January 29, 2022 Saturday Sports

EMPORIA, Kan.-The Hutchinson Salthawk Girls's Basketball team will match up against Goddard Eisenhower High School Girl's in the consolation championship game of the &nbsp;of the Emporia High Glaciers Edge Tournament game today at 11am from Emporia.

Join the Eagle Radio broadcast team with the pre-game scheduled to begin at 6:45pm on KWBW radio 1450AM and 98.5 FM or stream audio at <a href="http://kwbwradio.com">kwbwradio.com</a> or with the KWBW app.&nbsp; Video stream of the game will be available on the Hutchinson Channel on the NFHS Network at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/">nfhsnetwork.com.</a>

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EMPORIA, Kan.-The Hutchinson Salthawk Girls's Basketball team will match up against Goddard Eisenhower High School Girl's in the consolation championship game of the &nbsp;of the Emporia High Glaciers Edge Tournament game today at 11am from Emporia.Join the Eagle Radio broadcast team with the pre-game scheduled to begin at 6:45pm on KWBW radio 1450AM and 98.5 FM or stream audio at <a href="http://kwbwradio.com">kwbwradio.com</a> or with the KWBW app.&nbsp; Video stream of the game will be available on the Hutchinson Channel on the NFHS Network at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/">nfhsnetwork.com.</a><div><iframe src="https://player.nfhsnetwork.com/#/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gamd9fc0eab82" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" width="640" height="360"></iframe>

</div><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">C</a><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">LICK 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;

🎥 🏀 Game Day! Hutch High Girls's Basketball vs Goddard Eisenhower in the consolation championship of Glacier's Edge in Emporia


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Friday was a good day for Hutch High basketball, as the Hutch High girls bounced back from a first-round loss to Great Bend to win in the consolation semifinal of the Glacier's Edge tournament in Emporia over Shawnee Heights 45-28. Aliyah Green had 12 points, Grace Posch had 10.

The girls will play this morning at 11 a.m. against Goddard Eisenhower for the consolation championship.

The Eisenhower boys came to the SAC for a boys only tilt Friday night and Hutch High won 74-54.&nbsp;

Hutch led at each quarter break 18-12, 34-28 at half, 52-43 and 74-54. 

 Garrett Robertson led with 25, Kinser Newquist 11 and Nic Lange 10. 

 Khalil Mendoza lit up the crowd with a big 1st quarter dunk.  Hutch hosts Derby next Tuesday at the SAC.

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Friday was a good day for Hutch High basketball, as the Hutch High girls bounced back from a first-round loss to Great Bend to win in the consolation semifinal of the Glacier's Edge tournament in Emporia over Shawnee Heights 45-28. Aliyah Green had 12 points, Grace Posch had 10.The girls will play this morning at 11 a.m. against Goddard Eisenhower for the consolation championship.The Eisenhower boys came to the SAC for a boys only tilt Friday night and Hutch High won 74-54.&nbsp;Hutch led at each quarter break 18-12, 34-28 at half, 52-43 and 74-54. Garrett Robertson led with 25, Kinser Newquist 11 and Nic Lange 10. Khalil Mendoza lit up the crowd with a big 1st quarter dunk. Hutch hosts Derby next Tuesday at the SAC.

Hutch High wins basketball games Friday

WICHITA — 
<a href="https://goshockers.com/news/2022/1/28/mens-basketball-shockers-tango-with-tulane-saturday-morning-on-espnu.aspx">After stopping a four-game slide, Wichita State looks to build some positive momentum Saturday when it travels to New Orleans for an American Athletic Conference matchup against the Tulane Green Wave (11 a.m. CT).</a>

Ricky Council IV scored a career-high 31 points on 16-of-20 free throw shooting in Wednesday's 84-79 victory over UCF.

The defending champs were 0-4 in league play prior to the win, which was their first in 35 days.

COVID-19 has made it tough for the Shockers to find much of a rhythm. The Dec. 29 opener at ECU was called off after a pause within the ECU program. WSU was without key players in close home losses to Tulane (67-68) and Cincinnati (57-61) and postponed subsequent road games at Temple (Jan. 19) and SMU (Jan. 23). The latter was rescheduled for next Thursday.

Makeup games will make for a brutal February. WSU plays three times in five days next week, beginning Tuesday against Tulsa. They'll face SMU back-to-back, Thursday in Dallas and Saturday in Wichita.

WSU won the first six series meetings against Tulane before losing Jan. 12 in Wichita, 68-67. Council finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds, but his buzzer-beating layup was negated by a charging call.

WICHITA — 
<a href="https://goshockers.com/news/2022/1/28/mens-basketball-shockers-tango-with-tulane-saturday-morning-on-espnu.aspx">After stopping a four-game slide, Wichita State looks to build some positive momentum Saturday when it travels to New Orleans for an American Athletic Conference matchup against the Tulane Green Wave (11 a.m. CT).</a>Ricky Council IV scored a career-high 31 points on 16-of-20 free throw shooting in Wednesday's 84-79 victory over UCF.The defending champs were 0-4 in league play prior to the win, which was their first in 35 days.COVID-19 has made it tough for the Shockers to find much of a rhythm. The Dec. 29 opener at ECU was called off after a pause within the ECU program. WSU was without key players in close home losses to Tulane (67-68) and Cincinnati (57-61) and postponed subsequent road games at Temple (Jan. 19) and SMU (Jan. 23). The latter was rescheduled for next Thursday.Makeup games will make for a brutal February. WSU plays three times in five days next week, beginning Tuesday against Tulsa. They'll face SMU back-to-back, Thursday in Dallas and Saturday in Wichita.WSU won the first six series meetings against Tulane before losing Jan. 12 in Wichita, 68-67. Council finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds, but his buzzer-beating layup was negated by a charging call.

WSU on road at Tulane Saturday

Thunder Ridge 37, Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud 18

Bishop Seabury Academy 75, KC Christian 59

GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL=Blue Valley 52, Olathe West 44Bluestem 40, Cherryvale 37Bonner Springs 55, Independence 50Centralia 53, Hanover 49Chanute 34, Iola 28Cimarron 52, Scott City 46Circle 39, Augusta 36Clifton-Clyde 34, Frankfort 29Colby 56, Holcomb 54, OTConway Springs 39, Arkansas City 38Crest 45, Oswego 40DeSoto 51, Paola 40Dighton 45, Greeley County 33Doniphan West 55, Blue Valley 24Elkhart 72, Moscow 25Ellinwood 66, Lyons 47Eudora 39, Ottawa 24Fort Scott 61, Parsons 44Frontenac 45, Columbus 31Goddard-Eisenhower 53, Wichita South 37Goodland 61, Lakin 20Halstead 39, Rose Hill 29Hartford 59, Southern Coffey 36Hays-TMP-Marian 56, Abilene 26Herington 44, Northern Heights 33Heritage Christian 34, KC Bishop Ward 31Hesston 60, Buhler 23Holton 30, Chapman 24Hugoton 66, Ulysses 20Hutchinson 45, Shawnee Heights 28Inman 51, Belle Plaine 46Jefferson North 49, Valley Falls 28Jefferson West 53, Wellsville 13Kapaun Mount Carmel 51, El Dorado 21La Crosse 40, Victoria 38Lincoln 51, Natoma 30Linn 56, Onaga 34Logan/Palco 45, Triplains-Brewster 31Ness City 62, Wheatland-Grinnell 57Northeast-Arma 44, Yates Center 26Norton 38, Ellis 34Oakley 35, Hill City 27Olathe North 48, Olathe East 30Osborne 71, Lakeside 58Pawnee Heights 51, Ingalls 50Pike Valley 35, Chase 31Prairie View 40, Osawatomie 24Riley County 40, Wabaunsee 22Riverside 49, Axtell 29Riverton 42, Baxter Springs 25Rock Hills 37, Wilson 27SM West 52, Lawrence 28Salina Central 68, Hays 43Silver Lake 51, Sabetha 13Smith Center 52, Phillipsburg 51Smoky Valley 36, Clay Center 33Southeast Saline 60, Ellsworth 34St. John's Beloit-Tipton 53, Tescott 30St. Mary's 84, KC Harmon 10St. Paul 49, Marmaton Valley 24Sylvan-Lucas 59, Otis-Bison 40Syracuse 52, Stanton County 47Thunder Ridge 37, Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud 18Tonganoxie 37, KC Piper 33Topeka 52, BV Southwest 43Topeka 52, SM East 43Trego 51, Plainville 19Uniontown 52, Chetopa 21Valley Center 43, Haven 22Valley Heights 61, Wetmore 23Wamego 58, Rock Creek 35Washington County 40, Troy 33, OTWeskan 53, Hi-Plains, Colo. 41Wichita Classical 30, Solomon 22Wichita Trinity 52, Ell-Saline 43McPherson Tournament=Consolation Semifinal=Clearwater 45, Wichita Northwest 22Manhattan 52, Marysville 44, OTSemifinal=Olathe South 36, SM South 35SM Northwest 41, McPherson 37BOYS PREP BASKETBALL=Abilene 47, Hays-TMP-Marian 43Andale 37, Haven 32Anderson County 54, Central Heights 41Augusta 52, El Dorado 47BV North 50, Bishop Miege 44BV Southwest 58, Lansing 29Basehor-Linwood 83, KC Turner 26Bishop Seabury Academy 75, KC Christian 59Blue Valley 55, Doniphan West 34Bonner Springs 50, Independence 48Bucklin 68, South Gray 64Caney Valley 66, Neodesha 26Chanute 62, Iola 36Cherryvale 22, Bluestem 11Columbus 78, Frontenac 66Crest 56, Oswego 41DeSoto 64, Paola 51Derby 57, Maize 52Dodge City 51, Great Bend 43Doniphan West 74, Topeka Seaman 58Ellinwood 63, Lyons 58Erie 48, Humboldt 41Eudora 50, Ottawa 34Eureka 62, Fredonia 55Fowler 47, Deerfield 33Frankfort 48, Clifton-Clyde 35Girard 49, Pittsburg Colgan 38Hanover 65, Centralia 24Hays 58, Salina Central 32Hesston 45, Buhler 40Highland Park 62, Topeka Hayden 60Holcomb 51, Colby 43Holton 50, Chapman 39Hutchinson 74, Goddard Eisenhower 54Inman 52, Berean Academy 28KC Bishop Ward 58, Heritage Christian 55Kiowa County 50, South Central 47La Crosse 60, Victoria 50Lakeside 59, Osborne 48Lawrence 59, Gardner-Edgerton 29Lawrence Free State 48, SM South 39Logan/Palco 70, Triplains-Brewster 49Mill Valley 56, Leavenworth 43Moundridge 54, Goessel 38Ness City 94, Wheatland-Grinnell 71Northeast-Arma 40, Yates Center 39, OTNorthern Valley 73, Western Plains 32Norton 73, Ellis 46Olathe North 48, Olathe East 41Onaga 53, Linn 29Parsons 52, Fort Scott 45Pawnee Heights 51, Ingalls 50Perry-Lecompton 44, Jefferson West 34Phillipsburg 54, Smith Center 21Pike Valley 45, Chase 34Prairie View 64, Osawatomie 46Riverside 46, Axtell 32Riverton 55, Baxter Springs 31Rock Hills 20, Wilson 12Russell 53, St. John 46SM East 69, Rockhurst, Mo. 50Sabetha 49, Silver Lake 40Salina Sacred Heart 57, Hutchinson Trinity 37Scott City 62, Cimarron 42Smoky Valley 59, Clay Center 52South Haven 44, West Elk 33Southeast 72, Jayhawk Linn 20Southeast Saline 63, Ellsworth 39Spearville 45, Minneola 39Spring Hill 54, Louisburg 42St. John's Beloit-Tipton 69, Tescott 26Stanton County 57, Syracuse 52Sylvan-Lucas 32, Otis-Bison 23Thunder Ridge 64, Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud 36Trego 54, Plainville 35Troy 64, Washington County 34Uniontown 60, Chetopa 32Veritas Christian 56, Christ Preparatory Academy 40Wabaunsee 54, Riley County 50Wamego 63, Rock Creek 53Washburn Rural 54, Derby 37Weskan 53, Hi-Plains, Colo. 41Wetmore 48, Valley Heights 35Wichita Collegiate 68, Circle 65, OTWichita County 67, Southwestern Hts. 57POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=Natoma vs. Lincoln, ccd.

High School Basketball Scores from January 28, 2022

Saturday’s road trip to Arkansas City is sure to be a trip down memory lane for Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball coach Tommy DeSalme and five Blue Dragon players.

Last season, DeSalme was the Cowley Tigers’ head coach. With DeSalme on that roster was forwards Jacquez Yow, Josiah Harris and Tarese Morse; and guards Kobe Campbell and Cameron Robins. All that team did was win the Jayhawk East and Region VI titles and finish as national runner-up in the 2021 NJCAA Tournament.

Now DeSalme and those five players are Blue Dragons, who play at Cowley on Saturday in a 7:30 p.m. tipoff from Scott Auditorium in Arkansas City.

The Blue Dragons (18-3) find themselves in a first-place tie with Dodge City in the Jayhawk Conference as play begins on Saturday. Hutchinson rallied from 11 points down on Wednesday to defeat Barton 95-89, while Dodge City dropped a road game on Wednesday at Seward County.

Angelo Stuart reached the 20-point mark for the 16th time this season to lead the Blue Dragons with 20 points. Hutchinson received a huge lift from Campbell, who had missed the last two games with an injury. Campbell scored 15 points. Yow had 19 points and seven rebounds.

The Blue Dragons are now 4-2 in games when trailing at halftime. The Dragons trailed Barton 47-43 at halftime and were down by as many as 11 points with 13:59 to go in the second half.

The last time the Blue Dragons and Tigers met, Cowley held the high-scoring Blue Dragons to a season-low offensive output in a 76-75 Hutchinson win on December 1 at the Sports Arena. Stuart had 21 points, Kaimen Lennox had 12 points and Campbell finished with 10 to place the Blue Dragons in that defensive struggle. Xavier Valley had four 3-pointers and finished with 22 points to lead the Tigers.

Cowley enters Saturday’s game fresh off a 78-52 road victory over Northwest Tech on Wednesday in Goodland. Valley had a game-high 23 points to pace Cowley, which shot 56 percent from the floor with 10 3-point goals.

Saturday’s matchup will be the 133rd time in the Blue Dragons and Tigers have meet in a series that dates back to 1929. The Dragons lead the series 87-45.

STEVE CARPENTERHutchCC Sports InformationSaturday’s road trip to Arkansas City is sure to be a trip down memory lane for Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball coach Tommy DeSalme and five Blue Dragon players.Last season, DeSalme was the Cowley Tigers’ head coach. With DeSalme on that roster was forwards Jacquez Yow, Josiah Harris and Tarese Morse; and guards Kobe Campbell and Cameron Robins. All that team did was win the Jayhawk East and Region VI titles and finish as national runner-up in the 2021 NJCAA Tournament.Now DeSalme and those five players are Blue Dragons, who play at Cowley on Saturday in a 7:30 p.m. tipoff from Scott Auditorium in Arkansas City.The Blue Dragons (18-3) find themselves in a first-place tie with Dodge City in the Jayhawk Conference as play begins on Saturday. Hutchinson rallied from 11 points down on Wednesday to defeat Barton 95-89, while Dodge City dropped a road game on Wednesday at Seward County.Angelo Stuart reached the 20-point mark for the 16th time this season to lead the Blue Dragons with 20 points. Hutchinson received a huge lift from Campbell, who had missed the last two games with an injury. Campbell scored 15 points. Yow had 19 points and seven rebounds.The Blue Dragons are now 4-2 in games when trailing at halftime. The Dragons trailed Barton 47-43 at halftime and were down by as many as 11 points with 13:59 to go in the second half.The last time the Blue Dragons and Tigers met, Cowley held the high-scoring Blue Dragons to a season-low offensive output in a 76-75 Hutchinson win on December 1 at the Sports Arena. Stuart had 21 points, Kaimen Lennox had 12 points and Campbell finished with 10 to place the Blue Dragons in that defensive struggle. Xavier Valley had four 3-pointers and finished with 22 points to lead the Tigers.Cowley enters Saturday’s game fresh off a 78-52 road victory over Northwest Tech on Wednesday in Goodland. Valley had a game-high 23 points to pace Cowley, which shot 56 percent from the floor with 10 3-point goals.Saturday’s matchup will be the 133rd time in the Blue Dragons and Tigers have meet in a series that dates back to 1929. The Dragons lead the series 87-45.

DeSalme returns with Dragons to Cowley Saturday

The Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball starts a stretch of two-straight road games on Saturday with a trip to face the Cowley Tigers.

Tipoff between the Blue Dragons (18-4, 12-4 KJCCC) and the Tigers (12-7, 8-6) will be at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday at Scott Auditorium in Arkansas City.

This is the second of what could be six-straight opponents that reside in the upper division of the Jayhawk Conference for Hutchinson. The Dragons are in second place, 1.5 games behind leader Independence. Cowley is in sixth place just 2.5 games out of third.

The Blue Dragons will try to reach the .500 mark in road games this season. Hutchinson is 3-4 on the road, winning the last time on the road - 83-36 last Saturday at Pratt.

Powered by a career 19-point effort from freshman Natalie Payne, the Blue Dragons ran their winning streak to five games after dominating Barton 73-47 on Wednesday at the Sports Arena. Defensively, the Blue Dragons turned in a stellar effort by holding Barton to 32.1 percent shooting and forced 17 turnovers. The Cougars were held 18 points under their season scoring average.

Over Hutchinson’s five-game winning streak, the Blue Dragon defense has been impressive. The Blue Dragons are allowing the last five opponents to 51.8 points per game and 31.7 percent shooting. The Dragons have held their last nine opponents to less than 40 percent shooting.

Saturday’s game features the Nos. 3 and 4 winningest coaches in Jayhawk Conference and Region VI history. Blue Dragon head coach John Ontjes - who makes his 499th appearance on the Dragon bench Saturday - has 412 wins in 14-plus seasons at Hutchinson. Todd Clark has 406 victories in 17-plus seasons at Cowley.

The Blue Dragons won the first meeting this season with Cowley, 63-53, on December 1 at the Sports Arena. Freshman Mya Williams poured in a career-high 31 points in that game, hitting 7 of 13 shots from 3-point range. Carson Head finished with 20 points for Cowley.

STEVE CARPENTERHutchCC Sports InformationThe Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball starts a stretch of two-straight road games on Saturday with a trip to face the Cowley Tigers.Tipoff between the Blue Dragons (18-4, 12-4 KJCCC) and the Tigers (12-7, 8-6) will be at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday at Scott Auditorium in Arkansas City.This is the second of what could be six-straight opponents that reside in the upper division of the Jayhawk Conference for Hutchinson. The Dragons are in second place, 1.5 games behind leader Independence. Cowley is in sixth place just 2.5 games out of third.The Blue Dragons will try to reach the .500 mark in road games this season. Hutchinson is 3-4 on the road, winning the last time on the road - 83-36 last Saturday at Pratt.Powered by a career 19-point effort from freshman Natalie Payne, the Blue Dragons ran their winning streak to five games after dominating Barton 73-47 on Wednesday at the Sports Arena. Defensively, the Blue Dragons turned in a stellar effort by holding Barton to 32.1 percent shooting and forced 17 turnovers. The Cougars were held 18 points under their season scoring average.Over Hutchinson’s five-game winning streak, the Blue Dragon defense has been impressive. The Blue Dragons are allowing the last five opponents to 51.8 points per game and 31.7 percent shooting. The Dragons have held their last nine opponents to less than 40 percent shooting.Saturday’s game features the Nos. 3 and 4 winningest coaches in Jayhawk Conference and Region VI history. Blue Dragon head coach John Ontjes - who makes his 499th appearance on the Dragon bench Saturday - has 412 wins in 14-plus seasons at Hutchinson. Todd Clark has 406 victories in 17-plus seasons at Cowley.The Blue Dragons won the first meeting this season with Cowley, 63-53, on December 1 at the Sports Arena. Freshman Mya Williams poured in a career-high 31 points in that game, hitting 7 of 13 shots from 3-point range. Carson Head finished with 20 points for Cowley.

Dragon women on road at Cowley Saturday

Since returning to the Division I level in 2019, it’s been a steady progression upward for the Hutchinson Community College softball team.

The Blue Dragons were 26-16, but were eliminated from the Region VI Tournament in two games in 2019. The 2020 Blue Dragons got off to a tremendous start with an 18-6 start to the season and were in first place in the Jayhawk East when the season was halted because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Then last season, the Blue Dragons reached the Region VI Tournament winner’s bracket final and finished the season 29-17.

Now entering her 18th season as head coach, Jaime Rose said the experience and depth is there for the Blue Dragons to make another deep postseason run in 2022.

The march toward the 2022 postseason starts Saturday with the season opener against the Ottawa University Junior Varsity at Fun Valley. The January 29 start date will be the earliest in Blue Dragon softball history.

“The softball gods are going to give us a break on opening day,” said Rose, who is 486-332 in her first 17 years at Hutchinson and 524-386 in 19 overall seasons as a head coach.

Rose has her top three hitters, five overall position starters and a two-year pitcher returning from last season.

“We’ve added some pieces to an already good puzzle and we are looking forward to see how it plays out,” Rose said. “Offensively, we should equal or be better than last year. There really shouldn’t be a lot of holes in the lineup.”

All eyes will be on reigning league Player of the Year and second-team NJCAA All-American Madison Grimes (Andale).

The Blue Dragons’ returning starting shortstop shattered the Blue Dragon single-season record book hitting a whopping .562 batting average. Grimes also set season records for slugging percentage (.973), RBIs (78), total bases (142), runs scored (71), on-base percentage (.593) and extra-base hits (32). Grimes’ 71 hits were second most in single-season history and her 36 stolen bases were also the second most in single-season history.

Likely hitting out of the No. 3 spot in the order, Grimes will have plenty of protection on either side of her in the lineup with the second and third leading hitters from last season also returning.

Third-year sophomore infielder Natalie Bevan (Augusta) hit .426 (58 for 136) with nine home runs and 58 RBIS. Outfielder Haley Miller hit .407 (59 for 147) with an on-base percentage of 479 and her 28 stolen bases tied for fourth in single-season history.

“Natalie had a breakout year last year and she’s gotten stronger,” Rose said. “Haley is hard to play against. She has her speed working for her and she can hit away. You can’t cheat on her.”

Also returning were starters Carley Sterneker (Wichita) and Easton Swanson (Olathe). Sterneker hit .360 (49 for 136) with six homers and 36 RBIs. Swanson hit .324 (47 of 145) with seven homers and 36 RBIs.

“This team is so talented with depth,” Rose said. “We have settled on a lineup, but we have 6 or 7 others that we feel just as confident in.”

Third-year sophomore Sadie Loney is the lone returnee in the pitching circle for the Blue Dragons. After an injury-plagued 2021 season where she started only 3 of 19 appearances, Loney posted a 5-1 record with two saves and a 3.37 earned-run average. Loney had 45 strikeouts in 43 2-3 innings and opponents hit .228 against here. The left-handed Loney was 5-3 with a 4.46 ERA.

Rose calls her 2022 pitching staff “the deepest we’ve ever had.”

Joining Loney are freshmen Emily Munson (Omaha, NE), Morgan Pennycuff (Augusta), Kiersten Wietze (Spring Hill), and Riley Wertz (Wichita).

“Sadie has been in big-game situations in her career and has come through for us,” Rose said. “We can lean on her. Kiersten Wietze is a transfer from Highland who pitched in the 2021 NJCAA Division II national tournament last season. The three incoming freshmen pitchers are the best pitching class a whole that we’ve ever brought in.”

As far as who handles that pitching staff, Rose said she will start catcher Allie Stipsits (Olathe). Rose feels comfortable with four catchers on the roster.

The infield will start with Grimes at shortstop and sophomore transfer Lexie Pitcher (Wichita) at second. Bevan will move from first to third base and freshman Aspen Goetz (Derby) will take over at first.

The outfield will have Sterneker in left field and Miller moves to center. Freshman Ella Dougherty (Cross Timbers, MO) in right field. Dougherty will also hit in the leadoff spot to start the season. Swanson will be the designated player this season.

STEVE CARPENTERHutchCC Sports InformationSince returning to the Division I level in 2019, it’s been a steady progression upward for the Hutchinson Community College softball team.The Blue Dragons were 26-16, but were eliminated from the Region VI Tournament in two games in 2019. The 2020 Blue Dragons got off to a tremendous start with an 18-6 start to the season and were in first place in the Jayhawk East when the season was halted because of the Coronavirus pandemic.Then last season, the Blue Dragons reached the Region VI Tournament winner’s bracket final and finished the season 29-17.Now entering her 18th season as head coach, Jaime Rose said the experience and depth is there for the Blue Dragons to make another deep postseason run in 2022.The march toward the 2022 postseason starts Saturday with the season opener against the Ottawa University Junior Varsity at Fun Valley. The January 29 start date will be the earliest in Blue Dragon softball history.“The softball gods are going to give us a break on opening day,” said Rose, who is 486-332 in her first 17 years at Hutchinson and 524-386 in 19 overall seasons as a head coach.Rose has her top three hitters, five overall position starters and a two-year pitcher returning from last season.“We’ve added some pieces to an already good puzzle and we are looking forward to see how it plays out,” Rose said. “Offensively, we should equal or be better than last year. There really shouldn’t be a lot of holes in the lineup.”All eyes will be on reigning league Player of the Year and second-team NJCAA All-American Madison Grimes (Andale).The Blue Dragons’ returning starting shortstop shattered the Blue Dragon single-season record book hitting a whopping .562 batting average. Grimes also set season records for slugging percentage (.973), RBIs (78), total bases (142), runs scored (71), on-base percentage (.593) and extra-base hits (32). Grimes’ 71 hits were second most in single-season history and her 36 stolen bases were also the second most in single-season history.Likely hitting out of the No. 3 spot in the order, Grimes will have plenty of protection on either side of her in the lineup with the second and third leading hitters from last season also returning.Third-year sophomore infielder Natalie Bevan (Augusta) hit .426 (58 for 136) with nine home runs and 58 RBIS. Outfielder Haley Miller hit .407 (59 for 147) with an on-base percentage of 479 and her 28 stolen bases tied for fourth in single-season history.“Natalie had a breakout year last year and she’s gotten stronger,” Rose said. “Haley is hard to play against. She has her speed working for her and she can hit away. You can’t cheat on her.”Also returning were starters Carley Sterneker (Wichita) and Easton Swanson (Olathe). Sterneker hit .360 (49 for 136) with six homers and 36 RBIs. Swanson hit .324 (47 of 145) with seven homers and 36 RBIs.“This team is so talented with depth,” Rose said. “We have settled on a lineup, but we have 6 or 7 others that we feel just as confident in.”Third-year sophomore Sadie Loney is the lone returnee in the pitching circle for the Blue Dragons. After an injury-plagued 2021 season where she started only 3 of 19 appearances, Loney posted a 5-1 record with two saves and a 3.37 earned-run average. Loney had 45 strikeouts in 43 2-3 innings and opponents hit .228 against here. The left-handed Loney was 5-3 with a 4.46 ERA.Rose calls her 2022 pitching staff “the deepest we’ve ever had.”Joining Loney are freshmen Emily Munson (Omaha, NE), Morgan Pennycuff (Augusta), Kiersten Wietze (Spring Hill), and Riley Wertz (Wichita).“Sadie has been in big-game situations in her career and has come through for us,” Rose said. “We can lean on her. Kiersten Wietze is a transfer from Highland who pitched in the 2021 NJCAA Division II national tournament last season. The three incoming freshmen pitchers are the best pitching class a whole that we’ve ever brought in.”As far as who handles that pitching staff, Rose said she will start catcher Allie Stipsits (Olathe). Rose feels comfortable with four catchers on the roster.The infield will start with Grimes at shortstop and sophomore transfer Lexie Pitcher (Wichita) at second. Bevan will move from first to third base and freshman Aspen Goetz (Derby) will take over at first.The outfield will have Sterneker in left field and Miller moves to center. Freshman Ella Dougherty (Cross Timbers, MO) in right field. Dougherty will also hit in the leadoff spot to start the season. Swanson will be the designated player this season.

Dragons open softball season Saturday

The Hutchinson Community College baseball team was picked to finish third in the annual Jayhawk Conference Preseason coaches’ poll.

This was the first time in four seasons the Blue Dragons weren’t the preseason pick to win the league. Hutchinson claimed league titles in 2019 and 2021. The 2020 season wasn’t completed because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Head coach Ryan Schmidt starts his 10th season, which opens at Hobart-Detter Field on February 10 and 11 with a three-game series against Southeast Nebraska. Schmidt is 318-169 in his first nine seasons in the Blue Dragon dugout. He is 425-340 in 14 seasons as a head coach.

Schmidt has five returning pitchers and 10 returning position players returning from a 37-17 Jayhawk West championship team and lost to Colby in the sub-regional finals last season.

Among the top returnees in the field is centerfielder Jack Torosian (Omaha, NE), who hit .353 with six homers, 50 RBIS and 45 runs scored. Jon Jenkins moved into the starting leftfield spot over the second half of the season. Jenkins hit .367 with three homers and 114 RBIs. Also back is designated hitter/outfielder Ben McLaughlin (Golden, CO), who hit .366 with 13 homers and 58 RBIs. Infielder P.J. Loucks (Omaha, NE) also returns after hitting .308 as a freshman.

The Blue Dragons will have an entirely new starting rotation. Sophomore left-hander Zane Covey (Golden, CO) is the top returning pitcher. Covey made a team-high 21 appearances and was 3-2 with a 5.91 ERA.

Colby is the preseason pick to win the Jayhawk West this season. Barton is second and the Blue Dragons are third. Butler, Cloud County and Seward County are picks four through 6, while Garden City, Dodge City and Pratt round out the poll.

STEVE CARPENTERHutchCC Sports InformationThe Hutchinson Community College baseball team was picked to finish third in the annual Jayhawk Conference Preseason coaches’ poll.This was the first time in four seasons the Blue Dragons weren’t the preseason pick to win the league. Hutchinson claimed league titles in 2019 and 2021. The 2020 season wasn’t completed because of the Coronavirus pandemic.Head coach Ryan Schmidt starts his 10th season, which opens at Hobart-Detter Field on February 10 and 11 with a three-game series against Southeast Nebraska. Schmidt is 318-169 in his first nine seasons in the Blue Dragon dugout. He is 425-340 in 14 seasons as a head coach.Schmidt has five returning pitchers and 10 returning position players returning from a 37-17 Jayhawk West championship team and lost to Colby in the sub-regional finals last season.Among the top returnees in the field is centerfielder Jack Torosian (Omaha, NE), who hit .353 with six homers, 50 RBIS and 45 runs scored. Jon Jenkins moved into the starting leftfield spot over the second half of the season. Jenkins hit .367 with three homers and 114 RBIs. Also back is designated hitter/outfielder Ben McLaughlin (Golden, CO), who hit .366 with 13 homers and 58 RBIs. Infielder P.J. Loucks (Omaha, NE) also returns after hitting .308 as a freshman.The Blue Dragons will have an entirely new starting rotation. Sophomore left-hander Zane Covey (Golden, CO) is the top returning pitcher. Covey made a team-high 21 appearances and was 3-2 with a 5.91 ERA.Colby is the preseason pick to win the Jayhawk West this season. Barton is second and the Blue Dragons are third. Butler, Cloud County and Seward County are picks four through 6, while Garden City, Dodge City and Pratt round out the poll.2022 KJCCC PRESEASON COACHES POLL1. Colby2. Barton3. Hutchinson4. Butler5. Cloud County6. Seward County7. Garden City8. Dodge City9. Pratt

HutchCC baseball picked third in league

HUTCHINSON, Kan.-The Hutchinson Salthawk Boy's Basketball team returns home to the Salthawk Activity Center to take on Goddard-Eisenhower Friday night at 7:30pm.

Join the Eagle Radio broadcast team with the pre-game scheduled to begin at 7:15pm on KWBW radio 1450AM and 98.5 FM or stream audio at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwbwradio.com">kwbwradio.com</a>&nbsp;or with the KWBW app.&nbsp; Video stream of the game will be available on the Hutchinson Channel on the NFHS Network at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/">nfhsnetwork.com.</a>

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HUTCHINSON, Kan.-The Hutchinson Salthawk Boy's Basketball team returns home to the Salthawk Activity Center to take on Goddard-Eisenhower Friday night at 7:30pm.Join the Eagle Radio broadcast team with the pre-game scheduled to begin at 7:15pm on KWBW radio 1450AM and 98.5 FM or stream audio at&nbsp;<a href="http://kwbwradio.com">kwbwradio.com</a>&nbsp;or with the KWBW app.&nbsp; Video stream of the game will be available on the Hutchinson Channel on the NFHS Network at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/">nfhsnetwork.com.</a><div><iframe src="https://player.nfhsnetwork.com/#/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gam1e12c78258" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" width="640" height="360"></iframe>
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🎥 🏀 Game Day! Hutch High Boy's Basketball vs Goddard Eisenhower tonight at the SAC

EMPORIA, Kan.-The Hutchinson Salthawk Girls's Basketball team will play Topeka's Shawnee Heights High School Girl's team in the consolation round of the  of the Emporia High Glaciers Edge Tournament game today at 3:15pm from Emporia.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClBtEFl7C3upqBM5z-6xGFQ">Hutch High Girls vs Shawnee Heights-Click Here</a>

EMPORIA, Kan.-The Hutchinson Salthawk Girls's Basketball team will play Topeka's Shawnee Heights High School Girl's team in the consolation round of the of the Emporia High Glaciers Edge Tournament game today at 3:15pm from Emporia.This will be a video only stream.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClBtEFl7C3upqBM5z-6xGFQ">Hutch High Girls vs Shawnee Heights-Click Here</a><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VG5cz1WliaM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

🎥 🏀 Game Day! Hutch High Girls's Basketball vs Shawnee Heights in the consolation round of Glacier's Edge in Emporia

<div><iframe title="Eagle Radio Sports for Friday 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=ysq6b-118f978-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">C</a><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">LICK 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;

🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Friday Morning


EMPORIA,
Kan. —The Hutch High girls were upset in the first round of the Glacier's Edge tournament in Emporia Thursday by Great Bend 56-53.

The Salthawks led 18-13 after one quarter and 29-25 at the half. They still had the advantage after three 44-39, but the Panther girls rallied to take their first lead at 5:45 to go in the 4th at 45-44. The Salthawks scored four straight to go back up by three, before being outscored 11-5 in the remainder.

The loss drops Hutchinson into the 3:15 p.m. game Friday in Emporia, where they will play Shawnee Heights.

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EMPORIA,
Kan. —The Hutch High girls were upset in the first round of the Glacier's Edge tournament in Emporia Thursday by Great Bend 56-53.The Salthawks led 18-13 after one quarter and 29-25 at the half. They still had the advantage after three 44-39, but the Panther girls rallied to take their first lead at 5:45 to go in the 4th at 45-44. The Salthawks scored four straight to go back up by three, before being outscored 11-5 in the remainder.The loss drops Hutchinson into the 3:15 p.m. game Friday in Emporia, where they will play Shawnee Heights.

Hutch High girls upset at Glacier's Edge

EMPORIA, Kan.-The Hutchinson Salthawk Girls's Basketball team will match up against Great Bend High School Girl's in the first round of the &nbsp;of the Emporia High Glaciers Edge Tournament game tonight at 7pm from Emporia.

Hutch High is seeded #1 vs the #8 seed Panthers. &nbsp;Hutch defeated Great Bend 58-43 back on January 14th in Hutchinson.

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EMPORIA, Kan.-The Hutchinson Salthawk Girls's Basketball team will match up against Great Bend High School Girl's in the first round of the &nbsp;of the Emporia High Glaciers Edge Tournament game tonight at 7pm from Emporia.Hutch High is seeded #1 vs the #8 seed Panthers. &nbsp;Hutch defeated Great Bend 58-43 back on January 14th in Hutchinson.Join the Eagle Radio broadcast team with the pre-game scheduled to begin at 6:45pm on KWBW radio 1450AM and 98.5 FM or stream audio at <a href="http://kwbwradio.com">kwbwradio.com</a> or with the KWBW app.&nbsp; Video stream of the game will be available on the Hutchinson Channel on the NFHS Network at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/">nfhsnetwork.com.</a><div><iframe src="https://player.nfhsnetwork.com/#/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gam87019d5f6a" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" width="640" height="360"></iframe>
</div><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">C</a><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">LICK 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;

🎥 🏀 Game Day! Hutch High Girls's Basketball vs Great Bend in the first round of Glacier's Edge in Emporia

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<div><iframe title="Eagle Radio Sports for Thursday Morning" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=2zmwr-118e242-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">C</a><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">LICK 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;

🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Thursday Morning

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Wednesday's ScoresThe Associated Press<h2>BOYS PREP BASKETBALL=</h2>Buhler 60, Winfield 49Wellsville 73, Baldwin 59<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">C</a><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">LICK 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;&nbsp;

🏀 High School Scores from Wednesday

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

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Izaiah Brockington scored 26 points to help No. 23 Iowa State beat Oklahoma State 84-81 in overtime. Tyrese Hunter had 18 points and Caleb Grill added 15 for the Cyclones, who snapped a two-game skid. Avery Anderson scored a career-high 34 points and Isaac Likekele had 13 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys have lost two straight.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs have won a record six straight AFC West titles and will be hosting their record fourth straight AFC title game when Cincinnati visits Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. Already, the talk is beginning of a blossoming dynasty in Kansas City. But if the Chiefs are not yet there, what exactly will it take for Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes to take the franchise into such a wholly subjective place? Perhaps a third straight Super Bowl trip with a win over the Bengals this weekend, or following up last year's loss to Tampa Bay with a second title in three years would do it.&nbsp;

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Aliyah Matharu scored 18 points, Audrey Warren had 16, and No. 9 Texas contained record-setting Ayoka Lee while beating Kansas State 66-48 &nbsp;for its fourth straight victory. Lee, a 6-foot-6 center, scored an NCAA record 61 points during a 94-65 win against &nbsp;No. 18 Oklahoma on Sunday. Texas, taller than Oklahoma, limited the nation's leading scorer to 20 — 5.5 fewer than her average. She converted 9 of 20 shots from the field and grabbed 11 rebounds. &nbsp;Texas (15-3, 5-2 Big 12) outshot Kansas State (15-5, 5-3) 48.1% to 34.7.&nbsp;

UNDATED (AP) — Don't judge Jabari Smith by his most recent game. The 6-foot-10 freshman missed 13 of 15 shots in No. 1 Auburn's one-point victory at Missouri on Tuesday night, but it was clearly just an off night for one of college basketball's top newcomers. Smith finished with five points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and played stout defense on Missouri's Kobe Brown. Despite a season-low in points, Smith remains a consensus top-five projected pick in the upcoming NBA draft if he decides to turn pro. He has a legit chance to be the highest selection in program history, ahead of Chuck Person (fourth in 1986) and Chris Morris (fourth in 1988).

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Ashley Joens scored 21 points and younger sister Aubrey broke out of a slump with 16 points to lead No. 13 Iowa State to a 77-62 win over Kansas. Ashley Joens, who moved within 85 points of breaking the school scoring record (2,149), had 11 rebounds for her 10th double-double of the season and 41st of her career. Zakiyah Franklin led the Jayhawks with 14 points. Aniya Thomas opened the second half with a 3-pointer to pull Kansas within 40-36 but Ashley Jones scored 11 points in the third quarter when the Cyclones had a 23-11 advantage for a 63-44 lead.

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Liz Scott scored a career-high 22 points and No. 18 Oklahoma used a strong start and a fast finish to roll to an 84-58 win over Oklahoma State on Wednesday night. Madi Williams scored 13 points for the Sooners. Freshman point guard Kelbie Washington, who missed the last three games because of health and safety protocols, returned and had six assists and six points in 23 minutes off the bench. Lauren Fields scored 12 points.

NORMAL, Ill. (AP) — Garrett Sturtz scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and his two free throws with 1:24 remaining in overtime were the game's final points and Drake beat Illinois State 89-88. Antonio Reeves had 25 points for Illinois State.

UNDATED (AP) — The surging Cleveland Cavaliers now own a better record than the defending NBA champions.

The Cavaliers won for the eighth time in nine games as they hit 19 3-pointers in a 115-99 downing of the Bucks.

Cleveland hit seven treys in the second quarter to take a 65-57 lead at halftime.

Kevin Love scored 25 points and Cedi Osman added 23 for the Cavs, who opened the third quarter on an 11-2 run. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) scored 26 points after missing a game with knee soreness. He also had seven of Milwaukee's 19 turnovers that led to 31 points for Cleveland.

Bobby Portis finished with 22 points and Khris Middleton 21 in Milwaukee's fourth straight road loss.

Checking out Wednesday's other NBA action:

— Phoenix is a league-best 38-9 after Devin Booker and Chris Paul pushed the Suns past the Jazz, 105-97. Booker had 43 points and career-high 12 rebounds and Paul scored 15 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter of the Suns' eighth win in a row. Jordan Clarkson scored 16 of his team-high 26 points in the fourth quarter to keep it interesting while the Jazz played without Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert (goh-BEHR').

— DeMar DeRozan delivered 29 points and Zach LaVine (lah-veen') added 23 in the Bulls' 111-105 win against the Raptors. Nikola Vucevic (VOO'-seh-vihch) notched his fifth straight double-double to help Chicago win consecutive games for the first time since Jan. 7, finishing with 17 points and 15 boards. Chicago opened the game on a 14-2 run and didn't miss a field goal attempt through the first six minutes. 

— The Nuggets picked up their third straight win as Nikola Jokic (nih-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) provided 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in a 124-118 decision over the Nets. Austin Rivers added 25 points off the bench, Will Barton had 21 points and 10 rebounds and DeMarcus Cousins chipped in 13 points off the bench for Denver. Rookie Cam Thomas scored 25 points and Patty Mills added 21 for Brooklyn, which played without James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

— Ja (jah) Morant matched a season high with 41 points and Jaren Jackson Jr. nailed a 3-pointer with just under five minutes left to put the Grizzlies ahead to stay in a 118-110 win at San Antonio. Jackson finished with 22 points and nine rebounds in the Grizzlies' fourth straight victory over the Spurs. Dejounte (deh-ZHAHN'-tay) Murray tied a Spurs record with his 14th career triple-double, furnishing 16 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds to match David Robinson's team mark. 

— The Hornets broke the franchise's single-game scoring record and notched the highest point total in the league this season in their 158-126 rout of the Pacers. Kelly Oubre (OO'-bray) Jr. set career highs with 10 3-pointers and 39 points. LaMelo Ball had his fourth triple double of the season: 29 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds. 

— The Heat whipped the Knicks, 110-96 as Duncan Robinson scored 25 points while shooting 7 of 11 from 3-point range. Jimmy Butler added 22 points, Tyler Herro (HEE'-roh) scored 21 and P.J. Tucker had 20 to help the Eastern Conference leaders win for the eighth time in 10 games. Miami never trailed and maintained a double-digit advantage after outscoring New York 30-16 in the first quarter.

— Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch) notched his sixth triple-double of the season in the Mavericks' wire-to-wire win over the Trail Blazers, 132-112. Doncic had 15 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in his club-record 42nd career triple-double. Kristaps Porzingis (KRIHS'-tahps pohr-ZIHN'-gihs) had a team-high 22 points and Jalen Brunson added 20 in the rout.

— Luke Kennard scored 17 points and the Clippers pulled off another comeback in defeating the Magic, 111-102. The Clippers were down by 14, one night after tying the NBA's second-largest comeback in history by erasing a 35-point deficit in a win at Washington. Amir Coffey had 15 points and Nicolas Batum (bah-TOOM') hit four of the Clippers' 15 3-pointers. 

— The Hawks earned their fifth straight win as Bogdan Bogdanovic (BOY'-ahn bahg-DAH'-noh-vich) scored 18 points in his return from a knee injury, helping them earn a 121-104 win over the Magic. Atlanta's bench outscored Orlando's subs, 70-24, with Onyeka Okongwu (ohn-YEH'-kuh oh-KAHNG'-woo) also scoring 18 as a reserve. Trae Young scored 17 points with 10 assists, but he and other starters were on the bench most of the second quarter when the Hawks outscored the Kings 46-17. 

UNDATED (AP) — Sacramento Kings guard Terence Davis will be out indefinitely after injuring his right wrist in Tuesday's loss to the Boston Celtics.

Davis is averaging 10.4 points this season, but that number had been on the rise. He scored a career-high 35 points on Jan. 19 against Detroit and 22 points the following game against Milwaukee.

— Mavericks forward-center Kristaps Porzingis (KRIHS'-tahps pohr-ZIHN'-gihs) has been fined $15,000 for kicking a ball into the stands during Tuesday's blowing loss at Golden State. Porzingis received a technical foul and was ejected for his actions that occurred with 8:21 remaining.

UNDATED (AP) — Providence won a matchup of top-25 teams.

Jared Bynum's 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining lifted the 17th-ranked Friars to a 65-62 victory over No. 21 Xavier. 

Al Durham led the Friars with 22 points, helping them improve to 17-2 for the first time since the 1976-77 season. 

Paul Scruggs led Xavier with 16 points, including a 3-pointer to give the Musketeers a 62-60 lead with 56 seconds left. But he missed a go-ahead floater to help set up Bynum's game-winner. 

— Santiago Vescovi (vehs-KOH'-vee) scored 23 points and No. 18 Tennessee rallied from a 12 down to beat Florida, 78-71. Kennedy Chandler added 17 points and Vescovi connected on 5 of 8 3-pointers. 

— No. 19 LSU outscored Texas A&amp;M 13-2 in the last 3:34 to beat the Aggies, 70-64. Brandon Murray capped a 21-point performance with a pair of clutch free throws in the final minute, helping the Tigers end a three-game slide.

— Freshman Justin Lewis scored a season-high 33 points to go along with nine rebounds and six assists in sending 22nd-rated Marquette past Seton Hall, 73-63.

— Izaiah Brockington provided 26 points to help No. 23 Iowa State beat Oklahoma State, 84-81.

— Vince Williams scored 16 points and Mikeal Brown-Jones had a huge block with two seconds left in VCU's 70-68 win over No. 25 Davidson, ending the Wildcats' 15-game winning streak.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville has parted ways with men's basketball coach Chris Mack and announced that assistant Mike Pegues will run the team the rest of the season.

The mutual agreement was announced Wednesday following a special joint meeting of the school's Board of Trustees and the University of Louisville Athletic Association board.

Mack spent three-plus seasons with the Cardinals and failed to get the team to the NCAA tournament after their 2019 appearance. Louisville is 6-8 since Mack completed a six-game suspension for failing to follow university guidelines in his handling of an extortion attempt by fired Cardinals assistant coach Dino Gaudio last spring.

Louisville's 11-9 record this season includes a 5-1 mark while Pegues was running the team during Mack's suspension.

UNDATED (AP) — Ryan Poles has been hired as the Chicago Bears' general manager. The move comes almost 15 years after the former offensive tackle signed with the team as an undrafted free agent and then failed to make the final roster. 

Poles has spent the previous 13 seasons in the Chiefs' front office. He was the team's director of college scouting in 2017 when Kansas City drafted Patrick Mahomes with the No. 10 overall pick after Chicago took Mitchell Trubisky at No. 2. 

— A person with knowledge of the process says the Vikings have hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (KWAY'-see ah-DOH'-foh MEHN'-sah) as their general manager. The team is taking an innovative turn by bringing in an analytics expert from Cleveland's front office who once worked on Wall Street. The 40-year-old Adofo-Mensah was vice president of football operations for the Browns for the last two years.

— Eagles right guard Brandon Brooks has announced his retirement after 10 NFL seasons in the NFL. The 32-year-old Brooks was a three-time Pro Bowl pick and became one of the NFL's best guards after the Eagles signed him in free agency in 2016.

— Anthony Levine has announced his retirement after a decade with the Ravens. The team says Levine will transition into a scouting and coaching role for the Ravens in 2022. Levine played defensive back and linebacker and was a significant contributor on special teams. 

— Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs has pleaded guilty to a reduced traffic charge stemming from his arrest early this month on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. Hobbs was arrested before dawn Jan. 3 after he was found asleep inside a vehicle stopped on an exit ramp of a Las Vegas Strip casino parking garage. Hobbs faces a separate reckless driving charge after he was ticketed on Jan. 16 on a Las Vegas-area freeway. 

UNDATED (AP) — The Washington Capitals hadn't dropped back-to-back games in regulation this season until Wednesday.

James Reimer stopped 32 shots and the San Jose Sharks ended a two-game skid by defeating the Capitals, 4-1.

Reimer stopped Alex Ovechkin (oh-VECH'-kin) eight times and was San Jose's best penalty killer when Washington came up empty on four power plays.

Jonathan Dahlen made it 3-1 with 3:09 remaining, his second goal in 22 games. Nicolas Meloche netted his first NHL goal to help San Jose get its four-game road trip off to a good start.

Washington has lost eight of its last 11 games.

— Cale Makar's (mah-KAHRZ') power-play goal in overtime capped a comeback by the Avalanche in their team-record 18th consecutive home win, 4-3 over the Bruins. Boston took a two-goal lead in the second period and still led until Gabriel Landeskog (LAN'-dehs-kahg) tied it with 37 seconds left in regulation. Samuel Girard sparked the rally by scoring midway through the third period.

— The Maple Leafs collected three power-play goals before Auston Matthews scored the shootout winner in their 4-3 win over the Ducks. Mitch Marner, William Nylander (NEE'-lan-dur) and John Tavares all scored with the man advantage to give Toronto a two-goal lead. A late goal in the second period by Jakob Silfverberg and another from Ducks forward Vinni Lettieri with 6:37 remaining in the third sent the game to overtime.

— Dylan Strome (strohm) had a hat trick, including two power-play tallies, while the Blackhawks built a four-goal lead in a 5-3 win at Detroit. Strome scored twice in the first period for the Blackhawks. Dominik Kubalik (koo-BAH'-lihk) and Sam Laffterty also scored as Chicago took a 4-0 lead. 

— Matthew Tkachuk (kah-CHUHK') scored twice and the Flames fired a team-record 62 shots on goal in trouncing the Blue Jackets, 6-0. Jacob Markstrom made 23 saves for his 13th career shutout, sending the Blue Jackets to their third straight loss and fourth in a row at home. Andrew Mangiapane (mahn-juh-PAN'-ee), Mikael Backlund, Elias (eh-LEE'-uhs) Lindholm and Erik Gudbranson also scored in Calgary's third win in four games.

UNDATED (AP) — Patrick Allvin has been named the 12th general manager of the Vancouver Canucks.

The 47-year-old Allvin had been with the Penguins for the past 16 seasons and was director of amateur scouting before he was promoted to assistant GM in 2020. He's the first Swede to become a general manager in the NHL.

— Penguins forward Jeff Carter has agreed to a two-year contract extension that runs through the 2023-24 season. Carter is one of seven active players with 400 career goals. He has 12 goals and 26 points in 36 games this season for the Pens.

— Sabres goaltender Aaron Dell has been suspended for three games, without pay, for interference against Senators forward Drake Batherson on Tuesday. Batherson lost an edge and slammed hard into the boards behind the Buffalo net.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Top-ranked Jon Rahm closed with an eagle on the tougher South Course at Torrey Pines for a 6-under 66, trailing leader Billy Horschel by three strokes after the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open.

Horschel shot a bogey-free 9-under 63 on the North Course and led Michael Thompson by one stroke. Of the 30 players who shot 67 or better, 26 played the North. Rahm's was the best score on the South by one over Luke List, Peter Malnati and Cameron Tringale. 

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Lawyers for an associate athletic director who filed a $50 million federal racketeering lawsuit against LSU say she has been fired in retaliation and asked the court to add that claim to her suit. 

Sharon Lewis claimed in state and federal lawsuits filed in 2021 that she was denied pay raises and was verbally abused after reporting that former football coach Les Miles had sexually harassed female student workers and made racist remarks.

US bobsledder, two Norwegian Olympians test positive

UNDATED (AP) — U.S. Olympic bobsledder Josh Williamson has tested positive for COVID-19. 

Williamson will not fly with his teammates to China on Thursday, though he remains hopeful of getting there in time for the Beijing Games. He will need to return several negative tests before he's allowed to fly to China.

Collins to play Barty in Australian Open final

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Danielle Collins reached a Grand Slam final for the first time with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Iga Swiatek at the Australian Open. 

The 28-year-old American will next face top-ranked Ash Barty for the title at Melbourne Park. 

Collins broke the 2020 French Open champion's serve in the first game of each set and raced to 4-0 leads in both. She hit 27 winners and had only 13 unforced errors. Collins' run to the Australian Open semifinals in 2019 was her best previous result at a Grand Slam tournament. She says she's looking forward to taking on the home favorite in the final. Collins says "we've had some incredible battles."

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Izaiah Brockington scored 26 points to help No. 23 Iowa State beat Oklahoma State 84-81 in overtime. Tyrese Hunter had 18 points and Caleb Grill added 15 for the Cyclones, who snapped a two-game skid. Avery Anderson scored a career-high 34 points and Isaac Likekele had 13 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys have lost two straight.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs have won a record six straight AFC West titles and will be hosting their record fourth straight AFC title game when Cincinnati visits Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. Already, the talk is beginning of a blossoming dynasty in Kansas City. But if the Chiefs are not yet there, what exactly will it take for Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes to take the franchise into such a wholly subjective place? Perhaps a third straight Super Bowl trip with a win over the Bengals this weekend, or following up last year's loss to Tampa Bay with a second title in three years would do it.&nbsp;AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Aliyah Matharu scored 18 points, Audrey Warren had 16, and No. 9 Texas contained record-setting Ayoka Lee while beating Kansas State 66-48 &nbsp;for its fourth straight victory. Lee, a 6-foot-6 center, scored an NCAA record 61 points during a 94-65 win against &nbsp;No. 18 Oklahoma on Sunday. Texas, taller than Oklahoma, limited the nation's leading scorer to 20 — 5.5 fewer than her average. She converted 9 of 20 shots from the field and grabbed 11 rebounds. &nbsp;Texas (15-3, 5-2 Big 12) outshot Kansas State (15-5, 5-3) 48.1% to 34.7.&nbsp;UNDATED (AP) — Don't judge Jabari Smith by his most recent game. The 6-foot-10 freshman missed 13 of 15 shots in No. 1 Auburn's one-point victory at Missouri on Tuesday night, but it was clearly just an off night for one of college basketball's top newcomers. Smith finished with five points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and played stout defense on Missouri's Kobe Brown. Despite a season-low in points, Smith remains a consensus top-five projected pick in the upcoming NBA draft if he decides to turn pro. He has a legit chance to be the highest selection in program history, ahead of Chuck Person (fourth in 1986) and Chris Morris (fourth in 1988).AMES, Iowa (AP) — Ashley Joens scored 21 points and younger sister Aubrey broke out of a slump with 16 points to lead No. 13 Iowa State to a 77-62 win over Kansas. Ashley Joens, who moved within 85 points of breaking the school scoring record (2,149), had 11 rebounds for her 10th double-double of the season and 41st of her career. Zakiyah Franklin led the Jayhawks with 14 points. Aniya Thomas opened the second half with a 3-pointer to pull Kansas within 40-36 but Ashley Jones scored 11 points in the third quarter when the Cyclones had a 23-11 advantage for a 63-44 lead.NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Liz Scott scored a career-high 22 points and No. 18 Oklahoma used a strong start and a fast finish to roll to an 84-58 win over Oklahoma State on Wednesday night. Madi Williams scored 13 points for the Sooners. Freshman point guard Kelbie Washington, who missed the last three games because of health and safety protocols, returned and had six assists and six points in 23 minutes off the bench. Lauren Fields scored 12 points.NORMAL, Ill. (AP) — Garrett Sturtz scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and his two free throws with 1:24 remaining in overtime were the game's final points and Drake beat Illinois State 89-88. Antonio Reeves had 25 points for Illinois State.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA-SCHEDULECavs whip BucksUNDATED (AP) — The surging Cleveland Cavaliers now own a better record than the defending NBA champions.The Cavaliers won for the eighth time in nine games as they hit 19 3-pointers in a 115-99 downing of the Bucks.Cleveland hit seven treys in the second quarter to take a 65-57 lead at halftime.Kevin Love scored 25 points and Cedi Osman added 23 for the Cavs, who opened the third quarter on an 11-2 run. Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) scored 26 points after missing a game with knee soreness. He also had seven of Milwaukee's 19 turnovers that led to 31 points for Cleveland.Bobby Portis finished with 22 points and Khris Middleton 21 in Milwaukee's fourth straight road loss.Checking out Wednesday's other NBA action:— Phoenix is a league-best 38-9 after Devin Booker and Chris Paul pushed the Suns past the Jazz, 105-97. Booker had 43 points and career-high 12 rebounds and Paul scored 15 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter of the Suns' eighth win in a row. Jordan Clarkson scored 16 of his team-high 26 points in the fourth quarter to keep it interesting while the Jazz played without Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert (goh-BEHR').— DeMar DeRozan delivered 29 points and Zach LaVine (lah-veen') added 23 in the Bulls' 111-105 win against the Raptors. Nikola Vucevic (VOO'-seh-vihch) notched his fifth straight double-double to help Chicago win consecutive games for the first time since Jan. 7, finishing with 17 points and 15 boards. Chicago opened the game on a 14-2 run and didn't miss a field goal attempt through the first six minutes. — The Nuggets picked up their third straight win as Nikola Jokic (nih-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) provided 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in a 124-118 decision over the Nets. Austin Rivers added 25 points off the bench, Will Barton had 21 points and 10 rebounds and DeMarcus Cousins chipped in 13 points off the bench for Denver. Rookie Cam Thomas scored 25 points and Patty Mills added 21 for Brooklyn, which played without James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.— Ja (jah) Morant matched a season high with 41 points and Jaren Jackson Jr. nailed a 3-pointer with just under five minutes left to put the Grizzlies ahead to stay in a 118-110 win at San Antonio. Jackson finished with 22 points and nine rebounds in the Grizzlies' fourth straight victory over the Spurs. Dejounte (deh-ZHAHN'-tay) Murray tied a Spurs record with his 14th career triple-double, furnishing 16 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds to match David Robinson's team mark. — The Hornets broke the franchise's single-game scoring record and notched the highest point total in the league this season in their 158-126 rout of the Pacers. Kelly Oubre (OO'-bray) Jr. set career highs with 10 3-pointers and 39 points. LaMelo Ball had his fourth triple double of the season: 29 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds. — The Heat whipped the Knicks, 110-96 as Duncan Robinson scored 25 points while shooting 7 of 11 from 3-point range. Jimmy Butler added 22 points, Tyler Herro (HEE'-roh) scored 21 and P.J. Tucker had 20 to help the Eastern Conference leaders win for the eighth time in 10 games. Miami never trailed and maintained a double-digit advantage after outscoring New York 30-16 in the first quarter.— Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch) notched his sixth triple-double of the season in the Mavericks' wire-to-wire win over the Trail Blazers, 132-112. Doncic had 15 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in his club-record 42nd career triple-double. Kristaps Porzingis (KRIHS'-tahps pohr-ZIHN'-gihs) had a team-high 22 points and Jalen Brunson added 20 in the rout.— Luke Kennard scored 17 points and the Clippers pulled off another comeback in defeating the Magic, 111-102. The Clippers were down by 14, one night after tying the NBA's second-largest comeback in history by erasing a 35-point deficit in a win at Washington. Amir Coffey had 15 points and Nicolas Batum (bah-TOOM') hit four of the Clippers' 15 3-pointers. — The Hawks earned their fifth straight win as Bogdan Bogdanovic (BOY'-ahn bahg-DAH'-noh-vich) scored 18 points in his return from a knee injury, helping them earn a 121-104 win over the Magic. Atlanta's bench outscored Orlando's subs, 70-24, with Onyeka Okongwu (ohn-YEH'-kuh oh-KAHNG'-woo) also scoring 18 as a reserve. Trae Young scored 17 points with 10 assists, but he and other starters were on the bench most of the second quarter when the Hawks outscored the Kings 46-17. NBA-NEWSDavis out indefinitelyUNDATED (AP) — Sacramento Kings guard Terence Davis will be out indefinitely after injuring his right wrist in Tuesday's loss to the Boston Celtics.Davis is averaging 10.4 points this season, but that number had been on the rise. He scored a career-high 35 points on Jan. 19 against Detroit and 22 points the following game against Milwaukee.Checking out other NBA news:— Mavericks forward-center Kristaps Porzingis (KRIHS'-tahps pohr-ZIHN'-gihs) has been fined $15,000 for kicking a ball into the stands during Tuesday's blowing loss at Golden State. Porzingis received a technical foul and was ejected for his actions that occurred with 8:21 remaining.T25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULEFriars outlast MusketeersUNDATED (AP) — Providence won a matchup of top-25 teams.Jared Bynum's 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining lifted the 17th-ranked Friars to a 65-62 victory over No. 21 Xavier. Al Durham led the Friars with 22 points, helping them improve to 17-2 for the first time since the 1976-77 season. Paul Scruggs led Xavier with 16 points, including a 3-pointer to give the Musketeers a 62-60 lead with 56 seconds left. But he missed a go-ahead floater to help set up Bynum's game-winner. Also on the top-25 schedule:— Santiago Vescovi (vehs-KOH'-vee) scored 23 points and No. 18 Tennessee rallied from a 12 down to beat Florida, 78-71. Kennedy Chandler added 17 points and Vescovi connected on 5 of 8 3-pointers. — No. 19 LSU outscored Texas A&amp;M 13-2 in the last 3:34 to beat the Aggies, 70-64. Brandon Murray capped a 21-point performance with a pair of clutch free throws in the final minute, helping the Tigers end a three-game slide.— Freshman Justin Lewis scored a season-high 33 points to go along with nine rebounds and six assists in sending 22nd-rated Marquette past Seton Hall, 73-63.— Izaiah Brockington provided 26 points to help No. 23 Iowa State beat Oklahoma State, 84-81.— Vince Williams scored 16 points and Mikeal Brown-Jones had a huge block with two seconds left in VCU's 70-68 win over No. 25 Davidson, ending the Wildcats' 15-game winning streak.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-LOUISVILLEMack out as Louisville hoops coachLOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville has parted ways with men's basketball coach Chris Mack and announced that assistant Mike Pegues will run the team the rest of the season.The mutual agreement was announced Wednesday following a special joint meeting of the school's Board of Trustees and the University of Louisville Athletic Association board.Mack spent three-plus seasons with the Cardinals and failed to get the team to the NCAA tournament after their 2019 appearance. Louisville is 6-8 since Mack completed a six-game suspension for failing to follow university guidelines in his handling of an extortion attempt by fired Cardinals assistant coach Dino Gaudio last spring.Louisville's 11-9 record this season includes a 5-1 mark while Pegues was running the team during Mack's suspension.NFL-NEWSBears, Vikings get new GMsUNDATED (AP) — Ryan Poles has been hired as the Chicago Bears' general manager. The move comes almost 15 years after the former offensive tackle signed with the team as an undrafted free agent and then failed to make the final roster. Poles has spent the previous 13 seasons in the Chiefs' front office. He was the team's director of college scouting in 2017 when Kansas City drafted Patrick Mahomes with the No. 10 overall pick after Chicago took Mitchell Trubisky at No. 2. Elsewhere in the NFL:— A person with knowledge of the process says the Vikings have hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (KWAY'-see ah-DOH'-foh MEHN'-sah) as their general manager. The team is taking an innovative turn by bringing in an analytics expert from Cleveland's front office who once worked on Wall Street. The 40-year-old Adofo-Mensah was vice president of football operations for the Browns for the last two years.— Eagles right guard Brandon Brooks has announced his retirement after 10 NFL seasons in the NFL. The 32-year-old Brooks was a three-time Pro Bowl pick and became one of the NFL's best guards after the Eagles signed him in free agency in 2016.— Anthony Levine has announced his retirement after a decade with the Ravens. The team says Levine will transition into a scouting and coaching role for the Ravens in 2022. Levine played defensive back and linebacker and was a significant contributor on special teams. — Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs has pleaded guilty to a reduced traffic charge stemming from his arrest early this month on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. Hobbs was arrested before dawn Jan. 3 after he was found asleep inside a vehicle stopped on an exit ramp of a Las Vegas Strip casino parking garage. Hobbs faces a separate reckless driving charge after he was ticketed on Jan. 16 on a Las Vegas-area freeway. NHL-SCHEDULESharks silence CapsUNDATED (AP) — The Washington Capitals hadn't dropped back-to-back games in regulation this season until Wednesday.James Reimer stopped 32 shots and the San Jose Sharks ended a two-game skid by defeating the Capitals, 4-1.Reimer stopped Alex Ovechkin (oh-VECH'-kin) eight times and was San Jose's best penalty killer when Washington came up empty on four power plays.Jonathan Dahlen made it 3-1 with 3:09 remaining, his second goal in 22 games. Nicolas Meloche netted his first NHL goal to help San Jose get its four-game road trip off to a good start.Washington has lost eight of its last 11 games.Elsewhere on NHL ice:— Cale Makar's (mah-KAHRZ') power-play goal in overtime capped a comeback by the Avalanche in their team-record 18th consecutive home win, 4-3 over the Bruins. Boston took a two-goal lead in the second period and still led until Gabriel Landeskog (LAN'-dehs-kahg) tied it with 37 seconds left in regulation. Samuel Girard sparked the rally by scoring midway through the third period.— The Maple Leafs collected three power-play goals before Auston Matthews scored the shootout winner in their 4-3 win over the Ducks. Mitch Marner, William Nylander (NEE'-lan-dur) and John Tavares all scored with the man advantage to give Toronto a two-goal lead. A late goal in the second period by Jakob Silfverberg and another from Ducks forward Vinni Lettieri with 6:37 remaining in the third sent the game to overtime.— Dylan Strome (strohm) had a hat trick, including two power-play tallies, while the Blackhawks built a four-goal lead in a 5-3 win at Detroit. Strome scored twice in the first period for the Blackhawks. Dominik Kubalik (koo-BAH'-lihk) and Sam Laffterty also scored as Chicago took a 4-0 lead. — Matthew Tkachuk (kah-CHUHK') scored twice and the Flames fired a team-record 62 shots on goal in trouncing the Blue Jackets, 6-0. Jacob Markstrom made 23 saves for his 13th career shutout, sending the Blue Jackets to their third straight loss and fourth in a row at home. Andrew Mangiapane (mahn-juh-PAN'-ee), Mikael Backlund, Elias (eh-LEE'-uhs) Lindholm and Erik Gudbranson also scored in Calgary's third win in four games.NHL-NEWSCanucks pick a GMUNDATED (AP) — Patrick Allvin has been named the 12th general manager of the Vancouver Canucks.The 47-year-old Allvin had been with the Penguins for the past 16 seasons and was director of amateur scouting before he was promoted to assistant GM in 2020. He's the first Swede to become a general manager in the NHL.In other NHL news:— Penguins forward Jeff Carter has agreed to a two-year contract extension that runs through the 2023-24 season. Carter is one of seven active players with 400 career goals. He has 12 goals and 26 points in 36 games this season for the Pens.— Sabres goaltender Aaron Dell has been suspended for three games, without pay, for interference against Senators forward Drake Batherson on Tuesday. Batherson lost an edge and slammed hard into the boards behind the Buffalo net.PGA-FARMERS INSURANCEHorschel leads, Rahm sharpSAN DIEGO (AP) — Top-ranked Jon Rahm closed with an eagle on the tougher South Course at Torrey Pines for a 6-under 66, trailing leader Billy Horschel by three strokes after the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open.Horschel shot a bogey-free 9-under 63 on the North Course and led Michael Thompson by one stroke. Of the 30 players who shot 67 or better, 26 played the North. Rahm's was the best score on the South by one over Luke List, Peter Malnati and Cameron Tringale. COLLEGE FOOTBALL-LSU-LAWSUITLSU associate AD says she's been fired BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Lawyers for an associate athletic director who filed a $50 million federal racketeering lawsuit against LSU say she has been fired in retaliation and asked the court to add that claim to her suit. Sharon Lewis claimed in state and federal lawsuits filed in 2021 that she was denied pay raises and was verbally abused after reporting that former football coach Les Miles had sexually harassed female student workers and made racist remarks.OLYMPIANS-VIRUSUS bobsledder, two Norwegian Olympians test positiveUNDATED (AP) — U.S. Olympic bobsledder Josh Williamson has tested positive for COVID-19. Williamson will not fly with his teammates to China on Thursday, though he remains hopeful of getting there in time for the Beijing Games. He will need to return several negative tests before he's allowed to fly to China.TENNIS-AUSTRALIAN OPENCollins to play Barty in Australian Open finalMELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Danielle Collins reached a Grand Slam final for the first time with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Iga Swiatek at the Australian Open. The 28-year-old American will next face top-ranked Ash Barty for the title at Melbourne Park. Collins broke the 2020 French Open champion's serve in the first game of each set and raced to 4-0 leads in both. She hit 27 winners and had only 13 unforced errors. Collins' run to the Australian Open semifinals in 2019 was her best previous result at a Grand Slam tournament. She says she's looking forward to taking on the home favorite in the final. Collins says "we've had some incredible battles."<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">C</a><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">LICK 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;&nbsp;

Sports Headlines for Thursday

WICHITA — 
Ricky Council IV scored a career-high 31 points and well-rested Wichita State bested UCF, 84-79, Wednesday evening at Charles Koch Arena.

Back in action for the first time in 10 days (health and safety protocol), the Shockers (10-7, 1-4) snapped a rare four-game losing streak and picked up their first conference win.

Council made 6-of-10 field goal attempts and went 16-of-20 at the foul line in WSU's first 30-point effort since Mar. 15, 2019 when Markis McDuffie scored 34 in an AAC quarterfinal win over Temple.

Only Cleo Littleton (22-of-25 in a 1955 win over Houston) and Dave Stallworth (18-of-23 in a 1963 win over Cincinnati) have made or attempted more free throws in a single-game.

Morris Udeze added 16 points and Dexter Dennis paired 13 points with a team-high six rebounds.

Brandon Mahan put up 20 points and 13 rebounds for UCF (12-6, 4-4), which fell to 0-8 against the Shockers (0-5 at Charles Koch Arena).

WSU shot exactly 40 percent from the field and made 9-of-23 threes (.391). UCF fared slightly better at 40.6 percent and made 10-of-26 from distance (.385).

Council's free points were the difference. The Shockers made 31-of-40 free throw tries to UCF's 17-of-23.

WSU led by 16 points (23-6) midway through the first half, helped by UCF's 1-of-15 shooting start.

The Knights battled to within 38-31 at halftime and to within three points at the 12:25-mark of the second half on a Darius Johnson three-pointer.

Council scored 22 points over the final 10:51 to keep UCF at bay. He was 5-of-7 from the field over that stretch with 10 free throw makes.

Council sank a pair with 1:08 to go (at which point he was a perfect 14-for-14 at the foul line) to make it a 77-65 game before missing 4-of-6 in the final minute.

UCF performed cometic surgery on the lead with 14 points in the final 63 seconds to spoil an otherwise excellent defensive effort.

WSU is in New Orleans on Saturday morning to take on Tulane. The 11 a.m. CT tip airs on ESPNU.

WICHITA — 
Ricky Council IV scored a career-high 31 points and well-rested Wichita State bested UCF, 84-79, Wednesday evening at Charles Koch Arena.Back in action for the first time in 10 days (health and safety protocol), the Shockers (10-7, 1-4) snapped a rare four-game losing streak and picked up their first conference win.Council made 6-of-10 field goal attempts and went 16-of-20 at the foul line in WSU's first 30-point effort since Mar. 15, 2019 when Markis McDuffie scored 34 in an AAC quarterfinal win over Temple.Only Cleo Littleton (22-of-25 in a 1955 win over Houston) and Dave Stallworth (18-of-23 in a 1963 win over Cincinnati) have made or attempted more free throws in a single-game.Morris Udeze added 16 points and Dexter Dennis paired 13 points with a team-high six rebounds.Brandon Mahan put up 20 points and 13 rebounds for UCF (12-6, 4-4), which fell to 0-8 against the Shockers (0-5 at Charles Koch Arena).WSU shot exactly 40 percent from the field and made 9-of-23 threes (.391). UCF fared slightly better at 40.6 percent and made 10-of-26 from distance (.385).Council's free points were the difference. The Shockers made 31-of-40 free throw tries to UCF's 17-of-23.WSU led by 16 points (23-6) midway through the first half, helped by UCF's 1-of-15 shooting start.The Knights battled to within 38-31 at halftime and to within three points at the 12:25-mark of the second half on a Darius Johnson three-pointer.Council scored 22 points over the final 10:51 to keep UCF at bay. He was 5-of-7 from the field over that stretch with 10 free throw makes.Council sank a pair with 1:08 to go (at which point he was a perfect 14-for-14 at the foul line) to make it a 77-65 game before missing 4-of-6 in the final minute.UCF performed cometic surgery on the lead with 14 points in the final 63 seconds to spoil an otherwise excellent defensive effort.WSU is in New Orleans on Saturday morning to take on Tulane. The 11 a.m. CT tip airs on ESPNU.

🏀 Council IV with 31 in Shocker win

AMES, Iowa –&nbsp;Super-senior Julie Brosseau scored 13 points and surpassed the 1,000-point mark for her career on Wednesday night at Hilton Coliseum, but the Jayhawks were on the short end of a 77-62 decision against No. 13 Iowa State.

The loss drops the Jayhawks to 12-5 on the year and 3-4 in Big 12 play, while ISU improves to 17-3 (6-2 Big 12).

The Jayhawks had to weather an early storm from Iowa State as the Cyclones hit six three-pointers in the first quarter, taking a 24-12 lead at the end of the first. KU got going offensively in the second quarter, shooting 62.5% (10-of-16) from the field to outscore ISU 21-16 and get within seven, 40-33, at halftime. Taiyanna Jackson led the Jayhawks with 12 points in the first half, including 10 in the second quarter.

The Cyclones added to the advantage by outscoring the Jayhawks 23-11, hitting 6-of-15 field goals in the third while also getting to the line effectively, converting 8-of-12 free throws in the third. Zakiyah Franklin had seven points to lead KU in the third, but the Jayhawks trailed 63-44 as the game headed to the fourth. Kansas continued to battle in the fourth quarter and again outscored the Cyclones, 18-14, but the deficit was too much to overcome.

Zakiyah Franklin led the Jayhawks with 14 points while Brosseau was right behind her with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field. Brosseau now has 1,003 career points in her five-year career, which includes 202 three-pointers. Taiyanna Jackson added 12 points, eight rebounds and six blocked shots for the Jayhawks.

AMES, Iowa –&nbsp;Super-senior Julie Brosseau scored 13 points and surpassed the 1,000-point mark for her career on Wednesday night at Hilton Coliseum, but the Jayhawks were on the short end of a 77-62 decision against No. 13 Iowa State.The loss drops the Jayhawks to 12-5 on the year and 3-4 in Big 12 play, while ISU improves to 17-3 (6-2 Big 12).The Jayhawks had to weather an early storm from Iowa State as the Cyclones hit six three-pointers in the first quarter, taking a 24-12 lead at the end of the first. KU got going offensively in the second quarter, shooting 62.5% (10-of-16) from the field to outscore ISU 21-16 and get within seven, 40-33, at halftime. Taiyanna Jackson led the Jayhawks with 12 points in the first half, including 10 in the second quarter.The Cyclones added to the advantage by outscoring the Jayhawks 23-11, hitting 6-of-15 field goals in the third while also getting to the line effectively, converting 8-of-12 free throws in the third. Zakiyah Franklin had seven points to lead KU in the third, but the Jayhawks trailed 63-44 as the game headed to the fourth. Kansas continued to battle in the fourth quarter and again outscored the Cyclones, 18-14, but the deficit was too much to overcome.Zakiyah Franklin led the Jayhawks with 14 points while Brosseau was right behind her with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field. Brosseau now has 1,003 career points in her five-year career, which includes 202 three-pointers. Taiyanna Jackson added 12 points, eight rebounds and six blocked shots for the Jayhawks.“I think Iowa State’s physicality made it tough for us tonight offensively,” Kansas Coach Brandon Schneider said following the game. “I was proud of Taiyanna and Julie, I thought they both stepped up and played really good tonight, but we weren’t able to get enough help beyond that.”Up NextThe Jayhawks close out the month of January on Saturday, Jan. 29, in Stillwater, Oklahoma, against Oklahoma State. That game tips off at 1 p.m. CT on Big 12 NOW on ESPN+.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">C</a><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">LICK 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;&nbsp;