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Author: Dave Riggert

KU’s McLemore and Withey named to national midseason watch lists

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KUKansas senior Jeff Withey and redshirt freshman Ben McLemore have been named to the 12-person Oscar Robertson Trophy National Player of the Year Midseason Watch List by the United States Basketball Writers Association of America (USBWA), the organization announced Thursday.

The USBWA also released its Wayman Tisdale Award National Freshman of the Year Watch List on Thursday and McLemore was among the 12 players named. The St. Louis, Mo., guard is the only player named to both watch lists. Kansas and Indiana are the only schools to have two players on the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Year list.

“Ben and Jeff are having solid seasons to date and are in the position to have great years only if we continue to win in our league and play well,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said.

Named to the Sporting News Mid-Season All-American team Jan. 15, McLemore leads Kansas in scoring at 16.1 points per game, which leads all Big 12 freshmen and ranks second overall in the conference. The Jan. 14 Big 12 Player of the Week and two-time conference rookie of the week, McLemore leads the Big 12 in free throw percentage (86.7) and is second in three-point field goal percentage (45.1). He has a team-high 37 three-pointers made and is second on the team with 24 steals. A Wooden Award Mid-Season Top 25 honoree, McLemore has five games with 20 or more points this in 2012-13, including a 33-point effort in Kansas’ 97-89 overtime win against Iowa State.

If the season ended today, McLemore’s 16.1 scoring average would break the Kansas freshman scoring average record of 14.6 points per game set by Jayhawk legend Danny Manning in 1985.

“Being named to both lists is pretty cool,” McLemore said. “There is no way I could get these (honors) without my teammates and coaches. We have a lot of work to do to reach our goals of winning a conference title and doing well in the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments.”

Withey leads Kansas in rebounding at 8.3 rebounds per game and has seven double-doubles this season. Both statistics rank third in the Big 12. The San Diego, Calif., center leads the league in blocked shots at 4.3 per game, which is third nationally. Also Wooden Award Mid-Season Top 25 and the 2012 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Withey is scoring 13.1 points per outing and his 86 blocked shots this season are more than six Big 12 teams.

Withey, who set the Big 12 and Kansas single-season blocked shot record last year with 140, including an NCAA Tournament-record 31, has 251 career blocked shots to date. He is seven away from the Kansas record of 258 held by Greg Ostertag (1992-95) and 13 from the Big 12 all-time record of 264 by Chris Mihm of Texas (1998-2000).

“I’m honored to be named and with Ben it’s a reflection of how our team is doing more than what Ben and I are doing,” Withey said.

No. 2/1 Kansas (19-1, 7-0) will host Oklahoma State (14-5, 4-3) on Saturday, Feb. 2, at 3 p.m. on the Big 12 Television Network. Kansas’ 18-game winning streak leads NCAA Division I and its 33 game home-court winning streak is the second-longest nationally.

— KU Sports Information —

Western women rally past Pitt State to snap 3-game skid

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MWSUThe Missouri Western women used a bid second half snapping a three game losing streak by defeating the Pittsburg State Gorillas 70-65.The Griffons had four players score in double digits with Heather Howard leading the charge with her 11th double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Despite shooting just 38.2-percent (13-34) and never holding the lead the Griffons battled to go into halftime down 33-29. The Griffons trailed by as many as eight in the first frame but were able to make mini runs staying in the game.

The Griffons had five players score in the first frame with Howard leading the way with eight points. Brittany Griswold struggled shooting the ball in the first frame but finished with eight points after one half. The Griffons had 16 points in the paint and nine points off 10 Gorilla turnovers.

PSU shot 46.2-percent (12-26) in the half and made 6-of-9 free throws. Lizzy Jeronimus had eight points and six rebounds while Y’Cedria Devers dished out four assists.

The second half did not start out well for the Griffons missing their first four shots while the Gorillas made their first two giving them a 37-29 lead after a Jeronimus lay-up with 18:29 to play. The Griffons continued to battle using 16-9 run cutting the PSU lead to 46-45 with 10:37 to play after JaQuitta Dever hit a lay-up.

The Gorillas pushed its lead back to six after a 5-0 run but the Griffons used another run of 8-2 run tying the score at 53 after Howard hit a lay-up with 7:06 to play. Once again the Gorillas would use a mini 5-0 run claiming a five point lead with 5:32 to play.

From there the Griffons would shut down the Gorillas giving up just seven points the rest of the way. A Sharniece Lewis long range shot and three Alicia Bell free throws gave the Griffons their first lead of the game at 59-58 with 4:09 to play.

The Griffons extended their lead to 63-58 after a Griswold lay-up with 1:15 to play. The Gorillas cut the lead to two after a Jeronimus three with 1:12 to play but a Dever lay-up and four straight Griffon free throws helped MWSU seal the victory improving to 13-6 overall and 6-5 in MIAA play.

The Griffons had 17 offensive rebounds scoring 36 points in the paint and 17 second chance points. The Griffons made 28-of-71 field goals and forced 16 Gorilla turnovers. Griswold, Dever and Bell finished with 14, 14 and 11 points respectively. Bell had 8 rebounds and four assists while Howard had five blocks.

The Gorillas fall to 12-6 overall and 6-4 in MIAA play. The Gorillas made 24-of-56 field goals and 8-of-17 field goals. Jeronimus had 21 points and 10 rebounds while Morgan Westoff and Drew Roberts pitched in 14 and 11 points. Jeronimus also dished out two assists and had two steals.

The Griffons return to action on Saturday, February 2 against MIAA newcomer Northeastern State University. Game time is set for 1:30 pm from the MWSU Fieldhouse in St. Joseph, Mo.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Griffons come up short against Pittsburg State, 57-56

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MWSUThe Missouri Western men lost another close home contest this time 57-56 against the Pittsburg State Gorillas. For the second straight game Dzenan Mrkaljevic tried to be the hero but a three with one second left was off the mark dropping MWSU to 8-11 overall and 4-7 in MIAA play. The Griffons shot just 32-percent (17-53) and got out rebounded by nine (42-33) in the defeat.

The Griffons played extreamly well in the first half despite missing it’s point guard Adarius Fulton due to concussion like symptoms.

The two teams were ice cold to start the game going a combined 1-14 in the first 4:05 of the game. The next four minutes belonged to the Griffons going on a 10-5 run claiming a 12-7 lead after a Kalvin Balque three with 10:53 to play. The two teams played relatively close the rest of the way with the Gorillas outscoring the Griffons by one the rest of the frame. MWSU took a 27-23 lead into the half.

The Griffons made just 8-of-31 first half field goals but were able to connect on 8-of-9 free throws to help them gain the four point halftime lead. Seven differnt Griffons scored in the first half with Balque leading the way off the bench with seven points in ten minutes of play. MWSU had 19 rebounds with eight on the offensive end.

The Gorillas made 7-of-17 shots with Rico Pierrevilus and Kaleb Porter both scoring six points in the half.

The second half was a back forth battle with four ties and seven lead changes. The Griffons opened up a five point lead early in the frame when Mrkaljevic nailed a three giving the Griffons a 30-25 lead. Mrkaljevic finished the game just 2-of-14 from the field and 2-of-8 from long range.

PSU scored the next five points tying the score at 30 with 16:55 to play. The Griffons were able to gain a four point lead three times during the next eight minutes at 40-36, 42-38 and 44-40.

The Gorillas were able to open up a three point lead at 51-48 with 3:42 to play after Kaleb Porter hit a lay-up. The Griffons remained calm and made a run taking a two point lead after a Reed Mells three and a Alex Tuluka-Mfumupembe free throw at 54-52.

The Gorillas once again opened up a three point lead with 1:25 to play and after a Cedric Clinkscales lay-up with 1:00 minute to play the PSU lead was 57-56. The Griffons had their opportunities down the stretch but a big rebound and steal by the Gorillas gave them the victory. They improved to 13-5 overall and 6-4 in MIAA play.

The Griffons made just 7-of-14 second half free throws but dished out 13 assists on their 17 field goals. Clinkscales and Balque led the way with 15 and 11 points respectively. Mrkaljevic had nine rebounds and Mells and Alfreeman Flowers dished out four assists apiece.

The made 41-7-percent (20-48) from the field but struggled from the foul line making just 11-of-24 free throws. They had four players in double digits with Pierrevilus leading the way with a double-double scoring 14 points and snaring 11 rebounds. Porter, Marky Nolen and Courtney Ingram dumped in 13, 12 and 11 points apiece.

The Griffons return to action on Saturday, February 2 with a home contest against MIAA newcomer Northeastern State University. Game time is set for 3:30 pm from the MWSU Fieldhouse in St. Joseph, Mo.

— MWSU Sports Information —

No. 17 Mizzou’s road struggles continue with loss at LSU

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MUAfter a string of close losses in conference play, LSU finally came out on top.

Anthony Hickey scored 20 points, Andre Stringer added 18 and the Tigers defeated No. 17 Missouri 73-70 on Wednesday night.

In four of LSU’s five Southeastern Conference defeats, it had an opportunity to win the game in the final minute. This time, the Tigers made six foul shots in the final 60 seconds and Johnny O’Bryant hit an important layup off an inbounds pass to hold off Missouri.

”We’ve been in a lot of tight games this year,” Stringer said. ”We were finally able to put things together and pull this one out.”

Hickey had 14 points in the second half and Stringer converted a key four-point play late in the game for the Tigers (11-7, 2-5 SEC). O’Bryant had his fourth straight double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

The victory was the first for LSU against a ranked SEC team since it beat eventual national champion Florida 66-56 six seasons ago.

”We can always look back at winning a game like this,” LSU coach Johnny Jones said. ”This was a good experience for us. We had to defend and make some tough plays on the defensive end to win this ballgame. We missed some free throws, but we did rebound well on defense.”

Phil Pressey scored 25 for Missouri (15-5, 4-3), which has lost all four of its games on the opposing team’s home court this season. Jabari Brown added 19 points and Laurence Bowers had 10. Bowers played for the first time in three weeks due to a knee injury.

”We were driving the ball at the end of the game and we needed to keep driving the ball,” Missouri coach Frank Haith said. ”We settled for some bad shots and we had some bad turnovers. We are trying to win a game. You can’t make those kinds of plays when you are trying to win a game.”

Missouri, which trailed by as many as 16 early in the second half, pulled to 61-58 on a basket by Pressey with 3:37 left. Two possessions later, Stringer made his fourth 3-pointer. He was fouled on the shot and hit the free throw, too.

”That play was a confidence-builder for our team,” Stringer said. ”Anthony Hickey drove down and the guy guarding him was taking away the lane. So, I just stepped behind the 3-point line. I saw Pressey come behind me. He hit me on my follow-through. Luckily, the ball went in.”

Missouri scored five straight points on a basket by Tony Criswell and Brown’s fourth 3 of the night. Hickey made one of two free throws with 49 seconds to play to give LSU a 66-63 lead.

Pressey missed a potential tying 3-pointer on Missouri’s next possession. Stringer grabbed the rebound and was promptly fouled. Stringer hit both foul shots to put LSU ahead 68-63 with 38 seconds remaining.

Earnest Ross kept Missouri in the game by connecting on a 3-pointer just 6 seconds later. On the ensuing inbounds play, O’Bryant broke loose for a layup. Pressey answered with a layup to leave Missouri behind 70-68 with 23 seconds remaining.

O’Bryant, who had missed five of his previous nine free throws, made two from the foul line to give LSU another four-point lead at 72-68. But Pressey came right back with a driving layup with 14 seconds to play.

Shavon Coleman converted one of two foul shots to give Missouri another chance at tying the score, but Pressey missed a 3-pointer. Coleman rebounded and was fouled with 4 seconds remaining. He missed both free throws but Missouri was unable to get off another shot.

LSU extended its lead to 46-30 after halftime, but Missouri scored 12 straight points to get right back into the game. Pressey accounted for eight of those points on four field goals. Two foul shots by Brown left LSU on top 46-42 with 13:47 remaining.

Hickey countered with three consecutive baskets, one a 3-pointer, in a 70-second span to give LSU a 53-42 advantage. When Missouri cut it to 55-49 on a basket by Bowers, Hickey followed with a short jumper.

Missouri pulled to 59-54 when Brown sank a 3-pointer with 5:10 remaining. After Hickey’s turnover, Ross scored after an offensive rebound to reduce LSU’s lead to three.

LSU used an 11-0 run early in the first half to grab control. Baskets by Charles Carmouche and O’Bryant gave LSU a 13-6 lead slightly more than 4 minutes into the game. Field goals by Carmouche and Hickey pushed LSU’s advantage to 17-6. Missouri went nearly 4 minutes without a point.

Missouri reduced its deficit to 17-10, but LSU responded with a 10-2 run. Malik Morgan accounted for half of the LSU points on a field goal and three foul shots. Missouri trailed by double figures for nearly the rest of the half. LSU took a 39-26 halftime lead on a basket by Hickey.

— Associated Press —

Kansas State bounces back with big win over Texas

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KSUKansas State’s bench had become a popular place in the first half Wednesday night.

Rodney McGruder had taken a seat after picking up two fouls in the first 2 minutes against Texas. Martavious Irving quickly joined him. And then Will Spradling staggered in their direction after breaking his nose, blood spilling into a towel pressed tightly against his face.

Didn’t seem to matter one bit, though.

The way the No. 18 Wildcats were playing, coach Bruce Weber could have grabbed the equipment manager off the end of the bench and put him into the game with the same result.

Kansas State rolled to an 83-57 victory.

”I think we were all disappointed after last week,” said Weber, whose team was coming off back-to-back losses to Kansas and Iowa State. ”We challenged them to play hard.”

They certainly did that.

Thomas Gipson had 17 points off the bench, Omari Lawrence added a career-best 12 and Angel Rodriguez chipped in 11 points and eight assists as the Wildcats (16-4, 5-2) rolled to their most lopsided win in the series since an 87-60 victory on Dec. 8, 1971.

Suddenly, the Wildcats are back in a second-place logjam in the Big 12.

”We had two tough losses, so we had to bounce back,” said Lawrence, who played 19 minutes because of the Wildcats’ foul trouble. ”We came out with a lot of energy today.”

Not so much the Longhorns (9-11, 1-6), who committed 18 turnovers.

”They came out, they were terrific,” Texas coach Rick Barnes said, ”and we certainly helped them, not fighting. Not fighting their early determination, their intensity. We didn’t match them from the beginning. We had chances.”

Sheldon McClellan had 15 points and Jaylen Bond added 12 for the Longhorns who are still missing the ball-handling and playmaking ability of suspended guard Myck Kabongo.

Kabongo’s not eligible to return until Feb. 13.

”We had a lot of turnovers. I had a lot of turnovers,” McClellan said. ”We’ve just got to do a better job of taking care of the ball.”

The Longhorns, who snapped a five-game skid by beating Texas Tech last Saturday, still have not won a road game in five tries this season. They’ve also lost five of their last seven against the Wildcats, including three straight in Manhattan.

Kansas State tried to help them out with its early foul trouble.

McGruder couldn’t believe it when he heard two quick whistles, and neither could Weber when Irving joined him on the bench. The Wildcats’ first-year coach at one point got into a shouting match with officials that covered the entire width of the court.

The way Texas was executing, it didn’t matter who Kansas State played.

During one haphazard stretch, Texas turned the ball over five times in six possessions, and the one time it got a shot off, McClellan tossed up an air ball.

The Wildcats took advantage by putting together an 8-0 run. By the time Texas coach Rick Barnes called for a timeout, the Wildcats had pulled ahead 21-9 with 8 1/2 minutes left in the half.

Texas finally ended its drought when McClellan scored in transition, and in the process ran over Spradling. Trainers rushed out and pushed a towel against his bloody face, and after a few seconds on the bench, Spradling was accompanied to the Kansas State locker room.

Now without three key contributors, Kansas State continued to build on its lead.

Lawrence, who averaged just 2.4 points, matched his career high with 10 in the first half. Shane Southwell had his five first-half points during a stretch that included an intentional foul on the Longhorns’ Javan Felix that helped Kansas State take a 31-13 lead.

”It started with our defense. We turned them over,” Weber said. ”We got so many steals, turnovers, deflections. Omari ran the court, Angel pushed it. We got some inside looks, moved the basketball. That was the best part of it. That’s why we were able to survive.”

Texas had twice as many turnovers (12) as made field goals at the half, going 6 of 23 from the field and missing both of its 3-point attempts. And its 19 points barely eclipsed the season-low for a half – they managed 17 in the first half of a loss to Georgetown in December.

Felix finally got things going for Texas early in the second half, going straight to the rim for easy layups on three straight possessions. But McGruder, back on the court, made a three-point play with 17 1/2 left to put a stopper in the Longhorns’ momentum.

Gipson scored three straight baskets to answer another Texas salvo, and a pull-up 3-pointer by Spradling in transition pushed the Wildcats’ lead to 53-33 with less than 13 minutes to go.

Kansas State used a 14-2 run a few minutes later to put the game away.

”This was a pretty easy one to figure out,” Barnes said. ”If you weren’t ready to play right from the beginning, the rebounding, the mood – this is what you get. We definitely deserve what we got, because we didn’t do anything right in a lot of ways.”

— Associated Press —

Missouri and Arkansas State agree to football series

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riggertMizzouThe University of Missouri has wrapped up its search for a final opponent for its 2013 football schedule, as Mizzou and Arkansas State University have agreed to a home-and-home series, with games in 2013 and 2015.  This season’s game will be played in Columbia on Sept. 28th, with the return game scheduled for Sept. 12, 2015 in Jonesboro, Ark.  Kickoff times for all 2013 Mizzou Football games will not be set until SEC television selections are made this summer.

Arkansas State is coming off a 10-3 season which saw the Red Wolves claim the Sun Belt Conference Championship.  Arkansas State concluded their 2012 season with a 17-13 win over 25th-ranked Kent State in the GoDaddy.com Bowl in January.  Mizzou and Arkansas State have played twice previously, with the Tigers claiming wins in 2004 (52-20 in Columbia) and 2005 (44-17 in Kansas City).

“We’re very pleased to finish out our 2013 schedule with a quality opponent such as Arkansas State,” said Executive Associate Director of Athletics Bryan Maggard.  “Due to recent changes in the Sun Belt Conference, we were able to secure this game, and we appreciate the efforts of Arkansas State’s administration in making this happen,” he said.

Mizzou’s 2012 schedule was ranked as the most difficult in the nation, according to the Sagarin Rankings, and Head Coach Gary Pinkel’s troops will face off in 2013 against eight teams which reached bowl games last year (the 11 FBS opponents were a combined 41 games over .500 in 2012).  The Tigers will open up their second year as part of the Southeastern Conference on Aug. 31st with a home game against Murray State of the Football Championship Subdivision, then play host to Toledo (9-4 in 2012) on Sept. 7th.  Following an off week, Mizzou will hit the road for the first time to take on the Indiana Hoosiers (4-8) in Bloomington, Ind. on Sept. 21st.  Non-conference action will conclude with the aforementioned Arkansas State visit to Faurot Field on Sept. 28th.

The Tigers then hit the road for two straight games to begin SEC play, with away contests at Vanderbilt (9-4) on Oct. 5th, followed by a game at Georgia (12-2) on Oct. 12th.  That sets up a three-game homestand, as Mizzou will welcome Florida (11-2) on Oct. 19th, South Carolina (11-2) for Homecoming on Oct. 26th and Tennessee (5-7) on Nov. 2nd.  A pair of road games surround an open date on Nov. 16th, as the Tigers will play at Kentucky (2-10) on Nov. 9th and at Ole Miss (7-6) on Nov. 23rd.  Thanksgiving Weekend football will return to Faurot Field as the regular season will conclude with a Nov. 30th matchup between the Tigers and the Texas A&M Aggies (11-2).

— MU Sports Information —

Benedictine hires Pick-Cooper as next volleyball coach

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BCThe Benedictine College Athletic Department and Athletic Director Charlie Gartenmayer have announced the hire of Erin Pick-Cooper to the head volleyball coaching position.

“We are pleased that Coach Cooper is joining our staff here at Benedictine,” said Gartenmayer. “She brings a wealth of experience at many levels of volleyball and we are excited to have her become part of the Benedictine community.”

Coach Cooper’s most recent stop was at defending Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) Champion MNU in Olathe where she served as an assistant from 2010-11.

Prior to MNU she severed as an assistant coach at Mercer University in Macon, Ga.

The head coaching position at Benedictine will be her third head coaching job as she previously served as head coach at Dodge City Community College from 1999-2001 and Seminole State College from 2001-2007.

“I’m excited to become part of the Benedictine community,” said Coach Cooper. “A lot of the colleges that I’ve been at haven’t had the feel that Benedictine has. This really feels like it can be a home away from home for me.”

She built the volleyball program at Seminole from scratch, guiding it to a No. 9 ranking in just three years after inception of the program. She was named Coach of the Year in 2004 and guided Seminole to a NJCAA Region II championship in 2004 and a runner up finish in Region II in 2005 and 2006.

“I look forward to being able to work with an athlete for four years,” said Coach Cooper. “When I was coaching at the junior college level, I felt like I was just getting to see the greatness in a player and they moved on to play somewhere else.”

Coach Cooper will begin her duties as head coach on Feb. 1 and will hit the ground running, getting to know the current group of Raven volleyball players and beginning the recruiting process.

“I’m going to need to get know what we have first,” Coach Cooper said. “Then we’ll see what we still need.

“Having spent time with MNU, I’ve seen what it’s going to take to be at the top of the conference and a look forward to making that climb with Benedictine.”

Benedictine went 7-23 this past fall and 2-7 in the HAAC. They qualified for the HAAC Postseason Tournament but were knocked out by MNU in the quarterfinal round.

— BC Sports Information —

Mizzou Athletics announces $8.3 Million gift from Walsworth Family

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riggertMizzouDon and Audrey Walsworth of Marceline, Missouri, have given a nearly $8.3 million gift to the University of Missouri Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Through their generous gift, the Walsworth family will support athletic department facility improvements and expansions, including renovations to Memorial Stadium and a new clubhouse for the men’s and women’s golf teams at The Club at Old Hawthorne.  The new clubhouse will house coaches’ offices, team locker rooms, indoor heated hitting bays and the latest in swing instruction technology.

“We are so very grateful to the Walsworth family for everything they contribute to the University,” MU Athletic Director Mike Alden said. “Their support for Mizzou Athletics over the years has been inspiring, and this announcement is yet another example of how they will provide a positive impact on student-athletes for generations to come.”

Don Walsworth, an MU alumnus and CEO of the Walsworth Publishing Company Inc., is a former chairman of the University of Missouri Board of Curators. He says this gift is an opportunity for his family to give back to the university that has meant so much to them.

“The university has been very good to us over the years, including our children and grandchildren,” Walsworth said. “This gift is indicative of the fantastic leadership of the university and the athletic department, including the outstanding coaches and staff. We are so pleased with the organization and administration. We love the move to the SEC and how far athletics has advanced to achieve national prominence in so many different sports. Our gift is also for the-student athletes, as we believe their education should come first—an ideal I know our family shares with the university.”

“I can’t emphasize enough how much this means for our golf program,” said Mark Leroux, men’s golf coach. “The new facility will be an integral part of training our student-athletes and helping them improve their skills, but it also will greatly benefit our recruiting process as well.  With this facility in place, it’s going to be a tremendous boost to both the men’s and women’s programs here at Mizzou. We are so very thankful to the Walsworth family for everything they have done, and continue to do for the University of Missouri and for Mizzou Athletics.”

“The Mizzou women’s golf program is so grateful for the support of the Walsworth family, and we are so excited for our new facility. Our players will truly have a place to call home like never before,” Stephanie Priesmeyer, women’s golf coach, said. “When I played, and even when I began coaching twelve years ago, facilities really didn’t matter much in women’s golf, from a recruiting standpoint.  But now it’s everything, and the new facility will allow us to be even more competitive with the top programs in the country.”

Don and Audrey’s son, Ed, and daughter, Lynn, played on the Mizzou golf teams while attending MU, and their son, Don, Jr., was an Academic All-American golfer at Stanford University. The Walsworth family has shown their generosity to MU and the Tiger Scholarship Fund many times throughout the years. This gift brings the Walsworth family’s total giving to MU to nearly $14 million.

— MU Sports Information —

No. 2 Kansas holds off West Virginia for 18th straight win

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KUTravis Releford and Jeff Withey both scored 15 points and No. 2 Kansas nearly relinquished a double-digit lead before beating West Virginia 61-56 on Monday night to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 18 games.

Kansas (19-1, 7-0 Big 12) shot 54 percent from the field in the first-ever meeting between the schools. The Jayhawks have held their last six opponents under 60 points.

Ben McLemore added 13 points for Kansas, which is in the middle of a stretch of six of nine games on the road.

Aaric Murray had 17 points and Juwan Staten added 14 for the Mountaineers (9-11, 2-5), who fell to 0-4 against ranked opponents this season.

West Virginia used several steals to trim a 15-point deficit to eight at halftime but never took the lead in the second half.

Staten scored three straight baskets, including a jumper that pulled the Mountaineers within 48-46 with 10:19 left. But they fell silent over the next 3 minutes.

McLemore, Kansas’ leading scorer who sat on the bench for most of the first half in foul trouble, hit a layup and made two free throws on the next trip down the court during a 7-0 run that put the Jayhawks ahead 55-46 with 7:33 left.

West Virginia never recovered. The Mountaineers managed just four field goals over the final 10 minutes.

West Virginia coach Bob Huggins could have picked up a $25,000 bonus for a regular-season win over Kansas, something that was included in a contract extension signed in November.

But the Mountaineers shot just 37 percent and Huggins fell to 0-5 all-time against the Jayhawks.

Without any players averaging in double-figure scoring for the season, Huggins has jumbled his lineups this season to try to come up with size matchups and points production.

Lately, not much has worked.

West Virginia has lost five of six games. With 11 games left in the regular season, the Mountaineers are in jeopardy of missing the NCAA tournament for the first time under Huggins, their sixth-year coach.

Freshman Eron Harris, who led West Virginia in scoring at nearly 16 points over the last three games, was limited to two points on 0-of-4 shooting.

Kansas held West Virginia without a field goal over the game’s first 7 minutes. Withey, who had a 25-pound weight disadvantage to West Virginia’s Deniz Kilicli, scored eight of Kansas’ first 14 points and he reached double figures midway through the half.

The Jayhawks twice built a 15-point lead before getting sloppy, and West Virginia trimmed the deficit to 38-30 at halftime.

— Associated Press —

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