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Nebraska leads wire to wire in 66-51 upset at No. 25 Indiana

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Nebraska found itself in the zone Monday night.

The No. 25 Indiana Hoosiers looked completely befuddled.

As Glynn Watson Jr. scored 15 points, Isaac Copeland added 14 and James Palmer flirted with a triple double, it was a smothering defense that helped Nebraska pull away for a 66-51 upset — its second straight victory on the Hoosiers’ home court.

“At halftime, I said `It’s OK to win with defense,” Cornhuskers coach Tim Miles said, trying to steady his team. “This is sure a confidence builder.”

The Huskers (13-4, 3-3 Big Ten) won their second straight overall, extended their winning streak in the series to a school-record three and racked up style points by limiting the nation’s second-best shooting team to its lowest point total and worst shooting percentage (36.5) of the season.

All it took was a fast start and Mills’ trademark 1-3-1 defense to rattle the lethargic Hoosiers (12-5, 3-3), who never recovered from a dismal start. Indiana has lost three straight overall and had its home-court winning streak snapped at 10.

“That was probably one of the most disappointing games that we’ve played as a team this season. We didn’t have any energy, any pop, either end of the floor,” Indiana coach Archie Miller said. “I didn’t think that we played with near enough energy to compete in this league. Offensively we were just horrendous in the first half.”

It wasn’t a matter of what went wrong but what didn’t?

While Romeo Langford scored 18 points and Juwan Howard had 17 points and eight rebounds, nobody else scored more than five. And aside from Langford and Morgan, who were a combined 13 of 29 from the field, Indiana managed just six baskets.

Palmer, meanwhile, had 11 points, nine rebounds and seven assists — matching Indiana’s team assist total in a game the Hoosiers seemed to zone out.

“I thought we did a good job getting to Romeo and Juwan, making them play in a crowd,” Miles said. “We kept them out of transition for the most part. Getting off to an early lead was probably most important. Getting the crowd out of the game. The way you win big road games, you play from the front, and just hang on.”

Nebraska followed that blueprint perfectly, scoring the first nine points and extending the lead to 25-7 midway through the first half.

When the Cornhuskers missed 12 consecutive shots, Indiana closed the deficit to 26-20 late in the first half and got as close as 35-32 early in the second half.

But Nebraska answered with an 8-0 run and closed it out by methodically pulling away late.

BIG PICTURE

Nebraska: The Cornhuskers’ defense can challenge anyone in the Big Ten with its length and versatility. And when they score consistently, they can pose a real threat against any team anywhere.

Indiana: Sure, the bounces didn’t go Indiana’s way. But Miller acknowledged his team was lethargic and out of sync from the start. He knows they need to get better quickly.

STAT PACK

Nebraska: Never trailed in the game. … The 15-point victory margin was Nebraska’s largest in the series since a 38-18 victory in February 1920. . … Palmer and Copeland made their 50th consecutive starts. … The Cornhuskers also ended the Hoosiers 26-game home winning streak in December 2016, their last trip to Assembly Hall.

Indiana: Made only four of its first 19 shots and had only nine points with 5 minutes left in the first half. … The Hoosiers were 2 of 14 form 3-point range and 11 of 19 on free throws. … Justin Smith was 2 of 7 from the field after making 22 of 27 in the previous five games (81.5 percent). He had five points.

THEY SAID IT

Nebraska: “I thought our guys did a very good job with the game plan from the get go,” Miles said.

Indiana: “We just weren’t getting the ball moved,” Langford said. “We were just playing a little bit too conservative on the 1-3-1, weren’t really attacking, and that’s what you’re supposed to do against the 1-3-1 is attack and get the ball in the middle.”

UP NEXT

Nebraska: Returns home Thursday to face its second straight ranked opponent, No. 6 Michigan State

Indiana: Hits the road for the third time in four games when it visits rival Purdue on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

Northwest’s Witthus named MIAA player of the week

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Northwest Missouri State University senior forward Joey Witthus has been named the MIAA men’s basketball player of the week.

Witthus averaged 29.0 points per game, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in leading Northwest to a pair of home wins over Emporia State and nationally-ranked Washburn.

Against Emporia State, Witthus notched his third 30-point game of the season with 32 points. Witthus scored 16 consecutive points in the second half to turn a six-point game into a 15-point advantage for the Bearcats. Witthus went 11-of-22 from the field and drained five triples to go along with three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Witthus went 5-of-5 from the free throw stripe.

On Saturday against Washburn, Witthus scored a game-high 26 points. Witthus was 7-of-15 from the field that included four buried treys. Witthus was 8-of-9 at the free throw line. He added five rebounds, three assists and two steals in the win to push the Bearcats win streak to 16 in a row.

Witthus shot 48.6 percent from the field, 40.9 percent from three-point range and 92.9 percent from the free throw line.

Northwest and Witthus will be in action again Saturday in St. Joseph, Missouri, against Missouri Western. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m. at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

— Northwest Athletics —

Klieman adds Tuiasosopo to K-State football staff

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MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman announced Monday that Mike Tuiasosopo has been hired to coach the Wildcat defensive tackles for the 2019 season.

The hire allows Blake Seiler to focus on the defensive ends, while Klieman also announced that Chris Dawson – a nine-year member of the K-State staff – will remain in Manhattan as the Director of Strength and Conditioning.

“Mike is a veteran coach who has a substantial amount of Power Five experience throughout his career, which includes developing defensive linemen and a strong presence on special teams,” Klieman said. “I also was looking for a coach who had an extensive recruiting background on the west coach – and California in particular – and Mike certainly has that.”

Tuiasosopo comes to Manhattan after serving the 2018 season as the defensive tackles coach at UTEP, but he has spent a majority of his career on the west coast and, specifically, in the Pac-10/12.

In 2017, Tuiasosopo was the special teams quality control coach at USC, a year in which the Trojans claimed the Pac-12 Conference title for the first time in nine years. USC was successful in large part to its return game, as the Trojans ranked third in the Pac-12 in kickoff returns (23.5 yards per return) and punt returns (11.9 yards per return). He was also an offensive consultant for USC in 2016 and an analyst in 2015.

Prior to USC, Tuiasosopo worked across town at UCLA as he tutored the Bruin outside linebackers and special teams in 2014. That season, UCLA finished No. 3 in the Pac-12 in total defense (398.5 yards per game), which featured Tuiasosopo product Deon Hollins becoming the Bruins’ sack leader in his first season as a starter. On special teams, the kickoff coverage unit ranked second in the Pac-12 as returner Ishmael Adams finished the season ranked 21st nationally in combined returns.

Tuiasosopo joined Mike Stoops’ staff at Arizona in 2004 and coached in Tucson for seven seasons, including his final three seasons where the Wildcats ranked highly in the nation in total defense (24th in 2008, 25th in 2009, 33rd in 2010). Arizona led the Pac-10 in quarterback sacks all three years, largely due to Tuiasosopo’s defensive front.

Tuiasosopo tutored All-Pac 10 performer Ricky Elmore in addition to Brooks Reed and De’Aundre Reed to 2011 NFL Draft selections. Reed was a second-round pick (No. 42 overall) by the Minnesota Vikings. Tuiasosopo also coached two others that earned all-conference honors and were drafted into the NFL, Earl Mitchell – a third-rounder in 2010 – and Lionel Dotson in 2008. In 2010, he tutored Justin Washington to several Freshman All-America honors.

Tuiasosopo received his start in coaching at Montclair Academy in Van Nuys, California, coaching the defensive line and special teams in 1990 and 1991. He was then a graduate assistant at Pacific before becoming the head coach at Berkley High School in 1993 and 1994.

Tuiasosopo earned his first full-time collegiate job at Utah State as he coached the Aggie defensive line from 1996 to 1999. From there, he moved to Nevada to coach the defensive line from 2000 to 2002, and he worked at Utah during the 2003 season when the Utes earned a 10-2 record and a No. 21 final ranking.

Tuiasosopo lettered four years as a defensive tackle at Pacific Lutheran University (1985-88) and was a starter for the final three seasons en route to a pair of First Team All-Columbia Conference honors. He comes from a football-rich family tradition as his uncle Bob Apisa (Michigan State/Green Bay), cousin Manu (UCLA/Seattle/San Francisco) and younger brother Navy (Utah State/Los Angeles Rams/St. Louis Cardinals) each played collegiately and in the NFL. His nephew, Marques, played quarterback at Washington and with the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets, while he is currently the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at California.

A native of Carson, California, who was born in American Samoa, Tuiasosopo graduated from Pacific Lutheran with a degree in physical education and health in 1989, while he earned his master’s degree from Pacific in Education Administration Credentials in 1992. He is married to Kathy Bowles, and the couple has four children, daughters Lanea and Maya, and sons Titus and Luke.

2019 K-State Football Coaching Staff
Chris Klieman (Head Coach)
Courtney Messingham (Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends)
Ted Monachino (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
Brian Anderson (Running Backs)
Joe Klanderman (Safeties)
Collin Klein (Quarterbacks)
Van Malone (Cornerbacks)
Jason Ray (Wide Receivers)
Conor Riley (Offensive Line)
Blake Seiler (Defensive Ends)
Mike Tuiasosopo (Defensive Tackles)

— Northwest Athletics —

Griffons let 10-point second half lead slip way, lose to Emporia State 85-79

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ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western (8-9, 2-4 MIAA) fell to Emporia State (7-7, 2-3 MIAA) 85-79 in the MWSU Fieldhouse on Sunday afternoon. The Griffons struggled offensively down the stretch in the second half, as the Hornets outscored the Griffons 21-9 over the final seven minutes of the game.

NOTABLES

  • Emporia State was lights out from the opening tip, jumping out to a 16-point lead in the first nine minutes.
  • The Griffons began to chip away at the deficit halfway through the first half, using a 20-9 run to trail by just one point at halftime.
  • Tyrell Carroll kept the Griffons in the game in the first half. Carroll had 17 points on 64 percent shooting going into halftime.
  • Alex Martin’s layup with just under nine minutes to play gave the Griffons their largest lead of the second half at 68-58.
  • The Hornets regained the lead on a three pointer with 4:26 remaining.
  • Tyus Millhollin hit Bryan Hudson on a layup to bring the Griffons within just two at 78-76 with under 90 seconds left.
  • On the next possession, Emporia State’s Aaron McGee pulled down a crucial offensive rebound and converted the layup to stretch the lead back to four.
  • The Hornets had a significant edge on the boards, outrebounding the Griffons 44-26.
  • The Griffons shot 48 percent from the field in the loss.

LEADERS

  • Hudson set a new career-high with 28 points. Hudson had an efficient game, shooting 86 percent from the field and making all four of his three-point attempts.
  • Tyrell Carroll finished with 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
  • Lavon Hightower added 16 points.

UP NEXT

  • The Griffons will host unbeaten No. 2 Northwest Missouri on Jan. 19.

— MWSU Athletics —

Tigers drop to 0-2 in the SEC with loss at South Carolina

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — No one else might have believed in South Carolina as they entered Southeastern Conference play as the only team with a losing record, but Gamecocks coach Frank Martin made sure his team didn’t lose faith.

Keyshawn Bryant scored 15 points and Chris Silva added 14 points as South Carolina (8-7, 3-0 SEC) continued its surprising league start with an 85-75 win over Missouri on Sunday. It’s only the third time in 28 seasons the Gamecocks have won their first three SEC games.

“Young guys, man,” Frank Martin said when asked what has happened to a South Carolina team that went 5-7 in non-conference with losses to Stony Brook and Wofford. “Being a good team is not like flipping a light switch.”

On Sunday, it was a combination of the freshman Bryant’s 7-of-9 shooting and Silva’s taking advantage after Missouri’s big man, Jeremiah Tilmon, fouling out with 12:57 left trying to post up on Silva.

“It doesn’t matter what situation we are in — coach always believes in us,” Silva said.

The Gamecocks led the entire second half, but the Tigers (9-5, 0-2) kept hanging around. Three times Missouri cut the lead to three but couldn’t get closer.

The last time came on Javon Pickett’s 3-pointer with 3:17 left. But Felipe Hasse and A.J. Lawson hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put South Carolina ahead 79-70 with 2:03 to go.

Hasse added 14 points and six rebounds for the Gamecocks.

The freshman Pickett led all scorers with a career-high 21 points. Mark Smith and Jordan Geist each added 14 for the Tigers.

The game was originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon, but Columbia, Missouri received about a foot of snow Friday into Saturday, and the Tigers couldn’t make it out of town until Saturday.

TILMON’S TROUBLES

It’s been a rough three games for Tillmon. The sophomore has fouled out of three games in a row, and his 13 minutes Sunday was his longest outing of the three.

Tillmon was disqualified in 12 minutes against Morehead State and nine minutes versus Tennessee.

Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin said Tillmon’s troubles Sunday were more on him than on a veteran all-SEC preseason first team player like Silva taking advantage of him.

“It’s him looking in the mirror and figuring out his next move,” Martin said of Tillmon.

RARE START

The other two times South Carolina has started 3-0 in the SEC have been special seasons.

In 1997, they started 11-0 and won their only SEC regular season title.

In 2017, South Carolina opened 5-0 in the SEC and went to their only Final Four.

A DAY LATER

Both Cuonzo Martin and Frank Martin said delaying the game by a day wasn’t a factor in the outcome. Missouri couldn’t get out Friday because the snow came faster and harder than forecast.

“It’s a part of it,” Cuonzo Martin said. “You make adjustments.”

Frank Martin said he learned winter weather can mess up plans quickly during his years coaching at Kansas State and the safety of a traveling team needs to always be first over any inconvenience of postponing a game.

“I lived out there, so I understand travel gets complicated sometimes,” he said.

BIG PICTURE

Missouri: The Tigers turned the ball over 20 times, their second-worst performance this season. South Carolina had 16 turnovers, but the Gamecocks outscored Missouri 33-17 off the miscues.

South Carolina: The key to the Gamecocks surprise SEC start comes on offense. Teams typically score less once league play starts, but South Carolina is averaging 81 points in tis three SEC games, eight more points than non-conference play.

UP NEXT

Missouri: The Tigers host Alabama on Wednesday.

South Carolina: The Gamecocks are on the road against Vanderbilt, who has opened 0-3 in the SEC.

— Associated Press —

Richardson’s field goal with 0.8 seconds left lifts MWSU women past Hornets

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ST. JOSEPH – Tied at 66 in the final seconds of regulation, Missouri Western isolated Melia Richardson for the final shot. Richardson drove down the left baseline and sank a turnaround jumper to give Missouri Western the lead with 0.8 seconds remaining.

The Lady Hornets’ full-court inbound pass tipped out of bounds, giving Missouri Western (8-7, 3-3 MIAA) the 68-66 win over the Emporia State (11-4, 2-3 MIAA) at home on Sunday.

NOTABLES

  • The Griffons set the tone early with their defense in the first quarter, holding Emporia State to 11 percent shooting and just nine points in the first quarter.
  • Both teams picked up the scoring pace in the second quarter, shooting a combined 61 percent as the Griffons took a 27-26 lead into halftime.
  • Richardson led all scorers in the first half with 10 points.
  • The Griffons outscored the Lady Hornets 18-14 in the third quarter to take a five-point lead into the final quarter.
  • Emporia State used an 11-2 run to take its first lead of the second half with 4:29 to play.
  • Katrina Roenfeldt’s made free-throw gave the Griffons the 66-64 lead with 28 seconds remaining.
  • Jessica Wayne’s layup tied the game at 66 a piece with 19 seconds left.
  • On the next possession, Richardson drilled the game-winner off the glass
  • The Griffons shot 58 percent from the field in the second half and 66.7 percent in the fourth quarter
  • MWSU out-rebounded Emporia State 33-27 and outscored the Hornets 36-20 in the paint

LEADERS

  • Roenfeldt earned a double-double with a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds. Roenfeldt scored 17 of her 22 in the second half.
  • Richardson finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.
  • Brittany Atkins finished with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting

UP NEXT

  • Rivalry Saturday comes to the MWSU Fieldhouse Jan. 19 as the Griffons host Northwest Missouri (6-9, 2-4)

— MWSU Athletics —

Missouri women come up short at Florida 58-56

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball dropped its first conference game of the season Sunday, as the Tigers fell to Florida, 56-54, at Exactech Arena. The Gators closed the game on a 17-3 run, and outscored the Tigers, 22-11 in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.

Mizzou shared the ball well in the game, as the Tigers assisted on 73.9 percent of its made field goals (17-of-23) in the game, its second-highest percentage of the season behind 89.5 percent (17-of-19) against Duke (Nov. 25). Senior guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) led Mizzou in assists in the game with eight, which match a season-high (St. Louis, Dec. 9) and was one off from a career-high.

TURNING POINT

Florida outscored Mizzou 22-11 in the fourth quarter to capture the win. The Gators ended the game on a 17-3 run, and retook the lead for the first time since the first quarter with a layup from Delicia Washington with 2.2 seconds remaining. Mizzou had a chance to respond on its side of the floor, but was unable to get a shot up as the Gators escaped with the win.

TOP TIGERS

  • Junior guard Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) paced the Tigers in points and rebounds with nine and seven, respectively.
  • Cunningham scored five points and matched a season-high with eight assists, raising her season average to 3.3 per game.
  • Junior guard Jordan Roundtree (St. Louis, Mo.) scored nine points and matched a career-high with three three-pointers made, equaling her total from a Dec. 10, 2017 game against SIUE.

NOTES

  • Mizzou assisted on 17 of 23 of its made field goals, (79.3 percent), the second-highest percentage of assists to field goals this season, behind only the 89.5 percent (17-of-19) against Duke (Nov. 25).
  • Cunningham dished out eight assists, matching her season-high from the eight dimes she passed out against Saint Louis (Dec. 9). The Tiger senior has now recorded five or more assists in four of her last five games.
  • Since being inserted into the starting lineup on Dec. 17 against Texas State, Roundtree has score eight or more points in five of seven games. During that stretch, Roundtree has raised her scoring average from 1.8 to 3.8 points per game.
  • Mizzou sank 42.1 percent (8-for19) of its shots from the three-point line, its 12th game this season with seven or more made threes. The mark was Mizzou’s fourth game shooting 40 percent or better from deep this season, and its third in the last four games.

UP NEXT

Mizzou will return to Columbia for its next contest, as the Tigers host Georgia on Thursday, Jan. 17. Tipoff from Mizzou Arena is scheduled for 6 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Chiefs roll past Colts 31-13 to reach AFC title game

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs’ defense had heard the chorus of critics all season long, the ones that claimed their sieve-like line and shaky backfield would spoil young superstar Patrick Mahomes and cost them a chance to chase their first Super Bowl appearance in decades.

Well, that defense is a big reason why the Chiefs are one step away.

With persistent snow turning Arrowhead Stadium into a winter wonderland, the Chiefs successfully shut down Andrew Luck and the potent Indianapolis Colts on Saturday.

Mahomes and the rest of their own high-powered offense took care of the rest, rolling to a 31-13 victory in the divisional round to end 25 years of playoff frustration.

“We’re such a different team,” said Mahomes, who threw for 278 yards while running for a score. “We have such young players. We have such confidence we’re going to win every single game.”

Damien Williams ran through snow and muck for 129 yards and another score, and Tyreek Hill had 72 yards receiving and a touchdown run, as the Chiefs beat Indianapolis for the first time in five playoff meetings to earn their first AFC title game appearance since January 1994.

The AFC West champions will play the winner of Sunday’s game between the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers and the New England Patriots next weekend for a spot in the Super Bowl in Atlanta.

“We wanted to light up the city,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said. “We didn’t want to take the road down memory lane.”

Andrew Luck was held to 203 yards passing for the Colts, while Marlon Mack was a non-factor on the ground. He had 46 yards rushing before leaving late in the fourth quarter with a hip injury.

“Was not expecting it to end today,” Colts coach Frank Reich said. “We knew we were going up against a very good team, a very well-coached team. It’s hard to lose. It’s hard to lose when you’ve come this far with the team that we have and the guys that we have, so credit to the Chiefs.

“They outcoached us, they outplayed us,” Reich said. “We just gave them too many opportunities.”

The Chiefs set out to change history from the opening minutes, when they forced a three-and-out and then waltzed right over a Colts defense that nearly shut out the Texans a week ago. Mahomes and Co. scored on their first three possessions , then again just before halftime, to take a 24-7 lead.

If there was any question whether this would be Kansas City’s day, it was answered when Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri missed a 23-yard field-goal try off the upright just before halftime. It was the first time in 22 postseason attempts that he’d missed from that close.

Not that the Chiefs thought they had it wrapped up.

They’ve had bigger playoff meltdowns against the Colts.

There was the 10-7 loss in which Lin Elliott missed three field goals when the Chiefs were the No. 1 seed, and the loss at Arrowhead Stadium in 2003 in which nobody punted. Five years ago, they blew a 38-10 second-half lead against Luck and the Colts to spoil Andy Reid’s first season.

Not this time.

Not with this Kansas City quarterback.

After shattering nearly every franchise passing record, Mahomes picked up right where he left off in his regular-season finale. He led the Chiefs on touchdown drives of 90 and 70 yards to open the game, quickly identified a favorite target in Travis Kelce, and shook off a banged-up knee to scramble for a touchdown late in the first half to give his team a big cushion.

Of course, the Chiefs (13-4) didn’t need it the way their defense was playing.

The Colts (11-7) went three-and-out on their first four possessions, were outgained 185-12 in the first quarter, and Luck didn’t complete a pass until he found T.Y Hilton early in the second.

Their lone bright spot came when Zach Paschal recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown .

Even when the Colts caught a break and Sammy Watkins fumbled the ball to them late in the third quarter, they were quick to give it back. Dee Ford stripped Luck and fellow linebacker Justin Houston plopped on the ball, ruining another red-zone opportunity.

“It seemed like the rushers were getting there all night,” Chiefs cornerback Kendall Fuller said. “Guys sticking coverage, playing good technique, good eyes and things like that.”

The Colts finally scored an offensive touchdown with 5:31 left in the game. But in the perfect summation of their lousy afternoon, their erstwhile star kicker missed the extra point.

By that point, the party in the stands already had begun.

The Chiefs had lost six straight home playoff games, including heartbreakers to Pittsburgh and Tennessee the past two years. But a proud franchise that won its only Super Bowl title with Len Dawson in 1970, and last played for a spot behind Joe Montana, is once more one step away.

“I’m just happy for these guys in this locker room,” Kelce said. “Playoff wins are hard to come by, let alone wins in the NFL. So, I mean, it’s just exciting for us to be able to play next week.”

SNOWBALL FIGHT

Reid was summoned to the corner of the stadium during the two-minute warning in the first half to implore fans to stop throwing snowballs on the field. Earlier in the half, one almost hit Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez while he was kicking.

INJURIES

Colts: Center Ryan Kelly (knee) left late in the fourth quarter. … FS Malik Hooker (foot) and DE Tyquan Lewis (knee) were inactive, while SS Mike Mitchell (calf) was placed on injured reserve earlier this week. That left the Colts defense without some key pieces.

Chiefs: Safety Eric Berry (heel) and running back Spencer Ware (hamstring) were inactive, though Berry — the team’s emotional leader — broke down the pregame huddle in the north end zone.

UP NEXT

Chiefs: Await the Chargers-Patriots winner in the AFC title game.

Colts: Begin preparing for April’s draft.

— Associated Press —

No. 2 Bearcats beat Ichabods in battle of MIAA unbeatens

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MARYVILLE, Missouri – The No. 2-ranked Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team won a battle of MIAA unbeatens with an 83-75 triumph over the Washburn Ichabods in Bearcat Arena on Saturday.

Northwest ran the nation’s longest win streak to 16 behind 26 points from Joey Witthus and 24 points from Trevor Hudgins. Washburn falls to 11-3 overall and 4-1 in MIAA action. Northwest is 6-0 in MIAA play.

Ryan Hawkins collected his seventh double-double of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Northwest will be in action next Saturday at Missouri Western. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m. in St. Joseph, Missouri.

— Northwest Athletics —

No. 7 Kansas takes down Baylor in Waco 73-68

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WACO, Texas (AP) — Lagerald Vick scored 18 points with six 3-pointers on his 22nd birthday and No. 7 Kansas held on for a 73-68 win at Baylor on Saturday.

Vick hit two of his 3s in an 11-3 run in the final 1:44 of the first half for the Jayhawks (14-2, 3-1 Big 12) to put them up by 10. Kansas then held a double-digit lead for most of the second half until the Bears had eight consecutive points in the final minute.

Jared Butler hit a 3 with 54 seconds left and Mark Vital made a basket before Devonte Bandoo’s 3 after Vick’s second turnover in that span got the Bears within 72-68. The Jayhawks missed three free throws down the stretch.

Dedric Lawson added 17 points for Kansas while Devon Dotson had 14. Freshman Ochai Agbaji had 10 in his second game.

Butler had 14 points to lead Baylor (9-6, 1-2), while Vital and Bandoo each had 11. Makai Mason scored 10.

Baylor opened the game’s scoring with two free throws but missed its first 15 shots from the field, falling behind 18-2 before going on a big run of its own. Butler had three 3s in an 18-4 run by the Bears that got them within 22-20 on a free throw by Mason with just under 4 minutes left, though they never got closer.

Vital had Baylor’s first made field goal of the game on a short bank shot with 9:34 left in the first half after he grabbed an offensive rebound.

BIG PICTURE

Kansas: The Jayhawks played their second game since 7-foot center Udoka Azubuike’s season-ending wrist surgery. That’s what led to Agabaji, the 6-5 freshman guard from Kansas City, forgoing his redshirt eligibility. He had a 3 in the late spurt to end the first half.

Baylor: The Bears just couldn’t build on the momentum of their home win Tuesday against No. 20 Iowa State, which then was coming off a 17-point home win over the Jayhawks last weekend. Baylor missed an opportunity to win consecutive games over Kansas, which lost by 16 in Waco last February.

CLARK DONE

Baylor sophomore forward Tristan Clark, the national leader shooting 74 percent from the field, had season-ending left knee surgery this week. The 6-foot-9 sophomore averaged 14.6 points starting the first 14 games. He made 84 of his 114 shots, and was on pace for the fourth-best shooting season in NCAA history. He now won’t play in enough games to qualify for that.

UP NEXT

Kansas plays its third game in six nights when the Jayhawks go home to play Texas on Monday night.

After consecutive home games, Baylor has a quick turnaround before playing Monday night at Oklahoma State.

— Associated Press —

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