Bowl titles. Fans were chanting “Let’s go Cowboys!” throughout the game. The Titans lost their sixth straight hours after placing quarterback Ryan Tannehill on injured reserve. They gave Joshua Dobbs his first NFL start after signing him Dec. 21 off Detroit's practice squad.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In an age of opt outs in college football, top NFL prospects for Alabama and Kansas State are opting in at the Sugar Bowl. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. headline those players who could have skipped Saturday's game and the risk of injury. Same goes for K-State running back Deuce Vaughn and defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah. All decided to play. Anudike-Uzomah says he and Vaughn worked three years to get the Wildcats to a major bowl and that it's a “dream” to play against Alabama.

ATLANTA (AP) — Only months after Georgia defensive linemen and Ohio State wide receivers combined to fill five first-round slots in the NFL draft, those positions again boast top talent for the teams preparing to meet in the College Football Playoff Peach Bowl semifinal. Despite important losses in this year's draft, Saturday night’s Peach Bowl will showcase evidence that No. 4 Ohio State and No. 1 Georgia reloaded with more star players. Wide receiver again is a strength for the Buckeyes with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. Jalen Carter leads another strong defensive front for the Bulldogs.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Michael Penix, Jr. threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns and No. 12 Washington held off No. 21 Texas 27-20 on Thursday night in the Valero Alamo Bowl. Texas scored 10 late points, pulling within seven on Bert Auburn’s 26-yard field goal with 1:40 remaining, but failed on an onside kick try. The Longhorns (8-5) stopped the Huskies (11-2) on the ensuing possession and took over on their own 16 with 32 seconds and got to the Washington 40 on the final play of the game. Penix finished the season with 4,641 yards passing to break the 20-year-old Washington season mark of 4,458 set by Cody Pickett.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Jordan Travis threw for 418 yards and two touchdowns and No. 13 Florida State beat Oklahoma 35-32 on Thursday night in the Cheez-It Bowl. Johnny Wilson made a one-handed grab for a 58-yard gain to set up Ryan Fitzgerald’s 32-yard field goal with 55 seconds left. The Seminoles (10-3) held on, sacking quarterback Dillon Gabriel on the Sooners’ comeback bid. Jovante Barnes tied it at 32 for Oklahoma (6-7) with 3:37 left on a 12-yard run. That was after Travis fired a 17-yard pass to tight end Markeston Douglas in the end zone to put the Seminoles up 32-25 midway through the fourth. Florida State won its first bowl since the 2017 season, and its first under coach Mike Norvell.

NEW YORK (AP) — Mohamed Ibrahim rushed for 71 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown and became Minnesota’s all-time rushing leader in the Golden Gophers’ 28-20 win over Syracuse in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Ibrahim broke the school record held by Darrell Thompson (1986-89) on a 10-yard gain with about 2 1/2 minutes left in the first half. Ibrahim finished with 71 yards on 16 carries before Trey Potts replaced him in the backfield. Daniel Jackson hauled in a pair of TD passes in the win.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Quentin Johnston came to TCU because of its coaching stability. Now he's playing in the biggest football game of his career because of a coaching change. Johnston embraced first-year coach Sonny Dykes and is one of many reasons the Horned Frogs have flourished this season with a 12-1 record. They'll face Michigan on Saturday in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Johnston is expected to be a coveted prize in this spring’s NFL draft. His size, speed and strong hands have some evaluators saying he’ll be the first receiver drafted and a potential top 10 pick.

HOUSTON (AP) — Texas Tech is denying claims by Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin that a Red Raiders player spit on one of his players and possibly used a racial slur in the Texas Bowl. There was pushing and shoving between players after a fumble. When asked to clarify if a Texas Tech player used a racial slur, Kiffin said he wasn’t sure but he said there was a slur involved. Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire and Moore both issued statements saying the allegations are false. The Red Raiders beat Ole Miss, 42-25.

WACO, Texas (AP) — Matt Powledge is returning to Baylor as defensive coordinator after a season away at Oregon. Powledge replaces Ron Roberts, who was fired after the 6-6 regular season and has since become defensive coordinator at Auburn for new coach Hugh Freeze. Before spending this season as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Oregon, Powledge had been on Aranda’s original staff at Baylor. Powledge, a Texas native, was the Bears’ safeties coach and special team’s coordinator in 2020 and 2021.

SAO PAULO (AP) — Pelé, Brazil’s mighty king of soccer, has died. He was 82. Since 2021, he had been undergoing treatment for colon cancer discovered during a routine medical exam. Pelé was one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century. He won a record three World Cups with Brazil and was the standard-bearer of “the beautiful game” with the national team and his club Santos. His exuberance and mesmerizing moves transfixed generations of fans around the globe. His flair personified his country’s samba-style elegance. Late in his career, he helped popularize soccer in North America by joining the New York Cosmos.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana’s Buddy Hield made the fastest 3-pointer on record when he hit just three seconds into the Pacers’ game against Cleveland. The opening tipoff was batted to Hield, who caught it behind the arc, turned and shot. The ball went through with 11:57 remaining in the first quarter, with Pacers center Myles Turner being credited with an assist. ESPN Stats &amp; Info said the previous fastest 3-pointer in an NBA game was by Pacers Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, who made one four seconds into a game against Golden State on March 5, 2000. Play-by-play has been recorded in the NBA since the 1996-97 season.

ALAMO: (12)Washington 27 (21)Texas 20

CHEEZE-IT:&nbsp;(13)Florida St. 35 Oklahoma 32

PINSTRIPE: Minnesota 28, Syracuse 20

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have already clinched the AFC West for the seventh straight year and are tied with Buffalo for the best record in the conference. Then there's the Denver Broncos who are their opponent Sunday. They mortgaged their future to acquire struggling Russell Wilson from Seattle and just fired coach Nathaniel Hackett with two games left in his first season. It will be up to 67-year-old Jerry Rosburg to guide the Broncos through the next couple of weeks as the interim coach. Kansas City has beaten the Broncos 14 straight times. A 15th win would tie the third longest streak by any team against any opponent in NFL history.NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Dak Prescott threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns to Dalton Schultz as the Dallas Cowboys beat the banged-up and resting Tennessee Titans 27-13 for their sixth win in seven games. The Cowboys posted their first back-to-back 12-win seasons since 1994 and 1995, when Dallas won its last of the franchise’s five Super Bowl titles. Fans were chanting “Let’s go Cowboys!” throughout the game. The Titans lost their sixth straight hours after placing quarterback Ryan Tannehill on injured reserve. They gave Joshua Dobbs his first NFL start after signing him Dec. 21 off Detroit's practice squad.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In an age of opt outs in college football, top NFL prospects for Alabama and Kansas State are opting in at the Sugar Bowl. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. headline those players who could have skipped Saturday's game and the risk of injury. Same goes for K-State running back Deuce Vaughn and defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah. All decided to play. Anudike-Uzomah says he and Vaughn worked three years to get the Wildcats to a major bowl and that it's a “dream” to play against Alabama.ATLANTA (AP) — Only months after Georgia defensive linemen and Ohio State wide receivers combined to fill five first-round slots in the NFL draft, those positions again boast top talent for the teams preparing to meet in the College Football Playoff Peach Bowl semifinal. Despite important losses in this year's draft, Saturday night’s Peach Bowl will showcase evidence that No. 4 Ohio State and No. 1 Georgia reloaded with more star players. Wide receiver again is a strength for the Buckeyes with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. Jalen Carter leads another strong defensive front for the Bulldogs.SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Michael Penix, Jr. threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns and No. 12 Washington held off No. 21 Texas 27-20 on Thursday night in the Valero Alamo Bowl. Texas scored 10 late points, pulling within seven on Bert Auburn’s 26-yard field goal with 1:40 remaining, but failed on an onside kick try. The Longhorns (8-5) stopped the Huskies (11-2) on the ensuing possession and took over on their own 16 with 32 seconds and got to the Washington 40 on the final play of the game. Penix finished the season with 4,641 yards passing to break the 20-year-old Washington season mark of 4,458 set by Cody Pickett.ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Jordan Travis threw for 418 yards and two touchdowns and No. 13 Florida State beat Oklahoma 35-32 on Thursday night in the Cheez-It Bowl. Johnny Wilson made a one-handed grab for a 58-yard gain to set up Ryan Fitzgerald’s 32-yard field goal with 55 seconds left. The Seminoles (10-3) held on, sacking quarterback Dillon Gabriel on the Sooners’ comeback bid. Jovante Barnes tied it at 32 for Oklahoma (6-7) with 3:37 left on a 12-yard run. That was after Travis fired a 17-yard pass to tight end Markeston Douglas in the end zone to put the Seminoles up 32-25 midway through the fourth. Florida State won its first bowl since the 2017 season, and its first under coach Mike Norvell.NEW YORK (AP) — Mohamed Ibrahim rushed for 71 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown and became Minnesota’s all-time rushing leader in the Golden Gophers’ 28-20 win over Syracuse in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Ibrahim broke the school record held by Darrell Thompson (1986-89) on a 10-yard gain with about 2 1/2 minutes left in the first half. Ibrahim finished with 71 yards on 16 carries before Trey Potts replaced him in the backfield. Daniel Jackson hauled in a pair of TD passes in the win.SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Quentin Johnston came to TCU because of its coaching stability. Now he's playing in the biggest football game of his career because of a coaching change. Johnston embraced first-year coach Sonny Dykes and is one of many reasons the Horned Frogs have flourished this season with a 12-1 record. They'll face Michigan on Saturday in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Johnston is expected to be a coveted prize in this spring’s NFL draft. His size, speed and strong hands have some evaluators saying he’ll be the first receiver drafted and a potential top 10 pick.HOUSTON (AP) — Texas Tech is denying claims by Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin that a Red Raiders player spit on one of his players and possibly used a racial slur in the Texas Bowl. There was pushing and shoving between players after a fumble. When asked to clarify if a Texas Tech player used a racial slur, Kiffin said he wasn’t sure but he said there was a slur involved. Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire and Moore both issued statements saying the allegations are false. The Red Raiders beat Ole Miss, 42-25.WACO, Texas (AP) — Matt Powledge is returning to Baylor as defensive coordinator after a season away at Oregon. Powledge replaces Ron Roberts, who was fired after the 6-6 regular season and has since become defensive coordinator at Auburn for new coach Hugh Freeze. Before spending this season as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Oregon, Powledge had been on Aranda’s original staff at Baylor. Powledge, a Texas native, was the Bears’ safeties coach and special team’s coordinator in 2020 and 2021.SAO PAULO (AP) — Pelé, Brazil’s mighty king of soccer, has died. He was 82. Since 2021, he had been undergoing treatment for colon cancer discovered during a routine medical exam. Pelé was one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century. He won a record three World Cups with Brazil and was the standard-bearer of “the beautiful game” with the national team and his club Santos. His exuberance and mesmerizing moves transfixed generations of fans around the globe. His flair personified his country’s samba-style elegance. Late in his career, he helped popularize soccer in North America by joining the New York Cosmos.INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana’s Buddy Hield made the fastest 3-pointer on record when he hit just three seconds into the Pacers’ game against Cleveland. The opening tipoff was batted to Hield, who caught it behind the arc, turned and shot. The ball went through with 11:57 remaining in the first quarter, with Pacers center Myles Turner being credited with an assist. ESPN Stats &amp; Info said the previous fastest 3-pointer in an NBA game was by Pacers Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, who made one four seconds into a game against Golden State on March 5, 2000. Play-by-play has been recorded in the NBA since the 1996-97 season.THURSDAY SCORESNATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUEFinal Dallas 27 Tennessee 13COLLEGE FOOTBALLALAMO: (12)Washington 27 (21)Texas 20CHEEZE-IT:&nbsp;(13)Florida St. 35 Oklahoma 32PINSTRIPE: Minnesota 28, Syracuse 20TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal (1)Purdue 82 Florida A&amp;M 49NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal Charlotte 121 Oklahoma City 113Final Indiana 135 Cleveland 126Final Boston 116 L.A. Clippers 110Final Memphis 119 Toronto 106Final San Antonio 122 New York 115Final Dallas 129 Houston 114NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal Buffalo 6 Detroit 3Final OT Ottawa 4 Washington 3Final Florida 7 Montreal 2Final SO Tampa Bay 2 N-Y Rangers 1Final N-Y Islanders 2 Columbus 1Final St. Louis 3 Chicago 1Final Winnipeg 4 Vancouver 2Final Dallas 4 Minnesota 1Final Arizona 6 Toronto 3Final SO Los Angeles 5 Colorado 4Final OT Philadelphia 4 San Jose 3

Sports Headlines for Friday

NEW YORK (AP) — Pelé was remembered for a life beyond the field, for transcending the sport of soccer and becoming perhaps the most well-known person on Earth. Pelé scored 12 goals in 14 World Cup matches and is the only three-time world champion. He won titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970. His death was especially impactful for generations of Brazilian players who idolized him. Ronaldo led Brazil to a fifth title in 2002. He descibed Pelé as "Unique. Genius. Skilled. Creative. Perfect. Unmatched." Tributes also came from other Brazilian players such as Neymar and Romario, from past heads of state and from rivals and administrators.

NEW YORK (AP) — Pelé was remembered for a life beyond the field, for transcending the sport of soccer and becoming perhaps the most well-known person on Earth.

"Before Pelé, '10' was just a number," current Brazil forward Neymar wrote following the soccer great's death Thursday at the age of 82. "That line, beautiful, is incomplete. I would say that before Pelé soccer was just a sport. Pelé changed everything. He transformed soccer into art, entertainment. He gave voice to the poor, to the Black and above all he gave Brazil visibility. Soccer and Brazil elevated their standing thanks to the King! He is gone, but his magic will endure."

Pelé scored 12 goals in 14 World Cup matches and is the only three-time world champion, winning titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970. His death was especially impactful for generations of Brazilian players who idolized him.

"Today Brazil waves goodbye to one of its most illustrious children," wrote Romario, a 1994 World Cup champion who used Pelé's full name in his post. "Edson Arantes do Nascimento made the world bow to his talent and took Brazilian soccer to the altar of gods. Throughout his life, Pelé inspired generations of athletes and deserves every tribute."

Ronaldo, who led Brazil to a fifth World Cup title in 2002, described Pelé as "Unique. Genius. Skilled. Creative. Perfect. Unmatched."

"What a privilege to come after you, my friend," Ronaldo wrote. "Your talent is a school through which every player should go. Your legacy transcends generations. And that is the way you will continue to live."

Pelé was a revered sports figure to a level probably not comparable to any athlete other than Muhammad Ali. As comfortable mingling with heads of states and celebrities as he was evading defenders, Pelé made an impact in capitals across continents.

"As one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, he understood the power of sports to bring people together," former U.S. President Barack Obama wrote.

President Joe Biden tweeted: "For a sport that brings the world together like no other, Pelé's rise from humble beginnings to soccer legend is a story of what is possible."

Pelé's greatest impact was in Brazil, a unifying figure celebrated during the 2014 World Cup.

"I saw Pelé play, live, at Pacaembu and Morumbi (stadiums)," former Brazil President and current President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wrote. "Play, no. I saw Pelé give a show. Because when he got the ball he always did something special, which often ended in a goal. ... Few Brazilians took the name of our country as far as he did. As different from Portuguese as one's language was, foreigners from the four corners of the planet soon found a way to pronounce the magic word: 'Pelé.'"

For a half-century, people who knew the name of only one soccer player knew Pelé.

"He made people dream and continued to do that with generations and generations of lovers of our sport," France coach Didier Deschamps said in a statement. "Who, as a child, didn't dream of being Pelé? ... Pelé was the alliance of beauty and efficiency. His talent and his list of achievements will stay engraved in our minds forever."

French soccer star Kylian Mbappé tied Pelé for sixth in career World Cup goals with a hat trick in this month's loss to Argentina in the final. Four years ago, Mbappé became only the second teenager — after Pelé — to score a goal in a World Cup final.

"The king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten," Mbappé wrote.

"Pelé not only filled football stadiums with exhilaration but he filled hearts and homes with hope and the knowledge that adversity was surmountable," South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement Friday. "His endurance and impact on the field of play inspired the resilience with which Pelé worked for peace and justice globally."

When Pelé's condition worsened last month during the World Cup in Qatar, get well messages were flashed on the sides of buildings in Doha. The English Football Association lit Wembley Stadium's arch in Brazil's colors on Wednesday night. FIFA, soccer's governing body, changed its website's homepage to photos of Pelé with a black background.

"Pelé did things that no other player would even dream of," FIFA president Gianni Infantino wrote. "The sight of him punching the air in celebration is one of the most iconic in our sport, and is etched into our history. In fact, because televised football was still in his infancy at the time, we only saw small glimpses of what he was capable of."

When Pelé played for the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League from 1975-77, he helped spark soccer's rise in the United States, leading to the nation hosting the World Cup in 1994.

"Pele was truly a remarkable figure — on and off the field," said FIFA Council member Sunil Gulati, a former U.S. Soccer Federation president. "The world has lost a once in a lifetime sportsman who leaves an extraordinary legacy."

By RONALD BLUM AP Sports WriterNEW YORK (AP) — Pelé was remembered for a life beyond the field, for transcending the sport of soccer and becoming perhaps the most well-known person on Earth. Pelé scored 12 goals in 14 World Cup matches and is the only three-time world champion. He won titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970. His death was especially impactful for generations of Brazilian players who idolized him. Ronaldo led Brazil to a fifth title in 2002. He descibed Pelé as "Unique. Genius. Skilled. Creative. Perfect. Unmatched." Tributes also came from other Brazilian players such as Neymar and Romario, from past heads of state and from rivals and administrators.NEW YORK (AP) — Pelé was remembered for a life beyond the field, for transcending the sport of soccer and becoming perhaps the most well-known person on Earth."Before Pelé, '10' was just a number," current Brazil forward Neymar wrote following the soccer great's death Thursday at the age of 82. "That line, beautiful, is incomplete. I would say that before Pelé soccer was just a sport. Pelé changed everything. He transformed soccer into art, entertainment. He gave voice to the poor, to the Black and above all he gave Brazil visibility. Soccer and Brazil elevated their standing thanks to the King! He is gone, but his magic will endure."Pelé scored 12 goals in 14 World Cup matches and is the only three-time world champion, winning titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970. His death was especially impactful for generations of Brazilian players who idolized him."Today Brazil waves goodbye to one of its most illustrious children," wrote Romario, a 1994 World Cup champion who used Pelé's full name in his post. "Edson Arantes do Nascimento made the world bow to his talent and took Brazilian soccer to the altar of gods. Throughout his life, Pelé inspired generations of athletes and deserves every tribute."Ronaldo, who led Brazil to a fifth World Cup title in 2002, described Pelé as "Unique. Genius. Skilled. Creative. Perfect. Unmatched.""What a privilege to come after you, my friend," Ronaldo wrote. "Your talent is a school through which every player should go. Your legacy transcends generations. And that is the way you will continue to live."Pelé was a revered sports figure to a level probably not comparable to any athlete other than Muhammad Ali. As comfortable mingling with heads of states and celebrities as he was evading defenders, Pelé made an impact in capitals across continents."As one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, he understood the power of sports to bring people together," former U.S. President Barack Obama wrote.President Joe Biden tweeted: "For a sport that brings the world together like no other, Pelé's rise from humble beginnings to soccer legend is a story of what is possible."Pelé's greatest impact was in Brazil, a unifying figure celebrated during the 2014 World Cup."I saw Pelé play, live, at Pacaembu and Morumbi (stadiums)," former Brazil President and current President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wrote. "Play, no. I saw Pelé give a show. Because when he got the ball he always did something special, which often ended in a goal. ... Few Brazilians took the name of our country as far as he did. As different from Portuguese as one's language was, foreigners from the four corners of the planet soon found a way to pronounce the magic word: 'Pelé.'"For a half-century, people who knew the name of only one soccer player knew Pelé."He made people dream and continued to do that with generations and generations of lovers of our sport," France coach Didier Deschamps said in a statement. "Who, as a child, didn't dream of being Pelé? ... Pelé was the alliance of beauty and efficiency. His talent and his list of achievements will stay engraved in our minds forever."French soccer star Kylian Mbappé tied Pelé for sixth in career World Cup goals with a hat trick in this month's loss to Argentina in the final. Four years ago, Mbappé became only the second teenager — after Pelé — to score a goal in a World Cup final."The king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten," Mbappé wrote."Pelé not only filled football stadiums with exhilaration but he filled hearts and homes with hope and the knowledge that adversity was surmountable," South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement Friday. "His endurance and impact on the field of play inspired the resilience with which Pelé worked for peace and justice globally."When Pelé's condition worsened last month during the World Cup in Qatar, get well messages were flashed on the sides of buildings in Doha. The English Football Association lit Wembley Stadium's arch in Brazil's colors on Wednesday night. FIFA, soccer's governing body, changed its website's homepage to photos of Pelé with a black background."Pelé did things that no other player would even dream of," FIFA president Gianni Infantino wrote. "The sight of him punching the air in celebration is one of the most iconic in our sport, and is etched into our history. In fact, because televised football was still in his infancy at the time, we only saw small glimpses of what he was capable of."When Pelé played for the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League from 1975-77, he helped spark soccer's rise in the United States, leading to the nation hosting the World Cup in 1994."Pele was truly a remarkable figure — on and off the field," said FIFA Council member Sunil Gulati, a former U.S. Soccer Federation president. "The world has lost a once in a lifetime sportsman who leaves an extraordinary legacy."___

⚽ Pelé remembered for transcending soccer around world

HUTCHINSON, Kan.:&nbsp;(Transcript from KWBW Sports)&nbsp;For BW Radio Sports, I'm Nick Gosnell,&nbsp; &nbsp;KU came back from a 25 point deficit to force overtime in the 64th AutoZone Liberty Bowl, but came up short in three overtimes, falling 55-53 to Arkansas.

In a thriller, Kansas quarterback Jalen Daniels set a bunch of single game in KU records, leading the Jayhawks back from that deficit to force overtime. It was 38-13 with 8:43 to play in the third before the Jayhawks forced a turnover. Recovered an onside kick and scored two touchdowns in the final 1:05 of regulation to tie the game at 38. 

Daniels became the first Kansas quarterback to ever top the 500 yard mark in both passing yards and total offense set the Liberty Bowl record for touchdown passes in matching the second most in school history for a single game with five. 

A reminder that after the first two overtimes, then it becomes everybody goes for two and either gets it or doesn't. Arkansas getting their third overtime, two point conversion to make it 55-53. KU then missed their third overtime, two point conversion for the two point loss.&nbsp; They dropped to 6 and 7 to close out the season. Arkansas ends at 7 and 6. 

<div><iframe title="Eagle Media Sports for Thursday, December 29th, 2022" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=fkekg-134c18d-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=7"></iframe></div>HUTCHINSON, Kan.:&nbsp;(Transcript from KWBW Sports)&nbsp;For BW Radio Sports, I'm Nick Gosnell,&nbsp; &nbsp;KU came back from a 25 point deficit to force overtime in the 64th AutoZone Liberty Bowl, but came up short in three overtimes, falling 55-53 to Arkansas. In a thriller, Kansas quarterback Jalen Daniels set a bunch of single game in KU records, leading the Jayhawks back from that deficit to force overtime. It was 38-13 with 8:43 to play in the third before the Jayhawks forced a turnover. Recovered an onside kick and scored two touchdowns in the final 1:05 of regulation to tie the game at 38. Daniels became the first Kansas quarterback to ever top the 500 yard mark in both passing yards and total offense set the Liberty Bowl record for touchdown passes in matching the second most in school history for a single game with five. A reminder that after the first two overtimes, then it becomes everybody goes for two and either gets it or doesn't. Arkansas getting their third overtime, two point conversion to make it 55-53. KU then missed their third overtime, two point conversion for the two point loss.&nbsp; They dropped to 6 and 7 to close out the season. Arkansas ends at 7 and 6. Wichita State opened up conference play at UCF last night and really never got it going, losing 52 to 45.&nbsp; Walk-on Melvin Flannigan had the top night for the Shockers with just 11 points. Wichita State is 7 and 6 on the year after Craig Porter Jr was unable to play Wichita State shooting just 35% from the field. But they did guard pretty well and held their sixth straight opponent to under the 40% mark. Jaren Pierre Junior as three pointer got it to 46-45 at the 4:50 mark of the second half but they never could get the lead. UCF closed it out with six straight points to win 52-45. Wichita State's back in Wichita on Saturday. This has been BW radio sports. &nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;