Courtesy of Kansas Athletics&nbsp;

HONOLULU (AP) —&nbsp;Kevin McCullar Jr. recorded the program’s first back-to-back triple-double performance and Hunter Dickinson had 31 points and 11 rebounds as No. 1 Kansas beat Chaminade 83-56 in the first-round game of the Maui Invitational on Monday.

The Jayhawks (4-0) led throughout and shot a blistering 60.0 percent from the field. They held the Silverswords (1-3) to 33.9 percent shooting.

Chaminade, a Division II school in Honolulu with an enrollment of 2,342 students, was unable to muster an upset against the nation’s top-ranked team, as it did nearly 41 years ago against Ralph Sampson-led Virginia.

Dickinson, a 7-foot-2 Michigan transfer and AP Preseason All-American, made 15 of his 18 shots from the field. Kevin McCullar Jr. had 22 points and 11 rebounds with 10 assists, three steals and two blocks. Dajuan Harris Jr. added seven points, eight assists and four rebounds.

Jamir Thomas, Ross Reeves and Wyatt Lowell scored 12 points apiece for Chaminade.

Kansas scored 58 points in the paint compared to 22 for Chaminade, and also had the edge in fast-break points, 27-6.

BIG PICTURE As expected, Kansas showcased its talent-rich roster against an overmatched Chaminade team, but it did not come without some adversity. It held a 21-9 lead about midway through the first half, but saw the Silverswords go on a 9-2 run over the next four-plus minutes to cut it to 25-20 at the 6:22 mark. That led Kansas coach Bill Self to call a timeout. His team responded with a 14-5 run.

Chaminade has won eight games all-time in the Maui Invitational, with its last win coming against Cal, 96-72, in 2017.

UP NEXT Kansas: Advances to the tournament semifinals Tuesday to face either UCLA or No. 4 Marquette.

Chaminade: Will play either the Bruins or Golden Eagles in a consolation game Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700542392441.jpeg" alt="(Courtesy Kansas Athletics)" />
 <figcaption>(Courtesy Kansas Athletics)</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Kansas Athletics&nbsp;HONOLULU (AP) —&nbsp;Kevin McCullar Jr. recorded the program’s first back-to-back triple-double performance and Hunter Dickinson had 31 points and 11 rebounds as No. 1 Kansas beat Chaminade 83-56 in the first-round game of the Maui Invitational on Monday.The Jayhawks (4-0) led throughout and shot a blistering 60.0 percent from the field. They held the Silverswords (1-3) to 33.9 percent shooting.Chaminade, a Division II school in Honolulu with an enrollment of 2,342 students, was unable to muster an upset against the nation’s top-ranked team, as it did nearly 41 years ago against Ralph Sampson-led Virginia.Dickinson, a 7-foot-2 Michigan transfer and AP Preseason All-American, made 15 of his 18 shots from the field. Kevin McCullar Jr. had 22 points and 11 rebounds with 10 assists, three steals and two blocks. Dajuan Harris Jr. added seven points, eight assists and four rebounds.Jamir Thomas, Ross Reeves and Wyatt Lowell scored 12 points apiece for Chaminade.Kansas scored 58 points in the paint compared to 22 for Chaminade, and also had the edge in fast-break points, 27-6.Kansas led at the half, 39-27.BIG PICTURE As expected, Kansas showcased its talent-rich roster against an overmatched Chaminade team, but it did not come without some adversity. It held a 21-9 lead about midway through the first half, but saw the Silverswords go on a 9-2 run over the next four-plus minutes to cut it to 25-20 at the 6:22 mark. That led Kansas coach Bill Self to call a timeout. His team responded with a 14-5 run.Chaminade has won eight games all-time in the Maui Invitational, with its last win coming against Cal, 96-72, in 2017.UP NEXT Kansas: Advances to the tournament semifinals Tuesday to face either UCLA or No. 4 Marquette.Chaminade: Will play either the Bruins or Golden Eagles in a consolation game Tuesday.

🏀 MBB: KU beats Chaminade in opening round of Maui Invitational

&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://wetransfer.com/downloads/2a202342595c653275ce9884804c43a520231119222338/604679ecb7e89afeee6b3ceb51e0696c20231119222338/fdefd8?trk=TRN_TDL_01&amp;utm_campaign=TRN_TDL_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=sendgrid" target="_blank">Jerome Tang Press Conference</a>&nbsp;

NASSAU, The Bahamas&nbsp;– Kansas State scored 55 points in the second half on 56.8 percent shooting, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a double-digit deficit to a hot-shooting No. 12/11 Miami, as the Hurricanes earned a 91-83 victory over the Wildcats to win the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship on Sunday afternoon before 1,895 fans at Baha Mar Convention Center.

Junior guard&nbsp;Cam Carter&nbsp;scored 24 of his game-tying and career-best 28 points in the second half, as the Wildcats (3-2) couldn’t rally from a 24-point deficit despite their best efforts. Junior&nbsp;Arthur Kaluma&nbsp;registered his fourth career double-double and first as a Wildcat with 18 points and game-high 12 rebounds. Seniors&nbsp;David N’Guessan&nbsp;and&nbsp;Tylor Perry&nbsp;added 10 points each.&nbsp;

For his effort in the two-game tournament, Kaluma was named to the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship All-Tournament after averaging 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds.

Former Wildcat&nbsp;Nijel Pack, who set the new event scoring record (43 points) for the two-game Bahamas Championship, was named the Most Valuable Player of the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship. He scored a game-tying 28 points with seven 3-pointers in the championship game against his former team. He finished 9-of-16 from the field, including 7-of-12 from beyond the arc.

Down by as many as 24 points in the second half, including 66-43 with just over 10 minutes to play, K-State made a furious rally, outscoring Miami, 35-19, to close to within 85-78 with 45 seconds remaining. Carter scored 20 of his 24 second-half points during this stretch to keep the Wildcats in it until the end. The Hurricanes made all six of their free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.

Miami (5-0) showed why it’s among the best shooting teams in the country, scoring its 91 points on 53.3 percent (32-of-60) shooting from the field, including 50 percent (12-of-24) from 3-point range. The Hurricanes connected on 58.1 percent (18-of-31) in the first half, including 56.3 percent (9-of-16) from long range, in building a 19-point halftime advantage.

Three-point shooting was a huge storyline, as Miami knocked down 12 3-pointers on 50 percent shooting, while K-State made just 4 of 28 attempts (14.3 percent) from beyond the arc. It was the lowest 3-point field goal percentage by the Wildcats since shooting 13.6 percent vs. Arkansas in 2021.

Despite its poor shooting from 3-point range, K-State still connected on nearly 50 percent from the field for the game, hitting on 49.3 percent (33-of-67) from the field, including 74.4 percent (29-of-39) from inside the 3-point arc. The Wildcats shot 56.8 percent (21-of-37) in the second half. The team scored 56 points in the paint, which tied for the most in school history since the stat began being kept in 2000-01.

In addition to Pack’s 28 points, three other Hurricanes scored in double figures, including 23 from junior&nbsp;Norchad Omier, who went 7-of-14 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free throw line. Omier also had a team-best 7 rebounds and 3 steals. Fellow juniors&nbsp;Matthew Cleveland&nbsp;and&nbsp;Wooga Popular&nbsp;added 15 points each.

The Wildcats played without freshman guard&nbsp;Dai Dai Ames, who was suspended by the NCAA for his ejection against Providence on Friday night.

Miami took control of the game in early going, scoring 7 straight points during a 14-2 run to take a 15-6 edge at the second media timeout with 11:44 to play in the first half. However, K-State didn’t do itself any favors in the early going, shooting just 30 percent (3-of-10), and turning the ball over 5 times.

The Wildcats were able to within 11 on several occasions, including 28-17 on a basket by junior&nbsp;Cam Carter, however, the Hurricanes responded with an 8-2 run, including a pair of 3-pointers from Pack, to push the lead back to 36-22 with under 4 before halftime. The lead grew to as many as 20, as Miami finished 9-of-16 from 3-point range in the first half, including six from Pack.

The second half started off much like the first half, as the Hurricanes scored 10 of the first 15 points to extend their lead to 57-33 with 16:20 to play. They maintained a healthy lead, including 66-43 with 10:41 remaining, until Carter caught fire. Carter was responsible for 14 points during the Wildcats’ 25-13 run that cut the deficit to 79-68 at the final media timeout at the 3:02 mark.

Carter, with help from junior&nbsp;Arthur Kaluma&nbsp;and senior&nbsp;Tylor Perry, continued to push Miami in the last few minutes. K-State closed the deficit to single digits, including 85-78 after a pair of Carter free throws, with 45 seconds to play. However, the Hurricanes made all their free throws down the stretch to keep the Wildcats at bay en route to the 91-83 victory.

In all, the Wildcats outscored the Hurricanes, 40-25, in the last 10 minutes.

“First of all, I’m just very thankful to coach these young men, and to be here at K-State with the best fans in the country. I don’t know if television did them justice. But our fans were unbelievable. And I’m so thankful for them. I did a terrible job in the first half of putting the game plan together. It didn’t give us a chance to win in the first half. I’m thankful for my staff because we were able to make adjustments at halftime. And then the second half, you saw the team are capable of. We were more aggressive getting to the paint. We owned the offensive glass, and it gave us a chance to win the game. I take responsibility for the game plan in the first half, but we're gonna grow from here. I’m just very, very thankful for the toughness, character, togetherness and grittiness of our young men.”

On the fight of the team despite being down…

“We’ve got a tough, together group that’s learning and growing every day. They got no quit in them. They are high character individuals that can make adjustments on the fly, so I’m thankful for the opportunity to coach them. I’m gonna do a better job of putting them in a better position so that we don’t get down so big in the first half.”

On the performance of Cam Carter…

“Cam’s hard work is paying off. I loved his aggressiveness in the second half. I thought in the first half, he allowed his offense to affect his defense. And in the second half, it gave us a more complete game, and the team did a good job of setting screens for him. He went up there and got it done.”

K-State opens a 4-game homestand on Wednesday night, as the Wildcats play host to Central Arkansas (1-3) at 7 p.m., CT. Tickets are still available at&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700518288740.jpeg" alt="Junior Cam Carter scored 24 of his career-high 28 points in the second half" />
 <figcaption>Junior Cam Carter scored 24 of his career-high 28 points in the second half</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://wetransfer.com/downloads/2a202342595c653275ce9884804c43a520231119222338/604679ecb7e89afeee6b3ceb51e0696c20231119222338/fdefd8?trk=TRN_TDL_01&amp;utm_campaign=TRN_TDL_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=sendgrid" target="_blank">Jerome Tang Press Conference</a>&nbsp;NASSAU, The Bahamas&nbsp;– Kansas State scored 55 points in the second half on 56.8 percent shooting, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a double-digit deficit to a hot-shooting No. 12/11 Miami, as the Hurricanes earned a 91-83 victory over the Wildcats to win the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship on Sunday afternoon before 1,895 fans at Baha Mar Convention Center.Junior guard&nbsp;Cam Carter&nbsp;scored 24 of his game-tying and career-best 28 points in the second half, as the Wildcats (3-2) couldn’t rally from a 24-point deficit despite their best efforts. Junior&nbsp;Arthur Kaluma&nbsp;registered his fourth career double-double and first as a Wildcat with 18 points and game-high 12 rebounds. Seniors&nbsp;David N’Guessan&nbsp;and&nbsp;Tylor Perry&nbsp;added 10 points each.&nbsp;For his effort in the two-game tournament, Kaluma was named to the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship All-Tournament after averaging 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds.Former Wildcat&nbsp;Nijel Pack, who set the new event scoring record (43 points) for the two-game Bahamas Championship, was named the Most Valuable Player of the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship. He scored a game-tying 28 points with seven 3-pointers in the championship game against his former team. He finished 9-of-16 from the field, including 7-of-12 from beyond the arc.Down by as many as 24 points in the second half, including 66-43 with just over 10 minutes to play, K-State made a furious rally, outscoring Miami, 35-19, to close to within 85-78 with 45 seconds remaining. Carter scored 20 of his 24 second-half points during this stretch to keep the Wildcats in it until the end. The Hurricanes made all six of their free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.Miami (5-0) showed why it’s among the best shooting teams in the country, scoring its 91 points on 53.3 percent (32-of-60) shooting from the field, including 50 percent (12-of-24) from 3-point range. The Hurricanes connected on 58.1 percent (18-of-31) in the first half, including 56.3 percent (9-of-16) from long range, in building a 19-point halftime advantage.Three-point shooting was a huge storyline, as Miami knocked down 12 3-pointers on 50 percent shooting, while K-State made just 4 of 28 attempts (14.3 percent) from beyond the arc. It was the lowest 3-point field goal percentage by the Wildcats since shooting 13.6 percent vs. Arkansas in 2021.Despite its poor shooting from 3-point range, K-State still connected on nearly 50 percent from the field for the game, hitting on 49.3 percent (33-of-67) from the field, including 74.4 percent (29-of-39) from inside the 3-point arc. The Wildcats shot 56.8 percent (21-of-37) in the second half. The team scored 56 points in the paint, which tied for the most in school history since the stat began being kept in 2000-01.In addition to Pack’s 28 points, three other Hurricanes scored in double figures, including 23 from junior&nbsp;Norchad Omier, who went 7-of-14 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free throw line. Omier also had a team-best 7 rebounds and 3 steals. Fellow juniors&nbsp;Matthew Cleveland&nbsp;and&nbsp;Wooga Popular&nbsp;added 15 points each.The Wildcats played without freshman guard&nbsp;Dai Dai Ames, who was suspended by the NCAA for his ejection against Providence on Friday night.HOW IT HAPPENEDMiami took control of the game in early going, scoring 7 straight points during a 14-2 run to take a 15-6 edge at the second media timeout with 11:44 to play in the first half. However, K-State didn’t do itself any favors in the early going, shooting just 30 percent (3-of-10), and turning the ball over 5 times.The Wildcats were able to within 11 on several occasions, including 28-17 on a basket by junior&nbsp;Cam Carter, however, the Hurricanes responded with an 8-2 run, including a pair of 3-pointers from Pack, to push the lead back to 36-22 with under 4 before halftime. The lead grew to as many as 20, as Miami finished 9-of-16 from 3-point range in the first half, including six from Pack.The second half started off much like the first half, as the Hurricanes scored 10 of the first 15 points to extend their lead to 57-33 with 16:20 to play. They maintained a healthy lead, including 66-43 with 10:41 remaining, until Carter caught fire. Carter was responsible for 14 points during the Wildcats’ 25-13 run that cut the deficit to 79-68 at the final media timeout at the 3:02 mark.Carter, with help from junior&nbsp;Arthur Kaluma&nbsp;and senior&nbsp;Tylor Perry, continued to push Miami in the last few minutes. K-State closed the deficit to single digits, including 85-78 after a pair of Carter free throws, with 45 seconds to play. However, the Hurricanes made all their free throws down the stretch to keep the Wildcats at bay en route to the 91-83 victory.In all, the Wildcats outscored the Hurricanes, 40-25, in the last 10 minutes.HEAD COACH JEROME TANGOn the game…“First of all, I’m just very thankful to coach these young men, and to be here at K-State with the best fans in the country. I don’t know if television did them justice. But our fans were unbelievable. And I’m so thankful for them. I did a terrible job in the first half of putting the game plan together. It didn’t give us a chance to win in the first half. I’m thankful for my staff because we were able to make adjustments at halftime. And then the second half, you saw the team are capable of. We were more aggressive getting to the paint. We owned the offensive glass, and it gave us a chance to win the game. I take responsibility for the game plan in the first half, but we're gonna grow from here. I’m just very, very thankful for the toughness, character, togetherness and grittiness of our young men.”On the fight of the team despite being down…“We’ve got a tough, together group that’s learning and growing every day. They got no quit in them. They are high character individuals that can make adjustments on the fly, so I’m thankful for the opportunity to coach them. I’m gonna do a better job of putting them in a better position so that we don’t get down so big in the first half.”On the performance of Cam Carter…“Cam’s hard work is paying off. I loved his aggressiveness in the second half. I thought in the first half, he allowed his offense to affect his defense. And in the second half, it gave us a more complete game, and the team did a good job of setting screens for him. He went up there and got it done.”UP NEXTK-State opens a 4-game homestand on Wednesday night, as the Wildcats play host to Central Arkansas (1-3) at 7 p.m., CT. Tickets are still available at&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>.

K-State’s Big Second-Half Effort Can’t Overcome 12/11 Miami, 91-83

Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;Kansas State junior&nbsp;Ben Sinnott&nbsp;is one of nine players in the nation to be named a semifinalist for the 2023 John Mackey Award, the award’s committee announced.

Sinnott is the first player in school history to be named a semifinalist for the award that goes to nation’s most outstanding tight end. He is joined on this year’s list by AJ Barner (Michigan), Brock Bowers (Georgia), Dallin Holker (Colorado State), Theo Johnson (Penn State), Bryson Nesbit (North Carolina), Ja’Tavion Sanders (Texas), Cade Stover (Ohio State) and Jack Velling (Oregon State).

A product of Waterloo, Iowa, Sinnott ranks third nationally among tight ends with 540 receiving yards this season, while he is seventh in receptions (39) and tied for ninth in touchdowns (5). His 39 catches this year are the most in school history by a tight end, and his five touchdown receptions are tied for the most. He is also just 55 yards shy of the most receiving yards by a tight end in school history, a mark of 595 yards that is currently set by Russ Campbell in 1991.

This year’s production is a continuation from the 2022 season as Sinnott has the second-most career touchdowns catches by a tight end in school history (9) and the third-most catches (72). During K-State’s 31-27 win last week at Kansas, Sinnott became the fourth tight end in school history to eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark for a career as he enters Saturday’s regular-season finale with 1,002 yards.

Kansas State, ranked No. 19 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25, hosts Iowa State on Saturday in a 7 p.m., contest inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game, which serves as Senior Day, will be shown on FOX.

Tickets to the game against the Cyclones are still available and can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700496721305.jpeg" alt="(Courtesy Kansas State Athletics)" />
 <figcaption>(Courtesy Kansas State Athletics)</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–</a>&nbsp;Kansas State junior&nbsp;Ben Sinnott&nbsp;is one of nine players in the nation to be named a semifinalist for the 2023 John Mackey Award, the award’s committee announced.Sinnott is the first player in school history to be named a semifinalist for the award that goes to nation’s most outstanding tight end. He is joined on this year’s list by AJ Barner (Michigan), Brock Bowers (Georgia), Dallin Holker (Colorado State), Theo Johnson (Penn State), Bryson Nesbit (North Carolina), Ja’Tavion Sanders (Texas), Cade Stover (Ohio State) and Jack Velling (Oregon State).A product of Waterloo, Iowa, Sinnott ranks third nationally among tight ends with 540 receiving yards this season, while he is seventh in receptions (39) and tied for ninth in touchdowns (5). His 39 catches this year are the most in school history by a tight end, and his five touchdown receptions are tied for the most. He is also just 55 yards shy of the most receiving yards by a tight end in school history, a mark of 595 yards that is currently set by Russ Campbell in 1991.This year’s production is a continuation from the 2022 season as Sinnott has the second-most career touchdowns catches by a tight end in school history (9) and the third-most catches (72). During K-State’s 31-27 win last week at Kansas, Sinnott became the fourth tight end in school history to eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark for a career as he enters Saturday’s regular-season finale with 1,002 yards.Kansas State, ranked No. 19 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25, hosts Iowa State on Saturday in a 7 p.m., contest inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game, which serves as Senior Day, will be shown on FOX.Tickets to the game against the Cyclones are still available and can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>.

🏈 K-State's Sinnott named John Mackey Award semifinalist

Kansas City Chiefs VS Philadelphia Eagles 6 p.m.&nbsp; at GEHA Field Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City <a href="http://www.910kina.com">(Listen Live on KINA and KSKG)</a>

Chiefs Kingdom Show 6 p.m.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.910kina.com">&nbsp;(Listen on KINA and 910kina.com)</a>

MRN Nascar Live 8 a.m. <a href="http://www.910kina.com">(Listen on KINA and 910kina.com)</a>

PRN The Pit Reporters 9am <a href="http://www.910kina.com">(Listen on KINA 910AM/107.5FM and 910KIINA.COM)</a>

Kansas City Chiefs VS Las Vegas Raiders 2 p.m.&nbsp; at Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas <a href="http://www.910kina.com">(Listen Live on KINA and KSKG)</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591971280271.jpeg" alt="KINA New logo Blue Black" />
 <figcaption>KINA New logo Blue Black</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Monday</h2>Kansas City Chiefs VS Philadelphia Eagles 6 p.m.&nbsp; at GEHA Field Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City <a href="http://www.910kina.com">(Listen Live on KINA and KSKG)</a><h2>Tuesday</h2>Chiefs Kingdom Show 6 p.m.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.910kina.com">&nbsp;(Listen on KINA and 910kina.com)</a><h2>Saturday </h2>MRN Nascar Live 8 a.m. <a href="http://www.910kina.com">(Listen on KINA and 910kina.com)</a><h2>Sunday</h2>PRN The Pit Reporters 9am <a href="http://www.910kina.com">(Listen on KINA 910AM/107.5FM and 910KIINA.COM)</a>Kansas City Chiefs VS Las Vegas Raiders 2 p.m.&nbsp; at Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas <a href="http://www.910kina.com">(Listen Live on KINA and KSKG)</a>

Weekly 910KINA sports schedule

NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Tournament MVP Nijel Pack scored 20 of his 28 points in the first half against his former school, and No. 12 Miami topped Kansas State 91-83 on Sunday to win the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas championship.

Norchad Omier scored 23 for the Hurricanes (5-0), who are essentially assured of tying a school record by being in the AP Top 25 for the 17th consecutive week when the new poll comes out Monday. Miami also had a run of 17 consecutive appearances in the 2015-16 season.

Wooga Poplar and Matthew Cleveland each scored 15 for Miami.

“It was so much fun for me,” Pack said. “We all came out ready to play. It was a really good game for us.”

Cam Carter scored 28 points — 24 in the second half — and Arthur Kaluma had 18 points and 12 rebounds for Kansas State (3-2), which fell to 0-2 against ranked opponents this season. The Wildcats started the year with a loss to then-No. 21 USC in Las Vegas.

Tylor Perry and David N'Guessan had 10 apiece for Kansas State, which trailed by as many as 24 early in the second half but outscored Miami 30-16 over the final 6 1/2 minutes.

“That's the character of our team," Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said. “I'm very, very proud of them for the second half.”

The difference was 3-point shooting — Miami was 12 of 24 from beyond the arc, Kansas State just 4 of 28. Pack's seven 3's tied his best in a Miami uniform; he had eight on two occasions while playing for the Wildcats.

“I think everybody knows that Nijel was probably extremely well motivated because he had been a player for the Kansas State Wildcats," Miami coach Jim Larrañaga said.

Pack spent his first two college seasons at Kansas State, averaging 15.3 points and 2.9 assists in 53 games there. He transferred before last season, helped the Hurricanes reach the Final Four and is now three makes shy of 100 3-pointers at Miami.

“He was always a really good player. ... I thought we did a better job on him in the second half, but first half, he was pretty special,” Tang said.

Pack's seventh 3-pointer on Sunday gave Miami a 73-51 lead with 7:17 left. That cushion got cut down considerably in the next few minutes.

Kansas State outscored Miami 19-4 over a 4-minute stretch of the second half, getting within 79-70 on a jumper by Carter with 2:48 remaining. Carter had 11 of Kansas State's points during that spurt.

But Miami would hang on. Cleveland had a putback tip-in to give Miami an 11-point lead with 2:26 left and Omier had the next eight points for the Hurricanes — who matched their best start since the 2018-19 season. It’s the fifth time in Larrañaga's 13-year tenure at Miami that the Hurricanes have opened a season 5-0 or better.

“I'm most pleased that we're 5-0,” Larrañaga said. “The teams we've played are good.”

Kansas State: The Wildcats had won eight consecutive games against Division I teams from the state of Florida until last March, when they lost to Florida Atlantic in the Elite Eight — and now, they've lost to Miami as well. Their next game against a team from the Sunshine State is Jan. 6, when they open Big 12 play against UCF.

Miami: It was the first game of the season in which the Hurricanes didn't have a run of at least 10 consecutive unanswered points. They didn't need one — a pair of 7-0 runs in the opening minutes built a 15-4 lead, and an 8-0 run early in the second half pushed Miami's edge to 57-33.

The tournament announced the field for the 2024 Baha Mar event. It'll be Virginia, Baylor, St. John's and Tennessee.

Kansas State: Host Central Arkansas on Wednesday.

Miami: Visit Kentucky on Nov. 28 in the ACC-SEC challenge.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700432412678.png" alt="Pack spent his first two college seasons at Kansas State, averaging 15.3 points and 2.9 assists in 53 games there. He transferred before last season, helped the Hurricanes reach the Final Four and is now three makes shy of 100 3-pointers at Miami.-photo courtesy University of Miami Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Pack spent his first two college seasons at Kansas State, averaging 15.3 points and 2.9 assists in 53 games there. He transferred before last season, helped the Hurricanes reach the Final Four and is now three makes shy of 100 3-pointers at Miami.-photo courtesy University of Miami Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Tournament MVP Nijel Pack scored 20 of his 28 points in the first half against his former school, and No. 12 Miami topped Kansas State 91-83 on Sunday to win the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas championship.Norchad Omier scored 23 for the Hurricanes (5-0), who are essentially assured of tying a school record by being in the AP Top 25 for the 17th consecutive week when the new poll comes out Monday. Miami also had a run of 17 consecutive appearances in the 2015-16 season.Wooga Poplar and Matthew Cleveland each scored 15 for Miami.“It was so much fun for me,” Pack said. “We all came out ready to play. It was a really good game for us.”Cam Carter scored 28 points — 24 in the second half — and Arthur Kaluma had 18 points and 12 rebounds for Kansas State (3-2), which fell to 0-2 against ranked opponents this season. The Wildcats started the year with a loss to then-No. 21 USC in Las Vegas.Tylor Perry and David N'Guessan had 10 apiece for Kansas State, which trailed by as many as 24 early in the second half but outscored Miami 30-16 over the final 6 1/2 minutes.“That's the character of our team," Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said. “I'm very, very proud of them for the second half.”The difference was 3-point shooting — Miami was 12 of 24 from beyond the arc, Kansas State just 4 of 28. Pack's seven 3's tied his best in a Miami uniform; he had eight on two occasions while playing for the Wildcats.“I think everybody knows that Nijel was probably extremely well motivated because he had been a player for the Kansas State Wildcats," Miami coach Jim Larrañaga said.Pack spent his first two college seasons at Kansas State, averaging 15.3 points and 2.9 assists in 53 games there. He transferred before last season, helped the Hurricanes reach the Final Four and is now three makes shy of 100 3-pointers at Miami.“He was always a really good player. ... I thought we did a better job on him in the second half, but first half, he was pretty special,” Tang said.Pack's seventh 3-pointer on Sunday gave Miami a 73-51 lead with 7:17 left. That cushion got cut down considerably in the next few minutes.Kansas State outscored Miami 19-4 over a 4-minute stretch of the second half, getting within 79-70 on a jumper by Carter with 2:48 remaining. Carter had 11 of Kansas State's points during that spurt.But Miami would hang on. Cleveland had a putback tip-in to give Miami an 11-point lead with 2:26 left and Omier had the next eight points for the Hurricanes — who matched their best start since the 2018-19 season. It’s the fifth time in Larrañaga's 13-year tenure at Miami that the Hurricanes have opened a season 5-0 or better.“I'm most pleased that we're 5-0,” Larrañaga said. “The teams we've played are good.”BIG PICTUREKansas State: The Wildcats had won eight consecutive games against Division I teams from the state of Florida until last March, when they lost to Florida Atlantic in the Elite Eight — and now, they've lost to Miami as well. Their next game against a team from the Sunshine State is Jan. 6, when they open Big 12 play against UCF.Miami: It was the first game of the season in which the Hurricanes didn't have a run of at least 10 consecutive unanswered points. They didn't need one — a pair of 7-0 runs in the opening minutes built a 15-4 lead, and an 8-0 run early in the second half pushed Miami's edge to 57-33.NEXT YEARThe tournament announced the field for the 2024 Baha Mar event. It'll be Virginia, Baylor, St. John's and Tennessee.UP NEXTKansas State: Host Central Arkansas on Wednesday.Miami: Visit Kentucky on Nov. 28 in the ACC-SEC challenge.

Pack scores 28 against former school, Miami tops K-State for Bahamas title

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7abfebb1-9c6d-42a4-8ea7-b2fb13290a4b?elinkdata=3001" target="_blank">LaMyah Ricks</a>&nbsp;had just missed two free throws with 5.5 seconds left in a tied game between Kansas Wesleyan and Evangel inside Mabee Arena, but KWU head coach&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7e72ffb5-4339-436d-b644-10caf914304c?elinkdata=3001" target="_blank">Ryan Showman</a>&nbsp;was not at all disappointed in his senior guard's effort.

Ricks scored the first two points of the extra period sparking KWU's 10-1 run to open overtime as the Coyotes came away with the 78-66 win in overtime.

"I loved the approach that we had going into overtime. There was no panic. There's no fear," Showman said. "LaMyah is such a reliable player, everybody in in the Midwest knows that."I didn't want anybody else on the line in that moment. It might have been the way things happened, the ball didn't bounce our way. But she came back with that next play mentality that we talk about so often and she really controlled that overtime and help lead us to victory."

Back-to-back triples by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/be83dc0a-51df-4b2f-8b19-21fe25a53fda?elinkdata=3001" target="_blank">Jill Stephens</a>&nbsp;around a free throw by Evangel pushed Wesleyan's overtime lead out to seven points and a bucket by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ab62c9c7-a049-4aad-9630-b3c78a09e087?elinkdata=3001" target="_blank">Angel Lee</a>&nbsp;made it a 10-1 run, giving KWU a 73-64 lead with 1:32 left.

Free throws by Ricks with 36 seconds left capped the scoring, giving KWU the 12-point win.

Wesleyan found itself down by two with 25 seconds left on an Evangel free throw, but Ricks scored it with 13 ticks left to tie things up. An Evangel turnover gave the ball back to the Coyotes with nine seconds left, and Ricks was fouled, but was unable to connect on either foul shot.

The Coyotes got off to a rough start, trailing 26-15 after a quarter, but bounced back with a huge second.

A 10-0 run to start the second got the Coyotes back within a point at 26-25 with 5:11 left on&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/53d9e3fc-1727-4945-bdb4-60b1bdb1a57d?elinkdata=3001" target="_blank">Catherine Bowman's</a>&nbsp;bucket, and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/512824dc-b025-4f5d-823c-3f4cba454dda?elinkdata=3001" target="_blank">Brooke Strine's</a>&nbsp;score with 4:09 left gave the Coyotes the lead at 29-28. The Coyotes kept the pressure on, extending the lead out to 42-33 with 28 seconds left before the half on a 3-point by Ricks.

"This was a win we needed to have for a number of different reasons," Showman said. "Not only did we need it for the standings, we needed this for us."We have played a really tough non-conference schedule. We've had our ups and downs in terms of that brutal schedule and I thought we didn't play as well as we know we're capable of on Wednesday and so to come back at home against a really good Evangel team, they're gonna keep getting better, they're gonna win some games. This was a game we needed to get. I'm just so happy for that team in that locker room because they deserve this."

Evangel got within three in the third quarter at 49-46 with 3:57 left but the Coyotes pushed the lead back out to eight on&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c047977c-a1df-4020-ba1c-5b1841ab3a97?elinkdata=3001" target="_blank">Angel Lee's</a>&nbsp;3-point play that made it 54-46 with 2:53 to go.

The Coyotes led 54-50 at three-quarter time.

Evangel tied it at 54 in the fourth, and again at 56, but a Ricks triple gave the Coyotes a 59-56 lead with 4:04 left.

Ricks led all scorers with 26 points and was one of three players in double figures along with Stephens with 14 and Lee with 13. KWU was 25 of 65 shooting for 38.5 percent for the game, but shot 56.5 percent in the first half (13 of 23) but were just 12 of 42 in the second half and overtime (28.6 percent). Lee pulled down eight rebounds while&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/eeff4a1c-1d4c-441c-bb6e-c166cf2826a9?elinkdata=3001" target="_blank">Hampton Williams</a>&nbsp;had seven.

The Coyotes get an 11-day break for Thanksgiving before hitting the hardwood again next Wednesday in McPherson, taking on the Bulldogs at 6 p.m. at the Sport Center. McPherson lost to Friends 79-48 on Saturday night.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7abfebb1-9c6d-42a4-8ea7-b2fb13290a4b?elinkdata=3001" target="_blank">LaMyah Ricks</a>&nbsp;had just missed two free throws with 5.5 seconds left in a tied game between Kansas Wesleyan and Evangel inside Mabee Arena, but KWU head coach&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7e72ffb5-4339-436d-b644-10caf914304c?elinkdata=3001" target="_blank">Ryan Showman</a>&nbsp;was not at all disappointed in his senior guard's effort.Ricks scored the first two points of the extra period sparking KWU's 10-1 run to open overtime as the Coyotes came away with the 78-66 win in overtime."I loved the approach that we had going into overtime. There was no panic. There's no fear," Showman said. "LaMyah is such a reliable player, everybody in in the Midwest knows that."I didn't want anybody else on the line in that moment. It might have been the way things happened, the ball didn't bounce our way. But she came back with that next play mentality that we talk about so often and she really controlled that overtime and help lead us to victory."Back-to-back triples by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/be83dc0a-51df-4b2f-8b19-21fe25a53fda?elinkdata=3001" target="_blank">Jill Stephens</a>&nbsp;around a free throw by Evangel pushed Wesleyan's overtime lead out to seven points and a bucket by&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ab62c9c7-a049-4aad-9630-b3c78a09e087?elinkdata=3001" target="_blank">Angel Lee</a>&nbsp;made it a 10-1 run, giving KWU a 73-64 lead with 1:32 left.Free throws by Ricks with 36 seconds left capped the scoring, giving KWU the 12-point win.Wesleyan found itself down by two with 25 seconds left on an Evangel free throw, but Ricks scored it with 13 ticks left to tie things up. An Evangel turnover gave the ball back to the Coyotes with nine seconds left, and Ricks was fouled, but was unable to connect on either foul shot.The Coyotes got off to a rough start, trailing 26-15 after a quarter, but bounced back with a huge second.A 10-0 run to start the second got the Coyotes back within a point at 26-25 with 5:11 left on&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/53d9e3fc-1727-4945-bdb4-60b1bdb1a57d?elinkdata=3001" target="_blank">Catherine Bowman's</a>&nbsp;bucket, and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/512824dc-b025-4f5d-823c-3f4cba454dda?elinkdata=3001" target="_blank">Brooke Strine's</a>&nbsp;score with 4:09 left gave the Coyotes the lead at 29-28. The Coyotes kept the pressure on, extending the lead out to 42-33 with 28 seconds left before the half on a 3-point by Ricks."This was a win we needed to have for a number of different reasons," Showman said. "Not only did we need it for the standings, we needed this for us."We have played a really tough non-conference schedule. We've had our ups and downs in terms of that brutal schedule and I thought we didn't play as well as we know we're capable of on Wednesday and so to come back at home against a really good Evangel team, they're gonna keep getting better, they're gonna win some games. This was a game we needed to get. I'm just so happy for that team in that locker room because they deserve this."Evangel got within three in the third quarter at 49-46 with 3:57 left but the Coyotes pushed the lead back out to eight on&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c047977c-a1df-4020-ba1c-5b1841ab3a97?elinkdata=3001" target="_blank">Angel Lee's</a>&nbsp;3-point play that made it 54-46 with 2:53 to go.The Coyotes led 54-50 at three-quarter time.Evangel tied it at 54 in the fourth, and again at 56, but a Ricks triple gave the Coyotes a 59-56 lead with 4:04 left.Ricks led all scorers with 26 points and was one of three players in double figures along with Stephens with 14 and Lee with 13. KWU was 25 of 65 shooting for 38.5 percent for the game, but shot 56.5 percent in the first half (13 of 23) but were just 12 of 42 in the second half and overtime (28.6 percent). Lee pulled down eight rebounds while&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/eeff4a1c-1d4c-441c-bb6e-c166cf2826a9?elinkdata=3001" target="_blank">Hampton Williams</a>&nbsp;had seven.The Coyotes get an 11-day break for Thanksgiving before hitting the hardwood again next Wednesday in McPherson, taking on the Bulldogs at 6 p.m. at the Sport Center. McPherson lost to Friends 79-48 on Saturday night.

Women's Basketball gets overtime win over Evangel 78-66

FREMONT, Neb. - Kansas Wesleyan Women's Volleyball dropped its NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship Opening Round match to the Midland Warriors in four sets on Saturday at the Wikert Event Center.

Midland won the first two sets 25-15, 25-13, before the Coyotes rallied late in the third to win 25-22, but Midland responded to win the fourth set 25-13.

Midland advances to the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship which begins next week at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.KWU ends its season at 26-10 overall. The Coyotes earned a share of the KCAC Championship during the regular season with a 12-1 record.

After dropping the first two sets, KWU held a 5-3 lead in the third, but seven straight Midland points gave the Warriors a 10-5 lead in the set. KWU trailed 16-12, but got back within a point at 16-15. Behind by a point the Coyotes gave up one before pressing two to tie things at 20-all. Midland scored, but the Coyotes tied it again at 21-all.

Midland took a 22-21 lead before the Coyotes scored the final four points of the set to take the third 25-22.

Wesleyan fell behind 6-1 to start the fourth, but got back within two at 10-8. A 4-0 burst by Midland made it 14-8 and the Coyotes couldn't recover from there.

In the opening set, the Coyotes battled back from a 7-3 deficit to take an 8-7 lead, but six straight Midland points followed giving the Warriors a 13-8 lead. Midland took the first set 25-15.

In the second, KWU trailed 6-2, but rattled off five straight points to take a 7-6 lead. KWU led 8-7 when Midland scored five straight to take a 12-8 lead. It was 19-13 Midland when the Warriors scored the final six points to win the set 25-13.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0e4a4e77-ecc0-4ebb-8c89-f53d72eb755a?elinkdata=2959" target="_blank">Rylee Serpan</a>&nbsp;led the Coyotes with 12 kills, while&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3a1889d6-421c-45d2-9248-40c05fc484d0?elinkdata=2959" target="_blank">Gianna Adriaanse</a>&nbsp;had eight and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f1e37f1a-e725-41b2-b768-60bbaa78e1ec?elinkdata=2959" target="_blank">Kylee Harris</a>&nbsp;had seven. The Coyotes hit .036 as a team.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/612ada53-9074-442f-992c-60045ab7809d?elinkdata=2959" target="_blank">Josie Deckinger</a>&nbsp;had 35 assists.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/43bc3403-2013-4753-887d-5aa73d8a5563?elinkdata=2959" target="_blank">Kelcey Hund</a>&nbsp;had 21 digs.

FREMONT, Neb. - Kansas Wesleyan Women's Volleyball dropped its NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship Opening Round match to the Midland Warriors in four sets on Saturday at the Wikert Event Center.Midland won the first two sets 25-15, 25-13, before the Coyotes rallied late in the third to win 25-22, but Midland responded to win the fourth set 25-13.Midland advances to the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship which begins next week at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.KWU ends its season at 26-10 overall. The Coyotes earned a share of the KCAC Championship during the regular season with a 12-1 record.After dropping the first two sets, KWU held a 5-3 lead in the third, but seven straight Midland points gave the Warriors a 10-5 lead in the set. KWU trailed 16-12, but got back within a point at 16-15. Behind by a point the Coyotes gave up one before pressing two to tie things at 20-all. Midland scored, but the Coyotes tied it again at 21-all.Midland took a 22-21 lead before the Coyotes scored the final four points of the set to take the third 25-22.Wesleyan fell behind 6-1 to start the fourth, but got back within two at 10-8. A 4-0 burst by Midland made it 14-8 and the Coyotes couldn't recover from there.In the opening set, the Coyotes battled back from a 7-3 deficit to take an 8-7 lead, but six straight Midland points followed giving the Warriors a 13-8 lead. Midland took the first set 25-15.In the second, KWU trailed 6-2, but rattled off five straight points to take a 7-6 lead. KWU led 8-7 when Midland scored five straight to take a 12-8 lead. It was 19-13 Midland when the Warriors scored the final six points to win the set 25-13.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0e4a4e77-ecc0-4ebb-8c89-f53d72eb755a?elinkdata=2959" target="_blank">Rylee Serpan</a>&nbsp;led the Coyotes with 12 kills, while&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3a1889d6-421c-45d2-9248-40c05fc484d0?elinkdata=2959" target="_blank">Gianna Adriaanse</a>&nbsp;had eight and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f1e37f1a-e725-41b2-b768-60bbaa78e1ec?elinkdata=2959" target="_blank">Kylee Harris</a>&nbsp;had seven. The Coyotes hit .036 as a team.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/612ada53-9074-442f-992c-60045ab7809d?elinkdata=2959" target="_blank">Josie Deckinger</a>&nbsp;had 35 assists.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/43bc3403-2013-4753-887d-5aa73d8a5563?elinkdata=2959" target="_blank">Kelcey Hund</a>&nbsp;had 21 digs.

Women's Volleyball falls to No. 15 Midland in four sets in NAIA Opening Round

VANCOUVER, Wash. -&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan's&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9d366fda-d52c-4209-b98a-73387a857f22?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Damion Jackson</a>&nbsp;was fading fast during his race in the NAIA Men's National Cross Country Championship on Friday.

He wasn't too concerned, though ... until he heard his coach&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6c5cfe02-9734-4c7d-85bd-4dabb0f97674?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Garrett Young</a>&nbsp;inform him go-time had arrived.

"I was telling myself I'm fine with where I'm at," Jackson said. "But then I heard coach yelling at me that I was fading and that jarred me and made me realize 'why give up when I can do this?'"

And 'do this' he did. Jackson shifted into fifth gear and surged past several runners down the stretch and crossed the finish line in 37th place. His late burst earned him All-America honors and helped propel KWU to a school-record 14th-place finish in the team standings.

The event featured 328 runners and 36 teams.

Jackson completed the notoriously difficult Fort Vancouver National Historic Championship Course in 23 minutes, 38.4 seconds and was a fitting end to his wildly successful first college season.

Jackson said Young's encouragement was what he needed when he needed it.

"I started pushing again and that's when I was going up the hill and towards the finish," he said. "I started catching everyone again."

"The last 1,000 meters or so we knew he needed to go pick off (pass) four or five guys and I think he got eight or nine out of it," Young said. "Just an incredible way to cap off an incredible freshman season."<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b1c6c366-c05e-4623-be80-27a895995a24?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Damion Jackson</a>&nbsp;is a name that I think people in the NAIA need to be aware of for years to come."

Jackson said the battle was as much mental as it was physical once the race started and the chaotic, tightly packed field of runners began to thin out.

"It's basically what you tell yourself," he said. "If you say you won't be able to go get those guys then you won't do it."

Jackson was quick to credit his teammates for his success."It was a team effort," he said. "I don't think I could do what I did without having them there to push me along. ... Shane (Calvin) was right next to me for a lot of it so having him there to pull me along was a lot of help."

Calvin just missed All-America honors, placing 44th (top 40 are designated All-Americans) in 25:46.8. He finished 193rd in the 2022 NAIA meet in Tallahassee, Fla.

"I can't praise Shane enough for his continued determination and grittiness and focus and just being able to always perform at the highest level for us," Young said. "I don't think there was any part of his preparation that was lackluster or we thought could have been better."

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/80618e53-6ddd-45e4-9637-2c1b3abbf9b3?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Austin Hess</a>&nbsp;finished 122nd (26:27.3) - he was 196th in 2022.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4d465310-3f43-484c-bff4-41a12eef18ce?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Jake Cruz</a>&nbsp;placed 155th (26:38.1) Friday and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f2868721-9b4d-473f-ae30-04b9fe682a8c?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Carter Huyser</a>&nbsp;186th (26:57.1) to round out KWU's scoring.

"Austin had a very gutsy race, a great run by the senior," Young said. "Jay Cruz had not looked like himself for a while then comes out and runs one of the gutsiest and toughest races of his Kansas Wesleyan career. And&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dc6e6fd9-88b2-4a5f-bcef-31da0377698e?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Carter Huyser</a>&nbsp;had a great finish as a grad senior and is a very accomplished cross country runner."

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e45cf612-1ff8-4aa4-9502-5603e4fea827?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Giovanni Rios</a>&nbsp;was 214th (27:08.1) and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b707f178-26d7-4838-9637-43bbed5e3b31?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Julian Avila</a>&nbsp;263rd (27:45.9) for KWU.

"Their mindsets and attitudes going into the race was very high, very performance focused and it was fun to see them get the gratification of the reward for their hard work and mindsets."

Three Coyotes competed in the NAIA women's 6-kilometer race.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1108fbb1-036d-4f50-956b-583cde705c5a?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Madisyn Ehrlich</a>&nbsp;finished 101st (23:36.1) - a whopping 158 spots higher than she finished as a freshman in 2022.&nbsp;

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a6d00f10-36e5-4d00-9e8e-c7f317c9f0b0?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Josie Koppes</a>&nbsp;was 131st (23:55.3) Friday and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0d703a66-ca2a-4f9c-950e-f7c54e8bfd35?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Charlee Lind</a>&nbsp;209th (24:32.1).

"All three of them were very patient but were strong and were determined," Young said. "All three were very close to their PRs (personal records) on one of the most difficult courses there is. They all had huge efforts."

VANCOUVER, Wash. -&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan's&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9d366fda-d52c-4209-b98a-73387a857f22?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Damion Jackson</a>&nbsp;was fading fast during his race in the NAIA Men's National Cross Country Championship on Friday.He wasn't too concerned, though ... until he heard his coach&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6c5cfe02-9734-4c7d-85bd-4dabb0f97674?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Garrett Young</a>&nbsp;inform him go-time had arrived."I was telling myself I'm fine with where I'm at," Jackson said. "But then I heard coach yelling at me that I was fading and that jarred me and made me realize 'why give up when I can do this?'"And 'do this' he did. Jackson shifted into fifth gear and surged past several runners down the stretch and crossed the finish line in 37th place. His late burst earned him All-America honors and helped propel KWU to a school-record 14th-place finish in the team standings.The event featured 328 runners and 36 teams.Jackson completed the notoriously difficult Fort Vancouver National Historic Championship Course in 23 minutes, 38.4 seconds and was a fitting end to his wildly successful first college season.Jackson said Young's encouragement was what he needed when he needed it."I started pushing again and that's when I was going up the hill and towards the finish," he said. "I started catching everyone again.""The last 1,000 meters or so we knew he needed to go pick off (pass) four or five guys and I think he got eight or nine out of it," Young said. "Just an incredible way to cap off an incredible freshman season."<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b1c6c366-c05e-4623-be80-27a895995a24?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Damion Jackson</a>&nbsp;is a name that I think people in the NAIA need to be aware of for years to come."Jackson said the battle was as much mental as it was physical once the race started and the chaotic, tightly packed field of runners began to thin out."It's basically what you tell yourself," he said. "If you say you won't be able to go get those guys then you won't do it."Jackson was quick to credit his teammates for his success."It was a team effort," he said. "I don't think I could do what I did without having them there to push me along. ... Shane (Calvin) was right next to me for a lot of it so having him there to pull me along was a lot of help."Calvin just missed All-America honors, placing 44th (top 40 are designated All-Americans) in 25:46.8. He finished 193rd in the 2022 NAIA meet in Tallahassee, Fla."I can't praise Shane enough for his continued determination and grittiness and focus and just being able to always perform at the highest level for us," Young said. "I don't think there was any part of his preparation that was lackluster or we thought could have been better."<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/80618e53-6ddd-45e4-9637-2c1b3abbf9b3?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Austin Hess</a>&nbsp;finished 122nd (26:27.3) - he was 196th in 2022.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4d465310-3f43-484c-bff4-41a12eef18ce?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Jake Cruz</a>&nbsp;placed 155th (26:38.1) Friday and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f2868721-9b4d-473f-ae30-04b9fe682a8c?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Carter Huyser</a>&nbsp;186th (26:57.1) to round out KWU's scoring."Austin had a very gutsy race, a great run by the senior," Young said. "Jay Cruz had not looked like himself for a while then comes out and runs one of the gutsiest and toughest races of his Kansas Wesleyan career. And&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dc6e6fd9-88b2-4a5f-bcef-31da0377698e?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Carter Huyser</a>&nbsp;had a great finish as a grad senior and is a very accomplished cross country runner."<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e45cf612-1ff8-4aa4-9502-5603e4fea827?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Giovanni Rios</a>&nbsp;was 214th (27:08.1) and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b707f178-26d7-4838-9637-43bbed5e3b31?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Julian Avila</a>&nbsp;263rd (27:45.9) for KWU."Their mindsets and attitudes going into the race was very high, very performance focused and it was fun to see them get the gratification of the reward for their hard work and mindsets."Three Coyotes competed in the NAIA women's 6-kilometer race.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1108fbb1-036d-4f50-956b-583cde705c5a?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Madisyn Ehrlich</a>&nbsp;finished 101st (23:36.1) - a whopping 158 spots higher than she finished as a freshman in 2022.&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a6d00f10-36e5-4d00-9e8e-c7f317c9f0b0?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Josie Koppes</a>&nbsp;was 131st (23:55.3) Friday and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0d703a66-ca2a-4f9c-950e-f7c54e8bfd35?elinkdata=2917" target="_blank">Charlee Lind</a>&nbsp;209th (24:32.1)."All three of them were very patient but were strong and were determined," Young said. "All three were very close to their PRs (personal records) on one of the most difficult courses there is. They all had huge efforts."

Men's Cross Country finishes 14th, Jackson earns All-America honor, women post strong finishes

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Will Howard threw two touchdown passes and ran for the go-ahead score, and No. 23 Kansas State took advantage of two special teams blunders by rival Kansas as the Wildcats rallied to beat the Jayhawks 31-27 on Saturday night for their 15th straight win in the Sunflower Showdown.

D.J. Giddens added 102 yards rushing and a score for the reigning Big 12 champions, who kept alive their chances of defending the title in part by turning a blocked extra point into a 2-point return and a muffed punt into the go-ahead TD with 10:22 to go.

The Wildcats (8-3, 6-2, No. 21 CFP) allowed Kansas (7-4, 4-4, No. 25) to march right back down the field, led by former walk-on Cole Ballard under center. But the Jayhawks' drive stalled at the Kansas State 11, and Ballard was picked off in the end zone by Marques Sigle on fourth down to turn the ball over with just more than five minutes left.

Howard and Giddens picked up first downs on the ground to keep the clock running, and Howard hit Philip Brooks on third-and-7 with about two minutes to go — the catch near the sideline stood after a review — to wrap up the victory.

Ballard threw for 162 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Devin Neal, who took direct snaps for much of the game, finished with 138 yards rushing and three touchdowns for the Jayhawks.

The latest edition of the fourth-longest played series in the FBS started off like many of the previous 14: Kansas State hit on a couple of deep throws, then Howard found Ben Sinnott in the back of the end zone for a touchdown just over a minute into the game.

But that all-too-familiar script quickly went in another direction.

Ballard, starting in place of injured Jalon Daniels and Jason Bean, led three long touchdown drives that soaked up the first-half clock and kept the Wildcats' offense off the field. Neal finished the first when he slipped out of VJ Payne's tackle and ran 36 yards, then the second with a nine-yard run, before Ballard hit Lawrence Arnold just before halftime for a 20-16 lead.

The lead should have been larger, but the Jayhawks had an extra point blocked by Nate Matlack. The deflection was caught by receiver-turned-cornerback Keenan Garber, who returned it 91 yards for the 2-point conversion.

Kansas opened the second half with Ballard hitting Mason Fairchild for 59 yards and Neal adding his third TD run two plays later. But the Wildcats answered with a long drive of their own, twice converting on third down, opening a lane for Giddens to get into the end zone, and converting the 2-point try to get within 27-24 heading to the fourth quarter.

That's when the Jayhawks' Trevor Wilson fumbled a punt that he was trying to catch on a dead run. The Wildcats took over near midfield, converted a crucial third down and then opened a lane for Howard for the go-ahead score.

Kansas State found a way to win despite an uneven effort by Howard, too many penalties and a defense that struggled to contain Neal on the ground.

Kansas coach Lance Leipold has said repeatedly that his team needs to play the Wildcats tough to turn the Sunflower Showdown into a rivalry again. The Jayhawks did that despite playing a former walk-on at quarterback.

Kansas State wraps its regular season next Saturday against Iowa State.

Kansas visits Cincinnati next Saturday to finish the regular season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700365495261.png" alt="Photo KSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo KSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Will Howard threw two touchdown passes and ran for the go-ahead score, and No. 23 Kansas State took advantage of two special teams blunders by rival Kansas as the Wildcats rallied to beat the Jayhawks 31-27 on Saturday night for their 15th straight win in the Sunflower Showdown.D.J. Giddens added 102 yards rushing and a score for the reigning Big 12 champions, who kept alive their chances of defending the title in part by turning a blocked extra point into a 2-point return and a muffed punt into the go-ahead TD with 10:22 to go.The Wildcats (8-3, 6-2, No. 21 CFP) allowed Kansas (7-4, 4-4, No. 25) to march right back down the field, led by former walk-on Cole Ballard under center. But the Jayhawks' drive stalled at the Kansas State 11, and Ballard was picked off in the end zone by Marques Sigle on fourth down to turn the ball over with just more than five minutes left.Howard and Giddens picked up first downs on the ground to keep the clock running, and Howard hit Philip Brooks on third-and-7 with about two minutes to go — the catch near the sideline stood after a review — to wrap up the victory.Ballard threw for 162 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Devin Neal, who took direct snaps for much of the game, finished with 138 yards rushing and three touchdowns for the Jayhawks.The latest edition of the fourth-longest played series in the FBS started off like many of the previous 14: Kansas State hit on a couple of deep throws, then Howard found Ben Sinnott in the back of the end zone for a touchdown just over a minute into the game.But that all-too-familiar script quickly went in another direction.Ballard, starting in place of injured Jalon Daniels and Jason Bean, led three long touchdown drives that soaked up the first-half clock and kept the Wildcats' offense off the field. Neal finished the first when he slipped out of VJ Payne's tackle and ran 36 yards, then the second with a nine-yard run, before Ballard hit Lawrence Arnold just before halftime for a 20-16 lead.The lead should have been larger, but the Jayhawks had an extra point blocked by Nate Matlack. The deflection was caught by receiver-turned-cornerback Keenan Garber, who returned it 91 yards for the 2-point conversion.Kansas opened the second half with Ballard hitting Mason Fairchild for 59 yards and Neal adding his third TD run two plays later. But the Wildcats answered with a long drive of their own, twice converting on third down, opening a lane for Giddens to get into the end zone, and converting the 2-point try to get within 27-24 heading to the fourth quarter.That's when the Jayhawks' Trevor Wilson fumbled a punt that he was trying to catch on a dead run. The Wildcats took over near midfield, converted a crucial third down and then opened a lane for Howard for the go-ahead score.THE TAKEAWAYKansas State found a way to win despite an uneven effort by Howard, too many penalties and a defense that struggled to contain Neal on the ground.Kansas coach Lance Leipold has said repeatedly that his team needs to play the Wildcats tough to turn the Sunflower Showdown into a rivalry again. The Jayhawks did that despite playing a former walk-on at quarterback.UP NEXTKansas State wraps its regular season next Saturday against Iowa State.Kansas visits Cincinnati next Saturday to finish the regular season.

K-State rallies from 11-point deficit to beat KU in Sunflower Showdown

<a href="https://kugatewaydistrict.com/">Gateway District Video and Info</a>

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Saturday’s Dillons Sunflower Showdown will serve as the end of an era as it is the final game played in David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium as we know it. The home of the Jayhawks takes on significant changes following the 2023 season with the transformation of the University of <a href="https://kugatewaydistrict.com/">Kansas Gateway Project</a>.

David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium has stood since 1921 and has seen 102 years of games played. It was the first stadium built on a college campus West of the Mississippi River and it remains the seventh-oldest collegiate stadium in the nation.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700307318998.png" alt="David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.png" />
 <figcaption>David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.png</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://kugatewaydistrict.com/">Gateway District Video and Info</a>LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Saturday’s Dillons Sunflower Showdown will serve as the end of an era as it is the final game played in David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium as we know it. The home of the Jayhawks takes on significant changes following the 2023 season with the transformation of the University of <a href="https://kugatewaydistrict.com/">Kansas Gateway Project</a>.David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium has stood since 1921 and has seen 102 years of games played. It was the first stadium built on a college campus West of the Mississippi River and it remains the seventh-oldest collegiate stadium in the nation.<figure>
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 </figure><ul>
 <li>The first game in Memorial Stadium was played on October 29, 1921, when the Jayhawks defeated Kansas State, 21-7, in front of 5,160 fans.</li><li>Saturday’s game will be the 548th game played in David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, where the Jayhawks hold a 279-268 all-time record.</li><li>Kansas has gone undefeated in a season at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium four times, including 1947 (4-0), 1951 (5-0), 2005 (6-0) and 2007 (7-0).</li><li>The largest crowd in stadium history of 52,530 came on Sept. 5, 2009 to see the Jayhawks defeat Northern Colorado, 49-3.</li><li>Kansas played its first home night game against Haskell on Friday, October 2, 1931.</li><li>Kansas has defeated seven top-15 opponents at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium all-time, including No. 2 Oklahoma in 1984 and most recently No. 6 Oklahoma in 2023. Kansas recorded its first win over a top-10 ranked team at home on October 14, 1967, defeating No. 8 Nebraska, 10-0.</li>
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 </figure><h2>Key Dates</h2><ul>
 <li>1919&nbsp;– The University of Kansas initiates the Million Dollar Drive, designed as a fund-raising campaign to secure funds for the construction of a memorial honoring the KU students who died during World War I.</li><li>1920&nbsp;– Phog Allen, in his only season as football head coach, rallied the Jayhawks from a 20-0 halftime deficit to a 20-20 tie against Nebraska. The following Monday, students and faculty gather to celebrate the comeback and more the $200,000 is pledged over a three-day period to build a concrete stadium.</li><li>1921&nbsp;– The university observed “Stadium Day” (May 10) and more than 4,000 students showed up to help demolish the old stadium, McCook Field.</li><li>1921&nbsp;– In the first game in Kansas Memorial Stadium, KU defeated Kansas State, 21-7 in front of 5,160 fans on Oct. 3, 1921.</li><li>Nov. 11, 1922&nbsp;– Just prior to the KU-Nebraska game, Kansas Memorial Stadium was formally dedicated.</li><li>Nov. 23, 1991&nbsp;– Running back Tony Sands set an NCAA single-game record by rushing for 396 yards on 58 carries in a 53-29 win against Missouri in Lawrence.</li><li>Oct. 4, 1994&nbsp;– Head Coach Terry Allen led the Jayhawks to a 20-17 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners inside David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, marking Kansas’ 500th victory in program history.</li><li>Nov. 3, 2007 –&nbsp;Kansas scored a program-record 76 points in a 76-39 victory over Nebraska in 2007. In the win, quarterback Todd Reesing threw a school record six touchdown passes.</li><li>Nov. 5, 2022&nbsp;– Head Coach Lance Leipold led Kansas to a 37-16 victory over No. 18 Oklahoma State, making Kansas bowl eligible for the first time in nearly 15 years. The win also ended a 44-game losing streak to ranked opponents.</li>
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🏈 Kansas Plays last game in David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium before transformation

MANHATTAN, Kan. –&nbsp;Gene Taylor,&nbsp;who has led K-State Athletics through one of its most successful periods in history, has agreed to a contract extension through the 2029-30 academic year, President Richard Linton and the Kansas State Athletics, Inc., Board of Directors announced today.

The agreement extends Taylor’s contract through June 30, 2030, with an annual salary of $925,000 beginning in the 2023-2024 academic year. The contract also includes retention incentives in each contract year. Taylor will receive $250,000 at the end of each of the next four years, and that number will increase to $500,000 annually for the final three years of the contract.

“K-State is fortunate to have one of the nation’s premier athletic directors in Gene Taylor,” said Kansas State University President Richard Linton. “Gene leads with a quiet confidence and steadfast belief in our student-athletes and the coaching staffs who support them — and he has been instrumental in growing our facilities and programs into what they are today. I am thrilled that Gene will continue to lead our athletics program through the end of the Next-Gen K-State strategic plan in 2030.”

Under Taylor’s guidance, K-State Athletics is thriving with athletic, academic and fundraising successes, highlighted by last season’s Big 12 Championship in football and Elite Eight run for men’s basketball. Following a record 2022-23 campaign,&nbsp;Taylor was named the 2022-23 Cushman &amp; Wakefield FBS AD of the Year.

"There is no other place our family would rather be than Manhattan and K-State,” Taylor said. “I appreciate President Linton, the KSA Board and the Kansas Board of Regents for their continued trust in me leading such a phenomenal athletics program. We have the best fans and donors in the country and a group of coaches, staff and student-athletes who are committed to competing for championships, and I am looking forward to the years ahead as we continue to elevate our program.”

Hiring and retaining top coaches has been a staple of Taylor’s career, and K-State has certainly benefitted from his selection of tremendous leaders. Chris Klieman led the football team to last year’s Big 12 Championship in just his fourth season on the job and has the Wildcats steadily among the nation’s top programs annually, while Jerome Tang was named the 2022-23 Naismith Coach of the Year after leading the men’s basketball program to the Elite Eight in his inaugural year in Manhattan after being picked to finish last in the preseason Big 12 poll.

Most recently, the volleyball team has knocked off three Top 8 opponents in coach Jason Mansfield’s first year (No. 3 Texas and No. 8 BYU twice – all 3-0 sweeps), and the eyes of the college volleyball circuit are on Manhattan as the new Morgan Family Arena has been sold out and is the envy of programs across the country. Other notable hires by Taylor include Pete Hughes (baseball), Jordan Smith (women’s tennis) and Stew Burke (women’s golf).

Additionally, Taylor and staff have fundraised and implemented a department-wide facility master plan that benefits all Wildcat teams including the newly completed South End Zone of Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Morgan Family Arena for volleyball, the Morris Family Olympic Training Center and the Shamrock Practice Facility for football.

Taylor, who was named the eighth-best Athletic Director among FBS programs by Stadium in 2020, has also implemented a strategic plan for the department which places an emphasis on the student-athlete experience, while his leadership in navigating the COVID-19 crisis, in addition to enhancing the department’s already-strong diversity and inclusion program, has been well documented.

With the support of fans and donors, K-State Athletics has also continued to be financially self-sufficient and does not receive support from the university. In FY 2019, a year earlier than anticipated, the program ended the practice of receiving student privilege fees in support of the program. This move makes Taylor’s program one of eight across the country to operate with no direct or indirect university and student funding or state support.

In addition to achieving a budget surplus for the 12th straight year, overall pledges and cash gifts to the department during the 2023 fiscal year totaled $36.3 million, including a new record $24.1 million in annual fund donations.&nbsp; Also included in the $24.1 million in annual giving was a department record $1 million raised during the Powercat Auction.

The Ahearn Fund reached 8,547 total members in 2022-23 from 47 different states, while the National Leadership Circle (donations of $10,000 or more annually) consists of 608 members from 26 different states. Since 2009, the department has received 930 capital project gifts of $10,000 or more, and currently 94-percent of all premium seating areas are sold.

Graduating student-athletes remains the top priority for the department and academic success has continued under Taylor’s guidance as K-State continues to rank among the top schools in the Big 12 in APR and graduation success rate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700237109355.jpeg" alt="(Courtesy Kansas State Athletics)" />
 <figcaption>(Courtesy Kansas State Athletics)</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Kansas State AthleticsMANHATTAN, Kan. –&nbsp;Gene Taylor,&nbsp;who has led K-State Athletics through one of its most successful periods in history, has agreed to a contract extension through the 2029-30 academic year, President Richard Linton and the Kansas State Athletics, Inc., Board of Directors announced today.The agreement extends Taylor’s contract through June 30, 2030, with an annual salary of $925,000 beginning in the 2023-2024 academic year. The contract also includes retention incentives in each contract year. Taylor will receive $250,000 at the end of each of the next four years, and that number will increase to $500,000 annually for the final three years of the contract.“K-State is fortunate to have one of the nation’s premier athletic directors in Gene Taylor,” said Kansas State University President Richard Linton. “Gene leads with a quiet confidence and steadfast belief in our student-athletes and the coaching staffs who support them — and he has been instrumental in growing our facilities and programs into what they are today. I am thrilled that Gene will continue to lead our athletics program through the end of the Next-Gen K-State strategic plan in 2030.”Under Taylor’s guidance, K-State Athletics is thriving with athletic, academic and fundraising successes, highlighted by last season’s Big 12 Championship in football and Elite Eight run for men’s basketball. Following a record 2022-23 campaign,&nbsp;Taylor was named the 2022-23 Cushman &amp; Wakefield FBS AD of the Year."There is no other place our family would rather be than Manhattan and K-State,” Taylor said. “I appreciate President Linton, the KSA Board and the Kansas Board of Regents for their continued trust in me leading such a phenomenal athletics program. We have the best fans and donors in the country and a group of coaches, staff and student-athletes who are committed to competing for championships, and I am looking forward to the years ahead as we continue to elevate our program.”Hiring and retaining top coaches has been a staple of Taylor’s career, and K-State has certainly benefitted from his selection of tremendous leaders. Chris Klieman led the football team to last year’s Big 12 Championship in just his fourth season on the job and has the Wildcats steadily among the nation’s top programs annually, while Jerome Tang was named the 2022-23 Naismith Coach of the Year after leading the men’s basketball program to the Elite Eight in his inaugural year in Manhattan after being picked to finish last in the preseason Big 12 poll.Most recently, the volleyball team has knocked off three Top 8 opponents in coach Jason Mansfield’s first year (No. 3 Texas and No. 8 BYU twice – all 3-0 sweeps), and the eyes of the college volleyball circuit are on Manhattan as the new Morgan Family Arena has been sold out and is the envy of programs across the country. Other notable hires by Taylor include Pete Hughes (baseball), Jordan Smith (women’s tennis) and Stew Burke (women’s golf).Additionally, Taylor and staff have fundraised and implemented a department-wide facility master plan that benefits all Wildcat teams including the newly completed South End Zone of Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Morgan Family Arena for volleyball, the Morris Family Olympic Training Center and the Shamrock Practice Facility for football.Taylor, who was named the eighth-best Athletic Director among FBS programs by Stadium in 2020, has also implemented a strategic plan for the department which places an emphasis on the student-athlete experience, while his leadership in navigating the COVID-19 crisis, in addition to enhancing the department’s already-strong diversity and inclusion program, has been well documented.With the support of fans and donors, K-State Athletics has also continued to be financially self-sufficient and does not receive support from the university. In FY 2019, a year earlier than anticipated, the program ended the practice of receiving student privilege fees in support of the program. This move makes Taylor’s program one of eight across the country to operate with no direct or indirect university and student funding or state support.In addition to achieving a budget surplus for the 12th straight year, overall pledges and cash gifts to the department during the 2023 fiscal year totaled $36.3 million, including a new record $24.1 million in annual fund donations.&nbsp; Also included in the $24.1 million in annual giving was a department record $1 million raised during the Powercat Auction.The Ahearn Fund reached 8,547 total members in 2022-23 from 47 different states, while the National Leadership Circle (donations of $10,000 or more annually) consists of 608 members from 26 different states. Since 2009, the department has received 930 capital project gifts of $10,000 or more, and currently 94-percent of all premium seating areas are sold.Graduating student-athletes remains the top priority for the department and academic success has continued under Taylor’s guidance as K-State continues to rank among the top schools in the Big 12 in APR and graduation success rate.

K-State AD Gene Taylor receives contract extension

IOWA CITY, Iowa&nbsp;- With a 12-0 run in the final three minutes, K-State upset (2/2) Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Thursday night, 65-58. 

This was K-State's second win over a top-5 ranked Iowa squad, as the Wildcats downed the fourth-ranked Hawkeyes in Manhattan last season.

With the win, K-State registered its second-ever win over an Associated Press second-ranked team as the Wildcats defeated Old Dominion in Manhattan on December 4, 1982.

HOW IT HAPPENED- Trailing by five points following a free throw from the Hawkeyes with 2:40 remaining in the fourth quarter, K-State (3-0) started its rally with a layup from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/11191">Gabby Gregory</a>.

After a defensive stop,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/ayoka-lee/11193">Ayoka Lee</a>&nbsp;finished a layup in traffic with 1:40 remaining.- Lee was then fouled on her next attempt and buried her two free throws to give the Wildcats a 59-58 lead with 1:12 left.

Lee ended the night with 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots.- Another defensive stop by K-State resulted in a Gregory free throw line jumper with 30 seconds left to give the Wildcats a 61-58 lead.- 

After an Iowa (3-1) missed 3-pointer, freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/taryn-sides/11198">Taryn Sides</a>&nbsp;hauled in the rebound and was fouled with nine seconds to play. She calmly made two free throws to send the game to a two-possession margin, 63-58.

A long rebound and fastbreak layup by redshirt freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/zyanna-walker/11200">Zyanna Walker</a>&nbsp;was the icing on the cake for the Wildcats. Walker notched 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, while Sides carded eight points, six rebounds and three assists.- Defensively, K-State held Iowa to 36.1 percent (22-of-61) shooting including 2-of-21 (.095) from 3-point range. The Hawkeyes were led by 2023 National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark with 24 points on 9-of-32 shooting.

QUICK FACTS- K-State is 6-1 in the series against Iowa. The Wildcats are 75-60 against current members of the Big Ten Conference.- The Wildcats are 288-321 all-time in road games. K-State is 39-64 in road contests in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/2161">Jeff Mittie</a>&nbsp;era.- K-State head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/2161">Jeff Mittie</a>&nbsp;owns a career record of 621-362 (.632) and is 167-127 (.568) during his 10-seasons at K-State.- The Wildcats are 88-238 against Associated Press top-25 opponents, including a 2-10 mark against teams ranked second in the poll. K-State has defeated an AP top-10 foe in three straight seasons.TEAM NOTES- K-State's starting five consisted of guards:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jaelyn-glenn/11189">Jaelyn Glenn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/serena-sundell/11197">Serena Sundell</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/brylee-glenn/11188">Brylee Glenn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/11191">Gabby Gregory</a>&nbsp;and center&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/ayoka-lee/11193">Ayoka Lee</a>. This was the third time this starting five has been used this season. This was the 90th career start for Lee, the 81st collegiate career start and the 35th start at K-State for Gregory, the 72nd career start for Sundell, the 68th career start for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jaelyn-glenn/11189">Jaelyn Glenn</a>&nbsp;and the 62nd career start for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/brylee-glenn/11188">Brylee Glenn</a>.- K-State held Iowa to 58 points, 34 points below their season average entering play on Thursday. The 58 points were the fewest Iowa has scored during Clark's 103 career games with the Hawkeyes.PLAYER NOTES- With her double-double on Thursday, Lee registered the 51st of her career. This was Lee's 26th career double-double with 20 or more points and 10 or more rebounds.- With her 22 points on Thursday, Lee tallied her 39th career game with 20 or more points. This was Lee's 82nd career game with 10 or more points.- With her 12 rebounds on Thursday, Lee moved into fifth in K-State women's basketball history with 916 career rebounds passing Shalee Lehning (2005-09; 914).- Redshirt freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/zyanna-walker/11200">Zyanna Walker</a>&nbsp;carded her third career double figure scoring game with 12 points. Walker has made five or more field goals in a game twice this season.FROM THE HEAD COACHK-State Head Coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/2161">Jeff Mittie</a>Opening statement..."I think you know, hard fought game, not a very clean game. Offensively, both teams struggled. I think both teams had a lot to do with that. It was a really gutty performance by our group. Really proud of them. We had some players really step up that didn't necessarily have great nights but made big shots late.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/11191">Gabby Gregory</a>, you know has gotten off to a rough start this year, but boy, you just trust her. She's a competitor. Wants the ball in her hands. Most players that shoot an air ball that misses by about six feet don't have the confidence to shoot the next one but by gosh Gabby does and big turnaround in the middle and then&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/taryn-sides/11198">Taryn Sides</a>. Our young one from Phillipsburg, Kansas makes two big free throws so just a lot of tough plays down the stretch."On defensive stops..."It's an interesting question I think we did because at one point we had five but I don't know what the final numbers were. But the way we finished the game, I'd be surprised if we didn't you know I will say this. We were able to keep them from getting the easy run out. Stuelke didn't get the easy ones. Marshall had such a great game on Sunday where she got a lot of threes in transition. We wanted to try to make that as hard as we could on them and that's easier said than done, but you know, we talk a lot about shot recognition. And I think for the most part, our team was pretty sound in that."On finishing the game strong..."That's a good question. I think you know what, I talked to them with three minutes to go, we were down and I said you know, we made a great push in Manhattan last year. Let's finish this game the same way but it's got to start with a stop down here at this end. Gabby made two tough plays. I think we got one or two from Yokie in there on a rebound putback maybe. I don't know. I think our team is really developing some trust in each other. And we've got a big number on this roster that didn't play last year. So this was a big win for us in a lot of ways because you know Zy Walker only played four games a year ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/taryn-sides/11198">Taryn Sides</a>&nbsp;was in high school. Obviously,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gisela-sanchez/11196">Gisela Sanchez</a>&nbsp;was out with an injury. Yokie was out with an injury so I knew we were going to learn a lot from our basketball team. What I learned was that we can survive a bad stretch like that and we've got enough trust to fight through it and boy that as a coach that's always good to see."On last season to this season in women's basketball..."Coming off last year I thought last year was such an exciting year. I'm sure it was pretty exciting around these parts of the country right and so good for women's basketball but I think you're just seeing so many great players play this game right now. And we're probably reaping the benefit a little bit of that COVID extra year where you've got some great players that have hung around and veterans and teams that are older and some of that's been really fun to watch. From our perspective, you know, we had a lot of injuries last year. This is a team that we felt like could be a really good basketball team. And to be a part of it now and to have this opportunity and to do some things in playing well enough to have an opportunity to win at the end and to finish it is pretty special. And it's really special to watch. You hurt for the players when they're injured. It's such a tough thing and we had Sanchez play tonight, who didn't play in a year. Yokie and you watch them put the work in and you go into the training room with them and you're watching it and then you watch tonight it's pretty special to watch and pretty fun and and a great crowd. This is something that's pretty special. I know the people around here don't take that for granted. But that's a great crowd. That's a great atmosphere. That's a knowledgeable crowd. So yeah, it was a great game. Not necessarily a well played game, but a great competitive basketball game."On slowing Caitlin Clark..."I don't know the answer. What I would tell you is that I thought&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jaelyn-glenn/11189">Jaelyn Glenn</a>&nbsp;and Zy Walker had excellent defensive games on her. I thought that when we switched out on her, we were pretty sound with it. Serena got switched out on a little bit.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/taryn-sides/11198">Taryn Sides</a>&nbsp;got switched out on her a little bit. We weren't going to guard her with one player because we knew that in transition. We were probably going to have to guard her in waves. And we knew that if she got past the first wave. We were going to bring somebody else to get her and peel off and go get somebody else. And that was our game plan going in. It sounds great when it works. But the challenge of that is everybody has to be on point of what we're doing. So I don't know if we were good at what we wanted to do. And sometimes with Caitlin it doesn't matter how good you are, you know, she can still knock shots down. So we were fortunate to do our job and have her covered."FROM THE FLOORK-State Senior Center&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/ayoka-lee/11193">Ayoka Lee</a>On playing with early foul trouble..."I knew I had to be smart. But that was like a part of our scout too. So I mean, obviously not happy to get the two quick ones. But just kind of staying the course trusting the scout and just being more mindful. And then just communicating well with the guards and, you know, having them try and help me out a little bit more and I think they did great. I think we did good. I stayed in the game, so that's good.&nbsp;On holding Iowa to 58 points..."I think this year, I mean every year, I think we want to take a lot of pride in our defense. So I think it's coming in with that mentality. We want to get three stops in a row, seven times and narrows the gap. We get that seven times. And that's like our goal. So I think having that mentality talking, executing well, and just knowing the matchups knowing where everyone's at on the floor. We knew that this one would be one in transition. We had to have transition D and I think it fell apart sometimes. But we did a good job of picking it back up after it fell apart to get those seven stops."On getting this win after missing last season..."It was definitely a year. It felt like a year. I think just the opportunity to play tonight made it so worth it. And just to pull through with the win with my teammates beyond the score, be able to celebrate with them be able to be in the huddle with them. Be able to talk to them when we're falling like crazy and be able to talk to them when we're not scoring. Like I think all those moments just like matter so much. And I mean, I probably don't know it in the moment. They probably don't know it in the moment. So much gratitude for like everyone who stuck with me that year. Everyone who went through the workouts with me that year. And yeah, it just means a lot."UP NEXTK-State returns to Bramlage Coliseum on Sunday afternoon, as the Wildcats host Wisconsin at 4 p.m. Sunday's game is Pack the House day. All advance-purchase general admission tickets and select concessions are just $2 each. The first 1,000 fans will receive a free purple light-up stick. Sunday's game will also feature a halftime performance by Christian and Scooby.Sunday's game can be seen live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and can be heard on the K-State Sports Network, on the K-State Sports app and on kstatesports.com.<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/news/2023/11/16/womens-basketball-cats-run-past-2-2-iowa-65-58.aspx?print=true">Print Friendly Version</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700222091461.png" alt="Photo KSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo KSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>IOWA CITY, Iowa&nbsp;- With a 12-0 run in the final three minutes, K-State upset (2/2) Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Thursday night, 65-58. This was K-State's second win over a top-5 ranked Iowa squad, as the Wildcats downed the fourth-ranked Hawkeyes in Manhattan last season.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Gotta hydrate before the flight home ✈️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KStateWBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KStateWBB</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZLBquNErwW">pic.twitter.com/ZLBquNErwW</a>&mdash; K-State Women&#39;s Basketball (@KStateWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/KStateWBB/status/1725379096669045035?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>With the win, K-State registered its second-ever win over an Associated Press second-ranked team as the Wildcats defeated Old Dominion in Manhattan on December 4, 1982.HOW IT HAPPENED- Trailing by five points following a free throw from the Hawkeyes with 2:40 remaining in the fourth quarter, K-State (3-0) started its rally with a layup from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/11191">Gabby Gregory</a>. After a defensive stop,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/ayoka-lee/11193">Ayoka Lee</a>&nbsp;finished a layup in traffic with 1:40 remaining.- Lee was then fouled on her next attempt and buried her two free throws to give the Wildcats a 59-58 lead with 1:12 left. Lee ended the night with 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots.- Another defensive stop by K-State resulted in a Gregory free throw line jumper with 30 seconds left to give the Wildcats a 61-58 lead.- After an Iowa (3-1) missed 3-pointer, freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/taryn-sides/11198">Taryn Sides</a>&nbsp;hauled in the rebound and was fouled with nine seconds to play. She calmly made two free throws to send the game to a two-possession margin, 63-58. A long rebound and fastbreak layup by redshirt freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/zyanna-walker/11200">Zyanna Walker</a>&nbsp;was the icing on the cake for the Wildcats. Walker notched 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, while Sides carded eight points, six rebounds and three assists.- Defensively, K-State held Iowa to 36.1 percent (22-of-61) shooting including 2-of-21 (.095) from 3-point range. The Hawkeyes were led by 2023 National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark with 24 points on 9-of-32 shooting.QUICK FACTS- K-State is 6-1 in the series against Iowa. The Wildcats are 75-60 against current members of the Big Ten Conference.- The Wildcats are 288-321 all-time in road games. K-State is 39-64 in road contests in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/2161">Jeff Mittie</a>&nbsp;era.- K-State head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/2161">Jeff Mittie</a>&nbsp;owns a career record of 621-362 (.632) and is 167-127 (.568) during his 10-seasons at K-State.- The Wildcats are 88-238 against Associated Press top-25 opponents, including a 2-10 mark against teams ranked second in the poll. K-State has defeated an AP top-10 foe in three straight seasons.TEAM NOTES- K-State's starting five consisted of guards:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jaelyn-glenn/11189">Jaelyn Glenn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/serena-sundell/11197">Serena Sundell</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/brylee-glenn/11188">Brylee Glenn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/11191">Gabby Gregory</a>&nbsp;and center&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/ayoka-lee/11193">Ayoka Lee</a>. This was the third time this starting five has been used this season. This was the 90th career start for Lee, the 81st collegiate career start and the 35th start at K-State for Gregory, the 72nd career start for Sundell, the 68th career start for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jaelyn-glenn/11189">Jaelyn Glenn</a>&nbsp;and the 62nd career start for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/brylee-glenn/11188">Brylee Glenn</a>.- K-State held Iowa to 58 points, 34 points below their season average entering play on Thursday. The 58 points were the fewest Iowa has scored during Clark's 103 career games with the Hawkeyes.PLAYER NOTES- With her double-double on Thursday, Lee registered the 51st of her career. This was Lee's 26th career double-double with 20 or more points and 10 or more rebounds.- With her 22 points on Thursday, Lee tallied her 39th career game with 20 or more points. This was Lee's 82nd career game with 10 or more points.- With her 12 rebounds on Thursday, Lee moved into fifth in K-State women's basketball history with 916 career rebounds passing Shalee Lehning (2005-09; 914).- Redshirt freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/zyanna-walker/11200">Zyanna Walker</a>&nbsp;carded her third career double figure scoring game with 12 points. Walker has made five or more field goals in a game twice this season.FROM THE HEAD COACHK-State Head Coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/jeff-mittie/2161">Jeff Mittie</a>Opening statement..."I think you know, hard fought game, not a very clean game. Offensively, both teams struggled. I think both teams had a lot to do with that. It was a really gutty performance by our group. Really proud of them. We had some players really step up that didn't necessarily have great nights but made big shots late.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gabby-gregory/11191">Gabby Gregory</a>, you know has gotten off to a rough start this year, but boy, you just trust her. She's a competitor. Wants the ball in her hands. Most players that shoot an air ball that misses by about six feet don't have the confidence to shoot the next one but by gosh Gabby does and big turnaround in the middle and then&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/taryn-sides/11198">Taryn Sides</a>. Our young one from Phillipsburg, Kansas makes two big free throws so just a lot of tough plays down the stretch."On defensive stops..."It's an interesting question I think we did because at one point we had five but I don't know what the final numbers were. But the way we finished the game, I'd be surprised if we didn't you know I will say this. We were able to keep them from getting the easy run out. Stuelke didn't get the easy ones. Marshall had such a great game on Sunday where she got a lot of threes in transition. We wanted to try to make that as hard as we could on them and that's easier said than done, but you know, we talk a lot about shot recognition. And I think for the most part, our team was pretty sound in that."On finishing the game strong..."That's a good question. I think you know what, I talked to them with three minutes to go, we were down and I said you know, we made a great push in Manhattan last year. Let's finish this game the same way but it's got to start with a stop down here at this end. Gabby made two tough plays. I think we got one or two from Yokie in there on a rebound putback maybe. I don't know. I think our team is really developing some trust in each other. And we've got a big number on this roster that didn't play last year. So this was a big win for us in a lot of ways because you know Zy Walker only played four games a year ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/taryn-sides/11198">Taryn Sides</a>&nbsp;was in high school. Obviously,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/gisela-sanchez/11196">Gisela Sanchez</a>&nbsp;was out with an injury. Yokie was out with an injury so I knew we were going to learn a lot from our basketball team. What I learned was that we can survive a bad stretch like that and we've got enough trust to fight through it and boy that as a coach that's always good to see."On last season to this season in women's basketball..."Coming off last year I thought last year was such an exciting year. I'm sure it was pretty exciting around these parts of the country right and so good for women's basketball but I think you're just seeing so many great players play this game right now. And we're probably reaping the benefit a little bit of that COVID extra year where you've got some great players that have hung around and veterans and teams that are older and some of that's been really fun to watch. From our perspective, you know, we had a lot of injuries last year. This is a team that we felt like could be a really good basketball team. And to be a part of it now and to have this opportunity and to do some things in playing well enough to have an opportunity to win at the end and to finish it is pretty special. And it's really special to watch. You hurt for the players when they're injured. It's such a tough thing and we had Sanchez play tonight, who didn't play in a year. Yokie and you watch them put the work in and you go into the training room with them and you're watching it and then you watch tonight it's pretty special to watch and pretty fun and and a great crowd. This is something that's pretty special. I know the people around here don't take that for granted. But that's a great crowd. That's a great atmosphere. That's a knowledgeable crowd. So yeah, it was a great game. Not necessarily a well played game, but a great competitive basketball game."On slowing Caitlin Clark..."I don't know the answer. What I would tell you is that I thought&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/jaelyn-glenn/11189">Jaelyn Glenn</a>&nbsp;and Zy Walker had excellent defensive games on her. I thought that when we switched out on her, we were pretty sound with it. Serena got switched out on a little bit.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/taryn-sides/11198">Taryn Sides</a>&nbsp;got switched out on her a little bit. We weren't going to guard her with one player because we knew that in transition. We were probably going to have to guard her in waves. And we knew that if she got past the first wave. We were going to bring somebody else to get her and peel off and go get somebody else. And that was our game plan going in. It sounds great when it works. But the challenge of that is everybody has to be on point of what we're doing. So I don't know if we were good at what we wanted to do. And sometimes with Caitlin it doesn't matter how good you are, you know, she can still knock shots down. So we were fortunate to do our job and have her covered."FROM THE FLOORK-State Senior Center&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/ayoka-lee/11193">Ayoka Lee</a>On playing with early foul trouble..."I knew I had to be smart. But that was like a part of our scout too. So I mean, obviously not happy to get the two quick ones. But just kind of staying the course trusting the scout and just being more mindful. And then just communicating well with the guards and, you know, having them try and help me out a little bit more and I think they did great. I think we did good. I stayed in the game, so that's good.&nbsp;On holding Iowa to 58 points..."I think this year, I mean every year, I think we want to take a lot of pride in our defense. So I think it's coming in with that mentality. We want to get three stops in a row, seven times and narrows the gap. We get that seven times. And that's like our goal. So I think having that mentality talking, executing well, and just knowing the matchups knowing where everyone's at on the floor. We knew that this one would be one in transition. We had to have transition D and I think it fell apart sometimes. But we did a good job of picking it back up after it fell apart to get those seven stops."On getting this win after missing last season..."It was definitely a year. It felt like a year. I think just the opportunity to play tonight made it so worth it. And just to pull through with the win with my teammates beyond the score, be able to celebrate with them be able to be in the huddle with them. Be able to talk to them when we're falling like crazy and be able to talk to them when we're not scoring. Like I think all those moments just like matter so much. And I mean, I probably don't know it in the moment. They probably don't know it in the moment. So much gratitude for like everyone who stuck with me that year. Everyone who went through the workouts with me that year. And yeah, it just means a lot."UP NEXTK-State returns to Bramlage Coliseum on Sunday afternoon, as the Wildcats host Wisconsin at 4 p.m. Sunday's game is Pack the House day. All advance-purchase general admission tickets and select concessions are just $2 each. The first 1,000 fans will receive a free purple light-up stick. Sunday's game will also feature a halftime performance by Christian and Scooby.Sunday's game can be seen live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and can be heard on the K-State Sports Network, on the K-State Sports app and on kstatesports.com.<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/news/2023/11/16/womens-basketball-cats-run-past-2-2-iowa-65-58.aspx?print=true">Print Friendly Version</a>

Kansas State upsets Caitlin Clark and No. 2 Iowa on the road

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

The Ell-Saline Cardinals have spent the whole season listening to people outside of Brookville underestimate them.

When the team finished 6-3 in their inaugural 8-Man campaign the word on the street was that while good, the Cardinals simply weren’t ready to hang with the big boys.

Those words seemed to find more weight when Ell-Saline dropped their season opener 32-6 at the hands of Moundridge, but the rest of this season has proven to everyone, what those inside the locker room already knew.

The Cardinals were built for this moment.

Ell-Saline proved themselves when they took down a pair of perennial powers in Little River and Clifton-Clyde during the regular season.

They proved it again when they decimated another powerhouse in 8-1 Meade 68-20 in the round of 16.

And last week, when many expected their playoff run to meet a familiar end at the hands of Hoxie, the Cardinals found a way to prevail, finishing their revenge tour and punching their ticket to the state semifinals.

“Our togetherness stood out to me in that game and our guys never panicked,” Ell-Saline head coach Joe Roche said. “They picked each other up and we played together for four quarters. Our program needed a win like that at home over an opponent of that caliber, you can’t ask for anything more.”

Going into this week’s contest with Leoti-Wichita, there are once again, a number of valid reasons to doubt Ell-Saline.

The defending state champs enter this semifinal as the #1 team in 8M-DI, still unbeaten, and riding a 24-game win streak that dates back to the start of last season.

The Indians average almost 62 points a night, and nearly ten yards per carry on offense while holding opponents to just eight points per game and pitching seven shutouts on defense.

There have always been reasons to count out the Cardinals, but those reasons have never penetrated the walls of the Ell-Saline locker room, and at a certain point, you make the decision to doubt this team at your own peril.

None of that is to say that this week’s semifinal will be easy.&nbsp;

On the contrary, it will take a masterclass of a game plan, flawless execution for four quarters, and perhaps, even a bit of luck, but if there’s one group that truthfully believes this Goliath can be slain, it might just be the ones sporting the crimson and white this Friday night.

“We look forward to each and every one of these games,” Roche said. “We haven’t always earned opportunities like these in the past but throughout the summer and throughout the season we worked for this and now we have to go out and compete.”

Priority one for Ell-Saline will lie in attempting to stop a Leoti rushing attack led by a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Wyatt Gardner and Khris Hermosillo.

“Their backs have great vision and if the point of attack isn’t available they’ll bounce it against the grain and find a seam,” he said. “You have to play gap sound and hope that you’re tenacious enough to get off their blocks because they’ve got real size in the trench.”

The keys to slowing the Indian advance on defense, and pushing them back on offense are the same, but as anyone who’s played Leoti will tell you, it’s easier said than done.

“We have to be more violent than they are and we have to try to dictate what they do offensively,” Roche said. “You can’t trick a team this good, the only way to have success is to beat them to the point of attack and match their physicality.”

Fortunately for the Cardinals, their sling on offense is far from empty, and for as good as the Leoti defense has been, they could have their hands full on Friday against a high-powered Ell-Saline offense.

“We have to spread the ball around the way we usually do and force them to defend the whole field both vertically and horizontally,” Roche said. “We’ll also need to be patient with our running game and stay with our blocks until the final whistle.”

It has been said that Ell-Saline football is put together with baling wire and hard work, and come kickoff at 6:00 this Friday night in Leoti, the strength of that wire will be tested the every sense of the word.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697215856555.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>The Ell-Saline Cardinals have spent the whole season listening to people outside of Brookville underestimate them.When the team finished 6-3 in their inaugural 8-Man campaign the word on the street was that while good, the Cardinals simply weren’t ready to hang with the big boys.Those words seemed to find more weight when Ell-Saline dropped their season opener 32-6 at the hands of Moundridge, but the rest of this season has proven to everyone, what those inside the locker room already knew.The Cardinals were built for this moment.Ell-Saline proved themselves when they took down a pair of perennial powers in Little River and Clifton-Clyde during the regular season.They proved it again when they decimated another powerhouse in 8-1 Meade 68-20 in the round of 16.And last week, when many expected their playoff run to meet a familiar end at the hands of Hoxie, the Cardinals found a way to prevail, finishing their revenge tour and punching their ticket to the state semifinals.“Our togetherness stood out to me in that game and our guys never panicked,” Ell-Saline head coach Joe Roche said. “They picked each other up and we played together for four quarters. Our program needed a win like that at home over an opponent of that caliber, you can’t ask for anything more.”Going into this week’s contest with Leoti-Wichita, there are once again, a number of valid reasons to doubt Ell-Saline.The defending state champs enter this semifinal as the #1 team in 8M-DI, still unbeaten, and riding a 24-game win streak that dates back to the start of last season.The Indians average almost 62 points a night, and nearly ten yards per carry on offense while holding opponents to just eight points per game and pitching seven shutouts on defense.There have always been reasons to count out the Cardinals, but those reasons have never penetrated the walls of the Ell-Saline locker room, and at a certain point, you make the decision to doubt this team at your own peril.None of that is to say that this week’s semifinal will be easy.&nbsp;On the contrary, it will take a masterclass of a game plan, flawless execution for four quarters, and perhaps, even a bit of luck, but if there’s one group that truthfully believes this Goliath can be slain, it might just be the ones sporting the crimson and white this Friday night.“We look forward to each and every one of these games,” Roche said. “We haven’t always earned opportunities like these in the past but throughout the summer and throughout the season we worked for this and now we have to go out and compete.”Priority one for Ell-Saline will lie in attempting to stop a Leoti rushing attack led by a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Wyatt Gardner and Khris Hermosillo.“Their backs have great vision and if the point of attack isn’t available they’ll bounce it against the grain and find a seam,” he said. “You have to play gap sound and hope that you’re tenacious enough to get off their blocks because they’ve got real size in the trench.”The keys to slowing the Indian advance on defense, and pushing them back on offense are the same, but as anyone who’s played Leoti will tell you, it’s easier said than done.“We have to be more violent than they are and we have to try to dictate what they do offensively,” Roche said. “You can’t trick a team this good, the only way to have success is to beat them to the point of attack and match their physicality.”Fortunately for the Cardinals, their sling on offense is far from empty, and for as good as the Leoti defense has been, they could have their hands full on Friday against a high-powered Ell-Saline offense.“We have to spread the ball around the way we usually do and force them to defend the whole field both vertically and horizontally,” Roche said. “We’ll also need to be patient with our running game and stay with our blocks until the final whistle.”It has been said that Ell-Saline football is put together with baling wire and hard work, and come kickoff at 6:00 this Friday night in Leoti, the strength of that wire will be tested the every sense of the word.

Ell-Saline Travels to Leoti Looking to Slay Goliath in State Semis

VANCOUVER, Washington -&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b5065bc1-f3a9-43ef-9754-7bb57d5412aa?elinkdata=2896" target="_blank">Garrett Young</a>&nbsp;does not believe his Kansas Wesleyan cross country runners will be intimidated by the large and elite field they will compete against on the biggest stage of the season.

Ten Coyotes - seven men and three women - will toe the line Friday in the 68th Annual Men's and 44th&nbsp;Annual Women's NAIA Cross Country National Championships. They will run with the top runners in the NAIA and Young is optimistic.

"When you have a team like Saint Mary who's ranked in the (NAIA) top five in your (Kansas) Conference and we've raced against three times this year, could have three or four All-Americans and has someone who's pretty heavily favored to be the individual champion I think you kind of get used to seeing the level of competition that we're going to deal with," he said."We've competed at meets against multiple top 10 teams in the country at Blazing Tiger (Invitational in Nebraska). We've raced against the University of Nebraska, we've raced against the University of Kansas, we've raced against Air Force and Creighton so it's not really like being starstruck out there."

VANCOUVER, Washington -&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b5065bc1-f3a9-43ef-9754-7bb57d5412aa?elinkdata=2896" target="_blank">Garrett Young</a>&nbsp;does not believe his Kansas Wesleyan cross country runners will be intimidated by the large and elite field they will compete against on the biggest stage of the season.Ten Coyotes - seven men and three women - will toe the line Friday in the 68th Annual Men's and 44th&nbsp;Annual Women's NAIA Cross Country National Championships. They will run with the top runners in the NAIA and Young is optimistic."When you have a team like Saint Mary who's ranked in the (NAIA) top five in your (Kansas) Conference and we've raced against three times this year, could have three or four All-Americans and has someone who's pretty heavily favored to be the individual champion I think you kind of get used to seeing the level of competition that we're going to deal with," he said."We've competed at meets against multiple top 10 teams in the country at Blazing Tiger (Invitational in Nebraska). We've raced against the University of Nebraska, we've raced against the University of Kansas, we've raced against Air Force and Creighton so it's not really like being starstruck out there."The men's field consists of 36 teams and 85 individual qualifiers; the women's field 36 teams and 88 individuals. The women's race begins at 12:30 p.m. Central time and the men at 1:30 p.m.The KWU men qualified as a team by placing second in the KCAC Championships in Winfield two weeks ago - the first men's team to qualify since 2016. The trio of women represents the largest number of national qualifiers in school history after the team placed third in the KCAC.Individual success was commonplace at the conference meet as six of the eight Coyote women who ran set personal records as did 14 of the 21 men."That's about as good as you can ask for at this point in the season," Young said.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/db708b09-9e70-4378-84ff-bc6d43f14227?elinkdata=2896" target="_blank">Madisyn Ehrlich</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/894675aa-cf79-44be-b89b-3b2f81d0ffc9?elinkdata=2896" target="_blank">Josie Koppes</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/831f7a93-9061-43a2-ba3c-8bd7ece4f852?elinkdata=2896" target="_blank">Charlee Lind</a>&nbsp;will represent Wesleyan in the women's race. All three are sophomores. Ehrlich ran in last year's national championship race in Tallahassee, Fla., and returns to nationals after placing 12th&nbsp;in the conference meet in 23 minutes, 07.58 seconds. Koppes was 11th&nbsp;in 23:07.56 and Lind 18th&nbsp;in 23:50.43."Madi and Josie have traded off being the top runner a few times this season," Young said. "They finished with the exact same time down to a 10th of a second at the conference meet. It's good for both of them to have someone to help push them."<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/30e3751d-8f79-4bbb-b361-dcea2508d89f?elinkdata=2896" target="_blank">Damion Jackson</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1e5e96a7-d28a-4ed4-9a3e-c47558abb2be?elinkdata=2896" target="_blank">Shane Calvin</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b10a9ab7-3518-4d56-80fd-35125fffe4a1?elinkdata=2896" target="_blank">Austin Hess</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d793bbdf-0c15-4cf1-8863-3df2310327c4?elinkdata=2896" target="_blank">Jake Cruz</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0e74abbf-e87b-43eb-a821-ee290e96f156?elinkdata=2896" target="_blank">Carter Huyser</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/820ca6c3-416d-4dd3-b6e8-531ac8fbb3c0?elinkdata=2896" target="_blank">Julian Avila</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c15c304b-e7d4-4376-a638-462777e1234b?elinkdata=2896" target="_blank">Giovanni Rios</a>&nbsp;will compete in the men's race. Alternates are&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b52a981b-2f9f-4e3c-a036-a3b10debd823?elinkdata=2896" target="_blank">Tytus Reed</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/729bcb67-f5c0-4573-bd5b-d482d5f6ffc8?elinkdata=2896" target="_blank">Wyatt Johnson</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a783bff7-6e7b-4a86-aece-370db260cae2?elinkdata=2896" target="_blank">Cisco Alvarez</a>.Calvin placed seventh at the KCAC in 24:47.88. Jackson was eighth (24:51.59), Hess ninth (25:01.74), Huyser 22nd&nbsp;(25:57.89), Avila 23rd&nbsp;(25:58.64), Cruz 26th&nbsp;(26.09.48) and Rios 27th&nbsp;(26.15.78). Calvin and Hess competed in the 2022 NAIA race.Seven Coyotes will run Friday with the team score compiled from the top five finishers."I really thought that we should have had the men's team in last year so having the whole team back and knowing where we wrapped up the season, I think that we were expecting this," Young said. "We have had some guys come on this year and run pretty well for us. It was really challenging trying to make our top 10."Competing against the KCAC throughout the season was beneficial, according to Young."We come from a really strong conference so by no means is it an easy task to go in and perform at a high level at the KCAC meet," he said. "They've seen very high-level competition all year and so they know what to expect."The 8-kilometer Fort Vancouver National Historic Championship Course will be difficult, according to Young."It is challenging and it is not for the faint of heart," he said. "I think it is punishing for the sake of being punishing. We won't have anyone running PRs. I don't doubt my athletes but this course runs over a minute slow generally. If you have a great day, you're probably 75 seconds slower than normal."We'll go in with a strategy and see what the payoff for that can be and hope for the best."