College – Page 234 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Huskers ride hot shooting to 82-66 victory over Penn State

Posted on February 14, 2017February 14, 2017

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Glynn Watson Jr. and Jack McVeigh scored 15 points apiece to lead four Nebraska players in double figures, and the Cornhuskers used their best shooting half of the season to set the tone in an 82-66 victory over Penn State on Tuesday night.

Jordy Tshimanga and Tai Webster had 12 points each for the Huskers (11-14, 5-8 Big Ten), who ended a three-game losing streak.

Tony Carr had 15 points and Lamar Stevens added 13 to pace Penn State (14-13, 6-8), which lost for the first time in three games.

The Huskers shot 63 percent in the first half. McVeigh scored five points at the start of a 10-3 spurt that got them out to a 34-25 lead, and he beat the buzzer with a swish from the half-court line to make it 45-37 at half.

Freshman Isaiah Roby brought some flair in the middle of the second half with back-to-back dunks to give Nebraska a 63-47 lead. He threw down a lob from Evan Taylor and followed with a left-handed jam after taking a pass from Watson during a 9-0 run.

The Huskers led by as many as 24 points and finished the game shooting 55.4 percent. They came into the game shooting 42.8 percent in conference games.

Penn State shot just 31 percent in the second half and 39.7 percent for the game.

Tshimanga, who was 6 for 7 from the field, led an inside effort that saw the Huskers outscore the Lions 46-28 in the paint.

BIG PICTURE

Penn State: The Lions didn’t show up offensively and missed a chance to get to .500 in Big Ten play.

Nebraska: The Huskers did show up offensively and created some momentum for a two-game road trip to Ohio State and Michigan State.

UP NEXT

Penn State hosts Purdue on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

Nebraska visits Ohio State on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

KU’s Jackson named National Freshman of the Week for the second time

Posted on February 14, 2017February 14, 2017

ST. LOUIS – Kansas freshman guard Josh Jackson has been named the Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Week for the second time this season, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) and the Wayman Tisdale Award committee announced on Tuesday.

In the last two games, Jackson has averaged 22.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.0 steals and shot 16-for-28 from the field. Jackson posted a career-high 31 points with 11 rebounds at Texas Tech on Feb. 11. During Monday’s epic comeback victory over No. 9 West Virginia he contributed 14 points and 11 boards.

Matt Norlander of CBSSports.com, who collaborates with the USBWA to present the Tisdale Freshman of the Week, praises Jackson as, “No freshman in America has had a better three-week run than Jackson, who’s helped keep Kansas on the No. 1 (NCAA Tournament seed) line while averaging a double-double in the process.”

The 6-foot-8 guard has nine double-doubles this season, including five in the last six games. During that six-game span, Jackson has averaged 20.1 points and 9.2 rebounds. His 31 points at Texas Tech were the most by a KU freshman since Andrew Wiggins scored 41 points at West Virginia on March 8, 2014.

Jackson was previous named the Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Week on Jan. 17 this season.

The Detroit native has seven Big 12 Conference weekly honors this season as a two-time Big 12 Player of the Week and five-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week. His seven Big 12 weekly honors are the most ever by a Jayhawk in one season.

— KU Athletics —

Former Wildcat Collin Klein hired as K-State’s quarterbacks coach

Posted on February 14, 2017

MANHATTAN, Kan. – One of the greatest quarterbacks to ever don a Kansas State uniform, Collin Klein has been hired as the Wildcats’ new quarterbacks coach, head coach Bill Snyder announced Tuesday. Klein replaces Del Miller, who announced his retirement on Monday following a 45-year coaching career with 20 years of service at K-State.

A 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist who guided the Wildcats to the Big 12 Championship, Klein returns to Manhattan after serving one year as the quarterbacks coach on Mark Farley’s staff at Northern Iowa.

“Shalin and I are very excited to come back home,” said Klein. “I’m very grateful to Coach Farley and UNI for the experience and opportunity they provided me this past year. Looking ahead, I am eager to get to work with and develop the great young talent at K-State. I am thankful to Coach Snyder for the opportunity to return to a place that I love while learning and growing under his leadership. I also want to express my thanks to Coach Miller, who helped be grow as both a quarterback and a person, and I want to build upon the success he has enjoyed coaching quarterbacks at K-State. We are thrilled to be back as a part of the Manhattan community and Wildcat Family.”

Klein was an assistant director of recruiting operations and quality control coach under Snyder in 2014 before taking over as an offensive graduate assistant the following year.

“Following Del will not be the easiest thing for one to do, but Collin – having been tutored under Del’s guidance – will do well,” Snyder said. “Fortunately, Del will remain with us through the spring to continue to mentor Collin during the out-of-season program and in spring practices. Collin will serve as the quarterback coach and Andre Coleman will coordinate the passing game along with Dana Dimel.

“Collin is a great person: caring, loyal, hard working, responsible and disciplined,” Snyder continued. “He will be received well by his peers, players and support staff, as will his lovely wife Shalin. Collin has a love and passion, not only for football, but even more so for guiding youth toward successful lives. Our program has always been centered around achieving success in five different areas of a young man’s life: becoming the best they possibly can with their faith, their family, as a person, a student and a football athlete. Collin represents those priorities as well as any player we have ever had.”

“I feel very fortunate and thankful that this position is going to a young man that I mentored in Collin Klein,” Miller added. “He holds the same values that I do and I appreciate. He’s a good person. He will be a good teacher, motivator and recruiter. I think our players will be in good hands.”

During his lone season in Cedar Falls, Klein tutored a pair of quarterbacks that split reps in Eli Dunne and Aaron Bailey. Dunne finished the year throwing for 1,175 yards and seven touchdowns, which was highlighted by a 418-yard, two-touchdown outing against Missouri State en route to FCS National Performer of the Week honors. Bailey totaled 882 yards and six touchdowns through the air, while he rushed for six scores.

During his previous two seasons on staff at K-State, Klein helped guide Jake Waters to a school-record 3,501 passing yards in 2014 and assisted Joe Hubener and Kody Cook in leading the Wildcats to a bowl in 2015 by splitting time at quarterback.

The 2012 Johnny Unitas Award winner, Klein finished his Wildcat career ranking in the school’s top 10 in 34 different game, season and career record categories. He was the first quarterback from a Power 5 school since 1998 to rush for at least 20 touchdowns and pass for 10 scores in consecutive seasons after doing so in 2011 and 2012. Klein led the Wildcats to a combined 21-5 record as the starting quarterback in 2011 and 2012, which culminated with a No. 1 national ranking, Big 12 Championship and Fiesta Bowl berth in 2012.

— K-State Sports —

No. 3 Kansas rallies to beat No. 9 West Virginia 84-80 in OT

Posted on February 13, 2017

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Frank Mason III had 24 points, including two free throws to cap a frantic comeback from 14 down in the final three minutes of regulation, and No. 3 Kansas stunned No. 9 West Virginia 84-80 in overtime Monday night to assume control of the Big 12 race.

Devonte Graham added 18 points, hitting two of his five 3-pointers in the extra period, and Josh Jackson added 14 points and 11 rebounds as the Jayhawks (23-3, 11-2) avenged a loss in Morgantown while extending their lead over fourth-ranked Baylor to two games in the league standings.

Esa Ahmad scored 20 points and Tarik Phillip had 18 for the Mountaineers (20-6, 8-5), who appeared to have the game locked up when they led 64-50 with 2:58 left in the second half.

Kansas answered with some more Allen Fieldhouse magic.

Spurred on by their own version of a full-court defense, the Jayhawks began forcing turnovers and turning them into easy baskets. And by the time Graham curled in a 3-pointer, Phillip threw the ball away and Mason made a pair of free throws, it was 71-all with 21.6 seconds left in regulation.

The Mountaineers called a timeout with 16.1 seconds to go to set up a final play, and they managed to get Phillip isolated on the wing. But his long 3-pointer clanked off the iron as the buzzer sounded.

Graham’s 3-pointers helped Kansas score the first eight points of overtime.

The Jayhawks had their 51-game winning streak at the Phog snapped by Iowa State just more than a week ago, but they still have not lost consecutive home games since February 1989. They also have never been swept in the regular season by a Big 12 foe in 14 years under coach Bill Self.

West Virginia has never beaten the Jayhawks at the Phog in five tries.

The Mountaineers scored the game’s first 10 points to silence a record-breaking crowd, only for the Jayhawks to answer with a 16-0 run spanning nearly five minutes. Lagerald Vick was the instigator, hitting back-to-back 3s when nobody else in a Kansas uniform could hit much of anything.

The Mountaineers soon regained their composure and took a 39-32 lead into the locker room, then kept the Jayhawks at arm’s length throughout much of the second half.

But it wasn’t the Mountaineers’ vaunted Press Virginia defense that caused problems for Kansas. It was some stingy half-court defense, which prevented the Jayhawks’ guards from getting open looks on the perimeter or finding creases to get to the basket.

That is, until the final few minutes of regulation.

NO BUFFER NEEDED

Kansas fans set the record for loudest indoor crowd cheer at 130.4 decibels just before tipoff, breaking the mark set by Kentucky fans in a game against the Jayhawks at Rupp Arena last month.

Kentucky fans needed some help from legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer to get charged up for their record-breaking attempt. Their counterparts at Kansas needed no such assistance in establishing a threshold verified by a representative from the Guinness Book of World Records.

BIG PICTURE

West Virginia squandered a chance to get back in the Big 12 race, not to mention pick up a marquee road win that would have helped with NCAA Tournament seeding next month.

Kansas was dreadful shooting from the floor for most of the night, only to heat up when the game was on the line. It was the kind of back-against-the-wall performance the Jayhawks have put together so many times while winning 12 consecutive Big 12 championships.

UP NEXT

West Virginia begins a two-game homestand Saturday against Texas Tech.

Kansas visits No. 4 Baylor on Saturday for a top-five tilt.

— Associated Press —

Missouri Western baseball loses series finale at Arkansas-Fort Smith

Posted on February 13, 2017

FORT SMITH, Arkansas – The Missouri Western baseball team (3-7) fell 6-2 to Arkansas-Fort Smith wrapping up six games over four days.

NOTABLES
– Alex Heuring connected for his first home run of the season to lead off the fifth inning

– Dusty Stroup knocked a triple and Nick Gawley a double to extended their hitting streaks to five games

– David Glaude reached base safely for the 10th consecutive game with a single in the third inning

– Arkansas-Fort Smith narrowly outhit Missouri Western 9-8

– The Griffons and Lions both strand eight runners on base

– UAFS pitchers recorded 11 strikeouts

TOP PERFORMANCES
– Ryan Smith went 2-for-2 at the plate

– Alex Heuring and Dusty Stroup combined to drive in both Griffon RBIs

– Dion Williams was 3-for-4 for Arkansas Fort-Smith

UP NEXT
Missouri Western travels to Washburn for a non-conference series beginning Feb. 24 in Topeka, Kan.

— MWSU Athletics —

Mizzou Athletics receives record ninth, seven-figure gift for football facility

Posted on February 13, 2017

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has received its ninth, seven-figure gift toward the new south end zone facility at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field which is scheduled to open ahead of the 2019 football season. An anonymous donor made a $2 million gift toward the project, which is currently being designed by the Kansas City-based architecture firm Populous, last Friday.

“With the Board of Curators approving Populous as the facility’s architect and the continued generosity of our donors, there continues to be tremendous momentum for this facility which is so important to the long-term future of Mizzou Athletics, and in particular our football program” said Mizzou Director of Athletics Jim Sterk. “We are so grateful for the donors who continue to come forward with transformational gifts to help make this a reality for our student-athletes, staff and fans.”

This gift marks the project’s ninth, seven-figure gift in the past eight months, which is a fiscal year record for Mizzou Athletics (the previous high was six such gifts). To date, more than $46 million has been secured in private donations for the new facility.

“We’re really excited to continue the momentum from our donors, and coming on the heels of the Board’s action last week, this is great news,” said Mizzou Head Football Coach Barry Odom. “We are very grateful to the Board of Curators for their support of this project, and I’m looking forward to working with the Populous team as we design a facility that will be one of the best in the country.”

Populous was approved last Thursday by the University of Missouri Board of Curators as the architect for the $96.7 million project, which is scheduled to be completed by 2019. Recognized as one of the nation’s premier sports architect firms, Kansas City-based Populous has completed major football projects since 2012 for Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Kansas State and Colorado while designing the three newest on-campus FBS stadiums in Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium, Baylor’s McLane Stadium and Colorado State’s Sonny Lubick Field, which debuts in 2017.

The Mizzou project will include a four-story football team facility in the south end zone at Memorial Stadium/Farout Field as well as new premium seating opportunities for Tiger football fans.

In addition to providing a new state-of-the-art home for Mizzou Football and creating new revenue streams for Mizzou Athletics through premium seating opportunities, the new facility will also have an impact on the Central Missouri economy, as a recent study conducted by Plano, Texas-based Convention, Sports and Leisure projects a $700 million regional impact from the project along with 1,200 new jobs.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder diagnosed with throat cancer

Posted on February 13, 2017February 13, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP and POST) — Hall of Fame coach Bill Snyder has been diagnosed with throat cancer, though treatments are going well and he says in a statement that he expects to be on the field for spring practice in March.

The 77-year-old Snyder addressed his health in a statement Monday, after rumors began circling that he was seeking treatment for an undisclosed illness. Snyder was born in St. Joseph in 1939 and was a graduate of Lafayette High School.

Snyder said he has been receiving outpatient treatment at University of Kansas Medical Center with consultation from the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for about three weeks. Snyder added that both sets of doctors have “projected a positive outcome.”

“I have been diagnosed with throat cancer and have been receiving outpatient treatment at the KU Medical Center for about three weeks and am getting along very well. The doctors and staffs at both KU Med and M.D. Anderson (in Houston, Texas) have been great; working so very well together to finalize the overall treatment plan which is being conducted in Kansas City. Both ‘teams’ have projected a positive outcome and have worked out a schedule that allows me to be in Kansas City for my regular treatments and still be back in the office on a regular basis through the first week of March.

Kansas State begins spring practice March 29. The spring game is April 22.

— Associated Press —

Western baseball gets swept at Arkansas-Fort Smith

Posted on February 12, 2017

FORT SMITH, Arkansas – The Missouri Western baseball team (3-6) dropped a doubleheader to Arkansas-Fort Smith Sunday, falling 6-2 in game one and 10-2 in game two.

NOTABLES
– Missouri Western got on the board in game one with a single by David Glaude and a Nick Gawley sacrifice fly but would strand two runners.

– Griffon pitchers combined for four strikeouts in the first game

– Eighth inning of game two saw Missouri Western have bases loaded with back-to-back walks and a hit by pitch but that’s the only damage they would do

– Arkansas-Fort Smith drew 17 walks in the two games

TOP PERFORMERS
– David Glaude went 2-for-3 with one RBI in game one

– Bailey Zimmer was 3-for-4 and scored a run in game two

– Jace Pitchford paced Arkansas-Fort Smith at the plate in second game, going 1-for-2 with four RBIs and two sacrifice flies.

UP NEXT
Missouri Western travels to Washburn for a three-game series beginning Friday, Feb. 24.

— MWSU Athletics —

Lindsey Cunningham’s career-high 21 leads Mizzou women past Arkansas

Posted on February 12, 2017February 12, 2017

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball (17-9, 7-5) beat Arkansas, 67-56, on Sunday night, earning its fourth consecutive home win. With the victory, Mizzou clinched its fifth consecutive winning season for the first time since 1985-1990.

The Tigers completed their first season sweep over the Razorbacks since joining the SEC. Mizzou is now 13-1 at home during the 2016-17 campaign and have seven conference victories overall for the third straight season.

Mizzou scorched the nets Sunday, shooting 59.1 percent from 3-point range, its best performance from deep in conference play, as the Tigers claimed their ninth double-digit win this season. Mizzou made at least 10 triples as a team for the fourth time in 2016-17 and the third time against an SEC opponent.

Redshirt senior Lindsey Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) poured in a career-high 21 points to lead Mizzou and added six rebounds. She made a career-high five three-pointers, shooting 5-of-5 from beyond the arc. She’s now put together three perfect games this season from three-point range.

Freshman Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) tallied 11 points and a career-high 10 rebounds to seal her first career double-double. Mizzou improved to 5-0 this season when Smith reaches double digits.

Sophomore Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) contributed 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists. She has scored at least 10 points in eight of the Tigers’ 12 conference games.

The Razorbacks took an early lead in the first quarter, but Mizzou catapulted in front with hot-shooting from beyond the arc. Mizzou drained six three-pointers, with five different Tigers making at least one, in the first period of play to take a 20-16 lead through 10 minutes of action.

Mizzou hit three more treys to begin the second quarter as the Tigers’ first nine field goals of the game all came from three-point range. After the Cunningham sisters knocked down a triple each on back-to-back possessions, the Tigers owned a 10-point advantage. Mizzou ended the opening half on a 16-6 run and entered the break up 41-25.

Arkansas clawed back to within 11 midway through the third quarter but the Tigers seized momentum back behind the efforts of Smith. The freshman got an offensive rebound and putback on two consecutive possessions to push Mizzou back up 17. Lindsey Cunningham hit another three-pointer to beat the buzzer at the end of the frame and the Tigers entered the final quarter with a 55-38 lead.

Sophie Cunningham sealed the victory with eight points in the fourth quarter. She’s scored in double figures in four consecutive games.

Mizzou finished the night shooting 16-of-20 (80 percent) from the free throw line. The Tigers have now shot 70 percent or better from the charity stripe 23 times in 26 contests.

Mizzou heads to Gainesville, Fla., next to take on Florida on Thursday. Tip is set for 6 p.m. CT

— MU Athletics —

Missouri State comes up short at home against Northern Iowa

Posted on February 12, 2017

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Jeremy Morgan had 18 points with five rebounds and four assists and Northern Iowa edged Missouri State 55-52 on Sunday.

Bennett Koch added 14 points and seven rebounds and Klint Carlson had 10 points for the Panthers (13-12, 8-6 Missouri Valley), who have won three straight and eight of their last nine.

Dequon Miller and Jarred Miller had 12 each for the Bears (15-12, 6-8), who have lost three straight and five of six. Obediah Church had 12 rebounds and Alize Johnson 10 as Missouri State had a 41-24 advantage on the boards.

The Bears had a 15-0 run in the first half but Morgan had back-to-back 3-pointers in the last minute and the Panthers trailed 28-27 at the break. Morgan’s 3 with 4:57 to play put Northern Iowa up 52-45 with 4:57 to play but the Panthers missed their last four shots. But Missouri State, which missed 10 straight, only made two of its last four down the stretch.

Neither team shot 40 percent.

— Associated Press —