By DAVID SMALE Associated Press

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Hunter Dickinson scored with 3.4 seconds left to lift No. 2 Kansas past TCU 83-81 on Saturday.

Dickinson, who led Kansas with 30 points, hit a pair of free throws after a flagrant foul on TCU’s Ernest Udeh Jr. with less than a minute remaining to tie the game. Dickinson then followed Dajuan Harris Jr.'s miss in the final seconds.

“Hopefully I won’t have to take an elbow (to the face) to get a chance to win the game,” Dickinson said. “But I’ll do whatever it takes to win the game.

“It’s really fun to go out there with guys that know how to win, get it done at the end of the day.”

Kansas (13-1, 1-0 Big 12) also got 18 points from KJ Adams Jr. Kevin McCullar Jr. had 16 points and Harris scored 10.

TCU (11-3, 0-1) was led by Trevian Tennyson with 24 points. He was joined in double figures by Emanuel Miller with 20 points and Micah Peavy and Jameer Nelson Jr. with 10 points each.

“Tennyson was great,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “Jamie has said publicly that he was their best shooter since Desmond (Bane). We did a terrible job guarding him, but I thought he was terrific.”

Kansas did not have a field goal from anyone outside of Dickinson, McCullar or Adams until Harris hit a layup with 16:04 left in the second half.

“I’ve said this all along — we’re all for that,” Self said when asked if the Jayhawks need a fourth contributor. “Juan (Harris) had a terrible first half. But then he makes the hardest shot in the game and he made the past to win it.

“We’re all for somebody else stepping up. But you know, we’re not going to win all our games with four guys doing all the scoring, but that’s the way it was today.”

The Jayhawks couldn’t shake the Horned Frogs in the first half. Their largest lead was just six points (30-24). Each time Kansas tried to pull away, TCU responded. The Horned Frogs took two late leads before Kansas got a jumper from McCullar to take a 41-40 lead into halftime.

“I’m proud of our players, no question about it,” TCU head coach Jamie Dixon said. “I love their execution, love their intensity, love the ball pressure that we displayed for the entire game. I’m proud of how the guys handled the last minute. I’m proud of everything they did. But we didn’t get the win. Disappointed by that.”

Dickinson led a trio of Jayhawks in double figures in the first half with 18 points.

Both teams shot better than 50% in the first half. TCU was 17 of 33 (51.5%), while Kansas had as many makes with one less attempt for 53.1% from the field.

TCU: The Horned Frogs are not intimidated by playing in Allen Fieldhouse. After handing Kansas the second-worst loss at Allen Fieldhouse in Self’s coaching career last season, the Frogs took Kansas to the wire again Saturday.

Kansas: The Jayhawks are fast starters in league competition. Kansas has won 33 straight conference openers, dating back to 1991 when the Jayhawks lost to Oklahoma.

Kansas: Visits Central Florida on Wednesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704598537251.jpeg" alt="Kansas center Hunter Dickinson celebrates after his basket that gave his team a win over TCU during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lawrence, Kan., Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas center Hunter Dickinson celebrates after his basket that gave his team a win over TCU during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lawrence, Kan., Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVID SMALE Associated PressLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Hunter Dickinson scored with 3.4 seconds left to lift No. 2 Kansas past TCU 83-81 on Saturday.Dickinson, who led Kansas with 30 points, hit a pair of free throws after a flagrant foul on TCU’s Ernest Udeh Jr. with less than a minute remaining to tie the game. Dickinson then followed Dajuan Harris Jr.'s miss in the final seconds.“Hopefully I won’t have to take an elbow (to the face) to get a chance to win the game,” Dickinson said. “But I’ll do whatever it takes to win the game.“It’s really fun to go out there with guys that know how to win, get it done at the end of the day.”Kansas (13-1, 1-0 Big 12) also got 18 points from KJ Adams Jr. Kevin McCullar Jr. had 16 points and Harris scored 10.TCU (11-3, 0-1) was led by Trevian Tennyson with 24 points. He was joined in double figures by Emanuel Miller with 20 points and Micah Peavy and Jameer Nelson Jr. with 10 points each.“Tennyson was great,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “Jamie has said publicly that he was their best shooter since Desmond (Bane). We did a terrible job guarding him, but I thought he was terrific.”Kansas did not have a field goal from anyone outside of Dickinson, McCullar or Adams until Harris hit a layup with 16:04 left in the second half.“I’ve said this all along — we’re all for that,” Self said when asked if the Jayhawks need a fourth contributor. “Juan (Harris) had a terrible first half. But then he makes the hardest shot in the game and he made the past to win it.“We’re all for somebody else stepping up. But you know, we’re not going to win all our games with four guys doing all the scoring, but that’s the way it was today.”The Jayhawks couldn’t shake the Horned Frogs in the first half. Their largest lead was just six points (30-24). Each time Kansas tried to pull away, TCU responded. The Horned Frogs took two late leads before Kansas got a jumper from McCullar to take a 41-40 lead into halftime.“I’m proud of our players, no question about it,” TCU head coach Jamie Dixon said. “I love their execution, love their intensity, love the ball pressure that we displayed for the entire game. I’m proud of how the guys handled the last minute. I’m proud of everything they did. But we didn’t get the win. Disappointed by that.”Dickinson led a trio of Jayhawks in double figures in the first half with 18 points.Both teams shot better than 50% in the first half. TCU was 17 of 33 (51.5%), while Kansas had as many makes with one less attempt for 53.1% from the field.THE TAKEAWAYTCU: The Horned Frogs are not intimidated by playing in Allen Fieldhouse. After handing Kansas the second-worst loss at Allen Fieldhouse in Self’s coaching career last season, the Frogs took Kansas to the wire again Saturday.Kansas: The Jayhawks are fast starters in league competition. Kansas has won 33 straight conference openers, dating back to 1991 when the Jayhawks lost to Oklahoma.UP NEXTTCU: Hosts No. 11 Oklahoma on Wednesday.Kansas: Visits Central Florida on Wednesday.

🏀 Dickinson’s late shot gives No. 2 Kansas win over TCU

Fort Hays State (10-3, 5-2 MIAA) vs. Lincoln (9-3, 4-2 MIAA) Saturday, January 6 • 4 p.m. Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum

Radio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video:&nbsp;The MIAA Network&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>

Game Sponsor:&nbsp;Redeem Designs Promotions:&nbsp;Retro Day - Retro t-shirt giveaway (first 250 fans) and retro concession prices ($1 popcorn and soft drinks)

The Fort Hays State men's basketball team closes out its weekend homestand with Lincoln University on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays, which follows the women's contest. FHSU enters at 10-3 overall, 5-2 in the MIAA, while Lincoln is 9-3 overall and 4-2 in the MIAA.

Fort Hays State notched a 61-51 win over Central Missouri on Thursday night to remain one game behind Northwest Missouri State in the MIAA standings. Lincoln is just a half game back of FHSU after a 90-67 win at Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday night.

Fort Hays State holds a 20-10 advantage in the all-time series with Lincoln. FHSU has won five straight games in the series going back to the 2020-21 season. FHSU swept the regular season series between the teams last year, winning 66-53 in Jefferson City and 59-57 in Hays. Kaleb Hammeke&nbsp;hit a turn-around buzzer-beating shot in the left corner last year to lift FHSU to the two-point win in Hays. FHSU has won the last 12 meetings with Lincoln in Hays. Lincoln's last win in Hays occurred during the 1968-69 season.

Fort Hays State continues to own the nation's top scoring defense at just 56.6 points allowed per game. They increased their lead in the category by holding UCM to 51 on Thursday night, now at 3.5 points per game better than Alaska-Anchorage (60.1). The MIAA currently has four teams among the top 10 nationally for scoring defense, which also includes Northwest Missouri State (3rd, 60.6), Central Oklahoma (4th, 61.7), and Central Missouri (9th, 63.7).

Fort Hays State has also made it tough for their opponents to hit shots this season, currently ranking second nationally in field goal percentage defense. FHSU has held the opposition to 37.2 percent shooting from the field this season, only behind Lander University at 36.8 percent. FHSU has held nine of 13 opponents to less than 40 percent shooting from the field this season.

Kaleb Hammeke&nbsp;leads FHSU at 14.1 points and 3.6 assists per game. Shaun Riley&nbsp;leads the Tigers in rebounding average at 5.4 per game and is coming off a season-high 16 points in the win over Central Missouri on Thursday night. Elijah Nnanabu&nbsp;is the only other Tiger averaging double figures in scoring at 10.6 points per game. Hammeke (17), Riley, and Nnanabu (13) were the three Tigers that scored in double figures in the win over Central Missouri.

Lincoln has three players averaging double figures in scoring, led by DJ Richardson at 15.6 points per game. Elijah Farr is one of the three that averages double figures at 12.2 per game and leads the team in rebounding at 8.5 per contest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704485439110.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsFort Hays State (10-3, 5-2 MIAA) vs. Lincoln (9-3, 4-2 MIAA) Saturday, January 6 • 4 p.m. Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial ColiseumRadio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video:&nbsp;The MIAA Network&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>Game Sponsor:&nbsp;Redeem Designs Promotions:&nbsp;Retro Day - Retro t-shirt giveaway (first 250 fans) and retro concession prices ($1 popcorn and soft drinks)The Fort Hays State men's basketball team closes out its weekend homestand with Lincoln University on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays, which follows the women's contest. FHSU enters at 10-3 overall, 5-2 in the MIAA, while Lincoln is 9-3 overall and 4-2 in the MIAA.Fort Hays State notched a 61-51 win over Central Missouri on Thursday night to remain one game behind Northwest Missouri State in the MIAA standings. Lincoln is just a half game back of FHSU after a 90-67 win at Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday night.Fort Hays State holds a 20-10 advantage in the all-time series with Lincoln. FHSU has won five straight games in the series going back to the 2020-21 season. FHSU swept the regular season series between the teams last year, winning 66-53 in Jefferson City and 59-57 in Hays. Kaleb Hammeke&nbsp;hit a turn-around buzzer-beating shot in the left corner last year to lift FHSU to the two-point win in Hays. FHSU has won the last 12 meetings with Lincoln in Hays. Lincoln's last win in Hays occurred during the 1968-69 season.Fort Hays State continues to own the nation's top scoring defense at just 56.6 points allowed per game. They increased their lead in the category by holding UCM to 51 on Thursday night, now at 3.5 points per game better than Alaska-Anchorage (60.1). The MIAA currently has four teams among the top 10 nationally for scoring defense, which also includes Northwest Missouri State (3rd, 60.6), Central Oklahoma (4th, 61.7), and Central Missouri (9th, 63.7).Fort Hays State has also made it tough for their opponents to hit shots this season, currently ranking second nationally in field goal percentage defense. FHSU has held the opposition to 37.2 percent shooting from the field this season, only behind Lander University at 36.8 percent. FHSU has held nine of 13 opponents to less than 40 percent shooting from the field this season.Kaleb Hammeke&nbsp;leads FHSU at 14.1 points and 3.6 assists per game. Shaun Riley&nbsp;leads the Tigers in rebounding average at 5.4 per game and is coming off a season-high 16 points in the win over Central Missouri on Thursday night. Elijah Nnanabu&nbsp;is the only other Tiger averaging double figures in scoring at 10.6 points per game. Hammeke (17), Riley, and Nnanabu (13) were the three Tigers that scored in double figures in the win over Central Missouri.Lincoln has three players averaging double figures in scoring, led by DJ Richardson at 15.6 points per game. Elijah Farr is one of the three that averages double figures at 12.2 per game and leads the team in rebounding at 8.5 per contest.

🏀🎧 LISTEN - Tiger men host Lincoln in key MIAA showdown

#10 Fort Hays State (11-2, 5-2 MIAA) vs. Lincoln (5-7, 1-5 MIAA) Saturday, January 6 • 2 p.m. Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum

The 10th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team wraps up the weekend homestand Saturday afternoon when the Lincoln Blue Tigers make their final trip to Hays as members of the MIAA. Both the black and gold Tigers (11-2, 5-2 MIAA) and the Blue Tigers (5-7, 1-5 MIAA) will look to bounce back after losses on Thursday.

Fort Hays State is 19-1 all-time against the Blue Tigers, including a 10-1 advantage in games played in Hays. The Tigers have won 16 in a row, with the lone Lincoln win coming nearly 12 years ago (76-75 in OT, 1/21/12). The Tigers never trailed in a 20-point win over the Blue Tigers last season in Hays, 77-57 (2/9/23). Olivia Hollenbeck led all scorers with 19 points, while Katie Wagner&nbsp;totaled 16 points and 16 rebounds.

Wagner nearly averages a double-double when playing Lincoln, putting up 13.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per night in five career matchups. She has three double-doubles against the Blue Tigers. She now has 1,393 career points, three shy of tying former teammate Whitney Randall (1,396 points) for ninth on the all-time scoring list at FHSU.

Hollenbeck and Ruddle have both scored in double figures four times in five career matchups against Lincoln. Hollenbeck averages 12.6 points and 5.2 rebounds against LU, while Ruddle puts up 10.6 points per game. Sydney Golladay&nbsp;dishes out just under five assists per game when playing Lincoln.

The Tiger defense continues to lead the MIAA and now ranks eighth in Division II after allowing just 52.9 points per game so far this season.

Fort Hays State leads all Division II in total attendance, with 8,435 attendees through five games, while ranking second in average attendance at 1,687 fans per game.

The Blue Tigers have dropped five of their last six games after opening the season 4-2. LU ranks last in the MIAA in rebound margin (-6.2) and in field goal percentage defense (43.4 percent). Ashlyn Alloway leads the team with 16.2 points per game, sixth-best in the conference. She is third in the league and 27th nationally with a field goal percentage of 55.6 percent.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704484681086.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU Athletics#10 Fort Hays State (11-2, 5-2 MIAA) vs. Lincoln (5-7, 1-5 MIAA) Saturday, January 6 • 2 p.m. Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial ColiseumRadio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video:&nbsp;The MIAA Network&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>Game Sponsor:&nbsp;Redeem Designs Promotions:&nbsp;Retro Day - Retro t-shirt giveaway (first 250 fans) and retro concession prices ($1 popcorn and soft drinks)The 10th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team wraps up the weekend homestand Saturday afternoon when the Lincoln Blue Tigers make their final trip to Hays as members of the MIAA. Both the black and gold Tigers (11-2, 5-2 MIAA) and the Blue Tigers (5-7, 1-5 MIAA) will look to bounce back after losses on Thursday.Fort Hays State is 19-1 all-time against the Blue Tigers, including a 10-1 advantage in games played in Hays. The Tigers have won 16 in a row, with the lone Lincoln win coming nearly 12 years ago (76-75 in OT, 1/21/12). The Tigers never trailed in a 20-point win over the Blue Tigers last season in Hays, 77-57 (2/9/23). Olivia Hollenbeck led all scorers with 19 points, while Katie Wagner&nbsp;totaled 16 points and 16 rebounds.Wagner nearly averages a double-double when playing Lincoln, putting up 13.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per night in five career matchups. She has three double-doubles against the Blue Tigers. She now has 1,393 career points, three shy of tying former teammate Whitney Randall (1,396 points) for ninth on the all-time scoring list at FHSU.Hollenbeck and Ruddle have both scored in double figures four times in five career matchups against Lincoln. Hollenbeck averages 12.6 points and 5.2 rebounds against LU, while Ruddle puts up 10.6 points per game. Sydney Golladay&nbsp;dishes out just under five assists per game when playing Lincoln.The Tiger defense continues to lead the MIAA and now ranks eighth in Division II after allowing just 52.9 points per game so far this season.Fort Hays State leads all Division II in total attendance, with 8,435 attendees through five games, while ranking second in average attendance at 1,687 fans per game.The Blue Tigers have dropped five of their last six games after opening the season 4-2. LU ranks last in the MIAA in rebound margin (-6.2) and in field goal percentage defense (43.4 percent). Ashlyn Alloway leads the team with 16.2 points per game, sixth-best in the conference. She is third in the league and 27th nationally with a field goal percentage of 55.6 percent.

🏀🎧 LISTEN - No. 10 FHSU women host Lincoln Saturday

The Kansas Wesleyan basketball teams will return to Mabee Arena tonight for their first home games of the new year as the Coyotes get set to welcome in the Tabor BlueJays

Women's Game: Kansas Wesleyan (6-7, 4-3), Tabor (10-3, 7-0)

Tabor has won seven of the last 10 games against KWU but the Coyotes have a 21-18 advantage since 2006. The Coyotes and Bluejays split last season, Tabor winning 60-50 on January 4 in Hillsboro and KWU prevailing 62-61 on February 23 in Mabee Arena.&nbsp;

The Bluejays average 70 points and hold their opponents 59, shooting 46.6 percent overall including an NAIA-best 42.6 percent from beyond the arc. 

Freshman Lillie Veer averages a team-best 9.1 points off the bench. Senior Madie Kassidy is next at 8.8 then senior Alivia Owens at 8.4 and senior Alicia Baker at 7.8. McCoy is the leading rebounder at 4.3.&nbsp;

Men's Game: Kansas Wesleyan (9-4, 6-1), Tabor (5-8, 2-5)

KWU has a five-game winning streak and is 11-2 in the last 13 against Tabor but the series is tied 19-19 since the 2005-06 season. The Coyotes won 74-71 last January in Hillsboro and 78-52 last February in Mabee Arena.&nbsp;

The BlueJays snapped a four-game losing streak on Tuesday in a 63-59 win over Friends, and are led by a youth movement of Sophomore Thatcher McClure (15.2 PPG), and Freshman Jack Voth (14.2 PPG)

The Kansas Wesleyan basketball teams will return to Mabee Arena tonight for their first home games of the new year as the Coyotes get set to welcome in the Tabor BlueJaysWomen's Game: Kansas Wesleyan (6-7, 4-3), Tabor (10-3, 7-0)Tabor has won seven of the last 10 games against KWU but the Coyotes have a 21-18 advantage since 2006. The Coyotes and Bluejays split last season, Tabor winning 60-50 on January 4 in Hillsboro and KWU prevailing 62-61 on February 23 in Mabee Arena.&nbsp;The Bluejays average 70 points and hold their opponents 59, shooting 46.6 percent overall including an NAIA-best 42.6 percent from beyond the arc. Freshman Lillie Veer averages a team-best 9.1 points off the bench. Senior Madie Kassidy is next at 8.8 then senior Alivia Owens at 8.4 and senior Alicia Baker at 7.8. McCoy is the leading rebounder at 4.3.&nbsp;Men's Game: Kansas Wesleyan (9-4, 6-1), Tabor (5-8, 2-5)KWU has a five-game winning streak and is 11-2 in the last 13 against Tabor but the series is tied 19-19 since the 2005-06 season. The Coyotes won 74-71 last January in Hillsboro and 78-52 last February in Mabee Arena.&nbsp;The BlueJays snapped a four-game losing streak on Tuesday in a 63-59 win over Friends, and are led by a youth movement of Sophomore Thatcher McClure (15.2 PPG), and Freshman Jack Voth (14.2 PPG)Broadcast Info<ul>
 <li>The video stream of the game will be available online through the Coyote Sports Network at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan">www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan</a>.</li><li>Live Stats will be available at&nbsp;<a href="https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary">https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary</a></li><li>Radio coverage can be heard locally on KINA 910 AM/107.5 FM, and online at Salina Post.&nbsp;The online stream is also available at&nbsp;<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2">https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2</a>.&nbsp;Tyler Henry and Brooks Garretson will have the call with pregame starting at 4:30 on Saturday.</li>
 </ul>

Coyotes Return to Mabee to Take on Tabor

Voice of the Chiefs Mitch Holthus the Chiefs win over the Bengals which clinched their 8th-straight AFC West title and previews Sunday's regular season finale in Los Angeles against the Chargers.

The Holthus Hotline airs Saturday's at 8:00 a.m. on 96.9, KFIX.

Voice of the Chiefs Mitch Holthus the Chiefs win over the Bengals which clinched their 8th-straight AFC West title and previews Sunday's regular season finale in Los Angeles against the Chargers.The Holthus Hotline airs Saturday's at 8:00 a.m. on 96.9, KFIX.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1709302095%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-PT0q60Sw90T&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/holthus-hotline-jan-6-2024/s-PT0q60Sw90T" title="Holthus Hotline (Jan. 6, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Holthus Hotline (Jan. 6, 2024)</a></div></div>

🎧 Holthus Hotline with Voice of the Chiefs Mitch Holthus

The 10th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball hosts No. 11 Central Missouri in a key MIAA showdown on Thursday, January 4, 2024.

The 10th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball hosts No. 11 Central Missouri in a key MIAA showdown on Thursday, January 4, 2024.<div><iframe title="FHSU Rewind-WBB vs.#11 Central Missouri (Jan. 4, 2024)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=shk7s-154131f-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: FHSU Rewind-WBB vs. Central Missouri (Jan. 4, 2024)

SAN FRANCISCO - The Fort Hays State men's wrestling team dropped a pair of duals Friday evening, losing 33-8 to Colorado School of Mines before falling on tiebreak criteria against San Francisco State, 19-18.

The Orediggers handled business in the first dual, winning the first eight matches, including four bonus-point wins. Tereus Henry, the sixth-ranked wrestler at 197 pounds in Division II, broke up the momentum with a 19-1 technical fall to hand the Tigers five points. Henry recorded takedowns in each of the first two periods before finishing things off with a pair of four-point nearfalls in the third.

Fort Hays State entered the final dual of the evening with some momentum after Tony Caldwell&nbsp;finished the opener with another Tiger victory. After both Caldwell and Mines' Laith Ibrahim managed one escape point each in regulation, Caldwell emerged victorious after a quick takedown in the first sudden victory round.

The Tigers carried that momentum into the nightcap against SFSU, with D'Andre Brown&nbsp;(125 pounds) and Kevin Honas&nbsp;(133 pounds) picking up a pair of early bonus-point wins. Brown was dominant throughout his match with Hayden Ancheta, recording takedowns in all three periods. The Tiger finished things off with a fourth and final takedown with just seconds to spare, handing FHSU an additional team point with a 13-3 major decision.

Honas followed with a similarly dominant performance, racking up three takedowns and six nearfall points for a shutout, 15-0 technical fall. Honas was in control the entire match, picking up one takedown in all three rounds.

The Gators bounced back after that point, taking the next four matches via decision to take a 12-9 lead in the dual. Drew Bell&nbsp;closed within 8-5 with a takedown midway through the third period of the 141 bout, but was unable to complete the comeback. Cason Lindsey&nbsp;was in control of the 157 bout until the third period when a reversal and a controversial takedown call on the edge of the mat gave SFSU's Basil Othman the lead for good.

Juan Urbana&nbsp;helped Fort Hays State bounce back with a major decision at 174 pounds, recording a pair of takedowns in the first period and another in the third to rack up a 12-3 victory. That win momentarily put the Tigers back up by one, 13-12, before Matthew Rodriguez&nbsp;fell in sudden victory at 184 pounds to return the lead to the Gators, 15-13.

Henry put the Tigers back on top in the back-and-forth affair with another dominant technical fall victory, giving the El Paso, Texas native a team-high eight wins via technical fall this season. Henry managed takedowns in all three periods and added five nearfall points to add up to a 16-1 win.

Henry's victory put the Tigers on top 18-15 entering the final match of the evening, a heavyweight battle between Caldwell and SFSU's Emilio Franco Sandoval. Neither could gain control in the first period before Franco Sandoval rode out the full two minutes on top in the second frame. Caldwell was unable to match that effort in the third, with Franco Sandoval managing an escape to take a 1-0 lead with the ride time point in hand. Franco Sandoval finished things off with a takedown in the waning seconds, securing a 5-0 decision in the match.

With the score tied at 18, San Francisco State was awarded the win via the established NCAA tiebreak criteria, which went to the Gators due to a 6-4 advantage in matches won.

Next on the schedule for the Tigers is the start of conference competition, with FHSU heading to Wichita to take on Newman on Thursday, January 25 beginning at 7 p.m.

Colorado School of Mines 33, Fort Hays State 8 125 - Christian Lopez&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/d-andre-brown/7725">D'Andre Brown</a>&nbsp;(Dec 5-4) 133 - Trebor Moreno&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/kevin-honas/7708">Kevin Honas</a>&nbsp;(TF 18-1 3:53) 141 - #8 Grayston DiBlasi&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/drew-bell/7701">Drew Bell</a>&nbsp;(Fall 4:38) 149 - #12 Cody Thompson&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/marcell-dely/7704">Marcell Dely</a>&nbsp;(TF 16-0 5:22) 157 - Jaron Mahler&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/cason-lindsey/7712">Cason Lindsey</a>&nbsp;(Dec 4-2) 165 - Tristin David&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/cody-hicks/7800">Cody Hicks</a>&nbsp;(Dec 8-2) 174 - #11 Wyatt Reisz&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/juan-urbina/7720">Juan Urbina</a>&nbsp;(Dec 8-2) 184 - Mason Diel&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/matthew-rodriguez/7715">Matthew Rodriguez</a>&nbsp;(TF 15-0 2:49) 197 - #6&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/tereus-henry/7707">Tereus Henry</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;Nico Gagliardi&nbsp;(TF 19-1 6:06) 285 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/tony-caldwell/7703">Tony Caldwell</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;Laith Ibrahim&nbsp;(SV-1 4-1) 165 - Extra:&nbsp;Jakob Smith&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/hunter-harris/7706">Hunter Harris</a>&nbsp;(TF 15-0 2:16) 197 - Extra:&nbsp;Levi Farris&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/ryan-patterson/7714">Ryan Patterson</a>&nbsp;(Dec 10-7)

San Francisco State 19, Fort Hays State 18 125 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/d-andre-brown/7725">D'Andre Brown</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;Hayden Ancheta (MD 13-3) 133 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/kevin-honas/7708">Kevin Honas</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;Brayden Concepcion (TF 15-0 5:10) 141 - Sean Yamasaki over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/drew-bell/7701">Drew Bell</a>&nbsp;(Dec 13-6) 149 - Zane Stoddard over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/marcell-dely/7704">Marcell Dely</a>&nbsp;(Dec 10-3) 157 - Basil Othman over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/cason-lindsey/7712">Cason Lindsey</a>&nbsp;(Dec 7-6) 165 - Kyle Botelho over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/cody-hicks/7800">Cody Hicks</a>&nbsp;(Dec 8-4) 174 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/juan-urbina/7720">Juan Urbina</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;Gage Mettler (MD 12-3) 184 - Kweli Hernandez-Maitre over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/matthew-rodriguez/7715">Matthew Rodriguez</a>&nbsp;(SV-1 4-1) 197 - #6&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/tereus-henry/7707">Tereus Henry</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;Laith Gilmore (TF 16-1 6:26) 285 - Emilio Franco Sandoval over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/tony-caldwell/7703">Tony Caldwell</a>&nbsp;(Dec 5-0)

San Francisco State wins on tiebreak criteria - number of matches won

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704552455054.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsSAN FRANCISCO - The Fort Hays State men's wrestling team dropped a pair of duals Friday evening, losing 33-8 to Colorado School of Mines before falling on tiebreak criteria against San Francisco State, 19-18.The Orediggers handled business in the first dual, winning the first eight matches, including four bonus-point wins. Tereus Henry, the sixth-ranked wrestler at 197 pounds in Division II, broke up the momentum with a 19-1 technical fall to hand the Tigers five points. Henry recorded takedowns in each of the first two periods before finishing things off with a pair of four-point nearfalls in the third.Fort Hays State entered the final dual of the evening with some momentum after Tony Caldwell&nbsp;finished the opener with another Tiger victory. After both Caldwell and Mines' Laith Ibrahim managed one escape point each in regulation, Caldwell emerged victorious after a quick takedown in the first sudden victory round.The Tigers carried that momentum into the nightcap against SFSU, with D'Andre Brown&nbsp;(125 pounds) and Kevin Honas&nbsp;(133 pounds) picking up a pair of early bonus-point wins. Brown was dominant throughout his match with Hayden Ancheta, recording takedowns in all three periods. The Tiger finished things off with a fourth and final takedown with just seconds to spare, handing FHSU an additional team point with a 13-3 major decision.Honas followed with a similarly dominant performance, racking up three takedowns and six nearfall points for a shutout, 15-0 technical fall. Honas was in control the entire match, picking up one takedown in all three rounds.The Gators bounced back after that point, taking the next four matches via decision to take a 12-9 lead in the dual. Drew Bell&nbsp;closed within 8-5 with a takedown midway through the third period of the 141 bout, but was unable to complete the comeback. Cason Lindsey&nbsp;was in control of the 157 bout until the third period when a reversal and a controversial takedown call on the edge of the mat gave SFSU's Basil Othman the lead for good.Juan Urbana&nbsp;helped Fort Hays State bounce back with a major decision at 174 pounds, recording a pair of takedowns in the first period and another in the third to rack up a 12-3 victory. That win momentarily put the Tigers back up by one, 13-12, before Matthew Rodriguez&nbsp;fell in sudden victory at 184 pounds to return the lead to the Gators, 15-13.Henry put the Tigers back on top in the back-and-forth affair with another dominant technical fall victory, giving the El Paso, Texas native a team-high eight wins via technical fall this season. Henry managed takedowns in all three periods and added five nearfall points to add up to a 16-1 win.Henry's victory put the Tigers on top 18-15 entering the final match of the evening, a heavyweight battle between Caldwell and SFSU's Emilio Franco Sandoval. Neither could gain control in the first period before Franco Sandoval rode out the full two minutes on top in the second frame. Caldwell was unable to match that effort in the third, with Franco Sandoval managing an escape to take a 1-0 lead with the ride time point in hand. Franco Sandoval finished things off with a takedown in the waning seconds, securing a 5-0 decision in the match.With the score tied at 18, San Francisco State was awarded the win via the established NCAA tiebreak criteria, which went to the Gators due to a 6-4 advantage in matches won.Next on the schedule for the Tigers is the start of conference competition, with FHSU heading to Wichita to take on Newman on Thursday, January 25 beginning at 7 p.m.Colorado School of Mines 33, Fort Hays State 8 125 - Christian Lopez&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/d-andre-brown/7725">D'Andre Brown</a>&nbsp;(Dec 5-4) 133 - Trebor Moreno&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/kevin-honas/7708">Kevin Honas</a>&nbsp;(TF 18-1 3:53) 141 - #8 Grayston DiBlasi&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/drew-bell/7701">Drew Bell</a>&nbsp;(Fall 4:38) 149 - #12 Cody Thompson&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/marcell-dely/7704">Marcell Dely</a>&nbsp;(TF 16-0 5:22) 157 - Jaron Mahler&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/cason-lindsey/7712">Cason Lindsey</a>&nbsp;(Dec 4-2) 165 - Tristin David&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/cody-hicks/7800">Cody Hicks</a>&nbsp;(Dec 8-2) 174 - #11 Wyatt Reisz&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/juan-urbina/7720">Juan Urbina</a>&nbsp;(Dec 8-2) 184 - Mason Diel&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/matthew-rodriguez/7715">Matthew Rodriguez</a>&nbsp;(TF 15-0 2:49) 197 - #6&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/tereus-henry/7707">Tereus Henry</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;Nico Gagliardi&nbsp;(TF 19-1 6:06) 285 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/tony-caldwell/7703">Tony Caldwell</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;Laith Ibrahim&nbsp;(SV-1 4-1) 165 - Extra:&nbsp;Jakob Smith&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/hunter-harris/7706">Hunter Harris</a>&nbsp;(TF 15-0 2:16) 197 - Extra:&nbsp;Levi Farris&nbsp;over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/ryan-patterson/7714">Ryan Patterson</a>&nbsp;(Dec 10-7)San Francisco State 19, Fort Hays State 18 125 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/d-andre-brown/7725">D'Andre Brown</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;Hayden Ancheta (MD 13-3) 133 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/kevin-honas/7708">Kevin Honas</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;Brayden Concepcion (TF 15-0 5:10) 141 - Sean Yamasaki over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/drew-bell/7701">Drew Bell</a>&nbsp;(Dec 13-6) 149 - Zane Stoddard over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/marcell-dely/7704">Marcell Dely</a>&nbsp;(Dec 10-3) 157 - Basil Othman over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/cason-lindsey/7712">Cason Lindsey</a>&nbsp;(Dec 7-6) 165 - Kyle Botelho over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/cody-hicks/7800">Cody Hicks</a>&nbsp;(Dec 8-4) 174 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/juan-urbina/7720">Juan Urbina</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;Gage Mettler (MD 12-3) 184 - Kweli Hernandez-Maitre over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/matthew-rodriguez/7715">Matthew Rodriguez</a>&nbsp;(SV-1 4-1) 197 - #6&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/tereus-henry/7707">Tereus Henry</a>&nbsp;over&nbsp;Laith Gilmore (TF 16-1 6:26) 285 - Emilio Franco Sandoval over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/tony-caldwell/7703">Tony Caldwell</a>&nbsp;(Dec 5-0)San Francisco State wins on tiebreak criteria - number of matches won

🤼‍♂️ FHSU men stumble against Orediggers, Gators

Gardner-Edgerton 57, Lawrence Free State 24

Salina Sacred Heart 49, Hays-TMP-Marian 38

St. Thomas Aquinas 56, Pembroke Hill, Mo. 22

Wichita Bishop Carroll 58, Wichita Northwest 25

Goddard-Eisenhower vs. Salina Central, ppd. to Jan 23rd.

Hutchinson Trinity vs. Berean Academy, ppd.

Macksville vs. Central Plains, ppd. to Jan 26th.

Maize South vs. Hutchinson, ppd. to Jan 6th.

Remington vs. Ell-Saline, ppd. to Feb 5th.

Salina South vs. Newton, ppd. to Jan 23rd.

Sterling vs. Bennington, ppd. to Jan 26th.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694008107378.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL=Anderson County 56, Wellsville 32Atchison County 44, Oskaloosa 43BV Southwest 54, Spring Hill 50Baldwin 45, Eudora 44Bonner Springs 42, Paola 33Caney Valley 60, Riverton 44Cheney 48, Garden Plain 34Clay Center 50, Chapman 44Clifton-Clyde 60, Axtell 35De Soto 76, Topeka West 30Doniphan West 51, Washington County 44Ellsworth 55, Republic County 30Elyria Christian 34, Canton-Galva 20Fort Scott 64, Labette County 47Frankfort 49, Hanover 38Frontenac 49, Galena 26Gardner-Edgerton 57, Lawrence Free State 24Girard 43, Columbus 22Great Bend 44, Garden City 34Hiawatha 45, Royal Valley 30Holton 36, Sabetha 23Iola 64, Osawatomie 6Jackson Heights 55, McLouth 15KC Turner 47, Basehor-Linwood 9KC Wyandotte 52, KC Sumner 50Kapaun Mount Carmel 80, Wichita West 11Lakeside 52, Pike Valley 29Manhattan 46, Junction City 9Natoma 32, Southern Cloud 18Nemaha Central 38, Jefferson West 26Oakley 67, Plainville 13Olathe West 41, Olathe North 29Olpe 44, Hartford 31Osborne 59, Lincoln 24Ottawa 48, Tonganoxie 27Phillipsburg 50, Russell 30Rossville 40, Riley County 33SM Northwest 38, Lawrence 37SM South 70, SM West 36Salina Sacred Heart 49, Hays-TMP-Marian 38Shawnee Heights 54, Lansing 26Silver Lake 62, Rock Creek 28Smith Center 62, Ellis 23South Gray 63, Stanton County 25Southeast 45, Arma-Northeast 36Southeast of Saline 42, Minneapolis 37St. James Academy 73, Bishop Miege 51St. Thomas Aquinas 56, Pembroke Hill, Mo. 22Sylvan-Lucas 66, Tescott 9Topeka Hayden 46, Washburn Rural 38Topeka Seaman 56, Leavenworth 25Valley Center 41, Arkansas City 22Victoria 67, Otis-Bison 38Wichita Bishop Carroll 58, Wichita Northwest 25Wichita Heights 63, Wichita East 31Wichita Southeast 58, Wichita North 41POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=Andale vs. Rose Hill, ppd.Andover vs. Goddard, ppd. to Jan 10th.Goddard-Eisenhower vs. Salina Central, ppd. to Jan 23rd.Highland Park vs. Atchison, ppd.Hutchinson Trinity vs. Berean Academy, ppd.Kingman vs. Nickerson, ppd.Kiowa County vs. Minneola, ppd.Little River vs. Peabody-Burns, ppd.Lyndon vs. Chase County, ppd.Macksville vs. Central Plains, ppd. to Jan 26th.Maize South vs. Hutchinson, ppd. to Jan 6th.Marion vs. Moundridge, ppd.Mulvane vs. Augusta, ccd.Ness City vs. St John, ppd. to Jan 25th.Pawnee Heights vs. Spearville, ppd.Remington vs. Ell-Saline, ppd. to Feb 5th.Salina South vs. Newton, ppd. to Jan 23rd.St Marys vs. Wabaunsee, ppd.Sterling vs. Bennington, ppd. to Jan 26th.Topeka vs. Emporia, ppd. to Jan 30th.Wellington vs. Clearwater, ppd.BOYS PREP BASKETBALL=Arkansas City 61, Valley Center 56BV North 71, Metro Academy 44BV Southwest 67, Spring Hill 48BV West 53, Blue Valley 48Beloit 48, Hoisington 37Bishop Miege 48, St. James Academy 43Bishop Seabury 81, Veritas Christian 46Bonner Springs 57, Paola 42Centralia 48, Linn 44Cheney 69, Garden Plain 48Clay Center 75, Chapman 73, OTClifton-Clyde 60, Axtell 35Ellinwood 60, Chase 5Ellis 56, Smith Center 48Ellsworth 59, Republic County 30Elyria Christian 66, Canton-Galva 28Eudora 68, Baldwin 60Fort Scott 50, Labette County 47Galena 50, Frontenac 47Garden City 57, Great Bend 56Gardner-Edgerton 49, Lawrence Free State 35Iola 74, Osawatomie 63Kapaun Mount Carmel 65, Wichita West 39Lyons 49, Sedgwick 46Manhattan 65, Junction City 64Nemaha Central 45, Jefferson West 34Neodesha 76, Cherryvale 24Oak Hill Academy, Va. 65, Wichita Sunrise 51Olpe 73, Hartford 29Osborne 61, Lincoln 35Perry-Lecompton 61, Riverside 51Phillipsburg 40, Russell 28Pike Valley 57, Lakeside 51Pittsburg St Mary's-Colgan 48, Humboldt 43Plainville 65, Oakley 31Riverton 78, Caney Valley 57Rock Creek 51, Silver Lake 38Rossville 60, Riley County 57Sabetha 67, Holton 41Salina Sacred Heart 66, Hays-TMP-Marian 43Shawnee Heights 76, Lansing 51Solomon 70, Goessel 49Southeast 46, Arma-Northeast 45Southeast of Saline 67, Minneapolis 32Southern Cloud 59, Natoma 25St. Thomas Aquinas 54, Pembroke Hill, Mo. 34Sylvan-Lucas 53, Tescott 44Victoria 47, Otis-Bison 30Washburn Rural 62, Topeka Hayden 29Washington County 62, Doniphan West 49Wichita Heights 63, Wichita East 51Wichita Life Prep 50, Wichita Independent 49Wichita Northwest 64, Wichita Bishop Carroll 44Wichita Southeast 79, Wichita North 30POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=Andover vs. Goddard, ppd. to Jan 10th.Goddard-Eisenhower vs. Salina Central, ppd. to Jan 23rd.Highland Park vs. Atchison, ppd.Hutchinson Trinity vs. Berean Academy, ppd.Kingman vs. Nickerson, ppd.Kiowa County vs. Minneola, ppd.Lyndon vs. Chase County, ppd.Macksville vs. Central Plains, ppd. to Jan 26th.Maize South vs. Hutchinson, ppd. to Jan 6th.Marion vs. Moundridge, ppd.Pawnee Heights vs. Spearville, ppd.Peabody-Burns vs. Little River, ppd.Remington vs. Ell-Saline, ppd. to Feb 5th.Rose Hill vs. Andale, ppd.Salina South vs. Newton, ppd. to Jan 23rd.St Marys vs. Wabaunsee, ppd.Sterling vs. Bennington, ppd. to Jan 26th.Topeka vs. Emporia, ppd. to Jan 30th.

🏀 Friday night high school scoreboard

The TMP-Marian Monarch boys and girls basketball teams saw a pair of winning streak come to an end Friday night at home as they were swept in a doubleheader by the Sacred Heart Knights at Al Billinger Fieldhouse in Hays.

The Knights used a 14-4 first half run to build a double-digit lead and then held TMP without a field goal in the third quarter as they ended TMP’s seven-game winning streak over Sacred Heart in a 49-38 victory.

Brooke Koenigsman gave TMP (3-5, 2-1 MCL) an early 3-2 lead and then tied the game at four with a free throw but the rest of the fourth quarter belonged to the Knights as they put together a 14-4 run to lead by 10 at 18-8. Sacred Heart led 18-10 through the first quarter of action.

The Knights (5-4, 0-2 NCAA) got a three-pointer to open the second quarter and build their largest lead of the game at 11, 21-10.

Koenigsman hit three three pointer field goals in the second quarter and scored 11 of her game high 20 points helping TMP keep it close in the second quarter.

She back-to-back three-pointers to end the first half as TMP closed within two points at 26-24 at halftime.

But the second half belonged to the Knights as they outscored TMP 8-2 in the third quarter and 23-14 in the second half on their way to the 49-38 victory.

For Sacred Heart it was their first win over TMP in seven tries.

Brooke Koenigsman led all scorers with 20 points and Sacred Heart’s Skylar Douglass finished with 14 points.

The Sacred Heart Knights outscored TMP 19-5 in the third quarter as they pulled away for a 66-43 win over the Monarchs Friday.

The first 10 minutes of Friday night’s contest were extremely competitive and almost even on the scoreboard.

There was two ties and four lead changes in the first quarter with the Knights takin g a 10-7 lead into quarter number two.

In the second quarter TMP’s Caden Dinkel and Carson Liles combined to score five quick points giving the Monarchs a 12-10 lead early in the second quarter, but lead was short-lived.

The Knights proceeded to force TMP (2-6, 2-1 MCL) into eight second quarter turnovers and outscore the Monarchs 16-0 to go from down two to up 14 points.

But the Monarchs had an answer over the final three minutes of the first half.

Ty Schmeidler connected on a three pointer and then Will Eck hit back-to-back threes cutting the deficit to five.

Schmeidler added a pair of free throws and then Eck hit a runner in the lane to pull TMP within three at 28-25.

But Sacred Heart (9-0, 2-0 NCAA) got a three at the buzzer to go up six and they never looked back.

The Knights outscored TMP 19-5 in the third quarter on their way to the 66-43 victory. Their first in four games against the Monarchs.

Will Eck was the only Monarch to score in double figures with 11 points.

The TMP-Marian Monarch boys and girls basketball teams saw a pair of winning streak come to an end Friday night at home as they were swept in a doubleheader by the Sacred Heart Knights at Al Billinger Fieldhouse in Hays.GIRLS: Sacred Heart 49, TMP 38The Knights used a 14-4 first half run to build a double-digit lead and then held TMP without a field goal in the third quarter as they ended TMP’s seven-game winning streak over Sacred Heart in a 49-38 victory.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1709804133&color=%23070774&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/coach-rose-mcfarland-postgame-interview-vs-sacred-heart-01-05-24" title="Coach Rose Mcfarland Postgame Interview Vs Sacred Heart 01 - 05 - 24" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Coach Rose Mcfarland Postgame Interview Vs Sacred Heart 01 - 05 - 24</a></div></div>Brooke Koenigsman gave TMP (3-5, 2-1 MCL) an early 3-2 lead and then tied the game at four with a free throw but the rest of the fourth quarter belonged to the Knights as they put together a 14-4 run to lead by 10 at 18-8. Sacred Heart led 18-10 through the first quarter of action.The Knights (5-4, 0-2 NCAA) got a three-pointer to open the second quarter and build their largest lead of the game at 11, 21-10.Koenigsman hit three three pointer field goals in the second quarter and scored 11 of her game high 20 points helping TMP keep it close in the second quarter.She back-to-back three-pointers to end the first half as TMP closed within two points at 26-24 at halftime.But the second half belonged to the Knights as they outscored TMP 8-2 in the third quarter and 23-14 in the second half on their way to the 49-38 victory.For Sacred Heart it was their first win over TMP in seven tries.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1709804166&color=%23070774&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/tmp-wbkb-vs-highlights-sacred-heart-01-05-24" title="TMP WBKB VS Highlights Sacred Heart 01 - 05 - 24" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">TMP WBKB VS Highlights Sacred Heart 01 - 05 - 24</a></div></div>Brooke Koenigsman led all scorers with 20 points and Sacred Heart’s Skylar Douglass finished with 14 points.BOYS: Sacred Heart 66, TMP 43The Sacred Heart Knights outscored TMP 19-5 in the third quarter as they pulled away for a 66-43 win over the Monarchs Friday.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1709804112&color=%23070774&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/coach-bill-meagher-postgame-interview-vs-sacred-heart-01-05-24-01" title="Coach Bill Meagher Postgame Interview Vs Sacred Heart 01 - 05 - 24 01" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Coach Bill Meagher Postgame Interview Vs Sacred Heart 01 - 05 - 24 01</a></div></div>The first 10 minutes of Friday night’s contest were extremely competitive and almost even on the scoreboard.There was two ties and four lead changes in the first quarter with the Knights takin g a 10-7 lead into quarter number two.In the second quarter TMP’s Caden Dinkel and Carson Liles combined to score five quick points giving the Monarchs a 12-10 lead early in the second quarter, but lead was short-lived.The Knights proceeded to force TMP (2-6, 2-1 MCL) into eight second quarter turnovers and outscore the Monarchs 16-0 to go from down two to up 14 points.But the Monarchs had an answer over the final three minutes of the first half.Ty Schmeidler connected on a three pointer and then Will Eck hit back-to-back threes cutting the deficit to five.Schmeidler added a pair of free throws and then Eck hit a runner in the lane to pull TMP within three at 28-25.But Sacred Heart (9-0, 2-0 NCAA) got a three at the buzzer to go up six and they never looked back.The Knights outscored TMP 19-5 in the third quarter on their way to the 66-43 victory. Their first in four games against the Monarchs.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1709804145&color=%23070774&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/tmp-mbkb-highlights-vs-sacred-heart-01-05-24" title="TMP MBKB Highlights VS Sacred Heart 01 - 05 - 24" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">TMP MBKB Highlights VS Sacred Heart 01 - 05 - 24</a></div></div>Will Eck was the only Monarch to score in double figures with 11 points.TMP will travel to Ellis on Thursday.

🏀TMP swept by Knights in return from holiday break

TMP-Marian vs Sacred Heart Friday, Jan. 5 – 6 p.m. Hays, Kan. - Al Billinger Fieldhouse&nbsp;

Radio: KFIX (99.5)&nbsp;<a href="https://99kzcountry.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video: TMP-Marian Sports Network&nbsp;<a href="https://vcloud.blueframetech.com/broadcast/embed/879757">CLICK HERE TO WATCH
($)</a>

The TMP-Marian Monarchs return to the hardwood Friday night,
in their first action since the holiday break, against the Sacred Heart
Knights.

The TMP girls are looking to bounce back from their second
straight loss to close out the month of December and they take on a Knights
team that has also lost two straight. 

The Sacred Heart boys are out to their best start in five
years, at 8-0, with the TMP boys are looking for their second straight victory.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575411582384.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TMP-Marian vs Sacred Heart Friday, Jan. 5 – 6 p.m. Hays, Kan. - Al Billinger Fieldhouse&nbsp; Radio: KFIX (99.5)&nbsp;<a href="https://99kzcountry.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video: TMP-Marian Sports Network&nbsp;<a href="https://vcloud.blueframetech.com/broadcast/embed/879757">CLICK HERE TO WATCH
($)</a>The TMP-Marian Monarchs return to the hardwood Friday night,
in their first action since the holiday break, against the Sacred Heart
Knights.The TMP girls are looking to bounce back from their second
straight loss to close out the month of December and they take on a Knights
team that has also lost two straight. The Sacred Heart boys are out to their best start in five
years, at 8-0, with the TMP boys are looking for their second straight victory.

🏀🎥 TMP returns to action against rival Sacred Heart

The Fort Hays State men's basketball team opens the 2024 portion of their schedule with a home game against Central Missouri on Thursday, January 4, 2024.

The Fort Hays State men's basketball team opens the 2024 portion of their schedule with a home game against Central Missouri on Thursday, January 4, 2024.<div><iframe title="FHSU Rewind-MBB vs. Central Missouri (Jan. 4, 2024)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=2v8zw-154124c-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: FHSU Rewind-MBB vs. Central Missouri (Jan. 4, 2024)

LARNED – TMP’s Molly Helget bounced back from a 0-2 start
and finished 5th at 120 pounds at the Larned girls round robin Thursday
in Larned.

Helget dropped her first two matches by fall. She opened
with a first-period fall against Russell’s Kinsey Zorn in her first match of
the tournament.

In her second round robin matchup, Helget lost by fall in
the third period against Holcomb’s Jalyssa Lopez.

Helget bounced back in a back way after the 0-2 start. 

She earned first period falls over Ariahna Krob from Larned
and Allison Simmons of Larned to earn an appearance in the 5th place
match.

In her final match of the day Helget was able to secure a
6-2 decision to finished fifth at 3-2 at the tournament.

Hays PostLARNED – TMP’s Molly Helget bounced back from a 0-2 start
and finished 5th at 120 pounds at the Larned girls round robin Thursday
in Larned.Helget dropped her first two matches by fall. She opened
with a first-period fall against Russell’s Kinsey Zorn in her first match of
the tournament.In her second round robin matchup, Helget lost by fall in
the third period against Holcomb’s Jalyssa Lopez.Helget bounced back in a back way after the 0-2 start. She earned first period falls over Ariahna Krob from Larned
and Allison Simmons of Larned to earn an appearance in the 5th place
match.In her final match of the day Helget was able to secure a
6-2 decision to finished fifth at 3-2 at the tournament.Helget is now 5-8 on the season.

🤼‍♀️TMP’s Helget places 5th at Larned

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=mbball&amp;id=12755">BOX SCORE</a>

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State improved to 10-3 overall and 5-2 in the MIAA with a 61-51 win over Central Missouri on Thursday night&nbsp; at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers ran their win streak to six-straight games over the Mules, along with a sixth-straight win over the Mules inside the GMC. UCM dropped to 5-6 overall on the season and remains in search of its first MIAA win now at 0-5 in conference action.

Central Missouri held a lead for only 29 seconds of the game with 4-2 and 6-4 leads early. The Tigers used a 9-0 burst to get past the Mules from the 14:10 to 10:13 marks of the first half to build a 7-point lead. The Tigers would lead the remainder of the game to stay within one game of Northwest Missouri State in the MIAA standings. FHSU led by as many as 11 in the first half before going into halftime with a 28-21 lead.

Central Missouri used an 11-5 run to open the second half to get within one point of the Tigers with 15:44 to play. However, FHSU responded with a 10-0 run to stretch its lead back to 11 with just under 13 minutes to play. Elijah Nnanabu&nbsp;had five of the team's points in the burst, bookending the run with a 2-point jumper and 3-point jumper. A six-point margin with 10:06 to play was the closest the Mules got the rest of the way. FHSU reached its largest lead of 13 points twice before UCM buried a late 3-pointer to make the final margin 10.

Kaleb Hammeke&nbsp;led the Tigers with 17 points, while pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out three assists. Shuan Riley&nbsp;was one point behind Hammeke with a strong 16 off the bench, going 8-of-14 from the field, while leading the team in rebounds with eight. Nnanabu also reached double figures in scoring with 13. Jahiem Holden&nbsp;notched a team-high five assists.

The Mules got 43 of their 51 points from three players, led by Caleb Nero with 18. Tim Jordan Jr. provided 13 and Jalen Knott added 12. Jordan Hayes had seven assists for UCM.FHSU shot 43.9 percent as a team and held UCM to just 30.2 percent overall. UCM made only four 2-point field goals in the game, getting 27 of its points off nine 3-point field goals. FHSU made 12 more field goals than UCM, though UCM made five more 3-point field goals and outscored FHSU by 11 at the free-throw line.

Fort Hays State improved its NCAA Division II leading scoring defense to 56.6 points per game allowed, holding the opposition to 60 or less for the ninth time this season out of 13 games.

The Tigers look to keep their momentum rolling into Saturday's home contest against Lincoln University. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. at Gross Memorial Coliseum, which follows the women's contest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704431343781.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State guard Kaleb Hammeke (5) drives around Central Missouri guard Raeshaun Ambris (4) i nteh first half of an NCAA college basketball team on Thursday, January 4, 2024 in Hays, Kan. ( FHSU Athletics photo/Nicole Heitmann)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State guard Kaleb Hammeke (5) drives around Central Missouri guard Raeshaun Ambris (4) i nteh first half of an NCAA college basketball team on Thursday, January 4, 2024 in Hays, Kan. ( FHSU Athletics photo/Nicole Heitmann)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU Athletics<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=mbball&amp;id=12755">BOX SCORE</a>HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State improved to 10-3 overall and 5-2 in the MIAA with a 61-51 win over Central Missouri on Thursday night&nbsp; at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers ran their win streak to six-straight games over the Mules, along with a sixth-straight win over the Mules inside the GMC. UCM dropped to 5-6 overall on the season and remains in search of its first MIAA win now at 0-5 in conference action.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1708843035&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/coach-johnson-postgame-vs-ucm-01-04-24" title="Mark Johnson Postgame vs. Central Missouri (Jan. 04, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Mark Johnson Postgame vs. Central Missouri (Jan. 04, 2024)</a></div></div>Central Missouri held a lead for only 29 seconds of the game with 4-2 and 6-4 leads early. The Tigers used a 9-0 burst to get past the Mules from the 14:10 to 10:13 marks of the first half to build a 7-point lead. The Tigers would lead the remainder of the game to stay within one game of Northwest Missouri State in the MIAA standings. FHSU led by as many as 11 in the first half before going into halftime with a 28-21 lead.Central Missouri used an 11-5 run to open the second half to get within one point of the Tigers with 15:44 to play. However, FHSU responded with a 10-0 run to stretch its lead back to 11 with just under 13 minutes to play. Elijah Nnanabu&nbsp;had five of the team's points in the burst, bookending the run with a 2-point jumper and 3-point jumper. A six-point margin with 10:06 to play was the closest the Mules got the rest of the way. FHSU reached its largest lead of 13 points twice before UCM buried a late 3-pointer to make the final margin 10.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1708839597&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/shaun-riley-postgame-vs-ucm-1-4-24" title="Shaun Riley Postgame vs. Central Missouri (Jan. 4, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Shaun Riley Postgame vs. Central Missouri (Jan. 4, 2024)</a></div></div>Kaleb Hammeke&nbsp;led the Tigers with 17 points, while pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out three assists. Shuan Riley&nbsp;was one point behind Hammeke with a strong 16 off the bench, going 8-of-14 from the field, while leading the team in rebounds with eight. Nnanabu also reached double figures in scoring with 13. Jahiem Holden&nbsp;notched a team-high five assists.The Mules got 43 of their 51 points from three players, led by Caleb Nero with 18. Tim Jordan Jr. provided 13 and Jalen Knott added 12. Jordan Hayes had seven assists for UCM.FHSU shot 43.9 percent as a team and held UCM to just 30.2 percent overall. UCM made only four 2-point field goals in the game, getting 27 of its points off nine 3-point field goals. FHSU made 12 more field goals than UCM, though UCM made five more 3-point field goals and outscored FHSU by 11 at the free-throw line.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1708838514&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/fhsu-mbkb-highlights-vs-ucm-01-04-23" title="Fort Hays State MBB Highlights vs. Central Missouri (Jan. 4. 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Fort Hays State MBB Highlights vs. Central Missouri (Jan. 4. 2024)</a></div></div>Fort Hays State improved its NCAA Division II leading scoring defense to 56.6 points per game allowed, holding the opposition to 60 or less for the ninth time this season out of 13 games.The Tigers look to keep their momentum rolling into Saturday's home contest against Lincoln University. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. at Gross Memorial Coliseum, which follows the women's contest.

🏀 Solid defense leads Tigers past Central Missouri

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=wbball&amp;id=12786">BOX SCORE</a>

HAYS, Kan. - The 10th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team suffered its second defeat of the season on Thursday, losing 72-65 against 11th-ranked Central Missouri. After trailing by as many as 17 early in the fourth quarter, the Tigers (11-2, 5-2 MIAA) managed to close within four points with just under three minutes to play but could not complete the comeback.

Katie Wagner&nbsp;came out of the gates on fire, scoring the first seven points of the game to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead less than three minutes into the night. FHSU led for much of the first quarter before Central Missouri (10-2, 4-2 MIAA) jumped in front for the first time with 44 seconds to play in the period. Brooke Loewe&nbsp;responded with a 3-pointer to take back the lead before the Jennies tied things up at 18 just before the frame ended.

Central Missouri took control in the second quarter thanks to a 12-3 run that put the Jennies in front by 11 midway through the period, 34-23. Loewe and Clary Donica&nbsp;combined for 11 points over the final 3:24 of the first half, with Donica hitting 3-of-3 from the floor during the run and Loewe hitting both of her field goal attempts. The Jennies scored one final time with five seconds to go in the half, giving UCM a 39-34 lead at the break.

After Fort Hays State hit 42.3 percent from the floor in the first half (11-of-26), things took a turn over the final 20 minutes. The Tigers combined to hit just 24 percent of their shots (6-of-25) in the second half, while UCM hit 5-of-6 from behind the arc after halftime.

The Jennies used a 12-0 run spanning halftime to build a 15-point lead before Olivia Hollenbeck&nbsp;broke up the run with a stick-back layup. UCM later led by as many as 17 with 6:29 to go in the contest before Fort Hays State made its run. Over the next three minutes, Fort Hays State outscored the Jennies 16-3, closing within 67-63 with 2:54 to go in regulation.

The Tigers hit 3-of-3 from the floor, including a pair of 3-pointers from Sydney Golladay, and 8-for-8 from the free-throw line during the stretch while UCM was 1-for-7 from the floor over that span. FHSU collected a rebound and had a chance to close within one possession with 2:18 to go, but a turnover followed by a Jennie 3-pointer put UCM back up by seven with less than two minutes to play.

Fort Hays State closed within five late in the game on two more free throws, but the Jennies held up just enough on defense to secure the road win.

Wagner finished the night with a game-high 24 points and 16 rebounds while also leading the team with three assists. It was the first 15-15 game for a Tiger since she put up 16 points and 16 rebounds against Lincoln last February (2/9/23).

Loewe totaled 17 points off the bench, including a pair of 3-pointers and a 7-for-8 showing at the free-throw line.

The Tigers finished the day hitting 25-of-31 from the charity stripe as a team (80.6 percent), but shot just 33.3 percent from the floor (17-of-51). FHSU had a slim advantage in rebounds, 37-33, and in steals, 9-8.

Fort Hays State will look to bounce back Saturday when Lincoln University makes its final trip to Gross Memorial Coliseum as a member of the MIAA. First tip between the Tigers and Blue Tigers is set for 2 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704431030409.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State forward Katie Wagner (23) goes up for a shot against Brooke Littrell (30) of Central Missouri in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Thursday, January 4, 2024 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Gilian Lynch)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State forward Katie Wagner (23) goes up for a shot against Brooke Littrell (30) of Central Missouri in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Thursday, January 4, 2024 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Gilian Lynch)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU Athletics<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/boxscore.aspx?path=wbball&amp;id=12786">BOX SCORE</a>HAYS, Kan. - The 10th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team suffered its second defeat of the season on Thursday, losing 72-65 against 11th-ranked Central Missouri. After trailing by as many as 17 early in the fourth quarter, the Tigers (11-2, 5-2 MIAA) managed to close within four points with just under three minutes to play but could not complete the comeback.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1708838901&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/coach-kahrs-postgame-vs-ucm-01-04-24" title="Talia Kahrs Postgame vs. #11 Central Missouri (Jan. 4, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Talia Kahrs Postgame vs. #11 Central Missouri (Jan. 4, 2024)</a></div></div>Katie Wagner&nbsp;came out of the gates on fire, scoring the first seven points of the game to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead less than three minutes into the night. FHSU led for much of the first quarter before Central Missouri (10-2, 4-2 MIAA) jumped in front for the first time with 44 seconds to play in the period. Brooke Loewe&nbsp;responded with a 3-pointer to take back the lead before the Jennies tied things up at 18 just before the frame ended.Central Missouri took control in the second quarter thanks to a 12-3 run that put the Jennies in front by 11 midway through the period, 34-23. Loewe and Clary Donica&nbsp;combined for 11 points over the final 3:24 of the first half, with Donica hitting 3-of-3 from the floor during the run and Loewe hitting both of her field goal attempts. The Jennies scored one final time with five seconds to go in the half, giving UCM a 39-34 lead at the break.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1708837464&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/fhsu-wbkb-highlights-vs-ucm-01-04-24" title="#10 Fort Hays State WBB Highlights vs. #11 Central Missouri (Jan. 4, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">#10 Fort Hays State WBB Highlights vs. #11 Central Missouri (Jan. 4, 2024)</a></div></div>After Fort Hays State hit 42.3 percent from the floor in the first half (11-of-26), things took a turn over the final 20 minutes. The Tigers combined to hit just 24 percent of their shots (6-of-25) in the second half, while UCM hit 5-of-6 from behind the arc after halftime.The Jennies used a 12-0 run spanning halftime to build a 15-point lead before Olivia Hollenbeck&nbsp;broke up the run with a stick-back layup. UCM later led by as many as 17 with 6:29 to go in the contest before Fort Hays State made its run. Over the next three minutes, Fort Hays State outscored the Jennies 16-3, closing within 67-63 with 2:54 to go in regulation.The Tigers hit 3-of-3 from the floor, including a pair of 3-pointers from Sydney Golladay, and 8-for-8 from the free-throw line during the stretch while UCM was 1-for-7 from the floor over that span. FHSU collected a rebound and had a chance to close within one possession with 2:18 to go, but a turnover followed by a Jennie 3-pointer put UCM back up by seven with less than two minutes to play.Fort Hays State closed within five late in the game on two more free throws, but the Jennies held up just enough on defense to secure the road win.Wagner finished the night with a game-high 24 points and 16 rebounds while also leading the team with three assists. It was the first 15-15 game for a Tiger since she put up 16 points and 16 rebounds against Lincoln last February (2/9/23).Loewe totaled 17 points off the bench, including a pair of 3-pointers and a 7-for-8 showing at the free-throw line.The Tigers finished the day hitting 25-of-31 from the charity stripe as a team (80.6 percent), but shot just 33.3 percent from the floor (17-of-51). FHSU had a slim advantage in rebounds, 37-33, and in steals, 9-8.Fort Hays State will look to bounce back Saturday when Lincoln University makes its final trip to Gross Memorial Coliseum as a member of the MIAA. First tip between the Tigers and Blue Tigers is set for 2 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 No. 10 Tiger women bested by No. 11 Jennies

Fort Hays State (11-1, 5-1 MIAA) vs. Central Missouri (9-2, 3-2 MIAA) Thursday, January 4 • 7:30 p.m. Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum

Game Sponsor: Buff Car Wash Promotion:&nbsp;<a href="https://halftimedogs.com/">Halftime Dogs Flying Disc Show</a>

<a href="https://halftimedogs.com/"></a>Fort Hays State Men's Basketball plays its first game of 2024 on Thursday night when it plays host to Central Missouri. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers enter the game at 9-3 overall, 4-2 in the MIAA, while the Mules enter at 5-5 overall and 0-4 in the MIAA.

Fort Hays State owns a 17-15 advantage in the all-time series with Central Missouri. The Tigers have jumped in front with their current five-game win streak against the Mules, which dates back to the 2020-21 season. FHSU swept the regular season series between the teams each of the last two years. The Tigers have won the last five meetings between the teams in Hays going back to the 2015-16 season. Last year the Tigers won by 11 in Warrensburg and by nine in Hays.

The Tigers are coming off a big win over then No. 5/8 ranked Central Oklahoma this past Sunday in Edmond. It was just the third win ever for FHSU over an NABC Top 10 ranked opponent in a true road game during the program's NCAA Division II history. The previous occurrences were in 2009-10 when FHSU knocked off a No. 1 ranked Central Missouri team in Warrensburg and the undefeated national championship season of 1995-96 when FHSU defeated a No. 10 ranked Nebraska-Kearney team in Kearney. It was the first time the Tigers won a road game over a NABC Top 10 team when FHSU was not ranked. The Tigers were No. 13 in the win over UCM in 2009-10 and No. 1 in the win over UNK in 1995-96.

This will be the first game out of the holiday break for Central Missouri. The Mules played their final two games of December at the Las Vegas High Desert Classic, where they defeated Missouri-St. Louis by 25 and then lost to Truman by 14. The Mules started the season 4-0 before losing four straight to open MIAA play. The Mules have played only one conference game at home so far. UCM is in its first season under head coach Adam Bohac, who has a career record 317-151 in his 16th&nbsp;season overall. He led a strong Southern Nazarene program to four GAC regular season titles and four NCAA Tournament appearances over 15 years.

Six games into the conference slate, the Tigers are one game back of conference-leading Northwest Missouri State. The Bearcats are 5-1, with their only loss against FHSU back on December 7 in Hays. FHSU and Central Oklahoma are both sitting at 4-2 in MIAA action. Fort Hays State is entering the month of January with nine wins overall for the third straight season.

Kaleb Hammeke&nbsp;continues to lead the Tigers in scoring at 13.8 points per game. He had a team-high 19 points in the win over Central Oklahoma back on Sunday, scoring the team's final nine points of the game in the final 1:30. He has scored 19 points in each of the last two games. Elijah Nnanabu&nbsp;is the only other Tiger averaging double figures in scoring at 10.4 points per game. Traejon Davis&nbsp;leads the Tigers in rebounding at 5.5 per game, while Hammeke is the team leader in assists at 3.7 per game. The Tigers have seven players averaging at least 6.0 points per game in scoring.

Caleb Nero leads the Mules at 14.6 points per game. The Mules have three players that average double figures that have played in all 10 games this season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704369089875.jpeg" alt="FHSU-MBKB-GAME-13.jpg" />
 <figcaption>FHSU-MBKB-GAME-13.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsFort Hays State (11-1, 5-1 MIAA) vs. Central Missouri (9-2, 3-2 MIAA) Thursday, January 4 • 7:30 p.m. Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial ColiseumRadio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video:&nbsp;The MIAA Network&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>Game Sponsor: Buff Car Wash Promotion:&nbsp;<a href="https://halftimedogs.com/">Halftime Dogs Flying Disc Show</a><a href="https://halftimedogs.com/"></a>Fort Hays State Men's Basketball plays its first game of 2024 on Thursday night when it plays host to Central Missouri. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers enter the game at 9-3 overall, 4-2 in the MIAA, while the Mules enter at 5-5 overall and 0-4 in the MIAA.Fort Hays State owns a 17-15 advantage in the all-time series with Central Missouri. The Tigers have jumped in front with their current five-game win streak against the Mules, which dates back to the 2020-21 season. FHSU swept the regular season series between the teams each of the last two years. The Tigers have won the last five meetings between the teams in Hays going back to the 2015-16 season. Last year the Tigers won by 11 in Warrensburg and by nine in Hays.The Tigers are coming off a big win over then No. 5/8 ranked Central Oklahoma this past Sunday in Edmond. It was just the third win ever for FHSU over an NABC Top 10 ranked opponent in a true road game during the program's NCAA Division II history. The previous occurrences were in 2009-10 when FHSU knocked off a No. 1 ranked Central Missouri team in Warrensburg and the undefeated national championship season of 1995-96 when FHSU defeated a No. 10 ranked Nebraska-Kearney team in Kearney. It was the first time the Tigers won a road game over a NABC Top 10 team when FHSU was not ranked. The Tigers were No. 13 in the win over UCM in 2009-10 and No. 1 in the win over UNK in 1995-96.This will be the first game out of the holiday break for Central Missouri. The Mules played their final two games of December at the Las Vegas High Desert Classic, where they defeated Missouri-St. Louis by 25 and then lost to Truman by 14. The Mules started the season 4-0 before losing four straight to open MIAA play. The Mules have played only one conference game at home so far. UCM is in its first season under head coach Adam Bohac, who has a career record 317-151 in his 16th&nbsp;season overall. He led a strong Southern Nazarene program to four GAC regular season titles and four NCAA Tournament appearances over 15 years.Six games into the conference slate, the Tigers are one game back of conference-leading Northwest Missouri State. The Bearcats are 5-1, with their only loss against FHSU back on December 7 in Hays. FHSU and Central Oklahoma are both sitting at 4-2 in MIAA action. Fort Hays State is entering the month of January with nine wins overall for the third straight season.Kaleb Hammeke&nbsp;continues to lead the Tigers in scoring at 13.8 points per game. He had a team-high 19 points in the win over Central Oklahoma back on Sunday, scoring the team's final nine points of the game in the final 1:30. He has scored 19 points in each of the last two games. Elijah Nnanabu&nbsp;is the only other Tiger averaging double figures in scoring at 10.4 points per game. Traejon Davis&nbsp;leads the Tigers in rebounding at 5.5 per game, while Hammeke is the team leader in assists at 3.7 per game. The Tigers have seven players averaging at least 6.0 points per game in scoring.Caleb Nero leads the Mules at 14.6 points per game. The Mules have three players that average double figures that have played in all 10 games this season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀🎧 LISTEN - Tigers begin new year with home contest vs. Mules

#10 Fort Hays State (11-1, 5-1 MIAA) vs. #11 Central Missouri (9-2, 3-2 MIAA) Thursday, January 4 • 5:30 p.m. Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum

The 10th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team heads back into conference play for the remainder of the season beginning Thursday when the 11th-ranked Central Missouri Jennies come to town. First tip in the 700th FHSU women's basketball game inside Gross Memorial Coliseum is slated for 5:30 p.m.

The Tigers are an impressive 560-139 at home over the last 50-plus seasons, good for a winning percentage north of 80 percent.

Both the Tigers (11-1, 5-1 MIAA) and Jennies (9-2, 3-2 MIAA) are coming off non-conference victories, with the Tigers defeating Bethany 75-41 and UCM slipping past Evangel, 66-54. Prior to that, UCM ended the pre-holiday schedule with back-to-back losses at home against conference opponents (PSU, MSSU), while the Tigers entered the break with consecutive road wins over league foes (NU, UCO).

After passing a pair of former Tigers on the all-time scoring list on Saturday, Olivia Hollenbeck&nbsp;(1,114 career points) now needs seven points to climb into the top 20 (Julie Kizzar, 1,121 points, 1987-91).

Katie Wagner&nbsp;has scored in double figures six times in seven career games against Central Missouri. She averages 14.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists against the Jennies, including one double-double in the most recent meeting (25 points, 10 rebounds, 3/4/23).

Jessie Sallach&nbsp;has also had several strong performances against UCM, scoring in double figures four times while adding a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send last season's MIAA semifinals into overtime.

Brooke Loewe&nbsp;distributed a season-high six assists in Saturday's win over the Swedes, her third game this season with at least five assists. She now leads the team with an average of 3.1 assists per game, ninth-best in the MIAA.

The Tigers trail in the all-time series against UCM, 22-17. However, Fort Hays State is 10-3 at home against the Jennies, including wins in eight of the last nine games inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. UCM swept the season series last year, beating the Tigers three times by a total of 10 points. The three-game UCM winning streak is tied for its longest in the series, while FHSU holds the longest overall winning streak in series history at five games (2014-17).

Central Missouri is 9-2 this season and 3-2 in conference play, including a 7-0 record away from home (4-0 road, 3-0 neutral). Brooke Littrell leads the conference in scoring with 20.1 points per game, 11th-most in the country, while ranking third in the conference and 38th in DII with 9.3 rebounds per game. Her six double-doubles lead the MIAA and rank seventh in the nation. Allie Clevenger has the fifth-best assist/turnover ratio in the country at 4.00. The Jennies rank fifth in the conference with an average of 75.4 points per game while ranking eighth in scoring defense, allowing 61.7 points per night.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704368733932.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU Athletics#10 Fort Hays State (11-1, 5-1 MIAA) vs. #11 Central Missouri (9-2, 3-2 MIAA) Thursday, January 4 • 5:30 p.m. Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial ColiseumRadio:&nbsp;KJLS (103.3)&nbsp;<a href="https://mix103fm.com/">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN</a> Video:&nbsp;The MIAA Network&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ($)</a>The 10th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team heads back into conference play for the remainder of the season beginning Thursday when the 11th-ranked Central Missouri Jennies come to town. First tip in the 700th FHSU women's basketball game inside Gross Memorial Coliseum is slated for 5:30 p.m.The Tigers are an impressive 560-139 at home over the last 50-plus seasons, good for a winning percentage north of 80 percent.Both the Tigers (11-1, 5-1 MIAA) and Jennies (9-2, 3-2 MIAA) are coming off non-conference victories, with the Tigers defeating Bethany 75-41 and UCM slipping past Evangel, 66-54. Prior to that, UCM ended the pre-holiday schedule with back-to-back losses at home against conference opponents (PSU, MSSU), while the Tigers entered the break with consecutive road wins over league foes (NU, UCO).After passing a pair of former Tigers on the all-time scoring list on Saturday, Olivia Hollenbeck&nbsp;(1,114 career points) now needs seven points to climb into the top 20 (Julie Kizzar, 1,121 points, 1987-91).Katie Wagner&nbsp;has scored in double figures six times in seven career games against Central Missouri. She averages 14.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists against the Jennies, including one double-double in the most recent meeting (25 points, 10 rebounds, 3/4/23).Jessie Sallach&nbsp;has also had several strong performances against UCM, scoring in double figures four times while adding a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send last season's MIAA semifinals into overtime.Brooke Loewe&nbsp;distributed a season-high six assists in Saturday's win over the Swedes, her third game this season with at least five assists. She now leads the team with an average of 3.1 assists per game, ninth-best in the MIAA.The Tigers trail in the all-time series against UCM, 22-17. However, Fort Hays State is 10-3 at home against the Jennies, including wins in eight of the last nine games inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. UCM swept the season series last year, beating the Tigers three times by a total of 10 points. The three-game UCM winning streak is tied for its longest in the series, while FHSU holds the longest overall winning streak in series history at five games (2014-17).Central Missouri is 9-2 this season and 3-2 in conference play, including a 7-0 record away from home (4-0 road, 3-0 neutral). Brooke Littrell leads the conference in scoring with 20.1 points per game, 11th-most in the country, while ranking third in the conference and 38th in DII with 9.3 rebounds per game. Her six double-doubles lead the MIAA and rank seventh in the nation. Allie Clevenger has the fifth-best assist/turnover ratio in the country at 4.00. The Jennies rank fifth in the conference with an average of 75.4 points per game while ranking eighth in scoring defense, allowing 61.7 points per night.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀🎧 LISTEN - #10 FHSU women host #11 Central Missouri

The Fort Hays State men's basketball team closes out 2023 at No. 5 Central Oklahoma on Sunday, December 31, 2023.

The Fort Hays State men's basketball team closes out 2023 at No. 5 Central Oklahoma on Sunday, December 31, 2023.<div><iframe title="FHSU Rewind-MBB at #5 Central Oklahoma (Dec. 31, 2023)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=d3wci-153f512-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: FHSU Rewind-MBB at #5 Central Oklahoma

🎥 Watch This Week's Tiger Talk

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Although the Broncos didn't end their playoff drought in Sean Payton's first season in Denver, they do have a chance at snapping two other unseemly skids Sunday in Las Vegas.

A win by the Broncos (8-8) in the season finale would snap a streak of seven straight losses to the Raiders (7-9) which in some ways is more disconcerting to them than the 16-game losing streak to the Chiefs that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-broncos-mahomes-wilson-910db1b01358b76f63d8eaf1cd8b9b07">Denver vanquished</a>&nbsp;with a resounding 24-9 win over Kansas City in Week 6.

“I don’t even know that I was aware that we had lost that many games to Las Vegas/Oakland," Payton said. “I think what would be important for us is to get to our ninth win.”

A ninth victory would give the Broncos their first winning season since 2016, the year after they rode Von Miller's prime-of-his-career brilliance and Peyton Manning to a win in Super Bowl 50.

No champion has ever followed up a tickertape parade with such a long wait to return to the postseason party.

“That's a massive deal for people who have been here as long as I have,” said fifth-year tackle Quinn Bailey, who's been in Denver since 2019. “To have a 9-8 record would be huge. I can't remember the last time I had that many wins in a season. I probably haven't, ever.”

Arizona State did go 10-3 in 2014, when Bailey played a handful of snaps as a freshman, but since then the teams he's been on have averaged 6.3 wins per season.

“Nine wins is a good thing,” said eighth-year safety Justin Simmons. “I was asked (recently), ‘Does a winning season mean anything?’ And I kind of brushed it off to the side because I really wanted to go to the playoffs and that meant more.”

But 9-8 would allow Denver to go into the offseason on a high note and return for 2024 without the emotional baggage of a seven-year run of losing records.

The Broncos were eliminated from playoff contention last weekend when the Chiefs won their eighth straight AFC West crown despite being more vulnerable that at any time in Patrick Mahomes' brilliant career.

Finishing above .500 would be quite an accomplishment for a Broncos team that started out 1-5 before jumping into the crowded AFC playoff race with a five-game winning streak.

“I think it would be important to finish on the right note,” Simmons said, “and then have that momentum carry into next season.”

All season, Payton has preached about the Broncos following in the footsteps of the Detroit Lions, who rallied last season from a 1-6 start to finish 9-8, something they parlayed into a breakout 2023 season with an 11-5 record and their first divisional title since 1993.

A win by Denver, however, could prove harmful to its future at quarterback. The Broncos are currently slated to have the 14th pick in the draft. A loss could move them up to 11th and a win could drop them to 18th.

NOTES: Both OLB Baron Browning and WR Courtland Sutton were limited Wednesday in their return to practice. Both sustained concussions two weeks ago and missed Denver's win over the Chargers last week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1704368582924.jpeg" alt="Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Easton Stick (2) and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Will Grier (4) speak midfield after an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Denver. The Denver Broncos won 16-9. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)" />
 <figcaption>Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Easton Stick (2) and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Will Grier (4) speak midfield after an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Denver. The Denver Broncos won 16-9. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)</figcaption>
 </figure>ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Although the Broncos didn't end their playoff drought in Sean Payton's first season in Denver, they do have a chance at snapping two other unseemly skids Sunday in Las Vegas.A win by the Broncos (8-8) in the season finale would snap a streak of seven straight losses to the Raiders (7-9) which in some ways is more disconcerting to them than the 16-game losing streak to the Chiefs that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-broncos-mahomes-wilson-910db1b01358b76f63d8eaf1cd8b9b07">Denver vanquished</a>&nbsp;with a resounding 24-9 win over Kansas City in Week 6.“I don’t even know that I was aware that we had lost that many games to Las Vegas/Oakland," Payton said. “I think what would be important for us is to get to our ninth win.”A ninth victory would give the Broncos their first winning season since 2016, the year after they rode Von Miller's prime-of-his-career brilliance and Peyton Manning to a win in Super Bowl 50.No champion has ever followed up a tickertape parade with such a long wait to return to the postseason party.“That's a massive deal for people who have been here as long as I have,” said fifth-year tackle Quinn Bailey, who's been in Denver since 2019. “To have a 9-8 record would be huge. I can't remember the last time I had that many wins in a season. I probably haven't, ever.”Arizona State did go 10-3 in 2014, when Bailey played a handful of snaps as a freshman, but since then the teams he's been on have averaged 6.3 wins per season.“Nine wins is a good thing,” said eighth-year safety Justin Simmons. “I was asked (recently), ‘Does a winning season mean anything?’ And I kind of brushed it off to the side because I really wanted to go to the playoffs and that meant more.”But 9-8 would allow Denver to go into the offseason on a high note and return for 2024 without the emotional baggage of a seven-year run of losing records.The Broncos were eliminated from playoff contention last weekend when the Chiefs won their eighth straight AFC West crown despite being more vulnerable that at any time in Patrick Mahomes' brilliant career.Finishing above .500 would be quite an accomplishment for a Broncos team that started out 1-5 before jumping into the crowded AFC playoff race with a five-game winning streak.“I think it would be important to finish on the right note,” Simmons said, “and then have that momentum carry into next season.”All season, Payton has preached about the Broncos following in the footsteps of the Detroit Lions, who rallied last season from a 1-6 start to finish 9-8, something they parlayed into a breakout 2023 season with an 11-5 record and their first divisional title since 1993.A win by Denver, however, could prove harmful to its future at quarterback. The Broncos are currently slated to have the 14th pick in the draft. A loss could move them up to 11th and a win could drop them to 18th.NOTES: Both OLB Baron Browning and WR Courtland Sutton were limited Wednesday in their return to practice. Both sustained concussions two weeks ago and missed Denver's win over the Chargers last week.

🏈 Broncos' playoff drought now at 8 years, but they have a shot at first winning season since '16

We're joined by Fort Hays State wrestling coach Erik Wince, women's basketball coach Talia Kahrs and men's associate head coach Jeremy Brown.

Tiger Talk airs on KAYS (1400/94.3) at 12:10 p.m. on Wednesday live from the Robbins Center on the Fort Hays State University campus.

We're joined by Fort Hays State wrestling coach Erik Wince, women's basketball coach Talia Kahrs and men's associate head coach Jeremy Brown.Tiger Talk airs on KAYS (1400/94.3) at 12:10 p.m. on Wednesday live from the Robbins Center on the Fort Hays State University campus.<div><iframe title="Tiger Talk (Jan. 3, 2024)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=r9tdx-153f4ff-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>