Sports – Page 723 – St. Joseph Post Archive

No. 21 Nebraska overcomes slow start to rout Central Arkansas

Posted on November 18, 2014November 18, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s slog through the first half against Central Arkansas might have had the fans more worried than coach Tim Miles.

The 21st-ranked Cornhuskers won 82-56 on Tuesday night in a game that turned into a rout the last 10 minutes.

“We weren’t all locked in at the same time,” Miles said. “We had some real bonehead, just numbskull plays. We dribbled off our foot twice in transition, threw it to them a couple times early. But we locked in and I thought had a great second half defensively.”

Terran Petteway scored 23 points for the Huskers (2-0), and Shavon Shields added 16 points and 11 rebounds for his fourth career double-double. Tai Webster had 11 of his 13 points in the second half.

Miles experimented with different combinations throughout the game, which might have led to some of the choppy play.

“We have to figure out this guy or this guy,” Miles said. “We’re only a spot or two from being where we need to be.”

The Huskers shot 42.3 percent with nine turnovers and only three assists in the first half. After halftime, they shot 64 percent with six turnovers and nine assists.

The Bears (0-3) shot 29.6 percent after halftime and 32.8 percent for the game.

Jake Zuilhof led Central Arkansas with 12 points. Albert Christensson had 11 points, and Jordan Howard scored 10.

“I thought we played awfully hard,” Bears coach Russ Pennell said. “We were playing against an outstanding basketball team, No. 21 in the country, in the Big Ten. We did have a good first half. Overall, I thought the guys gave good effort. This one feels different because of the effort and the energy we put forth.”

The Bears stayed close early on, slowing the pace with fouls aplenty and benefiting from Nebraska’s sloppy play on both ends. Nebraska led just 32-30 at the under-4 minute timeout.

Central Arkansas closed to five points early in the second half before Nebraska scored 14 straight points to lead 61-42. The Bears missed eight straight shots and committed a couple turnovers as the Huskers pulled away.

Webster’s 3-pointer from the corner closed a 21-4 spurt that gave Nebraska a 68-46 lead with under eight minutes to play.

“I thought they upped the intensity and pushed out a little better,” Pennell said. “And, honestly, I thought we got tired.”

—

TIP-INS

Nebraska: The Huskers had a 40-35 advantage on the boards after getting outrebounded 36-33 by Northern Kentucky in their opener. … Webster matched his career high with four steals.

Central Arkansas: The Bears finished 0-3 on their season-opening trip to the state of Nebraska, also losing to Creighton and Omaha. … Mathieu Kamba had 10 rebounds to go along with seven points and five assists.

UP NEXT

Nebraska visits Rhode Island on Saturday.

Central Arkansas hosts Southeast Missouri State on Saturday.

— NU Sports Information —

Northwest Missouri State baseball, softball add new recruits

Posted on November 18, 2014November 18, 2014

Northwest Missouri State head baseball coach Darin Loe has announced the signings of three student athletes to the 2016 Bearcat roster. Andrew “AJ” Nitzchke (Lawton, Iowa), Mitchell Worthington (Maryville, Mo.) and Ryan Laddish (Lee’s Summit, Mo.) all committed to playing with the Bearcats.

“I am excited about these three individuals joing the Bearcat baseball team,” said Loe. “All three are top level players that fulfill the current needs of our program. They are all talented, great students and high character individuals.”

Worthington earned first team all-district honors and second team All-MEC accolades as a junior for Maryville High School. The 6-3 pitcher helped lead the Spoofhounds to a district and sectional championship in 2012. Worthington also excelled in soccer, earning all-state, all-district and All-MEC honors as a midfielder.

Nitzschke was a first team All-Western Valley Conference as a junior after earning second team honors as a freshman and as a sophomore at Lawton-Bronson High School. He was named first team all-district as a junior and earned all-state honorable mention accolades as a sophomore. He helped lead his team to a 2013 district and conference championship. Nitzchke is a member of the Principal Cabinet, an A Honor Roll recipient and earned all-confernece and all-state honors in speech.

A first baseman and pitcher for Lee’s Summit High School, Laddish was an All-Suburban Big 6 honorable mention performer as a junior. Over the summer he hit .347 with five triples, eight doubles and 29 RBI. On the mound, he went 4-1 with a 2.30 ERA and held opponents to a .176 average in just over 21 innings of work. He is a member of the honor roll and has lettered four times in baseball and three times in football.

Northwest Missouri State University head softball coach Ryan Anderson has announced the signings of three student-athletes to the 2016 Bearcat softball roster. Kiana Baderdeen (Gardner, Kan.), Rachel Smith (Kimbalton, Iowa) and Alexis Kelsey (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) all signed National Letters of Intent with the Bearcats.

“We are looking for all three indvidiuals to step in and contribute immediately,” said Anderson. “Kiana and Alexis both bring bats that we hope can impact the lineup. We’ve seen Rachel quite a bit the past couple of years. She has put up good numbers and we hope she can step in and replace our outgoing seniors next season. We are excited to get all three student-athletes here.”

Smith has compiled over 1,200 strikeouts in her career at Exira-EHK High School, winning 83 games with a 0.66 ERA. She is a three-time All-Rolling Valley Conference and all-district performer. She has twice earned first team all-state honors from the Omaha World Herald. She was a third team all-state performer as a sophomore. She has led her team to three regional final apperances. Smith has also earned all-state, all-conference and all district honors in basketball. She is a member of the National Honor Society and is a three time honor roll recipient.

Kelsey is a two-time all-conference performer for Linn-Mar High School. She holds the program record with a .947 slugging percentage. The infielder was also named all-metro twice, earning honors during her freshman and sophomore seasons.

A 5-6 infielder from Gardner Edgerton High School, Baderdeen earned first team all-district honors last season as a junior after earning second team honors as a freshman. Baderdeen also earned first team All-EOC honors as a freshman.

— Northwest Sports Information —

Kansas State Travels to West Virginia Thursday Night

Posted on November 18, 2014

MANHATTAN -Kansas State will play it’s second Thursday night game on the season this week when they travel to Morgantown to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers.

The last time Kansas State played on a Thursday night was in week three when they hosted then 5th ranked Auburn and fell 20-14.

During his weekly press conference Tuesday Coach Bill Snyder said that the difference between the Thursday night game in week three and this weeks game is it’s probably more difficult for K-State fans.

“Thursday night trips, that kind of distance, it’s very hard for our fan base to make those kind of trips. It takes them away from work, etc. etc.,” says Snyder.

He also said that it can be difficult on the players academically because it forces them to miss two days of classes. “Outside of that it’s a road trip.”

Linebacker Jonathan Truman explained that the biggest difference is the days are mixed up.

“Today’s Thursday for me. I was kind of thrown off when I had to go to media because I thought it was Thursday. It’s weird, our days are all mixed up right now,” said Truman.

Playing on a Thursday does increase some of the excitement for Truman because they will be one of the only teams playing Thursday night.

“You’re the only one on television, everybody is watching, prime time, it’s going to be a fun atmosphere there.”

Kansas State is 3-1 all time against West Virginia and a perfect 2-0 since the Mountaineers joined the Big 12 Conference in 2012.

Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. (CT), and the game will be aired nationally on FOX Sports 1.

MWSU’s Juergens named MIAA Defensive Player of the Week

Posted on November 17, 2014

Missouri Western senior linebacker Stephen Juergens has been named the MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week. It’s the first time Juergens has received the honor.

The Kearney, Missouri native came up big for the Griffon defense in his final game. Juergens tallied 13 total tackles, three for loss and a sack. His third tackle for loss stopped Missouri Southern on a fourth down play that sealed the 22-21 victory for Missouri Western.

For the third straight season, Juergens led Missouri Western in tackles with 108 total stops. His 59 solo tackles were best on the team by 15 and his 12 tackles for loss were the most of any Griffon defender. He also had 3.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries a fumble recovery and an interception.

Juergens joins fellow Missouri Western linebacker Kirk Resseguie and safety Marc Harrison as the three Griffons to receive the award this year. Kicker John Schmiemeier was also named the MIAA Special Teams Athlete of the Week twice this year.

Western finished the 2014 season 7-4.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Missouri’s Hansbrough earns weekly SEC honor

Posted on November 17, 2014November 17, 2014

University of Missouri junior running back Russell Hansbrough (Arlington, Texas) has been named the Southeastern Conference’s football Offensive Player of the Week for his performance Saturday at Texas A&M, as announced tonight by the league office.

Hansbrough, playing in his home state of Texas, led Mizzou to a huge 34-27 road win at #24 Texas A&M Saturday evening, thanks to his career-high 199 rushing yards. He averaged 9.9 yards per carry (20 attempts), which included touchdown runs of 49 and 45 yards on consecutive 3rd-quarter possessions as the Tigers rallied from a 13-6 halftime deficit.

Hansbrough’s 199-yard outing marked the most rushing yards by a Tiger running back in a conference game since Oct. 10, 1998, when All-American Devin West ran for 252 yards (on 40 carries, 6.3 avg.) at Iowa State. Hansbrough’s total is the 6th-highest output by a tailback in Mizzou history in a conference game, and it is the 10th-highest single-game rushing total among tailbacks (any opponent). The 199 yards ranks 13th on Mizzou’s all-time single-game rushing chart (all positions included).

Thanks to Hansbrough’s career night (surpassing his previous best of 126 yards vs. South Dakota State on Aug. 30, 2014), Mizzou ran for a season-high 335 yards, surpassing the previous season mark of 244 yards (Vanderbilt), while amassing a season-best 587 yards of total offense in the A&M win.

Hansbrough leads Mizzou with 790 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the year, while he’s averaging 5.6 yards per attempt. He now ranks 10th in the SEC in rushing with his 79.0 yards per game.

This marks the seventh time a Tiger has won a weekly SEC award in 2014. The list of winners includes: Offensive Player of the Week – Maty Mauk (Sept. 6), Russell Hansbrough (Nov. 15); Defensive Player of the Week – Shane Ray (Sept. 13); Defensive Lineman of the Week – Shane Ray (Sept. 27, Oct. 18, Nov. 1); Special Teams Player of the Week – Marcus Murphy (Oct. 18).

— MU Sports Information —

Four Jayhawks named to Wooden Award Preseason Top 50

Posted on November 17, 2014November 17, 2014

Four Kansas men’s basketball players were named to the Wooden Award Preseason Top 50, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Monday. Junior forward Perry Ellis, sophomore guard Wayne Selden, Jr., and freshmen Cliff Alexander and Kelly Oubre, Jr., were named to the preseason squad. Selden was also named to the Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 last year.

Kansas and Kentucky were the only two schools with four individuals named to the 2014 50-man list. Alexander and Oubre were two of seven freshmen on the list and the Big 12 Conference led the way with 10 picks.

Ellis and Selden are KU’s returning starters from 2013-14, where the Jayhawks won their unprecedented 10th-straight Big 12 regular-season championship going 25-10 and 14-4 in league play. Ellis posted his seventh career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds in KU’s 69-59 season-opening win versus UC Santa Barbara on Nov. 14. The Wichita, Kansas, native is KU’s leading returning scorer at 13.5 points per game in 2013-14, and rebounder at 6.7 boards per contest.

Selden, from Roxbury, Massachusetts, scored 10 points in the season opener and averaged 9.7 points per game his rookie season at KU. He and Ellis were named to the 2014 All-Big 12 squad with Ellis a third-team selection and Selden honorable mention. The duo also earned weekly conference honors during the 2013-14 season.

Alexander and Oubre were each named 2014 McDonald’s All-Americans. A power forward from Chicago who was ranked No. 3 by ESPN100, Alexander was the 2014 Naismith High School National Player of the Year and Mr. Basketball USA. He scored nine points and pulled down four rebounds in his KU debut against UC Santa Barbara. Oubre, from New Orleans, was ranked No. 11 by ESPN100 and both he and Alexander competed for Team USA at the Nike Hoop Summit and the Jordan Brand Classic in the spring 2014. Additionally, Oubre was invited to work at the Kevin Durant Skills Academy and the adidas Nation’s camps in the summer of 2014.

Last year, KU’s Selden, Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid were named to the Wooden Award Preseason Top 50. Wiggins ended being selected to the 10-member Wooden All-American Team.

No. 5/5 Kansas (1-0) will face top-ranked Kentucky (2-0) in the State Farm Champions Classic, Tuesday, Nov. 18, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, at 8 p.m. (Central). The two teams met in the 2011 Champions Classic and later squared off in the 2012 NCAA Championship game in New Orleans.

— KU Sports Information —

K-State’s Lockett Tabbed Semifinalist for Biletnikoff Award

Posted on November 17, 2014November 17, 2014

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State senior wide receiver Tyler Lockett is one of 10 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award, presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding college receiver, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club announced Monday.

The all-time receiving yards leader in K-State history, Lockett is the first Wildcat to earn semifinal status for the award since Jordy Nelson was one of three finalists in 2007. Lockett’s father, Kevin, was also a semifinalist for the honor in 1996. He is one of three Big 12 semifinalists, joining Oklahoma’s Sterling Shepard and West Virginia’s Kevin White.

A product of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Lockett ranks 16th nationally with 97.6 receiving yards per game and 20th in receptions per game (6.7). The senior has hauled in six touchdowns this season and totaled four 100-yard games to give him a school record 13 for his career. He is also 122 yards shy of becoming the first player in school history with two 1,000-yard receiving seasons after recording 1,262 yards in 2013.

Lockett’s career receiving total of 3,073 is tops in school history, while his is 15 receptions and three touchdowns shy of owning all three major career receiving marks in Kansas State history. He ranks second in school history with 5,638 all-purpose, a mark that also ranks eighth in Big 12 history.

Aside from being a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, Lockett is also a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is commonly referred to as the “Academic Heisman,” and is one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award.

Fans can help Lockett advance as a finalist by voting once per day at the Biletnikoff Award Fan Vote website. Fan voting for the three finalists will close on November 23.

No. 12/11 Kansas State returns to action on Thursday night as the Wildcats travel to face West Virginia. Kickoff from Milan Puskar Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. (CT), and the game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports 1.

Kansas City, St. Louis, Omaha & Wichita to host future NCAA tournament games

Posted on November 17, 2014November 17, 2014

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Brooklyn, New York, and Des Moines, Iowa, will host NCAA men’s basketball tournament games for the first time in 2016.

The NCAA announced Monday that the other 2016 preliminary round sites are Providence, St. Louis, Raleigh, North Carolina, Oklahoma City, Denver and Spokane, Washington. Regionals will be played in Philadelphia, Chicago, Louisville, Kentucky, and Anaheim, California.

The 2017 tourney games will be played in Buffalo, New York; Indianapolis; New York; Greensboro, North Carolina; Milwaukee; Orlando, Florida; Salt Lake City; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Sacramento, California. Regionals will be in Kansas City; San Jose, California; Memphis, Tennessee; and New York.

The 2018 early round games will be hosted by Boise, Idaho; Charlotte, North Carolina; Dallas; Detroit; Nashville, Tennessee; Pittsburgh; San Diego; and Wichita, Kansas. Regionals will be in Boston; Omaha, Nebraska; Los Angeles and Atlanta.

Dayton, Ohio will host the First Four all three years.

KU’s Mundine named one of eight semifinalists for Mackey Award

Posted on November 17, 2014November 17, 2014

Kansas senior Jimmay Mundine was named one of eight semi-finalists for the John Mackey Award Monday morning, it was announced by The John Mackey Award. Mundine is the first Kansas player to be named a semi-finalist for the award, which has been in existence since 2000.

A native of Denison, Texas, Mundine recorded a career-best tying seven receptions for a career-high 137 yards and a touchdown, leading the Jayhawks in receptions and receiving yards in their near-upset of fifth-ranked TCU in their last outing. Mundine’s 137-yard receiving performance was the most for a Kansas tight end since 1974.

Mundine is having a strong senior campaign as he leads all Big 12 Conference tight ends and ranks fourth nationally among the position group with his 537 receiving yards on 40 catches. He is averaging 13.4 yards per catch in 2014 and has scored three touchdowns. His 537 receiving yards are the most by a tight end from a ‘Power 5’ conference and his 40 receptions ranks second among tight ends from a ‘Power 5′ conference. Mundine has been critical to Kansas’ offensive improvement as 30 of his 40 receptions have resulted in first downs or touchdowns.

Mundine was named the John Mackey Award Tight End of the Week following his performance against Central Michigan. He has picked up honorable mention John Mackey Award Tight End of the Week honors twice this season, following games at Texas Tech and against Iowa State.

Joining Mundine as a semi-finalist for the John Mackey Award are E.J. Bibbs (SR, Iowa State), Evan Engram (SO, Ole Miss), Ben Koyack (SR, Notre Dame), Nick O’Leary (SR, Florida State), Jean Sifrin (JR, Massachusetts), Clive Walford (SR, Miami) and Maxx Williams (SO, Minnesota).

The eight semi-finalists were determined by confidential balloting of the John Mackey Award
Selection Committee. Given annually to the most outstanding collegiate tight end, the 2014 John Mackey Award recipient will be announced on December 10, 2014 and presented live on December 11, 2014 at The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPNU. The 2014 Mackey finalists will be announced on November 24, 2014.

NFL Hall of Fame member John Mackey is considered to be the best to have played the tight end position. A tight end by whom all others are measured, Mackey was a role model on and off the field as demonstrated by his Super Bowl Championship, his commitment to community and his place in history as the first President of the NFLPA.

The John Mackey Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 21 awards boast 678 years of tradition-selection excellence.

— KU Sports Information —

Cards get outfielder and reliever in trade with Braves

Posted on November 17, 2014November 17, 2014

PAUL NEWBERRY, AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves have dealt outfielder Jason Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden to the St. Louis Cardinals for pitcher Shelby Miller and a minor-leaguer.

The deal was announced Monday and ends Heyward’s tenure with his hometown team.

The 25-year-old outfielder never lived up to expectations after a brilliant rookie season, when he homered in his first at-bat and was voted to the All-Star Game. This past season, he hit .271 with 11 homers, 58 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. He also won his second Golden Glove.

Miller went 10-9 with a 3.74 for the Cardinals, after going 15-9 with a 3.06 ERA in 2013.

Walden was 0-2 with a 2.88 ERA and three saves.

The Braves also acquired pitcher Tyrell Jenkins, who played for Class A Palm Beach last season.