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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 166 yards and a touchdown as Kansas City held off Jordan Love and the Packers 13-7 on Sunday. Love started in place of Aaron Rodgers, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week. The reigning MVP missed his first game since the 2017 season. Love responded by going 19 of 34 for 190 yards with a touchdown and an interception. His TD pass to Allen Lazard with 4:49 left gave Green Bay a chance, but Mahomes threw a third-down dart to Tyreek Hill for a first down that helped the Chiefs run out the clock. The loss ended Green Bay's seven-game win streak.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Troy Terry and Benoit-Oliver Groulx each had a goal and an assist, and John Gibson stopped 34 shots to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. Sam Steel and Sam Carrick also scored for Anaheim, and Hampus Lindholm had two assists. Terry's eighth of the season extended his point streak to 11 games. Brandon Saad scored for St. Louis and Jordan Binnington had 23 saves. The Ducks scored three goals in the third period to win their fourth straight — all at home.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Damir Kreilach scored in stoppage time to put Real Salt Lake over Sporting Kansas City 1-0 and clinch a playoff berth on Sunday. Real Salt Lake is the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference and will play second-seeded Seattle in the first round. Sporting KC, which went into the day with a chance to clinch the No. 1 seed, fell to No. 3 and plays sixth-seeded Vancouver. David Ochoa had four saves for RSL.&nbsp;

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Alex Padilla took over for the banged-up Spencer Petras and led three scoring drives, Tyler Goodson ran for 141 yards and a touchdown and No. 19 Iowa beat Northwestern 17-12 to stop a two-game losing streak. The Hawkeyes got the bounce-back win they were seeking coming off lopsided losses to Purdue and Wisconsin that sent them tumbling 17 spots in the AP poll, though it wasn't exactly a breeze. Northwestern pulled to within 17-12 with 2:21 remaining on Andrew Marty's 31-yard touchdown to Evan Hull and quickly got the ball back after Iowa went three and out. But Dane Belton immediately sealed it with his second interception, sending the Wildcats to their third straight loss. The Hawkeyes won for the first time since beating Penn State on Oct. 9

UNDATED (AP) — Aaron Rodgers was sidelined with the coronavirus on Sunday, but it was the Green Bay Packers' offense that looked sick.

The Chiefs relentlessly blitzed the Packers' Jordan Love in a 13-7 victory at Kansas City. Making his first NFL start, Love was 19 of 34 for 190 yards with a touchdown and an interception, both of them coming in the fourth quarter. Love's touchdown pass to Allen Lazard with 4:49 left gave Green Bay a chance, but the Packers finished with just 301 yards of total offense in ending a seven-game winning streak.

Patrick Mahomes (mah-HOHMZ') threw for 166 yards and a touchdown for the 5-4 Chiefs, who won despite amassing just 237 total yards.

— James Conner ran for two touchdowns and caught a 45-yard TD pass from backup quarterback Colt McCoy as the Cardinals earned aa 31-17 win over the 49ers. The 8-1 Cardinals played without quarterback Kyler Murray and receivers DeAndre Hopkins and A.J. Green but still had little trouble completing the season sweep against the 3-5 49ers. Conner finished with 173 yards from scrimmage and now leads the NFL in TDs with 11, all scored in the past seven games.

— Kevin Byard returned Matthew Stafford's second consecutive interception 24 yards for a touchdown, part of a defensive effort that sent the Titans to a 28-16 win over the Rams. Jeffery Simmons had three of Tennessee's five sacks of Stafford during a stifling performance against the Rams' prolific passing offense. Ryan Tannehill threw for a TD and ran for another as the Titans won despite just 194 offensive yards in their first game without injured NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry.

— The Cowboys' six-game winning streak has ended with a 30-16 home loss to the Broncos. Teddy Bridgewater threw for a touchdown and had a sneak for another while Denver built a 30-0 lead. Bridgewater threw for 249 yards and Javonte Williams rushed for 111 yards while helping the Broncos maintain possession for over 41 minutes.

— Justin Tucker drilled a 36-yard field goal with 16 seconds left on the clock in overtime to give the Ravens a 34-31 victory over the Vikings. The AFC North leaders rallied from a 14-point, third-quarter deficit and survived an acrobatic interception by Minnesota's Anthony Barr on the first possession of OT. Lamar Jackson ran for 120 yards on 21 carries and threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions as Baltimore moved to 6-2.

— Denzel Ward's early 99-yard interception return for a touchdown ignited the Browns' 41-16 pounding of the Bengals, leaving both teams 5-4. Baker Mayfield threw for two scores and Nick Chubb ran for 137 as Cleveland racked up the same point total it mustered in its three previous games combined. Mayfield connected with Donovan Peoples-Jones on a 60-yard TD pass in the first half and an 18-yarder to David Njoku in the fourth.

— Jacksonville's Josh Allen hounded Buffalo's Josh Allen with an interception, a sack and a fumble recovery in the Jaguar's 9-6 stunner over the Bills. Allen turned over the ball three times while completing 31 of 47 passes for 264 yards in Buffalo's second loss in seven games. Matt Wright missed three kicks in the third quarter, but he delivered on a tiebreaking, 21-yard boot with 12:10 remaining as the Jags improved to 2-6.

— Xavier McKinney's two interceptions sparked the Giants' 23-16 upset of the Raiders. McKinney returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown early in the second half and picked off another errant throw by Derek Carr to set up a field goal. Daniel Jones threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Evan Engram and Graham Gano added three field goals, helping the 3-6 Giants drop the Raiders to 5-3.

— J.C. Jackson returned one of three Sam Darnold interceptions for an 88-yard touchdown as the Patriots defeated the Panthers, 24-6. Rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson had 106 yards from scrimmage before leaving the game with a head injury. Damien Harris and Hunter Henry scored touchdowns as the 5-4 Patriots improved to 4-0 on the road.

— Dustin Hopkins nailed a 29-yard field goal with two seconds remaining to send the Chargers past the Eagles, 27-24. Justin Herbert was 32 of 38 passing for 356 yards and two touchdowns as Los Angeles ended a two-game skid and improved to 5-3. Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts ran for 62 yards and was 11 of 17 for 162 yards and a score.

— The Falcons pulled out a 27-25 win over the Saints as Matt Ryan hit Cordarrelle (kohr-DAR'-ehl) Patterson for a 64-yard gain with a minute to go, setting up Younghoe Koo's 29-yard field goal as time expired. Ryan passed for 343 yards, connecting twice with Olamide Zaccheaus for touchdowns and running for a score on a bootleg. 

— The Dolphins and Texans combined for nine turnovers before Miami came away with a 17-9 victory. The Dolphins got 244 yards passing and a touchdown throw from surprise starter Jacoby Brissett. Neither team had won since Week 1.

Rough weekend for NFL teams atop the standings

UNDATED (AP) — First-place teams had a rough Sunday. Dak Prescott returned to the lineup for the Dallas Cowboys and they didn't score until Denver led 30-0 in the fourth quarter on the road. 

Josh Allen had three turnovers and the Buffalo Bills showed no discipline in an embarrassing 9-6 loss at woeful Jacksonville. 

Without Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers couldn't muster enough offense to upend Kansas City in rookie Jordan Love's first start. 

Coming off an emotional week, the Las Vegas Raiders struggled in a 23-16 loss at the Giants.

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Kyle Larson has closed his comeback season in NASCAR with his first championship, capping his return from a nearly yearlong suspension with a title-winning victory at Phoenix Raceway. 

Larson received a flawless final pit stop from his Hendrick Motorsports crew to get the No. 5 Chevrolet back on track ahead of his three title rivals. He controlled a restart with 25 laps remaining, quickly cleared Martin Truex Jr., then held off several of Truex's challenges.

Larson had a Cup-leading 10 victories this year, success that was in stark contrast to his troubles in 2020. He was fired four races into last season and lost nearly every sponsor for his use of a racial slur while racing online. Hendrick signed him and came away with its 14th NASCAR title.

Truex finished second and was followed by Denny Hamlin, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate.

UNDATED (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets are unbeaten since they traded losses and wins for their first five games of the NBA season.

James Harden scored 16 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter of the Nets' fifth consecutive win, 116-103 at Toronto. Harden narrowly missed his second straight triple-double, finishing with 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Kevin Durant had 31 points to lead the Nets, while Blake Griffin chipped in 14 points and 11 rebounds.

— Jordan Poole scored 15 of his 25 points in the first quarter as the Warriors dealt the Rockets their eighth straight loss, 120-107. Stephen Curry added 20 points and three steals to help the league leaders improve to 8-1 with their fourth victory in a row. Andrew Wiggins scored 16 points, and Draymond Green had six points, eight rebounds and nine assists.

— Ricky Rubio scored a career-high 37 to help the Cavaliers pick up their fourth straight win, 126-109 at New York. Evan Mobley added 26 points, Jarrett Allen had 18 and Darius Garland 16 to help Cleveland improve to 7-4. Julius Randle had a team-high 19 points in the Knicks' third loss in their last four games.

— The Wizards had dropped eight straight to the Bucks before Bradley Beal dropped in 30 points and Kyle Kuzma (KOOZ'-mah) had a double-double in Washington's 101-94 victory against Milwaukee. Kuzma added 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Montrezl (MAHN'-trehz) Harrell also provided 15 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) had 29 points and 18 rebounds for the defending champion Bucks, who have lost five of six to drop to 4-6.

— Cole Anthony scored 10 of his season-best 33 points in the fourth quarter and keyed a game-closing, 24-11 run that lifted the Magic past the Jazz, 107-100. Wendell Carter Jr. had a season-best 22 points and 15 rebounds for Orlando, which trailed 89-81 with eight minutes remaining. Utah lost its second straight since an 8-1 start despite Rudy Gobert's (goh-BEHRZ') 21 points and 15 boards.

— The Clippers won their fourth in a row as Paul George scored 20 points and Reggie Jackson added 19 in a 120-106 win against the Hornets. Luke Kennard had 18 points and Terance Mann furnished 17 with 10 rebounds. Los Angeles trailed by nine midway through the fourth quarter before scoring 22 straight points to take a 115-102 lead.

— Mike Muscala scored 20 points in just 14 minutes of the Thunder's 99-94 downing of the Spurs. The 30-year-old Muscala made 5 of 6 field goals and 7 of 9 free throws in one of the most productive offensive games of his career. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 14 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for Oklahoma City.

— The Pacers squandered a 15-point lead before winning in Sacramento for the first time since 2018, 94-91. Caris LeVert paced Indiana with 22 points and Domontas Sabonis (dah-MAHN'-tahs sah-BOH'-nihs) posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Harrison Barnes scored 22 points for the Kings, who opened the fourth quarter on an 11-1 spurt to take a three-point lead.

MIAMI (AP) — The NBA has told its players, coaches and referees that they should receive booster shots against the coronavirus.

The league and the players association placed particular urgency for those who received the single-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine, saying those who received the J&amp;J shot more than two months ago should get a booster.

The booster recommendation also was made for those who received the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine at least six months ago.

The league recommendations were acquired by The Associated Press and call for those who got Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines originally to seek a Pfizer or Moderna booster. 

Bearcats still No. 2; Bulldogs top poll again

UNDATED (AP) — Cincinnati has held onto the No. 2 spot in The Associated Press college football poll, but the Bearcats' performance on Saturday probably did little to raise them from sixth in the CFP rankings. 

The Bearcats four points ahead of No. 3 Alabama after a 28-20 victory over Tulsa. The Crimson Tide struggled with LSU before posting a 20-14 victory.

Georgia is a unanimous No. 1 for the fifth straight week. Oklahoma remains No. 4 and Oregon moved up two spots to fifth following a 10-point win at Washington.

Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Michigan and Oklahoma State round out the top 10. The Spartans dropped from third with a 58-55 loss at Purdue.

The CFP rankings will be revealed on Tuesday.

AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — UMass has fired coach Walt Bell after he went 2-23 over two-plus seasons at the helm.

Athletic director Ryan Bamford announced defensive coordinator Tommy Restivo also had been relieved of his duties. 

Offensive assistant and former Minutemen four-year starter Alex Miller has been named interim coach for the final three games of the season. 

Blackhawks win in King's debut behind bench

UNDATED (AP) — New coach, different result as the Chicago Blackhawks won for just the second time this season.

The Hawks were 2-1 winners over the Predators in Derek King's first game as interim head coach. Chicago improved to 2-9-2 when Alex DeBrincat scored 37 seconds into overtime. 

Chicago's Brandon Hagel and Nashville's Alexandre Carrier scored 1:50 apart in the second period for the only goals in regulation. 

— The Islanders' seven-game point streak is over after the Wild scored four unanswered goals in the third period of a 5-2 victory against New York. Brandon Duhaime (doo-HAYM') scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third, about two minutes after Ryan Hartman tied the game for Minnesota.

— Troy Terry and Benoit-Olivier Groulx (BEHN'-wah oh-LIH'-vee-ay groo) each had a goal and an assist, and John Gibson stopped 34 shots to lead the Ducks to a 4-1 win over the Blues. Sam Steel and Sam Carrick also scored for Anaheim.

— The Red Wings came away with a 5-2 win over the Golden Knights as Pius (pyoos) Suter and Tyler Bertuzzi each had a goal and an assist. Sam Gagner (GAHN'-yay), Filip Hronek (ROH'-nehk) and Nick Leddy each had two assists, and Thomas Greiss (grys) stopped 38 shots in the victory.

— J.T. Miller had two power-play goals and the Canucks scored four times in the second period to beat the Stars, 6-3. Bo Horvat (HOHR'-vat) and Elias (eh-LEE'-uhs) Pettersson each had a goal and two assists in Vancouver's second win in six games.

UNDATED (AP) — The Chicago Cubs have exercised their $10 million option for left-hander Wade Miley, a move that was expected after he was acquired off waivers from Cincinnati on Friday.

Miley went 12-7 with a 3.37 ERA in 28 starts for the Reds this past season, tossing his first career no-hitter in a 3-0 win at Cleveland on May 7.

— Dodgers right-hander Trevor Bauer, Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon and Padres utilityman Jurickson Profar (JUR'-ihk-suhn PROH'-fahr) have declined to opt out of their contracts to become free agents.

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Steven Alker's surprising stretch has continued with a victory in the TimberTech Championship.

Alker closed with a 4-under 68 for a two-shot victory over Jim Furyk (FYOOR-ihk) and Miguel Angel Jimenez. 

Alker won $305,000, pushing his total to $896,207 in just nine tournaments since he qualified for the Boeing Classic in late August for his Champions debut. He also became among the top 36 players who advanced to the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

Hovland buries the field and repeats as winner at Mayakoba

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) — Viktor Hovland has repeated as winner at Mayakoba in Mexico while picking up the third title of his young PGA Tour career. 

The Norwegian star closed with a 67 to win by four shots over Carlos Ortiz. 

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<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 166 yards and a touchdown as Kansas City held off Jordan Love and the Packers 13-7 on Sunday. Love started in place of Aaron Rodgers, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week. The reigning MVP missed his first game since the 2017 season. Love responded by going 19 of 34 for 190 yards with a touchdown and an interception. His TD pass to Allen Lazard with 4:49 left gave Green Bay a chance, but Mahomes threw a third-down dart to Tyreek Hill for a first down that helped the Chiefs run out the clock. The loss ended Green Bay's seven-game win streak.ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Troy Terry and Benoit-Oliver Groulx each had a goal and an assist, and John Gibson stopped 34 shots to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. Sam Steel and Sam Carrick also scored for Anaheim, and Hampus Lindholm had two assists. Terry's eighth of the season extended his point streak to 11 games. Brandon Saad scored for St. Louis and Jordan Binnington had 23 saves. The Ducks scored three goals in the third period to win their fourth straight — all at home.KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Damir Kreilach scored in stoppage time to put Real Salt Lake over Sporting Kansas City 1-0 and clinch a playoff berth on Sunday. Real Salt Lake is the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference and will play second-seeded Seattle in the first round. Sporting KC, which went into the day with a chance to clinch the No. 1 seed, fell to No. 3 and plays sixth-seeded Vancouver. David Ochoa had four saves for RSL.&nbsp;EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Alex Padilla took over for the banged-up Spencer Petras and led three scoring drives, Tyler Goodson ran for 141 yards and a touchdown and No. 19 Iowa beat Northwestern 17-12 to stop a two-game losing streak. The Hawkeyes got the bounce-back win they were seeking coming off lopsided losses to Purdue and Wisconsin that sent them tumbling 17 spots in the AP poll, though it wasn't exactly a breeze. Northwestern pulled to within 17-12 with 2:21 remaining on Andrew Marty's 31-yard touchdown to Evan Hull and quickly got the ball back after Iowa went three and out. But Dane Belton immediately sealed it with his second interception, sending the Wildcats to their third straight loss. The Hawkeyes won for the first time since beating Penn State on Oct. 9<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NFL-SCHEDULEChiefs pressure Love in win over PackersUNDATED (AP) — Aaron Rodgers was sidelined with the coronavirus on Sunday, but it was the Green Bay Packers' offense that looked sick.The Chiefs relentlessly blitzed the Packers' Jordan Love in a 13-7 victory at Kansas City. Making his first NFL start, Love was 19 of 34 for 190 yards with a touchdown and an interception, both of them coming in the fourth quarter. Love's touchdown pass to Allen Lazard with 4:49 left gave Green Bay a chance, but the Packers finished with just 301 yards of total offense in ending a seven-game winning streak.Patrick Mahomes (mah-HOHMZ') threw for 166 yards and a touchdown for the 5-4 Chiefs, who won despite amassing just 237 total yards.Elsewhere in Week 9 of the NFL schedule:— James Conner ran for two touchdowns and caught a 45-yard TD pass from backup quarterback Colt McCoy as the Cardinals earned aa 31-17 win over the 49ers. The 8-1 Cardinals played without quarterback Kyler Murray and receivers DeAndre Hopkins and A.J. Green but still had little trouble completing the season sweep against the 3-5 49ers. Conner finished with 173 yards from scrimmage and now leads the NFL in TDs with 11, all scored in the past seven games.— Kevin Byard returned Matthew Stafford's second consecutive interception 24 yards for a touchdown, part of a defensive effort that sent the Titans to a 28-16 win over the Rams. Jeffery Simmons had three of Tennessee's five sacks of Stafford during a stifling performance against the Rams' prolific passing offense. Ryan Tannehill threw for a TD and ran for another as the Titans won despite just 194 offensive yards in their first game without injured NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry.— The Cowboys' six-game winning streak has ended with a 30-16 home loss to the Broncos. Teddy Bridgewater threw for a touchdown and had a sneak for another while Denver built a 30-0 lead. Bridgewater threw for 249 yards and Javonte Williams rushed for 111 yards while helping the Broncos maintain possession for over 41 minutes.— Justin Tucker drilled a 36-yard field goal with 16 seconds left on the clock in overtime to give the Ravens a 34-31 victory over the Vikings. The AFC North leaders rallied from a 14-point, third-quarter deficit and survived an acrobatic interception by Minnesota's Anthony Barr on the first possession of OT. Lamar Jackson ran for 120 yards on 21 carries and threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions as Baltimore moved to 6-2.— Denzel Ward's early 99-yard interception return for a touchdown ignited the Browns' 41-16 pounding of the Bengals, leaving both teams 5-4. Baker Mayfield threw for two scores and Nick Chubb ran for 137 as Cleveland racked up the same point total it mustered in its three previous games combined. Mayfield connected with Donovan Peoples-Jones on a 60-yard TD pass in the first half and an 18-yarder to David Njoku in the fourth.— Jacksonville's Josh Allen hounded Buffalo's Josh Allen with an interception, a sack and a fumble recovery in the Jaguar's 9-6 stunner over the Bills. Allen turned over the ball three times while completing 31 of 47 passes for 264 yards in Buffalo's second loss in seven games. Matt Wright missed three kicks in the third quarter, but he delivered on a tiebreaking, 21-yard boot with 12:10 remaining as the Jags improved to 2-6.— Xavier McKinney's two interceptions sparked the Giants' 23-16 upset of the Raiders. McKinney returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown early in the second half and picked off another errant throw by Derek Carr to set up a field goal. Daniel Jones threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Evan Engram and Graham Gano added three field goals, helping the 3-6 Giants drop the Raiders to 5-3.— J.C. Jackson returned one of three Sam Darnold interceptions for an 88-yard touchdown as the Patriots defeated the Panthers, 24-6. Rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson had 106 yards from scrimmage before leaving the game with a head injury. Damien Harris and Hunter Henry scored touchdowns as the 5-4 Patriots improved to 4-0 on the road.— Dustin Hopkins nailed a 29-yard field goal with two seconds remaining to send the Chargers past the Eagles, 27-24. Justin Herbert was 32 of 38 passing for 356 yards and two touchdowns as Los Angeles ended a two-game skid and improved to 5-3. Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts ran for 62 yards and was 11 of 17 for 162 yards and a score.— The Falcons pulled out a 27-25 win over the Saints as Matt Ryan hit Cordarrelle (kohr-DAR'-ehl) Patterson for a 64-yard gain with a minute to go, setting up Younghoe Koo's 29-yard field goal as time expired. Ryan passed for 343 yards, connecting twice with Olamide Zaccheaus for touchdowns and running for a score on a bootleg. — The Dolphins and Texans combined for nine turnovers before Miami came away with a 17-9 victory. The Dolphins got 244 yards passing and a touchdown throw from surprise starter Jacoby Brissett. Neither team had won since Week 1.NFL-NEWSRough weekend for NFL teams atop the standingsUNDATED (AP) — First-place teams had a rough Sunday. Dak Prescott returned to the lineup for the Dallas Cowboys and they didn't score until Denver led 30-0 in the fourth quarter on the road. Josh Allen had three turnovers and the Buffalo Bills showed no discipline in an embarrassing 9-6 loss at woeful Jacksonville. Without Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers couldn't muster enough offense to upend Kansas City in rookie Jordan Love's first start. Coming off an emotional week, the Las Vegas Raiders struggled in a 23-16 loss at the Giants.NASCAR-PHOENIXLarson takes Cup crownAVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Kyle Larson has closed his comeback season in NASCAR with his first championship, capping his return from a nearly yearlong suspension with a title-winning victory at Phoenix Raceway. Larson received a flawless final pit stop from his Hendrick Motorsports crew to get the No. 5 Chevrolet back on track ahead of his three title rivals. He controlled a restart with 25 laps remaining, quickly cleared Martin Truex Jr., then held off several of Truex's challenges.Larson had a Cup-leading 10 victories this year, success that was in stark contrast to his troubles in 2020. He was fired four races into last season and lost nearly every sponsor for his use of a racial slur while racing online. Hendrick signed him and came away with its 14th NASCAR title.Truex finished second and was followed by Denny Hamlin, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate.NBA-SCHEDULENets stay hotUNDATED (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets are unbeaten since they traded losses and wins for their first five games of the NBA season.James Harden scored 16 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter of the Nets' fifth consecutive win, 116-103 at Toronto. Harden narrowly missed his second straight triple-double, finishing with 10 rebounds and eight assists.Kevin Durant had 31 points to lead the Nets, while Blake Griffin chipped in 14 points and 11 rebounds.Elsewhere in the NBA: — Jordan Poole scored 15 of his 25 points in the first quarter as the Warriors dealt the Rockets their eighth straight loss, 120-107. Stephen Curry added 20 points and three steals to help the league leaders improve to 8-1 with their fourth victory in a row. Andrew Wiggins scored 16 points, and Draymond Green had six points, eight rebounds and nine assists.— Ricky Rubio scored a career-high 37 to help the Cavaliers pick up their fourth straight win, 126-109 at New York. Evan Mobley added 26 points, Jarrett Allen had 18 and Darius Garland 16 to help Cleveland improve to 7-4. Julius Randle had a team-high 19 points in the Knicks' third loss in their last four games.— The Wizards had dropped eight straight to the Bucks before Bradley Beal dropped in 30 points and Kyle Kuzma (KOOZ'-mah) had a double-double in Washington's 101-94 victory against Milwaukee. Kuzma added 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Montrezl (MAHN'-trehz) Harrell also provided 15 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) had 29 points and 18 rebounds for the defending champion Bucks, who have lost five of six to drop to 4-6.— Cole Anthony scored 10 of his season-best 33 points in the fourth quarter and keyed a game-closing, 24-11 run that lifted the Magic past the Jazz, 107-100. Wendell Carter Jr. had a season-best 22 points and 15 rebounds for Orlando, which trailed 89-81 with eight minutes remaining. Utah lost its second straight since an 8-1 start despite Rudy Gobert's (goh-BEHRZ') 21 points and 15 boards.— The Clippers won their fourth in a row as Paul George scored 20 points and Reggie Jackson added 19 in a 120-106 win against the Hornets. Luke Kennard had 18 points and Terance Mann furnished 17 with 10 rebounds. Los Angeles trailed by nine midway through the fourth quarter before scoring 22 straight points to take a 115-102 lead.— Mike Muscala scored 20 points in just 14 minutes of the Thunder's 99-94 downing of the Spurs. The 30-year-old Muscala made 5 of 6 field goals and 7 of 9 free throws in one of the most productive offensive games of his career. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 14 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for Oklahoma City.— The Pacers squandered a 15-point lead before winning in Sacramento for the first time since 2018, 94-91. Caris LeVert paced Indiana with 22 points and Domontas Sabonis (dah-MAHN'-tahs sah-BOH'-nihs) posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Harrison Barnes scored 22 points for the Kings, who opened the fourth quarter on an 11-1 spurt to take a three-point lead.NBA-VACCINESNBA urging booster shotsMIAMI (AP) — The NBA has told its players, coaches and referees that they should receive booster shots against the coronavirus.The league and the players association placed particular urgency for those who received the single-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine, saying those who received the J&amp;J shot more than two months ago should get a booster.The booster recommendation also was made for those who received the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine at least six months ago.The league recommendations were acquired by The Associated Press and call for those who got Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines originally to seek a Pfizer or Moderna booster. COLLEGE FOOTBALL-AP POLLBearcats still No. 2; Bulldogs top poll againUNDATED (AP) — Cincinnati has held onto the No. 2 spot in The Associated Press college football poll, but the Bearcats' performance on Saturday probably did little to raise them from sixth in the CFP rankings. The Bearcats four points ahead of No. 3 Alabama after a 28-20 victory over Tulsa. The Crimson Tide struggled with LSU before posting a 20-14 victory.Georgia is a unanimous No. 1 for the fifth straight week. Oklahoma remains No. 4 and Oregon moved up two spots to fifth following a 10-point win at Washington.Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Michigan and Oklahoma State round out the top 10. The Spartans dropped from third with a 58-55 loss at Purdue.The CFP rankings will be revealed on Tuesday.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-UMASSMinutemen fire BellAMHERST, Mass. (AP) — UMass has fired coach Walt Bell after he went 2-23 over two-plus seasons at the helm.Athletic director Ryan Bamford announced defensive coordinator Tommy Restivo also had been relieved of his duties. Offensive assistant and former Minutemen four-year starter Alex Miller has been named interim coach for the final three games of the season. NHL-SCHEDULEBlackhawks win in King's debut behind benchUNDATED (AP) — New coach, different result as the Chicago Blackhawks won for just the second time this season.The Hawks were 2-1 winners over the Predators in Derek King's first game as interim head coach. Chicago improved to 2-9-2 when Alex DeBrincat scored 37 seconds into overtime. Chicago's Brandon Hagel and Nashville's Alexandre Carrier scored 1:50 apart in the second period for the only goals in regulation. Elsewhere on NHL ice:— The Islanders' seven-game point streak is over after the Wild scored four unanswered goals in the third period of a 5-2 victory against New York. Brandon Duhaime (doo-HAYM') scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third, about two minutes after Ryan Hartman tied the game for Minnesota.— Troy Terry and Benoit-Olivier Groulx (BEHN'-wah oh-LIH'-vee-ay groo) each had a goal and an assist, and John Gibson stopped 34 shots to lead the Ducks to a 4-1 win over the Blues. Sam Steel and Sam Carrick also scored for Anaheim.— The Red Wings came away with a 5-2 win over the Golden Knights as Pius (pyoos) Suter and Tyler Bertuzzi each had a goal and an assist. Sam Gagner (GAHN'-yay), Filip Hronek (ROH'-nehk) and Nick Leddy each had two assists, and Thomas Greiss (grys) stopped 38 shots in the victory.— J.T. Miller had two power-play goals and the Canucks scored four times in the second period to beat the Stars, 6-3. Bo Horvat (HOHR'-vat) and Elias (eh-LEE'-uhs) Pettersson each had a goal and two assists in Vancouver's second win in six games.MLB-NEWSCubs keep MileyUNDATED (AP) — The Chicago Cubs have exercised their $10 million option for left-hander Wade Miley, a move that was expected after he was acquired off waivers from Cincinnati on Friday.Miley went 12-7 with a 3.37 ERA in 28 starts for the Reds this past season, tossing his first career no-hitter in a 3-0 win at Cleveland on May 7.Also around the majors:— Dodgers right-hander Trevor Bauer, Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon and Padres utilityman Jurickson Profar (JUR'-ihk-suhn PROH'-fahr) have declined to opt out of their contracts to become free agents.PGA TOUR CHAMPIONSAlker winsBOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Steven Alker's surprising stretch has continued with a victory in the TimberTech Championship.Alker closed with a 4-under 68 for a two-shot victory over Jim Furyk (FYOOR-ihk) and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Alker won $305,000, pushing his total to $896,207 in just nine tournaments since he qualified for the Boeing Classic in late August for his Champions debut. He also became among the top 36 players who advanced to the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.GOLF-MAYAKOBAHovland buries the field and repeats as winner at MayakobaPLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) — Viktor Hovland has repeated as winner at Mayakoba in Mexico while picking up the third title of his young PGA Tour career. The Norwegian star closed with a 67 to win by four shots over Carlos Ortiz. <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 Monday

HUTCHINSON, Kan. -- It didn't take long for Hutchinson's offense to get on the board Sunday in the opening round of the Region VI playoffs against Highland.

On the second play from scrimmage, Malik Benson broke free on an intermediate route and took the ball 77 yards to the house. Hutchinson scored less than three minutes later on a four-yard TD grab from Rykem Laney.

Less than three minutes rolled off the clock again before Anwar Lewis raced in from 21 yards out for a score. Lewis extended his streak to seven straight games with a touchdown.

"Anwar ran really well on limited opportunities," coach Drew Dallas said. Lewis ran 11 times for 86 yards and a TD on a day the passing game thrived.

National championship game MVP Tye Edwards finally got some quality touches after spending most of the season sidelined with injury. Edwards ran for 70 yards on 11 touches.

"(We'll) hopefully have that two-headed monster rolling the rest of the way," Dallas said about Lewis and Edwards in the backfield.

Hutchinson (6-2) led 21-0 with 7:08 left in the first quarter. The Dragons only put up 20 points against Highland earlier this season on the road in a 20-7 victory.

"(I'm) pleased with the progress that was made since we played them last," Dallas said.

Laible capped the first quarter with another touchdown pass to Laney, this one from 20 yards away.

Laible got his fourth touchdown pass to start the second quarter when he hit Demariyon Houston for a six-yard TD. The play capped an 8-play, 47-yard drive, the longest of the day.

A Dragon punt downed at the one spelled trouble for Highland as running back Andrew Burnette was tackled for a safety. Burnette led the Highland rushing attack with just 25 yards.

The next two touchdown passes from Laible went to Cortez Braham. The first came three plays after the safety and from 42 yards out. The second came on a one-handed grab that Braham took 95 yards for the score.

Laible ended his record day the way it began, with a TD pass to Benson. The 65-yard touchdown with 5:43 left in the second quarter put Hutchinson up 56-0. Laible finished with a program-record seven touchdown passes and put up 365 of the team-record 485 yards on the day.

"Those are some pretty special numbers," Dallas said when hearing about the receiving combo of Benson and Braham. The duo caught five passes for 292 yards and five touchdowns.

Daisean Cash then took snaps at quarterback and hit Braham for a 13-yard touchdown just before halftime. The Dragons took a 63-0 lead into the locker room.

Laney got in the scoring action again in the fourth quarter on a 43-yard strike from Collin Shields.

Jaheim Simmons finished the scoring on a six-yard run with 6:51 left.

Laible's record seven touchdowns came on 11 completions.

Hutchinson held Highland to 70 total offensive yards on 61 plays.

The Dragons racked up 659 yards on 62 plays. Highland converted just one of 15 third-down tries.

Zy Strong led the defense with eight tackles, three tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks.

Hutchinson is on the road next Sunday to face Independence in a 1 p.m. kickoff.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633811986507.jpeg" alt="Dylan Laible threw a record seven touchdown passes in less than a half of football Sunday afternoon. Laible had 365 of the Dragons team-record 485 passing yards." />
 <figcaption>Dylan Laible threw a record seven touchdown passes in less than a half of football Sunday afternoon. Laible had 365 of the Dragons team-record 485 passing yards.</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAREN DUNNHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. -- It didn't take long for Hutchinson's offense to get on the board Sunday in the opening round of the Region VI playoffs against Highland.On the second play from scrimmage, Malik Benson broke free on an intermediate route and took the ball 77 yards to the house. Hutchinson scored less than three minutes later on a four-yard TD grab from Rykem Laney.Less than three minutes rolled off the clock again before Anwar Lewis raced in from 21 yards out for a score. Lewis extended his streak to seven straight games with a touchdown."Anwar ran really well on limited opportunities," coach Drew Dallas said. Lewis ran 11 times for 86 yards and a TD on a day the passing game thrived.National championship game MVP Tye Edwards finally got some quality touches after spending most of the season sidelined with injury. Edwards ran for 70 yards on 11 touches."(We'll) hopefully have that two-headed monster rolling the rest of the way," Dallas said about Lewis and Edwards in the backfield.Hutchinson (6-2) led 21-0 with 7:08 left in the first quarter. The Dragons only put up 20 points against Highland earlier this season on the road in a 20-7 victory."(I'm) pleased with the progress that was made since we played them last," Dallas said.Laible capped the first quarter with another touchdown pass to Laney, this one from 20 yards away.Laible got his fourth touchdown pass to start the second quarter when he hit Demariyon Houston for a six-yard TD. The play capped an 8-play, 47-yard drive, the longest of the day.A Dragon punt downed at the one spelled trouble for Highland as running back Andrew Burnette was tackled for a safety. Burnette led the Highland rushing attack with just 25 yards.The next two touchdown passes from Laible went to Cortez Braham. The first came three plays after the safety and from 42 yards out. The second came on a one-handed grab that Braham took 95 yards for the score.Laible ended his record day the way it began, with a TD pass to Benson. The 65-yard touchdown with 5:43 left in the second quarter put Hutchinson up 56-0. Laible finished with a program-record seven touchdown passes and put up 365 of the team-record 485 yards on the day."Those are some pretty special numbers," Dallas said when hearing about the receiving combo of Benson and Braham. The duo caught five passes for 292 yards and five touchdowns.Daisean Cash then took snaps at quarterback and hit Braham for a 13-yard touchdown just before halftime. The Dragons took a 63-0 lead into the locker room.Laney got in the scoring action again in the fourth quarter on a 43-yard strike from Collin Shields.Jaheim Simmons finished the scoring on a six-yard run with 6:51 left.FINAL: Hutchinson 77 Highland 0Laible's record seven touchdowns came on 11 completions.Hutchinson held Highland to 70 total offensive yards on 61 plays.The Dragons racked up 659 yards on 62 plays. Highland converted just one of 15 third-down tries.Zy Strong led the defense with eight tackles, three tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks.Hutchinson is on the road next Sunday to face Independence in a 1 p.m. kickoff.

FB: Laible leads Dragons in record day

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson (3-0) got 48 bench points as six players scored 11 or more in Saturday night's matchup with NOC-Tonkawa (2-2).

Aaron Franklin led the bench scoring with 18 on 7 of 10 shooting, including 4 of 7 from distance. He added nine rebounds.

Angelo Stuart (13), Kaimen Lennox (12), Nate Goodlow (11), Cecil Lee (11) and Kobe Campbell (11) scored in double digits as well. Goodlow added five assists.

Hutchinson outrebounded NOC-Tonkawa 53-48.

The Mavericks turned the ball over 23 times. Hutchinson got 27 points off those turnovers.

The Dragon bench outscored the Maverick bench 48-30.

The Mavericks led for 1:47 and by no more than three points. The Dragons led for nearly 36 minutes in a game where the lead changed only three times.

The Mavericks had five players in double digits, led by Jalen Johnson's 18. Kodee Holloway had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

FINAL: Hutchinson 97 NOC-Tonkawa 88

Hutchinson's next game will be on the road Wednesday at NOC-Tonkawa in Oklahoma.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636256518636.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By DAREN DUNNHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson (3-0) got 48 bench points as six players scored 11 or more in Saturday night's matchup with NOC-Tonkawa (2-2).Aaron Franklin led the bench scoring with 18 on 7 of 10 shooting, including 4 of 7 from distance. He added nine rebounds.Angelo Stuart (13), Kaimen Lennox (12), Nate Goodlow (11), Cecil Lee (11) and Kobe Campbell (11) scored in double digits as well. Goodlow added five assists.Hutchinson outrebounded NOC-Tonkawa 53-48.The Mavericks turned the ball over 23 times. Hutchinson got 27 points off those turnovers.The Dragon bench outscored the Maverick bench 48-30.The Mavericks led for 1:47 and by no more than three points. The Dragons led for nearly 36 minutes in a game where the lead changed only three times.The Mavericks had five players in double digits, led by Jalen Johnson's 18. Kodee Holloway had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.FINAL: Hutchinson 97 NOC-Tonkawa 88Hutchinson's next game will be on the road Wednesday at NOC-Tonkawa in Oklahoma.

MBB: Six Dragons score in double figures against NOC-Tonkawa

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — For the third time in as many games, No. 21 Hutchinson (3-0) found itself in an early hole.

NEO (1-2) took a quick 6-0 lead with only two minutes off the clock. Hutchinson got back-to-back triples over the next two minutes to close the gap.

With 3:43 left in the first quarter, Hutchinson took the lead and never looked back.

The game was tied for a little more than two minutes and Hutchinson led for 33:42. The Dragons had a narrow 16-14 lead after one and turned that into a 36-29 halftime lead behind Mya Williams' 15 points. Williams had double digits at the break for a second night in a row. Like Friday night, Williams struggled to score in the second half, she finished with 22 points and four rebounds.

The Dragons featured three players in double-digit scoring: Williams (22), Mele Kailahi (16) and Janaya Washington (11).

Washington hit 2 of 4 three-point attempts while Kailahi made 3 of 7. The duo had five of the team's eight made threes.

Hutchinson assisted on 15 of 21 made baskets. Kailahi paved the way with six assists.

NEO got a solid outing from Kristina Ekofo, who had 13 points and 12 rebounds. Danelle Arigbabu just missed a double-double with nine points and 11 boards.

Hutchinson scored 24 points on 24 Lady Norse turnovers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636255763251.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By DAREN DUNNHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — For the third time in as many games, No. 21 Hutchinson (3-0) found itself in an early hole.NEO (1-2) took a quick 6-0 lead with only two minutes off the clock. Hutchinson got back-to-back triples over the next two minutes to close the gap.With 3:43 left in the first quarter, Hutchinson took the lead and never looked back.The game was tied for a little more than two minutes and Hutchinson led for 33:42. The Dragons had a narrow 16-14 lead after one and turned that into a 36-29 halftime lead behind Mya Williams' 15 points. Williams had double digits at the break for a second night in a row. Like Friday night, Williams struggled to score in the second half, she finished with 22 points and four rebounds.The Dragons featured three players in double-digit scoring: Williams (22), Mele Kailahi (16) and Janaya Washington (11).Washington hit 2 of 4 three-point attempts while Kailahi made 3 of 7. The duo had five of the team's eight made threes.Hutchinson assisted on 15 of 21 made baskets. Kailahi paved the way with six assists.NEO got a solid outing from Kristina Ekofo, who had 13 points and 12 rebounds. Danelle Arigbabu just missed a double-double with nine points and 11 boards.Hutchinson scored 24 points on 24 Lady Norse turnovers.FINAL: Hutchinson 66 NEO 51

WBB: Dragons face another early deficit

ODESSA, Texas – One year ago, the Hutchinson Community College men’s’ golf team put together a record-setting performance that vaulted the Blue Dragons to the top spot of the NJCAA and ultimately to a national title last spring.

While this year’s NJCAA National Preview performance wasn’t a polar opposite, the No. 1-ranked Blue Dragons struggled at times in Friday’s final round and finished fourth in the NJCAA National Preview at the Odessa Country Club, site of the 2022 NJCAA Men’s Division I Championship next May.

The Blue Dragons cared a 2-over par 290 on Friday and finished with a 54-hole even-par score of 864 for Hutchinson’s 14th-consective Top 5 team finish.

No. 2-ranked Midland won the team title at 849. Nos. 3 and 7 Odessa was second at 864 and unranked Indian Hills was third at 961. Midland and Odessa posted final-round team scores of 285 on Friday. Indian Hills had the low team round on Friday of 283.

Freshman Dominic Clemons was Hutchinson’s low golfer on Friday with a 1-under 71. Sophomore All-American Harry Crockett shot an even-par 72. The Dragons also counted a 73 by sophomore All-American Ben Partridge and sophomore Addison Alonzo’s 74.

The Blue Dragons had two golfers place in the individual Top 10 for the tournament.

Partridge tied for fifth with a 54-hole total of 213. Crockett was 10th at 215.

Freshman Blake Saffel shot a 77 on Friday and finished tied for 21st at 221. Clemons and Alonzo tied for 25th at 222.

Individual player Cameron Rios-Ceballos shot 77 on Friday to finished tied for 46th at 229.

The Blue Dragons complete the fall portion of the schedule. The defending NJCAA National Champions open the spring schedule in mid-March.

STEVE CARPENTERHutchCC Sports InformationODESSA, Texas – One year ago, the Hutchinson Community College men’s’ golf team put together a record-setting performance that vaulted the Blue Dragons to the top spot of the NJCAA and ultimately to a national title last spring.While this year’s NJCAA National Preview performance wasn’t a polar opposite, the No. 1-ranked Blue Dragons struggled at times in Friday’s final round and finished fourth in the NJCAA National Preview at the Odessa Country Club, site of the 2022 NJCAA Men’s Division I Championship next May.The Blue Dragons cared a 2-over par 290 on Friday and finished with a 54-hole even-par score of 864 for Hutchinson’s 14th-consective Top 5 team finish.No. 2-ranked Midland won the team title at 849. Nos. 3 and 7 Odessa was second at 864 and unranked Indian Hills was third at 961. Midland and Odessa posted final-round team scores of 285 on Friday. Indian Hills had the low team round on Friday of 283.Freshman Dominic Clemons was Hutchinson’s low golfer on Friday with a 1-under 71. Sophomore All-American Harry Crockett shot an even-par 72. The Dragons also counted a 73 by sophomore All-American Ben Partridge and sophomore Addison Alonzo’s 74.The Blue Dragons had two golfers place in the individual Top 10 for the tournament.Partridge tied for fifth with a 54-hole total of 213. Crockett was 10th at 215.Freshman Blake Saffel shot a 77 on Friday and finished tied for 21st at 221. Clemons and Alonzo tied for 25th at 222.Individual player Cameron Rios-Ceballos shot 77 on Friday to finished tied for 46th at 229.The Blue Dragons complete the fall portion of the schedule. The defending NJCAA National Champions open the spring schedule in mid-March.

No. 1 Dragons finish 4th at NJCAA National Preview

Lawrence Free State 42, Washburn Rural 10

PREP FOOTBALL=Regional=Class 6A=BV Northwest 68, Olathe South 31BV West 35, Blue Valley 28Derby 63, Wichita East 26Lawrence 38, Junction City 21Lawrence Free State 42, Washburn Rural 10Manhattan 38, Gardner-Edgerton 35Olathe North 49, Olathe Northwest 13SM Northwest 63, Olathe West 28Class 5A=BV Southwest 44, Topeka Seaman 37DeSoto 31, Pittsburg 0Hays 18, Andover 6Kapaun Mount Carmel 37, Maize South 21Maize 28, Wichita Bishop Carroll 21Mill Valley 42, Shawnee Heights 7St. Thomas Aquinas 35, Spring Hill 7Wichita Northwest 66, Salina Central 21Class 4A=Andover Central 49, Circle 10Bishop Miege 33, Chanute 21Buhler 59, Winfield 20Eudora 50, Atchison 6KC Piper 27, Paola 21Mulvane 18, McPherson 16St. James Academy 35, Basehor-Linwood 7Wamego 34, Augusta 7Class 3A=Andale 51, Holcomb 0Cheney 21, Wichita Collegiate 3Concordia 30, Riley County 14Frontenac 31, Galena 6Girard 32, Parsons 13Holton 41, Perry-Lecompton 0Rock Creek 28, Topeka Hayden 21Southeast Saline 52, Chapman 6Class 2A=Beloit 51, Cimarron 6Hays-TMP-Marian 36, Hoisington 27Hillsboro 41, Chaparral 14Kingman 28, Garden Plain 21Riverton 28, Osage City 22, OTRossville 32, Nemaha Central 12Silver Lake 51, St. Mary’s 36Wellsville 49, Humboldt 8Class 1A=Centralia 41, Valley Heights 0Conway Springs 27, Plainville 14Inman 54, Oakley 16Jefferson North 48, Troy 8Lyndon 44, Wabaunsee 33Olpe 35, Jackson Heights 0Sedgwick 33, Ell-Saline 6Smith Center 56, Remington 6Class 8M-I=Canton-Galva 66, Clifton-Clyde 20Goessel 50, Macksville 16Hill City 68, Hoxie 48La Crosse 58, Attica/Argonia 56Little River 42, Burlingame 26Madison/Hamilton 56, West Elk 6Meade 54, Trego 6Sedan 34, Chase County 26Class 8M-II=Axtell 52, Hanover 26Dighton 52, Quinter 22Lebo 50, St. Paul 0South Barber 20, Norwich 12Thunder Ridge 58, Frankfort 8Victoria 58, Caldwell 52Waverly 54, Marais des Cygnes Valley 14Wheatland-Grinnell 53, Bucklin 22

Playoff Football Scores from Nov. 5, 2021

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Friday's nightcap featured a score that was tied 13 times.

Hutchinson (2-0) battled No. 12 Odessa (0-1) down to the literal wire.

The game was tied 48-all at halftime. Nothing was even decided with 17 seconds left. A foul against Hutchinson put Odessa's Dian Wright-Ford on the line. He put the Wranglers up by one and gave Hutchinson a chance to respond.

Down 88-87, Hutchinson got the ball inside to Jacquez Yow. With 5.2 seconds left, he was fouled in the act of shooting. Upset with the call, Odessa coach Kris Baumann voiced his displeasure and was immediately assessed a technical.

The Class A technical foul put Angelo Stuart on the line for two before play resumed with two Yow free throws. Hutchinson made just 26 of 42 free throw attempts, but made them when it mattered.

All four made free throws put Hutchinson up 91-88. A strategic foul put Daniss Jenkins on the line with 3.1 seconds left. He accidentally made the second free throw to make it 91-90. An inbound with 1.6 seconds left allowed Hutchinson another trip to the line. Nate Goodlow missed his only free throw of the night (3-4) on purpose to run out the clock.

Odessa built an eight-point lead with less than seven minutes left. Hutchinson took the lead back with 2:28 left, thanks in part to seven straight points from Kobe Campbell.

Campbell was one of four Dragons in double-digit scoring. Campbell finished with 14 while Stuart led the way with 22. Yow (21) and Aaron Franklin (12) also scored in double figures.

Hutchinson had 21 turnovers while Odessa racked up 31.

Hutchinson shot just 33% and put up 88 shots. Odessa shot 45.1% on 71 attempts.

Hutchinson is in the Sports Arena again Saturday night at 7:30 for a matchup with NOC-Tonkawa.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636172228358.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By DAREN DUNNHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Friday's nightcap featured a score that was tied 13 times.Hutchinson (2-0) battled No. 12 Odessa (0-1) down to the literal wire.The game was tied 48-all at halftime. Nothing was even decided with 17 seconds left. A foul against Hutchinson put Odessa's Dian Wright-Ford on the line. He put the Wranglers up by one and gave Hutchinson a chance to respond.Down 88-87, Hutchinson got the ball inside to Jacquez Yow. With 5.2 seconds left, he was fouled in the act of shooting. Upset with the call, Odessa coach Kris Baumann voiced his displeasure and was immediately assessed a technical.The Class A technical foul put Angelo Stuart on the line for two before play resumed with two Yow free throws. Hutchinson made just 26 of 42 free throw attempts, but made them when it mattered.All four made free throws put Hutchinson up 91-88. A strategic foul put Daniss Jenkins on the line with 3.1 seconds left. He accidentally made the second free throw to make it 91-90. An inbound with 1.6 seconds left allowed Hutchinson another trip to the line. Nate Goodlow missed his only free throw of the night (3-4) on purpose to run out the clock.FINAL: Hutchinson 92 Odessa 90Odessa built an eight-point lead with less than seven minutes left. Hutchinson took the lead back with 2:28 left, thanks in part to seven straight points from Kobe Campbell.Campbell was one of four Dragons in double-digit scoring. Campbell finished with 14 while Stuart led the way with 22. Yow (21) and Aaron Franklin (12) also scored in double figures.The Dragons were outrebounded 56-50.Hutchinson had 21 turnovers while Odessa racked up 31.Hutchinson shot just 33% and put up 88 shots. Odessa shot 45.1% on 71 attempts.Odessa made 23 of 35 free throws.Hutchinson is in the Sports Arena again Saturday night at 7:30 for a matchup with NOC-Tonkawa.

MBB: Late FTs decide contest between Hutchinson and No. 12 Odessa

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — For the second time in as many games, the No. 21 Blue Dragons (2-0) found themselves trailing early.

Mineral Area (1-1) led by as many as eight with 3:05 left in the first quarter.

Hutchinson held on to a three-point margin at half.

Hutchinson used the first five minutes of the third quarter to pull away. Mineral Area scored only 10 points in the third quarter.

Hutchinson built a 14 point lead with less than 3:30 off the clock in the third frame.

Mya Williams led the Dragons with 24 points in 26 minutes of play. Williams fouled out with more than nine minutes left. The Dragons led by nine when Williams exited and won by the same margin.

FINAL: Hutchinson 75 Mineral Area 66

Tor'e Alford added 12 points and was the only other Dragon to drop double digits. Natalie Payne finished with nine.

Hutchinson had 14 assists on 22 made baskets. Alford led the way with five assists.

Mariah Stewart had a double-double for the Cardinals (10 points, 14 rebounds). Nijah Moore scored 14.

The Dragons are home again Saturday night at 5:30.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636171493766.jpeg" alt="Mya Williams (22) scored 24 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Williams fouled out with 9:06 to play after back-to-back fouls." />
 <figcaption>Mya Williams (22) scored 24 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Williams fouled out with 9:06 to play after back-to-back fouls.</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAREN DUNNHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — For the second time in as many games, the No. 21 Blue Dragons (2-0) found themselves trailing early.Mineral Area (1-1) led by as many as eight with 3:05 left in the first quarter.Hutchinson held on to a three-point margin at half.Hutchinson used the first five minutes of the third quarter to pull away. Mineral Area scored only 10 points in the third quarter.Hutchinson built a 14 point lead with less than 3:30 off the clock in the third frame.Mya Williams led the Dragons with 24 points in 26 minutes of play. Williams fouled out with more than nine minutes left. The Dragons led by nine when Williams exited and won by the same margin.FINAL: Hutchinson 75 Mineral Area 66Tor'e Alford added 12 points and was the only other Dragon to drop double digits. Natalie Payne finished with nine.Hutchinson had 14 assists on 22 made baskets. Alford led the way with five assists.The Dragons were outrebounded 36-28.Mariah Stewart had a double-double for the Cardinals (10 points, 14 rebounds). Nijah Moore scored 14.The Dragons are home again Saturday night at 5:30.

WBB: Dragons erase another early deficit

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🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Thursday Morning

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Brandon Saad scored twice in his second game back from the COVID-19 list and the St. Louis Blues used a three-goal second period to beat the San Jose Sharks 5-3. Saad scored a short-handed goal in the first period and tied the game in the second with an even-strength goal. Pavel Buchnevich and James Neal also scored and Robert Thomas sealed it with an empty-netter for the Blues. That scoring outburst helped Joel Hofer get the win in his NHL debut. Brent Burns, Logan Couture and Nick Merkley scored for the short-handed Sharks. San Jose has seven players currently on the COVID-19 list.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Packers-Chiefs game Sunday will hardly be what anyone expected at the beginning of the season. The showdown between Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes is off after the Green Bay quarterback and reigning league MVP tested positive for COVID-19. And the potential Super Bowl preview is hard to picture given the Chiefs are wallowing at .500 eight games into the season. But the game is still crucial for both Green Bay and Kansas City not only in their divisional race but also for their postseason potential.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs had seen enough of Melvin Ingram dragging down their quarterbacks over the years that it made sense to chase the three-time Pro Bowl defensive end when he became a free agent last offseason. They didn't manage to land him when Ingram signed with Pittsburgh, but they finally got him in a trade Tuesday. Now, the Chiefs hope the 32-year-old Ingram can show the same burst he had during his heyday with the Chargers and help a pass rush — and defense — that has been among the worst in the NFL all season.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers added a backup quarterback Thursday with reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers on the reserve/COVID-19 list and questions swirling over how the team handled the NFL's COVID protocols. With Rodgers out at least Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Packers signed veteran Blake Bortles to the practice squad. Jordan Love, the 2020 first-round pick, will make his first NFL start. and Bortles will be added to the game-day roster to serve as the backup. While the Packers are focused on extending their winning streak to eight games, the larger issue revolves around how the team and Rodgers handled the league's COVID protocols.

UNDATED (AP) — Texas and Iowa State both need a win in their game Saturday night in Ames, Iowa. The Cyclones almost certainly need to win out and get lots of help from other teams to fulfill preseason predictions of a return to the Big 12 title game. Texas is on a three-game losing streak under first-year coach Steve Sarkisian. Iowa State won 23-20 in Austin last year after trailing 20-10 in the third quarter. The game features the Big 12's top two running backs in Iowa State's Breece Hall and Bijan Robinson of Texas.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Ohio State coach Ryan Day doesn't want his players looking at the recent history against Nebraska. The Buckeyes have outscored the Cornhuskers by an average of 53-18 while winning the last six meetings. Day says his players better not expect an easy Saturday in Lincoln. With the Buckeyes No. 5 in the season's first College Football Playoff rankings, they have no margin for error. No two-loss team has ever made the playoff. Nebraska has lost three straight and five of its last six. But none of the Huskers' six losses has been by more than eight points.

UNDATED (AP) — Iowa was rolling along, unbeaten at No. 2 in the AP poll and with its sights set on a spot in the College Football Playoffs just a few weeks ago. The 19th-ranked Hawkeyes will try to steady themselves after back-to-back losses when they visit Northwestern on Saturday. Iowa has been outscored by a combined 51-14 against Purdue and Wisconsin since knocking off then-No. 4 Penn State to improve to 6-0. &nbsp;Northwestern is coming off back-to-back blowout losses to Michigan and Minnesota.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas State-Kansas game is one of the longest running rivalries in college football. It started in 1902 and will be played for the 119th time on Saturday. The game carries a lot of heft for Kansas residents. For the Jayhawks, this year's game is a chance to earn a signature win in Lance Leipold's first season in charge. For the Wildcats, it's a chance to become eligible for a bowl game.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts were winners in their first prime-time home game since December 2017.

Carson Wentz threw three touchdown passes and Jonathan Taylor rushed for 172 yards and two scores to carry the Colts past the Jets, 45-30. Wentz opened the second-half scoring with a 2-yard scoring pass to offensive lineman Danny Pinter, and Taylor sealed the win with a 78-yard sprint to make it 42-10.

Jets backup QB Josh Johnson threw for a career-high 317 yards and had a career-best three touchdown passes in the final 18 minutes. Johnson entered the game after Mike White injured his right forearm in the first quarter, four days after throwing for 405 yards and three TDs in his first NFL start. 

Browns excuse Beckham for 2nd straight day

UNDATED (AP) — The Cleveland Browns appear ready to hold the door for Odell Beckham Jr.

The polarizing wide receiver was excused from practice for the second straight day as the Browns figure out their next move with him. 

Beckham has likely played his last game in Cleveland, his exit hastened by his father sharing a video on social media criticizing quarterback Baker Mayfield for not throwing the ball to the three-time Pro Bowler.

The oft-injured Beckham has been a major disappointment after being acquired from the Giants in 2019. He dropped several balls in last weekend's loss to the Steelers and has just 17 receptions for 232 yards and no touchdowns this season.

The three-time Pro Bowler is making $15.75 million this season, and the Browns would have to pay him at least half of that if he is waived and not claimed by another team.

— Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray didn't practice for a second straight day because of an injured ankle, casting doubt on his status for Monday's game against the 49ers on Sunday. Murray hurt his left ankle on the final drive of Arizona's 24-21 loss to the Packers last Thursday, which was the team's first loss of the season.

— Quarterback Tyrod Taylor will start for the Texans when they visit the Dolphins on Sunday. Houston went 0-6 with rookie Davis Mills under center while Taylor recovered from a hamstring injury suffered in Week 2. Taylor has led Houston to its only victory of the season.

— The Giants limited access to their facility after the laboratory handling their COVID-19 testing had an unusually high number of false positive tests. The Giants canceled in-facility meetings for players in the morning and closed their office to non-football staff. Coach Joe Judge said some players and coaches were sent home and later brought back to the building for an afternoon walkthrough and practice when a second test was negative.

UNDATED (AP) — The Utah Jazz were able to cruise to an 18-point win in Atlanta despite the absence of Donovan Mitchell due to a sprained right ankle.

Jordan Clarkson bounced back from his worst game of the season by scoring 30 points in the Jazz's 116-98 decision over the Hawks. Clarkson picked up the slack off the bench to give the Jazz their eighth victory in nine games this season. He shot 0 for 11 from 3-point range and 1 of 13 overall to finish with just two points in Tuesday's victory against the Kings. 

Trae Young scored 21 points for the Hawks, who shot just 7 of 28 on 3-pointers in their first loss in four home games.

Checking out Thursday's other NBA action:

— Seth Curry scored 23 points and Tyrese Maxey added 20 in the 76ers' fifth win in a row, 109-98 over the Pistons. Maxey had nine points in the third quarter as the 76ers took a 86-82 lead. Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED') had 19 points and nine rebounds for Philadelphia.

— The Thunder rallied from a 19-point deficit to beat the Lakers for the second time this season, 107-104. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 11 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles forward Anthony Davis had 29 points and 18 rebounds despite spraining his right thumb near halftime. 

— Devin Booker dropped in 27 points and Landry Shamet added 19 off the bench for the Suns in a 123-111 verdict over the Rockets. Shamet and JaVale McGee led a strong effort from the Suns' bench, which combined for 52 points. Phoenix has won three straight games and pushed above .500 for the first time this season at 4-3.

— The Celtics played airtight defense for a second consecutive night on the way to a 95-78 stifling of the Heat. Jaylen Brown scored 17 points to lead six Boston players in double figures. Miami shot 35% overall, 9-for-41 from 3-point range and managed a total of 55 points in the final three quarters.

PHOENIX (AP) — The NBA has asked a law firm to investigate the Phoenix Suns.

The decision follows an ESPN report on Thursday detailing allegations that owner Robert Sarver has a history of racist, misogynistic and hostile incidents during his 17-year tenure in charge of the franchise.

ESPN said it talked to dozens of current and former team employees for the story, including some who detailed inappropriate behavior by Sarver. Most of the allegations are from anonymous sources, but a few are on the record. 

In ESPN's report, Sarver denied or disputed most of the allegations through his legal team.

T25 FOOTBALL-LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE/GEORGIA STATE

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — No. 24 Louisiana-Lafayette has locked up the conference West Division title for the fourth straight season and won its eighth straight game after a season-opening loss at Texas.

The Ragin' Cajuns had to rally as Montrell Johnson had two fourth-quarter touchdown runs and Louisiana-Lafayette scored all its points on its final three possessions to rally for a 21-17 victory over Georgia State. Johnson ran for 98 yards, with scoring runs of 3 and 13 yards. 

Georgia State took a 17-14 lead with 5:25 left on Tucker Gregg's 1-yard run.

DALLAS (AP) — The administrators in charge of the College Football Playoff plan to meet again on Dec. 1 to continue expansion talks.

The most crucial detail facing the 10-person management committee is the size of expansion from the current four-team setup.

Executive Director Bill Hancock released a statement Thursday saying the support for expansion is evident, but there are several crucial details that remain under discussion. Hancock also described the just-completed two days of meetings with the CFP management committee as productive.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Brandon Saad scored twice in his second game back from the COVID-19 list and the St. Louis Blues used a three-goal second period to beat the San Jose Sharks 5-3. Saad scored a short-handed goal in the first period and tied the game in the second with an even-strength goal. Pavel Buchnevich and James Neal also scored and Robert Thomas sealed it with an empty-netter for the Blues. That scoring outburst helped Joel Hofer get the win in his NHL debut. Brent Burns, Logan Couture and Nick Merkley scored for the short-handed Sharks. San Jose has seven players currently on the COVID-19 list.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Packers-Chiefs game Sunday will hardly be what anyone expected at the beginning of the season. The showdown between Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes is off after the Green Bay quarterback and reigning league MVP tested positive for COVID-19. And the potential Super Bowl preview is hard to picture given the Chiefs are wallowing at .500 eight games into the season. But the game is still crucial for both Green Bay and Kansas City not only in their divisional race but also for their postseason potential.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs had seen enough of Melvin Ingram dragging down their quarterbacks over the years that it made sense to chase the three-time Pro Bowl defensive end when he became a free agent last offseason. They didn't manage to land him when Ingram signed with Pittsburgh, but they finally got him in a trade Tuesday. Now, the Chiefs hope the 32-year-old Ingram can show the same burst he had during his heyday with the Chargers and help a pass rush — and defense — that has been among the worst in the NFL all season.GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers added a backup quarterback Thursday with reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers on the reserve/COVID-19 list and questions swirling over how the team handled the NFL's COVID protocols. With Rodgers out at least Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Packers signed veteran Blake Bortles to the practice squad. Jordan Love, the 2020 first-round pick, will make his first NFL start. and Bortles will be added to the game-day roster to serve as the backup. While the Packers are focused on extending their winning streak to eight games, the larger issue revolves around how the team and Rodgers handled the league's COVID protocols.UNDATED (AP) — Texas and Iowa State both need a win in their game Saturday night in Ames, Iowa. The Cyclones almost certainly need to win out and get lots of help from other teams to fulfill preseason predictions of a return to the Big 12 title game. Texas is on a three-game losing streak under first-year coach Steve Sarkisian. Iowa State won 23-20 in Austin last year after trailing 20-10 in the third quarter. The game features the Big 12's top two running backs in Iowa State's Breece Hall and Bijan Robinson of Texas.LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Ohio State coach Ryan Day doesn't want his players looking at the recent history against Nebraska. The Buckeyes have outscored the Cornhuskers by an average of 53-18 while winning the last six meetings. Day says his players better not expect an easy Saturday in Lincoln. With the Buckeyes No. 5 in the season's first College Football Playoff rankings, they have no margin for error. No two-loss team has ever made the playoff. Nebraska has lost three straight and five of its last six. But none of the Huskers' six losses has been by more than eight points.UNDATED (AP) — Iowa was rolling along, unbeaten at No. 2 in the AP poll and with its sights set on a spot in the College Football Playoffs just a few weeks ago. The 19th-ranked Hawkeyes will try to steady themselves after back-to-back losses when they visit Northwestern on Saturday. Iowa has been outscored by a combined 51-14 against Purdue and Wisconsin since knocking off then-No. 4 Penn State to improve to 6-0. &nbsp;Northwestern is coming off back-to-back blowout losses to Michigan and Minnesota.LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas State-Kansas game is one of the longest running rivalries in college football. It started in 1902 and will be played for the 119th time on Saturday. The game carries a lot of heft for Kansas residents. For the Jayhawks, this year's game is a chance to earn a signature win in Lance Leipold's first season in charge. For the Wildcats, it's a chance to become eligible for a bowl game.Colts blast Jets behind Wentz, TaylorINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts were winners in their first prime-time home game since December 2017.Carson Wentz threw three touchdown passes and Jonathan Taylor rushed for 172 yards and two scores to carry the Colts past the Jets, 45-30. Wentz opened the second-half scoring with a 2-yard scoring pass to offensive lineman Danny Pinter, and Taylor sealed the win with a 78-yard sprint to make it 42-10.Jets backup QB Josh Johnson threw for a career-high 317 yards and had a career-best three touchdown passes in the final 18 minutes. Johnson entered the game after Mike White injured his right forearm in the first quarter, four days after throwing for 405 yards and three TDs in his first NFL start. NFL-NEWSBrowns excuse Beckham for 2nd straight dayUNDATED (AP) — The Cleveland Browns appear ready to hold the door for Odell Beckham Jr.The polarizing wide receiver was excused from practice for the second straight day as the Browns figure out their next move with him. Beckham has likely played his last game in Cleveland, his exit hastened by his father sharing a video on social media criticizing quarterback Baker Mayfield for not throwing the ball to the three-time Pro Bowler.The oft-injured Beckham has been a major disappointment after being acquired from the Giants in 2019. He dropped several balls in last weekend's loss to the Steelers and has just 17 receptions for 232 yards and no touchdowns this season.The three-time Pro Bowler is making $15.75 million this season, and the Browns would have to pay him at least half of that if he is waived and not claimed by another team.In other NFL news on Thursday:— Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray didn't practice for a second straight day because of an injured ankle, casting doubt on his status for Monday's game against the 49ers on Sunday. Murray hurt his left ankle on the final drive of Arizona's 24-21 loss to the Packers last Thursday, which was the team's first loss of the season.— Quarterback Tyrod Taylor will start for the Texans when they visit the Dolphins on Sunday. Houston went 0-6 with rookie Davis Mills under center while Taylor recovered from a hamstring injury suffered in Week 2. Taylor has led Houston to its only victory of the season.— The Giants limited access to their facility after the laboratory handling their COVID-19 testing had an unusually high number of false positive tests. The Giants canceled in-facility meetings for players in the morning and closed their office to non-football staff. Coach Joe Judge said some players and coaches were sent home and later brought back to the building for an afternoon walkthrough and practice when a second test was negative.NBA-SCHEDULEJazz 8-1 after beating HawksUNDATED (AP) — The Utah Jazz were able to cruise to an 18-point win in Atlanta despite the absence of Donovan Mitchell due to a sprained right ankle.Jordan Clarkson bounced back from his worst game of the season by scoring 30 points in the Jazz's 116-98 decision over the Hawks. Clarkson picked up the slack off the bench to give the Jazz their eighth victory in nine games this season. He shot 0 for 11 from 3-point range and 1 of 13 overall to finish with just two points in Tuesday's victory against the Kings. Trae Young scored 21 points for the Hawks, who shot just 7 of 28 on 3-pointers in their first loss in four home games.Checking out Thursday's other NBA action:— Seth Curry scored 23 points and Tyrese Maxey added 20 in the 76ers' fifth win in a row, 109-98 over the Pistons. Maxey had nine points in the third quarter as the 76ers took a 86-82 lead. Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED') had 19 points and nine rebounds for Philadelphia.— The Thunder rallied from a 19-point deficit to beat the Lakers for the second time this season, 107-104. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 11 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles forward Anthony Davis had 29 points and 18 rebounds despite spraining his right thumb near halftime. — Devin Booker dropped in 27 points and Landry Shamet added 19 off the bench for the Suns in a 123-111 verdict over the Rockets. Shamet and JaVale McGee led a strong effort from the Suns' bench, which combined for 52 points. Phoenix has won three straight games and pushed above .500 for the first time this season at 4-3.— The Celtics played airtight defense for a second consecutive night on the way to a 95-78 stifling of the Heat. Jaylen Brown scored 17 points to lead six Boston players in double figures. Miami shot 35% overall, 9-for-41 from 3-point range and managed a total of 55 points in the final three quarters.NBA-SUNS INVESTIGATIONSuns to be investigatedPHOENIX (AP) — The NBA has asked a law firm to investigate the Phoenix Suns.The decision follows an ESPN report on Thursday detailing allegations that owner Robert Sarver has a history of racist, misogynistic and hostile incidents during his 17-year tenure in charge of the franchise.ESPN said it talked to dozens of current and former team employees for the story, including some who detailed inappropriate behavior by Sarver. Most of the allegations are from anonymous sources, but a few are on the record. In ESPN's report, Sarver denied or disputed most of the allegations through his legal team.T25 FOOTBALL-LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE/GEORGIA STATERagin' Cajuns pull out winLAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — No. 24 Louisiana-Lafayette has locked up the conference West Division title for the fourth straight season and won its eighth straight game after a season-opening loss at Texas.The Ragin' Cajuns had to rally as Montrell Johnson had two fourth-quarter touchdown runs and Louisiana-Lafayette scored all its points on its final three possessions to rally for a 21-17 victory over Georgia State. Johnson ran for 98 yards, with scoring runs of 3 and 13 yards. Georgia State took a 17-14 lead with 5:25 left on Tucker Gregg's 1-yard run.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-CFP EXPANSIONCFP to reopen expansion talksDALLAS (AP) — The administrators in charge of the College Football Playoff plan to meet again on Dec. 1 to continue expansion talks.The most crucial detail facing the 10-person management committee is the size of expansion from the current four-team setup.Executive Director Bill Hancock released a statement Thursday saying the support for expansion is evident, but there are several crucial details that remain under discussion. Hancock also described the just-completed two days of meetings with the CFP management committee as productive.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-TENNESSEEVols won't self-impose bowl banUNDATED (AP) — Tennessee will not self-impose a postseason bowl ban after wrapping up its investigation into the recruiting issues.Tennessee started the internal investigation after receiving a tip on Nov. 13, 2020, about alleged recruiting violations that led to the firing of head coach Jeremy Pruitt and nine others in January.Chancellor Donde Plowman said in January that the potential NCAA issues involved Level I and II violations with a number of people and incidents.NHL-SCHEDULEPanthers have 19 points, beat Caps in OT 5-4UNDATED (AP) — The Florida Panthers had never collected more than 17 points through the first 10 games of a season. They now have 19 points after improving to 9-0-1 with a 5-4 overtime win against the Capitals. Eetu Luostarinen (EE'-too loos-tah-ry-nehn) scored 1:55 into overtime against the Caps, who have suffered four of their five losses in OT or a shootout. Florida's Aleksander Barkov tallied. That raises his career total to 188, tying Olli Jokinen (OH'-lee YOH'-kih-nehn) for the most in franchise history. Aaron Ekblad had a goal and assist, and Brandon Montour also scored for Florida.Alex Ovechkin (oh-VEHCH'-kihn) netted his 10th goal of the season and had two assists for Washington.Elsewhere on NHL ice:— The Maple Leafs came away with a 2-1 win over the Lightning on William Nylander's (NEE'-lan-durz) power-play goal 3:43 into overtime. John Tavares tied it for Toronto with 41.1 seconds left in regulation and goalie Jack Campbell off for an extra attacker. Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner each had two assists in Toronto's fourth consecutive win and Tampa Bay's first loss in four games.— Kris Letang (leh-TANG') stuffed a wraparound by Carter Hart 1:57 into overtime to give the Penguins a 3-2 victory over the Flyers. Letang's first goal of the season helped the Penguins end a three-game losing streak on a night they played without star center Sidney Crosby and head coach Mike Sullivan due to COVID-19 protocols. Tristan Jarry stopped 36 shots for Pittsburgh, weathering a heavy barrage early and making a couple of quality stops in the extra period.— The Bruins stormed to a 5-1 win over the Red Wings as Patrice Bergeron (pah-TREES BEHR'-zhuh-rahn) scored his first four goals of the season. Brad Marchand assisted on all four of Bergeron's goals, Mike Reilly scored his first of the season and Charlie McAvoy had a pair of assists for Boston. Jeremy Swayman finished with 14 saves for the Bruins, who remained unbeaten at home.— Brock Nelson scored four times and the Islanders improved to 4-0-2 in their last six games by trouncing the Canadiens, 6-2. Oliver Wahlstrom and Jean-Gabriel Pageau (pa-ZHOH') also scored to help the Islanders improve to 4-2-2 on the first eight games of a season-opening, 13-game road trip. Anthony Beauvilier (boh-VIH'-lee-ay) had three assists and Ilya Sorokin (sah-ROH'-kihn) stopped 36 shots.— The Blues used a three-goal second period to beat the Sharks, 5-3. Brandon Saad (sahd) scored a short-handed goal in the first period and tied the game in the second as he looked back up to speed after missing four games following a positive test for COVID-19. Joel Hofer won his NHL debut with 23 saves.— The Golden Knights also cruised to a 5-1 victory as Jonathan Marchessault (MAHR'-sheh-soh) tallied twice against the Senators. Mattias Janmark, Brett Howden and Alex Pietrangelo (peh-TRAN'-jeh-loh) also scored for Vegas, and Robin Lehner (LEH'-nur) made 38 saves against his former team. Brady Tkachuk (kah-CHUHK') had Ottawa's lone goal.— The Kraken knocked off the Sabres, 5-2 as Jordan Eberle (EH'-bur-lee) had the first hat trick in Seattle history. He scored three times in less than 10 minutes of the second and third periods. Jaden Schwartz had two assists and added an empty net goal in the closing moments.— Jamie Benn scored at 2:59 of overtime to give the Stars a 4-3 triumph over the Flames. Denis Gurianov (gur-ee-AH'-nahv), Blake Comeau and Tyler Seguin (SAY'-gehn) also scored, Miro Heiskanen (HAY'-skah-nehn) had three assists, and Anton Khudobin (koo-DOH'-bihn) made 30 saves to help Dallas snap a four-game skid. Milan Lucic (LOO'-cheech), Matthew Tkachuk (kah-CHUHK') and Nikita Zadorov scored for the Flames, who are 6-0-3 since a season-opening regulation loss.NHL-NEWSSabres trade Eichel to VegasUNDATED (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres have ended their association with former second overall draft pick Jack Eichel (EYE'-kul) by dealing him to the Vegas Golden Knights. The trade ends a bitter feud between Eichel and Buffalo over how to repair his herniated disk, which has sidelined him since March. The dispute revolved around the NHL's collective bargaining agreement giving teams the final say over the treatment of injuries. The Golden Knights have granted Eichel permission to have the artificial disk replacement surgery he preferred, though the recovery timetable means he'll likely miss most if not all of the remainder of the season. Buffalo acquired forward Alex Tuch (tuhk), rookie center Peyton Krebs and two draft picks.In other NHL news: — The Penguins played tonight without head coach Mike Sullivan after he was placed in COVID-19 protocols, leaving the team in the hands of assistant Todd Reirden. Eight Penguins players have entered the protocol since mid-September, including captain Sidney Crosby. The Pens say Crosby tested positive and is symptomatic.MLB-REDS-CASTELLANOSReds' Castellanos opts out of contract, becomes free agentUNDATED (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds say star outfield Nick Castellanos has exercised the opt-out clause in his contract and is now a free agent. The Reds right fielder opted out of the final two years and $34 million remaining on his deal after having the best season of his nine-year career.The 29-year-old Castellanos was a first-time All-Star in 2021. He batted .309 with 34 home runs and led the Reds with 100 RBIs. Castellanos enters a crowded free agent pool that includes former MVPs Freddie Freeman and Kris Bryant.In other major league news:— Giants catcher Buster Posey has formally announced his retirement. As he batted .304 with 18 homers and 56 RBIs this season, he showed his surgically repaired right hip had finally healed three years after surgery. <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; &nbsp;