BOYS
Lafayette 73, Maryville 21
Liberty 74, Central 42
GIRLS
Lafayette 48, Lawson 29
Author: Dave Riggert
Missouri RB Henry Josey to forgo senior year, enter NFL draft
University of Missouri junior tailback Henry Josey (Angleton, Texas) has decided to bypass his final year of eligibility and make himself available for the 2014 NFL Draft. Josey, fresh off being named the offensive player of the game in Mizzou’s 41-31 win over Oklahoma State in Friday’s 2014 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, joins fellow junior teammate Kony Ealy, a defensive end from New Madrid, Mo., who announced following the game that he would be declaring for the draft.
Josey starred for the Tigers in their dramatic Cotton Bowl win, as he ran for three touchdowns, including the game-winning score from 16 yards out with 3:08 left in the contest. He also scored from 25 yards out earlier in the quarter to break a 17-17 tie, after he opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 3-yard run that staked Mizzou to a 7-0 lead. Josey finished the game with 92 yards rushing, and also caught a pass for 10 yards. He ended his junior season with 1,166 yards rushing and ranked second in the Southeastern Conference with 16 touchdowns.
He is only the second Mizzou running back to post two 1,000-yard seasons, as he ran for 1,168 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore in 2011 before sustaining a season-ending knee injury in game #10 against Texas. That injury kept him out all of the 2012 season.
“This is really a bittersweet decision to make,” said Josey. “I’m so grateful to Mizzou and my coaches and teammates and fans for all of their support and everything they’ve meant to me these past four years. It’s difficult to think I won’t be with them next year. But I’m really excited to have a chance to play professionally and work on fulfilling a dream I’ve had since I was a little kid. I can’t possibly express how much I owe to so many people for helping me get to this position, my doctors, trainers, strength coaches, everyone who pushed me and helped me and believed in me, and of course my coaches for trusting me. To the Mizzou fans, thanks so much for all of your prayers and thoughts the past couple of years, you truly inspired me to get back on the field. I’m going to miss my teammates but I know they’ll do great things and I will always be a Mizzou Tiger.”
Head Coach Gary Pinkel said that while his program would miss Josey, he supports his decision.
“Henry Josey is a first-class person any way you cut it, and anytime you take that out of your program, it leaves a void,” said Pinkel. “He is such an amazing competitor, and I’ve said time and again just how inspiring he has been for our team the last two years. We were so proud of him for overcoming everything he had to deal with, and to be such a positive influence on and off the field. We’re going to miss him, no question, but Henry wants to pursue his dream of playing professionally and we wish him nothing but the best and we’ll do everything we can to help him reach that goal. The Mizzou Football program is in better shape because of his efforts, so we’re grateful for the time he spent with us, and we know he’ll represent Mizzou well going forward,” he said.
— MU Sports Information —
No. 25 Kansas State gets road win at TCU, 65-47
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Thomas Gipson scored 19 points, Marcus Foster added 16 and No. 25 Kansas State ran its winning streak to 10 games with a 65-47 victory over TCU on Tuesday night.
The Wildcats (12-3, 2-0 Big 12), who made their way into the Top 25 for the first time this season on Monday, played their first true road game of the season.
Amric Fields scored 14 points and Kyan Anderson added 12 for TCU (9-5, 0-2), which trailed 31-21 at halftime.
The Horned Frogs used a 10-2 run to get within 36-33 with 13:45 to play, but Kansas State responded with a 9-3 run – keyed by a wide-open 3-pointer by Shane Southwell – and the Wildcats’ lead wouldn’t dip below seven points for the rest of the game.
Foster, the reigning Big 12 newcomer of the week, hit two 3-pointers in a one-minute span late in the second half. The Wildcats hit 7 of 15 3-pointers overall.
— Associated Press —
Royals sign veteran catcher Ramon Hernandez
The Kansas City Royals announced Tuesday that the club has signed veteran catcher Ramon Hernandez to a minor league contract for 2014. The Royals plan to announce all of the club’s Major League camp non-roster invitees at a later date.
Hernandez, 37, has spent 15 seasons in the Majors Leagues and is a career .263 hitter with a .327 on-base and a .417 slugging percentage for Oakland (1999-2003), San Diego (2004-05), Baltimore (2006-08), Cincinnati (2009-11), Colorado (2012) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2013). His 757 RBI since the start of the 1999 season rank fifth among Major League catchers in that time, while his 169 homers are seventh-most among big league backstops. He played in 17 games for the Dodgers in 2013, batting .208 (10-for-48) with two doubles, three homers and six RBI, before being released on June 22.
An All-Star in 2003, Hernandez hit .273 in 140 games that season for the A’s, belting 21 homers and collecting 78 RBI, helping the team to its fourth-straight postseason appearance. He collected a career-high 23 homers and 91 RBI in 2006, his first year with the Orioles. Hernandez has participated in six postseason series, reaching the playoffs with Oakland (2000-03), San Diego (2005) and Cincinnati (2010).
— Royals Media Relations —
Devers’ career-high 35 leads Griffons past Nebraska-Kearney
Ryan Devers scored a career-high 35 points and led Missouri Western to a 89-82 win against Nebraska-Kearney Monday night at MWSU Fieldhouse.
Devers’ career high went alongside six assists and six rebounds, while the Lopers were led by Mike Dentlinger, who had 25 points.
Nebraska-Kearney jumped out to an 9-2 lead in the first four minutes of the game.
The Griffons came back and tied it up at 15 minutes later. From there, neither team led by more than three unitl Missouri Western took control with a 3-pointer from Dareon Jones. The trey made it 28-23 with 7:25 remaining in the opening frame.
The Griffons built a 10-point lead on a layup by Kalvin Balque toward the end of the half. That was followed by Devers’ fast break to go up 42-30 with 1:30 left.
Dentlinger put in a jumper right before the buzzer to mark the score 44-34 at the half.
At halftime, the Griffons were led by Devers, who had 13 points and five assists, both were team highs. The Lopers were led by Dentlinger, who had 13 points and Davion Pearson, who had six assists.
Nebraska-Kearney chipped away at the lead and it eventually settled at 52-49 with 13:39 left in the game.
After the Griffons went up double digits, the Lopers again cut the lead back down. Highlighted by Dentlinger’s three-point play, the Lopers made the game 75-71 with less than three minutes to play. Charlie Marquardt’s nice cut to the basket put the Griffons back up six, and after a turnover, Cortrez Colbert knocked down one of his two free throws to go up 78-71 with 1:40 left.
Pearson nailed a 3 seconds later to go back to a four-point game. Less than a minute later, the Griffons found themselves ahead 82-74, but Pearson again knocked down a trey to cut the game to 82-77.
Devers clinched the victory with five free throws in the final minute as the Griffons won 89-82. The Griffons next play on Wednesday at Emporia, Kan. against Emporia State.
— MWSU Sports Information —
Missouri Western women snap six-game skid with 55-46 win over UNK
The Missouri Western women used a strong defensive effort picking up its first MIAA victory of the season. The Griffons held the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers to just nine field goals in a 55-46 victory in the fieldhouse. The Griffons were led by Tiara Hall with seven points and career best 13 rebounds. MWSU also snapped a six game losing streak improving to 5-6 overall and 1-4 in MIAA play.
The Griffons dominated the first 15 minutes of the opening frame taking a 23-4 lead after two Alexis Gray free throws with 5:56 to play in the half. From there the Lopers hit a few free throws and a couple of shots cutting the Griffon lead to eight at the half at 25-17.
The Griffons scored the first nine points of the game and continued the solid play opening up the 19 point lead. The Lopers hit 10-of-15 free throws and connected on a layup and a three with under a minute left closing on a 13-2 run. The Lopers made just 3-of-17 field goals and had sixteen turnovers. Alexa Hogberg led the Lopes with seven points making 5-of-7 free throws.
The Griffons made 9-of-28 field goals and had eight points in the paint to the Lopers two. Six Griffons scored in the frame with Jallisa Lewis leading the way with six point. Tiara Hall had nine of the Griffons 20 rebounds.
The Griffons held at least an eight point lead for the whole second half. They used a 13-5 run opening up their biggest lead of the second half at 46-30 after a layup by Quenisha Lockett with 6:40 to play. The Lopers responded going on a 7-0 run cutting the Griffon lead to 46-37 with 4:54 to play.
Down the stetch the Griffons hit their free throws sealing the victory. The Griffons hit 12-of-17 free throws in the second half and went 17-for-27 in the game. Ten different Griffons scored in the game with Lanicia Lawrence and Sharniece Lewis each scoring eight points.
The Lopers fall to 5-7 on the season and 2-4 in MIAA play. They hit just 9-of-43 field goals but did make 25-of-37 free throws. They also had 44 rebounds with Shelby Zimmerman collecting 10.
The Griffons return to action on Wednesday, January 8 when they travel to Emporia, Kan. to play the 3rd ranked Emporia State Hornets. Game time is set for 5:30 pm in White Auditorium.
— MWSU Sports Information —
Northwest Missouri State’s home games Monday have been postponed
The scheduled MIAA men’s and women’s basketball games between the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats and the Northeastern State RiverHawks has been postponed.
Poor road conditions have led to Northeastern State unable to travel safely for Monday’s contest. The two teams will make up the game in Maryville, Mo., at a later date and time.
The Bearcats will head to Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday, Jan. 9, for a double header against the Lopers. The women’s game will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by the men’s game at 7:30 p.m.
— Northwest Sports Information —
Jayhawks upset by San Diego State to end 68-game non-con win streak
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — It was so loud inside Allen Fieldhouse that San Diego State’s players could barely hear what coach Steve Fisher was saying, yet they knew what the message would be as the timeout ended.
No matter the situation, it’s always the same.
”He just tells you to think something positive, whether it’s basketball, family, whatever. Think something positive,” Xavier Thames said. ”I think that really helps.”
It sure seemed to settle down the Aztecs.
Thames scored 16 points, and calmly made four straight free throws in the closing seconds Sunday, helping No. 21 San Diego State knock off No. 16 Kansas 61-57, ending the Jayhawks’ 68-game non-conference winning streak at their venerable on-campus arena.
Skylar Spencer added 13 points and Josh Davis had 10 for the Aztecs (12-1), who have won 11 straight since losing to No. 1 Arizona on Nov. 14. That streak is tied for the second-best in school history, trailing only the 20-0 start of the 2010-11 team.
”Our coach never gets rattled,” San Diego State forward Winston Shepard said. ”He’s always even keeled, whether we’re up 20 or it’s a close game in here. After every timeout, he tell us to take a good thought out there.”
Think happy thoughts? Why didn’t those other 68 teams try that at the Phog?
Kansas (9-4) still had a chance to tie the game when Perry Ellis went to the free throw line with 11.9 seconds left. He made his first free throw but, after San Diego State called a timeout to ice him, Ellis missed the second and the Jayhawks were forced to foul.
Thames made both free throws to give San Diego State a three-point lead, and the Aztecs fouled rather than allow Kansas to attempt a tying 3. Frank Mason missed the first and made the second, and Thames made two more free throws with 4.6 seconds left to seal the win.
”This is a great win for us,” Thames said. ”A lot of teams don’t come in here and get victories. I’m just blessed to be a part of this one.”
Andrew Wiggins and Mason scored 14 points apiece for the Jayhawks, who had won 112 of their last 114 games at Allen Fieldhouse. Joel Embiid finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
The Jayhawks struggled against the long, lanky Aztecs right from the start, missing eight of their first nine shots and allowing San Diego State to dictate the tempo.
After a 3-pointer by Naadir Tharpe gave Kansas a 9-8 lead, the Jayhawks had just one more field goal over the next 8-plus minutes. Thames and Davis had no such trouble for San Diego State, hitting a series of jumpers and contested layups as the Aztecs built a 29-23 halftime lead.
Kansas wound up shooting 20.7 percent (6 of 29) in the first half.
”I think everybody, we all missed shots we usually make,” Wiggins said, ”and that’s going to happen from time to time with a young team.”
The Aztecs kept up the intensity in the second half, forcing the Jayhawks to misfire on eight of their first 10 shots with their in-your-face, man-to-man defense. The lead slowly grew to 44-33 when JJ O’Brien converted after two misses, once more silencing a packed house.
The Jayhawks finally started to build some momentum midway through the second half, closing within 58-56 on a basket by Wiggins and 50-48 on Tharpe’s scooping layup.
It seemed as if every time Kansas went on a run, though, the Aztecs had an answer.
Spencer scored after Tharpe’s basket, and Thames curled in a 3-pointer to give San Diego State a 55-48 lead with 3 minutes to play. Kansas made one more salvo, getting within 57-55 on a 3-pointer by Mason and seemingly getting the ball back after O’Brien missed a free throw.
During a stoppage in play, the officials determined that the ball went off Kansas with 44.8 seconds left. And even though the Jayhawks got a stop, it cost them precious time.
Kansas coach Bill Self called a timeout with 20 seconds left and decided to go with Ellis, the sure-handed sophomore. He drove to the basket and was fouled, but the 72 percent free throw shooter could only make the first of his two attempts, and San Diego State eventually held on to win.
”Every play we made, it seemed like they came down, they got something positive out of the next possession,” Mason said. ”Whether it was free throws or a made basket, we just couldn’t get the stops we needed.”
— Associated Press —
Griffons come up short at home against Washburn
The Missouri Western men’s basketball team struggled from the free throw line making just 15-of-26 attempts falling for the third straight game by a score of 79-69 against the Washburn Ichabods. The Griffons had three players score in double figures with Ryan Devers finishing with a career best 25 points on 7-of-12 shooting. He also made 11-of-13 free throws. The Griffons fall to 6-6 on the season and 1-3 with the loss.
The first ten minutes of the first half was an offensive struggle as the Griffons and the Ichabods played to an 11-11 with 9:06 to play in the first frame. From there the Ichabods would go on a 5-0 run which was capped by a Chris Davis three giving Washburn a 16-11 lead with 6:55 to play.
The Griffons continued battling cutting the score to 19-16 after a Cortrez Colbert three with 4:16 to play in the half. Unfortuntaly the rest of the half belonged to the Ichabods outscoring the Griffons 10-6 taking a seven point lead into the locker room at 29-22.
The Ichabods outscored the Griffons 18-10 in the paint and 13-6 in bench points. Kyle Wiggins had six points in the half while Jeff Reid had 10 of the Ichabods 23 rebounds.
The Griffons had five players scored in the half with Ryan Devers leading the way with six points and two assists. The Griffons had just 12 rebounds to the Ichabods 23.
The Griffons opened up the second half going on 11-5 run claiming a 35-34 lead after an Adarius Fulton three with 17:13 to play in the game. That marked their first lead since they led 11-9 with 9:27 to play in the first half. The Ichabods followed that up with a 7-0 run taking a 41-35 lead. The Griffons cut the lead to four a few times down the stretch but missed free throws hurt Missouri Western. On the other hand Washburn made 9-of-10 free throws in the final minute improving to 11-1 overall and 4-1 in MIAA play.
The Griffons made 46.2-percent (24-52) from the field and had nine assists with Devers collecting four. The Ichabods made 17-of-21 free throws and shot 49.1-percent (27-55) from the field. Leon Flowers led the way with 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting and making 5-of-6 three point shots.
The Griffons return to action on Monday, January 6 when they take on the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers at 7:30 pm in the MWSU Fieldhouse.
— MWSU Sports Information —
Chiefs blow 28-point second half lead and lose Wild Card game at Indy
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Chuck Pagano couldn’t believe his eyes. Andrew Luck couldn’t believe his ears. Colts fans couldn’t believe the scoreboard, and the Kansas City Chiefs couldn’t believe their incredibly bad luck.
It seemed unfathomable.
On a day Luck appeared to be pressing and, at times, as bad as he ever has while putting Indianapolis in a 28-point deficit, the Colts quarterback somehow turned things around. He threw three of his four touchdowns in the second half, scored on a fumble return and connected with a wide-open T.Y. Hilton on a 64-yard TD pass to give the Colts an improbable 45-44 wild-card victory Saturday.
”One for the ages,” said Pagano, Indianapolis’ coach. ”I think somebody said that it was the second-largest comeback or whatever in the history of whatever. I guess 21 wasn’t large enough at half, so we thought we’ve give them another seven, you know, just to make it interesting.”
Actually, rallying from 28 down made the latest of Luck’s amazing comebacks one to remember.
Indianapolis (12-5) became only the second playoff team to rally from that big a deficit, according to STATS. Buffalo rallied from 32 points to beat Houston 41-38 in January 1993, though that one required overtime.
The teams’ 1,049 combined total yards set an NFL postseason record, and their 89 combined points is third on the all-time list.
The Colts, winners of four straight, travel to either Denver or New England next weekend for the divisional round.
Luck was an incredible mix of good and bad, finishing 29 of 45 for 443 yards, the second-highest yardage total in franchise history for a playoff game. He also matched his career high with three interceptions. Hilton broke franchise playoff records with 13 catches and 224 yards, and also caught two TDs.
But it was the way Indy won that made it stunning.
Luck played angry and frantic, turning a steady stream of halftime boos into a chorus of cheers.
”I don’t know if it ever crossed my mind on how it would be remembered,” Luck said after winning his first playoff game four seasons quicker than it took his predecessor, Peyton Manning. ”When I took a knee, and you feel the buzz and the energy of the crowd and see your teammates’ faces, that makes it special.”
For Kansas City, it was another brief, miserable postseason appearance.
The Chiefs (11-6) finished their remarkable turnaround season with three straight losses and an eighth straight postseason defeat – none more shocking than this one. The eight consecutive losses broke a tie with the Detroit Lions for the longest playoff skid.
And they were beaten up, too.
Starting running back Jamaal Charles left with a concussion on the opening possession. Knile Davis, Charles’ backup, left in the fourth quarter with what appeared to be a left knee injury. Receiver Donnie Avery and cornerback Brandon Flowers were knocked out with second-half concussions, and linebacker Justin Houston was out with a knee injury when Hilton caught the winning pass.
That put even more pressure on Alex Smith, who was 30 of 46 for 378 yards with four TDs and no interceptions but lost a fumble that led to a touchdown for Indy. Just about everyone other than the Colts figured Smith sealed the win with a 10-yard TD pass to Davis less than two minutes into the third quarter.
Instead, he tried to rally the Chiefs after Hilton’s score and wound up throwing to Dwayne Bowe – who caught the ball but was out of bounds – on fourth-and-11 with 1:55 to play from the Indy 43.
”Anytime you’re leading like that and then have them battle back and then take it, and you end up losing by a point, it’s tough, a tough pill to swallow,” Smith said.
Things appeared bleak with Indy trailing 31-10 at halftime, and they got worse when Luck’s first pass of the second half was picked off and returned to the Indy 18. Three plays later, Smith made it 38-10.
But Luck had plenty of time to make the jaw-dropping rally.
With Indy going no-huddle, Luck started throwing at will. He eventually caught the Chiefs defense off-guard when Donald Brown scored on a 10-yard run to start the rally. Then Luck capitalized on the fumble by hooking with Brown on a 3-yard TD pass to make it 38-24.
After Luck’s third interception turned into a 42-yard field goal, he answered with a 12-yard TD pass to cut the deficit to 41-31 after three quarters.
”He’s as advertised. He went out there and definitely avoided some pressure and made big plays down the field,” Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith said, referring to Luck.
Even when Eric Berry jarred the ball loose from Brown near the goal line, Luck had the answer. He scooped up the bouncing ball and squirted through the middle to make it 41-38. And after a Kansas City field, goal, Luck found Hilton to win it.
”It seemed surreal, being down like we were down and then you have that fourth-down stop and they had used their last timeout there at the 2-minute warning,” Pagano said. ”Thinking about how good tomorrow’s going to be, snow or no snow, I don’t really care.”
— Associated Press —