LILBURN, Ga. - The Fort Hays State women's basketball team will ring in the new year as the third-ranked team in the country after the Tigers jumped two spots in the latest WBCA NCAA Division II Coaches Poll, released Tuesday by the coaches association.

The Tigers accumulated 509 points in the balloting process, 56 points behind top-ranked Grand Valley State. Pittsburg State is the only other MIAA team mentioned in this week's poll, with the Gorillas slotted 14th.

The 11-0 Tigers are one of four remaining undefeated teams in Division II and one of 20 undefeated teams across all divisions of NCAA women's basketball (seven DI, nine DIII). Other DII yet to lose this season include fifth-ranked Cal State Dominguez Hills (12-0), seventh-ranked North Georgia (10-0) and unranked Chowan (7-0).

This is the 110th time the Tigers have been ranked in the national coaches poll during the program's DII era. It is the 10th time FHSU has been ranked third, the 42nd time they have been in the top five and the 71st time the Tigers have occupied a spot in the top 10. It's the first time the Tigers have been ranked third in the country since January 4, 2022.

Fort Hays State is 168-43 when ranked in the poll, including a 20-6 mark when ranked third, a 72-16 record when ranked in the top five and a 117-24 mark when ranked in the top 10.After a pair of wins in Hawaii as the fifth-ranked team in the country, FHSU has now played 28 games when ranked fifth, more than any other spot in the poll. The Tigers will match that total this week when they play twice as the third-ranked team. FHSU will resume conference play Thursday (Jan. 2, 5:30 p.m.) when they take on Northwest Missouri State on the road before taking on Missouri Western on Saturday (Jan. 4, 1:30 p.m.).

WBCA NCAA DII Coaches Poll - December 31, 2024 Rk. - School (1st) - W-L - Pts. - Last 1 - Grand Valley State (19) - 12-1 - 565 - 1 2 - Texas Woman's (2) - 11-1 - 542 - 2 3 - Fort Hays State - 11-0 - 509 - 5 T4 - Bentley - 11-1 - 498 - 5 T5 - Cal State Dominguez Hills (1) - 12-0 - 479 - 9 6 - Montana State Billings - 13-2 - 434 - 3 7 - North Georgia (1) - 10-0 - 366 - 18 8 - Azusa Pacific - 10-1 - 363 - 11 9 - Gannon - 13-2 - 361 - 4 10 - Minnesota State Mankato - 11-2 - 351 - 13 11 - Seton Hill - 12-1 - 293 - 12 12 - Tampa - 11-2 - 290 - 15 13 - Union (Tenn.) - 10-2 - 272 - 17 14 - Pittsburg State - 10-2 - 261 - 8 15 - Carson-Newman - 10-2 - 258 - 10 16 - Concordia-St. Paul - 12-1 - 227 - 14 17 - Cal Poly Pomona - 9-1 - 225 - 23 18 - Texas-Tyler - 9-2 - 212 - 16 19 - Ashland - 11-3 - 179 - 21 20 - Lubbock Christian - 10-3 - 165 - 7 21 - Embry-Riddle - 10-1 - 110 - 25 22 - Nova Southeastern - 9-2 - 77 - RV 23 - Coker - 10-1 - 64 - RV 24 - Belmont Abbey - 10-2 - 61 - RV 25 - Southwest Minnesota State - 11-2 - 47 - RV

Dropped Out:&nbsp;No. 19 Ferris State (8-3); No. 20 Lee, TN (9-3); No. 22 Northern Michigan (8-2); No. 24 Central Washington (8-2).

Receiving Votes:&nbsp;Francis Marion (9-1) 42; Indiana, PA (10-1) 38; Assumption (10-2) 32; California State L.A. (7-2) 26; Ferris State (8-3) 25; Alaska Anchorage (11-2) 18; Fairmont State (9-3)16; Miles (7-2) 15; Harding (9-2) 13; UNC Pembroke (10-3) 9; Northern Michigan (8-2) 7; Central Washington (8-2 5; West Virginia Wesleyan (9-1) 5; Lee, TN, (9-3) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1735681499666.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsLILBURN, Ga. - The Fort Hays State women's basketball team will ring in the new year as the third-ranked team in the country after the Tigers jumped two spots in the latest WBCA NCAA Division II Coaches Poll, released Tuesday by the coaches association.The Tigers accumulated 509 points in the balloting process, 56 points behind top-ranked Grand Valley State. Pittsburg State is the only other MIAA team mentioned in this week's poll, with the Gorillas slotted 14th.The 11-0 Tigers are one of four remaining undefeated teams in Division II and one of 20 undefeated teams across all divisions of NCAA women's basketball (seven DI, nine DIII). Other DII yet to lose this season include fifth-ranked Cal State Dominguez Hills (12-0), seventh-ranked North Georgia (10-0) and unranked Chowan (7-0).This is the 110th time the Tigers have been ranked in the national coaches poll during the program's DII era. It is the 10th time FHSU has been ranked third, the 42nd time they have been in the top five and the 71st time the Tigers have occupied a spot in the top 10. It's the first time the Tigers have been ranked third in the country since January 4, 2022.Fort Hays State is 168-43 when ranked in the poll, including a 20-6 mark when ranked third, a 72-16 record when ranked in the top five and a 117-24 mark when ranked in the top 10.After a pair of wins in Hawaii as the fifth-ranked team in the country, FHSU has now played 28 games when ranked fifth, more than any other spot in the poll. The Tigers will match that total this week when they play twice as the third-ranked team. FHSU will resume conference play Thursday (Jan. 2, 5:30 p.m.) when they take on Northwest Missouri State on the road before taking on Missouri Western on Saturday (Jan. 4, 1:30 p.m.).WBCA NCAA DII Coaches Poll - December 31, 2024 Rk. - School (1st) - W-L - Pts. - Last 1 - Grand Valley State (19) - 12-1 - 565 - 1 2 - Texas Woman's (2) - 11-1 - 542 - 2 3 - Fort Hays State - 11-0 - 509 - 5 T4 - Bentley - 11-1 - 498 - 5 T5 - Cal State Dominguez Hills (1) - 12-0 - 479 - 9 6 - Montana State Billings - 13-2 - 434 - 3 7 - North Georgia (1) - 10-0 - 366 - 18 8 - Azusa Pacific - 10-1 - 363 - 11 9 - Gannon - 13-2 - 361 - 4 10 - Minnesota State Mankato - 11-2 - 351 - 13 11 - Seton Hill - 12-1 - 293 - 12 12 - Tampa - 11-2 - 290 - 15 13 - Union (Tenn.) - 10-2 - 272 - 17 14 - Pittsburg State - 10-2 - 261 - 8 15 - Carson-Newman - 10-2 - 258 - 10 16 - Concordia-St. Paul - 12-1 - 227 - 14 17 - Cal Poly Pomona - 9-1 - 225 - 23 18 - Texas-Tyler - 9-2 - 212 - 16 19 - Ashland - 11-3 - 179 - 21 20 - Lubbock Christian - 10-3 - 165 - 7 21 - Embry-Riddle - 10-1 - 110 - 25 22 - Nova Southeastern - 9-2 - 77 - RV 23 - Coker - 10-1 - 64 - RV 24 - Belmont Abbey - 10-2 - 61 - RV 25 - Southwest Minnesota State - 11-2 - 47 - RVDropped Out:&nbsp;No. 19 Ferris State (8-3); No. 20 Lee, TN (9-3); No. 22 Northern Michigan (8-2); No. 24 Central Washington (8-2).Receiving Votes:&nbsp;Francis Marion (9-1) 42; Indiana, PA (10-1) 38; Assumption (10-2) 32; California State L.A. (7-2) 26; Ferris State (8-3) 25; Alaska Anchorage (11-2) 18; Fairmont State (9-3)16; Miles (7-2) 15; Harding (9-2) 13; UNC Pembroke (10-3) 9; Northern Michigan (8-2) 7; Central Washington (8-2 5; West Virginia Wesleyan (9-1) 5; Lee, TN, (9-3) 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 Tiger women climb to No. 3 in WBCA poll

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After starting the 2024-25 season ranked No. 16 in the NABC Top 25 Poll, Fort Hays State Men's Basketball has played it's way back into the receiving votes section national poll. In the latest poll released on Tuesday, the Tigers, now 8-3 overall on the season, received 17 votes in the poll. They are the fifth-highest team listed in the receiving votes section.

Fort Hays State fell short in a couple of tough games to open the season in Minnesota against Southwest Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul, a pair of teams also among the receiving votes list of the poll. Southwest Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul are both 10-3 overall on the season. The Tigers have gone 8-1 overall since their 0-2 start to the season. Their only other loss was to Washburn, currently ranked No. 2 in the nation at 12-0 overall.

The Tigers have won their last four games, which included a 16-point win over a No. 22 ranked MSU Denver squad in Hays on December 20. MSU Denver slipped back into the receiving votes list in the latest Top 25 Poll.

Fort Hays State goes on the road this week to Northwest Missouri State (Thur. Jan. 2) and Missouri Western (Sat. Jan. 4). FHSU is looking for its first win at Northwest Missouri State since 2013, and Missouri Western is also in the receiving votes list of the national poll this week. With a new coach at the helm, NWMSU is 3-8 so far this season and this will be the first time in 15 meetings the Bearcats will not hold a national ranking in the matchup with FHSU. Missouri Western is currently 9-3 overall.

The Tigers will be back at home the following week for games against Nebraska-Kearney (Tue. Jan. 7) and Emporia State (Thur. Jan. 9).

NABC Top 25 Poll for Tuesday, December 31, 2024 Rank - School - Record - Points - Prev. 1. Nova Southeastern, Fla. (15) - 11-0 - 398 - 1 2. Washburn, Kan. - 12-0 - 383 - 2 3. Daemen, N.Y. (1) - 11-0 - 354 - 4 4. Ferris State, Mich. - 12-1 - 338 - 5 5. Minot State, N.D. - 15-0 - 328 - 12 6. Alabama Huntsville - 11-1 - 308 - 13 7. Pace, N.Y. - 12-0 - 304 - 11 8. West Liberty, W.Va. - 11-1 - 279 - 3 9. Lincoln Memorial, Tenn. - 9-1 - 261 - 14 10. DBU, Texas - 12-2 - 221 - 15 11. Fairmont State, W.Va. - 10-1 - 216 - 7 12. MSU Moorhead, Minn. - 10-2 - 207 - 6 13. West Texas A&amp;M - 9-2 - 181 - 8 14. Lake Superior State, Mich. - 9-2 - 177 - 17 15. Florida Southern - 12-2 - 174 - 20 16. Colorado School of Mines - 9-2 - 168 - 10 17. Findlay, Ohio - 10-1 - 166 - 25 18. Coker, S.C. - 11-1 - 120 - 16 19. Columbus State, Ga.9-1 - 83 - NR 20. Missouri S&amp;T - 8-1 - 78 - NR 21. Lenoir-Rhyne, N.C. - 10-2 - 61 - NR 22. Saint Martin's, Wash. - 13-2 - 53 - NR 23. Cal State San Bernardino - 10-3 - 44 - 18 24. Hillsdale, Mich. - 10-2 - 33 - 19 T25. Cal Poly Pomona - 8-2 - 24 - 21 T25. Valdosta State, Ga. - 9-2 - 24 - NR

Receiving Votes: MSU Denver (Colo.) 22, Assumption (Mass.) 19, Winona State (Minn.) 19, Southern Nazarene (Okla.) 18,&nbsp;Fort Hays State (Kan.) 17, Gannon (Pa.) 17, North Georgia 17, Palm Beach Atlantic (Fla.) 16, Northwest Nazarene (Idaho) 14, West Chester (Pa.) 11, Midwestern State (Texas) 8, Northern Michigan 8, Southwest Minnesota State 6, Upper Iowa 6, Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) 5, Lubbock Christian (Texas) 3, Missouri Western 3, Eastern New Mexico 3, Kentucky Wesleyan 2, Point Loma (Calif.) 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1735680963372.png" alt="Fort Hays State's Kyle Grill (1) drives in for a layup in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against MSU Denver on Friday, December 20, 2024 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Gillian Lynch)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State's Kyle Grill (1) drives in for a layup in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against MSU Denver on Friday, December 20, 2024 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Gillian Lynch)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. – After starting the 2024-25 season ranked No. 16 in the NABC Top 25 Poll, Fort Hays State Men's Basketball has played it's way back into the receiving votes section national poll. In the latest poll released on Tuesday, the Tigers, now 8-3 overall on the season, received 17 votes in the poll. They are the fifth-highest team listed in the receiving votes section.Fort Hays State fell short in a couple of tough games to open the season in Minnesota against Southwest Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul, a pair of teams also among the receiving votes list of the poll. Southwest Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul are both 10-3 overall on the season. The Tigers have gone 8-1 overall since their 0-2 start to the season. Their only other loss was to Washburn, currently ranked No. 2 in the nation at 12-0 overall.The Tigers have won their last four games, which included a 16-point win over a No. 22 ranked MSU Denver squad in Hays on December 20. MSU Denver slipped back into the receiving votes list in the latest Top 25 Poll.Fort Hays State goes on the road this week to Northwest Missouri State (Thur. Jan. 2) and Missouri Western (Sat. Jan. 4). FHSU is looking for its first win at Northwest Missouri State since 2013, and Missouri Western is also in the receiving votes list of the national poll this week. With a new coach at the helm, NWMSU is 3-8 so far this season and this will be the first time in 15 meetings the Bearcats will not hold a national ranking in the matchup with FHSU. Missouri Western is currently 9-3 overall.The Tigers will be back at home the following week for games against Nebraska-Kearney (Tue. Jan. 7) and Emporia State (Thur. Jan. 9).NABC Top 25 Poll for Tuesday, December 31, 2024 Rank - School - Record - Points - Prev. 1. Nova Southeastern, Fla. (15) - 11-0 - 398 - 1 2. Washburn, Kan. - 12-0 - 383 - 2 3. Daemen, N.Y. (1) - 11-0 - 354 - 4 4. Ferris State, Mich. - 12-1 - 338 - 5 5. Minot State, N.D. - 15-0 - 328 - 12 6. Alabama Huntsville - 11-1 - 308 - 13 7. Pace, N.Y. - 12-0 - 304 - 11 8. West Liberty, W.Va. - 11-1 - 279 - 3 9. Lincoln Memorial, Tenn. - 9-1 - 261 - 14 10. DBU, Texas - 12-2 - 221 - 15 11. Fairmont State, W.Va. - 10-1 - 216 - 7 12. MSU Moorhead, Minn. - 10-2 - 207 - 6 13. West Texas A&amp;M - 9-2 - 181 - 8 14. Lake Superior State, Mich. - 9-2 - 177 - 17 15. Florida Southern - 12-2 - 174 - 20 16. Colorado School of Mines - 9-2 - 168 - 10 17. Findlay, Ohio - 10-1 - 166 - 25 18. Coker, S.C. - 11-1 - 120 - 16 19. Columbus State, Ga.9-1 - 83 - NR 20. Missouri S&amp;T - 8-1 - 78 - NR 21. Lenoir-Rhyne, N.C. - 10-2 - 61 - NR 22. Saint Martin's, Wash. - 13-2 - 53 - NR 23. Cal State San Bernardino - 10-3 - 44 - 18 24. Hillsdale, Mich. - 10-2 - 33 - 19 T25. Cal Poly Pomona - 8-2 - 24 - 21 T25. Valdosta State, Ga. - 9-2 - 24 - NRReceiving Votes: MSU Denver (Colo.) 22, Assumption (Mass.) 19, Winona State (Minn.) 19, Southern Nazarene (Okla.) 18,&nbsp;Fort Hays State (Kan.) 17, Gannon (Pa.) 17, North Georgia 17, Palm Beach Atlantic (Fla.) 16, Northwest Nazarene (Idaho) 14, West Chester (Pa.) 11, Midwestern State (Texas) 8, Northern Michigan 8, Southwest Minnesota State 6, Upper Iowa 6, Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) 5, Lubbock Christian (Texas) 3, Missouri Western 3, Eastern New Mexico 3, Kentucky Wesleyan 2, Point Loma (Calif.) 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 Tiger men receiving votes in latest NABC Top 25 poll

Fort Hays State men's basketball hosts No. 22 MSU Denver on Friday, December 20, 204 at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays, Kan.

Fort Hays State men's basketball hosts No. 22 MSU Denver on Friday, December 20, 204 at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays, Kan.<div><iframe title="FHSU Rewind-MBB vs. #22 MSU Denver" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=8xdnq-178cc98-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: FHSU Rewind-MBB vs. #22 MSU Denver

Tuesday, December 31
 KAYS: Kansas MBKB vs.
West Virginia, 11:30am

Thursday, January 2
 KJLS: Fort Hays State
WMBKB at Northwest Missouri State, 5:05pm
 KAYS: Hawk Talk with Bill Self, 6pm

Saturday, January 4
 KJLS: Fort Hays State
WMBKB at Missouri Western State, 1:05pm

Sunday, January 5
 KAYS: Kansas MBKB at
UCF, 1:30pm
 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos, 2pm

Tuesday, December 31
 KAYS: Kansas MBKB vs.
West Virginia, 11:30amWednesday, January 1 noneThursday, January 2
 KJLS: Fort Hays State
WMBKB at Northwest Missouri State, 5:05pm
 KAYS: Hawk Talk with Bill Self, 6pmFriday, January 3 noneSaturday, January 4
 KJLS: Fort Hays State
WMBKB at Missouri Western State, 1:05pmSunday, January 5
 KAYS: Kansas MBKB at
UCF, 1:30pm
 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos, 2pm

🎧 Eagle Radio, Hull sports broadcast schedule

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Coleman Hawkins had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Dug McDaniel added 17 points and Kansas State led No. 16 Cincinnati nearly wire-to-wire in a 70-67 victory Monday night to open the 20-game Big 12 conference grind.

David N'Guessan also had 13 points, and C.J. Jones made four free throws in the final 20 seconds, helping the Wildcats (7-5, 1-0) snap a three-game losing streak that had concluded their bitterly disappointing nonconference slate.

Kansas State led the Bearcats (10-2, 0-1) for all but 24 seconds, but was left clinging to a 65-63 lead after Aziz Bandaogo's dunk with 27 seconds to go. Hawkins was fouled and made the first of two free throws with 23 seconds remaining, but Max Jones was there to tap the miss to C.J. Jones, who was fouled and made two free throws to extend the lead.

Bandaogo scored again with 8.9 seconds left, but C.J. Jones made the last of his two foul shots to put the game away.

Dan Skillings Jr. led Cincinnati with 18 points. Dillon Mitchell had 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Cincinnati committed 15 turnovers that the Wildcats turned into 15 points. Two of those turnovers came in the last two minutes.

Kansas State won despite 3-point sharpshooter Brendan Hausen going just 1 for 8 from beyond the arc.

Max Jones had eight points and five boards, but no play was bigger than when he kept alive Hawkins' missed free throw in the waning seconds. That got C.J. Jones to the foul line and he provided Kansas State some breathing room.

The Wildcats were 16 of 20 at the foul line. Cincinnati was 4 for 7.

Cincinnati plays Arizona on Saturday. Kansas State visits TCU the same day.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1735610859876.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Coleman Hawkins had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Dug McDaniel added 17 points and Kansas State led No. 16 Cincinnati nearly wire-to-wire in a 70-67 victory Monday night to open the 20-game Big 12 conference grind.David N'Guessan also had 13 points, and C.J. Jones made four free throws in the final 20 seconds, helping the Wildcats (7-5, 1-0) snap a three-game losing streak that had concluded their bitterly disappointing nonconference slate.Kansas State led the Bearcats (10-2, 0-1) for all but 24 seconds, but was left clinging to a 65-63 lead after Aziz Bandaogo's dunk with 27 seconds to go. Hawkins was fouled and made the first of two free throws with 23 seconds remaining, but Max Jones was there to tap the miss to C.J. Jones, who was fouled and made two free throws to extend the lead.Bandaogo scored again with 8.9 seconds left, but C.J. Jones made the last of his two foul shots to put the game away.Dan Skillings Jr. led Cincinnati with 18 points. Dillon Mitchell had 15 points and 11 rebounds.<h2>Takeaways</h2>Cincinnati committed 15 turnovers that the Wildcats turned into 15 points. Two of those turnovers came in the last two minutes.Kansas State won despite 3-point sharpshooter Brendan Hausen going just 1 for 8 from beyond the arc.<h2>Key moment</h2>Max Jones had eight points and five boards, but no play was bigger than when he kept alive Hawkins' missed free throw in the waning seconds. That got C.J. Jones to the foul line and he provided Kansas State some breathing room.<h2>Key stat</h2>The Wildcats were 16 of 20 at the foul line. Cincinnati was 4 for 7.<h2>Up next</h2>Cincinnati plays Arizona on Saturday. Kansas State visits TCU the same day.___

🏀 K-State hits late FTs to put away No. 16 Cincinnati

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kaleb Hammeke&nbsp;of Fort Hays State was named the MIAA Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week on Monday for his efforts over the past couple of weeks. This week's honor combined games from the two weeks prior to the holiday break. Hammeke helped the Tigers to a 4-0 record over that span and a team milestone, while also reaching an individual milestone.

Hammeke helped FHSU enter the holiday break on a four-game win streak by averaging 16.3 points, 5.8 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game over a four-game stretch. He led the Tigers in scoring in three of the four games, which included a season-high 24 points in the 18-point win over Regis on December 22. He tied his career high for assists with nine in the 66-50 win over nationally ranked MSU Denver. He scored the final seven points for FHSU in its win over William Jewell on the road in a matchup of teams that both made the NCAA Tournament last year.

Over the four-game span, Hammeke shot 51.1 percent from the field, scored in double figures all four games, hit 57.1 percent (8-of-14) of his 3-point field goal attempts, and had at least three assists in all four games.

In the win over nationally ranked MSU Denver, Hammeke helped the Tigers reach 1,700 wins as a program. FHSU is only the sixth NCAA Division II program to reach the 1,700 wins mark in its men's basketball history. By scoring 15 points in the game, Hammeke went past the 1,700 points mark for his career, becoming only the second Tiger to reach the milestone joining Alonzo Goldston. Hammeke now sits just 40 points shy of Goldston's school record 1,766 points, currently with 1,726. He is also just five assists shy of 500 for his career.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1735588538060.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kaleb Hammeke&nbsp;of Fort Hays State was named the MIAA Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week on Monday for his efforts over the past couple of weeks. This week's honor combined games from the two weeks prior to the holiday break. Hammeke helped the Tigers to a 4-0 record over that span and a team milestone, while also reaching an individual milestone.Hammeke helped FHSU enter the holiday break on a four-game win streak by averaging 16.3 points, 5.8 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game over a four-game stretch. He led the Tigers in scoring in three of the four games, which included a season-high 24 points in the 18-point win over Regis on December 22. He tied his career high for assists with nine in the 66-50 win over nationally ranked MSU Denver. He scored the final seven points for FHSU in its win over William Jewell on the road in a matchup of teams that both made the NCAA Tournament last year.Over the four-game span, Hammeke shot 51.1 percent from the field, scored in double figures all four games, hit 57.1 percent (8-of-14) of his 3-point field goal attempts, and had at least three assists in all four games.In the win over nationally ranked MSU Denver, Hammeke helped the Tigers reach 1,700 wins as a program. FHSU is only the sixth NCAA Division II program to reach the 1,700 wins mark in its men's basketball history. By scoring 15 points in the game, Hammeke went past the 1,700 points mark for his career, becoming only the second Tiger to reach the milestone joining Alonzo Goldston. Hammeke now sits just 40 points shy of Goldston's school record 1,766 points, currently with 1,726. He is also just five assists shy of 500 for his career.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 Hammeke named MIAA Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week

The 5th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team takes on Truman State in their first game of the Big Island Holiday Classic in Hilo, Hawai'i on Thursday, December 19, 2024.

The 5th-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team takes on Truman State in their first game of the Big Island Holiday Classic in Hilo, Hawai'i on Thursday, December 19, 2024.<div><iframe title="FHSU Rewind-WBB vs. Truman State (December 19, 2024)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=cgm2d-178cc4a-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: FHSU Rewind-WBB vs. Truman (Dec. 19, 2024)

Monday, December 30
 KFIX: Chiefs Kingdom,
6pm

Monday, December 30
 KFIX: Chiefs Kingdom,
6pmTuesday, December 31
 KAYS: Kansas MBKB vs.
West Virginia, 11:30amWednesday, January 1 noneThursday, January 2
 KJLS: Fort Hays State
WMBKB at Northwest Missouri State, 5:05pm
 KAYS: Hawk Talk with Bill Self, 6pmFriday, January 3 noneSaturday, January 4
 KJLS: Fort Hays State
WMBKB at Missouri Western State, 1:05pmSunday, January 5
 KAYS: Kansas MBKB at
UCF, 1:30pm
 KFIX: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos, 2pm

Sunday, December 29 none&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sunday, December 29 none&nbsp;&nbsp;

CINCINNATI (AP) — This time, near the very end of a mostly agonizing season, the Cincinnati Bengals made enough plays to win.

Joe Burrow threw his third touchdown pass to Tee Higgins with 1:07 left in overtime, and the Bengals kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a wild 30-24 win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday.

“This is one of the crazy ones I’ve been involved with in the NFL,” Burrow said. “It feels like we had a couple of those this year, and it’s nice to come out on top in one.”

After Denver’s second punt in overtime, Burrow completed a 31-yard pass to Higgins to the Denver 3, and then went back to the lanky receiver for the final play in Cincinnati's fourth consecutive victory. Higgins finished with 11 receptions for 131 yards.

Cade York had a chance to win it for Cincinnati with about three minutes left in overtime, but his 33-yard field goal bounced off the left upright. Denver then went three-and-out, including a Bo Nix incompletion on third down, handing the ball right back to Burrow and the Bengals (8-8).

“Tough one to lose,” Denver coach Sean Payton said. “We had our opportunities. The will to compete and answer, it was pretty impressive. In the end, we didn’t make enough plays, and they did.”

It was the Bengals’ first win this season against a team with a winning record. They need another victory in their final game at Pittsburgh and some help from other teams to make it to the postseason for the first time since 2022.

“We know we can hang with anybody,” Burrow said. “We’ve proven that this year. We played everybody this year close. It’s just about making the plays down the stretch to win those games. Today we did. The last four weeks we have. We’ve got to continue to do it.”

The Broncos (9-7) would have secured an AFC wild card with a victory over the Bengals. They’ll have another opportunity to earn a postseason berth when they host Kansas City next weekend. A victory over the Chiefs also would eliminate the Bengals.

Burrow continued his stellar season, going 39 for 49 for 412 yards and three touchdowns, all to Higgins. Ja’Marr Chase finished with nine receptions for 102 yards.

Burrow has at least 250 yards passing and three touchdowns in eight straight games, extending his NFL record.

“I don’t know that anybody can stand on the field and watch Joe Burrow and say he’s not the best player in the world,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said.

Burrow’s 1-yard touchdown run gave Cincinnati a 24-17 lead with 1:29 left in regulation. On the play before Burrow’s TD, Chase Brown hurt his right ankle on an awkward slide while going down in an effort to help the Bengals run out the remaining time.

Brown’s injury stopped the clock, and Nix threw a spectacular 25-yard touchdown pass to a leaping Marvin Mims Jr. for the tying score with 8 seconds left.

Nix was 24 for 31 for 219 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Mims finished with eight catches for 103 yards and two TDs.

Burrow made full use of his two featured receivers. Burrow, Higgins and Chase made life difficult for the Broncos all game long.

“I just throw it where the defense tells me to,” Burrow said. “If they’re going to double Ja’Marr, I’m going to throw it to Tee. If Ja’Marr is going to get a one-on-one, I’m going to throw it to him.”

Both receivers are in interesting contract situations. Chase was the NFL leader in receptions, yards receiving and receiving touchdowns going into Week 17. He is likely headed for a massive new contract that will make him one of the highest-paid receivers in the league. Higgins is playing under the franchise tag, and the Bengals may not want to pay what it will take to bring him back next season.

Broncos: CB Damarri Mathis left in the first quarter with a hamstring injury.

Bengals: Right tackle Amarius Mims left late in the first half with a hand injury.

Broncos: Finish the regular season at home against the AFC West champions. The day and time for the game have yet to be announced.

Bengals: At Pittsburgh at a date and time still be determined. The Bengals lost to the Steelers 44-38 on Dec. 1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1735556746368.jpeg" alt="Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) makes a catch for a touchdown in front of Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss (21) during the second half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)" />
 <figcaption>Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) makes a catch for a touchdown in front of Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss (21) during the second half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)</figcaption>
 </figure>CINCINNATI (AP) — This time, near the very end of a mostly agonizing season, the Cincinnati Bengals made enough plays to win.A familiar connection closed it out.Joe Burrow threw his third touchdown pass to Tee Higgins with 1:07 left in overtime, and the Bengals kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a wild 30-24 win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday.“This is one of the crazy ones I’ve been involved with in the NFL,” Burrow said. “It feels like we had a couple of those this year, and it’s nice to come out on top in one.”After Denver’s second punt in overtime, Burrow completed a 31-yard pass to Higgins to the Denver 3, and then went back to the lanky receiver for the final play in Cincinnati's fourth consecutive victory. Higgins finished with 11 receptions for 131 yards.Cade York had a chance to win it for Cincinnati with about three minutes left in overtime, but his 33-yard field goal bounced off the left upright. Denver then went three-and-out, including a Bo Nix incompletion on third down, handing the ball right back to Burrow and the Bengals (8-8).“Tough one to lose,” Denver coach Sean Payton said. “We had our opportunities. The will to compete and answer, it was pretty impressive. In the end, we didn’t make enough plays, and they did.”It was the Bengals’ first win this season against a team with a winning record. They need another victory in their final game at Pittsburgh and some help from other teams to make it to the postseason for the first time since 2022.“We know we can hang with anybody,” Burrow said. “We’ve proven that this year. We played everybody this year close. It’s just about making the plays down the stretch to win those games. Today we did. The last four weeks we have. We’ve got to continue to do it.”The Broncos (9-7) would have secured an AFC wild card with a victory over the Bengals. They’ll have another opportunity to earn a postseason berth when they host Kansas City next weekend. A victory over the Chiefs also would eliminate the Bengals.Burrow continued his stellar season, going 39 for 49 for 412 yards and three touchdowns, all to Higgins. Ja’Marr Chase finished with nine receptions for 102 yards.Burrow has at least 250 yards passing and three touchdowns in eight straight games, extending his NFL record.“I don’t know that anybody can stand on the field and watch Joe Burrow and say he’s not the best player in the world,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said.Burrow’s 1-yard touchdown run gave Cincinnati a 24-17 lead with 1:29 left in regulation. On the play before Burrow’s TD, Chase Brown hurt his right ankle on an awkward slide while going down in an effort to help the Bengals run out the remaining time.Brown’s injury stopped the clock, and Nix threw a spectacular 25-yard touchdown pass to a leaping Marvin Mims Jr. for the tying score with 8 seconds left.Nix was 24 for 31 for 219 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Mims finished with eight catches for 103 yards and two TDs.<h2>The big three</h2>Burrow made full use of his two featured receivers. Burrow, Higgins and Chase made life difficult for the Broncos all game long.“I just throw it where the defense tells me to,” Burrow said. “If they’re going to double Ja’Marr, I’m going to throw it to Tee. If Ja’Marr is going to get a one-on-one, I’m going to throw it to him.”Both receivers are in interesting contract situations. Chase was the NFL leader in receptions, yards receiving and receiving touchdowns going into Week 17. He is likely headed for a massive new contract that will make him one of the highest-paid receivers in the league. Higgins is playing under the franchise tag, and the Bengals may not want to pay what it will take to bring him back next season.<h2>Injuries</h2>Broncos: CB Damarri Mathis left in the first quarter with a hamstring injury.Bengals: Right tackle Amarius Mims left late in the first half with a hand injury.<h2>Up next</h2>Broncos: Finish the regular season at home against the AFC West champions. The day and time for the game have yet to be announced.Bengals: At Pittsburgh at a date and time still be determined. The Bengals lost to the Steelers 44-38 on Dec. 1.

🏈 Burrow throws 3-yard TD pass in OT as the Bengals beat the Broncos

Voice of the Chiefs Mitch Holthus discusses the Chiefs Christmas Day win over the Steelers and looks ahead to the regular season finale.

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

Voice of the Chiefs Mitch Holthus discusses the Chiefs Christmas Day win over the Steelers and looks ahead to the regular season finale.The Holthus Hotline airs Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. on 96.9, KFIX.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1995368419%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-C6RB3MM5la5&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-december-28-2024/s-C6RB3MM5la5" title="Holthus Hotline (December 28, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Holthus Hotline (December 28, 2024)</a></div></div>

🎧 Holthus Hotline with Voice of the Chiefs Mitch Holthus

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PHOENIX (AP) — Dylan Edwards ran for 196 yards and scored his third touchdown on a 36-yard run in the fourth quarter, helping Kansas State rally past Rutgers 44-41 in the Rate Bowl on Thursday night.

The Scarlet Knights (7-6) led by 10 at halftime and went up 34-17 on Ja'shon Benjamin's 7-yard touchdown catch on the opening drive of the second half. But Edwards and the Wildcats (9-4) stormed back.

Edwards scored on 65-yard touchdown run and, after an interception thrown by Rutgers’ Athan Kaliakmanis, Garrett Oakley caught a 13-yard touchdown pass to pull Kansas State within five. The Wildcats failed 2-point conversions after both touchdowns.

Rutgers briefly regained momentum, going up 41-29 early in the fourth quarter on Antwan Raymond's 1-yard TD run on a fake tush push.

Kansas State answered with Avery Johnson's 9-yard touchdown pass to Jadon Jackson. Edwards followed with his 36-yard score, capping an impressive night in place of DJ Giddens, who opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft.

Kansas State closed it out by stopping Rutgers on fourth down near midfield with just under two minutes left

Johnson threw for three touchdowns, including a 26-yarder to Edwards in the second quarter, finishing with 195 yards on 15-of-30 passing.

Raymond ran for 113 yards and three touchdowns in place of leading rusher Kyle Monangai, who also opted out to prepare for the NFL draft.

Kaliakmanis threw for 237 yards and a touchdown with an interception on 14-of-32 passing.

Kansas State: The Wildcats struggled defensively until they needed it most, shutting down Rutgers most of the second half. Edwards took it from there, racking up 223 total yards — none bigger than his final TD run.

Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights had a second straight bowl win within their grasp, but let it slip through their fingers with a slew of defensive miscues in the second half.

Kansas State: Johnson, Edwards and RB Joe Jackson are underclassmen, as is leading tackler Austin Romaine. DE Brendan Mott and LB Austin Moore, anchors to K-State's defense, played their final college games.

Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights will have plenty of holes to fill in the offseason. Kaliakmanis is one of six senior starters on offense, and the defense has eight.

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apnews.com/newsletters">here</a>. AP college football:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/college-football">https://apnews.com/hub/college-football</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1735263327099.png" alt="Dylan Edwards ran for 196 yards and scored 3 touchdowns -photoK-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Dylan Edwards ran for 196 yards and scored 3 touchdowns -photoK-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>PHOENIX (AP) — Dylan Edwards ran for 196 yards and scored his third touchdown on a 36-yard run in the fourth quarter, helping Kansas State rally past Rutgers 44-41 in the Rate Bowl on Thursday night.The Scarlet Knights (7-6) led by 10 at halftime and went up 34-17 on Ja'shon Benjamin's 7-yard touchdown catch on the opening drive of the second half. But Edwards and the Wildcats (9-4) stormed back.Edwards scored on 65-yard touchdown run and, after an interception thrown by Rutgers’ Athan Kaliakmanis, Garrett Oakley caught a 13-yard touchdown pass to pull Kansas State within five. The Wildcats failed 2-point conversions after both touchdowns.Rutgers briefly regained momentum, going up 41-29 early in the fourth quarter on Antwan Raymond's 1-yard TD run on a fake tush push.Kansas State answered with Avery Johnson's 9-yard touchdown pass to Jadon Jackson. Edwards followed with his 36-yard score, capping an impressive night in place of DJ Giddens, who opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft.Kansas State closed it out by stopping Rutgers on fourth down near midfield with just under two minutes leftJohnson threw for three touchdowns, including a 26-yarder to Edwards in the second quarter, finishing with 195 yards on 15-of-30 passing.Raymond ran for 113 yards and three touchdowns in place of leading rusher Kyle Monangai, who also opted out to prepare for the NFL draft.Kaliakmanis threw for 237 yards and a touchdown with an interception on 14-of-32 passing.<h2>Takeaways</h2>Kansas State: The Wildcats struggled defensively until they needed it most, shutting down Rutgers most of the second half. Edwards took it from there, racking up 223 total yards — none bigger than his final TD run.Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights had a second straight bowl win within their grasp, but let it slip through their fingers with a slew of defensive miscues in the second half.<h2>Up next</h2>Kansas State: Johnson, Edwards and RB Joe Jackson are underclassmen, as is leading tackler Austin Romaine. DE Brendan Mott and LB Austin Moore, anchors to K-State's defense, played their final college games.Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights will have plenty of holes to fill in the offseason. Kaliakmanis is one of six senior starters on offense, and the defense has eight.___Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apnews.com/newsletters">here</a>. AP college football:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/college-football">https://apnews.com/hub/college-football</a>

🏈 Kansas State rallies to beat Rutgers in Rate Bowl

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PITTSBURGH (AP) — Patrick Mahomes passed for 320 yards and three touchdowns and the Kansas City Chiefs locked up the top seed in the AFC for the fourth time in seven seasons with a 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday.

The two-time defending Super Bowl champions raced to an early 13-point lead and were never really threatened by the Steelers (10-6), who have dropped three straight as their chances of capturing the AFC North took another hit.

Mahomes connected on first-half scoring tosses to Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson and Kansas City's defense did most of the rest even with perennial All-Pro defensive end Chris Jones sitting out while nursing a calf injury. The Chiefs sacked Russell Wilson five times, forced two turnovers and hardly looked gassed while playing for the third time in 11 days.

Travis Kelce caught eight passes for 84 yards while becoming the third tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 receptions, joining Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten. Kelce sealed Kansas City's fifth straight victory with a 12-yard touchdown grab early in the fourth quarter.

The 35-year-old celebrated by dunking the ball over the goal post, which drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and groans from a capacity crowd at Acrisure Stadium that has grown used to seeing Mahomes toy with the hometown team. Mahomes is now 4-0 against the Steelers in his career, with 17 touchdowns against one interception.

Russell Wilson threw for 205 yards for Pittsburgh. George Pickens finished with three receptions for 50 yards after missing three games with a hamstring injury. It wasn't nearly enough for the Steelers, who went 0-3 during a brutal three-game stretch against Super Bowl contenders Philadelphia, Baltimore and Kansas City.

Perhaps more troubling than the losses is the way they played out. The Steelers lost each game at least 14 points and could start the playoffs on the road after playing fast-and-loose with the two-game division lead they had just three weeks ago.

Mahomes, hardly bothered by the ankle injury he suffered against Cleveland, led the Chiefs to touchdowns on their first two drives, finding Worthy in the flat for a 7-yard score and hitting Watson in the back corner of the end zone to make it 13-0.

One sequence late in the first quarter symbolized a frustrating day for Pittsburgh. A holding penalty negated a short touchdown run by Jaylen Warren and Wilson threw into triple coverage in the end zone on the next snap. Kansas City's Justin Reid had little trouble grabbing it to end the threat.

The Steelers drew within six twice at 13-7 and 16-10, but never had the ball with a chance to take the lead in the second half. Instead, the Chiefs — who spent most of the first three months of the season squeaking by most weeks — methodically pulled away.

Kareem Hunt ran over from 2 yards on the first snap of the fourth quarter to make it 22-10. Pat Freiermuth then fumbled on Pittsburgh's next possession. Kansas City linebacker Nick Bolton fell on it and Mahomes needed just four plays to float a pass to a wide-open Kelce to put it out of reach.

Chiefs: RB Isiah Pacheco left in the second half with a rib injury.

Steelers: DT Cam Heyward exited briefly in the fourth quarter but managed to return.

Chiefs: finish up the regular season by heading to Denver.

Steelers: host Cincinnati in the regular-season finale.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1735160638717.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>PITTSBURGH (AP) — Patrick Mahomes passed for 320 yards and three touchdowns and the Kansas City Chiefs locked up the top seed in the AFC for the fourth time in seven seasons with a 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday.The two-time defending Super Bowl champions raced to an early 13-point lead and were never really threatened by the Steelers (10-6), who have dropped three straight as their chances of capturing the AFC North took another hit.Mahomes connected on first-half scoring tosses to Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson and Kansas City's defense did most of the rest even with perennial All-Pro defensive end Chris Jones sitting out while nursing a calf injury. The Chiefs sacked Russell Wilson five times, forced two turnovers and hardly looked gassed while playing for the third time in 11 days.Travis Kelce caught eight passes for 84 yards while becoming the third tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 receptions, joining Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten. Kelce sealed Kansas City's fifth straight victory with a 12-yard touchdown grab early in the fourth quarter.The 35-year-old celebrated by dunking the ball over the goal post, which drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and groans from a capacity crowd at Acrisure Stadium that has grown used to seeing Mahomes toy with the hometown team. Mahomes is now 4-0 against the Steelers in his career, with 17 touchdowns against one interception.Russell Wilson threw for 205 yards for Pittsburgh. George Pickens finished with three receptions for 50 yards after missing three games with a hamstring injury. It wasn't nearly enough for the Steelers, who went 0-3 during a brutal three-game stretch against Super Bowl contenders Philadelphia, Baltimore and Kansas City.Perhaps more troubling than the losses is the way they played out. The Steelers lost each game at least 14 points and could start the playoffs on the road after playing fast-and-loose with the two-game division lead they had just three weeks ago.Mahomes, hardly bothered by the ankle injury he suffered against Cleveland, led the Chiefs to touchdowns on their first two drives, finding Worthy in the flat for a 7-yard score and hitting Watson in the back corner of the end zone to make it 13-0.One sequence late in the first quarter symbolized a frustrating day for Pittsburgh. A holding penalty negated a short touchdown run by Jaylen Warren and Wilson threw into triple coverage in the end zone on the next snap. Kansas City's Justin Reid had little trouble grabbing it to end the threat.The Steelers drew within six twice at 13-7 and 16-10, but never had the ball with a chance to take the lead in the second half. Instead, the Chiefs — who spent most of the first three months of the season squeaking by most weeks — methodically pulled away.Kareem Hunt ran over from 2 yards on the first snap of the fourth quarter to make it 22-10. Pat Freiermuth then fumbled on Pittsburgh's next possession. Kansas City linebacker Nick Bolton fell on it and Mahomes needed just four plays to float a pass to a wide-open Kelce to put it out of reach.<h2>Injuries</h2>Chiefs: RB Isiah Pacheco left in the second half with a rib injury.Steelers: DT Cam Heyward exited briefly in the fourth quarter but managed to return.<h2>Up next</h2>Chiefs: finish up the regular season by heading to Denver.Steelers: host Cincinnati in the regular-season finale.

🏈Chiefs clinch AFC's top seed by breezing past the Steelers 

Wednesday, December 25
 KFIX: Kansas City
Chiefs at Pittsburg Steelers, 11:00am

Wednesday, December 25
 KFIX: Kansas City
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 KFIX: Kansas City
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Monday, December 23
 KFIX: Chiefs Kingdom,
6pm

Monday, December 23
 KFIX: Chiefs Kingdom,
6pmTuesday, December 24 noneWednesday, December 25
 KFIX: Kansas City
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HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State moved to 8-3 overall with an 80-62 win over Regis University on Sunday at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers pulled away in the second half after leading by four at halftime. Regis dropped to 5-7 overall for the season.

A 24-point performance led the Tigers for the second-straight game, this time by Kaleb Hammeke. It was a new season high for him and the first time he reached the 20-point mark in a game this season. He added a team-high seven assists, while going 7-of-12 from the field and hitting five of his seven 3-point attempts. He was 5-of-6 at the free-throw line.

The first half was closely contested with eight lead changes and seven ties. The largest lead for either team was four points. A 6-2 burst by the Tigers in the final three minutes of the half put them on top 35-31 at the half.

A 10-2 run by the Tigers over about a two-minute span pushed the lead into double figures for the first time. Hammeke capped the run with a 3-point play at the 13:06 mark. A little later, a 7-0 run by the Tigers moved the lead from 11 to 18 with 8:47 remaining. FHSU reached its largest lead of 19 points twice inside the final four minutes before the final margin ended at 18. FHSU outscored Regis 45-31 in the second half.

Hammeke led four Tigers in double figures scoring. Shaun Riley&nbsp;had 15 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Kyle Grill&nbsp;scored all 13 of his points in the second half. Muhomed Kante&nbsp;provided the Tigers with a season-high 12 points off the bench, while Dan Makuna&nbsp;chipped in eight. 

FHSU shot 50 percent overall from the field and 42.1 percent beyond the 3-point line. The Tigers were 80 percent at the free-throw line (12-of-15).

Chase Mayo Harmon led the Rangers with 22 points, while Eddy Egun also reached double figures with 10 points. FHSU held RU to just 42.9 percent shooting overall and just 33.3 percent beyond the 3-point line.

This is the fourth-straight season the Tigers recorded at least eight wins before the holiday break. FHSU will resume action on January 2 at Northwest Missouri State. The rest of the season will consist of conference games with 17 contests to go in MIAA play. FHSU's next home action will be on January 7.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734984915180.png" alt="Fort Hays State point guard Kaleb Hammeke (5) attempts a 3-point shot over Trey Bryant (11) of Regis in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday, December 22, 2024 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo./Gillian Lunch)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State point guard Kaleb Hammeke (5) attempts a 3-point shot over Trey Bryant (11) of Regis in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday, December 22, 2024 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo./Gillian Lunch)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State moved to 8-3 overall with an 80-62 win over Regis University on Sunday at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers pulled away in the second half after leading by four at halftime. Regis dropped to 5-7 overall for the season.<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/1992232239&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/fhsu-mbkb-mark-johnson" title="Mark Johnson Postgame vs. Regis (December 22, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Mark Johnson Postgame vs. Regis (December 22, 2024)</a></div></div>A 24-point performance led the Tigers for the second-straight game, this time by Kaleb Hammeke. It was a new season high for him and the first time he reached the 20-point mark in a game this season. He added a team-high seven assists, while going 7-of-12 from the field and hitting five of his seven 3-point attempts. He was 5-of-6 at the free-throw line.The first half was closely contested with eight lead changes and seven ties. The largest lead for either team was four points. A 6-2 burst by the Tigers in the final three minutes of the half put them on top 35-31 at the half.A 10-2 run by the Tigers over about a two-minute span pushed the lead into double figures for the first time. Hammeke capped the run with a 3-point play at the 13:06 mark. A little later, a 7-0 run by the Tigers moved the lead from 11 to 18 with 8:47 remaining. FHSU reached its largest lead of 19 points twice inside the final four minutes before the final margin ended at 18. FHSU outscored Regis 45-31 in the second half.<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/1992231423&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/fhsu-mbkb-kyle-grill-postgame" title="Kyle Grill Postgame vs. Regis (December, 22, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Kyle Grill Postgame vs. Regis (December, 22, 2024)</a></div></div>Hammeke led four Tigers in double figures scoring. Shaun Riley&nbsp;had 15 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Kyle Grill&nbsp;scored all 13 of his points in the second half. Muhomed Kante&nbsp;provided the Tigers with a season-high 12 points off the bench, while Dan Makuna&nbsp;chipped in eight. FHSU shot 50 percent overall from the field and 42.1 percent beyond the 3-point line. The Tigers were 80 percent at the free-throw line (12-of-15).Chase Mayo Harmon led the Rangers with 22 points, while Eddy Egun also reached double figures with 10 points. FHSU held RU to just 42.9 percent shooting overall and just 33.3 percent beyond the 3-point line.<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/1992231755&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/fhsu-mbkb-highlights-vs-regis-dec-22nd-24" title="Fort Hays State MBB Highlights vs. Regis (December 22, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Fort Hays State MBB Highlights vs. Regis (December 22, 2024)</a></div></div>This is the fourth-straight season the Tigers recorded at least eight wins before the holiday break. FHSU will resume action on January 2 at Northwest Missouri State. The rest of the season will consist of conference games with 17 contests to go in MIAA play. FHSU's next home action will be on January 7.

🏀 Tiger men close out December with win over Regis

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Zeke Mayo scored 25 points, Hunter Dickinson had 15 points and 13 rebounds and No. 8 Kansas defeated Brown 87-53 on Sunday.

Mayo hit two of his five 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to extend the Kansas lead to 25 points with 12 minutes to play. He was coming off a 26-point performance in a 75-60 win over NC State on Dec. 14, the team's last outing.

Brown (7-4) stayed competitive in the first half, trailing by a point 10 minutes into the game. But the Bears' shooting touch went cold.

Kino Lily Jr. scored 18 and Aaron Cooley and AJ Lesburt Jr. had six points each for Brown, which shot 26.7% (20 for 75).

Kansas (9-2) shot 50% (34 for 68) and went 8 for 22 from 3-point range. Brown was 8 for 33 (24%) from distance.

The Jayhawks have won two straight after losing consecutive games to Missouri and Creighton and extended their home winning streak this season to seven games.

Brown: Couldn’t get a rhythm on the offensive end, especially in the second half, scoring just 22 points.

Kansas: Struggled from inside the lane in the first half and let the Bears stay in the game early. The Jayhawks turned it on in the second half, backed by their defense.

Kansas scored the final six points of the first half, starting with an alley-oop dunk by Flory Bidunga, which was assisted by Dajuan Harris Jr., and took a 42-31 lead at the half.

Brown travels to Kentucky on Dec. 31, and Kansas opens Big 12 play at home against West Virginia on the same day.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734905537008.png" alt="Ogiri Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Ogiri Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Zeke Mayo scored 25 points, Hunter Dickinson had 15 points and 13 rebounds and No. 8 Kansas defeated Brown 87-53 on Sunday.Mayo hit two of his five 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to extend the Kansas lead to 25 points with 12 minutes to play. He was coming off a 26-point performance in a 75-60 win over NC State on Dec. 14, the team's last outing.Brown (7-4) stayed competitive in the first half, trailing by a point 10 minutes into the game. But the Bears' shooting touch went cold.Kino Lily Jr. scored 18 and Aaron Cooley and AJ Lesburt Jr. had six points each for Brown, which shot 26.7% (20 for 75).Kansas (9-2) shot 50% (34 for 68) and went 8 for 22 from 3-point range. Brown was 8 for 33 (24%) from distance.The Jayhawks have won two straight after losing consecutive games to Missouri and Creighton and extended their home winning streak this season to seven games.<h2>Takeaways</h2>Brown: Couldn’t get a rhythm on the offensive end, especially in the second half, scoring just 22 points.Kansas: Struggled from inside the lane in the first half and let the Bears stay in the game early. The Jayhawks turned it on in the second half, backed by their defense.<h2>Key moment</h2>Kansas scored the final six points of the first half, starting with an alley-oop dunk by Flory Bidunga, which was assisted by Dajuan Harris Jr., and took a 42-31 lead at the half.<h2>Up next</h2>Brown travels to Kentucky on Dec. 31, and Kansas opens Big 12 play at home against West Virginia on the same day.___

🏀 Mayo and Dickinson power Kansas to a win over Brown

Sunday, December 22 KAYS: Kansas MBKB vs. Brown, 12:30pm KJLS: Fort Hays State MBKB vs. Regis, 1:30pm&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sunday, December 22 KAYS: Kansas MBKB vs. Brown, 12:30pm KJLS: Fort Hays State MBKB vs. Regis, 1:30pm&nbsp;&nbsp;

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Xavier Bell scored a season-high 24 points and Wichita State pulled away in the second half to beat Kansas State 84-65 on Saturday night.

Bell made 9 of 17 shots from the floor including his only 3-point attempt and 3 of 4 free throws for the Shockers (9-3), who snapped a five-game losing streak to the Wildcats (6-5).

Corey Washington and Quincy Ballard both posted their second double-double of the season for Wichita State. Washington totaled 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Ballard contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds. Justin Hill scored 13.

Sophomore Macaleab Rich came off the bench to score a career-high 20 points for Kansas State. He made 8 of 13 shots with three 3-pointers. Brendan Hausen hit four 3-pointers and scored 13. The pair combined to make 7 of 13 from distance while their teammates made 2 of 19.

Rich scored 13 to lead the Wildcats to a 33-29 advantage at halftime.

Wichita State moved in front 44-41 with 15:41 remaining on a Hill 3-pointer. Rich connected from beyond the arc to pull the Wildcats even at 48 with 12 minutes left. Matej Bosnjak answered with back-to-back baskets to ignite an 8-0 run and Wichita State led 56-48 with 9:38 to go. The Shockers maintained at least a two-possession lead from there.

The Shockers shot 51% overall, made 4 of 10 from distance and 20 of 22 at the foul line. The Wildcats shot 36% overall and made only six of their 15 free throws.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734833037280.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Xavier Bell scored a season-high 24 points and Wichita State pulled away in the second half to beat Kansas State 84-65 on Saturday night.Bell made 9 of 17 shots from the floor including his only 3-point attempt and 3 of 4 free throws for the Shockers (9-3), who snapped a five-game losing streak to the Wildcats (6-5).Corey Washington and Quincy Ballard both posted their second double-double of the season for Wichita State. Washington totaled 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Ballard contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds. Justin Hill scored 13.Sophomore Macaleab Rich came off the bench to score a career-high 20 points for Kansas State. He made 8 of 13 shots with three 3-pointers. Brendan Hausen hit four 3-pointers and scored 13. The pair combined to make 7 of 13 from distance while their teammates made 2 of 19.Rich scored 13 to lead the Wildcats to a 33-29 advantage at halftime.Wichita State moved in front 44-41 with 15:41 remaining on a Hill 3-pointer. Rich connected from beyond the arc to pull the Wildcats even at 48 with 12 minutes left. Matej Bosnjak answered with back-to-back baskets to ignite an 8-0 run and Wichita State led 56-48 with 9:38 to go. The Shockers maintained at least a two-possession lead from there.The Shockers shot 51% overall, made 4 of 10 from distance and 20 of 22 at the foul line. The Wildcats shot 36% overall and made only six of their 15 free throws.

🏀 Xavier Bell scores 24 to rally Wichita State to victory over K-State

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, the brash speedster who shattered stolen base records and redefined baseball's leadoff position,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rickey-henderson-dies-dbc401d2db457ee16d7e74b3d80d3e92">has died</a>. He was 65.

Henderson died on Friday. The Athletics said Saturday they were “shocked and heartbroken by his passing," but did not specify a cause of death.

Known as baseball's “Man of Steal,” Henderson had a lengthy list of accolades and accomplishments over his nomadic 25-year career — an MVP, 10 All-Star selections, two World Series titles and a Gold Glove award.

“Rickey was simply the best player I ever played with. He could change the outcome of a game in so many ways," said Don Mattingly, Henderson's teammate with the New York Yankees from 1985-89. "It puts a smile on my face just thinking about him. I will miss my friend.”

It was stealing bases where Henderson made his name and dominated the sport like no other.

He broke through with 100 steals in his first full season in the majors in 1980, topping Ty Cobb's AL single-season record with Billy Martin's “Billy Ball” Oakland Athletics. He barely slowed playing for nine franchises over the next two decades. He broke Lou Brock's single-season record of 118 by stealing 130 bases in 1982 and led the league in steals for seven straight seasons and 12 overall.

Henderson surpassed Brock's career record when he stole his 939th base on May 1, 1991, for Oakland, and famously pulled third base out of the ground and showed it off to the adoring crowd before giving a speech that he capped by saying: “Lou Brock was a great base stealer, but today I am the greatest of all time.”

Henderson finished his career with 1,406 steals. His 468-steal edge over Brock matches the margin between Brock and Jimmy Rollins, who is in 46th place with 470.

“He’s the greatest leadoff hitter of all time, and I’m not sure there’s a close second,” former A's executive Billy Beane said of Henderson.

In September, Henderson insisted he would have had many more steals in his career and in the record-breaking 1982 season if&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-pitch-clock-shift-limits-bigger-bases-311fdb091b61f40b654c05e600a0d4ce">rules introduced in 2023 to limit pickoff throws and increase the size of bases</a>&nbsp;had overlapped with his career.

“If I was playing today, I would get 162, right now, without a doubt," he said. "Because if they had had that rule, you can only throw over there twice, you know how many times they would be throwing over there twice and they’d be going, ‘Ah, (shoot), can y’all send him to third? Give him two bases and send him to third.’ That would be me.”

He even predicted how he could still be stealing more bases than the current major leaguers even 20-plus years post-retirement: "If they’re stealing 40-50 bases right now I’d lead the league.”

Henderson’s accomplishment that record-breaking day in 1991 was slightly overshadowed that night when Nolan Ryan threw his record seventh career no-hitter. Henderson already had been Ryan’s 5,000th career strikeout victim, which led him to say, “If you haven’t been struck out by Nolan Ryan, you’re nobody.”

That was clearly not the case for Henderson. He is also the career leader in runs scored with 2,295 and in leadoff home runs with 81, ranks second to Barry Bonds with 2,190 walks and is fourth in games played (3,081) and plate appearances (13,346). He finished his career with 3,055 hits over 25 seasons spent with Oakland, the Yankees, Toronto, San Diego, Anaheim, the New York Mets, Seattle, Boston and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He fittingly finished his career with the Dodgers at age 44 in 2003 by scoring a run in his final play on a major league field.

Henderson is the third prominent baseball Hall of Famer with ties to the Bay Area who died this year, following the deaths in June of former Giants stars&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/willie-mays-dies-at-93-baseball-33b31cc2d6382676ed54517d20ea36a3">Willie Mays</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/orlando-cepeda-died-86-giants-2d8b17a39dd0814b290f175196b938d8">Orlando Cepeda</a>.

Henderson was the rare position player who hit from the right side and threw with his left arm — but then again, everything about Henderson was unique.

He batted out of an extreme crouch, making for a tighter strike zone that contributed to his high walk total. He struck fear in opponents with his aggressive leads off first, his fingers twitching between his legs inside his batting gloves as he eyed the pitcher and the next base.

Born on Christmas Day in 1958 in Chicago in the back of his parents' Chevy, Henderson grew up in Oakland and developed into a star athlete. He played baseball, basketball and football at Oakland Tech High School and was a highly sought-after football recruit who could have played tailback at Southern California — where he likely would have eventually had the chance to run alongside football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen.

But Henderson said his mother loved baseball and thought it would be the safer career in a decision that proved to be prescient.

“She didn’t want her baby to get hurt,” Henderson told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2019. “I was mad, but she was smart. Overall, with the career longevity and the success I had, she made the right decision. Some of the players in football now have short careers and they can barely move around when they’re done.”

Henderson was selected in the fourth round of the 1976 amateur draft by the hometown A's and made his big league debut in 1979 with two hits — and, of course, one stolen base.

He became a star for the A's the following season and remained in Oakland through 1984 before being traded to the Yankees. Henderson was part of some talented teams in New York that never made the postseason. In 1985, he scored 146 runs in 143 games to go along with a league-leading 80 steals and 24 homers, helping start the "80-20 club" that season with Cincinnati's Eric Davis.

Henderson was traded back to Oakland in June 1989, leading to his greatest successes. He topped the AL that season with 113 runs, 126 walks and 77 steals, was named the ALCS MVP and helped lead the A's to the World Series title in the earthquake-interrupted Bay Bridge series by sweeping the Giants.

Henderson then won the AL MVP the following season for Oakland before the A's lost the World Series to Cincinnati.

He set the career steals record in 1991 and then was traded two years later to Toronto, where he won his second World Series. He spent the final decade of his career bouncing around the majors and still led the AL with 66 steals and 118 walks at age 39 with Oakland in 1998.

In 2017, the A's named their playing surface “Rickey Henderson Field” at the Oakland Coliseum in his honor.

“When you’re old and grey, sitting around with your buds talking about your career in baseball, you are going to talk about Rickey," said Ron Guidry, another of Henderson's former Yankees teammates. "He was just amazing to watch. There were great outfielders. There were great base stealers. There were great home run hitters. Rickey was a combination of all of those players. He did things out there on the field that the rest of us dreamed of.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734811062415.jpeg" alt="Oakland A's Rickey Henderson steals second base against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at the Oakland Coliseum, Calif., April 10, 1991. Henderson needs two more stolen bases to break Lou Brock's record of 938 bases. Th A's beat the Twins 7-2. (AP Photo/Alan Greth)" />
 <figcaption>Oakland A's Rickey Henderson steals second base against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at the Oakland Coliseum, Calif., April 10, 1991. Henderson needs two more stolen bases to break Lou Brock's record of 938 bases. Th A's beat the Twins 7-2. (AP Photo/Alan Greth)</figcaption>
 </figure>OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, the brash speedster who shattered stolen base records and redefined baseball's leadoff position,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rickey-henderson-dies-dbc401d2db457ee16d7e74b3d80d3e92">has died</a>. He was 65.Henderson died on Friday. The Athletics said Saturday they were “shocked and heartbroken by his passing," but did not specify a cause of death.Known as baseball's “Man of Steal,” Henderson had a lengthy list of accolades and accomplishments over his nomadic 25-year career — an MVP, 10 All-Star selections, two World Series titles and a Gold Glove award.“Rickey was simply the best player I ever played with. He could change the outcome of a game in so many ways," said Don Mattingly, Henderson's teammate with the New York Yankees from 1985-89. "It puts a smile on my face just thinking about him. I will miss my friend.”It was stealing bases where Henderson made his name and dominated the sport like no other.He broke through with 100 steals in his first full season in the majors in 1980, topping Ty Cobb's AL single-season record with Billy Martin's “Billy Ball” Oakland Athletics. He barely slowed playing for nine franchises over the next two decades. He broke Lou Brock's single-season record of 118 by stealing 130 bases in 1982 and led the league in steals for seven straight seasons and 12 overall.Henderson surpassed Brock's career record when he stole his 939th base on May 1, 1991, for Oakland, and famously pulled third base out of the ground and showed it off to the adoring crowd before giving a speech that he capped by saying: “Lou Brock was a great base stealer, but today I am the greatest of all time.”Henderson finished his career with 1,406 steals. His 468-steal edge over Brock matches the margin between Brock and Jimmy Rollins, who is in 46th place with 470.“He’s the greatest leadoff hitter of all time, and I’m not sure there’s a close second,” former A's executive Billy Beane said of Henderson.In September, Henderson insisted he would have had many more steals in his career and in the record-breaking 1982 season if&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-pitch-clock-shift-limits-bigger-bases-311fdb091b61f40b654c05e600a0d4ce">rules introduced in 2023 to limit pickoff throws and increase the size of bases</a>&nbsp;had overlapped with his career.“If I was playing today, I would get 162, right now, without a doubt," he said. "Because if they had had that rule, you can only throw over there twice, you know how many times they would be throwing over there twice and they’d be going, ‘Ah, (shoot), can y’all send him to third? Give him two bases and send him to third.’ That would be me.”He even predicted how he could still be stealing more bases than the current major leaguers even 20-plus years post-retirement: "If they’re stealing 40-50 bases right now I’d lead the league.”Henderson’s accomplishment that record-breaking day in 1991 was slightly overshadowed that night when Nolan Ryan threw his record seventh career no-hitter. Henderson already had been Ryan’s 5,000th career strikeout victim, which led him to say, “If you haven’t been struck out by Nolan Ryan, you’re nobody.”That was clearly not the case for Henderson. He is also the career leader in runs scored with 2,295 and in leadoff home runs with 81, ranks second to Barry Bonds with 2,190 walks and is fourth in games played (3,081) and plate appearances (13,346). He finished his career with 3,055 hits over 25 seasons spent with Oakland, the Yankees, Toronto, San Diego, Anaheim, the New York Mets, Seattle, Boston and the Los Angeles Dodgers.He fittingly finished his career with the Dodgers at age 44 in 2003 by scoring a run in his final play on a major league field.Henderson is the third prominent baseball Hall of Famer with ties to the Bay Area who died this year, following the deaths in June of former Giants stars&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/willie-mays-dies-at-93-baseball-33b31cc2d6382676ed54517d20ea36a3">Willie Mays</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/orlando-cepeda-died-86-giants-2d8b17a39dd0814b290f175196b938d8">Orlando Cepeda</a>.Henderson was the rare position player who hit from the right side and threw with his left arm — but then again, everything about Henderson was unique.He batted out of an extreme crouch, making for a tighter strike zone that contributed to his high walk total. He struck fear in opponents with his aggressive leads off first, his fingers twitching between his legs inside his batting gloves as he eyed the pitcher and the next base.Born on Christmas Day in 1958 in Chicago in the back of his parents' Chevy, Henderson grew up in Oakland and developed into a star athlete. He played baseball, basketball and football at Oakland Tech High School and was a highly sought-after football recruit who could have played tailback at Southern California — where he likely would have eventually had the chance to run alongside football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen.But Henderson said his mother loved baseball and thought it would be the safer career in a decision that proved to be prescient.“She didn’t want her baby to get hurt,” Henderson told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2019. “I was mad, but she was smart. Overall, with the career longevity and the success I had, she made the right decision. Some of the players in football now have short careers and they can barely move around when they’re done.”Henderson was selected in the fourth round of the 1976 amateur draft by the hometown A's and made his big league debut in 1979 with two hits — and, of course, one stolen base.He became a star for the A's the following season and remained in Oakland through 1984 before being traded to the Yankees. Henderson was part of some talented teams in New York that never made the postseason. In 1985, he scored 146 runs in 143 games to go along with a league-leading 80 steals and 24 homers, helping start the "80-20 club" that season with Cincinnati's Eric Davis.Henderson was traded back to Oakland in June 1989, leading to his greatest successes. He topped the AL that season with 113 runs, 126 walks and 77 steals, was named the ALCS MVP and helped lead the A's to the World Series title in the earthquake-interrupted Bay Bridge series by sweeping the Giants.Henderson then won the AL MVP the following season for Oakland before the A's lost the World Series to Cincinnati.He set the career steals record in 1991 and then was traded two years later to Toronto, where he won his second World Series. He spent the final decade of his career bouncing around the majors and still led the AL with 66 steals and 118 walks at age 39 with Oakland in 1998.In 2017, the A's named their playing surface “Rickey Henderson Field” at the Oakland Coliseum in his honor.“When you’re old and grey, sitting around with your buds talking about your career in baseball, you are going to talk about Rickey," said Ron Guidry, another of Henderson's former Yankees teammates. "He was just amazing to watch. There were great outfielders. There were great base stealers. There were great home run hitters. Rickey was a combination of all of those players. He did things out there on the field that the rest of us dreamed of.”___

Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, baseball's stolen base king, has died

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 260 yards and a touchdown while running for a score&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texans-chiefs-nfl-inactives-d2e3212152218c0f4d773a806b90ce70">on his ailing ankle</a>, and the Kansas City Chiefs took a big step toward securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs with a 27-19 victory over the Houston Texans on Saturday.

The AFC West champion Chiefs (14-1), who have won four straight against the AFC South champ Texans (9-6), can clinch the postseason bye if Buffalo loses to or ties New England on Sunday. If the Bills win, Kansas City can wrap it up by beating Pittsburgh on Christmas Day.

Xavier Worthy had seven catches for 65 yards and a touchdown, Kareem Hunt ran for 55 yards and another score, and Marquise Brown had five catches for 45 yards for Kansas City in his first game this season after recovering from a shoulder injury.

C.J. Stroud had 244 yards and two touchdown passes with two interceptions for Houston, though one of those TD throws came at great expense. Tank Dell, who had six catches for 98 yards,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texans-tank-dell-injury-chiefs-846aab7b6825a1febee75eee1dc453cb">hurt his left knee on the play</a>&nbsp;and was carted from the field.

Dalton Schultz also had a TD reception for the Texans. Joe Mixon was held to 57 yards rushing.

There were questions early in the week about whether Mahomes would play after sustaining a high ankle sprain late in last week's win over Cleveland. But the two-time MVP was off the injury report by Friday, and Mahomes showed no problems on the Chiefs' opening drive Saturday, finishing it off with a 15-yard scramble to the end zone.

It was merely the start of a back-and-forth first half.

The Texans answered with a 33-yard field goal, then went on a 13-play, 82-yard drive that ended with Stroud's touchdown toss to Schutlz. But the Chiefs quickly regained the lead when Hunt barreled into the end zone, and they tacked on a field goal after Stroud's second interception to lead 17-10 at the break.

Dell was hurt on the Texans' opening drive of the third quarter. He came across the back of the end zone and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1870558728891826553">made a spectacular catch</a>&nbsp;but collided with teammate Jared Wayne on his way to the ground. He immediately grabbed his left knee, and Stroud was tearful and visibly shaken as one of his top wide receivers was loaded on a cart and driven from the field.

Ka'imi Fairbairn promptly missed the extra point, and any momentum Houston might've had disappeared.

Kansas City marched the other way, relying heavily on Worthy, who touched the ball four times on the drive. He finished it off with an 8-yard reception, giving the first-round a season-high for receiving yards and his eighth touchdown.

The teams matched fourth-quarter field goals, and the Texans took over trailing 27-19 with just over five minutes to go.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734809639722.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 260 yards and a touchdown while running for a score&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texans-chiefs-nfl-inactives-d2e3212152218c0f4d773a806b90ce70">on his ailing ankle</a>, and the Kansas City Chiefs took a big step toward securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs with a 27-19 victory over the Houston Texans on Saturday.The AFC West champion Chiefs (14-1), who have won four straight against the AFC South champ Texans (9-6), can clinch the postseason bye if Buffalo loses to or ties New England on Sunday. If the Bills win, Kansas City can wrap it up by beating Pittsburgh on Christmas Day.Xavier Worthy had seven catches for 65 yards and a touchdown, Kareem Hunt ran for 55 yards and another score, and Marquise Brown had five catches for 45 yards for Kansas City in his first game this season after recovering from a shoulder injury.C.J. Stroud had 244 yards and two touchdown passes with two interceptions for Houston, though one of those TD throws came at great expense. Tank Dell, who had six catches for 98 yards,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texans-tank-dell-injury-chiefs-846aab7b6825a1febee75eee1dc453cb">hurt his left knee on the play</a>&nbsp;and was carted from the field.Dalton Schultz also had a TD reception for the Texans. Joe Mixon was held to 57 yards rushing.There were questions early in the week about whether Mahomes would play after sustaining a high ankle sprain late in last week's win over Cleveland. But the two-time MVP was off the injury report by Friday, and Mahomes showed no problems on the Chiefs' opening drive Saturday, finishing it off with a 15-yard scramble to the end zone.It was merely the start of a back-and-forth first half.The Texans answered with a 33-yard field goal, then went on a 13-play, 82-yard drive that ended with Stroud's touchdown toss to Schutlz. But the Chiefs quickly regained the lead when Hunt barreled into the end zone, and they tacked on a field goal after Stroud's second interception to lead 17-10 at the break.Dell was hurt on the Texans' opening drive of the third quarter. He came across the back of the end zone and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1870558728891826553">made a spectacular catch</a>&nbsp;but collided with teammate Jared Wayne on his way to the ground. He immediately grabbed his left knee, and Stroud was tearful and visibly shaken as one of his top wide receivers was loaded on a cart and driven from the field.Ka'imi Fairbairn promptly missed the extra point, and any momentum Houston might've had disappeared.Kansas City marched the other way, relying heavily on Worthy, who touched the ball four times on the drive. He finished it off with an 8-yard reception, giving the first-round a season-high for receiving yards and his eighth touchdown.The teams matched fourth-quarter field goals, and the Texans took over trailing 27-19 with just over five minutes to go.They promptly went three-and-out and Kansas City ran out the clock from there.<h2>Taylor time</h2>Pop star Taylor Swift was on hand for the Chiefs' regular-season finale. She has been spending more time with her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, in Kansas City since she wrapped up her Eras Tour on Dec. 8 in Vancouver, British Columbia, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-chiefs-childrens-hospital-63677e7d794ea29053c32fe84d44355d">making a surprise visit</a>&nbsp;to Children's Mercy Hospital.<h2>Injuries</h2>Houston: OG Shaq Mason (left knee) left on the fourth play of the game. FS Jimmie Ward (foot) was hurt late in the first half.Kansas City: LB Jack Cochrane (ankle) left in the first quarter. RT Jawaan Taylor (knee) left in the third quarter and DT Chris Jones sustained a minor calf injury in the fourth.<h2>Up next</h2>The Chiefs head to Pittsburgh and Houston welcomes Baltimore for the NFL's doubleheader on Christmas Day.___

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