Familiar names may top the coaches polls for the upcoming
Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) basketball season, but the
pack is advancing on the top spots, according to the tightness of the
voting.&nbsp; Attached are the graphics listing the results of the coaches'
polls.

Hutchinson tops the Predicted Order of Finish in both the
men's and women's West Division polls, with a tight grouping following in close
behind. Perennial power Coffeyville tops the East Division men's poll, with a
resurgent Cowley program just a small notch behind. 

Division II basketball looks to be the dogfight it always
is.&nbsp; Both men's and women's polls were close, with Kansas City KS topping
the men's poll, and defending conference champion Labette on top in the women's
poll.

The season begins on Jan. 20, and conference play opens on
Jan. 27. Region VI championship play opens at the higher seeds on April 5.

Familiar names may top the coaches polls for the upcoming
Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) basketball season, but the
pack is advancing on the top spots, according to the tightness of the
voting.&nbsp; Attached are the graphics listing the results of the coaches'
polls. 
Hutchinson tops the Predicted Order of Finish in both the
men's and women's West Division polls, with a tight grouping following in close
behind. Perennial power Coffeyville tops the East Division men's poll, with a
resurgent Cowley program just a small notch behind. Division II basketball looks to be the dogfight it always
is.&nbsp; Both men's and women's polls were close, with Kansas City KS topping
the men's poll, and defending conference champion Labette on top in the women's
poll.The season begins on Jan. 20, and conference play opens on
Jan. 27. Region VI championship play opens at the higher seeds on April 5.

KJCCC 2021 Basketball predicted order of finish

The NFL has announced tonight the schedule of sites, dates, and times for Super Wild Card Weekend on Jan. 9-10.

The addition of a third Wild Card team in each conference and the subsequent expansion of the playoffs has resulted in a Super Wild Card Weekend of NFL action. For the first time ever, there will be three games on Jan. 9, and three games on Jan. 10, to be played at 12:05 p.m., 3:40 p.m., and 7:15 p.m. CT on each day.

AFC:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 12:05 p.m. (CT)&nbsp; Indianapolis at Buffalo (CBS)

NFC:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 3:40 p.m. (CT)&nbsp; Los Angeles Rams at Seattle (FOX)

NFC:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 7:15 p.m. (CT)&nbsp; Tampa Bay at New York Giants or Washington (NBC) (If Washington wins tonight, they will be in.)

AFC:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 12:05 p.m. (CT)&nbsp; Baltimore at Tennessee (ESPN/ABC)

NFC:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 3:40 p.m. (CT)&nbsp; Chicago at New Orleans (CBS, Nickelodeon, Amazon Prime)&nbsp; &nbsp;

AFC:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 7:15 p.m. (CT)&nbsp; Cleveland at Pittsburgh (NBC, Telemundo, Peacock)

The Divisional Playoffs schedule will be announced once all Wild Card games have been played, the NFL noted.

The NFL has announced tonight the schedule of sites, dates, and times for Super Wild Card Weekend on Jan. 9-10.The addition of a third Wild Card team in each conference and the subsequent expansion of the playoffs has resulted in a Super Wild Card Weekend of NFL action. For the first time ever, there will be three games on Jan. 9, and three games on Jan. 10, to be played at 12:05 p.m., 3:40 p.m., and 7:15 p.m. CT on each day.<h2>SUPER WILD CARD WEEKEND</h2>Jan. 9AFC:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 12:05 p.m. (CT)&nbsp; Indianapolis at Buffalo (CBS)NFC:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 3:40 p.m. (CT)&nbsp; Los Angeles Rams at Seattle (FOX)NFC:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 7:15 p.m. (CT)&nbsp; Tampa Bay at New York Giants or Washington (NBC) (If Washington wins tonight, they will be in.) Jan. 10AFC:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 12:05 p.m. (CT)&nbsp; Baltimore at Tennessee (ESPN/ABC)NFC:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 3:40 p.m. (CT)&nbsp; Chicago at New Orleans (CBS, Nickelodeon, Amazon Prime)&nbsp; &nbsp;AFC:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 7:15 p.m. (CT)&nbsp; Cleveland at Pittsburgh (NBC, Telemundo, Peacock) The Divisional Playoffs schedule will be announced once all Wild Card games have been played, the NFL noted.

NFL's Super Wild Card Weekend schedule

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs offered a peek at their 2021 opponents. From&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs">The Kansas City Chiefs</a>&nbsp;Facebook page:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs offered a peek at their 2021 opponents. From&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs">The Kansas City Chiefs</a>&nbsp;Facebook page:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1609846592901.jpeg" alt="chiefs 2021.jpg" />
 <figcaption>chiefs 2021.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>

Chiefs announce 2021 opponents

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA says this year's men's college basketball tournament will be played entirely in Indiana.&nbsp;

Games will be played on two courts inside Lucas Oil Stadium, home to the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Mackey Arena at Purdue and Assembly Hall in Bloomington also will host games.&nbsp;

Early round dates have not been set, but the Final Four is still scheduled for April 3.&nbsp;

A similar announcement is expected for the women's tournament, with San Antonio considered the likely host site.&nbsp;

Last March, the pandemic forced both tournaments to be called off.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA says this year's men's college basketball tournament will be played entirely in Indiana.&nbsp;Games will be played on two courts inside Lucas Oil Stadium, home to the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Mackey Arena at Purdue and Assembly Hall in Bloomington also will host games.&nbsp;Early round dates have not been set, but the Final Four is still scheduled for April 3.&nbsp;A similar announcement is expected for the women's tournament, with San Antonio considered the likely host site.&nbsp;Last March, the pandemic forced both tournaments to be called off.

Men's March Madness will be played entirely in Indiana

The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Jan. 3, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking

Others receiving votes: Florida 110, Louisville 103, Ohio St. 96, Northwestern 86, Oklahoma St. 68, Arizona 25, Colorado 19, BYU 18, Drake 17, NC State 16, Oklahoma 15, Arkansas 14, Seton Hall 11, UCLA 6, Xavier 5, San Diego St. 4, UConn 4, LSU 3, Boise St. 3, Indiana 2, Alabama 2, Syracuse 1.

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSThe top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Jan. 3, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous rankingRecord/Pts/Prv1. Gonzaga (63) 10-0 1599 12. Baylor (1) 9-0 1537 23. Villanova 8-1 1453 44. Texas 8-1 1415 85. Iowa 9-2 1298 106. Kansas 8-2 1224 37. Creighton 8-2 1140 118. Wisconsin 9-2 1085 69. Tennessee 7-1 1076 710. Michigan 9-0 1039 1611. Houston 8-1 977 512. Illinois 8-3 878 1513. Missouri 7-1 747 1214. West Virginia 8-3 706 915. Rutgers 7-2 703 1416. Minnesota 10-2 559 2117. Oregon 8-1 545 2118. Texas Tech 8-3 445 1319. Clemson 8-1 411 -19. Virginia Tech 8-1 411 2421. Duke 3-2 280 2022. Virginia 5-2 258 2323. Saint Louis 7-1 133 -23. Michigan St. 7-3 133 1725. Florida St. 5-2 120 18Others receiving votes: Florida 110, Louisville 103, Ohio St. 96, Northwestern 86, Oklahoma St. 68, Arizona 25, Colorado 19, BYU 18, Drake 17, NC State 16, Oklahoma 15, Arkansas 14, Seton Hall 11, UCLA 6, Xavier 5, San Diego St. 4, UConn 4, LSU 3, Boise St. 3, Indiana 2, Alabama 2, Syracuse 1.

Jayhawks drop three spots in the latest AP Top 25 poll

LAWRENCE -- The No. 6/6 Kansas Jayhawks hit the road for their second away Big 12 contest, as they take on TCU on Tuesday at 9 p.m., CT inside Ed &amp; Rae Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

Kansas (8-2, 2-1) is coming off its first Big 12 defeat of the season against No. 8/9 Texas, while TCU (9-2, 2-1) is set to defend its home court following a 67-60 victory at Kansas State.

The contest will tip at 9 p.m. (CT) and will be televised on ESPN. Radio broadcast of the game may be heard on the&nbsp;<a href="http://faninfo.kuathletics.com/r/?id=h2c9e227a,be64316a,be648f80" target="_blank">Jayhawk&nbsp;Sports Network</a>&nbsp;and through the&nbsp;<a href="http://faninfo.kuathletics.com/r/?id=h2c9e227a,be64316a,be648f81" target="_blank">Kansas&nbsp;</a>

LAWRENCE -- The No. 6/6 Kansas Jayhawks hit the road for their second away Big 12 contest, as they take on TCU on Tuesday at 9 p.m., CT inside Ed &amp; Rae Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.Kansas (8-2, 2-1) is coming off its first Big 12 defeat of the season against No. 8/9 Texas, while TCU (9-2, 2-1) is set to defend its home court following a 67-60 victory at Kansas State.The contest will tip at 9 p.m. (CT) and will be televised on ESPN. Radio broadcast of the game may be heard on the&nbsp;<a href="http://faninfo.kuathletics.com/r/?id=h2c9e227a,be64316a,be648f80" target="_blank">Jayhawk&nbsp;Sports Network</a>&nbsp;and through the&nbsp;<a href="http://faninfo.kuathletics.com/r/?id=h2c9e227a,be64316a,be648f81" target="_blank">Kansas&nbsp;</a>

Jayhawk men to travel to TCU Tuesday

MANHATTAN -- Kansas State (5-6, 1-2 Big 12) returns to the road on Tuesday night, as the Wildcats travel to Lubbock, Texas, to take on No. 18/19 Texas Tech (8-3, 1-2 Big 12) at 6 p.m., CT at the United Supermarkets Arena.

●The Wildcats have lost six in a row to the Red Raiders in Lubbock with their last win coming in 2014. Tuesday’s game will air on ESPNU with Chuckie Kempf (play-by-play) and Robbie Hummel (analyst).

●K-State will be playing in just its second road contest of the season after posting a 74-65 win at Iowa State in their first road trip of the season on Dec. 15. The win snapped a 9-game road losing streak in Big 12 action. The Wildcats’ only other road contest - a Dec. 11 matchup with Butler in the Big 12/Big East Battle - was cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols within the Bulldogs program.

●This will be the Wildcats’ second matchup against a Top 25 opponent, including the first on the road. The team dropped a 100-69 decision to No. 2/2 Baylor in their first Big 12 home game on Dec. 19. K-State is 119-263 all-time vs. ranked opponents, which includes an 8-13 mark vs. the AP’s No. 18 ranked squad. Head coach Bruce Weber has a school-record 26 career wins against Top 25 foes.

●K-State nearly rallied from an 18-point deficit, closing to within 61-58 with 38 seconds to play, before TCU converted from the free throw line to hang on for a 67-60 win on Saturday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats had a chance to complete the comeback, but a bad pass led to steal by junior R.J. Nembhard, who started a streak of 6 straight free throw makes to end the game for the Horned Frogs.

●Four Wildcats scored in double figures for the second time this season in the loss to TCU, as sophomore DaJuan Gordon posted a career-high 18 points on 7-of-13 field goals to go with 7 rebounds, 3 assists and game-high 3 steals in just over 36 minutes. Freshman big man Davion Bradford nearly tallied his first double-double with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting with 9 rebounds, while senior Mike McGuirl and freshman Nijel Pack added 13 and 12, respectively.

●K-State has started 3 true freshmen (Bradford, Selton Miguel and Pack) in 6 consecutive games, which includes all 3 Big 12 games. The Wildcats are one of 5 teams (Kentucky, Duke, James Madison and North Carolina) to start at least 3 true freshmen in at least one game, while the 24 combined starts by true freshmen rank second only to Kentucky’s 27. The next closest schools are North Carolina (22), Auburn (17), Montana (17), Tennessee Tech (16) and Troy (15). The true freshmen have been pressed into early playing time, as 5 different players have combined to miss 31 games this season, including season-opening starters Kaosi Ezeagu and Montavious Murphy both missing 7 games each. Murphy returned to action vs. TCU on Saturday.

●Since switching to the 4-guard lineup against Milwaukee on Dec. 11, K-State is averaging 68.2 points on 44.1 percent shooting (154-of-349), including 55.4 percent (108-of-195) from inside the 3-point line. Seven different Wildcats (D. Gordon, McGuirl, Pack, Bradford, Miguel, Antonio Gordon and Rudi Williams) are averaging better than 7 points in the 6-game span, including a team-best 10.3 points per game by Gordon, while McGuirl (10.2 ppg.) and Pack (10.2 ppg.) are averaging better than 10 points per game and Bradford (9.8 ppg.) and Miguel are averaging nearly double figures. In all, underclassmen have combined for 256 of the team’s 409 points on 45.4 percent (99-of-218) shooting in the last 6 games.

●No. 18/19 Texas Tech (8-3, 1-2 Big 12) enters Tuesday’s game on the heels of an 82-77 overtime loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday, which snapped a 2-game winning streak. The Red Raiders will be seeking its first home Big 12 win of the season after opening with a 58-57 loss to Kansas on Dec. 17 prior to the setback to OSU, which are the only 2 losses at home this season.&nbsp; The team does have an impressive 69-67 win at Oklahoma. Junior transfer Mac McClung led all scorers with 21 points on 7-of-15 field goals against the Cowboys, while junior Kyler Edwards had 18 points off the bench.

●Texas Tech is averaging 73.5 points on 43.4 percent shooting, including 33.5 percent from 3-point range, to go with 33.5 rebounds, 14.1 assists, 7.2 steals and 4.5 blocks per game, while allowing a Big 12-best 56.3 points on 37.4 percent shooting, including 28.7 percent from 3-point range. The team is averaging 67.7 points in Big 12 play on 40.2 percent shooting, including 30.5 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 69.0 points on 42.1 percent shooting, including 38.5 percent from 3-point range.

●The Red Raiders have done an impressive job of mixing transfers with players who have developed in the program, as they boast 3 transfers (Mac McClung, Jamarius Burton and Marcus Santos-Silva) with sophomores Kevin McCullar and Terrence Shannon, Jr. McClung is one of 4 players averaging in double figures, as he leads the way with 15.0 points per game on 39.2 percent shooting, including 30.8 percent from 3-point range, to go with 2.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 28.5 minutes per game. Shannon is averaging 13.0 points on 51.7 percent shooting wih 4.7 rebounds, while reserve Kylar Edwards and McCullar are each averaging 10.0 points per game. Edwards, who has started 8 games, also is averaging 5.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Santos-Silva paces the team in both rebounding (6.7 rpg.) and blocked shots (1.5 bpg.), while averaging 8.5 points per game.

●Texas Tech is led by 2018-19 National Coach of the Year Chris Beard, who has posted a 102-47 (.685) record in his fifth season. He has a 273-97 (.738) overall record in his 12th season as a head coach, which includes head coaching stints at McMurry (2012-13), Angelo State (2013-15) and Little Rock (2015-16).

●K-State and Texas Tech will meet for the 43rd time in their histories with the Wildcats holding a 24-18 advantage in the series, while the Red Raiders are 13-7 at home with 6 straight victories dating back to 2015. The teams are tied 17-all since the start of Big 12 play in 1997.

●Texas Tech has won 9 of the last 12 meetings, including a 6-2 mark under head coach Chris Beard. Last season, the Red Raiders won both meetings, including a 77-63 victory in Manhattan on Jan. 14 and a 69-62 win at home on Feb. 19. Tech has won the last 6 meetings at United Supermarkets Arena with the last K-State win coming on Feb. 25, 2014.

●Head coach Bruce Weber is 8-8 all-time against Texas Tech, including a 2-6 mark on the road, while Weber is 2-6 against head coach Chris Beard.

●Only four Wildcats on the current roster played in the matchup in Lubbock&nbsp; last season with sophomore Montavious Murphy scoring 9 points in a start in the last meeting, while fellow sophomore Antonio Gordon posted 14 points on 6-of-7 field goals with 8 rebounds off the bench.

●K-State nearly rallied from an 18-point deficit, closing to within 61-58 with 38 seconds to play, before TCU converted from the free throw line to hang on for a 67-60 win on Saturday afternoon in front on a limited capacity crowd of 798 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.

●Down by as many as 18 points in the first half, the Wildcats had to an opportunity complete the comeback with 38 seconds to play, but a bad pass led to a steal by junior R.J. Nembhard, who started a stretch of 6 consecutive free throws made to end the game by the Horned Frogs.

●Four Wildcats scored in double figures for the second time this season, as sophomore DaJuan Gordon posted a career-high 18 points on 7-of-13 field goals to go with 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in just over 36 minutes. Freshman big man Davion Bradford nearly collected his first double-double with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting with 9 rebounds, while senior Mike McGuirl and freshman Nijel Pack added 13 and 12, respectively.

●The tone of the game was set in the first half, as the Horned Frogs couldn’t miss to open the game, hitting on their first 5 field goals and shooting 76.5 percent (13-of-17) in taking a 29-11 lead with 7:24 to play before halftime. The Wildcats were the complete opposite, making just 4 of their first 22 shots (18.1 percent), including a stretch of 12 consecutive misses.

●A Gordon layup sparked an 8-0 run by K-State that closed it to 29-18 and forced a TCU timeout with 3:43 to play. The Wildcats finished off the half by scoring 8 of the last 12 points, including a 3-pointer by Gordon at the buzzer.

●The momentum the Wildcats generated in the latter part of the first half carried over into the second half, as a 13-3 run helped them close to within 41-39 on a 3-pointer by McGuirl with 13:08 to play. However, a pair of free throws by Easley helped start a 9-1 run that pushed the lead back to 10 points.

●After TCU extended the lead to 11 with just over 6 minutes to play, K-State made another push at grabbing the lead, using a 14-6 run -- which included back-to-back 3-pointers from Gordon and McGuirl -- to again get within one possession at 61-58 with 1:15 to play. However, Bradford couldn’t finish on a poor pass from McGuirl with 38 seconds left, and Nembhard stole the ball and was fouled, setting up the final sequence.

●K-State has a 115-12 (.906) record at home venues (includes home games played at Bramlage Coliseum, INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita and the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City) in non-conference play dating back to the 2006-07 season, including a 106-10 (.914) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.&nbsp;

●Despite seeing their 33-game winning streak end at Bramlage Coliseum with a loss to Marquette on Dec. 7, 2019, the Wildcats have still won 102 of their last 112 non-conference home games.

●K-State has posted a 151-46 (.767) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season. Prior to last season, the team had posted double-digit non-conference wins in 12 of the last 13 seasons.

●Head coach Bruce Weber is 82-30 (.732) in non-conference play since he arrived at K-State, including a 63-10 (.863) mark at home.

●K-State is 4-4 in non-conference play in 2020-21 with one scheduled game left on the slate at home against Texas A&amp;M on Saturday, Jan. 30. The Wildcats have had a winning non-conference record every season since 1971-72.

UP NEXT: OKLAHOMA STATE (7-2, 1-2 Big 12)

●K-State returns home to Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday, as the Wildcats play host to Oklahoma State (7-2, 1-2 Big 12), which plays host to No. 14/16 West Virginia on Monday night. The Cowboys won both meetings in 2019-20, including a 64-59 win in Manhattan on Feb. 11, 2020.

MANHATTAN -- Kansas State (5-6, 1-2 Big 12) returns to the road on Tuesday night, as the Wildcats travel to Lubbock, Texas, to take on No. 18/19 Texas Tech (8-3, 1-2 Big 12) at 6 p.m., CT at the United Supermarkets Arena.OPENING TIP●The Wildcats have lost six in a row to the Red Raiders in Lubbock with their last win coming in 2014. Tuesday’s game will air on ESPNU with Chuckie Kempf (play-by-play) and Robbie Hummel (analyst).●K-State will be playing in just its second road contest of the season after posting a 74-65 win at Iowa State in their first road trip of the season on Dec. 15. The win snapped a 9-game road losing streak in Big 12 action. The Wildcats’ only other road contest - a Dec. 11 matchup with Butler in the Big 12/Big East Battle - was cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols within the Bulldogs program.●This will be the Wildcats’ second matchup against a Top 25 opponent, including the first on the road. The team dropped a 100-69 decision to No. 2/2 Baylor in their first Big 12 home game on Dec. 19. K-State is 119-263 all-time vs. ranked opponents, which includes an 8-13 mark vs. the AP’s No. 18 ranked squad. Head coach Bruce Weber has a school-record 26 career wins against Top 25 foes.●K-State nearly rallied from an 18-point deficit, closing to within 61-58 with 38 seconds to play, before TCU converted from the free throw line to hang on for a 67-60 win on Saturday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats had a chance to complete the comeback, but a bad pass led to steal by junior R.J. Nembhard, who started a streak of 6 straight free throw makes to end the game for the Horned Frogs.●Four Wildcats scored in double figures for the second time this season in the loss to TCU, as sophomore DaJuan Gordon posted a career-high 18 points on 7-of-13 field goals to go with 7 rebounds, 3 assists and game-high 3 steals in just over 36 minutes. Freshman big man Davion Bradford nearly tallied his first double-double with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting with 9 rebounds, while senior Mike McGuirl and freshman Nijel Pack added 13 and 12, respectively.●K-State has started 3 true freshmen (Bradford, Selton Miguel and Pack) in 6 consecutive games, which includes all 3 Big 12 games. The Wildcats are one of 5 teams (Kentucky, Duke, James Madison and North Carolina) to start at least 3 true freshmen in at least one game, while the 24 combined starts by true freshmen rank second only to Kentucky’s 27. The next closest schools are North Carolina (22), Auburn (17), Montana (17), Tennessee Tech (16) and Troy (15). The true freshmen have been pressed into early playing time, as 5 different players have combined to miss 31 games this season, including season-opening starters Kaosi Ezeagu and Montavious Murphy both missing 7 games each. Murphy returned to action vs. TCU on Saturday.●Since switching to the 4-guard lineup against Milwaukee on Dec. 11, K-State is averaging 68.2 points on 44.1 percent shooting (154-of-349), including 55.4 percent (108-of-195) from inside the 3-point line. Seven different Wildcats (D. Gordon, McGuirl, Pack, Bradford, Miguel, Antonio Gordon and Rudi Williams) are averaging better than 7 points in the 6-game span, including a team-best 10.3 points per game by Gordon, while McGuirl (10.2 ppg.) and Pack (10.2 ppg.) are averaging better than 10 points per game and Bradford (9.8 ppg.) and Miguel are averaging nearly double figures. In all, underclassmen have combined for 256 of the team’s 409 points on 45.4 percent (99-of-218) shooting in the last 6 games.NOTES ON 18/19 TEXAS TECH●No. 18/19 Texas Tech (8-3, 1-2 Big 12) enters Tuesday’s game on the heels of an 82-77 overtime loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday, which snapped a 2-game winning streak. The Red Raiders will be seeking its first home Big 12 win of the season after opening with a 58-57 loss to Kansas on Dec. 17 prior to the setback to OSU, which are the only 2 losses at home this season.&nbsp; The team does have an impressive 69-67 win at Oklahoma. Junior transfer Mac McClung led all scorers with 21 points on 7-of-15 field goals against the Cowboys, while junior Kyler Edwards had 18 points off the bench.●Texas Tech is averaging 73.5 points on 43.4 percent shooting, including 33.5 percent from 3-point range, to go with 33.5 rebounds, 14.1 assists, 7.2 steals and 4.5 blocks per game, while allowing a Big 12-best 56.3 points on 37.4 percent shooting, including 28.7 percent from 3-point range. The team is averaging 67.7 points in Big 12 play on 40.2 percent shooting, including 30.5 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 69.0 points on 42.1 percent shooting, including 38.5 percent from 3-point range.●The Red Raiders have done an impressive job of mixing transfers with players who have developed in the program, as they boast 3 transfers (Mac McClung, Jamarius Burton and Marcus Santos-Silva) with sophomores Kevin McCullar and Terrence Shannon, Jr. McClung is one of 4 players averaging in double figures, as he leads the way with 15.0 points per game on 39.2 percent shooting, including 30.8 percent from 3-point range, to go with 2.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 28.5 minutes per game. Shannon is averaging 13.0 points on 51.7 percent shooting wih 4.7 rebounds, while reserve Kylar Edwards and McCullar are each averaging 10.0 points per game. Edwards, who has started 8 games, also is averaging 5.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Santos-Silva paces the team in both rebounding (6.7 rpg.) and blocked shots (1.5 bpg.), while averaging 8.5 points per game.●Texas Tech is led by 2018-19 National Coach of the Year Chris Beard, who has posted a 102-47 (.685) record in his fifth season. He has a 273-97 (.738) overall record in his 12th season as a head coach, which includes head coaching stints at McMurry (2012-13), Angelo State (2013-15) and Little Rock (2015-16).SERIES HISTORY●K-State and Texas Tech will meet for the 43rd time in their histories with the Wildcats holding a 24-18 advantage in the series, while the Red Raiders are 13-7 at home with 6 straight victories dating back to 2015. The teams are tied 17-all since the start of Big 12 play in 1997.●Texas Tech has won 9 of the last 12 meetings, including a 6-2 mark under head coach Chris Beard. Last season, the Red Raiders won both meetings, including a 77-63 victory in Manhattan on Jan. 14 and a 69-62 win at home on Feb. 19. Tech has won the last 6 meetings at United Supermarkets Arena with the last K-State win coming on Feb. 25, 2014.●Head coach Bruce Weber is 8-8 all-time against Texas Tech, including a 2-6 mark on the road, while Weber is 2-6 against head coach Chris Beard.●Only four Wildcats on the current roster played in the matchup in Lubbock&nbsp; last season with sophomore Montavious Murphy scoring 9 points in a start in the last meeting, while fellow sophomore Antonio Gordon posted 14 points on 6-of-7 field goals with 8 rebounds off the bench.LAST TIME OUT: TCU 67, K-STATE 60●K-State nearly rallied from an 18-point deficit, closing to within 61-58 with 38 seconds to play, before TCU converted from the free throw line to hang on for a 67-60 win on Saturday afternoon in front on a limited capacity crowd of 798 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.●Down by as many as 18 points in the first half, the Wildcats had to an opportunity complete the comeback with 38 seconds to play, but a bad pass led to a steal by junior R.J. Nembhard, who started a stretch of 6 consecutive free throws made to end the game by the Horned Frogs.●Four Wildcats scored in double figures for the second time this season, as sophomore DaJuan Gordon posted a career-high 18 points on 7-of-13 field goals to go with 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in just over 36 minutes. Freshman big man Davion Bradford nearly collected his first double-double with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting with 9 rebounds, while senior Mike McGuirl and freshman Nijel Pack added 13 and 12, respectively.●The tone of the game was set in the first half, as the Horned Frogs couldn’t miss to open the game, hitting on their first 5 field goals and shooting 76.5 percent (13-of-17) in taking a 29-11 lead with 7:24 to play before halftime. The Wildcats were the complete opposite, making just 4 of their first 22 shots (18.1 percent), including a stretch of 12 consecutive misses.●A Gordon layup sparked an 8-0 run by K-State that closed it to 29-18 and forced a TCU timeout with 3:43 to play. The Wildcats finished off the half by scoring 8 of the last 12 points, including a 3-pointer by Gordon at the buzzer.●The momentum the Wildcats generated in the latter part of the first half carried over into the second half, as a 13-3 run helped them close to within 41-39 on a 3-pointer by McGuirl with 13:08 to play. However, a pair of free throws by Easley helped start a 9-1 run that pushed the lead back to 10 points.●After TCU extended the lead to 11 with just over 6 minutes to play, K-State made another push at grabbing the lead, using a 14-6 run -- which included back-to-back 3-pointers from Gordon and McGuirl -- to again get within one possession at 61-58 with 1:15 to play. However, Bradford couldn’t finish on a poor pass from McGuirl with 38 seconds left, and Nembhard stole the ball and was fouled, setting up the final sequence.NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS●K-State has a 115-12 (.906) record at home venues (includes home games played at Bramlage Coliseum, INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita and the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City) in non-conference play dating back to the 2006-07 season, including a 106-10 (.914) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.&nbsp;●Despite seeing their 33-game winning streak end at Bramlage Coliseum with a loss to Marquette on Dec. 7, 2019, the Wildcats have still won 102 of their last 112 non-conference home games.●K-State has posted a 151-46 (.767) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season. Prior to last season, the team had posted double-digit non-conference wins in 12 of the last 13 seasons.●Head coach Bruce Weber is 82-30 (.732) in non-conference play since he arrived at K-State, including a 63-10 (.863) mark at home.●K-State is 4-4 in non-conference play in 2020-21 with one scheduled game left on the slate at home against Texas A&amp;M on Saturday, Jan. 30. The Wildcats have had a winning non-conference record every season since 1971-72.UP NEXT: OKLAHOMA STATE (7-2, 1-2 Big 12)●K-State returns home to Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday, as the Wildcats play host to Oklahoma State (7-2, 1-2 Big 12), which plays host to No. 14/16 West Virginia on Monday night. The Cowboys won both meetings in 2019-20, including a 64-59 win in Manhattan on Feb. 11, 2020.

K-State men to travel to Texas Tech Tuesday

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — It took the Kansas City Chiefs sitting half their starters, some with injuries but most as a precaution, for the defending Super Bowl champs to lose by more than one possession for the first time in an NFL-record 60 games. If the streak was going to end the Chiefs are just fine with it happening that way. The closest Patrick Mahomes came to getting hurt was stubbing his toe on the sideline during a 38-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. The same for tight end Travis Kelce, wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins, safety Tyrann Mathieu and a host of other players that will be crucial as the Chiefs begin the playoffs in two weeks.

UNDATED (AP) — Gonzaga and Baylor remain atop The Associated Press men's college basketball poll while fourth-ranked Texas has climbed to its highest perch in nearly a decade. The Bulldogs earned 63 of 64 first-place votes in the latest AP Top 25 to remain at No. 1. The Bears earned the other vote. Gonzaga and Baylor have been 1-2 in all seven polls this season. Villanova moved up a spot to No. 3. The Longhorns jumped four spots after beating Kansas for Texas' highest ranking since February 2011. No. 19 Clemson and No. 23 St. Louis were new additions, with the Billikens making their first appearance since the 2013-14 season.

UNDATED (AP) — Three American Hockey League teams have opted out of playing this season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That leaves the AHL with 28 teams this season. The league says the Charlotte Checkers, Milwaukee Admirals and Springfield Thunderbirds opted out and will return in 2021-22. Those teams are affiliates of the Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues, respectively. The Blues say they've worked out an agreement to send players to Utica, which is the top farm team for the Vancouver Canucks. The Panthers and Predators haven't said what they'll do. Four other AHL teams will play their home games elsewhere this season. The AHL is planning to start its season on Feb. 5 with temporary realignment.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Joseph Yesufu had 16 points off the bench to lead Drake to an 86-55 win over Southern Illinois, the Bulldogs' 13th consecutive victory to open the season. Marcus Domask led the Salukis with 13 points.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The top two spots in the the first NET rankings mirror The Associated Press college basketball poll. Gonzaga and Baylor were No. 1 in the NCAA Evaluation Tool rankings released Monday, not long after taking the top two spots in the AP Top 25. Tennessee, ranked No. 9 in the AP Top 25, was third in the NET, followed by Illinois and Villanova. Iowa, Houston, Texas and Missouri rounded out the top 10.

UNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers have continued their impressive start under first-year head coach Doc Rivers.

Tobias Harris scored 22 points and the Sixers moved to 6-1 with their fourth straight win, 118-101 over the Hornets. Joel Embiid (joh-EHL ehm-BEED') had 14 points and 11 rebounds to help the 76ers win the two-game set in Philadelphia.

Embiid is averaging a team-high 33.4 minutes per game under Rivers after having his playing time closely monitored by former coach Brett Brown. Embiid also paces the team in scoring at 25 points a game.

Gordon Hayward had 18 points and struggling Devonte' Graham added 15 for the Hornets.

— Stephen Curry followed up his career-high, 62-point performance in Sunday's win over Portland by delivering 30 points, nine rebounds and eight assists to lead the Warriors' 137-106 rout of the Kings. Curry's 92 points over a two-game stretch are the third-most in league history.

— Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) delivered 43 points and the Bucks moved over the .500 mark for the first time this season by topping the Pistons, 125-115. The reigning two-time MVP scored 30 points by halftime, shot 17 of 24 from the floor overall and finished with nine rebounds in Milwaukee's eighth straight win over Detroit.

— Jayson Tatum scored 40 points and the Celtics led by 26 in the second half before settling for a 126-114 win over the Raptors. Rookie guard Payton Pritchard had 23 points and eight assists for Boston, while Jaylen Brown provided 19 points.

— Kelly Olynyk (oh-LIH'-nihk) drained five 3-pointers on his way to 19 points, and Bam Adebayo (ad-ah-BY'-oh) had a game-high 20 on 9-for-10 shooting in the Heat's 118-90 rout of the Thunder. Jimmy Butler scored 18 points for Miami, which used a 20-0 third quarter run to turn what was a four-point game into a runaway. 

— Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch) had a triple-double and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 30 points off the bench in the Mavericks' 113-100 win over the Rockets. Doncic contributed 33 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists, one night after missing a game because of a bruised quad.

— Aaron Gordon broke out of a shooting slump by hitting six of his nine 3-point attempts and scoring a season-high 24 points in leading the Magic to a 103-83 trouncing of the Cavaliers. Nikola Vucevic (nih-KOH'-lah VOO'-cheh-vihch) scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Orlando, which snapped a two-game losing streak that had followed four straight victories to open the season.

— Malcolm Brogdon capped a 21-point, 11-assist performance by nailing a driving, one-handed floater with 1.7 seconds left to give the Pacers a 118-116 overtime win at New Orleans. Victor Oladipo (oh-lah-DEE'-poh) scored 25 points for Indiana, including a 29-foot 3-pointer to spark a six-point comeback in the final 20 seconds of regulation.

— The Knicks picked up a 113-108 victory in Atlanta as Julius Randle scored 28 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. RJ Barrett had 26 points and 11 rebounds while helping New York come back from a 13-point, second-half deficit.

UNDATED (AP) — The NBA is adopting a tougher policy regarding masks.

The league has told teams Monday players on the active roster will have to wear the face coverings in the bench area until they enter games.

That memo was obtained by The Associated Press and was released on the same day the Brooklyn Nets ruled All-Star forward Kevin Durant out for Tuesday's game against Utah in accordance with the league's health and safety protocols for dealing with coronavirus.

Beginning Tuesday, players who are dressed for games and eligible to participate must wear a face mask until they enter the game. All players and coaches must wear face masks when outside the team environment if they are around other players and coaches. Players must report the names of any private trainer, therapist, chiropractor or other specialist who they work with outside of the team facility.

— Spurs point guard Derrick White is out indefinitely after breaking his left second toe. White had offseason surgery on the same toe, but the Spurs said the fracture is a new injury. White missed training camp, the preseason and the first four games of the regular season after undergoing surgery on the toe last August.

Chargers' Lynn, Jags' Marrone get the boot

UNDATED (AP) — 'Tis the season to be firing NFL head coaches. Two more were shown the door on Monday after the New York Jets said goodbye to Adam Gase.

The Chargers have fired head coach Anthony Lynn after four years and a 33-31 record in regular-season games. The Chargers went 21-11 with one playoff appearance in their first two seasons under Lynn, but that was followed by consecutive losing campaigns. Los Angeles won its last four games this season to end up 7-9.

Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone has been dismissed, a little more than 12 hours after ending the season with a 15th consecutive loss. Marrone went 24-43 in four seasons with the Jaguars, falling a few plays shy of the team's first Super Bowl in 2017. Jacksonville has dropped 21 of Marrone's final 24 games, including 15 by double digits.

UNDATED (AP) — Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians says an MRI performed on Mike Evans' injured left knee showed no structural damage and the receiver's status for Tampa Bay's first playoff game in 13 years is day to day. 

Evans was hurt during the first quarter of Sunday's regular-season finale against Atlanta. He went down one play after a 20-yard reception made him the first player in NFL history to begin a career with seven consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Arians described the injury as a hyperextension. He's hopeful Evans will be able to practice by Thursday in preparation for Saturday night's NFC wild- card game at Washington.

— Olivier Vernon's season is over after the Browns defensive end ruptured his Achilles tendon during Sunday's playoff-clinching win over Pittsburgh. Coach Kevin Stefanski said Vernon will have surgery this week. Stefanski declined a chance to update the status on top cornerback Denzel Ward, who missed Sunday's game after testing positive for COVID-19. The Browns play the Steelers again in the playoffs on Sunday night. 

— The Bills signed receiver Kenny Stills to their practice squad in preparation for Saturday's AFC wild-card game against Indianapolis. Stills is an eighth-year player who was cut by the Texans in late November after having difficulty establishing a role in Houston's Deshaun Watson-led offense. He had just 11 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown this season.

— John Elway says he'll hire a general manager for the Broncos but will remain president of football operations in 2021, the final year of his contract. Elway has been Broncos GM since 2011, leading Denver to a 96-74 record, five AFC West titles, two AFC championships and the franchise's third Super Bowl title.

— The league has officially announced the selection order for next April's draft, which will be led off by the Jaguars. The Jets currently have the No. 2 pick, followed by the Dolphins, Falcons and Bengals. Miami gained the draft choice following a 2019 trade that sent tackle Laremy Tunsil and receiver Kenny Stills to the Texans.

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — West Virginia got off to a slow start in Oklahoma for the second straight game. This time, the 14th-ranked Mountaineers managed to rally.

West Virginia trailed by 19 midway through the second half before pulling out an 87-84 win against Oklahoma State. Derek Culver had 22 points and 19 rebounds for the Mountaineers, who were coming off Saturday's 75-71 loss at Oklahoma.

Miles McBride finished with 21 points, while Taz Sherman added 20 off the bench as WVU moved to 9-3.

Cade Cunningham had a game-high 25 points and grabbed nine boards for the Cowboys.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-COLLEGE BASKETBALL-MARCH MADNESS

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana will host all 67 games of the upcoming NCAA men's basketball tournament.

Games will be played on two courts inside Lucas Oil Stadium with only game at a time being played. 

Iconic Hinkle Fieldhouse will be among the venues, along with Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Mackey Arena at Purdue and Assembly Hall in Bloomington. 

Championship weekend is still scheduled for April 3 and April 5. Preliminary round dates have not yet been determined.

UNDATED (AP) — No. 3 Villanova's next three games have been postponed because of COVID-19 issues within the program.

The 8-1 Wildcats were scheduled to play Tuesday at DePaul, Friday vs. Marquette, and Jan. 13 at Xavier. No makeup dates have been announced.

Coach Jay Wright announced last week he had tested positive for COVID-19 and the program paused all activities. Wright was scheduled to return to practice on Tuesday.

In other virus-related developments in college hoops:

— Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski says he won't be able to coach the No. 21 Blue Devils when they face Boston College on Wednesday night. However, he hopes to be out of quarantine in time to return for their game against Wake Forest on Saturday. Krzyzewski said he and his wife were placed into quarantine last Friday after a member of his family tested positive for COVID-19. He said he and his wife were both tested Monday, and both were negative.

—The Boston University men's and women's basketball teams opened their seasons wearing masks — not just on the sidelines, but during their games. Daman Tate had 28 points for the BU men in their 83-76 victory on Monday. The Terriers wore masks, but the Crusaders did not. Sydney Johnson scored 18 to lead the Terriers women to a 76-54 win over Holy Cross with both teams wearing masks. 

UNDATED (AP) — Gonzaga and Baylor remain atop The Associated Press men's college basketball poll, while fourth-ranked Texas has climbed to its highest perch in nearly a decade. 

The Bulldogs earned 63 of 64 first-place votes in the latest AP Top 25 to remain at No. 1. Gonzaga and Baylor have been 1-2 in all seven polls this season. Villanova moved up a spot to No. 3. 

Creighton climbed five spots to fifth and is followed by Kansas, Iowa, Tennessee, Michigan and Iowa.

UNDATED (AP) — Phil Hughes has retired from baseball, more than two years after throwing his last pitch. The 34-year-old right-hander said on Twitter he was announcing what's been "fairly apparent" these last few years. 

A World Series champion with the Yankees in 2009, Hughes was 88-79 with a 4.52 ERA over 12 major league seasons with New York, Minnesota and San Diego. He was an All-Star in 2010, when he went a career-best 18-8, and won 16 games in 2012 and 2014.

— Curt Casali agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Giants, a month after the catcher was cut by the Reds. The 32-year-old Casali hit .224 with six homers and eight RBIs in 31 games and 93 plate appearances last year.

— The wife of Los Angeles Dodgers' Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully has died from complications of ALS at 76. The team said Sandra Scully died Sunday night at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. She married Vin Scully in 1973, and the couple had one daughter together.

NHL training camps open with sense of urgency

UNDATED (AP) — Every NHL team has opened training camp with the season set to begin next week. Twenty-four playoff teams joined the seven that missed out last season with their first on-ice workouts. Camp will last only 10 days. 

There will be no exhibition games before the season begins Jan. 13. Each team will play 56 regular-season games against only their division foes. The hope is to limit travel and reduce the risk of coronavirus disruptions.

— Stars goaltender Anton Khudobin (hoo-DOH'-bihn) is missing the start of training camp while going through NHL-mandated quarantine after some immigration issues. General manager Jim Nill says Khudobin is back in Texas. The Russian goalie was delayed because of a backlog for people trying to get U.S. visas. 

— The American Hockey League says three teams have opted out of playing this season, while four others have been given permission to temporarily relocate. The Charlotte Checkers, Milwaukee Admirals and Springfield Thunderbirds opted out and will return in 2021-22. Those teams are affiliates of the Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues, respectively.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — It took the Kansas City Chiefs sitting half their starters, some with injuries but most as a precaution, for the defending Super Bowl champs to lose by more than one possession for the first time in an NFL-record 60 games. If the streak was going to end the Chiefs are just fine with it happening that way. The closest Patrick Mahomes came to getting hurt was stubbing his toe on the sideline during a 38-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. The same for tight end Travis Kelce, wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins, safety Tyrann Mathieu and a host of other players that will be crucial as the Chiefs begin the playoffs in two weeks.UNDATED (AP) — Gonzaga and Baylor remain atop The Associated Press men's college basketball poll while fourth-ranked Texas has climbed to its highest perch in nearly a decade. The Bulldogs earned 63 of 64 first-place votes in the latest AP Top 25 to remain at No. 1. The Bears earned the other vote. Gonzaga and Baylor have been 1-2 in all seven polls this season. Villanova moved up a spot to No. 3. The Longhorns jumped four spots after beating Kansas for Texas' highest ranking since February 2011. No. 19 Clemson and No. 23 St. Louis were new additions, with the Billikens making their first appearance since the 2013-14 season.UNDATED (AP) — Three American Hockey League teams have opted out of playing this season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That leaves the AHL with 28 teams this season. The league says the Charlotte Checkers, Milwaukee Admirals and Springfield Thunderbirds opted out and will return in 2021-22. Those teams are affiliates of the Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues, respectively. The Blues say they've worked out an agreement to send players to Utica, which is the top farm team for the Vancouver Canucks. The Panthers and Predators haven't said what they'll do. Four other AHL teams will play their home games elsewhere this season. The AHL is planning to start its season on Feb. 5 with temporary realignment.DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Joseph Yesufu had 16 points off the bench to lead Drake to an 86-55 win over Southern Illinois, the Bulldogs' 13th consecutive victory to open the season. Marcus Domask led the Salukis with 13 points.INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The top two spots in the the first NET rankings mirror The Associated Press college basketball poll. Gonzaga and Baylor were No. 1 in the NCAA Evaluation Tool rankings released Monday, not long after taking the top two spots in the AP Top 25. Tennessee, ranked No. 9 in the AP Top 25, was third in the NET, followed by Illinois and Villanova. Iowa, Houston, Texas and Missouri rounded out the top 10.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA-SCHEDULE76ers win againUNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers have continued their impressive start under first-year head coach Doc Rivers.Tobias Harris scored 22 points and the Sixers moved to 6-1 with their fourth straight win, 118-101 over the Hornets. Joel Embiid (joh-EHL ehm-BEED') had 14 points and 11 rebounds to help the 76ers win the two-game set in Philadelphia.Embiid is averaging a team-high 33.4 minutes per game under Rivers after having his playing time closely monitored by former coach Brett Brown. Embiid also paces the team in scoring at 25 points a game.Gordon Hayward had 18 points and struggling Devonte' Graham added 15 for the Hornets.In Monday's other NBA action:— Stephen Curry followed up his career-high, 62-point performance in Sunday's win over Portland by delivering 30 points, nine rebounds and eight assists to lead the Warriors' 137-106 rout of the Kings. Curry's 92 points over a two-game stretch are the third-most in league history.— Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) delivered 43 points and the Bucks moved over the .500 mark for the first time this season by topping the Pistons, 125-115. The reigning two-time MVP scored 30 points by halftime, shot 17 of 24 from the floor overall and finished with nine rebounds in Milwaukee's eighth straight win over Detroit.— Jayson Tatum scored 40 points and the Celtics led by 26 in the second half before settling for a 126-114 win over the Raptors. Rookie guard Payton Pritchard had 23 points and eight assists for Boston, while Jaylen Brown provided 19 points.— Kelly Olynyk (oh-LIH'-nihk) drained five 3-pointers on his way to 19 points, and Bam Adebayo (ad-ah-BY'-oh) had a game-high 20 on 9-for-10 shooting in the Heat's 118-90 rout of the Thunder. Jimmy Butler scored 18 points for Miami, which used a 20-0 third quarter run to turn what was a four-point game into a runaway. — Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch) had a triple-double and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 30 points off the bench in the Mavericks' 113-100 win over the Rockets. Doncic contributed 33 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists, one night after missing a game because of a bruised quad.— Aaron Gordon broke out of a shooting slump by hitting six of his nine 3-point attempts and scoring a season-high 24 points in leading the Magic to a 103-83 trouncing of the Cavaliers. Nikola Vucevic (nih-KOH'-lah VOO'-cheh-vihch) scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Orlando, which snapped a two-game losing streak that had followed four straight victories to open the season.— Malcolm Brogdon capped a 21-point, 11-assist performance by nailing a driving, one-handed floater with 1.7 seconds left to give the Pacers a 118-116 overtime win at New Orleans. Victor Oladipo (oh-lah-DEE'-poh) scored 25 points for Indiana, including a 29-foot 3-pointer to spark a six-point comeback in the final 20 seconds of regulation.— The Knicks picked up a 113-108 victory in Atlanta as Julius Randle scored 28 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. RJ Barrett had 26 points and 11 rebounds while helping New York come back from a 13-point, second-half deficit.NBA-COVID-19NBA takes tougher stance on masksUNDATED (AP) — The NBA is adopting a tougher policy regarding masks.The league has told teams Monday players on the active roster will have to wear the face coverings in the bench area until they enter games.That memo was obtained by The Associated Press and was released on the same day the Brooklyn Nets ruled All-Star forward Kevin Durant out for Tuesday's game against Utah in accordance with the league's health and safety protocols for dealing with coronavirus.Beginning Tuesday, players who are dressed for games and eligible to participate must wear a face mask until they enter the game. All players and coaches must wear face masks when outside the team environment if they are around other players and coaches. Players must report the names of any private trainer, therapist, chiropractor or other specialist who they work with outside of the team facility.Also around the NBA:— Spurs point guard Derrick White is out indefinitely after breaking his left second toe. White had offseason surgery on the same toe, but the Spurs said the fracture is a new injury. White missed training camp, the preseason and the first four games of the regular season after undergoing surgery on the toe last August.NFL-HEAD COACH DISMISSALSChargers' Lynn, Jags' Marrone get the bootUNDATED (AP) — 'Tis the season to be firing NFL head coaches. Two more were shown the door on Monday after the New York Jets said goodbye to Adam Gase.The Chargers have fired head coach Anthony Lynn after four years and a 33-31 record in regular-season games. The Chargers went 21-11 with one playoff appearance in their first two seasons under Lynn, but that was followed by consecutive losing campaigns. Los Angeles won its last four games this season to end up 7-9.Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone has been dismissed, a little more than 12 hours after ending the season with a 15th consecutive loss. Marrone went 24-43 in four seasons with the Jaguars, falling a few plays shy of the team's first Super Bowl in 2017. Jacksonville has dropped 21 of Marrone's final 24 games, including 15 by double digits.NFL-NEWSEvans is day-to-dayUNDATED (AP) — Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians says an MRI performed on Mike Evans' injured left knee showed no structural damage and the receiver's status for Tampa Bay's first playoff game in 13 years is day to day. Evans was hurt during the first quarter of Sunday's regular-season finale against Atlanta. He went down one play after a 20-yard reception made him the first player in NFL history to begin a career with seven consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Arians described the injury as a hyperextension. He's hopeful Evans will be able to practice by Thursday in preparation for Saturday night's NFC wild- card game at Washington.In other news:— Olivier Vernon's season is over after the Browns defensive end ruptured his Achilles tendon during Sunday's playoff-clinching win over Pittsburgh. Coach Kevin Stefanski said Vernon will have surgery this week. Stefanski declined a chance to update the status on top cornerback Denzel Ward, who missed Sunday's game after testing positive for COVID-19. The Browns play the Steelers again in the playoffs on Sunday night. — The Bills signed receiver Kenny Stills to their practice squad in preparation for Saturday's AFC wild-card game against Indianapolis. Stills is an eighth-year player who was cut by the Texans in late November after having difficulty establishing a role in Houston's Deshaun Watson-led offense. He had just 11 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown this season.— John Elway says he'll hire a general manager for the Broncos but will remain president of football operations in 2021, the final year of his contract. Elway has been Broncos GM since 2011, leading Denver to a 96-74 record, five AFC West titles, two AFC championships and the franchise's third Super Bowl title.— The league has officially announced the selection order for next April's draft, which will be led off by the Jaguars. The Jets currently have the No. 2 pick, followed by the Dolphins, Falcons and Bengals. Miami gained the draft choice following a 2019 trade that sent tackle Laremy Tunsil and receiver Kenny Stills to the Texans.T25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-W. VIRGINIA/OK. ST.STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — West Virginia got off to a slow start in Oklahoma for the second straight game. This time, the 14th-ranked Mountaineers managed to rally.West Virginia trailed by 19 midway through the second half before pulling out an 87-84 win against Oklahoma State. Derek Culver had 22 points and 19 rebounds for the Mountaineers, who were coming off Saturday's 75-71 loss at Oklahoma.Miles McBride finished with 21 points, while Taz Sherman added 20 off the bench as WVU moved to 9-3.Cade Cunningham had a game-high 25 points and grabbed nine boards for the Cowboys.VIRUS OUTBREAK-COLLEGE BASKETBALL-MARCH MADNESSIndiana will host all tournament gamesINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana will host all 67 games of the upcoming NCAA men's basketball tournament.Games will be played on two courts inside Lucas Oil Stadium with only game at a time being played. Iconic Hinkle Fieldhouse will be among the venues, along with Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Mackey Arena at Purdue and Assembly Hall in Bloomington. Championship weekend is still scheduled for April 3 and April 5. Preliminary round dates have not yet been determined.VIRUS OUTBREAK-COLLEGE BASKETBALLVillanova postpones next three gamesUNDATED (AP) — No. 3 Villanova's next three games have been postponed because of COVID-19 issues within the program.The 8-1 Wildcats were scheduled to play Tuesday at DePaul, Friday vs. Marquette, and Jan. 13 at Xavier. No makeup dates have been announced.Coach Jay Wright announced last week he had tested positive for COVID-19 and the program paused all activities. Wright was scheduled to return to practice on Tuesday.In other virus-related developments in college hoops:— Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski says he won't be able to coach the No. 21 Blue Devils when they face Boston College on Wednesday night. However, he hopes to be out of quarantine in time to return for their game against Wake Forest on Saturday. Krzyzewski said he and his wife were placed into quarantine last Friday after a member of his family tested positive for COVID-19. He said he and his wife were both tested Monday, and both were negative.—The Boston University men's and women's basketball teams opened their seasons wearing masks — not just on the sidelines, but during their games. Daman Tate had 28 points for the BU men in their 83-76 victory on Monday. The Terriers wore masks, but the Crusaders did not. Sydney Johnson scored 18 to lead the Terriers women to a 76-54 win over Holy Cross with both teams wearing masks. COLLEGE BASKETBALL POLLGonzaga, Baylor still on topUNDATED (AP) — Gonzaga and Baylor remain atop The Associated Press men's college basketball poll, while fourth-ranked Texas has climbed to its highest perch in nearly a decade. The Bulldogs earned 63 of 64 first-place votes in the latest AP Top 25 to remain at No. 1. Gonzaga and Baylor have been 1-2 in all seven polls this season. Villanova moved up a spot to No. 3. Creighton climbed five spots to fifth and is followed by Kansas, Iowa, Tennessee, Michigan and Iowa.MLB-PHIL HUGHES RETIRESPitcher Phil Hughes announces retirementUNDATED (AP) — Phil Hughes has retired from baseball, more than two years after throwing his last pitch. The 34-year-old right-hander said on Twitter he was announcing what's been "fairly apparent" these last few years. A World Series champion with the Yankees in 2009, Hughes was 88-79 with a 4.52 ERA over 12 major league seasons with New York, Minnesota and San Diego. He was an All-Star in 2010, when he went a career-best 18-8, and won 16 games in 2012 and 2014.Also around the majors:— Curt Casali agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Giants, a month after the catcher was cut by the Reds. The 32-year-old Casali hit .224 with six homers and eight RBIs in 31 games and 93 plate appearances last year.— The wife of Los Angeles Dodgers' Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully has died from complications of ALS at 76. The team said Sandra Scully died Sunday night at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. She married Vin Scully in 1973, and the couple had one daughter together.NHL-TRAINING CAMPS OPENNHL training camps open with sense of urgencyUNDATED (AP) — Every NHL team has opened training camp with the season set to begin next week. Twenty-four playoff teams joined the seven that missed out last season with their first on-ice workouts. Camp will last only 10 days. There will be no exhibition games before the season begins Jan. 13. Each team will play 56 regular-season games against only their division foes. The hope is to limit travel and reduce the risk of coronavirus disruptions.In other hockey news:— Stars goaltender Anton Khudobin (hoo-DOH'-bihn) is missing the start of training camp while going through NHL-mandated quarantine after some immigration issues. General manager Jim Nill says Khudobin is back in Texas. The Russian goalie was delayed because of a backlog for people trying to get U.S. visas. — The American Hockey League says three teams have opted out of playing this season, while four others have been given permission to temporarily relocate. The Charlotte Checkers, Milwaukee Admirals and Springfield Thunderbirds opted out and will return in 2021-22. Those teams are affiliates of the Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues, respectively.

Sports Headlines for Tuesday

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

Final	(14)West Virginia	87	Oklahoma St.	84	

(3)Villanova	at	DePaul	7 p.m.	(Postponed)

AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Final	Orlando	103	Cleveland	83	Final	Philadelphia	118	Charlotte	101	Final	Miami	118	Oklahoma City	90	Final	New York	113	Atlanta	108	Final	Boston	126	Toronto	114	Final	Milwaukee	125	Detroit	115	Final	Dallas	113	Houston	100	Final OT	Indiana	118	New Orleans	116	Final	Golden State	137	Sacramento	106	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL Final	(14)West Virginia	87	Oklahoma St.	84	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Utah	at	Brooklyn	7:30 p.m.	L.A. Lakers	at	Memphis	8 p.m.	Minnesota	at	Denver	9 p.m.	San Antonio	at	L.A. Clippers	10 p.m.	Chicago	at	Portland	10:30 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL (3)Villanova	at	DePaul	7 p.m.	(Postponed)Iowa St.	at	(4)Texas	8 p.m.	(6)Kansas	at	TCU	10 p.m.	(13)Missouri	at	Mississippi St.	9 p.m.	(15)Rutgers	at	(23)Michigan St.	9 p.m.	Kansas St.	at	(18)Texas Tech	7 p.m.	NC State	at	(19)Clemson	7 p.m.	___

Sports Scores from Monday

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson High School running back Alec McCuan will begin his college career on a familiar field.

McCuan announced on Twitter Monday that he is committing to HutchCC. 

"I would like to thank all the coaches that gave me an opportunity and believed in me," McCuan said. "I'm blessed for HCC to see my potential. I'm proud to say I'm a Blue Dragon."

McCuan was a first team all-AVCTL Division I pick in his senior campaign.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1609790056233.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson High School running back Alec McCuan will begin his college career on a familiar field.McCuan announced on Twitter Monday that he is committing to HutchCC. "I would like to thank all the coaches that gave me an opportunity and believed in me," McCuan said. "I'm blessed for HCC to see my potential. I'm proud to say I'm a Blue Dragon."McCuan was a first team all-AVCTL Division I pick in his senior campaign.

McCuan commits to Blue Dragons

The 48th edition of the annual game is scheduled to be played Saturday, June 26 at 7 p.m. at Hutchinson's Gowans Stadium.

Head coaches are De Soto’s Brian King for the East and Norton’s Lucas Melvin for the West. Hutch High head coach Mike Vernon has been name an assistant for the West squad.

Players are selected each year by a combination of media votes and selections from the Kansas Shrine Bowl Coaching staff. Players were nominated by their high school coaches or athletic directors.

Locally selected were Jack Hawver-Hutchinson High, Darby Roper-Haven High, Jayden Garrison-Little River, Doug Grider-Halstead and Carter Brown-Inman.

The 48th edition of the annual game is scheduled to be played Saturday, June 26 at 7 p.m. at Hutchinson's Gowans Stadium.Head coaches are De Soto’s Brian King for the East and Norton’s Lucas Melvin for the West. Hutch High head coach Mike Vernon has been name an assistant for the West squad.Players are selected each year by a combination of media votes and selections from the Kansas Shrine Bowl Coaching staff. Players were nominated by their high school coaches or athletic directors.Locally selected were Jack Hawver-Hutchinson High, Darby Roper-Haven High, Jayden Garrison-Little River, Doug Grider-Halstead and Carter Brown-Inman.

Shrine Bowl all-star football rosters announced for 48th annual edition 2021 game in Hutchinson

From the rested in Kansas City and Pittsburgh to the relieved in Cleveland, Chicago and Los Angeles, the field for the Super Bowl chase is set. There are some powerhouses and some pretenders — and a team with a losing record.

The reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs (14-2) and Green Bay (13-3) earned each conference’s lone bye in the expanded playoffs. And no, adding a third wild-card entrant is not why a 7-9 club will be playing next weekend. Washington “earned” that spot by winning the abysmal NFC East that displayed in the finale of the regular season why NFC Least has been so appropriate a moniker.

So while New York Giants fans scream that Eagles coach Doug Pederson didn’t truly play to beat Washington on Sunday night, it should emphasized that the Giants went 6-10, a record more in line with relegation than reward.

Besides, coach Ron Rivera dealing with skin cancer and quarterback Alex Smith returning from an injury that nearly cost him his leg, those are redemptive and rewarding plots.

“This one’s special just because of how hard it was,” Rivera said. “How tough everything was, how it’s been on the guys, the organization. There’s a great group of young men in there and we’re trying to do things the right way. It’s really a cool thing to come out and get the division.”

As for the spoils, here’s who plays next weekend and how it might look.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnQVM9QRNZQ" target="_blank">Indianapolis</a>&nbsp;(11-5) at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9szcmHGXdJk" target="_blank">Buffalo&nbsp;</a>(13-3)

Frank Reich has been a hero in Western New York since engineering the great comeback in NFL history while replacing the injured Jim Kelly in a 1992 opening-round matchup with the Houston Oilers. Reich now coaches the Colts, and he’ll remain heroic in Buffalo if they go quietly against what has been the league’s most impressive team the last month.

This might be Colts QB Philip Rivers’ final game, but it’s the Indy defense that must stand tall here. That’s a tall order the way Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and the Bills are going.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW41nNoGWsg" target="_blank">Los Angeles Rams</a>&nbsp;(10-6) at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdl_WIuXNFE" target="_blank">Seattle</a>&nbsp;(12-4)

A third go-around for the NFC West rivals who split during the regular season. Both have strong defenses and have been spotty on offense, LA far more so than Seattle.

The Rams clinched their spot in the playoffs without the inconsistent Jared Goff (thumb surgery) at quarterback. The Seahawks have no issues at that position with Russell Wilson, though his first half of the season was far better than the last two months.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dly-nKcW-GA" target="_blank">Tampa Bay (</a>&nbsp;11-5) at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFZgCo3_YaU" target="_blank">Washington&nbsp;</a>(7-9)

For sure, the Washington story is uplifting, particularly the way Rivera is leading a change in culture for a franchise so desperately needing it. And the last three teams to capture division titles without a winning record also pulled off upsets in the wild-card round.

Don’t look for much of that in prime time, not with Tom Brady leading the Buccaneers, who are balanced enough to threaten anyone. You remember Brady. If not, tune in to this one and see him likely dismantle Washington’s impressive but inexperienced defense.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWk-Wu6Dxq8" target="_blank">Tennessee&nbsp;</a>(11-5) at Baltimore (11-5)

A year ago, the Titans rode Derrick Henry’s rushing power, agility and underrated speed to a stunning upset in Baltimore. They still are riding Henry, who became the eighth player to gain 2,000 yards on the ground in a season. Tennessee also can throw the ball better than it could last season.

Alas, the Titans barely play any defense. So, with the Ravens having a more diverse but just as effective running game and a sturdy D — not to mention the memories of that beatdown last January — Henry and Co. have an even bigger task ahead in Baltimore this time.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTt-ilqgtL0" target="_blank">Chicago</a>&nbsp;(8-8) at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4HTNaelBCQ" target="_blank">New Orleans</a>&nbsp;(12-4)

The other NFC interloper, perhaps, the Bears almost belong in the Least, uh, East. They went from 5-1 to 5-7 before finishing strongly enough to sneak in. Their defense is dangerous if not quite Monsters of the Midway, and when they run the ball well, they can compete.

If the Saints get some of their running backs back from the COVID-19 list — particularly scoring machine Alvin Kamara — they will be heavily favored. This could be Drew Brees’ last shot at a second NFL title, too. And New Orleans has a defense to match Chicago’s.&nbsp;

<a href="" target="_blank">Cleveland (11-5) at Pittsburgh</a>&nbsp;(12-4)

This had to be the topper for the weekend’s action. One of the grand rivalries of the sport, and it was just played out in Week 17 — albeit with the Steelers resting a bunch of regulars. Yet Pittsburgh pushed Cleveland to the limit before the Browns snapped the league’s longest playoff drought, dating to 2003.

Can the Browns win again in the wild-card matchup? Sure, as long as they get their ample running game going and don’t have another COVID-19 outbreak like the one that hit in the last two weeks. The Steelers have lost four of their last five, but they also have won 17 straight at home against Cleveland. Ben Roethlisberger will be back and he’s 23-2-1 in his career against the Browns.

From the rested in Kansas City and Pittsburgh to the relieved in Cleveland, Chicago and Los Angeles, the field for the Super Bowl chase is set. There are some powerhouses and some pretenders — and a team with a losing record.The reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs (14-2) and Green Bay (13-3) earned each conference’s lone bye in the expanded playoffs. And no, adding a third wild-card entrant is not why a 7-9 club will be playing next weekend. Washington “earned” that spot by winning the abysmal NFC East that displayed in the finale of the regular season why NFC Least has been so appropriate a moniker.So while New York Giants fans scream that Eagles coach Doug Pederson didn’t truly play to beat Washington on Sunday night, it should emphasized that the Giants went 6-10, a record more in line with relegation than reward.Besides, coach Ron Rivera dealing with skin cancer and quarterback Alex Smith returning from an injury that nearly cost him his leg, those are redemptive and rewarding plots.“This one’s special just because of how hard it was,” Rivera said. “How tough everything was, how it’s been on the guys, the organization. There’s a great group of young men in there and we’re trying to do things the right way. It’s really a cool thing to come out and get the division.”As for the spoils, here’s who plays next weekend and how it might look.SATURDAY<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnQVM9QRNZQ" target="_blank">Indianapolis</a>&nbsp;(11-5) at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9szcmHGXdJk" target="_blank">Buffalo&nbsp;</a>(13-3)Frank Reich has been a hero in Western New York since engineering the great comeback in NFL history while replacing the injured Jim Kelly in a 1992 opening-round matchup with the Houston Oilers. Reich now coaches the Colts, and he’ll remain heroic in Buffalo if they go quietly against what has been the league’s most impressive team the last month.This might be Colts QB Philip Rivers’ final game, but it’s the Indy defense that must stand tall here. That’s a tall order the way Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and the Bills are going.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW41nNoGWsg" target="_blank">Los Angeles Rams</a>&nbsp;(10-6) at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdl_WIuXNFE" target="_blank">Seattle</a>&nbsp;(12-4)A third go-around for the NFC West rivals who split during the regular season. Both have strong defenses and have been spotty on offense, LA far more so than Seattle.The Rams clinched their spot in the playoffs without the inconsistent Jared Goff (thumb surgery) at quarterback. The Seahawks have no issues at that position with Russell Wilson, though his first half of the season was far better than the last two months.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dly-nKcW-GA" target="_blank">Tampa Bay (</a>&nbsp;11-5) at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFZgCo3_YaU" target="_blank">Washington&nbsp;</a>(7-9)For sure, the Washington story is uplifting, particularly the way Rivera is leading a change in culture for a franchise so desperately needing it. And the last three teams to capture division titles without a winning record also pulled off upsets in the wild-card round.Don’t look for much of that in prime time, not with Tom Brady leading the Buccaneers, who are balanced enough to threaten anyone. You remember Brady. If not, tune in to this one and see him likely dismantle Washington’s impressive but inexperienced defense.SUNDAY<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWk-Wu6Dxq8" target="_blank">Tennessee&nbsp;</a>(11-5) at Baltimore (11-5)A year ago, the Titans rode Derrick Henry’s rushing power, agility and underrated speed to a stunning upset in Baltimore. They still are riding Henry, who became the eighth player to gain 2,000 yards on the ground in a season. Tennessee also can throw the ball better than it could last season.Alas, the Titans barely play any defense. So, with the Ravens having a more diverse but just as effective running game and a sturdy D — not to mention the memories of that beatdown last January — Henry and Co. have an even bigger task ahead in Baltimore this time.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTt-ilqgtL0" target="_blank">Chicago</a>&nbsp;(8-8) at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4HTNaelBCQ" target="_blank">New Orleans</a>&nbsp;(12-4)The other NFC interloper, perhaps, the Bears almost belong in the Least, uh, East. They went from 5-1 to 5-7 before finishing strongly enough to sneak in. Their defense is dangerous if not quite Monsters of the Midway, and when they run the ball well, they can compete.If the Saints get some of their running backs back from the COVID-19 list — particularly scoring machine Alvin Kamara — they will be heavily favored. This could be Drew Brees’ last shot at a second NFL title, too. And New Orleans has a defense to match Chicago’s.&nbsp;<a href="" target="_blank">Cleveland (11-5) at Pittsburgh</a>&nbsp;(12-4)This had to be the topper for the weekend’s action. One of the grand rivalries of the sport, and it was just played out in Week 17 — albeit with the Steelers resting a bunch of regulars. Yet Pittsburgh pushed Cleveland to the limit before the Browns snapped the league’s longest playoff drought, dating to 2003.Can the Browns win again in the wild-card matchup? Sure, as long as they get their ample running game going and don’t have another COVID-19 outbreak like the one that hit in the last two weeks. The Steelers have lost four of their last five, but they also have won 17 straight at home against Cleveland. Ben Roethlisberger will be back and he’s 23-2-1 in his career against the Browns.

NFL playoff field: powerhouses, pretenders and a 7-9 team

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chargers spent Sunday reveling in the future of their young quarterback and pondering the fate of their head coach.

The Chiefs spent it looking forward to the playoffs.

In a game that was in many ways meaningless, Justin Herbert threw for 302 yards and accounted for four touchdowns against a team of mostly Kansas City backups, and Los Angeles rolled to a 38-21 victory at Arrowhead Stadium that should at least give its owners something to ponder ahead of their end-of-season meeting with coach Anthony Lynn.

Reports surfaced earlier in the day that Lynn could be fired as soon as Monday. And while the Chargers (7-9) finished with four straight wins, and Herbert has emerged as their franchise quarterback, the fate of Lynn may have been sealed weeks ago when they were eliminated from playoff contention for the second consecutive year.

“As of right now I’m still under contract. That’s how I feel,” said Lynn, who is 33-31 in four seasons. “I think we’ve done a good job here, under the circumstances. Yeah, I’d like to be the head coach here. But right now I’m under contract.”

Herbert made it clear Lynn has his support: “I believe in him,” he said. “I believe in this coaching staff. I believe in this team.”

Mike Williams, Donald Parham Jr. and Austin Ekeler had touchdown catches for the Chargers, though Ekeler’s season ended with a concussion late in the first half. Herbert also sneaked in for a score and Los Angeles added a sack of Chiefs quarterback Chad Henne for a safety as the game turned into a rout.

The Chiefs, meanwhile, already had wrapped up the No. 1 seed and the AFC’s lone first-round bye, so coach Andy Reid chose rest over reps by sitting quarterback Patrick Mahomes, safety Tyrann Mathieu and several of his best players.

“This was a lot like a fourth preseason game where we asked these guys to play offense, defense and special teams and there weren’t a lot of backups I was going to play,” Reid said, “so they really had to push through it.”

Henne, making his first start since September 2014 with Jacksonville, threw for 218 yards with his first two TD passes in 2,303 days. Byron Pringle caught the first early in the game and Darwin Thompson grabbed the second late.

In fact, Henne looked a bit like Mahomes — if you squinted really hard — much of the first half.&nbsp;

The 35-year-old journeyman was 6 for 6 on the Chiefs’ opening drive, which ended with a flick to Pringle in the back of the end zone. He was nearly as sharp on their second drive, when Pringle hauled in a batted pass and was tackled at the 1-yard line and Thompson promptly pounded the ball into the end zone.

“Great to get back in the end zone,” Henne said, “and great to celebrate with the guys.”

While Henne played the role of wily veteran, the first-year phenom Herbert more than matched him.

The 22-year-old quarterback answered Henne’s opening drive with a perfect one of his own, going 6 for 6 and capping it with Parham’s 8-yard TD catch. Herbert’s second drive fizzled but Chiefs returner Mecole Hardman fumbled away another punt, and Herbert capitalized with a touchdown pass to Ekeler a few minutes later.

The safety and Herbert’s TD sneak gave the Chargers a 24-14 halftime lead, and the No. 6 overall draft pick’s 48-yard toss to Williams late in the third quarter gave him a rookie record six games with at least three touchdown passes.

Earlier in the game, Herbert passed Carson Wentz’s rookie record of 379 completions in a season. His four total TDs gave him 36 this season, passing Cam Newton’s rookie record, and he became the youngest QB in NFL history to eclipse 30 touchdown passes. He finished with 4,336 yards passing, just 39 off Andrew Luck’s rookie record.

“He’s the best rookie in the league. He proved that this season,” Williams said. “Didn’t he break, like, every rookie record? So yeah, rookie of the year for sure.”

Mahomes finished his third season as the starter with 4,740 yards, 38 touchdown passes and six interceptions. He was joined on the Chiefs inactive list by wide receivers Hill (hamstring) and Sammy Watkins (calf), running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle), linebacker Ben Niemann (hamstring) and right tackle Mike Remmers (back). Mathieu was a healthy scratch while linebacker Anthony Hitchens remained on the COVID-19 list.

The Chargers were without Pro Bowl selections Allen (COVID-19) and Joey Bosa (concussion and shin). They also didn’t have tight end Hunter Henry (COVID-19), right tackle Bryan Bulaga (foot), cornerback Casey Hayward (hamstring), left tackle Sam Tevi (knee) and safeties Rayshawn Jenkins (ankle) and Jahleel Addae (calf).

Chargers: Ekeler left after a helmet-to-helmet hit from Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill. Right guard Trai Turner left earlier in the half with a chest injury and safety Alohi Gilman in the fourth quarter with a possible concussion.

Chiefs: Willie Gay hurt his ankle on their third defensive play, leaving the Chiefs with only two healthy linebackers. Backup cornerback DeAndre Baker as carted off with a left leg injury early in the second half.

Chargers: Ponder their coach’s future and the NFL draft.

Chiefs: Await their playoff opponent for the divisional round.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chargers spent Sunday reveling in the future of their young quarterback and pondering the fate of their head coach.The Chiefs spent it looking forward to the playoffs.In a game that was in many ways meaningless, Justin Herbert threw for 302 yards and accounted for four touchdowns against a team of mostly Kansas City backups, and Los Angeles rolled to a 38-21 victory at Arrowhead Stadium that should at least give its owners something to ponder ahead of their end-of-season meeting with coach Anthony Lynn.Reports surfaced earlier in the day that Lynn could be fired as soon as Monday. And while the Chargers (7-9) finished with four straight wins, and Herbert has emerged as their franchise quarterback, the fate of Lynn may have been sealed weeks ago when they were eliminated from playoff contention for the second consecutive year.“As of right now I’m still under contract. That’s how I feel,” said Lynn, who is 33-31 in four seasons. “I think we’ve done a good job here, under the circumstances. Yeah, I’d like to be the head coach here. But right now I’m under contract.”Herbert made it clear Lynn has his support: “I believe in him,” he said. “I believe in this coaching staff. I believe in this team.”Mike Williams, Donald Parham Jr. and Austin Ekeler had touchdown catches for the Chargers, though Ekeler’s season ended with a concussion late in the first half. Herbert also sneaked in for a score and Los Angeles added a sack of Chiefs quarterback Chad Henne for a safety as the game turned into a rout.The Chiefs, meanwhile, already had wrapped up the No. 1 seed and the AFC’s lone first-round bye, so coach Andy Reid chose rest over reps by sitting quarterback Patrick Mahomes, safety Tyrann Mathieu and several of his best players.“This was a lot like a fourth preseason game where we asked these guys to play offense, defense and special teams and there weren’t a lot of backups I was going to play,” Reid said, “so they really had to push through it.”Henne, making his first start since September 2014 with Jacksonville, threw for 218 yards with his first two TD passes in 2,303 days. Byron Pringle caught the first early in the game and Darwin Thompson grabbed the second late.In fact, Henne looked a bit like Mahomes — if you squinted really hard — much of the first half.&nbsp;The 35-year-old journeyman was 6 for 6 on the Chiefs’ opening drive, which ended with a flick to Pringle in the back of the end zone. He was nearly as sharp on their second drive, when Pringle hauled in a batted pass and was tackled at the 1-yard line and Thompson promptly pounded the ball into the end zone.“Great to get back in the end zone,” Henne said, “and great to celebrate with the guys.”While Henne played the role of wily veteran, the first-year phenom Herbert more than matched him.The 22-year-old quarterback answered Henne’s opening drive with a perfect one of his own, going 6 for 6 and capping it with Parham’s 8-yard TD catch. Herbert’s second drive fizzled but Chiefs returner Mecole Hardman fumbled away another punt, and Herbert capitalized with a touchdown pass to Ekeler a few minutes later.The safety and Herbert’s TD sneak gave the Chargers a 24-14 halftime lead, and the No. 6 overall draft pick’s 48-yard toss to Williams late in the third quarter gave him a rookie record six games with at least three touchdown passes.Earlier in the game, Herbert passed Carson Wentz’s rookie record of 379 completions in a season. His four total TDs gave him 36 this season, passing Cam Newton’s rookie record, and he became the youngest QB in NFL history to eclipse 30 touchdown passes. He finished with 4,336 yards passing, just 39 off Andrew Luck’s rookie record.“He’s the best rookie in the league. He proved that this season,” Williams said. “Didn’t he break, like, every rookie record? So yeah, rookie of the year for sure.”SITTING IT OUTMahomes finished his third season as the starter with 4,740 yards, 38 touchdown passes and six interceptions. He was joined on the Chiefs inactive list by wide receivers Hill (hamstring) and Sammy Watkins (calf), running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle), linebacker Ben Niemann (hamstring) and right tackle Mike Remmers (back). Mathieu was a healthy scratch while linebacker Anthony Hitchens remained on the COVID-19 list.The Chargers were without Pro Bowl selections Allen (COVID-19) and Joey Bosa (concussion and shin). They also didn’t have tight end Hunter Henry (COVID-19), right tackle Bryan Bulaga (foot), cornerback Casey Hayward (hamstring), left tackle Sam Tevi (knee) and safeties Rayshawn Jenkins (ankle) and Jahleel Addae (calf).INJURIESChargers: Ekeler left after a helmet-to-helmet hit from Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill. Right guard Trai Turner left earlier in the half with a chest injury and safety Alohi Gilman in the fourth quarter with a possible concussion.Chiefs: Willie Gay hurt his ankle on their third defensive play, leaving the Chiefs with only two healthy linebackers. Backup cornerback DeAndre Baker as carted off with a left leg injury early in the second half.UP NEXTChargers: Ponder their coach’s future and the NFL draft.Chiefs: Await their playoff opponent for the divisional round.

Chargers beat playoff-bound Chiefs 38-21 as KC rests stars

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Justin Herbert threw for 302 yards and accounted for four touchdowns against a team of mostly Kansas City backups, and the Chargers rolled to a 38-21 victory. The Chiefs turned their attention to the postseason and Los Angeles will now focus on the precarious future of coach Anthony Lynn. The Chiefs already had wrapped up the No. 1 seed and the AFC's lone first-round bye, so coach Andy Reid chose to take rest over reps by sitting quarterback Patrick Mahomes, safety Tyrann Mathieu and several of his best players. Meanwhile, reports surfaced that Lynn could be fired as soon as Monday, despite the Chargers winning their final four games.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Joanne Allen-Taylor scored 16 points to lead a balanced attack that included Charli Collier's double-double and No. 19 Texas defeated Iowa State 74-59. Collier and Karisma Ortiz both scored 14 points with Collier grabbing 14 rebounds. Ortiz, who had four 3-pointers, hit one to give the Longhorns a 36-33 lead at the half. Allen Taylor hit a 3 and a short jumper as Texas quickly pushed the lead to 10 to open the third quarter. &nbsp;Ashley Joens scored 19 points for the Cyclones but the conference's leading scorer (25.9) went 4 of 17 from the field.

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated PressKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Justin Herbert threw for 302 yards and accounted for four touchdowns against a team of mostly Kansas City backups, and the Chargers rolled to a 38-21 victory. The Chiefs turned their attention to the postseason and Los Angeles will now focus on the precarious future of coach Anthony Lynn. The Chiefs already had wrapped up the No. 1 seed and the AFC's lone first-round bye, so coach Andy Reid chose to take rest over reps by sitting quarterback Patrick Mahomes, safety Tyrann Mathieu and several of his best players. Meanwhile, reports surfaced that Lynn could be fired as soon as Monday, despite the Chargers winning their final four games.AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Joanne Allen-Taylor scored 16 points to lead a balanced attack that included Charli Collier's double-double and No. 19 Texas defeated Iowa State 74-59. Collier and Karisma Ortiz both scored 14 points with Collier grabbing 14 rebounds. Ortiz, who had four 3-pointers, hit one to give the Longhorns a 36-33 lead at the half. Allen Taylor hit a 3 and a short jumper as Texas quickly pushed the lead to 10 to open the third quarter. &nbsp;Ashley Joens scored 19 points for the Cyclones but the conference's leading scorer (25.9) went 4 of 17 from the field.GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Breece Hall ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns, Brock Purdy accounted for two scores and No. 12 Iowa State grinded out a 34-17 win over No. 25 Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl. The Cyclones used their ball-control offense to dominate the time of possession and keep Oregon's offense off the field for long stretches to win their first New Year's Six bowl. Hall, an AP All-American, had 34 carries and his ninth 100-yard game this season. Purdy, who went to high school in nearby Gilbert, threw for 156 yards and a touchdown on 20-of-29 passing, adding a touchdown on the ground.FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Chelsea Dungee scored 25 points and No. 10 Arkansas hit all eight of its free throws in the final 2:08 to beat Missouri 91-88. Amber Ramirez, who was perfect at the line down the stretch, finished with 17 and Makayla Daniels added 16 before she left the game with 1:28 remaining with an injury for the Razorbacks (10-2, 1-1 SEC). The Tigers (4-3, 0-2) trailed by double-digits in the second half but continued to battle, pulling within 66-63 with 7:10 left and the game was close the rest of the way.DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Shanquan Hemphill had 17 points to lead five Drake players in double figures as the Bulldogs won their 12th straight game to open the season, defeating Southern Illinois 73-55. D.J. Wilkins added 14 points for the Bulldogs. Roman Penn chipped in 11, Joseph Yesufu scored 10 and Darnell Brodie had 10. Lance Jones led the Salukis with 18 points.SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Isiaih Mosley had a career-high 29 points as Missouri State narrowly beat Indiana State 70-66. Randy Miller Jr. led the Sycamores with 17 points.EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Shamar Givance scored a career-high 22 points, including key free throws with 23 seconds left, and Evansville defeated Northern Iowa 70-64, completing a weekend sweep of the Missouri Valley Conference preseason favorites. Evan Kuhlman had 14 points for Evansville. Jawaun Newton added 11 points and six rebounds. Samari Curtis had six rebounds. Austin Phyfe had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Panthers. Trae Berhow added 11 points and seven rebounds. Berthow helped close a 12-point gap, scoring eight in a 16-11 run that brought Northern Iowa to within five, 67-62 with 1:21 left. &nbsp;GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — Josiah Allick had 23 points as Kansas City rolled past North Dakota 77-53. Filip Rebraca led the Fighting Hawks with 14 points and eight rebounds.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NFL-SCHEDULENFL playoff matchups almost setUNDATED (AP) — The NFL playoff scenario is complete. The Tennessee Titans have won the AFC South, while the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts have locked up wild-card spots in the conference. The Washington Football Team took the NFC East by finishing one game ahead of Dallas and New York. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears will go to the NFC playoffs as wild cards. The Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Giants and Cowboys missed out on playoff berths.Here's how things shook out in Week 17:— Derrick Henry ran for a career-high 250 yards and the Titans captured the AFC South for the first time in 12 years with a 41-38 triumph over the Texans. Henry finished the regular season with a franchise-record 2,027 yards rushing to become the eighth player in NFL history to run for 2,000 yards. Houston tied the game on a field goal with just 18 seconds left, but Tennessee pulled it out when Sam Sloman's 37-yard kick bounced off the upright and through as time expired. Titans QB Ryan Tannehill threw for 216 yards and a touchdown and ran for two more scores. — The Browns are a playoff team for the first time since 2002 following a 24-22 win over the AFC North-champion Steelers. Nick Chubb had a touchdown run, Baker Mayfield threw a TD pass and the Browns hung on after taking a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter. Mason Rudolph's 2-yard TD pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster with 1:23 left pulled the Steelers within 24-22. But Rudolph badly overthrew rookie Chase Claypool on the 2-point attempt before the Browns recovered the onside kick.— The Ravens used a club-record 404 yards rushing to clinch a playoff spot and hammer Cincinnati, 38-3. Lamar Jackson threw three touchdown passes and became the first NFL quarterback to rush for more than 1,000 yards in two consecutive seasons, collecting 97 against the Bengals before taking a seat in the third quarter. Rookie J.K. Dobbins rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns for the 11-5 Ravens, including a 72-yard scoring romp in the third quarter. Baltimore won its fifth straight game and advanced to the postseason for a third consecutive season.— Jonathan Taylor rushed for a franchise-record 253 yards and two scores as the Colts doubled up the Jaguars, 28-14 to clinch an AFC playoff berth. Taylor sealed the victory for the 11-5 Colts by running 45 yards for a TD with 3:35 left. Philip Rivers threw for another score and the Indianapolis defense shut out the Jaguars over the final quarter to help preserve the win. Jacksonville lost its final 15 games and will have the No. 1 overall draft pick in April.— Josh Allen and the Bills ended the Dolphins' bid for an AFC playoff berth with a 56-26 rout of Miami. Allen threw three touchdown passes and Isaiah McKenzie scored three times, including a punt return of 84 yards. The 13-3 Bills blew the game open by scoring on four consecutive second-quarter possessions. Buffalo's 56 points were the second most in team history, and Allen set a single-season team record with 4,544 yards passing.— Washington's Alex Smith threw two touchdown passes in a 20-14, division-clinching win at Philadelphia. Smith threw a 13-yard TD pass to Logan Thomas in the second quarter to give Washington a 17-14 lead it never relinquished. The go-ahead toss came after Jalen Hurts scored on a pair of 6-yard TD runs for the Eagles. Washington gets into the postseason at 7-9, which means six non-playoff teams missed out despite matching or topping that record.— Russell Wilson connected on two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Tyler Lockett as the Seahawks rallied for their fourth straight win, 26-23 versus the 49ers. Wilson finished 20 of 36 passing for 171 yards, and Lockett provided 90 yards on 12 catches for the 12-4 Seahawks. Alex Collins ran for an 8-yard touchdown with 1:49 left to put the Seahawks ahead 26-16. Seattle had a slow start and appeared in serious trouble when Jeff Wilson Jr. ran for a 7-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to push the 49ers ahead, 16-6. — The Buccaneers claimed the fifth seed in the NFC playoffs as Tom Brady threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns in a 44-27 thumping of the Falcons. Antonio Brown and Chris Godwin each caught scoring passes for Brady, who set a club record with 40 TD throws. Godwin finished with 133 yards receiving, while Brown logged 138 on 11 catches in his best game since joining Tampa Bay. But star receiver Mike Evans was carted to the locker room with a left knee injury late in the first quarter and didn't return.— The Bears snared an NFC playoff berth despite a 35-16 loss to the Packers. Aaron Rodgers threw for four touchdowns, breaking his franchise record for scoring passes in a season and helping Green Bay take home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs. Rodgers joined Peyton Manning as the only players to throw for at least 45 touchdowns in multiple seasons. Davante Adams broke Sterling Sharpe's record for receptions in a season and tied his mark for touchdown catches in a year.— Chicago made the playoffs by virtue of the Cardinals' 18-7 loss to the Rams. Los Angeles QB John Wolford passed for 231 yards and rushed for 56 more in his NFL debut. Troy Hill returned an interception 84 yards for a touchdown as the Rams claimed their third postseason berth in four years under head coach Sean McVay. Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray finished with 87 yards passing after sitting out for most of the first three quarters with an ankle injury.— The Saints wrapped up the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs by picking off five passes in a 33-7 throttling of the Panthers. Drew Brees (breez) threw for 201 yards and three touchdowns for New Orleans, which managed to gain 156 yards on the ground despite the absence of Alvin Kamara (kah-MAH'-rah) and Latavius Murray due to COVID-19 concerns. Ty Montgomery ran for 105 yards on 18 carries to help the 12-4 Saints become the first team to sweep the NFC South since the division was formed in 2002.— The Giants kept their NFC East title hopes alive for about seven hours by holding off the Cowboys, 23-19. The outcome hung in the balance until rookie Xavier McKinney intercepted Dallas' Andy Dalton in the end zone with 1:15 remaining, leaving both teams 6-10. Daniel Jones was 17-of-25 passing for 229 yards and two touchdowns, helping New York end the Cowboys' seven-game winning streak in the rivalry. — Justin Herbert threw for 302 yards and accounted for four touchdowns as the Chargers whipped the short-handed Chiefs, 38-21. Mike Williams, fill-in tight end Donald Parham Jr. and running back Austin Ekeler had touchdown catches for the Chargers, though Ekeler's season ended with a concussion late in the first half. Kansas City already had wrapped up the No. 1 seed and the AFC's lone first-round bye, so coach Andy Reid chose rest over reps by sitting quarterback Patrick Mahomes (mah-HOHMZ'), safety Tyrann Mathieu and several of his best players.— Cam Newton had three touchdown passes and caught another in the Patriots' 28-14 downing of the Jets. Newton also ran for 79 yards and posted his first multi-touchdown passing game of the season, going 21 of 30 for 242 yards as New England finished 7-9. Sam Darnold was 23 of 34 for 266 yards, a touchdown and two second-half interceptions for the Jets, who led 14-7 before ending up 2-14. After the game, the Jets announced that head coach Adam Gase was fired after two seasons and just nine wins.— Darren Waller caught Derek Carr's 2-point conversion pass with 24 seconds left to send the 8-8 Raiders past the Broncos, 32-31. Josh Jacobs' 1-yard TD run capped a seven play, 77-yard drive before head coach Jon Gruden went for the win instead of the tie. Las Vegas ended a nine-game losing streak in season finales despite turning the ball over four times.— Kirk Cousins threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns in guiding the Vikings' offense in a 37-35 win over the Lions. Alexander Mattison ran for 95 yards and a TD, but his biggest gainer was a 16-yard scamper on fourth-and-1 that allowed the 7-9 Vikings to run out the clock. Detroit's defense broke franchise records by allowing 519 points and 6,716 yards, breaking marks set by its winless team in 2008.NBA-SCHEDULECurry puts 62 on BlazersUNDATED (AP) — How hot was Stephen Curry against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday? He managed to outscore the Blazers' All-Star backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum while setting a career high for points.Curry torched the Trail Blazers for 62 points in leading the Golden State Warriors to a 137-122 victory. Curry had the highest-scoring game in the NBA this season, finishing 18 for 31 and 8 of 16 on 3-pointers after beginning with a 21-point first quarter. He had his 10th career 30-point half to help the Warriors take a 66-54 at the break.Curry's only blemish was watching his team-record streak of successful free throws end at 80.Lillard finished with 32 points and McCollum had 28 for Portland.In Sunday's other NBA action:— LeBron James had 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for the Lakers in a 108-94 downing of the Grizzlies. Anthony Davis added 17 points and nine rebounds, while Montrezl (MAHN'-trehz) Harrell added 16 points and nine boards in the Lakers' third win in a row.— Paul George poured in 39 points and the Clippers led by as many as 31 before holding off the Suns, 112-107. George was 7 of 10 from 3-point range and Los Angeles was 17 of 29 overall. — Zach LaVine (lah-VEEN') delivered 39 points and Coby White scored 21 of his 23 in the second half to lead the Bulls to a 118-108 victory over the Mavericks. Jalen Brunson had 31 points for the Mavericks while starting in place of All-Star guard Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch), who was out with a left quad injury.— Jayson Tatum nailed a fallaway with 2.9 seconds left to give the Celtics a 122-120 victory over the Pistons. Tatum came within two rebounds of a triple-double, finishing with 24 points and 12 assists. Jaylen Brown shot 13 of 16 while scoring a team-high 31 points, including 3-pointer that gave Boston a last-minute lead.— Bojan (BOY'-ahn) Bogdanovic scored 28 points and the Jazz drained a season-high 21 3-pointers in a 130-109 pounding of the Spurs. Donovan Mitchell added 22 points and nine assists in 29 minutes as the Jazz sat their starters for half of the fourth quarter. — Jamal Murray scored 26 of his season-high 36 points by halftime and Nikola Jokic (nih-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) recorded his fourth triple-double of the season as the Nuggets whipped the Timberwolves, 124-109. Jokic contributed 19 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists despite getting into early foul trouble for the second straight game.— Bradley Beal had 27 points, 10 rebounds and the assist on Thomas Bryant's go-ahead dunk with 14.9 seconds left in the Wizards' 123-122 verdict over the Nets. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant missed jumpers on the last possession, dropping the Nets to 3-4.T25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULECougars top MustangsUNDATED (AP) — Fifth-ranked Houston was able to rebound from its first loss of the season by beating a state rival.Quentin Grimes hit a go-ahead 3-pointer to ignite a 10-0 run that started the second half of the Cougars' 74-60 win against previously undefeated SMU. Marcus Sasser led Houston with 17 points and Justin Gorham added 11 with 19 rebounds. Grimes got into early foul trouble and didn't score in the first half before finishing with 11 points.In other top-25 men's basketball action:— Michigan remains unbeaten after Hunter Dickinson scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half of the 16th-ranked Wolverines' 85-66 rout of No. 19 Northwestern. Chaundee Brown, Franz Wagner and Eli Brooks scored 14 points apiece for the Wolverines, who are the last Big Ten team without a loss.— Liam Robbins had 27 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks to help 21st-rated Minnesota coast to a 77-60 victory over No. 25 Ohio State. Marcus Carr added 15 points and Gabe Kalscheur scored 13 in Minnesota's third win in four games all against top-25 teams.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NORTHERN ILLINOISMontgomery fired by HuskiesDEKALB, Ill. (AP) — Northern Illinois has fired men's basketball coach Mark Montgomery after a 1-7 start.Montgomery had just two winning seasons since taking over in 2011 and led the Huskies to a 124-170 record. After going 18-13 last year, their lone victory this season was over Chicago State last month.NHL-PENGUINS-MARINOPens' Mariano gets extensionUNDATED (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins have taken a leap of faith with John Marino by giving the 23-year-old defenseman a six-year contract worth an average of $4.4 million per season.The deal caps a meteoric rise for Marino, who was acquired from Edmonton in July 2019 for a sixth-round pick. Marino impressed as a rookie last season, registering six goals and 26 points while compiling a plus-17 rating in 56 games.Elsewhere around the NHL:— The Blackhawks have re-signed restricted free agent Dylan Strome (strohm) to a two-year contract. The 23-year-old Strome had 12 goals and 38 points in 58 games last season.— The Canucks have received provincial approval to play in British Columbia this season. British Columbia is the second province to officially OK NHL games, following Alberta.MLB-NEWSMarlins added bullpen depthMIAMI (AP) — The Miami Marlins hope they've upgraded their bullpen by working out a one-year, $850,000 package with lefty Ross Detwiler. The 34-year-old Detwiler pitched in 16 games out of the bullpen for the White Sox last year, going 1-1 with a 3.20 ERA in 44 innings. He broke into the majors in 2007 and has a 4.56 ERA in 224 games for seven teams.The Marlins also announced the signing of catcher Sandy Leon to a minor league contract.