By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Info

he door has been knocked on only once in its storied program history but Season 56 produced the ram rod as the top ranked Barton Community College men's basketball team captured the NJCAA Division I National Championship at the Hutchinson Sports Arena with an 88-73 victory over Triton College.

Making the most of just its 5th tournament appearance after being snubbed as an at-large berth last season, the Cougars completed the mission on its 27th straight victory to claim the College's 60th team national title and second in less than thirty days following the women's track and field's indoor title earlier in the month.

Barton completes the year at 36-1 tying for the most wins in program history while Triton finishes at 34-3 in their first ever Division I title appearance while as a team earning the Charles Sesher Sportsmanship Award.

Hometown product Myles Thompson led the Cougars for the final time with his 7th double-double performance of the year on a game high 27 points and 13 rebounds while Lajae Jones added 14 points and 13 rebounds for his 15th double-double in just twenty-two minutes in earning the 2024 Tournament MVP. The son of Cougar legend Jackie Jones finished the tournament with 66 points, 43 rebounds, and two double-doubles in the four games despite being saddled with foul trouble in a pair of contests.

Arguably a co-MVP with his week-long performance, Thompson also landed on the All-Tournament team as did Ring Malith after canning 4-of-7 from deep for 22 points and three steals.

Cooper Jackson added 14 points with 6 assists and 2 steals with Mozae Downing-Rivers dishing out a game high 7 dimes with 4 rebounds.

Four Tritons also reached double digit scoring despite being held nineteen points below their season average. Canning 5-of-6 from long distance, Dior Connors led with 24 points with Amar Augillard scoring 23 points despite an off-night 1-of-11 beyond the arc. Scoring 10 points each were Dylan Williams and X-factor AJ Dixon before fouling out with ten minutes remaining. Tolu Samuels led all players with 16 rebounds.

Barton won the rebounds by 12 while outshooting Triton 43.3% to 38.1% including 50% from three-point going 11-of-22 while the Trojans were just 8-of-28.

Both teams started off on fire by scoring in each of their first four possessions, Thompson answering the Trojans' opening triple with a trey followed by Jones arc buster answering Triton's conversion of an And-1. Thompson would again answer a Trojan jumper with an inside bucket and following another Triton basket, Jackson's three-pointer gave the Cougars' their first lead at 11-10 with 17:15 on the clock.

After Barton grabbed the lead, the Trojans fired right back with seven straight for their biggest lead of six at the 15:45 mark.

A Jones bucket and Malith's first of a trio of treys cutting the margin to one, Triton sank all three charity tosses after being fouled on a three-pointer pushing the gap back out to four.

Malith continued to stay hot tacking on seven straight points including another arc buster as Barton would never trail again for the final 28 minutes.

The game was tied just three more times with Malith's third triple followed by Thompson's jumper breaking the sixth and final deadlock.

Following a Triton trey slicing the deficit to two, Barton strung seven straight in a little over two minutes for its largest first half lead of nine coming at 39-30 with 2:26 remaining.

Triton would battle back to trail by just five twice but reserve Amiri Ndayisaba's triple with twelve seconds left in front of the Trojan bench swung the momentum to the Cougars' in a 46-39 lead to halftime.

A 12-4 stretch out of the locker room extended Barton's lead to twelve but was immediately sliced in half after Triton's six-pack answer.

Jackson's offensive rebound putback among the trees followed by Keandre Kindell's triple and Brent Moss' 1-of-2 trip to the line pushed it back to twelve with thirteen minutes left.

Three minutes later Barton had its largest advantage of fifteen after a pair of Kindell tosses and consecutive inside jumpers from Thompson for a 69-54 lead with 9:21 left on the clock.

Triton hung around and as the clock ticked under six to play, cut the deficit under double-digits and trailed by just five at 78-73 after Connors' three-pointer with 3:48 left.

Thompson, a 50% free throw shooter entering Saturday, buried a perfect two tosses on his 8-of-8 afternoon from the stripe then after Triton turned the ball over on the inbounds, muscled his way inside for another macho man signature style bucket.

Following empty possessions from each team, Jackson's step-back triple pushed the gap back to double-digits with 2:24 remaining.

Thompson's drive through the lane with eighty-six seconds left capped the squad's field goals on the day with Jackson's 1-of-2 trip to the line with forty-nine seconds put a lid on the scoring as Triton was held scoreless for the last 3:48 including a classy last possession of idle dribbling draining the remaining thirty seconds on the clock.

Lajae Jone (William French Most Valuable Player) - Barton (KS) G So.

Bradyn Hubbard - Connors State (OK) F So.

Jimmie Williams - Wallace State (AL) G Fr.

Tavion Banks - Northwest Florida State G/F So.

Myles Thompson - Barton (KS) F So.

Bud Obee Outstanding Small Player Award: Dylan Williams - Triton (IL) G So.

Charles Sesher Sportsmanship Award: Triton (IL)

Coach of the Tournament: Jeremy Coombs - Barton (KS)

- The 2024 Tournament was Barton's fifth appearance in program history – the first since 2018

- Barton's championship game appearance was just the program's second (1999)

- Triton was making their first Division I Championship appearance since becoming a DI school five seasons ago

- Triton was making their 18th overall tournament appearance and third straight including second straight semifinal game

- Triton's 34-3 record tied the most wins in team history

- The Championship appearance was Triton's third overall between DI and DII.

- 215 career steals *2nd most – 103 behind Eric Bush's 319 (1999-01)

- 401 career assists *3rd most – 52 behind Gene Butler's 453 (1990-92)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711884368743.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Infohe door has been knocked on only once in its storied program history but Season 56 produced the ram rod as the top ranked Barton Community College men's basketball team captured the NJCAA Division I National Championship at the Hutchinson Sports Arena with an 88-73 victory over Triton College.Making the most of just its 5th tournament appearance after being snubbed as an at-large berth last season, the Cougars completed the mission on its 27th straight victory to claim the College's 60th team national title and second in less than thirty days following the women's track and field's indoor title earlier in the month.Barton completes the year at 36-1 tying for the most wins in program history while Triton finishes at 34-3 in their first ever Division I title appearance while as a team earning the Charles Sesher Sportsmanship Award.Hometown product Myles Thompson led the Cougars for the final time with his 7th double-double performance of the year on a game high 27 points and 13 rebounds while Lajae Jones added 14 points and 13 rebounds for his 15th double-double in just twenty-two minutes in earning the 2024 Tournament MVP. The son of Cougar legend Jackie Jones finished the tournament with 66 points, 43 rebounds, and two double-doubles in the four games despite being saddled with foul trouble in a pair of contests.Arguably a co-MVP with his week-long performance, Thompson also landed on the All-Tournament team as did Ring Malith after canning 4-of-7 from deep for 22 points and three steals.Cooper Jackson added 14 points with 6 assists and 2 steals with Mozae Downing-Rivers dishing out a game high 7 dimes with 4 rebounds.Four Tritons also reached double digit scoring despite being held nineteen points below their season average. Canning 5-of-6 from long distance, Dior Connors led with 24 points with Amar Augillard scoring 23 points despite an off-night 1-of-11 beyond the arc. Scoring 10 points each were Dylan Williams and X-factor AJ Dixon before fouling out with ten minutes remaining. Tolu Samuels led all players with 16 rebounds.Barton won the rebounds by 12 while outshooting Triton 43.3% to 38.1% including 50% from three-point going 11-of-22 while the Trojans were just 8-of-28.Both teams started off on fire by scoring in each of their first four possessions, Thompson answering the Trojans' opening triple with a trey followed by Jones arc buster answering Triton's conversion of an And-1. Thompson would again answer a Trojan jumper with an inside bucket and following another Triton basket, Jackson's three-pointer gave the Cougars' their first lead at 11-10 with 17:15 on the clock.After Barton grabbed the lead, the Trojans fired right back with seven straight for their biggest lead of six at the 15:45 mark.A Jones bucket and Malith's first of a trio of treys cutting the margin to one, Triton sank all three charity tosses after being fouled on a three-pointer pushing the gap back out to four.Malith continued to stay hot tacking on seven straight points including another arc buster as Barton would never trail again for the final 28 minutes.The game was tied just three more times with Malith's third triple followed by Thompson's jumper breaking the sixth and final deadlock.Following a Triton trey slicing the deficit to two, Barton strung seven straight in a little over two minutes for its largest first half lead of nine coming at 39-30 with 2:26 remaining.Triton would battle back to trail by just five twice but reserve Amiri Ndayisaba's triple with twelve seconds left in front of the Trojan bench swung the momentum to the Cougars' in a 46-39 lead to halftime.A 12-4 stretch out of the locker room extended Barton's lead to twelve but was immediately sliced in half after Triton's six-pack answer.Jackson's offensive rebound putback among the trees followed by Keandre Kindell's triple and Brent Moss' 1-of-2 trip to the line pushed it back to twelve with thirteen minutes left.Three minutes later Barton had its largest advantage of fifteen after a pair of Kindell tosses and consecutive inside jumpers from Thompson for a 69-54 lead with 9:21 left on the clock.Triton hung around and as the clock ticked under six to play, cut the deficit under double-digits and trailed by just five at 78-73 after Connors' three-pointer with 3:48 left.Thompson, a 50% free throw shooter entering Saturday, buried a perfect two tosses on his 8-of-8 afternoon from the stripe then after Triton turned the ball over on the inbounds, muscled his way inside for another macho man signature style bucket.Following empty possessions from each team, Jackson's step-back triple pushed the gap back to double-digits with 2:24 remaining.Thompson's drive through the lane with eighty-six seconds left capped the squad's field goals on the day with Jackson's 1-of-2 trip to the line with forty-nine seconds put a lid on the scoring as Triton was held scoreless for the last 3:48 including a classy last possession of idle dribbling draining the remaining thirty seconds on the clock.All-Tournament TeamLajae Jone (William French Most Valuable Player) - Barton (KS) G So.Chris Mpaka - Indian Hills (IA) F So.Bradyn Hubbard - Connors State (OK) F So.John-Paul Ricks - Hutchinson (KS) G So.Jabari McGhee - South Plains (TX) G So.Malique Ewin - South Plains (TX) F So.Jimmie Williams - Wallace State (AL) G Fr.Tavion Banks - Northwest Florida State G/F So.Willie Lightfoot - Odessa (TX) G So.AJ Dixon - Triton (IL) G Fr.Amar Augillard - Triton (IL) G So.Ring Malith - Barton (KS) G So.Myles Thompson - Barton (KS) F So.Bud Obee Outstanding Small Player Award: Dylan Williams - Triton (IL) G So.Charles Sesher Sportsmanship Award: Triton (IL)Coach of the Tournament: Jeremy Coombs - Barton (KS)GAME NOTES- The 2024 Tournament was Barton's fifth appearance in program history – the first since 2018- Barton's championship game appearance was just the program's second (1999)- Triton was making their first Division I Championship appearance since becoming a DI school five seasons ago- Triton was making their 18th overall tournament appearance and third straight including second straight semifinal game- Triton's 34-3 record tied the most wins in team history- The Championship appearance was Triton's third overall between DI and DII.Individual Record Book ImpactCooper Jackson- 215 career steals *2nd most – 103 behind Eric Bush's 319 (1999-01)Mozae Downing-Rivers- 401 career assists *3rd most – 52 behind Gene Butler's 453 (1990-92)

Mission complete, top ranked Barton Co. Cougars win 1st ever National Title

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Byron Buxton drove in the tying run in the eighth inning, Christian Vázquez drove in the go-ahead run to start off a four-run ninth, and the Minnesota Twins rallied for a 5-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.

Griffin Jax (1-0), who earned the save on opening day, picked up the win with a scoreless eighth inning for Minnesota. Brock Stewart handled the ninth this time, working around a single by MJ Melendez to put the Twins on the brink of a second straight season-opening sweep of their AL Central rivals.

“I mean, up and down the lineup, fantastic. Almost every guy in this lineup did several things to help us win the game,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “Our pitching staff ... had a fantastic day. The bullpen came in and just shut things down.”

Will Smith (0-1), whom the Royals signed to a $5 million deal to close out games, had a debut to forget. He hit Ryan Jeffers with one out in the ninth, walked Willi Castro on a full-count pitch, then watched Vázquez drive in the go-ahead run.

Alex Kirilloff added a sacrifice fly and Buxton a two-run double later in the ninth.

“If we continue to pitch like that,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said, “we’re going to be fine.”

The Royals' bullpen ultimately wasted six brilliant innings from Seth Lugo, whom they signed to a $45 million, three-year deal in the offseason. Lugo allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out four in a dominant first outing for Kansas City.

“My goal is to pitch as deep as possible,” said Lugo, who also hit a batter — before his bullpen proceeded to hit three more. "Weak contact and ground balls, that’s my game plan.”

The Twins didn't exactly do any favors for Joe Ryan, either.

The right-hander retired the first 10 batters he faced and was still cruising along until Bobby Witt Jr. legged out a double in the sixth. Steven Okert came in and, after getting a groundout and intentionally walking Salvador Perez, Melendez singled through the left side to give Kansas City the 1-0 lead.

It was still that way after the Royals' John Schreiber escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. But Edouard Julien led off the eighth with a double off James McArthur, and Buxton followed two batters later with a tying double of his own.

“We didn't put a bunch of runs on the board but we had some good swings. We just couldn't get the right swing at the right time,” Baldelli said. “We got some baserunners and we took advantage of it late in the game and separated in a good way.”

Twins INF Royce Lewis went on the injured list with a “severe quad strain” and could miss more than a month, said Derek Falvey, their president of baseball operations. Lewis hurt it on opening day Thursday rounding the bases. He had homered and singled in his two at-bats. “He's going to have some significant time down,” Falvey said.

UTIL Austin Martin was called up from Triple-A St. Paul and is prepared to make his big league debut. He had about 10 friends and family members fly into Kansas City with the hopes of seeing him play this weekend.

Twins RHP Bailey Ober will start the series finale on Sunday. RHP Brady Singer will face him for Kansas City.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Byron Buxton drove in the tying run in the eighth inning, Christian Vázquez drove in the go-ahead run to start off a four-run ninth, and the Minnesota Twins rallied for a 5-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.Griffin Jax (1-0), who earned the save on opening day, picked up the win with a scoreless eighth inning for Minnesota. Brock Stewart handled the ninth this time, working around a single by MJ Melendez to put the Twins on the brink of a second straight season-opening sweep of their AL Central rivals.“I mean, up and down the lineup, fantastic. Almost every guy in this lineup did several things to help us win the game,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “Our pitching staff ... had a fantastic day. The bullpen came in and just shut things down.”Will Smith (0-1), whom the Royals signed to a $5 million deal to close out games, had a debut to forget. He hit Ryan Jeffers with one out in the ninth, walked Willi Castro on a full-count pitch, then watched Vázquez drive in the go-ahead run.Alex Kirilloff added a sacrifice fly and Buxton a two-run double later in the ninth.“If we continue to pitch like that,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said, “we’re going to be fine.”The Royals' bullpen ultimately wasted six brilliant innings from Seth Lugo, whom they signed to a $45 million, three-year deal in the offseason. Lugo allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out four in a dominant first outing for Kansas City.“My goal is to pitch as deep as possible,” said Lugo, who also hit a batter — before his bullpen proceeded to hit three more. "Weak contact and ground balls, that’s my game plan.”The Twins didn't exactly do any favors for Joe Ryan, either.The right-hander retired the first 10 batters he faced and was still cruising along until Bobby Witt Jr. legged out a double in the sixth. Steven Okert came in and, after getting a groundout and intentionally walking Salvador Perez, Melendez singled through the left side to give Kansas City the 1-0 lead.It was still that way after the Royals' John Schreiber escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. But Edouard Julien led off the eighth with a double off James McArthur, and Buxton followed two batters later with a tying double of his own.“We didn't put a bunch of runs on the board but we had some good swings. We just couldn't get the right swing at the right time,” Baldelli said. “We got some baserunners and we took advantage of it late in the game and separated in a good way.”TRAINER'S ROOMTwins INF Royce Lewis went on the injured list with a “severe quad strain” and could miss more than a month, said Derek Falvey, their president of baseball operations. Lewis hurt it on opening day Thursday rounding the bases. He had homered and singled in his two at-bats. “He's going to have some significant time down,” Falvey said.ROSTER MOVESUTIL Austin Martin was called up from Triple-A St. Paul and is prepared to make his big league debut. He had about 10 friends and family members fly into Kansas City with the hopes of seeing him play this weekend.UP NEXTTwins RHP Bailey Ober will start the series finale on Sunday. RHP Brady Singer will face him for Kansas City.

Buxton, Vázquez deliver timely hits as Twins rally for victory over Royals

Sunday, March 24 FIRST ROUND GAMES SUNDAY, MARCH 24 Walters State 85, Daytona St. 82 Cowley 87, Allegany Maryland 64 &nbsp;Panola 84, Jones College 73 Trinity Valley 61, Georgia Highlands 54 Odessa 81, Trinidad St. 52 Wallace St. 76, Lee 64&nbsp;

MONDAY, MARCH 25 Connors St. 86, Moberly 77 Hutchinson 96, USC Salkehatchie 82

SECOND ROUND GAMES MONDAY, MARCH 25 Barton 83,. Walters St. 68 NW Florida St. 85, Cowley 70 South Plains 80, Panola 76 Triton 105, Trinity Valley 87

TUESDAY, MARCH 26 Odessa 58, Vincennes 56 Indian Hills 63, Wallace St 58 Connors St. 67, Salt Lake 61&nbsp; Hutchinson 78, Chipola 71 &nbsp;QUARTERFINAL GAMES WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27 Barton 87, NW Florida State 73 Triton 88, South Plains 87 Indian Hills 74, Odessa 68 Connors State 91, Hutchinson 69

SEMIFINAL GAMES THURSDAY, MARCH 28 Barton 93, Indian Hills 78 Triton 87, Connors St. 84 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME SATURDAY, MARCH 30 Barton 88, Triton College 73 Barton Cougars 2024 National Champions

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711051200040.png" alt="Schedule and Scores" />
 <figcaption>Schedule and Scores</figcaption>
 </figure>Sunday, March 24 FIRST ROUND GAMES SUNDAY, MARCH 24 Walters State 85, Daytona St. 82 Cowley 87, Allegany Maryland 64 &nbsp;Panola 84, Jones College 73 Trinity Valley 61, Georgia Highlands 54 Odessa 81, Trinidad St. 52 Wallace St. 76, Lee 64&nbsp;MONDAY, MARCH 25 Connors St. 86, Moberly 77 Hutchinson 96, USC Salkehatchie 82SECOND ROUND GAMES MONDAY, MARCH 25 Barton 83,. Walters St. 68 NW Florida St. 85, Cowley 70 South Plains 80, Panola 76 Triton 105, Trinity Valley 87TUESDAY, MARCH 26 Odessa 58, Vincennes 56 Indian Hills 63, Wallace St 58 Connors St. 67, Salt Lake 61&nbsp; Hutchinson 78, Chipola 71 &nbsp;QUARTERFINAL GAMES WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27 Barton 87, NW Florida State 73 Triton 88, South Plains 87 Indian Hills 74, Odessa 68 Connors State 91, Hutchinson 69SEMIFINAL GAMES THURSDAY, MARCH 28 Barton 93, Indian Hills 78 Triton 87, Connors St. 84 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME SATURDAY, MARCH 30 Barton 88, Triton College 73 Barton Cougars 2024 National Champions

NJCAA DI National Tournament Scores - Barton National Champs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Byron Buxton drove in the tying run in the eighth inning, Christian Vázquez drove in the go-ahead run to start off a four-run ninth, and the Minnesota Twins rallied for a 5-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.Griffin Jax (1-0), who earned the save on opening day, picked up the win with a scoreless eighth inning for Minnesota. Brock Stewart handled the ninth this time, working around a single by MJ Melendez to put the Twins on the brink of a second straight season-opening sweep of their AL Central rivals.“I mean, up and down the lineup, fantastic. Almost every guy in this lineup did several things to help us win the game,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “Our pitching staff ... had a fantastic day. The bullpen came in and just shut things down.”Will Smith (0-1), whom the Royals signed to a $5 million deal to close out games, had a debut to forget. He hit Ryan Jeffers with one out in the ninth, walked Willi Castro on a full-count pitch, then watched Vázquez drive in the go-ahead run.Alex Kirilloff added a sacrifice fly and Buxton a two-run double later in the ninth.“If we continue to pitch like that,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said, “we’re going to be fine.”The Royals' bullpen ultimately wasted six brilliant innings from Seth Lugo, whom they signed to a $45 million, three-year deal in the offseason. Lugo allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out four in a dominant first outing for Kansas City.“My goal is to pitch as deep as possible,” said Lugo, who also hit a batter — before his bullpen proceeded to hit three more. "Weak contact and ground balls, that’s my game plan.”The Twins didn't exactly do any favors for Joe Ryan, either.The right-hander retired the first 10 batters he faced and was still cruising along until Bobby Witt Jr. legged out a double in the sixth. Steven Okert came in and, after getting a groundout and intentionally walking Salvador Perez, Melendez singled through the left side to give Kansas City the 1-0 lead.It was still that way after the Royals' John Schreiber escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. But Edouard Julien led off the eighth with a double off James McArthur, and Buxton followed two batters later with a tying double of his own.“We didn't put a bunch of runs on the board but we had some good swings. We just couldn't get the right swing at the right time,” Baldelli said. “We got some baserunners and we took advantage of it late in the game and separated in a good way.”TRAINER'S ROOMTwins INF Royce Lewis went on the injured list with a “severe quad strain” and could miss more than a month, said Derek Falvey, their president of baseball operations. Lewis hurt it on opening day Thursday rounding the bases. He had homered and singled in his two at-bats. “He's going to have some significant time down,” Falvey said.ROSTER MOVESUTIL Austin Martin was called up from Triple-A St. Paul and is prepared to make his big league debut. He had about 10 friends and family members fly into Kansas City with the hopes of seeing him play this weekend.UP NEXTTwins RHP Bailey Ober will start the series finale on Sunday. RHP Brady Singer will face him for Kansas City.

Twins rally for 5-1 victory over Royals

Cougars National Champions! Barton 88, Triton College 73 

DALLAS (AP) — Kyle Filipowski had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Duke advanced to the Elite Eight with a 54-51 win over top-seeded Houston. The Cougars played the final 26 minutes without All-America point guard Jamal Shead after he turned his right ankle. Even with Shead on the bench, the fourth-seeded Blue Devils had to overcome a physical defense that has been one of the best in the country all season. They won despite a season low in points, and advanced to the South Region final against an Atlantic Coast Conference rival, No. 11 seed North Carolina State, for a spot in the Final Four.

DALLAS (AP) — Houston point guard Jamal Shead exited the Cougars' Sweet 16 loss to Duke with 6 1/2 minutes left in the first half after his right foot turned awkwardly on a move to the basket. The All-American walked slowly off the floor and went to the locker room. CBS Sports reported that X-rays showed no fracture and Shead's injury was diagnosed as a severely sprained ankle. Shead was in obvious pain when he went down on the floor under the basket, reached at his foot and then pulled his jersey up over his face. He was later seen resting his right foot on a scooter.

DALLAS (AP) — DJ Horne scored 19 points and North Carolina State kept its magical NCAA Tournament run alive, beating Marquette 67-58 to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 1986. Casey Morsell added 15 points and Mohamed Diarra had 11 points and 15 rebounds for the Wolfpack. They have eight consecutive victories since the start of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. No. 11 seed N.C. State will face an ACC rival, fourth-seeded Duke, on Sunday for a spot in the Final Four. The No. 2 seed Golden Eagles couldn’t overcome an unsightly shooting performance. Kam Jones scored 20 points and point guard Tyler Kolek had 17 points and 10 rebounds.

DETROIT (AP) — Purdue big man Zach Edey withstood all the abuse Gonzaga could lay on him, finishing with 27 points and 14 rebounds to lift the Boilermakers to an 80-68 victory and move them one win from the Final Four. Gonzaga leaned on, swatted and grabbed at the 7-foot-4 center, but it wasn’t enough to stop either him or his top-seeded team. On Sunday, Purdue, which last year became history’s second first-round loser as a No. 1 seed, will face Tennessee in the Midwest Region final. A win there would land the program in the Final Four for the first time since 1980.

DETROIT (AP) — Dalton Knecht had 24 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals, and Tennessee moved within a victory of its first trip to the Final Four, beating Creighton 82-75 in a Midwest Region semifinal. Zakai Zeigler added 18 points and six assists for the Volunteers. When Tennessee lost last year in the regional semifinals for the second straight season, Knecht was at Northern Colorado and Zeigler was out with a torn knee ligament. Tennessee will face top-seeded Purdue, which beat Gonzaga earlier Friday night, on Sunday for the Midwest Region title. Baylor Scheierman scored 25 points for Creighton.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707734642080.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DALLAS (AP) — Kyle Filipowski had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Duke advanced to the Elite Eight with a 54-51 win over top-seeded Houston. The Cougars played the final 26 minutes without All-America point guard Jamal Shead after he turned his right ankle. Even with Shead on the bench, the fourth-seeded Blue Devils had to overcome a physical defense that has been one of the best in the country all season. They won despite a season low in points, and advanced to the South Region final against an Atlantic Coast Conference rival, No. 11 seed North Carolina State, for a spot in the Final Four.DALLAS (AP) — Houston point guard Jamal Shead exited the Cougars' Sweet 16 loss to Duke with 6 1/2 minutes left in the first half after his right foot turned awkwardly on a move to the basket. The All-American walked slowly off the floor and went to the locker room. CBS Sports reported that X-rays showed no fracture and Shead's injury was diagnosed as a severely sprained ankle. Shead was in obvious pain when he went down on the floor under the basket, reached at his foot and then pulled his jersey up over his face. He was later seen resting his right foot on a scooter.DALLAS (AP) — DJ Horne scored 19 points and North Carolina State kept its magical NCAA Tournament run alive, beating Marquette 67-58 to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 1986. Casey Morsell added 15 points and Mohamed Diarra had 11 points and 15 rebounds for the Wolfpack. They have eight consecutive victories since the start of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. No. 11 seed N.C. State will face an ACC rival, fourth-seeded Duke, on Sunday for a spot in the Final Four. The No. 2 seed Golden Eagles couldn’t overcome an unsightly shooting performance. Kam Jones scored 20 points and point guard Tyler Kolek had 17 points and 10 rebounds.DETROIT (AP) — Purdue big man Zach Edey withstood all the abuse Gonzaga could lay on him, finishing with 27 points and 14 rebounds to lift the Boilermakers to an 80-68 victory and move them one win from the Final Four. Gonzaga leaned on, swatted and grabbed at the 7-foot-4 center, but it wasn’t enough to stop either him or his top-seeded team. On Sunday, Purdue, which last year became history’s second first-round loser as a No. 1 seed, will face Tennessee in the Midwest Region final. A win there would land the program in the Final Four for the first time since 1980.DETROIT (AP) — Dalton Knecht had 24 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals, and Tennessee moved within a victory of its first trip to the Final Four, beating Creighton 82-75 in a Midwest Region semifinal. Zakai Zeigler added 18 points and six assists for the Volunteers. When Tennessee lost last year in the regional semifinals for the second straight season, Knecht was at Northern Colorado and Zeigler was out with a torn knee ligament. Tennessee will face top-seeded Purdue, which beat Gonzaga earlier Friday night, on Sunday for the Midwest Region title. Baylor Scheierman scored 25 points for Creighton.FRIDAY SCORESNCAA Sweet 16SOUTHFinal	NC State	67	Marquette	58	Final	Duke	54	Houston	51	MIDWESTFinal	Purdue	80	Gonzaga	68	Final	Tennessee	82	Creighton	75SATURDAY SCHEDULEElite EightEASTat TD GardenIllinois	vs	UConn	6:09 p.m.	WESTat Crypto.com ArenaClemson	vs	Alabama	8:49 p.m.	MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLAMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Tampa Bay	8	Toronto	2	Final	N.Y. Yankees	7	Houston	1	Final	Seattle	1	Boston	0	Final	Cleveland	6	Oakland	4	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Milwaukee	3	N.Y. Mets	1	Final	Atlanta	9	Philadelphia	3	Final	Pittsburgh	7	Miami	2	Final	San Francisco	8	San Diego	3	Final	Arizona	7	Colorado	3	Final	L.A. Dodgers	6	St. Louis	3	NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Golden State	115	Charlotte	97	Final	Detroit	96	Washington	87	Final	Indiana	109	L.A. Lakers	90	Final	L.A. Clippers	100	Orlando	97	Final	Brooklyn	125	Chicago	108	Final	Cleveland	117	Philadelphia	114	Final	Miami	142	Portland	82	Final	Oklahoma City	128	Phoenix	103	Final OT	San Antonio	130	New York	126	Final	Minnesota	111	Denver	98	Final	Houston	101	Utah	100	Final	Dallas	107	Sacramento	103	NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Buffalo	5	New Jersey	2

Saturday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

- Barton Basketball coach Jeremy Coombs talks about Thursday night's 93-78 win over Indian Hills, and previews Saturday's NJCAA National Championship game against Triton College in Hutchinson.

- Sunflower Sports Solutions Conor Nichol has the update on the week's prep spring sports action.

- A recap of opening day in Major League Baseball

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Friday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Friday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Cz9aX_jjCwk?si=uU1ZnQRsnip3bNj3" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- Barton Basketball coach Jeremy Coombs talks about Thursday night's 93-78 win over Indian Hills, and previews Saturday's NJCAA National Championship game against Triton College in Hutchinson.- Sunflower Sports Solutions Conor Nichol has the update on the week's prep spring sports action.- A recap of opening day in Major League Baseball- Friday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Friday on Sports Day (Watch)

There was Manhattan and there was the rest of the field Thursday in Junction City. The Great Bend boys scored 45 points for sixth place in their track and field season opener. Manhattan more than doubled-up the field with 234.5 points.

Freshman Cooper Onhmacht made a strong debut in the triple jump, beating the field by nearly two feet at 43-3. Just two 5A jumpers had gone further than 40 feet in a light week-one of action. Junior Ben Nicholson placed ninth at 38-7. Ohnmacht also ran 14th in the 100m dash (11.83) and ninth in the 200m dash (24.24). Senior Ramiro Rocho placed eighth in the 200 in 24.13.

Senior Matthew Johnson ran into some big competition in the javelin, placing third on a throw of 150-9 to miss the silver by nine feet. Manhattan senior Samuel Molt won with a throw of 176-6. Sophomore Jacob Hall finished seventh in the shot at 41-11 to miss the bronze by less than two feet.

The Panthers also saw some success in the 3200m run. Sophomore Ismael Ramirez was third in 10:37.75 to miss the silver by 27 seconds. Sophomore Tavon Stroup placed sixth in 10:53.86. Ramirez ran fifth in the 1600 in 4:46.53 to miss the bronze by less than a second. Stroup finished behind him in 4:52.76.

Junior Luis Gonzalez made the 110m hurdle finals for a seventh-place finish in 19.45. The 4x4 team placed fourth in 3:40.52 to miss the bronze by a second.

Other notable performances: 400: 11. Braylon Moore 55.22 800: 13. Diego Pasos 2:18.46 300 hurdles: 7. Luis Gonzalez 48.99, 8. Victor Reyes 50.91 Discus: 11. Conner Holliday 112-9 Long jump: Kellen Brown 11. 19-1

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886299669.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsThere was Manhattan and there was the rest of the field Thursday in Junction City. The Great Bend boys scored 45 points for sixth place in their track and field season opener. Manhattan more than doubled-up the field with 234.5 points.Freshman Cooper Onhmacht made a strong debut in the triple jump, beating the field by nearly two feet at 43-3. Just two 5A jumpers had gone further than 40 feet in a light week-one of action. Junior Ben Nicholson placed ninth at 38-7. Ohnmacht also ran 14th in the 100m dash (11.83) and ninth in the 200m dash (24.24). Senior Ramiro Rocho placed eighth in the 200 in 24.13.Senior Matthew Johnson ran into some big competition in the javelin, placing third on a throw of 150-9 to miss the silver by nine feet. Manhattan senior Samuel Molt won with a throw of 176-6. Sophomore Jacob Hall finished seventh in the shot at 41-11 to miss the bronze by less than two feet.The Panthers also saw some success in the 3200m run. Sophomore Ismael Ramirez was third in 10:37.75 to miss the silver by 27 seconds. Sophomore Tavon Stroup placed sixth in 10:53.86. Ramirez ran fifth in the 1600 in 4:46.53 to miss the bronze by less than a second. Stroup finished behind him in 4:52.76.Junior Luis Gonzalez made the 110m hurdle finals for a seventh-place finish in 19.45. The 4x4 team placed fourth in 3:40.52 to miss the bronze by a second.Other notable performances: 400: 11. Braylon Moore 55.22 800: 13. Diego Pasos 2:18.46 300 hurdles: 7. Luis Gonzalez 48.99, 8. Victor Reyes 50.91 Discus: 11. Conner Holliday 112-9 Long jump: Kellen Brown 11. 19-1

Ohnmacht wins triple jump, Panther boys sixth at Junction City

The Panther track and field teams made their season debut Thursday in Junction City against some strong competition. Without two of the usuals in action, the Lady Panthers scored 108.5 points for fourth place out of eight teams. Salina Central scored 128.5 points for the win, followed by Manhattan with 123.5 points.&nbsp;

The Lady Panther 4x4 team (Sadie Spray, Eliana Beckham, Reese Bullard, and Kara Feist) cruised to the win by 10 seconds in 4:20.14. The 4x8 squad (Beckham, Bullard, Morgan Beckwith, and Addy Nicholson) won by 21 seconds in 10:18.88.

Senior Macy Nachtigal won the lone individual gold with a javelin throw of 122-9 to beat the field by nearly five feet. Sophomore Kimberly Hofflinger placed fourth at 104-2.

Senior Sadie Spray won a pair of individual silvers. She placed second in the 300m hurdles in 51.03 to miss the gold by less than three seconds. Spray cleared 5-0 in the high jump to miss the gold by three inches. Junior Cassie Ellegood finished sixth at 4-10, and junior Kara Feist made her debut in the event at 4-6 for 11th. Ellegood also placed fourth in the triple jump at 32-10.5 to miss the bronze by five inches. Feist placed sixth at 32-2.5.

Senior Eliana Beckham ran second to Salina Central's standout freshman Kaylie Shultz in the 800, crossing in 2:27.54 to miss the gold by six seconds. Junior Kate Welcher placed fifth in 2:37.70, and sophomore Sienna Smith ran sixth in 2:40.17. Sophomore Reese Bullard won the 400 bronze in 1:02.85, less than a second behind the silver.

Salina Central junior Katelyn Rupe dominated the 1600m run by 23 seconds in 5:01. Smith placed fifth in 5:40.22 to miss the bronze by 10 seconds. Junior Marissa Boone finished behind her in 5:40.38, and freshman Bella Long ran seventh in 5:56.16.

Shultz took the 3200m gold for Central by 43 seconds in 10:56. Boone placed fourth in 12:23.70 to miss the bronze by seven seconds. Senior Morgan Beckwith placed fifth in 12:37.30, and freshman Teah King finished sixth in&nbsp;

The top two pole vaulters from Salina each cleared 10-6 to dominate the field by 18 inches. Lady Panther sophomore Kaylea McMullen placed sixth at 7-6, and freshman Kayle Baldwin finished 10th at 6-6.

Other notable finishes: 200: 10. Daizy Gomez 29.74 100h: 10. Kayle Baldwin 21.77 Long jump: 8. Jordyn Harbaugh 14-8.5 Triple jump: 10. Jordyn Harbaugh 31-6.5 Discus: 10. Kimberly Hofflinger 93-2, 12. MacKenzie Lindberg 89-9, 14. Allie Gerhart 85-9 Javelin: 9. Reese King 84-1 Shot put: 7. Natalee Daniels 33-2, 9. Allie Gerhart 32-9, 13. Kimberly Hofflinger 29-7.25.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886617099.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsThe Panther track and field teams made their season debut Thursday in Junction City against some strong competition. Without two of the usuals in action, the Lady Panthers scored 108.5 points for fourth place out of eight teams. Salina Central scored 128.5 points for the win, followed by Manhattan with 123.5 points.&nbsp;The Lady Panther 4x4 team (Sadie Spray, Eliana Beckham, Reese Bullard, and Kara Feist) cruised to the win by 10 seconds in 4:20.14. The 4x8 squad (Beckham, Bullard, Morgan Beckwith, and Addy Nicholson) won by 21 seconds in 10:18.88.Senior Macy Nachtigal won the lone individual gold with a javelin throw of 122-9 to beat the field by nearly five feet. Sophomore Kimberly Hofflinger placed fourth at 104-2.Senior Sadie Spray won a pair of individual silvers. She placed second in the 300m hurdles in 51.03 to miss the gold by less than three seconds. Spray cleared 5-0 in the high jump to miss the gold by three inches. Junior Cassie Ellegood finished sixth at 4-10, and junior Kara Feist made her debut in the event at 4-6 for 11th. Ellegood also placed fourth in the triple jump at 32-10.5 to miss the bronze by five inches. Feist placed sixth at 32-2.5.Senior Eliana Beckham ran second to Salina Central's standout freshman Kaylie Shultz in the 800, crossing in 2:27.54 to miss the gold by six seconds. Junior Kate Welcher placed fifth in 2:37.70, and sophomore Sienna Smith ran sixth in 2:40.17. Sophomore Reese Bullard won the 400 bronze in 1:02.85, less than a second behind the silver.Salina Central junior Katelyn Rupe dominated the 1600m run by 23 seconds in 5:01. Smith placed fifth in 5:40.22 to miss the bronze by 10 seconds. Junior Marissa Boone finished behind her in 5:40.38, and freshman Bella Long ran seventh in 5:56.16.Shultz took the 3200m gold for Central by 43 seconds in 10:56. Boone placed fourth in 12:23.70 to miss the bronze by seven seconds. Senior Morgan Beckwith placed fifth in 12:37.30, and freshman Teah King finished sixth in&nbsp;The top two pole vaulters from Salina each cleared 10-6 to dominate the field by 18 inches. Lady Panther sophomore Kaylea McMullen placed sixth at 7-6, and freshman Kayle Baldwin finished 10th at 6-6.Other notable finishes: 200: 10. Daizy Gomez 29.74 100h: 10. Kayle Baldwin 21.77 Long jump: 8. Jordyn Harbaugh 14-8.5 Triple jump: 10. Jordyn Harbaugh 31-6.5 Discus: 10. Kimberly Hofflinger 93-2, 12. MacKenzie Lindberg 89-9, 14. Allie Gerhart 85-9 Javelin: 9. Reese King 84-1 Shot put: 7. Natalee Daniels 33-2, 9. Allie Gerhart 32-9, 13. Kimberly Hofflinger 29-7.25.

Lady Panthers place fourth in track opener at Junction City

Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit has agreed to a contract with the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, a person with knowledge of the contract told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced the deal.

The 23-year-old Rees-Zammit, one of the best wingers in rugby, announced in January that he was leaving the Welsh national team to pursue a dream of playing in the NFL. He’s projected as a returner/running back/wide receiver.

Rees-Zammit is one of 15 athletes from eight countries participating in the NFL International Player Pathway program. The prospects have spent 10 weeks training at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, getting a crash course in practicing the fundamentals of football and learning the intricacies of a game most have never played.

Rees-Zammit ran an official time of 4.43 in the 40-yard dash last week when the international players participated in the University of South Florida’s pro day. He drew a lot of attention from a crowd that included 51 scouts from 31 teams.

“A bit disappointed in my 40,” Rees-Zammit told the AP afterward. “Last week, I was getting some really good times. I was getting low 4.3s, high 4.2s. So it is what it is. It’s just what happens on the day. But I know I can run that fast. I’m not trying to make excuses or anything, but I know what I can do and I’m happy with the day and how the day went."

Rees-Zammit, whose favorite NFL player growing up was three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson, hopes to play like 49ers stars Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey.

“I watched a lot of footage of Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, players like that who’ve got that versatility because I want to be a player that can play multiple positions and I fully believe I can, so being able to play out of the backfield, being able to line up as a receiver, in the slot, wideout," Rees-Zammit said last week. “I’ve learned a lot in the past eight weeks and I’m pretty excited to see what will happen.”

He'll get an opportunity to catch passes from three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and learn from coach Andy Reid. The NFL's new kickoff rule that makes returners more relevant gives Rees-Zammit a chance to make the team as a specialist.

For the first time this season, each team will have a 17th roster spot on the practice squad specifically available for an international player. Teams also are permitted to promote an international practice squad player to the active roster a maximum of three times throughout the season — increasing opportunities for players to develop and get a chance to play.

Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit has agreed to a contract with the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, a person with knowledge of the contract told The Associated Press.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced the deal.The 23-year-old Rees-Zammit, one of the best wingers in rugby, announced in January that he was leaving the Welsh national team to pursue a dream of playing in the NFL. He’s projected as a returner/running back/wide receiver.Rees-Zammit is one of 15 athletes from eight countries participating in the NFL International Player Pathway program. The prospects have spent 10 weeks training at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, getting a crash course in practicing the fundamentals of football and learning the intricacies of a game most have never played.Rees-Zammit ran an official time of 4.43 in the 40-yard dash last week when the international players participated in the University of South Florida’s pro day. He drew a lot of attention from a crowd that included 51 scouts from 31 teams.“A bit disappointed in my 40,” Rees-Zammit told the AP afterward. “Last week, I was getting some really good times. I was getting low 4.3s, high 4.2s. So it is what it is. It’s just what happens on the day. But I know I can run that fast. I’m not trying to make excuses or anything, but I know what I can do and I’m happy with the day and how the day went."Rees-Zammit, whose favorite NFL player growing up was three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson, hopes to play like 49ers stars Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey.“I watched a lot of footage of Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, players like that who’ve got that versatility because I want to be a player that can play multiple positions and I fully believe I can, so being able to play out of the backfield, being able to line up as a receiver, in the slot, wideout," Rees-Zammit said last week. “I’ve learned a lot in the past eight weeks and I’m pretty excited to see what will happen.”He'll get an opportunity to catch passes from three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and learn from coach Andy Reid. The NFL's new kickoff rule that makes returners more relevant gives Rees-Zammit a chance to make the team as a specialist.For the first time this season, each team will have a 17th roster spot on the practice squad specifically available for an international player. Teams also are permitted to promote an international practice squad player to the active roster a maximum of three times throughout the season — increasing opportunities for players to develop and get a chance to play.

Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit agrees to a contract with the Chiefs

The top seeded Barton Community College men's basketball team continued its march in the 2024 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament with a 93-78 semifinal victory over 5th seeded Indian Hills Community College in Wednesday afternoon's quarterfinal contest at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

Making its third appearance in the national semifinals, the Cougars exercised one part of the haunting memory of its lone championship appearance in 1999 with the revenge ending of Indian Hills' season as the Warriors won the title that season knocking off Barton 100-86.

The Cougars' program second most 26th consecutive victory improves the overall record to 35-1 while Indian Hills ends the year at 29-6.

Barton's next and final step of a historic season comes Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in taking on 7th seeded Triton College for the title. The Trojans held off Connors State College 87-84 to earn the Midwest District champion's first ever title game appearance.

Trailing by three at the 14:13 mark, a mini five straight spurt capped by Mozae Downing-Rivers' triple breaking the third lead change put the Cougars in front for the remaining thirty-three minutes.

Barton led by thirteen at the halftime break, stretched margin to as many as 20 points five minutes out of the locker room in keeping the advantage in the double-digit range the rest of the night.

Lajae Jones led seven Cougars scoring and four in double-figures by putting up 25 points on 7-13 shooting, grabbed a team high 9 rebounds with two steals.

Myles Thompson also grabbed 9 rebounds with his 21 points with a career high 4 assists as the Cougars dished out 21 dimes on 33 made shots.

Coming off the bench the Cougars again received solid play from Brent Moss and Keandre Kindell with 23 combined points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Moss recorded 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting with 5 rebounds while Kindell scored 10 points on 50% shooting including 2-of-3 long distance shooting and dished out a pair of assists with two thefts.

From the guard position Cooper Jackson knocked down a pair of arc busters for 9 points with 7 rebounds and 3 assists as Downing-Rivers posted a stat stuffing 8 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 5 steal performance.

Davontae Hall and Braden Sparks each tallied 17 points to lead the Warriors with TJ Sparks scoring 12 points with Chris Mpaka pulling down a game high 10 rebounds.

- Official NJCAA Championship website: <a href="https://www.njcaa.org/championships/sports/mbkb/div1/index">https://www.njcaa.org/championships/sports/mbkb/div1/index</a>

- Tickets: <a href="https://www.njcaa.org/tickets">https://www.njcaa.org/tickets</a>

- The 2024 Tournament is Barton's fifth appearance in program history – the first since 2018

- Saturday's championship game appearance is just the program's second (1999)

- Indian Hills was making their 18th tournament appearance and third straight including second straight semifinal game

- Barton's 47% shooting snapped its second straight 50% effort

- 213 career steals *2nd most – 105 behind Eric Bush's 319 (1999-01)

- 394 career assists *3rd most – 59 behind Gene Butler's 453 (1990-92)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711709235753.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoThe top seeded Barton Community College men's basketball team continued its march in the 2024 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament with a 93-78 semifinal victory over 5th seeded Indian Hills Community College in Wednesday afternoon's quarterfinal contest at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.Making its third appearance in the national semifinals, the Cougars exercised one part of the haunting memory of its lone championship appearance in 1999 with the revenge ending of Indian Hills' season as the Warriors won the title that season knocking off Barton 100-86.The Cougars' program second most 26th consecutive victory improves the overall record to 35-1 while Indian Hills ends the year at 29-6.Barton's next and final step of a historic season comes Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in taking on 7th seeded Triton College for the title. The Trojans held off Connors State College 87-84 to earn the Midwest District champion's first ever title game appearance.Trailing by three at the 14:13 mark, a mini five straight spurt capped by Mozae Downing-Rivers' triple breaking the third lead change put the Cougars in front for the remaining thirty-three minutes.Barton led by thirteen at the halftime break, stretched margin to as many as 20 points five minutes out of the locker room in keeping the advantage in the double-digit range the rest of the night.Lajae Jones led seven Cougars scoring and four in double-figures by putting up 25 points on 7-13 shooting, grabbed a team high 9 rebounds with two steals.Myles Thompson also grabbed 9 rebounds with his 21 points with a career high 4 assists as the Cougars dished out 21 dimes on 33 made shots.Coming off the bench the Cougars again received solid play from Brent Moss and Keandre Kindell with 23 combined points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Moss recorded 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting with 5 rebounds while Kindell scored 10 points on 50% shooting including 2-of-3 long distance shooting and dished out a pair of assists with two thefts.From the guard position Cooper Jackson knocked down a pair of arc busters for 9 points with 7 rebounds and 3 assists as Downing-Rivers posted a stat stuffing 8 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 5 steal performance.Davontae Hall and Braden Sparks each tallied 17 points to lead the Warriors with TJ Sparks scoring 12 points with Chris Mpaka pulling down a game high 10 rebounds.Tracking the Cougars:- Official NJCAA Championship website: <a href="https://www.njcaa.org/championships/sports/mbkb/div1/index">https://www.njcaa.org/championships/sports/mbkb/div1/index</a>- TV/Livestream: ESPNU- Tickets: <a href="https://www.njcaa.org/tickets">https://www.njcaa.org/tickets</a> - $65 All-Session - $16 Session - Children age 3 and under are feeGAME NOTES- The 2024 Tournament is Barton's fifth appearance in program history – the first since 2018- Saturday's championship game appearance is just the program's second (1999)- Indian Hills was making their 18th tournament appearance and third straight including second straight semifinal game- Barton's 47% shooting snapped its second straight 50% effortRecord Book WatchCooper Jackson- 213 career steals *2nd most – 105 behind Eric Bush's 319 (1999-01)Mozae Downing-Rivers- 394 career assists *3rd most – 59 behind Gene Butler's 453 (1990-92)

Barton men dispatch Indian Hills punching date for Saturday's national title

The Panther baseball team moved to 5-0 on the season with two more wins Thursday in Hutchinson. After a 4-3 win in game one, Great Bend made things more comfortable in game two with a 14-2 win.

Hutchinson plated two runs in the first inning of game one and led 2-1 into the top of the fifth. Carson Umphres doubled and scored on a single from Ian Premer to tie the game. The Salthawks got a run back in the bottom of the fifth, then Trenton Kern doubled and scored on a single from JJ Grove in the sixth to again tie the game at three.

Umphres struck out the first two batters in the sixth but the Salthawks had two runners in scoring position when an offensive interference call ended the threat.

Owen Kaiser reached on an error to open the top of the seventh. He advanced to third on a sacrifice from Slade Mohr and a single from Hunter Herrman. Kaiser scored the go-ahead run on a 2-out single from Peyden Oelger. The Salthawks put the tying run on third with one out in the bottom of the seventh but Umphres struck out the final two batters to again end the threat.

Umphres threw all seven innings for the win, striking out 10, walking one, and allowing three earned runs on six hits.

The Panther offense pounded out 13 hits. Kern doubled and singled twice, Mohr singled and doubled, and Umphres singled, doubled, and walked. Premer also had two hits.

Great Bend scored in all six innings of game two, book-ended by a pair of five-run frames. Herrman picked up the win, striking out six and walking two in five innings of work. He allowed one earned run on two hits. Mohr allowed an earned run on three hits in his one inning on the mound.

Grove had the big game at the plate with a home run and single, driving in four and scoring twice. Premer tripled and singled twice, Umphres doubled twice and singled, and Kaiser doubled and drove in three runs and scored twice. Carson Poe singled and walked three times, coming around to score once.

The Panthers play host to Kapaun on Tuesday, April 2 at the Sports Complex.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886547614.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsThe Panther baseball team moved to 5-0 on the season with two more wins Thursday in Hutchinson. After a 4-3 win in game one, Great Bend made things more comfortable in game two with a 14-2 win.Hutchinson plated two runs in the first inning of game one and led 2-1 into the top of the fifth. Carson Umphres doubled and scored on a single from Ian Premer to tie the game. The Salthawks got a run back in the bottom of the fifth, then Trenton Kern doubled and scored on a single from JJ Grove in the sixth to again tie the game at three.Umphres struck out the first two batters in the sixth but the Salthawks had two runners in scoring position when an offensive interference call ended the threat.Owen Kaiser reached on an error to open the top of the seventh. He advanced to third on a sacrifice from Slade Mohr and a single from Hunter Herrman. Kaiser scored the go-ahead run on a 2-out single from Peyden Oelger. The Salthawks put the tying run on third with one out in the bottom of the seventh but Umphres struck out the final two batters to again end the threat.Umphres threw all seven innings for the win, striking out 10, walking one, and allowing three earned runs on six hits.The Panther offense pounded out 13 hits. Kern doubled and singled twice, Mohr singled and doubled, and Umphres singled, doubled, and walked. Premer also had two hits.Great Bend scored in all six innings of game two, book-ended by a pair of five-run frames. Herrman picked up the win, striking out six and walking two in five innings of work. He allowed one earned run on two hits. Mohr allowed an earned run on three hits in his one inning on the mound.Grove had the big game at the plate with a home run and single, driving in four and scoring twice. Premer tripled and singled twice, Umphres doubled twice and singled, and Kaiser doubled and drove in three runs and scored twice. Carson Poe singled and walked three times, coming around to score once.The Panthers play host to Kapaun on Tuesday, April 2 at the Sports Complex.&nbsp;

Panther baseball moves to 5-0 with sweep of Hutchinson

The Lady Panthers split with Hutchinson a year ago. That was not at all the case Thursday on the road as Great Bend took game one from the Salthawks 17-5, then completed the sweep with a 12-4 win in game two. The Lady Panthers move to 4-0 on the season.

After a pair of scoreless innings to open game one, Great Bend did all its damage in the middle innings with five runs in the third, eight in the fourth, and four more in the fifth. Hutchinson scored all five of its runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

Braelyn Turner picked up the win in the circle, throwing all five innings. The sophomore struck out five, walked five, and allowed five earned runs on six hits.

The Panther offense belted out 15 hits in the win. Freshman Kya Behr went 4-for-4 with a double and three singles, driving in four and scoring twice. DeShawnna Bryant homered and singled twice, finishing with four RBIs and a run scored. Alyssa McCauley doubled for her lone hit, driving in a run and scoring twice. Denver Ringo singled twice and came around to score three times. Camdyn Post singled twice with an RBI and three runs scored. Paige Thexton singled and walked, driving in two and scoring twice. Kamryn Koelsch reached with a single and pair of walks.

Great Bend opened game two with a 5-run first and led 6-0 after two innings. The teams played largely even in the middle frames before the Lady Panthers plated three insurance runs in the top of the seventh.

Chayla Prendergast threw all seven innings for the win, striking out four and walking three. The freshman allowed four earned runs on nine hits.

Behr stayed hot at the plate with a pair of doubles and a single to finish with six RBIs and three runs. Bryant doubled and singled twice, and walked to finish with 2 RBIs and a run. Koelsch doubled and singled twice with an RBI. Prendergast doubled for her lone hit. Post walked three times and scored three runs, and Thexton walked twice with a pair of runs.

The Lady Panthers will make-up Tuesday's games against Manhattan and McPherson Monday at the Sports Complex.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886567489.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsThe Lady Panthers split with Hutchinson a year ago. That was not at all the case Thursday on the road as Great Bend took game one from the Salthawks 17-5, then completed the sweep with a 12-4 win in game two. The Lady Panthers move to 4-0 on the season.After a pair of scoreless innings to open game one, Great Bend did all its damage in the middle innings with five runs in the third, eight in the fourth, and four more in the fifth. Hutchinson scored all five of its runs in the fourth and fifth innings.Braelyn Turner picked up the win in the circle, throwing all five innings. The sophomore struck out five, walked five, and allowed five earned runs on six hits.The Panther offense belted out 15 hits in the win. Freshman Kya Behr went 4-for-4 with a double and three singles, driving in four and scoring twice. DeShawnna Bryant homered and singled twice, finishing with four RBIs and a run scored. Alyssa McCauley doubled for her lone hit, driving in a run and scoring twice. Denver Ringo singled twice and came around to score three times. Camdyn Post singled twice with an RBI and three runs scored. Paige Thexton singled and walked, driving in two and scoring twice. Kamryn Koelsch reached with a single and pair of walks.Great Bend opened game two with a 5-run first and led 6-0 after two innings. The teams played largely even in the middle frames before the Lady Panthers plated three insurance runs in the top of the seventh.Chayla Prendergast threw all seven innings for the win, striking out four and walking three. The freshman allowed four earned runs on nine hits.Behr stayed hot at the plate with a pair of doubles and a single to finish with six RBIs and three runs. Bryant doubled and singled twice, and walked to finish with 2 RBIs and a run. Koelsch doubled and singled twice with an RBI. Prendergast doubled for her lone hit. Post walked three times and scored three runs, and Thexton walked twice with a pair of runs.The Lady Panthers will make-up Tuesday's games against Manhattan and McPherson Monday at the Sports Complex.

Lady Panther softball dominates Hutch to move to 4-0

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Grant Nelson converted a go-ahead three-point play with 38 seconds
remaining, and Alabama beat top-seeded North Carolina 89-87 to reach
the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school
history. Nelson finished with a season-high 24 points, 19 in the
second half, and he blocked RJ Davis’ attempt at a tying layup
after giving Alabama the lead. The Tide face sixth-seeded Clemson on
Saturday for a berth in the Final Four. Armando Bacot finished with
19 points and 12 rebounds for North Carolina. Rylan Griffen and Aaron
Estrada scored 19 points each for Alabama and Mark Sears scored 18.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Chase Hunter scored 18 points and converted a three-point play with
25.7 seconds remaining, and Clemson advanced to the Elite Eight for
the second time in school history, beating Arizona 77-72 in a West
Region semifinal. PJ Hall added 17 points for the sixth-seeded
Tigers, who advanced to face either top-seeded North Carolina or No.
4 seed Alabama. Clemson last reached the final eight in 1980, when
there were 48 teams in the NCAA Tournament. Jaden Bradley scored 18
points for second-seeded Arizona, which had a horrific shooting
night, going 5 of 28 from 3-point range.

BOSTON (AP) —
Top-seeded and defending NCAA champion UConn advanced to the Elite
Eight with another double-digit victory, beating San Diego State
82-52 in a rematch of last year’s title game. Stephon Castle had 16
points and 11 rebounds. Cam Spencer scored 18 and Tristen Newton
added 17 points and seven rebounds for the Huskies. They will play
the winner of the other East Region semifinal between No. 2 Iowa
State and No. 3 Illinois for a spot in the Final Four in Glendale,
Arizona. The Huskies followed up blowouts last weekend with their
ninth straight double-digit March Madness victory.

BOSTON (AP) —
Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 29 points and Illinois reached the Elite
Eight for the first time since 2005, beating Iowa State 72-69 in an
East Region semifinal on Thursday night. Shannon had 20 points in the
first half for the third-seeded Illini, who never trailed. He broke
away for a dunk in the closing seconds and later hit two free throws
to help Illinois fnally put away the second-seeded Cyclones. Illinois
reached a regional final for the fourth time in the past 40 years and
will meet defending champion UConn on Saturday for a trip to the
Final Four. Curtis Jones scored 26 points to lead Iowa State

DALLAS (AP) —
Houston is playing in its fifth Sweet 16 in a row, its best March
Madness run since making three consecutive Final Four appearances in
the Phi Slama Jama era four decades ago. The Cougars were Big 12
regular-season champions this season after making the move into that
power conference. They play blueblood Duke on Friday night at the
home of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, about 250 miles from the
Houston campus. Another Atlantic Coast Conference team, No. 11 seed
North Carolina State, takes on second-seeded Marquette and former
Texas coach Shaka Smart in the first Dallas game.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)
— North Carlina State's Sweet 16 game against Stanford in the
women's NCAA Tournament is bit of a harbinger of what’s to come.
That’s because next season the perennially talented Cardinal are
headed to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Second-seeded Stanford plays
No. 3 seed N.C. State on Friday night in the Portland 4 Region,
before top-seeded Texas plays No. 4 seed Gonzaga. Stanford is among
five Pac-12 teams — most of any conference — that have advanced
to the Sweet 16 as the league’s days dwindle due to conference
reallignment.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Pablo Lopez pitched seven sparkling innings, Royce Lewis
homered before leaving with an injury, and the Twins beat the Royals
4-1 to begin defense of their AL Central crown. Carlos Correa added
three hits and two RBIs for Minnesota. That was plenty of support for
Lopez, who gave up a homer to Maikel Garcia, the first batter he
faced, but little else on a warm and sunny afternoon. He allowed four
hits and struck out seven without a walk. Cole Ragans struck out
nine, a Royals record for opening day, but still took the loss after
pitching six strong innings.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Shohei Ohtani reached three times in his home debut for the Dodgers,
and Los Angeles beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1 in the Dodger
Stadium opener to a season of sky-high expectations. Mookie Betts and
Freddie Freeman homered in the third inning, and Tyler Glasnow
pitched six innings of two-hit ball for the Dodgers. No offseason
addition to the Dodgers' star-studded lineup was bigger than Ohtani,
who showed no signs of distraction after a tumultuous week in which
he emphatically denied betting on sports after the firing of his
longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.

ARLINGTON, Texas
(AP) — Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim was going down to block a
low pitch when he heard the ball tip off the bat and saw it change
directions. Home plate umpire Chad Fairchild didn’t hear or see the
same thing in the ninth inning of the season opener for the World
Series champions. The Chicago Cubs took the lead on that disputed
play before Texas rallied to win 4-3 on Heim’s game-ending RBI
single in the 10th inning Thursday night. Fairchild told a poll
reporter after the game that he ruled a swinging strike. Asked if he
had seen a replay, Fairchild said he had, but refused to talk about
what he saw on it.

UNDATED (AP) —
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says he hopes the sport’s
gambling investigation of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will
be short but he isn’t sure. MLB announced its investigation Friday
after the Dodgers fired Ohtani’s interpreter and friend, Ippei
Mizuhara, following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about
his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well over $1
million. Ohtani said Monday he never bet on sports or knowingly paid
any gambling debts accumulated by Mizuhara.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)
— Many fans at the Oakland Coliseum were still hanging out in the
parking lot when Alex Wood delivered the first pitch of the season
for the Athletics against the Cleveland Guardians. And they had no
intention of going into the stadium. In protest of the A’s planned
move to Las Vegas in 2028, fan groups staged a boycott of the home
opener Thursday, purchasing tickets to the game to organize a block
party outside the stadium. A half-hour before the game’s first
pitch, hundreds of fans gathered in the far corner of the parking
lot. They displayed “Sell” T-shirts and flags and threw beanbags
at caricatures of team executives —including owner John Fisher and
president Dave Kaval.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.
(AP) — Tampa Bay All-Star shortstop Wander Franco was placed on
administrative leave through June 1 under an agreement between Major
League Baseball and the players’ association while the
investigation continues in an alleged relationship with a minor.
Administrative leave is not disciplinary under the sport’s joint
domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, and a
player continues to be paid. Franco, who has a $2 million salary this
year, remained in his native Dominican Republic while authorities
there investigate and did not report to spring training.

HOUSTON (AP) —
Scottie Scheffler is off to a solid start in his bid for a third
straight PGA Tour victory. The world's No. 1 player shot a 65 in the
Houston Open and trails Taylor Moore and Wilson Furr by one shot at
Memorial Park. Scheffler has 28 consecutive rounds under par to start
the year. Moore made bogey on his first hole and then had an eagle
and five birdies for a 64. Furr matched him late in the day, holing
out from 120 yards for eagle on the par-4 fifth and closing with
birdies on 8 and 9. Pierceson and Parker Coody became the first twins
to play with each other on the PGA Tour.

Milwaukee	at	N-Y
Mets	1:40 p.m.	(Postponed)

Atlanta	at	Philadelphia	3:05
p.m.	(Postponed)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710682717672.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Grant Nelson converted a go-ahead three-point play with 38 seconds
remaining, and Alabama beat top-seeded North Carolina 89-87 to reach
the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school
history. Nelson finished with a season-high 24 points, 19 in the
second half, and he blocked RJ Davis’ attempt at a tying layup
after giving Alabama the lead. The Tide face sixth-seeded Clemson on
Saturday for a berth in the Final Four. Armando Bacot finished with
19 points and 12 rebounds for North Carolina. Rylan Griffen and Aaron
Estrada scored 19 points each for Alabama and Mark Sears scored 18.LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Chase Hunter scored 18 points and converted a three-point play with
25.7 seconds remaining, and Clemson advanced to the Elite Eight for
the second time in school history, beating Arizona 77-72 in a West
Region semifinal. PJ Hall added 17 points for the sixth-seeded
Tigers, who advanced to face either top-seeded North Carolina or No.
4 seed Alabama. Clemson last reached the final eight in 1980, when
there were 48 teams in the NCAA Tournament. Jaden Bradley scored 18
points for second-seeded Arizona, which had a horrific shooting
night, going 5 of 28 from 3-point range.BOSTON (AP) —
Top-seeded and defending NCAA champion UConn advanced to the Elite
Eight with another double-digit victory, beating San Diego State
82-52 in a rematch of last year’s title game. Stephon Castle had 16
points and 11 rebounds. Cam Spencer scored 18 and Tristen Newton
added 17 points and seven rebounds for the Huskies. They will play
the winner of the other East Region semifinal between No. 2 Iowa
State and No. 3 Illinois for a spot in the Final Four in Glendale,
Arizona. The Huskies followed up blowouts last weekend with their
ninth straight double-digit March Madness victory.BOSTON (AP) —
Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 29 points and Illinois reached the Elite
Eight for the first time since 2005, beating Iowa State 72-69 in an
East Region semifinal on Thursday night. Shannon had 20 points in the
first half for the third-seeded Illini, who never trailed. He broke
away for a dunk in the closing seconds and later hit two free throws
to help Illinois fnally put away the second-seeded Cyclones. Illinois
reached a regional final for the fourth time in the past 40 years and
will meet defending champion UConn on Saturday for a trip to the
Final Four. Curtis Jones scored 26 points to lead Iowa StateDALLAS (AP) —
Houston is playing in its fifth Sweet 16 in a row, its best March
Madness run since making three consecutive Final Four appearances in
the Phi Slama Jama era four decades ago. The Cougars were Big 12
regular-season champions this season after making the move into that
power conference. They play blueblood Duke on Friday night at the
home of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, about 250 miles from the
Houston campus. Another Atlantic Coast Conference team, No. 11 seed
North Carolina State, takes on second-seeded Marquette and former
Texas coach Shaka Smart in the first Dallas game.PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)
— North Carlina State's Sweet 16 game against Stanford in the
women's NCAA Tournament is bit of a harbinger of what’s to come.
That’s because next season the perennially talented Cardinal are
headed to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Second-seeded Stanford plays
No. 3 seed N.C. State on Friday night in the Portland 4 Region,
before top-seeded Texas plays No. 4 seed Gonzaga. Stanford is among
five Pac-12 teams — most of any conference — that have advanced
to the Sweet 16 as the league’s days dwindle due to conference
reallignment.KANSAS CITY, Mo.
(AP) — Pablo Lopez pitched seven sparkling innings, Royce Lewis
homered before leaving with an injury, and the Twins beat the Royals
4-1 to begin defense of their AL Central crown. Carlos Correa added
three hits and two RBIs for Minnesota. That was plenty of support for
Lopez, who gave up a homer to Maikel Garcia, the first batter he
faced, but little else on a warm and sunny afternoon. He allowed four
hits and struck out seven without a walk. Cole Ragans struck out
nine, a Royals record for opening day, but still took the loss after
pitching six strong innings.LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Shohei Ohtani reached three times in his home debut for the Dodgers,
and Los Angeles beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1 in the Dodger
Stadium opener to a season of sky-high expectations. Mookie Betts and
Freddie Freeman homered in the third inning, and Tyler Glasnow
pitched six innings of two-hit ball for the Dodgers. No offseason
addition to the Dodgers' star-studded lineup was bigger than Ohtani,
who showed no signs of distraction after a tumultuous week in which
he emphatically denied betting on sports after the firing of his
longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.ARLINGTON, Texas
(AP) — Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim was going down to block a
low pitch when he heard the ball tip off the bat and saw it change
directions. Home plate umpire Chad Fairchild didn’t hear or see the
same thing in the ninth inning of the season opener for the World
Series champions. The Chicago Cubs took the lead on that disputed
play before Texas rallied to win 4-3 on Heim’s game-ending RBI
single in the 10th inning Thursday night. Fairchild told a poll
reporter after the game that he ruled a swinging strike. Asked if he
had seen a replay, Fairchild said he had, but refused to talk about
what he saw on it.UNDATED (AP) —
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says he hopes the sport’s
gambling investigation of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will
be short but he isn’t sure. MLB announced its investigation Friday
after the Dodgers fired Ohtani’s interpreter and friend, Ippei
Mizuhara, following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about
his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well over $1
million. Ohtani said Monday he never bet on sports or knowingly paid
any gambling debts accumulated by Mizuhara.OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)
— Many fans at the Oakland Coliseum were still hanging out in the
parking lot when Alex Wood delivered the first pitch of the season
for the Athletics against the Cleveland Guardians. And they had no
intention of going into the stadium. In protest of the A’s planned
move to Las Vegas in 2028, fan groups staged a boycott of the home
opener Thursday, purchasing tickets to the game to organize a block
party outside the stadium. A half-hour before the game’s first
pitch, hundreds of fans gathered in the far corner of the parking
lot. They displayed “Sell” T-shirts and flags and threw beanbags
at caricatures of team executives —including owner John Fisher and
president Dave Kaval.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.
(AP) — Tampa Bay All-Star shortstop Wander Franco was placed on
administrative leave through June 1 under an agreement between Major
League Baseball and the players’ association while the
investigation continues in an alleged relationship with a minor.
Administrative leave is not disciplinary under the sport’s joint
domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, and a
player continues to be paid. Franco, who has a $2 million salary this
year, remained in his native Dominican Republic while authorities
there investigate and did not report to spring training.HOUSTON (AP) —
Scottie Scheffler is off to a solid start in his bid for a third
straight PGA Tour victory. The world's No. 1 player shot a 65 in the
Houston Open and trails Taylor Moore and Wilson Furr by one shot at
Memorial Park. Scheffler has 28 consecutive rounds under par to start
the year. Moore made bogey on his first hole and then had an eagle
and five birdies for a 64. Furr matched him late in the day, holing
out from 120 yards for eagle on the par-4 fifth and closing with
birdies on 8 and 9. Pierceson and Parker Coody became the first twins
to play with each other on the PGA Tour.COLLEGE
BASKETBALLNCAA Sweet 16EASTFinal	UConn	82	San
Diego St.	52	Final	Illinois	72	Iowa
St.	69	WESTFinal	Clemson	77	Arizona	72	Final	Alabama	89	North
Carolina	87	MAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	Texas	4	Chicago
Cubs	3	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Baltimore	11	L.A.
Angels	3	Final	Detroit	1	Chicago
White Sox	0	Final	Minnesota	4	Kansas
City	1	Final	Toronto	8	Tampa
Bay	2	Final	N.Y.
Yankees	5	Houston	4	Final	Cleveland	8	Oakland	0	Final	Boston	6	Seattle	4	NATIONAL LEAGUEMilwaukee	at	N-Y
Mets	1:40 p.m.	(Postponed)Atlanta	at	Philadelphia	3:05
p.m.	(Postponed)Final	Cincinnati	8	Washington	2	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	7	St. Louis	1	Final	San
Diego	6	San Francisco	4	Final	Pittsburgh	6	Miami	5	Final	Arizona	16	Colorado	1	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal
OT	Atlanta	123	Boston	122	Final	New
Orleans	107	Milwaukee	100	NATIONAL HOCKEY
LEAGUEFinal	Ottawa	2	Chicago	0	Final	Pittsburgh	3	Columbus	2	Final	Toronto	5	Washington	1	Final	N-Y
Islanders	3	Florida	2	Final	Montreal	4	Philadelphia	1	Final	Carolina	4	Detroit	0	Final	Minnesota	3	San
Jose	1	Final	St.
Louis	5	Calgary	3	Final	Vegas	4	Winnipeg	1	Final	Edmonton	4	Los
Angeles	1	Final SO	N-Y
Rangers	3	Colorado	2	Final	Dallas	3	Vancouver	1	Final	Seattle	4	Anaheim	2

Friday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pablo Lopez admitted to feeling some anxiety when the Twins ace stepped on the mound to face the Royals on opening day.

It didn't calm him down any when Maikel Garcia homered off him three pitches later.

The All-Star right-hander eventually managed to get his nerves under control, holding Kansas City to just three more hits without a walk while breezing through seven innings Thursday. And when Royce Lewis homered, and Carlos Correa had three hits and two RBIs, Minnesota had a 4-1 victory to begin its defense of its AL Central crown.

“You shake it off,” Lopez said of that ominous first at-bat. “Let it go, as hard as that can be sometimes. It was about not letting go of my plan, and attacking the zone. If you attack the zone, you'll get some good results.”

In fact, it was reminiscent of last season, when Lopez (1-0) shut down the Royals in a 2-0 victory to open the season.

Brock Stewart worked the eighth for Minnesota. Griffin Jax earned the save by handling the ninth.

“It was a tight game,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “You have to get in the weeds a little bit. Have good at-bats, put the ball in play when we have runners on base. I was pleased with the way we executed.”

Cole Ragans (0-1) set a Royals record for opening day with nine strikeouts in just six innings. But the 26-year-old left-hander, who arrived in a midseason trade with Texas last year, also allowed two runs on five hits and three walks.

“His stuff was good. He got two outs on three pitches in the first,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Correa is obviously a tough out for a lot of a lot of pitchers. (Lopez) was really good. They gave him a couple of runs. We’ll take that every time out.”

Chiefs coach Andy Reid began the festivities on a sun-splashed afternoon by hauling the club's latest Lombardi Trophy to the mound, where team owner Clark Hunt and president Mark Donovan held two other Super Bowl trophies. Then Reid, who worked as a vendor at Dodger Stadium as a teen, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett.

Lewis delivered the first hit of the day for Minnesota, a no-doubt shot to left field with two outs in the first. Garcia delivered the second for Kansas City, a tying homer of his own into the left-field bullpen leading off the bottom half.

Minnesota pulled ahead in the third when Correa's double brought home Manuel Margot. The hit proved costly, though, when Lewis pulled up near third base with a right quad injury; Edouard Julien replaced him.

“He had an MRI and we're going to take some time to evaluate,” said Baldelli, adding that Max Kepler had an X-ray that came back clean after he fouled a pitch off his knee. “I hope Kep is going to play (Saturday) but we're just going to have to see.”

The Twins added two runs off Chris Stratton in the ninth to give their bullpen a cushion it hardly needed.

“Not the way you want to start the season on the injury side of things,” Baldelli said, “but how you want to see your team go out and fight and get a win on opening day.”

Twins: RHPs Jhoan Duran (right oblique strain), Josh Staumont (left calf strain), Justin Topa (left patellar tendinitis) and Zack Weiss (right shoulder strain) and LHP Caleb Thielbar (left hamstring strain) were placed on the injured list.

Royals: RHP Carlos Hernandez (right shoulder impingement), LHPs Jake Brentz (left hamstring strain) and Josh Taylor (left biceps) and INF Michael Massey (lower back strain) were placed on the IL. All of them remained in Arizona.

After taking Friday off, the Twins send RHP Joe Ryan to the mound against Royals RHP Seth Lugo on Saturday. The Royals signed Lugo to a three-year, $45 million contract during their offseason overhaul of the starting rotation.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pablo Lopez admitted to feeling some anxiety when the Twins ace stepped on the mound to face the Royals on opening day.It didn't calm him down any when Maikel Garcia homered off him three pitches later.The All-Star right-hander eventually managed to get his nerves under control, holding Kansas City to just three more hits without a walk while breezing through seven innings Thursday. And when Royce Lewis homered, and Carlos Correa had three hits and two RBIs, Minnesota had a 4-1 victory to begin its defense of its AL Central crown.“You shake it off,” Lopez said of that ominous first at-bat. “Let it go, as hard as that can be sometimes. It was about not letting go of my plan, and attacking the zone. If you attack the zone, you'll get some good results.”In fact, it was reminiscent of last season, when Lopez (1-0) shut down the Royals in a 2-0 victory to open the season.Brock Stewart worked the eighth for Minnesota. Griffin Jax earned the save by handling the ninth.“It was a tight game,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “You have to get in the weeds a little bit. Have good at-bats, put the ball in play when we have runners on base. I was pleased with the way we executed.”Cole Ragans (0-1) set a Royals record for opening day with nine strikeouts in just six innings. But the 26-year-old left-hander, who arrived in a midseason trade with Texas last year, also allowed two runs on five hits and three walks.“His stuff was good. He got two outs on three pitches in the first,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Correa is obviously a tough out for a lot of a lot of pitchers. (Lopez) was really good. They gave him a couple of runs. We’ll take that every time out.”Chiefs coach Andy Reid began the festivities on a sun-splashed afternoon by hauling the club's latest Lombardi Trophy to the mound, where team owner Clark Hunt and president Mark Donovan held two other Super Bowl trophies. Then Reid, who worked as a vendor at Dodger Stadium as a teen, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett.Lewis delivered the first hit of the day for Minnesota, a no-doubt shot to left field with two outs in the first. Garcia delivered the second for Kansas City, a tying homer of his own into the left-field bullpen leading off the bottom half.Minnesota pulled ahead in the third when Correa's double brought home Manuel Margot. The hit proved costly, though, when Lewis pulled up near third base with a right quad injury; Edouard Julien replaced him.“He had an MRI and we're going to take some time to evaluate,” said Baldelli, adding that Max Kepler had an X-ray that came back clean after he fouled a pitch off his knee. “I hope Kep is going to play (Saturday) but we're just going to have to see.”The Twins added two runs off Chris Stratton in the ninth to give their bullpen a cushion it hardly needed.“Not the way you want to start the season on the injury side of things,” Baldelli said, “but how you want to see your team go out and fight and get a win on opening day.”TRAINER'S ROOMTwins: RHPs Jhoan Duran (right oblique strain), Josh Staumont (left calf strain), Justin Topa (left patellar tendinitis) and Zack Weiss (right shoulder strain) and LHP Caleb Thielbar (left hamstring strain) were placed on the injured list.Royals: RHP Carlos Hernandez (right shoulder impingement), LHPs Jake Brentz (left hamstring strain) and Josh Taylor (left biceps) and INF Michael Massey (lower back strain) were placed on the IL. All of them remained in Arizona.UP NEXTAfter taking Friday off, the Twins send RHP Joe Ryan to the mound against Royals RHP Seth Lugo on Saturday. The Royals signed Lugo to a three-year, $45 million contract during their offseason overhaul of the starting rotation.

Lopez shuts down Royals as Twins begin defense of AL Central title with 4-1 win

Softball -Game 1- Great Bend 17 Hutchinson 5 -Game 2- Great Bend 14 Hutchinson 4

1. Great Bend Sports on 104 3 the Point sponsored by Venture Corporation, Advanced Truck &amp; Diesel, Mpire Reality, Nex-Tech, The 10th Street Eye Care Center, Damm Pipe Testing, Delgado's Mexican Restaurant, Comfort Pro, Haz Mat Response, American Plains Co-op, Marmie Auto Group, Sutherlands, Stone Sand Company &amp; Stone Waste Management, S&amp;J Trucking, Schroeder Homes &amp; Remodeling, Unruh Brothers Trash Service, Great Bend Pizza Hut, Advanced Therapy &amp; Sports Medicine, Keller Real Estate &amp; Insurance, Innovative Livestock Services, Beugelsdijk Chiropractic, Magna Dry Cleaning Services, People's Bank &amp; Trust, The Fieldhouse, Great Bend Rec, Insurance Planning, Farmer's Bank &amp; Trust, USD 428, Scott's Welding, University of Kansas Health Systems, Edward Jones Financial Services.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886602159.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Softball -Game 1- Great Bend 17 Hutchinson 5 -Game 2- Great Bend 14 Hutchinson 4<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/zp51dklr/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>1. Great Bend Sports on 104 3 the Point sponsored by Venture Corporation, Advanced Truck &amp; Diesel, Mpire Reality, Nex-Tech, The 10th Street Eye Care Center, Damm Pipe Testing, Delgado's Mexican Restaurant, Comfort Pro, Haz Mat Response, American Plains Co-op, Marmie Auto Group, Sutherlands, Stone Sand Company &amp; Stone Waste Management, S&amp;J Trucking, Schroeder Homes &amp; Remodeling, Unruh Brothers Trash Service, Great Bend Pizza Hut, Advanced Therapy &amp; Sports Medicine, Keller Real Estate &amp; Insurance, Innovative Livestock Services, Beugelsdijk Chiropractic, Magna Dry Cleaning Services, People's Bank &amp; Trust, The Fieldhouse, Great Bend Rec, Insurance Planning, Farmer's Bank &amp; Trust, USD 428, Scott's Welding, University of Kansas Health Systems, Edward Jones Financial Services.

1. Barton Community College basketball on 104 3 the Point sponsored by Nex-Tech Wireless, Damm Pipe Testing, Mpire Overhead Door, Best Western Angus Inn, Marmie Auto Group, Rosenberg Family Dentistry, The University of Kansas Health System, Venture Corporation, Nex-Tech, Cougar Booster Club, The 10th Street Eye Care Center, Freedom Claims Management and Kansas Fishing Tools

<div><a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/information/boosterclub/index"><img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1635967480149.jpeg"></a>

</div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647912774016.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Barton Men 93, Indian Hills 78<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/t3eloj4d/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>1. Barton Community College basketball on 104 3 the Point sponsored by Nex-Tech Wireless, Damm Pipe Testing, Mpire Overhead Door, Best Western Angus Inn, Marmie Auto Group, Rosenberg Family Dentistry, The University of Kansas Health System, Venture Corporation, Nex-Tech, Cougar Booster Club, The 10th Street Eye Care Center, Freedom Claims Management and Kansas Fishing Tools

Barton Men 93, Indian Hills 78

- Barton Basketball coach Jeremy Coombs joins us from Hutchinson to preview Thursday night's national semifinal game after the Cougars dispensed of Northwest Florida State Wednesday 87-73 at the NJCAA National Tournament.

- Great Bend Panther Baseball coach Randy Beck talks about his teams 3-0 start heading into Thursday's doubleheader at Hutchinson.

- Barton Softball coach Carson Dubose will be in to talk about the Cougars Wednesday double header with Dodge City.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Thursday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark, and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Thursday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark, and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W7N0bmrxPoE?si=H94luFq4hnbYeSAi" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- Barton Basketball coach Jeremy Coombs joins us from Hutchinson to preview Thursday night's national semifinal game after the Cougars dispensed of Northwest Florida State Wednesday 87-73 at the NJCAA National Tournament.- Great Bend Panther Baseball coach Randy Beck talks about his teams 3-0 start heading into Thursday's doubleheader at Hutchinson.- Barton Softball coach Carson Dubose will be in to talk about the Cougars Wednesday double header with Dodge City.- Thursday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours