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Category: Sports

No. 5 Bearcats stay unbeaten with 17-point win over Peacocks

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ST. JOSEPH, Missouri – The No. 5-ranked Northwest Missouri State Bearcat men’s basketball team had five players in double figures for the second straight game and it led to a 76-59 win over Upper Iowa at the Hillyard Tipoff Classic at the Civic Arena.

Northwest improved to 3-0 on the season and won its 24th straight game on a neutral floor. Upper Iowa fell to 0-1 on the season. Northwest has defeated Upper Iowa in seven of the last eight meetings between the two schools.

Sophomore Ryan Hawkins netted his second straight 20-point game as he drained seven three-pointers en route to a game-high 23 points. Hawkins was 7-of-12 from three-point range in the triumph. Hawkins also collected his second career double-double with 12 rebounds.

Redshirt freshman Trevor Hudgins scored 16 of his 18 points in the first half and finished with a team-high four assists.

Upper Iowa held a 13-8 lead with 14:50 to go in the first half before Northwest blitzed the Peacocks with a 17-5 run to take a 25-18 advantage with 9:47 left in the opening half.

The Bearcats buried 13 pointers, while the Peacocks made nine from deep.

Upper Iowa shot 50 percent in the first half, but the Bearcats limited the Peacocks to 31 percent in the final 20 minutes.

Northwest will be back in action Saturday at 5:30 p.m. against Winona State at Civic Arena.

— Northwest Athletics —

MWSU women open season with 67-58 win against Upper Iowa

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HAYS, Kan. – The Missouri Western women’s basketball team got its 2018-19 season started with a win over Upper Iowa Friday in Hays, Kansas, 67-58.

Missouri Western used a patented, dominant third quarter to break open a game that was even through the first two quarters.

NOTABLES

  • Missouri Western opened up the second half on an 18-0 run
  • The Griffons outscored the Peacocks 24-10 in the third quarter
  • In the third quarter, MWSU shot better than 47 percent from the field, forced 12 turnovers (9 steals) and scored 12 points off turnovers
  • On the night, Missouri Western forced 28 Peacock turnovers and had 19 steals
  • The Griffons led by 20 with 5:08 left in regulation, but Upper Iowa finished the game on an 11-0 run
  • Upper Iowa shot 36 free throws to 11 for the Griffons

LEADERS

  • Katrina Roenfeldt led all scorers with 17 points to go with a team-high six steals
  • Cera Ledbetter had a team-high eight rebounds to go with 16 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field
  • Melia Richardson led the team with four assists
  • Anastacia Johnson had five steals and scored eight points

UP NEXT
The Griffons stay in Hays, Kansas to take on Southwest Minnesota State at 5 p.m. on Saturday

— MWSU Athletics —

Area High School District Football Scores – Friday, November 9

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CLASS 4 DISTRICT 8
2 Smithville 33 (11-1)
@ 1 Platte County 28 (10-2)

CLASS 3 DISTRICT 8
2 Savannah 12 (8-4)
@ 1 Maryville 34 (10-1)

CLASS 2 DISTRICT 8
2 Lawson 6 (10-2)
@ 1 Lathrop 41 (12-0)

CLASS 1 DISTRICT 8
5 Hamilton 31 (9-3)
@ 2 Marceline 26 (10-2)

CLASS 1 DISTRICT 7
3 Mid-Buchanan 36 (8-4)
@ 1 Wellington-Napoleon 6 (8-4)

8-MAN DISTRICT 1
2 Worth County 32 (9-2)
@ 1 Stanberry 20 (10-1)

8-MAN DISTRICT 2
2 North Andrew 28 (6-5)
@ 1 Mound City 68 (11-0)

8-MAN DISTRICT 3
2 Southwest Livingston 28 (9-2)
@ 1 Pattonsburg 82 (10-1)

8-MAN DISTRICT 4
3 Osceola 14 (2-4)
@ 1 Orrick 52 (9-2)

Missouri get beat at Iowa State 76-59

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AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State fans showed up to Hilton Coliseum on Friday night to the sight of star Lindell Wigginton in a cardinal-colored cast instead of a cardinal and gold jersey.

It was of somewhat small solace that the Cyclones played so well without their most talented player — whose timetable for a return to the court was described by coach Steve Prohm as a “week-to-week thing.”

Marial Shayok scored 20 points, Nick Weiler-Babb had 16 with six assists and Iowa State throttled Missouri 76-59 in a matchup of old Big 12 rivals.

Michael Jacobson scored 15 points for the Cyclones (2-0), who avenged a blowout loss in Columbia from last season with a surprisingly complete performance orchestrated by Weiler-Babb.

“He’s a high-level point guard. He’s the most cerebral player on our team,” Prohm said. “He’s a senior point guard and he played like it.”

Iowa State closed the first half on a 9-0 run and pushed its lead to 47-30 early in the second half. Missouri cut it to 10, but the undermanned Cyclones reeled off eight straight points to jump back on top 61-43. Weiler-Babb’s scoop with 4:52 to go made it 70-49, a bucket that put the Tigers out of their misery.

Mark Smith scored 15 points to lead Missouri (1-1), which committed 25 turnovers. Kevin Puryear had 10 points, but he only took five shots.

“At one point, it seemed like it was one after another. We need to have better focus at protecting the ball,” Puryear said.

Wigginton, a preseason All-Big 12 selection, showed up to Friday’s game against Missouri with a cast on his left foot that was put on Thursday.

Prohm called the injury a strain, adding that Wigginton will spend a week in a cast, a week in a boot and then, hopefully, go through and aggressive rehabilitation to try and get back onto the floor as soon as possible.

Wigginton averaged 16.7 points a game last season and nearly declared for the NBA Draft before returning to school. Wigginton had 13 points in Iowa State’s 79-53 win over Alabama State on Tuesday.

“I don’t have a timeframe,” Prohm said. “To get him back the quickest, we needed to immobilize his foot right away.”

BIG PICTURE

Missouri: The Tigers had a staggering 15 turnovers in the first half — four more than they had in a 68-55 win over Central Arkansas in the opener — and committed 26 fouls. This loss might’ve been the truest sign yet of how much Missouri is going to miss the injured Jontay Porter this season.

Iowa State: With Wigginton out and Cameron Lard and Zoran Talley suspended until at least December, Iowa State’s eight-man rotation currently has four true freshmen in it. It was a highly thought of class, to be sure, but being forced to play them all so soon certainly wasn’t in coach Steve Prohm’s master plan.

ON HALIBURTON

Haliburton, at 6-foot-5 and just 172 pounds, might be one of the skinniest players in America — and the release on his jumper is, shall we say, funky. But the kid plays like he’s been in Ames for years, rounding his teammates up on stoppages of play like a senior and displaying a well-rounded skill set through two games. Haliburton had eight points, four steals and three rebounds in 40 minutes, and he didn’t turn the ball over once. “Tyrese just has that kind of `It’ factor,” Prohm said.

MIZZ-ERABLE

Missouri outrebounded the smaller Cyclones 35-26. But that was about all the Tigers did right. All those turnovers killed them, as Iowa State had 19 more points off of turnovers in a game it won by 17. “I think it was more about us…we’ll get it corrected,” coach Cuonzo Martin said.

HE SAID IT

“He’s the key to what they do,” Martin said about Weiler-Babb. “Wigginton can score the ball. But I just feel like he’s the guy that can get guys where they need to get.”

UP NEXT

Missouri hosts Kennesaw State on Nov. 16

Iowa State hosts Texas Southern on Monday night.

— Associated Press —

Northwest women drop opener at Wayne State 75-58

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The Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team fell at Wayne State 75-58 in their season opener Friday.

Kendey Eaton led the way for the Bearcats with 17 points and 8 assists. Jaelyn Haggard was close behind with 16. Mallory McConkey was also in double figures with 12 points. Eaton and McConkey both had 5 rebounds. Haggard and Eaton were a combined 7-8 from the 3-point line. The team was 9-11 from the foul line.

Erin Norling led Wayne State with 21 points and 5 rebounds. Haley Vesey led the team in rebounds with 8 and added 14 points. Wayne State had 45 total rebounds and 21 offensive rebounds.

Northwest will play Minnesota Crookston tomorrow at 3:30 in Wayne, Neb.

— Northwest Athletics —

Brown, Mawien help No. 12 K-State beat Kennesaw State 56-41

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MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Three of the veterans that led Kansas State to the Elite Eight last season spent the past week shuffling in and out of practice, each of them dealing with a nagging early season injury.

Barry Brown and Dean Wade were good enough to play against Kennesaw State on Friday night.

Xavier Sneed wound up sitting out the game.

Most of the way, the No. 12 Wildcats could have used him.

It wasn’t until Brown and Wade helped to trigger a run midway through the second half that Kansas State finally established a comfortable cushion. Brown finished with 15 points and Wade added 13 as the Wildcats persevered for a 56-41 victory in their season opener.

“We were our worst enemy when it came to missing a layup, making a turnover,” Wildcats coach Bruce Weber said. “I hope they left with a sour taste in their mouth and come back and practice better tomorrow, but it’s good that we made some plays at the end.”

Makol Mawien added 15 points and Austin Trice had 12 rebounds in his debut for the Wildcats, who led just 31-27 at halftime before leaning on their stingy defense to go on that late run.

It was enough to help the Wildcats win their 24th consecutive non-conference game at Bramlage Coliseum even without Sneed, who sprained his ankle in practice and was held out as a precaution.

“If we were playing Kansas tonight,” Weber said, “he’s playing. We just have a big stretch coming up, Monday and then going to the Virgin Islands. We all felt it was better to rest him.”

Kosta Jankovic had 10 points to lead the Owls (1-1), who committed 21 turnovers and were no match athletically for their Big 12 foe. Kansas State had a 42-12 edge inside and 24-4 in transition.

“I mean, shooting 1 for 13 from 3 isn’t good,” Wade said of the Wildcats’ offensive struggles, “but it starts with defense. You get a couple stops, some easy layups, it gets everybody’s confidence up. It all starts on the defensive end.”

Still, the Wildcats probably could have used Sneed most of the way.

Wade was trapped and double-teamed inside throughout the first half, rendering him mostly ineffective, and nobody else could execute well in the half-court. That left the Wildcats’ offense to come almost entirely on the fast break, where Brown proved most successful at running the court.

Trice also got into the act early, making a highlight play by blocking Kennesaw State’s Pietro Agostini and taking the rebound to the other end for a scooping layup.

But otherwise, the Wildcats scraped and clawed their way through the first 20 minutes.

Most of their second 20 wasn’t a whole lot better.

Kennesaw State answered every time Kansas State tried to go on a run, and Kyle Clarke bookended a basket by Tyler Hooker to get the Owls within 41-37 with 9 1/2 minutes to go.

Cartier Diarra finally sparked the Wildcats by taking a run-out, spinning in the lane and getting a layup to go. Wade added a putback, Mawien converted in the paint and Brown scored on yet another fast break as the Wildcats ripped off eight straight points to take a 49-37 lead.

Kansas State slowly added to its advantage in the closing minutes.

“Like our coaches said in the locker room, we still won,” Brown said. “We’re 1-0 right now and that’s all that really matters.”

BIG PICTURE

Kennesaw State: The Owls proved they can hang tough for 30 minutes, but the Wildcats’ superior depth began to show in the second half. Kennesaw State also hurt its upset bid with a series of sloppy turnovers, including four in a span of just a few minutes in the second half.

Kansas State: Diarra and Kamau Stokes, the Wildcats’ two primary ball handlers, were shut out in the first half. Each finished with two points, going a combined 2 for 10 from the floor, putting some extra pressure on the rest of the team to score.

UP NEXT

Kennesaw State: Visits Samford on Monday night.

Kansas State: Plays Denver at Bramlage Coliseum on Monday night.

— Associated Press —

Area High School District Football Schedule – Friday, November 9

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CLASS 4 DISTRICT 8
2 Smithville (10-1)
@ 1 Platte County (10-1)

CLASS 3 DISTRICT 8
2 Savannah (8-3)
@ 1 Maryville (9-1)

CLASS 2 DISTRICT 8
2 Lawson (10-1)
@ 1 Lathrop (11-0)

CLASS 1 DISTRICT 8
5 Hamilton (8-3)
@ 2 Marceline (10-1)

CLASS 1 DISTRICT 7
3 Mid-Buchanan (7-4)
@ 1 Wellington-Napoleon (8-3)

8-MAN DISTRICT 1
2 Worth County (8-2)
@ 1 Stanberry (10-0)

8-MAN DISTRICT 2
2 North Andrew (6-4)
@ 1 Mound City (10-0)

8-MAN DISTRICT 3
2 Southwest Livingston (9-1)
@ 1 Pattonsburg (9-1)

8-MAN DISTRICT 4
3 Osceola (2-3)
@ 1 Orrick (8-2)

Bearcats’ Bruder named MIAA Player of Year; Woerth earns Coach of Year

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The Northwest Missouri State University volleyball has risen to the upper echelon of the MIAA and the program took another step toward elite status with the release of the league’s 2018 all-conference squads.

Senior Maddy Bruder was named the MIAA Player of the Year and head coach Amy Woerth was tabbed the league’s Coach of the Year. It marks the first time since 1984 that the Bearcats captured both the player and coach of the year awards when Mary Beth Bishop was the MIAA MVP and Susie Homan was the MIAA’s best coach.

Bruder becomes the third Bearcat volleyball player to be named the MIAA’s Player of the Year. Mary Beth Bishop (1984) and Jill Quast (2000) are the only other previous Bearcats to be honored as the league’s top player.

Woerth guided the Bearcats to a program best 14 MIAA wins in 2018. The previous record of 11 MIAA wins was set in 2017. The Bearcats tied for third in the final MIAA standings and hosted a first-round match in the league tournament. Woerth saw the Bearcats reach 22 wins – the second 20-win season since 1999 – and 15th overall 20-win season in program history. Northwest registered eight road victories, which ranks as the third-best total in the school’s record book. Overall, Northwest went 22-8 on the season.

Not only did Northwest land two of the specialty awards, the Bearcats had three players on the MIAA’s First Team and two more players honored on the MIAA’s Second Team. Bruder (Firth, Nebraska) was joined on the first team by senior middle hitter Sofia Schleppenbach (Dallas, Texas) and sophomore setter Maddy Ahrens (Appleton, Wisconsin). Senior libero Olivia Nowakowski (Kansas City, Missouri) and sophomore outside hitter Hallie Sidney (Chesterfield, Missouri) secured second-team all-MIAA honors.

Bruder becomes the first Northwest player to be a four-time first-team all-MIAA performer. Jill Quast (1998-2000) and Kelly Greenlee (1983-1985) had been the only other previous three-time first-team all-MIAA honorees before Bruder bested them with her fourth straight first-team tag in 2018.

Bruder led the MIAA in kills (4.26 per set) and ranked No. 17 in the nation in that category. Bruder blew away the competition in MIAA matches by averaging 4.30 kills per set with 275 kills in 64 sets. Bruder notched a team-best 17 double-doubles, including 12 in MIAA play.

Schleppenbach was Northwest’s leader in service aces (35), solo blocks (8), block assists (80), total blocks (80) and hitting percentage (.343). Her .342 hitting percentage in league matches ranked second in the MIAA. Schleppenbach has 12 double-figure kill matches, including a season-high 16 kills at Central Missouri (10/20). Schleppenbach earned honorable mention all-MIAA honors in 2017.

Ahrens led the MIAA in assists (11.48 overall; 12.20 MIAA only). Ahrens’s MIAA total of 12.20 assists per set is nearly a full point higher than second place Ally Offerdahl (Central Missouri), who posted 11.22 assists per set in MIAA matches. Ahrens set a pair of career highs with 67 assists and 20 digs in a five-set match at No. 3-Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 3. Ahrens ranks second on the team in service aces (33) and double-doubles (15). Ahrens is the fifth sophomore in school history to post 1,000 or more assists in a season with 1,171 this year.

Nowakowski earned second team all-MIAA after previously being named to honorable mention status in 2016 and 2017. Nowakowski led the Bearcats in digs (503 – 4.75 digs/set). She posted seven matches of 20 or more digs and four matches of 30 or more digs in 2018. Nowakowski notched a season-high 40 digs at No. 3 Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 3. She ranked third on the team with 29 service aces. Nowakowski finished her career ranked No. 3 on Northwest’s all-time digs list with 1,763.

Sidney ranked second in the MIAA in kills per set in conference matches only (3.53 kills/set). Sidney had seven double-doubles this season, including a 19-kill, 17-dig performance at No. 3-Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 3. Sidney registered a season-high 27 kills against Nebraska-Kearney in Bearcat Arena on Sept. 29. She also posted 24 kills and 18 digs in a five-set match vs. Central Oklahoma on Oct. 5. Sidney has produced 16 double-figure kill matches in 2018. She ranked second on the team in kills (335 – 3.16 kills/set).

NOTES: The five players named to the first and second teams represents the most Northwest players named to the all-MIAA volleyball teams in the history of Bearcat volleyball … the previous best of four was set in 1984, 1985 and 2015 … it’s the first time since 1984 that Northwest has had three players named to the MIAA’s First Team.

2018 All-MIAA VOLLEYBALL SELECTIONS
Player of the Year – Maddy Bruder – Northwest Missouri
Freshman of the Year – Hannah Engelken – Central Missouri
Coach of the Year – Amy Woerth – Northwest Missouri

First-Team
Outside Hitter: Kylie Hohlen – Central Missouri – Sr.+
Outside Hitter: Taylor Bevis – Central Oklahoma – Sr.*
Outside Hitter: Julieanne Jackson – Nebraska Kearney – Jr.
Outside Hitter: Maddy Bruder – Northwest Missouri – Sr.*
Outside Hitter: Genna Berg – Washburn – So.
Outside Hitter: Erica Montgomery – Washburn – Jr.
Middle Blocker: Audrey Fisher- Central Missouri – So.
Middle Blocker: Jordan Spence – Central Oklahoma – Sr. ^
Middle Blocker: Tatum Graves – Emporia State – Sr.
Middle Blocker: Sofia Schleppenbach – Northwest Missouri – Sr.
Middle Blocker: Allison Maxwell – Washburn – So.
Setter: Lindsey Smith – Nebraska Kearney – Sr. ^
Setter: Maddy Ahrens – Northwest Missouri – So.
Setter: Shayla Conner – Washburn – Sr.
Libero/Defensive Specialist: Dominique Lipari – Central Oklahoma – Jr.
Libero/Defensive Specialist: Ellie McDonnell – Nebraska Kearney – Sr.
Libero/Defensive Specialist: Faith Rottinghaus – Washburn – So.
Tie in Voting
*-Four-Time First-Team Selection
^- Three-Time First-Team Selection
+-Two-Time First-Team Selection

Second-Team
Outside Hitter/Right Side: Yuchen Du – Emporia State – So.
Outside Hitter: Stephanie Doak – Missouri Western – Jr.
Outside Hitter: Kendall Schroer – Nebraska Kearney – Sr.
Outside Hitter: MK Wolfe – Nebraska Kearney – So.
Outside Hitter: Hallie Sidney – Northwest Missouri – So.
Outside Hitter/Right Side: Lauren Regier – Pittsburg State – Sr.
Middle Blocker: Sadie Kosciuk – Lindenwood – So.
Middle Blocker: Rachel Losch – Missouri Western – Sr.
Middle Blocker: Anna Squiers – Nebraska Kearney – So.
Setter: Ally Offerdahl – Central Missouri – So.
Setter: McKenzie Fyfe – Central Oklahoma – Sr.
Setter: Bre Becker – Fort Hays State – Jr.
Setter: Lauren Murphy – Missouri Western – Jr.
Libero/Defensive Specialist: Olivia Nowakowski – Northwest Missouri – Sr.

Honorable Mention
Central Missouri: Rylee Neigenfind – OH, Hannah Engelken – MB, Carly Offerdahl – L/DS
Central Oklahoma: Karyn Chrisman – RS, Amanda Desch – RS, Haley Deschenes – OH, Malia Kaaiohelo – MB,
Emporia State: Taylor Otting – OH, Emma Dixon – S, Allie Maloney – L/DS,
Fort Hays State: Azlyn Cassaday – OH
Lindenwood: Alexa Pressley – OH, Ally Clancy – S
Missouri Southern: Alicia Pickett – MB
Missouri Western: Shellby Taylor – RS, Ali Tauchen – MB, Audrey Keim – L/DS
Pittsburg State: Emily Reiger – MB, Lauren Dunn – L/DS
Southwest Baptist: Bailey Baumann – L/DS
Washburn: Makayla Maxwell – MB

— Northwest Athletics —

Six Griffons earn All-MIAA volleyball honors

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The MIAA announced the All-MIAA Volleyball selections on Thursday and six Missouri Western players received All-MIAA honors.

ALL-MIAA SECOND TEAM
Stephanie Doak – Outside Hitter
Rachel Losch – Middle Hittter
Lauren Murphy – Setter

ALL-MIAA HONORABLE MENTION
Shellby Taylor – Right Side
Ali Tauchen – Middle Hitter
Audrey Keim – Libero

Stephanie Doak was named Second Team All-MIAA after a stellar junior season. Doak has now received All-MIAA in all three of her seasons at Missouri Western. Doak finished second in the MIAA in both kills (421) and kills per set (3.66). Her single season marks also rank as some of the best in program history. Doak’s 3.66 kills per set are the fourth most all-time at Missouri Western, just behind the third place mark of 3.73 kills per set that she set last season. One of Doak’s most memorable performances of the season came when she eclipsed 1,000 career kills in a 17-kill performance in the Griffons’ sweep of William Jewell.

Rachel Losch receives Second Team All-MIAA honors for the second-straight season. Losch had a career year in her final season at Missouri Western. Not only did Losch have the highest hitting percentage on the team, but she also led the entire MIAA with her .348 hitting percentage. Her .348 hitting percentage also puts her name in the all-time ranks, finishing with the fifth-best hitting percentage in program history and the best the program has seen in 16 years. She was also the team leader in blocks with 115 on the season.

Lauren Murphy also earned All-MIAA honors in back-to-back seasons after being named First Team All-MIAA as a sophomore. Murphy finished the season with one of the highest assists per set average in the conference at 10.75. She was one of just five players in the MIAA to average double-digit assists. Murphy had three games this season with at least 50 assists, including a career-high 70 assists in the Griffons’ five set match against St. Edwards. Murphy dished out her 2,000th career assist early in the season and has moved up to fourth all-time in career assists with 2,842.

Shellby Taylor wrapped up her four-year career at Missouri Western as an All-MIAA Honorable Mention. She was third on the team with 2.37 kills per set. Her 272 kills on the season is the second-best single season total of her career. Taylor also joined the 1,000 kills club on Oct. 19 against William Jewell. Taylor finished her career at Missouri Western as one of the most consistent players in the program. A four year contributor, Taylor averaged over 2.2 kills per set in all four of her seasons at Missouri Western.

Ali Tauchen received All-MIAA Honorable Mention in just her second season with the program. Tauchen was near the top of the team leaders in multiple statistical categories. She finished second on the team in both kills (286) and kills per set (2.49). She finished with 92 total blocks and was also one of the top hitters on the team with a .230 hitting percentage. Tauchen set a career high in kills with 18 against Central Missouri early in the season. She also set a new career high in digs against Central Oklahoma with 27.

Audrey Keim was named All-MIAA Honorable Mention after being one of the most productive liberos in the entire MIAA. Keim took over the libero position as a senior and was the anchor of the Griffon defense all season. She finished fourth in the MIAA with 5.26 digs per set. Keim ended her career with the Griffons with some of the best numbers in program history. Her 5.26 digs per set and 605 digs this season were the second-most all-time at Missouri Western. Keim contributed to the Griffons in all four of her seasons and ends her career with the third-most career digs at Missouri Western with 1,445.

— MWSU Athletics —

Missouri’s Cunningham named to Wooden Award preseason watch list

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball senior guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) is one of 30 candidates named to the preseason watch list for the 2019 Wooden Award, as announced by ESPN. The list is comprised of student-athletes who are the early front-runners for college basketball’s most prestigious honor.

Last season, Cunningham was named to the Wooden Award preseason top 30, midseason top 25, late season top 20 and the national ballot.

The list is chosen by a preseason poll of women’s college basketball media members. Cunningham is one of six players from the Southeastern Conference on the list. The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2019 John R. Wooden Award Women’s Player of the Year presented by Wendy’s, the nation’s top individual honor.

Players not chosen to the preseason list are eligible for the Wooden Award midseason list, late season list and the National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Voting will open prior to the start of the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games.

Last month, Cunningham was named to the Preseason Watch List for the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award (Oct. 24), and was named Preseason All-SEC First team by both the league’s coaches (Oct. 30) and media members (Oct. 16).

Cunningham averaged 18.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game in her junior campaign, and was the only player in the nation to shoot better than 54 percent from the field (54.2 percent, 186-for-343), 45 percent from three (45.7 percent, 69-for-151) and 83 percent from the free throw line (83.6 percent, 133-for-159). She scored in double figures in 28 of 31 games she played in, and ranked fourth in the NCAA in three-point percentage as she earned AP All-America Honorable Mention and All-SEC First Team honors, each for the second consecutive season.

Cunningham helped lead Mizzou to its third straight NCAA Tournament berth and 24 wins in 2017-18, feats which have not been accomplished at Mizzou since the mid-1980s. The Tigers spent the entire season ranked in the AP Top 25, and ranked as high as No. 9 in the Coaches Poll, their highest ranking in that poll in program history.

— Mizzou Athletics —

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