BOYS
Blue Springs 63, Central 38
Benton 52, Harrisonville 35
St. Joseph Christian 50, Wetmore 44
SAVANNAH INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
Championship – Lafayette 57, Staley 53
5th Place – Chillicothe 44, Bishop LeBlond 37
GIRLS
Benton 61, Harrisonville 28
St. Joseph Christian 43, Wetmore 41
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma’s still scoring.
Now, the Sooners are playing defense, too.
Ryan Spangler scored a season-high 18 points to help No. 22 Oklahoma defeat Missouri 82-63 Friday night in the SEC/Big 12 challenge. Buddy Hield had 17 points and three steals and Isaiah Cousins added 16 points for the Sooners, who shot 57 percent from the field and made 10 of 20 3-pointers.
But what changed the game was the way Oklahoma defended after halftime. The Sooners opened the second half on a 15-0 run. Missouri (4-4) didn’t score for the first 5:16 of the second half and missed its first seven shots after the break. It’s a big step for a team that wasn’t always focused on getting stops a year ago.
“Defensively, we’ve been making progress and we’ve been getting better,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said. “Defensively, I thought we were pretty solid all night.”
Oklahoma (5-2) was coming off a runner-up finish in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Johnathan Williams III led Missouri with 16 points and eight rebounds. Montaque Gill-Caesar, Missouri’s top scorer entering the game, finished with 15 points on 6-for-16 shooting.
Namon Wright added 12 points for the Tigers, who had won two straight.
The Sooners held Missouri to 42 percent shooting.
“We have a lot of quick guys,” Hield said. “We do a good job pressuring the ball. It was a team effort.”
It was the third blowout loss for the Tigers this season under first-year coach Kim Anderson. They lost to Arizona by 19 and Purdue by 21 last month.
Missouri led Oklahoma early, but a 3-pointer by Cousins put the Sooners up 19-17. Cousins scored 11 points in the first 9:29.
Hield, Oklahoma’s top scorer for the season, didn’t score until 5:39 remained in the first half, but his layup pushed the Sooners’ lead to 27-20 and caused Missouri to call timeout.
A 3-pointer by Hield pushed the lead to 10, and a dunk by TaShawn Thomas bumped the lead to 12. Spangler’s 3-pointer right before the half gave Oklahoma a 37-25 lead at the break.
The Sooners rolled in the second half against a Missouri team that is loaded with freshmen and sophomores.
“This is big boy basketball, and you have to be ready for anything they throw at you,” Anderson said. “I thought we panicked more than anything, and they put pressure on us.”
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT
“I think all around, we just kind of succumbed to what they were doing.” — Gill-Caesar.
ON THE RISE
Spangler, who made 3 of 11 3-pointers last season, made 2 of 2 on Friday night and has made 6 of 9 for the season.
TIP-INS
Oklahoma: The teams met regularly when Missouri was a member of the Big Eight, then the Big 12 before moving to the SEC. Oklahoma now has a 113-97 lead in the series. … Oklahoma beat then-No. 22 UCLA and Butler to reach the Battle 4 Atlantis final before losing to then-No. 2 Wisconsin.
Missouri: The Tigers, who had been holding opponents to 36 percent shooting in the second half of games, allowed the Sooners to shoot 68 percent in the second half. … Missouri started off well, but made just 11 of 27 shots in the first half.
UP NEXT
Oklahoma plays at Tulsa on Dec. 13.
Missouri plays host to Elon on Dec. 11.
— Associated Press —
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Last year, Wayne Selden Jr. might have let a lousy shooting performance in Kansas’s previous game affect his confidence in a high-profile matchup with Florida on Friday night.
That’s the difference between being a freshman and a sophomore.
Selden poured in 21 points and keyed a massive second-half run, allowing the No. 11 Jayhawks to overcome an 18-point deficit and beat the Gators 71-65 inside boisterous Allen Fieldhouse.
“You’re not going to make them every night,” said Selden, who was 0-for-10 from the field last Sunday against Michigan State. “You just have to stay persistent.”
Cliff Alexander and Frank Mason III had 12 points apiece, and Perry Ellis finished with 10 for the Jayhawks (6-1), who trailed 39-24 at halftime before using a 17-0 surge to seize control.
Kansas wound up outscoring the Gators 47-26 in the second half.
“It was a terrible start and our best players were not very good at all in the first half,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “The roles reversed in the second half.”
Devin Robinson scored 13 points and Chris Walker had 12 for Florida, which is off to its worst start through seven games since it also started 3-4 during the 1990-91 season.
“You have to credit them. They had a lot of fight,” the Gators’ Jon Horford said. “I felt like we let them speed us up a little bit, take us out of the flow we had in the first half.”
The Gators once again played without the calming influence of guard Eli Carter, who has been hobbled by a sprained left foot. He hurt it during practice Nov. 20 and had struggled in two of the four games he had played, causing coach Billy Donovan to rest him Friday night.
“It’s been hard the last week just because we’ve had limited numbers in practice,” Donovan said. “It was good to see Devin Robinson respond like he did. I thought he was a bright spot.”
The Jayhawks led 14-10 as the game approached the midway point of the first half, but a slew of turnovers and some frigid shooting allowed Florida to pull into the lead.
Robinson scored four quick points, Dorian Finney-Smith contributed the next five and Michael Frazier popped a shot-clock-beating 3-pointer to cap a 19-3 assault. By the time Ellis scored in the paint, the Gators had successfully set the tempo of the game.
They continued to pull away, pushing their run to 25-4 on Robinson’s 3-pointer late in the first half, silencing what had been a roaring crowd inside Allen Fieldhouse.
Even the introduction of new football coach David Beaty, who had been hired away from Texas A&M earlier in the day, did little to energize the stunned fans at halftime.
The Gators kept everyone quiet early in the second half, too, extending their lead to 45-27 on back-to-back baskets by Frazier and Robinson for their biggest lead of the game.
It was at that point that Kansas began chipping away.
Turning up the pressure with some full-court defense, the Jayhawks began producing turnovers of their own, often turning them into easy layups at the other end. And when Alexander came in off the bench, the bruising freshman gave them the interior muscle they’d been lacking.
Kansas knotted the game 52-all on a free throw by Ellis with 6:18 left, part of their 17-0 second-half run. Selden had six points during the charge, including a pair of silky jumpers, and Ellis’s basket with 3:17 remaining gave the Jayhawks a 60-52 lead.
By that point, the Gators were in the bonus and Kansas began a parade to the free throw line, putting the game away by making 11 consecutive foul shots in the final couple minutes.
“There’s no six- or eight-point plays. Just try to win each 4 minutes,” Self said. “Once the crowd got into it, we played with so much more energy.”
TIP-INS
Florida: The Gators shot 53.6 percent in the first half. They shot 34.5 percent in the second half. … Florida was outrebounded 24-9 in the second half.
Kansas: The Jayhawks had more turnovers (9) than field goals (8) in the first half. They had only five turnovers in the second half. … Kansas shot 48 percent in the second half.
BEWARE THE PHOG
There’s a reason Self has only lost nine games at Allen Fieldhouse. When the crowd gets amped up like it was during the Jayhawks’ second-half run, it can be nearly impossible for opposing teams to communicate. “I think the crowd really helped them out,” Walker said.
QUOTABLE: “It was just like Jekyll-and-Hyde the first half and second,” Self said.
UP NEXT
Florida: Hosts Yale on Monday night.
Kansas: At Georgetown on Wednesday night.
— Associated Press —
BOYS
Doniphan West (KS) 59, St. Joseph Christian 52
GIRLS
Raymore-Peculiar 51, Lafayette 28
Doniphan West (KS) 36, St. Joseph Christian 31
SAVANNAH INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT – Consolation Bracket
Central 51, Maryville 28
Chillicothe 49, Bishop LeBlond 39
The University of Nebraska has hired Mike Riley as its new Head Football Coach, Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst announced Thursdayy. Riley will be formally introduced at a news conference on Friday, December 5th at 9:00 a.m. in the West Memorial Stadium – 3rd Floor Club.
Riley comes to Nebraska after 14 seasons as the head coach at Oregon State University, spanning two different tenures in Corvallis. Riley has led OSU to 93 wins and a 6-2 record in postseason bowl games. In addition to his time at Oregon State, Riley has served as the head coach of the San Diego Chargers, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League, with whom he won two Grey Cup Championships, and the San Antonio Riders in the World Football League. He has served as an assistant coach at California, USC, Linfield College, Whitworth and Northern Colorado as well as with the New Orleans Saints and in the Canadian Football League.
Riley is a native of Idaho and a graduate of the University of Alabama, where he played for Paul “Bear” Bryant and won three SEC titles and one National Championship.
Mike and his wife, Dee, have two children, Matthew and Kate, and one grandchild, Eli.
Mike will assume his duties immediately but will not coach the Huskers in the upcoming bowl game as Interim Head Coach Barney Cotton will coach the team through the bowl.
Statement from Chancellor Harvey Perlman
“We have high expectations of the men and women who teach and coach our students and Mike Riley is an outstanding addition to our family. I want to welcome Mike and his family to Nebraska and thank Shawn Eichorst for his great efforts in bringing Mike to Lincoln.”
Statement from Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst:
“There was one coach who fit all the characteristics that I was seeking to lead our tradition rich football program. Mike Riley has a proven record of success, a sound approach to football and teaching, an understanding of the educational mission of our university and the integrity and values that we cherish at Nebraska. I have no doubt that Mike will assemble a tremendous staff and lead our student-athletes to win Big Ten titles and compete for national championships in the years ahead.”
Statement from Mike Riley:
“It is truly an honor to join the University of Nebraska family. Though we love Corvallis and Oregon State, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to coach at one of the nation’s most storied football programs and I can’t wait to get started. My sincere thanks to Chancellor Perlman and Shawn Eichorst for their confidence in me and I look forward to becoming a part of the Nebraska family and building upon the great history and tradition.”
— NU Sports Information —
Mizzou junior defensive end Shane Ray (Kansas City, Mo.) has been named a finalist for the 2014 Hendricks Award, as announced by the Ted Hendricks Foundation on Thursday (Dec. 4). The award honors the nation’s top defensive end and the list of six finalists was narrowed down from 18 players who were named to the watch list earlier this season.
Ray, a native of Kansas City, Mo., is third in the nation with his 20.5 tackles-for-loss and is sixth with his 12.0 total sacks. Ray leads the SEC in both categories and also leads the league in sacks per game and tackles for loss per game. He is a big part of a Mizzou defense that has been sensational in SEC play. In league games, Mizzou’s defense ranks first in rushing defense, first in total defense and second in both scoring and passing defense. Over the Tigers’ current six-game winning streak, Ray and the Tigers have held opponents to just 98.5 rushing yards per game and 281.5 total yards.
One of six finalists, Ray is joined by Ohio State’s Joey Bosa, Clemson’s Vic Beasley, Washington’s Hau’oli Kikaha, Utah’s Nate Orchard and USC’s Leonard Williams. He is one of just two juniors to be honored as a finalist, joining Williams. The remaining four are all seniors.
— MU Sports Information —
BOYS’ SEMIFINALS
Lafayette 58, Platte County 48
Staley 89, Hogan Prep 80
BOYS’ CONSOLATION BRACKET
Bishop LeBlond 75, Maryville 51
Chillicothe 52, Savannah 42
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE
4:00 – 7th Place – Savannah vs. Maryville
5:30 – 5th Place – Bishop LeBlond vs. Chillicothe
7:00 – 3rd Place – Platte County vs. Hogan Prep
8:30 – Championship – Lafayette vs. Staley (Broadcast on 680 KFEQ)
Months after winning their third M.I.N.K. League Championship in four years, the St. Joseph Mustangs have released their 2015 schedule.
Entering their seventh season of summer college baseball at Phil Welch Stadium, the Mustangs begin play on Wednesday, May 27, 2015.
The 2015 season comes with some changes; including the addition of the Sedalia Bombers to the North Division, ensuring the July 4th matchup at Phil Welch will be pivotal. Phil Welch Stadium will play host to the M.I.N.K League All-Star Game & Home Run Derby on July 8th. Another fan favorite from 2014, the St. Joseph Mustangs Alumni game, will return on June 13.
“We’re ready for baseball to return to Phil Welch,” said General Manager Ky Turner, “The momentum the team has for 2015 is like I’ve never seen before. Coming off our League Championship and top national attendance rankings, St. Joseph has been established nationally as a premier destination for college baseball players. These players love to come to St. Joseph and play in front of our spectacular fans. I know Manager Matt Johnson is excited about the roster for this summer and we fully expect to contend for another championship.”
The Mustangs end their regular season on July 20th, and the M.I.N.K. League Playoffs will begin July 22. The Mustangs will release the roster and 2015 promotional schedule in early 2015.
The 2015 schedule is available online at http://www.stjoemustangs.com/schedule/. Season Ticket packages and Holiday Gift Certificates are available by calling 816-279-7856.
Date Time Opponent
05/27/2015 07:00 PM Spooner Bandits
05/28/2015 07:00 PM Spooner Bandits
05/29/2015 07:00 PM Clarinda A’s
05/30/2015 07:00 PM Nevada Griffons
05/31/2015 07:00 PM @Nevada Griffons
06/01/2015 05:00 PM @Branson Nationals
06/02/2015 07:00 PM @Joplin Outlaws
06/03/2015 07:00 PM @Clarinda A’s
06/04/2015 07:00 PM North Kansas City
06/05/2015 05:30 PM Branson Nationals
06/06/2015 07:00 PM Joplin Outlaws
06/07/2015 07:00 PM @Nevada Griffons
06/09/2015 05:00 PM @Branson Nationals
06/11/2015 07:00 PM Sedalia Bombers
06/13/2015 07:00 PM St. Joseph Mustangs Alumni
06/14/2015 07:00 PM @Nevada Griffons
06/15/2015 07:00 PM @Sedalia Bombers
06/16/2015 05:00 PM @Branson Nationals
06/17/2015 07:00 PM Joplin Outlaws
06/18/2015 05:30 PM Ozark Generals
06/19/2015 07:00 PM Ozark Generals
06/20/2015 07:00 PM Sedalia Bombers
06/21/2015 07:05 PM @Chillicothe Mudcats
06/23/2015 05:00 PM @Ozark Generals
06/24/2015 06:00 PM @Ozark Generals
06/25/2015 05:30 PM Chillicothe Mudcats
06/26/2015 07:00 PM Clarinda A’s
06/27/2015 07:00 PM Midwest As
06/28/2015 05:00 PM @Joplin Outlaws
06/30/2015 07:05 PM @Chillicothe Mudcats
07/01/2015 07:00 PM Nevada Griffons
07/02/2015 07:00 PM Clarinda A’s
07/03/2015 07:00 PM Ban Johnson All-Stars
07/04/2015 07:00 PM Sedalia Bombers
07/05/2015 07:00 PM @Clarinda A’s
07/07/2015 07:00 PM @Joplin Outlaws
07/09/2015 07:00 PM MINK League All Star Game
07/10/2015 07:00 PM Chillicothe Mudcats
07/11/2015 07:00 PM Branson Nationals
07/12/2015 06:00 PM @Sedalia Bombers
07/14/2015 07:00 PM KC Monarchs
07/15/2015 07:00 PM @Clarinda A’s
07/16/2015 07:00 PM Springfield Arrows
07/17/2015 07:00 PM Nevada Griffons
07/18/2015 07:00 PM Joplin Outlaws
07/19/2015 06:00 PM @Sedalia Bombers
07/20/2015 07:05 PM @Chillicothe Mudcats
07/22/2015 07:00 PM @MINK League Playoffs
07/23/2015 07:00 PM @MINK League Playoffs
07/24/2015 07:00 PM @MINK League Playoffs
— Mustangs Press Release —
Missouri Western junior cornerback Michael Jordan and senior linebacker Stephen Juergens have been named to the DAKTRONICS All-Super Region 3 second team. The two Griffons were among 19 MIAA student-athletes honored, the most of any conference in the region.
Jordan was also a first-team All-MIAA selection this season. The junior’s 16 passes defended were tops in the MIAA. He also tied for the MIAA lead with four interceptions this season. He took one of those interceptions back 39 yards for a touchdown at Washburn. He was the MIAA Freshman of the year and an honorable mention pick in 2012.
After leading the Griffons in tackles for the third straight year and earning MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week once, Juergens landed a second team nod. The senior tallied 108 total tackles, including 59 solo stops. He also led the team with 12 tackles for loss and added 3.5 sacks and an interception. Juergens was also a key part of a Griffon defense that finished third in the MIAA in total defense and allowed the second fewest points in school history (179).
— MWSU Sports Information —
EMPORIA, Kan. – Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team blew two, double-digit leads in the first half and trailed the first 13 minutes in the second half.
It was quite the precarious position for the young Bearcats to be in for their MIAA opener on the road at Emporia State.
In the final 7 minutes, Northwest showed the composure of a veteran squad. The Bearcats played stellar defense, hit free throws and made several baskets in key moments.
All those things added up to an impressive 63-57 victory Wednesday night at historic White Auditorium.
“This is huge,” said Northwest sophomore Zach Schneider, who finished with 16 points. “That is about as big a confidence builder you can get in this league is a road win.”
The Bearcats, 6-1, will hit the road once again on Saturday, playing at Pittsburg State. They definitely want to build on what they achieved in crunch time at Emporia State.
Northwest stayed close to the Hornets most of the second half. Emporia State managed a little cushion at 46-41 with 7:34 left. The game was starting to slip away from the Bearcats.
At that moment, Schneider, who was 1-for-5 on three-pointers in the first half and was knocked to the ground while taking a charge in the second half, stepped up big time.
After he caught his breath and returned to the game, he promptly nailed a trey, bringing Northwest to within two at 46-44. Schneider followed that with a NBA-range three-pointer, giving the Bearcats their first lead in the second half at 47-46 with 6:32 left.
“The first half all of them felt good,” Schneider said. “I looked to keep shooting. That is one of my big roles on the team.”
Emporia State went back in front by one and that was when Northwest took the lead for good, starting at the free throw line. Junior Conner Crooker nailed two free throws that made it 49-48 in favor of Northwest with 5:16 left.
A minute later, Crooker made two more free throws, increasing Northwest lead to 51-48.
“I am pretty confident making free throws,” Crooker said. “I practice a lot. I like to be the one to step up and hit big-time free throws.”
He followed that about a minute later with a drive to the basket, giving the Bearcats a 53-48 lead with 3:20 left.
“It was definitely really big,” Crooker said. “I have been struggling all night. I was missing my shot. It felt good to go into the paint and make something happen, especially late in the game when it matters most.”
Northwest maintained control the rest of the way for an impressive conference road victory.
“They are a really good team,” Schneider said. “They came off two really good road wins in Texas. Especially for young team, this is going to be a big confidence booster down the road.
“We will be able to look back and see how we closed out a good team on the road.”
It was a complete team effort, from senior center Grant Cozad, who scored 12 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to freshman point guard Justin Pitts, who finished with a game-high 18 points.
In the first half, Northwest put together two nice spurts to twice build 10-point leads, but two lulls caused the Bearcats to go into halftime down 31-27.
The Bearcats started the game on fire from three-point range. Pitts hit a couple of treys. Schneider had one and in a blink of an eye, Northwest led 13-3.
Emporia State fought back and scored the next nine points, closing to 13-12. Northwest got hot again, scoring nine straight points for a 22-12 lead.
“I think it is a case of being young, honestly,” Crooker said. “We were still getting shots we wanted. We were inconsistent making them. Sometimes we lose concentration on defense.”
The rest of the first half, Northwest generated very little offense. Meanwhile, point guard Terrence Moore got hot for the Hornets. He broke the Bearcats’ 9-0 run with a basket.
Later, he scored four straight points, giving Emporia State its first lead at 23-22. A basket by Micah Swank completed an 11-0 run that put the Hornets up 25-22.
The Bearcats forged the first tie of the game on a three-pointer by Pitts, who was 3-for-4 from behind the arc in the first half. That basket didn’t stop the momentum by the Hornets. Emporia State scored the last four points in the first half.
— David Boyce, Northwest Sports Information —
