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

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Lauren Hansen made a &nbsp;driving layup with 0.1 seconds left and Missouri stunned No. 1 South Carolina 70-69 in overtime Thursday night in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams. The Tigers (12-2) overcame the absence of scoring leader Aijha Blackwell and four other players to beat a No. 1 team for the first time in program history. It marked only the seventh time an unranked team has beaten the top-ranked team. Hansen and Hayley Frank each scored 21 points, LaDazhia Williams added 12, and Mama Dembele had 11. Aliyah Boston scored 17 points for South Carolina (12-1).&nbsp;

UNDATED (AP) — The Chiefs head to Cincinnati on Sunday for a showdown of teams with Super Bowl aspirations. The Chiefs already have clinched the AFC West and have a one-game lead over Tennessee for the top seed in the conference. The Bengals can clinch the AFC North with a win. The game is also a showdown between two star-packed teams with the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes slinging it to Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill and the Bengals' Joe Burrow throwing to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Embiid, 76ers spoil Durant's return to Nets' lineup

UNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers spoiled Kevin Durant's return to the lineup by beating the Nets 110-102 in Brooklyn. 

Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED') scored 34 points, including converting a tiebreaking three-point play with 3:14 remaining.

Durant still had 33 points in his first game in two weeks, having missed three games in health and safety protocols. 

— The Milwaukee Bucks extended their winning streak to five games with a 136-118 victory over the Orlando Magic. Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOOM'-poh) led the Bucks' scoring with 33 points, while Jrue Holiday added 25 and Khris Middleton 22. 

— Bradley Beal had 29 points and 10 assists in his return from the NBA's health and safety protocols, leading the Washington Wizards to a 110-93 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his first game action in 12 days, Beal played 34 minutes, shooting 13 of 23 from the floor. Cleveland played its first game since losing point guard Ricky Rubio for the season with a torn left ACL. 

UNDATED (AP) — The NBA postponed Golden State's game with Denver tonight, the same day that Philadelphia's Doc Rivers and Denver's Michael Malone entered the NBA's health and safety protocols. That raised the total number of head coaches on that virus-related list to seven. 

Rivers and Malone join the Los Angeles Lakers' Frank Vogel, Chicago's Billy Donovan, Phoenix's Monty Williams, Portland's Chauncey Billups and Oklahoma City's Mark Daigneault in the protocols. Also in the protocols: around 120 players, along with an untold number of other staffers from around the league.

— A person familiar with the potential trade tells The Associated Press that the Cleveland Cavaliers have made progress in talks with the Los Angeles Lakers about a trade involving veteran point guard Rajon Rondo. Cleveland has been urgently looking for a guard since Ricky Rubio suffered a season-ending knee injury. The Cavs and Lakers are "trending" toward completing the trade, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams have not yet reached an agreement. Rondo is in his first season with the Lakers. The 35-year-old is averaging 3.1 points and 3.7 assists in 18 games. 

UNDATED (AP) — Anthony Duclair scored twice, Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and four assists, and the Florida Panthers romped to a 9-3 rout of the NHL-leading Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Florida scored three times in each period against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions and snapped Tampa Bay's four-game winning streak. Eight Panthers in all scored, while Spencer Knight made 39 saves. 

Tampa Bay lost for only the second time in 11 games this month.

— Carolina excelled on special teams in a 4-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. The Hurricanes scored three times on power plays and another time short-handed in their first game in nearly two weeks. Antti Raanta, usually the Hurricanes backup goalie, made 26 saves for his first shutout since February 2020. 

— Gustav Nyquist scored in the fifth round of the shootout to give the Columbus Blue Jackets a 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators. Elvis Merzlikins made 31 saves for the Blue Jackets, who snapped a two-game skid. 

— The New York Islanders beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 for their third victory in four home games. Mathew Barzal added a goal and two assists while Semyon Varlamov made 36 saves as the Islanders improved to 3-5-3 at UBS Arena after an 0-5-2 start in their ornate new home. 

— The Los Angeles Kings snapped the Vancouver Canucks' seven-game winning streak under new coach Bruce Boudreau with a 2-1 shootout victory. Adrian Kempe and Viktor Arvidsson scored in the shootout for L.A., while Jonathan Quick made 17 saves.

— The Calgary Flames beat the Seattle Kraken 6-4 in their first game in nearly three weeks. Matthew Tkachuk scored the go-ahead goal with 2:26 left and had two assists, while Johnny Gaudreau added two goals and assisted on the game-winner. Former Flames captain Mark Giordano had a goal and two assists in his first game against his old team.

— San Jose's Tomas Hertl scored with 30.1 seconds remaining in overtime to spoil a dazzling debut by Philadelphia goaltender Felix Sandstrom in a 3-2 Sharks victory over the Flyers. The 24-year-old Sandstrom made 43 saves in his first NHL appearance, but couldn't stop Hertl from close range on the deciding goal.

Wild sign coach Dean Evason, staff to multiyear extensions

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild have signed coach Dean Evason and his staff to multiyear contract extensions. 

Evason is in his second full season as Minnesota's coach. The Wild have won 19 of their 30 games so far this season and are on their way to a third consecutive playoff appearance with Evason in charge. He replaced Bruce Boudreau in February 2020. 

Assistant coaches Darby Hendrickson, Brett McLean and Bob Woods, goaltending coach Frederic Chabot and video coaches T.J. Jindra and Jonas Plumb were also extended.

Thorne leads No. 11 Spartans past No. 13 Pitt in Peach Bowl

UNDATED (AP) — Payton Thorne's 22-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Reed gave No. 11 Michigan State the lead with less than three minutes remaining and the Spartans overcame an 11-point deficit to beat No. 13 Pittsburgh 31-21 in the Peach Bowl. 

Linebacker Cal Haladay's 78-yard interception return for a touchdown with 22 seconds remaining ended Pitt fill-in quarterback Davis Beville's bid for a last-minute comeback. 

Thorne threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes as Michigan State rallied. 

The Panthers played without star QB Kenny Pickett and lost fill-in starter Nick Patti to an injury in the first quarter.

— South Carolina coach Shane Beamer was rewarded with a bucket of mayonnaise dumped over his head, after the Gamecocks' 38-21 victory over North Carolina in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. Jaheim Bell had five catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns for South Carolina. Kevin Harris added 169 yards rushing and a score. By agreeing to the mayo bath, Beamer got $10,000 donated to a favorite charity.

— The Music City Bowl in Nashville went to overtime, with Purdue emerging the victor 48-45 over Tennessee. Mitchell Fineran kicked a 39-yard field goal for the win, as the Boilermakers finished off their best season since 2003 by overcoming a 14-point deficit.

— Braelon Allen ran for 159 yards and Wisconsin drained the final 9:57 off the clock with an 18-play drive that sealed a 20-13 victory over Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl. Allen, a 17-year-old true freshman, had 101 yards by halftime for his eighth 100-yard game of the season. The Badgers started the season 1-3 with Big Ten losses to ranked opponents Penn State and Michigan but answered with a seven-game winning streak to earn a 20th consecutive bowl bid. 

Mayfield downplays death threats; Roethlisberger hints at goodbye

UNDATED (AP) — Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is downplaying death threats he received following his four-interception performance at Green Bay.

In a Zoom call with reporters as Cleveland prepares to face Pittsburgh Monday night, Mayfield said his focus is solely on the Steelers and dismissed his social media critics as "keyboard warriors that make empty threats." 

Mayfield's wife, Emily, first revealed the threats in an Instagram post earlier this week. 

Mayfield has had a stormy, injury-slowed fourth season in Cleveland. He threw a career-high four picks in a 24-22 loss to the Packers on Christmas after missing two weeks of practice because of a positive COVID-19 test. 

— Ben Roethlisberger could be making his final start at Heinz Field when the Steelers host Cleveland on Monday night. The Pittsburgh quarterback says he never speaks "in definites or guarantees," but adds "looking at the bigger picture, I would say that all signs are pointing that this could be it." The 39-year-old insists he won't make any final decisions until after the season, but the comment stands as his first public acknowledgement that Monday could be his final home game.

UNDATED (AP) — DeMarcus Ware, Andre Johnson and Devin Hester are finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2022 all in their first year of eligibility. The 15 modern-day players who will be considered on Jan. 18 by the selection committee include tackle Tony Boselli and defensive lineman Richard Seymour. 

Other finalists announced Thursday are safety Leroy Butler, wide receivers Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne, linebackers Sam Mills and Zach Thomas. They are all finalists for the third time. 

Defensive linemen Jared Allen and Bryant Young and cornerback Ronde Barber are two-time finalists. Tackle Willie Anderson and linebacker Patrick Willis are first-time finalists.

Slater, David 4th-time nominees for NFL sportsmanship award

NEW YORK (AP) — Matthew Slater and Lavonte David are nominees for the fourth time for the NFL's Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. 

The league Thursday announced the eight finalists for the honor that recognizes players who best demonstrate the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition. 

Joining Slater, a wide receiver and special teams standout for New England, and Tampa Bay linebacker David are Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, Houston receiver Brandin Cooks, Miami defensive back Jason McCourty, New Orleans defensive end Cameron Jordan, San Francisco fullback Kyle Juszczyk (YOOS'-chehk) and Minnesota wideout Adam Thielen. Juszczyk is a finalist for the second consecutive season. Allen, Cooks, McCourty, Jordan and Thielen are first-time nominees.

A panel of former players selected the eight finalists from the 32 team nominees. The winner will be determined by a vote of current NFL players. 

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<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Lauren Hansen made a &nbsp;driving layup with 0.1 seconds left and Missouri stunned No. 1 South Carolina 70-69 in overtime Thursday night in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams. The Tigers (12-2) overcame the absence of scoring leader Aijha Blackwell and four other players to beat a No. 1 team for the first time in program history. It marked only the seventh time an unranked team has beaten the top-ranked team. Hansen and Hayley Frank each scored 21 points, LaDazhia Williams added 12, and Mama Dembele had 11. Aliyah Boston scored 17 points for South Carolina (12-1).&nbsp;UNDATED (AP) — The Chiefs head to Cincinnati on Sunday for a showdown of teams with Super Bowl aspirations. The Chiefs already have clinched the AFC West and have a one-game lead over Tennessee for the top seed in the conference. The Bengals can clinch the AFC North with a win. The game is also a showdown between two star-packed teams with the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes slinging it to Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill and the Bengals' Joe Burrow throwing to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA-SCHEDULEEmbiid, 76ers spoil Durant's return to Nets' lineupUNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers spoiled Kevin Durant's return to the lineup by beating the Nets 110-102 in Brooklyn. Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED') scored 34 points, including converting a tiebreaking three-point play with 3:14 remaining.Durant still had 33 points in his first game in two weeks, having missed three games in health and safety protocols. Elsewhere in the NBA:— The Milwaukee Bucks extended their winning streak to five games with a 136-118 victory over the Orlando Magic. Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOOM'-poh) led the Bucks' scoring with 33 points, while Jrue Holiday added 25 and Khris Middleton 22. — Bradley Beal had 29 points and 10 assists in his return from the NBA's health and safety protocols, leading the Washington Wizards to a 110-93 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his first game action in 12 days, Beal played 34 minutes, shooting 13 of 23 from the floor. Cleveland played its first game since losing point guard Ricky Rubio for the season with a torn left ACL. NBA-NEWSGolden State, Denver postponedUNDATED (AP) — The NBA postponed Golden State's game with Denver tonight, the same day that Philadelphia's Doc Rivers and Denver's Michael Malone entered the NBA's health and safety protocols. That raised the total number of head coaches on that virus-related list to seven. Rivers and Malone join the Los Angeles Lakers' Frank Vogel, Chicago's Billy Donovan, Phoenix's Monty Williams, Portland's Chauncey Billups and Oklahoma City's Mark Daigneault in the protocols. Also in the protocols: around 120 players, along with an untold number of other staffers from around the league.In other NBA news:— A person familiar with the potential trade tells The Associated Press that the Cleveland Cavaliers have made progress in talks with the Los Angeles Lakers about a trade involving veteran point guard Rajon Rondo. Cleveland has been urgently looking for a guard since Ricky Rubio suffered a season-ending knee injury. The Cavs and Lakers are "trending" toward completing the trade, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams have not yet reached an agreement. Rondo is in his first season with the Lakers. The 35-year-old is averaging 3.1 points and 3.7 assists in 18 games. NHL-SCHEDULEPanthers rout Lightning 9-3UNDATED (AP) — Anthony Duclair scored twice, Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and four assists, and the Florida Panthers romped to a 9-3 rout of the NHL-leading Tampa Bay Lightning. Florida scored three times in each period against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions and snapped Tampa Bay's four-game winning streak. Eight Panthers in all scored, while Spencer Knight made 39 saves. Tampa Bay lost for only the second time in 11 games this month.In other NHL action:— Carolina excelled on special teams in a 4-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. The Hurricanes scored three times on power plays and another time short-handed in their first game in nearly two weeks. Antti Raanta, usually the Hurricanes backup goalie, made 26 saves for his first shutout since February 2020. — Gustav Nyquist scored in the fifth round of the shootout to give the Columbus Blue Jackets a 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators. Elvis Merzlikins made 31 saves for the Blue Jackets, who snapped a two-game skid. — The New York Islanders beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 for their third victory in four home games. Mathew Barzal added a goal and two assists while Semyon Varlamov made 36 saves as the Islanders improved to 3-5-3 at UBS Arena after an 0-5-2 start in their ornate new home. — The Los Angeles Kings snapped the Vancouver Canucks' seven-game winning streak under new coach Bruce Boudreau with a 2-1 shootout victory. Adrian Kempe and Viktor Arvidsson scored in the shootout for L.A., while Jonathan Quick made 17 saves.— The Calgary Flames beat the Seattle Kraken 6-4 in their first game in nearly three weeks. Matthew Tkachuk scored the go-ahead goal with 2:26 left and had two assists, while Johnny Gaudreau added two goals and assisted on the game-winner. Former Flames captain Mark Giordano had a goal and two assists in his first game against his old team.— San Jose's Tomas Hertl scored with 30.1 seconds remaining in overtime to spoil a dazzling debut by Philadelphia goaltender Felix Sandstrom in a 3-2 Sharks victory over the Flyers. The 24-year-old Sandstrom made 43 saves in his first NHL appearance, but couldn't stop Hertl from close range on the deciding goal.NHL-NEWSWild sign coach Dean Evason, staff to multiyear extensionsST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild have signed coach Dean Evason and his staff to multiyear contract extensions. Evason is in his second full season as Minnesota's coach. The Wild have won 19 of their 30 games so far this season and are on their way to a third consecutive playoff appearance with Evason in charge. He replaced Bruce Boudreau in February 2020. Assistant coaches Darby Hendrickson, Brett McLean and Bob Woods, goaltending coach Frederic Chabot and video coaches T.J. Jindra and Jonas Plumb were also extended.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-BOWL SCHEDULEThorne leads No. 11 Spartans past No. 13 Pitt in Peach BowlUNDATED (AP) — Payton Thorne's 22-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Reed gave No. 11 Michigan State the lead with less than three minutes remaining and the Spartans overcame an 11-point deficit to beat No. 13 Pittsburgh 31-21 in the Peach Bowl. Linebacker Cal Haladay's 78-yard interception return for a touchdown with 22 seconds remaining ended Pitt fill-in quarterback Davis Beville's bid for a last-minute comeback. Thorne threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes as Michigan State rallied. The Panthers played without star QB Kenny Pickett and lost fill-in starter Nick Patti to an injury in the first quarter.In other college football bowl games:— South Carolina coach Shane Beamer was rewarded with a bucket of mayonnaise dumped over his head, after the Gamecocks' 38-21 victory over North Carolina in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. Jaheim Bell had five catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns for South Carolina. Kevin Harris added 169 yards rushing and a score. By agreeing to the mayo bath, Beamer got $10,000 donated to a favorite charity.— The Music City Bowl in Nashville went to overtime, with Purdue emerging the victor 48-45 over Tennessee. Mitchell Fineran kicked a 39-yard field goal for the win, as the Boilermakers finished off their best season since 2003 by overcoming a 14-point deficit.— Braelon Allen ran for 159 yards and Wisconsin drained the final 9:57 off the clock with an 18-play drive that sealed a 20-13 victory over Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl. Allen, a 17-year-old true freshman, had 101 yards by halftime for his eighth 100-yard game of the season. The Badgers started the season 1-3 with Big Ten losses to ranked opponents Penn State and Michigan but answered with a seven-game winning streak to earn a 20th consecutive bowl bid. NFL-NEWSMayfield downplays death threats; Roethlisberger hints at goodbyeUNDATED (AP) — Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is downplaying death threats he received following his four-interception performance at Green Bay.In a Zoom call with reporters as Cleveland prepares to face Pittsburgh Monday night, Mayfield said his focus is solely on the Steelers and dismissed his social media critics as "keyboard warriors that make empty threats." Mayfield's wife, Emily, first revealed the threats in an Instagram post earlier this week. Mayfield has had a stormy, injury-slowed fourth season in Cleveland. He threw a career-high four picks in a 24-22 loss to the Packers on Christmas after missing two weeks of practice because of a positive COVID-19 test. Elsewhere around the NFL:— Ben Roethlisberger could be making his final start at Heinz Field when the Steelers host Cleveland on Monday night. The Pittsburgh quarterback says he never speaks "in definites or guarantees," but adds "looking at the bigger picture, I would say that all signs are pointing that this could be it." The 39-year-old insists he won't make any final decisions until after the season, but the comment stands as his first public acknowledgement that Monday could be his final home game.NFL-HALL OF FAME FINALISTSHall of Fame's class of 2022 UNDATED (AP) — DeMarcus Ware, Andre Johnson and Devin Hester are finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 2022 all in their first year of eligibility. The 15 modern-day players who will be considered on Jan. 18 by the selection committee include tackle Tony Boselli and defensive lineman Richard Seymour. Other finalists announced Thursday are safety Leroy Butler, wide receivers Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne, linebackers Sam Mills and Zach Thomas. They are all finalists for the third time. Defensive linemen Jared Allen and Bryant Young and cornerback Ronde Barber are two-time finalists. Tackle Willie Anderson and linebacker Patrick Willis are first-time finalists.NFL-SPORTSMANSHIP FINALISTSSlater, David 4th-time nominees for NFL sportsmanship awardNEW YORK (AP) — Matthew Slater and Lavonte David are nominees for the fourth time for the NFL's Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. The league Thursday announced the eight finalists for the honor that recognizes players who best demonstrate the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition. Joining Slater, a wide receiver and special teams standout for New England, and Tampa Bay linebacker David are Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, Houston receiver Brandin Cooks, Miami defensive back Jason McCourty, New Orleans defensive end Cameron Jordan, San Francisco fullback Kyle Juszczyk (YOOS'-chehk) and Minnesota wideout Adam Thielen. Juszczyk is a finalist for the second consecutive season. Allen, Cooks, McCourty, Jordan and Thielen are first-time nominees.A panel of former players selected the eight finalists from the 32 team nominees. The winner will be determined by a vote of current NFL players. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Sports Headlines for Friday

LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas men’s basketball will host George Mason on Saturday, Jan. 1 at 4 p.m. (CT) in Allen Fieldhouse, the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The game will be televised on Big 12 NOW on ESPN+. The addition of the Patriots to the schedule occurred after the Jan. 1 TCU at Kansas game was postponed due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols within the TCU program.

&nbsp;George Mason is currently 7-5 on the season. The Patriots have won three straight after their 68-44 win against American on Dec. 21.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Parking and Allen Fieldhouse Access

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LAWRENCE, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas men’s basketball will host George Mason on Saturday, Jan. 1 at 4 p.m. (CT) in Allen Fieldhouse, the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The game will be televised on Big 12 NOW on ESPN+. The addition of the Patriots to the schedule occurred after the Jan. 1 TCU at Kansas game was postponed due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols within the TCU program.&nbsp;George Mason is currently 7-5 on the season. The Patriots have won three straight after their 68-44 win against American on Dec. 21.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ticketing<ul>
 <li>Single-game tickets must be purchased specifically for the George Mason contest and will not be added to current season ticket holder accounts.</li><li>An exclusive presale will be held from 1 p.m. today until noon tomorrow for season ticket holders to purchase tickets for the George Mason contest.</li><li>The public ticket on-sale will begin Thursday, Dec. 30 at noon (CT). Fans may purchase tickets online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kuathletics.com/tickets">www.kuathletics.com/tickets</a>.</li><li>Ticket pricing for the George Mason game:Tiers 1-5: $25Tiers 6-8: $20General Admission: $15</li><li>Tiers 1-5: $25</li><li>Tiers 6-8: $20</li><li>General Admission: $15</li><li>KU students who redeemed tickets for the original TCU contest will have the George Mason game automatically added to their account.</li>
 </ul>&nbsp;Parking and Allen Fieldhouse Access<ul>
 <li>Parking for the George Mason contest will be free throughout campus on a first-come, first-served basis.</li><li>For those who have reserved parking in Lot 71, an email will be sent with specific instructions.</li><li>Beginning at 2 p.m., two hours prior to tip-off, KU Parking &amp; Transit will have a shuttle service pick-up at stop 3 in Lot 301 Park and Ride for a fee of $5 per person.</li><li>Doors will open for KU students at 2 p.m. All other ticket holders may enter Allen Fieldhouse at 2:30 p.m.</li>
 </ul>&nbsp;TCU Tickets<ul>
 <li>Single-game ticket purchasers through KU Athletics will have access to exchange tickets for this game or keep the tickets for the rescheduled TCU game once announced. An email will be sent to those fans with a form to complete letting us know of their choice. If fans do not fill out this form by Thursday, at 5pm (CT), the system will default to keeping their TCU tickets.</li><li>Those who have TCU at KU tickets will be able to use those when that game date and time is announced.</li><li>For any fans that purchased TCU tickets on the secondary market, you must go through that specific site for details on ticket exchanges or refunds.</li>
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🏀 Kansas Men’s Basketball to Host George Mason on Jan. 1

<h2>College Basketball Scores</h2>Wednesday, Dec. 29EASTBryant 80, CCSU 76Cairn 76, Moravian 67DeSales 96, Neumann 56Drew 66, Hood 64Emory 91, Wis.-Whitewater 70Franklin &amp; Marshall 72, Alfred 62Juniata 88, Bryn Athyn 50Lehigh 70, Eastern 63Mary Washington 77, Goucher 48Merrimack 74, St. Francis (NY) 64Miami (Ohio) 91, Buffalo 81New Paltz 86, W. Connecticut 79Oswego St. 59, RPI 46Providence 70, Seton Hall 65Rowan 110, John Carroll 91Sacred Heart 69, LIU 65St. John Fisher 84, Medaille 72Stony Brook 87, Farmingdale St. 57Syracuse 80, Cornell 68Wagner 72, St. Francis (Pa.) 64Wesleyan (Conn.) 108, Wilkes 87SOUTHAlabama 73, Tennessee 68Auburn 70, LSU 55Centre 72, Piedmont 69Elon 79, Northeastern 62Furman 81, Samford 49Gardner-Webb 77, Georgia 60Jacksonville 98, Carver 45Kentucky 83, Missouri 56Louisville 73, Wake Forest 69Miami 91, NC State 83Mississippi St. 81, Arkansas 68Morehead St. 63, E. Illinois 50Oglethorpe 89, Spalding 61Tulane 85, Memphis 84UNC-Wilmington 70, Delaware 68VMI 80, Wofford 73William &amp; Mary 63, Hofstra 62MIDWESTBluffton 86, Adrian 82Carroll (Wis.) 70, Simpson 62Cent. Michigan 72, Kent St. 69Findlay 98, Ohio Christian 65Hope 87, Central College 70Indiana St. 107, Midway 51Iowa 92, W. Illinois 71Kansas 88, Nevada 61Loras 93, Bethany Lutheran 72Luther 77, Dallas Crusaders 56Lycoming 75, Wilmington (Ohio) 73Lynchburg 94, Muskingum 90Michigan St. 81, High Point 68Missouri Western 78, Friends Falcons 50NW Missouri St. 85, Saint Mary Spires 59Nazareth 78, Edgewood 72Ohio Northern 87, Ohio Wesleyan 83Otterbein 63, Olivet 60Purdue 104, Nicholls 90St. Norbert 79, Northland 42St. Thomas (MN) 97, North Central 45Toledo 83, W. Michigan 56Tufts 81, Carthage 70Wis.-Oshkosh 78, Calvin 56Wis.-Platteville 74, Beloit 46Wis.-Stout 75, Ripon 49Wis.-Superior 77, Whittier 75Wisconsin 89, Illinois St. 85SOUTHWESTSMU 74, Tulsa 69St. Mary's (Texas) 103, Ecclesia 45Texas A&amp;M 85, Cent. Arkansas 59FAR WESTAir Force 49, Utah St. 47BYU 65, Westminster (Utah) 53George Fox 69, Nebraska Wesleyan 68___<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

🏀 College Basketball Scores from Wednesday

GREENVILLE, N.C. --&nbsp;The American Athletic Conference has postponed Wednesday evening's men's basketball matchup between Wichita State and East Carolina due to health and safety protocols within the ECU program. The Shockers arrived in Greenville, N.C. on Tuesday evening and took part in a Wednesday afternoon shoot around at Minges Coliseum. Director of Athletics&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/staff.aspx?staff=10">Darron Boatright</a>&nbsp;said: "We have been in communication with ECU and the conference office throughout the day. We hate that these types of postponements continue to be a reality, but if we're to push forward with an athletic season in the midst of a pandemic, we're going to face challenges like this. We will work with ECU and the conference to find a makeup date that makes sense for both parties." Wichita State (9-3) will instead open its American Athletic Conference season at home against Memphis on New Year's Day (11 a.m. CT, CBS).&nbsp;&nbsp;

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GREENVILLE, N.C. --&nbsp;The American Athletic Conference has postponed Wednesday evening's men's basketball matchup between Wichita State and East Carolina due to health and safety protocols within the ECU program. The Shockers arrived in Greenville, N.C. on Tuesday evening and took part in a Wednesday afternoon shoot around at Minges Coliseum. Director of Athletics&nbsp;<a href="https://goshockers.com/staff.aspx?staff=10">Darron Boatright</a>&nbsp;said: "We have been in communication with ECU and the conference office throughout the day. We hate that these types of postponements continue to be a reality, but if we're to push forward with an athletic season in the midst of a pandemic, we're going to face challenges like this. We will work with ECU and the conference to find a makeup date that makes sense for both parties." Wichita State (9-3) will instead open its American Athletic Conference season at home against Memphis on New Year's Day (11 a.m. CT, CBS).&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

🏀 WSU-ECU Game Postponed

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Christian Braun scored a team-high 22 points and four Kansas players reached double figures as the Jayhawks rolled past Nevada, 88-61, on Wednesday, Dec. 29, at Allen Fieldhouse.

With the win, the Jayhawks move to 10-1 on the year while improving to 6-0 at home this season. The loss drops Nevada to 6-5 on the year.

Kansas shot 57.7% from the field in the first half, which included hitting 4-of-7 (57.1%) from beyond the arc and built a lead of 39-27 at the break. The Jayhawks scored the first eight points of the game and build a lead of double figures by the second media timeout.

Nevada used a 5-0 run to get within six, 24-18, at the 8:19 mark, but a 7-0 run by the Jayhawks pushed the lead back to 13. KU would end the half in style, breaking a 7-0 Nevada run with consecutive 3-pointers from Christian Braun and Remy Martin, followed by a windmill dunk from Ochai Agbaji to push the lead to 12 at half. Braun led the way for the Jayhawks with 14 first-half points.

The teams played even at the start of the second half, but the Jayhawks used two big runs to put the game away. KU held the Wolf Pack without a basket for better than four minutes while using a 12-0 run to build a lead of 61-36 with 12:51 to play. Included in the run were 3-pointers by DaJuan Harris, Jr., and Martin along with back-to-back fast break dunks by Agbaji.

Nevada was able to pull within 16 points in the second half, before KU scored 11 straight points in less than two minutes and pushed the lead to 80-53 with 4:30 to play.

Braun led the Jayhawks with 22 points, which is good for his fourth 20-point game of the season and seventh of his career. He was joined in double figures by Agbaji, who scored 16 points and pulled down seven rebounds.

Harris set a new career-high with 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field while also dishing out five assists. David McCormack also reached double figures, scoring 14 points to go with six rebounds.

Kansas returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 1, at 4 p.m. CT against George Mason, a game that was recently added to the schedule to replace the original Big 12 opener against TCU, which was postponed.

The Jayhawks will now open the 2021-22 Big 12 Conference season at Oklahoma State on Tuesday, Jan. 4, at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Christian Braun scored a team-high 22 points and four Kansas players reached double figures as the Jayhawks rolled past Nevada, 88-61, on Wednesday, Dec. 29, at Allen Fieldhouse.With the win, the Jayhawks move to 10-1 on the year while improving to 6-0 at home this season. The loss drops Nevada to 6-5 on the year.Kansas shot 57.7% from the field in the first half, which included hitting 4-of-7 (57.1%) from beyond the arc and built a lead of 39-27 at the break. The Jayhawks scored the first eight points of the game and build a lead of double figures by the second media timeout.Nevada used a 5-0 run to get within six, 24-18, at the 8:19 mark, but a 7-0 run by the Jayhawks pushed the lead back to 13. KU would end the half in style, breaking a 7-0 Nevada run with consecutive 3-pointers from Christian Braun and Remy Martin, followed by a windmill dunk from Ochai Agbaji to push the lead to 12 at half. Braun led the way for the Jayhawks with 14 first-half points.The teams played even at the start of the second half, but the Jayhawks used two big runs to put the game away. KU held the Wolf Pack without a basket for better than four minutes while using a 12-0 run to build a lead of 61-36 with 12:51 to play. Included in the run were 3-pointers by DaJuan Harris, Jr., and Martin along with back-to-back fast break dunks by Agbaji.Nevada was able to pull within 16 points in the second half, before KU scored 11 straight points in less than two minutes and pushed the lead to 80-53 with 4:30 to play.Braun led the Jayhawks with 22 points, which is good for his fourth 20-point game of the season and seventh of his career. He was joined in double figures by Agbaji, who scored 16 points and pulled down seven rebounds.Harris set a new career-high with 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field while also dishing out five assists. David McCormack also reached double figures, scoring 14 points to go with six rebounds.Kansas returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 1, at 4 p.m. CT against George Mason, a game that was recently added to the schedule to replace the original Big 12 opener against TCU, which was postponed.The Jayhawks will now open the 2021-22 Big 12 Conference season at Oklahoma State on Tuesday, Jan. 4, at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

🏀 Kansas Rolls Past Nevada 88-61 to Close out 2021

Brooks' 3 TDs push Oklahoma past Oregon 47-32 in Alamo Bowl

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Kennedy Brooks ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns as No. 14 Oklahoma rode a dominant first half to beat No. 15 Oregon 47-32 in the Alamo Bowl. Caleb Williams threw three touchdown passes and the Sooners gave interim coach Bob Stoops career win No. 191 and a special family moment when he hugged son Drake, an Oklahoma wide receiver, after a first-half touchdown. Oregon rallied with three touchdowns in the third quarter but couldn't stop the Sooners' offense late.

Tagovailoa leads Terps past Virginia Tech in Pinstripe Bowl

NEW YORK (AP) — Taulia Tagovailoa threw touchdown passes of 70 and 32 yards to Darryl Jones, and Maryland routed Virginia Tech 54-10 in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Tarheep Still returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown for the Terps. Tagovailoa is the younger brother of Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa. He was named the game's MVP, finishing with 265 yards passing. His 26 touchdown passes this season tied the Maryland single-season record set by Scott Milanovich in 1983. Virginia Tech finished with its second straight losing season and has not won a bowl game since 2016.

Clemson tops Iowa State in Cheez-It Bowl for Swinney's 150th

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — D.J. Uiagalelei completed 21 of 32 passes for 187 yards &nbsp;Mario Goodrich scored on an 18-yard interception return and No. 19 Clemson beat Iowa State 20-13 on Wednesday night in the Cheez-It Bowl for coach Dabo Swinney's 150th victory. Will Shipley had a 12-yard touchdown run and finished with 61 yards rushing and 53 yards receiving for Clemson (10-3). Dacari Collins caught six passes for 53 yards, and B.T. Potter made two field goals. Clemson won its sixth straight game to reach 10 victories for an 11th consecutive season. Florida State (14 from 1987-00) and Alabama (14 from 2008-21) are the only programs with longer streaks. Iowa State finished 7-6.

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<h2>Brooks' 3 TDs push Oklahoma past Oregon 47-32 in Alamo Bowl</h2>SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Kennedy Brooks ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns as No. 14 Oklahoma rode a dominant first half to beat No. 15 Oregon 47-32 in the Alamo Bowl. Caleb Williams threw three touchdown passes and the Sooners gave interim coach Bob Stoops career win No. 191 and a special family moment when he hugged son Drake, an Oklahoma wide receiver, after a first-half touchdown. Oregon rallied with three touchdowns in the third quarter but couldn't stop the Sooners' offense late.<h2>Tagovailoa leads Terps past Virginia Tech in Pinstripe Bowl</h2>By DAN GELSTON AP Sports WriterNEW YORK (AP) — Taulia Tagovailoa threw touchdown passes of 70 and 32 yards to Darryl Jones, and Maryland routed Virginia Tech 54-10 in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Tarheep Still returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown for the Terps. Tagovailoa is the younger brother of Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa. He was named the game's MVP, finishing with 265 yards passing. His 26 touchdown passes this season tied the Maryland single-season record set by Scott Milanovich in 1983. Virginia Tech finished with its second straight losing season and has not won a bowl game since 2016.<h2>Clemson tops Iowa State in Cheez-It Bowl for Swinney's 150th</h2>By JOHN DENTON Associated PressORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — D.J. Uiagalelei completed 21 of 32 passes for 187 yards &nbsp;Mario Goodrich scored on an 18-yard interception return and No. 19 Clemson beat Iowa State 20-13 on Wednesday night in the Cheez-It Bowl for coach Dabo Swinney's 150th victory. Will Shipley had a 12-yard touchdown run and finished with 61 yards rushing and 53 yards receiving for Clemson (10-3). Dacari Collins caught six passes for 53 yards, and B.T. Potter made two field goals. Clemson won its sixth straight game to reach 10 victories for an 11th consecutive season. Florida State (14 from 1987-00) and Alabama (14 from 2008-21) are the only programs with longer streaks. Iowa State finished 7-6.<h2>FENWAY BOWL CANCELED&nbsp;</h2>Virginia vs SMU<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

NCAA Bowl Game Results from Wednesday

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Christian Braun scored 22 points, Ochai Agbaji added 16 and sixth-ranked Kansas rolled to a 88-61 victory over Nevada. The Jayhawks were supposed to play Harvard before an outbreak forced the Crimson to cancel the trip early this week. The Wolf Pack stepped in when their Mountain West opener against San Jose State had to be postponed because of positive tests within the Spartans' program. Desmond Cambridge Jr. and Grant Sherfield led the Wolf Pack with 16 points apiece. Kansas built a 39-17 halftime lead and went on a 12-0 run early in the second half.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Keion Brooks Jr. scored 17 points, TyTy Washington Jr added 14 and No. 18 Kentucky overcame an uneven second half to roll past Missouri 83-56 on Wednesday night in the Southeastern Conference opener for both schools. The Wildcats trailed just once early on against a Tigers squad playing without head coach Cuonzo Martin, who missed the contest with COVID. But Kentucky had to overcome 38% percent shooting in the second half and some ragged stretches to pull away from Missouri. Amari Davis and Dajuan Gordon had 10 points each for Missouri, which dropped its fourth in six games.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and two assists as the St. Louis Blues beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-2. Brandon Saad, Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou also scored in St. Louis' first game since a 4-2 loss at Winnipeg on Dec. 19. Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard scored for Edmonton in its first game since a 5-3 win at Seattle on Dec. 18. Jordan Binnington made 26 saves in his second start since being activated off the COVID-19 list. Mike Smith stopped 29 shots for the Oilers. Tarasenko put the Blues ahead 3-2 late in the second period.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — One of the biggest reasons the Chiefs have rattled off eight straight wins is something simple yet largely uncontrollable: health. And not just when it comes to COVID-19. The Chiefs regularly have two or three names on the official injury list, whereas other teams have a dozen or more. It's been a pleasant change in karma from last season, when the Chiefs were so beat up by the Super Bowl that their entire offensive line was basically signed off the street. At present, the only injury of note is running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and he should return by the playoffs from a shoulder injury.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State men's basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger says Georgetown transfer Tre King has joined the Cyclones and will be eligible to play starting in 2022-23. The 6-foot-7 forward spent the previous three seasons at Eastern Kentucky and can play two seasons for the Cyclones. He left Georgetown in October before he played a game for the Hoyas. He tweeted in October that he had violated the school's student code of conduct. King averaged 15 points and six rebounds per game and earned All-Ohio Valley Conference first-team honors last season.&nbsp;

UNDATED (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have returned to their winning ways, with a 115-97 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

The Suns rebounded from home losses to Golden State and Memphis to pull even with the Warriors atop the league standings at 27-7. 

Devin Booker scored 38 points for Phoenix to surpass 10,000 for his career.

Both teams were without several key players and their head coaches on the COVID protocols list.

— Rudy Gobert had 22 points and 14 rebounds, and the Utah Jazz beat the Portland Trail Blazers 120-105 with star Donovan Mitchell out with a sore back. Utah's dominance started on the inside and continued all night long, outscoring Portland 74-30 in the paint. 

— Eric Bledsoe scored 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, hitting a key 3-pointer down the stretch, to help the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Boston Celtics 91-82. Marcus Morris had 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Clippers. 

— The Memphis Grizzlies overcame a 14-point second-half deficit to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 104-99. Ja (jah) Morant had a big night scoring 41 points to lead Memphis. LeBron James led Los Angeles with 37 points — a day short of his 38th birthday — while Russell Westbrook had a triple-double in the loss.

— Zach LaVine scored 25 points and the Chicago Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks for the second time in three nights, 131-117. The Bulls extended their winning streak to a season-high five games. The Hawks are missing 15 players due to the NBA's health and safety protocols and injuries. 

— Alec Burks scored a season-high 34 points to lead a huge night from New York's bench and the Knicks beat the short-handed Detroit Pistons 94-85. The Knicks' reserves combined for 65 points. 

— Terry Rozier scored a season-high 35 points, LaMelo Ball added 21 points and 12 rebounds, and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Indiana Pacers 116-108. Ball also had nine assists, falling just short of his third triple-double this season as the Hornets won their third straight.

— The Sacramento Kings scored a 95-94 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the opener of a two-game set between the teams. Chimezie Met made a corner 3-pointer at the buzzer for the win.

Edey, Ivey lead No. 3 Purdue past Nicholls State

UNDATED (AP) — Zach Edey scored 21 points, Jaden Ivey added 19 and No. 3 Purdue beat Nicholls State 104-90.

Purdue shot 57.4% and cracked 100 points for the first time this season. The 7-foot-4 Edey made 7 of 8 shots and 7 of 9 free throws. Ivey was 5-for-9 from the field. 

In other top 25 men's college basketball:

— Christian Braun scored 22 points, Ochai Agbaji added 16 and sixth-ranked Kansas rolled to a 88-61 victory over Nevada. The Jayhawks were supposed to play Harvard before an outbreak forced the Crimson to cancel the trip early this week. The Wolf Pack stepped in when their Mountain West opener against San Jose State had to be postponed because of positive tests within the Spartans' program. 

— Gabe Brown scored a career high 24 points, as short-handed No. 10 Michigan State pulled away in the second half to beat scrappy High Point, 81-68. 

— Walker Kessler had 16 points, a career-high 11 blocked shots and nine rebounds to lead No. 11 Auburn to a 70-55 victory over previously unbeaten No. 16 LSU in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams. Auburn has won nine straight. 

— No. 19 Alabama beat 14th-ranked Tennessee 73-68 in the SEC opener for both teams. Jahvon Quinerly scored 18 points and Noah Gurley added a season-high 15 for Alabama. 

— No. 21 Providence topped 15th-ranked Seton Hall 70-65. Noah Horchler scored 17 points with 13 rebounds, and 6-foot-10 center Nate Watson added 14 points, becoming the 18th player in Providence history to reach 1,500 points. Seton Hall had only eight players in uniform, with five in COVID-19 protocols.

— No. 18 Kentucky overcame an uneven second half to roll past Missouri 83-56 in the Southeastern Conference opener for both schools. Keion Brooks Jr. scored 17 points, TyTy Washington Jr added 14 for the Wildcats. Missouri was playing without head coach Cuonzo Martin, out with COVID. 

— No. 24 Wisconsin struggled to put away Illinois State, winning 89-85 in its first game after a two-week break because of COVID-19. Steven Crowl had 21 points and nine rebounds, while Johnny Davis, the Badgers' leading scorer, had 20 points and 11 rebounds. 

UNDATED (AP) — MacKenzie Weegar, Carter Verhaeghe (vur-HAY'-gee) and Anthony Duclair (doo-CLEHR') scored in the third period to rally the Florida Panthers past the New York Rangers 4-3.

Duclair blocked a shot in the Panthers end then joined the rush the other way to score what ultimately proved the game-winner.

Chris Kreider got the Rangers back within one with 45 seconds to go, after New York pulled Shesterkin for an extra attacker. But they couldn't get the equalizer.

It was the Panthers' first game in 13 days and the Rangers' first in 12 following the NHL's extended Christmas break because of rising COVID-19 cases.

— The Vancouver Canucks beat the Anaheim Ducks 2-1 for their seventh straight win since Bruce Boudreau took over behind the bench. Boudreau is the third coach in NHL history to start 7-0 with a new team. J.T. Miller scored 26 seconds into overtime on a breakaway.

— Evgeny Kuznetsov scored a late short-handed goal in his return from an 18-day absence to put the Washington Capitals ahead for good in a 5-3 victory over the Nashville Predators. Kuznetsov's wrist shot from a tight angle helped the Capitals beat the Predators for the first time in nine games. 

— Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and two assists as the St. Louis Blues beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-2. Brandon Saad, Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou also scored for the Blues, while Jordan Binnington made 26 saves in his second start since being activated off the COVID-19 list. 

— Ivan Provorov scored 2:14 into overtime and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Seattle Kraken 3-2. James van Riemsdyk's second goal of the game with 5:13 left in regulation pulled the Flyers even at 2. 

— Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each had a goal and two assists to help the New Jersey Devils end their six-game losing streak with a 4-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres. It was the first game in 12 days for the Sabres after four straight postponements. They were still without six players and head coach Don Granato. 

UNDATED (AP) — The NHL is following other leagues and the CDC by cutting COVID-19 isolation times to five days under certain conditions and where it is allowed by local laws. The change applies only in the U.S. because of stricter pandemic regulations in Canada.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-JUNIOR HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP

Rest of world junior championship canceled over COVID-19

UNDATED (AP) — The remainder of the world junior hockey championship in Canada has been canceled after a few positive tests prompted fears of a COVID-19 outbreak.

The top tournament in the world for players under age 20 had completed nine games in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. But positive coronavirus test results among U.S. and Czech players had led to two games being forfeited, and another was imminent with Russia.

Citing the spread of the coronavirus and the omicron variant, the International Ice Hockey Federation's council determined the integrity of the event had been compromised by the forfeits.

Clemson beats Iowa State; Maryland routs Va. Tech.

UNDATED (AP) — Kennedy Brooks ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns as No. 14 Oklahoma rode a dominant first half to beat No. 15 Oregon 47-32 in the Alamo Bowl. 

Caleb Williams threw three touchdown passes and the Sooners gave interim coach Bob Stoops career win No. 191 and a special family moment when he hugged son Drake, an Oklahoma wide receiver, after a first-half touchdown. 

Oregon rallied with three touchdowns in the third quarter but couldn't stop the Sooners' offense late.

— No. 19 Clemson beat Iowa State 20-13 in the Cheez-It Bowl for coach Dabo Swinney's 150th victory. D.J. Uiagalelei completed 21 of 32 passes for 187 yards and Mario Goodrich scored on an 18-yard interception return, while Will Shipley had a 12-yard touchdown run and finished with 61 yards rushing and 53 yards receiving for Clemson. 

— Taulia Tagovailoa (tuhng-ah-vy-LOH'-ah) threw touchdown passes of 70 and 32 yards to Darryl Jones, and Maryland routed Virginia Tech 54-10 in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Tagovailoa was named the game's MVP, finishing with 265 yards passing and his 26 touchdown passes this season tied the Maryland single-season record.

Panthers bench Newton, will start Darnold at QB vs. Saints

UNDATED (AP) — Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule says Sam Darnold will start at quarterback on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints instead of 2015 league MVP Cam Newton. 

Newton is 0-5 as Carolina's starting quarterback this year and has lost 13 straight starts as the Panthers starting QB dating back to the 2018 season.

Darnold started the season 3-0 but has a 1-5 record in his last six starts. He led the Panthers to a 26-7 win over the Saints in Week 2, completing 26 of 38 passes for 305 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

— 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo won't need surgery on his injured right thumb despite a chip of the bone and a torn ligament. It remains unclear if he will be able to start this week against Houston, when they have a chance to clinch a playoff spot. Garoppolo played through the injury during a loss last Thursday and says he knows what the pain feels like. He says it comes down to "being confident" and able to do what he normally does with the football. 

— Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was limited at practice Wednesday, but that's a step in the right direction after he missed two straight games with an ankle injury. Tyler Huntley, who played two weekends ago in Jackson's place but missed last weekend's game after landing on the COVID-19 list, is still on that list. But, he's expected back soon. 

— The Denver Broncos are preparing for quarterback Drew Lock to make his second straight start in place of Teddy Bridgewater when the Broncos visit the Chargers. Coach Vic Fangio says Bridgewater remains in concussion protocol.

— Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields was feeling good enough to practice after missing a game because of an ankle injury. His status for Sunday remains unclear.

— New York Jets coach Robert Saleh has cleared COVID-19 protocols and returned to run practice for the first time since testing positive for the coronavirus. The Jets also got nine players back from the COVID-19 list. Buffalo also had a few key players activated, including two of their top wide receivers in Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis. Other star players returning are Minnesota running back Dalvin Cook, Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, New Orleans quarterback Taysom Hill, Houston wide receiver Brandin Cooks and Chargers linebacker Joey Bosa.

Candace Parker voted AP Female Athlete of Year for 2nd time

UNDATED (AP) — Candace Parker staved off Father Time to help the Chicago Sky win the franchise's first WNBA championship and capped off 2021 by being named The Associated Press' Female Athlete of the Year for a second time.

Parker also won the AP award her rookie year with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008, when she was honored as the WNBA's MVP and top rookie. She helped Tennessee win the national championship that year. 

The 35-year-old Parker is now a working mom in the twilight of her playing career who also is a basketball analyst for TNT.

Kyle Seager retires after 11 seasons with Mariners

SEATTLE (AP) — Kyle Seager has announced his retirement after 11 seasons in the majors, all with the Seattle Mariners. 

The 34-year-old free agent chose to call it a career rather than test the open market amid the uncertainty created by the ongoing lockout. Seager's retirement is a bit surprising considering he's coming off one of the best seasons of his career. He hit a career-high 35 home runs and had a career-best 101 RBIs last season. 

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<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — D.J. Uiagalelei completed 21 of 32 passes for 187 yards &nbsp;Mario Goodrich scored on an 18-yard interception return and No. 19 Clemson beat Iowa State 20-13 on Wednesday night in the Cheez-It Bowl for coach Dabo Swinney's 150th victory. Will Shipley had a 12-yard touchdown run and finished with 61 yards rushing and 53 yards receiving for Clemson (10-3). Dacari Collins caught six passes for 53 yards, and B.T. Potter made two field goals. Clemson won its sixth straight game to reach 10 victories for an 11th consecutive season. Florida State (14 from 1987-00) and Alabama (14 from 2008-21) are the only programs with longer streaks. Iowa State finished 7-6.LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Christian Braun scored 22 points, Ochai Agbaji added 16 and sixth-ranked Kansas rolled to a 88-61 victory over Nevada. The Jayhawks were supposed to play Harvard before an outbreak forced the Crimson to cancel the trip early this week. The Wolf Pack stepped in when their Mountain West opener against San Jose State had to be postponed because of positive tests within the Spartans' program. Desmond Cambridge Jr. and Grant Sherfield led the Wolf Pack with 16 points apiece. Kansas built a 39-17 halftime lead and went on a 12-0 run early in the second half.LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Keion Brooks Jr. scored 17 points, TyTy Washington Jr added 14 and No. 18 Kentucky overcame an uneven second half to roll past Missouri 83-56 on Wednesday night in the Southeastern Conference opener for both schools. The Wildcats trailed just once early on against a Tigers squad playing without head coach Cuonzo Martin, who missed the contest with COVID. But Kentucky had to overcome 38% percent shooting in the second half and some ragged stretches to pull away from Missouri. Amari Davis and Dajuan Gordon had 10 points each for Missouri, which dropped its fourth in six games.ST. LOUIS (AP) — Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and two assists as the St. Louis Blues beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-2. Brandon Saad, Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou also scored in St. Louis' first game since a 4-2 loss at Winnipeg on Dec. 19. Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard scored for Edmonton in its first game since a 5-3 win at Seattle on Dec. 18. Jordan Binnington made 26 saves in his second start since being activated off the COVID-19 list. Mike Smith stopped 29 shots for the Oilers. Tarasenko put the Blues ahead 3-2 late in the second period.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — One of the biggest reasons the Chiefs have rattled off eight straight wins is something simple yet largely uncontrollable: health. And not just when it comes to COVID-19. The Chiefs regularly have two or three names on the official injury list, whereas other teams have a dozen or more. It's been a pleasant change in karma from last season, when the Chiefs were so beat up by the Super Bowl that their entire offensive line was basically signed off the street. At present, the only injury of note is running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and he should return by the playoffs from a shoulder injury.AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State men's basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger says Georgetown transfer Tre King has joined the Cyclones and will be eligible to play starting in 2022-23. The 6-foot-7 forward spent the previous three seasons at Eastern Kentucky and can play two seasons for the Cyclones. He left Georgetown in October before he played a game for the Hoyas. He tweeted in October that he had violated the school's student code of conduct. King averaged 15 points and six rebounds per game and earned All-Ohio Valley Conference first-team honors last season.&nbsp;<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA SCHEDULESuns halt skid in win over ThunderUNDATED (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have returned to their winning ways, with a 115-97 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Suns rebounded from home losses to Golden State and Memphis to pull even with the Warriors atop the league standings at 27-7. Devin Booker scored 38 points for Phoenix to surpass 10,000 for his career.Both teams were without several key players and their head coaches on the COVID protocols list.Elsewhere in the NBA:— Rudy Gobert had 22 points and 14 rebounds, and the Utah Jazz beat the Portland Trail Blazers 120-105 with star Donovan Mitchell out with a sore back. Utah's dominance started on the inside and continued all night long, outscoring Portland 74-30 in the paint. — Eric Bledsoe scored 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, hitting a key 3-pointer down the stretch, to help the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Boston Celtics 91-82. Marcus Morris had 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Clippers. — The Memphis Grizzlies overcame a 14-point second-half deficit to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 104-99. Ja (jah) Morant had a big night scoring 41 points to lead Memphis. LeBron James led Los Angeles with 37 points — a day short of his 38th birthday — while Russell Westbrook had a triple-double in the loss.— Zach LaVine scored 25 points and the Chicago Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks for the second time in three nights, 131-117. The Bulls extended their winning streak to a season-high five games. The Hawks are missing 15 players due to the NBA's health and safety protocols and injuries. — Alec Burks scored a season-high 34 points to lead a huge night from New York's bench and the Knicks beat the short-handed Detroit Pistons 94-85. The Knicks' reserves combined for 65 points. — Terry Rozier scored a season-high 35 points, LaMelo Ball added 21 points and 12 rebounds, and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Indiana Pacers 116-108. Ball also had nine assists, falling just short of his third triple-double this season as the Hornets won their third straight.— The Sacramento Kings scored a 95-94 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the opener of a two-game set between the teams. Chimezie Met made a corner 3-pointer at the buzzer for the win.COLLEGE BASKETBALLEdey, Ivey lead No. 3 Purdue past Nicholls StateUNDATED (AP) — Zach Edey scored 21 points, Jaden Ivey added 19 and No. 3 Purdue beat Nicholls State 104-90.Purdue shot 57.4% and cracked 100 points for the first time this season. The 7-foot-4 Edey made 7 of 8 shots and 7 of 9 free throws. Ivey was 5-for-9 from the field. In other top 25 men's college basketball:— Christian Braun scored 22 points, Ochai Agbaji added 16 and sixth-ranked Kansas rolled to a 88-61 victory over Nevada. The Jayhawks were supposed to play Harvard before an outbreak forced the Crimson to cancel the trip early this week. The Wolf Pack stepped in when their Mountain West opener against San Jose State had to be postponed because of positive tests within the Spartans' program. — Gabe Brown scored a career high 24 points, as short-handed No. 10 Michigan State pulled away in the second half to beat scrappy High Point, 81-68. — Walker Kessler had 16 points, a career-high 11 blocked shots and nine rebounds to lead No. 11 Auburn to a 70-55 victory over previously unbeaten No. 16 LSU in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams. Auburn has won nine straight. — No. 19 Alabama beat 14th-ranked Tennessee 73-68 in the SEC opener for both teams. Jahvon Quinerly scored 18 points and Noah Gurley added a season-high 15 for Alabama. — No. 21 Providence topped 15th-ranked Seton Hall 70-65. Noah Horchler scored 17 points with 13 rebounds, and 6-foot-10 center Nate Watson added 14 points, becoming the 18th player in Providence history to reach 1,500 points. Seton Hall had only eight players in uniform, with five in COVID-19 protocols.— No. 18 Kentucky overcame an uneven second half to roll past Missouri 83-56 in the Southeastern Conference opener for both schools. Keion Brooks Jr. scored 17 points, TyTy Washington Jr added 14 for the Wildcats. Missouri was playing without head coach Cuonzo Martin, out with COVID. — No. 24 Wisconsin struggled to put away Illinois State, winning 89-85 in its first game after a two-week break because of COVID-19. Steven Crowl had 21 points and nine rebounds, while Johnny Davis, the Badgers' leading scorer, had 20 points and 11 rebounds. NHL-SCHEDULEPanthers rally past RangersUNDATED (AP) — MacKenzie Weegar, Carter Verhaeghe (vur-HAY'-gee) and Anthony Duclair (doo-CLEHR') scored in the third period to rally the Florida Panthers past the New York Rangers 4-3.Duclair blocked a shot in the Panthers end then joined the rush the other way to score what ultimately proved the game-winner.Chris Kreider got the Rangers back within one with 45 seconds to go, after New York pulled Shesterkin for an extra attacker. But they couldn't get the equalizer.It was the Panthers' first game in 13 days and the Rangers' first in 12 following the NHL's extended Christmas break because of rising COVID-19 cases.In other NHL action:— The Vancouver Canucks beat the Anaheim Ducks 2-1 for their seventh straight win since Bruce Boudreau took over behind the bench. Boudreau is the third coach in NHL history to start 7-0 with a new team. J.T. Miller scored 26 seconds into overtime on a breakaway.— Evgeny Kuznetsov scored a late short-handed goal in his return from an 18-day absence to put the Washington Capitals ahead for good in a 5-3 victory over the Nashville Predators. Kuznetsov's wrist shot from a tight angle helped the Capitals beat the Predators for the first time in nine games. — Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and two assists as the St. Louis Blues beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-2. Brandon Saad, Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou also scored for the Blues, while Jordan Binnington made 26 saves in his second start since being activated off the COVID-19 list. — Ivan Provorov scored 2:14 into overtime and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Seattle Kraken 3-2. James van Riemsdyk's second goal of the game with 5:13 left in regulation pulled the Flyers even at 2. — Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each had a goal and two assists to help the New Jersey Devils end their six-game losing streak with a 4-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres. It was the first game in 12 days for the Sabres after four straight postponements. They were still without six players and head coach Don Granato. NHL-NEWSNHL cuts isolation time to 5 days in USUNDATED (AP) — The NHL is following other leagues and the CDC by cutting COVID-19 isolation times to five days under certain conditions and where it is allowed by local laws. The change applies only in the U.S. because of stricter pandemic regulations in Canada.VIRUS OUTBREAK-JUNIOR HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPRest of world junior championship canceled over COVID-19UNDATED (AP) — The remainder of the world junior hockey championship in Canada has been canceled after a few positive tests prompted fears of a COVID-19 outbreak.The top tournament in the world for players under age 20 had completed nine games in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. But positive coronavirus test results among U.S. and Czech players had led to two games being forfeited, and another was imminent with Russia.Citing the spread of the coronavirus and the omicron variant, the International Ice Hockey Federation's council determined the integrity of the event had been compromised by the forfeits.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-BOWL SCHEDULEClemson beats Iowa State; Maryland routs Va. Tech.UNDATED (AP) — Kennedy Brooks ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns as No. 14 Oklahoma rode a dominant first half to beat No. 15 Oregon 47-32 in the Alamo Bowl. Caleb Williams threw three touchdown passes and the Sooners gave interim coach Bob Stoops career win No. 191 and a special family moment when he hugged son Drake, an Oklahoma wide receiver, after a first-half touchdown. Oregon rallied with three touchdowns in the third quarter but couldn't stop the Sooners' offense late.In other college football bowl games:— No. 19 Clemson beat Iowa State 20-13 in the Cheez-It Bowl for coach Dabo Swinney's 150th victory. D.J. Uiagalelei completed 21 of 32 passes for 187 yards and Mario Goodrich scored on an 18-yard interception return, while Will Shipley had a 12-yard touchdown run and finished with 61 yards rushing and 53 yards receiving for Clemson. — Taulia Tagovailoa (tuhng-ah-vy-LOH'-ah) threw touchdown passes of 70 and 32 yards to Darryl Jones, and Maryland routed Virginia Tech 54-10 in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Tagovailoa was named the game's MVP, finishing with 265 yards passing and his 26 touchdown passes this season tied the Maryland single-season record.NFL-NEWSPanthers bench Newton, will start Darnold at QB vs. SaintsUNDATED (AP) — Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule says Sam Darnold will start at quarterback on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints instead of 2015 league MVP Cam Newton. Newton is 0-5 as Carolina's starting quarterback this year and has lost 13 straight starts as the Panthers starting QB dating back to the 2018 season.Darnold started the season 3-0 but has a 1-5 record in his last six starts. He led the Panthers to a 26-7 win over the Saints in Week 2, completing 26 of 38 passes for 305 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.In other NFL news:— 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo won't need surgery on his injured right thumb despite a chip of the bone and a torn ligament. It remains unclear if he will be able to start this week against Houston, when they have a chance to clinch a playoff spot. Garoppolo played through the injury during a loss last Thursday and says he knows what the pain feels like. He says it comes down to "being confident" and able to do what he normally does with the football. — Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was limited at practice Wednesday, but that's a step in the right direction after he missed two straight games with an ankle injury. Tyler Huntley, who played two weekends ago in Jackson's place but missed last weekend's game after landing on the COVID-19 list, is still on that list. But, he's expected back soon. — The Denver Broncos are preparing for quarterback Drew Lock to make his second straight start in place of Teddy Bridgewater when the Broncos visit the Chargers. Coach Vic Fangio says Bridgewater remains in concussion protocol.— Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields was feeling good enough to practice after missing a game because of an ankle injury. His status for Sunday remains unclear.— New York Jets coach Robert Saleh has cleared COVID-19 protocols and returned to run practice for the first time since testing positive for the coronavirus. The Jets also got nine players back from the COVID-19 list. Buffalo also had a few key players activated, including two of their top wide receivers in Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis. Other star players returning are Minnesota running back Dalvin Cook, Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, New Orleans quarterback Taysom Hill, Houston wide receiver Brandin Cooks and Chargers linebacker Joey Bosa.AP FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEARCandace Parker voted AP Female Athlete of Year for 2nd timeUNDATED (AP) — Candace Parker staved off Father Time to help the Chicago Sky win the franchise's first WNBA championship and capped off 2021 by being named The Associated Press' Female Athlete of the Year for a second time.Parker also won the AP award her rookie year with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008, when she was honored as the WNBA's MVP and top rookie. She helped Tennessee win the national championship that year. The 35-year-old Parker is now a working mom in the twilight of her playing career who also is a basketball analyst for TNT.MLB-KYLE SEAGER-RETIREMENTKyle Seager retires after 11 seasons with MarinersSEATTLE (AP) — Kyle Seager has announced his retirement after 11 seasons in the majors, all with the Seattle Mariners. The 34-year-old free agent chose to call it a career rather than test the open market amid the uncertainty created by the ongoing lockout. Seager's retirement is a bit surprising considering he's coming off one of the best seasons of his career. He hit a career-high 35 home runs and had a career-best 101 RBIs last season. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Sports Headlines for Thursday

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Due to COVID-19 related issues within the North Florida program, Kansas State's men's basketball game scheduled for tonight (December 29) against the Ospreys has been canceled. The game will not be rescheduled. Ticket purchasers for Wednesday's canceled game will receive additional information from the K-State Athletics Ticket Office via email. The Wildcats' next home game will be with No. 17/18 Texas (10-2) at 6 p.m., on Tuesday, January 4, 2022. Tickets start at just $1 for Dollar Night in Bramlage Coliseum. Tickets can be purchased by visiting k-statesports.com, calling (800) 221.CATS, or by visiting the Bramlage Coliseum ticket office in person from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., CT, Monday through Friday.&nbsp; K-State will open Big 12 play at Oklahoma (10-2) on Saturday night at 7 p.m., CT on ESPNU.&nbsp;&nbsp;

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Due to COVID-19 related issues within the North Florida program, Kansas State's men's basketball game scheduled for tonight (December 29) against the Ospreys has been canceled. The game will not be rescheduled. Ticket purchasers for Wednesday's canceled game will receive additional information from the K-State Athletics Ticket Office via email. The Wildcats' next home game will be with No. 17/18 Texas (10-2) at 6 p.m., on Tuesday, January 4, 2022. Tickets start at just $1 for Dollar Night in Bramlage Coliseum. Tickets can be purchased by visiting k-statesports.com, calling (800) 221.CATS, or by visiting the Bramlage Coliseum ticket office in person from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., CT, Monday through Friday.&nbsp; K-State will open Big 12 play at Oklahoma (10-2) on Saturday night at 7 p.m., CT on ESPNU.&nbsp;&nbsp;

BREAKING NEWS: Tonight’s Men’s Basketball Game vs. North Florida Canceled

Minnesota beats West Virginia 18-6 in Guaranteed Rate Bowl

PHOENIX (AP) — Ky Thomas ran for 144 yards and a touchdown, Mar'Kiese Irving added 129 yards rushing and Minnesota shut down West Virginia to win the Guaranteed Rate Bowl 18-6. Thomas and Irving became the Gophers' 1-2 punch after Mohamed Ibrahim and Trey Potts sustained season-ending injuries. The two running backs carried most of the load offensively against West Virginia, accounting for 273 of Minnesota's 358 total yards. The Gophers overwhelmed the Mountaineers defensively, holding them to 206 total yards to win their fifth straight bowl game, third under coach P.J. Fleck.

Air Force uses rare passing game to win First Responder Bowl

DALLAS (AP) — Haaziq Daniels passed for two touchdowns and ran for two others as Air Force beat Louisville 31-28 in the First Responder Bowl at SMU's home field in Dallas. Daniels completed 9 of 10 passes for a season-high 252 yards leading a triple-option offense that came into the game averaging an FBS-best 340.8 rushing yards and the second-fewest passing yards at 82.5 per game. Malik Cunningham threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Harrell and ran for a 22-yard touchdown with 2:57 to play for Louisville.

Smith leads Texas Tech past Leach's Bulldogs in Liberty Bowl

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Donovan Smith threw for 252 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score, and Texas Tech beat Mississippi State 34-7 in the Liberty Bowl. Tahj Brooks rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown and SaRodorick Thompson ran for 80 yards and a score for the Red Raiders, who finished with a winning record for the first time since 2015. They were appearing in their first bowl game since 2017. Mississippi State fell short in coach Mike Leach's first game against a former program of his. Leach went 84-43 at Texas Tech from 2000-09.

No. 21 Houston edges Auburn 17-13 in Birmingham Bowl

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Jake Herslow caught a 26-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass from Clayton Tune with 3:27 left to help lift No. 21 Houston to a 17-13 victory over Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl. The Cougars marched 80 yards on eight plays to cap the third season in program history with at least 12 wins. They snapped a four-game bowl losing streak. The Tigers ended a season, coach Bryan Harsin's first, with five straight losses for the first time in 71 years. Game MVP Tune completed 26 of 40 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, while also rushing for 43 yards.

<h2>Minnesota beats West Virginia 18-6 in Guaranteed Rate Bowl</h2>By JOHN MARSHALL AP Sports WriterPHOENIX (AP) — Ky Thomas ran for 144 yards and a touchdown, Mar'Kiese Irving added 129 yards rushing and Minnesota shut down West Virginia to win the Guaranteed Rate Bowl 18-6. Thomas and Irving became the Gophers' 1-2 punch after Mohamed Ibrahim and Trey Potts sustained season-ending injuries. The two running backs carried most of the load offensively against West Virginia, accounting for 273 of Minnesota's 358 total yards. The Gophers overwhelmed the Mountaineers defensively, holding them to 206 total yards to win their fifth straight bowl game, third under coach P.J. Fleck.<h2>Air Force uses rare passing game to win First Responder Bowl</h2>DALLAS (AP) — Haaziq Daniels passed for two touchdowns and ran for two others as Air Force beat Louisville 31-28 in the First Responder Bowl at SMU's home field in Dallas. Daniels completed 9 of 10 passes for a season-high 252 yards leading a triple-option offense that came into the game averaging an FBS-best 340.8 rushing yards and the second-fewest passing yards at 82.5 per game. Malik Cunningham threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Harrell and ran for a 22-yard touchdown with 2:57 to play for Louisville.<h2>Smith leads Texas Tech past Leach's Bulldogs in Liberty Bowl</h2>By PHIL STUKENBORG Associated PressMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Donovan Smith threw for 252 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score, and Texas Tech beat Mississippi State 34-7 in the Liberty Bowl. Tahj Brooks rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown and SaRodorick Thompson ran for 80 yards and a score for the Red Raiders, who finished with a winning record for the first time since 2015. They were appearing in their first bowl game since 2017. Mississippi State fell short in coach Mike Leach's first game against a former program of his. Leach went 84-43 at Texas Tech from 2000-09.<h2>No. 21 Houston edges Auburn 17-13 in Birmingham Bowl</h2>By JOHN ZENOR AP Sports WriterBIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Jake Herslow caught a 26-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass from Clayton Tune with 3:27 left to help lift No. 21 Houston to a 17-13 victory over Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl. The Cougars marched 80 yards on eight plays to cap the third season in program history with at least 12 wins. They snapped a four-game bowl losing streak. The Tigers ended a season, coach Bryan Harsin's first, with five straight losses for the first time in 71 years. Game MVP Tune completed 26 of 40 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, while also rushing for 43 yards.

NCAA Football Bowl Game results from Tuesday

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<h2>College Basketball Scores</h2>Tuesday, Dec. 28EASTMaryland 76, Lehigh 55Notre Dame 68, Pittsburgh 67SOUTHJacksonville St. 123, Carver 59MIDWESTDrake 82, Mount Marty 53Hope 89, North Central College 84, OTMarietta 78, Chicago 65St. Mary's (Minn.) 83, Wis.-Superior 78SOUTHWESTBaylor 104, Northwestern St. 68Cincinnati 2, Houston 0Texas 78, Incarnate Word 33Texas Tech 75, Alabama St. 53FAR WESTBoise St. 65, Fresno St. 55Cal Baptist 96, La Verne 41Gonzaga 93, North Alabama 63Linfield 77, Warner Pacific Knights 74Northwestern (Minn.) 85, Cal Lutheran 77Saint Mary's (Cal.) 87, Yale 60San Francisco 111, Academy of Art 78___<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

NCAA Basketball Scores from Tuesday

NEW YORK (AP) — For the third consecutive week, the Green Bay Packers have the top spot in the AP Pro32 poll. The Packers earned 10 of the 12 first-place votes. The Kansas City Chiefs, who have won eight in a row, earned the remaining two first-place votes and remained at No. 2. The Dallas Cowboys gained two spots to move to No. 3. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers slipped a spot to No. 4 despite routing Carolina on Sunday and the Los Angeles Rams also fell one place after a win as they are at No. 5 after edging Minnesota.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Clemson is seeking its 11th consecutive 10-win season to join Florida State and Alabama as the only schools to reach double-digit victories in at least 11 straight seasons when the Tigers play Iowa State in the Cheez-It Bowl. Clemson had a streak of reaching the CFB playoffs in six consecutive season's end after going 9-3 this year. The run included national championships in 2016 and 18. The Tigers ended the regular season ninth-best nationally in total defense, while Iowa State was 10th. Cyclones running back Breece Hall, who had 1,472 yards in 2021, will not play in Wednesday night's game after deciding to enter the NFL draft.

Bucks win 4th straight behind 28 from Antetokounmpo

UNDATED (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 28 points, Bobby Portis scored 17 of his 19 points in the first half and the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Orlando Magic 127-110 on Tuesday night. Milwaukee has won four in a row and five of its last seven. 

Khris Middleton scored 21 points for the Bucks, while Jrue Holiday chipped in 18 points and 10 assists. Orlando rookie forward Franz Wagner scored 27 of his career-best 38 points in the second half. He made 12 of 20 shots and 4 of 8 3s.

— Tyrese Haliburton had 24 points and 10 assists, and the Sacramento Kings held off the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-111. Buddy Hield added 21 points off the bench for the Kings. Harrison Barnes scored 17 and De'Aaron Fox had 12 points and eight assists. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points for the Thunder. Earlier in the day, Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault, rookie Josh Giddey and forward Derrick Favors entered the NBA's health and safety protocols. Assistant coach Mike Wilks ran the team in Daigneault's absence.

— Stephen Curry became the first player in NBA history to make 3,000 career 3-pointers Tuesday night in a game where the Denver Nuggets barely held off the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors 89-86. Denver's Nikola Jokic blocked a potential game-tying shot by Jonathan Kuminga in the final seconds after his team nearly blew a 24-point halftime lead. Jokic had 22 points, 18 rebounds, five assists and four steals. Andrew Wiggins had 21 points and eight rebounds for Golden State in his first game back from the league's COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Curry scored 23.

— LeBron James and Russell Westbrook both had triple-doubles as the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a season-high,five-game skid with a 132-123 win over the Houston Rockets. James had 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists and Westbrook scored 24 with 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Houston stuck around for most of the night, but James took over late to allow the Lakers to pull away and hand the Rockets their fifth consecutive loss. 

— Tobias Harris had 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists for his first career triple-double, Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED') had 36 points and 11 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers hung on late to beat the Toronto Raptors 114-109 Tuesday. Georges Niang scored 19 points, Seth Curry had 12 and Furkan Korkmaz 10 as the 76ers won their second straight. Chris Boucher scored a season-high 28 points and matched his career-high with 19 rebounds, but the depleted Raptors lost their second straight.

— Garrett Temple nailed four 3-pointers in a 3:50 span of the fourth quarter and rookie Herb Jones scored a career-high 26 points to lift the New Orleans Pelicans to a 108-104 comeback victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers led by as many as 23 points in the first quarter but could not ward off a strong three quarters by the Pelicans. Ricky Rubio had 27 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists for Cleveland before injuring his left knee on a non-contact stop in the lane with 2:20 left. Rubio had to be carried off the court by teammates.

— Mitchell Robinson had 14 points and a season-high 18 rebounds, Julius Randle added 13 points and 15 boards, and the New York Knicks topped the short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves 96-88. Evan Fournier scored 13, while Quentin Grimes added 11 off the bench for the Knicks in their second straight win. Malik Beasley had 20 points and Jaden McDaniels added 18 for Minnesota, which has lost three of four. Minnesota shot just 40% from the floor and a season-low 18.4% from 3-point range. New York shot 41.1% in the win but did connect on 16 of 40 from deep.

— Tyler Herro scored 32 points off the Miami bench, Jimmy Butler finished with 25 points and a career-best 15 assists, and the depleted Heat held off the depleted Washington Wizards 119-112. Duncan Robinson scored 26 for Miami, making eight 3-pointers on a night where the Heat got by with an eight-man rotation that might be facing a new challenge after Butler twisted his right ankle with 1:03 remaining.

Nets' Irving clears NBA protocols, Hawks add to COVID list

UNDATED (AP) — Kyrie Irving is a step closer to making his season debut. The Eastern Conference-leading Brooklyn Nets announced today that Irving, along with Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge, have cleared the NBA's health and safety protocols — a major step toward getting them back on the court. 

But the Atlanta Hawks added three more players to their list, and Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault (DAN'-yoh) is now sidelined as well. 

The league began Tuesday with about 120 players in the protocols. Numbers tend to change frequently as players test in and out over the course of each day.

No. 1 Baylor wins 18th in row 104-68 over Northwestern State

UNDATED (AP) — James Akinjo scored a career-high 27 points and top-ranked Baylor extended the nation's longest winning streak to 18 in a row by beating Northwestern State 104-68 on Tuesday night. 

Baylor scored the game's first 13 points. Later in the first half, Akinjo started another 13-0 run with three consecutive 3-pointers in a span of 64 seconds. The Bears are 12-0. 

Adam Flagler added 21 points with five 3s and also had 11 assists, while. Jeremy Sochan scored 16 points and 11 rebounds in his first career start. Carvell Teasett scored a career-high 18 points on six 3s for 3-11 Northwestern State. 

— Julian Strawther scored 15 points, Rasir Bolton added 14 points, and No. 4 Gonzaga beat North Alabama 93-63 on Tuesday, extending the nation's longest home winning streak to 59 games. Nolan Hickman scored 13 points, Drew Timme had 12, and Anton Watson had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the 11-2 Gonzaga that wrapped up its nonconference schedule. C.J. Brim scored 15 points for North Alabama.

— Davion Warren scored 15 points, and No. 25 Texas Tech rolled to a 75-53 victory over Alabama State in the final Big 12 tune-up for the Red Raiders. Warren put Texas Tech ahead for good on a 3-pointer midway through the first half. The Red Raiders will open Big 12 play Jan. 5 at eighth-ranked Iowa State after the original conference opener against Oklahoma State was postponed because of COVID-19. Gerald Liddell scored 15 points for Alabama State.

— Dylan Disu had 14 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks in his longest appearance of the season for No. 17 Texas, which beat Incarnate Word 78-33 on Tuesday night. Disu played 20 minutes. He had missed the first eight games of the season while recovering from knee surgery that he underwent while at Vanderbilt last season. played 20 minutes. Tre Mitchell contributed 14 points, six rebounds and three steals for Texas, which is 10-2. RJ Glasper led Incarnate Word with 13 points. The 2-11 Cardinals shot 26.5% from the field, the worst by a Texas opponent this season.

UNDATED (AP) — Jake Herslow caught a 26-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass from Clayton Tune with 3:27 left to help lift No. 21 Houston to a 17-13 victory over Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl. 

The Cougars marched 80 yards on eight plays to cap the third season in program history with at least 12 wins. They snapped a four-game bowl losing streak.

The Tigers ended coach Bryan Harsin's first season with five straight losses for the first time in 71 years. Game MVP Tune completed 26 of 40 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, while also rushing for 43 yards.

— Ky Thomas ran for 144 yards and a touchdown, Mar'Kiese Irving added 129 yards rushing and Minnesota shut down West Virginia to win the Guaranteed Rate Bowl 18-6. Thomas and Irving became the Gophers' 1-2 punch after Mohamed Ibrahim and Trey Potts sustained season-ending injuries. The two running backs carried most of the load offensively against West Virginia, accounting for 273 of Minnesota's 358 total yards. The Gophers overwhelmed the Mountaineers defensively, holding them to 206 total yards to win their fifth straight bowl game, third under coach P.J. Fleck.

— Haaziq Daniels passed for two touchdowns and ran for two others as Air Force beat Louisville 31-28 in the First Responder Bowl at SMU's home field in Dallas. Daniels completed 9 of 10 passes for a season-high 252 yards leading a triple-option offense that came into the game averaging an FBS-best 340.8 rushing yards and the second-fewest passing yards at 82.5 per game.

— Donovan Smith threw for 252 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score, and Texas Tech beat Mississippi State 34-7 in the Liberty Bowl. Tahj Brooks rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown and SaRodorick Thompson ran for 80 yards and a score for the Red Raiders, who finished with a winning record for the first time since 2015. They were appearing in their first bowl game since 2017. Mississippi State fell short in coach Mike Leach's first game against a former program of his. Leach went 84-43 at Texas Tech from 2000-09.

Holiday Bowl scrapped as virus issues hit UCLA before kickoff

UNDATED (AP) — The Holiday Bowl has become the fifth postseason college football game to be canceled. UCLA was forced to pull out just hours before kickoff because of COVID-19 issues with the team. The Bruins were scheduled to face No. 18 North Carolina State at Petco Park, the home of the San Diego Padres. 

The Hawaii, Military, Fenway and Arizona bowls have already been canceled with virus issues leaving teams without enough available players. The Sun and Gator bowls have had to scramble to find replacement teams. 

Wake Forest is set to play in the Gator Bowl, but will face Rutgers instead of Texas A&amp;M as originally scheduled.

North Carolina State is the fifth Atlantic Coast Conference team to have its bowl disrupted.

Numerous college programs have coronavirus issues coming out of the Christmas break. No. 2 Duke is one of several basketball programs with COVID-19 issues, postponing games against Clemson and Notre Dame this week. And UConn's game against No. 23 Xavier scheduled for Tuesday was scrapped because of COVID-19 issues involving the Huskies.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>NEW YORK (AP) — For the third consecutive week, the Green Bay Packers have the top spot in the AP Pro32 poll. The Packers earned 10 of the 12 first-place votes. The Kansas City Chiefs, who have won eight in a row, earned the remaining two first-place votes and remained at No. 2. The Dallas Cowboys gained two spots to move to No. 3. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers slipped a spot to No. 4 despite routing Carolina on Sunday and the Los Angeles Rams also fell one place after a win as they are at No. 5 after edging Minnesota.ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Clemson is seeking its 11th consecutive 10-win season to join Florida State and Alabama as the only schools to reach double-digit victories in at least 11 straight seasons when the Tigers play Iowa State in the Cheez-It Bowl. Clemson had a streak of reaching the CFB playoffs in six consecutive season's end after going 9-3 this year. The run included national championships in 2016 and 18. The Tigers ended the regular season ninth-best nationally in total defense, while Iowa State was 10th. Cyclones running back Breece Hall, who had 1,472 yards in 2021, will not play in Wednesday night's game after deciding to enter the NFL draft.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA-SCHEDULEBucks win 4th straight behind 28 from AntetokounmpoUNDATED (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 28 points, Bobby Portis scored 17 of his 19 points in the first half and the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Orlando Magic 127-110 on Tuesday night. Milwaukee has won four in a row and five of its last seven. Khris Middleton scored 21 points for the Bucks, while Jrue Holiday chipped in 18 points and 10 assists. Orlando rookie forward Franz Wagner scored 27 of his career-best 38 points in the second half. He made 12 of 20 shots and 4 of 8 3s.Elsewhere in the NBA:— Tyrese Haliburton had 24 points and 10 assists, and the Sacramento Kings held off the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-111. Buddy Hield added 21 points off the bench for the Kings. Harrison Barnes scored 17 and De'Aaron Fox had 12 points and eight assists. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points for the Thunder. Earlier in the day, Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault, rookie Josh Giddey and forward Derrick Favors entered the NBA's health and safety protocols. Assistant coach Mike Wilks ran the team in Daigneault's absence.— Stephen Curry became the first player in NBA history to make 3,000 career 3-pointers Tuesday night in a game where the Denver Nuggets barely held off the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors 89-86. Denver's Nikola Jokic blocked a potential game-tying shot by Jonathan Kuminga in the final seconds after his team nearly blew a 24-point halftime lead. Jokic had 22 points, 18 rebounds, five assists and four steals. Andrew Wiggins had 21 points and eight rebounds for Golden State in his first game back from the league's COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Curry scored 23.— LeBron James and Russell Westbrook both had triple-doubles as the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a season-high,five-game skid with a 132-123 win over the Houston Rockets. James had 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists and Westbrook scored 24 with 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Houston stuck around for most of the night, but James took over late to allow the Lakers to pull away and hand the Rockets their fifth consecutive loss. — Tobias Harris had 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists for his first career triple-double, Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED') had 36 points and 11 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers hung on late to beat the Toronto Raptors 114-109 Tuesday. Georges Niang scored 19 points, Seth Curry had 12 and Furkan Korkmaz 10 as the 76ers won their second straight. Chris Boucher scored a season-high 28 points and matched his career-high with 19 rebounds, but the depleted Raptors lost their second straight.— Garrett Temple nailed four 3-pointers in a 3:50 span of the fourth quarter and rookie Herb Jones scored a career-high 26 points to lift the New Orleans Pelicans to a 108-104 comeback victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers led by as many as 23 points in the first quarter but could not ward off a strong three quarters by the Pelicans. Ricky Rubio had 27 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists for Cleveland before injuring his left knee on a non-contact stop in the lane with 2:20 left. Rubio had to be carried off the court by teammates.— Mitchell Robinson had 14 points and a season-high 18 rebounds, Julius Randle added 13 points and 15 boards, and the New York Knicks topped the short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves 96-88. Evan Fournier scored 13, while Quentin Grimes added 11 off the bench for the Knicks in their second straight win. Malik Beasley had 20 points and Jaden McDaniels added 18 for Minnesota, which has lost three of four. Minnesota shot just 40% from the floor and a season-low 18.4% from 3-point range. New York shot 41.1% in the win but did connect on 16 of 40 from deep.— Tyler Herro scored 32 points off the Miami bench, Jimmy Butler finished with 25 points and a career-best 15 assists, and the depleted Heat held off the depleted Washington Wizards 119-112. Duncan Robinson scored 26 for Miami, making eight 3-pointers on a night where the Heat got by with an eight-man rotation that might be facing a new challenge after Butler twisted his right ankle with 1:03 remaining.NBA-NEWSNets' Irving clears NBA protocols, Hawks add to COVID listUNDATED (AP) — Kyrie Irving is a step closer to making his season debut. The Eastern Conference-leading Brooklyn Nets announced today that Irving, along with Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge, have cleared the NBA's health and safety protocols — a major step toward getting them back on the court. But the Atlanta Hawks added three more players to their list, and Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault (DAN'-yoh) is now sidelined as well. The league began Tuesday with about 120 players in the protocols. Numbers tend to change frequently as players test in and out over the course of each day.T25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULENo. 1 Baylor wins 18th in row 104-68 over Northwestern StateUNDATED (AP) — James Akinjo scored a career-high 27 points and top-ranked Baylor extended the nation's longest winning streak to 18 in a row by beating Northwestern State 104-68 on Tuesday night. Baylor scored the game's first 13 points. Later in the first half, Akinjo started another 13-0 run with three consecutive 3-pointers in a span of 64 seconds. The Bears are 12-0. Adam Flagler added 21 points with five 3s and also had 11 assists, while. Jeremy Sochan scored 16 points and 11 rebounds in his first career start. Carvell Teasett scored a career-high 18 points on six 3s for 3-11 Northwestern State. Elsewhere in college basketball action:— Julian Strawther scored 15 points, Rasir Bolton added 14 points, and No. 4 Gonzaga beat North Alabama 93-63 on Tuesday, extending the nation's longest home winning streak to 59 games. Nolan Hickman scored 13 points, Drew Timme had 12, and Anton Watson had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the 11-2 Gonzaga that wrapped up its nonconference schedule. C.J. Brim scored 15 points for North Alabama.— Davion Warren scored 15 points, and No. 25 Texas Tech rolled to a 75-53 victory over Alabama State in the final Big 12 tune-up for the Red Raiders. Warren put Texas Tech ahead for good on a 3-pointer midway through the first half. The Red Raiders will open Big 12 play Jan. 5 at eighth-ranked Iowa State after the original conference opener against Oklahoma State was postponed because of COVID-19. Gerald Liddell scored 15 points for Alabama State.— Dylan Disu had 14 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks in his longest appearance of the season for No. 17 Texas, which beat Incarnate Word 78-33 on Tuesday night. Disu played 20 minutes. He had missed the first eight games of the season while recovering from knee surgery that he underwent while at Vanderbilt last season. played 20 minutes. Tre Mitchell contributed 14 points, six rebounds and three steals for Texas, which is 10-2. RJ Glasper led Incarnate Word with 13 points. The 2-11 Cardinals shot 26.5% from the field, the worst by a Texas opponent this season.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-BOWL SCHEDULE No. 21 Houston edges Auburn 17-13 in Birmingham BowlUNDATED (AP) — Jake Herslow caught a 26-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass from Clayton Tune with 3:27 left to help lift No. 21 Houston to a 17-13 victory over Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl. The Cougars marched 80 yards on eight plays to cap the third season in program history with at least 12 wins. They snapped a four-game bowl losing streak.The Tigers ended coach Bryan Harsin's first season with five straight losses for the first time in 71 years. Game MVP Tune completed 26 of 40 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, while also rushing for 43 yards.In other college bowl action:— Ky Thomas ran for 144 yards and a touchdown, Mar'Kiese Irving added 129 yards rushing and Minnesota shut down West Virginia to win the Guaranteed Rate Bowl 18-6. Thomas and Irving became the Gophers' 1-2 punch after Mohamed Ibrahim and Trey Potts sustained season-ending injuries. The two running backs carried most of the load offensively against West Virginia, accounting for 273 of Minnesota's 358 total yards. The Gophers overwhelmed the Mountaineers defensively, holding them to 206 total yards to win their fifth straight bowl game, third under coach P.J. Fleck.— Haaziq Daniels passed for two touchdowns and ran for two others as Air Force beat Louisville 31-28 in the First Responder Bowl at SMU's home field in Dallas. Daniels completed 9 of 10 passes for a season-high 252 yards leading a triple-option offense that came into the game averaging an FBS-best 340.8 rushing yards and the second-fewest passing yards at 82.5 per game.— Donovan Smith threw for 252 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score, and Texas Tech beat Mississippi State 34-7 in the Liberty Bowl. Tahj Brooks rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown and SaRodorick Thompson ran for 80 yards and a score for the Red Raiders, who finished with a winning record for the first time since 2015. They were appearing in their first bowl game since 2017. Mississippi State fell short in coach Mike Leach's first game against a former program of his. Leach went 84-43 at Texas Tech from 2000-09.COLLEGE SPORTS-NEWSHoliday Bowl scrapped as virus issues hit UCLA before kickoffUNDATED (AP) — The Holiday Bowl has become the fifth postseason college football game to be canceled. UCLA was forced to pull out just hours before kickoff because of COVID-19 issues with the team. The Bruins were scheduled to face No. 18 North Carolina State at Petco Park, the home of the San Diego Padres. The Hawaii, Military, Fenway and Arizona bowls have already been canceled with virus issues leaving teams without enough available players. The Sun and Gator bowls have had to scramble to find replacement teams. Wake Forest is set to play in the Gator Bowl, but will face Rutgers instead of Texas A&amp;M as originally scheduled.North Carolina State is the fifth Atlantic Coast Conference team to have its bowl disrupted.Numerous college programs have coronavirus issues coming out of the Christmas break. No. 2 Duke is one of several basketball programs with COVID-19 issues, postponing games against Clemson and Notre Dame this week. And UConn's game against No. 23 Xavier scheduled for Tuesday was scrapped because of COVID-19 issues involving the Huskies.In other college sports news:— Georgia wide receiver George Pickens will be available Friday for the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Orange Bowl against No. 2 Michigan. The junior was expected to be third-ranked Georgia's go-to receiver before he tore the ACL in his right knee during spring practice.NHL-SCHEDULEPalat scores in OT, Lightning rally past Habs in NHL returnTAMPA (AP) — Ondrej Palat scored 36 seconds into overtime after Tampa Bay teammate Corey Perry tied it late in the third period, and the Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 in the first NHL game following an extended holiday break. Perry got the equalizer with 19.7 seconds left in regulation and the Lightning net empty before Palat won it off a pass from Victor Hedman. It was the first NHL game since the Lightning won 4-3 at Vegas on Dec. 21 in the only game played that night. Dozens more were postponed over the past week-plus as the league turned a Christmas break scheduled to last three days into a six-day hiatus because of COVID-19 outbreaks and protocols. In other NHL action:— Jonathan Marchessault had two goals and an assist in the Vegas Golden Knights' 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Reilly Smith and Chandler Stephenson each added a goal and an assist as Vegas returned from the extended Christmas break to push its road winning streak to six games. Keegan Kolesar and Mattias Janmark also scored, and Laurent Brossoit made 24 saves. Golden Knights assistant Steve Spott ran the bench, with head coach Peter DeBoer in virus protocol. Jonathan Quick was pulled early in the second period after allowing five goals on 15 shots for the Kings, who had not played since Dec. 19 after their past three games were postponed because of the NHL's ongoing issues with COVID-19.— Tomas Hertl came out of COVID-19 protocols and delivered twice for the San Jose Sharks in their 8-7 shootout victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Hertl scored his team-leading 15th goal and added a shootout goal for San Jose, which played for the first time since Dec. 16 amid a flurry of pandemic-related postponements and an extended NHL holiday break. Logan Couture had a goal and an assist and scored in the shootout. Lawson Crouse and Janis Moser each scored twice for the Coyotes, who hadn't played since Dec. 17 and lost for the eighth time in 10 games. NHL-NEWSLightning star Point back after missing 14 games with injuryTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay Lightning star center Brayden Point will return to the lineup for Tuesday night's game against Montréal after missing 14 games with an upper-body injury.Lightning assistant coach Derek Lalonde announced the news after the team's morning skate. Lalonde is filling in for coach Jon Cooper, who is in COVID-19 protocols. In addition to Cooper, goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and forward Anthony Cirelli are among six players in the protocols.Point was hurt Nov. 20 in a game against New Jersey when he crashed hard into the end boards during the third period. He favored his left arm and shoulder afterward.In other NHL news:— Chicago Blackhawks forward Jujhar Khaira could return when the team visits Nashville on Saturday. Khaira hasn't played since he was stretchered off the ice following a big hit by New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba on Dec. 7. He spent the night in the hospital and the team cited the NHL's concussion protocol when it placed him on injured reserve. The Blackhawks' matchup with the Predators is their first game since Dec. 18.NFL-NEWSNFL cuts isolation time to five days for players who test positiveINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NFL is reducing isolation time for players who test positive for COVID-19 and are asymptomatic, including unvaccinated players, to five days from 10.The league and the NFL Players Association revised the protocols after the CDC changed its guidelines for those who are asymptomatic, recommending a five-day isolation period and masking over the second five days.Elsewhere in NFL news:— For the third consecutive week, the Green Bay Packers have the top spot in the AP Pro32 poll. The Packers earned 10 of the 12 first-place votes. The Kansas City Chiefs, who have won eight in a row, earned the remaining two first-place votes and remained at No. 2. The Dallas Cowboys gained two spots to move to No. 3. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers slipped a spot to No. 4 despite routing Carolina on Sunday and the Los Angeles Rams also fell one place after a win as they are at No. 5 after edging Minnesota.— Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz is expected to miss Sunday's crucial game against the Las Vegas Raiders after joining the team's rapidly expanding reserve/COVID-19 list. It's the biggest blow yet for Indy, which can clinch a playoff spot with a win. Rookie Sam Ehlinger is Wentz's backup. Veteran Brett Hundley is on Indy's practice squad and is 3-6 as a starter.OBIT-MADDENJohn Madden, Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster, dies at 85UNDATED (AP) — The NFL says Hall of Fame coach turned broadcaster John Madden has died at age 85. Madden's exuberant calls combined with simple explanations provided a weekly soundtrack to NFL games for three decades. The league says he died unexpectedly on Tuesday morning and did not provide a cause. Coaching the renegade Oakland Raiders, Madden compiled a stellar 103-32-7 regular-season record and led his team to victory in the Super Bowl after the 1976 season.He became an even more impactful figure after he stopped coaching at age 42, entertaining millions who tuned in to NFL football. He also was the name behind the hugely popular sports video game, "Madden NFL Football."MLB-MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAROne of a kind: Ohtani wins AP Male Athlete of Year awardUNDATED (AP) — Shohei Ohtani (SHOH'-hay oh-TAH'-nee) did things during 2021 that almost nobody alive had ever seen in sports. That's why the Los Angeles Angels' two-way superstar is the winner of The Associated Press' Male Athlete of the Year award.Nobody has been both one of baseball's top power hitters and one of its best starting pitchers since Babe Ruth starred at the plate and on the mound in 1919.Ohtani hit 46 homers and drove in 100 runs with a .965 OPS while playing in 126 games as the AL's best designated hitter. He finished third in the majors in homers after leading the sport for much of the season. Ohtani also started 23 games on the mound, going 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts over 130 1/3 innings as the Angels' ace and one of the AL's top right-handers.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;