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Northwest women defeat Saint Mary for second win

Northwest2013riggertThe Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team picked up its second straight victory Monday evening in Maryville, dispatching of the Saint Mary Spires, 67-35.

Northwest improved its record to 2-4 with the win.

Tember Schechinger recorded her second double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds while dishing out three assists and making three steals. The senior hit 6-of-14 shots from the field.

Senior Taylor Shull made four steals in the contest. The guard added seven points and three assists.  Tanya Meyer dropped in 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds. Jasmin Howe hit two second half treys en route to 10 points while distributing two assists and corralling four rebounds.

Northwest forced 25 Saint Mary turnovers while committing just 13.  The Bearcats hit 47.5 percent of their shots in the game (29-for-61), but hit nearly 60 percent in the second half (16-of-27).  Northwest dominated in the paint, outscoring the Spires, 38-18.

After falling behind by three in the first minute, 5-2, the Bearcats used an 11-0 run to set the tone for the rest of the game. Taylor Shull hit a three-pointer on a pass from Tember Schechinger to tie the score at five. Northwest forced two turnovers before Jasmin Howe handed the Bearcats their first lead on a driving layup three minutes into the game. Northwest would not trail the rest of the night. Howe made another steal, leading to Schechinger putting in a layup off her own miss. The intensity remained high on the defensive end when Shull and Schechinger made two steals each on four of the next five Spire possessions. Schechinger laid in another offensive rebound in the midst of that run to put the Bearcats in front, 11-5. The Bearcat run ended when Macy Williams found Shelby Mustain under the basket for an easy layup.

Leading 42-28 after three quarters of play, the Bearcats scored the first 14 points of the final period to seal the victory. Mustain made a block on the defensive end and dropped in a layup after a perfect pass from Jasmin Howe. After a shot clock violation, Jasmin Howe poured in a three pointer from the left side. Mustain hit a short range jumper on a pass from Shull to extend the lead to 49-28. Schechinger made layups on consecutive possessions before finding Mallory McAndrews at the top of the key, who knocked down a three-pointer to put the Bearcats in front by 28.

The Bearcats will open MIAA play when they travel to Bolivar, Mo. on Thursday, Dec. 3 to face off with Southwest Baptist. First tip is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

Griffons’ Jefferson named MIAA Player of the Week

MWSUKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Missouri Western senior guard LaQuinta Jefferson has been named the MIAA Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week.

Jefferson shined in two wins over the weekend during the Holiday Inn Express Classic. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee native averaged 28.5 points and 26.5 minutes while shooting 80 percent from the field and 70 percent from 3-point range. Jefferson added 10 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and three steals.

The two wins this weekend helped the team to its first 5-0 start since the 2006-07 season. The 22nd ranked Griffons now lead the nation in scoring offense (96.6) and scoring margin (41.2). Missouri Western is second in the nation, shooting 55 percent from the field, averaging 16 steals per game and carrying a plus 13.2 turnover margin.

Missouri Western begins conference play this week with a trip to Central Missouri on Wednesday.  The tip is at 5:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on 680 KFEQ AM.

— MWSU Athletics —

Mizzou not interested in going to a bowl game

riggertMissouriCOLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri is not interested in accepting a bowl bid after finishing the regular season 5-7.

Athletic director Mack Rhoades said Monday that the school would not seek permission to play another game. Rhoades said the focus was on finding a successor to coach Gary Pinkel, who is stepping down while batting non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

“Following this weekend’s football games, there have been significant discussions nationally concerning 5-7 teams participating in bowl games,” Rhoades said. “After careful consideration, we have decided it is not in the best interest of our football program to seek permission from the NCAA to participate in a bowl game.”

There are a record 40 bowl games this season. NCAA officials say teams with 5-7 records will become eligible for at least two bowl bids, and as many as five, based on their Academic Progress Rates.

Missouri has reportedly named long-time assistant coach Andy Hill interim head coach.

Among the top candidates to succeed Pinkel are Temple coach Matt Rhule and Missouri defensive coordinator Barry Odom.

— Associated Press —

Missouri Western men’s basketball signs Illinois prep Jason Jones

riggertMissouriWesternST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Missouri Western Head Men’s Basketball Coach Brett Weiberg has announced the signing of Jason Jones to the 2016-17 squad.

Jones plays at Rock Island High School in Rock Island, Illinois where he has earned three letters. He has also earned All-Conference and All-Metro accolades during his high school career. In 2014-15, Jones averaged 9.7 points, 3.1 assist, and 2.9 rebounds per game.

Jones is the son of James and Theresa and plans to major in Physical Therapy at Missouri Western.

— MWSU Athletics —

Kansas’ Seldon earns Big 12 weekly honor

riggertKUIRVING, Texas – Kansas guard Wayne Selden Jr. has been named the Phillips 66 co-Big 12 Player of the Week the league office announced Monday. Selden earned the honor in a vote by a media panel which covers the league and won the accolade along with Iowa State’s Monté Morris.

Selden was named co-MVP of the Maui Invitational after averaging 19.3 points as the Jayhawks won the title. The Roxbury, Massachusetts junior shot 66.7 percent from the field, including 70.6 percent from 3-point range, while adding 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest. He had his top performance in the championship game, matching his career-high with 25 points in a victory over No. 19 Vanderbilt. Selden scored at least 15 points in each victory in Maui and leads Kansas with 17.0 points per game. He earned co-MVP honors with teammate Frank Mason III.

This is the second weekly honor for Selden from the conference office. He was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Jan. 13, 2014, during his freshman season.

Morris averaged 16 points, 7.7 assists and four rebounds on his way to earning Emerald Coast Classic Most Outstanding Player honors.

— KU Athletics —

K-State’s Burns earns third straight Big 12 Special Teams honor

riggertKansasStateMANHATTAN, Kan. – For the third-consecutive week, Kansas State senior Morgan Burns was named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week – the first player in school history to earn three-straight conference weekly honors – following his performance in K-State’s 45-14 win over Kansas, the conference office announced.

It was the first time any Big 12 player had won three-straight weekly honors since Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell in 2008. With Burns’ three honors in addition to Jack Cantele’s accolade following the Louisiana Tech game, K-State now has an impressive 19 Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors since 2011 (3.8 per year).

Burns was all over the field against the Jayhawks as he got the game underway by tackling the KU punter for a loss and forcing a fumble on a Jayhawk punt attempt, which then led to the game’s first touchdown on the next play. Later in the first quarter, Burns recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown, K-State’s nation-leading 100th non-offensive touchdown since 1999.

Two plays after the score, Burns intercepted a second-down pass attempt. He finished the game with three additional tackles and a pass breakup in addition to his fumble return score, forced fumble and interception.

K-State hosts the regular-season finale this Saturday against West Virginia in Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game will kick at 3:30 p.m.

— KSU Athletics —

MWSU Athletics mourns the loss of former football coach Harold Cagle

Harold Cagle (front center) is pictured during a Missouri Western Alumni Football game. The first ever Missouri Western head football coach passed away Nov. 27.
Harold Cagle (front center) is pictured during a Missouri Western Alumni Football game. The first ever Missouri Western head football coach passed away Nov. 27.

ST. JOSEPH – A man who was a trailblazer for the Missouri Western football program, Coach Harold Cagle, passed away last Friday due to a lengthy illness.

Cagle, a mentor to many, started the football program in 1969 and coached the team during the first four seasons from 1970-1973. Under his direction, the program improved each year. On Oct. 10, 1970, Cagle led Missouri Western to its first ever win, a 28-35 victory versus Peru State. He was inducted into the Griffon Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the 1990 class. Coach Cagle was recognized as part of the Centennial Celebration at halftime of the Homecoming football game this past October.

Services for Cagle are set for this Wednesday, December 2nd at 10 AM at the First Baptist Church in Haskell, Oklahoma.

— MWSU Athletics —

Griffons let late lead slip away, lose at St. Mary’s

riggertMissouriWesternSAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Missouri western men’s basketball team lost a late lead and dropped to 2-4 on the season with a 60-56 loss at St. Mary’s in the St. Mary’s Thanksgiving Classic Saturday in San Antonio.

The Griffons led by six with 4:03 to go and four with 2:35 left in the game. A 3-pointer by St. Mary’s with 2:20 left pulled the Rattlers within one then another three with 41 seconds remaining gave the host school a lead it didn’t relinquish. Kevin Thomas had a chance to tie the game at 57 with 16 seconds left but missed one of two free throws. St. Mary’s ended the game with three made free throws to stretch its lead to 60-56.

Thomas and Aaron Emmanuel both finished with double-doubles for Missouri Western. Emmanuel led Missouri Western with a career-high 18 points and 11 rebounds. Thomas finished with 12 points and 10 boards. The Griffons shot 37.5 percent from the field on the night and just 25 percent from 3-point range.

The game was the last in the non-conference portion of Missouri Western’s schedule. The team will open MIAA play on Dec. 2 at Central Missouri.

— MWSU Athletics —

22nd-ranked Western women destroy Graceland 99-35

MWSUST. JOSEPH – For the first time since the 2006-07 season, the Missouri Western women’s basketball team is 5-0 as they defeated Graceland 99-35 Saturday inside the MWSU Fieldhouse.

The 22nd-ranked Griffons came one point short of scoring 100 or more in consecutive games for the first time since the 1993-94 season.

Missouri Western had five players score in double figures, including a game-high 27 from LaQuinta Jefferson. She added five rebounds, five assists and two steals on 12-14 shooting from the field. Sarafina Handy finished with 16 points. Mhykeah Baez matched a career-high, scoring 15 points and adding eight rebounds. Miliakere Koyamainavure scored 14 and Sefulu Faavae finished with 10 points. For the second night in a row, all 10 Griffons scored and eight shot 50 percent or better from the field.

As a team, Missouri Western was 61 percent from the field, including 65 percent shooting in the first half. Graceland was limited to 25 percent shooting from the field for the game and 21 percent from behind the arc. Missouri Western totaled 10 fouls on the night, sending Graceland to the line just three times, all in the first half. The Griffons finished with a 47-26 advantage on the glass and forced 31 Graceland turnovers, while finishing with 29 assists themselves. Missouri Western outscored Graceland in the paint, 72-14 and got 34 points off the bench.

Missouri Western begins conference play next week with a trip to Central Missouri on Wednesday.

— MWSU Athletics —

Missouri women beat Saint Mary’s to win Hilton Concord Thanksgiving Classic

riggertMissouriMORAGA, Calif. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball (7-0) shot 51 percent from the field and drained a season-high 14 shots from 3-point range to earn a 95-78 victory over host Saint Mary’s (5-1) on Saturday at the McKeon Pavilion. The Tigers earned the championship at the Hilton Concord Thanksgiving Classic as the only team in the 4-team field to win both games over the weekend.

“This was a big win,” head coach Robin Pingeton said. “Our ball movement was so good today and we shot the ball really well. Saint Mary’s has a nice team, and this was just a great team win.”

Jordan Frericks (Quincy, Ill.) was named Tournament MVP after scoring 18 points in both games of the classic along with a total of 14 rebounds. Cierra Porter (Columbia, Mo.) also earned All-Tournament Team honors after scoring 30 points and grabbing 15 rebounds over the last two days.

The Tigers registered a season-high scoring total and set new high mark with 28 assists. The 28 assists are the most since registering the same total in a record-setting 126-55 victory vs. Bradley on Dec. 8, 2013. Mizzou also tied a season-best with 50 points in the first half, including 15 assists and 10 triples.

Mizzou never trailed after the 5:07 mark in the first quarter. Frericks finished with 18 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Sierra Michaelis (Mercer, Mo.) also scored 18 points, including four baskets from long range. She also grabbed five rebounds and made two steals. Cierra Porter finished with 14 points and six boards.

For the game, Mizzou shot 51 percent (37-for-73) from the floor, 39 percent (14-for-36) from 3-point range and 64 percent (7-for-11) from the foul line. The Tigers held a 28-18 advantage in the paint, 18-10 lead in points off of turnovers and a 9-3 mark in fast break points.

Saint Mary’ shot 44 percent (23-for-52) from the field, 47 percent (8-for-17) from 3-point range and 73 percent (24-for-33) from the free throw line. The Gaels were led by Lauren Nicholson, who scored a game-high 24 points.

Mizzou returns home to Mizzou Arena for a 7 p.m. CT tipoff on Dec. 2 vs. Southeast Missouri.

— Mizzou Athletics —

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