The Lady Panther swim team will make its home debut this afternoon at Barton Community College. Great Bend scored 402 points for third place last Thursday at Campus. Derby took the meet with 611 points, followed by the host Colts with 469 points. Thirty-six Derby points came in the diving event, and Campus scored 32 points.

Clarise Snapp led the way with a silver medal in the 100-yard breast in 1:21.72, just 0.62 seconds from the win. Ava Gregg finished behind her in 1:28.09 for the bronze, and Madelynne Siefkes placed sixth in 1:34.54.

Ellie Lutt finished third-place in the 500 free in 7:21.59 to miss the silver by 53 seconds. Siefkes placed seventh in 7:56.60.

The 200-yard medley relay placed fifth in 2:17.46 team of Emilee Hall, Ava Gregg, Ally Howard, and Josephine Mazouch placed fifth in 2:17.46 to miss the bronze by five seconds. The squad of Snapp, Meredith Mazouch, Avah Holden, and Katelyn Mermis swam seventh in 2:28.17.

Darcy Feist placed fourth in the 200 free in 2:27.21 to miss the bronze by six seconds. Sydney Kruckenberg finished seventh in 2:32.50. Snapp swam sixth in the 200 IM in 2:54.74 to miss the bronze by 17 seconds. Gregg followed in 2:58.74 for seventh.

Josephine Mazouch finished fourth in the 50 free in 27.73 to miss the bronze by 0.06 seconds and state qualification by just over a second. Feist swam sixth in 29.64. Mazouch also placed fourth in the 100 free in 1:01.27, less than a second behind the bronze. Sydney Gilkison finished 13th in 1:13.91.

Ally Howard placed fifth in the 100 fly in 1:26.86 to miss the bronze by 12 seconds. Mermis finished seventh in 1:40.80. Meredith Mazouch finished seventh in the 100 back in 1:27.67, 13 seconds off the bronze. Olivia Boone swam 11th in 1:39.50.

The 200 free relay of Hall, Feist, Mermis, and Josephine Mazouch placed fifth in 2:03.57 to miss the bronze by less than two seconds. The team of Kruckenberg, Gilkison, Meredith Mazouch, and Braylee Carper finished behind the other Great Bend team in 2:05.42.

The 400 free relay squad of Feist, Snapp, Kruckenberg, and Carper placed fourth in 4:42.49, six seconds from the bronze. The team of Howard, Lutt, Gregg, and Gilkison placed sixth in 5:24.59.

The Lady Panthers hit the water Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Barton Community College.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886602159.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsThe Lady Panther swim team will make its home debut this afternoon at Barton Community College. Great Bend scored 402 points for third place last Thursday at Campus. Derby took the meet with 611 points, followed by the host Colts with 469 points. Thirty-six Derby points came in the diving event, and Campus scored 32 points.Clarise Snapp led the way with a silver medal in the 100-yard breast in 1:21.72, just 0.62 seconds from the win. Ava Gregg finished behind her in 1:28.09 for the bronze, and Madelynne Siefkes placed sixth in 1:34.54.Ellie Lutt finished third-place in the 500 free in 7:21.59 to miss the silver by 53 seconds. Siefkes placed seventh in 7:56.60.The 200-yard medley relay placed fifth in 2:17.46 team of Emilee Hall, Ava Gregg, Ally Howard, and Josephine Mazouch placed fifth in 2:17.46 to miss the bronze by five seconds. The squad of Snapp, Meredith Mazouch, Avah Holden, and Katelyn Mermis swam seventh in 2:28.17.Darcy Feist placed fourth in the 200 free in 2:27.21 to miss the bronze by six seconds. Sydney Kruckenberg finished seventh in 2:32.50. Snapp swam sixth in the 200 IM in 2:54.74 to miss the bronze by 17 seconds. Gregg followed in 2:58.74 for seventh.Josephine Mazouch finished fourth in the 50 free in 27.73 to miss the bronze by 0.06 seconds and state qualification by just over a second. Feist swam sixth in 29.64. Mazouch also placed fourth in the 100 free in 1:01.27, less than a second behind the bronze. Sydney Gilkison finished 13th in 1:13.91.Ally Howard placed fifth in the 100 fly in 1:26.86 to miss the bronze by 12 seconds. Mermis finished seventh in 1:40.80. Meredith Mazouch finished seventh in the 100 back in 1:27.67, 13 seconds off the bronze. Olivia Boone swam 11th in 1:39.50.The 200 free relay of Hall, Feist, Mermis, and Josephine Mazouch placed fifth in 2:03.57 to miss the bronze by less than two seconds. The team of Kruckenberg, Gilkison, Meredith Mazouch, and Braylee Carper finished behind the other Great Bend team in 2:05.42.The 400 free relay squad of Feist, Snapp, Kruckenberg, and Carper placed fourth in 4:42.49, six seconds from the bronze. The team of Howard, Lutt, Gregg, and Gilkison placed sixth in 5:24.59.The Lady Panthers hit the water Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Barton Community College.

Lady Panthers swimmers third at Campus, at home today

DALLAS (AP) — An attorney for Kansas City Chiefs player Rashee Rice said Monday that the wide receiver is cooperating with authorities after a speeding Corvette and Lamborghini sport utility vehicle caused a chain-reaction crash on a busy Dallas highway over the weekend.

A total of six vehicles were involved in the crash shortly before 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the northbound lanes of North Central Expressway, Dallas police said Monday. The people in the Lamborghini and Corvette left the scene without determining if anyone needed medical attention or providing their information, police said. Two of the drivers in the other vehicles were treated at the scene for minor injuries, and two occupants of another vehicle were taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

Dallas television station WFAA, citing unnamed sources, reported that one of the speeding vehicles was registered to Rice. Police said Monday morning that they were working to identify the occupants of the Corvette and Lamborghini but did not release any information about the people they were seeking and would not confirm reports that Rice was among them.

Police spokesperson Kristin Lowman said early Monday evening that she could confirm that police had “spoken with members of legal counsel but have not conducted interviews with potentially involved individuals in Saturday’s crash.”

State Sen. Royce West, an attorney for Rice, said in a statement Monday that his client’s thoughts were with everyone impacted by the accident and that he was cooperating with local authorities.

West said in the statement that Rice “will take all necessary steps to address this situation responsibly.”

Police said the drivers of the Corvette and Lamborghini were speeding in the far left lane when they lost control and the Lamborghini traveled onto the shoulder and hit the center median wall, causing the chain collision.

Rice, a member of the Super Bowl-winning Chiefs team, is from the Dallas area. He played for Southern Methodist University and grew up in the Fort Worth suburb of North Richland Hills.

Chiefs President Mark Donovan said in an interview Monday with KCMO Talk Radio's “Mundo in the Morning” that the team will “react accordingly” once more is known about what happened.

“In all these situations you have to wait until you have all the facts, and frankly, we don’t have all the facts at this point,” Donovan said.

DALLAS (AP) — An attorney for Kansas City Chiefs player Rashee Rice said Monday that the wide receiver is cooperating with authorities after a speeding Corvette and Lamborghini sport utility vehicle caused a chain-reaction crash on a busy Dallas highway over the weekend.A total of six vehicles were involved in the crash shortly before 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the northbound lanes of North Central Expressway, Dallas police said Monday. The people in the Lamborghini and Corvette left the scene without determining if anyone needed medical attention or providing their information, police said. Two of the drivers in the other vehicles were treated at the scene for minor injuries, and two occupants of another vehicle were taken to a hospital with minor injuries.Dallas television station WFAA, citing unnamed sources, reported that one of the speeding vehicles was registered to Rice. Police said Monday morning that they were working to identify the occupants of the Corvette and Lamborghini but did not release any information about the people they were seeking and would not confirm reports that Rice was among them.Police spokesperson Kristin Lowman said early Monday evening that she could confirm that police had “spoken with members of legal counsel but have not conducted interviews with potentially involved individuals in Saturday’s crash.”State Sen. Royce West, an attorney for Rice, said in a statement Monday that his client’s thoughts were with everyone impacted by the accident and that he was cooperating with local authorities.West said in the statement that Rice “will take all necessary steps to address this situation responsibly.”Police said the drivers of the Corvette and Lamborghini were speeding in the far left lane when they lost control and the Lamborghini traveled onto the shoulder and hit the center median wall, causing the chain collision.Rice, a member of the Super Bowl-winning Chiefs team, is from the Dallas area. He played for Southern Methodist University and grew up in the Fort Worth suburb of North Richland Hills.Chiefs President Mark Donovan said in an interview Monday with KCMO Talk Radio's “Mundo in the Morning” that the team will “react accordingly” once more is known about what happened.“In all these situations you have to wait until you have all the facts, and frankly, we don’t have all the facts at this point,” Donovan said.

Chiefs player Rashee Rice is cooperating with police after sports car crash in Dallas

Last week's triangular softball action with Manhattan and McPherson was rescheduled for Monday at the Great Bend Sports Complex. On another chilly day, the Lady Panthers suffered their first loss of the season to Manhattan in game one 4-1. Great Bend survived a comeback bid from McPherson in game two to win 8-6. The Lady Panthers move to 5-1 on the season.

After two scoreless innings, Katherine Mazouch opened the bottom of the third inning against McPherson with a single. She scored on a double from Paige Thexton, who came around to score on a double from Kya Behr for a 2-0 lead.

McPherson homered in the top of the fifth to tie the score 2-2. Thexton answered with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the frame. Behr tacked on a 3-run double in the bottom of the sixth to bump the Panther lead to 8-2.

Chayla Prendergast threw the first 6.2 innings for Great Bend, striking out five with eight walks. The Bullpups strung out seven hits for six earned runs against the freshman. With the potential go-ahead run at the plate in the top of the seventh, sophomore Braelyn Turner entered the game and struck out her first McPherson opponent to secure the win.

The teams combined for 16 walks in the game. Thexton homered, doubled, and walked, driving in three and scoring three times. Behr doubled for her two hits and also walked, driving in four runs. Mazouch, Prendergast, and DeShawnna Bryant all singled in the win, and Mazouch also walked and scored twice.

Great Bend fell into a 2-0 hole in the first inning of game one against Manhattan. Alyssa McCauley scored on an inside-the-park home run in the second inning but proved to be it for the Lady Panther offense as Manhattan plated two insurance runs later in the game.

Bryant and Denver Ringo doubled in the loss, and Halle Post and Behr provided the other two hits, both singles.&nbsp;

Turner threw all seven innings in the circle, striking out eight with four earned runs on nine hits.

Great Bend travels to Liberal on Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886547614.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsLast week's triangular softball action with Manhattan and McPherson was rescheduled for Monday at the Great Bend Sports Complex. On another chilly day, the Lady Panthers suffered their first loss of the season to Manhattan in game one 4-1. Great Bend survived a comeback bid from McPherson in game two to win 8-6. The Lady Panthers move to 5-1 on the season.After two scoreless innings, Katherine Mazouch opened the bottom of the third inning against McPherson with a single. She scored on a double from Paige Thexton, who came around to score on a double from Kya Behr for a 2-0 lead.McPherson homered in the top of the fifth to tie the score 2-2. Thexton answered with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the frame. Behr tacked on a 3-run double in the bottom of the sixth to bump the Panther lead to 8-2.Chayla Prendergast threw the first 6.2 innings for Great Bend, striking out five with eight walks. The Bullpups strung out seven hits for six earned runs against the freshman. With the potential go-ahead run at the plate in the top of the seventh, sophomore Braelyn Turner entered the game and struck out her first McPherson opponent to secure the win.The teams combined for 16 walks in the game. Thexton homered, doubled, and walked, driving in three and scoring three times. Behr doubled for her two hits and also walked, driving in four runs. Mazouch, Prendergast, and DeShawnna Bryant all singled in the win, and Mazouch also walked and scored twice.Great Bend fell into a 2-0 hole in the first inning of game one against Manhattan. Alyssa McCauley scored on an inside-the-park home run in the second inning but proved to be it for the Lady Panther offense as Manhattan plated two insurance runs later in the game.Bryant and Denver Ringo doubled in the loss, and Halle Post and Behr provided the other two hits, both singles.&nbsp;Turner threw all seven innings in the circle, striking out eight with four earned runs on nine hits.Great Bend travels to Liberal on Tuesday.

Lady Panthers suffer first loss, rebound to beat McPherson

BALTIMORE (AP) — Jordan Westburg hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to carry the Baltimore Orioles past the Kansas City Royals 6-4 on Monday night.

Westburg's opposite-field drive to right came on an 0-2 pitch from Nick Anderson (0-1) after the Royals rallied to tie the game in the top of the inning.

“I really wasn't trying to do too much, just trying to move the ball and get to the next man (in the lineup)," Westburg said.

Instead, the second-year infielder put an end to a tight contest.

“That was the coolest moment of my career so far,” Westburg said. “I've never had a walk-off in all my years I've played baseball. To have my first one here in Baltimore is pretty special.”

Ryan Mountcastle homered and drove in three runs for the Orioles.

Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez homered for the Royals, the second straight game in which each went deep.

With the score tied at 3 in the eighth, singles by Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman put runners at the corners with two outs for Mountcastle, who reached on an RBI infield single when first baseman Nick Loftin couldn't handle the throw from the shortstop Witt.

That gave closer Craig Kimbrel (1-0) a chance to seal the victory in his Baltimore debut. But Kyle Isbel singled, and pinch-runner Dairon Blanco stole second and third before scoring on a fly ball by Maikel Garcia.

Westburg delivered in the bottom half. He leaped in joy after rounding first base and was drenched in water after arriving at the plate.

“It just an euphoric feeling, seeing that ball go over the wall,” he said.

Making his Kansas City debut after signing a two-year, $32 million contract in December, Michael Wacha gave up three runs in five innings. The only three hits he allowed came in succession in the fourth, when Baltimore bounced back from a 3-0 deficit to pull even.

“Good one to build off of,” Wacha said. “I felt like I had good command of stuff early, and carried it toward the end of my outing as well.”

Orioles starter Dean Kremer allowed three runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Witt hit a solo shot in the third and Perez added a two-run drive to put the Royals up 3-0.

Rutschman doubled leading off the Baltimore fourth, Anthony Santander followed with an RBI single and Mountcastle went deep.

“Our guys went out and put up a three-spot, and as a pitcher you want to be able to hold that lead,” Wacha said. “It was frustrating giving it right back to them a couple innings later.”

The Orioles fumbled two grounders for errors in the first inning, but a pair of superb fielding plays kept the game tied in the seventh. After Nelson Velázquez hit a one-out double, Mountcastle dived to snare a grounder past first base and beat Isbel to the bag. Henderson then charged to pick up a short-hop grounder to shortstop and threw out speedy Maikel Garcia.

Orioles: LHP John Means (elbow) began his rehabilitation assignment by yielding two homers and seven runs in one-plus innings for Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday. “The numbers didn't show great success but he felt good physically,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Monday. “That's what matters in any rehab, for sure.”

Royals: INF Michael Massey (lower back strain) is “progressing well” and could begin a rehab assignment “in the next few days,” manager Matt Quatraro said.

There's rain in the forecast Tuesday night, when Orioles starter Cole Irvin is scheduled to face the Royals and Alec Marsh, who lost his first eight decisions as a rookie last year before finishing 3-9.

BALTIMORE (AP) — Jordan Westburg hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to carry the Baltimore Orioles past the Kansas City Royals 6-4 on Monday night.Westburg's opposite-field drive to right came on an 0-2 pitch from Nick Anderson (0-1) after the Royals rallied to tie the game in the top of the inning.“I really wasn't trying to do too much, just trying to move the ball and get to the next man (in the lineup)," Westburg said.Instead, the second-year infielder put an end to a tight contest.“That was the coolest moment of my career so far,” Westburg said. “I've never had a walk-off in all my years I've played baseball. To have my first one here in Baltimore is pretty special.”Ryan Mountcastle homered and drove in three runs for the Orioles.Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez homered for the Royals, the second straight game in which each went deep.With the score tied at 3 in the eighth, singles by Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman put runners at the corners with two outs for Mountcastle, who reached on an RBI infield single when first baseman Nick Loftin couldn't handle the throw from the shortstop Witt.That gave closer Craig Kimbrel (1-0) a chance to seal the victory in his Baltimore debut. But Kyle Isbel singled, and pinch-runner Dairon Blanco stole second and third before scoring on a fly ball by Maikel Garcia.Westburg delivered in the bottom half. He leaped in joy after rounding first base and was drenched in water after arriving at the plate.“It just an euphoric feeling, seeing that ball go over the wall,” he said.Making his Kansas City debut after signing a two-year, $32 million contract in December, Michael Wacha gave up three runs in five innings. The only three hits he allowed came in succession in the fourth, when Baltimore bounced back from a 3-0 deficit to pull even.“Good one to build off of,” Wacha said. “I felt like I had good command of stuff early, and carried it toward the end of my outing as well.”Orioles starter Dean Kremer allowed three runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings.Witt hit a solo shot in the third and Perez added a two-run drive to put the Royals up 3-0.Rutschman doubled leading off the Baltimore fourth, Anthony Santander followed with an RBI single and Mountcastle went deep.“Our guys went out and put up a three-spot, and as a pitcher you want to be able to hold that lead,” Wacha said. “It was frustrating giving it right back to them a couple innings later.”FIELDING GEMSThe Orioles fumbled two grounders for errors in the first inning, but a pair of superb fielding plays kept the game tied in the seventh. After Nelson Velázquez hit a one-out double, Mountcastle dived to snare a grounder past first base and beat Isbel to the bag. Henderson then charged to pick up a short-hop grounder to shortstop and threw out speedy Maikel Garcia.TRAINER'S ROOMOrioles: LHP John Means (elbow) began his rehabilitation assignment by yielding two homers and seven runs in one-plus innings for Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday. “The numbers didn't show great success but he felt good physically,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Monday. “That's what matters in any rehab, for sure.”Royals: INF Michael Massey (lower back strain) is “progressing well” and could begin a rehab assignment “in the next few days,” manager Matt Quatraro said.UP NEXTThere's rain in the forecast Tuesday night, when Orioles starter Cole Irvin is scheduled to face the Royals and Alec Marsh, who lost his first eight decisions as a rookie last year before finishing 3-9.

Westburg delivers tiebreaking homer in 9th to lift Orioles past Royals 6-4

DALLAS (AP) — An
attorney for Kansas City Chiefs player Rashee Rice says the wide
receiver is cooperating with authorities after a speeding Corvette
and Lamborghini sport utility vehicle caused a chain-reaction crash
on a busy Dallas highway over the weekend. Police say the occupants
of both of the speeding sports cars left the scene after the crash
shortly before 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Police said Monday they were
working to identify the occupants of the Corvette and Lamborghini.
Sources told television station WFAA that one of the speeding
vehicles was registered to Rice. An attorney for Rice says his client
is cooperating with local authorities.

BALTIMORE (AP) —
Jordan Westburg hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the bottom of the
ninth inning to carry the Baltimore Orioles past the Kansas City
Royals 6-4. Westburg’s opposite-field drive to right came on an 0-2
pitch from Nick Anderson after the Royals rallied to tie the game in
the top of the inning. Ryan Mountcastle homered and drove in three
runs for the Orioles. Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez homered for
the Royals, the second straight game in which each went deep. Making
his Kansas City debut after signing a two-year, $32 million contract
in December, Michael Wacha gave up three runs in five innings.

SAN DIEGO (AP) —
Willson Contreras and Brendan Donovan each hit a two-run home run,
Kyle Gibson was dominant in his St. Louis debut and the Cardinals won
6-2 against their former manager Mike Schildt and the San Diego
Padres. Shildt managed the Cardinals from August 2018 until 2021,
when he was fired suddenly despite leading them to three straight
playoff berths and winning the 2019 NL Manager of the Year Award. He
worked in the Padres’ organization the last two seasons before
being promoted to manager in October after Bob Melvin left for his
hometown San Francisco Giants with one year remaining on his contract
in San Diego.

CHICAGO (AP) —
Shota Imanaga pitched six sparkling innings in his major league
debut, and the Cubs used another defensive mistake by Nolan Jones to
beat the Colorado Rockies 5-0 on Monday. Working in short sleeves on
a cold, gray afternoon, Imanaga struck out nine in Chicago’s home
opener. The Japanese left-hander, who signed a $53 million, four-year
contract with the Cubs in January, allowed two singles and walked
none — throwing 65 of his 92 pitches for strikes. Dakota Hudson
also was impressive in his first start for Colorado, but a pair of
errors on Jones on one play in the sixth sent the right-hander to the
loss.

HOUSTON (AP) —
Ronel Blanco of the Houston Astros threw the first no-hitter in the
major leagues this season, blanking the Toronto Blue Jays 10-0. The
right-hander struck out seven and walked two. He walked George
Springer to start the game and again with two outs in the ninth. When
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded out to end it, Blanco smiled broadly
before raising his arms above his head just before being mobbed by
teammates. It was the 17th no-hitter in Astros history and the first
in the majors since Philadelphia’s Michael Lorenzen threw one
against the Washington Nationals on Aug. 9 of last year.

WASHINGTON (AP) —
Let other folks downplay the way the Pittsburgh Pirates have begun
2024. Manager Derek Shelton is thrilled that his club is 5-0 for the
first time in 41 years. Pittsburgh also has scored at least a
half-dozen runs each time out this deep into a season for the first
time in at least 124 years. The Pirates opened a three-game series at
the Washington Nationals with an 8-4 victory Monday night. That
followed a four-game sweep at the Miami Marlins to open the season.
Pittsburgh is coming off a 76-86 record a year ago and a fourth-place
finish in the NL Central.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) —
Caitlin Clark made nine 3-pointers and finished with 41 points and 12
assists in a sensational performance as Iowa knocked defending
national champion LSU out of the women’s NCAA Tournament with a
94-87 victory, advancing the Hawkeyes to their second straight Final
Four. Top-seeded Iowa will play UConn in the national semifinals
Friday night in Cleveland. Monday’s highly anticipated matchup was
a rematch of last year’s national championship game won by LSU,
which drew a record 9.9 million viewers. With the game tied at 45
after an entertaining first half, Clark took over in the third
quarter. She hit four 3-pointers in the period.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)
— After being a spectator a year ago, Paige Bueckers is headed back
to the Final Four after scoring 28 points and lifting UConn to a
80-73 win over Southern California in the women’s NCAA Tournament.
Bueckers outdueled fabulous USC freshman All-American JuJu Watkins,
sparking a decisive run over the final five minutes that sent
third-seeded UConn to its 23rd Final Four, the most of any school.
Leading 65-64, the Huskies scored 11 straight points, including seven
from Bueckers and a three-point play from Aaliyah Edwards to finally
put away the top-seeded Trojans. Edwards finished with 24 points.
Watkins scored 29 points for USC.

UNDATED (AP) —
Drake has hired Ben McCollum as its basketball coach. He replaces
Darian DeVries, who was hired by West Virginia after taking the
Bulldogs to three NCAA Tournaments in the last four years. The
42-year-old McCollum grew up in Storm Lake, Iowa, and played junior
college ball in the state before finishing his playing career at
Northwest Missouri State. He went into coaching at his alma mater,
spent four years at rival Emporia State, then returned to the
Bearcats in 2009 as a 27-year-old head coach. Over the next 15
seasons, Northwest Missouri State won four national championships
along with 12 regular-season conference titles and eight conference
tournament titles.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1707734642080.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DALLAS (AP) — An
attorney for Kansas City Chiefs player Rashee Rice says the wide
receiver is cooperating with authorities after a speeding Corvette
and Lamborghini sport utility vehicle caused a chain-reaction crash
on a busy Dallas highway over the weekend. Police say the occupants
of both of the speeding sports cars left the scene after the crash
shortly before 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Police said Monday they were
working to identify the occupants of the Corvette and Lamborghini.
Sources told television station WFAA that one of the speeding
vehicles was registered to Rice. An attorney for Rice says his client
is cooperating with local authorities.BALTIMORE (AP) —
Jordan Westburg hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the bottom of the
ninth inning to carry the Baltimore Orioles past the Kansas City
Royals 6-4. Westburg’s opposite-field drive to right came on an 0-2
pitch from Nick Anderson after the Royals rallied to tie the game in
the top of the inning. Ryan Mountcastle homered and drove in three
runs for the Orioles. Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez homered for
the Royals, the second straight game in which each went deep. Making
his Kansas City debut after signing a two-year, $32 million contract
in December, Michael Wacha gave up three runs in five innings.SAN DIEGO (AP) —
Willson Contreras and Brendan Donovan each hit a two-run home run,
Kyle Gibson was dominant in his St. Louis debut and the Cardinals won
6-2 against their former manager Mike Schildt and the San Diego
Padres. Shildt managed the Cardinals from August 2018 until 2021,
when he was fired suddenly despite leading them to three straight
playoff berths and winning the 2019 NL Manager of the Year Award. He
worked in the Padres’ organization the last two seasons before
being promoted to manager in October after Bob Melvin left for his
hometown San Francisco Giants with one year remaining on his contract
in San Diego.CHICAGO (AP) —
Shota Imanaga pitched six sparkling innings in his major league
debut, and the Cubs used another defensive mistake by Nolan Jones to
beat the Colorado Rockies 5-0 on Monday. Working in short sleeves on
a cold, gray afternoon, Imanaga struck out nine in Chicago’s home
opener. The Japanese left-hander, who signed a $53 million, four-year
contract with the Cubs in January, allowed two singles and walked
none — throwing 65 of his 92 pitches for strikes. Dakota Hudson
also was impressive in his first start for Colorado, but a pair of
errors on Jones on one play in the sixth sent the right-hander to the
loss.HOUSTON (AP) —
Ronel Blanco of the Houston Astros threw the first no-hitter in the
major leagues this season, blanking the Toronto Blue Jays 10-0. The
right-hander struck out seven and walked two. He walked George
Springer to start the game and again with two outs in the ninth. When
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded out to end it, Blanco smiled broadly
before raising his arms above his head just before being mobbed by
teammates. It was the 17th no-hitter in Astros history and the first
in the majors since Philadelphia’s Michael Lorenzen threw one
against the Washington Nationals on Aug. 9 of last year.WASHINGTON (AP) —
Let other folks downplay the way the Pittsburgh Pirates have begun
2024. Manager Derek Shelton is thrilled that his club is 5-0 for the
first time in 41 years. Pittsburgh also has scored at least a
half-dozen runs each time out this deep into a season for the first
time in at least 124 years. The Pirates opened a three-game series at
the Washington Nationals with an 8-4 victory Monday night. That
followed a four-game sweep at the Miami Marlins to open the season.
Pittsburgh is coming off a 76-86 record a year ago and a fourth-place
finish in the NL Central.ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) —
Caitlin Clark made nine 3-pointers and finished with 41 points and 12
assists in a sensational performance as Iowa knocked defending
national champion LSU out of the women’s NCAA Tournament with a
94-87 victory, advancing the Hawkeyes to their second straight Final
Four. Top-seeded Iowa will play UConn in the national semifinals
Friday night in Cleveland. Monday’s highly anticipated matchup was
a rematch of last year’s national championship game won by LSU,
which drew a record 9.9 million viewers. With the game tied at 45
after an entertaining first half, Clark took over in the third
quarter. She hit four 3-pointers in the period.PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)
— After being a spectator a year ago, Paige Bueckers is headed back
to the Final Four after scoring 28 points and lifting UConn to a
80-73 win over Southern California in the women’s NCAA Tournament.
Bueckers outdueled fabulous USC freshman All-American JuJu Watkins,
sparking a decisive run over the final five minutes that sent
third-seeded UConn to its 23rd Final Four, the most of any school.
Leading 65-64, the Huskies scored 11 straight points, including seven
from Bueckers and a three-point play from Aaliyah Edwards to finally
put away the top-seeded Trojans. Edwards finished with 24 points.
Watkins scored 29 points for USC.UNDATED (AP) —
Drake has hired Ben McCollum as its basketball coach. He replaces
Darian DeVries, who was hired by West Virginia after taking the
Bulldogs to three NCAA Tournaments in the last four years. The
42-year-old McCollum grew up in Storm Lake, Iowa, and played junior
college ball in the state before finishing his playing career at
Northwest Missouri State. He went into coaching at his alma mater,
spent four years at rival Emporia State, then returned to the
Bearcats in 2009 as a 27-year-old head coach. Over the next 15
seasons, Northwest Missouri State won four national championships
along with 12 regular-season conference titles and eight conference
tournament titles.MONDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	Atlanta	9	Chicago
White Sox	0	Final	L.A.
Angels	7	Miami	4	Final	Detroit	5	N.Y.
Mets	0	Final	N.Y.
Yankees	5	Arizona	2	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Baltimore	6	Kansas
City	4	Final	Texas	9	Tampa
Bay	3	Final	Houston	10	Toronto	0	Final	Boston	9	Oakland	0	Final	Seattle	5	Cleveland	4	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Chicago
Cubs	5	Colorado	0	Final	Pittsburgh	8	Washington	4	Final	Cincinnati	6	Philadelphia	3	Final	St.
Louis	6	San Diego	2	Final	L.A.
Dodgers	8	San Francisco	3	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Boston	118	Charlotte	104	Final	Memphis	110	Detroit	108	Final	Orlando	104	Portland	103	Final	Indiana	133	Brooklyn	111	Final	Atlanta	113	Chicago	101	Final	Phoenix	124	New
Orleans	111	NATIONAL HOCKEY
LEAGUEFinal	Columbus	4	Colorado	1	Final	Toronto	6	Florida	4	Final OT	N-Y
Islanders	4	Philadelphia	3	Final	Pittsburgh	5	N-Y
Rangers	2	Final	Detroit	4	Tampa
Bay	2	Final	Winnipeg	4	Los
Angeles	3	Final OT	St.
Louis	3	Edmonton	2

Tuesday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Sports Writer

The NCAA said Monday one of the 3-point lines on the court used for the women's basketball regionals at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, was about 9 inches short of regulation, a mistake by the contractor that makes the courts used throughout March Madness.

The line has been corrected, the NCAA said. UConn and USC will play the final Elite Eight game of the tournament Monday night on that court.

The NCAA uses Connor Sports to supply and install the courts. The NCAA said the marking used to draw the line at the top of the arc in the center of the court was marked too short.

“For all NCAA courts, a small hole is punched in the floor at each end of the court that indicates ‘center-of-basket’ during the finishing process. A calibrated vinyl-tape device is then placed in the hole, which lays the 2-inch game line to be painted," Lynn Holzman, NCAA vice president for women’s basketball, said in an email update that went out to members.

After reviewing the Portland court, it was found that the center hole was punched about 9 inches short of where it needed to be at the apex of the 3-point arc.

“Connor Sports and the NCAA found the inaccurate line was the result of human error by the finisher contracted by Connor Sports,” Holzman said. “The review also found the sides of the 3-point line were accurately painted, as were all other court markings.”

The discrepancy in distance was discovered Sunday when Texas and North Carolina State played an Elite Eight game to determine a spot in the Final Four. Four games already had been been played over two days with the mismatched 3-point lines.

The teams’ coaches agreed to play Sunday’s game as scheduled with one line shorter than the other rather than delay it. N.C. State beat Texas 76-66 to advance to the Final Four.

The NCAA 3-point line is at 22 feet, 1 3/4 inches for both women and men.

“We apologize for this error and the length of time for which it went unnoticed,” Holzman said. "Simply put, this court did not meet our expectations, and the NCAA should have caught the error sooner.

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Sports WriterThe NCAA said Monday one of the 3-point lines on the court used for the women's basketball regionals at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, was about 9 inches short of regulation, a mistake by the contractor that makes the courts used throughout March Madness.The line has been corrected, the NCAA said. UConn and USC will play the final Elite Eight game of the tournament Monday night on that court.The NCAA uses Connor Sports to supply and install the courts. The NCAA said the marking used to draw the line at the top of the arc in the center of the court was marked too short.“For all NCAA courts, a small hole is punched in the floor at each end of the court that indicates ‘center-of-basket’ during the finishing process. A calibrated vinyl-tape device is then placed in the hole, which lays the 2-inch game line to be painted," Lynn Holzman, NCAA vice president for women’s basketball, said in an email update that went out to members.After reviewing the Portland court, it was found that the center hole was punched about 9 inches short of where it needed to be at the apex of the 3-point arc.“Connor Sports and the NCAA found the inaccurate line was the result of human error by the finisher contracted by Connor Sports,” Holzman said. “The review also found the sides of the 3-point line were accurately painted, as were all other court markings.”The discrepancy in distance was discovered Sunday when Texas and North Carolina State played an Elite Eight game to determine a spot in the Final Four. Four games already had been been played over two days with the mismatched 3-point lines.The teams’ coaches agreed to play Sunday’s game as scheduled with one line shorter than the other rather than delay it. N.C. State beat Texas 76-66 to advance to the Final Four.The NCAA 3-point line is at 22 feet, 1 3/4 inches for both women and men.“We apologize for this error and the length of time for which it went unnoticed,” Holzman said. "Simply put, this court did not meet our expectations, and the NCAA should have caught the error sooner.

NCAA says a 3-point line was drawn 9 inches short at Portland women's regional by court supplier

2	Northwest Florida
State College	37-3	133

3	Florida
Southwestern State College	34-4	126

5	Walters State
Community College	27-3	112

9	Salt Lake
Community College	26-5	84	0	10

15	Wallace State
Community College-Hanceville	19-7	42

16	Trinity Valley
Community College	30-10	35

17	Butler
Community College - KS	26-6	28

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710859599945.jpeg" alt="NJCAA DI Softball Poll - Week 4 04/01/24" />
 <figcaption>NJCAA DI Softball Poll - Week 4 04/01/24</figcaption>
 </figure>Place	Name	Record	Points1	McLennan Community
College	42-0	1402	Northwest Florida
State College	37-3	1333	Florida
Southwestern State College	34-4	1264	Indian River State
College	31-4	1195	Walters State
Community College	27-3	1126	Temple
College	35-9	1057	Grayson
College	26-7	988	Paris Junior
College	31-5	919	Salt Lake
Community College	26-5	84	0	1010	College of
Central Florida	27-11	7711	Galveston
College	28-7	7012	Gulf Coast State
College	31-9	6313	College of
Southern Idaho	27-9	5614	Santa Fe
College	26-11	4915	Wallace State
Community College-Hanceville	19-7	4216	Trinity Valley
Community College	30-10	3517	Butler
Community College - KS	26-6	2818	Seminole State
College (OK)	23-5	2119	John A. Logan
College	29-5	1420	San Jacinto
College-South	27-15	2

2024 NJCAA DI Softball Poll

By JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball Writer

The 2024 version of March Madness has apexed with a trio of streak busters in the desert.

N.C. State is in the Final Four for the first time since Jim Valvano ran around trying to find someone to hug after the 1983 national championship. Purdue and big man Zach Edey will make their first Final Four appearance since Joe Barry Carroll dominated the paint in 1980.

An angry pack of Huskies awaits them in the Valley of the Sun.

Dominating on its way to a fifth national championship a year ago, UConn has looked even more unbeatable so far in its run to become the first repeat champion since Florida in 2006-07.

“Our defense is elite. Our offense is elite. We rebound the ball,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “These guys play every possession like it’s the end of the world.”

The Huskies have done nothing but end opponents' hopes through consecutive dominating March runs.

UConn steamrolled its way through the 2023 bracket, winning each game by at least 13 points. That was the best since Indiana in 1981.

With 7-foot-2 Donovan Clingan in the middle and talent across the roster, UConn won its first four NCAA Tournament games by an average of 27.7 points. The Huskies made Illinois look like a JV team in the Elite Eight, reeling off 30 — yes, 30 — straight points in a 77-52 victory to become the first reigning champion to reach the Final Four since Florida's consecutive titles.

Knocking off UConn will be a monumental task in Glendale, Arizona, starting with Alabama in the semifinals Saturday.

“His (Hurley's) formula is working out pretty well,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. “I’m going to have to figure out that formula myself here soon.”

Oats already has sorted a few things figured out.

The Crimson Tide lost in the Sweet 16 last season, then most of its roster. Oats had three returning players and replaced three assistants who left for head coaching jobs.

Playing fast and letting 3s fly from all over, Alabama led the nation in scoring during the regular season and has kept up the pace in March. Led by heady, gritty point guard Mark Sears, the Crimson Tide scored at least 89 points in three of four NCAA Tournament games, including 109 in the opener against Charleston.

Alabama reached its first Final Four by making 16 3-pointers in an 89-82 win over Clemson in the Elite Eight.

“Guys bought in — we can make this run, other teams have done it,” Oats said. “We have the capability to do it.”

The first national semifinal on Saturday will be big — as in more than 14 feet and 575 pounds of men in the paint.

Purdue has college basketball's most unstoppable force in Edey.

At 7-4, he didn't need a ladder to cut down the nets in Detroit and has the skill to go with his size. Edey was the AP national player of the year last year and the front-runner to become the first player to repeat since Virginia's Ralph Sampson earned it three straight years from 1980-83.

Edey has been nearly unguardable in the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor) in 1968 to have at least 50 points and 35 rebounds while shooting 65% from the field the first two games of an NCAA Tournament.

Edey topped that with a career-high 40 points and 16 rebounds in a 72-66 win over Tennessee that sent the Boilermakers to the Final Four a year after making history by losing to a No. 16 seed.

“Zach’s got a competitive fight to him. He doesn’t back down,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “When you have that elite physical size and you have that competitive spirit with it, with some skill, it’s pretty dangerous. He’s pretty hard to handle.”

The 6-9, 275-pounder has a big-sized game and a personality to go with it. He's the focal point of the Wolfpack offense and opponents have yet to find a way to stop him.

Burns has great footwork, a soft touch and vision to find the open man nearly every time. Combined with the team's other DJ, Arizona State transfer DJ Horne, N.C. State won five games in five days just to get into the NCAA Tournament and kept rolling into the Final Four as a No. 11 seed.

“DJ Burns has been around for a long time, but his personality, his play has really opened eyes of a lot of folks around the country,” N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts said.

By JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball WriterThe 2024 version of March Madness has apexed with a trio of streak busters in the desert.N.C. State is in the Final Four for the first time since Jim Valvano ran around trying to find someone to hug after the 1983 national championship. Purdue and big man Zach Edey will make their first Final Four appearance since Joe Barry Carroll dominated the paint in 1980.Alabama? Never been.An angry pack of Huskies awaits them in the Valley of the Sun.Dominating on its way to a fifth national championship a year ago, UConn has looked even more unbeatable so far in its run to become the first repeat champion since Florida in 2006-07.“Our defense is elite. Our offense is elite. We rebound the ball,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “These guys play every possession like it’s the end of the world.”The Huskies have done nothing but end opponents' hopes through consecutive dominating March runs.UConn steamrolled its way through the 2023 bracket, winning each game by at least 13 points. That was the best since Indiana in 1981.These Huskies may be better.With 7-foot-2 Donovan Clingan in the middle and talent across the roster, UConn won its first four NCAA Tournament games by an average of 27.7 points. The Huskies made Illinois look like a JV team in the Elite Eight, reeling off 30 — yes, 30 — straight points in a 77-52 victory to become the first reigning champion to reach the Final Four since Florida's consecutive titles.Knocking off UConn will be a monumental task in Glendale, Arizona, starting with Alabama in the semifinals Saturday.“His (Hurley's) formula is working out pretty well,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. “I’m going to have to figure out that formula myself here soon.”Oats already has sorted a few things figured out.The Crimson Tide lost in the Sweet 16 last season, then most of its roster. Oats had three returning players and replaced three assistants who left for head coaching jobs.Playing fast and letting 3s fly from all over, Alabama led the nation in scoring during the regular season and has kept up the pace in March. Led by heady, gritty point guard Mark Sears, the Crimson Tide scored at least 89 points in three of four NCAA Tournament games, including 109 in the opener against Charleston.Alabama reached its first Final Four by making 16 3-pointers in an 89-82 win over Clemson in the Elite Eight.“Guys bought in — we can make this run, other teams have done it,” Oats said. “We have the capability to do it.”The first national semifinal on Saturday will be big — as in more than 14 feet and 575 pounds of men in the paint.Purdue has college basketball's most unstoppable force in Edey.At 7-4, he didn't need a ladder to cut down the nets in Detroit and has the skill to go with his size. Edey was the AP national player of the year last year and the front-runner to become the first player to repeat since Virginia's Ralph Sampson earned it three straight years from 1980-83.Edey has been nearly unguardable in the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor) in 1968 to have at least 50 points and 35 rebounds while shooting 65% from the field the first two games of an NCAA Tournament.Edey topped that with a career-high 40 points and 16 rebounds in a 72-66 win over Tennessee that sent the Boilermakers to the Final Four a year after making history by losing to a No. 16 seed.“Zach’s got a competitive fight to him. He doesn’t back down,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “When you have that elite physical size and you have that competitive spirit with it, with some skill, it’s pretty dangerous. He’s pretty hard to handle.”So is N.C. State's DJ Burns Jr.The 6-9, 275-pounder has a big-sized game and a personality to go with it. He's the focal point of the Wolfpack offense and opponents have yet to find a way to stop him.Burns has great footwork, a soft touch and vision to find the open man nearly every time. Combined with the team's other DJ, Arizona State transfer DJ Horne, N.C. State won five games in five days just to get into the NCAA Tournament and kept rolling into the Final Four as a No. 11 seed.“DJ Burns has been around for a long time, but his personality, his play has really opened eyes of a lot of folks around the country,” N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts said.

Tall Final Four task: Beating reigning champion UConn will not be easy

- Complete wrap on Saturday night's NJCAA national championship basketball game between Barton and Triton college.

- Barton Baseball coach Brent Biggs recaps the Cougars 4-game series with the Seward County Saints.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693997740304.jpeg" alt="Monday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark and Mike Hesher" />
 <figcaption>Monday show lineup with hosts Steve Webster, Mike Courson, Aaron Clark and Mike Hesher</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0xTn8W3YWbY?si=itUsWOgjzJfE9eEk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>- Complete wrap on Saturday night's NJCAA national championship basketball game between Barton and Triton college.- Barton Baseball coach Brent Biggs recaps the Cougars 4-game series with the Seward County Saints.- Great Bend Tribune's Jim Misunas- Weekend Sports Headlines- Sounds of the Weekend

Monday on Sports Day (Watch)

3	Iowa Western
Community College	27-5	145

7	Johnson County
Community College	29-7	113

9	Florence-Darlington
Technical College	32-5	94

11	Kansas City
Kansas Community College	27-3	71

16	Walters State
Community College	27-9	38

20	Northwest Florida
State College	22-10	7

Receiving Votes:
Blinn, Chattanooga State, Cowley, Florida SouthWestern, Indian
River State, Midland, San Jacinto, Southern Nevada

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710859599945.jpeg" alt="NJCAA DI Baseball Poll - Week 4 04/01/24" />
 <figcaption>NJCAA DI Baseball Poll - Week 4 04/01/24</figcaption>
 </figure>Place	Name	Record	Points1	Gaston
College	38-3	1602	Central Arizona
College	34-7	1513	Iowa Western
Community College	27-5	1454	Weatherford
College	29-7	1315	Gulf Coast State
College	25-5	1216	Georgia Highlands
College	33-5	1197	Johnson County
Community College	29-7	1138	Pensacola State
College	27-7	1109	Florence-Darlington
Technical College	32-5	9410	Crowder
College	30-9	8711	Kansas City
Kansas Community College	27-3	7112	Arizona Western
College	31-7	6813	Salt Lake
Community College	29-5	6714	Tyler Junior
College	27-9	5715	John A. Logan
College	28-4	4516	Walters State
Community College	27-9	3817	Delgado Community
College	27-6	3618	Navarro
College	23-12	2119	Pima Community
College	30-10	1120	Northwest Florida
State College	22-10	7Receiving Votes:
Blinn, Chattanooga State, Cowley, Florida SouthWestern, Indian
River State, Midland, San Jacinto, Southern Nevada

NJCAA DI Baseball Poll - Barton falls from top 20

By TODD MOORE&nbsp; Barton Sports Info

14th ranked Barton women's golf finish runner-up in conference opener

The 14th ranked Barton Community College women's golf team placed runner-up in the conference opener this past Saturday at Salina's Municipal Golf Course.

Barton was consistent in their rounds with a Friday opening 321 followed by a closing 322 for an 83-over 643, 37 strokes behind 8th ranked Dodge City Community College's 27-over 606 and 98 strokes ahead of 3rd place 35th ranked Fort Scott Community College's 181-over 741.

The Cougars were led by Butpapaporn Sukterm's runner-up placing of a 9-over 149 behind 74-75 rounds as Dodge City's Gaemphuang Ketrahong won the title breaking away from a first round tie with a closing 2-under 68 for the seven stroke victory.

Valentina Leyva finished in a tie for 5th with 79-78 rounds for a 17-over 157 while Andrea Peraza placed 10th on 86-82 cards for a 28-over 168.

One stroke back in 11th place was Frida Medellin following 82-87 rounds for a 29-over 169. Alayna Crosby rounded out the Cougar entries of the 21-competitor field with a 14th placing bouncing back from Friday's 99 round with a ten stroke improvement 89 for a combined 48-over 188.

The conference teams reunite in Garden City on Friday, April 12, for the KJCCC's Meet No. 2 taking place for two rounds at Buffalo Dunes Golf Course.

19th ranked Barton men's golf places fourth in conference opener

The 19th ranked Barton Community College men's golf team began its spring season last Monday finishing fourth in the shortened one-day Jayhawk Tournament No. 1 held at Manhattan's Colbert Hills Golf Course.

The Cougars carded a 315 in Monday's morning round before climbing a spot into fourth with a 306 in what would be the final round due to inclement weather moving in forcing the cancellation of Tuesday's competition.

Accumulating a 45-over 621, Barton was seventeen strokes behind 22nd ranked Garden City and nine strokes ahead of Hesston College's fifth placing. Posting a winning 1-over 577, 5th ranked Hutchinson edged out 8th ranked Dodge City's 580 total.

Axel Bolander led the Cougars with a 1-over 145 by moving up eight spots following a 75 card to a final tie for 4th with a 2-under 70 in posting the second round's third best score.

Worathan Thammachokecharoen placed 17th overall with a 77-78 rounds for an 11-over 155.

Just missing the 55-man field's top twenty-five, Thantup Saengvut placed 26th with 80-79 rounds for a 15-over 159, one stroke back was Martin Chevallier in 28th following 83-77 rounds for a 16-over 160, with Anthony Arriola in 29th at 18-over with 83-79 cards for a combined 162.

Competing as an individual, Keegan O'Shea finished 42nd at 26-over 170 by carding 88-82 rounds as Easton Fitzpatrick finished in 51st on 94-90 rounds for a 40-over 184.

Kaleb Lambert began the day with an 83 but had to withdraw in the afternoon due to sickness leaving Barton's team score in the hands of a four-man crew.

The Cougars get back to the links on Monday, April 15th, traveling to Wichita's Crestview Country Club for a scheduled 54 holes of conference action beginning at 8:00 a.m. for two rounds followed by Tuesday's final round also set for an 8:00 a.m. start.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1711997644565.jpeg" alt="Valentina Leyva - Barton Sports Info" />
 <figcaption>Valentina Leyva - Barton Sports Info</figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE&nbsp; Barton Sports Info14th ranked Barton women's golf finish runner-up in conference openerThe 14th ranked Barton Community College women's golf team placed runner-up in the conference opener this past Saturday at Salina's Municipal Golf Course.Barton was consistent in their rounds with a Friday opening 321 followed by a closing 322 for an 83-over 643, 37 strokes behind 8th ranked Dodge City Community College's 27-over 606 and 98 strokes ahead of 3rd place 35th ranked Fort Scott Community College's 181-over 741.The Cougars were led by Butpapaporn Sukterm's runner-up placing of a 9-over 149 behind 74-75 rounds as Dodge City's Gaemphuang Ketrahong won the title breaking away from a first round tie with a closing 2-under 68 for the seven stroke victory.Valentina Leyva finished in a tie for 5th with 79-78 rounds for a 17-over 157 while Andrea Peraza placed 10th on 86-82 cards for a 28-over 168.One stroke back in 11th place was Frida Medellin following 82-87 rounds for a 29-over 169. Alayna Crosby rounded out the Cougar entries of the 21-competitor field with a 14th placing bouncing back from Friday's 99 round with a ten stroke improvement 89 for a combined 48-over 188.The conference teams reunite in Garden City on Friday, April 12, for the KJCCC's Meet No. 2 taking place for two rounds at Buffalo Dunes Golf Course.19th ranked Barton men's golf places fourth in conference openerThe 19th ranked Barton Community College men's golf team began its spring season last Monday finishing fourth in the shortened one-day Jayhawk Tournament No. 1 held at Manhattan's Colbert Hills Golf Course.The Cougars carded a 315 in Monday's morning round before climbing a spot into fourth with a 306 in what would be the final round due to inclement weather moving in forcing the cancellation of Tuesday's competition.Accumulating a 45-over 621, Barton was seventeen strokes behind 22nd ranked Garden City and nine strokes ahead of Hesston College's fifth placing. Posting a winning 1-over 577, 5th ranked Hutchinson edged out 8th ranked Dodge City's 580 total.Axel Bolander led the Cougars with a 1-over 145 by moving up eight spots following a 75 card to a final tie for 4th with a 2-under 70 in posting the second round's third best score.Worathan Thammachokecharoen placed 17th overall with a 77-78 rounds for an 11-over 155.Just missing the 55-man field's top twenty-five, Thantup Saengvut placed 26th with 80-79 rounds for a 15-over 159, one stroke back was Martin Chevallier in 28th following 83-77 rounds for a 16-over 160, with Anthony Arriola in 29th at 18-over with 83-79 cards for a combined 162.Competing as an individual, Keegan O'Shea finished 42nd at 26-over 170 by carding 88-82 rounds as Easton Fitzpatrick finished in 51st on 94-90 rounds for a 40-over 184.Kaleb Lambert began the day with an 83 but had to withdraw in the afternoon due to sickness leaving Barton's team score in the hands of a four-man crew.The Cougars get back to the links on Monday, April 15th, traveling to Wichita's Crestview Country Club for a scheduled 54 holes of conference action beginning at 8:00 a.m. for two rounds followed by Tuesday's final round also set for an 8:00 a.m. start.

Barton Cougar Men's and Women's golf results

There are growing pains for all young sports teams. Tuesday, several Panther tennis players made their varsity debuts in McPherson. Newton scored 51 points to take the title with Hays scoring 45 points for seconds. Great Bend finished with 12 points in seventh place.

Coach Chris Manning was pleased with the efforts of freshman Aiden Stacey in the singles bracket. He finished at 2-2 despite opening with an 8-4 loss to the eventual champion from Newton. Stacey lost an 8-2 match against the ninth-place finisher from McPherson, then closed out his first tournament with an 8-1 win against McPherson and an 8-3 win over Salina South to secure 13th place.

Jacob Parks also had a tough draw in the singles bracket, opening with an 8-3 loss to the eventual runner-up from Newton. He rebounded with an 8-6 win over Salina South, dropped an 8-4 match to the 10th-place finisher from McPherson, then lost an 8-2 match to Winfield in the 11th-place match.

In doubles action, Kaden Deines and Kia Brit opened the day with three losses, including an 8-7 (6) battle against McPherson. The pair defeated teammates Chason Ramsey and Kaden Pounds 8-1 in 15th-place match. Ramsey and Pounds opened their day with a loss to the eventual champions from Winfield and also lost an 8-2 match to Newton and an 8-3 match to McPherson.

The Panthers host an invitational on Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886244015.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsThere are growing pains for all young sports teams. Tuesday, several Panther tennis players made their varsity debuts in McPherson. Newton scored 51 points to take the title with Hays scoring 45 points for seconds. Great Bend finished with 12 points in seventh place.Coach Chris Manning was pleased with the efforts of freshman Aiden Stacey in the singles bracket. He finished at 2-2 despite opening with an 8-4 loss to the eventual champion from Newton. Stacey lost an 8-2 match against the ninth-place finisher from McPherson, then closed out his first tournament with an 8-1 win against McPherson and an 8-3 win over Salina South to secure 13th place.Jacob Parks also had a tough draw in the singles bracket, opening with an 8-3 loss to the eventual runner-up from Newton. He rebounded with an 8-6 win over Salina South, dropped an 8-4 match to the 10th-place finisher from McPherson, then lost an 8-2 match to Winfield in the 11th-place match.In doubles action, Kaden Deines and Kia Brit opened the day with three losses, including an 8-7 (6) battle against McPherson. The pair defeated teammates Chason Ramsey and Kaden Pounds 8-1 in 15th-place match. Ramsey and Pounds opened their day with a loss to the eventual champions from Winfield and also lost an 8-2 match to Newton and an 8-3 match to McPherson.The Panthers host an invitational on Saturday.

Panther tennis team opens season in McPherson


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) —
Bobby Witt Jr. finished a double shy of the cycle as the Royals hit
five homers to back a strong start by Brady Singer in a 11-0 rout of
the Twins. The win allowed Kansas City to avoid getting swept by
Minnesota to start a second consecutive season. Salvador Perez hit a
three-run homer, Kyle Isbel and Maikel Garcia hit back-to-back homers
in the second, and Nelson Velázquez also went deep for Kansas City.
Singer allowed three hits and a walk over seven innings while
striking out 10. Bailey Ober took the loss for Minnesota, getting
just four outs while allowing eight runs on nine hits and a walk.


LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Pinch-hitter Max Muncy hit a two-run homer to right field with one
out in the eighth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied from a
four-run deficit to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 on Sunday.
Teoscar Hernández had two hits and drove in two runs as the Dodgers
took three of four in the series. St. Louis rookie Victor Scott II
reached base three times and scored two runs while Paul Goldschmidt
and Brendan Donovan both had two RBIs. Muncy then hit a slider over
the wall in right-center off John King, who was called up from Triple
A Memphis Sunday morning.


PHOENIX (AP) — Christian
Walker hit a two-run homer, Brandon Pfaadt pitched five solid innings
and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Colorado Rockies 5-1 on Sunday.
The D-backs won three of four games in the season-opening series for
both teams. Arizona dominated the majority of the weekend, outscoring
Colorado 32-14. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit an RBI single and Walker
ripped his two-run homer to left in the first, lifting the
Diamondbacks to a 3-0 lead. Gurriel continued a torrid start to the
season; he has three homers, two doubles and 10 RBIs over four games.


DALLAS (AP) — Bruising big
man DJ Burns Jr. scored a season-high 29 points, DJ Horne had 20 and
11th-seeded North Carolina State reached its first Final Four in four
decades, beating Atlantic Coast Conference rival Duke 76-64 in the
South Region final. N.C. State is back in the national semifinals for
the first time since the late Jim Valvano was sprinting around the
court looking for someone to hug after winning the 1983 national
title. The Wolfpack will play Zach Edey and Purdue in the national
semifinals. Jared McCain scored 32 points for Duke, which fell short
of its second Final Four in three seasons.


DETROIT (AP) — Purdue big
man Zach Edey went for a career-high 40 points along with 16 rebounds
and one big block to muscle the Boilermakers into the program’s
first Final Four since 1980 with a 72-66 victory over Tennessee. The
7-foot-4 center and the Boilermakers eked out a back-and-forth
thriller between the country’s top two players, edging out
Tennessee’s All-American, Dalton Knecht, who finished with 37
points. Top-seeded Purdue set aside last year’s grand
disappointment -- a first-round loss as a No. 1 seed -- to book the
trip to Glendale, Arizona. On Saturday, the Boilermakers will play
either Duke or North Carolina State in the national semifinal.


ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Tessa
Johnson scored 15 points, Kamilla Cardoso added 12 and undefeated
South Carolina advanced to the Final Four of the women’s NCAA
Tournament with a 70-58 win over Oregon State. South Carolina made it
to the national semifinals unbeaten for the second straight season.
The Gamecocks lost to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Final Four last
year. This time, with an entirely new starting lineup, coach Dawn
Staley has her group on the verge of the school’s third national
championship. The Gamecocks are 36-0 and will play N.C. State on
Friday night in Cleveland. Raegan Beers scored 16 points to lead the
Beavers.


BOSTON (AP) — Alabama and
the rest of the football fans in the Southeastern Conference are
about to find out what Big East basketball is all about. The Crimson
Tide have won 18 NCAA football championships but have never been to a
men’s basketball Final Four. They will meet top-seeded UConn in the
national semifinals on April 6. The Huskies have a chance to win
back-to-back NCAA titles. That would make it six in 13 years for the
Big East, the league that takes pride in its basketball pedigree even
as football money upended the rest of college sports.


HOUSTON (AP) — Stephan
Jaeger of Germany is a PGA Tour winner for the first time and headed
to the Masters. His victory at the Houston Open ended Scottie
Scheffler's bid for three straight victories. Scheffler had his
chances right to the end. He had a 5-foot birdie putt to force a
playoff and missed it left. Jaeger finished with nine straight pars
and shot 67 to win on his 135th attempt on the PGA Tour. Scheffler
tied for second with Tony Finau, Thomas Detry, Alejandro Tosti and
Taylor Moore. Tosti was tied for the lead until a bogey on the 18th.


RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Denny
Hamlin won the race off pit road with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate
Martin Truex Jr. after a caution with two laps to go and won in
overtime at Richmond Raceway. Truex dominated the second half of the
NASCAR Cup Series race and seemed poised to hold off challenges by
Joey Logano and Hamlin for the final two laps until Kyle Larson got
nudged from behind on the front straightaway and skidded into the
infield. Hamlin’s victory was his second this season, the fifth of
his career and the 53rd of his career.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) —
Bobby Witt Jr. finished a double shy of the cycle as the Royals hit
five homers to back a strong start by Brady Singer in a 11-0 rout of
the Twins. The win allowed Kansas City to avoid getting swept by
Minnesota to start a second consecutive season. Salvador Perez hit a
three-run homer, Kyle Isbel and Maikel Garcia hit back-to-back homers
in the second, and Nelson Velázquez also went deep for Kansas City.
Singer allowed three hits and a walk over seven innings while
striking out 10. Bailey Ober took the loss for Minnesota, getting
just four outs while allowing eight runs on nine hits and a walk.
LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Pinch-hitter Max Muncy hit a two-run homer to right field with one
out in the eighth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied from a
four-run deficit to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 on Sunday.
Teoscar Hernández had two hits and drove in two runs as the Dodgers
took three of four in the series. St. Louis rookie Victor Scott II
reached base three times and scored two runs while Paul Goldschmidt
and Brendan Donovan both had two RBIs. Muncy then hit a slider over
the wall in right-center off John King, who was called up from Triple
A Memphis Sunday morning.
PHOENIX (AP) — Christian
Walker hit a two-run homer, Brandon Pfaadt pitched five solid innings
and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Colorado Rockies 5-1 on Sunday.
The D-backs won three of four games in the season-opening series for
both teams. Arizona dominated the majority of the weekend, outscoring
Colorado 32-14. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit an RBI single and Walker
ripped his two-run homer to left in the first, lifting the
Diamondbacks to a 3-0 lead. Gurriel continued a torrid start to the
season; he has three homers, two doubles and 10 RBIs over four games.
DALLAS (AP) — Bruising big
man DJ Burns Jr. scored a season-high 29 points, DJ Horne had 20 and
11th-seeded North Carolina State reached its first Final Four in four
decades, beating Atlantic Coast Conference rival Duke 76-64 in the
South Region final. N.C. State is back in the national semifinals for
the first time since the late Jim Valvano was sprinting around the
court looking for someone to hug after winning the 1983 national
title. The Wolfpack will play Zach Edey and Purdue in the national
semifinals. Jared McCain scored 32 points for Duke, which fell short
of its second Final Four in three seasons.
DETROIT (AP) — Purdue big
man Zach Edey went for a career-high 40 points along with 16 rebounds
and one big block to muscle the Boilermakers into the program’s
first Final Four since 1980 with a 72-66 victory over Tennessee. The
7-foot-4 center and the Boilermakers eked out a back-and-forth
thriller between the country’s top two players, edging out
Tennessee’s All-American, Dalton Knecht, who finished with 37
points. Top-seeded Purdue set aside last year’s grand
disappointment -- a first-round loss as a No. 1 seed -- to book the
trip to Glendale, Arizona. On Saturday, the Boilermakers will play
either Duke or North Carolina State in the national semifinal.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Tessa
Johnson scored 15 points, Kamilla Cardoso added 12 and undefeated
South Carolina advanced to the Final Four of the women’s NCAA
Tournament with a 70-58 win over Oregon State. South Carolina made it
to the national semifinals unbeaten for the second straight season.
The Gamecocks lost to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Final Four last
year. This time, with an entirely new starting lineup, coach Dawn
Staley has her group on the verge of the school’s third national
championship. The Gamecocks are 36-0 and will play N.C. State on
Friday night in Cleveland. Raegan Beers scored 16 points to lead the
Beavers.
BOSTON (AP) — Alabama and
the rest of the football fans in the Southeastern Conference are
about to find out what Big East basketball is all about. The Crimson
Tide have won 18 NCAA football championships but have never been to a
men’s basketball Final Four. They will meet top-seeded UConn in the
national semifinals on April 6. The Huskies have a chance to win
back-to-back NCAA titles. That would make it six in 13 years for the
Big East, the league that takes pride in its basketball pedigree even
as football money upended the rest of college sports.
HOUSTON (AP) — Stephan
Jaeger of Germany is a PGA Tour winner for the first time and headed
to the Masters. His victory at the Houston Open ended Scottie
Scheffler's bid for three straight victories. Scheffler had his
chances right to the end. He had a 5-foot birdie putt to force a
playoff and missed it left. Jaeger finished with nine straight pars
and shot 67 to win on his 135th attempt on the PGA Tour. Scheffler
tied for second with Tony Finau, Thomas Detry, Alejandro Tosti and
Taylor Moore. Tosti was tied for the lead until a bogey on the 18th.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Denny
Hamlin won the race off pit road with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate
Martin Truex Jr. after a caution with two laps to go and won in
overtime at Richmond Raceway. Truex dominated the second half of the
NASCAR Cup Series race and seemed poised to hold off challenges by
Joey Logano and Hamlin for the final two laps until Kyle Larson got
nudged from behind on the front straightaway and skidded into the
infield. Hamlin’s victory was his second this season, the fifth of
his career and the 53rd of his career.SATURDAY
SCORESCOLLEGE
BASKETBALLNCAA
Elite EightSOUTH
Final	NC State	76	Duke	64	MIDWEST
Final	Purdue	72	Tennessee	66MAJOR
LEAGUE BASEBALLINTERLEAGUE
Final	Chicago Cubs	9	Texas	5	AMERICAN
LEAGUE
Final	L.A.
Angels	4	Baltimore	1	
Final	Toronto	9	Tampa Bay	2	
Final	Kansas
City	11	Minnesota	0	
Final	Detroit	3	Chicago White
Sox	2	
Final	N.Y.
Yankees	4	Houston	3	
Final	Oakland	4	Cleveland	3	
Final	Boston	5	Seattle	1	NATIONAL
LEAGUE
Final	Philadelphia	5	Atlanta	4	
Final	Milwaukee	4	N.Y. Mets	1	
Final	Cincinnati	6	Washington	5	
Final	Pittsburgh	9	Miami	7	
Final	Arizona	5	Colorado	1	
Final	San Diego	13	San
Francisco	4	
Final	L.A. Dodgers	5	St.
Louis	4	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final	Denver	130	Cleveland	101	
Final	L.A.
Lakers	116	Brooklyn	104	
Final	Philadelphia	135	Toronto	120	
Final	Miami	119	Washington	107	
Final	L.A.
Clippers	130	Charlotte	118	
Final	Dallas	125	Houston	107	
Final	Chicago	109	Minnesota	101	
Final	Golden State	117	San
Antonio	113	
Final	Oklahoma City	113	New
York	112	
Final	Sacramento	127	Utah	106	NATIONAL
HOCKEY LEAGUE

Monday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. finished a double shy of the cycle, Kyle Isbel and Maikel Garcia hit back-to-back home runs, and the Kansas City Royals routed Minnesota 11-0 on Sunday to avoid a second straight season-opening sweep by the Twins.

Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer and finished with four RBIs, and Nelson Velázquez had the last of five homers for Kansas City, which gave Brady Singer (1-0) plenty of run support on a day in which he hardly needed it.

Singer, trying to bounce back from a rough 2023, allowed three hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out 10.

“The offense was incredible,” Singer said with a smile. “It makes it a lot easier to stay in the zone and trust yourself.”

The Royals got their homers from five different players, matching a franchise record last done on July 27, 2020, in Detroit. And the 11-run victory margin was their biggest since an 11-0 win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 13, 2020.

“To get out to a lead today was nice,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said, “just how we started the last two games.”

Bailey Ober (0-1) retired just four batters for Minnesota, allowing eight runs on nine hits and a walk. Kody Funderburk wasn't much better, allowing two more runs on three hits and a walk while retiring five.

“He had a great spring,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said of Ober, whose importance to the rotation has only increased after the club lost Anthony DeSclafani to season-ending flexor tendon surgery this week. “We have high expectations for him.”

Ober wasn't able to replicate the way Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan had shut down Kansas City, though. Its offensive outburst Sunday came after a club that lost 106 games last season managed only two runs on 10 hits and four walks — while striking out 19 times — in dropping the first two games of the season to its AL Central rival.

“It was a little payback today,” Quatraro said.

Perez provided the first big blow in the first inning, when he sent a three-run homer into the left-field bullpen. But it was a six-run second, highlighted by consecutive homers for Isbel and Garcia, that gave the Royals some breathing room. Witt added a triple to his first-inning single and Perez drove in another run before MJ Melendez knocked Ober from the game.

By the time new second baseman Adam Frazier added a two-run double, the Royals were cruising with a 9-0 lead.

Witt added his 434-foot shot in the third, and all that was left to see was whether he could hit for the cycle. Nobody had done it for Kansas City since Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett accomplished the feat on July 25, 1990, in Toronto.

In the fifth, Witt struck out on a slider by Daniel Duarte. With one last chance in the seventh, the 23-year-old phenom worked a 3-1 count against Cole Sands before fouling off a pitch and swinging hard through a 95-mph fastball to end the inning.

“I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself,” Witt said. “I got a couple of pitches I should have hit.”

The Twins have a day off before RHP Louie Varland starts the opener of a two-game series in Milwaukee on Tuesday.

RHP Michael Wacha makes his Royals debut Monday night to open their three-game set in Baltimore.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. finished a double shy of the cycle, Kyle Isbel and Maikel Garcia hit back-to-back home runs, and the Kansas City Royals routed Minnesota 11-0 on Sunday to avoid a second straight season-opening sweep by the Twins.Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer and finished with four RBIs, and Nelson Velázquez had the last of five homers for Kansas City, which gave Brady Singer (1-0) plenty of run support on a day in which he hardly needed it.Singer, trying to bounce back from a rough 2023, allowed three hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out 10.“The offense was incredible,” Singer said with a smile. “It makes it a lot easier to stay in the zone and trust yourself.”The Royals got their homers from five different players, matching a franchise record last done on July 27, 2020, in Detroit. And the 11-run victory margin was their biggest since an 11-0 win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 13, 2020.“To get out to a lead today was nice,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said, “just how we started the last two games.”Bailey Ober (0-1) retired just four batters for Minnesota, allowing eight runs on nine hits and a walk. Kody Funderburk wasn't much better, allowing two more runs on three hits and a walk while retiring five.“He had a great spring,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said of Ober, whose importance to the rotation has only increased after the club lost Anthony DeSclafani to season-ending flexor tendon surgery this week. “We have high expectations for him.”Ober wasn't able to replicate the way Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan had shut down Kansas City, though. Its offensive outburst Sunday came after a club that lost 106 games last season managed only two runs on 10 hits and four walks — while striking out 19 times — in dropping the first two games of the season to its AL Central rival.“It was a little payback today,” Quatraro said.Perez provided the first big blow in the first inning, when he sent a three-run homer into the left-field bullpen. But it was a six-run second, highlighted by consecutive homers for Isbel and Garcia, that gave the Royals some breathing room. Witt added a triple to his first-inning single and Perez drove in another run before MJ Melendez knocked Ober from the game.By the time new second baseman Adam Frazier added a two-run double, the Royals were cruising with a 9-0 lead.Witt added his 434-foot shot in the third, and all that was left to see was whether he could hit for the cycle. Nobody had done it for Kansas City since Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett accomplished the feat on July 25, 1990, in Toronto.In the fifth, Witt struck out on a slider by Daniel Duarte. With one last chance in the seventh, the 23-year-old phenom worked a 3-1 count against Cole Sands before fouling off a pitch and swinging hard through a 95-mph fastball to end the inning.“I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself,” Witt said. “I got a couple of pitches I should have hit.”UP NEXTThe Twins have a day off before RHP Louie Varland starts the opener of a two-game series in Milwaukee on Tuesday.RHP Michael Wacha makes his Royals debut Monday night to open their three-game set in Baltimore.

KC hits 5 homers and routs Twins 11-0 to avoid sweep

By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Info

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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