Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“After reviewing the tape, I basically feel the same way I did last night. We’ve got to clean up some things really all three phases. There were some good things from our young guys but not enough. We’ll go back to the drawing board here and work on that. For information, Patrick (Mahomes) is going to go back to Dallas for a second opinion with Dr. (Dan) Cooper, and we’ll just see. We’ll give you updates as we go from there. Then as far as the other injuries go, I really don’t have anything to offer you right now. We’ll talk about that later. With that, time’s yours.”

Q: How do you think Patrick Mahomes will attack rehab and that challenge?

REID:&nbsp;“Just what you said, he’ll (Patrick Mahomes) attack it. Just like he does everything else. There’s been some pretty good quarterbacks that have had this same injury, and they’ve done pretty well after they came back. He’ll get after it, and he has good people here to rehab him, and he’ll get in here and be right on top of all that.”

Q: How much can you use these last three games of the season to evaluate young talent on the team?

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, every game you go into can be Yahtzee if you want to win. We’re in America here, that’s what we do. You want to go in to play your best and – if the guys are available, they’re going to play. They know that and they want to do that, so you find out.”

Q: How much have you talked to Patrick Mahomes in the last 18 hours after the injury?

REID:&nbsp;“I’ve had a good visit with him (Patrick Mahomes) a couple of different times. He’s in a good place. He felt like he let people down but then he comes back, and he’s ready for the challenge ahead, which is what’s real right now. He’s just got to get through surgery wherever it might be and then move on from there.”

Q: What are your own thoughts and emotions on Patrick Mahomes injury?

REID:&nbsp;“I know the process of rehab and for sure he’ll get in there and I know he’ll come out on the strong end of this thing. As we go here, we’re finding a lot out about our team. Some of the young guys are having opportunities to play, we’re going to finish this season strong and with effort. Then you get into the offseason, but I’m always optimistic about going forward. (General Manger) Brett Veach does a heck of a job with bringing players in as you can see now by the guys that are in there playing. Then it’s our responsibility to clean things up on the coaching side of it and the players to take responsibility on their end and finish these three games and then whoever is here after to retool it.”

Q: What’s the thought process on potentially not playing younger players in the last three games of the season knowing you won’t be in the playoffs?

REID:&nbsp;“Well, Soren (Petro), most of them are already playing (chuckles). That’s the main thing. I have to see what the injuries are here from this game and then go from there. But most of the young guys are having an opportunity in one phase or another. You only have so many numbers in this thing that you can play with, and the NFL is not quite like college where you have 90 guys that you can just pick and choose from.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you feel like the offense has been out of sync all season?

REID:&nbsp;“When you lose close games, you search for things because you want to fix it. Sometimes it’s a penalty here or sometimes it’s a turnover here. It can be a variety of things. It’s always one little thing that determines close games, normally one or two things, and we’ve had our share of those, and you can’t have those. It could be the wrong play, called the wrong play at the wrong time. We’ve all got a piece of this thing and you have to keep striving to fix it and then do what you have to do in the offseason, but you finish these games here striving to do better and cleaning up some things. I mention one of the positive thing is you get to see a lot of young guys play out of it and see what they’re all about.”

Q: Is Patrick Mahomes getting a second opinion due to the potential of further damage beyond the ACL?

REID:&nbsp;“No, but these guys normally do that on that Sam (McDowell). Those guys get a second opinion (I) probably put it up as much as probably over 90% of the guys do this. That’s just part of it, and that’s what he’s (Patrick Mahomes) doing.”

Q: On the team typically getting better throughout the season and other teams now doing the same.

REID:&nbsp;“You’ve always got to continue to strive to build and add to the roster and then you’ve got to stay ahead of the game as a coach. And that’s every offseason. That’s the challenge. Sometimes when you’re good for the period of time that we’ve been doing well, you’re not picking very high in the draft and you make things work. Nobody is doing it better than (General Manager) Brett (Veach) has of being able to keep everything afloat and then still not spending a ton on – working in the free agency market as much as a lot of people do. He's done an amazing job at juggling all of that.”

Q: Did Patrick Mahomes’ initial diagnosis mention a meniscus or anything or just the ACL?

REID:&nbsp;“It’s just what they (Kansas City Chiefs) put out there. We try not to hide too much from you, right (laughs). It’s not our game. I try to keep it right up front with you, so that’s the information that they had and they put it out for you.”

Q: You haven’t missed the playoffs in a long time, how does that resonate with you?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah Todd (Leabo) obviously I’m not happy about it. Nor is anybody here. We strive for excellence; we try to do that every year. Things happen though in this league, and it’s a ton of parity and sometimes you end up on the short end of it and you’ve got to go back and look at things and that can be healthy and we’ve got good people to do that with and we’ve got a good nucleus of players. So, we’ve got to go back and look at all of that.”

Q: Are these next three games an audition for Gardner Minshew going into the 2026 season?

REID:&nbsp;“I’ve got a ton of confidence in Gardner (Minshew). I’ve watched him play with these other teams. He’s started in the league. Our guys have confidence in him. And then Chris Oladokun behind him will work up there and Chris has been with us for a while too so I think they’re two guys who our guys trust in there and will play hard for.”

Q: Is Patrick Mahomes going to see Dan Cooper down in Dallas?

Q:&nbsp;How does Patrick Mahomes’ injury change your approach to the offseason?

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesDecember 15, 2025OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“After reviewing the tape, I basically feel the same way I did last night. We’ve got to clean up some things really all three phases. There were some good things from our young guys but not enough. We’ll go back to the drawing board here and work on that. For information, Patrick (Mahomes) is going to go back to Dallas for a second opinion with Dr. (Dan) Cooper, and we’ll just see. We’ll give you updates as we go from there. Then as far as the other injuries go, I really don’t have anything to offer you right now. We’ll talk about that later. With that, time’s yours.”Q: How do you think Patrick Mahomes will attack rehab and that challenge?REID:&nbsp;“Just what you said, he’ll (Patrick Mahomes) attack it. Just like he does everything else. There’s been some pretty good quarterbacks that have had this same injury, and they’ve done pretty well after they came back. He’ll get after it, and he has good people here to rehab him, and he’ll get in here and be right on top of all that.”Q: How much can you use these last three games of the season to evaluate young talent on the team?REID:&nbsp;“Listen, every game you go into can be Yahtzee if you want to win. We’re in America here, that’s what we do. You want to go in to play your best and – if the guys are available, they’re going to play. They know that and they want to do that, so you find out.”Q: How much have you talked to Patrick Mahomes in the last 18 hours after the injury?REID:&nbsp;“I’ve had a good visit with him (Patrick Mahomes) a couple of different times. He’s in a good place. He felt like he let people down but then he comes back, and he’s ready for the challenge ahead, which is what’s real right now. He’s just got to get through surgery wherever it might be and then move on from there.”Q: What are your own thoughts and emotions on Patrick Mahomes injury?REID:&nbsp;“I know the process of rehab and for sure he’ll get in there and I know he’ll come out on the strong end of this thing. As we go here, we’re finding a lot out about our team. Some of the young guys are having opportunities to play, we’re going to finish this season strong and with effort. Then you get into the offseason, but I’m always optimistic about going forward. (General Manger) Brett Veach does a heck of a job with bringing players in as you can see now by the guys that are in there playing. Then it’s our responsibility to clean things up on the coaching side of it and the players to take responsibility on their end and finish these three games and then whoever is here after to retool it.”Q: What’s the thought process on potentially not playing younger players in the last three games of the season knowing you won’t be in the playoffs?REID:&nbsp;“Well, Soren (Petro), most of them are already playing (chuckles). That’s the main thing. I have to see what the injuries are here from this game and then go from there. But most of the young guys are having an opportunity in one phase or another. You only have so many numbers in this thing that you can play with, and the NFL is not quite like college where you have 90 guys that you can just pick and choose from.”Q:&nbsp;Do you feel like the offense has been out of sync all season?REID:&nbsp;“When you lose close games, you search for things because you want to fix it. Sometimes it’s a penalty here or sometimes it’s a turnover here. It can be a variety of things. It’s always one little thing that determines close games, normally one or two things, and we’ve had our share of those, and you can’t have those. It could be the wrong play, called the wrong play at the wrong time. We’ve all got a piece of this thing and you have to keep striving to fix it and then do what you have to do in the offseason, but you finish these games here striving to do better and cleaning up some things. I mention one of the positive thing is you get to see a lot of young guys play out of it and see what they’re all about.”Q: Is Patrick Mahomes getting a second opinion due to the potential of further damage beyond the ACL?REID:&nbsp;“No, but these guys normally do that on that Sam (McDowell). Those guys get a second opinion (I) probably put it up as much as probably over 90% of the guys do this. That’s just part of it, and that’s what he’s (Patrick Mahomes) doing.”Q: On the team typically getting better throughout the season and other teams now doing the same.REID:&nbsp;“You’ve always got to continue to strive to build and add to the roster and then you’ve got to stay ahead of the game as a coach. And that’s every offseason. That’s the challenge. Sometimes when you’re good for the period of time that we’ve been doing well, you’re not picking very high in the draft and you make things work. Nobody is doing it better than (General Manager) Brett (Veach) has of being able to keep everything afloat and then still not spending a ton on – working in the free agency market as much as a lot of people do. He's done an amazing job at juggling all of that.”Q: Did Patrick Mahomes’ initial diagnosis mention a meniscus or anything or just the ACL?REID:&nbsp;“It’s just what they (Kansas City Chiefs) put out there. We try not to hide too much from you, right (laughs). It’s not our game. I try to keep it right up front with you, so that’s the information that they had and they put it out for you.”Q: You haven’t missed the playoffs in a long time, how does that resonate with you?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah Todd (Leabo) obviously I’m not happy about it. Nor is anybody here. We strive for excellence; we try to do that every year. Things happen though in this league, and it’s a ton of parity and sometimes you end up on the short end of it and you’ve got to go back and look at things and that can be healthy and we’ve got good people to do that with and we’ve got a good nucleus of players. So, we’ve got to go back and look at all of that.”Q: Are these next three games an audition for Gardner Minshew going into the 2026 season?REID:&nbsp;“I’ve got a ton of confidence in Gardner (Minshew). I’ve watched him play with these other teams. He’s started in the league. Our guys have confidence in him. And then Chris Oladokun behind him will work up there and Chris has been with us for a while too so I think they’re two guys who our guys trust in there and will play hard for.”Q: Is Patrick Mahomes going to see Dan Cooper down in Dallas?REID:&nbsp;“Yes, Dan Cooper.”Q:&nbsp;How does Patrick Mahomes’ injury change your approach to the offseason?

Chiefs Quotes: 12-15-25

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced&nbsp;today&nbsp;they have acquired outfielder&nbsp;Isaac Collins&nbsp;and right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Nick Mears&nbsp;from the Milwaukee Brewers for left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Angel Zerpa. The Royals now have 39 players on their Major League Reserve List.

Collins, 28, slashed .263/.368/.411 (98-for-372) with 34 extra-base hits (.779 OPS) and 16 stolen bases in 130 games with the Brewers in 2025, his first full season in the Majors. He made 100 starts, including 91 in left field, 6 in right field, 2 at designated hitter and 1 at second base. He recorded 6 Outs Above Average in left field, most in the Majors among all players at the position.

Collins finished 4th in the National League Rookie of the Year ballot, after ranking among the NL rookie leaders in walks (1st, 57), RBI (3rd, 54), runs (T-4th, 56), doubles (T-4th, 22) and hits (5th, 98). He was named the National League Rookie of the Month for July, during which he slashed .321/.411/.436 (25-for-78) in 23 games.

Collins, a switch hitter, batted .279 (69-for-247) with an .802 OPS vs. right-handed pitchers in 2025 and .232 (29-for-125) with a .732 OPS vs. left handers, though 4 of his 9 home runs came vs. southpaws. He was one of five switch hitters in the Majors in 2025 to record at least 30 extra-base hits and 15 stolen bases, along with&nbsp;José Ramírez,&nbsp;Francisco Lindor,&nbsp;Elly De La Cruz&nbsp;and&nbsp;Geraldo Perdomo.

Mears, 29, has pitched for three teams over parts of six seasons in the Majors, including Pittsburgh (2020-22), Colorado (2023-24) and Milwaukee (2024-25). He set career highs with the Brewers in 2025 in wins (5), appearances (63), holds (17) and ERA (3.49).

During his six seasons in the Majors, Mears has recorded 174 strikeouts in 164.0 innings (9.5 K/9), including a career-best 75 strikeouts in 57.2 innings (11.7 K/9) in 2024.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced&nbsp;today&nbsp;they have acquired outfielder&nbsp;Isaac Collins&nbsp;and right-handed pitcher&nbsp;Nick Mears&nbsp;from the Milwaukee Brewers for left-handed pitcher&nbsp;Angel Zerpa. The Royals now have 39 players on their Major League Reserve List.Collins, 28, slashed .263/.368/.411 (98-for-372) with 34 extra-base hits (.779 OPS) and 16 stolen bases in 130 games with the Brewers in 2025, his first full season in the Majors. He made 100 starts, including 91 in left field, 6 in right field, 2 at designated hitter and 1 at second base. He recorded 6 Outs Above Average in left field, most in the Majors among all players at the position.Collins finished 4th in the National League Rookie of the Year ballot, after ranking among the NL rookie leaders in walks (1st, 57), RBI (3rd, 54), runs (T-4th, 56), doubles (T-4th, 22) and hits (5th, 98). He was named the National League Rookie of the Month for July, during which he slashed .321/.411/.436 (25-for-78) in 23 games.Collins, a switch hitter, batted .279 (69-for-247) with an .802 OPS vs. right-handed pitchers in 2025 and .232 (29-for-125) with a .732 OPS vs. left handers, though 4 of his 9 home runs came vs. southpaws. He was one of five switch hitters in the Majors in 2025 to record at least 30 extra-base hits and 15 stolen bases, along with&nbsp;José Ramírez,&nbsp;Francisco Lindor,&nbsp;Elly De La Cruz&nbsp;and&nbsp;Geraldo Perdomo.Mears, 29, has pitched for three teams over parts of six seasons in the Majors, including Pittsburgh (2020-22), Colorado (2023-24) and Milwaukee (2024-25). He set career highs with the Brewers in 2025 in wins (5), appearances (63), holds (17) and ERA (3.49).During his six seasons in the Majors, Mears has recorded 174 strikeouts in 164.0 innings (9.5 K/9), including a career-best 75 strikeouts in 57.2 innings (11.7 K/9) in 2024.

Royals Acquire Outfielder Isaac Collins and Pitcher Nick Mears from Milwaukee

OMAHA, NEBRASKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;K-State ended its non-conference schedule with a 75-71 win at Creighton on Sunday at D.J. Sokol Arena.

K-State (7-6) saw every player that played in the game register at least one point and were paced by sophomore forward Nastja Claessens by tying her career-high with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting and pulled in five rebounds.

Freshman guard Jordan Speiser notched 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting, while sophomore guard Izela Arenas added 10 points.

- K-State won the first quarter with a strong offensive performance, outscoring the Bluejays, 21-15, on 9-of-16 shooting (.563). The 21 points were the most in a quarter for the Wildcats since scoring 22 in the third quarter against South Dakota State on Nov. 29.

- After Creighton (4-5, 1-0 Big East) trimmed the K-State lead to three, 23-20, early in the second quarter, the Wildcats used a 7-0 run in thirty seconds to take a 30-20 lead with 6:47 remaining in the frame and force the Bluejays to call their second timeout of the first half.

- Freshman Jordan Speiser started the run with a pair of free throws and was quickly followed by a steal and layup from freshman Gina Garcia. On the next defensive possession, senior Tess Heal snared a steal and found sophomore Izela Arenas open in the corner for a 3-pointer.

- Creighton would narrow the margin to four, 38-34, but a driving layup from Garcia and a corner three-pointer in transition from junior Taryn Sides rebuilt the K-State lead to 43-34 with 1:07 to play. Heal would cap the first half with a driving acrobatic layup to beat the buzzer and give the Wildcats a 45-36 halftime lead.

- K-State shot 56.3 percent (18-of-32) from the field in the first half, including 50.0 percent (5-of-10) from beyond the arc. This was the first time K-State registered 20 or more points in each quarter of the first half since November 27 against Columbia.

- Three-pointers from Sides and Claessens to begin the third quarter forced Creighton into burning its third timeout of the afternoon, as K-State increased its lead to 51-36 with 8:12 left.

- Creighton used a 10-0 run to cut the K-State lead to four, 53-49, with 1:38 remaining, but a fastbreak layup from Aniya Foy ended the Wildcat drought and was followed by a layup from Arenas to give the Wildcats a 57-49 lead heading into the final quarter. K-State was limited to a 30.8 percent effort (4-of-13) from the field in third frame.

- The Bluejays used an 11-2 run early in the fourth quarter to close to within one, 61-60, and force a K-State timeout with 6:15 to play. Creighton would eventually take a one-point lead, 64-63, on a fastbreak layup.

- K-State recovered to with a 7-2 run to build a 71-67 lead with 2:49 remaining in the fourth quarter. Claessens started the rally with a layup and a 3-pointer and was followed by a layup from Speiser with 2:49 to play.

- After the Bluejays tied the game at 71 with 1:11 remaining, Speiser finished a putback layup with 42 seconds left. After a missed layup from Creighton with seven seconds left, Claessens buried two free throws to seal the win with five seconds left.

- K-State shot 47.4 percent (27-of-57) from the field for the game, including 40.0 percent (8-of-20) from 3-point range.

- The Wildcats held a 36-24 advantage in points in the paint and a 14-2 edge in fastbreak points.

- K-State leads the series with Creighton, 17-5, including a 6-4 mark in games played in Omaha. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 2-0 in his career against Creighton. The Wildcats are 22-11 against current members of the Big East Conference.

- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 679-384 (.639), including a mark of 225-149 (.602).

- The Wildcats are 301-330 (.477) in road games in its 58-season history. Under Mittie, K-State is 52-73 (.416) in road games.

- The Wildcats are 253-104 (.709) in games played in the month of December. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 52-19 (.732) in games during the 12th&nbsp;month.

- K-State's starting five consisted of guards Gina Garcia, Brandie Harrod, Taryn Sides and forwards Jenessa Cotton and Nastja Claessens. This was the sixth time this lineup has started together this season. This was the 13th career start for Harrod. This was the 12th career start for Sides. This was the 11th career start for Garcia. Cotton made her ninth career start. Claessens made her ninth career start.

- The Wildcats held a 45-36 lead at halftime on Sunday. Under Mittie, K-State is 180-21 (.896) when leading at halftime, including a 4-0 mark this season.

- Since the start of the quarter system in 2015-16, K-State is 165-69 (.705) when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter in a game. K-State has 19 quarters this season with 20 or more points scored. K-State scored 20 or more in the first and second quarters on Sunday.

- K-State has 20 quarters this season with an effort of 50.0 percent or better including 50.0 percent performance in the first and second quarters on Sunday.

- The Wildcats scored 33 bench points on Sunday. This is the 11th&nbsp;time this season K-State has scored 20 or more points from its bench.

- Claessens achieved double figures in scoring for the sixth time this season. This was her second career game with 20 or more points and tied her career-high.

- Arenas registered her sixth game this season and the 11th of her career with 10 or more points.

- Arenas made two 3-pointers on Sunday. This was her ninth career game and her fourth this season with two or more connections from long range.

- Speiser scored in double figures for the sixth time this season.

- Garcia registered six assists. This was her seventh career game with five or more assists. She has led K-State in assists in nine games this season.

- Garcia pulled in a career-high six rebounds. This was her second career game with five or more rebounds.

- Sides buried two 3-pointers on Sunday. This was her 10th game this season and the 41st&nbsp;of her career with two or more connections from 3-point range.

- Sides dished out two assists on Sunday. Sides improved her career total to 238 and moved into sole possession of 24th in program history.

- Sides hauled in five rebounds on Sunday. This was the ninth time this season and 25th&nbsp;time in her career with five or more rebounds in a game.

K-State begins its Big 12 Conference schedule on Saturday, December 20, as the Wildcats visit (8/7) TCU at 4 p.m.

OMAHA, NEBRASKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;K-State ended its non-conference schedule with a 75-71 win at Creighton on Sunday at D.J. Sokol Arena.K-State (7-6) saw every player that played in the game register at least one point and were paced by sophomore forward Nastja Claessens by tying her career-high with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting and pulled in five rebounds.Freshman guard Jordan Speiser notched 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting, while sophomore guard Izela Arenas added 10 points.HOW IT HAPPENED- K-State won the first quarter with a strong offensive performance, outscoring the Bluejays, 21-15, on 9-of-16 shooting (.563). The 21 points were the most in a quarter for the Wildcats since scoring 22 in the third quarter against South Dakota State on Nov. 29.- After Creighton (4-5, 1-0 Big East) trimmed the K-State lead to three, 23-20, early in the second quarter, the Wildcats used a 7-0 run in thirty seconds to take a 30-20 lead with 6:47 remaining in the frame and force the Bluejays to call their second timeout of the first half.- Freshman Jordan Speiser started the run with a pair of free throws and was quickly followed by a steal and layup from freshman Gina Garcia. On the next defensive possession, senior Tess Heal snared a steal and found sophomore Izela Arenas open in the corner for a 3-pointer.- Creighton would narrow the margin to four, 38-34, but a driving layup from Garcia and a corner three-pointer in transition from junior Taryn Sides rebuilt the K-State lead to 43-34 with 1:07 to play. Heal would cap the first half with a driving acrobatic layup to beat the buzzer and give the Wildcats a 45-36 halftime lead.- K-State shot 56.3 percent (18-of-32) from the field in the first half, including 50.0 percent (5-of-10) from beyond the arc. This was the first time K-State registered 20 or more points in each quarter of the first half since November 27 against Columbia.- Three-pointers from Sides and Claessens to begin the third quarter forced Creighton into burning its third timeout of the afternoon, as K-State increased its lead to 51-36 with 8:12 left.- Creighton used a 10-0 run to cut the K-State lead to four, 53-49, with 1:38 remaining, but a fastbreak layup from Aniya Foy ended the Wildcat drought and was followed by a layup from Arenas to give the Wildcats a 57-49 lead heading into the final quarter. K-State was limited to a 30.8 percent effort (4-of-13) from the field in third frame.- The Bluejays used an 11-2 run early in the fourth quarter to close to within one, 61-60, and force a K-State timeout with 6:15 to play. Creighton would eventually take a one-point lead, 64-63, on a fastbreak layup.- K-State recovered to with a 7-2 run to build a 71-67 lead with 2:49 remaining in the fourth quarter. Claessens started the rally with a layup and a 3-pointer and was followed by a layup from Speiser with 2:49 to play.- After the Bluejays tied the game at 71 with 1:11 remaining, Speiser finished a putback layup with 42 seconds left. After a missed layup from Creighton with seven seconds left, Claessens buried two free throws to seal the win with five seconds left.- K-State shot 47.4 percent (27-of-57) from the field for the game, including 40.0 percent (8-of-20) from 3-point range.- The Wildcats held a 36-24 advantage in points in the paint and a 14-2 edge in fastbreak points.QUICK FACTS- K-State leads the series with Creighton, 17-5, including a 6-4 mark in games played in Omaha. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 2-0 in his career against Creighton. The Wildcats are 22-11 against current members of the Big East Conference.- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 679-384 (.639), including a mark of 225-149 (.602).- The Wildcats are 301-330 (.477) in road games in its 58-season history. Under Mittie, K-State is 52-73 (.416) in road games.- The Wildcats are 253-104 (.709) in games played in the month of December. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 52-19 (.732) in games during the 12th&nbsp;month.TEAM NOTES- K-State's starting five consisted of guards Gina Garcia, Brandie Harrod, Taryn Sides and forwards Jenessa Cotton and Nastja Claessens. This was the sixth time this lineup has started together this season. This was the 13th career start for Harrod. This was the 12th career start for Sides. This was the 11th career start for Garcia. Cotton made her ninth career start. Claessens made her ninth career start.- The Wildcats held a 45-36 lead at halftime on Sunday. Under Mittie, K-State is 180-21 (.896) when leading at halftime, including a 4-0 mark this season.- Since the start of the quarter system in 2015-16, K-State is 165-69 (.705) when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter in a game. K-State has 19 quarters this season with 20 or more points scored. K-State scored 20 or more in the first and second quarters on Sunday.- K-State has 20 quarters this season with an effort of 50.0 percent or better including 50.0 percent performance in the first and second quarters on Sunday.- The Wildcats scored 33 bench points on Sunday. This is the 11th&nbsp;time this season K-State has scored 20 or more points from its bench.PLAYER NOTES- Claessens achieved double figures in scoring for the sixth time this season. This was her second career game with 20 or more points and tied her career-high.- Arenas registered her sixth game this season and the 11th of her career with 10 or more points.- Arenas made two 3-pointers on Sunday. This was her ninth career game and her fourth this season with two or more connections from long range.- Speiser scored in double figures for the sixth time this season.- Garcia registered six assists. This was her seventh career game with five or more assists. She has led K-State in assists in nine games this season.- Garcia pulled in a career-high six rebounds. This was her second career game with five or more rebounds.- Sides buried two 3-pointers on Sunday. This was her 10th game this season and the 41st&nbsp;of her career with two or more connections from 3-point range.- Sides dished out two assists on Sunday. Sides improved her career total to 238 and moved into sole possession of 24th in program history.- Sides hauled in five rebounds on Sunday. This was the ninth time this season and 25th&nbsp;time in her career with five or more rebounds in a game.UP NEXTK-State begins its Big 12 Conference schedule on Saturday, December 20, as the Wildcats visit (8/7) TCU at 4 p.m.

🏀 K-State WBB Collects Road Win in Non-Con Finale

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The final images of the Kansas City Chiefs' postseason pursuit were Patrick Mahomes getting helped to the locker room with what turned out to be a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chargers-chiefs-injuries-worthy-d7a234e19734abaa95832724ea4c6062?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">torn ACL in his left knee,</a>&nbsp;a white towel draped over his head, and backup quarterback Gardner Minshew throwing an interception to Derwin James that gave the Los Angeles Chargers a win over one of their biggest rivals.

It all happened in the final two minutes of their 16-13 victory Sunday.

Justin Herbert, playing through a broken left hand, had helped the Chargers take the lead with a second-half rally, but Kansas City got the ball back with one more chance. Mahomes was sprinting toward the sideline and throwing the ball away when he was spun to the ground by defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand, leaving the two-time MVP grabbing at his left knee.

“It didn't look good,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid acknowledged afterward.

Later, the Chiefs released an update, saying: “An MRI has confirmed that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes sustained a torn ACL in his left knee in today’s game. Patrick and the club are currently exploring surgical options.”

<a href="https://x.com/PatrickMahomes/status/2000350945725845609?s=20">On social media</a>, Mahomes said: “Don’t know why this had to happen. And not going to lie it’s hurts. But all we can do now is Trust in God and attack every single day over and over again.”

Minshew took over and completed three straight passes, giving Chiefs fans hope on a day that began with wind chills near zero and their playoff chances about the same. But with 20 seconds to go, Minshew unloaded a pass for Travis Kelce, and James — his longtime divisional foil — leaped up to pick it off, allowing Los Angeles (10-4) to begin celebrating a second straight 10-win season.

Perhaps soon, a second straight postseason appearance.

“It’s a ball team. This is a ball team,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. "Starting to think this is my favorite ball team that I’ve ever been on. I’ve been on a lot of teams, none better than this team. It’s a ball team. A real ball team. Love these guys.”

“We know what that team has done the last eight, nine years,” James added. “Coming into Arrowhead Stadium and getting a win, it means a lot for out team, because we're 5-0 in our division.”

Minshew will quarterback the Chiefs through the final three games of the season. One of them is a primetime showdown with the Denver Broncos on Christmas night.

“I’ll do whatever the coaches ask of me,” Minshew said, “and we’ll go try to win some games.”

The Chiefs (6-8) already are guaranteed to be watching the playoffs on TV for the first time since 2014, and Kelce was in no mood to talk about it. Just as he's done after several losses this season, the star tight end refused to answer questions from reporters.

“Sorry guys, it's not the time,” Kelce said.

The Chargers had beaten the Chiefs in their opener in Brazil, ultimately setting each club on its season-long trajectory.

Los Angeles arrived for the rematch Sunday trying to extend the momentum built in last week's win over the Super Bowl champion Eagles. The Chiefs showed up knowing a loss, coupled with the wrong results elsewhere, would eliminate them completely.

The Chiefs played appropriately inspired for most of the first half.

They moved swiftly downfield with Mahomes darting in from 12 yards out for a touchdown on their opening drive. They added a field goal later in the first half, and another by Harrison Butker gave them a 13-3 lead with 38 seconds left before the break.

That's when the Chargers started playing like a playoff-bound team. And the Chiefs like one that should be sitting at home.

Herbert completed three passes in five plays to cover 60 yards, and KeAndre Lambert-Smith's first career TD catch got the Chargers within a field goal. Cameron Dicker knotted the game on their opening possession of the second half, then he gave them the lead when he drilled a 49-yarder on a cold, windy day at Arrowhead Stadium with 2:40 to go in the third quarter.

The Chiefs tried to answer down the stretch, despite a rash of injuries that had left them with a patchwork offensive line. But just like so often this season, a promising drive went haywire in the red zone. Tyquan Thornton's spectacular catch was immediately forgotten when Mahomes' pass was picked off by Daiyan Henley on a jump ball thrown to Kareem Hunt at the goal line.

Mahomes, who had just 189 yards passing, would ultimately end the game in the Kansas City locker room.

The Chargers would end the Chiefs' postseason hopes with one more interception.

“I thought it was really cool that we were able to close out a one-score game like that, how many times we've played them and had one-score games,” Herbert said. “For the defense to come out there with the turnovers and stops, it was awesome to see.”

Thornton landed in the concussion protocol after his late 20-yard reception following a vicious hit by cornerback Tony Jefferson, who helped to trigger a mild midfield scuffle. Jefferson was ejected, and Henley and James had to push him toward the tunnel.

Chargers: WR Quentin Johnson (groin) was inactive. S R.J. Mickens left with a shoulder injury.

Chiefs: CB Trent McDuffie (knee) was inactive. Thornton (concussion protocol) and RT Jaylon Moore (knee) left and did not return.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765749129757.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is checked on after being injured during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is checked on after being injured during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The final images of the Kansas City Chiefs' postseason pursuit were Patrick Mahomes getting helped to the locker room with what turned out to be a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chargers-chiefs-injuries-worthy-d7a234e19734abaa95832724ea4c6062?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">torn ACL in his left knee,</a>&nbsp;a white towel draped over his head, and backup quarterback Gardner Minshew throwing an interception to Derwin James that gave the Los Angeles Chargers a win over one of their biggest rivals.It all happened in the final two minutes of their 16-13 victory Sunday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Injury Update on QB Patrick Mahomes: An MRI has confirmed that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes sustained a torn ACL in his left knee in today’s game. Patrick and the club are currently exploring surgical options.&mdash; Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/2000359212459966868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Justin Herbert, playing through a broken left hand, had helped the Chargers take the lead with a second-half rally, but Kansas City got the ball back with one more chance. Mahomes was sprinting toward the sideline and throwing the ball away when he was spun to the ground by defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand, leaving the two-time MVP grabbing at his left knee.“It didn't look good,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid acknowledged afterward.Later, the Chiefs released an update, saying: “An MRI has confirmed that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes sustained a torn ACL in his left knee in today’s game. Patrick and the club are currently exploring surgical options.”<a href="https://x.com/PatrickMahomes/status/2000350945725845609?s=20">On social media</a>, Mahomes said: “Don’t know why this had to happen. And not going to lie it’s hurts. But all we can do now is Trust in God and attack every single day over and over again.”Minshew took over and completed three straight passes, giving Chiefs fans hope on a day that began with wind chills near zero and their playoff chances about the same. But with 20 seconds to go, Minshew unloaded a pass for Travis Kelce, and James — his longtime divisional foil — leaped up to pick it off, allowing Los Angeles (10-4) to begin celebrating a second straight 10-win season.Perhaps soon, a second straight postseason appearance.“It’s a ball team. This is a ball team,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. "Starting to think this is my favorite ball team that I’ve ever been on. I’ve been on a lot of teams, none better than this team. It’s a ball team. A real ball team. Love these guys.”“We know what that team has done the last eight, nine years,” James added. “Coming into Arrowhead Stadium and getting a win, it means a lot for out team, because we're 5-0 in our division.”Minshew will quarterback the Chiefs through the final three games of the season. One of them is a primetime showdown with the Denver Broncos on Christmas night.“I’ll do whatever the coaches ask of me,” Minshew said, “and we’ll go try to win some games.”The Chiefs (6-8) already are guaranteed to be watching the playoffs on TV for the first time since 2014, and Kelce was in no mood to talk about it. Just as he's done after several losses this season, the star tight end refused to answer questions from reporters.“Sorry guys, it's not the time,” Kelce said.The Chargers had beaten the Chiefs in their opener in Brazil, ultimately setting each club on its season-long trajectory.Los Angeles arrived for the rematch Sunday trying to extend the momentum built in last week's win over the Super Bowl champion Eagles. The Chiefs showed up knowing a loss, coupled with the wrong results elsewhere, would eliminate them completely.The Chiefs played appropriately inspired for most of the first half.They moved swiftly downfield with Mahomes darting in from 12 yards out for a touchdown on their opening drive. They added a field goal later in the first half, and another by Harrison Butker gave them a 13-3 lead with 38 seconds left before the break.That's when the Chargers started playing like a playoff-bound team. And the Chiefs like one that should be sitting at home.Herbert completed three passes in five plays to cover 60 yards, and KeAndre Lambert-Smith's first career TD catch got the Chargers within a field goal. Cameron Dicker knotted the game on their opening possession of the second half, then he gave them the lead when he drilled a 49-yarder on a cold, windy day at Arrowhead Stadium with 2:40 to go in the third quarter.The Chiefs tried to answer down the stretch, despite a rash of injuries that had left them with a patchwork offensive line. But just like so often this season, a promising drive went haywire in the red zone. Tyquan Thornton's spectacular catch was immediately forgotten when Mahomes' pass was picked off by Daiyan Henley on a jump ball thrown to Kareem Hunt at the goal line.Mahomes, who had just 189 yards passing, would ultimately end the game in the Kansas City locker room.The Chargers would end the Chiefs' postseason hopes with one more interception.“I thought it was really cool that we were able to close out a one-score game like that, how many times we've played them and had one-score games,” Herbert said. “For the defense to come out there with the turnovers and stops, it was awesome to see.”<h2>Sent packing</h2>Thornton landed in the concussion protocol after his late 20-yard reception following a vicious hit by cornerback Tony Jefferson, who helped to trigger a mild midfield scuffle. Jefferson was ejected, and Henley and James had to push him toward the tunnel.<h2>Injuries</h2>Chargers: WR Quentin Johnson (groin) was inactive. S R.J. Mickens left with a shoulder injury.Chiefs: CB Trent McDuffie (knee) was inactive. Thornton (concussion protocol) and RT Jaylon Moore (knee) left and did not return.<h2>Up next</h2>Chargers: At Dallas next Sunday.

🏈 Mahomes tears ACL as Chargers eliminate Chiefs from playoff contention

Below you can find all the latest scores from the Fighting Irish Classic in Chapman this week.

Day One Girls Scores Chapman 56, Sacred Heart 52 (OT) Rossville 93, Bishop Ward 0

Day One Boys Scores Sacred Heart 64, Chapman 23 Rossville 67, Bishop Ward 47

Day Two Girls Scores Rossville 64, Sacred Heart 57 Chapman 54, Bishop Ward 7

Day Two Boys Scores Sacred Heart 77, Rossville 60 Bishop Ward 54, Chapman 37

Day Three Girls Scores Sacred Heart 59, Bishop Ward 9 Chapman 78, Rossville 65 (OT)

Day Three Boys Scores Sacred Heart 67, Bishop Ward 43 Rossville 62, Chapman 28

Below you can find all the latest scores from the Fighting Irish Classic in Chapman this week.Day One Girls Scores Chapman 56, Sacred Heart 52 (OT) Rossville 93, Bishop Ward 0Day One Boys Scores Sacred Heart 64, Chapman 23 Rossville 67, Bishop Ward 47Day Two Girls Scores Rossville 64, Sacred Heart 57 Chapman 54, Bishop Ward 7Day Two Boys Scores Sacred Heart 77, Rossville 60 Bishop Ward 54, Chapman 37Day Three Girls Scores Sacred Heart 59, Bishop Ward 9 Chapman 78, Rossville 65 (OT)Day Three Boys Scores Sacred Heart 67, Bishop Ward 43 Rossville 62, Chapman 28

🏀 Irish Classic Scoreboard

Kansas Wesleyan Men's Basketball had six players reach double figures as the Coyotes came away with a resounding 85-76 win over the Saint Mary Spires on Saturday night inside Mabee Arena.

The victory snapped a three-game losing streak to the Spires and also got the Coyotes back to .500 on the season at 6-6 overall, and 4-3 in the KCAC. Saint Mary fell to 7-5 overall, and 2-5 in the KCAC.

The lead bounced back and forth in the first half, but the Coyotes took control in the final minutes of the frame.

A pair of free throws by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c39aff1a-a072-4f67-bf77-e24cd51f226b?elinkdata=34364">Brandon Avedon</a> with 4:13 left in the first half tied things up at 36, and sparked a 13-0 run for the Coyotes that gave KWU a 47-36 lead with 1:32 left on a three-point play by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cd86edea-7cf2-4a36-8558-04acbc669547?elinkdata=34364">Braylin Goins</a>.

Saint Mary cut the difference to six just before the half as KWU carried a 49-43 lead into the break.

KWU came out of the half on fire, outscoring the Spires 11-0 to start the second pushing the lead out to 17 at 60-43 with 16:45 left after <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c0043255-ee83-44eb-8465-2c1e2a18ed1b?elinkdata=34364">Wyatt Powell's</a> bucket.

The Spires came back, cutting Wesleyan's lead to five points at 66-61 with 11:26 left, but again the Coyotes would regain control as four straight points by Powell gave the Coyotes a 70-61 lead with 10:45 left.

Saint Mary again cut it to five, and were within six with 3:50 left with the Coyotes got five straight on a Gabriel Phillips score and a 3-pointer by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bddadaaf-6e2d-426d-8708-91e4ea052976?elinkdata=34364">Matthew Garber</a> to take an 80-69 lead with 2:47 to go.

Another Garber triple put the Coyotes up 13 at 83-70, and the Spires never got closer than seven the rest of the way.

Wesleyan took an early 8-3 lead to start, but Saint Mary answered back with an 11-0 run to take a 14-8 lead with 16:37 left in the first half.

KWU battled back, taking the lead with 13:23 left on a pair of Goins free throws that made it 17-16.

The Spires regained a six-point margin at 30-24 with 8:50 left in the half, but KWU got right back into it, tying things at 30 on a Powell bucket and another by Branden Avedon gave the Coyotes a 32-30 lead.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b33e34cd-35cb-4d26-8c0d-83da798e3ea9?elinkdata=34364">Caiden Punt</a> led the Coyotes with 17, while Goins added 14, Powell and Garber had 12 and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3738ea36-0c25-4ef5-9065-96a7b9844986?elinkdata=34364">Evens Appolon</a> and Avedon had 10 each. The Coyotes dominated Saint Mary on the boards 41-25 led by nine from Appolon and seven each from Phillips and Avedon.

The Coyotes shot 51.8 percent from the field in the game after a blistering 58.6 percent clip in the first half.

Kansas Wesleyan Men's Basketball had six players reach double figures as the Coyotes came away with a resounding 85-76 win over the Saint Mary Spires on Saturday night inside Mabee Arena.The victory snapped a three-game losing streak to the Spires and also got the Coyotes back to .500 on the season at 6-6 overall, and 4-3 in the KCAC. Saint Mary fell to 7-5 overall, and 2-5 in the KCAC.The lead bounced back and forth in the first half, but the Coyotes took control in the final minutes of the frame.A pair of free throws by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c39aff1a-a072-4f67-bf77-e24cd51f226b?elinkdata=34364">Brandon Avedon</a> with 4:13 left in the first half tied things up at 36, and sparked a 13-0 run for the Coyotes that gave KWU a 47-36 lead with 1:32 left on a three-point play by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cd86edea-7cf2-4a36-8558-04acbc669547?elinkdata=34364">Braylin Goins</a>.Saint Mary cut the difference to six just before the half as KWU carried a 49-43 lead into the break.KWU came out of the half on fire, outscoring the Spires 11-0 to start the second pushing the lead out to 17 at 60-43 with 16:45 left after <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c0043255-ee83-44eb-8465-2c1e2a18ed1b?elinkdata=34364">Wyatt Powell's</a> bucket.The Spires came back, cutting Wesleyan's lead to five points at 66-61 with 11:26 left, but again the Coyotes would regain control as four straight points by Powell gave the Coyotes a 70-61 lead with 10:45 left.Saint Mary again cut it to five, and were within six with 3:50 left with the Coyotes got five straight on a Gabriel Phillips score and a 3-pointer by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bddadaaf-6e2d-426d-8708-91e4ea052976?elinkdata=34364">Matthew Garber</a> to take an 80-69 lead with 2:47 to go.Another Garber triple put the Coyotes up 13 at 83-70, and the Spires never got closer than seven the rest of the way.Wesleyan took an early 8-3 lead to start, but Saint Mary answered back with an 11-0 run to take a 14-8 lead with 16:37 left in the first half.KWU battled back, taking the lead with 13:23 left on a pair of Goins free throws that made it 17-16.The Spires regained a six-point margin at 30-24 with 8:50 left in the half, but KWU got right back into it, tying things at 30 on a Powell bucket and another by Branden Avedon gave the Coyotes a 32-30 lead.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b33e34cd-35cb-4d26-8c0d-83da798e3ea9?elinkdata=34364">Caiden Punt</a> led the Coyotes with 17, while Goins added 14, Powell and Garber had 12 and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3738ea36-0c25-4ef5-9065-96a7b9844986?elinkdata=34364">Evens Appolon</a> and Avedon had 10 each. The Coyotes dominated Saint Mary on the boards 41-25 led by nine from Appolon and seven each from Phillips and Avedon.The Coyotes shot 51.8 percent from the field in the game after a blistering 58.6 percent clip in the first half.

🏀 Coyote Men’s Basketball tops Spires 85-76

There are tough losses and then there is the type of defeat the Kansas Wesleyan women had to endure Saturday night.

Saint Mary's Saige Grampas made two free throws with two-tenths of a second left that propelled the Spires to a 61-60 Kansas Conference victory over the Coyotes inside Mabee Arena.

It capped a wild sequence in the waning seconds of the game. Tied at 59 Saint Mary's Summer Wieneke missed a shot with time about to expire. KWU's <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7d59ae53-3c46-4005-bd26-8e9895de9aa5?elinkdata=34294">Charley Baxter</a> was fouled during the scramble for loose ball but was assessed a technical foul just after play ended after slamming the ball on the floor.

Baxter made the first of her two free throws but missed the second, giving KWU a 60-59 lead. Grampas won the game with the technical foul shots at the other end of the floor.

"The game comes down to a call," coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/de37fd6a-c153-471a-a198-68b210f8caf6?elinkdata=34294">Harper Taylor</a> said on the postgame radio show. "We kind of wish we would have been able to play the overtime out, but it is what it is. I'm proud of the girls being in a tight game situation and picking each other up."

The game was close throughout. The Coyotes led 17-11 after one quarter and 33-28 at halftime. They had a 31-18 advantage with 2:45 left before intermission but USM went on a 10-0 run to get within 31-28. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4525d96c-e509-4e4f-8fdd-53e378306f1a?elinkdata=34294">Odessa Ozuna's</a> basket two seconds before the break to give KWU the five-point halftime cushion.

The Coyotes led 44-37 midway through the third quarter before the Spires embarked on a lengthy 17-4 run that put them on top 54-48 with 7:17 remaining in the game.

Down 59-53 with six minutes left, Ozuna made a 3-pointer and a free throw to get KWU within 59-57 and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ab87c7e4-ccea-42e7-add8-f5f91e30b213?elinkdata=34294">Izzy McCool's</a> basket at the 1:04 mark tied it at 59. The Spires did not score for six minutes until Grampas' winning free throws.

"We're working every game and this is a game that we needed to have so that when it comes playoff time, we're winning these games, not losing because of one call," Taylor said.

Ozuna was superb finishing with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists and a steal. McCool finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and two assists and Hall 10 points and six rebounds.

KWU (6-5, 4-3 KCAC) committed 17 turnovers that led to 14 Saint Mary points. The Spires (8-5, 5-2) finished with nine turnovers.

The Coyotes shot 36 percent (23 of 64) including 4 of 11 from 3-point range and outrebounded the Spires handily 55-37. USM shot 32 percent (22 of 72) including 7 of 27 from long range.

Keely Barnard led Saint Mary with 19 points.

"We've just got to be able to buckle down and focus quarter to quarter when we're up," Taylor said. "We can't be complacent, and we've got to be able to score just as much as we can defend. Some of those (scoring) droughts are really hurting us in the long run."

There are tough losses and then there is the type of defeat the Kansas Wesleyan women had to endure Saturday night.Saint Mary's Saige Grampas made two free throws with two-tenths of a second left that propelled the Spires to a 61-60 Kansas Conference victory over the Coyotes inside Mabee Arena.It capped a wild sequence in the waning seconds of the game. Tied at 59 Saint Mary's Summer Wieneke missed a shot with time about to expire. KWU's <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7d59ae53-3c46-4005-bd26-8e9895de9aa5?elinkdata=34294">Charley Baxter</a> was fouled during the scramble for loose ball but was assessed a technical foul just after play ended after slamming the ball on the floor.Baxter made the first of her two free throws but missed the second, giving KWU a 60-59 lead. Grampas won the game with the technical foul shots at the other end of the floor."The game comes down to a call," coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/de37fd6a-c153-471a-a198-68b210f8caf6?elinkdata=34294">Harper Taylor</a> said on the postgame radio show. "We kind of wish we would have been able to play the overtime out, but it is what it is. I'm proud of the girls being in a tight game situation and picking each other up."The game was close throughout. The Coyotes led 17-11 after one quarter and 33-28 at halftime. They had a 31-18 advantage with 2:45 left before intermission but USM went on a 10-0 run to get within 31-28. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4525d96c-e509-4e4f-8fdd-53e378306f1a?elinkdata=34294">Odessa Ozuna's</a> basket two seconds before the break to give KWU the five-point halftime cushion.The Coyotes led 44-37 midway through the third quarter before the Spires embarked on a lengthy 17-4 run that put them on top 54-48 with 7:17 remaining in the game.Down 59-53 with six minutes left, Ozuna made a 3-pointer and a free throw to get KWU within 59-57 and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ab87c7e4-ccea-42e7-add8-f5f91e30b213?elinkdata=34294">Izzy McCool's</a> basket at the 1:04 mark tied it at 59. The Spires did not score for six minutes until Grampas' winning free throws."We're working every game and this is a game that we needed to have so that when it comes playoff time, we're winning these games, not losing because of one call," Taylor said.Ozuna was superb finishing with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists and a steal. McCool finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and two assists and Hall 10 points and six rebounds.KWU (6-5, 4-3 KCAC) committed 17 turnovers that led to 14 Saint Mary points. The Spires (8-5, 5-2) finished with nine turnovers.The Coyotes shot 36 percent (23 of 64) including 4 of 11 from 3-point range and outrebounded the Spires handily 55-37. USM shot 32 percent (22 of 72) including 7 of 27 from long range.Keely Barnard led Saint Mary with 19 points."We've just got to be able to buckle down and focus quarter to quarter when we're up," Taylor said. "We can't be complacent, and we've got to be able to score just as much as we can defend. Some of those (scoring) droughts are really hurting us in the long run."

🏀 KWU WBB falls in heartbreaker to Saint Mary 61-60

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Melvin Council Jr. had career highs of 36 points and nine made 3-pointers to help&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">No. 19</a>&nbsp;Kansas edge N.C. State 77-76 in overtime on Saturday.

Council had made just 5 of 27 3s coming into the game, but took advantage of open looks early then largely carried the Jayhawks (8-3) down the stretch — including scoring Kansas' last 13 points of regulation and feeding Flory Bidunga's go-ahead dunk with 51.9 seconds left in the OT.

N.C. State (7-4) had one final possession to win it, inbounding from near halfcourt with 1.0 seconds left. But Darrion Williams' fading 3 on the catch missed everything to end this one.

Kansas freshman star Darryn Peterson had 17 points, five rebounds and four assists. But he abruptly checked out of a tight game with 2:15 left and didn't return, watching from the bench in an exit coming shortly after he missed seven games with a hamstring strain.

Council finished 13 of 27 from the floor and 9 of 15 from behind the arc to go with seven rebounds and four assists.

Quadir Copeland scored 19 points to lead the Wolfpack, while Williams finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Kansas: The Jayhawks return home to face Towson on Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765674302567.png" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Melvin Council Jr. had career highs of 36 points and nine made 3-pointers to help&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">No. 19</a>&nbsp;Kansas edge N.C. State 77-76 in overtime on Saturday.Council had made just 5 of 27 3s coming into the game, but took advantage of open looks early then largely carried the Jayhawks (8-3) down the stretch — including scoring Kansas' last 13 points of regulation and feeding Flory Bidunga's go-ahead dunk with 51.9 seconds left in the OT.N.C. State (7-4) had one final possession to win it, inbounding from near halfcourt with 1.0 seconds left. But Darrion Williams' fading 3 on the catch missed everything to end this one.Kansas freshman star Darryn Peterson had 17 points, five rebounds and four assists. But he abruptly checked out of a tight game with 2:15 left and didn't return, watching from the bench in an exit coming shortly after he missed seven games with a hamstring strain.Council finished 13 of 27 from the floor and 9 of 15 from behind the arc to go with seven rebounds and four assists.Quadir Copeland scored 19 points to lead the Wolfpack, while Williams finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds.<h2>Up next</h2>Kansas: The Jayhawks return home to face Towson on Tuesday.

🏀 Melvin Council's huge day helps Kansas edge NC State in overtime

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — David Castillo scored 19 points, Abdi Bashir Jr. added 18 and Kansas State built an early double-digit lead in the second half and held off Creighton for an 83-76 victory on Saturday.

Castillo was 7-of-11 shooting and Bashir hit 6 of 12 from 3-point range. Khamari McGriff added 12 points and P.J. Haggerty scored 10 for Kansas State (7-4).

The Wildcats shot 59% (10 of 36) and hit 11 of 17 3-point shots in the first half, but after the break were just 28% (10 of 36) overall and missed 10 of 11 shots from distance.

K-State led by as many as 20 points early in the second half. About midway through the second, Creighton began a 10-1 surge to pull to 73-70 with 2:41 to play. Castillo answered with a layup and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/KStateMBB/status/1999964986085679560?s=20">McGriff added a dunk</a>&nbsp;to help the Wildcats pull away.

Josh Dix scored and Isaac Traudt scored 18 points apiece to lead Creighton (5-5). Austin Swartz chipped in with 12 points.

K-State closed the first half on a 23-8 run for a 51-33 halftime lead. Bashir scored 15 points on five 3-pointers to pace the Wildcats

It was the 10th meeting for K-State in Omaha but the first since an 88-78 win on Dec. 5, 1987. The teams last met in the 2018 NCAA Tournament when the Wildcats earned a 69-59 win in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Creighton plays Xavier in a Big East Conference opener on Wednesday.

Kansas State hosts South Dakota on Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765670090295.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — David Castillo scored 19 points, Abdi Bashir Jr. added 18 and Kansas State built an early double-digit lead in the second half and held off Creighton for an 83-76 victory on Saturday.Castillo was 7-of-11 shooting and Bashir hit 6 of 12 from 3-point range. Khamari McGriff added 12 points and P.J. Haggerty scored 10 for Kansas State (7-4).The Wildcats shot 59% (10 of 36) and hit 11 of 17 3-point shots in the first half, but after the break were just 28% (10 of 36) overall and missed 10 of 11 shots from distance.K-State led by as many as 20 points early in the second half. About midway through the second, Creighton began a 10-1 surge to pull to 73-70 with 2:41 to play. Castillo answered with a layup and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/KStateMBB/status/1999964986085679560?s=20">McGriff added a dunk</a>&nbsp;to help the Wildcats pull away.Josh Dix scored and Isaac Traudt scored 18 points apiece to lead Creighton (5-5). Austin Swartz chipped in with 12 points.K-State closed the first half on a 23-8 run for a 51-33 halftime lead. Bashir scored 15 points on five 3-pointers to pace the WildcatsIt was the 10th meeting for K-State in Omaha but the first since an 88-78 win on Dec. 5, 1987. The teams last met in the 2018 NCAA Tournament when the Wildcats earned a 69-59 win in Charlotte, North Carolina.<h2>Up next</h2>Creighton plays Xavier in a Big East Conference opener on Wednesday.Kansas State hosts South Dakota on Saturday.

🏀 Castillo and Bashir help Kansas State hold off Creighton 

BY NOAH HELGET Salina Post Contributor

The Lady Knights roll past the Lady Cyclones 55-9, as the Knights win the Classic and defeat Bishop Ward 67-43.

Girls: Sacred Heart 55 Bishop Ward 9

The Lady Knights roll past Bishop Ward in the final game of the Irish Classic. The Lady Knights found themselves locked in and help the Lady Cyclones scoreless midway through the second quarter.

The Lady Knights were leading 27-0 at the end of the first quarter. The starters took a seat in the 1st&nbsp;half, and the bench had 11 points, leading 42-4 at half.

The Lady Knights would extend their lead and stretch it out with a running clock in the third, 50-7 at the end of the third.

The Lady Knights forced 28 turnovers and were victorious 55-9.

The Lady Knights were led in scoring by Skylar Douglas she finished with 15.

Sacred Heart moves to 3-2 on the season and look on to Tuesday as they will travel to take on Berean Academy.

Boys: Sacred Heart 67 Bishop Ward 43

The Knights found themselves locked in on defensive in the first only allowing 7, the Knights would lead 22-7 at the end of the first. 4 triples went down for the Knights in the second to be leading at intermission 34-17.

The Knights come out of the half turning it over 5 times but Noah Hines contributes with 11 and the Knights expand the lead 56-32.

Sacred Heart wouldn’t let off and defeat Bishop Ward 67-43 to win the 2025 Irish Classic.

Sacred Heart were led in scoring by Will Tuttle(16), Noah Hines(14), Dom Matteuci(11)

The Cyclones were led by Quintayvion Pike he finished with 13.

The Knights remain perfect at 4-0 and look towards Tuesday as they travel to Berean Academy.

You can watch both games on demand below.

BY NOAH HELGET Salina Post ContributorThe Lady Knights roll past the Lady Cyclones 55-9, as the Knights win the Classic and defeat Bishop Ward 67-43.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765031258309.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Girls: Sacred Heart 55 Bishop Ward 9The Lady Knights roll past Bishop Ward in the final game of the Irish Classic. The Lady Knights found themselves locked in and help the Lady Cyclones scoreless midway through the second quarter.The Lady Knights were leading 27-0 at the end of the first quarter. The starters took a seat in the 1st&nbsp;half, and the bench had 11 points, leading 42-4 at half.The Lady Knights would extend their lead and stretch it out with a running clock in the third, 50-7 at the end of the third.The Lady Knights forced 28 turnovers and were victorious 55-9.The Lady Knights were led in scoring by Skylar Douglas she finished with 15.Sacred Heart moves to 3-2 on the season and look on to Tuesday as they will travel to take on Berean Academy.Boys: Sacred Heart 67 Bishop Ward 43The Knights found themselves locked in on defensive in the first only allowing 7, the Knights would lead 22-7 at the end of the first. 4 triples went down for the Knights in the second to be leading at intermission 34-17.The Knights come out of the half turning it over 5 times but Noah Hines contributes with 11 and the Knights expand the lead 56-32.Sacred Heart wouldn’t let off and defeat Bishop Ward 67-43 to win the 2025 Irish Classic.Sacred Heart were led in scoring by Will Tuttle(16), Noah Hines(14), Dom Matteuci(11)The Cyclones were led by Quintayvion Pike he finished with 13.The Knights remain perfect at 4-0 and look towards Tuesday as they travel to Berean Academy.You can watch both games on demand below.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0BrEQBj6CpE?start=9646s"></iframe>
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🏀 Sacred Heart sweeps Bishop Ward to close out Irish Classic

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

The Salina South basketball teams accomplished their mission on Friday night, sweeping their cross-town rivals in a two-game set on the campus of Kansas Wesleyan.

Girls: Salina South 51, Salina Central 32

The Lady Cougars rode a pair of hot performances to victory as Brooklyn Jordan and Paityn Fritz led the way for a majority of this game.

In the first half, Jordan and Fritz accounted for all 25 of South’s points, and gave the Lady Cougars a 25-20 lead at the intermission.

Third quarter shooting struggles undid the Mustang comeback effort, as Central mustered just one field goal make in the frame, falling behind 38-25 at the end of three.

In the fourth, Kyla Hamel knocked down two huge triples to put the game out of reach as South ran away with a 51-32 victory.

Lexie Guerrero led the charge for Central scoring 13 points in a losing effort.

Fritz finished the night with 21 points, including five free throws, while Jordan closed the evening with 17 on the strength of five made threes.

With this win, South improves to 4-1 on the season while Central slides to 1-4.

Boys: Salina South 59, Salina Central 55

Despite their disparity in record coming into this contest, the boys’ game was an instant classic, played within ten points for a majority of the contest.

South set the tone early, rattling off a 10-0 run to take a ten-point lead in the first quarter, but little by little Central chipped away at the advantage and tied the game midway through the second.

A three-point play by Gavin Devoe and big threes from Sawyer Walker and Kyler Webb pushed the lead back to nine, but Kaeden Nienke answered for the Mustangs, scoring 13 points in the second to cut the lead to three at the half.

The second half saw more back-and-forth action, with neither team gaining a true advantage until the closing minute.

With 22 seconds to go and a two-point Cougar lead, Easton Wilcox toed the line for a second free throw.

He missed it short, but a scramble for the rebound found its way to Gavin Devoe, who stuck it back to deliver South a four-point lead.

As Nienke drove for Central, Devoe transferred his heroics to the defensive side of the floor, poking the ball out and eventually coming up with a game-sealing turnover to deliver the Cougars the 59-55 victory.

Seven different Cougars scored in this game, with Easton Wilcox (13) and Sawyer Walker (13) leading the charge.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765647293749.jpeg" alt="Sawyer Walker pulls up for a big shot against the Mustangs. Photo by Kaiden Comeau." />
 <figcaption>Sawyer Walker pulls up for a big shot against the Mustangs. Photo by Kaiden Comeau.</figcaption>
 </figure>By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Salina South basketball teams accomplished their mission on Friday night, sweeping their cross-town rivals in a two-game set on the campus of Kansas Wesleyan.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765031258309.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Girls: Salina South 51, Salina Central 32The Lady Cougars rode a pair of hot performances to victory as Brooklyn Jordan and Paityn Fritz led the way for a majority of this game.In the first half, Jordan and Fritz accounted for all 25 of South’s points, and gave the Lady Cougars a 25-20 lead at the intermission.Third quarter shooting struggles undid the Mustang comeback effort, as Central mustered just one field goal make in the frame, falling behind 38-25 at the end of three.In the fourth, Kyla Hamel knocked down two huge triples to put the game out of reach as South ran away with a 51-32 victory.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765647343725.jpeg" alt="Kyla Hamel high fives Brooklyn Jordan after knocking down a crucial three-pointer. Photo by Kaiden Comeau." />
 <figcaption>Kyla Hamel high fives Brooklyn Jordan after knocking down a crucial three-pointer. Photo by Kaiden Comeau.</figcaption>
 </figure>Lexie Guerrero led the charge for Central scoring 13 points in a losing effort.Fritz finished the night with 21 points, including five free throws, while Jordan closed the evening with 17 on the strength of five made threes.With this win, South improves to 4-1 on the season while Central slides to 1-4.Boys: Salina South 59, Salina Central 55Despite their disparity in record coming into this contest, the boys’ game was an instant classic, played within ten points for a majority of the contest.South set the tone early, rattling off a 10-0 run to take a ten-point lead in the first quarter, but little by little Central chipped away at the advantage and tied the game midway through the second.A three-point play by Gavin Devoe and big threes from Sawyer Walker and Kyler Webb pushed the lead back to nine, but Kaeden Nienke answered for the Mustangs, scoring 13 points in the second to cut the lead to three at the half.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765647392281.jpeg" alt="Kaeden Nienke drives to the basket during a close boys game. Photo by Kaiden Comeau." />
 <figcaption>Kaeden Nienke drives to the basket during a close boys game. Photo by Kaiden Comeau.</figcaption>
 </figure>The second half saw more back-and-forth action, with neither team gaining a true advantage until the closing minute.With 22 seconds to go and a two-point Cougar lead, Easton Wilcox toed the line for a second free throw.He missed it short, but a scramble for the rebound found its way to Gavin Devoe, who stuck it back to deliver South a four-point lead.As Nienke drove for Central, Devoe transferred his heroics to the defensive side of the floor, poking the ball out and eventually coming up with a game-sealing turnover to deliver the Cougars the 59-55 victory.Seven different Cougars scored in this game, with Easton Wilcox (13) and Sawyer Walker (13) leading the charge.Nienke scored 26 points in a valiant effort for the Mustangs.With this win, South remains undefeated at 5-0 while Central falls to 1-4.You can watch both of these games on-demand any time below.