Sports – Page 521 – St. Joseph Post Archive

No. 1 Kansas outlasts No. 2 Oklahoma in three overtimes 109-106

Posted on January 4, 2016January 4, 2016

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Perry Ellis had 27 points and 13 rebounds, Devonte Graham hit the go-ahead free throw in the third overtime, and top-ranked Kansas outlasted Buddy Hield and second-ranked Oklahoma 109-106 on Monday night in an early showdown of Final Four contenders.

Wayne Selden Jr. had 21 points, and Graham finished with 20 for the Jayhawks (13-1, 2-0 Big 12), who had chances to win the game in regulation and each of the first two overtimes before finally getting it done.

Hield had a career-high 46 points for Oklahoma (12-1, 1-1), but he made two crucial turnovers in the final extra session, then missed a potential tying 3-pointer at the buzzer as the Jayhawks celebrated.

Jordan Woodard hit six 3-pointers and had 27 points for the Sooners, who were trying to extend their best start in 28 years. Ryan Spangler finished with 14 points and 18 rebounds.

It was a fitting conclusion for the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in two years and the first pitting of teams from the same conference since Ohio State and Michigan State of the Big Ten met Feb. 25, 2007.

Woodard’s final 3-pointer gave the Sooners a 106-104 lead, and they still led 106-105 when Hield was stripped by Frank Mason with 17 seconds left. Graham took a pass in transition and was fouled at the other end. He then converted both free throws to give Kansas the lead.

After the Sooners called a timeout, Hield threw the ball away on the ensuing inbounds pass, and Mason added two more free throws with 8.6 seconds left for the final margin.

Hield finished 13 of 23 from the field, with eight 3-pointers. His 46 points matched Wayman Tisdale for the sixth-highest scoring game in Oklahoma history.

The Jayhawks looked like they would end the game in regulation after Hield made two free throws with 21.3 seconds left to tie the game 77-all. But after Mason charged the lane with six seconds left and missed the shot, Kansas forward Landen Lucas was called for a foul on the rebound.

Khadeem Lattin went to the line at the other end with two seconds left, but the 52 percent foul shooter clanked the front end of a 1-and-1 off the iron to force overtime.

The teams traded baskets in the extra session, and Ellis hit a 3-pointer from the wing to tie the game 86-all with 1:15 left. Both teams squandered chances to take the lead, and Selden’s open 3-pointer from the right wing at the buzzer came up short to force a second overtime.

Kansas also had the final shot in the second overtime after Isaiah Cousins missed at the rim and Spangler couldn’t get his tip to go. Mason again drove the left side of the lane, but this time he pulled up for a short jumper that was never close, and the game headed to a third OT.

The game shaped up as one between the brilliance of Hield and the balance of Kansas.

The Jayhawks controlled most of the first half, hit seven 3-pointers and twice took an 11-point lead. But every time things got comfortable, Hield put Kansas back on edge.

The senior answered with two foul shots when Kansas took a 24-16 lead, then provided a long jumper a couple minutes later. It was his 3-pointer when the Jayhawks had established a 32-21 lead late in the first half that once more changed the complexion of the game. After trading baskets, the Sooners closed the half with an 18-3 charge.

Woodard hit consecutive 3s and scored nine points during the run, but it was Hield who scored the final three from the foul line. The first two came after coach Bill Self bolted off the Kansas bench to protest a foul and was hit with a technical foul with 3.9 seconds remaining.

The Sooners slowly stretched their 44-40 halftime lead to 10 early in the second half, only for the Jayhawks to storm back before a frenzied, sold-out crowd packed inside the old fieldhouse.

As it turned out, both teams were only getting started.

TIP-INS

Oklahoma: Hield played 54 minutes, Spangler played 51 and Woodard 50. Woodard fouled out in the final seconds of the third overtime. … Oklahoma finished 16 of 33 from 3-point range.

Kansas: Ellis played 53 minutes. … Mason finished with 15 points and six assists. … The Jayhawks were 11 of 22 from beyond the arc. … The Jayhawks had 12 shots blocked by Oklahoma.

UP NEXT

Oklahoma hosts Kansas State on Saturday

Kansas is at Texas Tech on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

No. 20 Mizzou women fall at home to 12th-ranked Tennessee

Posted on January 4, 2016

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Diamond DeShields had 11 points and nine rebounds and Bashaara Graves scored 10 with eight boards and four assists to help No. 12 Tennessee beat 20th-ranked Missouri 71-55 on Monday night in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.

Jaime Nared scored 13 points and Mercedes Russell added 11 points and seven rebounds for Tennessee (10-3).

DeShields made a layup and a jumper to spark a 9-0 run to open the third quarter and push the Tennessee lead to 42-26. The Lady Vols led by at least 14 the rest of the way.

“Our press helped us out a lot,” DeShields said. “Keeping them in the front court for so long, when they did cross half court they didn’t have a lot of time to set up their offense. The shots they did get off, they were quick, they were off balance a lot of times and they were contested.”

Tennessee forced 14 turnovers, including seven steals, which it converted into 19 points.

“I thought it was important,” Tennessee coach Holly Warlick said of the full-court press. “Whether we got a steal or not, a lot of times they were getting across and starting their offense with 20 seconds. I thought that was huge for us.”

Missouri (13-1) shot 32.8 percent (21 of 64) from the field and made just 2 of 21 (9.5 percent) from 3-point range — both season lows. Missouri came in ranked 15th in the nation in field goal percentage at 47 percent.

“It was a tough game for us,” Missouri coach Robin Pingeton said. “(Tennessee) came out as the aggressors. They kind of threw the first punch and we took it. I felt like we got outplayed in pretty much every phase of the game. I think we will learn from this. We’ll make some adjustments and we’ll be better because of it.”

After trailing by as many as 13 points, Missouri closed the second quarter on a 9-3 run and pulled within seven, 33-26, at the break. The Tigers made four of their final five shots while Tennessee missed eight in a row.

Jordan Frericks led Missouri with 11 points and eight rebounds. Sierra Michaelis scored 10.

Tennessee made 22 of 32 free throws while the Tigers hit 11 of 17.

—

TIP-INS

Tennessee: The Lady Vols have the second-toughest schedule in the nation, ranking behind only Southern University. … Tennessee leads the series 7-1. … DeShields has reached double-figure scoring in nine of the last 10 games.

Missouri: The Tigers cracked the Top 25 for the first time since Jan. 9, 2006. It is their highest ranking since Dec. 30, 1984. … Monday night’s attendance of 7,989 was the fourth-biggest in school history and the largest at Mizzou Arena, which opened in Nov. 2004.

UP NEXT

Missouri visits Georgia Thursday.

Tennessee hosts Florida Thursday.

— Associated Press —

Northwest women remain winless in the MIAA with loss to RiverHawks

Posted on January 4, 2016January 4, 2016

By David Boyce, Northwest Athletics

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Despite Northeastern State knocking down four three-pointers in the opening minutes of the third quarter, Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball played with fire out of halftime. It was something the Bearcats were looking to do.

The Bearcats weathered the three-point barrage that put them down eight points, fought back and even took a slim lead midway through the third quarter.

Unfortunately, Northwest couldn’t sustain the momentum. The Bearcats went into the fourth quarter trailing by one and then gave up the first seven points. Northwest never recovered from the eight-point deficit and lost 66-60 Monday evening at Bearcat Arena.

“I told the girls after the game that we pretty much lost the game right at the tipoff,” Northwest interim head coach Buck Scheel said. “Defensively and offensively, we came out with no energy. That is not the team that I’ve been coaching and the team I’ve been dealing with every day in practice. After these close games we have had, they come in the next day ready to work and look forward to the next game.

“As soon as we started the game today, we were just flat. I don’t know if they are thinking about it too much, about how bad we need a win. We have to get it figured out. I’m running out of moral victory speeches. It is time to buy into yourself and into each other and go out and take care of it or it is not going to happen.”

Late in the second quarter and again in the third quarter, Northwest proved it had the offense and the character to overcome an adverse situation in a game.

The RiverHawks had a couple of stretches in the game when they were making three-pointers like they were layups. Leading 31-29 in the third, Northeastern got a three-pointer from junior Mary Jane Buschmann. Freshman Kylie Looney followed with a three, giving the RiverHawks a 37-29 lead.

Senior Tember Schechinger got the Bearcats rolling with a three-pointer. The RiverHawks answered with another three-pointer. Schechinger came right back with a three-pointer and then a two-point field goal, helping Northwest close to 40-37.

“We’ve been stressing on being positive and taking that step,” said Schechinger, who set a career-high in three-pointers with five and finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, her third double-double this season. “I’m a senior on the team and that starts with me. I had to come in with some momentum.”

Sophomore Tanya Meyer, who scored 19 points, made a field goal and suddenly Northwest trailed by just one point.

Meyer wasn’t done. She hit a three-pointer with 4:28 left in the third quarter that gave Northwest a 42-40 lead. But this was Northeastern’s night from the outside. Looney hit a three-pointer that put the RiverHawks ahead at 43-42.

“One thing we talked about the last few days was their ability to shoot the ball,” Scheel said. “As basketball players, you have to make those adjustments even more when they are getting hot and getting deeper and deeper. You have to close out that much harder.”

Northeastern took back the lead, 48-45, when freshman Cailyn Long hit another three-pointer for the RiverHawks. They entered the fourth quarter ahead 48-47. The Bearcats, though, outscored Northeastern 25-22 in the third quarter.

The Bearcats just couldn’t overcome two hot stretches from Northeastern from behind the arc.

“It is frustrating,” Schechinger said of the RiverHawks making so many three-pointers. “We just know we have to get out there no matter how deep they are. We knew they could shoot. Our coaches stressed that. We needed to get out there with high hands.”

Northwest showed its character by going into halftime down only 26-23. It could have been much worse.

The Bearcats struggled on offense through much of the first half. Two days ago, Northwest scored 21 points in the first quarter. On Monday, the Bearcats had 18 points late in the second quarter and needed a spurt to get there.

Northwest did finish strong. The Bearcats trailed 26-13 when they finally found an offensive rhythm.

A 10-0 run to end the second quarter started on a three-pointer by Schechinger with 2:17 left before halftime. Freshman Arbrie Benson followed with a strong drive to the basket for a layup.

Junior Jaylah Jackson finished the run with a 15-foot jumper followed by a three-point play.

“I was very happy about that and thought that could really push us through the third quarter,” Scheel said.

— Northwest Athletics —

MWSU’s Jefferson earns third consecutive MIAA weekly honor

Posted on January 4, 2016January 4, 2016

ST. JOSEPH – For the third straight week and fourth time this season, Missouri Western senior LaQuinta Jefferson has been named the MIAA Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week.

Jefferson has now scored at least 24 points in six straight games after dropping 25 and 24 in two games this past week. The senior averaged 24.5 points and five rebounds while shooting 77.3 percent from the field in wins over the University of Saint Mary and Northeastern State. Jefferson shot 80 percent from three point range, making four of five and made all 11 of her free throw attempts last week. She added three steals and two assists, leading Missouri Western to its first 13-0 record since the 1998-99 season.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest’s Crooker named MIAA men’s basketball Player of the Week

Posted on January 4, 2016January 4, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball senior guard Conner Crooker was named the MIAA’s co-Athlete of the Week on Monday. He shared the honor with Missouri Southern’s Taevaunn Prince. Crooker averaged 22.5 points in two games last week, including tying a career-high 27 against Central Oklahoma on Saturday. The Overland Park, Kan., native shot 70.8 percent from the field (17-of-24) and hit 60 percent of his long range attempts in two games (9-of-15).

Crooker has now scored 1,093 points for his career. He is Northwest’s career leader in free throw percentage at 85.5 percent (183-of-214) and is second in three point field goal percentage at 44.4 percent (174-of-214). His 174 career three pointers ranks third all time in Bearcat history.

— Northwest Athletics —

Chiefs beat Raiders 23-17, enter playoffs on 10-game win streak

Posted on January 3, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alex Smith looked down at his phone in the middle of the Chiefs locker room, moments after leading his team to its franchise-record 10th straight victory.

“Just checking messages,” he said with a grin.

Not checking scores.

Turns out, Smith already knew that Denver had knocked off San Diego to deny Kansas City the AFC West title.

But with their 23-17 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, the Chiefs managed to keep their unprecedented roll going into their playoff opener in Houston next weekend.

“This week it would have been easy, clinch last week on that emotional high, to have a lull,” said Smith, who threw two TD passes against the Raiders. “We still came out and played good football.”

Even without running back Jamaal Charles, out for the season with a knee injury, and linebacker Justin Houston, still sidelined by an injured knee.

The Chiefs (11-5) have managed to win 10 straight on the heels of a five-game losing streak that at one point put their season on the brink.

The Raiders (7-9) accounted for two of those victories.

“We believe in each other. That’s what happens when a team and a family come together,” Chiefs running back Charcandrick West said. “This is a super rare team. We have something special going on here.”

In perhaps their final game in Oakland, the Raiders only mustered a field goal on offense until the final minutes, when Carr connected with Michael Crabtree from 31 yards.

They did get the ball back with 1:34 left, but Carr took one final sack that helped time expire.

Carr finished with 194 yards passing, leaving him 13 yards short of 4,000 for the season. Latavius Murray, the AFC’s rushing leader coming in, carried 11 times for just 31 yards, while David Amerson had a pick-six late in the first half for their only other touchdown.

“We sputtered,” said Carr, who hurt his right hand during the game. “Sometimes when we needed it the most, we looked like ourselves. But other times we just looked sloppy.”

The Chiefs started crisply for the third straight game, driving 80 yards for a score on their opening possession. Jeremy Maclin capped it with a 25-yard touchdown reception.

After forcing a punt, the Chiefs cobbled together a creative 12-play, 87-yard drive that included a jet sweep by Maclin for a first down. Spencer Ware’s short touchdown run made it 14-0.

“We started the game great,” Smith said. “We were rolling.”

It was still 14-3 when Smith threw interceptions on consecutive passes, though neither of them was to Charles Woodson — the veteran safety playing the final game of his sterling 18-year career.

The first was picked by TJ Carrie late in the second quarter. Then, after Carr was picked off in the end zone by the Chiefs’ Ron Parker a few minutes later, Smith tossed another pass that was caught by Amerson and returned 24 yards for a touchdown that got Oakland within 14-10.

Smith had only thrown five interceptions all season, at one point going 312 passes without one.

“It’s funny how that happens,” he said, “back to back.”

The Raiders’ offense fared no better, though. On their first chance of the second half, Carr was sacked twice and Marquette King had his punt blocked through the end zone for a safety.

Kansas City got the ball back on the free kick and got back in synch on offense. Smith hit Maclin for a long gain on third down, and then hit Demetrius Harris in the end zone. It was the seventh catch of the season for Harris, and the first of the former college basketball player’s career.

The Raiders got within 23-17 on Crabtree’s touchdown, but their comeback ran out of time.

“I would have liked to walk off the field with a win,” said Woodson, who began his career with Oakland in the same stadium on Sept. 6, 1998. “There’s nothing like going out there between the lines every Sunday afternoon or whatever day you play. I had such a great time doing it.”

Game notes
Maclin briefly left the game with a bruised hip. He returned to finish. … Chiefs C Mitch Morse was being evaluated for a concussion and did not return. … Woodson finished with 65 picks, tied for fifth in NFL history. … The Chiefs had 189 yards rushing. The Raiders had 48.

— Associated Press —

KU women lose Big 12 opener to West Virginia

Posted on January 3, 2016January 3, 2016

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas women’s basketball outscored West Virginia by five points in the fourth quarter, but could not mount a comeback, falling to the Mountaineers, 65-45, Sunday evening inside Allen Fieldhouse.

The offensive production came too late for Kansas (5-8, 0-2 Big 12) against the Mountaineers. Through three quarters of action, only four Jayhawks were in the scoring column and Kansas faced a 25-point deficit. Four more Jayhawks found the bottom of the net in the final period, but the West Virginia was able to sustain its lead for its first conference victory of the season.

West Virginia (12-3, 1-1 Big 12) saw senior guard Jessica Morton come off the bench to score a game-high 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including a perfect 3-of-3 from distance. Senior guard Bria Holmes, the Mountaineers’ leading scorer in 2015-16, was held to only 13 points after entering the contest averaging 17.4 points per game. Junior center Lanay Montgomery, the conference’s leading blocker, recorded four of the visitors’ eight blocks.

The Jayhawks were led by sophomore guard Lauren Aldridge, who logged 16 points on 50 percent shooting from the field, including all three of the team’s long-range baskets. Sophomore guard Chayla Cheadle led Kansas in rebounds with seven boards after earning her fifth start of the season. Junior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen and freshman guard Kylee Kopatich each tallied seven points.
27170
Junior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen drives to the basket

The Mountaineers opened the game on a 9-2 run, sinking four-consecutive field goals. Each team could only connect on two of its next eight attempts, with West Virginia carrying a 14-7 lead into the final minute of the first quarter. Aldridge hit Kansas’ first three-pointer of the contest just before the end of the shot clock to cut the deficit to four, and then held the Mountaineers scoreless on their final possession of the quarter to bring the score to 14-10 after ten minutes of action.

Over the first five minutes of the second period, West Virginia tried to extend its lead with long-range baskets, shooting 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Aldridge put in her second triple and Manning-Allen matched the effort with her second layup of the day, keeping the Jayhawks within six points of WVU with five minutes left in the half.

The Jayhawks concluded the half on the receiving end of a 13-0 run, shooting 0-of-7 from the field and committing seven turnovers. The Mountaineers collected 16 points off of Kansas’ 15 turnovers in the first half, pushing their lead to 36-17 with two quarters left to play.

Kansas faced its largest halftime deficit of the season to begin the third quarter, and continued to struggle with turnovers. Three giveaways in the first five minutes of the period helped West Virginia put together a 8-0 scoring streak, as the lead reached 25 points at the 5:07 mark. Five-consecutive points from Aldridge quickly brought the score back to 46-26 with four minutes left in the quarter. A made free throw from freshman guard Aisia Robertson broke a 6-0 run from West Virginia to end the period.

After being held scoreless over the first 30 minutes of action, Kopatich found a rhythm in the fourth quarter and tallied seven points in just over five minutes. Freshman guards Jayde Christopher and Robertson, as well as junior forward Jada Brown, also recorded their first made field goals of the game in the fourth period, each with a layup.

Kansas shot a perfect 6-of-6, while holding the Mountaineers to just two points, over the last 3:24 of the game. The late offensive surge brought the score to 65-45 at the final buzzer in favor of West Virginia.

— KU Athletics —

Nebraska women lose at No. 14 Northwestern

Posted on January 3, 2016January 3, 2016

Evanston, Ill. – The Nebraska women’s basketball team could not overcome a poor first-half shooting performance, suffering an 85-62 loss at No. 14 Northwestern on Sunday afternoon.

The Huskers slipped to 9-4 on the season with all four losses to top-25 opponents, including three on the road. Nebraska slipped to 0-2 in the Big Ten. Northwestern improved to 12-2 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten.

Nebraska went just 10-for-37 (.270) from the floor in the first half, including 1-for-7 from three-point range in the opening half, as Northwestern raced to a 45-23 halftime lead. The Wildcats went 18-of-44 from the floor in the opening period, including a sizzling 6-for-13 from long range.

After getting the first two points of the game from Allie Havers, Nebraska watched Northwestern go on a 17-0 run, and the Big Red were never able to recover.

The Huskers rallied in the third quarter, outscoring Northwestern 22-16 and at one point cutting the Wildcat edge to 14, but the Big Red could get no closer in the loss.

Natalie Romeo scored 12 of her team-high 17 points in the second half, while Rachel Theriot added 13 points, five rebounds and four assists. Jessica Shepard notched her fifth double-double of the year with 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds in a losing effort.

Nia Coffey led an impressive effort with 25 points, 17 rebounds, three assists, four blocks and three steals. Christen Inman added 25 points, four rebounds, five assists and three steals while knocking down five three-pointers.

Maggie Lyon added 16 points on a trio of three-pointers, while Ashley Deary flirted with a triple-double, putting up 15 points, eight assists and eight steals to go along with six rebounds. Northwestern’s four returning starters combined for a whopping 81 of its 85 points.

Northwestern hit just 4-of-22 shots in the third quarter, while the Huskers shot better than 56 percent in the quarter to cut into the Wildcat lead heading into the fourth quarter. Northwestern responded with a 24-17 fourth quarter to seal the win,

For the game, the Wildcats hit just 35.6 percent (31-87) from the floor, but drained 12-of-27 threes (.444). The biggest numbers came in the turnover department for the Big Red, as the Wildcats won the turnover battle, 19-10, turning Nebraska’s 19 miscues into 27 points, while the Huskers got just four points after Northwestern’s mistakes. Those 23 points accounted for the final margin on the scoreboard.

Northwestern also outrebounded Nebraska, 57-46, scoring 15 points off 21 offensive rebounds, while the Huskers managed just two points off their 10 offensive boards.

Nebraska hit just 35.3 percent (24-68) of its shots from the floor, including 6-of-14 threes, knocking down 5-of-7 in the second half. The Huskers hit 8-of-11 free throws, while Northwestern hit 11-of-14 shots at the stripe.

The Huskers continue Big Ten road action by battling their third consecutive top 25 team, when they face No. 6 Maryland on Thursday in College Park. Tip-off between Nebraska and the Terrapins is set for 6 p.m.

— NU Athletics —

No. 16 Griffons move to 13-0 with 88-49 victory over Northeastern State

Posted on January 2, 2016January 3, 2016

ST. JOSEPH – The 16th-ranked Missouri Western women’s basketball team moved to 13-0 for the first time since the 1998-99 season with another impressive victory inside the MWSU Fieldhouse Saturday. Missouri Western jumped out to a 12-0 lead and never slowed in a 88-49 win over Northeastern State.

Northeastern State was held scoreless through almost half the first quarter, scoring its first points with 5:39 remaining in the first quarter. The Griffons took a 16-6 lead into the second quarter. It was a 43-20 Missouri Western lead headed into halftime then a 22-9 third quarter blew the game wide open for the Griffons.

For the sixth consecutive game, LaQuinta Jefferson scored 24 or more points, dropping 24 on Northeastern State on 75 percent shooting from the field. The senior added a team-high six rebounds and three steals. Sarafina Handy added 15 points on five made three pointers. Dwanisha Tate finished with 11 points and five rebounds.

Missouri Western plays the third of four-straight at home Monday, Jan .4 against Central Oklahoma. The Bronchos won 61-57 at Northwest Missouri, Saturday.

— MWSU Athletics —

Missouri Western men defeat RiverHawks to snap three-game skid

Posted on January 2, 2016January 3, 2016

ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western men’s basketball team snapped its three-game losing streak Saturday with an 84-68 win over Northeastern State inside the MWSU Fieldhouse.

Missouri Western used strong run midway through the first half to jump in front and stay in front. The Griffons trailed by seven with 11:11 left in the first half, but rattled off a 13-0 run to jump ahead by six. Missouri Western would follow that run with spurts of 7-0 and 6-0 to eventually take a 43-33 lead to halftime. Northeastern State cut the lead to single digits early in the second half but couldn’t slow the Griffon offense. Missouri Western shot 42 percent from the field on the night, 46 percent in the second half.

Trey Sampson matched a career-high with 23 points to lead all scorers. Miles Wentzien added a career-high 16 points for the Griffons. Aaron Emmanuel finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists. Kevin Thomas and Currie Byrd also had seven rebounds.

The win improved Missouri Western to 4-9 overall and 2-5 in the MIAA. Central Oklahoma will visit the fieldhouse Monday night at 7:30. UCO blew a nine-point halftime lead in a 78-59 loss at Northwest Missouri on Saturday.

— MWSU Athletics —