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Missouri Western women rally to defeat Lincoln 62-61

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western Women’s Basketball (4-5, 1-1 MIAA) earned its first MIAA conference win in dramatic fashion on Saturday afternoon, defeating Lincoln (7-1, 1-1 MIAA) in the final seconds by a score of 62-61.

With no timeouts and just five seconds remaining in the game, Katrina Roenfeldt converted the game-winning layup through traffic, giving the Griffons the 62-61 lead. On the next possession, the game’s leading scorer, Zhanesha Dickerson, missed a three-pointer at the buzzer to seal the win for the Griffons.

NOTABLES

  • Both teams struggled offensively in the first half, combining to shoot just 25 percent as the Blue Tigers took a 23-19 lead into the halftime break.
  • Missouri Western scored 21 points in the third quarter to keep the deficit at four going into the fourth. The Griffons went 9-11 from the free-throw line in the quarter.
  • The Blue Tigers stretched their lead to seven with under four minutes remaining.
  • KeShara Scott assisted a Jessica Davies layup to cut the Lincoln lead to just five with 2:54 to play.
  • Roenfeldt made back-to-back three pointers to tie the game at 57 apiece with 1:39 remaining.
  • Scott’s layup gave the Griffons’ their first lead of the second half with one minute remaining.
  • Lincoln’s Zoi Thompson hit back-to-back layups to give Lincoln the lead with 22 seconds remaining.
  • On the ensuing possession, Roenfeldt converted one of two free-throw attempts, bringing the Griffons within one at 61-60.
  • The Griffons would get the ball back after a Roenfeldt steal. Roenfeldt then made the game-winning layup with five seconds to play.

LEADERS

  • Jessica Davies recorded her first career double-double with a career-high 18 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. Davies was also a team best 6-of-12 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free throw line.
  • Anastacia Johnson and Kylee Williams each had three steals to lead the team. Williams also led the team with five assists
  • Roenfeldt ended the game with 14 points
  • Williams and Roenfeldt both played all 40 minutes

UP NEXT

  • The Griffons get more than a week off before hosting Newman on Dec. 19 in the fieldhouse.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest Missouri State women lose to Linenwood 72-57

MARYVILLE, Missouri – The Lindenwood Lions women’s basketball team jumped out to an 18-4 lead and never looked back in scoring a 72-57 victory over the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats on Saturday in Bearcat Arena.

Lindenwood’s Kallie Bildner posted 24 points and 16 rebounds as the Lions dominated the boards against the Bearcats. Lindenwood tallied 41 rebounds, while Northwest recorded 17 total rebounds.

The Lions led 24-8 at the end of the first period as the visitors shot 50 percent from the floor (9-of-18) as Northwest went 3-for-11 (27.3 percent).

The Bearcats had three players in double figures in Kaylani Maiava (13 pts.), Mallory McConkey (12 pts.) and Jaelyn Haggard (12 pts.). McConkey also grabbed a team-best eight rebounds. Erika Schlosser dished out a team-high three assists.

Northwest forced Lindenwood into 24 turnovers. The Bearcats tallied 12 steals, led by Schlosser with four and Haggard with three.

The Bearcats will take to the floor again next Sun., Dec. 16, against McKendree. Tip is set for 1 p.m. in Bearcat Arena.

— Northwest Athletics —

No. 16 K-State loses on the road at Tulsa

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Martins Igbanu made a big play, and then partied with some of his classmates.

Igbanu connected for a go-ahead jump hook with 1:51 remaining, and Tulsa edged No. 16 Kansas State 47-46 on Saturday.

Curran Scott scored 14 points for Tulsa (7-3), and Igbanu had nine points and six rebounds. The Hurricane got their second straight victory against the Big 12, also topping Oklahoma State 74-71 on Wednesday.

Kansas State had one last chance in the final seconds, but Barry Brown Jr. rimmed out a floater on a drive into the lane. Several tips misfired and the Tulsa students stormed the court to celebrate.

“To see the students come storming the court was very exciting,” Igbanu said. “I’ve watched that happen for a lot of other teams on television and always wanted to be a part of something like that. They gave us great energy tonight.”

Xavier Sneed had 13 points and 10 rebounds, but the Wildcats (6-2) shot 30.5 percent (18 for 59) from the field. They also committed 16 turnovers.

“I can’t even put into words how proud I am of the effort and intensity we played with,” Tulsa coach Frank Haith said. “We fought our butts off and executed so well. It was at a high, high level and I’m really proud of how we did it.”

Kansas State star Dean Wade finished with two points on 1-for-6 shooting. Brown and Kamau Stokes combined to shoot 4 for 24.

The Wildcats also struggled with Tulsa’s matchup zone last season, shooting 31.6 percent (18 for 57) in a 61-54 loss.

“Tulsa is so good at rotating and keeping you contained,” Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said. “You have to make some shots and I thought we had some open ones tonight. But every time you think you have something going, you’re just not able to get in any comfort zone and rhythm.”

The Hurricane also struggled offensively, shooting 38 percent (19 for 50) and committing 15 turnovers. They were outrebounded 42-34 by the Wildcats.

Tulsa opened a 45-40 lead on a long 3-pointer by Jeriah Horne with 4:19 left. But Kansas State came right back.

Sneed made two 3-pointers to help the Wildcats to a 46-45 lead with 2:24 left, setting the stage for Igbanu’s big play.

“They have one of the top defenses in the nation,” Haith said. “You had to work hard for everything and finish through contact. Fortunately we made one more play than they did.”

LOOKING BACK

It was Tulsa’s first win against a ranked team since an 82-77 victory against No. 16 Southern Methodist in Dallas on Feb. 10, 2016. It was its first victory over a ranked team at home since a 77-67 win against No. 9 Wichita State on Nov. 17, 2015.

MORE POWER

Weber was not pleased with the performance of the 6-foot-10 Wade.

“He wasn’t aggressive enough,” he said. “He’s the biggest guy out there and he didn’t use his strength or length to finish around the hoop. But he’s a good player and he’ll battle through this.”

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State: The Wildcats made 4 of 32 3-pointers in the 2017 loss and were slightly better against the zone this time at 5 of 19. Kansas State played physical defense without fouling in the second half, committing just one team foul.

Tulsa: The Hurricane is proving to be one tough team at home, having won 13 consecutive games at the Reynolds Center and 22 of 24 overall.

UP NEXT

Kansas State has a week off before opening a four-game nonconference homestand against Georgia State on Dec. 15.

Tulsa concludes its 2018 home nonconference slate against New Orleans on Thursday.

— Associated Press —

No. 24 Nebraska beats Creighton 94-75, ends skid in series

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska, in basketball, is now a red state.

The No. 24 Cornhuskers left no doubt, turning in their best performance of the season against Creighton, their in-state rival from Omaha.

James Palmer made three of his career-best six 3-pointers in the first three minutes and finished with 30 points, and the Huskers won 94-75 on Saturday night to end a seven-game losing streak in the series.

“James is a playmaker, and the bigger the stage, the bigger the performance,” said Nebraska coach Tim Miles, who won for the first time in the series and also broke through to win for the first time in 15 games against teams coached by Greg McDermott.

Creighton’s Mitch Ballock made his first six shots, all 3-pointers, and finished 7 for 10 from long range with 23 points. His efforts weren’t nearly enough.

The Huskers (8-2) shot 53 percent from the floor, including 52 percent (14 of 27) on 3-pointers.

Isaiah Roby had 15 points and eight rebounds, Glynn Watson Jr. had 13 points and Isaac Copeland added 11 points.

The 19-point winning margin was Nebraska’s biggest in the series since 1997.

“Every guy made these huge plays,” Miles said. “You start with James Palmer shooting the ball really well, Isaiah and Isaac Copeland doing what they always do, and then you look at Glynn. I was so happy for Glynn. And then Tom Allen, it was like he was shot out of a cannon tonight.”

The win was especially sweet for Watson, who was 0-3 in his career against the Bluejays.

“I can’t really put it into too many words,” he said. “It’s a great feeling. I’m very happy for me, my coach and my team.”

The sellout crowd at Pinnacle Bank Arena began chanting “Go Big Red!” as the Huskers put the finishing touches on their performance.

The Huskers led by as much as 21 points in the first half but couldn’t put the Bluejays away until late.

“Today we were so hyped before the game,” Palmer said. “We were ready to play. It really showed in the first half.”

The Bluejays got a dunk from Martin Krampelj and a layup and 3-pointer from Davion Mintz to make it 77-67 with 6:11 left.

Allen missed a 3 as the shot clock was running out. If the Bluejays had gotten the rebound, they would have had a chance to cut the lead to single digits. But Roby came up with the ball and passed to Copeland, who swished a 3 to put the Huskers up 84-70 with 3:46 left.

Mintz had 13 of his 15 points in the second half and Ty-Shon Alexander scored 10 for Creighton (6-3).

“Nebraska played great,” McDermott said. “We were concerned with their dribble penetration and their ability to get to the free-throw line. We tried to plug up the lane early. To their credit, they made us pay with the 3-point shot. That kind of got the crowd into the game and got us off to a rough start, and then we’re fighting an uphill battle the rest of the game.”

BIG PICTURE

Creighton: The Bluejays got all they could want from Ballock, but the rest of the team shot 19 of 50 from the field, and their 12 turnovers were converted into 17 Nebraska points.

Nebraska: The Huskers were up 13 points in the second half at Minnesota on Wednesday and squandered the lead in an 85-78 loss. When Creighton trimmed its 21-point deficit to nine, the Huskers responded well and never let the Bluejays get closer.

HOME COOKING

Nebraska extended its home winning streak to 17 straight games, with 12 of those victories by double digits. That marks the Huskers’ longest home winning streak since a school-record 20-game streak spanning the 1965-66 and 1966-67 seasons. Nebraska is 6-0 at Pinnacle Bank Arena this season, winning every game by at least 15 points.

MILES VS. MAC

Miles said the end of his personal 0-for-14 streak against McDermott-coached teams at the Division I and II levels will make for good conversation when the two play golf together next summer.

“It’s meaningful,” Miles said. “But I won’t be happy until we get 13 more.”

UP NEXT

Creighton hosts Green Bay on Friday.

Nebraska plays Oklahoma State on Dec. 16 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

— Associated Press —

MWSU track & field teams complete first indoor meet of the season

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Missouri Western Men’s and Women’s Track and Field kicked off the 2018-19 indoor season on Friday and Saturday at the Mel Tjeerdsma Classic in Maryville.

The Griffons had three individuals win events at the meet. Hanna Williams took first in the women’s 400 meter dash with a time of 55.14. Her time is also good for an NCAA Div. II provisional qualifying mark. Megan Gillen won two events on Saturday. Gillen took first in the one mile run with a time of 5:14.87. She also won the 3000 meter run with a career-best time of 10:40.20. Jordan Garr won the men’s shotput with a mark of 16.97 meters.

Savannah Simmons placed second in the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.69. Simmons also placed fourth in the 200 meter.

Chris Stanley took third in the 600 yard run on the men’s side at 1:13.67. Allison Goos put together an impressive performance in the distance events, finishing second in both the 3000 meter and 5000 meter run. Claire Reedy also placed fifth in the one mile run.

The Missouri Western 4×400 meter relay team of Chaniya Alioth, Allison Nutt, Savannah Simmons, and Hanna Williams came in fifth place out of the fourteen teams in the event. The team finished with a time of 4:00.07.

Along with winning the men shotput, Garr also finished fourth in the weight throw. On the women’s side, Kallin Sheppard place in the top-five in both the weight throw and shotput. Sheppard took second in the weight throw and fifth in the shotput.

Hunter Scaggs earned second in the men’s high jump. Two Griffon women jumpers placed in the top-five in their events. Julia Odir took third in the women’s triple jump and Bayley Gilbert placed fourth in the long jump.

Lynzi Miller placed fourth in the women’s 60 meter hurdles at the multis on Friday.

Missouri Western Track and Field will have over a month off before its next competition. They will travel to Lincoln for the Graduate Classic at the University of Nebraska on Jan. 11.

— MWSU Athletics —

City High School Basketball Scores – Friday, December 7

BOYS
Benton 62 (3-2)
Savannah 42

Stanberry 46
Bishop LeBlond 37 (2-4)

LIBERTY NORTH TOURNAMENT – 3RD PLACE GAME
Park Hill 57
Central 46 (1-3)

LIBERTY NORTH TOURNAMENT – 5TH PLACE GAME
Lafayette 63 (3-1)
Kearney 42

GIRLS
Stanberry 71
Bishop LeBlond 26 (1-5)

LIBERTY NORTH TOURNAMENT – 3RD PLACE GAME
Central 63 (2-2)
St. Pius X 38

Mizzou pulls away from Oral Roberts for third straight win

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri looked to be in trouble after Oral Roberts’ DeShang Weaver drilled a pair of 3s to cut the Tigers’ lead to just three at the beginning of the second half.

Missouri hadn’t been able to break Oral Roberts’ zone defense and all of its big men were in major foul trouble.

But Missouri’s offense came alive in the second half to defeat Oral Roberts 80-64 Friday night for its third win in a row.

The Tigers fed off the 3-point shot all game. Freshman Torrence Watson shot 4 for 4 from 3 and Mark Smith knocked in three from beyond the arc as well. He led the Tigers with 14 points. Missouri finished 12 for 26 from 3.

“I came in a little late and hit a 3, then Mark (Smith) hit a 3, then a layup,” Watson said. “Every time we hit a 3, the bench gets hyped, everybody gets hyped. So it really gets us going.”

It wasn’t all pretty for the Tigers, however. Missouri’s bigs played with foul trouble all game. Forwards Jeremiah Tilmon, Mitchell Smith and Reed Nikko finished with four, three and four fouls, respectively.

Tilmon was called for two, including a technical, in his first six minutes of playing time. Off the bench, Nikko picked up four fouls in his first three minutes and Smith committed three fouls in his first four minutes.

As a result, the Golden Eagles had their way down low for most of the game. Emmanuel Nzekwesi took advantage of Missouri’s foul situation and scored 17 points to lead Oral Roberts. Emir Ahmedic came off the bench for ORU to lead all players with 10 rebounds.

But nearly every time the Golden Eagles would cut a Tigers lead, Missouri would roar back with a big 3-pointer.

“What I was really disappointed in was our 3-point defense,” Oral Roberts coach Paul Mills said. “Specifically with guys who could shoot. The two guys we knew could really shoot ended up going 7 for 10 from 3 and the rest of the team went 5 for 16.”

The turning point of the game came around the 13-minute mark in the second half when Missouri senior Jordan Geist sprinted down the court for a fast break layup and stole the following inbounds pass. He converted an and-one after the swipe to put the Tigers up 10. The basket was in the midst of a 10-0 run.

“I think it helped us, and I think it helped him,” Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin said.

The Tigers would extend their second-half lead up to 29 before putting Oral Roberts away.

BIG PICTURE

Oral Roberts: The Golden Eagles now have nine losses. Credit to Oral Roberts for staying in the contest against Missouri, but its defense slowed down in the second half.

Missouri: The Tigers are carrying momentum from this three-game winning streak into a two-game stretch against more challenging opponents, Xavier and Illinois. They’ll need to play how they did in the second half, rather than the first, to win both of those matchups.

TROUBLES WITH THE ZONE

Throughout the first half, Missouri had difficulty breaking Oral Roberts’ zone defense. The Tigers had a handful of possessions where they tossed the ball around the perimeter without being able to penetrate into the lane.

“We’ve just got to move the ball better,” Geist said. “We kind of just kept passing it back to each other, not doing much. The most we can do is try to get them out of it. The more shots you make, you’ve got to force them out of it.”

SANTOS DEBUTS

Missouri guard K.J. Santos appeared in his first game for the Tigers after transferring from Illinois-Chicago in 2017 and dealing with a foot injury. Santos went scoreless in 11 minutes of play. He picked up a rebound and turned the ball over twice.

“We wanted to try to play him,” Martin said. “Defensively, I think he’s ready to play, conditioning-wise. Offensively, I think he’s a step slow, and you can see that in practice. He hasn’t been able to shoot shots because of the foot.”

UP NEXT

Oral Roberts has a break before playing Richmond on the road Dec. 15.

Missouri returns to Mizzou Arena on Dec. 18 for a matchup against Xavier.

— Associated Press —

Miles hires Luke Meadows as KU’s offensive line coach

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas’ offensive staff is starting to take shape as head coach Les Miles announced the hiring of Luke Meadows to coach the offensive line. Meadows comes to KU with 21 years of collegiate coaching experience, including two seasons working hand-in-hand with Jayhawks offensive coordinator, Chip Lindsey.

“Luke is an outstanding coach at a position that is really instrumental to the success of our offense,” said Miles. “His familiarity with Chip and the style offense he wants to run is a huge asset to us as we look to implement the offense with our staff and players. We are excited to have Luke and his family joining us at Kansas.”

Lindsey and Meadows spent the 2014-15 seasons at Southern Miss and during their time in Hattiesburg the offense improved from 17.9 points per game to 39.9, the rushing offense jumped from 72.9 to 179.8 yards per game (leading the league in 2015), and the total offense improved from 315.5 to 509.5 yards per game. In 2015, USM became the second team in NCAA history to have a 4,000 yard passer, a 1,000 yard receiver, and two 1,000 yard rushers. In addition, USM had one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, leading all schools with plays of 20+ yards (109) and second in plays of 30+ yards (54).

“I am excited to reunite with Luke, who I worked with at Southern Miss, where we had a record-setting offense,” said Lindsey. “He is one of the best fundamental offensive line coaches I have been around. Another important thing about Luke, though, is the relationships he develops with his players. We share the same philosophy in that the relationships we build with our players at Kansas will be our number one priority.”

During his career, Meadows has coached one Academic All-American, five All-Americans, 25 all-conference, 21 academic all-conference, and two all-newcomer awards at the offensive line position. In addition, he has coached 16 players who have been drafted or signed as free agents in the NFL.

Meadows arrives in Lawrence after spending the 2017-18 seasons at Eastern Michigan where he served as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator. Meadows overhauled the Eastern Michigan offensive line in 2017 to rank second in the MAC and 28th nationally in the fewest sacks allowed. EMU’s offense ranked third in the MAC in passing offense at 257.3 yards per game. The line also gelled down the stretch in the rushing attack, as EMU racked up 815 yards on the ground over the final four games, which included four 100-yard rushers.

Under Meadows’ tutelage, Jimmy Leatiota earned Second Team All-MAC honors is also a candidate for the Outland Trophy.

Meadows was the assistant head coach and offensive line coach at 2016 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national champion Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas. The Broncbusters steamrolled through their 2016 schedule en route to an 11-0 record by outscoring the opposition by an average of 19 points per game. The program captured its first Jayhawk Conference title since 2001 and finished off the program’s first-ever perfect season with a 25-22 victory over Arizona Western College in the NJCAA Football Championship Game. Overall, the offense racked up 194.8 yards and 15.7 first downs per game on the ground.

Meadows joined the Broncbuster staff after serving two years as the offensive line coach, with Lindsey serving as offensive coordinator, at Southern Miss. He arrived after a 1-11 season and he and Lindsey combined to help the Golden Eagles make a major jump to 9-5 in 2015, while winning the Conference USA West Division title.

Prior to his time at Southern Miss, Meadows with a wealth of experience after spending two seasons (2012-13) at Florida Atlantic University, where he was elevated to offensive coordinator midway through the 2013 campaign.

Before joining the staff at FAU, Meadows worked at South Dakota State for 10 years, serving as an offensive line coach from 2002-05 before being promoted to assistant head coach/offensive coordinator (2006-11). He was the longest-tenured assistant on John Stiegelemeier’s SDSU coaching staff for 10 seasons, six as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator.

In that time, four players earned All-American honors, one academic honor, 19 selected all-conference and 16 received academic all-conference recognition, while two all-newcomers were awarded to his offensive linemen.

A Hot Springs, South Dakota, native, Meadows began his coaching career as an undergraduate student at SDSU. After earning a bachelor’s degree in 1999, he continued as a graduate assistant with the Jackrabbits during the 1999-00 seasons, coaching the running backs, including Jackrabbit career rushing leader and All-American Josh Ranek.

In 2005, Meadows coached an offensive line that helped pave the way for the leading rushing attack in the Great West Football Conference, averaging 227.4 yards per game. During Meadows’ time on staff, the Jackrabbits posted four of the top 10 single-season rushing totals in school history and five of the top 10 singlegame rushing performances. In addition, SDSU recorded four of the top-10 scoring averages in the program’s history, including 35.6 points per game in 2008. The 2008 squad also set an SDSU single-season record with 427 points in 12 games, scoring 40 or more points in a game six times.

With Meadows on the coaching staff, SDSU established 11 team single-game and single-season offensive records, including rolling up 689 yards of total offense in the 2005 Hobo Day victory over Missouri-Rolla. Jackrabbit players he coached also established 30 new individual school records during his tenure. Under Meadows’ guidance, Jackrabbit offensive linemen combined for seven First-Team All-Conference selections, 10 Second-Team selections, and a pair of All-Americans. Mitch Erickson, who ended his collegiate career in 2007 with his third straight First-Team All-Great West Football Conference selection, was nearly a consensus All-America pick within the Division I Football Championship Subdivision as a senior. Likewise, center Ryan McKnight earned multiple All-America honors during his senior season in 2010, including First-Team recognition from the Walter Camp Football Foundation.

Also during the 2010 season, the Jackrabbit offensive line ranked second in the Football Championship Subdivision, yielding only six sacks the entire campaign. Erickson signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos and later spent time with the Seattle Seahawks. Casey Knips and Casey Bender, both starters on the Jackrabbits’ 2009 FCS playoff team, received invitations to NFL camps in 2010 with the Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns, respectively.

After working as a graduate assistant for South Dakota State (1999-00), Meadows spent a season as offensive line coach at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.

— KU Athletics —

K-State’s Barnes, Risner named to AP All-Big 12 1st Team

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State junior running back Alex Barnes and senior right tackle Dalton Risner were each named First Team All-Big 12 performers the Associated Press announced Friday.

Risner was a first-teamer by the AP for a second-straight year and earned his third accolade from the organization overall, while Barnes was a first-time honoree by the Associated Press.

Barnes finished as the Big 12’s regular-season rushing champion at 112.9 yards per game to go along with 12 rushing touchdowns. A product of Pittsburg, Kansas, Barnes was even better in conference play as he averaged 125.2 yards per game with 11 scores.

The junior concluded the 2018 season with 1,355 yards to rank fourth in school history and seventh nationally at the end of the regular season. He hit the 100-yard rushing mark seven times to tie for third in school history. He also improved his career rushing total to 2,616 yards to rank fifth in K-State history, while his 12 career 100-yard games are tied for second.

Risner, who has been named an All-American by the Walter Camp Foundation (second team), Pro Football Focus (first team), Sports Illustrated (second team) and The Athletic (second team) this week, was one of the top offensive linemen in the country this year. One of three players named the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year by the league’s coaches, Risner led an offensive unit that finished third in the Big 12 by averaging 182.6 rushing yards per game, which included a 184.2-yard average in conference games to rank second.

Risner started all but one game for the Wildcats over the last four years, including the final three seasons at right tackle.

— KSU Athletics —

Kansas suspends RB Pooka Williams after alleged assault

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Standout Kansas running back Pooka Williams has been suspended from the team after his arrest on suspicion of domestic battery.

Williams photo University of Kansas Athletics

Williams, whose name is Anthony Ray Williams, was arrested Thursday at the university’s public safety office. No further details were immediately available.

New coach Les Miles said the department was taking the allegations “very seriously.” He said Williams has been suspended from all team activities pending further investigation. Associate Athletics Director Jim Marchiony said the school would have no additional comment.

Williams was a four-star prospect from Boutte, Louisiana, who became the star of the team during the season. He was the first running back in the school history to have back-to-back 100-yard games to start their career and won several awards for his play.

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