KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Perry Ellis had 20 points, Devonte Graham added 14 points and eight assists, and top-ranked Kansas held on through a shaky finish to beat No. 22 Baylor 70-66 in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals Friday night.
Wayne Selden Jr. dunked his way to 11 points for the Jayhawks (29-4), who muddled through an ugly first half before eventually avenging their loss to the Bears (22-11) in last year’s semifinals.
Kansas will play sixth-ranked Oklahoma or No. 9 West Virginia for the title Saturday night.
The TMP Lady Monarchs saw their 20 game win streak come to an end on Friday in the semifinals of the 3A State Tournament in Hutchinson. TMP trailed 16-9 at the end of the first quarter and 31-24 at halftime. Silver Lake pushed the lead to double figures by the end of the third quarter, 45-32. The Lady Monarchs struggled offensively in the fourth quarter, eventually falling 61-44.
Megan Koenigsman led the way for TMP with 17 points. TMP will play the Sterling loser in the third place game at noon on Saturday in Hutchinson. Sterling fell in their semifinal game 50-43 to Sabetha.
PITTSBURG, Kan. – Winona State outscored Fort Hays State 18-2 over the final 8:08 of the fourth quarter as they rally from a 13-point second half deficit for a 60-55 win in the opening round of the NCAA II Central Regional at John Lance Arena. The 16th-ranked Tigers (25-6), who led 41-27 at halftime, hit only 5-of-33 in the second half and were 1-for-20 from beyond the arc after halftime.
Taylor Chandler and Jill Faxon led the Tigers with 11 points each. Faxon added a career-high 15 rebounds in the losing effort. Junior guard Tara Roelofs led No. 7 Winona State with 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting including 4-for-4 from 3-point range.
FHSU Postgame Press Conference
Game Highlights
Winona State (30-3) raced out to an early nine-point first quarter lead, but the Tigers answered with a 31-9 run to go up 13. The Warriors scored 11 straight to pull within two late in the third quarter, but a 9-0 run by the Tigers pushed the lead to 11 with 8:08 to play.
The Tigers would not score again until a Jill Faxon layup with 0:13 to play, ending a 7:55 scoring drought in which WSU scored 17 unanswered.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have begun to announce their wave of free-agent signings, starting with veteran linebacker Tamba Hali and defensive tackle Jaye Howard.
Hali agreed to a three-year deal to remain with Kansas City on Tuesday, while Howard reached a two-year deal to stay with the Chiefs on Wednesday. Both were valuable pieces to a defense that last season led the Chiefs to their first playoff victory in more than two decades.
Kansas City also agreed to a three-year deal with veteran linebacker Derrick Johnson, a five-year contract with former Browns offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz and contracts with backup linebackers Frank Zombo and Jonathan Massaquoi during the first day of free agency.
Those contracts are expected to be announced once they are signed.
BOYS’ BASKETBALL Class 2A
Central Plains 77, Bishop Seabury Academy 56
Hill City 74, Sedan 69
Jackson Heights 53, Berean Academy 44
Salina Sacred Heart 75, South Gray 57 Class 4A Division I Bishop Miege 55, Eudora 49
McPherson 64, Rose Hill 45
Paola 78, Coffeyville 43
Wamego 87, Andover Central 60 Class 4A Division II
Girard 77, Baldwin 49
Hugoton 78, Anderson County 42
Rock Creek 65, Smoky Valley 43
Wichita Collegiate 83, Pratt 55 Class 6A
BV Northwest 70, Wichita South 51
Lawrence 55, Dodge City 46
SM North 55, Wichita East 52
Wichita Southeast 78, Olathe East 61
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL Class 1A Division I
Centralia 53, South Barber 38
Hoxie 59, Hanover 46
St. Paul 43, Kinsley 28
Waverly 64, Thunder Ridge 42 Class 1A Division II Dighton 68, Golden Plains 39
Axtell 53, Elyria Christian 26
Ingalls 60, Sylvan-Lucas 40
Wetmore 47, Norwich 39 Class 3A
Sabetha 47, Southeast Saline 26
Hays-TMP-Marian 51, Garden Plain 29
Silver Lake 77, West Franklin 22
Sterling 70, Caney Valley 40 Class 5A
Leavenworth 42, Newton 40
Salina Central 55, Mill Valley 43
St. Thomas Aquinas 43, KC Schlagle 37
Wichita Bishop Carroll 47, Goddard 27
The TMP Lady Monarchs started Thursday’s 3A State Quarterfinal on a 6-0 run and would never trail in their 51-29 win over Garden Plain. TMP would build their lead to 16-8 at the end of the first quarter after a Katelyn Zimmerman buzzer beater from the elbow. The Lady Monarchs would extend the lead to double digits in the second quarter and led 29-18 at halftime.
Garden Plain would cut into the TMP lead in the third quarter and it was a single figure game, 33-25, midway through the period. TMP would finish on an eight-nothing run to take a commanding 41-25 lead heading into the final quarter. The Lady Owls knew they needed a strong start to the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance.
That strong quarter did not happen as the Lady Monarchs scored the first nine points of the quarter to complete a 17-0 run and give the Lady Monarchs a 50-25 lead. Garden Plain could not solve the TMP defense throughout the game. The Lady Monarchs used the full court press, half-court man to man and zone defense throughout the game to keep Garden Plain on their heels.
TMP improves to 22-2 on the season and have now won 20 consecutive games. Kayla Vitztum was a bundle of energy all game long finishing with a game high 23 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Madyson Koerner added 13 for TMP and Zimmerman powered through with 11 points and 13 boards. The Lady Monarchs will take on Silver Lake at 3pm on Friday in Hutchinson. The undefeated Lady Eagles handled West Franklin 77-22 in their opener.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Perry Ellis scored 21 points, Frank Mason III added 16 and top-ranked Kansas ran roughshod over weary Kansas State, 85-63, on Thursday in the quarterfinals in the Big 12 Tournament.
The Jayhawks (28-4), who won their 12th consecutive regular-season crown, led 45-30 at halftime before pushing their advantage past 20 for much of the second half. They coasted the rest of their way to a semifinal matchup Friday night with No. 22 Baylor, which handled No. 23 Texas earlier in the day.
Carlton Bragg added a career-high 12 points for Kansas. Devonte Graham finished with 11.
The eighth-seeded Wildcats (17-16) were led by Justin Edwards, who hit five 3s and had 23 points. But the senior guard didn’t get nearly as much help as he had in a first-round victory over Oklahoma State.
BOYS’ BASKETBALL Class 1A-Division I
Centralia 58, Pretty Prairie 42
Hanover 61, St. Paul 40
Osborne 53, Minneola 37
Victoria 70, Lebo 58 Class 1A-Division II
Attica 46, Dighton 32
Hartford 65, Hutchinson Central Christian 64, OT
Logan 48, Deerfield 43
St. John’s Beloit-Tipton 71, Sylvan-Lucas 27 Class 3A
Garden Plain 71, Fredonia 49
Osage City 60, Wellsville 44
Sabetha 43, Scott City 40, OT
Southeast Saline 55, Norton 46 Class 5A
Highland Park 56, Liberal 52
Kapaun Mount Carmel 55, Bonner Springs 49
KC Washington 69, Goddard-Eisenhower 62
Mill Valley 55, Salina Central 46
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL Class 2A
Central Plains 48, Pittsburg Colgan 24
Hill City 74, Meade 69, OT
Olpe 61, Moundridge 28
Valley Falls 61, Republic County 41 Class 4A-Division I
Bishop Miege 67, Andale 46
Labette County 53, McPherson 45
Paola 62, Abilene 60, OT
Wellington 62, DeSoto 57 Class 4A-Division II
Clay Center 53, Baldwin 48
Girard 49, Burlington 41
Hugoton 53, Wichita Collegiate 39
Topeka Hayden 55, Haven 35 Class 6A
Olathe East 51, Derby 39
Olathe South 50, Dodge City 32
SM Northwest 44, Washburn Rural 29
Wichita South 62, SM West 48
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas men’s basketball legend Clyde Lovellette died Wednesday evening in North Manchester, Indiana, where he lived, his daughter Cindy confirmed with KU officials. Lovellette, who had been battling cancer, was 86.
A two-time All-American center, Lovellette scored 33 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to lead Kansas to an 80-63 win over St. John’s in the 1952 NCAA championship game. In the process he set a then-NCAA?Tournament scoring record and earned most outstanding performer honors.
Also in 1952, Lovellette and six Jayhawk teammates helped lead the United States to the gold medal at the Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. Kansas coach Phog Allen was an assistant coach on the team.
“Clyde’s passing is a big loss for anyone who has ever supported Kansas Athletics,” Kansas Head Coach Bill Self said. “He was a great player, a national champion and Olympic Gold Medalist. He was a beloved teammate and a great ambassador for his alma mater. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
Lovellette was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in May 1988 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. His KU jersey was retired on Feb. 15, 1992, in a ceremony honoring the 1952 NCAA title team.
A native of Terre Haute, Indiana, Lovellette became the fourth Jayhawk to be named a consensus first-team All-American, and was also named All-Big Seven in 1951 and 1952.
Today, Lovellette ranks as the fourth all-time leading scorer in KU history with 1,979 career points, and as the No. 10 all-time leading rebounder with 813. In 1952, Lovellette became the only player in NCAA history to lead the nation in scoring (28.4) and play on the NCAA National Championship team.
Following his career at KU, Lovellette played one year of AAU ball, then embarked on a 12-year NBA career with stops at Minneapolis, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Boston. He retired from basketball in 1964. Lovellette was a four-time NBA All-Star and won three NBA titles – in 1954, 1963 and 1964.
DODGE CITY, Kan – The Victoria Knights had three players score in double-figures and outscored Lebo by 11 in the fourth quarter as they advanced to the semifinals of the 1A-D1 state tournament with a 70-58 win over Lebo Wednesday.
Victoria’s Joe Dortland gave the Knights the lead at the end of the first quarter and scored four straight to start the second quarter putting the Knights on top 19-16, they never trailed again.
The Wolves closed the third quarter on a 4-0 run to cut the lead to just one, 43-42.
Victoria opened the fourth quarter on a 10-2 run to go up by five at 51-46. Despite shooting just 53-percent from the line in the game the Knights were able to extend their lead to double-figures down the stretch on their way to a 70-58 win.
Taylor Corley and Joe Dortland scored a game-high 18 points each. Eric McAlonan added 15 as the Knights move to 14-9 on the season.
It is the fourth time in school history the Knights have advanced to the final four.
Victoria will play Osborne in the semifinals Friday night after the Bulldogs beat Minneola 53-37 Wednesday.
Osborne opened the third quarter on a 14-0 run and outscored the Wildcats 17-2 in the third quarter on their way to the win.
Cullen Grabast scored a game-high 24 points. Osborne is 19-6 and advanced past the state quarterfinals for the second time in school history.
The Knights and the Bulldogs play at 8:15 Friday p.m.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Freshman forward Dean Wade scored a career-high 20 points, Justin Edwards added 17 and Kansas State beat Oklahoma State 75-71 on Wednesday night in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament.
Wesley Iwundu added 14 points for the eighth-seeded Wildcats (17-15), who built a big lead on the No. 9 seed Cowboys (12-20) in the opening minutes before holding them off down the stretch.
Kansas State advanced to play No. 1 seed Kansas in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
Jeffrey Carroll and Joe Burton scored 13 points apiece for Oklahoma State, which lost its 20th game for the first time since the 1971-72 season. And that could create an uncomfortable few days for coach Travis Ford, who still has three years and $7.2 million remaining on his 10-year contract.
Tyree Griffin finished with 11 points and Leyton Hammonds had 10 for the Cowboys, who lost in the first round of the tournament for the first time to finish the season with seven consecutive defeats.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Kansas City Chiefs were penalized Wednesday for violating the NFL’s anti-tampering rules for having impermissible contact with wide receiver Jeremy Maclin during last year’s free agency.
The Chiefs were stripped of their third-round pick this April and sixth-round pick next year and fined $250,000. Chiefs coach Andy Reid was also fined $50,000 and general manager John Dorsey fined $25,000.
Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement the club intends to appeal the penalties.
The Chiefs are accused of having direct communication with Maclin, who played for Reid in Philadelphia, during the league’s negotiating period. That communication is a violation of NFL tampering rules.
Maclin later signed a $55 million, five-year deal with Kansas City.
The Fort Hays State University family and members of the local community are invited to help send off three Tiger athletic teams that will be leaving town for NCAA Division II post-season action Wednesday and Thursday.
The Tiger women’s basketball team and wrestling team will take off at 1 p.m. Wednesday from Gate 2 of Gross Memorial Coliseum. The men’s basketball team will leave the next day — Thursday — also at 1 p.m. and from the same location.
The women’s basketball team (25-5) is headed to Pittsburg to play in the NCAA Central Regional Friday through Monday. The Tigers, making their second consecutive trip to the post-season, are the fifth seed in the eight-team regional and will take on No. 4 seed Winona State, Minn. (29-3) at noon at John Lance Arena on the campus of Pittsburg State.
The FHSU wrestling squad qualified three athletes– 184-pound junior Jon Inman and seniors Adam Ludwin at 125 pounds and Bradley Little at 149 — for the D-II National Championships scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Coincidentally, the Tiger men’s basketball team (20-10) also will head north to Sioux Falls to compete in the NCAA Central Regional, scheduled for Saturday through Tuesday. The opening-round game for the Tigers, who like the FHSU women are seeded fifth in their regional tourney, is set for 8 p.m. Saturday vs. the University of Nebraska-Kearney (20-11) at the Sanford Pentagon, an indoor arena that opened in September 2013. The Tigers return to post-season action for the second time in three years.
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
