The Great Bend Chamber of Commerce invite holiday shoppers to shop locally during the 2023 holiday shopping window. To incentivize consumers,&nbsp;the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce will be giving away Chamber Gift Certificates to those entered to win during their second annual “Shop Local &amp; Win” campaign. This campaign was first introduced in 2021 and returns for 2022 starting on Small Business Saturday, November 26th.

Chamber president and CEO Megan Barfield reminds consumers of the impact their dollars have, “Every dollar spent in our local communities with our local business owners allows our businesses to keep their doors open and continue serving our trade area.

With prices going up, and shipping delays, we know consumers may be more cautious with their spending this holiday season, but shop owners are working harder than ever to stock their racks and shelves in hopes that what is being spent can be done so inside their stores here locally.”

When consumers spend at least $20 with a Great Bend Chamber member, they can email a picture of their receipt and contact information to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:shoplocal@greatbend.org" target="_blank">shoplocal@greatbend.org</a>. Every transaction totaling at least $20 is an additional entry. Winners will be drawn live on the Chamber’s Facebook page, December 21st at 10AM. Consumers can find a list of chamber members by viewing the Membership Directory at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.greatbend.org/" target="_blank">www.greatbend.org</a>.

Many thanks to our generous sponsors: Brentwood Builders and Nex-Tech Wireless. For more information, contact the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce at (620) 792-2401.

Great Bend Chamber incentivizes shopping locally

Holiday Lights Photo Contest with Waters Hardware 

Town and Country Supermarket-Turkey Day Dinner Giveaway Winner Heather Helvie

REGISTER DAILY AT: Sutherlands N Bloom Floral and Gifts Boone's Maytag Home Appliance

NexTech Wireless Great Bend Appliance Furniture and Sleep Source Santa Fe Liquormart Eagle Tire Custom Rebath and My Kitchens Auto Body Repair Shop Dawson Jewelers Just Say it Though Millers of Claflin That New Place Yours Truly Gift and Floral Shop Magna Dry Cleaning Services Handle Bar and Grill Heavy Duty Diesel and Auto Outer Limits Liquor Store Memorial Art Company Eldrigde Fencing UPS Store West Side Market Johnson Electric Motor Winding NexTech Jimlo Glass Bauer Computers

Straub Powersports Doan's Outdoor and Gun Store

1.&nbsp;Limit One Entry Per Person Per Day Per Sponsor Location

2.&nbsp;Complete Entry Form in Full. Must Be Present to Enter

3.&nbsp;The Shop at Home for the Holidays Promotion is open all Kansas residents at least 21 years of Age except employees of Eagle Communications, Hull Broadcasting, Bauer Computer, Moeder Plumbing Heating and Air, and their spouse/companion. Employees of other participating businesses and their families may enter; however they may not register at their place of employment.

4.&nbsp;Listen to Eagle Radio Stations KVGB FM B104-3 The Point, KHOK 100.7 Eagle Country, KVGB 1590 AM 95.5 FM, and Hull Broadcasting Station KBGL Hits 106.9 for details. Find the latest contest information and appearance calendar at greatbendpost.com

5.&nbsp;Finalist for this promotion will be qualified from in-store registrations…and during special “Shop at Home for the Holidays” Instant Finalist Days. Only ONE Finalist Per Household may qualify. No Purchase Necessary to win.

6.&nbsp;Prize in Non-transferable. Winner is Responsible for all applicable taxes.

7.&nbsp;Entering this Promotion allows Eagle Radio and Hull Broadcasting to use your Name, likeness, image, character or voice for promotional purposes.

8.&nbsp;No Sponsor or their affiliates assume any liability in connection with this giveaway.

9.&nbsp;Eagle Radio and Hull Broadcasting reserve the right to disqualify any entry for violation of contest rules. The decision of Eagle Radio of Great Bend and Hull Broadcasting is final.

10.  $10,000 Grand Prize must be spent on merchandise at participating retailers.  Prize cannot be substituted for cash.

The Shop at Home for the Holidays $10,000 Shopping Spree Presented by Bauer Computers and Moeder Plumbing Heating and Air

Make a Difference Contest 

Barton Men 101 Hutchinson 75; Hutchinson Women 56 Barton 51

Hear this month's Kansas Strong show with Eagle Radio's Scott Donovan and Executive Director of the Kansas Oil and Gas Producers Association Warren Martin that aired Nov. 23, 2022.

The Kansas Strong program airs the fourth Wednesday every month at 8:30 a.m. on 1590 KVGB &amp; 95.5 FM.&nbsp;

🎙Kansas Strong show - Oil & gas education

Nutrition education is a fun part of my job. Earlier in the week I visited 7th grade Skills for Adolescence classes at the Great Bend Middle School. I packed a lot of information in the 50-minute class period and am hopeful that they will remember my visit when making future food choices.

I started out by asking the students if they had eaten breakfast. Only about half of them raised their hands so they got my 5 minute “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” speech. The most common reason given for skipping breakfast was the lack of time. I encouraged students to find something like a piece of fruit with whole grain cereal or toast with peanut butter to jump start their day. Research shows that when someone starts their day with breakfast, they actually consume less calories in the day. All too often, when breakfast is skipped, a person gets so hungry that by lunch time they are grabbing an unhealthy option.

The main part of my presentation focused on my favorite food group – vegetables. Sadly, the American diet is lacking in nutrient dense veggies. The MyPlate guide for healthy eating recommends eating at least 5 – 9 servings of vegetables and fruits each day. Talking about vegetables is one thing, but letting the students sample parsnip, jicama, and sweet potato, was a new experience for some. Plus we made a recipe of hummus to dip their veggies in.

Another message I left with the 7th graders was the importance of choosing whole food options instead of eating highly processed food that have added fat, sugar and sodium. We talked about empty calories that are found in soft drinks and other sweetened beverages. We looked at nutrition fact labels to show how to determine if the food is a healthy choice.

And finally, we talked about making sure each day has a good amount of physical activity built in. Recommendations are currently set for one hour of physical activity daily. If students don’t participate in an organized sport, they may need to find ways to move more.

If you or someone you know is interested in doing nutrition education I hope you will visit the following website: www.ksre.k-state.edu/jobs There you will find the position description and application process for a full time SNAP-Ed nutrition educator based in either our Hays or Great Bend office. The screening begins immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Please give me a call if you have any questions!

Donna Krug is the District Director and Family and Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or dkrug@ksu.edu K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

KRUG: Nutrition education opportunities in the Cottonwood District

The University of Kansas Health System is pleased to announce the addition of three members to its orthopedic care team at Central Kansas Orthopedic Group – Matthew Vopat, MD, orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, and physician assistants Dane Mitchell and Jessica Onken.

Dr. Vopat is looking forward to getting to know the Great Bend community. He earned his medical degree at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita and completed a sports medicine fellowship at the Steadman-Philippon Research Institute in Vail, Colorado.

Dr. Vopat joins Thomas Dagg, MD, Wade Babcock, PA-C, and Jake Thompson, DPT, in providing sports medicine care.

Mitchell grew up in a small town in northeast Kansas and appreciates the opportunity to provide healthcare services in a rural community. He earned his Master of Physician Assistant at Wichita State University.

Onken chose to specialize in orthopedics because of her background in sports, including playing collegiate volleyball. She also earned her Master of Physician Assistant from Wichita State University.

To schedule an appointment with these providers, or any of the providers at Central Kansas Orthopedic Group, call 620-792-4383.

Great Bend hospital's orthopedics care team continues to grow

The Barton Community College basketball teams will play at Hutchinson on Saturday, Nov. 26.

Follow the action by listening on 104.3 FM, online at <a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/ce/index.cfm?stationCallSign=kvgbfm2">greatbendpost.com</a> or the B104.3 mobile app.

The women's game begins at 5:30 p.m. in Hutchinson with the men's game to follow at 7:30 p.m.

🎧LISTEN Live: Barton 🏀 at Hutchinson

There is something fishy happening in Ecuador, but it is a good growth opportunity in a market that already appreciates Kansas hard red winter wheat, thanks to the relationships built by Kansas Wheat and U.S. Wheat Associates (USW), the wheat industry’s export market development organization.&nbsp;

“One of the interesting stories is that a lot of high protein hard red winter wheat is going into fish food,” said Aaron Harries, Kansas Wheat Vice President of Research and Operations, who joined USW staff for a series of crop quality seminars in South America in early November. “In Ecuador, specifically, they’re using it to feed shrimp. And in southern Chile, they’re using it to feed salmon.”

Aquaculture is a rapidly growing market in South America, thanks to imports from an equally expanding Chinese market. Salmon are top feeders, so feed pellets must float so salmon will come to the surface and eat. Shrimp are the opposite — they are bottom feeders — but feed pellets still need to sink slowly. HRW wheat fits the bill in helping with buoyancy and providing high protein content.&nbsp;

“They use high protein HRW wheat because they want higher protein content for the fish food,” Harries said. “They can also use soybean meal, but wheat has a viscosity that makes the pellet float. So that’s a market we’ll certainly be exploring and making sure we’re getting them the product they want to meet these needs.”&nbsp;

Fish food was a hot topic during the USW crop quality seminars, but the main event featured the results of the 2021 Crop Quality Report, the latest in a series of reports by USW. Each year, the organization gathers thousands of samples throughout the harvest season and at export locations to analyze for wheat, flour and end-product qualities. These results are compiled into an overall report for all six wheat classes and broken down into individualized reports by wheat class.

After the report is finalized, USW conducts crop quality seminars to dive deep into the information with global customers, like the ones Harries participated in this November in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile. Harries also discussed prospects for next year’s wheat crop and addressed challenges from the strength of the U.S. dollar, high competition from corn and soybean exports, problems on the Mississippi River, potential rail strikes and other issues.

“In terms of HRW wheat, we had good news to deliver as far as the quality of the crop — just excellent milling and baking quality,” Harries said. “Of course, the downside of that is price. The market competitiveness of hard red winter wheat is just not great right now.”

While the seminars provide a wealth of information, they also allow state wheat commission staff, U.S. farmers and USW staff a chance to meet with the best customers for U.S. wheat. In Colombia, Harries had the chance to reconnect with millers that had traveled to Kansas as part of trade teams — some as recently as this past summer and some from a decade earlier. These relationships, when combined with transparent crop quality data, help secure long-lasting, steady customers.&nbsp;

“These meetings are important because when you meet face-to-face, the buyer can sense the transparency that we provide to our marketplace,” Harries said. “We don’t pull the wool over their eyes; we tell them exactly how things are in person so they can judge our message. And I think they do have confidence in us.”

Whether HRW is destined for fish food or bread, the trading relationships built through this exchange of information help build lasting markets for Kansas wheat producers in South America.

“This is a set of customers that really like U.S. wheat and they’re looking for value opportunities,” Harries said. “They’re trying to get creative on how they use U.S. wheat, whether it’s in blends or their milling process, but they like the quality of wheat and they try to make it work, even if the price is high.”

Learn more about how Kansas Wheat works with U.S. Wheat Associates to promote HRW around the world at&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001TqQuRD6cHTd-YKkUGq46FbPeqcWzNTwWemNDZ8ahVdybl2ZcfWgzVkJJK-kpClg0AXpbs5yXkz2p3Pcl3LzkuAG_yFwJ3LNAYBjOHlYezrIM0S91lwV74EyF8TK_jxxE4ELBq8K4kthwEclxoXY5WszdxFSDceaalbWTPF7pyDg=&amp;c=nGRIbgH3tkHH_Zvh_7ZwF9o3QvpEZfrztolrdrZxSk-oaA1Z6jbq_w==&amp;ch=Dn8gW_8PlKCxjgSTLbXXoTvA6SoFYGB_sqZ2dcBnBM7V8GzT4KvVJw==" target="_blank">https://kswheat.com/international-buyers</a>.&nbsp;

Written by Julia Debes for Kansas Wheat

Wheat Scoop: Kansas Wheat discusses HRW market opportunities

Do you know of a good story of a person, business or
organization working to make the Barton County area better or a little brighter? Maybe an unsung hero? 
 
Share your stories to the “<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/246044026597234">Tell Me Something Good! Barton County</a>” Facebook page.
You can also email your ideas to <a href="mailto:mike.courson@eagleradio.net">mike.courson@eagleradio.net</a> or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:cole.reif@eagleradio.net">cole.reif@eagleradio.net</a>. 
 
Share the positivity with Eagle Communications! 
 
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Tell me something good! Barton County (Sponsored by Yesway)

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

Even the reindeer need to rest ahead of a big day of Christmas deliveries. That's why Santa will be driving a horse-drawn carriage at the Fort Larned Christmas Open House on Dec. 10. A free event for the entire family, Park Ranger Celeste Dixon said it's a good way to remember some of the sacrifices soldiers made then and now.

"We want to emphasize that Christmas, just like it is today, was an important family time for the soldiers, and the officers and people stationed at the fort," she said. "It's a special celebration."

All events are free for the Open House, which will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be living history and cooking demonstrations. A blacksmith will be in his shop, and there will be soldiers walking around the fort. Cider and coffee will be available in the visitor's center. But the star of the show will be Santa.

"Santa's actually going to be driving the carriage, so people will get their picture taken with Santa, and then they can ride in the carriage," Dixon said. "Then they'll come back and pick up the pictures that will be printed for them."

Santa will be wearing an old-fashioned suit for the Open House, located at the Fort Larned National Historical Site, approximately 5.5 miles west of Larned. 

Santa making an appearance at Fort Larned Open House

It’s a two-minute recap of the headlines that broke this past week in the Golden Belt. For the full stories, click the links below.

<a href="https://greatbendpost.com/posts/b2e9b67f-ec2f-4c5f-b2a2-d28e781d64f3">Great Bend says hello to newest police officer</a>

<a href="https://greatbendpost.com/posts/1cd246b0-af98-4522-9adb-0e919b6c7340">Burns fills long-time vacant Great Bend Assist. City Administrator's role</a>

<a href="https://greatbendpost.com/posts/611daadb-3a30-46ad-afd9-8b1ccd35adb4">Local couple to reopen grocery store in La Crosse</a>

Eagle Radio's News Week in Review

It is your chance to win! View the Contests page on Great Bend Post to see what contests/giveaways are currently being promoted. View the page by clicking&nbsp;<a href="https://greatbendpost.com/category/contests">HERE</a>!&nbsp;&nbsp;

Eagle Radio CONTESTS

Saturday November 26 5:15PM B104 - Cougar Basketball - Barton (M&amp;W) @ Hutchinson 6:00PM 1590/95.5 FM- College Football - Notre Dame @ USC 6:30PM KBGL - Jayhawk Football - Kansas @ Kansas State Sunday November 27 2:00PM - Chiefs Football - LA Rams @ Kansas City 3:00PM - 1590/95.5 FM - NFL - New Orleans Saints @ S.F. 49ers Monday November 28 6:30PM B-104- Jayhawk Basketball - Texas Southern @ Kansas Wednesday November 30 5:15PM B104 - Cougar Basketball - Independence @ Barton (M&amp;W)

Eagle Radio and Hull Broadcasting PBP Schedule

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — Tennessee's players proved to be determined defenders and relentless rebounders, along with having the kind of toughness to ensure the reigning national champions would have little chance to get comfortable.

It was all enough to give the 22nd-ranked Volunteers a title of their own, along with the blueprint that coach Rick Barnes hopes they follow the rest of the year.

Santiago Vescovi scored 20 points while Tennessee locked down on third-ranked Kansas in a 64-50 win Friday night in the championship game at the Battle 4 Atlantis, snapping the Jayhawks' 17-game winning streak.

Vescovi hit five 3-pointers as the tournament's most valuable player for the Volunteers (5-1), who dominated the glass, overcame their own turnover troubles and made the Jayhawks work for clean looks. And for the third time in as many days, Tennessee won without leading scorer Josiah-Jordan James (knee soreness).

Perhaps that's why reserve guard Zakai Zeigler, who had 14 points and four steals, showed up wearing sunglasses to the postgame news conference after the Volunteers had danced and hollered through the on-court trophy ceremony.

“We know if you can’t stop the man in front of you, then you’ll have no shot at winning the game,” Zeigler said, adding: "We just like to play defense, and we just happen to be good at it.”

The Vols held the Jayhawks to 32.1% shooting, bothering them with size and length around the rim. They also took the ball right at the Jayhawks with 5-foot-9 Zeigler leading the way, down to him refusing to let go of a jump ball and trading words with 6-8 forward Jalen Wilson.

Zeigler's night included a 3-pointer to beat the shot clock at the 7-minute mark to push Tennessee's lead to 56-38. He followed with another big one from the right wing with 4:42 left after Kansas had closed within 11.

Wilson and Joseph Yesefu each scored 14 points to lead the Jayhawks (6-1), who shot 28.6% in the first half and never warmed up. They made 5 of 21 3-pointers in what was an all-around rough night, from losing starting guard Dajuan Harris to fouls with 9 minutes left to failing to keep the Vols off the glass (45-27).

“We played a team tonight that was older and more mature and obviously played stronger and tougher,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “We didn't handle the situation near as well as what I would hope a poised team would.”

Tennessee: The Volunteers opened the tournament with a win over Butler, then grinded through an overtime win against Southern California in Thursday's semifinals. This time, Tennessee played in front the entire way en route to its first title in three tries at the Atlantis resort.

“I think the main thing from the whole week was stay together through tough times, that's what you've got to do,” Vescovi said.

Kansas: The Jayhawks didn't have an easy first two days in the Bahamas. First came a battle to the final minutes with North Carolina State. Then came Thursday's overtime win against Wisconsin on Bobby Pettiford Jr.'s last-second putback. But they never looked in any type of offensive flow this time with their smaller lineup.

“I feel like if we were able to get them out of place and not just have them standing there, waiting to contest a layup, that could’ve gave us some better chances at finishing at the rim,” Wilson said.

Tennessee held its three Atlantis opponents to 36.9% shooting and 15 of 59 (25.4%) from 3-point range. The Volunteers also averaged a +9 rebounding margin, ending with having Jonas Aidoo (nine) leading five players snagging at least six rebounds against Kansas.

“You can be a good defensive team but if you can't be a great one if you give them second and third shots,” Barnes said.

Beyond Harris’ foul trouble, the Jayhawks played most of the way without Pettiford, who exited midway through the first half grabbing at his right leg.

Afterward, Self said he would be out “for a while” with a hamstring strain.

Tennessee: The Volunteers return home to host McNeese State on Wednesday.

Kansas: The Jayhawks host Texas Southern on Monday.

No. 22 Tennessee beats No. 3 Kansas 64-50 for Atlantis title

AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — The United States has frustrated England in a 0-0 draw for its second consecutive draw in the World Cup. The result might not match the U.S.’ famous 1-0 win from the 1950 tournament, but it was the latest occasion in which the Americans have defied the odds against the Three Lions. England is still waiting for its first win in three World Cup matches against the U.S. after having drawn 1-1 in South Africa in 2010.

AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — American players wanted more than a 0-0 draw with England in what was likely the most-watched match of their lives. The U.S. shut out a European opponent in the World Cup for the first time since 1950 yet left the tent-like stadium in the Arabian desert knowing a win in Tuesday’s politically charged matchup with Iran is a must to reach the World Cup’s knockout stage. The British tabloid The Sun ran a headline calling the result “Yawn in the USA.” England supporters booed loudly at the final whistle and American fans cheered.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Rams and Chiefs nearly played in the Super Bowl in February, but they will be meeting under much different circumstances on Sunday. Los Angeles has followed up its triumph over the Bengals in the big game with a 3-7 start, the worst through 10 games by a defending Super Bowl champion. The Chiefs are still flying high, though, improving to 8-2 with another come-from-behind win last week against the Chargers. The Rams will likely start Bryce Perkins at QB with Matthew Stafford in the concussion protocol, while the Chiefs could have wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster back.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — A person with direct knowledge of Von Miller’s injury told The Associated Press that tests showed no tear to the anterior cruciate ligament in the injured right knee of the Buffalo Bills star pass-rusher. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the team did not reveal that information. Coach Sean McDermott declined to provide any details on the injury except to rule out Miller from playing against New England next week. McDermott said Miller was week to week, while noting the player will undergo further tests. ESPN first reported the test results for Miller. The 33-year-old was hurt in the second quarter of Buffalo's 28-25 win at the Detroit Lions.

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — Santiago Vescovi scored 20 points while No. 22 Tennessee locked down on third-ranked Kansas to beat the reigning national champions 64-50 in the championship game at the Battle 4 Atlantis. Vescovi hit five 3-pointers to drive the offense for the Volunteers and was named the tournament's most valuable player. Tennessee won all three tournament games despite not having leading scorer Josiah-Jordan James due to knee soreness. Jalen Wilson and Joseph Yesefu each scored 14 points for Kansas, which shot 32.1%. The loss ended Kansas' 17-game winning streak dating to last year's run to the NCAA title.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Caleb Grill hit seven 3-pointers and scored a career-high 31 points and Iowa State rallied in the final five minutes to stun No. 1 North Carolina 70-65 on Friday in the semifinals of the Phil Knight Invitational. Iowa State (5-0) picked up just its third win over a team ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25. The Cyclones are 3-22 against No. 1 teams, with the other wins coming against Kansas in 1957 and Oklahoma in 2016. The Cyclones can now add North Carolina (5-1) to the list. Jaren Holmes added 22 points and the Cyclones. RJ Davis led North Carolina with 15 points, Armando Bacot added 14 and Caleb Love scored 12.

NICEVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Mike Miles Jr. scored 23 points and matched a career best with nine rebounds, and TCU beat winless California 59-48 to move on to the Emerald Coast Classic championship game. TCU (4-1) will face undefeated No. 25 Iowa (5-0) for the title. The Horned Frogs used a 13-5 surge for their largest lead of the game, 46-32 with 8:41 remaining. Miles scored four points during the stretch. Back-to-back 3s from Kuany Kuany and Grant Newell pulled Cal to 46-38, but they didn’t get closer. Lars Thiemann and Devin Askew each scored 12 points for Cal (0-6).

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Tre Mitchell scored 16 points to lead West Virginia to a 89-71 win over Portland State in a Phil Knight Legacy tournament consolation game, vaulting Bob Huggins into third place all-time for Division I coaching victories. Huggins, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September, improved to 921-400 in his career and broke a tie with Jim Calhoun — who earned 625 of his 920 wins at Connecticut — and sits behind only Jim Boeheim of Syracuse and recently retired Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. Cameron Parker made 13 of 13 from the free-throw line and finished with 18 points for Portland State (2-4). Hunter Woods added 12 points.

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Bryce Thompson made four 3-pointers and scored 18 points to lead Oklahoma State in an 82-56 rout of Tulsa. Thompson, a 6-foot-6 junior from Tulsa, was 6-of-14 shooting from the floor. Moussa Cisse added 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks for Oklahoma State (4-2). Tyreek Smith had 10 points. The Cowboys shot 50% (15 of 30) in the second half and forced seven turnovers. Keyshawn Embery-Simpson was the only Tulsa (2-4) player in double figures, finishing with 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Grant Sherfield scored a season-high 25 points and Oklahoma pulled away late to beat Seton Hall 77-64 on Friday night at the ESPN Events Invitational. Sherfield made 9 of 17 shots from the floor, hitting three 3-pointers and all four of his free throws to help Oklahoma (5-1) win its fifth straight. Sam Godwin came off the bench to score 12 on 6-of-8 shooting with a team-high six rebounds. Jalen Hill and Jacob Groves scored 10 apiece. Sherfield sank 6 of 9 first-half shots with a 3-pointer, scoring 13 to help Oklahoma take a 34-33 lead at intermission. Al-Amir Dawes topped Seton Hall with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc.

ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands (AP) — Gabby Gregory scored a career-high 35 points, 20 of them in the second half, and No. 25 Kansas State defeated stubborn Northern Arizona 93-80 on Friday night at the Paradise Jam. Gregory, who scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, hit a 3-pointer to cap a 12-5 run that gave the Wildcats a 76-61 lead with 7:13 remaining. Nyah Moran hit a 3-pointer with 3:05 remaining to get NAU within 10 points at 81-71 and Montana Oltrogge hit a 3-pointer to make it 88-78 with :58 seconds left, but the Lumberjacks would get no closer. Jaelyn Glenn scored 23, Brylee Glenn 14 and Serena Sundell 13 for Kansas State.

Final	(5)Virginia	72	Md.-Eastern Shore	45	

Final	(16)Illinois	92	Lindenwood (Mo.)	59	

Saturday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

Friday Sports Day (Listen) 

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — Bobby Pettiford Jr. made a twisting reverse layup off a loose rebound with 0.2 seconds left in overtime to give No. 3 Kansas a 69-68 win over Wisconsin in a Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal on Thursday.

Pettiford's layup marked his only points of the game, capping a thriller that saw Wisconsin rally from 15 down early in the second half.

Pettiford landed on the floor after the basket as he watched the ball go through the net, then extended his fists in front of him and yelled as he started to sit up. By the time he had gotten on his feet, he had a big smile while his teammates began to hug and gather with him near the baseline corner to celebrate.

The team left the court to chants of “Bobby! Bobby!” as they headed to Friday's championship game.

Jalen Wilson scored 29 points and had 14 rebounds for the reigning national champion Jayhawks (6-0), and Kevin McCullar Jr. had 18 points and nine rebounds — and a 3 to force overtime.

Tyler Wahl led the Badgers (4-1) with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Most of his points came after half in what was at times a one-man comeback, including a spinning drive against a falling Wilson for a layup and a 68-67 lead with 21 seconds left.

Wisconsin shot 48% in the second half behind Wahl, who had 14 points and got to the foul line seven times. That included a run of nine straight points with his team down by eight, ending with his banked-in runner against Kansas' Gradey Dick for a 61-60 lead with 49.4 seconds left in regulation.

Wisconsin appeared on the verge of pulling off a stunner after a pair of free throws by Connor Essegian made it 63-60, but McCullar buried a clutch 3 from the left wing with 11.8 seconds left to tie it and force OT.

Wisconsin: The same team that struggled to crack 40 points — or make a shot, frankly — in the first round of the tournament looked to be on its way to another bad offensive showing. Instead, Wahl and the Badgers showed resilience and climbed back in it, they stayed shot for shot with Kansas down the stretch.

Kansas: The Jayhawks didn't have an easy time of their Atlantis debut on Thursday, needing to battle to the final minutes against N.C. State. This time, Pettiford was in the right place at the right time after Wilson tipped the ball from Wahl's reach for a rebound off Zach Clemence's missed 3-pointer. Just like that, Kansas was still unbeaten.

Wisconsin: The Badgers will face the Southern California-Tennessee loser in Friday's third-place game.

Kansas: The Jayhawks advanced to Friday's championship game to face the Southern California-Tennessee winner.

No. 3 Kansas survives OT scare from Wisconsin 69-68

The Rams visit the Chiefs on Sunday for their first matchup since 2018, when Los Angeles won an epic 54-51 thriller on a late touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Gerald Everett. The teams nearly played in last season's Super Bowl, but the Chiefs blew a late lead against Cincinnati in the AFC title game. The Rams are riding their first four-game losing streak under Sean McVay while the Chiefs have won four straight since a close loss to Buffalo in mid-October.

LOS ANGELES RAMS (3-7) at KANSAS CITY (8-2)

FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NFL LINE: Chiefs by 14 1/2

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Rams 2-7-1; Chiefs 4-6

LAST MEETING: Rams beat the Chiefs 54-51 on Nov. 19, 2018, in Los Angeles

LAST WEEK: Rams lost to Saints 27-20; Chiefs beat Chargers 30-27

RAMS OFFENSE: OVERALL (31), RUSH (31), PASS (20), SCORING (29)

RAMS DEFENSE: OVERALL (10), RUSH (4), PASS (17), SCORING (17)

CHIEFS OFFENSE: OVERALL (1), RUSH (18), PASS (1), SCORING (1)

CHIEFS DEFENSE: OVERALL (20), RUSH (5), PASS (27), SCORING (21)

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Rams minus-7; Chiefs minus-3

RAMS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Bryce Perkins. Matthew Stafford was in the concussion protocol after taking a hit last week against New Orleans, and it's likely that Perkins will get the start in Kansas City. John Wolford started a week earlier when Stafford was out against Arizona, but has a neck injury.

CHIEFS PLAYER TO WATCH: TE Travis Kelce had six catches for 115 yards and three TDs last week against the Chargers, including the go-ahead score in the final minute. His value has always been high, but with injuries to wide receivers Mecole Hardman, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kadarius Toney, he is the most reliable pass catcher in the Kansas City offense.

KEY MATCHUP: Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco against the Rams run defense, which ranks fourth in the league and has been one of their rare bright spots this season. Pacheco ran for 107 yards last week against the Chargers, giving the air-it-out Chiefs offense some semblance of balance for the first time this season.

KEY INJURIES: Stafford is in the concussion protocol for the Rams. ... OG Joe Thuney (ankle) and WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring) missed practice for the Chiefs, though Smith-Schuster (concussion) is expected to return.

SERIES NOTES: Kansas City has won five of the past six games in the series, but the lone loss was one of the memorable regular-season games in NFL history. Jared Goff threw the go-ahead 40-yard touchdown pass to Gerald Everett with 1:49 left to give the Rams a 54-51 victory. Goff finished with 413 yards and four touchdowns passing while Chiefs counterpart Patrick Mahomes threw for 478 yards with six TD passes and three interceptions.

STATS AND STUFF: The Rams have lost four straight games for the first time under Sean McVay. ... Rams WR Tutu Atwell scored his first NFL touchdown on a 62-yard pass from Stafford last week against New Orleans. ... Rams WR Allen Robinson II has at least one catch in all 110 games of his career. He had four for 47 yards and a score against the Saints. ... The Rams ran for a season-high 148 yards against New Orleans. ... Rams LB Leonard Floyd and DT Greg Gaines had two sacks apiece against the Saints. ... The Chiefs have had at least 400 yards in four straight games. The franchise record is five set in 2004 and matched in 2020. ... Kelce has 33 games with at least 100 yards receiving, a record for tight ends. His streak of 136 consecutive games with a catch trails only Arizona's DeAndre Hopkins (140). ... Mahomes and Kelce have connected for 45 touchdown passes, trailing only Tom Brady-Gronkowski and Drew Brees-Jimmy Graham for most for a quarterback and tight end. ... Mahomes has thrown at least one TD pass in 15 straight games. ... Chiefs DE Mike Danna and DT Chris Jones had two sacks apiece last week against the Chargers.

FANTASY TIP: The Rams are second to last in the league against the pass, and that bodes well not only for Mahomes but whomever he has available. Hardman, Smith-Schuster and Toney could all miss the game, so grabbing WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling or up-and-down rookie Skyy Moore could be a wise move this week.

Rams to face Chiefs for first time since 2018 thriller

Class 6A @ Emporia 1:00pm Gardner-Edgerton (9-3) vs Manhattan (12-0)

Class 5A @ Pittsburg 1:00 pm Mill Valley (11-1) vs Maize (12-0)

Class 4A @ Topeka 1:00 pm Bishop Miege (10-2) vs Wamego (12-0)

Class 3A @ Hutchinson 1:00 pm Holton (11-1) vs&nbsp; Andale (12-0)

Class 2A @ Salina 1:00 pm Nemaha Central (12-0) vs Kingman (12-0)

Class 1A @ Hays 1:00 pm St. Mary's (10-2) vs Inman (11-1)

8-Man DI @ Newton 3:30 pm Little River (11-1) vs Wichita County (12-0)

8-Man DII @ Newton 11:00 am Axtell (12-0) vs Thunder Ridge (11-1)

6-Man @ Dodge City 1:00 pm Cunningham (12-0) vs Ashland (10-1)&nbsp;

Saturday State Championship Schedule

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs could have wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster back for this weekend's game against the Los Angeles Rams after he returned to practice Wednesday for the first time since landing in the concussion protocol two weeks ago.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said that Smith-Schuster would need to get through a workout to officially clear the protocol, but signs point toward him being available Sunday. And that would be a major boost for a Chiefs offense missing wide receiver Mecole Hardman and potentially Kadarius Toney, who missed Wednesday's practice with a hamstring injury.

“Hopefully everything goes well with the protocol and stuff like that, he's ready to go,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “To have that energy on the sideline — he's a great player and a great teammate, and you always want to have those guys back in the huddle.”

Right guard Joe Thuney missed practice Wednesday with an ankle injury, though Reid said it's getting better. Safety Juan Thornhill worked out despite a calf injury and cornerback Jaylen Watson despite an ailing hand.

The Chiefs also made a series of roster moves, putting running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain; they activated offensive lineman Lucas Niang to the 53-man roster after he spent the start of the season on the PUP list; and they signed tight end Kendall Blanton to the practice squad after an injury to Jordan Franks.

The decision to put Edwards-Helaire on IR comes shortly after the 2020 first-round pick ceded the starting job to seventh-round draft pick Isiah Pacheco. The Chiefs also have Jerick McKinnon in the backfield, though he's primarily a threat in the pass game, and veteran Ronald Jones II could be active for the first time Sunday.

“There's a chance he plays. I mean, a legitimate chance,” Reid said, “but within that he has to make sure he has all the protections down, the timing of the runs. Those are the things we look at. But he's been working at it.”

Smith-Schuster wound up missing only last week's 30-27 win over the Chargers after a vicious helmet-to-helmet shot from Jacksonville safety Andre Cisco the previous week left him laying motionless on the Arrowhead Stadium turf.

Smith-Schuster, who signed a one-year prove-it deal with Kansas City, has been more productive as he became more familiar with Mahomes and the offense. He caught five passes for 113 yards and a touchdown against Buffalo, seven for 124 yards and a score against San Francisco and 10 for 88 yards against Tennessee before getting hurt.

Justin Watson led the Chiefs with three catches for 67 yards against the Chargers last Sunday. Skyy Moore had the best game of his rookie season with five catches for 63 yards. The only other wide receiver in their depleted group to catch a pass was Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who had an 18-yard grab to show for his four targets.

The performance by Moore, a second-round draft pick, was perhaps the most encouraging of them.

“He’s been struggling at times but you know what? It never put him in a dark place,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said. “We always knew exactly what he can do. He just needed that opportunity to just go out there and shine.”

Chiefs could have Smith-Schuster back from injury for Rams

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (AP) — Keyontae Johnson scored 16 points and his jumper with five seconds left allowed Kansas State to remain undefeated and hand LSU its first loss, 61-59 in the championship game of the Cayman Islands Classic on Wednesday night.

Adam Miller gave LSU the lead, 59-57 with his layup with 1:15 left, but Markquis Nowell answered with a jumper with 49 seconds to go. The Tigers' KJ Williams turned over the ball 15 seconds later, the Wildcats ran the clock down before Johnson took a feed from Desi Sills and buried the winning shot.

Neither team managed a two-possession lead in the final eight minutes. The game was tied three times in the final five minutes and the lead changed hands four times.

Nowell led Kansas State (6-0) with 18 points and Sills contributed 16 points off the bench.

Williams led LSU (5-1) with a double-double, putting up 17 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Justice Hill scored 12 points and Miller contributed 11 points.

Johnson lifts Kansas State past LSU, 61-59 for Cayman title

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A federal judge has denied a request from a 19-year-old woman to allow her to watch her father’s death by injection, upholding a Missouri law that bars anyone under 21 from witnessing an execution.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-executions-missouri-3c5c00c2e09cc3d4639b827e374e45a1">Kevin Johnson</a>&nbsp;is set to be executed Tuesday for killing Kirkwood, Missouri, Police Officer William McEntee in 2005. Johnson’s lawyers have appeals pending that seek to spare his life.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/executions-kansas-city-missouri-american-civil-liberties-union-fb286220ab2c127df3b9f56db67c6d45">His daughter, Khorry Ramey, had sought</a>&nbsp;to attend the execution, and the American Civil Liberties Union had filed an emergency motion with a federal court in Kansas City. The ACLU’s court filing said the age requirement served no safety purpose and violates Ramey’s constitutional rights. But U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes ruled late Friday that Ramey's constitutional rights would not be violated by the law.

“I’m heartbroken that I won’t be able to be with my dad in his last moments,” Ramey said in a statement. “My dad is the most important person in my life. He has been there for me my whole life, even though he’s been incarcerated."

While the judge acknowledged that the law would cause emotional harm for Ramey, he found that was just one part of the court's consideration and the law did not violate her constitutional rights.

Ramey said she was praying that Gov. Michael Parson would grant her father clemency. Johnson’s lawyers have filed appeals seeking to halt the execution. They don’t challenge his guilt but claim racism played a role in the decision to seek the death penalty, and in the jury’s decision to sentence him to die. Johnson is Black and McEntee was white.

Johnson’s lawyers also have asked the courts to intervene for other reasons, including a history of mental illness and his age — he was 19 at the time of the crime. Courts have increasingly moved away from sentencing teen offenders to death since the Supreme Court in 2005 banned the execution of offenders who were younger than 18 at the time of their crime.

In a court filing to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office stated there were no grounds for court intervention.

“The surviving victims of Johnson’s crimes have waited long enough for justice, and every day longer that they must wait is a day they are denied the chance to finally make peace with their loss,” the state petition stated.

Judge denies 19-year-old's ask to attend father's execution

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22SAM%20MEDNICK%20and%20JAMEY%20KEATEN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By SAM MEDNICK and JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press</a>

KHERSON, Ukraine (AP) — Fleeing shelling, civilians on Saturday streamed out of the southern Ukrainian city whose recapture they had celebrated just weeks earlier as the country remembered a Stalin-era famine and sought to ensure that Russia's war in Ukraine doesn’t deprive others worldwide of its vital food exports.

A line of trucks, vans and cars, some towing trailers or ferrying out pets and other belongings, stretched a kilometer or more on the outskirts of the city of Kherson.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-11bd38a125fa8e6d34ccb1fc62df8e3e">Days of intensive shelling</a>&nbsp;by Russian forces prompted a bittersweet exodus: Many civilians&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-business-46c1061fc44458c903cf12fa442c57e1">were happy</a>&nbsp;that their city had been won back, but lamented that they couldn't stay.

“It is sad that we are leaving our home,” said Yevhen Yankov, as a van he was in inched forward. "Now we are free, but we have to leave, because there is shelling, and there are dead among the population.”

Poking her head out from the back, Svitlana Romanivna added: “We went through real hell. Our neighborhood was burning, it was a nightmare. Everything was in flames.”

Emilie Fourrey, emergency project coordinator for aid group Doctors Without Borders in Ukraine, said an evacuation of 400 patients of Kherson's psychiatric hospital, which is situated near both an electrical plant and the frontline, had begun on Thursday and was set to continue in the coming days.

Kherson was one of many cities in recent days to face a blistering onslaught of Russian artillery fire and drone attacks, with the shelling especially intense there. Elsewhere, the barrage largely targeted infrastructure, though civilian casualties were reported. Repair crews across the country were scrambling Saturday to restore heat, electricity and water services that were blasted into disrepair.

Russia has ratcheted up its attacks on critical infrastructure after suffering battlefield setbacks. A prominent Russian nationalist said Saturday the Russian military doesn't have enough doctors, in what was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-moscow-fa5db922708b22b212f546b2f84a7cfb">a rare public admission</a>&nbsp;of problems within the military.

In the capital Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy oversaw a busy day of diplomacy, welcoming several European Union leaders for meetings and hosting an “International Summit on Food Security” to discuss food security and agricultural exports from the country.

The prime ministers of Belgium, Poland and Lithuania and the president of Hungary were on hand, and many others participated by video.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine — despite its own financial straits — has allocated 900 million hryvna ($24 million) to purchase corn for countries including Yemen, Sudan, Kenya and Nigeria.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine was working to get its grain on ships and to countries that need it.

“Our goal is ambitious and specific – to save at least 5 million people from hunger," Zelenskyy said.

The reminder about food supplies was timely: Ukrainians were marking the 90th anniversary of the start of the “Holodomor,” or Great Famine, which killed more than 3 million people over two years as the Soviet government under dictator Josef Stalin confiscated food and grain supplies and deported many Ukrainians.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz marked the commemoration by drawing parallels with the impact of the war on Ukraine on world markets. Exports from Ukraine have resumed under a U.N.-brokered deal but have still been far short of pre-war levels, driving up global prices.

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