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Vick again leads No. 2 Kansas in 89-76 win over Louisiana

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LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lagerald Vick had declared for the NBA draft and Kansas had moved on without him, recruiting a trio of backcourt players to take his place and planning for the upcoming season.

Then Vick changed his mind and returned for his senior year.

Good thing for the Jayhawks.

Vick hit seven 3-pointers and had a career-high 33 points Friday night, following up his 32-point outburst against Vermont earlier in the week, and second-ranked Kansas needed just about every bit of his hot shooting to finally turn away Louisiana-Lafayette in an 89-76 victory.

“I guess they’re glad he stayed,” Ragin’ Cajuns coach Bob Marlin said.

Vick also had nine rebounds for the Jayhawks (3-0), while big men Dedric Lawson and Udoka Azubuike came alive down the stretch. Lawson had 19 points in a strong bounce-back from his scoreless dud against the Catamounts, and Azubuike finished with 17 points, eight boards and four blocks.

“We’re just going to keep feeding the hot hand until it runs out,” said Lawson, who made a shot from his backside early in the game. “(Vick) and Udoka, they’ve both been playing well.”

Justin Miller scored all 22 of his points in the first half to lead four players in double figures for Louisiana-Lafayette (1-2), which has only beaten one top-five team in school history. JaKeenan Gant added 18 points, Malik Marquetti scored 14 and Cedric Russell finished with 10.

“They said it happened five times — I’m not sure if it was five but it felt like 10 — where we had transition numbers and missed it and they shot a 3 at the other end and made it,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “If it happened five times, that’s a 25-point difference in a span of 10 seconds of what it might have been. We have to eliminate that.”

Indeed, Miller and the Ragin’ Cajuns had the Jayhawks on the ropes most of the way.

Taking advantage of Kansas’ slow start, Louisiana-Lafayette ripped off an early 15-2 run that was capped by a five-point trip down the floor. Gant knocked down a 3-pointer, Self lit into an official to earn a technical foul, and Marcus Stroman hit both the free throws to give the reigning regular-season Sun Belt champs a 32-20 lead with about 10 minutes left in the first half.

The Jayhawks finally woke up with a 10-0 run of their own. Then, after Miller hit his fourth 3 of the half, Kansas went on another brief run to take a 44-41 lead into the break.

It was a two-man show at that point: Miller had scored all his points while Vick had 18.

Miller cooled down in the second half but the Ragin’ Cajuns refused to go away, even when foul trouble set in. The Jayhawks were clinging to a 65-64 lead with 8:40 to go when they started to pound the ball inside, taking advantage of their size for the first time all game.

Lawson and Azubuike combined to score 16 straight before Vick, who was 8 for 8 from beyond the arc against the Catamounts, poured in his final 3-pointer to give himself a new career high.

“Just having a whole lot of energy,” Vick said. “My teammates are finding me for open shots and really just going out there and having fun. Just leaving it all out there.”

PROFESSIONAL FANS

Kansas City Chiefs linebackers Anthony Hitchens, Reggie Ragland and Ben Niemann were in the crowd ahead of their showdown with the Rams on Monday night in Los Angeles. Sporting Kansas City captain Matt Besler also was in attendance before heading to Portland for the MLS Western Conference finals Sunday.

LES-LESS PHOG

There was a buzz all afternoon that Kansas was close to hiring Les Miles to replace fired football coach David Beaty, but no announcement came and the former Oklahoma State and LSU coach was not at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks visit Oklahoma in their penultimate game of the season Saturday.

BIG PICTURE

Louisiana-Lafayette: After back-to-back games against top-10 teams, the Ragin’ Cajuns should be favored in most of their games the rest of the way. The Cayman Islands Classic is up next.

Kansas: There was plenty of laboring in back-to-back home wins over mid-majors. Perhaps a trip to New York for the NIT Season Tip-Off will help the Jayhawks find the intensity they had when they nearly led wire-to-wire in beating Michigan State to open the season.

UP NEXT

Louisiana-Lafayette plays Colorado State on Monday in Estero, Florida.

Kansas plays No. 24 Marquette on Wednesday night in New York.

— Associated Press —

Kansas State has no trouble with Eastern Kentucky 95-68

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ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) — Xavier Sneed scored 16 points to lead five Kansas State players in double figures, and the No. 12 Wildcats beat Eastern Kentucky 95-68 on Friday night in the Paradise Jam tournament.

Dean Wade and Cartier Diarra added 14 points each, and Kamau Stokes and Barry Brown Jr. had 10 points apiece for the Wildcats (3-0), who advance to Sunday’s semifinals at the University of the Virgin Islands’ Sports and Fitness Center.

Dujuanta Weaver scored 12 points and Nick Mayo added 11 points for the Colonels (2-2), whose only lead came when Kelvin Robinson’s jumper 19 seconds in made it 2-0.

But Kansas State went on a 13-5 run over the next six minutes before taking a 37-28 lead into halftime.

The Wildcats led by as many as 31 points late in the half when James Love’s hook shot made it 93-62.

— Associated Press —

No. 16 Missouri women upset by Green Bay

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball suffered its first loss of the season Friday to Green Bay, 56-49 at Mizzou Arena. Junior guard Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) led the way for Mizzou by recording her fourth career double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Smith shot 8-for-10 from the free throw line in the game and blocked two shots.

TURNING POINT

Mizzou led in the game for a majority of the first half thanks to 15 first-half points from Smith, but the pesky Green Bay team was able to take the lead by the end of the third quarter after edging the Tigers, 14-12, in the third period. The Phoenix were able to hold Mizzou to 3-for-11 shooting from the field in the period, while Green Bay shot 42.9 percent (6-for-14).

TOP TIGERS

  • Smith scored the team’s first nine points, draining two jump shots and three free throws in the first four minutes of the game. Smith finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds to record her second double-double of the season and fourth of her career.
  • Smith was successful on 8-for-10 trips to the free throw line in the game, and record two blocks, giving her nine total on the season.
  • Smith scored a season-high 23 points, coming just short of surpassing her career high of 27 points against LSU on Jan. 4, 2018. Smith also brought in 10 rebounds.
  • Senior guard Lauren Aldridge (Marshfield, Mo.) scored 7 points and dished out a season-high four assists.

NOTES

  • Smith recorded two blocks in the game, giving her nine on the season after recording just 33 blocks in her first two seasons as a Tiger. Smith had eight blocks in 2016-17 as a freshman and 25 in 2017-18 as a sophomore.
  • Mizzou pulled down 15 offensive rebounds in the game, the most since recording 15 against LSU on Jan. 4, 2018. The Tigers outrebounded Green Bay, 40-33 in the game, the second time in three games this season Mizzou has outrebounded its opponent.

UP NEXT

Mizzou will continue its three-game home stand Monday Nov. 19 at Mizzou Arena, as the Tigers host SIU Edwardsville. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Tickets on sale for Agent Barry Live United Bowl

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ST. JOSEPH – Tickets are on sale now for the 2018 Agent Barry Live United Bowl on Dec. 1 in Texarkana, Arkansas. Griffon Football will take on Southern Arkansas in the Griffons’ first postseason appearance since 2012.

TICKET INFORMATION

  • All tickets are general admission
  • Adult tickets are $10 and can be purchased on the Live United Bowl website
  • A limited number of tickets will also be available for purchase in person at the Missouri Western ticket office inside the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex. Those tickets will be available with cash or check only during regular business hours between Nov. 26 and Nov. 28
  • Student Tickets are $4 with valid student ID. Student tickets must be purchased either at the Missouri Western box office or at the gate the day of the game. Missouri Western students wishing to receive a free ticket must pick them up in person, limit one per student, at the front desk of the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex between Nov. 26 and Nov. 28.
  • Children 5-and-under are free

GAME INFORMATION

  • Saturday, Dec. 1 at noon
  • Razorback Stadium – Texarkana, Arkansas
  • vs Southern Arkansas (8-3)

PRE-GAME EVENTS

  • Jeans, Boots & BBQ Banquet on Friday, Nov. 30 from 6 p.m. until 7:45 p.m. at the Texarkana Texas Convention Center. A limited number of $25 tickets is available to order online.
  • Community Pep Rally on Friday, Nov. 30 following the banquet at the convention center
  • An area designated for Missouri Western tailgating will be announced at a later date

ABOUT THE BOWL GAME

  • In its sixth year, the Agent Barry Live United Bowl is played between two of the top teams at the NCAA Division II level.
  • The game features the highest place finisher in the Great American Conference that does not qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs against an at-large opponent chosen from either the Lone Stat Conference or the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
  • Missouri Western is the fourth MIAA representative to play in the bowl game. The previous three MIAA opponents all won.
  • Southern Arkansas is the first school to play in the bowl game twice, losing 24-17 to Texas A&M Kingsville in 2016.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest women defeat College of Saint Mary’s for Austin Meyer’s first win

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The Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team defeated the College of Saint Mary’s Flames 61-45 in the Bearcats home opener and first home game under new head coach Austin Meyer. This was the first time the Bearcats held an opponent under 50 since January 2016.

Kendey Eaton led the Bearcats with 17 points and went 3-4 from three. Kaylani Maiava added 11 and Jaelyn Haggard scored 10 and led the team in assists with 4. Mallory McConkey had a team high 8 rebounds and added 6 points.

The Flames were led in points by Lynsey Curran with 11. Trista Merrival led Saint Mary’s in rebounds with 9 and assists with 3.

The Bearcats move to 1-2 overall and will play again Saturday Nov. 17 at Maryville University in St. Louis at 1 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

Palmer’s 29 points lead Nebraska past Seton Hall 80-57

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LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — James Palmer overcame a cold start to score 29 points, Isaac Copeland Jr. had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Nebraska beat Seton Hall 80-57 on Wednesday night.

The Cornhuskers (3-0) ended a seven-game losing streak against opponents from the Big East with their dominant performance in the Gavitt Tipoff Games.

The Pirates (1-1) made just 2 of 16 3-pointers and had just three assists against 14 turnovers.

Nebraska came out sharp in the second half and built its 33-27 halftime lead to 10 points on Copeland’s tip-in. Michael Nzei scored a quick six points to cut the lead in half, and the Pirates pulled as close as 44-42 after Nebraska was assessed a bench technical for its reaction to Isaiah Roby being called for his fourth foul.

The tech seemed to inspire the Huskers. Palmer opened a 9-2 spurt with a 3-pointer, and Thomas Allen finished it with a deep shot to make it 53-44. The lead went over 20 points when Roby threw down a lob from Glynn Watson Jr. for a dunk in the final 2 minutes.

Seton Hall’s Myles Powell, who tied his career high with 30 points against Wagner on Nov. 6, led the Pirates with 24 points.

Palmer, the Husker’s All-Big Ten guard a year ago, started 0 for 8 from the field. His first make came after Seton Hall pulled to 22-20. He hit a 3 from the top of the key, then released his frustration by pumping his right fist like he was spiking a football. A couple minutes later a trailing Palmer tipped in Nana Akenten’s miss on the fast break for his third straight basket and a 31-22 lead.

Powell was held scoreless over a 10-minute stretch in the first half, but he still was able to score 15 points before the break to keep the Huskers from pulling away early.

Watson added 14 points and eight assists for Nebraska. Nzei finished with 13 points and nine rebounds for Seton Hall.

BIG PICTURE

Seton Hall: The Pirates lost a senior class that combined for more than 5,000 points and three NCAA Tournament appearances. They are finding their way, and they’ll do it against an extremely challenging nonconference schedule.

Nebraska: The Huskers needed a more strenuous test, and got it, after beating Mississippi Valley State by 69 points and Southeastern Louisiana by 52.

UP NEXT

Seton Hall hosts Saint Louis on Saturday night.

Nebraska plays Missouri State on Monday night in the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Missouri.

— Associated Press —

Mizzou men’s basketball signs McKinney, Jackson to 2019 Class

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men’s Basketball signed a pair of future student-athletes to its 2019 recruiting class, head coach Cuonzo Martin announced Wednesday. Versatile forward Tray Jackson (Detroit, Mich.) and explosive guard Mario McKinney inked National Letters of Intent to attend and play at Mizzou.

Jackson is a 6-foot-8 four-star power forward ranked No. 56 in ESPN’s 2019 Top 100. The Detroit native averaged 13.3 points and 5.0 rebounds for the Meanstreets on the Nike EYBL circuit. He shot 38.7 percent from beyond the arc and poured in 218 points in 16 games. At the 2018 Peach Jam, Jackson chipped in 12.2 points per game over five contests and shot 73.1 percent from the free throw line.

“Tray has the potential to be an immediate impact player in the SEC,” Martin said. “He fits that positionless mold, with the ability to shoot, score at the rim and defend at a high level. The Detroit-to-Mizzou connection has a storied tradition here in Columbia and we’re excited for Tray to join the program and continue that legacy.”

Jackson was an Associated Press Michigan Class A all-state Honorable Mention after his senior campaign at Detroit Western International. He was the catalyst in Detroit Western’s upset win over Detroit East English in the 2018 state tournament opener, scoring 27 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Jackson opted to reclassify to the 2019 class and spend a prep school season this year at Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, Kan.

McKinney was tabbed the No. 1 player in the state of Missouri’s class of 2019 by both ESPN and 247Sports. A four-star recruit ranked No. 19 nationally at the point guard position and No. 125 overall, McKinney was a 2018 Class 4 all-state honoree and the Public High League’s player of the year.

“Mario is an incredible athlete, he’s tough, quick and his ability to attack the rim will help our program immensely,” Martin said. “I know he’s excited to represent his home state and his family legacy at Mizzou, and that’s important to our program. We’re looking forward to him joining the Mizzou Basketball Family next season.”

McKinney helped lead Vashon High School to back-to-back Missouri Class 4 state championships in 2016 and 2017. As a junior, he averaged 17 points, six rebounds and four assists on his way to second-team St. Louis All-Metro recognition.

McKinney is the cousin of former Mizzou guard Jimmy McKinney, who shined for the Tigers and scored 1,146 career points from 2002-06. Mario chose Mizzou over Louisville, Kansas State, Auburn, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and VCU.

— Northwest Athletics —

Bearcat women’s basketball signs two for 2019 recruiting class

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MARYVILLE, Missouri – Northwest Missouri State head women’s basketball coach Austin Meyer has added a pair of high school signees for his 2019 recruiting class.

Jayna Green is a 6’1” power forward from Omaha, Nebraska. Green averaged 8.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game as a junior at Millard North High School for head coach David Diehl. Green set her school record with 20 rebounds in a game. She helped Millard North to a 23-3 season and the school’s first trip to the state tournament in five years. Green ranks in the top-10 in school history in total rebounds (394), offensive rebounds (123), defensive rebounds (271), assists (126) and blocks (61). She earned all-metro conference honors in 2018. Green is an honor roll student. She holds a 3.9 GPA and plans to major in pre-med/biology at Northwest. She is the daughter of Robert and Casey Green.

“Jayna is a versatile and athletic forward that rebounds the ball extremely well,” Meyer said. “She can score inside and out. She can also defend numerous positions.”

Paityn Rau is a 6’2” power forward/center from Waukee, Iowa. Rau averaged 11.1 points per game and shot 57.7 percent from the field for Waukee High School and head coach Chris Guess. Rau averaged 8.1 rebounds per game. She earned all-CIML central division honors as a junior. Rau is a three-time all-academic award recipient. She is a three-time academic letterwinner. Rau is a member of National Honor Society. She is the daughter of Jeff and Cherie Rau.

“Paityn is very efficient in the low post and can also step and shoot the three,” Meyer said. “She rebounds the ball well and will provide length defensively on our front line.”

Meyer said both players are great additions to the Northwest women’s basketball program.

“We are excited to welcome Jayna and Paityn to our Bearcat basketball family,” Meyer said. “Both are high character individuals that play for terrific high school coaches and programs. Millard North and Waukee will be in the hunt for state titles in the largest class in their respective states this season.”

Northwest Missouri State Women’s Basketball Signees

Jayna Green 6’1” PF Omaha, Nebraska/Millard North HS

Paityn Rau 6’2” PF/C Waukee, Iowa/Waukee HS

— Northwest Athletics —

KU men’s basketball inks two in early signing period

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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Combo guards Issac “Mackey” McBride and Christian Braun have each signed a National Letter of Intent to play men’s basketball at the University of Kansas, KU head coach Bill Self announced Wednesday, the first day of the signing period.

A 6-foot-1, 180-pound guard from Little Rock, Arkansas, McBride has rewritten the record book at Baptist Preparatory School. In guiding Baptist Prep to three straight state championships, McBride set the school’s single-season scoring record with 707 points his sophomore year in 2016-17. As a junior, he broke his own mark by scoring 883 points in 2017-18, which included a school-record 46-point game. In that, McBride averaged 24.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game in 2017-18.

“Issac, who we all call Mackey, can play point but he’s a combo guard who can score,” Self said. “When you watch him, you are so impressed with his range, quickness and explosiveness and his ability to elevate on his shot. We see him as a guy that can come in and obviously give us depth on perimeter shooting. He is a guy that can just score the ball. We haven’t had too many here like that, a natural scorer. He’s a combo guard that can jump up and make a shot wherever he is on the court.”

McBride is a two-time all-state selection and was the most valuable player of the last two state tournaments his sophomore and junior seasons. A four-star recruit who is ranked 109 by Rivals.com, McBride is the highest ranked player in the state of Arkansas. He plays AAU basketball for the Arkansas Hawks.

“We saw him play in Las Vegas this summer with his AAU team. It was the first time we had ever seen him play,” Self said. “He played against a team with two top-five players in their respective class and he dominated the game. We watched him a few more times at that event and offered him right after that event, after seeing him play about five times.”

Originally from Burlington, Kansas, Braun (6-foot-6, 180 pounds) moved to Overland Park, Kansas, his freshman year high school and has won back-to-back 6A state championships his sophomore and junior seasons at Blue Valley Northwest High School. A four-star prospect who is ranked No. 112 by Rivals.com, last year Braun averaged 14.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists as a junior at Blue Valley Northwest. Braun plays for MoKan on the AAU circuit.

“Christian is a player that we have followed watching him play through his AAU team, MoKan, but also through his highly successful career at Blue Valley Northwest,” Self said. “We have been aware of him for a long time but this summer is when he really intrigued us. He’s a player that has great size and great range. He’s an athlete that can make plays above the rim and with his versatility, we feel like he’s a perfect fit for what we are trying to do.”

Braun comes from a basketball family. His father, Donald, was a walk-on at Kansas and his mother, Lisa, was a three-time All-Big Eight Conference honoree at Missouri where she played from 1987-91. His uncle, Mike Sandbothe, was a standout at Missouri from 1986-89, as was his aunt Lori from 1988-90. Additionally, his older brother, Parker, is a currently a freshman forward at MU.

“Christian comes from an athletic family,” Self said. “His father was a walk-on player here. His mother was a terrific player at Missouri and his uncle Mike Sandbothe is a guy all KU fans remember from back in the late 1980s. We’re excited to have him here and certainly he’ll be a guy that will make us better in multiple ways due to his versatility.”

“It will certainly be a transition for both of these guys stepping into the college game, but we anticipate them both to be guys that can contribute immediately,” Self added.

Kansas Men’s Basketball Signees (11.14.18)
Christian Braun – G, 6-6, 180, Burlington, Kan. (Blue Valley Northwest HS)
Issac McBride – G, 6-1, 180, Little Rock, Ark. (Baptist Preparatory School)

— KU Athletics —

Missouri women’s basketball signs two top-30 recruits

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball head coach Robin Pingeton announced the signings of two talented Missouri prep athletes Wednesday, as Aijha Blackwell and Hayley Frank each signed national letters of intent and will continue their athletic and academic careers at the University of Missouri. The class is ranked 11th overall in the nation by espnW, as both signees are five-star recruits and top-30 prospects in espnW’s 2019 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings.

“Words can’t describe how excited we are about this recruiting class,” said Pingeton. “They are elite level players and high character individuals who will help us continue to elevate our program. The fact that they are from the state of Missouri makes it even that much more special.”

Blackwell, from Whitfield School in Berkeley, Mo., who was recruited by just about every Division-I program in the country, is ranked No. 8 in the nation and No. 1 in the state of Missouri in espnW’s 2019 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings. She is a three-time Missouri Basketball Coaches Association (MBCA) Class 3 All-State selection (2016-18), and a USA Today first team Missouri selection in 2018. As a junior, Blackwell led Whitfield to the Class 3A state semifinals and a 22-7 record, as she averaged 24.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Entering her senior season, Blackwell is one of 50 high school seniors named to the watch list for the 2019 Naismith High School Trophy.

“I chose Mizzou because it is like home to me,” said Blackwell. “I have always dreamed about being a part of a winning atmosphere and culture. This is the best decision I have ever made. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Blackwell was selected to play for the USA U18 National Team this past summer, where she helped lead Team USA to a gold medal in Mexico City at the 2018 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. She averaged 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game over six games during USA’s championship run, including eight points, four rebounds and three steals in the gold medal game win over Canada.

Blackwell’s father, Ernest, was a four-year letterwinner for Mizzou Football who played running back from 1994-97 and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1998.

Frank, from Strafford, Mo., is the No. 29-ranked player in the nation and the No. 2-ranked player in the state of Missouri. Coached by her dad, Steve, Frank has helped lead Strafford High School to three consecutive Missouri Class 3 state championships and 82 consecutive wins. She has been named to the MBCA Class 3A All-State team each of the last three seasons (2016-18), the MBCA Class 3 Player of the Year in 2016-17 and 2017-18, the 2017-18 Gatorade Missouri Girls Basketball Player of the Year and the 2018 Missouri Wendy’s High Heisman state winner. Entering her senior campaign, Frank has already racked up 2,293 points and 1,213 rebounds.

“I chose Mizzou because of the values the coaches and the team stand for,” said Frank. “I feel it is the best opportunity to grow, not only as a player, but as a person as well.”

As a junior, the 6-foot-2 guard led the Indians to a 33-0 record and third straight state title after averaging 24.9 points, 12.7 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 3.3 steals and 3.0 blocks per game. Frank led Strafford to a second consecutive state title as a sophomore in 2016-17, averaging 24.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.2 blocks per game en route to a 33-0 season. She was named the Class 3 Player of the Year in both seasons.

Frank is an all-state infielder on the Strafford softball team and a state qualifier for the golf team. Away from the court, Frank has maintained a 4.05 GPA, is the vice president of the student body, and is a part of the National Honor Society.

— Mizzou Athletics —

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