Sophomore thrower&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mtrack/2021-22/bios/cooper_antonio_1pvo">Antonio Cooper</a>&nbsp;was named the Jayhawk Conference's Indoor Track's Field Athlete of the Week after a national-qualifying performance on Saturday at the All-Kansas Invitational at Washburn University in Topeka.

A Junction City product, Cooper qualified for nationals for the first time as a collegian, placing third in the shot put. He had a top mark of 51-9.75, which is the seventh-best indoor mark in Blue Dragon history. The mark is good for No. 5 in the NJCAA.

Cooper finished third in the shot put at Washburn. He also placed 27th in the weight-throw with a top throw of 37-3.25

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Hutchinson CC Sports InformationSophomore thrower&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/mtrack/2021-22/bios/cooper_antonio_1pvo">Antonio Cooper</a>&nbsp;was named the Jayhawk Conference's Indoor Track's Field Athlete of the Week after a national-qualifying performance on Saturday at the All-Kansas Invitational at Washburn University in Topeka.A Junction City product, Cooper qualified for nationals for the first time as a collegian, placing third in the shot put. He had a top mark of 51-9.75, which is the seventh-best indoor mark in Blue Dragon history. The mark is good for No. 5 in the NJCAA.Cooper finished third in the shot put at Washburn. He also placed 27th in the weight-throw with a top throw of 37-3.25<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;

👟 HutchCC's Cooper named KJCCC Men's Field Athlete of the week

ON THIS DATE IN SHOCKER HISTORY: JAN. 26&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 2005 –&nbsp;Jamar Howard was a perfect 9-for-9 from the field (all ionside the arc) to lead WSU past Drake, 75-65. Howard also cashed in 9-of-12 free throws to finish with a career-high 27 points. TRENDING:

LAST YEAR vs. UCF: Jan. 30, 2021 (Wichita) | WSU 93, UCF 88 ot

Feb. 10, 2021 (Orlando, Fla.) | WSU 61-60

Wichita State vs. the Coach K Tree: 3-7 vs. Bob Bender (3-5 Illinois State &amp; 0-2 Washington) 0-2 vs. Mike Brey (Notre Dame) 7-1 vs. Johnny Dawkins (0-1 Stanford, 7-0 UCF) 1-1vs. Mike Dement (SMU) 0-1vs. David Henderson (Delaware) 1-0 vs. Steve Wojciechowski (Marquette)

A SHOCKER WIN WOULD…. ... Make them 10-7 and snap a four-game slide. ... Be their first win of 2022 and first in AAC play (1-4). ... Snap a three-game home losing streak. ... Make them 8-0 all-time vs. UCF (5-0 at CKA). ... Make them 8-1 vs. Johnny Dawkins. A SHOCKERS LOSS WOULD... ... Drop them to 9-8 (0-5 AAC). ... Be their first five-game losing skid since Jan. 2009. ... Be their first 0-5 conference start since 2008-09 when they opened MVC play 0-6. ... Drop their home record to 6-6 with four-straight defeats. ... Be their first vs. UCF (7-1). ... Make them 4-1 vs. UCF in Wichita. ... Be their first vs. Dawkins since the 2009 CBI (7-2). ... Be less good than a win. UP NEXT:

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🏀 MBB: Wichita State Shockers back in action Wednesday against UCF

Bennington 69, St. John's Beloit-Tipton 46

Cornerstone Family 64, Flint Hills Christian 42

KC Christian 68, Christ Preparatory Academy 41

Kapaun Mount Carmel 41, Wichita Heights 38

Maranatha Academy 68, Bishop Seabury Academy 35

Wichita Bishop Carroll 43, Wichita South 36

Wichita Home School 49, St. Mary's Academy 47

Ulysses vs. Garden City, ppd. to Feb 14th.

Bennington 57, St. John's Beloit-Tipton 51

Berean Academy 41, Hutchinson Central Christian 36

Flint Hills Christian 33, Cornerstone Family 24

Tuesday's ScoresThe Associated Press<h2>BOYS PREP BASKETBALL=</h2>Abilene 59, Concordia 54Andale 57, Augusta 37Andover Central 51, McPherson 37BV Randolph 57, Wakefield 41Bennington 69, St. John's Beloit-Tipton 46Bishop Miege 75, KC Wyandotte 40Burlingame 60, Waverly 51Burlington 62, Prairie View 48Caney Valley 64, Eureka 33Central Heights 51, Osawatomie 42Chase County 50, Peabody-Burns 22Cheney 61, Inman 41Cherryvale 60, Neodesha 42Clifton-Clyde 58, Linn 24Cornerstone Family 64, Flint Hills Christian 42Crest 61, Northeast-Arma 49El Dorado 63, Clearwater 42Erie 74, Fredonia 31Galena 60, Columbus 45Gardner-Edgerton 49, Lansing 46Girard 46, Baxter Springs 33Hesston 62, Solomon 34Hillsboro 47, Lyons 35Holton 53, Riverside 38Humboldt 72, Bluestem 63KC Bishop Ward 67, Cair Paravel 41KC Christian 68, Christ Preparatory Academy 41KC Piper 88, KC Schlagle 45Kapaun Mount Carmel 41, Wichita Heights 38Lakeside 69, Lincoln 42Liberal 69, Gruver, Texas 59Maize South 67, Goddard 45Manhattan CHIEF 47, Wichita Life Prep 44Maranatha Academy 68, Bishop Seabury Academy 35Minneapolis 55, Ell-Saline 38Osage City 59, Ottawa 55Osborne 76, Wilson 36Paola 37, Chanute 32Pittsburg Colgan 44, Frontenac 40Rock Hills 26, Tescott 25SM South 79, Louisburg 51Salina Sacred Heart 45, Beloit 44Silver Lake 60, Santa Fe Trail 43Smoky Valley 53, Hutchinson Trinity 27Southeast Saline 53, Republic County 31Sylvan-Lucas 52, Southern Cloud 30Thunder Ridge 53, Pike Valley 43Tonganoxie 63, Heritage Christian 60Topeka Hayden 56, Topeka 38Topeka Seaman 70, Manhattan 34Topeka West 67, Junction City 66, OTTroy 51, Centralia 38Uniontown 49, Jayhawk Linn 35Wamego 44, Council Grove 40Wichita Bishop Carroll 43, Wichita South 36Wichita Classical 64, Udall 44Wichita Collegiate 77, Rose Hill 54Wichita Home School 49, St. Mary's Academy 47Wichita Southeast 66, Wichita East 53Wichita West 67, Wichita North 42POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=Golden Plains vs. Quinter, ppd.La Crosse vs. Western Plains, ccd.Phillipsburg vs. Hoisington, ccd.Plainville vs. Ellsworth, ppd.St. Francis vs. Oberlin-Decatur, ppd.Ulysses vs. Garden City, ppd. to Feb 14th.Weskan vs. Heartland Christian, ppd.<h2>GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL=</h2>Abilene 47, Concordia 31BV Randolph 62, Wakefield 40Belle Plaine 44, Chaparral 41Beloit 35, Salina Sacred Heart 26Bennington 57, St. John's Beloit-Tipton 51Berean Academy 41, Hutchinson Central Christian 36Bluestem 45, Humboldt 30Bonner Springs 43, KC Turner 9Burlingame 52, Waverly 21Burlington 37, Prairie View 29Central Heights 35, Osawatomie 34Central Plains 49, Hesston 35Centralia 59, Troy 31Chase 42, Natoma 30Ell-Saline 53, Wichita Home School 39Eureka 60, Caney Valley 28Fairfield 64, Central Christian 27Flint Hills Christian 33, Cornerstone Family 24Fredonia 50, Erie 43, OTGalena 38, Columbus 36Girard 55, Baxter Springs 19Gruver, Texas 55, Liberal 45Hanover 46, Washington County 31Herington 40, Chase County 31Hiawatha 56, St. Mary's 41Holton 44, Riverside 38KC Piper 67, KC Schlagle 23Lakeside 32, Lincoln 22Little River 66, Stafford 14Mission Valley 50, McLouth 25Mulvane 44, Conway Springs 40Neodesha 47, Cherryvale 42Northeast-Arma 49, Crest 19Olpe 43, Waverly 22Osborne 70, Wilson 22Ottawa 47, Osage City 25Paola 46, Chanute 23Perry-Lecompton 46, Northeast Christian Homeschool 41Rock Hills 37, Tescott 30Silver Lake 63, Santa Fe Trail 37Smith Center 64, Hill City 7Smoky Valley 35, Hutchinson Trinity 20South Baca, Colo. 43, Rolla 25Southeast 50, Altoona-Midway 35Southeast Saline 63, Republic County 12Sylvan-Lucas 59, Ellinwood 56Thunder Ridge 52, Pike Valley 29Tonganoxie 44, Heritage Christian 28Uniontown 53, Jayhawk Linn 39Wamego 60, Council Grove 50Wichita Bishop Carroll 44, Wichita South 33Wichita Classical 55, Udall 27Wichita Defenders 44, Reno County 24Wichita Independent 48, Goessel 42Wichita North 43, Wichita West 38Wichita Sunrise 64, Moundridge 31Winfield 45, Arkansas City 40POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=Brewster vs. Wallace County, ppd.Golden Plains vs. Quinter, ppd.Hugoton vs. Scott City, ppd. to Feb 14th.La Crosse vs. Western Plains, ccd.Oakley vs. Wheatland-Grinnell, ppd.Phillipsburg vs. Hoisington, ccd.Plainville vs. Ellsworth, ppd.Rawlins County vs. Logan/Palco, ppd. to Jan 29th.Ulysses vs. Garden City, ppd. to Feb 14th.Weskan vs. Heartland Christian, ppd.___<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;

🏀 High School Basketball from Tuesday

WACO, Texas&nbsp;– Kansas State could never really recover from an early onslaught by the defending national champions, as No. 4/4 Baylor displayed its immense talents on both ends of the court in earning a 74-49 victory over the Wildcats on Tuesday night before 8,062 fans at the Ferrell Center. K-State (10-9, 2-6 Big 12), which scored the opening points of the game on a 3-pointer by sophomore&nbsp;Ish Massoud, surrendered the next 9 points before falling behind by as many as 21 points in the first half. The Wildcats made some in-roads in the early part of the second half, slicing the lead to 14 points, but that was the closest it would get as the Bears built as much as a 29-point lead. For K-State, it was the worst offensive performance of the season, as the Bears stifled the Wildcats at every turn, causing them to post season-lows in 5 categories, including points (49), field goals made (19) and field goal percentage (31.7). The team had a season-low 21 points in the opening half on 26.9 percent (7-of-26) from the field, including 15.4 percent (2-of-13) from long range. As dominated as Baylor (18-2, 6-2 Big 12) was on the defensive end, the Bears were equally efficient on the offensive end, connecting on an opponent-best 56.9 percent (29-of-51) from the field, including an astonishing 73.3 percent (22-of-30) on baskets inside the 3-point arc. More than half of the team's points came in the paint (38), while they had assists on 21 of their 29 made field goals. Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7431">Nijel Pack</a>&nbsp;led the way for K-State with 13 points on 4-of-12 field goals, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, to go with 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in 31 minutes. He has now scored in double figure in 16 of 17 games played this season, while he has led in scoring on 11 occasions. Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8107">Markquis Nowell</a>&nbsp;also registered double figures, posting 11 points on 5-of-11 field goals, while adding a team-high 4 assists in 30 minutes. It marked just the third time this season that only two Wildcats scored in double figures. The Bears, which played without one of their key players in senior&nbsp;James Akinjo, were the definition of balance, as six players had at least 7 points, including 4 double-digit scorers led by sophomore&nbsp;L.J. Cryer's&nbsp;14 points. Junior&nbsp;Adam Flagler&nbsp;scored 13 points to go with a team-tying 5 assists, while junior&nbsp;Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua&nbsp;(13 points, 12 rebounds) and freshman&nbsp;Kendall Brown&nbsp;(10 points, 11 rebounds) each had double-doubles. For K-State, which has played a lot of tight games, the loss was just the second of the season by double figures. KEY STRETCH(ES) After sophomore&nbsp;Ish Massoud&nbsp;led off the game with 3-pointer, Baylor rattled off 9 in a row before head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1566">Bruce Weber</a>&nbsp;called his first timeout with K-State trailing 9-3 at the 15:18 mark. Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7431">Nijel Pack</a>&nbsp;made his field goal on the next possession, but the Bears responded with 9 of the next 10 points for an 18-6 lead. Baylor continued to push, using an 8-3 run to take a 26-11 lead and cause Weber to call a second timeout with just under 6 to play before halftime. The Wildcats were able to close to within 32-18 on a free throw by Pack at the 2:52 mark, but the Bears ripped off 7 in a row to push the lead back to 21 at 39-18 with 1:08 to play. Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7420">Kaosi Ezeagu</a>&nbsp;finished off the half with a jumper and a free throw for a 39-21 deficit at the break. The 21 points were the fewest in any half this season, as the Wildcats shot just 26.9 percent (7-of-26) from the field, including 15.4 percent (2-of-13) from 3-point range. K-State had an opportunity to close the deficit in the early moments of the second half, as junior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8107">Markquis Nowell</a>&nbsp;supplied all the offense, outscoring Baylor 7-2 all by himself to push to within 42-28 at the first media timeout at the 15:28 mark. Nowell had to chance to get it to within 12 but he uncharacteristically missed 2 free throws and the Bears scored the next 7 points to get the lead back to 21 at 49-28 with 13:22 to play. Baylor continued its offensive onslaught, outscoring the Wildcats, 16-8, over the next 6 minutes to build a 65-40 advantage before calling a timeout with 6:32 to play. The lead grew to as many as 29 points in the waning minutes as the Bears earned their sixth straight in the series, 74-49. PLAYER(S) OF THE GAME Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7431">Nijel Pack</a>&nbsp;still managed to get to double figures for a team-leading 16th&nbsp;time with a team-high 13 points on 4-of-12 field goals, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, to go with 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8107">Markquis Nowell</a>&nbsp;scored 11 points on 5-of-11 field goals to go with a team-high 4 assists. STAT OF THE GAME 56.9/31.7 – Baylor was simply dominate on both ends of the court in earning the 25-point victory, as the Bears connected on an opponent-high 56.9 percent (29-of-51) from the field with 4 players in double figures, while holding the Wildcats to a season-low 49 points on a season-worst 31.7 percent (19-of-60) shooting. IN THEIR WORDS K-State Head Coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1566">Bruce Weber</a> On the game… "Not much you can say, we just got our butts' kicked. The whole thing we've been through the last three weeks has taken a toll on us. Obviously, Saturday's game probably took our spirit away. I challenged them on Sunday to come back. I kind of begged and pleaded yesterday and today, but I could feel it. I could feel it coming. It's a shame what happened Saturday. When you looked at the schedule a couple of weeks ago and you saw four top-20 teams in a row, if you could get two out of the four, you'd probably be pretty happy. We had a chance to get three. We didn't and obviously we depend on Markquis (Nowell) and Nijel (Pack) so much and they did a good job getting into them and we're just a little off. We cut it to 14 in the second half. Markquis had those two free throws. He missed them and then they went down hit the three and then it was just kind of over at that point. We got a new season. I told them after Kansas the most important game of the year was going to be Ole Miss. It didn't matter what happened today. We got to clear our minds, come together and see if we can be ready to play on Saturday against Ole Miss. We got 12 left and we're gonna have to find a way to get some of these games."&nbsp; BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

WHAT'S NEXT K-State concludes its 2-game road swing this Saturday with its final non-conference matchup of the season with a trip to Oxford, Miss., to take on Ole Miss (10-9, 2-5 Big 12) at 3 p.m., CT at The Pavilion at Ole Miss in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The Rebels lead the all-time series, 3-2, including a 60-46 victory in the first and only meeting in Oxford. The Wildcats have won the last 2 meetings, both in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, with K-State taking a 69-64 victory in the matchup on Jan. 30, 2016.

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WACO, Texas&nbsp;– Kansas State could never really recover from an early onslaught by the defending national champions, as No. 4/4 Baylor displayed its immense talents on both ends of the court in earning a 74-49 victory over the Wildcats on Tuesday night before 8,062 fans at the Ferrell Center. K-State (10-9, 2-6 Big 12), which scored the opening points of the game on a 3-pointer by sophomore&nbsp;Ish Massoud, surrendered the next 9 points before falling behind by as many as 21 points in the first half. The Wildcats made some in-roads in the early part of the second half, slicing the lead to 14 points, but that was the closest it would get as the Bears built as much as a 29-point lead. For K-State, it was the worst offensive performance of the season, as the Bears stifled the Wildcats at every turn, causing them to post season-lows in 5 categories, including points (49), field goals made (19) and field goal percentage (31.7). The team had a season-low 21 points in the opening half on 26.9 percent (7-of-26) from the field, including 15.4 percent (2-of-13) from long range. As dominated as Baylor (18-2, 6-2 Big 12) was on the defensive end, the Bears were equally efficient on the offensive end, connecting on an opponent-best 56.9 percent (29-of-51) from the field, including an astonishing 73.3 percent (22-of-30) on baskets inside the 3-point arc. More than half of the team's points came in the paint (38), while they had assists on 21 of their 29 made field goals. Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7431">Nijel Pack</a>&nbsp;led the way for K-State with 13 points on 4-of-12 field goals, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, to go with 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in 31 minutes. He has now scored in double figure in 16 of 17 games played this season, while he has led in scoring on 11 occasions. Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8107">Markquis Nowell</a>&nbsp;also registered double figures, posting 11 points on 5-of-11 field goals, while adding a team-high 4 assists in 30 minutes. It marked just the third time this season that only two Wildcats scored in double figures. The Bears, which played without one of their key players in senior&nbsp;James Akinjo, were the definition of balance, as six players had at least 7 points, including 4 double-digit scorers led by sophomore&nbsp;L.J. Cryer's&nbsp;14 points. Junior&nbsp;Adam Flagler&nbsp;scored 13 points to go with a team-tying 5 assists, while junior&nbsp;Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua&nbsp;(13 points, 12 rebounds) and freshman&nbsp;Kendall Brown&nbsp;(10 points, 11 rebounds) each had double-doubles. For K-State, which has played a lot of tight games, the loss was just the second of the season by double figures. KEY STRETCH(ES) After sophomore&nbsp;Ish Massoud&nbsp;led off the game with 3-pointer, Baylor rattled off 9 in a row before head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1566">Bruce Weber</a>&nbsp;called his first timeout with K-State trailing 9-3 at the 15:18 mark. Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7431">Nijel Pack</a>&nbsp;made his field goal on the next possession, but the Bears responded with 9 of the next 10 points for an 18-6 lead. Baylor continued to push, using an 8-3 run to take a 26-11 lead and cause Weber to call a second timeout with just under 6 to play before halftime. The Wildcats were able to close to within 32-18 on a free throw by Pack at the 2:52 mark, but the Bears ripped off 7 in a row to push the lead back to 21 at 39-18 with 1:08 to play. Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7420">Kaosi Ezeagu</a>&nbsp;finished off the half with a jumper and a free throw for a 39-21 deficit at the break. The 21 points were the fewest in any half this season, as the Wildcats shot just 26.9 percent (7-of-26) from the field, including 15.4 percent (2-of-13) from 3-point range. K-State had an opportunity to close the deficit in the early moments of the second half, as junior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8107">Markquis Nowell</a>&nbsp;supplied all the offense, outscoring Baylor 7-2 all by himself to push to within 42-28 at the first media timeout at the 15:28 mark. Nowell had to chance to get it to within 12 but he uncharacteristically missed 2 free throws and the Bears scored the next 7 points to get the lead back to 21 at 49-28 with 13:22 to play. Baylor continued its offensive onslaught, outscoring the Wildcats, 16-8, over the next 6 minutes to build a 65-40 advantage before calling a timeout with 6:32 to play. The lead grew to as many as 29 points in the waning minutes as the Bears earned their sixth straight in the series, 74-49. PLAYER(S) OF THE GAME Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7431">Nijel Pack</a>&nbsp;still managed to get to double figures for a team-leading 16th&nbsp;time with a team-high 13 points on 4-of-12 field goals, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, to go with 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8107">Markquis Nowell</a>&nbsp;scored 11 points on 5-of-11 field goals to go with a team-high 4 assists. STAT OF THE GAME 56.9/31.7 – Baylor was simply dominate on both ends of the court in earning the 25-point victory, as the Bears connected on an opponent-high 56.9 percent (29-of-51) from the field with 4 players in double figures, while holding the Wildcats to a season-low 49 points on a season-worst 31.7 percent (19-of-60) shooting. IN THEIR WORDS K-State Head Coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1566">Bruce Weber</a> On the game… "Not much you can say, we just got our butts' kicked. The whole thing we've been through the last three weeks has taken a toll on us. Obviously, Saturday's game probably took our spirit away. I challenged them on Sunday to come back. I kind of begged and pleaded yesterday and today, but I could feel it. I could feel it coming. It's a shame what happened Saturday. When you looked at the schedule a couple of weeks ago and you saw four top-20 teams in a row, if you could get two out of the four, you'd probably be pretty happy. We had a chance to get three. We didn't and obviously we depend on Markquis (Nowell) and Nijel (Pack) so much and they did a good job getting into them and we're just a little off. We cut it to 14 in the second half. Markquis had those two free throws. He missed them and then they went down hit the three and then it was just kind of over at that point. We got a new season. I told them after Kansas the most important game of the year was going to be Ole Miss. It didn't matter what happened today. We got to clear our minds, come together and see if we can be ready to play on Saturday against Ole Miss. We got 12 left and we're gonna have to find a way to get some of these games."&nbsp; BEYOND THE BOXSCORE<ul>
 <li>The Wildcats dropped their second straight game to fall to 10-9 and 2-6 in Big 12 play.</li><li>The 25-point loss was the worst of the season and just the second this season by double figures.</li><li>With the win, Baylor takes control of the all-time series at 24-23, including 23-18 in the Big 12 era… The Bears have now won 6 straight in the series.</li><li>K-State posted season-lows in points (49), field goals made (19), field goal percentage (31.7), free throw percentage (46.2) and points in a half (21).</li><li>Baylor collected opponent-highs in field goals made (29), field goal percentage (56.9) and assists (21).</li><li>Baylor held a 39-28 advantage on the glass, including 11 offensive rebounds which were converted into 13 second-chance points… K-State fell to 0-7 when being out-rebounded.</li><li>Baylor won the specialty categories, posting advantages in points off turnovers (13-12), points in the paint (38-20), second-chance points (13-8), fast-break points (7-4) and bench points (25-14).</li><li>K-State had just 2 players score in double figures for just the third time in 19 games.</li><li>Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7431">Nijel Pack</a>&nbsp;scored a team-high 13 points on 4-of-12 field goals, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, and 3-of-4 free throws to go with 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in 31 minutes… He has led the Wildcats in scoring in a team-best 11 games… Pack has now scored in double figures in 32 of 41 career games, including 16 of 17 this season.</li><li>Junior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8107">Markquis Nowell</a>&nbsp;scored in double figures for the 12th&nbsp;time in 17 games played this season, posting 11 points on 5-of-11 field goals, including 1-of-4 from 3-point range, to go with a team-best 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 rebound in 30 minutes… He has now scored in double figures in 59 career games in college.</li><li>K-State used a starting lineup of junior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8107">Markquis Nowell</a>, sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7431">Nijel Pack</a>, sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7430">Selton Miguel</a>, sophomore&nbsp;Ish Massoud&nbsp;and fifth-year senior&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=8109">Mark Smith</a>… This marked the second time using this lineup this season… Smith has started all 19 games.</li><li>K-State had all 10 available scholarship players available for just the third time this season.</li>
 </ul> WHAT'S NEXT K-State concludes its 2-game road swing this Saturday with its final non-conference matchup of the season with a trip to Oxford, Miss., to take on Ole Miss (10-9, 2-5 Big 12) at 3 p.m., CT at The Pavilion at Ole Miss in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The Rebels lead the all-time series, 3-2, including a 60-46 victory in the first and only meeting in Oxford. The Wildcats have won the last 2 meetings, both in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, with K-State taking a 69-64 victory in the matchup on Jan. 30, 2016. <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;

🏀 MBB: K-State falls at Baylor, 74-49

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

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — No. 1 Auburn survived a scare from Missouri, winning 55-54 in the program's first-ever game as the nation's top-ranked team. K.D. Johnson scored 17 points, including five straight within the final 90 seconds. He converted a three-point play with 1:29 remaining to put Auburn ahead 53-51, then added a layup with 45 seconds left for a four-point advantage, and the Tigers held on from there. Walker Kessler had 13 points and 12 rebounds for Auburn, which shot 30% from the field. Javon Pickett led Missouri with 17 points, and Jaron Coleman added 10.

WACO, Texas (AP) — Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua and Kendall Brown each had a double-double as fourth-ranked Baylor won its third game in a row since rare consecutive losses, beating Kansas State 74-49. The 18-2 Bears were home for the first time since consecutive losses in the Ferrell Center two weeks ago that ended their 21-game winning streak and cost them their No. 1 ranking in the AP poll. They won twice on the road last week. The 10-9 Wildcats led Baylor only after Ismael Massoud made a 3-pointer on their first shot of the game. It was only three days after they almost pulled off an upset over fifth-ranked Kansas.&nbsp;

UNDATED (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers are hoping their recent regular-season dominance over the Los Angeles Rams extends to the playoffs. The Niners have swept the season series against the Rams the past three seasons and take a six-game winning streak in the series into the NFC title game. It's the 24th time in the Super Bowl era that division rivals will meet in the postseason following a regular-season sweep — and the team that wins the two regular season games is 14-9 in the rematch.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (AP) — Caitlin Clark had 20 points, a career-high 17 assists and seven rebounds, nearly missing her third triple-double in four games, and No. 23 Iowa beat Penn State 107-79 to spoil Makenna Marisa's third 30-plus performance of the season. Clark, who was named the Big Ten player of the week for the fourth consecutive time on Monday, was 6 of 17 from the field with four 3-pointers — one from the logo. Clark set a Big Ten record for assists in a conference game, breaking the mark on a pass in the lane to AJ Ediger for a 98-73 lead, and she was taken out a few seconds later. Marisa, second in the league in scoring behind Clark, finished with 32 points to surpass 1,000 for her career.

CHICAGO (AP) — Ryan Poles has been hired as Chicago's general manager 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 spent the previous 13 seasons in the Chiefs' front office, the past year as executive director of player personnel. 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. Poles succeeds Ryan Pace as the Bears' GM, and the team has yet to hire a coach to replace Matt Nagy. Poles interviewed Jim Caldwell for the coaching job on Tuesday.

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — Cameron Henry had 16 points and eight rebounds as Indiana State edged past Missouri State 76-72. Isiaih Mosley led the Bears with 25 points and 12 rebounds.

IRVING, Texas (AP) — North Carolina State athletic director Boo Corrigan will serve as the College Football Playoff selection committee chairman next season. CFP executive director Bill Hancock also announced four new members of the 13-person panel. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, Navy AD Chet Gladchuk, former Wake Forest and Ohio coach Jim Grobe and former USA Today sports writer Kelly Whiteside will join the committee in 2022 as other members cycle off it. Corrigan is the son of former NCAA President and Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner Gene Corrigan and served on the selection committee for the first time in 2021. He will replace former Iowa AD Gary Barta, who filled the role as chairman for the last two seasons.

UNDATED (AP) — Tyler Ennis had a hat trick to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 5-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night. Drake Batherson and Alex Formenton also scored for Ottawa, while Matt Murray made 32 saves for his third win of the season and 14th career shutout. The win came at a cost: Batherson went hard into the boards late in the first period and did not return. Dylan Gambrel also suffered an upper-body injury. This was the first of a four-game homestand for the Senators, who continue to play without fans.

— Connor McDavid scored with 23.4 seconds left in overtime, powering the Edmonton Oilers to a 3-2 comeback win over the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday night. The Edmonton captain tapped a pass from Darnell Nurse into the net for his 20th goal of the season. Ryan McLeod finally got Edmonton on the board and Leon Draisaitl added a power-play goal to knot the score at 2-2. Mikko Koskinen had 25 saves for the Oilers. Tyler Motte, with a short-handed tally, and Elias Pettersson scored for Vancouver, while goalie Spencer Martin had 47 saves. 

— Mattias Ekholm scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period and the Nashville Predators beat the Seattle Kraken 4-2. The Predators also got goals from Filip Forsberg, Luke Kunin and Matt Duchene in their third straight win. Roman Josi added two assists, and Juuse Saros made 32 saves. Jared McCann and Adam Larsson scored for the Kraken, who had won three of four — one of the best stretches of their inaugural season.

— Mason Marchment scored twice and added an assist as the Florida Panthers defeated the Winnipeg Jets 5-3 on Tuesday night. Anton Lundell also had a goal and assist, and Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett also scored for the Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves for Florida, which ended a five-game trip 3-2-0 and is 8-6-5 overall away from home this season. Paul Stastny, Kyle Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois scored for the Jets. Connor Hellebuyck, playing his 12th straight game, made 27 stops.

— Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang led a four-goal, third-period barrage to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a 6-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night. Pittsburgh trailed early in the third before its offensive show, when Letang scored twice and Crosby netted his 11th for the Penguins. Pittsburgh has 17 wins in its last 19 games.

— Sebastian Aho's second goal of the game 3:49 into overtime gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights after blowing a two-goal lead late in regulation. Nino Niederreiter and Vincent Trocheck scored 57 seconds apart in the second period and Aho had a power-play goal in the third for Carolina. Andrei Svechnikov's second assist of the game came on the winning goal. 

— Joe Pavelski had two goals and two assists, and the Dallas Stars extended their winning streak to four games with a 5-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Roope Hintz scored for the fourth straight game and rookie Jacob Peterson got his eighth goal as Dallas swept its four-game road trip. 

— Zach Parise scored the tiebreaking goal with just over eight minutes left in the third period and Ilya Sorokin made 14 saves as the New York Islanders edged Philadelphia 4-3 on Tuesday night. The reeling Flyers notched their franchise-record 13th straight loss. Meanwhile, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Keith Yandle has broken the NHL record by playing in his 965th consecutive game. 

James, Lakers rock Brooklyn 106-96 in Davis' return

UNDATED (AP) — LeBron James welcomed Anthony Davis back with a lob pass for the game's first basket, then turned to this own offense to score 33 points in the Los Angeles Lakers' 106-96 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. 

Davis had eight points in 25 minutes after missing 17 games with a sprained left knee and the Lakers got good nights off the bench from Malik Monk and Carmelo Anthony. 

James added seven rebounds and six assists, punctuating his performance with steals and dunks about 15 seconds apart midway through the fourth quarter in front of a roaring road crowd that didn't have most of its own stars to cheer. 

When James got his sixth point on Tuesday during the Los Angeles Lakers' game at Brooklyn, it pushed his career total to 36,387 in his career. And that meant he was exactly 2,000 points shy of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

— Anthony Edwards had 40 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 109-107 on Tuesday night. Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 17 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who improved to 24-23 to surpass their win total from all of last season when they finished 23-49. Jusuf Nurkic had 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Blazers. It was his sixth straight double-double, longest streak of his career. 

— Stephen Curry had 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, rookie Jonathan Kuminga put on a show in the fourth and scored 22 points, and the Golden State Warriors routed Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks 130-92. It was a tough night for Dallas seeing Tim Hardaway Jr. go down with a broken fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot. The guard was helped off with 7:16 left in the second quarter and didn't return. Hardaway went down awkwardly on a drive and grabbed at his foot, but was able to get up and shoot free throws.

— Luke Kennard scored seven points inside the final 9 seconds, including a go-ahead four-point play with 1.9 seconds remaining, and the Los Angeles Clippers overcame a 35-point first-half deficit to stun the Washington Wizards 116-115. Kennard hit a 32-footer out of a timeout. Then, after Washington committed a 5-second violation, Kennard sank another 3 running to his right while absorbing a foul from Bradley Beal. He finished with 25 points. Amir Coffey scored a career-high 29 points for the depleted Clippers.

— Jayson Tatum scored 36 points and Jaylen Brown had 30 points and 10 rebounds before both rested the entire fourth quarter as the Boston Celtics routed the Sacramento Kings 128-75. Robert Williams finished with 13 points and 17 rebounds for the Celtics, who got off to a torrid start and never let up on the Kings, even when both teams went to reserves for the fourth quarter. Boston stretched its lead to 60 points before it was over.

— Nikola Jokic had 28 points, 21 rebounds and nine assists, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Detroit Pistons 110-105 on Tuesday. Monte Morris made four free throws in the final 11.5 seconds to clinch the game. Jeff Green added 20 points for the Nuggets in the second game between the teams in three nights. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 34 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. 

— Joel Embiid scored 12 of his 42 points in the fourth quarter as the Philadelphia 76ers pulled away from the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans for a 117-107 win. Tobias Harris added 33 points for the 76ers, who opened a five-game homestand by winning their 12th of the last 15. Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 31 points and Willy Hernangómez had 29 for the Pelicans. After an impressive first half in which they twice had leads of 10 points, the Pelicans kept it close through most of the second half. But Embiid took over during crunch time in the fourth.

— Pascal Siakam had 24 points and matched his career high with 12 assists, Gary Trent Jr. scored a season-best 32 and the Toronto Raptors never trailed in a 125-113 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. OG Anunoby scored 24 points, Chris Boucher had 12, Malachi Flynn 11 and Dalano Banton 10 as the short-handed Raptors overcame the absences of starters Fred VanVleet and Scottie Barnes. LaMelo Ball scored 25 points and Miles Bridges had 22 for the Hornets, who had won three straight road games.

— Dejounte Murray and Jakob Poeltl combined for 37 points in three quarters to help the San Antonio Spurs coast to a 134-104 victory over the Houston Rockets Tuesday night. Murray had 19 points and 10 assists and Poeltl had 18 points with nine rebounds by the end of the third quarter, and neither played after that with the Spurs up by 31.

 Auburn survives scare from Missouri in first game at No. 1

UNDATED (AP) — No. 1 Auburn survived a scare from Missouri, winning 55-54 in the program's first-ever game as the nation's top-ranked team. K.D. Johnson scored 17 points, including five straight within the final 90 seconds. He converted a three-point play with 1:29 remaining to put Auburn ahead 53-51, then added a layup with 45 seconds left for a four-point advantage, and the Tigers held on from there. Walker Kessler had 13 points and 12 rebounds for Auburn, which shot 30% from the field. Javon Pickett led Missouri with 17 points, and Jaron Coleman added 10.

In other men's college basketball action:

— Johnny Juzang and Jules Bernard scored 15 points each and seventh-ranked UCLA used gritty defense to beat No. 3 Arizona 75-59. The Wildcats lost for the first time in Pac-12 play. The Bruins improved to 14-2 overall and 6-1 in the league, tying Arizona for first place. UCLA took the lead for good during a 12-0 run in the first half on the way to winning its fourth in a row. Arizona fell to 16-2 overall. Bennedict Mathurin scored 10 of his 16 points in the second half to lead the Wildcats. 

— Adama Sanogo scored 19 points to lead No. 20 UConn to its fourth straight win, a 96-73 rout of Georgetown. Isaiah Whaley and Jordan Hawkins each added 15 points for the Huskies (14-4, 5-2 Big East), who never trailed. R.J. Cole had 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds, while Tyrese Martin chipped in with 13 points. UConn ran past the Hoyas, outscoring them 27-6 on the fast break and dominated the boards, outrebounding Georgetown 40-28. Aminu Mohammed had 15 points to lead Georgetown ( 6-11, 0-6), which lost its seventh consecutive game and sixth straight to start the conference season.

— Kellan Grady scored eight points in overtime, including consecutive 3-pointers about a minute apart, and Sahvir Wheeler added two free throws to lift No. 12 Kentucky over Mississippi State 82-74 on Tuesday night. Grady finished with 18 points and Oscar Tshiebwe added 21 points with 22 rebounds for Kentucky (16-3, 6-1 Southeastern Conference). Wildcats coach John Calipari got his 800th career victory. Iverson Molinar scored 22 of his 30 points in the second half to lead Mississippi State.

— Trent Frazier scored a game-high 16 points, and No. 24 Illinois held on to beat No. 10 Michigan State 56-55 and take sole possession of first place in the Big Ten. The Illini led by as many as 15 points early in the second half before Michigan State mounted a furious comeback in the final four minutes. Down by two, the Spartans had a chance to tie the game with less than a second left after Coleman Hawkins fouled Malik Hall as Hall drove to the basket. He missed the first free throw and made the second, then time expired. 

— Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua and Kendall Brown both had a double-double as fourth-ranked Baylor won its third game in a row since rare consecutive losses, beating Kansas State 74-49. The 18-2 Bears were home for the first time since consecutive losses in the Ferrell Center two weeks ago that ended their 21-game winning streak and cost them their No. 1 ranking in the AP poll. The 10-9 Wildcats led Baylor only after Ismael Massoud made a 3-pointer on their first shot of the game. 

— Justin Moore scored 16 points, Collin Gillespie had 14 and No. 14 Villanova beat DePaul 67-43 on Tuesday night. The Wildcats beat the Blue Demons for the 22nd straight time. The Wildcats last lost to DePaul in 2008. Javan Johnson led the Blue Demons with 16 points. Eric Dixon scored 11 points for the Wildcats. Villanova hit 11 3-pointers.

— Paolo Banchero scored 19 points as ninth-ranked Duke pulled away late from Clemson for a 71-69 win Tuesday night. Wendell Moore Jr. scored 13 points for Duke, Joey Baker added 11 and Mark Williams registered his fourth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. PJ Hall led Clemson in scoring and on the glass with 14 points and 10 boards. Hunter Tyson scored 13 points while Chase Hunter had 12. Tyson's layup with 3:19 remaining gave Clemson a two-point lead late. But Duke closed the game on an 8-4 run — four of those points by Banchero. 

Big Papi elected to HOF; Bonds, Clemens, Schilling left out

UNDATED (AP) — David Ortiz was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first turn on the ballot, while steroid-tainted stars Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were denied entry to Cooperstown in their final year under consideration by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Ortiz, a clutch slugger and 10-time All-Star over 20 seasons mostly with the Boston Red Sox, was named on 77.9% of ballots, clearing the 75% threshold needed for enshrinement. He's the fourth primary designated hitter voted into the Hall.

Bonds, Clemens, Curt Schilling and Sammy Sosa were all rejected in their 10th and final years on the BBWAA ballot.

— Major League Baseball withdrew its plan for more limited salary arbitration a day after the union withdrew its demand for greater free agent eligibility. The clubs also accepted the union's framework to funnel additional money to pre-arbitration-eligible players from central revenue, offering a $10 million pool. Time is dwindling for an agreement. Spring training is scheduled to start on Feb. 16 with opening day on March 31 threatened if there is not a deal by the end of next month.

— The Chicago White Sox have added another name to their rich Cuban history, agreeing to a contract with outfielder 23-year-old Oscar Colás. Considered one of the top international free agents, Colás received a $2.7 million signing bonus. The team also agreed to terms with outfielder Erick Hernández that included a $1 million bonus.

— In a flurry of changes in the Chicago Cubs front office, Matt Dorey is taking on the role of vice president of player personnel with Jared Banner taking on Dorey's previous position of vice president of player development.

Saints' Sean Payton retiring from coaching

UNDATED (AP) — New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, whose 15-year tenure with the club included its only Super Bowl championship and also a one-season suspension stemming from the NFL's bounty investigation, is retiring from coaching. Payton informed the team today that he is leaving his first and only NFL head coaching job with a 152-89 regular-season record — and nine playoff appearances — in 15 seasons. The Saints won the NFL title in 2009.

— Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has had his second interview for the New York Giants head coaching job. The Giants plan to meet with current Giants defensive coordinator Pat Graham on Wednesday and former Miami coach Brian Flores on Thursday. 

— Ryan Poles has been hired as Chicago's general manager 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. He was the team's director of college scouting in 2017 when Kansas City drafted Patrick Mahomes with the No. 10 overall pick. The team has yet to hire a coach to replace Matt Nagy.

— Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has emerged as the front-runner for the Minnesota Vikings' general manager job. He is the vice president of football operations for Cleveland. The Vikings targeted Adofo-Mensah and Kansas City executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles as their finalists. Poles was hired on Tuesday as Chicago's general manager. Adofo-Mensah also interviewed with the Bears.

— The four NFL divisional round playoff games had the highest average viewers on record with 38.2 million tuning in on television and digital platforms. Kansas City's 42-36 overtime victory over Buffalo averaged 42.74 million on CBS, making it the most-watched divisional playoff game on any network since the 2017 Green Bay-Dallas game on Fox.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Danielle Collins has joined fellow American Madison Keys in the Australian Open semifinals. Collins swung the match in her favor with a key service break in the final game of the opening set on her way to a 7-5, 6-1 quarterfinal win over Alize Cornet (ah-LEEZ' kohr-NAY'). The 28-year-old American equaled her best previous performance at Melbourne Park — she also advanced to the semifinals in 2019. 

Collins will play the winner of the following quarterfinal on Rod Laver Arena between former French Open champion Iga Swiatek (shvee-AHN'-tehk) and Kai Kanepi (KY'-uh kuh-NEH'-pee).

Keys will play top-ranked Ash Barty in the other semifinal on Thursday.

— Second-seeded Daniil Medvedev (DAN'-ihl MEHD'-veh-dehv) is expecting one of the toughest challenges to his bid to collect a second consecutive Grand Slam singles title when he plays 21-year-old Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (oh-ZHAY' al-ee-ah-SEEM'). They've played twice recently and the Russian player has won both matches. 

— Fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas (STEH'-fah-nohs TSEE'-tsee-pas) will play Jannik Sinner in the other men's quarterfinal. 

Sports Headlines for Wednesday

WICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6017">Jane Asinde</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;Mariah McCully combined to score 40 of Wichita State's 70 points in a 70-55 win over East Carolina Tuesday night in Charles Koch Arena. Wichita State (11-7, 2-3) snapped a two-game skid with the victory and a three-game losing streak at home. After trailing by one at the half, Wichita State outscored ECU 42-26 in the second half to record its first win of the season after facing a halftime deficit. They were 0-5 entering the game. Asinde poured in a new career-high 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting, while adding five rebounds, two blocks and two steals. It marked her second 20-point game of the season and ninth game in double figures. McCully's efficient night consisted of 19 points behind a 7-of-11 night from the field. She also pulled down a season-best seven boards.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5968">Asia Strong</a>&nbsp;chipped in 10 of her 15 points in the fourth quarter and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5965">DJ McCarty</a>&nbsp;dished out five assists to go with her 10 points. On a night when the outside shot wasn't falling (4-of-15) Wichita State dominated in the paint, outscoring ECU 40-16. Wichita State forced 21 ECU turnovers and converted those miscues into 24 points on the other end. The Pirates outrebounded Wichita State by two but shot just 32 percent from the field. Wichita State grabbed a one-point lead after 10 minutes behind 7-of-11 shooting, but seven turnovers kept ECU in it. The Pirates were just 4-of-16 from the floor in the first quarter and trailed by as many as seven, but back-to-back three-pointers capped an 8-0 run in the final minute of the period. ECU then opened the second quarter on a 6-2 run to take a 20-15 lead. Da'Ja Green came off the bench for the Pirates and torched the Shocker defense to the tune of 14 first half points behind 4-of-6 from three-point range. Her hot shooting and 12 Wichita State turnovers sent the Pirates into the locker room with a 29-28 lead. ECU came into the game last in the American and near the bottom of the NCAA in three-point shooting but converted on 6-of-19 attempts in the first half. Wichita State converted on 41 percent of its attempts despite missing seven of its nine tries from long range. Asinde (9) and McCully (8) combined to score 17 of the Shockers' 28 first half points. McCully cashed in a couple three-pointers in the second quarter to keep ECU within striking distance. Wichita State opened the third quarter on a 16-2 run to take its largest lead, 44-31. All the scoring came from three players led by eight from McCully, five from Asinde and three from McCarty. The Shockers outscored ECU 18-6 in the third to take a 46-35 lead into the final period. ECU was just 3-for-17 from the floor in the third and turned the ball over eight times. Wichita State stretched the margin to 20 just under four minutes into the final frame behind a 14-5 run. The lead never shrunk below 12 the rest of the way. Seventeen of Wichita State's 24 fourth quarter points came from Strong (10) and Asinde (7). Up Next Wichita State welcomes UCF to Charles Koch Arena for a Saturday showdown at Noon CT on ESPN+.&nbsp;&nbsp;

WICHITA, Kan. –&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6017">Jane Asinde</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;Mariah McCully combined to score 40 of Wichita State's 70 points in a 70-55 win over East Carolina Tuesday night in Charles Koch Arena. Wichita State (11-7, 2-3) snapped a two-game skid with the victory and a three-game losing streak at home. After trailing by one at the half, Wichita State outscored ECU 42-26 in the second half to record its first win of the season after facing a halftime deficit. They were 0-5 entering the game. Asinde poured in a new career-high 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting, while adding five rebounds, two blocks and two steals. It marked her second 20-point game of the season and ninth game in double figures. McCully's efficient night consisted of 19 points behind a 7-of-11 night from the field. She also pulled down a season-best seven boards.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5968">Asia Strong</a>&nbsp;chipped in 10 of her 15 points in the fourth quarter and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5965">DJ McCarty</a>&nbsp;dished out five assists to go with her 10 points. On a night when the outside shot wasn't falling (4-of-15) Wichita State dominated in the paint, outscoring ECU 40-16. Wichita State forced 21 ECU turnovers and converted those miscues into 24 points on the other end. The Pirates outrebounded Wichita State by two but shot just 32 percent from the field. Wichita State grabbed a one-point lead after 10 minutes behind 7-of-11 shooting, but seven turnovers kept ECU in it. The Pirates were just 4-of-16 from the floor in the first quarter and trailed by as many as seven, but back-to-back three-pointers capped an 8-0 run in the final minute of the period. ECU then opened the second quarter on a 6-2 run to take a 20-15 lead. Da'Ja Green came off the bench for the Pirates and torched the Shocker defense to the tune of 14 first half points behind 4-of-6 from three-point range. Her hot shooting and 12 Wichita State turnovers sent the Pirates into the locker room with a 29-28 lead. ECU came into the game last in the American and near the bottom of the NCAA in three-point shooting but converted on 6-of-19 attempts in the first half. Wichita State converted on 41 percent of its attempts despite missing seven of its nine tries from long range. Asinde (9) and McCully (8) combined to score 17 of the Shockers' 28 first half points. McCully cashed in a couple three-pointers in the second quarter to keep ECU within striking distance. Wichita State opened the third quarter on a 16-2 run to take its largest lead, 44-31. All the scoring came from three players led by eight from McCully, five from Asinde and three from McCarty. The Shockers outscored ECU 18-6 in the third to take a 46-35 lead into the final period. ECU was just 3-for-17 from the floor in the third and turned the ball over eight times. Wichita State stretched the margin to 20 just under four minutes into the final frame behind a 14-5 run. The lead never shrunk below 12 the rest of the way. Seventeen of Wichita State's 24 fourth quarter points came from Strong (10) and Asinde (7). Up Next Wichita State welcomes UCF to Charles Koch Arena for a Saturday showdown at Noon CT on ESPN+.&nbsp;&nbsp;<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;

🏀 WBB: Asinde, McCully power Wichita State past ECU, 70-55

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Women’s Basketball team heads for Ames, Iowa, and Hilton Coliseum to play No. 13 Iowa State on Wednesday, Jan. 26. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on Big 12 NOW on ESPN+.

Kansas heads into the game with momentum following a 71-57 victory over Texas Tech on Saturday, Jan. 22, at Allen Fieldhouse. The win improved the Jayhawks to 12-4 on the year and evened KU’s record in conference play to 3-3. For the second straight week, the Jayhawks are receiving votes in the latest AP Poll. Kansas went 1-1 last week after defeating No. 13/12 Texas 70-66 in overtime on Jan. 12, before falling late to No. 14/13 Baylor, 82-79, on Jan. 16.

At No. 13 in the latest AP Poll, Iowa State will be the fifth ranked opponent that Kansas has faced this season. Each of KU’s three defeats has come against a ranked opponent.

Chandler Prater led the Jayhawks with a career-high 18 points off the bench against Texas Tech, which surpassed her previous career-high of 14 points. Prater becomes the fifth different Jayhawk to lead the team in scoring this season, joining Holly Kersgieter (nine times), Aniya Thomas (three), Ioanna Chatzileonti (two) and Taiyanna Jackson (one).

Super-senior Julie Brosseau has hit at least two three-pointers in four consecutive games and she’s shooting 43.1 percent (22-of-51) from three-point range for the year. She is now 10 points away from reaching 1,000 for her five-year career, which spans time at three different schools.

Iowa State checks in at No. 13 in both the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll this week with a record of 16-3 on the year. The Cyclones are 5-2 in Big 12 play following back-to-back defeats against No. 15 Texas and No. 15 Baylor last week. The Cyclones lead the Big 12 in several offensive categories, including three-point field goals per game (10.4), three-point percentage (37.0) and free throw percentage (81.9).

Kansas and Iowa State have met 92 times all-time on the hardwood in a series that dates back to 1978. The teams have played at least once in each season since then. Kansas leads the all-time series 47-45, but Iowa State is 26-16 against the Jayhawks in Ames. The Cyclones have won six straight over KU at Hilton Coliseum and 13 straight overall in the series. The last Kansas victory over ISU was a 68-64 win on March 2, 2015 in Lawrence.

The 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+.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Kansas Women’s Basketball team heads for Ames, Iowa, and Hilton Coliseum to play No. 13 Iowa State on Wednesday, Jan. 26. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on Big 12 NOW on ESPN+.Kansas heads into the game with momentum following a 71-57 victory over Texas Tech on Saturday, Jan. 22, at Allen Fieldhouse. The win improved the Jayhawks to 12-4 on the year and evened KU’s record in conference play to 3-3. For the second straight week, the Jayhawks are receiving votes in the latest AP Poll. Kansas went 1-1 last week after defeating No. 13/12 Texas 70-66 in overtime on Jan. 12, before falling late to No. 14/13 Baylor, 82-79, on Jan. 16.At No. 13 in the latest AP Poll, Iowa State will be the fifth ranked opponent that Kansas has faced this season. Each of KU’s three defeats has come against a ranked opponent.Chandler Prater led the Jayhawks with a career-high 18 points off the bench against Texas Tech, which surpassed her previous career-high of 14 points. Prater becomes the fifth different Jayhawk to lead the team in scoring this season, joining Holly Kersgieter (nine times), Aniya Thomas (three), Ioanna Chatzileonti (two) and Taiyanna Jackson (one).Super-senior Julie Brosseau has hit at least two three-pointers in four consecutive games and she’s shooting 43.1 percent (22-of-51) from three-point range for the year. She is now 10 points away from reaching 1,000 for her five-year career, which spans time at three different schools.Iowa State checks in at No. 13 in both the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll this week with a record of 16-3 on the year. The Cyclones are 5-2 in Big 12 play following back-to-back defeats against No. 15 Texas and No. 15 Baylor last week. The Cyclones lead the Big 12 in several offensive categories, including three-point field goals per game (10.4), three-point percentage (37.0) and free throw percentage (81.9).Kansas and Iowa State have met 92 times all-time on the hardwood in a series that dates back to 1978. The teams have played at least once in each season since then. Kansas leads the all-time series 47-45, but Iowa State is 26-16 against the Jayhawks in Ames. The Cyclones have won six straight over KU at Hilton Coliseum and 13 straight overall in the series. The last Kansas victory over ISU was a 68-64 win on March 2, 2015 in Lawrence.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;

🏀 WBB: Kansas set to visit No. 13 Iowa State

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have agreed to terms on minor league contracts with 28 international free agents to mark the largest international free agent class in franchise history. The group includes 20 players from the Dominican Republic, three from Venezuela, two from Colombia and Mexico and one from Aruba. In total, the Royals agreed to terms with 12 right-handed pitchers, four left-handed pitchers, four outfielders, four shortstops, two catchers, one third baseman and one first baseman.

Among the group of 28 includes Colombian catcher Juan David Olmos and Dominican outfielder Henry Ramos, who rank No. 25 and No. 45, respectively, on MLB.com’s Top 50 International Prospects list. 

Olmos is the nephew of Royals scout Rafael Miranda. Also of note is Dominican first baseman Manuel German, who is the cousin of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Major League Baseball and the Players Association finalized a deal in March 2020 to address the international signing period during the pandemic. The 2022 international  signing period runs through Dec. 15, 2022. The complete list of Kansas City's 28 international free agents is below:

RHP Carlos De La Rosa (Dominican Republic) 

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have agreed to terms on minor league contracts with 28 international free agents to mark the largest international free agent class in franchise history. The group includes 20 players from the Dominican Republic, three from Venezuela, two from Colombia and Mexico and one from Aruba. In total, the Royals agreed to terms with 12 right-handed pitchers, four left-handed pitchers, four outfielders, four shortstops, two catchers, one third baseman and one first baseman.Among the group of 28 includes Colombian catcher Juan David Olmos and Dominican outfielder Henry Ramos, who rank No. 25 and No. 45, respectively, on MLB.com’s Top 50 International Prospects list. Olmos is the nephew of Royals scout Rafael Miranda. Also of note is Dominican first baseman Manuel German, who is the cousin of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.Major League Baseball and the Players Association finalized a deal in March 2020 to address the international signing period during the pandemic. The 2022 international signing period runs through Dec. 15, 2022. The complete list of Kansas City's 28 international free agents is below:RHP Andy Basora (Dominican Republic)RHP Carlos De La Rosa (Dominican Republic) LHP Jesus Franco (Mexico)1B Manuel German (Dominican Republic) LHP Agustin Herrera (Mexico}RHP Henson Leal (Venezuela)RHP Yuniol Marte (Dominican Republic) C Jose Medina (Venezuela)CF Raimer Medina (Dominican Republic) SS Charles Nova (Dominican Republic} SS Josi Novas (Dominican Republic) RHP Swandrick Oduber (Aruba)C Juan David Olmos (Colombia)SS Alexander Orasrna (Venezuela) LHP Juan Ozuna (Dominican Republic) SS Angel Pierre (Dominican Republic)RHP Yimi Presinal (Dominican Republic) CF Henry Ramos (Dominican Republic)RHP Emmanuel Reyes (Dominican Republic) LHP Edinson Salgado (Colombia)RHP Junior Sanchez (Dominican Republic) RHP Jeremy Santos (Dominican Republic) SS Ivan Sosa (Dominican Republic}CF Luis Tejeda (Dominican Republic) CF Erick Torres (Dominican Republic) RHP Luis Valdez (Dominican Republic) RHP Richi Valdez (Dominican Republic)RHP Pineda Werner (Dominican Republic)

Royals sign international free agents

K-State Continues Big 12 play at Baylor Tuesday

LAST TIME OUT: 7/7 KANSAS 78, K-STATE 75

THE 'CATS INK 3 HIGH-PROFILE TRANSFERS

K-State at Baylor Tonight

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk had a career-high five assists, Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and three assists, and the Calgary Flames routed the St. Louis Blues 7-1. Tkachuk ended a four-game goal-scoring streak but was happy to spread the wealth. Four of his assists came in the second period, when Calgary outshot St. Louis 18-2. Tkachuk has 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 13 career games against his hometown team. Nikita Zadorov, Chris Tanev, Elias Lindholm, Sean Monahan, Blake Coleman and Adam Ruzicka also scored for Calgary, which won for just the second time in seven games.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji scored a career-high 37 points to help No. 5 Kansas avenge its only conference loss of the season with a 94-91 double overtime win over No. 13 Texas Tech. Agbaji outdueled Bryson Williams, who poured in 33 points for Tech. Kansas led by one in the second overtime when Williams banked in a 3-pointer. KJ Adams tipped in a miss to tie the game at 91 with 1:39 left. Jalen Wilson gave the Jayhawks (17-2, 6-1 Big 12) the lead, hitting the second of two free throws 21 seconds later. After both teams went scoreless over the next 50 seconds, Christian Braun hit two free throws with 10.1 seconds remaining to make it a 94-91. Terrence Shannon missed a 3-pointer that would have tied it a few seconds later and Kansas held on.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — After three divisional playoff games had been decided on last-second field goals, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker had to know that fate was probably going to send him onto the field for a pressure-laden try against Buffalo on Sunday night. The rest went down in playoff history: Butker split the uprights from 49 yards as time expired to send the game to overtime, and Mahomes and Co. took care of the rest, marching for the decisive touchdown in a wild 42-36 victory. It was just the latest clutch kick for Butker, who is already one of the most accurate in NFL history.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — You could spend about a year describing the frantic two minutes that led to overtime between the Bills and Chiefs on Sunday night, when Kansas City rallied for a heart-pounding 42-36 victory to reach its fourth consecutive AFC title game. Or you could use two words: Patrick Mahomes. With unflappable poise and unwavering confidence, Mahomes finished 33 of 44 for 378 yards with three touchdown passes and no interceptions against Buffalo. He also ran for a game-high 69 yards, including a daring-do touchdown run in the first half in which his moxie was on full display. The result was a sixth straight home playoff win and an opportunity for Kansas City to host its fourth straight AFC title game.

UNDATED (AP) — Even the winning coach, in this case Andy Reid, is questioning the NFL's overtime setup. One day after Reid's Chiefs won the OT coin toss, then marched downfield for Travis Kelce's 8-yard touchdown reception to end an epic divisional round game with Buffalo, Reid recognized how fortunate Kansas City was. He said he expects the league to look at the rules that end the game if the team with the first possession of OT scores a touchdown. Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins is hopeful some changes will be coming.

UNDATED (AP) — Keith Yandle tied the NHL record for consecutive games played with 964 and the Philadelphia Flyers tied a franchise record with their 12th straight winless game. Jacob Peterson scored the go-ahead goal with 3:25 left to send the Stars to a 3-1 win. The Flyers have lost all 12 games over that span, matching a mark for futility set during the 1998-99 season when they lost eight games and tied four over a 12-game span.

— Matthew Tkachuk had a career-high five assists, Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and three assists, and the Calgary Flames routed the St. Louis Blues 7-1. Tkachuk ended a four-game goal-scoring streak but was happy to spread the wealth. Four of his assists came in the second period, when Calgary outshot St. Louis 18-2. Tkachuk has 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 13 career games against his hometown team. Nikita Zadorov, Chris Tanev, Elias Lindholm, Sean Monahan, Blake Coleman and Adam Ruzicka also scored for Calgary, which won for just the second time in seven games.

— Nazem Kadri and Mikko Rantanen scored, Pavel Francouz made 23 saves for his third career shutout and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 to extend their franchise-record home winning streak to 16 games. It was the seventh straight victory overall for the Avalanche, who tied the 1976 Boston Bruins for the fifth-longest home winning streak in NHL history.

— Robin Lehner stopped all 34 shots he faced to help the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Washington Capitals, 1-0. It's Lehner's first shutout of the season and 17th of his NHL career. His biggest save came on Alex Ovechkin oh-VECH'-kin during a lengthy 5-on-3 power play in the second period. Michael Amadio scored the only goal for Vegas. Vitek Vanecek (VEE'-tehk VAN'-eh-chehk) made 28 saves in net for Washington. 

— Troy Terry scored his team-leading 23rd goal, Ryan Getzlaf had a goal and set up another, and the Anaheim Ducks cooled off the Boston Bruins with a 5-3 victory. Isac Lundestrom, Derek Grant and Greg Pateryn also scored for the Ducks, who won for the fourth time in 11 games. John Gibson made 23 saves and Hampus Lindholm had three assists. David Pastrnak scored his 20th goal for Boston, with 12 coming in 13 games this month. 

— The Minnesota Wild matched their franchise record for goals in an 8-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Connor Dewar got his first career goal and added an assist when Nico Sturm scored 22 seconds later to help the Wild break open the game in the second period. Jared Spurgeon, Marcus Foligno, Mats Zuccarello, Matt Boldy, Jordie Benn and Kevin Fiala also scored as the Wild improved to 10-0-1 in their last 11 games at Xcel Energy Center. They've outscored their opponents 56-25 in that stretch. Mike Hoffman and Rem Pitlick scored for the Canadiens.

— Adam Fox scored the deciding goal in the sixth round of a shootout and the New York Rangers beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 for their ninth win in 12 games. Chris Kreider got his NHL-leading 30th goal, Barclay Goodrow also scored and Artemi Panarin had two assists as New York won its fifth straight at home. Igor Shesterkin stopped 28 shots to pick up his 20th win of the season.

Penguins' Teddy Blueger out 6-to-8 weeks after jaw surgery

UNDATED (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins forward Teddy Blueger (BLOO'-gur) will miss 6-to-8 weeks after having surgery to repair a fractured jaw. Blueger was injured when Winnipeg's Brenden Dillon hit him into the glass on Sunday in the first period of Pittsburgh's victory over the Jets. 

The 27-year-old Blueger has eight goals and nine assists in 40 games this season. He has been an important part of Pittsburgh's NHL-best penalty-killing unit and centers the Penguins' fourth line.

— The Kraken announced today that Brandon Tanev will be taking on an outreach role with the team while continuing his recovery from surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee. Tanev was injured on Dec. 18 against Edmonton and underwent surgery on Dec. 30. He is expected to be ready for the start of the 2022-23 season. 

— The Vancouver Canucks have hired former player agent Emilie Castonguay to be assistant general manager, making her the first female assistant GM in franchise history. The team says that she will play a lead role in player contracts and negotiations and managing the collective bargaining agreement. She has represented a number of high-level players, including Alexis Lafreniere (lah-frehn-YEHR'), the first overall pick in the 2020 NHL entry draft.

Bulls hold off fierce rally to win 111-110

UNDATED (AP) — Nicola Vucevic (VOO'-seh-vihch) had 26 points and 15 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls withstood a fierce rally by Oklahoma City to beat the Thunder 111-110. The Bulls led by 28 points in the third quarter, but the Thunder had a chance to tie it in the closing seconds. 

Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (shay GIHL'-juhs) missed a 3-pointer that would have evened the score with 2.3 seconds to play. Rookie Ayo Dosunmu scored a season-high 24 points and Zach LaVine added 23 for the Bulls. Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points and 10 assists and Lu Dort added 16 points for the Thunder.

— Devin Booker scored 33 points, Chris Paul had 15 of his a season-high 27 points in the fourth quarter, and the Phoenix Suns rallied for a 115-109 win over the short-handed Utah Jazz. Paul just missed a triple-double with 14 assists and nine rebounds. The Suns improved their NBA-best record to 37-9, matching the 2006-07 team for the best start in franchise history. Utah led 95-91 early in the fourth quarter but the Suns responded with a 14-2 run to take control. Paul made his first five shots of the period. Jordan Clarkson led the Jazz with 22 points.

— Kevin Love scored 20 points and Darius Garland had 12 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers survived a late rally by New York to beat the Knicks 95-93. Down by 15 in the fourth quarter, the Knicks rallied but came up short as Julius Randle's 38-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer was way short. Garland hit a late 3-pointer, rookie Evan Mobley had 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Isaac Okoro scored 14 points for the Cavs. RJ Barrett scored 24 points and Randle had 18 for the Knicks.

— Devonte Graham scored 25 points, Josh Hart had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Indiana Pacers 117-113. Graham went 5 of 9 from 3-point range on a night when the rest of his team missed 20 of 21 from deep. Pelicans leading scorer Brandon Ingram was sidelined by a right ankle sprain while Pacers top scorer Domantas Sabonis was out with a left ankle sprain. Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Pacers rookie Duane Washington Jr. hit a career-best seven 3s for a career-high 21 points.

Bills' Daboll gets 2nd interview for Giants coaching job

UNDATED (AP) — Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll (DAY'-buhl) is getting a second interview for the vacant New York Giants' coaching job even before some candidates have gotten a chance for a first meeting. The Giants confirmed that Daboll will meet with co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch and new general manager Joe Schoen on Tuesday at the team's headquarters. 

Daboll was first interviewed on a video call on Friday, hours after Schoen, the former Bills assistant general manager, was hired by New York to replace Dave Gettleman. Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was scheduled to be interviewed Monday.

— Winning coach Andy Reid is among those questioning the NFL's overtime setup, a day after his Chiefs won the OT coin toss, then marched downfield and beat Buffalo with a touchdown to advance to the AFC championship game. Reid says he expects the league to look at the rules that end the game if the team with the first possession of OT scores a touchdown. Those who support the current system say the defense needs to make a stop, and if it can't then it gets what it deserves. The opposite viewpoint asks why shouldn't both teams' defenses be put in that position.

— The Carolina Panthers have agreed to terms with former New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo to become their next offensive coordinator. McAdoo will replace Joe Brady, who was fired late last season with the offense struggling to produce points. McAdoo has 15 years of coaching experience in the NFL, including two seasons as the Giants head coach. 

MLB players withdraw free agency shift as labor talks resume

UNDATED (AP) — Locked-out Major League Baseball players removed the first of three major obstacles to a labor contract, withdrawing their proposal for more liberalized free agency when the sides met face-to-face for the first time since the management lockout began Dec. 1.

The union also modified its revenue-sharing proposal, asking the amount shifted from big markets to smaller ones be cut by what it said was $30 million, a figure management disputed. 

Another meeting in the contentious talks is scheduled Tuesday, the first consecutive sessions since the bargaining collapse last fall that led to baseball's ninth work stoppage, its first since 1995.

— Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and David Ortiz appear to be the only players with a chance at Hall of Fame enshrinement when results are unveiled Tuesday, with Ortiz most likely to get in on his first try. Bonds and Clemens are each in their 10th and final turns under consideration by voters from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Roughly half of voters have already revealed their picks, and Bonds and Clemens are tracking to come up just short. There's evidence that both used performance-enhancing drugs during their careers, and some voters have also been irked by their off-field behavior.

Agbaji helps No. 5 Kansas beat Texas Tech 94-91 in 2OT 

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji scored a career-high 37 points to help No. 5 Kansas avenge its only conference loss of the season with a 94-91 double overtime win over No. 13 Texas Tech. 

Agbaji outdueled Bryson Williams, who poured in 33 points for Tech. Kansas led by one in the second overtime when Williams banked in a 3-pointer. KJ Adams tipped in a miss to tie the game at 91 with 1:39 left. Jalen Wilson gave the Jayhawks (17-2, 6-1 Big 12) the lead, hitting the second of two free throws 21 seconds later. 

After both teams went scoreless over the next 50 seconds, Christian Braun hit two free throws with 10.1 seconds remaining to make it a 94-91. Terrence Shannon missed a 3-pointer that would have tied it a few seconds later and Kansas held on. 

— Drew Peterson scored 16 points and No. 15 Southern California shook off a slow start to defeat Arizona State 78-56 Monday night. The Trojans playing their third game in five days, fell behind by 12 points midway through the first half. They missed 15 of their first 18 and committed eight turnovers in the first 14 minutes before turning things around. USC closed the first half on a 21-2 run to take a 31-24 lead at halftime. Marreon Jackson led Arizona State with 21 points.

Auburn jumps to No. 1 in AP Top 25 for first time in history

UNDATED (AP) — Auburn has climbed past Gonzaga and into the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll for the first time ever. The Tigers beat Kentucky over the weekend for their 15th consecutive win. They are the nation's top-ranked team for the first time since the poll began with the 1948-49 season.

The Bulldogs dropped to No. 2. Arizona remained third and earned the other No. 1 vote. Baylor is fourth and Kansas is fifth.

— Arizona State has hired former Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick as an offensive analyst and advisor to head coach Herm Edwards. Billick won the Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2001 and led them to three other playoff appearances in nine seasons. He went 80-64 before being fired in 2007. Billick has spent the past 12 years providing commentary and draft analysis for Fox and NFL Network.

Nadal fends off Shapovalov, advances to semis in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Rafael Nadal fended off Denis Shapovalov in five sets to reach the Australian Open semifinals for the seventh time and keep his bid on track for a men's-record 21st Grand Slam singles title. 

Nadal shares the men's record with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Neither of those two are in Melbourne. 

Nadal was dominant for the first 2 1/2 sets against Shapovalov but appeared to be hampered at times by a stomach problem. Top-ranked Ash Barty beat Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-0 and will next play 2017 U.S. Open runner-up Madison Keys in the semifinals. Keys advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova.

Former Tour de France champ Bernal hospitalized after crash

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Former Tour de France champion Egan Bernal has undergone surgery on his right leg after breaking his femur and kneecap in a training accident. In a statement, the University of La Sabana Hospital near Colombia's capital says Bernal received reconstructive surgery after the mishap Monday. It says he also sustained injuries to his chest and neck. Colombian police say Bernal collided with a bus parked on a roadside outside Bogota. 

Police say the accident is under investigation. 

In addition to winning the 2019 Tour de France, Bernal also claimed the Giro d'Italia title last year. 

US names 222 to Olympic team; 4 athletes are 5-timers

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — The 222-person U.S. Olympic roster includes four athletes making their fifth trip to the Games. They are: Shaun White and Lindsey Jacobellis in snowboarding, Katie Uhlaender in skeleton and John Shuster in curling. There are 115 men and 107 women on the U.S. roster. That ties for the second-biggest contingent the U.S. has ever sent to the Games. 

The opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics is Feb. 4. Most athletes had already been nominated by their respective sports for the Olympic team. 

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee's announcement on Monday makes their spots official. Fifty-four of the U.S. athletes are making their debuts.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk had a career-high five assists, Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and three assists, and the Calgary Flames routed the St. Louis Blues 7-1. Tkachuk ended a four-game goal-scoring streak but was happy to spread the wealth. Four of his assists came in the second period, when Calgary outshot St. Louis 18-2. Tkachuk has 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 13 career games against his hometown team. Nikita Zadorov, Chris Tanev, Elias Lindholm, Sean Monahan, Blake Coleman and Adam Ruzicka also scored for Calgary, which won for just the second time in seven games.LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji scored a career-high 37 points to help No. 5 Kansas avenge its only conference loss of the season with a 94-91 double overtime win over No. 13 Texas Tech. Agbaji outdueled Bryson Williams, who poured in 33 points for Tech. Kansas led by one in the second overtime when Williams banked in a 3-pointer. KJ Adams tipped in a miss to tie the game at 91 with 1:39 left. Jalen Wilson gave the Jayhawks (17-2, 6-1 Big 12) the lead, hitting the second of two free throws 21 seconds later. After both teams went scoreless over the next 50 seconds, Christian Braun hit two free throws with 10.1 seconds remaining to make it a 94-91. Terrence Shannon missed a 3-pointer that would have tied it a few seconds later and Kansas held on.&nbsp;KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — After three divisional playoff games had been decided on last-second field goals, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker had to know that fate was probably going to send him onto the field for a pressure-laden try against Buffalo on Sunday night. The rest went down in playoff history: Butker split the uprights from 49 yards as time expired to send the game to overtime, and Mahomes and Co. took care of the rest, marching for the decisive touchdown in a wild 42-36 victory. It was just the latest clutch kick for Butker, who is already one of the most accurate in NFL history.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — You could spend about a year describing the frantic two minutes that led to overtime between the Bills and Chiefs on Sunday night, when Kansas City rallied for a heart-pounding 42-36 victory to reach its fourth consecutive AFC title game. Or you could use two words: Patrick Mahomes. With unflappable poise and unwavering confidence, Mahomes finished 33 of 44 for 378 yards with three touchdown passes and no interceptions against Buffalo. He also ran for a game-high 69 yards, including a daring-do touchdown run in the first half in which his moxie was on full display. The result was a sixth straight home playoff win and an opportunity for Kansas City to host its fourth straight AFC title game.UNDATED (AP) — Even the winning coach, in this case Andy Reid, is questioning the NFL's overtime setup. One day after Reid's Chiefs won the OT coin toss, then marched downfield for Travis Kelce's 8-yard touchdown reception to end an epic divisional round game with Buffalo, Reid recognized how fortunate Kansas City was. He said he expects the league to look at the rules that end the game if the team with the first possession of OT scores a touchdown. Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins is hopeful some changes will be coming.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NHL-SCHEDULEYandle ties recordUNDATED (AP) — Keith Yandle tied the NHL record for consecutive games played with 964 and the Philadelphia Flyers tied a franchise record with their 12th straight winless game. Jacob Peterson scored the go-ahead goal with 3:25 left to send the Stars to a 3-1 win. The Flyers have lost all 12 games over that span, matching a mark for futility set during the 1998-99 season when they lost eight games and tied four over a 12-game span.In other NHL action:— Matthew Tkachuk had a career-high five assists, Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and three assists, and the Calgary Flames routed the St. Louis Blues 7-1. Tkachuk ended a four-game goal-scoring streak but was happy to spread the wealth. Four of his assists came in the second period, when Calgary outshot St. Louis 18-2. Tkachuk has 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 13 career games against his hometown team. Nikita Zadorov, Chris Tanev, Elias Lindholm, Sean Monahan, Blake Coleman and Adam Ruzicka also scored for Calgary, which won for just the second time in seven games.— Nazem Kadri and Mikko Rantanen scored, Pavel Francouz made 23 saves for his third career shutout and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 to extend their franchise-record home winning streak to 16 games. It was the seventh straight victory overall for the Avalanche, who tied the 1976 Boston Bruins for the fifth-longest home winning streak in NHL history.— Robin Lehner stopped all 34 shots he faced to help the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Washington Capitals, 1-0. It's Lehner's first shutout of the season and 17th of his NHL career. His biggest save came on Alex Ovechkin oh-VECH'-kin during a lengthy 5-on-3 power play in the second period. Michael Amadio scored the only goal for Vegas. Vitek Vanecek (VEE'-tehk VAN'-eh-chehk) made 28 saves in net for Washington. — Troy Terry scored his team-leading 23rd goal, Ryan Getzlaf had a goal and set up another, and the Anaheim Ducks cooled off the Boston Bruins with a 5-3 victory. Isac Lundestrom, Derek Grant and Greg Pateryn also scored for the Ducks, who won for the fourth time in 11 games. John Gibson made 23 saves and Hampus Lindholm had three assists. David Pastrnak scored his 20th goal for Boston, with 12 coming in 13 games this month. — The Minnesota Wild matched their franchise record for goals in an 8-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Connor Dewar got his first career goal and added an assist when Nico Sturm scored 22 seconds later to help the Wild break open the game in the second period. Jared Spurgeon, Marcus Foligno, Mats Zuccarello, Matt Boldy, Jordie Benn and Kevin Fiala also scored as the Wild improved to 10-0-1 in their last 11 games at Xcel Energy Center. They've outscored their opponents 56-25 in that stretch. Mike Hoffman and Rem Pitlick scored for the Canadiens.— Adam Fox scored the deciding goal in the sixth round of a shootout and the New York Rangers beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 for their ninth win in 12 games. Chris Kreider got his NHL-leading 30th goal, Barclay Goodrow also scored and Artemi Panarin had two assists as New York won its fifth straight at home. Igor Shesterkin stopped 28 shots to pick up his 20th win of the season.NHL-NEWSPenguins' Teddy Blueger out 6-to-8 weeks after jaw surgeryUNDATED (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins forward Teddy Blueger (BLOO'-gur) will miss 6-to-8 weeks after having surgery to repair a fractured jaw. Blueger was injured when Winnipeg's Brenden Dillon hit him into the glass on Sunday in the first period of Pittsburgh's victory over the Jets. The 27-year-old Blueger has eight goals and nine assists in 40 games this season. He has been an important part of Pittsburgh's NHL-best penalty-killing unit and centers the Penguins' fourth line.Elsewhere around the NHL:— The Kraken announced today that Brandon Tanev will be taking on an outreach role with the team while continuing his recovery from surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee. Tanev was injured on Dec. 18 against Edmonton and underwent surgery on Dec. 30. He is expected to be ready for the start of the 2022-23 season. — The Vancouver Canucks have hired former player agent Emilie Castonguay to be assistant general manager, making her the first female assistant GM in franchise history. The team says that she will play a lead role in player contracts and negotiations and managing the collective bargaining agreement. She has represented a number of high-level players, including Alexis Lafreniere (lah-frehn-YEHR'), the first overall pick in the 2020 NHL entry draft.NBA-SCHEDULEBulls hold off fierce rally to win 111-110UNDATED (AP) — Nicola Vucevic (VOO'-seh-vihch) had 26 points and 15 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls withstood a fierce rally by Oklahoma City to beat the Thunder 111-110. The Bulls led by 28 points in the third quarter, but the Thunder had a chance to tie it in the closing seconds. Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (shay GIHL'-juhs) missed a 3-pointer that would have evened the score with 2.3 seconds to play. Rookie Ayo Dosunmu scored a season-high 24 points and Zach LaVine added 23 for the Bulls. Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points and 10 assists and Lu Dort added 16 points for the Thunder.Elsewhere in NBA action:— Devin Booker scored 33 points, Chris Paul had 15 of his a season-high 27 points in the fourth quarter, and the Phoenix Suns rallied for a 115-109 win over the short-handed Utah Jazz. Paul just missed a triple-double with 14 assists and nine rebounds. The Suns improved their NBA-best record to 37-9, matching the 2006-07 team for the best start in franchise history. Utah led 95-91 early in the fourth quarter but the Suns responded with a 14-2 run to take control. Paul made his first five shots of the period. Jordan Clarkson led the Jazz with 22 points.— Kevin Love scored 20 points and Darius Garland had 12 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers survived a late rally by New York to beat the Knicks 95-93. Down by 15 in the fourth quarter, the Knicks rallied but came up short as Julius Randle's 38-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer was way short. Garland hit a late 3-pointer, rookie Evan Mobley had 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Isaac Okoro scored 14 points for the Cavs. RJ Barrett scored 24 points and Randle had 18 for the Knicks.— Devonte Graham scored 25 points, Josh Hart had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Indiana Pacers 117-113. Graham went 5 of 9 from 3-point range on a night when the rest of his team missed 20 of 21 from deep. Pelicans leading scorer Brandon Ingram was sidelined by a right ankle sprain while Pacers top scorer Domantas Sabonis was out with a left ankle sprain. Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Pacers rookie Duane Washington Jr. hit a career-best seven 3s for a career-high 21 points.NFL-NEWSBills' Daboll gets 2nd interview for Giants coaching jobUNDATED (AP) — Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll (DAY'-buhl) is getting a second interview for the vacant New York Giants' coaching job even before some candidates have gotten a chance for a first meeting. The Giants confirmed that Daboll will meet with co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch and new general manager Joe Schoen on Tuesday at the team's headquarters. Daboll was first interviewed on a video call on Friday, hours after Schoen, the former Bills assistant general manager, was hired by New York to replace Dave Gettleman. Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was scheduled to be interviewed Monday.In other NFL news:— Winning coach Andy Reid is among those questioning the NFL's overtime setup, a day after his Chiefs won the OT coin toss, then marched downfield and beat Buffalo with a touchdown to advance to the AFC championship game. Reid says he expects the league to look at the rules that end the game if the team with the first possession of OT scores a touchdown. Those who support the current system say the defense needs to make a stop, and if it can't then it gets what it deserves. The opposite viewpoint asks why shouldn't both teams' defenses be put in that position.— The Carolina Panthers have agreed to terms with former New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo to become their next offensive coordinator. McAdoo will replace Joe Brady, who was fired late last season with the offense struggling to produce points. McAdoo has 15 years of coaching experience in the NFL, including two seasons as the Giants head coach. MLB NEWS-LOCKOUTMLB players withdraw free agency shift as labor talks resumeUNDATED (AP) — Locked-out Major League Baseball players removed the first of three major obstacles to a labor contract, withdrawing their proposal for more liberalized free agency when the sides met face-to-face for the first time since the management lockout began Dec. 1.The union also modified its revenue-sharing proposal, asking the amount shifted from big markets to smaller ones be cut by what it said was $30 million, a figure management disputed. Another meeting in the contentious talks is scheduled Tuesday, the first consecutive sessions since the bargaining collapse last fall that led to baseball's ninth work stoppage, its first since 1995.Elsewhere around the majors:— Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and David Ortiz appear to be the only players with a chance at Hall of Fame enshrinement when results are unveiled Tuesday, with Ortiz most likely to get in on his first try. Bonds and Clemens are each in their 10th and final turns under consideration by voters from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Roughly half of voters have already revealed their picks, and Bonds and Clemens are tracking to come up just short. There's evidence that both used performance-enhancing drugs during their careers, and some voters have also been irked by their off-field behavior.COLLEGE BASKETBALLAgbaji helps No. 5 Kansas beat Texas Tech 94-91 in 2OT LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji scored a career-high 37 points to help No. 5 Kansas avenge its only conference loss of the season with a 94-91 double overtime win over No. 13 Texas Tech. Agbaji outdueled Bryson Williams, who poured in 33 points for Tech. Kansas led by one in the second overtime when Williams banked in a 3-pointer. KJ Adams tipped in a miss to tie the game at 91 with 1:39 left. Jalen Wilson gave the Jayhawks (17-2, 6-1 Big 12) the lead, hitting the second of two free throws 21 seconds later. After both teams went scoreless over the next 50 seconds, Christian Braun hit two free throws with 10.1 seconds remaining to make it a 94-91. Terrence Shannon missed a 3-pointer that would have tied it a few seconds later and Kansas held on. Also in college basketball:— Drew Peterson scored 16 points and No. 15 Southern California shook off a slow start to defeat Arizona State 78-56 Monday night. The Trojans playing their third game in five days, fell behind by 12 points midway through the first half. They missed 15 of their first 18 and committed eight turnovers in the first 14 minutes before turning things around. USC closed the first half on a 21-2 run to take a 31-24 lead at halftime. Marreon Jackson led Arizona State with 21 points.MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NEWSAuburn jumps to No. 1 in AP Top 25 for first time in historyUNDATED (AP) — Auburn has climbed past Gonzaga and into the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll for the first time ever. The Tigers beat Kentucky over the weekend for their 15th consecutive win. They are the nation's top-ranked team for the first time since the poll began with the 1948-49 season.The Bulldogs dropped to No. 2. Arizona remained third and earned the other No. 1 vote. Baylor is fourth and Kansas is fifth.In other men's college basketball news:— Arizona State has hired former Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick as an offensive analyst and advisor to head coach Herm Edwards. Billick won the Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2001 and led them to three other playoff appearances in nine seasons. He went 80-64 before being fired in 2007. Billick has spent the past 12 years providing commentary and draft analysis for Fox and NFL Network.TENNIS-AUSTRALIAN OPENNadal fends off Shapovalov, advances to semis in AustraliaMELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Rafael Nadal fended off Denis Shapovalov in five sets to reach the Australian Open semifinals for the seventh time and keep his bid on track for a men's-record 21st Grand Slam singles title. Nadal shares the men's record with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Neither of those two are in Melbourne. Nadal was dominant for the first 2 1/2 sets against Shapovalov but appeared to be hampered at times by a stomach problem. Top-ranked Ash Barty beat Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-0 and will next play 2017 U.S. Open runner-up Madison Keys in the semifinals. Keys advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova.CYCLING-BERNAL CRASHFormer Tour de France champ Bernal hospitalized after crashBOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Former Tour de France champion Egan Bernal has undergone surgery on his right leg after breaking his femur and kneecap in a training accident. In a statement, the University of La Sabana Hospital near Colombia's capital says Bernal received reconstructive surgery after the mishap Monday. It says he also sustained injuries to his chest and neck. Colombian police say Bernal collided with a bus parked on a roadside outside Bogota. Police say the accident is under investigation. In addition to winning the 2019 Tour de France, Bernal also claimed the Giro d'Italia title last year. US-OLYMPICSUS names 222 to Olympic team; 4 athletes are 5-timersCOLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — The 222-person U.S. Olympic roster includes four athletes making their fifth trip to the Games. They are: Shaun White and Lindsey Jacobellis in snowboarding, Katie Uhlaender in skeleton and John Shuster in curling. There are 115 men and 107 women on the U.S. roster. That ties for the second-biggest contingent the U.S. has ever sent to the Games. The opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics is Feb. 4. Most athletes had already been nominated by their respective sports for the Olympic team. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee's announcement on Monday makes their spots official. Fifty-four of the U.S. athletes are making their debuts.

Sports Headlines for Tuesday

The Hutchinson Community College softball team was picked to finish third this season in the annual Jayhawk Conference preseason coaches’ poll released on Monday.

The Blue Dragons come off a 29-17 season and a third-place finish in the Region VI Tournament. The 2021 Blue Dragons advanced to the winner’s bracket final before dropping games to Butler and Barton in the loser’s bracket final.

Starting her 18th season, head coach Jaime Rose returns six position players and one pitcher for the 2022 season, which opens on Saturday at Fun Valley against the Ottawa University Junior Varsity.

The Blue Dragons return their top three hitters from last season in Madison Grimes, Natalie Bevan and Haley Miller.

Grimes was the 2021 Jayhawk East Player and Freshman of the Year in 2021. Grimes shattered the Blue Dragon single-season batting average record of by 98 points after hitting .562 (82 for 156) with 11 home runs, 78 RBIs and 71 runs scored. The sophomore from Andale moved from third base to shortstop about one-third of the way through the 2021 season.

Bevan, a super-sophomore from Augusta, hit .426 (58 for 136) with nine homers and 58 RBIs. Miller, a sophomore outfielder from Buhler, hit .401 (59 for 147) with 42 runs scored and 28 stolen bases.

The Blue Dragons also return left-handed pitcher Sadie Loney. The super-sophomore from Oak Grove, Missouri, was 5-1 through an injury-plagued 2021 season with a 3.37 ERA. She had 45 strikeouts in 43 2-3 innings. She also had three saves last season, making 19 total appearances.

Butler, Barton and Hutchinson are the Top 3 picks in the KJCCC this season. Colby, Garden City and Seward County are picked 4 through 7. Dodge City, Pratt and Northwest Tech round up the remainder of the poll.

The NJCAA Division Preseason rankings were also released on Monday. The Blue Dragons are not mentioned in that poll, but on their schedule are the Nos. 2 and 3 teams in the rankings – No. 2 Grayson and No. 3 Butler.

2022 KJCCC PRESEASON SOFTBALL COACHES’ POLL

STEVE CARPENTERHutchCC Sports InformationThe Hutchinson Community College softball team was picked to finish third this season in the annual Jayhawk Conference preseason coaches’ poll released on Monday.The Blue Dragons come off a 29-17 season and a third-place finish in the Region VI Tournament. The 2021 Blue Dragons advanced to the winner’s bracket final before dropping games to Butler and Barton in the loser’s bracket final.Starting her 18th season, head coach Jaime Rose returns six position players and one pitcher for the 2022 season, which opens on Saturday at Fun Valley against the Ottawa University Junior Varsity.The Blue Dragons return their top three hitters from last season in Madison Grimes, Natalie Bevan and Haley Miller.Grimes was the 2021 Jayhawk East Player and Freshman of the Year in 2021. Grimes shattered the Blue Dragon single-season batting average record of by 98 points after hitting .562 (82 for 156) with 11 home runs, 78 RBIs and 71 runs scored. The sophomore from Andale moved from third base to shortstop about one-third of the way through the 2021 season.Bevan, a super-sophomore from Augusta, hit .426 (58 for 136) with nine homers and 58 RBIs. Miller, a sophomore outfielder from Buhler, hit .401 (59 for 147) with 42 runs scored and 28 stolen bases.The Blue Dragons also return left-handed pitcher Sadie Loney. The super-sophomore from Oak Grove, Missouri, was 5-1 through an injury-plagued 2021 season with a 3.37 ERA. She had 45 strikeouts in 43 2-3 innings. She also had three saves last season, making 19 total appearances.Butler, Barton and Hutchinson are the Top 3 picks in the KJCCC this season. Colby, Garden City and Seward County are picked 4 through 7. Dodge City, Pratt and Northwest Tech round up the remainder of the poll.The NJCAA Division Preseason rankings were also released on Monday. The Blue Dragons are not mentioned in that poll, but on their schedule are the Nos. 2 and 3 teams in the rankings – No. 2 Grayson and No. 3 Butler.2022 KJCCC PRESEASON SOFTBALL COACHES’ POLL1. Butler2. Barton3. Hutchinson4. Colby5. Garden City6. Seward County7. Dodge City8. Pratt9. Northwest Tech

Dragons picked 3rd in KJCCC preseason softball coaches' poll

UNDATED (AP) — Even the winning coach, in this case Andy Reid, is questioning the NFL’s overtime setup. One day after Reid’s Chiefs won the OT coin toss, then marched downfield for Travis Kelce’s 8-yard touchdown reception to end an epic divisional round game with Buffalo, Reid recognized how fortunate Kansas City was. 

He said he expects the league to look at the rules that end the game if the team with the first possession of OT scores a touchdown. Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins is hopeful some changes will be coming.

UNDATED (AP) — Even the winning coach, in this case Andy Reid, is questioning the NFL’s overtime setup. One day after Reid’s Chiefs won the OT coin toss, then marched downfield for Travis Kelce’s 8-yard touchdown reception to end an epic divisional round game with Buffalo, Reid recognized how fortunate Kansas City was. He said he expects the league to look at the rules that end the game if the team with the first possession of OT scores a touchdown. Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins is hopeful some changes will be coming.

Reid expects NFL to look at OT rules

After both teams went scoreless over the next 50 seconds, Christian Braun hit two free throws with 10.1 seconds remaining to make it a 94-91. 

Terrence Shannon missed a 3-pointer that would have tied it a few seconds later and Kansas held on.&nbsp;

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji scored a career-high 37 points to help No. 5 Kansas avenge its only conference loss of the season with a 94-91 double overtime win over No. 13 Texas Tech. Agbaji outdueled Bryson Williams, who poured in 33 points for Tech. Kansas led by one in the second overtime when Williams banked in a 3-pointer. KJ Adams tipped in a miss to tie the game at 91 with 1:39 left. Jalen Wilson gave the Jayhawks (17-2, 6-1 Big 12) the lead, hitting the second of two free throws 21 seconds later. After both teams went scoreless over the next 50 seconds, Christian Braun hit two free throws with 10.1 seconds remaining to make it a 94-91. Terrence Shannon missed a 3-pointer that would have tied it a few seconds later and Kansas held on.&nbsp;

KU survives in 2 OTs over Texas Tech

Kansas’ Ochai Agbaji and K-State’s Nijel Pack shared Big 12 Men’s Basketball Player of the Week while Texas Tech’s Kevin Obanor was voted Newcomer of the Week. Agbaji collected his fourth career honor and third of the season, including consecutive weeks. Pack and Obanor were recognized for the first time.

In Kansas' two come-from-behind road wins, Agbaji averaged 19.5 points and 6.0 rebounds. In the win at Oklahoma, he left the game in the first half with a wrist injury when he collided with the scorer’s table. His 10 points for the game came in the final 5:25. Kansas trailed 52-50 when Agbaji scored eight straight for KU with his eighth tying the game at 58. He then made a basket to put KU up 62-60 and later made the assist that led to what would be the game-winning three-pointer by Christian Braun. At Kansas State, the senior guard tied his career-high with 29 points. He scored seven of Kansas' final nine points, including the go-ahead field goal with nine seconds remaining. Agbaji later iced the victory making two free throws with 1.1 seconds left.

Pack averaged 25.5 points on 57.6 percent shooting, including 58.8 percent from 3-point range, in splitting games at No. 23/22 Texas and at home against No. 7/7 Kansas. After helping the Wildcats hand the Longhorns their first home loss with 16 points, he followed that with a near-historic effort against the Jayhawks, scoring a career-high 35 points on 12-of-18 field goals, including 8-of-12 from 3-point range. The guard’s 35 points tied for the seventh-most by a Wildcat in a Big 12 game, while it tied for the fourth-most by a sophomore in school history. He is just the sixth Wildcat to score 35 or more points ever against Kansas. Pack’s eight made 3-point field goals tied his career-high and were tied for the most made in a conference game by a K-State player. Only one Wildcat has ever made more than eight 3-pointers in a game (Askia Jones' school-record 14 in 1994).

Obanor led Texas Tech with 15 points and eight rebounds in its win over No. 15 Iowa State on Tuesday before going off for 18 points in the win over West Virginia on Saturday. The senior forward hit six shots in both games and was 6-of-6 from the free-throw line against WVU as the Red Raiders improved to 12-0 at home with the win. Obanor's 18 points against WVU are the most he's had in a Big 12 game this season and were just two shy of his season-high. A transfer from Oral Roberts, he has 1,495 points and 777 rebounds in his career.

Kansas’ Ochai Agbaji and K-State’s Nijel Pack shared Big 12 Men’s Basketball Player of the Week while Texas Tech’s Kevin Obanor was voted Newcomer of the Week. Agbaji collected his fourth career honor and third of the season, including consecutive weeks. Pack and Obanor were recognized for the first time.In Kansas' two come-from-behind road wins, Agbaji averaged 19.5 points and 6.0 rebounds. In the win at Oklahoma, he left the game in the first half with a wrist injury when he collided with the scorer’s table. His 10 points for the game came in the final 5:25. Kansas trailed 52-50 when Agbaji scored eight straight for KU with his eighth tying the game at 58. He then made a basket to put KU up 62-60 and later made the assist that led to what would be the game-winning three-pointer by Christian Braun. At Kansas State, the senior guard tied his career-high with 29 points. He scored seven of Kansas' final nine points, including the go-ahead field goal with nine seconds remaining. Agbaji later iced the victory making two free throws with 1.1 seconds left.Pack averaged 25.5 points on 57.6 percent shooting, including 58.8 percent from 3-point range, in splitting games at No. 23/22 Texas and at home against No. 7/7 Kansas. After helping the Wildcats hand the Longhorns their first home loss with 16 points, he followed that with a near-historic effort against the Jayhawks, scoring a career-high 35 points on 12-of-18 field goals, including 8-of-12 from 3-point range. The guard’s 35 points tied for the seventh-most by a Wildcat in a Big 12 game, while it tied for the fourth-most by a sophomore in school history. He is just the sixth Wildcat to score 35 or more points ever against Kansas. Pack’s eight made 3-point field goals tied his career-high and were tied for the most made in a conference game by a K-State player. Only one Wildcat has ever made more than eight 3-pointers in a game (Askia Jones' school-record 14 in 1994).Obanor led Texas Tech with 15 points and eight rebounds in its win over No. 15 Iowa State on Tuesday before going off for 18 points in the win over West Virginia on Saturday. The senior forward hit six shots in both games and was 6-of-6 from the free-throw line against WVU as the Red Raiders improved to 12-0 at home with the win. Obanor's 18 points against WVU are the most he's had in a Big 12 game this season and were just two shy of his season-high. A transfer from Oral Roberts, he has 1,495 points and 777 rebounds in his career. Big 12 Co-Players of the WeekOchai Agbaji, Kansas, G, Sr.Nijel Pack, Kansas State, G, So.Big 12 Newcomer of the WeekKevin Obanor, Texas Tech, F, Sr.

Agbaji, Pack share weekly Big XII honor

(KJCCC) January 24, 2022 – The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) has suspended the conference wrestling duals schedule for 2022.

“With the current state of the pandemic, the KJCCC feels that safety of our student athletes at wrestling colleges needs to be a top priority,” said KJCCC commissioner Carl Heinrich.&nbsp;

Athletic directors and wrestling coaches at the eight KJCCC wrestling colleges met with conference officials via Zoom call last week to discuss the safety issue. Heinrich commented following the meeting.

“To afford our student athletes with the best and safest opportunity to wrestle in the postseason, we have decided to pause the current dual and conference schedule,” said Heinrich.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We will resume competition in Colby (KS) at the NJCAA District Championships.”

The NJCAA District Championships are scheduled for the Colby Event Center on February 12.

The 2022 NJCAA Wrestling Championships are set for the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs IA on March 4-5.

(KJCCC) January 24, 2022 – The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) has suspended the conference wrestling duals schedule for 2022.“With the current state of the pandemic, the KJCCC feels that safety of our student athletes at wrestling colleges needs to be a top priority,” said KJCCC commissioner Carl Heinrich.&nbsp;Athletic directors and wrestling coaches at the eight KJCCC wrestling colleges met with conference officials via Zoom call last week to discuss the safety issue. Heinrich commented following the meeting.“To afford our student athletes with the best and safest opportunity to wrestle in the postseason, we have decided to pause the current dual and conference schedule,” said Heinrich.&nbsp;&nbsp;“We will resume competition in Colby (KS) at the NJCAA District Championships.”The NJCAA District Championships are scheduled for the Colby Event Center on February 12.The 2022 NJCAA Wrestling Championships are set for the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs IA on March 4-5.For more information about the KJCCC, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://kjccc.org/" target="_blank">kjccc.org</a>