Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji scored 25 points to continue his torrid start to the season, David McCormack added 12 points and eight boards and No. 3 Kansas pulled away from Stony Brook for a 88-59 victory Thursday night. Christian Braun and Zach Clemence added 11 points apiece for the Jayhawks, who only led by six at halftime before heating up from beyond the arc. They were 2 of 10 in the first half but hit seven of their first nine 3s in the second. Tykei Greene scored 11 points and Omar Habwe had nine for the transfer-heavy Seawolves, who hadn't played in nine days.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Brandon Saad scored twice, Ville Husso made 26 saves and the St. Louis Blues snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Husso was sharp while playing for the first time since Oct. 25. He was put on the COVID-19 list on Oct. 31. The Blues' backup goalie had shutouts in his last two starts until Jonathan Dahlen's goal at the 8:16 mark of the second ended the shutout streak at 163 minutes, 2 seconds. The Blues have beaten San Jose four straight times.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Kobe Brown had 13 points and 13 rebounds to lead Missouri over cold-shooting Northern Illinois 54-37. The game was tied 32-32 with about 10 minutes left. Missouri (2-1) scored the next 10 points while Northern Illinois (1-2) added just five more points the rest of the game. Brown also had career highs with six assists and four blocks. Jordan Wilmore added 11 points and Ronnie DeGray III had 10 for the Tigers. Trendon Hankerson scored eight points on 3-of-17 for Northern Illinois, which trailed by three points at halftime.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs plan to begin discussing the future of Arrowhead Stadium within the next year after the neighboring Royals announced plans earlier this year to explore moving to a new downtown ballpark. Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said during his annual midseason availability Thursday that Royals owner John Sherman called him to discuss the baseball team's plans. Kauffman Stadium sits just across the parking lot from Arrowhead Stadium in the Truman Sports Complex, which is surrounded by sprawling parking lots just outside of Kansas City. The Chiefs and Royals have leases with Jackson County in Missouri that expire in 2031, at which point the clubs are free to move.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Cowboys bring their league-leading offense to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Chiefs on Sunday. The Chiefs certainly have plenty of firepower of their own with Patrick Mahomes directing an offense that features Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. But it has been Dak Prescott and Zeke Elliott that have the Cowboys leading the NFL in yards and points through the first 10 weeks of the regular season. The Cowboys are coming off a blowout of the Falcons while the Chiefs are coming off a romp over the Raiders so both teams should have some momentum heading into this week's game.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Ashley Joens scored 31 points with 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals and No. 14 Iowa State pulled away from Drake for a 98-76 win. Aubrey Joens added a career-high 18 points. Ashley Joens, who had her 32nd career double-double and 12th 30-point game, scored 11 points in the third quarter when the Cyclones took over. Iowa State ended up going 15 of 36 from 3-point range with the Joens sisters both hitting 5 of 11. Katie Dinnebier scored 19 for Drake.
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma's nation-leading 17-game win streak was snapped last week with a 27-14 loss at Baylor. The 12th-ranked Sooners have won six straight Big 12 titles. That streak would be in serious jeopardy with a loss to Iowa State. Oklahoma still could reach the College Football Playoff. The Sooners need a solid win over a talented Iowa State squad to maintain their slim hopes. Iowa State can brighten a disappointing season with a win. The Cyclones were in the preseason Top 10 and now are playing spoiler.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Kansas is coming back to the Lone Star State after ending a 56-game Big 12 road losing streak at Texas. It was a potentially program-altering thriller in overtime. The Jayhawks face quite a task avoiding a letdown in their visit to TCU on Saturday. The Jayhawks and Horned Frogs both fell flat at Oklahoma State coming off uplifting performances. Now TCU is looking to bounce back under interim coach Jerry Kill.
Update on the latest sports
NFL-PATRIOTS/FALCONS
Patriots stifle Falcons 25-0 for 5th straight victory
ATLANTA (AP) — Mac Jones threw a 19-yard scoring pass to Nelson Agholor for the game's only offensive touchdown and the New England defense took care of the rest. The result was a 25-0 shutout of the Atlanta Falcons for the Patriots' fifth straight victory.
New England wasn't nearly as dominating as four days earlier, when the Patriots blew out the Browns 45-7. But it was good enough against a feeble Falcons offense that hasn't scored a touchdown in nearly nine quarters.
Nick Folk booted four field goals and Kyle Van Noy had two sacks and a late interception return for a touchdown.
NBA SCHEDULE
Curry scores 40 points as Warriors beat Cavs
UNDATED (AP) — Stephen Curry scored 20 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter, hitting three straight 3-pointers, and the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors overcame a 13-point deficit to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 104-89.
The Warriors ran off the first 17 points of the fourth quarter to seize an 85-81 advantage, holding Cleveland to 12 consecutive empty possessions. The Warriors improved to 13-2. They have won nine straight over the Cavaliers.
In other NBA action:
— A short-handed Philadelphia 76ers team beat the Denver Nuggets 103-89 and snapped their five-game losing streak. Playing without Joel Embiid and three other regulars, the 76ers held Nikola Jokic to three points in the second half on a night when enraged Nuggets coach Michael Malone was ejected and had to be restrained by Jokic after charging onto the court as the Philadelphia took control in the third quarter. Tyrese Maxey scored 22 points and Seth Curry added 20 for the 76ers.
— Ja Morant scored 17 of his 28-points in a third-quarter rally in the Memphis Grizzlies' 120-108 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 18 points each, and Desmond Bane had 16. Brandon Clarke finished with 14 points, 10 of them in the fourth quarter.
— Jimmy Butler led the Miami Heat with 32 points as they beat the Washington Wizards 112-97. The teams will meet again Saturday night in Washington, with Miami having rolled up four straight wins. The Wizards have lost their last two.
— The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the San Antonio Spurs 115-90. Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 12 rebounds, while D'Angelo Russell added 22 points, and Malik Beasley hit five of Minnesota's season-high 21 3-pointers for all 15 of his points.
— Rudy Gay hit five 3-pointers and scored 20 points in his season debut to help the Utah Jazz beat the Toronto Raptors 119-103. Gay also had five rebounds while playing just 18 minutes. He missed Utah's first 14 games while recovering from offseason surgery on his right heel.
NHL SCHEDULE
Red-hot Maple Leafs top Rangers
UNDATED (AP) — Morgan Rielly scored twice and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the New York Rangers 2-1 for their 10th victory in 11 games.
The Rangers came in with four straight victories, and had earned points in eight of their last nine, but were unable to generate much of an attack until the third period. Jack Campbell made 27 saves for Toronto.
Elsewhere in the NHL:
— The Carolina Hurricanes snapped the Anaheim Ducks' eight-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory. Seth Jarvis atoned for a missed penalty shot by scoring the tiebreaking goal midway through the third period. Ethan Bear scored his first goal of the season and Frederik Andersen made 31 saves against his former team for the Hurricanes, who improved to 13-2-0.
— Connor McDavid scored in regulation and the shootout, as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Winnipeg Jets 2-1. Rookie goaltender Stuart Skinner made 45 saves and was perfect on two shootout attempts for the Oilers, who improved to 7-1-1 at home. Kyle Turris also scored in the shootout.
— Spencer Knight made a career-high 45 saves to lift the Florida Panthers over the New Jersey Devils 4-1. The Panthers extended their home regular-season win streak to 13 games dating to last season. And it's the 11th game this season the Panthers have scored at least four goals.
— Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point each scored in the shootout and regulation to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning have now beaten the Flyers in eight straight regular-season games.
— The Penguins found their offense on a night the Canadiens got lost on defense. Teddy Blueger scored two goals as Pittsburgh snapped a three-game skid, pounding Montreal 6-0. Tristan Jarry stopped all 24 shots for the Penguins.
— Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves for his fifth shutout, as the Calgary Flames beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-0. Markstrom's five shutouts lead the NHL and is a career high. Andrew Mangiapane had two goals and an assist.
— Brandon Saad scored twice and the St. Louis Blues snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Blues goalie Ville Husso was sharp, making 26 saves in his first game since being put on the COVID-19 list on Oct. 31.
— The Minnesota Wild used a four-goal third period to beat the Dallas Stars 7-2. Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and three assists for the Wild. The Wild had at least one point from 11 of their 12 forwards.
— Zach Whitecloud scored two goals in his first game back after hand surgery and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-2. Vegas improved to 9-3-0 since Oct. 26, after opening the season 1-4-0. It's the first time the Golden Knights have beaten Detroit on home ice since they joined the NHL in 2017.
— Boone Jenner had three goals, Yegor Chinakhov scored in the seventh round of a shootout and the Columbus Blue Jackets outlasted the Arizona Coyotes 5-4. The Coyotes and Blue Jackets traded goals all night, including four in less than three minutes late in the second period.
TOP 25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
No. 19 Ohio State falls to Xavier; Stony Brook no match for Kansas
UNDATED (AP) — Xavier led wire to wire in knocking off No. 19 Ohio State 71-65.
Jack Nunge and Paul Scruggs each scored 14 points for the Musketeers. Jamari Wheeler hit a 3-pointer to get Ohio State within two points with 17 seconds left, but Scruggs hit four free throws to put the game away.
In other top 25 men's college basketball action:
— Ochai Agbaji scored 25 points to continue his torrid start to the season, David McCormack added 12 points and eight boards and No. 3 Kansas pulled away from Stony Brook for a 88-59 victory. Christian Braun and Zach Clemence added 11 points apiece for the Jayhawks, who only led by six at halftime before heating up from beyond the arc.
— Kyle Lofton had 17 points and seven assists, Jaren Holmes added 14 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 22 St. Bonaventure beat Boise State 67-61 in the Charleston Classic. Dominick Welch led the late defensive effort for St. Bonaventure, helping keep Boise State's leading scorer Emmanuel Akot scoreless for the final seven minutes.
— Colin Castleton had 19 points and 10 rebounds – his second straight double-double – and No. 24 Florida dominated Milwaukee 81-45. The Gators issued 39 credentials spanning 22 NBA teams, all of them on hand to see Milwaukee's freshman star Patrick Baldwin Jr., a projected lottery pick. The 6-foot-9 guard had 13 points on 6-of-15 shooting with three rebounds, two blocks, two steals and an assist.
MLB-MVP
Ohtani voted AL MVP for 2-way season, Harper wins NL honor
NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani (SHOH'-hay oh-TAH'-nee) was unanimiously voted American League MVP for a two-way season not seen since Babe Ruth, and Bryce Harper earned the National League honor for the second time.
Ohtani hit .257 with 46 homers, 100 RBIs and a .965 OPS as the Los Angeles Angels' full-time designated hitter. As a pitcher, he went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 23 starts with 156 strikeouts and 44 walks in 130 1/3 innings. It was the first full season on the mound for the 27-year-old right-hander following Tommy John surgery in 2019.
Harper overcame getting hit in the face with a 97 mph pitch in April to bat .309 with 35 homers for Philadelphia. The 29-year-old led the major leagues with a .465 slugging percentage and 1.044 OPS, tied for the lead with 42 doubles and had 84 RBIs.
MLB-OWNERS MEETINGS-MANFRED
Commissioner signals possible lockout
CHICAGO (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says owners are focused on reaching a labor deal, but he is signaling they likely will lock out players if the current deal expires Dec. 1 without a new agreement.
Manfred says "an offseason lockout that moves the process forward is different than a labor dispute that costs games."
Talks between owners and players on a new labor deal have been going on since spring but have lacked momentum toward an agreement.
MLB-NEWS
Berríos staying with Blue Jays; Rockies, catcher Elias Díaz agree
UNDATED (AP) — Two months with the Toronto Blue Jays was enough to make José Berríos decide not to try free agency next year.
Berríos has finalized a $131 million, seven-year deal to stay with the Blue Jays. A two-time All Star, Berríos says his decision was simplified by getting a brief taste of life in Toronto after the Blue Jays acquired him from Minnesota on July 30.
In other baseball news:
— The New York Mets have hired Billy Eppler as their general manager, giving him a four-year contract. Eppler was fired as general manager of the Los Angeles Angels a little more than a year ago after five losing seasons. He becomes the Mets' fifth head of baseball operations in a little more than a year.
— The Colorado Rockies have agreed to a $14.5 million, three-year contract with Elias Díaz. The 31-year-old catcher hit .246 last season with a career-best 18 homers, which was tied for third-most among catchers in the National League. He also threw out 42.1% of base stealers, a mark only behind Salvador Pérez.
— The Arizona Diamondbacks have hired Brent Strom to be their pitching coach. The 73-year-old has been a pitching coach in the big leagues for 11 seasons, most recently with the Houston Astros from 2014 to 2021. The Astros made the World Series three times during his tenure.
— Most minor league players will get their own beds provided in team housing under a new Major League Baseball policy. MLB estimates it will apply to 90% of minor leaguers, all except those making $100,000 or more or with major league contracts.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-CALHOUN RETIRES
Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun retires from D-III Saint Joseph
UNDATED (AP) — Jim Calhoun is retiring as men's basketball coach of Division III Saint Joseph. The 79-year-old Hall of Famer spent more than four years helping the school established a men's basketball program after it began admitting male students.
Calhoun was the longtime coach at UConn, where he won three national titles. He ends his career with a record of 920-397. He went 47-17 at Saint Joseph, including a conference title.
TENNIS-YEAR-END RANKINGS
Barty finishes year as WTA's No. 1 for 3rd consecutive time
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Wimbledon champion Ash Barty has finished No. 1 in the WTA singles rankings for the third consecutive season.
The 25-year-old from Australia joins Serena Williams, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert as the only women to lead the year-end rankings three straight times. This week is Barty's 95th in a row atop the WTA and 102nd overall. Barty's title at the All England Club in July was her second at a Grand Slam tournament. She also won the 2019 French Open. She went 42-8 this season.
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