The medal matches for Class 1 girls and Class 1 and 2 boys' wrestling took place at the MSHSAA state wrestling championships at Mizzou Arena Thursday, with numerous area wrestlers competing for hardware.

Below is a look at how the KFEQ/St. Joseph Post competitors fared.

100 pounds - Savannah’s Jade Brundige, a freshman, won gold, pinning&nbsp;Rachel Loganbill of Tipton in her title match. Brundige ends the season at 42-4.

Makenna Alden of Lafayette medaled 5th at 100 pounds, becoming the second female wrestler in Lafayette history to medal at state. Alden ends her senior year at 39-14.

105 pounds - Mid-Buchanan’s Delanie Smith made history Thursday, becoming the first female wrestler in school history to take first at state. Smith beat&nbsp;Alyssa King of St. Charles in a 6-1 decision in the title match. Smith wraps her sophomore campaign at 46-3.

125 pounds - North Andrew’s Jaclyn Riedinger medaled 5th. The senior ends the year at 38-6.

135 pounds - Mid-Buchanan’s Kalli Schuster quickly became the second female wrestler in school history to win gold at state, topping&nbsp;Elizabeth Henderson of El Dorado Springs 7-0 in the final. Schuster ends her senior year at 46-6.&nbsp;

140 pounds - Benton’s Tatum Levendahl finished second after getting pinned in the title match. Levendahl has qualified for state each of the last three years and finishes her senior year with a 43-7 record.

235 pounds - Cameron’s Hollie Hedgpath finished second after getting pinned in her title match. Hedgpath is a three-time state medalist and ended her senior season with a 44-4 record.

106 pounds - Gallatin's Eli Sperry medaled 4th. A freshman, Sperry ended his season at 33-6.

120 pounds - Maysville's Cooper Berry medaled third. The senior ends his season at 41-8.

138 pounds - Draken Bennett of Maysville medaled 5th. The junior ends the season at 32-11.

157 pounds - Brendan Barton of Maysville medaled 6th. The junior ends the year at 40-10.

175 pounds - Logan Bottcher of Gallatin medaled 6th after a medical forfeit. Bottcher, who medaled 4th the season prior, ends his senior year at 25-9.

190 pounds - Max Heintz of Maysville is a state runner-up. Heintz ends his junior year at 38-13.

215 pounds - Plattsburg's Dakota Rankin medaled 4th after a 1-0 loss in his medal match. Rankin ends his junior season at 35-14.

285 pounds - Gallatin's Gabriel Parker medaled 3rd with a pin over Maysville's Konnor Watkins in the medal match. Parker ends the year at 22-6, while Watkins ends his senior year at 38-17.

106 pounds - Mid-Buchanan's Grant Schuster medaled 5th. The sophomore finished the year at 29-16.

113 pounds - Mid-Buchanan's Spencer Cunningham medaled third after getting a pin his medal match. Cunningham is now a two-time state medalist after he won gold as a freshman last year at 106 pounds.

120 pounds - Savannah's Creighton Cook medaled 6th. Cook finished his sophomore year at 47-11.

132 pounds - Mid-Buchanan's Ryder Coons medaled third with a 6-3 decision in his medal match. Coons earned his second career state medal.

144 pounds - Savannah's Lincoln LaFave medaled 6th. The freshman ends the season at 39-17.

150 pounds - Benton’s Bishop Rush finished second, falling in the title match in a 13-4 major decision. Rush, who medaled 4th at state last season and surpassed 100 career wins this season, finished his senior year at 49-5.

165 pounds - Lafayette’s Jay Greiner is a state champion for the second straight year. Greiner pinned Zach Rackers of Blair Oaks, who came into the match at 53-0.

Greiner, a four-time state medalist and a University of Chicago wrestling signee, finished his senior year at 59-0. Greiner broke the state record in career wins and wins in a single season.

Staying at 165 pounds, Mid-Buchanan's Colton Kirkham medaled 5th. Kirkham has now medaled at state three times. He ends his junior year at 36-10.

175 pounds - Jackson Perkins of Lafayette medaled 3rd. Zach Kelly of Mid-Buchanan medaled 4th in that class. It’s Kelly’s second career state medal.

190 pounds -&nbsp; Savannah’s Cooper Burnsides finished second after falling 11-3 in a major decision in his title match. Burnsides earned his second career state medal and finished his junior season at 48-7.

Staying at 190 pounds, Mid-Buchanan’s Wade Stanton medaled 3rd after a first period pin in his medal match. It’s his third career state medal. Stanton, a two-time state champion, ends his senior year at 41-3. He's signed to wrestle at William Jewell next year.

215 pounds - Owen Stockbauer of Mid-Buchanan medaled 4th. A two-time state qualifier, Stockbauer ends his junior year at 37-14.

285 pounds - Mid-Buchanan’s Seth Cruz medaled 3rd. It’s his third career state medal. Cruz ended his senior year at 38-10.

The Mid-Buchanan boys finished second in the team standings with 135.5 points - 10 points shy of what would have been their third consecutive state title. Of the nine Dragons who qualified for state, eight of them medaled.

You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677215105020.jpeg" alt="Lafayette wrestler Jay Greiner stands atop the podium after his second career state title Thursday at the MSHSAA state wrestling championships in Columbia. Courtesy photo." />
 <figcaption>Lafayette wrestler Jay Greiner stands atop the podium after his second career state title Thursday at the MSHSAA state wrestling championships in Columbia. Courtesy photo.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe medal matches for Class 1 girls and Class 1 and 2 boys' wrestling took place at the MSHSAA state wrestling championships at Mizzou Arena Thursday, with numerous area wrestlers competing for hardware.Below is a look at how the KFEQ/St. Joseph Post competitors fared.Class 1 girls100 pounds - Savannah’s Jade Brundige, a freshman, won gold, pinning&nbsp;Rachel Loganbill of Tipton in her title match. Brundige ends the season at 42-4.Makenna Alden of Lafayette medaled 5th at 100 pounds, becoming the second female wrestler in Lafayette history to medal at state. Alden ends her senior year at 39-14.105 pounds - Mid-Buchanan’s Delanie Smith made history Thursday, becoming the first female wrestler in school history to take first at state. Smith beat&nbsp;Alyssa King of St. Charles in a 6-1 decision in the title match. Smith wraps her sophomore campaign at 46-3.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Your 1st EVER Mid-Buchanan Girls State Champion Delanie Smith!!!!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OutWorkEm?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OutWorkEm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MBDragonSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MBDragonSports</a> <a href="https://t.co/KK8QSZnrH4">pic.twitter.com/KK8QSZnrH4</a>&mdash; Dragon Wrestling (@MB_Wrestling) <a href="https://twitter.com/MB_Wrestling/status/1628912159479500801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>125 pounds - North Andrew’s Jaclyn Riedinger medaled 5th. The senior ends the year at 38-6.135 pounds - Mid-Buchanan’s Kalli Schuster quickly became the second female wrestler in school history to win gold at state, topping&nbsp;Elizabeth Henderson of El Dorado Springs 7-0 in the final. Schuster ends her senior year at 46-6.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Ladies and gentleman your 2nd EVER MB Girls State Champion Kalli Schuster!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OutWorkEm?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OutWorkEm</a> <a href="https://t.co/2fKfmlEfu1">pic.twitter.com/2fKfmlEfu1</a>&mdash; Dragon Wrestling (@MB_Wrestling) <a href="https://twitter.com/MB_Wrestling/status/1628930706381438976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>140 pounds - Benton’s Tatum Levendahl finished second after getting pinned in the title match. Levendahl has qualified for state each of the last three years and finishes her senior year with a 43-7 record.235 pounds - Cameron’s Hollie Hedgpath finished second after getting pinned in her title match. Hedgpath is a three-time state medalist and ended her senior season with a 44-4 record.Class 1 boys106 pounds - Gallatin's Eli Sperry medaled 4th. A freshman, Sperry ended his season at 33-6.120 pounds - Maysville's Cooper Berry medaled third. The senior ends his season at 41-8.138 pounds - Draken Bennett of Maysville medaled 5th. The junior ends the season at 32-11.157 pounds - Brendan Barton of Maysville medaled 6th. The junior ends the year at 40-10.175 pounds - Logan Bottcher of Gallatin medaled 6th after a medical forfeit. Bottcher, who medaled 4th the season prior, ends his senior year at 25-9.190 pounds - Max Heintz of Maysville is a state runner-up. Heintz ends his junior year at 38-13.215 pounds - Plattsburg's Dakota Rankin medaled 4th after a 1-0 loss in his medal match. Rankin ends his junior season at 35-14.285 pounds - Gallatin's Gabriel Parker medaled 3rd with a pin over Maysville's Konnor Watkins in the medal match. Parker ends the year at 22-6, while Watkins ends his senior year at 38-17.Class 2 boys106 pounds - Mid-Buchanan's Grant Schuster medaled 5th. The sophomore finished the year at 29-16.113 pounds - Mid-Buchanan's Spencer Cunningham medaled third after getting a pin his medal match. Cunningham is now a two-time state medalist after he won gold as a freshman last year at 106 pounds.120 pounds - Savannah's Creighton Cook medaled 6th. Cook finished his sophomore year at 47-11.132 pounds - Mid-Buchanan's Ryder Coons medaled third with a 6-3 decision in his medal match. Coons earned his second career state medal.144 pounds - Savannah's Lincoln LaFave medaled 6th. The freshman ends the season at 39-17.150 pounds - Benton’s Bishop Rush finished second, falling in the title match in a 13-4 major decision. Rush, who medaled 4th at state last season and surpassed 100 career wins this season, finished his senior year at 49-5.165 pounds - Lafayette’s Jay Greiner is a state champion for the second straight year. Greiner pinned Zach Rackers of Blair Oaks, who came into the match at 53-0.Greiner, a four-time state medalist and a University of Chicago wrestling signee, finished his senior year at 59-0. Greiner broke the state record in career wins and wins in a single season.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">BACK-2-BACK!!! Jay Greiner leaves his mark on Missouri high school wrestling.☘️🤼‍♂️ -2-time state champ -most wins (season and career) -most pins in season -most consecutive pins -most matches wrestled in career -most matches wrestled w/o being pinned <a href="https://t.co/FL8z7O5bMI">pic.twitter.com/FL8z7O5bMI</a>&mdash; Lafayette High School (@LHSIrish) <a href="https://twitter.com/LHSIrish/status/1628947304890699777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Staying at 165 pounds, Mid-Buchanan's Colton Kirkham medaled 5th. Kirkham has now medaled at state three times. He ends his junior year at 36-10.175 pounds - Jackson Perkins of Lafayette medaled 3rd. Zach Kelly of Mid-Buchanan medaled 4th in that class. It’s Kelly’s second career state medal.190 pounds -&nbsp; Savannah’s Cooper Burnsides finished second after falling 11-3 in a major decision in his title match. Burnsides earned his second career state medal and finished his junior season at 48-7.Staying at 190 pounds, Mid-Buchanan’s Wade Stanton medaled 3rd after a first period pin in his medal match. It’s his third career state medal. Stanton, a two-time state champion, ends his senior year at 41-3. He's signed to wrestle at William Jewell next year.215 pounds - Owen Stockbauer of Mid-Buchanan medaled 4th. A two-time state qualifier, Stockbauer ends his junior year at 37-14.285 pounds - Mid-Buchanan’s Seth Cruz medaled 3rd. It’s his third career state medal. Cruz ended his senior year at 38-10.The Mid-Buchanan boys finished second in the team standings with 135.5 points - 10 points shy of what would have been their third consecutive state title. Of the nine Dragons who qualified for state, eight of them medaled.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677215483312.jpeg" alt="Mid-Buchanan poses with their second place team trophy at the MSHSAA state wrestling championships in Columbia. Photo courtesy of KQTV." />
 <figcaption>Mid-Buchanan poses with their second place team trophy at the MSHSAA state wrestling championships in Columbia. Photo courtesy of KQTV.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Jay Greiner goes out on top, Mid-Buchanan boys finish second at state wrestling

The Missouri Western men's basketball team overcame a hot shooting start from Nebraska-Kearney, and the Griffons outscored the Lopers 54-40 in the second half on their way to an 83-78 win at the MWSU Fieldhouse on Thursday.

Nebraska-Kearney (5-22, 3-18 MIAA) shot 55.2 percent from the field in the first half, and jumped out to a 36-23 lead with 3:02 left in the first half. Missouri Western trailed 38-29 at halftime.

The Griffons (12-15, 8-13 MIAA) began chipping away at the deficit early in the second half, and eventually took the lead at 61-59 with 5:53 left to play.

Kearney hung in for a bit longer, but a monster three-pointer by Julius Dixon put Missouri Western up 74-65 with only 1:06 left in the game.&nbsp;

The Griffons got in the bonus fairly early in the second half and took advantage, knocking down 21-of-25 free throw attempts in the win.

"I'm proud of the resiliency and the fortitude," Missouri Western coach Will Martin said. "I'm proud of guys stepping up and making plays. We were hard on the guys for free throws. It's a confidence thing, and we changed our mindset a little bit."

Junior JaRon Thames led four Griffons in double figures with 23 points and 11 rebounds - his second double-double of the season and the fourth of his career.

"We knew we had to get this one today if we want to make the conference tournament," Thames said on his 22nd birthday. "(Kearney) hit shots early, so we knew we had to buckle down and guard and play defense and run the offense. We took our time on offense and got stops in the second half."

Taye Fields also had a double-double Thursday with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Dixon finished with 16 points, while Zion Swader had 14 points on a perfect 8-for-8 effort at the charity stripe.

Darrian Nebeker led Nebraska-Kearney with a game-high 30 points - 21 of that came in the first half. The Lopers made 11 threes and shot 49.2 percent from the field.

The Griffons, meanwhile, shot 52.8 percent on the day, and outscored the Lopers 44-26 in the paint.

Thursday's win was vital for Missouri Western, as they try to take one of the last two spots left in the MIAA tournament field.

The top eight teams in the league have already clinched their spot, while the Griffons, Central Missouri and Northeastern State battle over the ninth and tenth spots.

As of now, Missouri Western sits ninth in the standings. Northeastern State is right behind them in 10th, but a Griffon win over Pittsburg State Saturday would lock Missouri Western into the conference tournament next week in Kansas City.

"I'm not a hopeful person, but I'm a faithful person," Martin said. "I have faith in this team, I have faith in every individual and our story is still being written."

"We have to make a choice," Thames added. "We have to come in, buckle down, guard, make the right reads and play for each other and play for the staff and play for the fans. We have to make a choice and we made a choice in the second half to turn it around and get the win."

Both the Missouri Western men's and women's basketball teams round out the regular season on Saturday when they host Pittsburg State. The women's game tips at 1:30, and the men follow at 3:30.

Both games will be on KFEQ Radio (680, 95.3, 680kfeq.com).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677211382288.jpeg" alt="Missouri Western's JaRon Thames (24) puts up a shot in Thursday's 83-78 win over Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday. Photo by Arianne Boma." />
 <figcaption>Missouri Western's JaRon Thames (24) puts up a shot in Thursday's 83-78 win over Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday. Photo by Arianne Boma.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe Missouri Western men's basketball team overcame a hot shooting start from Nebraska-Kearney, and the Griffons outscored the Lopers 54-40 in the second half on their way to an 83-78 win at the MWSU Fieldhouse on Thursday.Nebraska-Kearney (5-22, 3-18 MIAA) shot 55.2 percent from the field in the first half, and jumped out to a 36-23 lead with 3:02 left in the first half. Missouri Western trailed 38-29 at halftime.The Griffons (12-15, 8-13 MIAA) began chipping away at the deficit early in the second half, and eventually took the lead at 61-59 with 5:53 left to play.Kearney hung in for a bit longer, but a monster three-pointer by Julius Dixon put Missouri Western up 74-65 with only 1:06 left in the game.&nbsp;The Griffons got in the bonus fairly early in the second half and took advantage, knocking down 21-of-25 free throw attempts in the win."I'm proud of the resiliency and the fortitude," Missouri Western coach Will Martin said. "I'm proud of guys stepping up and making plays. We were hard on the guys for free throws. It's a confidence thing, and we changed our mindset a little bit."Junior JaRon Thames led four Griffons in double figures with 23 points and 11 rebounds - his second double-double of the season and the fourth of his career."We knew we had to get this one today if we want to make the conference tournament," Thames said on his 22nd birthday. "(Kearney) hit shots early, so we knew we had to buckle down and guard and play defense and run the offense. We took our time on offense and got stops in the second half."Taye Fields also had a double-double Thursday with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Dixon finished with 16 points, while Zion Swader had 14 points on a perfect 8-for-8 effort at the charity stripe.Darrian Nebeker led Nebraska-Kearney with a game-high 30 points - 21 of that came in the first half. The Lopers made 11 threes and shot 49.2 percent from the field.The Griffons, meanwhile, shot 52.8 percent on the day, and outscored the Lopers 44-26 in the paint.Thursday's win was vital for Missouri Western, as they try to take one of the last two spots left in the MIAA tournament field.The top eight teams in the league have already clinched their spot, while the Griffons, Central Missouri and Northeastern State battle over the ninth and tenth spots.As of now, Missouri Western sits ninth in the standings. Northeastern State is right behind them in 10th, but a Griffon win over Pittsburg State Saturday would lock Missouri Western into the conference tournament next week in Kansas City."I'm not a hopeful person, but I'm a faithful person," Martin said. "I have faith in this team, I have faith in every individual and our story is still being written.""We have to make a choice," Thames added. "We have to come in, buckle down, guard, make the right reads and play for each other and play for the staff and play for the fans. We have to make a choice and we made a choice in the second half to turn it around and get the win."Both the Missouri Western men's and women's basketball teams round out the regular season on Saturday when they host Pittsburg State. The women's game tips at 1:30, and the men follow at 3:30.Both games will be on KFEQ Radio (680, 95.3, 680kfeq.com).<div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/MWSU-MBB-coach-Will-Martin---UNK-postgame-22323-e1veoro" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/MWSUs-JaRon-Thames---UNK-postgame-22323-e1veost" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Missouri Western men's basketball scores key win over Nebraska-Kearney Thursday

By RUDI KELLER <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/22/sports-wagering-video-lottery-compete-for-attention-in-missouri-senate-hearing/">Missouri Independent</a>

In Jefferson City, the fight over whether or how to expand gambling – sports wagering, video lottery games, or both – <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/16/sports-wagering-video-lottery-games-again-in-conflict-as-legislature-prepares-for-2023-session/">is a test of political power</a>.

But prevailing in the political 
contest isn’t important to April Kabrick, a co-owner of Boozers Bar 
&amp; Grill in Liberty. She just wants to keep her restaurant in 
business without breaking the law. And she sees video lottery as a new 
source of revenue.

“Video lottery would be a game 
changer for us,” Kabrick told the Senate Appropriations Committee during
 a hearing Wednesday morning. “We have been trying to get this for 
several years.”

The committee heard testimony on three bills – one that would <a target="_blank" href="https://senate.mo.gov/23info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=44557">legalize sports betting</a>, one that would <a target="_blank" href="https://senate.mo.gov/23info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=44506">legalize video lottery games</a> and one that <a target="_blank" href="https://senate.mo.gov/23info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=44644">would allow both</a>.
 The committee took no votes, and Chairman Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield,
 said he needed to consult with members to decide which of the bills 
should move forward.

Sports wagering is moving faster in the Missouri House, where a vote on <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/08/lawmakers-renew-push-to-legalize-sports-wagering-in-missouri/">two bills heard Feb. 8 </a>is set for Thursday in the House Emerging Issues Committee.

Almost every state on Missouri’s 
border allows sports wagering, and hundreds of thousands of Missourians 
already have accounts with legal sports books. But because of 
geofencing, which is the ability to block activities online based on the
 location of the device being used, state residents must visit one of 
those adjoining states to place a legal bet.

From the start of the NFL season – 
which corresponded with the legalization of sports wagering in Kansas – 
through Dec. 31, roughly <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/08/lawmakers-renew-push-to-legalize-sports-wagering-in-missouri/">8.7 million attempts to make a bet</a>
 from within Missouri were blocked. If approved this year, Missouri’s 
sports wagering law would take effect in late August, just as the 2023 
NFL season is starting.

The two bills with sports wagering 
heard Wednesday are nearly identical in their provisions. Casino 
companies and major sports teams back the standalone version sponsored 
by Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, and told the committee that they 
did not like the idea of it being combined with video lottery, as it is 
in the bill sponsored by Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg.

Legalizing sports wagering will help 
end the illegal market and keep Missourians who want to bet within the 
state’s boundaries, Luetkemeyer told the committee.

The goal, he said, is to “compete with and eventually crowd out the illegal market.”

The sports wagering provisions of the
 Senate bills heard Wednesday and the House bills up for a committee 
vote have the backing of all major league sports franchises in the state
 and most of the casinos. The bills would allow anyone over 21 to 
download a sports wagering application to their phone or computer and 
place bets from anywhere within the state.&nbsp;

The net revenue after paying winners 
and accounting for customer incentives would be taxed at 10%. At that 
tax rate, the bills are estimated to generate $22 million to $30 million
 annually for state education and veterans programs.&nbsp;

Casinos pay 21% tax on the net 
revenue from slot machines and table games. Sen. Mike Cierpiot, R-Lee’s 
Summit, asked why the rate on sports wagering should be lower than on 
other gambling.

Casinos know they will always win 
more from gamblers on slots and table games than they pay out, said Mike
 Winter, lobbyist for the Missouri Gaming Association. Sports wagering 
is less certain.

“This is not a high profit business,”
 Winter said. “We are essentially trying to get bets on both sides. 
There is a different theory on table games and slot machines. Those are 
predictable outcomes.”

Other identical or nearly-identical provisions in the bills include:&nbsp;

The video lottery provisions in 
Hoskins’ bill are almost identical to the standalone language in 
legislation offered by Sen. Karla May, D-St. Louis. The terminals would 
be allowed in bars, liquor stores, restaurants, truck stops and 
fraternal organizations.

The estimated revenue from video 
lottery games dwarfs the amounts the state could realize from sports 
wagering. May’s bill would generate <a target="_blank" href="https://senate.mo.gov/FiscalNotes/2023-1/0365S.01I.ORG.pdf">about $141 million annually</a>
 for state education programs and another $20 million for local 
governments. The estimates are nearly the same for the similar 
provisions of Hoskins’ bill.

Allowing regulated and taxed video 
lottery games would be a new source of revenue and crowd out the 
machines offering cash prizes that have <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/02/24/deskins-gum-dispenser-1913-ruling-seen-as-key-to-missouri-illegal-gambling-cases/">proliferated in convenience stores</a> and other locations in recent years, May said.

“We’ve got big businesses that want sports books,” May said. “We need to help small businesses.”

That was the message from Kabrick, 
who said she has not allowed the “gray market” machines into her 
business because she is worried about being prosecuted for illegal 
gambling. Along with the licenses for her business, she said, she has a 
realtor’s license and is certified to be a substitute teacher.

“We can’t compete with businesses 
that have decided to implement the gray machines,” Kabrick said. “The 
people want it. They are going to do it. We have to do something or we 
are just going to go out of business.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674082498165.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is introduced with his team before the start of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is introduced with his team before the start of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RUDI KELLER <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/22/sports-wagering-video-lottery-compete-for-attention-in-missouri-senate-hearing/">Missouri Independent</a>In Jefferson City, the fight over whether or how to expand gambling – sports wagering, video lottery games, or both – <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/16/sports-wagering-video-lottery-games-again-in-conflict-as-legislature-prepares-for-2023-session/">is a test of political power</a>.But prevailing in the political 
contest isn’t important to April Kabrick, a co-owner of Boozers Bar 
&amp; Grill in Liberty. She just wants to keep her restaurant in 
business without breaking the law. And she sees video lottery as a new 
source of revenue.“Video lottery would be a game 
changer for us,” Kabrick told the Senate Appropriations Committee during
 a hearing Wednesday morning. “We have been trying to get this for 
several years.”The committee heard testimony on three bills – one that would <a target="_blank" href="https://senate.mo.gov/23info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=44557">legalize sports betting</a>, one that would <a target="_blank" href="https://senate.mo.gov/23info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=44506">legalize video lottery games</a> and one that <a target="_blank" href="https://senate.mo.gov/23info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=44644">would allow both</a>.
 The committee took no votes, and Chairman Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield,
 said he needed to consult with members to decide which of the bills 
should move forward.Sports wagering is moving faster in the Missouri House, where a vote on <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/08/lawmakers-renew-push-to-legalize-sports-wagering-in-missouri/">two bills heard Feb. 8 </a>is set for Thursday in the House Emerging Issues Committee.Almost every state on Missouri’s 
border allows sports wagering, and hundreds of thousands of Missourians 
already have accounts with legal sports books. But because of 
geofencing, which is the ability to block activities online based on the
 location of the device being used, state residents must visit one of 
those adjoining states to place a legal bet.From the start of the NFL season – 
which corresponded with the legalization of sports wagering in Kansas – 
through Dec. 31, roughly <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/08/lawmakers-renew-push-to-legalize-sports-wagering-in-missouri/">8.7 million attempts to make a bet</a>
 from within Missouri were blocked. If approved this year, Missouri’s 
sports wagering law would take effect in late August, just as the 2023 
NFL season is starting.<h2>‘Crowd out the illegal market’</h2>The two bills with sports wagering 
heard Wednesday are nearly identical in their provisions. Casino 
companies and major sports teams back the standalone version sponsored 
by Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, and told the committee that they 
did not like the idea of it being combined with video lottery, as it is 
in the bill sponsored by Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg.Legalizing sports wagering will help 
end the illegal market and keep Missourians who want to bet within the 
state’s boundaries, Luetkemeyer told the committee.The goal, he said, is to “compete with and eventually crowd out the illegal market.”The sports wagering provisions of the
 Senate bills heard Wednesday and the House bills up for a committee 
vote have the backing of all major league sports franchises in the state
 and most of the casinos. The bills would allow anyone over 21 to 
download a sports wagering application to their phone or computer and 
place bets from anywhere within the state.&nbsp;The net revenue after paying winners 
and accounting for customer incentives would be taxed at 10%. At that 
tax rate, the bills are estimated to generate $22 million to $30 million
 annually for state education and veterans programs.&nbsp;Casinos pay 21% tax on the net 
revenue from slot machines and table games. Sen. Mike Cierpiot, R-Lee’s 
Summit, asked why the rate on sports wagering should be lower than on 
other gambling.Casinos know they will always win 
more from gamblers on slots and table games than they pay out, said Mike
 Winter, lobbyist for the Missouri Gaming Association. Sports wagering 
is less certain.“This is not a high profit business,”
 Winter said. “We are essentially trying to get bets on both sides. 
There is a different theory on table games and slot machines. Those are 
predictable outcomes.”Other identical or nearly-identical provisions in the bills include:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>A
 deduction from net revenue for promotional costs such as free bets 
intended to draw gamblers. Luetkemeyer would phase out the deduction 
over four years, while Hoskins’ bill allows it permanently.</li><li>Exclusive
 rights to major sports teams to control advertising of sports books 
within a designated territory around their stadiums.</li><li>An
 allowance for each of the state’s casino companies to offer up to three
 betting platforms, or skins, and each major sports team to contract 
with one additional platform.</li>
 </ul><h2>‘Gray-market’ machines</h2>The video lottery provisions in 
Hoskins’ bill are almost identical to the standalone language in 
legislation offered by Sen. Karla May, D-St. Louis. The terminals would 
be allowed in bars, liquor stores, restaurants, truck stops and 
fraternal organizations.The estimated revenue from video 
lottery games dwarfs the amounts the state could realize from sports 
wagering. May’s bill would generate <a target="_blank" href="https://senate.mo.gov/FiscalNotes/2023-1/0365S.01I.ORG.pdf">about $141 million annually</a>
 for state education programs and another $20 million for local 
governments. The estimates are nearly the same for the similar 
provisions of Hoskins’ bill.Allowing regulated and taxed video 
lottery games would be a new source of revenue and crowd out the 
machines offering cash prizes that have <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/02/24/deskins-gum-dispenser-1913-ruling-seen-as-key-to-missouri-illegal-gambling-cases/">proliferated in convenience stores</a> and other locations in recent years, May said.“We’ve got big businesses that want sports books,” May said. “We need to help small businesses.”That was the message from Kabrick, 
who said she has not allowed the “gray market” machines into her 
business because she is worried about being prosecuted for illegal 
gambling. Along with the licenses for her business, she said, she has a 
realtor’s license and is certified to be a substitute teacher.“We can’t compete with businesses 
that have decided to implement the gray machines,” Kabrick said. “The 
people want it. They are going to do it. We have to do something or we 
are just going to go out of business.”

Sports betting, video lottery compete for attention in Mo. Senate hearing

The Missouri Western women's basketball team started off by hitting six of their first seven three-point attempts, and that was really just for starters.

The Griffons (24-5, 18-3 MIAA) led 55-23 at halftime and rolled the rest of the way in a 97-49 dismantling of Newman on Wednesday at the Missouri Western Fieldhouse.

Fourteen Griffons played, 12 of them scored and six of them finished with 10 or more points.

"Really great win and I think we have so many people playing really well right now," Missouri Western coach Candi Whitaker said. "It's a great time. This is what you want to see. Everyone who came in made a play."

Freshman Cleao Murray was the leader of the pack with a career-high 20 points on a career-high six made three-pointers.

"Obviously, you need to be playing your best right now," Murray said. "It's a big confidence booster for us to be heading into the postseason with such a good game."

Missouri Western shared the ball extremely well, doling out 27 assists and scoring 59 bench points. The Griffons shot 54.3 percent from the field, including 13-of-27 from three.

Johnni Gonzalez scored 11 points, while Trinity Knapp, Jordan Cunningham, Abby Bala and Alyssa Bonilla each finished with 10. Camille Evans had six points to go with a team-best six rebounds.

"Alyssa played really well," Whitaker noted. "Jordan played well. I mean, I just thought everyone played well."

The Griffons were equally impressive on defense, scoring 35 points off of 23 Newman turnovers. The Jets (9-17, 6-15 MIAA) shot just 30.5 percent from the field, including 6-of-25 from three.

Wednesday's win marks the largest margin of victory this season for Missouri Western. It's their sixth straight win, and they've now won 17 of their last 18 games. The Griffons now set their sites on the regular season finale against Pittsburg State (20-6) on Saturday in St. Joseph.

"I think practice is really important," Murray said. "The next two days for sure will be focused and we'll follow the game plan that coach (Whitaker) has ready for us."

Griffon men drop close contest to Newman playing without Eames

The Missouri Western men's basketball team trailed by as many as nine points in the first half, led by four early in the second, but saw that lead slip away, as the Griffons fell to Newman 70-66 at the MWSU Fieldhouse Wednesday.

Newman (9-18, 5-16 MIAA) held a lead for nearly 33 minutes, and the Jets were an impressive 23-of-28 at the free throw line.

The Griffons (11-15, 7-13 MIAA) were without starting forward Will Eames Wednesday due to illness. Missouri Western overcame early adversity, however, and only trailed 34-32 at halftime.

The Griffons opened the second half on a 7-1 run to go up 39-35 with 17:40 remaining, but the Jets managed to tie the game at 41-41 less than three minutes later.

Wednesday's game featured six ties and four lead changes, but Newman never trailed in the final 14:52 of the game.

Missouri Western got down 65-57 with 2:37 to go, but rallied late and tied the game at 66-66 with 27 seconds remaining after a layup from Ethan Kilgore.

The Jets ran some time off the clock, as Stevie Strong got into the lane and put up a running floater to give Newman a 68-66 lead with less than three seconds left.

Missouri Western tried to inbound the ball quickly, but a bad pass to Kilgore went out of bounds, and Newman sank a couple more free throws with 1.2 seconds left to go up four points.

JaRon Thames led Missouri Western with 20 points and seven rebounds. Taye Fields had 15 points and seven boards. Julius Dixon logged 12 points, while Kilgore came off the bench for a season-high eight points and seven rebounds.

The Griffons shot 41.3 percent from the field, but were only 4-of-24 from three.

"Instead of moving the ball to 2-3 sides and getting the right shot, I feel like we settled," Missouri Western coach Will Martin said.

Strong led Newman with 23 points on 11-of-15 shooting at the free throw line. Latik Murphy finished with 13 points.

Wednesday's loss amplifies the importance of Missouri Western's final two games.

The Griffons, in all likelihood, have to win their final two contests on the regular season schedule to absolutely insure a spot in the MIAA tournament. They're now in a three-way tie with Central Missouri and Northeastern State for the 10th and final spot in the tournament.

"I told the guys that you have to wash it quick," Martin said of the loss. "We don't have time to do a teach tape on this. The guys, the staff, we have to move on to Kearney and we're still playing for a lot. So, it's tough in games like this, because you have zero time to marinate it."

The Missouri Western men are back home Thursday to play Nebraska-Kearney in a makeup game. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. Coverage starts at 6 p.m. on KFEQ Radio (680, 95.3, 680kfeq.com).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677129592435.jpeg" alt="Cleao Murray (12) brings the ball up the floor during Missouri Western's 97-49 win over Newman on Wednesday night. Photo by Arianne Boma." />
 <figcaption>Cleao Murray (12) brings the ball up the floor during Missouri Western's 97-49 win over Newman on Wednesday night. Photo by Arianne Boma.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe Missouri Western women's basketball team started off by hitting six of their first seven three-point attempts, and that was really just for starters.The Griffons (24-5, 18-3 MIAA) led 55-23 at halftime and rolled the rest of the way in a 97-49 dismantling of Newman on Wednesday at the Missouri Western Fieldhouse.Fourteen Griffons played, 12 of them scored and six of them finished with 10 or more points."Really great win and I think we have so many people playing really well right now," Missouri Western coach Candi Whitaker said. "It's a great time. This is what you want to see. Everyone who came in made a play."Freshman Cleao Murray was the leader of the pack with a career-high 20 points on a career-high six made three-pointers."Obviously, you need to be playing your best right now," Murray said. "It's a big confidence booster for us to be heading into the postseason with such a good game."Missouri Western shared the ball extremely well, doling out 27 assists and scoring 59 bench points. The Griffons shot 54.3 percent from the field, including 13-of-27 from three.Johnni Gonzalez scored 11 points, while Trinity Knapp, Jordan Cunningham, Abby Bala and Alyssa Bonilla each finished with 10. Camille Evans had six points to go with a team-best six rebounds."Alyssa played really well," Whitaker noted. "Jordan played well. I mean, I just thought everyone played well."The Griffons were equally impressive on defense, scoring 35 points off of 23 Newman turnovers. The Jets (9-17, 6-15 MIAA) shot just 30.5 percent from the field, including 6-of-25 from three.Wednesday's win marks the largest margin of victory this season for Missouri Western. It's their sixth straight win, and they've now won 17 of their last 18 games. The Griffons now set their sites on the regular season finale against Pittsburg State (20-6) on Saturday in St. Joseph."I think practice is really important," Murray said. "The next two days for sure will be focused and we'll follow the game plan that coach (Whitaker) has ready for us."<div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/MWSU-WBB-coach-Candi-Whitaker---Newman-postgame-22223-e1vdatf" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/MWSU-WBB-vs--Newman-postgame---Cleao-Murray-e1vdau6" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>Griffon men drop close contest to Newman playing without EamesThe Missouri Western men's basketball team trailed by as many as nine points in the first half, led by four early in the second, but saw that lead slip away, as the Griffons fell to Newman 70-66 at the MWSU Fieldhouse Wednesday.Newman (9-18, 5-16 MIAA) held a lead for nearly 33 minutes, and the Jets were an impressive 23-of-28 at the free throw line.The Griffons (11-15, 7-13 MIAA) were without starting forward Will Eames Wednesday due to illness. Missouri Western overcame early adversity, however, and only trailed 34-32 at halftime.The Griffons opened the second half on a 7-1 run to go up 39-35 with 17:40 remaining, but the Jets managed to tie the game at 41-41 less than three minutes later.Wednesday's game featured six ties and four lead changes, but Newman never trailed in the final 14:52 of the game.Missouri Western got down 65-57 with 2:37 to go, but rallied late and tied the game at 66-66 with 27 seconds remaining after a layup from Ethan Kilgore.The Jets ran some time off the clock, as Stevie Strong got into the lane and put up a running floater to give Newman a 68-66 lead with less than three seconds left.Missouri Western tried to inbound the ball quickly, but a bad pass to Kilgore went out of bounds, and Newman sank a couple more free throws with 1.2 seconds left to go up four points.JaRon Thames led Missouri Western with 20 points and seven rebounds. Taye Fields had 15 points and seven boards. Julius Dixon logged 12 points, while Kilgore came off the bench for a season-high eight points and seven rebounds.The Griffons shot 41.3 percent from the field, but were only 4-of-24 from three."Instead of moving the ball to 2-3 sides and getting the right shot, I feel like we settled," Missouri Western coach Will Martin said.Strong led Newman with 23 points on 11-of-15 shooting at the free throw line. Latik Murphy finished with 13 points.Wednesday's loss amplifies the importance of Missouri Western's final two games.The Griffons, in all likelihood, have to win their final two contests on the regular season schedule to absolutely insure a spot in the MIAA tournament. They're now in a three-way tie with Central Missouri and Northeastern State for the 10th and final spot in the tournament."I told the guys that you have to wash it quick," Martin said of the loss. "We don't have time to do a teach tape on this. The guys, the staff, we have to move on to Kearney and we're still playing for a lot. So, it's tough in games like this, because you have zero time to marinate it."The Missouri Western men are back home Thursday to play Nebraska-Kearney in a makeup game. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. Coverage starts at 6 p.m. on KFEQ Radio (680, 95.3, 680kfeq.com).You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

MWSU women dominate Newman, Griffon men drop close game to Jets

Class 1 District 15 quarterfinals in King City DeKalb 45 Stewartsville-Osborn 19 Stanberry 57 Union Star 46

Class 1 District 16 quarterfinals in Ravenwood South Holt 42 North Nodaway 25 Northeast Nodaway 49 Rock Port 42 Mound City 45 Worth County 33

Class 2 District 16 quarterfinals in Rosendale St. Joseph Christian 45 North Andrew 29. <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/32773b37-a4c4-4a53-be9c-cc70e63eb828">Full coverage here</a>. Nodaway Valley 97 Albany 38

Class 2 District 15 quarterfinals in Dearborn Plattsburg 50 Gallatin 48 North Platte 72 Maysville 27

Class 3 District 15 quarterfinal in Lathrop Mid-Buchanan 76 Frontier STEM 6

Regular season Lafayette 46 Savannah 24

Regular season Lafayette 67 Richmond 52 Truman 48 St. Joseph Central 44

By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostGirls' basketballClass 1 District 15 quarterfinals in King City DeKalb 45 Stewartsville-Osborn 19 Stanberry 57 Union Star 46Class 1 District 16 quarterfinals in Ravenwood South Holt 42 North Nodaway 25 Northeast Nodaway 49 Rock Port 42 Mound City 45 Worth County 33Class 2 District 16 quarterfinals in Rosendale St. Joseph Christian 45 North Andrew 29. <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/32773b37-a4c4-4a53-be9c-cc70e63eb828">Full coverage here</a>. Nodaway Valley 97 Albany 38Class 2 District 15 quarterfinals in Dearborn Plattsburg 50 Gallatin 48 North Platte 72 Maysville 27Class 3 District 15 quarterfinal in Lathrop Mid-Buchanan 76 Frontier STEM 6Regular season Lafayette 46 Savannah 24Boys' basketballRegular season Lafayette 67 Richmond 52 Truman 48 St. Joseph Central 44

KFEQ/St. Joseph Post area high school scoreboard - February 21, 2023

ROSENDALE - St. Joseph Christian held North Andrew scoreless in the second quarter and the Lions scored 19 points in the fourth to secure a 45-29 victory over the Cardinals in a Class 2 District 16 quarterfinal at North Andrew High School Tuesday.

The Lions (20-6) jumped out to an early lead, but North Andrew hung in, trailing only 12-10 at the end of the first.

The second quarter wasn't exactly pretty for either team, but Christian managed to put up eight points in that period, while holding North Andrew off the board entirely in the second. The Lions took a 20-10 lead into the locker room.

The third period was a lot more competitive, and once again, North Andrew (15-11) got closer and only trailed 26-20 headed to the fourth.

An early fourth quarter three by Christian's Chloe Burnham swiftly put the Lions up 29-20, and that basically set the tone for the rest of the game.

Burnham made another three late, but Danika Wattenbarger and Jaci Jorgensen each had key triples in the fourth as well to help put the game out of reach. The Lions made four fourth quarter threes in all.

 Burnham herself finished with a game-high 22 points.

"We had amazing teamwork tonight," Burnham said. "We were not ready for our season to be over, so that really was nice."

Jorgensen ended with nine, while Wattenbarger tallied seven points.

Senior Brylie Brincks led North Andrew Tuesday with nine points. Madison Lillard and Reagan Walker each had seven.

North Andrew went 9-for-19 at the free throw line in the loss, and the Cardinals were held to just two made threes in the whole game.

Christian was able to recover from their 54-39 loss at North Andrew back on January 31.

"Holding them to zero points (in the second quarter) is really good, because they've toasted us before," Christian head coach Erin Patrick said. "We knew what we did wrong, played what we practice all year and will continue to do that next game and every game after that."

St. Joseph Christian now advances to Thursday's semifinal, where they'll take on city rival and No. 1 seed Bishop LeBlond (23-3). LeBlond beat Christian back on Dec. 6, 56-37, and the Eagles are the No. 1 ranked team in Class 2.

But in postseason play, Patrick says what happened before doesn't really matter now.

"We know we have to learn to play defense on them," Patrick said of LeBlond. "They're a great team, and we'll concentrate on that. We respect them. We can compete with them with our athleticism and score points. Can we rebound and stop them like we did this team?"

Thursday's semifinal will start at 6 p.m. The other semifinal Thursday will be East Atchison (19-7) against Nodaway Valley (19-8). Nodaway Valley walloped Albany Tuesday, 97-38.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677033310228.jpeg" alt="St. Joseph Christian's Ella Bowman (11) tries to shoot over North Andrew's Cassidy Brittain (25) in the first half of Tuesday's Class 2 District 16 quarterfinal at North Andrew High School. Photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>St. Joseph Christian's Ella Bowman (11) tries to shoot over North Andrew's Cassidy Brittain (25) in the first half of Tuesday's Class 2 District 16 quarterfinal at North Andrew High School. Photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostROSENDALE - St. Joseph Christian held North Andrew scoreless in the second quarter and the Lions scored 19 points in the fourth to secure a 45-29 victory over the Cardinals in a Class 2 District 16 quarterfinal at North Andrew High School Tuesday.The Lions (20-6) jumped out to an early lead, but North Andrew hung in, trailing only 12-10 at the end of the first.The second quarter wasn't exactly pretty for either team, but Christian managed to put up eight points in that period, while holding North Andrew off the board entirely in the second. The Lions took a 20-10 lead into the locker room.The third period was a lot more competitive, and once again, North Andrew (15-11) got closer and only trailed 26-20 headed to the fourth.An early fourth quarter three by Christian's Chloe Burnham swiftly put the Lions up 29-20, and that basically set the tone for the rest of the game.Burnham made another three late, but Danika Wattenbarger and Jaci Jorgensen each had key triples in the fourth as well to help put the game out of reach. The Lions made four fourth quarter threes in all. Burnham herself finished with a game-high 22 points."We had amazing teamwork tonight," Burnham said. "We were not ready for our season to be over, so that really was nice."Jorgensen ended with nine, while Wattenbarger tallied seven points.Senior Brylie Brincks led North Andrew Tuesday with nine points. Madison Lillard and Reagan Walker each had seven.North Andrew went 9-for-19 at the free throw line in the loss, and the Cardinals were held to just two made threes in the whole game.Christian was able to recover from their 54-39 loss at North Andrew back on January 31."Holding them to zero points (in the second quarter) is really good, because they've toasted us before," Christian head coach Erin Patrick said. "We knew what we did wrong, played what we practice all year and will continue to do that next game and every game after that."St. Joseph Christian now advances to Thursday's semifinal, where they'll take on city rival and No. 1 seed Bishop LeBlond (23-3). LeBlond beat Christian back on Dec. 6, 56-37, and the Eagles are the No. 1 ranked team in Class 2.But in postseason play, Patrick says what happened before doesn't really matter now."We know we have to learn to play defense on them," Patrick said of LeBlond. "They're a great team, and we'll concentrate on that. We respect them. We can compete with them with our athleticism and score points. Can we rebound and stop them like we did this team?"Thursday's semifinal will start at 6 p.m. The other semifinal Thursday will be East Atchison (19-7) against Nodaway Valley (19-8). Nodaway Valley walloped Albany Tuesday, 97-38.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677033220654.jpeg" alt="Madison Lillard (middle) tries to get around several defenders." />
 <figcaption>Madison Lillard (middle) tries to get around several defenders.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677034970991.jpeg" alt="Brylie Brincks (24) goes in the lane." />
 <figcaption>Brylie Brincks (24) goes in the lane.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677034998593.jpeg" alt="Chloe Burnham (2)." />
 <figcaption>Chloe Burnham (2).</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677035022514.jpeg" alt="Danika Wattenbarger." />
 <figcaption>Danika Wattenbarger.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677035042143.jpeg" alt="Maya Freudenthal." />
 <figcaption>Maya Freudenthal.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677035057727.jpeg" alt="Reagan Walker." />
 <figcaption>Reagan Walker.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677035078281.jpeg" alt="Taylor Parmer." />
 <figcaption>Taylor Parmer.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph Christian uses late burst to get by North Andrew in districts Tuesday

Class 1 District 15 quarterfinals in King City King City 48 Stanberry 37 Winston 59 DeKalb 39 Stewartsville-Osborn 60 Union Star 38

Class 1 District 16 quarterfinals in Conception Junction Mound City 66 Worth County 44 Rock Port 62 North Nodaway 44 South Holt 83 Northeast Nodaway 66

Class 2 District 15 quarterfinals in Plattsburg Maysville 66 North Platte 48 Gallatin 81 Polo 33 West Platte 72 Braymer 50

Class 2 District 16 quarterfinals in Rosendale Albany 77 St. Joseph Christian 61 Nodaway Valley 61 East Atchison 52

Class 3 District 15 quarterfinals in Lathrop Mid-Buchanan 48 Lawson 38 East Buchanan 74 Frontier STEM 6 St. Pius X 59 Lathrop 54

Girls basketball - regular season St. Joseph Central 55 Truman 40 - Truman is ranked No. 2 in Class 6. Maryville 59 Savannah 27

By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostBoys' basketballClass 1 District 15 quarterfinals in King City King City 48 Stanberry 37 Winston 59 DeKalb 39 Stewartsville-Osborn 60 Union Star 38Class 1 District 16 quarterfinals in Conception Junction Mound City 66 Worth County 44 Rock Port 62 North Nodaway 44 South Holt 83 Northeast Nodaway 66Class 2 District 15 quarterfinals in Plattsburg Maysville 66 North Platte 48 Gallatin 81 Polo 33 West Platte 72 Braymer 50Class 2 District 16 quarterfinals in Rosendale Albany 77 St. Joseph Christian 61 Nodaway Valley 61 East Atchison 52Class 3 District 15 quarterfinals in Lathrop Mid-Buchanan 48 Lawson 38 East Buchanan 74 Frontier STEM 6 St. Pius X 59 Lathrop 54Girls basketball - regular season St. Joseph Central 55 Truman 40 - Truman is ranked No. 2 in Class 6. Maryville 59 Savannah 27

KFEQ/St. Joseph Post area high school scoreboard - February 20, 2023

The Missouri Western women's basketball team used a big second quarter performance to pull away from Northwest Missouri State and ultimately down the Bearcats 75-59 on Saturday at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

The Griffons (23-5, 17-3 MIAA) led 18-12 at the end of the first quarter and outscored Northwest 21-8 in the second to go up 39-20 at halftime.

"Our second quarter was fantastic defensively," Missouri Western coach Candi Whitaker said. "We kept them off the glass. They had zero offensive boards that period. They had zero free throws in the first half and that was a big difference."

The Bearcats (13-13, 8-12 MIAA) got to within 13 points in the third, but never closer, as Missouri Western still led 58-41 entering the fourth.

The Griffons led by as many as 21, 66-45, with 7:14 remaining. Junior Trinity Knapp led Missouri Western Saturday with 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting.

"I mean, Trinity was really good," Whitaker remarked. "I loved how aggressive she was. I loved her courage to take shots. The two she missed were easy bunnies. She made all of the hard shots!"

"I think it was a really fun game," Knapp added. "We like to push the pace, and I think that's kind of the opposite of Northwest's game. Us being able to do that from the get-go. From the start, we were pushing the pace. So, I think that's one of the big reasons why we were able to win."

Junior Connie Clarke logged her 12th double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman Cleao Murray came off the bench for 10 points and a career-high seven boards.

Missouri Western shot 53.4 percent as a team, including 7-of-15 from three. The Griffons doled out 19 assists to just 11 turnovers.

Molly Hartnett led Northwest with 19 points. The Bearcats were held to 37.6 percent shooting Saturday, including 5-of-20 from three. Northwest also struggled from the free throw line, going just 4-of-14.

Missouri Western has now won five straight games, and 16 of their last 17. The Griffons continue to bolster their NCAA tournament resume with the first regional rankings set to come out Wednesday.

"We know where we want to get," Whitaker said. "That's NCAA tournament and we do not want leave that in someone else's hands. It's just important that we're showing up every day and preparing and knowing what's in front of us. It's the work our players have done. They've put themselves in this situation."

Missouri Western men battle throughout, lose close game to Northwest

Missouri Western led 31-26 at halftime, and held a lead for over 21 minutes, but No. 3 Northwest Missouri State outscored the Griffons 42-28 in the second half, and the Bearcats went on to beat Missouri Western 68-59 at the MWSU Fieldhouse Saturday.

Northwest (25-2, 18-2 MIAA) held Missouri Western to just 2-of-14 shooting from three, including 0-of-8 in the second half. The Bearcats also got to the free throw line a lot more late in the game, finishing 19-of-21 at the stripe.

The Griffons (11-14, 7-12 MIAA) still led 47-42 with 12:44 to play, but Northwest reeled off a 7-0 run to go up 49-47 with 9:44 remaining. The Bearcats never trailed after that. Saturday's game featured eight ties and seven lead changes in all.

"I feel like everyone left it all out on the floor," Missouri Western coach Will Martin said. "Emotionally, psychologically, physically. As a coach, you want to walk away with a win, but as a coach, you're proud of the effort your guys gave."

Junior Will Eames led four Griffons in double figures with 14 points. He also had seven rebounds. Sophomore Taye Fields tallied his fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Sophomore Zion Swader finished with 12 points, while Julius Dixon had 11.

"Proud of our guys," Martin continued. "A lot of good individual performances, but that doesn't compare to the team effort you saw out there tonight."

Freshman Bennett Stirtz and junior Wes Dreamer each led Northwest with 16 points. Dreamer had a team-high nine boards. Diego Bernard scored 15 points - 13 of that in the second half.

While Northwest has now won 11 straight games, and is on the verge of clinching what would be their 10th straight regular season MIAA title, the Griffons sit in ninth place in the MIAA standings with three home games left.

Newman (8-18) on Wednesday, Nebraska-Kearney (5-21) Thursday and Pittsburg State (7-19) Saturday. They have to finish 10th or higher in the MIAA standings to qualify for the conference tournament.

"It has to be one day at a time, but we know what we're fighting for," Martin emphasized. "We know these three games are really big and it's going to start with practice on Monday. We just have to be locked into that 'one day at a time' motto and we'll put ourselves in a good position and maybe we'll see (Northwest) again."

Both Missouri Western teams are home Wednesday to face Newman. The women play at 5:30, the men at 7:30. Both will be on KFEQ Radio (680, 95.3, 680kfeq.com) with coverage starting at 5 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676766812567.jpeg" alt="Missouri Western's Trinity Knapp (31) goes up for a layup in Saturday's 75-59 win over Northwest Missouri State in St. Joseph Saturday. Photo by Arianne Boma." />
 <figcaption>Missouri Western's Trinity Knapp (31) goes up for a layup in Saturday's 75-59 win over Northwest Missouri State in St. Joseph Saturday. Photo by Arianne Boma.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostThe Missouri Western women's basketball team used a big second quarter performance to pull away from Northwest Missouri State and ultimately down the Bearcats 75-59 on Saturday at the MWSU Fieldhouse.The Griffons (23-5, 17-3 MIAA) led 18-12 at the end of the first quarter and outscored Northwest 21-8 in the second to go up 39-20 at halftime."Our second quarter was fantastic defensively," Missouri Western coach Candi Whitaker said. "We kept them off the glass. They had zero offensive boards that period. They had zero free throws in the first half and that was a big difference."The Bearcats (13-13, 8-12 MIAA) got to within 13 points in the third, but never closer, as Missouri Western still led 58-41 entering the fourth.The Griffons led by as many as 21, 66-45, with 7:14 remaining. Junior Trinity Knapp led Missouri Western Saturday with 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting."I mean, Trinity was really good," Whitaker remarked. "I loved how aggressive she was. I loved her courage to take shots. The two she missed were easy bunnies. She made all of the hard shots!""I think it was a really fun game," Knapp added. "We like to push the pace, and I think that's kind of the opposite of Northwest's game. Us being able to do that from the get-go. From the start, we were pushing the pace. So, I think that's one of the big reasons why we were able to win."Junior Connie Clarke logged her 12th double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman Cleao Murray came off the bench for 10 points and a career-high seven boards.Missouri Western shot 53.4 percent as a team, including 7-of-15 from three. The Griffons doled out 19 assists to just 11 turnovers.Molly Hartnett led Northwest with 19 points. The Bearcats were held to 37.6 percent shooting Saturday, including 5-of-20 from three. Northwest also struggled from the free throw line, going just 4-of-14.Missouri Western has now won five straight games, and 16 of their last 17. The Griffons continue to bolster their NCAA tournament resume with the first regional rankings set to come out Wednesday."We know where we want to get," Whitaker said. "That's NCAA tournament and we do not want leave that in someone else's hands. It's just important that we're showing up every day and preparing and knowing what's in front of us. It's the work our players have done. They've put themselves in this situation."Missouri Western men battle throughout, lose close game to NorthwestMissouri Western led 31-26 at halftime, and held a lead for over 21 minutes, but No. 3 Northwest Missouri State outscored the Griffons 42-28 in the second half, and the Bearcats went on to beat Missouri Western 68-59 at the MWSU Fieldhouse Saturday.Northwest (25-2, 18-2 MIAA) held Missouri Western to just 2-of-14 shooting from three, including 0-of-8 in the second half. The Bearcats also got to the free throw line a lot more late in the game, finishing 19-of-21 at the stripe.The Griffons (11-14, 7-12 MIAA) still led 47-42 with 12:44 to play, but Northwest reeled off a 7-0 run to go up 49-47 with 9:44 remaining. The Bearcats never trailed after that. Saturday's game featured eight ties and seven lead changes in all."I feel like everyone left it all out on the floor," Missouri Western coach Will Martin said. "Emotionally, psychologically, physically. As a coach, you want to walk away with a win, but as a coach, you're proud of the effort your guys gave."Junior Will Eames led four Griffons in double figures with 14 points. He also had seven rebounds. Sophomore Taye Fields tallied his fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Sophomore Zion Swader finished with 12 points, while Julius Dixon had 11."Proud of our guys," Martin continued. "A lot of good individual performances, but that doesn't compare to the team effort you saw out there tonight."Freshman Bennett Stirtz and junior Wes Dreamer each led Northwest with 16 points. Dreamer had a team-high nine boards. Diego Bernard scored 15 points - 13 of that in the second half.While Northwest has now won 11 straight games, and is on the verge of clinching what would be their 10th straight regular season MIAA title, the Griffons sit in ninth place in the MIAA standings with three home games left.Newman (8-18) on Wednesday, Nebraska-Kearney (5-21) Thursday and Pittsburg State (7-19) Saturday. They have to finish 10th or higher in the MIAA standings to qualify for the conference tournament."It has to be one day at a time, but we know what we're fighting for," Martin emphasized. "We know these three games are really big and it's going to start with practice on Monday. We just have to be locked into that 'one day at a time' motto and we'll put ourselves in a good position and maybe we'll see (Northwest) again."Both Missouri Western teams are home Wednesday to face Newman. The women play at 5:30, the men at 7:30. Both will be on KFEQ Radio (680, 95.3, 680kfeq.com) with coverage starting at 5 p.m.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676769429405.jpeg" alt="Missouri Western's Will Eames (23) holds the ball during the Griffons' 68-59 loss to Northwest Missouri State Saturday. Photo by Arianne Boma." />
 <figcaption>Missouri Western's Will Eames (23) holds the ball during the Griffons' 68-59 loss to Northwest Missouri State Saturday. Photo by Arianne Boma.</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

MWSU WBB dominates Northwest, Griffon men fall short to No. 3 Bearcats in great battle

It's August 2017. Northwest Missouri State men's basketball had just won its first national title that spring under Ben McCollum.

During a time that can be defined as the start of a dynasty, McCollum secured the commitment that August of Lafayette St. Joseph point guard and three-time all-district honoree Diego Bernard.

All of these years later, as Bernard gets ready to suit up against his hometown school Missouri Western for the last time in the regular season, and for the last time in St. Joseph, he never would have imagined being 10-0 against the Griffons in his career up to this point.

"Pshh, no," Bernard chuckled. "I wouldn't have believed it at all."

Bernard is 4-0 at the MWSU Fieldhouse in his career. Each of those wins have come by 23 points. 87-64 in 2018-19, 92-69 in 2019-20, 79-56 in 2020-21 and 84-61 in 2021-22.

Even before Bernard arrived in Maryville, the Bearcats have had the Griffons' number, winning now 22 straight meetings in the Highway 71 matchup. In fact, Northwest has won its last 25 games played in the city of St. Joseph - six of those wins against the Griffons.

Bernard will tell you, though, that's not the main&nbsp;reason he's valued getting to play in St. Joseph and northwest Missouri through these years.

"Just having all of my family and friends who's come and watched me through high school and getting to see me through college, coming back to St. Joe, it's just good times," he said. "Seeing everybody and familiar faces. Just laughing and smiling and hoping I play good."

Bernard's success against his hometown team is really the tip of the iceberg in his prolific career. Bernard leads the No. 3 Bearcats (24-2, 17-2 MIAA) this season in scoring, rebounding, steals and made field goals and free throws.

Northwest is on a 10-game winning streak, during which time the defense has stolen the spotlight. Over the last 10 games, the Bearcats are only allowing a stingy 47.4 points per game. Their last six opponents have failed to score more than 53.

The Bearcats have now allowed only 55.9 points per game this season - a figure that now ranks No. 1 in NCAA Division II men's basketball.

"We're first in the league (standings) right now," Bernard said. "I think that just goes to our defense. In the beginning and middle of the season, we was dead last in the MIAA, and then we started playing defense pry 8-9 games ago. So, we just have to keep that up and I feel good about where we are right now."

Northwest comes to St. Joseph Saturday, once again favored. They do, however, face a Missouri Western team (11-13, 7-11 MIAA) that's won three of its last four games after going through a seven-game losing skid earlier this winter.

The Griffons went through that slide without starting all-MIAA forward and team captain Will Eames, who got injured in the second half during an 87-64 loss at Bearcat Arena on January 7.

Eames returned to the lineup on February 4 at home against Washburn, and Missouri Western has gone 3-1 since that time, as the Griffons battle to make the 10-team field for the MIAA tournament on March 1 in Kansas City.

The Griffons have had a full week off from games to prepare for the toughest game left on their schedule by far. Even though history is on his side, Bernard knows that Saturday will be a formidable challenge.

"Just coming in and trying to control what we can control on the offensive and defensive end," Bernard said when asked about Saturday's goals. "Not trying to get out of our character. Just trying to play our defense and make it tough for shooters to get shots open and make it tough for the one-on-one players to make open shots."

When you look through a Northwest media guide, you might notice it's littered with Bernard's name. He has rewritten numerous program and NCAA DII records.

With 2,088 career points, he needs just 11 more to pass Ryan Hawkins for fourth most in school history. He's one of just three players across Division I and II to accumulate over 2,000 career points, more than 900 career rebounds, more than 400 career assists and now more than 250 career steals.

Bernard will try and become the first Division II player to win four national titles in a career this spring, as Northwest seeks its third straight title and fifth as a program - all since 2017.

Bernard has been a part of three MIAA tournament titles and four straight MIAA regular season crowns. In an NCAA record 161 career games, Bernard has started 149 of them, and has recorded an astonishing 155 victories. A modest 96.3 career win percentage. That includes&nbsp; a 16-0 mark in the NCAA tournament.

The list, as you might have guessed, goes on. Bernard deserves credit, but he's quick to point out that none of his accolades would have been possible without the loyalty of Bearcat nation and Ben McCollum, who swayed him out of St. Joseph in the first place back in August 2017.

"It don't matter if you call him, (McCollum) is going to be there for you on and off the court," Bernard said. "It just means a lot to me, these last five years. The fans, too. Home, away. Away games feel like it's a home game. Everybody travels, which I like having that family atmosphere. Everyone wants to see everybody succeed."

His decision to go to Maryville, and to stay there for a fifth season, has worked out beyond anything&nbsp;that even Bernard may have fathomed.

And the best part for Bernard is, he's not quite done yet.

"Going into the postseason, we're just focused on these last three (regular season) games," he said. "Trying to win out the conference first and then we'll see where we're seeded in the MIAA tournament. We'll just take it one game at a time, not trying to look too far ahead. Just staying focused on the games we have in the regular season still to go."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676570069023.jpeg" alt="File photo by Tommy Rezac." />
 <figcaption>File photo by Tommy Rezac.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOMMY REZACSt. Joseph PostIt's August 2017. Northwest Missouri State men's basketball had just won its first national title that spring under Ben McCollum.During a time that can be defined as the start of a dynasty, McCollum secured the commitment that August of Lafayette St. Joseph point guard and three-time all-district honoree Diego Bernard.All of these years later, as Bernard gets ready to suit up against his hometown school Missouri Western for the last time in the regular season, and for the last time in St. Joseph, he never would have imagined being 10-0 against the Griffons in his career up to this point."Pshh, no," Bernard chuckled. "I wouldn't have believed it at all."Bernard is 4-0 at the MWSU Fieldhouse in his career. Each of those wins have come by 23 points. 87-64 in 2018-19, 92-69 in 2019-20, 79-56 in 2020-21 and 84-61 in 2021-22.Even before Bernard arrived in Maryville, the Bearcats have had the Griffons' number, winning now 22 straight meetings in the Highway 71 matchup. In fact, Northwest has won its last 25 games played in the city of St. Joseph - six of those wins against the Griffons.Bernard will tell you, though, that's not the main&nbsp;reason he's valued getting to play in St. Joseph and northwest Missouri through these years."Just having all of my family and friends who's come and watched me through high school and getting to see me through college, coming back to St. Joe, it's just good times," he said. "Seeing everybody and familiar faces. Just laughing and smiling and hoping I play good."Bernard's success against his hometown team is really the tip of the iceberg in his prolific career. Bernard leads the No. 3 Bearcats (24-2, 17-2 MIAA) this season in scoring, rebounding, steals and made field goals and free throws.Northwest is on a 10-game winning streak, during which time the defense has stolen the spotlight. Over the last 10 games, the Bearcats are only allowing a stingy 47.4 points per game. Their last six opponents have failed to score more than 53.The Bearcats have now allowed only 55.9 points per game this season - a figure that now ranks No. 1 in NCAA Division II men's basketball."We're first in the league (standings) right now," Bernard said. "I think that just goes to our defense. In the beginning and middle of the season, we was dead last in the MIAA, and then we started playing defense pry 8-9 games ago. So, we just have to keep that up and I feel good about where we are right now."Northwest comes to St. Joseph Saturday, once again favored. They do, however, face a Missouri Western team (11-13, 7-11 MIAA) that's won three of its last four games after going through a seven-game losing skid earlier this winter.The Griffons went through that slide without starting all-MIAA forward and team captain Will Eames, who got injured in the second half during an 87-64 loss at Bearcat Arena on January 7.Eames returned to the lineup on February 4 at home against Washburn, and Missouri Western has gone 3-1 since that time, as the Griffons battle to make the 10-team field for the MIAA tournament on March 1 in Kansas City.The Griffons have had a full week off from games to prepare for the toughest game left on their schedule by far. Even though history is on his side, Bernard knows that Saturday will be a formidable challenge."Just coming in and trying to control what we can control on the offensive and defensive end," Bernard said when asked about Saturday's goals. "Not trying to get out of our character. Just trying to play our defense and make it tough for shooters to get shots open and make it tough for the one-on-one players to make open shots."When you look through a Northwest media guide, you might notice it's littered with Bernard's name. He has rewritten numerous program and NCAA DII records.With 2,088 career points, he needs just 11 more to pass Ryan Hawkins for fourth most in school history. He's one of just three players across Division I and II to accumulate over 2,000 career points, more than 900 career rebounds, more than 400 career assists and now more than 250 career steals.Bernard will try and become the first Division II player to win four national titles in a career this spring, as Northwest seeks its third straight title and fifth as a program - all since 2017.Bernard has been a part of three MIAA tournament titles and four straight MIAA regular season crowns. In an NCAA record 161 career games, Bernard has started 149 of them, and has recorded an astonishing 155 victories. A modest 96.3 career win percentage. That includes&nbsp; a 16-0 mark in the NCAA tournament.The list, as you might have guessed, goes on. Bernard deserves credit, but he's quick to point out that none of his accolades would have been possible without the loyalty of Bearcat nation and Ben McCollum, who swayed him out of St. Joseph in the first place back in August 2017."It don't matter if you call him, (McCollum) is going to be there for you on and off the court," Bernard said. "It just means a lot to me, these last five years. The fans, too. Home, away. Away games feel like it's a home game. Everybody travels, which I like having that family atmosphere. Everyone wants to see everybody succeed."His decision to go to Maryville, and to stay there for a fifth season, has worked out beyond anything&nbsp;that even Bernard may have fathomed.And the best part for Bernard is, he's not quite done yet."Going into the postseason, we're just focused on these last three (regular season) games," he said. "Trying to win out the conference first and then we'll see where we're seeded in the MIAA tournament. We'll just take it one game at a time, not trying to look too far ahead. Just staying focused on the games we have in the regular season still to go."<div><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/tommy-rezac/embed/episodes/Northwest-Missouri-State-senior-guard-Diego-Bernard-e1v324b" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.