NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (AP) — Hall of Famer Rick Pitino was named basketball coach at Iona College on Saturday.

Pitino coached at Louisville from 2001-17 before being fired in a pay-for-play scandal and had been coaching in Greece. He replaces Tim Cluess, who resigned Friday after 10 years and six NCAA Tournament appearances due to health concerns.

“My passion in basketball started in New York and will end there at Iona College,” Pitino said in a statement released by the school. “Tim Cluess has done a spectacular job creating success and a winning spirit. At Iona, I will work with the same passion, hunger and drive that I’ve had for over 40 years.”

The 67-year-old Pitino has a 770-271 overall record in college and became the first coach to take three different schools to the NCAA Final Four. He won national championships at Louisville (2013) and Kentucky (1996).

Iona president Seamus Carey said “after a thorough interview process we are confident that Rick’s experience and commitment to Iona and our community make him the right person to continue to build on Tim Cluess’ success.”

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (AP) — Hall of Famer Rick Pitino was named basketball coach at Iona College on Saturday.Pitino coached at Louisville from 2001-17 before being fired in a pay-for-play scandal and had been coaching in Greece. He replaces Tim Cluess, who resigned Friday after 10 years and six NCAA Tournament appearances due to health concerns.“My passion in basketball started in New York and will end there at Iona College,” Pitino said in a statement released by the school. “Tim Cluess has done a spectacular job creating success and a winning spirit. At Iona, I will work with the same passion, hunger and drive that I’ve had for over 40 years.”The 67-year-old Pitino has a 770-271 overall record in college and became the first coach to take three different schools to the NCAA Final Four. He won national championships at Louisville (2013) and Kentucky (1996).Iona president Seamus Carey said “after a thorough interview process we are confident that Rick’s experience and commitment to Iona and our community make him the right person to continue to build on Tim Cluess’ success.”

Rick Pitino returns to college basketball as Iona coach

UIC fires basketball coach Steve McClain after 5 seasons

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois-Chicago has fired basketball coach Steve McClain after five seasons. McClain went 76-93 with the Flames, including a 42-48 record in the Horizon League. UIC was 18-17 this season and reached the Horizon League Tournament final, but lost 71-62 to Northern Kentucky.&nbsp;

&nbsp;<a href="https://uicflames.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1997">Steve McClain</a>&nbsp;will not return next season as head coach of UIC men's basketball, Director of Athletics&nbsp;<a href="https://uicflames.com/staff.aspx?staff=1394">Michael Lipitz</a>&nbsp;announced today, March 13. &nbsp;

"We thank Coach McClain for his contributions over the past five seasons and sincerely appreciate his efforts on behalf of our program and student-athletes," said Lipitz. "We are committed to men's basketball returning to the NCAA Tournament and developing a national presence and determined that a change in program leadership was needed at this time."&nbsp;

McClain posted a 76-93 (.450) overall record, including a 42-48 (.467) mark in Horizon League play.&nbsp; His teams made two postseason appearances, advancing to the 2017 College Basketball Invitational (CBI) semifinals and finishing as runners-up in the 2018 CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT).

UIC concluded its 2019-20 season with a 18-17 record, tied for 4th place in the Horizon League regular season, and made a run to the conference tournament final.

A national search for a new head coach will begin immediately.&nbsp;



McClain was an assistant to Dave Farrar when Hutchinson won it's first NJCAA National Championship in 1988 and then served as head coach of the Blue Dragons for 3 years winning HutchCC's 2nd National Championship in 1994.&nbsp; McClain moved on in 1994 to assist Billy Tubbs at TCU before going to Wyoming as Head Coach of the Cowboys in the late 90's.&nbsp; He also served as an assistant at Colorado and Indiana before being named head coach at Illinois-Chicago.&nbsp; McClain is a member of the Hutchinson Quarter Back Club Hall of Fame as well.

UIC fires basketball coach Steve McClain after 5 seasonsCHICAGO (AP) — Illinois-Chicago has fired basketball coach Steve McClain after five seasons. McClain went 76-93 with the Flames, including a 42-48 record in the Horizon League. UIC was 18-17 this season and reached the Horizon League Tournament final, but lost 71-62 to Northern Kentucky.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://uicflames.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1997">Steve McClain</a>&nbsp;will not return next season as head coach of UIC men's basketball, Director of Athletics&nbsp;<a href="https://uicflames.com/staff.aspx?staff=1394">Michael Lipitz</a>&nbsp;announced today, March 13. &nbsp;"We thank Coach McClain for his contributions over the past five seasons and sincerely appreciate his efforts on behalf of our program and student-athletes," said Lipitz. "We are committed to men's basketball returning to the NCAA Tournament and developing a national presence and determined that a change in program leadership was needed at this time."&nbsp;McClain posted a 76-93 (.450) overall record, including a 42-48 (.467) mark in Horizon League play.&nbsp; His teams made two postseason appearances, advancing to the 2017 College Basketball Invitational (CBI) semifinals and finishing as runners-up in the 2018 CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT).UIC concluded its 2019-20 season with a 18-17 record, tied for 4th place in the Horizon League regular season, and made a run to the conference tournament final.A national search for a new head coach will begin immediately.&nbsp;

McClain was an assistant to Dave Farrar when Hutchinson won it's first NJCAA National Championship in 1988 and then served as head coach of the Blue Dragons for 3 years winning HutchCC's 2nd National Championship in 1994.&nbsp; McClain moved on in 1994 to assist Billy Tubbs at TCU before going to Wyoming as Head Coach of the Cowboys in the late 90's.&nbsp; He also served as an assistant at Colorado and Indiana before being named head coach at Illinois-Chicago.&nbsp; McClain is a member of the Hutchinson Quarter Back Club Hall of Fame as well.

University of Illinois-Chicago fires head basketball Coach Steve McClain

WICHITA, KAN. - A total of five Wichita State Shockers have entered the NCAA transfer portal following the abrupt end to the 2020 season.

Tate Busse and DeAntoni Gordon are departing according to Verbal Commits on twitter.

Jamarius Burton, Erik Stevenson, and Noah Fernandes are the latest to leave Wichita State, per Jeff Borzello with ESPN

Three Wichita State players entered the transfer portal today, sources told ESPN. J

amarius Burton: 10.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.4 APG

Erik Stevenson: 11.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.3 APG

(via KWCH facebook page)&nbsp;WICHITA, KAN. - A total of five Wichita State Shockers have entered the NCAA transfer portal following the abrupt end to the 2020 season.Tate Busse and DeAntoni Gordon are departing according to Verbal Commits on twitter.Jamarius Burton, Erik Stevenson, and Noah Fernandes are the latest to leave Wichita State, per Jeff Borzello with ESPNThis story is still developing.Jeff Borzello✔@jeffborzelloThree Wichita State players entered the transfer portal today, sources told ESPN. Jamarius Burton: 10.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.4 APGErik Stevenson: 11.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.3 APGNoah Fernandes: 1.4 PPG, 1.2 APG

Five Wichita State Shockers enter NCAA transfer portal

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

NEW YORK (AP) — Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward earned the most in the NFL's performance-based pay program, getting an additional $654,750 out of an overall pot of just under $148 million. Ward, who was not selected in the 2018 draft, received nearly 15%t more than his 2019 salary of the league minimum for second-year players ($570,000). &nbsp;He started all 16 games during Chiefs' championship season, playing in nearly 95% of the Chiefs' defensive plays, as well as almost 26% of the special teams plays. &nbsp;

UNDATED (AP) — Facing criticism for coaching his team when he was not feeling well Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg wrote in a social media post he would not have been on the bench if he knew his presence could expose others to illness. Hoiberg wrote on Twitter that he would never do anything that would put his team, family or anyone else in harm's way. Hoiberg was taken to an Indianapolis hospital after he left Wednesday night's 89-64 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament. Hoiberg was diagnosed with influenza-A, which the school characterized as a "common cold" in a news release.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

		Cleveland	at	Charlotte	7 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Washington	at	Boston	7:30 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Minnesota	at	Oklahoma City	8 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Denver	at	San Antonio	8:30 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Brooklyn	at	L.A. Clippers	10:30 p.m.	(Postponed)

		San Jose	at	St. Louis	8 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Ottawa	at	Chicago	8:30 p.m.	(Postponed)

		N-Y Islanders	at	Edmonton	9 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Vancouver	at	Colorado	9 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Atlantic 10 - Second Round - Game 1 (win)	0	(3)Dayton	0	(Canceled)

		Southeastern - Second Round - Game 1 (win)	0	(8)Kentucky	0	(Canceled)

		Big Ten - Second Round - Game 3 (win)	0	(9)Michigan St.	0	(Canceled)

		Big Ten - Second Round - Game 4 (win)	0	(12)Maryland	0	(Canceled)

		Big Ten - Second Round - Game 1 (win)	0	(18)Wisconsin	0	(Canceled)

		Southeastern - Second Round - Game 3 (win)	0	(20)Auburn	0	(Canceled)

		Big Ten - Second Round - Game 2 (win)	0	(21)Illinois	0	(Canceled)

		American Athletic - First Round - Game 3 (win)	0	(22)Houston	0	(Canceled)

		FC Dallas	at	New York City FC	12:30 p.m.

		Cleveland	at	Atlanta	7:30 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Detroit	at	Toronto	7:30 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Indiana	at	Philadelphia	7:30 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Golden State	at	Milwaukee	8:30 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Minnesota	at	San Antonio	8:30 p.m.	(Postponed)

		New Orleans	at	L.A. Clippers	10:30 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Minnesota	at	Philadelphia	1 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Anaheim	at	Los Angeles	4 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Detroit	at	Tampa Bay	4 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Chicago	at	Washington	7 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Nashville	at	Columbus	7 p.m.	(Postponed)

		New Jersey	at	Florida	7 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Pittsburgh	at	Carolina	7 p.m.	(Postponed)

		N-Y Rangers	at	Arizona	9 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Winnipeg	at	Calgary	10 p.m.	(Postponed)

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated PressNEW YORK (AP) — Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward earned the most in the NFL's performance-based pay program, getting an additional $654,750 out of an overall pot of just under $148 million. Ward, who was not selected in the 2018 draft, received nearly 15%t more than his 2019 salary of the league minimum for second-year players ($570,000). &nbsp;He started all 16 games during Chiefs' championship season, playing in nearly 95% of the Chiefs' defensive plays, as well as almost 26% of the special teams plays. &nbsp;UNDATED (AP) — Facing criticism for coaching his team when he was not feeling well Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg wrote in a social media post he would not have been on the bench if he knew his presence could expose others to illness. Hoiberg wrote on Twitter that he would never do anything that would put his team, family or anyone else in harm's way. Hoiberg was taken to an Indianapolis hospital after he left Wednesday night's 89-64 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament. Hoiberg was diagnosed with influenza-A, which the school characterized as a "common cold" in a news release.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Cleveland	at	Charlotte	7 p.m.	(Postponed)		Washington	at	Boston	7:30 p.m.	(Postponed)		Minnesota	at	Oklahoma City	8 p.m.	(Postponed)		New York	at	Miami	8 p.m.	(Postponed)		Denver	at	San Antonio	8:30 p.m.	(Postponed)		New Orleans	at	Utah	9 p.m.	(Postponed)		Brooklyn	at	L.A. Clippers	10:30 p.m.	(Postponed)___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Boston	at	Buffalo	7 p.m.	(Postponed)		San Jose	at	St. Louis	8 p.m.	(Postponed)		Ottawa	at	Chicago	8:30 p.m.	(Postponed)		N-Y Islanders	at	Edmonton	9 p.m.	(Postponed)		Vancouver	at	Colorado	9 p.m.	(Postponed)___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		Atlantic 10 - Second Round - Game 1 (win)	0	(3)Dayton	0	(Canceled)		Southeastern - Second Round - Game 1 (win)	0	(8)Kentucky	0	(Canceled)		Big Ten - Second Round - Game 3 (win)	0	(9)Michigan St.	0	(Canceled)		Big Ten - Second Round - Game 4 (win)	0	(12)Maryland	0	(Canceled)		Big Ten - Second Round - Game 1 (win)	0	(18)Wisconsin	0	(Canceled)		Southeastern - Second Round - Game 3 (win)	0	(20)Auburn	0	(Canceled)		Big Ten - Second Round - Game 2 (win)	0	(21)Illinois	0	(Canceled)		American Athletic - First Round - Game 3 (win)	0	(22)Houston	0	(Canceled)___MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER		FC Dallas	at	New York City FC	12:30 p.m.		LA Galaxy	at	Miami	3 p.m.		Nashville	at	Toronto FC	4 p.m.		Real Salt Lake	at	Columbus	5 p.m.		D.C. United	at	Cincinnati	5:30 p.m.		Sporting Kansas City	at	Atlanta	7 p.m.		Colorado	at	Vancouver	7 p.m.		San Jose	at	Philadelphia	7:30 p.m.		Chicago	at	Orlando City	7:30 p.m.		Seattle	at	Houston	8:30 p.m.___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Phoenix	at	Dallas	2 p.m.	(Postponed)		Cleveland	at	Atlanta	7:30 p.m.	(Postponed)		Detroit	at	Toronto	7:30 p.m.	(Postponed)		Indiana	at	Philadelphia	7:30 p.m.	(Postponed)		Chicago	at	Miami	8 p.m.	(Postponed)		Golden State	at	Milwaukee	8:30 p.m.	(Postponed)		Minnesota	at	San Antonio	8:30 p.m.	(Postponed)		Memphis	at	Utah	9 p.m.	(Postponed)		New Orleans	at	L.A. Clippers	10:30 p.m.	(Postponed)___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Minnesota	at	Philadelphia	1 p.m.	(Postponed)		Anaheim	at	Los Angeles	4 p.m.	(Postponed)		Detroit	at	Tampa Bay	4 p.m.	(Postponed)		Chicago	at	Washington	7 p.m.	(Postponed)		Nashville	at	Columbus	7 p.m.	(Postponed)		New Jersey	at	Florida	7 p.m.	(Postponed)		Pittsburgh	at	Carolina	7 p.m.	(Postponed)		Toronto	at	Boston	7 p.m.	(Postponed)		N-Y Rangers	at	Arizona	9 p.m.	(Postponed)		San Jose	at	Dallas	9 p.m.	(Postponed)		Winnipeg	at	Calgary	10 p.m.	(Postponed)___MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER		FC Dallas	at	New York City FC	12:30 p.m.		LA Galaxy	at	Miami	3 p.m.		Nashville	at	Toronto FC	4 p.m.		Real Salt Lake	at	Columbus	5 p.m.		D.C. United	at	Cincinnati	5:30 p.m.		Sporting Kansas City	at	Atlanta	7 p.m.		Colorado	at	Vancouver	7 p.m.		San Jose	at	Philadelphia	7:30 p.m.		Chicago	at	Orlando City	7:30 p.m.		Seattle	at	Houston	8:30 p.m.___

Saturday Sports Headlines

NEW YORK (AP) — The NCAA is planning to extend the eligibility of athletes on spring sports teams by one year to make up for the season lost to the new coronavirus.

The details of how the extra eligibility will work are still being ironed out.

All three NCAA divisions would potentially allow another year for athletes in the 14 spring sports Those include baseball, softball, lacrosse and golf.

The decision comes after the NCAA announced that its winter and spring championships would be canceled as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus.

NEW YORK (AP) — The NCAA is planning to extend the eligibility of athletes on spring sports teams by one year to make up for the season lost to the new coronavirus.The details of how the extra eligibility will work are still being ironed out.All three NCAA divisions would potentially allow another year for athletes in the 14 spring sports Those include baseball, softball, lacrosse and golf.The decision comes after the NCAA announced that its winter and spring championships would be canceled as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus.

NCAA plans to extend eligibility of spring sports athletes

NEW YORK (AP) — Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward earned the most in the NFL's performance-based pay program, getting an additional $654,750 out of an overall pot of just under $148 million. Ward, who was not selected in the 2018 draft, received nearly 15%t more than his 2019 salary of the league minimum for second-year players ($570,000). He started all 16 games during Chiefs' championship season, playing in nearly 95% of the Chiefs’ defensive plays, as well as almost 26% of the special teams plays.

UNDATED (AP) — Facing criticism for coaching his team when he was not feeling well Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg wrote in a social media post he would not have been on the bench if he knew his presence could expose others to illness. Hoiberg wrote on Twitter that he would never do anything that would put his team, family or anyone else in harm's way. Hoiberg was taken to an Indianapolis hospital after he left Wednesday night's 89-64 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament. Hoiberg was diagnosed with influenza-A, which the school characterized as a “common cold” in a news release.

UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA has canceled its men's and women's basketball tournaments because of the spread of coronavirus. The unprecedented move puts an abrupt end to the season less than a month before champions were to be crowned. The decision comes a day after the NCAA announced the games that were scheduled to start next week would go on but played in mostly empty arenas. That plan was scrapped as every major American sports league from the NBA to MLB put the brakes on its season due to concerns about the pandemic. The NCAA canceled all of its spring championships in every sport, which include hockey, baseball and lacrosse.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The cancellation of the NCAA basketball tournaments shook the nation. But more than two dozen other men's and women's championships won't be contested this winter and spring, either, and that doesn't include all the sports in Divisions II and III. The NCAA decision to cancel winter and spring sports championships means the College World Series will not be held for the first time in since 1946. The Division I baseball championship is the NCAA's No. 2 revenue producer and has been held in Omaha every year since 1950. The NCAA said the decision was based on the public health threat posed by the coronavirus.

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has delayed the start of its season by at least two weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak. Opening day had been scheduled for March 26, and the decision announced by Commissioner Rob Manfred left open whether each team would still play 162 games. MLB also suspended the rest of its spring training schedule.

UNDATED (AP) — The NHL has put its season on pause, effective immediately, because of the coronavirus pandemic. The move came one day after the NBA suspended its season following a positive test for COVID-19 by a Utah Jazz player. Bettman said the hope is to resume play later and still award the Stanley Cup. The NHL Players' Association backed the decision, calling it “an appropriate course of action at this time.”

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The PGA Tour has decided to scrap the rest of The Players Championship and shut down its other tournaments for the next three weeks. The tour did an about-face after Commissioner Jay Monahan initially said Thursday there would be no fans at the TPC Sawgrass for the final three rounds, or at the next three tournaments on the PGA Tour schedule. There was no immediately word whether The Players Championship would be rescheduled. Hideki Matsuyama was the first-round leader after firing a 6-under 63.

NEW YORK (AP) — Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward earned the most in the NFL's performance-based pay program, getting an additional $654,750 out of an overall pot of just under $148 million. Ward, who was not selected in the 2018 draft, received nearly 15%t more than his 2019 salary of the league minimum for second-year players ($570,000). He started all 16 games during Chiefs' championship season, playing in nearly 95% of the Chiefs’ defensive plays, as well as almost 26% of the special teams plays.UNDATED (AP) — Facing criticism for coaching his team when he was not feeling well Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg wrote in a social media post he would not have been on the bench if he knew his presence could expose others to illness. Hoiberg wrote on Twitter that he would never do anything that would put his team, family or anyone else in harm's way. Hoiberg was taken to an Indianapolis hospital after he left Wednesday night's 89-64 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament. Hoiberg was diagnosed with influenza-A, which the school characterized as a “common cold” in a news release.UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA has canceled its men's and women's basketball tournaments because of the spread of coronavirus. The unprecedented move puts an abrupt end to the season less than a month before champions were to be crowned. The decision comes a day after the NCAA announced the games that were scheduled to start next week would go on but played in mostly empty arenas. That plan was scrapped as every major American sports league from the NBA to MLB put the brakes on its season due to concerns about the pandemic. The NCAA canceled all of its spring championships in every sport, which include hockey, baseball and lacrosse.OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The cancellation of the NCAA basketball tournaments shook the nation. But more than two dozen other men's and women's championships won't be contested this winter and spring, either, and that doesn't include all the sports in Divisions II and III. The NCAA decision to cancel winter and spring sports championships means the College World Series will not be held for the first time in since 1946. The Division I baseball championship is the NCAA's No. 2 revenue producer and has been held in Omaha every year since 1950. The NCAA said the decision was based on the public health threat posed by the coronavirus.NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has delayed the start of its season by at least two weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak. Opening day had been scheduled for March 26, and the decision announced by Commissioner Rob Manfred left open whether each team would still play 162 games. MLB also suspended the rest of its spring training schedule.UNDATED (AP) — The NHL has put its season on pause, effective immediately, because of the coronavirus pandemic. The move came one day after the NBA suspended its season following a positive test for COVID-19 by a Utah Jazz player. Bettman said the hope is to resume play later and still award the Stanley Cup. The NHL Players' Association backed the decision, calling it “an appropriate course of action at this time.”PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The PGA Tour has decided to scrap the rest of The Players Championship and shut down its other tournaments for the next three weeks. The tour did an about-face after Commissioner Jay Monahan initially said Thursday there would be no fans at the TPC Sawgrass for the final three rounds, or at the next three tournaments on the PGA Tour schedule. There was no immediately word whether The Players Championship would be rescheduled. Hideki Matsuyama was the first-round leader after firing a 6-under 63.

Friday Sports Headline

The world’s sports schedule cratered at warp speed Thursday, with one of the biggest events on the U.S. calendar, the fun-filled and colorful college basketball tournament known as March Madness, becoming the first mega-event to be scrubbed due to fear of the spread of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus</a>.

Leaders at all levels of sports, including the NCAA, NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball, golf, tennis and soccer, decided the risk of playing games with the threat of the virus hanging over them was too great despite the billions of dollars — to say nothing of the trophies, pride and once-in-a-lifetime experiences — hanging in the balance.

By late in the afternoon of an extraordinary, headline-a-minute day across a pandemic-rattled globe, the NCAA, which regulates March Madness and virtually all major U.S. college sports, basically had no choice. With conferences and individual teams calling off their basketball seasons at breakneck pace, the NCAA followed suit. They scrapped all college winter and spring championships, the highlight of which is the men’s basketball tournament — a three-week extravaganza that stands as the biggest event this side of the Super Bowl on the U.S. sports calendar.

The cancellation leaves a massive hole in American sports — from campuses across the country, to a growing passel of sports-betting businesses that rely on college hoops money, to say nothing of the hearts of players who were poised to get their first, or last, or only chance to shine on the big stage.

All of it was to be covered by CBS and its partners; about 80 percent of the NCAA’s $1.05 billion annual budget is bankrolled by the money the networks pay to present the 68-team tournament over the air, on cable and online.

“This is bigger than a sport or championship,” said Kansas University coach Bill Self, whose team would’ve been the likely favorite to win it all.

Hours earlier, Kansas and Duke had each taken matters into their own hands, announcing they wouldn’t be sending any of their teams to games, no matter the stakes.

It wasn’t even the most jaw-dropping moment of the morning. That came, fittingly, at one of the world’s most renowned sports venues — Madison Square Garden — where at halftime of a Big East Conference tournament game, the PA announcer came on and said the tournament had been called.

By then, every major conference, and virtually all of the minor ones, had done the same thing. They were prompted in part by the NCAA’s decision a day earlier to hold all its tournament games — which had been scheduled to start next week in nine cities and close April 6 at a 71,000-seat stadium in Atlanta — in front of friends and family and limited “essential” personnel.

Only 24 hours later, with the stock market tanking, mixed messages coming out of Washington and no promise of quick relief being offered by world health experts, it became even more clear that gatherings involving thousands of people were hard to justify. Also clear: The NCAA would have trouble assembling an equitable bracket for its tournament, given that most games designed to suss out the most-deserving teams and automatic qualifiers had already been scrubbed.

“I’m not a researcher in immunology or infectious disease, but those who are engaged at the NCAA level provided some stark information yesterday,” said Greg Sankey, the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference.

The March Madness news meant it will be a world free of basketball for the foreseeable future.

A day after the NBA put its season on temporary hiatus, a second member of the Utah Jazz — Donovan Mitchell — tested positive for the coronavirus. The league said its suspension would last for at least 30 days — possibly a conservative guess, as teams undertake the task of identifying any player or referee who has had recent contact with the Jazz, then putting them into isolation for the required two weeks.

“What would kill the NBA season is if more players catch it,” Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said in an interview on CNBC. He called the hiatus a matter of “us being vigilant, as all businesses should be. Businesses are going to have to be incredibly vigilant, and that’s hard.”

The NHL also suspended its season, though it did not report any positives for COVID-19.

Major League Baseball scrapped spring training and postponed the start of its season, currently scheduled for March 26, for at least two weeks.

The PGA Tour decided Thursday night to scrap the rest of The Players Championship and shut down its other tournaments for the next three weeks. Commissioner Jay Monahan had said earlier Thursday there would be no fans at the TPC Sawgrass for the final three rounds, or at the next three tournaments on the PGA Tour schedule. The tour changed its mind late Thursday, with no immediate word whether The Players Championship — the premier tournament run by the PGA Tour, offering a $15 million purse — would be rescheduled.

The LPGA Tour postponed three tournaments, beginning next week, including its first major of the season.

Tennis will also be canceling events. The ATP called off men’s tournaments for the next six weeks; the WTA said its tournament in South Carolina, set for April 6-12, would not be held as scheduled, with decisions about the rest of the season to come in the next week.

NASCAR announced it would race the next two weekends, in Atlanta and Miami, without fans, and IndyCar made the same decision for its race this weekend in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Horse races were going on in several states, though without fans in the stands — leaving the parimutuel wagers to be made online; organizers of the Kentucky Derby were moving forward with plans for the May 2 race.

The NFL, never off the radar even in the depths of the offseason, announced a number of changes and cancellations on its schedule of meetings, fan fest and scouting trips — all related to coronavirus.

The U.S.-based Major League Soccer said it would shut down for a target period of 30 days.

Earlier in the day, soccer leagues and teams scrambled to make changes:

—Belgium’s soccer league backpedaled on an earlier decision, and decided to close stadiums to fans.

—A Champions League game involving Real Madrid was postponed after the Spanish team puts its players in quarantine.

—Dutch soccer authorities canceled all matches through the end of the month, including friendlies against the United States and Spain.

—Also, a second player from Italy’s top soccer division tested positive. All sports in that hard-hit country have been suspended through April 3.

For once, there were no major announcements coming out of Tokyo, where conflicting messages about the status of this summer’s Olympics have come out of the country, and the IOC, for weeks.

Instead, the IOC went ahead with its ceremonial lighting of the Olympic flame, an event held in front of the ruined Temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia.

“We are strengthened ... by the many authorities and sports organizations around the world which are taking so many significant measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus,” IOC president Thomas Bach said.

The world’s sports schedule cratered at warp speed Thursday, with one of the biggest events on the U.S. calendar, the fun-filled and colorful college basketball tournament known as March Madness, becoming the first mega-event to be scrubbed due to fear of the spread of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus</a>.Leaders at all levels of sports, including the NCAA, NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball, golf, tennis and soccer, decided the risk of playing games with the threat of the virus hanging over them was too great despite the billions of dollars — to say nothing of the trophies, pride and once-in-a-lifetime experiences — hanging in the balance.By late in the afternoon of an extraordinary, headline-a-minute day across a pandemic-rattled globe, the NCAA, which regulates March Madness and virtually all major U.S. college sports, basically had no choice. With conferences and individual teams calling off their basketball seasons at breakneck pace, the NCAA followed suit. They scrapped all college winter and spring championships, the highlight of which is the men’s basketball tournament — a three-week extravaganza that stands as the biggest event this side of the Super Bowl on the U.S. sports calendar.The cancellation leaves a massive hole in American sports — from campuses across the country, to a growing passel of sports-betting businesses that rely on college hoops money, to say nothing of the hearts of players who were poised to get their first, or last, or only chance to shine on the big stage.All of it was to be covered by CBS and its partners; about 80 percent of the NCAA’s $1.05 billion annual budget is bankrolled by the money the networks pay to present the 68-team tournament over the air, on cable and online.“This is bigger than a sport or championship,” said Kansas University coach Bill Self, whose team would’ve been the likely favorite to win it all.Hours earlier, Kansas and Duke had each taken matters into their own hands, announcing they wouldn’t be sending any of their teams to games, no matter the stakes.It wasn’t even the most jaw-dropping moment of the morning. That came, fittingly, at one of the world’s most renowned sports venues — Madison Square Garden — where at halftime of a Big East Conference tournament game, the PA announcer came on and said the tournament had been called.By then, every major conference, and virtually all of the minor ones, had done the same thing. They were prompted in part by the NCAA’s decision a day earlier to hold all its tournament games — which had been scheduled to start next week in nine cities and close April 6 at a 71,000-seat stadium in Atlanta — in front of friends and family and limited “essential” personnel.Only 24 hours later, with the stock market tanking, mixed messages coming out of Washington and no promise of quick relief being offered by world health experts, it became even more clear that gatherings involving thousands of people were hard to justify. Also clear: The NCAA would have trouble assembling an equitable bracket for its tournament, given that most games designed to suss out the most-deserving teams and automatic qualifiers had already been scrubbed.“I’m not a researcher in immunology or infectious disease, but those who are engaged at the NCAA level provided some stark information yesterday,” said Greg Sankey, the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference.The March Madness news meant it will be a world free of basketball for the foreseeable future.A day after the NBA put its season on temporary hiatus, a second member of the Utah Jazz — Donovan Mitchell — tested positive for the coronavirus. The league said its suspension would last for at least 30 days — possibly a conservative guess, as teams undertake the task of identifying any player or referee who has had recent contact with the Jazz, then putting them into isolation for the required two weeks.“What would kill the NBA season is if more players catch it,” Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said in an interview on CNBC. He called the hiatus a matter of “us being vigilant, as all businesses should be. Businesses are going to have to be incredibly vigilant, and that’s hard.”The NHL also suspended its season, though it did not report any positives for COVID-19.Major League Baseball scrapped spring training and postponed the start of its season, currently scheduled for March 26, for at least two weeks.The PGA Tour decided Thursday night to scrap the rest of The Players Championship and shut down its other tournaments for the next three weeks. Commissioner Jay Monahan had said earlier Thursday there would be no fans at the TPC Sawgrass for the final three rounds, or at the next three tournaments on the PGA Tour schedule. The tour changed its mind late Thursday, with no immediate word whether The Players Championship — the premier tournament run by the PGA Tour, offering a $15 million purse — would be rescheduled.The LPGA Tour postponed three tournaments, beginning next week, including its first major of the season.Tennis will also be canceling events. The ATP called off men’s tournaments for the next six weeks; the WTA said its tournament in South Carolina, set for April 6-12, would not be held as scheduled, with decisions about the rest of the season to come in the next week.NASCAR announced it would race the next two weekends, in Atlanta and Miami, without fans, and IndyCar made the same decision for its race this weekend in St. Petersburg, Florida.Horse races were going on in several states, though without fans in the stands — leaving the parimutuel wagers to be made online; organizers of the Kentucky Derby were moving forward with plans for the May 2 race.The NFL, never off the radar even in the depths of the offseason, announced a number of changes and cancellations on its schedule of meetings, fan fest and scouting trips — all related to coronavirus.The U.S.-based Major League Soccer said it would shut down for a target period of 30 days.Earlier in the day, soccer leagues and teams scrambled to make changes:—Belgium’s soccer league backpedaled on an earlier decision, and decided to close stadiums to fans.—A Champions League game involving Real Madrid was postponed after the Spanish team puts its players in quarantine.—Dutch soccer authorities canceled all matches through the end of the month, including friendlies against the United States and Spain.—Also, a second player from Italy’s top soccer division tested positive. All sports in that hard-hit country have been suspended through April 3.For once, there were no major announcements coming out of Tokyo, where conflicting messages about the status of this summer’s Olympics have come out of the country, and the IOC, for weeks.Instead, the IOC went ahead with its ceremonial lighting of the Olympic flame, an event held in front of the ruined Temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia.“We are strengthened ... by the many authorities and sports organizations around the world which are taking so many significant measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus,” IOC president Thomas Bach said.

Scrubbed: March Madness leads long list of canceled sports

Because of the COVID-19 situation, the Kansas Jayhawk 
Community College Conference has decided to suspend all spring sports through 
April 1, the league announced on Thursday.

This suspension comes on the heels of the NJCAA postponing 
the its Division I and Division II national basketball tournaments until the 
week of April 20 earlier in the day. 

“Based on the latest developments and the continued spread 
of the Coronavirus (COVID-19, the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference, 
with support from the Presidents Council, announces the suspension of all 
regular season competition for all teams, effective Friday, March 13 through 
April 1,” league commissioner Carl Heinrich said in a release on Thursday. “This 
time will allow everyone to assess the current situation and plan 
accordingly.&nbsp; You will be kept updated 
through this time as we navigate through this.”

Hutchinson Community College Athletic Director Josh Gooch 
added: “Blue Dragon Athletics fully supports all NJCAA and KJCCC decisions 
regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The safety and well-being of all or our 
student athletes is our number one concern.”

The suspension of play affects the Blue Dragon baseball, 
softball, men’s golf and men’s and women’s track and field teams. The Blue 
Dragon Women’s Basketball team will have to wait until April 20

The Blue Dragon baseball team played at Seward County on 
Thursday and the Blue Dragon softball team played at Garden City on Thursday. 


The first events the suspension affects will be Saturday’s 
home baseball doubleheader against Seward County on Saturday.

Because of the COVID-19 situation, the Kansas Jayhawk 
Community College Conference has decided to suspend all spring sports through 
April 1, the league announced on Thursday.The suspension of play starts on Friday.This suspension comes on the heels of the NJCAA postponing 
the its Division I and Division II national basketball tournaments until the 
week of April 20 earlier in the day. “Based on the latest developments and the continued spread 
of the Coronavirus (COVID-19, the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference, 
with support from the Presidents Council, announces the suspension of all 
regular season competition for all teams, effective Friday, March 13 through 
April 1,” league commissioner Carl Heinrich said in a release on Thursday. “This 
time will allow everyone to assess the current situation and plan 
accordingly.&nbsp; You will be kept updated 
through this time as we navigate through this.”Hutchinson Community College Athletic Director Josh Gooch 
added: “Blue Dragon Athletics fully supports all NJCAA and KJCCC decisions 
regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The safety and well-being of all or our 
student athletes is our number one concern.”The suspension of play affects the Blue Dragon baseball, 
softball, men’s golf and men’s and women’s track and field teams. The Blue 
Dragon Women’s Basketball team will have to wait until April 20The Blue Dragon baseball team played at Seward County on 
Thursday and the Blue Dragon softball team played at Garden City on Thursday. 
The first events the suspension affects will be Saturday’s 
home baseball doubleheader against Seward County on Saturday.

KJCCC Suspends all spring sports through April 1

The 2020 NJCAA Division I Women’s and Men’s Basketball 
Tournaments, as well as both Division II tournaments have been postponed, NJCAA 
executive director Chris Parker announced on Thursday.

The Coronavirus situation has forced the postponements of 
the national tournaments until the week of April 20. 

The NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball have suspended their 
seasons and the NCAA has canceled the 2020 NCAA Tournaments.

The Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team 
will have an extra five weeks to prepare for the program’s 10th overall 
tournament appearance. 

The Blue Dragons (28-4) are seeded 12th in the 24-team 
tournament field and were supposed to play 21st-seeded Tyler at 12:30 p.m. on 
Tuesday in Lubbock, Texas. 

"Due to the concerns surrounding the safety and security of 
our student-athletes and those involved with Division I and Division II NJCAA 
championships, we are postponing the tournaments and maintaining a fluid 
mentality to see these tournaments take place with a tentative start date,” 
NJCAA executive director Chris Parker said in a statement on 
Thursday.”

The NJCAA added in its statement that start dates for each 
of the respective tournaments are tentative and the NJCAA will continue to 
follow all state and local mandates, restrictions and regulations as it impacts 
its member institutions and national championship events.

The 2020 NJCAA Division I Women’s and Men’s Basketball 
Tournaments, as well as both Division II tournaments have been postponed, NJCAA 
executive director Chris Parker announced on Thursday.The Coronavirus situation has forced the postponements of 
the national tournaments until the week of April 20. The NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball have suspended their 
seasons and the NCAA has canceled the 2020 NCAA Tournaments.The Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team 
will have an extra five weeks to prepare for the program’s 10th overall 
tournament appearance. The Blue Dragons (28-4) are seeded 12th in the 24-team 
tournament field and were supposed to play 21st-seeded Tyler at 12:30 p.m. on 
Tuesday in Lubbock, Texas. "Due to the concerns surrounding the safety and security of 
our student-athletes and those involved with Division I and Division II NJCAA 
championships, we are postponing the tournaments and maintaining a fluid 
mentality to see these tournaments take place with a tentative start date,” 
NJCAA executive director Chris Parker said in a statement on 
Thursday.”The NJCAA added in its statement that start dates for each 
of the respective tournaments are tentative and the NJCAA will continue to 
follow all state and local mandates, restrictions and regulations as it impacts 
its member institutions and national championship events.

NJCAA Postpones National Basketball Tournaments

UPDATE 8:45 p.m. Thursday:&nbsp;According to the Kansas High School Activities Association&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kshsaa.org/">website</a>, "After the conclusion of the quarterfinal round, the 2020 KSHSAA State Basketball Tournament will be canceled. Given the escalating concerns regarding COVID-19, the best decision for the safety of the student-athletes and spectators was to cancel the remainder of this championship tournament. The KSHSAA regrets the lost opportunity for teams and players that have worked to achieve their goals."

Currently all tournament sites are proceeding as scheduled with fans. We encourage everyone attending a state basketball tournament to continue to take the proper precautions in preventing illness transmission including proper and frequent hand washing with soap or sanitizer, covering the face when coughing or sneezing and keeping your hands away from your face. Anyone who is feeling sick or suffers from a significant health issue should stay home.

KSHSAA is continuing to monitor the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas State Department of Education regarding the rapidly evolving coronavirus situation.

All state basketball tournament sites are working diligently and taking additional precautions to provide the safest possible environment for the teams, fans and workers. We will continue to monitor new information from our public health organizations as it becomes available and make any changes to the state basketball tournaments if needed. Any updates will be provided at www.kshsaa.org and through Twitter (@KSHSAA).

<a href="http://www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus/index.htm">KDHE COVID-19 Resource Center</a>

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html">CDC Coronavirus Information</a>

UPDATE 8:45 p.m. Thursday:&nbsp;According to the Kansas High School Activities Association&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kshsaa.org/">website</a>, "After the conclusion of the quarterfinal round, the 2020 KSHSAA State Basketball Tournament will be canceled. Given the escalating concerns regarding COVID-19, the best decision for the safety of the student-athletes and spectators was to cancel the remainder of this championship tournament. The KSHSAA regrets the lost opportunity for teams and players that have worked to achieve their goals."KSHSAACurrently all tournament sites are proceeding as scheduled with fans. We encourage everyone attending a state basketball tournament to continue to take the proper precautions in preventing illness transmission including proper and frequent hand washing with soap or sanitizer, covering the face when coughing or sneezing and keeping your hands away from your face. Anyone who is feeling sick or suffers from a significant health issue should stay home.KSHSAA is continuing to monitor the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas State Department of Education regarding the rapidly evolving coronavirus situation.All state basketball tournament sites are working diligently and taking additional precautions to provide the safest possible environment for the teams, fans and workers. We will continue to monitor new information from our public health organizations as it becomes available and make any changes to the state basketball tournaments if needed. Any updates will be provided at www.kshsaa.org and through Twitter (@KSHSAA).Additional Resources:<a href="http://www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus/index.htm">KDHE COVID-19 Resource Center</a><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html">CDC Coronavirus Information</a>

UPDATE: Kansas cancels state basketball tournaments

Bishop Seabury Academy 72, Valley Heights 45

Some high school basketball scores provided by Scorestream.com, https://scorestream.com/

Thursday's ScoresBy The Associated Press<h2>BOYS PREP BASKETBALL=</h2>Class 2A=State Quarterfinal=Bishop Seabury Academy 72, Valley Heights 45Garden Plain 50, Hoxie 47Hillsboro 57, Pratt Skyline 50Sterling 64, Erie 54Class 4A=State Quarterfinal=Augusta 53, Ottawa 41Bishop Miege 65, Andale 61KC Piper 71, Buhler 52Rose Hill 61, Parsons 57Class 6A=State Quarterfinal=BV North 72, Lawrence 66BV Northwest 55, Lawrence Free State 48Olathe South 50, KC Harmon 43Wichita Campus 66, Manhattan 50GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL=Class 1A=State Quarterfinal=Central Plains 93, Ingalls 47Centralia 48, Cunningham 46Hanover 41, Otis-Bison 36Olpe 59, Norwich 43Class 3A=State Quarterfinal=Cheney 66, Phillipsburg 53Frontenac 42, Jefferson West 40, OTHalstead 45, Scott City 41, 2OTNemaha Central 45, Osage City 35Class 5A=State Quarterfinal=Andover Central 61, DeSoto 52McPherson 59, Basehor-Linwood 44St. Thomas Aquinas 62, Maize South 35Topeka Seaman 54, Maize 44___Some high school basketball scores provided by Scorestream.com, https://scorestream.com/

State Basketball Scores from Thursday; KSHSAA Shuts down tournaments after quarterfinals

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;The Class 3A State Girls Basketball Tournament ended up saving the best for last. It was a double overtime donnybrook between Halstead and Scott City that ended with the Dragons winning in exciting fashion 45-42.

Scott City led after one 11-9 and outscored Halstead 9-3 and 9-8 in the second and third periods. Halstead made a furious comeback and outscored Scott City 13-4 to tie the game at 33 and send it to overtime. 

In the first overtime, neither offense did a lot, but both teams were able to keep it alive and it was a 5-5 period.

In the second overtime, Halstead outscored Scott City 7-4 for the 45-42 win. The Dragons were led by Kaleigh O'Brien's 13 points. Karenna Gerber added 12. The Lady Beavers were paced by Brynn McCormick's 15 and Emily Weathers 10 points. 

The Dragons close their season at 21-3. Scott City finishes at 20-4.

By NICK GOSNELLHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;The Class 3A State Girls Basketball Tournament ended up saving the best for last. It was a double overtime donnybrook between Halstead and Scott City that ended with the Dragons winning in exciting fashion 45-42.Scott City led after one 11-9 and outscored Halstead 9-3 and 9-8 in the second and third periods. Halstead made a furious comeback and outscored Scott City 13-4 to tie the game at 33 and send it to overtime. In the first overtime, neither offense did a lot, but both teams were able to keep it alive and it was a 5-5 period.In the second overtime, Halstead outscored Scott City 7-4 for the 45-42 win. The Dragons were led by Kaleigh O'Brien's 13 points. Karenna Gerber added 12. The Lady Beavers were paced by Brynn McCormick's 15 and Emily Weathers 10 points. The Dragons close their season at 21-3. Scott City finishes at 20-4.

Best for last: Halstead wins in double OT to wrap up Kansas basketball season

The Kansas State High School Activities Association released an announcement on Thursday night announcing that the basketball state tournaments will not be completed.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association released an announcement on Thursday night announcing that the basketball state tournaments will not be completed.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The 2020 KSHSAA State Basketball Tournament will conclude after the quarterfinal round. <a href="https://t.co/zzRl3qS81R">pic.twitter.com/zzRl3qS81R</a>&mdash; KSHSAA (@KSHSAA) <a href="https://twitter.com/KSHSAA/status/1238277117298855941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

State basketball tournaments done after Thursday action in Kansas

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;It may have been relatively low scoring, but there may not have been a more even game anywhere in Kansas than the third quarterfinal for 3A girls on Thursday. Frontenac outlasted Jefferson West 42-40 in overtime at the Sports Arena. 

Jefferson West took an early lead and led 14-8 after one. Frontenac surged back and the fight was on. A last-second second quarter three from Kristin Biltoft gave the Lady Tigers a 25-24 halftime lead. 

Neither team could get any offense going in quarter number three, as both squads scored just three points and Jefferson West led 28-27. Frontenac slugged its way to a tie in regulation, though Jefferson West had a last look at it in regulation that did not fall. 

In the overtime, the Lady Raiders got the first basket and managed to just barely hold off Jefferson West. Pheifer Peck had a contested 10 footer in the final seconds that would have given us another extra period, but it was no good and Frontenac escaped.

The Lady Raiders were led by Karma Fields with 15 points. Kristin Biltoft had 17 for Jefferson West in the loss, Heather Kahler had 11 as well for the Lady Tigers.

Frontenac moves on to play the winner of Scott Community and Halstead on Friday.

By NICK GOSNELLHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;It may have been relatively low scoring, but there may not have been a more even game anywhere in Kansas than the third quarterfinal for 3A girls on Thursday. Frontenac outlasted Jefferson West 42-40 in overtime at the Sports Arena. Jefferson West took an early lead and led 14-8 after one. Frontenac surged back and the fight was on. A last-second second quarter three from Kristin Biltoft gave the Lady Tigers a 25-24 halftime lead. Neither team could get any offense going in quarter number three, as both squads scored just three points and Jefferson West led 28-27. Frontenac slugged its way to a tie in regulation, though Jefferson West had a last look at it in regulation that did not fall. In the overtime, the Lady Raiders got the first basket and managed to just barely hold off Jefferson West. Pheifer Peck had a contested 10 footer in the final seconds that would have given us another extra period, but it was no good and Frontenac escaped.The Lady Raiders were led by Karma Fields with 15 points. Kristin Biltoft had 17 for Jefferson West in the loss, Heather Kahler had 11 as well for the Lady Tigers.Frontenac moves on to play the winner of Scott Community and Halstead on Friday.

Frontenac advances in overtime 42-40 

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;The Cheney Cardinals 20-9 first quarter staked them to a lead they would not relinquish in the quarterfinals of the Class 3A state girls basketball tournament Thursday in Hutchinson.

The Cardinals were red-hot shooting in quarter number one shooting 9 for 17 from the field. Phillipsburg was just 2 for 10 in that period.

In quarter number two, the two teams were about dead even, because the Panthers made their living from the free throw line shooting 11 of 13 from the charity stripe to stay in the game, while Cheney cooled a touch and shot 40% from the field in a 16-16 quarter that left Cheney up 36-25 at the break.

Cheney heated back up in quarter number three shooting 8 of 12 from the field and extended the advantage to 54-36 after three.

Phillipsburg never really got in striking distance in quarter number four and Cheney won by a final of 66-53. 

Cheney was led by Kylee Scheer with 19 points. Lexi Cline added 15. Anna Martin had 10.

Phillipsburg had the game's top scorer as Taryn Sides had 23 points. Kay Pakkebier had 10 in the loss. 

Cheney will play Nemaha Central in the 3 p.m. semifinal on Friday at the Sports Arena.

By NICK GOSNELLHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;The Cheney Cardinals 20-9 first quarter staked them to a lead they would not relinquish in the quarterfinals of the Class 3A state girls basketball tournament Thursday in Hutchinson.The Cardinals were red-hot shooting in quarter number one shooting 9 for 17 from the field. Phillipsburg was just 2 for 10 in that period.In quarter number two, the two teams were about dead even, because the Panthers made their living from the free throw line shooting 11 of 13 from the charity stripe to stay in the game, while Cheney cooled a touch and shot 40% from the field in a 16-16 quarter that left Cheney up 36-25 at the break.Cheney heated back up in quarter number three shooting 8 of 12 from the field and extended the advantage to 54-36 after three.Phillipsburg never really got in striking distance in quarter number four and Cheney won by a final of 66-53. Cheney was led by Kylee Scheer with 19 points. Lexi Cline added 15. Anna Martin had 10.Phillipsburg had the game's top scorer as Taryn Sides had 23 points. Kay Pakkebier had 10 in the loss. Cheney will play Nemaha Central in the 3 p.m. semifinal on Friday at the Sports Arena.

Cheney wins in 3A girls quarters, 66-53

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;The Nemaha Central girls came into the Class 3A state tournament undefeated and as the top seed. It took one quarter to see why. The Thunder led 11-4 after one and had control after that in a 45-35 quarterfinal win over Osage City Thursday in Hutchinson.

The Thunder were paced by Alleigh Kramer's 17 points. Emma Elder had a well-balanced game with 8 points and 10 rebounds for Nemaha Central.

Osage City put three players in double figures in the losing effort, with Danielle Kerns netting 11, Hayden Serna cashing in 10, most of them on drives late in the game and Taylin Kirkpatrick also contributing 10, but early foul trouble limited her to just 22 minutes on Thursday.

The Thunder are 24-0 and will play the winner of Phillipsburg and Cheney at 3 p.m. on Friday at the Sports Arena.

By NICK GOSNELLHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;The Nemaha Central girls came into the Class 3A state tournament undefeated and as the top seed. It took one quarter to see why. The Thunder led 11-4 after one and had control after that in a 45-35 quarterfinal win over Osage City Thursday in Hutchinson.The Thunder were paced by Alleigh Kramer's 17 points. Emma Elder had a well-balanced game with 8 points and 10 rebounds for Nemaha Central.Osage City put three players in double figures in the losing effort, with Danielle Kerns netting 11, Hayden Serna cashing in 10, most of them on drives late in the game and Taylin Kirkpatrick also contributing 10, but early foul trouble limited her to just 22 minutes on Thursday.The Thunder are 24-0 and will play the winner of Phillipsburg and Cheney at 3 p.m. on Friday at the Sports Arena.

Top-seed Nemaha Central girls win by 10 in 3A quarterfinal

Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships. This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities.

Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships. This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">NCAA cancels remaining winter and spring championships: <a href="https://t.co/qzKAS4McEI">https://t.co/qzKAS4McEI</a> <a href="https://t.co/G6XreZx35E">pic.twitter.com/G6XreZx35E</a>&mdash; NCAA (@NCAA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NCAA/status/1238197201928667136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

NCAA cancels March Madness, all winter and spring championships

In light of recent developments regarding COVID-19, the NJCAA has made the decision to postpone national championship events for the upcoming DI and DII men's and women's basketball tournaments. DIII men's and women's basketball championships, currently underway, will work with an expedited schedule that will conclude on Friday, March 13.

Originally scheduled to begin the week of March 16, the four upcoming national championship events – DI men, DI women, DII men, and DII women will aim for a tentative start date of Monday, April 20.

The DIII men's and women's national championships, currently underway, will cancel all consolation games and will move semifinal and championship games to Friday, March 13.

Dr. Christopher Parker, NJCAA President &amp; CEO expressed his sentiments regarding the situation. "Due to the concerns surrounding the safety and security of our student-athletes and those involved with Division I and Division II NJCAA championships, we are postponing the tournaments and maintaining a fluid mentality to see these tournaments take place with a tentative start date.

We have two main objectives in this situation - first and foremost is to protect the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, college personnel, and fans. Second is to make sure our student-athletes receive the national championship experience that they have worked so hard for."

Start dates for each of the respective tournaments are tentative and the NJCAA will continue to follow all state and local mandates, restrictions, and regulations as it impacts its member institutions and national championship events.

In light of recent developments regarding COVID-19, the NJCAA has made the decision to postpone national championship events for the upcoming DI and DII men's and women's basketball tournaments. DIII men's and women's basketball championships, currently underway, will work with an expedited schedule that will conclude on Friday, March 13.Originally scheduled to begin the week of March 16, the four upcoming national championship events – DI men, DI women, DII men, and DII women will aim for a tentative start date of Monday, April 20.The DIII men's and women's national championships, currently underway, will cancel all consolation games and will move semifinal and championship games to Friday, March 13.Dr. Christopher Parker, NJCAA President &amp; CEO expressed his sentiments regarding the situation. "Due to the concerns surrounding the safety and security of our student-athletes and those involved with Division I and Division II NJCAA championships, we are postponing the tournaments and maintaining a fluid mentality to see these tournaments take place with a tentative start date.We have two main objectives in this situation - first and foremost is to protect the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, college personnel, and fans. Second is to make sure our student-athletes receive the national championship experience that they have worked so hard for."Start dates for each of the respective tournaments are tentative and the NJCAA will continue to follow all state and local mandates, restrictions, and regulations as it impacts its member institutions and national championship events.

NJCAA tournaments postponed; tentative start in April

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference has announced the immediate suspension 
of all Conference championships until April 15, resulting in the cancellation of 
the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships in Kansas 
City, along with its upcoming gymnastics and equestrian championships.&nbsp; 
Conducting future Big 12 championships this season will be evaluated and 
determined by April 15. 

“After consultation with our Board of Directors it was 
decided that cancelling these championships was in the best interest of the 
health and safety of our student-athletes,” said Commissioner Bob Bowlsby.&nbsp; 


Details will be forthcoming on full refunds of ticket 
purchases for these championships.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference has announced the immediate suspension 
of all Conference championships until April 15, resulting in the cancellation of 
the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships in Kansas 
City, along with its upcoming gymnastics and equestrian championships.&nbsp; 
Conducting future Big 12 championships this season will be evaluated and 
determined by April 15. “After consultation with our Board of Directors it was 
decided that cancelling these championships was in the best interest of the 
health and safety of our student-athletes,” said Commissioner Bob Bowlsby.&nbsp; 
Details will be forthcoming on full refunds of ticket 
purchases for these championships.

Big 12 Cancels remaining tournament sessions


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The Galena Bulldogs beat the Burlington Wildcats 61-54 Wednesday night at the Hutchinson Sports Arena to cap off the first day of play at the Class 3A state basketball tournament.

Galena got out of the gate early and led by 10 after one quarter 19-9. Burlington bounced back and made a game of it and tied the score at halftime at 26. Galena took the lead in the third and led by five after three, 38-33.

Galena's Tyler Little was the star of the night with 24 points and 13 rebounds to pace the Bulldogs. Brett Sarwinski had 15 points. Logan Henderson had 11 points.

Galena made its living at the charity stripe going 25 of 40 from the line, compared to Burlington's 4 of 8 mark. Trevr Bahr was the only double figure scorer for the Wildcats, who end their season at 18-6. Bahr had 20 points.

The now 19-5 Bulldogs will face the St. Mary's Bears at 8:15 Friday night. St. Mary's upset Haven earlier on Wednesday.

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The Galena Bulldogs beat the Burlington Wildcats 61-54 Wednesday night at the Hutchinson Sports Arena to cap off the first day of play at the Class 3A state basketball tournament.Galena got out of the gate early and led by 10 after one quarter 19-9. Burlington bounced back and made a game of it and tied the score at halftime at 26. Galena took the lead in the third and led by five after three, 38-33.Galena's Tyler Little was the star of the night with 24 points and 13 rebounds to pace the Bulldogs. Brett Sarwinski had 15 points. Logan Henderson had 11 points.Galena made its living at the charity stripe going 25 of 40 from the line, compared to Burlington's 4 of 8 mark. Trevr Bahr was the only double figure scorer for the Wildcats, who end their season at 18-6. Bahr had 20 points.The now 19-5 Bulldogs will face the St. Mary's Bears at 8:15 Friday night. St. Mary's upset Haven earlier on Wednesday.

Galena boys win at 3A state over Burlington 61-54

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Cartier Diarra scored 13 points, Mike McGuirl added eight points that included two free throws to ice the game as No. 10 seed Kansas State beat seventh-seeded TCU 53-49 in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. RJ Nembhard scored 19 points and Desmond Bane added 16 for TCU. Kansas State scored the final eight points of the game. The Horned Frogs got their first lead with five minutes lef, then stretched it to 49-45 on a Kevin Samuel's free throw and jumper, but didn't score in the final three minutes of the game.&nbsp;

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg left the school's 89-64 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament because of a cold. Hoiberg was in visible discomfort on the Cornhuskers' bench. Doc Sadler took over after Hoiberg left the floor near the end of the loss. Nebraska did not make any players or coaches available to the media after the game. Trayce Jackson-Davis had a double double of 11 points and career-high 17 rebounds. Armaan Franklin led the Hoosiers with 13 points.

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated PressKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Cartier Diarra scored 13 points, Mike McGuirl added eight points that included two free throws to ice the game as No. 10 seed Kansas State beat seventh-seeded TCU 53-49 in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. RJ Nembhard scored 19 points and Desmond Bane added 16 for TCU. Kansas State scored the final eight points of the game. The Horned Frogs got their first lead with five minutes lef, then stretched it to 49-45 on a Kevin Samuel's free throw and jumper, but didn't score in the final three minutes of the game.&nbsp;INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg left the school's 89-64 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament because of a cold. Hoiberg was in visible discomfort on the Cornhuskers' bench. Doc Sadler took over after Hoiberg left the floor near the end of the loss. Nebraska did not make any players or coaches available to the media after the game. Trayce Jackson-Davis had a double double of 11 points and career-high 17 rebounds. Armaan Franklin led the Hoosiers with 13 points.ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Alex Pietrangelo scored two goals, Jake Allen made 36 saves and the St. Louis Blues defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 on Wednesday night. This was the game that was rescheduled after Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester suffered a cardiac episode 12:10 into the first period on Feb. 11. It started with the score tied 1-1, as it was at the time of the postponement. Zach Sanford scored the go-ahead goal for St. Louis with 2:47 remaining in the second period.&nbsp;Adam Henrique finished with a goal and an assist for Anaheim while Jani Hakanpaa had his first NHL goal. Anthony Stolarz, who was making his first NHL start of the season, stopped 33 shots.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Oklahoma State's Isaac Likekele went coast-to-coast for the go-ahead layup with 3.8 seconds left, lifting the eighth-seeded Cowboys to a 72-71 victory over No. 9 seed Iowa State in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday night. Likekele finished with 21 points for the Cowboys, who advanced to play No. 1 Kansas in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Cameron McGriff added 17 points and Yor Anei finished with 12 for Oklahoma State while Prentiss Nixon led Iowa State with 25 points. Michael Jacobson had 13 and Tre Jackson had 10 for the Cyclones.JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — St. Louis first baseman Paul Goldschmidt will be out for several more games because of a sore right elbow. Goldschmidt's throwing was limited by the Cardinals during the start of spring training, and he made his first two exhibition starts as a designated hitter. He has not played since Sunday. Cardinals manager Mike Shildt says the 32-year-old Goldschmidt has had off and on discomfort, Goldschmidt is a six-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner. He is hitting .300 with two homers in 20 spring training at-bats. Goldschmidt hit .260 with 34 homers and 97 RBIs last year.OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Creighton hopes to have Marcus Zegarowski available for the NCAA Tournament next week after he had knee surgery Wednesday. Zegarowski injured the meniscus in his right knee late in the seventh-ranked Bluejays' game against Seton Hall on Saturday. Creighton's next game is Thursday against St. John's or Georgetown in the Big East Tournament in New York. Zegarowski has started 30 of 31 games and is second on the team in scoring at 16.1 points per game. The All-Big East second-team pick is third in the conference in 3-point shooting at 42.4%.&nbsp;NEW YORK (AP) — Myles Powell skipped a chance to play in the NBA to become the first member of his family to earn a college degree. He was selected the Big East Conference player of the year Wednesday after leading Seton Hall to a three-way share of the league's regular-season title. Villanova forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl has been chosen the league's freshman of the year. Greg McDermott of Creighton was voted coach of the year. The winners were selected by a vote of the league's head coaches and announced before the start of the league tournament in New York City.KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Midfielder Benny Feilhaber retired from soccer after a career that included playing for the United States at the 2010 World Cup and nine years in Major League Soccer. The 35-year-old scored two goals in 44 international appearances from 2007-17, including a tiebreaking goal on a 22-yard volley that lifted the U.S. over Mexico in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup final. He made three appearances as a substitute at the World Cup in South Africa and also played for the U.S. at 2008 Olympics. Feilhaber played for Hamburg and Derby, then spent nine seasons in MLS.&nbsp;AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Philadelphia	124	Detroit	106Final	Charlotte	109	Miami	98Final OT	New York	136	Atlanta	131Final	Dallas	113	Denver	97___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Chicago	6	San Jose	2Final	Winnipeg	4	Edmonton	2Final	St. Louis	4	Anaheim	2Final OT	Colorado	3	N-Y Rangers	2Final	Los Angeles	3	Ottawa	2___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Buffalo	at	Montreal	7 p.m.		Carolina	at	New Jersey	7 p.m.		Detroit	at	Washington	7 p.m.		Nashville	at	Toronto	7 p.m.		Philadelphia	at	Tampa Bay	7 p.m.		Pittsburgh	at	Columbus	7 p.m.		Vegas	at	Minnesota	8 p.m.		Florida	at	Dallas	8:30 p.m.		N-Y Islanders	at	Calgary	9 p.m.		Vancouver	at	Arizona	10:30 p.m.___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		Oklahoma St.	at	(1)Kansas	3 p.m.		Clemson	at	(4)Florida St.	12:30 p.m.		Kansas St.	at	(5)Baylor	7 p.m.		St. John's	at	(7)Creighton	12 p.m.		NC State	at	(10)Duke	3 p.m.		DePaul	at	(11)Villanova	7 p.m.		Oregon St.	at	(13)Oregon	3 p.m.		Syracuse	at	(15)Louisville	9:30 p.m.		Marquette	at	(16)Seton Hall	9:30 p.m.		Notre Dame	at	(17)Virginia	7 p.m.		Purdue	at	(19)Ohio St.	6:30 p.m.		(22)West Virginia	at	Oklahoma	9:30 p.m.		(24)Butler	at	Providence	2:30 p.m.		Minnesota	at	(25)Iowa	2:25 p.m.___