The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Jan. 9, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking

Others receiving votes: Oklahoma 122, Loyola Chicago 96, Miami 65, West Virginia 20, UConn 17, Indiana 12, Colorado St. 10, San Diego St. 9, Davidson 5, San Francisco 2, Iowa 2, BYU 2.

The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Jan. 9, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous rankingRecord	Pts	Prv1. Baylor (61)	15-0	1525	12. Gonzaga	12-2	1440	43. UCLA	10-1	1376	54. Auburn	14-1	1193	95. Southern Cal	13-0	1152	76. Arizona	12-1	1144	87. Purdue	13-2	1139	38. Duke	12-2	1130	29. Kansas	12-2	1031	610. Michigan St.	13-2	1011	1011. Houston	14-2	949	1212. LSU	14-1	889	2113. Wisconsin	13-2	784	2314. Villanova	11-4	682	1915. Iowa St.	13-2	648	1116. Ohio St.	10-3	510	1317. Xavier	12-2	453	2218. Kentucky	12-3	438	1619. Texas Tech	11-3	373	2520. Seton Hall	11-3	342	2421. Texas	12-3	282	1422. Tennessee	10-4	277	1823. Providence	14-2	250	1624. Alabama	11-4	237	1525. Illinois	11-3	208	-Others receiving votes: Oklahoma 122, Loyola Chicago 96, Miami 65, West Virginia 20, UConn 17, Indiana 12, Colorado St. 10, San Diego St. 9, Davidson 5, San Francisco 2, Iowa 2, BYU 2.

KU 9th in latest AP Poll

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Confetti rained down on Georgia. The Bulldogs fans chanted “Kir-by, Kir-by!”

Four decades of pent-up emotion were unleashed Monday night as the Bulldogs snapped a frustrating national championship drought by vanquishing their nemesis.

Stetson Bennett delivered the biggest throws of his storybook career and Georgia’s defense sealed the sweetest victory in program history, beating Alabama 33-18 in the College Football Playoff for its first title in 41 years.

“I’ve never been around a group of players that really wanted it so bad and wouldn’t be denied,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “I told the guys in the locker room, just take a picture of this.”

Smart, a Bulldogs defensive back in the mid-1990s, returned to his alma mater in 2016 after helping Nick Saban build a dynasty as an assistant at Alabama.

Georgia has become an elite program under Smart, but has not been able to chase down its Southeastern Conference rival.

“This was for all the glory, we took it,” defensive tackle Jordan Davis said.

And they did it the way Alabama has broken their hearts so many times in recent years: Coming from behind and finishing with a flourish.

Bennett connected with Adonai Mitchell on a 40-yard touchdown to give No. 3 Georgia a 19-18 lead with 8:09 left and then hooked up with Brock Bowers for a 15-yard TD on a screen to put the Bulldogs up eight with with 3:33 left.

The final blow came from Georgia’s dominant defense. Kelee Ringo intercepted an underthrown deep ball down the sideline by Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young.

“I just saw the ball in his hands and that was all she wrote,” said safety Lewis Cine, the game’s defensive MVP.

With just over a minute left, Ringo took off behind a convoy of blockers and went 79 yards, Smart chasing and yelling at him to go down so he wouldn’t risk a fumble. The touchdown set off a wild celebration by the relieved Georgia fans who packed Lucas Oil Stadium.

“There’s going to be some property torn up in Indianapolis tonight,” Smart said, paraphrasing the late Georgia play-by-play man Larry Munson.

“I cried, so pretty good,” Bennett said when asked how it felt.

Saban’s Tide had won seven straight against the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs lost two SEC championship games, including one five weeks ago, and the 2018 CFP title game to Alabama under Smart.

“I told them we burned the boats. The only way home was through them,” Smart said.

Bennett, the former walk-on turned starter, finished 17 for 26 for 224 yards and no interceptions.

For most of the first three quarters, the first CFP title game to be a rematch of a regular-season game was an ol’ fashion SEC defensive struggle in the heart of Big Ten country.

The first touchdown came with 1:20 left in the third quarter. After James Cook broke a 67-yard run to get the Bulldogs into the red zone, three more running plays — and a facemask penalty by Alabama — got them into the end zone. Zamir White went in standing up from a yard out with massive defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Davis leading the way as blockers. The Bulldogs led for the first time, 13-9.

After Alabama added another field goal, the Tide caught a break on strange turnover.

As Bennett was being taken down deep in Georgia territory, he tried to throw the ball away. The ball slipped loose, and bounced toward the sideline, seemingly harmless. Alabama’s Drew Sanders casually caught it as he was jogging out of bounds.

Surprisingly, the ruling on the field was a fumble, recovered by the Tide and replay upheld it, giving the Tide the ball in the red zone. A few plays later, Young eluded the rush and found Cameron Latu for a 3-yard touchdown that put Alabama up 18-13 with 10:14 left.

Once again, it seemed as if Georgia would not be able to break the ’Bama curse.

Bennett was 13 for 22 for 141 yards as the next drive started, and you could practically hear all skeptical Georgia fans wondering why Smart didn’t turn to his four-star back-up QB, J.T. Daniels, for a spark.

As he has done so many times during a career that started on the scout team and took a detour through junior college in Mississippi, the small-town Georgia kid nicknamed The Mailman came through.

Bennett completed all three of his passes for 68 yards, including a long strike to Mitchell for a touchdown with 8:09 left that gave the Bulldogs a one-point lead after a failed 2-point conversion.

The Bulldogs’ defense clamped down on Young, forcing a three-and-out on the Tide’s next drive, and then Georgia went to work on sealing a long-awaited championship.

“It’s a little tough that I let them down today,” Young said. “I’ve got to do better with it.”

The sophomore finished 35 for 57 for 359 yards with two interceptions, playing without his top two receivers for most of the game. All-American Jameson Williams went out early in the second quarter with a knee injury, and John Metchie III was injured in the SEC title game.

Young was sacked three times after Georgia didn’t bring him down once in the first meeting.

“We played a heck of a game against a heck of a team for the first three quarters of the game,” said Saban, who was denied his eight national title, seventh with Alabama in the last 13 years. “Nobody can take the SEC championship away from this team, the Cotton Bowl championship.

“We just didn’t finish the way we needed to finish.”

After more than 40 years, it was Georgia’s time to finish.

“You put as much time as we do in this thing, blood, sweat, tears,” Bennett said, ’it means something.”

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Confetti rained down on Georgia. The Bulldogs fans chanted “Kir-by, Kir-by!”Four decades of pent-up emotion were unleashed Monday night as the Bulldogs snapped a frustrating national championship drought by vanquishing their nemesis.Stetson Bennett delivered the biggest throws of his storybook career and Georgia’s defense sealed the sweetest victory in program history, beating Alabama 33-18 in the College Football Playoff for its first title in 41 years.“I’ve never been around a group of players that really wanted it so bad and wouldn’t be denied,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “I told the guys in the locker room, just take a picture of this.”Smart, a Bulldogs defensive back in the mid-1990s, returned to his alma mater in 2016 after helping Nick Saban build a dynasty as an assistant at Alabama.Georgia has become an elite program under Smart, but has not been able to chase down its Southeastern Conference rival.Until now.“This was for all the glory, we took it,” defensive tackle Jordan Davis said.And they did it the way Alabama has broken their hearts so many times in recent years: Coming from behind and finishing with a flourish.Bennett connected with Adonai Mitchell on a 40-yard touchdown to give No. 3 Georgia a 19-18 lead with 8:09 left and then hooked up with Brock Bowers for a 15-yard TD on a screen to put the Bulldogs up eight with with 3:33 left.The final blow came from Georgia’s dominant defense. Kelee Ringo intercepted an underthrown deep ball down the sideline by Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young.“I just saw the ball in his hands and that was all she wrote,” said safety Lewis Cine, the game’s defensive MVP.With just over a minute left, Ringo took off behind a convoy of blockers and went 79 yards, Smart chasing and yelling at him to go down so he wouldn’t risk a fumble. The touchdown set off a wild celebration by the relieved Georgia fans who packed Lucas Oil Stadium.“There’s going to be some property torn up in Indianapolis tonight,” Smart said, paraphrasing the late Georgia play-by-play man Larry Munson.“I cried, so pretty good,” Bennett said when asked how it felt.Saban’s Tide had won seven straight against the Bulldogs.The Bulldogs lost two SEC championship games, including one five weeks ago, and the 2018 CFP title game to Alabama under Smart.“I told them we burned the boats. The only way home was through them,” Smart said.Mission accomplished.Bennett, the former walk-on turned starter, finished 17 for 26 for 224 yards and no interceptions.For most of the first three quarters, the first CFP title game to be a rematch of a regular-season game was an ol’ fashion SEC defensive struggle in the heart of Big Ten country.The first touchdown came with 1:20 left in the third quarter. After James Cook broke a 67-yard run to get the Bulldogs into the red zone, three more running plays — and a facemask penalty by Alabama — got them into the end zone. Zamir White went in standing up from a yard out with massive defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Davis leading the way as blockers. The Bulldogs led for the first time, 13-9.After Alabama added another field goal, the Tide caught a break on strange turnover.As Bennett was being taken down deep in Georgia territory, he tried to throw the ball away. The ball slipped loose, and bounced toward the sideline, seemingly harmless. Alabama’s Drew Sanders casually caught it as he was jogging out of bounds.Surprisingly, the ruling on the field was a fumble, recovered by the Tide and replay upheld it, giving the Tide the ball in the red zone. A few plays later, Young eluded the rush and found Cameron Latu for a 3-yard touchdown that put Alabama up 18-13 with 10:14 left.Once again, it seemed as if Georgia would not be able to break the ’Bama curse.Bennett was 13 for 22 for 141 yards as the next drive started, and you could practically hear all skeptical Georgia fans wondering why Smart didn’t turn to his four-star back-up QB, J.T. Daniels, for a spark.As he has done so many times during a career that started on the scout team and took a detour through junior college in Mississippi, the small-town Georgia kid nicknamed The Mailman came through.Bennett completed all three of his passes for 68 yards, including a long strike to Mitchell for a touchdown with 8:09 left that gave the Bulldogs a one-point lead after a failed 2-point conversion.The Bulldogs’ defense clamped down on Young, forcing a three-and-out on the Tide’s next drive, and then Georgia went to work on sealing a long-awaited championship.“It’s a little tough that I let them down today,” Young said. “I’ve got to do better with it.”The sophomore finished 35 for 57 for 359 yards with two interceptions, playing without his top two receivers for most of the game. All-American Jameson Williams went out early in the second quarter with a knee injury, and John Metchie III was injured in the SEC title game.Young was sacked three times after Georgia didn’t bring him down once in the first meeting.“We played a heck of a game against a heck of a team for the first three quarters of the game,” said Saban, who was denied his eight national title, seventh with Alabama in the last 13 years. “Nobody can take the SEC championship away from this team, the Cotton Bowl championship.“We just didn’t finish the way we needed to finish.”After more than 40 years, it was Georgia’s time to finish.“You put as much time as we do in this thing, blood, sweat, tears,” Bennett said, ’it means something.”

Georgia snaps 41-year title drought with 33-18 win over Bama

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Stetson Bennett delivered the biggest throws of his storybook career and Georgia’s defense sealed the sweetest victory in program history, vanquishing rival Alabama 33-18 to win the College Football Playoff title game. The Bulldogs won their first national title in 41 yards. Bennett connected with Adonai Mitchell on a 40-yard touchdown to give Georgia a 19-18 lead with 8:09 left. He then hooked up with Brock Bowers for a 15-yard TD on a screen to put the Bulldogs up with with 3:33 left. The final blow came from the defense. Kelee Ringo intercepted an underthrown deep ball down the sideline by Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young and returned 79 yards for a touchdown.

UNDATED (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs did what they had to Saturday, beating the Broncos on the road to finish up the regular season. Too bad the Titans did what they had to Sunday, too. So rather than have the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye, the Chiefs will face seventh-seeded Pittsburgh on Sunday night in the wild-card round at Arrowhead Stadium. It will be a rematch of a game from just a few weeks ago, when the Chiefs led 23-0 by halftime and rolled through the second half in a 36-10 romp. Kansas City lost to the Steelers in January 2017 the previous time they met in a wild-card playoff game.

UNDATED (AP) — From the NFC North to the AFC East, the firings began almost immediately after the NFL’s first 17-game season concluded. The Vikings fired coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman today following an 8-9 season. Division rival Chicago parted with coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace after going 6-11. And in a relative surprise, Miami dismissed coach Brian Flores, whose Dolphins went 9-8, including a sweep of archrival New England.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Dave Gettleman is retiring as the general manager of the New York Giants after four losing seasons. The Giants announced the move Monday, a day after New York dropped its finale 22-7 to Washington, to finish at 4-and-13. The loss was the sixth straight for New York and it ended a dismal second season under coach Joe Judge. Judge’s future with the Giants also is in question.

UNDATED (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars’ 3-and-14 record this season earned them the top spot in April’s NFL draft, the second consecutive year they will pick first. The tentative order of the first round, not including teams in the playoffs, was announced today by the NFL. Playoff results will determine where the 14 teams making the postseason will select.

UNDATED (AP) — Defense has been a big factor in the Big 12 Conference's standing with five AP Top 25 teams. The league's five ranked teams includes top-ranked Baylor. The Bears have won 21 straight games dating to last year's run to the NCAA championship. The league also has five of the top 12 teams in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency statistics. The league headlines the national AP Top 25 schedule with three games featuring two ranked teams. The Southeastern Conference also has two of those games. Unranked teams to watch this week include Oklahoma, Loyola Chicago and Miami.

UNDATED (AP) — Baylor is once again the unanimous No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll, and fifth-ranked Southern California climbed to its highest ranking in nearly five decades. The reigning national champion Bears earned all 61 first-place votes in the poll for the fourth time in five weeks. Baylor has won 21 straight games dating to last year’s title run in the Indianapolis bubble. Gonzaga, UCLA, Auburn and USC rounded out the top five. The Trojans have their highest ranking since December 1974. No. 25 Illinois rejoined the poll as the week's lone addition.

UNDATED (AP) — West Virginia has hired Graham Harrell as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach to try to bolster a unit that ranked near the bottom of the Big 12. The Mountaineers are hoping Harrell's addition can give them a spark after going 17-18 in coach Neal Brown’s first three seasons. Harrell spent the past three seasons in the same role at Southern Cal. The Mountaineers were eighth in total offense in the Big 12 with an average of 371 yards and scored the second-fewest touchdowns. The 36-year-old Harrell will replace Gerad Parker, who will become co-offensive coordinator while retaining his position as wide receivers coach. 

Tampa Bay	at	New Jersey	7 p.m.	(Postponed)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636541008486.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Stetson Bennett delivered the biggest throws of his storybook career and Georgia’s defense sealed the sweetest victory in program history, vanquishing rival Alabama 33-18 to win the College Football Playoff title game. The Bulldogs won their first national title in 41 yards. Bennett connected with Adonai Mitchell on a 40-yard touchdown to give Georgia a 19-18 lead with 8:09 left. He then hooked up with Brock Bowers for a 15-yard TD on a screen to put the Bulldogs up with with 3:33 left. The final blow came from the defense. Kelee Ringo intercepted an underthrown deep ball down the sideline by Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young and returned 79 yards for a touchdown.UNDATED (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs did what they had to Saturday, beating the Broncos on the road to finish up the regular season. Too bad the Titans did what they had to Sunday, too. So rather than have the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye, the Chiefs will face seventh-seeded Pittsburgh on Sunday night in the wild-card round at Arrowhead Stadium. It will be a rematch of a game from just a few weeks ago, when the Chiefs led 23-0 by halftime and rolled through the second half in a 36-10 romp. Kansas City lost to the Steelers in January 2017 the previous time they met in a wild-card playoff game.UNDATED (AP) — From the NFC North to the AFC East, the firings began almost immediately after the NFL’s first 17-game season concluded. The Vikings fired coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman today following an 8-9 season. Division rival Chicago parted with coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace after going 6-11. And in a relative surprise, Miami dismissed coach Brian Flores, whose Dolphins went 9-8, including a sweep of archrival New England.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Dave Gettleman is retiring as the general manager of the New York Giants after four losing seasons. The Giants announced the move Monday, a day after New York dropped its finale 22-7 to Washington, to finish at 4-and-13. The loss was the sixth straight for New York and it ended a dismal second season under coach Joe Judge. Judge’s future with the Giants also is in question.UNDATED (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars’ 3-and-14 record this season earned them the top spot in April’s NFL draft, the second consecutive year they will pick first. The tentative order of the first round, not including teams in the playoffs, was announced today by the NFL. Playoff results will determine where the 14 teams making the postseason will select.UNDATED (AP) — Defense has been a big factor in the Big 12 Conference's standing with five AP Top 25 teams. The league's five ranked teams includes top-ranked Baylor. The Bears have won 21 straight games dating to last year's run to the NCAA championship. The league also has five of the top 12 teams in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency statistics. The league headlines the national AP Top 25 schedule with three games featuring two ranked teams. The Southeastern Conference also has two of those games. Unranked teams to watch this week include Oklahoma, Loyola Chicago and Miami.UNDATED (AP) — Baylor is once again the unanimous No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll, and fifth-ranked Southern California climbed to its highest ranking in nearly five decades. The reigning national champion Bears earned all 61 first-place votes in the poll for the fourth time in five weeks. Baylor has won 21 straight games dating to last year’s title run in the Indianapolis bubble. Gonzaga, UCLA, Auburn and USC rounded out the top five. The Trojans have their highest ranking since December 1974. No. 25 Illinois rejoined the poll as the week's lone addition.UNDATED (AP) — West Virginia has hired Graham Harrell as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach to try to bolster a unit that ranked near the bottom of the Big 12. The Mountaineers are hoping Harrell's addition can give them a spark after going 17-18 in coach Neal Brown’s first three seasons. Harrell spent the past three seasons in the same role at Southern Cal. The Mountaineers were eighth in total offense in the Big 12 with an average of 371 yards and scored the second-fewest touchdowns. The 36-year-old Harrell will replace Gerad Parker, who will become co-offensive coordinator while retaining his position as wide receivers coach. MONDAY SCORESTOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALLFinal	(3)Georgia	33	(1)Alabama	18	NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Detroit	126	Utah	116	Final	Charlotte	103	Milwaukee	99	Final	New York	111	San Antonio	96	Final	Philadelphia	111	Houston	91	Final OT	Boston	101	Indiana	98	Final	Cleveland	109	Sacramento	108	Final	Portland	114	Brooklyn	108	NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEColumbus	at	Montreal	7 p.m.	(Postponed)Tampa Bay	at	New Jersey	7 p.m.	(Postponed)Minnesota	at	Winnipeg	8 p.m.	(Postponed)Ottawa	at	Edmonton	10 p.m.	(Postponed)Final	Boston	7	Washington	3	Final	Colorado	4	Seattle	3	Final	Los Angeles	3	N-Y Rangers	1

Tuesday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

No. 15 Iowa State (13-2, 1-2) vs. No. 9 Kansas (12-2, 1-1)

Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kansas; Tuesday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: No. 9 Kansas looks for its fifth straight win over No. 15 Iowa State at Allen Fieldhouse. The last victory for the Cyclones at Kansas was a 92-89 win on Feb. 4, 2017.

SUPER SENIORS: Kansas' Ochai Agbaji, Remy Martin and David McCormack have combined to score 46 percent of all Jayhawks points this season, although that number has dropped to 32 percent over the last five games.BRILLIANT BROCKINGTON: Izaiah Brockington has connected on 41.2 percent of the 34 3-pointers he's attempted and has made 3 of 8 over the last three games. He's also converted 80.3 percent of his foul shots this season.

STREAK SCORING: Kansas has won its last seven home games, scoring an average of 85.7 points while giving up 62.6.

ASSIST DISTRIBUTION: The Jayhawks have recently used assists to create baskets more often than the Cyclones. Kansas has 45 assists on 77 field goals (58.4 percent) over its past three contests while Iowa State has assists on 34 of 69 field goals (49.3 percent) during its past three games.

STINGY STATE: Iowa State has forced opponents into committing turnovers on 26.2 percent of all possessions this year, the 10th-highest rate among all Division I teams.

No. 15 Iowa State (13-2, 1-2) vs. No. 9 Kansas (12-2, 1-1)Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kansas; Tuesday, 8 p.m. ESTBOTTOM LINE: No. 9 Kansas looks for its fifth straight win over No. 15 Iowa State at Allen Fieldhouse. The last victory for the Cyclones at Kansas was a 92-89 win on Feb. 4, 2017.SUPER SENIORS: Kansas' Ochai Agbaji, Remy Martin and David McCormack have combined to score 46 percent of all Jayhawks points this season, although that number has dropped to 32 percent over the last five games.BRILLIANT BROCKINGTON: Izaiah Brockington has connected on 41.2 percent of the 34 3-pointers he's attempted and has made 3 of 8 over the last three games. He's also converted 80.3 percent of his foul shots this season.STREAK SCORING: Kansas has won its last seven home games, scoring an average of 85.7 points while giving up 62.6.ASSIST DISTRIBUTION: The Jayhawks have recently used assists to create baskets more often than the Cyclones. Kansas has 45 assists on 77 field goals (58.4 percent) over its past three contests while Iowa State has assists on 34 of 69 field goals (49.3 percent) during its past three games.STINGY STATE: Iowa State has forced opponents into committing turnovers on 26.2 percent of all possessions this year, the 10th-highest rate among all Division I teams.

No. 9 Kansas looks for home win vs No. 15 Iowa State

Western Athletic Conference Great Bend @ Hays Liberal @ Garden City Guymon, OK @ Dodge City

Central Kansas League Hoisington @ Hillsboro Larned @ Haven Nickerson @ Hesston Lyons @ Pratt Halstead @ Smoky Valley

Central Prairie League Ellinwood @ St. John Sterling @ Central Plains Macksville @ La Crosse Otis-Bison @ Kinsley Stockton @ Victoria Ness City @ Spearville

Other Area Games Chase @ Wilson Pawnee Heights @ Hodgeman County Stafford @ Fairfield Smith Center @ Russell Hoxie @ TMP Pretty Prairie @ Pratt-Skyline

Western Athletic Conference Great Bend @ Hays Liberal @ Garden City Guymon, OK @ Dodge CityCentral Kansas League Hoisington @ Hillsboro Larned @ Haven Nickerson @ Hesston Lyons @ Pratt Halstead @ Smoky ValleyCentral Prairie League Ellinwood @ St. John Sterling @ Central Plains Macksville @ La Crosse Otis-Bison @ Kinsley Stockton @ Victoria Ness City @ SpearvilleOther Area Games Chase @ Wilson Pawnee Heights @ Hodgeman County Stafford @ Fairfield Smith Center @ Russell Hoxie @ TMP Pretty Prairie @ Pratt-Skyline

Tuesday Area High School Basketball Schedule (1/11)

Wild-card
weekend: Jan. 15, 16 and 17

(7) Pittsburgh
Steelers at (2) Kansas City Chiefs

(6) New England
Patriots at (3) Buffalo Bills

(5) Las Vegas
Raiders at (4) Cincinnati Bengals

(7) Philadelphia
Eagles at (2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

(6) San Francisco
49ers at (3) Dallas Cowboys

(5) Arizona
Cardinals at (4) Los Angeles Rams

Wild-card
weekend: Jan. 15, 16 and 17AFC(7) Pittsburgh
Steelers at (2) Kansas City ChiefsSunday, 7:15 p.m.
CT on NBC(6) New England
Patriots at (3) Buffalo BillsSaturday, 7:15 p.m.
CT on CBS(5) Las Vegas
Raiders at (4) Cincinnati BengalsSaturday, 3:30 p.m.
CT on NBCBye: (1)
Tennessee TitansNFC(7) Philadelphia
Eagles at (2) Tampa Bay BuccaneersSunday, 12 p.m. CT
on Fox(6) San Francisco
49ers at (3) Dallas CowboysSunday, 3:30 p.m. CT
on CBS(5) Arizona
Cardinals at (4) Los Angeles RamsMonday, 7:15 p.m. CT
on ESPN/ABC/ESPN+Bye: (1)
Green Bay Packers

NFL Playoff Schedule

DENVER (AP) — Vic Fangio was fired Sunday morning as coach of the Denver Broncos after going 19-30 in three seasons, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision wasn't immediately announced by the team, confirmed that Fangio was fired one day after Denver's season-ending 28-24 loss to Kansas City.

Fangio had a fourth year left on his contract with a team option for 2023.

Fangio met with general manager George Paton ahead of the season finale and laid out his plan should he get another season in Denver.

The Broncos lost their final four games to finish 7-10. Fangio led Denver to a 5-11 mark last season and went 7-9 in 2019 after he replaced Vance Joseph.

Fangio got the job after more than three decades as an assistant, and he burnished his reputation as a defensive mastermind during his time in Denver. But the Broncos didn't win, and that cost him his job.

Denver has missed the playoffs in all six seasons since its Super Bowl 50 victory and has posted five consecutive losing seasons.

DENVER (AP) — Vic Fangio was fired Sunday morning as coach of the Denver Broncos after going 19-30 in three seasons, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision wasn't immediately announced by the team, confirmed that Fangio was fired one day after Denver's season-ending 28-24 loss to Kansas City.Fangio had a fourth year left on his contract with a team option for 2023.Fangio met with general manager George Paton ahead of the season finale and laid out his plan should he get another season in Denver.The Broncos lost their final four games to finish 7-10. Fangio led Denver to a 5-11 mark last season and went 7-9 in 2019 after he replaced Vance Joseph.Fangio got the job after more than three decades as an assistant, and he burnished his reputation as a defensive mastermind during his time in Denver. But the Broncos didn't win, and that cost him his job.Denver has missed the playoffs in all six seasons since its Super Bowl 50 victory and has posted five consecutive losing seasons.

Denver Broncos fire coach Vic Fangio

Boys Team Scores 1. Hoxie 169.5 2. Manhattan 131.5 3. Garden City 130.5 4. Dodge City 127 5. Goddard 123.5 6. Emporia 117.5 7. Great Bend 102.5 8. Dumas, TX 94.5 Discovery Canyon, Co 94.5 10. Pratt 89.5 11 Valley Center 82 12. Junction City 79 13. Blue Valley 25 14. Ulysses 24

Great Bend Boys Results 113: Emanuel Prieto (Great Bend) - 5th

195: Brody Schnoebelen (Great Bend) - 8th

Girls Team Scores 1. Emporia 143.5 2. Great Bend 129 Dodge City 129 4. Pratt 125.5 5. Gardener Edgergton 103.5 6. Discovery Canyon, CO 103 7. Valley Center 68 8. Manhattan 50 9. Goddard 48 10. Junction City 31 11. Hoxie 23.5 12 Cimarron 14.5 13. Ulysses 2 14. Blue Valley 0 Dumas, TX 0 Garden City 0

115: Hannah Crathorne (Great Bend) - 11th

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1612103045571.jpeg" alt="Boys and Girls results from Dodge City Invitational Saturday" />
 <figcaption>Boys and Girls results from Dodge City Invitational Saturday</figcaption>
 </figure>Boys Team Scores 1. Hoxie 169.5 2. Manhattan 131.5 3. Garden City 130.5 4. Dodge City 127 5. Goddard 123.5 6. Emporia 117.5 7. Great Bend 102.5 8. Dumas, TX 94.5 Discovery Canyon, Co 94.5 10. Pratt 89.5 11 Valley Center 82 12. Junction City 79 13. Blue Valley 25 14. Ulysses 24Great Bend Boys Results 113: Emanuel Prieto (Great Bend) - 5th120: Avery Wolf (Great Bend) - 2nd126: Robby Gutierrez (Great Bend) - 9th126: Kaden Spragis (Great Bend) - 6th132: Cooper Liles (Great Bend) - 7th132: John Szot (Great Bend) - 10th138: Wyatt Weber (Great Bend) - 3rd145: Jace Schartz (Great Bend) - 11th152: Skyler McMullen (Great Bend) - 5th182: Matthew Johnson (Great Bend) - 2nd195: Brody Schnoebelen (Great Bend) - 8th220: Keyven Schroeder (Great Bend) - 3rd285: Luis DeSantiago (Great Bend) - 9thGirls Team Scores 1. Emporia 143.5 2. Great Bend 129 Dodge City 129 4. Pratt 125.5 5. Gardener Edgergton 103.5 6. Discovery Canyon, CO 103 7. Valley Center 68 8. Manhattan 50 9. Goddard 48 10. Junction City 31 11. Hoxie 23.5 12 Cimarron 14.5 13. Ulysses 2 14. Blue Valley 0 Dumas, TX 0 Garden City 0Panther Girls Results109: Mayra Gonzalez (Great Bend) - 7th109: Jenna Higgins (Great Bend) - 10th109: McKayla Smith (Great Bend) - 13th115: Rosa Campos (Great Bend) - 4th115: Hannah Crathorne (Great Bend) - 11th126: Daizy Gomez (Great Bend) - 3rd126: Raegan Ketch (Great Bend) - 5th132: Breanna Ridgeway (Great Bend) - 1st138: Katie Kuhlman (Great Bend) - 5th138: Paige Sanders (Great Bend) - 7th143: Sierra Ferguson (Great Bend) - 3rd143: Taylour Yoder (Great Bend) - 5th155: Danica Cline (Great Bend) - 10th155: Laura Daniels (Great Bend) - 15th155: Lea Nokes (Great Bend) - 14th170: Jasalyn Vanaman (Great Bend) - 1st170: Kynslee White (Great Bend) - 2nd191: Haylee Holinde (Great Bend) - 2nd

Panther girls tie for 2nd; Boys 7th at Dodge City Invitational

Barton Men 74 NW Tech 69; Barton Women 98 NW Tech 86

<div><a href="https://www.bartonsports.com/information/boosterclub/index"><img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1635967480149.jpeg"></a></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625250903956.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Barton Men 74 NW Tech 69; Barton Women 98 NW Tech 86<div><iframe width="100%" height="265" src="https://clyp.it/nhpwrsgy/widget" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>

DENVER (AP) — Nearly stumbling heading into the playoffs, Nick Bolton and the Kansas City Chiefs gathered themselves just in time to thunder into the postseason with an AFC-best 12 wins.

They’ll learn Sunday if that’s enough to get them a first-round bye.

“We’re ready to go wherever and against whomever,” Patrick Mahomes said after the Chiefs rallied for a 28-24 win Saturday over the Denver Broncos, a victory powered by Bolton’s 86-yard fumble return midway through the fourth quarter.

To secure the pole position in the AFC playoffs, the Chiefs (12-5) need Houston to upset the Tennessee on Sunday. If not, Kansas City hosts a wild-card game next weekend in its quest to reach a third consecutive Super Bowl.

The Broncos were ahead 21-20 and driving for another score when Melvin Ingram III blitzed, speeding past tight end Noah Fant untouched and blowing up the play just as Drew Lock handed the ball to Melvin Gordon on second-and-2 from the 9.

Bolton, a rookie linebacker who checks in at 237 pounds, scooped up the loose ball and rumbled down the Chiefs’ euphoric sideline, nearly falling down at midfield before regaining his balance and outracing Lock, whom he played with at Missouri, to the end zone.

“I was hoping that he wouldn’t stumble,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after his 250th NFL coaching victory, including playoffs. “Those guys don’t get much of a chance to run that far that fast very often and he ran like a stallion. He took off and looked like a running back there.”

Like many of the other victories in the Chiefs’ 13-game winning streak against Denver, this one was no cakewalk. The Broncos (7-10) led for much of the afternoon despite having nothing to play for but pride.

“My main emotion is really proud of our payers,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said. “That’s a team that may win it all. They’ve obviously won a lot of games the last four or five yeas since Mahomes has taken over. We had a chance to win that game. But not winning it is the bottom line and we didn’t get it done.”

The Broncos’ last win over Kansas City came on Sept. 17, 2015.

Wide receiver Tyreek Hill could surely use the week off that goes to the top seed in each conference. He injured a heel in pregame warmups and was held to one catch for 2 yards. With Hill hurting, Mecole Hardman stepped up with eight catches for 103 yards.

“No one is Tyreek. He’s a special player that has never been seen in this league,” Mahomes said. “But Mecole is pretty close. ... He was prepared for this moment.”

After Mahomes scored a 2-point conversion following Bolton’s touchdown to give the Chiefs a seven-point lead, the Broncos quickly drove downfield again but settled for Brandon McManus’ chip shot field goal rather than going for it on fourth-and-9 from the 13.

The crowd booed the decision, but Fangio explained that even though the field goal left them needing a touchdown, at least it kept their hopes alive.

All they had to do was stop Mahomes, something they’d managed to do twice in Kansas City’s six drives excluding the final possession of the first half when the Chiefs got the ball at their 15 with 23 seconds remaining.

The Chiefs, however, chewed up the final 4:37 and lined up in victory formation after the 2-minute warning as the crowd of 61,441 — there were nearly 15,000 empty seats — streamed for the exits, a fifth straight losing season in the books and the Broncos’ playoff drought now stretched to six years.

Lock completed just 4 of 10 passes for 27 yards in the first half but the Broncos took a 14-10 halftime lead thanks to Lock’s touchdown scrambles of 5 and 23 yards, which made him the first Broncos quarterback with two touchdown runs in a game since Tim Tebow in 2011.

“Definitely not designed runs,” said Lock, who lost all three of his starts after Teddy Bridgewater sustained a concussion against Cincinnati on Dec. 19.

The Chiefs were 11-point favorites according to FanDuel SportsBook marking just the third time in the last 42 years that the Broncos were double-digit home underdogs.

Fangio got emotional in his postgame news conference but said he hadn’t heard if he’d be back for the fourth year on his contract.

“You saw it out there tonight, a bunch of fighters and competitors” Fangio said after the Broncos’ fourth straight loss dropped his record to 19-30. “And I think you saw it all year. And that’s what these guys are. I’m proud to be associated with them. I’m not proud of our record. I know it’s not good enough. I get it. But I’m proud to be associated with our players.”

Chiefs RB Darrel Williams (toe) left early in the fourth quarter. Broncos RT Bobby Massie was added to the injury report Saturday with a concussion and was ruled out.

After this close call, the Chiefs get to cheer on the Texans.

The Broncos head into an offseason sure to include big changes.

DENVER (AP) — Nearly stumbling heading into the playoffs, Nick Bolton and the Kansas City Chiefs gathered themselves just in time to thunder into the postseason with an AFC-best 12 wins.They’ll learn Sunday if that’s enough to get them a first-round bye.“We’re ready to go wherever and against whomever,” Patrick Mahomes said after the Chiefs rallied for a 28-24 win Saturday over the Denver Broncos, a victory powered by Bolton’s 86-yard fumble return midway through the fourth quarter.To secure the pole position in the AFC playoffs, the Chiefs (12-5) need Houston to upset the Tennessee on Sunday. If not, Kansas City hosts a wild-card game next weekend in its quest to reach a third consecutive Super Bowl.The Broncos were ahead 21-20 and driving for another score when Melvin Ingram III blitzed, speeding past tight end Noah Fant untouched and blowing up the play just as Drew Lock handed the ball to Melvin Gordon on second-and-2 from the 9.Bolton, a rookie linebacker who checks in at 237 pounds, scooped up the loose ball and rumbled down the Chiefs’ euphoric sideline, nearly falling down at midfield before regaining his balance and outracing Lock, whom he played with at Missouri, to the end zone.“I was hoping that he wouldn’t stumble,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after his 250th NFL coaching victory, including playoffs. “Those guys don’t get much of a chance to run that far that fast very often and he ran like a stallion. He took off and looked like a running back there.”Like many of the other victories in the Chiefs’ 13-game winning streak against Denver, this one was no cakewalk. The Broncos (7-10) led for much of the afternoon despite having nothing to play for but pride.“My main emotion is really proud of our payers,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said. “That’s a team that may win it all. They’ve obviously won a lot of games the last four or five yeas since Mahomes has taken over. We had a chance to win that game. But not winning it is the bottom line and we didn’t get it done.”The Broncos’ last win over Kansas City came on Sept. 17, 2015.Wide receiver Tyreek Hill could surely use the week off that goes to the top seed in each conference. He injured a heel in pregame warmups and was held to one catch for 2 yards. With Hill hurting, Mecole Hardman stepped up with eight catches for 103 yards.“No one is Tyreek. He’s a special player that has never been seen in this league,” Mahomes said. “But Mecole is pretty close. ... He was prepared for this moment.”After Mahomes scored a 2-point conversion following Bolton’s touchdown to give the Chiefs a seven-point lead, the Broncos quickly drove downfield again but settled for Brandon McManus’ chip shot field goal rather than going for it on fourth-and-9 from the 13.The crowd booed the decision, but Fangio explained that even though the field goal left them needing a touchdown, at least it kept their hopes alive.All they had to do was stop Mahomes, something they’d managed to do twice in Kansas City’s six drives excluding the final possession of the first half when the Chiefs got the ball at their 15 with 23 seconds remaining.The Chiefs, however, chewed up the final 4:37 and lined up in victory formation after the 2-minute warning as the crowd of 61,441 — there were nearly 15,000 empty seats — streamed for the exits, a fifth straight losing season in the books and the Broncos’ playoff drought now stretched to six years.CHANNELING TEBOWLock completed just 4 of 10 passes for 27 yards in the first half but the Broncos took a 14-10 halftime lead thanks to Lock’s touchdown scrambles of 5 and 23 yards, which made him the first Broncos quarterback with two touchdown runs in a game since Tim Tebow in 2011.“Definitely not designed runs,” said Lock, who lost all three of his starts after Teddy Bridgewater sustained a concussion against Cincinnati on Dec. 19.HOME UNDERDOGSThe Chiefs were 11-point favorites according to FanDuel SportsBook marking just the third time in the last 42 years that the Broncos were double-digit home underdogs.FANGIO’S FUTUREFangio got emotional in his postgame news conference but said he hadn’t heard if he’d be back for the fourth year on his contract.“You saw it out there tonight, a bunch of fighters and competitors” Fangio said after the Broncos’ fourth straight loss dropped his record to 19-30. “And I think you saw it all year. And that’s what these guys are. I’m proud to be associated with them. I’m not proud of our record. I know it’s not good enough. I get it. But I’m proud to be associated with our players.”INJURIESChiefs RB Darrel Williams (toe) left early in the fourth quarter. Broncos RT Bobby Massie was added to the injury report Saturday with a concussion and was ruled out.UP NEXTAfter this close call, the Chiefs get to cheer on the Texans.The Broncos head into an offseason sure to include big changes.

Bolton’s fumble return sparks Chiefs’ 28-24 win over Broncos

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — The defensive effort never wavers for No. 25 Texas Tech, meaning the Red Raiders can frustrate and beat teams even when they’re missing their top two scorers.

Bryson Williams scored 22 points, Clarence Nadolny had a career-high 17 and the short-handed Red Raiders upended sixth-ranked Kansas 75-67 on Saturday.

“It’s always good to beat a top 10 team, especially on your home floor,” Williams said. “It’s very good for our team.”

Texas Tech (11-3, 1-1 Big 12) never trailed in the second half. Ochai Agbaji’s 3-pointer with 1:12 left cut the Kansas deficit to four points, but Williams made two free thows and the Jayhawks didn’t score again.

“I thought we were poor right from the jump. I don’t think we played as competitive as they did for 40 minutes, even though we had some good possessions,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “We obviously didn’t have them prepared to go against a team that really, really tried hard.”

Agbaji finished with 24 points that included six 3-pointers for Kansas (12-2, 1-1), which had its eight-game winning streak snapped. Jalen Wilson added 20 points.

Three days after playing with only seven players in a 51-47 loss at No. 11 Iowa State, the Red Raiders got one more player back. But they still were without top scorers Terrence Shannon (14.3 ppg) and Kevin McCullar (13.5 ppg). Shannon missed his fifth game in a row because of lingering back spasms and McCullar got hurt in practice earlier this week.

Wilson scored the first seven points of the game for the Jayhawks and their last six before halftime, though the latter came over a span of more than seven minutes.

“We just really weren’t turned up,” Agbaji said. “Just not really being the aggressor. They were more the aggressor with their offense and kind of dictated what we were doing defensively. We were kind of just playing a step behind.”

A layup by Wilson with 7:16 left in the first half gave Kansas its last lead at 21-19, and his jumper with 5:57 left tied the game at 23 before the Jayhawks missed their last seven shots before halftime.

“We just know that we’ve got to take care of business on the defensive side of the floor,” Williams aid. “Because that’s what wins games.”

Kansas: Agbaji managed to play 35 minutes even though he picked up his fourth foul with 13:05 left. Christian Braun had 10 points, with eight of those points coming in a span of 1:12 late, including a steal and breakaway dunk.

Texas Tech: Another strong defensive effort for the Red Raiders, who held Kansas to their season-low for points and one of their lowest-shooting percentages at 44.7% (21 of 47). “We started to play small ball, but we didn’t have many guards to play,” Red Raiders coach Mark Adams said. “Our bigs had to make up the difference and guard their guards and their smaller players.” ... After Agbaji made a 3 with 14:44 left, the Red Raiders had a 9-0 run for their biggest lead when Marcus Santos-Silva converted a three-point play to make it 51-37.

Texas Tech outscored Kansas 44-18 in the paint, which Wilson said was “horrible.”

“We should be focusing on defense with our length and our speed and stuff, but that should never happen. ... With our conference and guys we’re going to play again, it’s not going to be acceptable, especially with the goals that we have,” he added.

The Jayhawks were also outrebounded 33-24.

Texas Tech was the first ranked opponent for the Kansas this year. It was the fifth consecutive road loss for the Jayhawks when playing a Top 25 team, the longest such streak in Self’s 19 seasons.

Kansas will likely stay in the top 10, and Texas Tech may move up in the poll with the win over the Jayhawks coming after a strong effort against the Cyclones.

Kansas: Home against No. 11 Iowa State on Tuesday night.

Texas Tech: Plays its third consecutive game against a top-11 team, at No. 1 Baylor on Tuesday night.

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — The defensive effort never wavers for No. 25 Texas Tech, meaning the Red Raiders can frustrate and beat teams even when they’re missing their top two scorers.Bryson Williams scored 22 points, Clarence Nadolny had a career-high 17 and the short-handed Red Raiders upended sixth-ranked Kansas 75-67 on Saturday.“It’s always good to beat a top 10 team, especially on your home floor,” Williams said. “It’s very good for our team.”Texas Tech (11-3, 1-1 Big 12) never trailed in the second half. Ochai Agbaji’s 3-pointer with 1:12 left cut the Kansas deficit to four points, but Williams made two free thows and the Jayhawks didn’t score again.“I thought we were poor right from the jump. I don’t think we played as competitive as they did for 40 minutes, even though we had some good possessions,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “We obviously didn’t have them prepared to go against a team that really, really tried hard.”Agbaji finished with 24 points that included six 3-pointers for Kansas (12-2, 1-1), which had its eight-game winning streak snapped. Jalen Wilson added 20 points.Three days after playing with only seven players in a 51-47 loss at No. 11 Iowa State, the Red Raiders got one more player back. But they still were without top scorers Terrence Shannon (14.3 ppg) and Kevin McCullar (13.5 ppg). Shannon missed his fifth game in a row because of lingering back spasms and McCullar got hurt in practice earlier this week.Wilson scored the first seven points of the game for the Jayhawks and their last six before halftime, though the latter came over a span of more than seven minutes.“We just really weren’t turned up,” Agbaji said. “Just not really being the aggressor. They were more the aggressor with their offense and kind of dictated what we were doing defensively. We were kind of just playing a step behind.”A layup by Wilson with 7:16 left in the first half gave Kansas its last lead at 21-19, and his jumper with 5:57 left tied the game at 23 before the Jayhawks missed their last seven shots before halftime.“We just know that we’ve got to take care of business on the defensive side of the floor,” Williams aid. “Because that’s what wins games.”BIG PICTUREKansas: Agbaji managed to play 35 minutes even though he picked up his fourth foul with 13:05 left. Christian Braun had 10 points, with eight of those points coming in a span of 1:12 late, including a steal and breakaway dunk.Texas Tech: Another strong defensive effort for the Red Raiders, who held Kansas to their season-low for points and one of their lowest-shooting percentages at 44.7% (21 of 47). “We started to play small ball, but we didn’t have many guards to play,” Red Raiders coach Mark Adams said. “Our bigs had to make up the difference and guard their guards and their smaller players.” ... After Agbaji made a 3 with 14:44 left, the Red Raiders had a 9-0 run for their biggest lead when Marcus Santos-Silva converted a three-point play to make it 51-37.PAINT POWERTexas Tech outscored Kansas 44-18 in the paint, which Wilson said was “horrible.”“We should be focusing on defense with our length and our speed and stuff, but that should never happen. ... With our conference and guys we’re going to play again, it’s not going to be acceptable, especially with the goals that we have,” he added.The Jayhawks were also outrebounded 33-24.NUMBER GAMESTexas Tech was the first ranked opponent for the Kansas this year. It was the fifth consecutive road loss for the Jayhawks when playing a Top 25 team, the longest such streak in Self’s 19 seasons.POLL IMPLICATIONSKansas will likely stay in the top 10, and Texas Tech may move up in the poll with the win over the Jayhawks coming after a strong effort against the Cyclones.UP NEXTKansas: Home against No. 11 Iowa State on Tuesday night.Texas Tech: Plays its third consecutive game against a top-11 team, at No. 1 Baylor on Tuesday night.

Short-handed No. 25 Texas Tech takes down No. 6 Kansas 75-67

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Sean McNeil scored 19 of his 26 points in the second half and West Virginia rallied to defeat Kansas State 71-68 in Big 12 Conference play on Saturday.

The Mountaineers, who were playing their second game since Dec. 22 because a Jan. 3 game at TCU was postponed due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols within the Horned Frogs’ program, trailed 18-4 early and 40-27 at halftime.

West Virginia pulled even at 50 on a McNeil layup with 9:09 remaining and took it first lead on McNeil’s 3-pointer 34 seconds later.

Nijel Pack answered with a 3 for the Wildcats, but Taz Sherman hit back-to-back 3-pointers and McNeil added a bucket in an 8-0 run to put the Mountaineers up 61-53 with 5:49 left.

Pack hit two 3s and a basket in a 10-4 spurt to get the Wildcats within 65-63 with 2:20 remaining. Ismael Massoud’s 3-pointer with 5 seconds to go pulled the Wildcats within 69-68, but Jalen Bridges hit two free throws and Markquis Nowell missed a game-tying 3 at the buzzer.

McNeil, who matched his career high, made 9 of 15 shots from the floor for West Virginia (12-2, 1-1), including 7 of 10 after intermission with three 3-pointers. Sherman, who came into the game leading the Big 12 with a 20.9 scoring average, added 14 points. Kedrian Johnson scored 11 with six rebounds. Gabe Osabuohien grabbed 12 rebounds.

Pack scored 20 to pace Kansas State (8-6, 0-3). Mark Smith pitched in with 14 points and eight rebounds, while Nowell added 10 points and 10 assists. The Wildcats were without head coach Bruce Weber and two assistants along with players Kaosi Ezeagu and Logan Landers for a second straight game because of COVID-19. Nowell and Davion Bradford returned to action — missing a 70-57 loss to Texas last time out.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Sean McNeil scored 19 of his 26 points in the second half and West Virginia rallied to defeat Kansas State 71-68 in Big 12 Conference play on Saturday.The Mountaineers, who were playing their second game since Dec. 22 because a Jan. 3 game at TCU was postponed due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols within the Horned Frogs’ program, trailed 18-4 early and 40-27 at halftime.West Virginia pulled even at 50 on a McNeil layup with 9:09 remaining and took it first lead on McNeil’s 3-pointer 34 seconds later.Nijel Pack answered with a 3 for the Wildcats, but Taz Sherman hit back-to-back 3-pointers and McNeil added a bucket in an 8-0 run to put the Mountaineers up 61-53 with 5:49 left.Pack hit two 3s and a basket in a 10-4 spurt to get the Wildcats within 65-63 with 2:20 remaining. Ismael Massoud’s 3-pointer with 5 seconds to go pulled the Wildcats within 69-68, but Jalen Bridges hit two free throws and Markquis Nowell missed a game-tying 3 at the buzzer.McNeil, who matched his career high, made 9 of 15 shots from the floor for West Virginia (12-2, 1-1), including 7 of 10 after intermission with three 3-pointers. Sherman, who came into the game leading the Big 12 with a 20.9 scoring average, added 14 points. Kedrian Johnson scored 11 with six rebounds. Gabe Osabuohien grabbed 12 rebounds.Pack scored 20 to pace Kansas State (8-6, 0-3). Mark Smith pitched in with 14 points and eight rebounds, while Nowell added 10 points and 10 assists. The Wildcats were without head coach Bruce Weber and two assistants along with players Kaosi Ezeagu and Logan Landers for a second straight game because of COVID-19. Nowell and Davion Bradford returned to action — missing a 70-57 loss to Texas last time out.

McNeil rallies West Virginia to 71-68 victory over K-State

DENVER (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos 28-24 on Saturday thanks to an 86-yard fumble return by rookie linebacker Nick Bolton in the fourth quarter that put them ahead for good. The Broncos were leading 21-20 and were driving for another score when Melvin Gordon took the handoff from Drew Lock on second-and-2 from the Kansas City 9 but was immediately hit by linebacker Melvin Ingram III and lost the ball. Bolton grabbed it and was gone. The Chiefs improved to 12-5 and have a shot at the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Dak Prescott threw for five touchdowns, completing 21 of 27 passes for 295 yards as the Dallas Cowboys ripped Philadelphia, 51-26. Dallas also ran for 175 yards, with Ezekiel Elliott providing 87 on 18 carries. Cedrick Wilson and Dalton Schultz each had two scoring receptions for the Cowboys, who can still grab the second seed in the NFC playoffs with some help on Sunday.

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Bryson Williams scored 22 points, Clarence Nadolny had a career-high 17 and short-handed No. 25 Texas Tech upended sixth-ranked Kansas 75-67. on Saturday The 11-3 Red Raiders never trailed in the second half. Ochai Agbaji had 24 points with six 3-pointers and Jalen Wilson 20 points for 12-2 Kansas. The Jayhawks had their eight-game winning streak snapped. Three days after playing with only seven players in a 51-47 loss at 11th-ranked Iowa State, the Red Raiders got one more player back. But they still were without top two scorers Terrence Shannon and Kevin McCullar, who are both injured. 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Sean McNeil scored 19 of his 26 points in the second half and West Virginia rallied to defeat Kansas State 71-68 in Big 12 Conference play. The Mountaineers trailed 18-4 early and 40-27 at halftime. West Virginia pulled even at 50 on a McNeil layup with 9:09 remaining and took it first lead on McNeil’s 3-pointer 34 seconds later. Nijel Pack answered with a 3 for the Wildcats, but Taz Sherman hit back-to-back 3-pointers and McNeil added a bucket in an 8-0 run to put the Mountaineers up 61-53 with 5:49 left. Ismael Massoud’s 3-pointer with 5 seconds to go pulled the Wildcats within 69-68, but Jalen Bridges hit two free throws and Markquis Nowell missed a game-tying 3 at the buzzer.

HOUSTON (AP) — Josh Carlton had 22 points and 12 rebounds as No. 12 Houston beat Wichita State 76-66. Carlton, who scored a career-high 30 points on Wednesday in a victory at South Florida, helped Houston win its sixth in a row. The Cougars improved to 14-2 with their 34th straight home win. Taze Moore scored 17 points and Fabian White Jr. added 15 for Houston. Tyson Etienne scored 11 points and Dexter Dennis had 10 for the Shockers, who are 9-5.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Adam Flagler rallied No. 1 Baylor with 18 of his 22 points in the second half, and the Bears extended their national-best winning streak to 21 games with a 76-64 victory over TCU. James Akinjo had 20 points and eight assists for the Bears, who trailed by nine points early in the second half. Flagler had all of his career-high six 3s after halftime. Mike Miles Jr. scored 26 points for the Horned Frogs, who were playing for the first time in 18 days because of COVID-19 issues in the program. 

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Umoja Gibson scored 20 points, and Oklahoma rallied in the second half to defeat No. 11 Iowa State 79-66 on Saturday night. Tanner Groves scored 16 points and Elijah Harkless added 13 for the Sooners. Oklahoma is 12-3 and took control with a 14-0 run late in the second half that covered five minutes. Oklahoma was coming off a loss to No. 1 Baylor. The Sooners bounced back with a dynamic offensive performance. The Sooners shot 62% from the field overall and 82% in the second half. Izaiah Brockington and Tyrese Hunter each scored 20 points for Iowa State, which is 13-2.

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Kameron McGusty hit a hanging layup in traffic with 22.8 seconds left and Miami survived a final-play shot to beat second-ranked Duke, 76-74. Charlie Moore had 18 points and a career-high seven steals in the Hurricanes’ ninth win in a row. McGusty finished with 14 points for Miami, which shot 58% in the second half.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Morgan Kane scored a career-high 17 points, Ashley Joens had her 40th career double-double and No. 12 Iowa State rolled to a 78-47 win over Texas Christian. Joens had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Cyclones (14-1, 3-0 Big 12 Conference), who are off to their best start in conference play since 2013-14 and are 9-0 at home this season. Emily Ryan added 16 points and Lexi Donarski 11. Kane was 6 of 7 from the field and 5 of 6 from the line with six rebounds and three assists. Tavy Diggs scored 17 points off the bench for the Horned Frogs.

(7)Southern Cal	at	Stanford	10 p.m.	(Postponed)

(8)Arizona	at	Arizona St.	4 p.m.	(Postponed)

(10)Michigan St.	at	Michigan	2:30 p.m.	(Postponed)

Final	San Diego St.	79	(20)Colorado St.	49	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636541008486.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos 28-24 on Saturday thanks to an 86-yard fumble return by rookie linebacker Nick Bolton in the fourth quarter that put them ahead for good. The Broncos were leading 21-20 and were driving for another score when Melvin Gordon took the handoff from Drew Lock on second-and-2 from the Kansas City 9 but was immediately hit by linebacker Melvin Ingram III and lost the ball. Bolton grabbed it and was gone. The Chiefs improved to 12-5 and have a shot at the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Dak Prescott threw for five touchdowns, completing 21 of 27 passes for 295 yards as the Dallas Cowboys ripped Philadelphia, 51-26. Dallas also ran for 175 yards, with Ezekiel Elliott providing 87 on 18 carries. Cedrick Wilson and Dalton Schultz each had two scoring receptions for the Cowboys, who can still grab the second seed in the NFC playoffs with some help on Sunday.LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Bryson Williams scored 22 points, Clarence Nadolny had a career-high 17 and short-handed No. 25 Texas Tech upended sixth-ranked Kansas 75-67. on Saturday The 11-3 Red Raiders never trailed in the second half. Ochai Agbaji had 24 points with six 3-pointers and Jalen Wilson 20 points for 12-2 Kansas. The Jayhawks had their eight-game winning streak snapped. Three days after playing with only seven players in a 51-47 loss at 11th-ranked Iowa State, the Red Raiders got one more player back. But they still were without top two scorers Terrence Shannon and Kevin McCullar, who are both injured. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Sean McNeil scored 19 of his 26 points in the second half and West Virginia rallied to defeat Kansas State 71-68 in Big 12 Conference play. The Mountaineers trailed 18-4 early and 40-27 at halftime. West Virginia pulled even at 50 on a McNeil layup with 9:09 remaining and took it first lead on McNeil’s 3-pointer 34 seconds later. Nijel Pack answered with a 3 for the Wildcats, but Taz Sherman hit back-to-back 3-pointers and McNeil added a bucket in an 8-0 run to put the Mountaineers up 61-53 with 5:49 left. Ismael Massoud’s 3-pointer with 5 seconds to go pulled the Wildcats within 69-68, but Jalen Bridges hit two free throws and Markquis Nowell missed a game-tying 3 at the buzzer.HOUSTON (AP) — Josh Carlton had 22 points and 12 rebounds as No. 12 Houston beat Wichita State 76-66. Carlton, who scored a career-high 30 points on Wednesday in a victory at South Florida, helped Houston win its sixth in a row. The Cougars improved to 14-2 with their 34th straight home win. Taze Moore scored 17 points and Fabian White Jr. added 15 for Houston. Tyson Etienne scored 11 points and Dexter Dennis had 10 for the Shockers, who are 9-5.FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Adam Flagler rallied No. 1 Baylor with 18 of his 22 points in the second half, and the Bears extended their national-best winning streak to 21 games with a 76-64 victory over TCU. James Akinjo had 20 points and eight assists for the Bears, who trailed by nine points early in the second half. Flagler had all of his career-high six 3s after halftime. Mike Miles Jr. scored 26 points for the Horned Frogs, who were playing for the first time in 18 days because of COVID-19 issues in the program. NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Umoja Gibson scored 20 points, and Oklahoma rallied in the second half to defeat No. 11 Iowa State 79-66 on Saturday night. Tanner Groves scored 16 points and Elijah Harkless added 13 for the Sooners. Oklahoma is 12-3 and took control with a 14-0 run late in the second half that covered five minutes. Oklahoma was coming off a loss to No. 1 Baylor. The Sooners bounced back with a dynamic offensive performance. The Sooners shot 62% from the field overall and 82% in the second half. Izaiah Brockington and Tyrese Hunter each scored 20 points for Iowa State, which is 13-2.DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Kameron McGusty hit a hanging layup in traffic with 22.8 seconds left and Miami survived a final-play shot to beat second-ranked Duke, 76-74. Charlie Moore had 18 points and a career-high seven steals in the Hurricanes’ ninth win in a row. McGusty finished with 14 points for Miami, which shot 58% in the second half.AMES, Iowa (AP) — Morgan Kane scored a career-high 17 points, Ashley Joens had her 40th career double-double and No. 12 Iowa State rolled to a 78-47 win over Texas Christian. Joens had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Cyclones (14-1, 3-0 Big 12 Conference), who are off to their best start in conference play since 2013-14 and are 9-0 at home this season. Emily Ryan added 16 points and Lexi Donarski 11. Kane was 6 of 7 from the field and 5 of 6 from the line with six rebounds and three assists. Tavy Diggs scored 17 points off the bench for the Horned Frogs.SATURDAY SCORESNATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUEFinal	Kansas City	28	Denver	24	Final	Dallas	51	Philadelphia	26	TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL(7)Southern Cal	at	Stanford	10 p.m.	(Postponed)(8)Arizona	at	Arizona St.	4 p.m.	(Postponed)(10)Michigan St.	at	Michigan	2:30 p.m.	(Postponed)Final	(1)Baylor	76	TCU	64	Final	Miami	76	(2)Duke	74	Final	(3)Purdue	74	Penn St.	67	Final	(4)Gonzaga	117	Pepperdine	83	Final	(5)UCLA	60	California	52	Final	(25)Texas Tech	75	(6)Kansas	67	Final	(9)Auburn	85	Florida	73	Final	Oklahoma	79	(11)Iowa St.	66	Final	(12)Houston	76	Wichita St.	66	Final	Oklahoma St.	64	(14)Texas	51	Final	Missouri	92	(15)Alabama	86	Final	(16)Providence	83	St. John's	73	Final	(16)Kentucky	92	Georgia	77	Final	(21)LSU	79	(18)Tennessee	67	Final	(19)Villanova	79	DePaul	64	Final	San Diego St.	79	(20)Colorado St.	49	Final	(24)Seton Hall	90	UConn	87

Sunday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Alabama’s Bryce Young and Georgia’s Stetson Bennett both transferred in 2018. One got a lot more attention than the other.

Already a celebrated quarterback prospect heading into his junior year of high school, Young made headlines in Southern California when he decided to attend powerhouse Mater Dei. There he would replace five-star recruit J.T. Daniels, who had decided to skip his senior year and enroll early at USC.

As for Bennett, after spending 2017 running the scout team at Georgia, he switched to Jones County Junior College near Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He threw 16 touchdown passes and led the Bobcats to a 10-2 record.

While Young seemed destined to become a Heisman Trophy winner since middle school, Bennett appeared better suited for the Sun Belt than the Southeastern Conference —- even when he returned to Georgia as a scholarship player in 2019.

On Monday night, the former five-star and the former walk-on arrive at the same destination when No. 1 Alabama faces No. 3 Georgia in the College Football Playoff championship game.

At a time when national championship contenders are more likely than ever to have elite NFL prospects at quarterback —- from Deshaun Watson to Joe Burrow to Mac Jones — Bennett’s run as QB1 for Georgia has been one of the most surprising stories of the season.

Coming out of Pierce County High School in Blackshear, Georgia, a small town in the southeast corner of the state, Bennett’s scholarship offers ranged from Mercer to Middle Tennessee State.

Instead, he walked on at Georgia, where his most notable moment as a freshman was playing the role of Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield during the Bulldogs’ Rose Bowl preparation.

“I don’t draw too much on that experience,” Bennett said. “I had no expectation of playing.”

With the arrival of another five-star quarterback at Georgia, Justin Fields, in 2018, Bennett transferred to junior college.

Riding the bus to games in Mississippi is a long way from playing for the No. 1 team in the country, but plenty of high-caliber players pass through those JUCOs.

Jones coach Steve Buckley said the team Bennett played on had eight defensive players eventually sign with Power Five schools.

Buckley said Bennett was still recovering from a shoulder injury when he arrived at Jones and didn’t start throwing in practice until the Tuesday before the first game.

Knocking off the rust, Bennett completed 55% of his passes and threw 14 interceptions that season. Still, he flashed enough potential to draw FBS scholarship offers and he was headed for Louisiana-Lafayette until Georgia came in late.

The Bulldogs needed a backup for Jake Fromm after Fields transferred out and familiarity with Bennett made him a safe bet.

“I said do not think about that,” Buckley said of the Georgia offer. “Absolutely not.”

It wasn’t that Buckley didn’t think Bennett could play at Georgia. The coach was skeptical about whether Bennett would be given a legitimate opportunity over more highly rated players.

“So what do you want for next year?” Buckley recalled asking Bennett. “Do you want to go play or do you want to go be on a team?”

Fromm moved on after the 2019 season, but it looked as if Buckley’s concerns for Bennett would become a reality. Georgia brought in two transfers in 2020: Jamie Newman from Wake Forest and Daniels from USC.

But Newman opted out of the pandemic-altered season and Daniels’ injuries have created opportunities for Bennett, who has seized them despite the skeptics.

“That’s the nature of the beast. You’re either the hero or a zero,” Bennett said.

There has never been any doubt about Young’s ability.

Young started taking lessons from a professional quarterback trainer when he was 5 years old, lining up with players who were three or four years older than him.

“I had to beg (the trainer) and say ‘Look, he’s super mature,’” said Craig Young, Bryce’s father.

Bryce Young played for one of the most prestigious Pop Warner teams in California, the IE Ducks, and received his first scholarship offer when he was in eighth grade from then-Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury.

“It was a huge blessing,” Young said Saturday “It kind of became a reality that I’ll be able to play football at the next level.”

Young became one of the most sought-after recruits in the country at Mater Dei, a school that produced former USC quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Matt Barkley. When Young decommitted from USC and flipped to Alabama, it was national news.

When he arrived in Tuscaloosa, it was fair to wonder —- as many did — if Young might beat out Mac Jones and start as a freshman.

Young ended up sitting behind Jones, who led the Crimson Tide to the national championship last year and became a first-round draft pick and rookie starter for the New England Patriots.

Young slipped easily into the starting job this season, becoming the first Alabama quarterback to win the Heisman and leading the Tide back to the title game.

While their experiences have been vastly different, Bennett and Young share at least two obvious traits. Both are undersized, listed at 5-foot-11 and under 200 pounds. More importantly, they are both confident that they are exactly where they are meant to be.

Even if one of them took a most unusual road to get there.

“It’s not an ignorant confidence, like I believe I can do anything,” Bennett said. “But I believe I can play football really well, and that’s from the work that I’ve spent over these past however many years I’ve been playing football.”

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Alabama’s Bryce Young and Georgia’s Stetson Bennett both transferred in 2018. One got a lot more attention than the other.Already a celebrated quarterback prospect heading into his junior year of high school, Young made headlines in Southern California when he decided to attend powerhouse Mater Dei. There he would replace five-star recruit J.T. Daniels, who had decided to skip his senior year and enroll early at USC.As for Bennett, after spending 2017 running the scout team at Georgia, he switched to Jones County Junior College near Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He threw 16 touchdown passes and led the Bobcats to a 10-2 record.While Young seemed destined to become a Heisman Trophy winner since middle school, Bennett appeared better suited for the Sun Belt than the Southeastern Conference —- even when he returned to Georgia as a scholarship player in 2019.On Monday night, the former five-star and the former walk-on arrive at the same destination when No. 1 Alabama faces No. 3 Georgia in the College Football Playoff championship game.At a time when national championship contenders are more likely than ever to have elite NFL prospects at quarterback —- from Deshaun Watson to Joe Burrow to Mac Jones — Bennett’s run as QB1 for Georgia has been one of the most surprising stories of the season.Coming out of Pierce County High School in Blackshear, Georgia, a small town in the southeast corner of the state, Bennett’s scholarship offers ranged from Mercer to Middle Tennessee State.Instead, he walked on at Georgia, where his most notable moment as a freshman was playing the role of Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield during the Bulldogs’ Rose Bowl preparation.“I don’t draw too much on that experience,” Bennett said. “I had no expectation of playing.”With the arrival of another five-star quarterback at Georgia, Justin Fields, in 2018, Bennett transferred to junior college.Riding the bus to games in Mississippi is a long way from playing for the No. 1 team in the country, but plenty of high-caliber players pass through those JUCOs.Jones coach Steve Buckley said the team Bennett played on had eight defensive players eventually sign with Power Five schools.Buckley said Bennett was still recovering from a shoulder injury when he arrived at Jones and didn’t start throwing in practice until the Tuesday before the first game.Knocking off the rust, Bennett completed 55% of his passes and threw 14 interceptions that season. Still, he flashed enough potential to draw FBS scholarship offers and he was headed for Louisiana-Lafayette until Georgia came in late.The Bulldogs needed a backup for Jake Fromm after Fields transferred out and familiarity with Bennett made him a safe bet.“I said do not think about that,” Buckley said of the Georgia offer. “Absolutely not.”It wasn’t that Buckley didn’t think Bennett could play at Georgia. The coach was skeptical about whether Bennett would be given a legitimate opportunity over more highly rated players.“So what do you want for next year?” Buckley recalled asking Bennett. “Do you want to go play or do you want to go be on a team?”Fromm moved on after the 2019 season, but it looked as if Buckley’s concerns for Bennett would become a reality. Georgia brought in two transfers in 2020: Jamie Newman from Wake Forest and Daniels from USC.But Newman opted out of the pandemic-altered season and Daniels’ injuries have created opportunities for Bennett, who has seized them despite the skeptics.“That’s the nature of the beast. You’re either the hero or a zero,” Bennett said.There has never been any doubt about Young’s ability.Young started taking lessons from a professional quarterback trainer when he was 5 years old, lining up with players who were three or four years older than him.“I had to beg (the trainer) and say ‘Look, he’s super mature,’” said Craig Young, Bryce’s father.Bryce Young played for one of the most prestigious Pop Warner teams in California, the IE Ducks, and received his first scholarship offer when he was in eighth grade from then-Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury.“It was a huge blessing,” Young said Saturday “It kind of became a reality that I’ll be able to play football at the next level.”Young became one of the most sought-after recruits in the country at Mater Dei, a school that produced former USC quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Matt Barkley. When Young decommitted from USC and flipped to Alabama, it was national news.When he arrived in Tuscaloosa, it was fair to wonder —- as many did — if Young might beat out Mac Jones and start as a freshman.Young ended up sitting behind Jones, who led the Crimson Tide to the national championship last year and became a first-round draft pick and rookie starter for the New England Patriots.Young slipped easily into the starting job this season, becoming the first Alabama quarterback to win the Heisman and leading the Tide back to the title game.While their experiences have been vastly different, Bennett and Young share at least two obvious traits. Both are undersized, listed at 5-foot-11 and under 200 pounds. More importantly, they are both confident that they are exactly where they are meant to be.Even if one of them took a most unusual road to get there.“It’s not an ignorant confidence, like I believe I can do anything,” Bennett said. “But I believe I can play football really well, and that’s from the work that I’ve spent over these past however many years I’ve been playing football.”