SALINA, Kan. — No. 25 Hutchinson (28-5) won its first Region VI tournament title since 2017 on Saturday night.

The Dragons split against Barton (20-13) in the regular season, but had no problems with the Cougars after trailing by four early.

Hutchinson went 7 of 14 from beyond the arc in the first half and built a 39-34 advantage.

While the Dragons fired away from outside, the Cougars pounded the ball inside.

Barton scored 22 points in the paint to Hutchinson's 21 from outside in the first half.

Janaya Washington provided a spark off the bench by hitting her first three shots from distance. Washington hit a career-high three three-pointers and finished with 11 points.

Mya Williams came up big in the third quarter once again for the Dragons. After scoring 14 Friday night in the third frame, she notched 12 Saturday night against Barton.

Williams finished the contest with 21 points and three triples.

Kalyn Ervin scored 10 of her 15 total points in the second half as Hutchinson went up by as many as 20 in the fourth quarter.

Hutchinson advances to the national tournament in Lubbock, Texas, March 16-21.

The Dragons will find out their seeding Sunday night in a special NJCAA selection show.

Mel Kailahi added 13 points for the Dragons.

Cori Lard and Brennan Kirchhoff each had 15 for Barton.

<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;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646547600428.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SALINA, Kan. — No. 25 Hutchinson (28-5) won its first Region VI tournament title since 2017 on Saturday night.The Dragons split against Barton (20-13) in the regular season, but had no problems with the Cougars after trailing by four early.Hutchinson went 7 of 14 from beyond the arc in the first half and built a 39-34 advantage.While the Dragons fired away from outside, the Cougars pounded the ball inside.Barton scored 22 points in the paint to Hutchinson's 21 from outside in the first half.Janaya Washington provided a spark off the bench by hitting her first three shots from distance. Washington hit a career-high three three-pointers and finished with 11 points.Mya Williams came up big in the third quarter once again for the Dragons. After scoring 14 Friday night in the third frame, she notched 12 Saturday night against Barton.Williams finished the contest with 21 points and three triples.Kalyn Ervin scored 10 of her 15 total points in the second half as Hutchinson went up by as many as 20 in the fourth quarter.FINAL: Hutchinson 82 Barton 66The Dragons shot 49.2% for the game.Hutchinson advances to the national tournament in Lubbock, Texas, March 16-21.The Dragons will find out their seeding Sunday night in a special NJCAA selection show.Mel Kailahi added 13 points for the Dragons.Cori Lard and Brennan Kirchhoff each had 15 for Barton.<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;

WBB: Dragons clinch first Region VI title since 2017

LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Hutch High Salthawk boys lost Saturday 53-37 to Lawrence Free State in Lawrence in a Class 6A substate final.

"I told Coach Miller on the way up here, this isn't the last one of these we're going to play in," said assistant Joe Hammersmith. "I think this program is really continuing to grow."

Hutch High was right with the Firebirds at the end of one quarter and led 8-7.&nbsp; As good as the Salthawk shooting was on Wednesday at home, they had trouble putting the ball in the hole in quarter number two and trailed at the half 21-13.&nbsp;

The third quarter is when Free State really stretched it out, outscoring Hutchinson in that frame 17-7 for a 38-20 lead and then they kept the Salthawks at a distance in the fourth and the Firebirds won 53-37.

Unfortunately, coach Brian Miller wasn't able to watch the close of the game with his squad as he received two technical fouls following a hard foul on an attempted dunk by Khalil Mendoza at the 3:53 mark of the 4th quarter. 

Nic Lange came in and hit what would have been Mendoza's free throws, but Jordan Brown made all four technical tosses for the Firebirds and Hutchinson never was able to get closer after that.

Hutch High ends their season at 12-10. Free State advances to the 6A state tournament with a record of 21-1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574794748723.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostLAWRENCE, Kan. — The Hutch High Salthawk boys lost Saturday 53-37 to Lawrence Free State in Lawrence in a Class 6A substate final."I told Coach Miller on the way up here, this isn't the last one of these we're going to play in," said assistant Joe Hammersmith. "I think this program is really continuing to grow."Hutch High was right with the Firebirds at the end of one quarter and led 8-7.&nbsp; As good as the Salthawk shooting was on Wednesday at home, they had trouble putting the ball in the hole in quarter number two and trailed at the half 21-13.&nbsp;The third quarter is when Free State really stretched it out, outscoring Hutchinson in that frame 17-7 for a 38-20 lead and then they kept the Salthawks at a distance in the fourth and the Firebirds won 53-37.Unfortunately, coach Brian Miller wasn't able to watch the close of the game with his squad as he received two technical fouls following a hard foul on an attempted dunk by Khalil Mendoza at the 3:53 mark of the 4th quarter. Nic Lange came in and hit what would have been Mendoza's free throws, but Jordan Brown made all four technical tosses for the Firebirds and Hutchinson never was able to get closer after that.Hutch High ends their season at 12-10. Free State advances to the 6A state tournament with a record of 21-1.

Hutch High boys close out season with loss in substate title game

HUTCHINSON, Kan.—Five more teams joined Roane State to &nbsp;punched their tickets to this years NJCAA Men's D1 National Tournament to be held in Hutchinson March 14-19.

John A. Logan (29-3) out of Region 24 in Illinois defeated Shawnee 90-78 to qualify.&nbsp; Shawnee had defeated Vincennes University in the quarter finals 65-55.&nbsp; Vincennes suffered through their worst season in 68 years to finish at 12-19.

Shelton State out of the South District and Region 22 defeated Wallace State 89-67.&nbsp; Shelton State is 29-4 and is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Caldwell Tech (25-7) out of Region 10 defeated USC Salkahatchie 68-66 to punch their ticket to the dance.

Harcum, Pennsylvania (30-2) defeated Hagerstown 79-64 in Region 19.

South Georgia Tech, Georgia &nbsp;(22-11) defeated Georgia Highland 87-84 to represent Region 17.

Six Women's D1 Teams have qualified for the NJCAA Women's D1 Championship that will be played in Lubbock, Texas March 16-21.

Those teams are Walters State (19-6) out of Tennessee, Wabash Valley, Illinois (28-1), Monroe College, NY (14-14), College of Southern Idaho (30-2), Shelton State, Alabama (29-1) and Arizona Western (29-2)

HUTCHINSON, Kan.—Five more teams joined Roane State to &nbsp;punched their tickets to this years NJCAA Men's D1 National Tournament to be held in Hutchinson March 14-19.John A. Logan (29-3) out of Region 24 in Illinois defeated Shawnee 90-78 to qualify.&nbsp; Shawnee had defeated Vincennes University in the quarter finals 65-55.&nbsp; Vincennes suffered through their worst season in 68 years to finish at 12-19.Shelton State out of the South District and Region 22 defeated Wallace State 89-67.&nbsp; Shelton State is 29-4 and is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.Caldwell Tech (25-7) out of Region 10 defeated USC Salkahatchie 68-66 to punch their ticket to the dance.Harcum, Pennsylvania (30-2) defeated Hagerstown 79-64 in Region 19.South Georgia Tech, Georgia &nbsp;(22-11) defeated Georgia Highland 87-84 to represent Region 17.Six Women's D1 Teams have qualified for the NJCAA Women's D1 Championship that will be played in Lubbock, Texas March 16-21.Those teams are Walters State (19-6) out of Tennessee, Wabash Valley, Illinois (28-1), Monroe College, NY (14-14), College of Southern Idaho (30-2), Shelton State, Alabama (29-1) and Arizona Western (29-2)

Most recent NJCAA teams to qualify for National Tournaments

SALINA Kan. – The Region VI basketball tourney featured several
stellar performances, as well as one big upset, on opening day. Tony’s Pizza
Event Center hosts this year’s championships.

In the day’s
first game, A gritty Barton women’s squad took down top-seeded Independence
73-62. Barton won the battle on the boards 50-30 over the Lady Pirates, and
also held star Indy guard Maisa Marcal to just 15 points on 6-19 shooting.
Brennan Kirchoff led the way for the Cougars with 16 points and eight rebounds.

Game 2 of
Friday featured an 89-77 win for Dodge City over western Kansas rival Garden
City. After a 39-39 first half, the Conquistadors outscored the Broncbusters
50-39 in the second half. Dodge had five players in double digits, led by guard
Themus Fulks with 21.

The third
contest had the Hutchinson women defeat the Seward County Lady Saints 92-84.
The Blue Dragons outrebounded Seward 51-39, and were led by T’ore Alford’s
26-14 double double. Hutch’s Mya Williams led all scorers with 27 points, and
also snagged nine boards.

It will be Hutchinson
versus Barton for the women’s Region VI title at 6pm on Saturday.

In the men’s
nightcap, Hutchinson grabbed the lead and held on to a 92-85 victory over the
Butler Grizzlies. Three Hutchinson starters – Josiah Harris, Kamien Lennox, and
Angelo Stuart each had over 20 points. The Blue Dragons led the entire game
except for one early tie.

The men’s title
game at 8pm Saturday will feature Hutchinson versus Dodge City.

SALINA Kan. – The Region VI basketball tourney featured several
stellar performances, as well as one big upset, on opening day. Tony’s Pizza
Event Center hosts this year’s championships.In the day’s
first game, A gritty Barton women’s squad took down top-seeded Independence
73-62. Barton won the battle on the boards 50-30 over the Lady Pirates, and
also held star Indy guard Maisa Marcal to just 15 points on 6-19 shooting.
Brennan Kirchoff led the way for the Cougars with 16 points and eight rebounds.Game 2 of
Friday featured an 89-77 win for Dodge City over western Kansas rival Garden
City. After a 39-39 first half, the Conquistadors outscored the Broncbusters
50-39 in the second half. Dodge had five players in double digits, led by guard
Themus Fulks with 21.The third
contest had the Hutchinson women defeat the Seward County Lady Saints 92-84.
The Blue Dragons outrebounded Seward 51-39, and were led by T’ore Alford’s
26-14 double double. Hutch’s Mya Williams led all scorers with 27 points, and
also snagged nine boards.It will be Hutchinson
versus Barton for the women’s Region VI title at 6pm on Saturday.In the men’s
nightcap, Hutchinson grabbed the lead and held on to a 92-85 victory over the
Butler Grizzlies. Three Hutchinson starters – Josiah Harris, Kamien Lennox, and
Angelo Stuart each had over 20 points. The Blue Dragons led the entire game
except for one early tie.The men’s title
game at 8pm Saturday will feature Hutchinson versus Dodge City.

Day One of the NJCAA Region VI Basketball Tourney wraps Up in Salina

St. John's Beloit-Tipton 58, Pike Valley 22

GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL=Sub-State=Championship=Class 6A=East=Sub-State 1=Olathe North 48, Olathe West 39Sub-State 2=BV North 51, SM Northwest 43Sub-State 3=Blue Valley 43, Olathe Northwest 41Sub-State 4=SM West 42, Olathe South 33West=Sub-State 1=Derby 62, Wichita East 19Sub-State 2=Topeka 67, Liberal 46Sub-State 3=Washburn Rural 47, Manhattan 27Sub-State 4=Dodge City 52, Wichita Heights 46Class 4A=East=Sub-State 1=Eudora 54, Paola 38Sub-State 2=Wamego 53, Holton 26Sub-State 3=Bishop Miege 67, Topeka Hayden 31Sub-State 4=Labette County 49, Fort Scott 41West=Sub-State 1=Wellington 58, Circle 29Sub-State 2=Andale 47, Augusta 29Sub-State 3=McPherson 43, Rock Creek 38Sub-State 4=Clay Center 31, Clearwater 30Semifinal=Class 1A Div. 1=Burrton=Little River 51, Macksville 35St. John 64, Burrton 27Class 3A=Fredonia=Cherryvale 56, Galena 54Neodesha 52, Columbus 47Goodland=Goodland 49, Hoisington 37Phillipsburg 56, Hays-TMP-Marian 46Kingman=Cimarron 53, Kingman 28Hugoton 50, Holcomb 38Minneapolis=Riley County 39, Smoky Valley 28Southeast Saline 40, Beloit 27Nickerson=Hesston 29, Cheney 27Nickerson 63, Wichita Trinity 32Prairie View=Eureka 55, Burlington 46Frontenac 45, Girard 26Silver Lake=Nemaha Central 45, Hiawatha 33Silver Lake 55, Jefferson West 53West Franklin=Santa Fe Trail 63, Osage City 37West Franklin 45, Heritage Christian 34Class 1A Division 1=Clyde-Clifton=Clifton-Clyde 42, BV Randolph 23Washington County 33, Rock Hills 26Frankfort=Centralia 55, Troy 22Frankfort 41, Doniphan West 38Jetmore=Hodgeman County 41, La Crosse 27Ness City 45, Wichita County 39Lucas Unified=Osborne 50, Oberlin-Decatur 38Rawlins County 58, Sylvan-Lucas 54Olpe=Burlingame 37, Madison/Hamilton Co-op 31St. Paul 45, Olpe 27South Gray=South Central 40, Meade 37Spearville 48, Kiowa County 30Udall=Norwich 56, Oxford 26Pretty Prairie 49, Wichita Classical 13Class 1A Division 2=Axtell=Hanover 63, Wetmore 27Linn 53, Wakefield 31Beloit=Logan/Palco 54, Thunder Ridge 38St. John's Beloit-Tipton 58, Pike Valley 22Caldwell=Attica 64, Argonia 34South Haven 46, South Barber 23Central Plains=Central Plains 81, Wilson 18Rural Vista 49, Tescott 35Fowler=Ashland 46, Rolla 11Bucklin 38, Ingalls 34Lebo=Lebo 71, Southern Coffey 27Waverly 41, Hartford 34Stafford=Elyria Christian 58, Stafford 20Hutchinson Central Christian 53, Chase 18Wallace County=Golden Plains 53, Dighton 36Wheatland-Grinnell 52, Wallace County 42___BOYS PREP BASKETBALL=Sub-State=Championship=Class 5A=East=Sub-State 4=BV Southwest 70, Pittsburg 42Sub-State 1=St. James Academy 52, Basehor-Linwood 35Sub-State 3=DeSoto 50, Shawnee Heights 37Highland Park 89, KC Piper 52West=Sub-State 1=Topeka Seaman 61, Hays 44Sub-State 2=Kapaun Mount Carmel 61, Valley Center 42Sub-State 3=Topeka West 73, Andover 59Sub-State 4=Maize 59, Andover Central 50Semifinal=Class 2A=Dexter=Sedan 31, Conway Springs 30Wichita Independent 48, Cedar Vale/Dexter Co-op 35Lyndon=Chase County 54, Mission Valley 44Lyndon 62, KC Christian 28Plainville=Plainville 48, Hill City 36Trego 52, Hoxie 35Remington=Hillsboro 60, Sedgwick 26Inman 43, Moundridge 40Republic County=St. Mary's 78, Bennington 51Wabaunsee 57, Salina Sacred Heart 51Sublette=Ellinwood 63, Sublette 44Sterling 66, Medicine Lodge 54Uniontown=Pittsburg Colgan 62, Erie 35Southeast 44, Yates Center 28Valley Falls=Atchison County 39, Jefferson North 24Valley Falls 67, Maur Hill - Mount Academy 51___

Substate Basketball Scores from March 4, 2022

SALINA, Kan. — The No. 21 Dragons (25-7) never trailed No. 25 Butler (23-9) Friday night, but the Grizzlies did pull within two points with 7:18 remaining.

Hutchinson got a big night from Josiah Harris, who just missed out on a double-double with his 20 points and nine rebounds.

Angelo Stuart scored 24 points despite making only 1 of 6 three-point attempts. It was just the third game this season Stuart made only one three. He has two or more made threes in every other game this season.

Kaimen Lennox added 19 points for the Dragons.

Hutchinson shot out to an 18-point lead in the first half before Butler started to make things interesting.

The Grizzlies did so with 6-foot-8 freshman Isaac Ondekane, who scored 12 points in the first half. He finished the game with 15.

Former Dragon, Jaden Okon, led Butler with a double-double (16 points and 12 rebounds).

Hutchinson shot just 28.6% from distance, but shot 43.8% for the game, including a hot 6 of 10 start.

Both teams turned the ball over only three times each in the first half before the turnover floodgate opened in the second half.

Butler finished with 14 turnovers, which the Dragons turned into 21 points.

Hutchinson turned the ball over only eight times.

Despite a strong post presence from Ondekane and Isaiah Williams (31 combined points), Hutchinson won the battle in the paint 44-36.

The Dragons were outrebounded, however, 44-38.

Butler finished with 19 second-chance points on 13 offensive rebounds. Hutchinson held Butler to six offensive boards and five second-chance points in the first half.

The Dragons went on a 9-2 run after the Grizzlies closed in at 70-68.

The Grizzlies never got back within five after that run.

Hutchinson will face Dodge City Saturday night in Salina for the Region VI Championship.

<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;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646459813133.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SALINA, Kan. — The No. 21 Dragons (25-7) never trailed No. 25 Butler (23-9) Friday night, but the Grizzlies did pull within two points with 7:18 remaining.Hutchinson got a big night from Josiah Harris, who just missed out on a double-double with his 20 points and nine rebounds.Angelo Stuart scored 24 points despite making only 1 of 6 three-point attempts. It was just the third game this season Stuart made only one three. He has two or more made threes in every other game this season.Kaimen Lennox added 19 points for the Dragons.Hutchinson shot out to an 18-point lead in the first half before Butler started to make things interesting.The Grizzlies did so with 6-foot-8 freshman Isaac Ondekane, who scored 12 points in the first half. He finished the game with 15.Former Dragon, Jaden Okon, led Butler with a double-double (16 points and 12 rebounds).Hutchinson shot just 28.6% from distance, but shot 43.8% for the game, including a hot 6 of 10 start.Both teams turned the ball over only three times each in the first half before the turnover floodgate opened in the second half.Butler finished with 14 turnovers, which the Dragons turned into 21 points.Hutchinson turned the ball over only eight times.Despite a strong post presence from Ondekane and Isaiah Williams (31 combined points), Hutchinson won the battle in the paint 44-36.The Dragons were outrebounded, however, 44-38.Butler finished with 19 second-chance points on 13 offensive rebounds. Hutchinson held Butler to six offensive boards and five second-chance points in the first half.The Dragons went on a 9-2 run after the Grizzlies closed in at 70-68.The Grizzlies never got back within five after that run.FINAL: Hutchinson 92 Butler 85Hutchinson will face Dodge City Saturday night in Salina for the Region VI Championship.<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;

MBB: Dragons never trail in Region VI semifinal

SALINA, Kan. — No. 25 Hutchinson (27-5) got its first win against Seward County (22-10) this season thanks to Tor'e Alford's double-double.

The third-year sophomore tied her career high with 26 points and nabbed 14 rebounds. She also stole the ball five times as Hutchinson forced 14 turnovers.

Two of Alford's most-exciting points came on a controversial play to end the first half.

Hutchinson held a three-point lead with 1:15 left in the half before that lead was pushed to five and eventually seven at the break after a buzzer-beater from Alford.

With two seconds left before the half, a Seward heave from the baseline was stolen away at half court by Ziya Simms. She tipped the ball to herself and fired a pass to Alford at the free-throw line. The turnaround jumper dropped as time expired.

Officials initially counted the basket, but Seward protested and the play went under review. It didn't seem possible that the tip, steal, pass and turnaround jumper could have elapsed in only two seconds, but officials upheld the play and the Dragons went into the locker room up 46-39.

Mya Williams took over in the third quarter by scoring 14 of her 27 in the period. She just missed a double-double with nine rebounds.

Sierra Lynch kept the Lady Saints close with her 27 points.

Sydney Wetlaufer went 0-1 in the first half but scored 14 in the second half for Seward. Her three with 3:15 left pulled Seward within one.

Hutchinson iced the game at the free-throw line where the Dragons shot 78.3% on the night.

FINAL: Hutchinson 92 Seward County 84

Alford notched a career high for free throws made and taken (13 of 14).

Kalyn Ervin added 12 points for the Dragons.

Hutchinson will face Barton Saturday night in Salina for the Region VI Championship.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646459771300.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SALINA, Kan. — No. 25 Hutchinson (27-5) got its first win against Seward County (22-10) this season thanks to Tor'e Alford's double-double.The third-year sophomore tied her career high with 26 points and nabbed 14 rebounds. She also stole the ball five times as Hutchinson forced 14 turnovers.Two of Alford's most-exciting points came on a controversial play to end the first half.Hutchinson held a three-point lead with 1:15 left in the half before that lead was pushed to five and eventually seven at the break after a buzzer-beater from Alford.With two seconds left before the half, a Seward heave from the baseline was stolen away at half court by Ziya Simms. She tipped the ball to herself and fired a pass to Alford at the free-throw line. The turnaround jumper dropped as time expired.Officials initially counted the basket, but Seward protested and the play went under review. It didn't seem possible that the tip, steal, pass and turnaround jumper could have elapsed in only two seconds, but officials upheld the play and the Dragons went into the locker room up 46-39.Mya Williams took over in the third quarter by scoring 14 of her 27 in the period. She just missed a double-double with nine rebounds.Sierra Lynch kept the Lady Saints close with her 27 points.Hutchinson outrebounded Seward 51-39.Sydney Wetlaufer went 0-1 in the first half but scored 14 in the second half for Seward. Her three with 3:15 left pulled Seward within one.Hutchinson iced the game at the free-throw line where the Dragons shot 78.3% on the night.FINAL: Hutchinson 92 Seward County 84Alford notched a career high for free throws made and taken (13 of 14).Kalyn Ervin added 12 points for the Dragons.Hutchinson will face Barton Saturday night in Salina for the Region VI Championship.<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;

WBB: Dragons advance to Region VI Championship

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;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;

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🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Friday Morning

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji scored 22 points, Dajuan Harris blocked Mike Miles' shot in the final seconds and sixth-ranked Kansas avenged a loss to TCU two days earlier with a 72-68 victory on Thursday night. The win kept the Jayhawks tied atop the Big 12 heading into their regular-season finale against Texas on Saturday. Third-ranked Baylor has the same 13-4 league mark heading into its game Saturday against Iowa State. Emanuel Miller scored 18 points to lead the Horned Frogs, and Damion Baugh finished with 14 points.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Keegan Murray scored 15 of his 23 points in the first half to help No. 24 Iowa build a big lead, and the streaking Hawkeyes went on to beat Michigan 82-71. The Hawkeyes led 47-30 at halftime and coasted to their fifth straight victory and eighth win in nine games. The Wolverines are the only team to beat Iowa since mid-February. Michigan had no shot to win the rematch because it simply could not slow down Iowa's dynamic and balanced offense.

UNDATED (AP) — Third-ranked Baylor has gone on a late-season charge to forge a tie atop the Big 12 heading into its regular-season finale against Iowa State on Saturday night. The Bears will know what they need to do by the time they tip off because sixth-ranked Kansas, which is also 13-4 in the league, plays No. 21 Texas about two hours before at Allen Fieldhouse. No. 21 Texas Tech is one game back, but swept the Bears and split with Kansas, giving the Red Raiders an outside shot at the No. 1 seed in the league tournament heading into their game at Oklahoma State.

UNDATED (AP) — No. 24 Iowa visits No. 20 Illinois on Sunday in the only Big Ten game matching ranked teams this weekend. The Illini can lock up sole possession of second place with a win, or even a share of the regular-season title if Nebraska can knock off No. 10 Wisconsin on the road Sunday. Iowa is the hottest team in the Big Ten as the top four seeds prepare to play their first games in the women's conference tournament Friday. The Hawkeyes headed to Indianapolis off four straight wins and with Big Ten player of the year Caitlin Clark.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jaz Shelley made nine of Nebraska's tournament-record 15 3-pointers in scoring a career-high-tying 32 points, and the sixth-seeded Cornhuskers rolled past 14th-seeded Illinois 92-74 in the second round of the Big Ten tournament. Nebraska takes on third-seeded and 10th-ranked Michigan in Friday's quarterfinals. Shelley was 9 of 13 from the arc, one make shy of her career best but matching the tournament record. Alexis Markowski finished with 22 points and nine rebounds. Isabelle Bourne added 15 points and Sam Haiby 10. Adalia McKenzie scored 18 points and Aaliyah Nye and Jayla Oden had 14 each for the Fighting Illini.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed into law a bill that prohibits transgender females from participating in girls high school sports and women's college athletics, rejecting opponents' argument that she would harm vulnerable children to solve a nonexistent problem. Republican leaders made the bill signed Thursday by the governor effective immediately, which means transgender female students playing on girls or women's teams may be forced to quit. It wasn't immediately clear how many students it would affect. Iowa will join 10 other GOP-run states with such laws. Some have faced court challenges alleging violations of constitutional rights and federal nondiscrimination laws.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Amber Ramirez scored all 17 of her points after halftime, Makayla Daniels had 13 points and 14 rebounds for her first career double-double and No. 8 seed Arkansas used an 9-0 run in overtime to beat ninth-seeded Missouri 61-52 in the second round of the SEC tournament. Arkansas advances to face top-ranked South Carolina in the quarterfinals on Friday. The Razorbacks dropped the only regular-season meeting with the Gamecocks, 61-52 on Jan. 16. Ramirez, who scored 21 and 25 points in the two regular-season matchups with Missouri, was 6 of 15 from the floor and Daniels 3 for 17 as Arkansas shot just 27.3% from the field. Haley Troup scored a career-high 21 points for Missouri.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kobe King and Sheldon Edwards scored 18 points apiece as Valparaiso cruised to an 81-59 victory over Evansville in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. Preston Ruedinger added 12 points for the Beacons (13-17), while Ben Krikke and Thomas Kithier each scored 10. Edwards also had seven rebounds. Noah Frederking had 13 points and six rebounds to pace the Purple Aces (6-24).

Heat beat Nets in Durant's return to Brooklyn lineup

UNDATED (AP) — Kevin Durant was back in the Brooklyn Nets' starting lineup, but the team continued to sputter.

Bam Adebayo (ad-eh-BY'-oh) had 30 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to lead the Heat to a 113-107 victory over the Nets.

Tyler Herro (HEE'-roh) added 27 points for the Heat, who bounced back from a tough loss in Milwaukee a night earlier.

Durant had 31 points in his first game since suffering a sprained left knee ligament on Jan. 15. His return from a 21-game absence inspired the Nets to a 16-point lead, but Brooklyn fell to 5-17 since Durant's injury.

Meanwhile, Nets swingman Joe Harris will have more surgery on his left ankle and miss the remainder of the season. Harris had surgery on the ankle Nov. 29 and has missed the last 49 games.

Checking out Thursday's other NBA action:

— Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch) delivered 41 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Mavericks beat the Warriors for the second time in five days, 122-113. Dorian Finney-Smith scored 18 points and Dinwiddie added 17 as the Mavericks took the season series 3-1 with the consecutive victories. Golden State never led but got even for the first time since early in the first quarter during a stretch when Moses Moody scored 13 consecutive Warriors points in the final period.

— Jayson Tatum capped his 24th birthday by scoring 19 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter of the Celtics' 120-107 downing of the Grizzlies. Al Horford had 21 points and 15 rebounds for Boston, which shot 51.7 percent and won for the ninth time in 11 games. Memphis guard Ja (jah) Morant led all scorers with 38 points after pouring in a career-high 52 on Monday.

— Trae Young scored 39 points in the Hawks' 130-124 victory over the Bulls. Young had 13 assists and made 7 of 10 3s and all 10 of his free throws. Bogdan Bogdanovic chipped in 20 points, including a 3-pointer that gave Atlanta a 119-118 lead.

— Rookie Cade Cunningham had 22 points and 12 rebounds in the Pistons' sixth consecutive win over the Raptors, 108-106. Jerami Grant scored 26 points and Saddiq Bey (sah-DEEK' bay) added 23 to help coach Dwane Casey beat the team that fired him in 2018. Pascal Siakam (see-A'-kam) provided a game-high 28 points in Toronto's third loss in five games.

— Harrison Barnes had 27 points as the Kings held off San Antonio 115-112, keeping Spurs coach Gregg Popovich a victory shy of tying Don Nelson's NBA record. The Spurs have lost three straight since Popovich reached 1,334 career regular-season victories. De'Aaron Fox added 26 points for Sacramento.

UNDATED (AP) — Second-ranked Arizona took a while to get going on Thursday before beating Stanford.

Bennedict Mathurin (MATH'-ur-ihn) scored 24 points and Christian Koloko added 21 as the Wildcats topped the Cardinal, 81-69. The Wildcats labored through most of the first half after clinching the Pac-12 regular-season title on Tuesday, falling into a nine-point hole before improving to 27-3 overall and 17-2 in the Pac 12.

Arizona kept itself within reach by scoring 16 points off Stanford's 11 turnovers, then hit its final six shots to pull to 39-37 at halftime.

In other top-25 men's basketball action on Thursday:

— Dajuan Harris blocked Mike Miles' shot in the final seconds and sixth-ranked Kansas avenged a loss to TCU two days earlier with a 72-68 victory. Ochai Agbaji (OH-chy ahg-BAH'-zhee) scored 22 points and Christian Braun added 12 for the Jayhawks.

— Fabian White Jr. had 26 points on 11 of 18 shooting as No. 14 Houston earned its sixth straight win, 84-46. The graduate senior has scored at least 20 points in three straight games.

— Da'Monte Williams made four 3-pointers and finished with a season-high 14 points in helping No. 20 Illinois hold off Penn State, 60-55. Williams scored the Illini's final eight points of the first half, knocking down two 3s and a pair of free throws.

— Malaki Branham scored 22 points and 23rd-rated Ohio State snapped a two-game losing streak with an 80-69 win over Michigan State.

— Keegan Murray furnished 15 of his 23 points in the first half to help No. 24 Iowa build a big lead in an 82-71 decision over Michigan.

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (AP) — Well-traveled basketball coach Rick Pitino says College Park, Maryland, won't be his next destination.

Pitino swatted away speculation he could be a candidate for the Maryland job, saying he loves coaching at Iona. The Terrapins have been seeking a head coach since Mark Turgeon stepped down in December.

Pitino has won national titles coaching Kentucky and Louisville. He's 24-5 in his second season at Iona.

UNDATED (AP) — The Washington Capitals had dropped six straight at home before knocking off the Metropolitan Division leaders.

Alex Ovechkin (oh-VEHCH'-kihn) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (kooz-NEHT'-sahv) scored power-play goals and Vitek Vanecek (VAN'-eh-chehk) stopped all 36 shots he faced in the Caps' 4-0 shutout of the Hurricanes. Ovechkin scored his 33rd goal of the season and his 763rd in the NHL to move three back of Jaromir Jagr (YAH'-roh-meer) YAH'-gur) for third place on the career list.

Carolina has lost two in a row and had its point streak snapped at seven games. Frederik Andersen made 28 saves for the Hurricanes.

— Nick Schmaltz scored early in the third period and Karel Vejmelka stopped 42 shots to send the struggling Coyotes past the league-leading Avalanche, 2-1. Loui Eriksson also had a goal for the Coyotes, who trail Montreal by a point for the fewest in the league. Devon Toews (deh-VAHN tayvz) scored the lone goal for Colorado, which still has the most points in the NHL with 84.

— The Panthers earned a 3-0 win over the Senators as Sergei Bobrovsky (bah-BRAHF'-skee) stopped 18 shots in his 36th career shutout. Patric Hornqvist and Ryan Lomberg scored 12 seconds apart in the third period to break it open. Hornqvist and Mason Marchment each had a goal and an assist in Florida's first win in four games.

— Evgeni Malkin had a goal and two assists for the Penguins in a 5-1 thumping of the Lightning. Sidney Crosby, Danton Heinen, Brock McGinn and Jake Guentzel (GEHNT'-sul) also scored as Pittsburgh won for the eighth time in its last nine road games. Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper was given a game misconduct for arguing with officials with 53.7 seconds remaining in the second period after the Lightning received an extra minor penalty stemming from a scrum.

— Craig Smith notched his third career hat trick and David Pastrnak (PAHS'-tur-nak) scored twice in the Bruins' 5-2 verdict over the Golden Knights. Pastrnak's 23 goals since Jan. 1 lead the NHL. The Bruins improved to 4-1-0 on their six-game road trip, and 9-3-2 in their last 14 away from home.

— The Wild's four-game winning streak is over after Jonas Brodin (broh-DEEN') and Matt Boldy scored 25 seconds apart in the third period to lead Minnesota's 5-4 comeback over the Flyers. Ryan Hartman scored twice and Cam Talbot turned back 26 shots for the winners. Philadelphia has lost 21 of their last 24 games and five of six on a club-record eight-game homestand.

— Ben Chiarot (shah-RAHT') scored his second goal of the game 1:03 into overtime to give the Canadiens a 5-4 victory over the Flames. Jeff Petry, Nick Suzuki and Mike Hoffman also scored for Montreal and Andrew Hammond made 30 saves. Pacific Division leading Calgary missed a chance to set a franchise record of 12 consecutive home victories.

— Nils Hoglander and rookie Vasily Podkolzin scored 45 seconds apart midway through the third period to give the Canucks a 4-3 comeback win over the Islanders. Anthony Beauvillier (boh-VIH'-lee-ay) put the Islanders ahead 3-2 early in the third before Vancouver rallied. Vancouver has won seven of their last 10 games and are 19-8-4 since Bruce Boudreau replaced Travis Green as coach in early December.

— Alex DeBrincat (deh-BRIHN'-kat) scored 2:23 into overtime as the Blackhawks beat the Oilers 4-3. Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist for Chicago, and Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves. Evander Kane scored twice for Edmonton, which closed out a 2-3 road trip.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Capitals will be the Carolina Hurricanes' opponent in the NHL's outdoor Stadium Series game next season.

The game is scheduled to take place Feb. 18, 2023 at NC State's Carter-Finley Stadium across the parking lot from the Hurricanes' home arena.

It would be Carolina's first outdoor game and Washington's fourth.

MLB, union meet for 1 1/2 hours, discuss next step in talks

NEW YORK (AP) — Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem and chief union negotiator Bruce Meyer met for 1 1/2 hours Thursday and discussed the major issues in the stalled talks to reach a deal that would end Major League Baseball's lockout.

Union general counsel Ian Penny and MLB Executive Vice President Morgan Sword also participated in the session.

Negotiations broke off Tuesday after the ninth straight day of meetings in Jupiter, Florida. That led baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred to announce that opening day on March 31 and the first two series for each team this season had been canceled.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Rory McIlroy has a two-shot lead over Billy Horschel, Beau Hossler and J.J. Spaun through one round at Bay Hill.

McIlroy fired a 7-under 65 that included three birdies and a 40-foot eagle on the par 5s. He opened with a 66 each of the last two years, both times failing to break par on the weekend.

UNDATED (AP) — France is easing its vaccination rules later this month, which could pave the way for Novak Djokovic to compete at this year's French Open.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex says people will no longer have to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to access venues such as sports stadiums and restaurants from March 14. That means the unvaccinated Djokovic could be allowed to compete at Roland Garros in May unless the restrictions are tightened again.

NFL suspends all COVID protocols, cites 'encouraging trends'

UNDATED (AP) — The NFL has suspended all aspects of its COVID-19 protocols, citing recent trends showing that the spread of the coronavirus is declining.

The league is also eliminating social distancing requirements and mandatory testing of players and staff, regardless of vaccination status. Should the NFL find reasons to reimpose any aspects of the protocols, it will do so in conjunction with the NFL Players Association.

The NHL previously dropped virus testing for individuals without symptoms and other distancing protocols. The NBA hasn't changed its protocols.

— Over a hundred minor league baseball and more than a dozen minor league hockey teams are hoping to get COVID-19 relief from the U.S. government to offset millions of dollars of losses from the pandemic. Minor league sports teams and their facilities were left out of the first round of small business subsidies. Most had to rely on Paycheck Protection Program loans to keep staffs together. An influx of funds from a bill that could go through Congress as soon as next week would allow teams to hire more people, pay back debts and dig out of the hole they are in after the past two years.

Russians face more sports sanctions, including Paralympics

UNDATED (AP) — In a stunning reversal, Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from the Paralympics for their countries' roles in the war in Ukraine.

The International Paralympic Committee announced the about-face Thursday, less than 24 hours after the IPC said it would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete when the Games open on Friday. They were to compete as neutral athletes with colors, flags and other national symbols removed.

The IPC received immediate criticism for its initial decision.

In other developments related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine:

— Formula One says it has terminated its contract with the Russian Grand Prix following the country's invasion of Ukraine. F1 says Russia "will not have a race" in the future. This year's race had been scheduled to be held in Sochi on Sept. 25 but was already canceled.

— The Union of European Football Associations has barred all Belarus teams from hosting international soccer games as punishment for joining Russia's war on Ukraine. Belarus could still join Russia in being expelled from UEFA's European competitions. The next scheduled international game in Belarus is on April 7.

— Eight foreign soccer players have left Russian Premier League club Krasnodar in a continuing exodus of players and staff since Russia invaded Ukraine last week. Krasnodar says the eight players asked for their contracts to be suspended but not canceled, so they could live and train elsewhere. Coach Daniel Farke quit on Wednesday along with his assistants after less than two months in the job and without overseeing a game.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;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;

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji scored 22 points, Dajuan Harris blocked Mike Miles' shot in the final seconds and sixth-ranked Kansas avenged a loss to TCU two days earlier with a 72-68 victory on Thursday night. The win kept the Jayhawks tied atop the Big 12 heading into their regular-season finale against Texas on Saturday. Third-ranked Baylor has the same 13-4 league mark heading into its game Saturday against Iowa State. Emanuel Miller scored 18 points to lead the Horned Frogs, and Damion Baugh finished with 14 points.ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Keegan Murray scored 15 of his 23 points in the first half to help No. 24 Iowa build a big lead, and the streaking Hawkeyes went on to beat Michigan 82-71. The Hawkeyes led 47-30 at halftime and coasted to their fifth straight victory and eighth win in nine games. The Wolverines are the only team to beat Iowa since mid-February. Michigan had no shot to win the rematch because it simply could not slow down Iowa's dynamic and balanced offense.UNDATED (AP) — Third-ranked Baylor has gone on a late-season charge to forge a tie atop the Big 12 heading into its regular-season finale against Iowa State on Saturday night. The Bears will know what they need to do by the time they tip off because sixth-ranked Kansas, which is also 13-4 in the league, plays No. 21 Texas about two hours before at Allen Fieldhouse. No. 21 Texas Tech is one game back, but swept the Bears and split with Kansas, giving the Red Raiders an outside shot at the No. 1 seed in the league tournament heading into their game at Oklahoma State.UNDATED (AP) — No. 24 Iowa visits No. 20 Illinois on Sunday in the only Big Ten game matching ranked teams this weekend. The Illini can lock up sole possession of second place with a win, or even a share of the regular-season title if Nebraska can knock off No. 10 Wisconsin on the road Sunday. Iowa is the hottest team in the Big Ten as the top four seeds prepare to play their first games in the women's conference tournament Friday. The Hawkeyes headed to Indianapolis off four straight wins and with Big Ten player of the year Caitlin Clark.INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jaz Shelley made nine of Nebraska's tournament-record 15 3-pointers in scoring a career-high-tying 32 points, and the sixth-seeded Cornhuskers rolled past 14th-seeded Illinois 92-74 in the second round of the Big Ten tournament. Nebraska takes on third-seeded and 10th-ranked Michigan in Friday's quarterfinals. Shelley was 9 of 13 from the arc, one make shy of her career best but matching the tournament record. Alexis Markowski finished with 22 points and nine rebounds. Isabelle Bourne added 15 points and Sam Haiby 10. Adalia McKenzie scored 18 points and Aaliyah Nye and Jayla Oden had 14 each for the Fighting Illini.DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed into law a bill that prohibits transgender females from participating in girls high school sports and women's college athletics, rejecting opponents' argument that she would harm vulnerable children to solve a nonexistent problem. Republican leaders made the bill signed Thursday by the governor effective immediately, which means transgender female students playing on girls or women's teams may be forced to quit. It wasn't immediately clear how many students it would affect. Iowa will join 10 other GOP-run states with such laws. Some have faced court challenges alleging violations of constitutional rights and federal nondiscrimination laws.NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Amber Ramirez scored all 17 of her points after halftime, Makayla Daniels had 13 points and 14 rebounds for her first career double-double and No. 8 seed Arkansas used an 9-0 run in overtime to beat ninth-seeded Missouri 61-52 in the second round of the SEC tournament. Arkansas advances to face top-ranked South Carolina in the quarterfinals on Friday. The Razorbacks dropped the only regular-season meeting with the Gamecocks, 61-52 on Jan. 16. Ramirez, who scored 21 and 25 points in the two regular-season matchups with Missouri, was 6 of 15 from the floor and Daniels 3 for 17 as Arkansas shot just 27.3% from the field. Haley Troup scored a career-high 21 points for Missouri.ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kobe King and Sheldon Edwards scored 18 points apiece as Valparaiso cruised to an 81-59 victory over Evansville in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. Preston Ruedinger added 12 points for the Beacons (13-17), while Ben Krikke and Thomas Kithier each scored 10. Edwards also had seven rebounds. Noah Frederking had 13 points and six rebounds to pace the Purple Aces (6-24).<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA-SCHEDULEHeat beat Nets in Durant's return to Brooklyn lineupUNDATED (AP) — Kevin Durant was back in the Brooklyn Nets' starting lineup, but the team continued to sputter.Bam Adebayo (ad-eh-BY'-oh) had 30 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to lead the Heat to a 113-107 victory over the Nets.Tyler Herro (HEE'-roh) added 27 points for the Heat, who bounced back from a tough loss in Milwaukee a night earlier.Durant had 31 points in his first game since suffering a sprained left knee ligament on Jan. 15. His return from a 21-game absence inspired the Nets to a 16-point lead, but Brooklyn fell to 5-17 since Durant's injury.Meanwhile, Nets swingman Joe Harris will have more surgery on his left ankle and miss the remainder of the season. Harris had surgery on the ankle Nov. 29 and has missed the last 49 games.Checking out Thursday's other NBA action:— Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch) delivered 41 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Mavericks beat the Warriors for the second time in five days, 122-113. Dorian Finney-Smith scored 18 points and Dinwiddie added 17 as the Mavericks took the season series 3-1 with the consecutive victories. Golden State never led but got even for the first time since early in the first quarter during a stretch when Moses Moody scored 13 consecutive Warriors points in the final period.— Jayson Tatum capped his 24th birthday by scoring 19 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter of the Celtics' 120-107 downing of the Grizzlies. Al Horford had 21 points and 15 rebounds for Boston, which shot 51.7 percent and won for the ninth time in 11 games. Memphis guard Ja (jah) Morant led all scorers with 38 points after pouring in a career-high 52 on Monday.— Trae Young scored 39 points in the Hawks' 130-124 victory over the Bulls. Young had 13 assists and made 7 of 10 3s and all 10 of his free throws. Bogdan Bogdanovic chipped in 20 points, including a 3-pointer that gave Atlanta a 119-118 lead.— Rookie Cade Cunningham had 22 points and 12 rebounds in the Pistons' sixth consecutive win over the Raptors, 108-106. Jerami Grant scored 26 points and Saddiq Bey (sah-DEEK' bay) added 23 to help coach Dwane Casey beat the team that fired him in 2018. Pascal Siakam (see-A'-kam) provided a game-high 28 points in Toronto's third loss in five games.— Harrison Barnes had 27 points as the Kings held off San Antonio 115-112, keeping Spurs coach Gregg Popovich a victory shy of tying Don Nelson's NBA record. The Spurs have lost three straight since Popovich reached 1,334 career regular-season victories. De'Aaron Fox added 26 points for Sacramento.T25 MEN'S BASKETBALLWildcats dump CardinalUNDATED (AP) — Second-ranked Arizona took a while to get going on Thursday before beating Stanford.Bennedict Mathurin (MATH'-ur-ihn) scored 24 points and Christian Koloko added 21 as the Wildcats topped the Cardinal, 81-69. The Wildcats labored through most of the first half after clinching the Pac-12 regular-season title on Tuesday, falling into a nine-point hole before improving to 27-3 overall and 17-2 in the Pac 12.Arizona kept itself within reach by scoring 16 points off Stanford's 11 turnovers, then hit its final six shots to pull to 39-37 at halftime.In other top-25 men's basketball action on Thursday:— Dajuan Harris blocked Mike Miles' shot in the final seconds and sixth-ranked Kansas avenged a loss to TCU two days earlier with a 72-68 victory. Ochai Agbaji (OH-chy ahg-BAH'-zhee) scored 22 points and Christian Braun added 12 for the Jayhawks.— Fabian White Jr. had 26 points on 11 of 18 shooting as No. 14 Houston earned its sixth straight win, 84-46. The graduate senior has scored at least 20 points in three straight games.— Da'Monte Williams made four 3-pointers and finished with a season-high 14 points in helping No. 20 Illinois hold off Penn State, 60-55. Williams scored the Illini's final eight points of the first half, knocking down two 3s and a pair of free throws.— Malaki Branham scored 22 points and 23rd-rated Ohio State snapped a two-game losing streak with an 80-69 win over Michigan State.— Keegan Murray furnished 15 of his 23 points in the first half to help No. 24 Iowa build a big lead in an 82-71 decision over Michigan.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-PITINO-MARYLANDPitino shoots down Maryland rumorsNEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (AP) — Well-traveled basketball coach Rick Pitino says College Park, Maryland, won't be his next destination.Pitino swatted away speculation he could be a candidate for the Maryland job, saying he loves coaching at Iona. The Terrapins have been seeking a head coach since Mark Turgeon stepped down in December.Pitino has won national titles coaching Kentucky and Louisville. He's 24-5 in his second season at Iona.NHL-SCHEDULECaps end 2 skids by blanking CanesUNDATED (AP) — The Washington Capitals had dropped six straight at home before knocking off the Metropolitan Division leaders.Alex Ovechkin (oh-VEHCH'-kihn) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (kooz-NEHT'-sahv) scored power-play goals and Vitek Vanecek (VAN'-eh-chehk) stopped all 36 shots he faced in the Caps' 4-0 shutout of the Hurricanes. Ovechkin scored his 33rd goal of the season and his 763rd in the NHL to move three back of Jaromir Jagr (YAH'-roh-meer) YAH'-gur) for third place on the career list.Carolina has lost two in a row and had its point streak snapped at seven games. Frederik Andersen made 28 saves for the Hurricanes.Elsewhere on NHL ice:— Nick Schmaltz scored early in the third period and Karel Vejmelka stopped 42 shots to send the struggling Coyotes past the league-leading Avalanche, 2-1. Loui Eriksson also had a goal for the Coyotes, who trail Montreal by a point for the fewest in the league. Devon Toews (deh-VAHN tayvz) scored the lone goal for Colorado, which still has the most points in the NHL with 84.— The Panthers earned a 3-0 win over the Senators as Sergei Bobrovsky (bah-BRAHF'-skee) stopped 18 shots in his 36th career shutout. Patric Hornqvist and Ryan Lomberg scored 12 seconds apart in the third period to break it open. Hornqvist and Mason Marchment each had a goal and an assist in Florida's first win in four games.— Evgeni Malkin had a goal and two assists for the Penguins in a 5-1 thumping of the Lightning. Sidney Crosby, Danton Heinen, Brock McGinn and Jake Guentzel (GEHNT'-sul) also scored as Pittsburgh won for the eighth time in its last nine road games. Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper was given a game misconduct for arguing with officials with 53.7 seconds remaining in the second period after the Lightning received an extra minor penalty stemming from a scrum.— Craig Smith notched his third career hat trick and David Pastrnak (PAHS'-tur-nak) scored twice in the Bruins' 5-2 verdict over the Golden Knights. Pastrnak's 23 goals since Jan. 1 lead the NHL. The Bruins improved to 4-1-0 on their six-game road trip, and 9-3-2 in their last 14 away from home.— The Wild's four-game winning streak is over after Jonas Brodin (broh-DEEN') and Matt Boldy scored 25 seconds apart in the third period to lead Minnesota's 5-4 comeback over the Flyers. Ryan Hartman scored twice and Cam Talbot turned back 26 shots for the winners. Philadelphia has lost 21 of their last 24 games and five of six on a club-record eight-game homestand.— Ben Chiarot (shah-RAHT') scored his second goal of the game 1:03 into overtime to give the Canadiens a 5-4 victory over the Flames. Jeff Petry, Nick Suzuki and Mike Hoffman also scored for Montreal and Andrew Hammond made 30 saves. Pacific Division leading Calgary missed a chance to set a franchise record of 12 consecutive home victories.— Nils Hoglander and rookie Vasily Podkolzin scored 45 seconds apart midway through the third period to give the Canucks a 4-3 comeback win over the Islanders. Anthony Beauvillier (boh-VIH'-lee-ay) put the Islanders ahead 3-2 early in the third before Vancouver rallied. Vancouver has won seven of their last 10 games and are 19-8-4 since Bruce Boudreau replaced Travis Green as coach in early December.— Alex DeBrincat (deh-BRIHN'-kat) scored 2:23 into overtime as the Blackhawks beat the Oilers 4-3. Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist for Chicago, and Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves. Evander Kane scored twice for Edmonton, which closed out a 2-3 road trip.NHL-OUTDOOR GAMECaps to clash with Canes outsideWASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Capitals will be the Carolina Hurricanes' opponent in the NHL's outdoor Stadium Series game next season.The game is scheduled to take place Feb. 18, 2023 at NC State's Carter-Finley Stadium across the parking lot from the Hurricanes' home arena.It would be Carolina's first outdoor game and Washington's fourth.MLB-LOCKOUTMLB, union meet for 1 1/2 hours, discuss next step in talksNEW YORK (AP) — Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem and chief union negotiator Bruce Meyer met for 1 1/2 hours Thursday and discussed the major issues in the stalled talks to reach a deal that would end Major League Baseball's lockout.Union general counsel Ian Penny and MLB Executive Vice President Morgan Sword also participated in the session.Negotiations broke off Tuesday after the ninth straight day of meetings in Jupiter, Florida. That led baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred to announce that opening day on March 31 and the first two series for each team this season had been canceled.PGA-BAY HILLMcIlroy leads after 65ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Rory McIlroy has a two-shot lead over Billy Horschel, Beau Hossler and J.J. Spaun through one round at Bay Hill.McIlroy fired a 7-under 65 that included three birdies and a 40-foot eagle on the par 5s. He opened with a 66 each of the last two years, both times failing to break par on the weekend.TENNIS-FRENCH OPEN-DJOKOVICDjokovic could play at Roland GarrodUNDATED (AP) — France is easing its vaccination rules later this month, which could pave the way for Novak Djokovic to compete at this year's French Open.French Prime Minister Jean Castex says people will no longer have to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to access venues such as sports stadiums and restaurants from March 14. That means the unvaccinated Djokovic could be allowed to compete at Roland Garros in May unless the restrictions are tightened again.VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPORTSNFL suspends all COVID protocols, cites 'encouraging trends'UNDATED (AP) — The NFL has suspended all aspects of its COVID-19 protocols, citing recent trends showing that the spread of the coronavirus is declining.The league is also eliminating social distancing requirements and mandatory testing of players and staff, regardless of vaccination status. Should the NFL find reasons to reimpose any aspects of the protocols, it will do so in conjunction with the NFL Players Association.The NHL previously dropped virus testing for individuals without symptoms and other distancing protocols. The NBA hasn't changed its protocols.In other virus-related news:— Over a hundred minor league baseball and more than a dozen minor league hockey teams are hoping to get COVID-19 relief from the U.S. government to offset millions of dollars of losses from the pandemic. Minor league sports teams and their facilities were left out of the first round of small business subsidies. Most had to rely on Paycheck Protection Program loans to keep staffs together. An influx of funds from a bill that could go through Congress as soon as next week would allow teams to hire more people, pay back debts and dig out of the hole they are in after the past two years.RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR-SPORTSRussians face more sports sanctions, including ParalympicsUNDATED (AP) — In a stunning reversal, Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from the Paralympics for their countries' roles in the war in Ukraine.The International Paralympic Committee announced the about-face Thursday, less than 24 hours after the IPC said it would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete when the Games open on Friday. They were to compete as neutral athletes with colors, flags and other national symbols removed.The IPC received immediate criticism for its initial decision.In other developments related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine:— Formula One says it has terminated its contract with the Russian Grand Prix following the country's invasion of Ukraine. F1 says Russia "will not have a race" in the future. This year's race had been scheduled to be held in Sochi on Sept. 25 but was already canceled.— The Union of European Football Associations has barred all Belarus teams from hosting international soccer games as punishment for joining Russia's war on Ukraine. Belarus could still join Russia in being expelled from UEFA's European competitions. The next scheduled international game in Belarus is on April 7.— Eight foreign soccer players have left Russian Premier League club Krasnodar in a continuing exodus of players and staff since Russia invaded Ukraine last week. Krasnodar says the eight players asked for their contracts to be suspended but not canceled, so they could live and train elsewhere. Coach Daniel Farke quit on Wednesday along with his assistants after less than two months in the job and without overseeing a game.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;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;

Sports Headlines for Friday

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji scored 22 points, Dajuan Harris blocked Mike Miles’ shot in the final seconds and sixth-ranked Kansas avenged a loss to TCU two days earlier with a 72-68 victory on Thursday night. 

The win kept the Jayhawks tied atop the Big 12 heading into their regular-season finale against Texas on Saturday. Third-ranked Baylor has the same 13-4 league mark heading into its game Saturday against Iowa State. 

Emanuel Miller scored 18 points to lead the Horned Frogs, and Damion Baugh finished with 14 points.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji scored 22 points, Dajuan Harris blocked Mike Miles’ shot in the final seconds and sixth-ranked Kansas avenged a loss to TCU two days earlier with a 72-68 victory on Thursday night. The win kept the Jayhawks tied atop the Big 12 heading into their regular-season finale against Texas on Saturday. Third-ranked Baylor has the same 13-4 league mark heading into its game Saturday against Iowa State. Emanuel Miller scored 18 points to lead the Horned Frogs, and Damion Baugh finished with 14 points.

KU wins at home over TCU Thursday

Northern Valley 60, St. John’s Beloit-Tipton 57

GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL=Sub-State=Semifinal=Class 2A=Dexter=Garden Plain 53, Sedan 37West Elk 46, Bluestem 42, OTLyndon=Mission Valley 44, Central Heights 26Northern Heights 52, Chase County 27Plainville=Smith Center 53, Hoxie 43Trego 44, Cheylin 41Remington=Berean Academy 37, Hillsboro 36Remington 47, Flinthills 38Republic County=St. Mary's 48, Wabaunsee 30Valley Heights 74, Bennington 40Sublette=Elkhart 75, Ellinwood 56Sterling 69, Medicine Lodge 32Uniontown=Pittsburg Colgan 65, Northeast-Arma 25Uniontown 53, Pleasanton 38Valley Falls=Jackson Heights 47, Riverside 46Jefferson North 43, Atchison County 37BOYS PREP BASKETBALL=Sub-State=Semifinal=Class 4A=West=Sub-State 3=Andale 46, Mulvane 28Class 3A=Fredonia=Columbus 71, Cherryvale 56Galena 40, Riverton 30Goodland=Hays-TMP-Marian 65, Scott City 43Norton 46, Phillipsburg 37Kingman=Chaparral 72, Lakin 47Hugoton 49, Holcomb 46Minneapolis=Council Grove 40, Beloit 32Southeast Saline 57, Smoky Valley 42Nickerson=Cheney 47, Haven 23Hesston 57, Wichita Collegiate 27Prairie View=Burlington 61, Frontenac 58Girard 60, Humboldt 28Silver Lake=Royal Valley 66, Marysville 40Sabetha 49, Nemaha Central 46, OTWest Franklin=Osage City 75, Heritage Christian 61Pleasant Ridge 65, KC Bishop Ward 52Class 1A Division 1=Burrton=Little River 51, Goessel 40Macksville 70, St. John 47Clyde-Clifton=Clifton-Clyde 70, Lincoln 26Solomon 58, Washington County 39Frankfort=Cair Paravel 46, Centralia 41Troy 34, Frankfort 32Jetmore=Jetmore 60, Quinter 59Ness City 72, La Crosse 48Lucas Unified=Lakeside 48, Sylvan-Lucas 35Osborne 53, Rawlins County 39Olpe=Burlingame 41, Madison/Hamilton Co-op 40Olpe 76, Crest 19South Gray=Meade 51, Satanta 50South Gray 68, Minneola 39Udall=Norwich 57, Oxford 37Wichita Classical 55, Udall 50Class 1A Division 2=Axtell=Axtell 59, Wetmore 55Hanover 66, Southern Cloud 35Beloit=Logan/Palco 49, Thunder Ridge 33Northern Valley 60, St. John’s Beloit-Tipton 57Caldwell=Attica 72, South Barber 37Caldwell 46, South Haven 39Central Plains=Central Plains 68, Wilson 45Centre 49, Otis-Bison 31Fowler=Bucklin 85, Moscow 52Ingalls 64, Ashland 41Lebo=Lebo 49, Hartford 44Waverly 49, Marais des Cygnes Valley 44Stafford=Pawnee Heights 41, Elyria Christian 39Stafford 58, Cunningham 40Wallace County=Greeley County 64, Triplains-Brewster 39Wheatland-Grinnell 44, Dighton 33

Substate basketball scores from March 3, 2022

<div><iframe title="Eagle Radio Sports for Thursday Morning" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=g67mb-11c075a-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&btn-skin=7"></iframe></div><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;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;

🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Thursday Morning

NEW YORK (AP) — Chris Kreider scored a tiebreaking power-play goal in New York's three-goal third period and the Rangers rallied to beat the St. Louis Blues 5-3. Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists, and Alexis Lafrenière, Ryan Strome and Patrik Nemeth also scored for the Rangers, who recovered after giving up a two-goal lead and snapped their two-game skid. Adam Fox had three assists and Igor Shesterkin finished with 28 saves. Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron each had a goal and an assist, and Ivan Barbashev also scored for St. Louis, which had won four straight. Ville Husso stopped 24 shots in the Blues' first regulation loss in eight games.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half and Creighton held off No. 18 UConn 64-62 after squandering a 16-point lead Wednesday night. The Bluejays won for the seventh time in eight games and clinched a top-five seed and first-round bye in the Big East Tournament next week. Connecticut lost for the first time in six games and dropped to 0-5 all-time against Creighton. Kalkbrenner scored six straight baskets for Creighton after UConn came back to tie. R.J. Cole led the Huskies with 20 points and Adama Sanogo had 13 points and 16 rebounds.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Avery Anderson III tossed in 12 points and added five steals, sparking Oklahoma State to a 53-36 victory over Iowa State. Anderson sank 5 of 10 shots from the floor for the Cowboys (14-15, 7-10 Big 12 Conference). Moussa Cisse had eight points and grabbed 12 rebounds as Oklahoma State dominated the boards 45-27. Bryce Williams scored nine off the bench. A layup by Robert Jones pulled Iowa State (20-10, 7-10) even at 30 with 14:32 remaining. The score remained tied until Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe grabbed an offensive rebound and scored with 11:41 left. The Cowboys never trailed again.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Tyson Etienne had 18 points as Wichita State beat Tulsa 72-62. Morris Udeze had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Shockers (14-12, 5-9 American Athletic Conference), who snapped a five-game skid on the road. Darien Jackson and Jeriah Horne both had 15 points for the Golden Hurricane (9-19, 3-14).

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Joanne Allen-Taylor scored 20 points, Lauren Ebo had 12 and the ninth-ranked Texas women outlasted Kansas 70-60. Texas has won seven straight games and hasn't lost in nearly a month. After trailing 27-25 at halftime, the Longhorns scored 14 of the first 16 points in the third quarter and never lost the lead again. Holly Kersgieter led the Jayhawks with 18 points and Zakiyah Franklin added 16. Kansas has lost three straight and could fall as low as fifth in the Big 12 after being one game out of first place two games ago.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Senate Republicans have approved a bill that prohibits transgender females from participating in girls high school sports and women's college athletics, sending a divisive bill likely to draw legal challenges to the governor. Gov. Kim Reynolds last year lobbied lawmakers to pass a similar measure but it failed to advance. It passed the House last week and the Senate on Wednesday with only Republican votes. Reynolds supports the idea. Iowa will join 10 other Republican-run state legislatures in passing the controversial measure if she signs it. Opponents say the measure is state-sanctioned bullying of transgender children while supporters say it's the only way to protect women and girls from being dominated in sports competition by males who identify as females.

Harden a smash hit in first Philly home game

UNDATED (AP) — James Harden lived up to the hype in his first home game since being acquired by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Harden just missed a triple-double as the 76ers whipped the Knicks, 123-108. He delivered 26 points, nine assists and nine rebounds as the Sixers improved to 3-0 with him on the court.

Joel Embiid finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds, while Tyrese Maxey had 25 points. Maxey had 11 points while the 76ers grabbed the lead for good in the third quarter, outscoring the Knicks, 38-19.

RJ Barrett had 30 points and Julius Randle had 24 in New York's 13th loss in 15 games.

Checking out Wednesday's other NBA action:

— The Suns became the first team to 50 wins this season by clobbering the Trail Blazers, 120-90. Cam Johnson scored 20 points, Deandre Ayton added 18 to help Phoenix win without its usual starting guards. Johnson was 6 of 8 from the field, and Ayton 9 of 12 as the Suns halted a two-game skid.

— Jrue (jroo) Holiday banked in a driving layup with 1.9 seconds left to complete the Bucks' comeback from a 14-point deficit over the final six minutes of a 120-119 downing of the Heat. The Bucks outscored Miami 21-6 down the stretch to snap the Heat's four-game winning streak. Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) had 28 points, 17 rebounds and five assists for the Bucks, Khris Middleton scored 26 and Holiday had 25.

— Donovan Mitchell poured in 37 points and Mike Conley scored nine in overtime to send the Jazz to a 132-127 win over the Rockets. Rudy Gobert (goh-BEHR') had 27 points and 17 rebounds as Utah won its third straight and ninth in the last 10 games. Houston's Christian Wood had 24 points, including a desperation 28-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to send it to OT.

— The Thunder earned a 119-107 win at Denver as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points and Isaiah Roby added a career-high 26. Oklahoma City was 16 of 29 from beyond the arc after entering the game ranked last in the league in 3-point shooting percentage. Nikola Jokic (YOH'-kihch) provided 22 points and 16 rebounds on a night when no other Denver starter scored in double figures.

— Terry Rozier had 29 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as the Hornets hammered the Cavaliers, 119-98. Isaiah Thomas scored 10 points in his debut for Charlotte. The Hornets made 17 3-pointers and improved to just 3-11 since Jan. 28. Cleveland guard Darius Garland returned from a three-game injury absence and finished with 33 points in as many minutes.

— Brandon Ingram scored 33 points on 15 of 19 shooting in leading the Pelicans to their third straight win, 125-95 over the Kings. Ingram scored 28 of his points before being briefly forced out of the game by an elbow to the face from Damian Jones. Jonas Valanciunas (val-an-CHOO'-nuhs) had 17 points and 14 rebounds, and CJ McCollum had 17 points and a season-high nine assists for New Orleans.

— The Pacers overcame a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Magic, 122-114, in overtime. Malcolm Brogdon had 31 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for Indiana, while Tyrese Haliburton finished with 21 points and six assists. Haliburton scored five of the Pacers' 12 overtime points.

UNDATED (AP) — The Phoenix Suns are without their starting backcourt for the time being.

Devin Booker has entered the NBA's health and safety protocol and missed Wednesday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. The three-time All-Star is averaging 25.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists this season. The Suns already are spending time without Chris Paul because of a broken thumb.

— The Nets have indicated that forward Kevin Durant will be back in the lineup on Thursday against Miami. Durant is expected to return from a left knee injury that has sidelined him since mid-January. The Nets have plummeted from title contenders to eighth place in the Eastern Conference during his absence.

— Pacers forward Jalen Smith has been fined $20,000 for directing profane language toward a game official on Monday. Spurs guard Dejounte Murray has been docked $20,000 for throwing the ball off the legs of a referee. Both incidents occurred Monday night.

UNDATED (AP) — Fifth-ranked Auburn needed overtime to end its three-game road losing streak.

K.D. Johnson scored 12 of his 14 points in overtime as the Tigers downed Mississippi St., 81-68. Johnson scored the first 10 points of overtime to help Auburn clinch at least a tie for the SEC regular-season title.

Jabari Smith had 27 points, including a tying 3-pointer in the final minute of regulation.

— No. 14 Arkansas pulled out a 77-76 win over LSU as JD Notae made two free throws with 8.6 points left. Stanley Umude had 23 points to guide the Razorbacks to the 14th win in their last 15 games and ninth straight at home. Pinson had 12 points on 5-of-21 shooting for the Tigers, missing an attempt at the buzzer.

— Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half and Creighton held off No. 18 UConn 64-62. The Bluejays won for the seventh time in eight games despite squandering a 16-point lead. R.J. Cole led the Huskies with 20 points.

— Quenton Jackson scored 28 points as Texas A&amp;M beat 25th-rated Alabama, 87-71. Tyrece Radford added 22 points and eight rebounds for the Aggies, while Henry Coleman III had 18 points and 11 boards. Jaden Shackelford had 16 points for the Tide, who fell to 19-11 overall and 9-8 in the SEC.

Patrick Ewing gets statement of support from Georgetown AD

UNDATED (AP) — Georgetown men's basketball coach Patrick Ewing has received a public show of support from athletic director Lee Reed.

The statement from Reed was issued hours before the team was going to try to end its school-record 18-game losing streak in a game at Seton Hall. The Hoyas are 6-22 and 0-17 in Big East play.

— Milwaukee has fired coach Pat Baldwin one day after a first-round loss in the Horizon League Tournament concluded his fifth straight losing season. The Panthers went 57-92 overall and 34-59 in league play under Baldwin.

— UMass has fired men's basketball coach Matt McCall. The move is effective at the end of the season. McCall is 58-81 over five seasons in Amherst.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>NEW YORK (AP) — Chris Kreider scored a tiebreaking power-play goal in New York's three-goal third period and the Rangers rallied to beat the St. Louis Blues 5-3. Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists, and Alexis Lafrenière, Ryan Strome and Patrik Nemeth also scored for the Rangers, who recovered after giving up a two-goal lead and snapped their two-game skid. Adam Fox had three assists and Igor Shesterkin finished with 28 saves. Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron each had a goal and an assist, and Ivan Barbashev also scored for St. Louis, which had won four straight. Ville Husso stopped 24 shots in the Blues' first regulation loss in eight games.OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half and Creighton held off No. 18 UConn 64-62 after squandering a 16-point lead Wednesday night. The Bluejays won for the seventh time in eight games and clinched a top-five seed and first-round bye in the Big East Tournament next week. Connecticut lost for the first time in six games and dropped to 0-5 all-time against Creighton. Kalkbrenner scored six straight baskets for Creighton after UConn came back to tie. R.J. Cole led the Huskies with 20 points and Adama Sanogo had 13 points and 16 rebounds.AMES, Iowa (AP) — Avery Anderson III tossed in 12 points and added five steals, sparking Oklahoma State to a 53-36 victory over Iowa State. Anderson sank 5 of 10 shots from the floor for the Cowboys (14-15, 7-10 Big 12 Conference). Moussa Cisse had eight points and grabbed 12 rebounds as Oklahoma State dominated the boards 45-27. Bryce Williams scored nine off the bench. A layup by Robert Jones pulled Iowa State (20-10, 7-10) even at 30 with 14:32 remaining. The score remained tied until Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe grabbed an offensive rebound and scored with 11:41 left. The Cowboys never trailed again.TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Tyson Etienne had 18 points as Wichita State beat Tulsa 72-62. Morris Udeze had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Shockers (14-12, 5-9 American Athletic Conference), who snapped a five-game skid on the road. Darien Jackson and Jeriah Horne both had 15 points for the Golden Hurricane (9-19, 3-14).LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Joanne Allen-Taylor scored 20 points, Lauren Ebo had 12 and the ninth-ranked Texas women outlasted Kansas 70-60. Texas has won seven straight games and hasn't lost in nearly a month. After trailing 27-25 at halftime, the Longhorns scored 14 of the first 16 points in the third quarter and never lost the lead again. Holly Kersgieter led the Jayhawks with 18 points and Zakiyah Franklin added 16. Kansas has lost three straight and could fall as low as fifth in the Big 12 after being one game out of first place two games ago.DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Senate Republicans have approved a bill that prohibits transgender females from participating in girls high school sports and women's college athletics, sending a divisive bill likely to draw legal challenges to the governor. Gov. Kim Reynolds last year lobbied lawmakers to pass a similar measure but it failed to advance. It passed the House last week and the Senate on Wednesday with only Republican votes. Reynolds supports the idea. Iowa will join 10 other Republican-run state legislatures in passing the controversial measure if she signs it. Opponents say the measure is state-sanctioned bullying of transgender children while supporters say it's the only way to protect women and girls from being dominated in sports competition by males who identify as females.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA-SCHEDULEHarden a smash hit in first Philly home gameUNDATED (AP) — James Harden lived up to the hype in his first home game since being acquired by the Philadelphia 76ers.Harden just missed a triple-double as the 76ers whipped the Knicks, 123-108. He delivered 26 points, nine assists and nine rebounds as the Sixers improved to 3-0 with him on the court.Joel Embiid finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds, while Tyrese Maxey had 25 points. Maxey had 11 points while the 76ers grabbed the lead for good in the third quarter, outscoring the Knicks, 38-19.RJ Barrett had 30 points and Julius Randle had 24 in New York's 13th loss in 15 games.Checking out Wednesday's other NBA action:— The Suns became the first team to 50 wins this season by clobbering the Trail Blazers, 120-90. Cam Johnson scored 20 points, Deandre Ayton added 18 to help Phoenix win without its usual starting guards. Johnson was 6 of 8 from the field, and Ayton 9 of 12 as the Suns halted a two-game skid.— Jrue (jroo) Holiday banked in a driving layup with 1.9 seconds left to complete the Bucks' comeback from a 14-point deficit over the final six minutes of a 120-119 downing of the Heat. The Bucks outscored Miami 21-6 down the stretch to snap the Heat's four-game winning streak. Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) had 28 points, 17 rebounds and five assists for the Bucks, Khris Middleton scored 26 and Holiday had 25.— Donovan Mitchell poured in 37 points and Mike Conley scored nine in overtime to send the Jazz to a 132-127 win over the Rockets. Rudy Gobert (goh-BEHR') had 27 points and 17 rebounds as Utah won its third straight and ninth in the last 10 games. Houston's Christian Wood had 24 points, including a desperation 28-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to send it to OT.— The Thunder earned a 119-107 win at Denver as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points and Isaiah Roby added a career-high 26. Oklahoma City was 16 of 29 from beyond the arc after entering the game ranked last in the league in 3-point shooting percentage. Nikola Jokic (YOH'-kihch) provided 22 points and 16 rebounds on a night when no other Denver starter scored in double figures.— Terry Rozier had 29 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as the Hornets hammered the Cavaliers, 119-98. Isaiah Thomas scored 10 points in his debut for Charlotte. The Hornets made 17 3-pointers and improved to just 3-11 since Jan. 28. Cleveland guard Darius Garland returned from a three-game injury absence and finished with 33 points in as many minutes.— Brandon Ingram scored 33 points on 15 of 19 shooting in leading the Pelicans to their third straight win, 125-95 over the Kings. Ingram scored 28 of his points before being briefly forced out of the game by an elbow to the face from Damian Jones. Jonas Valanciunas (val-an-CHOO'-nuhs) had 17 points and 14 rebounds, and CJ McCollum had 17 points and a season-high nine assists for New Orleans.— The Pacers overcame a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Magic, 122-114, in overtime. Malcolm Brogdon had 31 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for Indiana, while Tyrese Haliburton finished with 21 points and six assists. Haliburton scored five of the Pacers' 12 overtime points.NBA-NEWSNBA fines Pacers' Smith, Spurs' MurrayUNDATED (AP) — The Phoenix Suns are without their starting backcourt for the time being.Devin Booker has entered the NBA's health and safety protocol and missed Wednesday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. The three-time All-Star is averaging 25.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists this season. The Suns already are spending time without Chris Paul because of a broken thumb.Also in the NBA:— The Nets have indicated that forward Kevin Durant will be back in the lineup on Thursday against Miami. Durant is expected to return from a left knee injury that has sidelined him since mid-January. The Nets have plummeted from title contenders to eighth place in the Eastern Conference during his absence.— Pacers forward Jalen Smith has been fined $20,000 for directing profane language toward a game official on Monday. Spurs guard Dejounte Murray has been docked $20,000 for throwing the ball off the legs of a referee. Both incidents occurred Monday night.T25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULEAuburn finally gets a road winUNDATED (AP) — Fifth-ranked Auburn needed overtime to end its three-game road losing streak.K.D. Johnson scored 12 of his 14 points in overtime as the Tigers downed Mississippi St., 81-68. Johnson scored the first 10 points of overtime to help Auburn clinch at least a tie for the SEC regular-season title.Jabari Smith had 27 points, including a tying 3-pointer in the final minute of regulation.Auburn is 26-4 overall, 14-3 in the SEC.Also in top-25 men's basketball:— No. 14 Arkansas pulled out a 77-76 win over LSU as JD Notae made two free throws with 8.6 points left. Stanley Umude had 23 points to guide the Razorbacks to the 14th win in their last 15 games and ninth straight at home. Pinson had 12 points on 5-of-21 shooting for the Tigers, missing an attempt at the buzzer.— Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half and Creighton held off No. 18 UConn 64-62. The Bluejays won for the seventh time in eight games despite squandering a 16-point lead. R.J. Cole led the Huskies with 20 points.— Quenton Jackson scored 28 points as Texas A&amp;M beat 25th-rated Alabama, 87-71. Tyrece Radford added 22 points and eight rebounds for the Aggies, while Henry Coleman III had 18 points and 11 boards. Jaden Shackelford had 16 points for the Tide, who fell to 19-11 overall and 9-8 in the SEC.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NEWSPatrick Ewing gets statement of support from Georgetown ADUNDATED (AP) — Georgetown men's basketball coach Patrick Ewing has received a public show of support from athletic director Lee Reed.The statement from Reed was issued hours before the team was going to try to end its school-record 18-game losing streak in a game at Seton Hall. The Hoyas are 6-22 and 0-17 in Big East play.In other college basketball news:— Milwaukee has fired coach Pat Baldwin one day after a first-round loss in the Horizon League Tournament concluded his fifth straight losing season. The Panthers went 57-92 overall and 34-59 in league play under Baldwin.— UMass has fired men's basketball coach Matt McCall. The move is effective at the end of the season. McCall is 58-81 over five seasons in Amherst.NFL-NEWSSeahawks say they're not dealing WilsonUNDATED (AP) — Coach Pete Carroll says the Seattle Seahawks aren't open for business when teams may inquire about the availability of quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason.Carroll says the Seahawks are not interested in making a move with Wilson, explaining that general manager John Schneider has started telling teams that call that Seattle is "not shopping the quarterback."Wilson has spent his first 10 seasons with the Seahawks. He has two seasons remaining on his current contract with Seattle.In other NFL news:— The Cardinals have signed coach Kliff Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim to extensions that keep them under contract with the team through 2027. Arizona's support for the coach and general manager come during an offseason that's developed into a surprise cold war between star young quarterback Kyler Murray and the franchise.— The Giants have added a second woman to their coaching staff, naming Laura Young as the team's director of coaching operations. New York also cleared $7.1 million in cap space by releasing tight end Kyle Rudolph and running back Davontae Booker.NHL-SCHEDULERangers beat BluesUNDATED (AP) — The New York Rangers wasted a two-goal lead on Wednesday before their top sniper came to the rescue.Chris Kreider scored a tiebreaking, power-play goal while the Rangers netted three goals in the third period of a 5-3 win over the Blues. It was Kreider's team-high 35th goal of the season and league-leading 18th with the man advantage.Artemi Panarin (ahr-TEH'-mee pah-NAH'-rihn) had a goal and two assists for the Blueshirts, who also received scores from Alexis Lafrenière (ah-LEHK'-see lah-frehn-YEHR'), Ryan Strome (strohm) and Patrik Nemeth. Adam Fox had three assists for New York.The Blues ended a four-game winning streak despite Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron (peh-RAHN'), who had a goal and an assist apiece.Elsewhere on NHL ice:— Dallas knocked off the Kings, 4-3 as Ryan Suter and Alexander Radulov (RAD'-yoo-lahv) scored in the final minute of the Stars' four-goal second period. Luke Glendening and Jason Robertson added goals to help Dallas improve to 5-1-1 in its last seven games. Jake Oettinger (AH'-tihn-jur) made 28 saves to improve to 15-3-0 at home this season.— Buffalo's six-game losing streak is over after Craig Anderson made 29 saves in the Sabres' 5-1 win over the Maple Leafs. Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist to help the Sabres salvage the finale of their five-game road trip. Jacob Bryson, Kyle Okposo (ah-POH'-soh), Victor Olofsson and Tage (TAYJ') Thompson also tallied for Buffalo.— Seattle had dropped seven straight before Colin Blackwell scored the go-ahead, short-handed goal in the third period to send the Kraken past the Predators, 4-3. Blackwell also had an assist during a second-period scoring binge for the Kraken as Alex Wennberg, Calle Jarnkrok (KAL'-ee YAHRN'-krahk) and Yanni Gourde (YAH'-nee gohrd) had goals in a 2:39 span. Chris Driedger (DREE'-gur) had 19 saves for his fifth win for Seattle, which trailed 2-0 before its big second period.NHL-NEWSCaps lose Hagelin to eye injuryUNDATED (AP) — Washington Capitals winger Carl Hagelin is expected to miss an extended period of time with what the team is calling a serious eye injury.Hagelin was struck in the left eye with an errant stick during practice Tuesday. General manager Brian MacLellan said the 33-year-old Swede had surgery Tuesday night and is meeting with doctors about what's next.Also around the NHL:— The Canadiens will be allowed to have full capacity at the Bell Centre beginning March 12 against the Kraken. It will be the first time Montreal has had a capacity crowd in three months.PGA-PLAYER IMPACT-WOODSTiger Woods beats out Mickelson for $8 million impact bonusORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The PGA Tour has informed players that Woods is the winner of the new $40 million "Player Impact Program" that rewards those who generate the most positive interest in golf measured by five metrics. Woods won the $8 million prize over Phil Mickelson, who claimed on Twitter in December that he was the winner.Woods captivated golf in December when he returned from a shattered right leg in a February car accident to play the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie.Mickelson finished second in the Player Impact Program and earned $6 million.RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR-SPORTSRussians face more sports sanctions, including ParalympicsUNDATED (AP) — In a stunning reversal, Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from the Paralympics for their countries' roles in the war in Ukraine.The International Paralympic Committee announced the about-face less than 24 hours after the IPC said it would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete when the Games open on Friday. They were to compete as neutral athletes with colors, flags and other national symbols removed. The IPC received immediate criticism for its initial decision, many terming it a betrayal that sent the wrong message to Russia's leadership. It also became evident that many athletes might refuse to compete against Russians or Belarusians, creating chaos for the Paralympics and damaging its reputation.In other developments related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine:— Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich has confirmed he is trying to sell the Premier League club he turned into an elite trophy-winning machine. The speed of Abramovich's looming exit from Chelsea is striking as he was trying to instigate a plan this past weekend to relinquish some control in order to keep the club under his ownership.— Video game publisher EA Sports announced it would remove Russian clubs and the national team from its hugely popular FIFA series, and would remove the Russia and Belarus hockey teams from its NHL series.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;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;