HUTCHINSON, Kan.—The Hutch High Salthawk Boys jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead in the 1st quarter and never looked back as they throttled Buhler Friday night at the SAC 69-35.&nbsp;

The Salhawks led after 1 quarter of play 15-4, but gave up 2 quick Buhler baskets to start the 2nd quarter.&nbsp; Coach Bryan Miller called a quick time out which led to the Salthawks erupting for 24 points to lead at the half 39-14 over the Crusaders.

Hutchinson continued to force turnovers and get quick baskets as the Salthawks extended the lead to 56-28 by the end of the 3rd quarter.&nbsp; The 4th quarter saw a running clock as Hutchinson closed it out for a 69-35 win over the Crusaders.

Hutch was led by Terrell King's 18 points, Garrett Robertson had 16 and Julian Smith chipped in 10 points. Nic Lange also finished with 9 points on the night.

Buhler was led by Ethan Stambaugh's 10 points.

Hutch snapped a four game losing streak to Buhler to go 2-0 on the season.&nbsp; Buhler drops to 1-2.

Hutchinson (2-0) hosts Salina South (0-3) on Tuesday night at the SAC.

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

HUTCHINSON, Kan.—The Hutch High Salthawk Boys jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead in the 1st quarter and never looked back as they throttled Buhler Friday night at the SAC 69-35.&nbsp;<div><iframe width="660" height="415" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6HlR2m34mWw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The Salhawks led after 1 quarter of play 15-4, but gave up 2 quick Buhler baskets to start the 2nd quarter.&nbsp; Coach Bryan Miller called a quick time out which led to the Salthawks erupting for 24 points to lead at the half 39-14 over the Crusaders.Hutchinson continued to force turnovers and get quick baskets as the Salthawks extended the lead to 56-28 by the end of the 3rd quarter.&nbsp; The 4th quarter saw a running clock as Hutchinson closed it out for a 69-35 win over the Crusaders.Hutch was led by Terrell King's 18 points, Garrett Robertson had 16 and Julian Smith chipped in 10 points. Nic Lange also finished with 9 points on the night.Buhler was led by Ethan Stambaugh's 10 points.Hutch snapped a four game losing streak to Buhler to go 2-0 on the season.&nbsp; Buhler drops to 1-2.Hutchinson (2-0) hosts Salina South (0-3) on Tuesday night at the SAC.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 Salthawk Boys jump out early to swarm Buhler

HUTCHINSON, Kan.—The Hutch High Girls were playing tight and hesitant in the first quarter of play versus Reno County rival Buhler trailing 14-6.&nbsp; But then the jitters subsided and the Salthawk Girls went on a 21-0 run in the 2nd quarter to lead at the half 29-19.

Hutch then cruised to a 62-44 win over the Crusaders to push their record to 2-0 with Salina South in their sights next Tuesday.

Aliyah Green paced the Salthawks with 22 points while Grace Posch chipped in 10 points and Nickerson transfer Josie McLean tallied 9. Buhler Sophomore Charlie Baxter let the Crusaders with 19 points,

Hutch (2-0) will host Salina South (1-2) Tuesday night at the SAC.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670664877476.jpeg" alt="A. Green Layup vs Buhler" />
 <figcaption>A. Green Layup vs Buhler</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan.—The Hutch High Girls were playing tight and hesitant in the first quarter of play versus Reno County rival Buhler trailing 14-6.&nbsp; But then the jitters subsided and the Salthawk Girls went on a 21-0 run in the 2nd quarter to lead at the half 29-19.Hutch then cruised to a 62-44 win over the Crusaders to push their record to 2-0 with Salina South in their sights next Tuesday.Aliyah Green paced the Salthawks with 22 points while Grace Posch chipped in 10 points and Nickerson transfer Josie McLean tallied 9. Buhler Sophomore Charlie Baxter let the Crusaders with 19 points,Hutch (2-0) will host Salina South (1-2) Tuesday night at the SAC.

🏀 Hutch High Girls sputter, then roll over Buhler

Hutchinson Central Christian 47, Goessel 28

Little River 64, Elyria Christian 39

SVHE 45, Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud 37

Salina Central 41, Salina South 35

Shawnee Mission Christian 48, Cornerstone Family 44

Stafford 37, Sweeny High School, Calif. 34

Wichita Bishop Carroll 56, Wichita East 32

Oberlin-Decatur 41, Hitchcock County, Neb. 29

Bentonville West, Ark. 64, BV Northwest 61

Friday's ScoresThe Associated Press<h2>GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL:</h2>Andale 45, Valley Center 17Attica 69, Deerfield 24Augusta 38, Abilene 25Baldwin 50, Burlington 31Bluestem 43, Cherryvale 28Burlingame 58, Lyndon 53Centralia 43, Hiawatha 38Chapman 64, KC Bishop Ward 3Chase County 38, Centre 10Cimarron 65, Sublette 23Clearwater 61, Arkansas City 37Clifton-Clyde 62, Pike Valley 31Derby 55, Andover Central 45Dighton 50, Natoma 24Emporia 52, Topeka Hayden 27Eureka 69, Marion 27Flint Hills Christian 43, St. Xavier 11Fort Scott 42, Paola 23Frankfort 49, Northern Heights 17Fredonia 44, Wichita Classical 21Frontenac 80, Baxter Springs 21Garden City 55, Coronado, Colo. 34Garden Plain 51, Rose Hill 23Goddard-Eisenhower 42, Maize 22Great Bend 35, Conway Springs 21Greeley County 58, Walsh, Colo. 31Hanover 96, Wetmore 10Hesston 58, Nickerson 39Hoxie 60, Trego 52Hutchinson 62, Buhler 44Hutchinson Central Christian 47, Goessel 28Inman 58, Moundridge 36KC Piper 57, KC Sumner 27Lamar, Mo. 58, Pittsburg 52Lansing 59, KC Turner 14Lawrence 52, Olathe South 39Liberal 43, Scott City 30Lincoln 52, Chase 17Little River 64, Elyria Christian 39Logan/Palco 51, Cheylin 19Louisburg 38, Anderson County 31Manhattan 37, Dodge City 32Manhattan CHIEF 41, Wabaunsee 24McClave, Colo. 47, Elkhart 35McPherson 65, Andover 41Minneapolis 47, Bennington 41Mission Valley 36, St. Mary's 35Nemaha Central 52, Holton 43Norton 44, Ulysses 23Ottawa 61, Chanute 46Phillipsburg 58, Smith Center 33Pittsburg Colgan 53, Girard 20Remington 57, Belle Plaine 38Rock Creek 35, Council Grove 33Rural Vista 51, Herington 36SVHE 45, Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud 37Sabetha 41, Royal Valley 23Salina Central 41, Salina South 35Shawnee Heights 42, Topeka West 39Shawnee Mission Christian 48, Cornerstone Family 44Silver Lake 45, Riley County 38Smoky Valley 47, Concordia 27Southeast Saline 59, Beloit 29Spring Hill 50, Wichita Trinity 27St. Francis 58, Wallace County 43Stafford 37, Sweeny High School, Calif. 34Valley Falls 38, McLouth 36Valley Heights 55, Republic County 24Wamego 67, Tonganoxie 15Washington County 38, Wakefield 20Wichita Bishop Carroll 56, Wichita East 32Wichita County 50, Golden Plains 43Wichita Northwest 55, Wichita North 28Wichita South 55, Kapaun Mount Carmel 36Wichita Southeast 84, Wichita West 17Wichita Sunrise 44, Kingman 42Wilson, Texas 50, Tescott 27Cattle Trail Invitational=Consolation Semifinal=Oberlin-Decatur 41, Hitchcock County, Neb. 29Topside Invitational Tournament=Colby 68, McCook, Neb. 53POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=Atchison vs. Eudora, ccd.Jefferson North vs. Horton, ccd.Friday's ScoresThe Associated Press<h2>BOYS PREP BASKETBALL:</h2>Atchison 47, Eudora 40Atchison County 53, Doniphan West 38Attica 59, Satanta 57, 2OTAugusta 65, Abilene 62Baldwin 71, Burlington 41Bentonville West, Ark. 64, BV Northwest 61Centralia 50, Hiawatha 49Chanute 51, Ottawa 48Chase County 52, Centre 18Cheylin 58, Golden Plains 24Clifton-Clyde 85, Pike Valley 32Colby 61, McCook, Neb. 58Concordia 65, Smoky Valley 59Derby 55, Andover Central 45Ellinwood 71, Cunningham 50Emporia 57, Topeka Hayden 53Flint Hills Christian 51, St. Xavier 23Fort Scott 27, Paola 22Frankfort 50, Northern Heights 49Frontenac 65, Baxter Springs 48Garden City 83, Coronado, Colo. 60Goessel 50, Hutchinson Central Christian 39Great Bend 73, Conway Springs 20Greeley County 81, Walsh, Colo. 26Hanover 73, Wetmore 35Hesston 50, Nickerson 18Holcomb 46, South Gray 37Holton 61, Nemaha Central 43Hutchinson 69, Buhler 35Inman 65, Moundridge 55Iola 43, Santa Fe Trail 39Jayhawk Linn 38, Osawatomie 28Junction City 47, Hays 45KC Bishop Ward 73, Chapman 37Kapaun Mount Carmel 52, Wichita South 51Kingman 0, Wichita Sunrise 0Lansing 57, KC Turner 53Lincoln College Prep, Mo. 55, KC Schlagle 50Logan/Palco 44, Wallace County 32Lyndon 63, Burlingame 38Macksville 55, Hoisington 34Maize 46, Goddard-Eisenhower 45Manhattan 59, Dodge City 32Manhattan CHIEF 56, Wabaunsee 34McClave, Colo. 62, Elkhart 55McPherson 71, Andover 64Minneola 74, Ingalls 49Pawnee Heights 58, Dighton 33Phillipsburg 44, Smith Center 24Rock Creek 64, Council Grove 50Rose Hill 52, Garden Plain 37Sabetha 70, Royal Valley 64Salina Central 57, Salina South 36Scott City 66, Liberal 44Shawnee Mission Christian 45, Cornerstone Family 34Silver Lake 53, Riley County 41Southeast Saline 68, Beloit 46Spearville 44, Ellis 40Spring Hill 62, Wichita Trinity 42St. James Academy 71, Raytown South, Mo. 49St. Mary's 64, Mission Valley 49St. Mary's Academy 45, Metro Academy 42Stafford 49, Fairfield 31Stanton County 44, Eads, Colo. 34Sublette 62, Cimarron 32Topeka West 64, Shawnee Heights 51Valley Center 50, Andale 46Valley Heights 49, Republic County 45Wamego 38, Tonganoxie 37Washburn Rural 64, SM West 41Washington County 60, Wakefield 23Wellsville 68, Perry-Lecompton 56Weskan 61, St. Francis 7Wichita Bishop Carroll 78, Wichita East 48Wichita Classical 46, Remington 29Wichita County 59, Brewster 21Wichita Independent 64, Berean Academy 48Wichita North 52, Wichita Northwest 7Wichita Sunrise 58, LaPorte LaLumiere, Ind. 56Wichita West 75, Wichita Southeast 65

🏀 High School Scores from Friday

HUTCHINSON, Kan.—The Hutchinson Salthawk Basketball teams host the Buhler Crusaders at the Salthawk Activity Center tonight.

The Girls game will tip at 6pm followed by boys action at 7:30pm.

Catch all the action of KWBW Radio 1450am/98.5 fm.

Video stream for both Freshman and JV teams plus varsity will be on the Hutch High Channel at <a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/search/?query=hutch">nfhsnetwork.com</a>.

<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;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670624431470.png" alt="GAMEDAY VS Buhler 12-9-22 T King" />
 <figcaption>GAMEDAY VS Buhler 12-9-22 T King</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan.—The Hutchinson Salthawk Basketball teams host the Buhler Crusaders at the Salthawk Activity Center tonight.The Girls game will tip at 6pm followed by boys action at 7:30pm.<h2>Catch all the action of KWBW Radio 1450am/98.5 fm.</h2>Video stream for both Freshman and JV teams plus varsity will be on the Hutch High Channel at <a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/search/?query=hutch">nfhsnetwork.com</a>.<div><iframe src="https://player.nfhsnetwork.com/#/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamb25b7c7922" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" width="640" height="360"></iframe>



</div><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;

🎥 🏀 Hutch High Basketball vs Buhler tonight at the SAC

Following are the sports programs and events scheduled for Eagle Media Sports Hutchinson (📻&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">Country 102.9 fm</a>, 📻&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>, 📻&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/ce/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KHMY2">KHMY My93.1 fm</a>;&nbsp;🖥🎥 &nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamb25b7c7922">NFHS Network-Hutch</a>&nbsp;or <a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/hutchcc/">KJCCC-Blue Dragon Sports Network</a>) this week.

Friday 🏀 Hutch High Basketball vs Buhler pregame:&nbsp; 5:45 pm at the SAC&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>. 🖥🎥 &nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamb25b7c7922">NFHS Network</a>

🏀 Hutch High Lady Salthawks vs Buhler Lady Crusaders:&nbsp; 6 pm&nbsp; at the SAC on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>.&nbsp;🖥🎥&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamb25b7c7922">NFHS Network</a>

🏀 Hutch High Salthawk Boys vs Buhler Crusaders:&nbsp; 7:30 pm&nbsp; at the SAC on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>.&nbsp;🖥🎥&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamb25b7c7922">NFHS Network</a>

Saturday 🏀 HutchCC Women @ Dodge City :&nbsp; 12:45 pm on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">Country 102.9fm</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>; 🖥🎥 KJCCC-<a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/hutchcc/">Blue Dragon Sports Network</a>

🏀 HutchCC Men @ Dodge City : 2:45 pm on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">Country 102.9fm</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>; &nbsp;🖥🎥&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/hutchcc/">Blue Dragon Sports Network</a>

Sunday 🏀 K-State Men's Basketball vs Incarnate &nbsp;Word: 2pm on <a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/ce/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KHMY2">KHMY- My93.1fm</a>

🏈 Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos:&nbsp; on <a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a> @ 2 pm.

🏀 HutchCC Women vs Colby:&nbsp; 5:15 pm on <a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">Country 102.9fm</a>; 🖥🎥 &nbsp;<a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/hutchcc/">Blue Dragon Sports Network</a>

Chiefs Kingdom Show: 7pm on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>

<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw"></a>🏀 HutchCC Men vs Colby : 7:15pm on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">Country 102.9fm</a>;&nbsp;🖥🎥&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/hutchcc/">Blue Dragon Sports Network</a>

Tuesday 🏀 Hutch High Basketball vs Salina South pregame:&nbsp; 5:45 pm at the SAC&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>. 🖥🎥&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamb25b7c7922">NFHS Network</a>

🏀 Hutch High Lady Salthawks vs Salina South Lady Cougars:&nbsp; 6 pm&nbsp; at the SAC on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>.&nbsp;🖥🎥&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamb25b7c7922">NFHS Network</a>

🏀 Hutch High Salthawk Boys vs Salina South Cougars:&nbsp; 7:30 pm&nbsp; at the SAC on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>.&nbsp;🖥🎥&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamb25b7c7922">NFHS Network</a>

Wednesday 🏈 HutchCC Football vs Iowa Western NJCAA National Championship Game : From Little Rock, &nbsp;Arkansas &nbsp;

🏈 Countdown to Kick-Off at 7 pm on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">Country 102.9fm</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>

🏈 Championship Game at &nbsp;8 pm on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">Country 102.9fm</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>

By HUTCH POSTFollowing are the sports programs and events scheduled for Eagle Media Sports Hutchinson (📻&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">Country 102.9 fm</a>, 📻&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>, 📻&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/ce/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KHMY2">KHMY My93.1 fm</a>;&nbsp;🖥🎥 &nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamb25b7c7922">NFHS Network-Hutch</a>&nbsp;or <a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/hutchcc/">KJCCC-Blue Dragon Sports Network</a>) this week.Friday 🏀 Hutch High Basketball vs Buhler pregame:&nbsp; 5:45 pm at the SAC&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>. 🖥🎥 &nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamb25b7c7922">NFHS Network</a> 🏀 Hutch High Lady Salthawks vs Buhler Lady Crusaders:&nbsp; 6 pm&nbsp; at the SAC on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>.&nbsp;🖥🎥&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamb25b7c7922">NFHS Network</a> 🏀 Hutch High Salthawk Boys vs Buhler Crusaders:&nbsp; 7:30 pm&nbsp; at the SAC on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>.&nbsp;🖥🎥&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamb25b7c7922">NFHS Network</a> Saturday 🏀 HutchCC Women @ Dodge City :&nbsp; 12:45 pm on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">Country 102.9fm</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>; 🖥🎥 KJCCC-<a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/hutchcc/">Blue Dragon Sports Network</a>🏀 HutchCC Men @ Dodge City : 2:45 pm on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">Country 102.9fm</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>; &nbsp;🖥🎥&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/hutchcc/">Blue Dragon Sports Network</a>Sunday 🏀 K-State Men's Basketball vs Incarnate &nbsp;Word: 2pm on <a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/ce/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KHMY2">KHMY- My93.1fm</a>🏈 Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos:&nbsp; on <a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a> @ 2 pm.Monday 🏀 HutchCC Women vs Colby:&nbsp; 5:15 pm on <a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">Country 102.9fm</a>; 🖥🎥 &nbsp;<a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/hutchcc/">Blue Dragon Sports Network</a>Chiefs Kingdom Show: 7pm on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a><a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw"></a>🏀 HutchCC Men vs Colby : 7:15pm on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">Country 102.9fm</a>;&nbsp;🖥🎥&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kjcccsports.net/hutchcc/">Blue Dragon Sports Network</a>Tuesday 🏀 Hutch High Basketball vs Salina South pregame:&nbsp; 5:45 pm at the SAC&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>. 🖥🎥&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamb25b7c7922">NFHS Network</a> 🏀 Hutch High Lady Salthawks vs Salina South Lady Cougars:&nbsp; 6 pm&nbsp; at the SAC on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>.&nbsp;🖥🎥&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamb25b7c7922">NFHS Network</a> 🏀 Hutch High Salthawk Boys vs Salina South Cougars:&nbsp; 7:30 pm&nbsp; at the SAC on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>.&nbsp;🖥🎥&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamb25b7c7922">NFHS Network</a>Wednesday 🏈 HutchCC Football vs Iowa Western NJCAA National Championship Game : From Little Rock, &nbsp;Arkansas &nbsp;🏈 Countdown to Kick-Off at 7 pm on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">Country 102.9fm</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>🏈 Championship Game at &nbsp;8 pm on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">Country 102.9fm</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/Kwbw">KWBW 1450am/98.5fm</a>

Sports on Eagle Media Hutch for this week

Brittney Griner back home in US after Russian prisoner swap

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Brittney Griner has returned to the United States, nearly 10 months after the basketball star's detention in Russia made her the most high-profile American jailed abroad and set off a political firestorm. Griner's status as an openly gay Black woman, her prominence in women's basketball and her imprisonment in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community brought tremendous attention to her case. Moscow's invasion of Ukraine after her arrest complicated matters further. A deal announced Thursday saw Griner exchanged for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner was seen getting off a plane that landed Friday in Texas.

Griner freed: WNBA star swapped for Russian, heads home

WASHINGTON (AP) — American basketball star Brittney Griner is heading home, freed from Russian prison in exchange for the U.S. releasing notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Thursday's dramatic action was the culmination of an eight-month saga of high diplomacy and dashed hopes. But the U.S. failed to win freedom for another American, Paul Whelan, jailed in Russia for nearly four years on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government say are baseless. The swap comes at a time of heightened tensions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. And it has brought unprecedented attention to the number of what the U.S. considers wrongful detainees.

Brittney Griner's release celebrated by basketball world

Brittney Griner's loved ones and extended basketball family were ecstatic when news broke about her release from a Russian prison and that she was on her way back to the United States. It has been nearly 300 days since the WNBA star was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in February when customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage. She was convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison in August. Now four months later, she's headed home after the U.S. and Russia had a high-level prisoner exchange Thursday. While it's unclear right now if Griner wants to ever play basketball again, she would be welcomed back with open arms by both the WNBA and USA Basketball. The WNBA season begins May 19.

Baker cooks: Newcomer Mayfield rallies Rams past Vegas 17-16

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Baker Mayfield threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Van Jefferson with 10 seconds to play to cap a 98-yard drive, and the Los Angeles Rams' brand-new quarterback led two TD drives late in the fourth quarter of a shocking 17-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Just two days after the Rams claimed Mayfield off waivers from Carolina, the former No. 1 pick went 22 of 35 for 230 yards and snapped the defending Super Bowl champions' six-game losing streak in dramatic fashion. Josh Jacobs rushed for 99 yards and the only touchdown for the Raiders, whose three-game winning streak ended in humiliating fashion.

USC QB Caleb Williams voted AP Player of the Year

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams is The Associated Press college football player of the year. The sophomore Heisman Trophy favorite is the school's first winner of the award since 2005 with his stellar debut season for the Trojans. Williams received 32 of the 46 first-place votes and 117 total points from AP Top 25 poll voters. TCU quarterback Max Duggan came in second with six first-place votes and 64 points. Williams has passed for 4,075 yards with an FBS-leading 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions this season.

AP source: Nimmo staying with Mets on $162M, 8-year deal

NEW YORK (AP) — Center fielder Brandon Nimmo is staying with the free-spending New York Mets, agreeing to a $162 million, eight-year contract, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement is subject to a successful physical and no announcement had been made. A quality leadoff hitter with a .385 career on-base percentage, Nimmo became a free agent last month for the first time. He was a key performer as the Mets returned to the playoffs this year for the first time since 2016. The left-handed hitter batted .274 with 16 homers and a team-high 102 runs, a career high. Bringing back Nimmo means New York is poised to return its entire everyday lineup intact next year.

House report: Snyder had role in 'toxic' Commanders culture

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Committee on Oversight and Reform says the Washington Commanders created a "toxic work culture" for more than two decades and downplayed sexual misconduct by men at the top levels of the organization. That's according to a report published Thursday. The report also says team owner Dan Snyder was involved in the misconduct, interfered in a separate investigation and was misleading to the House committee. The report also says the NFL minimizes "workplace misconduct across the league." Attorneys for Snyder and the Commanders said the committee's work was "one-sided" and there were "no new revelations."

Ronaldo, Portugal looks to end Morocco's World Cup run

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal team will look to end Morocco's surprising World Cup run that has brought joy to African soccer and the Arab world. Whether Ronaldo starts Saturday's quarterfinal match remains in doubt after he was dropped for Portugal's round-of-16 win over Switzerland. Morocco has secured a spot in the quarterfinals for the first time in a great way to the mark the first World Cup to take place in the Middle East. Morocco is looking to become the first African country to reach the semifinals at soccer's biggest tournament and is the only team from outside Europe or South America to advance to the last eight in Qatar.

Qatar investigating death of worker at World Cup-linked site

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The head of Qatar's World Cup organizing committee says Qatar is investigating the reported death of a migrant worker at a facility connected to the tournament. The Filipino worker reportedly was killed while doing repairs at a resort that had served as the training base for the Saudi team during the World Cup. Qatar has come under heavy scrutiny over conditions for migrant workers who have done the labor in the country's massive building campaign for the World Cup including $200 billion worth of stadiums, metro lines and other infrastructure.

Raiders blow 4th double-digit halftime lead in latest loss

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Thursday night's 17-16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams makes the Las Vegas Raiders the first team to blow four double-digit halftime leads in a season, according to SportRadar, whose records go back to 1930. Seven teams had squandered three halftime leads of 10 points or more, most recently the 2020 Los Angeles Chargers. While Indianapolis' 25-20 victory on Nov. 13 in Jeff Saturday's coaching debut was shocking, Baker Mayfield directing an eight play, 98-yard drive, including a 23-yard touchdown pass to Van Jefferson with 10 seconds remaining, was just as stupefying. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the longest go-ahead TD drive that began in the final two minutes over the last 45 seasons.

<h2>AP Sports Headlines</h2>Brittney Griner back home in US after Russian prisoner swapSAN ANTONIO (AP) — Brittney Griner has returned to the United States, nearly 10 months after the basketball star's detention in Russia made her the most high-profile American jailed abroad and set off a political firestorm. Griner's status as an openly gay Black woman, her prominence in women's basketball and her imprisonment in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community brought tremendous attention to her case. Moscow's invasion of Ukraine after her arrest complicated matters further. A deal announced Thursday saw Griner exchanged for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner was seen getting off a plane that landed Friday in Texas.Griner freed: WNBA star swapped for Russian, heads homeWASHINGTON (AP) — American basketball star Brittney Griner is heading home, freed from Russian prison in exchange for the U.S. releasing notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Thursday's dramatic action was the culmination of an eight-month saga of high diplomacy and dashed hopes. But the U.S. failed to win freedom for another American, Paul Whelan, jailed in Russia for nearly four years on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government say are baseless. The swap comes at a time of heightened tensions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. And it has brought unprecedented attention to the number of what the U.S. considers wrongful detainees.Brittney Griner's release celebrated by basketball worldBrittney Griner's loved ones and extended basketball family were ecstatic when news broke about her release from a Russian prison and that she was on her way back to the United States. It has been nearly 300 days since the WNBA star was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in February when customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage. She was convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison in August. Now four months later, she's headed home after the U.S. and Russia had a high-level prisoner exchange Thursday. While it's unclear right now if Griner wants to ever play basketball again, she would be welcomed back with open arms by both the WNBA and USA Basketball. The WNBA season begins May 19.Baker cooks: Newcomer Mayfield rallies Rams past Vegas 17-16INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Baker Mayfield threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Van Jefferson with 10 seconds to play to cap a 98-yard drive, and the Los Angeles Rams' brand-new quarterback led two TD drives late in the fourth quarter of a shocking 17-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Just two days after the Rams claimed Mayfield off waivers from Carolina, the former No. 1 pick went 22 of 35 for 230 yards and snapped the defending Super Bowl champions' six-game losing streak in dramatic fashion. Josh Jacobs rushed for 99 yards and the only touchdown for the Raiders, whose three-game winning streak ended in humiliating fashion.USC QB Caleb Williams voted AP Player of the YearLOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams is The Associated Press college football player of the year. The sophomore Heisman Trophy favorite is the school's first winner of the award since 2005 with his stellar debut season for the Trojans. Williams received 32 of the 46 first-place votes and 117 total points from AP Top 25 poll voters. TCU quarterback Max Duggan came in second with six first-place votes and 64 points. Williams has passed for 4,075 yards with an FBS-leading 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions this season.AP source: Nimmo staying with Mets on $162M, 8-year dealNEW YORK (AP) — Center fielder Brandon Nimmo is staying with the free-spending New York Mets, agreeing to a $162 million, eight-year contract, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement is subject to a successful physical and no announcement had been made. A quality leadoff hitter with a .385 career on-base percentage, Nimmo became a free agent last month for the first time. He was a key performer as the Mets returned to the playoffs this year for the first time since 2016. The left-handed hitter batted .274 with 16 homers and a team-high 102 runs, a career high. Bringing back Nimmo means New York is poised to return its entire everyday lineup intact next year.House report: Snyder had role in 'toxic' Commanders cultureWASHINGTON (AP) — The House Committee on Oversight and Reform says the Washington Commanders created a "toxic work culture" for more than two decades and downplayed sexual misconduct by men at the top levels of the organization. That's according to a report published Thursday. The report also says team owner Dan Snyder was involved in the misconduct, interfered in a separate investigation and was misleading to the House committee. The report also says the NFL minimizes "workplace misconduct across the league." Attorneys for Snyder and the Commanders said the committee's work was "one-sided" and there were "no new revelations."Ronaldo, Portugal looks to end Morocco's World Cup runDOHA, Qatar (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal team will look to end Morocco's surprising World Cup run that has brought joy to African soccer and the Arab world. Whether Ronaldo starts Saturday's quarterfinal match remains in doubt after he was dropped for Portugal's round-of-16 win over Switzerland. Morocco has secured a spot in the quarterfinals for the first time in a great way to the mark the first World Cup to take place in the Middle East. Morocco is looking to become the first African country to reach the semifinals at soccer's biggest tournament and is the only team from outside Europe or South America to advance to the last eight in Qatar.Qatar investigating death of worker at World Cup-linked siteDOHA, Qatar (AP) — The head of Qatar's World Cup organizing committee says Qatar is investigating the reported death of a migrant worker at a facility connected to the tournament. The Filipino worker reportedly was killed while doing repairs at a resort that had served as the training base for the Saudi team during the World Cup. Qatar has come under heavy scrutiny over conditions for migrant workers who have done the labor in the country's massive building campaign for the World Cup including $200 billion worth of stadiums, metro lines and other infrastructure.Raiders blow 4th double-digit halftime lead in latest lossINGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Thursday night's 17-16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams makes the Las Vegas Raiders the first team to blow four double-digit halftime leads in a season, according to SportRadar, whose records go back to 1930. Seven teams had squandered three halftime leads of 10 points or more, most recently the 2020 Los Angeles Chargers. While Indianapolis' 25-20 victory on Nov. 13 in Jeff Saturday's coaching debut was shocking, Baker Mayfield directing an eight play, 98-yard drive, including a 23-yard touchdown pass to Van Jefferson with 10 seconds remaining, was just as stupefying. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the longest go-ahead TD drive that began in the final two minutes over the last 45 seasons.

Sports Headlines for Friday

Chanute Christian 42, Tyro Community Christian 28

Edmond North, Okla. 58, Wichita Life Prep 39

William Chrisman, Mo. 50, Lawrence Free State 22

Heritage Christian 75, Central Heights 50

Olathe South 67, Lee's Summit North, Mo. 54

Thursday's ScoresThe Associated Press<h2>GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL:</h2>Burlington 65, McCook, Neb. 60Chanute Christian 42, Tyro Community Christian 28Edmond North, Okla. 58, Wichita Life Prep 39Emporia 63, Wichita Trinity 32Farmington, Ark. 59, BV West 23Fort Scott 48, Perry-Lecompton 11Frankfort 52, Wabaunsee 29Goodland 67, Ulysses 26Heritage Christian 34, Iola 26Hesston 47, Garden Plain 35Hillsboro 45, Moundridge 19Hodgeman County 51, Ness City 36Hutchinson Trinity 40, El Dorado 26Independence 39, Mulvane 34Kiowa County 57, Medicine Lodge 28Labette County 72, Wichita Collegiate 17Lakin 37, Norton 34Larned 40, Spearville 34Lyons 46, Inman 40Macksville 48, Kinsley 13Nickerson 48, Rose Hill 29Paola 70, Wellsville 11Parsons 49, Circle 39Pittsburg Colgan 76, St. Paul 58, 6OTPleasanton 45, Osawatomie 14Pratt Skyline 29, Otis-Bison 15Scott City 60, Coronado, Colo. 38Sedgwick 54, Wichita Classical 26South Gray 58, Meade 26Southwestern Hts. 37, Sublette 33Sterling 54, Great Bend 21Topeka Hayden 60, Spring Hill 54Uniontown 40, Erie 30Wellington 53, Pratt 22William Chrisman, Mo. 50, Lawrence Free State 22POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=Oswego vs. Northeast-Arma, ccd.Red Cloud, Neb. vs. Linn, ppd.Thursday's ScoresThe Associated Press<h2>BOYS PREP BASKETBALL:</h2>Blue Valley 56, Ruskin, Mo. 42Cimarron 59, Southwestern Hts. 36Circle 65, Parsons 64Colby 70, Wray, Colo. 62Ellinwood 86, Fairfield 28Emporia 70, Spring Hill 41Heritage Christian 75, Central Heights 50Hesston 62, Garden Plain 30Hillsboro 52, Moundridge 49Hodgeman County 52, Ness City 13Humboldt 47, Crest 35Hutchinson Trinity 61, El Dorado 57Independence 51, Mulvane 32Inman 67, Lyons 31Iola 50, West Franklin 40Jayhawk Linn 35, Prairie View 18KC Schlagle 31, Washburn Rural 5Lakin 51, Goodland 48Larned 52, St. John 38Medicine Lodge 56, Kiowa County 54Olathe South 67, Lee's Summit North, Mo. 54Osawatomie 38, Pleasanton 37Perry-Lecompton 54, Fort Scott 44Pittsburg Colgan 73, St. Paul 46Pratt 47, Wellington 45Pratt Skyline 55, Otis-Bison 35Russell 69, Central Plains 26Scott City 66, Coronado, Colo. 29Sterling 56, Great Bend 50Topeka Hayden 82, Wichita Trinity 45Wabaunsee 59, Frankfort 16Wellsville 61, Paola 41West Elk 62, Neodesha 48Wichita Classical 60, Sedgwick 29Wichita Collegiate 57, Labette County 47POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=Red Cloud, Neb. vs. Linn, ppd.

🏀 High School Scores from Thursday

TUCSON, Ariz. –&nbsp;The Kansas Women’s Basketball team improved to 8-0 on Thursday night after a convincing 77-50 win over the 12th-ranked Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center.

The 27-point win by the Jayhawks ties the program’s largest margin of victory ever against a ranked opponent and marks the team’s first road win over a ranked non-conference opponent since 2013. Kansas and ­Coach Brandon Schneider are now 8-0 for the second time in his eight-year tenure and the first time since the 2019-20 season.

Taiyanna Jackson led the Jayhawks with her fifth double-double in eight games this season, picking up 19 points and a season-high 15 rebounds. Chandler Prater also added 19 points and seven rebounds, while Zakiyah Franklin posted a double-double herself with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

The Jayhawks, who were one spot outside the AP Top 25 in this week’s poll, are now knocking on the door of a national ranking after Thursday’s win. The loss for Arizona was the Wildcats’ first of the season, dropping them to 7-1 on the year.

“They are excited obviously, they understood the challenge that they faced coming into this environment and what an opportunity it was to demonstrate the experience that they have, the toughness they have,” Schneider said. “I think we have a very together group and I think the last few weeks we have been playing defense really connected. Coach Terry (Nooner) had this scout and had a fantastic plan and give the players credit for their follow through and their attention to detail.”

It was a fast-paced start for both teams, before the Jayhawks took control of the big-time early season showdown.

Arizona held an early 17-12 advantage after hitting seven of its first 10 field goal attempts. KU’s defense held the Wildcats scoreless the remainder of the first quarter but only scored two points, trailing 17-14 at the end of 10 minutes.

That defensive intensity for Kansas continued in the second quarter as the Jayhawks held Arizona to just 2-of-15 shooting and five points. The Jayhawks countered with an 8-0 run to take the lead, 28-22, following back-to-back three-pointers from Mia Vuksic.

The Jayhawks took the six-point lead into the locker room at halftime and never saw the game get any closer than that in the second half.

Leading 38-29 just past the midway mark of the third quarter, the Jayhawks meticulously built their lead to 21 by the end of the frame. Prater led the way during that stretch with eight points as Kansas stretched its lead from 38-29 to 54-33 by the end of the third.

The lead got as big as 32 points with 3:10 to play in the game when Franklin hit a layup to make it 75-43.

Kersgieter finished with 11 points for the Jayhawks in the rout, while Jackson added three blocks and two steals to her impressive stat line. Jackson now has 116 blocks in her career, which rank ninth all-time in program history.

Prater was 13-for-13 from the free throw line, which is tied for the most free throws without missing one since the 2009-10 season.

Kansas returns home to Allen Fieldhouse for back-to-back non-conference matchups, beginning on Sunday, Dec. 11, against Wichita State. That game will tip off at 2 p.m. CT and be broadcast on Big 12 NOW via ESPN+.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670586262216.png" alt="KU Women rout Arizona" />
 <figcaption>KU Women rout Arizona</figcaption>
 </figure>TUCSON, Ariz. –&nbsp;The Kansas Women’s Basketball team improved to 8-0 on Thursday night after a convincing 77-50 win over the 12th-ranked Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center.The 27-point win by the Jayhawks ties the program’s largest margin of victory ever against a ranked opponent and marks the team’s first road win over a ranked non-conference opponent since 2013. Kansas and ­Coach Brandon Schneider are now 8-0 for the second time in his eight-year tenure and the first time since the 2019-20 season.Taiyanna Jackson led the Jayhawks with her fifth double-double in eight games this season, picking up 19 points and a season-high 15 rebounds. Chandler Prater also added 19 points and seven rebounds, while Zakiyah Franklin posted a double-double herself with 14 points and 11 rebounds.The Jayhawks, who were one spot outside the AP Top 25 in this week’s poll, are now knocking on the door of a national ranking after Thursday’s win. The loss for Arizona was the Wildcats’ first of the season, dropping them to 7-1 on the year.“They are excited obviously, they understood the challenge that they faced coming into this environment and what an opportunity it was to demonstrate the experience that they have, the toughness they have,” Schneider said. “I think we have a very together group and I think the last few weeks we have been playing defense really connected. Coach Terry (Nooner) had this scout and had a fantastic plan and give the players credit for their follow through and their attention to detail.”It was a fast-paced start for both teams, before the Jayhawks took control of the big-time early season showdown.Arizona held an early 17-12 advantage after hitting seven of its first 10 field goal attempts. KU’s defense held the Wildcats scoreless the remainder of the first quarter but only scored two points, trailing 17-14 at the end of 10 minutes.That defensive intensity for Kansas continued in the second quarter as the Jayhawks held Arizona to just 2-of-15 shooting and five points. The Jayhawks countered with an 8-0 run to take the lead, 28-22, following back-to-back three-pointers from Mia Vuksic.The Jayhawks took the six-point lead into the locker room at halftime and never saw the game get any closer than that in the second half.Leading 38-29 just past the midway mark of the third quarter, the Jayhawks meticulously built their lead to 21 by the end of the frame. Prater led the way during that stretch with eight points as Kansas stretched its lead from 38-29 to 54-33 by the end of the third.The lead got as big as 32 points with 3:10 to play in the game when Franklin hit a layup to make it 75-43.Kersgieter finished with 11 points for the Jayhawks in the rout, while Jackson added three blocks and two steals to her impressive stat line. Jackson now has 116 blocks in her career, which rank ninth all-time in program history.Prater was 13-for-13 from the free throw line, which is tied for the most free throws without missing one since the 2009-10 season.Up NextKansas returns home to Allen Fieldhouse for back-to-back non-conference matchups, beginning on Sunday, Dec. 11, against Wichita State. That game will tip off at 2 p.m. CT and be broadcast on Big 12 NOW via ESPN+.

🏀 WBB: Jayhawks rout 12th-ranked Wildcats

ST. LOUIS –&nbsp;Wichita State held off a furious Saint Louis rally in the fourth quarter to record its seventh straight win, defeating the Billikens, 77-74, Thursday night. Wichita State moved to 8-1 on the season, making it the best start in school history and will put its win streak on the line this weekend in Lawrence against the unbeaten Jayhawks. Wichita State almost squandered a 27-point lead in the second half, but was able to make just enough stops to hang on. <a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/curtessia-dean/7199">Curtessia Dean</a>&nbsp;had her best game of the season, posting her first double-double as a Shocker. Her 18 points and 10 rebounds were both season highs, along with an efficient night from the field, going 8-for-13. <a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jane-asinde/7152">Jane Asinde</a>&nbsp;registered her fourth double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while dishing out a career-high five assists. <a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/dj-mccarty/7157">DJ McCarty</a>&nbsp;recorded her fourth straight game in double figures with 16 points.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/shamaryah-duncan/7156">Shamaryah Duncan</a>&nbsp;returned to the lineup after missing the last three games and added 10 points. Wichita State was shooting better than 50 percent from the field for much of the game, but finished at 48 percent. Free throws nearly cost Wichita State as well, finishing 19-of-30 at the line. The story of the second half was turnovers. Sixteen of Wichita State's 21 turnovers came after halftime. Saint Louis finished the game outscoring Wichita State in points off turnovers, 25-20. Wichita State came out firing on all cylinders, as they raced out to an 11-4 lead behind seven points from Dean. Following a&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/nhug-bosch-duran/7153">Nhug Bosch Duran</a>&nbsp;triple from the top of the key and a&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jane-asinde/7152">Jane Asinde</a>&nbsp;layup, that lead grew to 16-4 with 3:46 to go in the opening quarter. Asinde nearly had a double-double in the first quarter, as she posted seven points and seven rebounds. The duo of Asinde and Dean combined for 14 of Wichita State's 21 points, and they led the Billikens by 10. The second quarter would be much of the same for the visitors. Wichita State outscored Saint Louis, 21-9, in the period and scoreless for the final 2:05 of the half. The Shockers carried a 42-20 lead into the locker room behind 27 combined points for Dean (14) and Asinde (13). Wichita State converted on 50 percent of its field goal attempts and outrebounded the Billikens by 11. Defensively, the Shockers held Saint Louis to 9-of-31 from the floor and 2-of-15 from beyond the arc. Eight first half turnovers for Saint Louis aren't a large amount by any stretch, but they were costly. Those eight miscues turned into 14 points on the other end for Wichita State. After Wichita State grabbed its largest lead of 27, Saint Louis clawed back within 16 behind an 11-0 run. With the Shockers in a cold spell on the offensive end, Dean put an end to the drought with a tough bucket inside. Her score led to six straight points for Wichita State to stretch the lead back to 22. Saint Louis would not quit as they scored five consecutive points to end the quarter to make it 62-45. &nbsp;Things got interesting real quick in the fourth quarter. At the 5:00 mark, Saint Louis cut the margin to single digits. Behind a 13-1 run, the Billikens made it 72-69 and still 2:06 remaining. A pair of Asinde free throws stopped the bleeding briefly. With less than 30 seconds on the clock, Wichita State held a 76-69 lead only to see Saint Louis connect on a triple to make it 76-72. Asinde then missed both free throws on the ensuing possession, which turned into a SLU layup.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/ornella-niankan/7200">Ornella Niankan</a>&nbsp;split two free throws with 9.7 seconds to go, giving the Billikens one last shot at a tie, but they failed to get a shot off. Wichita State exhaled as the final buzzer sounded and a three-point win. Up Next Wichita State hits the road for the final time in 2022 with an in-state showdown at Kansas on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 2 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670585999235.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>ST. LOUIS –&nbsp;Wichita State held off a furious Saint Louis rally in the fourth quarter to record its seventh straight win, defeating the Billikens, 77-74, Thursday night. Wichita State moved to 8-1 on the season, making it the best start in school history and will put its win streak on the line this weekend in Lawrence against the unbeaten Jayhawks. Wichita State almost squandered a 27-point lead in the second half, but was able to make just enough stops to hang on. <a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/curtessia-dean/7199">Curtessia Dean</a>&nbsp;had her best game of the season, posting her first double-double as a Shocker. Her 18 points and 10 rebounds were both season highs, along with an efficient night from the field, going 8-for-13. <a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jane-asinde/7152">Jane Asinde</a>&nbsp;registered her fourth double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while dishing out a career-high five assists. <a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/dj-mccarty/7157">DJ McCarty</a>&nbsp;recorded her fourth straight game in double figures with 16 points.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/shamaryah-duncan/7156">Shamaryah Duncan</a>&nbsp;returned to the lineup after missing the last three games and added 10 points. Wichita State was shooting better than 50 percent from the field for much of the game, but finished at 48 percent. Free throws nearly cost Wichita State as well, finishing 19-of-30 at the line. The story of the second half was turnovers. Sixteen of Wichita State's 21 turnovers came after halftime. Saint Louis finished the game outscoring Wichita State in points off turnovers, 25-20. Wichita State came out firing on all cylinders, as they raced out to an 11-4 lead behind seven points from Dean. Following a&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/nhug-bosch-duran/7153">Nhug Bosch Duran</a>&nbsp;triple from the top of the key and a&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jane-asinde/7152">Jane Asinde</a>&nbsp;layup, that lead grew to 16-4 with 3:46 to go in the opening quarter. Asinde nearly had a double-double in the first quarter, as she posted seven points and seven rebounds. The duo of Asinde and Dean combined for 14 of Wichita State's 21 points, and they led the Billikens by 10. The second quarter would be much of the same for the visitors. Wichita State outscored Saint Louis, 21-9, in the period and scoreless for the final 2:05 of the half. The Shockers carried a 42-20 lead into the locker room behind 27 combined points for Dean (14) and Asinde (13). Wichita State converted on 50 percent of its field goal attempts and outrebounded the Billikens by 11. Defensively, the Shockers held Saint Louis to 9-of-31 from the floor and 2-of-15 from beyond the arc. Eight first half turnovers for Saint Louis aren't a large amount by any stretch, but they were costly. Those eight miscues turned into 14 points on the other end for Wichita State. After Wichita State grabbed its largest lead of 27, Saint Louis clawed back within 16 behind an 11-0 run. With the Shockers in a cold spell on the offensive end, Dean put an end to the drought with a tough bucket inside. Her score led to six straight points for Wichita State to stretch the lead back to 22. Saint Louis would not quit as they scored five consecutive points to end the quarter to make it 62-45. &nbsp;Things got interesting real quick in the fourth quarter. At the 5:00 mark, Saint Louis cut the margin to single digits. Behind a 13-1 run, the Billikens made it 72-69 and still 2:06 remaining. A pair of Asinde free throws stopped the bleeding briefly. With less than 30 seconds on the clock, Wichita State held a 76-69 lead only to see Saint Louis connect on a triple to make it 76-72. Asinde then missed both free throws on the ensuing possession, which turned into a SLU layup.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/ornella-niankan/7200">Ornella Niankan</a>&nbsp;split two free throws with 9.7 seconds to go, giving the Billikens one last shot at a tie, but they failed to get a shot off. Wichita State exhaled as the final buzzer sounded and a three-point win. Up Next Wichita State hits the road for the final time in 2022 with an in-state showdown at Kansas on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 2 p.m.

🏀  WBB Wichita State holds off Saint Louis for seventh straight win

TOPEKA, Kan.&nbsp;-&nbsp;Five individuals have been selected for induction into the Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame Class of 2023. Awards will be presented during 2023 in conjunction with a KSHSAA-sponsored state function/ championship, or locally at the inductee's request. The time and location of each induction ceremony will be announced at a later date at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kshsaa.org/">www.kshsaa.org</a>.

<a href="https://kshsaacovered.com/news/2022/12/7/2023HOFRelease.aspx">For full release with pictures click here.</a>

The Class of 2023 Hall of Fame inductees include:

Kenneth Brown, Independence – Faculty The Independence High School tennis coach for 23 years, Kenneth Brown may be dubbed “Mr. Tennis of Independence.” In his time, he led Independence to five team state championships (2006, 2007, 2008, and 2014). Along the way he also guided five individuals to state championships. In 1992, Brown began coaching the boy’s squad and then picked up coaching the girl’s team in 2008. He would go on to coach both teams until 2014. Before his time at the high school, Brown was the head coach of the Independence Community College tennis team from 1968-1991. Brown was named the boys coach of the year by the Kansas Coaches Association in 1999 and 2006 and was named the 5A boys coach of the year in 1998, 4A in 2001, 2004, 2008 and 2010. On the girl’s side, Brown was named coach of the year in 2013 and the 4A coach of the year in 2009, 2012, and 2014.

David Cherry, Buhler – Administrator During his 22-year career with the KSHSAA, Cherry filled his summers with Student Council Leadership Workshops for which he administered hundreds of students each year. In addition, he was responsible each August for organizing the KSHSAA Coaching School, a coaching clinic held annually for 85 years.&nbsp; While administering swimming and diving Cherry watched the state championship grow from one class to two classes for both boys and girls. In soccer the boys program grew from two classes to three and the girls from one to three classes competing for a state championship. Cherry served on the NFHS Coaches Education Committee, NFHS Coaches Association Advisory Committee, and the NFHS Records Committee. A native of Wichita, Cherry began his career as a health and physical education teacher and coach at Emporia-Lowther Middle School and Emporia High School.&nbsp; He later had stops in Whitewater-Remington HS and Ellis High School where he was also the athletic director prior to joining the Association staff.

Patricia Grzenda, Lawrence – Faculty The swimming and diving coach from Lawrence High School and Lawrence-Free State High School, Patricia Grzenda defined the sport in Lawrence for 23 years. In 1978, Grzenda began coaching the Chesty Lions and eventually took on the Firebirds until her retirement in 2001. It is understood during her coaching career her teams accomplished a .850 winning percentage, 10 league championships, eight State Championships (seven girls, one boys). From 1989 to 1994, no other school hoisted the girl’s state championship trophy. During her stretch as the girls coach at Lawrence she guided her athletes to 27 gold medals. In 1995, she was awarded the National Federation of Interscholastic Coaches Association National Boys Swimming Coach of the Year. Grzenda was also named the Kansas Coaches Association Boys Swimming Coach of the Year in 1997 and 2001. In 2004, she was given the Kansas Master Teacher Award for her dedication and innovation in adaptive physical education.&nbsp;

Bo Maynes, Norman, OK – Student Bo Maynes accomplished perfection in the sport of wrestling during his time at Salina South High School. During his four-year career he tallied 130 wins and zero losses. His freshman year began with 30 wins, followed by 32, 38 and 30 to round out the unblemished career. The undefeated career is only the third all-time in the state of Kansas. According to his high school coach Bob Warkentine, the four-time state champion was never taken down. Maynes was a state champion at 100, 112, 119 and 125 pounds. All championships came at the class 5A level. Nationally, Bo was a five-time high school All-American in freestyle and won a Junior National title in 1996 and was a runner-up in 1998. Maynes was also an 11-time Kansas Kids Federation Champion. After high school, Maynes went to Oklahoma University where he became a Big 12 Champion in 2003 and four-year letter winner. Maynes continued his wrestling influence coaching at Norman High School in Oklahoma.

Douglas Vander Linden, Burlington (Posthumously) – Faculty A passion that grew and grew, the former wrestling coach at Burlington High School, Douglas Vander Linden made a lasting impact on the sport throughout the state. For 32 years Vander Linden lead the high school wrestling program for the Wildcats where he tallied a 473-181 dual record. Eighty-six athletes qualified for state under his leadership resulting in 38 state placers and three state champions. In 2005 he was named the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year and the NFHS State Coach of the Year. Vander Linden was very involved in the leadership of the KWCA, serving as president for two years, vice president for two years and treasurer for 18 years. His leadership in KWCA was key towards the sanctioning of girls wrestling. In addition to high school wrestling, Vander Linden also coached the middle school team, a program which he started. In August of 2022, Douglas Vander Linden finished his fight with stage four cancer and other illnesses, remembered as a champion for kids.

The Hall of Fame is housed in the Kansas State High School Activities Association offices, 601 SW Commerce Place in Topeka and is open Monday–Friday during business hours (directions at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kshsaa.org/">www.kshsaa.org</a>).&nbsp; The Hall of Fame is also available via the KSHSAA “Gallery of Champions” at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kshsaachamps.org/">http://www.kshsaachamps.org/</a>.

The honorees were chosen from nominations reviewed by a selection committee.&nbsp; To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, an individual must have made an unusually outstanding contribution in interschool activities, either as a student with exceptional talent, or as an adult working with youth (such as an activity coach, director or sponsor, an administrator, an official or a contributor).&nbsp; Hall of Fame inductees may no longer be active in the field for which they are nominated (exception: contributor with over 30 years of outstanding service).

Each year schools and communities throughout Kansas submit many nominations of individuals who have made tremendous contributions in the field of interschool activities. Hall of Fame information is available on the KSHSAA website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kshsaa.org/">www.kshsaa.org</a>. Nomination forms are available by contacting the KSHSAA.&nbsp; Any nominations to be considered for induction in 2024 must be submitted prior to November 1, 2023.

KSHSAATOPEKA, Kan.&nbsp;-&nbsp;Five individuals have been selected for induction into the Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame Class of 2023. Awards will be presented during 2023 in conjunction with a KSHSAA-sponsored state function/ championship, or locally at the inductee's request. The time and location of each induction ceremony will be announced at a later date at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kshsaa.org/">www.kshsaa.org</a>.<a href="https://kshsaacovered.com/news/2022/12/7/2023HOFRelease.aspx">For full release with pictures click here.</a>The Class of 2023 Hall of Fame inductees include:Kenneth Brown, Independence – Faculty The Independence High School tennis coach for 23 years, Kenneth Brown may be dubbed “Mr. Tennis of Independence.” In his time, he led Independence to five team state championships (2006, 2007, 2008, and 2014). Along the way he also guided five individuals to state championships. In 1992, Brown began coaching the boy’s squad and then picked up coaching the girl’s team in 2008. He would go on to coach both teams until 2014. Before his time at the high school, Brown was the head coach of the Independence Community College tennis team from 1968-1991. Brown was named the boys coach of the year by the Kansas Coaches Association in 1999 and 2006 and was named the 5A boys coach of the year in 1998, 4A in 2001, 2004, 2008 and 2010. On the girl’s side, Brown was named coach of the year in 2013 and the 4A coach of the year in 2009, 2012, and 2014.David Cherry, Buhler – Administrator During his 22-year career with the KSHSAA, Cherry filled his summers with Student Council Leadership Workshops for which he administered hundreds of students each year. In addition, he was responsible each August for organizing the KSHSAA Coaching School, a coaching clinic held annually for 85 years.&nbsp; While administering swimming and diving Cherry watched the state championship grow from one class to two classes for both boys and girls. In soccer the boys program grew from two classes to three and the girls from one to three classes competing for a state championship. Cherry served on the NFHS Coaches Education Committee, NFHS Coaches Association Advisory Committee, and the NFHS Records Committee. A native of Wichita, Cherry began his career as a health and physical education teacher and coach at Emporia-Lowther Middle School and Emporia High School.&nbsp; He later had stops in Whitewater-Remington HS and Ellis High School where he was also the athletic director prior to joining the Association staff.Patricia Grzenda, Lawrence – Faculty The swimming and diving coach from Lawrence High School and Lawrence-Free State High School, Patricia Grzenda defined the sport in Lawrence for 23 years. In 1978, Grzenda began coaching the Chesty Lions and eventually took on the Firebirds until her retirement in 2001. It is understood during her coaching career her teams accomplished a .850 winning percentage, 10 league championships, eight State Championships (seven girls, one boys). From 1989 to 1994, no other school hoisted the girl’s state championship trophy. During her stretch as the girls coach at Lawrence she guided her athletes to 27 gold medals. In 1995, she was awarded the National Federation of Interscholastic Coaches Association National Boys Swimming Coach of the Year. Grzenda was also named the Kansas Coaches Association Boys Swimming Coach of the Year in 1997 and 2001. In 2004, she was given the Kansas Master Teacher Award for her dedication and innovation in adaptive physical education.&nbsp;Bo Maynes, Norman, OK – Student Bo Maynes accomplished perfection in the sport of wrestling during his time at Salina South High School. During his four-year career he tallied 130 wins and zero losses. His freshman year began with 30 wins, followed by 32, 38 and 30 to round out the unblemished career. The undefeated career is only the third all-time in the state of Kansas. According to his high school coach Bob Warkentine, the four-time state champion was never taken down. Maynes was a state champion at 100, 112, 119 and 125 pounds. All championships came at the class 5A level. Nationally, Bo was a five-time high school All-American in freestyle and won a Junior National title in 1996 and was a runner-up in 1998. Maynes was also an 11-time Kansas Kids Federation Champion. After high school, Maynes went to Oklahoma University where he became a Big 12 Champion in 2003 and four-year letter winner. Maynes continued his wrestling influence coaching at Norman High School in Oklahoma.Douglas Vander Linden, Burlington (Posthumously) – Faculty A passion that grew and grew, the former wrestling coach at Burlington High School, Douglas Vander Linden made a lasting impact on the sport throughout the state. For 32 years Vander Linden lead the high school wrestling program for the Wildcats where he tallied a 473-181 dual record. Eighty-six athletes qualified for state under his leadership resulting in 38 state placers and three state champions. In 2005 he was named the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year and the NFHS State Coach of the Year. Vander Linden was very involved in the leadership of the KWCA, serving as president for two years, vice president for two years and treasurer for 18 years. His leadership in KWCA was key towards the sanctioning of girls wrestling. In addition to high school wrestling, Vander Linden also coached the middle school team, a program which he started. In August of 2022, Douglas Vander Linden finished his fight with stage four cancer and other illnesses, remembered as a champion for kids.The Hall of Fame is housed in the Kansas State High School Activities Association offices, 601 SW Commerce Place in Topeka and is open Monday–Friday during business hours (directions at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kshsaa.org/">www.kshsaa.org</a>).&nbsp; The Hall of Fame is also available via the KSHSAA “Gallery of Champions” at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kshsaachamps.org/">http://www.kshsaachamps.org/</a>.The honorees were chosen from nominations reviewed by a selection committee.&nbsp; To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, an individual must have made an unusually outstanding contribution in interschool activities, either as a student with exceptional talent, or as an adult working with youth (such as an activity coach, director or sponsor, an administrator, an official or a contributor).&nbsp; Hall of Fame inductees may no longer be active in the field for which they are nominated (exception: contributor with over 30 years of outstanding service).Each year schools and communities throughout Kansas submit many nominations of individuals who have made tremendous contributions in the field of interschool activities. Hall of Fame information is available on the KSHSAA website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kshsaa.org/">www.kshsaa.org</a>. Nomination forms are available by contacting the KSHSAA.&nbsp; Any nominations to be considered for induction in 2024 must be submitted prior to November 1, 2023.

Buhler man among KSHSAA Hall of Fame inductees

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia freed WNBA star&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/brittney-griner">Brittney Griner</a>&nbsp;on Thursday in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange, with the U.S. releasing notorious Russian arms dealer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=viktor+bout+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;oq=viktor+&amp;aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j46i433i512l2j0i433i512j0i131i433i512l2j46i433i512j0i433i512l2.1068j0j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Viktor Bout</a>, American and Russian officials said. The swap, at a time of heightened tensions over Ukraine, achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden, but carried a heavy price — and left behind an American jailed for nearly four years in Russia.

Click below watch the statement from the President and Cherelle Griner.

The deal, the second such exchange in eight months with Russia, procured the release of the most prominent American detained abroad. Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist whose monthslong imprisonment on drug charges brought unprecedented attention to the population of wrongful detainees.

Biden's authorization to release a Russian felon once nicknamed “the Merchant of Death" underscored the escalating pressure that his administration faced to get Griner home, particularly after the recent resolution of her criminal case and her&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=brittney+griner+apnews+penal+colony&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;oq=brittney+griner+apnews+penal+colony&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j33i160j33i299l2.4982j0j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">subsequent transfer to a penal colony.</a>

The swap was confirmed by U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations who were not authorized to publicly discuss the deal before a White House announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity. Biden spoke with Griner on the phone Thursday while her wife, Cherelle, was in the Oval Office. The president was to address reporters later in the morning.

“Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home,” Biden tweeted.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also confirmed the swap, saying in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the exchange took place in Abu-Dhabi and that Bout has been flown home

Russian and U.S. officials had conveyed cautious optimism in recent weeks after months of strained negotiations,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=biden+apnews+hopeful+griner&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;sxsrf=ALiCzsaPtI5zlZPVtSI7pfSj2KywAlWLRA%3A1670495004369&amp;ei=HLuRY5eNFoShptQPpPmByA4&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiXi9bq5un7AhWEkIkEHaR8AOkQ4dUDCBA&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=biden+apnews+hopeful+griner&amp;gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQAzoKCAAQRxDWBBCwAzoFCCEQoAE6BQghEKsCSgQIQRgASgQIRhgAULkDWOIIYLcJaAFwAXgAgAFqiAHMBJIBAzYuMZgBAKABAcgBCMABAQ&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp">with Biden saying in November</a>&nbsp;that he was hopeful that Russia would engage in a deal now that the midterm elections were completed. A top Russian official&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-entertainment-sports-moscow-paul-whelan-1606112a3e89f85be2deecc0e476d333">said last week</a>&nbsp;that a deal was possible before year's end.

Even so, the fact that the deal was a one-for-one swap was a surprise given that U.S. officials had for months expressed their their determination to bring home both Griner and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/paul-whelan">Paul Whelan,</a>&nbsp;a Michigan corporate security executive jailed in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government has said are baseless.

In releasing Bout, the U.S. freed a a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel whom the Justice Department once described as one of the world's most prolific arms dealers. Bout, whose exploits inspired a Hollywood movie, was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons that U.S officials said were to be used against Americans.

The Biden administration was ultimately willing to exchange Bout if it meant Griner's freedom. The detention of one of the greatest players in WNBA history contributed to a swirl of unprecedented public attention for an individual detainee case — not to mention intense pressure on the White House.

Griner’s arrest in February made her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-sports-europe-basketball-arrests-c8796efac2149da8d097b7fce98b6332">the most high-profile American jailed abroad</a>. Her status as an openly gay Black woman, locked up in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community, infused racial, gender and social dynamics into her legal saga and made each development a matter of international importance.

Her case not only brought unprecedented publicity to the dozens of Americans wrongfully detained by foreign governments, but it also emerged as a major inflection point in U.S.-Russia diplomacy at a time of deteriorating relations prompted by Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

The exchange was carried out despite deteriorating relations between the powers. But the imprisonment of Americans produced a rare diplomatic opening, yielding the highest-level known contact between Washington and Moscow —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-moscow-antony-blinken-sergey-lavrov-paul-whelan-54d694915c7c6c7222d2bb8893f93b04">a phone call between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov</a>&nbsp;— in more than five months.

In an extraordinary move during otherwise secret negotiations,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=substantial+proposal+blinken+apnews+eric+tucker&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;oq=substantial+proposal+blinken+apnews+eric+tucker&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57.5839j1j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Blinken revealed publicly</a>&nbsp;in July that the U.S. had made a “substantial proposal” to Russia for Griner and Whelan. Though he did not specify the terms, people familiar with it said the U.S. had offered Bout.

Such a public overture drew a chiding rebuke from the Russians, who said they preferred to resolve such cases in private, and carried the risk of weakening the U.S. government's negotiating hand for this and future deals by making the administration appear too desperate. But the announcement was also meant to communicate to the public that Biden was doing what he could and to ensure pressure on the Russians.

Besides the efforts of U.S. officials, the release also followed months of backchannel negotiations involving Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a frequent emissary in hostage talks, and his top deputy Mickey Bergman. The men had made multiple trips abroad in the last year to discuss swap scenarios with Russian contacts.

Griner was arrested at the Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in February when customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-russia-trial-live-updates-bc4c1d9efd490eed0eb522c8c59e9197">She pleaded guilty in July</a>, though still faced trial because admitting guilt in Russia's judicial system does not automatically end a case.

She acknowledged in court that she possessed the canisters, but said she had no criminal intent and said their presence in her luggage was due to hasty packing.

<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=griner+sentenced+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;oq=griner+sentenced+apnews+&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j33i160l4.3326j0j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Before being sentenced on Aug. 4</a>&nbsp;and receiving a punishment her lawyers said was out of line for the offense, an emotional Griner apologized "for my mistake that I made and the embarrassment that I brought on them.” She added: “I hope in your ruling it does not end my life.”

Her supporters had largely stayed quiet for weeks after her arrest, but that approach changed in May once the State Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-sports-business-phoenix-mercury-united-states-b6aaaeee14b825bd247e2d853a9d708c">designated her as unlawfully detained</a>. A separate trade, Marine veteran&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-united-states-prisoner-exchange-8fd1e58e690350019c7aab55af41bbbf">Trevor Reed for Konstantin Yaroshenko</a>, a Russian pilot convicted in the U.S. in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy, spurred hope that additional such exchanges could be in the works.

Whelan has been held in Russia since December 2018. The U.S. government also classified him as wrongfully detained. He was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison.

Whelan was not included in the Reed prisoner swap, escalating pressure on the Biden administration to ensure that any deal that brought home Griner also included him.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia freed WNBA star&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/brittney-griner">Brittney Griner</a>&nbsp;on Thursday in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange, with the U.S. releasing notorious Russian arms dealer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=viktor+bout+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;oq=viktor+&amp;aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j46i433i512l2j0i433i512j0i131i433i512l2j46i433i512j0i433i512l2.1068j0j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Viktor Bout</a>, American officials said. The swap, at a time of heightened tensions over Ukraine, achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden, but carried a heavy price — and left behind an American jailed for nearly four years in Russia.

The swap was confirmed by U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations who were not authorized to publicly discuss the deal before a White House announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670507113243.png" alt="President Biden and Brittney Griner's wife Cherelle announced the release at the White House early Thursday- White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Biden and Brittney Griner's wife Cherelle announced the release at the White House early Thursday- White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia freed WNBA star&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/brittney-griner">Brittney Griner</a>&nbsp;on Thursday in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange, with the U.S. releasing notorious Russian arms dealer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=viktor+bout+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;oq=viktor+&amp;aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j46i433i512l2j0i433i512j0i131i433i512l2j46i433i512j0i433i512l2.1068j0j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Viktor Bout</a>, American and Russian officials said. The swap, at a time of heightened tensions over Ukraine, achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden, but carried a heavy price — and left behind an American jailed for nearly four years in Russia.Click below watch the statement from the President and Cherelle Griner.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F555056142652788%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=68" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The deal, the second such exchange in eight months with Russia, procured the release of the most prominent American detained abroad. Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist whose monthslong imprisonment on drug charges brought unprecedented attention to the population of wrongful detainees.Biden's authorization to release a Russian felon once nicknamed “the Merchant of Death" underscored the escalating pressure that his administration faced to get Griner home, particularly after the recent resolution of her criminal case and her&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=brittney+griner+apnews+penal+colony&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;oq=brittney+griner+apnews+penal+colony&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j33i160j33i299l2.4982j0j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">subsequent transfer to a penal colony.</a>The swap was confirmed by U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations who were not authorized to publicly discuss the deal before a White House announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity. Biden spoke with Griner on the phone Thursday while her wife, Cherelle, was in the Oval Office. The president was to address reporters later in the morning.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home. <a href="https://t.co/FmHgfzrcDT">pic.twitter.com/FmHgfzrcDT</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1600841306560937986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home,” Biden tweeted.The Russian Foreign Ministry also confirmed the swap, saying in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the exchange took place in Abu-Dhabi and that Bout has been flown homeRussian and U.S. officials had conveyed cautious optimism in recent weeks after months of strained negotiations,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=biden+apnews+hopeful+griner&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;sxsrf=ALiCzsaPtI5zlZPVtSI7pfSj2KywAlWLRA%3A1670495004369&amp;ei=HLuRY5eNFoShptQPpPmByA4&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiXi9bq5un7AhWEkIkEHaR8AOkQ4dUDCBA&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=biden+apnews+hopeful+griner&amp;gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQAzoKCAAQRxDWBBCwAzoFCCEQoAE6BQghEKsCSgQIQRgASgQIRhgAULkDWOIIYLcJaAFwAXgAgAFqiAHMBJIBAzYuMZgBAKABAcgBCMABAQ&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp">with Biden saying in November</a>&nbsp;that he was hopeful that Russia would engage in a deal now that the midterm elections were completed. A top Russian official&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-entertainment-sports-moscow-paul-whelan-1606112a3e89f85be2deecc0e476d333">said last week</a>&nbsp;that a deal was possible before year's end.Even so, the fact that the deal was a one-for-one swap was a surprise given that U.S. officials had for months expressed their their determination to bring home both Griner and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/paul-whelan">Paul Whelan,</a>&nbsp;a Michigan corporate security executive jailed in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government has said are baseless.In releasing Bout, the U.S. freed a a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel whom the Justice Department once described as one of the world's most prolific arms dealers. Bout, whose exploits inspired a Hollywood movie, was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons that U.S officials said were to be used against Americans.The Biden administration was ultimately willing to exchange Bout if it meant Griner's freedom. The detention of one of the greatest players in WNBA history contributed to a swirl of unprecedented public attention for an individual detainee case — not to mention intense pressure on the White House.Griner’s arrest in February made her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-sports-europe-basketball-arrests-c8796efac2149da8d097b7fce98b6332">the most high-profile American jailed abroad</a>. Her status as an openly gay Black woman, locked up in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community, infused racial, gender and social dynamics into her legal saga and made each development a matter of international importance.Her case not only brought unprecedented publicity to the dozens of Americans wrongfully detained by foreign governments, but it also emerged as a major inflection point in U.S.-Russia diplomacy at a time of deteriorating relations prompted by Moscow’s war against Ukraine.The exchange was carried out despite deteriorating relations between the powers. But the imprisonment of Americans produced a rare diplomatic opening, yielding the highest-level known contact between Washington and Moscow —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-moscow-antony-blinken-sergey-lavrov-paul-whelan-54d694915c7c6c7222d2bb8893f93b04">a phone call between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov</a>&nbsp;— in more than five months.In an extraordinary move during otherwise secret negotiations,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=substantial+proposal+blinken+apnews+eric+tucker&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;oq=substantial+proposal+blinken+apnews+eric+tucker&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57.5839j1j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Blinken revealed publicly</a>&nbsp;in July that the U.S. had made a “substantial proposal” to Russia for Griner and Whelan. Though he did not specify the terms, people familiar with it said the U.S. had offered Bout.Such a public overture drew a chiding rebuke from the Russians, who said they preferred to resolve such cases in private, and carried the risk of weakening the U.S. government's negotiating hand for this and future deals by making the administration appear too desperate. But the announcement was also meant to communicate to the public that Biden was doing what he could and to ensure pressure on the Russians.Besides the efforts of U.S. officials, the release also followed months of backchannel negotiations involving Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a frequent emissary in hostage talks, and his top deputy Mickey Bergman. The men had made multiple trips abroad in the last year to discuss swap scenarios with Russian contacts.Griner was arrested at the Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in February when customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-russia-trial-live-updates-bc4c1d9efd490eed0eb522c8c59e9197">She pleaded guilty in July</a>, though still faced trial because admitting guilt in Russia's judicial system does not automatically end a case.She acknowledged in court that she possessed the canisters, but said she had no criminal intent and said their presence in her luggage was due to hasty packing.<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=griner+sentenced+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;oq=griner+sentenced+apnews+&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j33i160l4.3326j0j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Before being sentenced on Aug. 4</a>&nbsp;and receiving a punishment her lawyers said was out of line for the offense, an emotional Griner apologized "for my mistake that I made and the embarrassment that I brought on them.” She added: “I hope in your ruling it does not end my life.”Her supporters had largely stayed quiet for weeks after her arrest, but that approach changed in May once the State Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-sports-business-phoenix-mercury-united-states-b6aaaeee14b825bd247e2d853a9d708c">designated her as unlawfully detained</a>. A separate trade, Marine veteran&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-united-states-prisoner-exchange-8fd1e58e690350019c7aab55af41bbbf">Trevor Reed for Konstantin Yaroshenko</a>, a Russian pilot convicted in the U.S. in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy, spurred hope that additional such exchanges could be in the works.Whelan has been held in Russia since December 2018. The U.S. government also classified him as wrongfully detained. He was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison.Whelan was not included in the Reed prisoner swap, escalating pressure on the Biden administration to ensure that any deal that brought home Griner also included him.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670505370314.png" alt="FILE - WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner, 31, is escorted from a courtroom after a hearing in Khimki just outside Moscow, on Aug. 4, 2022.&nbsp;Griner, 31, is one of the most recognizable players in women’s basketball and won a&nbsp; NCAA championship and was a three-time Big 12 Player of the year at Baylor-photo courtesy Phoenix Mercury (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner, 31, is escorted from a courtroom after a hearing in Khimki just outside Moscow, on Aug. 4, 2022.&nbsp;Griner, 31, is one of the most recognizable players in women’s basketball and won a&nbsp; NCAA championship and was a three-time Big 12 Player of the year at Baylor-photo courtesy Phoenix Mercury (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia freed WNBA star&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/brittney-griner">Brittney Griner</a>&nbsp;on Thursday in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange, with the U.S. releasing notorious Russian arms dealer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=viktor+bout+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;oq=viktor+&amp;aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j46i433i512l2j0i433i512j0i131i433i512l2j46i433i512j0i433i512l2.1068j0j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Viktor Bout</a>, American officials said. The swap, at a time of heightened tensions over Ukraine, achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden, but carried a heavy price — and left behind an American jailed for nearly four years in Russia.The deal, the second such exchange in eight months with Russia, procured the release of the most prominent American detained abroad. Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist whose monthslong imprisonment on drug charges brought unprecedented attention to the population of wrongful detainees.Biden's authorization to release a Russian felon once nicknamed “the Merchant of Death" underscored the escalating pressure that his administration faced to get Griner home, particularly after the recent resolution of her criminal case and her&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=brittney+griner+apnews+penal+colony&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;oq=brittney+griner+apnews+penal+colony&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j33i160j33i299l2.4982j0j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">subsequent transfer to a penal colony.</a>The swap was confirmed by U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations who were not authorized to publicly discuss the deal before a White House announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity.Russian and U.S. officials had conveyed cautious optimism in recent weeks after months of strained negotiations,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=biden+apnews+hopeful+griner&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;sxsrf=ALiCzsaPtI5zlZPVtSI7pfSj2KywAlWLRA%3A1670495004369&amp;ei=HLuRY5eNFoShptQPpPmByA4&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiXi9bq5un7AhWEkIkEHaR8AOkQ4dUDCBA&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=biden+apnews+hopeful+griner&amp;gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQAzoKCAAQRxDWBBCwAzoFCCEQoAE6BQghEKsCSgQIQRgASgQIRhgAULkDWOIIYLcJaAFwAXgAgAFqiAHMBJIBAzYuMZgBAKABAcgBCMABAQ&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp">with Biden saying in November</a>&nbsp;that he was hopeful that Russia would engage in a deal now that the midterm elections were completed. A top Russian official&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-entertainment-sports-moscow-paul-whelan-1606112a3e89f85be2deecc0e476d333">said last week</a>&nbsp;that a deal was possible before year's end.Even so, the fact that the deal was a one-for-one swap was a surprise given that U.S. officials had for months expressed their their determination to bring home both Griner and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/paul-whelan">Paul Whelan,</a>&nbsp;a Michigan corporate security executive jailed in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government has said are baseless.In releasing Bout, the U.S. freed a a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel whom the Justice Department once described as one of the world's most prolific arms dealers. Bout, whose exploits inspired a Hollywood movie, was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons that U.S officials said were to be used against Americans.The Biden administration was ultimately willing to exchange Bout if it meant Griner's freedom. The detention of one of the greatest players in WNBA history contributed to a swirl of unprecedented public attention for an individual detainee case — not to mention intense pressure on the White House.Griner’s arrest in February made her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-sports-europe-basketball-arrests-c8796efac2149da8d097b7fce98b6332">the most high-profile American jailed abroad</a>. Her status as an openly gay Black woman, locked up in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community, infused racial, gender and social dynamics into her legal saga and made each development a matter of international importance.Her case not only brought unprecedented publicity to the dozens of Americans wrongfully detained by foreign governments, but it also emerged as a major inflection point in U.S.-Russia diplomacy at a time of deteriorating relations prompted by Moscow’s war against Ukraine.The exchange was carried out despite deteriorating relations between the powers. But the imprisonment of Americans produced a rare diplomatic opening, yielding the highest-level known contact between Washington and Moscow —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-moscow-antony-blinken-sergey-lavrov-paul-whelan-54d694915c7c6c7222d2bb8893f93b04">a phone call between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov</a>&nbsp;— in more than five months.In an extraordinary move during otherwise secret negotiations,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=substantial+proposal+blinken+apnews+eric+tucker&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;oq=substantial+proposal+blinken+apnews+eric+tucker&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57.5839j1j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Blinken revealed publicly</a>&nbsp;in July that the U.S. had made a “substantial proposal” to Russia for Griner and Whelan. Though he did not specify the terms, people familiar with it said the U.S. had offered Bout.Such a public overture drew a chiding rebuke from the Russians, who said they preferred to resolve such cases in private, and carried the risk of weakening the U.S. government's negotiating hand for this and future deals by making the administration appear too desperate. But the announcement was also meant to communicate to the public that Biden was doing what he could and to ensure pressure on the Russians.Besides the efforts of U.S. officials, the release also followed months of backchannel negotiations involving Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a frequent emissary in hostage talks, and his top deputy Mickey Bergman. The men had made multiple trips abroad in the last year to discuss swap scenarios with Russian contacts.Griner was arrested at the Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in February when customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-russia-trial-live-updates-bc4c1d9efd490eed0eb522c8c59e9197">She pleaded guilty in July</a>, though still faced trial because admitting guilt in Russia's judicial system does not automatically end a case.She acknowledged in court that she possessed the canisters, but said she had no criminal intent and said their presence in her luggage was due to hasty packing.<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=griner+sentenced+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;oq=griner+sentenced+apnews+&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j33i160l4.3326j0j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Before being sentenced on Aug. 4</a>&nbsp;and receiving a punishment her lawyers said was out of line for the offense, an emotional Griner apologized "for my mistake that I made and the embarrassment that I brought on them.” She added: “I hope in your ruling it does not end my life.”Her supporters had largely stayed quiet for weeks after her arrest, but that approach changed in May once the State Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-sports-business-phoenix-mercury-united-states-b6aaaeee14b825bd247e2d853a9d708c">designated her as unlawfully detained</a>. A separate trade, Marine veteran&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-united-states-prisoner-exchange-8fd1e58e690350019c7aab55af41bbbf">Trevor Reed for Konstantin Yaroshenko</a>, a Russian pilot convicted in the U.S. in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy, spurred hope that additional such exchanges could be in the works.Whelan has been held in Russia since December 2018. The U.S. government also classified him as wrongfully detained. He was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison.Whelan was not included in the Reed prisoner swap, escalating pressure on the Biden administration to ensure that any deal that brought home Griner also included him.

🎥Griner for arms dealer: WNBA star freed in US-Russia prisoner swap

Courtesy <a href="https://www.nfl.com/honors/man-of-the-year/nominees/2022/chiefs">NFL.com</a>

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes was announced earlier this week as the Kansas City Chiefs nominee for the 2022&nbsp;Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide.

The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field. The award was established in 1970. It was renamed in 1999 after the late Hall of Fame Chicago Bears running back, Walter Payton. Each team nominates one player who has had a significant positive impact on his community.

Representing the best of the NFL's commitment to philanthropy and community impact, 32 players are selected as their team's Man of the Year and become eligible to win the national award.

The winner of the award each year receives a $250,000 donated to the winner's charity of choice. All other 31 nominees receive up to $40,000 donated to their charity of choice. All donations are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.

The following information is from<a href="https://www.nfl.com/honors/man-of-the-year/nominees/2022/chiefs"> NFL.com</a>:

A sixth-year NFL veteran, Patrick Mahomes has seemingly become a benchmark for excellence on the field from the moment he ascended to the starting role prior to the 2018 season. He entered this season in truly rarified air. Just a handful of the statistical mountains he's scaled include accumulating 151 passing touchdowns in his first five seasons, trailing only PFHOF Dan Marino (168) for most in a player's first five years; Tallying 31 career 300-yard games, the most in that timeframe; Compiling four-consecutive seasons with 4,000+ passing yards, joining PFHOF Peyton Manning as the only two players to have four-consecutive 4,000-yard seasons in their first five seasons in the league. He's accomplished this all despite only playing in one game his rookie year in 2017. Still, perhaps the personification of his truly unique level of on-field excellence can be seen in his appearances at the sport's crowning event. With his start in Super Bowl LV, Patrick became the youngest QB in NFL history (25 years and 143 days old) to start in two Super Bowls. That's in addition to being named NFL MVP following the 2018 season, following that up by being named Super Bowl LIV MVP the following season.

Dedication &amp; Commitment to Community Efforts This Year:

This year has been a busy one of activation for Patrick Mahomes along with his 15 and the Mahomies Foundation. To date, nearly $1.9M in grants have been awarded to a myriad of groups that are focused on uplifting youth. However, the impact of this philanthropy is found well outside the confines of mere financial assistance. Playing off his jersey number, 15, the foundation has focused on continuing to activate its "15 for 15" programing again in 2022. As a result, groups of 15 have been supported in various ways, including sending underserved youth Chiefs and Texas Tech football games; Funding adoptions for rescue dogs complete with a year's worth of supplies for their forever homes; Funding supplies for art-focused afterschool programs and traditional classrooms; Funding Camp Home scholarships for youth battling cancer; Outfitting youth football teams with equipment and jerseys; Covering educational tutorial programs for students in the urban core; Funding scholarships for the children of fallen or active-duty military members; Supporting athletes competing in Special Olympics; Providing assistance to anti-bullying organizations for in-school publicity. In addition, the Foundation will continue to donate to those dealing with food insecurity in 2022. Through partnerships with foodbanks, the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation has distributed 15,000 meals while preparing to again activate its annual Thanksgiving basket distributions around the holidays. Thanks to a unique partnership with Pete's Garden, they have activated local high school culinary students to prepare and distribute some 3,560 meals with another 2,500 planned prior to the conclusion of this school year. Patrick and his 15 and the Mahomies Foundation have continued to combat illiteracy. Some 19,500 students have pledged to participate in the Read for 15 program, an initiative that saw a 12% increase in reading scores by participating schools last year. Likewise, supporting volunteerism amongst youth has also been a driving focus of the Foundation. This year, 536 youth have pledged to the "Volunteer for 15" program. As a result, some 12,844 volunteer hours have been generated by children participating in the program. That reach was felt internationally with 19 unique metropolitan areas having volunteers, including a pair of cities in Canada.

Dedication &amp; Commitment to Community Efforts in Years Past:

Since its creation in 2019, the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation has built momentum and placed an emphasis on improving the lives of children with a continued focus on supporting health, wellness, and various communities in need of resources. To date, nearly $2.75M in grant dollars have been distributed by the Foundation. There have been multiple seminal moments for Patrick and his Foundation. One of the more recent took place around the start of the 2021 NFL season. At a ceremony transpiring 58 years to the day following the iconic "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King Jr. on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Patrick and his Foundation re-dedicated Kansas City's Martin Luther King Jr. Park. That moment was made possible thanks to a $1M donation by 15 and the Mahomies Foundation toward the playground that was designed following a series of community engagement meetings with the intention of celebrating Dr. King and creating a place that is inclusive and accessible for children of all abilities. The area is now packed with colorful components, including three towers, swings, climbing nets, suspended walkways, jumping pods, spinners, embankment mounds, climbing areas, a merry-go-round, and a section with age-appropriate play equipment and safety surfaces especially for kids ages 2-5. "This is y'all's park," Patrick told the crowd during the celebration that day. "This is just the beginning for Kansas City's future and the future of the kids in Kansas City, hopefully it will keep going." However, it's more than just the ability to play safely that has fueled Patrick and his Foundation. Instead, the focus is fully on living a healthier lifestyle for area youth. To that, he's hosted a OneSight Vision Clinic, providing free eye exams and glasses to more than 100 children in the Kansas City area. Additionally, via the 15 and the Mahomies Wellness program/playbook, he's helped to encourage dental screenings and care throughout Kansas City (Kansas) schools. This program has included a printed dental and health guide in both English and Spanish, 3,500 toothbrushes and 3,500 toothbrush holders to be sure participants can fully put into practice the lessons they've learned. The impact felt by the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation has been impressive. In fact, earlier this season, the Kansas City Business Journal ranked it the 42nd of KC's Biggest Charitable Trusts and Foundations by grant volume.

Positive Character &amp; a Lifestyle of Giving Back:

Perhaps the most impressive personification of the essence that fuels Patrick Mahomes approach off the field could be found in the aftermath to the George Floyd incident in the summer of 2020. Patrick led a contingent of NFL stars from throughout the sport to propel the subject of a need for change in our society. Utilizing his personal Twitter account to disseminate the video, he joined his NFL brethren by asking "What if I were George Floyd?" Then, he continued to push the topic of social reform. Beginning with his teammates, he was a vocal leader in a team meeting that summer led by RISE to Vote, encouraging the players and coaches to register and actively participate in the general election. Likewise, Patrick shared that message publicly and joined the Chiefs in hosting a combination voter registration/food distribution event that served nearly 6,000 people representing nearly 1,500 households. Leading into Election Day itself, he also teamed with the Hunt Family Foundation via an Inspire Change grant to turn GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium into the largest polling center in the history of the Kansas City Election Board, serving more than 2,100 voters. As a result of this investment, which included funding to purchase new voting machines, the stadium now can now be utilized as a polling center for at least the next 10-12 years. As Patrick told the Huddle and Flow podcast leading into Election Day, "I thought it was very important not only just to get as many people out to vote as possible but also to use a place like Arrowhead, where we have a lot of fun, show a lot of love and unity, where people come together, and use that as a place where we can come together and vote and use our voice." The Kansas City Chiefs are proud to select Patrick Mahomes as their 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.

Courtesy <a href="https://www.nfl.com/honors/man-of-the-year/nominees/2022/chiefs">NFL.com</a>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes was announced earlier this week as the Kansas City Chiefs nominee for the 2022&nbsp;Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide.The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field. The award was established in 1970. It was renamed in 1999 after the late Hall of Fame Chicago Bears running back, Walter Payton. Each team nominates one player who has had a significant positive impact on his community.Representing the best of the NFL's commitment to philanthropy and community impact, 32 players are selected as their team's Man of the Year and become eligible to win the national award.The winner of the award each year receives a $250,000 donated to the winner's charity of choice. All other 31 nominees receive up to $40,000 donated to their charity of choice. All donations are courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nationwide.The following information is from<a href="https://www.nfl.com/honors/man-of-the-year/nominees/2022/chiefs"> NFL.com</a>:<h2>Excellence on the Field:</h2>A sixth-year NFL veteran, Patrick Mahomes has seemingly become a benchmark for excellence on the field from the moment he ascended to the starting role prior to the 2018 season. He entered this season in truly rarified air. Just a handful of the statistical mountains he's scaled include accumulating 151 passing touchdowns in his first five seasons, trailing only PFHOF Dan Marino (168) for most in a player's first five years; Tallying 31 career 300-yard games, the most in that timeframe; Compiling four-consecutive seasons with 4,000+ passing yards, joining PFHOF Peyton Manning as the only two players to have four-consecutive 4,000-yard seasons in their first five seasons in the league. He's accomplished this all despite only playing in one game his rookie year in 2017. Still, perhaps the personification of his truly unique level of on-field excellence can be seen in his appearances at the sport's crowning event. With his start in Super Bowl LV, Patrick became the youngest QB in NFL history (25 years and 143 days old) to start in two Super Bowls. That's in addition to being named NFL MVP following the 2018 season, following that up by being named Super Bowl LIV MVP the following season.<h2>Dedication &amp; Commitment to Community Efforts This Year:</h2>This year has been a busy one of activation for Patrick Mahomes along with his 15 and the Mahomies Foundation. To date, nearly $1.9M in grants have been awarded to a myriad of groups that are focused on uplifting youth. However, the impact of this philanthropy is found well outside the confines of mere financial assistance. Playing off his jersey number, 15, the foundation has focused on continuing to activate its "15 for 15" programing again in 2022. As a result, groups of 15 have been supported in various ways, including sending underserved youth Chiefs and Texas Tech football games; Funding adoptions for rescue dogs complete with a year's worth of supplies for their forever homes; Funding supplies for art-focused afterschool programs and traditional classrooms; Funding Camp Home scholarships for youth battling cancer; Outfitting youth football teams with equipment and jerseys; Covering educational tutorial programs for students in the urban core; Funding scholarships for the children of fallen or active-duty military members; Supporting athletes competing in Special Olympics; Providing assistance to anti-bullying organizations for in-school publicity. In addition, the Foundation will continue to donate to those dealing with food insecurity in 2022. Through partnerships with foodbanks, the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation has distributed 15,000 meals while preparing to again activate its annual Thanksgiving basket distributions around the holidays. Thanks to a unique partnership with Pete's Garden, they have activated local high school culinary students to prepare and distribute some 3,560 meals with another 2,500 planned prior to the conclusion of this school year. Patrick and his 15 and the Mahomies Foundation have continued to combat illiteracy. Some 19,500 students have pledged to participate in the Read for 15 program, an initiative that saw a 12% increase in reading scores by participating schools last year. Likewise, supporting volunteerism amongst youth has also been a driving focus of the Foundation. This year, 536 youth have pledged to the "Volunteer for 15" program. As a result, some 12,844 volunteer hours have been generated by children participating in the program. That reach was felt internationally with 19 unique metropolitan areas having volunteers, including a pair of cities in Canada.<h2>Dedication &amp; Commitment to Community Efforts in Years Past:</h2>Since its creation in 2019, the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation has built momentum and placed an emphasis on improving the lives of children with a continued focus on supporting health, wellness, and various communities in need of resources. To date, nearly $2.75M in grant dollars have been distributed by the Foundation. There have been multiple seminal moments for Patrick and his Foundation. One of the more recent took place around the start of the 2021 NFL season. At a ceremony transpiring 58 years to the day following the iconic "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King Jr. on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Patrick and his Foundation re-dedicated Kansas City's Martin Luther King Jr. Park. That moment was made possible thanks to a $1M donation by 15 and the Mahomies Foundation toward the playground that was designed following a series of community engagement meetings with the intention of celebrating Dr. King and creating a place that is inclusive and accessible for children of all abilities. The area is now packed with colorful components, including three towers, swings, climbing nets, suspended walkways, jumping pods, spinners, embankment mounds, climbing areas, a merry-go-round, and a section with age-appropriate play equipment and safety surfaces especially for kids ages 2-5. "This is y'all's park," Patrick told the crowd during the celebration that day. "This is just the beginning for Kansas City's future and the future of the kids in Kansas City, hopefully it will keep going." However, it's more than just the ability to play safely that has fueled Patrick and his Foundation. Instead, the focus is fully on living a healthier lifestyle for area youth. To that, he's hosted a OneSight Vision Clinic, providing free eye exams and glasses to more than 100 children in the Kansas City area. Additionally, via the 15 and the Mahomies Wellness program/playbook, he's helped to encourage dental screenings and care throughout Kansas City (Kansas) schools. This program has included a printed dental and health guide in both English and Spanish, 3,500 toothbrushes and 3,500 toothbrush holders to be sure participants can fully put into practice the lessons they've learned. The impact felt by the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation has been impressive. In fact, earlier this season, the Kansas City Business Journal ranked it the 42nd of KC's Biggest Charitable Trusts and Foundations by grant volume.<h2>Positive Character &amp; a Lifestyle of Giving Back:</h2>Perhaps the most impressive personification of the essence that fuels Patrick Mahomes approach off the field could be found in the aftermath to the George Floyd incident in the summer of 2020. Patrick led a contingent of NFL stars from throughout the sport to propel the subject of a need for change in our society. Utilizing his personal Twitter account to disseminate the video, he joined his NFL brethren by asking "What if I were George Floyd?" Then, he continued to push the topic of social reform. Beginning with his teammates, he was a vocal leader in a team meeting that summer led by RISE to Vote, encouraging the players and coaches to register and actively participate in the general election. Likewise, Patrick shared that message publicly and joined the Chiefs in hosting a combination voter registration/food distribution event that served nearly 6,000 people representing nearly 1,500 households. Leading into Election Day itself, he also teamed with the Hunt Family Foundation via an Inspire Change grant to turn GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium into the largest polling center in the history of the Kansas City Election Board, serving more than 2,100 voters. As a result of this investment, which included funding to purchase new voting machines, the stadium now can now be utilized as a polling center for at least the next 10-12 years. As Patrick told the Huddle and Flow podcast leading into Election Day, "I thought it was very important not only just to get as many people out to vote as possible but also to use a place like Arrowhead, where we have a lot of fun, show a lot of love and unity, where people come together, and use that as a place where we can come together and vote and use our voice." The Kansas City Chiefs are proud to select Patrick Mahomes as their 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.

Mahomes is Walter Payton nominee

<a href="https://kuathletics.leanplayer.com/">LISTEN</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=429825">LIVE STATS</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/WBB-Game8-Arizona.pdf">GAME NOTES</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://pac-12.com/womens-basketball/event/2022/12/08/kansas-arizona">WATCH</a>

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas Women’s Basketball takes an unblemished 7-0 record into a battle of unbeaten teams on Thursday night as the Jayhawks face No. 12 Arizona (7-0) at the McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona. It will be the only contest in NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball this week that features two unbeaten teams.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on the PAC 12 Networks, with Cindy Brunson and Mary Murphy on the call. Jayhawk fans can also listen to the game on the Jayhawk Radio Network from Learfield, with Steven Davis calling the action.

Kansas cruised to 7-0 on the year with an 88-51 victory over SEMO on Sunday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse. Five different Jayhawks scored in double figures as KU held a fifth-straight opponent to fewer than 55 points. Taiyanna Jackson led KU with 17 points and six rebounds while Sanna Strom added a career-best 13 points off the bench.

KU is now 7-0 for the second time under head coach Brandon Schneider and the first time since the 2019-20 season, when the Jayhawks started 11-0. The Jayhawks are currently receiving votes in both national polls, coming in at No. 26 in the Associated Press Top 25.

Arizona is also 7-0 and ranked No. 12 in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll. The Wildcats are averaging 88.1 points per game and defeating their opponents by an average of more than 30 points. Arizona has defeated each of its seven opponents by at least 16 points.

Thursday’s matchup will be the seventh all-time meeting between Kansas and Arizona, and first since a 75-51 Jayhawk victory over the Wildcats at Allen Fieldhouse on Dec. 17, 2016. The all-time series is tied 3-3, with KU 0-2 all-time in Tucson.

In Arizona, Kansas will be seeking its first win over a ranked non-conference opponent since Dec. 7, 2014 (W, 62-39 vs. #10 California).

Up Next Kansas returns home to Allen Fieldhouse for back-to-back non-conference matchups, beginning on Sunday, Dec. 11, against Wichita State. That game will tip off at 2 p.m. CT and be broadcast on Big 12 NOW via ESPN+.

<a href="https://kuathletics.leanplayer.com/">LISTEN</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=429825">LIVE STATS</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/WBB-Game8-Arizona.pdf">GAME NOTES</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://pac-12.com/womens-basketball/event/2022/12/08/kansas-arizona">WATCH</a>LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas Women’s Basketball takes an unblemished 7-0 record into a battle of unbeaten teams on Thursday night as the Jayhawks face No. 12 Arizona (7-0) at the McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona. It will be the only contest in NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball this week that features two unbeaten teams.Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on the PAC 12 Networks, with Cindy Brunson and Mary Murphy on the call. Jayhawk fans can also listen to the game on the Jayhawk Radio Network from Learfield, with Steven Davis calling the action.Kansas cruised to 7-0 on the year with an 88-51 victory over SEMO on Sunday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse. Five different Jayhawks scored in double figures as KU held a fifth-straight opponent to fewer than 55 points. Taiyanna Jackson led KU with 17 points and six rebounds while Sanna Strom added a career-best 13 points off the bench.KU is now 7-0 for the second time under head coach Brandon Schneider and the first time since the 2019-20 season, when the Jayhawks started 11-0. The Jayhawks are currently receiving votes in both national polls, coming in at No. 26 in the Associated Press Top 25.Arizona is also 7-0 and ranked No. 12 in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll. The Wildcats are averaging 88.1 points per game and defeating their opponents by an average of more than 30 points. Arizona has defeated each of its seven opponents by at least 16 points.Thursday’s matchup will be the seventh all-time meeting between Kansas and Arizona, and first since a 75-51 Jayhawk victory over the Wildcats at Allen Fieldhouse on Dec. 17, 2016. The all-time series is tied 3-3, with KU 0-2 all-time in Tucson.In Arizona, Kansas will be seeking its first win over a ranked non-conference opponent since Dec. 7, 2014 (W, 62-39 vs. #10 California).Up Next Kansas returns home to Allen Fieldhouse for back-to-back non-conference matchups, beginning on Sunday, Dec. 11, against Wichita State. That game will tip off at 2 p.m. CT and be broadcast on Big 12 NOW via ESPN+.

🏀 WBB: Jayhawks set for battle of unbeatens at No. 12 Arizona

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs could have two important parts of their offense back with guard Joe Thuney and wide receiver Kadarius Toney returning to practice Wednesday ahead of their trip to Denver. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said that everyone would practice in their first workout since blowing a late lead in Sunday’s loss in Cincinnati. That includes Thuney, who did not play because of an ankle injury, and Toney, who was coming off his most productive game with Kansas City when a hamstring injury sidelined him most of the past three games. There's also a chance that Melvin Gordon, who was signed to Kansas City's practice squad, could face his former team Sunday in Denver.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos are hoping to snap not only a four-game losing streak but a much longer one that goes back seven seasons. The Broncos have lost 13 straight games against AFC West rival Kansas City. The Chiefs are 9-3 and visit the 3-9 Broncos on Sunday. Broncos rookie coach Nathaniel Hackett says he's not concerned about his team's past and safety Justin Simmons says he too is focused on the present. The game was moved from prime time to the afternoon because it's not the featured matchup it appeared to be when the schedule came out.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills’ top pass-rusher Von Miller will miss the remainder of the season after having surgery to repair an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Coach Sean McDermott says the ligament damage was discovered during a previously scheduled exploratory surgery, which was conducted on Tuesday in Texas. Miller has missed one game since being hurt in the first half of a 28-25 win over Detroit on Thanksgiving. The Bills placed Miller on injured reserve last week with the expectation he would be able to return after initial tests showed no damage to the player’s ACL.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Coach Sean McVay says Baker Mayfield probably will be active for the Los Angeles Rams’ game against the Raiders on Thursday night. That's just two days after the Rams claimed the former No. 1 draft pick off waivers from Carolina. McVay wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Mayfield playing against Las Vegas, but the Rams coach indicated it likely would happen only if John Wolford’s persistent neck injury forces struggling Los Angeles to try a desperate solution to its quarterback woes. Mayfield arrived in Los Angeles on Tuesday night to join the Rams.

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Pop Isaacs scored 24 points, shooting 5 for 6 from 3-point range, and Kevin Obanor scored 20 and Texas Tech managed to overcome Nicholls late for a 78-71 win. Caleb Huffman’s layup with 8:47 left gave the Colonels a 60-48 lead. But the Red Raiders outscored Nicholls 22-9 over the next seven minutes and took a 70-69 lead with 1:51 left on Obanor’s layup. Texas Tech made all eight of its final foul shots to seal it. Caleb Huffman scored 22 points for Nicholls.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Tre Mitchell scored 19 points to lead West Virginia to an 85-64 win over Navy on Wednesday night. Erik Stevenson added 13 points, Joe Toussaint 12 and Kedrian Johnson 11 for the Mountaineers. Freshman Austin Benigni scored 20 points to lead Navy, which fell to 1-4 on the road. Leading scorer Tyler Nelson was held to six points, nine below his average. Navy trimmed an 18-point deficit to 54-49 with 14:18 left in the game. But West Virginia pushed the lead back to double digits to stay on 3-pointers in the span of just over a minute by Johnson, Toussaint and Mitchell.

MANHATAN, Kan. (AP) — Emilee Ebert scored 14 points and ran her streak of free throw makes to 32, and No. 24 Kansas State cruised to a 72-45 win over UMKC. The Wildcats scored the last six points of the first half for a 39-24 lead and had the first 13 of the second to make it 50-24. Ebert had six of those 19. The Mavericks went scoreless for 7:36 and without a field goal for almost 10 minutes. Kansas State outscored UMKC 25-7 in the third quarter as the Mavericks went 2 of 7 with 14 turnovers. Jocelyn Ewell led UMKC with 14 points.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Caitlin Clark scored 19 points and Monika Czinano added 18 points and 10 rebounds as No. 16 Iowa defeated No. 10 Iowa State 70-57. Kate Martin added 13 points for the Hawkeyes, who have won six of the last seven games in the rivalry and are 7-3 overall. Ashley Joens had 15 points for the Cyclones, who are 6-2.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres and Xander Bogaerts have agreed to a blockbuster $280 million, 11-year contract, adding the All-Star slugger to an already deep lineup. A person familiar with the negotiations confirmed the contract to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it was pending a physical. The Padres already had Fernando Tatis Jr. at shortstop, but he missed the entire season because of injuries and an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Bogaerts is a .292 hitter with 156 homers and 683 RBIs in 10 big league seasons — all with Boston.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Aaron Judge has agreed to return to the New York Yankees on a $360 million, nine-year contract. It's the largest free agent deal in baseball history. Judge will earn $40 million per season, the highest average annual payout for a position player. The contract trails only Mike Trout’s $426.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels and Mookie Betts’ $365 million pact with the Los Angeles Dodgers for biggest in baseball history.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Willson Contreras is going to St. Louis to replace Yadier Molina at catcher, agreeing to an $87.5 million, five-year contract with the Cardinals. A person familiar with the negotiations confirmed the move to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a physical. The addition of Contreras fills a major void for St. Louis, which won the NL Central this season with a 93-69 record. Molina decided to retire after spending his entire 19-year career with the Cardinals, making 10 All-Star teams and winning nine Gold Gloves.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The United States men’s soccer team recedes into the background of American sports for the next 3 1/2 years. The team’s four World Cup matches averaged 12.2 million viewers on Fox but its 27 games on rated English-language networks from the start of 2020 through this fall averaged 668,000. That is according to Nielsen. The U.S. team averaged 2.45 million during the World Cup on Telemundo. That is double its 1.02 million average for 40 matches on Spanish-language networks during the three years ahead of the tournament. That compares with the NFL's average of 17.1 million for the 2021 regular season.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Sports programs across the county are weighing whether tough coaching styles still have a place in the athletic world. The styles once embodied by legends such as Bear Bryant and Bobby Knight have fallen out of favor at a time when student-athletes demand more sensitive treatment and more individualized training. Athletes of this younger generation also possess greater personal power over their career paths, which sometimes forces coaches to accommodate them or risk losing top talent.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs could have two important parts of their offense back with guard Joe Thuney and wide receiver Kadarius Toney returning to practice Wednesday ahead of their trip to Denver. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said that everyone would practice in their first workout since blowing a late lead in Sunday’s loss in Cincinnati. That includes Thuney, who did not play because of an ankle injury, and Toney, who was coming off his most productive game with Kansas City when a hamstring injury sidelined him most of the past three games. There's also a chance that Melvin Gordon, who was signed to Kansas City's practice squad, could face his former team Sunday in Denver.ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos are hoping to snap not only a four-game losing streak but a much longer one that goes back seven seasons. The Broncos have lost 13 straight games against AFC West rival Kansas City. The Chiefs are 9-3 and visit the 3-9 Broncos on Sunday. Broncos rookie coach Nathaniel Hackett says he's not concerned about his team's past and safety Justin Simmons says he too is focused on the present. The game was moved from prime time to the afternoon because it's not the featured matchup it appeared to be when the schedule came out.ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills’ top pass-rusher Von Miller will miss the remainder of the season after having surgery to repair an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Coach Sean McDermott says the ligament damage was discovered during a previously scheduled exploratory surgery, which was conducted on Tuesday in Texas. Miller has missed one game since being hurt in the first half of a 28-25 win over Detroit on Thanksgiving. The Bills placed Miller on injured reserve last week with the expectation he would be able to return after initial tests showed no damage to the player’s ACL.LOS ANGELES (AP) — Coach Sean McVay says Baker Mayfield probably will be active for the Los Angeles Rams’ game against the Raiders on Thursday night. That's just two days after the Rams claimed the former No. 1 draft pick off waivers from Carolina. McVay wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Mayfield playing against Las Vegas, but the Rams coach indicated it likely would happen only if John Wolford’s persistent neck injury forces struggling Los Angeles to try a desperate solution to its quarterback woes. Mayfield arrived in Los Angeles on Tuesday night to join the Rams.LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Pop Isaacs scored 24 points, shooting 5 for 6 from 3-point range, and Kevin Obanor scored 20 and Texas Tech managed to overcome Nicholls late for a 78-71 win. Caleb Huffman’s layup with 8:47 left gave the Colonels a 60-48 lead. But the Red Raiders outscored Nicholls 22-9 over the next seven minutes and took a 70-69 lead with 1:51 left on Obanor’s layup. Texas Tech made all eight of its final foul shots to seal it. Caleb Huffman scored 22 points for Nicholls.MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Tre Mitchell scored 19 points to lead West Virginia to an 85-64 win over Navy on Wednesday night. Erik Stevenson added 13 points, Joe Toussaint 12 and Kedrian Johnson 11 for the Mountaineers. Freshman Austin Benigni scored 20 points to lead Navy, which fell to 1-4 on the road. Leading scorer Tyler Nelson was held to six points, nine below his average. Navy trimmed an 18-point deficit to 54-49 with 14:18 left in the game. But West Virginia pushed the lead back to double digits to stay on 3-pointers in the span of just over a minute by Johnson, Toussaint and Mitchell.MANHATAN, Kan. (AP) — Emilee Ebert scored 14 points and ran her streak of free throw makes to 32, and No. 24 Kansas State cruised to a 72-45 win over UMKC. The Wildcats scored the last six points of the first half for a 39-24 lead and had the first 13 of the second to make it 50-24. Ebert had six of those 19. The Mavericks went scoreless for 7:36 and without a field goal for almost 10 minutes. Kansas State outscored UMKC 25-7 in the third quarter as the Mavericks went 2 of 7 with 14 turnovers. Jocelyn Ewell led UMKC with 14 points.IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Caitlin Clark scored 19 points and Monika Czinano added 18 points and 10 rebounds as No. 16 Iowa defeated No. 10 Iowa State 70-57. Kate Martin added 13 points for the Hawkeyes, who have won six of the last seven games in the rivalry and are 7-3 overall. Ashley Joens had 15 points for the Cyclones, who are 6-2.SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres and Xander Bogaerts have agreed to a blockbuster $280 million, 11-year contract, adding the All-Star slugger to an already deep lineup. A person familiar with the negotiations confirmed the contract to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it was pending a physical. The Padres already had Fernando Tatis Jr. at shortstop, but he missed the entire season because of injuries and an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Bogaerts is a .292 hitter with 156 homers and 683 RBIs in 10 big league seasons — all with Boston.SAN DIEGO (AP) — Aaron Judge has agreed to return to the New York Yankees on a $360 million, nine-year contract. It's the largest free agent deal in baseball history. Judge will earn $40 million per season, the highest average annual payout for a position player. The contract trails only Mike Trout’s $426.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels and Mookie Betts’ $365 million pact with the Los Angeles Dodgers for biggest in baseball history.SAN DIEGO (AP) — Willson Contreras is going to St. Louis to replace Yadier Molina at catcher, agreeing to an $87.5 million, five-year contract with the Cardinals. A person familiar with the negotiations confirmed the move to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a physical. The addition of Contreras fills a major void for St. Louis, which won the NL Central this season with a 93-69 record. Molina decided to retire after spending his entire 19-year career with the Cardinals, making 10 All-Star teams and winning nine Gold Gloves.DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The United States men’s soccer team recedes into the background of American sports for the next 3 1/2 years. The team’s four World Cup matches averaged 12.2 million viewers on Fox but its 27 games on rated English-language networks from the start of 2020 through this fall averaged 668,000. That is according to Nielsen. The U.S. team averaged 2.45 million during the World Cup on Telemundo. That is double its 1.02 million average for 40 matches on Spanish-language networks during the three years ahead of the tournament. That compares with the NFL's average of 17.1 million for the 2021 regular season.SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Sports programs across the county are weighing whether tough coaching styles still have a place in the athletic world. The styles once embodied by legends such as Bear Bryant and Bobby Knight have fallen out of favor at a time when student-athletes demand more sensitive treatment and more individualized training. Athletes of this younger generation also possess greater personal power over their career paths, which sometimes forces coaches to accommodate them or risk losing top talent.WEDNESDAY SCORESTOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal (4)Purdue 85 Hofstra 66Final (5)UConn 75 Florida 54Final (7)Tennessee 84 E. Kentucky 49Final (14)Indiana 81 Nebraska 65NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal OT Orlando 116 L.A. Clippers 111Final Brooklyn 122 Charlotte 116Final Toronto 126 L.A. Lakers 113Final New York 113 Atlanta 89Final Memphis 123 Oklahoma City 102Final Milwaukee 126 Sacramento 113Final New Orleans 104 Detroit 98Final Chicago 115 Washington 111Final Minnesota 121 Indiana 115Final Utah 124 Golden State 123Final Boston 125 Phoenix 98NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal Washington 4 Philadelphia 1Final Buffalo 9 Columbus 4Final Calgary 5 Minnesota 3Final Boston 4 Colorado 0Final Edmonton 8 Arizona 2Final N-Y Rangers 5 Vegas 1Final OT Vancouver 6 San Jose 5

Sports Headlines for Thursday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs could have two important parts of their offense back with guard Joe Thuney and wide receiver Kadarius Toney returning to practice Wednesday ahead of their trip to Denver.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said that everyone would practice in their first workout since blowing a late lead in Sunday's loss in Cincinnati. That includes Thuney, who did not play because of an ankle injury, and Toney, who was coming off his most productive game with Kansas City when a hamstring injury sidelined him most of the past three games.

“I'm going to let him get out there and work a little bit. We'll just see how he does,” Reid said of Toney, who arrived in a trade from the New York Giants, where similar injuries were a frequent issue for the 2021 first-round pick.

“We're not going to bring him back and have him hurt it again,” Reid said. “We'll see what we can do.”

As for Thuney, who is about as durable as they come, Reid said the big offensive lineman probably could have returned last week in Cincinnati, but chose to give him another week off in the hopes of avoiding any lingering issues.

“His thing was getting that final push,” Reid said. “He feels better this week than he did last week. He's made as much progress as he's had, I said, ‘Let’s give him a little more time.' That's where I was at the end of last week.”

Reid also said that wide receiver Mecole Hardman, who is eligible to come off injured reserve next week, is recovering nicely from his abdominal injury. Hardman has been running outside and put on some of the weight he lost while dealing with the problem, and there's a chance he could help Kansas City for the stretch run.

The Chiefs are tied with the Bills at 9-3 for the best record in the AFC, though Buffalo holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.

“The guys know where they're at. Nobody knows better than they do what's out front,” said Reid, whose team can clinch the AFC West with a win Sunday in Denver coupled with a loss by the Los Angeles Chargers.

“You don't have to stand up there and preach to them about that,” Reid continued. “They want to win games. That's the mentality of this team. They battled their hearts out Sunday and it didn't work out. We're back to it.”

In fact, Reid was peppered with questions Wednesday about bouncing back from the loss in Cincinnati — the third straight game this calendar year that the Bengals have beaten the Chiefs, including last season's AFC title game. And after the third or fourth question, Reid made it clear that his focus was off the Bengals and onto the Broncos.

The same goes for Patrick Mahomes, who will no doubt welcome Thuney and Toney back to the huddle.

“In this league,” he said, “you have to move on or you'll make one loss turn into two. You watch the tape on Monday and you get a sense of what you can do better, when you can take away that was positive, and you move onto next week.”

Mahomes has never lost to the Broncos in nine tries.

“We just really emphasize playing our division opponents,” he said, by way of an explanation. “That's what we work on all offseason. For us, the coaches do a great job of giving us great game plans and I just try to go out and execute them.”

NOTES: Mahomes was chosen as the Chiefs' nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award this week. “Just a tremendous honor,” he said. “To have my opportunity this year is something I'll cherish for the rest of my life.” ... Reid said there's a chance that two-time Pro Bowl RB Melvin Gordon, who was signed to the Kansas City practice squad late last month, could face his former team on Sunday. But carries would be scarce behind Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon. “We're fairly healthy there," Reid said, ”but I'm glad we have him. He's done a nice job for us."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs could have two important parts of their offense back with guard Joe Thuney and wide receiver Kadarius Toney returning to practice Wednesday ahead of their trip to Denver.Chiefs coach Andy Reid said that everyone would practice in their first workout since blowing a late lead in Sunday's loss in Cincinnati. That includes Thuney, who did not play because of an ankle injury, and Toney, who was coming off his most productive game with Kansas City when a hamstring injury sidelined him most of the past three games.“I'm going to let him get out there and work a little bit. We'll just see how he does,” Reid said of Toney, who arrived in a trade from the New York Giants, where similar injuries were a frequent issue for the 2021 first-round pick.“We're not going to bring him back and have him hurt it again,” Reid said. “We'll see what we can do.”As for Thuney, who is about as durable as they come, Reid said the big offensive lineman probably could have returned last week in Cincinnati, but chose to give him another week off in the hopes of avoiding any lingering issues.“His thing was getting that final push,” Reid said. “He feels better this week than he did last week. He's made as much progress as he's had, I said, ‘Let’s give him a little more time.' That's where I was at the end of last week.”Reid also said that wide receiver Mecole Hardman, who is eligible to come off injured reserve next week, is recovering nicely from his abdominal injury. Hardman has been running outside and put on some of the weight he lost while dealing with the problem, and there's a chance he could help Kansas City for the stretch run.The Chiefs are tied with the Bills at 9-3 for the best record in the AFC, though Buffalo holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.“The guys know where they're at. Nobody knows better than they do what's out front,” said Reid, whose team can clinch the AFC West with a win Sunday in Denver coupled with a loss by the Los Angeles Chargers.“You don't have to stand up there and preach to them about that,” Reid continued. “They want to win games. That's the mentality of this team. They battled their hearts out Sunday and it didn't work out. We're back to it.”In fact, Reid was peppered with questions Wednesday about bouncing back from the loss in Cincinnati — the third straight game this calendar year that the Bengals have beaten the Chiefs, including last season's AFC title game. And after the third or fourth question, Reid made it clear that his focus was off the Bengals and onto the Broncos.The same goes for Patrick Mahomes, who will no doubt welcome Thuney and Toney back to the huddle.“In this league,” he said, “you have to move on or you'll make one loss turn into two. You watch the tape on Monday and you get a sense of what you can do better, when you can take away that was positive, and you move onto next week.”Mahomes has never lost to the Broncos in nine tries.“We just really emphasize playing our division opponents,” he said, by way of an explanation. “That's what we work on all offseason. For us, the coaches do a great job of giving us great game plans and I just try to go out and execute them.”NOTES: Mahomes was chosen as the Chiefs' nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award this week. “Just a tremendous honor,” he said. “To have my opportunity this year is something I'll cherish for the rest of my life.” ... Reid said there's a chance that two-time Pro Bowl RB Melvin Gordon, who was signed to the Kansas City practice squad late last month, could face his former team on Sunday. But carries would be scarce behind Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon. “We're fairly healthy there," Reid said, ”but I'm glad we have him. He's done a nice job for us."

🏈 Chiefs could have Thuney, Toney back from injury vs Broncos

MANHATTAN, Kansas -&nbsp;(24/25) K-State forced its most turnovers in the&nbsp;Jeff Mittie&nbsp;era, as the Wildcats throttled Kansas City on Wednesday night at Bramlage Coliseum, 72-45. K-State (9-1) has won 17 consecutive non-conference home games with its last loss coming against Idaho State on Dec. 8, 2020. The Wildcats forced Kansas City (3-6) into 33 turnovers and K-State turned those opportunities into a 32-3 advantage in points off turnovers. The previous top mark for turnovers in the Mittie era of 27 came against UT Arlington on Dec. 7, 2016. &nbsp;&nbsp; The 32 points off turnovers are the most since scoring 34 against Central Arkansas on November 9, 2021. Of the 33 turnovers forced, K-State pocketed a season-high 20 steals. The 20 thefts were the most since K-State snared 24 steals against Abilene Christian on December 22, 2014. K-State saw four players reach double figures, as senior guard&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/emilee-ebert/8605">Emilee Ebert</a>&nbsp;tallied 14 points, while senior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/8613">Gabby Gregory</a>&nbsp;added 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Also in double figures were sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/brylee-glenn/8606">Brylee Glenn</a>&nbsp;with 11 points, five assists and four steals and freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/eliza-maupin/8626">Eliza Maupin</a>&nbsp;with 10 points. Glenn and Maupin led a bench effort that outscored the Roos, 30-5. HOW IT HAPPENED - Kansas State held a two-point advantage, 15-13, after the first quarter. The Wildcats proceeded to overwhelm the Roos in the second quarter, 24-11, to build a 39-24 halftime lead. - K-State shot 57.1 percent (8-of-14) from the field in the second frame and added a 5-of-6 (.833) effort from the foul line. - K-State continued its defensive pressure in the third quarter, holding Kansas City to 2-of-8 shooting in the frame and outscoring the Roos, 25-7, in the third to construct a 64-31 lead entering the final quarter. - Of the 25 points scored by the Wildcats in the third quarter, 19 came off of 14 Kansas City turnovers. QUICK FACTS - K-State leads the series with Kansas City, 12-3. The Wildcats have won nine straight in the series.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a>&nbsp;is 7-0 in his coaching career against Kansas City. - The Wildcats are 49-5 all-time against current members of the Summit League. - Kansas State owns a 235-101 record in the month of December including a 34-16 mark in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a>&nbsp;era. - K-State head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a>&nbsp;is 101-42 (.706) in his K-State career in games played in Bramlage Coliseum. - K-State is 6-0 this season when leading at halftime and own a 120-16 record under Mittie when leading at the break. TEAM NOTES - Wednesday's starting five was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/sarah-shematsi/9881">Sarah Shematsi</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jaelyn-glenn/8607">Jaelyn Glenn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/serena-sundell/8612">Serena Sundell</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/8613">Gabby Gregory</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/emilee-ebert/8605">Emilee Ebert</a>. This was the first time this group started a game together this season. - K-State has scored 70 or more points in nine of its 10 games this season. - For the game, K-State shot 36.4 percent (24-of-66) from the field. The Wildcats have made 24 or more field goals in eight games this season. - The Wildcats were 20-of-22 (.909) from the free throw line. This was the fourth time this season K-State made 20 or free throws in a game. This marked the fifth time the Wildcats have shot 80.0 percent or better from the charity stripe. - Kansas State pocketed 10 or more steals for the third time this season. - K-State tied its season-high with eight blocked shots. PLAYER NOTES -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/emilee-ebert/8605">Emilee Ebert</a>&nbsp;scored in double figures for the second time this season and the 13th time in her career. This was the first in her career in which she led K-State in scoring. - Ebert was 4-of-4 from the foul line and extended her consecutive free throws made streak to 32, which is the third-longest streak in school history. Ebert is 24-of-24 from the foul line this season and made her last eight free throws in the 2021-22 season. -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/brylee-glenn/8606">Brylee Glenn</a>&nbsp;reached double figures for the sixth time this season and the 16th time in her career. - Her four steals on Wednesday tied her career-high, which she has reached two other times this season. -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/8613">Gabby Gregory</a>&nbsp;tallied her 50th career game in double figures for points and her ninth at K-State. Gregory is 13 points away from reaching the 1,000-point mark in her collegiate career. - Gregory pulled in five or more rebounds for the 30th time in her career and the sixth time this season. She led K-State on the glass for the fourth time this season. - Gregory tied her career-high with three steals on Wednesday night. -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/eliza-maupin/8626">Eliza Maupin</a>&nbsp;scored in double figures for the second time in her career. - Junior center&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/taylor-lauterbach/8609">Taylor Lauterbach</a>&nbsp;tallied four blocked shots on Wednesday. This was Lauterbach's second career game with four or more blocks and her 10th career contest with two or more blocks. - Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jaelyn-glenn/8607">Jaelyn Glenn</a>&nbsp;pocketed four steals on Wednesday. This was her third game this season and the sixth of her career with four or more steals. FROM THE HEAD COACH K-State Head Coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a> Opening Statement... "Not a very good night offensively for us but I thought the defense picked us up. Got a lot of steals, got a lot of free plays, but yeah, certainly I think that things I talked to them about is, you know, we've got to play more consistent, be a little sharper. We just seemed a little out of sync but I loved our energy in the third quarter. That needs to be something that we're not turning on and off like a faucet. We need to have that energy for longer stretches. But the energy in the third was really big and really stretched the lead out." On the team's full court press… "We haven't had a lot of practice time. That's the one thing we continue to talk about coming back off the six games in nine days. We just haven't had a ton of practice time. I did feel like Kansas City has struggled with some turnovers, so I felt like it would give us some good film of our rotations and things I wanted to see our 22 defense a little more. Our zone was not good early. We've got to play that much better. Or man to man was decent in stretches. So I did want to get a look at both of them." On lacking in the offense… "The fourth we went the last five minutes and didn't score and we had a lot of decent looks. There were a lot of in and out threes that you know, I just think we've got to find a better balance there. We're attacking a zone inside out where we're getting our feet set. We just got to find a better balance here. But I didn't feel like we were particularly sharp all night long. You know, I said at halftime that we were just a little bit off. I did feel like the third quarter we seemed locked in with each other. I will say this, we shared the ball fairly well. So I think I'll be curious to watch the film because sometimes when you're in the game, you can think some things aren't as good. So one of the things that I do continue to think our team is doing is they're looking for each other. We made a lot of good cuts tonight, but boy, we blew layups tonight. So we've been working on the cuts, so I'm going to feel like that's a positive, but we were just a little out of sync tonight most of the night." On the scoring from the bench… "We got a lot of different combinations out there tonight. And then I think that was good for us to get a look at. I thought different players gave us a different lift at times I thought&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/heavenly-greer/8608">Heavenly Greer</a>&nbsp;gave us a lift, had a good stretch. I thought&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/eliza-maupin/8626">Eliza Maupin</a>&nbsp;had a good stretch there. I thought [Emilee] Ebert had a good feel to the game. She was the one I felt like had the best feel to what was going on out there. I thought Brylee [Glenn] had good stretches where she was really playing well. So you know it's when you shoot 4 of 24 from three it's hard to score a lot of points. And I will credit our team once again though. We missed a lot of threes and a lot of layups, but we continued to get to the free throw line. And on nights when you have rough shooting nights you have to get to the free throw line and our team has continued to do that." FROM THE FLOOR BRYLEE GLENN, SOPHOMORE GUARD On her four steals… "We knew going in that we really wanted to play aggressive defense, we knew that we could take advantage of some of the things that we did. I'm proud of my teammates for going out there and getting steals and then especially taking advantage of them like running the floor and being able to make plays off of that." EMILEE EBERT, SENIOR GUARD On leading the team in scoring…&nbsp; "I kind of just go into every game the same but, yeah, personally I didn't shoot the ball well last game so you know, I got shots up today early and credit to my teammates, finding me when I'm open and making the extra pass." UP NEXT K-State faces South Dakota State on Saturday afternoon in Kansas City in Municipal Auditorium at 1 p.m. For tickets, call (800) 221-CATS or visit kstatesports.com. Saturday's game will be aired on the K-State Sports Network and on the Varsity app.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670499202604.jpeg" alt="KSU WBB 12-8.jpg" />
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 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kansas -&nbsp;(24/25) K-State forced its most turnovers in the&nbsp;Jeff Mittie&nbsp;era, as the Wildcats throttled Kansas City on Wednesday night at Bramlage Coliseum, 72-45. K-State (9-1) has won 17 consecutive non-conference home games with its last loss coming against Idaho State on Dec. 8, 2020. The Wildcats forced Kansas City (3-6) into 33 turnovers and K-State turned those opportunities into a 32-3 advantage in points off turnovers. The previous top mark for turnovers in the Mittie era of 27 came against UT Arlington on Dec. 7, 2016. &nbsp;&nbsp; The 32 points off turnovers are the most since scoring 34 against Central Arkansas on November 9, 2021. Of the 33 turnovers forced, K-State pocketed a season-high 20 steals. The 20 thefts were the most since K-State snared 24 steals against Abilene Christian on December 22, 2014. K-State saw four players reach double figures, as senior guard&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/emilee-ebert/8605">Emilee Ebert</a>&nbsp;tallied 14 points, while senior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/8613">Gabby Gregory</a>&nbsp;added 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Also in double figures were sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/brylee-glenn/8606">Brylee Glenn</a>&nbsp;with 11 points, five assists and four steals and freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/eliza-maupin/8626">Eliza Maupin</a>&nbsp;with 10 points. Glenn and Maupin led a bench effort that outscored the Roos, 30-5. HOW IT HAPPENED - Kansas State held a two-point advantage, 15-13, after the first quarter. The Wildcats proceeded to overwhelm the Roos in the second quarter, 24-11, to build a 39-24 halftime lead. - K-State shot 57.1 percent (8-of-14) from the field in the second frame and added a 5-of-6 (.833) effort from the foul line. - K-State continued its defensive pressure in the third quarter, holding Kansas City to 2-of-8 shooting in the frame and outscoring the Roos, 25-7, in the third to construct a 64-31 lead entering the final quarter. - Of the 25 points scored by the Wildcats in the third quarter, 19 came off of 14 Kansas City turnovers. QUICK FACTS - K-State leads the series with Kansas City, 12-3. The Wildcats have won nine straight in the series.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a>&nbsp;is 7-0 in his coaching career against Kansas City. - The Wildcats are 49-5 all-time against current members of the Summit League. - Kansas State owns a 235-101 record in the month of December including a 34-16 mark in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a>&nbsp;era. - K-State head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a>&nbsp;is 101-42 (.706) in his K-State career in games played in Bramlage Coliseum. - K-State is 6-0 this season when leading at halftime and own a 120-16 record under Mittie when leading at the break. TEAM NOTES - Wednesday's starting five was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/sarah-shematsi/9881">Sarah Shematsi</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jaelyn-glenn/8607">Jaelyn Glenn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/serena-sundell/8612">Serena Sundell</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/8613">Gabby Gregory</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/emilee-ebert/8605">Emilee Ebert</a>. This was the first time this group started a game together this season. - K-State has scored 70 or more points in nine of its 10 games this season. - For the game, K-State shot 36.4 percent (24-of-66) from the field. The Wildcats have made 24 or more field goals in eight games this season. - The Wildcats were 20-of-22 (.909) from the free throw line. This was the fourth time this season K-State made 20 or free throws in a game. This marked the fifth time the Wildcats have shot 80.0 percent or better from the charity stripe. - Kansas State pocketed 10 or more steals for the third time this season. - K-State tied its season-high with eight blocked shots. PLAYER NOTES -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/emilee-ebert/8605">Emilee Ebert</a>&nbsp;scored in double figures for the second time this season and the 13th time in her career. This was the first in her career in which she led K-State in scoring. - Ebert was 4-of-4 from the foul line and extended her consecutive free throws made streak to 32, which is the third-longest streak in school history. Ebert is 24-of-24 from the foul line this season and made her last eight free throws in the 2021-22 season. -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/brylee-glenn/8606">Brylee Glenn</a>&nbsp;reached double figures for the sixth time this season and the 16th time in her career. - Her four steals on Wednesday tied her career-high, which she has reached two other times this season. -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/8613">Gabby Gregory</a>&nbsp;tallied her 50th career game in double figures for points and her ninth at K-State. Gregory is 13 points away from reaching the 1,000-point mark in her collegiate career. - Gregory pulled in five or more rebounds for the 30th time in her career and the sixth time this season. She led K-State on the glass for the fourth time this season. - Gregory tied her career-high with three steals on Wednesday night. -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/eliza-maupin/8626">Eliza Maupin</a>&nbsp;scored in double figures for the second time in her career. - Junior center&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/taylor-lauterbach/8609">Taylor Lauterbach</a>&nbsp;tallied four blocked shots on Wednesday. This was Lauterbach's second career game with four or more blocks and her 10th career contest with two or more blocks. - Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jaelyn-glenn/8607">Jaelyn Glenn</a>&nbsp;pocketed four steals on Wednesday. This was her third game this season and the sixth of her career with four or more steals. FROM THE HEAD COACH K-State Head Coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/1817">Jeff Mittie</a> Opening Statement... "Not a very good night offensively for us but I thought the defense picked us up. Got a lot of steals, got a lot of free plays, but yeah, certainly I think that things I talked to them about is, you know, we've got to play more consistent, be a little sharper. We just seemed a little out of sync but I loved our energy in the third quarter. That needs to be something that we're not turning on and off like a faucet. We need to have that energy for longer stretches. But the energy in the third was really big and really stretched the lead out." On the team's full court press… "We haven't had a lot of practice time. That's the one thing we continue to talk about coming back off the six games in nine days. We just haven't had a ton of practice time. I did feel like Kansas City has struggled with some turnovers, so I felt like it would give us some good film of our rotations and things I wanted to see our 22 defense a little more. Our zone was not good early. We've got to play that much better. Or man to man was decent in stretches. So I did want to get a look at both of them." On lacking in the offense… "The fourth we went the last five minutes and didn't score and we had a lot of decent looks. There were a lot of in and out threes that you know, I just think we've got to find a better balance there. We're attacking a zone inside out where we're getting our feet set. We just got to find a better balance here. But I didn't feel like we were particularly sharp all night long. You know, I said at halftime that we were just a little bit off. I did feel like the third quarter we seemed locked in with each other. I will say this, we shared the ball fairly well. So I think I'll be curious to watch the film because sometimes when you're in the game, you can think some things aren't as good. So one of the things that I do continue to think our team is doing is they're looking for each other. We made a lot of good cuts tonight, but boy, we blew layups tonight. So we've been working on the cuts, so I'm going to feel like that's a positive, but we were just a little out of sync tonight most of the night." On the scoring from the bench… "We got a lot of different combinations out there tonight. And then I think that was good for us to get a look at. I thought different players gave us a different lift at times I thought&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/heavenly-greer/8608">Heavenly Greer</a>&nbsp;gave us a lift, had a good stretch. I thought&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/eliza-maupin/8626">Eliza Maupin</a>&nbsp;had a good stretch there. I thought [Emilee] Ebert had a good feel to the game. She was the one I felt like had the best feel to what was going on out there. I thought Brylee [Glenn] had good stretches where she was really playing well. So you know it's when you shoot 4 of 24 from three it's hard to score a lot of points. And I will credit our team once again though. We missed a lot of threes and a lot of layups, but we continued to get to the free throw line. And on nights when you have rough shooting nights you have to get to the free throw line and our team has continued to do that." FROM THE FLOOR BRYLEE GLENN, SOPHOMORE GUARD On her four steals… "We knew going in that we really wanted to play aggressive defense, we knew that we could take advantage of some of the things that we did. I'm proud of my teammates for going out there and getting steals and then especially taking advantage of them like running the floor and being able to make plays off of that." EMILEE EBERT, SENIOR GUARD On leading the team in scoring…&nbsp; "I kind of just go into every game the same but, yeah, personally I didn't shoot the ball well last game so you know, I got shots up today early and credit to my teammates, finding me when I'm open and making the extra pass." UP NEXT K-State faces South Dakota State on Saturday afternoon in Kansas City in Municipal Auditorium at 1 p.m. For tickets, call (800) 221-CATS or visit kstatesports.com. Saturday's game will be aired on the K-State Sports Network and on the Varsity app.&nbsp;&nbsp;