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Author: Dave Riggert

Mizzou to play North Carolina in Independence Bowl

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The University of Missouri has accepted an invitation to play in the 2011 AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl, as announced today by Mizzou and Independence Bowl officials.

The Tigers (7-5 overall and 5-4 in Big 12 play) will play in the 36th annual edition of the game, set for Dec. 26th in Shreveport, La., against the North Carolina Tar Heels (7-5 overall and 3-5 in ACC play [4th in Coastal Division]).  The game will kickoff at 4:00 p.m. (central time) from Independence Stadium and will be televised live on ESPN2.

Tiger Fans are encouraged to wear gold to the game and to help Mizzou sell out its allotment of tickets for the contest, which will mark the third appearance for MU in the Independence Bowl.  Mizzou previously split a pair of games against Southeastern Conference foes, beating South Carolina in 2005 (38-31) and dropping a 2003 contest to Arkansas (27-14).

The game will mark MU’s seventh-consecutive bowl game (an MU record), and eighth bowl appearance in the last nine seasons overall under Head Coach Gary Pinkel, after Mizzou had gone to only two bowl games in a span of 19 seasons dating from 1984-2002.  Pinkel has passed College Football Hall of Fame Coach Dan Devine for most bowl appearances at Mizzou, with his eight bowl outings.  The 2011 Independence Bowl appearance will be Mizzou’s 29th bowl game overall, with MU holding a 12-16 mark in its previous 28 outings.

Mizzou and North Carolina will be meeting for only the third time on the gridiron when they square off in Shreveport.  Mizzou stands 2-0 alltime in the series, claiming 27-14 and 24-3 wins in Chapel Hill (1973) and Columbia (1976), respectively.

“We’re very pleased to accept an invitation to play in the 2011 Independence Bowl,” said MU Head Coach Gary Pinkel.  “We obviously have a history with this game, and we know first-hand how great of an experience they provide.  This is also a nice fit for our program from a recruiting standpoint, and we’ll certainly have a big challenge with a talented North Carolina team.  We look forward to working hard over the next few weeks to prepare for what should be a great game and a great trip for our program,” he said.

“We are excited to be playing in our seventh-straight bowl game, and we’re pleased to be playing in the Independence Bowl,” said Director of Athletics Mike Alden.  “Reaching the post-season does so much for your program, and having a chance to play in an area where we’re looking to expand our presence is a big plus.  We’ve developed great friendships with the staff and look forward to renewing those,” he said.

The Mizzou Athletic Ticket Office will begin taking online orders for the 2011 Independence Bowl beginning tonight (Sunday, Dec. 4th) at 7:00 p.m. (central time), at www.mutigers.com.  Fans may also order over the phone by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS (884-PAWS in Columbia) or in person at the Mizzou Arena Ticket Office beginning Monday (Dec. 5th) at 8 a.m., but are strongly encouraged to order online to ensure prompt service.

Fans who cannot attend the game, but who wish to support Mizzou’s student-athletes and football program, are encouraged to purchase tickets to be used for donation to Shreveport-area charities and military personnel at www.mutigers.com. Tiger Scholarship Fund members will receive TSF credit for the face value of donated tickets.  Details can be found at www.mutigers.com.

— MU Sports Information —

K-State accepts invite to play in Cotton Bowl

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On the heels of the program’s best season in almost a decade and its eighth 10-win season under head coach Bill Snyder, Kansas State Athletics Director John Currie announced today that the Wildcats have accepted an invitation to play No. 6 Arkansas in the 2012 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic on January 6 in Arlington, Texas.

The game, which will be one of just three bowl matchups along with the BCS National Championship to feature two Top 10 teams, will be played at Cowboys Stadium, one of the premiere sports facilities in the world, at 7 p.m. CT, with a nationwide television audience watching on FOX. The Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl are the other two bowls this season to include Top 10 matchups.

“With the excitement and integrity of the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic at an all-time high, we couldn’t be more proud to represent the Big 12 Conference in Dallas following a terrific and memorable season for our football program, fans and university community, and I am pleased to accept the invitation on behalf of President Kirk Schulz, Coach Bill Snyder and our entire institution,” said Currie. “Showcasing our football program and university on a primetime national stage in one of the nation’s most tradition-rich bowl games is a tremendous opportunity, and the experience our student-athletes, band members, cheerleaders and fans will have in Dallas will certainly be world-class.”

K-State’s trip to the Cotton Bowl will be its third in program history with the last appearance being in 2001 in a win over Tennessee. The Wildcats (10-2) will be playing in their 15th bowl game in school history and 13th under Bill Snyder as the Cats are 6-6 all-time in bowls under the legendary head coach. Following 11 straight bowls from 1993-2003 under Snyder, the Cats have now gone bowling in each of the last two seasons following last year’s berth in the inaugural New Era Pinstripe Bowl.

“On behalf of the Kansas State University community, we are extremely proud of Coach Snyder and our football team on a terrific 2011 season,” said Schulz. “We could not be more excited to head to the Dallas area, one of our top out-of-state alumni markets, and play in such a historic bowl as the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic. We appreciate President Rick Baker, Chairman Tommy Bain and the entire Cotton Bowl staff for annually putting on one of the best bowls in the country, and we are looking forward to a wonderful week in Dallas.”

The Wildcats’ 10 regular season victories in 2011, the most since 2003 and one shy of the school record, included home wins over No. 15 Baylor, Missouri and Texas A&M and road victories at Miami, No. 23 Texas and Texas Tech. K-State also kept the Governor’s Cup trophy in Manhattan for the third straight season under Snyder with a 59-21 win over in-state rival Kansas.

In addition to sporting the Big 12’s No. 1 football graduation rate in four of the last five seasons, excitement in Wildcat football was also evidenced by three sell-out crowds at Bill Snyder Family Stadium this season and a No. 29 national ranking in percent of capacity.

“We are so very proud of the young men in our program and the courage they have shown this year, and we are very pleased to represent the Big 12 Conference in the Cotton Bowl,” said Snyder. “The Cotton Bowl is a first-class bowl organization and we appreciate Rick Baker and the entire bowl staff for their efforts and support of college football.”

The Razorbacks (10-2) finished the season ranked sixth in the BCS standings with both losses coming at the hands of No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama.

K-State has faced Arkansas four times in its history and will square off in a bowl game for the first time. The Wildcats hold a 3-1 advantage in the series with the last meeting between the two schools coming back in 1967.

K-State’s 2012 AT&T Cotton Bowl allotment of 12,500 tickets has been sold out through pre-orders. Ticket locations for pre-orders will be assigned in order of the K-State Athletics Priority Point System and follow post-season priority limits. Ticket shipments are expected to be mailed by priority delivery at least two weeks prior to the game. Fans who did not pre-order tickets who wish to attend the Cotton Bowl should purchase tickets through the official ticket exchange on the AT&T Cotton Bowl website at www.attcottonbowl.com.

A student ticket allotment of 2,500 tickets is available with 500 reserved seats priced at $125 each and 2,000 standing room end-zone Spirit Passes at $50 each. These tickets will be available to current ICAT pass-holders beginning Wednesday, December 8 at 8:30 a.m. at the K-State Ticket Office located on the southwest corner of Bramlage Coliseum. In order to ensure fair access to tickets for K-State students and to maintain a students-only section, K-State Athletics consulted with the Student Governing Association to determine that students must bring their own student pass card and Wildcat ID and are limited to one ticket. Reserved ticket purchasers will be provided a voucher which, with a valid student ID, can be picked up at Cowboys Stadium on the day of the game. Any remaining reserved ticket vouchers will be made available to all K-State students on Thursday, December 9 at 8:30 a.m.

All unsold Spirit Passes will be made available to the public at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, December 12.

— KSU Sports Information —

Griffons lose heartbreaker to Emporia State

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The Missouri Western men’s basketball team struggled shooting free throws down the stretch making just 9-of-17 in a 59-57 loss against Emporia State. Justin Reid collected a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds as Western falls to 5-3 overall and 0-2 in MIAA play.

The Griffons scored the first basket of the game off a layup by Lavonte Douglas. Western never led again in the half as ESU opened up an eight point lead midway through the half after a Traves Dykman layup with 11:13 to play in the frame. Western used an 8-0 run sparked by two three point baskets by Reed Mells tying the game at 13 with 8:35 to play.

The Hornets regained momentum going a 7-0 run taking a 20-13 lead after a Tola Lawal three with 5:53 left in the half. Western responded outscoring the Hornets the rest of the half 12-6 cutting the ESU lead to 26-25 at the break. The Hornets outscored Western 18-4 in the paint and forced eight Griffon turnovers.

Western shot 32.1-percent (9-28) in the frame with Dylan Frantz, Mells and Reid all scoring six points. The Hornets shot 40-percent (12-30) from the floor with Lawal dumping in seven points.

Western took control early in the second half taking their first lead since the 19:37 mark of the first half after a three pointer by James Harris with 18:00 minutes to play. Western built thier lead to as many as seven at 51-44 after a Douglas layup with with 8:02 to play.

The Griffons held a 53-48 lead with 6:02 to play, but missed free throws down the stretch kept ESU in the ball game. Western made just 3-of-7 free throws in the final four minutes, which allowed Chris Sights to sink a three pointer with 22 second to play giving ESU a 58-57 lead. The Griffons had a couple chances  to take the lead or tie the game in last few second but the Hornets held on improving to 5-2 overall and 1-1 in MIAA play.

Harris and Douglas were the only other Griffons in double figure scoring 17 and 11 points respectively. Western outrebounded the Hornets 39 to 30 but only shot 37.7-percent (20-53) from the field and 52.9-percent from the foul line.

The Hornets shot 43.1-percent (22-51) from the field and made 10-of-15 free throws. The Hornets outscored the Griffons by 16 points in the paint (30-14) and forced three more turnovers (15-12). Derrell Conner finished with 13 points while Lawal and Sights finished with 11. Troy Pierced had a double-double scoring 10 points and snaring 10 rebounds.

The Griffons return home on Wednesday, December 7 to take on the 2nd ranked Missouri Southern Lions in MIAA action. Game time is set for 7:30 pm from the MWSU Fieldhouse. This is the Griffons last home contest until Wednesday, January 4, 2012 when they host the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats at 7:30 pm in the fieldhouse.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Bearcats get blown out in second half as they fall at Pitt State

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After overcoming a number of odds the magic ran out for the 10th-ranked Northwest Missouri State Bearcats as they fell 41-16 to 7th-ranked Pittsburg State in a NCAA National Quarterfinal game Saturday at Carnie Smith Stadium.

The Bearcats incredible run ends at 11-3 and snaps their streak of seven straight national semifinal appearances. Pittsburg State improved to 11-1 on the year and advance to next week’s semifinal against Delta State.

After trading possessions to start the second half Zac Dickey found John Brown down the sideline for the first of three touchdowns. He then raced 78-yards for the score giving PSU a 17-10 lead. Brown caught six passes for 174 yards with two touchdown catches over 40-yards that sparked the Gorillas.

“I have to tip my hat to Pittsburg State,” said first-year head coach Adam Dorrel. “They are playing great football and have two outstanding young men in Dickey and Brown.

“We never gave up and I’m proud of our team. The way our team battled, not just today, but all season says a lot about their character. We just ran into a really good football team today and give them credit on making plays when they needed to.”

The Bearcats raced out to a 10-0 lead as a non-stop rain soaked the turf. James Franklin scored on the Bearcats first series as he spun his way into the end zone on a seven play 64-yard drive that eclipsed 2:39. Franklin would be held to just 43 yards on the ground after rushing for over 100-yards in his two previous playoff games.

Northwest would put together another solid drive over 3 minutes after holding PSU to a three-and-out. Todd Adolf nailed a 22-yard field goal to close out the first quarter, as the Gorillas would then score 34 unanswered points and build a 24-point lead.

PSU’s defense shut down the Northwest rushing attack that ignited two second-half comeback wins.

Despite Jordan Simmons’ 97 yards on the ground the Bearcats would only manage 145 total yards rushing.

The wet conditions also limited the Bearcat passing attack as Trevor Adams was 5-of-16 for 58 yards.

Looking for a spark senior Blake Christopher took over and was also kept in check going 6-for-11 for 94 yards. Christopher did engineer a brief rally, hooking up with Franklin for the Bearcats only TD through the air, but a pair of interceptions closed the door on the Bearcats’ season.

Much like the first meeting Dickey hurt the Bearcat defense with his feet and his arm. The senior quarterback rushed for 148 yards and threw for 266. He also added three touchdowns, all of which were to Brown.

“John Brown is a great football player,” said senior cornerback Derrick Thomas. “We were in position and had a game plan for him, but great players make great plays and that’s what he did. We won’t hang our heads though. I’m proud to be a Bearcat and this is was a special season.”

Northwest had three turnovers in last week’s win at Midwestern State, but could not overcome the turnovers this week. The Bearcats 297 yards of total offense was their lowest output of the season.

Northwest closes their season failing to avenge a regular season loss for the first time since 2004 marking the last trip to the national semifinal round for the Gorillas.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

Western women struggle again and lose to Emporia

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The Missouri Western shooting woes continued on Saturday afternoon falling 66-48 against the Emporia State Lady Hornets in the Griffons home MIAA opener. The Griffons shot 30.0-percent (18-60) from the floor and 23.5-percent (4-17) from long range. Western falls to 2-4 overall and 0-2 in MIAA action.

Emporia State outscored Missouri Western 20-4 in the paint in the first frame helping ESU to a 31-23 lead at the break. The Griffons opened up the game with a three by Kallie Schoonover but the rest of the frame would be all Hornets, using a 21-9 run building their largest lead of the half at 21-12 after a layup by Kelsey Balcom with 10:04 to play. The teams played even the rest of the way but poor shooting hurt the Griffons in the half.

Western shot 27.3-percent (9-33) with Jessica Koch and Brittany Griswold leading the way with five points apiece. The Hornets shot 36.1-percent (13-36) from the floor with Rachel Hanf leading all players with 10 points.

Western cut the Hornet lead to seven twice in the second half but that would be as close as they would get. The Hornets built their lead to as many as 24 late in the game improving to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in MIAA play. ESU dominated the points in the paint outscoring the Griffons 38-20 in the lane.

Koch led the charge for the Griffons scoring 19 points with seven rebounds. Alicia Bell had seven rebounds and four assists while Griswold dumped in 10 points.

ESU had 17 assists on their 27 field goals with Hanf scoring 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Kelsey Balcom dumped in 12 points while Merissa Quick had seven rebounds.

The Griffons return home on Wednesday, December 7 to take on the Missouri Southern Lions in MIAA action. Game time is set for 5:30 pm from the MWSU Fieldhouse. This is the Griffons last home contest until Wednesday, January 4, 2012 when they host the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats at 5:30 pm in the fieldhouse.

— MWSU Sports Information —

K-State downs Iowa State to cap off 10-2 regular season

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Bill Snyder wouldn’t bite when he was asked to compare this season’s Kansas State team to those of years past, Wildcats that won Big 12 championships and went to prestigious bowl games.

“I reserve the right to make those judgments until the end of the season,” the longtime coach said, “and then I’ll find a way to avoid the question.”

It’s going to be an inevitable one.

John Hubert ran for 120 yards and the go-ahead touchdown Saturday, helping the Wildcats (No. 11 BCS, No. 16 AP) beat Iowa State 30-23 and keeping alive their chances for a share of the conference title.

Picked to finish eighth in the Big 12, Kansas State (10-2, 7-2) instead put together one of the best seasons in school history. Led by the 72-year-old Snyder, the plucky Wildcats managed to beat everyone they faced except for Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, the two teams who were to decide Saturday night whether they would share in a conference championship.

If the Sooners beat their rivals in Bedlam, there would be a three-way tie.

“It’s been a journey,” said Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein, who ran for a touchdown and threw for another against the Cyclones. “We’ve had a lot of ups and downs, but over the course we’ve been able to make improvements so we’re a better team.”

Jeff Woody ran for 85 yards and two touchdowns for the Cyclones (6-6, 3-6), who became bowl eligible for the second time under Paul Rhoads when they knocked off the Cowboys a couple weeks ago.

They nearly managed another upset against the Wildcats.

Hubert scored the go-ahead touchdown on a tackle-breaking 26-yard run with 3:29 left, which gave Iowa State plenty of time to answer. Freshman quarterback Jared Barnett converted a pair of third downs to move into Kansas State territory, and then scrambled for eight yards on third-and-10.

Facing fourth-and-2 at the 31, Woody took the handoff and was stuffed at the line of scrimmage, the ball popping out. Kansas State recovered it to seal the victory.

“This is the No. 11 team in the BCS,” Rhoads said, “and with 1:07 to go, we’re driving down to tie the game and send it into overtime.”

Both teams now await their bowl destinations.

The Wildcats could be headed anywhere from one of the BCS games as an at-large selection to the Alamo or Cotton bowls, though Snyder said he won’t be campaigning before announcements are made Sunday night. The Cyclones, meanwhile, will be headed to a game for the second time in three years.

“K-State was only favored in four games and they won 10,” Woody said. “We were favored in two and we won six, so we’re two tremendously similar teams, and that showed.”

After lightning delayed the kickoff 90 minutes, the Cyclones jumped out to a 7-0 lead. Barnett threw a pass that wobbled so much it looked as if the ball was deflating, but Darius Darks managed to get the inside position on cornerback Nigel Malone and hauled in the 30-yard catch.

The Wildcats needed 15 seconds to answer.

Klein dropped back and floated a pass on a deep post route to Tramaine Thompson, one of the fastest players on the team. He caught it with his fingertips just past the outstretched hands of defensive back Ter’Ran Benton and raced the rest of the way untouched for the 68-yard touchdown, the longest play from scrimmage for Kansas State this season.

“We had a play called and Collin saw coverage he liked,” Thompson said. “So we switched it around. I was hoping he saw it. When he checked to it, I was so happy.”

Iowa State regained the lead moments later when Woody plunged in from a yard out, but Zach Guyer’s extra point was blocked by Raphael Guidry, his fourth blocked kick of the season.

Anthony Cantele kicked a 37-yard field goal for the Wildcats to get within 13-10.

Kansas State took over at its own 38 just before halftime, and Klein mixed in a couple of option keepers along with a pair of 14-yard completions to Hubert. The sophomore running back took the second of them down to the goal line, and Klein’s TD sneak gave Kansas State a 17-13 lead at the break.

Guidry’s second big play, this time an interception off a tipped ball, gave Kansas State prime field position early in the third quarter, and Cantele’s 47-yard field goal made it 20-13.

Iowa State responded by going 64 yards in 12 plays, converting three third downs, and Woody’s rumbling 13-yard scamper allowed the Cyclones to draw even with 4:25 left in the quarter.

Kansas State squandered a chance to take a touchdown lead, failing to score in three tries from the 3 before Cantele knocked through his third field goal of the game. The Cyclones matched it when they converted a pair of fourth downs and Guyer made a 43-yarder with 6:12 left.

The Cyclones finally ran out of answers, though, and they still haven’t beaten the Wildcats in Manhattan since 2004 — the last time they had a winning season.

“Everybody is hurting. This was definitely a struggle,” Barnett said. “We were just executing. I don’t think K-State was expecting us to come out that way, and we just kind of took advantage of it, but then they definitely started catching on and made some adjustments.”

— Associated Press —

Northwest women lose to No. 16 Washburn

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Abby Henry scored 18 points but it wasn’t enough as Northwest Missouri State was defeated by No. 16 Washburn 71-53 Saturday night inside Bearcat Arena.

Annie Matthews had 12 points and seven rebounds for the Bearcats (2-6, 0-2 MIAA) while Shelly Martin chipped in with eight points.

Washburn (8-2, 1-0 MIAA) used their size to their advantage as they out-rebounded the Bearcats 46-32 in the win.

The Bearcats jumped out to an early 4-0 lead but that would be the only lead of the game for Northwest as the No. 16 Lady Blues charged back to take a 16-7 lead at the 13:52 mark.  Washburn ended the first half on an 11-to-2 run.

The No. 16 Lady Blues stayed in control of the game throughout the second half.  The closest Northwest would get was within 12 points of Washburn.

Washburn was led by Cassie Lambardino who scored 18 points while Stevi Schultz and Ebonie Williams chipped in 13 and 15 points respectively.

As a team, Northwest shot 32.1 percent from the field while the Lady Blues shot 44.3 percent.  The Bearcats converted on 9 of 16 free throws for the game and shot 47.1 from three-point range.

Up Next:  Northwest continues MIAA action Wednesday, Dec. 7 when they host the Pisstburg State Gorillas.  Tip-off from Bearcat Arena is scheduled for 5:35 p.m.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

KU uses big second half to beat South Florida

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After telling his Kansas players there’d be times this season when they would have to “win ugly,” they appear to be doing just that lately.

The 15th-ranked Jayhawks (5-2) followed a lackluster win over Florida Atlantic earlier this week with rough first half on Saturday in which they struggled to a three-point halftime lead. However, they managed to pull away after the break and beat South Florida 70-42.

“They’ve taken it to a different level than I ever imagined,” Self said. “We were awful. … I told our guys before the season that we were going to have to really enjoy winning ugly because we don’t have as many offensive weapons like we’ve had in the past.”

Tyshawn Taylor, held to four points in the first half, had 20 in the second, and Thomas Robinsin had 14 points and eight rebounds, ending his stretch of six straight double-doubles for Kansas (5-2).

After making only one of 11 3-point shots in the opening half, the Jayhawks got three straight 3s from Travis Releford, Connor Teahan and Taylor, triggering a long run that put Kansas firmly in command, finally.

Kansas had more points (46) in the second half than South Florida had in the game.

“I don’t know which team you want to talk about — our first-half team or our second-half team,” South Florida coach Stan Heath said. “Our second-half team lost a little focus and more than anything, couldn’t keep pace with Kansas. I thought they did a great job in the second half of continuing to attack and having a little more patience.”

Kansas opened the second half with a 7-0 run keyed by Robinson. The 6-10 junior rebounded a teammate’s miss and scored on a soft putback to make it 28-21, then stole a Bulls pass and fed Taylor streaking downcourt on a fastbreak. Taylor rattled in the free throw to put the Jayhawks up 10.

Augustus Gilchrist had 11 points for the Bulls (5-4), who were facing their first ranked opponent of the year.

Hugh Robertson’s bucket cut Kansas’ lead to 38-31, then Releford’s 3-pointer seemed to ignite the Jayhawks. Taylor, fouled by Gilchrist, hit a pair of free throws and then Releford scored on a fastbreak for a 51-35 lead that allowed the 167th straight sellout crowd in Allen Fieldhouse to finally breathe easy.

“I think we just came out in the second half with a different attitude,” Taylor said. “First half was a little sluggish for us. We didn’t have much energy as a team. n the second half, we just wanted to come out with a little more energy, pressure the ball a little more, get some fastbreak points. And that’s what we did. We just tried to pressure the ball a little bit more.”

Anthony Collins and Shaun Noriega each had eight points for South Florida. Teahen had 11 for Kansas.

In a seesaw first half that saw nine lead changes, the Bulls stayed close by slowing down the tempo, draining the shot clock and benefiting from awful Kansas shooting. The Jayhawks hit only five of their first 16 shots and never led by more than two until Teahan drove in for a layup and then made a foul shot for a 24-19 advantage.

Shaun Noriega cut it to 24-21 with the final bucket of the half. It was the third straight game the tenacious South Florida defense held an opponent under 30 points over the first 20 minutes.

With 2 seconds left in the half, Collins stole the ball and drove in for what would have been an uncontested dunk if the buzzer hadn’t sounded just as he went up. After a review, officials disallowed the bucket, sending the 16-point underdogs into intermission trailing by only three.

Ron Anderson Jr., a transfer from Kansas State who had averaged 15.3 points and 8.3 rebounds in the Bulls’ last three games, had early foul trouble and spent much of the game on the bench. He finally fouled out with only two points.

Another reason for Kansas’ sluggish play may be “the crud,” according to Self.

“We’ve all got the crud. The crud’s going around,” he said. “That’s no excuse. But head colds, guys not practicing. Throwing up. We’ve had several people at the infirmary, including the coach. They haven’t felt great.

“But — good gosh!”

— Associated Press —

Mustangs announce Midwest Summer Collegiate Baseball Championship

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Mark your calendars Mustangs fans as June 1, 2012 heralds the first ever Midwest Summer Collegiate Baseball Championship game.  The contest will take place in St Joseph, Missouri’s historic Phil Welch Stadium June 1, 2012 at 7pm.

The game features the 2011 champions of the Jayhawk League, the Haysville Heat and the 2011 champions of the MINK League, the St Joseph Mustangs.  The winner will take home the championship trophy awarded to the best team in midwest summer collegiate baseball.

“We recognize the high level of competition within the Jayhawk League and especially the caliber of play by Jayhawk champion Haysville.”, Mustangs CEO Dan Gerson said “While this will be quite a test for the Mustangs in our 2012 home opener, we’re confident we can compete with any summer college team.  Haysville’s coach Rick Twyman has a history of fielding a top-notch program.  We look forward to the challenge.”

For more information on the St Joseph Mustangs go to www.stjoemustangs.com.  The defending MINK League champions will play 25 home games at Phil Welch Stadium beginning with the Midwest Summer Collegiate Baseball Championship June1.  The final regularly scheduled home game is July 17.  Tickets for all games including season ticket packages are on sale now.  Call 816 279-STJO (7856) to buy your tickets.

— Mustangs Press Release —

Denmon scores 31 as Mizzou hammers Northwestern State

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Despite his team winning its first seven games by an average of 28 points, Marcus Denmon insists Missouri isn’t satisfied.

Denmon scored a career-high 31 points and the No. 13 Tigers went on a pair of big runs in a 90-56 rout of Northwestern State on Friday night.

“We’ve done some things well, but we’re still a hungry group,” Denmon said. “I feel that starting off 7-0 is good, but it’s something that we want to build on as a team. It’s not something that we’re satisfied with at all.”

Michael Dixon also set a career high with 19 points and Ricardo Ratliffe matched his personal best with 22. The Tigers (7-0) are off to their best start since winning their first nine games during the 2006-07 season.

Missouri used runs of 18-0 and 24-8 to take control. Denmon became the first Tigers player to score 30 points in a game since 2009.

“My teammates were finding me in open spots,” Denmon said. “I take those shots every day in practice. I continue to work on them, and tonight they were falling for me.”

Asked if he practiced the alley-oop and ensuing free throw that capped his scoring, Denmon smiled and said, “Maybe like once every now and then.”

First-year Missouri coach Frank Haith said Wednesday his team planned to attack Northwestern State forward William Mosley, who led the nation last season with 154 blocks and was third this season with 26 through seven games. Despite starting four guards, the Tigers did just that, outscoring the Demons 50-22 in the paint and outrebounding Northwestern State 43-33.

“There’s a lot of great numbers in the ballgame that excite me, but one that really excited me the most was we had 50 points in the paint,” Haith said. “And I think that, even though we shoot the ball really well, that balance is extremely important for our success, our ability to play inside-out.”

Missouri, which leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage, shot 55 percent, three percentage points better than its season average.

“I think they were pressing and they were trying to speed us up,” Ratliffe said. “But we have really good guards and if you try to press them, then more than likely they will beat the press.”

James Hulbin led the Demons (4-4) with 14 points. Demetrice Jacobs and Louis Ellis added 10 apiece, while Mosley had eight points, 14 rebounds and three blocks.

“I just had to attack more,” Mosley said. “That’s something I’ve been trying to do the whole year, but they have pretty good size on them and it was tough, but I just play hard.”

Northwestern State coach Mike McConathy tried using a wave of substitutions, switching out the entire team during timeouts, but the Demons weren’t able to keep pace with Missouri.

“They were really good and they’re going to be a difficult team for people to play because people are going to think, outsiders think well they’re not that big,” McConathy said. “They’re big enough because they know how to play basketball.”

Missouri built a 29-6 lead with 12:37 remaining in the first half after an 18-0 run over 4½ minutes. The Tigers were then able to push the lead to 57-31 at halftime.

Missouri picked up where it left off after the break, scoring the first 11 points during a 24-8 surge to push the lead to 45 with 11:52 left, its largest margin of the game.

Despite its hot start, the Tigers have been struggling to fill Mizzou Arena. But a $5 ticket promotion combined with Missouri players tweeting about small crowd sizes this past week led to a season-high announced attendance of 12,252 on Friday.

“Our fans were outstanding,” Haith said. “Having that sixth man is nice to have. That’s one of the reasons why I’m here.”

Northwestern State, picked to win the East Division of the Southland Conference, fell to 0-2 against Missouri. In the teams’ only previous meeting on Nov. 20, 2005, the Tigers won 81-72 in Columbia. That victory sparked a 63-game winning streak over nonconference opponents at home, which Missouri extended Friday.

— Associated Press —

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