We have a brand new updated website! Click here to check it out!

Author: Dave Riggert

Mizzou struggles offensively in 60-49 loss at Texas A&M

Posted on

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Texas A&M, once ranked No. 5 nationally to start Southeastern Conference play, believes it’s finally back on track following its second consecutive league victory.

“It’s good to get back to the way we’re capable of playing on the defensive end and taking care of the ball offensively,” A&M coach Billy Kennedy said following the Aggies’ 60-49 victory over Missouri on Saturday.

Tonny Trocha-Morelos scored a season-high 14 points and the Aggies (13-6, 2-5) continued a tedious recovery from an 0-5 start in SEC play in which they dropped out of the rankings along the way.

“We lost five straight and to come back with two straight wins shows we really care, and that we really want to prove to everybody that we want to win this,” Trocha-Morelos said.

On Saturday both teams shot poorly from the field, as A&M converted 39.1 percent (25 of 64) of its shots and Missouri made 27.8 percent (15 of 54) of its attempts.

Missouri was held to season lows in points and shooting percentage, in the Tigers’ seventh straight loss to A&M. The Aggies led 29-20 at halftime and were aided in the second half by two rare swishes from the right baseline by the senior center Trocha-Morelos, along with his 15-foot jumper from the free-throw line that put the game out of reach at 58-46 with 1:38 remaining.

“It was the tough, physical game that we expected,” said Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin, pointing out A&M’s early SEC troubles were primarily because of injuries. “They have a very talented team.”

No one from the Tigers (13-6, 3-3) scored in double digits, as Jordan Geist, Jeremiah Tilmon and Jordan Barnett scored nine points each. Both teams struggled from the 3-point line, with A&M making 3 of 17 (17.6 percent) and Missouri 4 of 18 (22.2 percent).

A&M center Tyler Davis was the only player with double-digit rebounds with 14 and he also collected a game-high three blocks.

BIG PICTURE

Texas A&M: The Aggies continue to try and work their way back into the NCAA Tournament mix with their second consecutive win in SEC play, following the 0-5 start that included one-point losses at home to LSU and on the road at Kentucky. The talented Aggies are as healthy as they’ve been all season, and their confidence continues to grow early in SEC action.

Missouri: The Tigers defeated South Carolina by double-digits in their SEC opener, so they’ve proven they can win on the road in league play. They only held a brief lead early in the second half on Saturday, however, as the surging Aggies kept them at arm’s length for most of the final 20 minutes. The outcome never seemed in doubt, and Missouri often appeared overmatched against A&M big men Robert Williams and Davis.

STAT OF THE NIGHT

The Aggies committed a season-low four turnovers, with their next lowest total this season 10. Forward Robert Williams committed two of the miscues, with no other A&M player having more than one.

ON THE BENCH

A&M point guard J.J. Caldwell didn’t log any minutes, as Kennedy said it was coach’s decision to go with fellow freshman T.J. Starks to try and provide some offense. The move worked, with Starks scoring 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field.

UP NEXT

Texas A&M: Following consecutive home games, the Aggies play at LSU on Tuesday night. LSU beat A&M on a last-second 3-pointer by Tremont Waters in College Station on Jan. 6.

Missouri: The Tigers play host to Auburn on Wednesday before going back on the road for their next two games at Mississippi State and Alabama.

— Associated Press —

Northwest women fall at Fort Hays for 15th straight loss

Posted on

The Northwest Missouri State University women’s basketball team fell to Fort Hays State, 75-46, on Saturday afternoon at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays, Kan.

– The Bearcats fall to 1-17 overall and 0-10 in MIAA play. The Tigers improve to 14-4 on the year and 5-4 in conference action.

– Kaylani Maiava scored a career-high 13 points and tied a career-best with nine rebounds, two coming on the offensive end. She added a steal and a block.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest hit 12-of-13 attempts from the free throw line.

– Kylie Coleman was 5-for-6 at the free throw line, finishing with seven points, two rebounds and two assists.

– Mele Tupouata had a season-high five points and grabbed four rebounds.

Up Next
– Northwest will host Missouri Western on Saturday, Jan. 27, at 1:30 p.m. at Bearcat Arena.

— Associated Press —

No. 10 Kansas rallies late to defeat Baylor 70-67

Posted on

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas coach Bill Self has relied on a four-guard lineup all season, one that is designed to attack the basket aggressively, draw fouls and get to the free throw line.

He was fortunate one of those four guards stepped up Saturday night.

Malik Newman scored seven of his game-high 24 points in the final minutes, bailing out the rest of his sluggish teammates, and Baylor turned the ball over on the last inbounds play as the No. 10 Jayhawks escaped with a 70-67 victory that kept them atop the Big 12.

“We were lucky,” Self said, “to have one guy out there putting defense on its heels.”

The Jayhawks (16-3, 6-1 Big 12) trailed 67-61 with 2:05 to go before Newman went on his scoring binge, giving them the slimmest of leads again. The Bears (12-7, 2-5) had a couple of chances after that, but Manu Lecomte missed a 3-pointer and a layup attempt high off the glass with three seconds left.

Devonte Graham added a pair of free throws before Baylor squandered a chance at the final shot.

“(Newman) put us on his back and all we needed was to get those stops,” Graham said, “and we did.”

It was the Jayhawks’ 11th consecutive win over the Bears, who have never won in 16 tries in Lawrence. It was also the closest Baylor has come during any of those games.

Graham finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Udoka Azubuike had 14 points and seven boards, but he was just 4 of 11 from the foul line and missed two crucial ones late.

Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. had 14 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out for Baylor. Nuni Omot added 14 points and Lecomte had 10, though he was 3 of 12 from the floor and 1 of 8 from the 3-point arc.

“Very frustrating. We’re as good a team as them. We know we can beat them,” Lecomte said. “They’re a really good team. They never give up. Next time we have to make sure we keep that lead.”

Allen Fieldhouse has been Baylor coach Scott Drew’s personal house of horrors — the closest he had come to winning had been the Bears’ 73-68 loss last season. And when the Jayhawks opened the game by making their first seven shots and taking an 18-5 lead, it looked as if this one would be no different.

It took Drew burning through nearly all his timeouts to settle Baylor down.

Shots eventually stopped falling for Kansas as the Bears picked up their defensive pressure, and their deficit dwindled to 32-26 before a late flurry left them in a 38-27 halftime hole.

Kansas began the second half determined to get Azubuike the ball in the paint, and he made good on his first couple of chances. But when he failed to execute a few times in a row, Self greeted him during a timeout with, “Are you kidding me?” — spiced up with an extra word.

The Jayhawks still led 52-47 midway through the second half when Baylor went on a 16-4 run.

Omot started it with a bucket in the paint, but it was seven free throws by the senior forward that did the real damage. Lual-Acuil’s basket with 4:39 left gave Baylor a 61-56 advantage.

The Bears scored on nine consecutive possessions down the stretch.

Newman finally turned the momentum, though. He converted a three-point play and a nifty drive on a run-out, then knocked down another basket to give Kansas a 68-67 lead with a minute left.

“When the game is on the line, Coach always says that players make plays,” he said. “I was just trying to be aggressive and we came out with a win.”

HONORING JO JO

Kansas honored two-time All-American Jo Jo White with a video tribute before tipoff. The seven-time NBA All-Star, whose jersey hangs from the Allen Fieldhouse rafters, died Tuesday at the age of 71.

BYE, BYE BILLY

Kansas freshman Billy Preston signed with a pro team in Bosnia on Friday, ending any chance the five-star prospect will play for the Jayhawks. Preston had been held out all season while the school looked into the finances of the car he was driving during a November accident.

BIG PICTURE

Baylor has lost its last five games to the Jayhawks by a combined 20 points, no doubt adding to Drew’s frustration. Six of the Bears’ seven losses this season have come against ranked teams.

Kansas has won five straight to grab ahold of the Big 12 race, though none of them have been very comfortable. The Jayhawks’ winning streak has been by a combined 18 points.

UP NEXT

Baylor returns home to face Kansas State on Monday night.

Kansas visits fourth-ranked Oklahoma on Tuesday night.

— Associated Press —

Wade scores 20, Kansas State beats No. 24 TCU 73-68

Posted on

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — On throwback day at Kansas State, the Wildcats threw down another ranked opponent.

Wearing the lavender jerseys and deep purple shorts that were popular when coach Jack Hartman took the team to the Elite Eight in 1981, these Wildcats got off to a fast start and beat No. 24 TCU 73-68 Saturday.

The scoreboard was retro-fitted to reflect those days and the cheerleaders wore outfits to match. The Wildcats did their part, too, with Dean Wade scoring 20 points.

Sophomore Makol Mawien added a career-high 18 points on 8 of 11 shooting. He had totaled just 13 points in Big 12 play this season for the Wildcats (14-5, 4-3).

“He was great on defense in the beginning. We went to him and he got a couple of baskets. I think his confidence has grown and he has grown in practice,” coach Bruce Weber said.

Coming off a win over No. 4 Oklahoma earlier in the week, the Wildcats raced to a 7-0 lead.

That wasn’t the only adversity the Horned Frogs faced.

TCU coach Jamie Dixon was called for a technical foul later in the first half, then drew another tech in the second half and was ejected. The Kansas State crowd serenaded Dixon as he walked off, and TCU assistant David Patrick took over.

“I told the players afterwards, I take full responsibility on the loss. It was on me,” Dixon said.

“I gave them points — four free throws — and I think they made three of them and all in a close game that just kills our team,” he said.

Vlad Brodziansky scored 15 points for the Horned Frogs (14-5, 2-5).

THEY SAID IT

“That is the first time it has ever happened to me, getting kicked out. I am surprised by what happened, but it is what it is.” — Dixon.

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State: The win gives Kansas a solid four-game stretch with two wins over ranked opponents, three wins in total with the lone loss coming against Kansas.

TCU: The Horned Frogs have lost four of five since starting out at 13-0.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

With the loss, TCU will more than likely fall out of the AP Top 25.

STATS AND STREAKS

The win gives Kansas State back-to-back wins over ranked opponents for the first time since the 2014-15 season, when it defeated Kansas and Iowa State in back-to-back outings.

UP NEXT

TCU: The Horned Frogs host West Virginia on Monday.

Kansas State: The Wildcats play at Baylor on Monday.

— Associated Press —

Missouri State loses on the road at Drake

Posted on

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Reed Timmer scored 18 of his 24 points in the second half and Drake survived miserable 3-point shooting to beat Missouri State 61-58 on Saturday.

The victory left the Bulldogs (12-9, 6-2) alone atop the Missouri Valley Conference with Loyola of Chicago (5-1) playing Sunday.

The Bulldogs were only 3 of 26 from the arc. But Timmer broke the final tie with two free throws with six minutes left then added a layup and four more free throws in the final minute.

With Drake leading 60-58, the Bulldogs’ C.J. Rivers missed two free throws with nine seconds left but J.T. Miller missed a short jumper and Nick McGlynn, who had two big blocks late, grabbed the rebound.

Drake made its first 17 free throws until Rivers’ misses while the Bears were 5 of 7.

Jarrid Rhodes and Jarred Dixon scored 15 points each for Missouri State (15-6, 5-3).

— Associated Press —

City High School Basketball Scores – Friday, January 19

Posted on

BOYS
STESSMAN INVITATIONAL – 5th Place Game
Lafayette 86 (12-5)
Center 75

STESSMAN INVITATIONAL – 7th Place Game
Central 54 (5-10)
Hickman 46

Cameron 57
Bishop LeBlond 56 (8-8, 0-1 MEC)

GIRLS
BOBCAT INVITATIONAL @ BASEHOR-LINWOOD – Semifinal
Benton 50 (14-0)
Basehor-Linwood 23

Griffons let halftime lead slip way against Fort Hays State, drop seventh straight

Posted on

HAYS, Kan. – Griffon men’s basketball (3-13, 1-8 MIAA) fell to Fort Hays State (12-5) 61-42 Thursday night inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. Missouri Western’s defense frustrated the Tigers and held them to 20 points below their season scoring average.

MWSU showed promise midway through the first half and looked to become the first team this season to beat FHSU at home. TJ Evans knocked down a jumper at the 9:51 mark to spark a 15-2 Griffon run. The run allowed Missouri Western to take a six-point lead with 3:42 left in the half. Fort Hays regained the lead with a 25-5 run over the next 14 minutes and never looked back.

Fort Hays moved to a perfect 10-0 at home on the season. For Missouri Western, it is the seventh consecutive loss.

NOTABLES
– Missouri Western held Fort Hays to 24 points under its home scoring average

– The Griffons limited FHSU to its second lowest scoring output of the season

– MWSU outscored the Tigers 24-16 in the paint

– Beau Baker scored six of the Griffon’s 15 points in their 15-2 first half run

– Fort Hays State’s Hadley Gillum had a game-high 19 points

UP NEXT
Missouri Western travels to Nebraska Kearney on Saturday, Jan. 20 for a 4 p.m. game. The Lopers knocked off No. 2 Northwest Missouri 66-59 in Kearney Thursday night.

— MWSU Athletics —

No. 2 Bearcats fall on the road at Nebraska-Kearney

Posted on

The Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team fell to Nebraska-Kearney, 66-59, on Thursday at the UNK Sports and Health Center in Kearney, Neb.

– Northwest falls to 15-2 on the year and 7-2 in MIAA play. The Lopers improve to 7-10 overall and 3-5 in conference action.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest shot 15-of-19 from the free throw line (78.9 percent).

– The Bearcats outscored the Lopers in the paint, 30-22.

– Northwest forced 12 UNK turnovers, leading to 15 points.

– Justin Pitts scored 14 points with three rebounds and two assists. He had one steal and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.

– Chris-Ebou Ndow had 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds. He added two steals and an assist.

– Brett Dougherty had 11 points with six rebounds and a blocked shot.

Up Next
– Northwest will head to Hays, Kan., to take on Fort Hays State on Saturday at 4 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

Shorthanded Missouri Western women lose at Fort Hays State 58-36

Posted on

HAYS, Kan. – A roster depleted by injuries thinned even more Thursday night in the Griffon women’s (10-8, 3-6 MIAA) 58-36 loss at Fort Hays State (13-4, 4-4).

With just seven players available at tip against Fort Hays State, Missouri Western boarded the bus to Kearney, Nebraska with six healthy Griffons. Jessica Davies suffered an injury Thursday night after registering just five minutes in the game. Davies’ injury was compounded by the lack of both Cera Ledbetter and Brittany Atkins in uniform. Ledbetter sat out nursing an injury suffered on the opening tip-off against Southwest Baptist. Atkins did not make the weekend road trip for personal reasons.

Despite just six players for 35 minutes of the game, the Griffons held Fort Hays State well under its season scoring average, but had trouble finding points themselves.

NOTABLES
– Missouri Western held Fort Hays State 14 points under its season average of 72

– Melia Richardson scored in double-figures (13) for the fourth-straight game and fifth time in the team’s last six games. Richardson also had a career-high six rebounds

– Dossou Ndiaye also registered a new career-high on the glass with 10 rebounds to go with her eight points

– Missouri Western won the battle on the glass, out-rebounding Fort Hays State 35-31

– Fort Hays State shot 50 percent (22-44) from the field with the Griffons held to a season-low 23.4 percent (11-47)

– The loss was Missouri Western’s fifth-straight overall and sixth-straight in MIAA play

UP NEXT
Missouri Western plays the second of three-straight games on the road when the Griffons travel to Nebraska-Kearney (13-3, 5-3) on Saturday, Jan. 20. The Lopers needed two overtimes to avoid being upset by Northwest Missouri on Thursday night.

— MWSU Athletics —

Copyright Eagle Radio | FCC Public Files | EEO Public File