MONDAY’S GAMES
FIRST ROUND
Hogan Prep 75, Bishop LeBlond 49
Chillicothe 52, Platte County 46
Staley 80, Maryville 55
Lafayette 50, Savannah 31
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
CONSOLATION GAMES
Platte County vs. Bishop LeBlond 4 p.m.
Savannah vs. Maryville, 5:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Chillicothe vs. Hogan Prep, 7 p.m.
Lafayette vs. Staley, 8:30 p.m.
The Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team picked up its second straight victory Monday evening in Maryville, dispatching of the Saint Mary Spires, 67-35.
Northwest improved its record to 2-4 with the win.
Tember Schechinger recorded her second double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds while dishing out three assists and making three steals. The senior hit 6-of-14 shots from the field.
Senior Taylor Shull made four steals in the contest. The guard added seven points and three assists. Tanya Meyer dropped in 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds. Jasmin Howe hit two second half treys en route to 10 points while distributing two assists and corralling four rebounds.
Northwest forced 25 Saint Mary turnovers while committing just 13. The Bearcats hit 47.5 percent of their shots in the game (29-for-61), but hit nearly 60 percent in the second half (16-of-27). Northwest dominated in the paint, outscoring the Spires, 38-18.
After falling behind by three in the first minute, 5-2, the Bearcats used an 11-0 run to set the tone for the rest of the game. Taylor Shull hit a three-pointer on a pass from Tember Schechinger to tie the score at five. Northwest forced two turnovers before Jasmin Howe handed the Bearcats their first lead on a driving layup three minutes into the game. Northwest would not trail the rest of the night. Howe made another steal, leading to Schechinger putting in a layup off her own miss. The intensity remained high on the defensive end when Shull and Schechinger made two steals each on four of the next five Spire possessions. Schechinger laid in another offensive rebound in the midst of that run to put the Bearcats in front, 11-5. The Bearcat run ended when Macy Williams found Shelby Mustain under the basket for an easy layup.
Leading 42-28 after three quarters of play, the Bearcats scored the first 14 points of the final period to seal the victory. Mustain made a block on the defensive end and dropped in a layup after a perfect pass from Jasmin Howe. After a shot clock violation, Jasmin Howe poured in a three pointer from the left side. Mustain hit a short range jumper on a pass from Shull to extend the lead to 49-28. Schechinger made layups on consecutive possessions before finding Mallory McAndrews at the top of the key, who knocked down a three-pointer to put the Bearcats in front by 28.
The Bearcats will open MIAA play when they travel to Bolivar, Mo. on Thursday, Dec. 3 to face off with Southwest Baptist. First tip is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
— Northwest Athletics —
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Missouri Western senior guard LaQuinta Jefferson has been named the MIAA Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week.
Jefferson shined in two wins over the weekend during the Holiday Inn Express Classic. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee native averaged 28.5 points and 26.5 minutes while shooting 80 percent from the field and 70 percent from 3-point range. Jefferson added 10 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and three steals.
The two wins this weekend helped the team to its first 5-0 start since the 2006-07 season. The 22nd ranked Griffons now lead the nation in scoring offense (96.6) and scoring margin (41.2). Missouri Western is second in the nation, shooting 55 percent from the field, averaging 16 steals per game and carrying a plus 13.2 turnover margin.
Missouri Western begins conference play this week with a trip to Central Missouri on Wednesday. The tip is at 5:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on 680 KFEQ AM.
— MWSU Athletics —
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri is not interested in accepting a bowl bid after finishing the regular season 5-7.
Athletic director Mack Rhoades said Monday that the school would not seek permission to play another game. Rhoades said the focus was on finding a successor to coach Gary Pinkel, who is stepping down while batting non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
“Following this weekend’s football games, there have been significant discussions nationally concerning 5-7 teams participating in bowl games,” Rhoades said. “After careful consideration, we have decided it is not in the best interest of our football program to seek permission from the NCAA to participate in a bowl game.”
There are a record 40 bowl games this season. NCAA officials say teams with 5-7 records will become eligible for at least two bowl bids, and as many as five, based on their Academic Progress Rates.
Missouri has reportedly named long-time assistant coach Andy Hill interim head coach.
Among the top candidates to succeed Pinkel are Temple coach Matt Rhule and Missouri defensive coordinator Barry Odom.
— Associated Press —
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs were quickly running out of offensive linemen as one by one they went down with injuries, and for the briefest of moments, Andy Reid might have thought he’d need to suit up himself.
Hey, it’s only been 34 years since the coach played for BYU.
The Chiefs ultimately got by with Jeff Allen, hurt earlier in Sunday’s game against Buffalo, getting back on the field. But things could be dicey going forward after left tackle Eric Fisher hurt his neck and center Mitch Morse sustained a concussion in the 30-22 victory.
To say nothing of the knee injury to Justin Houston.
The All-Pro pass rusher went down when he was tripped by his own teammate while chasing a play in the first half Sunday. He lay face-down on the field while trainers tended to him, then was helped to the sideline and into the locker room. He was seen limping out of it after the game.
Reid indicated the injury is similar to one Houston sustained in a playoff loss to the Colts nearly two years ago. In that case, it was a strained knee ligament — depending on the severity of it, such an injury can sideline a player anywhere from two weeks to half a season.
In the midst of a playoff chase, the Chiefs (6-5) visit Oakland on Sunday and are hopeful Houston will be back soon.
“He’s going to get an MRI today,” Reid said Monday. “I don’t want to put anything out there. Let’s see how that is how bad it is, and go from there. I think he’s doing OK.”
The Chiefs have rebounded from a 1-5 start in part because they have been better than other teams at dealing with injuries. Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles was lost for the season to his own knee injury, while offensive lineman Ben Grubbs remains sidelined by a neck injury.
Several other starters have missed time, including running back Charcandrick West, who had started since Charles went down but missed Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury.
“That’s one thing I like about my team. We find a way to persevere,” said Spencer Ware, who ran for 114 yards and a touchdown in his first start. “With Jamal going down and then Charcandrick going down, our whole team is filled with people that prepare like they are the guy, so when the time comes they’re able to step in. And that’s what we do.”
That’s what the Chiefs did along the offensive line on Sunday.
Reid said he would have slid a tight end or defensive lineman into the game ahead of himself if the Chiefs ran out of offensive linemen. But with injuries mounting on the defense line, Reid also acknowledged that “we were a little low there, too.”
“You can’t say enough,” said Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, who was sacked just once but did not lose any yardage on it. “Three injuries, moving the line around, playing different positions and still being able to get it done really speaks to their depth.”
Reid has been in this position before, during his final year in Philadelphia. But he is confident that Kansas City has more depth than the Eagles did back then, when injuries conspired to send them to a 4-12 record and Reid was fired after 14 seasons.
“I’m always going to tell you, (general manager) John Dorsey and his crew do a phenomenal job of bringing these guys in,” Reid said. “You’re looking at guys with big hearts.”
Not to mention a team that, despite its ailments, is in the thick of the playoff hunt.
“It’s one of those things, next man up,” Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson said. “Coach Reid holds us to a high level, everybody across the board, second and third string, offense and defense. You have to come in and respond and play well.”
— Associated Press —
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Missouri Western Head Men’s Basketball Coach Brett Weiberg has announced the signing of Jason Jones to the 2016-17 squad.
Jones plays at Rock Island High School in Rock Island, Illinois where he has earned three letters. He has also earned All-Conference and All-Metro accolades during his high school career. In 2014-15, Jones averaged 9.7 points, 3.1 assist, and 2.9 rebounds per game.
Jones is the son of James and Theresa and plans to major in Physical Therapy at Missouri Western.
— MWSU Athletics —
IRVING, Texas – Kansas guard Wayne Selden Jr. has been named the Phillips 66 co-Big 12 Player of the Week the league office announced Monday. Selden earned the honor in a vote by a media panel which covers the league and won the accolade along with Iowa State’s Monté Morris.
Selden was named co-MVP of the Maui Invitational after averaging 19.3 points as the Jayhawks won the title. The Roxbury, Massachusetts junior shot 66.7 percent from the field, including 70.6 percent from 3-point range, while adding 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest. He had his top performance in the championship game, matching his career-high with 25 points in a victory over No. 19 Vanderbilt. Selden scored at least 15 points in each victory in Maui and leads Kansas with 17.0 points per game. He earned co-MVP honors with teammate Frank Mason III.
This is the second weekly honor for Selden from the conference office. He was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Jan. 13, 2014, during his freshman season.
Morris averaged 16 points, 7.7 assists and four rebounds on his way to earning Emerald Coast Classic Most Outstanding Player honors.
— KU Athletics —
MANHATTAN, Kan. – For the third-consecutive week, Kansas State senior Morgan Burns was named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week – the first player in school history to earn three-straight conference weekly honors – following his performance in K-State’s 45-14 win over Kansas, the conference office announced.
It was the first time any Big 12 player had won three-straight weekly honors since Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell in 2008. With Burns’ three honors in addition to Jack Cantele’s accolade following the Louisiana Tech game, K-State now has an impressive 19 Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors since 2011 (3.8 per year).
Burns was all over the field against the Jayhawks as he got the game underway by tackling the KU punter for a loss and forcing a fumble on a Jayhawk punt attempt, which then led to the game’s first touchdown on the next play. Later in the first quarter, Burns recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown, K-State’s nation-leading 100th non-offensive touchdown since 1999.
Two plays after the score, Burns intercepted a second-down pass attempt. He finished the game with three additional tackles and a pass breakup in addition to his fumble return score, forced fumble and interception.
K-State hosts the regular-season finale this Saturday against West Virginia in Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game will kick at 3:30 p.m.
— KSU Athletics —
ST. JOSEPH – A man who was a trailblazer for the Missouri Western football program, Coach Harold Cagle, passed away last Friday due to a lengthy illness.
Cagle, a mentor to many, started the football program in 1969 and coached the team during the first four seasons from 1970-1973. Under his direction, the program improved each year. On Oct. 10, 1970, Cagle led Missouri Western to its first ever win, a 28-35 victory versus Peru State. He was inducted into the Griffon Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the 1990 class. Coach Cagle was recognized as part of the Centennial Celebration at halftime of the Homecoming football game this past October.
Services for Cagle are set for this Wednesday, December 2nd at 10 AM at the First Baptist Church in Haskell, Oklahoma.
— MWSU Athletics —
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs kept ignoring questions about the playoffs all week, even though Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills really was a matchup of wildcard contenders.
It’s going to be harder to ignore the postseason chatter now.
Alex Smith threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns, Spencer Ware ran for 114 yards and another score, and the Chiefs beat the Bills 30-22 for their fifth straight victory — one that solidifies their spot in the playoff chase with five games left in the regular season.
“We’re not really worried about all that,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “We just got over .500, think about that. All that stuff, if you keep knocking out the fundamentals and techniques, you don’t worry about that other stuff.”
One thing they don’t have to worry about? The head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bills.
“We made it tough on ourselves,” Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor said, “but we’ve just got to take it week by week, day by day. Maintain a hungry attitude.”
Jeremy Maclin had nine receptions for 160 yards and a touchdown for Kansas City (6-5). Travis Kelce also caught a touchdown pass, while Cairo Santos hit three field goals.
The Bills (5-6) had a chance for a tying touchdown Sunday when they took over at their own 10 with 3:25 left. But after picking up a quick first down, Taylor was knocked out of bounds short of the marker on fourth-and-9 with 2:16 left, allowing the Chiefs to put the game away.
Taylor had 291 yards passing and three touchdowns, but he was mostly held in check in the second half. So was Sammie Watkins, who had all six catches for 158 yards and his two touchdowns over the first 30 minutes.
“We didn’t get the job done,” Watkins said. “We’ve got to put the nail in the coffin when we play great teams like this. You give them a chance and let them live, they start making plays — their defense starts making plays. We’ve got to put them away.”
Both teams sustained a rash of injuries as rain lashed Arrowhead Stadium all afternoon.
All-Pro linebacker Justin Houston was tripped by his Chiefs teammate in the first half and did not return with a knee injury. Left tackle Eric Fisher hurt his neck while center Mitch Morse sustained a concussion, and neither made it back onto the field.
Reid said the extent of all of them would not be known until Monday.
Bills running back Karlos Williams hurt his shoulder, while defensive lineman Alex Carrington — starting with Mario Williams and Kyle Williams out — was carted off with a right knee injury.
The first half amounted to a showcase for Taylor and Watkins.
They connected for a 48-yard reception on the game’s opening drive to set up Dan Carpenter’s 27-yard field goal. Then, two series later, Watkins ran away from coverage for a 28-yard touchdown reception that gave Buffalo a 10-0 lead.
Watkins added a 33-yard reception later in the first half, shucking Chiefs safety Ron Parker in the process, to set up his own 21-yard touchdown reception over Sean Smith’s flailing arms.
“Hey,” Smith said, “those guys get paid, too.”
The Chiefs answered by airing it out themselves.
Alex Smith hit Maclin for 37 yards early in the second quarter to set up Ware’s short TD run, and then found Maclin for a 41-yard touchdown reception to get within 16-14 at the half.
He beat Bills cornerback Ronald Darby, who just returned after undergoing concussion tests.
Kansas City took its first lead on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Kelce early in the second half, and Santos knocked through a 49-yard field goal to make it 24-16, before Taylor answered for Buffalo with a short touchdown pass to LeSean McCoy later in the third quarter.
Santos kicked his second field goal early in the fourth, then capped a 13-play drive that took 6 minutes, 31 seconds with a 37-yarder with 3:30 left that helped put the game away.
“It was a huge game,” Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson said. “We knew this was going to be an old-school fight, an in-the-back-alley-type deal. We came ready to play.”
Game notes
McCoy had 70 yards rushing and 31 yards receiving for the Bills to surpass 10,000 yards from scrimmage for his career. … Kansas City honored Hall of Fame offensive lineman Will Shields during halftime. … Taylor had 151 yards passing in the first quarter. … Alex Smith has now thrown 283 passes without an interception.
— Associated Press —
