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Category: Sports

Missouri loses at home to Eastern Illinois 67-64

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riggertMissouriCOLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — What was supposed to be a four-hour bus ride for Eastern Illinois coach Jay Spoonhour and his team turned into a 12-hour interstate fiasco as a winter storm made I-70 a standstill for many weekend travelers.

An impromptu taco run and a monumental road victory made the journey more than worthwhile, as the Panthers defeated Missouri 67-64 Saturday.

Montell Goodwin scored 22 points, including 15 in the second half, to help Eastern Illinois beat Missouri for the first time in four attempts.

“It’s a really big win for us,” Spoonhour said. “There was a long stretch in there where I didn’t know if guys thought they could win the game. We were kind of looking around for somebody else to do it, and eventually, we made a few shots, and that was kind of it.”

Spoonhour described being stuck on the interstate for nearly seven hours with thousands of other travelers and a bus full of athletes, which happened to be yards away from a Mexican restaurant.

“About three hours in, the guys said `hey coach, man, can we get some tacos?” Spoonhour recalled. “We’re on the interstate, and I said “no, it’s illegal.”… I thought it was really wise to not do that. About six and half hours into the trip, I said, “hey who wants to go get 50 tacos?”

Demetrius McReynolds added 16 points and six rebounds, and Ray Crossland added eight points and six rebounds. McReynolds scored 10 of his points in the first half after starting 3-for-4 from the field, but from there made only 2 of 13 attempts.

The Panthers (7-4) took a 4-0 lead in the first two minutes before the Tigers mustered an 18-4 run, giving them a 10-point lead, the largest lead of the game. Despite shooting 26.5 percent in the first half, including 1-for-15 from 3-point range, Eastern Illinois battled back and cut Missouri’s lead to only two by halftime, 32-30.

In the second half, Eastern Illinois caught fire, led by Goodwin, who shot 6-for-9 from the field, including 3-for-4 from 3-point range.

“I thought they outplayed us,” Missouri coach Kim Anderson said. “Especially in the second half, I thought we really, really struggled to keep them off the boards. You’ve got to give them credit. I’m not sure why we didn’t have the energy that we needed to play this game, but we’re certainly going to try to find it by Wednesday.”

Every time Missouri attempted a run, Eastern Illinois would answer with an even bigger play. With 3:14 remaining, Frankie Hughes gave Missouri a 63-61 lead with a fast-break dunk, but the Panthers immediately answered with a 3-pointer from McReynolds. The next shot to fall was a 3-pointer from Goodwin with 1:39 remaining. Hughes finished with five points on 2-for-6 shooting.

The Tigers (5-5) did not make a field goal for the final 3:31, while the Panthers closed the game on a 6-1 run. Terrence Phillips was fouled with under a minute left, but made only 1 of 2 free-throw attempts. Phillips finished with eight points, seven assists and three rebounds.

K.J. Walton and Willie Jackson each scored nine points for the Tigers, and Kevin Puryear added eight points and six rebounds.

BARNETT’S BACK

St. Louis native Jordan Barnett made his Missouri debut, having sat out for the last year after transferring from Texas. He finished with three points and five rebounds, including a two-handed breakaway dunk to give the Tigers a 55-54 lead with 7:31 remaining. His last collegiate game was Dec. 8, 2015 against University of Texas-San Antonio. He had 12 points and five rebounds in that game.

COMMON CONNECTIONS

Spoonhour was an assistant coach at Missouri from 2004-06. Missouri assistant coach Emanuel Dildy played at Eastern Illinois from 2004-05, and was also an assistant coach for the Panthers in 2011-12, Spoonhour’s first season.

BIG PICTURE

Eastern Illinois: This is a signature win for the Panthers, who have no other Power-5 opponents on their schedule. Missouri had won the previous three contests between the schools, including the most recent meeting, which Missouri won 68-56 on Dec. 28, 2005.

Missouri: The Tigers shot 16.7 percent from 3-point range, a season low. Missouri’s previous 3-point shooting low was 18.8 percent on Nov. 18 in a 70-55 loss to Davidson.

UP NEXT

Eastern Illinois: Hosts Fontbonne University Monday.

Missouri: Travels to St. Louis Wednesday for the 36th annual Bud Light Braggin’ Rights game against Illinois in the Scottrade Center. The Tigers lost last year’s meeting 68-63.

— Associated Press —

No. 3 Kansas uses big second half to defeat Davidson

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riggertKUKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — It took Carlton Bragg Jr. about 20 minutes to knock the rust off.

Took about the same amount of time for Kansas.

Playing for the first time in a week, the third-ranked Jayhawks were sluggish in falling behind pesky Davidson on Saturday night. But they dominated in the paint in the second half, began getting into transition and ran away from the Wildcats for an 89-71 victory at Sprint Center.

Josh Jackson and Frank Mason III led the way with 18 points apiece, but Bragg added seven points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes in his return from a brief suspension.

“He didn’t really play well in the first half,” Mason said, “but we told him in the locker room, `Stay aggressive, stay confident,’ and that’s what he did. I was happy to have him back out here.”

Bragg had been suspended following his arrest on suspicion of battery, but the misdemeanor charge was dismissed this week after video evidence surfaced that showed him acting in self-defense. The woman who had accused the sophomore forward of shoving her has been charged instead.

“I thought Carlton played well,” Kansas coach Bill Self said.

Svi Mykhailiuk also had 13 points for the Jayhawks (10-1), who extended their nation-leading home winning streak to 49 games. Kansas considered the matchup with the Wildcats (5-4) a home game even though it was played just down the road from its campus in Lawrence.

It was the Jayhawks’ eighth straight win in the building, including the Big 12 Tournament last season and the CBE Classic a few weeks ago. It’s also the same building where they will not only contest the league tournament in March but hope to land in the NCAA Tournament with a spot in the Final Four on the line.

Peyton Aldridge hit five 3s and had 22 points to lead the Wildcats, while Jack Gibbs — the nation’s fourth-leading scorer coming into the game — had 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

“We had a great opportunity in front of us and for about 25 minutes I thought we handled it very well,” Davidson coach Bob McKillop said, “and then I think the statistics bear out they just annihilated us in the paint, and they annihilated us in transition.”

Davidson spoiled the holidays for the Jayhawks nearly five years ago to the day when it rolled into the same building and upset a team that would reach the Final Four. And just like that night, the Wildcats relied on superior toughness and a bevy of 3-pointers to cause all kinds of problems Saturday night.

Davidson hit seven 3s in the first half alone, taking a 43-42 lead into the locker room. The only other time the Jayhawks have trailed at the break this season came in a win over Duke.

Kansas was 0 for 8 from beyond the arc in the first half.

The Wildcats extended their lead to five early in the second half before Jackson finally hit from the perimeter. Mason added another 3-pointer, and the Jayhawks clawed their way back in the game.

It was 58-all with just over 11 minutes left when Landen Lucas converted an alley-oop dunk, triggering a 10-2 run that allowed Kansas to seize control. Mykhailiuk hit a 3-pointer during the run, and Bragg Jr. hit a bunch of free throws to cap it.

Kansas later pushed the decisive charge to 20-4 as it wrapped up its 10th straight win.

“They’re a team that really moves a lot on offense, set a lot of screens. It was kind of hard to keep up with our man out there,” Jackson said, “but I think we made a couple — What am I trying to stay? — we made a couple of adjustments on defense that really helped us out.”

STATS AND STREAKS

Kansas had a 48-22 advantage in the paint, including a 23-9 edge on second-chance points. … The Jayhawks scored 16 points off turnovers. Davidson managed two. … The Wildcats wrapped up a stretch of seven of eight games away from home. … Aldridge needs four more points for 1,000 for his career./

BIC PICTURE

Davidson finally gets a break in the schedule. The Wildcats lost to fifth-ranked North Carolina their last time out, the first time they’ve played back-to-back games against Top 5 opponents since 2008.

Kansas showed that it could overcome a lethargic outing to win a game. The Jayhawks have barely been challenged since their win over Duke on Nov. 15 in New York.

UP NEXT

Davidson plays Jacksonville on Wednesday night in its first home game since Nov. 26.

Kansas visits UNLV on Thursday night in its last game before Big 12 play.

— Associated Press —

Northwest women fall at Northeastern State for sixth straight loss

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Northwest2013riggertThe Northwest Missouri State University women’s basketball team fell to Northeastern State, 72-58, on Saturday at the NSU Event Center in Tahlequah, Okla.

– The Bearcats fall to 5-6 on the year and 0-4 in MIAA play. The RiverHawks improve to 4-6 overall and 1-4 in conference action.

– Jasmin Howe scored a game-high 19 points on 5-of-10 shooting. She was 3-of-8 from long range and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. She added five rebounds and an assist.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest shot 33 percent (18-54) for the game from the field and hit 7-of-28 three point attempts (25 percent).

– The Bearcats out-rebounded the RiverHawks, 33-31.

– Macy Williams had 10 points and a team-high four assists.

– Tanya Meyer had 10 points and six rebounds. She added a blocked shot and a steal.

– Taryne Shull recorded a game-high 10 rebounds. It was her second double-digit rebound performance of the year.

Key Northwest Sequence
– Northwest cut into the RiverHawk lead at the end of the first half and into the start of the third. Carlie Wilhelmi hit a layup with 40 seconds to play in the second quarter to cut the NSU advantage to 28-24. At the start of the third quarter, Meyer hit a layup and was fouled. She hit the free throw to make the score 28-27 just 20 second in.

Up Next
– Northwest will return from holiday break on Thursday, Jan. 5, at 5:30 p.m. against Missouri Southern at Bearcat Arena.

— Northwest Athletics —

Johnson scores 19 in K-State’s 89-70 win over Colorado State

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riggertKansasStateDENVER (AP) — Kansas State found strength in numbers.

D.J. Johnson had 19 points to lead six Wildcats scoring in double figures, and Kansas State pulled away in the second half to beat Colorado State 89-70 Saturday.

Barry Brown had 14 points and Xavier Sneed added 12 for Kansas State (10-1), which won its fifth in a row since its loss to Maryland on Nov. 26.

Johnson, who fouled out with just under two minutes remaining, also had 10 rebounds for his third career double-double.

“You get six guys in double figures, assists to turnovers of 17 to 9, and our rebounding was a huge thing,” said Kansas State coach Bruce Weber. “We got some timely offensive rebounds and a great start to the second half that broke their spirits.”

Prentiss Nixon had 30 points to lead Colorado State (8-3).

Up by seven at the break, Kansas State stretched its lead 58-41 with a 14-4 run to open the second half. The surge featured two 3-pointers by Kamau Stokes and Johnson’ rim-rattling, one-handed dunk off an offensive rebound.

By the time Johnson converted a 3-point play with 9:33 left, the Wildcats were up by 20 points, and the Rams could make little headway the rest of the way.

“I feel we have not peaked, but I feel we are in a good place,” Brown said. “We got a lot of guys involved. A lot of guys in double figures. The bench really picked us up and gave us a lot of energy in the first half and we carried it over to the second half.”

Nixon said a lackluster defensive effort was at the center of the Rams’ double-digit loss.

“We weren’t guarding anybody,” Nixon said. “They were getting open looks. We played terribly.”

Kansas State led 44-37 at halftime, using a 9-0 run to surge in front after Nixon’s 3-pointer had pulled the Rams to within a point.

Brown capped the burst by converting a 3-point play.

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State: A Wildcats’ strength this season has been their balanced scoring and it was once again on display in their latest victory. The game marked the eighth time this season that at least four Wildcats had scored in double figures.

Colorado State: Nixon led all scorers with his 30-point game but it wasn’t enough to keep up against the diversified offensive display by the Wildcats. The Rams were hurt by turnovers (14) and defensive breakdowns that saw Colorado State allow a season high in points.

ONGOING UPSIDE

Their strong start notwithstanding, Johnson said he continues to see an upside for the Wildcats. “I think we played well as we have,” he said. “I thought our defense lagged a little bit in the first half. There is always room for improvement.”

UP NEXT

Kansas State: Rounds out its non-conference schedule by hosting Gardner-Webb on Wednesday night.

Colorado State: Finishes a five-game home stand by returning to Moby Arena on the Fort Collins campus and hosting Loyola Marymount.

— Associated Press —

Missouri State holds off Southeast Missouri 71-66

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riggertMSUSPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Ryan Kreklow scored 17 points Saturday night and Missouri State held off Southeast Missouri for a 71-66 win in the campus round of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic.

Ronnie Rousseau III added 15 points and Chris Kendrix had 12 for Missouri State (7-3). Alize Johnson, who had double-doubles in the three previous games, was held scoreless Saturday but hauled in 11 rebounds.

Missouri State pulled away with a 16-2 run in the first half to build a 30-14 lead with 5:22 left before intermission. The breakaway run included a pair of 3-pointers from Kreklow, and the Bears led the rest of the way.

Despite trailing by 20 in the second half, Southeast Missouri continued to chip away, cutting the deficit to 65-63 on a pair of free throws from Denzel Mahoney with 2:10 left but it was as close as it got.

Antonius Cleveland’s 23 points led three Southeast Missouri players in double figures.

— Associated Press —

Mizzou women cruise past Tennessee-Martin

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riggertMissouriCOLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball used a well-balanced offensive attack to run past Tennessee-Martin, 80-69, on an icy Saturday afternoon in Mid-Missouri. Four players scored in double-figures, marking the sixth time Mizzou has accomplished that this season, as the Tigers shot 27-for-56 from the floor and held off a comeback attempt from the Skyhawks in the fourth quarter for the win. Mizzou improves to 9-3 on the season.

Senior guard Sierra Michaelis (Mercer, Mo.) poured in a game-high 23 points to lead Mizzou. The reigning SEC Co-Player of the Week has reached the 20-point plateau in two of the last three games. She drained five three-pointers Saturday and moved to third all-time in program history for career three-pointers made with 143 triples.

Sophomore guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) tallied 21 points, six rebounds and three assists and sophomore Cierra Porter (Columbia, Mo.) posted 19 points and 14 rebounds to secure her fifth double-double of the season. The 14 boards for Porter were one shy of a career-high. Senior Lindsey Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) added 13 points, five rebounds and two assists in the win.

Mizzou dominated the first half of play thanks to Sophie Cunningham and Porter. Together, they were responsible for Mizzou’s first 14 points. The Tigers raced out to a 25-17 lead after a bucket down low from Cunningham.

Mizzou went on to outscore UT-Martin, 26-4, in the opening half of action. The dominance in the paint allowed the Tigers to string together a 13-3 second-quarter run and build a 16-point advantage. The Cunningham-Porter duo combined for 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting with 11 rebounds and two assists in the first half as Mizzou entered halftime up 43-27.

Coming out in the second half, Michaelis caught fire, connecting on back-to-back triples to get Mizzou’s offense going. She stayed hot, finishing with five 3-pointers in the third quarter alone.

UT-Martin cut the lead to just nine points midway through the fourth quarter, but Mizzou was able to hang on behind efficient free throw shooting and stout defense, limiting UT-Martin to just 2-for-9 shooting down the stretch. The Tigers finished 18-of-23 from the foul line.

Mizzou will be back in action Monday against UC-Riverside at 7 p.m. inside Mizzou Arena.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Pitts resigns as Central’s Head Football Coach

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Phil Pitts
Phil Pitts

(News Release) – Phil Pitts is stepping down as Central High School’s head football coach in an announcement made Thursday by Principal Dr. Deborah Stephens and Dave Lau, Athletic Director.

“The decision to leave St. Joseph and Central High School was an extremely difficult decision for my family and me,” said Pitts. “The opportunity to go back to our hometown and be closer to family was just something we felt we had to do. This move is based on what is best for our family. We have truly loved our time here and we have been very impressed with the people in the district.”

Pitts, who came on board with Central’s program in January of 2016, has accepted a coaching position at Lincoln University in Jefferson City.

“In the year Coach Pitts and his family have been with us at Central, they have become our family,” said Dr. Stephens. “We understand that university offers don’t come along every day and we wish him the best with the Lincoln University challenge.”

In addition to previous coaching experience at the high school level, Pitts brought experience to Central High School from his time as a defensive analyst at the University of Missouri where he also played football from 2001-2004.

“Coach Pitts was everything as advertised. We appreciate the hard work with our student athletes and service to our football program. We hate to see him move on, but wish him the greatest success at Lincoln University,” said Lau.

Pitts’ resignation is effective at the end of the current semester. The search for his replacement will begin immediately.

“Coach Pitts has been instrumental in helping create an environment of success at Central High School, not only for the football program but all students as well. We are disheartened to see him leave, but understand, even though it has been a short amount of time, Coach Pitts has made a tremendous impact. Our goal is to recruit and hire someone that can continue that energy,” said Dr. Robert Newhart, SJSD superintendent.

Matching grant to benefit St. Joseph ball field

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Stock Image
Stock Image

A matching grant of $5,000 will go towards renovations of Hyde Park ball fields.

The City of St. Joseph Parks, Recreation & Civic Facilities Department announced Thursday that it has been awarded a $5,000.00 grant from the Royals Charities Royalty Fields Program. The matching grant was awarded on behalf of the Glass Family and the Royals Charities Board of Directors. The money awarded to the Parks Department will be used in the renovation of Hyde fields.

The Royals Charities provides financial assistance for softball and baseball facilities improvements in the Midwest. The matching grants are specifically for local governments and non-profit organizations to help operate softball and baseball programs. The grants awarded are for projects that are primarily for the youth which include essential and non-essential field renovation components such as fencing, new sod, dugouts, lights, scoreboards, equipment, restrooms, and bleachers.

Griffon women struggle late but defeat Saint Mary 76-60

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mwsuST. JOSEPH – A rough fourth quarter couldn’t keep the Missouri Western women’s basketball team from winning its ninth game of the season Wednesday night, as they defeated the University of Saint Mary 76-60 inside the MWSU Fieldhouse.

Western went just 1-for-16 from the field in the fourth quarter and were outscored 20-5 in the final period after building a 33-point lead late in the third quarter.

HEADLINES

– Missouri Western shot 62.5% from the field in the second quarter and 70.6% in the third quarter, leading by as many as 33 points
– The Griffons forced 26 Saint Mary turnovers
– Missouri Western had 21 total assists on 32 made field goals
– Ten Griffons scored in the game with all 12 appearing in a game for the first time all season

TOP PERFORMERS

– Chelsea Dewey led Missouri Western with 14 points on 5-10 shooting from the field
– Julia Torres had another double-double with a team-high 11 rebounds to go with her 13 points. She also had four steals and three assists
– Sefulu Faavae had a career-high nine assists

UP NEXT

Missouri Western opens a non-conference doubleheader with the Griffon men’s basketball team against Haskell Indian Nations University on Monday at 5:30 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

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