KANSAS CITY, MO. (November 19, 2021) – The Kansas City Royals today announced updates to the club’s uniforms for the 2022 season. Included are changes to both the road gray and alternate blue uniforms, which will feature ‘KANSAS CITY’ written across the front in block letters. All four Royals uniforms will include a bolder, more pronounced stripe around the sleeve, and all uniform lettering will be solid white or solid blue, without an outline.

“We’re excited to introduce to our fans, our new uniform set for the 2022 season,” Royals Vice President/Major League Team Operations Jeff Davenport said. “These updates reflect fresh variations on our brand esthetic, that generations of Royals fans have come to identify with, while also offering newer classic looks to the overall uniform set. We see these as an ode to the traditions of the past yet refined and updated for inspiration of what’s to come.”

Fans can purchase authentic jerseys at the Royals Team Store on Friday, Nov. 26 at 8 a.m. Replica jerseys will also be available for pre-order. Located at Gate C of Kauffman Stadium, the Royals Team Store is the only local store that will carry the new uniforms until Dec. 3.

The Royals Team Store will feature several promotions for ‘Black Friday’, including 40 percent off storewide (some exclusions apply). Royals Authentics will also be open and offering deals throughout the weekend.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637339475554.jpeg" alt="Home Royals 2022" />
 <figcaption>Home Royals 2022</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, MO. (November 19, 2021) – The Kansas City Royals today announced updates to the club’s uniforms for the 2022 season. Included are changes to both the road gray and alternate blue uniforms, which will feature ‘KANSAS CITY’ written across the front in block letters. All four Royals uniforms will include a bolder, more pronounced stripe around the sleeve, and all uniform lettering will be solid white or solid blue, without an outline.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637339497769.jpeg" alt="Road Royals 2022" />
 <figcaption>Road Royals 2022</figcaption>
 </figure>“We’re excited to introduce to our fans, our new uniform set for the 2022 season,” Royals Vice President/Major League Team Operations Jeff Davenport said. “These updates reflect fresh variations on our brand esthetic, that generations of Royals fans have come to identify with, while also offering newer classic looks to the overall uniform set. We see these as an ode to the traditions of the past yet refined and updated for inspiration of what’s to come.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637339514569.jpeg" alt="Road_Alternate Royals 2022" />
 <figcaption>Road_Alternate Royals 2022</figcaption>
 </figure>Fans can purchase authentic jerseys at the Royals Team Store on Friday, Nov. 26 at 8 a.m. Replica jerseys will also be available for pre-order. Located at Gate C of Kauffman Stadium, the Royals Team Store is the only local store that will carry the new uniforms until Dec. 3.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637339527817.jpeg" alt="Home_Alternate Royals 2022" />
 <figcaption>Home_Alternate Royals 2022</figcaption>
 </figure>The Royals Team Store will feature several promotions for ‘Black Friday’, including 40 percent off storewide (some exclusions apply). Royals Authentics will also be open and offering deals throughout the weekend.

Royals unveil 2022 uniforms

The Kansas City Royals have been named recipient of the 2021 “Allan H. Selig Award for Philanthropic Excellence,” Major League Baseball announced today. The honor recognizes the Club’s “Response to Recovery” effort that utilized the Kansas City Royals MLB Urban Youth Academy as a community resource to provide educational support for youth as well as access to voting and COVID-19 vaccinations. The effort was specifically aimed for residents where the Urban Youth Academy is located in the 18th &amp; Vine District, a predominantly African-American community that was one of the pandemic’s most affected areas in the city.

In the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically during the spring and summer of 2020, the Royals raised a considerable amount of funds and resources through their “Royals Respond Fund” to provide the greater Kansas City community with (a) more than 500,000 meals, (b) grants to 17 nonprofit organizations and (c) volunteers to support local organizations on the front lines addressing issues related to COVID-19. To further their efforts in 2021, the Royals directed their attention to impacting one of the most under-served area in Kansas City, the 18th &amp; Vine District community.

Through “Response to Recovery,” the Royals focused on utilizing their Urban Youth Academy in ways than transcend its purpose as a hub for youth baseball and softball.

❖ The Academy offered an in-person Distance Learning Program to high school and middle school students throughout the school year that access to a safe environment for learning, meals, internet access and volunteer educators. It also prevented job disruptions for parents and guardians.

❖ This past summer, the Academy hosted a Summer Learning Program designed to prevent “summer slide” for students who are at risk of falling behind in reading and math.

o On average, U.S. students this past spring were five months behind in math and four months behind in reading (according to McKinsey &amp; Co.). Students who completed the Royals Urban Youth Academy’s Summer Learning Program were ahead of the national average and prepared to start the 2021-2022 school year on pace in reading and a six-month-gain in math.

❖ Also made available online STEM curriculum for math and science teachers to help them ease the burden of developing new ways to teach and engage their students. The Academy was able to serve twice the number of students in their STEM programs. 

Additionally, the Urban Youth Academy served as a community center that offered equitable access to both voting and COVID-19 vaccinations. Through this effort, the Urban Youth Academy became a polling site, hosting more than 1,300 voters, each of whom received a free meal as part of their participation. The Royals also partnered with a local healthcare center to provide more than 4,400 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I congratulate John Sherman and the entire Kansas City Royals organization for this well-earned recognition of service to their community,” said Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. “Their efforts provide a model on how organizations can make a meaningful impact in under-served areas that were the most negatively affected by the pandemic. I am especially thankful for their support of the 18th &amp; Vine District, a special place for our sport that houses both the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the Royals Urban Youth Academy. Philanthropy is a cornerstone of baseball’s connections to our communities. I commend the Royals and all our Clubs for all that they do year-round to give back to those most in need.”

“Our entire organization is humbled by this award, especially as all 30 MLB clubs do impactful work in our communities,” said John Sherman, Chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Royals. “I am grateful for the commitment and passion of our associates, and am inspired by their resiliency. There is much more to do. The work continues, with gratitude for the opportunity to support the region we love.”

The Royals were selected by a distinguished panel who assessed the Club’s ability to address or respond to an important community need or problem; produce desired community impact and outcomes; and the efforts that have had a significant impact in the community.

The Allan H. Selig Award for Philanthropic Excellence was created in 2010 to recognize the charitable and philanthropic efforts of MLB Clubs.

The Kansas City Royals have been named recipient of the 2021 “Allan H. Selig Award for Philanthropic Excellence,” Major League Baseball announced today. The honor recognizes the Club’s “Response to Recovery” effort that utilized the Kansas City Royals MLB Urban Youth Academy as a community resource to provide educational support for youth as well as access to voting and COVID-19 vaccinations. The effort was specifically aimed for residents where the Urban Youth Academy is located in the 18th &amp; Vine District, a predominantly African-American community that was one of the pandemic’s most affected areas in the city.In the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically during the spring and summer of 2020, the Royals raised a considerable amount of funds and resources through their “Royals Respond Fund” to provide the greater Kansas City community with (a) more than 500,000 meals, (b) grants to 17 nonprofit organizations and (c) volunteers to support local organizations on the front lines addressing issues related to COVID-19. To further their efforts in 2021, the Royals directed their attention to impacting one of the most under-served area in Kansas City, the 18th &amp; Vine District community.Through “Response to Recovery,” the Royals focused on utilizing their Urban Youth Academy in ways than transcend its purpose as a hub for youth baseball and softball.❖ The Academy offered an in-person Distance Learning Program to high school and middle school students throughout the school year that access to a safe environment for learning, meals, internet access and volunteer educators. It also prevented job disruptions for parents and guardians.❖ This past summer, the Academy hosted a Summer Learning Program designed to prevent “summer slide” for students who are at risk of falling behind in reading and math.o On average, U.S. students this past spring were five months behind in math and four months behind in reading (according to McKinsey &amp; Co.). Students who completed the Royals Urban Youth Academy’s Summer Learning Program were ahead of the national average and prepared to start the 2021-2022 school year on pace in reading and a six-month-gain in math.❖ Also made available online STEM curriculum for math and science teachers to help them ease the burden of developing new ways to teach and engage their students. The Academy was able to serve twice the number of students in their STEM programs. Additionally, the Urban Youth Academy served as a community center that offered equitable access to both voting and COVID-19 vaccinations. Through this effort, the Urban Youth Academy became a polling site, hosting more than 1,300 voters, each of whom received a free meal as part of their participation. The Royals also partnered with a local healthcare center to provide more than 4,400 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I congratulate John Sherman and the entire Kansas City Royals organization for this well-earned recognition of service to their community,” said Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. “Their efforts provide a model on how organizations can make a meaningful impact in under-served areas that were the most negatively affected by the pandemic. I am especially thankful for their support of the 18th &amp; Vine District, a special place for our sport that houses both the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the Royals Urban Youth Academy. Philanthropy is a cornerstone of baseball’s connections to our communities. I commend the Royals and all our Clubs for all that they do year-round to give back to those most in need.”“Our entire organization is humbled by this award, especially as all 30 MLB clubs do impactful work in our communities,” said John Sherman, Chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Royals. “I am grateful for the commitment and passion of our associates, and am inspired by their resiliency. There is much more to do. The work continues, with gratitude for the opportunity to support the region we love.”The Royals were selected by a distinguished panel who assessed the Club’s ability to address or respond to an important community need or problem; produce desired community impact and outcomes; and the efforts that have had a significant impact in the community.The Allan H. Selig Award for Philanthropic Excellence was created in 2010 to recognize the charitable and philanthropic efforts of MLB Clubs.

Royals win 2021 Allan H. Selig award for philanthropic excellence

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🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Friday Morning

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

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji scored 25 points to continue his torrid start to the season, David McCormack added 12 points and eight boards and No. 3 Kansas pulled away from Stony Brook for a 88-59 victory Thursday night. Christian Braun and Zach Clemence added 11 points apiece for the Jayhawks, who only led by six at halftime before heating up from beyond the arc. They were 2 of 10 in the first half but hit seven of their first nine 3s in the second. Tykei Greene scored 11 points and Omar Habwe had nine for the transfer-heavy Seawolves, who hadn't played in nine days.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Brandon Saad scored twice, Ville Husso made 26 saves and the St. Louis Blues snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Husso was sharp while playing for the first time since Oct. 25. He was put on the COVID-19 list on Oct. 31. The Blues' backup goalie had shutouts in his last two starts until Jonathan Dahlen's goal at the 8:16 mark of the second ended the shutout streak at 163 minutes, 2 seconds. The Blues have beaten San Jose four straight times.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Kobe Brown had 13 points and 13 rebounds to lead Missouri over cold-shooting Northern Illinois 54-37. The game was tied 32-32 with about 10 minutes left. Missouri (2-1) scored the next 10 points while Northern Illinois (1-2) added just five more points the rest of the game. Brown also had career highs with six assists and four blocks. Jordan Wilmore added 11 points and Ronnie DeGray III had 10 for the Tigers. Trendon Hankerson scored eight points on 3-of-17 for Northern Illinois, which trailed by three points at halftime.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs plan to begin discussing the future of Arrowhead Stadium within the next year after the neighboring Royals announced plans earlier this year to explore moving to a new downtown ballpark. Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said during his annual midseason availability Thursday that Royals owner John Sherman called him to discuss the baseball team's plans. Kauffman Stadium sits just across the parking lot from Arrowhead Stadium in the Truman Sports Complex, which is surrounded by sprawling parking lots just outside of Kansas City. The Chiefs and Royals have leases with Jackson County in Missouri that expire in 2031, at which point the clubs are free to move.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Cowboys bring their league-leading offense to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Chiefs on Sunday. The Chiefs certainly have plenty of firepower of their own with Patrick Mahomes directing an offense that features Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. But it has been Dak Prescott and Zeke Elliott that have the Cowboys leading the NFL in yards and points through the first 10 weeks of the regular season. The Cowboys are coming off a blowout of the Falcons while the Chiefs are coming off a romp over the Raiders so both teams should have some momentum heading into this week's game.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Ashley Joens scored 31 points with 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals and No. 14 Iowa State pulled away from Drake for a 98-76 win. Aubrey Joens added a career-high 18 points. Ashley Joens, who had her 32nd career double-double and 12th 30-point game, scored 11 points in the third quarter when the Cyclones took over. Iowa State ended up going 15 of 36 from 3-point range with the Joens sisters both hitting 5 of 11. Katie Dinnebier scored 19 for Drake.

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma's nation-leading 17-game win streak was snapped last week with a 27-14 loss at Baylor. The 12th-ranked Sooners have won six straight Big 12 titles. That streak would be in serious jeopardy with a loss to Iowa State. Oklahoma still could reach the College Football Playoff. The Sooners need a solid win over a talented Iowa State squad to maintain their slim hopes. Iowa State can brighten a disappointing season with a win. The Cyclones were in the preseason Top 10 and now are playing spoiler.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Kansas is coming back to the Lone Star State after ending a 56-game Big 12 road losing streak at Texas. It was a potentially program-altering thriller in overtime. The Jayhawks face quite a task avoiding a letdown in their visit to TCU on Saturday. The Jayhawks and Horned Frogs both fell flat at Oklahoma State coming off uplifting performances. Now TCU is looking to bounce back under interim coach Jerry Kill.

Patriots stifle Falcons 25-0 for 5th straight victory

ATLANTA (AP) — Mac Jones threw a 19-yard scoring pass to Nelson Agholor for the game's only offensive touchdown and the New England defense took care of the rest. The result was a 25-0 shutout of the Atlanta Falcons for the Patriots' fifth straight victory. 

New England wasn't nearly as dominating as four days earlier, when the Patriots blew out the Browns 45-7. But it was good enough against a feeble Falcons offense that hasn't scored a touchdown in nearly nine quarters. 

Nick Folk booted four field goals and Kyle Van Noy had two sacks and a late interception return for a touchdown. 

Curry scores 40 points as Warriors beat Cavs

UNDATED (AP) — Stephen Curry scored 20 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter, hitting three straight 3-pointers, and the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors overcame a 13-point deficit to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 104-89. 

The Warriors ran off the first 17 points of the fourth quarter to seize an 85-81 advantage, holding Cleveland to 12 consecutive empty possessions. The Warriors improved to 13-2. They have won nine straight over the Cavaliers.

— A short-handed Philadelphia 76ers team beat the Denver Nuggets 103-89 and snapped their five-game losing streak. Playing without Joel Embiid and three other regulars, the 76ers held Nikola Jokic to three points in the second half on a night when enraged Nuggets coach Michael Malone was ejected and had to be restrained by Jokic after charging onto the court as the Philadelphia took control in the third quarter. Tyrese Maxey scored 22 points and Seth Curry added 20 for the 76ers. 

— Ja Morant scored 17 of his 28-points in a third-quarter rally in the Memphis Grizzlies' 120-108 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 18 points each, and Desmond Bane had 16. Brandon Clarke finished with 14 points, 10 of them in the fourth quarter. 

— Jimmy Butler led the Miami Heat with 32 points as they beat the Washington Wizards 112-97. The teams will meet again Saturday night in Washington, with Miami having rolled up four straight wins. The Wizards have lost their last two.

— The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the San Antonio Spurs 115-90. Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 12 rebounds, while D'Angelo Russell added 22 points, and Malik Beasley hit five of Minnesota's season-high 21 3-pointers for all 15 of his points.

— Rudy Gay hit five 3-pointers and scored 20 points in his season debut to help the Utah Jazz beat the Toronto Raptors 119-103. Gay also had five rebounds while playing just 18 minutes. He missed Utah's first 14 games while recovering from offseason surgery on his right heel. 

UNDATED (AP) — Morgan Rielly scored twice and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the New York Rangers 2-1 for their 10th victory in 11 games. 

The Rangers came in with four straight victories, and had earned points in eight of their last nine, but were unable to generate much of an attack until the third period. Jack Campbell made 27 saves for Toronto. 

— The Carolina Hurricanes snapped the Anaheim Ducks' eight-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory. Seth Jarvis atoned for a missed penalty shot by scoring the tiebreaking goal midway through the third period. Ethan Bear scored his first goal of the season and Frederik Andersen made 31 saves against his former team for the Hurricanes, who improved to 13-2-0. 

— Connor McDavid scored in regulation and the shootout, as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Winnipeg Jets 2-1. Rookie goaltender Stuart Skinner made 45 saves and was perfect on two shootout attempts for the Oilers, who improved to 7-1-1 at home. Kyle Turris also scored in the shootout.

— Spencer Knight made a career-high 45 saves to lift the Florida Panthers over the New Jersey Devils 4-1. The Panthers extended their home regular-season win streak to 13 games dating to last season. And it's the 11th game this season the Panthers have scored at least four goals.

— Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point each scored in the shootout and regulation to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning have now beaten the Flyers in eight straight regular-season games.

— The Penguins found their offense on a night the Canadiens got lost on defense. Teddy Blueger scored two goals as Pittsburgh snapped a three-game skid, pounding Montreal 6-0. Tristan Jarry stopped all 24 shots for the Penguins.

— Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves for his fifth shutout, as the Calgary Flames beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-0. Markstrom's five shutouts lead the NHL and is a career high. Andrew Mangiapane had two goals and an assist. 

— Brandon Saad scored twice and the St. Louis Blues snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Blues goalie Ville Husso was sharp, making 26 saves in his first game since being put on the COVID-19 list on Oct. 31. 

— The Minnesota Wild used a four-goal third period to beat the Dallas Stars 7-2. Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and three assists for the Wild. The Wild had at least one point from 11 of their 12 forwards.

— Zach Whitecloud scored two goals in his first game back after hand surgery and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-2. Vegas improved to 9-3-0 since Oct. 26, after opening the season 1-4-0. It's the first time the Golden Knights have beaten Detroit on home ice since they joined the NHL in 2017. 

— Boone Jenner had three goals, Yegor Chinakhov scored in the seventh round of a shootout and the Columbus Blue Jackets outlasted the Arizona Coyotes 5-4. The Coyotes and Blue Jackets traded goals all night, including four in less than three minutes late in the second period. 

No. 19 Ohio State falls to Xavier; Stony Brook no match for Kansas

UNDATED (AP) — Xavier led wire to wire in knocking off No. 19 Ohio State 71-65.

Jack Nunge and Paul Scruggs each scored 14 points for the Musketeers. Jamari Wheeler hit a 3-pointer to get Ohio State within two points with 17 seconds left, but Scruggs hit four free throws to put the game away.

In other top 25 men's college basketball action:

— Ochai Agbaji scored 25 points to continue his torrid start to the season, David McCormack added 12 points and eight boards and No. 3 Kansas pulled away from Stony Brook for a 88-59 victory. Christian Braun and Zach Clemence added 11 points apiece for the Jayhawks, who only led by six at halftime before heating up from beyond the arc.

— Kyle Lofton had 17 points and seven assists, Jaren Holmes added 14 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 22 St. Bonaventure beat Boise State 67-61 in the Charleston Classic. Dominick Welch led the late defensive effort for St. Bonaventure, helping keep Boise State's leading scorer Emmanuel Akot scoreless for the final seven minutes.

— Colin Castleton had 19 points and 10 rebounds – his second straight double-double – and No. 24 Florida dominated Milwaukee 81-45. The Gators issued 39 credentials spanning 22 NBA teams, all of them on hand to see Milwaukee's freshman star Patrick Baldwin Jr., a projected lottery pick. The 6-foot-9 guard had 13 points on 6-of-15 shooting with three rebounds, two blocks, two steals and an assist.

Ohtani voted AL MVP for 2-way season, Harper wins NL honor

NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani (SHOH'-hay oh-TAH'-nee) was unanimiously voted American League MVP for a two-way season not seen since Babe Ruth, and Bryce Harper earned the National League honor for the second time.

Ohtani hit .257 with 46 homers, 100 RBIs and a .965 OPS as the Los Angeles Angels' full-time designated hitter. As a pitcher, he went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 23 starts with 156 strikeouts and 44 walks in 130 1/3 innings. It was the first full season on the mound for the 27-year-old right-hander following Tommy John surgery in 2019.

Harper overcame getting hit in the face with a 97 mph pitch in April to bat .309 with 35 homers for Philadelphia. The 29-year-old led the major leagues with a .465 slugging percentage and 1.044 OPS, tied for the lead with 42 doubles and had 84 RBIs.

CHICAGO (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says owners are focused on reaching a labor deal, but he is signaling they likely will lock out players if the current deal expires Dec. 1 without a new agreement. 

Manfred says "an offseason lockout that moves the process forward is different than a labor dispute that costs games." 

Talks between owners and players on a new labor deal have been going on since spring but have lacked momentum toward an agreement. 

Berríos staying with Blue Jays; Rockies, catcher Elias Díaz agree 

UNDATED (AP) — Two months with the Toronto Blue Jays was enough to make José Berríos decide not to try free agency next year.

Berríos has finalized a $131 million, seven-year deal to stay with the Blue Jays. A two-time All Star, Berríos says his decision was simplified by getting a brief taste of life in Toronto after the Blue Jays acquired him from Minnesota on July 30.

— The New York Mets have hired Billy Eppler as their general manager, giving him a four-year contract. Eppler was fired as general manager of the Los Angeles Angels a little more than a year ago after five losing seasons. He becomes the Mets' fifth head of baseball operations in a little more than a year.

— The Colorado Rockies have agreed to a $14.5 million, three-year contract with Elias Díaz. The 31-year-old catcher hit .246 last season with a career-best 18 homers, which was tied for third-most among catchers in the National League. He also threw out 42.1% of base stealers, a mark only behind Salvador Pérez. 

— The Arizona Diamondbacks have hired Brent Strom to be their pitching coach. The 73-year-old has been a pitching coach in the big leagues for 11 seasons, most recently with the Houston Astros from 2014 to 2021. The Astros made the World Series three times during his tenure. 

— Most minor league players will get their own beds provided in team housing under a new Major League Baseball policy. MLB estimates it will apply to 90% of minor leaguers, all except those making $100,000 or more or with major league contracts.

Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun retires from D-III Saint Joseph

UNDATED (AP) — Jim Calhoun is retiring as men's basketball coach of Division III Saint Joseph. The 79-year-old Hall of Famer spent more than four years helping the school established a men's basketball program after it began admitting male students.

Calhoun was the longtime coach at UConn, where he won three national titles. He ends his career with a record of 920-397. He went 47-17 at Saint Joseph, including a conference title.

Barty finishes year as WTA's No. 1 for 3rd consecutive time 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Wimbledon champion Ash Barty has finished No. 1 in the WTA singles rankings for the third consecutive season.

The 25-year-old from Australia joins Serena Williams, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert as the only women to lead the year-end rankings three straight times. This week is Barty's 95th in a row atop the WTA and 102nd overall. Barty's title at the All England Club in July was her second at a Grand Slam tournament. She also won the 2019 French Open. She went 42-8 this season.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji scored 25 points to continue his torrid start to the season, David McCormack added 12 points and eight boards and No. 3 Kansas pulled away from Stony Brook for a 88-59 victory Thursday night. Christian Braun and Zach Clemence added 11 points apiece for the Jayhawks, who only led by six at halftime before heating up from beyond the arc. They were 2 of 10 in the first half but hit seven of their first nine 3s in the second. Tykei Greene scored 11 points and Omar Habwe had nine for the transfer-heavy Seawolves, who hadn't played in nine days.ST. LOUIS (AP) — Brandon Saad scored twice, Ville Husso made 26 saves and the St. Louis Blues snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Husso was sharp while playing for the first time since Oct. 25. He was put on the COVID-19 list on Oct. 31. The Blues' backup goalie had shutouts in his last two starts until Jonathan Dahlen's goal at the 8:16 mark of the second ended the shutout streak at 163 minutes, 2 seconds. The Blues have beaten San Jose four straight times.COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Kobe Brown had 13 points and 13 rebounds to lead Missouri over cold-shooting Northern Illinois 54-37. The game was tied 32-32 with about 10 minutes left. Missouri (2-1) scored the next 10 points while Northern Illinois (1-2) added just five more points the rest of the game. Brown also had career highs with six assists and four blocks. Jordan Wilmore added 11 points and Ronnie DeGray III had 10 for the Tigers. Trendon Hankerson scored eight points on 3-of-17 for Northern Illinois, which trailed by three points at halftime.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs plan to begin discussing the future of Arrowhead Stadium within the next year after the neighboring Royals announced plans earlier this year to explore moving to a new downtown ballpark. Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said during his annual midseason availability Thursday that Royals owner John Sherman called him to discuss the baseball team's plans. Kauffman Stadium sits just across the parking lot from Arrowhead Stadium in the Truman Sports Complex, which is surrounded by sprawling parking lots just outside of Kansas City. The Chiefs and Royals have leases with Jackson County in Missouri that expire in 2031, at which point the clubs are free to move.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Cowboys bring their league-leading offense to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Chiefs on Sunday. The Chiefs certainly have plenty of firepower of their own with Patrick Mahomes directing an offense that features Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. But it has been Dak Prescott and Zeke Elliott that have the Cowboys leading the NFL in yards and points through the first 10 weeks of the regular season. The Cowboys are coming off a blowout of the Falcons while the Chiefs are coming off a romp over the Raiders so both teams should have some momentum heading into this week's game.DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Ashley Joens scored 31 points with 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals and No. 14 Iowa State pulled away from Drake for a 98-76 win. Aubrey Joens added a career-high 18 points. Ashley Joens, who had her 32nd career double-double and 12th 30-point game, scored 11 points in the third quarter when the Cyclones took over. Iowa State ended up going 15 of 36 from 3-point range with the Joens sisters both hitting 5 of 11. Katie Dinnebier scored 19 for Drake.NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma's nation-leading 17-game win streak was snapped last week with a 27-14 loss at Baylor. The 12th-ranked Sooners have won six straight Big 12 titles. That streak would be in serious jeopardy with a loss to Iowa State. Oklahoma still could reach the College Football Playoff. The Sooners need a solid win over a talented Iowa State squad to maintain their slim hopes. Iowa State can brighten a disappointing season with a win. The Cyclones were in the preseason Top 10 and now are playing spoiler.FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Kansas is coming back to the Lone Star State after ending a 56-game Big 12 road losing streak at Texas. It was a potentially program-altering thriller in overtime. The Jayhawks face quite a task avoiding a letdown in their visit to TCU on Saturday. The Jayhawks and Horned Frogs both fell flat at Oklahoma State coming off uplifting performances. Now TCU is looking to bounce back under interim coach Jerry Kill.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NFL-PATRIOTS/FALCONSPatriots stifle Falcons 25-0 for 5th straight victoryATLANTA (AP) — Mac Jones threw a 19-yard scoring pass to Nelson Agholor for the game's only offensive touchdown and the New England defense took care of the rest. The result was a 25-0 shutout of the Atlanta Falcons for the Patriots' fifth straight victory. New England wasn't nearly as dominating as four days earlier, when the Patriots blew out the Browns 45-7. But it was good enough against a feeble Falcons offense that hasn't scored a touchdown in nearly nine quarters. Nick Folk booted four field goals and Kyle Van Noy had two sacks and a late interception return for a touchdown. NBA SCHEDULECurry scores 40 points as Warriors beat CavsUNDATED (AP) — Stephen Curry scored 20 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter, hitting three straight 3-pointers, and the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors overcame a 13-point deficit to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 104-89. The Warriors ran off the first 17 points of the fourth quarter to seize an 85-81 advantage, holding Cleveland to 12 consecutive empty possessions. The Warriors improved to 13-2. They have won nine straight over the Cavaliers.In other NBA action:— A short-handed Philadelphia 76ers team beat the Denver Nuggets 103-89 and snapped their five-game losing streak. Playing without Joel Embiid and three other regulars, the 76ers held Nikola Jokic to three points in the second half on a night when enraged Nuggets coach Michael Malone was ejected and had to be restrained by Jokic after charging onto the court as the Philadelphia took control in the third quarter. Tyrese Maxey scored 22 points and Seth Curry added 20 for the 76ers. — Ja Morant scored 17 of his 28-points in a third-quarter rally in the Memphis Grizzlies' 120-108 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 18 points each, and Desmond Bane had 16. Brandon Clarke finished with 14 points, 10 of them in the fourth quarter. — Jimmy Butler led the Miami Heat with 32 points as they beat the Washington Wizards 112-97. The teams will meet again Saturday night in Washington, with Miami having rolled up four straight wins. The Wizards have lost their last two.— The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the San Antonio Spurs 115-90. Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 12 rebounds, while D'Angelo Russell added 22 points, and Malik Beasley hit five of Minnesota's season-high 21 3-pointers for all 15 of his points.— Rudy Gay hit five 3-pointers and scored 20 points in his season debut to help the Utah Jazz beat the Toronto Raptors 119-103. Gay also had five rebounds while playing just 18 minutes. He missed Utah's first 14 games while recovering from offseason surgery on his right heel. NHL SCHEDULERed-hot Maple Leafs top RangersUNDATED (AP) — Morgan Rielly scored twice and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the New York Rangers 2-1 for their 10th victory in 11 games. The Rangers came in with four straight victories, and had earned points in eight of their last nine, but were unable to generate much of an attack until the third period. Jack Campbell made 27 saves for Toronto. Elsewhere in the NHL:— The Carolina Hurricanes snapped the Anaheim Ducks' eight-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory. Seth Jarvis atoned for a missed penalty shot by scoring the tiebreaking goal midway through the third period. Ethan Bear scored his first goal of the season and Frederik Andersen made 31 saves against his former team for the Hurricanes, who improved to 13-2-0. — Connor McDavid scored in regulation and the shootout, as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Winnipeg Jets 2-1. Rookie goaltender Stuart Skinner made 45 saves and was perfect on two shootout attempts for the Oilers, who improved to 7-1-1 at home. Kyle Turris also scored in the shootout.— Spencer Knight made a career-high 45 saves to lift the Florida Panthers over the New Jersey Devils 4-1. The Panthers extended their home regular-season win streak to 13 games dating to last season. And it's the 11th game this season the Panthers have scored at least four goals.— Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point each scored in the shootout and regulation to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning have now beaten the Flyers in eight straight regular-season games.— The Penguins found their offense on a night the Canadiens got lost on defense. Teddy Blueger scored two goals as Pittsburgh snapped a three-game skid, pounding Montreal 6-0. Tristan Jarry stopped all 24 shots for the Penguins.— Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves for his fifth shutout, as the Calgary Flames beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-0. Markstrom's five shutouts lead the NHL and is a career high. Andrew Mangiapane had two goals and an assist. — Brandon Saad scored twice and the St. Louis Blues snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Blues goalie Ville Husso was sharp, making 26 saves in his first game since being put on the COVID-19 list on Oct. 31. — The Minnesota Wild used a four-goal third period to beat the Dallas Stars 7-2. Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and three assists for the Wild. The Wild had at least one point from 11 of their 12 forwards.— Zach Whitecloud scored two goals in his first game back after hand surgery and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-2. Vegas improved to 9-3-0 since Oct. 26, after opening the season 1-4-0. It's the first time the Golden Knights have beaten Detroit on home ice since they joined the NHL in 2017. — Boone Jenner had three goals, Yegor Chinakhov scored in the seventh round of a shootout and the Columbus Blue Jackets outlasted the Arizona Coyotes 5-4. The Coyotes and Blue Jackets traded goals all night, including four in less than three minutes late in the second period. TOP 25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLNo. 19 Ohio State falls to Xavier; Stony Brook no match for KansasUNDATED (AP) — Xavier led wire to wire in knocking off No. 19 Ohio State 71-65.Jack Nunge and Paul Scruggs each scored 14 points for the Musketeers. Jamari Wheeler hit a 3-pointer to get Ohio State within two points with 17 seconds left, but Scruggs hit four free throws to put the game away.In other top 25 men's college basketball action:— Ochai Agbaji scored 25 points to continue his torrid start to the season, David McCormack added 12 points and eight boards and No. 3 Kansas pulled away from Stony Brook for a 88-59 victory. Christian Braun and Zach Clemence added 11 points apiece for the Jayhawks, who only led by six at halftime before heating up from beyond the arc.— Kyle Lofton had 17 points and seven assists, Jaren Holmes added 14 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 22 St. Bonaventure beat Boise State 67-61 in the Charleston Classic. Dominick Welch led the late defensive effort for St. Bonaventure, helping keep Boise State's leading scorer Emmanuel Akot scoreless for the final seven minutes.— Colin Castleton had 19 points and 10 rebounds – his second straight double-double – and No. 24 Florida dominated Milwaukee 81-45. The Gators issued 39 credentials spanning 22 NBA teams, all of them on hand to see Milwaukee's freshman star Patrick Baldwin Jr., a projected lottery pick. The 6-foot-9 guard had 13 points on 6-of-15 shooting with three rebounds, two blocks, two steals and an assist.MLB-MVPOhtani voted AL MVP for 2-way season, Harper wins NL honorNEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani (SHOH'-hay oh-TAH'-nee) was unanimiously voted American League MVP for a two-way season not seen since Babe Ruth, and Bryce Harper earned the National League honor for the second time.Ohtani hit .257 with 46 homers, 100 RBIs and a .965 OPS as the Los Angeles Angels' full-time designated hitter. As a pitcher, he went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 23 starts with 156 strikeouts and 44 walks in 130 1/3 innings. It was the first full season on the mound for the 27-year-old right-hander following Tommy John surgery in 2019.Harper overcame getting hit in the face with a 97 mph pitch in April to bat .309 with 35 homers for Philadelphia. The 29-year-old led the major leagues with a .465 slugging percentage and 1.044 OPS, tied for the lead with 42 doubles and had 84 RBIs.MLB-OWNERS MEETINGS-MANFREDCommissioner signals possible lockoutCHICAGO (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says owners are focused on reaching a labor deal, but he is signaling they likely will lock out players if the current deal expires Dec. 1 without a new agreement. Manfred says "an offseason lockout that moves the process forward is different than a labor dispute that costs games." Talks between owners and players on a new labor deal have been going on since spring but have lacked momentum toward an agreement. MLB-NEWSBerríos staying with Blue Jays; Rockies, catcher Elias Díaz agree UNDATED (AP) — Two months with the Toronto Blue Jays was enough to make José Berríos decide not to try free agency next year.Berríos has finalized a $131 million, seven-year deal to stay with the Blue Jays. A two-time All Star, Berríos says his decision was simplified by getting a brief taste of life in Toronto after the Blue Jays acquired him from Minnesota on July 30.In other baseball news: — The New York Mets have hired Billy Eppler as their general manager, giving him a four-year contract. Eppler was fired as general manager of the Los Angeles Angels a little more than a year ago after five losing seasons. He becomes the Mets' fifth head of baseball operations in a little more than a year.— The Colorado Rockies have agreed to a $14.5 million, three-year contract with Elias Díaz. The 31-year-old catcher hit .246 last season with a career-best 18 homers, which was tied for third-most among catchers in the National League. He also threw out 42.1% of base stealers, a mark only behind Salvador Pérez. — The Arizona Diamondbacks have hired Brent Strom to be their pitching coach. The 73-year-old has been a pitching coach in the big leagues for 11 seasons, most recently with the Houston Astros from 2014 to 2021. The Astros made the World Series three times during his tenure. — Most minor league players will get their own beds provided in team housing under a new Major League Baseball policy. MLB estimates it will apply to 90% of minor leaguers, all except those making $100,000 or more or with major league contracts.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-CALHOUN RETIRESHall of Famer Jim Calhoun retires from D-III Saint JosephUNDATED (AP) — Jim Calhoun is retiring as men's basketball coach of Division III Saint Joseph. The 79-year-old Hall of Famer spent more than four years helping the school established a men's basketball program after it began admitting male students.Calhoun was the longtime coach at UConn, where he won three national titles. He ends his career with a record of 920-397. He went 47-17 at Saint Joseph, including a conference title.TENNIS-YEAR-END RANKINGSBarty finishes year as WTA's No. 1 for 3rd consecutive time ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Wimbledon champion Ash Barty has finished No. 1 in the WTA singles rankings for the third consecutive season.The 25-year-old from Australia joins Serena Williams, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert as the only women to lead the year-end rankings three straight times. This week is Barty's 95th in a row atop the WTA and 102nd overall. Barty's title at the All England Club in July was her second at a Grand Slam tournament. She also won the 2019 French Open. She went 42-8 this season.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Sports Headlines for Friday

HUTCHINSON, Kan.—The 2021 edition of the NJCAA D1 Women's Volleyball Championship final four is set after an exciting day of competition on Friday.

Only one of the top seeds remain as #1 seeded Blinn, Texas was swept by the NJCAA D1 defending champion Iowa Western 3-0 in the late match on Friday night.&nbsp; 

The Region VI Kansas representative Butler swept Snow College 3-0. Butler also swept Wallace State to earn the right to match up against Snow in their opening match of the tournament. Butler is seeded #2 in this years tournament and is their first time to the National Championship.

The other two teams to reach the semifinals are Missouri State-West Plains and New Mexico Military.&nbsp; West Plains swept Central Wyoming and the #4 seed Florida Southwestern to earn the right to play Iowa Western tonight at 6:30pm at the Sports Arena.

New Mexico Military will play Butler Community College on court 2 at 6:30pm.

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

HUTCHINSON, Kan.—The 2021 edition of the NJCAA D1 Women's Volleyball Championship final four is set after an exciting day of competition on Friday.Only one of the top seeds remain as #1 seeded Blinn, Texas was swept by the NJCAA D1 defending champion Iowa Western 3-0 in the late match on Friday night.&nbsp; The Region VI Kansas representative Butler swept Snow College 3-0. Butler also swept Wallace State to earn the right to match up against Snow in their opening match of the tournament. Butler is seeded #2 in this years tournament and is their first time to the National Championship.The other two teams to reach the semifinals are Missouri State-West Plains and New Mexico Military.&nbsp; West Plains swept Central Wyoming and the #4 seed Florida Southwestern to earn the right to play Iowa Western tonight at 6:30pm at the Sports Arena.New Mexico Military will play Butler Community College on court 2 at 6:30pm.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

NJCAA D1 Volleyball semifinalists set

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<div><iframe title="November 18, 2021 Morning Sports" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=w97pw-113536d-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&btn-skin=7"></iframe></div><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Thursday Morning

UNDATED (AP) — Kansas State has the longest winning streak in the Big 12 Conference at four wins in a row. If the 7-3 Wildcats extend that with a win over No. 11 Baylor, they could open the door for No. 9 Oklahoma State and No. 12 Oklahoma to lock up the two spots in the Big 12 title game. Baylor is still in contention for its second Big 12 title game appearance in three years after beating Oklahoma last week. Oklahoma State plays Saturday night at Texas Tech, and Oklahoma hosts Iowa State in a rematch of last year's league championship game.&nbsp;

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Chris Lykes scored 26 points and No. 16 Arkansas reeled off 13 straight points in the final minutes to beat Northern Iowa 93-80. The teams traded the lead 18 times and were tied another 10. Northern Iowa stayed competitive by making 17 of 37 from 3-point range and led 78-77. Jaylin Williams' layup with 2:42 put Arkansas ahead for good. The Razorbacks forced three straight turnovers during the final run and finished off the game from the foul line. Arkansas is 3-0. Northern Iowa is 1-3.Trae Berhow led the Panthers with 23 points and shot 7 of 11 from deep.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes followed three of the worst games of his professional career with one of his best, throwing for 406 yards and five touchdowns as the Kansas City Chiefs rolled to a 41-14 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. It was the third time Mahomes had thrown for at least 400 yards and five TDs since he was picked in the 2017 draft, and he became the first player in league history to have at least two of them without throwing an interception. Mahomes will need another big game if the Chiefs want to continue their recent winning streak against the Cowboys on Sunday.

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Texas Tech's radio announcers have been suspended for a game by the Big 12 over comments about officiating in the Red Raiders' 41-38 victory over Iowa State. The announcers have been publicly reprimanded by the conference and banned from calling Saturday's home finale against No. 9 Oklahoma State. Several calls on reviews went against Texas Tech. One was an interception that was overturned near the goal line and prompted fans to throw objects on the field.

UNDATED (AP) — Alabama coach Nick Saban and Georgia's Kirby Smart continue to make their ability to field elite defenses a big part of their formula for maintaining consistently elite programs in the Southeastern Conference. Georgia and Alabama are the top two defensive teams in the SEC through 10 games. Neither program ranks in the top two in the SEC in total offense. Georgia already has won the SEC East for the fourth time in Smart's six seasons since he left his old job as Alabama defensive coordinator. Alabama is one victory away from a ninth SEC West title under Saban. &nbsp;&nbsp;

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Ismael Massoud and Nijel Pack each scored 15 points, both hitting three 3-pointers, and Kansas State used a quick start to defeat Omaha 79-64. The Wildcats were up 15-2 less than five minutes into the game and had a late 18-3 run in the first half to go up by 21 before settling for a 42-26 lead at the break. The Mavericks had a 10-0 run in the middle of the second half to get within 12 but Kansas State had four 3s in a 16-2 run to ice it. Kyle Luedtke hit four 3-pointers and scored 16 points off the bench for the Mavericks.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Caitlin Clark had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for her second career triple-double, McKenna Warnock had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 8 Iowa beat Southern 87-67. Monika Czinano added 16 points and seven rebounds, and Tomi Taiwo scored 12 for the Hawkeyes (4-0). Clark shot 2 for 9 from the field — including 1 for 6 on 3-pointers, but she was 11 for 12 on free throws. Genovea Johnson led Southern (0-3) with 19 points. Kayla Watson had 12 points and Nakia Kincey had 10. The Jaguars were called for 29 fouls and Iowa was 33 for 38 on free throws.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Josiah Allick and Anderson Kopp scored 17 points apiece as Kansas City easily beat Kansas Christian 99-36. Caden Boser added 13 points for the Roos, while Timothy Barnes and Jack Chapman each had 11. Javarius Washington led the Falcons with 10 points.

Antetokounmpo, Middleton help Bucks defeat Lakers

UNDATED (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) scored 47 points and Khris Middleton tied Milwaukee's franchise record for career 3-pointers in the Bucks' 109-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Middleton returned after missing eight games due to COVID-19 and made consecutive 3-pointers 30 seconds apart early in the fourth quarter to put the Bucks ahead for good. The second of those 3-pointers was his 1,051st as a Buck to match Ray Allen for first place on the team's all-time list.

LeBron James missed an eighth straight game for the Lakers due to an abdominal strain.

— The Phoenix Suns ran their winning streak to 10 games, beating the Dallas Mavericks 105-98. Chris Paul drove to the basket and was about to fall out of bounds before finding Deandre Ayton for the dunk and a four-point lead with 1:27 left. Devin Booker hit a long 3-pointer with the shot-clock expiring with 50 seconds left to seal it.

— Damian Lillard struggled at the start but warmed up to finish with 22 points and 10 assists, rallying the Portland Trail Blazers to a 112-107 victory over the Chicago Bulls. Jusuf Nurkic added 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Blazers, who trailed by 20 in the first half.

— The Charlotte Hornets beat the Washington Wizards 97-87. Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 19 points, while Miles Bridges added 17 and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 14. It was the Hornets' fourth straight win and ended the Wizards' five-game winning steak.

— James Harden scored 27 points, LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 and Kevin Durant 23 to help the Brooklyn Nets beat the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers 109-99. Patty Mills added 21 points to give the Nets four 20-point scorers for the first time this season. Brooklyn improved to 11-5 with its eighth victory in 10 games.

— The Atlanta Hawks have now won three in a row. John Collins scored 20 points, Cam Reddish and Kevin Huerter had 19 apiece in a 110-99 victory over the Boston Celtics. Trae Young chipped in with 18 points as the Hawks used a balanced attack to overcome a 34-point performance by Jayson Tatum.

— The Miami Heat had to play without injured starters Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry but, thanks in large part to Jimmy Butler, still managed a 113-98 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Butler had a triple-double in his return from a sprained right ankle, finishing with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

— Jeremi Grant scored 19 points and Cory Joseph added 18 as the Detroit Pistons rallied to beat the Indiana Pacers 97-89. Cade Cunningham added 16 points for Detroit, and Saddiq Bey scored 15. Both teams shot below 43% from the floor and under 30% on 3-pointers.

— The Orlando Magic rallied late in the fourth quarter to defeat the New York Knicks 104-98. Cole Anthony had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Mo Bamba added 12 points and 11 boards, while Terrence Ross scored 19 points off the bench.

— Lu Dort scored 34 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Houston Rockets 101-89. The Thunder snapped a two-game skid with their largest victory margin of the season. The Rockets have lost 13 straight.

— Anthony Edwards scored 16 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 for the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 107-97 win against the Sacramento Kings. The Timberwolves' improved defense held Sacramento to 36.6% shooting and forced 20 turnovers.

UNDATED (AP) — D'Shawn Schwartz scored a career-high 24 points, DeVon Cooper added 16 and George Mason withstood a frantic comeback bid by No. 20 Maryland to pull off a 71-66 upset.

The Patriots let a 10-point lead dwindle to 59-56 before Cooper made a layup and Schwartz made a 3-pointer for an eight-point cushion with 3:06 to go. That was just enough to provide George Mason with its first win over a ranked foe since 2007.

In other top 25 men's college basketball: 

— No. 2 UCLA routed North Florida, 98-63, for its 4th win in row. Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 20 points Johnny Juzang added 17. The Bruins took control with a 28-9 run to close the first half, then ran off 11 straight points to start the second.

— Newcomer Tre Mitchell had 16 points and seven rebounds as No. 8 Texas defeated Northern Colorado 62-49. Mitchell made 7 of 11 shots in 21 minutes for the Longhorns, who are 2-1. Mitchell came through the NCAA transfer portal from Massachusetts.

— LJ Cryer scored 20 points for the second game in a row and ninth-ranked Baylor tied a school record with 21 steals in a 92-47 victory over Central Arkansas. The defending national champion Bears extended their home winning streak to a record 16 in a row.

— Chris Lykes scored 26 points and No. 16 Arkansas reeled off 13 straight points in the final minutes to beat Northern Iowa 93-80. The teams traded the lead 18 times and were tied another 10. But the Razorbacks forced three straight turnovers during the final run and finished off the game from the foul line.

— No. 23 UConn used stifling defense to rout overmatched Long Island University 93-40. Tyler Polley led the Huskies' scoring with 17 points, Andre Jackson had 14 points, Jalen Gaffney and Adama Sanogo each had 11 and Tyrese Martin added 10. The Huskies held LIU to 27% shooting and 14 field goals.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Garnet Hathaway scored a pair of goals during a two-minute span in the third period and the Washington Capitals beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-0. 

The game was scoreless until there was 3:30 remaining, when John Carlson caught Jonathan Quick playing out of position and flipped a pass to Hathaway, who was able to put it into the net. Hathaway then added an empty-net goal. 

Ilya Samsonov made 34 saves for his second shutout this season and fifth of his career. Quick stopped 36 shots.

— Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat (deh-BRIHN'-kat) each had a goal and an assist and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Seattle Kraken 4-2 for their fourth straight win. Marc-Andre Fleury (marhk-ahn-dray FLOOR'-ee) stopped 31 shots. The Kraken have lost their last five games.

— Nazem Kadri (NA'-zehm KA'-dree) and Mikko Rantanen (MEE'-koh RAN'-tah-nehn) each had a goal and two assists as the Colorado Avalanche beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-2. It was the fifth straight loss for the Canucks.

Red Sox owners in talks to buy Pittsburgh Penguins

UNDATED (AP) — The owners of the Boston Red Sox are in talks to buy the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Red Sox President Sam Kennedy confirmed Wednesday that Fenway Sports Group has been working on a deal for the professional hockey club. 

Sportico valued the Penguins last month at $845 million. FSG owns the Red Sox and Liverpool FC of the Premier League and is partners in the RFK Racing NASCAR team.

— Aleksander Barkov is hurt, and the Florida Panthers are relieved it's not as bad as initially feared. Panthers interim coach Andrew Brunette says Barkov will be week-to-week with a knee injury but will not need surgery.

Toronto lefty Ray wins AL Cy Young, Brewers' Burnes takes NL

UNDATED (AP) — Toronto left-hander Robbie Ray bounced back from a dismal season to win the AL Cy Young Award and Milwaukee righty Corbin Burnes returned from a bout of COVID-19 to win the NL's top pitching prize.

In the Year of the Pitcher, Burnes led the majors with a 2.43 ERA and Ray topped the AL at 2.84 and both put up impressive strikeout totals.

Burnes edged Philadelphia's Zack Wheeler for the award, while Max Scherzer finished third. Burnes endured a bout of COVID-19 in May, returning after two weeks to finish with 234 strikeouts in 167 innings and an 11-5 record, as the Brewers went on to win the NL Central.

Ray beat Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, who finished second in the voting, and Chicago White Sox righty Lance Lynn. Ray actually took a pay cut after a rough 2020 but bounced back to lead the majors with 248 strikeouts and and 193 1/3 innings, going 13-7.

Verlander agrees to one-year deal with Astros

HOUSTON (AP) — Justin Verlander has agreed to a $25 million, one-year contract with the Houston Astros. 

Verlander played just one game in the past two seasons after injuring his elbow in the 2020 season opener and undergoing Tommy John surgery in October of last year. The contract includes a conditional $25 million player option for a second season. 

— First baseman Brandon Belt has accepted an $18.4 million qualifying offer from San Francisco rather than pursue bidders as a free agent. Belt was the only one to accept among the 14 free agents who received the offers from their former clubs on Nov. 7. Among those to turn down offers were first baseman Freddie Freeman of Atlanta, shortstop Carlos Correa of Houston, Robbie Ray and infielder Marcus Semien of Toronto, Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager and Mets outfielder Michael Conforto.

— The Cleveland Indians will officially transition to Guardians on Friday, completing a name change that has been occurring in stages over the past few months. The team sent out a release saying its team shop at Progressive Field will begin selling Guardians merchandise and souvenirs later this week.

— The Seattle Mariners will induct Ichiro Suzuki into the team's Hall of Fame during the 2022 season. Suzuki will be honored on Aug. 27 when Seattle faces Cleveland. Suzuki spent parts of 14 seasons with the Mariners before retiring in March 2019 after Seattle opened the season with games in his home country of Japan.

— A person familiar with the negotiations says the New York Mets are close to completing a deal to hire Billy Eppler as general manager. Eppler was fired as general manager of the Los Angeles Angels a little more than a year ago after five losing seasons. He would become the Mets' fifth head of baseball operations in 13 months.

UNDATED (AP) — The NFL is requiring players and staff to wear masks inside team facilities regardless of vaccination status for a week starting on Thanksgiving, and they must be tested twice for COVID-19 after the holiday. 

The league's protocols have been updated as a result of increasing rates of COVID-19 across the country. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger (RAWTH'-lihs-bur-gur) each missed a game in consecuwtive weeks because of COVID-19.

— Joe Flacco will start at quarterback for the New York Jets on Sunday at home against the Miami Dolphins. Coach Robert Saleh made the announcement Wednesday as the team decided to go with the 36-year-old veteran over Mike White, who started the last three games in place of the injured Zach Wilson.

— Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield sat out practice Wednesday in hopes of letting several injuries heal as Cleveland prepares to face the winless Detroit Lions. Mayfield has played with a torn labrum and fracture in his left, non-throwing shoulder. He suffered a bruised right knee in Sunday's loss to New England, a week after hurting his left foot.

— The Detroit Lions held out Jared Goff from practice after the starting quarterback suffered an oblique injury in last week's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

— A Las Vegas judge has ordered former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III to appear in court Monday after learning he missed a required alcohol test while on house arrest following a fatal crash he's accused of causing. Ruggs could face a return to jail.

WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL-TOURNAMENT EXPANSION

NCAA women's basketball tournament expands to 68 teams

UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA women's basketball tournament is expanding to 68 teams beginning with the current season, giving it an equal number of participants as the men's tournament as part of a concerted effort at gender parity.

The expansion of the women's tournament was among the recommendations put forth in August after a comprehensive external gender equity review. It was commissioned after backlash driven by social media over disparities in the men's and women's tournaments, including weight rooms and other facilities.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>UNDATED (AP) — Kansas State has the longest winning streak in the Big 12 Conference at four wins in a row. If the 7-3 Wildcats extend that with a win over No. 11 Baylor, they could open the door for No. 9 Oklahoma State and No. 12 Oklahoma to lock up the two spots in the Big 12 title game. Baylor is still in contention for its second Big 12 title game appearance in three years after beating Oklahoma last week. Oklahoma State plays Saturday night at Texas Tech, and Oklahoma hosts Iowa State in a rematch of last year's league championship game.&nbsp;FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Chris Lykes scored 26 points and No. 16 Arkansas reeled off 13 straight points in the final minutes to beat Northern Iowa 93-80. The teams traded the lead 18 times and were tied another 10. Northern Iowa stayed competitive by making 17 of 37 from 3-point range and led 78-77. Jaylin Williams' layup with 2:42 put Arkansas ahead for good. The Razorbacks forced three straight turnovers during the final run and finished off the game from the foul line. Arkansas is 3-0. Northern Iowa is 1-3.Trae Berhow led the Panthers with 23 points and shot 7 of 11 from deep.&nbsp;KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes followed three of the worst games of his professional career with one of his best, throwing for 406 yards and five touchdowns as the Kansas City Chiefs rolled to a 41-14 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. It was the third time Mahomes had thrown for at least 400 yards and five TDs since he was picked in the 2017 draft, and he became the first player in league history to have at least two of them without throwing an interception. Mahomes will need another big game if the Chiefs want to continue their recent winning streak against the Cowboys on Sunday.LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Texas Tech's radio announcers have been suspended for a game by the Big 12 over comments about officiating in the Red Raiders' 41-38 victory over Iowa State. The announcers have been publicly reprimanded by the conference and banned from calling Saturday's home finale against No. 9 Oklahoma State. Several calls on reviews went against Texas Tech. One was an interception that was overturned near the goal line and prompted fans to throw objects on the field.UNDATED (AP) — Alabama coach Nick Saban and Georgia's Kirby Smart continue to make their ability to field elite defenses a big part of their formula for maintaining consistently elite programs in the Southeastern Conference. Georgia and Alabama are the top two defensive teams in the SEC through 10 games. Neither program ranks in the top two in the SEC in total offense. Georgia already has won the SEC East for the fourth time in Smart's six seasons since he left his old job as Alabama defensive coordinator. Alabama is one victory away from a ninth SEC West title under Saban. &nbsp;&nbsp;MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Ismael Massoud and Nijel Pack each scored 15 points, both hitting three 3-pointers, and Kansas State used a quick start to defeat Omaha 79-64. The Wildcats were up 15-2 less than five minutes into the game and had a late 18-3 run in the first half to go up by 21 before settling for a 42-26 lead at the break. The Mavericks had a 10-0 run in the middle of the second half to get within 12 but Kansas State had four 3s in a 16-2 run to ice it. Kyle Luedtke hit four 3-pointers and scored 16 points off the bench for the Mavericks.IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Caitlin Clark had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for her second career triple-double, McKenna Warnock had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 8 Iowa beat Southern 87-67. Monika Czinano added 16 points and seven rebounds, and Tomi Taiwo scored 12 for the Hawkeyes (4-0). Clark shot 2 for 9 from the field — including 1 for 6 on 3-pointers, but she was 11 for 12 on free throws. Genovea Johnson led Southern (0-3) with 19 points. Kayla Watson had 12 points and Nakia Kincey had 10. The Jaguars were called for 29 fouls and Iowa was 33 for 38 on free throws.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Josiah Allick and Anderson Kopp scored 17 points apiece as Kansas City easily beat Kansas Christian 99-36. Caden Boser added 13 points for the Roos, while Timothy Barnes and Jack Chapman each had 11. Javarius Washington led the Falcons with 10 points.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA SCHEDULEAntetokounmpo, Middleton help Bucks defeat LakersUNDATED (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) scored 47 points and Khris Middleton tied Milwaukee's franchise record for career 3-pointers in the Bucks' 109-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.Middleton returned after missing eight games due to COVID-19 and made consecutive 3-pointers 30 seconds apart early in the fourth quarter to put the Bucks ahead for good. The second of those 3-pointers was his 1,051st as a Buck to match Ray Allen for first place on the team's all-time list.LeBron James missed an eighth straight game for the Lakers due to an abdominal strain.In other NBA action:— The Phoenix Suns ran their winning streak to 10 games, beating the Dallas Mavericks 105-98. Chris Paul drove to the basket and was about to fall out of bounds before finding Deandre Ayton for the dunk and a four-point lead with 1:27 left. Devin Booker hit a long 3-pointer with the shot-clock expiring with 50 seconds left to seal it.— Damian Lillard struggled at the start but warmed up to finish with 22 points and 10 assists, rallying the Portland Trail Blazers to a 112-107 victory over the Chicago Bulls. Jusuf Nurkic added 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Blazers, who trailed by 20 in the first half.— The Charlotte Hornets beat the Washington Wizards 97-87. Terry Rozier led Charlotte with 19 points, while Miles Bridges added 17 and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 14. It was the Hornets' fourth straight win and ended the Wizards' five-game winning steak.— James Harden scored 27 points, LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 and Kevin Durant 23 to help the Brooklyn Nets beat the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers 109-99. Patty Mills added 21 points to give the Nets four 20-point scorers for the first time this season. Brooklyn improved to 11-5 with its eighth victory in 10 games.— The Atlanta Hawks have now won three in a row. John Collins scored 20 points, Cam Reddish and Kevin Huerter had 19 apiece in a 110-99 victory over the Boston Celtics. Trae Young chipped in with 18 points as the Hawks used a balanced attack to overcome a 34-point performance by Jayson Tatum.— The Miami Heat had to play without injured starters Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry but, thanks in large part to Jimmy Butler, still managed a 113-98 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Butler had a triple-double in his return from a sprained right ankle, finishing with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.— Jeremi Grant scored 19 points and Cory Joseph added 18 as the Detroit Pistons rallied to beat the Indiana Pacers 97-89. Cade Cunningham added 16 points for Detroit, and Saddiq Bey scored 15. Both teams shot below 43% from the floor and under 30% on 3-pointers.— The Orlando Magic rallied late in the fourth quarter to defeat the New York Knicks 104-98. Cole Anthony had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Mo Bamba added 12 points and 11 boards, while Terrence Ross scored 19 points off the bench.— Lu Dort scored 34 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Houston Rockets 101-89. The Thunder snapped a two-game skid with their largest victory margin of the season. The Rockets have lost 13 straight.— Anthony Edwards scored 16 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 for the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 107-97 win against the Sacramento Kings. The Timberwolves' improved defense held Sacramento to 36.6% shooting and forced 20 turnovers.T25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULEGeorge Mason shocks No. 20 MarylandUNDATED (AP) — D'Shawn Schwartz scored a career-high 24 points, DeVon Cooper added 16 and George Mason withstood a frantic comeback bid by No. 20 Maryland to pull off a 71-66 upset.The Patriots let a 10-point lead dwindle to 59-56 before Cooper made a layup and Schwartz made a 3-pointer for an eight-point cushion with 3:06 to go. That was just enough to provide George Mason with its first win over a ranked foe since 2007.In other top 25 men's college basketball: — No. 2 UCLA routed North Florida, 98-63, for its 4th win in row. Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 20 points Johnny Juzang added 17. The Bruins took control with a 28-9 run to close the first half, then ran off 11 straight points to start the second.— Newcomer Tre Mitchell had 16 points and seven rebounds as No. 8 Texas defeated Northern Colorado 62-49. Mitchell made 7 of 11 shots in 21 minutes for the Longhorns, who are 2-1. Mitchell came through the NCAA transfer portal from Massachusetts.— LJ Cryer scored 20 points for the second game in a row and ninth-ranked Baylor tied a school record with 21 steals in a 92-47 victory over Central Arkansas. The defending national champion Bears extended their home winning streak to a record 16 in a row.— Chris Lykes scored 26 points and No. 16 Arkansas reeled off 13 straight points in the final minutes to beat Northern Iowa 93-80. The teams traded the lead 18 times and were tied another 10. But the Razorbacks forced three straight turnovers during the final run and finished off the game from the foul line.— No. 23 UConn used stifling defense to rout overmatched Long Island University 93-40. Tyler Polley led the Huskies' scoring with 17 points, Andre Jackson had 14 points, Jalen Gaffney and Adama Sanogo each had 11 and Tyrese Martin added 10. The Huskies held LIU to 27% shooting and 14 field goals.NHL SCHEDULELOS ANGELES (AP) — Garnet Hathaway scored a pair of goals during a two-minute span in the third period and the Washington Capitals beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-0. The game was scoreless until there was 3:30 remaining, when John Carlson caught Jonathan Quick playing out of position and flipped a pass to Hathaway, who was able to put it into the net. Hathaway then added an empty-net goal. Ilya Samsonov made 34 saves for his second shutout this season and fifth of his career. Quick stopped 36 shots.In other NHL action:— Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat (deh-BRIHN'-kat) each had a goal and an assist and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Seattle Kraken 4-2 for their fourth straight win. Marc-Andre Fleury (marhk-ahn-dray FLOOR'-ee) stopped 31 shots. The Kraken have lost their last five games.— Nazem Kadri (NA'-zehm KA'-dree) and Mikko Rantanen (MEE'-koh RAN'-tah-nehn) each had a goal and two assists as the Colorado Avalanche beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-2. It was the fifth straight loss for the Canucks.NHL-NEWSRed Sox owners in talks to buy Pittsburgh PenguinsUNDATED (AP) — The owners of the Boston Red Sox are in talks to buy the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. Red Sox President Sam Kennedy confirmed Wednesday that Fenway Sports Group has been working on a deal for the professional hockey club. Sportico valued the Penguins last month at $845 million. FSG owns the Red Sox and Liverpool FC of the Premier League and is partners in the RFK Racing NASCAR team.In other NHL news: — Aleksander Barkov is hurt, and the Florida Panthers are relieved it's not as bad as initially feared. Panthers interim coach Andrew Brunette says Barkov will be week-to-week with a knee injury but will not need surgery.MLB-CY YOUNG AWARDToronto lefty Ray wins AL Cy Young, Brewers' Burnes takes NLUNDATED (AP) — Toronto left-hander Robbie Ray bounced back from a dismal season to win the AL Cy Young Award and Milwaukee righty Corbin Burnes returned from a bout of COVID-19 to win the NL's top pitching prize.In the Year of the Pitcher, Burnes led the majors with a 2.43 ERA and Ray topped the AL at 2.84 and both put up impressive strikeout totals.Burnes edged Philadelphia's Zack Wheeler for the award, while Max Scherzer finished third. Burnes endured a bout of COVID-19 in May, returning after two weeks to finish with 234 strikeouts in 167 innings and an 11-5 record, as the Brewers went on to win the NL Central.Ray beat Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, who finished second in the voting, and Chicago White Sox righty Lance Lynn. Ray actually took a pay cut after a rough 2020 but bounced back to lead the majors with 248 strikeouts and and 193 1/3 innings, going 13-7.MLB-NEWSVerlander agrees to one-year deal with AstrosHOUSTON (AP) — Justin Verlander has agreed to a $25 million, one-year contract with the Houston Astros. Verlander played just one game in the past two seasons after injuring his elbow in the 2020 season opener and undergoing Tommy John surgery in October of last year. The contract includes a conditional $25 million player option for a second season. In other baseball news:— First baseman Brandon Belt has accepted an $18.4 million qualifying offer from San Francisco rather than pursue bidders as a free agent. Belt was the only one to accept among the 14 free agents who received the offers from their former clubs on Nov. 7. Among those to turn down offers were first baseman Freddie Freeman of Atlanta, shortstop Carlos Correa of Houston, Robbie Ray and infielder Marcus Semien of Toronto, Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager and Mets outfielder Michael Conforto.— The Cleveland Indians will officially transition to Guardians on Friday, completing a name change that has been occurring in stages over the past few months. The team sent out a release saying its team shop at Progressive Field will begin selling Guardians merchandise and souvenirs later this week.— The Seattle Mariners will induct Ichiro Suzuki into the team's Hall of Fame during the 2022 season. Suzuki will be honored on Aug. 27 when Seattle faces Cleveland. Suzuki spent parts of 14 seasons with the Mariners before retiring in March 2019 after Seattle opened the season with games in his home country of Japan.— A person familiar with the negotiations says the New York Mets are close to completing a deal to hire Billy Eppler as general manager. Eppler was fired as general manager of the Los Angeles Angels a little more than a year ago after five losing seasons. He would become the Mets' fifth head of baseball operations in 13 months.NFL-NEWSNFL updates COVID-19 protocols UNDATED (AP) — The NFL is requiring players and staff to wear masks inside team facilities regardless of vaccination status for a week starting on Thanksgiving, and they must be tested twice for COVID-19 after the holiday. The league's protocols have been updated as a result of increasing rates of COVID-19 across the country. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger (RAWTH'-lihs-bur-gur) each missed a game in consecuwtive weeks because of COVID-19.In other NFL news:— Joe Flacco will start at quarterback for the New York Jets on Sunday at home against the Miami Dolphins. Coach Robert Saleh made the announcement Wednesday as the team decided to go with the 36-year-old veteran over Mike White, who started the last three games in place of the injured Zach Wilson.— Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield sat out practice Wednesday in hopes of letting several injuries heal as Cleveland prepares to face the winless Detroit Lions. Mayfield has played with a torn labrum and fracture in his left, non-throwing shoulder. He suffered a bruised right knee in Sunday's loss to New England, a week after hurting his left foot.— The Detroit Lions held out Jared Goff from practice after the starting quarterback suffered an oblique injury in last week's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.— A Las Vegas judge has ordered former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III to appear in court Monday after learning he missed a required alcohol test while on house arrest following a fatal crash he's accused of causing. Ruggs could face a return to jail.WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL-TOURNAMENT EXPANSIONNCAA women's basketball tournament expands to 68 teamsUNDATED (AP) — The NCAA women's basketball tournament is expanding to 68 teams beginning with the current season, giving it an equal number of participants as the men's tournament as part of a concerted effort at gender parity.The expansion of the women's tournament was among the recommendations put forth in August after a comprehensive external gender equity review. It was commissioned after backlash driven by social media over disparities in the men's and women's tournaments, including weight rooms and other facilities.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Sports Headlines for Thursday

INDEPENDENCE, Kan. — No. 9 Hutchinson raced out to a 21-14 lead Wednesday.&nbsp;

Independence tied the game at 35 with eight minutes left in the first half.&nbsp;

Zavion McClendon knocked down four triples in the first half, but the Pirates kept pace. The game was tied 52-all at halftime. 

Neither team gained an inch through the first five minutes of the second half as the Dragons and Pirates battled to a 62-62 tie.&nbsp;

Hutchinson scored the next six points to take a 68-62 advantage with 13:29 remaining.&nbsp;

The Dragons fell behind with five minutes left before a hustle-play by Tarese Morse led to a Jacquez Yow layup.

Yow then hit a three as Hutchinson took a five-point lead and held off Independence the last two minutes.&nbsp;

FINAL: Hutchinson 96 Independence 91

Yow finished with a double-double (17 points and 10 rebounds).

Four Dragons scored in double digits.&nbsp;

Rodney Munson and Ian Hardy each had double-doubles for Independence (Munson 14 points, 11 rebounds; Hardy 13 points, 10 rebounds).

Hutchinson is 7-0 and will play Cloud County on the road Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637199375645.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By DAREN DUNNHutch PostINDEPENDENCE, Kan. — No. 9 Hutchinson raced out to a 21-14 lead Wednesday.&nbsp;Independence tied the game at 35 with eight minutes left in the first half.&nbsp;Zavion McClendon knocked down four triples in the first half, but the Pirates kept pace. The game was tied 52-all at halftime. Neither team gained an inch through the first five minutes of the second half as the Dragons and Pirates battled to a 62-62 tie.&nbsp;Hutchinson scored the next six points to take a 68-62 advantage with 13:29 remaining.&nbsp;The Dragons fell behind with five minutes left before a hustle-play by Tarese Morse led to a Jacquez Yow layup.Yow then hit a three as Hutchinson took a five-point lead and held off Independence the last two minutes.&nbsp;FINAL: Hutchinson 96 Independence 91Yow finished with a double-double (17 points and 10 rebounds).Angelo Stuart led Hutchinson with 20.Four Dragons scored in double digits.&nbsp;Rodney Munson and Ian Hardy each had double-doubles for Independence (Munson 14 points, 11 rebounds; Hardy 13 points, 10 rebounds).The game was tied 14 times.&nbsp;Hutchinson is 7-0 and will play Cloud County on the road Saturday.

MBB: Dragons start conference play with road victory

INDEPENDENCE, Kan. — The Pirates scored the game's first seven points and built an 11-4 lead just five minutes into Wednesday night's contest.&nbsp;

No. 17 Hutchinson trailed 21-9 after one quarter.

With 4:16 left before the break, Hutchinson trailed by the most it has all season at 35-11.

The Dragons trailed by 22 at halftime.&nbsp;

The Dragons outscored the Pirates by six in the second half, but could not make up the season's biggest deficit.&nbsp;

Independence scored 21-plus points in each quarter. Hutchinson kept pace in the second half, but turned in a nine-point first quarter and 11-point second quarter.&nbsp;

FINAL: Independence 85 Hutchinson 69

Three Pirates scored 15-plus points, led by Maisa Marcal's 23. She added 11 rebounds.&nbsp;

Tor'e Alford led Hutchinson with 23 and Mya Williams added 20.

Hutchinson is now 6-1 and will play Saturday in Concordia against Cloud County.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637191737949.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By DAREN DUNNHutch PostINDEPENDENCE, Kan. — The Pirates scored the game's first seven points and built an 11-4 lead just five minutes into Wednesday night's contest.&nbsp;No. 17 Hutchinson trailed 21-9 after one quarter.With 4:16 left before the break, Hutchinson trailed by the most it has all season at 35-11.The Dragons trailed by 22 at halftime.&nbsp;The Dragons outscored the Pirates by six in the second half, but could not make up the season's biggest deficit.&nbsp;Independence scored 21-plus points in each quarter. Hutchinson kept pace in the second half, but turned in a nine-point first quarter and 11-point second quarter.&nbsp;FINAL: Independence 85 Hutchinson 69Three Pirates scored 15-plus points, led by Maisa Marcal's 23. She added 11 rebounds.&nbsp;Tor'e Alford led Hutchinson with 23 and Mya Williams added 20.Hutchinson is now 6-1 and will play Saturday in Concordia against Cloud County.&nbsp;

WBB: Dragons can't overcome biggest deficit of season

KANSAS CITY — Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time this season and the seventh time during his career for his performance in the Chiefs win over Las Vegas Sunday.

Mahomes completed 35-of-50 passes for 406 yards with five touchdowns with no interceptions. He managed a 127.6 passer rating and completed 70% of his passes, leading all quarterbacks in passing yards and passing touchdowns in Week 10.

Only Derrick Thomas and Dante Hall have had as many Player of the Week awards as Chiefs as Mahomes has now. Thomas holds the current team record with eight.

KANSAS CITY — Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time this season and the seventh time during his career for his performance in the Chiefs win over Las Vegas Sunday.Mahomes completed 35-of-50 passes for 406 yards with five touchdowns with no interceptions. He managed a 127.6 passer rating and completed 70% of his passes, leading all quarterbacks in passing yards and passing touchdowns in Week 10.Only Derrick Thomas and Dante Hall have had as many Player of the Week awards as Chiefs as Mahomes has now. Thomas holds the current team record with eight.

Mahomes AFC Offensive POW

<div><iframe title="Eagle Radio Sports for Wednesday Morning" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=a3yma-1133c7e-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&btn-skin=7"></iframe></div><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Wednesday Morning

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Izaiah Brockington had 23 points and 13 rebounds, Tyrese Hunter scored nine of his 19 points in the final 96 seconds and Iowa State held on for a 68-60 win over Alabama State. Brockington grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed 3-point shot by Hunter and threw down a dunk. Hunter, on the ensuing possession, jumped into the passing lane for a steal that he took the other way and finished through contact on a fast-break dunk. His and-1 free throw pushed the lead to 61-53 with 1:36 to play. Hunter went 6 for 6 from the foul line from there.

UNDATED (AP) — Tampa Bay's Kevin Cash has become the second skipper to win Manager of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons, taking this year's American League award. San Francisco's Gabe Kapler won the NL honor. Cash led the low-payroll Rays to a second consecutive AL East crown. Bobby Cox had been the only person to win Manager of the Year two straight seasons. He did it with Atlanta in 2004 and 2005. Seattle's Scott Servais finished second behind Cash in the voting by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Houston's Dusty Baker was third. Kapler beat out Craig Counsell of Milwaukee and Mike Shildt of St. Louis.

UNDATED (AP) — NFL Hall of Fame defensive lineman Curley Culp announced Tuesday that he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Culp played 14 NFL seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Oilers and Detroit Lions. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro, including first team in 1975. Culp was considered one of the strongest players and best interior linemen during his career. He was originally drafted by Denver and traded to Kansas City. Culp was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Tyler Harris had 18 points, Emoni Bates scored 16 as No. 11 Memphis remained undefeated with a 90-74 win over Saint Louis. Jalen Duren added 13 points and Josh Minott finished with 12, both going perfect from the field. Terrence Hargrove Jr. led Saint Louis (3-1) with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Marten Linssen scored 11 points before fouling out in the second half. Francis Okoro grabbed 13 rebounds for the Billikens.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Alex Padilla is set to make his second straight start when No. 18 Iowa hosts Illinois on Saturday. That doesn't mean the Hawkeyes have moved on from Spencer Petras. Coach Kirk Ferentz said he'll have to decide whether to bring back Petras. That decision might come soon. Petras started 17 consecutive games before a shoulder injury knocked him out of most of the Nov. 6 win at Northwestern. Petras isn't listed on the depth chart this week but has been working with the No. 2 offense in practice.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Keegan Murray had 27 points and 21 rebounds — both career highs — and Iowa used a 14-3 second-half run to pull away in its 86-69 win over North Carolina Central. His 21 rebounds are the most since by and Iowa player since Greg Brunner had 23 against Minnesota on January 18, 2006. Murray scored eight points, including three dunks, as Iowa (3-0), which led by as many as 15 points in the first half, used an 18-6 run in the middle of the second to pull away for good. Randy Miller Jr. led the Eagles with 15 points. The Hawkeyes shot just 38% from the field, compared to 47% by NCCU, but outrebounded the Eagles 44-31 and outscored them 35-8 from the free-throw line — where Iowa shot 85%.&nbsp;

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Barrett Hayton scored twice and Scott Wedgewood made 33 saves as the Arizona Coyotes downed the St. Louis Blues 3-2 on Tuesday. Kyle Capobianco scored his first goal of the season for Arizona, which snapped a three-game losing streak and won in regulation for only the second time in 16 games this season. Torey Krug scored in his return from COVID-19 protocol for St. Louis, which lost its fourth straight game. Jordan Kyrou also scored and Ryan O'Reilly added two assists for the Blues. Jordan Binnington made 20 saves for St. Louis.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — With two weeks left in the regular season, the Big Ten has positioned itself to get a third straight berth in the College Football Playoff, and possibly two if an avalanche of things go the right way. No. 5 Ohio State, No. 7 Michigan State and No. 8 Michigan all have 9-1 records and are in position to get the league a third straight spot in the playoff. There's also a chance the Big Ten can get shut out, as it did in 2017 and '18. That happens if the West winner _ &nbsp;No. 19 Wisconsin leads _ captures the conference title game.