Sports – Page 876 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Western women lose sixth straight as they fall to Washburn

Posted on January 4, 2014January 4, 2014

The Missouri Western women’s basketball team played hard but were unable to get their first MIAA victory of the season falling to the Washburn Ichabods 67-49 in the first game of 2014. The Griffons have lost six straight and sit at 4-6 overall and 0-4 in MIAA play.

After a slow start the Griffon women were able to outscore the Ichabods 22-17 in the final 13:05 of the first half going into the locker room down 30-24. The Griffon bench scored 21 points with Tiffanie Abrams leading the way wth eight points making two long range shots.

The Griffons were outscored 18-6 in the paint but scored six points off five offensive rebounds. Lanicia Lawrence had four rebounds in the frame. Missouri Western struggled shooting the ball making just 29.6-percent (8-27) of their field goals and 3-of-12 from long range. The Griffons did make 5-of-6 free throw with Abrams and Friday Chuol going 2-for-2.

The Ichabods made 45.8-percent (11-24) of their field goals with Taylor Ignoto leading the way with 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting. Honor Duvall had nine points making 4-of-6 shots.

In the second half the Griffons cut the Ichabod lead to 41-35 after a Tiara Hall layup with 12:45 to play in the game. The rest of the half was a struggle for the Griffons scoring just 14 points to the Ichabods 26. Washburn improves to 7-4 overall and 3-2 in MIAA play.

The Griffons shot 29.8-percent (14-47) from the field and 22.2-percent (4-18) from long range. The Griffons did shot free throws pretty well making 17-of-26. Abrams finished with 11 points while Jalissa Lewis dumped in seven and had eight rebounds.

The Ichabods shot 43.8-percent (21-48) from the field and made 21-of-30 free throws. Three Ichabods scored in double figures with Ignoto leading the way with 15. duvall and Janelle Travis had 13 and 10 respectively.

The Griffons return to action on Monday, January 6th with a home game against the University of Nebraska-Kearney Lopers. Game time is set for 5:30 pm in the MWSU Fieldhouse.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Northwest women take down UCO for first MIAA victory

Posted on January 4, 2014January 4, 2014

Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball junior Annie Mathews recorded a double-double with 12 rebounds and 11 points to lead the Bearcats to a 78-72 victory over Central Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon at Bearcat Arena. The win moves Northwest to 4-7 overall and 1-3 in MIAA play. Central Oklahoma drops to 7-5 overall and 2-3 in conference action.

Mathews was one of five Bearcats to reach double-figures in a balanced offensive attack. Monique Stevens added 15, Tember Schechinger had 14, Ariel Easton had 12 and Ashleigh Nelson had 11. Stevens helped fuel the attack with a game-best eight assists.

Central Oklahoma was paced by Jill Bryan, who had a game-high 28 points in 33 minutes of action. She also had four steals. UCO was unable to get on track from beyond the arc, going just 4-for-28 from deep. Northwest’s defense held UCO to 38.1 percent shooing. Conversely, Northwest hit 28-of-47 shots to shoot 59.6 percent for the game.

The Bearcats will host Northeastern State on Monday, Jan. 6, at 5:30 p.m. at Bearcat Arena.

— Northwest Sports Information —

Foster helps Kansas State upset No. 6 Oklahoma State

Posted on January 4, 2014January 4, 2014

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Thomas Gipson likened the game to a ”bar fight,” the sort of description that is certain to make the senior-level folks in the Kansas State athletic department shake their head in exasperation.

Of course, Wildcats coach Bruce Weber used the exact same term to describe a 74-71 victory over No. 6 Oklahoma State on Saturday – the kind of rough-and-tumble affair both teams were expecting as they opened Big 12 play harboring championship aspirations.

”What else can you say?” Weber said. ”They’re a potential Final Four team. I don’t think there’s any doubt. And we were able to compete with them and find a way to win.”

Marcus Foster had 17 points for the Wildcats (11-3), and Nino Williams scored 15, none bigger than the two free throws he made with 5.7 seconds left to give Kansas State a three-point lead.

The Cowboys’ Marcus Smart raced up court and threw up a running 3-point try as the final buzzer sounded, but it clanked harmlessly off the rim. By the time it fell to the court, Kansas State was well into celebrating its ninth consecutive victory.

”We felt like that was one of the toughest games we’ve played so far,” said Gipson, who added 10 points and 11 rebounds. ”For us to be young and come out and get a huge win against the No. 6 team in the nation, that feels real good.”

Le’Bryan Nash scored 20 points, Markel Brown finished with 16 and Smart added 15 for the Cowboys (12-2, 0-1), who were plagued by foul trouble after already missing two of their key players.

Michael Cobbins, their best big man, sustained a season-ending Achilles injury on Monday, and freshman guard Stevie Clark – their second-leading scorer off the bench – did not play after he was arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession on Wednesday.

”This was going to be an adjustment game,” Cowboys coach Travis Ford said. ”It’s been a tough week. We lost a major part of our team. We have to adjust.”

The Wildcats, who’ve made a habit of pummeling opponents during their win streak, tried to wear down the short-handed Cowboys in the first half. They pawed and pressed and got physical with Smart and Nash as much as possible, and both of them were clearly frustrated.

Both of them also picked up two fouls late in the first half.

Kansas State was unable to take advantage of the brief stretch in which both sat on the bench, though. Foster scored in the waning seconds of the half to put the Wildcats in front, but the Cowboys raced up court and Brown managed to curl in a layup at the buzzer for a 38-37 lead.

The senior dished a bit of attitude at the Kansas State student section as he left the floor.

Oklahoma State tried to extend the lead early in the second half, and Smart’s dunk and foul with about 13 1/2 minutes left provided a cushion. But Smart decided to do a chin-up on the rim and slap the backboard after his slam, and he was hit with a technical – his fourth foul of the game.

While he took a seat, the Wildcats started to gather momentum.

Shane Southwell hit a 3 from in front of his own bench to knot the game 52-all with just over 9 minutes left, his first points of the game. A few minutes later, Nash picked up his fourth foul, and Cowboys coach Travis Ford put Smart back in the game.

”It’s always hard to sit for that long and come in and try to get into a rhythm,” Smart said.

The Wildcats went right at him, and Smart wisely backed down on a couple of occasions to avoid picking up his fifth foul. That allowed the Wildcats to surge ahead, taking a 65-60 lead when Foster slashed through the lane and curled in a layup with 3 1/2 minutes remaining.

That matched the biggest lead of the game, and the gritty Wildcats managed to hit just enough free throws – and make just enough stops – to hold on at the end.

”They just outplayed us,” Nash said. ”They played hard every time. They don’t care what the situation is, they just play. That’s what we need to do. We played tentative and we need to play hard every game. That’s what I’m going to do from now on. Play 100 percent and give 100 percent to this team because that’s what they need.”

— Associated Press —

Tigers rally past Oklahoma State to win Cotton Bowl

Posted on January 3, 2014January 3, 2014

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Henry Josey ran for 92 yards and three touchdowns, the last a 16-yarder with 3:08 left, and No. 9 Missouri beat No. 13 Oklahoma State 41-31 in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night.

The former Big 12 and Big Eight rivals traded points on six consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter, until Oklahoma State quarterback Clint Chelf was sacked and fumbled with a minute left. Defensive lineman Shane Ray picked up the ball and rumbled 76 yards down the sideline in front of the stunned Cowboys bench to score.

SEC East champion Missouri (12-2) matched its school record for victories, giving the SEC its 10th win in the last 11 Cotton Bowls — all against the Big 12.

Josey’s go-ahead TD came a play after James Franklin’s 27-yard pass to Dorial Green-Beckham on third-and-9. Franklin, the Missouri quarterback plagued by injuries the last two seasons, had two fumbles earlier in the second half when Oklahoma State (10-3) overcame a 10-point deficit to tie it in just over 3 1/2 minutes.

Ray had been dragged into the end zone by Desmond Roland when the Oklahoma State running back bulled through the line for a 2-yard TD run with 5 minutes left to give the Cowboys their only lead of the night. Ray hit Roland immediately at the line, but couldn’t keep him from scoring.

Franklin was only 15 of 40 passing for 174 yards with an interception in the first half.

Chelf threw for 381 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions, completing 33 of 57 passes. He also ran 10 times for 48 yards, including a 23-yard run on third-and-10 only a few plays before All-SEC defensive end Michael Sam sacked Chelf and knocked the ball loose.

That gave Sam 11 1/2 sacks, the most in the SEC and matching a school record.

— Associated Press —

Mizzou women open SEC schedule with road win at Ole Miss

Posted on January 2, 2014

Oxford, Miss. -Missouri Women’s Basketball earned its first SEC victory of the season with Thursday’s 85-76 win at Ole Miss. The Tigers improve to 12-2 overall and 1-0 SEC on the season. Four Tigers finished in double figures including two 20+ point performances from both Morgan Stock and Bri Kulas. Both Stock and Morgan Eye finished with five treys on the night, helping the Tigers to a season best 62.5 three-point shooting percentage on the night.

After a quick Rebel lead, the Tigers battled through the first half to remain in control of the game. Mizzou held on to the lead and headed into the halftime break with a 34-30 advantage. The Tiger defense held the Rebels to just 26.3-percent shooting in the first half. The Tiger scoring was spread around, as is the norm for the unselfish team. Mizzou assisted on 7 of 10 first half field goals, and five Tigers found the basket in the half. The Tigers went 7-of-9 from distance in the first half, and Eye’s 14 first-half points led the Tigers. Kulas finished the half with eight points and four rebounds total.

The Rebels came out strong after the break, and the two teams traded baskets for the lead throughout the first few minutes of play. Tied up at 44 with just over 16 minutes to play, Mizzou knocked down two treys in a row to take back the lead. Mizzou made eight threes in the second half, continuing its first-half success. The Tigers battled throughout the half, also taking advantage of opportunities from the charity stripe. Mizzou made 7-of-8 from the line in both halves, finishing over their team goal at 87.5-percent on the night.

The Tigers return to Columbia, Mo. on Sunday to host Arkansas in the SEC home opener at 2 p.m.

— MU Sports Information —

Missouri State defeats Illinois State in OT, 78-70

Posted on January 2, 2014January 2, 2014

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Jarmar Gulley scored 22 points and Missouri State outscored Illinois State 12-4 in overtime to complete its comeback victory 78-70 on Thursday.

Reggie Lynch made the second basket of overtime but Illinois State only added two Daishon Knight free throws the rest of the way. Knight led Illinois State (7-6, 0-1 Missouri Valley) with 15.

Missouri State trailed 61-54 in regulation before Gulley scored the next ten Missouri State points, during a 10-4 run, to make it 65-64 with 1:44 remaining. Lynch made 1 of 2 free throws with 21 seconds left to send the game into overtime.

Missouri State was behind by as many as 16 points in the first half but opened up the second half on a 9-5 run to cut its deficit to 46-40 with 15:43 to go.

Marcus Marshall had 14 points for Missouri State (11-2, 1-0) and Christian Kirk added 13.

— Associated Press —

K-State women get blown out by No. 9 Baylor

Posted on January 2, 2014

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Odyssey Sims scored 40 points, Sune Agbuke had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and No. 9 Baylor beat Kansas State 92-63 on Thursday night.

Sims shot 12 for 19 from the field and 12 for 16 on free throws as the Lady Bears (11-1, 1-0 Big 12) won their 50th straight league game.

Ashia Woods scored a career-high 27 points to lead Kansas State (6-6, 0-1), and Leticia Romero added 20 points and five rebounds.

Sims, who came in averaging just over 30 points per game, scored 15 in the first half points on 5-for-7 shooting.

Two free throws from Woods cut the Bears’ lead to 15-10 with 13:13 left in the first half and that was as close as the Wildcats got the rest of the way.

Baylor began the day second in the nation in scoring at 99.2 points per game, trailing only Oregon’s 105.3.

Woods and Romero kept the Wildcats within breathing distance in the first half, scoring nine points apiece.

Sims was even stronger in the second half. The senior stymied the Wildcats with 25 second-half points including a final 3-pointer to stretch the lead to 30 points with 1:52 left in the game.

Sims finished seven points short of her career high, set earlier this season against Kentucky.

Baylor beat Kansas State for the 17th straight time since the Wildcats’ last win in the series on Jan. 27, 2004.

— Associated Press —

Kansas women lose Big 12 opener at home to West Virginia

Posted on January 2, 2014January 2, 2014

LAWRENCE, Kan. – West Virginia used a second half scoring streak to push its winning streak to eleven straight as the Mountaineers topped Kansas, 65-55, in the Big 12 opener for both teams at Allen Fieldhouse Thursday night.

The Mountaineers (12-1, 1-0 Big 12) turned their biggest deficit into their biggest lead with a 16-0 run starting near the midpoint of the second half and limited the Jayhawks (7-6, 0-1 Big 12) to just three field goals over the final 11:45 of the game to secure the win.

KU’s Natalie Knight scored a game-high 15 points, one of three Jayhawks in double figures, and helped Kansas to a 46-41 lead in the second half, but an 8:16 scoring drought saw West Virginia take control and eventually claim the victory. Asia Boyd chipped in 12 and Chelsea Gardner had 10 for Kansas.

Christal Caldwell led the Mountaineers with 14 points and was joined in double figures by Asya Bussie (13) and Taylor Palmer (11). West Virginia didn’t shoot particularly well, hitting just 34.9 percent (22-of-63) shots from the field, but the Mountaineers out-rebounded KU, 47-28, including 23 offensive rebounds.

“They had 23 offensive rebounds and we had seven,” Kansas head coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “That was the difference in the game – the extra possessions.”

Kansas trailed by double digits early at 13-3, but Knight poured in five of the first six points and an offense that looked to run in transition cut the lead to 13-12, then a Knight three tied the game at 15-15 with 11:35 to play before half.

No matter how hard the Jayhawks pushed, however, West Virginia seemed to push the lead back out. KU forward Jada Brown tied the game at 19-19, but WVU’s Brooke Hampton hit a three to provide some distance.

Kansas drew close in the final minute of the half as Boyd connected on a long jumper to make it 27-26, before half, then Dakota Gonzalez finally tipped the scale in KU’s favor by intercepting an inbounds pass with five ticks before the break and laid it in to give the Jayhawks a 28-27 lead going into the locker rooms.

The point total was the third-fewest points in a half for Kansas as the season hits its middle third, but held West Virginia to its lowest first half point total of the season.

Kansas pushed the lead to as many as five points in the second half. Boyd hit a contested lay-up and added a free throw to complete the three-point play to give Kansas a 46-41 edge with 11:45 to go.

WVU scored four straight and nearly flipped the script on Boyd, who fouled Linda Stepney on a made lay-up, but a missed bonus kept KU on top 46-45. That would be KU’s final lead, however.

Caldwell drained a jumper to give WVU a 47-46 advantage at 9:04 that prompted a timeout from the Kansas head coach. The Mountaineers then turned their turned KU’s largest lead into its largest deficit.

Kansas went scoreless for more than eight minutes as the Mountaineers rolled up 16 total unanswered points and to a 57-46 advantage.

Jayhawk guard Keyla Morgan hit a three with 3:30 to end the drought and cut the deficit to eight, then hit another three with 1:15 to play but couldn’t draw KU any closer than 60-52. Cece Harper added a three in the final seconds for KU’s third bucket in the last 11 minutes of the game and West Virginia prevailed by 10.

— KU Sports Information —

Widow of Charlie Spoonhour Starts Scholarship Fund

Posted on January 2, 2014

AP) – The widow of former men’s basketball coach Charlie Spoonhour has established a scholarship fund in his honor at Missouri State University.

Spoonhour was head coach at the school in Springfield from 1983 to 1992 before moving to Saint Louis University and the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. He died in February 2012.

His widow, Vicki Spoonhour, said she created the fund for the university’s men’s program because the school gave her husband his first Division I coaching job and the couple made many friends in Springfield. The Springfield News-Leader reports she declined to say how much she donated.

Spoonhour compiled a 197-81 record at Missouri State, which was then known as Southwest Missouri State, while leading the Bears to five NCAA Tournament appearances.

Nebraska holds off Georgia to win Gator Bowl

Posted on January 1, 2014January 1, 2014

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Facing third-and-14 at the 1, Nebraska had a choice: Sneak the ball in hopes of getting a little extra room to punt or take a shot deep.

The Cornhuskers chose to throw – and boy did they wing it.

Tommy Armstrong Jr. connected with Quincy Enunwa for a 99-yard touchdown strike- the longest play in school history – and Nebraska held on to beat No. 23 Georgia 24-19 in the rain-soaked Gator Bowl on Wednesday.

”I know one thing: There will never be a longer play in the history of college football than that one,” Cornhuskers coach Bo Pelini said. ”That was a big play for us.”

Equally big were Georgia’s failures down the stretch. The Bulldogs (8-5) dropped two fourth-down passes in the closing minutes, helping Nebraska (9-4) close out its first bowl victory since 2009.

Nebraska, playing in its 50th bowl, also ended a four-game losing streak against teams from the Southeastern Conference. The streak included a 45-31 loss to Georgia in the Capital One Bowl last season.

The rematch was much different.

Nebraska did a solid job against running back Todd Gurley, who ran for 125 yards and a touchdown last year. Gurley finished with 86 yards on the ground.

Gurley was more effective in the passing game, catching seven passes for 97 yards. His 25-yard scoring reception to open the fourth quarter cut Nebraska’s lead to 24-19.

The Bulldogs had two really good chances to take the lead, but Rantavious Wooten and Arthur Lynch dropped fourth-down passes in the red zone.

”I think I turned my head at the last second and was thinking end zone,” Lynch said. ”It’s one of those situations. It’s not so much I dropped the pass. It’s that I let my team down. At the end of the day, it’s one of those things that you can never forget, brush off your shoulders.

”It’s a win or a loss, and we lost. But I will never able to forget this one. If I run that play 49 more times, I make the catch.”

The drops capped Georgia’s woes. The Bulldogs moved inside the 21 seven times, but settled for four field goals.

The final two were costly.

Wooten dropped a fourth-and-2 pass around the 10 with 4:42 remaining. Georgia got the ball back with 3:18 to play and marched toward the end zone. But Lynch couldn’t haul in a fourth-and-3 pass that would have moved the chains with about 25 seconds remaining.

”That (stinks),” Gurley said. ”To go all the way down there like that and on fourth down you just give it to them, that’s a bad feeling right there.”

Nebraska ran out the clock from there and then celebrated wildly all over the field.

Enunwa was named the game’s Most Valuable Player – and for good reason.

He recorded the longest play in Nebraska and Gator Bowl history.

After a timeout to discuss options on third and long, Armstrong dropped back and heaved the ball as far as he could to Enunwa, who was streaking wide open down the left sideline. Georgia cornerback Shaq Wiggins let Enunwa go, but got no safety help. Quincy Mauger had a chance to tackle Enunwa, but bounced off him just past midfield.

Enunwa coasted the rest of the way.

”It was kind of just one of those calls where you don’t have too many options out there, stuck on your own 1-yard line,” Enunwa said. ”Luckily our coaches trust in us as playmakers.”

Enunwa finished with four receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a 5-yard TD reception in the second quarter. The second was his 12th scoring catch of the season, breaking the school record of 11 set by Johnny Rodgers in 1971.

Armstrong, filling in for injured starter Taylor Martinez, completed 6 of 14 passes for 163 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception.

Ameer Abdullah ran 27 times for 122 yards and a score. It was his 11th 100-yard game of the season.

Turnovers – along with those dropped passes – were the difference.

Reggie Davis muffed a punt deep in Georgia territory in the second quarter and Nebraska scored two plays later. The Huskers also turned Hutson Mason’s lone interception into a touchdown.

Mason, making his second straight start in place of injured starter Aaron Murray, completed 21 of 39 passes for 320 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.

”I don’t think anybody wants to go out there and slosh around,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. ”But I thought Hutson, as time went on and got used to the elements, did a really good job.”

— Associated Press —