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Author: Dave Riggert

Western women use big second half to cruise past UNK, 71-50

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The Missouri Western women’s basketball team forced 30 turnovers and outscored Nebraska-Kearney by 14 points in the second half cruising to the 71-50 victory. The Griffons were led by JaQuitta Dever and Heather Howard with 14 points apiece as the Griffons improve to 10-3 overall and 3-2 in MIAA play.

The Griffons forced 15 turnovers and made all six of its free throws claiming a 33-26 halftime lead. The Griffons played 13 players with with all of them playing more than two minutes.

The Griffons and the Lopers played the first 6:10 of the game to a tie at 12. A Sharniece Lewis three with 13:37 to play gave the Griffons the lead for the rest of the half. Four straight free throws by Alex Saxen and Dever gave the Griffons its largest lead of the half at 24-16 with 5:58 to play.

UNK cut the Griffon lead to 28-25 after a Melissa Norman free throw with 3:21 to play but the Griffons closed on a 5-1 run which was capped by a three by Brittany Griswold giving MWSU the seven point half time lead.

Ten different Griffons scored in the half with Howard leading the way with seven points and five rebounds. The Lopers were led by Shelby Zimmerman with seven points on 3-of-6 shooting.

Howard opened the second half hitting a jumper and a three giving MWSU the 38-26 lead with 18:27 to play. The Lopers fought back cutting the Griffons lead to six at 40-34 after an Nicole Arp layup with 15:27 to play.

The rest of the game belonged to the MWSU outscoring the Lopers 31-16 on their way to their largest victory of the season. All 14 players saw the floor for the Griffons with eleven scoring at least two points.

Dever dumped in 12 of her 14 points in the second half helping the Griffons score 23 points off turnovers. They also had 19 steals to go along with 11 assists. Alicia Bell and Dever each had four steals while Lanicia Lawrence dished out five assists. The Griffons made 20-of-25 free throws and 22-of-60 field goals. The Griffons dominated the bench points scoring 42 to the Lopers 15.

The Lopers shot just 37.3-percent (19-51) in the game with Norman collecting a double-double scoing 13 points and snaring 15 rebounds. The Lopers fall to 4-8 overall and 1-4 in MIAA play.

The Griffons return to action on Saturday, January 12 hosting rival Northwest Missouri State University. Game time is set for 1:30 pm from the MWSU Fieldhouse in St. Joseph, Mo.

— MWSU Sports Information —

McLemore leads Kansas past Iowa State in overtime

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Ben McLemore came around a screen set by Travis Releford, took a pass from Elijah Johnson and then let a 3-pointer rip from well beyond the arc as the final seconds ticked away.

As soon as it left his hand, McLemore dutifully yelled, ”Bank!”

It would have counted even if he hadn’t.

The shot banked off the glass and went through the net, pulling sixth-ranked Kansas into a tie with Iowa State with a single second left in regulation. Their game Wednesday night went to overtime, and the Jayhawks scored the first nine points to wrap up a stunning 97-89 victory.

”The way it left my hand, I knew it was going to hit the backboard,” said McLemore, who finished with a career-high 33 points – and was apparently wise enough to call his dramatic shot off the glass, just in case anybody wanted to argue it was a lucky make.

Including his own coach, Bill Self.

”We executed perfectly,” Self said. ”Travis set a great screen and Ben was fortunate, because he didn’t call glass, I’m sure.”

McLemore ended up 10 of 12 from the field and was perfect on six 3-pointers for the Jayhawks (13-1, 1-0 Big 12), who have won 12 straight as they pursue a ninth consecutive Big 12 title.

One that might be a little more difficult than previously thought.

Iowa State (10-4, 0-1) poured in 14 3-pointers, and had forged a 79-76 lead after two free throws by Korie Lucious with 8.4 seconds left in regulation. But that’s when Cyclones coach Fred Hoiberg chose not to foul, and that allowed McLemore to let loose with his tying 3.

”It backfired on us. That’s the breaks of the game,” Hoiberg said. ”I wish it would have swished. I would feel better about myself right now if that didn’t bank in.”

McLemore, who also made a key four-point play late in the game, added another 3-pointer to open overtime, and the Jayhawks used a series of free throws to seal the win.

Withey finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Johnson and Releford scored 12 each for the Jayhawks, who have won 22 straight league openers and 30 in a row at Allen Fieldhouse.

”We had the formula to lose that game. We were down with a couple minutes left, they kept getting offensive rebounds and scoring, and Ben just took over,” Withey said. ”The last couple minutes, he had the four-point play and then the last play was unbelievable.”

Melvin Ejim had 19 points and Lucious added 15 for the Cyclones, though he missed the front end of a one-and-one late in the game that could have helped Iowa State secure the win.

Will Clyburn finished with 16 points, Georges Niang had 13 and Chris Babb and Tyrus McGee added 11 each for the Cyclones, who have lost 13 of their last 14 to the Jayhawks.

”We know we let one slip away,” Hoiberg said. ”But at the same time, if you come in here and compete with a team that’s won eight championships in a row, you can compete with anyone.”

Iowa State came into the game leading the Big 12 in scoring, and its hoist-a-3 offense was at work from the opening minute, when Niang poured in two quick shots from beyond the arc.

Johnson matched him with two 3-pointers of his own, and that began a back-and-forth 20 minutes that featured nine lead changes. And even when the Jayhawks built a 40-32 lead, Iowa State managed to whittle it to 42-38 by the break.

Kansas pushed it back out to 48-40 in the opening minutes of the second half, but the Cyclones’ half-court defense buckled down. The Jayhawks went their next seven possessions without scoring, turning it over three times and failing to get a single offensive board.

Iowa State put together a 12-1 run that included 3-pointers on consecutive trips by Babb deep on the wing, and the second one gave the Cyclones a 54-49 lead with 13 minutes left.

The only points Kansas scored for nearly nine minutes came on three free throws.

The drought finally ended when Withey stepped in front of a pass on the wing, tipped the loose ball ahead to Releford, and he dunked in transition. But Hoiberg quickly called a timeout, and that served to quiet the crowd and rein back the Jayhawks’ momentum.

Lucious poured in two 3-pointers down the stretch, and another from McGee from well beyond the arc gave Iowa State a 73-67 with 3:59 left. The teams kept trading blows, and a basket from Ejim inside gave the Cyclones a 77-73 lead with a minute remaining.

Johnson made the second of two free throws for Kansas, and Lucious was fouled. He missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Johnson’s driving layup made it 77-76 with 14.5 seconds left.

Lucious was fouled again with 8.4 seconds to go, and this time he made both of his attempts to restore a three-point cushion. But with time winding down, Johnson found McLemore coming open on the wing, and the freshman knocked in the shot of the night as Allen Fieldhouse erupted.

”I mean, when it left my hand, I actually called, ‘Bank!”’ McLemore insisted. ”It was a good release and it went in, so I’m glad.”

— Associated Press —

Six Griffon football players named to Don Hansen All-Super Region Three team

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Six Griffon football players were named to the 2012 Don Hansen All-Super Region Three Team which was was announced Wednesday (Jan. 9).

Quarterback Travis Partridge, running back Michael Hill and offensive lineman Macon Allan were selected to the first team offense while defensive end David Bass was selected first team defense. Defensive end Ben Pister and saftey Shane Simpson were selected to the third team.

Michael Hill, a finalist for the 2012 Harlon Hill Trophy, was named the Super Region Three Offensive Player of the Year rushing for for 2,168 yards and 16 touchdowns while leading the Griffons to a school record 12 victories and the quarterfinals of the NCAA-II playoffs.

The Don Hansen team carries out the legacy of long-time small college football advocate Don Hansen, who passed away at age 75 on Aug. 29, 2010. Hansen, from Brookfield, Ill., started and published Don Hansen’s National Weekly Football Gazette for three decades, selecting NCAA Division II All-America teams for the first time in 1988. Don Hansen’s Football Gazette began selecting Division II All-Region squads in 2003.

The first-team and second-team All-Region selections advance to a national ballot from which the 2012 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America team will be named later this month.

Great America Conference champion Henderson State University led the way with eight honorees, while NCAA Division II playoff participants University of Minnesota-Duluth and Northwest Missouri State University had seven honorees apiece. Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference champion and national semifinalist Minnesota State University and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association champion Missouri Western State University received six selections apiece.

A total of 103 players earned some form of Don Hansen All-Super Region Three honors. Players from 38 of the 46 football-playing schools in Super Region Three earned All-Region accolades.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Royals invite 21 players to Major League spring training

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The Kansas City Royals announced on Wednesday the club has invited 21 non-roster players to Major League Spring Training in Surprise, Ariz.  Among the invitations are nine pitchers, four catchers, four infielders and four outfielders.

Pitchers (9):

Blaine Boyer, 31, is 9-14 with a 4.81 ERA in 233 Major League relief appearances for the Braves (2005-09), Cardinals (2009), Diamondbacks (2009-10) and Mets (2011).  The 6-foot-3, 245-pound right-hander from Marietta, Ga., is a groundball specialist, allowing just 17 home runs in 234.0 innings.  He was signed as a minor league free agent on January 3, 2013.

22-year-old Sugar Ray Marimon pitched for both Wilmington (High A) and Northwest Arkansas (AA) in 2012.  He was a Carolina League All-Star, posting a 4-2 record with a 2.12 ERA in 14 games (nine starts) before his promotion to the Naturals.  Marimon, a 6-foot-1 right-hander from Cartagena, Colombia, was signed by the Royals as a non-drafted free agent on November 20, 2006.  He earned a win for Colombia over Nicaragua on November 16, 2012 in World Baseball Classic qualifying and also tossed 5.0 scoreless innings over two appearances for Licey in the Dominican Winter League this offseason.

Michael Mariot, 24, was the Northwest Arkansas (AA) Pitcher of the Year in 2012, recording a 6-3 record with a 3.40 ERA in 31 games, including 14 starts.  The University of Nebraska product is a 5-foot-11 right-hander from Southlake, Texas, who was selected by the Royals in the eighth round of the 2010 Draft.

34-year-old right-hander Brian Sanches returned to the Royals organization on a minor league contract on November 20, 2012 after nearly 10 years with other clubs.  Sanches was the Royals’ second-round selection in 1999.  He pitched in the Kansas City system until August 26, 2003 when he was traded to San Diego for outfielder Rondell White.  The 6-foot-1 Nederland, Texas native has made 195 career appearances, all but two in relief, in the Majors with the Phillies (2006-07, 2012), Nationals (2008) and Marlins (2009-11), recording a 13-7 record with a 3.75 ERA in 235.0 innings.

Atahualpa (at-ah-WALL-pa) Severino, 28, posted a 3-0 record with three saves and a 2.81 ERA in 46 relief stints for Syracuse, Washington’s Triple-A affiliate, in 2012.  The left-hander was signed to a minor league contract on November 14, 2012.  Born in Cotui, Dominican Republic, Severino saw his only Major League action in 2011 with the Nationals, recording a 1-0 record with a 3.86 ERA in six games.

Left-hander George Sherrill, 35, is 19-17 with 56 saves and a 3.77 ERA in 442 career Major League appearances, all in relief, for the Mariners (2004-07, 2012), Orioles (2008-09), Dodgers (2009-10) and Braves (2011).  The 2008 American League All-Star made just two appearances for Seattle in 2012 before undergoing Tommy John surgery on his left elbow on May 4.  Born and raised in Tennessee, the current Utah resident has held left-handed batters to a .186 batting average in his Major League career. He was signed to a minor league deal on December 12, 2012.

Yordano Ventura, 21, was the 2012 Wilmington Pitcher of the Year, a Carolina League All-Star and tossed a scoreless inning as the starting pitcher for the World squad in the SiriusXM MLB Futures All-Star Game in Kansas City on July 8, 2012.  The 5-foot-11 resident of Samana, Dominican Republic, opened 2012 at Wilmington, posting a 3-5 record with a 3.30 ERA in 16 starts.  Signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Royals on October 8, 2008, the right-hander also made six starts for Northwest Arkansas.

25-year-old Ryan Verdugo was a Pacific Coast League All-Star and member of the All-PCL Team in 2012.  The southpaw also made his Major League debut for the Royals in July in a start.  Verdugo was 12-4 at Omaha (AAA) with a 3.75 ERA in 27 games (24 starts).  He was acquired by the Royals from the San Francisco Giants on November 7, 2011.

Dan Wheeler, 35, is 25-43 with a 3.98 ERA in 589 outings over a 13-year Major League career for the Rays (1999-2001, 2007-10), Mets (2003-04), Astros (2004-07), Red Sox (2011) and Indians (2012).  Born in Rhode Island but now living in Florida, the right-hander split the 2012 campaign between the Cleveland Indians and Triple-A Columbus.  He signed a minor league contract with the Royals on December 16, 2012.

Catchers (4):

28-year-old Adam Moore was claimed on Outright Waivers from the Seattle Mariners on July 7, 2012 and appeared in four games with the Royals in September.  The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder has appeared in the big leagues for parts of the last four seasons, playing 72 games.

Manuel Pina was re-signed by the Royals after appearing in 49 minor league contests for Surprise (R) and Northwest Arkansas (AA) in 2012, as well as one game with the big league club in September.  The 25-year-old from Venezuela missed the first three months of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his right knee during Spring Training.

28-year-old Max Ramirez remains in the Kansas City system after initially signing as a minor league free agent on December 14, 2011.  The resident of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, has appeared in the Majors with the Texas Rangers in 2008 and 2010.  Ramirez spent all of 2012 with Omaha, batting .300 with 17 home runs and 77 RBI in 110 games.

Julio Rodriguez, 23, was acquired by the Royals with left-handed pitcher Antonio Cruz from the Detroit Tigers for infielder Wilson Betemit on July 20, 2011.  The Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic resident was a minor league All-Star in 2008, 2010 and 2011 and named the Dominican Tigers Player of the Year in 2008.  Rodriguez batted .234 in 67 games for Northwest Arkansas a season ago.

Infielders (4):

23-year-old Christian Colon was the Northwest Arkansas Player of the Year and a Texas League All-Star in 2012.  The middle infielder saw his season end prematurely in mid-August due to a right eye injury after batting .412 in five games for Omaha.  Colon, the club’s first round pick (fourth overall) in 2010 out of Cal State-Fullerton, hit .289 with five home runs and 12 stolen bases in 73 games for Northwest Arkansas.  The right-handed batter is hitting .301 with 13 stolen bases in 39 games for Ponce in the Puerto Rican Winter League.

Anthony Seratelli, 29, hit .299 with 17 doubles, 17 home runs and 66 RBI in 115 games for Omaha in 2012.  The versatile switch-hitter also stole 15 bases.  The Royals purchased Seratelli from the Windy City ThunderBolts of the Frontier League on February 27, 2007.

38-year-old Miguel Tejada, signed as a minor league free agent on December 31, 2012, is a six-time All-Star and was the 2002 American League MVP after batting .308 with 34 home runs and 131 RBI with Oakland.  The 15-year veteran is a career .285 hitter with 304 home runs, 1,282 RBI and 463 doubles in 2,118 games for the A’s (1997-2003), Orioles (2004-07, 2010), Astros (2008-09), Padres (2010) and Giants (2011).  Tejada played 36 games for Triple-A Norfolk in 2012 and is currently batting .284 with nine doubles, four home runs and 19 RBI in 34 games for Aguilas in the Dominican Winter League.

Infielder Brandon Wood, 27, spent 2012 at Triple-A Colorado Springs in the Rockies organization, batting .259 with 10 home runs and 64 RBI on 119 games.  The former top prospect in the Los Angeles Angels system has played in 272 Major League contests since his debut with the Angels as a 22-year-old in 2007.  He is a career .186 hitter with 18 home runs for the Angels (2007-11) and Pirates (2011).  Wood signed a minor league contract with the Royals on November 19, 2012.

Outfielders (4):

Endy Chavez, 34, an 11-year Major League veteran, signed a minor league deal with the Royals on December 26, 2012.  He made his debut in 2001 with Kansas City after the Royals selected him from the New York Mets organization in the 2000 Rule 5 Draft.  The 6-foot resident of Valencia, Venezuela, is a career .269 hitter with 118 doubles, 32 triples, 26 home runs, 229 RBI, 341 runs and 100 stolen bases for the Royals (2001), Expos (2002-04), Nationals (2005), Phillies (2005), Mets (2006-08), Mariners (2009), Rangers (2011) and Orioles (2012).  The left-handed hitting and throwing outfielder appeared in 64 regular season games with Baltimore last season, also playing in three Division Series games against the Yankees.  Chavez hit .276 with 15 walks in 30 games for Magallanes in the Venezuelan Winter League.

26-year-old Luis Durango hit .289 and stole an International League-leading 46 bases in 62 attempts for Triple-A Gwinnett in 2012, serving as the club’s primary centerfielder.  The 5-foot-9 switch-hitter from Panama has played 39 games in the Major Leagues for the San Diego Padres in 2009 and 2010, hitting .292 with seven stolen bases in eight attempts.  Durango, who signed a minor league deal on November 8, 2012, competed for Caribes in the Venezuelan Winter League, batting .286 with six steals and playing all three outfield positions.

Xavier Nady, 34, has played 11 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Padres (2000, 2003-05), Mets (2006), Pirates (2006-08), Yankees (2008-09), Cubs (2010), Diamondbacks (2011), Nationals (2012) and Giants (2012).  He is a career .270 hitter with 101 home runs and 406 RBI in 939 games.  The 6-foot-2, 215-pound right-handed hitter and thrower split 2012 between the Nationals and Giants organizations, playing 59 games at the Major League level.  Nady signed a minor league pact on December 18, 2012.

Willy Taveras, 31, is a seven-year Major League veteran who has compiled a .274 career average with 195 stolen bases for the Astros (2004-06), Rockies (2007-08), Reds (2009) and Nationals (2010).  The Dominican Republic resident led the National League with 68 stolen bases in 75 attempts for Colorado in 2008.  Taveras is currently batting .255 with nine stolen bases in 52 games for Obregon in the Mexican Winter League.

Pitchers and catchers will report to Surprise on Monday, February 11.  Workouts for pitchers begin the following day, Tuesday, February 12.  The remainder of the squad will report on Thursday, February 14 and begin workouts for the 2012 campaign on Friday, February 15.

— Royals Media Relations —

Seven Bearcats earn All-Region honors from Don Hansen

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Seven Northwest Missouri State Bearcats earned All-Super Region Three honors Wednesday announced by the Don Hansen Football Committee.

A trio of Bearcats earned first-team honors led by defensive standouts Nate DeJong and Collin DeBuysere. Senior offensive lineman Rod Williams joined the defensive stars on the first-team and was also named First-Team All-Region by Daktronics in last month, helping the offense averaged 41 points per game, the eighth best mark in NCAA Division II.

DeJong and DeBuysere combined for 12 interceptions on the year as Northwest led NCAA Division II with 28. DeJong led the team with seven picks while DeBuysere was the second leading tackler with 74 and added a team-high nine tackles for a loss.

Also earning all-region accolades were defensive lineman Travis Chappelear and punter Kyle Goodburn being named to the second-team. Kicker Todd Adolf, who was a Fred Mitchell Award finalist, joined cornerback Brandon Dixon on the third-team. The Northwest defense was one of the best in the nation holding opponents to 13 points per game, the third lowest total in NCAA II.

Chappelear was the third leading tackler for the Bearcats with 62 tackles and added 8.0 tackles for a loss. The senior blocked two kicks and recorded 1.5 sacks with one forced fumble as he was also invited to play in the 2013 Casino Del Sol College All Star game at Kino Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.

Goodburn led the MIAA in punt average and was fourth in the nation averaging 44.2 yards per punt.

The Don Hansen team carries out the legacy of long-time small college football advocate Don Hansen, who passed away at age 75 on Aug. 29, 2010. Hansen, from Brookfield, Ill., started and published Don Hansen’s National Weekly Football Gazette for three decades, selecting NCAA Division II All-America teams for the first time in 1988. Don Hansen’s Football Gazette began selecting Division II All-Region squads in 2003.

The first-team and second-team All-Region selections advance to a national ballot from which the 2012 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America team will be named later this month. A total of 103 players earned some form of Don Hansen All-Super Region Three honors. Players from 38 of the 46 football-playing schools in Super Region Three earned All-Region accolades.

MWSU baseball earns preseason rankings

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The Missouri Western Griffon Baseball team is receiving praise in the 2013 preseason polls that have been released up to this point. Three polls have been released in preparation for the upcoming season and the Griffons are ranked in the top 40 in the nation in two of them.

Missouri Western’s highest ranking is a No. 25 selection in Collegiate Baseball Lineup’s Preseason Poll. The Griffons are ranked 37th in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Poll.

The Griffons were 34-17 a season ago finishing second with a 26-12 MIAA record. MWSU gets the 2013 season underway February 10-11 when they will take on the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys in a pair of doubleheaders in Russellville, Ark.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Missouri pulls away from Alabama to win SEC debut

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Laurence Bowers has been enjoying a big comeback season for No. 10 Missouri, leading the Tigers in scoring and second in rebounding entering the school’s SEC debut.

Now he’s hurt again.

The senior forward injured his right knee with about 6 minutes left in an 84-68 victory over Alabama on Tuesday night when teammate Phil Pressey landed on his leg underneath the Missouri basket and coach Frank Haith believed Bowers sprained the MCL.

Bowers, who missed all last season with a torn ACL in his left knee, will undergo an MRI on Wednesday. Bowers, who finished with 16 points and five rebounds in 31 minutes, smacked his hands together, showing his frustration, when he returned to the end of the bench with about 4 minutes to go.

”They’re going to look at it,” Haith said. ”We don’t know the extent of it. We’re concerned when any of our guys get hurt.”

Bowers has four double-doubles and is averaging nearly 17 points and seven rebounds.

Jabari Brown hit a career-high five straight 3-pointers after an early miss and Pressey responded from a shaky first half with 11 points and 13 assists. Pressey slightly sprained an ankle when he collided with Bowers but missed less than a minute.

Trevor Releford had a career-best 26 points with three 3-pointers and topped 1,000 points for Alabama (8-6, 0-1), which has lost six of eight. Coach Anthony Grant lost for the first time in seven career conference openers, three at VCU and four at Alabama.

Missouri shot 59 percent from the field in the second half. The Tigers shot 56 percent overall and were 9 for 15 from 3-point range.

”We couldn’t get stops,” Grant said. ”To me, that was the story of the second half. Whether it was the press, transition, half-court, we did not defend the way we would need to defend to be able to come on the road against an opponent like Missouri and get a win.”

Brown scored a career-high 22 points on 7-for-11 overall shooting, three days after making only one of nine attempts in a two-point victory over Bucknell. The Oregon transfer has scored in double figures in four of five games since becoming eligible at the semester break.

”Coach always tells me, ‘Don’t get down on yourself, don’t let one play discourage you,”’ Brown said. ”So I’ve just been having that mindset and I’m glad that game was history.

”It feels like the basket gets bigger out there.”

Earnest Ross added a season-best 19 points for Missouri (12-2, 1-0) and Alex Oriakhi helped the Tigers pull away with 10 of his 16 points over the final 11 minutes. He grabbed 11 rebounds. Oriakhi powered for two inside baskets in a 9-2 run that put the Tigers up 62-51 with 9 minutes to go and Alabama got no closer than six points the rest of the way.

”Just being aggressive,” Oriakhi said. ”I posted harder and my teammates found me.”

Releford, who is from Kansas City and was recruited by Missouri, scored 19 points in the first half to top his average of 15.6. But he took just one shot over the first 8 1/2 minutes of the second half. The junior is the 46th player in school history to score 1,000 points but just the seventh with 1,000 points and 140 steals.

Releford said about 30 supporters were in a crowd of 13,895, the biggest of the season but a little more than 1,000 shy of capacity.

”I think it was a good opportunity to come back and play close to home and have my family come out and see me play,” Releford said. ”But I treated this game like any other SEC game.

”I just wanted to come in, get a win and worry about the next game after that.”

Pressey had eight assists in the first half, largely negated by four turnovers including two giveaways in a span of just over a minute. One was so glaring he grabbed Levi Randolph for an intentional foul.

Missouri survived those mistakes behind 6-for-10 3-point shooting, with Brown going 3 for 4 and Ross 2 for 2.

Alabama’s best stretch was a 12-0 run for a 19-17 lead, with two baskets apiece from Releford and Pollard.

Missouri won despite getting outrebounded for the second straight game, giving up a 32-27 advantage to Alabama after Bucknell had a 39-38 edge. The Tigers lead the nation in rebounding and outrebounded their first 12 opponents.

— Associated Press —

Former Griffon David Bass to play in East-West Shrine Game

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Former Missouri Western defensive end David Bass will be participating in the annual East-West Shrine Game on Saturday, January 19, 2013 in St. Petersburg, Florida. The game will be played at Tropicana Field home of the Tampa Bay Rays. Bass is the second Griffon to have the opportunity to play in the shrine game. Bass will be on the east squad. Last season St. Louis Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein became the Griffon to play in the game.

Since 1925 the East-West Shrine Game® has been more than just a football game. It’s been a showcase for the next generation of NFL greats and a priceless benefit event for Shriners Hospitals for Children®. The East-West Shrine Game is the longest-running all-star college football game, combining great football with a great cause and creating experiences for players that will last a lifetime.

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to age 18 with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the families’ ability to pay.

– Players and coaches visit Shriners Hospitals for Children — Tampa before the game.

– Games, crafts and other activities bring together college football players and children for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

– Coaches and players gain a personal understanding of the meaning of the game.

Throughout the history of the East-West Shrine Game®, players have been chosen because they are the very best in the country. In fact, there are 246 former East-West Shrine Game players on current NFL rosters.

Each year the players visit a Shriners Hospitals for Children® as part of their game-week activities. For many players, this visit is an opportunity to develop a philanthropic relationship that can last a lifetime.

Coaching the East-West Shrine Game is as significant an honor as playing. The coaches are former NFL coaches selected for their knowledge, experience and accomplishments throughout their careers. Each head coach brings along with him three of his own assistant coaches to round out his lead team. The coach for the West squad in 2013 is Leeman Bennett and Jerry Glanville will coach the east.

— MWSU Sports Information —

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