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Author: Dave Riggert

Northwest Missouri State volleyball gets swept by Central Oklahoma

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Northwest2013riggertThe Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team fell to Central Oklahoma, 3-0, on Tuesday evening at the Hamilton Field House in Edmond, Okla. in the first round of the MIAA Tournament.

– No. 25 ranked Northwest finishes the season with a 22-9 overall record. The Bronchos, ranked No. 9 in the nation, improved to 30-3.

– The 22 wins are the most by a Northwest team since the 1999 squad’s 25-11 overall record.

– Maddy Bruder had 12 kills for the Bearcats. She tallied six digs and one block, defensively.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats fell in three sets by scores of 25-20, 25-20 and 25-22.

– Miranda Foster had 14 digs and eight kills. She also tallied four blocks and one assist.

– Olivia Nowakowski tied Foster for a team-best 14 digs. She had three service aces in the match.

– Jackie Becker had eight kills to go along with five blocks. She also had three digs and one assist.

– Alexis Williams had eight kills and one dig.
– Sarah Dannettell recorded 31 assists, seven digs, one block and one kill.

Key Northwest Sequence
– The Bearcats jumped out to an early lead in the second powered by a 7-1 run. Down 7-5, Foster and Williams put away back-to-back kills to tie the match, 7-7. After a Broncho attacking error, Williams put away a kill to give Northwest a two-point lead, 9-7. UCO would get a point back but Williams came up with another kill to push the lead back to two. Becker put away a kill and then combined with Dannettell on a block on the next play to give the Bearcats a four-point advantage, 12-8.

— Northwest Athletics —

Webster and Jacobsen lead Nebraska past Mary 70-38

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riggertNebraskaLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska led overmatched University of Mary by 10 points less than five minutes into the game Tuesday on its way to a 70-38 win in a game that gave the Huskers bench the opportunity to play more than half the minutes.

That was key for a team that has only five experienced players on the roster, all of whom start.

“It was good for them to get a feel for what the game is like,” said Michael Jacobsen, who led the Huskers with 10 points. “We’ve been practicing for about two months now. It’s hard when you go against each other so much. … In the game it’s a totally different feel. I think it’s good for them to get their minutes and just figure out their roles.”

All five of Nebraska’s non-starters played at least 20 minutes and combined for 30 points with each making at least a field goal. That was a marked improvement from Sunday’s home opener against Sacramento State in which the Nebraska bench made just two field goals and contributed only nine points.

“It was really, really important,” said Isaiah Roby, who came off the bench to score seven points in 24 minutes. “Obviously, we have to execute stuff against other people and also just getting tired. All of us were dripping sweat. … He (Nebraska coach Tim Miles) kind of challenged us to step our game up tonight. We still have a lot to work on obviously … but I think we stepped up a little bit more.”

Nebraska (2-0) was never challenged by the NCAA Division II school from North Dakota that is Miles’ alma mater. Nebraska went up by 12-2 on Jack McVeigh’s 3-pointer at the 15:18 mark and stretched the lead to 30-8 on another of McVeigh’s 3s with 5:52 left in the first half.

Mary (0-3) cut the Nebraska lead to 15 on Damonta Henry’s 3-pointer that opened the second half. But the Huskers quickly pushed the lead over 20, going up 41-19 on McVeigh’s 3-pointer with 17:37 left. Nebraska’s largest lead was 32.

The Marauders struggled against the Nebraska defense, hitting just 7 of 28 shots in the first half and finished 29 percent from the field. The bigger, stronger Huskers also dominated on the boards, outrebounding Mary 45-21

Nebraska hit 50 percent of its shots, but committed 17 turnovers

Mary played in front of the largest crowd it will likely see this season (8,459). Attendance at Marauder games, home and on the road, averages about 1,000. That should work to Mary’s advantage, said coach Joe Kittell.

“There’s not going to be any atmosphere that’s going to be more hostile than this,” Kittell said. “Our guys understand that, played in it, and it shouldn’t bother us anymore. Really excited about this group, I know we’re zero and three right now but there are a lot of good kids out there. They want to win, they want to get better.”

BIG PICTURE
Nebraska: Miles said the relatively low score and margin of victory can be attributed to Mary’s strategy of running down the shot clock on offense and impatience on the part of the Huskers once they finally got the ball.

University of Mary: The Marauders took full advantage of a game against a Division I foe, chartering a flight to bring fans from Bismarck to Lincoln. Those who paid $289 for the trip got lunch with Nebraska football coach Mike Riley, a tour of the athletic facilities and a dinner with Nebraska baseball coach and North Dakota native Darin Erstad.

UP NEXT

Nebraska will host Louisiana Tech at 7 p.m. Saturday, a starting time set to avoid conflict with the Nebraska-Maryland football game at 11 a.m.

Mary will return to Bismarck where it will host Yellowstone Christian Monday.

— Associated Press —

MWSU’s Caldwell, Anderson named All-MIAA 1st Team; 13 Griffons honored

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riggertMissouriWesternKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Thirteen members of the 2016 Missouri Western football team were named to All-MIAA teams released Tuesday morning.

Highlighting Missouri Western’s selections were unanimous first team selections Josh Caldwell and Travis Anderson. For Anderson, it was his third consecutive first team nod as an offensive lineman. Caldwell became All-MIAA for the first time in his career.

FIRST TEAM
Josh Caldwell: The sophomore dominated the MIAA in his first season as the Griffons’ feature back. Caldwell led the MIAA with 1,408 rushing yards, finishing the regular season with 583 yards more than the conference’s second leading rusher. The Lee’s Summit, Missouri native was the only MIAA rusher to average more than 100 yards per game on the ground, finishing with an average of 128 per contest. Caldwell also finished second in the MIAA, averaging 133.5 all-purpose yards per game and his 10 rushing touchdowns were third most in the conference. It was Caldwell’s second honor this season after also being named a first team CoSIDA Academic All-District selection.

Travis Anderson: The sixth-year senior became the first Griffon offensive lineman to earn three first team All-MIAA selections since Roger Allen. A stalwart at guard, the Derby, Kansas native started all 11 games for the Griffons in 2016 and finished his career with 40 starts on the interior of offensive lines that paved the way for two different first team All-MIAA running backs. Missouri Western had a 1,000-yard rusher each of the four seasons Anderson started on the offensive line. He also helped Raphael Spencer finish his career second on the MWSU all-time rushing yardage list.

SECOND TEAM
Max Oeser: The Griffons starting center for all 11 games this season earned his first All-MIAA selection as a junior. It was the second straight season the Springfield, Missouri native started every game for Missouri Western. Earlier this season, Oeser was recognized as a first team CoSIDA Academic All-District selection.

James Huskey: The St. Louis, Missouri native picked up his first All-MIAA honor after missing the 2015 season due to an injury. The junior linebacker finished second in the MIAA in 2016 with 16.5 tackles for loss. Huskey recorded 61 total tackles with 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Donte Watkins: Now a two-time All-MIAA safety, Watkins led Missouri Western and finished sixth in the MIAA with 98 total tackles. Watkins’ 62 solo tackles were fifth most in the MIAA. The Blue Springs, Missouri native was also tied for the team-lead with three interceptions.

THIRD TEAM
Dijuan Ussery: The junior wide receiver from Rock Hill, South Carolina flashed his big play ability in 2016, finishing second in the MIAA with a 24.2-yard per reception average. Ussery’s 797 receiving yards led Missouri Western and were seventh most in the MIAA.

HONORABLE MENTION
Patrick Bolton (WR), , Blake Vandenberg (TE), Hayden Eatinger (OL), Daylon Harper (DL), Cody Lindsay (LB), Darrian Bass (LB), Tyrell Robison (LB)

Of Missouri Western’s 13 All-MIAA selections, 11 were underclassmen in 2016. The only All-MIAA selections from the seven-member class of 2016 were Anderson and Vandenberg.

2016 ALL-MIAA HONORS

MIAA Offensive Player of the Year – Kyle Zimmerman, QB, Northwest Missouri
MIAA Defensive Player of the Year – Sie Doe Jr., DL, Fort Hays State
MIAA Special Teams Player of the Year – Jaylen Zachery, RS, Central Missouri
MIAA Freshmen of the Year – Brenner Clemons, WR, Pittsburg State
MIAA Coach of the Year – Adam Dorrel, Northwest Missouri

First Team (Offense)
QB – Kyle Zimmerman, Northwest Missouri
RB – Josh Caldwell, Missouri Western**
RB –  Shaquille Cooper, Fort Hays State^
WR – Jaylen Zachery, Central Missouri
WR – Mitchell Foote, Emporia State**^
WR – Levi Copelin, Pittsburg State
TE/FB –  Jordan Grove, Northwest Missouri**^
OL – Chase Sherman, Northwest Missouri**
OL – Travis Anderson, Missouri Western**^
OL – Derrick Puni, Central Missouri
OL – Jarret Statsny, Emporia State
OL – Jamie Theiman, Northwest Missouri
K – Simon Mathiesen, Northwest Missouri^
PR/PR – Jaylen Zachery, Central Missouri**
**=Unanimous selection
^=Repeat First Team Selection

First Team (Defense)
DL – Eddie Vinson, Emporia State
DL – Sie Doe Jr., Fort Hays State
DL – Collin Bevins, Northwest Missouri**^
DL – Cass Weitl, Northwest Missouri
LB – Connor Harris, Lindenwood^
LB – Tyke Kozeal, Nebraska-Kearney
LB – Jacob Vollstedt, Northwest Missouri^
LB –  Cody Heiman, Washburn
DB – Tevin Teamer, Central Missouri
DB – Raheme Dumas, Fort Hays State
DB – Kevin Berg, Northwest Missouri^
DB –  Deron Washington, Pittsburg State
P –  Carter Anchors, Pittsburg State
**=Unanimous selection
^=Repeat First Team Selection

Second Team (Offense)
QB – Garrett Fugate, Central Missouri
RB – Clay McKenzie, Central Oklahoma
RB –  Phil Jackson II, Northwest Missouri
WR – Justin Brown, Emporia State
WR – Gary McKnight, Northeastern State
WR – Shawn Bane Jr., Northwest Missouri
TE/FB – Seth Hebert, Central Missouri
OL – Brandon Waggoner, Central Oklahoma
OL – Max Oeser, Missouri Western
OL – Codey Funk, Pittsburg State
OL – Bo Farrow, Pittsburg State
OL – Michael Miller, Washburn
K – Perry Schmiedeler, Washburn
KR/PR – Austin Panko, Pittsburg State

Second Team (Defense)
DL – Josh Powell, Central Missouri
DL – Nathan Shepherd, Fort Hays State
DL – Heath Wilson, Fort Hays State
DL – Akhmad Abdul-Razzaq, Washburn
LB –  Kole Schankie, Emporia State
LB –  Alex Schmidtberger, Fort Hays State
LB – James Huskey, Missouri Western
LB – Spencer Brown, Pittsburg State
DB – Monteze Latimore, Central Missouri
DB – A.J. West, Emporia State
DB – Donte Watkins, Missouri Western
DB – Anthony Lane, Northwest Missouri
P – Perry Schmiedeler, Washburn

Third Team (Offense)
QB – John Roderique, Pittsburg State
RB – Kenneth Iheme, Fort Hays State
RB – Luke Quinn, Nebraska-Kearney
RB – Cameron Wilcox, Northwest Missouri
WR – Connor Pulley, Central Oklahoma
WR – Dijuan Ussery, Missouri Western
WR – Bryce Chavis, Washburn
TE/FB – Kyle Swartz, Pittsburg State
OL – Chris Gomez, Central Missouri
OL – Sam Noble, Central Oklahoma
OL – Jordan Baldwin, Northeastern State
OL – Mason Dickey, Fort Hays State
OL – Ryan Huff, Northwest Missouri
K – Brandon Brown, Fort Hays State
KR/PR – Kendell Sparks, Lindenwood
Team Reflects Tie in the Voting

Third Team (Defense)
DL – Dalainey Taala, Central Missouri
DL – Deontay Wilson, Central Oklahoma
DL – DeAndre Glover, Emporia State
DL – Jonathan Harris, Lindenwood
LB – Dylan Albertson, Central Missouri
LB – Josh Monteagudo, Emporia State
LB – Kenneth Davis, Northeastern State
LB – Jarrod Bishop, Northwest Missouri
DB – Tre Dickerson, Emporia State
DB – Bakari Triggs, Lindenwood
DB – Edward Richey, Northwest Missouri
DB – Zach Franklin, Washburn
P – Stetson Broce, Missouri Southern

Honorable Mention
QB – T.J. Eckert, Central Oklahoma; Braxton Marstall, Emporia State; Jacob Mezera, Fort Hays State; Dimonic McKinzy, Northeastern State; Derek McGinnis, Washburn.
RB – Gabe Vandiver, Central Missouri; Jake Gandara, Central Oklahoma; Landon Nault, Emporia State; Calen Campbell, Lindenwood; Aaron Daniels, Lindenwood; Michael Rose, Pittsburg State.
WR – Kyle Echols, Central Missouri; Josh Crockett, Central Oklahoma; Layne Bieberle, Fort Hays State; DeSean Warren, Lindenwood; Deantrell Prince, Lindenwood; Scott Lathrop, Missouri Southern; Josiah Bennett, Missouri Southern; Jordan Morrison, Missouri Southern; Patrick Bolton, Missouri Western; Malcolm Moore, Nebraska-Kearney; Blake Holtmeier, Nebraska-Kearney; Austin Panko, Pittsburg State; Dre Washington, Northwest Missouri; George Sehl, Northwest Missouri; Brenner Clemons, Pittsburg State.
TE/FB – Reese Richards, Emporia State; Matthew Wendelberger, Fort Hays State; Blake Vandenberg, Missouri Western; T.J. Schieber, Northwest Missouri.
OL – Layne Fischer, Central Missouri; DeAndre Herron, Emporia State; Estevan Arana, Emporia State; Deshaun Lawson, Lindenwood; Mitche Moore, Missouri Southern; Hayden Eatinger, Missouri Western; Zach Beard, Nebraska-Kearney; Luke Browne, Nebraska-Kearney; Tyler Easter, Northeastern State; Ryan Dodd, Pittsburg State; Bob Marco, Washburn.
DL –  Connor Flagel, Central Missouri; Carson Smith, Central Oklahoma; Donovan Walker, emporia State; Daylon Harper, Missouri Western; Tye Spies, Nebraska-Kearney; Caleb Mather, Northwest Missouri; Simanu’a Thomas, Pittsburg State; Trey Parker, Washburn; Spenser Matthews, Washburn.
LB – Jose Delgado, Fort Hays State; Cody Lindsay, Missouri Western; Darrian Bass, Missouri Western; Tyrell Robison, Missouri Western; La’More Wise, Northeastern State; Darian Morris, Northeastern State; Ethan Fugitt, Pittsburg State; Austin Tillman, Washburn.
DB – Diaron Rhodes, Central Missouri; Jackson Newman, Central Missouri; Rashad Dunningan, Fort Hays State; DeAndre James, Fort Hays State; Wesley Thomas, Lindenwood; Chris Goss, Missouri Southern; Ricky Green, Missouri Southern; Antwan Hadley, Nebraska-Kearney; Steffon Herd, Northeastern State; Devon Siers, Northeastern State; Jack Young, Northwest Missouri; Marcus Jones, Northwest Missouri; Corey Ballentine, Washburn.
K – Seth Hiddink, Central Oklahoma; Austin Morton, Emporia State.
P – Christian Fulham, Central Oklahoma; Justin Marcha, Emporia State.— MWSU Athletics —

Mizzou women cruise past Nebraska 55-45 in WNIT Quarterfinals

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riggertMissouriLINCOLN, Neb. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball earned a dominant 55-35 road victory at Nebraska on Monday night. Mizzou used a 23-2 first-half run to build a lead it would never surrender as the Tigers punched their ticket to Thursday’s Preseason WNIT Semifinals.

Nebraska’s 35 points on Monday matched the fewest the Huskers have scored in a game as an NCAA program, with the last time coming in 1975. Mizzou’s blue-collar defense has allowed just 40.5 points per contest through the first two games of the 2016-17 campaign.

Mizzou’s triumph on Monday at Pinnacle Bank Arena marked the first win for the Tigers at Nebraska since Feb. 17, 2007. Mizzou’s 20-point win was the Tigers’ largest margin of victory over their former Big 12 rivals since 2003.

Senior Sierra Michealis (Mercer, Mo.) and sophomore Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) poured in 18 points each to lead Mizzou. Michaelis buried four three-pointers and is now tied for fourth in career treys among active players in the SEC with 121 career trifectas. Cunningham added 10 rebounds to secure her fifth career double-double. She’s now scored in double figures in seven of her last eight games.

Sophomore forward Cierra Porter (Columbia, Mo.) also helped on the glass as Mizzou outrebounded Nebraska, 49-39. Porter corralled 10 rebounds and posted 10 points, tallying double-doubles in back-to-back games for the first time in her career after a 12-rebound, 10-point performance in the season-opening win over Abilene Christian.

Trailing 9-7 less than six minutes into the game, Mizzou caught fire and ended the opening quarter on a 9-0 run, highlighted by three-pointers from redshirt senior Lianna Doty (St. Louis, Mo.) and Michaelis. Mizzou went on to hold Nebraska scoreless for 7:58 of game clock during a convincing run that saw the Tigers grab a 23-9 lead. After another trey and a reverse layup from Michaelis and freshman guard Jordan Chavis’ first career bucket, Mizzou held a 30-13 advantage. The Tigers eventually took a 14-point lead into halftime.

Mizzou’s defense continued to stifle the Huskers in the second half as the Tigers held Nebraska to just four made field goals over the final 20 minutes. Cunningham scored 10 second-half points to help Mizzou maintain its commanding lead down the stretch. Her back-to-back driving layups handed Mizzou a 20-point edge with 3:04 remaining as head coach Robin Pingeton’s squad began the year 2-0 for the sixth consecutive season.

Mizzou now awaits the winner of the Washington-Colorado State quarterfinal game. The Preseason WNIT Semifinals are set for Thursday, Nov. 17, with location and game times yet to be determined by tournament officials.

— Mizzou Athletics —

K-State women defeat Tulsa Monday night 82-62

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riggertKansasStateMANHATTAN, Kansas – Kansas State women’s basketball used a balanced performance and a strong second quarter to record the program’s 300th win in Bramlage Coliseum with an 82-62 decision over Tulsa on Monday night.

Kansas State (2-0) had five players in double figures led by All-American candidate Breanna Lewis with 18 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Senior guard Kindred Wesemann registered 12 points, two assists and two steals, while freshman forward Eternati Willock chipped in with 11 points and seven rebounds. Also reaching the double figure threshold were junior forward Shaelyn Martin with 10 points, five rebounds and four assists and sophomore guard Kayla Goth with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

Tulsa (1-1) was paced by Erika Wakefield and Ebony Parker with 15 points each.

Kansas State opened the first quarter with a 13-5 lead with 5:14 to play in the quarter. The opening run was highlighted by 4-of-5 shooting from the field including a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws from Kindred Wesemann. Tulsa clawed back into the game with a 10-4 run to close the first frame down two, 17-15.

The Wildcats rebuilt its lead to seven, 28-21, with 7:19 to play in the second quarter. Goth carded a pair of layups and Willock followed with a layup of her own following a baseline dish from Martin.

Tulsa hit three consecutive 3-pointers to pull to within two, 32-30, with 5:29 remaining in the half. K-State responded by ending the half on a 14-3 run to hold a 46-33 halftime lead.

During the run, a pair of newcomers to the roster each contributed five points as junior guard Karyla Middlebrook notched five straight points followed by freshman Peyton Williams scoring five straight. In total, the Wildcats registered 29 points in the second quarter on 65.0 percent shooting (13-of-20).

Kansas State increased its halftime lead to 17, 57-40, with 4:54 remaining in the third quarter. Wesemann tallied her second 3-pointer of the game, followed by a long two-point jumper to increase the lead.

The Golden Hurricane would narrow the game to 16, 61-45, with 2:27 to play in the third stanza. K-State responded with a pair of three-point plays by Martin and Williams to increase the lead to 22, 67-45. A pair of Wakefield jumpers to close the quarter brought the score to 67-49 entering the final frame.

The Wildcats kept Tulsa at arms’ length in the final quarter, cobbling together a 15-13 edge in points.

For the night, Kansas State shot 50.0 percent (34-of-68) from the field and held Tulsa to 41.1 percent shooting (23-of-56). The Wildcats register an enormous edge in the paint, outscoring the Golden Hurricane, 60-12, in the lane. K-State owned the glass with a 41-26 advantage, including 13 offensive boards resulting in 16 second chance points.

Kansas State will end its three-game home stand on Sunday, November 20, as the Wildcats host Lamar at 1 p.m.

— K-State Athletics —

Missouri’s Harris named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week

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riggertMissouriCOLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Football standout DE Charles Harris (Kansas City, Mo.) earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week following a monster performance in a 26-17 Mizzou win over Vanderbilt last Saturday (Nov. 12). Harris was disruptive in the Commodore backfield throughout the entire game, starting with a sack on the opening series. He finished with a career-high nine tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and two QB hurries.

Monday’s honor is the first SEC weekly honor for Harris despite being an All-SEC honoree last year and a preseason honoree this year. Harris has been on an absolute tear over the last two games, posting 17 total tackles (10 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble and two QB hurries.

Harris’ 2.5 sacks last weekend against Vanderbilt moved his career total to 17.0, tied for eighth on Mizzou’s all-time career list. He now has 8.0 sacks on the season with all of them coming in SEC games, including three games with multiple sacks.

Harris and the Tigers hit the road to Rocky Top this weekend for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff against Tennessee (7-3, 3-3 SEC) at Neyland Stadium.

— Mizzou Athletics —

KU’s Frank Mason earns weekly Big 12 basketball honor

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riggertKUIRVING, Texas – Kansas senior guard Frank Mason III scored a career-high 30 points against No. 11 Indiana on Friday to earn the season’s first Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week honor in a vote of media who cover the league, the conference announced Monday.

Mason posted his career game on Veterans Day, in the State Farm Armed Forces Classic in Honolulu, a game which KU lost 103-99 in overtime. Mason, from Petersburg, Virginia, scored the Jayhawks’ final 11 points in regulation, including two free throws to send the game to overtime.

Also in the contest, Mason set career highs in free throws (13) and free throw attempts (15). His 30 points marked his fifth career game of scoring 20 or more points and his nine assists against the Hoosiers was the 14th time in his career he has had seven or more assists.

With his 30 points, Mason vaulted to 40th on the KU career scoring list with 1,162 points.

No. 3/2 Kansas (0-1) will face No. 1/1 Duke (2-0) in the State Farm Champions Classic, Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 8 p.m. (Central). The game will be played in historic Madison Square Garden in New York City and televised on ESPN.

— KU Athletics —

Griffons’ comeback falls short in 77-68 loss to Upper Iowa

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riggertMissouriWesternST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western men’s basketball team fell to 0-2 on the season as they lost to Upper Iowa 77-68 in the final game of the Hillyard Tip Off Classic Sunday inside the MWSU Fieldhouse.

The Griffons pulled within one at 67-66 off a three by Beau Baker with 2:16 left, but let Upper Iowa stretch the lead again. Missouri Western led by one at the half, but much like the night before against Wayne State, Missouri Western let the visitor build an early second half lead. Upper Iowa took a seven-point lead with 15:58 to go in the second half that extended to a 10-point lead with 13:03 to go.

Missouri Western finished the game 35 percent from the field and 34 percent from three-point range. The Griffons were out-rebounded by Upper Iowa 44-31 and outscored in the paint, 22-8 in the second half.

Cole Clearman led the team again with 22 points. He also had a team-high seven rebounds along with Seth Bonifas who chipped in 12 points. Joe Hamilton added 11 points and had a team-high four points.

Missouri Western is now 0-2 headed into a game Tuesday night at William Jewell.

— MWSU Athletics —

Chiefs rally to defeat Carolina on Santos’ field goal as time expires

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riggertChiefsCHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Marcus Peters stripped Kelvin Benjamin with 20 seconds left, Cairo Santos kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired, and the Kansas City Chiefs overcame a 17-point deficit to top the Carolina Panthers 20-17 on Sunday.

The game was tied when Benjamin caught a pass from Cam Newton, and Peters ripped the ball from his arms . Santos’ fourth field goal of the day split the uprights, lifting the Chiefs (7-2) to their fifth straight victory and 17th win in their last 19 games.

Eric Berry also returned a Newton interception 42 yards for a touchdown as Kansas City’s defense came up with big plays when needed. Alex Smith threw for 178 yards and Spencer Ware ran for 61 yards for the Chiefs, who failed to score an offensive touchdown.

Newton threw for 261 yards and a touchdown and ran for 54 yards and a score for the Panthers (3-6).

The game turned late in the third quarter when Chris Jones sacked Newton for a 12-yard loss on third-and-18 at the Kansas City 28, taking the Panthers out of field goal range. Instead of making it a three-possession game, the Panthers were forced to punt.

The Chiefs kicked a field goal to make it 17-6 before Berry picked off a pass that Newton heaved into the air under pressure and returned it for the touchdown. Smith passed to Travis Kelce for the conversion, and Santos’ third field goal tied it with 4:25 left.

BERRY INTERCEPTION

Berry showed why he’s still one of the best safeties in the league with his first interception return for a touchdown since 2013 and the fourth of his career. He deftly made his way through traffic to get to the end zone.

NEWTON’S NUMBERS

Newton established franchise records for pass completions and touchdowns rushing.

Newton passed Jake Delhomme for the most completions in franchise history with 1,581 with a strike to Greg Olsen in the first quarter and DeAngelo Williams with his 47th career TD rushing.

ODD STAT OF THE DAY

The Panthers had a 20-play drive in the third quarter that took more than 10 minutes off the clock, but came away with no points. Newton took sacks on a second and third down, and the Panthers had to punt.

WHAT WAS THAT

Late in the fourth quarter Smith threw a pass that was batted up in the air. He caught the ball, which is legal, but then attempted to throw the ball a second time. At that point flags were flying everywhere and the Chiefs were penalized 5 yards for an illegal second forward pass.

INJURIES

Chiefs: Cornerback Phillip Gaines left with a neck injury in the third quarter.

Panthers: Kicker Graham Gano was forced to handle punting duties in the first quarter after Andy Lee injured his hamstring. Gano’s first punt since 2010 went for 42 yards but he struggled on trying to pin the Chiefs inside the 20.

UP NEXT

Chiefs: Return home to host another NFC South foe in Tampa Bay next Sunday.

Panthers: The Panthers have a quick turnaround, hosting the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night.

— Associated Press —

Mizzou opens season with 99-44 win over Alabama A&M

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riggertMissouriCOLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Frankie Hughes scored 23 points, Willie Jackson added 11 with nine rebounds and Missouri beat Alabama A&M 99-44 on Sunday night.

Hughes made 9 of 14 field goals, including four 3-pointers, and tied the Missouri (1-0) record for points in a freshman debut. Russell Woods added 12 points.

De’Ederick Petty led Alabama A&M with 13 points.

The Bulldogs (0-2) missed their first 12 shots as Missouri jumped to an 11-2 lead. By halftime, the Tigers led 49-20 as Alabama A&M shot 8 for 35 in the half.

Missouri hit 8 of 16 from 3-point range and outrebounded the Bulldogs 43-29. The Tigers scored 48 points in the paint and took advantage of nearly AAMU miscue, scoring 25 points off 15 Bulldog turnovers.

BIG PICTURE

It was Missouri’s highest scoring output since Dec. 17, 2012 when they defeated South Carolina State 102-51. Starters Kevin Puryear and Terrence Phillips saw limited action in light of the deficit. Puryear had seven points and nine rebounds in just 15 minutes, and Phillips added seven points, five assists and three rebounds in 17 minutes.

UP NEXT

Alabama A&M visits Tennessee Tech Thursday in the first ever meeting between the schools.

Missouri travels to Orlando to face No. 7 Xavier in the Tire Pros Invitational at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The Musketeers defeated the Tigers 78-66 last season in Cincinnati.

— Associated Press —

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