College – Page 257 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Kansas State to play Texas A&M in AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl

Posted on December 4, 2016

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Riding a 5-1 record over the final half of the 2016 season, including three straight wins to secure its fifth eight-win season since 2010, K-State Nation is heading to Houston for the first time since 2006 as Kansas State Athletics Director John Currie announced today that the Wildcats have accepted an invitation to play in the 2016 AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl on Wednesday, December 28.

The game, which dates back to 2006 when K-State played in the inaugural bowl matchup, pits the Big 12 and the SEC and will be played at NRG Stadium at 8 p.m. CT, with a nationwide television audience watching on ESPN. The Wildcats’ opponent from the SEC will be announced later this evening.

“I am very proud of our team and coaches for another terrific season and earning our seventh-straight bowl invitation,” said Currie. “With season ticket holders from 44 different states and a national fan base that features more than 250,000 friends and alumni across the country, including more than 3,000 in the Houston area, we are excited to showcase our football program and Kansas State University in the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl against an SEC opponent. I know our fans are excited to again showcase their unprecedented support, which includes 33-straight sellouts at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, in one of America’s largest cities while our football student-athletes, coaches and staff are provided a first-class experience.”

The Wildcats (8-4) will be playing in their 20th bowl game in school history and 18th under Bill Snyder as the Cats are 7-10 all-time in bowls under the legendary and hall of fame head coach. Following 11-straight bowls from 1993-2003 under Snyder, the Cats have now gone bowling in each of the last seven seasons and will be making the program’s second appearance in the Texas Bowl.

“Congratulations to Coach Snyder, his staff and our student-athletes for being selected to the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl,” said President Richard Myers. “We are very excited to be headed to Texas and representing the Big 12 Conference. This provides a fitting end to a successful season, and we look forward to our fans continuing a great K-State tradition by turning Houston purple.”

K-State heads into bowl season as one of the hottest teams in college football, winning five of its last six games, including the final three. The Wildcats’ road to the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl began with a tough road loss at No. 8 Stanford and followed with five wins over the next seven games, including Big 12 wins over Texas Tech, Texas and Iowa State. Following a tough fourth-quarter loss to Oklahoma State, K-State won at Baylor for the first time since 2002 and also kept the Governor’s Cup trophy in Manhattan for the eighth straight season under Snyder with a 34-19 win over in-state rival Kansas. The Wildcats wrapped up their regular season with a dominating 30-6 victory at TCU.

In addition to a Big 12-leading 29 selections to the Academic All-Big 12 team and the No. 1 football Academic Progress Rate (APR) in the Big 12, excitement in Wildcat football was also evidenced by six sellout crowds at Bill Snyder Family Stadium this season, which ran K-State’s consecutive sellout streak to 33 games.

“We are proud of the young men in our program for the way they improved throughout the season and very pleased to represent Kansas State University and the Big 12 Conference in the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl,” said head coach Bill Snyder. “The Texas Bowl is a first-class bowl organization with a rich history, and we appreciate the entire bowl staff for their efforts and support of our program.

“We have a wonderful fan base, and so many people that save up their nickels and dimes throughout the course of the year, and the only vacation they take is the one after our (regular) season is over. They love to attend bowls and it’s why we have such great attendance year in and year out at bowl games. They are fully invested in our program and this means a great deal to them.”

— K-State Athletics —

Nebraska selected to play in the Music City Bowl against Tennessee

Posted on December 4, 2016

The University of Nebraska has been selected to participate in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn. The Huskers will take on the Tennessee Volunteers of the Southeastern Conference on Friday, Dec. 30 with kickoff at 2:30 p.m. CT.

The Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl will be televised nationally on ESPN and is played at Nissan Stadium, the home of the Tennessee Titans.

Head Coach Mike Riley is guiding his 10th team to a bowl game, including two at Nebraska and eight at Oregon State. Riley owns a 7-2 record in bowl games and his 78 percent winning percentage ranks fifth in NCAA history among coaches who have appeared in at least eight bowl games.

“We are excited about the invitation to complete the 2016 season in the Music City Bowl,” Riley said. “This is a great opportunity to finish our year in an outstanding bowl game and compete for a 10th win against an excellent Tennessee team. As a staff, we are looking forward to spending the additional practice time with this team and preparing for a strong performance.

“I know our players, coaches and fans will enjoy the trip to Nashville, and we anticipate a great week of activities and an excellent football game.”

The appearance in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl will be the first-ever for the Huskers, and Nebraska’s second bowl game in the state of Tennessee, adding to an appearance in the 1977 Liberty Bowl. The Music City Bowl is Nebraska’s 53rd all-time bowl appearance, tying for the second-most bowl appearances of any school in the country. Nebraska has appeared in a bowl game in 46 of the past 48 seasons, and the Music City Bowl will mark the 16th bowl in which Nebraska has participated.

“The University of Nebraska is extremely honored to accept an invitation to the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl,” University of Nebraska Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst said. “The Music City Bowl is an exceptional Big Ten bowl partner, Nashville is a world-class city and this will be a great destination for our student-athletes, staff and the best fans in college football.”

Nebraska enters the game with a 9-3 record, including a 6-3 mark in Big Ten Conference play. The Huskers’ four-game improvement during the regular season marked the Huskers biggest increase in regular-season victories since 1962.

Tickets for the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl go on sale to the public at Huskers.com beginning at 7 p.m. on Sunday evening. Nebraska will receive an allotment of 8,000 tickets to the game. Tickets are $85 each, with club seating available for $120 per ticket. Beginning Monday morning, tickets can also be purchased by calling the Nebraska Athletics Development and Ticketing at 1-800-8-BIG RED or in person at the ticket office in the Stadium Drive Parking Garage. Fans can purchase tickets by using VISA, MasterCard or Discover.

The meeting with Tennessee will mark the third-ever matchup between the Huskers and Vols, all in bowl games. Nebraska defeated Tennessee in the Orange Bowl following the 1997 season, to clinch a national championship. Two seasons later, Nebraska defeated Tennessee in the Fiesta Bowl to close a 12-1 season.

Tennessee will come into the game with an 8-4 record and is making its 52nd all-time bowl appearance which is tied for fourth in the nation. Tennessee spent much of the first half of the season in the top 10 in the national rankings. The Vols feature a high-powered offensive attack, averaging 36.2 points and 437.2 yards per game.

Coach Butch Jones is completing his fourth season at Tennessee and his 10th season overall as a college head coach. He has taken eight of his 10 teams to bowl games, and previously served as the head coach at Central Michigan (2007-09) and Cincinnati (2010-12).

— NU Athletics —

K-State women defeat Omaha for Jeff Mittie’s 500th career victory

Posted on December 4, 2016

OMAHA, Nebraska – Kansas State took its hot start to the season on the road for the first time this season and responded with a 70-57 over Omaha at Baxter Arena on Sunday. The win was head coach Jeff Mittie’s 500th career victory in his 25th season of coaching.

Mittie’s career coaching record now stands at 500-262. He is the 29th active NCAA Division I head coach to register 500 or more career wins. In three seasons at K-State, Mittie is 46-27 including two postseason appearances.

Kansas State (8-0) was led by the senior tandem of Breanna Lewis and Kindred Wesemann. Lewis notched her second double-double of the season and her 14th of her career with 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting and 12 rebounds. Wesemann reached double figures for the eighth time this season with 13 points and five rebounds.

Omaha (4-4) was led by Mikaela Shaw and Remy Davenport with 18 and 15 points, respectively.

Kansas State shot 42.1 percent (24-of-57) from the field and held Omaha to a 31.7 percent (19-of-60) effort. K-State was strong from the foul line, converting at an 85.0 percent clip (17-of-20).

For the eighth straight game, K-State held the edge on the glass, 41-28. K-State has won 29 straight games when outrebounding its opponent.

K-State jumped in front with a 10-5 lead, as Lewis scored six straight points. Omaha closed out the opening frame on a 10-2 run to hold a 15-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Omaha built a 23-16 lead with 7:29 to play in the first half, as Ellie Brecht knocked down her first 3-pointer of the afternoon. Kansas State held the Mavericks to five points for the remainder of the quarter, ending the second with a 19-5 run.

Wesemann knocked down a pair of 3-pointers during the run, while Lewis added seven. Lewis ended the first half with 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting.

Kansas State fired out of the halftime locker room and increased its lead to 42-30 with 7:14 to play in the third quarter. Shaelyn Martin and Lewis tallied all seven points amongst themselves during the early 7-2 run.

The Wildcats held a 10-point lead entering the fourth quarter, 52-42, and would increase the advantage to 17, 60-43, with 6:31 to play following a fastbreak layup by Karyla Middlebrook. Omaha chipped away at the K-State lead and would get as close as 10, 65-55, with 1:58 remaining. Wesemann knocked down her third 3-pointer of the game with 1:41 left to end the Mavericks’ comeback attempt.

Kansas State returns to Bramlage Coliseum on Wednesday, Dec. 7, to face UT Arlington at 7 p.m.

— K-State Athletics —

Kansas women lose in overtime at Alabama

Posted on December 4, 2016

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Kansas women’s basketball was three seconds away from handing Alabama its first loss of the season, but the Crimson Tide weren’t ready to let go of its perfect record and sent the game into overtime with a last minute 3-point shot. Following the game-tying shot, Alabama surged ahead and handed Kansas its first overtime loss of the season, a 71-65 decision in favor of the Crimson Tide, on Sunday morning inside the Coleman Coliseum.

Alabama (7-0) and Kansas (3-4) met for the fourth time in program history as a part of the 2016 Big 12/SEC Challenge, as Bama took a 3-1 lead in the series. With the 71-65 loss, Kansas falls to 2-1 in overtime games in 2016-17 and 3-1 in overtime games under head coach Brandon Schneider. Like most of the game, the final five minutes of overtime was neck and neck with both teams battling to take control and the lead. In the final minute of the game, the Jayhawks were forced to foul in order to stop the clock, as Alabama pulled away with the victory after nearly suffering its first loss of the year.

Redshirt sophomore guard McKenzie Calvert led Kansas’ offense with her fifth double-digit scoring performance of the season after netting 15 points. Junior forward Chayla Cheadle added 12 points, her second-straight double-digit outing, while senior forward Jada Brown contributed a season-high 11 points, her first double-figure effort of the year. Redshirt junior guard Jessica Washington finished the game two points shy of her first double-double as a Jayhawk after dishing out a season-best 10 assists.

Entering Sunday’s matchup, Alabama was averaging nearly 50 rebounds per game compared to Kansas’ 40. Despite the numbers coming into the game, KU walked away outrebounded the Crimson Tide, 59-54. The Jayahwks also outscored Alabama in the paint, 34-32. In a game that saw neither team establish a solid lead in four minutes of play, the game was tied on 12 occasions and saw 16 lead changes.

The Crimson Tide matched KU’s three in double figures as junior forward Quanetria Bolton led Alabama with 18 points behind 6-of-15 shooting from the floor. Jnior guard Meoshonti Knight netted 17 points with a 6-of-13 effort, while junior guard Hannah Cook finished with 10 points, three of which proved to be the most important of the game.

Alabama took the lead right out of the gate in the first quarter, but Cheadle kept the game within reach after making the first four points for the Crimson and Blue. Calvert gave Kansas its first lead, 7-5, at the 7:10 mark in the opening period after making a three-point play the old fashioned way. The Jayhawks and Crimson Tide traded baskets and the lead until four unanswered points allowed Alabama to pull ahead late in the quarter. Brown closed out the first 10 minutes with five-straight points to bring KU within two points of Alabama, 16-14.

Cheadle scored the first six of nine Kansas points to lead the Jayhawks’ offense in the first quarter, as Brown ended the period just behind with five points. Kansas connected on just 25 percent of its shots, but finished the period making 86 percent of its attempts from the free throw line. KU outrebounded the Crimson Tide, 13-10, early in the ballgame. Kansas ended the game connecting on 31.1 percent of its attempts from the floor, including a 4-of-24 mark from the 3-point line.

Four minutes into the second period, Calvert tied the contest, 18-18, with a long jumper just inside the 3-point line. With three and half minutes to play in the first half, sophomore guard Aisia Robertson swiped a steal and ran it back to the other end for two, giving Kansas its first lead of the second quarter, 24-22. The Crimson Tide closed out the half with three unanswered points, but Kansas headed to the locker room with a 26-25 advantage at the end of the first 20 minutes of play.

Despite finishing the half just 26 percent from the field, the Jayhawks headed into the halftime break with the lead for the third time this season. When KU owns a 2-1 record when leading at the break. Cheadle led KU’s offense after netting eight first-half points, while Calvert added seven points. Kansas outrebounded the Crimson Tide, 28-26, in the first two quarters.

Sophomore guard Kylee Kopatich knocked KU’s first 3-pointer of the game in the opening minutes of the second half to maintain the Jayhawks’ lead over Alabama. The ballgame remained tied or within one possession as each team battled to gain momentum and solidify an advantage in the second half. Senior forward Lisa Blair scored her first points as a Jayhawk in the third, putting Kansas back on top, 33-32, with 4:56 to play in the third period. Late in the third quarter, Knight regained the lead for Alabama for the first time in the second half, 38-36. Just as the Crimson Tide took back the lead, senior guard Timeka O’Neal sank her first 3-pointer of the afternoon, giving Kansas the lead once again, 39-38. Brown made the final bucket of the third period as Kansas maintained its lead, 43-41, heading into the final 10 minutes of play.

With 7:27 to play in the fourth quarter, Alabama took back the lead, but it didn’t last long as Calvert came down the court and sank another KU trey to regain the advantage, 48-46. Unable to pull away, Kansas continued to hold on to a one-possession advantage over the Crimson Tide late into the fourth quarter. With nine seconds to play, Kansas got the ball back and was fouled, as Calvert headed to the line with a one-point Jayhawk lead. Calvert made both from the charity stripe to extend KU’s lead, 56-53. With three seconds left on the clock in regulation, Cook tied the game, 56-56, with her second basket of the game and forced teh game into overtime.

Brown maintained KU’s lead, 60-58, in overtime by scoring the first four Kansas points. With under two minutes to play, Alabama took a one-point lead over the Jayhawks, 61-60, its first lead since halfway through the fourth quarter, which the Crimson Tide would hold on to until the clock hit zero. Sophomore Shaquera Wade increased the Crimson Tide’s lead to four with another 3-pointer, as the final minutes of overtime approached. In the waning minutes of overtime, Kansas was forced to foul, which allowed Alabama to extend its lead and the Crimson Tide held on for the come-from-behind victory, 71-65.

Up Next
Kansas returns to Allen Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Dec. 7 to host Harvard. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.

— KU Athletics —

Missouri Western women falter late in 66-58 home loss to UCM

Posted on December 3, 2016December 3, 2016

ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western women’s basketball team had its 12-game home winning streak snapped on Saturday afternoon, falling 66-58 to Central Missouri.

HEADLINES
– Central Missouri closed the game on a 13-1 run
– Missouri Western led by four with 4:31 left, but did not make a field goal the rest of the game (0-5)
– It was the first home loss for the Griffons since Jan. 23, 2016 to Nebraska-Kearney and just the second home loss since Jan. 10, 2015 (25 games)

KEY MOMENT

– Julia Torres missed a layup with 3:32 left that would have given Missouri Western a 59-55 lead. The Griffons did not make another field goal the rest of the game an Central Missouri begin its 13-1 run following the missed layup.

TOP PERFORMERS
– Sefulu Faavae led the Griffons with 12 points
– Erin Anderson had a team-high eight rebounds along with eight points
– Julia Torres scored eight points with four rebounds and a team-high five points

UP NEXT

Missouri Western (7-2) travels to Northwest Missouri State on Tuesday, Dec. 5 for a 5:30 tip-off

— MWSU Athletics —

Griffons’ struggles continue with 17-point loss to Central Missouri

Posted on December 3, 2016

ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western men’s basketball team (1-7) couldn’t overcome a 14-point halftime deficit, eventually falling 76-59 to Central Missouri (5-1) Saturday afternoon in the MWSU Fieldhouse.

HEADLINES
– After trailing by 17 with 1:53 left in the first half, Missouri Western cut the UCM lead to nine with 10:19 left in the game off a Cole Clearman layup
– Central Missouri went on an 11-3 run after the Griffons cut the lead to nine, going back up by 17; the Mules didn’t lead by less than 16 the rest of the way
– Missouri Western shot 62.5 percent from the free throw line (6-19)
– Central Missouri shot 57 percent from the field, 52 percent from three-point range and 73 percent from the free throw line

KEY MOMENTS

– Central Missouri went on a 23-9 run in the first half after leading by just one point that stretched to 17 after the run
– Missouri Western opened the second half on an 8-2 run to cut the 14-point halftime deficit to eight with 17:27 to go in the game
– Jakob Lowrance hit a three-point field goal for Central Missouri to put the Mules up 54-42 with 10:19 left after Clearman’s layup had cut the lead to nine

TOP PERFORMERS
– Joe Hamilton led Missouri Western with 13 points on 4-9 shooting from the field
– Cole Clearman scored 11 points and Aaron Emmanuel added 10
– Boris Rajovic had a team-high five rebounds
– Emmanuel and Clearman each had five assists

UP NEXT

Missouri Western travels to No. 3 Northwest Missouri State (7-0) on Tuesday, Dec. 5 for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off

— MWSU Athletics —

Ertz runs for career-high 170 yards as K-State tops TCU 30-6

Posted on December 3, 2016December 3, 2016

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Jesse Ertz and Kansas State rushed to the end of coach Bill Snyder’s 25th regular season, and to another bowl game.

Ertz ran for a career-high 170 yards with a touchdown and Justin Silmon had 133 yards rushing with two touchdowns as the Wildcats won 30-6 at TCU on a drizzly Saturday.

“We just did what we do. I don’t think there was any secret or anything new we threw at them,” said Ertz, the junior quarterback who also had an 83-yard scoring pass. “I’m just looking to go 9-4 and finish out strong.”

Coach Bill Snyder got his 201st victory in 25 seasons with the Wildcats (8-4, 6-3 Big 12), who next will play in their 20th bowl game — the 19th under Snyder. Kansas State appears headed to the Houston Bowl to play an SEC team after winning five of its last six games.

“To finish it out strong … get that eighth win, it was very important for us,” Silmon said.

Kansas State ran for 336 yards, its sixth consecutive 200-yard game on the ground. The Wildcats have 17 rushing TDs their past four games.

TCU (6-6, 4-5) will play in its 14th bowl with Gary Patterson, even after finishing the regular season without a winning record for only the third time in the coach’s 16 full seasons and being held without a touchdown in a game for the first time since 2006.

“Really across the board we got thrown around by everybody,” Patterson said. “We’ve got to grow up on offense. Until they do that, we won’t win many games against good people.”

The Wildcats went ahead for good when Ertz broke free for a 32-yard TD run in the second quarter to make it 10-3.

Right after halftime, Ertz threw a quick slant to Byron Pringle, who caught the ball near Kansas State’s 30 and took off sprinting down the middle of the field on the 83-yard catch-and-run score. He escaped a defender diving at his ankles before going the final 20 yards.

Simlon had both of his TDs after halftime, including a 5-yard score when he avoided two tacklers in the backfield and then bulled through another defender.

“I think maybe the second half might have as been as good a half as we have played,” Snyder said. “Defensively, we played well across the board throughout the ball game.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Kansas St.: With Ertz effectively leading the way, the Wildcats continue to pound teams with their running game. Ertz has three 100-yard games and 99 in another in the last six games. Snyder said the Wildcats have gotten better overall each game.

TCU: Where has that fast-paced, high-scoring offense gone? TCU hadn’t been held without a touchdown in a decade, since a 12-3 home win over Texas Tech in 2006. The Horned Frogs also had only six points in their previous home game — They had an extra point blocked after a touchdown in a 31-6 loss to Oklahoma State two weeks ago.

HE SAID IT

“We’re going to have to grow up or go recruit. That’s what I told them I’m doing tomorrow, I’m going recruiting. Got to grow up. Can’t be shaking your head and putting your head down when you get beat. You got to grow up. That’s what 4-year-olds do. That’s not what men do. You got to grow up.” — Patterson.

BETTER THAN PREDICTED

Kansas State was the preseason pick to finish eighth in the Big 12. The Wildcats instead finished fourth. “Every year it seems like we come out and prove people wrong,” linebacker Trent Tanking said.

TAKEN AWAY

Both teams thought they had defensive touchdowns. TCU defensive end Josh Carraway scooped up what initially was ruled a fumble by Ertz and returned it 6 yards. Replay overturned the call to an incomplete pass. In the fourth quarter, officials ruled that TCU running back Kyle Hicks’ forward progress had been stopped before he fumbled and K-State took the ball to the end zone.

UP NEXT

Kansas State and TCU both wait to find out for sure Sunday where they will be going for their bowl games. While the Wildcats will likely return to Texas for their bowl game, the Horned Frogs could also be playing an SEC team in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis.

— Associated Press —

Mizzou holds on to defeat Western Kentucky

Posted on December 3, 2016

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — After a 62-52 loss to North Carolina Central Monday night, Missouri coach Kim Anderson required his players to practice the entire week without wearing team athletic gear.

He didn’t wear any either.

However unorthodox the method, it would appear the message got through.

Frankie Hughes had 18 points and four rebounds as Missouri narrowly escaped Western Kentucky in a 59-56 victory Saturday.

Kevin Puryear had 12 points and five rebounds, including 8 points in the second half, and Russell Woods scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds, tying a team high.

The Tigers (4-3) held a 10-point lead near the 12-minute mark, but the Hilltoppers whittled it away, mounting a 14-5 run while Missouri missed its final eight field goal attempts.

Pancake Thomas missed a 3-pointer with :04 seconds remaining and Missouri guard Cullen VanLeer secured off the rebound before being fouled. He sank two free-throws to extend the Tigers’ one-point lead before the Hilltoppers’ last-second half-court shot fell short. Thomas finished with nine points and five rebounds on 3-for-12 shooting.

Hughes stressed the impact of this win on the team’s morale.

“It’s most definitely a confidence booster,” Hughes said. “Of course, coming off the disappointment from last game, we were coming in with a locked-in mindset, just trying to basically focus in on what (the opponents) do, and just trying to get stops and let our defense create our offense.”

Anderson discussed the details of motivating his players following Monday’s loss.

“They worked hard all week,” Anderson said. “They worked hard in white cotton t-shirts and black cotton shorts that we bought from a local department store. They didn’t wear Missouri gear all week.”

Western Kentucky (3-5) jumped out to an early 9-3 lead while Missouri shot 3-for-13 from the field to start the game. Hughes was the only Missouri player to score for a 5:09 window of the first half, scoring 12 points, including three consecutive 3-pointers.

The Hilltoppers missed their final four shots of the first half, allowing Missouri to close on a 7-0 run. By halftime, the Tigers led 33-30 despite shooting 29-percent to the Hilltoppers’ 43.3.

Justin Johnson led the Hilltoppers with 14 points and five rebounds, and Que Johnson added 12 points and a team-best eight rebounds.

The Tigers outrebounded Western Kentucky 44-30, their largest rebounding margin since their season-opening 99-44 victory when they outrebounded Alabama A&M 43-29.�

“Probably a couple years ago, Missouri wouldn’t have won a close game, so give them some credit,” Western Kentucky coach Rick Stansbury said. “There’s no question this is Kim’s best team he’s had. He’s doing a really good job with them. When you win some close games like that, it gives your kids a lot of confidence, too.”

HIGHLIGHT REEL

With 12:04 seconds remaining, VanLeer stole the ball in the low post from Que Johnson and threw a full-court lob pass over several Western Kentucky players, finding Hughes in stride for a two-handed breakaway dunk.

HALFTIME HEAVE

Missouri undergraduate student Aaron Brown won $5,000 during the halftime show after sinking a half-court shot. Brown made more free-throws than another eligible contestant in order to advance to the grand prize opportunity.

BIG PICTURE

Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers are in the midst of a seven-game road stretch. They last played at home on Nov. 22 in a 77-56 win over North Carolina A&T and will return to E.A. Diddle Arena to host Ohio Dec. 21.

Missouri: Jackson is the Tigers’ leading scorer through seven games, averaging 14.1 points per game and 3.2 rebounds per game. Puryear is the second leading scorer on the team, averaging 11.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Puryear led Missouri in scoring as a freshman in 2015 with 11.5 points per game.

UP NEXT

Western Kentucky visits Indiana State Dec. 11.

Missouri hosts Miami (Ohio) Monday.

— Associated Press —

No. 4 Kansas cruises to 89-74 victory over Stanford

Posted on December 3, 2016

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Jerrod Haase received a long, loud ovation upon his return to Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday.

The rest of the cheers were for the Jayhawks.

Frank Mason III scored 20 points, Devonte Graham delivered an early 3-point barrage and fourth-ranked Kansas pulled away late for an 89-74 victory over Stanford, spoiling the return of the Cardinal’s coach to the building where he once starred as a player.

“Certainly an emotional day,” Haase said. “My emotions right now are more frustrated we didn’t play at a higher level, but for me personally, it means a lot — the reception.”

The Jayhawks (7-1) hardly greeted him as warmly, using their speed, depth and outside shooting to turn a 43-35 halftime lead into another rout at a building that has seen its share of them.

“We talked about how they packed the lane and how we were going to have to drive, pitch and drive it again,” Graham said. “We just did a good job of moving the ball, attacking bad close-outs and having the confidence to let them fly.”

Graham hit five 3s and finished with 15 points, and Josh Jackson and Svi Mykhailiuk added 13 points apiece, as the Jayhawks won for the 44th consecutive time in their old barn.

Reid Travis had a career-best 29 points and nine rebounds for Stanford (6-3), doing most of his damage at the free throw line. The career 54 percent free throw shooter was 19 of 22, breaking the school record for makes set by Todd Lichti against UC Santa Barbara during the 1987-88 season.

Travis also set records for makes and attempts in a game against Kansas. Rayford Young of Texas Tech hit 18 foul shots in February 1999 and Iowa State’s Craig Brackins attempted 21 in January 2009.

“I felt like my teammates did a great job of establishing me early, getting me in the post,” Travis said. “I knew I had to draw a lot of fouls, get us to the line early and get a rhythm going.”

After falling into an early deficit, Kansas coach Bill Self began going with a bigger lineup to deal with Travis in the paint, and that seemed to open up Graham on the perimeter. He knocked down all five of his 3-pointers in the first half, helping the Jayhawks to a 43-35 lead.

Stanford kept going to Travis inside, and the 6-foot-8 brute kept going to the free throw line. During two separate stretches of the second half, he made four free throws in less than a minute.

“He drew basically 17 fouls on four guys, so that just goes to tell you we didn’t play the scouting report,” Self said. “Our guys just played butt-behind and let him go wherever he wanted to go.”

The Jayhawks showcased their versatility in other areas, though.

Down the stretch, Jackson scored on a nifty dunk off an alley-oop pass, Mason got a tilting runner to go while crashing to the floor, and Mykhailiuk knocked down 3-pointers from the wing that sent the lead ballooning toward 20 late in the game.

BIG PICTURE

Stanford’s first-year coach played three seasons for the Jayhawks under Roy Williams, and later served as their director of basketball operations. Haase then followed Williams to North Carolina, but he was fondly received on Saturday, getting a massive ovation from an appreciative crowd.

“I remember clearly walking into Allen Fieldhouse when I was first recruited,” Haase said, “and I think I’ll remember the feeling at shootaround today, walking into the arena.”

Kansas snapped a two-game skid against the Cardinal that included an NCAA Tournament loss in 2014, when Andrew Wiggins and Co. couldn’t slow down Stanford in St. Louis. The Jayhawks were even able to get their benchwarmers some action for the third straight game.

STATS AND STREAK

Mason led the Jayhawks in scoring for the fifth time in eight games. … Kansas had 20 assists and only nine turnovers. … Travis was just 5 of 14 from the field. … Stanford was 2 of 8 from beyond the arc. … The Cardinal only had seven assists on 21 field goals.

UP NEXT

Stanford gets nearly two weeks off before playing Cal State East Bay on Dec. 16.

Kansas continues its six-game home stand against Missouri-Kansas City on Tuesday night.

— Associated Press —

Johnson, Sneed spark Kansas State past Saint Louis

Posted on December 3, 2016

ST. LOUIS (AP) — D.J. Johnson scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Xavier Sneed added 15 points to lead Kansas State to an 84-53 win over Saint Louis on Saturday.

The Wildcats won their second in a row following a 69-68 loss to Maryland on Nov. 26. Saint Louis now has lost four in a row.

Johnson dominated inside, hitting his first 10 shots from the field on the way to a 10-for-11 effort. Johnson had four of the Wildcats nine dunks.

Jermaine Bishop led Saint Louis (2-5) with 11 points.

Kansas State (2-1) used a 23-9 run over the final 11 minutes of the first half to break the game open. The Wildcats jumped out to a 13-5 lead on back-to-back baskets by Johnson. Sneed sank a pair of 3-pointers midway through the half to push the lead to 18-10.

Dean Wade added 13 points for Kansas State.

BIG PICTURE:

Kansas State: The Wildcats have scored 80 or more points in five of seven wins.

Saint Louis: Billikens coach Travis Ford, who coached at Oklahoma State, is 7-10 lifetime against Kansas State.

UP NEXT:

Kansas State: The Wildcats return home to host Prairie View A&M on Tuesday.

Saint Louis: The Billikens hit the road to face Wichita State on Tuesday.

— Associated Press —