Dave Riggert – Page 649 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Benedictine women knock off MidAmerica Nazarene to win HAAC Championship

Posted on March 9, 2015

OLATHE, Kan. – The No. 22-ranked Benedictine Women’s Basketball team sealed their automatic berth into the 2014 NAIA Div. I Women’s Basketball National Championship Tournament on Monday night with a 56-49 win over No. 12 MNU inside the Cook Center on the MNU campus.

Benedictine (24-8) jumped out quickly on MNU (26-5) and weathered a second-half comeback effort by the Pioneers to earn their first win over MNU since Feb. 11, 2012 when they earned a 52-48 win

While both teams in the title game were already headed for the Independence Event Center in Independence, Mo., for the NAIA Tournament next week, by winning the Heart Tournament Championship the Ravens earned the second bid to the tournament outright.

Despite a offensive drought for roughly six minutes from near the midpoint of the second half to 4:52 left in the game, the Ravens never trailed leading the Pioneers throughout.

Jackie Ziesel stepped up when the Ravens needed it.

She slowed the scoring drought with back-to-back jumpers to push Benedictine back up by six points with 3:26 remaining. Then after MNU answered that she hit her only 3-pointer of the night to push Benedictine back up by six again.

Ali Taff, Ziesel and Chayla Rutledge combined to go 4 for 6 from the free throw line over the final 45 seconds of the game to seal the win for Benedictine.

The win by Benedictine over MNU snapped a 14-game winning streak by the Pioneers and a postseason conference winning streak of 11 straight wins for MNU.

It also gave Benedictine its second Heart Tournament Championship under head coach Chad Folsom, the first since the 2005-2006 season when they beat MNU 51-48 inside the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium.

Defensively, Benedictine held MNU to a new season-low 49 points as they held the Pioneers to just 33.9 percent from the floor on the night.

Rutledge scored a game-high 15 points as she out-dueled fellow Heart first-team selection Daria Sprew. Sprew led the Pioneers with 14 points and 16 rebounds.

For Benedictine, Lexi Villegas added 12 points off the bench while Ziesel finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

The Ravens, who take a seven-game winning streak into the NAIA Tournament, now wait for the NAIA to release the official tournament qualifiers on Wednesday afternoon. Tournament pairings will be followed by the official bracket release via selection show at 7 p.m. on the NAIAnetwork.

— BC Sports Information —

Missouri Western tennis falls at home to Rockhurst 6-3

Posted on March 9, 2015March 10, 2015

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Missouri Western tennis team fell to the Rockhurst Hawks on Monday afternoon, 6-3. MWSU took two doubles matches but could only claim one victory through singles matches. The Griffons are now 3-2 on the year with 14 more matches to play.

Missouri Western jumped out to an early, 2-1, lead after the doubles matches concluded. Denise Chiao and Kayla Dysart tallied an 8-6 victory in the No. 1 spot. The other victory came from Lindsay Beger and Sarah Giraldo in the No. 3 spot, winning 8-6.

In singles, Sofia Aguilera was able to record a victory against Fabi Juarez in the No. 2 spot 7-5, 7-5. Aguilera fell behind in the second set and battled back to earn her first singles victory of the year. Meara Smith fell in here match to Maddy Kayser at the No. 6 spot 3-6, 7-5, 10-8.

The Griffons will hit the road for the first time in the 2015 spring season as they take on Lindenwood University on Saturday, March 14 starting at 2 p.m.

Singles competition
1. Schelble, Ema (RU) def. Giraldo,Sarah (MWSU) 6-4, 6-1
2. Aguilera,Sofia (MWSU) def. Juarez, Fabi (RU) 7-5, 7-5
3. Santos, Tami (RU) def. Dysart,Kayla (MWSU) 6-3, 6-3
4. Schelble, Alex (RU) def. Chiao,Denise (MWSU) 6-3, 6-2
5. Vrugturn, Kim (RU) def. Boldridge,Ceara (MWSU) 7-6 (7-3), 6-1
6. Kayser, Maddy (RU) def. Smith,Meara (MWSU) 3-6, 7-5, 10-8

Doubles competition
1. Chiao,Denise/Dysart,Kayla (MWSU) def. Schelble, Ema/Vrugturn, Kim (RU) 8-6
2. Juarez, Fabi/Santos, Tami (RU) def. Boldridge,Ceara/Aguilera,Sofia (MWSU) 8-3
3. Beger,Lindsay/Giraldo,Sarah (MWSU) def. Schelble, Alex/Kayser, Maddy (RU) 8-6

Match Notes
Rockhurst 3-5
Missouri Western 3-2

Northwest baseball loses series finale at Central Missouri

Posted on March 9, 2015March 10, 2015

The Northwest Missouri State baseball team came up short in the series finale with Central Missouri, 14-4, on Monday afternoon in Warrensburg, Mo.

The Bearcats now stand at 6-9 overall and 4-4 in the conference, while the Mules improved their record to 8-7 and 4-4.

Shortstop Nick Gotta collected a pair of singles and scored one run from the leadoff spot, while Garrett Fort finished the day 2-for-3 with a double and two runs, and Freshman Nick Howard drove in a pair of runs.

Nikko Pablo started the game for the Bearcats, throwing 4 2/3 innings and giving up seven earned runs to take the loss.

The Bearcats will make their home opener next weekend when Nebraska-Kearney heads to Maryville for a four game conference series. The teams will match up on Friday, March 13 at 2 p.m. for one game, followed by a doubleheader on Saturday, March 14 and the series finale on Sunday, March 15.

— Northwest Sports Information —

Kansas fires women’s basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson

Posted on March 9, 2015

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Bonnie Henrickson, head women’s basketball coach at the University of Kansas since 2004, has been relieved of her duties, KU Athletics Director Sheahon Zenger announced Monday.

“Bonnie has been an outstanding representative of the University of Kansas and Kansas Athletics,” Zenger said. “It came down to the fact that we expect this program to rank among the best in the Big 12 Conference, and we have not accomplished that goal.”

In Henrickson’s 11 seasons as coach the Jayhawks reached the NCAA Tournament twice (2012 and 2013), both times reaching the Sweet 16. KU also earned berths in five National Invitation Tournaments, reaching the championship game in 2009.

Zenger said a national search for a head coach would begin immediately. KU assistant coach Katie O’Connor will serve as interim head coach until a successor is named.

— KU Sports Information —

KU’s Bill Self named Big 12 Coach of the Year

Posted on March 9, 2015

For the fourth time in his 12 years at Kansas, head coach Bill Self was voted the Associated Press Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year, announced by the AP Monday morning.

One day after the All-Big 12 awards were announced by the conference, the AP’s version is chosen by a panel of media representatives who cover the league on a regular basis. The panel also voted KU junior forward Perry Ellis to the All-Big 12 First Team and sophomore guard Frank Mason III to the second team, rounding out the Jayhawk representatives. Just as he was in the Big 12 coaches’ vote, Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield was the AP’s Big 12 Player of the Year.

Self’s four-time AP Big 12 Coach of the Year selection marks the most in the conference, surpassing three-time honorees Rick Barnes of Texas and former KU coaching great, Roy Williams. In his latest installment, Self led the Jayhawks to their 11th-straight Big 12 regular-season title and the 58th conference championship in Kansas history – the most all-time in the NCAA.

Now in his 12th season at the helm, Self is 349-76 at Kansas. A win in his next outing would make him the fastest Kansas coach to tally 350 wins as Williams recorded his 350th at KU in 430 games. Overall, Self is 556-181 in his 22 seasons as a head coach.

Kansas Associated Press Big 12 Coaches of the Year

1997 — Roy Williams
2002 — Roy Williams
2003 — Roy Williams
2006 — Bill Self
2009 — Bill Self
2011 — Bill Self
2015 — Bill Self

— KU Sports Information —

Northwest’s Altmann named MIAA Men’s Tennis Athlete of the Week

Posted on March 9, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University men’s tennis freshman Josef Altmann was named the MIAA Men’s Tennis Athlete of the Week in a release from the conference office on Monday. Altmann won both his singles and doubles matches in a 6-3 win over Newman on Friday, March 6. Altmann, who is from San Jose, Costa Rica, won at No. 3 singles (6-1, 7-5) and teamed with Fin Glowick at No. 2 doubles (8-6). For the spring, Altmann is a perfect 4-0 in singles competition, playing at either the No. 4 and No. 3 positions. He is the second Northwest men’s player to earn the honor after Maruo Tete earned conference accolades last week.

Northwest begins a busty week starting tomorrow with a noon contest against Abilene Christian in Kansas City, followed by a home match against William Jewell on Wednesday at 3 p.m. The Bearcats will play Lewis, Ouachita and Drury this weekend in Springfield, Mo.

— Northwest Sports Information —

Northwest Missouri State earns bid to NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

Posted on March 8, 2015March 8, 2015

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team has been selected for participation in the 2014-15 NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament. The Bearcats earned the Central Region’s No. 4 seed behind top seeded and host Augustana, No. 2 seed Minnesota State University Moorhead and No. 3 seed Central Missouri. Pittsburg State was the third MIAA team to qualify, earning the No. 7 seed.

Northwest’s first round game against No. 5 seed Minnesota State is scheduled for Saturday, March 14, in Sioux Falls, S.D. The second round will be on Sunday, March 15 and the Sweet 16 round will be on Tuesday, March 17. The National Championship Elite Eight will be held in Evansville, Ind., starting on March 25th at the Ford Center. Northwest beat Minnesota State last season in the NCAA second round, 71-66, in Mankato, Minn. The winner of the Northwest and Minnesota State game will face the winner of Augustana and Arkansas Tech on Sunday.

Northwest is making its 15th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Bearcats advanced to the Sweet 16 last season and has made two elite eights in program history (2002 and 2004). This is the third appearance under head coach Ben McCollum, who is 2-2 overall. McCollum, who is in his sixth season, was named the MIAA co-Head Coach of the Year after leading the Bearcats (23-6, 15-4) to the outright MIAA regular season title. Justin Pitts was named the MIAA Freshman of the Year and earned first team All-MIAA honors. Matt Wallace was named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year.

NCAA Central Region
1. Augustana (host)
2. MSU Moorhead
3. Central Missouri
4. Northwest Missouri
5. Minnesota State
6. Northern State
7. Pittsburg State
8. Arkansas Tech

— Northwest Sports Information —

Griffons complete four-game sweep of Lincoln

Posted on March 8, 2015

The Missouri Western baseball team won its seventh straight game and completed the series sweep of Lincoln with a 12-2 victory Sunday.

The Griffons scored in every inning of the game that ended after seven innings due to the run-rule. It was the second run rule victory of the series for MWSU. In the series, Missouri Western outscored Lincoln 56-7 over 28 innings. The win moved Missouri Western to 10-5 on the year and 7-1 in the MIAA.

The Griffons jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first, added another in the second and three in the third. They were up 12-0 in the seventh when Lincoln scored their only two runs of the game. Banks Born picked up the win, going all seven innings and allowing five hits and just one earned run. Born struck out five and moved to 2-0 on the year. Ryan Degner had another strong offensive performance, going 4-4 at the plate with three runs scored and two RBIs. David Glaude went 2-3 with one driven in on his fifth home run of the season. Cody Childs went 3-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored and Michael Yeager drove in two with one hit.

Missouri Western will host Quincy in a single game on Wednesday before traveling to Pittsburg, Kansas for a four-game series with Pitt State beginning on Friday.

— MWSU Sports Information —

AP Sources: Chiefs LB Hali restructures; WR Maclin expected to sign

Posted on March 8, 2015March 8, 2015

Kansas City, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali has agreed to restructure his contract, freeing up salary cap space that the club is using to pursue wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday night because the Chiefs do not comment on contract matters. Hali would have counted $12 million against the salary cap in the final year of the $57 million, five-year contract that he signed before the 2011 season.

Maclin appeared poised to reunite with Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who traded up to grab him out of Missouri in the 2009 draft. ESPN.com reported that Maclin will sign with Kansas City when the NFL’s free-agency period begins Tuesday.

— Associated Press —

Bearcat baseball splits doubleheader at UCM Sunday

Posted on March 8, 2015

The Northwest Missouri State baseball team split a doubleheader with Central Missouri Sunday afternoon in Warrensburg, Mo. Both games were seven inning affairs.

The Mules took game one, 7-4, while Northwest scored in the seventh inning to win game two, 5-4.

The Bearcats are now 6-8 and 4-3 in the conference, while UCM’s record stands at 7-7 and 3-4 in the MIAA.

In game one, Steven Garber scored two runs and drove in one more after reaching base twice, while Senior Paul Johnson drove in a pair of runs and finished 1-for-3.

Joseph Hietpas started the game for the Bearcats, going 3 2/3 innings and giving up three runs. The freshman recorded two strikeouts and three walks.

Austin Battaglia took the loss after giving up a pair of runs in 2/3 innings pitched.

In game two, Garrett Fort went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored, including the game-winner in the seventh, while Steven Garber finished 1-for-3 with a double, one run scored and the game-winning RBI.

Brad Roberts started on the mound for Northwest, completing five innings and giving up four runs on just three hits. The freshman tallied two strikeouts and walked four.

Carson Smith came in to pitch the final two innings, earning his first win of the season after allowing just one base runner.

The Bearcats will go for the series victory Monday when they face off with the Mules starting at 1 p.m.

— Northwest Sports Information —