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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🎧 Eagle Radio, Hull sports broadcast schedule

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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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Tuesday, December 24 noneWednesday, December 25
 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.

They promptly went three-and-out and Kansas City ran out the clock from there.

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.

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.

The Chiefs head to Pittsburgh and Houston welcomes Baltimore for the NFL's doubleheader on Christmas Day.

<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.___

🏈 Mahomes throws for TD and runs for score as Chiefs beat Texans 

Voice of the Chiefs Mitch Holthus previews the Chiefs and the Houston Texans Saturday afternoon showdown.

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

Voice of the Chiefs Mitch Holthus previews the Chiefs and the Houston Texans Saturday afternoon showdown.The Holthus Hotline airs Saturday's at 8 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/1990757807%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-1xf0u06Afr1&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-hotlne-december-21-2024/s-1xf0u06Afr1" title="Holthus Hotlne (December 21, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Holthus Hotlne (December 21, 2024)</a></div></div>

Saturday, December 21
 KFIX: Kansas City
Chiefs vs. Houston Texans, 11:00am

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

Saturday, December 21
 KFIX: Kansas City
Chiefs vs. Houston Texans, 11:00amSunday, December 22
 KAYS: Kansas MBKB vs.
Brown, 12:30pm
 KJLS: Fort Hays State MBKB vs. Regis, 1:30pm

HILO, Hawaii - The fifth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team battled its way to an 11th-straight victory Friday defeating Quincy 73-60 at the Big Island Holiday Classic. The Tigers' 11-0 start is the second-best start in program history.

The Tigers and Hawks (6-5) battled back-and-forth all evening, with the lead changing hands seven times. Quincy led by as many as four in the first quarter, but five points from Brooke Loewe&nbsp;helped the Tigers close within 16-15 by the end of the frame.

Fort Hays State scored six in a row early in the second frame to regain the lead before oing cold, hitting just one field goal over the final seven minutes of the first half. The Hawks also struggled offensively in the frame, with the teams combining to shoot 24.2 percent in the second quarter (8-of-33). Quincy took a one-point lead with three minutes to play before halftime before the Tigers scored the final two points of the half to lead 25-24 at the break.

The Hawks scored first to open the second half to go back up one before the Tigers took the lead for good on a basket from Katie DeGarmo. The basket sparked a 15-5 FHSU run, helping the Tigers build a nine-point lead, 40-31. DeGarmo added two more buckets during the run, with Bailey Wilborn&nbsp;and Talexa Weeter both pouring in 3-pointers. Quincy responded with a 6-0 run to close within three before Weeter hit a jumper just before the end of the period, putting the Tigers up 44-39 with 10 minutes to play.

Fort Hays State built another nine-point lead early in the fourth quarter but could not shake the Hawks, who again responded with a &nbsp;6-0 run to pull within one possession with seven minutes remaining.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/olivia-hollenbeck/8329">Olivia Hollenbeck</a>&nbsp;broke up the run with a bucket with 6:41 remaining, sparking a 23-13 Tiger run down the stretch that allowed FHSU to put the game on ice.

The Tigers hit 70 percent from the floor down the stretch (7-of-10) and drilled all six of their free-throw attempts to seal the win. Hollenbeck scored eight points during the run, with Weeter adding seven and Wilborn drilling two big 3-pointers in the final three minutes to put the nail in the coffin.

Quincy and Fort Hays State entered the game as two of the top 12 rebounding teams in the nation, with the Hawks winning the battle on the boards 42-33. It was the first time the Tigers have been outrebounded this season.

The Tigers finished the game shooting 40 percent from the floor (24-of-60), including a 60 percent shooting effort in the second half (15-of-25). Fort Hays State scored 25 points off 24 Hawk turnovers, including 13 points in transition.

Hollenbeck led the team in scoring with 19 points for the second-straight night, with the graduate student adding seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks. DeGarmo chipped in 18 points, nine rebounds, two assists and three steals, while Weeter scored 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Wilborn knocked down a trio of 3-pointers in the win, with Weeter also adding two makes from behind the arc.

The Tigers will return to action in two weeks when they travel to Maryville, Mo. to take on Northwest Missouri State on January 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734768456841.png" alt="Fort Hays State guard Brook Loewe (5) passes the ball in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Quincy on Friday, December 20, 2024 in Hilo, Hawaii (Hawaii Hilo Athletics photo/ Spencer Honda)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State guard Brook Loewe (5) passes the ball in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Quincy on Friday, December 20, 2024 in Hilo, Hawaii (Hawaii Hilo Athletics photo/ Spencer Honda)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHILO, Hawaii - The fifth-ranked Fort Hays State women's basketball team battled its way to an 11th-straight victory Friday defeating Quincy 73-60 at the Big Island Holiday Classic. The Tigers' 11-0 start is the second-best start in program history.<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/1991229895&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-wbkb-coach-post-v-quincy" title="Talis Kahrs Postgame vs. Quincy (December 20, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Talis Kahrs Postgame vs. Quincy (December 20, 2024)</a></div></div>The Tigers and Hawks (6-5) battled back-and-forth all evening, with the lead changing hands seven times. Quincy led by as many as four in the first quarter, but five points from Brooke Loewe&nbsp;helped the Tigers close within 16-15 by the end of the frame.Fort Hays State scored six in a row early in the second frame to regain the lead before oing cold, hitting just one field goal over the final seven minutes of the first half. The Hawks also struggled offensively in the frame, with the teams combining to shoot 24.2 percent in the second quarter (8-of-33). Quincy took a one-point lead with three minutes to play before halftime before the Tigers scored the final two points of the half to lead 25-24 at the break.The Hawks scored first to open the second half to go back up one before the Tigers took the lead for good on a basket from Katie DeGarmo. The basket sparked a 15-5 FHSU run, helping the Tigers build a nine-point lead, 40-31. DeGarmo added two more buckets during the run, with Bailey Wilborn&nbsp;and Talexa Weeter both pouring in 3-pointers. Quincy responded with a 6-0 run to close within three before Weeter hit a jumper just before the end of the period, putting the Tigers up 44-39 with 10 minutes to play.Fort Hays State built another nine-point lead early in the fourth quarter but could not shake the Hawks, who again responded with a &nbsp;6-0 run to pull within one possession with seven minutes remaining.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/olivia-hollenbeck/8329">Olivia Hollenbeck</a>&nbsp;broke up the run with a bucket with 6:41 remaining, sparking a 23-13 Tiger run down the stretch that allowed FHSU to put the game on ice.<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/1991229967&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-wbkb-hollenbeck-post-v" title="Olivia Hollenbeck Postgame vs. Quincy (December 20, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Olivia Hollenbeck Postgame vs. Quincy (December 20, 2024)</a></div></div>The Tigers hit 70 percent from the floor down the stretch (7-of-10) and drilled all six of their free-throw attempts to seal the win. Hollenbeck scored eight points during the run, with Weeter adding seven and Wilborn drilling two big 3-pointers in the final three minutes to put the nail in the coffin.Quincy and Fort Hays State entered the game as two of the top 12 rebounding teams in the nation, with the Hawks winning the battle on the boards 42-33. It was the first time the Tigers have been outrebounded this season.The Tigers finished the game shooting 40 percent from the floor (24-of-60), including a 60 percent shooting effort in the second half (15-of-25). Fort Hays State scored 25 points off 24 Hawk turnovers, including 13 points in transition.<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/1991229651&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-wbkb-highlights-v-quincy" title="#5 Fort Hays State WBB Highlights vs. Quincy (December 20, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">#5 Fort Hays State WBB Highlights vs. Quincy (December 20, 2024)</a></div></div>Hollenbeck led the team in scoring with 19 points for the second-straight night, with the graduate student adding seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks. DeGarmo chipped in 18 points, nine rebounds, two assists and three steals, while Weeter scored 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Wilborn knocked down a trio of 3-pointers in the win, with Weeter also adding two makes from behind the arc.UP NEXTThe Tigers will return to action in two weeks when they travel to Maryville, Mo. to take on Northwest Missouri State on January 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 No. 5 FHSU women outlast Hawks in Hawaii to move to 11-0

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER Hays Post

MANHATTAN - Hays finished off the 2024 portion of their regular season with a trip to Manhattan on Friday night.

GIRLS:&nbsp;#5-5A Hays 56, #10-6A Manhattan 48 Hays and Manhattan lived up to their rankings as the two were tied 12 times and changed the lead 18 times. Hays ended the game with a 12-3 run to win 56-48.

Hays led 8-4 three minutes into the contest. That would be the biggest lead for either team until the fourth quarter. Each team scored 13 points in the first quarter.

A pair of Hays free throws put Hays ahead at halftime 24-22. Manhattan had their biggest lead of the game late in the third and early in the fourth, both times by two points.

Manhattan led 34-32 and 37-35 with the second lead coming on the first points of the fourth quarter. The two swapped the lead back and fourth before Manhattan led 45-44 with 3:35 remaining. Zoe Winter hit a three pointer to ignite a 9-0 run. She scored the first seven points.

Hays ended the game with a 12-3 run for the 56-48 victory.

Winter led the Indians with 14. Katie Linenberger scored 14 as well and added 10 rebounds for her first career double-double. Molly Martin scored 12. Hays goes to the break at 6-0. Manhattan drops to 4-2.

Jenna Schmeidler 7; Annie Humphrey 0; Katie Linenberger 14; Molly Martin 12; Kenlee Winter 5; Morgan Armbruster 0; Lynsi Kanak 0; Molly Buckles 4; Zoe Winter 14.

BOYS:&nbsp; Manhattan 60, Hays 57 Hays and Manhattan both took seven point leads in the first half. Manhattan used a 9-0 first quarter run to lead 9-2 three minutes into the game. Hays countered with a 14-2 to close out the first quarter leading 16-11.

Hays took their seven points leads in the second quarter at 19-12 and 23-16. A six point spurt by Manhattan closed the gap down to 23-22 before Cooper Lindenmeyer beat the second quarter clock with basket to lead 25-22 at halftime.

Neither team grabbed firm control of the game in the third quarter. Manhattan led by four at one point before Tiger Johnson made two of his five threes to give Hays the lead back at 35-33. The lead changed hands until Manhattan led 40-39 going the fourth quarter.

Manhattan led by five when Hays went on a 10-2 run&nbsp; to take the lead back at 49-46 three minutes into the fourth quarter. The teams took turns leading in the final three minutes. An Izaac Fox dunk put Hays up 53-50 with 2:45 left. Manhattan took the lead back on a pair of free throws at 1:57. A Dawson Ruder traditional three point play gave Hays the lead with :55 seconds then Manhattan answered with a top of the key three for a 57-56 advantage.

Hays hit one of two free throws with 4.2 second lefts to tie the game. It left just enough time for Manhattan to bank in a running three from well past the three point line for a 60-57 victory.

Hays falls to 3-3 in the loss. Manhattan improves to 2-4 and wins at the buzzer one week after losing to Dodge City at the buzzer. Cooper Johnson scored a career high 20. Dawson Ruder had a second double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

The game featured seven ties and eleven lead changes.

Carter Lang 0; Johnny Cano 2; Trace Jacobs 0; Cooper Lindenmeyer 2; Trey Oakley 9; Tiger Johnson 20; Izaac Fox 8; Noah Smalley 0; Dawson Ruder 16.

By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER Hays PostMANHATTAN - Hays finished off the 2024 portion of their regular season with a trip to Manhattan on Friday night.GIRLS:&nbsp;#5-5A Hays 56, #10-6A Manhattan 48 Hays and Manhattan lived up to their rankings as the two were tied 12 times and changed the lead 18 times. Hays ended the game with a 12-3 run to win 56-48.Hays led 8-4 three minutes into the contest. That would be the biggest lead for either team until the fourth quarter. Each team scored 13 points in the first quarter.A pair of Hays free throws put Hays ahead at halftime 24-22. Manhattan had their biggest lead of the game late in the third and early in the fourth, both times by two points.Highlights<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/1991127435&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-814667509/12-20-24-hh-wbkb-hilights-v-manhattan" title="12-20-24 HH WBKB Hilights v. Manhattan" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">12-20-24 HH WBKB Hilights v. Manhattan</a></div></div>Manhattan led 34-32 and 37-35 with the second lead coming on the first points of the fourth quarter. The two swapped the lead back and fourth before Manhattan led 45-44 with 3:35 remaining. Zoe Winter hit a three pointer to ignite a 9-0 run. She scored the first seven points.Hays ended the game with a 12-3 run for the 56-48 victory.Coach Len Melvin<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/1991178595&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-814667509/12-20-24-hhs-wbkb-coach-interview-v-manhattan" title="12 - 20 - 24 HHS WBKB Coach Interview v. Manhattan" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">12 - 20 - 24 HHS WBKB Coach Interview v. Manhattan</a></div></div>Winter led the Indians with 14. Katie Linenberger scored 14 as well and added 10 rebounds for her first career double-double. Molly Martin scored 12. Hays goes to the break at 6-0. Manhattan drops to 4-2.Jenna Schmeidler 7; Annie Humphrey 0; Katie Linenberger 14; Molly Martin 12; Kenlee Winter 5; Morgan Armbruster 0; Lynsi Kanak 0; Molly Buckles 4; Zoe Winter 14.BOYS:&nbsp; Manhattan 60, Hays 57 Hays and Manhattan both took seven point leads in the first half. Manhattan used a 9-0 first quarter run to lead 9-2 three minutes into the game. Hays countered with a 14-2 to close out the first quarter leading 16-11.Hays took their seven points leads in the second quarter at 19-12 and 23-16. A six point spurt by Manhattan closed the gap down to 23-22 before Cooper Lindenmeyer beat the second quarter clock with basket to lead 25-22 at halftime.Highlights<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/1991179519&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-814667509/12-20-24-hh-mbkb-hilights-v-manhattan" title="12 - 20 - 24 HH MBKB Hilights v. Manhattan" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">12 - 20 - 24 HH MBKB Hilights v. Manhattan</a></div></div>Neither team grabbed firm control of the game in the third quarter. Manhattan led by four at one point before Tiger Johnson made two of his five threes to give Hays the lead back at 35-33. The lead changed hands until Manhattan led 40-39 going the fourth quarter.Manhattan led by five when Hays went on a 10-2 run&nbsp; to take the lead back at 49-46 three minutes into the fourth quarter. The teams took turns leading in the final three minutes. An Izaac Fox dunk put Hays up 53-50 with 2:45 left. Manhattan took the lead back on a pair of free throws at 1:57. A Dawson Ruder traditional three point play gave Hays the lead with :55 seconds then Manhattan answered with a top of the key three for a 57-56 advantage.Hays hit one of two free throws with 4.2 second lefts to tie the game. It left just enough time for Manhattan to bank in a running three from well past the three point line for a 60-57 victory.Coach Sean Dreiling<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/1991180091&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-814667509/12-20-24-hhs-mbkb-coach-interview-v-manhattan" title="12 - 20 - 24 HHS MBKB Coach Interview v. Manhattan" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">12 - 20 - 24 HHS MBKB Coach Interview v. Manhattan</a></div></div>Hays falls to 3-3 in the loss. Manhattan improves to 2-4 and wins at the buzzer one week after losing to Dodge City at the buzzer. Cooper Johnson scored a career high 20. Dawson Ruder had a second double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds.The game featured seven ties and eleven lead changes.Carter Lang 0; Johnny Cano 2; Trace Jacobs 0; Cooper Lindenmeyer 2; Trey Oakley 9; Tiger Johnson 20; Izaac Fox 8; Noah Smalley 0; Dawson Ruder 16.

🏀 Hays girls remain unbeaten; boys fall to Manhattan

HAYS, Kan. – Freshman Aiden McDowell knocked down seven 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 24 points and led Fort Hays State to a 66-50 win over #22 MSU Denver Friday at Gross Memorial Coliseum.&nbsp;FHSU improved to 7-3 overall, while MSU Denver dropped to 9-2 overall.

Two milestones of 1,700 were reached in the winning effort. Fort Hays State became the sixth NCAA Division II school with 1,700 wins all-time in it's men's basketball program history. Also, Kaleb Hammeke&nbsp;went past 1,700 career points, just the second Tiger to accomplish the feat in program history along with Alonzo Goldston, who holds the all-time scoring record at 1,766. Hammeke is now at 1,702 points.

The Tigers fell down by 11 early as MSU Denver's Caleb McGill was on fire early with 18 of his team's first 20 points, However, FHSU used a 15-0 burst to close the first half and take a 30-24 lead at halftime. Hammeke triggered the run with a jumper, then Traejon Davis&nbsp;added a 3-point field goal to trim the lead to four. McDowell&nbsp;put the Tigers in front for good by hitting back-to-back 3-point field goals, his third and fourth of the first half, pushing the Tigers on top 26-24. Kyle Grill&nbsp;got into the mix with a bucket and Davis capped the run with the last basket before halftime to make it a six-point spread.

The FHSU lead reached eight twice early in the second half, but MSU Denver trimmed the lead back down to one at the 15:18 and 9:48 marks. McDowell had the answer each time, hitting a layup after the first one-point margin and then a 3-pointer after the second. McDowell's second bucket of the sequence triggered another massive run by the Tigers, this time a 14-0 burst to take a 15-point lead with 5:15 to play. The Tigers kept their lead in double figures the rest of the way and reached the largest lead of the game, the 16-point final margin, on a pair of free throws by Hammeke inside the final minute.

FHSU held an MSU Denver team that entered the game shooting better than 50 percent from the field for the season to just 36 percent overall. The Roadrunners hit just 28 percent of their field goals in the second half. FHSU remained pretty steady throughout the game at 48 percent in the first half and 48.3 percent in the second half, finishing at 48.1 percent. The Tigers had 10 3-point field goals and drained 58.8 percent (10-of-17) of their attempts beyond the arc.

McDowell was a blazing hot 7-of-9 beyond the 3-point line, tying the 10th&nbsp;most made by Tiger players in a game in program history. The record is nine, reached twice, and eight has been reached seven times. He finished at 8-of-11 overall from the field and hit one of two free throws to reach 24 points. His previous high in a game this year was 11 points against Central Christian.

Hammeke was the only other Tiger in double figures scoring with 15 points. He tied his career high in assists with nine, reached for the fourth time and second time this season. He also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.

McGill finished with 20 points for MSU Denver, scoring just two points in the second half after his 18 points out of the gate. Brayden Carter also reached double figures for the Roadrunners with 10 points and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1734767780192.png" alt="Fort Hays State freshman Aiden McDowell attempts a 3-point shot during an NCAA college basketball game vs. #22 MSU Denver on Friday, December 20, 2024 in Hays, Kan (FHSU Athletics photo/Gillian Lynch)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State freshman Aiden McDowell attempts a 3-point shot during an NCAA college basketball game vs. #22 MSU Denver on Friday, December 20, 2024 in Hays, Kan (FHSU Athletics photo/Gillian Lynch)</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. – Freshman Aiden McDowell knocked down seven 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 24 points and led Fort Hays State to a 66-50 win over #22 MSU Denver Friday at Gross Memorial Coliseum.&nbsp;FHSU improved to 7-3 overall, while MSU Denver dropped to 9-2 overall.Two milestones of 1,700 were reached in the winning effort. Fort Hays State became the sixth NCAA Division II school with 1,700 wins all-time in it's men's basketball program history. Also, Kaleb Hammeke&nbsp;went past 1,700 career points, just the second Tiger to accomplish the feat in program history along with Alonzo Goldston, who holds the all-time scoring record at 1,766. Hammeke is now at 1,702 points.<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/1991152707&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-coach-post-v-msu" title="Mark Johnson Postgame vs. #22 MSU Denver (December 20, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Mark Johnson Postgame vs. #22 MSU Denver (December 20, 2024)</a></div></div>The Tigers fell down by 11 early as MSU Denver's Caleb McGill was on fire early with 18 of his team's first 20 points, However, FHSU used a 15-0 burst to close the first half and take a 30-24 lead at halftime. Hammeke triggered the run with a jumper, then Traejon Davis&nbsp;added a 3-point field goal to trim the lead to four. McDowell&nbsp;put the Tigers in front for good by hitting back-to-back 3-point field goals, his third and fourth of the first half, pushing the Tigers on top 26-24. Kyle Grill&nbsp;got into the mix with a bucket and Davis capped the run with the last basket before halftime to make it a six-point spread.The FHSU lead reached eight twice early in the second half, but MSU Denver trimmed the lead back down to one at the 15:18 and 9:48 marks. McDowell had the answer each time, hitting a layup after the first one-point margin and then a 3-pointer after the second. McDowell's second bucket of the sequence triggered another massive run by the Tigers, this time a 14-0 burst to take a 15-point lead with 5:15 to play. The Tigers kept their lead in double figures the rest of the way and reached the largest lead of the game, the 16-point final margin, on a pair of free throws by Hammeke inside the final minute.<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/1991152915&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-mcdowell-post-v-msu" title="Aiden McDowell Postgame vs. #22 MSU Denver (December 20, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Aiden McDowell Postgame vs. #22 MSU Denver (December 20, 2024)</a></div></div>FHSU held an MSU Denver team that entered the game shooting better than 50 percent from the field for the season to just 36 percent overall. The Roadrunners hit just 28 percent of their field goals in the second half. FHSU remained pretty steady throughout the game at 48 percent in the first half and 48.3 percent in the second half, finishing at 48.1 percent. The Tigers had 10 3-point field goals and drained 58.8 percent (10-of-17) of their attempts beyond the arc.McDowell was a blazing hot 7-of-9 beyond the 3-point line, tying the 10th&nbsp;most made by Tiger players in a game in program history. The record is nine, reached twice, and eight has been reached seven times. He finished at 8-of-11 overall from the field and hit one of two free throws to reach 24 points. His previous high in a game this year was 11 points against Central Christian.Hammeke was the only other Tiger in double figures scoring with 15 points. He tied his career high in assists with nine, reached for the fourth time and second time this season. He also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.<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/1991152439&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-v-msu" title="Fort Hays State MBB Highlights vs. #22 MSU Denver (December 20, 2024)" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Fort Hays State MBB Highlights vs. #22 MSU Denver (December 20, 2024)</a></div></div>McGill finished with 20 points for MSU Denver, scoring just two points in the second half after his 18 points out of the gate. Brayden Carter also reached double figures for the Roadrunners with 10 points and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.UP NEXTFort Hays State will host Regis University on Sunday (Dec. 22) at 2 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Rangers will enter at 5-6 overall after a loss at Nebraska-Kearney on Friday evening.

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