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Missouri Western announces 2016 football recruiting class

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riggertMissouriWesternST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western football coach Jerry Partridge has announced the Griffon’s 2016 signing class.

Twenty-four future Griffons signed national letters of intent to play football at Missouri Western. The class features student athletes from six different states.

Partridge is entering his 20th season as head coach at his alma mater. Last season the Griffons posted a 6-5 record, the team’s 11th straight season at .500 or better.

Tyler Burrus
5-11, 210 | Linebacker | St. Louis, Missouri | Affton HS
“I love Tyler,” Partridge said. “He finds the ball and is an excellent leader.”

Kyle Berry
6-1, 165 | Defensive Back/Wide Receiver | St. Louis, Missouri | Affton HS
“Kyle can play either side of the ball,” Partridge said. “Our coaches are fighting over him already.”

Andrew Long
6-4, 230 | Tight End | Columbia, Missouri | Father Tolton Catholic HS
“Andrew has an excellent frame with good hands and he runs well,” Partridge said. “He will create matchup problems.”

Ben Ferkin
6-1, 210 | Quarterback | Waukee, Iowa | Waukee HS
“He can really spin it and also runs well,” Partridge said. “He has a real presence about him. A great get out of the great state of Iowa.”

Dennis Barber
6-6, 305 | Offensive Line | Florissant, Missouri | McCluer North HS
“A gigantic young man with dancing bear feet and an operatic voice,” Partridge said. “If he reaches his potential he could be a great one.”

Jaylen Bohannon
6-3, 210 | DL/LB | St. Louis, Missouri | Soldan International Studies HS
“Jaylen has the potential to be a great pass rusher.” Partridge said. “He has the perfect tools and size to be a 3-4 outside linebacker and has enormous hands.”

Cole Kruse
5-11, 165 | Wide Receiver | Raymore, Missouri | Raymore-Peculiar HS
“I love coach’s kids, obviously,” Partridge said. “He’s a great competitor with great feet and agility. He makes plays.”

Tyler Baska
6-4, 230 | Defensive End | Parkville, Missouri | Park Hill South HS
“He’s the brother of ex-Griffon great, Austin,” Partridge said. “He has a chance to be bigger than his brother. He’s an excellent student and could be a sleeper.”

Kasey McFall
6-1, 210 | Linebacker | Chillicothe, Missouri | South Harrison HS
“A potentially big backer,” Partridge said of McFall. “A rival coach told me Kasey was a football genius. He dominated at that level and is also a good wrestler.”

Alex Atkinson
6-1, 280 | Defensive Lineman | LaVista, Nebraska | Papillion-LaVista HS
“The thicker of the twins, he’s a strong young man,” Partridge said. “He has good mobility and won’t be moved easily. He’s a great student as well.”

Adam Atkinson
6-4, 240 | Defensive End | LaVista, Nebraska | Papillion-LaVista
“Adam’s a little taller than his twin brother. He’s a tremendous student from a great Omaha area school,” Partridge said. “He plays hard and physical. He’ll get big.”

Cale Cornman
6-3, 235 | Linebacker | Mountain View, Missouri | Liberty (Mountain View) HS
“Cale is a big time steal from very southern Missouri,” Partridge said. “He can play inside or outside linebacker, maybe even a defensive lineman. He’s a big, rangy athlete.”

Jacob Olson
6-3, 285 | Offensive Lineman | St. Joseph, Missouri | Central HS
“He’s going to play a lot in his career,” Partridge said. “He’s a tough competitor, a good wrestler with good technique. He was the best lineman in the area.”

Isaiah Colbert
6-4, 280 | Offensive Lineman | Kansas City, Missouri | Raytown South HS
“I loved him all the way back to summer camp,” Partridge said. “A lot of people missed on this guy. He has length and is a very good knee bender.”

Brandon McCracken
6-3, 320 | Defensive Lineman | Parkersburg, Iowa | Ellsworth Community College
“A large human that provides inside defensive line depth for us,” Partridge said.

Evan Davis
6-4, 235 | Defensive Lineman | Cincinnati, Ohio | Iowa Central CC
“He is an immediate need athlete,” Partridge said. “He has length, big hands and room for growth.” He will help our defensive line next year and is a plus pass rusher.”

Raye Wilson
5-11, 180 | Defensive Back | Junction City, Kansas | Junction City HS
“Raye is a shutdown corner. We’ve had those here,” Partridge said. “He has speed, feet, hips, length and confidence. We knew we wanted him from camps here.”

Cameron Henderson
6-2, 205 | Running Back | St. Peters, Missouri | Fort Zumwalt South HS
“An all-conference guy on either side of the ball,” Partridge said of Henderson. “He’s physical and will play running back here.”

Theo Smith
6-1, 195 | Linebacker | Raytown, Missouri | Raytown HS
“He has excellent quickness and athleticism,” Partridge said. “He also has natural instincts and will for sure get bigger.”

JD Woods
5-7, 170 | Running Back | Lawrence, Kansas | Lawrence HS
“JD can scoot. He’s a dynamic ball carrier who is difficult to even touch,” Partridge said. “He’ll be a very versatile offensive player.”

Tyree Graves
6-2, 256 | Defensive Lineman | Clearwater, Florida | Highland Community College
“He’s much needed and ready to play defensive line,” Partridge said. “Tyree is an active guy who can play inside or on the edge. He was a targeted recruit from the get-go.”

Tim Hall
6-0, 160 | Defensive Back | Fenton, Missouri | Rockwood Summit HS
“I like Tim a lot,” Partridge said. “He’s another addition to corner U and has the size and quickness to play quickly. He’s another good get out of the Lou.”

Austin Lindsay
6-1, 190 | Linebacker | Ozark, Missouri | Ozark HS
“I’m excited to get another Griffon brother,” Partridge said. “Austin is a good athlete who will be good in space. He’s a playmaker.”

Tanner Jenkins
6-8, 255 | Offensive Lineman | Shawnee, Kansas | Mill Valley HS
“Offensive tackles are a commodity,” Partridge said. “Tanner has a huge frame with very strong legs. We like his upside.”

Sam Webb
6-2, 175 | Defensive Back | Excelsior Springs, Missouri | Excelsior Springs HS
“An explosive athlete who will get much bigger,” Partridge said. “Could play offense, but will play corner. “He’s another long guy who is physical.”

Matt White
6-2, 198 | Quarterback | Maysville, Missouri | Maysville HS

Logan Jester
6-4, 280 | Offensive Lineman | Independence, Missouri | Truman HS

Eisley Hinton
5-11, 195 | Running Back | Higginsville, Missouri | Lafayette County HS

Mason Stipp
6-2, 295 | Defensive Lineman | Nixa, Missouri | Nixa HS

DeVontae Burse
5-8, 170 | Athlete | St. Louis, Missouri | Affton HS

Corey Bertini
6-3, 215 | Quarterback | Glenwood, Iowa | Iowa Central Community College

Mike Powell
6-2, 180 | Quarterback | York, Nebraska | Winona State

— MWSU Athletics —

Nebraska’s upset bid comes up short against No. 4 Maryland

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riggertNebraskaLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Freshman Diamond Stone had 16 points, 10 rebounds and a season-high eight blocks, and No. 4 Maryland held off Nebraska 70-65 on Wednesday night.

Melo Trimble had 14 of his 20 points in the second half as the Terrapins overcame a slew of turnovers to remain a half-game behind conference co-leaders Indiana and Iowa.

Stone dunked off an assist from Trimble to give the Terps (20-3, 9-2 Big Ten) the lead for good, 60-58, and he dunked again after rebounding Jake Layman’s missed free throw to make it 66-61 with 2 minutes to play.

The Huskers were within three points when Trimble put the game away with two free throws with 8.2 seconds left.

Andrew White III had 19 points and nine rebounds to lead Nebraska (12-11, 4-6). Shavon Shields was just 4 of 17 from the field and finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.

Maryland committed 18 turnovers, its most in a conference game this season, but the Huskers converted them into only nine points. Nebraska was unable to overcome its season-worst 31.8-percent shooting.

The Terps blocked a season-high 13 shots.

Nebraska was within 68-65 with 35 seconds left when Shields fouled Stone, an 81 percent free-throw shooter. Stone missed his third straight free throw of the game, though, but he was able to block Shields’ layup try at the other end.

After White missed what would have been a tying 3-point attempt, Layman came up with the rebound. Trimble was fouled and shot the clinching free throws.

The Terps had lots of chances to put away the game but couldn’t against a Nebraska team that has dropped four of five Big Ten home games.

Maryland turned the ball over 13 times in the first half and mostly got away with it because of Nebraska’s poor shooting. The Huskers brought the crowd to their feet when White dunked a lob from Benny Parker to tie it 27-27. After Layman’s hook-shot air ball, Jake Hammond made a free throw to put Nebraska in front by a point, but Stone’s jumper from the free throw line gave the Terrapins a 29-28 halftime lead.

TIP-INS

Maryland: Stone has scored in double figures in 16 of the past 19 games. … The Terps lead the nation in wins (19-2) in games decided by six points or less the past two seasons. … They entered the game as the only team in Big Ten to have five players averaging 10 or more points.

Nebraska: The Huskers were assessed a bench technical early in second half after Trimble stripped the ball from Shields right in front of coach Tim Miles. … They matched their season low with six turnovers and have had 10 or fewer in five straight games. … Glynn Watson Jr. has scored 10 or more points in seven straight games.

UP NEXT

Maryland hosts No. 18 Purdue on Saturday.

Nebraska hosts Rutgers on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

No. 22 Benedictine women roll to 36-point win over Missouri Valley

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riggertBenedictineDefense set the tone once again early for the No. 22-ranked Benedictine Women’s Basketball team on Wednesday night against Missouri Valley College.

Benedictine (19-4, 11-4 Heart) limited Missouri Valley (9-10, 7-8 Heart) to just one point through the first five minutes of the game as they jumped out to a 13-1 advantage en route to a 95-59 win.

The win gives Benedictine the regular-season sweep over Missouri Valley College and extends the Ravens home winning streak to 15 games dating back to last year.

Benedictine held Missouri Valley to just three field goals over the first quarter which allowed the Ravens to build a 21-11 lead after the first quarter. By halftime, the Ravens lead improved to 16 points as Benedictine led 38-22.

The two teams combined for 47 points in the third quarter but the damage was done as Benedictine extended its lead to 23 points.

After a struggling from beyond the arc on Saturday against MNU, the Ravens responded at season high 16 3-pointers – 11 of which came in the second half. They finished game at 45.7 percent from beyond the arc while knocking in 55.0 percent from the floor.

Five Ravens finished the night in double figures, led by the game-high 21 points from Chayla Rutledge. LaRanda Thomas anchored the Ravens bench effort, which led Missouri Valley 41-19, with 17 points. Kristen Murphy scored 13 points while Jordan Kramer and Haylee Beard each scored 12 points to round out the top scorers for Benedictine.

Benedictine returns to the road on Saturday, traveling to Springfield, Mo., for a 2 p.m. game against Evangel University. The Ravens took the first game over the Crusaders in Atchison back on Jan. 2 58-36.

— BC Athletics —

Kansas State women get blown out at No. 4 Baylor 87-52

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riggertKansasStateWACO, Texas (AP) — Alexis Jones had a perfect night shooting and then got to sit back and watch the fourth quarter with other Baylor starters.

Jones was 5-of-5 shooting with three 3-pointers and Niya Johnson had eight points with 13 assists — both without playing the final 10 minutes — as the No. 4 Lady Bears stretched their winning streak to nine games with an 87-52 victory over Kansas State on Wednesday night.

“She just got open looks, especially in the full court. We would throw it up there to her and she’d shoot a 3,” coach Kim Mulkey said of Jones. “She was feeling it, and she was letting it fly.”

The break for the starters extended into postgame, when Mulkey brought with her for interviews only two backup players who played primarily in the fourth quarter.

The Lady Bears (22-1, 9-1 Big 12) scored the game’s first six points and never trailed.

“We were clearly beaten tonight by a very talented Baylor team,” K-State coach Jeff Mittie said. “They played in some areas as well as we had seen them.”

Khadijiah Cave had 16 points and Kristy Wallace, the only Baylor starter who saw any action in the fourth quarter, scored 10.

Kindred Wesemann scored 15 points and Breanna Lewis had for Kansas State (14-7, 4-6).

After jumping out to 17-8 lead through the first quarter, Baylor opened the second with a 9-0 run over a 97-second span. Jones had an assist and two free throws before her spurt-ending 3-pointer on a pass from Johnson that led to a Kansas State timeout.

Lewis responded with a layup, but the Lady Bears then scored 13 straight points when Johnson had three of her assists, including on the first of back-to-back 3s by Jones.

“Johnson’s a player that probably doesn’t get enough credit. She’s light years ahead of the players on the floor in understanding where the ball needs to get to,” Mittie said. “Jones has a great night because she’s a very talented player, but Johnson gets her the ball and delivers it. I think she’s very good.”

Another of Jones’ baskets was a long jumper when her toe was barely touching the line. The former Duke transfer, who had to sit out last season, also made her only two free throws in her 18th double-figure scoring game at Baylor, plus six assists and four rebounds.

3 FOR 3 NOT ENOUGH: Baylor led 44-19 by halftime, even after Wesemann had three consecutive 3s in a span of just 1:43 for the Wildcats. Baylor then made 12 of 15 field goals during a 31-point outburst in the third quarter.

CHAMEKA’S CANCER: Baylor players wore T-shirts that read “Sic Cancer” on the front to honor former player Chameka Scott, and on the back had her first name scripted over No. 21. That was her jersey number when she started for the Lady Bears’ 2005 national championship team. Scott attended the game with her mother and was recognized near midcourt by coach Kim Mulkey before tipoff. Tests in December revealed that Scott was cancer free after a lengthy treatment for colon cancer.

TIP-INS

Kansas State: It was not the most lopsided loss of the season for the Wildcats, who fell 97-57 at No. 1 UConn in their fourth game this season. … Kansas State had a four-game winning streak in the Big 12 before losing consecutive games to the league’s co-leaders, Texas and Baylor.

Baylor: Johnson has 207 assists this season. She is the Big 12 career leader with 874, and last season set a Big 12 record with 322. … The Lady Bears are 14-0 at home this season. … Baylor has won 162 consecutive home games against unranked opponents since losing to Auburn in the WNIT final at the end of the 2002-03 season.

UP NEXT:

Kansas State at West Virginia on Saturday.

Baylor hosts Kansas on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

Mizzou head coach Barry Odom unveils first recruiting class

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riggertMissouriCOLUMBIA, Mo. – The first-ever recruiting class for new Mizzou Football Head Coach Barry Odom was unveiled Wednesday as part of National Signing Day, and the new Tiger skipper and his staff came up with an outstanding haul of talented student-athletes from all over the country who look to help the program reach its championship goals.  Twenty standouts representing nine different states signed their names to National Letters of Intent to attend and play football at Mizzou.

As always, the emphasis on in-state talent led to a crop of highly-rated athletes who will lend their talents to their home state school.  Five standouts, including CB Jared Alton (Kirkwood), OL Trystan Castillo (Webb City), Cale Garrett (Kearney, Mo.), TE Brendan Scales (Wildwood) and DL Tre Williams (Columbia) all pledged to be Tigers today.  When the metro areas of both Kansas City and St. Louis are factored in, the “local” number doubles to 10, including K Tucker McCann (O’Fallon, Ill.), OL Tre’vour Simms (East St. Louis, Ill.), Nate Strong (East St. Louis, Ill.), S Greg Taylor (East St. Louis, Ill.) and OL Tyler Howell (Bonner Springs, Kan.).

“I’m excited about what we have in place,” said Odom.  “We’ve addressed some immediate needs we have hitting going into the fall, and there’s others who we believe in the long run will be significant contributors to the program.  I’m really pleased with our coaching staff and what they were able to accomplish in a very short amount of time after coming together.  To see their energy on the road and in the homes, in the schools, and their relentlessness as they attacked recruiting, it was a great effort,” he said.

Four from the group are already enrolled in classes at Mizzou this semester, and are gearing up to take part in spring drills, beginning in March.  Joining Mizzou for the spring semester are LB Trey Baldwin (Houston, Texas), WR Chris Black (native of Jacksonville, Fla., transferring from Alabama), OL Tyler Howell (Bonner Springs, Kan.) and K Tucker McCann (O’Fallon, Ill.).  They will be on hand for spring drills as the Tigers prepare for the annual Black & Gold Game set for April 16th (5 p.m. central time) at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium.

A full roster of signees follows, as well as extensive biographical sketches of the 20 newest Mizzou Tigers.
TIME    FULL NAME    POS.    HT.    WT.    YEAR    HOMETOWN    PREVIOUS SCHOOL
10:27 AM    Dominic Collins    WR    6-2     175    Jr.    Fullerton, Calif.    Saddleback C.C.
11:24 AM    Nate Strong    RB    6-0     211    So.    East St. Louis, Ill.    Hinds C.C.
11:51 AM    Dimetrios Mason    ATH    6-0     170    Fr.    Loganville, Ga.    Grayson HS
7:12 AM    Trystan Castillo    OL    6-4     295    Fr.    Webb City, Mo.    Webb City HS
7:14 AM    Markell Utsey    DL    6-4     285    Fr.    Little Rock, Ark.    Parkview HS
7:31 AM    Micah Wilson    QB    6-3     205    Fr.    Tulsa, Okla.    Lincoln Christian
7:43 AM    Greg Taylor    S    5-10     200    R-So.    East St. Louis, Ill.    Hinds C.C.
7:52 AM    Christian Holmes    CB    6-1     182    Fr.    Atlanta, Ga.    McNair HS
8:08 AM    Damarea Crockett    RB    5-11     212    Fr.    Little Rock, Ark.    Little Rock Christian HS
8:08 AM    Cale Garrett    LB    6-3     225    Fr.    Kearney, Mo.    Kearney HS
8:08 AM    Albert Okwuegbunam    TE    6-5     225    Fr.    Springfield, Ill.    Sacred Heart Griffin HS
8:18 AM    Jerod Alton    CB    5-10     180    Fr.    Kirkwood, Mo.    Kirkwood HS
9:09 AM    DeMarkus Acy    S    6-2     183    Fr.    Dallas, Texas    Wilmer-Hutchins HS
9:15 AM    Tre Williams    DL    6-5     235    Fr.    Columbia, Mo.    Rock Bridge HS
9:29 AM    Tre’vour Simms    OL    6-5     300    Fr.    East St. Louis, Ill.    East St. Louis HS
9:38 AM    Brendan Scales    TE    6-4     235    Fr.    Wildwood, Mo.    Lafayette HS
On Campus    Trey Baldwin    LB    6-2     240    Fr.    Houston, Texas    Cypress Falls HS
On Campus    Chris Black    WR    6-0     192    Sr.    Jacksonville, Fla.    Alabama
On Campus    Tyler Howell    OL    6-8     305    R-Jr.    Bonner Springs, Kan.    Butler C.C.
On Campus    Tucker McCann    K    6-0     185    Fr.    O’Fallon, Ill.    O’Fallon HS

— Mizzou Athletics —

Griffon soccer signs seven to 2016 recruiting class

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riggertMissouriWesternST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western soccer coach Chad Edwards has announced the signings of seven student-athletes for the 2016 season.

Edwards’ squad has posted the two most successful seasons in program history in each of the last two seasons. The team’s 18 combined wins in 2014 and 2015 were just two less than the previous six seasons combined. Edwards became the program’s all-time wins leader in 2014 and has led the team to back-to-back appearances in the MIAA Tournament and has 16 student-athletes named All-MIAA since 2011, including 12 in the past two seasons. Over the last two seasons, Griffon Soccer has broken or tied more than 25 team and individual records.

Members of the 2016 signing class are as follows.

Sarah Blakley
Defender | Enid, Oklahoma | Northern Oklahoma College
Named first team All-Region at NOC… two-time All-Conference selection at NOC…her mother, Terri, played basketball at the University of Oklahoma.

“Sarah is a tough, hard-working field general that has led NOC to incredible success over her two seasons,” Edwards said. “Coach Smith does a great job with his players and I know she will be ready to make an immediate impact.”

Jamie Cronister
Midfielder | Topeka, Kansas | Allen Community College | Sporting Kaw Valley
Cronister was named KJCCA All-Conference in 2014…was also named to All-Academic Team in 2015…won state championships in 2012 and 2013 at Hayden High School…chose MWSU because it seemed like the perfect fit after meeting with Coach Edwards and the team.

“Jamie is an extremely hard working player and a tenacious one on one defender,” Edwards said. “She also played under the direction of Coach McGinnis and will be ready to add strength to our already top-class back line.”

Tatum Heller
Forward | Olathe, Kansas | Olathe Northwest HS | Sporting Blue Valley Soccer Club
Heller was named First Team All-State in 2015 and Kansas Sunflower League First Team…chose MWSU because it felt like the perfect fit academically and athletically.

“Tatum is incredibly athletic and has the pace to run by anyone,” Edwards said. “She is a pure goal scorer that has competed and had success at the highest level of club soccer. She will be ready to have immediate success.”

Emily Kemp
Forward | Lenexa, Kansas | Olathe Northwest HS | Sporting Blue Valley
Chose MWSU based on the campus and a desire to continue her soccer career.

“Emily is a versatile, athletic, hard-working player that has the ability to play multiple positions,” Edwards said. “She also comes from a fantastic club and high school background that has her prepared for the highest level.”

Madison Massa
Midfielder | Kansas City, Missouri |Park Hill HS | FCKC
Massa was an Honorable Mention All-Conference and All-District selection in 2015…part of conference championship teams in 2014 and 2015…club team won the 2015 Missouri state championship…chose MWSU because of the competition, community and location.

“Madi is a tenacious, gritty player that can play multiple roles,” Edwards said. “She has experienced a lot success throughout her career. She also comes from a great club and high school background that will have her more than ready to have immediate success.”

Emilee Mitchell
Midfielder | Platte City, Missouri | Allen Community College | KC United
Mitchell was named Honorable Mention All-KJCCC in 2015…also earned KJCCC Player of the Week Honors in 2015…three-sport athlete at Platte County High School…chose MWSU because of amazing athletics and proximity to home.

“Emilee is a physical, technical midfielder with great vision,” Edwards said. “After playing two years at Allen under the direction of Coach McGinnis, she will be more than prepared to make the transition.”

Serena Ortiz
Forward | Kansas City, Kansas | Bishop Ward HS| Sporting Blue Valley
Ortiz was named First Team KVL in 2015…said she chose MWSU because of the focus on helping student athletes balance athletics and academics.

“Serena is a super technical, physical central midfielder/forward that is a pure ball striker,” Edwards said. “She comes from a fantastic club program and coach that have prepared her compete at high level immediately.”

— MWSU Athletics —

Griffons fall to No. 9 in latest WBCA/USA Today Top 25 poll

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riggertMissouriWesternST. JOSEPH – For the fourth consecutive week, the Missouri Western women’s basketball team is ranked in the Top 10.

The Griffons fell from No. 6 to No. 9 in this week’s WBCA/USA TODAY Poll after a loss at Pittsburg State on Jan. 27 and a win at Missouri Southern on Jan. 31.

Missouri Western sits atop the MIAA at 13-2 as they have a half game lead on Fort Hays State who is 12-2.  The Tigers are ranked No. 7 in this weeks pool as MWSU defeated then No. 3 Fort Hays State on Jan. 21.  Emporia State is the only other MIAA team in the top 25 as they are in a tie for 16th place with Arkansas Tech.

The Griffons are 19-2 overall with a 13-2 mark in MIAA play. The team opened the season 18-0, the program’s best-ever start. The 19 wins are the most for the program since finishing the 2004-05 season 20-9 overall. The 13 MIAA wins are the most since the 2002-03 squad went 13-5 in league play. Milestone moments so far this season have included wins at Central Missouri (first since 2004), Washburn (first since 2004), Emporia State (first since 2003) and Missouri Southern (first since 2008). The Griffons’ win over Fort Hays State marked the first victory over a top-5 team since 2010 and gave the team back-to-back wins over top-10 teams (Emporia State No. 9).

Missouri Western will look for a season sweep of Lindenwood this Thursday inside the MWSU Fieldhouse as they tip off with the Lions at 5:30 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

Kendrix, Missouri State hold on to defeat Bradley 77-71

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riggertMSUSPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Chris Kendrix scored a career-high 21 points and Missouri State came up clutch at the free-throw line in the final seconds to hold off Bradley 77-71 on Tuesday night.

Dorrian Williams and Jarred Dixon each scored a pair of foul shots in the last 13 seconds to foil a Bradley comeback. Camyn Boone scored 18 points for Missouri State (10-13, 6-5 Missouri Valley Conference). The Tigers made 30 of 37 foul shots

Bradley missed its first nine shots of the game while committing 10 turnovers to dig a 22-4 hole at the start. The Braves rallied as close as 73-71 on Antoine Pittman’s driving layup with 41 seconds left. The Braves had to foul, and Williams and Dixon didn’t miss.

Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye scored 20 for Bradley (3-21, 1-10). Luuk van Bree scored nine in a row before fouling out with 18 points and 4:36 remaining.

Each team shot 54 percent after halftime.

— Associated Press —

Kansas women remain winless in Big 12 with loss to Iowa State

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riggertKULAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas women’s basketball headed to the locker room at halftime with a double-digit lead over Iowa State, but a second-half offensive surge lifted the Cyclones to a 63-53 win over the Jayhawks on Tuesday evening, inside Allen Fieldhouse.

A five-point second quarter left the Cyclones trailing 28-18 at the intermission, their lowest-scoring first half of the season. Kansas torched ISU on 46 percent shooting to carry a lead into the third quarter for the first time in Big 12 competition this season. The second half belonged to Iowa State, connecting on 14-of-27 (.519) from the field and put together multiple scoring runs to take down the Jayhawks.

The Cylones (12-9, 4-6 Big 12) were led by junior guard Seanna Johnson, who tallied 20 points and five rebounds. Tuesday marked just the second time this season that the Big 12’s leader in double-doubles (13) was held to five or fewer rebounds. Redshirt sophomore guard Jadda Buckley entered the matchup leading the Cyclones in assists with 120 on the year, ranking third in the Big 12. Buckley continued the trend, setting a new career-high with 11 dimes and adding on 14 points for her second double-double of the season.

Junior forward Jada Brown put forth a career day for the Jayhawks (5-17, 0-11 Big 12). The Las Vegas, Nevada native notched a career-best 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting, her highest shooting percentage of the season. Brown also matched the team-high in rebounds with four boards. The Jayhawk starters struggled from the field, combining on 10-of-34 (.294) shooting for 27 points. Freshman guard Kylee Kopatich and sophomore guard Chayla Cheadle led the starters in scoring with eight and seven points, respectively. Brown’s team-high 14 points marked the second-consecutive game that a bench player led the squad in scoring.

Junior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen helped the Jayhawks break out to an early 3-0 lead with a layup and a free throw. A 9-0 run from the Cyclones followed, with the Jayhawks going 0-of-4 from the field and committing five turnovers over the same stretch.

Kansas locked in over the final two minutes of the quarter, determined to not wind up in familiar territory trailing in the early going. The Jayhawks knocked down their final five baskets of the period to erase the deficit and sit even, 13-13.

Iowa State struck first in the second quarter with a jumper from freshman forward Meredith Burkhall to break the tie, but Cheadle answered for Kansas with a three-pointer to shift the score in favor of KU. A jumper from Iowa State’s Buckley at the 7:22 mark put the Cyclones back on top, but only for a moment.

Over the remainder of the quarter, the Jayhawks shut down Iowa State defensively and put together their best first half shooting performance in Big 12 play this season. The Cyclones were held to a single point and ended the half with 13 turnovers, matching their season average per game. Kansas took advantage, scoring the final 10 points of the quarter to lead 28-18 at the intermission. Sinking 12-of-26 shots (.462) left the Jayhawks with their first half time lead against a Big 12 opponent since claiming a 35-21 advantage over the Cyclones last season.

An 8-2 run from ISU to begin the second half forced Kansas head coach Brandon Schneider to call a timeout at the 7:20 mark, with the lead cut to just four points. Out of the timeout, Kopatich knocked down a jumper from just past the free throw line, but a 7-1 scoring streak by the Cyclones would leave the two teams locked, 33-33.

With just over three minutes left in the quarter and immediately after Kansas’ 10-point lead disappeared, freshman guard Aisia Robertson drove into the lane and put up a floater that deflected off the rim. Robertson gathered her own rebound, missed the put-back, collected her second offensive board of the possession and banked in a jumper to help Kansas reclaim the lead. Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, it would be their last of the game. Iowa State responded by netting the next eight points, and 10 of the last 13 points of the quarter, to carry a 43-38 advantage into the final 10 minutes of action.

A 7-0 run for the Jayhawks knotted the game up early in the fourth quarter, but four-straight field goals from the Cyclones sparked a 10-0 counter to give Iowa State its first double-figure lead of the night. Kansas would cut the deficit back to single digits twice, but could not come closer than six points for the rest of the contest. Iowa State would go on to break its five-game losing streak with a 63-53 victory.

— KU Athletics —

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