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🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Friday Morning

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

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Matt Duchene scored his second goal of the game 2:01 into overtime, giving the Nashville Predators a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Duchene's wrist shot beat goalie Jordan Binnington on the short side. It was the only shot Nashville had in overtime. Yakov Trenin and St. Louis native Luke Kunin also scored for the Predators. Jordan Kyrou scored twice for the Blues, and Vladimir Tarasenko also had a goal. &nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes is coming off perhaps the worst game of his professional career. And perhaps the worst two-game stretch. And, well, he's in the midst of the worst season since he became the starter in Kansas City. The saving grace for the Chiefs right now is that their defense finally seems to be turning things around. But it raises an important question: Can the Chiefs get to their third consecutive Super Bowl without Mahomes playing at the same level as years past?

UNDATED (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs find themselves in an unusual spot headed into their first meeting of the season against their fiercest AFC West rivals. For the first time since 2016, the Chiefs are looking up at the Raiders in the standings headed into their meeting on Sunday night. Kansas City has dominated this division for the previous four seasons and the rivalry since Andy Reid arrived as coach in 2013. But with the defense getting repeatedly gashed early in the season and Patrick Mahomes and the high-powered offense struggling the past few weeks, the Chiefs look nothing like the team that has represented the AFC in the past two Super Bowls. &nbsp;&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Longtime baseball scout Art Stewart has died at the age of 94. Stewart just completed his 52nd year with the the Kansas City Royals. He began his career with the New York Yankees in the 1950s before becoming the longest-tenured member of the Royals organization. Stewart scouted more than 70 players who reached the big leagues including Bo Jackson, Kevin Appier, Mike Sweeney, Johnny Damon and Carlos Beltran. He was instrumental in helping sign the talent that led the Royals to the 1985 World Series title and Stewart was still part of the front office when they won their second title 30 years later. The Royals say Stewart died Thursday.&nbsp;

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska linebacker JoJo Domann says his career with the Cornhuskers is over after surgery on his left hand. The sixth-year senior made the announcement on his podcast. He said he injured a finger early in the Oct. 30 game against Purdue. He played one of his best games of the season last week against Ohio State. He made nine tackles, intercepted a pass and broke up two others. Domann played in 51 games and finished his career with 209 tackles. His 133 solo tackles rank 11th on the school's all-time chart.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Monika Czinano scored 20 points, Caitlin Clark added 19 and No. 9 Iowa beat Samford 91-54 on Thursday night. Iowa (2-0) led just 20-12 with 1:32 left in the first quarter before closing the half on a 27-10 run started by Clark with her first field goal. Clark, a preseason Associated Press All-American, finished the half with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Czinano, who led the nation in field-goal percentage last season, made 8 of 11 shots. Andrea Cournoyer led Samford with 15 points in its opener. Annie Ramil had 15 rebounds.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The four-way tie at the top of the Big Ten's West Division will start to unravel when No. 19 Iowa hosts Minnesota. The Hawkeyes and Gophers are joined at the top by Wisconsin and Purdue. Minnesota and Iowa have had struggles. The Gophers have a loss to Bowling Green and last week's 14-6 defeat to Illinois. Iowa reached No. 2 in the national ratings after winning its first six games. The Hawks lost two straight before last week's 17-12 win at Northwestern. Quarterback Alex Padilla is in line to start for Iowa in place of the injured Spencer Petras.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State has turned around its season after three straight losses. It has three wins in a row to become eligible for a bowl game. Now, the Wildcats will try to keep the momentum going when they head home to face West Virginia. The Mountaineers are trying to turn their own season around after a lopsided loss to Oklahoma State. They need to pick up two wins in their final three games to join the Wildcats among those eligible for the postseason.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins have their first winning streak of the season following their best win of the year.

Tua Tagovailoa (TOO'-ah tuhng-ah-vy-LOH'-ah) came off the bench and capped his night with a 1-yard sneak for a score with 2:19 left to secure the Dolphins' 22-10 victory over Baltimore. Tagovailoa threw for 158 yards in relief of Jacoby Brissett, who passed for 156 yards before needing to depart in the third quarter with an injured right knee. Tagovailoa couldn't start because of a fractured finger on his throwing hand, but he was good enough to help Miami improve to 3-7. Xavien Howard forced a fumble and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown in the victory.

Lamar Jackson completed 26 of 43 passes for 238 yards and a touchdown for the 6-3 Ravens, who ended an NFL-record run of 51 regular-season games with at least 14 points.

UNDATED (AP) — Cam Newton is a Carolina Panther again after working out a contract for the rest of the season.

Newton returns to a franchise that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2011 and later cut him prior to the 2020 season after losing eight straight games.

Carolina was in need of a quarterback after an MRI on Monday revealed starter Sam Darnold would miss at least four weeks with a incomplete fracture of his right shoulder blade.

Coach Matt Rhule (rool) said P.J. Walker will start Sunday against the Cardinals and have Matt Barkley as his primary backup.

— Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson says he's ready to return this weekend after missing the team's past three games following surgery on the middle finger on his throwing hand. Wilson was injured when his hand hit the helmet of a Rams player during a game last month. The contact dislocated Wilson's finger, caused a tendon injury, and resulted in a pair of fractures. 

— Odell Beckham Jr. has agreed to a one-year deal with the Rams. The Browns released Beckham on Monday midway through his third season in Cleveland. Beckham elected to join NFL yards passing leader Matthew Stafford in one of the league's most productive passing offenses. 

— The Browns remain hopeful star running back Nick Chubb will be able to play this week despite testing positive for COVID-19. Chubb rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns last week at Cincinnati. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday along with rookie running back/punt returner Demetric Felton. 

— Dallas defensive end Randy Gregory will miss multiple weeks after straining a calf in practice. Coach Mike McCarthy says no decision had been made on Gregory being placed on injured reserve. 

— Henry Ruggs' lawyers are telling a judge they found a witness who says firefighters were slow to extinguish a vehicle fire sparked by a deadly crash that authorities blame on the former Raiders wide receiver. Prosecutors allege Ruggs was driving drunk at speeds up to 156 mph before the crash in Las Vegas, killing another driver. The Raiders immediately released Ruggs, who's under house arrest with strict conditions.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers have followed six consecutive victories with three straight losses.

Gary Trent Jr. and Fred VanVleet hit back-to-back 3-pointers over the final 1:10 to lift the Toronto Raptors over the Sixers, 115-109. VanVleet hit six 3s and scored 32 points, while Trent added 20. 

Tyrese Maxey did score 33 points for the Sixers, who were without Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED'), Isaiah Joe, and Matisse Thybulle as they remain in NBA health and safety protocols.

Seth Curry did return from a foot injury and Tobias Harris scored 19 points in his return from a six-game absence after testing positive for COVID-19.

Checking out Thursday's other NBA action:

— The Clippers picked up their sixth consecutive win as Paul George scored 27 points and Reggie Jackson added all of his 22 points in the second half of their 112-109 decision over the Heat. Ivica Zubac (ih-VEET'-sah ZOO'-bahts) finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers, who trailed by 17 points in the first quarter when Miami's Bam Adebayo (ad-eh-BY'-oh) scored 19 points. Adebayo had a season-high 30 points and 11 rebounds.

— Malcolm Brogdon scored a season-high 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Pacers to a 111-110 victory over the Jazz. T.J. McConnell added 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists off the bench for Indiana. Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points for Utah, which lost at home for the first time this season. 

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons' season just got tougher as they try to vacate the NBA's Eastern Conference cellar.

Detroit's Kelly Olynyk will miss at least six weeks with a sprained left knee suffered in the Pistons' 112-104 victory over the Rockets, limping off the court in the fourth quarter.

The Pistons said he underwent testing Thursday that revealed a Grade 2 MCL sprain. 

PITTSBURGH (AP) — No. 25 Pittsburgh wasted a 16-point lead before maintaining control of first place in the ACC's Coastal Division.

Kenny Pickett hit Lucas Krull for an 11-yard touchdown pass in overtime to give the Panthers a 30-23 victory over North Carolina. Pickett completed 25 of 43 passes for 346 yards with three touchdowns and an interception on a night he became the school's career leader in passing yards. 

Sam Howell passed for 296 yards with two touchdowns for the Tar Heels.

Badgers lose Mellusi to season-ending knee injury

UNDATED (AP) — No. 20 Wisconsin has lost leading rusher Chez Mellusi for the rest of the season. He injured his left knee in last weekend's win over Rutgers. 

Mellusi had rushed for 815 yards this season to rank fifth in the Big Ten. 

— UConn has hired former UCLA coach Jim Mora to lead the Huskies from the morass that has enveloped the football program since Randy Edsall left the first time. Mora has been out of coaching since 2017 after spending six seasons leading UCLA to a 46-30 record. The Huskies are 1-8 in their first season as an independent in football, playing under an interim coach following Edsall's resignation in September.

T25 BASKETBALL-MARYLAND/GEORGE WASHINGTON

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Maryland was the only top-25 men's basketball team in action on Thursday, and the 21st Terrapins shook off a slow start to beat George Washington, 71-64. 

Qudus Wahab had 18 points and 15 rebounds for the Terps, while Fatts Russell added 15 points. Wahab was 5-for-5 from the field in the first half, but Maryland trailed 26-21 before pulling away.

Four Braves among Silver Sluggers winners

UNDATED (AP) — Four members of the World Series champion Atlanta Braves have won Silver Sluggers as the top hitters at their position.

Infielders Freddie Freeman, Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley represent the Braves, along with pitcher Max Fried (freed).

Filling out the National League list are MVP finalists Bryce Harper, Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis (tah-TEES') Jr., along with recently-retired Buster Posey and free agent Nick Castellanos (kas-tee-AH'-nohs). 

MVP finalists Shohei Ohtani (SHOH'-hay oh-TAH'-nee), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Marcus Semian highlight the American League Silver Sluggers. The list includes Salvador Perez, Rafael Devers (DEH'-vurz), Xander Bogaerts (BOH'-gahrts), Teoscar Hernandez, Aaron Judge and Cedric Mullins.

NCAA says threats received over OSU punishment

UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA said some staff members have received threatening and offensive messages since Oklahoma State basketball coach Mike Boynton identified some by name last week. Boynton ID'd several officials after a one-year postseason ban and other penalties were upheld on appeal.

An NCAA infractions committee last year hit the Cowboys with the penalties for former assistant coach Lamont Evans accepting up to $22,000 so he could help steer athletes to certain financial advisers. Evans was arrested in 2017, and Oklahoma State fired him. 

UNDATED (AP) — The Florida Panthers are in danger of going winless on their four-game road trip after opening the season 10-0-1.

Bryan Rust and Jeff Carter scored shootout goals as the Pittsburgh Penguins nipped the Panthers, 3-2. Teddy Blueger (BLOO'-gur) and Evan Rodrigues tallied in regulation for the Penguins, who bounced back from Tuesday's loss to the Blackhawks and improved to 5-3-4.

Frank Vatrano and Aleksander Barkov scored for the Panthers. Barkov notched his 189th career goal for Florida to pass Olli Jokinen (OH'-lee YOH'-kih-nehn) for the most in team history.

The Panthers are 0-2-1 on their road trip heading into the finale at Tampa Bay.

— Leon Draisaitl (DRY'-sy-tul) had two goals and an assist as the Oilers topped the Bruins, 5-3. Draisaitl leads the NHL with 26 points, two more than Connor McDavid. Evan Bouchard, Zach Hyman and Cody Ceci (SEE'-see) also scored for Edmonton, which avoided its first back-to-back losses of the season.

— The Kings have run their winning streak to seven games by getting 34 saves from Jonathan Quick in a 2-0 decision over the Senators. Anze Kopitar (AHN'-zhay KOH'-pih-tahr) and Andreas Athanasiou (ath-ah-nah-SEE'-oo) scored to back Quick's 55th career shutout. Filip Gustavsson stopped 32 shots in Ottawa's sixth consecutive loss.

— Zach Fucale (fuh-KAL'-ee) became the first goaltender in Capitals history to post a shutout in his NHL debut, stopping 21 shots in a 2-0 verdict over Detroit. Fucale was the first goaltender to shut out the Red Wings in his NHL debut in the franchise's 95 seasons. Lars Eller and Dmitry Orlov scored 10 seconds apart in the first period. 

— Mackenzie Blackwood made a season-high 42 saves for his seventh career shutout to lead the Devils' 4-0 victory over the Islanders. Janne Kuokkanen (YAH nee KWOH'-kah-nehn) scored a short-handed goal and Tomas Tatar tallied on a power play as New Jersey improved to 4-1-2 over its last seven games. The Isles have dropped two straight in regulation since a 5-0-2 stretch.

— Matt Duchene (doo-SHAYN') scored his second goal of the game 2:01 into overtime to complete the Predators' 4-3 win over the Blues. Yakov Trenin (YAH'-kahv TREH'-nihn) and St. Louis native Luke Kunin (KOO'-nihn) also scored for the Predators. Jordan Kyrou (KY'-roo) scored twice for the Blues, and Vladimir Tarasenko tied it 8:13 into the third period. 

— Mikko Rantanen (MEE'-koh RAN'-tah-nehn) had a goal and two assists to help the Avalanche overcome the absence of injured center Nathan MacKinnon to rout the Canucks 7-1. Logan O'Connor and Devon Toews (deh-VAHN tayvz) each added a goal and an assist in Colorado's highest-scoring output of the season. Valeri Nichushkin (nih-KOOSH'-kihn) also tallied in his return from injury.

— Nate Schmidt broke a second-period tie with his first goal for Winnipeg in a 4-1 downing of the Sharks. Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and assist and Kyle Connor and Jansen Harkins also scored for Winnipeg. Seven San Jose players and coach Bob Boughner (BOOG'-nur) missed the game because they are in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol. 

— Nick Suzuki scored his fourth goal in five games to help the Canadiens beat the Flames, 4-2. Suzuki gave Montreal the lead with a power-play goal midway through the third period. Brendan Gallagher and Ben Chiarot (shah-RAHT') also scored and Jake Evans iced it with an empty-netter.

— Paul Cotter and Jonas Rondbjerg each scored their first NHL goal and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-2. The Golden Knights improved to 7-2-0 since Oct. 26 after opening the season 1-4-0. Minnesota had its four-game win streak snapped. Jonathan Marchessault also scored for the Golden Knights, and Laurent Brossoit made 24 saves. Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Hartman scored for the Wild. Cam Talbot stopped 32 shots.

— Troy Terry extended his NHL-leading scoring streak to 13 games with two goals and an assist, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Seattle Kraken 7-4. Josh Mahura scored twice to help the Ducks win their sixth in a row in their first game since general manager Bob Murray's resignation on Wednesday amid an investigation into his conduct. The Ducks have an eight-game unbeaten streak. John Gibson made 21 saves for his fifth straight victory, and 18-year-old rookie Mason McTavish scored his second career goal.

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — The Ottawa Senators placed forward Alex Formenton, defenseman Nikita Zaitsev (ZYT'-sehv) and goaltender Matt Murray to the COVID-19 list on Thursday, hours before they were scheduled to host the Los Angeles Kings.

Murray and Formenton played Tuesday night in the Senators' 3-2 loss at Boston.

The Senators currently have nine players in COVID-19 protocol.

Lety, Furyk and Triplett share Schwab lead

PHOENIX (AP) — Phil Mickelson shot a 6-under 65 and season points leader Bernhard Langer battled through back tightness for a 68 in the opening round of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship on Thursday.

Mickelson had seven birdies and a bogey to match Jim Furyk (FYOOR'-ihk) and Kirk Triplett for the lead in the PGA Tour Champions season finale at Phoenix Country Club.

Langer, Furyk, Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jimenez are the only players with a chance to win the season championship. Langer is seeking his sixth Cup title.

BELLEAIR, Fla. (AP) — Solheim Cup star Leona Maguire fired an 8-under 62 for a two-shot lead over defending champion Sei Young Kim in the Pelican Women's Championship. 

Maguire is trying to become Ireland's first winner on the LPGA Tour after runner-up finishes in Michigan and Hawaii this year. She was in a group with Kim and Lexi Thompson as the trio played bogey-free rounds.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>ST. LOUIS (AP) — Matt Duchene scored his second goal of the game 2:01 into overtime, giving the Nashville Predators a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Duchene's wrist shot beat goalie Jordan Binnington on the short side. It was the only shot Nashville had in overtime. Yakov Trenin and St. Louis native Luke Kunin also scored for the Predators. Jordan Kyrou scored twice for the Blues, and Vladimir Tarasenko also had a goal. &nbsp;KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes is coming off perhaps the worst game of his professional career. And perhaps the worst two-game stretch. And, well, he's in the midst of the worst season since he became the starter in Kansas City. The saving grace for the Chiefs right now is that their defense finally seems to be turning things around. But it raises an important question: Can the Chiefs get to their third consecutive Super Bowl without Mahomes playing at the same level as years past?UNDATED (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs find themselves in an unusual spot headed into their first meeting of the season against their fiercest AFC West rivals. For the first time since 2016, the Chiefs are looking up at the Raiders in the standings headed into their meeting on Sunday night. Kansas City has dominated this division for the previous four seasons and the rivalry since Andy Reid arrived as coach in 2013. But with the defense getting repeatedly gashed early in the season and Patrick Mahomes and the high-powered offense struggling the past few weeks, the Chiefs look nothing like the team that has represented the AFC in the past two Super Bowls. &nbsp;&nbsp;KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Longtime baseball scout Art Stewart has died at the age of 94. Stewart just completed his 52nd year with the the Kansas City Royals. He began his career with the New York Yankees in the 1950s before becoming the longest-tenured member of the Royals organization. Stewart scouted more than 70 players who reached the big leagues including Bo Jackson, Kevin Appier, Mike Sweeney, Johnny Damon and Carlos Beltran. He was instrumental in helping sign the talent that led the Royals to the 1985 World Series title and Stewart was still part of the front office when they won their second title 30 years later. The Royals say Stewart died Thursday.&nbsp;LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska linebacker JoJo Domann says his career with the Cornhuskers is over after surgery on his left hand. The sixth-year senior made the announcement on his podcast. He said he injured a finger early in the Oct. 30 game against Purdue. He played one of his best games of the season last week against Ohio State. He made nine tackles, intercepted a pass and broke up two others. Domann played in 51 games and finished his career with 209 tackles. His 133 solo tackles rank 11th on the school's all-time chart.IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Monika Czinano scored 20 points, Caitlin Clark added 19 and No. 9 Iowa beat Samford 91-54 on Thursday night. Iowa (2-0) led just 20-12 with 1:32 left in the first quarter before closing the half on a 27-10 run started by Clark with her first field goal. Clark, a preseason Associated Press All-American, finished the half with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Czinano, who led the nation in field-goal percentage last season, made 8 of 11 shots. Andrea Cournoyer led Samford with 15 points in its opener. Annie Ramil had 15 rebounds.IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The four-way tie at the top of the Big Ten's West Division will start to unravel when No. 19 Iowa hosts Minnesota. The Hawkeyes and Gophers are joined at the top by Wisconsin and Purdue. Minnesota and Iowa have had struggles. The Gophers have a loss to Bowling Green and last week's 14-6 defeat to Illinois. Iowa reached No. 2 in the national ratings after winning its first six games. The Hawks lost two straight before last week's 17-12 win at Northwestern. Quarterback Alex Padilla is in line to start for Iowa in place of the injured Spencer Petras.MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State has turned around its season after three straight losses. It has three wins in a row to become eligible for a bowl game. Now, the Wildcats will try to keep the momentum going when they head home to face West Virginia. The Mountaineers are trying to turn their own season around after a lopsided loss to Oklahoma State. They need to pick up two wins in their final three games to join the Wildcats among those eligible for the postseason.NFL-DOLPHINS/RAVENSDolphins stun RavensMIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins have their first winning streak of the season following their best win of the year.Tua Tagovailoa (TOO'-ah tuhng-ah-vy-LOH'-ah) came off the bench and capped his night with a 1-yard sneak for a score with 2:19 left to secure the Dolphins' 22-10 victory over Baltimore. Tagovailoa threw for 158 yards in relief of Jacoby Brissett, who passed for 156 yards before needing to depart in the third quarter with an injured right knee. Tagovailoa couldn't start because of a fractured finger on his throwing hand, but he was good enough to help Miami improve to 3-7. Xavien Howard forced a fumble and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown in the victory.Lamar Jackson completed 26 of 43 passes for 238 yards and a touchdown for the 6-3 Ravens, who ended an NFL-record run of 51 regular-season games with at least 14 points.NFL-NEWSCam Newton returns to CarolinaUNDATED (AP) — Cam Newton is a Carolina Panther again after working out a contract for the rest of the season.Newton returns to a franchise that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2011 and later cut him prior to the 2020 season after losing eight straight games.Carolina was in need of a quarterback after an MRI on Monday revealed starter Sam Darnold would miss at least four weeks with a incomplete fracture of his right shoulder blade.Coach Matt Rhule (rool) said P.J. Walker will start Sunday against the Cardinals and have Matt Barkley as his primary backup.In other NFL news: — Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson says he's ready to return this weekend after missing the team's past three games following surgery on the middle finger on his throwing hand. Wilson was injured when his hand hit the helmet of a Rams player during a game last month. The contact dislocated Wilson's finger, caused a tendon injury, and resulted in a pair of fractures. — Odell Beckham Jr. has agreed to a one-year deal with the Rams. The Browns released Beckham on Monday midway through his third season in Cleveland. Beckham elected to join NFL yards passing leader Matthew Stafford in one of the league's most productive passing offenses. — The Browns remain hopeful star running back Nick Chubb will be able to play this week despite testing positive for COVID-19. Chubb rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns last week at Cincinnati. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday along with rookie running back/punt returner Demetric Felton. — Dallas defensive end Randy Gregory will miss multiple weeks after straining a calf in practice. Coach Mike McCarthy says no decision had been made on Gregory being placed on injured reserve. — Henry Ruggs' lawyers are telling a judge they found a witness who says firefighters were slow to extinguish a vehicle fire sparked by a deadly crash that authorities blame on the former Raiders wide receiver. Prosecutors allege Ruggs was driving drunk at speeds up to 156 mph before the crash in Las Vegas, killing another driver. The Raiders immediately released Ruggs, who's under house arrest with strict conditions.NBA-SCHEDULERaptors top 76ersPHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers have followed six consecutive victories with three straight losses.Gary Trent Jr. and Fred VanVleet hit back-to-back 3-pointers over the final 1:10 to lift the Toronto Raptors over the Sixers, 115-109. VanVleet hit six 3s and scored 32 points, while Trent added 20. Tyrese Maxey did score 33 points for the Sixers, who were without Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED'), Isaiah Joe, and Matisse Thybulle as they remain in NBA health and safety protocols.Seth Curry did return from a foot injury and Tobias Harris scored 19 points in his return from a six-game absence after testing positive for COVID-19.Checking out Thursday's other NBA action:— The Clippers picked up their sixth consecutive win as Paul George scored 27 points and Reggie Jackson added all of his 22 points in the second half of their 112-109 decision over the Heat. Ivica Zubac (ih-VEET'-sah ZOO'-bahts) finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers, who trailed by 17 points in the first quarter when Miami's Bam Adebayo (ad-eh-BY'-oh) scored 19 points. Adebayo had a season-high 30 points and 11 rebounds.— Malcolm Brogdon scored a season-high 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Pacers to a 111-110 victory over the Jazz. T.J. McConnell added 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists off the bench for Indiana. Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points for Utah, which lost at home for the first time this season. NBA-NEWSPistons lose OlynykDETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons' season just got tougher as they try to vacate the NBA's Eastern Conference cellar.Detroit's Kelly Olynyk will miss at least six weeks with a sprained left knee suffered in the Pistons' 112-104 victory over the Rockets, limping off the court in the fourth quarter.The Pistons said he underwent testing Thursday that revealed a Grade 2 MCL sprain. Detroit is 2-8.T25 FOOTBALL-PITTSBURGH/NORTH CAROLINAPanthers outlast Tar HeelsPITTSBURGH (AP) — No. 25 Pittsburgh wasted a 16-point lead before maintaining control of first place in the ACC's Coastal Division.Kenny Pickett hit Lucas Krull for an 11-yard touchdown pass in overtime to give the Panthers a 30-23 victory over North Carolina. Pickett completed 25 of 43 passes for 346 yards with three touchdowns and an interception on a night he became the school's career leader in passing yards. Sam Howell passed for 296 yards with two touchdowns for the Tar Heels.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-NEWSBadgers lose Mellusi to season-ending knee injuryUNDATED (AP) — No. 20 Wisconsin has lost leading rusher Chez Mellusi for the rest of the season. He injured his left knee in last weekend's win over Rutgers. Mellusi had rushed for 815 yards this season to rank fifth in the Big Ten. In other college football news: — UConn has hired former UCLA coach Jim Mora to lead the Huskies from the morass that has enveloped the football program since Randy Edsall left the first time. Mora has been out of coaching since 2017 after spending six seasons leading UCLA to a 46-30 record. The Huskies are 1-8 in their first season as an independent in football, playing under an interim coach following Edsall's resignation in September.T25 BASKETBALL-MARYLAND/GEORGE WASHINGTONTerps beat ColonialsCOLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Maryland was the only top-25 men's basketball team in action on Thursday, and the 21st Terrapins shook off a slow start to beat George Washington, 71-64. Qudus Wahab had 18 points and 15 rebounds for the Terps, while Fatts Russell added 15 points. Wahab was 5-for-5 from the field in the first half, but Maryland trailed 26-21 before pulling away.MLB-SILVER SLUGGERFour Braves among Silver Sluggers winnersUNDATED (AP) — Four members of the World Series champion Atlanta Braves have won Silver Sluggers as the top hitters at their position.Infielders Freddie Freeman, Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley represent the Braves, along with pitcher Max Fried (freed).Filling out the National League list are MVP finalists Bryce Harper, Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis (tah-TEES') Jr., along with recently-retired Buster Posey and free agent Nick Castellanos (kas-tee-AH'-nohs). MVP finalists Shohei Ohtani (SHOH'-hay oh-TAH'-nee), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Marcus Semian highlight the American League Silver Sluggers. The list includes Salvador Perez, Rafael Devers (DEH'-vurz), Xander Bogaerts (BOH'-gahrts), Teoscar Hernandez, Aaron Judge and Cedric Mullins.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-OKLAHOMA STATENCAA says threats received over OSU punishmentUNDATED (AP) — The NCAA said some staff members have received threatening and offensive messages since Oklahoma State basketball coach Mike Boynton identified some by name last week. Boynton ID'd several officials after a one-year postseason ban and other penalties were upheld on appeal.An NCAA infractions committee last year hit the Cowboys with the penalties for former assistant coach Lamont Evans accepting up to $22,000 so he could help steer athletes to certain financial advisers. Evans was arrested in 2017, and Oklahoma State fired him. NHL-SCHEDULEPanthers fall againUNDATED (AP) — The Florida Panthers are in danger of going winless on their four-game road trip after opening the season 10-0-1.Bryan Rust and Jeff Carter scored shootout goals as the Pittsburgh Penguins nipped the Panthers, 3-2. Teddy Blueger (BLOO'-gur) and Evan Rodrigues tallied in regulation for the Penguins, who bounced back from Tuesday's loss to the Blackhawks and improved to 5-3-4.Frank Vatrano and Aleksander Barkov scored for the Panthers. Barkov notched his 189th career goal for Florida to pass Olli Jokinen (OH'-lee YOH'-kih-nehn) for the most in team history.The Panthers are 0-2-1 on their road trip heading into the finale at Tampa Bay.Elsewhere on NHL ice:— Leon Draisaitl (DRY'-sy-tul) had two goals and an assist as the Oilers topped the Bruins, 5-3. Draisaitl leads the NHL with 26 points, two more than Connor McDavid. Evan Bouchard, Zach Hyman and Cody Ceci (SEE'-see) also scored for Edmonton, which avoided its first back-to-back losses of the season.— The Kings have run their winning streak to seven games by getting 34 saves from Jonathan Quick in a 2-0 decision over the Senators. Anze Kopitar (AHN'-zhay KOH'-pih-tahr) and Andreas Athanasiou (ath-ah-nah-SEE'-oo) scored to back Quick's 55th career shutout. Filip Gustavsson stopped 32 shots in Ottawa's sixth consecutive loss.— Zach Fucale (fuh-KAL'-ee) became the first goaltender in Capitals history to post a shutout in his NHL debut, stopping 21 shots in a 2-0 verdict over Detroit. Fucale was the first goaltender to shut out the Red Wings in his NHL debut in the franchise's 95 seasons. Lars Eller and Dmitry Orlov scored 10 seconds apart in the first period. — Mackenzie Blackwood made a season-high 42 saves for his seventh career shutout to lead the Devils' 4-0 victory over the Islanders. Janne Kuokkanen (YAH nee KWOH'-kah-nehn) scored a short-handed goal and Tomas Tatar tallied on a power play as New Jersey improved to 4-1-2 over its last seven games. The Isles have dropped two straight in regulation since a 5-0-2 stretch.— Matt Duchene (doo-SHAYN') scored his second goal of the game 2:01 into overtime to complete the Predators' 4-3 win over the Blues. Yakov Trenin (YAH'-kahv TREH'-nihn) and St. Louis native Luke Kunin (KOO'-nihn) also scored for the Predators. Jordan Kyrou (KY'-roo) scored twice for the Blues, and Vladimir Tarasenko tied it 8:13 into the third period. — Mikko Rantanen (MEE'-koh RAN'-tah-nehn) had a goal and two assists to help the Avalanche overcome the absence of injured center Nathan MacKinnon to rout the Canucks 7-1. Logan O'Connor and Devon Toews (deh-VAHN tayvz) each added a goal and an assist in Colorado's highest-scoring output of the season. Valeri Nichushkin (nih-KOOSH'-kihn) also tallied in his return from injury.— Nate Schmidt broke a second-period tie with his first goal for Winnipeg in a 4-1 downing of the Sharks. Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and assist and Kyle Connor and Jansen Harkins also scored for Winnipeg. Seven San Jose players and coach Bob Boughner (BOOG'-nur) missed the game because they are in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol. — Nick Suzuki scored his fourth goal in five games to help the Canadiens beat the Flames, 4-2. Suzuki gave Montreal the lead with a power-play goal midway through the third period. Brendan Gallagher and Ben Chiarot (shah-RAHT') also scored and Jake Evans iced it with an empty-netter.— Paul Cotter and Jonas Rondbjerg each scored their first NHL goal and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-2. The Golden Knights improved to 7-2-0 since Oct. 26 after opening the season 1-4-0. Minnesota had its four-game win streak snapped. Jonathan Marchessault also scored for the Golden Knights, and Laurent Brossoit made 24 saves. Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Hartman scored for the Wild. Cam Talbot stopped 32 shots.— Troy Terry extended his NHL-leading scoring streak to 13 games with two goals and an assist, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Seattle Kraken 7-4. Josh Mahura scored twice to help the Ducks win their sixth in a row in their first game since general manager Bob Murray's resignation on Wednesday amid an investigation into his conduct. The Ducks have an eight-game unbeaten streak. John Gibson made 21 saves for his fifth straight victory, and 18-year-old rookie Mason McTavish scored his second career goal.NHL-NEWSOTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — The Ottawa Senators placed forward Alex Formenton, defenseman Nikita Zaitsev (ZYT'-sehv) and goaltender Matt Murray to the COVID-19 list on Thursday, hours before they were scheduled to host the Los Angeles Kings.Murray and Formenton played Tuesday night in the Senators' 3-2 loss at Boston.The Senators currently have nine players in COVID-19 protocol.PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS-SCHWAB CUPLety, Furyk and Triplett share Schwab leadPHOENIX (AP) — Phil Mickelson shot a 6-under 65 and season points leader Bernhard Langer battled through back tightness for a 68 in the opening round of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship on Thursday.Mickelson had seven birdies and a bogey to match Jim Furyk (FYOOR'-ihk) and Kirk Triplett for the lead in the PGA Tour Champions season finale at Phoenix Country Club.Langer, Furyk, Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jimenez are the only players with a chance to win the season championship. Langer is seeking his sixth Cup title.LPGA-PELICAN WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIPMaguire leads through 18BELLEAIR, Fla. (AP) — Solheim Cup star Leona Maguire fired an 8-under 62 for a two-shot lead over defending champion Sei Young Kim in the Pelican Women's Championship. Maguire is trying to become Ireland's first winner on the LPGA Tour after runner-up finishes in Michigan and Hawaii this year. She was in a group with Kim and Lexi Thompson as the trio played bogey-free rounds.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Sports Headlines for Friday

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State has turned around its season after three straight losses. It has three wins in a row to become eligible for a bowl game. Now, the Wildcats will try to keep the momentum going when they head home to face West Virginia. The Mountaineers are trying to turn their own season around after a lopsided loss to Oklahoma State. They need to pick up two wins in their final three games to join the Wildcats among those eligible for the postseason.

K-State to face West Virginia Saturday

UNDATED (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs find themselves in an unusual spot headed into their first meeting of the season against their fiercest AFC West rivals. 

For the first time since 2016, the Chiefs are looking up at the Raiders in the standings headed into their meeting on Sunday night. Kansas City has dominated this division for the previous four seasons and the rivalry since Andy Reid arrived as coach in 2013. But with the defense getting repeatedly gashed early in the season and Patrick Mahomes and the high-powered offense struggling the past few weeks, the Chiefs look nothing like the team that has represented the AFC in the past two Super Bowls.&nbsp;&nbsp;

UNDATED (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs find themselves in an unusual spot headed into their first meeting of the season against their fiercest AFC West rivals. For the first time since 2016, the Chiefs are looking up at the Raiders in the standings headed into their meeting on Sunday night. Kansas City has dominated this division for the previous four seasons and the rivalry since Andy Reid arrived as coach in 2013. But with the defense getting repeatedly gashed early in the season and Patrick Mahomes and the high-powered offense struggling the past few weeks, the Chiefs look nothing like the team that has represented the AFC in the past two Super Bowls.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chiefs and Raiders coming up Sunday night

KANSAS CITY, MO— Louisville Slugger® and MLB Network announced Thursday night that Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez has been named an American League Silver SluggerTM Award winner for 2021. This marks Perez’s fourth such honor (also 2016, 2018, 2020), surpassing George Brett (3) for the most in franchise history since the award was introduced in 1980. He also became the 10th Major League catcher to win four or more Silver SluggerTM Awards and fifth to do so in the American League, joining Iván Rodríguez (7), Lance Parrish (6), Joe Mauer (5), and Jorge Posada (5).

Perez, who is also a seven-time All-Star and a five-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner, tied for the Major League lead with 48 home runs in 2021, becoming the first Royal to hold at least a share of the Majors lead in homers. He also led the big leagues with 121 RBI, becoming just the second Royal to do so, joining Hal McRae, who had a Majors-best 133 RBI in 1982. He is the sixth different player to lead the Majors in home runs and RBI in the last 30 years, joining Giancarlo Stanton in 2017, Chris Davis in 2013, Miguel Cabrera in 2012, Ryan Howard in 2006 and 2008 and Álex Rodríguez in 2002 and 2007. Perez became the second primary catcher to lead the Majors in HR and RBI, joining Johnny Bench, who did it in 1970 and 1972.

His 48 home runs were the most in a single season by a player who played at least 75% of his games at catcher, three more than the previous benchmark held by Bench, who hit 45 home runs in 1970. Salvy hit 33 home runs as a catcher—the other 15 came as a designated hitter—which fell just two shy of Iván Rodríguez’s American League record of 35 HR as a catcher, set in 1999, according to Elias.

Louisville Slugger® Silver Slugger™ Award winners are decided by a vote of MLB managers and coaches who select the players they determine to be the best offensive producers at each position in the American and National Leagues. Each team receives four (4) votes; the manager and three coaches of their choice. Votes are based on a combination of offensive statistics, including on-base percentage, OPS, OPS+, home runs, hits, RBI, batting average as well as the managers’ and coaches’ general impressions of a player’s overall offensive value.

KANSAS CITY, MO— Louisville Slugger® and MLB Network announced Thursday night that Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez has been named an American League Silver SluggerTM Award winner for 2021. This marks Perez’s fourth such honor (also 2016, 2018, 2020), surpassing George Brett (3) for the most in franchise history since the award was introduced in 1980. He also became the 10th Major League catcher to win four or more Silver SluggerTM Awards and fifth to do so in the American League, joining Iván Rodríguez (7), Lance Parrish (6), Joe Mauer (5), and Jorge Posada (5).Perez, who is also a seven-time All-Star and a five-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner, tied for the Major League lead with 48 home runs in 2021, becoming the first Royal to hold at least a share of the Majors lead in homers. He also led the big leagues with 121 RBI, becoming just the second Royal to do so, joining Hal McRae, who had a Majors-best 133 RBI in 1982. He is the sixth different player to lead the Majors in home runs and RBI in the last 30 years, joining Giancarlo Stanton in 2017, Chris Davis in 2013, Miguel Cabrera in 2012, Ryan Howard in 2006 and 2008 and Álex Rodríguez in 2002 and 2007. Perez became the second primary catcher to lead the Majors in HR and RBI, joining Johnny Bench, who did it in 1970 and 1972.His 48 home runs were the most in a single season by a player who played at least 75% of his games at catcher, three more than the previous benchmark held by Bench, who hit 45 home runs in 1970. Salvy hit 33 home runs as a catcher—the other 15 came as a designated hitter—which fell just two shy of Iván Rodríguez’s American League record of 35 HR as a catcher, set in 1999, according to Elias.Louisville Slugger® Silver Slugger™ Award winners are decided by a vote of MLB managers and coaches who select the players they determine to be the best offensive producers at each position in the American and National Leagues. Each team receives four (4) votes; the manager and three coaches of their choice. Votes are based on a combination of offensive statistics, including on-base percentage, OPS, OPS+, home runs, hits, RBI, batting average as well as the managers’ and coaches’ general impressions of a player’s overall offensive value.

Perez wins Silver Slugger

Former play-by-play announcer Gus Grebe, who called Wichita State football and basketball games in the late 1960s and early '70s, died Tuesday. He was 102.

Grebe was a sports writer at KNX Radio in Los Angeles in the 1960s before meeting the KFH manager and moving to Wichita. He was on the other plane the fateful day of the Wichita State plane crash in 1970.

After leaving KFH, Grebe worked at KWCH-TV and left in 1979 for Kansas City, where he did pre and postgame shows for the Chiefs.&nbsp;

Grebe moved back to California in the 1980s. He will be laid to rest there.

Former play-by-play announcer Gus Grebe, who called Wichita State football and basketball games in the late 1960s and early '70s, died Tuesday. He was 102.Grebe was a sports writer at KNX Radio in Los Angeles in the 1960s before meeting the KFH manager and moving to Wichita. He was on the other plane the fateful day of the Wichita State plane crash in 1970.After leaving KFH, Grebe worked at KWCH-TV and left in 1979 for Kansas City, where he did pre and postgame shows for the Chiefs.&nbsp;Grebe moved back to California in the 1980s. He will be laid to rest there.

Former voice of Wichita State sports Gus Grebe dead at 102

The Kansas City Royals today mourn the passing of Art Stewart, the longest-tenured associate in the organization, who recently completed his 52nd season with the Royals. A long-time scout, Stewart most recently served as a Sr. Advisor to the General Manager. He was 94.

“Art was truly an extraordinary human being, whom we all loved and admired for many reasons,” said Royals President of Baseball Operations Dayton Moore. “His unmatched love and appreciation for the game of baseball, recollection of players and events, combined with his special ability to tell stories will be forever cherished by all.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Rosemary, daughter, Dawn Mansfield, along with husband, Brian, and children, David and Mark as they mourn the passing of this very special man who meant so much to them and to our Royals family.”

Stewart held the position of Sr. Advisor to the General Manager since 2002, and Sr. Special Assistant to the General Manager from 1997-2001, after previously serving as the Director of Scouting from 1984-96. He was inducted as the 23rd member of the Royals Hall of Fame in 2008, and the Professional Scouts Hall of Fame that same year. One year earlier, he received the Roland Hemond Award for long-time service in scouting and player development.

During his tenure as Director of Scouting, the Royals were named Major League Baseball Organization of the Year by USA Today in 1984, by Baseball America in 1994 and Topps, Inc., in 1984-85 and 1994-95. Stewart drafted more than 70 players who have reached the big leagues,

including Bo Jackson, Royals Hall of Famers Kevin Appier and Mike Sweeney, as well as Brian McRae, Johnny Damon, Joe Randa and Carlos Beltrán.

He was instrumental in the origination of the Royals Dominican program, helping the club start the Salcedo Academy in the Dominican Republic. He was recognized in 1998 when the former Royals Academy building was named in his honor.

Before joining the Royals front office, he spent 16 years covering the Midwest as a Royals scout. He began his career in professional baseball in 1953 as a territorial scout for the New York Yankees and was the Midwest Scouting Supervisor from 1958-69.

The Kansas City Royals today mourn the passing of Art Stewart, the longest-tenured associate in the organization, who recently completed his 52nd season with the Royals. A long-time scout, Stewart most recently served as a Sr. Advisor to the General Manager. He was 94.“Art was truly an extraordinary human being, whom we all loved and admired for many reasons,” said Royals President of Baseball Operations Dayton Moore. “His unmatched love and appreciation for the game of baseball, recollection of players and events, combined with his special ability to tell stories will be forever cherished by all.”“Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Rosemary, daughter, Dawn Mansfield, along with husband, Brian, and children, David and Mark as they mourn the passing of this very special man who meant so much to them and to our Royals family.”Stewart held the position of Sr. Advisor to the General Manager since 2002, and Sr. Special Assistant to the General Manager from 1997-2001, after previously serving as the Director of Scouting from 1984-96. He was inducted as the 23rd member of the Royals Hall of Fame in 2008, and the Professional Scouts Hall of Fame that same year. One year earlier, he received the Roland Hemond Award for long-time service in scouting and player development.During his tenure as Director of Scouting, the Royals were named Major League Baseball Organization of the Year by USA Today in 1984, by Baseball America in 1994 and Topps, Inc., in 1984-85 and 1994-95. Stewart drafted more than 70 players who have reached the big leagues,including Bo Jackson, Royals Hall of Famers Kevin Appier and Mike Sweeney, as well as Brian McRae, Johnny Damon, Joe Randa and Carlos Beltrán.He was instrumental in the origination of the Royals Dominican program, helping the club start the Salcedo Academy in the Dominican Republic. He was recognized in 1998 when the former Royals Academy building was named in his honor.Before joining the Royals front office, he spent 16 years covering the Midwest as a Royals scout. He began his career in professional baseball in 1953 as a territorial scout for the New York Yankees and was the Midwest Scouting Supervisor from 1958-69.

Royals mourn the passing of long-time associate Art Stewart

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🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Thursday Morning

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Odell Beckham Jr. became a free agent Tuesday after the wide receiver's acrimonious split with the Browns, and the Chiefs are among the destinations that he's rumored to be considering. Chiefs coach Andy Reid wouldn't confirm whether the sides have been in touch, but Kansas City makes sense as a landing spot. Beckham would have an opportunity to finish the season with a playoff contender while Patrick Mahomes would have another playmaker to help jumpstart a sluggish offense.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Scott Frost says he was willing to make sacrifices to continue as coach at Nebraska. Frost's comment came two days after he took a pay cut and fired four offensive assistants. The Cornhuskers are 15-27 in four years under Frost and 3-7 this season. Offense and special teams have been major problems this season. Frost said he was uncertain exactly how he would structure his staff. He hopes to become a CEO-type head coach rather than overseeing every aspect of the offense.

UNDATED (AP) — Top-ranked Georgia and No. 3 Alabama appear headed for a showdown in the Southeastern Conference championship game. But before the powerhouse programs actually clash on Dec. 4 in Atlanta they still have a few remaining hurdles they have to clear in the season's final weeks. The Bulldogs close conference play on Saturday at Tennessee looking to slow down the Vols' up-tempo offense. The Crimson Tide take a break from the league grind when they host New Mexico State this weekend before resuming SEC play against improved Arkansas and at archrival and No. 16 Auburn in the Iron Bowl.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Nijel Pack scored 18 points, making four 3-pointers, Mark Smith added 12 points and Kansas State beat Florida A&amp;M 67-57 in a season opener for both teams. The Wildcats led by just three points at the break but held the Rattlers to 27 points in the second half. FAMU took a 43-42 lead, its last of the game, with 13:28 remaining. But Selton Miguel scored all 10 of his points during a 12-2 run for Kansas State. MJ Randolph scored 12 straight FAMU points, but he didn't get much help as Kansas State held a double-digit lead for the final six minutes.

KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) — The annual Race World Offshore Key West Championships in the Florida Keys started Wednesday. Offshore powerboat racing team M-Con leads the Super Cat class after the first of three race days. Driver Myrick Coil of Osage Beach, Missouri, and throttleman Tyler Miller of Wathena, Kansas, took a first-lap lead and maintained it throughout Wednesday's first event. Leading the Extreme class is Huski-Alegra Motorsports. Headquartered in Stuart, Florida, the boat is driven by Carlos De Quesada and throttled by Steve Curtis. The Super Stock race included a dramatic flip when CMR, based in Fort Myers, Florida, overturned after the second lap. Race officials said driver Eric Belisle and throttleman Shaun Torrente were uninjured.

Darnold to miss at least 4 weeks with shoulder fracture

UNDATED (AP) — Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule says quarterback Sam Darnold will miss at least four weeks with a right shoulder injury.

Darnold, who is 4-5 as the team's starter, suffered an incomplete fracture of the shoulder blade and will go on injured reserve. Rhule said P.J. Walker will start for the Panthers on Sunday against the NFC-leading Arizona Cardinals.

The Panthers have signed quarterback Matt Barkley off the Tennessee Titans practice squad and he's expected to serve as Carolina's No. 2 quarterback on Sunday.

— Mike White will start at quarterback for the New York Jets on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. Coach Robert Saleh announced the decision Wednesday and said rookie starter Zach Wilson is still recovering from a sprained knee ligament and won't be ready to play this weekend. Saleh adds that the long-term decision at quarterback will be made day to day. 

— Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. has returned to practice. His return opens the possibility he might come off injured reserve and play Sunday at Dallas. Fowler was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 22 with a knee injury. 

— The Dallas Cowboys are adding kicker Lirim Hajrullahu. The former CFL player is in line to make his NFL debut if Greg Zuerlein doesn't clear COVID-19 protocols before Sunday's game against Atlanta. The 31-year-old native of Europe was with the Cowboys late in training camp. 

— The Minnesota Vikings have been operating this week under the NFL's intensive virus protocols. Five players remain on the COVID-19 reserve list. One had to be hospitalized with breathing trouble. He was stable after initially being admitted to the emergency room. Coach Mike Zimmer declined to identify the player. A person with knowledge of the situation says the player is backup guard Dakota Dozier. 

— Browns coach Kevin Stefanski would not disclose whether star running back Nick Chubb is experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, leaving his status for Sunday's game against New England uncertain. Chubb tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday along with rookie running back/wide receiver Demetric Felton. Both were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list and will need to be symptom free and have two negative tests 24 hours apart to be eligible to face the Patriots. The Browns are dealing with a minor virus outbreak. On Wednesday, they had their fifth positive test in three days. 

— The Browns have made another huge investment into their offensive line, signing three-time Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio to a three-year, $48 million contract extension. The 30-year-old was under contract through 2022, but the Browns wanted to secure one of their leaders and best players and have him finish his career with Cleveland. His deal, which runs through the 2025 season, comes a day after right guard Wyatt Teller signed a four-year, $56.8 million extension. 

— Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson returned to practice after coming off injured reserve, but with no guarantee he'll play against Green Bay on Sunday. Coach Pete Carroll says he remains hopeful Carson will be able to play as he recovers from a neck issue.

— The Green Bay Packers have activated offensive tackle David Bakhtiari from the physically unable to perform list. The Packers needed to activate Bakhtiari by Wednesday for him to play this season. Bakhtiari hasn't played since tearing his left ACL on Dec. 31. He is eligible to play as soon as Sunday when the Packers host the Seattle Seahawks. 

— Cincinnati Bengals executive Katie Blackburn has become the first woman appointed to the NFL's powerful competition committee, which plays a major role in rules changes. Blackburn, the executive vice president of the Bengals, is the franchise's fourth member of the committee. Team founder Paul Brown, his son and current owner Mike Brown, and former Bengals coach Marvin Lewis also have served in that group.

— Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook maintains he was the victim in a fight last year with a former girlfriend suing him for personal injury. The NFL says the civil lawsuit will be reviewed under the league's personal conduct policy. Cook will continue to practice and play with the team. Cook's attorney, David Valentini, says his client had the right to defend himself. 

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Chicago's Liam Hendriks earned his second straight Mariano Rivera Award as the American League Reliever of the Year and Milwaukee's Josh Hader won his third Trevor Hoffman Award as the National League Reliever of the Year. 

Hendriks had an 8-3 record and 38 saves in 44 chances with a 2.54 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 71 innings during his first season with the White Sox. Hader was 4-2 with a career-best 1.23 ERA and 34 saves in 35 chances. He also won in 2018 and '19.

Meyers has surgery, could delay his 2022 season

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Houston Astros center fielder Jake Meyers had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, an injury that could delay his 2022 season. 

The 25-year-old was hurt on Oct. 12 in Game 4 of the AL Division Series at the Chicago White Sox when he tried to make a leaping catch at the wall on Gavin Sheets' second-inning home run. Meyers had hoped to return later in the postseason but did not play again. He was 3 for 8 with two RBIs against the White Sox. 

Meyers is not expected to be ready for game competition before opening day.

Heaney, Dodgers finalize $8.5 million, 1-year deal

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to terms with free agent left-hander Andrew Heaney with an $8.5 million, one-year deal. The contract includes $250,000 each for 100, 125, 150 and 175 innings. 

Heaney split last season between the Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees. He had a 5.83 ERA, but recorded 150 strikeouts and 41 walks over 129 2/3 innings. 

Heaney refused an outright minor league assignment from the Yankees last month and became a free agent. He made $6.75 million last season. 

Boras: MLB cancer of trading veterans helped Braves win

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Baseball's most influential agent says the sport was the victim of a "competitive cancer" caused by teams unloading veterans to accumulate draft picks. 

And Scott Boras says the Atlanta Braves' World Series title was a direct result of tanking. Atlanta made a series of July acquisitions and went on to its first World Series title since 1995.

In an outdoor news conference Wednesday in front of a steakhouse at the general managers' meetings in California, Boras backed the demands of the players' association for changes in the collective bargaining agreement that expires Dec. 1. 

The sport is braced for a lockout that would be baseball's ninth work stoppage but first since 1995. 

Ducks GM Murray resigns, plans to enter treatment program

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray has resigned, one day after he was placed on administrative leave amid an investigation into his workplace conduct. In a statement, Murray said he plans to enter a treatment program for alcohol abuse. 

The 66-year-old Murray has been with the organization since 2005 and has run the Ducks' hockey operations since November 2008, the third-longest active tenure for a GM in the NHL. Jeff Solomon, who joined the Ducks' front office in May, will be Anaheim's general manager while the club seeks a permanent replacement.

Ottawa Senators place 6th player in NHL's COVID-19 protocol

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Defenseman Josh Brown became the sixth Ottawa Senators player in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol Wednesday, with the team canceling practice for precautionary reasons. 

Forwards Austin Watson, Dylan Gambrell and Connor Brown and defensemen Victor Mete and Nick Holden also are in the protocol, along with associate coach Jack Capuano. Mete was added to the list Tuesday, hours before the Senators' 3-2 loss at Boston.

Ottawa canceled practice Monday after Holden and Capuano were placed in the protocol Sunday. Later Monday, the team said Connor Brown and Gambrell had entered the protocol and would not travel to Boston. Watson entered the protocol Friday.

The Senators will host Los Angeles on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins may be nearing the end of a COVID-19 outbreak that's sent eight players and head coach Mike Sullivan into the NHL's protocol. Defensemen Chad Ruhwedel and Marcus Pettersson have returned to practice and could play when the Penguins host Florida. Both players went into the protocol on Oct. 31. 

Sullivan, captain Sidney Crosby and defenseman Brian Dumoulin remain in the protocol. Assistant coach Todd Reirden says all three are improving.

Hagel to miss 2 weeks with shoulder injury

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks forward Brandon Hagel is expected to miss two weeks with a left shoulder injury.

Hagel got hurt in the third period of Sunday night's 2-1 overtime victory against Nashville. The 23-year-old has four goals and two assists in 13 games this season.

The Blackhawks also assigned defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk to Rockford of the AHL after being sidelined by a right ankle sprain.

Forward Tyler Johnson and defenseman Isaak Phillips were removed from the NHL's COVID-19 protocol. Phillips was then assigned to Rockford.

UNDATED (AP) — The Mid-American Conference announced it will stand pat with its membership, just hours after Middle Tennessee State made known it was sticking with Conference USA.

Middle Tennessee and fellow C-USA member Western Kentucky had explored the possibility of joining the MAC as Conference USA had been poached of nine members over the last month.

MTSU and WKU would have extended the Midwest-based MAC farther south. But after C-USA announced last week the addition of four new members starting in 2023, Middle Tennessee State decided it was best to stay put in a conference that will now had nine members, stretching from Virginia to New Mexico..

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<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Odell Beckham Jr. became a free agent Tuesday after the wide receiver's acrimonious split with the Browns, and the Chiefs are among the destinations that he's rumored to be considering. Chiefs coach Andy Reid wouldn't confirm whether the sides have been in touch, but Kansas City makes sense as a landing spot. Beckham would have an opportunity to finish the season with a playoff contender while Patrick Mahomes would have another playmaker to help jumpstart a sluggish offense.LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Scott Frost says he was willing to make sacrifices to continue as coach at Nebraska. Frost's comment came two days after he took a pay cut and fired four offensive assistants. The Cornhuskers are 15-27 in four years under Frost and 3-7 this season. Offense and special teams have been major problems this season. Frost said he was uncertain exactly how he would structure his staff. He hopes to become a CEO-type head coach rather than overseeing every aspect of the offense.UNDATED (AP) — Top-ranked Georgia and No. 3 Alabama appear headed for a showdown in the Southeastern Conference championship game. But before the powerhouse programs actually clash on Dec. 4 in Atlanta they still have a few remaining hurdles they have to clear in the season's final weeks. The Bulldogs close conference play on Saturday at Tennessee looking to slow down the Vols' up-tempo offense. The Crimson Tide take a break from the league grind when they host New Mexico State this weekend before resuming SEC play against improved Arkansas and at archrival and No. 16 Auburn in the Iron Bowl.MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Nijel Pack scored 18 points, making four 3-pointers, Mark Smith added 12 points and Kansas State beat Florida A&amp;M 67-57 in a season opener for both teams. The Wildcats led by just three points at the break but held the Rattlers to 27 points in the second half. FAMU took a 43-42 lead, its last of the game, with 13:28 remaining. But Selton Miguel scored all 10 of his points during a 12-2 run for Kansas State. MJ Randolph scored 12 straight FAMU points, but he didn't get much help as Kansas State held a double-digit lead for the final six minutes.KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) — The annual Race World Offshore Key West Championships in the Florida Keys started Wednesday. Offshore powerboat racing team M-Con leads the Super Cat class after the first of three race days. Driver Myrick Coil of Osage Beach, Missouri, and throttleman Tyler Miller of Wathena, Kansas, took a first-lap lead and maintained it throughout Wednesday's first event. Leading the Extreme class is Huski-Alegra Motorsports. Headquartered in Stuart, Florida, the boat is driven by Carlos De Quesada and throttled by Steve Curtis. The Super Stock race included a dramatic flip when CMR, based in Fort Myers, Florida, overturned after the second lap. Race officials said driver Eric Belisle and throttleman Shaun Torrente were uninjured.NFL-NEWSDarnold to miss at least 4 weeks with shoulder fractureUNDATED (AP) — Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule says quarterback Sam Darnold will miss at least four weeks with a right shoulder injury.Darnold, who is 4-5 as the team's starter, suffered an incomplete fracture of the shoulder blade and will go on injured reserve. Rhule said P.J. Walker will start for the Panthers on Sunday against the NFC-leading Arizona Cardinals.The Panthers have signed quarterback Matt Barkley off the Tennessee Titans practice squad and he's expected to serve as Carolina's No. 2 quarterback on Sunday.Elsewhere in the NFL:— Mike White will start at quarterback for the New York Jets on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. Coach Robert Saleh announced the decision Wednesday and said rookie starter Zach Wilson is still recovering from a sprained knee ligament and won't be ready to play this weekend. Saleh adds that the long-term decision at quarterback will be made day to day. — Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. has returned to practice. His return opens the possibility he might come off injured reserve and play Sunday at Dallas. Fowler was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 22 with a knee injury. — The Dallas Cowboys are adding kicker Lirim Hajrullahu. The former CFL player is in line to make his NFL debut if Greg Zuerlein doesn't clear COVID-19 protocols before Sunday's game against Atlanta. The 31-year-old native of Europe was with the Cowboys late in training camp. — The Minnesota Vikings have been operating this week under the NFL's intensive virus protocols. Five players remain on the COVID-19 reserve list. One had to be hospitalized with breathing trouble. He was stable after initially being admitted to the emergency room. Coach Mike Zimmer declined to identify the player. A person with knowledge of the situation says the player is backup guard Dakota Dozier. — Browns coach Kevin Stefanski would not disclose whether star running back Nick Chubb is experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, leaving his status for Sunday's game against New England uncertain. Chubb tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday along with rookie running back/wide receiver Demetric Felton. Both were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list and will need to be symptom free and have two negative tests 24 hours apart to be eligible to face the Patriots. The Browns are dealing with a minor virus outbreak. On Wednesday, they had their fifth positive test in three days. — The Browns have made another huge investment into their offensive line, signing three-time Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio to a three-year, $48 million contract extension. The 30-year-old was under contract through 2022, but the Browns wanted to secure one of their leaders and best players and have him finish his career with Cleveland. His deal, which runs through the 2025 season, comes a day after right guard Wyatt Teller signed a four-year, $56.8 million extension. — Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson returned to practice after coming off injured reserve, but with no guarantee he'll play against Green Bay on Sunday. Coach Pete Carroll says he remains hopeful Carson will be able to play as he recovers from a neck issue.— The Green Bay Packers have activated offensive tackle David Bakhtiari from the physically unable to perform list. The Packers needed to activate Bakhtiari by Wednesday for him to play this season. Bakhtiari hasn't played since tearing his left ACL on Dec. 31. He is eligible to play as soon as Sunday when the Packers host the Seattle Seahawks. — Cincinnati Bengals executive Katie Blackburn has become the first woman appointed to the NFL's powerful competition committee, which plays a major role in rules changes. Blackburn, the executive vice president of the Bengals, is the franchise's fourth member of the committee. Team founder Paul Brown, his son and current owner Mike Brown, and former Bengals coach Marvin Lewis also have served in that group.— Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook maintains he was the victim in a fight last year with a former girlfriend suing him for personal injury. The NFL says the civil lawsuit will be reviewed under the league's personal conduct policy. Cook will continue to practice and play with the team. Cook's attorney, David Valentini, says his client had the right to defend himself. MLB-RELIEVER AWARDSHendriks, Hader honored as top relieversCARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Chicago's Liam Hendriks earned his second straight Mariano Rivera Award as the American League Reliever of the Year and Milwaukee's Josh Hader won his third Trevor Hoffman Award as the National League Reliever of the Year. Hendriks had an 8-3 record and 38 saves in 44 chances with a 2.54 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 71 innings during his first season with the White Sox. Hader was 4-2 with a career-best 1.23 ERA and 34 saves in 35 chances. He also won in 2018 and '19.MLB-ASTROS-MEYERSMeyers has surgery, could delay his 2022 seasonCARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Houston Astros center fielder Jake Meyers had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, an injury that could delay his 2022 season. The 25-year-old was hurt on Oct. 12 in Game 4 of the AL Division Series at the Chicago White Sox when he tried to make a leaping catch at the wall on Gavin Sheets' second-inning home run. Meyers had hoped to return later in the postseason but did not play again. He was 3 for 8 with two RBIs against the White Sox. Meyers is not expected to be ready for game competition before opening day.MLB-DODGERS-HEANYHeaney, Dodgers finalize $8.5 million, 1-year dealLOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to terms with free agent left-hander Andrew Heaney with an $8.5 million, one-year deal. The contract includes $250,000 each for 100, 125, 150 and 175 innings. Heaney split last season between the Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees. He had a 5.83 ERA, but recorded 150 strikeouts and 41 walks over 129 2/3 innings. Heaney refused an outright minor league assignment from the Yankees last month and became a free agent. He made $6.75 million last season. MLB-GM MEETINGS-BORASBoras: MLB cancer of trading veterans helped Braves winCARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Baseball's most influential agent says the sport was the victim of a "competitive cancer" caused by teams unloading veterans to accumulate draft picks. And Scott Boras says the Atlanta Braves' World Series title was a direct result of tanking. Atlanta made a series of July acquisitions and went on to its first World Series title since 1995.In an outdoor news conference Wednesday in front of a steakhouse at the general managers' meetings in California, Boras backed the demands of the players' association for changes in the collective bargaining agreement that expires Dec. 1. The sport is braced for a lockout that would be baseball's ninth work stoppage but first since 1995. NHL-DUCKS-MURRAY RESIGNSDucks GM Murray resigns, plans to enter treatment programANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray has resigned, one day after he was placed on administrative leave amid an investigation into his workplace conduct. In a statement, Murray said he plans to enter a treatment program for alcohol abuse. The 66-year-old Murray has been with the organization since 2005 and has run the Ducks' hockey operations since November 2008, the third-longest active tenure for a GM in the NHL. Jeff Solomon, who joined the Ducks' front office in May, will be Anaheim's general manager while the club seeks a permanent replacement.VIRUS OUTBREAK-NHLOttawa Senators place 6th player in NHL's COVID-19 protocolOTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Defenseman Josh Brown became the sixth Ottawa Senators player in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol Wednesday, with the team canceling practice for precautionary reasons. Forwards Austin Watson, Dylan Gambrell and Connor Brown and defensemen Victor Mete and Nick Holden also are in the protocol, along with associate coach Jack Capuano. Mete was added to the list Tuesday, hours before the Senators' 3-2 loss at Boston.Ottawa canceled practice Monday after Holden and Capuano were placed in the protocol Sunday. Later Monday, the team said Connor Brown and Gambrell had entered the protocol and would not travel to Boston. Watson entered the protocol Friday.The Senators will host Los Angeles on Thursday night.Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins may be nearing the end of a COVID-19 outbreak that's sent eight players and head coach Mike Sullivan into the NHL's protocol. Defensemen Chad Ruhwedel and Marcus Pettersson have returned to practice and could play when the Penguins host Florida. Both players went into the protocol on Oct. 31. Sullivan, captain Sidney Crosby and defenseman Brian Dumoulin remain in the protocol. Assistant coach Todd Reirden says all three are improving.NHL-BLACKHAWKS-HAGELHagel to miss 2 weeks with shoulder injuryCHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks forward Brandon Hagel is expected to miss two weeks with a left shoulder injury.Hagel got hurt in the third period of Sunday night's 2-1 overtime victory against Nashville. The 23-year-old has four goals and two assists in 13 games this season.The Blackhawks also assigned defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk to Rockford of the AHL after being sidelined by a right ankle sprain.Forward Tyler Johnson and defenseman Isaak Phillips were removed from the NHL's COVID-19 protocol. Phillips was then assigned to Rockford.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-CONFERENCE REALIGNMENTMAC says no to expansionUNDATED (AP) — The Mid-American Conference announced it will stand pat with its membership, just hours after Middle Tennessee State made known it was sticking with Conference USA.Middle Tennessee and fellow C-USA member Western Kentucky had explored the possibility of joining the MAC as Conference USA had been poached of nine members over the last month.MTSU and WKU would have extended the Midwest-based MAC farther south. But after C-USA announced last week the addition of four new members starting in 2023, Middle Tennessee State decided it was best to stay put in a conference that will now had nine members, stretching from Virginia to New Mexico..<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sports Headlines for Thursday

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Nijel Pack scored 18 points, making four 3-pointers, Mark Smith added 12 points and Kansas State beat Florida A&amp;M 67-57 in a season opener for both teams. 

The Wildcats led by just three points at the break but held the Rattlers to 27 points in the second half. FAMU took a 43-42 lead, its last of the game, with 13:28 remaining. But Selton Miguel scored all 10 of his points during a 12-2 run for Kansas State. 

MJ Randolph scored 12 straight FAMU points, but he didn’t get much help as Kansas State held a double-digit lead for the final six minutes.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Nijel Pack scored 18 points, making four 3-pointers, Mark Smith added 12 points and Kansas State beat Florida A&amp;M 67-57 in a season opener for both teams. The Wildcats led by just three points at the break but held the Rattlers to 27 points in the second half. FAMU took a 43-42 lead, its last of the game, with 13:28 remaining. But Selton Miguel scored all 10 of his points during a 12-2 run for Kansas State. MJ Randolph scored 12 straight FAMU points, but he didn’t get much help as Kansas State held a double-digit lead for the final six minutes.

K-State men win opener

TONKAWA, Okla. — <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/48417776-7a03-4519-9741-258e204a6089">For the second time in four days, Hutchinson faced off with NOC-Tonkawa.</a>

No. 15 Hutchinson (4-0) saw an early eight-point lead flip into a six-point deficit in the first half.&nbsp;

However, the Dragons closed out the first half with a 49-45 lead.

Hutchinson’s full-court pressure helped the Dragons build a 64-55 lead just 5:30 into the second half.&nbsp;

The Dragons improved that lead to 17 before the Mavericks made it close. Hutchinson missed opportunities at the free throw line (20 of 34) and NOC-Tonkawa hit a three at the buzzer.&nbsp;

Kaimen Lennox led the Dragons with 23 points, 19 of those came in the second half.

Syrus Grisby led the Mavericks with 23 points.&nbsp;

FINAL: Hutchinson 100 NOC-Tonkawa 96

The victory was the fourth for head coach Tommy DeSalme with the Dragons, but his 400th overall.&nbsp;

Hutchinson will be in Great Bend for the Barton Classic Friday and Saturday.&nbsp;

Hutchinson will play McCook and Clarendon. Both games tip at 3 p.m.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636597051877.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By DAREN DUNNHutch PostTONKAWA, Okla. — <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/48417776-7a03-4519-9741-258e204a6089">For the second time in four days, Hutchinson faced off with NOC-Tonkawa.</a>No. 15 Hutchinson (4-0) saw an early eight-point lead flip into a six-point deficit in the first half.&nbsp;However, the Dragons closed out the first half with a 49-45 lead.Hutchinson’s full-court pressure helped the Dragons build a 64-55 lead just 5:30 into the second half.&nbsp;The Dragons improved that lead to 17 before the Mavericks made it close. Hutchinson missed opportunities at the free throw line (20 of 34) and NOC-Tonkawa hit a three at the buzzer.&nbsp;Kaimen Lennox led the Dragons with 23 points, 19 of those came in the second half.Syrus Grisby led the Mavericks with 23 points.&nbsp;FINAL: Hutchinson 100 NOC-Tonkawa 96The victory was the fourth for head coach Tommy DeSalme with the Dragons, but his 400th overall.&nbsp;Hutchinson will be in Great Bend for the Barton Classic Friday and Saturday.&nbsp;Hutchinson will play McCook and Clarendon. Both games tip at 3 p.m.&nbsp;

MBB: Dragons edge Mavericks on the road

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<div><iframe title="Eagle Radio Sports for Wednesday Morning" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=g4s56-1129a15-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&btn-skin=7"></iframe></div><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Wednesday Morning

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Ryan O'Reilly was the only scorer in the shootout and the St. Louis Blues beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Tuesday night. Eight skaters took shots in the contest, with O'Reilly beating &nbsp;Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck (31 saves). Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and assist, and Jordan Kyrou also scored for St. Louis. Blues goalie Jordan Binnington made 39 stops. Kyle Connor netted his team-leading ninth goal, and defenseman Neal Pionk scored for Winnipeg.&nbsp;

NEW YORK (AP) — Ochai Agbaji scored a career-high 29 points and No. 3 Kansas beat Michigan State 87-74 at the Champions Classic on the opening night of college basketball. Remy Martin added 15 points and David McCormack had 10 for the Jayhawks, who returned four starters from last season's squad that lost to USC in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks were missing forward Jalen Wilson, who was suspended last week for the first three regular season games after he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving last month. A.J. Hoggard scored 17 points and Julius Marble added 13 for the Spartans.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Keegan Murray scored 22 of his career-high 24 points in the first half when Iowa broke the game open and went on to beat Longwood 106-73 to win its 11th straight season opener. Murray scored eight straight points in the midst of a 23-3 run to start the game. He scored 12 points in a 16-2 streak later in the half for a 33-point lead before the Hawkeyes went into the break ahead 56-29 with Murray already surpassing his career high of 14. Jordan Bohannon, the Hawkeyes' leading returning scorer at 10.6 points per game, finished with 18, making six 3-pointers. Isaiah Wilkins scored 19 points with eight rebounds and Leslie Nkereuwem added 17 points for Longwood.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Alex Padilla got his first opportunity to play meaningful snaps for Iowa and did enough to impress coach Kirk Ferentz. Now he's days away from what probably will be his first start in place of the injured Spencer Petras. The sophomore is listed No. 1 on the depth chart for Saturday's home game against Minnesota and he's been working with Iowa's No. 1 offensive unit all week. Padilla led the Hawkeyes to back-to-back touchdowns in a 17-12 win over Northwestern last week and passed for 172 yards.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Caitlin Clark had 26 points and Monika Czinano added 14 points as No. 9 Iowa opened the season with a 93-50 win over New Hampshire. Clark and Czinano were 1-2 in the nation in field goals last season and both began this season with strong offensive performances. Clark had 17 first-half points despite picking up two first-quarter fouls. The Associated Press preseason All-American made 6 of 10 shots and added eight rebounds and six assists. Amanda Torres and Sophia Widmeyer each had 13 points for New Hampshire.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Trenton Massner scored 21 points and he and Luka Barisic hit 3-pointers in the final 20 seconds to rally Western Illinois to a 75-74 victory over Nebraska in a season opener. The Leathernecks had a two-point lead after George Dixon's layup with 3:48 left, but Alonzo Verge Jr. hit a free throw and a layup, and Trey McGowens capped the 5-0 spurt with a dunk to give Nebraska a 72-69 lead with 2:07 to play. C.J. Wilcher hit 1 of 2 free throws to push the lead to four before Massner buried a 3-pointer to get Western Illinois within 73-72 with 20 seconds remaining. Verge sank 1 of 2 free throws before Barisic hit the game-winner with 7 seconds left.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Ty Gordon registered 19 points as Nicholls narrowly defeated Northern Iowa 62-58 in a season opener. Devante Carter had 12 points for Nicholls. Pierce Spencer added 2 points and 11 rebounds. Austin Phyfe had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Panthers. Tywhon Pickford added 13 points.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Javon Pickett scored 18 points and led five in double figures as Missouri pulled away late to beat Central Michigan 78-68 in the season opener for both teams. Central Michigan used a 12-4 run to pull to 64-62 with 3:22 remaining. Pickett answered with a 3-pointer, Kobe Brown made 5 of 6 free throws and then added a dunk following Amari Davis' missed 3, and the Tigers led 74-68 with 38 seconds left. Jermaine Jackson Jr. had 19 points and five assists to lead Central Michigan. It was the debut for Chippewas' coach Tony Barbee, who spent the previous seven seasons on Kentucky's staff.&nbsp;

Bulldogs, Tide still top CFP; Ducks, Buckeyes and Bearcats climb

UNDATED (AP) — Georgia and Alabama remained 1-2 when the latest CFP rankings came out on Tuesday. 

Third-ranked Oregon, fourth-rated Ohio State and No. 5 Cincinnati all moved up one spot following Michigan State's loss to Purdue. The Spartans are seventh, just behind of Michigan.

Unbeaten Oklahoma remains eighth, followed by Notre Dame and Oklahoma State.

UNDATED (AP) — It was a Garden party for third-ranked Kansas and No. 9 Duke.

Ochai Agbaji scored a career-high 29 points in leading the Jayhawks to an 87-74 win against Michigan State in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden. Agbaji made two free throws following a technical foul on Spartans coach Tom Izzo (IH'-zoh) and then hit a 3-pointer to give Kansas a 61-50 lead with 11:53 left.

Remy Martin added 15 points and David McCormack had 10 for the Jayhawks.

Trevor Keels scored 25 points and classmate Paolo Banchero added 22 to help the Blue Devils open Mike Krzyzewski's final season by beating 10th-ranked Kentucky, 79-71. Duke, which led by four at the half, built the advantage to 15 with just under 10 minutes left behind Keels.

Oscar Tshiebwe (SHEEB'-way) finished with 17 points and 19 rebounds for the Wildcats.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Ryan O'Reilly was the only scorer in the shootout and the St. Louis Blues beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Tuesday night. Eight skaters took shots in the contest, with O'Reilly beating &nbsp;Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck (31 saves). Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and assist, and Jordan Kyrou also scored for St. Louis. Blues goalie Jordan Binnington made 39 stops. Kyle Connor netted his team-leading ninth goal, and defenseman Neal Pionk scored for Winnipeg.&nbsp;NEW YORK (AP) — Ochai Agbaji scored a career-high 29 points and No. 3 Kansas beat Michigan State 87-74 at the Champions Classic on the opening night of college basketball. Remy Martin added 15 points and David McCormack had 10 for the Jayhawks, who returned four starters from last season's squad that lost to USC in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks were missing forward Jalen Wilson, who was suspended last week for the first three regular season games after he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving last month. A.J. Hoggard scored 17 points and Julius Marble added 13 for the Spartans.IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Keegan Murray scored 22 of his career-high 24 points in the first half when Iowa broke the game open and went on to beat Longwood 106-73 to win its 11th straight season opener. Murray scored eight straight points in the midst of a 23-3 run to start the game. He scored 12 points in a 16-2 streak later in the half for a 33-point lead before the Hawkeyes went into the break ahead 56-29 with Murray already surpassing his career high of 14. Jordan Bohannon, the Hawkeyes' leading returning scorer at 10.6 points per game, finished with 18, making six 3-pointers. Isaiah Wilkins scored 19 points with eight rebounds and Leslie Nkereuwem added 17 points for Longwood.IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Alex Padilla got his first opportunity to play meaningful snaps for Iowa and did enough to impress coach Kirk Ferentz. Now he's days away from what probably will be his first start in place of the injured Spencer Petras. The sophomore is listed No. 1 on the depth chart for Saturday's home game against Minnesota and he's been working with Iowa's No. 1 offensive unit all week. Padilla led the Hawkeyes to back-to-back touchdowns in a 17-12 win over Northwestern last week and passed for 172 yards.IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Caitlin Clark had 26 points and Monika Czinano added 14 points as No. 9 Iowa opened the season with a 93-50 win over New Hampshire. Clark and Czinano were 1-2 in the nation in field goals last season and both began this season with strong offensive performances. Clark had 17 first-half points despite picking up two first-quarter fouls. The Associated Press preseason All-American made 6 of 10 shots and added eight rebounds and six assists. Amanda Torres and Sophia Widmeyer each had 13 points for New Hampshire.LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Trenton Massner scored 21 points and he and Luka Barisic hit 3-pointers in the final 20 seconds to rally Western Illinois to a 75-74 victory over Nebraska in a season opener. The Leathernecks had a two-point lead after George Dixon's layup with 3:48 left, but Alonzo Verge Jr. hit a free throw and a layup, and Trey McGowens capped the 5-0 spurt with a dunk to give Nebraska a 72-69 lead with 2:07 to play. C.J. Wilcher hit 1 of 2 free throws to push the lead to four before Massner buried a 3-pointer to get Western Illinois within 73-72 with 20 seconds remaining. Verge sank 1 of 2 free throws before Barisic hit the game-winner with 7 seconds left.CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Ty Gordon registered 19 points as Nicholls narrowly defeated Northern Iowa 62-58 in a season opener. Devante Carter had 12 points for Nicholls. Pierce Spencer added 2 points and 11 rebounds. Austin Phyfe had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Panthers. Tywhon Pickford added 13 points.COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Javon Pickett scored 18 points and led five in double figures as Missouri pulled away late to beat Central Michigan 78-68 in the season opener for both teams. Central Michigan used a 12-4 run to pull to 64-62 with 3:22 remaining. Pickett answered with a 3-pointer, Kobe Brown made 5 of 6 free throws and then added a dunk following Amari Davis' missed 3, and the Tigers led 74-68 with 38 seconds left. Jermaine Jackson Jr. had 19 points and five assists to lead Central Michigan. It was the debut for Chippewas' coach Tony Barbee, who spent the previous seven seasons on Kentucky's staff.&nbsp;COLLEGE FOOTBALL-CFP RANKINGSBulldogs, Tide still top CFP; Ducks, Buckeyes and Bearcats climbUNDATED (AP) — Georgia and Alabama remained 1-2 when the latest CFP rankings came out on Tuesday. Third-ranked Oregon, fourth-rated Ohio State and No. 5 Cincinnati all moved up one spot following Michigan State's loss to Purdue. The Spartans are seventh, just behind of Michigan.Unbeaten Oklahoma remains eighth, followed by Notre Dame and Oklahoma State.T25 BASKETBALL-SCHEDULEKansas, Duke win at MSG UNDATED (AP) — It was a Garden party for third-ranked Kansas and No. 9 Duke.Ochai Agbaji scored a career-high 29 points in leading the Jayhawks to an 87-74 win against Michigan State in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden. Agbaji made two free throws following a technical foul on Spartans coach Tom Izzo (IH'-zoh) and then hit a 3-pointer to give Kansas a 61-50 lead with 11:53 left.Remy Martin added 15 points and David McCormack had 10 for the Jayhawks.Trevor Keels scored 25 points and classmate Paolo Banchero added 22 to help the Blue Devils open Mike Krzyzewski's final season by beating 10th-ranked Kentucky, 79-71. Duke, which led by four at the half, built the advantage to 15 with just under 10 minutes left behind Keels.Oscar Tshiebwe (SHEEB'-way) finished with 17 points and 19 rebounds for the Wildcats.Also on the opening night of college basketball:— Julian Strawther had 17 points and 10 rebounds as top-ranked Gonzaga clobbered Dixie State, 97-63. Rasir Bolton added 15 points for the Bulldogs, who were undefeated last season before losing to Baylor in the national title game. — Johnny Juzang (JOO'-zang) scored 19 points, one of four starters in double figures for No. 2 UCLA in its 95-58 rout of Cal State Bakersfield. Jules Bernard also had 19 points, Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 14 points and Tyger Campbell had 10. — Fourth-ranked Villanova coasted to a 91-51 win over Mount St. Mary's behind Justin Moore, who hit six 3-pointers and scored a career-high 27 points for the Big East favorites. Preseason All-American Collin Gillespie scored 13 points for Villanova in his first game since suffering a torn MCL in his left knee.— Tre Mitchell scored 13 points and fifth-ranked Texas earned new coach Chris Beard his first win for the Longhorns, 92-48 versus Houston Baptist. Transfer point guard Marcus Carr scored eight of the Longhorns' first 18 points and had five assists.— Sasha Stefanovic made 5 of 6 3-pointers and finished with 23 points to lead No. 7 Purdue past Bellarmine, 96-67. Zach Edey added 16 points and Isaiah Thompson had 15 for the Boilermakers.— Fifth-year senior Jacob Grandison scored a career-high 20 points as No. 11 Illinois cruised to a 71-47 romp over Jackson State.— Emoni Bates scored 17 points in his collegiate debut and Jalen Duren and Lester Quinones added 15 apiece and No. 12 Memphis ripped Tennessee Tech, 89-65.— Will Richardson provided 20 points and De'Vion Harmon chipped in 15 as 13th-ranked Oregon whipped Texas Southern, 83-66. — Keon Ellis scored 18 points and Jaden Shackelford added 17, leading No. 14 Alabama to a 93-64 thumping of Louisiana Tech. — Marcus Sasser scored 25 points and 15th-ranked Houston rallied from 13 down in the second half to defeat Hofstra, 83-75 in overtime. — JD Notae scored 30 points for No. 16 Arkansas, which was forced to rally from an eight-point, halftime deficit to beat Mercer, 74-61. — Akron was poised to knock off an Ohio rival before Zed Key drained a layup in the final second to give 17th-ranked Ohio State a 67-66 triumph over the Zips. EJ Liddell carried the Buckeyes with 25 points and 12 rebounds.— Kennedy Chandler and Santiago Vescovi (vehs-KOH'-vee) each delivered 20 points in leading No. 18 Tennessee to a 90-62 rout of Tennessee-Martin.— Caleb Love scored 22 points and No. 19 North Carolina led the whole way in Hubert Davis' coaching debut, earning an 83-67 win over Loyola of Maryland.— Qudus Wahab furnished 17 points and Eric Ayala surpassed the 1,000-point plateau by adding 13 to 21st-rated Maryland's 83-69 downing of Quinnipiac.— Wendell Green Jr. scored 19 points, fellow transfer K.D. Johnson added 12 points off the bench and No. 22 Auburn led Morehead State wire to wire in a 77-54 win.— Kyle Lofton and Jaren Holmes scored 17 points apiece as No. 23 St. Bonaventure rolled to an 75-47 victory over Siena, the Bonnies' first game as a ranked team since January 1971.— No. 24 Connecticut crushed Central Connecticut, 99-48 behind Adama Sanogo's 20 points.— John Carter Jr. scored 19 points and Navy got its first win over a ranked team since the David Robinson era by stunning No. 25 Virginia, 66-58. NBA-SCHEDULEBucks knock off SixersPHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks are back at .500 after winning for just the second time in seven games.Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) provided 31 points and 16 rebounds for the Bucks in a 118-109 victory at Philadelphia. Grayson Allen scored 25 points and hit a key 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter.Bobby Portis added 19 points for the NBA champions, who played a day after celebrating the franchise's first title in 50 years with a trip to visit President Joe Biden at the White House.Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points for the 76ers, who played without four-time All-Star Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED') for the second straight game. Philly has dropped two straight since a six-game winning streak.Checking out Tuesday's other NBA action:— Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points and the Jazz shot 51% in a 110-98 win over the Hawks. Bojan (BOY'-ahn) Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson added 16 points apiece to help Utah beat Atlanta for the second time in five days.— The Clippers picked up their fifth straight win as Paul George scored 24 points and Reggie Jackson added 23 in their 117-109 decision over Portland. Nicolas Batum (bah-TOOM') added a season-high 22 points to help Los Angeles overtime Damian Lillard's 27 points.NBA-NEWSJokic suspended, Morris, Butler fined for altercationNEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has doled out punishment following an altercation at the end of the Denver Nuggets' win over Miami on Monday.Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (nih-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) has been suspended one game for shoving Markieff Morris in the back. That means Jokic won't play on Wednesday when the Nuggets host Indiana. Morris was fined $50,000 for his role in the mess, and Heat forward Jimmy Butler drew a $30,000 fine "for attempting to escalate the altercation and failing to comply with an NBA Security interview ."Morris won't be playing on Wednesday, either. The Heat said he has a neck injury, diagnosed as whiplash, and has been ruled out from Miami's matchup at the Lakers.NFL-NEWSAaron Rodgers stands by his commentsUNDATED (AP) — Despite being under pressure from all sides, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers says he stands behind the comments he made last week about why he didn't get vaccinated for COVID-19. But Rodgers does acknowledge misleading some people about his status before testing positive. Rodgers spoke Tuesday on "The Pat McAfee Show" on YouTube and SiriusXM, four days after discussing on the same outlet his reasons for avoiding a vaccine. Rodgers tested positive last Wednesday.In other NFL news:— A person familiar with the situation says Browns running back Nick Chubb could miss Sunday's game at New England after being placed on the COVID-19 list after testing positive. It's still possible Chubb could play against the Patriots as long as he tests negative twice. — The Cowboys have placed kicker Greg Zuerlein (ZUR'-lyn) on the COVID-19 reserve list. Zuerlein is the first Dallas player to enter health and safety protocols since late September. — Browns right guard Wyatt Teller has agreed to a four-year, $56.8 million contract extension through the 2025 season. Teller has developed into one of the NFL's best interior linemen during three seasons after coming over in a trade from Buffalo. — The Falcons have released outside linebacker Jacob Tuioti-Mariner and punter Cam Nizialek. The release of Tuioti-Mariner was a surprise. He shared the team lead with two sacks. He moved from defensive tackle before the season after having 31 tackles and one sack last season. — The Jets have placed safety Marcus Maye and tight end Tyler Kroft on injured reserve. Maye is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon in last Thursday's loss to the Colts and Kroft injured his chest in the game. — Odell Beckham Jr. cleared NFL waivers without being claimed Tuesday and can now sign as a free agent with any team. Beckham was let go by the Browns on Monday, closing the book on his 2 1/2 seasons with the club. None of the other 31 wanted to pick up the remaining $7.25 million he's owed this season. NHL-SCHEDULECanes beat Bolts in OTUNDATED (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes have set a team record for the fewest games to reach 10 wins. The Canes are 10-1-1 after Martin Necas (mahr-TEEN' NAY'-chas) scored 3:26 into overtime to complete a 2-1 win over the Lightning. Carolina also got a goal from Teuvo Teravainen (TOO'-voh tehr-ah-VY'-nehn) and Frederik Andersen stopped 17 shots.Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy turned back 29 shots for the Lightning, who are 4-0-2 in their last six games.Elsewhere on NHL ice:— The Devils blew out the Panthers, 7-3 as Mackenzie Blackwood made 34 saves and Andreas Johnsson scored twice. P.K. Subban had the go-ahead goal to help New Jersey hand Florida its second straight regulation loss since a 10-0-1 start.— Patrice Bergeron (pah-TREES' BEHR-zhuh-rahn) scored the tiebreaking goal late in the second period before the Bruins held off the Senators. 3-2. Brad Marchand and Derek Forbort also scored for Boston, while David Pastrnak (PAHS'-tur-nahk) and Charlie McAvoy each had two assists in the Bruins' 20th win under coach Bruce Cassidy.— Marc-Andre Fleury made 42 saves and then two more stops in the shootout against his original team, guiding the Blackhawks to a 3-2 victory against the Penguins. Seth Jones and Jujhar Khaira (JOO'-jehr KEHR'-ah) scored in regulation for Chicago, which is 2-0 under interim coach Derek King.— Ryan O'Reilly was the only scorer in a four-round shootout that gave the Blues a 3-2 victory over the Jets. Pavel Buchnevich (booch-NAY'-vihch) had a goal and assist for the winners.— The Kings' winning streak is up to six games after Adrian Kempe (KEHM'-peh) scored at 3:39 of overtime to end their 3-2 verdict over the Canadiens. Brendan Lemieux and Alex Iafallo (eye-ah-FAH'-loh) also scored and Cal Petersen made 33 saves for Los Angeles.— Logan Couture's (koo-TOORZ') third-period goal proved to be the winner as the Sharks dumped the Flames, 4-1. Adin Hill turned back 37 shots and helped San Jose end Calgaru's 10-game point streak.— The Ducks pulled out a 3-2 win over the Canucks on Troy Terry's goal 3:52 into OT. Cam Fowler and Isac Lundestrom scored in regulation as Anaheim earned its fifth win in a row.— Shea Theodore and Reilly Smith scored 46 seconds apart early in the third period to lift the Golden Knights over the Kraken, 4-2. Alex Pietrangelo (peh-TRAN'-jeh-loh) and Evgeni Dadanov (dah-DAH'-nahv) also scored as Vegas won for the sixth time in eight games since a 1-4 start.— Vladislav Namestnikov (nah-MEHST'-nih-kahv) scored in each of the first two periods to help the Detroit Red Wings take a three-goal lead in a 4-2 downing of the Oilers. Detroit won its third in a row and sent Edmonton to just its second loss in 11 games.NHL-NEWSPrice says substance abuse led him to assistance programUNDATED (AP) — Canadiens goaltender Carey Price says he voluntarily entered the NHL's player assistance program more than a month ago due to substance use.Price says he had let himself get to a very dark place and he didn't have the tools to cope with the struggle.Price rejoined the Canadiens on Sunday, but has not begun to practice. Instead, he has met with the team's athletic trainers to come up with a plan to get back into shape after having knee surgery on July 22, after leading Montreal to the Stanley Cup final.In other NHL news:— The Ducks have placed executive vice president and general manager Bob Murray on leave amid an ongoing investigation into his conduct. The Ducks said in a statement they recently became aware of accusations of improper professional conduct against Murray, who is the third-longest-tenured general manager in the NHL. The team did not specify the behavior he is accused of, adding that assistant GM Jeff Solomon will assume Murray's duties on an interim basis.In other NHL news:— The Penguins have settled a federal lawsuit filed by a former minor league assistant coach and his wife. Jarrod and Erin Skalde (SAHL'-dee) alleged the team's former top minor league coach sexually assaulted and harassed Erin Skalde in 2018. Their lawsuit also said team officials sought to keep the matter quiet while terminating the coach in 2019, but the Pens said in a statement they took prompt action when informed of the allegations.<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;