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

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild beat the St. Louis Blues 2-0 to stretch their franchise-record home winning streak to 11 straight games. Kirill Kaprizov scored his 11th goal to pad his NHL rookie lead. Cam Talbot made 37 saves for his second shutout of the season. Marcus Johansson also had a goal for the Wild. They improved to 13-3 at Xcel Energy Center despite being outshot 37-11. Talbot is 7-0 at home this season, with nine goals given up. Blues goalie Jordan Binnington took his first loss to the Wild in four career starts.

UNDATED (AP) — Staging the women's NCAA Tournament in one place has led Iowa coach Lisa Bluder to ponder if a permanent neutral site is the way to go for the sport. Coronavirus concerns and precautions have led to the entire women's tournament to be played this month around the San Antonio area. Bluder saw how the previous format of on-campus games worked for her program but acknowledged it gave her a team a competitive advantage. She believes the neutral site idea is working this year, but Baylor coach Kim Mulkey and UConn's Geno Auriemma remember the days of little to no crowds and aren't so sure a permanent change is the best opion.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Bob Plager was killed Wednesday in a car crash in St. Louis. He was 78. Police said Plager was alone in his vehicle when it collided with a vehicle carrying two women on Interstate 64 in St. Louis about 1:30 p.m. One of the women sustained minor injuries. Plager was an original Blue, moving over from the New York Rangers when the NHL expanded in 1967-68. He played 11 seasons for St. Louis — teaming for a stretch with brothers Barclay and Bill. He worked for the organization in a variety of roles, coaching for 11 games in 1992. The Blues retired his No. 5 jersey in 2017, and it joined brother Barclay's No. 8 in the rafters.

UNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers continue to cruise without the services of All-Star center Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED').

The Sixers earned their fourth straight win as Danny Green hit eight 3-pointers and scored 28 points in their fourth straight victory, 109-101 over the slumping Lakers.

Seth Curry scored 19 points and Tobias Harris added 15 for the Eastern Conference leaders, who have won 10 of 11 overall and seven of eight since Embiid's injury.

Los Angeles cut an 18-point deficit and trailed 102-98 with 2:20 left before falling.

Playing without superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers are on their second four-game skid since mid-February.

Kyle Kuzma (KOOZ'-muh) scored 25 points and Montrezl (MAHN'-trehz) Harrell added 20, but the defending NBA champions remained winless since James sprained his ankle last Sunday.

Checking out Thursday's other NBA action:

— Reggie Jackson scored 28 points and the Clippers picked up tier fourth straight win by topping the Spurs, 98-85. Paul George had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Los Angeles, which played without Kawhi (kah-WY') Leonard, Marcus Morris, Serge Ibaka (ih-BAH'-kah) and Patrick Beverley due to injury. DeMar DeRozan had 23 points, and Dejounte (deh-ZHAHN'-tay) Murray added 18 in San Antonio's fourth loss in a row.

— The Trail Blazers came away with a 125-122 win over the Heat on Damian Lillard's three free throws in the final second. CJ McCollum had 21 of his 35 points in the first quarter for Portland, which got 22 points from Lillard and 20 from Carmelo Anthony. Bam Adebayo (ad-eh-BY'-oh) and Tyler Herro (HEE'-roh) each had 29 points for Miami, which dropped its fifth straight and fell to 22-23. 

— De'Aaron Fox poured in a career-best 44 points on 16 of 22 shooting and had seven assists as the Kings crushed the Warriors, 141-119. The mercurial point guard has topped 40 points twice this season and has had 30 or more in six of his last 10 games, averaging 30.7 points during that span. Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points with a career-best six 3-pointers, and Richaun Holmes had 25 points and 11 rebounds in Sacramento's fifth win in six games.

— Alec Burks scored 15 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter of the Knicks' 106-102 comeback over the Wizards. RJ Barrett added 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Knickerbockers, who trailed by 17 in the third quarter and didn't lead until the fourth. Wizards starting guards Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook shot a combined 11-for-38, with Westbrook going 3-for-15 with eight turnovers.

Trade deadline passes, Lowry stays with Raptors

UNDATED (AP) — The immovable objects at the NBA trade deadline proved to be Kyle Lowry, Andre Drummond and LaMarcus Aldridge. The irresistible force was the Orlando Magic roster as several key swaps were completed.

Lowry was expected to be dealt by Toronto. Instead, Lowry stayed put as the Raptors sent Norman Powell to the Trail Blazers for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood. Miami was one of the biggest pursuers for Lowry and may still target him as a free agent later this year.

A person familiar with the situation tells the AP the Cavaliers are working on a contract buyout of center Andre Drummond after failing to move the two-time All-Star before the deadline. Drummond hasn't played since Feb. 12 while the team sought to deal him.

The Spurs did likewise with Aldridge, working out a buyout after finding no suitable trade partner.

Failing to land Lowry, Miami picked up guard Victor Oladipo (oh-lah-DEE'-poh) from Houston for Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley and a pick swap in 2022.

The team making the most noise was the non-contending Magic. Nikola Vucevic (VOO'-cheh-vihch) and Al-Farouq Aminu were shipped off by Orlando to the Bulls for Wendell Carter Jr. and two future first-round selections. Evan Fournier was jettisoned by Orlando to the Celtics for a pair of second-round draft picks. And Aaron Gordon went from the Magic to the Denver Nuggets for Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton and a first-round draft pick. 

—The Clippers have addressed a need at point guard by landing Rajon Rondo from Atlanta. The Clippers gave up Lou Williams in the swap, sending him back to his home state.

— The Nuggets added JaVale McGee in a deal with Cleveland for Isaiah Hartenstein and two draft picks.

— A person familiar with the situation says the Mavericks have acquired veteran shooting guard JJ Redick and Italian forward Nicolo Melli from New Orleans. Dallas gives up power forward James Johnson, small forward Wesley Iwundu and a second-round draft choice to the Pelicans. 

— The Pistons have agreed to trade guard Delon Wright to the Kings for guard Cory Joseph and two second-round draft picks. That's according to a person with knowledge of the deal.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Former NBA head coach Stan Albeck has died in hospice care, less than two weeks after having a stroke.

Albeck coached the ABA's Denver Rockets in 1970-71 before runs with the NBA's Cavaliers, Spurs, Nets and Bulls between 1979 and '86. He took San Antonio to consecutive Western Conference Finals in 1982 and 1983.

White Sox slugger Jiménez out 5-6 months for ruptured tendon

UNDATED (AP) — Chicago White Sox slugger Eloy Jiménez (EE'-loy HIHM'-eh-nehz) is expected to be sidelined for five to six months because of a ruptured left pectoral tendon that requires surgery. 

Jiménez was hurt trying to make a play in the outfield during an exhibition game Tuesday and the injury has put his season in jeopardy. The 24-year-old Jiménez batted .296 with 14 homers and 41 RBIs in 55 games during the pandemic-shortened season.

— A person familiar with the injury says Rays reliever Nick Anderson has a partially torn ligament in his pitching elbow and likely will be sidelined beyond the All-Star break. Anderson went 2-1 with a 0.55 ERA and six saves in 19 outings during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season before appearing in 10 of the team's 20 postseason games. He is not expected to need surgery.

— Padres manager Jayce Tingler says right-hander Yu Darvish will be his opening day starter against the Diamondbacks. Darvish finished second in NL Cy Young Award voting for 2020 after going 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA. Left-hander Blake Snell is scheduled to follow Darvish in the rotation.

— Pitcher Gio Gonzalez says he has retired after 13 major league seasons. The 35-year-old left-hander had signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins and made one exhibition appearance. He has a career record of 131-101 with a 3.70 ERA in 13 seasons for four teams. He was a two-time All-Star, with Oakland in 2011 and Washington in 2012. 

—Max Fried (freed) will make his first opening day start for the Atlanta Braves, getting the nod in the wake of two stellar seasons. Fried went 7-0 with a 2.25 ERA last season, finishing fifth in the NL Cy Young Award balloting.

— Jimmy Nelson has earned a job with the World Series champion Dodgers after missing last season due to a back injury. The former Brewer allowed an unearned run over seven innings in four spring training appearances, giving up four hits and holding batters to a .160 average. 

— Right-hander Tommy Hunter was released from a minor league contract by the Mets after going 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA in five spring training appearances. Hunter agreed last month to a contract that would have called for a $2.25 million salary in the major leagues had he been added to the 40-man roster. 

— Bobby Brown, who won five World Series as an infielder with the New York Yankees and later became a cardiologist and president of the American League, has died at 96. Brown played with the Yankees from 1947-54 and won five championships in his eight-season career. Overall, he batted .279 with 22 home runs and 237 RBIs. Brown was president of the American League from 1984-94.

Islanders outlast B's to stay ahead of Caps

UNDATED (AP) — The New York Islanders still enjoy a two-point lead in the NHL's East Division, but the second-place Washington Capitals still enjoy two games in hand.

Anthony Beauvillier (boh-VIH'-lee-ay) scored 21 seconds into overtime and the Isles rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the Bruins, 4-3. The Islanders trailed 2-0 after one period, but Jean-Gabriel Pageau (PA'-zhoh) cut the margin in half in the second before third-period goals by Josh Bailey and Oliver Wahlstrom gave New York a brief lead with 2:56 left in regulation. The Islanders have won 12 of their last 14 games and are 5-0 versus the Bruins this season.

Evgeny Kuznetsov scored twice and Alex Ovechkin netted his 721st career goal in the Capitals' 4-3 win over the Devils. Ovechkin has scored eight times in Washington's last nine games, with the Caps winning eight of those contest. Kuznetsov notched the game-winner with about eight minutes to play.

— Mika Zibanejad (MEE'-kah zih-BAN'-eh-jad) collected six points against the Flyers for the second time since St. Patrick's Day, providing three goals and three assists in the Rangers' 8-3 thumping of the Flyers. Adam Fox had five assists and Pavel Buchnevich (booch-NEH'-vihch) added two goals for the Blueshirts, who torched Philadelphia, 9-0 on the 17th. Ryan Strome, K'Andre Miller and Filip Chytil also scored as the Rangers won their third straight and fifth in their last seven games.

— The Sabres' winless skid has reached 16 games after Jared McCann scored a pair of power-play goals and Casey DeSmith made 36 saves to lead the Penguins to a 4-0 shutout win over Buffalo. Radim Zohorna picked up a goal on his first NHL shot, and Sidney Crosby had three assists to raise his career point total to 1,300 as Pittsburgh swept a pair from the NHL's worst team with relative ease. Sabres GM Kevyn Adams had to go behind the bench after interim coach Don Granato was put in COVID-19 protocol.

— Sebastian Aho (AH'-hoh) scored 1:26 into overtime to give the Hurricanes a 4-3 victory and a split of their four-game series with the Blue Jackets. Oliver Bjorkstrand (BYOHRK'-strand) scored from the doorstep to tie the game for Columbus with 16 seconds left in regulation. Cedric Paquette, Nino Niederreiter (NEE'-dur-eye-tur) and Martin Necas (NAY'-chas) also scored for the Hurricanes, and Alex Nedeljkovic (neh-DEHL'-koh-vihch) followed up a shutout on Monday night with 33 saves.

— The Stars pulled out a 4-3 win over the Lightning as Roope Hintz scored on a breakaway with 1:21 remaining. Hintz and Joe Pavelski each had a goal and two assists to help Dallas beat the defending Stanley Cup champs for the first time in five tries this season. Andrei Vasilevskiy (va-sih-LEHV'-skee) made 39 saves for Tampa Bay, but his franchise-record 12-game winning streak was snapped. 

— Kevin Lankinen made 41 saves in his second career shutout, guiding the Blackhawks' 3-0 win versus the Panthers. The rookie goaltender also denied Jonathan Huberdeau on a rare 3-on-0 break with about three minutes left in the second period. Patrick Kane and Brandon Hagel each had a goal and an assist as Chicago earned its second straight victory against Florida after dropping its first four meetings this season. 

— Rocco Grimaldi tied a team record with four goals in the Predators' fifth win in six games, 7-1 against the Red Wings. Grimaldi opened the scoring at 5:34 of a wild, four-goal first period for the Predators, his first tally since Feb. 13. Eeli Tolvanen, Mikael Granlund and Mathieu Olivier also scored, and Juuse Saros made 20 saves as Nashville continues to move back into the hunt for the final Central Division playoff slot.

— Cam Talbot made 37 saves for his second shutout of the season, helping the Wild earn their team-record 11th consecutive home win, 2-0 over the Blues. Kariil Kaprizov (kah-REEL' kah-PREE'-zahf) notched his 11th goal to pad his lead among all league rookies. Marcus Johansson also scored for the Wild, who improved to 13-3 at Xcel Energy Center despite being outshot 37-11. 

— Cale Makar (mah-KAHR') and Gabriel Landeskog (LAN'-dehs-kahg) both recorded a goal and an assist while the Avalanche scored four times in the second period of a 4-1 verdict over the Golden Knights. Joonas Donskoi (YOH'-nuhs DAHN'-skoy) and J.T. Compher also scored in a pivotal middle period during which the Avalanche turned a 1-0 deficit into a 4-1 lead. Philipp Grubauer stopped 17 shots in his eighth straight win as Colorado pulled even with Vegas for first place in the West Division.

— The Maple Leafs pulled out a 3-2 win over the Senators on Justin Holl's goal at 4:42 of overtime. Holl scored after Toronto star Auston Matthews broke up an Ottawa 3-on-1 in the neutral zone. Jason Spezza (SPEHT'-suh) and Ilya Mikheyev (mih-KAY'-ehv) also scored for the Leafs, and Jack Campbell made 29 saves.

UNDATED (AP) —The Arizona Cardinals have added cornerback Malcolm Butler on a one-year deal. 

The two-time Pro Bowl selection comes to the Cardinals about a week after the team lost cornerback Patrick Peterson, who signed with the Vikings. 

Butler started all 16 games for the Tennessee Titans last season and had four interceptions and a career-high 100 tackles. 

— The Patriots have re-signed running back James White. The deal is for one year and according to reports will pay him a guaranteed $2.5 million, returning White to New England for his eighth season. 

— The Seahawks have bolstered their pass rush by signing former San Francisco defensive end Kerry Hyder Jr. Hyder is coming off his best season after setting career highs in starts, sacks and tackles with the 49ers last year. 

— The Bills have agreed to sign running back Matt Breida to a one-year contract. Breida was limited to 254 yards rushing and 96 receiving in 12 games for Miami last year.

Kisner eliminates Thomas, DeChambeau comes back

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Make it eight in a row for Kevin Kisner. The defending champion in the Dell Technologies Match Play built a big lead over Justin Thomas and then hung on to beat the No. 2 seed in 17 holes. Kisner's streak is the fifth-longest streak since this tournament began in 1999. Tiger Woods holds the record at 13 in a row from 2003 to 2005. 

Bob MacIntyre of Scotland gave the world's No. 1 player all he could handle before Dustin Johnson rallied just to escape with a tie.

MacIntyre build a 2-up lead with three holes to play when Johnson birdied the 16th, and then tied the match with a tough 18-footer. That sent the match down the 18th, and both players had birdie chances that missed.

U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau won his second match as a pro with a 2-and-1 victory over Si Woo Kim. DeChambeau was trailing with five holes to play when he rallied to win.

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Michelle Wie West struggled through a round of 9-over 81 in her first tournament in nearly two years, while Inbee Park shot a 6-under 66 to take the first-round lead in the Kia Classic at Aviara.

Park had a solid, bogey-free round in rainy, breezy conditions in the afternoon. 

Fellow South Korean Hyo Joo Kim was a stroke behind, and Sophia Popov, In Gee Chun, Stephanie Meadow and Mel Reid shot 68. 

The 31-year-old Wie West is in her first event since giving birth to daughter Makenna nine months ago. This is her first tournament since the Women's PGA Championship at Hazeltine in June 2019, when she shot 84-82.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild beat the St. Louis Blues 2-0 to stretch their franchise-record home winning streak to 11 straight games. Kirill Kaprizov scored his 11th goal to pad his NHL rookie lead. Cam Talbot made 37 saves for his second shutout of the season. Marcus Johansson also had a goal for the Wild. They improved to 13-3 at Xcel Energy Center despite being outshot 37-11. Talbot is 7-0 at home this season, with nine goals given up. Blues goalie Jordan Binnington took his first loss to the Wild in four career starts.UNDATED (AP) — Staging the women's NCAA Tournament in one place has led Iowa coach Lisa Bluder to ponder if a permanent neutral site is the way to go for the sport. Coronavirus concerns and precautions have led to the entire women's tournament to be played this month around the San Antonio area. Bluder saw how the previous format of on-campus games worked for her program but acknowledged it gave her a team a competitive advantage. She believes the neutral site idea is working this year, but Baylor coach Kim Mulkey and UConn's Geno Auriemma remember the days of little to no crowds and aren't so sure a permanent change is the best opion.ST. LOUIS (AP) — Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Bob Plager was killed Wednesday in a car crash in St. Louis. He was 78. Police said Plager was alone in his vehicle when it collided with a vehicle carrying two women on Interstate 64 in St. Louis about 1:30 p.m. One of the women sustained minor injuries. Plager was an original Blue, moving over from the New York Rangers when the NHL expanded in 1967-68. He played 11 seasons for St. Louis — teaming for a stretch with brothers Barclay and Bill. He worked for the organization in a variety of roles, coaching for 11 games in 1992. The Blues retired his No. 5 jersey in 2017, and it joined brother Barclay's No. 8 in the rafters.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA-SCHEDULE76ers hold off LakersUNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers continue to cruise without the services of All-Star center Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED').The Sixers earned their fourth straight win as Danny Green hit eight 3-pointers and scored 28 points in their fourth straight victory, 109-101 over the slumping Lakers.Seth Curry scored 19 points and Tobias Harris added 15 for the Eastern Conference leaders, who have won 10 of 11 overall and seven of eight since Embiid's injury.Los Angeles cut an 18-point deficit and trailed 102-98 with 2:20 left before falling.Playing without superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers are on their second four-game skid since mid-February.Kyle Kuzma (KOOZ'-muh) scored 25 points and Montrezl (MAHN'-trehz) Harrell added 20, but the defending NBA champions remained winless since James sprained his ankle last Sunday.Checking out Thursday's other NBA action:— Reggie Jackson scored 28 points and the Clippers picked up tier fourth straight win by topping the Spurs, 98-85. Paul George had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Los Angeles, which played without Kawhi (kah-WY') Leonard, Marcus Morris, Serge Ibaka (ih-BAH'-kah) and Patrick Beverley due to injury. DeMar DeRozan had 23 points, and Dejounte (deh-ZHAHN'-tay) Murray added 18 in San Antonio's fourth loss in a row.— The Trail Blazers came away with a 125-122 win over the Heat on Damian Lillard's three free throws in the final second. CJ McCollum had 21 of his 35 points in the first quarter for Portland, which got 22 points from Lillard and 20 from Carmelo Anthony. Bam Adebayo (ad-eh-BY'-oh) and Tyler Herro (HEE'-roh) each had 29 points for Miami, which dropped its fifth straight and fell to 22-23. — De'Aaron Fox poured in a career-best 44 points on 16 of 22 shooting and had seven assists as the Kings crushed the Warriors, 141-119. The mercurial point guard has topped 40 points twice this season and has had 30 or more in six of his last 10 games, averaging 30.7 points during that span. Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points with a career-best six 3-pointers, and Richaun Holmes had 25 points and 11 rebounds in Sacramento's fifth win in six games.— Alec Burks scored 15 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter of the Knicks' 106-102 comeback over the Wizards. RJ Barrett added 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Knickerbockers, who trailed by 17 in the third quarter and didn't lead until the fourth. Wizards starting guards Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook shot a combined 11-for-38, with Westbrook going 3-for-15 with eight turnovers.NBA-TRADESTrade deadline passes, Lowry stays with RaptorsUNDATED (AP) — The immovable objects at the NBA trade deadline proved to be Kyle Lowry, Andre Drummond and LaMarcus Aldridge. The irresistible force was the Orlando Magic roster as several key swaps were completed.Lowry was expected to be dealt by Toronto. Instead, Lowry stayed put as the Raptors sent Norman Powell to the Trail Blazers for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood. Miami was one of the biggest pursuers for Lowry and may still target him as a free agent later this year.A person familiar with the situation tells the AP the Cavaliers are working on a contract buyout of center Andre Drummond after failing to move the two-time All-Star before the deadline. Drummond hasn't played since Feb. 12 while the team sought to deal him.The Spurs did likewise with Aldridge, working out a buyout after finding no suitable trade partner.Failing to land Lowry, Miami picked up guard Victor Oladipo (oh-lah-DEE'-poh) from Houston for Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley and a pick swap in 2022.The team making the most noise was the non-contending Magic. Nikola Vucevic (VOO'-cheh-vihch) and Al-Farouq Aminu were shipped off by Orlando to the Bulls for Wendell Carter Jr. and two future first-round selections. Evan Fournier was jettisoned by Orlando to the Celtics for a pair of second-round draft picks. And Aaron Gordon went from the Magic to the Denver Nuggets for Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton and a first-round draft pick. Among other trades:—The Clippers have addressed a need at point guard by landing Rajon Rondo from Atlanta. The Clippers gave up Lou Williams in the swap, sending him back to his home state.— The Nuggets added JaVale McGee in a deal with Cleveland for Isaiah Hartenstein and two draft picks.— A person familiar with the situation says the Mavericks have acquired veteran shooting guard JJ Redick and Italian forward Nicolo Melli from New Orleans. Dallas gives up power forward James Johnson, small forward Wesley Iwundu and a second-round draft choice to the Pelicans. — The Pistons have agreed to trade guard Delon Wright to the Kings for guard Cory Joseph and two second-round draft picks. That's according to a person with knowledge of the deal.NBA-OBIT-ALBECKEx-NBA coach Albeck diesSAN ANTONIO (AP) — Former NBA head coach Stan Albeck has died in hospice care, less than two weeks after having a stroke.Albeck coached the ABA's Denver Rockets in 1970-71 before runs with the NBA's Cavaliers, Spurs, Nets and Bulls between 1979 and '86. He took San Antonio to consecutive Western Conference Finals in 1982 and 1983.Albeck was 89.MLB-NEWSWhite Sox slugger Jiménez out 5-6 months for ruptured tendonUNDATED (AP) — Chicago White Sox slugger Eloy Jiménez (EE'-loy HIHM'-eh-nehz) is expected to be sidelined for five to six months because of a ruptured left pectoral tendon that requires surgery. Jiménez was hurt trying to make a play in the outfield during an exhibition game Tuesday and the injury has put his season in jeopardy. The 24-year-old Jiménez batted .296 with 14 homers and 41 RBIs in 55 games during the pandemic-shortened season.In other MLB news:— A person familiar with the injury says Rays reliever Nick Anderson has a partially torn ligament in his pitching elbow and likely will be sidelined beyond the All-Star break. Anderson went 2-1 with a 0.55 ERA and six saves in 19 outings during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season before appearing in 10 of the team's 20 postseason games. He is not expected to need surgery.— Padres manager Jayce Tingler says right-hander Yu Darvish will be his opening day starter against the Diamondbacks. Darvish finished second in NL Cy Young Award voting for 2020 after going 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA. Left-hander Blake Snell is scheduled to follow Darvish in the rotation.— Pitcher Gio Gonzalez says he has retired after 13 major league seasons. The 35-year-old left-hander had signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins and made one exhibition appearance. He has a career record of 131-101 with a 3.70 ERA in 13 seasons for four teams. He was a two-time All-Star, with Oakland in 2011 and Washington in 2012. —Max Fried (freed) will make his first opening day start for the Atlanta Braves, getting the nod in the wake of two stellar seasons. Fried went 7-0 with a 2.25 ERA last season, finishing fifth in the NL Cy Young Award balloting.— Jimmy Nelson has earned a job with the World Series champion Dodgers after missing last season due to a back injury. The former Brewer allowed an unearned run over seven innings in four spring training appearances, giving up four hits and holding batters to a .160 average. — Right-hander Tommy Hunter was released from a minor league contract by the Mets after going 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA in five spring training appearances. Hunter agreed last month to a contract that would have called for a $2.25 million salary in the major leagues had he been added to the 40-man roster. — Bobby Brown, who won five World Series as an infielder with the New York Yankees and later became a cardiologist and president of the American League, has died at 96. Brown played with the Yankees from 1947-54 and won five championships in his eight-season career. Overall, he batted .279 with 22 home runs and 237 RBIs. Brown was president of the American League from 1984-94.NHL-SCHEDULEIslanders outlast B's to stay ahead of CapsUNDATED (AP) — The New York Islanders still enjoy a two-point lead in the NHL's East Division, but the second-place Washington Capitals still enjoy two games in hand.Anthony Beauvillier (boh-VIH'-lee-ay) scored 21 seconds into overtime and the Isles rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the Bruins, 4-3. The Islanders trailed 2-0 after one period, but Jean-Gabriel Pageau (PA'-zhoh) cut the margin in half in the second before third-period goals by Josh Bailey and Oliver Wahlstrom gave New York a brief lead with 2:56 left in regulation. The Islanders have won 12 of their last 14 games and are 5-0 versus the Bruins this season.Evgeny Kuznetsov scored twice and Alex Ovechkin netted his 721st career goal in the Capitals' 4-3 win over the Devils. Ovechkin has scored eight times in Washington's last nine games, with the Caps winning eight of those contest. Kuznetsov notched the game-winner with about eight minutes to play.Elsewhere on NHL ice:— Mika Zibanejad (MEE'-kah zih-BAN'-eh-jad) collected six points against the Flyers for the second time since St. Patrick's Day, providing three goals and three assists in the Rangers' 8-3 thumping of the Flyers. Adam Fox had five assists and Pavel Buchnevich (booch-NEH'-vihch) added two goals for the Blueshirts, who torched Philadelphia, 9-0 on the 17th. Ryan Strome, K'Andre Miller and Filip Chytil also scored as the Rangers won their third straight and fifth in their last seven games.— The Sabres' winless skid has reached 16 games after Jared McCann scored a pair of power-play goals and Casey DeSmith made 36 saves to lead the Penguins to a 4-0 shutout win over Buffalo. Radim Zohorna picked up a goal on his first NHL shot, and Sidney Crosby had three assists to raise his career point total to 1,300 as Pittsburgh swept a pair from the NHL's worst team with relative ease. Sabres GM Kevyn Adams had to go behind the bench after interim coach Don Granato was put in COVID-19 protocol.— Sebastian Aho (AH'-hoh) scored 1:26 into overtime to give the Hurricanes a 4-3 victory and a split of their four-game series with the Blue Jackets. Oliver Bjorkstrand (BYOHRK'-strand) scored from the doorstep to tie the game for Columbus with 16 seconds left in regulation. Cedric Paquette, Nino Niederreiter (NEE'-dur-eye-tur) and Martin Necas (NAY'-chas) also scored for the Hurricanes, and Alex Nedeljkovic (neh-DEHL'-koh-vihch) followed up a shutout on Monday night with 33 saves.— The Stars pulled out a 4-3 win over the Lightning as Roope Hintz scored on a breakaway with 1:21 remaining. Hintz and Joe Pavelski each had a goal and two assists to help Dallas beat the defending Stanley Cup champs for the first time in five tries this season. Andrei Vasilevskiy (va-sih-LEHV'-skee) made 39 saves for Tampa Bay, but his franchise-record 12-game winning streak was snapped. — Kevin Lankinen made 41 saves in his second career shutout, guiding the Blackhawks' 3-0 win versus the Panthers. The rookie goaltender also denied Jonathan Huberdeau on a rare 3-on-0 break with about three minutes left in the second period. Patrick Kane and Brandon Hagel each had a goal and an assist as Chicago earned its second straight victory against Florida after dropping its first four meetings this season. — Rocco Grimaldi tied a team record with four goals in the Predators' fifth win in six games, 7-1 against the Red Wings. Grimaldi opened the scoring at 5:34 of a wild, four-goal first period for the Predators, his first tally since Feb. 13. Eeli Tolvanen, Mikael Granlund and Mathieu Olivier also scored, and Juuse Saros made 20 saves as Nashville continues to move back into the hunt for the final Central Division playoff slot.— Cam Talbot made 37 saves for his second shutout of the season, helping the Wild earn their team-record 11th consecutive home win, 2-0 over the Blues. Kariil Kaprizov (kah-REEL' kah-PREE'-zahf) notched his 11th goal to pad his lead among all league rookies. Marcus Johansson also scored for the Wild, who improved to 13-3 at Xcel Energy Center despite being outshot 37-11. — Cale Makar (mah-KAHR') and Gabriel Landeskog (LAN'-dehs-kahg) both recorded a goal and an assist while the Avalanche scored four times in the second period of a 4-1 verdict over the Golden Knights. Joonas Donskoi (YOH'-nuhs DAHN'-skoy) and J.T. Compher also scored in a pivotal middle period during which the Avalanche turned a 1-0 deficit into a 4-1 lead. Philipp Grubauer stopped 17 shots in his eighth straight win as Colorado pulled even with Vegas for first place in the West Division.— The Maple Leafs pulled out a 3-2 win over the Senators on Justin Holl's goal at 4:42 of overtime. Holl scored after Toronto star Auston Matthews broke up an Ottawa 3-on-1 in the neutral zone. Jason Spezza (SPEHT'-suh) and Ilya Mikheyev (mih-KAY'-ehv) also scored for the Leafs, and Jack Campbell made 29 saves.NFL-NEWSCards get CB ButlerUNDATED (AP) —The Arizona Cardinals have added cornerback Malcolm Butler on a one-year deal. The two-time Pro Bowl selection comes to the Cardinals about a week after the team lost cornerback Patrick Peterson, who signed with the Vikings. Butler started all 16 games for the Tennessee Titans last season and had four interceptions and a career-high 100 tackles. In other NFL moves:— The Patriots have re-signed running back James White. The deal is for one year and according to reports will pay him a guaranteed $2.5 million, returning White to New England for his eighth season. — The Seahawks have bolstered their pass rush by signing former San Francisco defensive end Kerry Hyder Jr. Hyder is coming off his best season after setting career highs in starts, sacks and tackles with the 49ers last year. — The Bills have agreed to sign running back Matt Breida to a one-year contract. Breida was limited to 254 yards rushing and 96 receiving in 12 games for Miami last year.PGA-MATCH PLAYKisner eliminates Thomas, DeChambeau comes backAUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Make it eight in a row for Kevin Kisner. The defending champion in the Dell Technologies Match Play built a big lead over Justin Thomas and then hung on to beat the No. 2 seed in 17 holes. Kisner's streak is the fifth-longest streak since this tournament began in 1999. Tiger Woods holds the record at 13 in a row from 2003 to 2005. Bob MacIntyre of Scotland gave the world's No. 1 player all he could handle before Dustin Johnson rallied just to escape with a tie.MacIntyre build a 2-up lead with three holes to play when Johnson birdied the 16th, and then tied the match with a tough 18-footer. That sent the match down the 18th, and both players had birdie chances that missed.U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau won his second match as a pro with a 2-and-1 victory over Si Woo Kim. DeChambeau was trailing with five holes to play when he rallied to win.LPGA-KIA CLASSICWie wobbles, Park pounces at Kia ClassicCARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Michelle Wie West struggled through a round of 9-over 81 in her first tournament in nearly two years, while Inbee Park shot a 6-under 66 to take the first-round lead in the Kia Classic at Aviara.Park had a solid, bogey-free round in rainy, breezy conditions in the afternoon. Fellow South Korean Hyo Joo Kim was a stroke behind, and Sophia Popov, In Gee Chun, Stephanie Meadow and Mel Reid shot 68. The 31-year-old Wie West is in her first event since giving birth to daughter Makenna nine months ago. This is her first tournament since the Women's PGA Championship at Hazeltine in June 2019, when she shot 84-82.

Sports Headlines for Friday

By Steve Carpenter - Hutchinson CC Sports Information Director

Normally when a newly hired football coach takes over a program, the average amount of time from hiring to first game is about eight months.

New Hutchinson Community College football coach Drew Dallas will have waited 14 months … or 471 days … or 11,304 hours … you get the idea ... between his hiring and first game.

"It's been a long time," said Dallas, who finally starts his Blue Dragon head coaching career at 7 p.m. on Friday against the Coffeyville Red Ravens. "I'm looking forward to finally getting to watch my guys play and get into a game situation. It still feels like there is a lot of preparation yet to be done, but the excitement is there and it will crank up as we get closer to kickoff."

The 2020 football season was delayed and pushed back to the spring because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The Blue Dragons will now play an eight-game schedule seven their usually seven conference foes and non-conference opponent Arkansas Baptist on April 11. Five of the eight games will be played on Sundays this season.

Added to the intrigue of the 2021 spring season is the fact that on Monday the NJCAA announced that Blue Dragon football is the No. 1-ranked team in the preseason poll – the first time that's happened in program history and just the second time Hutchinson football has achieved a No. 1-ranking.

"We are going to get everybody's best shot," said Dallas, whose team is also the Jayhawk Conference co-favorites this season with Garden City. "If we don't take it and run with it, (the ranking) doesn't meet a darn thing. If you want it at the end of the year, you better earn it every week."

The 2020-2021 Blue Dragons have 10 total starters returning from a 2019 team that went 10-2 and finished third in the final NJCAA Rankings. Hutchinson was a grand total of three points away from playing in a national championship game in 2019.

Dallas was the offensive coordinator of that team. All the 2019 Blue Dragons did was score 538 points and average 44.8 points per game (both marks are No. 3 in Blue Dragon history), rush for 244.5 yards per game (4th most in team history), tied a single-season record with 42 rushing touchdowns and average 4.19.6 total yards per game (fifth in Blue Dragon history).

Dallas will rebuild the offense around an experienced offensive line, but the skilled position players have little or no collegiate experience.

Redshirt freshman C.J. Ogbonna and true freshman Dylan Laible will be the two quarterback tapped to start the season, and both will see time in Friday's game. The dual-threat Ogbonna has been in the Blue Dragon program and knows Dallas' offensive system, but hasn't seen playing time since 2018 in high school. Laible is more of a pocket-passing quarterback who stands 6-feet, 5 inches tall.

"Both will see game reps," Dallas said. "Both are extremely intelligent and I expect both will be good game managers. I'm confident in their abilities. It's just a matter now of getting them into game action."

Whoever is throwing the football, he will have some experienced receivers to throw to.

Cortez Braham played in nine games last season and caught 17 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns. Cam Henderson had two receptions in six games. Dallas is also expecting redshirt freshman Emmanuel Mann and Tyrone Howell to be a big part of the receiver rotation.

The Blue Dragons won't have a running back who touched the ball in 2019 as a Blue Dragon. Dallas is high on Georgia Military transfer Tye Edwards and freshman Ronald Hoff to make impacts. Dallas likes the depth at the running back position and expects to use multiple backs throughout the season.

The tight end position will be manned by a pair of freshmen in Florida International transfer Ivan Thomas and freshman Tamauri Chislom.

The offensive line will be anchored by right tackle Stevie Young at right tackle, Kingsley Ugwu and left tackle and Aric Harris at center. Young started all 12 games last season and Ugwu and Harris saw plenty of playing time in 2019. Freshman Brandon Hall and UT-Kingsville transfer Dennis Wilburn will likely start at the guards.

"This is our most experienced position on offense and our deepest," Dallas said. "I'm excited about the offensive line."

The 2020-21 defense has a tough act to follow as the 2019 Blue Dragon defense was one of the best in the nation.

The 2019 Blue Dragons allowed only 15 points per game, 88.2 rushing yards, 134 passing yards and 222.2 total yards per game. The Blue Dragons had 25 takeaways and produced 52 quarterback last season.

Returning on the defensive line are tackles Demarco Roland and Jaylan Bass. Roland had nine tackles, including a sack in nine games played last season. Bass played in five games and had four tackles. Redshirt freshman Zy Strong and true freshman Daishon Folsom are the leading candidate to fill the defensive end spots.

The Blue Dragons have two very experienced linebackers in all-conference returnee Gereme Spraggins and Jurrente Davis.

Spraggins was the second-leading tackler in 2019 with 21 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss and a pair of quarterback sacks. Spraggins also had two fumble recoveries and an interception. Davis came on strong in the last half of 2019 and finished with 45 tackles and seven tackles for loss. Also in the mix will be R.J. Evans, Tre Pinkney and Quitman Kincaid at the linebacker spot.

"Gereme and Jurrente at linebacker have a lot of reps between them," Dallas said. "The experience we have at linebacker is huge."

Ro Torrence is the most experienced cornerback returning. Deonte Stanley also saw time last season. Torrence played in five games last season in limited duty. Jalik Thomas and Shamari Simmons are also in line for playing time at cornerback.

The Dragons will have new faces at both safety positions as four players will primarily rotate in the secondary. Freshman Caleb Coleman, Marquise Gilbert, De'Angelo Sapp and De'Sean Spencer will carry the primary load early.

Freshman Alfonso Deleon, freshman Caleb Brickhouse and C.J. Moya are all in line to do the kicking and punting duties this season.

"Alfonso has a really strong long and all three are really good kickers," Dallas said. "You will likely see all three of those guys on Friday night."

Henderson will likely be the Dragons' No. 1 punt returner while Thomas and Matt will see time returning kickoffs.

The Blue Dragons look to improve what was a sub-par special teams season in 2019.

By Steve Carpenter - Hutchinson CC Sports Information DirectorNormally when a newly hired football coach takes over a program, the average amount of time from hiring to first game is about eight months.New Hutchinson Community College football coach Drew Dallas will have waited 14 months … or 471 days … or 11,304 hours … you get the idea ... between his hiring and first game."It's been a long time," said Dallas, who finally starts his Blue Dragon head coaching career at 7 p.m. on Friday against the Coffeyville Red Ravens. "I'm looking forward to finally getting to watch my guys play and get into a game situation. It still feels like there is a lot of preparation yet to be done, but the excitement is there and it will crank up as we get closer to kickoff."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616756714480.png" alt="HutchCC FB Information Box 3-26-21.png" />
 <figcaption>HutchCC FB Information Box 3-26-21.png</figcaption>
 </figure>The 2020 football season was delayed and pushed back to the spring because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The Blue Dragons will now play an eight-game schedule seven their usually seven conference foes and non-conference opponent Arkansas Baptist on April 11. Five of the eight games will be played on Sundays this season.Added to the intrigue of the 2021 spring season is the fact that on Monday the NJCAA announced that Blue Dragon football is the No. 1-ranked team in the preseason poll – the first time that's happened in program history and just the second time Hutchinson football has achieved a No. 1-ranking."We are going to get everybody's best shot," said Dallas, whose team is also the Jayhawk Conference co-favorites this season with Garden City. "If we don't take it and run with it, (the ranking) doesn't meet a darn thing. If you want it at the end of the year, you better earn it every week."The 2020-2021 Blue Dragons have 10 total starters returning from a 2019 team that went 10-2 and finished third in the final NJCAA Rankings. Hutchinson was a grand total of three points away from playing in a national championship game in 2019.Dallas was the offensive coordinator of that team. All the 2019 Blue Dragons did was score 538 points and average 44.8 points per game (both marks are No. 3 in Blue Dragon history), rush for 244.5 yards per game (4th most in team history), tied a single-season record with 42 rushing touchdowns and average 4.19.6 total yards per game (fifth in Blue Dragon history).Dallas will rebuild the offense around an experienced offensive line, but the skilled position players have little or no collegiate experience.Redshirt freshman C.J. Ogbonna and true freshman Dylan Laible will be the two quarterback tapped to start the season, and both will see time in Friday's game. The dual-threat Ogbonna has been in the Blue Dragon program and knows Dallas' offensive system, but hasn't seen playing time since 2018 in high school. Laible is more of a pocket-passing quarterback who stands 6-feet, 5 inches tall."Both will see game reps," Dallas said. "Both are extremely intelligent and I expect both will be good game managers. I'm confident in their abilities. It's just a matter now of getting them into game action."Whoever is throwing the football, he will have some experienced receivers to throw to.Cortez Braham played in nine games last season and caught 17 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns. Cam Henderson had two receptions in six games. Dallas is also expecting redshirt freshman Emmanuel Mann and Tyrone Howell to be a big part of the receiver rotation.The Blue Dragons won't have a running back who touched the ball in 2019 as a Blue Dragon. Dallas is high on Georgia Military transfer Tye Edwards and freshman Ronald Hoff to make impacts. Dallas likes the depth at the running back position and expects to use multiple backs throughout the season.The tight end position will be manned by a pair of freshmen in Florida International transfer Ivan Thomas and freshman Tamauri Chislom.The offensive line will be anchored by right tackle Stevie Young at right tackle, Kingsley Ugwu and left tackle and Aric Harris at center. Young started all 12 games last season and Ugwu and Harris saw plenty of playing time in 2019. Freshman Brandon Hall and UT-Kingsville transfer Dennis Wilburn will likely start at the guards."This is our most experienced position on offense and our deepest," Dallas said. "I'm excited about the offensive line."The 2020-21 defense has a tough act to follow as the 2019 Blue Dragon defense was one of the best in the nation.The 2019 Blue Dragons allowed only 15 points per game, 88.2 rushing yards, 134 passing yards and 222.2 total yards per game. The Blue Dragons had 25 takeaways and produced 52 quarterback last season.Returning on the defensive line are tackles Demarco Roland and Jaylan Bass. Roland had nine tackles, including a sack in nine games played last season. Bass played in five games and had four tackles. Redshirt freshman Zy Strong and true freshman Daishon Folsom are the leading candidate to fill the defensive end spots.The Blue Dragons have two very experienced linebackers in all-conference returnee Gereme Spraggins and Jurrente Davis.Spraggins was the second-leading tackler in 2019 with 21 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss and a pair of quarterback sacks. Spraggins also had two fumble recoveries and an interception. Davis came on strong in the last half of 2019 and finished with 45 tackles and seven tackles for loss. Also in the mix will be R.J. Evans, Tre Pinkney and Quitman Kincaid at the linebacker spot."Gereme and Jurrente at linebacker have a lot of reps between them," Dallas said. "The experience we have at linebacker is huge."Ro Torrence is the most experienced cornerback returning. Deonte Stanley also saw time last season. Torrence played in five games last season in limited duty. Jalik Thomas and Shamari Simmons are also in line for playing time at cornerback.The Dragons will have new faces at both safety positions as four players will primarily rotate in the secondary. Freshman Caleb Coleman, Marquise Gilbert, De'Angelo Sapp and De'Sean Spencer will carry the primary load early.Freshman Alfonso Deleon, freshman Caleb Brickhouse and C.J. Moya are all in line to do the kicking and punting duties this season."Alfonso has a really strong long and all three are really good kickers," Dallas said. "You will likely see all three of those guys on Friday night."Henderson will likely be the Dragons' No. 1 punt returner while Thomas and Matt will see time returning kickoffs.The Blue Dragons look to improve what was a sub-par special teams season in 2019.

Coach Dallas, Blue Dragons finally able to take the field

By STEVE CARPENTER - Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Zach Firamture pitched six strong innings in Game 1 and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/steele_jenner_eobj">Jenner Steele</a>&nbsp;had his second multi-home run game in the last six days as the Hutchinson Community College baseball team took the first two games of its Jayhawk West series with the Butler Grizzlies on Thursday at Hobart-Detter Field.

Firmature's outing helped Hutchinson to a 6-5 victory in the series opener. Steele hit a pair of home runs to lead Hutchinson to an 11-6 lead in the second game.

The Blue Dragons improved 14-8 overall and is now 8-2 in the Jayhawk West. Butler is now 8-5 and 6-4 in the Jayhawk West. The final two games of the series will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at McDonald Stadium in El Dorado.

GAME 1 RECAP Firmature earned his third-straight victory – all three wins were in conference games – and matched his season-long outing with six strong innings.

Firmature (4-1) allowed just two runs in the second inning. The Blue Dragon sophomore struck out six and walked just one. He allowed six hits and two earned runs.

Butler made a strong run at the Blue Dragons in the seventh inning.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/fenton_cade_90bq">Cade Fenton</a>&nbsp;pitched 1-3 inning and allowed three runs before&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/delong_tyler_zy4q">Tyler Delong</a>&nbsp;came in to earn his first save with back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.

<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/reetz_will_n5g4">Will Reetz</a>&nbsp;went 3 for 3 with two singles and a solo home run in the sixth inning. Reetz drove in two runs.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/lowe_mason_k4ea">Mason Lowe</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/callahan_austin_vm9d">Austin Callahan</a>&nbsp;had two hits each. Callahan had an RBI single in the first and hit his ninth homer of the season, a one-out solo shot in the bottom of the fifth that gave the Dragons a 4-2 lead.

GAME 2 RECAP Steele went 3 for 5 with two home runs and four RBIs to lead Hutchinson's 16-hit attack in Game 2. He hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first. He became the 39th Blue Dragon in program history to hit 10 home runs in a season when he launched a solo homer in the sixth to give the Dragons a 10-2 lead.

Lowe went 3 for 5 with a double and two runs scored from the leadoff spot. Callahan went 2 for 4 with a double, three runs and an RBI in the No. 2 slot in the order.

The top three Dragon batters – Lowe, Callahan and Steele – were a combined 8 for 14 with six RBIs and 8 runs scored.

<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/mclaughlin_ben_izxd">Ben McLaughlin</a>&nbsp;was 2 for 5 with three RBIs and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/reetz_will_n5g4">Will Reetz</a>&nbsp;was 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/gotreaux_hunter_hz3z">Hunter Gotreaux</a>&nbsp;also went 2 for 4 with two runs.

The Blue Dragon pitching staff lived on the edge in every inning of Game 2 with the exception of the ninth. Butler had multiple baserunners on in each inning and wound up leaving 14 runners on base.

Starter&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/sanchez_sammy_taz1">Sammy Sanchez</a>&nbsp;(3-1) worked the first five innings to earn the win. He allowed eight hits and two earned runs while striking out four.

<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/waugh_hunter_ir6j">Hunter Waugh</a>&nbsp;worked 1 2-3 innings out of the bullpen.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/mitchell_josh_resl">Josh Mitchell</a>&nbsp;worked inning. Delong worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth and got the final out of the inning. He issued a one-out walk in the ninth, but closed the game out with a fielder's choice and strikeout.

By STEVE CARPENTER - Hutchinson CC Sports InformationZach Firamture pitched six strong innings in Game 1 and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/steele_jenner_eobj">Jenner Steele</a>&nbsp;had his second multi-home run game in the last six days as the Hutchinson Community College baseball team took the first two games of its Jayhawk West series with the Butler Grizzlies on Thursday at Hobart-Detter Field.Firmature's outing helped Hutchinson to a 6-5 victory in the series opener. Steele hit a pair of home runs to lead Hutchinson to an 11-6 lead in the second game.The Blue Dragons improved 14-8 overall and is now 8-2 in the Jayhawk West. Butler is now 8-5 and 6-4 in the Jayhawk West. The final two games of the series will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at McDonald Stadium in El Dorado.GAME 1 RECAP Firmature earned his third-straight victory – all three wins were in conference games – and matched his season-long outing with six strong innings.Firmature (4-1) allowed just two runs in the second inning. The Blue Dragon sophomore struck out six and walked just one. He allowed six hits and two earned runs.Butler made a strong run at the Blue Dragons in the seventh inning.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/fenton_cade_90bq">Cade Fenton</a>&nbsp;pitched 1-3 inning and allowed three runs before&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/delong_tyler_zy4q">Tyler Delong</a>&nbsp;came in to earn his first save with back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.Offensively, hits were tied at 10-10.<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/reetz_will_n5g4">Will Reetz</a>&nbsp;went 3 for 3 with two singles and a solo home run in the sixth inning. Reetz drove in two runs.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/lowe_mason_k4ea">Mason Lowe</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/callahan_austin_vm9d">Austin Callahan</a>&nbsp;had two hits each. Callahan had an RBI single in the first and hit his ninth homer of the season, a one-out solo shot in the bottom of the fifth that gave the Dragons a 4-2 lead.GAME 2 RECAP Steele went 3 for 5 with two home runs and four RBIs to lead Hutchinson's 16-hit attack in Game 2. He hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first. He became the 39th Blue Dragon in program history to hit 10 home runs in a season when he launched a solo homer in the sixth to give the Dragons a 10-2 lead.Lowe went 3 for 5 with a double and two runs scored from the leadoff spot. Callahan went 2 for 4 with a double, three runs and an RBI in the No. 2 slot in the order.The top three Dragon batters – Lowe, Callahan and Steele – were a combined 8 for 14 with six RBIs and 8 runs scored.<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/mclaughlin_ben_izxd">Ben McLaughlin</a>&nbsp;was 2 for 5 with three RBIs and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/reetz_will_n5g4">Will Reetz</a>&nbsp;was 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/gotreaux_hunter_hz3z">Hunter Gotreaux</a>&nbsp;also went 2 for 4 with two runs.The Blue Dragon pitching staff lived on the edge in every inning of Game 2 with the exception of the ninth. Butler had multiple baserunners on in each inning and wound up leaving 14 runners on base.Starter&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/sanchez_sammy_taz1">Sammy Sanchez</a>&nbsp;(3-1) worked the first five innings to earn the win. He allowed eight hits and two earned runs while striking out four.<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/waugh_hunter_ir6j">Hunter Waugh</a>&nbsp;worked 1 2-3 innings out of the bullpen.&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/bios/mitchell_josh_resl">Josh Mitchell</a>&nbsp;worked inning. Delong worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth and got the final out of the inning. He issued a one-out walk in the ninth, but closed the game out with a fielder's choice and strikeout.

Blue Dragon Baseball takes pair from Grizzlies to open series

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger announced his retirement Thursday, ending a 35-year Division I college head coaching career that included taking five schools to the NCAA Tournament — with two of them reaching the Final Four — and more than 650 career wins.

The 68-year-old Kruger led Florida to the national semifinals in 1994 and Oklahoma to the same spot in 2016. He is the only coach to lead five programs to NCAA Tournament wins -- Oklahoma, Kansas State, Florida, Illinois and UNLV.

At 674-432, his win totals were 10th among active Division I coaches and 27th overall at the time of his retirement.

Kansas coach Bill Self was glad Kruger got to go out on his own terms.

“I have enjoyed competing against him at his different stops, but primarily at the University of Oklahoma where his teams were always classy and difficult to prepare for,” Self said. “I know personally the respect he commands in our industry and I’m sure his former players, assistant coaches and everyone affiliated in his programs over time would attest to the way he went about his business.”

He led the Sooners to a 195-128 record in 10 years and reached seven of the past eight NCAA tournaments. In his final season at Oklahoma, the Sooners went 16-11 and ended with a loss to top-seeded Gonzaga in the second round on Monday.

Along the way, he built a reputation for fixing struggling programs.

“His track record of successfully rebuilding programs everywhere he coached is made even more impressive when considering how he did it,” Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said. “He won with integrity, humility, class and grace. He did it with superior leadership skills and a genuine kindness that included his constant encouragement of everyone around him.”

Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/thacoachmike/status/1375187340969324553" target="_blank">Tweeted about Kruger reaching out</a>&nbsp;the day after Boynton was promoted to head coach back in 2017.

“I received a call from ⁦@LonKruger⁩. He wished me well &amp; asked that I call if I ever needed any help/advice. We competed a few times a yr, but I respected him as much as anyone in the game. Enjoy retirement. #Salute”

Among his many accomplishments, Kruger was voted the AP Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2014. He was the 2019 recipient of the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award and honored in 2017 with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Metropolitan Award for long and outstanding service to men’s college basketball. He also coached at Texas Pan American.

Kruger coached first-round draft picks Buddy Hield and Trae Young. Hield was named Big 12 Player of the Year in both 2015 and 2016 and left Oklahoma as the Big 12’s all-time leading scorer. Young was the first player in college basketball history to lead the country in both points and assists.

“The tremendous success he enjoyed on the court over the last four decades, the meaningful mentorship role he served with players and staff, his dedication to trying to improve the lives of others -- it’s a career he should certainly be proud of and that people should really take the time to study and appreciate,” Castiglione said.

He led his alma mater, Kansas State, to the Elite Eight in 1988. Kansas State’s Twitter account&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/kstatesports/status/1375182449911681031?s=20" target="_blank">congratulated him</a>&nbsp;and called him a “A Wildcat for life.”

Kruger also spent four years coaching in the NBA -- three as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks and one as a New York Knicks assistant.

Just last week, longtime Oklahoma women’s basketball Sherri Coale also announced her retirement.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger announced his retirement Thursday, ending a 35-year Division I college head coaching career that included taking five schools to the NCAA Tournament — with two of them reaching the Final Four — and more than 650 career wins.The 68-year-old Kruger led Florida to the national semifinals in 1994 and Oklahoma to the same spot in 2016. He is the only coach to lead five programs to NCAA Tournament wins -- Oklahoma, Kansas State, Florida, Illinois and UNLV.At 674-432, his win totals were 10th among active Division I coaches and 27th overall at the time of his retirement.Kansas coach Bill Self was glad Kruger got to go out on his own terms.“I have enjoyed competing against him at his different stops, but primarily at the University of Oklahoma where his teams were always classy and difficult to prepare for,” Self said. “I know personally the respect he commands in our industry and I’m sure his former players, assistant coaches and everyone affiliated in his programs over time would attest to the way he went about his business.”He led the Sooners to a 195-128 record in 10 years and reached seven of the past eight NCAA tournaments. In his final season at Oklahoma, the Sooners went 16-11 and ended with a loss to top-seeded Gonzaga in the second round on Monday.ADVERTISEMENTAlong the way, he built a reputation for fixing struggling programs.“His track record of successfully rebuilding programs everywhere he coached is made even more impressive when considering how he did it,” Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said. “He won with integrity, humility, class and grace. He did it with superior leadership skills and a genuine kindness that included his constant encouragement of everyone around him.”Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/thacoachmike/status/1375187340969324553" target="_blank">Tweeted about Kruger reaching out</a>&nbsp;the day after Boynton was promoted to head coach back in 2017.“I received a call from ⁦@LonKruger⁩. He wished me well &amp; asked that I call if I ever needed any help/advice. We competed a few times a yr, but I respected him as much as anyone in the game. Enjoy retirement. #Salute”Among his many accomplishments, Kruger was voted the AP Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2014. He was the 2019 recipient of the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award and honored in 2017 with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Metropolitan Award for long and outstanding service to men’s college basketball. He also coached at Texas Pan American.Kruger coached first-round draft picks Buddy Hield and Trae Young. Hield was named Big 12 Player of the Year in both 2015 and 2016 and left Oklahoma as the Big 12’s all-time leading scorer. Young was the first player in college basketball history to lead the country in both points and assists.“The tremendous success he enjoyed on the court over the last four decades, the meaningful mentorship role he served with players and staff, his dedication to trying to improve the lives of others -- it’s a career he should certainly be proud of and that people should really take the time to study and appreciate,” Castiglione said.He led his alma mater, Kansas State, to the Elite Eight in 1988. Kansas State’s Twitter account&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/kstatesports/status/1375182449911681031?s=20" target="_blank">congratulated him</a>&nbsp;and called him a “A Wildcat for life.”Kruger also spent four years coaching in the NBA -- three as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks and one as a New York Knicks assistant.Just last week, longtime Oklahoma women’s basketball Sherri Coale also announced her retirement.

Oklahoma coach Kruger retires; led 2 teams to Final Four

TOPEKA, Kan. – The schedule for the KSHSAA State Championship Track and Field Meet has been modified for this year and will be conducted May 27-29.&nbsp; Athletes and schools in all classifications will still compete for state titles at Cessna Stadium on the Wichita State University campus. Postseason plans for all other spring activities were finalized at the KSHSAA Executive Board meeting, March 23 and 24.

Kansas is known nationwide for its spectacular state championship track meet which traditionally marks the end of the KSHSAA competition year. With the current climate of the COVID-19 pandemic, adjustments had to be made to mitigate risk at the event. Working with Wichita State University, the plan ultimately led to adding one day which allows for two classes to compete each day in one day track meets. Spectator attendance will be announced at a later date.

Thursday, May 27, 2021 = Classes 5A and 6A

Saturday, May 29, 2021 = Classes 1A and 2A

<a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/Public/Track/PDF/StateSchedule.pdf" target="_blank">Full Schedule</a>

The following activities will take place as intended to going into the 2020-21 school year with no modifications to traditional playing dates, seeding format and qualifiers. Spectator attendance at lead-up rounds and the final sites will be determined by host schools and county health departments:

Girls Swimming and Diving will operate under the adjusted schedule similar to the boys competition in the winter. The nature of being indoors provides the need for a greater adjustment to conduct the event as opposed to other spring activities. Spectator admittance will be released at a later date.

Music Festivals and Forensics/Speech will take place virtually. We are thrilled to provide our fine arts students the opportunity to perform in 2021. State Music Upload Asynchronous Recording Dates

March 22-April 5 = Solos &amp; Small Ensemble All Classes

May 1 = Festivals and Championships All Classes conducted synchronously

TOPEKA, Kan. – The schedule for the KSHSAA State Championship Track and Field Meet has been modified for this year and will be conducted May 27-29.&nbsp; Athletes and schools in all classifications will still compete for state titles at Cessna Stadium on the Wichita State University campus. Postseason plans for all other spring activities were finalized at the KSHSAA Executive Board meeting, March 23 and 24.Kansas is known nationwide for its spectacular state championship track meet which traditionally marks the end of the KSHSAA competition year. With the current climate of the COVID-19 pandemic, adjustments had to be made to mitigate risk at the event. Working with Wichita State University, the plan ultimately led to adding one day which allows for two classes to compete each day in one day track meets. Spectator attendance will be announced at a later date.State Track and Field Meet Schedule:Thursday, May 27, 2021 = Classes 5A and 6AFriday, May 28, 2021 = Classes 3A and 4ASaturday, May 29, 2021 = Classes 1A and 2A<a href="https://www.kshsaa.org/Public/Track/PDF/StateSchedule.pdf" target="_blank">Full Schedule</a>The following activities will take place as intended to going into the 2020-21 school year with no modifications to traditional playing dates, seeding format and qualifiers. Spectator attendance at lead-up rounds and the final sites will be determined by host schools and county health departments:BaseballBoys GolfBoys TennisGirls SoccerSoftballGirls Swimming and Diving will operate under the adjusted schedule similar to the boys competition in the winter. The nature of being indoors provides the need for a greater adjustment to conduct the event as opposed to other spring activities. Spectator admittance will be released at a later date.Friday, May 21 = Class 6ASaturday, May 22 = Class 5-1AMusic Festivals and Forensics/Speech will take place virtually. We are thrilled to provide our fine arts students the opportunity to perform in 2021. State Music Upload Asynchronous Recording DatesMarch 22-April 5 = Solos &amp; Small Ensemble All ClassesApril 1-12 = Large Groups All ClassesState Speech/DramaMay 1 = Festivals and Championships All Classes conducted synchronously

KSHSAA sets Spring Postseason dates

PRATT – The Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team saw its nine-game winning streak come to an end Wednesday night.

Pratt's Malcolm Whitlow came off the bench to score a game-high 28 points, 16 in the second half, as the Beavers upset the Blue Dragons 85-82 at the Dennis Lesh Sports Arena to split the season series with the Blue Dragons.

The Blue Dragons fell to 14-4 overall and saw their three-game lead in the Jayhawk West trimmed to two games at 13-4. Both Dodge City and Barton won games on Wednesday night. Pratt, which defeated Hutchinson for the second-straight season on its home court, improved to 7-10 overall, 6-10 in league play.

The Blue Dragons suffered through an off offensive night.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/mayers_matt_jfk4">Matt Mayers</a>&nbsp;missed most of the first half with an injury and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/kuath_majok_xrls">Majok Kuath</a>&nbsp;was strapped with foul trouble. The Blue Dragons shot 41.3 percent for the game (36 of 63) for the game and had 14 turnovers.

Still, Hutchinson led 38-35 at halftime, but Whitlow and the Beavers more than warmed up in the second half.

With the game tied at 55 in the second half, Pratt's Julian Eziukwu scored for a two-point Pratt lead. Kuath was issued a technical foul on the next Hutchinson possession and Whitlow's free throws gave the Beavers a 59-55 lead. A Cam Morris dunk at the 8:05 mark gave Pratt a 64-57 lead and the Dragons were forced to take a timeout.

Hutch still trailed 66-64 after two&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/okon_jaden_os3t">Jaden Okon</a>&nbsp;free throws with 5:42 to play. Pratt went on a 7-0 run and led 73-64 after a Whitlow field goal with 3:55 to play in the game.

Trailing 81-71 with 1:12 to play, the Dragons mounted a furious comeback with a stunning 11-0 run over a span of 23 seconds.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/bujdoso_isaiah_t7bk">Isaiah Bujdoso</a>'s layup with 49 seconds left gave Hutch an 82-81 lead.

Whitlow made two free throws with 33.1 seconds to go to give the Beavers a one-point lead. The Dragons turned the ball over on their next possession after Baker drove the lane with a lot of contact, but no call was made. Whitlow made two more free throws with 9.9 seconds left for an 85-82 lead. Baker's attempt at a game-tying trey at the buzzer was just off the mark.

Pratt outscored Hutchinson 50-44 in the second half, shooting 57.1 percent (16 of 28) with five 3-pointers and 13 of 14 free-throw shooting.

Baker led the Blue Dragons with 22 points, knocking down 4 of 8 from 3-point range – Baker now has 94 career 3-pointers. The Blue Dragon sophomore guard, who earlier in the day was named the Jayhawk Conference Division I Player of the Week, also had six rebounds.

Bujdoso had 14 points and Okon finished with 10 points. Mayers and Kuath were held to eight and four points, respectively. Those two players combined for 49 points in Hutchinson's win over Pratt at the Sports Arena on March 3.

The Blue Dragons finished shooting 41.3 percent, hitting 4 of 14 from 3-point range and 26 of 35 from the free-throw line. Hutch held a 39-21 rebounding advantage.

Whitlow had four 3-pointers and was 8 of 9 from the stripe in his 28-point performance. Eziukwu finished with 18 points for the Beavers.

Pratt was 29 of 60 shooting (48.3 percent), going 8 of 23 from distance and 19 of 23 from the free-throw line.

GAME NOTES&nbsp;– The Blue Dragons are now 148-29 all-time against Pratt. … There were 15 lead changes and nine ties in the game. … The Blue Dragons are now 10-2 when leading a game at halftime …&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/baker_josh_lpkm">Josh Baker</a>&nbsp;posted his 10th career game of 20 or more points.

Hutchinson CC Sports InformationPRATT – The Hutchinson Community College men's basketball team saw its nine-game winning streak come to an end Wednesday night.Pratt's Malcolm Whitlow came off the bench to score a game-high 28 points, 16 in the second half, as the Beavers upset the Blue Dragons 85-82 at the Dennis Lesh Sports Arena to split the season series with the Blue Dragons.The Blue Dragons fell to 14-4 overall and saw their three-game lead in the Jayhawk West trimmed to two games at 13-4. Both Dodge City and Barton won games on Wednesday night. Pratt, which defeated Hutchinson for the second-straight season on its home court, improved to 7-10 overall, 6-10 in league play.The Blue Dragons suffered through an off offensive night.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/mayers_matt_jfk4">Matt Mayers</a>&nbsp;missed most of the first half with an injury and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/kuath_majok_xrls">Majok Kuath</a>&nbsp;was strapped with foul trouble. The Blue Dragons shot 41.3 percent for the game (36 of 63) for the game and had 14 turnovers.Still, Hutchinson led 38-35 at halftime, but Whitlow and the Beavers more than warmed up in the second half.With the game tied at 55 in the second half, Pratt's Julian Eziukwu scored for a two-point Pratt lead. Kuath was issued a technical foul on the next Hutchinson possession and Whitlow's free throws gave the Beavers a 59-55 lead. A Cam Morris dunk at the 8:05 mark gave Pratt a 64-57 lead and the Dragons were forced to take a timeout.Hutch still trailed 66-64 after two&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/okon_jaden_os3t">Jaden Okon</a>&nbsp;free throws with 5:42 to play. Pratt went on a 7-0 run and led 73-64 after a Whitlow field goal with 3:55 to play in the game.Trailing 81-71 with 1:12 to play, the Dragons mounted a furious comeback with a stunning 11-0 run over a span of 23 seconds.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/bujdoso_isaiah_t7bk">Isaiah Bujdoso</a>'s layup with 49 seconds left gave Hutch an 82-81 lead.Whitlow made two free throws with 33.1 seconds to go to give the Beavers a one-point lead. The Dragons turned the ball over on their next possession after Baker drove the lane with a lot of contact, but no call was made. Whitlow made two more free throws with 9.9 seconds left for an 85-82 lead. Baker's attempt at a game-tying trey at the buzzer was just off the mark.Pratt outscored Hutchinson 50-44 in the second half, shooting 57.1 percent (16 of 28) with five 3-pointers and 13 of 14 free-throw shooting.Baker led the Blue Dragons with 22 points, knocking down 4 of 8 from 3-point range – Baker now has 94 career 3-pointers. The Blue Dragon sophomore guard, who earlier in the day was named the Jayhawk Conference Division I Player of the Week, also had six rebounds.Bujdoso had 14 points and Okon finished with 10 points. Mayers and Kuath were held to eight and four points, respectively. Those two players combined for 49 points in Hutchinson's win over Pratt at the Sports Arena on March 3.The Blue Dragons finished shooting 41.3 percent, hitting 4 of 14 from 3-point range and 26 of 35 from the free-throw line. Hutch held a 39-21 rebounding advantage.Whitlow had four 3-pointers and was 8 of 9 from the stripe in his 28-point performance. Eziukwu finished with 18 points for the Beavers.Pratt was 29 of 60 shooting (48.3 percent), going 8 of 23 from distance and 19 of 23 from the free-throw line.GAME NOTES&nbsp;– The Blue Dragons are now 148-29 all-time against Pratt. … There were 15 lead changes and nine ties in the game. … The Blue Dragons are now 10-2 when leading a game at halftime …&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/bios/baker_josh_lpkm">Josh Baker</a>&nbsp;posted his 10th career game of 20 or more points.

HutchCC Men’s rally comes up short at Pratt

PRATT – Two key baskets by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/ervin_kalyn_foze">Kalyn Ervin</a>&nbsp;– one on each side of the third quarter break – ignited the No. 21-ranked Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team at the perfect time Wednesday night at Pratt.

Ervin's back-to-back buckets were just 18 seconds apart fueled a dominant second half that saw the Blue Dragons shoot better than 71 percent as Hutchinson pulled away for a 78-56 Jayhawk West victory over the Beavers at the Dennis Lesh Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons won their fourth game in a row to improve to 16-3 overall. Hutchinson maintained a 1.5 game lead over Seward County and a two-game lead over Barton in the Jayhawk West standings. The Saints and Cougars both won on Wednesday. Hutchinson plays host to Garden City on Saturday at the Sports Arena. Pratt had a two-game win streak snapped and dropped to 7-11 and 6-11.

The Blue Dragons and Beavers were tied at 31-all at halftime and it was still a one possession game with less than 2 minutes to play in the third quarter.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/haidara_nafatoumata_7n3l">Nafatoumata Haidara</a>scored with 1:36 to play in the third quarter to give the Dragons a 50-45 lead.

With 5 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the Blue Dragons were inbounding 94 feet away from their basket when Ervin broke out of the inbound formation undefended.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/alford_tor-e_j660">Tor'e Alford</a>&nbsp;hit her in stride and Ervin scored with 1 second remaining to give Hutch a 52-45 lead after three quarters.

With Pratt's defense still reeling from the end of the third, Ervin may have delivered the dagger to the Beavers to start the fourth quarter. Just 17 seconds into the final quarter, Alford found Ervin at the top of the key for a wide-open 3-pointer. Ervin nailed the triple and the Blue Dragons led 55-45 with 9:43 to play in the game.

That sequence was part of a decisive 12-0 run for the Blue Dragons. Hutchinson held Pratt scoreless for 3 minutes, 53 seconds during that run, which was a major component in the Blue Dragons outscoring Pratt 47-25 in the second half. Hutchinson nailed 20 of 28 total shots (71.4 percent) while holding Pratt to 9 of 35 shooting from the field over the final two quarters.

<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/gore_lojong_i68o">Lojong Gore</a>&nbsp;led four Blue Dragons in double figures with 14 points and nine rebounds.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/suttington_ishante_gbs8">Ishante Suttington</a>&nbsp;scored in double figures for the fourth-consecutive game with 13 points. Suttington added six rebounds. Ervin came off the bench to score 11 points with four rebounds. Alford scored all 10 of her points in the second half. She also had nine assists in the game.

<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/ogle_kate_kntm">Kate Ogle</a>&nbsp;had nine points and tied a season-high with 11 rebounds to lead the Dragons to a 43-34 rebounding advantage.

The Blue Dragons shot better than 50 percent for the first time in 11 games and for the third time this season shooting 51.5 percent (34 of 68). The Dragons were 6 of 14 from 3-point range and only 4 of 11 from the foul line. The Blue Dragons had to recover from 20 turnovers.

Jordan Mathis scored 13 of her game-high 19 points in the first half to lead the Beavers. She hit two of Pratt's five second-quarter 3-pointers that fueled a Pratt 23-16 surge in the second stanza to tie the game at 31-all at halftime

Jada Moss had her second double-double of the season against Hutchinson. She had 13 points and 12 rebounds. Christy Wiebe was next for Pratt with six points.

The Beavers finished shooting only 28.4 percent (19 of 67), hitting 5 of 21 from 3-point range – the Beavers were 0 of 10 from distance in the second half – and 13 of 18 from the free-throw line.

Pratt led 42-38 with 5:17 to play in the third quarter after a Mathis layup. The Blue Dragons outscored the Beavers 40-14 from that point.

GAME NOTES&nbsp;– The Blue Dragons registered their 82nd all-time victory over Pratt, the most against any Blue Dragon opponent in team history. Hutch leads the all-time series 82-11 with a 13th-straight win over the Beavers. … This was the sixth time this season Hutch held an opponent to less than 30-percent shooting. … Over her last five games,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/ervin_kalyn_foze">Kalyn Ervin</a>is averaging 10.6 points per game. …&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/alford_tor-e_j660">Tor'e Alford</a>&nbsp;now had three career games of eight or more assists.

Hutchinson CC Sports InformationPRATT – Two key baskets by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/ervin_kalyn_foze">Kalyn Ervin</a>&nbsp;– one on each side of the third quarter break – ignited the No. 21-ranked Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team at the perfect time Wednesday night at Pratt.Ervin's back-to-back buckets were just 18 seconds apart fueled a dominant second half that saw the Blue Dragons shoot better than 71 percent as Hutchinson pulled away for a 78-56 Jayhawk West victory over the Beavers at the Dennis Lesh Sports Arena.The Blue Dragons won their fourth game in a row to improve to 16-3 overall. Hutchinson maintained a 1.5 game lead over Seward County and a two-game lead over Barton in the Jayhawk West standings. The Saints and Cougars both won on Wednesday. Hutchinson plays host to Garden City on Saturday at the Sports Arena. Pratt had a two-game win streak snapped and dropped to 7-11 and 6-11.The Blue Dragons and Beavers were tied at 31-all at halftime and it was still a one possession game with less than 2 minutes to play in the third quarter.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/haidara_nafatoumata_7n3l">Nafatoumata Haidara</a>scored with 1:36 to play in the third quarter to give the Dragons a 50-45 lead.With 5 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the Blue Dragons were inbounding 94 feet away from their basket when Ervin broke out of the inbound formation undefended.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/alford_tor-e_j660">Tor'e Alford</a>&nbsp;hit her in stride and Ervin scored with 1 second remaining to give Hutch a 52-45 lead after three quarters.With Pratt's defense still reeling from the end of the third, Ervin may have delivered the dagger to the Beavers to start the fourth quarter. Just 17 seconds into the final quarter, Alford found Ervin at the top of the key for a wide-open 3-pointer. Ervin nailed the triple and the Blue Dragons led 55-45 with 9:43 to play in the game.That sequence was part of a decisive 12-0 run for the Blue Dragons. Hutchinson held Pratt scoreless for 3 minutes, 53 seconds during that run, which was a major component in the Blue Dragons outscoring Pratt 47-25 in the second half. Hutchinson nailed 20 of 28 total shots (71.4 percent) while holding Pratt to 9 of 35 shooting from the field over the final two quarters.<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/gore_lojong_i68o">Lojong Gore</a>&nbsp;led four Blue Dragons in double figures with 14 points and nine rebounds.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/suttington_ishante_gbs8">Ishante Suttington</a>&nbsp;scored in double figures for the fourth-consecutive game with 13 points. Suttington added six rebounds. Ervin came off the bench to score 11 points with four rebounds. Alford scored all 10 of her points in the second half. She also had nine assists in the game.<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/ogle_kate_kntm">Kate Ogle</a>&nbsp;had nine points and tied a season-high with 11 rebounds to lead the Dragons to a 43-34 rebounding advantage.The Blue Dragons shot better than 50 percent for the first time in 11 games and for the third time this season shooting 51.5 percent (34 of 68). The Dragons were 6 of 14 from 3-point range and only 4 of 11 from the foul line. The Blue Dragons had to recover from 20 turnovers.Jordan Mathis scored 13 of her game-high 19 points in the first half to lead the Beavers. She hit two of Pratt's five second-quarter 3-pointers that fueled a Pratt 23-16 surge in the second stanza to tie the game at 31-all at halftimeJada Moss had her second double-double of the season against Hutchinson. She had 13 points and 12 rebounds. Christy Wiebe was next for Pratt with six points.The Beavers finished shooting only 28.4 percent (19 of 67), hitting 5 of 21 from 3-point range – the Beavers were 0 of 10 from distance in the second half – and 13 of 18 from the free-throw line.Pratt led 42-38 with 5:17 to play in the third quarter after a Mathis layup. The Blue Dragons outscored the Beavers 40-14 from that point.GAME NOTES&nbsp;– The Blue Dragons registered their 82nd all-time victory over Pratt, the most against any Blue Dragon opponent in team history. Hutch leads the all-time series 82-11 with a 13th-straight win over the Beavers. … This was the sixth time this season Hutch held an opponent to less than 30-percent shooting. … Over her last five games,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/ervin_kalyn_foze">Kalyn Ervin</a>is averaging 10.6 points per game. …&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/wbkb/2020-21/bios/alford_tor-e_j660">Tor'e Alford</a>&nbsp;now had three career games of eight or more assists.

Big 2nd-Half pushes Blue Dragon Women past Pratt

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Jordan Nixon banked in a short jump shot at the buzzer in overtime, giving her a career-high 35 points and lifting Texas A&amp;M to an 84-82 victory over Iowa State in the second round of the women's NCAA Tournament. Nixon scored seven of A&amp;M's nine points in OT, pushing the Aggies into the Sweet 16 for the third straight time. She also led the rally in the fourth quarter, scoring the last four points of regulation. &nbsp;

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Missouri State is going to its second Sweet 16 in a row in the women's NCAA Tournament. Elle Ruffridge had 20 points with five 3-pointers and Jasmine Franklin had a double-double as the Lady Bears knocked off Wright State 64-39 in a matchup of mid-major teams. The Lady Bears now advance to play Stanford, the No. 1 overall seed in this NCAA Tournament. That is the same matchup as in the Sweet 16 two years ago. Angel Baker and Shamarre Hale each had 10 points for the 13th-seeded Raiders.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Big Ten Conference is having a major impact at the women's NCAA Tournament with four teams in the Sweet 16. Indiana, Iowa, Maryland and Michigan have all advanced after the league only had four qualifiers total reach the round of the 16 in the previous four tournaments. Iowa's next game is against top seed UConn, which got a boost when coach Geno Auriemma returned to the team after quarantining from a positive COVID-19 test. Auriemma missed his team's first two games, but was greeted with cheers and hugs from his players.&nbsp;

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — There aren't two bigger stars in the women's NCAA Tournament this year than Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark. It's almost as if the freshmen are playing a personal game of horse on the national stage. After one delivers a highlight-filled performance, the other delivers a top-this moment. In one of the most anticipated matchups, they'll meet for the first time in their college careers in the Sweet 16 on Saturday with Bueckers leading UConn against Clark and her Iowa teammates. ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo says the game will be entertaining for all basketball fans and that "we need Iowa and UConn to play each other the next three years!"

UNDATED (AP) — Kansas State and athletic director Gene Taylor have agreed to a contract extension. It includes a significant jump in base salary to $925,000 per year through June 2027. The 63-year-old Taylor was nearing the end of a five-year deal he signed in 2017. That contract paid him $450,000 the first year with $50,000 increases each of the next four. He had agreed to a 13% paycut last year to help with budget problems caused by the pandemic.

UNDATED (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) returned to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday and helped them earn their eighth consecutive victory.

Antetokounmpo didn't seem too bothered by the sprained knee that forced him to miss Monday's game, contributing 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 33 minutes of the Bucks' 121-119 downing of the Celtics.

Khris Middleton poured in 27 points and grabbed 13 boards for the Bucks, who led 90-65 midway through the third quarter before hanging on.

Jaylen Brown led Boston with 24 points, Kemba Walker had 23 and Jayson Tatum had 18. Tatum was back after missing one game due to illness.

Checking out Wednesday's other NBA action:

— Donovan Mitchell provided five 3-pointers and 27 points in just three quarters of action as the Jazz ripped the Nets, 118-88. Bojan Bogdanovic was mired in a 3-for-25 shooting slump from 3-point range before making 4 of 6 3-point attempts and scoring 18 in Utah's fourth win in five games. James Harden was scratched by Brooklyn due to a sore neck, joining teammates Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the sideline.

— Kawhi Leonard had 25 points and the Clippers never trailed in clobbering the Spurs, 134-101. Marcus Morris Sr. added 20 points, Paul George had 17 points and Lou Williams had 16 for Los Angeles. The Clippers won their third straight and captured their 11th victory by 20 points or more this season.

— Evan Fournier scored the last of his 21 points on a driving layup over Deandre Ayton with 6.4 seconds left, pushing the Magic past the Suns, 112-111. Nikola Vucevic (nih-KOH'-lah VOO'-cheh-vihch) scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for his 30th double-double. Orlando trailed by 13 in the early going and by five in the fourth period before rallying behind Vucevic's 32nd 20-point performance of the season.

— The Raptors' nine-game losing streak has ended as Kyle Lowry had nine assists, eight points, and five rebounds in what may have been his final game for Toronto, a 135-111 rout of the Nuggets. The victory came on the eve of the NBA's trade deadline, and with Lowry and Norman Powell front and center of numerous trade rumors. Pascal Siakam led all scorers with 27 points, while OG Anunoby had 23 and Powell 22.

— Kristaps Porzingis (KRIHS'-tahps pohr-ZIHN'-gihs) furnished 29 points and seven Mavericks scored at least 10 in a 128-108 dismantling of the Timberwolves. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points off the bench for Dallas, and Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch) finished with 15. Rookie Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 29 points, including 18 in the fourth quarter.

— De'Aaron Fox scored 37 points and Tyrese Haliburton made a pair of free throws with 36.6 seconds remaining to guide the Kings past the Hawks, 110-108. Haliburton finished with 17 points and seven assists, while Richaun Holmes contributed 16 points and eight rebounds. Clint Capella had 25 points and 17 rebounds for Atlanta, which has lost back-to-back games after winning its first eight under coach Nate McMillan.

— Dillon Brooks matched a season high with 25 points in the Grizzlies' fourth win in five games, 116-107 versus the Thunder. Grayson Allen scored 20 points and Jonas Valanciunas (YOH'-nuhs val-ehn-CHOO'-nuhs) added 16 with 15 rebounds for Memphis, which moved a game over .500. Moses Brown had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Al Horford added 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Thunder. 

— Terry Rozier dropped in 25 points and Devonte' Graham added 21 for the Hornets in a 122-97 romp over the Rockets. Houston quickly returned to the loss column after snapping a 20-game losing streak Monday night. Charlotte opened the third quarter on a 10-2 run and entered the fourth with a 93-70 lead after outscoring the Rockets 35-15 in the third.

— Caris LeVert (leh-VURT') scored 28 points and the Pacers snapped a six-game home losing streak with a 116-111 victory over the Pistons. LeVert's fourth 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds remaining clinched the victory. Edmond Sumner scored 18 points off the bench and Malcolm Brogden chipped in 16 for Indiana.