Dave Riggert – Page 330 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Tigers extend win streak to 14 games as they top Appalachian State

Posted on March 11, 2017

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou sophomore LHP Michael Plassmeyer (St. Louis, Mo.) struck out a career-high nine batters as he pitched Mizzou Baseball to a 7-1 win over Appalachian State Saturday night (March 11) at Taylor Stadium. The win extends Mizzou’s win streak to 14 games, matching the longest streak by a Mizzou team since 1981 (both the 2007 and 2008 teams also won 14 consecutive games). The 14-game win streak is also the longest in the nation, tied with Louisville.

Plassmeyer was tremendous on Saturday, allowing just three hits over a career-high 7.0 innings. He struck out nine batters, passing his previous career-high of eight en-route to his third win of the season. He gave up just one earned run in the outing. App State’s Colin Schmid took the loss, falling to 2-2 on the year. The Mountaineers fall to 6-8 in 2017. Mizzou scored four runs in the third and three in the sixth to put the game away.

Appalachian State got something going in the top of the second inning as Plassmeyer hit a batter, walked a batter and gave up an RBI single LF Tyler Stroup. The defense turned in a pair of good plays, one on a perfectly-executed wheel play on a sacrifice bunt attempt and then a 6-4-3 double play to escape the frame.

Mizzou exploded for four runs in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of two Appalachian State errors and a pair of two-out, RBI singles – the first from Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) and the next from Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.).

App State threatened in the fourth inning, putting two men on, but two more strikeouts helped Plassmeyer pitch out of the jam. Both teams were kept off the board until Mizzou plated a pair in the bottom of the sixth on sacrifice flies from Chris Cornelius (St. Louis, Mo.) and Connor Brumfield (Columbia, Mo.), extending the lead to 6-1. Mizzou tacked on another run on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 7-1 after six.

RS sophomore Cameron Dulle (St. Louis, Mo.) pitched the final two innings, holding App State off the scoreboard while picking up two strikeouts.

Mizzou will look for the sweep Sunday. A win Sunday would give Mizzou its best start in program history and give the 2017 team sole possession of the longest win streak since 1981. Junior RHP Andy Toelken (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) will get the ball for Mizzou.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Missouri Western sweeps Pitt State to push winning streak to eight games

Posted on March 10, 2017March 10, 2017

PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Missouri Western baseball team swept a doubleheader at Pittsburg State Friday to extend its winning streak to eight games. The Griffons won the opener 2-1 behind a complete game from Richard Peoples and they won the second game 9-4.

Western improves to 11-7 this season and 8-0 in the MIAA, while the Gorillas fall to 7-14 and 1-7 in league play.

NOTABLES
– The Griffons had 20 hits and scored 11 runs in the doubleheader, giving up 12 hits and five runs

– Griffon batters drew 13 walks on the day while
– Griffon pitchers walked just six

– Missouri Western pitchers limited Pittsburg State to just a .194 batting average on the day

– The Griffons only had to use four pitchers all day, three in game two, with Richard Peoples earning his second complete game victory of the season in game one

– Nick Gawley stretched his hitting streak to 17 games in the first game of the day, but went without a hit in game two

– David Glaude moved into second all-time at MWSU with his 42nd career double. Glaude needs two more to become MWSU’s career leader. He’s also second all-time in home runs and RBIs. The senior’s on-base streak was snapped at 32 games, dating back to last season. Glaude’s reached safely in 65 of his last 67 games.

– Missouri Western has won its first eight MIAA games of the season, the longest such streak since winning the first 15 of 2013

TOP PERFORMERS
– Bailey Zimmer went 4-for-8 on the day with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Zimmer is now batting .389 on the season after going 9-for-18 in the Griffons’ last six games

– Andrew Curry was 3-for-7 at the plate and also drew two walks with an RBI

– Jeremy Alvarado was 4-for-10 with a double, four RBIs and a run scored

– Dusty Stroup had three hits in eight at bats and scored three runs

– Peoples moved to 4-1 on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.92, limiting the Gorillas to five hits in nine innings

– Nate Hunter went seven innings in game two and improved to 3-1 on the season

UP NEXT
The two teams are scheduled to wrap up the series Saturday at 1 p.m., but weather could again force the game to be re-scheduled. Any change will be posted on gogriffons.com as well as official Griffon Athletics social media outlets.

— MWSU Athletics —

K-State lets late lead slip away against West Virginia in Big 12 semifinals

Posted on March 10, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — West Virginia’s Esa Ahmad made the second of two free throws with 20.2 seconds left, and an off-balance 3-pointer by Kansas State’s Kamau Stokes was off at the buzzer, allowing the No. 11 Mountaineers to escape with a 51-50 victory in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals Friday night.

Tarik Phillip tied the game for the Mountaineers (26-7) with a 3-pointer with 1:41 left, and the Wildcats (20-13) came up empty at the other end. Ahmad was fouled during a mad scramble for a rebound moments later, and he clanked his first free throw before making his second.

The Wildcats brought the ball up court and called timeout with 10.2 seconds left.

After they inbounded the ball to Stokes, he headed across to the right wing, where he inexplicably picked up his dribble. Tightly guarded as time ran out, he heaved a shot that hit off the rim.

That gave the Mountaineers a spot in Saturday night’s title game against No. 23 Iowa State.

Ahmad finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Phillip had 13 points to help the Mountaineers reach the final for the second straight year. They lost to Kansas last year.

They haven’t won a conference tournament since the Big East in 2010.

Wesley Iwundu had 13 points and Stokes finished with 10 for the Wildcats, who can only hope their quarterfinal win over No. 9 Baylor will be enough to get them into the NCAA Tournament.

The way the first half played out was reflected on the benches.

The Wildcats were hustling up and down the floor, skinning knees while diving for loose balls and then laughing about it afterward. And on the sideline, coach Bruce Weber was hopping up and down like a mad man, a fountain of encouragement in the din of an arena packed with Kansas State fans.

Meanwhile, the Mountaineers were openly frustrated every time a shot clanked off the iron or a whistle blew for a foul. And on their sideline, coach Bob Huggins spent the half ripping into everyone from his players to the officials, often pointing out to them the foul disparity.

The Wildcats went to the line 10 times in the first half. West Virginia never did.

The sum of all that was a first half dominated by the Kansas State defense. It held West Virginia to 6-for-32 shooting and was the biggest reason the Wildcats led 25-16 at the break.

The Wildcats kept the Mountaineers at arm’s length most of the second half, but the Press Virginia defense finally started to force a couple turnovers. And when Kansas State began to struggle to get open looks, the Mountaineers seized an opening and clawed back to tie the game.

Then their veteran poise allowed them to make the plays that mattered in the final minute.

BIG PICTURE
Kansas State split with West Virginia in the regular season and went 2-1 against Baylor, so there are some marquee wins on the Wildcats’ NCAA Tournament resume. But they could have avoided a tense wait for their fate had they managed to put this one away.

West Virginia survived despite a lousy performance from star guard Jevon Carter, who went 1 for 12 from the field and 1 for 7 from beyond the arc. The Mountaineers also were dominated in the paint, even though they had a 44-35 rebounding advantage.

UP NEXT

Kansas State heads west on I-70 back to Manhattan to await its NCAA Tournament fate.

West Virginia gets ready for the Cyclones on Saturday night.

— Associated Press —

Northwest baseball loses two at Washburn Friday

Posted on March 10, 2017March 10, 2017

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team fell to the Washburn Ichabods in a pair of games on Friday at Falley Field in Topeka, Kan.

– The game was moved to Washburn’s field due to weather concerns. Northwest was the home team in both contests.

– The Ichabods won the first game, 6-2, and used a five-run seventh inning in the second game to win, 8-2.

– The Bearcats fall to 11-8 on the year and 3-6 in MIAA play. Washburn improved to 13-7 and 5-4 in conference action.
Game One Key Statistics (Washburn 6, Northwest 2)
– Northwest scored one run in the fifth and one in the sixth. The Ichabods scored two runs in the third, two in the fourth, one in the fifth and one in the seventh.

– The Bearcats had two runs on eight hits with two errors. Washburn had six runs on seven hits with one error.

– Garrett Fort was 2-for-5 with an RBI single in the fifth.

– Logan Rycraft was 2-for-3 with a triple, a walk and a run scored.

– James Holler was 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk.

– Luke Hassman was 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

– Ozzie Adams as 1-for-4 with a walk.

– Kevin Handzlik drew a walk.

– Anthony Caenepeel got the start, going 6.2 innings. He allowed five earned runs on six hits. He struck out five and walked four. He worked perfect first and sixth innings.

– Quintin Van Ackeren worked the final two innings. He allowed just one hit and struck out three. He did not allow a walk or a run.

Game One Key Innings
– In the fifth, Rycraft hit a one out triple to right and came around to score on Fort’s RBI single to center.

– With one down in the sixth, Hassman doubled to right center on the first pitch of the at bat. Holler then connected on a 3-2 pitch to right center for an RBI double for Northwest’s second run of the game.
Game Two Key Statistics (Washburn 8, Northwest 2)
– The Bearcats scored single runs in the eighth and ninth innings. Washburn had one run in the fourth, two in the fifth and five in the seventh.

– Northwest finished the game with two runs on six hits with no errors. The Ichabods had eight runs on 10 hits and committed two errors.

– Landon Figg was 2-for-4 in the second game.

– Holler hit a solo home run in the ninth inning.

– Kolby Greenslade was 1-for-4 with a run scored in the eighth inning.

– Fort was 1-for-5 with a double.

– Handzlik was 1-for-4.

– Adams had a sacrifice fly RBI in the eighth inning.

– Alixon Herrera, Nick Howard and Rycraft all reached on walks.

– Brad Roberts started the second game, going 4.1 innings. He allowed three runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked two.

– Roberts worked three-up, three-down innings in the first and third frames.

– Nikko Pablo pitched the final two innings. He allowed no runs on two hits.

Game Two Key Innings
– Greenslade led off the eighth inning with a single to center. Fort moved him to third with a double to right. Adams was able to drive in Greenslade from third on a sacrifice fly to right.

– Down in the count, 1-2, Holler launched his first home run of the season to begin the Northwest ninth inning.

Up Next
– Northwest will host William Jewell on Wednesday, March 15, at 2 p.m. in a non-conference matchup at Bearcat Field.

— Northwest Athletics —

Houck leads Mizzou to 4-0 win over Appalachian State

Posted on March 10, 2017March 10, 2017

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou junior RHP Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) pitched a gem in a 4-0 win over Appalachian State Friday night (March 10) at Taylor Stadium. Mizzou has now won 13 consecutive games, tied with Louisville for the nation’s longest active streak. It is also Mizzou’s longest winning streak since 2008 and Mizzou’s 13-1 mark through 14 games is the program’s best start since 1985 (14-0).

Houck was sensational Friday night, earning his second win of the season. He allowed just four hits over 8.2 shutout innings, walking two and striking out seven. He also pitched around three Mizzou errors and the walks came in the eighth and ninth innings. He induced 13 groundouts in the win. It was the first time that Houck has pitched through 8.2 innings since May 19, 2016, at Kentucky.

After Houck worked around an error and a hit batter in the first, Mizzou got on the board in its half of the opening frame. Robbie Glendinning (Scarborough, Australia) doubled with one out and he was driven in on an RBI single into center field by LF Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.). Mizzou kept the pressure on in the second, putting two men on before a throwing error by App State allowed Nelson Mompierre (Miami, Fla.) to score from second, extending Mizzou’s lead to 2-0.

Houck continued to cruise, allowing just one hit through four innings while striking out four. He was at just 56 pitches through four innings. The Collinsville, Ill., native took his one-hitter into the seventh inning when a one-out single through the right side gave App State its first hit since the second inning. He pitched around the hit, getting through a season-high 7.0 innings.

Mizzou tacked on some insurance in the bottom of the seventh, the first on Misner’s second RBI single of the night. The next came on an RBI single by Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) on a 0-2 pitch.

Houck came back out for the eighth inning and issued a hit and a walk but again pitched around it. Houck came back out for the ninth inning and got the first two outs before he was lifted for Mizzou’s bullpen after allowing two men to reach. After a walk, junior RHP Nolan Gromacki (Smithville, Mo.) got the final out, a strikeout looking, to seal the win.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Mizzou falls to Ole Miss in SEC second round; Anderson coaches final game

Posted on March 10, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Aching knees kept Deandre Burnett from playing in Mississippi’s regular season finale, and coach Andy Kennedy brought him off the bench for the Rebels’ opener in the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

Turns out the junior guard is feeling just fine.

Burnett scored 16 of his 23 points in the first half, and Ole Miss beat 14th-seeded Missouri 86-74 Thursday night to advance to the quarterfinals at the SEC tournament.

“Anytime you make your first shot, it feels good, a little pain goes out of the way,” Burnett said. “I was just trying to battle through and play hard for my team. That was pretty much my mindset coming into the game.”

The Rebels (20-12), the six seed, won their fourth in five games trying to improve their postseason resume. They simply wore down Missouri a night after the Tigers upset Auburn to give one last victory to coach Kim Anderson, whose firing was announced last weekend.

“Good to have Dre back,” Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy said. “We live to fight another day.”

Ole Miss traipsed to the free throw line early and often as three Tigers fouled out, finishing with more free throws (31 of 47) than Missouri made field goals (26 of 61). Sebastian Saiz, who had his SEC-best 20th double-double by halftime, finished with 14 points and 16 rebounds. Terence Davis added 19.

The Rebels will play No. 3 seed Arkansas on Friday night in the quarterfinals.

Missouri (8-24) finishes the season losing seven of eight. Anderson said it’s been an emotional week, and he thinks the emotions of rallying to beat Auburn took a toll too.

“Just not sure we had a full tank of gas,” Anderson said.

That left the Tigers dealing with the end of Anderson’s tenure in the locker room.

“It was emotional, and it’s never easy saying goodbye,” Missouri sophomore forward Kevin Puryear said.

Jordan Barnett, Terrence Phillips and Puryear each had 15 points for Missouri, and Cullen Vanleer had 10.

The Tigers used the 3-pointer to stay close early after hitting a season-high 16 3s against Auburn. The Tigers hit six of their first 12 but couldn’t keep pace.

Early, Burnett knocked down all four of his 3s as the Rebels shot 7 of 13 outside the arc in the first half. That, and free throws kept the Rebels ahead before they got going in transition. The Rebels also took advantage of their depth with a 23-9 edge in bench scoring to lead by as much as 14 before taking a 46-36 lead into halftime.

Frankie Hughes, whose 3 forced overtime in the Tigers’ tournament opener, pulled Missouri within 50-41 with a 3-pointer in the opening minutes of the second half. That was as close as the Tigers would get as Ole Miss led by as much as 17 down the stretch.

BIG PICTURE

Missouri: The exhaustion of a season with so many losses capped by Anderson’s firing effective at season’s end appeared to catch up with the Tigers. Even Anderson picked up a technical foul in the second half.
Ole Miss: If the Rebels want to even push themselves into bubble talk for the NCAA Tournament, they likely need at least another win or two. Otherwise, notching another 20-win season might be the highlight of this season. Kennedy, who now has nine 20-win seasons in the past 11 seasons, said he’s just trying to win two games in two days right now.

QUOTABLE

“The end of the season’s always hard because you never want to prepare your speech for the end of the season,” Anderson said. “Now not only that, you’re preparing them for the end of your career, or career here. I’m not going away dead. Just (leaving) here at Missouri OK?”

UP NEXT

Missouri: Hiring Anderson’s replacement.

Ole Miss: Playing No. 3 seed Arkansas in the quarterfinals.

— Associated Press —

No. 23 Griffon softball sweeps Lindenwood

Posted on March 10, 2017

ST. JOSEPH – The 23rd-ranked Missouri Western softball team (18-4, 2-0) racked up 16 extra base hits, and scored 25 runs in doubleheader sweep of Lindenwood (6-8, 0-2) Thursday night.

Missouri Western got a dominant, 14-1 five-inning win in game one before needing some late-inning heroics to win game two, 11-10.

NOTABLES
– Kailey Green hit four home runs, two in each game, bringing her career total to 31. The senior needs nine more home runs to break Keri Lorbert’s MWSU career record.

– Rebekah Mueller hit two home runs in game two

– Riley Wilson blasted an RBI-triple off the top of the wall in right center to score the tying run in the bottom of the seventh of game two. Two batters later, Wilson avoided the catcher’s tag on a fielder’s choice by Morgan Rathmann to score the winning run.

– The Griffons batted .448 in the doubleheader with 26 hits, seven doubles, three triples and six home runs

– Six Griffon starters batted .500 or better in the doubleheader

– Lindenwood pitchers had a 14.9 ERA in the doubleheader

– As a team, Missouri Western slugged .983 over the two games with a .529 on base percentage

TOP PERFORMERS
– Green broke out of a slump with a 5-for-6 performance at the plate. She hit the four home runs, had seven RBIs and scored four runs

– Mueller continued her hot streak, going 4-for-5 with two home runs, three RBIs and four runs scored. The junior catcher has batted. 533 over her last 12 games.

– Shelbie Atwell went 4-for-8 at the dish with three doubles, three RBIs and three runs scored

– Sydney Washington and Shelby Uhl both went 3-for-6 at the plate. Uhl had two doubles, both scored three times.

– Barbara Billingsley picked up the win in both games, going the distance in game one and pitching 2 2/3 in relief in game two. Billingsley is now 11-2 on the season.

UP NEXT
Missouri Western is scheduled to host Lincoln (2-16, 0-2) in a doubleheader, Friday, beginning at 3:30 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

Brown sends K-State past No. 9 Bears 70-64 in Big 12 tourney

Posted on March 10, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Barry Brown and D.J. Johnson heard what critics were saying about Kansas State, all those rumors that coach Bruce Weber was on the hot-seat and the Wildcats were an NCAA Tournament long shot.

They provided a defiant answer to all those people Thursday night.

Brown had 21 points, including a series of crucial foul shots down the stretch, and Johnson had 13 points and seven rebounds to help the Wildcats upset ninth-ranked Baylor 70-64 in the Big 12 Tournament — clinching not only a spot in the semifinals but likely a berth in the NCAA’s field of 68.

“We knew what was on the line. We knew what people were saying,” Brown said. “We just stuck together. We played for coach, played for one another.”

It was the second time the sixth-seeded Wildcats (20-12) have beaten the Bears (25-7) this season, giving them precisely the kind of marquee victory that the selection committee favors.

They’ll get a chance for another against No. 11 West Virginia in Friday night’s semifinals.

“We just beat one of the marquee teams in the country,” Weber said. “We talked about success is when opportunity meets preparation, that’s when you meet success, and we have to be prepared. We have another opportunity. We have to be prepared.”

The No. 3 seed Bears got to 64-60 on Al Freeman’s 3-pointer with 50 seconds to go, but they were forced to keep sending Brown to the foul line. The sophomore guard, who’s been mediocre there all season, made six of eight down the stretch to seal the Wildcats’ third straight win.

Freeman had 16 points to lead Baylor. Johnathan Motley and Manu Lecomte had 13 points apiece.

“We knew that anyone could win this because of the parity in the league. It didn’t matter where anybody was seeded,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “They made plays. They earned it.”

Neither team gave an inch in a first-half dominated by defense.

The Bears kept slapping the Wildcats with their trademark zone, forcing them into taking long jumpers deep in the shot-clock. Kansas State countered with a suffocating man-to-man that not only produced nine first-half turnovers but forced Baylor into a plethora of rushed shots.

“They blasted us on defense,” the Bears’ Jake Lindsey said.

The strategy for the Wildcats was simple- keep Motley, the Bears’ All-Big 12 forward, from getting looks inside and Lecomte, one of the league’s top newcomers, from getting looks outside.

Not surprisingly, the teams played to a 25-all draw after 20 minutes.

It was still tied at 33 when the Wildcats began to assert themselves midway through the second half, and again it was their defense that got things started. They forced Baylor into another shot-clock violation, and Isaiah Maurice followed with a dunk that brought a pro-Kansas State crowd to life.

Kamau Stokes hit a bucket moments later, Brown poured in a 3 as the shot-clock was about to expire, then he added a four-point play that gave Kansas State a 44-37 lead with 9 1/2 minutes left.

The Wildcats had pushed it to 60-51 when Motley scored inside with 2:20 to go. The Bears slapped on some pressure and forced a turnover, Freeman made two free throws, then more full-court pressure created another turnover that led to another basket for Motley and trimmed it to 60-55 with 1:40 left.

But after weathering yet more pressure, the Wildcats got the ball to Stokes at the other end, and his wiggling, off-balance shot with just over a minute left fell to give them a cushion.

Brown and the Wildcats took care of the rest from the foul line.

“We talked about all the things that were going on off the court,” Brown said, “but Coach kept us level-headed and kept us thinking about basketball. The team stayed together, no matter what was being said in the media. The team stayed together and we were able to pull out the victory.”

SNYDER IN THE STANDS
Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder took in the game from an aisle seat several rows behind the Wildcats’ bench. The 77-year-old Snyder has been undergoing treatment for throat cancer but expects to be on the field when the Wildcats begin spring practices later this month.

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State improved to 3-1 against the Bears in the Big 12 Tournament with its 20th win of the season. The last time the Wildcats won 20 games was in 2014, when they last went dancing.

Baylor had reached the Big 12 Tournament semifinals each of the past three seasons, but this time joined top-seeded Kansas in heading home early. Kansas lost to TCU earlier in the day.

UP NEXT

Kansas State gets the Mountaineers on Friday night.

Baylor heads back to Waco, Texas, to await Selection Sunday.

— Associated Press —

Bearcat baseball defeats Washburn 5-1 in series opener

Posted on March 10, 2017

The Northwest Missouri University baseball team beat Washburn, 5-1, on Thursday afternoon in an MIAA contest at Bearcat Field in Maryville, Mo.

– Northwest improves to 11-6 overall and 3-4 in MIAA play. The Ichabods fall to 11-7 and 3-4 in conference action.

– Joseph Hietpas went the full 9.0 innings, allowing just one run on two hits. He struck out eight batters and walked just one.

– Logan Rycraft was 3-for-3 with a double, a stolen base, an RBI and also scored a run.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats scored one run in the fourth, one in the sixth and three in the seventh. Washburn scored a single run in the fourth.

– Northwest had five runs on 10 hits with one error. The Ichabods had one run on two hits with two errors.

– Ozzie Adams was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. He had a double and also drew a walk.

– Landon Figg was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double in the seventh..

– Luke Hassman drove in a run in the fourth and was 1-for-3. He was also hit by a pitch.

– Garrett Fort was 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

– Luke Wilkinson was 1-for-2 with a walk.

– Hietpas set the Ichabods down in order in the first, third, fifth, sixth and ninth innings.

Key Northwest Innings
– Adams drew a walk to lead off the fourth and came around to score on a Hassman single two batters later to tie the game at 1-1.

– Adams again found his way on base to begin a frame, starting the sixth with a double to left. He went to third on a passed ball. Figg hit an infield single to first, driving in Adams to give the Bearcats a 1-0 lead.

– Wilkinson started the seventh by hitting a foul ball behind the plate that the catcher dropped for an error. The designated hitter made Washburn pay with a double to right center. Joseph Curtis came in to pinch run. After an out, Rycraft doubled to score Curtis making it 3-1. Fort followed it with a single to drive in Rycraft to make it 4-1. After a pitching change, Fort came around to score on an Adams single.

Up Next
– The series will now shift to Topeka, Kan., due to weather. The Bearcats and the Ichabods will play Friday, March 10, at 3 p.m. followed by a 2 p.m. game on Saturday.

— Northwest Athletics —

No. 1 Kansas gets stunned by TCU 85-82 in Big 12 quarterfinals

Posted on March 10, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — It didn’t matter to TCU that it was playing just down the road from the Kansas campus in Lawrence, or that the Horned Frogs already had endured a taxing opening-round game in the Big 12 Tournament.

It probably mattered a great deal that the Jayhawks were missing star freshman Josh Jackson.

Regardless, the spunky underdogs from Fort Worth held on after squandering an 11-point second-half lead, and Desmond Bane’s three free throws with 2.5 seconds left gave the Horned Frogs an 85-82 victory over the nation’s top-ranked team in the quarterfinal round Thursday.

TCU will play No. 23 Iowa State, which topped Oklahoma State, in Friday night’s semifinals.

“It took everybody. It took the whole team,” said TCU coach Jamie Dixon, who has quickly turned around his alma mater in his first season. “Great win for our program, our school.”

The eighth-seeded Horned Frogs (19-14) trailed 80-76 with just over a minute remaining, but a parade of free throws knotted it, and Alex Robinson’s driving layup gave TCU the lead.

Frank Mason answered with a pair of free throws for Kansas (28-4), but the Horned Frogs got the ball to Bane in the corner and he was fouled by Svi Mykhailiuk while putting up a shot.

“All of my teammates came up to me, tried to calm me down, make sure everything was cool,” Bane said afterward, “and I stepped up and knocked them down.”

Then, Devonte Graham’s tying 3-pointer at the buzzer bounced harmlessly off the rim, and the Horned Frogs leaped off their benched to celebrate a massive upset of the tournament’s No. 1 seed.

“We tried,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said, “we just didn’t quite have it today.”

Kenrich Williams had 18 points, Robinson added 13 and Brandon Parrish had 12 for the Horned Frogs, who caught a break when Self suspended Jackson for the tournament opener.

Jackson was cited last month for hitting a parked car and fleeing the scene, and didn’t inform his coach of the legal trouble until Monday. It was the latest in a series of incidents involving the star freshman that drew Self’s ire and ultimately led to the punishment.

With a shortened bench, Mason wound up playing all 40 minutes and scored 29 points in a virtuoso performance. The other four starters also played at least 35 minutes, with Mykhailiuk scoring 18 points and forward Landen Lucas finishing with 13 points and 14 boards.

“We know that distractions happen and we have to eliminate them, especially in the postseason,” Lucas said. “I think we responded relatively well. We just came up a little bit short.”

The Jayhawks built a 39-27 lead late in the first half, thanks to Mykhailiuk’s hot shooting and Mason’s ability to get to the rim, but it disappeared after Dixon got a technical foul.

TCU’s coach barked across the court at one of the officials after Lagerald Vick’s basket gave the Jayhawks their biggest lead. Mason extended the advantage with two free throws, but it seemed as if the Horned Frogs began to channel Dixon’s intensity down the stretch.

They closed the half on a 16-3 run, highlighted by a trio of 3-pointers, and carried a 43-42 lead into the locker room when Carlton Bragg Jr. air-balled a jumper at the buzzer.

Early in the second half, it was Bill Self’s turn to boil over.

He took umbrage with a goaltending call that gave TCU a basket, and refused to back down even when Mykhailiuk tried to distract the official. But it didn’t have the same effect, at least right away — the Horned Frogs instead stretched their lead to 60-49 with 13:55 left.

The Jayhawks finally went on their run a few minutes later, Mason getting it started with a four-point play and then finishing it with a driving layup that gave Kansas a 71-70 lead.

When Williams fouled out with 3:12 to go, the Jayhawks looked poise to finish it off.

Instead, the Horned Frogs showed remarkable composure in the Jayhawks’ home-away-from-home. And when Graham’s heave from the wing bounced off the rim and the buzzer sounded, the tournament’s top seed was done in the quarterfinals for the first time in seven years.

“This is the win of my career right here, to be completely honest,” Parrish said. “This is the high point of my whole career. I’m just happy to have these guys, my brothers, here with me.”

JACKSON’S OTHER TROUBLE
Jackson also faces a misdemeanor charge of criminal damage to property after he allegedly kicked the car of McKenzie Calvert, a member of the Kansas women’s basketball team. Her father, Tim Calvert, told The Kansas City Star that Jackson and his attorney “wanted to pay to make it all go away” but that the family refused the offer. Jackson is scheduled to be arraigned April 12.

BIG PICTURE

TCU is two wins away from a remarkable trip to the NCAA Tournament, something that even the uber-positive Dixon would have been hard-pressed to imagine a week ago.

Kansas has to hope its body of work this season, including a 13th straight regular-season title, will be enough to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They Jayhawks were in line for the top seed overall, but their upset loss Thursday may dash those hopes.

UP NEXT

TCU gets the red-hot Cyclones on Friday night.

Kansas gets a short bus ride home.

— Associated Press —