By STEVE CARPENTER HutchCC Sports Information

BEATRICE, Nebraska – The bats were quiet on opening day for the Hutchinson Community College baseball team, but the Game 2 pitchers were a big reason the Blue Dragons opened 2022 with a doubleheader sweep over Southeast (NE) Community College on Thursday.

Sophomore Ben McLaughlin had his third career multi-home run game, but the Blue Dragons lost to the Storm 9-3 in the 2022 season opener at Christenson Field. The Dragons rebounded in Game 2 for a 2-1 win as four Hutchinson pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts.

The Blue Dragons and Storm were to play a three-game series this week at Hobart-Detter Field, but last week’s winter storm left too much snow and ice on certain sections of the field. The series was moved to Beatrice and shortened to a doubleheader on Thursday.

The Blue Dragons combined for seven hits, but stranded 12 runners on base in the season-opening doubleheader. The Dragons were a combined 1 for 17 with runners in scoring position combined.

The Blue Dragons had only three hits in the second game, but made them count.

Freshman Booga de la Garza homered in his first career at-bat, which was a solo shot in the second inning for a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Braedyn Sommer hit a one-out triple in the fourth and scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead. That Sommer’s hit was the last hit of the day for Hutchinson.

Led by Blue Dragon starter Jackson Blue, the Blue Dragons limited Southeast to one run and four hits.

Blue (1-0) struck out four and walked one with two hits allowed in the first three innings of the game. Ben Dandelet gave up a solo home run, but struck out three in two innings. Chase Torkelson worked three scoreless innings with five strikeouts and only one hit allowed. Kaden Wickersham struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his first career save.

Daniel Bebee had the only other hit in Game 2 for the Blue Dragons. Bebee also threw out one base stealer

Six different Storm pitchers struck out 13 Blue Dragons in the second half.

Two McLaughlin home runs – solo shots in the first and fourth innings – were the offensive highlights for the Blue Dragons. Jack Torosian added an RBI single to score Hunter Gotreaux in the fourth inning.

Limited to four hits, the Blue Dragons hit into two double plays and left the bases loaded in the sixth inning.

Southeast quickly erased McLaughlin’s first home run with a two-run first inning. The Storm pushed the lead to 4-2 after three innings, but broke the game open with five runs in the fifth inning.

Jack Whitlock (0-1) pitched three innings in his Blue Dragon debut. Sophomore Ryan Schlotzhauer allowed five earned runs with four walks and two hits. He struck out four in 1 2-3 innings. Zane Covey pitched 1-3 inning and Brady Braverman fanned two in one inning.

The Blue Dragons travel to NOC-Enid for a single nine-inning game on Tuesday in Enid, Oklahoma.

By STEVE CARPENTER HutchCC Sports InformationBEATRICE, Nebraska – The bats were quiet on opening day for the Hutchinson Community College baseball team, but the Game 2 pitchers were a big reason the Blue Dragons opened 2022 with a doubleheader sweep over Southeast (NE) Community College on Thursday.Sophomore Ben McLaughlin had his third career multi-home run game, but the Blue Dragons lost to the Storm 9-3 in the 2022 season opener at Christenson Field. The Dragons rebounded in Game 2 for a 2-1 win as four Hutchinson pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts.The Blue Dragons and Storm were to play a three-game series this week at Hobart-Detter Field, but last week’s winter storm left too much snow and ice on certain sections of the field. The series was moved to Beatrice and shortened to a doubleheader on Thursday.The Blue Dragons combined for seven hits, but stranded 12 runners on base in the season-opening doubleheader. The Dragons were a combined 1 for 17 with runners in scoring position combined.GAME 2 RECAPThe Blue Dragons had only three hits in the second game, but made them count.Freshman Booga de la Garza homered in his first career at-bat, which was a solo shot in the second inning for a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Braedyn Sommer hit a one-out triple in the fourth and scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead. That Sommer’s hit was the last hit of the day for Hutchinson.Led by Blue Dragon starter Jackson Blue, the Blue Dragons limited Southeast to one run and four hits.Blue (1-0) struck out four and walked one with two hits allowed in the first three innings of the game. Ben Dandelet gave up a solo home run, but struck out three in two innings. Chase Torkelson worked three scoreless innings with five strikeouts and only one hit allowed. Kaden Wickersham struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his first career save.Daniel Bebee had the only other hit in Game 2 for the Blue Dragons. Bebee also threw out one base stealerSix different Storm pitchers struck out 13 Blue Dragons in the second half.GAME 1 RECAPTwo McLaughlin home runs – solo shots in the first and fourth innings – were the offensive highlights for the Blue Dragons. Jack Torosian added an RBI single to score Hunter Gotreaux in the fourth inning.Limited to four hits, the Blue Dragons hit into two double plays and left the bases loaded in the sixth inning.Southeast quickly erased McLaughlin’s first home run with a two-run first inning. The Storm pushed the lead to 4-2 after three innings, but broke the game open with five runs in the fifth inning.Jack Whitlock (0-1) pitched three innings in his Blue Dragon debut. Sophomore Ryan Schlotzhauer allowed five earned runs with four walks and two hits. He struck out four in 1 2-3 innings. Zane Covey pitched 1-3 inning and Brady Braverman fanned two in one inning.The Blue Dragons travel to NOC-Enid for a single nine-inning game on Tuesday in Enid, Oklahoma.

Dragons split season-opening DH

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🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Thursday Morning

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua scored 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting as No. 10 Baylor beat Kansas State 75-60. 

James Akinjo added 15 points for the balanced Bears, and Adam Flagler had 10. They won their seventh straight over Kansas State and reached 20 wins for the 13th time in the last 15 years. Both teams were missing key contributors. LJ Cryer, who leads the Bears in scoring at 13.9 points per game, missed his fourth straight game with a foot injury.

 Selton Miguel sat out his fourth in a row for the Wildcats with an ankle injury. Kansas State relied almost completely on two players for offense. Nijel Pack scored 31 points, while Mark Smith had 17 points and eight rebounds.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua scored 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting as No. 10 Baylor beat Kansas State 75-60. James Akinjo added 15 points for the balanced Bears, and Adam Flagler had 10. They won their seventh straight over Kansas State and reached 20 wins for the 13th time in the last 15 years. Both teams were missing key contributors. LJ Cryer, who leads the Bears in scoring at 13.9 points per game, missed his fourth straight game with a foot injury. Selton Miguel sat out his fourth in a row for the Wildcats with an ankle injury. Kansas State relied almost completely on two players for offense. Nijel Pack scored 31 points, while Mark Smith had 17 points and eight rebounds.

K-State loses to Baylor Wednesday

For the first time in four seasons, the Hutchinson Community College baseball team wasn’t the preseason pick to win the Jayhawk West.

That fact means nothing to 10th-year head coach Ryan Schmidt, who has high expectations for his ball club every season to contend for a conference title.

The journey toward a potential league crown this season begins on Thursday against Southeast Community College in a 1 p.m. doubleheader in Beatrice, Nebraska. The Blue Dragons and Storm were supposed to play a three-game series on Thursday and Friday at Hobart-Detter Field, but the Blue Dragons’ home field still wasn’t ready for play after last week’s winter storm.

“We lost a lot of really good players,” said Schmidt who is 318-169 with four Jayhawk West titles in his first nine seasons. “With this group, we have a lot of hunger, a lot of desire and we have a lot of inexperience.

These guys are going to be thrown in the fire and they are going to get that experience really quickly.”

The 2021 Blue Dragons went 37-17 and won the Jayhawk West championship before falling to Colby in the Region VI sub-regional final.

Gone from that team are All-American and MLB draft pick Austin Callahan, a three-year starter at shortstop in Mason Lowe and the big bats of Jenner Steele and Cole Cosman. Schmidt will also have to replace and a pretty good chunk of the starting pitching rotation.

Schmidt does bring his entire outfield back and a solid foundation of pitchers who mostly worked out of the bullpen last season.

The first month of the season will be important for the Blue Dragons as they try to fill roles on the 2022 pitching staff.

“We’ve got a lot of guys vying for those positions,” Schmidt said. “We’ve got a lot of new faces and we had a good fall and productive spring. Our guys are getting stronger every time they touch the ball and I think we are trending in the right direction. We just have to solidify roles.”

A couple of transfer players will draw the starts in the first two games on Thursday at Southeast. Jack Whitlock is slated to be the Game 1 starter vs. the Storm and Jackson Blue will be the Game 2 starters.

Others in line to work as a starter is returning pitcher Ryan Schlotzhauer (2-3, 7.93 ERA in 2021). Right-handed Ben Dandelet has been in the program, but is finally healthy and ready to contribute.

As far as other returning pitchers, Zane Covey (3-2, 5.91 ERA) threw 42 2-3 innings out of the bullpen. He did have three starters last season. Luke Hornberger (1-2, 13.19 ERA) and Chase Torkelson (2-0, 6.75 ERA) also returns.

The 2021 Blue Dragon pitching staff posted a team 6.21 ERA and opponents hit .280 last season.

As far as the everyday line-up, a majority of Schmidt’s returning experience lies in the outfield with Jack Torosian, Jon Jenkins and Sterling Sutcliffe. Ben McLaughlin and P.J. Loucks also patrolled the outfield. Loucks missed the final 37 games with an injury, while McLaughlin was relegated to designated hitting duties because of his injury.

Jenkins hit .367 with three homers and 14 RBIs in the final 20 games. Torosian hit .353 and had an on-base percentage of .630 with 22 extra-base hits and six homers. Sutcliffe was stellar defensively in center and right field and hit .254. McLaughlin hit .366 with 13 homers and 58 RBIs. Loucks was hitting .308 at the time of his injury.

Also in the mix in the outfield is freshman Kael Babin

“We have some interesting pieces in the outfield,” Schmidt said.

Behind the plate, returning catchers Daniel Bebee (.206) and Cade Baker (.316) are back.

McLaughlin is slated to take over at first base, which leads Schmidt with an outstanding, but untested group of players to fill the spots at second, third and shortstop.

Hunter Gotreaux has battled injuries throughout his Blue Dragon career. Reno County product Ryan Henderson (Buhler) is expected to battle for an infield position. Freshman Booga de la Garza can play multiple infield positions.

Schmidt is high on shortstop Bryce Logan, who was spectacular with the glove in the fall.

“We have guys on this team who can play, but we just have a lot of inexperience right now,” Schmidt said. “We have good players and I think that can be fun. They just need to get between the white lines and we can see who can handle it.”

The Dragons will now start the season on the road for the first nine games before playing Coffeyville in the new 2022 home opener on March 3 at Hobart-Detter Field. One week later, the Dragon open the Jayhawk West season with Butler.

STEVE CARPENTERHutchCC Sports InformationFor the first time in four seasons, the Hutchinson Community College baseball team wasn’t the preseason pick to win the Jayhawk West.That fact means nothing to 10th-year head coach Ryan Schmidt, who has high expectations for his ball club every season to contend for a conference title.The journey toward a potential league crown this season begins on Thursday against Southeast Community College in a 1 p.m. doubleheader in Beatrice, Nebraska. The Blue Dragons and Storm were supposed to play a three-game series on Thursday and Friday at Hobart-Detter Field, but the Blue Dragons’ home field still wasn’t ready for play after last week’s winter storm.“We lost a lot of really good players,” said Schmidt who is 318-169 with four Jayhawk West titles in his first nine seasons. “With this group, we have a lot of hunger, a lot of desire and we have a lot of inexperience.These guys are going to be thrown in the fire and they are going to get that experience really quickly.”The 2021 Blue Dragons went 37-17 and won the Jayhawk West championship before falling to Colby in the Region VI sub-regional final.Gone from that team are All-American and MLB draft pick Austin Callahan, a three-year starter at shortstop in Mason Lowe and the big bats of Jenner Steele and Cole Cosman. Schmidt will also have to replace and a pretty good chunk of the starting pitching rotation.Schmidt does bring his entire outfield back and a solid foundation of pitchers who mostly worked out of the bullpen last season.The first month of the season will be important for the Blue Dragons as they try to fill roles on the 2022 pitching staff.“We’ve got a lot of guys vying for those positions,” Schmidt said. “We’ve got a lot of new faces and we had a good fall and productive spring. Our guys are getting stronger every time they touch the ball and I think we are trending in the right direction. We just have to solidify roles.”A couple of transfer players will draw the starts in the first two games on Thursday at Southeast. Jack Whitlock is slated to be the Game 1 starter vs. the Storm and Jackson Blue will be the Game 2 starters.Others in line to work as a starter is returning pitcher Ryan Schlotzhauer (2-3, 7.93 ERA in 2021). Right-handed Ben Dandelet has been in the program, but is finally healthy and ready to contribute.As far as other returning pitchers, Zane Covey (3-2, 5.91 ERA) threw 42 2-3 innings out of the bullpen. He did have three starters last season. Luke Hornberger (1-2, 13.19 ERA) and Chase Torkelson (2-0, 6.75 ERA) also returns.The 2021 Blue Dragon pitching staff posted a team 6.21 ERA and opponents hit .280 last season.As far as the everyday line-up, a majority of Schmidt’s returning experience lies in the outfield with Jack Torosian, Jon Jenkins and Sterling Sutcliffe. Ben McLaughlin and P.J. Loucks also patrolled the outfield. Loucks missed the final 37 games with an injury, while McLaughlin was relegated to designated hitting duties because of his injury.Jenkins hit .367 with three homers and 14 RBIs in the final 20 games. Torosian hit .353 and had an on-base percentage of .630 with 22 extra-base hits and six homers. Sutcliffe was stellar defensively in center and right field and hit .254. McLaughlin hit .366 with 13 homers and 58 RBIs. Loucks was hitting .308 at the time of his injury.Also in the mix in the outfield is freshman Kael Babin“We have some interesting pieces in the outfield,” Schmidt said.Behind the plate, returning catchers Daniel Bebee (.206) and Cade Baker (.316) are back.McLaughlin is slated to take over at first base, which leads Schmidt with an outstanding, but untested group of players to fill the spots at second, third and shortstop.Hunter Gotreaux has battled injuries throughout his Blue Dragon career. Reno County product Ryan Henderson (Buhler) is expected to battle for an infield position. Freshman Booga de la Garza can play multiple infield positions.Schmidt is high on shortstop Bryce Logan, who was spectacular with the glove in the fall.“We have guys on this team who can play, but we just have a lot of inexperience right now,” Schmidt said. “We have good players and I think that can be fun. They just need to get between the white lines and we can see who can handle it.”The Dragons will now start the season on the road for the first nine games before playing Coffeyville in the new 2022 home opener on March 3 at Hobart-Detter Field. One week later, the Dragon open the Jayhawk West season with Butler.

Blue Dragon Baseball to take diamond Thursday

DODGE CITY, Kan. — No. 18 Hutchinson (18-6, 12-6) nearly edged No. 6 Dodge City (21-4, 16-3) without leading scorer Angelo Stuart.&nbsp;

Stuart, who scored 34 points in the first meeting, was sidelined with an injury.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the Conqs got back their leading scorer, Kalen Williams, who missed the first matchup.&nbsp;

Hutchinson took an early 17-11 lead before Dodge City fought back to a 49-47 advantage at half.&nbsp;

The Dragons hit six three-pointers but made only one free throw attempt on seven tries in the first half.&nbsp;

Hutchinson could not find an answer for national player of the week Themus Fulks, who scored 11 of his 21 points from the free throw line. Fulks had 10 of his team's 15 assists.&nbsp;

Hutchinson had five players in foul trouble. Two of them, Josiah Harris and Jayden Hall, fouled out. The other three, Tarese Morse, Jacquez Yow and Kobe Campbell, played with four.&nbsp;

Campbell went to the bench as the Dragons' leading scorer with 12:43 to play.&nbsp;

Down four at the time, Hutchinson battled back to take an 85-84 lead with 5:52 remaining after back-to-back threes from Zavion McClendon.

The lead jumped to four before Dodge City tied the game at 95.

Hutchinson seemingly fixed the free throw issue by hitting its first seven tries of the second half.&nbsp;

However, some late misses at the line kept Hutchinson from the victory.&nbsp;

Down two with 1:49, Kaimen Lennox missed an opportunity. Then with a chance to take the lead, Campbell missed twice with 59 seconds left.&nbsp;

The misses allowed Fulks an opportunity to ice the game at the line.&nbsp;

Hutchinson did have a chance to tie in the waning moments, but the team's eighth turnover proved costly.&nbsp;

The eight turnovers were a season low. Dodge City turned the ball over an opponent season-low nine times.&nbsp;

FINAL: Dodge City 100 Hutchinson 96

Hutchinson took 20 more shots than Dodge City, but made 44.4% to the Conqs' 55.7%.

Dodge City did not shoot particularly well from the free throw line (64.3%), but got twice as many attempts (42).

Hutchinson finished 15 of 26 from the line.&nbsp;

Lennox finished as Hutchinson's leading scorer with 17.

Campbell finished with 13. He did not score again after picking up his fourth foul.Harris led the Dragons with 16 rebounds.&nbsp;

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<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644467664304.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DODGE CITY, Kan. — No. 18 Hutchinson (18-6, 12-6) nearly edged No. 6 Dodge City (21-4, 16-3) without leading scorer Angelo Stuart.&nbsp;Stuart, who scored 34 points in the first meeting, was sidelined with an injury.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the Conqs got back their leading scorer, Kalen Williams, who missed the first matchup.&nbsp;Hutchinson took an early 17-11 lead before Dodge City fought back to a 49-47 advantage at half.&nbsp;The Dragons hit six three-pointers but made only one free throw attempt on seven tries in the first half.&nbsp;Hutchinson could not find an answer for national player of the week Themus Fulks, who scored 11 of his 21 points from the free throw line. Fulks had 10 of his team's 15 assists.&nbsp;Hutchinson had five players in foul trouble. Two of them, Josiah Harris and Jayden Hall, fouled out. The other three, Tarese Morse, Jacquez Yow and Kobe Campbell, played with four.&nbsp;Campbell went to the bench as the Dragons' leading scorer with 12:43 to play.&nbsp;Down four at the time, Hutchinson battled back to take an 85-84 lead with 5:52 remaining after back-to-back threes from Zavion McClendon.The lead jumped to four before Dodge City tied the game at 95.Hutchinson seemingly fixed the free throw issue by hitting its first seven tries of the second half.&nbsp;However, some late misses at the line kept Hutchinson from the victory.&nbsp;Down two with 1:49, Kaimen Lennox missed an opportunity. Then with a chance to take the lead, Campbell missed twice with 59 seconds left.&nbsp;The misses allowed Fulks an opportunity to ice the game at the line.&nbsp;Hutchinson did have a chance to tie in the waning moments, but the team's eighth turnover proved costly.&nbsp;The eight turnovers were a season low. Dodge City turned the ball over an opponent season-low nine times.&nbsp;FINAL: Dodge City 100 Hutchinson 96Hutchinson took 20 more shots than Dodge City, but made 44.4% to the Conqs' 55.7%.Dodge City did not shoot particularly well from the free throw line (64.3%), but got twice as many attempts (42).Hutchinson finished 15 of 26 from the line.&nbsp;Lennox finished as Hutchinson's leading scorer with 17.Campbell finished with 13. He did not score again after picking up his fourth foul.Harris led the Dragons with 16 rebounds.&nbsp; <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&nbsp;sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.

MBB: No. 18 Dragons drop third straight

DODGE CITY, Kan. — No. 25 Hutchinson (21-4, 15-4) held Dodge City's leading scorer to 10 points in a narrow victory Wednesday night.&nbsp;

Krystina Hagood was coming off a career-high 24 points and 7 of 10 made threes against Butler, but the Dragons held her to 10 total points on 2 of 5 shooting.&nbsp;

Hagood got help from four other Conquistadors that scored in double digits. The bench effort came after seven Conqs scored no more than three against Hutchinson in the Sports Arena earlier this season.&nbsp;

Hutchinson shot 41.1% from the field and 42.1% from distance on eight made triples.&nbsp;

Dodge City (14-10, 9-9) shot only 30.4% in the first half, but finished at 45.6% after a 55.9% second-half performance.&nbsp;

Jada Burton led the Conqs with 16 points.&nbsp;

Hutchinson built a 13-point lead before Hagood was fouled on a three-point heave at the halftime buzzer.

She hit all three free throws to cut the Dragon lead to 36-26.

Dodge City outscored Hutchinson by eight in the third quarter to cut the lead to 47-45.

The Dragons got another strong performance from Mya Williams, who finished with 29 points. Seventeen of those points came in the fourth quarter.&nbsp;

Mel Kailahi added 14 points, nine rebounds and five steals.&nbsp;

Tor'e Alford finished with 11 points, seven came from the free throw line.

Dodge City tied the game at 68 with 1:29 left before Alford was fouled on a three-point try. She made all three free throws to put Hutchinson up 71-68 with 49 seconds left.&nbsp;

Dodge City failed to get another three from Hagood and Hutchinson extended the lead to six.&nbsp;

The Conqs got a desperation three that banked off the glass and in at the buzzer from Samantha Koeberer.

FINAL: Hutchinson 76 Dodge City 73

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644466215066.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DODGE CITY, Kan. — No. 25 Hutchinson (21-4, 15-4) held Dodge City's leading scorer to 10 points in a narrow victory Wednesday night.&nbsp;Krystina Hagood was coming off a career-high 24 points and 7 of 10 made threes against Butler, but the Dragons held her to 10 total points on 2 of 5 shooting.&nbsp;Hagood got help from four other Conquistadors that scored in double digits. The bench effort came after seven Conqs scored no more than three against Hutchinson in the Sports Arena earlier this season.&nbsp;Hutchinson shot 41.1% from the field and 42.1% from distance on eight made triples.&nbsp;Dodge City (14-10, 9-9) shot only 30.4% in the first half, but finished at 45.6% after a 55.9% second-half performance.&nbsp;Jada Burton led the Conqs with 16 points.&nbsp;Hutchinson built a 13-point lead before Hagood was fouled on a three-point heave at the halftime buzzer.She hit all three free throws to cut the Dragon lead to 36-26.Dodge City outscored Hutchinson by eight in the third quarter to cut the lead to 47-45.The Dragons got another strong performance from Mya Williams, who finished with 29 points. Seventeen of those points came in the fourth quarter.&nbsp;Mel Kailahi added 14 points, nine rebounds and five steals.&nbsp;Tor'e Alford finished with 11 points, seven came from the free throw line.Dodge City tied the game at 68 with 1:29 left before Alford was fouled on a three-point try. She made all three free throws to put Hutchinson up 71-68 with 49 seconds left.&nbsp;Dodge City failed to get another three from Hagood and Hutchinson extended the lead to six.&nbsp;The Conqs got a desperation three that banked off the glass and in at the buzzer from Samantha Koeberer.FINAL: Hutchinson 76 Dodge City 73<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&nbsp;sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.

WBB: No. 25 Dragons hold off Dodge City

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🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Wednesday Morning

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

NASHVILLE (AP) — Scotty Pippen Jr. scored 19 points and Quentin Millora-Brown and Jordan Wright each recorded a double-double and Vanderbilt pulled away from Missouri near the end for a 70-62 win. Kaleb Brown's desperation, end-of-the shot clock 3-pointer with 4:52 gave the Tigers a 58-57 lead, their first lead since a 22-18 advantage with 4:21 before halftime. Brown's basket capped a five-and-a-half minute span in which Missouri outscored the Commodores 20-8 after trailing 49-38 with 10:22 left. But Vanderbilt responded with a 9-0 run, and Pippen's basket with 1:27 left made it 66-58 to help seal it.

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. (AP) — Taz Sherman scored 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds and distributed six assists in his return from a one-game absence and West Virginia beat Iowa State 79-63. The Mountaineers never trailed and led by double figures most of the second half. Izaiah Brockington made consecutive layups to bring the Cyclones within 65-57 with 5:26 left before Malik Curry and Sherman each sank a pair from the foul line to create safe space. Freshman Tyrese Hunter scored a career-high 22 points for Iowa State.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Ryan Nembhard made a layup with 32 seconds left, made 1 of 2 foul shots with eight seconds left and came up with a steal as time expired to preserve Creighton's 54-52 win over Butler. Jayden Taylor had 13 points for the Bulldogs.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa athletic department has apologized to a Wisconsin wrestler who was the target of racially insensitive remarks during a meet at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Austin Gomez tweeted that a racial slur was directed toward him from the stands after his 3-2 decision over Vince Turk in the 149-pound match Saturday. Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh said he was disappointed and angered about the incident. Iowa says the fan could be banned from athletic events if found to have violated its behavior policy.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa athletic department announced Lew Montgomery will serve in an interim role in support of the department's diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. &nbsp;Montgomery's appointment comes after assistant athletics director for diversity, equity and inclusion Broderick Binns accepted a job outside the university. &nbsp;Montgomery has been the university's Finance and Operation Department's associate director for diversity, equity, and inclusion and employment experience. He played football for the Hawkeyes from 1989-92. The athletic department has prioritized diversity, inclusion and equity since a 2020 investigation found evidence of racial bias against Black players in the football program.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Empty seats are outnumbering occupied ones at Nebraska men's basketball home games as the team grinds through one of the worst seasons in program history under coach Fred Hoiberg. &nbsp;According to figures provided to The Associated Press, the average number of tickets scanned is just under 7,200. That's less than half of Pinnacle Bank Arena's capacity. Three consecutive January games drew fewer than 5,800 fans. Athletic director Trev Alberts acknowledged some fans are staying away because of the mask mandate. But he said the team's poor performance is the biggest factor and a major concern.

BEIJING (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin's performance in the women's slalom went no better than her outing in the giant slalom.

The two-time Olympic champion missed a gate early in the first run of the slalom and is out of the event.

Shiffrin was seeking what would have been an American-record third Alpine gold medal in the slalom. She won that event as a teenager at the 2014 Sochi Games. 

The 26-year-old from Colorado was coming off a quick exit in her Beijing debut Monday. She missed a gate about 10 seconds into the giant slalom and was disqualified.

— American Lindsey Jacobellis has won gold in the women's snowboardcross. It's the first gold of the Beijing Games for the U.S. team. It's the fifth Olympics for Jacobellis. Chloe Trespeuch of France won silver and Meryeta Odine of Canada won bronze.

— Germany's Vinzenz Geiger has won a men's Nordic combined gold, rallying from a 1-minute, 26-second deficit to cross the finish line first in a 10K cross-country race after ranking 11th in ski jumping earlier in the day. Joergen Graabak of Norway earned silver Wednesday night and Lukas Greiderer of Austria took bronze. 

— The Russian ice hockey team has started its defense of the Olympic men's gold medal with a 1-0 win over Switzerland in Beijing. It wasn't the convincing start to the tournament the Russians may have hoped for as they were outshot by a Swiss team not expected to contend for a medal. The Russians are playing as the Russian Olympic Committee. They had a slice of good fortune for the only goal. A shot from former Edmonton Oilers forward Anton Slepyshev took a double bounce off Swiss goaltender Reto Berra's pad and Enzo Corvi's leg on its way into the goal.

— US skier Colby Stevenson has come away with silver in men's big air. Norway's Birk Ruud won gold in the Olympics' first men's freestyle skiing big air event, re-emerging as a leader in the extreme sport after losing his father to cancer and injuring his knee. Ruud's final score of 187.75 was well clear of Stevenson's 183. 

— Defending Olympic champion snowboarder Chloe Kim cruised through the halfpipe on her first run. The Californian scored 87.75, good enough for the top spot in women's qualifying.

— The IOC says the medal ceremony for the team figure skating competition at the Beijing Olympics has been delayed because of an ongoing legal issue that could affect medalists. The ceremony to award the Russian team the gold medals, the United States silver and Japan bronze was not held as scheduled Tuesday. International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said the reason was a "legal consultation" required with the governing body of skating.

College athlete group files complaint, seeks employee status

UNDATED (AP) — An advocacy group for college athletes has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board. The goal is to give employee status to college athletes. That would give them the right to competitive pay, collective bargaining and other benefits. The move comes after the NLRB's general counsel wrote in a memo that she views college athletes to be employees.

UNDATED (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have completed a 3-1 road trip with a comeback win at Philadelphia.

The Suns rallied from a 14-point deficit to win for the 14th time in 15 games, 114-109 over the 76ers.

Devin Booker poured in 35 points and Chris Paul hit a pair of big shots while providing 16 points and 12 assists. Paul canned a free throw to put the Suns up 100-99, then buried a 3-pointer after the Sixers lost the ball on their next possession.

Mikael (mih-KAYL') Bridges added 23 points to the Suns' league-leading 44th win.

Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED') had 34 points and 12 rebounds for the Sixers, though he mishandled the ball twice in the final minutes.

— The Bucks completed an L.A. sweep as Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) scored 44 points on 17-for-20 shooting in their 131-116 win over the Lakers. Bobby Portis had 23 points with five 3-pointers, and Khris Middleton scored all of his 21 points in the first half of Milwaukee's fourth straight win. Milwaukee jumped to a 24-point lead in the first half with 70% shooting and led by 30 midway through the third quarter before surviving the Lakers' strong late rally. 

— Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart each scored 22 points as the Celtics rolled to their sixth straight win, a 126-91 dismantling of the reeling Nets. Without Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, the Nets weren't competitive in their ninth straight loss. Boston jumped to a 28-2 lead in a game that was never in doubt.

— The Grizzlies rolled to a 135-109 win over the Clippers behind Ja (jah) Morant's 30 points. Morant shot 12 of 19 from the field in reaching the 30-point mark for the ninth time in 10 games. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 26 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks to the rout.

— The Mavericks were 40 points better than the Pistons as Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch) and Jalen Brunson led a 116-86 laugher. Doncic fell three rebounds shy of his third straight triple-double, finishing with 33 points with 11 assists. Brunson chipped in 21 points for Dallas, which never trailed in its third straight win.

— Rookie Bones Hyland scored 22 points and Nikola Jokic (nih-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) had 21 as the Nuggets earned a comfortable win over the Knicks, 132-115. JaMychal Green and Will Barton added 20 points apiece and Aaron Gordon had 19 for Denver, which has won successive games after losing three in a row. The Knicks wasted Julius Randle's 28 points and lost for the 10th time in 12 games.

— Trae Young scored 34 points and the Hawks regained their 3-point touch while overwhelming the trade-depleted Pacers, 133-112. After making only 5 of 25 3s in Sunday's 103-94 loss at Dallas, the Hawks sank 17 of 33 long-range shots. John Collins added 20 points as the Hawks regrouped after losing two straight and three of four. 

— Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and Minnesota made 22 3-pointers in its fifth win in a row, 134-114 at Sacramento. Malik Beasley matched his career-high with seven 3-pointers and scored 21 points, helping the Timberwolves to their ninth win in 12 games. 

— The Magic were 113-95 winners over the Trail Blazers behind Cole Anthony's 23 points. Wendell Carter Jr. added 18 in Orlando's first win in three games.

— Brandon Ingram provided 26 points and the Pelicans ran their winning streak to four games by topping the Rockets, 110-97. Rookie Herb Jones had 10 points and 11 rebounds for his first career double-double for the Pelicans. 

Pelicans, Trail Blazers in seven-play trade

UNDATED (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans have acquired guard C.J. McCollum from the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a seven-player trade. The Pelicans will also receive forwards Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell in the deal, while the Trail Blazers receive Josh Hart, Tomas Staoransky, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Didi Louzada, as well as draft compensation. 

The trade means the end of an era in Portland, where McCollum has been paired with Damian Lillard in the backcourt since 2013. Portland has reached the playoffs every season since the team drafted McCollum that season.

— The Pacers are trading two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis (doh-MAHN'-tahs sah-BOH'-nihs) to the Kings in a 6-player deal. Sacramento is sending Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield (heeld) and Tristan Thompson to the Pacers. The Kings also will receive Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a second-round draft pick. 

— Wizards guard Bradley Beal will undergo left wrist surgery that will cause him to miss the rest of the regular season. The Wizards said Beal was re-evaluated by a specialist in New York on Tuesday and the decision was made along with his representation to have the procedure.

— Bulls forward Zach LaVine, Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, Raptors guard Fred VanVleet and Hawks guard Trae Young will headline the 3-point contest during the NBA Skills Competition during All-Star weekend. Also competing are Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane, Clippers guard Luke Kennard, Pacers guard CJ McCollum and Nets guard Patty Mills. 

— Magic guard Cole Anthony, Rockets guard Jalen Green, Knicks forward Obi Toppin (OH'-bee TAH'-pihn) and Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson will participate in the Slam Dunk competition during All-Star weekend. A first-time champion will be crowned as Anthony, Green and Toscano-Anderson are set to make their event debuts. Toppin returns for his second appearance after finishing as the runner-up last year. 

UNDATED (AP) — Gonzaga has been given a chance to regain the No. 1 ranking in men's basketball.

JD Notae (NOH'-tay) furnished 28 points and unranked Arkansas used clutch foul shooting in overtime to upset No. 1 Auburn, 80-76. 

It's the Razorbacks' first win over a top-ranked team since 1984 against North Carolina. They did it by hitting 11 of 14 free throws in the final 1:52 to set off a celebration at Bud Walton Arena.

The Tigers erased a 12-point, first-half deficit before their 19-game winning streak came to an end. Auburn hadn't lost since falling to UConn in double overtime in November. 

Jabari Smith had 20 points and nine rebounds for Auburn.

Also on Tuesday's top-25 men's basketball schedule:

— Jaden Ivey scored 26 points and Eric Hunter Jr. provided all nine of his points during a key run to start the second half to send third-ranked Purdue past No. 13 Illinois, 84-68. The Boilermakers have won six straight and nine of 10 to grab a share of the Big Ten lead with the Illinois. Illinois was led by Kofi Cockburn, who had 18 points and seven rebounds. 

— Oscar Tshiebwe (SHEEB'-way) and Tyty Washington led fifth-ranked Kentucky to an 86-76 win over South Carolina. Tshiebwe delivered 18 points and 14 rebounds in his sixth consecutive double-double. Washington scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half as the Wildcats reached 20 victories for the 13th time in 14 years. 

— Johnny Juzang (JOO'-zang) scored 23 points, including a momentum changing four-point play that pushed No. 12 UCLA past Stanford, 79-70. Jaime Jaquez, (HY'-may HAH'-kehz) Jr. added 16 to help the Bruins halt a two-game skid.

— Johnny Davis had a game-high 25 points in leading 14th-ranked Wisconsin to a 70-62 victory over No. 17 Michigan State. Chucky Hepburn and Tyler Wahl both added 11 points for the Badgers, who held the Spartans under 30% from the field until MSU hit its final attempt of the first half. Marcus Bingham Jr. had 15 points to lead the Spartans. 

— Justin Moore scored 16 points on a sore ankle and No. 15 Villanova held off a furious late charge by St. John's in a 75-69 victory. Eric Dixon also had 16 points and the Wildcats overcame a scoreless outing by banged-up star Collin Gillespie to stay two losses behind first-place Providence in the Big East.

— Adama Sanogo scored 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead 24th-rated UConn to an 80-72 win over No. 18 Marquette. Tyrese Martin added 18 points and 15 boards for the Huskies.

— Boogie Ellis scored 13 points and No. 21 Southern California came back from 13 down in the second half to knock off Pacific, 74-68.

— PJ Pipes scored 21 points and Jalen Williams had 18 points and 10 assists as Santa Clara beat No. 22 Saint Mary's, 77-72.

Kamara accused of punching a man about eight times

LAS VEGAS (AP) — New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is accused of punching a man about eight times, badly injuring him in an attack also involving at least three men who were with Kamara at a Las Vegas Strip nightclub. That's according to a police arrest report made public Tuesday. 

The alleged victim fell unconscious while police say video shows he was punched, kicked and stomped on more than 20 times early Saturday. Identities of the three other alleged attackers were blacked out in the police report. No other arrests have been made. 

Kamara played in Sunday's Pro Bowl game before he was arrested on a felony battery charge. 

UNDATED (AP) — The Tennessee Titans wasted little time making sure general manager Jon Robinson and coach Mike Vrabel stick around for years to come. The Titans announced contract extensions for both Robinson and Vrabel barely two weeks after the season ended. Robinson has overseen six straight winning seasons since being hired in January 2016. That ranks second in the NFL in that span. Vrabel has won 43 games in his four seasons.

— The Green Bay Packers have hired former Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia to upgrade their beleaguered special teams. Bisaccia is Green Bay's third special teams coordinator in as many seasons. 

UNDATED (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins ended their slide as their captain moved closer to another milestone.

The Penguins spotted the Bruins a 2-0 lead before earning a 4-2 victory at Boston. Danton Heinen scored twice in a 28-second span of the second period before Sidney Crosby put Pittsburgh ahead with his 499th career goal, scoring with 7:07 remaining in the second. Tristian Jarry turned back 43 shots and Bryan Rust added an empty-netter as the Pens ended a four-game winless streak.

David Pastrnak scored twice for the Bruins, who outshot the Penguins 45-25 but couldn't get anything past Jarry after the first period. 

— Brady Tkachuk (kuh-CHUHK') snapped a 15-game scoring drought with a pair of goals in the Senators' 4-3 surprise over the Hurricanes. Alex Formenton and Chris Tierney also scored, and Tim Stutzle chipped in with two assists for Ottawa. 

— The Blue Jackets pulled out a 5-4 win over the Capitals on Boone Jenner's 19th goal with 44.4 seconds remaining. Jenner scored less than two minutes after Washington's Tom Wilson tied the game on a 6-on-5 chance.

— Connor Hellebuyck (HEH'-leh-buhk) made 27 saves and Mark Scheifele (SHY'-flee) scored a power-play goal as the Jets defeated Minnesota, 2-0. The Wild ended a six-game winning streak and were shut out for the first time this season.

— Michael McLeod scored twice and the Devils ended a seven-game losing streak by blasting the Canadiens, 7-1. New Jersey pulled away on goals from Dawson Mercer, Nico Hischier (HEE'-sheeee-ur), Jesper Boqvist (BOH'-kvist) and Tomas Tatar (tah-TAHR') in his first game back in Montreal.

— Laurent Brossoit (broh-SAH') made 28 saves for his third career shutout to backstop the Golden Knights in their third straight win, 4-0 over the Oilers. Brett Howden and Alex Pietrangelo (peh-TRAN'-jeh-loh) also scored for the Pacific Division leaders.

— J.T. Miller, Elias (eh-LEE'-uhs) Pettersson and Bo Horvat HOHR'-vat) each had a goal and an assist as the Canucks trounced the Coyotes, 5-1. Miller collected his 400th career point as Vancouver climbed over .500.

Prosecutors won't file charges against Dodgers pitcher Bauer

UNDATED (AP) — Los Angeles prosecutors won't charge Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer for allegedly beating and sexually abusing a woman he met through social media. Bauer was placed on paid leave on July 2 under the players' union and Major League Baseball's joint domestic violence and sexual assault policy. 

A San Diego woman said he choked her into unconsciousness, punched her repeatedly and had anal sex with her without her consent during two sexual encounters. The pitcher, in a video posted online Tuesday, says the woman repeatedly consented to rough sex.

Bauer could still face a potential suspension by MLB. 

— Rockies manager Bud Black has agreed to a one-year extension through the 2023 season. Black has a 349-359 record over five seasons in Denver, including a 91-72 mark in 2018.

Sports Headlines for Wednesday

The Hutchinson Community College softball team earned a doubleheader sweep of the Independence Pirates on Tuesday at Fun Valley, doing so in two completely different ways.

Sophomore pitcher Sadie Loney struck out eight in four innings as the Blue Dragons pounded out 14 hits in a 9-2 victory in Game 1. The Blue Dragons then had to rally from an early five-run deficit in Game 2, only to build a three-run lead and then hold on for an 8-7 win over the Pirates.

The Blue Dragons start the season 4-0 with the next two weekends to be spent in Texas. This weekend, Hutchison will play four games in the Grayson County Tournament in Dennison, Texas. The Blue Dragons play NOC-Enid and No. 3 Grayson on Friday and Weatherford and Vernon on Saturday.

Loney had a strong outing in the pitcher’s circle and was staked to six early runs over the first three innings as the Blue Dragons out-hit the Pirates 14-3 in the opening game.

Working the first four innings, Loney struck out eight, including five in a row, striking out the side in the second inning. Loney (2-0) earned her 12th career pitching win allowing only one run – a wind-aided home run to Cheyenne Henry in the fourth – two hits and one walk.

Offensively, Carley Sterneker’s two-run first-inning double capped a three-run first and started a run of six unanswered runs over the first three innings by the Blue Dragons. Leadoff hitter Ella Dougherty added a ground-rule RBI double in the second and two runs scored on an Easton Swanson fielder’s choice in the third.

The Blue Dragons scored at least one run in 5 of their 6 offensive innings.

Dougherty posted her first career four-hit game, going 4 for 4 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run scored. Sterneker, Aspen Goetz and Swanson all had two hits each in the opening game.

Emily Munson worked two innings of relief in the pitcher’s circle. She gave up one earned run and walked two with a strikeout. Riley Wertz closed out the game with two strikeouts in a perfect seventh.

The Blue Dragons trailed in a game for the first time this season after giving up five runs, all with two out, in the Pirate second inning.

After stranding five runners on base in the first two innings, the Blue Dragons finally started the comeback with a two-run Goetz single in the third. The Dragons cut it to 5-3 when Dougherty scored from first on a Haley Miller sacrifice bunt and errant Pirate throw.

Then there was a bizarre fifth inning for Hutchinson.

Wertz led off with a walk and went all the way to third after Allie Stipsits’ line-drive to center field was misplayed and rolled all the way to the fence. The Dragons then loaded the bases on a nine-pitch walk to Lexie Pitcher. After a Pirate pitching change, the Dragons cut the Indy lead to one run on a bases-loaded hit-by-hit to Dougherty and tied the game at 5-5 when pinch-runner Cheyenne Collins scored on a wild pitch. Hutch took the lead when Miller laced an RBI double to right-center and Madison Grimes singled up the middle. The five-run inning was capped when Miller scored on another wild pitch for an 8-5 Blue Dragon lead.

&nbsp;The Dragons looked to finally be in control after Wertz, who entered the game in the top of the fifth, struck out the side in the sixth. Wertz gave up a leadoff single to Sarena Sanders to start the seventh. She was at third with two out and the Pirates’ Kenna Ferguson, who was down to her last strike, hit a two-run homer to left to cut the Dragon lead to 8-7. Wertz then closed out her first career pitching win with a strikeout of Parker Moore.

The Blue Dragons had nine hits in Game 2 led by Miller’s 3-for-3 performance. Grimes was 2 for 2 with two walks. The Blue Dragons stranded a season-high 10 runners on base.

Relief pitcher Kiersten Weitze was an unsung hero for the Blue Dragons. She got the final out of the five-run Pirate second inning and worked 2 1-3 innings of scoreless relief with two hits allowed and four strikeouts. Wertz (1-0) struck out seven in the final three innings.

Morgan Pennycuff started and worked the first 1 2-3 innings.

STEVE CARPENTERHutchCC Sports InformationThe Hutchinson Community College softball team earned a doubleheader sweep of the Independence Pirates on Tuesday at Fun Valley, doing so in two completely different ways.Sophomore pitcher Sadie Loney struck out eight in four innings as the Blue Dragons pounded out 14 hits in a 9-2 victory in Game 1. The Blue Dragons then had to rally from an early five-run deficit in Game 2, only to build a three-run lead and then hold on for an 8-7 win over the Pirates.The Blue Dragons start the season 4-0 with the next two weekends to be spent in Texas. This weekend, Hutchison will play four games in the Grayson County Tournament in Dennison, Texas. The Blue Dragons play NOC-Enid and No. 3 Grayson on Friday and Weatherford and Vernon on Saturday.GAME 1 RECAPLoney had a strong outing in the pitcher’s circle and was staked to six early runs over the first three innings as the Blue Dragons out-hit the Pirates 14-3 in the opening game.Working the first four innings, Loney struck out eight, including five in a row, striking out the side in the second inning. Loney (2-0) earned her 12th career pitching win allowing only one run – a wind-aided home run to Cheyenne Henry in the fourth – two hits and one walk.Offensively, Carley Sterneker’s two-run first-inning double capped a three-run first and started a run of six unanswered runs over the first three innings by the Blue Dragons. Leadoff hitter Ella Dougherty added a ground-rule RBI double in the second and two runs scored on an Easton Swanson fielder’s choice in the third.The Blue Dragons scored at least one run in 5 of their 6 offensive innings.Dougherty posted her first career four-hit game, going 4 for 4 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run scored. Sterneker, Aspen Goetz and Swanson all had two hits each in the opening game.Emily Munson worked two innings of relief in the pitcher’s circle. She gave up one earned run and walked two with a strikeout. Riley Wertz closed out the game with two strikeouts in a perfect seventh.GAME 2 RECAPThe Blue Dragons trailed in a game for the first time this season after giving up five runs, all with two out, in the Pirate second inning.After stranding five runners on base in the first two innings, the Blue Dragons finally started the comeback with a two-run Goetz single in the third. The Dragons cut it to 5-3 when Dougherty scored from first on a Haley Miller sacrifice bunt and errant Pirate throw.Then there was a bizarre fifth inning for Hutchinson.Wertz led off with a walk and went all the way to third after Allie Stipsits’ line-drive to center field was misplayed and rolled all the way to the fence. The Dragons then loaded the bases on a nine-pitch walk to Lexie Pitcher. After a Pirate pitching change, the Dragons cut the Indy lead to one run on a bases-loaded hit-by-hit to Dougherty and tied the game at 5-5 when pinch-runner Cheyenne Collins scored on a wild pitch. Hutch took the lead when Miller laced an RBI double to right-center and Madison Grimes singled up the middle. The five-run inning was capped when Miller scored on another wild pitch for an 8-5 Blue Dragon lead.&nbsp;The Dragons looked to finally be in control after Wertz, who entered the game in the top of the fifth, struck out the side in the sixth. Wertz gave up a leadoff single to Sarena Sanders to start the seventh. She was at third with two out and the Pirates’ Kenna Ferguson, who was down to her last strike, hit a two-run homer to left to cut the Dragon lead to 8-7. Wertz then closed out her first career pitching win with a strikeout of Parker Moore.The Blue Dragons had nine hits in Game 2 led by Miller’s 3-for-3 performance. Grimes was 2 for 2 with two walks. The Blue Dragons stranded a season-high 10 runners on base.Relief pitcher Kiersten Weitze was an unsung hero for the Blue Dragons. She got the final out of the five-run Pirate second inning and worked 2 1-3 innings of scoreless relief with two hits allowed and four strikeouts. Wertz (1-0) struck out seven in the final three innings.Morgan Pennycuff started and worked the first 1 2-3 innings.

Softball Blue Dragons take pair over Pirates

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Brandon Mahan scored 12 of his team-high 19 points in the last five minutes to help UCF hold off Wichita State, 71-66, Tuesday night at Addition Financial Arena.

Tyson Etienne scored 17 of his game-high 26 in the second half for WSU (12-9, 3-6 American), which nearly overcame a 16-point second-half deficit.

Mahan was 6-of-10 from the field and secured nine rebounds to keep UCF (14-8, 6-6) in front. His final stretch included a four-point play and a pair of three-point plays, the last with 26 seconds on the clock and the Knights clinging to a 66-64 lead.

The win was UCF's first-ever in the series. The Shockers had won all eight previous meetings, including an 84-79 decision less than two weeks ago in Wichita.

UCF sank 11 on 29 three-point attempts (.380), five of them by Darin Green Jr., who finished with 17 points.

Helped by a 5-of-12 line from Etienne, WSU sank 11 of its 26 three-point tries (.420).

Craig Porter Jr. finished with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals. He was 2-for-2 from distance.

Dexter Dennis sank all three of his three-point looks on his way to 11 points and six boards.

The Shockers made their first three triples of the night to build a quick 11-2 lead. They scored 15 points in the game's first five minutes but managed just 14 more the rest of the half, due in part to 10 first-half turnovers.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Brandon Mahan scored 12 of his team-high 19 points in the last five minutes to help UCF hold off Wichita State, 71-66, Tuesday night at Addition Financial Arena.Tyson Etienne scored 17 of his game-high 26 in the second half for WSU (12-9, 3-6 American), which nearly overcame a 16-point second-half deficit.Mahan was 6-of-10 from the field and secured nine rebounds to keep UCF (14-8, 6-6) in front. His final stretch included a four-point play and a pair of three-point plays, the last with 26 seconds on the clock and the Knights clinging to a 66-64 lead.The win was UCF's first-ever in the series. The Shockers had won all eight previous meetings, including an 84-79 decision less than two weeks ago in Wichita.UCF sank 11 on 29 three-point attempts (.380), five of them by Darin Green Jr., who finished with 17 points.Helped by a 5-of-12 line from Etienne, WSU sank 11 of its 26 three-point tries (.420).Craig Porter Jr. finished with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals. He was 2-for-2 from distance.Dexter Dennis sank all three of his three-point looks on his way to 11 points and six boards.The Shockers made their first three triples of the night to build a quick 11-2 lead. They scored 15 points in the game's first five minutes but managed just 14 more the rest of the half, due in part to 10 first-half turnovers.The Knights outscored the Shockers 24-6 over the next 10 minutes to go up by double-figures and led by 14 at the intermission. They hosts were 8-of-17 from three at that stage but made just three more the rest of the way.Down 16 (47-31) with 18:08 to play, WSU began its comeback bid.Etienne scored the last seven points in a 13-0 Shocker run that sliced UCF's lead down to 49-47 at the 13:22-mark.That was as close as the Shockers would get. Down the stretch, they had four possessions with an opportunity to tie or take lead and came up empty on all of them. WSU falls to 12-9 on the season and 3-6 in conference play.