MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State scored 53 points on 64.3 percent shooting after halftime, as the Wildcats used another second-half rally to pull away from Monmouth, 73-54, on Wednesday night at Bramlage Coliseum.

K-State (3-0) has now trailed at the half in all 3 games this season and rallied in the second half to win.

Down 29-20 at the half to a veteran Monmouth (1-2) squad after shooting just 28.6 percent (8-of-28) from the field, including 0-of-10 from 3-point range, the Wildcats scored the first 9 points of the second half en route to a 37-6 combined run over the first 14 minutes of the half. The run enabled the squad to flip the 9-point halftime deficit into a 57-35 lead with 5:56 to play. Six different players scored in the pivotal stretch, including 9 by senior Makol Mawien and seven each by senior Xavier Sneed and freshman Montavious Murphy.

The Wildcats are now averaging 43.7 points on 54.2 percent (45-of-83) shooting, including 41.4 percent (12-of-29) from 3-point range, in the second half this season compared to just 19 points on 29.9 percent (26-of-87) shooting, including 3.1 percent (1-of-32) from 3-point range, in the first half.

Sneed was one of two players in double figures for K-State, which is off to a 3-0 start for the fifth consecutive season. Sneed led the way in scoring for the second straight game with 15 points on 5-of-10 field goals to go with a career-tying 5 steals and 6 rebounds in 34 minutes. Mawien nearly had his second double-double of the season with 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting and a team-high 9 rebounds in 17 minutes. Three others – Murphy and juniors Cartier Diarra and David Sloan – each had 8 points, as Diarra added a career-high 7 assists and 4 steals.

The Hawks, which connected on 54.5 percent (12-of-22) from the field in building a 9-point lead at half, hit on just 26.9 percent (7-of-26) in the second half. They became the third consecutive opponent to not reach 60 points against the stingy Wildcat defense, which is allowing just 54.7 points on 34.2 percent shooting this season.

K-State registered 17 steals on the night, which were the third-most in school history and the most since team tied the program record with 19 steals in a win over Northern Arizona on Nov. 20, 2017.

Senior reserve Ray Salnave led all scorers with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range.

The Wildcats finished the game at 46.4 percent (26-of-56), including 21.1 percent (4-of-19) from 3-point range, and converted on 70.8 percent (17-of-24) from the free throw line. The team set or tied season-highs in a number of categories, including points (73), field goal percentage (46.4), assists (17) and points in the paint (38).

HOW IT HAPPENED
The slow start to games continued for K-State, as the team missed their first 6 field goals before a fast-break dunk by senior Xavier Sneed off a steal by junior Cartier Diarra gave the Wildcats their first points and tied the score at 2-all just 4 minutes into the game.

A 3-pointer by senior Deion Hammond on the next possession broke the tie and ignited a 9-2 run by Monmouth, including 6 in a row, that gave the Hawks an 11-4 advantage at the 12:35 mark.

A jumper by junior Levi Stockard III broke the scoring drought for K-State on the next possession, as the team slowly chipped away at the deficit. An 8-0 run, including 5 in a row by freshman DaJuan Gordon, gave the Wildcats their first lead at 16-13 with 5:57 before halftime.

Monmouth responded quickly to retake the lead, scoring 16 of the next 20 points, to take a 29-20 advantage into the locker room at halftime. In the last 4:47 of the half, the Hawks outscored the Wildcats, 11-2.

Monmouth connected on 54.5 percent (12-of-22) from the field, including 42.9 percent (3-of-7) from 3-point range, in the first half. Three players scored at least 6 points, including a game-high 9 by reserve Ray Salnave.
The Wildcats shot just 28.6 percent (8-of-28) from the field in the opening half, including missing all 10 of their 3-point field goals. Sneed led the team with 6 points and 4 rebounds, while Gordon added 5 points and 2 boards.

In what has been the case in the first 2 games, K-State came out with better energy to start the second half and rattled off 9 consecutive points to tie the game at 29-all at the 16:46 mark. Sneed opened the 9-0 run by ending the drought from 3-point range on the first possession then continued with a jumper from freshman Montavious Murphy and 4 consecutive free throws from senior Makol Mawien.

After a free throw gave Monmouth the lead at 30-29, K-State went on a 14-3 run over the next 5 minutes to take a 43-33 lead capped by David Sloan jumper at the 11:16 mark. During the pivotal run, which was started by a corner 3-pointer from Murphy, five different Wildcats (Murphy, Diarra, Sneed, Stockard and Sloan) scored field goals.

The offensive explosion continued after a pair of free throws by the Hawks, as the Wildcats rattled off 14 straight points to take a 57-35 advantage with 5:56 to play. Again, five different players (Diarra, Mawien, Murphy, Sloan and Sneed) recorded field goals in the 14-0 run.

The veteran Monmouth squad battled back to within 59-46 on back-to-back 3-pointers from Salnave with 3:47 to play, but K-State responded with a 6-2 run capped by a thunderous alley-oop dunk by freshman Antonio Gordon from Diarra to push the lead back to 65-48 with 2:23 remaining.

The Hawks got no closer the rest of the way, as the Wildcats scored 8 of the last 11 points en route to a 73-54 win.

K-State connected on 64.3 percent (26-of-56) from the field, including 44.4 percent (4-of-9) from 3-point range, in the second half to go along with a 13-of-16 effort from the free throw line. Sneed and Mawien each scored 9 points after halftime to lead the Wildcats, while Diarra and Sloan added 8 points each.

Monmouth was held to just 26.9 percent (7-of-26) shooting in the second, including 27.3 percent (3-of-11) from 3-point range. The Hawks were led by Salnave’s 11 points.

PLAYER(S) OF THE GAME
Senior Xavier Sneed led the Wildcats in scoring for the second consecutive game with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting to go with 6 rebounds and a career-tying 5 steals in 33 minutes of action.

Fellow senior Makol Mawien had a near double-double with 11 points on 3-of-5 field goals to with a team-high 9 rebounds in just 17 minutes of action.

STAT(S) OF THE GAME
17 – K-State tallied 17 steals on the night, which tied for the third-most in a game in school history. It was the most since tying the school record with 19 steals against Northern Arizona on Nov. 20, 2017.

37-6 – K-State used a 37-6 run over the first 14 minutes of the second half to flip a 29-20 deficit into a 57-35 lead with 5:56 to play.

IN THEIR WORDS
K-State Head Coach Bruce Weber
On the game…
“Obviously, we have been a second half team. I don’t know exactly what it is. At halftime, I told the guys we have to take it one possession at a time. We were fortunate Xavier (Sneed) hit a three and Carti (Cartier Diarra) hit a layup and we got a couple of shutouts. They missed a couple layups and starting doubting. I thought our defense was very solid after that, then we were able to get in transition, push the basketball, then we got some easy ones after that. Makol (Mawien) and Levi (Stockard) did a great job playing post defense. In the second half, Mak was much better with 11 (points) and nine (rebounds), and Xavier finished with 15 (points) and six (rebounds). A lot of guys had good numbers. Carti had seven assists in the second half. We only had three assists at halftime and ended up with 17. We had a 14-5 assist-to-turnover ratio in the second half. We did a better job of getting into the gap and frustrating them to get into transition. It helped to make some threes, because right now we are 1-of-32 in the first half. What are we going to do? I don’t know. We just have to keep believing and take good shots. I thought we shot a couple questionable ones in the first half, but we were 4-of-9 from three in the second half. We had much better balance and good penetrate and kicks. Balanced threes obviously helped.”

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

• K-State is now 107-6 in non-conference play at home dating back to 2006-07 with wins in 94 of its last 98 non-conference home games… The Wildcats have won 31 consecutive non-conference home games.
• K-State is now 2-0 all-time against Monmouth with both wins coming at home.
• K-State is now 4-2 all-time against teams from the MAAC, including 2-0 at home.
• The Wildcats’ starting lineup consisted of juniors Cartier Diarra and Mike McGuirl, senior Xavier Sneed, freshman Montavious Murphy and senior Makol Mawien… This is the third time using this lineup.
• Sneed has now played in 108 career games, including 75 starts (36 consecutive)… Mawien has played and started in every game in his career, which now stretches to 74… Diarra has now played in 66 games, including 34 starts (5 consecutive)… McGuirl has now played in 49 career games, including 5 starts… This was the third consecutive start for Murphy after becoming the just the fourth Wildcat true freshman to start a season opener under head coach Bruce Weber and the first since 2015.
• Junior Levi Stockard III and freshman DaJuan Gordon were the first players off the bench.

Team Notes

• K-State scored a season-high 73 points on 46.4 percent (26-of-56) shooting, including 21.1 percent (4-of-19) from 3-point range, and connected on 70.8 percent (17-of-24) from the free throw line… The Wildcats shot 64.3 percent (18-of-28), including 44.4 percent (4-of-9) from 3-point range, in the second half.
• K-State had a season-high 38 points in the paint… 98 of the team’s 200 points have come in the paint.
• Monmouth was held to 54 points on 39.6 percent (19-of-48) shooting, including 33.3 percent (6-of-18) from 3-point range… K-State has now held 90 opponents to 60 points or less in the Weber era with the Wildcats boasting an 82-8 mark in those contests, including 21 of their last 34 opponents.
• The 17 steals tie for third-most in school history… It was the most since tying the school record with 19 steals against Northern Arizona on Nov. 20, 2017.

Player Notes

• Senior Xavier Sneed scored a team-high 15 points on 5-of-10 field goals, including 1-of-5 from 3-point range, and 4-of-7 free throws… It marked his 17^th career game leading the team in scoring… He has now scored in double figures in 55 career games… He also matched his career-high with 5 steals, which he also did at Texas Tech on Jan. 6, 2018.
• Junior Cartier Diarra set a career high in assists (7) and steals (4), while he scored 8 points on 3-of-8 field goals and 2-of-2 free throws.
• Senior Makol Mawien scored 11 points on 3-of-5 field goals and 2-of-2 free throws … He has now scored in double figures in 24 career games… He also recorded 9 rebounds, including 3 offensive rebounds for the second straight game.
• Freshman Montavious Murphy set a season-high in points (8) and assists (3), finishing 3-of-6 field goals, including 1-of-3 from 3-point range to go with 3 assists in 28 minutes of action.
• Junior David Sloan set a season-high with 8 points on 3-of-5 shooting, along with recording his first steal and first made 3-point shot.
• Junior Levi Stockard III scored 7 points on 3-of-7 field goals and 1-of-1 free throws in just 15 minutes.
• Freshman Antonio Gordon set a season-high with 6 points on 3-of-6 field goals in 17 minutes.
• Freshman DaJuan Gordon scored 5 points for the third straight game on 2-of-5 field goals, including 1-of-2 from 3-point range.

WHAT’S NEXT
K-State concludes it brief two-game homestand on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m., CT when the Wildcats play host to Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-2) at Bramlage Coliseum. Tickets start at just $5 before gameday ($10 on gameday). The game will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

Class 6A
Blue Valley North (5-5) @ Blue Valley (7-3)
Olathe North (8-2) vs Blue Valley West (7-3)
Manhattan (9-1) @ Derby (10-0)
Junction City (8-2) @ Topeka High (9-1)

Class 5A
Mill Valley (7-3) @ De Soto (10-0)
Blue Valley SW (3-7) @ St. Thomas Aquinas (9-0)
Bishop Carroll (8-2) @ Wichita Northwest (10-0)
Maize (9-1) @ Maize South (10-0)

Class 4A
Bishop Miege (8-2) @ Tongonoxie (10-0)
Chanute (9-1) @ Paola (10-0)
Ark City (4-6) @ McPherson (10-0)
Buhler (8-2) @ Andover Central (9-1)

Class 3A
Frontenac (10-0) @ Topeka Hayden (9-1) 6pm
LaCygne-Prairie View (10-0) @ Perry-Lecompton (7-3)
Cheney (8-2) @ Scott City (8-2) 6pm
Andale (10-0) @ Beloit (7-3)

Class 2A
Humboldt (10-0) @ Nemaha Central (8-2)
Silver Lake (10-0) @ Riley County (8-2)
Conway Springs (8-2) @ Norton (7-3) 6pm
Garden Plain (10-0) @ Hoisington (10-0)

Class 1A
Pitt-Colgan (7-3) @ Jackson Heights (8-2) 6pm
Centralia (9-1) @ Olpe (10-0)
Smith Center (10-0) @ Sedgwick (10-0) 6pm
Plainville (9-1) @ Inman (6-4)

8-Man DI
Madison (10-0) @ Caldwell (7-3)
South Central (10-0) @ Canton-Galva (10-0) 6:30pm
Little River (9-1) @ Wichita County (9-1) 6pm
St. Francis (10-0) @ Hodgeman County (9-1)

8-Man DII
Hanover (9-1) @ St. Paul (10-0) 5pm
Lost Springs-Centre (8-2) @ Axtell (9-1)
Osborne (10-0) @ Kiowa County (9-1) 6pm
Thunder Ridge (9-1) @ Central Christian (9-1) 6pm

 

 

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Combo guard Bryce Thompson has signed a national letter of intent to play men’s basketball at Kansas, KU head coach Bill Self announced Wednesday.

Thompson’s father, Rod Thompson, played for Self while at Tulsa in the 1990s and his grandfather, Marshall Rogers, played at Kansas in 1973.

“The signing of Bryce is one of our most important signees in recent memory,” Self said. “Landing at top 20 player is a positive statement for our program on and off the court.”

Ranked No. 19 by rivals.com and 247Sports composite, Thompson (6-foot-5, 175 pounds) is entering his senior season at Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa. Last year Thompson was named the Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year where he helped lead Booker T. Washington to the 6A state title. As a junior, Thompson averaged 19.6 points, 5.2 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game.

“We’ve recruited Bryce for probably three or four years and certainly knew he was always going to be a target, but his development has really taken off the last couple years,” Self said. “He’s grown to 6-foot-5. He’s a lead guard and scoring guard. We’ve had some of our best success with these type of combo guards. He’s going to bring energy to our program and he’s going to bring talent. We anticipate him being an impact player for us.”

Thompson, who speaks French fluently as well as English, chose Kansas over Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and North Carolina. He played AAU basketball for Oklahoma Run PWP this past season and has participated in USA Basketball Junior National Team minicamps.

“I’ve known Bryce for a long time. He says the first time we met was when he was in third grade,” Self said. “Norm (Roberts) was the lead recruiter for Bryce, especially since Norm and I both coached his dad, Rod, at Tulsa. Also, Bryce’s mother, Goldie, was a volleyball player at Tulsa. So we’ve known Rod and Goldie going back to 1997. Rod and I have always stayed in close contact with each other.”

Thompson becomes the second signee for Kansas joining junior college standout guard Tyon Grant-Foster.

NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Verlander has a second AL Cy Young Award — and a clear path paved toward Cooperstown.

Verlander beat out Houston Astros teammate Gerrit Cole in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America revealed Wednesday night. Verlander got 17 first-place votes to 13 for Cole, who became a free agent after the season.

Mets ace Jacob deGrom won the NL prize for the second straight year. He received 29 of 30 first-place votes, becoming the 11th pitcher to win Cy Youngs in consecutive years. He and Verlander are the 20th and 21st players to win the award multiple times.

The 36-year-old Verlander won his first Cy Young in 2011 with Detroit, when he was also named MVP. Since then, he’d been a runner-up three times.

“The adversity I went through puts a new perspective on everything,” he said. “I mean, still would’ve liked to have won a couple of them.”

Verlander continued a marvelous second act to his career since a 2017 trade from Detroit to Houston. He led the majors with 21 victories and padded his Hall of Fame resume by getting his 3,000th strikeout in his final start of the regular season. He also reached 300 punchouts in a season for the first time.

Verlander no-hit Toronto on Sept. 1, becoming the sixth pitcher with three no-hitters in a career. He joined a group that includes Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan, Sandy Koufax, Bob Feller and Cy Young, along with 1880s pitcher Larry Corcoran.

Forget about slowing down — Verlander’s goal this offseason is to add velocity to his top-end fastball. He’s thinking about using weighted balls and other new-age throwing techniques.

“I will always try to push the boundaries of what I can do,” Verlander said. “If my body says, ‘Hold on, you can’t do that anymore,’ then I’ll pull back.”

The case between Verlander and Cole was tight. Cole had more strikeouts (326) and a lower ERA (2.50), but Verlander threw 10 2/3 more innings and won more games. They are the first set of teammates to finish 1-2 in AL voting — it’s happened five times in the NL.

Verlander and Cole pitched Houston to the World Series, where Cole continued to dominate while Verlander faltered. The right-hander lost twice to the champion Washington Nationals — a letdown not factored in voting that concluded before the postseason began.

He’s hoping to take another run at a title — with Cole — next season.

“I know that Gerrit had a great time playing here and I know he would like to return, if possible,” Verlander said. “But that is now on Gerrit and his family and people above me.”

Tampa Bay Rays righty Charlie Morton finished third a year after leaving Houston in free agency.

DeGrom is in special company as a repeat NL winner, joining Koufax, Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, Tim Lincecum, Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer.

“It was a dream to play this game and a dream to win one Cy Young,” deGrom said. “To win back to back was a goal. It’s hard to explain. You set these goals, but it almost doesn’t feel real yet.”

The 31-year-old led the NL with 255 strikeouts and posted a 2.43 ERA. His resume was bolstered by his durability — deGrom totaled 204 innings, compared to 182 2/3 for runner-up Hyun-Jin Ryu and 172 1/3 for Scherzer, the Nationals ace who finished third.

A year after taking the award despite just 10 victories — fewest ever by a starting pitcher — deGrom earned 11 wins with a Mets team that’s struggled to support him.

After signing a $137.5 million, five-year deal to remain with New York shortly before opening day, deGrom wasn’t so dominant early in the season. He got hit around in April and May, even allowing seven runs in an outing against the last-place Marlins.

The embarrassment in Miami was a wake-up call for the gritty deGrom. Following that loss, he went 8-3 with a 1.89 ERA over his final 23 starts. DeGrom wrapped up the season with 23 consecutive scoreless innings.

“I feel like I was trying to better what I did in 2018,” he said, adding “I think that was something I struggled with to start this year, was kind of dwelling on what happened last year. Kind of not focusing on the task ahead as much as I probably should have.”

ON DECK

Awards week wraps Thursday with the announcement of AL and NL MVPs. Angels star Mike Trout is seeking his third MVP but might lose out after his season was cut short due to injury. Astros infielder Alex Bregman and A’s shortstop Marcus Semien are the other finalists in the AL.

Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich is trying to repeat as the NL winner, but his season was also cut short by an injury. It’ll likely be him or Dodgers youngster Cody Bellinger. Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon is also a finalist.

WICHITA, Kan. – After months of speculation,  Wichita’s Triple-A baseball team has a name. The Wichita Wind Surge! Just when everyone thought it would be the baby cakes?

Starting in April, the new team will play its home games in the city’s new baseball stadium at the site of the former Lawrence-Dumont Stadium near downtown.

Several names like the Wichita Linemen, the Wichita 29ers, River Riders and Doo-Dahs were thrown out as possibilities, but the Wichita Wind Surge was the name selected.

Opening Day for the team at the new stadium is set for Tuesday, April 14, 2020. Wichita will play the Memphis Redbirds, a team affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals, in a three-game series.

Wichita will play 70 home games during the 2020 home season. Other notable opponents include the Kansas City Royals AAA team, the Omaha Storm Chasers, who will visit Wichita for the first time May 4 – 7, the Oklahoma City Dodgers, AAA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers,and the Iowa Cubs, AAA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs..

Wednesday Morning Sports Report from KWBW Radio

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals and Adam Wainwright have agreed to a contract for next season, raising the likelihood that the veteran pitcher finishes his career with his lone big league club. Terms were not disclosed. Wainwright made his major league debut with St. Louis in 2005 and has been a stalwart for the Cardinals over the past 14 seasons, going 162-95 with a 3.39 ERA and three All-Star game appearances. He is 38.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State is a handful of plays from being unbeaten in the Big 12 Conference and sitting alone at the top of the standings. Instead, they are still one win from being eligible for a bowl game and just 3-3 in league play. The Cyclones host Texas on Saturday. Defensive end Zach Peterson says it’s both frustrating and encouraging. The know they can play with the rest of the teams in the Big 12.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Rasir Bolton scored 17 points, Solomon Young added 15 and Iowa State rallied from an early double-digit deficit to overwhelm Northern Illinois 70-52. Michael Jacobson scored nine points with 12 rebounds for the Cyclones, who went on a 26-6 run to open the second half and scored 55 of the game’s final 81 points.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Courtney Ramey scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half, and Texas defeated California Baptist 67-54. Jericho Sims produced 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Longhorns.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Desmond Bane scored 25 points with seven of TCU’s school-record 18 3-pointers, Kevin Samuel had 12 points with 12 rebounds and the Horned Frogs beat Louisiana-Lafayette 98-65. The Horned Frogs had six players score in double figures while improving to 2-0 for the sixth year in a row. They went ahead to stay with a 19-3 run in the first half when four different players hit 3s.

National Headlines

UNDATED (AP) — Alabama is fifth in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, behind LSU, Ohio State, Clemson and Georgia, which took over the fourth and final playoff spot in the selection committee’s second top 25. LSU replaced Ohio State as No. 1 after the Tigers won at Alabama on Saturday.

NEW YORK (AP) — Mike Shildt of the St. Louis Cardinals has been voted NL Manager of the Year days after his mom’s death. Shildt got his start in baseball at his mother’s side. She worked for the Double-A Charlotte O’s, and he used to tag along at the ballpark. He narrowly beat Milwaukee’s Craig Counsell for the award in his first full season on the job. Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli edged the Yankees’ Aaron Boone in a tight ballot for the AL prize.

SCTOSSDALE, Ariz (AP) — Major League Baseball has expanded its investigation into the Houston Astros after The Athletic website reported the team stole signs during home games in 2017 by using a camera positioned in center field. The report quoted former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers (FY’-urz) and three other unidentified people with the club. The website said a camera was connected to a television monitor near the Astros’ dugout and team employees or players would communicate signals to hitters by banging a trash can.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —Gabe Kapler has been hired as manager of the San Francisco Giants, a month after being fired from the same job by the Philadelphia Phillies. Kapler replaces Bruce Bochy, who retired at the end of the season following 13 years and three championships with San Francisco.

Tuesday Scores

TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (2)Duke 105 Cent. Arkansas 54
Final Evansville 67 (1)Kentucky 64
Final OT (21)Xavier 63 Missouri 58
Final (22)Auburn 70 South Alabama 69
Final (8)Gonzaga 97 North Dakota 66
Final (14)Oregon 82 (13)Memphis 74
Final (17)Utah St. 97 Denver 56
Final (20)Washington 56 Mount St. Mary’s 46

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Indiana 111 Oklahoma City 85
Final Philadelphia 98 Cleveland 97
Final Miami 117 Detroit 108
Final Chicago 120 New York 102
Final Atlanta 125 Denver 121
Final L.A. Lakers 123 Phoenix 115
Final Utah 119 Brooklyn 114
Final Sacramento 107 Portland 99

(BY STEVE CARPENTER)
(HUTCHINSON CC SPORTS INFORMATION)

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —Sophomore Saquan Singleton became the first Blue Dragon since Kadeem Allen to post a triple-double in a game and led the No. 7 Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team to an 85-65 victory over Northeastern Oklahoma A&M on Tuesday night.

Singleton scored 14 points with career highs of 13 rebounds and 11 assists to post Hutchinson’s first triple-double since Allen, who had his second of two triple-doubles in 2013 against Redlands.

The Blue Dragons improve to 5-0 heading into games against Monroe College and Iowa Western on Friday and Saturday in Great Bend. NEO falls to 2-2, going 0-2 against the Jayhawk Conference. Coffeyville defeated NEO last week.

The Blue Dragons led 43-33 at halftime, but saw NEO close within 62-58 on a Rudi Williams field goal with 11:50 to play in the second half. Hutch’s defense then took over, holding the Golden Norsemen scoreless for the next 5 minutes, 16 seconds, taking a 70-58 lead on a Majok Kuath jumper.

Hutchinson wound up outscoring NEO 23-7 over the final 11 minutes of the game to take command of the game.

Kuath scored a game-high 19 points on 8 of 13 shooting off the bench to power the Blue Dragons who had five players score in double figures.

Josh Baker knocked down 4 of 6 3-pointers for 17 points. Singleton and sophomore D.J. Mitchell scored 14 points each and Jaden Okon had 10 points.

Hutchinson shot 47.1 percent (32 of 68), hitting 7 of 20 3-poiners and 14 of 18 from the free-throw line. The Dragons owned a 47-31 rebounding advantage and turned the ball over 13 times.

NEO shot 25 of 64 (39.1 percent), hitting 9 of 29 from 3-point range and 6 of 9 from the free throw line. The Golden Norse had 14 turnovers.

Samkelo Cele finished with a team-high 18 points to lead NEO. Gavin Harris hit 5 of 10 3-pointers to finished with 15 points. Williams had 12 points and Alvin Cannady had 10.

(BY STEVE CARPENTER)
(HUTCHINSON CC SPORTS INFORMATION)

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —Sophomore Abby Ogle nearly posted a triple-double and set a program single-game record for steals as the No. 7-ranked Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team set numerous team records against the Hesston Larks.