By VICTOR MATHESON <a href="https://theconversation.com/">The Conversation</a>

“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball,” second baseman Rogers Hornsby <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/mlb/status/1074319018415267841?lang=en">once said</a>. “I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”

For a while, it was looking like the start of spring would come and go without any baseball on the horizon.

But just when <a target="_blank" href="https://thecomeback.com/mlb/fans-react-mlb-lockout-rob-manfred.html">fan morale was at its nadir</a>, Major League Baseball announced <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2022/03/10/with-mlb-lockout-over-here-are-all-the-details-of-new-2022-26-labor-deal/?sh=3439736f23e2">a five-year agreement with its players</a>, ending the second-longest labor interruption in MLB history. Now, April 7, 2022, will serve as most teams’ opening day.

<a target="_blank" href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jR65pQoAAAAJ&amp;hl=en">Sports economists like me</a> have long studied labor disruptions in sports. In this dispute – the first major one in baseball <a target="_blank" href="https://www.si.com/mlb/indians/opinion/reliving-the-1994-mlb-strike-as-2022-labor-negotiations-continue">since the mid-1990s</a>
 – player grievances largely centered on two issues: the length of time 
it takes them to reach free agency and the lack of a payroll floor. Both
 policies suppressed their salaries despite the fact that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/193466/total-league-revenue-of-the-mlb-since-2005/">league revenues have grown in recent years</a>.

The new collective bargaining agreement takes some important steps 
toward correcting these problems. But it mostly just pushes the big 
issues another five years down the track. The deal also leaves baseball 
players with a fundamentally different – and very likely worse – 
arrangement than their counterparts in the other major American sports 
leagues have

MLB requires players to be on a big league roster for six years before they’re allowed to hit <a target="_blank" href="https://franchisesports.co.uk/mlb-free-agency-explained/">free agency</a> and negotiate a salary with any team of their choosing. In the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nba.com/news/free-agency-explained">NBA</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://operations.nfl.com/updates/football-ops/2021-nfl-free-agency-questions-answers/">NFL</a>,
 players need to play for only four years before they become free 
agents. And unlike football and basketball – sports in which players 
usually go straight from college to the pros – baseball players often 
spend several years in the minor leagues before getting called up to the
 Show. Those seasons don’t count toward the required service time for 
free agency.

Therefore, many players don’t get the right to freely negotiate for 
their services until they are in their late 20s or early 30s – ages at 
which many players are already past their prime.

In the period before free agency, players are bound to teams in ways 
that allow the teams to underpay them relative to their contributions to
 team success both on the field and for the team’s bottom line. For 
example, because he was in only his second season in the league, the 
Cleveland Guardians’ <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/biebesh01.shtml">Shane Bieber</a> earned just $231,000 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlb.com/news/shane-bieber-wins-2020-al-cy-young">despite winning the American League’s Cy Young Award</a>
 as the league’s best pitcher. In a market in which he could freely 
negotiate for his services, Bieber would have likely earned in excess of
 $20 million. But he won’t actually get the right to earn market value 
for his talents until 2025, at which point he will be nearly 30 years 
old.

Since most players’ <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070709131254.htm">MLB careers</a> are shorter than six years, the majority of players never make it through “lean” years to that big free-agency payoff.

These free-agency rules remain unchanged in the new agreement, although the league’s minimum salary has been increased from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/33470321/sources-mlb-union-reach-tentative-agreement-new-cba-salvage-162-game-season">$570,500 to $700,000</a>
 and will grow to $780,000 by the end of the deal. Another $50 million 
will be distributed each season to players who have yet to reach salary <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/what-is-arbitration-mlb-what-does-it-mean-baseball-eligibility-process/1atg6pycmf69o1x5yy2v31o03w">arbitration</a>,
 a system that grants pre-free-agency players at least some level of 
bargaining power with their existing team. In addition, the agreement 
includes incentives to encourage teams to bring up players from the 
minor leagues somewhat earlier, which should result in some players 
achieving free agency at a younger age.

While these are welcome additions that will increase wages for MLB’s 
lowest-paid players by about 40%, the new amounts allocated to players 
still total less than 1% of MLB’s annual revenue.

The MLB is also unique in that players are not entitled to specified 
percentages of league revenues, and teams are not required to spend a 
minimum amount on payroll. The new agreement does little to change this 
structure.

In the NFL, for example, organizations must spend at least <a target="_blank" href="https://nflpa.com/posts/nfl-economics-101">48% of league revenue</a> on player compensation, and individual teams have a salary cap of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-sets-salary-cap-at-208-2-million-per-team-for-2022-season">$208.2 million in 2022</a>.
 They’re also obligated to spend at least 89% of the cap on salaries 
over the course of several seasons, which effectively creates a salary 
floor of roughly $185 million.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/193466/total-league-revenue-of-the-mlb-since-2005/">MLB revenues</a> rose 15%, from $9.03 billion in 2016 to $10.37 billion in 2019, while the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/236213/mean-salaray-of-players-in-majpr-league-baseball/">average salary</a> remained flat at $4.38 million, indicating that players were taking home a smaller piece of the economic pie.

Though revenue took a huge hit in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.libertymedia.com/investors/news-events/press-releases/detail/461/liberty-media-corporation-reports-fourth-quarter-and-year">some data suggests</a>
 that revenues in 2021 largely recovered to their pre-pandemic levels 
while average salaries fell nearly 5%. On top of that, the average 
figures are distorted by record-breaking contracts from just a handful 
of superstars. The <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/spotrac/status/1498823166650638336">median salary</a>
 of an MLB player fell from $1.65 million in 2015 to $1.15 million in 
2021 – a decline of over 30%. Over half of all players earn at or near 
the league’s minimum salary, since they are ineligible for either free 
agency or arbitration.

While MLB doesn’t have a salary cap that limits what teams can spend on players, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-mlb-cbt-explained-luxury-tax-20220304-rtmzefdymbcghll7vhsn42zqni-story.html">it does have a luxury tax</a>
 that penalizes teams that spend more than a certain amount on payroll. 
The luxury tax, which effectively serves as a soft salary cap, is set to
 increase from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-mlbpa-agree-to-cba">$210 to $230 million</a> in the new agreement, and will rise to $244 million by 2026.

However, since only eight teams exceeded the threshold even once 
between 2003 and 2019 – and only the Red Sox, Yankees and Dodgers have 
paid the luxury tax on a regular basis – this increase is unlikely to 
have a substantial impact on the wages paid to the typical player.

Most importantly, MLB teams – unlike their counterparts in other 
sports – have no salary floor. Such teams as the Orioles, Pirates and 
Marlins <a target="_blank" href="https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/payroll/">spend less on their entire active rosters</a>
 than some other teams spend on a single starting pitcher. These teams 
cycle through underpaid young players and then let them sign elsewhere 
when they’re eligible for free agency. Although these teams tend to be 
wildly unsuccessful on the field and at the ticket office, generous 
revenue sharing arrangements with the league <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2020/04/09/despite-lockdown-mlb-teams-gain-value-in-2020/?sh=5ec8e3002010">still allow them to make money</a>.

Nothing in the new agreement changes the incentives for these teams or provides relief for their long-suffering fans.

To me, the owners’ strategy was transparent. They knew the players 
had legitimate grievances that might result in a strike later in the 
season, so they wanted to force concessions as soon as possible, knowing
 that the players’ bargaining power would rise as the season progressed.
 A players strike right before playoffs in the fall would have inflicted
 the maximum pain on the owners.

Time was always on the owners’ side: Their careers as owners tend to 
be much longer than those of players, whose bodies are always aging.

Baseball junkies will notice <a target="_blank" href="https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/mlb-rules-changes-baseball-cba-deal-dh-pitch-clock-bases-postseason">several cosmetic changes</a>
 to the game right away: an expanded postseason, sponsor advertisements 
on jerseys and a designated hitter in the National League. The agreement
 also <a target="_blank" href="https://fansided.com/2022/03/10/mlb-lockout-new-rules-cba/">opens the door for rule changes in 2023</a>
 that include larger bases, limits on defensive shifts and a pitch 
clock. Other than some real improvements to the salaries for the 
league’s lowest-paid players, however, the economics of baseball’s 
underlying labor model remains as flawed as ever.

Nevertheless, for this summer – and for the next five years, at least
 – fans will be able to grab their peanuts and Cracker Jack and head out
 to the old ballgame.

This article is republished from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com/">The Conversation</a>&nbsp;under a Creative Commons license. Read the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com/mlbs-new-collective-bargaining-agreement-fails-to-address-players-biggest-grievances-178583">original article</a>.

Victor Matheson is a professor of economics and accounting at College of the Holy Cross in Worchester, Mass.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647369478369.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By VICTOR MATHESON <a href="https://theconversation.com/">The Conversation</a>“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball,” second baseman Rogers Hornsby <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/mlb/status/1074319018415267841?lang=en">once said</a>. “I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”For a while, it was looking like the start of spring would come and go without any baseball on the horizon.But just when <a target="_blank" href="https://thecomeback.com/mlb/fans-react-mlb-lockout-rob-manfred.html">fan morale was at its nadir</a>, Major League Baseball announced <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2022/03/10/with-mlb-lockout-over-here-are-all-the-details-of-new-2022-26-labor-deal/?sh=3439736f23e2">a five-year agreement with its players</a>, ending the second-longest labor interruption in MLB history. Now, April 7, 2022, will serve as most teams’ opening day.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a target="_blank" href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jR65pQoAAAAJ&amp;hl=en">Sports economists like me</a> have long studied labor disruptions in sports. In this dispute – the first major one in baseball <a target="_blank" href="https://www.si.com/mlb/indians/opinion/reliving-the-1994-mlb-strike-as-2022-labor-negotiations-continue">since the mid-1990s</a>
 – player grievances largely centered on two issues: the length of time 
it takes them to reach free agency and the lack of a payroll floor. Both
 policies suppressed their salaries despite the fact that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/193466/total-league-revenue-of-the-mlb-since-2005/">league revenues have grown in recent years</a>.The new collective bargaining agreement takes some important steps 
toward correcting these problems. But it mostly just pushes the big 
issues another five years down the track. The deal also leaves baseball 
players with a fundamentally different – and very likely worse – 
arrangement than their counterparts in the other major American sports 
leagues have<h2>The indentured servants of pro sports</h2>MLB requires players to be on a big league roster for six years before they’re allowed to hit <a target="_blank" href="https://franchisesports.co.uk/mlb-free-agency-explained/">free agency</a> and negotiate a salary with any team of their choosing. In the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nba.com/news/free-agency-explained">NBA</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://operations.nfl.com/updates/football-ops/2021-nfl-free-agency-questions-answers/">NFL</a>,
 players need to play for only four years before they become free 
agents. And unlike football and basketball – sports in which players 
usually go straight from college to the pros – baseball players often 
spend several years in the minor leagues before getting called up to the
 Show. Those seasons don’t count toward the required service time for 
free agency.Therefore, many players don’t get the right to freely negotiate for 
their services until they are in their late 20s or early 30s – ages at 
which many players are already past their prime.In the period before free agency, players are bound to teams in ways 
that allow the teams to underpay them relative to their contributions to
 team success both on the field and for the team’s bottom line. For 
example, because he was in only his second season in the league, the 
Cleveland Guardians’ <a target="_blank" href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/biebesh01.shtml">Shane Bieber</a> earned just $231,000 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlb.com/news/shane-bieber-wins-2020-al-cy-young">despite winning the American League’s Cy Young Award</a>
 as the league’s best pitcher. In a market in which he could freely 
negotiate for his services, Bieber would have likely earned in excess of
 $20 million. But he won’t actually get the right to earn market value 
for his talents until 2025, at which point he will be nearly 30 years 
old.Since most players’ <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070709131254.htm">MLB careers</a> are shorter than six years, the majority of players never make it through “lean” years to that big free-agency payoff.These free-agency rules remain unchanged in the new agreement, although the league’s minimum salary has been increased from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/33470321/sources-mlb-union-reach-tentative-agreement-new-cba-salvage-162-game-season">$570,500 to $700,000</a>
 and will grow to $780,000 by the end of the deal. Another $50 million 
will be distributed each season to players who have yet to reach salary <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/what-is-arbitration-mlb-what-does-it-mean-baseball-eligibility-process/1atg6pycmf69o1x5yy2v31o03w">arbitration</a>,
 a system that grants pre-free-agency players at least some level of 
bargaining power with their existing team. In addition, the agreement 
includes incentives to encourage teams to bring up players from the 
minor leagues somewhat earlier, which should result in some players 
achieving free agency at a younger age.While these are welcome additions that will increase wages for MLB’s 
lowest-paid players by about 40%, the new amounts allocated to players 
still total less than 1% of MLB’s annual revenue.<h2>A soft cap – and no floor</h2>The MLB is also unique in that players are not entitled to specified 
percentages of league revenues, and teams are not required to spend a 
minimum amount on payroll. The new agreement does little to change this 
structure.In the NFL, for example, organizations must spend at least <a target="_blank" href="https://nflpa.com/posts/nfl-economics-101">48% of league revenue</a> on player compensation, and individual teams have a salary cap of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-sets-salary-cap-at-208-2-million-per-team-for-2022-season">$208.2 million in 2022</a>.
 They’re also obligated to spend at least 89% of the cap on salaries 
over the course of several seasons, which effectively creates a salary 
floor of roughly $185 million.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/193466/total-league-revenue-of-the-mlb-since-2005/">MLB revenues</a> rose 15%, from $9.03 billion in 2016 to $10.37 billion in 2019, while the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/236213/mean-salaray-of-players-in-majpr-league-baseball/">average salary</a> remained flat at $4.38 million, indicating that players were taking home a smaller piece of the economic pie.Though revenue took a huge hit in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.libertymedia.com/investors/news-events/press-releases/detail/461/liberty-media-corporation-reports-fourth-quarter-and-year">some data suggests</a>
 that revenues in 2021 largely recovered to their pre-pandemic levels 
while average salaries fell nearly 5%. On top of that, the average 
figures are distorted by record-breaking contracts from just a handful 
of superstars. The <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/spotrac/status/1498823166650638336">median salary</a>
 of an MLB player fell from $1.65 million in 2015 to $1.15 million in 
2021 – a decline of over 30%. Over half of all players earn at or near 
the league’s minimum salary, since they are ineligible for either free 
agency or arbitration.While MLB doesn’t have a salary cap that limits what teams can spend on players, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-mlb-cbt-explained-luxury-tax-20220304-rtmzefdymbcghll7vhsn42zqni-story.html">it does have a luxury tax</a>
 that penalizes teams that spend more than a certain amount on payroll. 
The luxury tax, which effectively serves as a soft salary cap, is set to
 increase from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-mlbpa-agree-to-cba">$210 to $230 million</a> in the new agreement, and will rise to $244 million by 2026.However, since only eight teams exceeded the threshold even once 
between 2003 and 2019 – and only the Red Sox, Yankees and Dodgers have 
paid the luxury tax on a regular basis – this increase is unlikely to 
have a substantial impact on the wages paid to the typical player.Most importantly, MLB teams – unlike their counterparts in other 
sports – have no salary floor. Such teams as the Orioles, Pirates and 
Marlins <a target="_blank" href="https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/payroll/">spend less on their entire active rosters</a>
 than some other teams spend on a single starting pitcher. These teams 
cycle through underpaid young players and then let them sign elsewhere 
when they’re eligible for free agency. Although these teams tend to be 
wildly unsuccessful on the field and at the ticket office, generous 
revenue sharing arrangements with the league <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2020/04/09/despite-lockdown-mlb-teams-gain-value-in-2020/?sh=5ec8e3002010">still allow them to make money</a>.Nothing in the new agreement changes the incentives for these teams or provides relief for their long-suffering fans.<h2>Owners had time on their side</h2>To me, the owners’ strategy was transparent. They knew the players 
had legitimate grievances that might result in a strike later in the 
season, so they wanted to force concessions as soon as possible, knowing
 that the players’ bargaining power would rise as the season progressed.
 A players strike right before playoffs in the fall would have inflicted
 the maximum pain on the owners.Time was always on the owners’ side: Their careers as owners tend to 
be much longer than those of players, whose bodies are always aging.Baseball junkies will notice <a target="_blank" href="https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/mlb-rules-changes-baseball-cba-deal-dh-pitch-clock-bases-postseason">several cosmetic changes</a>
 to the game right away: an expanded postseason, sponsor advertisements 
on jerseys and a designated hitter in the National League. The agreement
 also <a target="_blank" href="https://fansided.com/2022/03/10/mlb-lockout-new-rules-cba/">opens the door for rule changes in 2023</a>
 that include larger bases, limits on defensive shifts and a pitch 
clock. Other than some real improvements to the salaries for the 
league’s lowest-paid players, however, the economics of baseball’s 
underlying labor model remains as flawed as ever.Nevertheless, for this summer – and for the next five years, at least
 – fans will be able to grab their peanuts and Cracker Jack and head out
 to the old ballgame.This article is republished from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com/">The Conversation</a>&nbsp;under a Creative Commons license. Read the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com/mlbs-new-collective-bargaining-agreement-fails-to-address-players-biggest-grievances-178583">original article</a>.Victor Matheson is a professor of economics and accounting at College of the Holy Cross in Worchester, Mass.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

OPINION: MLB agreement fails to address players’ biggest grievances

<a href="https://kuathletics.com/">Kansas Athletics</a>

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas senior Ochai
Agbaji has been named 2022 Associated Press All-America First Team, the AP
announced Tuesday. This is the third All-America First Team selection for
Agbaji as he also earned the accolade with The Sporting News and Bleacher
Report. 
The AP and The Sporting News are two of the four that make up the collaboration
of Consensus All-America teams with Agbaji garnering first-team honors for
both. Kansas’ last AP All-America First Team selection was Devonte’ Graham in
2018 who went on to be Consensus All-America First Team. In the Bill Self era
at Kansas, Agbaji is the fifth player named to the Associated Press All-America
First Team joining Graham, Frank Mason III (2017), Thomas Robinson (2012) and
Wayne Simien (2005). KU has had a player named AP All-America first, second or
third team 19 times in the Self era. 
Joining Agbaji on the 2022 AP All-America First Team are Kofi Cockburn
(Illinois), Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky), Johnny Davis (Wisconsin) and Keegan
Murray (Iowa). The AP team is selected on by the 60 members who vote on the
weekly AP men’s basketball poll. 
A Naismith Player of the Year semifinalist, Agbaji is coming off Big 12
Championship All-Tournament selection in guiding Kansas to the tourney title
last weekend. Agbaji was named the 2022 Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding
Player. Earlier today, he was named to the NABC All-District 8 First Team. 
Agbaji, the 2022 Big 12 Player of the Year and on most all All-America First
Teams, leads the Big 12 and is 25th nationally, in scoring at 19.7 points per
game. The Kansas City, Missouri, guard is second in the league in three-point
field goal percentage (40.5%, 31st nationally) and in three-point field goals
made per game (2.8, 42nd nationally). 
A four-year starter for KU, Agbaji has etched his name into the Kansas records
book. He holds the record for consecutive games of three-point field goals made
at 53. He also ranks 18th on the KU career scoring list with 1,570 points,
fourth on the three-point field goals made (239) and fourth on three-point
field goals attempted (645).

<a href="https://kuathletics.com/">Kansas Athletics</a>LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas senior Ochai
Agbaji has been named 2022 Associated Press All-America First Team, the AP
announced Tuesday. This is the third All-America First Team selection for
Agbaji as he also earned the accolade with The Sporting News and Bleacher
Report. 
The AP and The Sporting News are two of the four that make up the collaboration
of Consensus All-America teams with Agbaji garnering first-team honors for
both. Kansas’ last AP All-America First Team selection was Devonte’ Graham in
2018 who went on to be Consensus All-America First Team. In the Bill Self era
at Kansas, Agbaji is the fifth player named to the Associated Press All-America
First Team joining Graham, Frank Mason III (2017), Thomas Robinson (2012) and
Wayne Simien (2005). KU has had a player named AP All-America first, second or
third team 19 times in the Self era. 
Joining Agbaji on the 2022 AP All-America First Team are Kofi Cockburn
(Illinois), Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky), Johnny Davis (Wisconsin) and Keegan
Murray (Iowa). The AP team is selected on by the 60 members who vote on the
weekly AP men’s basketball poll. 
A Naismith Player of the Year semifinalist, Agbaji is coming off Big 12
Championship All-Tournament selection in guiding Kansas to the tourney title
last weekend. Agbaji was named the 2022 Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding
Player. Earlier today, he was named to the NABC All-District 8 First Team. 
Agbaji, the 2022 Big 12 Player of the Year and on most all All-America First
Teams, leads the Big 12 and is 25th nationally, in scoring at 19.7 points per
game. The Kansas City, Missouri, guard is second in the league in three-point
field goal percentage (40.5%, 31st nationally) and in three-point field goals
made per game (2.8, 42nd nationally). 
A four-year starter for KU, Agbaji has etched his name into the Kansas records
book. He holds the record for consecutive games of three-point field goals made
at 53. He also ranks 18th on the KU career scoring list with 1,570 points,
fourth on the three-point field goals made (239) and fourth on three-point
field goals attempted (645).

🏀 KU's Agbaji named Associated Press All-America First Team

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx">FHSU Athletics</a>

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State tried mightily to fight off a second-half comeback by Missouri Western in the NCAA Central Regional Final Monday in Hays, but the Griffons dashed their hopes of a trip to the Elite Eight on a basket with eight seconds remaining. The Tigers had one last try to win the game, but had to settle for a runner that fell off the mark as the clock expired.

It was the third time since 2015 the Tigers had advanced to the regional final only to lose on their home court. The Tigers looked in good position to make their first-ever NCAA Elite Eight appearance when they were up 21 points with 2:04 to go before halftime. However, the Griffons were able to sneak back to a manageable deficit with a 6-0 run to end the quarter, making the halftime margin 15 at 38-23.

Missouri Western made the first bucket of the second half to extend their late first half run to 8-0 overall before a&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6443">Katie Wagner</a>&nbsp;free throw and a bucket by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6438">Olivia Hollenbeck</a>&nbsp;push the lead to 16. It reached 16 once more on a&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6437">Jaden Hobbs</a>&nbsp;jumper with 5:48 to go in the third, but the Griffons kept chipping away and their 7-0 run at the end of the quarter had them back within four at 49-45. The screws really started to tighten when the Griffons got the lead down to two points at the 7:50 and 5:33 marks of the fourth quarter and then Jaelyn Haggard hit a jump shot that bounced several times on the rim before falling through to tie the score at 60-60 with 3:43 remaining. Haggard struck again moments later by drawing a foul on the shot, and then received two more free throws on an untimely technical foul on Lauren West. Haggard buried all four foul shots, putting the Griffons up 64-60 with three minutes to play.

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6439">Whitney Randall</a>&nbsp;got the Tigers back within two with a pair of free throws and then Wagner stepped up in the clutch with a driving layup to tie the game with 1:27 to play. But, with ice water in her veins, Haggard buried a 3-point field goal about 10 seconds later from several feet beyond the arc to put the Griffons back up by three. Wagner got two of the points back with a pair of free throws, but the Tigers then had to foul on the other end. Missouri Western made just one of two attempts, leaving the door open for the Tigers. The Tigers crashed right through that door moments later when Hobbs found Wagner with a play over the top and Wagner was fouled as she made a layup to tie the game. She then buried the and-one attempt to give the Tigers the lead back. After a timeout to advance the ball, Missouri Western got the ball into Brionna Budgetts, who drove the baseline and scored at the rim with eight seconds to go. That ultimately would win the game for MWSU as the Tigers had to scramble after an in-bounds play did not go as planned, and a running jumper from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6444">Kate Dilsaver</a>&nbsp;was a bit long as the clock ran out on the Tigers and another amazing season. Wagner led the Tiger effort with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6438">Olivia Hollenbeck</a>&nbsp;was the other Tiger to reach double figures in scoring with 14 points. Hobbs finished with nine and Randall had seven. Haggard was the x-factor for the Griffons in the second half, scoring all but two of her game-high 19 points after halftime. Corbyn Cunningham did the majority of her 17-point damage in the second quarter when she had 10. The Tigers were MIAA Regular Season and Tournament champions this year, finishing at 30-4 overall. It was the fourth time the program has won at least 30 games in a season and third time within the last eight seasons under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1043">Tony Hobson</a>. However, the cruel fate of all three of the 30+ win teams under Hobson (2014-15, 2018-19, and 2021-22) was all three fell in the Central Regional Final at Gross Memorial Coliseum. Missouri Western, which finished fifth in a very deep MIAA conference this year, moves on to the Elite Eight in Birmingham, Alabama with an overall record of 24-9. The Griffons are one of four teams in the MIAA to post 24+ wins overall this season, which also includes regional participants Missouri Southern and Nebraska-Kearney. This result closed out the careers of two of the best-ever to put on the Black and Gold, high school teammates&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6439">Whitney Randall</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6437">Jaden Hobbs</a>&nbsp;from Alva, Okla. Randall finished her career with 1,396 points and 515 rebounds. She ranks ninth on the all-time scoring list at FHSU. Hobbs finished her collegiate career with 1,390 points and 550 assists, the final three years being at FHSU where she was the first player in program history with at least 1,000 points and 400 assists. She had 1,082 points and 431 assists as a Tiger and had 308 points and 119 assists in her early career at Oklahoma State University. And after four years on the court for the Tigers, Concordia senior&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6435">Cydney Bergmann</a>&nbsp;finished with 498 points and 317 rebounds.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647320256777.jpeg" alt="Katie Wagner recorded a double-double in the Tigers loss to Missouri Western in the NCAA II Central Region finals Monday night at Gross Memorial Coliseum (Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Nicole Heitmann)" />
 <figcaption>Katie Wagner recorded a double-double in the Tigers loss to Missouri Western in the NCAA II Central Region finals Monday night at Gross Memorial Coliseum (Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Nicole Heitmann)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx">FHSU Athletics</a>HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State tried mightily to fight off a second-half comeback by Missouri Western in the NCAA Central Regional Final Monday in Hays, but the Griffons dashed their hopes of a trip to the Elite Eight on a basket with eight seconds remaining. The Tigers had one last try to win the game, but had to settle for a runner that fell off the mark as the clock expired.It was the third time since 2015 the Tigers had advanced to the regional final only to lose on their home court. The Tigers looked in good position to make their first-ever NCAA Elite Eight appearance when they were up 21 points with 2:04 to go before halftime. However, the Griffons were able to sneak back to a manageable deficit with a 6-0 run to end the quarter, making the halftime margin 15 at 38-23.<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/1232424658&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-814667509/03-14-22-fhsu-press-conference" title="#4 Fort Hays State WBB Post Game Press Conference vs. Missouri Western State (Mar 14, 2022)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">#4 Fort Hays State WBB Post Game Press Conference vs. Missouri Western State (Mar 14, 2022)</a></div></div>Missouri Western made the first bucket of the second half to extend their late first half run to 8-0 overall before a&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6443">Katie Wagner</a>&nbsp;free throw and a bucket by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6438">Olivia Hollenbeck</a>&nbsp;push the lead to 16. It reached 16 once more on a&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6437">Jaden Hobbs</a>&nbsp;jumper with 5:48 to go in the third, but the Griffons kept chipping away and their 7-0 run at the end of the quarter had them back within four at 49-45. The screws really started to tighten when the Griffons got the lead down to two points at the 7:50 and 5:33 marks of the fourth quarter and then Jaelyn Haggard hit a jump shot that bounced several times on the rim before falling through to tie the score at 60-60 with 3:43 remaining. Haggard struck again moments later by drawing a foul on the shot, and then received two more free throws on an untimely technical foul on Lauren West. Haggard buried all four foul shots, putting the Griffons up 64-60 with three minutes to play.<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/1232424619&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-814667509/03-14-22-fhsu-women-highlights" title="#4 Fort Hays State WBB vs. Missouri Western State Highlights (Mar 14, 2022)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">#4 Fort Hays State WBB vs. Missouri Western State Highlights (Mar 14, 2022)</a></div></div><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6439">Whitney Randall</a>&nbsp;got the Tigers back within two with a pair of free throws and then Wagner stepped up in the clutch with a driving layup to tie the game with 1:27 to play. But, with ice water in her veins, Haggard buried a 3-point field goal about 10 seconds later from several feet beyond the arc to put the Griffons back up by three. Wagner got two of the points back with a pair of free throws, but the Tigers then had to foul on the other end. Missouri Western made just one of two attempts, leaving the door open for the Tigers. The Tigers crashed right through that door moments later when Hobbs found Wagner with a play over the top and Wagner was fouled as she made a layup to tie the game. She then buried the and-one attempt to give the Tigers the lead back. After a timeout to advance the ball, Missouri Western got the ball into Brionna Budgetts, who drove the baseline and scored at the rim with eight seconds to go. That ultimately would win the game for MWSU as the Tigers had to scramble after an in-bounds play did not go as planned, and a running jumper from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6444">Kate Dilsaver</a>&nbsp;was a bit long as the clock ran out on the Tigers and another amazing season. Wagner led the Tiger effort with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6438">Olivia Hollenbeck</a>&nbsp;was the other Tiger to reach double figures in scoring with 14 points. Hobbs finished with nine and Randall had seven. Haggard was the x-factor for the Griffons in the second half, scoring all but two of her game-high 19 points after halftime. Corbyn Cunningham did the majority of her 17-point damage in the second quarter when she had 10. The Tigers were MIAA Regular Season and Tournament champions this year, finishing at 30-4 overall. It was the fourth time the program has won at least 30 games in a season and third time within the last eight seasons under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1043">Tony Hobson</a>. However, the cruel fate of all three of the 30+ win teams under Hobson (2014-15, 2018-19, and 2021-22) was all three fell in the Central Regional Final at Gross Memorial Coliseum. Missouri Western, which finished fifth in a very deep MIAA conference this year, moves on to the Elite Eight in Birmingham, Alabama with an overall record of 24-9. The Griffons are one of four teams in the MIAA to post 24+ wins overall this season, which also includes regional participants Missouri Southern and Nebraska-Kearney. This result closed out the careers of two of the best-ever to put on the Black and Gold, high school teammates&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6439">Whitney Randall</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6437">Jaden Hobbs</a>&nbsp;from Alva, Okla. Randall finished her career with 1,396 points and 515 rebounds. She ranks ninth on the all-time scoring list at FHSU. Hobbs finished her collegiate career with 1,390 points and 550 assists, the final three years being at FHSU where she was the first player in program history with at least 1,000 points and 400 assists. She had 1,082 points and 431 assists as a Tiger and had 308 points and 119 assists in her early career at Oklahoma State University. And after four years on the court for the Tigers, Concordia senior&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6435">Cydney Bergmann</a>&nbsp;finished with 498 points and 317 rebounds.

🏀 Third time not a charm for FHSU women; Elite Eight hopes dashed by Griffons

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Fort Hays State dropped both games of its MIAA-opening doubleheader at Missouri Western on Monday afternoon (Mar. 14). The Tigers mustered only one run for the afternoon and fell by a shutout, 2-0, and by run-rule, 9-1. FHSU is now 10-14 overall and 0-2 in the MIAA, while MWSU went to 7-11 overall and 2-0 in the MIAA. Game 1: Missouri Western 2, Fort Hays State 0 The Tigers struggled to get much going offensively against Sydney Rader in the first contest. Aside from back-to-back singles by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6344">Sarah Tiffany</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6343">Betsy Parmley</a>&nbsp;to open the second inning, Rader retired 15 straight Tigers from the second through sixth innings. The Griffons committed a pair of errors in the seventh to allow two Tigers to reach base, but the Tigers ran into the final out of the game trying to score on a wild pitch. Rader finished with nine strikeouts in her complete-game shutout effort against the Tigers. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6352">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;allowed just one earned run of the two surrendered to Missouri Western. She scattered five hits and walked two, while striking out five. The Griffons plated their first run in the first by benefitting from a passed ball that set up a sacrifice fly. In the fifth, they plated another run on a sacrifice fly after a pair of singles to open the inning. Game 2: Missouri Western 9, Fort Hays State 1 Missouri Western took an early lead once again in the second contest of the day, scoring twice in the first inning. The Tigers countered in the top of the second with a solo home run by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6344">Sarah Tiffany</a>&nbsp;to cut the lead in half, but that was all of their run scoring for the day. Missouri Western went on to plate four runs in the second, breaking the game open on a three-run home run. The Griffons added one in the fourth and then two in the fifth for a run-rule victory of 9-1. Natalie Kissinger pitched the whole game for Missouri Western, allowing just three hits. She struck out two.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6345">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;started for the Tigers and pitched 1.1 innings, allowing five runs.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6351">Morgan Schmidt</a>&nbsp;relieved for 1.2 innings allowing two, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6353">Erika Flynn</a>&nbsp;followed for one more inning allowing two more.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6352">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;recorded one out before the Griffons pushed the winning run across the plate. Schmidt had the most strikeouts of the Tiger pitchers with four. The Tigers will host Oklahoma Baptist in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday (Mar. 16) at Tiger Stadium in Hays. First pitch is scheduled for 11 am in FHSU's first home games of the season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx">FHSU Athletics</a>ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Fort Hays State dropped both games of its MIAA-opening doubleheader at Missouri Western on Monday afternoon (Mar. 14). The Tigers mustered only one run for the afternoon and fell by a shutout, 2-0, and by run-rule, 9-1. FHSU is now 10-14 overall and 0-2 in the MIAA, while MWSU went to 7-11 overall and 2-0 in the MIAA. Game 1: Missouri Western 2, Fort Hays State 0 The Tigers struggled to get much going offensively against Sydney Rader in the first contest. Aside from back-to-back singles by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6344">Sarah Tiffany</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6343">Betsy Parmley</a>&nbsp;to open the second inning, Rader retired 15 straight Tigers from the second through sixth innings. The Griffons committed a pair of errors in the seventh to allow two Tigers to reach base, but the Tigers ran into the final out of the game trying to score on a wild pitch. Rader finished with nine strikeouts in her complete-game shutout effort against the Tigers. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6352">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;allowed just one earned run of the two surrendered to Missouri Western. She scattered five hits and walked two, while striking out five. The Griffons plated their first run in the first by benefitting from a passed ball that set up a sacrifice fly. In the fifth, they plated another run on a sacrifice fly after a pair of singles to open the inning. Game 2: Missouri Western 9, Fort Hays State 1 Missouri Western took an early lead once again in the second contest of the day, scoring twice in the first inning. The Tigers countered in the top of the second with a solo home run by&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6344">Sarah Tiffany</a>&nbsp;to cut the lead in half, but that was all of their run scoring for the day. Missouri Western went on to plate four runs in the second, breaking the game open on a three-run home run. The Griffons added one in the fourth and then two in the fifth for a run-rule victory of 9-1. Natalie Kissinger pitched the whole game for Missouri Western, allowing just three hits. She struck out two.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6345">Bailey Carlson</a>&nbsp;started for the Tigers and pitched 1.1 innings, allowing five runs.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6351">Morgan Schmidt</a>&nbsp;relieved for 1.2 innings allowing two, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6353">Erika Flynn</a>&nbsp;followed for one more inning allowing two more.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6352">Savanah Egger</a>&nbsp;recorded one out before the Griffons pushed the winning run across the plate. Schmidt had the most strikeouts of the Tiger pitchers with four. The Tigers will host Oklahoma Baptist in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday (Mar. 16) at Tiger Stadium in Hays. First pitch is scheduled for 11 am in FHSU's first home games of the season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🥎 Griffons sweep Tigers in MIAA opener

By COLE REIF <a href="https://greatbendpost.com">Great Bend Post</a>

GREAT BEND — As the years pass by, it is becoming more difficult to remember a time
when the Central Plains High School girls basketball team was not celebrating a
state championship. What started with a late-game, baseline inbounds play against
Jefferson County North at Bramlage Coliseum in 2014, continued this past
Saturday at Barton Community College with a win over Golden Plains for another
state title.

It wasn’t easy for Oilers’ coach Pat Stiles, with the game tied
going into the fourth quarter, but Central Plains found a way to win their 8th
straight championship. "All we said going into the fourth quarter
 was be patient, go side to side and good things will happen," said 
Stiles. "They did it. They worked the ball a little bit. They refused to
 lose. I could see it in their eyes. They weren't going to give this one
 up." 
The Lady Oilers have cruised to 20-plus win seasons, have won a Kansas-record 25
consecutive state playoff games and piled up a 229-5 record since 2014.

Stiles
understands the expectations for his team but also realizes the adversity his
team battled through. 
"To see Madison (McGuire) sprain her ankle and battle through it," said 
Stiles. "Brynna (Hammeke) had a bad back all year. We had Kassidy 
(Nixon) puking in a trash can on the sideline. They're just warriors. 
They refuse to lose." 
Central Plains will graduate three seniors in May, including Nixon,
Kailynn Depperschmidt and McGuire.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647273790290.jpeg" alt="The Central Plains High School girls basketball team won their 8th straight state championship Saturday, March 12, 2022. The Oilers defeated Golden Plains 50-38 in the Class 1A-DII Tournament at Barton Community College in Great Bend." />
 <figcaption>The Central Plains High School girls basketball team won their 8th straight state championship Saturday, March 12, 2022. The Oilers defeated Golden Plains 50-38 in the Class 1A-DII Tournament at Barton Community College in Great Bend.</figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF <a href="https://greatbendpost.com">Great Bend Post</a>GREAT BEND — As the years pass by, it is becoming more difficult to remember a time
when the Central Plains High School girls basketball team was not celebrating a
state championship. What started with a late-game, baseline inbounds play against
Jefferson County North at Bramlage Coliseum in 2014, continued this past
Saturday at Barton Community College with a win over Golden Plains for another
state title. It wasn’t easy for Oilers’ coach Pat Stiles, with the game tied
going into the fourth quarter, but Central Plains found a way to win their 8th
straight championship. "All we said going into the fourth quarter
 was be patient, go side to side and good things will happen," said 
Stiles. "They did it. They worked the ball a little bit. They refused to
 lose. I could see it in their eyes. They weren't going to give this one
 up." 
The Lady Oilers have cruised to 20-plus win seasons, have won a Kansas-record 25
consecutive state playoff games and piled up a 229-5 record since 2014. Stiles
understands the expectations for his team but also realizes the adversity his
team battled through. 
"To see Madison (McGuire) sprain her ankle and battle through it," said 
Stiles. "Brynna (Hammeke) had a bad back all year. We had Kassidy 
(Nixon) puking in a trash can on the sideline. They're just warriors. 
They refuse to lose." 
Central Plains will graduate three seniors in May, including Nixon,
Kailynn Depperschmidt and McGuire.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Becoming difficult to remember when Central Plains wasn’t winning

No. 4/4 Fort Hays State (30-3, 19-3 MIAA) vs. Missouri Western (23-9, 14-8 MIAA) Monday, March 14&nbsp;• 7 p.m. Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum 2022 NCAA DII Women's Basketball Championship Central Region Championship Radio: KJLS (103.3-FM)

<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KJLS">LISTEN LIVE</a>

Promotion: Wear Black! A trophy will be lifted and the nets will be cut down inside Gross Memorial Coliseum Monday evening by either fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball or Missouri Western. The Central Region title game between MIAA rivals will tip at 7 p.m. Fans are encouraged to wear black and purchase their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketreturn.com/prod2/team.asp?sponsorid=15736">tickets online via this link</a>&nbsp;to avoid waiting in line at the door. Tickets ($10 adults, $5 K-12) will be available at the gate for those unable to purchase online. Free live video will be streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/">The MIAA Network</a>, courtesy of Tiger Media Network, while voice of the Tigers, Gerard Wellbrock will have the call on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KJLS">KJLS</a>&nbsp;(103.3 FM in the Hays listening area) alongside Dustin Armbruster. The Tigers (30-3) won their 11th-consecutive game on Saturday, a thrilling 59-55 win over St. Cloud State in the regional semifinals. The Griffons (23-9) continued their impressive run in the tournament with a 72-59 win over Nebraska-Kearney to reach the regional final. Fort Hays State beat Missouri Western twice in the regular season,&nbsp;including a 13-point win on the road (74-61, 1/15/22) and a nine-point win in overtime at home (78-69, 2/23/22). The Tigers lead the all-time series 32-23, including wins in four straight. FHSU is 21-5 at home against the Griffons. The Tigers are 16-6 against MWSU under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1043">Tony Hobson</a>&nbsp;and 10-0 at home. Saturday's win was Fort Hays State's 30th victory of the season, with the Tigers reaching that milestone for the fourth time in program history. It's the third 30-win season for the Tigers over the last eight years. In comparison, the rest of the MIAA has a combined one 30-win season during that timeframe (UCM 2017-18). FHSU's 58 rebounds against Minnesota State are the most in a single game by a team through two rounds of the tournament.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6443">Katie Wagner's</a>&nbsp;16 rebounds against MSU are fourth-most in a game by an individual and her six steals against St. Cloud State are third-most in a game during the tournament. The Tigers rank fourth overall with nine blocks, fourth in total rebounds with 91, fifth in rebounds per game at 45.5, second in total steals at 25, and ninth in field goal percentage defense at 33.9 percent. The Tigers are 7-6 overall, 0-2 in the championship, 6-3 as the No. 1 seed, 0-0 against the No. 7 seed, 6-2 in home games, 6-4 while ranked and 1-3 against MIAA programs in the NCAA DII regional tournament all-time. Six No. 1 seeds remain in the national tournament, with East Region No. 1 Southern New Hampshire falling in the quarterfinals and Midwest top seed Ashland losing in the semifinals. Fort Hays State is now 73-5 (.936) in non-conference home games under Hobson. The Tigers are 189-29 overall at home during the Hobson era, good for a winning percentage of .867. Through two games, Missouri Western ranks first out of 64 teams in the NCAA DII Women's Basketball Championship in assists (44), assists per game (22.0), field goal percentage (56.8), scoring offense (91.5 ppg), 3-pointers made (20) and 3-point field goal percentage (52.6). The Griffons defeated second-seeded Southwestern Oklahoma State 111-77 behind 15 3-pointers in the regional quarterfinal. Connie Clarke (team-high 12.7 points, 8.7 rebounds per game)&nbsp;was a second team All-MIAA selection in addition to earning a spot on the All-Defensive Team. Corbyn Cunningham and Brionna Budgetts also earned honorable mention All-MIAA honors. The victor of Monday's regional championship game will get a week off before opening play in the Elite Eight on Monday, March 21 in Birmingham, Ala. The national semifinals will be played on Wednesday, March 23 before the DII National Championship trophy is handed out on Friday, March 25.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647270807206.jpeg" alt="Courtesy FHSU Athletics (Nicole Heitmann)" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy FHSU Athletics (Nicole Heitmann)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx">FHSU Athletics</a>No. 4/4 Fort Hays State (30-3, 19-3 MIAA) vs. Missouri Western (23-9, 14-8 MIAA) Monday, March 14&nbsp;• 7 p.m. Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum 2022 NCAA DII Women's Basketball Championship Central Region Championship Radio: KJLS (103.3-FM)<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KJLS">LISTEN LIVE</a>Promotion: Wear Black! A trophy will be lifted and the nets will be cut down inside Gross Memorial Coliseum Monday evening by either fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball or Missouri Western. The Central Region title game between MIAA rivals will tip at 7 p.m. Fans are encouraged to wear black and purchase their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketreturn.com/prod2/team.asp?sponsorid=15736">tickets online via this link</a>&nbsp;to avoid waiting in line at the door. Tickets ($10 adults, $5 K-12) will be available at the gate for those unable to purchase online. Free live video will be streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/">The MIAA Network</a>, courtesy of Tiger Media Network, while voice of the Tigers, Gerard Wellbrock will have the call on&nbsp;<a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KJLS">KJLS</a>&nbsp;(103.3 FM in the Hays listening area) alongside Dustin Armbruster. The Tigers (30-3) won their 11th-consecutive game on Saturday, a thrilling 59-55 win over St. Cloud State in the regional semifinals. The Griffons (23-9) continued their impressive run in the tournament with a 72-59 win over Nebraska-Kearney to reach the regional final. Fort Hays State beat Missouri Western twice in the regular season,&nbsp;including a 13-point win on the road (74-61, 1/15/22) and a nine-point win in overtime at home (78-69, 2/23/22). The Tigers lead the all-time series 32-23, including wins in four straight. FHSU is 21-5 at home against the Griffons. The Tigers are 16-6 against MWSU under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1043">Tony Hobson</a>&nbsp;and 10-0 at home. Saturday's win was Fort Hays State's 30th victory of the season, with the Tigers reaching that milestone for the fourth time in program history. It's the third 30-win season for the Tigers over the last eight years. In comparison, the rest of the MIAA has a combined one 30-win season during that timeframe (UCM 2017-18). FHSU's 58 rebounds against Minnesota State are the most in a single game by a team through two rounds of the tournament.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6443">Katie Wagner's</a>&nbsp;16 rebounds against MSU are fourth-most in a game by an individual and her six steals against St. Cloud State are third-most in a game during the tournament. The Tigers rank fourth overall with nine blocks, fourth in total rebounds with 91, fifth in rebounds per game at 45.5, second in total steals at 25, and ninth in field goal percentage defense at 33.9 percent. The Tigers are 7-6 overall, 0-2 in the championship, 6-3 as the No. 1 seed, 0-0 against the No. 7 seed, 6-2 in home games, 6-4 while ranked and 1-3 against MIAA programs in the NCAA DII regional tournament all-time. Six No. 1 seeds remain in the national tournament, with East Region No. 1 Southern New Hampshire falling in the quarterfinals and Midwest top seed Ashland losing in the semifinals. Fort Hays State is now 73-5 (.936) in non-conference home games under Hobson. The Tigers are 189-29 overall at home during the Hobson era, good for a winning percentage of .867. Through two games, Missouri Western ranks first out of 64 teams in the NCAA DII Women's Basketball Championship in assists (44), assists per game (22.0), field goal percentage (56.8), scoring offense (91.5 ppg), 3-pointers made (20) and 3-point field goal percentage (52.6). The Griffons defeated second-seeded Southwestern Oklahoma State 111-77 behind 15 3-pointers in the regional quarterfinal. Connie Clarke (team-high 12.7 points, 8.7 rebounds per game)&nbsp;was a second team All-MIAA selection in addition to earning a spot on the All-Defensive Team. Corbyn Cunningham and Brionna Budgetts also earned honorable mention All-MIAA honors. The victor of Monday's regional championship game will get a week off before opening play in the Elite Eight on Monday, March 21 in Birmingham, Ala. The national semifinals will be played on Wednesday, March 23 before the DII National Championship trophy is handed out on Friday, March 25.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 FHSU women host Griffons with trip to Elite Eight on the line

CLAREMORE, Okla. - Fort Hays State baseball dropped both contests in a doubleheader with Rogers State at Diamond Sports Complex on Sunday (March 13). Late rallies lifted the Hillcats in both contests. Rogers State 4, Fort Hays State 1 Rogers State took an early 1-0 lead in the home half of the first inning picking up a run on an RBI single.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6324">Hunter Parker</a>&nbsp;kept the Hillcats under control for the next five innings allowing only two hits and no walks, while striking out two. FHSU tied the game in the top of the sixth when&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6336">Traelon Yarbrough</a>&nbsp;doubled home&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6333">Kade Wallace</a>. The score remained tied 1-1 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, when the Hillcats regained the lead. Parker struck out the first batter of the inning, but then allowed his first walk of the day. The runner advanced to second on a fielding error and third on a double steal before a single brought him in to score. Rogers State added a pair of runs on another single. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6313">Cade Flaherty</a>&nbsp;relieved for the Tigers in the eighth and struck out two of four batters faced while also allowing a walk. However, the Tiger offense could not counter the seventh-inning rally by the Hillcats as they came up short by three runs. Parker allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits with a trio of strikeouts in seven full innings. Offensively, Kehe, Wallace, Yarbrough, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6318">Brady Kreutzer</a>&nbsp;each recorded a hit for the Tigers. Rogers State 11, Fort Hays State 10 (10 innings) The Tigers struck first in the second game when&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6620">Jenner Kehe</a>&nbsp;recorded a leadoff double down the left field line. He later came in to score on a groundout from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6328">Ed Scott</a>. The Hillcats tied the game in the bottom of the second as a leadoff triple eventually turned into a run. FHSU regained the lead when Kreutzer was hit by a pitch with two outs in the top of the third. Scott and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6327">Grant Schmidt</a>&nbsp;loaded the bases with a walk and hit by pitch. With the bases loaded,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6333">Kade Wallace</a>&nbsp;brought in two runs on a tricky infield pop fly that fell. In the bottom of the fourth, Rogers State picked up three runs on three hits taking the lead 4-3, but the Tigers tied it up when Kreutzer led off with a solo home run in the fifth. It was his first of the season. With two outs, the Tigers loaded the bases on three straight walks before&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6313">Cade Flaherty</a>, pinch hitting for&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6331">Ridge Stephens</a>, was hit by a pitch giving the Tigers a one run advantage, 5-4. The Hillcats responded with a run on a sacrifice fly to tie the game once again, 5-5, through five innings. In the sixth, Kreutzer recorded his second hit of the contest reaching on a single. After advancing to second, he scored on a single by Schmidt, putting FHSU ahead 6-5, but the Hillcats tied it once again in the bottom half of the inning on a wild pitch. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6309">Jacob Callaway</a>&nbsp;led off the seventh for the Tigers with a single before being joined by Kehe and Kreutzer, who both collected walks. Callaway would score on a sacrifice fly from Scott, putting the Tigers back in front. With the bases loaded,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6333">Kade Wallace</a>&nbsp;chopped a grounder to the third baseman, who was unable to make an accurate throw to first scoring Kehe and Kreutzer. The right fielder would recover the ball and made a throwing error to the plate, which allowing Schmidt to score.. At the seventh inning stretch, the Tigers led 10-6. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6305">Zach Berg</a>&nbsp;held the Hillcats in check not allowing a hit through the eighth inning. In the bottom of the ninth, the Hillcats scored a pair of runs on a fielding error and another pair on a double tying the game at 10-10.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6314">Dylan Hamilton</a>&nbsp;was brought on in relief with one out and a runner on second. Hamilton walked his first batter and the runners shifted to second and third on a wild pitch before Hamilton struck out his second batter.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6337">Cole Zimmerman</a>&nbsp;entered the game with bases loaded and was able to record a strikeout to send the game to extra innings. The Tigers were unable to find anything in the top of the 10th&nbsp;and the Hillcats ended the game in the bottom half of the inning on a walkoff RBI double. Starter&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6310">Jake Campbell</a>&nbsp;allowed five runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings of work as well as collecting three strikeouts. Berg gave up five runs on three hits in 3.2 innings with a pair of punchouts. Hamilton picked up a strikeout in 0.1 innings thrown and Zimmerman received the losing decision with one run on one hit in 0.2 frames thrown.Kreutzer led the Tigers with two hits. FHSU collected eight hits compared to 11 by RSU. The Tigers will be back in action on Tuesday (March 15) when they face Newman in a single game in Wichita with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx">FHSU Athletics</a>CLAREMORE, Okla. - Fort Hays State baseball dropped both contests in a doubleheader with Rogers State at Diamond Sports Complex on Sunday (March 13). Late rallies lifted the Hillcats in both contests. Rogers State 4, Fort Hays State 1 Rogers State took an early 1-0 lead in the home half of the first inning picking up a run on an RBI single.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6324">Hunter Parker</a>&nbsp;kept the Hillcats under control for the next five innings allowing only two hits and no walks, while striking out two. FHSU tied the game in the top of the sixth when&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6336">Traelon Yarbrough</a>&nbsp;doubled home&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6333">Kade Wallace</a>. The score remained tied 1-1 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, when the Hillcats regained the lead. Parker struck out the first batter of the inning, but then allowed his first walk of the day. The runner advanced to second on a fielding error and third on a double steal before a single brought him in to score. Rogers State added a pair of runs on another single. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6313">Cade Flaherty</a>&nbsp;relieved for the Tigers in the eighth and struck out two of four batters faced while also allowing a walk. However, the Tiger offense could not counter the seventh-inning rally by the Hillcats as they came up short by three runs. Parker allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits with a trio of strikeouts in seven full innings. Offensively, Kehe, Wallace, Yarbrough, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6318">Brady Kreutzer</a>&nbsp;each recorded a hit for the Tigers. Rogers State 11, Fort Hays State 10 (10 innings) The Tigers struck first in the second game when&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6620">Jenner Kehe</a>&nbsp;recorded a leadoff double down the left field line. He later came in to score on a groundout from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6328">Ed Scott</a>. The Hillcats tied the game in the bottom of the second as a leadoff triple eventually turned into a run. FHSU regained the lead when Kreutzer was hit by a pitch with two outs in the top of the third. Scott and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6327">Grant Schmidt</a>&nbsp;loaded the bases with a walk and hit by pitch. With the bases loaded,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6333">Kade Wallace</a>&nbsp;brought in two runs on a tricky infield pop fly that fell. In the bottom of the fourth, Rogers State picked up three runs on three hits taking the lead 4-3, but the Tigers tied it up when Kreutzer led off with a solo home run in the fifth. It was his first of the season. With two outs, the Tigers loaded the bases on three straight walks before&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6313">Cade Flaherty</a>, pinch hitting for&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6331">Ridge Stephens</a>, was hit by a pitch giving the Tigers a one run advantage, 5-4. The Hillcats responded with a run on a sacrifice fly to tie the game once again, 5-5, through five innings. In the sixth, Kreutzer recorded his second hit of the contest reaching on a single. After advancing to second, he scored on a single by Schmidt, putting FHSU ahead 6-5, but the Hillcats tied it once again in the bottom half of the inning on a wild pitch. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6309">Jacob Callaway</a>&nbsp;led off the seventh for the Tigers with a single before being joined by Kehe and Kreutzer, who both collected walks. Callaway would score on a sacrifice fly from Scott, putting the Tigers back in front. With the bases loaded,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6333">Kade Wallace</a>&nbsp;chopped a grounder to the third baseman, who was unable to make an accurate throw to first scoring Kehe and Kreutzer. The right fielder would recover the ball and made a throwing error to the plate, which allowing Schmidt to score.. At the seventh inning stretch, the Tigers led 10-6. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6305">Zach Berg</a>&nbsp;held the Hillcats in check not allowing a hit through the eighth inning. In the bottom of the ninth, the Hillcats scored a pair of runs on a fielding error and another pair on a double tying the game at 10-10.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6314">Dylan Hamilton</a>&nbsp;was brought on in relief with one out and a runner on second. Hamilton walked his first batter and the runners shifted to second and third on a wild pitch before Hamilton struck out his second batter.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6337">Cole Zimmerman</a>&nbsp;entered the game with bases loaded and was able to record a strikeout to send the game to extra innings. The Tigers were unable to find anything in the top of the 10th&nbsp;and the Hillcats ended the game in the bottom half of the inning on a walkoff RBI double. Starter&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6310">Jake Campbell</a>&nbsp;allowed five runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings of work as well as collecting three strikeouts. Berg gave up five runs on three hits in 3.2 innings with a pair of punchouts. Hamilton picked up a strikeout in 0.1 innings thrown and Zimmerman received the losing decision with one run on one hit in 0.2 frames thrown.Kreutzer led the Tigers with two hits. FHSU collected eight hits compared to 11 by RSU. The Tigers will be back in action on Tuesday (March 15) when they face Newman in a single game in Wichita with the first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.

⚾ Late rallies lift Hillcats to doubleheader sweep of Tigers

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference Champion Kansas Jayhawks earned the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, marking their 50th&nbsp;all-time NCAA Tournament and NCAA record 32nd&nbsp;consecutive appearance. The Jayhawks will take on the winner of No. 16 seeds Texas Southern/Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi on Thursday, March 17 in the Midwest Region in Fort Worth, Texas.

Playing as the No. 1 seed for the 15th&nbsp;time in program history, Kansas enters the NCAA Tournament as the Big 12 regular season and tournament champions, posting a 28-6 overall record and 14-4 mark in conference play.

Kansas will take on the winner of the First Four matchup between Texas Southern and Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi. Texas Southern holds an 18-12 (13-5 SWAC) record after winning the SWAC Tournament on Saturday. Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi, winners of the Southland Conference Championship, enter the NCAA tournament with a 23-11 overall record including 7-7 in conference play.

Kansas has posted a 39-13 record as a No. 1 seed, with its most recent appearance in 2018. Kansas is 14-0 all-time against No. 16 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

<a href="https://kuathletics.com/">Kansas Athletics</a>LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;The Big 12 Conference Champion Kansas Jayhawks earned the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, marking their 50th&nbsp;all-time NCAA Tournament and NCAA record 32nd&nbsp;consecutive appearance. The Jayhawks will take on the winner of No. 16 seeds Texas Southern/Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi on Thursday, March 17 in the Midwest Region in Fort Worth, Texas.Playing as the No. 1 seed for the 15th&nbsp;time in program history, Kansas enters the NCAA Tournament as the Big 12 regular season and tournament champions, posting a 28-6 overall record and 14-4 mark in conference play.Kansas will take on the winner of the First Four matchup between Texas Southern and Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi. Texas Southern holds an 18-12 (13-5 SWAC) record after winning the SWAC Tournament on Saturday. Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi, winners of the Southland Conference Championship, enter the NCAA tournament with a 23-11 overall record including 7-7 in conference play.Kansas has posted a 39-13 record as a No. 1 seed, with its most recent appearance in 2018. Kansas is 14-0 all-time against No. 16 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

🏀 Kansas earns No. 1 seed in Midwest Region

HAYS, Kan. - The fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team will play for a regional championship for a third time after a gritty 59-55 win over St. Cloud State Saturday evening inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. With the win, the Tigers (30-3) move on to play Missouri Western in the regional championship game Monday evening at 7 p.m.

The Huskies (24-5) pushed Fort Hays State to the brink late in the game, but two 3-pointers from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6447">Lauren West</a>&nbsp;in the final 43 seconds helped the Tigers hang on to the win. Fort Hays State led by as many as 10 midway through the third quarter, but a 17-8 run by the visitors from the end of the third quarter through the first nine minutes of the fourth quarter gave SCSU a one-point lead. The Huskies went in front with 59 seconds left after a 3-pointer from Tori Wortz, but West immediately answered with a 3-pointer of her own to put the Tigers back up by two, 54-52. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6437">Jaden Hobbs</a>&nbsp;then picked up her third steal of the game, giving possession back to the Tigers up two with 37 seconds to go. The ball found its way to West again at the top of the key, where the sophomore had plenty of space to fire up another 3-pointer that spun in with 15 seconds to go, erupting the crowd of 2,765.

Wortz hit another 3-pointer on the other end with 12 seconds to go, but Fort Hays State was able to get the ball in to&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6443">Katie Wagner</a>&nbsp;who then knocked down a pair of free throws to all but ice the game. SCSU took one final shot in the waning seconds that missed, giving the Tigers the four-point win. The teams went back-and-forth all afternoon, with the lead changing hands six times. St. Cloud State led by as many as four early on before the Tigers scored seven in a row to lead by two after 10 minutes, 14-12. Each side scored 14 points in the second quarter, giving FHSU a 28-26 advantage at the break. Fort Hays State had a slight edge in shooting percentage, 38.2 percent (21-of-55) to 37.0 percent (20-of-54). The Tigers and Huskies missed a combined three free throws, with FHSU hitting 12-of-14 (85.7 percent) and SCSU hitting 8-of-9 (88.9 percent). <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6438">Olivia Hollenbeck</a>&nbsp;scored a team-high 13 points thanks to a 5-for-5 effort at the free-throw line alongside six rebounds. Wagner added 12 points and tied Hollenbeck with a team-high six rebounds while also leading the Tigers with four assists and six steals.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6435">Cydney Bergmann</a>&nbsp;added eight points and four rebounds off the bench. This is the fourth time in program history that the Tigers have reached 30 wins in a season. The current 11-game winning streak is the seventh-longest in team history. Missouri Western earned its spot in the regional title game with a 72-59 win over Nebraska-Kearney. Fort Hays State beat the Griffons twice in the regular season, including a 13-point win on the road (74-61, 1/15/22) and an overtime victory at home on Senior Night (78-69, 3/23/22). The winner of Monday's regional championship will then move on to Birmingham, Ala. for the NCAA DII Elite Eight beginning March 21.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647149499317.jpeg" alt="Lauren West hit two key fourth quarter 3-pointers in FHSU's win over St. Cloud State Saturday at Gross Memorial Coliseum (Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Nicole Heitmann)" />
 <figcaption>Lauren West hit two key fourth quarter 3-pointers in FHSU's win over St. Cloud State Saturday at Gross Memorial Coliseum (Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Nicole Heitmann)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx">FHSU Athletics</a>HAYS, Kan. - The fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team will play for a regional championship for a third time after a gritty 59-55 win over St. Cloud State Saturday evening inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. With the win, the Tigers (30-3) move on to play Missouri Western in the regional championship game Monday evening at 7 p.m.<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/1231357786&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-814667509/03-12-22-fhsu-women-postgame-press" title="Fort Hays State Postgame Press Conference vs. St. Cloud State (Mar 12, 2022)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Fort Hays State Postgame Press Conference vs. St. Cloud State (Mar 12, 2022)</a></div></div>The Huskies (24-5) pushed Fort Hays State to the brink late in the game, but two 3-pointers from&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6447">Lauren West</a>&nbsp;in the final 43 seconds helped the Tigers hang on to the win. Fort Hays State led by as many as 10 midway through the third quarter, but a 17-8 run by the visitors from the end of the third quarter through the first nine minutes of the fourth quarter gave SCSU a one-point lead. The Huskies went in front with 59 seconds left after a 3-pointer from Tori Wortz, but West immediately answered with a 3-pointer of her own to put the Tigers back up by two, 54-52. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6437">Jaden Hobbs</a>&nbsp;then picked up her third steal of the game, giving possession back to the Tigers up two with 37 seconds to go. The ball found its way to West again at the top of the key, where the sophomore had plenty of space to fire up another 3-pointer that spun in with 15 seconds to go, erupting the crowd of 2,765. <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/1231357768&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-814667509/03-12-22-fhsu-women-highlights" title="#4 Fort Hays State WBB vs. #16 St. Cloud State Highlights (Mar 12, 2022)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">#4 Fort Hays State WBB vs. #16 St. Cloud State Highlights (Mar 12, 2022)</a></div></div>Wortz hit another 3-pointer on the other end with 12 seconds to go, but Fort Hays State was able to get the ball in to&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6443">Katie Wagner</a>&nbsp;who then knocked down a pair of free throws to all but ice the game. SCSU took one final shot in the waning seconds that missed, giving the Tigers the four-point win. The teams went back-and-forth all afternoon, with the lead changing hands six times. St. Cloud State led by as many as four early on before the Tigers scored seven in a row to lead by two after 10 minutes, 14-12. Each side scored 14 points in the second quarter, giving FHSU a 28-26 advantage at the break. Fort Hays State had a slight edge in shooting percentage, 38.2 percent (21-of-55) to 37.0 percent (20-of-54). The Tigers and Huskies missed a combined three free throws, with FHSU hitting 12-of-14 (85.7 percent) and SCSU hitting 8-of-9 (88.9 percent). <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6438">Olivia Hollenbeck</a>&nbsp;scored a team-high 13 points thanks to a 5-for-5 effort at the free-throw line alongside six rebounds. Wagner added 12 points and tied Hollenbeck with a team-high six rebounds while also leading the Tigers with four assists and six steals.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6435">Cydney Bergmann</a>&nbsp;added eight points and four rebounds off the bench. This is the fourth time in program history that the Tigers have reached 30 wins in a season. The current 11-game winning streak is the seventh-longest in team history. Missouri Western earned its spot in the regional title game with a 72-59 win over Nebraska-Kearney. Fort Hays State beat the Griffons twice in the regular season, including a 13-point win on the road (74-61, 1/15/22) and an overtime victory at home on Senior Night (78-69, 3/23/22). The winner of Monday's regional championship will then move on to Birmingham, Ala. for the NCAA DII Elite Eight beginning March 21.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 Tiger women advance to regional final after win over St. Cloud State

Class 6A Championship:&nbsp;Washburn Rural 40, Derby 23 Third Place:&nbsp;Blue Valley 48, Olathe North 46, 3OT

Class 5A Championship:&nbsp;St. Thomas Aquinas 52, Salina Central 38 Third Place:&nbsp; Andover Central 48, Lansing 46

Class 4A Championship:&nbsp;Bishop Miege 71, Eudora 45 Third Place: Wamego 68, Wellington 61

Class 3A Championship: Goodland 48, Hugoton 47 Third Place: Silver Lake 53, Nickerson 51

Class 2A Championship:&nbsp;Sterling 47, Garden Plain 38 Third Place: Smith Center 44, Berean Academy 37

Class 1A Division 1 Championship:&nbsp;Pretty Prairie 37, Centralia 35 Third Place: Burlingame 55, Hodgeman County 45

Class 1A Division 2 Championship:&nbsp; Central Plains 50, Golden Plains 38 Third Place:&nbsp;Hanover 47, Hutchinson Central Christian 27

Class 6A Championship: Wichita Heights 61, BV Northwest 54 Third Place: Lawrence Free State 58, Olathe West 51

Class 5A Championship: Topeka Seaman 66, DeSoto 47 Third Place: St. James Academy 81, Maize 62

Class 4A Championship: Bishop Miege 64, Andale 57 Third Place: McPherson 37, Topeka Hayden 33

Class 3A Championship: Hesston 51, Royal Valley 41 Third Place: Southeast Saline 57, TMP-Marian 44

Class 2A Championship: Hillsboro 60, St. Mary’s 32 Third Place: Lyndon 66, Valley Falls 50

Class 1A Division 1 Championship: Olpe 66, South Gray 42 Third Place: Macksville 66, Solomon 54

Class 1A Division 2 Championship: Greeley County 56, Hanover 55 Third Place: Northern Valley 84, Bucklin 79, OT

GIRLS PREP BASKETBALLClass 6A Championship:&nbsp;Washburn Rural 40, Derby 23 Third Place:&nbsp;Blue Valley 48, Olathe North 46, 3OTClass 5A Championship:&nbsp;St. Thomas Aquinas 52, Salina Central 38 Third Place:&nbsp; Andover Central 48, Lansing 46Class 4A Championship:&nbsp;Bishop Miege 71, Eudora 45 Third Place: Wamego 68, Wellington 61Class 3A Championship: Goodland 48, Hugoton 47 Third Place: Silver Lake 53, Nickerson 51Class 2A Championship:&nbsp;Sterling 47, Garden Plain 38 Third Place: Smith Center 44, Berean Academy 37Class 1A Division 1 Championship:&nbsp;Pretty Prairie 37, Centralia 35 Third Place: Burlingame 55, Hodgeman County 45Class 1A Division 2 Championship:&nbsp; Central Plains 50, Golden Plains 38 Third Place:&nbsp;Hanover 47, Hutchinson Central Christian 27BOYS PREP BASKETBALLClass 6A Championship: Wichita Heights 61, BV Northwest 54 Third Place: Lawrence Free State 58, Olathe West 51Class 5A Championship: Topeka Seaman 66, DeSoto 47 Third Place: St. James Academy 81, Maize 62Class 4A Championship: Bishop Miege 64, Andale 57 Third Place: McPherson 37, Topeka Hayden 33Class 3A Championship: Hesston 51, Royal Valley 41 Third Place: Southeast Saline 57, TMP-Marian 44Class 2A Championship: Hillsboro 60, St. Mary’s 32 Third Place: Lyndon 66, Valley Falls 50Class 1A Division 1 Championship: Olpe 66, South Gray 42 Third Place: Macksville 66, Solomon 54Class 1A Division 2 Championship: Greeley County 56, Hanover 55 Third Place: Northern Valley 84, Bucklin 79, OT

🏀 Saturday's state high school tournament results

PITTSBURG, Kan. -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6513">Ryan Stanley's</a>&nbsp;second national title was one of four All-American trophies earned by the Fort Hays State track and field team Saturday (March 12) on day two of the NCAA DII Indoor Championships. The men finished 15th in the team race with 15 points, while the women were 35th with four points. Stanley cleared heights rarely before seen at the Division II level. After clinching the championship with a clearance of the 17-6.5 bar, four inches above his prior indoor best, the Bennington, Kan. junior then surpassed the 17-9.25 bar on his first attempt. That height is fifth-best all-time in Division II and is the third-best mark in DII Championship history. He missed on only one jump all afternoon, clearing four of five bars on his first attempt. He was joined on the All-American podium by teammate&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6485">Jacob Clark</a>, who also had a career day. The freshman did not miss an attempt on any of the four bars he cleared, finishing off the afternoon by soaring over the 16-10.75 bar. That height is six inches past his previous indoor best and is tied for second on the DII era performance chart at Fort Hays State. A pair of multi-athletes also reached the All-American stage, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6549">Mattie Rossi</a>&nbsp;placing fifth in the pentathlon and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6484">Nolan Churchman</a>&nbsp;wrapping up the heptathlon in seventh place. Rossi broke her own record in the pentathlon by 96 points, finishing with a five-event total of 3,766 points. After racking up a high of 976 points in the 60m hurdles (8.69), the junior finished the event with back-to-back personal-bests. She added nearly one foot to her PR in the long jump, clearing 18-10.75, before running the 800m in 2:20.38 for 818 points. Churchman moved up one spot in the heptathlon, finishing in seventh place with a total of 5,269 points. He finished the day with a personal-best time of 2:44.04 in the 1,000m run, good for 829 points. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6510">Xavier Robinson</a>&nbsp;finished 13th in the triple jump with a top clearance of 48-4.5.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6551">Taylor Savolt</a>&nbsp;was 17th in the same event after a top mark of 37-9.25.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6499">Ethan Lang</a>&nbsp;qualified for the 800m finals, but was disqualified. Fort Hays State finished the week with 10 All-Americans, four first team and six second team. The men's and women's teams each had five All-Americans. The Tigers are scheduled to open the outdoor season March 25-26 at the ESU Relays. Full FHSU Results - Day Two Women Triple Jump 17th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6551">Taylor Savolt</a>&nbsp;- 37-9.25 Pentathlon 5th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6549">Mattie Rossi</a>&nbsp;- 3,766 points - 4 team points ! @ 60mH - 8.69 - 976 HJ - 5-2.25 - 712 SP - 30-5.75 - 483 LJ - 18-10.75 - 777 800m - 2:20.38 - 818 Men 800m finals DQ -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6499">Ethan Lang</a> Pole Vault 1st -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6513">Ryan Stanley</a>&nbsp;- 17-9.25 - 10 team points ! @ 6th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6485">Jacob Clark</a>&nbsp;- 16-10.75 - 3 team points @ Triple Jump 13th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6510">Xavier Robinson</a>&nbsp;- 48-4.5 Heptathlon 7th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6484">Nolan Churchman</a>&nbsp;- 5,269 points - 2 team points @ 60m - 6.96 - 897 LJ - 22-11.75 - 814 SP - 37-3.25 - 568 HJ - 6-3.25 - 723 60mH - 8.85 - 779 PV - 13-7.25 - 659 1,000m - 2:44.04 - 829 Day 1 Results Women 60m prelims 10th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6538">Lyric Holman</a>&nbsp;- 7.51 &amp; 60mH prelims 12th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6549">Mattie Rossi</a>&nbsp;- 8.62 &amp; 200m prelims 11th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6538">Lyric Holman</a>&nbsp;- 24.53 &amp; High Jump 9th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6537">Alexandra Hart</a>&nbsp;- 5-7 &amp; Men 60m prelims 9th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6498">Philip Landrum</a>&nbsp;- 6.80 &amp; 200m prelims 11th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6498">Philip Landrum</a>&nbsp;- 21.56 &amp; 800m prelims 9th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6499">Ethan Lang</a>&nbsp;- 1:51.62 Q ! indicates school record @ indicates first team All-America performance &amp; indicates second team All-America performance Q indicates qualified for Saturday's finals&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647149248062.jpeg" alt="Courtesy FHSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy FHSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx">FHSU Athletics</a>PITTSBURG, Kan. -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6513">Ryan Stanley's</a>&nbsp;second national title was one of four All-American trophies earned by the Fort Hays State track and field team Saturday (March 12) on day two of the NCAA DII Indoor Championships. The men finished 15th in the team race with 15 points, while the women were 35th with four points. Stanley cleared heights rarely before seen at the Division II level. After clinching the championship with a clearance of the 17-6.5 bar, four inches above his prior indoor best, the Bennington, Kan. junior then surpassed the 17-9.25 bar on his first attempt. That height is fifth-best all-time in Division II and is the third-best mark in DII Championship history. He missed on only one jump all afternoon, clearing four of five bars on his first attempt. He was joined on the All-American podium by teammate&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6485">Jacob Clark</a>, who also had a career day. The freshman did not miss an attempt on any of the four bars he cleared, finishing off the afternoon by soaring over the 16-10.75 bar. That height is six inches past his previous indoor best and is tied for second on the DII era performance chart at Fort Hays State. A pair of multi-athletes also reached the All-American stage, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6549">Mattie Rossi</a>&nbsp;placing fifth in the pentathlon and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6484">Nolan Churchman</a>&nbsp;wrapping up the heptathlon in seventh place. Rossi broke her own record in the pentathlon by 96 points, finishing with a five-event total of 3,766 points. After racking up a high of 976 points in the 60m hurdles (8.69), the junior finished the event with back-to-back personal-bests. She added nearly one foot to her PR in the long jump, clearing 18-10.75, before running the 800m in 2:20.38 for 818 points. Churchman moved up one spot in the heptathlon, finishing in seventh place with a total of 5,269 points. He finished the day with a personal-best time of 2:44.04 in the 1,000m run, good for 829 points. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6510">Xavier Robinson</a>&nbsp;finished 13th in the triple jump with a top clearance of 48-4.5.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6551">Taylor Savolt</a>&nbsp;was 17th in the same event after a top mark of 37-9.25.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6499">Ethan Lang</a>&nbsp;qualified for the 800m finals, but was disqualified. Fort Hays State finished the week with 10 All-Americans, four first team and six second team. The men's and women's teams each had five All-Americans. The Tigers are scheduled to open the outdoor season March 25-26 at the ESU Relays. Full FHSU Results - Day Two Women Triple Jump 17th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6551">Taylor Savolt</a>&nbsp;- 37-9.25 Pentathlon 5th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6549">Mattie Rossi</a>&nbsp;- 3,766 points - 4 team points ! @ 60mH - 8.69 - 976 HJ - 5-2.25 - 712 SP - 30-5.75 - 483 LJ - 18-10.75 - 777 800m - 2:20.38 - 818 Men 800m finals DQ -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6499">Ethan Lang</a> Pole Vault 1st -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6513">Ryan Stanley</a>&nbsp;- 17-9.25 - 10 team points ! @ 6th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6485">Jacob Clark</a>&nbsp;- 16-10.75 - 3 team points @ Triple Jump 13th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6510">Xavier Robinson</a>&nbsp;- 48-4.5 Heptathlon 7th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6484">Nolan Churchman</a>&nbsp;- 5,269 points - 2 team points @ 60m - 6.96 - 897 LJ - 22-11.75 - 814 SP - 37-3.25 - 568 HJ - 6-3.25 - 723 60mH - 8.85 - 779 PV - 13-7.25 - 659 1,000m - 2:44.04 - 829 Day 1 Results Women 60m prelims 10th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6538">Lyric Holman</a>&nbsp;- 7.51 &amp; 60mH prelims 12th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6549">Mattie Rossi</a>&nbsp;- 8.62 &amp; 200m prelims 11th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6538">Lyric Holman</a>&nbsp;- 24.53 &amp; High Jump 9th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6537">Alexandra Hart</a>&nbsp;- 5-7 &amp; Men 60m prelims 9th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6498">Philip Landrum</a>&nbsp;- 6.80 &amp; 200m prelims 11th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6498">Philip Landrum</a>&nbsp;- 21.56 &amp; 800m prelims 9th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6499">Ethan Lang</a>&nbsp;- 1:51.62 Q ! indicates school record @ indicates first team All-America performance &amp; indicates second team All-America performance Q indicates qualified for Saturday's finals&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏃‍♂️ FHSU's Stanley wins second national title, Tigers earn four All-American trophies

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji was a lightly regarded three-star prospect when he left his home in Kansas City, Missouri, four long years ago to play big-time college basketball just down the road at Kansas.

Agbaji returned home this weekend as the Big 12's player of the year, then showed out in front of hundreds of friends and family during the Big 12 Tournament, leading the sixth-ranked Jayhawks to a 74-65 win over Texas Tech on Saturday night to capture not only the title for his team but MVP honors for himself.

“I'm just blessed to be in this position, but I give it back to my teammates," said Agbaji, the fifth player in history to win the regular-season player of the year award and the tournament’s top honor. "I couldn't have done it without them.”

Agbaji scored 16 points, including a couple clinching foul shots with just over a minute left, to lift the Jayhawks (27-6) past the plucky Red Raiders (25-9) and likely secure a No. 1 seed in next week's NCAA Tournament.

David McCormack added 18 points and 11 rebounds, Christian Braun had 14 points and Jalen Wilson and Remy Martin scored 12 apiece for the the Jayhawks (27-6), who showcased poise and resilience borne of a veteran group of players in the final minutes as the Red Raiders fumbled away their own chance at the title.

Texas Tech trailed 63-58 with about four minutes to go when Terrence Shannon Jr. was called for charging. Kevin Obanor turned it over on the Red Raiders' next possession, then stepped over the end line while trying to inbound the ball for another turnover, each of them allowing the Jayhawks to draw away down the stretch.

The heavily pro-Kansas crowd began its haunting “Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk” chant with 28.6 seconds left on the clock, and coach Bill Self's squad coasted to its 12th conference tournament title since the league's inception in 1996-97.

“I thought it was a great game,” Self said. “The first half we couldn’t stop them, they couldn’t stop us. The second half I don't think was artistic on either end, but we made a couple of really good toughness plays when we needed them.”

Shannon finished with 14 points, and Bryson Williams had 17 for the Red Raiders (25-9), who still have never won the Big 12 Tournament. They also lost to Oklahoma State in their only other championship appearance in 2005.

“They're a team that's extremely difficult to prepare for,” Texas Tech coach Mark Adams said, “and I wish we had two or three days to do that. They play at a great pace and they have a lot of players that do things extremely well.”

The teams, who finished a game apart in the Big 12, waged a pair of nip-and-tuck classics during the regular season with each winning at home. Their game at Allen Fieldhouse may have been the league's best all year, a back-and-forth showdown that went to double overtime before the Jayhawks escaped with the win.

Just how evenly matched were they Saturday night?

Neither team scored more than five straight points in the first half. Neither led by more than four. Neither scored more than two straight baskets without the other team providing some kind of answer at the other end.

Even when it looked as if Kansas was building some momentum, and Martin knocked down a long jumper to make it 37-33 in the final minute, Williams provided an answering 3-pointer to keep the Red Raiders within a point at the half.

It remained close throughout the second half.

When Kansas edged ahead by five, Shannon and the Red Raiders responded with seven straight points. When Texas Tech took a 54-51 lead with 11:20 to go, Wilson and Agbaji — the tournament's MVP — provided back-to-back buckets that began a 12-2 charge and gave the Jayhawks a 63-56 lead with less than five minutes to play.

Kansas maintained control the rest of the way as the Red Raiders began to crack under the pressure.

“These guys I’m coaching all have tears in their eyes," said Adams, the Big 12's coach of the year. “This hurts, but we’ll learn from this and hopefully it helps us get ready for the NCAA Tournament.”

Texas Tech was still within 64-60 with 3:06 to play, but Kansas scored the next six points as the Red Raiders continued to wilt under the pressure. It was a stunning departure from the norm for a team that starts a junior (Shannon) alongside five seniors and that has played in plenty of tight games this season.

Kansas overcame a poor performance from beyond the arc (3 for 22) by doing the little things: The Jayhawks took care of the ball, made the extra pass and got to the foul line. They were 25 of 32 on their free throws, including big ones from Agbaji — the league's player of the year — when the outcome was on the line.

It's time for Selection Sunday. The Jayhawks have an eye on one of the four No. 1 seeds while the Red Raiders could land as high as the No. 2 line after their spirited run to the Big 12 Tournament title game.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji was a lightly regarded three-star prospect when he left his home in Kansas City, Missouri, four long years ago to play big-time college basketball just down the road at Kansas.Agbaji returned home this weekend as the Big 12's player of the year, then showed out in front of hundreds of friends and family during the Big 12 Tournament, leading the sixth-ranked Jayhawks to a 74-65 win over Texas Tech on Saturday night to capture not only the title for his team but MVP honors for himself.“I'm just blessed to be in this position, but I give it back to my teammates," said Agbaji, the fifth player in history to win the regular-season player of the year award and the tournament’s top honor. "I couldn't have done it without them.”They couldn't have done it without him.Agbaji scored 16 points, including a couple clinching foul shots with just over a minute left, to lift the Jayhawks (27-6) past the plucky Red Raiders (25-9) and likely secure a No. 1 seed in next week's NCAA Tournament.David McCormack added 18 points and 11 rebounds, Christian Braun had 14 points and Jalen Wilson and Remy Martin scored 12 apiece for the the Jayhawks (27-6), who showcased poise and resilience borne of a veteran group of players in the final minutes as the Red Raiders fumbled away their own chance at the title.Texas Tech trailed 63-58 with about four minutes to go when Terrence Shannon Jr. was called for charging. Kevin Obanor turned it over on the Red Raiders' next possession, then stepped over the end line while trying to inbound the ball for another turnover, each of them allowing the Jayhawks to draw away down the stretch.The heavily pro-Kansas crowd began its haunting “Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk” chant with 28.6 seconds left on the clock, and coach Bill Self's squad coasted to its 12th conference tournament title since the league's inception in 1996-97.“I thought it was a great game,” Self said. “The first half we couldn’t stop them, they couldn’t stop us. The second half I don't think was artistic on either end, but we made a couple of really good toughness plays when we needed them.”Shannon finished with 14 points, and Bryson Williams had 17 for the Red Raiders (25-9), who still have never won the Big 12 Tournament. They also lost to Oklahoma State in their only other championship appearance in 2005.“They're a team that's extremely difficult to prepare for,” Texas Tech coach Mark Adams said, “and I wish we had two or three days to do that. They play at a great pace and they have a lot of players that do things extremely well.”The teams, who finished a game apart in the Big 12, waged a pair of nip-and-tuck classics during the regular season with each winning at home. Their game at Allen Fieldhouse may have been the league's best all year, a back-and-forth showdown that went to double overtime before the Jayhawks escaped with the win.Just how evenly matched were they Saturday night?Neither team scored more than five straight points in the first half. Neither led by more than four. Neither scored more than two straight baskets without the other team providing some kind of answer at the other end.Even when it looked as if Kansas was building some momentum, and Martin knocked down a long jumper to make it 37-33 in the final minute, Williams provided an answering 3-pointer to keep the Red Raiders within a point at the half.It remained close throughout the second half.When Kansas edged ahead by five, Shannon and the Red Raiders responded with seven straight points. When Texas Tech took a 54-51 lead with 11:20 to go, Wilson and Agbaji — the tournament's MVP — provided back-to-back buckets that began a 12-2 charge and gave the Jayhawks a 63-56 lead with less than five minutes to play.Kansas maintained control the rest of the way as the Red Raiders began to crack under the pressure.“These guys I’m coaching all have tears in their eyes," said Adams, the Big 12's coach of the year. “This hurts, but we’ll learn from this and hopefully it helps us get ready for the NCAA Tournament.”BIG PICTURETexas Tech was still within 64-60 with 3:06 to play, but Kansas scored the next six points as the Red Raiders continued to wilt under the pressure. It was a stunning departure from the norm for a team that starts a junior (Shannon) alongside five seniors and that has played in plenty of tight games this season.Kansas overcame a poor performance from beyond the arc (3 for 22) by doing the little things: The Jayhawks took care of the ball, made the extra pass and got to the foul line. They were 25 of 32 on their free throws, including big ones from Agbaji — the league's player of the year — when the outcome was on the line.UP NEXTIt's time for Selection Sunday. The Jayhawks have an eye on one of the four No. 1 seeds while the Red Raiders could land as high as the No. 2 line after their spirited run to the Big 12 Tournament title game.

🏀 No. 6 KU beats No. 14 Texas Tech to win Big 12 tourney

HUTCHINSON – For the second time in four years the
TMP-Marian boys basketball team earned a fourth-place finish at the 3A state
basketball tournament after a 57-44 loss Saturday to Southeast of Saline.

The two teams traded the lead early in the first quarter with
TMP leading 6-4 and 8-7. But with TMP up 6-4 Southeast of Saline put together a
9-2 run to end the first quarter and led 13-8 heading into the second period.

Back-to-back field goals for TMP’s Jace Wentling and Dylan
Werth cut the Trojans lead to one at 13-12 right out of the gate in the second
quarter but Southeast of Saline was able to maintain the lead.

Down 20-14 TMP got a Kade Harris layup and Werth and
Wentling scored back-to-back again tying the game at 20 only to see the Trojans
hit two straight 3-point field goals and built a 26-20 lead. They lead 26-22 at
halftime.

Southeast of Saline opened the third quarter on a 16-4 run
to take a 42-26 lead. The Trojans led 44-30 through three quarters.

The Trojans built an 18-point lead to open the fourth quarter
on their way to a 57-44 victory.

Jace Wentling finished with a team-high 17 points and eight
rebounds. Gavin Unrein added 10 points.

HUTCHINSON – For the second time in four years the
TMP-Marian boys basketball team earned a fourth-place finish at the 3A state
basketball tournament after a 57-44 loss Saturday to Southeast of Saline.<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/1231214674&color=%23294b71&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-814667509/03-12-22-tmp-mbb-coach-interview" title="03 - 12 - 22 TMP coach Bill Meagher" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">03 - 12 - 22 TMP coach Bill Meagher</a></div></div>The two teams traded the lead early in the first quarter with
TMP leading 6-4 and 8-7. But with TMP up 6-4 Southeast of Saline put together a
9-2 run to end the first quarter and led 13-8 heading into the second period.Back-to-back field goals for TMP’s Jace Wentling and Dylan
Werth cut the Trojans lead to one at 13-12 right out of the gate in the second
quarter but Southeast of Saline was able to maintain the lead.Down 20-14 TMP got a Kade Harris layup and Werth and
Wentling scored back-to-back again tying the game at 20 only to see the Trojans
hit two straight 3-point field goals and built a 26-20 lead. They lead 26-22 at
halftime.Southeast of Saline opened the third quarter on a 16-4 run
to take a 42-26 lead. The Trojans led 44-30 through three quarters.The Trojans built an 18-point lead to open the fourth quarter
on their way to a 57-44 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/1231214695&color=%23294b71&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-814667509/03-12-22-tmp-mbb-vs-se-saline-highlights" title="03 - 12 - 22 TMP MBB Vs SE Saline Highlights" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">03 - 12 - 22 TMP MBB Vs SE Saline Highlights</a></div></div>Jace Wentling finished with a team-high 17 points and eight
rebounds. Gavin Unrein added 10 points.TMP finishes the season 20-6.

🏀 TMP boys finish 4th at state

No. 4/4 Fort Hays State (29-3, 19-3 MIAA) vs. No. 16/RV St. Cloud State (24-4) Saturday, March 12 • 7:30 p.m. Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum 2022 NCAA DII Women's Basketball Championship Central Region Semifinals Radio: KJLS (103,3-FM)

<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KJLS">LISTEN LIVE</a> After a thrilling victory in the quarterfinals Friday evening, the fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team has advanced to Saturday's Central Region semifinals of the 2022 NCAA DII Women's Basketball Championship (March 12). The Tigers will face off with fifth-seeded St. Cloud State, whom the Tigers beat earlier this season by seven points in Hays. First tip between the Tigers and Huskies is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday's quarterfinal round was full of upsets inside Gross Memorial Seed, with the lower seed winning three of the four matchups, more than any other region. No. 6 Nebraska-Kearney will take on no 7 Missouri Western in the first semifinal, set for a 5 p.m. first tip. The Tigers won their 10th game in a row Friday, reaching 10 straight wins for the 14th time in program history. It is the second-longest active winning streak in DII. Fort Hays State is now&nbsp;6-6 overall, 2-2 in the semifinals, 5-3 as the No. 1 seed, 1-0 against the No. 5 seed, 5-2 in home games, 5-4 while ranked and 4-1 against NSIC programs in the Central Region Championships. The Tigers are 20-2 overall against NSIC teams under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1043">Tony Hobson</a>. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6443">Katie Wagner</a>&nbsp;now averages 18 points per game in two career NCAA tournament appearances after erupting for a 23-point, 16-rebound double-double Friday evening.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6437">Jaden Hobbs</a>&nbsp;averages 15 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in her two tournament contests. St. Cloud State shared the regular season NSIC championship before reaching the Northern Sun championship game. Between losing to FHSU in the first game of the year and losing to Minnesota Duluth&nbsp;in the NSIC title game, the Huskies went on a stretch where they won 23 of 25 games. Tori Wortz was a first team All-NSIC selection and was the conference's Outstanding Senior of the Year. Nikki Kilboten was first team All-NSIC and was on the NSIC All-Tournament Team. Brehna Evans was second team All-NSIC, NSIC Defensive Player of the Year and was on the NSIC All-Tournament Team. Lori Fish was named NSIC Coach of the Year. Three Huskies average in double figures, including Tori Wortz leading the way with 14.6 points per game. SCSU turns the ball over 12.3 times per game. The Huskies ranked ninth in the country in that category entering the tournament.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647114212496.jpeg" alt="Courtesy FHSU Athletics (Nicole Heitmann)" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy FHSU Athletics (Nicole Heitmann)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx">FHSU Athletics</a>No. 4/4 Fort Hays State (29-3, 19-3 MIAA) vs. No. 16/RV St. Cloud State (24-4) Saturday, March 12 • 7:30 p.m. Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum 2022 NCAA DII Women's Basketball Championship Central Region Semifinals Radio: KJLS (103,3-FM)<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KJLS">LISTEN LIVE</a> After a thrilling victory in the quarterfinals Friday evening, the fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team has advanced to Saturday's Central Region semifinals of the 2022 NCAA DII Women's Basketball Championship (March 12). The Tigers will face off with fifth-seeded St. Cloud State, whom the Tigers beat earlier this season by seven points in Hays. First tip between the Tigers and Huskies is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday's quarterfinal round was full of upsets inside Gross Memorial Seed, with the lower seed winning three of the four matchups, more than any other region. No. 6 Nebraska-Kearney will take on no 7 Missouri Western in the first semifinal, set for a 5 p.m. first tip. The Tigers won their 10th game in a row Friday, reaching 10 straight wins for the 14th time in program history. It is the second-longest active winning streak in DII. Fort Hays State is now&nbsp;6-6 overall, 2-2 in the semifinals, 5-3 as the No. 1 seed, 1-0 against the No. 5 seed, 5-2 in home games, 5-4 while ranked and 4-1 against NSIC programs in the Central Region Championships. The Tigers are 20-2 overall against NSIC teams under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1043">Tony Hobson</a>. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6443">Katie Wagner</a>&nbsp;now averages 18 points per game in two career NCAA tournament appearances after erupting for a 23-point, 16-rebound double-double Friday evening.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6437">Jaden Hobbs</a>&nbsp;averages 15 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in her two tournament contests. St. Cloud State shared the regular season NSIC championship before reaching the Northern Sun championship game. Between losing to FHSU in the first game of the year and losing to Minnesota Duluth&nbsp;in the NSIC title game, the Huskies went on a stretch where they won 23 of 25 games. Tori Wortz was a first team All-NSIC selection and was the conference's Outstanding Senior of the Year. Nikki Kilboten was first team All-NSIC and was on the NSIC All-Tournament Team. Brehna Evans was second team All-NSIC, NSIC Defensive Player of the Year and was on the NSIC All-Tournament Team. Lori Fish was named NSIC Coach of the Year. Three Huskies average in double figures, including Tori Wortz leading the way with 14.6 points per game. SCSU turns the ball over 12.3 times per game. The Huskies ranked ninth in the country in that category entering the tournament.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀🔈 LISTEN - #5 TIger women face #16 Huskies in NCAA second round

HAYS, Kan. - Fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball scored the final six points to come from behind and defeat Minnesota State in the quarterfinal round of the 2022 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Central Regional Friday inside Gross Memorial Coliseum, 66-61. The Tigers (29-3) will now play in the DII regional semifinals for the fifth time in program history Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against St. Cloud State who defeated Missouri Southern 69-67 in overtime.

The top-seeded Tigers led for more than 33 minutes in the contest, but found itself down by one to the No. 8 seed with less than a minute to play. The Mavericks (21-7) used an 18-6 run over the first six minutes of the fourth quarter to storm in front after trailing by as many as 14. The visitors shot just 31.5 percent from the floor for the game, but hit 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) during that run to take a 61-60 lead with 3:52 to play. The Tigers ratcheted things up on defense down the stretch, however, forcing seven consecutive missed shots and two turnovers to give themselves a chance to retake the lead. After two turnovers of their own, the Tigers regained the lead with 53 seconds to go when&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6435">Cydney Bergmann</a>&nbsp;laid in a basket following an offensive rebound.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6443">Katie Wagner</a>&nbsp;pushed the lead to three with 15 seconds to go with a breakaway layup, beating the persistent Maverick press and erupting the 2,725 Tiger fans in attendance.

The Mavericks had a layup rattle out with five seconds left before Wagner hit two free throws to seal the win. Fort Hays State trailed by as many as four early on before leading by three at the end of the first quarter, 15-12. The Tigers started to pull away in the second quarter, outscoring the Mavericks 21-11 to lead 36-23 at the break. The aggressive MSU defense forced 28 Tiger turnovers thanks to 16 steals, the most during the Hobson era. Fort Hays State forced 20 turnovers defensively, including 12 steals of its own. Fort Hays State hit 39.7 percent from the floor (25-of-63) and dominated on the boards, outrebounding the Mavericks 58-35. The Tigers scored 11 second-chance points off 17 offensive rebounds. Wagner led the Tigers with 23 points, three off her career high, while matching her personal-best with 16 rebounds for her 10th career double-double.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6437">Jaden Hobbs</a>&nbsp;scored 11 points and grabbed a career-best nine rebounds while also leading the team with four assists. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6444">Kate Dilsaver</a>&nbsp;added four assists off the bench.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6439">Whitney Randall</a>&nbsp;contributed eight points and nine rebounds while matching&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6441">Jessie Sallach</a>&nbsp;with a team-high two blocks. Two other MIAA programs won the first pair of quarterfinals, with No. 6 Nebraska-Kearney holding off No. 3 Minnesota Duluth, 77-70, and No. 7 Missouri Western racing past No. 2 Southwestern Oklahoma State, 111-77. Those conference rivals will play in the first regional semifinal on Saturday beginning at 5 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647057759459.jpeg" alt="Katie Wagner scored 23 points and tied a career high with 16 rebounds in FHSU's NCAA II Tournament win over Minnesota State Friday at Gross Memorial Coliseum (Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Nicole Heitmann)" />
 <figcaption>Katie Wagner scored 23 points and tied a career high with 16 rebounds in FHSU's NCAA II Tournament win over Minnesota State Friday at Gross Memorial Coliseum (Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Nicole Heitmann)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx">FHSU Athletics</a>HAYS, Kan. - Fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball scored the final six points to come from behind and defeat Minnesota State in the quarterfinal round of the 2022 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Central Regional Friday inside Gross Memorial Coliseum, 66-61. The Tigers (29-3) will now play in the DII regional semifinals for the fifth time in program history Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against St. Cloud State who defeated Missouri Southern 69-67 in overtime.<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/1230801319&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-814667509/03-11-22-fhsu-women-press-conference" title="#5 Fort Hays State WBB Postgame Press Conference vs. Minnesota State (Mar 11, 2022)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">#5 Fort Hays State WBB Postgame Press Conference vs. Minnesota State (Mar 11, 2022)</a></div></div>The top-seeded Tigers led for more than 33 minutes in the contest, but found itself down by one to the No. 8 seed with less than a minute to play. The Mavericks (21-7) used an 18-6 run over the first six minutes of the fourth quarter to storm in front after trailing by as many as 14. The visitors shot just 31.5 percent from the floor for the game, but hit 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) during that run to take a 61-60 lead with 3:52 to play. The Tigers ratcheted things up on defense down the stretch, however, forcing seven consecutive missed shots and two turnovers to give themselves a chance to retake the lead. After two turnovers of their own, the Tigers regained the lead with 53 seconds to go when&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6435">Cydney Bergmann</a>&nbsp;laid in a basket following an offensive rebound.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6443">Katie Wagner</a>&nbsp;pushed the lead to three with 15 seconds to go with a breakaway layup, beating the persistent Maverick press and erupting the 2,725 Tiger fans in attendance.<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/1230801397&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-814667509/03-11-22-fhsu-women-highlights" title="#5 Fort Hays State WBB vs. Minnesota State Highlights (Mar 11, 2022)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">#5 Fort Hays State WBB vs. Minnesota State Highlights (Mar 11, 2022)</a></div></div>The Mavericks had a layup rattle out with five seconds left before Wagner hit two free throws to seal the win. Fort Hays State trailed by as many as four early on before leading by three at the end of the first quarter, 15-12. The Tigers started to pull away in the second quarter, outscoring the Mavericks 21-11 to lead 36-23 at the break. The aggressive MSU defense forced 28 Tiger turnovers thanks to 16 steals, the most during the Hobson era. Fort Hays State forced 20 turnovers defensively, including 12 steals of its own. Fort Hays State hit 39.7 percent from the floor (25-of-63) and dominated on the boards, outrebounding the Mavericks 58-35. The Tigers scored 11 second-chance points off 17 offensive rebounds. Wagner led the Tigers with 23 points, three off her career high, while matching her personal-best with 16 rebounds for her 10th career double-double.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6437">Jaden Hobbs</a>&nbsp;scored 11 points and grabbed a career-best nine rebounds while also leading the team with four assists. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6444">Kate Dilsaver</a>&nbsp;added four assists off the bench.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6439">Whitney Randall</a>&nbsp;contributed eight points and nine rebounds while matching&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6441">Jessie Sallach</a>&nbsp;with a team-high two blocks. Two other MIAA programs won the first pair of quarterfinals, with No. 6 Nebraska-Kearney holding off No. 3 Minnesota Duluth, 77-70, and No. 7 Missouri Western racing past No. 2 Southwestern Oklahoma State, 111-77. Those conference rivals will play in the first regional semifinal on Saturday beginning at 5 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 Top-seeded Tigers outlast Minnesota State in NCAA opener

Class 6A BV Northwest 51, Lawrence Free State 42 Wichita Heights 61, Olathe West 46

Class 5A DeSoto 58, St. James Academy 56 Topeka Seaman 66, Maize 54

Class 4A Andale 49, McPherson 42 Bishop Miege 62, Topeka Hayden 50

Class 3A Hesston 45, TMP-Marian 36 Royal Valley 60, Southeast Saline 52

Class 2A Hillsboro 37, Lyndon 28, 2OT St. Mary's 80, Valley Falls 69

Class 1A Division 1 Olpe 68, Macksville 38 South Gray 79, Solomon 46

Class 1A Division 2 Greeley County 59, Northern Valley 54 Hanover 61, Bucklin 54

Class 6A Derby 51, Blue Valley 49, 2OT Washburn Rural 44, Olathe North 43

Class 5A Salina Central 68, Lansing 37 St. Thomas Aquinas 58, Andover Central 42

Class 4A Bishop Miege 82, Wellington 42 Eudora 49, Wamego 41

Class 3A Goodland 59, Silver Lake 53 Hugoton 59, Nickerson 52

Class 2A Garden Plain 40, Smith Center 38 Sterling 42, Berean Academy 35

Class 1A Division 1 Centralia 53, Burlingame 45 Pretty Prairie 37, Hodgeman County 32

Class 1A Division 2 Central Plains 49, Hanover 44 Golden Plains 33, Hutchinson Central Christian 23

BOYS PREP BASKETBALLClass 6A BV Northwest 51, Lawrence Free State 42 Wichita Heights 61, Olathe West 46Class 5A DeSoto 58, St. James Academy 56 Topeka Seaman 66, Maize 54Class 4A Andale 49, McPherson 42 Bishop Miege 62, Topeka Hayden 50Class 3A Hesston 45, TMP-Marian 36 Royal Valley 60, Southeast Saline 52Class 2A Hillsboro 37, Lyndon 28, 2OT St. Mary's 80, Valley Falls 69Class 1A Division 1 Olpe 68, Macksville 38 South Gray 79, Solomon 46Class 1A Division 2 Greeley County 59, Northern Valley 54 Hanover 61, Bucklin 54GIRLS PREP BASKETBALLClass 6A Derby 51, Blue Valley 49, 2OT Washburn Rural 44, Olathe North 43Class 5A Salina Central 68, Lansing 37 St. Thomas Aquinas 58, Andover Central 42Class 4A Bishop Miege 82, Wellington 42 Eudora 49, Wamego 41Class 3A Goodland 59, Silver Lake 53 Hugoton 59, Nickerson 52Class 2A Garden Plain 40, Smith Center 38 Sterling 42, Berean Academy 35Class 1A Division 1 Centralia 53, Burlingame 45 Pretty Prairie 37, Hodgeman County 32Class 1A Division 2 Central Plains 49, Hanover 44 Golden Plains 33, Hutchinson Central Christian 23

🏀 Friday's KSHSAA state semifinals scores

HUTCHINSON -&nbsp;The TMP-Marian Monarchs couldn’t overcome a rough second
half on offense as they fall 45-36 against Hesston in the 3A state semifinals.

&nbsp;The Swathers opened
the game on a 13-2 to build their largest first half lead at 11.

After trailing by 10 at 15-5 Bryce Seib and Kenton Ginther combined
to scored seven points in the closing minutes of the first quarter cutting the
Hesston lead to 20-12 after the first quarter.

Jace Wentling scored back-to-back field goals to start the
second half as the Monarchs outscored Hesston 9-0 and took a 21-20 lead at
halftime on Kenton Ginther’s second 3-point field goal of the first half.

They extended the lead to 23-20 on a Seib field goal to open
the second half but that was the only field goal the Monarchs could muster in
the third quarter while Hesston finished the quarter on an 11-0 run.

Hesston scored the first four points of the quarter to extend
the run to 15-0 with a 35-23 lead.

In the fourth quarter, TMP was able to close within six on a
Gavin Unrein 3-pointer at 41-35 but the Swathers finished the game at the free
throw line in a 45-36 victory. It’s their second straight win over TMP in the
3A state semifinals.

The Monarchs will take on Southeast of Saline in the third
place game Saturday at 12 p.m.

HUTCHINSON -&nbsp;The TMP-Marian Monarchs couldn’t overcome a rough second
half on offense as they fall 45-36 against Hesston in the 3A state semifinals.<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/1230820387&color=%23294b71&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-814667509/03-11-22-tmp-mbb-coach-interview" title="03-11-22 TMP coach Bill Meagher" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">03-11-22 TMP coach Bill Meagher</a></div></div>&nbsp;The Swathers opened
the game on a 13-2 to build their largest first half lead at 11.After trailing by 10 at 15-5 Bryce Seib and Kenton Ginther combined
to scored seven points in the closing minutes of the first quarter cutting the
Hesston lead to 20-12 after the first quarter.Jace Wentling scored back-to-back field goals to start the
second half as the Monarchs outscored Hesston 9-0 and took a 21-20 lead at
halftime on Kenton Ginther’s second 3-point field goal of the first half.They extended the lead to 23-20 on a Seib field goal to open
the second half but that was the only field goal the Monarchs could muster in
the third quarter while Hesston finished the quarter on an 11-0 run.Hesston scored the first four points of the quarter to extend
the run to 15-0 with a 35-23 lead.In the fourth quarter, TMP was able to close within six on a
Gavin Unrein 3-pointer at 41-35 but the Swathers finished the game at the free
throw line in a 45-36 victory. It’s their second straight win over TMP in the
3A state semifinals.<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/1230820411&color=%23294b71&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-814667509/03-11-22-tmp-mbb-vs-hesston-highlights" title="03-11-22 TMPMBB Vs Hesston Highlights" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">03-11-22 TMPMBB Vs Hesston Highlights</a></div></div>Kade Harris led TMP with 11 points.The Monarchs will take on Southeast of Saline in the third
place game Saturday at 12 p.m.

🏀TMP comes up short in state semifinals; will play for 3rd place

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji curled off a screen and was wide open for a rim-rattling ally-oop dunk, the inbound play perfectly executed if only Kansas teammate Dajuan Harris had lofted him the ball in the Big 12 quarterfinals.

Harris didn't make the same mistake against TCU in Friday night's semifinals.

This time, Agbaji soared through the air of T-Mobile Center and caught Harris' pass well above the rim, throwing it down with a one-handed slam. It punctuated a 22-point performance by the Big 12 player of the year, and a 75-62 victory over the Horned Frogs that sent the Jayhawks into Saturday night's championship game.

“It kind of happened so fast. It didn't really set in until I was at half court and everyone was going crazy,” Agbaji said. “I just watched reply of it and it was crazy. That was just a really good pass.”

One that should have been delivered the previous day, too.

“We've run it a few times,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said. “I got into him for not throwing it — he was even more open yesterday than he was today. But 'Juan threw a perfect pass and Och gave it a pretty good finish.”

It was a pretty good game all around for the Jayhawks (27-6), who will play Texas Tech or Oklahoma for their 16th league tournament title and 12th in the Big 12 era. Mitch Lightfoot added 15 points while getting extended minutes in place of injured big man David McCormack, and Remy Martin had 10 points in a confidence-building performance of his own.

“I felt great just being out there, doing anything I can to contribute to the win,” said Martin, the Arizona State transfer who has battled injuries all season. “I'm here to win a national championship. I'm here to win the tournament.”

Chuck O'Bannon had 15 points to lead TCU (20-12), whose own NCAA Tournament resume includes five wins over ranked teams this season. Mike Miles shook off a shooting slump to add 14 points for the Horned Frogs.

“I anticipated us playing better than we did but they really took it to us, a far more physical team than us tonight, far more aggressive,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. “I like how we battled and stayed with it, but it just wasn’t our night.”

The Horned Frogs and Jayhawks played two tough games just last week, thanks to a COVID-19 rescheduling. They split them, with each team winning at home, but the Jayhawks needed every bit of Allen Fieldhouse magic that they could muster to escape with a 72-68 win in Lawrence.

Self spent about 10 minutes afterward lamenting the myriad matchup problems TCU presents.

There weren't any problems — matchup or otherwise — in the Big 12 semifinals.

TCU scored the game's first four points, but Kansas soon pulled ahead 10-9 on Braun's 3-pointer. That was the start of an 11-0 run that forced Dixon to call timeout.

Kansas also had five- and six-point bursts to extend the lead later in the first half, and the Jayhawks cruised into the locker room with a 44-30 advantage.

The dominance came largely at the defensive end, where Kansas forced three shot-clock violations in the first half.

The Jayhawks forced another in the second half after TCU had narrowed the gap to 54-44 with about 16 minutes to play. The Jayhawks answered with eight straight points, the last two coming from Martin after a shot-clock violation, and that gave Self's squad all the room it needed to cruise through the final 10 minutes and into the title game.

“They're a great team, they have great players — Agbaji is great,” Miles aid. “You have to give credit to them. They just played better than us.”

TCU secured its fifth 20-win season under Dixon with a 65-60 win over No. 22 Texas in the quarterfinals, a win that almost certainly clinched the Horned Frogs' at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament. It would be their first since the 2017-18 season, when they ended a 20-year drought but were dumped in the first round.

Kansas only committed six turnovers for the entire game, while the Jayhawks turned 18 of them from TCU into a 23-4 edge in points off turnovers. That was more than the difference in the outcome of the game.

The Jayhawks make their 15th appearance in the Big 12 title game against the Sooners or Red Raiders.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji curled off a screen and was wide open for a rim-rattling ally-oop dunk, the inbound play perfectly executed if only Kansas teammate Dajuan Harris had lofted him the ball in the Big 12 quarterfinals.Harris didn't make the same mistake against TCU in Friday night's semifinals.This time, Agbaji soared through the air of T-Mobile Center and caught Harris' pass well above the rim, throwing it down with a one-handed slam. It punctuated a 22-point performance by the Big 12 player of the year, and a 75-62 victory over the Horned Frogs that sent the Jayhawks into Saturday night's championship game.“It kind of happened so fast. It didn't really set in until I was at half court and everyone was going crazy,” Agbaji said. “I just watched reply of it and it was crazy. That was just a really good pass.”One that should have been delivered the previous day, too.“We've run it a few times,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said. “I got into him for not throwing it — he was even more open yesterday than he was today. But 'Juan threw a perfect pass and Och gave it a pretty good finish.”It was a pretty good game all around for the Jayhawks (27-6), who will play Texas Tech or Oklahoma for their 16th league tournament title and 12th in the Big 12 era. Mitch Lightfoot added 15 points while getting extended minutes in place of injured big man David McCormack, and Remy Martin had 10 points in a confidence-building performance of his own.“I felt great just being out there, doing anything I can to contribute to the win,” said Martin, the Arizona State transfer who has battled injuries all season. “I'm here to win a national championship. I'm here to win the tournament.”Chuck O'Bannon had 15 points to lead TCU (20-12), whose own NCAA Tournament resume includes five wins over ranked teams this season. Mike Miles shook off a shooting slump to add 14 points for the Horned Frogs.“I anticipated us playing better than we did but they really took it to us, a far more physical team than us tonight, far more aggressive,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. “I like how we battled and stayed with it, but it just wasn’t our night.”The Horned Frogs and Jayhawks played two tough games just last week, thanks to a COVID-19 rescheduling. They split them, with each team winning at home, but the Jayhawks needed every bit of Allen Fieldhouse magic that they could muster to escape with a 72-68 win in Lawrence.Self spent about 10 minutes afterward lamenting the myriad matchup problems TCU presents.There weren't any problems — matchup or otherwise — in the Big 12 semifinals.TCU scored the game's first four points, but Kansas soon pulled ahead 10-9 on Braun's 3-pointer. That was the start of an 11-0 run that forced Dixon to call timeout.Kansas also had five- and six-point bursts to extend the lead later in the first half, and the Jayhawks cruised into the locker room with a 44-30 advantage.The dominance came largely at the defensive end, where Kansas forced three shot-clock violations in the first half.The Jayhawks forced another in the second half after TCU had narrowed the gap to 54-44 with about 16 minutes to play. The Jayhawks answered with eight straight points, the last two coming from Martin after a shot-clock violation, and that gave Self's squad all the room it needed to cruise through the final 10 minutes and into the title game.“They're a great team, they have great players — Agbaji is great,” Miles aid. “You have to give credit to them. They just played better than us.”BIG PICTURETCU secured its fifth 20-win season under Dixon with a 65-60 win over No. 22 Texas in the quarterfinals, a win that almost certainly clinched the Horned Frogs' at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament. It would be their first since the 2017-18 season, when they ended a 20-year drought but were dumped in the first round.Kansas only committed six turnovers for the entire game, while the Jayhawks turned 18 of them from TCU into a 23-4 edge in points off turnovers. That was more than the difference in the outcome of the game.UP NEXTThe Jayhawks make their 15th appearance in the Big 12 title game against the Sooners or Red Raiders.

🏀 Agbaji leads No. 6 KU past TCU in Big 12 semifinals

PITTSBURG, Kan. - The Fort Hays State track and field team racked up six second team All-America honors on day one of the 2022 NCAA DII Indoor Championships Friday (March 11). <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6499">Ethan Lang</a>&nbsp;moved on to the finals of the 800m run after finishing second in his heat with a time of 1:51.62, ninth overall in the field. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6484">Nolan Churchman</a>&nbsp;sits in eighth in the heptathlon through four events with 3,002 points. He racked up a high of 897 points in the 60m dash when he crossed the line in 6.96. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6538">Lyric Holman</a>&nbsp;picked up a pair of second team All-America honors after placing 10th in&nbsp;the 60m prelims and 11th in the&nbsp;200m prelims. The junior posted a time of 7.51 in the 60m race before completing the 200m lap in 24.53. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6498">Philip Landrum</a>&nbsp;also earned second team All-America in both sprints after finishing ninth in the 60m prelims with a time of 6.80 and 11th in the 200m race with a time of 21.56. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6549">Mattie Rossi</a>&nbsp;grabbed second team All-America honors with a 12th-place finish in the prelims of the 60m hurdles after crossing the line in 8.62.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6537">Alexandra Hart</a>&nbsp;rounded out the second team All-America recipients with a ninth-place finish in the high jump after clearing the 5-7 bar on her second attempt. Lang and Churchman will be joined by five other Tigers in competition on Saturday, with Rossi entered in the pentathlon,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6551">Taylor Savolt</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6510">Xavier Robinson</a>&nbsp;both competing in the triple jump and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6513">Ryan Stanley</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6485">Jacob Clark</a>&nbsp;both competing in the pole vault. Full FHSU Results Women 60m prelims 10th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6538">Lyric Holman</a>&nbsp;- 7.51 &amp; 60mH prelims 12th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6549">Mattie Rossi</a>&nbsp;- 8.62 &amp; 200m prelims 11th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6538">Lyric Holman</a>&nbsp;- 24.53 &amp; High Jump 9th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6537">Alexandra Hart</a>&nbsp;- 5-7 &amp; Men 60m prelims 9th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6498">Philip Landrum</a>&nbsp;- 6.80 &amp; 200m prelims 11th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6498">Philip Landrum</a>&nbsp;- 21.56 &amp; 800m prelims 9th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6499">Ethan Lang</a>&nbsp;- 1:51.62 Q Heptathlon - Day 1 8th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6484">Nolan Churchman</a>&nbsp;- 3,002 points 60m - 6.96 - 897 LJ - 22-11.75 - 814 SP - 37-3.25 - 568 HJ - 6-3.25 - 723 60mH - PV - 1,000m - &amp; indicates second team All-America performance Q indicates qualified for Saturday's finals FHSU Event Schedule - Day Two Saturday, March 12 10:00 a.m. - Pentathlon -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6549">Mattie Rossi</a> 12:00 p.m. - Heptathlon day 2 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6484">Nolan Churchman</a> 3:05 p.m. - Triple Jump -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6551">Taylor Savolt</a>&nbsp;(flight 1) 4:00 p.m. - Pole Vault -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6513">Ryan Stanley</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6485">Jacob Clark</a> 5:35 p.m. - Triple Jump -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6510">Xavier Robinson</a>&nbsp;(flight 1) 6:25 p.m. - 800m finals -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6499">Ethan Lang</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647058126681.jpeg" alt="FHSU's Nolan Churchman sits in eighth place&nbsp;through four events in the heptathlon at the NCAA II Championships in Pittsburg, (Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Haley Vajner)" />
 <figcaption>FHSU's Nolan Churchman sits in eighth place&nbsp;through four events in the heptathlon at the NCAA II Championships in Pittsburg, (Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Haley Vajner)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx">FHSU Athletics</a>PITTSBURG, Kan. - The Fort Hays State track and field team racked up six second team All-America honors on day one of the 2022 NCAA DII Indoor Championships Friday (March 11). <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6499">Ethan Lang</a>&nbsp;moved on to the finals of the 800m run after finishing second in his heat with a time of 1:51.62, ninth overall in the field. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6484">Nolan Churchman</a>&nbsp;sits in eighth in the heptathlon through four events with 3,002 points. He racked up a high of 897 points in the 60m dash when he crossed the line in 6.96. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6538">Lyric Holman</a>&nbsp;picked up a pair of second team All-America honors after placing 10th in&nbsp;the 60m prelims and 11th in the&nbsp;200m prelims. The junior posted a time of 7.51 in the 60m race before completing the 200m lap in 24.53. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6498">Philip Landrum</a>&nbsp;also earned second team All-America in both sprints after finishing ninth in the 60m prelims with a time of 6.80 and 11th in the 200m race with a time of 21.56. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6549">Mattie Rossi</a>&nbsp;grabbed second team All-America honors with a 12th-place finish in the prelims of the 60m hurdles after crossing the line in 8.62.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6537">Alexandra Hart</a>&nbsp;rounded out the second team All-America recipients with a ninth-place finish in the high jump after clearing the 5-7 bar on her second attempt. Lang and Churchman will be joined by five other Tigers in competition on Saturday, with Rossi entered in the pentathlon,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6551">Taylor Savolt</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6510">Xavier Robinson</a>&nbsp;both competing in the triple jump and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6513">Ryan Stanley</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6485">Jacob Clark</a>&nbsp;both competing in the pole vault. Full FHSU Results Women 60m prelims 10th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6538">Lyric Holman</a>&nbsp;- 7.51 &amp; 60mH prelims 12th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6549">Mattie Rossi</a>&nbsp;- 8.62 &amp; 200m prelims 11th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6538">Lyric Holman</a>&nbsp;- 24.53 &amp; High Jump 9th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6537">Alexandra Hart</a>&nbsp;- 5-7 &amp; Men 60m prelims 9th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6498">Philip Landrum</a>&nbsp;- 6.80 &amp; 200m prelims 11th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6498">Philip Landrum</a>&nbsp;- 21.56 &amp; 800m prelims 9th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6499">Ethan Lang</a>&nbsp;- 1:51.62 Q Heptathlon - Day 1 8th -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6484">Nolan Churchman</a>&nbsp;- 3,002 points 60m - 6.96 - 897 LJ - 22-11.75 - 814 SP - 37-3.25 - 568 HJ - 6-3.25 - 723 60mH - PV - 1,000m - &amp; indicates second team All-America performance Q indicates qualified for Saturday's finals FHSU Event Schedule - Day Two Saturday, March 12 10:00 a.m. - Pentathlon -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6549">Mattie Rossi</a> 12:00 p.m. - Heptathlon day 2 -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6484">Nolan Churchman</a> 3:05 p.m. - Triple Jump -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6551">Taylor Savolt</a>&nbsp;(flight 1) 4:00 p.m. - Pole Vault -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6513">Ryan Stanley</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6485">Jacob Clark</a> 5:35 p.m. - Triple Jump -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6510">Xavier Robinson</a>&nbsp;(flight 1) 6:25 p.m. - 800m finals -&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6499">Ethan Lang</a>

🏃 Six second team All-America honors for Tigers at day one of NCAA Championships

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5807">Marty Verhaeghe</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5790">A.J. Cooper</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5794">Tereus Henry</a>&nbsp;competed in Day One of the NCAA DII Championships in St. Louis, Mo. on Friday (March 11). Verhaeghe (184) and Cooper (285) advanced to Saturday's action and are guaranteed to finish with All-America honors, while Henry (197) saw his season come to an end. Verhaeghe advanced to the quarterfinals with a fall in 3:26 over Matt Weinberg of Kutztown. Weinberg picked up a takedown early and Verhaeghe escaped almost immediately making the score 2-1 at the end of the opening period. Verhaeghe chose bottom in the second period and recorded a quick escape. He followed with a takedown seconds later and turned him for the pin. The two-time qualifier then faced the champion from Super Region VI, Billy Higgins of Nebraska-Kearney. This was the third matchup between these two in just 28 days. With help from a pair of takedowns, Higgins remains unbeaten in the series with a 5-4 decision. Verhaeghe, on the consolation side, faced Noah Curreri for a chance to place. The match was tied entering the third period, but Verhaeghe escaped early in the period and was able to score a takedown shortly after. Curreri would score an escape late in the period, but Verhaeghe was able to hang on and guarantee his All-America finish. Verhaeghe will face Reece Worachek of UW-Parkside in the consolation quarterfinals. Cooper also advanced to the quarterfinals as he upset seventh-seeded Jacob Robb of Mercyhurst with a 5-4 decision. Robb took the lead early with a first-period takedown and Cooper picked up an escape in the second period making the score 2-1 in favor of Robb entering the third period. Robb scored an escape to start the period, but Cooper tied the match with a takedown. Robb was able to escape again and take the lead 4-3 with 38 seconds left. Cooper shot in and was able to record a takedown as time expired to secure the upset. The Cimarron, Kan. native then faced second-seeded Darrell Mason of Minnesota State. Mason scored three takedowns on his way to an 8-4 decision over Cooper, sending him to the backside. Cooper would face Juan Holmes of Limestone for an opportunity to continue wrestling tomorrow. After a scoreless first period, Cooper scored an escape and a takedown in the second and held off Holmes for a 4-1 decision to guarantee a second consecutive All-American finish. Cooper will face long-time rival Lee Herrington of Nebraska-Kearney in the consolation quarterfinals. Henry faced second-seeded Noah Ryan of St. Cloud State in the opening round. At the end of the first period, Henry led 2-1 with a takedown. Ryan would pick up an escape late in the second period and took the lead with a takedown as time expired. Henry was able to score an escape early in the third, but Ryan held on for the 4-3 decision. The first time qualifier would then face seventh-seeded Joel Leise of Gannon in the first consolation round. The match remained scoreless until Leise turned Henry in the second period and recorded a fall in 4:47 to bring an end to Henry's season. The redshirt-freshman finished with an overall record of 28-12. Action will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday (March 12) starting with the championship semifinals. Full Results for Fort Hays State – Day One 184 Martin Verhaeghe (40-8) scored 6.5 team points.

197 <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5794">Tereus Henry</a>&nbsp;(28-12)

285 AJ Cooper (32-11) scored 4.5 team points.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647106883061.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx">FHSU Athletics</a><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5807">Marty Verhaeghe</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5790">A.J. Cooper</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5794">Tereus Henry</a>&nbsp;competed in Day One of the NCAA DII Championships in St. Louis, Mo. on Friday (March 11). Verhaeghe (184) and Cooper (285) advanced to Saturday's action and are guaranteed to finish with All-America honors, while Henry (197) saw his season come to an end. Verhaeghe advanced to the quarterfinals with a fall in 3:26 over Matt Weinberg of Kutztown. Weinberg picked up a takedown early and Verhaeghe escaped almost immediately making the score 2-1 at the end of the opening period. Verhaeghe chose bottom in the second period and recorded a quick escape. He followed with a takedown seconds later and turned him for the pin. The two-time qualifier then faced the champion from Super Region VI, Billy Higgins of Nebraska-Kearney. This was the third matchup between these two in just 28 days. With help from a pair of takedowns, Higgins remains unbeaten in the series with a 5-4 decision. Verhaeghe, on the consolation side, faced Noah Curreri for a chance to place. The match was tied entering the third period, but Verhaeghe escaped early in the period and was able to score a takedown shortly after. Curreri would score an escape late in the period, but Verhaeghe was able to hang on and guarantee his All-America finish. Verhaeghe will face Reece Worachek of UW-Parkside in the consolation quarterfinals. Cooper also advanced to the quarterfinals as he upset seventh-seeded Jacob Robb of Mercyhurst with a 5-4 decision. Robb took the lead early with a first-period takedown and Cooper picked up an escape in the second period making the score 2-1 in favor of Robb entering the third period. Robb scored an escape to start the period, but Cooper tied the match with a takedown. Robb was able to escape again and take the lead 4-3 with 38 seconds left. Cooper shot in and was able to record a takedown as time expired to secure the upset. The Cimarron, Kan. native then faced second-seeded Darrell Mason of Minnesota State. Mason scored three takedowns on his way to an 8-4 decision over Cooper, sending him to the backside. Cooper would face Juan Holmes of Limestone for an opportunity to continue wrestling tomorrow. After a scoreless first period, Cooper scored an escape and a takedown in the second and held off Holmes for a 4-1 decision to guarantee a second consecutive All-American finish. Cooper will face long-time rival Lee Herrington of Nebraska-Kearney in the consolation quarterfinals. Henry faced second-seeded Noah Ryan of St. Cloud State in the opening round. At the end of the first period, Henry led 2-1 with a takedown. Ryan would pick up an escape late in the second period and took the lead with a takedown as time expired. Henry was able to score an escape early in the third, but Ryan held on for the 4-3 decision. The first time qualifier would then face seventh-seeded Joel Leise of Gannon in the first consolation round. The match remained scoreless until Leise turned Henry in the second period and recorded a fall in 4:47 to bring an end to Henry's season. The redshirt-freshman finished with an overall record of 28-12. Action will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday (March 12) starting with the championship semifinals. Full Results for Fort Hays State – Day One 184 Martin Verhaeghe (40-8) scored 6.5 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Martin Verhaeghe won by fall over Matt Weinberg (Kutztown). (Fall 3:26)</li><li>Quarterfinal - Billy Higgins (Nebraska-Kearney) 19-6 won by decision over Martin Verhaeghe. (Dec 5-4)</li><li>Cons. Round 2 - Martin Verhaeghe won by decision over Noah Curreri (Queens). (Dec 4-1)</li>
 </ul>197 <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5794">Tereus Henry</a>&nbsp;(28-12)<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - Noah Ryan (St. Cloud State) won by decision over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5794">Tereus Henry</a>. (Dec 4-3)</li><li>Cons. Round 1 - Joel Leise (Gannon) won by fall over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5794">Tereus Henry</a>. (Fall 4:47)</li>
 </ul>285 AJ Cooper (32-11) scored 4.5 team points.<ul>
 <li>Champ. Round 1 - AJ Cooper won by decision over Jacob Robb (Mercyhurst). (Dec 5-4)</li><li>Quarterfinal - Darrell Mason (Minnesota State) won by decision over AJ Cooper. (Dec 8-4)</li><li>Cons. Round 2 - AJ Cooper won by decision over Juan Holmes (Limestone). (Dec 4-1)</li>
 </ul>

🤼‍♂️ FHSU's Verhaeghe and Cooper clinch All-America status in St. Louis

No. 4/4 Fort Hays State (28-3, 19-3 MIAA) vs. Minnesota State (21-6, 16-5 NSIC) Friday, March 11 • 5 p.m. Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum 2022 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship Central Region Quarterfinals Radio: KJLS (103.3-FM)

<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KJLS">LISTEN LIVE</a> The fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team looks for its 10th win in a row Friday evening (March 11) when the Tigers take on Minnesota State in the quarterfinals of the 2022 NCAA Division II Central Region Championships. First tip is slated for 5 p.m. in the third of four regional quarterfinal contests inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. Fort Hays State (28-3) is the top overall seed in the regional tournament for the fourth time. This is the third time the Tigers have served as the host of the regional. Minnesota State (21-6) is the No. 8 seed after finishing third in the NSIC regular season standings and reaching the semifinal round of the NSIC postseason championship. The last matchup between the Tigers and Mavericks occurred&nbsp;in this very same situation, with top-seeded FHSU defeating No. 8 MSU in the quarterfinals of the 2015 regional, 74-57 (3/13/15). This is the eighth time the Tigers have been selected to play in the NCAA DII Championship, including seven trips over the last eight years. Fort Hays State is 5-6 overall in the tournament, including a 4-3 record as the top seed, a 2-0 record against the No. 8 seed, a 4-2 record in Hays, a 4-4 record while ranked in the WBCA DII Coaches Poll and a 3-1 mark against teams from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Three of the five longest active winning streaks in Division II are on the line this weekend in Hays - including Minnesota Duluth (3rd W16), Southwestern Oklahoma State (4th W14) and Fort Hays State (5th W9). A win Friday would give the Tigers 10 consecutive victories for the 14th time in program history. Fort Hays State is up to No. 4 in both national polls after winning its second MIAA championship tournament title over the weekend.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6439">Whitney Randall</a>&nbsp;earned Most Outstanding Player honors after averaging 15.0 points per game in KC, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6437">Jaden Hobbs</a>&nbsp;joining her on the All-Tournament Team with an average of 11.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in the tournament. Minnesota State ranks fourth in Division II with 14.6 steals per game and fourth with a turnover margin of +10.3. The Mavericks force an average of 24.0 turnovers per game. The Mavericks also have a high-powered offense, ranking 12th in the country with an average of 79.0 points per game. They shoot 42.1 percent from the floor and 33.7 percent from behind the arc. The Mavericks had three players earn All-NSIC honors, including first teamer Joey Batt (second year in a row) and a second team distinction for Maddy Olson, while Destinee Bursch was named NSIC Freshman of the Year. The winner of Friday's quarterfinal will move on to play either fourth-seeded Missouri Southern or fifth-seeded St. Cloud State in the semifinals Saturday evening beginning at 7:30 p.m. Complete 2022 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship Central Regional Schedule Friday, March 11 - NCAA Central Region Quarterfinals Session 1 Game 1 - 12:00 p.m. - #3 Minnesota Duluth (24-4) vs. #6 Nebraska-Kearney (23-7) Game 2 - 2:30 p.m. - #2 Southwestern Oklahoma State (29-4) vs. #7 Missouri Western (21-9) Session 2 Game 3 - 5:00 p.m. - #1 Fort Hays State (28-3) vs. #8 Minnesota State (21-6) Game 4 - 7:30 p.m. - #4 Missouri Southern (24-6) vs. #5 St. Cloud State (23-4) Saturday, March 12 - NCAA Central Region Semifinals Game 5 - 5:00 p.m. - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 Game 6 - 7:30 p.m. - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 Monday, March 14 - NCAA Central Region Championship Game 7 - 7:00 p.m. - Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 Winner advances to NCAA Elite Eight in Birmingham, Ala.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646933506315.jpeg" alt="FHSU's Sydney Golladay at the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. (Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Nicole Heitmann)" />
 <figcaption>FHSU's Sydney Golladay at the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. (Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Nicole Heitmann)</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/index.aspx">FHSU Athletics</a>No. 4/4 Fort Hays State (28-3, 19-3 MIAA) vs. Minnesota State (21-6, 16-5 NSIC) Friday, March 11 • 5 p.m. Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum 2022 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship Central Region Quarterfinals Radio: KJLS (103.3-FM)<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KJLS">LISTEN LIVE</a> The fourth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team looks for its 10th win in a row Friday evening (March 11) when the Tigers take on Minnesota State in the quarterfinals of the 2022 NCAA Division II Central Region Championships. First tip is slated for 5 p.m. in the third of four regional quarterfinal contests inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. Fort Hays State (28-3) is the top overall seed in the regional tournament for the fourth time. This is the third time the Tigers have served as the host of the regional. Minnesota State (21-6) is the No. 8 seed after finishing third in the NSIC regular season standings and reaching the semifinal round of the NSIC postseason championship. The last matchup between the Tigers and Mavericks occurred&nbsp;in this very same situation, with top-seeded FHSU defeating No. 8 MSU in the quarterfinals of the 2015 regional, 74-57 (3/13/15). This is the eighth time the Tigers have been selected to play in the NCAA DII Championship, including seven trips over the last eight years. Fort Hays State is 5-6 overall in the tournament, including a 4-3 record as the top seed, a 2-0 record against the No. 8 seed, a 4-2 record in Hays, a 4-4 record while ranked in the WBCA DII Coaches Poll and a 3-1 mark against teams from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Three of the five longest active winning streaks in Division II are on the line this weekend in Hays - including Minnesota Duluth (3rd W16), Southwestern Oklahoma State (4th W14) and Fort Hays State (5th W9). A win Friday would give the Tigers 10 consecutive victories for the 14th time in program history. Fort Hays State is up to No. 4 in both national polls after winning its second MIAA championship tournament title over the weekend.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6439">Whitney Randall</a>&nbsp;earned Most Outstanding Player honors after averaging 15.0 points per game in KC, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6437">Jaden Hobbs</a>&nbsp;joining her on the All-Tournament Team with an average of 11.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in the tournament. Minnesota State ranks fourth in Division II with 14.6 steals per game and fourth with a turnover margin of +10.3. The Mavericks force an average of 24.0 turnovers per game. The Mavericks also have a high-powered offense, ranking 12th in the country with an average of 79.0 points per game. They shoot 42.1 percent from the floor and 33.7 percent from behind the arc. The Mavericks had three players earn All-NSIC honors, including first teamer Joey Batt (second year in a row) and a second team distinction for Maddy Olson, while Destinee Bursch was named NSIC Freshman of the Year. The winner of Friday's quarterfinal will move on to play either fourth-seeded Missouri Southern or fifth-seeded St. Cloud State in the semifinals Saturday evening beginning at 7:30 p.m. Complete 2022 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship Central Regional Schedule Friday, March 11 - NCAA Central Region Quarterfinals Session 1 Game 1 - 12:00 p.m. - #3 Minnesota Duluth (24-4) vs. #6 Nebraska-Kearney (23-7) Game 2 - 2:30 p.m. - #2 Southwestern Oklahoma State (29-4) vs. #7 Missouri Western (21-9) Session 2 Game 3 - 5:00 p.m. - #1 Fort Hays State (28-3) vs. #8 Minnesota State (21-6) Game 4 - 7:30 p.m. - #4 Missouri Southern (24-6) vs. #5 St. Cloud State (23-4) Saturday, March 12 - NCAA Central Region Semifinals Game 5 - 5:00 p.m. - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 Game 6 - 7:30 p.m. - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 Monday, March 14 - NCAA Central Region Championship Game 7 - 7:00 p.m. - Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 Winner advances to NCAA Elite Eight in Birmingham, Ala.

🏀🔈 LISTEN - FHSU women open Central Regional play against Mavericks

By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN FHSU University Communications

During a three-week stretch in the first semester, the Fort Hays State University women’s basketball team was ranked No. 1 in the nation among all NCAA Division II schools.

Tiger Head Coach Tony Hobson will tell you that his assistant coaches &nbsp;are the best in the country every week.

Hobson is the coach you will see pacing the sidelines at this weekend’s NCAA Division II Central Regional at Gross Memorial Coliseum. With his game face on, Hobson will call out plays to his team and even chat a little with referees as they run down the court.

But the assistant coaches on the bench play just as vital of role for the Tigers, the fourth-ranked team in NCAA D-II and the top seed in the Central Regional with a 28-3 record.

For a schedule and more tournament information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://fhsuathletics.com/">fhsuathletics.com</a>.

Both Talia Kahrs and Paige Lunsford are former FHSU players of Hobson’s – and it’s no coincidence they are still a part of his team.

“When I hired Talia or Paige I knew exactly what I was getting,” said Hobson, in his 14th year at FHSU. “I knew them personally and the type of loyalty they had for our program and for me. I knew their work ethic and their knowledge of basketball. They were easy hires.”

Hobson calls coaching with two of his former players a luxury. It got even better last year when former Tiger standout Kacey Kennett joined the staff as a volunteer assistant.

Kennett, a four-year starter for the Tigers from 2017-20, is working on her master’s degree in health administration. She would like to coach someday and jumped at the chance to absorb more of Hobson’s acumen.

Kahrs was recruited by Hobson in 2007 when he coached at Hastings College in Nebraska. A daughter of a high school coach, Kahrs was familiar with a coaching life. She followed Hobson to FHSU when he was hired as the new Tiger coach in 2008, and they have been together ever since.

After receiving her undergraduate degree in 2012, Kahrs was offered a job to coach volleyball and basketball at Trinity Bible College in North Dakota. But the opportunity to coach with – and learn more from – Hobson was too great to pass up. She said “no” to the college job in North Dakota and decided to begin work on a master’s degree at FHSU. Hobson’s assistant at the time then accepted a head coaching job in Nebraska, and Kahrs took over the Tigers’ assistant role.

“That was a big decision back then,” Kahrs said. “Looking back, it was definitely a blessing that I decided to stay at FHSU and work on my master’s.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647016560846.jpeg" alt="FHSU’s coaching staff, from left, are assistant Talia Kahrs, head coach Tony Hobson, assistant Paige Lunsford, and graduate student Kacey Kennett. Photo by Bob Duffy" />
 <figcaption>FHSU’s coaching staff, from left, are assistant Talia Kahrs, head coach Tony Hobson, assistant Paige Lunsford, and graduate student Kacey Kennett. Photo by Bob Duffy</figcaption>
 </figure>By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN FHSU University CommunicationsDuring a three-week stretch in the first semester, the Fort Hays State University women’s basketball team was ranked No. 1 in the nation among all NCAA Division II schools.Tiger Head Coach Tony Hobson will tell you that his assistant coaches &nbsp;are the best in the country every week.Hobson is the coach you will see pacing the sidelines at this weekend’s NCAA Division II Central Regional at Gross Memorial Coliseum. With his game face on, Hobson will call out plays to his team and even chat a little with referees as they run down the court.But the assistant coaches on the bench play just as vital of role for the Tigers, the fourth-ranked team in NCAA D-II and the top seed in the Central Regional with a 28-3 record.For a schedule and more tournament information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://fhsuathletics.com/">fhsuathletics.com</a>.Both Talia Kahrs and Paige Lunsford are former FHSU players of Hobson’s – and it’s no coincidence they are still a part of his team.“When I hired Talia or Paige I knew exactly what I was getting,” said Hobson, in his 14th year at FHSU. “I knew them personally and the type of loyalty they had for our program and for me. I knew their work ethic and their knowledge of basketball. They were easy hires.”Hobson calls coaching with two of his former players a luxury. It got even better last year when former Tiger standout Kacey Kennett joined the staff as a volunteer assistant.Kennett, a four-year starter for the Tigers from 2017-20, is working on her master’s degree in health administration. She would like to coach someday and jumped at the chance to absorb more of Hobson’s acumen.Ditto for Kahrs and Lunsford.Kahrs was recruited by Hobson in 2007 when he coached at Hastings College in Nebraska. A daughter of a high school coach, Kahrs was familiar with a coaching life. She followed Hobson to FHSU when he was hired as the new Tiger coach in 2008, and they have been together ever since.After receiving her undergraduate degree in 2012, Kahrs was offered a job to coach volleyball and basketball at Trinity Bible College in North Dakota. But the opportunity to coach with – and learn more from – Hobson was too great to pass up. She said “no” to the college job in North Dakota and decided to begin work on a master’s degree at FHSU. Hobson’s assistant at the time then accepted a head coaching job in Nebraska, and Kahrs took over the Tigers’ assistant role.“That was a big decision back then,” Kahrs said. “Looking back, it was definitely a blessing that I decided to stay at FHSU and work on my master’s.”Indeed.Hobson is the winningest coach in FHSU women’s basketball history (310-108 record), and Kahrs has been a part of it all. The decision to stay in Hays has worked out personally, too. Kahrs met her husband, Garrett, while in graduate school. He now drives the Tiger bus on road trips, and their 3-year-old daughter, Malaki, gets to tag along with them.Lunsford, who played for Hobson and the Tigers from 2012-16, did try her hand at college coaching away from Hays for one year. She graduated from FHSU in 2016 and joined the staff at Barton Community College in Great Bend. But the pull to return to her hometown – and FHSU – won out.“Fort Hays State has been nothing but a blessing to me since I stepped on campus as a freshman,” said Lunsford, a former standout at Hays High School. “I loved playing for Coach Hobson and Talia, so I decided to come back and get my master’s and coach with them as a grad assistant.”A third full-time coaching position was added for both FHSU men’s and women’s basketball in 2019.Hobson said it was an easy decision who that would be for the women’s program. He said only once in his 30-year career has he hired he didn’t know personally. That didn’t work out, so he hasn’t done it since.“When you hire someone you are familiar with, not only do you know them, but they know you,” he said. “That takes away a lot of the uncertainty of hiring new coaches.”Kahrs and Lunsford are certain they made the right choice, too.“Besides all his basketball knowledge, Coach Hobson is really passionate about the game and really cares about his players,” she said. “I admire all of those things in him.”Lunsford agreed, saying the consistency of the FHSU coaching staff is invaluable.&nbsp;“We know what Coach expects, and you don’t have to wonder what he wants done,” Lunsford said. “We’re all able to do our individual roles really well, which makes our collective effort more successful.”The collective effort of this Tiger threesome is the epitome of success. After winning the MIAA regular-season and tournament titles, the Tigers earned the right to host the Central Regional for a third time.Anyone watching this weekend’s FHSU’s regional games, whether in person or online, will see Hobson strolling the sideline, game face on.He obviously knows what he’s doing. He won three national championships at Hastings College and has coached FHSU to NCAA D-II tournament appearances seven of the past eight years.But, Hobson says “there’s nothing in our program that Talia or Paige can’t do.”That has to be a scary thought for opponents.