The Barton Community College softball team split its doubleheader Saturday hosting Colby Community College, dropping the opener 6-3 before capping the day with a 16-3 five inning victory.

The Cougars had opportunities in the opener, stranding thirteen baserunners on nine hits but the opportunistic Trojans took advantage of four Barton errors and plated four of their runs on a pair of home runs for the victory.

Barton put at least three across the dish in each of their four innings of at-bats, stranding just three in an eleven hit performance for the revenge game shortened win.

Barton moves to 6-2 in conference play and 12-6 on the season while Colby stands at 3-5 in league and 12-10 overall.

Next up is a Wednesday 2:00 p.m. doubleheader at No. 6 Butler before heading to No. 5 Odessa College on Saturday. The Cougars will then embark on a consecutive home contests, Monday versus Hutchinson followed by Dodge City on Wednesday.

The Barton Community College softball team split its doubleheader Saturday hosting Colby Community College, dropping the opener 6-3 before capping the day with a 16-3 five inning victory.The Cougars had opportunities in the opener, stranding thirteen baserunners on nine hits but the opportunistic Trojans took advantage of four Barton errors and plated four of their runs on a pair of home runs for the victory.Barton put at least three across the dish in each of their four innings of at-bats, stranding just three in an eleven hit performance for the revenge game shortened win.Barton moves to 6-2 in conference play and 12-6 on the season while Colby stands at 3-5 in league and 12-10 overall.Next up is a Wednesday 2:00 p.m. doubleheader at No. 6 Butler before heading to No. 5 Odessa College on Saturday. The Cougars will then embark on a consecutive home contests, Monday versus Hutchinson followed by Dodge City on Wednesday.Barton Athletics

Barton Softball caps day with sixteen run victory to split Colby doubleheader

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Dayton Moore has spent more than three decades in baseball, first with the juggernaut Atlanta Braves of the 1990s and the last 16 in charge of the Kansas City Royals, leading them to two World Series and a long-awaited championship.

He still sounds like a giddy schoolboy when spring training begins.

Which is altogether appropriate: The Royals begin camp Monday at their base in Surprise, Arizona, with one of the youngest rosters in baseball, led by a bunch of 20-something arms and with even more youth coming up through the system.

“There’s nothing like that first day, those first couple days, when players come together,” said Moore, who s now president of baseball operations after passing along the general manager title late last season to longtime understudy J.J. Piccolo,

“They haven’t seen each other all winter and really, the little boy is alive in them,” Moore said. “We all come together, we all share the expectations and the dreams for a great season, regardless what your record was the previous season, regardless of what the predictions were. These guys are Major League Baseball players. They’ve reached the tope of their profession, and the key now is how do we stay focused on the things that are important?”

It could be a whole lot easier for Moore and the Royals than the rest of the teams around the league.

Everyone is scrambling after the second-longest labor stoppage in baseball history, trying to swing trades or to sign free agents. That’s where the focus of Moore and Picollo are sure to be focused the first week of camp, rather than out on the practice fields, where manager Mike Matheny will be keeping a keen eye on everybody.

Yet the lockout just might have given the Royals an unexpected advantage.

Out on those practice fields, the Royals will have almost their entire roster back from a team that went 74-88 but was coming on hard at the end of last season. That means they won’t be trying to implement key pieces in the rotation or the lineup during a condensed spring training, with Cactus League games already set to begin Friday.

And those players are overwhelmingly young, full of energy and exuberance, and those limber bodies might not need quite the typical two-month wakeup of spring camp to get ready for the April 7 start of the season.

“We’ll make the best of it, the fact that we have younger players that have done so much work this offseason,” Moore acknowledged. “When you’re young and your body is alive and you sleep well at night, and you’re relatively carefree in life at this stage of where you are, our guys maybe have a chance to adapt a little quicker than others.”

The rotation alone features 20-something starters Brady Singer, Kris Bubic and Daniel Lynch along with Brad Keller, Carlos Hernandez and Jackson Kowar. Then there’s the young fielders, including prized prospects Bobby Witt Jr., Nick Pratto and MJ Melendez, all of whom could elbow their way onto the opening day roster.

Yes, there are still plenty of veterans — hello, Salvador Perez and Whit Merrifield — but even they probably feel a bit like kids again with the 21-year-old Witt running around the left side of the infield and the 23-year-old Pratto at first base.

“We’re still going to be really careful,” Matheny said. “That’s kind of the overarching theme, and we still need to see these guys. They tell us where they are, but we need to still see it to make sure the pictures match up with the words.”

Just about everyone has been working out in Arizona during the lockout, and everyone on the 40-man roster along with 21 non-roster invitees planned to arrive Sunday. So the hope, Matheny said, is that the Royals can hit the ground running.

After all, they have just four days of workouts before playing the Texas Rangers in their first spring training game.

“You can tell they’re so excited,” Matheny said. “You had that uncertainty hanging out all the time, like, ‘I think this is going to work out well, but stranger things in our world have happened.’ Whenever you have a little bit of something that you love threatened, you realize how much you love it. There’s a bit of that as well.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Dayton Moore has spent more than three decades in baseball, first with the juggernaut Atlanta Braves of the 1990s and the last 16 in charge of the Kansas City Royals, leading them to two World Series and a long-awaited championship.He still sounds like a giddy schoolboy when spring training begins.Which is altogether appropriate: The Royals begin camp Monday at their base in Surprise, Arizona, with one of the youngest rosters in baseball, led by a bunch of 20-something arms and with even more youth coming up through the system.“There’s nothing like that first day, those first couple days, when players come together,” said Moore, who s now president of baseball operations after passing along the general manager title late last season to longtime understudy J.J. Piccolo,“They haven’t seen each other all winter and really, the little boy is alive in them,” Moore said. “We all come together, we all share the expectations and the dreams for a great season, regardless what your record was the previous season, regardless of what the predictions were. These guys are Major League Baseball players. They’ve reached the tope of their profession, and the key now is how do we stay focused on the things that are important?”It could be a whole lot easier for Moore and the Royals than the rest of the teams around the league.Everyone is scrambling after the second-longest labor stoppage in baseball history, trying to swing trades or to sign free agents. That’s where the focus of Moore and Picollo are sure to be focused the first week of camp, rather than out on the practice fields, where manager Mike Matheny will be keeping a keen eye on everybody.Yet the lockout just might have given the Royals an unexpected advantage.Out on those practice fields, the Royals will have almost their entire roster back from a team that went 74-88 but was coming on hard at the end of last season. That means they won’t be trying to implement key pieces in the rotation or the lineup during a condensed spring training, with Cactus League games already set to begin Friday.And those players are overwhelmingly young, full of energy and exuberance, and those limber bodies might not need quite the typical two-month wakeup of spring camp to get ready for the April 7 start of the season.“We’ll make the best of it, the fact that we have younger players that have done so much work this offseason,” Moore acknowledged. “When you’re young and your body is alive and you sleep well at night, and you’re relatively carefree in life at this stage of where you are, our guys maybe have a chance to adapt a little quicker than others.”The rotation alone features 20-something starters Brady Singer, Kris Bubic and Daniel Lynch along with Brad Keller, Carlos Hernandez and Jackson Kowar. Then there’s the young fielders, including prized prospects Bobby Witt Jr., Nick Pratto and MJ Melendez, all of whom could elbow their way onto the opening day roster.Yes, there are still plenty of veterans — hello, Salvador Perez and Whit Merrifield — but even they probably feel a bit like kids again with the 21-year-old Witt running around the left side of the infield and the 23-year-old Pratto at first base.“We’re still going to be really careful,” Matheny said. “That’s kind of the overarching theme, and we still need to see these guys. They tell us where they are, but we need to still see it to make sure the pictures match up with the words.”Just about everyone has been working out in Arizona during the lockout, and everyone on the 40-man roster along with 21 non-roster invitees planned to arrive Sunday. So the hope, Matheny said, is that the Royals can hit the ground running.After all, they have just four days of workouts before playing the Texas Rangers in their first spring training game.“You can tell they’re so excited,” Matheny said. “You had that uncertainty hanging out all the time, like, ‘I think this is going to work out well, but stranger things in our world have happened.’ Whenever you have a little bit of something that you love threatened, you realize how much you love it. There’s a bit of that as well.”

Royals hope youth yields edge through condensed spring camp

The Barton Community College baseball team opened up conference play this weekend taking three of the four games over Pratt Community College.

The teams began the series on Saturday in Pratt, the Cougars getting a strong two-hit pitching performance for an 8-0 victory before scoring seven runs late in holding on 13-12.

Shifting to Lawson-Biggs Field for Sunday's twinbill, Barton took the opener 6-4 but couldn't get the series sweep as Pratt had a trio of big innings leading to a 18-11 victory.

The result leaves Barton at 10-6 on the season with Pratt moving to 13-9.

Barton's next action comes Wednesday in Salina in a 3:00 p.m. nine inning affair against the junior varsity squad of Kansas Wesleyan Univerisity before beginning a conference series at Dodge City Community College on Thursday with the backend shifting to the Cougars' turf on Saturday.

The Barton Community College baseball team opened up conference play this weekend taking three of the four games over Pratt Community College.The teams began the series on Saturday in Pratt, the Cougars getting a strong two-hit pitching performance for an 8-0 victory before scoring seven runs late in holding on 13-12.Shifting to Lawson-Biggs Field for Sunday's twinbill, Barton took the opener 6-4 but couldn't get the series sweep as Pratt had a trio of big innings leading to a 18-11 victory.The result leaves Barton at 10-6 on the season with Pratt moving to 13-9.Barton's next action comes Wednesday in Salina in a 3:00 p.m. nine inning affair against the junior varsity squad of Kansas Wesleyan Univerisity before beginning a conference series at Dodge City Community College on Thursday with the backend shifting to the Cougars' turf on Saturday.

Barton Baseball takes conference opening weekend over Pratt

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers made their first big move of free agency, agreeing with former Kansas City cornerback Charvarius Ward on a three-year contract.

A person familiar with the deal confirmed it Monday night, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract can’t be signed until the start of the new league year on Wednesday.

ESPN first reported the agreement and said it could be worth up to $42 million with $26.7 million guaranteed.

The contract with Ward gives San Francisco needed help in the secondary and is the richest one handed out to a cornerback by the team in six seasons under coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.

Ward spent the past four seasons in Kansas City after being acquired by the Chiefs in a trade with the Cowboys. Ward had originally signed with Dallas in 2018 as an undrafted free agent.

Ward became a starter in Kansas City in his second season and helped the Chiefs beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl that year. He has four interceptions and 29 passes defensed in 56 career games.

Over the last three seasons, Ward has allowed opponents to catch less than half of the passes thrown with him in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus, as he has developed into one of the game’s better cover cornerbacks.

Ward’s addition fills a void on San Francisco’s defense. The Niners struggled to get consistent play after Jason Verrett went down with a season-ending knee injury in the opener last year. Emmanuel Moseley and rookie Ambry Thomas provided the best play and were starters at the end of the year but adding a proven option was a priority this offseason.

San Francisco began free agency by losing two key free agents with guard Laken Tomlinson agreeing to a contract with the New York Jets and defensive tackle D.J. Jones agreeing with the Denver.

The other big question hanging over the Niners is the future of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. San Francisco plans to hand the offense over to last year’s No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance and is looking for a trade partner to send back a pick for Garoppolo and his salary of more than $24 million.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers made their first big move of free agency, agreeing with former Kansas City cornerback Charvarius Ward on a three-year contract.A person familiar with the deal confirmed it Monday night, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract can’t be signed until the start of the new league year on Wednesday.ESPN first reported the agreement and said it could be worth up to $42 million with $26.7 million guaranteed.The contract with Ward gives San Francisco needed help in the secondary and is the richest one handed out to a cornerback by the team in six seasons under coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.Ward spent the past four seasons in Kansas City after being acquired by the Chiefs in a trade with the Cowboys. Ward had originally signed with Dallas in 2018 as an undrafted free agent.Ward became a starter in Kansas City in his second season and helped the Chiefs beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl that year. He has four interceptions and 29 passes defensed in 56 career games.Over the last three seasons, Ward has allowed opponents to catch less than half of the passes thrown with him in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus, as he has developed into one of the game’s better cover cornerbacks.Ward’s addition fills a void on San Francisco’s defense. The Niners struggled to get consistent play after Jason Verrett went down with a season-ending knee injury in the opener last year. Emmanuel Moseley and rookie Ambry Thomas provided the best play and were starters at the end of the year but adding a proven option was a priority this offseason.San Francisco began free agency by losing two key free agents with guard Laken Tomlinson agreeing to a contract with the New York Jets and defensive tackle D.J. Jones agreeing with the Denver.The other big question hanging over the Niners is the future of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. San Francisco plans to hand the offense over to last year’s No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance and is looking for a trade partner to send back a pick for Garoppolo and his salary of more than $24 million.

49ers agree to deal with CB Charvarius Ward

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas CIty Royals open their long-awaited spring camp in Arizona on Monday with a somewhat unexpected edge over just about every other team in baseball: youth. For one thing, they return almost their entire roster intact, making an abbreviated spring training easier to deal with. For another, all those players are full of youthful energy, and might not quite need the two months of work to get limbered up for the season. The Royals are coming off a 74-88 season but were coming on strong at the end, giving them a lot of optimism about the upcoming year.

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina will be a late arrival for what could be his final spring training. Molina is heading into his 19th and likely final season with St. Louis. The 10-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner agreed to a $10 million, one-year deal in August. President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak says Molina reached out to him a few days ago and said he was going to be delayed for personal issues.

UNDATED (AP) — Gonzaga will head into the NCAA Tournament exactly where it ended up in the final AP Top 25 — right on top. The Bulldogs received 54 of 61 first-place votes from a national media panel after romping through the West Coast Conference Tournament to land at No. 1 in the final AP Top 25 for the second straight year. The next three teams also landed No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, with Arizona earning the other seven first-place votes to finish at No. 2. Kansas was third and Big 12 rival Baylor was fourth. Tennessee was the biggest departure between the poll and bracket, finishing fifth among voters but only earning a 3-seed.

UNDATED (AP) — There are some remarkable numbers when it comes to the teams that made the NCAA Tournament. The youngest team in terms of experience? That would be top-seeded Arizona, one of the favorites to win the championship. The oldest team in the field by that measurement is Texas Southern. The number 25.1 is how many points Bryant’s Peter Kiss scores per game, best in the nation. Alabama puts up 30 3-point attempts every game. The team that makes the most of those long-range shots? That would be South Dakota State, which makes 45 percent of its 3-point tries.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Ryan Hawkins is Creighton's undisputed leader as the Bluejays prepare for their NCAA Tournament first-round game against San Diego State on Thursday. Hawkins transferred from Division II Northwest Missouri State and has led the Bluejays in scoring and rebounding. His biggest role has been as a leader for a team that lost all five starters from a year ago. Four freshmen and a sophomore play significant minutes. Northwest Missouri won three national titles in Hawkins' five years there. Creighton coach Greg McDermott says Hawkins' winning habits have rubbed off on the young Bluejays.

UNDATED (AP) — Let the dealing begin — if mostly unofficial. The NFL’s “legal tampering period” in free agency began Monday with a slew of deals even as many teams released veterans to clear salary cap space before the league’s business year begins Wednesday. Among those on the move will be linebacker Haason Reddick, from Carolina to Philadelphia; guard Laken Tomlinson from San Francisco to the New York Jets; running back Chase Edmonds from Arizona to Miami; tackle Rodger Saffold from Tennessee to Buffalo; and quarterback Mitch Trubisky from Buffalo to Pittsburgh — with many more switches to come.

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — The San Diego Padres say All-Star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. likely will need surgery for a broken left wrist and could miss up to three months. General manager A.J. Preller says Tatis suffered the injury in the offseason. The injury is a blow to a team that was looking for a fresh start following a brutal late-season collapse that left them with yet another losing record. The 23-year-old Tatis had a series of injuries to his left shoulder last year, when he still led the NL with 42 home runs and finished third in balloting for the NL MVP.

Final OT	Cleveland	120	L.A. Clippers	111	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647336943415.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas CIty Royals open their long-awaited spring camp in Arizona on Monday with a somewhat unexpected edge over just about every other team in baseball: youth. For one thing, they return almost their entire roster intact, making an abbreviated spring training easier to deal with. For another, all those players are full of youthful energy, and might not quite need the two months of work to get limbered up for the season. The Royals are coming off a 74-88 season but were coming on strong at the end, giving them a lot of optimism about the upcoming year.JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina will be a late arrival for what could be his final spring training. Molina is heading into his 19th and likely final season with St. Louis. The 10-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner agreed to a $10 million, one-year deal in August. President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak says Molina reached out to him a few days ago and said he was going to be delayed for personal issues.UNDATED (AP) — Gonzaga will head into the NCAA Tournament exactly where it ended up in the final AP Top 25 — right on top. The Bulldogs received 54 of 61 first-place votes from a national media panel after romping through the West Coast Conference Tournament to land at No. 1 in the final AP Top 25 for the second straight year. The next three teams also landed No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, with Arizona earning the other seven first-place votes to finish at No. 2. Kansas was third and Big 12 rival Baylor was fourth. Tennessee was the biggest departure between the poll and bracket, finishing fifth among voters but only earning a 3-seed.UNDATED (AP) — There are some remarkable numbers when it comes to the teams that made the NCAA Tournament. The youngest team in terms of experience? That would be top-seeded Arizona, one of the favorites to win the championship. The oldest team in the field by that measurement is Texas Southern. The number 25.1 is how many points Bryant’s Peter Kiss scores per game, best in the nation. Alabama puts up 30 3-point attempts every game. The team that makes the most of those long-range shots? That would be South Dakota State, which makes 45 percent of its 3-point tries.OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Ryan Hawkins is Creighton's undisputed leader as the Bluejays prepare for their NCAA Tournament first-round game against San Diego State on Thursday. Hawkins transferred from Division II Northwest Missouri State and has led the Bluejays in scoring and rebounding. His biggest role has been as a leader for a team that lost all five starters from a year ago. Four freshmen and a sophomore play significant minutes. Northwest Missouri won three national titles in Hawkins' five years there. Creighton coach Greg McDermott says Hawkins' winning habits have rubbed off on the young Bluejays.UNDATED (AP) — Let the dealing begin — if mostly unofficial. The NFL’s “legal tampering period” in free agency began Monday with a slew of deals even as many teams released veterans to clear salary cap space before the league’s business year begins Wednesday. Among those on the move will be linebacker Haason Reddick, from Carolina to Philadelphia; guard Laken Tomlinson from San Francisco to the New York Jets; running back Chase Edmonds from Arizona to Miami; tackle Rodger Saffold from Tennessee to Buffalo; and quarterback Mitch Trubisky from Buffalo to Pittsburgh — with many more switches to come.PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — The San Diego Padres say All-Star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. likely will need surgery for a broken left wrist and could miss up to three months. General manager A.J. Preller says Tatis suffered the injury in the offseason. The injury is a blow to a team that was looking for a fresh start following a brutal late-season collapse that left them with yet another losing record. The 23-year-old Tatis had a series of injuries to his left shoulder last year, when he still led the NL with 42 home runs and finished third in balloting for the NL MVP.MONDAY SCORESNATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal OT	Cleveland	120	L.A. Clippers	111	Final	Denver	114	Philadelphia	110	Final	Atlanta	122	Portland	113	Final	Charlotte	134	Oklahoma City	116	Final	Minnesota	149	San Antonio	139	Final	Golden State	126	Washington	112	Final	Sacramento	112	Chicago	103	Final	Milwaukee	117	Utah	111	Final	Toronto	114	L.A. Lakers	103	NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Arizona	5	Ottawa	3

Tuesday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

For the first time since 2003 and only the second time in Conference history, the Big 12 received two No. 1 seeds in the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Top seeds Kansas and Baylor are joined in the tournament field by No. 3 seed Texas Tech, No. 6 seed Texas, No. 9 seed TCU and No. 11 seed Iowa State.

The Big 12’s six selections are tied for the second-most among leagues. The Big 12 has had six or more NCAA Championship teams in 18 of 25 years, including nine seasons since 2012. From 2014-22, the Big 12 has 53 selections, the third-best total of any conference. Kansas earned the Big 12’s automatic berth after winning the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship. The Jayhawks and Baylor shared the regular season title.

All 10 Big 12 coaches have guided a team to the NCAA Championship. Sixty percent of schools have played in a Final Four, the best in the nation among conferences. Baylor is the defending national champion after claiming the title in 2021. Big 12 teams have played in the last three Final Fours and past two national championship games.

Big 12 NCAA Championship First Round Schedule

No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 16 Norfolk State (TBS), 1:00 p.m.

No. 1 Kansas vs. Winner of No. 16 Texas Southern/TAMUCC (TruTV), 8:57 p.m.

No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 Montana State (TNT), 12:45 p.m.

No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Virginia Tech (TBS), 3:30 p.m.

No. 11 Iowa State vs. No. 6 LSU (TBS), 6:20 p.m.

No. 9 TCU vs. No. 8 Seton Hall (TruTV), 8:57 p.m.

Big 12 SportsFor the first time since 2003 and only the second time in Conference history, the Big 12 received two No. 1 seeds in the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Top seeds Kansas and Baylor are joined in the tournament field by No. 3 seed Texas Tech, No. 6 seed Texas, No. 9 seed TCU and No. 11 seed Iowa State.The Big 12’s six selections are tied for the second-most among leagues. The Big 12 has had six or more NCAA Championship teams in 18 of 25 years, including nine seasons since 2012. From 2014-22, the Big 12 has 53 selections, the third-best total of any conference. Kansas earned the Big 12’s automatic berth after winning the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship. The Jayhawks and Baylor shared the regular season title.All 10 Big 12 coaches have guided a team to the NCAA Championship. Sixty percent of schools have played in a Final Four, the best in the nation among conferences. Baylor is the defending national champion after claiming the title in 2021. Big 12 teams have played in the last three Final Fours and past two national championship games.Big 12 NCAA Championship First Round ScheduleThursday, March 17No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 16 Norfolk State (TBS), 1:00 p.m.No. 1 Kansas vs. Winner of No. 16 Texas Southern/TAMUCC (TruTV), 8:57 p.m.Friday, March 18No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 Montana State (TNT), 12:45 p.m.No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Virginia Tech (TBS), 3:30 p.m.No. 11 Iowa State vs. No. 6 LSU (TBS), 6:20 p.m.No. 9 TCU vs. No. 8 Seton Hall (TruTV), 8:57 p.m.All times listed as Central.

Two No. 1 Seeds Highlight Big 12’s Six NCAA Championship Selections

MANHATTAN, Kansas – For the first time since the 2018-19 season, Kansas State women's basketball was rewarded with an at-large bid into the 2022 NCAA Tournament during Sunday night's NCAA Women's Basketball Selection Show on ESPN. This is the program's 17th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and the fourth under the direction of head coach Jeff Mittie.

K-State (19-12, 9-9 Big 12) was chosen as a No. 9 seed in the Bridgeport, Connecticut regional and will be opposed by No. 8 seed Washington State (19-10, 11-6 Pac 12) on Saturday, March 19 in Raleigh, North Carolina, at Reynolds Coliseum. 

K-State leads the all-time series with Washington State, 4-0. The last time these two programs met was Nov. 20, 2009, in Manhattan, as the Wildcats won, 70-63.

The winner of the Kansas State-Washington State game will play the winner of the No. 1 NC State-No. 16 Longwood/Mt. St. Mary's matchup on Monday, March 21. The top four seeds in the Bridgeport region are: No. 1 NC State (29-3), No. 2 Connecticut (25-5), No. 3 Indiana (22-8) and No. 4 Oklahoma (24-8).

Tickets for K-State's first round matchup with Washington State will be available Monday morning at 8:30 a.m., by calling the K-State Ticket Office at (800) 221-CATS. All ticket orders will be distributed as a mobile ticket.

K-State is 13-16 in its previous 16 NCAA Tournament bids. The Wildcats took part in the 2019 NCAA Tournament in Louisville, Kentucky, as K-State entered the tournament as the No. 9 seed in the Albany region. K-State fell to No. 9 seed Michigan in the first round.

Under Mittie's guidance in his eighth season, Kansas State has registered the fifth 19-win season in the last eight seasons. K-State recorded nine Big 12 wins for the fifth time in Mittie's eight seasons.

After being slated for an eighth-place finish by the Big 12 Conference coaches in the preseason poll, K-State carded a sixth-place finish in the conference standings.

On the floor this season, Kansas State features 2022 All-America candidate Ayoka Lee and freshmen Serena Sundell and Brylee Glenn.

Lee is a First Team All-American by The Athletic and Sports Illustrated and is a finalist for the 2022 Lisa Leslie Award. She is also a member of the 2022 Wooden Award national ballot and a candidate for the 2022 Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year and the 2021-22 Wade Trophy.

In the 2021-22 season, Lee is second in the Big 12 and ranks seventh in the nation in scoring average (22.4 ppg). She is second in the Big 12 and is fifth in the nation in total points (695) and leads the nation in field goals made (286). Lee is the only player in the nation to average 20 or more points, 10 or more rebounds and 3 or more blocks.

Lee, a unanimous selection to the 2022 All-Big 12 First Team and the Big 12 All-Defensive Team, owns a 2021-22 resume that includes an NCAA Division I record of 61 points scored against Oklahoma on January 23 and a Big 12-high eight games with 30 or more points.

A two-time United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week recipient, Lee's 695 points and 286 made field goals are new career single-season highs. She is the first player in program history with 675 or more points, 300 or more rebounds and 90 or more blocks.

The product of Byron, Minnesota, tops the Big 12 in field goal percentage (.566) and is second in blocks (3.0 bpg). She also leads the Big 12 in 30-point games (8) and is second in the league for 20-point games (15) and second in the Big 12 and 11th in the nation in double-doubles (19).

Lee, a four-time Big 12 Player of the Week selection and a three-time ESPN.com National Player of the Week honoree, is second in the Big 12 in rebounding (10.2 rpg) and eighth in free throw percentage (.764).

In league play, Lee led the league in field goal percentage (.555), 30-point games in league play (4), games with 10 or more rebounds (11) and double-doubles (11). She finished second in the Big 12 in scoring (21.89 ppg) rebounding (9.78 rpg) and blocked shots (2.4 bpg).

In her first season in the Little Apple, Sundell led the Wildcats and ranked second in the Big 12 in assists per game (5.5 apg). She is second on the team and 20th in the Big 12 in scoring (10.6 ppg) and leads K-State and ranks fifth in the Big 12 in free throw percentage (.816).

Sundell, a five-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week recipient, is the first K-State freshman guard to register 300 or more points, 170 or more assists and 20 or more blocks. She joins Kayla Goth as the only K-State guards in program history to reach these season milestones at any time in their careers.

A guard from Maryville, Missouri, Sundell leads all Big 12 freshmen in assists, assists per game, blocks, 3-point field goals made, 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage.

Sundell is the only freshman in K-State history and the only freshman in the nation this season to register 170 or more assists and 40 or more 3-point field goals made in their debut season.

Glenn, a three-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week honoree, is averaging 8.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals. Glenn has notched nine games with 10 or more points including five in Big 12 games.

Washington State enters the NCAA Tournament with wins in five of their last seven games. This will be the third NCAA Tournament appearance for the Cougars and the second straight after making the 2020-21 NCAA Tournament.

The Cougars are led on the sidelines by fourth-year head coach Kamie Ethridge. Ethridge served as K-State associate head coach for 18 seasons under former head coach Deb Patterson. Patterson, the all-time career wins leader at K-State, serves on Ethridge's staff as the Director of Player Personnel and Program Analytics. Also on the Washington State staff is 2021 K-State Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Laurie Koehn as the Associate Head Coach.

On the floor, Washington State is led by the trio of Charlisse Leger-Walker, Bella Murekatete and Johanna Teder. Leger-Walker, a sophomore guard, paces the squad with 16.0 points and 5.2 rebounds. Murekatete, a junior center, is second on the team in scoring with 10.6 points and leads the team on the glass with 7.2 rebounds and in blocks with 1.7. Teder, a junior guard is averaging 10.6 points and is the top 3-point shooter with 56 connections from beyond the arc.

MANHATTAN, Kansas – For the first time since the 2018-19 season, Kansas State women's basketball was rewarded with an at-large bid into the 2022 NCAA Tournament during Sunday night's NCAA Women's Basketball Selection Show on ESPN. This is the program's 17th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and the fourth under the direction of head coach Jeff Mittie.K-State (19-12, 9-9 Big 12) was chosen as a No. 9 seed in the Bridgeport, Connecticut regional and will be opposed by No. 8 seed Washington State (19-10, 11-6 Pac 12) on Saturday, March 19 in Raleigh, North Carolina, at Reynolds Coliseum. K-State leads the all-time series with Washington State, 4-0. The last time these two programs met was Nov. 20, 2009, in Manhattan, as the Wildcats won, 70-63.The winner of the Kansas State-Washington State game will play the winner of the No. 1 NC State-No. 16 Longwood/Mt. St. Mary's matchup on Monday, March 21. The top four seeds in the Bridgeport region are: No. 1 NC State (29-3), No. 2 Connecticut (25-5), No. 3 Indiana (22-8) and No. 4 Oklahoma (24-8).Tickets for K-State's first round matchup with Washington State will be available Monday morning at 8:30 a.m., by calling the K-State Ticket Office at (800) 221-CATS. All ticket orders will be distributed as a mobile ticket.K-State is 13-16 in its previous 16 NCAA Tournament bids. The Wildcats took part in the 2019 NCAA Tournament in Louisville, Kentucky, as K-State entered the tournament as the No. 9 seed in the Albany region. K-State fell to No. 9 seed Michigan in the first round.Under Mittie's guidance in his eighth season, Kansas State has registered the fifth 19-win season in the last eight seasons. K-State recorded nine Big 12 wins for the fifth time in Mittie's eight seasons.After being slated for an eighth-place finish by the Big 12 Conference coaches in the preseason poll, K-State carded a sixth-place finish in the conference standings.On the floor this season, Kansas State features 2022 All-America candidate Ayoka Lee and freshmen Serena Sundell and Brylee Glenn.Lee is a First Team All-American by The Athletic and Sports Illustrated and is a finalist for the 2022 Lisa Leslie Award. She is also a member of the 2022 Wooden Award national ballot and a candidate for the 2022 Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year and the 2021-22 Wade Trophy.In the 2021-22 season, Lee is second in the Big 12 and ranks seventh in the nation in scoring average (22.4 ppg). She is second in the Big 12 and is fifth in the nation in total points (695) and leads the nation in field goals made (286). Lee is the only player in the nation to average 20 or more points, 10 or more rebounds and 3 or more blocks.Lee, a unanimous selection to the 2022 All-Big 12 First Team and the Big 12 All-Defensive Team, owns a 2021-22 resume that includes an NCAA Division I record of 61 points scored against Oklahoma on January 23 and a Big 12-high eight games with 30 or more points.A two-time United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week recipient, Lee's 695 points and 286 made field goals are new career single-season highs. She is the first player in program history with 675 or more points, 300 or more rebounds and 90 or more blocks.The product of Byron, Minnesota, tops the Big 12 in field goal percentage (.566) and is second in blocks (3.0 bpg). She also leads the Big 12 in 30-point games (8) and is second in the league for 20-point games (15) and second in the Big 12 and 11th in the nation in double-doubles (19).Lee, a four-time Big 12 Player of the Week selection and a three-time ESPN.com National Player of the Week honoree, is second in the Big 12 in rebounding (10.2 rpg) and eighth in free throw percentage (.764).In league play, Lee led the league in field goal percentage (.555), 30-point games in league play (4), games with 10 or more rebounds (11) and double-doubles (11). She finished second in the Big 12 in scoring (21.89 ppg) rebounding (9.78 rpg) and blocked shots (2.4 bpg).In her first season in the Little Apple, Sundell led the Wildcats and ranked second in the Big 12 in assists per game (5.5 apg). She is second on the team and 20th in the Big 12 in scoring (10.6 ppg) and leads K-State and ranks fifth in the Big 12 in free throw percentage (.816).Sundell, a five-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week recipient, is the first K-State freshman guard to register 300 or more points, 170 or more assists and 20 or more blocks. She joins Kayla Goth as the only K-State guards in program history to reach these season milestones at any time in their careers.A guard from Maryville, Missouri, Sundell leads all Big 12 freshmen in assists, assists per game, blocks, 3-point field goals made, 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage.Sundell is the only freshman in K-State history and the only freshman in the nation this season to register 170 or more assists and 40 or more 3-point field goals made in their debut season.Glenn, a three-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week honoree, is averaging 8.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals. Glenn has notched nine games with 10 or more points including five in Big 12 games.Washington State enters the NCAA Tournament with wins in five of their last seven games. This will be the third NCAA Tournament appearance for the Cougars and the second straight after making the 2020-21 NCAA Tournament.The Cougars are led on the sidelines by fourth-year head coach Kamie Ethridge. Ethridge served as K-State associate head coach for 18 seasons under former head coach Deb Patterson. Patterson, the all-time career wins leader at K-State, serves on Ethridge's staff as the Director of Player Personnel and Program Analytics. Also on the Washington State staff is 2021 K-State Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Laurie Koehn as the Associate Head Coach.On the floor, Washington State is led by the trio of Charlisse Leger-Walker, Bella Murekatete and Johanna Teder. Leger-Walker, a sophomore guard, paces the squad with 16.0 points and 5.2 rebounds. Murekatete, a junior center, is second on the team in scoring with 10.6 points and leads the team on the glass with 7.2 rebounds and in blocks with 1.7. Teder, a junior guard is averaging 10.6 points and is the top 3-point shooter with 56 connections from beyond the arc.

K-State Women Selected to 2022 NCAA Tournament

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Following a breakthrough season, the Kansas Jayhawks have earned an at-large berth to the 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Jayhawks are the No. 8 seed in the Spokane Region, and will head to Stanford, California to face ninth-seeded Georgia Tech on Friday, March 18.

Led by Big 12 Coach of the Year Brandon Schneider, Kansas enters the NCAA Tournament with a record of 20-9, which includes a fifth-place regular-season finish in the Big 12 with an 11-7 conference record. The Jayhawks have recorded the 22nd 20-win season in program history, while entering the postseason with 20 victories for the first time since 1999-2000.

Three Jayhawks earned a spot on the 2021-22 All-Big 12 Women’s Basketball team, which was announced last week. Junior guard Holly Kersgieter was named All-Big 12 First Team while junior guard Zakiyah Franklin and junior center Taiyanna Jackson both received honorable mention. Jackson was also picked to the All-Big 12 Defensive Team and she enters the NCAA Tournament with a single-season school record 90 blocked shots.

This will be the 14th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance for the Jayhawks and the program’s first since 2013. Kansas first qualified for the tournament in the 1987 and 1988 seasons before making nine straight appearances from 1992-2000. Since then, the Jayhawks have competed in March Madness just twice, making Sweet Sixteen runs in both 2012 and 2013.

Georgia Tech, out of the ACC Conference, went 21-10 this season and 11-7 in the league. The Yellow Jackets have four players who average in double figures, led by senior guard Lotta-Maj Lahtinen at 11.0 points per game. This will mark the first-ever matchup between Kansas and Georgia Tech.

The winner of the Kansas-Georgia Tech game will face the winner of No. 1 seed Stanford and No. 16 seed Montana State. Stanford is the defending National Champion.

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Following a breakthrough season, the Kansas Jayhawks have earned an at-large berth to the 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Jayhawks are the No. 8 seed in the Spokane Region, and will head to Stanford, California to face ninth-seeded Georgia Tech on Friday, March 18.Led by Big 12 Coach of the Year Brandon Schneider, Kansas enters the NCAA Tournament with a record of 20-9, which includes a fifth-place regular-season finish in the Big 12 with an 11-7 conference record. The Jayhawks have recorded the 22nd 20-win season in program history, while entering the postseason with 20 victories for the first time since 1999-2000.Three Jayhawks earned a spot on the 2021-22 All-Big 12 Women’s Basketball team, which was announced last week. Junior guard Holly Kersgieter was named All-Big 12 First Team while junior guard Zakiyah Franklin and junior center Taiyanna Jackson both received honorable mention. Jackson was also picked to the All-Big 12 Defensive Team and she enters the NCAA Tournament with a single-season school record 90 blocked shots.This will be the 14th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance for the Jayhawks and the program’s first since 2013. Kansas first qualified for the tournament in the 1987 and 1988 seasons before making nine straight appearances from 1992-2000. Since then, the Jayhawks have competed in March Madness just twice, making Sweet Sixteen runs in both 2012 and 2013.Georgia Tech, out of the ACC Conference, went 21-10 this season and 11-7 in the league. The Yellow Jackets have four players who average in double figures, led by senior guard Lotta-Maj Lahtinen at 11.0 points per game. This will mark the first-ever matchup between Kansas and Georgia Tech.The winner of the Kansas-Georgia Tech game will face the winner of No. 1 seed Stanford and No. 16 seed Montana State. Stanford is the defending National Champion.Kansas Athletics

Jayhawk Women Selected to 1st NCAA Tournament Since 2013

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas fought its way through arguably the toughest league in college basketball this season, ultimately sharing the Big 12 regular-season title with Baylor before romping past Texas Tech to win the conference tournament.

Maybe it’s karma that the Jayhawks could have the easiest path of a No. 1 seed to the Final Four.

They earned the top seed line for the 15th time on Sunday, second only to North Carolina for most in college hoops history, and Big 12 player of the year Ochai Agbaji and Co. will open the NCAA Tournament in the Midwest Region against the play-in winner between Texas Southern and Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi in Fort Worth, Texas.

“I mean, being a 1-seed shows you’ve gone through the whole year, put in all the work, the grind it takes to be a 1-seed,” Kansas forward Jalen Wilson said, “and now it’s time to show it. It comes with the good and bad. Now you have everyone gunning for you. We’re used to getting everyone’s best shot anyway. Just have to represent it well.”

Jayhawks coach Bill Self has a No. 1 seed for the 10th time, third-most in history, trailing only retiring Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski with 14 and former Kansas and North Carolina coach Roy Williams with 13.

“I never love our draw and I probably don’t this year, either,” Self said, “but I certainly don’t hate it.”

While the Jayhawks never reached the top spot in the Top 25 this season, their biggest roadblock to reaching New Orleans spent three weeks there. That would be second-seeded Auburn, the regular-season SEC champs, who will begin their quest for a second Final Four appearance four years against Jacksonville State in Greenville, South Carolina.

The Tigers were in line for a No. 1 seed for most of the season, but they took their lumps down the stretch, losing five of their last nine games to slip a line on the bracket. That included a quarterfinal loss to Texas A&amp;M in the SEC tourney.

Other favorites to reach the Midwest Region semifinals in Chicago include No. 3 seed Wisconsin and fifth-seeded Iowa, which won its first Big Ten tourney title since 2006 with a victory over Purdue on Sunday; Big East regular-season champ Providence; and No. 6 seed LSU, which will play under interim coach Kevin Nickelberry after firing Will Wade over the weekend, one day after the Tigers were beaten by Arkansas in the quarterfinals SEC Tournament.

Allegations against Wade stem from a wide FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball that has implicated numerous major programs, including two others in the Midwest Region: Kansas and Auburn.

“Everyone is 0-0,” Auburn guard Zep Jasper said. “We’re going to play for our family, our fans, the community and just everyone. ... We’re trying to get to NOLA. We’re trying to get to the Final Four and maybe even a championship.”

The Midwest Region is loaded with big-name talent, starting with Auburn standout Jabari Smith, the likely No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. The 6-foot-10 freshman is averaging about 17 points and nine rebounds a game.

Along with Smith and Agbaji there’s Iowa standout Keegan Murray, the nation’s fourth-leading scorer; Wisconsin shooting guard Johnny Davis, another likely lottery pick; and Auburn’s Walker Kessler, who should be picked in the top 20.

Gonzaga and Arizona are No. 1 seeds elsewhere in the bracket, but the dominance of the Pacific time zone this season is evident in the Midwest Region, too. Seventh-seeded USC is back after a run to the regional finals last year, while eighth-seeded San Diego State lost a 53-52 nail-biter to Boise State in the Mountain West tourney title game.

The third-seeded Badgers should have the biggest fan advantage of anyone in the opening two rounds of the tourney, playing Colgate and a potential second-round game against LSU or Iowa State in Milwaukee. Fiserv Forum is just over an hour from the Wisconsin campus in Madison.

No. 12 seed Richmond heads into its game against the Hawkeyes on the heels of an Atlantic 10 Tournament title that the Spiders probably needed just to make the 68-team field. Other teams heating up at the right time include 14-seed Colgate, which has won 15 straight, including its romp to the Patriot League tourney title; and 13th-seeded South Dakota State, which put together a gaudy 30-4 record and hasn’t lost a game since Dec. 15.

Kansas could be the biggest favorite of the four No. 1 seeds to reach New Orleans, but much like the rest of the bracket, even the Midwest Region is wide open. Wisconsin and Iowa fought to high seeds out of a brutally tough Big Ten, while the Tigers of coach Bruce Pearl showed earlier this season that they’re capable of being the nation’s No. 1.

What could make the road to New Orleans easier for Kansas, though, is that their first four games would be played in the Dallas metro and Chicago, which are both easy drives from their campus and locations with large alumni bases.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas fought its way through arguably the toughest league in college basketball this season, ultimately sharing the Big 12 regular-season title with Baylor before romping past Texas Tech to win the conference tournament.Maybe it’s karma that the Jayhawks could have the easiest path of a No. 1 seed to the Final Four.They earned the top seed line for the 15th time on Sunday, second only to North Carolina for most in college hoops history, and Big 12 player of the year Ochai Agbaji and Co. will open the NCAA Tournament in the Midwest Region against the play-in winner between Texas Southern and Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi in Fort Worth, Texas.“I mean, being a 1-seed shows you’ve gone through the whole year, put in all the work, the grind it takes to be a 1-seed,” Kansas forward Jalen Wilson said, “and now it’s time to show it. It comes with the good and bad. Now you have everyone gunning for you. We’re used to getting everyone’s best shot anyway. Just have to represent it well.”Jayhawks coach Bill Self has a No. 1 seed for the 10th time, third-most in history, trailing only retiring Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski with 14 and former Kansas and North Carolina coach Roy Williams with 13.“I never love our draw and I probably don’t this year, either,” Self said, “but I certainly don’t hate it.”While the Jayhawks never reached the top spot in the Top 25 this season, their biggest roadblock to reaching New Orleans spent three weeks there. That would be second-seeded Auburn, the regular-season SEC champs, who will begin their quest for a second Final Four appearance four years against Jacksonville State in Greenville, South Carolina.The Tigers were in line for a No. 1 seed for most of the season, but they took their lumps down the stretch, losing five of their last nine games to slip a line on the bracket. That included a quarterfinal loss to Texas A&amp;M in the SEC tourney.Other favorites to reach the Midwest Region semifinals in Chicago include No. 3 seed Wisconsin and fifth-seeded Iowa, which won its first Big Ten tourney title since 2006 with a victory over Purdue on Sunday; Big East regular-season champ Providence; and No. 6 seed LSU, which will play under interim coach Kevin Nickelberry after firing Will Wade over the weekend, one day after the Tigers were beaten by Arkansas in the quarterfinals SEC Tournament.Allegations against Wade stem from a wide FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball that has implicated numerous major programs, including two others in the Midwest Region: Kansas and Auburn.“Everyone is 0-0,” Auburn guard Zep Jasper said. “We’re going to play for our family, our fans, the community and just everyone. ... We’re trying to get to NOLA. We’re trying to get to the Final Four and maybe even a championship.”STAR SEARCHThe Midwest Region is loaded with big-name talent, starting with Auburn standout Jabari Smith, the likely No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. The 6-foot-10 freshman is averaging about 17 points and nine rebounds a game.Along with Smith and Agbaji there’s Iowa standout Keegan Murray, the nation’s fourth-leading scorer; Wisconsin shooting guard Johnny Davis, another likely lottery pick; and Auburn’s Walker Kessler, who should be picked in the top 20.WEST COAST, BEST COASTGonzaga and Arizona are No. 1 seeds elsewhere in the bracket, but the dominance of the Pacific time zone this season is evident in the Midwest Region, too. Seventh-seeded USC is back after a run to the regional finals last year, while eighth-seeded San Diego State lost a 53-52 nail-biter to Boise State in the Mountain West tourney title game.HOME COOKINGThe third-seeded Badgers should have the biggest fan advantage of anyone in the opening two rounds of the tourney, playing Colgate and a potential second-round game against LSU or Iowa State in Milwaukee. Fiserv Forum is just over an hour from the Wisconsin campus in Madison.GETTING HOT IN HERENo. 12 seed Richmond heads into its game against the Hawkeyes on the heels of an Atlantic 10 Tournament title that the Spiders probably needed just to make the 68-team field. Other teams heating up at the right time include 14-seed Colgate, which has won 15 straight, including its romp to the Patriot League tourney title; and 13th-seeded South Dakota State, which put together a gaudy 30-4 record and hasn’t lost a game since Dec. 15.ROAD TO NEW ORLEANSKansas could be the biggest favorite of the four No. 1 seeds to reach New Orleans, but much like the rest of the bracket, even the Midwest Region is wide open. Wisconsin and Iowa fought to high seeds out of a brutally tough Big Ten, while the Tigers of coach Bruce Pearl showed earlier this season that they’re capable of being the nation’s No. 1.What could make the road to New Orleans easier for Kansas, though, is that their first four games would be played in the Dallas metro and Chicago, which are both easy drives from their campus and locations with large alumni bases.

Kansas earns No. 1 seed in Midwest Region; Auburn gets No. 2

UNDATED (AP) — The March Madness bracket is out. Gonzaga received the top overall seed, with Arizona, Kansas and defending champion Baylor joining the Zags as top seeds. Early round games in the 68-team tournament start Tuesday. The nets come down for the final time on April 4 at the Final Four in New Orleans. This marks the return to the first “normal” tournament since 2019, with teams scattering to eight cities for the first weekend and four more for the Sweet 16. The tournament was scratched in 2020 due to the then-erupting COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, all the teams played in and around Indianapolis.

UNDATED (AP) — South Carolina has expectedly earned the No. 1 overall seed in the women’s NCAA Tournament. North Carolina State, Stanford and Louisville also earned No. 1 seeds announced Sunday. This year’s bracket expanded to 68 teams for the first time to match the men’s field with the play-in games on Wednesday and Thursday. It was one of the many changes to the women’s basketball tournament in the wake of inequities revealed at last season’s NCAAs. The final four teams in the field will play games on Wednesday and Thursday.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas earned a No. 1 seed for the 15th time on Sunday, second only to North Carolina for most in college hoops history, and will open the NCAA Tournament in the Midwest Region against the play-in winner between Texas Southern and Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi in Fort Worth, Texas. The regional finals will occur in Chicago. Auburn earned the No. 2 seed after a late-year slide, while LSU earned the No. 6 seed one day after the firing of coach Will Wade amid allegations of NCAA misconduct that stems from a wide-ranging FBI investigation into college basketball corruption.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Rori Harmon scored 20 points and No. 7 Texas beat No. 4 Baylor 67-58 to win the Big 12 Women's Tournament championship. Harmon, a freshman, was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Texas also got 14 points from Joanne Allen-Taylor and 12 from Aaliyah Moore. Big 12 Player of the Year NaLyssa Smith scored 21 points to lead Baylor, but she only had seven before the fourth quarter as Texas built a big lead. The game was projected to be a tussle between the front courts, but foul trouble on both sides put a crimp in that plan. Instead, the guards took over.

UNDATED (AP) — Tennessee and Iowa have ended lengthy conference title droughts. The 24th-ranked Hawkeyes are Big Ten champs for the first time in 16 years after Keegan Murray provided 19 points and 11 rebounds in a 75-66 victory over No. 9 Purdue. Santiago Vescovi scored 17 points and the ninth-ranked Volunteers captured their first SEC crown since 1979 by beating Texas A&amp;M, 65-50.

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (AP) — No. 18 Houston earned a conference tournament title in men's basketball, capturing the American Athletic title with a 71-53 rout of Memphis. Fabian White Jr. dropped in 20 points after playing just three minutes of the semifinal because of a back issue. Fellow big man Josh Carlton had 18 to help the Cougars close out their second straight conference crown.

UNDATED (AP) — Dayton, Oklahoma, SMU and Texas A&amp;M have earned top seeds in the National Invitation Tournament. The field also includes Virginia, which won its first national title in 2019. The Cavaliers are hosting Mississippi State in what could be the last game for Bulldogs coach Ben Howland. He's 134-97 in seven seasons with Mississippi State, with one NCAA Tournament appearance. Florida will face Iona and coach Rick Pitino, who guided Kentucky to the national championship in 1996. Dayton will play at Toledo despite its top seeding because its arena hosts NCAA Tournament play-in games on Tuesday and Wednesday.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Quarterback Tom Brady says he’ll be back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a 23rd NFL season, putting an end to his 40-day retirement. The seven-time Super Bowl champion announced his decision on Twitter and Instagram, saying he has “unfinished business.” The 43-year-old Brady led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title following the 2020 season and NFC South championship last season.

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Chase Briscoe executed two great restarts over the final 20 laps to pull away from Ross Chastain and Tyler Reddick in NASCAR’s Cup race at Phoenix Raceway. Pole-sitter Ryan Blaney won the second stage after leading 138 of the first 185 laps before settling for fourth.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Players Championship has become a meteorologist’s dream. First came two days of heavy rain, followed by high winds on Saturday and frigid temperatures on Sunday.

Players finally were able to complete the second round at TPC Sawgrass, where they braved 35-degree weather as Sam Burns and Tom Hoge moved into a first-place tie through two rounds. Burns closed out his second round with a 75-foot eagle putt and an 18-foot par. Hoge shot a 71 on Sunday for a 7 under total. The third round was to finish Monday morning, followed by the final round in pursuit of the $3.6 million payoff to the winner. Anirban Lahiri of India was the clubhouse leader when Round 3 was halted by darkness.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634118097145.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>UNDATED (AP) — The March Madness bracket is out. Gonzaga received the top overall seed, with Arizona, Kansas and defending champion Baylor joining the Zags as top seeds. Early round games in the 68-team tournament start Tuesday. The nets come down for the final time on April 4 at the Final Four in New Orleans. This marks the return to the first “normal” tournament since 2019, with teams scattering to eight cities for the first weekend and four more for the Sweet 16. The tournament was scratched in 2020 due to the then-erupting COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, all the teams played in and around Indianapolis.UNDATED (AP) — South Carolina has expectedly earned the No. 1 overall seed in the women’s NCAA Tournament. North Carolina State, Stanford and Louisville also earned No. 1 seeds announced Sunday. This year’s bracket expanded to 68 teams for the first time to match the men’s field with the play-in games on Wednesday and Thursday. It was one of the many changes to the women’s basketball tournament in the wake of inequities revealed at last season’s NCAAs. The final four teams in the field will play games on Wednesday and Thursday.LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas earned a No. 1 seed for the 15th time on Sunday, second only to North Carolina for most in college hoops history, and will open the NCAA Tournament in the Midwest Region against the play-in winner between Texas Southern and Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi in Fort Worth, Texas. The regional finals will occur in Chicago. Auburn earned the No. 2 seed after a late-year slide, while LSU earned the No. 6 seed one day after the firing of coach Will Wade amid allegations of NCAA misconduct that stems from a wide-ranging FBI investigation into college basketball corruption.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Rori Harmon scored 20 points and No. 7 Texas beat No. 4 Baylor 67-58 to win the Big 12 Women's Tournament championship. Harmon, a freshman, was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Texas also got 14 points from Joanne Allen-Taylor and 12 from Aaliyah Moore. Big 12 Player of the Year NaLyssa Smith scored 21 points to lead Baylor, but she only had seven before the fourth quarter as Texas built a big lead. The game was projected to be a tussle between the front courts, but foul trouble on both sides put a crimp in that plan. Instead, the guards took over.UNDATED (AP) — Tennessee and Iowa have ended lengthy conference title droughts. The 24th-ranked Hawkeyes are Big Ten champs for the first time in 16 years after Keegan Murray provided 19 points and 11 rebounds in a 75-66 victory over No. 9 Purdue. Santiago Vescovi scored 17 points and the ninth-ranked Volunteers captured their first SEC crown since 1979 by beating Texas A&amp;M, 65-50.FORT WORTH, TEXAS (AP) — No. 18 Houston earned a conference tournament title in men's basketball, capturing the American Athletic title with a 71-53 rout of Memphis. Fabian White Jr. dropped in 20 points after playing just three minutes of the semifinal because of a back issue. Fellow big man Josh Carlton had 18 to help the Cougars close out their second straight conference crown.UNDATED (AP) — Dayton, Oklahoma, SMU and Texas A&amp;M have earned top seeds in the National Invitation Tournament. The field also includes Virginia, which won its first national title in 2019. The Cavaliers are hosting Mississippi State in what could be the last game for Bulldogs coach Ben Howland. He's 134-97 in seven seasons with Mississippi State, with one NCAA Tournament appearance. Florida will face Iona and coach Rick Pitino, who guided Kentucky to the national championship in 1996. Dayton will play at Toledo despite its top seeding because its arena hosts NCAA Tournament play-in games on Tuesday and Wednesday.TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Quarterback Tom Brady says he’ll be back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a 23rd NFL season, putting an end to his 40-day retirement. The seven-time Super Bowl champion announced his decision on Twitter and Instagram, saying he has “unfinished business.” The 43-year-old Brady led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title following the 2020 season and NFC South championship last season.AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Chase Briscoe executed two great restarts over the final 20 laps to pull away from Ross Chastain and Tyler Reddick in NASCAR’s Cup race at Phoenix Raceway. Pole-sitter Ryan Blaney won the second stage after leading 138 of the first 185 laps before settling for fourth.PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Players Championship has become a meteorologist’s dream. First came two days of heavy rain, followed by high winds on Saturday and frigid temperatures on Sunday.Players finally were able to complete the second round at TPC Sawgrass, where they braved 35-degree weather as Sam Burns and Tom Hoge moved into a first-place tie through two rounds. Burns closed out his second round with a 75-foot eagle putt and an 18-foot par. Hoge shot a 71 on Sunday for a 7 under total. The third round was to finish Monday morning, followed by the final round in pursuit of the $3.6 million payoff to the winner. Anirban Lahiri of India was the clubhouse leader when Round 3 was halted by darkness.Sunday Tourney ScoresAmerican AthleticHouston 71, Memphis 53Atlantic 10Richmond 64, Davidson 62Big TenIowa 75, Purdue 66Ivy LeagueYale 66, Princeton 64SoutheasternTennessee 65, Texas A&amp;M 50

Monday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

Championship - Wichita Heights 61, BV Northwest 54

Third Place-Lawrence Free State 58, Olathe West 51

Third Place-St. James Academy 81, Maize 62

Third Place-McPherson 37, Topeka Hayden 33

Third Place-Southeast Saline 57, Hays-TMP-Marian 44

Championship-Hillsboro 60, St. Mary’s 32

Championship-Greeley County 56, Hanover 55

Third Place-Northern Valley 84, Bucklin 79, OT

Third Place-Blue Valley 48, Olathe North 46, 3OT

Championship-St. Thomas Aquinas 52, Salina Central 38

Third Place-Andover Central 48, Lansing 46

Championship-Sterling 47, Garden Plain 38

Third Place-Smith Center 44, Berean Academy 37

Championship-Pretty Prairie 37, Centralia 35

Third Place-Burlingame 55, Hodgeman County 45

Championship-Central Plains 50, Golden Plains 38

Third Place-Hanover 47, Hutchinson Central Christian 27

SATURDAY BOYS SCORESClass 6AChampionship - Wichita Heights 61, BV Northwest 54Third Place-Lawrence Free State 58, Olathe West 51Class 5AChampionship-Topeka Seaman 66, DeSoto 47Third Place-St. James Academy 81, Maize 62Class 4AChampionship-Bishop Miege 64, Andale 57Third Place-McPherson 37, Topeka Hayden 33Class 3AChampionship-Hesston 51, Royal Valley 41Third Place-Southeast Saline 57, Hays-TMP-Marian 44Class 2AChampionship-Hillsboro 60, St. Mary’s 32Third Place-Lyndon 66, Valley Falls 50Class 1A-DIChampionship-Olpe 66, South Gray 42Third Place-Macksville 66, Solomon 54Class 1A-DIIChampionship-Greeley County 56, Hanover 55Third Place-Northern Valley 84, Bucklin 79, OTSATURDAY GIRLS SCORESCLASS 6AChampionship-Washburn Rural 40, Derby 23Third Place-Blue Valley 48, Olathe North 46, 3OTClass 5AChampionship-St. Thomas Aquinas 52, Salina Central 38Third Place-Andover Central 48, Lansing 46Class 4AChampionship-Bishop Miege 71, Eudora 45Third Place-Wamego 68, Wellington 61Class 3AChampionship-Goodland 48, Hugoton 47Third Place-Silver Lake 53, Nickerson 51Class 2AChampionship-Sterling 47, Garden Plain 38Third Place-Smith Center 44, Berean Academy 37Class 1A-DIChampionship-Pretty Prairie 37, Centralia 35Third Place-Burlingame 55, Hodgeman County 45Class 1A-DIIChampionship-Central Plains 50, Golden Plains 38Third Place-Hanover 47, Hutchinson Central Christian 27

Saturday State Scores

Central Plains Girls 50 Rexford-Golden Plains 38

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji was a lightly regarded three-star prospect when he left his home in Kansas City, Missouri, four long years ago to play big-time college basketball just down the road at Kansas.

Agbaji returned home this weekend as the Big 12′s player of the year, then showed out in front of hundreds of friends and family during the Big 12 Tournament, leading the sixth-ranked Jayhawks to a 74-65 win over Texas Tech on Saturday night to capture not only the title for his team but MVP honors for himself.

“I’m just blessed to be in this position, but I give it back to my teammates,” said Agbaji, the fifth player in history to win the regular-season player of the year award and the tournament’s top honor. “I couldn’t have done it without them.”

They couldn’t have done it without him.

Agbaji scored 16 points, including a couple clinching foul shots with just over a minute left, to lift the Jayhawks (27-6) past the plucky Red Raiders (25-9) and likely secure a No. 1 seed in next week’s NCAA Tournament.

David McCormack added 18 points and 11 rebounds, Christian Braun had 14 points and Jalen Wilson and Remy Martin scored 12 apiece for the the Jayhawks (27-6), who showcased poise and resilience borne of a veteran group of players in the final minutes as the Red Raiders fumbled away their own chance at the title.

Texas Tech trailed 63-58 with about four minutes to go when Terrence Shannon Jr. was called for charging. Kevin Obanor turned it over on the Red Raiders’ next possession, then stepped over the end line while trying to inbound the ball for another turnover, each of them allowing the Jayhawks to draw away down the stretch.

The heavily pro-Kansas crowd began its haunting “Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk” chant with 28.6 seconds left on the clock, and coach Bill Self’s squad coasted to its 12th conference tournament title since the league’s inception in 1996-97.

“I thought it was a great game,” Self said. “The first half we couldn’t stop them, they couldn’t stop us. The second half I don’t think was artistic on either end, but we made a couple of really good toughness plays when we needed them.”

Shannon finished with 14 points, and Bryson Williams had 17 for the Red Raiders (25-9), who still have never won the Big 12 Tournament. They also lost to Oklahoma State in their only other championship appearance in 2005.

“They’re a team that’s extremely difficult to prepare for,” Texas Tech coach Mark Adams said, “and I wish we had two or three days to do that. They play at a great pace and they have a lot of players that do things extremely well.”

The teams, who finished a game apart in the Big 12, waged a pair of nip-and-tuck classics during the regular season with each winning at home. Their game at Allen Fieldhouse may have been the league’s best all year, a back-and-forth showdown that went to double overtime before the Jayhawks escaped with the win.

Just how evenly matched were they Saturday night?

Neither team scored more than five straight points in the first half. Neither led by more than four. Neither scored more than two straight baskets without the other team providing some kind of answer at the other end.

Even when it looked as if Kansas was building some momentum, and Martin knocked down a long jumper to make it 37-33 in the final minute, Williams provided an answering 3-pointer to keep the Red Raiders within a point at the half.

It remained close throughout the second half.

When Kansas edged ahead by five, Shannon and the Red Raiders responded with seven straight points. When Texas Tech took a 54-51 lead with 11:20 to go, Wilson and Agbaji — the tournament’s MVP — provided back-to-back buckets that began a 12-2 charge and gave the Jayhawks a 63-56 lead with less than five minutes to play.

Kansas maintained control the rest of the way as the Red Raiders began to crack under the pressure.

“These guys I’m coaching all have tears in their eyes,” said Adams, the Big 12′s coach of the year. “This hurts, but we’ll learn from this and hopefully it helps us get ready for the NCAA Tournament.”

Texas Tech was still within 64-60 with 3:06 to play, but Kansas scored the next six points as the Red Raiders continued to wilt under the pressure. It was a stunning departure from the norm for a team that starts a junior (Shannon) alongside five seniors and that has played in plenty of tight games this season.

Kansas overcame a poor performance from beyond the arc (3 for 22) by doing the little things: The Jayhawks took care of the ball, made the extra pass and got to the foul line. They were 25 of 32 on their free throws, including big ones from Agbaji — the league’s player of the year — when the outcome was on the line.

It’s time for Selection Sunday. The Jayhawks have an eye on one of the four No. 1 seeds while the Red Raiders could land as high as the No. 2 line after their spirited run to the Big 12 Tournament title game.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji was a lightly regarded three-star prospect when he left his home in Kansas City, Missouri, four long years ago to play big-time college basketball just down the road at Kansas.Agbaji returned home this weekend as the Big 12′s player of the year, then showed out in front of hundreds of friends and family during the Big 12 Tournament, leading the sixth-ranked Jayhawks to a 74-65 win over Texas Tech on Saturday night to capture not only the title for his team but MVP honors for himself.“I’m just blessed to be in this position, but I give it back to my teammates,” said Agbaji, the fifth player in history to win the regular-season player of the year award and the tournament’s top honor. “I couldn’t have done it without them.”They couldn’t have done it without him.Agbaji scored 16 points, including a couple clinching foul shots with just over a minute left, to lift the Jayhawks (27-6) past the plucky Red Raiders (25-9) and likely secure a No. 1 seed in next week’s NCAA Tournament.David McCormack added 18 points and 11 rebounds, Christian Braun had 14 points and Jalen Wilson and Remy Martin scored 12 apiece for the the Jayhawks (27-6), who showcased poise and resilience borne of a veteran group of players in the final minutes as the Red Raiders fumbled away their own chance at the title.Texas Tech trailed 63-58 with about four minutes to go when Terrence Shannon Jr. was called for charging. Kevin Obanor turned it over on the Red Raiders’ next possession, then stepped over the end line while trying to inbound the ball for another turnover, each of them allowing the Jayhawks to draw away down the stretch.The heavily pro-Kansas crowd began its haunting “Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk” chant with 28.6 seconds left on the clock, and coach Bill Self’s squad coasted to its 12th conference tournament title since the league’s inception in 1996-97.“I thought it was a great game,” Self said. “The first half we couldn’t stop them, they couldn’t stop us. The second half I don’t think was artistic on either end, but we made a couple of really good toughness plays when we needed them.”Shannon finished with 14 points, and Bryson Williams had 17 for the Red Raiders (25-9), who still have never won the Big 12 Tournament. They also lost to Oklahoma State in their only other championship appearance in 2005.“They’re a team that’s extremely difficult to prepare for,” Texas Tech coach Mark Adams said, “and I wish we had two or three days to do that. They play at a great pace and they have a lot of players that do things extremely well.”The teams, who finished a game apart in the Big 12, waged a pair of nip-and-tuck classics during the regular season with each winning at home. Their game at Allen Fieldhouse may have been the league’s best all year, a back-and-forth showdown that went to double overtime before the Jayhawks escaped with the win.Just how evenly matched were they Saturday night?Neither team scored more than five straight points in the first half. Neither led by more than four. Neither scored more than two straight baskets without the other team providing some kind of answer at the other end.Even when it looked as if Kansas was building some momentum, and Martin knocked down a long jumper to make it 37-33 in the final minute, Williams provided an answering 3-pointer to keep the Red Raiders within a point at the half.It remained close throughout the second half.When Kansas edged ahead by five, Shannon and the Red Raiders responded with seven straight points. When Texas Tech took a 54-51 lead with 11:20 to go, Wilson and Agbaji — the tournament’s MVP — provided back-to-back buckets that began a 12-2 charge and gave the Jayhawks a 63-56 lead with less than five minutes to play.Kansas maintained control the rest of the way as the Red Raiders began to crack under the pressure.“These guys I’m coaching all have tears in their eyes,” said Adams, the Big 12′s coach of the year. “This hurts, but we’ll learn from this and hopefully it helps us get ready for the NCAA Tournament.”BIG PICTURETexas Tech was still within 64-60 with 3:06 to play, but Kansas scored the next six points as the Red Raiders continued to wilt under the pressure. It was a stunning departure from the norm for a team that starts a junior (Shannon) alongside five seniors and that has played in plenty of tight games this season.Kansas overcame a poor performance from beyond the arc (3 for 22) by doing the little things: The Jayhawks took care of the ball, made the extra pass and got to the foul line. They were 25 of 32 on their free throws, including big ones from Agbaji — the league’s player of the year — when the outcome was on the line.UP NEXTIt’s time for Selection Sunday. The Jayhawks have an eye on one of the four No. 1 seeds while the Red Raiders could land as high as the No. 2 line after their spirited run to the Big 12 Tournament title game.

No. 6 KU beats No. 14 Texas Tech 74-65 to win Big 12 tourney

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Big 12 player of the year NaLyssa Smith scored 15 points, Baylor shut out Oklahoma State into the second quarter and the No. 4 Bears rolled the rest of the way to a 76-36 victory Friday in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.

Ja’Mee Asberry scored 16 points for the top-seeded Bears (26-6), who appear intent on continuing their dominance of the Big 12 under first-year coach Nicki Collen. They easily advanced to play No. 21 Oklahoma, which knocked off Kansas earlier in the day.

The Cowgirls (9-20), playing their final game under longtime coach Jim Littell, missed their first 13 field-goal attempts, fell behind 41-14 by halftime and never made a run. They wound up shooting 22.8% for the game.

Oklahoma State’s leading scorer, Lauren Fields, went 0-for-11 from the field and finished without a point, while Kassidy De Lapp finished with a team-best nine points.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Lauren Ebo tied a career-high with 17 points, Rori Harmon had 16, and texas beat Kansas State in the quarterfinals in the Big 12 Tournament.

Aliyah Matharu scored 15 and Joanne Allen-Taylor added 12 for the Longhorns (23-6), who’ll match up with No. 10 Iowa State in a semifinal on Saturday.

Texas led 47-43 before Matharu nailed two straight 3-pointers to push the advantage to 10 late in the third quarter. The Wildcats got within five in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t get any closer.

Ayoka Lee led Kansas State (19-12) with 16 points, shooting 7 of 8 from the field, while Emilee Ebert had 15 and Serena Sundell added 11.

NO. 10 IOWA STATE 66, WEST VIRGINIA 60

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Emily Ryan and Lexi Donarski each scored 14 points to lead Iowa State over West Virginia in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament.

After being down by as many as 21 in the third quarter, the Mountaineers clawed back to within in four with 16 seconds to play after Esmery Martinez hit a long 3-pointer. But Donarski made three free throws in the final minute to thwart West Virginia’s comeback hopes.

The Cyclones (26-5) went 11 of 13 from the free throw line and shot 32% for the game. One of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country, Iowa State hit 11 3s. Ashley Joens had 13 points and 14 rebounds, but was just 4 of 16 from the field.

West Virginia (14-15) shot 25 of 68 (37%), was outrebounded 52-39 and made only three of 20 3-point attempts. Martinez had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Ja’Naiya Quinerly added 15 and Savannah Samuel scored 10.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Madi Williams had 19 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, Taylor Robertson also scored 19 points and Oklahoma beat Kansas to advance to the Big 12 Conference Tournament semifinals.

Fourth-seeded Oklahoma (24-7), which picked up its first conference tournament victory since 2016, avenged a 73-67 loss at home against the Jayhawks five days ago in the regular-season finale.

Liz Scott added 11 points and eight rebounds for fourth-seeded Oklahoma (24-7). It was the Sooners’ first conference tourney win since 2016.

Zakiyah Franklin scored 15 points with five assists for Kansas (20-9). Aniya Thomas finished with 13 points and Ioanna Chatzileonti had 11. Taiyanna Jackson set the single-season blocks record at Kansas, finishing with eight points, 11 rebounds and six blocks.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Big 12 player of the year NaLyssa Smith scored 15 points, Baylor shut out Oklahoma State into the second quarter and the No. 4 Bears rolled the rest of the way to a 76-36 victory Friday in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.Ja’Mee Asberry scored 16 points for the top-seeded Bears (26-6), who appear intent on continuing their dominance of the Big 12 under first-year coach Nicki Collen. They easily advanced to play No. 21 Oklahoma, which knocked off Kansas earlier in the day.The Cowgirls (9-20), playing their final game under longtime coach Jim Littell, missed their first 13 field-goal attempts, fell behind 41-14 by halftime and never made a run. They wound up shooting 22.8% for the game.Oklahoma State’s leading scorer, Lauren Fields, went 0-for-11 from the field and finished without a point, while Kassidy De Lapp finished with a team-best nine points.NO. 7 TEXAS 72, KANSAS STATE 65KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Lauren Ebo tied a career-high with 17 points, Rori Harmon had 16, and texas beat Kansas State in the quarterfinals in the Big 12 Tournament.Aliyah Matharu scored 15 and Joanne Allen-Taylor added 12 for the Longhorns (23-6), who’ll match up with No. 10 Iowa State in a semifinal on Saturday.Texas led 47-43 before Matharu nailed two straight 3-pointers to push the advantage to 10 late in the third quarter. The Wildcats got within five in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t get any closer.Ayoka Lee led Kansas State (19-12) with 16 points, shooting 7 of 8 from the field, while Emilee Ebert had 15 and Serena Sundell added 11.NO. 10 IOWA STATE 66, WEST VIRGINIA 60KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Emily Ryan and Lexi Donarski each scored 14 points to lead Iowa State over West Virginia in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament.After being down by as many as 21 in the third quarter, the Mountaineers clawed back to within in four with 16 seconds to play after Esmery Martinez hit a long 3-pointer. But Donarski made three free throws in the final minute to thwart West Virginia’s comeback hopes.The Cyclones (26-5) went 11 of 13 from the free throw line and shot 32% for the game. One of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country, Iowa State hit 11 3s. Ashley Joens had 13 points and 14 rebounds, but was just 4 of 16 from the field.West Virginia (14-15) shot 25 of 68 (37%), was outrebounded 52-39 and made only three of 20 3-point attempts. Martinez had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Ja’Naiya Quinerly added 15 and Savannah Samuel scored 10.NO. 21 OKLAHOMA 80, KANSAS 68KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Madi Williams had 19 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, Taylor Robertson also scored 19 points and Oklahoma beat Kansas to advance to the Big 12 Conference Tournament semifinals.Fourth-seeded Oklahoma (24-7), which picked up its first conference tournament victory since 2016, avenged a 73-67 loss at home against the Jayhawks five days ago in the regular-season finale.Liz Scott added 11 points and eight rebounds for fourth-seeded Oklahoma (24-7). It was the Sooners’ first conference tourney win since 2016.Zakiyah Franklin scored 15 points with five assists for Kansas (20-9). Aniya Thomas finished with 13 points and Ioanna Chatzileonti had 11. Taiyanna Jackson set the single-season blocks record at Kansas, finishing with eight points, 11 rebounds and six blocks.

K-State and Kansas both knocked out of Big 12 Women's Tourney

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: FS Tyrann Mathieu, DT Jarran Reed, DT Derrick Nnadi, DE Alex Okafor, CB Charvarius Ward, CB Mike Hughes, RT Andrew Wylie, RT Mike Remmers, WR Byron Pringle, WR Demarcus Robinson, LG Kyle Long, RG Austin Blythe, FB Michael Burton, TE Blake Bell, SS Armani Watts, SS Daniel Sorensen, RB Darrel Williams, RB Jerick McKinnon, QB Chad Henne, OLB Melvin Ingram, LB Dorian O’Daniel, LB Ben Niemann.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: TE Joey Fortson, WR Marcus Kemp, RB Derrick Gore, CB Chris Lammons.

NEEDS: The Chiefs already put the non-exclusive franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., giving them time to work out a long-term deal. They also hope to bring back Mathieu, though he will command a hefty price in free agency. But regardless of what happens with him, the Chiefs have three priorities in free agency: wide receiver, cornerback and defensive end. Pringle and Robinson have been bit players but the Chiefs would like a high-profile threat to take the pressure of WR Tyreek Hill and TE Travis Kelce in the passing game. Ward has been among the best DBs in the league the past two years and probably priced himself out of Kansas City, so a replacement is in order. The Chiefs will likely need to cut underwhelming DE Frank Clark due to his exorbitant contract and, combined with the loss of Ingram in free agency, that makes finding a pass rusher a priority.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (14-6)UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: FS Tyrann Mathieu, DT Jarran Reed, DT Derrick Nnadi, DE Alex Okafor, CB Charvarius Ward, CB Mike Hughes, RT Andrew Wylie, RT Mike Remmers, WR Byron Pringle, WR Demarcus Robinson, LG Kyle Long, RG Austin Blythe, FB Michael Burton, TE Blake Bell, SS Armani Watts, SS Daniel Sorensen, RB Darrel Williams, RB Jerick McKinnon, QB Chad Henne, OLB Melvin Ingram, LB Dorian O’Daniel, LB Ben Niemann.RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: TE Joey Fortson, WR Marcus Kemp, RB Derrick Gore, CB Chris Lammons.NEEDS: The Chiefs already put the non-exclusive franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., giving them time to work out a long-term deal. They also hope to bring back Mathieu, though he will command a hefty price in free agency. But regardless of what happens with him, the Chiefs have three priorities in free agency: wide receiver, cornerback and defensive end. Pringle and Robinson have been bit players but the Chiefs would like a high-profile threat to take the pressure of WR Tyreek Hill and TE Travis Kelce in the passing game. Ward has been among the best DBs in the league the past two years and probably priced himself out of Kansas City, so a replacement is in order. The Chiefs will likely need to cut underwhelming DE Frank Clark due to his exorbitant contract and, combined with the loss of Ingram in free agency, that makes finding a pass rusher a priority.AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE (approximately): $9 million over.