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Author: Dave Riggert

Northwest women get blown out at home by No. 11 Emporia State

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Northwest2013riggertThe Northwest Missouri State University women’s basketball team fell to No. 11 Emporia State, 86-48, on Wednesday evening at Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Mo.

– The Bearcats fall to 8-13 overall and 3-11 in conference play. The Hornets improve to 20-3 overall and 11-3 in MIAA action.

– Arbrie Benson had a career-high 24 points. She also tallied a rebound, an assist and a blocked shot, going 10-of-20 from the field.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Jasmin Howe had 11 total points and four rebounds. She was 4-of-5 from the charity stripe.

– Tanya Meyer scored 10 points with a team-high seven rebounds. She had three blocked shots, tying her career high.

– Northwest shot 70.6 percent from the free throw line (12-of-17).

Up Next
– Northwest will host Washburn on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 1:30 p.m. at Bearcat Arena.

— Northwest Athletics —

Kansas women defeat Oklahoma State for second Big 12 win

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riggertKULAWRENCE, Kan. –  With the help of a stifling defensive effort, Kansas women’s basketball put together its most dominating Big 12 Conference victory under head coach Brandon Schneider, after surging past Oklahoma State, 67-49, on Wednesday evening inside Allen Fieldhouse.

On a night where not all of Kansas’ own shots were falling, the entire team hunkered down and committed to winning the game the gritty way – on the defensive end. The Jayhawks forced 25 turnovers, including three shot-clock violations, their fourth game this year forcing at least 25 turnovers. Even when the Cowgirls could get shots off, OSU could not convert, shooting 16-of-52 (30.8%), the lowest field goal percentage allowed by KU in Big 12 play this year.

Kansas (8-16, 2-11 Big 12) was led on the offensive end by a balanced scoring effort from the guard trio of redshirt junior Jessica Washington, sophomore Aisia Robertson and senior Timeka O’Neal. All three did most of their damage from beyond the arc, shooting a combined 8-of-15 (53.3%) from three-point land. Robertson and O’Neal registered season-high points with 14 and 13, respectively, while Washington notched her ninth-straight game in double figures with 12 points.

Mandy Coleman led Oklahoma State (13-10, 3-9 Big 12) in scoring with 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for her fourth double-double on the year. OSU’s only other scorer in double-digits was Kaylee Jensen, who dropped in 11 points before fouling out.

The Jayhawks asserted themselves defensively from the get-go, halting Oklahoma State on its first five possessions en route to building a quick 8-0 lead. Even after breaking the seal with its first bucket nearly four minutes into the game, the Cowgirls struggled from the floor and put up just six points in the first quarter. It was Kansas’ second time this season, and first in conference play, holding its opponent to six points in the opening quarter.

Oklahoma State’s Jensen was the only player who could seemingly figure out the KU defense, accounting for all of her team’s first quarter points. The center showed range with a 3-pointer midway through the quarter to bring the Cowgirls within four in a 9-5 game, the closest OSU would come to matching the Jayhawks the rest of the night. Kansas added five more points and OSU could only muster a Jensen free throw the rest of the quarter, and the Jayhawks held on to a 14-6 lead at the end of the first.

Sophomore guard Jayde Christopher provided the spark at the beginning of the second quarter to ensure Kansas’ lead would remain safe. Christopher was fouled on a drive and converted both the layup and the free throw for the old-fashioned three-point play. She followed on the next possession with another slash to the basket, opening the quarter with a quick 5-0 run.

Once again, Oklahoma State could not figure out the Kansas defense to open the quarter, scoring one point in the first 3:50 of the second quarter. The Cowgirls manage to score another eight points before the end of the quarter to bring their halftime total to 15, the fewest points allowed by the Jayhawks in a half during Big 12 play.

A 15-second sequence at the end of the half fully swung momentum in Kansas’ favor and demonstrated the type of two-way play that Schneider knows his team is capable of. Robertson drove to the basket and wowed the crowd with a reverse layup, but was prevented from celebrating by OSU, who was already pushing the ball down the floor. The entire team took a pause to celebrate the team’s great play once junior guard Chayla Cheadle stopped the transition by drawing a charging foul. The pumped-up Jayhawks ran into their locker room holding a 29-15 halftime lead.

The second half opened with both teams trading baskets for the first seven minutes until Kansas ripped off the lid with a Cheadle layup and consecutive triples from O’Neal and Washington, extending the lead to 21 points. As the lid opened up for Kansas, it almost completely shut for OSU, who managed to eke out six points from the free throw line for the remainder of the third quarter. With one quarter remaining in its best Big 12 outing thus far, Kansas maintained a 49-32 lead.

Kansas did not let up in the final 10 minutes, pushing the leading as far as 24 before settling into a comfortable 18-point lead at the 2:55 mark. From there, Kansas traded baskets with OSU until the buzzer sounded and the scoreboard read 67-49, avenging KU’s four-point loss earlier this season to the Cowgirls and marking a milestone in Schneider’s tenure with the Jayhawks.

UP NEXT
Kansas hits the road to complete the 2017 series against Texas on Saturday, Feb. 11. Tipoff against the Longhorns is slated for 1:30 p.m.

— KU Athletics —

Bearcat baseball stays unbeaten with win over Arkansas-Fort Smith

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Northwest2013riggertThe Northwest Missouri State University baseball team improved to 4-0 on the year with a 6-3 victory over Arkansas Fort Smith, 6-3, on Tuesday afternoon at Crowder Field in Fort Smith, Ark.

– The Bearcats improve to 4-0 on the year while the Lions fall to 2-2.

– Northwest took the lead with a three-run sixth inning, breaking a 1-1 tie. Arkansas Fort Smith stranded 11 runners on base including three in the final two innings.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats scored six runs on 11 hits with no errors. The Lions had three runs on 10 hits with one error.

– Northwest scored one in the fifth, three in the sixth and two in the eighth. Arkansas Fort Smith scored single runs in the fourth, sixth and eighth innings.

– Jay Hrdlicka went 2-for-4 with four RBI and a run scored. He hit an RBI triple in the fifth, a sacrifice fly in the sixth and a two-run homer in the eighth.

– Luke Hassman was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.

– Ozzie Adams went 2-for-4 with a run scored. He also was credited with a sacrifice bunt in the seventh inning.

– James Holler was 2-for-5 with a run scored

– Alixon Herrera was 1-for-5 with a run scored.

– Landon Figg was 1-for-3 with a run scored. He also drew a walk.

– Logan Rycraft went 1-for-4 on the day.

– Eddy Kraeber made his Bearcat debut with a 4.2 inning, one run performance. He allowed just six hits and struck out two. He did not walk a batter.

– Cole Otto entered the game with two down in the fifth. He was credited with his first victory in a Northwest jersey.

– Jimmy McElwain worked a perfect seventh inning on the hill. He got two ground outs and ended the frame with a swinging strikeout.

– Nikko Pablo got the final four outs of the game , recording a strikeout, a groundout and a pair of flyouts to center. It was his second save of the season.

Key Northwest Innings
– With one out in the fifth, Hassman singled to short and came around to score on Hrdlicka’s triple to right center, tying the game, 1-1.

– Adams led off the sixth with a single up the middle and reached second safely on a Herrerra fielder’s choice. Holler came through with a single through the right side. An error by the right fielder allowed Adams to score, prompting a pitching change. After Handzlik laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners up, Figg was intentionally walked to load the bases. Hassman came up with a single to center to score Herrera, making it 3-1. After another pitching change, Hrdlicka hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Holler to put Northwest up, 4-1.

– Figg hit a one out single in the eighth to center. After a strikeout for the second out, Hrdlicka hit his first home run of the year over the right field fence to make it 6-2 Bearcats.

Up Next
– Northwest will head to Arkadephia, Ark., for three games starting on Thursday. The Bearcats will play Ouachita Baptist on Thursday at 1 p.m., followed by a 3 p.m. game at Henderson State on Friday. The weekend ends with a neutral site noon game against Truman State on Saturday.

— Northwest Athletics —

MWSU’s Klosterman named MIAA softball Hitter of the Week

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riggertMissouriWesternST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western softball team is 4-0 for the first time since 2003 and one of its senior sluggers was named the MIAA Hitter of the Week for her efforts in the Griffons undefeated weekend.

Katie Klosterman hit .538 at the Ronnie Hawkins Invitational, with two home runs, seven RBIs, seven hits and five runs scored. The senior third baseman slugged 1.077 over the weekend and didn’t make an error in the field.

Klosterman wasn’t the only Griffon hitter with a hot bat in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Shelbie Atwell led the team with a .600 batting average and had four doubles along with four RBIs and five runs scored. Sydney Washington led the team with eight RBIs, also hitting two home runs, and Morgan Rathmann batted .333 with a double, two RBIs and four runs scored.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest’s Hietpas earns weekly MIAA baseball honor

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Northwest2013riggertKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University junior Joseph Hietpas has been named the MIAA Pitcher of the Week. Hietpas threw seven scoreless innings in the Bearcats’ 15-0 win over Northwestern Oklahoma State University on Saturday. He struck out 15 batters with just three walks and two hits allowed. The game was called in the seventh inning.

Hietpas worked four three-up three-down innings on Saturday, striking out the side in the second, fourth and seventh innings.

— Northwest Athletics —

No. 3 Kansas bounces back from loss, tops Kansas State 74-71

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riggertKUMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Josh Jackson’s left eye was still blood red after it got poked during practice earlier in the day, and a bruise was forming on Frank Mason III’s right elbow after a spill over courtside tables as he tried to save a loose ball.

Yes, third-ranked Kansas is a supremely talented team.

Turns out the Jayhawks have a lot of fight, too.

Jackson dealt with the bright lights that caused him vision problems to score 18 points, Mason’s trip over the table highlighted his 21-point performance, and the Jayhawks rebounded from a rare home loss to hold off pesky Kansas State 74-71 on Monday night.

“I think those plays define seasons,” Kansas coach Bill Self said afterward. “It’s always an extra-possession hustle play that means the most to your team.”

All those hustle plays allowed the Jayhawks (21-3, 9-2 Big 12) to beat the Wildcats (16-8, 5-6) for the fifth straight time, though it was just as nip-and-tuck as their meeting in Lawrence.

The game was tied 63-all with 2:50 left when Kansas ripped off six quick points, but the Wildcats kept hanging around. D.J. Johnson hit three of four foul shots down the stretch, and Kamau Stokes hit a 3-pointer from the wing to get within 72-69 with 19.2 seconds to go.

Devonte Graham calmly hit two more free throws to put the game away.

“We haven’t lost two in a row since 2013, not that it matters,” Mason said, “but we wanted to come in here and play aggressive and play with a lot of pride.”

Dean Wade led the Wildcats with 20 points. Stokes added 16 points and eight boards, Johnson had 14 points and Wesley Iwundu contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds.

“They’re really good. They’re one of the top five teams in the country, there’s no doubt about it,” Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said. “We played both games to the last possession, but there’s no moral victories. You have to win the game.”

The Wildcats no doubt remembered the first meeting in Allen Fieldhouse, when the Jayhawks’ Svi Mykhailiuk traveled on the way to the basket — no whistle was blown — for the winning layup. And they promptly roared out to a big early lead, leaning on their defense to produce easy offense.

But rarely do the Sunflower State rivals get together without a tussle.

Kansas used a pair of big runs to take a 37-35 lead into halftime, then appeared to flex its muscle coming out of the break. Jackson hit back-to-back 3-pointers, Landen Lucas threw down a dunk and the Jayhawks stretched their lead to 47-38 and forced Kansas State to call timeout.

The Wildcats responded by inching closer throughout the second half, and their big break came when Jackson picked up his fourth foul with 9:56 to go. With the springy freshman reduced to sitting on the bench, the Wildcats pulled ahead 60-59 on Wade’s basket with 4 1/2 minutes to go.

It was still tied 63-all when Mykhailiuk hit an open 3-pointer from the wing, and that triggered a quick spurt by the Jayhawks that included free throws from Mason and Jackson.

They never trailed the rest of the way.

“I thought our guys competed really hard,” Self said. “That was a good basketball game. That was two teams competing hard against each other.”

BRAGG RETURNS

Self lifted Carlton Bragg Jr.’s indefinite suspension after the sophomore was granted diversion for misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, a charge that will be dismissed if he does not commit a crime for the next six months. Bragg left briefly in the second half after hurting his left foot, and nearly got a technical foul during a scrap for a loose ball, before finishing with six points.

“We know he’s been through a lot,” Jackson said. “He did a great job of overcoming that and coming out and playing hard tonight. He did a great job.”

BIG PICTURE

Kansas maintained control of the Big 12 race by sweeping the season series. But big games loom in the next couple weeks, including a visit from West Virginia and a trip to Baylor.

Kansas State showed in a road win over the Bears on Saturday that it can beat the nation’s best, but close losses are starting to stack up. The Wildcats lost to Maryland, Texas Tech, Iowa State, TCU and now Kansas twice in games decided by five points or fewer.

UP NEXT

Kansas heads to Texas Tech on Saturday.

Kansas State visits West Virginia on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

Mizzou’s Houck named First Team Preseason All-American by D1Baseball

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riggertMissouriCOLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou junior RHP Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) has been named to his fourth preseason All-America team as D1Baseball.com tabbed him as a first team starting pitcher on Monday (Feb. 6). Houck is one of three SEC starting pitchers on the All-America First Team. In fact, D1Baseball’s All-America First Team honored six total pitchers (four starters, a reliever and a utility man) and four of the six pitch in the SEC. Houck has now been tabbed a first team preseason All-American by D1Baseball, PerfectGame.com and Baseball America while earning third team honors from Collegiate Baseball.

Houck is coming off of a stellar sophomore season during which he posted a 2.99 ERA in 105.1 innings pitched, allowing just 82 hits while striking out a career-best 106 against only 27 walks. He went 5-6 in 15 starts and was twice named SEC Pitcher of the Week while garnering Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week honors following his start against Vanderbilt. He limited batters to just .209 hitting in 2016.

Houck, who owns a 13-11 career record and 3.23 career ERA, will anchor Mizzou’s pitching staff for first-year head coach Steve Bieser. In two years, Houck has limited batters to .220 hitting and owns a strikeout-walk ratio of 5-1 (197-39). He has thrown more than 100 innings in each of his first two seasons as a Tiger and is expected to be one of the first 10 players selected in next year’s Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Source: Royals sign Jason Hammel to 2-year deal

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riggertRoyalsFree-agent pitcher Jason Hammel and the Kansas City Royals reached agreement on a $16 million, two-year contract Sunday, a source told ESPN’s Jim Bowden, confirming multiple reports.

The deal, pending a physical, includes a mutual option for a third year.

Hammel, 34, went 15-10 with a 3.83 ERA in 30 starts with the Chicago Cubs last season. Hammel did not pitch in the postseason. The Cubs declined Hammel’s $12 million option for 2017, which made the right-hander one of the top starters on the free-agent market.

The Cubs acquired left-hander Mike Montgomery in a July trade with Seattle, and he could replace Hammel in the rotation.

In two seasons with the Cubs, the 6-foot-6 right-hander went 33-22 with a 3.59 ERA in 78 starts. Hammel first signed with the Cubs in February 2014 and went 8-5 with a 2.98 ERA in 17 starts that season. He was traded to Oakland in the deal that sent shortstop Addison Russell to Chicago. The pitcher then re-signed with Chicago the following December for $20 million for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

— ESPN News Service —

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