NCAA SWEET 16EAST REGIONAL
Boston Regional SemifinalsThursday, March
28
UConn vs. San Diego St., 7:39 p.m.
Iowa St. vs. Illinois, 10:09 p.m.SOUTH REGIONAL
Dallas Regional SemifinalsFriday, March 29
Houston vs. Duke, 9:39 p.m.
Marquette vs. NC State, 7:09 p.m.MIDWEST REGIONAL
Detroit Regional SemifinalsFriday, March 29
Purdue vs. Gonzaga, 7:39 p.m.
Tennessee vs. Creighton, 10:09 p.m.WEST REGIONAL
Los Angeles Regional SemifinalsThursday, March
28
North Carolina vs. Alabama, 9:39 p.m.

NCAA Sweet 16 matchups

By JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball Writer

March Madness
arrived with visions of chaos. Based on last year's bracket, there
was little reason to doubt it.

The only surprise so
far has been the lack of pandemonium.

All eight top-two
seeds are headed to the regional round for the fifth time. One
double-digit seed will join them. Most of the Cinderellas that put
the madness in March busted out of the bracket long before midnight.

The bluebloods and
big boys are headed to the Sweet 16 — and they all want more.

“I didn’t come
back to make the Sweet 16,” Purdue big man Zach Edey said after the
Boilermakers' 106-67 victory over Utah State. “I came back to make
a run, a deep run. Nobody is satisfied with where we are now.”

Last year's Final
Four was unlike any other, a bracket-busting foursome with no teams
seeded better than No. 4 for the first time since the bracket
expanded in 1979.

Reigning national
champion UConn has looked good in its bid to repeat this year, but
there wasn't a dominant team during the regular season, opening the
door for what was expected to be a wild NCAA Tournament.

The upsets that
punctuate March have been limited and the only true buzzer-beater was
a tying 3-pointer by Texas A&amp;M's Andersson Garcia to force
overtime against Houston. The average margin of victory the first two
rounds was 15.8 points, second-highest since 1985.

Purdue erased some
of the disappointment of last year's historic first-round flameout
with a pair of lopsided wins, setting up a Sweet 16 matchup with a
Gonzaga team back in the underdog role. Fellow No. 1 seeds North
Carolina, UConn and Houston also are through to the Sweet 16.

The Cougars were the
only ones tested, needing overtime to beat Texas A&amp;M 100-95. No
other game involving a No. 1 seed was less than 16 points.

No. 2 seeds Arizona,
Tennessee, Marquette and Iowa State also advanced, marking the fifth
time — first since 2019 — that all eight top-two seeds reached
the Sweet 16 since the start of seeding in 1979.

No. 3 seeds Illinois
and Creighton, along fourth-seeded Duke and Alabama also got through.
The average seed for the Sweet 16 is 3.3, right behind the 3.1 in
2019 and 2009.

Oakland's Jack
Gohlke took the first big star turn of the NCAA Tournament, pouring
in 10 3-pointers — second-most ever — in the 14th-seeded Golden
Grizzlies' upset win over No. 3 seed Kentucky. Gohlke hit six more 3s
against N.C. State, but the Wolfpack outlasted Oakland in overtime to
reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2015.

That leaves No. 11
N.C. State, which had to win the ACC tournament just to get into the
bracket, as the only double-digit seed left after San Diego State
blew out No. 13 Yale in the final game of the second round.

“I think that’s
what March is about,” N.C. State big man DJ Burns said. “Some
teams got here by winning their conference just like us and that
doesn’t mean they’re a bad team.”

The ACC had what was
considered a down year with just four teams making the NCAA
Tournament.

Top-seeded North
Carolina, Duke, Clemson and N.C. State are all through to the Sweet
16, giving the ACC an 8-0 record through the first two rounds.

The ACC is the sixth
team to get four teams through to the Sweet 16 since the NCAA
Tournament expanded in 1985. The Big East was the last to do it in
2003.

Big East coaches,
players and fans were frustrated with the bracket reveal when just
three teams made it into the bracket.

The league is
rolling so far with three teams getting through to the Sweet 16 and a
6-0 record.

UConn is looking
good in its bid to become the first repeat champion since Florida in
2006-07, winning its first two games by an average of 28 points.

Marquette ended its
early-exit woes, reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016.
Creighton is also into the regional round after coming within seconds
of reaching the Final Four a year ago.

“You’ve see how
other leagues that got the bids that our league deserved has
underperformed,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “Obviously the
mistake was made. It sucks.”

The limited buzzer
beaters and lack of Cinderella runs hasn't quashed interest in this
year's NCAA Tournament.

By JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball WriterMarch Madness
arrived with visions of chaos. Based on last year's bracket, there
was little reason to doubt it.The only surprise so
far has been the lack of pandemonium.All eight top-two
seeds are headed to the regional round for the fifth time. One
double-digit seed will join them. Most of the Cinderellas that put
the madness in March busted out of the bracket long before midnight.The bluebloods and
big boys are headed to the Sweet 16 — and they all want more.“I didn’t come
back to make the Sweet 16,” Purdue big man Zach Edey said after the
Boilermakers' 106-67 victory over Utah State. “I came back to make
a run, a deep run. Nobody is satisfied with where we are now.”Last year's Final
Four was unlike any other, a bracket-busting foursome with no teams
seeded better than No. 4 for the first time since the bracket
expanded in 1979.Reigning national
champion UConn has looked good in its bid to repeat this year, but
there wasn't a dominant team during the regular season, opening the
door for what was expected to be a wild NCAA Tournament.It didn't happen.The upsets that
punctuate March have been limited and the only true buzzer-beater was
a tying 3-pointer by Texas A&amp;M's Andersson Garcia to force
overtime against Houston. The average margin of victory the first two
rounds was 15.8 points, second-highest since 1985.Purdue erased some
of the disappointment of last year's historic first-round flameout
with a pair of lopsided wins, setting up a Sweet 16 matchup with a
Gonzaga team back in the underdog role. Fellow No. 1 seeds North
Carolina, UConn and Houston also are through to the Sweet 16.The Cougars were the
only ones tested, needing overtime to beat Texas A&amp;M 100-95. No
other game involving a No. 1 seed was less than 16 points.No. 2 seeds Arizona,
Tennessee, Marquette and Iowa State also advanced, marking the fifth
time — first since 2019 — that all eight top-two seeds reached
the Sweet 16 since the start of seeding in 1979.No. 3 seeds Illinois
and Creighton, along fourth-seeded Duke and Alabama also got through.
The average seed for the Sweet 16 is 3.3, right behind the 3.1 in
2019 and 2009.Double-digit
seedsOakland's Jack
Gohlke took the first big star turn of the NCAA Tournament, pouring
in 10 3-pointers — second-most ever — in the 14th-seeded Golden
Grizzlies' upset win over No. 3 seed Kentucky. Gohlke hit six more 3s
against N.C. State, but the Wolfpack outlasted Oakland in overtime to
reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2015.That leaves No. 11
N.C. State, which had to win the ACC tournament just to get into the
bracket, as the only double-digit seed left after San Diego State
blew out No. 13 Yale in the final game of the second round.“I think that’s
what March is about,” N.C. State big man DJ Burns said. “Some
teams got here by winning their conference just like us and that
doesn’t mean they’re a bad team.”Undefeated ACCThe ACC had what was
considered a down year with just four teams making the NCAA
Tournament.Those four are
making the most of it.Top-seeded North
Carolina, Duke, Clemson and N.C. State are all through to the Sweet
16, giving the ACC an 8-0 record through the first two rounds.The ACC is the sixth
team to get four teams through to the Sweet 16 since the NCAA
Tournament expanded in 1985. The Big East was the last to do it in
2003.Big East beastBig East coaches,
players and fans were frustrated with the bracket reveal when just
three teams made it into the bracket.The league is
rolling so far with three teams getting through to the Sweet 16 and a
6-0 record.UConn is looking
good in its bid to become the first repeat champion since Florida in
2006-07, winning its first two games by an average of 28 points.Marquette ended its
early-exit woes, reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016.
Creighton is also into the regional round after coming within seconds
of reaching the Final Four a year ago.“You’ve see how
other leagues that got the bids that our league deserved has
underperformed,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “Obviously the
mistake was made. It sucks.”Big ratingsThe limited buzzer
beaters and lack of Cinderella runs hasn't quashed interest in this
year's NCAA Tournament.

Bracket not busted: All top 8 seeds advance to Sweet 16 in chalky March Madness

NCAA Second RoundSOUTHFinal
OT	Houston	100	Texas A&amp;M	95	Final	Marquette	81	Colorado	77	Final	Duke	93	James
Madison	55	MIDWESTFinal	Purdue	106	Utah
St.	67	EASTFinal	UConn	75	Northwestern	58	Final	San Diego
St.	85	Yale	57	WESTFinal	Clemson	72	Baylor	64	Final	Alabama	72	Grand
Canyon	61	NIT Second RoundFinal	VCU	70	South
Florida	65	Final	Utah	91	Iowa	82	Final	Indiana
St.	76	Minnesota	64	Final	Georgia	72	Wake
Forest	66	Final	UNLV	79	Boston
College	70CBI First RoundFinal	Cleveland
St.	51	N. Colorado	49	Final
OT	Montana	82	Presbyterian	79	Final	Fairfield	82	UALR	75	Final	Evansville	64	Quinnipiac	63MONDAY SCHEDULECIT Round 3Fort
Wayne	vs	Tarleton St.	7 p.m.	CBI Quarterfinalsat Ocean CenterCleveland
St.	vs	High Point	12 p.m.	Montana	vs	Arkansas
St.	2:30 p.m.	Chicago
St.	vs	Fairfield	5 p.m.

Sunday Tournament Scores, Monday schedule

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP)
— Tameiya Sadler scored all 10 of her points in the second half to
lead a balanced scoring attack and No. 5 seed Colorado beat four-seed
Kansas State 63-50 on Sunday to advance to the Sweet 16. The
Buffaloes (24-9) will face the winner of Monday’s game between No.
1 seed Iowa and No. 8 seed West Virginia Saturday in Albany, N.Y.
Colorado, which had six players with nine or more points, used an
11-2 run in the third quarter to grab its largest lead of the game at
48-41. The Buffaloes outscored K-State 19-7 in the third quarter to
take a 52-42 lead into the fourth quarter. The Wildcats (26-8) had
multiple chances to trim the deficit to three in the fourth quarter,
but couldn’t get the shots to fall.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Two of the nation's top freshmen will be in the spotlight when
top-seeded Southern California plays No. 8 seed Kansas in the second
round of the women's NCAA Tournament. USC's JuJu Watkins and S'Mya
Nichols of Kansas were both all-conference selections in their
respective leagues. They're surrounded by veteran supporting casts,
too. The Trojans haven't been to the Sweet 16 since 1994, when they
reached the Elite Eight. Kansas last made the Sweet 16 in 2013.
Watkins and Nichols are part of one of college basketball's strongest
freshmen classes in years.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)
— Emanuel Sharp started overtime with a 3-pointer that put
top-seeded Houston ahead to stay as the Cougars advanced to the Sweet
16 by topping ninth-seeded Texas A&amp;M 100-95. The Aggies forced
overtime with a furious rally, outscoring Houston 17-5 in the final
two minutes of regulation. Andersson Garcia beat the buzzer with his
ninth 3-pointer of the season, and then was mobbed by his teammates.
Sharp fouled out after his 3, finishing with 30 points. His teammates
outscored Texas A&amp;M 7-1 to start the extra session and close it
out. The win by Houston means all eight teams seeded 1 and 2 advanced
to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time since the NCAA tourney started
seeding in 1979.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)
— Chase Hunter had 20 points and six assists, and No. 6 seed
Clemson held off third-seeded Baylor for a 72-64 victory in the
second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers advanced to the Sweet
16 for the second time in coach Brad Brownell’s 14 seasons. They
also made it in 2018, when they lost to Kansas in the third round.
Joseph Girard III scored 13 points for the 23-11 Tigers, and Ian
Schieffelin and PJ Hall each had 11. Next up for Clemson is No. 2
seed in Arizona in the West Region semifinals in Los Angeles. RayJ
Dennis led Baylor with 27 points, including 21 in the second half.

NEW YORK (AP) —
Donovan Clingan, Tristen Newton and top overall seed UConn
overwhelmed an undermanned Northwestern team 75-58 to sail into the
Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Newton had 20 points and 10 assists,
while Clingan finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks
as the Huskies led wire-to-wire and became the first defending
national champions to reach the regional semifinals since Duke in
2016. Connecticut built a 30-point cushion with 13:27 left and
matched a program record for wins set by the 2013-14 national title
squad with 33. They’ll play Thursday night in the East Region
semifinals against No. 5 seed San Diego State in Boston, about an
85-mile drive from UConn’s campus.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Shohei Ohtani plans to speak to the media Monday for the first time
since the illegal gambling and theft allegations involving the Los
Angeles Dodgers star and his interpreter emerged during the team’s
trip to South Korea. The interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired by
the Dodgers last week when the team opened the season with two games
against the San Diego Padres in Seoul. Manager Dave Roberts says he's
glad Ohtani will “speak to what he knows and give his thoughts”
on the situation. Ohtani received a huge cheer as he walked to the
plate for the first time at Dodger Stadium on Sunday in the
exhibition against his former team, the Los Angeles Angels.

ARLINGTON, Texas
(AP) — Tyler Adams scored from about 35 yards in his first start in
more than a year for club or country, Gio Reyna added a second-half
goal and the United States beat Mexico 2-0 for its third straight
CONCACAF Nations League title. Adams put the U.S. ahead in the 45th
minute when he received a pass from Weston McKennie, took a touch and
curled a shot that just eluded the right hand of diving goalkeeper
Guillermo Ochoa. Reyna added a 63rd-minute goal following a pair of
extra-time assists in Thursday’s semifinal win over Jamaica.

PALM HARBOR, Fla.
(AP) — Peter Malnati is a PGA Tour winner again and this time is
going to the Masters. Malnati shot a 67 to win the Valspar
Championship by two shots over hard-luck Cameron Young. It's
Malnati's first win in more than eight years. He got a huge break
when he was able to go from the rough to the fringe on the 16th hole
while tied for the lead. That made par a lot easier. And then he
followed with a tremendous tee shot on the par-3 17th to 6 feet. The
birdie gave him the lead and led to the win.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) —
William Bryon started on pole and delivered a dominant drive Sunday
to win NASCAR’s first road race of the season at the Circuit of the
Americas. The Daytona 500 winner earned his second win of the season
and delivered the fourth in six races for Chevrolet. The Hendrick
Motorsports driver led 42 of 68 laps and held off hard-charging Joe
Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell over the final two laps. Bell
shaved nearly three seconds of Byron’s lead to create some late
drama before Byron slammed the door over the final corners. Byron
earned career win No. 12.

Final	Philadelphia	121	L.A.
Clippers	107	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710682717672.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP)
— Tameiya Sadler scored all 10 of her points in the second half to
lead a balanced scoring attack and No. 5 seed Colorado beat four-seed
Kansas State 63-50 on Sunday to advance to the Sweet 16. The
Buffaloes (24-9) will face the winner of Monday’s game between No.
1 seed Iowa and No. 8 seed West Virginia Saturday in Albany, N.Y.
Colorado, which had six players with nine or more points, used an
11-2 run in the third quarter to grab its largest lead of the game at
48-41. The Buffaloes outscored K-State 19-7 in the third quarter to
take a 52-42 lead into the fourth quarter. The Wildcats (26-8) had
multiple chances to trim the deficit to three in the fourth quarter,
but couldn’t get the shots to fall.LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Two of the nation's top freshmen will be in the spotlight when
top-seeded Southern California plays No. 8 seed Kansas in the second
round of the women's NCAA Tournament. USC's JuJu Watkins and S'Mya
Nichols of Kansas were both all-conference selections in their
respective leagues. They're surrounded by veteran supporting casts,
too. The Trojans haven't been to the Sweet 16 since 1994, when they
reached the Elite Eight. Kansas last made the Sweet 16 in 2013.
Watkins and Nichols are part of one of college basketball's strongest
freshmen classes in years.MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)
— Emanuel Sharp started overtime with a 3-pointer that put
top-seeded Houston ahead to stay as the Cougars advanced to the Sweet
16 by topping ninth-seeded Texas A&amp;M 100-95. The Aggies forced
overtime with a furious rally, outscoring Houston 17-5 in the final
two minutes of regulation. Andersson Garcia beat the buzzer with his
ninth 3-pointer of the season, and then was mobbed by his teammates.
Sharp fouled out after his 3, finishing with 30 points. His teammates
outscored Texas A&amp;M 7-1 to start the extra session and close it
out. The win by Houston means all eight teams seeded 1 and 2 advanced
to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time since the NCAA tourney started
seeding in 1979.MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)
— Chase Hunter had 20 points and six assists, and No. 6 seed
Clemson held off third-seeded Baylor for a 72-64 victory in the
second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers advanced to the Sweet
16 for the second time in coach Brad Brownell’s 14 seasons. They
also made it in 2018, when they lost to Kansas in the third round.
Joseph Girard III scored 13 points for the 23-11 Tigers, and Ian
Schieffelin and PJ Hall each had 11. Next up for Clemson is No. 2
seed in Arizona in the West Region semifinals in Los Angeles. RayJ
Dennis led Baylor with 27 points, including 21 in the second half.NEW YORK (AP) —
Donovan Clingan, Tristen Newton and top overall seed UConn
overwhelmed an undermanned Northwestern team 75-58 to sail into the
Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Newton had 20 points and 10 assists,
while Clingan finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks
as the Huskies led wire-to-wire and became the first defending
national champions to reach the regional semifinals since Duke in
2016. Connecticut built a 30-point cushion with 13:27 left and
matched a program record for wins set by the 2013-14 national title
squad with 33. They’ll play Thursday night in the East Region
semifinals against No. 5 seed San Diego State in Boston, about an
85-mile drive from UConn’s campus.LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Shohei Ohtani plans to speak to the media Monday for the first time
since the illegal gambling and theft allegations involving the Los
Angeles Dodgers star and his interpreter emerged during the team’s
trip to South Korea. The interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired by
the Dodgers last week when the team opened the season with two games
against the San Diego Padres in Seoul. Manager Dave Roberts says he's
glad Ohtani will “speak to what he knows and give his thoughts”
on the situation. Ohtani received a huge cheer as he walked to the
plate for the first time at Dodger Stadium on Sunday in the
exhibition against his former team, the Los Angeles Angels.ARLINGTON, Texas
(AP) — Tyler Adams scored from about 35 yards in his first start in
more than a year for club or country, Gio Reyna added a second-half
goal and the United States beat Mexico 2-0 for its third straight
CONCACAF Nations League title. Adams put the U.S. ahead in the 45th
minute when he received a pass from Weston McKennie, took a touch and
curled a shot that just eluded the right hand of diving goalkeeper
Guillermo Ochoa. Reyna added a 63rd-minute goal following a pair of
extra-time assists in Thursday’s semifinal win over Jamaica.PALM HARBOR, Fla.
(AP) — Peter Malnati is a PGA Tour winner again and this time is
going to the Masters. Malnati shot a 67 to win the Valspar
Championship by two shots over hard-luck Cameron Young. It's
Malnati's first win in more than eight years. He got a huge break
when he was able to go from the rough to the fringe on the 16th hole
while tied for the lead. That made par a lot easier. And then he
followed with a tremendous tee shot on the par-3 17th to 6 feet. The
birdie gave him the lead and led to the win.AUSTIN, Texas (AP) —
William Bryon started on pole and delivered a dominant drive Sunday
to win NASCAR’s first road race of the season at the Circuit of the
Americas. The Daytona 500 winner earned his second win of the season
and delivered the fourth in six races for Chevrolet. The Hendrick
Motorsports driver led 42 of 68 laps and held off hard-charging Joe
Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell over the final two laps. Bell
shaved nearly three seconds of Byron’s lead to create some late
drama before Byron slammed the door over the final corners. Byron
earned career win No. 12.SUNDAY SCORESNATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	New
Orleans	114	Detroit	101	Final	Philadelphia	121	L.A.
Clippers	107	Final	Miami	121	Cleveland	84	Final	Milwaukee	118	Oklahoma
City	93	Final	Minnesota	114	Golden
State	110	Final	L.A.
Lakers	150	Indiana	145	NATIONAL HOCKEY
LEAGUEFinal	Washington	3	Winnipeg	0	Final
OT	Colorado	5	Pittsburgh	4	Final	New
Jersey	4	N-Y Islanders	0	Final	Florida	4	Philadelphia	1	Final	Ottawa	5	Edmonton	3	Final	Carolina	2	Toronto	1	Final	Dallas	4	Arizona	2	Final OT	Tampa
Bay	3	Anaheim	2	Final	Buffalo	4	Calgary	1

Monday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

The Lady Panther
swim team opened the season last Thursday in Salina. Great Bend scored 315
points to win the four-team event. Host Salina South scored 261 points for
second.

The 200-yard
medley relay team of senior Emilee Hall and juniors Clarise Snapp, Ally Howard,
and Josephine Mazouch cruised to the win by five seconds in 2:07.03,
automatically qualifying to state by more than a second. The team of Meredith
Mazouch, Ava Gregg, Ava Holden, and Sidney Gilkison finished fourth in 2:25.96.

The 200 free relay
team of Hall, senior Sydney Kruckenberg, junior Braylee Carper, and Josephine
Mazouch won by five seconds in 1:57.48, a state consideration time. The squad
of Meredith Mazouch, Ellie Lutt, Darcy Feist, and Katelyn Mermis placed fifth in
2:06.90.

Josephine Mazouch
won the 100 free by nearly five seconds in 1:02.03, a state consideration time.
Kruckenberg finished fourth in 1:08.36, just 0.06 seconds behind the bronze

Hall won the 50
free silver in 28.13, less than a second from the win. Josephine Mazouch
finished behind her in 28.18, and Kruckenberg placed eighth in 30.33. Hall won
the 100 back gold by half a second in 1:08.21, a state consideration time.
Meredith Mazouch placed sixth in 1:33.06.

Junior Darcy Feist
finished second in the 200 free in 2:30.73, 11 seconds off the gold pace.
Junior Braylee Carper placed third in 2:32.97. Snapp swam third in the 200 IM
in 2:57.72 to miss the silver by 15 seconds. Gregg placed fourth in 3:06.99,
and Lutt finished fifth in 3:15.87. Howard led the team with a fourth-place
finish in the 100 fly in 1:23.94, seven seconds behind the bronze.

Carper picked up
another third-place finish in the 500 free in 6:53.57 to miss the silver by 26
seconds. Howard placed fourth in 7:12.69.

Snapp finished
third in the 100 breast in 1:22.82, missing the silver by six seconds. Gregg
placed fourth in 1:28.60, and Lutt finished fifth in 1:36.79.

The 400 free relay
team of Kruckenberg, Feist, Snapp, and Carper finished third in 4:33.44.
Teammates Howard, Holden, Lutt, and&nbsp; Mermis finished fifth in 5:10.48.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886521357.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post
SportsThe Lady Panther
swim team opened the season last Thursday in Salina. Great Bend scored 315
points to win the four-team event. Host Salina South scored 261 points for
second.The 200-yard
medley relay team of senior Emilee Hall and juniors Clarise Snapp, Ally Howard,
and Josephine Mazouch cruised to the win by five seconds in 2:07.03,
automatically qualifying to state by more than a second. The team of Meredith
Mazouch, Ava Gregg, Ava Holden, and Sidney Gilkison finished fourth in 2:25.96.The 200 free relay
team of Hall, senior Sydney Kruckenberg, junior Braylee Carper, and Josephine
Mazouch won by five seconds in 1:57.48, a state consideration time. The squad
of Meredith Mazouch, Ellie Lutt, Darcy Feist, and Katelyn Mermis placed fifth in
2:06.90.Josephine Mazouch
won the 100 free by nearly five seconds in 1:02.03, a state consideration time.
Kruckenberg finished fourth in 1:08.36, just 0.06 seconds behind the bronzeHall won the 50
free silver in 28.13, less than a second from the win. Josephine Mazouch
finished behind her in 28.18, and Kruckenberg placed eighth in 30.33. Hall won
the 100 back gold by half a second in 1:08.21, a state consideration time.
Meredith Mazouch placed sixth in 1:33.06.Junior Darcy Feist
finished second in the 200 free in 2:30.73, 11 seconds off the gold pace.
Junior Braylee Carper placed third in 2:32.97. Snapp swam third in the 200 IM
in 2:57.72 to miss the silver by 15 seconds. Gregg placed fourth in 3:06.99,
and Lutt finished fifth in 3:15.87. Howard led the team with a fourth-place
finish in the 100 fly in 1:23.94, seven seconds behind the bronze.Carper picked up
another third-place finish in the 500 free in 6:53.57 to miss the silver by 26
seconds. Howard placed fourth in 7:12.69.Snapp finished
third in the 100 breast in 1:22.82, missing the silver by six seconds. Gregg
placed fourth in 1:28.60, and Lutt finished fifth in 1:36.79.The 400 free relay
team of Kruckenberg, Feist, Snapp, and Carper finished third in 4:33.44.
Teammates Howard, Holden, Lutt, and&nbsp; Mermis finished fifth in 5:10.48.

Lady Panthers win Salina swim meet, relay team qualifies for state

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Royals right-hander Michael Wacha was hit on his pitching hand during his final inning of spring training Sunday, just before the club was to leave Arizona, and will have X-rays on his middle finger to determine the extent of the injury.

Wacha was pitching in the fifth inning of an intrasquad game when Salvador Perez lined his pitch up the middle. The ball hit Wacha's right middle finger, and he immediately grabbed the hand as Royals manager Matt Quatraro came out to check on him.

Quatraro said he was optimistic that Wacha would be OK. The Royals are counting on him to fill out an almost entirely revamped rotation after signing the 32-year-old veteran to a $32 million, two-year contract during free agency.

Right-hander Seth Lugo, who signed a $45 million, three-year deal, threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings during the intrasquad game.

The injury to Wacha came one day after the Royals said second baseman Michael Massey likely would begin the season on the injured list. He began dealing with back tightness on Tuesday and has been held out of baseball activity, and he was expected to remain in Arizona while the club heads to Springdale, Arkansas, for an exhibition game Monday.

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Royals right-hander Michael Wacha was hit on his pitching hand during his final inning of spring training Sunday, just before the club was to leave Arizona, and will have X-rays on his middle finger to determine the extent of the injury.Wacha was pitching in the fifth inning of an intrasquad game when Salvador Perez lined his pitch up the middle. The ball hit Wacha's right middle finger, and he immediately grabbed the hand as Royals manager Matt Quatraro came out to check on him.Quatraro said he was optimistic that Wacha would be OK. The Royals are counting on him to fill out an almost entirely revamped rotation after signing the 32-year-old veteran to a $32 million, two-year contract during free agency.Right-hander Seth Lugo, who signed a $45 million, three-year deal, threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings during the intrasquad game.The injury to Wacha came one day after the Royals said second baseman Michael Massey likely would begin the season on the injured list. He began dealing with back tightness on Tuesday and has been held out of baseball activity, and he was expected to remain in Arizona while the club heads to Springdale, Arkansas, for an exhibition game Monday.

Wacha will get X-rays after taking liner off pitching hand during scrimmage

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Tameiya Sadler scored all 10 of her points in the second half to lead a balanced scoring attack and No. 5 seed Colorado beat four-seed Kansas State 63-50 on Sunday to advance to the Sweet 16.

The Buffaloes (24-9) will face the winner of Monday's game between No. 1 seed Iowa and No. 8 seed West Virginia Saturday in Albany, N.Y.

This was the first home sellout for Kansas State since they hosted No. 1 UConn on Dec. 11, 2016.

The atmosphere impressed Colorado coach JR Payne.

“The environment was incredible, shout out to Manhattan, Kansas,” she said. “The entire community has welcomed us this week. That’s a great basketball environment.

"But we love that environment. We love being the underdog. We kind of thrive in that role.”

Colorado, which had six players with nine or more points, used an 11-2 run in the third quarter to grab its largest lead of the game at 48-41. The Buffaloes outscored K-State 19-7 in the third quarter to take a 52-42 lead into the fourth quarter.

No Buffaloes player scored more than 11, something that Payne said reflects her team's unselfishness.

“One of the best things about our team is that nobody really cares who gets to shine,” she said. “We don’t have a single five-star recruit. We don’t have a single McDonald’s All-American. But we have a group of young women that are willing to fight and compete every day that they take the floor. That leads to a group that really wants to see each other succeed.”

The Wildcats (26-8) had multiple chances to trim the deficit to three in the fourth quarter, but couldn't get the shots to fall.

“It’s disappointing to lose when you don’t play very well and you don’t feel like you did things as well as you could have,” K-State coach Jeff Mittie said. “The game presents its challenges and there were moments that we didn’t handle those things very well. Credit goes to Colorado. They did a lot of things that gave us problems all day long.”

Gabby Gregory scored 12 points to lead Kansas State. Ayoka Lee added 10 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks.

Gregory, who implored the K-State community all weekend to show up, was pleased with the crowd but was disappointed to end her career with a loss.

“I wasn’t expecting to be done so early,” she said. “Right now, I’m just so upset that we’re not moving on. The magnitude of my basketball career being over in college, it really hasn’t hit me yet.

"If that’s my last game here, that’s a pretty good crowd to go out on. I’m just really thankful to the fans.”

Neither team could grab control in the first half. The first quarter ended with the score tied at 14. Kansas State used an 8-0 run early in the second quarter to open a 22-15 advantage, the largest by either team to that point.

Serena Sundell hit a 3-pointer later in the quarter and sank an accompanying free throw to give K-State a 33-24 lead. But Colorado responded with a 9-0 run to tie the game at 33-33.

Colorado: The Buffaloes were not intimidated by the partisan crowd. Every time K-State grabbed the momentum and the crowd got louder, the Buffs responded.

Kansas State: The Wildcats will be totally different next year without Lee, who anchors the middle on offense and defense. With 13 assists, K-State set a school record for assists in a season with (631). And with eight blocks, the Wildcats established a school record for blocks in a season 178.

Colorado: The Buffaloes will go to Albany to play the winner of Monday's game between No. 1 seed Iowa and No. 8 West Virginia.

Kansas State: The Wildcats are done for the season.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Tameiya Sadler scored all 10 of her points in the second half to lead a balanced scoring attack and No. 5 seed Colorado beat four-seed Kansas State 63-50 on Sunday to advance to the Sweet 16.The Buffaloes (24-9) will face the winner of Monday's game between No. 1 seed Iowa and No. 8 seed West Virginia Saturday in Albany, N.Y.This was the first home sellout for Kansas State since they hosted No. 1 UConn on Dec. 11, 2016.The atmosphere impressed Colorado coach JR Payne.“The environment was incredible, shout out to Manhattan, Kansas,” she said. “The entire community has welcomed us this week. That’s a great basketball environment."But we love that environment. We love being the underdog. We kind of thrive in that role.”Colorado, which had six players with nine or more points, used an 11-2 run in the third quarter to grab its largest lead of the game at 48-41. The Buffaloes outscored K-State 19-7 in the third quarter to take a 52-42 lead into the fourth quarter.No Buffaloes player scored more than 11, something that Payne said reflects her team's unselfishness.“One of the best things about our team is that nobody really cares who gets to shine,” she said. “We don’t have a single five-star recruit. We don’t have a single McDonald’s All-American. But we have a group of young women that are willing to fight and compete every day that they take the floor. That leads to a group that really wants to see each other succeed.”The Wildcats (26-8) had multiple chances to trim the deficit to three in the fourth quarter, but couldn't get the shots to fall.“It’s disappointing to lose when you don’t play very well and you don’t feel like you did things as well as you could have,” K-State coach Jeff Mittie said. “The game presents its challenges and there were moments that we didn’t handle those things very well. Credit goes to Colorado. They did a lot of things that gave us problems all day long.”Gabby Gregory scored 12 points to lead Kansas State. Ayoka Lee added 10 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks.Gregory, who implored the K-State community all weekend to show up, was pleased with the crowd but was disappointed to end her career with a loss.“I wasn’t expecting to be done so early,” she said. “Right now, I’m just so upset that we’re not moving on. The magnitude of my basketball career being over in college, it really hasn’t hit me yet."If that’s my last game here, that’s a pretty good crowd to go out on. I’m just really thankful to the fans.”Neither team could grab control in the first half. The first quarter ended with the score tied at 14. Kansas State used an 8-0 run early in the second quarter to open a 22-15 advantage, the largest by either team to that point.Serena Sundell hit a 3-pointer later in the quarter and sank an accompanying free throw to give K-State a 33-24 lead. But Colorado responded with a 9-0 run to tie the game at 33-33.THE TAKEAWAYColorado: The Buffaloes were not intimidated by the partisan crowd. Every time K-State grabbed the momentum and the crowd got louder, the Buffs responded.Kansas State: The Wildcats will be totally different next year without Lee, who anchors the middle on offense and defense. With 13 assists, K-State set a school record for assists in a season with (631). And with eight blocks, the Wildcats established a school record for blocks in a season 178.UP NEXTColorado: The Buffaloes will go to Albany to play the winner of Monday's game between No. 1 seed Iowa and No. 8 West Virginia.Kansas State: The Wildcats are done for the season.

Colorado uses strong second half to take down Kansas State

Pratt – The
Barton Baseball Cougars extending their winning streak to 11
Saturday, beating the Pratt Beavers 5-3 and 2-1 in 9-innings at Stanion Field.

Barton
(10-2 23-6) returns home Thursday when they open a four game Jayhawk
West Series in Liberal with Seward County. The two teams wrap up the series with a twinbill at Lawson Biggs Field at 1pm.

The
Cougars are currently in 2nd
place in the Jayhawk West, a half game behind first place Cloud
County.

Jayhawk West Standings Team&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; conf&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;all Cloud County&nbsp; 10-2 22-9 Barton&nbsp; 9-2 23-6 Hutchinson&nbsp; 9-3&nbsp; 22-8 Butler&nbsp; 7-3&nbsp; 17-11 Dodge City&nbsp; 6-2&nbsp; 22-9 Seward County&nbsp; 4-4&nbsp; 16-15 Garden City&nbsp; 0-8&nbsp; 2-23 Pratt&nbsp; 0-11&nbsp; 11-20 Colby&nbsp; 0-12&nbsp; 2-25

Pratt – The
Barton Baseball Cougars extending their winning streak to 11
Saturday, beating the Pratt Beavers 5-3 and 2-1 in 9-innings at Stanion Field.Barton
(10-2 23-6) returns home Thursday when they open a four game Jayhawk
West Series in Liberal with Seward County. The two teams wrap up the series with a twinbill at Lawson Biggs Field at 1pm.The
Cougars are currently in 2nd
place in the Jayhawk West, a half game behind first place Cloud
County.Jayhawk West Standings Team&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; conf&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;all Cloud County&nbsp; 10-2 22-9 Barton&nbsp; 9-2 23-6 Hutchinson&nbsp; 9-3&nbsp; 22-8 Butler&nbsp; 7-3&nbsp; 17-11 Dodge City&nbsp; 6-2&nbsp; 22-9 Seward County&nbsp; 4-4&nbsp; 16-15 Garden City&nbsp; 0-8&nbsp; 2-23 Pratt&nbsp; 0-11&nbsp; 11-20 Colby&nbsp; 0-12&nbsp; 2-25

Cougars extend winning streak in sweep at Pratt

The regular season
Jayhawk Conference and Region 6 champions, Hutchinson highlight the
KJCCC postseason awards with recognition coming for several top
players in the Conference. 


Coach of the
Year: John Ontjes, Hutchinson

Coach John Ontjes
guided the Hutchinson Blue Dragons back to the top of the KJCCC as
they claimed their first KJCCC title since 2019 and 13th in program
history with 10 coming under Coach Ontjes. With a number one ranking
in the nation to their name the Blue Dragons for the fourth time in
program history capped the regular season undefeated and would go on
to win their ninth Region title (eighth under Coach Ontjes) by
winning the Region 6 Tournament to earn a trip to the NJCAA Division
I National Tournament. The trip to nationals is the 12th in program
history and the 11th under Coach Ontjes. The Blue Dragons enter the
National Tournament with a perfect 33-0 record; the 30+ wins are the
eighth time in school history with 30+ wins in a season.

Player of the
Year &amp; Freshman of the Year: Kiki Smith, Hutchinson

Kiki Smith wasted no
time making her impact felt for the Hutchinson Blue Dragons this
season helping guide them to their first KJCCC title since 2019,
along with the Region 6 championship, and a NJCAA Division I National
Tournament bid, along with a #1 ranking in the nation. The freshman
earned not only Freshman of the Year but also Player of the Year in
the KJCCC for the exceptional season she's put together. She led the
Blue Dragons in scoring with 17.7 points per game on 55.4% shooting
which ranks #1 in the KJCCC, while filling out the stat sheet with
3.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. Smith in
conference play would average nearly one more point per game at 18.6
points per game. 


Newcomer of the
Year &amp; Defensive Player of the Year: Parris Atkins, Dodge City

Parris Atkins burst
onto the scene in the KJCCC making an impact every night for Dodge
City after transferring to the Conquistadors. Atkins earns both the
Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards after
helping the Conqs finish second in the KJCCC along with being ranked
in the Top 20 and earning a trip to the NJCAA Division I National
Tournament. She averaged 14.5 points per game during the season on
46.9% shooting while adding 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.7 steals
per game. Her 86 steals rank 22nd in the nation and fifth in the
KJCCC. 


Jayhawk Conference Women's DI First Team Kiki Smith, Fr. Hutchinson Freddie Wallace, So. Butler Paris Santacaterina, So. Dodge City Princess Anderson, So. Pratt Parris Atkins, So. Dodge City Journey Armstead, So. Hutchinson Vera Ojenuwa, Fr. Barton Merveille Nkoyock, R-So. Independence Maimouna Sissoko, So. Cloud County Monae Duffy, So. Hutchinson

Other Barton Selections 2nd Team - Quezia Bertoni, So.&nbsp; Vivian Onugha, Fr. HM - Tatum Boettjer, So.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711285468728.jpeg" alt="Jayhawks Conference All-Conference selections" />
 <figcaption>Jayhawks Conference All-Conference selections</figcaption>
 </figure>The regular season
Jayhawk Conference and Region 6 champions, Hutchinson highlight the
KJCCC postseason awards with recognition coming for several top
players in the Conference. 
Coach of the
Year: John Ontjes, HutchinsonCoach John Ontjes
guided the Hutchinson Blue Dragons back to the top of the KJCCC as
they claimed their first KJCCC title since 2019 and 13th in program
history with 10 coming under Coach Ontjes. With a number one ranking
in the nation to their name the Blue Dragons for the fourth time in
program history capped the regular season undefeated and would go on
to win their ninth Region title (eighth under Coach Ontjes) by
winning the Region 6 Tournament to earn a trip to the NJCAA Division
I National Tournament. The trip to nationals is the 12th in program
history and the 11th under Coach Ontjes. The Blue Dragons enter the
National Tournament with a perfect 33-0 record; the 30+ wins are the
eighth time in school history with 30+ wins in a season.Player of the
Year &amp; Freshman of the Year: Kiki Smith, HutchinsonKiki Smith wasted no
time making her impact felt for the Hutchinson Blue Dragons this
season helping guide them to their first KJCCC title since 2019,
along with the Region 6 championship, and a NJCAA Division I National
Tournament bid, along with a #1 ranking in the nation. The freshman
earned not only Freshman of the Year but also Player of the Year in
the KJCCC for the exceptional season she's put together. She led the
Blue Dragons in scoring with 17.7 points per game on 55.4% shooting
which ranks #1 in the KJCCC, while filling out the stat sheet with
3.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. Smith in
conference play would average nearly one more point per game at 18.6
points per game. 
Newcomer of the
Year &amp; Defensive Player of the Year: Parris Atkins, Dodge CityParris Atkins burst
onto the scene in the KJCCC making an impact every night for Dodge
City after transferring to the Conquistadors. Atkins earns both the
Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards after
helping the Conqs finish second in the KJCCC along with being ranked
in the Top 20 and earning a trip to the NJCAA Division I National
Tournament. She averaged 14.5 points per game during the season on
46.9% shooting while adding 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.7 steals
per game. Her 86 steals rank 22nd in the nation and fifth in the
KJCCC. 
Jayhawk Conference Women's DI First Team Kiki Smith, Fr. Hutchinson Freddie Wallace, So. Butler Paris Santacaterina, So. Dodge City Princess Anderson, So. Pratt Parris Atkins, So. Dodge City Journey Armstead, So. Hutchinson Vera Ojenuwa, Fr. Barton Merveille Nkoyock, R-So. Independence Maimouna Sissoko, So. Cloud County Monae Duffy, So. HutchinsonOther Barton Selections 2nd Team - Quezia Bertoni, So.&nbsp; Vivian Onugha, Fr. HM - Tatum Boettjer, So.

KJCAA Women's Basketball Division I All-Conference Announced

By TODD MOORE Barton Sports Info

Scoring seven runs in the first two innings got the Barton Community College softball team off to a good start Saturday at Hutchinson Community College but the Cougars turned cold as the weather with the Blue Dragons scoring twenty-eight unanswered runs in sweeping the doubleheader 15-7 and 15-0.

The losses slide Barton to 11-5 and 14-10 overall while Hutchinson sits atop the standings at 14-2 and 25-7 overall. The Cougars will look to get back on track Wednesday to begin the second half of the league slate by welcoming Dodge City Community College for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch at Cougar Field.

Laci Dryden led Barton's nine opening game hits with a 3-for-3 performance accounting for Barton's first run on Allyson McDougal's two-out single.

Barton tacked on two more in the next at-bat as Chloe Enslinger's launch over the left field fence chalked up her team leading third round-tripper of the season.

The Blue Dragons rallied back in the home half with a two-out hit and double in cutting the deficit to 3-2.

Barton fired back in the second frame with five runs getting hits from Mikaila Herring, Lani Dryden, Laci Dryden, and Leslie Ramos in producing two runs. Ground outs from Aly Lawrence and McDougal pushed across two more building the lead to 7-2.

Hutchinson capitalized on a leadoff walk followed by the first of three Barton errors in the game, getting the first of four runs across on a sacrifice fly before striking again with two-outs on three consecutive singles and another error shrinking the deficit to one.

From there it was all Hutchinson as Barton managed just two hits and two walks for the rest of the game while the Blue Dragons plated a pair of runs in the fourth, one in the fifth, and a game clinching six dish crossers in the sixth.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711284984756.jpeg" alt="Barton Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Barton Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By TODD MOORE Barton Sports InfoScoring seven runs in the first two innings got the Barton Community College softball team off to a good start Saturday at Hutchinson Community College but the Cougars turned cold as the weather with the Blue Dragons scoring twenty-eight unanswered runs in sweeping the doubleheader 15-7 and 15-0.The losses slide Barton to 11-5 and 14-10 overall while Hutchinson sits atop the standings at 14-2 and 25-7 overall. The Cougars will look to get back on track Wednesday to begin the second half of the league slate by welcoming Dodge City Community College for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch at Cougar Field.Laci Dryden led Barton's nine opening game hits with a 3-for-3 performance accounting for Barton's first run on Allyson McDougal's two-out single.Barton tacked on two more in the next at-bat as Chloe Enslinger's launch over the left field fence chalked up her team leading third round-tripper of the season.The Blue Dragons rallied back in the home half with a two-out hit and double in cutting the deficit to 3-2.Barton fired back in the second frame with five runs getting hits from Mikaila Herring, Lani Dryden, Laci Dryden, and Leslie Ramos in producing two runs. Ground outs from Aly Lawrence and McDougal pushed across two more building the lead to 7-2.Hutchinson capitalized on a leadoff walk followed by the first of three Barton errors in the game, getting the first of four runs across on a sacrifice fly before striking again with two-outs on three consecutive singles and another error shrinking the deficit to one.From there it was all Hutchinson as Barton managed just two hits and two walks for the rest of the game while the Blue Dragons plated a pair of runs in the fourth, one in the fifth, and a game clinching six dish crossers in the sixth.

Barton softball drops twin bill at Hutchinson

Cowley College
sophomore Jeff Nwankwo was named the Kansas Jayhawk Community College
Conference Men's Division I Player of the Year as the 2024 all-KJCCC
teams were announced on Thursday.

Other major award
winners for 2024 were Jahni Summers from Coffeyville was the Freshman
of the Year, Barton coach Jeremy Coombs was named the Coach of the
Year, Garden City's Brody Robinson was named the Newcomer of the Year
and Barton's Cooper Jackson was named the league's Defensive Player
of the Year.

JEFF NWANKWO,
COWLEY – Player of the Year

Nwankwo, a 6-foot-6,
210-pound sophomore from Oklahoma City, was the leading scorer for
the Tigers, who reached the NJCAA Tournament as an at-large
selection.

Nwankwo was the
sixth-leading scorer in the KJCCC this season at 18.6 points per
game. The Cowley forward shot 50.2 percent from the floor and hit
36.8 percent from 3-point range (64 of 174). Nwankwo was seventh in
the KJCCC in rebounding.

Down the stretch,
Nwankwo was extremely tough to defend with three 30-point games and
averaging 24.3 points per game over his last 10 games. He had a
career-high 37 points against Butler on March 6, an 81-65 Tiger
victory that secured second place in the KJCCC standings this season.

With 595 points for
the season, Nwankwo is just 23 points from joining the Cowley
single-season Top 10 scoring list. 


JAHNI SUMMERS,
COFFEYVILLE – Freshman of the Year

Summers is a 6-6,
185-point freshman guard from Evansville, Indiana.

He was the
seventh-leading scorer in the KJCCC at 18.2 points per game. Summers
averaged 4.5 rebounds and shot 45.0 percent overall, 37.1 percent on
78 made 3-pointers and 76.7 percent from the floor.

Summers scored in
double figures in 28 of 31 games played. He had five-straight
20-point games early in January, scoring a season-high 28 points
against Dodge City on January 10. He followed that game with 26
points against Hutchinson and 24 points against Colby. 


JEREMY COOMBS,
BARTON – Coach of the Year

The third-year
Cougar head coach guided Barton to the 2024 KJCCC league title and
led the program to its first Region VI Tournament championship since
2001.

Coombs' 2024 Cougars
have put together a 32-1 overall record, going 23-1 in conference
play to win the league title. Barton earned the No. 1 overall seed
for the NJCAA National Tournament. Barton has won 23 consecutive
games going into the NJCAA Tournament.

This is Coombs'
second regional title as a head coach. While at Neosho County, Coombs
guided the Panthers to the 2016 Region VI championship. Now in his
17th season as a collegiate head coach, Coombs has a record of
301-227. 


BRODY ROBINSON,
GARDEN CITY – Newcomer of the Year

A 5-10, 160-point
transfer point guard from UT-Chattanooga, Robinson came to Garden
City and proved to be one of the best points guards in the country.

Robinson led the
NJCAA in assists with 8.6 assists per game, racking up 13 games of 10
or more assists including a Garden City single-game record 17 against
the Bethany JV on December 10.

Robinson was also
the second-leading scorer in the KJCCC this season at 20.4 points per
game. He also led the KJCCC in free-throw percentage at 85.5 percent.
Averaging 35.8 minutes per game, Robinson shot 43.8 percent overall
and 37.3 percent from 3-point range (84 of 225).

COOPER JACKSON,
BARTON – Defensive Player of the Year

Jackson is a 6-1,
165-pound guard from Lawrence. He led the KJCCC this season with 89
total steals and was one of the best on-ball defenders in the league.

Offensively, Jackson
averaged 7.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.

Jayhawk Conference DI Men's First Team Jeff Nwankwo, So. Cowley Brody Robinson, So. Garden City Lajae Jones, So. Barton Kamryn thomas, So. Hutchinson Arzhonte Dallas, So. Cowley Myles Thompson, R-So. Barton Corey Thomas, So. Cowley Jamichael Stillwell, So. Butler Cris Carroll, So. Coffeyville Valentino Simon, So. Hutchinson

Other Barton Selections 2nd Team-Mozae Downing-Rivers So. 2nd Team - Cooper Jackson So. HM - Ring Malith, So. HM - Keandre Kindell, Fr. HM - Brent Moss, Fr.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711284075148.jpeg" alt="Jayhawk Conference&nbsp; release" />
 <figcaption>Jayhawk Conference&nbsp; release</figcaption>
 </figure>Cowley College
sophomore Jeff Nwankwo was named the Kansas Jayhawk Community College
Conference Men's Division I Player of the Year as the 2024 all-KJCCC
teams were announced on Thursday.Other major award
winners for 2024 were Jahni Summers from Coffeyville was the Freshman
of the Year, Barton coach Jeremy Coombs was named the Coach of the
Year, Garden City's Brody Robinson was named the Newcomer of the Year
and Barton's Cooper Jackson was named the league's Defensive Player
of the Year.JEFF NWANKWO,
COWLEY – Player of the YearNwankwo, a 6-foot-6,
210-pound sophomore from Oklahoma City, was the leading scorer for
the Tigers, who reached the NJCAA Tournament as an at-large
selection.Nwankwo was the
sixth-leading scorer in the KJCCC this season at 18.6 points per
game. The Cowley forward shot 50.2 percent from the floor and hit
36.8 percent from 3-point range (64 of 174). Nwankwo was seventh in
the KJCCC in rebounding.Down the stretch,
Nwankwo was extremely tough to defend with three 30-point games and
averaging 24.3 points per game over his last 10 games. He had a
career-high 37 points against Butler on March 6, an 81-65 Tiger
victory that secured second place in the KJCCC standings this season.With 595 points for
the season, Nwankwo is just 23 points from joining the Cowley
single-season Top 10 scoring list. 
JAHNI SUMMERS,
COFFEYVILLE – Freshman of the YearSummers is a 6-6,
185-point freshman guard from Evansville, Indiana.He was the
seventh-leading scorer in the KJCCC at 18.2 points per game. Summers
averaged 4.5 rebounds and shot 45.0 percent overall, 37.1 percent on
78 made 3-pointers and 76.7 percent from the floor.Summers scored in
double figures in 28 of 31 games played. He had five-straight
20-point games early in January, scoring a season-high 28 points
against Dodge City on January 10. He followed that game with 26
points against Hutchinson and 24 points against Colby. 
JEREMY COOMBS,
BARTON – Coach of the YearThe third-year
Cougar head coach guided Barton to the 2024 KJCCC league title and
led the program to its first Region VI Tournament championship since
2001.Coombs' 2024 Cougars
have put together a 32-1 overall record, going 23-1 in conference
play to win the league title. Barton earned the No. 1 overall seed
for the NJCAA National Tournament. Barton has won 23 consecutive
games going into the NJCAA Tournament.This is Coombs'
second regional title as a head coach. While at Neosho County, Coombs
guided the Panthers to the 2016 Region VI championship. Now in his
17th season as a collegiate head coach, Coombs has a record of
301-227. 
BRODY ROBINSON,
GARDEN CITY – Newcomer of the YearA 5-10, 160-point
transfer point guard from UT-Chattanooga, Robinson came to Garden
City and proved to be one of the best points guards in the country.Robinson led the
NJCAA in assists with 8.6 assists per game, racking up 13 games of 10
or more assists including a Garden City single-game record 17 against
the Bethany JV on December 10.Robinson was also
the second-leading scorer in the KJCCC this season at 20.4 points per
game. He also led the KJCCC in free-throw percentage at 85.5 percent.
Averaging 35.8 minutes per game, Robinson shot 43.8 percent overall
and 37.3 percent from 3-point range (84 of 225).COOPER JACKSON,
BARTON – Defensive Player of the YearJackson is a 6-1,
165-pound guard from Lawrence. He led the KJCCC this season with 89
total steals and was one of the best on-ball defenders in the league.Offensively, Jackson
averaged 7.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.Jayhawk Conference DI Men's First Team Jeff Nwankwo, So. Cowley Brody Robinson, So. Garden City Lajae Jones, So. Barton Kamryn thomas, So. Hutchinson Arzhonte Dallas, So. Cowley Myles Thompson, R-So. Barton Corey Thomas, So. Cowley Jamichael Stillwell, So. Butler Cris Carroll, So. Coffeyville Valentino Simon, So. HutchinsonOther Barton Selections 2nd Team-Mozae Downing-Rivers So. 2nd Team - Cooper Jackson So. HM - Ring Malith, So. HM - Keandre Kindell, Fr. HM - Brent Moss, Fr.

Coombs Tabbed COY; D1 Men's All-KJCCC Teams Released

Final	Arkansas
St.	86	Bethune-Cookman	85	

Saturday NCAA
Second RoundSOUTHFinal OT	NC
State	79	Oakland	73	MIDWESTFinal	Gonzaga	89	Kansas	68	Final
2OT	Creighton	86	Oregon	73	Final	Tennessee	62	Texas	58	EASTFinal	Iowa
St.	67	Washington St.	56	Final	Illinois	89	Duquesne	63	WESTFinal	Arizona	78	Dayton	68	Final	North
Carolina	85	Michigan St.	69	NIT Second RoundFinal	Cincinnati	74	Bradley	57	Final	Ohio
St.	81	Virginia Tech	73	Final	Seton
Hall	72	North Texas	58	CIT Round 3Final	Norfolk
St.	81	Alabama A&amp;M	66	CBI First RoundFinal	Arkansas
St.	86	Bethune-Cookman	85	Final	Chicago
St.	77	UC San Diego	75	Final	Seattle	79	Delaware
St.	66Sunday NCAA
Second RoundSOUTHTexas
A&amp;M	vs	Houston	8:40 p.m.	Colorado	vs	Marquette	12:10
p.m.	James
Madison	vs	Duke	5:15 p.m.	MIDWESTUtah
St.	vs	Purdue	2:40 p.m.	EASTNorthwestern	vs	UConn	7:45
p.m.	Yale	vs	San Diego
St.	9:40 p.m.	WESTClemson	vs	Baylor	6:10
p.m.	Grand
Canyon	vs	Alabama	7:10 p.m.	NIT Second RoundVCU	vs	South
Florida	7:30 p.m.	Iowa	vs	Utah	9 p.m.	Minnesota	vs	Indiana
St.	2 p.m.	Georgia	vs	Wake
Forest	4 p.m.	Boston
College	vs	UNLV	9:30 p.m.	CIT No games
scheduled.CBI First RoundCleveland St.	vs	N.
Colorado	11 a.m.	Presbyterian	vs	Montana	1:30
p.m.	UALR	vs	Fairfield	4
p.m.

Saturday Tourney Scores - Sunday Schedule

LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Zakiyah Franklin scored 22 points, including a tying 3-pointer that
bounced on the rim and dropped with 12 seconds left in regulation,
and Kansas beat Michigan 81-72 in overtime in the first round of the
women’s NCAA Tournament. Wyvette Mayberry and S’Mya Nichols added
15 points each and Taiyanna Jackson had 14 points and eight rebounds
for the eighth-seeded Jayhawks. The Jayhawks rallied in the fourth
quarter, when they outscored the Wolverines 23-14. Then Kansas
stepped up its defense and controlled the five-minute extra session,
14-5. Cameron Williams scored 18 points to lead ninth-seeded
Michigan.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)
— Gonzaga played a nearly perfect second half, busting open a
back-and-forth game with a 15-0 run to pull away from Kansas for an
89-68 win and extend its nation-best streak of trips to the Sweet 16
to nine. Anton Watson shot 8 for 11 for 21 points on an afternoon
when basically everyone in a navy jersey was a star, especially after
halftime. The fifth-seeded Zags made their first five 3-pointers of
the second half, not missing from long range until less than two
minutes remained, and the game had long been in extended garbage
time.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) —
Tamin Lipsey scored 15 points to lead No. 2 seed Iowa State to its
seventh Sweet 16 with a 67-56 victory over seventh-seeded Washington
State in the NCAA Tournament. Curtis Jones added 14 points for the
Cyclones. They will play third-seeded Illinois in the East Region
semifinals on Thursday night at TD Garden in Boston. Jaylen Wells
scored 20 points and Myles Rice had 13 for the Cougars, who were sent
back to the Palouse still in search of their first Sweet 16
appearance since Tony Bennett was on the sideline in 2008.

PITTSBURGH (AP) —
Steven Ashworth and Ryan Kalkbrenner made 3-pointers in the second
overtime and Creighton edged past its former coach — Oregon’s
Dana Altman — to move into the Sweet 16 with an 86-73 win in the
Midwest Region. The 3s by the 6-foot-1 Ashworth and a rare one by the
7-foot-1 Kalkbrenner helped the third-seeded Bluejays Score the first
15 points of the second OT to finally put away the 11th-seeded Ducks.
Ashworth scored 21 points, Trey Alexander added 20 and Kalkbrenner 19
for Creighton, which will make its third Sweet 16 appearance in four
years when it faces Tennessee next week in Detroit. Oregon's Jermaine
Couisnard, who had 40 points in the first round against South
Carolina, had 32 and Dante added 28 and 20 rebounds.

PITTSBURGH (AP) —
DJ Burns Jr. scored 24 points, including a go-ahead putback that
ignited a 9-0 run in overtime, and 11th-seeded North Carolina State
beat 14th-seeded Oakland 79-73 in the second round of the NCAA
Tournament. Powered by their versatile 6-foot-9, 275-pound forward,
the Wolfpack advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2015
by finally pulling away from 3-point specialist Jack Gohlke and the
Golden Grizzlies in the extra period. N.C. State will face either
second-seeded Marquette and 10th-seeded Colorado in Dallas on Friday
in the South Region semifinals. Trey Townsend had 30 points and 13
rebounds for Oakland, and Gohlke made six 3-pointers and scored 22
points.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)
— RJ Davis scored 20 points to help North Carolina beat Michigan
State 85-69 in the NCAA Tournament, pushing the Tar Heels to the
Sweet 16 while keeping them unbeaten in March Madness against
Spartans Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo. Harrison Ingram made five
3-pointers and scored 17 points for the West Region’s top seed. The
Tar Heels improved to 5-0 in the tournament against Izzo, including
victories in the 2005 Final Four and 2009 title game. And they move
on to the regional semifinals in Los Angeles, where they will face
either Grand Canyon or Alabama. Tyson Walker scored 24 points for
ninth-seeded Michigan State.

BOCA RATON, Fla.
(AP) — Dusty May is going to Michigan, returning to his Big Ten
roots and leaving Florida Atlantic after six seasons highlighted by a
Final Four run that thrust him into the national spotlight a year
ago. Michigan President Santa Ono, in a social media post, announced
the hiring. May and the Wolverines were in the process of finalizing
details of what was expected to be a five-year contract, according to
a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity
because Michigan had yet to announce the terms of the deal. ESPN
first reported the agreement. May will replace Juwan Howard, who was
fired after five seasons with the Wolverines.

MONTREAL (AP) —
American figure skating star Ilia Malinin is a world champion — and
a world-record holder. Malinin put on a dominant display that
included a jaw-dropping six quad jumps to snag the men’s singles
crown Saturday night at the world championships. After placing third
in Thursday’s short program, the 19-year-old scored a world- record
227.79 in the free program to bring his total to 333.76. Olympic
champion Nathan Chen, also of the United States, set the previous
free program record of 224.92 in 2019. Earlier Saturday, 2022 Olympic
champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States defended
their ice dance world title with a season-best total score of 222.20.

PALM HARBOR, Fla.
(AP) — Keith Mitchell found a little separation at the Valspar
Championship. All it required was one of the best finishes ever
through the famed “Snake Pit” at Innisbrook. He went
birdie-birdie-eagle. That includes holing out with a 7-iron from the
18th fairway on a shot he didn't even see because something was in
his eye. Mitchell had a 66 and has a two-shot lead over Mackenzie
Hughes, Seamus Power and Peter Malnati going into the final round.
Cameron Young was three shots behind. Stewart Cink fell apart on the
back nine. Justin Thomas fell apart all day and shot 79.

BALTIMORE (AP) —
Longtime Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos has died at the age of
94. His family announced in a statement that Angelos, who had been
ill for several years, died Saturday. Angelos was owner of an Orioles
team that endured long losing stretches and shrewd proprietor of a
law firm that won high-profile cases against industry titans such as
tobacco giant Philip Morris. Angelos’ death comes as his son, John,
is in the process of selling the Orioles to a group headed by Carlyle
Group Inc. co-founder David Rubenstein. Peter Angelos purchased the
team for $173 million in 1993, at the time the highest for a sports
franchise. His public role diminished significantly in his final
years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710682717672.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) —
Zakiyah Franklin scored 22 points, including a tying 3-pointer that
bounced on the rim and dropped with 12 seconds left in regulation,
and Kansas beat Michigan 81-72 in overtime in the first round of the
women’s NCAA Tournament. Wyvette Mayberry and S’Mya Nichols added
15 points each and Taiyanna Jackson had 14 points and eight rebounds
for the eighth-seeded Jayhawks. The Jayhawks rallied in the fourth
quarter, when they outscored the Wolverines 23-14. Then Kansas
stepped up its defense and controlled the five-minute extra session,
14-5. Cameron Williams scored 18 points to lead ninth-seeded
Michigan.SALT LAKE CITY (AP)
— Gonzaga played a nearly perfect second half, busting open a
back-and-forth game with a 15-0 run to pull away from Kansas for an
89-68 win and extend its nation-best streak of trips to the Sweet 16
to nine. Anton Watson shot 8 for 11 for 21 points on an afternoon
when basically everyone in a navy jersey was a star, especially after
halftime. The fifth-seeded Zags made their first five 3-pointers of
the second half, not missing from long range until less than two
minutes remained, and the game had long been in extended garbage
time.OMAHA, Neb. (AP) —
Tamin Lipsey scored 15 points to lead No. 2 seed Iowa State to its
seventh Sweet 16 with a 67-56 victory over seventh-seeded Washington
State in the NCAA Tournament. Curtis Jones added 14 points for the
Cyclones. They will play third-seeded Illinois in the East Region
semifinals on Thursday night at TD Garden in Boston. Jaylen Wells
scored 20 points and Myles Rice had 13 for the Cougars, who were sent
back to the Palouse still in search of their first Sweet 16
appearance since Tony Bennett was on the sideline in 2008.PITTSBURGH (AP) —
Steven Ashworth and Ryan Kalkbrenner made 3-pointers in the second
overtime and Creighton edged past its former coach — Oregon’s
Dana Altman — to move into the Sweet 16 with an 86-73 win in the
Midwest Region. The 3s by the 6-foot-1 Ashworth and a rare one by the
7-foot-1 Kalkbrenner helped the third-seeded Bluejays Score the first
15 points of the second OT to finally put away the 11th-seeded Ducks.
Ashworth scored 21 points, Trey Alexander added 20 and Kalkbrenner 19
for Creighton, which will make its third Sweet 16 appearance in four
years when it faces Tennessee next week in Detroit. Oregon's Jermaine
Couisnard, who had 40 points in the first round against South
Carolina, had 32 and Dante added 28 and 20 rebounds.PITTSBURGH (AP) —
DJ Burns Jr. scored 24 points, including a go-ahead putback that
ignited a 9-0 run in overtime, and 11th-seeded North Carolina State
beat 14th-seeded Oakland 79-73 in the second round of the NCAA
Tournament. Powered by their versatile 6-foot-9, 275-pound forward,
the Wolfpack advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2015
by finally pulling away from 3-point specialist Jack Gohlke and the
Golden Grizzlies in the extra period. N.C. State will face either
second-seeded Marquette and 10th-seeded Colorado in Dallas on Friday
in the South Region semifinals. Trey Townsend had 30 points and 13
rebounds for Oakland, and Gohlke made six 3-pointers and scored 22
points.CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)
— RJ Davis scored 20 points to help North Carolina beat Michigan
State 85-69 in the NCAA Tournament, pushing the Tar Heels to the
Sweet 16 while keeping them unbeaten in March Madness against
Spartans Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo. Harrison Ingram made five
3-pointers and scored 17 points for the West Region’s top seed. The
Tar Heels improved to 5-0 in the tournament against Izzo, including
victories in the 2005 Final Four and 2009 title game. And they move
on to the regional semifinals in Los Angeles, where they will face
either Grand Canyon or Alabama. Tyson Walker scored 24 points for
ninth-seeded Michigan State.BOCA RATON, Fla.
(AP) — Dusty May is going to Michigan, returning to his Big Ten
roots and leaving Florida Atlantic after six seasons highlighted by a
Final Four run that thrust him into the national spotlight a year
ago. Michigan President Santa Ono, in a social media post, announced
the hiring. May and the Wolverines were in the process of finalizing
details of what was expected to be a five-year contract, according to
a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity
because Michigan had yet to announce the terms of the deal. ESPN
first reported the agreement. May will replace Juwan Howard, who was
fired after five seasons with the Wolverines.MONTREAL (AP) —
American figure skating star Ilia Malinin is a world champion — and
a world-record holder. Malinin put on a dominant display that
included a jaw-dropping six quad jumps to snag the men’s singles
crown Saturday night at the world championships. After placing third
in Thursday’s short program, the 19-year-old scored a world- record
227.79 in the free program to bring his total to 333.76. Olympic
champion Nathan Chen, also of the United States, set the previous
free program record of 224.92 in 2019. Earlier Saturday, 2022 Olympic
champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States defended
their ice dance world title with a season-best total score of 222.20.PALM HARBOR, Fla.
(AP) — Keith Mitchell found a little separation at the Valspar
Championship. All it required was one of the best finishes ever
through the famed “Snake Pit” at Innisbrook. He went
birdie-birdie-eagle. That includes holing out with a 7-iron from the
18th fairway on a shot he didn't even see because something was in
his eye. Mitchell had a 66 and has a two-shot lead over Mackenzie
Hughes, Seamus Power and Peter Malnati going into the final round.
Cameron Young was three shots behind. Stewart Cink fell apart on the
back nine. Justin Thomas fell apart all day and shot 79.BALTIMORE (AP) —
Longtime Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos has died at the age of
94. His family announced in a statement that Angelos, who had been
ill for several years, died Saturday. Angelos was owner of an Orioles
team that endured long losing stretches and shrewd proprietor of a
law firm that won high-profile cases against industry titans such as
tobacco giant Philip Morris. Angelos’ death comes as his son, John,
is in the process of selling the Orioles to a group headed by Carlyle
Group Inc. co-founder David Rubenstein. Peter Angelos purchased the
team for $173 million in 1993, at the time the highest for a sports
franchise. His public role diminished significantly in his final
years.SATURDAY SCORESMAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALLINTERLEAGUEFinal	Tampa
Bay	5	Atlanta	2	Final	Pittsburgh	4	Boston	1	Final	Philadelphia	6	N.Y.
Yankees	6	Final	Houston	13	N.Y.
Mets	5	Final	Cleveland	5	Arizona	0	AMERICAN LEAGUEFinal	Baltimore	6	Tampa
Bay	4	Final	Detroit	10	Toronto	7	Final	Detroit	11	N.Y.
Yankees	6	Final	Texas	1	Kansas
City	1	Final	Oakland	11	L.A.
Angels	5	Final	Seattle	8	Chicago
White Sox	2	Final	Baltimore	3	Toronto	2	Final	Boston	8	Minnesota	6	NATIONAL LEAGUEFinal	Washington	2	St.
Louis	2	Final	Cincinnati	6	Colorado	2	Final	Milwaukee	7	Chicago
Cubs	4	Final	Arizona	11	San
Francisco	5	Final	Miami	5	Washington	3	NATIONAL
BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	New
York	105	Brooklyn	93	Final	Sacramento	109	Orlando	107	Final	Atlanta	132	Charlotte	91	Final	Phoenix	131	San
Antonio	106	Final	Boston	124	Chicago	113	Final	Houston	147	Utah	119	Final	Washington	112	Toronto	109	Final	Denver	114	Portland	111	NATIONAL HOCKEY
LEAGUEFinal	N-Y
Islanders	6	Winnipeg	3	Final	Philadelphia	3	Boston	2	Final OT	St.
Louis	5	Minnesota	4	Final	Nashville	1	Detroit	0	Final	Ottawa	5	New
Jersey	2	Final	Toronto	6	Edmonton	3	Final SO	N-Y
Rangers	4	Florida	3	Final	Vancouver	4	Calgary	2	Final OT	Los
Angeles	4	Tampa Bay	3	Final	Vegas	4	Columbus	2

Sunday Sports Headlines and Scores presented by Barton Community College

Cold, windy conditions were a little less than ideal for the Lady Panther softball team's season-opener against Pratt Saturday at the Sports Complex. Great Bend made the most of it, taking game one 5-3, and completing the sweep 5-1.

The Lady Panthers fell behind 3-0 in the third inning of game one. That scored stood until the bottom of the sixth when Paige Thexton led things off with a walk. Camdyn Post and Kya Behr followed with singles to put Great Bend on the board via Thexton's run. Katherine Mazouch singled to load the bases, and an error off the bat of Alyssa McCauley scored Post. A singled from Denver Ringo scored Behr to tie the game though Mazouch's go-ahead run was halted at the plate.

With the game tied into the bottom of the seventh, Kamryn Koelsch was hit by a pitch to open the frame. Camdyn Post reached on a bunt single, and the two runners advanced into scoring position on a throw. The freshman Behr provided the heroics with a 2-run triple to end the game in walk-off fashion.

Behr had two hits and drive in three in the win. Post had three of the seven Lady Panther hits in her varsity debut. Mazouch and Ringo provided the other two hits.

Braelyn Turner recorded all but one out in the circle but did not pick up the win. She struck out four, walked four, and allowed just one earned run on four hits. Chayla Prendergast struck out the final Pratt batter and picked up the win with Behr's big hit in the bottom of the seventh.

Game two was less dramatic as Great Bend pulled ahead 3-0 after two innings and picked up insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Prendergast threw all seven innings with three strikeouts and an unearned run on four hits.&nbsp;

Behr tripled and singled with an RBI. DeShawnna Bryant doubled and singled with a pair of RBIs. Post and Koelsch each singled twice, and Thexton singled, walked, and drove in a run.

The Lady Panthers are scheduled to host Manhattan and McPherson in triangular action Tuesday at the Sports Complex.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673886320587.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Great Bend Post SportsCold, windy conditions were a little less than ideal for the Lady Panther softball team's season-opener against Pratt Saturday at the Sports Complex. Great Bend made the most of it, taking game one 5-3, and completing the sweep 5-1.The Lady Panthers fell behind 3-0 in the third inning of game one. That scored stood until the bottom of the sixth when Paige Thexton led things off with a walk. Camdyn Post and Kya Behr followed with singles to put Great Bend on the board via Thexton's run. Katherine Mazouch singled to load the bases, and an error off the bat of Alyssa McCauley scored Post. A singled from Denver Ringo scored Behr to tie the game though Mazouch's go-ahead run was halted at the plate.With the game tied into the bottom of the seventh, Kamryn Koelsch was hit by a pitch to open the frame. Camdyn Post reached on a bunt single, and the two runners advanced into scoring position on a throw. The freshman Behr provided the heroics with a 2-run triple to end the game in walk-off fashion.Behr had two hits and drive in three in the win. Post had three of the seven Lady Panther hits in her varsity debut. Mazouch and Ringo provided the other two hits.Braelyn Turner recorded all but one out in the circle but did not pick up the win. She struck out four, walked four, and allowed just one earned run on four hits. Chayla Prendergast struck out the final Pratt batter and picked up the win with Behr's big hit in the bottom of the seventh.Game two was less dramatic as Great Bend pulled ahead 3-0 after two innings and picked up insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Prendergast threw all seven innings with three strikeouts and an unearned run on four hits.&nbsp;Behr tripled and singled with an RBI. DeShawnna Bryant doubled and singled with a pair of RBIs. Post and Koelsch each singled twice, and Thexton singled, walked, and drove in a run.The Lady Panthers are scheduled to host Manhattan and McPherson in triangular action Tuesday at the Sports Complex.

Lady Panther freshmen come up big in softball sweep of Pratt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Great Bend travels to Hutchinson for a doubleheader on Thursday.

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

Panther baseball scores late run, sweeps Pratt at home

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kansas women get past Michigan 81-72 in overtime

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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