College – Page 339 – St. Joseph Post Archive

No. 24 Missouri women get upset at Arkansas

Posted on January 17, 2016

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Jessica Jackson scored 15 points and Alecia Cooley and Melissa Wolff had double-doubles to lead Arkansas to a 64-52 victory over No. 24 Missouri on Sunday.

Cooley had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Wolff 11 points and 10 boards.

The Razorbacks (8-10, 3-2 SEC), who were coming off a win over No. 13 Tennessee, are 3-1 in the last 10 days against Top 25 teams.

Arkansas’ starters all reached double figures and shot all of the Razorbacks’ 38 free throws, making 29, to outscore the Tigers by 17 at the line.

Sierra Michaelis scored 18 points and Cierra Porter 14 for Missouri (15-3, 2-3).

A 9-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters gave Missouri its first lead since early in the second period. But the Razorbacks scored 10 straight points to lead 58-47 with 3:18 left and Missouri could only get within eight.

— Associated Press —

No. 10 Missouri Western knocks off No. 9 Hornets in Emporia

Posted on January 16, 2016

EMPORIA, Kan. – The 10th-ranked Missouri Western women’s basketball team earned their biggest victory of the season Saturday as they won at #9 Emporia State 73-64. It’s the Griffons first win in Emporia since 2004 and the first time beating a top-10 team since the 2007 season.

MWSU improves to 17-0 and 11-0 in the MIAA.

The Hornets built a five-point advantage in the first quarter but the Griffons closed the gap and eventually grabbed the lead midway through the second quarter on a Sarafina Handy three-point field goal. The Griffons never surrendered the lead after the 5:42 mark of the second quarter.

Missouri Western continues their strong play into the second half and took a seven point lead into the fourth quarter. The Hornets cut the lead to two points early in the fourth quarter and kept it close until the Griffons went on an 8-2 run with just under three minutes to go. The run featured six points by LaQuinta Jefferson and a bucket by freshman Melia Richardson.

The Griffons were once again led by LaQuinta Jefferson as she scored 19-points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field. Sarafina Handy and Miliakere Koyamainavure scored 16 and 12, respectively. Handy tallied 11 rebounds for the Griffons and Jefferson recorded eight rebounds.

Missouri Western shot 50% from the field and scored 50 points in the paints compared to the Hornets 41% shooting and 36 points in the paint. The Griffons also had 16 points from their bench.

The schedule for the Griffons doesn’t get any easier as they take on #3 Fort Hays State on Thursday starting at 5:30 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

Griffons lose heartbreaker at Emporia State 67-66

Posted on January 16, 2016January 16, 2016

EMPORIA, Kan. – The Missouri Western men’s basketball team lost its third straight game as they fell at Emporia State Saturday 67-66. MWSU fell in the final seconds of the game as the Hornets’ Terrance Moore made a floater in the lane with 10 seconds remaining in the game.

The Griffons drop to 5-12 and 3-8 in the MIAA.

Western fell behind early in the first half shooting 45 percent from the field and trailing by nine at the half. Missouri Western cut into the lead early in the second half and they took the lead 10:28 remaining in the game on a Currie Byrd layup. The Griffons used a 13-0 in the second half to climb back into the game.

In the final minute, the Griffons allowed the Hornets to cut the lead to one-point on a Jay Temaat three-point field goal. The Griffons missed their shot on the other end and Terrance Moore converted on a floater in the lane with 10 seconds remaining. Aaron Emmanuel’s tough final shot fell short to win the game for MWSU.

Aaron Emmanuel was a bright spot for the Griffons racking up a triple-double including 14 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assist in the game. Three other Griffons scored in double-figures to help balance the scoring. Currie Byrd had 13 points, Trey Sampson scored 12 points and Mataika Koyamainavure tallied 10 points.

MWSU returns home on Thursday as they face off against Fort Hays State, starting at 3:30.

— MWSU Athletics —

Bearcats hold on to win at Washburn

Posted on January 16, 2016January 16, 2016

The Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team withstood a late rally to knock off Washburn on the road, 62-56.

The Bearcats improve to 11-5 this season and remain tied atop the MIAA standings at 8-3. The Ichabods, meanwhile, fall to 10-6 overall and 6-5 against conference foes.

Anthony Woods led the team with 16 points. Conner Crooker chipped in 15 points and three assists. The senior scored 11 of his points after intermission, helping the Bearcats maintain the lead.

Northwest held the Ichabods to 35 percent shooting on the day (21-for-60). The Bearcats knocked down 46.9 percent of their shots (23-of-49). The Bearcats were dominant in the paint, outscoring Washburn 38-20 while blocking four shots. Northwest grabbed 10 more rebounds than the Bods, 41-31.

The Bearcats took control of the game early on, scoring nine of the first 11 points. After Washburn dropped in a bucket on its first possession, Zach Schneider quickly answered with a three-pointer from the left corner. Anthony Woods laid in a basket with the right hand on the next possession. Chris-Ebou Ndow followed with emphatic slam after Brett Dougherty grabbed an offensive board. Anthony Woods added a jumper in the paint, giving the Bearcats a 9-2 lead four minutes into the game.

After the Ichabods closed the gap to 12-7 over the next few minutes, Northwest scored 14 straight to grab a commanding 26-7 lead. Crooker hit short jumper from the right side before Dray Starzl made a steal. Dougherty battled for a layup and made the ensuing free throw after getting fouled two possessions later, followed by another left-handed finish down low for the sophomore forward. Later, Schneider knocked down a triple from the right wing and Ndow made a second-chance layup to round out the five minute, 39 second scoring run.

The Ichabods narrowed the margin to two with just under ten minutes to play, but the Bearcats fought back with a 15-3 run to all but seal the decision. Woods opened the rally with a jumper from the right elbow with 9:01 to play before Crooker dropped in a floater in the lane. Woods made the score 47-39 with a nifty turnaround jumper from close range and followed that up by drilling a three from the right wing two possessions later. Dougherty’s back-to-back layups with 3:13 to play stretched the lead to 56-42.

The Bearcats will return home to face off with Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday, Jan. 21. Tipoff is tentatively set for 7:30 following the women’s contest at 5:30.

— Northwest Athletics —

Mizzou’s road woes continue with loss at No. 19 South Carolina

Posted on January 16, 2016January 16, 2016

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — That No. 19 South Carolina’s 81-72 win over Missouri was ugly hardly bothered Gamecocks coach Frank Martin.

South Carolina (16-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) missed shots, but they hit the boards and shook off any bad feelings from its first loss of the year, a surprising 21-point drubbing at Alabama.

“It wasn’t about making shots. It was about playing our kind of basketball. We weren’t great, but I thought we played more to who we are,” Martin said.

South Carolina outrebounded Missouri 41-26 and had 17 offensive rebounds to five for the Tigers. The Gamecocks made three of their 21 3-point attempts.

But while they never trailed, the Gamecocks also never could put the overmatched Tigers (8-9, 1-3) away either.

Missouri was playing its first game since banning itself from the SEC tournament and any other postseason appearances for NCAA violations. And the Tigers started the game without much fire, turning the ball over five times and missing two shots — including a 3-point attempt that wedged in the side of the rim — in their first seven possessions.

South Carolina went up 8-0, but never pushed the lead over 13 points the rest of the way.

“Some of the shots they we made were tough, deep shots. Once they started making shots, their confidence would build,” said Sindarius Thornwell, who led the Gamecocks with 22 points.

Mindaugas Kacinas added 14 points for South Carolina, while freshman PJ Dozier had 11.

Wes Clark led Missouri with a career-best 26 points and had eight assists, accounting for almost two-thirds of Missouri’s 28 baskets. He was 10 of 16 from the field and had six rebounds.

South Carolina looked lethargic at times. There wasn’t much movement to the offense, and they turned the ball over 13 times.

The defense struggled, too. Missouri shot 49.1 percent in the first half and Ryan Rosburg had 12 points, hitting all six of his shots.

“We’ve been down like that before, and it has gone the other way. Maybe we are learning something,” Missouri coach Kim Anderson said.

But it wasn’t enough for the Tigers to win their first road game for Anderson in his second season. Missouri’s last win on the road came 21 games ago at Arkansas in January 2014.

“Someday we will win one,” Anderson said. “It will be big news.”

TIP-INS

Missouri: The Tigers shot 36.8 percent from 3-point range. They came into the game shooting 32 percent from behind the arc. … Missouri’s leading scorer and rebounder, Kevin Puryear, had two points and one rebound in 12 minutes as he struggled with foul trouble.

South Carolina: The Gamecocks shot 66.7 percent (22 of 33) from the free throw line. Missouri made nine of 13 free throws. … South Carolina won three of its first four SEC games for the first time since 2011. … The team honored Thornwell before the game for being the 42nd Gamecock to score 1,000 points in his career.

CLARK’S RETURN

Clark’s last trip to South Carolina ended horrifically, when Michael Carrera landed on his arm in a scramble, leaving his elbow turned at a grotesque angle.

“There was a little nervousness. But as time went on, I got to playing and I didn’t think about it,” the junior said.

Martin noted Clark’s amazing game Saturday and the 11 points he scored against the Gamecocks before the injury last year.

“I tell you what — he loves kicking our tails,” Martin said.

SPECIAL GUEST

New South Carolina football coach Will Muschamp appeared at halftime, introducing his assistants. Offensive line coach Shawn Elliott got the biggest cheer. Elliott was the interim coach last season after Steve Spurrier stepped down and went 1-5 in the role. He was the only assistant Muschamp retained.

Muschamp didn’t say much, but ended with a promise.

“I can only guarantee you one thing: We’re not going to get outworked,” Muschamp said.

UP NEXT

Missouri hosts Georgia on Wednesday.

South Carolina is at Mississippi on Tuesday.

— Associated Press —

KU bench comes up big in Jayhawks 70-63 win over TCU

Posted on January 16, 2016January 16, 2016

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas coach Bill Self has long insisted that five-star recruits Carlton Bragg and Cheick Diallo might be the best players on his team — five years down the line.

They might have been the best on Saturday.

Bragg had 10 points and four rebounds, Diallo had nine points and nine boards, and their spark off the bench helped the top-ranked Jayhawks to an otherwise sluggish 70-63 victory over TCU.

“Coach is always telling them to be ready when their number is called,” Kansas guard Devonte Graham said. “And in practice, you can see them getting better and better each week, and they’re going to be huge for us down the stretch.”

Wayne Selden Jr. had 11 points and Graham and Perry Ellis added 10 points apiece for Kansas (15-2, 4-1 Big 12), which bounced back nicely from its loss at West Virginia earlier in the week.

It was the 33rd consecutive win at Allen Fieldhouse for Kansas, matching the fourth-best streak in school history. It was also the Jayhawks’ seven straight win over the Horned Frogs.

“I was happy with Carlton, I thought he did some things in the first half,” Self said, “and I thought Cheick was a presence for the most part.”

Michael Williams had 13 points and Brandon Parrish and Chauncey Collins scored 11 apiece for TCU (9-8, 1-4), which remained close for a while thanks to a flurry of early 3-pointers.

The Jayhawks eventually took the perimeter away, and their size and depth in the post made it nearly impossible for TCU to score. Diallo finished with five blocks in just 21 minutes.

“They’re long. They’re really long,” Williams said. “So sometimes they’re not doing what they need to be doing offensively, and they struggle, but that length is really tough defensively.”

On the flip side, “I think my wife could score on us in the post,” TCU coach Trent Johnson said.

Malique Trent missed the Horned Frogs’ second straight game because of a violation of team rules. The transfer from New Mexico Junior College was tied for the team lead at 11.7 points per game.

His loss has been sorely felt for a team short on depth. The Horned Frogs were able to hang around with the Jayhawks for the first half, but their weary legs got the best of them late.

In fact, TCU built a 19-15 lead fueled almost entirely by 3-pointers before Kansas answered with a 16-2 run. But even after the Jayhawks took a 31-21 lead with about 4 minutes left before the break, the Horned Frogs were able to keep the game within striking distance.

It was still a 10-point game midway through the second half when the Jayhawks peeled off six quick points, first on a dunk by Ellis and then consecutive layups by Frank Mason III. And while TCU never truly went away, Kansas had enough depth and athleticism to prevent one more comeback.

Not to mention give Self another opportunity to tinker.

The Jayhawks’ coach is still experimenting with lineups, trying to find the best five guys — and the top guys off the bench — approaching the midpoint of the season. Bragg and Diallo made their case for more minutes, while Jamari Traylor and Landen Lucas seemed to backpedal a bit.

Bragg soared past his career-best of nine points while providing some energy on the defensive end and the glass, while Diallo provided a jolt with a series of crowd-thrilling rejections.

“They look the part. They play the part. And they’re playing with the right guy,” Johnson said. “They’re going to be good players. Great players, probably. I hope they leave after this year.”

FALSE ALARMS

Fire alarms sounded in Allen Fieldhouse with just over a minute left in the game. True to form at Kansas, the 16,300 seats were never empty — despite a bleating horn and flashing lights. The officials decided to play through it and finish up the game.

TIP-INS

TCU: Chris Washburn started for the third time after missing the early portion of the season with a broken finger. He finished with eight points. … TCU was 7 of 17 from beyond the arc.

Kansas: Ellis had nine rebounds. … Kansas was 5 of 20 from beyond the arc. … The Jayhawks had just 10 turnovers after piling up 22 in their loss to the Mountaineers.

UP NEXT

TCU plays Texas Tech on Monday night.

Kansas visits Oklahoma State on Tuesday night.

— Associated Press —

Kansas State falls at home to Iowa State

Posted on January 16, 2016January 16, 2016

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Iowa State’s Georges Niang and Monte Morris both felt the ball hadn’t bounced their way in consecutive Big 12 losses.

They didn’t leave anything to chance on Saturday.

Morris scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half, Niang continued his form at Bramlage Coliseum with 15 points, and No. 17 Iowa State kept Kansas State at arm’s length in a 76-63 victory.

“We stayed together,” Morris said. “When they made runs, we always huddled up and kept our composure. I think when we are like this, I do not think anybody can beat us. When we focus, I feel like we play well and respond well to adversity.”

The win snapped a two-game skid for the Cyclones (13-4, 2/3 Big 12) after dropping nail- biters to Texas and No. 22 Baylor, and prevented Iowa State’s first 1-4 league start since 2010-11.

Niang entered Saturday’s game averaging 14.7 points in seven games against the Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum.

Abdel Nader added 14 points and Matt Thomas had 11 for Iowa State, which shot 50.9 percent from the field — meeting its season average of 50.2. Three players finished with at least six rebounds.

First-year Iowa State coach Steve Prohm used a timeout with 9:35 play to spark a 7-0 run after Kansas State cut a double-digit lead to 50-45 on a basket by Justin Edwards.

“We had to get a stop,” Wildcats coach Bruce Weber said. “But they made their plays.”

Edwards scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds for Kansas State (11-6, 1-4).

Three times late, Kansas State pushed back but couldn’t get any closer than 66-59 with 3:12 remaining on a 3-pointer by Kamau Stokes. The Wildcats cooled off after hitting 10 3-pointers against Texas Tech on Tuesday, completing just 4 of 21 attempts from beyond the arc.

“I think we let our lack of offensive execution and shot-making affect our defense,” Weber said. “That meant we didn’t have any energy, but you have to let the defense create the energy.”

The first half had the makings of a blowout. A 7-minute scoring drought for Kansas State allowed the visitors to take a double-digit lead. The Wildcats were 1 of 15 from the field during the spell and turned the ball over four times. At one point, Kansas State scored three points on 19 possessions.

Morris scored with 5:09 remaining in the half to make it 26-9. D.J. Johnson responded for the Wildcats with a tough layup inside that started a 14-6 run to cut the deficit to 32-23 by halftime.

“I have learned a lot in my short time in this league, and we just have to continue to get better each day,” Prohm said. “But to come here and win like this in double figures, it shows that we are not going to let people push us out and say that Iowa State is done this year.”

QUOTABLE

Barry Brown had averaged 17.3 points per game in Big 12 play for Kansas State, including 15 points against Texas Tech on Tuesday, but the freshman guard was held to four on 1-of-10 shooting Saturday.

“Coach (Chester) Frazier asked him, `You’ve been in the gym every day during break. You have a big game against Texas Tech, were you in the gym on Wednesday?’ I think the answer is pretty obvious. If you want to be a good player, you have to be in the gym.”

TIP-INS

Iowa State: Backup guard Hallice Cooke did not make the trip due to a suspension that is a non-legal issue. . The Cyclones snapped a three-game losing streak in Manhattan, Kansas.

Kansas State: Wildcats starting bigs Dean Wade and Stephen Hurt combined for just eight points on 4-of-15 shooting.

UP NEXT

Iowa State: hosts No. 2 Oklahoma on Monday.

Kansas State: is at No. 22 Baylor on Wednesday.

— Associated Press —

Northwest women struggle early, lose to Ichabods 60-43

Posted on January 16, 2016January 16, 2016

The Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team couldn’t find its offensive rhythm Saturday evening in Topeka, Kan., losing to Washburn, 60-43.

The Bearcats fall to 2-15 overall and 0-11 against conference opponents, while the Ichabods improved their record to 11-6 and 7-4 in the MIAA.

Tember Schechinger tallied her fifth double-double this season, totaling 11 points and 10 rebounds.

The Bearcats closed the game on a 9-2 run. Taylor Shull opened the run when she knocked down a 15-foot jumper, closing the gap to 58-36. After the Ichabods hit a layup with 4:24 to play, Northwest held them scoreless for the rest of the night. Shelby Mustain dropped in an easy layup off a nice pass from Macy Williams before Tember Schechinger made a driving layup and-one. Schechinger closed the scoring on the next possession after a nifty pass from Shull.

The Bearcats will open a three-game homestand on Thursday, Jan. 21 when Nebraska-Kearney comes to town. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30.

— Northwest Athletics —

Huskers win at Illinois for third straight victory

Posted on January 16, 2016January 16, 2016

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — On offense Saturday, Andrew White III started slowly. He hit just one shot from the field in the first half and went to the locker room with six points.

But he also had a half dozen rebounds — something to build on.

White finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Cornhuskers (11-8, 3-3 Big Ten) by Illinois, 78-67.

“I think mainly what got me going was getting on offensive rebounds,” White said. “My rebounding on both ends was what sparked my offensive game.

The win was Nebraska’s third in four games.

Illinois (10-9, 3-3) has lost four of its last five and continued to miss injured big men Mike Thorne Jr. and Leron Black.

Both are out for the season and, without them, the Illini have struggled on the boards and to create any sort of inside offense. On Saturday, that left the Illini to launch 3-pointers, 37 of them in all, 62 percent of their 59 shots. They made just 11.

Illinois coach John Groce said his team should never have taken that many long-range shots.

“No. Shot selection was awful,” he said. “It was terrible.”

Glynn Watson Jr. scored 17 for Nebraska while Tai Webster added 16 and Shavon Shields 14.

Nebraska used a 17-2 run to go up by 10 points late in the first half and never trailed over the game’s final 28 minutes.

Malcolm Hill led Illinois with 17 points and seven assists. Kendrick Nunn added 15 points.

With 14:05 left in the game and Illinois trying to claw its way back, White drained a 3-pointer that pushed Nebraska out to a 51-39 lead, matching the Cornhuskers’ largest lead of the game to that point.

Nebraska outrebounded the Illini 42-24.

The absence of Thorne and Black has left the Illini short on big bodies, and their disadvantage on the boards has been glaring most of the season. Opponents have outrebounded Illinois 659-569 on the season.

“I felt like we had to win the paint to win the game,” Nebraska coach Tim Miles said “Because Thorne’s hurt, they don’t have a rim protector like (former Illinois center Nnanna) Egwu in the old days.”

Illinois’ frustration was obvious Saturday against a Cornhusker team that started no one taller than 6-foot-7.

“I hate to say,” said 6-10 forward Michael Finke, the tallest player on the Illinois roster. “That’s inexcusable.”

He finished with three rebounds and 11 points, nine of them on 3-pointers.

Illinois had closed the Nebraska lead to eight points on a 3-pointer by Nunn with six minutes to play and breathed life into what had been a mostly grumbling crowd.

But at the other end, Nebraska used a pair of offensive boards to turn a pair of misses into a pair of third-chance points from White that pushed the lead back to 10 at 67-57 and quieted the State Farm Center.

Nebraska went on a 17-2 run late in the first half that turned the game, opening up a double-digit lead in what had been a tight, back-and-forth contest.

A pair of free throws from Webster put the Huskers up 33-23 with 4:05 left in the half.

Illinois’ answer at the other was a quick, baseline 3-point attempt by Nunn that missed the basket by at least 3 feet.

“Jack a 3, might as well,” one fan yelled.

TIP-INS

Nebraska: The Cornhuskers have struggled to take care of the ball this season, averaging 13.5 turnovers coming into the game. They were better Saturday, with 10.

Illinois: Nunn, usually a starter when he is healthy, did not start Saturday. Groce said he came off the bench because of an unspecified violation of team rules.

IN THE PAINT

While Illinois relied on 3-pointers and scored just 20 points in the paint, Nebraska, even with a small lineup, quietly made the most of its inside game and the lack of an Illini presence inside. The Cornhuskers scored 34 points in the paint.

“And we’re a team of slashers,” Miles said. “It’s what we do.”

ILLINOIS CONNECTION

Watson and Ed Morrow Jr. are both from Illinois, and sparked the Cornhuskers early. They combined for 11 points over the first nine minutes.

But Watson has direct ties to the Illini. Former Illinois star Demetri McCamey is his older brother and current Illini guard D.J. Williams was his teammate last season at Simeon High School in Chicago.

Illinois never made an offer to Watson, but he deflected questions Saturday about whether that offered any motivation.

“No, I just stick to the game plan,” he said. “That was about it.”

UP NEXT

Nebraska visits No. 4 Michigan State on Wednesday.

Illinois visits Indiana on Tuesday.

— Associated Press —

Missouri State rolls to big win at Bradley

Posted on January 16, 2016January 16, 2016

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — Obediah Church scored 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as Missouri State rolled to a 61-42 win over Bradley on Saturday night.

Ryan Kreklow added 12 points for the Bears (7-11, 3-3 Missouri Valley Conference). Camyn Boone had 10 points and five rebounds and Chris Kendrix chipped in nine points. Missouri Sate averaged 41.2 percent shooting from the field and 60 percent from the line.

Missouri Valley jumped to a 16-6 start and led 34-18 at the break.

Bradley surged 12-8 to start the second half to close the gap to 12 points, 42-30, but faded midway as Church dunked to extend the Bears lead to 46-32 with 8:14 to play. Boone followed a second Church dunk with one of his own to make it 57-37 with 3:03 left and the Bears cruised from there.

Callum Barker and Ronnie Suggs scored 12 points apiece for the Braves (3-16, 1-5).

— Associated Press —