STEVE CARPENTER HutchCC Sports Information

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Sophomore Ben McLaughlin extended his consecutive-game hitting streak to nine games in dramatic fashion on Friday with a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the Hutchinson Community College baseball team to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Seward County in the opening of a four-game Jayhawk West series at Hobart-Detter Field.

McLaughlin made it 10 games in a row while Bryce Logan and Daniel Beebe drove in three runs each to defeat Seward County 10-8 in Game 2, taking a 2-0 series lead over the Saints.

Games 3 and 4 will be at Brent Gould Field in Liberal at 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The Blue Dragons extended their winning streak to six games and reached a season-high four games over .500. Hutchinson is now 16-12 overall and 6-4 in the Jayhawk West. Seward County is now 11-24 overall and 4-10 in league play.

McLaughlin’s walk-off base hit in Game 1 capped a two-run rally for the Blue Dragons, who trailed 1-0 and was being no-hit by Seward County pitcher Mason Martinez for six innings.

Ryan Henderson broke up the no-hitter with a leadoff single to start the seventh inning. Pinch-hitter P.J. Loucks and leadoff hitter Bryce Logan walked to load the bases with two outs. The Blue Dragons tied the game when Jack Torosian was hit with a pitch to plate pinch-runner Carter Booe with the tying run.

McLaughlin then completed the comeback by lacing a 1-0 pitch up the middle to score Loucks with the game-winning run and giving the Blue Dragons their first walkoff win of the season.

The Blue Dragons missed a scoring chance in the sixth after loading the bases with a hit batter, error and walk, but the Dragons couldn’t scratch across a run. Hutchinson left eight runners on base.

Sophomore Jack Whitlock twirled the first Blue Dragon complete game of the season and improved to 4-1 for the season.

After allowing an unearned run in the first inning, Whitlock tossed six shutout innings with only two Seward County baserunners reaching second base.

Whitlock struck out seven while allowing five hits, only three after the first inning, with two walks. Whitlock issued a one-out walk in the sixth to Jacob Masters, but picked him off of first base.

Seward County’s Martinez struck out nine in 6 2-3 innings. He walked three, hit three Blue Dragons and had two wild pitches.

The Blue Dragons broke a 5-all tie after seven innings with a five-run eighth and then had to hold off the Saints in a two-run victory in the nightcap on Friday.

Bolstered by two errors on sacrifice bunt attempts that loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the eighth, Beebe scored a pair with a single to left-center that scored Sterling Sutcliffe and Hunter Gotreaux. Logan added a two-run single to plate Loucks and Beebe for a 9-5 lead. Logan then scored on a McLaughlin sacrifice fly to right to complete a five-run eighth inning and take a 10-5 lead to the ninth.

The first five Seward County batters in the ninth reached base and three scored as Reed Scott retired the only three batters he faced to claim his third save of the season and make Kaden Wickersham (2-1) the winning pitcher.

The Dragons led 5-4 after three innings. Trailing 4-3 in the third, the Dragons reclaimed the lead at 5-4 with RBI singles from Gotreaux and Beebe. The Saints tied the game in the fifth with a Masters’ solo home run.

Logan had a career-high three points and tied a career high with three RBIs. Logan was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

Beebe tied a career high for hits, going 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs.

Torosian was 2 for 5 with a run scored and a stolen base. Gotreaux went 2 for 3 with three stolen bases. Gotreaux stole all three bases in the same inning, the second inning.

STEVE CARPENTER HutchCC Sports InformationHUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Sophomore Ben McLaughlin extended his consecutive-game hitting streak to nine games in dramatic fashion on Friday with a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the Hutchinson Community College baseball team to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Seward County in the opening of a four-game Jayhawk West series at Hobart-Detter Field.McLaughlin made it 10 games in a row while Bryce Logan and Daniel Beebe drove in three runs each to defeat Seward County 10-8 in Game 2, taking a 2-0 series lead over the Saints.Games 3 and 4 will be at Brent Gould Field in Liberal at 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.The Blue Dragons extended their winning streak to six games and reached a season-high four games over .500. Hutchinson is now 16-12 overall and 6-4 in the Jayhawk West. Seward County is now 11-24 overall and 4-10 in league play.GAME 1 RECAPMcLaughlin’s walk-off base hit in Game 1 capped a two-run rally for the Blue Dragons, who trailed 1-0 and was being no-hit by Seward County pitcher Mason Martinez for six innings.Ryan Henderson broke up the no-hitter with a leadoff single to start the seventh inning. Pinch-hitter P.J. Loucks and leadoff hitter Bryce Logan walked to load the bases with two outs. The Blue Dragons tied the game when Jack Torosian was hit with a pitch to plate pinch-runner Carter Booe with the tying run.McLaughlin then completed the comeback by lacing a 1-0 pitch up the middle to score Loucks with the game-winning run and giving the Blue Dragons their first walkoff win of the season.The Blue Dragons missed a scoring chance in the sixth after loading the bases with a hit batter, error and walk, but the Dragons couldn’t scratch across a run. Hutchinson left eight runners on base.Sophomore Jack Whitlock twirled the first Blue Dragon complete game of the season and improved to 4-1 for the season.After allowing an unearned run in the first inning, Whitlock tossed six shutout innings with only two Seward County baserunners reaching second base.Whitlock struck out seven while allowing five hits, only three after the first inning, with two walks. Whitlock issued a one-out walk in the sixth to Jacob Masters, but picked him off of first base.Seward County’s Martinez struck out nine in 6 2-3 innings. He walked three, hit three Blue Dragons and had two wild pitches.GAME 2 RECAPThe Blue Dragons broke a 5-all tie after seven innings with a five-run eighth and then had to hold off the Saints in a two-run victory in the nightcap on Friday.Bolstered by two errors on sacrifice bunt attempts that loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the eighth, Beebe scored a pair with a single to left-center that scored Sterling Sutcliffe and Hunter Gotreaux. Logan added a two-run single to plate Loucks and Beebe for a 9-5 lead. Logan then scored on a McLaughlin sacrifice fly to right to complete a five-run eighth inning and take a 10-5 lead to the ninth.The first five Seward County batters in the ninth reached base and three scored as Reed Scott retired the only three batters he faced to claim his third save of the season and make Kaden Wickersham (2-1) the winning pitcher.The Dragons led 5-4 after three innings. Trailing 4-3 in the third, the Dragons reclaimed the lead at 5-4 with RBI singles from Gotreaux and Beebe. The Saints tied the game in the fifth with a Masters’ solo home run.Logan had a career-high three points and tied a career high with three RBIs. Logan was 3 for 5 with a run scored.Beebe tied a career high for hits, going 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs.Torosian was 2 for 5 with a run scored and a stolen base. Gotreaux went 2 for 3 with three stolen bases. Gotreaux stole all three bases in the same inning, the second inning.The Dragons out-hit Seward County 14-10.

Dragon baseball sweeps Seward Friday

WICHITA – The Hutchinson Community College women’s track and field team had two top eight placings on Friday on Day 1 of the Friends University Invitational at Adair-Austin Stadium.

Day 1 featured just a handful of events. Saturday’s final day begins with field events at 9 a.m. and running events at noon.

The Blue Dragon 4 x 800 Relay team posted the sixth-best time in Blue Dragon history on Friday and finished fourth in the event. The relay team of Noel Buckhaultz, Anastasia Meyer, Sydney Grauer and Louise Cocking ran a time of 10:04.70. That time is 2.95 seconds shy of qualifying for nationals.

The only other placers for the Blue Dragons came in the pole vault as All-Americans Kiana Brown and Violet Martinez tied for eighth after clearing 9 feet, 8 inches.

STEVE CARPENTER HutchCC Sports InformationWICHITA – The Hutchinson Community College women’s track and field team had two top eight placings on Friday on Day 1 of the Friends University Invitational at Adair-Austin Stadium.Day 1 featured just a handful of events. Saturday’s final day begins with field events at 9 a.m. and running events at noon.The Blue Dragon 4 x 800 Relay team posted the sixth-best time in Blue Dragon history on Friday and finished fourth in the event. The relay team of Noel Buckhaultz, Anastasia Meyer, Sydney Grauer and Louise Cocking ran a time of 10:04.70. That time is 2.95 seconds shy of qualifying for nationals.The only other placers for the Blue Dragons came in the pole vault as All-Americans Kiana Brown and Violet Martinez tied for eighth after clearing 9 feet, 8 inches.

HutchCC women run well Friday at Friends

WICHITA – The Hutchinson Community College men’s track and field team had two participants on an abbreviated Day 1 schedule of the Friends University Invitational at Adair-Austin Stadium

Sophomore pole vaulter Simon Steinert was the top placer for the Blue Dragons on the opening-day of the two-day event with a fifth-place showing the men’s pole vault. Steinert cleared 13 feet, 11 1/4 inches on Friday.

The Blue Dragons men’s 4 x 800 relay placed sixth on Friday. The relay team of Andrew Holt, Aaron Geissinger, Caryn Turpin and Camilo Tarin ran a time of 8:18.

The remainder of the Blue Dragons will open competition on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. with field events and noon for running events.

STEVE CARPENTER HutchCC Sports InformationWICHITA – The Hutchinson Community College men’s track and field team had two participants on an abbreviated Day 1 schedule of the Friends University Invitational at Adair-Austin StadiumSophomore pole vaulter Simon Steinert was the top placer for the Blue Dragons on the opening-day of the two-day event with a fifth-place showing the men’s pole vault. Steinert cleared 13 feet, 11 1/4 inches on Friday.The Blue Dragons men’s 4 x 800 relay placed sixth on Friday. The relay team of Andrew Holt, Aaron Geissinger, Caryn Turpin and Camilo Tarin ran a time of 8:18.The remainder of the Blue Dragons will open competition on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. with field events and noon for running events.

HutchCC men start at Friends Friday

Wichita East split with Hutch High Friday in a baseball doubleheader.

Hutchinson watched the game slip away early and couldn't recover in a 14-1 loss to Wichita East on Friday.&nbsp;

Caiden Beavers and Bradyn Rodriguez each managed one hit for Hutch.

Wichita East collected seven hits in game one.  Eli Kuttler and Theory Hollins had multiple hits for Wichita East.

The second game was tied at seven with Hutchinson batting in the top of the seventh when an error gave Hutch the lead and they stretched it out to win 14-8.

There was plenty of action on the base paths as the Salthawks collected ten hits and Wichita East four.&nbsp;

Bradyn Rodriguez and Kinser Newquist each collected two hits to lead Hutchinson.

Wichita East split with Hutch High Friday in a baseball doubleheader.Game 1:Hutchinson watched the game slip away early and couldn't recover in a 14-1 loss to Wichita East on Friday.&nbsp;Caiden Beavers and Bradyn Rodriguez each managed one hit for Hutch.Wichita East collected seven hits in game one. Eli Kuttler and Theory Hollins had multiple hits for Wichita East.Game 2The second game was tied at seven with Hutchinson batting in the top of the seventh when an error gave Hutch the lead and they stretched it out to win 14-8.There was plenty of action on the base paths as the Salthawks collected ten hits and Wichita East four.&nbsp;Bradyn Rodriguez and Kinser Newquist each collected two hits to lead Hutchinson.

Hutch High baseball salvages Friday split

GODDARD, Kan.—The Hutchinson Salthawk Baseball team will try to get a double-header in today if mother nature cooperates at the new Genesis Baseball complex in Goddard vs Wichita East.&nbsp; Game times are at bother 4 and 6pm.

The game will not be broadcast or streamed due to scheduling conflicts, but the game can be followed on the link below.&nbsp; The Genesis Baseball Complex usually streams their events but will not have their stream up until mid May.

Click Here for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Genesis+Sports+Complex/@37.6615063,-97.5669701,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x59e5506d64f5b79c!8m2!3d37.6615063!4d-97.5670067">Directions to the Genesis Baseball Complex</a>

Click Here for&nbsp;<a href="https://gc.com/game-622d4cadcbc9ee127a3937f9">Hutch vs Wichita East Game Changer</a>&nbsp;Gm#1

CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app. CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

GODDARD, Kan.—The Hutchinson Salthawk Baseball team will try to get a double-header in today if mother nature cooperates at the new Genesis Baseball complex in Goddard vs Wichita East.&nbsp; Game times are at bother 4 and 6pm.The game will not be broadcast or streamed due to scheduling conflicts, but the game can be followed on the link below.&nbsp; The Genesis Baseball Complex usually streams their events but will not have their stream up until mid May.Click Here for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Genesis+Sports+Complex/@37.6615063,-97.5669701,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x59e5506d64f5b79c!8m2!3d37.6615063!4d-97.5670067">Directions to the Genesis Baseball Complex</a>Click Here for&nbsp;<a href="https://gc.com/game-622d4cadcbc9ee127a3937f9">Hutch vs Wichita East Game Changer</a>&nbsp;Gm#1Hutch vs Wichita East Game Changer Gm #2CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app. CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

⚾️ Salthawk Baseball travels to Goddard for double-header with Wichita East

STERLING, Kan.-Sterling College Athletics, and Vice President for Athletics, Scott Downing, announced today that Randy Stange will be Sterling College's next head men's basketball coach.

"I would like to thank the President, Dr. Scott Rich, VP for Athletics, Scott Downing, and Athletic Director, Justin Morris, for this opportunity to come home and work in the community I called home for so many years. I am looking forward to getting back to my passion of coaching men's basketball and training up young men both on and off the court," said Stange. "I have long admired the program and legacy that longtime Coach Lonnie Kruse put together and look forward to working with Coach Bassett as she continues to grow her program on the women's side. The community of Sterling is so important to the success of the programs at Sterling College and I am excited to build relationships between the men's basketball program and the community."

According to Downing, Sterling College has much to look forward to by the hiring of Stange as well. "Randy Stange is an excellent fit for Sterling College and our community. His experience on and off the court is outstanding and will help take our basketball program in a new direction.&nbsp; Coach Stange's emphasis on relationships and spiritual growth aligns with our mission and makes us stronger."&nbsp;

Director of Athletics, Justin Morris, added, "We are very excited to welcome Randy and his wife Suzanne to the Warrior family. Randy's coaching experience and strong desire to minister to our men's basketball team is very exciting."

Stange comes to Sterling from Johnson County Community College where he served as Athletic Director since July 2017.

After a stellar high school career at Nickerson High School, Stange became a Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragon under head coach Gary Bargen. While an HCC player, the Blue Dragons were 46-15, including an incredible 30-3 record at the Sports Arena. Stange scored 560 points in his career. In his sophomore season, Stange averaged 11.8 points and 3.6 assists per game. He also played tennis for the Blue Dragons.&nbsp;

After graduating from Hutchinson Community College, Stange went on to have a stellar career a Missouri State University. He was the first player recruited by Charlie Spoonhour and was a key member of the Bear's backcourt. Stange set the season mark for free throw accuracy his junior year with a .909 figure and averaged 10.4 points a game. That earned him a spot on the Mid-Continent Conference all-newcomer team for the 18-10 Bears.&nbsp;

During his senior year, Stange was on the all-conference second-team and shared Missouri State's Player of the Year honors with backcourt running mate Brian Smith. He finished his career with 706 points and shooting percentages of .564 from the field and .855 at the line. He set the record for career free-throw accuracy, now ranking second, and ranks sixth in field goal accuracy. He was inducted into the Missouri State Hall of Fame in February of 2001.&nbsp;

Once his playing days were complete, Stange jumped into the coaching profession, which eventually brought him back to Hutchinson. Hired shortly before the 1994-95 season, Stange spent three seasons on the Blue Dragons bench. He posted an 85-20 record, tied for a Jayhawk West title in 1995and his 1997 team won Region VI and qualified for the NJCAA Tournament.&nbsp;

Under his watch, Stange coached Nate Erdman a 1997 2nd round NBA Draft pick by the Utah Jazz, and Demetrius Alexander, who was an honorable mention NJCAA All-American. Stange also had several Blue Dragons earn All-Jayhawk Conference honors.&nbsp;

Before returning to Hutchinson, Stange served as an assistant coach at Kansas State University under Lon Kruger for the 1985-86 season. He then joined the staff at Missouri State and St. Louis University under his old college coach, Charlie Spoonhour, before the 1986-87 season. During his five seasons on the Bears staff, Missouri State won Mid-Continent titles in 1988, 1989, and 1990 with three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. In 1990 the Bears joined the Missouri Valley Conference and made an NIT appearance in 1991 and won the MVC tournament to return to the NCAA Tournament field in 1992.&nbsp;

When Spoonhour went to St. Louis University before the 1992-93 season, Stange followed and spent two seasons at SLU before returning to Hutchinson. The 1993-94 St. Louis University basketball team that Stange was part of went into the Billiken Hall of Fame in 2005.&nbsp;

After coaching, Stange spent several years as Athletic Director at Hutchinson Community College where he served until 2015. During his 18-year tenure at Hutchinson, Blue Dragon athletics won 33 Jayhawk Conference championships, 28 Region VI championships in all sports, and 128 teams earned NJCAA Championship berths, with 10 finishing in the top five nationally. Additionally, the football team appeared in nine bowl games, winning eight times, and 15 players over that span went on to play in the NFL. He also played a major role in the Gowan's Stadium renovation project.

Stange served eight years as the Region VI men's director, was the chair of the Division I men's basketball tournament, and served on the track and field and golf committees. He was also a member of the NJCAA Executive Committee.&nbsp;

Stange looks forward to this opportunity that has been laid out before him to return to where he grew up. "The Lord has made it clear to my wife, Suzanne, and I that this is where we are to be for the next stage in our lives. We look forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for us as we come back to Sterling."

There will be a meet and greet with several of Sterling's new coaches, including coach Stange, at Studio 96 in Sterling on Friday, April 8, at 10 am.

Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch all of the Warriors' live home events on the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kcacnetwork.com/sterling" target="_blank">Sterling College Sports Network</a>.

STERLING, Kan.-Sterling College Athletics, and Vice President for Athletics, Scott Downing, announced today that Randy Stange will be Sterling College's next head men's basketball coach."I would like to thank the President, Dr. Scott Rich, VP for Athletics, Scott Downing, and Athletic Director, Justin Morris, for this opportunity to come home and work in the community I called home for so many years. I am looking forward to getting back to my passion of coaching men's basketball and training up young men both on and off the court," said Stange. "I have long admired the program and legacy that longtime Coach Lonnie Kruse put together and look forward to working with Coach Bassett as she continues to grow her program on the women's side. The community of Sterling is so important to the success of the programs at Sterling College and I am excited to build relationships between the men's basketball program and the community."According to Downing, Sterling College has much to look forward to by the hiring of Stange as well. "Randy Stange is an excellent fit for Sterling College and our community. His experience on and off the court is outstanding and will help take our basketball program in a new direction.&nbsp; Coach Stange's emphasis on relationships and spiritual growth aligns with our mission and makes us stronger."&nbsp;Director of Athletics, Justin Morris, added, "We are very excited to welcome Randy and his wife Suzanne to the Warrior family. Randy's coaching experience and strong desire to minister to our men's basketball team is very exciting."Stange comes to Sterling from Johnson County Community College where he served as Athletic Director since July 2017.After a stellar high school career at Nickerson High School, Stange became a Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragon under head coach Gary Bargen. While an HCC player, the Blue Dragons were 46-15, including an incredible 30-3 record at the Sports Arena. Stange scored 560 points in his career. In his sophomore season, Stange averaged 11.8 points and 3.6 assists per game. He also played tennis for the Blue Dragons.&nbsp;After graduating from Hutchinson Community College, Stange went on to have a stellar career a Missouri State University. He was the first player recruited by Charlie Spoonhour and was a key member of the Bear's backcourt. Stange set the season mark for free throw accuracy his junior year with a .909 figure and averaged 10.4 points a game. That earned him a spot on the Mid-Continent Conference all-newcomer team for the 18-10 Bears.&nbsp;During his senior year, Stange was on the all-conference second-team and shared Missouri State's Player of the Year honors with backcourt running mate Brian Smith. He finished his career with 706 points and shooting percentages of .564 from the field and .855 at the line. He set the record for career free-throw accuracy, now ranking second, and ranks sixth in field goal accuracy. He was inducted into the Missouri State Hall of Fame in February of 2001.&nbsp;Once his playing days were complete, Stange jumped into the coaching profession, which eventually brought him back to Hutchinson. Hired shortly before the 1994-95 season, Stange spent three seasons on the Blue Dragons bench. He posted an 85-20 record, tied for a Jayhawk West title in 1995and his 1997 team won Region VI and qualified for the NJCAA Tournament.&nbsp;Under his watch, Stange coached Nate Erdman a 1997 2nd round NBA Draft pick by the Utah Jazz, and Demetrius Alexander, who was an honorable mention NJCAA All-American. Stange also had several Blue Dragons earn All-Jayhawk Conference honors.&nbsp;Before returning to Hutchinson, Stange served as an assistant coach at Kansas State University under Lon Kruger for the 1985-86 season. He then joined the staff at Missouri State and St. Louis University under his old college coach, Charlie Spoonhour, before the 1986-87 season. During his five seasons on the Bears staff, Missouri State won Mid-Continent titles in 1988, 1989, and 1990 with three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. In 1990 the Bears joined the Missouri Valley Conference and made an NIT appearance in 1991 and won the MVC tournament to return to the NCAA Tournament field in 1992.&nbsp;When Spoonhour went to St. Louis University before the 1992-93 season, Stange followed and spent two seasons at SLU before returning to Hutchinson. The 1993-94 St. Louis University basketball team that Stange was part of went into the Billiken Hall of Fame in 2005.&nbsp;After coaching, Stange spent several years as Athletic Director at Hutchinson Community College where he served until 2015. During his 18-year tenure at Hutchinson, Blue Dragon athletics won 33 Jayhawk Conference championships, 28 Region VI championships in all sports, and 128 teams earned NJCAA Championship berths, with 10 finishing in the top five nationally. Additionally, the football team appeared in nine bowl games, winning eight times, and 15 players over that span went on to play in the NFL. He also played a major role in the Gowan's Stadium renovation project.Stange served eight years as the Region VI men's director, was the chair of the Division I men's basketball tournament, and served on the track and field and golf committees. He was also a member of the NJCAA Executive Committee.&nbsp;Stange looks forward to this opportunity that has been laid out before him to return to where he grew up. "The Lord has made it clear to my wife, Suzanne, and I that this is where we are to be for the next stage in our lives. We look forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for us as we come back to Sterling."There will be a meet and greet with several of Sterling's new coaches, including coach Stange, at Studio 96 in Sterling on Friday, April 8, at 10 am.Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch all of the Warriors' live home events on the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kcacnetwork.com/sterling" target="_blank">Sterling College Sports Network</a>.

Stange hired to lead Men's Basketball at Sterling

NEW ORLEANS, La –&nbsp;Set to play in its 16th Final Four, No. 1-seed Kansas (32-6) will meet No. 2-seed Villanova (30-7) on Saturday, April 2, at 5:09 p.m. CST at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The game will air on TBS with Jim Nantz (Play-by-Play), Bill Raftery (Analyst), Grant Hill (Analyst) and Tracy Wolfson (Reporter) on the call.

Kansas claimed its 13th NCAA Midwest Region Tournament title with a 76-50 win over No. 10-seed Miami on Sunday, March 27, in Chicago. With the win, the Jayhawks advance to the 16th Final Four in program history and fourth under head coach Bill Self.

In the win over Miami, the Jayhawks were led by a dominant defensive performance, in which Kansas outscored Miami 47-15 in the second half. Miami’s 15 points were the fewest allowed in the second of an NCAA Tournament game in Kansas program history.

Following the win over Miami, super-senior Remy Martin was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest Region, while Christian Braun and David McCormack earned All-Region Team honors.

Kansas is led by Naismith Player of the Year finalist Ochai Agbaji, who averages 18.9 points per game, while shooting 35.6 percent beyond the arc, both of which are Big 12 bests. Martin has provided a boost during the tournament, scoring in double-figures in three-of-four tournament games, including a season-high 23 points in Kansas’ Sweet Sixteen win against Providence.

With the Sweet 16 win over Providence, Kansas became the winningest program in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history, and the Jayhawks are currently holding 2,355 all-time wins. Kansas enters the Final Four with NCAA Tournament wins over No. 16 seed Texas Southern (83-56), No. 9 Creighton (79-72), No. 4 Providence (66-61) and No. 10 Miami (76-50).

Villanova enters the Final Four after a 50-44 victory over No. 5-seed Houston in the Elite Eight, in which graduate guard Jermaine Samuels led the team with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Samuels was named the South Region’s Most Outstanding Player.

Villanova entered the NCAA Tournament with a 16-4 record in the Big EAST, before defeating No. 15 seed Delaware (80-60), No. 7 seed Ohio State (71-61), No. 11 seed Michigan (63-55) and No. 5 seed Houston (50-44) to reach the Final Four.

Kansas is 12-14 in Final Four games all-time, including 3-2 under head coach Bill Self, beginning in 2004. The Jayhawk most recently appeared in the Final Four in 2018, where Kansas lost to Villanova, 95-79 in San Antonio.

The Final Four contest between the Jayhawks and Wildcats will be the 10th all-time meeting between the two schools, with Villanova holding the series advantage at 5-4.

Should Kansas win its Final Four Matchup against No. 2 seed Villanova, the Jayhawks would advance to their sixth NCAA Championship appearance and first since 2012. Kansas will play the winner of No. 2 seed Duke and No. 8 seed North Carolina at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The game will be played on Monday, April 4 on TBS.

NEW ORLEANS, La –&nbsp;Set to play in its 16th Final Four, No. 1-seed Kansas (32-6) will meet No. 2-seed Villanova (30-7) on Saturday, April 2, at 5:09 p.m. CST at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The game will air on TBS with Jim Nantz (Play-by-Play), Bill Raftery (Analyst), Grant Hill (Analyst) and Tracy Wolfson (Reporter) on the call.Kansas claimed its 13th NCAA Midwest Region Tournament title with a 76-50 win over No. 10-seed Miami on Sunday, March 27, in Chicago. With the win, the Jayhawks advance to the 16th Final Four in program history and fourth under head coach Bill Self.In the win over Miami, the Jayhawks were led by a dominant defensive performance, in which Kansas outscored Miami 47-15 in the second half. Miami’s 15 points were the fewest allowed in the second of an NCAA Tournament game in Kansas program history.Following the win over Miami, super-senior Remy Martin was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest Region, while Christian Braun and David McCormack earned All-Region Team honors.Kansas is led by Naismith Player of the Year finalist Ochai Agbaji, who averages 18.9 points per game, while shooting 35.6 percent beyond the arc, both of which are Big 12 bests. Martin has provided a boost during the tournament, scoring in double-figures in three-of-four tournament games, including a season-high 23 points in Kansas’ Sweet Sixteen win against Providence.With the Sweet 16 win over Providence, Kansas became the winningest program in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history, and the Jayhawks are currently holding 2,355 all-time wins. Kansas enters the Final Four with NCAA Tournament wins over No. 16 seed Texas Southern (83-56), No. 9 Creighton (79-72), No. 4 Providence (66-61) and No. 10 Miami (76-50).Villanova enters the Final Four after a 50-44 victory over No. 5-seed Houston in the Elite Eight, in which graduate guard Jermaine Samuels led the team with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Samuels was named the South Region’s Most Outstanding Player.Villanova entered the NCAA Tournament with a 16-4 record in the Big EAST, before defeating No. 15 seed Delaware (80-60), No. 7 seed Ohio State (71-61), No. 11 seed Michigan (63-55) and No. 5 seed Houston (50-44) to reach the Final Four.Kansas is 12-14 in Final Four games all-time, including 3-2 under head coach Bill Self, beginning in 2004. The Jayhawk most recently appeared in the Final Four in 2018, where Kansas lost to Villanova, 95-79 in San Antonio.The Final Four contest between the Jayhawks and Wildcats will be the 10th all-time meeting between the two schools, with Villanova holding the series advantage at 5-4.Up NextShould Kansas win its Final Four Matchup against No. 2 seed Villanova, the Jayhawks would advance to their sixth NCAA Championship appearance and first since 2012. Kansas will play the winner of No. 2 seed Duke and No. 8 seed North Carolina at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The game will be played on Monday, April 4 on TBS.CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app. CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 Kansas to face Villanova in Final Four on Saturday

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

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — NCAA President Mark Emmert says investigations into allegations of major violations against several high-profile men's college basketball programs have taken "way too long." The implicated programs include current men's Final Four participant Kansas. Emmert did not specify what solutions to speed the process are on the table. But there's increasing acknowledgement that the process is broken. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey says the Division I Transformation Committee he co-chairs is working to recommend ways to modernize and reform NCAA governance and regulatory policies. Emmert also is urging Congress to draft national name, image and likeness policies governing permissible athlete endorsement deals. He says transfer rules also remain under constant scrutiny.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Exactly 10 years after a bunch of one-and-done phenoms for Kentucky cut down the nets in the Big Easy, there is a much more old-school feel to this year's Final Four. Some of the biggest stars on each team have taken advantage of medical and COVID-19 waivers, along with transfer portals, to produce four national semifinalists long on experience. Villanova and Kansas, and to some extent Duke and North Carolina, feature the kind of savvy veterans that once seemed endangered in the world of big-time college basketball. And together, this quartet is proving on the game's grandest stage that experience still matters in an era of instant gratification.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — North Carolina's Hubert Davis is relying on experience from his playing career and lessons from Hall of Fame mentors in a field of NCAA coaching giants surrounding him at this week's men's Final Four. Davis' experience includes being a Tar Heels player in the Final Four under Dean Smith in 1991. The first-year head coach has less sideline history than the three Hall of Famers also in New Orleans: Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, Kansas' Bill Self and Villanova's Jay Wright. UNC player Leaky Black says Davis understands the challenges they face because he's been in their position and "gets us under control."

UNDATED (AP) — This year's Final Four includes quite a collection of big-name programs — but this hasn't been a particularly dominant group this season. In fact, the top three teams in the current Pomeroy rankings — and five of the top six — are absent. That's a change from last year, when Gonzaga and Baylor were terrific all season and then met in the title game. Here's a statistical look at this season's accomplished-but-flawed Final Four quartet, using advanced stats.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Villanova has passed the torch of guards playing in the low post, from Ryan Arcidiancono to Jalen Brunson. Now it's Collin Gillespie's turn and it may be the equalizer for the short-handed Wildcats against Kansas in the Final Four. Gillespie learned to play in the low post while battling Brunson in practice and has become one of the best guards in the nation at it. Guard post-ups could give Villanova an edge in the national semifinals after Justin Moore was lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In one of his tried-and-true motivational speeches, Mike Krzyzewski outlined his four pillars of team building. They are: making everyone feel important, taking ownership, adaptability and doing things with feeling. Duke perfected the first three to help Coach K reach his 13th and most amazing Final Four. Next comes the "feeling" part. Now that the record-setting, 75-year-old coach is in New Orleans, he knows he must walk a fine line between enjoying the moment and letting it overwhelm his team. Krzyzewski says he's always thought that being able to share the emotion with his players is the best feeling. Their next chance comes Saturday, when the Blue Devils meet archrival North Carolina in the national semifinals, If Duke wins, Coach K will go for his sixth national title Monday.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The four blueblood programs that have descended upon the Superdome for the men's Final Four all have the ability to recruit on a national scale. Their coaches are able to hop aboard a jet on a moment's notice to sit in a living room or take in a game. Yet all of the teams in New Orleans have pulled talent from their own backyards. Kansas has mined stars from Kansas City, Villanova from the fertile recruiting grounds of Philadelphia, and Duke and North Carolina have gone head-to-head for local talent with their campuses separated by about 10 miles.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A seat at the 182-year-old French Quarter restaurant that invented Oysters Rockefeller and mastered Baked Alaska is virtually impossible to get this week. The first NCAA men's Final Four without pandemic restrictions in three years is being held in New Orleans. And the tourism-dependent city needed it after seeing the hospitality industry devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic for much of the past two years. New Orleans suffered the cancellation of the 2020 women's Final Four but 70,000-plus fans are expected at the Superdome for games on Saturday and Monday nights. Downtown hotels and restaurants are booked solid and city officials hope it marks the resumption of New Orleans as a big-event destination.

UNDATED (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks are within a half-game of Miami for the NBA's Eastern Conference lead, and with a game in hand on the Heat.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) became the Bucks' all-time scoring leader before hitting two free throws with three seconds left, giving Milwaukee a 120-119 win over the Nets. Antetokounmpo finished with 44 points, 14 rebounds and six assists as the Bucks clinched a playoff berth. He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the team scoring leader by hitting a 3-pointer that forced overtime.

Kris Middleton had 16 points and nine boards before his ejection for a flagrant foul.

Kevin Durant had 26 points and Kyrie Irving 25 for Brooklyn, which fell into an eighth-place tie with Charlotte in the East.

Checking out Thursday's other NBA action:

— Saddiq Bey (sah-DEEK' bay) scored half of his 20 points in the final 4 ½ minutes of the Pistons' 102-94 victory over the 76ers. Bey provided seven points in a 9-0 run that gave the Pistons a 102-89 lead with 1:54 to play. Cade Cunningham scored 27 points to help Detroit withstand Joel Embiid's 37 points and 15 rebounds.

— DeMar DeRozan poured in a season-high 50 points and the Bulls rallied to beat the Clippers, 135-130 in overtime. DeRozan finished two points shy of his career high, providing 17 in the fourth quarter and 10 in OT. Nikola Vucevic (nih-KOH'-lah VOO'-seh-vihch) added 22 points and 14 rebounds for Chicago, which trailed by 16 in the third period.

— Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points and Rudy Gobert (goh-BEHR') had a double-double as the Jazz dumped the Lakers, 122-109 to end a five-game losing streak. Gobert delivered 25 points and 17 boards for the Jazz, who are trying to stay out of a Western Conference play-in game. Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points for Utah, Mike Conley added 18 and Bojan (BOY'-ahn) Bogdanovic 11 in his return from injury.

— Trae Young scored 30 points and the surging Hawks never trailed in their fourth straight win, 131-107 over the struggling Cavaliers. Kevin Huerter continued his strong finish to the regular season with 23 points, his fourth consecutive game with at least 20 points. Clint Capela added 12 points with 14 rebounds in helping Atlanta wrap up a berth in the play-in round.

Record-setting night for Huberdeau and the Cats

UNDATED (AP) — The Florida Panthers are on the verge of a Stanley Cup playoff berth after picking up their team-record 28th home win.

Sergei Bobrovsky posted his third shutout of the season by making 37 saves in the Panthers' 4-0 win over the Blackhawks. Jonathan Huberdeau (HOO'-bur-doh) set an NHL record for left wingers with his 71st assist. Huberdeau is three away from breaking the club mark of 86 points.

Aleksander Barkov scored twice for the Panthers, who can wrap up a playoff spot as early as Saturday.

— The Avalanche posted a 4-2 win over the Sharks as Mikko Rantanen (MEE'-koh RAN'-tah-nehn) scored the go-ahead goal on a power play with 7:43 remaining. Andre Burakovsky (bur-ah-KAHV'-skee), Darren Helm and Alex Newhook also added goals in Colorado's seventh straight win over San Jose. Nathan MacKinnon returned to the lineup for the Avs, dodging a scare after appearing to hurt his hand in a fight last weekend.

— Marc McLaughlin scored in his NHL debut while the Bruins erupted for six goals in the second period of a 8-1 rout of the Devils. The former Boston College captain tallied as the Bruins scored three times in 183 seconds. Brad Marchand scored twice in Boston's highest scoring output since Thanksgiving 2019.

— The Hurricanes were 4-0 winners over the Canadiens as Frederik Anderson handled 32 shots in his fourth shutout of the season. Andrei Svechnikov (SVEHCH'-nih-kahv) scored twice for Carolina, while Sebastian Aho (AH'-hoh) and Teuvo Teravainen (TAY'-voh tehr-ah-VY'-nehn) each had a goal and an assist. Carolina has points in six straight games as it tries to stay atop the Metropolitan Division.

— Evgeni Malkin's overtime goal gave the Penguins a 4-3 win over the Wild, ending Minnesota's seven-game winning streak. Malkin ended it at 3:57 of the extra session after Rickard Rackell (rih-KAHRD' rah-KEHL') delivered two goals. Jake Guentzel (GEHNT'-sul) added his 32nd goal for the Pens, who moved back into six place in the Metropolitan Division and six points behind the Hurricanes.

— The Islanders wasted a 2-0 lead before Kyle Palmieri put them back ahead in the third period of a 5-2 win over Columbus. Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist as the Isles beat the Blue Jackets for the second time in three nights. Sebastian Aho (AH'-hoh) also tallied for New York, about 34 seconds in real time before Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho scored 500 miles away against Montreal.

— Jamie Benn scored 53 seconds into overtime as the Stars completed a two-game sweep of the skidding Ducks. 3-2. Jake Oettinger made 21 saves to help Dallas win for the fifth time in six games. Kevin Shattenkirk scored a tying goal with 3:21 left in regulation, but the Ducks still lost their 11th consecutive game.

— Lias (LEE'-ahs) Andersson furnished the deciding goal in the shootout and Cal Petersen made 26 saves as the Kings captured a 3-2 victory over the Flames. Alex Iaffalo (eye-ah-FAH'-loh) and Viktor Arvidsson scored in regulation for Los Angeles, which is five points behind the of Pacific Division-leading Flames. Calgary has three games in hand.

— Auston Matthews scored his 50th goal of the season as the Maple Leafs thumped the Jets, 7-3. Matthews is the first Leaf with 50 goals since Dave Andreychuk (AN'-dreh-chuhk) scored 53 in 1993-94. William Nylander (NEE'-lan-dur) added two on the power play to go along with an assist.

Royals exercise option to keep Matheny through 2023 season

UNDATED (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have exercised their club option on Mike Matheny (muh-THEE'-nee) for the 2023 season. The move eliminates any uncertainty over whether their manager will remain with the club after the coming season.

Matheny has gone 100-122 in two seasons with the Royals and is 691-596 as a major league skipper, including his seven years with St. Louis.

— Former Marlins and Tigers pitcher José Ureña has signed a $1.25 million, one-year league contract with the Brewers. The 30-year-old Ureña went 4-8 with a 5.81 ERA for the Tigers last season in 26 appearances, including 18 starts.

— A rules change to bring back automatic runners in extra innings is being brought back for a third straight season. MLB and the players' association agreed to keep the controversial rule that starts each team with a runner on second base during extra innings for the 2022 regular season. The agreement regarding on-field rules modifications also includes expanding active rosters from 26 players to 28 from opening day on April 7 through May 1 this year, due to the delayed start of spring training.

LB Bobby Wagner agrees to 5-year deal with Rams

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Linebacker Bobby Wagner has agreed to a five-year deal to join his hometown Los Angeles Rams.

Wagner became one of the NFL's top linebackers during a decade with the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks released the six-time All-Pro anchor of their defense on March 9.

ESPN reported Wagner's deal is worth $50 million.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Aliyah Boston of South Carolina is The Associated Press women's basketball player of the year.

Boston averaged 16.8 points, 12 rebounds and 2.6 blocks this year. The junior forward helped South Carolina go wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the country, putting up 27 consecutive double-doubles. She has the Gamecocks two wins away from their second national championship.

And Kim Mulkey is The Associated Press women's basketball Coach of the Year in her first season at LSU.

The longtime Baylor coach led the Tigers to 26 wins at an NCAA Tournament berth after they won only nine games last season. Mulkey received 10 votes from the 30-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25.

UNDATED (AP) — A number of college basketball stars have entered their names in the NBA draft.

Purdue's Jaden Ivey averaged 17 points, five rebounds and three assists per game and was named to The Associated Press All-America second team.

Wisconsin's Johnny Davis is regarded as a likely lottery selection as an Associated Press All-America first-team selection and the Big Ten player of the year.

And Notre Dame freshman guard Blake Wesley, a 6-foot-5 guard who averaged a team-leading 14.4 points also tweeted his intention.

— Longtime Miami associate head coach Chris Caputo has accepted a contract offer to become the new coach at George Washington. That's according to a person with knowledge of the situation who says the school and Caputo were working out final contract details including length of the deal. Caputo replaces Jamion Christian, who was 29-50 in three seasons at the school.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Russell Knox birdied four straight holes on the back nine and fired a 7-under 65 for a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Valero Texas Open.

Knox closed out his round with a seven-foot putt to save par at the par-5 18th at TPC San Antonio, leaving him just ahead of Rasmus Hojgaard.

Hojgaard fired a 66 despite a double bogey on his final hole.

Matt Kuchar is another stroke back after an opening 5-under 67. Kuchard is among a group that includes Denny McCarthy, Aaron Rei and J.J. Spaun.

FIFA sets World Cup draw seedings with updated rankings

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The United States has received a boost for the World Cup draw and Canada has taken a hit in the updated FIFA rankings.

The Americans will be in Pot 2 after being ranked 15th in the world. They clinched a berth for this year's championship in Qatar (KUH'-tur) despite a 2-0 loss to Costa Rica Wednesday on the final night of qualifying.

Canada won the North American qualifying group and will play at the tournament for the first time in 36 years but missed a chance for a rankings boost by losing at Panama 1-0 in its final qualifier. Canada will instead be among the lowest seeded teams in Pot 4.

The eight groups for the tournament in Qatar will be drawn Friday from four pots. Qatar gets the top-seeded slot given to the World Cup host nation despite being ranked No. 51.

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated PressNEW ORLEANS (AP) — NCAA President Mark Emmert says investigations into allegations of major violations against several high-profile men's college basketball programs have taken "way too long." The implicated programs include current men's Final Four participant Kansas. Emmert did not specify what solutions to speed the process are on the table. But there's increasing acknowledgement that the process is broken. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey says the Division I Transformation Committee he co-chairs is working to recommend ways to modernize and reform NCAA governance and regulatory policies. Emmert also is urging Congress to draft national name, image and likeness policies governing permissible athlete endorsement deals. He says transfer rules also remain under constant scrutiny.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Exactly 10 years after a bunch of one-and-done phenoms for Kentucky cut down the nets in the Big Easy, there is a much more old-school feel to this year's Final Four. Some of the biggest stars on each team have taken advantage of medical and COVID-19 waivers, along with transfer portals, to produce four national semifinalists long on experience. Villanova and Kansas, and to some extent Duke and North Carolina, feature the kind of savvy veterans that once seemed endangered in the world of big-time college basketball. And together, this quartet is proving on the game's grandest stage that experience still matters in an era of instant gratification.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — North Carolina's Hubert Davis is relying on experience from his playing career and lessons from Hall of Fame mentors in a field of NCAA coaching giants surrounding him at this week's men's Final Four. Davis' experience includes being a Tar Heels player in the Final Four under Dean Smith in 1991. The first-year head coach has less sideline history than the three Hall of Famers also in New Orleans: Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, Kansas' Bill Self and Villanova's Jay Wright. UNC player Leaky Black says Davis understands the challenges they face because he's been in their position and "gets us under control."UNDATED (AP) — This year's Final Four includes quite a collection of big-name programs — but this hasn't been a particularly dominant group this season. In fact, the top three teams in the current Pomeroy rankings — and five of the top six — are absent. That's a change from last year, when Gonzaga and Baylor were terrific all season and then met in the title game. Here's a statistical look at this season's accomplished-but-flawed Final Four quartet, using advanced stats.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Villanova has passed the torch of guards playing in the low post, from Ryan Arcidiancono to Jalen Brunson. Now it's Collin Gillespie's turn and it may be the equalizer for the short-handed Wildcats against Kansas in the Final Four. Gillespie learned to play in the low post while battling Brunson in practice and has become one of the best guards in the nation at it. Guard post-ups could give Villanova an edge in the national semifinals after Justin Moore was lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In one of his tried-and-true motivational speeches, Mike Krzyzewski outlined his four pillars of team building. They are: making everyone feel important, taking ownership, adaptability and doing things with feeling. Duke perfected the first three to help Coach K reach his 13th and most amazing Final Four. Next comes the "feeling" part. Now that the record-setting, 75-year-old coach is in New Orleans, he knows he must walk a fine line between enjoying the moment and letting it overwhelm his team. Krzyzewski says he's always thought that being able to share the emotion with his players is the best feeling. Their next chance comes Saturday, when the Blue Devils meet archrival North Carolina in the national semifinals, If Duke wins, Coach K will go for his sixth national title Monday.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The four blueblood programs that have descended upon the Superdome for the men's Final Four all have the ability to recruit on a national scale. Their coaches are able to hop aboard a jet on a moment's notice to sit in a living room or take in a game. Yet all of the teams in New Orleans have pulled talent from their own backyards. Kansas has mined stars from Kansas City, Villanova from the fertile recruiting grounds of Philadelphia, and Duke and North Carolina have gone head-to-head for local talent with their campuses separated by about 10 miles.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A seat at the 182-year-old French Quarter restaurant that invented Oysters Rockefeller and mastered Baked Alaska is virtually impossible to get this week. The first NCAA men's Final Four without pandemic restrictions in three years is being held in New Orleans. And the tourism-dependent city needed it after seeing the hospitality industry devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic for much of the past two years. New Orleans suffered the cancellation of the 2020 women's Final Four but 70,000-plus fans are expected at the Superdome for games on Saturday and Monday nights. Downtown hotels and restaurants are booked solid and city officials hope it marks the resumption of New Orleans as a big-event destination.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA-SCHEDULEBucks pull out win over NetsUNDATED (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks are within a half-game of Miami for the NBA's Eastern Conference lead, and with a game in hand on the Heat.Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) became the Bucks' all-time scoring leader before hitting two free throws with three seconds left, giving Milwaukee a 120-119 win over the Nets. Antetokounmpo finished with 44 points, 14 rebounds and six assists as the Bucks clinched a playoff berth. He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the team scoring leader by hitting a 3-pointer that forced overtime.Kris Middleton had 16 points and nine boards before his ejection for a flagrant foul.Kevin Durant had 26 points and Kyrie Irving 25 for Brooklyn, which fell into an eighth-place tie with Charlotte in the East.Checking out Thursday's other NBA action:— Saddiq Bey (sah-DEEK' bay) scored half of his 20 points in the final 4 ½ minutes of the Pistons' 102-94 victory over the 76ers. Bey provided seven points in a 9-0 run that gave the Pistons a 102-89 lead with 1:54 to play. Cade Cunningham scored 27 points to help Detroit withstand Joel Embiid's 37 points and 15 rebounds.— DeMar DeRozan poured in a season-high 50 points and the Bulls rallied to beat the Clippers, 135-130 in overtime. DeRozan finished two points shy of his career high, providing 17 in the fourth quarter and 10 in OT. Nikola Vucevic (nih-KOH'-lah VOO'-seh-vihch) added 22 points and 14 rebounds for Chicago, which trailed by 16 in the third period.— Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points and Rudy Gobert (goh-BEHR') had a double-double as the Jazz dumped the Lakers, 122-109 to end a five-game losing streak. Gobert delivered 25 points and 17 boards for the Jazz, who are trying to stay out of a Western Conference play-in game. Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points for Utah, Mike Conley added 18 and Bojan (BOY'-ahn) Bogdanovic 11 in his return from injury.— Trae Young scored 30 points and the surging Hawks never trailed in their fourth straight win, 131-107 over the struggling Cavaliers. Kevin Huerter continued his strong finish to the regular season with 23 points, his fourth consecutive game with at least 20 points. Clint Capela added 12 points with 14 rebounds in helping Atlanta wrap up a berth in the play-in round.NHL-SCHEDULERecord-setting night for Huberdeau and the CatsUNDATED (AP) — The Florida Panthers are on the verge of a Stanley Cup playoff berth after picking up their team-record 28th home win.Sergei Bobrovsky posted his third shutout of the season by making 37 saves in the Panthers' 4-0 win over the Blackhawks. Jonathan Huberdeau (HOO'-bur-doh) set an NHL record for left wingers with his 71st assist. Huberdeau is three away from breaking the club mark of 86 points.Aleksander Barkov scored twice for the Panthers, who can wrap up a playoff spot as early as Saturday.Elsewhere on NHL ice:— The Avalanche posted a 4-2 win over the Sharks as Mikko Rantanen (MEE'-koh RAN'-tah-nehn) scored the go-ahead goal on a power play with 7:43 remaining. Andre Burakovsky (bur-ah-KAHV'-skee), Darren Helm and Alex Newhook also added goals in Colorado's seventh straight win over San Jose. Nathan MacKinnon returned to the lineup for the Avs, dodging a scare after appearing to hurt his hand in a fight last weekend.— Marc McLaughlin scored in his NHL debut while the Bruins erupted for six goals in the second period of a 8-1 rout of the Devils. The former Boston College captain tallied as the Bruins scored three times in 183 seconds. Brad Marchand scored twice in Boston's highest scoring output since Thanksgiving 2019.— The Hurricanes were 4-0 winners over the Canadiens as Frederik Anderson handled 32 shots in his fourth shutout of the season. Andrei Svechnikov (SVEHCH'-nih-kahv) scored twice for Carolina, while Sebastian Aho (AH'-hoh) and Teuvo Teravainen (TAY'-voh tehr-ah-VY'-nehn) each had a goal and an assist. Carolina has points in six straight games as it tries to stay atop the Metropolitan Division.— Evgeni Malkin's overtime goal gave the Penguins a 4-3 win over the Wild, ending Minnesota's seven-game winning streak. Malkin ended it at 3:57 of the extra session after Rickard Rackell (rih-KAHRD' rah-KEHL') delivered two goals. Jake Guentzel (GEHNT'-sul) added his 32nd goal for the Pens, who moved back into six place in the Metropolitan Division and six points behind the Hurricanes.— The Islanders wasted a 2-0 lead before Kyle Palmieri put them back ahead in the third period of a 5-2 win over Columbus. Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist as the Isles beat the Blue Jackets for the second time in three nights. Sebastian Aho (AH'-hoh) also tallied for New York, about 34 seconds in real time before Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho scored 500 miles away against Montreal.— Jamie Benn scored 53 seconds into overtime as the Stars completed a two-game sweep of the skidding Ducks. 3-2. Jake Oettinger made 21 saves to help Dallas win for the fifth time in six games. Kevin Shattenkirk scored a tying goal with 3:21 left in regulation, but the Ducks still lost their 11th consecutive game.— Lias (LEE'-ahs) Andersson furnished the deciding goal in the shootout and Cal Petersen made 26 saves as the Kings captured a 3-2 victory over the Flames. Alex Iaffalo (eye-ah-FAH'-loh) and Viktor Arvidsson scored in regulation for Los Angeles, which is five points behind the of Pacific Division-leading Flames. Calgary has three games in hand.— Auston Matthews scored his 50th goal of the season as the Maple Leafs thumped the Jets, 7-3. Matthews is the first Leaf with 50 goals since Dave Andreychuk (AN'-dreh-chuhk) scored 53 in 1993-94. William Nylander (NEE'-lan-dur) added two on the power play to go along with an assist.MLB-NEWSRoyals exercise option to keep Matheny through 2023 seasonUNDATED (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have exercised their club option on Mike Matheny (muh-THEE'-nee) for the 2023 season. The move eliminates any uncertainty over whether their manager will remain with the club after the coming season.Matheny has gone 100-122 in two seasons with the Royals and is 691-596 as a major league skipper, including his seven years with St. Louis.In other Major League Baseball news:— Former Marlins and Tigers pitcher José Ureña has signed a $1.25 million, one-year league contract with the Brewers. The 30-year-old Ureña went 4-8 with a 5.81 ERA for the Tigers last season in 26 appearances, including 18 starts.— A rules change to bring back automatic runners in extra innings is being brought back for a third straight season. MLB and the players' association agreed to keep the controversial rule that starts each team with a runner on second base during extra innings for the 2022 regular season. The agreement regarding on-field rules modifications also includes expanding active rosters from 26 players to 28 from opening day on April 7 through May 1 this year, due to the delayed start of spring training.NFL NEWSLB Bobby Wagner agrees to 5-year deal with RamsLOS ANGELES (AP) — Linebacker Bobby Wagner has agreed to a five-year deal to join his hometown Los Angeles Rams.Wagner became one of the NFL's top linebackers during a decade with the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks released the six-time All-Pro anchor of their defense on March 9.ESPN reported Wagner's deal is worth $50 million.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-WOMENBoston AP player of year, Mulkey coachMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Aliyah Boston of South Carolina is The Associated Press women's basketball player of the year.Boston averaged 16.8 points, 12 rebounds and 2.6 blocks this year. The junior forward helped South Carolina go wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the country, putting up 27 consecutive double-doubles. She has the Gamecocks two wins away from their second national championship.And Kim Mulkey is The Associated Press women's basketball Coach of the Year in her first season at LSU.The longtime Baylor coach led the Tigers to 26 wins at an NCAA Tournament berth after they won only nine games last season. Mulkey received 10 votes from the 30-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NBA DRAFTCollege stars enter NBA DraftUNDATED (AP) — A number of college basketball stars have entered their names in the NBA draft.Purdue's Jaden Ivey averaged 17 points, five rebounds and three assists per game and was named to The Associated Press All-America second team.Wisconsin's Johnny Davis is regarded as a likely lottery selection as an Associated Press All-America first-team selection and the Big Ten player of the year.And Notre Dame freshman guard Blake Wesley, a 6-foot-5 guard who averaged a team-leading 14.4 points also tweeted his intention.Also in men's college basketball:— Longtime Miami associate head coach Chris Caputo has accepted a contract offer to become the new coach at George Washington. That's according to a person with knowledge of the situation who says the school and Caputo were working out final contract details including length of the deal. Caputo replaces Jamion Christian, who was 29-50 in three seasons at the school.PGA-TEXAS OPENKnox leads through 18SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Russell Knox birdied four straight holes on the back nine and fired a 7-under 65 for a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Valero Texas Open.Knox closed out his round with a seven-foot putt to save par at the par-5 18th at TPC San Antonio, leaving him just ahead of Rasmus Hojgaard.Hojgaard fired a 66 despite a double bogey on his final hole.Matt Kuchar is another stroke back after an opening 5-under 67. Kuchard is among a group that includes Denny McCarthy, Aaron Rei and J.J. Spaun.SOCCER-WORLD CUP SEEDINGSFIFA sets World Cup draw seedings with updated rankingsDOHA, Qatar (AP) — The United States has received a boost for the World Cup draw and Canada has taken a hit in the updated FIFA rankings.The Americans will be in Pot 2 after being ranked 15th in the world. They clinched a berth for this year's championship in Qatar (KUH'-tur) despite a 2-0 loss to Costa Rica Wednesday on the final night of qualifying.Canada won the North American qualifying group and will play at the tournament for the first time in 36 years but missed a chance for a rankings boost by losing at Panama 1-0 in its final qualifier. Canada will instead be among the lowest seeded teams in Pot 4.The eight groups for the tournament in Qatar will be drawn Friday from four pots. Qatar gets the top-seeded slot given to the World Cup host nation despite being ranked No. 51.CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app. CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sports Headlines for Friday

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🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Friday Morning

by STEVE CARPENTER-Hutchinson CC Sports Information

HUTCHINSON, Kan.—<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/bios/stuart_angelo_pblm">Angelo Stuart</a>'s one season at Hutchinson Community College was memorable.

Stuart led the Jayhawk Conference in scoring in 2021-22, played in two NJCAA Tournament games and on Wednesday became the 35th NJCAA All-American in the storied history of the Blue Dragon men's basketball program.

Stuart was named NJCAA third-team All-American after leading the Blue Dragons to a 26-9 record, a second-place finish in the Jayhawk Conference standings after being picked second in the preseason, a Region VI Tournament runner-up finish and to the second round of the 2022 NJCAA Tournament.

The Blue Dragons have had at least one NJCAA All-American in 6 of the last 7 seasons.

The sophomore transfer from the Queens, New York, led the Jayhawk Conference and was 12th in the NJCAA in scoring at 22.2 points per game. His 689 points scored were the most since J.J. Rhymes scored 704 in 2018 and the 13th most in program history. His 22.2 point-per-game average ranks as the ninth-best scoring average for a season in team history.

Stuart set a Blue Dragon single-season record for 3-pointers with 104 this season. That beat Josh Gonner's old record by 22 3-pointers, and Stuart missed three games with an injury.

Stuart was 104 of 259 from 3-point range this season, shooting at a 40.1 percent clip. He had three games of six 3-pointers, which tied for the sixth most 3-pointers in single-game history.

Stuart was 31 games of scoring in double figures with three games of 30 or more points. Stuart scorers 34 points twice this season, both times against Dodge City. He also had a 30-point game against Connors State in the NJCAA Tournament.

In addition to his All-America award, Stuart was named first-team all-Jayhawk Conference/Region VI. He was named to the Region VI All-Tournament team and became the 29th Blue Dragon to be named to the NJCAA Tournament All-Tournament team.

<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/files/2022_All-America_teams.pdf">CLICK FOR 2022 NJCAA DIV. I MEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-AMERICA TEAM</a>

CLICK HERE&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;app. CLICK HERE&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

by STEVE CARPENTER-Hutchinson CC Sports InformationHUTCHINSON, Kan.—<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/bios/stuart_angelo_pblm">Angelo Stuart</a>'s one season at Hutchinson Community College was memorable.Stuart led the Jayhawk Conference in scoring in 2021-22, played in two NJCAA Tournament games and on Wednesday became the 35th NJCAA All-American in the storied history of the Blue Dragon men's basketball program.Stuart was named NJCAA third-team All-American after leading the Blue Dragons to a 26-9 record, a second-place finish in the Jayhawk Conference standings after being picked second in the preseason, a Region VI Tournament runner-up finish and to the second round of the 2022 NJCAA Tournament.The Blue Dragons have had at least one NJCAA All-American in 6 of the last 7 seasons.The sophomore transfer from the Queens, New York, led the Jayhawk Conference and was 12th in the NJCAA in scoring at 22.2 points per game. His 689 points scored were the most since J.J. Rhymes scored 704 in 2018 and the 13th most in program history. His 22.2 point-per-game average ranks as the ninth-best scoring average for a season in team history.Stuart set a Blue Dragon single-season record for 3-pointers with 104 this season. That beat Josh Gonner's old record by 22 3-pointers, and Stuart missed three games with an injury.Stuart was 104 of 259 from 3-point range this season, shooting at a 40.1 percent clip. He had three games of six 3-pointers, which tied for the sixth most 3-pointers in single-game history.Stuart was 31 games of scoring in double figures with three games of 30 or more points. Stuart scorers 34 points twice this season, both times against Dodge City. He also had a 30-point game against Connors State in the NJCAA Tournament.In addition to his All-America award, Stuart was named first-team all-Jayhawk Conference/Region VI. He was named to the Region VI All-Tournament team and became the 29th Blue Dragon to be named to the NJCAA Tournament All-Tournament team.<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/files/2022_All-America_teams.pdf">CLICK FOR 2022 NJCAA DIV. I MEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-AMERICA TEAM</a>CLICK HERE&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;app. CLICK HERE&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Stuart becomes Blue Dragons' 35th NJCAA All-American

Buhler 15, Winfield 0 Buhler 15, Winfield 1

Hutchinson 3, Haysville Campus 0 Wichita North 1, Buhler 0

BaseballBuhler 15, Winfield 0 Buhler 15, Winfield 1Girls SoccerHutchinson 3, Haysville Campus 0 Wichita North 1, Buhler 0

High School scores from March 31, 2022

SURPRISE, Ariz.—The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have exercised their club option on the contract of Manager Mike Matheny for the 2023 season. Per club policy, terms were not disclosed.

“Mike is one of the finest leaders I’ve been around and the Royals are fortunate to have him managing our team,” said Dayton Moore, Royals President of Baseball Operations. “He is a tremendous competitor who cares deeply about players, the Kansas City community, and this great game of baseball. It is an absolute joy for our entire baseball operations department to work with him.”

“I’m proud and honored to work with this group of players and staff here with the Royals,” Matheny said. “Being able to continue that work is a privilege that I take very seriously. I know we’re in the middle of something special and I’m excited for our fans to see it.”

Matheny is 100-122 (.450) through his first two seasons with the Royals, after being named the 17th full-time Manager in franchise history on Oct. 31, 2019. The Royals have increased their win percentage in each of the last two seasons under Matheny, going 74-88 (.457) in 2021, following a 26-34 (.433) shortened season in 2020. In the two seasons prior to his arrival, the Royals went 58-104 (.358) and 59-103 (.364).

Matheny led the Royals to a 38-35 (.521) record after the All-Star break in 2021, which marked their best second-half record since 2015 (43-33). Kansas City’s .521 winning percentage in the second half last season was .117 better than their win percentage before the break, marking the largest increase in the American League. The Royals had 38 wins in the second half in just 73 games, after posting 36 wins in 89 games before the break, for an increase of two wins, joining the Cardinals as the only teams in the Majors to win two more games in the second half than they did in the first.

Matheny enters the 2022 season with a 691-596 career regular season record (.537), which includes his seven years as the skipper for the Cardinals from 2012-18. His win total ranks ninth among active Managers, and his .537 career winning percentage is tied with Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash and White Sox Manager, Tony La Russa, whom Matheny played for in St. Louis.

SURPRISE, Ariz.—The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have exercised their club option on the contract of Manager Mike Matheny for the 2023 season. Per club policy, terms were not disclosed.“Mike is one of the finest leaders I’ve been around and the Royals are fortunate to have him managing our team,” said Dayton Moore, Royals President of Baseball Operations. “He is a tremendous competitor who cares deeply about players, the Kansas City community, and this great game of baseball. It is an absolute joy for our entire baseball operations department to work with him.”“I’m proud and honored to work with this group of players and staff here with the Royals,” Matheny said. “Being able to continue that work is a privilege that I take very seriously. I know we’re in the middle of something special and I’m excited for our fans to see it.”Matheny is 100-122 (.450) through his first two seasons with the Royals, after being named the 17th full-time Manager in franchise history on Oct. 31, 2019. The Royals have increased their win percentage in each of the last two seasons under Matheny, going 74-88 (.457) in 2021, following a 26-34 (.433) shortened season in 2020. In the two seasons prior to his arrival, the Royals went 58-104 (.358) and 59-103 (.364).Matheny led the Royals to a 38-35 (.521) record after the All-Star break in 2021, which marked their best second-half record since 2015 (43-33). Kansas City’s .521 winning percentage in the second half last season was .117 better than their win percentage before the break, marking the largest increase in the American League. The Royals had 38 wins in the second half in just 73 games, after posting 36 wins in 89 games before the break, for an increase of two wins, joining the Cardinals as the only teams in the Majors to win two more games in the second half than they did in the first.Matheny enters the 2022 season with a 691-596 career regular season record (.537), which includes his seven years as the skipper for the Cardinals from 2012-18. His win total ranks ninth among active Managers, and his .537 career winning percentage is tied with Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash and White Sox Manager, Tony La Russa, whom Matheny played for in St. Louis.

Matheny will be back for Royals in 2023

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Albert Pujols went 1 for 3 against Washington in his spring training debut with St. Louis on the same day his wife underwent successful brain surgery. In his third at-bat, Pujols smacked a line drive to the right side through a hole created by an infield shift. He said afterward it felt good to be back in a real game. Pujols doesn't expect to be in the Cardinals' lineup on Thursday. But if all goes well, he will play Friday against the Mets. He may head to California to see his wife during the off days between the end of camp and the start of the season.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Ryan O'Reilly had a goal and an assist as the St. Louis Blues beat Vancouver 4-3, further dimming the Canucks' faint playoff hopes. Nick Leddy, Robert Thomas and Nathan Walker also scored for the Blues. David Perron added two assists. Elias Pettersson scored twice for the Canucks, who were playing their fifth game in eight nights. Alex Chiasson also had a goal. A 22-save performance earned St. Louis goalie Ville Husso his 18th win of the season. Thatcher Demko stopped 20 shots for Vancouver. The Blues also beat the Canucks on Monday, and swept the three-game season series.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ochai Agbaji of Kansas, Johnny Davis of Wisconsin, Iowa's Keegan Murray, Drew Timme of Gonzaga and Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky are the five finalists for the John R. Wooden Award as college basketball's player of the year. The winner will be announced April 5 on ESPN's "SportsCenter." The finalists have been invited to Los Angeles for the 46th annual presentation on April 8.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals head into this season with a bit of past, present and future in the mix. Zack Greinke, their former Cy Young winner, is returning to the club after more than a decade spent elsewhere. Longtime clubhouse stalwarts Salvador Perez and Whit Merrifield are back. And the future comes in the form ofyoung pitchers such as Brady Singer and Kris Bubic as well as infielder Bobby Witt Jr.. He is the No. 1 prospect in baseball. The Royals open the season at home April 7 against the Cleveland Guardians.

UNDATED (AP) — New St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol takes over a veteran ballclub that reached the NL wild-card game last season. The Cardinals signed slugger Albert Pujols, bringing him back to St. Louis after more than a decade spent in Los Angeles. Pujols is reuniting with Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina for what could be one last run at the NL Central title. The Cardinals open the season at home April 7 against Pittsburgh.

UNDATED (AP) — There's no room for a surprise team at this Final Four. Duke, North Carolina, Kansas and Villanova have combined for 17 national championships. Each of these schools has won at least three titles. That makes this the first Final Four in which each of the teams already had won multiple championships. The closest thing to a Final Four party crasher is North Carolina. The Tar Heels were seeded eighth in the East Region but have won 10 of their last 11 games.

UNDATED (AP) — This year's Final Four is either unprecedented or pretty close. North Carolina is making a record 21st appearance in the Final Four. Its semifinal opponent, Duke, is waiting with the sport's winningest coach. Mike Krzyzewski surpassed 1,200 victories during this postseason run. Kansas arrives having recently taken over the Division I lead in all-time wins. Villanova doesn't have quite the storied history of the other three schools, but the Wildcats are trying for their third national title in seven years. So the quartet of programs in this year's Final Four is truly special. Only a few others can really compare.

UNDATED (AP) — A team-by-team look at the National League Central, including key players each club acquired and lost, top hitters and projected rotations, and outlooks for the 2022 season.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a new head coach.

Bruce Arians has decided to retire and is moving into the Buccaneers' front office. He's being replaced by defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, whose previous head coaching job was with the New York Jets.

Arians will turn 70 this coming season. He coached the Bucs to the Super Bowl title in the 2020 season and was 31-18 in three seasons with Tampa Bay. He called it the right time for him to make the transition to the front office.

There was no public indication at the NFL's annual meetings in Florida that such a move was coming.

Arians is 80-48-1 in eight years as a head coach, including his five years with the Cardinals.

— The Vikings have agreed to terms on a new contract with cornerback Patrick Peterson. The 31-year-old Peterson had a solid first season with the Vikings in 2021 and was by far their most reliable cornerback in pass coverage. The eight-time Pro Bowl pick played his first 10 years in the NFL with Arizona.

— Malcolm Jenkins is retiring after a 13-year NFL career in which he established himself as one of the league's best all-around safeties, most durable players and leading voices for social justice. Jenkins helped both the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles win their only Super Bowl and made a major impact off the field as an activist, entrepreneur and philanthropist. The 34-year-old Jenkins was selected by the Saints as a cornerback in the first round of the 2009 draft.

— Quarterback Lamar Jackson says on Twitter that he loves the Ravens amid uncertainty about his contract status beyond this year. Jackson said Wednesday he didn't know who was putting out a "false narrative" that he was having thoughts about leaving. Jackson's contract is an issue in Baltimore for a second straight offseason.

— The Jaguars have signed defensive end Arden Key to a one-year contract, giving them an athletic pass rusher to play opposite defensive end Josh Allen and potentially alongside rookie Aiden Hutchinson. Key is coming off his best year, recording 6 1/2 sacks for San Francisco while playing with Pro Bowler Nick Bosa.

UNDATED (AP) — The Miami Heat remain atop the NBA's Eastern Conference after knocking off the Boston Celtics.

Jimmy Butler had 24 points and Kyle Lowry added 23 in a 106-98 victory over the Celtics. Bam Adebayo (ad-eh-BY'-oh) finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds to help Miami post its second straight win since a season-worst four-game losing streak.

Since briefly taking over the East's top spot Boston has lost two in a row for the first time since late January. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Jayson Tatum added 23 points and six assists in a game that featured nine ties and 16 lead changes.

Checking out Wednesday's other NBA action:

— Tyus Jones scored 25 points and the Memphis Grizzlies wrapped up their first division title by edging the Spurts, 112-111. Memphis clinched the No. 2 seed in the West as well as the Southwest Division crown despite playing again without All-Star guard Ja (jah) Morant. Dillon Brooks scored 21 points and Desmond Bane and De'Anthony Melton each added 16 as the Grizzlies improved to 19-2 in games missed by Morant this season.

— Devin Booker atoned for a tough shooting night by hitting the go-ahead free throws with 34.2 seconds left in the Suns' 107-103 downing of the Warriors. Booker scored 22 points but shot 5-for-21, including 2 of 8 from 3-point range. Chris Paul hit a key jumper with 1:37 remaining, added a short jumper after Booker's free throws and finished with 15 points and eight assists.

— Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch) poured in 35 points and had 13 assists as the Mavericks dumped the Cavaliers, 120-112. Doncic supplied 20 points while the Mavs outscored the Cavs, 39-22 in the third quarter. Dorian Finney-Smith nailed six 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 28 points for Dallas.

— Nikola Jokic (nih-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) flirted with another triple-double with 37 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, helping the Nuggets take a 125-118 decision over the Pacers. Denver blew a 31-point lead and trailed 102-100 before scoring seven straight points. Bones Hyland scored 20 points and Will Barton added 18 for the Nuggets, who shot 62.5%.

— The Raptors rolled to a 125-102 win over the Timberwolves as Pascal Siakam (see-A'-kam) had 12 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 13 assists for his second career triple-double. Gary Trent Jr. scored 29 points and Toronto strengthened its hold on sixth place in the East, moving two games ahead of Cleveland with its fourth straight win. Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Anthony Edwards scored 24 points as the Timberwolves lost for the fourth time in five games.

— Miles Bridges scored 31 points and LaMelo Ball had 20 with 15 rebounds to help lead the Hornets past the Knicks, 125-114. Kelly Oubre (OO'-bray) Jr. chipped in 21 on 8-for-11 shooting from the field, including four 3-pointers. Terry Rozier added 15 points for the Hornets, who have won eight of their last 11 games.

— Trae Young furnished 41 points and eight assists for the Hawks in a 136-118 romp over the Thunder. Young made 13 of 24 field goals and 11 of 12 free throws in three quarters of action. Kevin Huerter (HUR'-tur) and Bogdan Bogdanovic each scored 20 points for the Hawks, who won their third straight and strengthened their hold on the final Eastern Conference playoff berth.

— The Pelicans topped the Trail Blazers, 117-107 as CJ McCollum scored 25 points in his first game back in Portland following a February trade to New Orleans. The Pelicans have a 1-½ game lead over the Los Angeles Lakers for the 9th spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament. A 3-pointer by McCollum gave the Pelicans their biggest lead of the game, 113-100, with 2:59 remaining.

— Kristaps Porzingis (krihs-tahps pohr-ZIHN'-gihs) scored 35 points and Tomas Satoransky had an unusual double-double as the Wizards beat the Magic, 127-110. Satoransky became the third player to finish a game with no points and at least 10 rebounds and 10 assists, providing 13 assists and 10 boards.

— The Kings outlasted the Rockets, 121-118 as Davion (DAY'-vee-ahn) Mitchell, Damian Jones and Trey Lyles scored 24 points each. Houston's Kevin Porter Jr. had his first career triple-double with 30 points, 12 assists and a career-high 12 rebounds. Porter and LeBron James are the only players to have a triple-double and a 50-point game before age 22.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Albert Pujols went 1 for 3 against Washington in his spring training debut with St. Louis on the same day his wife underwent successful brain surgery. In his third at-bat, Pujols smacked a line drive to the right side through a hole created by an infield shift. He said afterward it felt good to be back in a real game. Pujols doesn't expect to be in the Cardinals' lineup on Thursday. But if all goes well, he will play Friday against the Mets. He may head to California to see his wife during the off days between the end of camp and the start of the season.VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Ryan O'Reilly had a goal and an assist as the St. Louis Blues beat Vancouver 4-3, further dimming the Canucks' faint playoff hopes. Nick Leddy, Robert Thomas and Nathan Walker also scored for the Blues. David Perron added two assists. Elias Pettersson scored twice for the Canucks, who were playing their fifth game in eight nights. Alex Chiasson also had a goal. A 22-save performance earned St. Louis goalie Ville Husso his 18th win of the season. Thatcher Demko stopped 20 shots for Vancouver. The Blues also beat the Canucks on Monday, and swept the three-game season series.LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ochai Agbaji of Kansas, Johnny Davis of Wisconsin, Iowa's Keegan Murray, Drew Timme of Gonzaga and Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky are the five finalists for the John R. Wooden Award as college basketball's player of the year. The winner will be announced April 5 on ESPN's "SportsCenter." The finalists have been invited to Los Angeles for the 46th annual presentation on April 8.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals head into this season with a bit of past, present and future in the mix. Zack Greinke, their former Cy Young winner, is returning to the club after more than a decade spent elsewhere. Longtime clubhouse stalwarts Salvador Perez and Whit Merrifield are back. And the future comes in the form ofyoung pitchers such as Brady Singer and Kris Bubic as well as infielder Bobby Witt Jr.. He is the No. 1 prospect in baseball. The Royals open the season at home April 7 against the Cleveland Guardians.UNDATED (AP) — New St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol takes over a veteran ballclub that reached the NL wild-card game last season. The Cardinals signed slugger Albert Pujols, bringing him back to St. Louis after more than a decade spent in Los Angeles. Pujols is reuniting with Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina for what could be one last run at the NL Central title. The Cardinals open the season at home April 7 against Pittsburgh.UNDATED (AP) — There's no room for a surprise team at this Final Four. Duke, North Carolina, Kansas and Villanova have combined for 17 national championships. Each of these schools has won at least three titles. That makes this the first Final Four in which each of the teams already had won multiple championships. The closest thing to a Final Four party crasher is North Carolina. The Tar Heels were seeded eighth in the East Region but have won 10 of their last 11 games.UNDATED (AP) — This year's Final Four is either unprecedented or pretty close. North Carolina is making a record 21st appearance in the Final Four. Its semifinal opponent, Duke, is waiting with the sport's winningest coach. Mike Krzyzewski surpassed 1,200 victories during this postseason run. Kansas arrives having recently taken over the Division I lead in all-time wins. Villanova doesn't have quite the storied history of the other three schools, but the Wildcats are trying for their third national title in seven years. So the quartet of programs in this year's Final Four is truly special. Only a few others can really compare.UNDATED (AP) — A team-by-team look at the National League Central, including key players each club acquired and lost, top hitters and projected rotations, and outlooks for the 2022 season.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NFL-NEWSArians retires, Bowles takes overTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a new head coach.Bruce Arians has decided to retire and is moving into the Buccaneers' front office. He's being replaced by defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, whose previous head coaching job was with the New York Jets.Arians will turn 70 this coming season. He coached the Bucs to the Super Bowl title in the 2020 season and was 31-18 in three seasons with Tampa Bay. He called it the right time for him to make the transition to the front office.There was no public indication at the NFL's annual meetings in Florida that such a move was coming.Arians is 80-48-1 in eight years as a head coach, including his five years with the Cardinals.In other NFL news:— The Vikings have agreed to terms on a new contract with cornerback Patrick Peterson. The 31-year-old Peterson had a solid first season with the Vikings in 2021 and was by far their most reliable cornerback in pass coverage. The eight-time Pro Bowl pick played his first 10 years in the NFL with Arizona.— Malcolm Jenkins is retiring after a 13-year NFL career in which he established himself as one of the league's best all-around safeties, most durable players and leading voices for social justice. Jenkins helped both the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles win their only Super Bowl and made a major impact off the field as an activist, entrepreneur and philanthropist. The 34-year-old Jenkins was selected by the Saints as a cornerback in the first round of the 2009 draft.— Quarterback Lamar Jackson says on Twitter that he loves the Ravens amid uncertainty about his contract status beyond this year. Jackson said Wednesday he didn't know who was putting out a "false narrative" that he was having thoughts about leaving. Jackson's contract is an issue in Baltimore for a second straight offseason.— The Jaguars have signed defensive end Arden Key to a one-year contract, giving them an athletic pass rusher to play opposite defensive end Josh Allen and potentially alongside rookie Aiden Hutchinson. Key is coming off his best year, recording 6 1/2 sacks for San Francisco while playing with Pro Bowler Nick Bosa.NBA-SCHEDULEHeat top Celtics to stay atop EastUNDATED (AP) — The Miami Heat remain atop the NBA's Eastern Conference after knocking off the Boston Celtics.Jimmy Butler had 24 points and Kyle Lowry added 23 in a 106-98 victory over the Celtics. Bam Adebayo (ad-eh-BY'-oh) finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds to help Miami post its second straight win since a season-worst four-game losing streak.Since briefly taking over the East's top spot Boston has lost two in a row for the first time since late January. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Jayson Tatum added 23 points and six assists in a game that featured nine ties and 16 lead changes.Checking out Wednesday's other NBA action:— Tyus Jones scored 25 points and the Memphis Grizzlies wrapped up their first division title by edging the Spurts, 112-111. Memphis clinched the No. 2 seed in the West as well as the Southwest Division crown despite playing again without All-Star guard Ja (jah) Morant. Dillon Brooks scored 21 points and Desmond Bane and De'Anthony Melton each added 16 as the Grizzlies improved to 19-2 in games missed by Morant this season.— Devin Booker atoned for a tough shooting night by hitting the go-ahead free throws with 34.2 seconds left in the Suns' 107-103 downing of the Warriors. Booker scored 22 points but shot 5-for-21, including 2 of 8 from 3-point range. Chris Paul hit a key jumper with 1:37 remaining, added a short jumper after Booker's free throws and finished with 15 points and eight assists.— Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch) poured in 35 points and had 13 assists as the Mavericks dumped the Cavaliers, 120-112. Doncic supplied 20 points while the Mavs outscored the Cavs, 39-22 in the third quarter. Dorian Finney-Smith nailed six 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 28 points for Dallas.— Nikola Jokic (nih-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) flirted with another triple-double with 37 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, helping the Nuggets take a 125-118 decision over the Pacers. Denver blew a 31-point lead and trailed 102-100 before scoring seven straight points. Bones Hyland scored 20 points and Will Barton added 18 for the Nuggets, who shot 62.5%.— The Raptors rolled to a 125-102 win over the Timberwolves as Pascal Siakam (see-A'-kam) had 12 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 13 assists for his second career triple-double. Gary Trent Jr. scored 29 points and Toronto strengthened its hold on sixth place in the East, moving two games ahead of Cleveland with its fourth straight win. Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Anthony Edwards scored 24 points as the Timberwolves lost for the fourth time in five games.— Miles Bridges scored 31 points and LaMelo Ball had 20 with 15 rebounds to help lead the Hornets past the Knicks, 125-114. Kelly Oubre (OO'-bray) Jr. chipped in 21 on 8-for-11 shooting from the field, including four 3-pointers. Terry Rozier added 15 points for the Hornets, who have won eight of their last 11 games.— Trae Young furnished 41 points and eight assists for the Hawks in a 136-118 romp over the Thunder. Young made 13 of 24 field goals and 11 of 12 free throws in three quarters of action. Kevin Huerter (HUR'-tur) and Bogdan Bogdanovic each scored 20 points for the Hawks, who won their third straight and strengthened their hold on the final Eastern Conference playoff berth.— The Pelicans topped the Trail Blazers, 117-107 as CJ McCollum scored 25 points in his first game back in Portland following a February trade to New Orleans. The Pelicans have a 1-½ game lead over the Los Angeles Lakers for the 9th spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament. A 3-pointer by McCollum gave the Pelicans their biggest lead of the game, 113-100, with 2:59 remaining.— Kristaps Porzingis (krihs-tahps pohr-ZIHN'-gihs) scored 35 points and Tomas Satoransky had an unusual double-double as the Wizards beat the Magic, 127-110. Satoransky became the third player to finish a game with no points and at least 10 rebounds and 10 assists, providing 13 assists and 10 boards.— The Kings outlasted the Rockets, 121-118 as Davion (DAY'-vee-ahn) Mitchell, Damian Jones and Trey Lyles scored 24 points each. Houston's Kevin Porter Jr. had his first career triple-double with 30 points, 12 assists and a career-high 12 rebounds. Porter and LeBron James are the only players to have a triple-double and a 50-point game before age 22.NBA-NEWSCeltics' Williams out 4-6 weeksUNDATED N (AP) — The Boston Celtics say center Robert Williams III is expected to miss four to six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee.The team says Williams underwent a partial knee meniscectomy Wednesday morning at a Boston hospital. He was hurt Sunday against Minnesota.Williams was averaging 10 points, 9.6 rebounds and just over two blocks this season.In other NBA news:— Cavaliers rookie star forward Evan Mobley will miss at least two more games with a sprained left ankle, an injury that could keep Cleveland from clinching one of the top six playoff spots. Mobley got hurt in the first half of Monday's win over Orlando and sat out Wednesday's loss to Dallas. The third pick in last year's draft is averaging 14.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 blocks.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NEWSUNDATED (AP) — Shaheeen Holloway is leaving Saint Peter's for Seton Hall just days after helping the little Jesuit school make history by becoming the first No. 15 seed to reach the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight.Holloway played for the Pirates. His move to replace Kevin Willard has been a hot topic since the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament.Holloway's Peacocks knocked off No. 2 seed Kentucky, No. 7 Murray State and No. 3 seed Purdue before falling to North Carolina.In other college basketball news:— Baylor standout freshman Kendall Brown and junior point guard James Akinjo (ah-KIHN'-joh) have announced they are entering their names into the NBA draft. Brown averaged 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds while starting all 34 games for the Bears. Akinjo led the Big 12 in assists and was ninth in scoring at 13.5 points a game.— Ochai Agbaji (OH'-chy ahg-BAH'-zhee) of Kansas, Johnny Davis of Wisconsin, Iowa's Keegan Murray, Drew Timme (TIH'-mee) of Gonzaga and Oscar Tshiebwe (SHEEB'-way) of Kentucky are the five finalists for the men's John R. Wooden Award as college basketball's player of the year. Joining the five finalists on the 10-man Wooden All American Team were Kofi Cockburn of Illinois, Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga, Jaden Ivey of Purdue, Bennedict Mathurin (MATH'-uh-rihn) of Arizona and Auburn's Jabari Smith.— Three Georgetown men's basketball players have entered the NCAA transfer portal, the latest in a series of members of coach Patrick Ewing's team to leave the Hoyas. The school announced the departures of Timothy Ighoefe, Tyler Beard and Jalin Billingsley, none of whom played significant minutes or provided strong statistics. The Hoyas went 6-25 overall and were the first Big East team to go 0-19 in regular-season conference play.NHL-SCHEDULERangers rally past Wings in OTUNDATED (AP) — The New York Rangers are two points closer to the NHL's Metropolitan Division lead after rallying for a win in Detroit.Andrew Copp scored 1:34 into overtime of the Rangers' fourth straight win, 5-4 over the Red Wings. Chris Kreider tied it with his 46th goal, beating Alex Nedeljkovic (neh-DEHL'-loh-vihch) with 3:38 left in regulation. It was his league-leading 20th power-play goal.Artemi Panarin (ahr-TEH'-mee pah-NAH'-rihn) had a goal and two assists for the Rangers, who are within three points of the first-place Hurricanes. Carolina has a game in hand.Ryan Reaves and Filip Chytil (HEE'-tul) also scored for New York.Elsewhere on NHL ice:— Ryan O'Reilly had a goal and an assist as the Blues upended the Canucks, 4-3. Nick Leddy, Robert Thomas and Nathan Walker also scored and David Perron (peh-RAHN') added two assists for St. Louis. Elias Pettersson scored twice for the Canucks, who were playing their fifth game in eight nights.— Logan Thompson made 23 saves for his first shutout of the season, leading the Golden Knights to a 3-0 win over the Kraken. Shea Theodore scored in the second period just moments after stepping out of the penalty box. Jonathan Marchessault (MAHR-sheh-soh) added an empty-net goal with 26 seconds left, his team-high 26th goal of the season.— Leon Draisaitl (DRY'-sy-tul) and Connor McDavid both scored in regulation and then again in the shootout, lifting the Oilers to a 4-3 win over the Kings. McDavid added an assist to get to 100 points, Cody Ceci (SEE'-see) also scored and Mikko Koskinen (MEE'-koh KAHS'-kah-nehn) had 38 saves in Edmonton's eighth straight home win. Los Angeles lost for the third time in four games, wasting goals from Alexander Edler, Quinton Byfield and Carl Grundstrom.— Blake Wheeler scored once in regulation and furnished the deciding shootout tally in the Jets' 3-2 win at Buffalo. Connor Hellebuyck (HEH'-leh-buhk) made 35 saves and Mason Appleton had the tying goal in Winnipeg's third win in a row.— Jan Jenik scored twice, including the go-ahead tally in a three-goal third period that sent the Coyotes to a 5-2 decision over the Sharks. Nick Ritchie, Barrett Hayton and Nick Schmaltz also scored as Arizona ended a six-game losing streak.NHL-WILD-GOLIGOSKIKeller stretchered off iceUNDATED (AP) — Coyotes leading scorer Clayton Keller was taken off the ice on a stretcher with an apparent leg injury Wednesday night.Keller was hurt with 5:15 remaining in Arizona's game against San Jose. He was skating toward the Sharks' net when he got knocked off stride and crashed into the boards behind the goal. He remained prone on the ice for about five minutes before being taken off on a stretcher.Keller has 28 goals and 63 points this season.In other NHL news:— The Wild have signed defenseman Alex Goligoski (goh-lih-GAW'-skee) to a two-year, $4 million contract extension through the 2023-24 season. The 36-year-old has two goals, 26 assists and a team-leading plus-34 rating in 58 games.SOCCER-WORLD CUP QUALIFYINGUS earns trip to QatarSAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — The US men's soccer team did just enough to secure a berth in the World Cup.The Americans absorbed a 2-0 loss at Costa Rica, but it came on the heels of a 5-1 rout of Panama at home last week. The Panama rout meant the United States would qualify so long as the team didn't lose to Costa Rica by six goals or more.The Americans are back in the World Cup four years after failing to qualify.The US was the third team to qualify in its group, finishing behind Canada and Mexico.MLB-NEWSVaughn sidelined with hip injuryUNDATED (AP) — White Sox slugger Andrew Vaughn has been diagnosed with a hip pointer and could return to game action in one to two weeks. Vaughn feared the worst when got hurt making a diving catch on Sunday. But the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 amateur draft ditched his crutches Tuesday and took some swings Wednesday.In other baseball news:— Hunter Greene has cracked the Cincinnati Reds' season-opening rotation. The right-hander will pitch behind opening-day starter Tyler Mahle (MAH'-lee) during a weekend series against the World Series champion Braves.— Yankees minor league manager Rachel Balkovec is nearing a return after being hit in the face by a batted ball during a drill last week. Balkovec was hired by the Yankees as the first woman to manage a minor league affiliate of a Major League Baseball team. She is scheduled to manage her first regular-season game on April 8 at Lakeland.— Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer has sued The Athletic and former reporter Molly Knight, accusing them of "creating and spreading the false narrative" that he fractured a woman's skull during a sexual encounter. The complaint alleges two counts of defamation. A woman obtained a protection order against Bauer last June and The Athletic reported that "there were signs of a basilar skull fracture," citing a declaration by the woman.— Former Major League Baseball players Jonny Gomes (gohmz), Adrián González, Geovany Soto and Nick Swisher are going on a home run derby tour to London; Seoul, South Korea; and Mexico City. The league says the four will participate in Home Run Derby X at London's Crystal Palace Park on July 9, in Seoul on Sept. 17 and in Mexico City on Oct. 15.