Things were a little more dramatic for the Panther baseball team during Saturday's home opener against Pratt at the Sports Complex. After scoring 13 runs in the first inning of the season, Great Bend scraped across a single run in the fifth inning of game one to beat the Greenbacks 1-0. The Panthers took game two 10-6 to move to 3-0 on the season.

Junior Carson Umphres threw all seven inning in the pitcher's duel, striking out six and allowing just four hits.

Owen Kaiser singled to lead off the fifth inning. Koehn Ribordy followed with a double to left, scoring Eli Soupiset running in place of Kaiser. Ribordy was thrown out at third base to leave the sacks empty ahead of a single from Slade Mohr. A strikeout and groundout ended the inning.

Umphres struck out two of the four batters in the sixth inning, then struck out the first batter in the seventh. Umphres hit a batter to put the tying runner on base with two outs but a fielder's choice ended the game.

Ribordy's double was the lone extra-base hit for the Panthers in the win. Kaiser, Mohr, and Carson Poe each singled.

The Panthers scored in each of the first five innings of game two to build a 10-3 lead. Pratt plated two runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh for the 10-6 final.

Kaiser threw four innings for the win, striking out three and allowing two earned runs on one hit. Ribordy pitched the final three innings, striking out two and allowing four earned runs on four hits.

Ian Premer tripled, walked, and drove in a run. JJ Grove doubled, singled, and walked. Mohr singled twice and drive in two, and Kaiser, Umphres, Ribordy, Daxton Minton, Trenton Kern, and Peyden Oelger each singled.

Great Bend travels to Hutchinson for a doubleheader on Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886244015.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsThings were a little more dramatic for the Panther baseball team during Saturday's home opener against Pratt at the Sports Complex. After scoring 13 runs in the first inning of the season, Great Bend scraped across a single run in the fifth inning of game one to beat the Greenbacks 1-0. The Panthers took game two 10-6 to move to 3-0 on the season.Junior Carson Umphres threw all seven inning in the pitcher's duel, striking out six and allowing just four hits.Owen Kaiser singled to lead off the fifth inning. Koehn Ribordy followed with a double to left, scoring Eli Soupiset running in place of Kaiser. Ribordy was thrown out at third base to leave the sacks empty ahead of a single from Slade Mohr. A strikeout and groundout ended the inning.Umphres struck out two of the four batters in the sixth inning, then struck out the first batter in the seventh. Umphres hit a batter to put the tying runner on base with two outs but a fielder's choice ended the game.Ribordy's double was the lone extra-base hit for the Panthers in the win. Kaiser, Mohr, and Carson Poe each singled.The Panthers scored in each of the first five innings of game two to build a 10-3 lead. Pratt plated two runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh for the 10-6 final.Kaiser threw four innings for the win, striking out three and allowing two earned runs on one hit. Ribordy pitched the final three innings, striking out two and allowing four earned runs on four hits.Ian Premer tripled, walked, and drove in a run. JJ Grove doubled, singled, and walked. Mohr singled twice and drive in two, and Kaiser, Umphres, Ribordy, Daxton Minton, Trenton Kern, and Peyden Oelger each singled.Great Bend travels to Hutchinson for a doubleheader on Thursday.

Panther baseball scores late run, sweeps Pratt at home

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Zakiyah Franklin scored 22 points, including a tying 3-pointer that bounced on the rim and dropped with 12 seconds left in regulation, and Kansas beat Michigan 81-72 in overtime in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament on Saturday.

“My coach said you must be living right,” Franklin said, grinning.

Wyvette Mayberry and S'Mya Nichols added 15 points each and Taiyanna Jackson had 14 points and eight rebounds for the eighth-seeded Jayhawks (20-12).

“March is about getting everyone's best basketball,” Nichols said. “It was exciting, back and forth, not easy.”

The Jayhawks rallied in the fourth quarter, when they outscored the Wolverines 23-14. Then Kansas stepped up its defense and controlled the five-minute extra session, 14-5.

“They never fragmented,” Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said. “They just stayed the course and made some really big plays that were preceded by stop after stop.”

Lauren Hansen's 3-pointer pulled the Wolverines within 75-72. Franklin missed, but the 6-foot-6 Jackson grabbed the rebound. Nichols scored and drew the foul, extending the Jayhawks' lead to 78-72.

Franklin stole the ball with 22 seconds left and Nichols got fouled and made both.

The Jayhawks advanced to a second-round game against either No. 1 seed Southern California or 16th-seeded Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi.

Cameron Williams scored 18 points to lead ninth-seeded Michigan (20-14). Laila Phelia added 16 points.

“I thought they were by far the best team for three quarters,” Schneider said of Michigan. “Williams in particular did some things to us.”

Williams went to the bench after picking up her third and fourth fouls early in the fourth. Phelia made the first of two free throws for a 58-48 lead.

After Franklin's tying 3-pointer, Hansen's potential game-winning 3 missed for Michigan.

“We run this play all the time when it's late clock,” Franklin said. “We felt we were still having time to play.”

The Jayhawks got within 65-62 on a free throw by Jackson. With Kansas pressuring and the shot clock winding down, Phelia raced in for a layup that extended Michigan's lead to 67-62.

Jackson scored again and Phelia's offensive foul turned the ball over with 1:16 to play. But the Jayhawks couldn't take advantage and Nichols was called for an offensive foul.

Williams scored 10 points in the third when the Wolverines led 53-44.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Zakiyah Franklin scored 22 points, including a tying 3-pointer that bounced on the rim and dropped with 12 seconds left in regulation, and Kansas beat Michigan 81-72 in overtime in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament on Saturday.“My coach said you must be living right,” Franklin said, grinning.Wyvette Mayberry and S'Mya Nichols added 15 points each and Taiyanna Jackson had 14 points and eight rebounds for the eighth-seeded Jayhawks (20-12).“March is about getting everyone's best basketball,” Nichols said. “It was exciting, back and forth, not easy.”The Jayhawks rallied in the fourth quarter, when they outscored the Wolverines 23-14. Then Kansas stepped up its defense and controlled the five-minute extra session, 14-5.“They never fragmented,” Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said. “They just stayed the course and made some really big plays that were preceded by stop after stop.”Lauren Hansen's 3-pointer pulled the Wolverines within 75-72. Franklin missed, but the 6-foot-6 Jackson grabbed the rebound. Nichols scored and drew the foul, extending the Jayhawks' lead to 78-72.Franklin stole the ball with 22 seconds left and Nichols got fouled and made both.The Jayhawks advanced to a second-round game against either No. 1 seed Southern California or 16th-seeded Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi.Cameron Williams scored 18 points to lead ninth-seeded Michigan (20-14). Laila Phelia added 16 points.“I thought they were by far the best team for three quarters,” Schneider said of Michigan. “Williams in particular did some things to us.”Williams went to the bench after picking up her third and fourth fouls early in the fourth. Phelia made the first of two free throws for a 58-48 lead.After Franklin's tying 3-pointer, Hansen's potential game-winning 3 missed for Michigan.“We run this play all the time when it's late clock,” Franklin said. “We felt we were still having time to play.”The Jayhawks got within 65-62 on a free throw by Jackson. With Kansas pressuring and the shot clock winding down, Phelia raced in for a layup that extended Michigan's lead to 67-62.Jackson scored again and Phelia's offensive foul turned the ball over with 1:16 to play. But the Jayhawks couldn't take advantage and Nichols was called for an offensive foul.Williams scored 10 points in the third when the Wolverines led 53-44.

Kansas women get past Michigan 81-72 in overtime

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — And to think, some folks said they might not make it to March Madness.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs laughed that off as easily as they swatted away an exhausted Kansas team Saturday, rolling past the Jayhawks 89-68 to return to the Sweet 16 for the nation-leading ninth straight time.

Led by Anton Watson's 21 points, fifth-seeded Gonzaga was nearly as good over the second half of this game as it has been over the second half of the season. The Zags scored 15 straight points early in the half to turn this one into a runaway on an afternoon when basically everyone in a navy jersey was a star.

They improved to 16-2 since Jan. 18, with the only two losses coming to Saint Mary’s, the team that beat Gonzaga for the West Coast Conference title but was dismissed from the tournament Friday night.

“Late December, it was looking like maybe it wasn't going to happen," said Mark Few, his hair still damp from the dousing he received in the postgame locker room. "But I'll give credit. These guys stayed coachable. We figured it out."

Once Few dries off, he and the Zags, who are in their 25th straight NCAA Tournament, will load up for their routine trip to the second weekend to play the winner of Sunday’s game between Purdue and Utah State.

The Zags (27-7) made their first five 3-pointers of the second half, not missing from long range until 1:30 remained and the game had long entered extended garbage time. They shot 60% from the floor and 53% from 3. Ben Gregg still managed to stand out — he went 6 for 6 and finished with 15 points and nine rebounds.

Big man Graham Ike also had 15 and nine, going toe to toe with KU’s Hunter Dickinson, who finished with a quiet 15 points.

Making all the Bulldogs look good was Ryan Nembhard, who blew off a rough shooting night (1 for 6) and finished with 12 assists to become the program's career leader in that category.

“Ryan’s been at the highest level for the last eight weeks,” Few said. “He's just got our throttle all the way down and he's making great decisions.”

Kansas was gassed, facing an early start after an emotional, close victory over Samford late Thursday night. Coach Bill Self said he knew he was in trouble when he turned to his bench partway through the game, looking to make a substitution.

“There's not many times where you take a guy out, he's sitting through a three-minute timeout, I say, ‘Can you go back in?’ and he says ‘I need more time,’” Self said.

The tired legs played into a painfully familiar scene for fans of the fourth-seeded Jayhawks (23-11). They have struggled with depth, shooting, consistency and injuries; leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr. (knee) was out for the tournament. During Gonzaga’s 15-0 run, the Jayhawks missed 10 straight shots.

Gonzaga eventually extended the run to 32-4; Kansas shot 2 for 23 during that stretch.

“It’s a formula for disaster when you can’t make shots and you can’t stop them,” said Kansas forward KJ Adams Jr., who finished with 10 points.

A few of those misses looked strangely ugly, including when Dickinson, who missed the Big 12 Tournament with a dislocated shoulder, grabbed a rebound under the bucket and looked poised for an easy bucket but could barely get the ball to the rim.

“Hunt gave us everything he had,” Self said. “But that was one tired dude out there today.”

For 22 minutes, at least, this game lived up to its billing — a rare showdown between much-adored power programs. There were eight lead changes. At one point late in the first half, the teams combined to make nine straight shots from the field, trading leads almost every time down.

Gonzaga kept it going. Kansas simply couldn't.

The Zags won both their games in Salt Lake City by 21. The opener against McNeese might have been expected. That the second one was such a breeze, even against a flawed KU team, was a surprise. Nothing else about this team playing deep into March should be that shocking.

“We’ve just always impressed upon them, if we get in this thing, we know how to win in this thing,” Few said. “This is not a new thing for our program.”

Lamar Simpson, the official who called the phantom foul that helped KU lock up its opening-night win over Samford, watched both games from press row as the alternate official.

The Zags improved to 10-3 lifetime in tournament games in Salt Lake City. Their next stop is Detroit, where they have never played a tournament game.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — And to think, some folks said they might not make it to March Madness.The Gonzaga Bulldogs laughed that off as easily as they swatted away an exhausted Kansas team Saturday, rolling past the Jayhawks 89-68 to return to the Sweet 16 for the nation-leading ninth straight time.Led by Anton Watson's 21 points, fifth-seeded Gonzaga was nearly as good over the second half of this game as it has been over the second half of the season. The Zags scored 15 straight points early in the half to turn this one into a runaway on an afternoon when basically everyone in a navy jersey was a star.They improved to 16-2 since Jan. 18, with the only two losses coming to Saint Mary’s, the team that beat Gonzaga for the West Coast Conference title but was dismissed from the tournament Friday night.“Late December, it was looking like maybe it wasn't going to happen," said Mark Few, his hair still damp from the dousing he received in the postgame locker room. "But I'll give credit. These guys stayed coachable. We figured it out."Once Few dries off, he and the Zags, who are in their 25th straight NCAA Tournament, will load up for their routine trip to the second weekend to play the winner of Sunday’s game between Purdue and Utah State.The Zags (27-7) made their first five 3-pointers of the second half, not missing from long range until 1:30 remained and the game had long entered extended garbage time. They shot 60% from the floor and 53% from 3. Ben Gregg still managed to stand out — he went 6 for 6 and finished with 15 points and nine rebounds.Big man Graham Ike also had 15 and nine, going toe to toe with KU’s Hunter Dickinson, who finished with a quiet 15 points.Making all the Bulldogs look good was Ryan Nembhard, who blew off a rough shooting night (1 for 6) and finished with 12 assists to become the program's career leader in that category.“Ryan’s been at the highest level for the last eight weeks,” Few said. “He's just got our throttle all the way down and he's making great decisions.”Kansas was gassed, facing an early start after an emotional, close victory over Samford late Thursday night. Coach Bill Self said he knew he was in trouble when he turned to his bench partway through the game, looking to make a substitution.“There's not many times where you take a guy out, he's sitting through a three-minute timeout, I say, ‘Can you go back in?’ and he says ‘I need more time,’” Self said.The tired legs played into a painfully familiar scene for fans of the fourth-seeded Jayhawks (23-11). They have struggled with depth, shooting, consistency and injuries; leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr. (knee) was out for the tournament. During Gonzaga’s 15-0 run, the Jayhawks missed 10 straight shots.Gonzaga eventually extended the run to 32-4; Kansas shot 2 for 23 during that stretch.“It’s a formula for disaster when you can’t make shots and you can’t stop them,” said Kansas forward KJ Adams Jr., who finished with 10 points.A few of those misses looked strangely ugly, including when Dickinson, who missed the Big 12 Tournament with a dislocated shoulder, grabbed a rebound under the bucket and looked poised for an easy bucket but could barely get the ball to the rim.“Hunt gave us everything he had,” Self said. “But that was one tired dude out there today.”For 22 minutes, at least, this game lived up to its billing — a rare showdown between much-adored power programs. There were eight lead changes. At one point late in the first half, the teams combined to make nine straight shots from the field, trading leads almost every time down.Gonzaga kept it going. Kansas simply couldn't.The Zags won both their games in Salt Lake City by 21. The opener against McNeese might have been expected. That the second one was such a breeze, even against a flawed KU team, was a surprise. Nothing else about this team playing deep into March should be that shocking.“We’ve just always impressed upon them, if we get in this thing, we know how to win in this thing,” Few said. “This is not a new thing for our program.”ON THE SIDELINELamar Simpson, the official who called the phantom foul that helped KU lock up its opening-night win over Samford, watched both games from press row as the alternate official.HOME AWAY FROM HOMEThe Zags improved to 10-3 lifetime in tournament games in Salt Lake City. Their next stop is Detroit, where they have never played a tournament game.

Gonzaga plays near-perfect 2nd half to dispatch Kansas 89-68

The Tennessee Titans are finalizing a deal to acquire cornerback L'Jarius Sneed from the Kansas City Chiefs for a pair of draft picks, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday night.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal still requires Sneed to pass a physical and a new contract for the cornerback who the Chiefs placed the $19.8 million non-exclusive franchise tag on earlier this month.

Kansas City was unable to come to terms on a long-term deal, leading to this trade. Under terms of the deal, Tennessee would send its third-round pick in the 2025 draft and also flip seventh-round selections with the Chiefs in the draft next month.

The 27-year-old Sneed has developed into one of the top cornerbacks in the league since being drafted in the fourth round in 2020. He was a key part of a defense that helped Kansas City win back-to-back Super Bowl titles.

Sneed often followed top receivers all over the field and excelled at holding them in check. He allowed a passer of just 55.9 on throws when he was in coverage in the regular season, according to Pro Football Focus, ranking fifth best among cornerbacks.

He didn’t allow a single TD pass until the playoffs against Buffalo and only Davante Adams of the Raiders had more than two catches in a game when Sneed was in coverage.

Sneed had two interceptions and 14 passes defensed in 16 games last season, giving him 10 interceptions and 40 passes defensed in his four-year career.

The Titans signed Cincinnati cornerback Chidobe Awuzie to a three-year deal for $36 million with $23 million guaranteed to help kick off free agency.

New defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson needs help with Caleb Farley, the team's 22nd overall pick in 2021 who has been limited to just 12 games in his career because of injuries. The Titans ranked 18th in pass defense, giving up 227.4 yards per game. But they were last in interception rate with only six all of 2023.

The Tennessee Titans are finalizing a deal to acquire cornerback L'Jarius Sneed from the Kansas City Chiefs for a pair of draft picks, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday night.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal still requires Sneed to pass a physical and a new contract for the cornerback who the Chiefs placed the $19.8 million non-exclusive franchise tag on earlier this month.Kansas City was unable to come to terms on a long-term deal, leading to this trade. Under terms of the deal, Tennessee would send its third-round pick in the 2025 draft and also flip seventh-round selections with the Chiefs in the draft next month.The 27-year-old Sneed has developed into one of the top cornerbacks in the league since being drafted in the fourth round in 2020. He was a key part of a defense that helped Kansas City win back-to-back Super Bowl titles.Sneed often followed top receivers all over the field and excelled at holding them in check. He allowed a passer of just 55.9 on throws when he was in coverage in the regular season, according to Pro Football Focus, ranking fifth best among cornerbacks.He didn’t allow a single TD pass until the playoffs against Buffalo and only Davante Adams of the Raiders had more than two catches in a game when Sneed was in coverage.Sneed had two interceptions and 14 passes defensed in 16 games last season, giving him 10 interceptions and 40 passes defensed in his four-year career.The Titans signed Cincinnati cornerback Chidobe Awuzie to a three-year deal for $36 million with $23 million guaranteed to help kick off free agency.New defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson needs help with Caleb Farley, the team's 22nd overall pick in 2021 who has been limited to just 12 games in his career because of injuries. The Titans ranked 18th in pass defense, giving up 227.4 yards per game. But they were last in interception rate with only six all of 2023.

Titans finalizing deal with Chiefs to acquire cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, AP source says

By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports Writer

It will be another year without a perfect NCAA Tournament bracket.

Upsets by Yale, Oakland and Duquesne busted many of the more than 22 million brackets entered in the largest contest, ESPN's Tournament Challenge, and the last three fell on Friday night when James Madison beat Wisconsin 72-61.

With only 1,825 surviving the first day of action, the number was down to single digits after Friday's early games. Florida Atlantic's loss to Northwestern knocked out about half of the survivors Thursday, with the eighth-seeded Wildcats picked in about 45% of brackets.

It was down to 306 perfect brackets on the ESPN site before No. 10 seed Colorado beat seventh-seeded Florida, leaving 62. Yale's victory over Auburn left just 10. And with just four games remaining on Friday night there were only three perfect brackets remaining on the ESPN site — and none in CBS' contest or the one on March Madness Live, the NCAA's official site.

The quest for a winless bracket also ended Friday.

One person on the ESPN site made it through the first day and then some without picking a game correctly, meaning they took a flyer on No. 16 seed Wagner over top-seeded North Carolina but missed on the actual losses by third-seeded Kentucky and No. 6 seeds Texas Tech and Brigham Young. They dropped out of contention for the ignominious honor of a perfectly imperfect bracket when Colorado beat Florida 102-100 on a last-second shot.

The odds of picking a perfect bracket at random — not even counting the play-in games — is 1 chance out of 2 to the 63rd power, which is 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808, or about 1 in 9.2 quintillion (give or take 20 quadrillion or so). According to University of Hawaii researchers, that is more brackets than the number of grains of sand on Earth.

A record 22 million brackets were filled out on ESPN’s site, up 15% over last year, with some of the early results knocking out millions. Mississippi State's 69-51 loss to Michigan State and Brigham Young's 71-67 loss to Duquesne each took out more than 9 million brackets. The biggest upset of the first day, third-seeded Kentucky's 80-76 loss to Oakland, also did some damage: The third-seeded Wildcats were picked in 95% of brackets in the ESPN Tournament Challenge to beat the 14th-seeded Golden Grizzlies.

CBS said its last perfect bracket was spoiled when Yale won on Friday afternoon.

Last year, when there were victories by No. 15 seed Princeton and No. 13 seed Furman on the first day, the last remaining perfect brackets fell on top-seeded Purdue's loss to Fairleigh Dickinson — just the second No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 seed in tournament history.

In the women's tournament, which started on Friday, ESPN's bracket challenge had a record 3.25 million entries — 56% more than last year. Almost half, 1.5 million, went out on Middle Tennessee's victory over Louisville and 1.3 million others were taken out when Michigan State lost to North Carolina.

By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports WriterIt will be another year without a perfect NCAA Tournament bracket.Upsets by Yale, Oakland and Duquesne busted many of the more than 22 million brackets entered in the largest contest, ESPN's Tournament Challenge, and the last three fell on Friday night when James Madison beat Wisconsin 72-61.With only 1,825 surviving the first day of action, the number was down to single digits after Friday's early games. Florida Atlantic's loss to Northwestern knocked out about half of the survivors Thursday, with the eighth-seeded Wildcats picked in about 45% of brackets.It was down to 306 perfect brackets on the ESPN site before No. 10 seed Colorado beat seventh-seeded Florida, leaving 62. Yale's victory over Auburn left just 10. And with just four games remaining on Friday night there were only three perfect brackets remaining on the ESPN site — and none in CBS' contest or the one on March Madness Live, the NCAA's official site.The quest for a winless bracket also ended Friday.One person on the ESPN site made it through the first day and then some without picking a game correctly, meaning they took a flyer on No. 16 seed Wagner over top-seeded North Carolina but missed on the actual losses by third-seeded Kentucky and No. 6 seeds Texas Tech and Brigham Young. They dropped out of contention for the ignominious honor of a perfectly imperfect bracket when Colorado beat Florida 102-100 on a last-second shot.The odds of picking a perfect bracket at random — not even counting the play-in games — is 1 chance out of 2 to the 63rd power, which is 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808, or about 1 in 9.2 quintillion (give or take 20 quadrillion or so). According to University of Hawaii researchers, that is more brackets than the number of grains of sand on Earth.A record 22 million brackets were filled out on ESPN’s site, up 15% over last year, with some of the early results knocking out millions. Mississippi State's 69-51 loss to Michigan State and Brigham Young's 71-67 loss to Duquesne each took out more than 9 million brackets. The biggest upset of the first day, third-seeded Kentucky's 80-76 loss to Oakland, also did some damage: The third-seeded Wildcats were picked in 95% of brackets in the ESPN Tournament Challenge to beat the 14th-seeded Golden Grizzlies.CBS said its last perfect bracket was spoiled when Yale won on Friday afternoon.Last year, when there were victories by No. 15 seed Princeton and No. 13 seed Furman on the first day, the last remaining perfect brackets fell on top-seeded Purdue's loss to Fairleigh Dickinson — just the second No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 seed in tournament history.In the women's tournament, which started on Friday, ESPN's bracket challenge had a record 3.25 million entries — 56% more than last year. Almost half, 1.5 million, went out on Middle Tennessee's victory over Louisville and 1.3 million others were taken out when Michigan State lost to North Carolina.

March Madness: Another year without a perfect NCAA men's bracket

Final	Alabama	109	Coll. of Charleston	96	

Final	Grand Canyon	75	Saint Mary's (Cal.)	66	

At Spectrum Center Charlotte, N.C.

North Carolina vs. Michigan St., 5:30 p.m.

NCAA First RoundSOUTHFinal	Texas A&amp;M	98	Nebraska	83	Final	Houston	86	Longwood	46	Final	Duke	64	Vermont	47	Final	James Madison	72	Wisconsin	61	Final	Marquette	87	W. Kentucky	69	Final	Colorado	102	Florida	100	MIDWESTFinal	Purdue	78	Grambling St.	50	Final	Utah St.	88	TCU	72	EASTFinal	San Diego St.	69	UAB	65	Final	Yale	78	Auburn	76	Final OT	Northwestern	77	FAU	65	Final	UConn	91	Stetson	52	WESTFinal	Baylor	92	Colgate	67	Final	Clemson	77	New Mexico	56	Final	Alabama	109	Coll. of Charleston	96	Final	Grand Canyon	75	Saint Mary's (Cal.)	66	Saturday NCAA Second RoundEASTOmaha, Neb.Illinois vs. Duquesne, 8:40 p.m.Iowa St. vs. Washington St., 6:10 p.m.SOUTHAt PPG Paints Arena PittsburghNC State vs. Oakland, 7:10 p.m.MIDWEST REGIONALAt Delta Center Salt Lake CityKansas vs. Gonzaga, 3:15 p.m.At PPG Paints Arena PittsburghCreighton vs. Oregon, 9:40 p.m.At Spectrum Center Charlotte, N.C.Tennessee vs. Texas, 8 p.m.WEST REGIONALAt Spectrum Center Charlotte, N.C.North Carolina vs. Michigan St., 5:30 p.m.At Delta Center Salt Lake CityArizona vs. Dayton, 12:45 p.m.

Friday NCAA Tourney Scores, Saturday Schedule

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Gabby Gregory had 22 points and Ayoka Lee scored 21 to lead Kansas State to a 78-65 win over Portland in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament on Friday.

The fourth-seeded Wildcats built a big first-half lead and then kept the No. 13 seed Pilots at an arm’s reach the rest of the game. They led 25-10 after one quarter and 34-14 at one point, but the Pilots closed the gap to 40-28 at halftime.

“I think we needed a game like this,” Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie said. “I thought we got off to a great start today. I thought our players were playing extremely well. I feel like the ball was moving. I thought we were getting the ball to some really really good spots of the floor.

"But we couldn’t run away from Portland.”

K-State will face the winner of the Colorado vs. Drake game on Sunday in the second round.

Serena Sundell added 16 points for Kansas State (26-7).

While the Wildcats were not pleased with their inability to put the game away, they were thankful they had the cushion.

“There are some people on the team that play with a lot of emotion,” Gregory said. “But there are some people on the team that don’t really do that. But we saw some of that (emotion) today.”

Portland (21-13) was led by Maisie Burnham, who had 17 of her 21 points in the second half. The Pilots also got 12 points from Kianna Hamilton-Fisher.

“Once we started scoring, we could get into our pressure a little bit,” Portland coach Michael Meek said. “I felt like the tempo became a little bit more in our favor. I couldn’t be any more proud of the fight that our team put forth.”

The game became chippy in the second half as there were 10 fouls called before the midway point of the third quarter. There were 15 total fouls called in the third quarter.

“Playing in the Big 12 prepares you to play against very physical teams," Gregory said. “That was just another game of physicality.”

Lee, who was 7 of 8 from the free-throw line but could have gone even more often, added, “I don’t think it was anything we hadn’t seen before. Down the stretch just came down to us being smart.”

Lee, who finished with nine rebounds, had 11 points in the third quarter as the Wildcats maintained a 12-point lead.

K-State shot 26 of 51 from the field, including 7 of 16 on 3-pointers. The Wildcats, however, only made 65.5% of their free throws.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Gabby Gregory had 22 points and Ayoka Lee scored 21 to lead Kansas State to a 78-65 win over Portland in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament on Friday.The fourth-seeded Wildcats built a big first-half lead and then kept the No. 13 seed Pilots at an arm’s reach the rest of the game. They led 25-10 after one quarter and 34-14 at one point, but the Pilots closed the gap to 40-28 at halftime.“I think we needed a game like this,” Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie said. “I thought we got off to a great start today. I thought our players were playing extremely well. I feel like the ball was moving. I thought we were getting the ball to some really really good spots of the floor."But we couldn’t run away from Portland.”K-State will face the winner of the Colorado vs. Drake game on Sunday in the second round.Serena Sundell added 16 points for Kansas State (26-7).While the Wildcats were not pleased with their inability to put the game away, they were thankful they had the cushion.“There are some people on the team that play with a lot of emotion,” Gregory said. “But there are some people on the team that don’t really do that. But we saw some of that (emotion) today.”Portland (21-13) was led by Maisie Burnham, who had 17 of her 21 points in the second half. The Pilots also got 12 points from Kianna Hamilton-Fisher.“Once we started scoring, we could get into our pressure a little bit,” Portland coach Michael Meek said. “I felt like the tempo became a little bit more in our favor. I couldn’t be any more proud of the fight that our team put forth.”The game became chippy in the second half as there were 10 fouls called before the midway point of the third quarter. There were 15 total fouls called in the third quarter.“Playing in the Big 12 prepares you to play against very physical teams," Gregory said. “That was just another game of physicality.”Lee, who was 7 of 8 from the free-throw line but could have gone even more often, added, “I don’t think it was anything we hadn’t seen before. Down the stretch just came down to us being smart.”Lee, who finished with nine rebounds, had 11 points in the third quarter as the Wildcats maintained a 12-point lead.K-State shot 26 of 51 from the field, including 7 of 16 on 3-pointers. The Wildcats, however, only made 65.5% of their free throws.

Kansas State uses big first quarter to defeat Portland 78-65

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Gabby Gregory had 22 points and Ayoka Lee scored 21 to lead Kansas State to a 78-65 win over Portland in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament. The fourth-seeded Wildcats built a big first-half lead and then kept the No. 13 seed Pilots at an arm’s reach the rest of the game. They led 40-28 at halftime. K-State will face the winner of the Colorado vs. Drake game on Sunday in the second round. Portland was led by Maisie Burnham, who had 17 of her 21 points in the second half. The Pilots also got 12 points from Kianna Hamilton-Fisher.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Gonzaga is fresh. The Bulldogs cruised to a stress-free victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament that ended with the starters watching garbage time from the bench. Kansas is fragile. The Jayhawks were missing their top scorer and had to fight to the finish for a first-round win with a depleted roster. It comes as no surprise that the No. 5 Zags head into Saturday’s second-round matchup of power programs as a 4 1/2-point favorite despite being one notch below No. 4 Kansas on the seeding line. It also comes as no surprise that neither Zags coach Mark Few nor his counterpart from Kansas, Bill Self, are buying into any of that.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — LJ Cryer and Damian Dunn scored 17 points each as top-seeded Houston built a quick double-digit lead and pounded 16 seed Longwood 86-46 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Coach Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars lived up to their reputation for smothering defense. They led 10-0 less than four minutes into the game and held the Lancers to 16 points on 26.3% shooting in the first half. Emanuel Sharp added 13 points and Jamal Shead finished with 11 points and nine assists for Houston, which will face Texas A&amp;M on Sunday in the second round of the South Region. Johnathan Massie led Longwood with 10 points.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jalen Bridges scored 23 points, Ja’Kobe Walter added 19 and third-seeded Baylor coasted past 14th-seeded Colgate 92-67 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Jayden Nunn added 15 points, going 4 of 5 from 3-point range, and RayJ Davis finished with 10 points and nine assists for coach Scott Drew’s Bears, who have won their past six first-round games in March Madness. Keegan Records led Colgate with 14 points. Sam Thomson had 11 and Braeden Smith scored 10. Baylor advances in the West Region to play Clemson in the second round on Sunday.

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — John Poulakidas scored 28 points, Samson Aletan made a key block during a wild scramble in the final seconds, and 13th-seeded Yale beat No. 4 seed Auburn 78-76 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. For the second straight year, the Ivy League Tournament champion took down one of the pre-tournament favorites. The Bulldogs won an NCAA Tournament game for just the second time in school history, rallying from a 10-point deficit midway through the second half. Johni Broome led Auburn with 24 points and 13 rebounds.

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Tyon Grant-Foster scored 22 points, and Grand Canyon earned its first NCAA Tournament victory as the 12th-seeded Antelopes knocked off No. 5 seed Saint Mary’s 75-66. Grand Canyon became the second No. 12 seed to pull a late-night upset after James Madison took down Wisconsin. The Antelopes did it with style, slashing and shooting their way to expose the No. 2 scoring defense in the country. Grant-Foster was the instigator but he had help. Gabe McGlothan had 12 points and 11 rebounds and Ray Harrison scored 17 points. Mitchell Saxen led Saint Mary’s with 14 points. Aidan Mahaney added 13, but the regular season and tournament champions of the West Coast Conference were bounced.

NEW YORK (AP) — Terrence Edwards Jr. scored 14 points and James Madison pulled off the first 12-5 upset of the NCAA Tournament by beating Wisconsin 72-61. The 12th-seeded Dukes will face fourth-seeded Duke on Sunday in the second round of the South Regional in Brooklyn, where the JMU fans made themselves right at home. The Dukes, who had not been in the tournament since 2013, are into the second round for the first time since 1983 — bringing with them a 14-game winning streak that is the longest in the nation. Max Klesmit kept fifth-seeded Wisconsin kept the Badgers within striking distance with 18 second-half points.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The referee who blew the whistle that worked against Samford at the end of its loss to Kansas in the NCAA Tournament might be following the Bulldogs straight out of town. An NCAA official told The Associated Press it’s routine for evaluators to analyze games and decide which officials move on to call the next round. The NCAA does not comment on judgment calls, meaning the best way to determine its take on the end of the Kansas 93-89 win might be to see if official Lamar Simpson is assigned to either of Saturday’s games in Salt Lake City. Simpson was behind the play with 14.7 seconds left when a Samford player blocked a KU player's layup from behind. Simpson called a foul. Replays showed no contact.

UNDATED (AP) — Another year without a perfect NCAA Tournament bracket. Three people picked the first 28 games correctly in ESPN's contest but all three got knocked out of the competition when James Madison beat Wisconsin on Friday night. Long shots Yale, Oakland and Duquesne also did some damage on the tournament's second day. Only 1,825 perfect brackets survived Thursday's games in ESPN's Tournament Challenge. The odds of picking a perfect bracket at random are 1 in 9.2 quintillion. A record 22 million brackets were entered in ESPN's contest. One person had the distinction of predicting every single winner incorrectly until Colorado squeaked past Florida 102-100.

Atlanta	at	Minnesota	1:05 p.m.	(Canceled)

Pittsburgh	at	Baltimore	6:05 p.m.	(Canceled)

Washington	at	Houston	6:05 p.m.	(Canceled)

Minnesota	at	Tampa Bay	1:05 p.m.	(Canceled)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710682717672.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Gabby Gregory had 22 points and Ayoka Lee scored 21 to lead Kansas State to a 78-65 win over Portland in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament. The fourth-seeded Wildcats built a big first-half lead and then kept the No. 13 seed Pilots at an arm’s reach the rest of the game. They led 40-28 at halftime. K-State will face the winner of the Colorado vs. Drake game on Sunday in the second round. Portland was led by Maisie Burnham, who had 17 of her 21 points in the second half. The Pilots also got 12 points from Kianna Hamilton-Fisher.SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Gonzaga is fresh. The Bulldogs cruised to a stress-free victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament that ended with the starters watching garbage time from the bench. Kansas is fragile. The Jayhawks were missing their top scorer and had to fight to the finish for a first-round win with a depleted roster. It comes as no surprise that the No. 5 Zags head into Saturday’s second-round matchup of power programs as a 4 1/2-point favorite despite being one notch below No. 4 Kansas on the seeding line. It also comes as no surprise that neither Zags coach Mark Few nor his counterpart from Kansas, Bill Self, are buying into any of that.MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — LJ Cryer and Damian Dunn scored 17 points each as top-seeded Houston built a quick double-digit lead and pounded 16 seed Longwood 86-46 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Coach Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars lived up to their reputation for smothering defense. They led 10-0 less than four minutes into the game and held the Lancers to 16 points on 26.3% shooting in the first half. Emanuel Sharp added 13 points and Jamal Shead finished with 11 points and nine assists for Houston, which will face Texas A&amp;M on Sunday in the second round of the South Region. Johnathan Massie led Longwood with 10 points.MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jalen Bridges scored 23 points, Ja’Kobe Walter added 19 and third-seeded Baylor coasted past 14th-seeded Colgate 92-67 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Jayden Nunn added 15 points, going 4 of 5 from 3-point range, and RayJ Davis finished with 10 points and nine assists for coach Scott Drew’s Bears, who have won their past six first-round games in March Madness. Keegan Records led Colgate with 14 points. Sam Thomson had 11 and Braeden Smith scored 10. Baylor advances in the West Region to play Clemson in the second round on Sunday.SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — John Poulakidas scored 28 points, Samson Aletan made a key block during a wild scramble in the final seconds, and 13th-seeded Yale beat No. 4 seed Auburn 78-76 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. For the second straight year, the Ivy League Tournament champion took down one of the pre-tournament favorites. The Bulldogs won an NCAA Tournament game for just the second time in school history, rallying from a 10-point deficit midway through the second half. Johni Broome led Auburn with 24 points and 13 rebounds.SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Tyon Grant-Foster scored 22 points, and Grand Canyon earned its first NCAA Tournament victory as the 12th-seeded Antelopes knocked off No. 5 seed Saint Mary’s 75-66. Grand Canyon became the second No. 12 seed to pull a late-night upset after James Madison took down Wisconsin. The Antelopes did it with style, slashing and shooting their way to expose the No. 2 scoring defense in the country. Grant-Foster was the instigator but he had help. Gabe McGlothan had 12 points and 11 rebounds and Ray Harrison scored 17 points. Mitchell Saxen led Saint Mary’s with 14 points. Aidan Mahaney added 13, but the regular season and tournament champions of the West Coast Conference were bounced.NEW YORK (AP) — Terrence Edwards Jr. scored 14 points and James Madison pulled off the first 12-5 upset of the NCAA Tournament by beating Wisconsin 72-61. The 12th-seeded Dukes will face fourth-seeded Duke on Sunday in the second round of the South Regional in Brooklyn, where the JMU fans made themselves right at home. The Dukes, who had not been in the tournament since 2013, are into the second round for the first time since 1983 — bringing with them a 14-game winning streak that is the longest in the nation. Max Klesmit kept fifth-seeded Wisconsin kept the Badgers within striking distance with 18 second-half points.SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The referee who blew the whistle that worked against Samford at the end of its loss to Kansas in the NCAA Tournament might be following the Bulldogs straight out of town. An NCAA official told The Associated Press it’s routine for evaluators to analyze games and decide which officials move on to call the next round. The NCAA does not comment on judgment calls, meaning the best way to determine its take on the end of the Kansas 93-89 win might be to see if official Lamar Simpson is assigned to either of Saturday’s games in Salt Lake City. Simpson was behind the play with 14.7 seconds left when a Samford player blocked a KU player's layup from behind. Simpson called a foul. Replays showed no contact.UNDATED (AP) — Another year without a perfect NCAA Tournament bracket. Three people picked the first 28 games correctly in ESPN's contest but all three got knocked out of the competition when James Madison beat Wisconsin on Friday night. Long shots Yale, Oakland and Duquesne also did some damage on the tournament's second day. Only 1,825 perfect brackets survived Thursday's games in ESPN's Tournament Challenge. The odds of picking a perfect bracket at random are 1 in 9.2 quintillion. A record 22 million brackets were entered in ESPN's contest. One person had the distinction of predicting every single winner incorrectly until Colorado squeaked past Florida 102-100.FRIDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEAtlanta	at	Minnesota	1:05 p.m.	(Canceled)Pittsburgh	at	Baltimore	6:05 p.m.	(Canceled)Washington	at	Houston	6:05 p.m.	(Canceled)Final	Detroit	4	Philadelphia	3	Final	N.Y. Yankees	5	N.Y. Mets	3	Final	Seattle	3	Arizona	3	Final	Colorado	3	Texas	2	Final	Milwaukee	4	Seattle	4	Final	Oakland	8	Cincinnati	6	Final	Milwaukee	11	Kansas City	5	AMERICAN LEAGUEMinnesota	at	Tampa Bay	1:05 p.m.	(Canceled)Final	Toronto	5	Boston	1	Final	L.A. Angels	2	Chicago White Sox	0	Final	Cleveland	10	Texas	0	Final	Chicago White Sox	8	Oakland	2	NATIONAL LEAGUESt. Louis	at	Miami	6:40 p.m.	(Canceled)Final	San Francisco	7	Chicago Cubs	3	Final	San Francisco	13	Chicago Cubs	12	NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Boston	129	Detroit	102	Final	Oklahoma City	123	Toronto	103	Final	New Orleans	111	Miami	88	Final	Minnesota	104	Cleveland	91	Final	Memphis	99	San Antonio	97	Final	L.A. Clippers	125	Portland	117	Final	Indiana	123	Golden State	111	Final	L.A. Lakers	101	Philadelphia	94	NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal SO	Washington	7	Carolina	6	Final	Dallas	4	Pittsburgh	2	Final	Colorado	6	Columbus	1	Final OT	Arizona	2	Seattle	1

Saturday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Gonzaga is fresh. The Bulldogs cruised to a stress-free victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament that ended with the starters watching garbage time from the bench.

Kansas is fragile. The Jayhawks were missing their top scorer and had to fight to the finish for a first-round win with a depleted roster.

It comes as no surprise that the No. 5 Zags head into Saturday's second-round matchup of power programs as a 4 1/2-point favorite despite being one notch below No. 4 Kansas on the seeding line.

It also comes as no surprise that neither Zags coach Mark Few nor his counterpart from Kansas, Bill Self, are buying into any of the above assumptions.

“We've won the exact same amount of games in a row as Gonzaga has,” Self said. “So I'll just spin it like that.”

This is only the third meeting between these programs, whose coaches, strangely enough, share the same birthday: Dec. 27, 1962.

It is the sort of matchup hoops fans might have expected at the Midwest Regional next week, or even at the Final Four in Phoenix come April. That it's coming on the first weekend in Salt Lake City is a product of two teams that have been on shaky footing at times this season and were rated that way by the selection committee.

“You lose a game, the sky is falling,” Few said of the attitude at places like his, or at Kansas. “We lost more than one. So (both teams have) had to power through that.”

Yes, the Zags were considered a bubble team as late as January, as they struggled to adjust to the loss of four of their top five scorers from last season, including Drew Timme and Julian Strawther.

Asked when he saw the lightbulb go on, Few said it was more of a gradual climb.

“Putting Ben (Gregg) in the starting lineup, playing the three bigs together, it took us a while to adjust to that," Few said of a lineup change he made on Jan. 18. "Once we did, we kind of ran with it.”

Gonzaga is 15-2 since then, its only two losses coming to WCC rival Saint Mary's. A win Saturday would place the program in the Sweet 16 for the ninth straight time.

Meanwhile, Kansas was the AP preseason No. 1, with a roster stocked with Kevin McCullar Jr. and second-team All-American center Hunter Dickinson, who transferred to Lawrence from Michigan for this season.

Missing, though, has been a consistent outside shooter. When injuries to McCullar and Dickinson kicked in last month, the Jayhawks lost four of five. They took a 22-point lead in their tournament opener against Samford, only to wear down and barely hang on.

“We saw the ball go in the basket,” said Self, whose team shot 60%. “And if you looked at when we haven’t played well, we didn’t see the ball go in the basket. So I’m going to say ‘Yeah, I think last night was really good for us.’”

One other factor: The game starts at 1:15 p.m. local time. Kansas didn't walk out of the arena until after midnight Friday.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Gonzaga is fresh. The Bulldogs cruised to a stress-free victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament that ended with the starters watching garbage time from the bench.Kansas is fragile. The Jayhawks were missing their top scorer and had to fight to the finish for a first-round win with a depleted roster.It comes as no surprise that the No. 5 Zags head into Saturday's second-round matchup of power programs as a 4 1/2-point favorite despite being one notch below No. 4 Kansas on the seeding line.It also comes as no surprise that neither Zags coach Mark Few nor his counterpart from Kansas, Bill Self, are buying into any of the above assumptions.“We've won the exact same amount of games in a row as Gonzaga has,” Self said. “So I'll just spin it like that.”This is only the third meeting between these programs, whose coaches, strangely enough, share the same birthday: Dec. 27, 1962.It is the sort of matchup hoops fans might have expected at the Midwest Regional next week, or even at the Final Four in Phoenix come April. That it's coming on the first weekend in Salt Lake City is a product of two teams that have been on shaky footing at times this season and were rated that way by the selection committee.“You lose a game, the sky is falling,” Few said of the attitude at places like his, or at Kansas. “We lost more than one. So (both teams have) had to power through that.”Yes, the Zags were considered a bubble team as late as January, as they struggled to adjust to the loss of four of their top five scorers from last season, including Drew Timme and Julian Strawther.Asked when he saw the lightbulb go on, Few said it was more of a gradual climb.“Putting Ben (Gregg) in the starting lineup, playing the three bigs together, it took us a while to adjust to that," Few said of a lineup change he made on Jan. 18. "Once we did, we kind of ran with it.”Gonzaga is 15-2 since then, its only two losses coming to WCC rival Saint Mary's. A win Saturday would place the program in the Sweet 16 for the ninth straight time.Meanwhile, Kansas was the AP preseason No. 1, with a roster stocked with Kevin McCullar Jr. and second-team All-American center Hunter Dickinson, who transferred to Lawrence from Michigan for this season.Missing, though, has been a consistent outside shooter. When injuries to McCullar and Dickinson kicked in last month, the Jayhawks lost four of five. They took a 22-point lead in their tournament opener against Samford, only to wear down and barely hang on.“We saw the ball go in the basket,” said Self, whose team shot 60%. “And if you looked at when we haven’t played well, we didn’t see the ball go in the basket. So I’m going to say ‘Yeah, I think last night was really good for us.’”One other factor: The game starts at 1:15 p.m. local time. Kansas didn't walk out of the arena until after midnight Friday.

March Madness brings an early showdown of power programs: Gonzaga vs Kansas

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The referee who blew the critical whistle that worked against Samford at the end of its loss to Kansas in the NCAA Tournament might be following the Bulldogs straight out of town.

It is routine for evaluators to analyze games and decide which officials move on to call the next round. The NCAA said it does not comment on judgment calls, meaning one way to determine its take on the end of the Kansas 93-89 win might be to see if referee Lamar Simpson is assigned to either of Saturday's games in Salt Lake City.

Simpson was behind the play with 14.7 seconds left Thursday night when Samford's A.J. Staton-McCray caught up to Nicolas Timberlake and blocked his layup from behind.

Simpson called a foul, leading to two free throws that gave KU a three-point lead. Replays from a number of angles showed no contact on the play that sent Timberlake crashing to the floor.

Former referee John Clougherty, who worked in 12 Final Fours before becoming supervisor of refs in the Atlantic Coast and other conferences, told AP he did not see the play and didn't want to specifically comment on it. He said it's not uncommon for an official to come to a site assigned to work two games but have the assignment switched if the first game goes poorly.

“We're talking about last plays that are deciding games, not an incorrect travel call or something like that,” Clougherty said. “I don't want to call it discipline, but when his evaluation comes down, he might not get that second game.”

Clougherty said a rule he has always held to over decades of officiating is to err on the side of not making a call.

“The mindset is always, when I blow the whistle, I want to be able to justify the contact,” he said. “You have to be on the side of, let's make our no-calls our mistakes. Not the one where you blow the whistle and the replay embarrasses us because there's nothing there.”

The call brought with it the issue of whether the NCAA should expand a replay system that currently doesn't allow review of judgment calls on the sort of last-second foul that helped decide Thursday's game. The AP asked a handful of coaches around the country about it Friday:

— Creighton's Greg McDermott said he worries about too many replays slowing down the games. “I would probably want to talk to the NBA guys” to see how they like the rule in their league that allows for coaches' challenges, he said.

— Illinois' Brad Underwood said he wishes coaches could challenge in college. Regrading the Samford call, he said, “It was a tough play, and you kind of live with the outcome.”

— Arizona's Tommy Lloyd: “Listen, I think we’ve got to be open to" coach-initiated reviews. "At the end of the day, the number one deal is, get the calls right.”

College basketball does allow for reviews of some plays, including buzzer-beaters and shot-clock issues, shooters stepping on or behind the 3-point line, reviews to see if flagrant fouls were committed and out of bounds plays in the last two minutes.

But on the biggest play of Thursday's game, there was no recourse.

Afterward, Timberlake insisted he had been fouled. Staton-McCray disagreed and said if there was a foul, “I guess Casper hit him.”

Clougherty, the officiating lifer, recalled a Sweet 16 game in 1990 between Georgia Tech and Michigan State in which he counted a game-tying basket even though replays showed the ball was still in Kenny Anderson's hands when the buzzer went off. Video reviews of buzzer-beaters were still 10 years away, so the call stood.

Georgia Tech went on to the Final Four that year. Clougherty did not.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The referee who blew the critical whistle that worked against Samford at the end of its loss to Kansas in the NCAA Tournament might be following the Bulldogs straight out of town.It is routine for evaluators to analyze games and decide which officials move on to call the next round. The NCAA said it does not comment on judgment calls, meaning one way to determine its take on the end of the Kansas 93-89 win might be to see if referee Lamar Simpson is assigned to either of Saturday's games in Salt Lake City.Simpson was behind the play with 14.7 seconds left Thursday night when Samford's A.J. Staton-McCray caught up to Nicolas Timberlake and blocked his layup from behind.Simpson called a foul, leading to two free throws that gave KU a three-point lead. Replays from a number of angles showed no contact on the play that sent Timberlake crashing to the floor.Former referee John Clougherty, who worked in 12 Final Fours before becoming supervisor of refs in the Atlantic Coast and other conferences, told AP he did not see the play and didn't want to specifically comment on it. He said it's not uncommon for an official to come to a site assigned to work two games but have the assignment switched if the first game goes poorly.“We're talking about last plays that are deciding games, not an incorrect travel call or something like that,” Clougherty said. “I don't want to call it discipline, but when his evaluation comes down, he might not get that second game.”Clougherty said a rule he has always held to over decades of officiating is to err on the side of not making a call.“The mindset is always, when I blow the whistle, I want to be able to justify the contact,” he said. “You have to be on the side of, let's make our no-calls our mistakes. Not the one where you blow the whistle and the replay embarrasses us because there's nothing there.”The call brought with it the issue of whether the NCAA should expand a replay system that currently doesn't allow review of judgment calls on the sort of last-second foul that helped decide Thursday's game. The AP asked a handful of coaches around the country about it Friday:— Creighton's Greg McDermott said he worries about too many replays slowing down the games. “I would probably want to talk to the NBA guys” to see how they like the rule in their league that allows for coaches' challenges, he said.— Illinois' Brad Underwood said he wishes coaches could challenge in college. Regrading the Samford call, he said, “It was a tough play, and you kind of live with the outcome.”— Arizona's Tommy Lloyd: “Listen, I think we’ve got to be open to" coach-initiated reviews. "At the end of the day, the number one deal is, get the calls right.”College basketball does allow for reviews of some plays, including buzzer-beaters and shot-clock issues, shooters stepping on or behind the 3-point line, reviews to see if flagrant fouls were committed and out of bounds plays in the last two minutes.But on the biggest play of Thursday's game, there was no recourse.Afterward, Timberlake insisted he had been fouled. Staton-McCray disagreed and said if there was a foul, “I guess Casper hit him.”Clougherty, the officiating lifer, recalled a Sweet 16 game in 1990 between Georgia Tech and Michigan State in which he counted a game-tying basket even though replays showed the ball was still in Kenny Anderson's hands when the buzzer went off. Video reviews of buzzer-beaters were still 10 years away, so the call stood.Georgia Tech went on to the Final Four that year. Clougherty did not.

After whistle hastens Samford's exit from March Madness, the referee could be next

SALT LAKE CITY – No. 4 seed Kansas (23-10) will face No. 5 seed Gonzaga (26-7) in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 23. Tip from Delta Center in Salt Lake City will be at 2:15 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on CBS.

Kansas advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the 38th time with a 93-89 win against No. 13 seed Samford on March 21. Gonzaga defeated No. 12 seed McNeese, 86-65, in its opening-round game.

Kansas is making its 51st NCAA Tournament appearance and has a 113-49 record in the event. The Jayhawks have advanced to 31 Sweet 16 contests, 15 Final Fours and four of their six national championships have been in NCAA Championship format (1952, 1988, 2008, 2022).

Kansas and Gonzaga are meeting for the third time in men’s basketball and the series is tied at 1-1. The teams last met on Nov. 26, 2020, in the opening round of the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off in Fort Myers, Florida. Then-No. 1 Gonzaga defeated then-No. 6 Kansas, 102-90, to open the season for both teams.

Since seeding in the NCAA Tournament began in 1979, Kansas entered the 2024 event a No. 4 seed for the sixth time overall and the first time since 2019. KU has been a No. 4 seed in 1994, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2019 and 2024.

Kansas enters Saturday’s game against Gonzaga averaging 75.8 points per game with a plus-6.5 scoring margin. The Jayhawks pull down 36.2 rebounds per outing with a plus-2.6 rebound margin. Kansas leads the nation in assists per game at 19.0. The Jayhawks also lead the Big 12 and is ninth nationally in field goal percentage at 49.2%. KU also averages 7.2 steals and 4.0 blocked shots per contest.

Graduate G Kevin McCullar Jr., who will not play in the remainder of the NCAA Tournament due to injury, leads the Big 12 in scoring at 18.3 points per game. McCullar is second on the team with 39 three-point field goals made and his 6.0 rebounds per game are also second on the team. McCullar ranks in 11 Big 12 statistical categories.

Named on most All-America teams, the 2024 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and an All-Big 12 First Team selection, senior C Hunter Dickinson leads the Big 12 and is fifth nationally in rebounds per game at 11.1 after his 19 points and 20 rebounds against Samford (3/21). His 17 double-doubles lead the Big 12 and are 12th nationally and he leads the league with 14 games of 20 points or more and 18 contests with 10 or more rebounds. With an 18.0 ppg, which is second in the Big 12 behind McCullar, Dickinson is the only player in the Big 12 averaging a double-double. Dickinson also leads KU with 47 blocked shots and has 31 steals.

After his 10-13 (76.9%) field goals against Samford, junior F KJ Adams Jr. continues to lead the Big 12 with a 60.9 field goal shooting percentage, which is 19th nationally. Adams averages 12.7 point and 4.5 rebounds per game and is third on the team with 104 assists and 38 steals.

Redshirt-senior G Dajuan Harris Jr. is second in the Big 12 with 6.4 assists per game, which is 12th nationally, and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.7), which is 35th nationally. Harris averages 8.5 points per contest and has a team-high 49 steals. After his 13 points against Samford (3/21), Kansas is 34-4 when Harris scores 10 or more points, including 10-3 this season.

Freshman G Johnny Furphy (9.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg) averaged 11.4 points and 6.1 rebounds in Big 12 play. He has started in 18 games for KU and leads Kansas with 42 threes made this season.

Replacing McCullar in the Kansas starting lineup is graduate G Nicolas Timberlake (5.1 ppg, 28 threes). He is coming off a KU career-high 19 points against Samford (3/21) that included a 5-8 FGs and 3-6 three pointers. Timberlake has started seven games this season and the sixth-year transfer from Towson is playing in his first NCAA Tournament.

Other KU regulars include freshman G Elmarko Jackson (4.2 ppg, 56 assists, 24 steals, 17 starts), graduate F Parker Braun (2.1 ppg, 21 blocked shots) and freshman G Jamari McDowell (1.8 ppg).

Should Kansas win its game against Gonzaga on March 23, KU would advance to the Sweet 16 in Detroit on March 29 at Little Caesars Arena.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711143283657.jpeg" alt="Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>SALT LAKE CITY – No. 4 seed Kansas (23-10) will face No. 5 seed Gonzaga (26-7) in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 23. Tip from Delta Center in Salt Lake City will be at 2:15 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on CBS.Kansas advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the 38th time with a 93-89 win against No. 13 seed Samford on March 21. Gonzaga defeated No. 12 seed McNeese, 86-65, in its opening-round game.Kansas is making its 51st NCAA Tournament appearance and has a 113-49 record in the event. The Jayhawks have advanced to 31 Sweet 16 contests, 15 Final Fours and four of their six national championships have been in NCAA Championship format (1952, 1988, 2008, 2022).Kansas and Gonzaga are meeting for the third time in men’s basketball and the series is tied at 1-1. The teams last met on Nov. 26, 2020, in the opening round of the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off in Fort Myers, Florida. Then-No. 1 Gonzaga defeated then-No. 6 Kansas, 102-90, to open the season for both teams.Since seeding in the NCAA Tournament began in 1979, Kansas entered the 2024 event a No. 4 seed for the sixth time overall and the first time since 2019. KU has been a No. 4 seed in 1994, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2019 and 2024.Kansas enters Saturday’s game against Gonzaga averaging 75.8 points per game with a plus-6.5 scoring margin. The Jayhawks pull down 36.2 rebounds per outing with a plus-2.6 rebound margin. Kansas leads the nation in assists per game at 19.0. The Jayhawks also lead the Big 12 and is ninth nationally in field goal percentage at 49.2%. KU also averages 7.2 steals and 4.0 blocked shots per contest.Graduate G Kevin McCullar Jr., who will not play in the remainder of the NCAA Tournament due to injury, leads the Big 12 in scoring at 18.3 points per game. McCullar is second on the team with 39 three-point field goals made and his 6.0 rebounds per game are also second on the team. McCullar ranks in 11 Big 12 statistical categories.Named on most All-America teams, the 2024 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and an All-Big 12 First Team selection, senior C Hunter Dickinson leads the Big 12 and is fifth nationally in rebounds per game at 11.1 after his 19 points and 20 rebounds against Samford (3/21). His 17 double-doubles lead the Big 12 and are 12th nationally and he leads the league with 14 games of 20 points or more and 18 contests with 10 or more rebounds. With an 18.0 ppg, which is second in the Big 12 behind McCullar, Dickinson is the only player in the Big 12 averaging a double-double. Dickinson also leads KU with 47 blocked shots and has 31 steals.After his 10-13 (76.9%) field goals against Samford, junior F KJ Adams Jr. continues to lead the Big 12 with a 60.9 field goal shooting percentage, which is 19th nationally. Adams averages 12.7 point and 4.5 rebounds per game and is third on the team with 104 assists and 38 steals.Redshirt-senior G Dajuan Harris Jr. is second in the Big 12 with 6.4 assists per game, which is 12th nationally, and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.7), which is 35th nationally. Harris averages 8.5 points per contest and has a team-high 49 steals. After his 13 points against Samford (3/21), Kansas is 34-4 when Harris scores 10 or more points, including 10-3 this season.Freshman G Johnny Furphy (9.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg) averaged 11.4 points and 6.1 rebounds in Big 12 play. He has started in 18 games for KU and leads Kansas with 42 threes made this season.Replacing McCullar in the Kansas starting lineup is graduate G Nicolas Timberlake (5.1 ppg, 28 threes). He is coming off a KU career-high 19 points against Samford (3/21) that included a 5-8 FGs and 3-6 three pointers. Timberlake has started seven games this season and the sixth-year transfer from Towson is playing in his first NCAA Tournament.Other KU regulars include freshman G Elmarko Jackson (4.2 ppg, 56 assists, 24 steals, 17 starts), graduate F Parker Braun (2.1 ppg, 21 blocked shots) and freshman G Jamari McDowell (1.8 ppg).Up NextShould Kansas win its game against Gonzaga on March 23, KU would advance to the Sweet 16 in Detroit on March 29 at Little Caesars Arena.

No. 4 Seed Kansas to Face No. 5 Seed Gonzaga Saturday in Salt Lake City

- Barton Basketball coach Jeremy Coombs talks about his team's week of preparation for the NJCAA National Tournament that begins for the Cougars on Monday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. against either Daytona State or Walters State in Hutchinson.

- Sunflower Sports Solutions Conor Nichol has early observations on the High School spring sports season.

<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/jn_QvxaYEk8?si=TmHZcZDFlBa4Lj8A" 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 his team's week of preparation for the NJCAA National Tournament that begins for the Cougars on Monday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. against either Daytona State or Walters State in Hutchinson.- Sunflower Sports Solutions Conor Nichol has early observations on the High School spring sports season.- The latest from the NCAA Tournament- Friday Sports Headlines- Sounds of the past 24-hours

Friday on Sports Day (Watch)

The Lady Panther
softball team opens the season Saturday against Pratt at the Great Bend Sports
Complex. After going 11-11 last year, Great Bend loses a few seniors, including
Analiz Rivas. But most of last year’s squad returns to give coach Carrie Minton
high expectations for 2024.

“It's fantastic
going into the season knowing we have so much experience coming back from last
year,” she said. “We lose Analiz, who played a big role for four years on our
team, but we have three seniors who are going into their fourth year. We have a
large group of sophomores that played quite a bit as freshmen. Then we throw
the mix a couple of freshmen into what we already have. We're really excited.”

Senior Paige
Thexton is one of those big returners. Playing at short and pitching last
season, she batted .443 and reached base more than half the time. She drove in
18 runs and scored 22 more. In the circle, she threw 48 innings and struck out
43.

Senior Halle Post
finished with 26 hits and 16 runs last season after batting .371. Senior Rylee
Prilling returns at first base after batting .324.

The Lady Panthers
had some young power in the lineup last season. Junior DeShawnna Bryant returns
to the outfield after leading the team with a .482 batting average with eight
doubles, 30 RBIs, 20 runs, and five stolen bases. Sophomore Katherine Mazouch,
another outfield, made an immediate impact as a freshman with a .364 average,
21 RBIs, and 16 runs scored.

Also returning in
the circle this year are sophomores Alyssa McCauley and Braelyn Turner. Turner
struck out 40 in her 36 innings of work. McCauley batted .305 and struck out 21
in her 15 innings pitched.

Other key returners
include sophomore Denver Ringo, who batted .314 with 15 runs, sophomore Ava
Kaiser with her .305 average, and sophomore Kamryn Koelsch behind the dish with
13 hits and 11 runs scored last spring.

Junior Ava Carter
and sophomore Josie Blevins add some depth behind the plate, freshman Chayla
Prendergast could see time in the circle, and freshmen Camdyn Post and Kya Behr could
make an impact after picking up big varsity time in other sports.

“It makes
practices awesome because we have a lot of people challenging each other for
playing time,” Minton said. “The good side of that is the girls know it’s a
challenge. All of them are stepping up, working to make themselves better, and
working to make their teammates better.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886299669.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post
SportsThe Lady Panther
softball team opens the season Saturday against Pratt at the Great Bend Sports
Complex. After going 11-11 last year, Great Bend loses a few seniors, including
Analiz Rivas. But most of last year’s squad returns to give coach Carrie Minton
high expectations for 2024.“It's fantastic
going into the season knowing we have so much experience coming back from last
year,” she said. “We lose Analiz, who played a big role for four years on our
team, but we have three seniors who are going into their fourth year. We have a
large group of sophomores that played quite a bit as freshmen. Then we throw
the mix a couple of freshmen into what we already have. We're really excited.”Senior Paige
Thexton is one of those big returners. Playing at short and pitching last
season, she batted .443 and reached base more than half the time. She drove in
18 runs and scored 22 more. In the circle, she threw 48 innings and struck out
43.Senior Halle Post
finished with 26 hits and 16 runs last season after batting .371. Senior Rylee
Prilling returns at first base after batting .324.The Lady Panthers
had some young power in the lineup last season. Junior DeShawnna Bryant returns
to the outfield after leading the team with a .482 batting average with eight
doubles, 30 RBIs, 20 runs, and five stolen bases. Sophomore Katherine Mazouch,
another outfield, made an immediate impact as a freshman with a .364 average,
21 RBIs, and 16 runs scored.Also returning in
the circle this year are sophomores Alyssa McCauley and Braelyn Turner. Turner
struck out 40 in her 36 innings of work. McCauley batted .305 and struck out 21
in her 15 innings pitched.Other key returners
include sophomore Denver Ringo, who batted .314 with 15 runs, sophomore Ava
Kaiser with her .305 average, and sophomore Kamryn Koelsch behind the dish with
13 hits and 11 runs scored last spring.Junior Ava Carter
and sophomore Josie Blevins add some depth behind the plate, freshman Chayla
Prendergast could see time in the circle, and freshmen Camdyn Post and Kya Behr could
make an impact after picking up big varsity time in other sports.“It makes
practices awesome because we have a lot of people challenging each other for
playing time,” Minton said. “The good side of that is the girls know it’s a
challenge. All of them are stepping up, working to make themselves better, and
working to make their teammates better.”

Lady Panther softball team returns large group of varsity players

The Great Bend High School tennis team is set to get underway next Tuesday in McPherson. Head Coach Chris Manning will have a young squad with 13 of his 16 players being either freshmen or sophomores.

"Even though we are young, this is turning out to be the most ‘tennis’ players we have had in a long time," he said. "We are going to have growing pains but are looking forward to getting better each day."

Seniors on this year's team include Kaden Deines and Tyrese Patterson. Ryan hunter will be the lone junior on the squad. Sophomores are: Jacob Parks, Kia Brit, Kaden Pounds, Chason Rasmsey, Damian Mosqueda, Fabian Guerrero, Jorge Moreno, and Aaron Ramirez. Freshmen include Diego Soto, Aiden Tracy, Dominic Zimmerman, Leo Basher, and Brenton Jeska.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886492120.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsThe Great Bend High School tennis team is set to get underway next Tuesday in McPherson. Head Coach Chris Manning will have a young squad with 13 of his 16 players being either freshmen or sophomores."Even though we are young, this is turning out to be the most ‘tennis’ players we have had in a long time," he said. "We are going to have growing pains but are looking forward to getting better each day."Seniors on this year's team include Kaden Deines and Tyrese Patterson. Ryan hunter will be the lone junior on the squad. Sophomores are: Jacob Parks, Kia Brit, Kaden Pounds, Chason Rasmsey, Damian Mosqueda, Fabian Guerrero, Jorge Moreno, and Aaron Ramirez. Freshmen include Diego Soto, Aiden Tracy, Dominic Zimmerman, Leo Basher, and Brenton Jeska.

Young Panther tennis team begins season March 26

Glen Grunwald Interview on Sports Day

Expectations are high for the Great Bend High School baseball team after a trip to the state tournament last spring. Thursday, the Panthers brought those expectations to fruition with a 13-run first inning in their season-opener against Russell. Great Bend tacked on four runs in the third to finish off the hitless Broncos 17-0 in three innings.&nbsp;

JJ Grove led the season off with a walk and advanced on a single from Daxton Minton. Both players scored on an error off the bat from Carson Umphres. Ian Premer kept the train rolling with a bunt, and Owen Kaiser reached on an error that scored Umphres. Slade Mohr added a 2-run single in the frame. Peyden Oelger and Grove followed a Hunter Herrman walk with triples to bump the Panther lead to 8-0 with just one out in the book. Premer and Koehn Ribordy added RBI-singles later in the inning.

The bats got even stronger in the third inning as Kaiser homered to left field and Herrman circled the bases on an inside-the-parker.

Herrman picked up the win on the mound, allowing one walk and no hits while striking out four in his two innings of work. Minton struck out two of the three batters he faced.

Ribordy paced the Panther offense with three hits. Herrman and Kaiser homered and singled, Premer had two singles, and Grove and Oelger tripled for their lone hits.

Great Bend is scheduled to host Pratt in a doubleheader that begins Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Great Bend Sports Complex.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886547614.png" alt="panthers gbhs high school.png" />
 <figcaption>panthers gbhs high school.png</figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsExpectations are high for the Great Bend High School baseball team after a trip to the state tournament last spring. Thursday, the Panthers brought those expectations to fruition with a 13-run first inning in their season-opener against Russell. Great Bend tacked on four runs in the third to finish off the hitless Broncos 17-0 in three innings.&nbsp;JJ Grove led the season off with a walk and advanced on a single from Daxton Minton. Both players scored on an error off the bat from Carson Umphres. Ian Premer kept the train rolling with a bunt, and Owen Kaiser reached on an error that scored Umphres. Slade Mohr added a 2-run single in the frame. Peyden Oelger and Grove followed a Hunter Herrman walk with triples to bump the Panther lead to 8-0 with just one out in the book. Premer and Koehn Ribordy added RBI-singles later in the inning.The bats got even stronger in the third inning as Kaiser homered to left field and Herrman circled the bases on an inside-the-parker.Herrman picked up the win on the mound, allowing one walk and no hits while striking out four in his two innings of work. Minton struck out two of the three batters he faced.Ribordy paced the Panther offense with three hits. Herrman and Kaiser homered and singled, Premer had two singles, and Grove and Oelger tripled for their lone hits.Great Bend is scheduled to host Pratt in a doubleheader that begins Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Great Bend Sports Complex.