HAYS, Kansas – The No. 12-ranked Northwest Missouri State University football team came through with a double-overtime victory over Fort Hays State, 36-33.&nbsp;Junior placekicker Parker Sampson's 38-yard field goal in the second overtime provided the winning margin for the Bearcats. Northwest senior Mike&nbsp;Ehlke&nbsp;forced a fumble and recovered it for the Bearcats in the second overtime session for Fort Hays State's offensive possession. Three plays later Sampson split the uprights for the triumph.&nbsp;FHSU's&nbsp;Dante Brown forced overtime when he drilled a 56-yard field goal as time expired to knot the score at 26-26.&nbsp;In the opening overtime possession, Braden Wright hit&nbsp;Imoni&nbsp;Donadelle&nbsp;for a five-yard touchdown to give Northwest a 33-26 lead.&nbsp;FHSU&nbsp;answered in its half of overtime on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Chance Fuller to&nbsp;Dandre&nbsp;Reed.&nbsp;Northwest overcame a 17-point deficit in the second quarter to rally for a 19-17 lead at halftime. The Tigers dominated the first quarter by&nbsp;outgaining&nbsp;the Bearcats, 115-31. However, Northwest flipped the script in the second by&nbsp;outgaining&nbsp;Fort Hays State, 191-59.&nbsp;The Bearcats broke into the scoring column on a one-yard touchdown run by Wright with 12:31 left in the second quarter. The scoring play was set up by a 54-yard catch and run to the one by Gus Gomez.&nbsp;Northwest's defense set up the Bearcat offense for its next scoring opportunity after stopping Fort Hays State on a 4th-and-1 at the Bearcat 48-yard line. Northwest drew to within 17-14 on a 42-yard touchdown strike from Wright to&nbsp;Donadelle&nbsp;with 10:32 remaining in the second.&nbsp;Sam Phillips picked off Fuller at midfield to give Northwest the ball back with 8:31 on the second quarter clock. Northwest knotted the game at 17-17 on a 41-yard field goal from Sampson. It was Sampson's fifth field goal of 40 or more yards this season. Sampson's three-pointer came with 7:09 left in the second stanza.&nbsp;Sampson played a key role in Northwest's next score. His 64-yard punt was downed at the one-yard line, which allowed the Bearcat defense to take the scoring into its hands. On FHSU's first snap of the ensuing drive, Brody Buck and Spencer Phillips tackled FHSU running back Te'Corey Tutson in the end zone for a safety. The two-pointer gave Northwest a 19-17 lead with 4:15 left before the half.&nbsp;The Tigers regained the lead at 20-19 on the first drive of the second half when Brown connected on a 27-yard field goal with 12:20 left in the third quarter.&nbsp;A 48-yard scramble from Wright took the ball to the FHSU 27-yard line. Wright hit Alec Tatum for a nine-yard reception on a 3rd-and-7 to convert a first down that put the Bearcats into the red zone. Wright converted on another third-and-long situation when he connected with Marqus Andrews on a 14-yard pass play to give Northwest a first-and-goal at the 4-yard line. Wright tossed a shovel pass to Justin Rankin for a nine-yard touchdown that gave Northwest a 26-20 lead with 8:24 remaining in the third quarter.&nbsp;FHSU's Brown pulled the Tigers to within three at 26-23 after he drilled a 38-yard field, his third made field goal on the day, with 12:25 left in the fourth quarter.&nbsp;Northwest took over possession at its own 10-yard line with 5:14 left in the fourth quarter looking to run out the clock and score the road victory. Facing a third-and-3, Wright connected with tight end Kyle Raunig on a 17-yard completion to keep the drive alive. However, the Northwest drive stalled and Sampson punted to give FHSU a chance to tie.&nbsp;The Tigers took over at their own 19-yard line with 1:05 to play and a chance to tie the game. FHSU marched 42 yards in eight plays to get Brown in position to even the game with his 56-yarder.&nbsp;Northwest will wrap up the regular season at home next Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against the Central Missouri Mules. Northwest will celebrate Senior Day and Ag Day at Bearcat Stadium. Northwest will honor 18 seniors prior to next Saturday's kick. A Northwest victory would clinch a share of the program's 30th&nbsp;MIAA title.&nbsp;NOTES: Wright went 23-of-43 passing for 279 yards and three touchdowns … Wright also rushed for a team-high 96 yards and a score … Donadelle caught five passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns … Justin Rankin caught five passes for 35 yards and a touchdown … Jacob Gassman and Sam Phillips each tallied interceptions … Spencer Phillips and Sam Roberts were each credited with a quarterback sack … Blake Bayer and Jackson Barnes led the defense with eight tackles each … it is the first overtime game for Northwest since a 38-35 loss to Minnesota State on Nov. 24, 2012, in the NCAA Division II playoffs … it's the first overtime win for Northwest since a 38-31 victory over Midwestern State on Nov. 26, 2011, also in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

No. 12 Bearcats win double OT thriller at Fort Hays State 36-33

ST. JOSEPH -&nbsp;The Missouri Western men's basketball team (1-3) overcame a 28-point deficit in the second half to get within five before eventually losing 83-74 to Minnesota Crookston (1-1) to close out the 28th&nbsp;Annual Hillyard Tip-Off Classic at Civic Arena. Crookston led 63-35 with 11:48 to go, but the Griffons came firing back with a 21-10 run to cut the lead to 71-56 with six minutes remaining. Missouri Western trailed 75-70 with 1:33 to go, but could not close the gap any more than those five points. MWSU was 7 for 15 from 3-point range in the second half for 47%.&nbsp;Alex John&nbsp;scored all 14 of his points in the second half.&nbsp;Jonathan Mesmacque&nbsp;scored all eight of his points in the second half.&nbsp;Tyus Millhollin&nbsp;had 12 after halftime and&nbsp;Reese Glover&nbsp;knocked down two crucial 3-pointers during the Griffon run. After being outscored 47-29 in the first half, the Griffons won the second half 46-35. After Harrison Cleary scored 20 points for the Golden Eagles in the first half, the Griffons held him to nine in the second. Missouri Western won the battle on the boards, pulling down 38 to UMC's 35. The two teams combined for just 19 turnovers in the game, 10 for UMC and nine for the Griffons. Tyrell Carroll&nbsp;finished with a team-high 17 points. Millhollin had 15 and John and Glover each finished with 14. John pulled down a game-high nine rebounds, eight in the second half. Mesmacque had seven rebounds. UP NEXTThe Griffons stay in St. Joseph, but move to campus with a game against Missouri S&amp;T in the MWSU Fieldhouse on Nov. 17 at 4 p.m. --- MWSU Athletics ---

Missouri Western's rally comes up short against Minnesota Crookston

ST. JOSEPH, Missouri - The No. 1-ranked Northwest Missouri State men's basketball team moved to 4-0 and tied the MIAA and school records for consecutive wins at 42 with a 92-71 triumph over MSU Moorhead, 92-71.&nbsp; Northwest shot 55.6 percent from the field (30-of-54, including 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from three-point land. Crookston also shot the ball well at 58.5 (31-of-53, but turned the ball over 16 times.&nbsp;The Bearcats drained 24-of-27 free throws, while the Dragons were limited to 4-of-6 at the line.&nbsp;Sophomore Diego Bernard tallied a career-high 24 points as he drained 9-of-14 field goals. Bernard grabbed a team-high tying seven rebounds.&nbsp;Junior Ryan Hawkins led the scoring attack with 27 points. Hawkins made hay at the line as he made all 12 of his free throw attempts. Hawkins also was credited with a team-high tying seven rebounds.&nbsp;Senior Ryan Welty tallied a season-high 17 points as he buried 4-of-5 three-pointers in the Bearcat victory. Welty was a perfect 5-of-5 the charity stripe.&nbsp;Northwest tied the MIAA and school record with its 42nd&nbsp;straight victory. Northwest also won 42 games in a row in 1929-31.&nbsp;Northwest will play its first home game of the season Thursday at 6 p.m. against the University of Saint Mary (Kansas) in Bearcat Arena.&nbsp;NOTES: Northwest has won 35 consecutive games on neutral courts – the longest active streak among all NCAA Div. I, II and III schools … Northwest has won 26 consecutive games in the month of November. --- Northwest Athletics ---

No. 1 Northwest Missouri State defeats MSU Moorhead 92-71

ST. JOSEPH -&nbsp;Candi Whitaker&nbsp;got her first win as head coach of the Missouri Western Women's Basketball (1-1) team with a dominant performance by her Griffons, Saturday night at Civic Arena. Missouri Western never trailed in a 77-61 thumping of Minnesota Duluth (0-2). Whitaker and her team's first win came against a Minnesota Duluth team that went 23-7 a season ago, winning the NSIC postseason championship and playing in the NCAA DII Central Region Championships. The Griffons used a 23-15 second quarter to build a 34-20 halftime lead, shooting 50% in the first and 53% in the second quarter.&nbsp;Chris Wilson&nbsp;recorded her second double-double in as many games in a Griffon uniform, scoring 27 with 13 rebounds, three steals and two assists.&nbsp;Corbyn Cunningham&nbsp;added 22 points and seven rebounds. The Bulldogs limited Katrina Roendfeld to seven points, but the Griffon guard pulled own eight boards with three assists and three steals. Missouri Western was dominant on the glass, out-rebounding UMD 42-28. In the paint, the Griffs were equally impressive, scoring 48 points and allowing just 28. UP NEXTMissouri Western plays its next four games in the MWSU Fieldhouse, beginning with what is now a non-conference tilt against Southwest Baptist on Nov. 15. --- MWSU Athletics ---

Whitaker earns first win as Western downs Minnesota Duluth 77-61

ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia's defense didn't settle for just beating Missouri. The Bulldogs added to their growing collection of shutouts with a late goal-line stand. Jake Fromm threw two touchdown passes to George Pickens and No. 6 Georgia posted its third shutout, dominating a Missouri offense missing two of its biggest playmakers in a 27-0 victory Saturday night. Georgia (8-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 6 College Football Playoff) moved closer to its third straight berth in the SEC championship game. The Bulldogs can clinch the SEC East by beating No. 12 Auburn next week. "It will be a big game, and our players have an opportunity to be at their best when their best is needed," said Georgia coach Kirby Smart. Missouri (5-4, 2-3) fell to 0-4 in road games with its third straight loss. Quarterback Kelly Bryant and leading receiver Johnathon Johnson did not play. Bryant's status had been in doubt due to a hamstring injury suffered in a loss at Kentucky two weeks ago. He participated in pregame warmups and then watched as backup Taylor Powell and Connor Bazelak led the offense. Powell played the full game before Bazelak, a freshman, led the Tigers to their only red-zone appearance late in the game. Bazelak, playing in only his second game, led the Tigers to the Georgia 1. Bazelak's passes on third and fourth down from the 4 were incomplete. The Bulldogs have three shutouts for the first time since 1981. Georgia remains the nation's only FBS team to not allow a rushing touchdown this season. Smart said his players were "all kind of chopping at the bit at the end to make it tough to score. ... I thought they showed some competitive character there at the end with that stand." The Bulldogs bolstered their claim as the league's top defense. Georgia leads the SEC in total defense , rushing defense and scoring defense. The Bulldogs held the Tigers to 198 yards and 11 first downs, including only five through three quarters. Missouri coach Barry Odom said the Bulldogs are "better up close and in person." "I knew they were good, but I think they're a little bit better than they may get credit for nationally," Odom said. "Georgia is as good and as solid as a team as I've gone against in a long time." Johnson was held out due to an illness. Odom said he expects Bryant and Johnson to play next week. Georgia also lost its top receiver when Lawrence Cager hurt his shoulder making a 30-yard catch late in the first half. Cager had six catches for 93 yards before the injury. Between Pickens' touchdown catches of 25 and 18 yards in the first and fourth quarters, respectively, the Bulldogs relied on Rodrigo Blankenship's four field goals. THE TAKEAWAY Missouri: Without Bryant and Johnson, the Tigers couldn't generate consistent offense. Powell completed 10 of 22 passes for 84 yards with an interception. Larry Rountree III led Missouri with only 24 yards rushing on nine carries. Bazelak completed 8 of 12 passes for 64 yards. Georgia: Following an emotional win over Florida, the Bulldogs showed good poise by avoiding a letdown. Facing the SEC's top pass defense, Fromm was not as efficient as usual. He completed only 13 of 29 passes for 173 yards with no interceptions and two touchdowns. D'Andre Swift had 12 carries for 83 yards, including a 47-yarder. POLL IMPLICATIONS Following No. 5 Penn State's loss to No. 13 Minnesota and No. 2 Alabama's loss to No. 1 LSU, Georgia may move up at least one spot in the next AP Top 25. PICK A CENTER, ANY CENTER Georgia had to play three centers. Starter Trey Hill was helped off the field with a left ankle injury in the first quarter. Right guard Cade Mays moved to center before he suffered an apparent right leg injury early in the fourth quarter. Jamaree Salyer took over as the third center of the night. "That's tough," Fromm said. "That can kind of get on you mentally. I was a little bit worried there, but our guys did a good job." The Bulldogs also lost right tackle Isaiah Wilson to an undisclosed injury in the fourth quarter. Smart said none of the injuries were believed to be serious. UP NEXT Missouri: The Tigers face another top 10 SEC rival when they play No. 10 Florida next Saturday. Georgia: The Bulldogs will play their sixth straight SEC game when they visit No. 12 Auburn next Saturday. Georgia has won the last two games in the series. --- Associated Press ---

Mizzou blanked 27-0 at No. 6 Georgia

KEARNEY, Neb. - The Northwest Missouri State Bearcat women's basketball team defeated the Minnesota-Crookston Golden Eagles 66-64 to go 1-1 in the UNK Tournament.&nbsp;Kendey Eaton&nbsp;hit two free throws to go up 66-64 with five seconds left. The Golden Eagles missed a contested look to tie on their final possession.&nbsp; Eaton led the Bearcats with 30 points on 12-17 shooting and 2-4 from behind the three-point line. She also went 4-4 from the free throw line.&nbsp;Erika Schlosser&nbsp;was the only other player in double figures with 11 points including three three-pointers.&nbsp;Zoie Hayward&nbsp;led the team with 7 rebounds. The Bearcats had 8 turnovers in the game which was 6 less than the Golden Eagles. The went 11-27 from behind the arc, and 7-8 from the foul line.&nbsp;&nbsp;Julia Peplinski and and Ashley Freund&nbsp;led the Golden Eagles with 13 points each. Bren Fox was also in double figures with 11. Peplinski led the team in rebounds ten and Fox added nine. Minnesota-Crookston&nbsp;outrebounded Northwest 42-24.&nbsp; Northwest will be back in action Wednesday, November 13th&nbsp;in Bearcat Arena at 6 p.m. --- Northwest Athletics ---

Bearcat women even record with win over Minnesota Crookston

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas needed a win to keep any lingering Big 12 title hopes alive. The Longhorns got it behind the same fourth-quarter formula they used a few weeks ago: Give up a late lead before quarterback Sam Ehlinger engineers a long drive to set up a Cameron Dicker field goal as time expires. Dicker's 26-yarder lifted the Longhorns to a 27-24 victory over No. 20 Kansas State on Saturday. The victory keeps Texas in the hunt for a return trip to the Big 12 championship game with three games left. With two losses already, they'll still need some help. But the Longhorns (6-3, 4-2) at least are still alive. They fought back after falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, then rallied again after letting their own big lead evaporate. "It could have been a really, really bad scene," Texas coach Tom Herman said. "The win is obviously very important for us. The way that it happened, to be down 14-0 in the blink of an eye ... We put ourselves on the ropes (this season) and we took a step toward swinging and scratching and clawing our way off." Dicker has booted two-game winners on the final play in Texas' last three games. His 33-yarder beat Kansas in a wild 50-48 finish on Oct. 19. Against Kansas, Ehlinger had 71 seconds to get the Longhorns within scoring range, and he did it with a frantic but crisp push. Against Kansas State, the Longhorns went 65 yards in 13 plays and sucked the final 6 minutes, 45 seconds off the game clock. This time, Texas looked to be setting up for the field goal until Ehlinger surged into the end zone on a keeper. After an illegal formation penalty nullified the touchdown, Ehlinger fell on the ball the next play and Dicker trotted on for the kick "As bad as we all wanted to score to cap off that drive, the smart thing was to set up the field goal and not let them get back on the field," Ehlinger said. Even that might have had some uncertainty. Dicker's regular holder, punter Ryan Bujcevski, didn't play because of a broken collar bone. That left backup holder Chris Naggar handling the ball on the final play. The snap, hold and kick were flawless. Dicker, who was seen entering the stadium before the game with his shirt untucked and unbuttoned under his sport coat, was as cool as ever. "When Sam kneeled the ball, I saw the time," Dicker said. "Whatever wins is cool." The win also made Texas bowl eligible. Keaontay Ingram rushed for 139 yards and two second-half touchdowns for the Longhorns. His second one put Texas up 24-14 early in the fourth quarter. Kansas State rallied to tie it on Joshua Youngblood's 98-yard kickoff return and Blake Lynch's 45-yard field goal. Kansas State's Skylar Thompson passed for a career-high 253 yards. Thompson's touchdown passes of 70 yards to Malik Knowles and 19 yards to Wykeen Gill had the Wildcats (6-3, 3-3, No. 16 College Football Playoff) rolling early. But Thompson passed for just 36 yards in the second half. THE TAKEAWAY Kansas State: Thompson was excellent early until Texas' press coverage neutralized his receivers, and the Wildcats' running game never developed. The Wildcats also got a bit sloppy with a rare fumble that ended a promising drive in the first half, and a dropped pass in the end zone in the fourth quarter. The drop would have been a difficult catch for Dalton Schoen, but he got both hands on the ball and was pulling it in before a Texas defender knocked it away. Kansas State didn't convert a third down in the second half. "I thought he hung in there really well," Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. "They were bringing pressure and we were barely getting guys free." Texas: After early miscues, the Texas defense looked better than it has all season. A healthier secondary that returned All-Big 12 safety Caden Sterns locked down the Kansas State offense over the final three quarters. The secondary didn't force any interceptions, but for once opposing receivers weren't running wide open all over the field. "We showed you all that this is what happens when we're fully healthy," Texas defensive tackle Keondre Coburn said. "This is a great team. Our defense is really good. We've just been hurt." POLL IMPLICATION The loss will knock the Wildcats down and maybe out of the Top 25. The Longhorns, who were still among those getting votes, could return to the rankings. Voters may wait to see what Texas can do the next two weeks on the road at Iowa State and undefeated Baylor. BIG PUNT RETURN Texas came in ranked dead last among all Football Bowl Subdivision teams in punt returns with negative total yardage. Then Brandon Jones returned a punt 53 yards in the fourth quarter to set up Ingram's second touchdown. UP NEXT Kansas State hosts West Virginia on No. 16. Texas plays at Iowa State on Nov. 16 --- Associated Press ---

No. 16 K-State loses on late FG at Texas 27-24

ST. JOSEPH -&nbsp;Missouri Western senior Tiana Butler&nbsp;reached her 1000th&nbsp;career dig on Saturday evening as Griffon Volleyball (15-12, 9-9 MIAA) kept it close in the second set with No. 2 Nebraska-Kearney (28-0, 18-0 MIAA). The Lopers won the match 3-1 against the Griffons. Prior to the match with Missouri Western, Nebraska-Kearney only lost eight sets all season. The Griffons took the second set 25-23, but the Lopers took sets one, three and four. Following the match with the Lopers, the Griffons are ranked sixth in the MIAA standings. With two matches left in regular season play, including a home match with fifth-seeded Central Oklahoma, there is still chance for Missouri Western to jump in the conference seeding. NOTABLES<ul><li>The Griffons had 45 kills against the Lopers.&nbsp;Ali Tauchen&nbsp;led the way 12 kills on the night. She is now seven kills away from having 1,000 career kills.</li><li>The Griffons totaled 97 digs as well. This total ranked second all-time in program history for a four-set match.</li><li>Along with the pass of a career milestone,&nbsp;Tiana Butler&nbsp;had 35 digs on the night. Butler was two digs shy of a career record of 37.</li><li>Butler's dig total also broke the four-set match record for the Griffons.</li><li>The Griffs tallied nine blocks for the night.&nbsp;Ali Tauchen&nbsp;had four solo blocks, which was a new single match career high, while&nbsp;Danielle Moje&nbsp;tallied three.</li><li>Moje led the team in hitting percentage with a total of .375 throughout the match.</li><li>Lauren Murphy&nbsp;tallied 23 assists against the Lopers. She is now 37 assists away from having 1,000 assists on the season.</li></ul> UP NEXT<ul><li>The Griffons will stay at home next week to host their final two matches of the 2019 regular season. Missouri Western will host Newman (1-27, 1-18 MIAA) on Thursday and Central Oklahoma (18-11, 10-9 MIAA) on Saturday.</li><li>Newman dropped three sets to No. 9 Central Missouri on Saturday, while Central Oklahoma rallied to top No. 14 Northwest Missouri 3-1.</li></ul> --- MWSU Athletics ---

MWSU volleyball falls to No. 2 Nebraska-Kearney 3-1

EDMOND, Okla. - The Northwest Missouri State University Bearcat volleyball team fell to the Central Oklahoma Bronchos in four sets. The Bearcats lost by set scores of 22-25, 19-25, 25-15, and 13-25. The Bearcats move to 19-7 overall and 12-6 in the MIAA. The Bronchos are now 18-11 overall and 10-9 in conference play.&nbsp; Northwest will be back in action next weekend at home against Washburn (Friday) and Emporia State (Saturday).&nbsp; --- Northwest Athletics ---

No. 14 Northwest volleyball loses in four sets at UCO

ST. JOSEPH -&nbsp;The Missouri Western men's basketball team never trailed by more than five points and led by as many as 18 on way to its first win of the season, 70-55 against Minnesota State Moorhead, Friday night at Civic Arena. Moorhead jumped out to a 7-2 lead, but the Griffons stormed back and took a 34-32 lead to halftime after two&nbsp;Tyrell Carroll&nbsp;free throws at the end of the half, gave the Griffons the lead. The back-and-forth first half included 11 lead changes and six ties, but there would be neither after halftime as Missouri Western controlled the second. After MSU Moorhead shot 52% in the first half, the Griffons limited the Dragons to 29% shooting in the second half. MWSU opened the second half on a 9-0 run, which was an 11-0 run counting Carroll's free throws from the end of the first half. With 9:21 to go, the Griffs led by 18 against a MSU Moorhead team that went 19-12 last year. Missouri Western outscored the Dragons by 14 in the second half, shooting 43% from 3-point range and 75% at the free throw line. NOTABLES<ul><li>Will Eames&nbsp;led the Griffons with 18 points and tied for the team lead with seven rebounds.</li><li>Carroll had 16 points and five assists and five steals.</li><li>10 Griffons played and eight scored.</li><li>Missouri Western recorded 10 steals on 21 MSU Moorehead turnovers.</li><li>The Griffons' five starters combined to score 59 of MWSU's points while Moorhead's starters scored 30.</li></ul> UP NEXT<ul><li>Missouri Western closes out the 28th&nbsp;Annual Hillyard Tip-Off Classic, Saturday night at 8 p.m. against Minnesota Crookston.</li><li>The Golden Eagles led No. 1 Northwest Missouri by a point at halftime, but lost 60-52 Friday at Civic Arena.</li></ul> --- MWSU Athletics ---

Griffons defeat MSU Moorhead for first win of the season

ST. JOSEPH, Missouri – The No. 1-ranked Northwest Missouri State University men's basketball team improved to 3-0 on the season with defensive lockdown of Minnesota-Crookston on Friday at the Hillyard Tip-Off Classic held at Civic Arena, 60-52.&nbsp;On an afternoon when the Bearcats struggled to make shots consistently, Northwest relied on its defense to slow down the Golden Eagles. The Bearcats held the Golden Eagles to 33.3 percent shooting from the field, including a chilly 28 percent in the second half. Crookston made only seven second-half field goals.&nbsp;The Bearcats had made 26 three-pointers and had shot 51.0 percent from three-point range in its opening two wins of the season the previous week at Civic Arena. That all changed this time out at Civic Arena against Crookston. Northwest made only two of 17 three-point shots for 11.8 percent from distance.&nbsp;Sophomore guard&nbsp;<a href="https://bearcatsports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7599" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 72);">Trevor Hudgins</a>&nbsp;was the lone Bearcat to shoot better than 50 percent on the night as he drained 9-of-13 shots from the field. Hudgins also sank both of Northwest's made three-pointers in the victory. Hudgins scored a game-high 28 points and tallied a team-best three steals.&nbsp;Crookston built an 18-10 lead with 9:44 left in the opening half. Northwest responded and tied the game at 18-18 but could not relinquish the lead from the Golden Eagles.&nbsp;Crookston held a 26-23 in the closing seconds in the first half before Northwest scored the cut the margin to one at the break, 26-25.&nbsp;The Bearcats used an 18-4 run to take control of the contest. Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bearcatsports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7595" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 72);">Diego Bernard's</a>&nbsp;one-hand slam capped a 9-0 spurt that gave Northwest a 32-26 lead with 17:06 remaining in the game. Crookston hit 1-of-13 shots from the field in the 18-4 run.&nbsp;Hudgins posted 17 of his points in the second half. Northwest would lead by as many as 11 points in the final 20 minutes and would go on to score an eight-point win over the Golden Eagles.&nbsp;Northwest will take on MSU Moorhead Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Hillyard Tip-Off Classic at Civic Arena.&nbsp;NOTES: Northwest has won 41 consecutive games and is one victory away from tying the MIAA and school record for consecutive wins (42 set by the Bearcats in 1929-1931) … Northwest has won 34 straight games on neutral courts … the Bearcats have won 25 straight games in the month of November …&nbsp;<a href="https://bearcatsports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7598" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 72);">Ryan Hawkins</a>&nbsp;tallied his first double-double of the season with 16 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out with :26.4 seconds left in the game … Hawkins also stuffed his stat sheet with five assists, two steals and a blocked shot … Bernard had seven points, eight rebounds and two assists …&nbsp;<a href="https://bearcatsports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=7596" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 72);">Tyler Dougherty</a>&nbsp;secured eight rebounds and scored five points to go along with a blocked shot … it was the first meeting between Northwest and Crookston in men's basketball.

No. 1 Bearcats stay unbeaten with 60-52 win over Minnesota Crookston

ST. JOSEPH -&nbsp;Concordia-St. Paul outscored the Missouri Western women's basketball team 40-18 in the second half, overcoming a 16-point halftime deficit to win the season opener for both teams, 66-59, Friday night at Civic Arena. Missouri Western fell behind by as many as 10 in the fourth quarter, but cut the Golden Bear lead to six with 34 seconds left on a&nbsp;Simone Rodney&nbsp;3-pointer. The Griffons didn't score again. Rodney's three gave the Griffs their only points over the final six minutes of the game. Behind 12 points from&nbsp;Katrina Roenfeldt, 11 from&nbsp;Chris Wilson&nbsp;and 13 first half CSP turnovers, the Griffons went to the locker room leading 41-25. Concordia-St. Paul outscored MWSU 24-7 in the third quarter, shooting better than 63% in the quarter to take a one-point lead into the fourth. NOTABLES<ul><li>After just three first half turnovers, the Griffons committed 13 in the second half while CSP had seven after the break.</li><li>Missouri Western shot 25% in both the third and fourth quarters.</li><li>Roenfeldt was held scoreless in the second half, but finished with 12 points and a team-high four assists to go with her six rebounds.</li><li>Wilson recorded a double-double in her first action as a Griffon, leading the team with 14 points and 11 rebounds.</li><li>Corbyn Cunningham&nbsp;scored 13 points and added seven rebounds in 19 minutes of action.</li><li>Anastacia Johnson&nbsp;had seven points, six rebounds and three assists when she left the game with an injury early in the second half.</li></ul> UP NEXT<ul><li>The Griffons stay at Civic Arena, Saturday to take on Minnesota Duluth.</li><li>The Bulldogs stormed back in the second half before falling 59-51 to No. 7 Fort Hays State at Civic Arena on Friday.</li></ul> --- MWSU Athletics ---

Missouri Western women drop opener to Concordia-St. Paul 66-59

DISTRICT SEMIFINALS - November 8 CLASS 4 DISTRICT 84 Excelsior Springs 38 (7-4)@ 1 Lincoln Prep 41 2 OT(11-0) 3 Smithville 20 (9-2)@ 2 Platte County 23 (8-3) CLASS 3 DISTRICT 84 Cameron 14 (5-6)@ 1 Savannah 56 (9-2) 6 Benton 14 (2-9)@ 2 Chillcothe 44 (9-2) CLASS 2 DISTRICT 84 Lawson 0 (7-4)@ 1 Maryville 48 (9-1) 3 Richmond 6 (7-3)@ 2 Lathrop 42 (11-0) CLASS 1 DISTRICT 85 Putnam County 29 (7-4)@ 1 Scotland County 0 (9-2) 6 Milan 8 (5-6)@ 2 South Harrison 32 (10-1) CLASS 1 DISTRICT 75 East Buchanan 22 (4-7)@ 1 Mid-Buchanan 49 (10-1) 3 Plattsburg 16 (5-6)@ 2 Hamilton 42 (6-5) 8-MAN DISTRICT 44 South Holt / Nodaway Holt 36 (6-5)@ 1 East Atchison 58 (10-0) 3 Mound City 44 (9-2)@ 2 North Andrew 32 (8-3) 8-MAN DISTRICT 35 Stanberry 20 (3-8)@ 1 Pattonsburg 74 (9-1) 3 Albany 54 (6-5)@ 2 Worth County 74 (8-3) 8-MAN DISTRICT 25 Stewartsville 6 (2-8)@ 1 Southwest Livingston 80 (9-1) 3 North Shelby 54 (9-2)@ 2 Orrick 6 (7-3)

Area District High School Football Scores - Friday, November 8

KEARNEY, Neb. - The Northwest Missouri State Bearcats women's basketball team lost to Wayne State by a score of 61-57. The game was close throughout with 8 lead changes. The Bearcats missed a 3-pointer to take the lead with three seconds left in the game. The Bearcats struggled to find the basket shooting only 40.7% from the field, and only 20% from behind the 3-point line. Northwest held Wayne State to 37% shooting from the field, but allowed them to shoot nine more shots from the FT line.&nbsp; Kendey Eaton&nbsp;led the Bearcats in scoring with 17, followed by&nbsp;Jayna Green&nbsp;with 11 and&nbsp;Paityn Rau&nbsp;with 10. Green led the team with seven rebounds,&nbsp;Mia Stillman&nbsp;and&nbsp;Erika Schlosser&nbsp;each added 5. Schlosser led the team in assists with four. Erin Norling&nbsp;led the Wildcats with 19 points. Halley Busse&nbsp;added 15 points and Brittany Bongartz scored 13. Norling and Bongartz each added 6 rebounds. The Wildcats had 40 team rebounds and made 14-22 free throws.&nbsp; The Bearcats will be back in action tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. against Minnesota-Crookston.&nbsp; --- Northwest Athletics ---

Northwest women lose season opener to Wayne State 61-57

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- It had been a long time since Mark Smith scored a point for Missouri. After sitting out the final seven games of last season with a foot injury, he went scoreless in the season opener. On Friday, he made up for lost time, scoring 19 points in a 71-56 victory over Northern Kentucky. "I never worried about Mark's shot, I really didn't, because of the time he puts into it," Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin said. "The biggest thing for me with Mark was not trying to get seven to eight months back in two days. Just let the game come to you." Smith established himself early against the Norse, scoring 15 points in the first half as Missouri (2-0) opened a 36-29 lead. The junior hit 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Wednesday's scoreless performance against Incarnate Word didn't worry Smith. "I trust my jump shot, so I knew it was only a matter of time before they start falling," he said. Guard Tyler Sharpe led Northern Kentucky (1-1) with 18 points, with Trevon Faulkner and Silas Adheke scoring 10 points each. "I was really pleased with Tyler Sharpe just because he played really aggressive without any fear," Northern Kentucky coach Darrin Horn said. "Which is how we want to play, especially in a situation like this." The Tigers broke open the game after halftime, going on a 17-0 run to extend their lead to 60-39 midway through the second half. Missouri got good production from its frontcourt. Center Jeremiah Tilmon had 13 points and Mitchell Smith and Kobe Brown each scored 10 by finding holes in Northern Kentucky's zone defense. "I just love flashing the zone," Mitchell Smith said. "It's so wide open." Martin said Mitchell Smith's offensive production wasn't a surprise to him, even though he averaged just 2.5 points per game last season. "He's probably our best guy flashing against the zone," Martin said. "I think that he has a lot of comfort in making decisions there. So not surprised, but happy for him." NORSE GO COLD Northern Kentucky was fresh off a 105-point performance in its season opener against UC Clermont but couldn't generate much offense against a far bigger Missouri team. The Norse tried to stay in the game with 3-point shooting but made just 8 of 29 shots from beyond the arc. "How physical they were was an issue for us," Horn said. "They knocked us off ball screens. We had a hard time getting the ball in the paint, and then when we did get it in the paint we didn't finish strong." BIG PICTURE Missouri: By dominating a team that returned four starters and went to the NCAA Tournament last season, the Tigers validated the idea that they might be much improved over last year. Northern Kentucky: The Norse struggled against Missouri's stingy defense, shooting only 37% from the floor. It didn't help that one of the team's top players, Jalen Tate, made just 1 of 4 shots and committed five turnovers. "With so many guys returning, four stars returning . it's tough to go against," Martin said. "I thought (Dru Smith) and (Xavier Pinson) did a tremendous job on Tate. . We did a great job in guarding him on transition, identifying him early so he couldn't get on the run and make plays." UP NEXT Missouri: The Tigers visit Xavier on Tuesday. Northern Kentucky: The Norse head to the East Coast on Tuesday to play Coastal Carolina, which lost its home opener to Campbell. --- Associated Press ---

Missouri beats Northern Kentucky to move to 2-0

The No. 14-ranked Northwest Missouri State University volleyball team picked up its&nbsp;19th&nbsp;win of the season with its second three-set sweep of the Newman Jets in 2019. Northwest won by set scores of 25-18, 25-16 and 25-19. The Bearcats are 19-6 overall and 12-5 in&nbsp;MIAA&nbsp;play. The Jets fell to 1-26 overall and 1-17 in league play. Northwest hit .379 for the match with 49 kills and 10 errors. Newman was held to .089 with 26 kills and 17 attack errors. The Bearcats sided out at 67 percent for the match, while Newman sided out at 45 percent. The three-set match featured only three ties and one lead change that occurred in the second set. Junior Hallie Sidney powered the Northwest offense with 17 kills (.441). Sidney also notched her team-leading&nbsp;15th&nbsp;double-double with 12 digs. Freshman Alyssa&nbsp;Rezac&nbsp;posted a career-high 41 assists. Sophomore Hannah&nbsp;Koechl&nbsp;was credited with a team-best 14 digs. Sophomore Bethany Elkins had nine kills (.643) with no errors on 14 attacks. Junior Morgan Lewis secured nine kills (.471) with one error on 17 swings. The Bearcats will be in action Saturday at 6 p.m. against Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Oklahoma. NOTES: Northwest is one win away form the program's&nbsp;16th&nbsp;20-win season ... it would be Northwest's first back-to-back 20-win seasons since 1999 ... Northwest's 12&nbsp;MIAA&nbsp;wins is the second-most in school history behind the 14 wins that the 2018 squad posted ... the Bearcats are 7-3 on the road and 14-3 on road/neutral courts ... seven road victories ranks as the fifth-most for the Bearcats in school history.

No. 14 Bearcat volleyball sweeps Newman

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Devon Dotson and No. 3 Kansas got back on track. Dotson had 22 points and six assists and Udoka Azubuike added 10 points and 10 rebounds in Kansas' 74-62 victory over UNC Greensboro. "I thought Devon played great," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "That was a different Devon than we saw on Tuesday night." The Jayhawks rebounded from a loss to No. 4 Duke on Monday night. "We had a tough time dealing with him (Dotson) tonight, staying in front," UNC Greensboro coach Wes Miller said. After leading by four points at the half, the Jayhawks (1-1) shot 41.7% from beyond the arc in the second half to pull away. Kansas shot 45.8% from the field overall and outrebounded the Spartans 42 to 35. "I think our team got kind of relaxed and fatigued, and they took advantage of us," Isaiah Miller said. Miller led Greensboro (1-1) with 19 points, and Kaleb Hunter had 17 points. A late 9-0 run brought the Spartans within 10 points. BIG PICTURE Kansas: Having fallen 68-66 to Duke in a matchup plagued by 28 Kansas turnovers, the Jayhawks turned the ball over 10 times amidst the full-court pressure from Greensboro. UNCG: After routing North Carolina A&amp;T 83-50 on Tuesday and hanging tight early with Kansas, the Spartans take considerable momentum home to Greensboro Coliseum in preparation for the Spartan invitational next week. TURNING POINT While the Spartans kept it close early, a critical three-ball by Isaiah Moss extended the Kansas lead to 42-34 at the 17:30 mark, forcing a UNCG timeout and shifting momentum in favor of the Jayhawks. Moss finished with eight points after receiving the second-half starting nod. "That was his first official game, so he had to get his feet under him," Dotson said of Moss. "He's getting the flow, and once he gets that, comfortable, he was fine. He's only going to get better from here." ROLE PLAYER Contributing 20 minutes off the bench, Tristan Enaruna provided a much-needed spark for the Jayhawk offense, recording nine points and corralling five rebounds, seeing quality minutes through the first two games of his collegiate career. "I think it's just a switch you have to turn on, and once you've done that it's just all automatic," Enaruna said. INJURIES After missing the Jayhawks' season-opener due to an ankle injury, Jalen Wilson saw only a few seconds of action Friday before limping to the sideline and asking Self to call a timeout, not facing any contact. "He broke it and requires surgery early next week," Self said. "Time table on return will probably be close to three months. I'm not going to tell you he will sit the rest of the year, but the likelihood of that is pretty strong." UP NEXT Kansas: Hosts Monmouth on Nov. 15. UNC Greensboro: Hosts Averett on Monday in the opening game of the Spartan Invitational. --- Associated Press ---

Kansas bounces back with 74-62 win over UNC Greensboro

EMPORIA, Kansas – The Northwest Missouri State University women's soccer team fell 3-2 in double overtime to Emporia State in the&nbsp;MIAA&nbsp;Tournament quarterfinal match Friday afternoon. Alex&nbsp;Mausbach&nbsp;got things going for the Bearcats early in the first half with a goal to grab a 1-0 lead.&nbsp;Kaylie&nbsp;Rock assisted on the goal. Right before the end of the first half, Taylor Wolfe netted one in to grab a 2-0 lead over the Hornets. Emporia State's Kennedy Hoffman and Hannah&nbsp;Woolery&nbsp;tied up the score 2-2 in the second half forcing the first overtime. The first overtime saw the score stay 2-2 sending the game to a second overtime where&nbsp;Woolery&nbsp;netted the game winner for the Hornets. The Hornets will advance on to the semifinal round on Nov. 15. The Bearcats season ends with an overall record of 6-10-3 and 4-5-2 in the conference. Northwest had four players selected for&nbsp;all-MIAA&nbsp;honors earlier this week.&nbsp;Izzy&nbsp;Romano was named third team&nbsp;all-MIAA, Emily Madden, Manuela Gonzalez and&nbsp;Kaylie&nbsp;Rock were selected for&nbsp;all-MIAA&nbsp;honorable mention. The Bearcats have seen improvement overall this year, especially in conference wins. The Bearcats went 4-5-2 during the regular season compared to last year's 1-10 conference record. Northwest's sixth place finish in the final regular season standings is the best finish since the Bearcats placed fifth in the 2012 season. Northwest's 14 points in the team standings is also the most since scoring 20 points in the 2012 campaign. Northwest has exceeded its goal output from last year as well. The Bearcats have tallied 29 goals this season, compared to nine goals in the entire 2018 campaign. Northwest's 29 goals scored are the most since the Bearcats put 31 in the net in the 2012 season.&nbsp;NOTES:&nbsp;Kaitlyn&nbsp;Case led the team in goals with six …&nbsp;Teagan&nbsp;Blackburn recorded five … Alex&nbsp;Mausbach,&nbsp;Izzy&nbsp;Romano,&nbsp;Kaylie&nbsp;Rock and Bri&nbsp;Wawiorka&nbsp;had three goals each … Taylor Wolfe,&nbsp;Tanith&nbsp;Beal and Manuela Gonzalez had two goals each and&nbsp;Madie&nbsp;Krueger had one.&nbsp;Mausbach&nbsp;led the team in assists with five. Goalkeeper Alexis&nbsp;Serna&nbsp;Castillo tallied 25 saves this season and Grace&nbsp;Goetsch&nbsp;recorded 19. --- Northwest Athletics ---

Northwest soccer loses in double OT at Emporia State in MIAA Tournament opener

DISTRICT SEMIFINALS - FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8 CLASS 4 DISTRICT 84 Excelsior Springs (7-3)@ 1 Lincoln Prep (10-0) 3 Smithville (9-1)@ 2 Platte County (7-3) CLASS 3 DISTRICT 84 Cameron (5-5)@ 1 Savannah (8-2) 6 Benton (2-8)@ 2 Chillcothe (8-2) CLASS 2 DISTRICT 84 Lawson (7-3)@ 1 Maryville (8-1) 3 Richmond (7-3)@ 2 Lathrop (10-0) CLASS 1 DISTRICT 85 Putnam County (6-4)@ 1 Scotland County (9-1) 6 Milan (5-5)@ 2 South Harrison (9-1) CLASS 1 DISTRICT 75 East Buchanan (4-6)@ 1 Mid-Buchanan (9-1)LISTEN ON JOE TOWN 107.5 or <a href="https://www.joetown1075.com/listen-live/">CLICK HERE</a> 3 Plattsburg (5-5)@ 2 Hamilton (5-5) 8-MAN DISTRICT 44 South Holt / Nodaway Holt (6-4)@ 1 East Atchison (9-0) 3 Mound City (8-2)@ 2 North Andrew (8-2) 8-MAN DISTRICT 35 Stanberry (3-7)@ 1 Pattonsburg (8-1) 3 Albany (6-4)@ 2 Worth County (7-3) 8-MAN DISTRICT 25 Stewartsville (2-7)@ 1 Southwest Livingston (8-1) 3 North Shelby (8-2)@ 2 Orrick (7-2)

Area High School Football District Schedule - Friday, November 8

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -&nbsp;Three members of the Missouri Western soccer team were named honorable mention All-MIAA. Goalkeeper Anna Mayer, midfielder Mackenzie O'Neill&nbsp;and forward Taylor Schwartzopf received postseason honors. ANNA MAYERThe sophomore's 122 saves in 2019 were the third most ever recorded in a season by a Griffon. Missing just one game, Mayer finished third in the MIAA with over 1,600 goalie minutes played. She was second in the MIAA with 7.18 saves per game and 122 total saves, which also ranked 10th&nbsp;in DII women's soccer. Mayer posted five double-digit save performances on the season and broke an MWSU single game record with 18 saves on Sept. 8 against Rockhurst. MACKENZIE O'NEILLO'Neill started all 18 games as a captain on the Griffon Soccer team this season. She led the team with seven points on two goals and three assists. One of her goals was the game winner at Washburn on Oct. 6. Her other goal came at Northwest Missouri on Nov. 1. TAYLOR SCHWARTZKOPFSchwartzkopf led the Griffons with three goals on the season and was tied for second with six total points. She started all 18 games and led the Griffons with 63 shots and 27 shots on goal. The junior had the game winning goal at home against Northwest and also scored at Missouri Southern and in the season finale against Central Missouri. The complete list of the 2019&nbsp;All-MIAA&nbsp;Honors is listed below.All-MIAA&nbsp;First-Team&nbsp;Goalkeeper - Lindsey Johnson - Central Missouri, Jr.Defender - Allysa Gann - Central Missouri, Sr.Defender - Skylar Drum - Central Missouri, Jr.Defender - Kelsey Gordon - Central Oklahoma, Sr.Defender - Emily Seiler - Northeastern State, Sr.Midfielder - Haley Freeman - Central Missouri, Jr.Midfielder - Kelsie Eason - Central Oklahoma, Jr.Midfielder - Tanna Benefiel - Emporia State, Sr.Forward - Makayla Toth - Central Missouri, Jr.Forward - Asha Haile - Central Oklahoma, Sr.Forward - Mackenzie Dimarco - Emporia State, Fr.Forward - Mariah Nicolet - Northeastern State, Sr. All-MIAA Second-TeamGoalkeeper - Allie Prososki - Nebraska Kearney, Sr.Goalkeeper - RaVella Fisher - Rogers State, Jr.Defender - Taryn Schnell - Fort Hays State, Sr.Defender - Molly Willis - Nebraska Kearney, Sr.&nbsp;Defender - Alex Wynn - Rogers State, Jr.Midfielder - Nayeli Gallo - Central Missouri, Fr.Midfielder - Haley Post - Central Oklahoma, Sr.Midfielder - Darby Hirsch - Fort Hays State, Sr.Midfielder - Sarah Rector - Northeastern State, Sr.Forward - Kassie Newsom - Central Missouri, So.Forward - Paulina Chavez - Northeastern State, Jr.Forward - Cailey Perkins - Fort Hays State, So. All-MIAA Third-TeamGoalkeeper - Jackie Lari - Newman, So.Defender - Taryn Kedzior - Central Oklahoma, So.Defender - Sydney Martens - Emporia State, So.Defender - Jordan Ashworth - Newman, So.Defender - Maria Stephens - Newman, Fr.Midfielder - Kelsey Mueller - Central Missouri, Sr.Midfielder - Izzy Romano - Northwest Missouri, Sr.&nbsp;Midfielder - Tera Lynch - Washburn, Jr.Forward - Macy Ruffalo - Central Missouri, Fr.Forward - Kennedy Weaver - Newman, Sr.Forward - Laurelle Theodore - Rogers State, So.Forward - Josie Rimmer - Washburn, So.All-MIAA Honorable MentionCentral Missouri: Cassie Forcellini - Midfielder,Central Oklahoma: Kaitlyn Asher - Goalkeeper, Meredith Wilson - Defender, Monika McGee - MidfielderEmporia State: Kailey Corr - Defender, Aislinn Hughes - Midfielder, Hannah Woolery - MidfielderFort Hays State: Megan Kneefel - Goalkeeper, Maja Persa - Defender, Paige Utterback - DefenderMissouri Southern: Ashton Manwill - Defender, Brianna Smith - Defender, Bailey Belcher - Forward, Jessica Edwards - ForwardMissouri Western: Anna Mayer - Goalkeeper, Mackenzie O'Neill - Midfielder, Taylor Schwartzkopf - ForwardNebraska Kearney: Megan Cook - DefenderNewman: Kyra Butler - Defender, Sarra Gutknecht - Defender, Katie Hartman - Midfielder, Vanessa Ortiz - Midfielder,&nbsp;Northeastern State: Leslie Munoz - DefenderNorthwest Missouri: Emily Madden - Defender, Manuela Gonzalez - Midfielder, Kaylie Rock - MidfielderRogers State: Janell Hernandez - Defender, Anita Gaspar - Midfielder, Bria Salazar - Midfielder,, Kori Watters - ForwardWashburn: Raegan Wells - Goalkeeper, Emily Michaelis - Defender, Olivia Grasso - Midfielder --- MWSU Athletics ---

Three Griffons earn All-MIAA soccer honors

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Jeremiah Tilmon scored 16 points and blocked five shots to lead Missouri to an 82-42 victory over Incarnate Word on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams. Tilmon, a 6-foot-10 forward, went on a tear midway through the first half, scoring four baskets in the paint -- three of them off assists from Xavier Pinson -- in a three-minute span as the Tigers expanded their lead from six to 14 points. Tilmon, who fouled out of 20 games the last two years, sat down for good with 7:15 left in the game after committing his fourth foul. By then the game was well out of hand. Pinson came off the bench to score 15 points and dish five assists. Javon Pickett added 10 points. Freshman Mario McKinney scored seven points, including an acrobatic follow-dunk late in the second half. The Tigers led 43-22 at halftime and grew the lead to as many as 46 points in the second half. Freshman guard Drew Lutz led the Cardinals with 16 points, and fellow freshman Vincent Miszkiewicz grabbed 10 rebounds. BIG PICTURE Incarnate Word: The Cardinals, who went 6-25 last season, are retooling with five freshmen and three players coming off a redshirt season. The only starter who played last year was Morgan Taylor. Lutz, a lefty point guard, did not look intimidated in his first college game and appears to be a player second-year coach Carson Cunningham can build around. Missouri: The 3-point arc was moved back from 20 feet, 9 inches to the international distance of 22-1 3/4 inches this season. The Tigers struggled from the longer distance. Missouri made 7 of 31 from beyond the arc (22.6%). UP NEXT Incarnate Word: The Cardinals visit Northern Colorado on Friday. Missouri: The Tigers return to action Friday against Northern Kentucky at home. --- Associated Press ---

Mizzou blows out Incarnate Word 82-42 in season opener

The Northwest Missouri State University Bearcat volleyball team comes in at No. 8 the first NCAA Division II regional rankings of the 2019 season. The top eight teams from each region will qualify for the 2019 NCAA Tournament. The Bearcats have recorded wins this season over No. 4 Northern State and No. 7 Central Missouri. Northwest owns an overall record of 18-6, which includes a mark of 16-6 in region matches. Northwest's six losses have come against No. 2 Nebraska-Kearney (twice, No. 6 Washburn, No. 7 Central Missouri, Central Oklahoma and Drury. CENTRAL In Region Record Overall Record1 Nebraska-Kearney 23-0 24-02 Minnesota Duluth 17-2 20-33 Concordia-St. Paul 15-3 19-44 Northern State 20-3 20-35 St. Cloud State 14-4 19-46 Washburn 18-2 22-27 Central Missouri 14-5 18-78 Northwest Missouri State 16-6 18-69 Wayne State (Nebraska) 15-5 19-510 Winona State 11-5 18-5

Northwest volleyball No. 8 in first Central regional rankings

LIBERTY, Mo. –&nbsp;Griffon Volleyball (14-11) was defeated in straight sets by William Jewell (11-16) in its final road match of the 2019 season.&nbsp;Missouri Western fell by scores of 25-17, 25-21 and 25-21. The Griffons hit a season-low .083 in the match, committing 29 errors on 121 attacks. Missouri Western had leads in all three sets of a match that saw the lead change 23 total times.&nbsp;The last Griffon lead in the first was 13-12, but William Jewell closed out the set on a 13-4 run. In the second, MWSU led 20-17 before the Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the match with an 8-1 run that started with a 6-0 spurt. After falling behind 17-11 in the third, Missouri Western cut the lead in half, but never got closer than a three-point deficit the rest of the way.&nbsp;Both teams finished with 39 kills and digs were just one in favor of the home team. Eight William Jewell finished with eight blocks to four for the Griffons.&nbsp;UP NEXTMissouri Western begins a four-game homestand that will close out the regular season this Thursday against Fort Hays State. --- MWSU Athletics ---

Missouri Western volleyball gets swept at William Jewell

NEW YORK -- Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was pleased with his young team's poise in the season opener, especially that of sophomore Tre Jones. Jones scored 15 points and Cassius Stanley added 11 of his 13 points in the second half to help No. 4 Duke beat third-ranked Kansas 68-66 in the opener of the Champions Classic on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. "The difference maker was Tre. Lot of young guys, lot of new guys," Krzyzewski said. "We really tried to play good defense in our first 30 practices. We played really good defense (tonight). It starts with that kid. Really happy with my team. Terrific win for us." While Duke doesn't have the star-studded freshmen class of last season of Zion Williamson, Cam Reddish and RJ Barrett, Krzyzewski may have a more balanced team, capable of making plays down the stretch when needed. "One of the main things I have to learn how to do is sub," the Hall of Fame coach joked. "Last couple years might bring in one guy. All of a sudden there are three guys. Not sure I did a good job, but it worked." Trailing 61-59 with 2:29 left, Stanley drove to the basket and made the layup and was fouled. The freshman guard converted the free throw to give the Blue Devils a one-point lead. Devon Dotson missed a layup on the other end and Jones then hit a jumper that bounced off the rim twice before dropping in with 1:33 left. Marcus Garrett got the Jayhawks back within one. After a miss by the Blue Devils, Kansas turned the ball over with 37 seconds left. It was the Jayhawks' 28th turnover of the game. Jones then converted two free throws with 26.2 seconds left. Kansas had chances, but couldn't convert until Dotson banked in a meaningless 3-pointer at the buzzer. He finished with 17 points. "We're disappointed in the outcome. That was a game that either team could have won multiple times. We had ourselves in good position in the second half and the game got away from us," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "It's a learning experience. Not sure a game win or lose on Nov. 5 will count much in March. There's a lot of things we can learn." Self wasn't happy with the turnovers, but knows that it was the first game of the season. "Duke's defense is better than the exhibition game. I think we played uncharacteristic," Self said. "I think we made easy plays difficult many times. A lot of that was the nerves, the environment. Guys wanted to do well so bad." Tuesday's game marked the return of Kansas senior Udoka Azubuike, who played only nine games last year after tearing ligaments in his right hand. He had eight points. It also was the first game for Silvio De Sousa since the 2017-18 season. He was suspended for two seasons because of NCAA violations and sat out last year as Kansas was implicated in the FBI probe of college basketball. Kansas won an appeal that allowed De Sousa to play this year. He got a nice ovation from the fans when he checked in nearly 3:30 into the game. He finished with three points. Duke led 33-30 at the half as neither team really got into much of an offensive rhythm in the opening 20 minutes. There was a lot of sloppy play with Kansas committing 18 turnovers. Despite all the miscues, the Jayhawks were able to stay in the game by hitting 10 of their 19 shots from the field. No. 1 Michigan State played second-ranked Kentucky in the second game of the doubleheader. This is the first time in the nine-year history of the event that the four teams occupy the top four spots in the poll. NIFTY PLAY: Stanley had back-to-back dunks on the break, both coming on assists from Tre Jones. The second one came when Jones threw a 45-foot bounce pass to a streaking Spencer who finished the play with a one-handed jam. NOT SO FREE THROWS: Both teams struggled from the foul line with Kansas going 16 for 26 and Duke 14 for 23. MSG MILESTONES: Krzyzewski has had many memorable moments at Madison Square Garden, including passing Bobby Knight with his 903rd career win in 2011 to become No. 1 on the all-time men's victory list. He also had his 1,000th career win at MSG in 2015. "This is the one I love playing in after Cameron. Balls bounce different, the noise. Something about this place," Krzyzewski said. "I've now coached over 50 games in here. ... When eventually I stop coaching, I'll look back at the times here as very special times in New York." UP NEXT: Duke: Hosts Colorado State on Friday. Kansas: Hosts UNC Greensboro on Friday. --- Associated Press ---

No. 3 Kansas comes up short against 4th-ranked Duke 68-66

COLUMBIA, Mo.&nbsp;–Mizzou Women's Basketball (1-0, 0-0 SEC) earned a 97-89 victory over Western Illinois (0-1, 0-0 Summit) on Tuesday night at Mizzou Arena to open the 2019-20 season. Five Tigers scored in double figures, including all four of Mizzou’s seniors, led by double-double performances from senior guard&nbsp;Amber Smith&nbsp;(Shreveport, La.) and redshirt senior forward&nbsp;Hannah Schuchts&nbsp;(Tallahassee, Fla.).&nbsp;After a back-and-forth first quarter highlighted by seven combined three-pointers between the teams, Mizzou lead by one. The second quarter featured much of the same back-and-forth action, with neither team able to pull away. Senior guard&nbsp;Jordan Chavis’&nbsp;(Lexington, N.C.) third three-pointer of the half in the final seconds gave Mizzou a two-point lead heading into the locker room. Western Illinois refused to go away easy and came out of the half on a 12-2 run. The Leathernecks rode that run to a four-point lead heading into the final quarter. The final quarter was highlighted by a Mizzou run that evened the game and created yet another back-and-forth battle resulting in overtime. Mizzou turned it up a notch in the overtime period and quickly pulled away from Western Illinois on their way to victory.&nbsp;Mizzou played well fundamentally, winning the turnover battle and converting on 13-of-16 attempts from the charity stripe. Big performances down the stretch from experienced seniors Smith, Schuchts and&nbsp;Jordan Roundtree&nbsp;(St. Louis, Mo.) helped secure the come from behind win. The Tigers had big contributions off the bench as well and outscored the Leathernecks bench 28-13. Junior guard&nbsp;Elle Brown&nbsp;(Columbia, Mo.) led the Tigers’ reserves with a career high 15 points.&nbsp;TURNING POINT&nbsp;After Schuchts and Smith forced turnovers on back-to-back possessions, Brown converted on an and-one layup to cap a 7-0 Mizzou run and tie the game at 68 in the fourth quarter. A three-pointer from Schuchts with a minute remaining in the game put Mizzou up two. The two teams traded blows following the Schuchts three and the game went to overtime. After Western Illinois scored the first points of the overtime period, Mizzou responded with yet another and-one conversion to spark an 11-1 run. The Tigers never looked back and finished out overtime cruising to victory.&nbsp;TOP TIGERS&nbsp;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Smith lead the way for the Tigers, recording her 11th&nbsp;career double-double with 27 points to along with 15 rebounds and four assists. Dating back to last season, Smith has now scored in double-figures in five of her last six games.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Chavis also filled out the box score on the night, shooting 4-7 from beyond the arc and matching a career-high with 18 points.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Schuchts posted her first career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 10 rebounds, and led the team in blocks with three.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Not to be outdone, Roundtree recorded 14 points of her own, including a crucial three in overtime.NOTES&nbsp;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mizzou’s 97 points scored were the most scored by Mizzou since Feb. 23, 2017 in a 100-65 victory over Ole Miss.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mizzou had five players score in double figures for the first time since an 88-54 win over Arkansas on Jan. 21, 2018.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Senior guard&nbsp;Amber Smith&nbsp;(Shreveport, La.) led the way with 27 points, one-point shy of her career-high and her seventh career 20-point game, while setting a new career-high in rebounds with 15. Smith also set a career-high in field goals with 11 and matched a career-high in steals with three.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Smith’s 27-point, 15-rebound performance was her 11th&nbsp;career double-double, and the ninth since the beginning of last season.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Smith’s production is just the 18th&nbsp;occurrence of 27+ points and 15+ rebounds in program history, and the first since Jordan Frericks’ 27-point, 17-rebound performance vs. Bradley on Dec. 6, 2014.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Senior guard&nbsp;Jordan Chavis&nbsp;(Lexington, N.C.) surpassed her 2018-19 season-high in points (11) in the second quarter, as she matched her career-high with 18 points, tying her performance vs. Vanderbilt on Jan. 11, 2018.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Chavis backed up her impressive performance with a career-high eight assists, as she played a career-high 41 minutes.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Senior forward&nbsp;Hannah Schuchts&nbsp;(Tallahassee, Fla.) notched her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. The Tiger senior set a new career-high in rebounds with her first double-digit effort on the boards.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Mizzou had two players record double-doubles for the first time since Sophie Cunningham and Smith each had double-doubles vs. Quinnipiac on Nov. 24, 2018.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Junior guard&nbsp;Elle Brown&nbsp;(Columbia, Mo.) started the year off strong, tallying 15 points in 32 minutes, both career-highs. Her previous highs were seven points (last Nov. 19, 2018, vs. SIUE) and 13 minutes played (Nov. 24, 2017, vs. Coppin State).·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Brown also notched career-highs in assists (six, steals (two, field goals made (five) and free throws made (five).·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Senior guard&nbsp;Jordan Roundtree&nbsp;(St. Louis, Mo.) posted a career-high in free throws made, connecting on 5-of-6 from the charity stripe.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Freshman forward&nbsp;Hayley Frank&nbsp;(Strafford, Mo.) and freshman guard&nbsp;AIjha Blackwell&nbsp;(Berkeley, Mo.) each started in their first collegiate contests, and scored seven points and one point, respectively.UP NEXT&nbsp;Mizzou continues its three-game home stand to start the season, welcoming old Big 12 foe Nebraska to Mizzou Arena on Sunday, Nov. 10. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CT, and will be broadcast on SEC Network +. --- Mizzou Athletics ---

Sports