College – Page 263 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Missouri loses a 63-37 shootout at Tennessee

Posted on November 19, 2016

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs made his final home game one to remember.

Not even having his team knocked out of the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division race could ruin his day.

Dobbs threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more scores — including a career-long 70-yarder — as Tennessee won a 63-37 shootout with Missouri on Saturday.

“I definitely had a blast,” Dobbs said. “It’s not really an end. We obviously still have a couple of games left, but it’s an enjoyable opportunity and I definitely enjoyed it tonight.”

Tennessee’s hopes of reaching the SEC championship game vanished when No. 21 Florida upset No. 16 LSU 16-10 earlier Saturday to clinch its second straight SEC East title.

“There’s still a lot to play for,” Dobbs said. “Our legacy’s on the line, how we want to leave Tennessee.”

Dobbs was 15 of 22 for 223 yards Saturday with two touchdown passes to Jauan Jennings and one to Josh Malone. He rushed for a career-high 190 yards on just 10 carries. He even helped lead Tennessee’s Pride of the Southland band after the game.

It was an impressive farewell to Neyland Stadium for a guy who has served as the face of Tennessee’s program while balancing his quarterback responsibilities with his academic demands as an aerospace engineering major.

“I’m not very political, but he could be the president of the United States if he wanted to,” Tennessee coach Butch Jones said.

The Vols (8-3, 4-3 SEC) won despite allowing 740 yards in total offense, the highest single-game total ever by a Tennessee opponent. Troy gained 721 yards in a 55-48 loss to Tennessee in 2012.

Damarea Crockett rushed for 225 yards and Ish Witter gained 163 yards to lead a 420-yard rushing attack for Missouri (3-8, 1-6). The Tigers gained 600-plus total yards for the fourth time this season.

“Offensively that’s a pretty good day,” Missouri coach Barry Odom said. “I didn’t have enough answers defensively to put us there to win it.”

Crockett had the second-highest single-game rushing total ever by a Tennessee opponent. Mississippi’s Dexter McCluster rushed for 282 yards against Tennessee in 2009.

Tennessee’s John Kelly rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown. Alvin Kamara ran for 55 yards and two scores.

The Vols were clinging to a 35-30 lead when Dobbs made a move around Missouri’s Thomas Wilson at the line of scrimmage and raced for a 70-yard touchdown with 13:20 remaining.

Tennessee took command from there.

THE TAKEAWAY

Missouri: The Tigers’ season-long kicking woes hurt them again Saturday.

Missouri missed an extra-point attempt for the fifth time this season at the end of the Tigers’ first series. Missouri also had gone 5 of 12 on field-goal attempts this season before Saturday.

The Tigers’ kicking game has struggled so much that they decided to go for it rather than attempting a field goal while facing fourth-and-12 from the Tennessee 20 early in the second quarter. After Missouri was penalized for a false start, the Tigers still kept their offense on the field to try converting the first down on fourth-and-17 from the 25. The drive ended with an incomplete pass.

Tennessee: The Vols’ defense remains extremely vulnerable, particularly against the run. Missouri put up huge numbers against Tennessee one week after the Vols allowed 443 yards rushing in a 49-36 victory over Kentucky. Tennessee also gave up 353 yards rushing to Texas A&M and 409 to Alabama this season.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

This win could help Tennessee get back into the Top 25. The Vols, who have been ranked as high as ninth this year, fell out of the rankings after an Oct. 29 loss at South Carolina. Tennessee was fourth in the “also receiving votes” section of the AP poll this week but was 19th in the College Football Playoff rankings.

KEY STATS

Tennessee has won three straight games and has scored over 40 points in all of them. This marks the first time since 1995 that the Volunteers have scored 40-plus points in three consecutive games. … Crockett now has rushed for 1,062 yards this season, the most ever by a Missouri freshman.

UP NEXT

Missouri hosts Arkansas on Friday.

Tennessee is at Vanderbilt on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

Northwest women defeat Rockhurst to stay unbeaten

Posted on November 19, 2016November 19, 2016

The Northwest Missouri State University women’s basketball team defeated Rockhurst, 78-67, on Saturday afternoon at Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Mo.

– Northwest improves to 4-0 overall while Rockhurst falls to 2-2.

– Tanya Meyer grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds and finished with 29 points. She surpassed her career high by the halftime break, grabbing nine in the opening 20 minutes.

– Jasmin Howe also scored a career high, netting 20 points in the victory. She was 7-of-7 from the charity stripe and blocked two shots.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats outrebounded the Hawks, 34-29, and had 15 assists to Rockhurst’s seven.

– Northwest shot 52.9 percent from the field (27-51) while holding Rockhurst to 40.4 percent (23-57).

– The Bearcats also hit seven three pointers and went 17-of-21 from the charity stripe (81 percent).

– Howe knocked down three long range buckets and was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line.

– Meyer was 5-of-6 from the charity stripe, ahd two assists and two steals.

– Macy Williams contributed eight points with eight assists, tying a career-high she set earlier this year against Henderson State.

– Arbrie Benson scored eight points with four assists.

– Carlie Lilhelmi was 3-of-3 shooting and finished with six points and a pair of rebounds.

Key Northwest Sequences
– Down 46-44 with 6:49 left in the third quarter, Northwest went on a 13-2 run to pull ahead by nine. Meyer got the scoring started with a jumper and two minutes later, she hit a layup to give the Bearcats a 48-46 lead. After a couple of empty possessions by both teams, Taryne Shull drew a foul and hit a pair of free throws to make it a four-point game, 50-46. Rockhurst answered with a layup but Howe knocked down a three off a Benson assist to push the lead to five, 53-48. Williams and Dentlinger would add buckets in the run to put Northwest up, 57-48 with 38 seconds to go in the third quarter.

– The Hawks would get as close as three with 3:40 left to go in regulation. Wilhelmi converted a layup to put Northwest back up, 70-65 and on the next possession, Williams nailed a three off a pass from Benson to make it 73-65. Rockhurst would score for the last time with 1:07 to go in the game. Howe and Benson each knocked down a pair of free throws and Meyer added another to give the Bearcats the win, 78-67.

Up Next
– Northwest will host Kansas Christian College on Tuesday, Nov. 22, at 6 p.m. at Bearcat Arena in Maryville, Mo. It will be the last non-conference home game for Northwest.

— Northwest Athletics —

Kansas uses OT to defeat Texas for the first time since 1938

Posted on November 19, 2016

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Matthew Wyman may have booted Charlie Strong right out of Texas.

The senior kicker for Kansas knocked through a field goal to force overtime, then drilled a 25-yarder in the extra session Saturday to send the Jayhawks to a 24-21 victory over the Longhorns — one that just might end Strong’s disappointing tenure on the 40 acres.

The moment Wyman’s field goal went through the uprights, the Jayhawks (2-9, 1-7) poured off the sideline and into a jubilant pile with thousands of students. The win snapped a nine-game skid, a 19-game losing streak in Big 12 play and was their first over Texas since 1938.

It made Strong’s future bleak, but it made Kansas coach David Beaty’s appear just a little bit brighter.

“What resilient dudes those guys are,” he said after his first Big 12 win. “They’ve continued to work through some really, really difficult situations, and I’ve said it before, I feel like we have the right kind of kids in our program. They’ve stuck it out.”

The Longhorns (5-6, 3-5) squandered chances down the stretch, including a fumble and failed fourth-down try in the final minutes of regulation that could have put the game away.

They got the ball first in overtime, but Shane Buechele badly overthrew his intended receiver on their second play and Mike Lee was there to pick it off. After the Jayhawks marched inside the 5-yard line, their senior kicker playing in his final home game knocked through the winner.

“It’s great to send the seniors out like this,” he said. “They’ve been through some struggles, some adversity, so it means a lot.”

Their stirring win made D’Onta Foreman’s performance merely a footnote.

The Texas running back carried a school-record 51 times for 250 yards and two touchdowns, though his two fumbles proved costly — not only to the Longhorns’ season but quite possibly to Strong’s future.

The third-year coach has been on the hot seat all season, and the temperature is only going to rise after a loss to the lowly Jayhawks. Strong dropped to 16-20 since arriving at Texas, and not even the $10 million buyout he would be due could be enough to keep him from getting fired.

“We just had our opportunities there,” Strong said. “Not much needed to be said.”

Asked what it means for his future, Strong replied: “No idea.”

The Jayhawks took advantage of four first-half turnovers, including a pick-six by Brandon Stewart, to take a 10-7 lead into the locker room. But they committed two turnovers of their own in an ugly third quarter, which the Longhorns turned into back-to-back touchdowns for a 21-10 lead.

Kansas marched downfield for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, and Steven Sims won the race to the pylon to convert the 2-point conversion and get within a field goal.

That proved to be pivotal in the final minute of the game.

The Jayhawks stuffed Texas on fourth down and regained possession with 58 seconds left. Three passes to Ke’aun Kinner and a targeting penalty got them within field goal range, and Wyman’s kick from 36 yards out with 7 seconds remaining sent the game to overtime.

Set up one of the most memorable wins in recent history, too.

“The seniors have been through a whole lot, and we haven’t had too much success,” Kansas safety Fish Smithson said. “Just proud, proud of how hard we worked. How resilient we’ve been.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Texas: Texas was shaky throughout the game, especially when Buechele left for a short period in the first half with an injury, in what might go down as the biggest indictment of Strong’s tenure.

Kansas: Kansas has been close to breaking through several times this season, including a 24-23 loss to TCU in early October and a 31-24 loss to Iowa State earlier this month.

STRONG’S FUTURE

Texas athletic director Mike Perrin declined to speak with reporters after the game, looking away when he approached them. Strong’s wife, Victoria, was crying outside the Longhorns’ locker room and even Strong looked visibly shaken as he fielded questions.

“I love coach Strong. That’s my dog,” Texas safety DeShon Elliott said. “No matter what, I love him, but I said that’s not our decision. We can’t make that decision. It’s the AD and all the men up there.”

SEE YA

After police encircled the goal posts at the south end zone, students raced to the opposite end of the field and hopped on that set. It took them a while before they got them to the turf, then they carried them right out of Memorial Stadium.

UP NEXT

Texas heads to TCU on Saturday for what could be Strong’s final game as coach.

Kansas tries to make it two straight on Saturday at Kansas State.

— Associated Press —

Barnes scores 4 TDs as Kansas State wins at Baylor

Posted on November 19, 2016

WACO, Texas (AP) — Baylor fans have grown accustomed to seeing offensive explosions in recent years, especially since moving into McLane Stadium in 2014.

If the Bears’ last two home games are any indication, they might have to get used to watching them come from opponents.

Kansas State freshman Alex Barnes rushed for 120 of his 129 yards and all four of his touchdowns in the second half to pace the Wildcats to 35 points during that span and a 42-21 win Saturday.

“I just liked that he did what he always does, and that’s run extremely hard,” Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said. “He makes a few miss on his way sometimes, not always, but he’s a gifted, powerful-type runner, which we have always known.”

It was the first win for the Wildcats (6-4, 4-3 Big 12) in Waco since 2002 and made them bowl eligible for the seventh straight season. Baylor’s 6-0 start seems a distant memory after its fourth consecutive defeat and its second in a row at home after a 62-22 drubbing from TCU two weeks ago.

Barnes had only one carry in the first half, but it was his show after that, especially in the third quarter. That’s when scored three of his four touchdowns, and Kansas State held the ball for 11:37 and outgained Baylor 186-38.

“I knew that we, as a unit would have a big day on the ground,” Barnes said. “I didn’t realize that it would be me specifically, but I knew we were going to get it done.”

Neither team got much done in the first half, but the Bears (6-4, 4-3) took a 14-7 lead into halftime thanks to cashing in a muffed punt and fumble that set them up at the Kansas State 25 and 40, respectively. But Baylor struggled to find offensive consistency all day, and Donnie Starks pulled in two of Zach Smith’s three interceptions in the second half of his first career start.

“You always have to finish,” Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said. “Sometimes we have, sometimes we haven’t. You take two ballgames that have gone down to the wire, that shouldn’t have, that go down to the last snap of the ballgame. You have a chance to win, can’t finish it off. So (it was nice) to be able to do that.”

Jesse Ertz threw for 177 yards and ran for 46 more, including a 40-yarder on a fourth-down run in the second quarter that set up Kansas State’s first score.

Smith threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start, and Shock Linwood, Baylor’s all-time leading rusher, added 110 yards on 24 carries.

“We just didn’t go out there and execute like we had to,” Smith said. “Kansas State came out and executed, and they played great football. We, offense or defense, didn’t execute coming out for the second half. When you don’t do that, you lose.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Kansas State: The Wildcats continued their success on the ground, eclipsing the 200-yard mark for the fourth straight game with 237 on 51 attempts.

Baylor: The downward spiral continues for the Bears, who were held below 30 points for the third straight game. Baylor also failed to score a rushing touchdown for the first time in 39 games, snapping the longest active streak among Power Five conference teams.

KEY NUMBERS

Kansas State: It was an uncharacteristically undisciplined first half with 80 yards in penalties and two turnovers, both of which resulted in Baylor touchdowns. The Wildcats cleaned the up in the second half with 5 penalty yards and no turnovers.

Baylor: This was the fourth time Baylor was held scoreless in the first quarter this season. That happened to the Bears three times in the previous four seasons combined.

UP NEXT

Kansas State returns home for a rivalry game with Kansas next Saturday. A Wildcat win would give Bill Snyder 200 for his career, making him the 26th coach in FBS history to reach that plateau.

Baylor has no time to lick the wounds from its latest loss with a short week looming before a Friday tilt with Texas Tech at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

— Associated Press —

With Fyfe at QB, No. 18 Cornhuskers defeat Maryland 28-7

Posted on November 19, 2016

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Ryker Fyfe’s second career start sure went a lot better than his first.

Fyfe passed for 220 yards and a touchdown while filling in for injured starter Tommy Armstrong Jr., leading No. 18 Nebraska to a 28-7 win over Maryland on Saturday.

The Cornhuskers (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten; No. 19 AP) stayed alive in the West Division. They must win at Iowa on Friday and Wisconsin must lose to Minnesota on Saturday for Nebraska to go to the conference championship game.

Fyfe, who walked on in 2012 and earned a scholarship two years ago, created a lifetime memory on senior day in what will be his only start at Memorial Stadium. He said he was motivated by the opportunity to redeem himself for his five-turnover performance in his previous start, a 55-45 loss at Purdue last year.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself,” he said. “You want to come out and play well and get a win and not lose to teams like Purdue. That was a tough one last year. For sure I came out playing hard.”

Terrell Newby ran for a career-high three touchdowns and Nebraska limited the Terrapins to 207 yards, including 11 rushing. Maryland (5-6, 2-6) lost for the sixth time in seven games and has been outscored 149-13 over three weeks.

Fyfe prevailed over Max Bortenschlager in a battle of backup quarterbacks.

Armstrong injured his hamstring against Minnesota and was not in uniform Saturday. Perry Hills was dressed but didn’t play for the Terrapins because of shoulder problems.

Fyfe was effective if not always pretty. He was 24 of 37, often dropping back deep and angling toward the sideline before throwing downfield, sometimes sidearm, sometimes off his back foot. He also hurt the Terps with a couple runs.

“I’ve always had a special spot for Ryker,” Nebraska coach Mike Riley said. “He’s a guy who could have gone to a smaller school and thrown for 3,000 yards one year. He stuck it out here with teammates and friends and won a big game for us to get our ninth win.”

Bortenschlager, a freshman who entered the game having thrown four passes in one previous appearance, was 14 of 29 for 191 yards. He was sacked five times.

“Throughout the year, we’ve been able to run the ball in just about every game,” Terps coach DJ Durkin said. “We weren’t able to do that today. That affected Max as well. If you can’t run the ball, that’s hard on any quarterback.”

Maryland ended an 11-quarter stretch with no touchdowns when D.J. Moore caught a screen pass and took it 92 yards to the end zone early in the fourth quarter.

“I would say that’s one of the best touchdowns I’ve had,” Moore said.

THE TAKEAWAY

Maryland: The Terrapins missed Hills but weren’t likely to win this game even if he played. The week off might help him get ready for a winnable home game against Rutgers.

Nebraska: Fyfe was good in the first half and OK in the second against an overmatched opponent. The Huskers definitely want Armstrong ready for Iowa next week.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Nebraska could move up in the Top 25 depending on what teams ahead of it do, but a win over the scuffling Terps doesn’t merit a promotion on its own.

KEY NUMBERS

Maryland was the first Nebraska opponent held scoreless in the first half. The Terps have been outscored 101-3 in the first halves over three games. … Jordan Westerkamp had a season-high eight catches for 85 yards and has caught at least one pass in 35 straight games. … Newby, playing his 50th consecutive game, ran 22 times for 98 yards and scored from 8, 5 and 1 yard. … The Huskers have gone two straight games without a turnover for the first time since 2003.

SPECIAL SENIOR DAY

Nebraska honored Sam Foltz during its senior day ceremony. Each senior greeted and hugged Foltz’s parents before placing a red rose on the 27-yard line. No. 27 was Foltz’s uniform number.

Foltz, who would have been the Huskers’ senior punter , and former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler were killed in a single-car accident in Wisconsin in July. Both were in Wisconsin to work at a kicking camp.

“We miss Sam like crazy and we love him so much, and he’s still out there with us,” Westerkamp said.

UP NEXT

Maryland: The Terrapins will try to break their four-game losing streak and achieve bowl eligibility when they host the Scarlet Knights on Saturday.

Nebraska: The Huskers visit Iowa on Friday hoping to avenge last year’s loss to the Hawkeyes in Lincoln.

— Associated Press —

Griffons use nine second half three-pointers to win opener in Hawaii

Posted on November 19, 2016

LAIE, Hawaii – The Missouri Western women’s basketball team found its three-point stroke in the locker room at halftime to pull away from Hawaii Pacific for a 70-62 win on Friday night.

After going 1-10 from behind the arc through the first 20 minutes, the Griffons (3-1) exploded for nine, three-pointers on 12 attempts in the final 12 minutes. The long-range barrage in the second half was highlighted by Savannah Lentz’s perfect 4-4 mark from three-point range after the break.

Lentz scored 14 and was one of four Griffons to hit double-figures, including Chelsea Dewey with her game-high 16 point performance. Julia Torres also scored 14 and had a team-high seven rebounds. Erin Anderson scored 11 points and Sefulu Faavae had seven assists with five rebounds, five steals and six points.

The Griffons ended the game shooting 45.5-percent (10-22) from three-point range, and managed to overcome being out-rebounded 42-38 and committing 21 turnovers. On the flip-side, Missouri Western forced 23 Hawaii Pacific (0-1) turnovers.

Missouri Western stays in Laie, Hawaii for a game with host, BYU-Hawaii at 10 p.m. CST on Saturday.

— MWSU Athletics —

Self makes history as No. 7 Jayhawks pull away and defeat Siena

Posted on November 19, 2016

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Whenever Bill Self looks back at the box score from his 207th win at Allen Fieldhouse, one that made him more successful in the building than any other Kansas coach, he’ll see Tyler Self’s name on it.

His son, a senior backup who rarely plays, knocked down his only shot in the game.

“Now that you mention it, it’s nice,” Self said after the seventh-ranked Jayhawks’ 86-65 victory over Siena on Friday night. “It was nice he got in there and made the shot.”

The Saints did their best to spoil the party.

Marquis Wright hit three straight 3-pointers midway through the second half, and the gritty senior guard’s three-point play got coach Jimmy Patsos’ team within 63-58 with about 7 1/2 minutes left.

But Lagerald Vick answered with back-to-back baskets for the Jayhawks, kicking off the game-defining 16-2 run. Frank Mason III added a 3-pointer and a couple foul shots, Devonte Graham got into the act and the Jayhawks — so accustomed to dominating inside — leaned on their guard play to seal the win.

At one point, Mason, Vick and Graham scored 20 straight points for the Jayhawks.

“There’s a lot of things we could have done better,” said Mason, who finished with 18 points.

The Jayhawks were just 3 of 12 from beyond the arc, struggled from the foul line and were exposed on the defensive end of the floor, where Siena was able to get to the basket too easily.

“I didn’t think we played very tough,” Self said. “I didn’t think we played very fast. We looked slow defensively. I thought our big guys really struggled early.”

Graham finished with 13 points and nine assists, and Vick had 12 points off the bench, as the Jayhawks (2-1) extended their winning streak to 42 straight at Allen Fieldhouse.

Wright had 25 points, Javion Ogunyemi added 19 and Khalil Richard had 10 for the Saints, who took advantage of the Jayhawks’ poor perimeter shooting to offset a big rebounding disparity.

“They’ve got depth, they have inside players. You thought you had them, then their quickness to the ball took over,” said Patsos, who got a primer on playing at Allen Fieldhouse earlier Friday from former Kansas guard and current Maryland coach Mark Turgeon.

“He asked his wife to marry him out on the floor,” Patsos said, “and I said, `Yeah, you coming back to play there? And he said, `Hell no!’ Now I know why.”

EXHAUSTED JAYHAWKS

The Jayhawks opened the season with an overtime loss to Indiana in Hawaii, then beat top-ranked Duke in New York. They traveled about 12,000 miles for two games in roughly four days, and Self said he could see the weariness in his players during shoot-around.

“We were physically tired,” Self said, “and our brain told our body we were tired.”

BIG PICTURE

Kansas freshman Josh Jackson, whom many believe will be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, spent most of the night in foul trouble. He was visibly frustrated and wound up with 10 points.

Siena could use Lavon Long on the floor. The senior forward, who averaged more than 10 points a game last season, has been suspended for the first three games for violating team rules.

RECRUITING WIN

Five-star prospect Billy Preston announced earlier in the day he’ll attend Kansas next season. The 6-foot-10 forward from prestigious Oak Hill Academy in Virginia signed his letter of intent this week.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had the opportunity to coach a taller, more athletic skill player than Billy,” Self said. “He has guard-type athletic ability and skills.”

POLL IMPLICATIONS

With their win over the No. 1 Blue Devils and fourth-ranked Oregon’s lopsided loss to Baylor, look for the Jayhawks to climb back into the top five, where they began the season.

UP NEXT

Kansas plays UAB in the semifinals of the CBE Classic in Kansas City, Missouri on Monday night.

Siena visits reigning Big South champion UNC-Asheville on Sunday.

— Associated Press —

Missouri falls behind early, loses to Davidson 70-55

Posted on November 18, 2016

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Jack Gibbs scored 25 points and Peyton Aldridge added 21 points and seven rebounds to help lift Davidson to 70-55 win over Missouri in a losers’ bracket game of the Tire Pros Invitational on Friday.

The Wildcats (2-1) bounced back from a deflating loss to Clemson on Thursday with an overwhelming performance against Missouri. Sparked by its 3-point shooting, Davidson jumped out to a 17-point lead early in the first half and never looked back.

“This is a challenging tournament and we accepted the opportunity to come here because we wanted to be pushed, we wanted to be challenged, we wanted to find out how good we are,” said Davidson coach Bob McKillop. “Certainly these two games, Clemson and Missouri exposed our strengths, exposed our weaknesses and gave us the opportunity to get better.”

Missouri, coming off an overtime loss to No.11 Xavier a day earlier, made runs late in the first and second halves but could not an offensive flow to keep up with Davidson.

Davidson converted 44 percent from the field and 10 of 30 3-point attempts. Missouri made just 3 of 16 3-pointers.

Forward Kevin Puryear led the Tigers with 12 points and six rebounds while Cullen Vanleer added 11 points and Reed Nikko came off the bench to contribute 10 points.

The Wildcats set the tone early by hitting five of their first eight 3-point attempts to take 26-9 lead in the opening eight minutes. Four different Davidson players drained 3-pointers during that run. Gibbs converted two 3-pointers to give the Wildcats a lift.

Missouri (1-2) pulled within seven points of the lead late in the first half. But Davidson put together a 9-0 run as the Tigers went scoreless the final 4:30 of the half and went into halftime trailing 37-23.

“We harped on defensive intensity last night and this morning because we didn’t play well defensively as a team or individually,” Gibbs said. “As a unit we were in position better than we were against Clemson. That was one of the main things because if they’re making shots, it’s tough to get our offense going when you have to grab it off the rim. That makes our offense go.”

BIG PICTURE

Davidson: The Wildcats are streaky shooters but when on they can put a lot of points in hurry. They hit six of their first eight 3-point attempts to jump out to a 17-point lead in the first eight minutes and never looked back. Gibbs was outstanding throughout much of the game as was Aldridge. The score could have been even more lopsided had the Wildcats not had a long stretches of time where either they couldn’t score or they were careless with the ball.

Missouri: After losing to No.11 Xavier by one point in overtime Thursday, the Tigers came out flat against Davidson and never recovered. Leading scorer Frankie Hughes was silent much of the game, going 1 for 11 for two points and three turnovers. Sophomore guard Terrence Phillips, who played brilliantly in the loss to Xavier didn’t have a field goal and finished with one point.

UP NEXT

Davidson: The Wildcats will take on the winner of the Arizona State-Tulane game in the fifth-place game of the Tire Pros Invitational on Sunday.

Missouri: The Tigers will meet the loser of the Arizona State-Tulane game in the seventh-place game of the Invitational on Sunday.

— Associated Press —

Big 12 football championship game to be held at AT&T Stadium

Posted on November 18, 2016November 19, 2016

IRVING, Texas — The Big 12 Conference announces that AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, has been selected as the site for the 2017-21 Big 12 Football Championship games.

After a six-year hiatus, the title game returns in 2017, matching the top two finishers in the Conference standings.

“There is great anticipation with the return of the Big 12 Football Championship and we look forward to hosting the event in AT&T Stadium for the next five years,” said Commissioner Bob Bowlsby. “The building is a state of the art facility and offers many amenities that will be enjoyed by our institutions and fans.”

Under terms of current television agreements with FOX Sports and ESPN, FOX will carry the game in 2017 and odd-numbered years through 2023, while ESPN will handle the telecasts in even-numbered years through the 2024 game.

AT&T Stadium opened in 2009 with a seating capacity of 80,000 that can be maximized to over 100,000 with standing room. Among its many features are a retractable roof, one of the world’s largest high definition video screens and a collection of contemporary art. The building serves as home to the Dallas Cowboys and hosts a variety of other events.

The last two Big 12 Championship games were played at AT&T Stadium and decided by a total of four points. No. 2 Texas kicked a field goal with one second left to edge past No. 22 Nebraska, 13-12, in 2009. The following season, No. 9 Oklahoma upended No. 13 Nebraska, 23-20, behind two second-half field goals. The 2001 championship was also played in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex at Texas Stadium, the previous home of the Cowboys.

The Big 12 Championship was held annually from 1996-2010. The previous 15 games featured five contests in which the higher-ranked team was upset and five that were decided by a touchdown-or-less.

Big 12 Football Championship Site History

2010       AT&T Stadium (previously Cowboys Stadium) – Arlington, Texas
2009     AT&T Stadium (previously Cowboys Stadium) – Arlington, Texas
2008     Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City, Mo.
2007      Alamodome – San Antonio, Texas
2006     Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City, Mo.
2005      Reliant Stadium – Houston, Texas
2004      Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City, Mo.
2003      Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City, Mo.
2002      Reliant Stadium – Houston, Texas
2001       Texas Stadium – Irving, Texas
2000     Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City, Mo.
1999      Alamodome – San Antonio, Texas
1998      TWA Dome – St. Louis, Mo.
1997       Alamodome – San Antonio, Texas
1996      TWA Dome – St. Louis, Mo.

— Big 12 Press Release —

No. 6 Bearcats defeat defending national champion and 18th-ranked Augustana 82-71

Posted on November 17, 2016

By David Boyce

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State’s men’s basketball team gave a near-capacity crowd of 2,297 at Bearcat Arena a performance Thursday evening that emphatically showed why its ranked No. 6 in Division II.

The Bearcats beat No. 18 Augustana, the defending national champions, 82-71 and gained a bit of revenge from last season. A year ago, Augustana beat Northwest by two points in Sioux Falls in a mid-November game and later ended the Bearcats’ season with another two-point win in the Central Regional championship game in Sioux Falls.

“This was great, what I have been waiting for the whole year,” said junior Chris-Ebou Ndow, who finished with 16 points. “This was the team that beat us out. We had the whole summer to think about it.”

Right away, Northwest, 3-0, made sure it wasn’t going to lose another heartbreaker. The Bearcats bolted to a 24-point halftime lead.

“It felt good to finally play on our home court and playing Augustana,” said junior guard Justin Pitts, who finished with 24 points and six assists. “We focused on coming out strong and executing the scouting report and doing all the things right.

“We knew Augustana was going to make a run back because they are a great team. We just had to tough it out.”

Augustana has too much pride to get blown off the court. The Vikings scored the first 11 points to start the second half and closed to 45-32. Ndow ended the run with a three-pointer.

“That was just what we needed,” Ndow said. “They were starting to catch up. We didn’t come out with the energy we wanted in the second half. It was good we made a few shots and stopped the bleeding.”

After that brief scare, it was back to showtime Bearcats with Pitts orchestrating the entertaining offense.

One play that brought Northwest football players Jack Young and Edward Richey out of their courtside seats was when Anthony Woods went in for a spinning layup that gave Northwest a 60-42 lead with 11:17 remaining in the game.

Young and Richey were one of many student-athletes from all the sports who showed up and cheered loudly for the Bearcats. In fact, it looked like over half the Northwest student population was inside Bearcat Arena rooting for their school.

“I particularly noticed Jack Young,” Pitts said. “Jack is crazy. He is hilarious.”

In addition, recent former players were in the stands as were several parents of former players, proving the point: Once A Bearcat Always A Bearcat or OABAAB.

One longtime professor at Northwest said he couldn’t remember a bigger crowd for a November non-conference game.

“This was great,” Ndow said. “This was the kind of atmosphere you see at the end of the season. To have the first home game of the season have that many people was great. We love the support of our fans.”

The fans had plenty to cheer, especially when the Bearcats created a little drama when Augustana closed to 72-62 with just over 3 minutes remaining.

Northwest responded with a three-pointer from senior Zach Schneider making it 75-62. A little later, Pitts essentially put the game away with a three-pointer that increased the lead to 80-64 with 1:47 left.

Augustana closed to 81-71, but only 40 seconds remained in the game. The only negative for Northwest came in the final minute when the Bearcats missed a few free throws. But it didn’t matter. Northwest maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half.

“We knew they would make a run coming out of half,” Northwest coach Ben McCollum said. “I knew they would make it, but I didn’t want them to make it because of our lack of effort. I thought it was some of our lack of effort and some of the adjustments they made at halftime. It was a little bit of both.

“We have enough experience to withstand it, but we want to make sure we build our leads.”

Northwest played close to perfect in taking a 45-21 lead into halftime. The Bearcats played suffocating defense. They made three-pointers and fed off the energy provided by the fans.

“We were really locked in and really into it, just in sync with each other,” McCollum said. “We can play at a high level when we are like that. We have to make sure we do that all the time.”

It started well for Northwest and only got better. The first basket came from junior forward Brett Dougherty. Woods added a free throw several seconds later for a quick 3-0 lead.

After Augustana scored, Pitts drilled a three-pointer and that signified he was on his game.

Because Augustana was also playing solid defense, the Vikings stayed close. They trailed only 8-7 when the Bearcats exploded offensively. It started with the return of Ndow, who missed the first couple of games due to sickness that caused him to lose 10 pounds.

Ndow immediately looked hungry for points. He put the Bearcats up four on a three-pointer and after a stop, Ndow slammed home a dunk, giving Northwest a 13-7 lead. He followed that with two free throws.

“It felt great,” Ndow said. “I felt it came at the right time, kind of when the team needed it. Just being out there again felt great.”

Northwest’s lead ballooned to 20-7 on a three-pointer on a corner three-pointer by junior Xavier Kurth.

The Pitts shooting show came with a little over 3 minutes left in the first half. The shot clock was winding down. He was closely guarded near NBA three-point range. It didn’t matter. He lofted a high-arching three-pointer that softly fell through the nets, making it 35-19. He followed it with an even longer three-pointer that made it 38-19.

Freshman Ryan Welty joined the three-point spree with a trey, giving Northwest a 41-19 lead. Against a high-quality opponent, Northwest couldn’t have performed any better. The Bearcats shot 63 percent from the field, including eight for 13 from three-point range for 61.5 percent. Northwest also held Augustana to 34.6 percent from the field.

— Northwest Athletics —