"Voice of the Chiefs" Mitch Holthus chats about the Chiefs win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game and preparations for their second straight Super Bowl appearance.

The Holthus Hotline airs Saturday's at 8:00 am on KFIX (96.9-FM).

"Voice of the Chiefs" Mitch Holthus chats about the Chiefs win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game and preparations for their second straight Super Bowl appearance.The Holthus Hotline airs Saturday's at 8:00 am on KFIX (96.9-FM).<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/975203944%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-9B6zkqMTEtK&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/holthus-hotline-013021/s-9B6zkqMTEtK" title="Holthus Hotline 013021" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Holthus Hotline 013021</a></div></div>

🎧 Holthus Hotline with ‘Voice of the Chiefs’ Mitch Holthus

KEARNEY, Neb. - The Fort Hays State women's basketball team built a 21-point third quarter lead then held off a furious Nebraska-Kearney comeback and beat the Lopers 61-49 Thursday night at the Health and Sports Center to move within a game in the loss column of the conference leaders

The Tigers (10-2, 10-2 MIAA) led for all but 2 1/2 minutes and only trailed once at 7-6. That's when they went on a 28-10 run and built a 17-point lead with 3:50 to play in the second quarter.

They pushed the lead to 21 three minutes into the third quarter but the Lopers, who are ranked fourth in this week's Division II media poll, ended the period on a 17-3 run to pull within seven.

UNK (12-1, 12-1 MIAA) got as close as six with 8:35 to play but the Tigers answered with a 12-1 run capped by a Madison Mittie 3-pointer with 5:15 to play which made the score 59-41..

Kearney scored the next six but could never get closer than 11 the rest of the way.

The Tigers turned in the best offensive performance the Lopers have allowed this season, scoring 61 points on 46.2 percent shooting (24-of-52) and 53.8 percent from behind the arc (7-of-13), all of which are season-highs for UNK opponents.

Jaden&nbsp;Hobbs led the Tigers with 16 points and six assists after hitting both of her attempts from behind the arc. Whitney Randall added 13 points and three steals while Cydney Bergmann&nbsp;grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds alongside six points and one steal.

Freshman Emma Ruddle scored a career-high seven points, all of them in the second quarter and grabbed four rebounds.

The Tigers outrebounded the Lopers by three, 37-34, just the second time UNK has been outrebounded this season. Fort Hays State forced 12 turnovers, scoring 14 points off those miscues. FHSU held the Lopers to a 35.2 percent effort from the floor (19-of-54), 27.3 percent from deep (6-of-22) and 35.7 percent from the line (5-of-14). The Tigers and Lopers will turn around and play again in less than 48 hours when they face off inside Gross Memorial Coliseum on Saturday ) beginning at 2 p.m. Another win for the Tigers would push FHSU into a virtual tie for first place in the MIAA with just four weeks remaining in the regular season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611896462199.jpeg" alt="Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Seth Kincaid" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Seth Kincaid</figcaption>
 </figure>KEARNEY, Neb. - The Fort Hays State women's basketball team built a 21-point third quarter lead then held off a furious Nebraska-Kearney comeback and beat the Lopers 61-49 Thursday night at the Health and Sports Center to move within a game in the loss column of the conference leadersThe Tigers (10-2, 10-2 MIAA) led for all but 2 1/2 minutes and only trailed once at 7-6. That's when they went on a 28-10 run and built a 17-point lead with 3:50 to play in the second quarter.<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/974864767&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/fhsu-womens-coach-hobson-interview-01-28-21" title="Tony Hobson Postgame at Nebraska-Kearney 012821" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Tony Hobson Postgame at Nebraska-Kearney 012821</a></div></div>They pushed the lead to 21 three minutes into the third quarter but the Lopers, who are ranked fourth in this week's Division II media poll, ended the period on a 17-3 run to pull within seven.UNK (12-1, 12-1 MIAA) got as close as six with 8:35 to play but the Tigers answered with a 12-1 run capped by a Madison Mittie 3-pointer with 5:15 to play which made the score 59-41..Kearney scored the next six but could never get closer than 11 the rest of the way.The Tigers turned in the best offensive performance the Lopers have allowed this season, scoring 61 points on 46.2 percent shooting (24-of-52) and 53.8 percent from behind the arc (7-of-13), all of which are season-highs for UNK opponents.<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/974864719&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/fhsu-wbkb-vs-unk-01-28-21" title="FHSU WBB at Nebraska-Kearney Highlights 012821" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">FHSU WBB at Nebraska-Kearney Highlights 012821</a></div></div>Jaden&nbsp;Hobbs led the Tigers with 16 points and six assists after hitting both of her attempts from behind the arc. Whitney Randall added 13 points and three steals while Cydney Bergmann&nbsp;grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds alongside six points and one steal. Freshman Emma Ruddle scored a career-high seven points, all of them in the second quarter and grabbed four rebounds.The Tigers outrebounded the Lopers by three, 37-34, just the second time UNK has been outrebounded this season. Fort Hays State forced 12 turnovers, scoring 14 points off those miscues. FHSU held the Lopers to a 35.2 percent effort from the floor (19-of-54), 27.3 percent from deep (6-of-22) and 35.7 percent from the line (5-of-14). The Tigers and Lopers will turn around and play again in less than 48 hours when they face off inside Gross Memorial Coliseum on Saturday ) beginning at 2 p.m. Another win for the Tigers would push FHSU into a virtual tie for first place in the MIAA with just four weeks remaining in the regular season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 Tiger women knock off undefeated Lopers in Kearney

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas and TCU waged such an epic offensive struggle Thursday night that the best shooter might have been Jayhawks center David McCormack, who swished his first 3-point try of the season during their decisive second-half run.

“He doesn’t even shoot those in practice,” teammate Ochai Agbaji said with a grin.

It helped McCormack finish with 15 points, and Agbaji added 13, as the Jayhawks overcame a sluggish first half to beat the turnover-prone Horned Frogs 59-51. Dajuan Harris and Tyon Grant-Foster also provided a big boost off the bench as Kansas avoided a fourth straight loss for the first time since the 1988-89 season.

“We actually played with more energy,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said. “We saw the ball not go in the hole, but we saw some guys make some big baskets for us, and David made the biggest one. But we did some better things the second half.”

Mike Miles hit five 3-pointers and had 18 points to lead the Horned Frogs, who turned the ball over 22 times and shot just 35% from the field. RJ Nembhard added 12 points, well below his season average of 17.2 per game.

“What it showed,” Self said, “is you can defend and play like crap and still be in the game.”

Because of COVID-19 problems, the Horned Frogs were playing for the first time since losing at Oklahoma on Jan. 12. They had a trio of games postponed, first because of issues with West Virginia, then because of an outbreak of their own.

Among those that tested positive was TCU coach Jamie Dixon, who said earlier this week that he was “questionable” to make the trip to Lawrence. But the recent diagnosis didn’t stop Dixon from spending the entire game with his mask around his chin rather than over his mouth, whether he was in the huddle or yelling at officials on the court.

“We’re not practicing,” Dixon said. “Nobody really talked about it, but we’ve had seven work stoppages. So there’s obviously been some challenges where we’re not where we need to be for a variety of reasons and a variety of area. But no one cares and so we’ve got to get better because of it. I’m encouraged by what we did here.”

The Jayhawks had reason to be rusty, too. They had only played once in the last 10 days, and their last game inside Allen Fieldhouse — with its socially-distanced crowd of about 2,000 fans — was Jan. 9 against Oklahoma.

So it wasn’t much of a surprise when TCU led 19-18 at halftime in a game every bit as ugly as the score.

There was one stretch covering more than seven minutes in which the Horned Frogs had nearly as many turnovers (five) as field-goal attempts (seven) and never scored. When they did get a bucket to go, it was in the midst of an eight-minute stretch in which Kansas went 1 for 13 from the floor, turned it over three times and even botched an open layup.

Junior high games have produced more efficient offense.

Self tweaked his lineup to start the second half, putting seldom-used Harris and Grant-Foster on the floor. And they made an immediate impact. Foster attacked the rim to draw fouls while Harris scored five quick points, once following his own layup with a steal on the inbound and a foul — he made one of the two free throws.

On the other end, TCU had already hit the 20-turnover mark midway through the second half.

Kansas still couldn’t shake free until Grant-Foster caught a missed 3-pointer by Christian Braun and scooped under for a layup that made it 47-43 with 5 minutes to go. McCormack followed with his clutch 3-pointer, Agbaji and Garrett added dunks, and the lead swelled to an insurmountable 54-44 with three minutes to go.

“I knew it was late in the shot clock,” McCormack said. “I felt like I was in a groove and took the shot with confidence. It was very satisfying. I told them once it left my hand, I knew I had the confidence it was going in.”

TCU did some good things, out-rebounding the Jayhawks and seemingly winning every 50-50 ball. But turnovers proved to be too much to overcome, especially in the second half, when Kansas was putting the game out of reach.

Kansas won despite going 4 of 17 from beyond the arc and 9 of 16 from the foul line. The Jayhawks got little production from their starting backcourt, though. Braun, Marcus Garrett and Jalen Wilson combined to go 4 of 16 from the field.

Kansas visits No. 18 Tennessee while TCU travels to No. 12 Missouri for the SEC-Big 12 Challenge on Saturday.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas and TCU waged such an epic offensive struggle Thursday night that the best shooter might have been Jayhawks center David McCormack, who swished his first 3-point try of the season during their decisive second-half run.“He doesn’t even shoot those in practice,” teammate Ochai Agbaji said with a grin.It helped McCormack finish with 15 points, and Agbaji added 13, as the Jayhawks overcame a sluggish first half to beat the turnover-prone Horned Frogs 59-51. Dajuan Harris and Tyon Grant-Foster also provided a big boost off the bench as Kansas avoided a fourth straight loss for the first time since the 1988-89 season.“We actually played with more energy,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said. “We saw the ball not go in the hole, but we saw some guys make some big baskets for us, and David made the biggest one. But we did some better things the second half.”Mike Miles hit five 3-pointers and had 18 points to lead the Horned Frogs, who turned the ball over 22 times and shot just 35% from the field. RJ Nembhard added 12 points, well below his season average of 17.2 per game.“What it showed,” Self said, “is you can defend and play like crap and still be in the game.”Because of COVID-19 problems, the Horned Frogs were playing for the first time since losing at Oklahoma on Jan. 12. They had a trio of games postponed, first because of issues with West Virginia, then because of an outbreak of their own.Among those that tested positive was TCU coach Jamie Dixon, who said earlier this week that he was “questionable” to make the trip to Lawrence. But the recent diagnosis didn’t stop Dixon from spending the entire game with his mask around his chin rather than over his mouth, whether he was in the huddle or yelling at officials on the court.“We’re not practicing,” Dixon said. “Nobody really talked about it, but we’ve had seven work stoppages. So there’s obviously been some challenges where we’re not where we need to be for a variety of reasons and a variety of area. But no one cares and so we’ve got to get better because of it. I’m encouraged by what we did here.”The Jayhawks had reason to be rusty, too. They had only played once in the last 10 days, and their last game inside Allen Fieldhouse — with its socially-distanced crowd of about 2,000 fans — was Jan. 9 against Oklahoma.So it wasn’t much of a surprise when TCU led 19-18 at halftime in a game every bit as ugly as the score.There was one stretch covering more than seven minutes in which the Horned Frogs had nearly as many turnovers (five) as field-goal attempts (seven) and never scored. When they did get a bucket to go, it was in the midst of an eight-minute stretch in which Kansas went 1 for 13 from the floor, turned it over three times and even botched an open layup.Junior high games have produced more efficient offense.Self tweaked his lineup to start the second half, putting seldom-used Harris and Grant-Foster on the floor. And they made an immediate impact. Foster attacked the rim to draw fouls while Harris scored five quick points, once following his own layup with a steal on the inbound and a foul — he made one of the two free throws.On the other end, TCU had already hit the 20-turnover mark midway through the second half.Kansas still couldn’t shake free until Grant-Foster caught a missed 3-pointer by Christian Braun and scooped under for a layup that made it 47-43 with 5 minutes to go. McCormack followed with his clutch 3-pointer, Agbaji and Garrett added dunks, and the lead swelled to an insurmountable 54-44 with three minutes to go.“I knew it was late in the shot clock,” McCormack said. “I felt like I was in a groove and took the shot with confidence. It was very satisfying. I told them once it left my hand, I knew I had the confidence it was going in.”BIG PICTURETCU did some good things, out-rebounding the Jayhawks and seemingly winning every 50-50 ball. But turnovers proved to be too much to overcome, especially in the second half, when Kansas was putting the game out of reach.Kansas won despite going 4 of 17 from beyond the arc and 9 of 16 from the foul line. The Jayhawks got little production from their starting backcourt, though. Braun, Marcus Garrett and Jalen Wilson combined to go 4 of 16 from the field.UP NEXTKansas visits No. 18 Tennessee while TCU travels to No. 12 Missouri for the SEC-Big 12 Challenge on Saturday.

🏀 McCormack helps No. 15 Kansas stumble past TCU

Fort Hays State (9-2, 9-2&nbsp;MIAA) at Nebraska-Kearney&nbsp;(12-0, 12-0&nbsp;MIAA) Thursday, January 28&nbsp;• 5:30 p.m. Kearney, Nebraska • UNK Health &amp; Sports Center Radio: KJLS (103.3-FM) <a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KJLS">LISTEN LIVE</a> After snow pushed back an already postponed game two more days, the Fort Hays State women's basketball team will play fourth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney twice in three days beginning Thursday. Tipoff in the women's only contest&nbsp;is set for 5:30 p.m. inside the UNK Health &amp; Sports Center. Thursday's game was initially scheduled for December 5 but was postponed due to COVID-19 protocol. The teams will play their regularly-scheduled contest in Hays on Saturday with the doubleheader set to begin at 2 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase&nbsp;via the following&nbsp;<a href="https://unklopers.universitytickets.com/w/default.aspx">link</a>. The Health &amp; Sports Center will be limited to 25 percent capacity. Ticket sales will only be available in advance, no tickets will be available at the gate. This is the 95th meeting all-time between the Tigers and Lopers. Fort Hays State holds a 56-38 in the series, while the Lopers hold a slim 24-22 edge in games played in Kearney. The Tigers have played and defeated UNK more than any other program, including wins in 17 of the last 20 meetings.&nbsp;The teams have split the last six meetings 3-3, with the Lopers riding a two-game winning streak in the series. FHSU is&nbsp;17-4 against the Lopers under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=947">Tony Hobson</a>&nbsp;and 9-1 in games played in Kearney. The Tigers last played the same team in back-to-back games during the 2014-15 season when they wrapped up the regular season at Northeastern State before battling the RiverHawks in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Championship Tournament. The Tigers won both of those contests. The Tigers have not played the same team in back-to-back regular season contests since the 1992-93 season. FHSU played Washburn on November 21 and 27, 1992 as well as playing Wayne State in consecutive games on January 9 and January 16, 1993. Fort Hays State leads the MIAA in scoring (75.8 ppg), shooting percentage (45.7 percent) and shooting from behind the arc (36.4 percent), while the Lopers lead the country and are among the best in the nation on defense.&nbsp;The Lopers are holding opponents to an average of 48.3 points per game, fourth-best in Division II. Their defense has allowed a 32.0 shooting percentage and a 20.8 percent effort from behind the arc, eighth-best and third-best in the country, respectively. The Tigers are coming off a historical shooting performance after hitting 62.1 percent from the floor Saturday at Pittsburg State. It was their best shooting effort in an MIAA game since joining the league in 2006 and the third-best shooting game in the Hobson era. Seniors&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5847">Jaden Hobbs</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5850">Whitney Randall</a>&nbsp;have both scored in double figures in 10 out of 11 games so far this season. Hobbs leads the team with an average of 17.1 points per game, including an average of 19.5 points per game on the road. Randall scores 15.7 points per game, giving the Tigers two of the top eight scorers in the league. After dishing out 12 assists alongside 26 points Saturday at Pittsburg State, Hobbs raised her season average to 5.7 assists per game,&nbsp;on pace to eclipse&nbsp;the program record of 5.4 assists per game set by Maisha Prewitt in the 1998-99 season. The Tigers are 12-3 when playing in coach Hobson's home state of Nebraska since he took over in 2008, including an 11-1 mark in Kearney. Nebraska-Kearney is 12-0 and ranked No. 4 in the country thanks to one of the top defenses in the nation.&nbsp;Reigning MIAA Athlete of the Week Elisa Backes leads the Lopers with 10.4 points per game, with Klaire Kirsch grabbing an average of 9.6 rebounds per contest.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611785321986.jpeg" alt="(Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Tylee Biera)" />
 <figcaption>(Courtesy FHSU Athletics, Tylee Biera)</figcaption>
 </figure>Fort Hays State (9-2, 9-2&nbsp;MIAA) at Nebraska-Kearney&nbsp;(12-0, 12-0&nbsp;MIAA) Thursday, January 28&nbsp;• 5:30 p.m. Kearney, Nebraska • UNK Health &amp; Sports Center Radio: KJLS (103.3-FM) <a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KJLS">LISTEN LIVE</a> After snow pushed back an already postponed game two more days, the Fort Hays State women's basketball team will play fourth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney twice in three days beginning Thursday. Tipoff in the women's only contest&nbsp;is set for 5:30 p.m. inside the UNK Health &amp; Sports Center. Thursday's game was initially scheduled for December 5 but was postponed due to COVID-19 protocol. The teams will play their regularly-scheduled contest in Hays on Saturday with the doubleheader set to begin at 2 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase&nbsp;via the following&nbsp;<a href="https://unklopers.universitytickets.com/w/default.aspx">link</a>. The Health &amp; Sports Center will be limited to 25 percent capacity. Ticket sales will only be available in advance, no tickets will be available at the gate. This is the 95th meeting all-time between the Tigers and Lopers. Fort Hays State holds a 56-38 in the series, while the Lopers hold a slim 24-22 edge in games played in Kearney. The Tigers have played and defeated UNK more than any other program, including wins in 17 of the last 20 meetings.&nbsp;The teams have split the last six meetings 3-3, with the Lopers riding a two-game winning streak in the series. FHSU is&nbsp;17-4 against the Lopers under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=947">Tony Hobson</a>&nbsp;and 9-1 in games played in Kearney. The Tigers last played the same team in back-to-back games during the 2014-15 season when they wrapped up the regular season at Northeastern State before battling the RiverHawks in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Championship Tournament. The Tigers won both of those contests. The Tigers have not played the same team in back-to-back regular season contests since the 1992-93 season. FHSU played Washburn on November 21 and 27, 1992 as well as playing Wayne State in consecutive games on January 9 and January 16, 1993. Fort Hays State leads the MIAA in scoring (75.8 ppg), shooting percentage (45.7 percent) and shooting from behind the arc (36.4 percent), while the Lopers lead the country and are among the best in the nation on defense.&nbsp;The Lopers are holding opponents to an average of 48.3 points per game, fourth-best in Division II. Their defense has allowed a 32.0 shooting percentage and a 20.8 percent effort from behind the arc, eighth-best and third-best in the country, respectively. The Tigers are coming off a historical shooting performance after hitting 62.1 percent from the floor Saturday at Pittsburg State. It was their best shooting effort in an MIAA game since joining the league in 2006 and the third-best shooting game in the Hobson era. Seniors&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5847">Jaden Hobbs</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5850">Whitney Randall</a>&nbsp;have both scored in double figures in 10 out of 11 games so far this season. Hobbs leads the team with an average of 17.1 points per game, including an average of 19.5 points per game on the road. Randall scores 15.7 points per game, giving the Tigers two of the top eight scorers in the league. After dishing out 12 assists alongside 26 points Saturday at Pittsburg State, Hobbs raised her season average to 5.7 assists per game,&nbsp;on pace to eclipse&nbsp;the program record of 5.4 assists per game set by Maisha Prewitt in the 1998-99 season. The Tigers are 12-3 when playing in coach Hobson's home state of Nebraska since he took over in 2008, including an 11-1 mark in Kearney. Nebraska-Kearney is 12-0 and ranked No. 4 in the country thanks to one of the top defenses in the nation.&nbsp;Reigning MIAA Athlete of the Week Elisa Backes leads the Lopers with 10.4 points per game, with Klaire Kirsch grabbing an average of 9.6 rebounds per contest.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀📻 Tiger women head to Kearney for showdown with the Lopers

WACO, Texas (AP) — Davion Mitchell and No. 2 Baylor again overwhelmed Kansas State in another lopsided game.

Mitchell made seven 3-pointers while scoring 31 points, besting his career high of 20 set last month against the Wildcats, and undefeated Baylor matched its second-best start in team history with a 107-59 victory Wednesday night.

“Davion’s worked so hard since he got here ... on being a more consistent shooter,” Scott Drew said, then mentioning his mental confidence. “Last year he put in work, but if he missed one or two, it would affect him. Now he’s gotten to the point mentally he has enough confidence in himself. If he misses a couple of shots, he has that shooter’s confidence now to where the next one’s going in.”

The former transfer from Auburn missed his first two shots, but went on to finish 12-of-16 shooting, including 7-of-9 beyond the arc. He had a span of just over three minutes after halftime when he hit four 3s while making five consecutive shots for Baylor (15-0, 8-0 Big 12).

Next for Baylor is the Big 12/SEC Challenge at home Saturday against Auburn, where there are still coaches and players Mitchell stays in touch with, and off a performance that surely got their attention.

After on Dec. 19 becoming the first opponent since 1992 to score 100 points at Kansas State in a 31-point victory, the Bears jumped out to a 31-point lead in the first 11 1/2 minutes in the rematch. MaCio Teague already had 11 of his 18 points with three 3-pointers, and Wildcats coach Bruce Weber had already used two of his timeouts by then.

“There’s not much I can say,” Weber said. “They kicked our butts again. ... They’re a team that’s going to be play late into March and into April, I would expect.”

Nijel Pack had 11 points to lead Kansas State (5-12, 1-8), which has lost its last eight games.

Mitchell’s five assists included a pass to Matthew Mayer for a layup that made it 36-5. Only seconds after that, Mitchell had a steal that led to a short jumper by Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua to cap Baylor’s second run of 18 consecutive points already in the game. The Bears had another 18-0 run in the second half.

Jared Butler added 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Mayer had 10 points for Baylor, which hadn’t scored 100 points twice against an opponent in the same season since 1978-79 against TCU. It was the Bears’ second-largest margin of victory ever in a Big 12 game.

Baylor would have had a 31-point halftime lead if not for Antonio Gordon’s 3-pointer to end the first half, a shot from more than half court that he banked in after picking up a loose ball that Butler lost. That got the Wildcats within 54-26, then they opened the second half with a 6-2 run. But they never got closer. Baylor then had its third 18-0 run in the game, with Mitchell hitting two 3s in that spurt.

It had already been a tough day for K-State, even before tipoff. Their strength coach was absent, instead undergoing surgery at home to repair a torn Achilles tendon sustained Tuesday. Weber and some coaches had to walked to the game from the hotel, while players shuttled in a van, after the team bus wouldn’t start.

Kansas State: The Wildcats, who still lead the overall series 23-22, have trailed by at least 16 points in each of their last four meetings with Baylor. They haven’t taken a lead in any of those games.

Baylor: The Bears keep rolling with their 15-0 start matching 2016-17 for their most consecutive wins to start a season. The school record is 17 in row to start the 2011-12 season. Their eight-game Big 12 winning streak is also the second longest — behind 13 two seasons ago.

Kansas State hosts Texas A&amp;M on Saturday in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.

Baylor is home for its Big 12/SEC Challenge game Saturday against Mitchell’s former team.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611828852153.jpeg" alt="Courtesy Kansas State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy Kansas State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>WACO, Texas (AP) — Davion Mitchell and No. 2 Baylor again overwhelmed Kansas State in another lopsided game.Mitchell made seven 3-pointers while scoring 31 points, besting his career high of 20 set last month against the Wildcats, and undefeated Baylor matched its second-best start in team history with a 107-59 victory Wednesday night.“Davion’s worked so hard since he got here ... on being a more consistent shooter,” Scott Drew said, then mentioning his mental confidence. “Last year he put in work, but if he missed one or two, it would affect him. Now he’s gotten to the point mentally he has enough confidence in himself. If he misses a couple of shots, he has that shooter’s confidence now to where the next one’s going in.”The former transfer from Auburn missed his first two shots, but went on to finish 12-of-16 shooting, including 7-of-9 beyond the arc. He had a span of just over three minutes after halftime when he hit four 3s while making five consecutive shots for Baylor (15-0, 8-0 Big 12).Next for Baylor is the Big 12/SEC Challenge at home Saturday against Auburn, where there are still coaches and players Mitchell stays in touch with, and off a performance that surely got their attention.“I try,” Mitchell said with a laugh.After on Dec. 19 becoming the first opponent since 1992 to score 100 points at Kansas State in a 31-point victory, the Bears jumped out to a 31-point lead in the first 11 1/2 minutes in the rematch. MaCio Teague already had 11 of his 18 points with three 3-pointers, and Wildcats coach Bruce Weber had already used two of his timeouts by then.“There’s not much I can say,” Weber said. “They kicked our butts again. ... They’re a team that’s going to be play late into March and into April, I would expect.”Nijel Pack had 11 points to lead Kansas State (5-12, 1-8), which has lost its last eight games.Mitchell’s five assists included a pass to Matthew Mayer for a layup that made it 36-5. Only seconds after that, Mitchell had a steal that led to a short jumper by Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua to cap Baylor’s second run of 18 consecutive points already in the game. The Bears had another 18-0 run in the second half.Jared Butler added 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Mayer had 10 points for Baylor, which hadn’t scored 100 points twice against an opponent in the same season since 1978-79 against TCU. It was the Bears’ second-largest margin of victory ever in a Big 12 game.BUZZER BEATERBaylor would have had a 31-point halftime lead if not for Antonio Gordon’s 3-pointer to end the first half, a shot from more than half court that he banked in after picking up a loose ball that Butler lost. That got the Wildcats within 54-26, then they opened the second half with a 6-2 run. But they never got closer. Baylor then had its third 18-0 run in the game, with Mitchell hitting two 3s in that spurt.BAD BEFORE IT STARTEDIt had already been a tough day for K-State, even before tipoff. Their strength coach was absent, instead undergoing surgery at home to repair a torn Achilles tendon sustained Tuesday. Weber and some coaches had to walked to the game from the hotel, while players shuttled in a van, after the team bus wouldn’t start.BIG PICTUREKansas State: The Wildcats, who still lead the overall series 23-22, have trailed by at least 16 points in each of their last four meetings with Baylor. They haven’t taken a lead in any of those games.Baylor: The Bears keep rolling with their 15-0 start matching 2016-17 for their most consecutive wins to start a season. The school record is 17 in row to start the 2011-12 season. Their eight-game Big 12 winning streak is also the second longest — behind 13 two seasons ago.UP NEXTKansas State hosts Texas A&amp;M on Saturday in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.Baylor is home for its Big 12/SEC Challenge game Saturday against Mitchell’s former team.

No. 2 Baylor routs Kansas State

"He is the American dream," says Hays High football coach Tony Crough in reference to senior Bill Scott. Scott is the latest Indian to sign a Letter of Intent to play football on the collegiate level. He inked his name with Peru State College on Wednesday morning. The school is located in Peru, Nebraska, in the southeast corner of the state.

Crough says that Scott had a dream to be a college football player and put in all the hard work that is required to reach that pinnacle. During the signing the head coach said a few words about the senior defensive specialist and mentioned how the senior just didn't "want" to play college football — he worked his way there.

Scott played several different defensive positions while in high school including time at cornerback, linebacker, bandit, safety and a stand-up defensive end. Safety, he says, was his favorite position and that is where the coaches at Peru State plan to have the 186 pound senior begin his time.

Scott considered several different offers, but during the month of December decided it was time to make a decision, and landed on Peru State College.

Scott ended his career with 54 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss, one interceptions, one caused fumble and two fumble recoveries.&nbsp;

During the 2020 season, Scott was part of a defense that allowed just 13.5 points per game and 231 total yards per contest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611776021310.jpeg" alt="Hays High senior Bill Scott signed to play football at Peru State College Wednesday." />
 <figcaption>Hays High senior Bill Scott signed to play football at Peru State College Wednesday.</figcaption>
 </figure>"He is the American dream," says Hays High football coach Tony Crough in reference to senior Bill Scott. Scott is the latest Indian to sign a Letter of Intent to play football on the collegiate level. He inked his name with Peru State College on Wednesday morning. The school is located in Peru, Nebraska, in the southeast corner of the state.Crough says that Scott had a dream to be a college football player and put in all the hard work that is required to reach that pinnacle. During the signing the head coach said a few words about the senior defensive specialist and mentioned how the senior just didn't "want" to play college football — he worked his way there.Coach Tony Crough<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/973941463&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=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/crough-about-bill-scott" title="Crough About Bill Scott" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Crough About Bill Scott</a></div></div>Scott played several different defensive positions while in high school including time at cornerback, linebacker, bandit, safety and a stand-up defensive end. Safety, he says, was his favorite position and that is where the coaches at Peru State plan to have the 186 pound senior begin his time.Bill Scott<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playlists/1202001910&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=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/sets/bill-scott-of-hays-high-school" title="Bill Scott of Hays High School" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Bill Scott of Hays High School</a></div></div>Scott considered several different offers, but during the month of December decided it was time to make a decision, and landed on Peru State College.Scott ended his career with 54 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss, one interceptions, one caused fumble and two fumble recoveries.&nbsp;During the 2020 season, Scott was part of a defense that allowed just 13.5 points per game and 231 total yards per contest.

🏈Hays High's Bill Scott signs with Peru State

NEW ORLEANS - The Fort Hays State women's track and field team was ranked 18th and the men's squad was listed at No. 21 in the initial USTFCCCA&nbsp;NCAA Division II Women's Indoor National Rating Index, released Tuesday (Jan. 26) by the coaches association. It is the first time the women have been ranked indoors since 2011 and the first time the men have been among the top 25 indoor programs since 2018. The women's team picked up 43.73 points in the computerized poll that awards points based on individual placements on the national performance chart. A total of 12 performances from eight individuals and one relay team earned points, including five performances that currently rank in the top 10 in the country. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5994">Alexandra Hart</a>&nbsp;is ranked fifth nationally in the high jump with a mark of 5-7.25, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5966">Lyric Holman</a>&nbsp;sitting in seventh in the 60m with a time of 7.65.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5977">Taylor Savolt's</a>&nbsp;mark of 39-0.25 in the triple jump is ninth-best in the country while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5976">Emily Salmans</a>&nbsp;sits in 10th with a converted time of 2:17.99 in the 800m run. The 4x400m relay team of&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5975">Mattie Rossi</a>, Salmans, Holman and Savolt is also 10th nationally with a time of 3:57.93. The men's squad racked up 25.42 points thanks to 12 recognized performances from 11 individuals.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5931">Ryan Stanley</a>&nbsp;is the lone Tiger on the men's side ranked in the top 10 nationally, sitting in fourth in the pole vault after clearing the 16-6.75 bar last weekend. Additionally, the men's squad is ranked fifth in the initial Central Region rankings while the women open the year ranked eighth in the region. The Tigers will continue the indoor season this weekend with a pair of events. Some runners will travel to Topeka, Kan. on Friday (Jan. 29) for the Washburn Open with the rest of the squad heading to Kearney, Neb. on Saturday (Jan. 30) for the UNK Charlie Foster Classic.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611768894077.jpeg" alt="(Courtesy Gene Cassell, Washburn Sports Information)" />
 <figcaption>(Courtesy Gene Cassell, Washburn Sports Information)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW ORLEANS - The Fort Hays State women's track and field team was ranked 18th and the men's squad was listed at No. 21 in the initial USTFCCCA&nbsp;NCAA Division II Women's Indoor National Rating Index, released Tuesday (Jan. 26) by the coaches association. It is the first time the women have been ranked indoors since 2011 and the first time the men have been among the top 25 indoor programs since 2018. The women's team picked up 43.73 points in the computerized poll that awards points based on individual placements on the national performance chart. A total of 12 performances from eight individuals and one relay team earned points, including five performances that currently rank in the top 10 in the country. <a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5994">Alexandra Hart</a>&nbsp;is ranked fifth nationally in the high jump with a mark of 5-7.25, with&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5966">Lyric Holman</a>&nbsp;sitting in seventh in the 60m with a time of 7.65.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5977">Taylor Savolt's</a>&nbsp;mark of 39-0.25 in the triple jump is ninth-best in the country while&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5976">Emily Salmans</a>&nbsp;sits in 10th with a converted time of 2:17.99 in the 800m run. The 4x400m relay team of&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5975">Mattie Rossi</a>, Salmans, Holman and Savolt is also 10th nationally with a time of 3:57.93. The men's squad racked up 25.42 points thanks to 12 recognized performances from 11 individuals.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5931">Ryan Stanley</a>&nbsp;is the lone Tiger on the men's side ranked in the top 10 nationally, sitting in fourth in the pole vault after clearing the 16-6.75 bar last weekend. Additionally, the men's squad is ranked fifth in the initial Central Region rankings while the women open the year ranked eighth in the region. The Tigers will continue the indoor season this weekend with a pair of events. Some runners will travel to Topeka, Kan. on Friday (Jan. 29) for the Washburn Open with the rest of the squad heading to Kearney, Neb. on Saturday (Jan. 30) for the UNK Charlie Foster Classic.&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU Athletics

🏃‍♀️ FHSU women nationally ranked in initial indoor poll

🐯🏀 Watch This Week's Tiger Talk

HAYS - Hays High had a quick turnaround from their mid-season tournament in Colby as they resumed play just three days later by hosting Pratt. The game was originally scheduled for January 5th but the KSHSAA extended moratorium was pushed through January 7th requiring the game to be resheduled.

Hays opened the game on a big run and closed the game on another on their way to a 52-40 victory over Pratt Tuesday night. The Indians started the contest with a 19-6 run over a 5:30 span. Pratt spent the second and third quarter digging out of the hole.&nbsp;

The Greenbacks cut the Indian's thirteen point lead down to nine at halftime and then tied the game up at 35&nbsp; with 2:30 remaining in the third quarter, but never gained the lead. Hays closed the final 10:30 on a 17-5 run, allowing just one field goal with one minute remaining in the fourth quarter.

Hays was led in scoring by Morgan Engle with a career high 22 points. That mark is the highest totaled scored by a Hays player this year. Carly Lang added a career high 14 as the Indians improve to 4-8. Pratt falls to 3-8 on the year and were led by the 13 of Gabby Gatlin and 12 of Jaycie Theis.

The top ranked Hays High Indians scored the first ten points of the game and never looked back on their way to a 74-29 win against the Pratt Greenbacks on Tuesday night.

Jordan Dale went on his own person 10-0 in the first quarter helping push Hays to a 46-22 halftime lead. The Indians shot 66% in the first half and 61% for the game.

Hays never lifted their foot off the pedal in the second half pushing their advantage to 42 points entering the fourth quarter for a running clock.

Hays outscored Pratt in all four quarter 26-3, 20-19, 23-5 and 5-2.

Hays improves to 12-0 behind the 15 point, 11 rebound double-double of Jace Linenberger. Dalyn Schwarz scored 14, Carson Kieffer 11 and Jordan Dale 10 in the win. Pratt falls to 6-7 and was led by Matthew Shanline with 11 points.

HAYS - Hays High had a quick turnaround from their mid-season tournament in Colby as they resumed play just three days later by hosting Pratt. The game was originally scheduled for January 5th but the KSHSAA extended moratorium was pushed through January 7th requiring the game to be resheduled.GirlsHays 52 - Pratt 40Hays opened the game on a big run and closed the game on another on their way to a 52-40 victory over Pratt Tuesday night. The Indians started the contest with a 19-6 run over a 5:30 span. Pratt spent the second and third quarter digging out of the hole.&nbsp;Highlights<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/973549519&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&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/hhs-wbkb-vs-pratt-01-26-21-highlights" title="HHS WBKB Vs Pratt 01 - 26 - 21 Highlights" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHS WBKB Vs Pratt 01 - 26 - 21 Highlights</a></div></div>The Greenbacks cut the Indian's thirteen point lead down to nine at halftime and then tied the game up at 35&nbsp; with 2:30 remaining in the third quarter, but never gained the lead. Hays closed the final 10:30 on a 17-5 run, allowing just one field goal with one minute remaining in the fourth quarter.Coach Len Melvin<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/973549573&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&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/womens-coach-len-melvin-interview-1" title="Womens Coach Len Melvin Interview" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Womens Coach Len Melvin Interview</a></div></div>Hays was led in scoring by Morgan Engle with a career high 22 points. That mark is the highest totaled scored by a Hays player this year. Carly Lang added a career high 14 as the Indians improve to 4-8. Pratt falls to 3-8 on the year and were led by the 13 of Gabby Gatlin and 12 of Jaycie Theis.Boys#1 Hays 74 - Pratt 29The top ranked Hays High Indians scored the first ten points of the game and never looked back on their way to a 74-29 win against the Pratt Greenbacks on Tuesday night.Jordan Dale went on his own person 10-0 in the first quarter helping push Hays to a 46-22 halftime lead. The Indians shot 66% in the first half and 61% for the game.Highlights<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/973549495&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&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/hhs-mbkb-vs-pratt-highlights" title="HHS MBKB Vs Pratt Highlights" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHS MBKB Vs Pratt Highlights</a></div></div>Hays never lifted their foot off the pedal in the second half pushing their advantage to 42 points entering the fourth quarter for a running clock.Hays outscored Pratt in all four quarter 26-3, 20-19, 23-5 and 5-2.Coach Alex Hutchins<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/973549543&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&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/mens-coach-alex-hutchins" title="Mens Coach Alex Hutchins" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Mens Coach Alex Hutchins</a></div></div>Hays improves to 12-0 behind the 15 point, 11 rebound double-double of Jace Linenberger. Dalyn Schwarz scored 14, Carson Kieffer 11 and Jordan Dale 10 in the win. Pratt falls to 6-7 and was led by Matthew Shanline with 11 points.Hays will host Salina Central on Friday.

🏀Hays returns home to sweep Pratt

For a second straight week the Hays High Indian boys sit
atop the 5A Kansas Basketball Coaches Association rankings.

The Indians remain unbeaten on the season at 11-0 after
claiming the championship at the Orange and Black Classic in Colby for the
first time since 2001.

The TMP girls dropped one spot to number 10 in the 3A girls
rankings. TMP is coming off a fifth place finish at the MCL tournament. They
opened the tournament with a loss to Smith Center. TMP is 9-2.

The Lady Red are ranked eighth this week in 2A after winning the
MCL tournament title. Trego is ranked ninth this week. 

Kansas Basketball Coaches Association (KBCA)

GIRLS RANKINGS 6A Girls 1. Topeka High 2. Shawnee Mission Northwest 3. Dodge City 4. Washburn Rural 5. Olathe North 6. Shawnee Mission West 7. Derby 8. Wichita Heights 9. Blue Valley North 10. Garden City

5A Girls &nbsp;1. Andover Central 2. St. Thomas Aquinas 3. Lansing 4. Maize 5. Salina Central 6. KC Piper 7. Goddard Eisenhower 8. Pittsburg 9. Bishop Carroll 10. Kapaun Mt. Carmel

4A Girls 1. Bishop Miege 2. Nickerson 3. Clay Center 4. McPherson 5. Louisburg 6. Labette County 7. Andale 8. Towanda-Circle 9. Clearwater 10. Wamego

3A Girls 1. Cheney 2. Halstead 3. Nemaha Central 4. Hugoton 5. Sabetha 6. Phillipsburg 7. Osage City 8. Goodland 9. Eureka 10. Hays -TMP

2A Girls 1. Sterling 2. Garden Plain 3. Hillsboro 4. Valley Heights 5. Spearville 6. Elkhart 7. Moundridge 8. Smith Center 9. WaKeeney -Trego 10. Northern Heights

1A-Div 1-Girls 1. Olpe 2. Norwich 3. Burlingame 4. Quinter 5. Jackson Heights 6. Thunder Ridge 7. South Gray 8. Frankfort 9. Doniphan West 10. Lebo

1A-Div 2- Girls 1. Central Plains 2. Hanover 3. Golden Plains 4. Cunningham 5. St. John’s/Tipton 6. Hutch-Central Christian 7. McPherson- Elyria Christian 8. Waverly 9. Wetmore 10. St. Paul

BOYS RANKINGS 6A Boys 1. OP-Blue Valley-NW 2. Lawrence 3. OP-Blue Valley North 4. Haysville-Campus 5. Lawrence Free State 6. Shawnee Mission South 7. Olathe South 8. Washburn Rural 9. Wichita Northwest 10. Wichita Heights

&nbsp;5A Boys 1. Hays 2. Salina South 3. Maize 4. Andover 5. De Soto 6. Topeka West 7. Bishop Carroll 8. Valley Center 9. Basehor - Linwood 10. Lansing

4A Boys 1. Bishop Miege 2. Mulvane 3. Buhler 4. Augusta 5. Louisburg 6. Parsons 7. McPherson 8. Wamego 9. Abilene 10. Rose Hill

3A Boys 1. Hesston 2. Lakin 3. Cheney 4. Wichita Collegiate 5. St. Mary’s 6. Haven 7. Royal Valley 8. Hoisington 9. Rock Creek 10. Galena

2A Boys 1. Hoxie 2. Hillsboro 3. Erie 4. Berean Academy 5. Garden Plain 6. Belle Plaine 7. Lyndon 8. Hutch-Trinity Academy 9. Valley Falls 10. Howard-West Elk

&nbsp;1A-Div 1Boys 1. Little River 2. South Gray 3. Olpe 4. Clifton-Clyde 5. Meade 6. Centralia 7. Lebo 8. Sylvan-Lucas 9. Canton-Galva 10. Madison-Hamilton

&nbsp;1A-Div 2-Boys 1. Attica 2. Hanover 3. Cheylin 4. St. Francis 5. Natoma 6. Peabody-Burns 7. Logan-Palco 8. Wheatland-Grinnell 9. McPherson-Elyria Christian 10. Axtell

For a second straight week the Hays High Indian boys sit
atop the 5A Kansas Basketball Coaches Association rankings.The Indians remain unbeaten on the season at 11-0 after
claiming the championship at the Orange and Black Classic in Colby for the
first time since 2001.The TMP girls dropped one spot to number 10 in the 3A girls
rankings. TMP is coming off a fifth place finish at the MCL tournament. They
opened the tournament with a loss to Smith Center. TMP is 9-2.The Lady Red are ranked eighth this week in 2A after winning the
MCL tournament title. Trego is ranked ninth this week. Kansas Basketball Coaches Association (KBCA)GIRLS RANKINGS 6A Girls 1. Topeka High 2. Shawnee Mission Northwest 3. Dodge City 4. Washburn Rural 5. Olathe North 6. Shawnee Mission West 7. Derby 8. Wichita Heights 9. Blue Valley North 10. Garden City5A Girls &nbsp;1. Andover Central 2. St. Thomas Aquinas 3. Lansing 4. Maize 5. Salina Central 6. KC Piper 7. Goddard Eisenhower 8. Pittsburg 9. Bishop Carroll 10. Kapaun Mt. Carmel4A Girls 1. Bishop Miege 2. Nickerson 3. Clay Center 4. McPherson 5. Louisburg 6. Labette County 7. Andale 8. Towanda-Circle 9. Clearwater 10. Wamego3A Girls 1. Cheney 2. Halstead 3. Nemaha Central 4. Hugoton 5. Sabetha 6. Phillipsburg 7. Osage City 8. Goodland 9. Eureka 10. Hays -TMP2A Girls 1. Sterling 2. Garden Plain 3. Hillsboro 4. Valley Heights 5. Spearville 6. Elkhart 7. Moundridge 8. Smith Center 9. WaKeeney -Trego 10. Northern Heights1A-Div 1-Girls 1. Olpe 2. Norwich 3. Burlingame 4. Quinter 5. Jackson Heights 6. Thunder Ridge 7. South Gray 8. Frankfort 9. Doniphan West 10. Lebo1A-Div 2- Girls 1. Central Plains 2. Hanover 3. Golden Plains 4. Cunningham 5. St. John’s/Tipton 6. Hutch-Central Christian 7. McPherson- Elyria Christian 8. Waverly 9. Wetmore 10. St. PaulBOYS RANKINGS 6A Boys 1. OP-Blue Valley-NW 2. Lawrence 3. OP-Blue Valley North 4. Haysville-Campus 5. Lawrence Free State 6. Shawnee Mission South 7. Olathe South 8. Washburn Rural 9. Wichita Northwest 10. Wichita Heights&nbsp;5A Boys 1. Hays 2. Salina South 3. Maize 4. Andover 5. De Soto 6. Topeka West 7. Bishop Carroll 8. Valley Center 9. Basehor - Linwood 10. Lansing4A Boys 1. Bishop Miege 2. Mulvane 3. Buhler 4. Augusta 5. Louisburg 6. Parsons 7. McPherson 8. Wamego 9. Abilene 10. Rose Hill3A Boys 1. Hesston 2. Lakin 3. Cheney 4. Wichita Collegiate 5. St. Mary’s 6. Haven 7. Royal Valley 8. Hoisington 9. Rock Creek 10. Galena2A Boys 1. Hoxie 2. Hillsboro 3. Erie 4. Berean Academy 5. Garden Plain 6. Belle Plaine 7. Lyndon 8. Hutch-Trinity Academy 9. Valley Falls 10. Howard-West Elk&nbsp;1A-Div 1Boys 1. Little River 2. South Gray 3. Olpe 4. Clifton-Clyde 5. Meade 6. Centralia 7. Lebo 8. Sylvan-Lucas 9. Canton-Galva 10. Madison-Hamilton&nbsp;1A-Div 2-Boys 1. Attica 2. Hanover 3. Cheylin 4. St. Francis 5. Natoma 6. Peabody-Burns 7. Logan-Palco 8. Wheatland-Grinnell 9. McPherson-Elyria Christian 10. Axtell

🏀 Hays High boys ranked No. 1 for second straight week; TMP girls 9th

The Hays High Indians step out of league play to welcome to town the Pratt Greenbacks.

The girls get is set for 6 p.m. from Hays High School with the boys to follow.

You can also listen to the games on&nbsp;<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KFIX">96.9 KFIX</a>

The Hays High Indians step out of league play to welcome to town the Pratt Greenbacks.The girls get is set for 6 p.m. from Hays High School with the boys to follow.Our pregame show start at 5:40.Girls game&nbsp; <figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WsP_U-8BCwM"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Boys game<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b3ki5FGDO6k"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>You can also listen to the games on&nbsp;<a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/KFIX">96.9 KFIX</a>

 🏀WATCH: Hays High v Pratt

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Mecole Hardman trudged to the sideline as the Bills trotted onto the field, then slumped onto the bench and tossed a huge Kansas City Chiefs coat over his head like a shroud as Buffalo took advantage of his fumbled punt for an easy touchdown.

It was an enormous mistake in the opening minutes of the AFC championship game on Sunday, and Chiefs coach Andy Reid could have easily given his young wide receiver the cold shoulder. Reid could have sent someone else back to field punts the rest of the game, or directed plays designed with Hardman in mind to his plethora of other playmakers.

Instead, the old coach went right back to him.

He had Patrick Mahomes throw a pass to Hardman two plays later, then capped the ensuing 80-yard drive by scripting an inside screen play for him that went for a touchdown. And when the Chiefs got the ball back again, the first play Reid called was an end-around that went for 50 yards, setting up another touchdown that gave Kansas City a 14-9 lead.

“They’re going to be with me. They’re going to keep me up, keep me motivated — make sure I don’t have my head down,” Hardman said. “I was still mentally intact, but it’s good the coaches still have confidence in you, call some plays for you to make some plays in the game. And the type of player I am, I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity I get.”

The Chiefs never trailed again in a 38-24 victory that sent the defending champions back to the Super Bowl.

It’s not the first time that Reid has stuck with a struggling player. Whether it’s a quarterback that throws an interception or a wide receiver that drops a pass, chances are good that Reid will call specific plays to get them right back in the game.

Want another example? Think back to Sept. 8, 2017, when Kareem Hunt fumbled on his very first NFL carry.

The third-round pick, now with the Cleveland Browns, had put the Chiefs in a bind in their season opener in New England with his first fumble since his freshman year of college. But rather than sit the rookie, Reid leaned on Hunt the rest of the way, and he responded by carrying 14 times for 148 yards, catching five passes for 98 yards and scoring three TDs.

Reid downplayed the pep talk he gave to Hardman after the latest gaffe — )Hardman has a troubling history of mistakes in the punt return game. But sometimes actions speak louder than words, and besides, he had special teams coordinator Dave Toub, wide receivers coach Greg Lewis and even quarterback Patrick Mahomes to help keep his spirits up.

“Listen, just bare down, focus, watch it all the way into the tuck. Basic fundamentals,” Reid said. “Dave is the one that talked to him about all that, Greg talked to him, and then he was thrown back out there and given another chance, and he’s made plays the last couple years. He had a muff; keep him in and let’s go. That’s what we did, doggone it.”

Added his quarterback: “I just told him to keep his head up. We’ve been in that situation before,” Mahomes said. “I told him he’s going to make a play in this game that’s going to change the game, and he made multiple of them.”

The Chiefs could need him to make a few more against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They have been without Sammy Watkins since Week 16 because of a calf injury, and the veteran wide receiver was a surprise scratch on Sunday, putting pressure on Hardman and fellow wide receiver Byron Pringle to continue to pick up the slack.

Good thing Hardman’s feeling confident — thanks in large part to Reid — as Super Bowl practices get going.

“I think this team, we just have a goal in mind and we all want to achieve that goal, no matter what it takes,” he said. “We are a group of guys that want to be perfect and strive for that perfection, no matter what we do. We could have done that better, this better, we left too many plays out there (against Buffalo). We always want to improve on what we do, and that’s what separates us. I think we’re going to take that same mentality into the Super Bowl.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Mecole Hardman trudged to the sideline as the Bills trotted onto the field, then slumped onto the bench and tossed a huge Kansas City Chiefs coat over his head like a shroud as Buffalo took advantage of his fumbled punt for an easy touchdown.It was an enormous mistake in the opening minutes of the AFC championship game on Sunday, and Chiefs coach Andy Reid could have easily given his young wide receiver the cold shoulder. Reid could have sent someone else back to field punts the rest of the game, or directed plays designed with Hardman in mind to his plethora of other playmakers.Instead, the old coach went right back to him.He had Patrick Mahomes throw a pass to Hardman two plays later, then capped the ensuing 80-yard drive by scripting an inside screen play for him that went for a touchdown. And when the Chiefs got the ball back again, the first play Reid called was an end-around that went for 50 yards, setting up another touchdown that gave Kansas City a 14-9 lead.“They’re going to be with me. They’re going to keep me up, keep me motivated — make sure I don’t have my head down,” Hardman said. “I was still mentally intact, but it’s good the coaches still have confidence in you, call some plays for you to make some plays in the game. And the type of player I am, I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity I get.”The Chiefs never trailed again in a 38-24 victory that sent the defending champions back to the Super Bowl.It’s not the first time that Reid has stuck with a struggling player. Whether it’s a quarterback that throws an interception or a wide receiver that drops a pass, chances are good that Reid will call specific plays to get them right back in the game.Want another example? Think back to Sept. 8, 2017, when Kareem Hunt fumbled on his very first NFL carry.The third-round pick, now with the Cleveland Browns, had put the Chiefs in a bind in their season opener in New England with his first fumble since his freshman year of college. But rather than sit the rookie, Reid leaned on Hunt the rest of the way, and he responded by carrying 14 times for 148 yards, catching five passes for 98 yards and scoring three TDs.Reid downplayed the pep talk he gave to Hardman after the latest gaffe — )Hardman has a troubling history of mistakes in the punt return game. But sometimes actions speak louder than words, and besides, he had special teams coordinator Dave Toub, wide receivers coach Greg Lewis and even quarterback Patrick Mahomes to help keep his spirits up.“Listen, just bare down, focus, watch it all the way into the tuck. Basic fundamentals,” Reid said. “Dave is the one that talked to him about all that, Greg talked to him, and then he was thrown back out there and given another chance, and he’s made plays the last couple years. He had a muff; keep him in and let’s go. That’s what we did, doggone it.”Added his quarterback: “I just told him to keep his head up. We’ve been in that situation before,” Mahomes said. “I told him he’s going to make a play in this game that’s going to change the game, and he made multiple of them.”The Chiefs could need him to make a few more against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They have been without Sammy Watkins since Week 16 because of a calf injury, and the veteran wide receiver was a surprise scratch on Sunday, putting pressure on Hardman and fellow wide receiver Byron Pringle to continue to pick up the slack.Good thing Hardman’s feeling confident — thanks in large part to Reid — as Super Bowl practices get going.“I think this team, we just have a goal in mind and we all want to achieve that goal, no matter what it takes,” he said. “We are a group of guys that want to be perfect and strive for that perfection, no matter what we do. We could have done that better, this better, we left too many plays out there (against Buffalo). We always want to improve on what we do, and that’s what separates us. I think we’re going to take that same mentality into the Super Bowl.”

🏈 Chiefs coach Reid’s patience in struggling players pays off

Fort Hays State women's basketball coach Tony Hobson and men's coach Mark Johnson held their weekly press conference Tuesday.

The Tiger women travel to Kearney to take on the Lopers Thursday. Both teams then host UNK Saturday afternoon at Gross Coliseum.

Fort Hays State women's basketball coach Tony Hobson and men's coach Mark Johnson held their weekly press conference Tuesday.The Tiger women travel to Kearney to take on the Lopers Thursday. Both teams then host UNK Saturday afternoon at Gross Coliseum.<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/973208323&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/tony-hobson-weekly-press-conference-012621" title="Tony Hobson Weekly Press Conference 012621" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Tony Hobson Weekly Press Conference 012621</a></div></div><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/973209103&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/mark-johnson-weekly-press-conference-1" title="Mark Johnson Weekly Press Conference 012621" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Mark Johnson Weekly Press Conference 012621</a></div></div>

🏀🎧 FHSU coaches hold weekly press conference  

HAYS, Kan. - Due to the winter storm in the area, Tuesday's Fort Hays State women's basketball road game at Nebraska-Kearney has been rescheduled to Thursday, January 28 inside the UNK Health and Sports Center. First tip in the women's-only contest remains scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The Tigers and Lopers were originally slated to play in Kearney on December 5, but the contest was postponed due to COVID-19 protocol. The teams will turn around and play their originally scheduled contest in Hays on Saturday (Jan. 30) beginning at 2 p.m. with the men's game to follow. This is the 95th meeting all-time between FHSU and UNK. The Tigers hold&nbsp;a 56-38 lead in the series, including wins in 17 of the last 20 meetings. FHSU has played and defeated UNK more often than any other program. The Lopers, currently ranked No. 4 in the D2SIDA national media poll, head into the week atop the MIAA standings at 12-0. At 9-2 on the year, Fort Hays State currently sits in third in the conference standings, one-half game behind Central Missouri and two games back of the Lopers. Tickets will be available for purchase beginning Wednesday morning (Jan. 27) at 9 a.m. via the following&nbsp;<a href="https://unklopers.universitytickets.com/w/default.aspx">link</a>. The Health &amp; Sports Center will be limited to 25 percent capacity. Ticket sales will only be available in advance, no tickets will be available at the gate.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611611485724.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HAYS, Kan. - Due to the winter storm in the area, Tuesday's Fort Hays State women's basketball road game at Nebraska-Kearney has been rescheduled to Thursday, January 28 inside the UNK Health and Sports Center. First tip in the women's-only contest remains scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The Tigers and Lopers were originally slated to play in Kearney on December 5, but the contest was postponed due to COVID-19 protocol. The teams will turn around and play their originally scheduled contest in Hays on Saturday (Jan. 30) beginning at 2 p.m. with the men's game to follow. This is the 95th meeting all-time between FHSU and UNK. The Tigers hold&nbsp;a 56-38 lead in the series, including wins in 17 of the last 20 meetings. FHSU has played and defeated UNK more often than any other program. The Lopers, currently ranked No. 4 in the D2SIDA national media poll, head into the week atop the MIAA standings at 12-0. At 9-2 on the year, Fort Hays State currently sits in third in the conference standings, one-half game behind Central Missouri and two games back of the Lopers. Tickets will be available for purchase beginning Wednesday morning (Jan. 27) at 9 a.m. via the following&nbsp;<a href="https://unklopers.universitytickets.com/w/default.aspx">link</a>. The Health &amp; Sports Center will be limited to 25 percent capacity. Ticket sales will only be available in advance, no tickets will be available at the gate.&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU Athletics

🏀 FHSU women's game at UNK moved to Thursday

Tiger Talk from Monday, January 25, 2021.

Tiger Talk airs Monday's at 12:15pm on KAYS (94.3-FM, 1400-AM) live from the Golden Q in Hays.

Tiger Talk from Monday, January 25, 2021.Tiger Talk airs Monday's at 12:15pm on KAYS (94.3-FM, 1400-AM) live from the Golden Q in Hays.<div><iframe title="Tiger Talk (Jan. 25, 2021)" height="122" width="100%" style="border: none;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/media/player/eqttj-f89920?from=pb6admin&download=1&version=1&auto=0&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Helvetica&skin=1&pfauth=&btn-skin=102"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: Tiger Talk

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — It took the Kansas City Chiefs five frustrating decades to make their third Super Bowl appearance.

Now, the defending champs are headed there for the second straight year.

Showing no lingering effects from his concussion, Patrick Mahomes sliced up Buffalo’s secondary with ruthless efficiency Sunday night, helping the Chiefs roll to a 38-24 victory over Josh Allen and the Bills in the AFC championship game.

The reigning Super Bowl MVP finished with 325 yards passing and three touchdowns, most of it to favorite targets Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, who complemented their star quarterback with a record-setting night of their own.

The Chiefs will face a familiar foe — Tom Brady — and the&nbsp;<a href="https://pro32.ap.org/article/road-warriors-bucs-win-31-26-green-bay-reach-super-bowl" target="_blank">NFC champ Buccaneers&nbsp;</a>in two weeks in Tampa, Florida.

“It was just trusting each other. The best thing about this team is we believe in each other,” said Mahomes, who was also dealing with a toe injury. “But the job’s not finished. We’re going to Tampa; we’re trying to run it back.”

Kelce finished with 13 catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns, and Hill added nine catches for 172 yards, becoming the first duo in NFL history with consecutive games of at least 100 yards receiving each in a single postseason.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Darrel Williams added short TD runs for the Chiefs, who will try to become the eighth franchise and first team since&nbsp;<a href="https://pro32.ap.org/article/column-greatness-defined-brady-makes-10th-super-bowl" target="_blank">the Brady-led New England Patriots</a>&nbsp;in 2003 and ’04 to defend the Lombardi Trophy.

“So glad to get to do it again,” said Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, whose father Lamar founded the franchise. “Thought a lot about my dad tonight, thought about my family and how excited my father would have been that we got to do it again in Arrowhead Stadium. That’s what he would have liked the most about it.”

Allen, who had his worst game of the season in a Week 6 loss to the Chiefs, again struggled against the blitzing Kansas City defense. He finished with 287 yards passing with two touchdowns and an interception, but a big chunk of his numbers came as the Bills tried to rally from a 38-15 deficit in the final minutes.

Their frustration boiled over with 3:19 to go, when Allen was getting sacked by Tanoh Kpassagnon. Alex Okafor finished off the tackle, and Allen pitched the ball in his face in resentment. Offensive linemen Jon Feliciano and Dion Dawkins rushed in and leveled Okafor, resulting in a flood of offsetting personal foul penalties.

“Obviously a lot of emotion,” Allen said. “Any time you don’t finish the season with a win, that’s the type of emotion you’re going to have. The way it ended doesn’t sit right with me with how chippy and ticky-tack it got. I’m disappointed in myself. I let my emotions get to me there. That’s not how you’re supposed to play football.”

It capped a bitter night for the Bills, who had reached their first AFC title game since beating Kansas City at home on Jan. 1, 1994. They had won 11 of 12 since their loss to the Chiefs earlier this season — in fact, they hadn’t trailed in the second half since Week 8 — and were riding a wave of confidence that this might finally be their championship year.

Instead, after finally conquering the Patriots in the AFC East, the Bills have a new roadblock to the Super Bowl.

“It stings to get this far,” said Bills coach Sean McDermott, who once worked under Chiefs counterpart Andy Reid in Philadelphia. “Sometimes the further you go, the harder it is to lose. It’s a learning experience for us as an organization.”

The Chiefs actually&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1353495857342124032?s=20" target="_blank">spotted the Bills a 9-0 lead</a>, thanks in large part to Mecole Hardman’s muffed punt inside their 5 that gifted Buffalo a touchdown. But the reigning champs were hardly rattled; the Chiefs, after all, rallied from double-digits in each of their postseason wins last season, including their Super Bowl triumph over San Francisco.

Mahomes and Kelce soon found their groove. And the rest of the Chiefs offense followed suit.

They surgically took apart Buffalo’s defense on a 14-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1353497977055113216?s=20" target="_blank">short TD throw to Hardman</a>&nbsp;— no hard feelings over that fumble. Then, the Chiefs cruised 82 yards in just five plays, the big one Hardman’s 50-yard end-around that set up&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1353504028655665152?s=20" target="_blank">Williams’ touchdown tumble</a>. Finally, they made it three TDs in three possessions when Edwards-Helaire — in his first game back from an ankle injury —&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1353508703148752896?s=20" target="_blank">capped a 77-yard drive</a>&nbsp;with a short plunge.

The only answer from Buffalo was Tyler Bass’s chip-shot field goal that made it 21-12 at the break.

You don’t beat Kansas City by kicking field goals from the 3-yard line, though. Or from the 9, where the Bills settled for another one to close within 24-15 late in the third quarter.

That became painfully clear on the ensuing drive. Mahomes hit Hill in stride and the All-Pro wide receiver promptly made the Bills secondary&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1353523615296155648?s=20" target="_blank">look downright foolish</a>. Weaving in and out of woebegone defenders, Hill was finally caught inside the 5-yard line after a 71-yard gain, ultimately setting up&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1353524199021637633?s=20" target="_blank">Kelce’s short TD catch</a>&nbsp;a few plays later.

“You watch him on film, you see what he’s doing. It’s like he’s running at a different speed compared to everybody else,” Bills safety Micah Hyde said. “And tonight, we saw first-hand for the second time. He’s fast.”

Any hopes the Bills had of a comeback were dashed when Rashad Fenton picked off a tipped pass deep in Kansas City territory. The Chiefs breezily marched the other direction, and Mahomes and Kelce kicked off the celebration of another trip to the Super Bowl when they connected for their second score of the game.

“I’m proud of these guys,” said Reid, who moved into a tie with Joe Gibbs for fourth on the career list with his 17th playoff win. “They did a phenomenal job, and hats off to the Buffalo Bills and the great job they did all year, and most of all, listen, we have the Lamar Hunt Trophy back in Kansas City.

Chiefs: RG Andrew Wylie hurt his knee early in the second half and LT Eric Fisher limped off in the fourth quarter with an injury to his Achilles’ tendon. ... CB L’Jarius Sneed and SS Armani Watts were evaluated for concussions.

The Chiefs and Buccaneers have only played 13 times, and Kansas City had lost five straight before a 27-24 win in Tampa on Nov. 29 — a game that wasn’t as close as the final score. Brady is 5-5 in his career against the Chiefs, including an overtime victory with the Patriots in the AFC title game at Arrowhead Stadium two years ago.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — It took the Kansas City Chiefs five frustrating decades to make their third Super Bowl appearance.Now, the defending champs are headed there for the second straight year.Showing no lingering effects from his concussion, Patrick Mahomes sliced up Buffalo’s secondary with ruthless efficiency Sunday night, helping the Chiefs roll to a 38-24 victory over Josh Allen and the Bills in the AFC championship game.The reigning Super Bowl MVP finished with 325 yards passing and three touchdowns, most of it to favorite targets Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, who complemented their star quarterback with a record-setting night of their own.The Chiefs will face a familiar foe — Tom Brady — and the&nbsp;<a href="https://pro32.ap.org/article/road-warriors-bucs-win-31-26-green-bay-reach-super-bowl" target="_blank">NFC champ Buccaneers&nbsp;</a>in two weeks in Tampa, Florida.“It was just trusting each other. The best thing about this team is we believe in each other,” said Mahomes, who was also dealing with a toe injury. “But the job’s not finished. We’re going to Tampa; we’re trying to run it back.”Kelce finished with 13 catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns, and Hill added nine catches for 172 yards, becoming the first duo in NFL history with consecutive games of at least 100 yards receiving each in a single postseason.Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Darrel Williams added short TD runs for the Chiefs, who will try to become the eighth franchise and first team since&nbsp;<a href="https://pro32.ap.org/article/column-greatness-defined-brady-makes-10th-super-bowl" target="_blank">the Brady-led New England Patriots</a>&nbsp;in 2003 and ’04 to defend the Lombardi Trophy.“So glad to get to do it again,” said Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, whose father Lamar founded the franchise. “Thought a lot about my dad tonight, thought about my family and how excited my father would have been that we got to do it again in Arrowhead Stadium. That’s what he would have liked the most about it.”Allen, who had his worst game of the season in a Week 6 loss to the Chiefs, again struggled against the blitzing Kansas City defense. He finished with 287 yards passing with two touchdowns and an interception, but a big chunk of his numbers came as the Bills tried to rally from a 38-15 deficit in the final minutes.Their frustration boiled over with 3:19 to go, when Allen was getting sacked by Tanoh Kpassagnon. Alex Okafor finished off the tackle, and Allen pitched the ball in his face in resentment. Offensive linemen Jon Feliciano and Dion Dawkins rushed in and leveled Okafor, resulting in a flood of offsetting personal foul penalties.“Obviously a lot of emotion,” Allen said. “Any time you don’t finish the season with a win, that’s the type of emotion you’re going to have. The way it ended doesn’t sit right with me with how chippy and ticky-tack it got. I’m disappointed in myself. I let my emotions get to me there. That’s not how you’re supposed to play football.”It capped a bitter night for the Bills, who had reached their first AFC title game since beating Kansas City at home on Jan. 1, 1994. They had won 11 of 12 since their loss to the Chiefs earlier this season — in fact, they hadn’t trailed in the second half since Week 8 — and were riding a wave of confidence that this might finally be their championship year.Instead, after finally conquering the Patriots in the AFC East, the Bills have a new roadblock to the Super Bowl.“It stings to get this far,” said Bills coach Sean McDermott, who once worked under Chiefs counterpart Andy Reid in Philadelphia. “Sometimes the further you go, the harder it is to lose. It’s a learning experience for us as an organization.”The Chiefs actually&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1353495857342124032?s=20" target="_blank">spotted the Bills a 9-0 lead</a>, thanks in large part to Mecole Hardman’s muffed punt inside their 5 that gifted Buffalo a touchdown. But the reigning champs were hardly rattled; the Chiefs, after all, rallied from double-digits in each of their postseason wins last season, including their Super Bowl triumph over San Francisco.Mahomes and Kelce soon found their groove. And the rest of the Chiefs offense followed suit.They surgically took apart Buffalo’s defense on a 14-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1353497977055113216?s=20" target="_blank">short TD throw to Hardman</a>&nbsp;— no hard feelings over that fumble. Then, the Chiefs cruised 82 yards in just five plays, the big one Hardman’s 50-yard end-around that set up&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1353504028655665152?s=20" target="_blank">Williams’ touchdown tumble</a>. Finally, they made it three TDs in three possessions when Edwards-Helaire — in his first game back from an ankle injury —&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1353508703148752896?s=20" target="_blank">capped a 77-yard drive</a>&nbsp;with a short plunge.The only answer from Buffalo was Tyler Bass’s chip-shot field goal that made it 21-12 at the break.You don’t beat Kansas City by kicking field goals from the 3-yard line, though. Or from the 9, where the Bills settled for another one to close within 24-15 late in the third quarter.That became painfully clear on the ensuing drive. Mahomes hit Hill in stride and the All-Pro wide receiver promptly made the Bills secondary&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1353523615296155648?s=20" target="_blank">look downright foolish</a>. Weaving in and out of woebegone defenders, Hill was finally caught inside the 5-yard line after a 71-yard gain, ultimately setting up&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1353524199021637633?s=20" target="_blank">Kelce’s short TD catch</a>&nbsp;a few plays later.“You watch him on film, you see what he’s doing. It’s like he’s running at a different speed compared to everybody else,” Bills safety Micah Hyde said. “And tonight, we saw first-hand for the second time. He’s fast.”Any hopes the Bills had of a comeback were dashed when Rashad Fenton picked off a tipped pass deep in Kansas City territory. The Chiefs breezily marched the other direction, and Mahomes and Kelce kicked off the celebration of another trip to the Super Bowl when they connected for their second score of the game.“I’m proud of these guys,” said Reid, who moved into a tie with Joe Gibbs for fourth on the career list with his 17th playoff win. “They did a phenomenal job, and hats off to the Buffalo Bills and the great job they did all year, and most of all, listen, we have the Lamar Hunt Trophy back in Kansas City.“Now we have to get the big one.”INJURIESChiefs: RG Andrew Wylie hurt his knee early in the second half and LT Eric Fisher limped off in the fourth quarter with an injury to his Achilles’ tendon. ... CB L’Jarius Sneed and SS Armani Watts were evaluated for concussions.UP NEXTThe Chiefs and Buccaneers have only played 13 times, and Kansas City had lost five straight before a 27-24 win in Tampa on Nov. 29 — a game that wasn’t as close as the final score. Brady is 5-5 in his career against the Chiefs, including an overtime victory with the Patriots in the AFC title game at Arrowhead Stadium two years ago.

🏈 Reigning champion Chiefs dump Bills in AFC title game

COLBY - Hays High played in their eighth Colby Orange &amp; Black Classic championship Sunday evening against the host school Colby.

Hays scored the games first ten points over a three minute span and would never lead by less than eight for rest of the game. The Indians led by ten after the first quarter (18-8) and sixteen at halftime (35-19).

Colby would outscore the Indians in the second half 28-21 but again never get closer than eight points. The Eagles made ten three pointers but it wasn't enough to close the game as Hays won their first title in Colby since 2003 by the score of 56-47.

Carson Kieffer led the Indians with 14 points while Jace Linenberger and Dalyn Schwarz scored 13 a piece.

Kieffer, Linenberger, Schwarz and Jordan Dale were all named to the All-Tournament team. Kieffer was name the Most Valuable Player, the first Hays High player to named to that award since Marcus Watts in 2001. Dale was the Off the Bench winner. It's the third straight year the Indians have had a player receive that honor. Schwarz was also named to the Academic team and coach Alex Hutchins was named Coach of the Tournament.

Hays improves to 11-0 on the year. Colby falls to 6-5.&nbsp;

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611521687762.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>COLBY - Hays High played in their eighth Colby Orange &amp; Black Classic championship Sunday evening against the host school Colby.Hays scored the games first ten points over a three minute span and would never lead by less than eight for rest of the game. The Indians led by ten after the first quarter (18-8) and sixteen at halftime (35-19).Highlights<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/971495677%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-3OJzddkDr0z&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&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-814667509/01-23-21-hhs-mbkb-vs-colby-highlights/s-3OJzddkDr0z" title="01 - 23 - 21 HHS MBKB Vs Colby Highlights" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">01 - 23 - 21 HHS MBKB Vs Colby Highlights</a></div></div>Colby would outscore the Indians in the second half 28-21 but again never get closer than eight points. The Eagles made ten three pointers but it wasn't enough to close the game as Hays won their first title in Colby since 2003 by the score of 56-47.Carson Kieffer led the Indians with 14 points while Jace Linenberger and Dalyn Schwarz scored 13 a piece.Coach Alex Hutchins<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/971495635&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&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/mens-coach-inerview-alex-hutchins" title="Mens Coach Inerview Alex Hutchins 01-23-21" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Mens Coach Inerview Alex Hutchins 01-23-21</a></div></div>Kieffer, Linenberger, Schwarz and Jordan Dale were all named to the All-Tournament team. Kieffer was name the Most Valuable Player, the first Hays High player to named to that award since Marcus Watts in 2001. Dale was the Off the Bench winner. It's the third straight year the Indians have had a player receive that honor. Schwarz was also named to the Academic team and coach Alex Hutchins was named Coach of the Tournament.Hays improves to 11-0 on the year. Colby falls to 6-5.&nbsp;

🏀 Hays boys win first Orange & Black title since 2001

The TMP-Marian Monarch boys and girls basketball teams
closed out the Mid-Continent League Saturday with a pair of wins over the Ellis
Railroaders. 

The TMP boys never trailed on their way to their way to a
68-38 win in the third-place game.

The girls used a strong second half to pull away for the
58-52 win in the fifth-place game.

The Monarchs wasted little time jumping out to an early lead
12-2 lead. Jackson Schulte scored eight of his team-high 18 points in the first
half as the Monarchs built an 18-8 lead first quarter lead.

TMP opened the second quarter on an 11-2 run with Schulte
and Dylan Werth combining to score all 11 points as TMP led at that point
29-10.

The Monarchs were able to build a 24-point lead in the
second quarter at 39-15.

In the third quarter the Monarchs led by as many as 33 at
56-23. With the continues clock in the fourth quarter TMP clinched the 68-38 win.

Schulte’s 18 points led three Monarchs in double-figures.
Dylan Werth finished with 14 points and Lucas Lang added 13.

The TMP boys improved to 8-3 while Ellis dropped to 8-3.

After a pair of early ties TMP jumped out to an 8-4 lead and
led after one quarter 10-7. Emilee Lane scored six of hear eight points in the
first quarter.

Ellis’ Emily Eck scored the first eight points of the second
quarter and helped Ellis build a 15-10 lead. Ellis was able to hold onto the
lead until the end of the first half when TMP’s Megan Hamel drained a three
from just across half-court tying the game at 23.

After ending the first half on a 9-4 run the Monarchs opened
the second half on a 7-0 run to go up 30-23.

TMP was able to build an 11-point third quarter before Ellis
pulled within six at the end of three at 39-33.

In the fourth quarter TMP led by 10 twice on their way to
the 58-52 win.

Kyleigh Allen finished with a team-high 13 points and Jaci
VonLintel added 12 and Megan Hamel finished with 10 points.

Hannah Schiel scored a career-high 11 points for Ellis.

TMP improves to 9-2 with the win while Ellis drops to 7-4.

The TMP-Marian Monarch boys and girls basketball teams
closed out the Mid-Continent League Saturday with a pair of wins over the Ellis
Railroaders. The TMP boys never trailed on their way to their way to a
68-38 win in the third-place game.The girls used a strong second half to pull away for the
58-52 win in the fifth-place game.Boys: TMP 68, 38The Monarchs wasted little time jumping out to an early lead
12-2 lead. Jackson Schulte scored eight of his team-high 18 points in the first
half as the Monarchs built an 18-8 lead first quarter lead.TMP opened the second quarter on an 11-2 run with Schulte
and Dylan Werth combining to score all 11 points as TMP led at that point
29-10.The Monarchs were able to build a 24-point lead in the
second quarter at 39-15.In the third quarter the Monarchs led by as many as 33 at
56-23. With the continues clock in the fourth quarter TMP clinched the 68-38 win.Coach Bill Meagher<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/971445385&color=%23013c7b&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-814667509/01-23-21-tmp-boys-interview" title="01 - 23 - 21 TMP coach Bill Meagher" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">01 - 23 - 21 TMP coach Bill Meagher</a></div></div>Schulte’s 18 points led three Monarchs in double-figures.
Dylan Werth finished with 14 points and Lucas Lang added 13.Game Highlights<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/971445442&color=%23013c7b&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-814667509/01-23-21-tmp-boys-highlights" title="01 - 23 - 21 TMP boys highlights vs Ellis" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">01 - 23 - 21 TMP boys highlights vs Ellis</a></div></div>The TMP boys improved to 8-3 while Ellis dropped to 8-3.Girls: TMP 58, Ellis 52After a pair of early ties TMP jumped out to an 8-4 lead and
led after one quarter 10-7. Emilee Lane scored six of hear eight points in the
first quarter.Ellis’ Emily Eck scored the first eight points of the second
quarter and helped Ellis build a 15-10 lead. Ellis was able to hold onto the
lead until the end of the first half when TMP’s Megan Hamel drained a three
from just across half-court tying the game at 23.After ending the first half on a 9-4 run the Monarchs opened
the second half on a 7-0 run to go up 30-23.TMP was able to build an 11-point third quarter before Ellis
pulled within six at the end of three at 39-33.In the fourth quarter TMP led by 10 twice on their way to
the 58-52 win.Coach Rose McFarland<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/971316685&color=%23013c7b&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-814667509/01-23-21-tmp-girls-coach-int" title="01 - 23 - 21 TMP coach Rose McFarland" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">01 - 23 - 21 TMP coach Rose McFarland</a></div></div>Kyleigh Allen finished with a team-high 13 points and Jaci
VonLintel added 12 and Megan Hamel finished with 10 points.Hannah Schiel scored a career-high 11 points for Ellis.Game highlights<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/971316601&color=%23013c7b&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-814667509/01-23-21-tmp-girls-highlights" title="01 - 23 - 21 TMP girls Highlights vs Ellis" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">01 - 23 - 21 TMP girls Highlights vs Ellis</a></div></div>TMP improves to 9-2 with the win while Ellis drops to 7-4.

🏀TMP boys finish 3rd; Monarch girls 5th at MCL tournament

HAYS - The Hays High boys wrestling team had three first place finishes at Saturday's Bob Kuhn Senior Prairie Classic.

Junior Gavin Meyers went 4-0 to take the 220 pound title. Meyers won by fall in the first period of all four of his matches.

Fellow junior Dalton Dale won the title at 152 pounds, winning the title match by fall.

HAYS - The Hays High boys wrestling team had three first place finishes at Saturday's Bob Kuhn Senior Prairie Classic.Junior Gavin Meyers went 4-0 to take the 220 pound title. Meyers won by fall in the first period of all four of his matches.Fellow junior Dalton Dale won the title at 152 pounds, winning the title match by fall.Freshman Harley Zimmerman won at 126.Ashton Putz finished runner-up at 195.

🤼 HHS wins three titles at Bob Kuhn Sr. Prairie Classic

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Miles McBride scored 18 points to help No. 14 West Virginia beat Kansas State 69-47 on Saturday in the Mountaineers’ first game in two weeks because of COVID-19 protocols..

Jalen Bridges added 12 points and Taz Sherman had 10 for West Virginia (10-4, 3-3 Big 12).

“I thought we were a bit rusty offensively, but defensively we stepped up and played one of our best games of the year,” McBride said. “We’ve been watching a lot of film and getting mental reps. Guys that could get on the floor did and we worked a lot on defense.”

Mike McGuirl led Kansas State (5-11, 1-7 Big 12) with 15 points, and Selton Miguel had 10. The Wildcats had 28 turnovers, the most by a Big 12 team this season and the most in a game under coach Bruce Weber. West Virginia scored 26 points off those mistakes.

“That’s the difference in the game,” Weber said. “We have to play stronger, but we got our butts kicked.”

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Miles McBride scored 18 points to help No. 14 West Virginia beat Kansas State 69-47 on Saturday in the Mountaineers’ first game in two weeks because of COVID-19 protocols..Jalen Bridges added 12 points and Taz Sherman had 10 for West Virginia (10-4, 3-3 Big 12).“I thought we were a bit rusty offensively, but defensively we stepped up and played one of our best games of the year,” McBride said. “We’ve been watching a lot of film and getting mental reps. Guys that could get on the floor did and we worked a lot on defense.”Mike McGuirl led Kansas State (5-11, 1-7 Big 12) with 15 points, and Selton Miguel had 10. The Wildcats had 28 turnovers, the most by a Big 12 team this season and the most in a game under coach Bruce Weber. West Virginia scored 26 points off those mistakes.“That’s the difference in the game,” Weber said. “We have to play stronger, but we got our butts kicked.”The Wildcats got within eight points in the second half, but Sherman hit a two 3-pointers in an 8-0 run for West Virginia.“The guys that had been working out looked good, but the other guys struggled,” West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. “We’ve got to get those guys back in playing shape which is hard with our schedule.”Huggins said this was a good because the team hasn’t been all together in 14 days.“It was big since we came off a loss two weeks ago and then got hit with COVID,” he said. “We really hadn’t had a time where we had more than four guys recently. Had to get anything done with that.”BIG PICTUREWest Virginia: Played well in its first game back in 14 days, but it helped to play one of the worst teams in the conference.Kansas State: Had way too many turnovers to stand a chance. The Wildcats have lost five straight games by double digits.UP NEXTWest Virginia: Hosts Texas Tech on Monday night.Kansas State: At Baylor on Wednesday night.