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Author: Dave Riggert

Mizzou gets dominated by Arkansas in possibly Gary Pinkel final game

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riggertMissouriFAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Alex Collins spent the entire regular season proving time and again he was up to the challenge of being Arkansas’ lead running back.

The Razorbacks junior saved one of his most complete performances for what could have been his final home game Friday, a rain-soaked 28-3 win that likely ended the Missouri career of coach Gary Pinkel.

Behind Collins’ 130 yards rushing and three touchdowns, Arkansas (7-5, 5-3 SEC) won for the fifth time in six games — securing its first winning SEC record since 2011.

The victory capped an up-and-down regular season for the Razorbacks, who rebounded from a 1/3 start to finish with a winning conference record for only the eighth time since joining the SEC in 1992.

“I wasn’t in a panic mode,” Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said of the slow start. “I knew we had a good team. I knew we were going to be able to do some things, and then to come out and play the way we have and to play as clean as we have, it’s been a learning experience for me.”

Leading the way for Arkansas’ resurgence was Collins, who had touchdown runs of 4, 7 and 25 yards in the convincing win and topped the 100-yard rushing mark for the ninth time this season. Collins now has 17 rushing touchdowns on the season, tied for second in school history behind Bill Burnett’s 19 in 1969, and he finished with a career-high 30 carries in the win.

Collins now has 3,518 yards rushing for his career, and he’s 53 yards away from moving into second place on the school’s all-time rushing yardage list — behind only two-time Doak Walker Award winner Darren McFadden.

Not bad for someone who only took over the lead running role following teammate Jonathan Williams’ preseason foot injury, and who is now very possibly headed to the NFL following his third straight 1,000-yard rushing season.

“I haven’t made a decision about that yet,” Collins said. “(Being emotional after the game) was just more so for the seniors, because it was going to be my last time playing with those guys here at the stadium. It’s just more of a dedication game for them.”

While Collins shined, the Tigers (5-7, 1-7) inept offense once again struggled mightily — failing to score in double digits for the sixth time this season.

Pinkel, who announced earlier this month he was resigning after the season following a diagnosis of lymphoma in May, shouldered the blame for Missouri’s lack of focus afterward. Missouri failed to score a touchdown for the fourth time in eight SEC games, and it finished with 171 yards of total offense, compared to 310 for the Razorbacks.

“Obviously, I didn’t want it to end this way,” Pinkel said. “I also knew that the players were not focused like they needed to be, and I had a challenge to get that done.”

Pinkel finished his 25 seasons as a head coach at both Toledo and Missouri with an overall record of 191-110-3, and he’s the all-time winningest coach for the Tigers — finishing 117-70 in 15 seasons at Missouri.

Drew Lock was 9-of-27 passing for 83 yards for Missouri, whose only points came on a 35-yard field goal by Andrew Baggett in the second quarter.

Arkansas, meanwhile, had no such offensive problems — even if it failed to score at least 50 points in a game for the fifth time in its last six games.

The Razorbacks had a four-game winning streak snapped a week ago in a thrilling 51-50 loss to Mississippi State, but they took much of the suspense out of Friday while building a 21-3 halftime lead.

Collins put Arkansas up 14-0 early in the second quarter with a seven-yard touchdown run, and he extended the lead to 21-3 with a weaving 25-yard score with 31 seconds left before halftime.

A week after throwing for a school-record seven touchdowns, Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen finished 11 of 17 for 102 yards. The start was the 33rd straight of Allen’s career with the Razorbacks, the longest active streak in the SEC.

Allen and most of his offensive teammates were pulled from the game in the final minute, enjoying a final round of applause from the Arkansas fans who lingered throughout the soggy afternoon in Razorback Stadium.

— Associated Press —

No. 22 Missouri Western remains unbeaten with 64 point win over Evangel

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MWSUST. JOSEPH – The 22nd-ranked Missouri Western Women’s basketball team stayed perfect on the season and continued its high-scoring attack with a 113-49 win over Evangel in the Holiday Inn Express Classic Friday night inside the MWSU Fieldhouse. It was the most points the women’s team has scored since dropping 115 in a win over Southwestern in 2002.

The Griffons dominated, shooting 63 percent from the field, forty percent from behind the arc and 68 percent from the free throw line in the win. Missouri Western outrebounded Evangel 41-26 and forced 31 turnovers, collecting 18 steals in the game. Missouri Western finished the game with 22 assists on 44 made field goals and 18 steals to 13 turnovers. The Griffons scored 43 points off turnovers and allowed just seven to Evangel. Missouri Western also outscored Evangel 64-16 in the paint and 22-6 on second chance points.

LaQuinta Jefferson returned to 2014-15 form with a game-high 30 points in 27 minutes. She shot 76 percent from the field and added five rebounds. Miliakere Koyamainavure added 19 points and seven rebounds on 60 percent field goal shooting. Sarafina Handy was also 60 percent from the field and scored 17. Melia Richardson was the only Griffon to score less than four with three points, but the freshman guard added seven assists and five steals, both team highs.

The win improved Missouri Western to 4-0 on the season. The Griffons face Graceland, Saturday at 5 p.m. Graceland lost Friday night to William Jewell, 89-59.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Nebraska’s upset bid falls short against No. 4 Hawkeyes

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riggertNebraskaLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Iowa certainly didn’t change the minds of critics who say the Hawkeyes don’t look the part of a national championship contender.

They didn’t do a whole lot on offense against Nebraska, their defense gave up a lot of yards again and they muffed a punt.

When the clock struck 0:00 Friday, though, they were celebrating a 28-20 victory that finished their first perfect regular season in 93 years.

“We’re not trying to be pretty, we’re trying to be productive,” coach Kirk Ferentz said. “Football’s not gymnastics. There are style points in gymnastics. Here it’s having one point more than your opponent. We’re 12-0. You can’t do better than that.”

The Hawkeyes (No. 4 CFP, No. 3 AP), who are 8-0 in the Big Ten, locked arms and ran to the south end zone to pick up the Heroes Trophy that goes to the winner of this game. Then it was off to the corner to salute their fans before heading to the locker room.

There’s still work to be done to make this season even better. Next stop, the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis, where they’ll play for their first conference title since 2004. Win there, and a spot in the College Football Playoff is a very real possibility. Maybe even a certainty.

“The goal is three more,” offensive lineman Austin Blythe said. “Right now, we’re going to enjoy this one and find out our opponent on Sunday.”

Jordan Canzeri ran for 140 yards on 17 carries and broke long touchdown runs on back-to-back series in the third quarter on a raw afternoon when a gusty north wind made for a 12-degree wind chill.

The Hawkeyes generated only 250 total yards and were limited to just 44 plays from scrimmage because they went 0-for-9 on third downs. But Nebraska’s Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw four interceptions, with Parker Hesse returning one 4 yards for a touchdown, and the Cornhuskers (5-7, 3-5) committed eight penalties, including four personal fouls.

All that helped Iowa remain one of two unbeaten teams. Clemson is the other.

“You want to win every game, that’s your goal,” Ferentz said. “We find ourselves in a good position today. But we’ve been trying to get there for 17 years.”

Canzeri ran off left tackle two straight times for two touchdowns in the third quarter to keep Nebraska from gaining any momentum. His first TD went 29 yards and the second 68 yards for a 28-17 lead.

The Huskers, who started 3-6 under first-year coach Mike Riley, had their third losing season since 2004 and lost four times at home for the first time since 1961.

The Huskers needed a win to assure bowl eligibility. They still might play in the postseason if there aren’t enough six-win teams to fill the 80 bowl spots.

“To some people who say we’re not good enough to go to a bowl, maybe they’re right,” Nebraska defensive end Jack Gangwish said, “but I’d sure like to go.”

Iowa’s first touchdown was set up by two Nebraska personal fouls, its second touchdown was Hesse’s interception return on a ball he tipped at the line of scrimmage, and its third was set up on punter Sam Foltz’s late hit on Desmond King at the end of a punt return.

“Really shot ourselves in the foot,” Huskers coach Mike Riley said. “The production was crazy different, time of possession, they were 0 for 9 on third down. There was a lot of good stuff in the game. It was those other parts we couldn’t overcome.”

The Huskers finished with 433 yards, but those four interceptions were killers.

“I gave them seven points and put them in great position to, honestly, win the game,” Armstrong said. “That’s something I’ve got to fix and something I’m going to fix. Don’t put the blame anywhere else. The team played well. I didn’t. I felt like I let the seniors down.”

The Hawkeyes, who clinched the Big Ten West Division title last week, went undefeated in the regular season for the fifth time in program history and first since going 7-0 in 1922. With at least one more game to play, Iowa has made a five-win improvement over 2014.

“If you watch our team and you like football and you like camaraderie and teamwork, that’s what I like watching,” Ferentz said. “It’s about the teamwork and relationships. When you get teams like that, that’s when you have a chance to do something.”

— Associated Press —

Missouri State handles NAIA William Woods for first win

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riggertMSUSPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Camyn Boone scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds as Missouri State picked up its first win of the season in its home opener, dispatching William Woods, 77-56 Friday.

The Bears built an 11-point lead on the NAIA school from nearby Fulton and cruised to their first win in five games to start the season. Missouri State is 33-1 in home openers since joining Division I for the 1982-83 season, and has won 13 straight.

Chris Kendrix scored 12 points for Missouri State while Dequon Miller and Jarred Dixon added 11 and 10 points, respectively.

The Bears shot 40.8 percent from the field (29 of 71) and converted just 4 of 20 attempts from beyond the arc.

Bryan DeGeare scored 15 points to lead the Owls, who converted 16 of 57 shots from the field (28.1 percent), including 7 of 30 from distance.

— Associated Press —

Husker basketball loses to No. 24 Cincinnati 65-61

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riggertNebraskaNEW YORK (AP) — For a kid who grew up on Long Island, playing at Madison Square Garden is the dream.

Troy Caupin has a soft spot for Barclays Center after his performance Friday night.

“I like Brooklyn,” Caupain said after scoring 17 points to help No. 24 Cincinnati beat Nebraska 65-61 in the Barclays Center Classic semifinals. “It’s newer.”

Shaq Thomas added 14 points, and Octavius Ellis had 12 for Cincinnati (6-0).

“Our big guys started to assert themselves,” Bearcats coach Mick Cronin said. “We’re not very good if those guys can’t score inside for us, and they did in the second half.”

Tai Webster scored 21 points for Nebraska (4-2), and Shavon Shields had 14.

“(Webster told) me after his first five points that he (felt) awful I said we (would) bring (him) out any time,” Nebraska coach Tim Miles said. “We tried to manage (Shields’) fouls. He had two in about 2 minutes, so we were trying to manage all of that.

“I thought the kids really fought considering we were so undersized.”

The game was tied at 25 after a tight, defensive first half.

“They take things away from you,” Cronin said about Nebraska. “There’s nothing easy. They had us running in circles in the first half.”

Nebraska took a 41-40 lead 8:08 into the second half when Shields converted Glynn Watson Jr.’s lob for an alley-oop jam.

The lead lasted all of 28 seconds. Troy Caupain’s 3-pointer put Bearcats up again at 43-41.

Cincinnati outscored Nebraska 14-11 following Caupain’s 3.

Ellis’ layup with 5:30 left made it 53-49. The advantage grew to 57-49 on Ellis’ half hook from the low post with 3:11 left.

“(He) understands that nobody can stop him with his length and his arms,” Caupain said about Ellis. “And the way he jumps, (Ellis) can be a wonderful player. At 6-10, when he plays 6-6, it’s hard for him to score. When he plays with his head above the rim and his arms, he can score.

“That’s what we tell him. `Stop short-arming your hook. Stop short-arming your little double-pump. Go up strong.”

Nebraska cut the deficit to three, but got no closer.

“It was just that stretch from seven minutes to about 3 1/2 minutes,” Miles said. “They got the eight-point lead and we couldn’t get it back in line.

“We just didn’t do enough to win.”

UP NEXT:

Cincinnati will face Tennessee-George Washington winner Saturday.

Nebraska will play the Tennessee-George Washington loser Saturday.

— Associated Press —

Missouri Western women ranked in the Top 25 for first time since 2007

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riggertMissouriWesternST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western Women’s Basketball team has cracked the USA TODAY Sports Division II Top-25 Poll. The team is ranked No. 22 in this week’s poll, its first national ranking since 2007.

Missouri Western is off to a 3-0 start, outscoring opponents by an average of 26 points per game. The Griffons average 90.3 points per game and are allowing 64.3 per contest. From the field, Missouri Western has shot 50 percent with a 44 percent three-point shooting percentage and 85 percent from the free throw line. Six Griffons are averaging at least nine points a game, with five averaging double-digits. Sarafina Handy’s 18 points per game leads the team. Julia Torres and LaQuinta Jefferson are both averaging 15 points and eight rebounds per game.

Missouri Western puts its perfect record on the line this weekend when the team hosts Evangel University and Graceland University in the Holiday Inn Express Classic. The Griffons will play Evangel on the 27th and Graceland on the 28th.

MIAA foe Emporia State remains at No. 1 in this week’s poll. Fort Hays State moved up from 10th to 7th.

Rank    Institution – First Place Votes    Previous Rank    Record    Points
1    Emporia State University (Kan.) – 20    1    4-0    593
2    Lewis University (Ill.) – 1    2    5-0    557
3    Nova Southeastern University (Fla.) – 1    4    4-0    525
4    California Baptist University – 2    3    4-0    499
5    University of Alaska – Anchorage    7    10-0    472
6    West Texas A&M University    9    4-0    428
7    Fort Hays State University (Kan.)    10    4-0    399
8    Drury University (Mo.)    11    2-0    369
9    Limestone College (S.C.)    12    3-0    340
10    Union University (Tenn.)    13    4-0    329
11    Winona State University (MN)    16    6-0    320
12    California University of Pennsylvania (Pa.)    5    4-1    291
13    Ashland University (Ohio)    15    3-0    257
14    Columbus State University (Ga.)    6    3-1    244
15    Arkansas Tech University (Ark.)    18    3-0    241
16    Michigan Technological University    8    2-1    231
17    Queens College (N.Y.)    17    2-0    209
18    Lubbock Christian University (Texas)    23    4-0    207
19    Anderson University (S.C.)    22    1-0    139
20    Carson-Newman University (Tenn.)    NR    4-0    134
21    West Liberty University (W.Va.)    21    4-1    95
22    Missouri Western State    NR    3-0    93
23    Wayne State College (Neb.)    24    4-1    87
24    Bentley University (Mass.)    NR    4-0    84
T25    Azusa Pacific University (Calif.)    NR    5-0    77
T25    Colorado Mesa University    19    1-1    77

— MWSU Athletics —

Five Bearcats score in double figures in victory over Central Methodist

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Northwest2013riggertThe Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team defeated Central Methodist, 83-72, on Tuesday evening at Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Mo.

Tuesday’s game was the home opener for the Bearcats, who improved to 2-2 overall.

Five Bearcats reached double figures, led by D’Vante Mosby’s second double-double of the season, scoring a season-high 20 points with 12 rebounds.

Justin Pitts had a game-high 22 points and hit a career-high six three pointers. He also had four assists and four steals. Conner Crooker hit four three pointers and a pair of free throws, finishing with a season-high 14 points.  Anthony Woods scored 10 points off the bench, tying a season-high with four rebounds. He was 4-of-6 from the field.  Chris-Ebou Ndow added 11 points with a six rebounds. He hit a season-best two long range jumpers.

Central Methodist climbed back from an eight-point deficit to tie the game at 26-26 with 3:27 left in the first half. Northwest responded with back-to-back three pointers from Pitts and Crooker. After an Eagles jumper fell, Ndow hit a three off a feed from Pitts to give the Bearcats a seven point lead at 35-28. Central Methodist tried to respond with a three but missed. After a failed putback, Northwest closed the half with another three pointer by Pitts off a feed from Dougherty to take a 38-28 lead into the half.

Central Methodist pulled to within four, 41-37, with 16:43 left in the second half. Mosby missed a layup on the next possession but got his own rebound and finished to put Northwest up, 43-37. After a Pitts Steal, Woods scored and was fouled on the fast break on a feed from Crooker. He hit the free throw to give Northwest a nine point lead, 46-37. After another steal by Pitts, Woods drew another foul and hit 1-of-2 to put the Bearcats up, 47-37. The Eagles hit a layup on the next possession but Mosby cleaned up a missed three pointer from Pitts to keep Northwest up, 49-39. After another turnover, Mosby again hit the offensive boards, rebounding a Dougherty missed layup for another easy two points. The Northwest lead would not fall under double-digits for the remainder of the game.

Northwest returns to Bearcat Arena for a Black Friday matchup with Kansas Wesleyan at 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27.

— Northwest Athletics —

Missouri’s rally comes up short against Northwestern at CBE Classic

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riggertMissouriKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chris Collins watched helplessly from the sideline as Northwestern blew most of a 20-point first-half lead against Missouri in the consolation game of the CBE Classic.

His first two years in charge, Collins would have ultimately been watching a loss.

On Tuesday night, his guys proved just how far they’d come.

Tre Demps and Bryant McIntosh scored 13 points apiece, and Northwestern held on through foul trouble and a tense closing stretch for a 67-62 victory over the Tigers.

“I thought the first half was fantastic, the way we executed, the defense. Then we just had to hold on for dear life,” Collins said. “This is a game in the last couple of years we would have lost. There’s no question in my mind.”

The Wildcats (4-1), who lost to ninth-ranked North Carolina in the semifinals, did not make a field goal for the final 5 minutes, 41 seconds as the Tigers made one final run.

Kevin Puryear’s basket with 1:43 left got Missouri (2-3) within 65-59, and Scottie Lindsey’s miss at the other end and two free throws by Wes Clark made things interesting. But after a Demps turnover, Puryear could only make the second of two free throws with 33.8 seconds left.

Demps made one of two at the other end to give Northwestern a 66-62 advantage, and Clark’s 3-point try rattled out moments later, allowing the Wildcats to escape with the win.

“We knew we had to bring our own energy. We knew there weren’t going to be many fans in the stands,” said the Wildcats’ Sanjay Lumpkin. “I mean, they made a lot of shots. They made their run and we were just fortunate to make big plays at the end of the game.”

Terrance Phillips had 16 points to lead Missouri. Puryear finished with 14.

“We got off to a bad start, put ourselves in a hole,” Tigers coach Kim Anderson said. “But I was really encouraged by the way we fought back in the second half.”

The Wildcats threatened to turn the game into a rout in the first half, knocking down just about every shot they took from the perimeter. By the time Lumpkin rattled in his 3-pointer with 7:45 remaining in the half, Northwestern had built a 31-11 advantage.

The Tigers’ eventual comeback came in bits and pieces.

Puryear got things started with back-to-back baskets, and Ryan Rosburg contributed a couple of nice plays in the paint. Slowly, the Wildcats’ lead began to erode, and four straight foul shots by Namon Wright to end the first half got Missouri within 38-24.

“I think once we got going,” Phillips said, “a fire got lit under us.”

The Tigers kept coming out of the break, too. Phillips started to score in transition, the rest of the Tigers began getting to the basket for easy looks, and the lead was finally cut to 61-57 with 3:51 to go — the closest the game had been since the opening minutes.

But while the Wildcats went cold from the field, they managed to create enough offense to get to the free-throw line, where they were able to eventually put the game away.

“I was really proud of having the composure, having the poise on both ends to do what it takes to win,” Collins said. “It’s not going to be pretty every time. You’d love for it to all come together and go right. We had a great first half. The second half we had to fight.”

TIP-INS

Missouri: Clark finished 1 of 11 from the field. He was 2 of 9 in the semifinals. … The Tigers only committed nine turnovers, but they shot just 5 of 18 from beyond the arc.

Northwestern: Demps scored 21 points against the Tar Heels. … McIntosh fouled out with about 4 minutes left in the game. … The Wildcats were 10 of 23 from beyond the arc.

STUNNED TIGERS

Anderson blamed the slow start for the Tigers’ 66-42 loss to Kansas State in the semifinals on Monday night. “I thought we went into this game with absolutely no confidence,” he said. “I was proud of these guys for staying with it.”

UP NEXT

Missouri starts a three-game homestand against Arkansas State on Dec. 1.

Northwestern returns home to face New Orleans on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

Nebraska hammers Arkansas-Pine Bluff 67-44

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riggertNebraskaLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Andrew White III and Shavon Shields combined for 23 first-half points to lead Nebraska past Arkansas-Pine Bluff 67-44 on Thursday night.

The Cornhuskers (4-1) pulled away late in the opening period, holding the Golden Lions (1-4) without a field goal for the last 8:03 of the half. The Huskers closed the final 4:23 of the half with a 15-3 run, highlighted by a Shields dunk that put the Huskers up 31-15 with 1:40 left.

Nebraska stretched the lead to 22 early in the second half as the Arkansas-Pine Bluff field goal drought continued. The Golden Lions got a Ghiavonni Robinson 3 pointer with 17:06 left that cut the lead to 19. But Arkansas-Pine Bluff got no closer than 17 the rest of the game.

White, who had 12 in the first half, finished with 16 points and Shields had 15.

Robinson led Arkansas-Pine Bluff with 13 points.

Both teams shot poorly. Nebraska hit 38 percent (21 of 55) after going 2 of 19 from 3-point range. The Huskers did hit 23 of 32 free throws while the Golden Lions were 11 of 20 and had a 50-033 rebounding advantage. Arkansas-Pine Bluff made 15 of 49 for 31 percent, including 3 of 13 behind the arc.

—

TIP INS

Arkansas-Pine Bluff: The Golden Lions played their fifth of 18 consecutive road games to open the season. Their first home game is Jan. 16 against Southern.

Nebraska: Newcomers to the Huskers accounted for 63 percent of Nebraska’s scoring in the first four games of the season. They had 39 of 67 on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Arkansas-Pine Bluff plays Army in West Point, N.Y.

Nebraska plays No. 24 Cincinnati in the Barclays Classic in Brooklyn, N.Y.

— Associated Press —

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