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Category: College

Kim Anderson era at Missouri begins with loss to UMKC

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riggertMizzouCOLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Martez Harrison scored 26 points and Shayok Shayok added 10 to help Missouri-Kansas City stun Missouri 69-61 in the season opener Friday for both teams.

UMKC used two 10-2 runs in the opening half to help build a 33-24 halftime lead and then nursed its advantage throughout the final 20 minutes. The Kangaroos last beat a power conference team in December 2003 (Kansas State) and haven’t finished above .500 in a season since 2004-05.

Freshman Montaque Gill-Caesar led Missouri with 21 points while Wes Clark added 13.

The Tigers returned just 22 percent of their scoring from a 2013-2014 season that ended in March with a second-round loss in the NIT. Four freshmen received significant playing time Friday for first-year coach Kim Anderson, who guided Central Missouri to a Division II title earlier this year.

Harrison, the reigning WAC Freshman of the Year, averaged 17.2 points per game last season and single-handedly kept UMKC in the lead at times against the Tigers, scoring seven consecutive points midway through the second half.

After an authoritative, two-handed dunk by Gill-Caesar with 4:54 left narrowed Missouri’s deficit to 57-53, Harrison answered with a layup on the other end to start a 4-0 UMKC run.

The Tigers would get no closer.

Missouri led for just 34 seconds, grabbing a 3-2 advantage on a free throw by Ryan Rosburg 3:37 into the game. The team trailed by 11 in the first half against Missouri-St. Louis in its second exhibition game on Nov. 8, and Anderson said afterward the deficit would be beneficial to the Tigers.

But there would be no comeback this time.

—

TIP-INS

Missouri-Kansas City: The upset provided the signature win for second-year coach Kareem Richardson, who helped Louisville win the national championship in 2013 as an assistant for Rick Pitino. UMKC also received a big boost of confidence after being picked to finish fifth in the preseason WAC media poll.

Missouri: A scattering of boos rained down at the final buzzer from an announced attendance of 7,014. . Jakeenan Gant sat out after the school issued a release shortly before tip-off saying the freshman would be “withheld from competition as a result of a review regarding his eligibility.”

UP NEXT

Missouri-Kansas City plays at Kansas State on Monday.

Missouri hosts Valparaiso on Sunday.

— Associated Press —

Griffon volleyball ends season with loss at No. 17 Central Missouri

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riggertMissouriWesternThe Missouri Western volleyball team wrapped up a memorable season on Friday night in a 3-0 loss to #17 Central Missouri. The Griffons battled throughout the match with scores of 25-19, 25-21, and 25-21 but couldn’t pull off the upset to keep their slim postseason hopes alive.

Missouri Western was led again by senior Erica Rottinghaus as she tallied 18 kills on the night while hitting a .275. Jessie Thorup and Amanda Boender added seven and eight kills respectively for the Griffons. The offense was set up by Jordan Chohon who posted 33 assist on the night and contributed nine digs.

Defensively, Sarah Faubel had 18 digs to add to her all-time career digs record which she broke earlier this season.

The Griffons finished the season with the most wins since 1997 and finished with a program best 16 MIAA victories. Missouri Western season record was 22-8 overall and 16-6 in league play.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Graham helps No. 5 Kansas hold off UC-Santa Barbara

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riggertKULAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Devonte’ Graham came off the bench Friday night to provide fifth-ranked Kansas with a much-needed spark, providing the scuffling Jayhawks with some scoring and toughness.

Maybe a bit too much toughness.

On one play in the first half of their 69-59 victory over UC-Santa Barbara, the freshman guard was whistled for a technical foul after he walloped a defender with an elbow. Graham walked sheepishly back to the bench, where Kansas coach Bill Self proceeded to — ah, instruct him.

“He wasn’t happy,” Graham said with a grin. “He was mad.”

Truth of the matter? There wasn’t much for Self to be happy about Friday night.

Graham finished with 14 points, Perry Ellis had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Frank Mason III finished with 12 points. But the Jayhawks also committed 16 turnovers, struggled with their shooting and didn’t put away the pesky Gauchos until a big second-half run.

The defending Big 12 champions had better solve their ills in a hurry. They have a date with top-ranked Kentucky on Tuesday night in Indianapolis.

“We need to develop an identity,” Self said. “We’re going to need to win games muddy.”

Alan Williams led Santa Barbara with 22 points and 13 rebounds, frustrating the Jayhawks with some veteran guile. The Big West’s top returning scorer also had four blocked shots.

“We just didn’t make enough shots,” he said. “We’re a better shooting team than that.”

The Jayhawks won their 42nd straight season opener at Allen Fieldhouse, but it certainly wasn’t easy. A team that lost freshmen sensations Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid to the NBA draft had to rely on a bevy of freshmen, and it showed throughout the first half.

Kansas went 6 minutes without a field goal at one point, turning the ball over four times in a span of six possessions. The Gauchos only had one field goal in a span of nearly 10 minutes, though, and they struggled on the boards on both ends of the floor.

Still, Santa Barbara had forged a 15-14 lead with about 7 1/2 minutes left in the half before Graham went on his scoring binge. The diminutive freshman scored eight of the next 11 points for Kansas, and then added a put back of his own miss before the buzzer for a 31-23 lead.

“Man, he came in and stepped up,” Ellis said. “That’s what we needed from our freshmen.”

The Gauchos, picked to contend for the Big West title, stubbornly refused to go away. They made one more push early in the second half, closing within 44-41 on Zalmico Harmon’s bucket.

Cliff Alexander answered with two foul shots at the other end, and that kicked off a 14-4 surge that helped to put the game away. Alexander had the highlight of the run, a thunderous dunk off a feed from fellow freshman Svi Mykhailiuk that gave the Jayhawks a 54-43 lead.

Santa Barbara never seriously threatened again.

“We played a very good team,” Santa Barbara coach Bob Williams said. “I thought our guys found a way to score and stay in the game, and that’s the best you can say when you don’t shoot the ball very well.”

FOUL TROUBLE

Both teams heard plenty of whistles. Graham and Mason picked up two early on for Kansas, though the Jayhawks managed their foul trouble well in the second half. Meanwhile, Santa Barbara put them in the bonus with 11:32 left in the game. The Gauchos’ John Green fouled out.

TIP-INS

Kansas: Sophomore forward Brannen Greene got his first career start. He was 1 for 3 from the field and finished with three points, two rebounds and one assist.

Santa Barbara: Mitch Brewe spent the night hearing “Airball!” from the Kansas students. The junior forward fired up two of them in the game.

UP NEXT

Kansas takes a big step up in competition for the second straight year when it takes on the Wildcats. Last year, the Jayhawks knocked off Duke in Chicago in their second game.

Santa Barbara visits Florida-Gulf Coast on Monday night. The two will play again in January.

— Associated Press —

K-State rolls past Southern Utah in opener 98-68

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riggertKStateMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — With memories of last year’s season-opening 60-58 loss to Northern Colorado running through his mind, Bruce Weber wasn’t prepared to see a halftime lead disappear again.

In its second-consecutive attempt to beat a Big Sky conference opponent in their home opener, Kansas State answered in record-breaking fashion. The Wildcats shot 66.7 percent from the floor in the second half and scored the most points in the Weber era.

Nigel Johnson scored a career-high 18 points and Thomas Gipson had 17 points and six rebounds Friday to lead Kansas State over Southern Utah 98-68 in the season opener for both teams.

“We led them last year at halftime and they came back and beat us,” Weber said. “We were letting a team like that hang with us and you never know what could happen. It was a good start to the second half and we really got it going (offensively).”

The scoring performance was Kansas State’s highest since an 87-point effort against Central Arkansas on Dec. 1, 2013. It was also is the highest score for Kansas State since a 100-76 win over North Florida on Dec. 31, 2010.

A.J. Hess had 16 points, including 12 in the first half, to pace the Thunderbirds, who are coming off a 2-27 campaign in 2013-14.

Four other players scored in double figures for the Wildcats, including Marcus Foster and Tre Harris with 13 points apiece. Johnson had a career-high tying five assists.

The Wildcats opened the second half with 33-9 run, pushing their lead to 77-55 after 10 minutes and never looked back.

“We obviously shot the ball extremely well at 58 percent,” Weber said. “Our guys were patient and got it inside (and) outside. We did a better job in the second half against their zone.”

Johnson shot 3 of 4 from deep to aid the Wildcats’ offense, which gave him all nine of his second-half points.

“I’m just trying to play and let it come to me,” Johnson said. “My role is going to be different than last year. I didn’t have to score that much, but I can shoot the ball well and I can score the ball.”

Hess’ fourth foul with 15:51 in the second half limited the Thunderbirds offensively as they shot 1 of 10 during the Wildcats’ run. Southern Utah finished 20-for-49 from the field after shooting 45.8 percent in the first half (11-24).

Kansas State’s physical play took an early toll on Southern Utah, forcing the Thunderbirds into 16 first-half fouls.

Gipson chipped in 14 points in the first half while the Wildcats went 18 of 24 from the free-throw line in the first half.

Hess kept the Thunderbirds within reach with an eight-point deficit at the break and chipped in a 4-for-7 performance from 3-point range

TIP-INS

Southern Utah has now lost 28 of its last 30 games and head coach Nick Robinson falls to 13-48 overall in his three seasons with the Thunderbirds.

UP NEXT

Kansas State hosts UMKC, which won at Missouri in its season opener, on Monday and will play at Long Beach State next Friday before heading to the Maui Invitational on Nov. 24-26.

Southern Utah heads to Miami (OH) on Sunday

STAT LINES

Along with the highest-scoring total, Kansas State’s 3-point percentage (55.6) and made and attempted free throws (34-48) were the most under Weber. preseason first-team All-Big 12 selection Marcus Foster has now scored in double figures in 28 of his 34 career games.

— Associated Press —

Fall Classic moving to Maryville because of possible inclement weather

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NWMSUDue to an unforeseen chain of inclement weather events expected to take place in Kansas City, Saturday’s Fall Classic has been relocated to Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Mo., from Arrowhead Stadium.

After consulting with the National Football League office and a thorough review of the weather forecast, our grounds crew strongly suggested eliminating any activity on the field prior to the game on Sunday. Due to the potential combination of wet snow conditions followed by below freezing temperatures, it has been recommended that the field remain covered during the forecasted precipitation on Saturday.

“We would like to express our thanks to Mel Tjeerdsma, Loren Ferré and both universities for their understanding and working with us to find a solution to this unpredictable situation,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said.

All tickets for Saturday’s scheduled game at Arrowhead will be refunded in full at the original point of purchase. Tickets will be available at the Northwest Missouri State University Ticket Office. Ticket information for Saturday’s game will be available on both Northwest Missouri State and Washburn University’s websites later this afternoon. Kickoff time has also been changed to 1 p.m.

Any ticket-related questions for the Chiefs can be directed to (816) 920-4237.

— Chiefs Media Relations —

Northwest men’s basketball signs two to 2015 recruiting class

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Northwest2013riggertNorthwest Missouri State head men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum announced the additions of Grant Graham and Tyler Dougherty to the 2015-16 roster. Graham, from Eldridge, Iowa, was a standout guard at North Scott High School while Dougherty is a 6-6 forward from Papillion-LaVista High School in LaVista, Neb.

“Both of these kids really wanted to be at Northwest,” said McCollum. “They fit our culture and we think it’s extremely important having kids that want to be in our program. We are very excited about having these two young men join our basketball family.”

Graham was a second team All-Mississippi Athletic Conference performer as a junior, earning third team accolades as a freshman and honorable mention honors as a sophomore. In three seasons, Graham has compiled 622 points, 150 assists, 221 rebounds, 68 steals and eight blocked shots. He has a single game high of 26 points. North Scott has advanced to the sub-state finals all three seasons. Graham maintaines a 3.87 GPA, is a member of the National Honor Society and has earned All-MAC academic team honors all three seasons.

“Grant is a very tough and heady guard,” McCollum said. “We were impressed with his ability to always make the right play on offense. He is a very good defender, one of the best we saw in high school last year. Grant’s North Scott team is 40-6 the last two seasons and that’s one of the first things we look at when recruiting a kid. Grant will do his job in the classroom and will be a great kid in the community.”

Dougherty has helped lead the Papillion-LaVista Monarchs to a pair of Nebraska Final Four appearances. As a junior, he averaged 14 points and seven rebounds. Last season, he scored a career-best 25 points to go along with 10 rebounds against Omaha Westside. Dougherty is an all-state scholar athlete, earning all-state honorable mention honors and all-area first team accolades. He played club basketball for Omaha Sports Academy and helped lead the team to the Mullens High Profile Tournament titel in 2014 in St. Louis. A three sport standout in football and soccer in addition to basketball, Dougherty is also an honor roll student and is a member of the National Honor Society. He is the younger brother of current Bearcat redshirt freshman Brett Dougherty.

“Tyler is a strong and tough kid,” said McCollum. “He is very good at attacking the basket and finishing around the rim. He has been a part of some very successful teams at Papillion LaVista and with his AAU team the Omaha Crusaders. Tyler is a fantastic kid and comes from a great family that we already know very well through his brother Brett.”

— Northwest Sports Information —

Arrowhead Stadium to host Missouri-BYU in 2015

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ChiefsThe NCAA Div. I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) returns to Kansas City in 2015 as Arrowhead Stadium will play host to a match-up between the University of Missouri Tigers and the Brigham Young University Cougars on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015. The game will mark the first FBS game to be featured at Arrowhead Stadium since Mizzou topped Kansas 24-10 in Big 12 Conference action on Nov. 26, 2011. Kickoff time and ticket details for the game will be announced at a later date.

“We’ve been focused on bringing FBS football back to Arrowhead Stadium for some time and have investigated a number of ways to accomplish that,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. “We want to thank both Missouri and BYU for making this possible. We know that this will be a unique opportunity for the players, coaches and fans of both institutions to experience the iconic Arrowhead atmosphere.”

The University of Missouri, serving as the game’s home team, joined the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Eastern Division in 2012 and went on to win the SEC Eastern Division title in 2013, marking its fourth conference divisional title in the past seven seasons after claiming Big 12 North championships in 2007, 2008 and 2010. Head Coach Gary Pinkel’s squad ranks in the top 10 among the power five conferences in wins, while also ranking in the top 10 in Academic Progress Rate (APR) since 2007. The program sits in the top five for most NFL first-round draft picks since 2009. Pinkel is Mizzou’s all-time winningest coach with 109 victories in 14 seasons. He has led the program to nine bowl games in his previous 13 years, while the school has played in 30 bowl games in its history. The Tigers are no stranger to football in Kansas City, having played 30 games all-time in the city. Mizzou has played seven times inside Arrowhead Stadium, going 5-2 overall from 2005-11.

“We are very pleased to have this opportunity to bring Mizzou to Kansas City. Having a presence there is very important to us, and this game underscores our commitment to doing just that, as we indicated when we moved to the Southeastern Conference,” University of Missouri Director of Athletics Mike Alden said. “This is an exciting, high-profile game for our fans, and we’re looking forward to working with the Kansas City Chiefs and the KC Sports Commission. We know from past experiences that they will do an outstanding job of making this a special event for Tiger fans.”

Brigham Young University, the game’s visiting team, is a football independent with a record of elite-level success and tradition that includes winning the 1984 National Championship. Over the past 40 seasons, only four FBS programs–Nebraska, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Florida State–have won more games than BYU while the Cougars have advanced to 32 bowl games and earned top-25 rankings during 31 seasons. BYU boasts seven members of the College Football Hall of Fame along with a Heisman Trophy winner, seven Sammy Baugh Trophy recipients, four Davey O’Brien Award honorees, two Outland Trophy winners and a Doak Walker Award recipient. Current head coach Bronco Mendenhall has led BYU to an 87-38 record since 2005 to rank 12th in total victories while achieving a 6-3 bowl record–only Florida State has more bowl wins (seven) over the past nine seasons. Off the field, BYU is tied for fifth for the most Academic All-Americans since 2005.

“It’s a great opportunity and challenge for our football team to play such a fine school as Missouri. They are a new SEC school with a rich football tradition going back to the Big 12,” BYU Director of Athletics Tom Holmoe said. “It will also be exciting for our team to play at Arrowhead Stadium in a region of the country where we haven’t been in a while.”

As part of the agreement between the teams, the Tigers will play at Lavell Edwards Stadium on Nov. 7, 2020.

Arrowhead Stadium has played host to 36 college football games throughout its 43-year history. Most notably, the venue has hosted five Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship Games, five Border Showdown contests between Mizzou and Kansas, 13 Fall Classic games featuring Northwest Missouri State University, Pittsburg State University and Washburn University, as well as more than a dozen other contests highlighting teams from across the country.

— Chiefs Media Relations —

Mizzou men’s basketball signs two to 2015 recruiting class

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riggertMizzouMissouri men’s basketball coach Kim Anderson has announced two signings for the program’s 2015 recruiting class, with talented student-athletes Kevin Puryear (Blue Springs, Mo.) and Cullen VanLeer (Pacific, Mo.) inking with the Tigers. A 6-7 forward, Puryear has starred for Blue Springs South High School, averaging 19.2 points and 8.6 rebounds as a junior this past season. Standing 6-4 from the guard position, VanLeer posted a solid 21.9-point average for Pacific High School as a junior.

“We are excited about the addition of Kevin and Cullen to our program,” Anderson said. “Both come from outstanding high school and non-scholastic programs. Kevin has had the chance to play for Coach Jimmy Cain at Blue Springs South High School and L.J. Goolsby at KC Run GMC, while Cullen played for his father John at Pacific High School and Scott Schroepfer’s St. Louis Gateway program.

“They are two of the top players in the state of Missouri, and we are elated that they have decided to stay home and be members of the Tiger basketball family. Additionally, they are both high character young men who are winners.”

Puryear was a First Team All-State honoree from the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association as a junior in 2014, complimenting a standout season for South head coach Jimmy Cain. Blue Springs South was powered by Puryear to a strong 21-4 record and second round appearance in the Class 5 District Tournament. Puryear and his teammates recorded an impressive 22-2 mark and advanced to the Class 5 State Tournament during his sophomore season.

“Kevin is a versatile, combo forward who brings a great blue collar, tough mentality that fits the culture we are trying to create here at Mizzou,” Anderson said. “He can shoot it from the perimeter or go inside and mix it up. He takes great pride in being a Missouri Tiger.”

With additional junior season averages of 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals, VanLeer has proven to have a versatile game while playing for father and Pacific head coach John VanLeer. The younger VanLeer was honored for his well-rounded game by the MBCA, earning First Team All-State recognition as both a sophomore and junior in Class 3 and Class 4, respectively.

VanLeer’s Pacific squad posted a stout 20-5 record this past season, advancing to the second round of the Class 4 District Tournament. Pacific also made an appearance in the district tournament round during his sophomore campaign.

“Cullen meets an important need for us next year,” Anderson said. “He is an outstanding shooter with deep range and is a solid ball handler. Like Kevin, he is also an in-state kid who takes great pride in wearing the Black & Gold. With both young men, Coach Loos did an outstanding job of developing a good relationship early on, along with the rest of our staff.”

The two Show-Me State standouts have been strong players on the travel ball circuit, with Puryear proving the strength of his interior game with KC Run GMC and VanLeer earning a sharpshooter’s reputation with St. Louis Gateway. VanLeer shot 35 percent from three-point range for the club over the summer.

Puryear is excited to get started at Mizzou in the Fall of 2015, relishing the opportunity to bring his intensity and tenacity to the Mizzou Arena court.

“I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to be a part of my dream school,” Puryear said. “I’m just very happy to be in the Mizzou family.”

VanLeer, focused on contributing to the Tigers’ squad immediately, echoed his signing class partner’s feelings about putting on the Black & Gold uniform.

“I’m really excited to be joining the Mizzou Basketball family,” VanLeer said. “Being a Missouri kid, I take great pride in being able to play for and attend the University of Missouri.”

— MU Sports Information —

Griffon women nearly upset Mizzou in exhibition game 78-75

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MWSUThe Missouri Western women’s basketball team lost an exhibition game against Missouri Tuesday night inside Mizzou Arena, 78-75.

Missouri led by as many as 18 in the second half before MWSU closed the gap with a chance to tie at the buzzer. LaQuinta Jefferson missed a three that would have sent the game into overtime and handed the Mizzou women their second straight close win against an MIAA opponent. Last week, the Tigers downed Lindenwood by six.

The Griffons and Tigers stayed even throughout the first part of the first half but the Tigers eventually pulled away shooting 44% and forcing the Griffons into 17 team fouls. Missouri led at the break 41-25. In the second half, the Griffons were able to close the gap hitting four three-pointers and converting on 13-17 free throws in the half.

LaQuinta Jefferson scored 40 points in the game and collected five rebounds. Sarafina Handy added 10 points for the Griffons and Ariana Novak had eight points.

Missouri Western begins its regular season at Quincy, Illinois for the Quincy Classic as they take on Robert Morris College on Friday at 5:00 p.m. and Quincy Saturday at 4:00 p.m.

The game against Robert Morris can be heard on 680 KFEQ and the Griffon Sports Network.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Western volleyball wins at Lindenwood Tuesday 3-1

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riggertMissouriWesternThe Missouri Western volleyball team got off to a slow start but rallied for a 3-1 win at Lindenwood Tuesday night. The Griffons improve to 22-7 this season and 16-5 in the MIAA.

After dropping set one, 26-24, Missouri Western won the next three sets: 25-17, 25-18 and 25-20. Erica Rottinghaus led the way for the Grifon offense with 13 kills and helped out on the other end with 19 digs. Jessie Thorup added 10 kills and Jordan Chohon finished with 36 assists and hit .444 with four kills. Sarah Faubel padded her school digs record with 20.

Missouri Western will wrap up the regular season Friday night when they travel to Central Missouri.  The match begins at 7:00 p.m.

— MWSU Sports Information —

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