It was the last gut-wrenching defeat of a heartbreaking season.

The Kansas Wesleyan men rallied from a 14-point second half deficit, took the lead twice in the final 1:48 but couldn't hang on in an 84-82 Kansas Conference loss to Ottawa in the season finale and Senior Night on Saturday inside Mabee Arena.

Trailing 75-61 with 8½ minutes left, the Coyotes (12-16 overall, 7-15 KCAC) embarked on an 18-3 run and took the lead on two <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/df8911d6-253a-4ecc-aef2-49e94154891c?elinkdata=19856">Alex Littlejohn</a> free throws at the 1:08 mark.

Ottawa (18-10, 13-8 KCAC) went back on top 80-79 on a Najee Jones' basket with 50.3 seconds left. Littlejohn answered with a dunk with 38.2 seconds left made it 81-80 but OU's Braylon Wheeler, a reserve guard, buried a back-breaking 3-pointer 16.6 seconds later that put the Braves up 83-81.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/35b5cf46-21a4-4eac-ace8-502453bcb38a?elinkdata=19856">Easton Hunter</a> was fouled on a layup attempt with 7.0 seconds remaining and made one of two free throws to cut the deficit to 83-82. KWU fouled Wheeler on the inbounds pass with 6.2 seconds left and he made one of two free throws for the final point. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b91ca866-c9da-4ba2-9841-f695d75ff44e?elinkdata=19856">Izaiah Hale's</a> long 3-point attempt bounced off the rim as time expired.

Nine of the Coyotes' last 10 losses were by three points or less.

"It's tough," KWU coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e196d22b-7d01-4550-bdac-4cd7c6fbe0d1?elinkdata=19856">Anthony Monson</a> said on the postgame radio show. "A guy that typically doesn't make shots knocks down the biggest shot of the game then one of our best free throw shooters goes to the line and goes one for two. Sometimes they just don't go in."

The Coyotes led 9-2 at the outset and were up 26-21 with 5:05 left in the half. Ottawa, though, closed the half on a 21-3 run and led 42-29 at the intermission.

Littlejohn, playing in the final game of his legendary career, finished with 26 points on 11 of 15 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds. He departs as the school's all-time scoring and rebounding leader.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9330f966-0268-4c76-890a-4bcc325ab46b?elinkdata=19856">DJ Hudspeth</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d89d6661-7227-4555-b894-5a2651adc4b6?elinkdata=19856">Gabe Phillips</a>, playing in their final games as well, finished with 18 and 10 points respectively. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/937e677a-222e-4f58-9a5b-778a8a7ed255?elinkdata=19856">Evens Appolon</a> had nine points, eight rebounds and three blocks.

"I'm proud of the fact they didn't give up," Monson said. "It's been a tough year for a lot of guys who have had a ton of success in their life, and I know they're hurting in the locker room."

It was the final chapter for seven seniors - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9e79b183-4b2c-49c6-b7a8-261c9f2cc7a6?elinkdata=19856">Cam Stevenson</a>, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4d5943ac-27dc-4f87-af8d-df6c677297ed?elinkdata=19856">Ryan Weber</a>, Phillips, Hudspeth, Littlejohn, Hunter and Hale.

"I'm proud of the group that's graduating this year, they've accomplished a lot," Monson said. "I don't think they should be judged on this season; it should be judged on the body of work that they did and man, they're a special group. I don't think we've had a four-year stretch where we've won 80 games before. They've left their mark on this program."

KWU shot 42 percent (26 of 62) including 6 of 24 from long range and 24 of 32 at the foul line.

Ottawa shot 43.5 percent (30 of 69), 6 of 28 from deep and 18 of 24 at the line. Jones scored 22 and Jayden Hibbitt 20.

"It was a season of what ifs is the best way to put it," Monson said. "The ball bounces a couple of ways differently and you get a couple of wins, and you don't know how it goes. We kept battling and fighting all year.

It was the last gut-wrenching defeat of a heartbreaking season.The Kansas Wesleyan men rallied from a 14-point second half deficit, took the lead twice in the final 1:48 but couldn't hang on in an 84-82 Kansas Conference loss to Ottawa in the season finale and Senior Night on Saturday inside Mabee Arena.Trailing 75-61 with 8½ minutes left, the Coyotes (12-16 overall, 7-15 KCAC) embarked on an 18-3 run and took the lead on two <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/df8911d6-253a-4ecc-aef2-49e94154891c?elinkdata=19856">Alex Littlejohn</a> free throws at the 1:08 mark.Ottawa (18-10, 13-8 KCAC) went back on top 80-79 on a Najee Jones' basket with 50.3 seconds left. Littlejohn answered with a dunk with 38.2 seconds left made it 81-80 but OU's Braylon Wheeler, a reserve guard, buried a back-breaking 3-pointer 16.6 seconds later that put the Braves up 83-81.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/35b5cf46-21a4-4eac-ace8-502453bcb38a?elinkdata=19856">Easton Hunter</a> was fouled on a layup attempt with 7.0 seconds remaining and made one of two free throws to cut the deficit to 83-82. KWU fouled Wheeler on the inbounds pass with 6.2 seconds left and he made one of two free throws for the final point. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b91ca866-c9da-4ba2-9841-f695d75ff44e?elinkdata=19856">Izaiah Hale's</a> long 3-point attempt bounced off the rim as time expired.Nine of the Coyotes' last 10 losses were by three points or less."It's tough," KWU coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e196d22b-7d01-4550-bdac-4cd7c6fbe0d1?elinkdata=19856">Anthony Monson</a> said on the postgame radio show. "A guy that typically doesn't make shots knocks down the biggest shot of the game then one of our best free throw shooters goes to the line and goes one for two. Sometimes they just don't go in."The Coyotes led 9-2 at the outset and were up 26-21 with 5:05 left in the half. Ottawa, though, closed the half on a 21-3 run and led 42-29 at the intermission.Littlejohn, playing in the final game of his legendary career, finished with 26 points on 11 of 15 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds. He departs as the school's all-time scoring and rebounding leader.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9330f966-0268-4c76-890a-4bcc325ab46b?elinkdata=19856">DJ Hudspeth</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d89d6661-7227-4555-b894-5a2651adc4b6?elinkdata=19856">Gabe Phillips</a>, playing in their final games as well, finished with 18 and 10 points respectively. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/937e677a-222e-4f58-9a5b-778a8a7ed255?elinkdata=19856">Evens Appolon</a> had nine points, eight rebounds and three blocks."I'm proud of the fact they didn't give up," Monson said. "It's been a tough year for a lot of guys who have had a ton of success in their life, and I know they're hurting in the locker room."It was the final chapter for seven seniors - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9e79b183-4b2c-49c6-b7a8-261c9f2cc7a6?elinkdata=19856">Cam Stevenson</a>, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4d5943ac-27dc-4f87-af8d-df6c677297ed?elinkdata=19856">Ryan Weber</a>, Phillips, Hudspeth, Littlejohn, Hunter and Hale."I'm proud of the group that's graduating this year, they've accomplished a lot," Monson said. "I don't think they should be judged on this season; it should be judged on the body of work that they did and man, they're a special group. I don't think we've had a four-year stretch where we've won 80 games before. They've left their mark on this program."KWU shot 42 percent (26 of 62) including 6 of 24 from long range and 24 of 32 at the foul line.Ottawa shot 43.5 percent (30 of 69), 6 of 28 from deep and 18 of 24 at the line. Jones scored 22 and Jayden Hibbitt 20."It was a season of what ifs is the best way to put it," Monson said. "The ball bounces a couple of ways differently and you get a couple of wins, and you don't know how it goes. We kept battling and fighting all year.

Coyote rally falls short in season final against Ottawa

Kansas Wesleyan Women's Basketball had four players score in double figures as the Coyotes beat the Ottawa Braves 81-69 on in Saturday night's regular season finale inside Mabee Arena.

The Coyotes locked in the No. 1 in the KCAC tournament, a feat already accomplished on Wednesday night things fell into place with the other teams contending for the top spot also losing.

KWU was paced by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4e907911-242f-469a-a3d1-2f3c42fbfa1f?elinkdata=19949">Angel Lee</a> with 19 points, while <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/04a4b6b9-20fe-42dc-83dd-2544ae6d00fc?elinkdata=19949">Paige Chauncey</a> added 16, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8763d4ee-0c45-4b62-b976-16cce31ab0cb?elinkdata=19949">Hampton Williams</a> 13 and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3c63c52f-44a3-47e7-8d12-fdb593ffd2e5?elinkdata=19949">Odessa Ozuna</a> 12.

Ottawa jumped out to a 6-0 lead to start the game, but the Coyotes came back and tied things up 9-9 with 3:38 left in the first quarter on a 3-pointer by senior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4a1bc1fc-e5da-48ae-a7f1-bd1f426997ce?elinkdata=19949">Catherine Bowman</a>.

The Braves built a 13-9 lead before the Coyotes tied it on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/139203da-fa8f-4da9-a9bf-85976c1203c1?elinkdata=19949">LaMyah Ricks'</a> free throws with 1:41 to go. Ottawa would take a 17-15 lead into the second.

A 9-2 run by the Coyotes to open the second gave KWU a 24-19 lead with 7:21 to go in the half. Ottawa came back and took a brief 29-28 lead before Chauncey's bucket with 3:20 to go put the Coyotes up 30-29. A triple by Ricks pushed the lead out to six with 44 second left in the half.

Ottawa hung around in the third, getting within two points twice, but with KWU lead 43-41, the Coyotes rattled off six straight to take a 49-41 lead with 4:42 left.

A 3-pointer by Ozuna at the end of the third would give the Coyotes a 54-43 lead at 75 percent time.

Ottawa was within seven with 6:38 left in the game at 60-53, but the Coyotes would push the lead out to as many as 18 with 2:42 left on Ozuna free throws.

Kansas Wesleyan Women's Basketball had four players score in double figures as the Coyotes beat the Ottawa Braves 81-69 on in Saturday night's regular season finale inside Mabee Arena.The Coyotes locked in the No. 1 in the KCAC tournament, a feat already accomplished on Wednesday night things fell into place with the other teams contending for the top spot also losing.KWU was paced by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4e907911-242f-469a-a3d1-2f3c42fbfa1f?elinkdata=19949">Angel Lee</a> with 19 points, while <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/04a4b6b9-20fe-42dc-83dd-2544ae6d00fc?elinkdata=19949">Paige Chauncey</a> added 16, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/8763d4ee-0c45-4b62-b976-16cce31ab0cb?elinkdata=19949">Hampton Williams</a> 13 and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3c63c52f-44a3-47e7-8d12-fdb593ffd2e5?elinkdata=19949">Odessa Ozuna</a> 12.Ottawa jumped out to a 6-0 lead to start the game, but the Coyotes came back and tied things up 9-9 with 3:38 left in the first quarter on a 3-pointer by senior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4a1bc1fc-e5da-48ae-a7f1-bd1f426997ce?elinkdata=19949">Catherine Bowman</a>.The Braves built a 13-9 lead before the Coyotes tied it on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/139203da-fa8f-4da9-a9bf-85976c1203c1?elinkdata=19949">LaMyah Ricks'</a> free throws with 1:41 to go. Ottawa would take a 17-15 lead into the second.A 9-2 run by the Coyotes to open the second gave KWU a 24-19 lead with 7:21 to go in the half. Ottawa came back and took a brief 29-28 lead before Chauncey's bucket with 3:20 to go put the Coyotes up 30-29. A triple by Ricks pushed the lead out to six with 44 second left in the half.Ottawa hung around in the third, getting within two points twice, but with KWU lead 43-41, the Coyotes rattled off six straight to take a 49-41 lead with 4:42 left.A 3-pointer by Ozuna at the end of the third would give the Coyotes a 54-43 lead at 75 percent time.Ottawa was within seven with 6:38 left in the game at 60-53, but the Coyotes would push the lead out to as many as 18 with 2:42 left on Ozuna free throws.

KWU WBB beats Ottawa 81-69 in regular season finale

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - Kansas Wesleyan Men's Bowling is back in the NAIA National Championships as the Coyotes claimed the 2025 KCAC Men's Bowling Championship on Saturday.

It marks back-to-back KCAC Championship titles for the Coyotes who won last year's KCAC Invitational Tournament as well.

It will be the first appearance since the 2023 season for KWU at the National Championships as this season was the first for direct qualification for the national championship instead of regional grouping tournaments.

KWU opened Saturday's play with a 3-1 loss to Avila, dropping KWU into the elimination bracket.

From there the Coyotes got a thrilling 3-2 win over Morningside, then a 3.5 to 1.5 win over Midland. KWU then beat Ottawa 3-1 in the elimination bracket final before meeting up with Avila again, this time for the championship.

Needing to win twice, the Coyotes did just that, winning the first match-up 4-3, then clinched 4-2 over the Eagles in the second championship game.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - Kansas Wesleyan Men's Bowling is back in the NAIA National Championships as the Coyotes claimed the 2025 KCAC Men's Bowling Championship on Saturday.It marks back-to-back KCAC Championship titles for the Coyotes who won last year's KCAC Invitational Tournament as well.It will be the first appearance since the 2023 season for KWU at the National Championships as this season was the first for direct qualification for the national championship instead of regional grouping tournaments.KWU opened Saturday's play with a 3-1 loss to Avila, dropping KWU into the elimination bracket.From there the Coyotes got a thrilling 3-2 win over Morningside, then a 3.5 to 1.5 win over Midland. KWU then beat Ottawa 3-1 in the elimination bracket final before meeting up with Avila again, this time for the championship.Needing to win twice, the Coyotes did just that, winning the first match-up 4-3, then clinched 4-2 over the Eagles in the second championship game.

KCAC CHAMPIONS! Men’s Bowling battles back through elimination bracket to win title

GOODWELL, Okla. - Finally, Kansas Wesleyan Softball got to play some games. The Coyotes split two games on Saturday against Oklahoma Panhandle State and Missouri Valley.

KWU dropped the first game to OPSU 8-3, and then followed with a 9-5 win over Missouri Valley.

Against Panhandle State, the Coyotes were on the board first in the third inning when <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3f38c67a-8585-438e-b376-425b87e7cbbe?elinkdata=19918">Briannah Kutschkau</a> reach on an error and later scored on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fce3186a-ee10-421f-9487-7b009773dbb8?elinkdata=19918">Brooklyn Lange's</a> single.

OPSU tied it in the bottom of the inning, but in the fourth the Coyotes grabbed the lead again. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/adcfa11d-9146-4cd5-a92e-d8272d59f673?elinkdata=19918">Cadence Mallet</a> singled then scored on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/60aa6ad5-9e2b-488f-8cdb-5a0b51c34823?elinkdata=19918">Deja Rubio's</a> single.

The Aggies scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead 3-2 and extended the difference in the fifth with three more runs. OPSU added two more in the sixth before the Coyotes got one back in the seventh.

Kutschkau reached on an error, then scored on Mallet's single. The Coyotes had two runners in scoring position looking to extend the rally but a double play would end it.

Lange and Mallet had three hits each for the Coyotes. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ccd3e948-b427-4b98-a057-cd33e2596ea2?elinkdata=19918">Caitlyn Collier</a> went five innings, allowing six runs, only two earned, on nine hits with three strikeouts.

In the win over Missouri Valley, the Coyotes jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7d3b393d-d3f3-4c56-91e7-8e0acdde3a8d?elinkdata=19918">Elli Han</a> singled, Lange doubled and Mallet drove in two more with a single. Rubio singled to score Mallet and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/59495462-4c79-4c0d-b3a7-70485d86804b?elinkdata=19918">Grace Pierce</a> reached on an error to bring in the fourth run of the inning.

KWU added another in the second on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/59c6192b-0e71-480d-bb05-fd980b52bb26?elinkdata=19918">Elli Han's</a> ground out that scored Kutschkau who singled earlier in the inning.

The Coyotes added two more in the third as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9172ccec-3479-4aca-b783-1e4d9200270c?elinkdata=19918">Trenity Miller</a> walked and Pierce singled setting up <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/86480e4e-714c-40d5-a300-293151f07baf?elinkdata=19918">Jenna Soule's</a> 2-run single to make it 7-0.

The Vikings scored five runs in the bottom of the third inning to get within two, and the score was stuck there until the seventh, when Lange walked, Mallet doubled and Miller brought home two runs with a hit.

Mallet added three more hits for the Coyotes. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/45f2ec78-6de0-4bbe-8b75-12dd05982ac6?elinkdata=19918">Bella Allen</a> got the win in the circle pitching four and a third innings of relief holding the Vikings off the scoreboard and only three hits. Starter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/705d4987-7040-4c69-a78f-b2035224123d?elinkdata=19918">Haven Byerly</a> went two and a third allowing five runs on three hits with five walks and four strikeouts.

GOODWELL, Okla. - Finally, Kansas Wesleyan Softball got to play some games. The Coyotes split two games on Saturday against Oklahoma Panhandle State and Missouri Valley.KWU dropped the first game to OPSU 8-3, and then followed with a 9-5 win over Missouri Valley.Against Panhandle State, the Coyotes were on the board first in the third inning when <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3f38c67a-8585-438e-b376-425b87e7cbbe?elinkdata=19918">Briannah Kutschkau</a> reach on an error and later scored on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fce3186a-ee10-421f-9487-7b009773dbb8?elinkdata=19918">Brooklyn Lange's</a> single.OPSU tied it in the bottom of the inning, but in the fourth the Coyotes grabbed the lead again. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/adcfa11d-9146-4cd5-a92e-d8272d59f673?elinkdata=19918">Cadence Mallet</a> singled then scored on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/60aa6ad5-9e2b-488f-8cdb-5a0b51c34823?elinkdata=19918">Deja Rubio's</a> single.The Aggies scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead 3-2 and extended the difference in the fifth with three more runs. OPSU added two more in the sixth before the Coyotes got one back in the seventh.Kutschkau reached on an error, then scored on Mallet's single. The Coyotes had two runners in scoring position looking to extend the rally but a double play would end it.Lange and Mallet had three hits each for the Coyotes. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ccd3e948-b427-4b98-a057-cd33e2596ea2?elinkdata=19918">Caitlyn Collier</a> went five innings, allowing six runs, only two earned, on nine hits with three strikeouts.In the win over Missouri Valley, the Coyotes jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7d3b393d-d3f3-4c56-91e7-8e0acdde3a8d?elinkdata=19918">Elli Han</a> singled, Lange doubled and Mallet drove in two more with a single. Rubio singled to score Mallet and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/59495462-4c79-4c0d-b3a7-70485d86804b?elinkdata=19918">Grace Pierce</a> reached on an error to bring in the fourth run of the inning.KWU added another in the second on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/59c6192b-0e71-480d-bb05-fd980b52bb26?elinkdata=19918">Elli Han's</a> ground out that scored Kutschkau who singled earlier in the inning.The Coyotes added two more in the third as <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9172ccec-3479-4aca-b783-1e4d9200270c?elinkdata=19918">Trenity Miller</a> walked and Pierce singled setting up <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/86480e4e-714c-40d5-a300-293151f07baf?elinkdata=19918">Jenna Soule's</a> 2-run single to make it 7-0.The Vikings scored five runs in the bottom of the third inning to get within two, and the score was stuck there until the seventh, when Lange walked, Mallet doubled and Miller brought home two runs with a hit.Mallet added three more hits for the Coyotes. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/45f2ec78-6de0-4bbe-8b75-12dd05982ac6?elinkdata=19918">Bella Allen</a> got the win in the circle pitching four and a third innings of relief holding the Vikings off the scoreboard and only three hits. Starter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/705d4987-7040-4c69-a78f-b2035224123d?elinkdata=19918">Haven Byerly</a> went two and a third allowing five runs on three hits with five walks and four strikeouts.

Coyote softball splits season opening games in Oklahoma

A talented Kansas Wesleyan flag football team team rolled through the 2024 season posting a program-best 19-4 record that included an 11-2 slate in the Kansas Conference and won the NAIA Flag Final B Bracket for the third consecutive year.

Fast forward to 2025: as good as the Coyotes were a year ago, they could easily be better.

"We have a lot of seniors this year that came back from last year that have really stepped up into more of a leadership role," third-year coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b428fd5b-4203-4bd6-bb8a-79d3bff27cc2?elinkdata=19887">Melinda Nguyen</a> said. "They've been doing a great job of just coaching and mentoring the underclassmen.

"This year is a lot of people's last year, so the mentality is go all out, all or nothing. There's no holding back anymore. This is the most talented the team has ever been, and the incoming freshmen just took that bar to another level."

KWU averaged 30 points last season and allowed 12. With a roster that features 10 seniors and 10 juniors those numbers will almost certainly improve.

Offensively, it starts with junior quarterback <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cad6fcfe-d612-4171-ad7e-bb08e109e864?elinkdata=19887">Chihiro Iwata</a> who hails from Tokyo and was stellar during her rookie year with the Coyotes throwing for 4,549 yards, 71 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. She has her top three receivers back in junior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/81535fe5-0933-47d3-944a-a3bd542b75d2?elinkdata=19887">Jazmine Whitfield</a> who caught 115 passes for 1,389 yards 17 scores, senior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6c0e7f53-47b2-45a6-b9f2-34f04bc61a5d?elinkdata=19887">Angel Roman</a> (78-765-14) and senior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9119b2a2-2e5f-4c20-9385-e552a5e2bc68?elinkdata=19887">Ciaran DeCuir</a> (57-731-17).

"Iwata is phenomenal as always and now she's a little bit more settled," Nguyen said of her quarterback who again played internationally during the offseason. "Has had more time to gain chemistry with the receivers and the team and really kind of come out of her shell in terms of her personality on the team."

Whitfield was slowed by injuries during the fall but is expected to be ready for the season. Roman was sensational and played everywhere while earning all-KCAC honors on offense and defense in 2024.

"Angel is a great leader and shows out," Nguyen said. "There's no doubt that (Whitfield) and Chihiro have amazing chemistry. I don't know how she does it, but she just always manages to find the green. Ciaran is just a staple. This year she's being a little bit more vocal and her mentality going into this season is 'I don't want to be overlooked anymore. I don't want to be just a role player.'"

Senior linebacker <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/642fcae7-8d39-4cea-9413-6fe71736b6f6?elinkdata=19887">Alexa Mansur</a>, the team's leading tackler, returns to anchor the defense along with Roman. Also back are senior linebackers <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e61ceb25-6cb6-4fad-8942-14b7f0a563f8?elinkdata=19887">Lexi Marquez</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bd81707c-d2c3-467c-a8d3-8de89cf69024?elinkdata=19887">Alexis Jimenez</a>, junior rusher <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/24c859eb-c7db-44b0-83cb-2681fa06cc07?elinkdata=19887">Ansdiane Rabano</a> and senior defensive back <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/89d29d7c-b5c6-4c10-bc49-d0898d5398f0?elinkdata=19887">Nickayla Howard</a>.

"(Mansur) has been huge in helping coach the underclassmen," Nguyen said. "You really haven't mastered something until you can teach it to someone else. I think Alexa has done that tenfold. Her leadership on top of her athleticism is really going to take that defense to the next level."

Nguyen is excited about a handful of newcomers. Wide out/defensive back <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b3576870-4d6e-4406-a9ed-26ac2c5b9540?elinkdata=19887">Aliyah Wood</a> is a transfer from Thomas University.

"She will be a splash player for us," she said. "She puts her head down and just work. She plays very similar to <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/12c359d5-3be1-4ed8-84ac-da2718788d16?elinkdata=19887">Angel Roman</a> so it's nice having two of them now."

Two freshmen - defensive back Nijah Green and running back Aaliyah Oliver - have been impressive in the preseason.

"Green is super-fast, explosive, quick, challenges our fastest player from last year," Nguyen said. "Oliver is very experienced, very high football IQ, great technique. She is small (5-feet-1) but she plays huge."

Nguyen said the KCAC should be better and points to defending champion Ottawa, Baker and new member William Woods as teams to watch.

"Ottawa is Ottawa," she said. "We scrimmaged them in the fall. They recruited phenomenal athletes ... and seeing them play, they're good. They have a lot of fifth-year seniors as well, I think there's no doubt that they're going to come back strong. I think Baker is always someone that we should look out for.

"There's been huge recruiting from last year so the talent level on a lot of teams has really been elevated. I'm hoping for closer competitions and more competitive contests this year."

A talented Kansas Wesleyan flag football team team rolled through the 2024 season posting a program-best 19-4 record that included an 11-2 slate in the Kansas Conference and won the NAIA Flag Final B Bracket for the third consecutive year.Fast forward to 2025: as good as the Coyotes were a year ago, they could easily be better."We have a lot of seniors this year that came back from last year that have really stepped up into more of a leadership role," third-year coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b428fd5b-4203-4bd6-bb8a-79d3bff27cc2?elinkdata=19887">Melinda Nguyen</a> said. "They've been doing a great job of just coaching and mentoring the underclassmen."This year is a lot of people's last year, so the mentality is go all out, all or nothing. There's no holding back anymore. This is the most talented the team has ever been, and the incoming freshmen just took that bar to another level."KWU averaged 30 points last season and allowed 12. With a roster that features 10 seniors and 10 juniors those numbers will almost certainly improve.Offensively, it starts with junior quarterback <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/cad6fcfe-d612-4171-ad7e-bb08e109e864?elinkdata=19887">Chihiro Iwata</a> who hails from Tokyo and was stellar during her rookie year with the Coyotes throwing for 4,549 yards, 71 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. She has her top three receivers back in junior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/81535fe5-0933-47d3-944a-a3bd542b75d2?elinkdata=19887">Jazmine Whitfield</a> who caught 115 passes for 1,389 yards 17 scores, senior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6c0e7f53-47b2-45a6-b9f2-34f04bc61a5d?elinkdata=19887">Angel Roman</a> (78-765-14) and senior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/9119b2a2-2e5f-4c20-9385-e552a5e2bc68?elinkdata=19887">Ciaran DeCuir</a> (57-731-17)."Iwata is phenomenal as always and now she's a little bit more settled," Nguyen said of her quarterback who again played internationally during the offseason. "Has had more time to gain chemistry with the receivers and the team and really kind of come out of her shell in terms of her personality on the team."Whitfield was slowed by injuries during the fall but is expected to be ready for the season. Roman was sensational and played everywhere while earning all-KCAC honors on offense and defense in 2024."Angel is a great leader and shows out," Nguyen said. "There's no doubt that (Whitfield) and Chihiro have amazing chemistry. I don't know how she does it, but she just always manages to find the green. Ciaran is just a staple. This year she's being a little bit more vocal and her mentality going into this season is 'I don't want to be overlooked anymore. I don't want to be just a role player.'"Senior linebacker <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/642fcae7-8d39-4cea-9413-6fe71736b6f6?elinkdata=19887">Alexa Mansur</a>, the team's leading tackler, returns to anchor the defense along with Roman. Also back are senior linebackers <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e61ceb25-6cb6-4fad-8942-14b7f0a563f8?elinkdata=19887">Lexi Marquez</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bd81707c-d2c3-467c-a8d3-8de89cf69024?elinkdata=19887">Alexis Jimenez</a>, junior rusher <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/24c859eb-c7db-44b0-83cb-2681fa06cc07?elinkdata=19887">Ansdiane Rabano</a> and senior defensive back <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/89d29d7c-b5c6-4c10-bc49-d0898d5398f0?elinkdata=19887">Nickayla Howard</a>."(Mansur) has been huge in helping coach the underclassmen," Nguyen said. "You really haven't mastered something until you can teach it to someone else. I think Alexa has done that tenfold. Her leadership on top of her athleticism is really going to take that defense to the next level."Nguyen is excited about a handful of newcomers. Wide out/defensive back <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b3576870-4d6e-4406-a9ed-26ac2c5b9540?elinkdata=19887">Aliyah Wood</a> is a transfer from Thomas University."She will be a splash player for us," she said. "She puts her head down and just work. She plays very similar to <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/12c359d5-3be1-4ed8-84ac-da2718788d16?elinkdata=19887">Angel Roman</a> so it's nice having two of them now."Two freshmen - defensive back Nijah Green and running back Aaliyah Oliver - have been impressive in the preseason."Green is super-fast, explosive, quick, challenges our fastest player from last year," Nguyen said. "Oliver is very experienced, very high football IQ, great technique. She is small (5-feet-1) but she plays huge."Nguyen said the KCAC should be better and points to defending champion Ottawa, Baker and new member William Woods as teams to watch."Ottawa is Ottawa," she said. "We scrimmaged them in the fall. They recruited phenomenal athletes ... and seeing them play, they're good. They have a lot of fifth-year seniors as well, I think there's no doubt that they're going to come back strong. I think Baker is always someone that we should look out for."There's been huge recruiting from last year so the talent level on a lot of teams has really been elevated. I'm hoping for closer competitions and more competitive contests this year."

2025 Flag Football Season Preview - Talented, experienced Coyotes have high hopes heading into 2025 season

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Playing in front of a sell-out crowd of 11,010 fans, (12/15) K-State honored its seven seniors before, during and after Saturday’s game against Kansas, as the Wildcats secured a 90-60 win over its Dillon Sunflower Showdown rival at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats have won six straight and 10 of the last 11 meetings in the series in Manhattan.

K-State (25-4, 13-3 Big 12) secured its 51st win in the last two seasons. The 51 victories in the last two seasons are tied for the fourth-most over a two season span and the most since the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons (54).

With its 13 wins in Big 12 play this season, K-State has recorded consecutive seasons with 13 or more league victories for the second time in program history and the first time since the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons.

The Wildcats extended its home court winning streak to 17 games. This is tied for the fifth-longest home win streak in program history and tied for the second-longest in Bramlage Coliseum. The 17 straight home wins are tied for the longest home court win streak in the Jeff Mittie era. The 33 home wins over the last two seasons are the most wins in Bramlage over a two-season span in program history.

K-State paid tribute to its senior class of Brylee Glenn, Jaelyn Glenn, Ayoka Lee, Temira Poindexter, Gisela Sanchez, Serena Sundell and Kennedy Taylor in a pregame ceremony and a postgame ceremony. Poindexter led the senior class with 14 points, three rebounds and two assists.

Sanchez and Taylor came off the bench to register 12 and 10 points, respectively, while Taylor led the Wildcats with seven rebounds.

All-America candidate Serena Sundell narrowly missed her eighth double-double of the season as she tallied a school record and a career-high 15 assists while adding nine points, five rebounds and three steals. Sundell’s 15 assists were the third-most in a game nationally this season and the most by a Big 12 player since the 2021-22 season.

Sophomore Taryn Sides led the Wildcats in scoring with 15 points including a 5-of-9 effort from long range, while also dishing out six assists and pulling in five rebounds.

- K-State expanded upon a five-point lead in the late stages of the first quarter, as Gisela Sanchez registered six straight points to push the Wildcats into a 21-10 lead with 2:24 left. Poindexter and Zyanna Walker added a layup and 3-pointer, respectively to send the Wildcats into the second quarter with a 26-12 lead.

- In the second, the Wildcats used an 8-0 run to increase its lead to 34-15 with 5:12 left in the stanza. Kennedy Taylor recorded six straight points to force Kansas (15-11, 5-10) into using its second timeout of the first half.

- The Jayhawks narrowed the margin to 10, 39-29, with a 9-2 run with 1:33 remaining in the opening half. The Wildcats responded with three-pointers from Jaelyn Glenn and Taryn Sides to close out the half with a 46-31 lead.

- K-State boosted its lead to 21 twice in the third quarter. Poindexter buried her first 3-pointer of the evening with 7:38 to play. Sides knocked down three-pointers on back to back possessions to force a Jayhawk timeout with 3:56 remaining in the frame and K-State leading 61-40. Poindexter added her second 3-pointer before the quarter expired to give the Wildcats a 66-45 lead.

- The Wildcats opened the fourth quarter with three straight 3-pointers, as Sanchez buried two straight and Walker added the third to give the Wildcats a 75-48 lead with 6:59 remaining.

- K-State ended the day shooting 53.1 percent (34-of-64) from the field including 46.4 percent (13-of-28) from beyond the arc. The Wildcats dished out 28 assists on the 34 made field goals.

- With its 28 assists, K-State improved its season total for assists to 640 and set the school record for assists in a season. The previous mark was 631 set in the 2023-24 season.

- The K-State bench registered a 43-26 advantage in scoring. The 43 bench points were a season-high and were the most since Dec. 6, 2023, against McNeese State when the Wildcats scored 47.

- K-State leads the series with Kansas, 82-51. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 22-10 in his career against Kansas, including a 19-5 mark during his time at K-State. The Wildcats are 40-16 in games played in Manhattan between the schools. In the last 52 meetings in the series, K-State is 41-11 against the Jayhawks.

- The Wildcats are 245-245 (.500) in its history in Big 12 games.

- K-State is 413-156 (.726) in its 37-season history inside Bramlage Coliseum, including a 17-0 record this season. This is the 34th&nbsp;season in program history with 10 or more home wins in a season, including the 26th&nbsp;season at Bramlage Coliseum.

- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 669-374 (.641), including a mark of 215-139 (.607).

- K-State owns a record of 273-99 (.734) as an AP ranked team. K-State is 24-6 (.800) all-time when ranked 12th in the nation.

- Saturday’s attendance of 11,010 is the largest regular-season K-State women’s basketball crowd since Dec. 11, 2016, against Connecticut. This is the 17th-largest K-State women’s basketball crowd in program history and the largest since the capacity of Bramlage Coliseum has been adjusted to 11,010.

- When the crowd is 7,500 or more in Bramlage, K-State is 48-13 (.787) including a mark of 19-6 (.760) when the attendance in Bramlage is 10,000 or more.

- K-State's starting five consisted of guards: Zyanna Walker, Jaelyn Glenn and Serena Sundell; forwards Temira Poindexter and Kennedy Taylor. This was the 18th time this lineup has started together this season. This was the 133rd&nbsp;career start for Lee, the 132nd&nbsp;career start for Sundell, the 128th&nbsp;career start for Jaelyn Glenn, the 116th&nbsp;career collegiate start and 29th&nbsp;at K-State for Poindexter, the 51st&nbsp;career start and 10th at K-State for Taylor and the 29th&nbsp;career start for Walker. Lee improves on her school record for career starts. Lee remains in third in program history for career games played. Sundell moves into sole possession of second in program history for career starts. With her 128th career start, Glenn moves into a tie for fifth in program history for career starts.

- The Wildcats held a 46-31 lead at halftime on Saturday. Under Mittie, K-State is 173-19 (.901) when leading at halftime. The Wildcats have led at the half in 23 games this season (23-0).

- K-State shot 50.0 percent or better in a quarter in three quarters (first, second and third quarters) on Saturday. The Wildcats have 70 quarters this season of 50.0 percent or better shooting, which are the most in program history for a full season.

- K-State has scored 20-or more points in a quarter 61 times this season, including all four quarters on Saturday. Since the start of the quarter-system in 2015-16, the Wildcats are 157-63 (.714) when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter of a game, including a 25-1 record this season.

- K-State improved to 112-8 (.933) when handing out 20 or more assists in a game. The Wildcats have dished out 20 or more assists in 20 games this season (20-0).

- The bench point total of 43 marked the 17th&nbsp;time K-State has scored 20 or more bench points. K-State has held the upperhand in bench points in 17 games this season (17-2).

- Sundell’s 15 assists on Saturday improved her career total to 760. She ranks eighth in Big 12 history for career assists and needs five assists to move into seventh. Sundell improved upon her own school record with her 88th career game with five or more assists. This was her eighth game this season and the 12th&nbsp;of her career with 10 or more assists. Her assist total this season of 211 makes her the third player in program history with a 200-assist season (Shalee Lehning and Kayle Goth) and ranks fourth for a season. She needs 19 assists to set the school record for a season.

- Sundell (211) and Walker (110) have combined for 321 assists this season, which is second in program history for combined assists by a K-State duo for a season (min. 100 assists by each player).

- Sundell owns 1,650 career points and remains in 10th&nbsp;on the K-State career scoring list. She needs 21 points to move into eighth on the K-State career list.

- Sundell hauled in five rebounds on Saturday. She owns a career total of 550 rebounds and remains in 26th&nbsp;in program history. This was her 53rd&nbsp;career game with five or more rebounds.

- Poindexter reached double figures for the 19th&nbsp;time this season and the 99th&nbsp;in her career. Poindexter improved her career point total to 1,929 (369 at K-State; 1,560 at Tulsa).

- Poindexter tallied two 3-pointers on Saturday. This was her 75th game of her career with two or more connections.

- Sides registered her 17th&nbsp;career game with 10 or more points.

- Sides carded five connections from beyond the arc. This was her eighth career game with four or more connections from long range and her 28th&nbsp;with two or more.

- Sides tallied six assists on Saturday afternoon. This was her seventh game this season and the 15th&nbsp;of her career with five or more assists.

- Walker reached double figures in points for 22nd time in her career and her 11th&nbsp;time this season.

- Walker pulled in six rebounds on Saturday. This was her 20th&nbsp;career game with five or more rebounds.

- Jaelyn Glenn tallied four steals on Sunday. She improved her career steal total to 251 and remains in sole possession of fifth in program history for career steals. She needs 10 steals to move into fourth. This was her 73rd&nbsp;career game with two or more steals. Glenn is the second Wildcat in program history to register 575 or more career rebounds and 250 or more career steals (Carlisa Thomas; 1983-87).

“Senior night's a little different than what it's been, you're seeing that across the country. Some people are doing it earlier in the year. You don't want to get too reflective. There's so much work to do, right? We have so much basketball ahead of us. But what I'll just continue to say is, I've said this numerous times, this group has been really good to coach. They have continued to raise the standard in what's expected in the locker room, on the practice floor and the expectations for the program.&nbsp; I said this way back, probably summer, maybe or early fall, that because of the way college athletics is to have a group that return, we returned so much. You just don't know how rare that's going to be, and the landscape continues to change. So you know, I'm just going to enjoy coaching this group and whatever changes in the college landscape, this will be a special group regardless.”

“Pretty happy. We struggled defending the three some today, but overall, the things that we wanted to do in terms of getting the pace up and we wanted to use that energy to create our own offense. I thought we did very well. The crowd was awesome. Just to see the updates across social media that&nbsp; X amount of tickets left. Our crowds have been, I think, good all year. They've gotten progressively better. It was a good crowd today. We need a big crowd on Monday. We've got a huge game on Monday. It's a quick turnaround. We're familiar with this turnaround. We've had a couple of these."

"It was more sore than we liked before the game, so we knew that we weren't going to go long. Matt Walters asked me right before the game, and I said, five to ten minutes. So that's where we were planning on. But it was sore at halftime, hopefully tomorrow is better, and we're making that progress."

On Serena Sundell breaking the single-game assist record…

“I had no idea until they announced it. I asked how many she had, and they said 15. I knew she had a bunch at half, but I really didn't pay attention. Serena [Sundell] just makes a lot of right plays, and when we're shooting the ball well Serena's got enough vision to see everybody. She's not a point guard that only gets assists one way. You know, sometimes point guards only get assists off the bounce, and so they're limited to maybe a pitch and catch on that side of the floor. She's as likely to get it out of a post up and a skip, a back door, a post Entry, lob. I mean, she gets it every way you can get an assist. And obviously she was able to spread those around today.”

On the offensive performance recently…

“So I think we're a better team when we have this kind of balance. It says the ball is moving. It's not sticking on one side of the floor. When we struggle, the ball tends to stick. When we go back and watching film, we dribble it too much, we hesitate, and that would be the consistency thing when we've really struggled to score. So we just got to keep encouraging them to move the basketball. Some of that is player movement. We've got to continue to get good player movement.”

Kansas Head Coach Brandon Schneider

On Zoe Canfield’s performance tonight…

“I mean, I’m really proud of Zoe. I think, you know she stepped in, and not only did she make shots, but most importantly I thought she tried to play to the scouting report. I thought, even if she got cross-matched on some switches that were not favorable for her, she still fought the matchup. She provided us with a spark to be quite honest, on both ends of the floor. I know it's frustrating for her to have a performance like that, and then not come in and win.”

On the upcoming Big 12 Tournament…

“I think with our youth and lack of depth, it's just continuing to try to play to your assignment and do your job. We had too many instances today, where we're off script. You get one player off script, and now our four are scrambling around trying to cover for them, because somebody went and did something that nobody's expecting. That's youthfulness, and it's lack of experience, and that's where we need to see improvement.”

On expectations in the first half…

“I thought we continued to fight. We just gave up way too many points in the paint. You know, our post defense was sub-par, and we got buried way too deep.”

On the significance of the seniors’ last postseason….

“Yeah, we've got some important seniors that have been part of NCAA Tournament appearances and a WNIT championship. So there's a lot, I think, for them to be proud of in terms of what they've contributed to the progress of our program.”

K-State Senior Guard Serena Sundell

On her school record 15-assist night…

“Yeah, honestly, I didn't do anything different going into it. The game felt really slow so I'm very happy about that but 15 assists that's pretty cool.’

“Yeah, I mean, we're so lucky here. We have the best fans, and they sold out Bramlage on Senior Night for the Sunflower Showdown, such an important game for us. It's just huge. I've had an absolute blast during my four years at K-State, and I wouldn't change it for the world. I've had the best experience, surrounded by this community and the people here. I think it all showed tonight, this is just a special place.”

On what it takes to be such a good passer…

“The first thing that comes to mind is patience. As a freshman, I was not seeing the court as I did tonight, so just continuing tonight, I felt like I was trusting in my teammates to hit shots and then just being able to learn from your mistakes and from your turnovers, because I've had plenty of those too, but gotta try to have it balance out. “

On bouncing back from a tough loss on Monday…

“West Virginia is a good team, and it's a tough place to play, so we just wanted to learn from it. Hopefully, we'll see them again. But we knew we had a big one coming up with Senior Night, and as tickets started selling fast, we knew we'd have a great crowd. So tonight, we were just playing for each other and for Kansas State.”

On her mindset as a scorer and playmaker…

“I think our mindset has been the same as we kind of want to get the ball out and score quickly. I think some teams are just better at transition D than others. But yeah, nothing in particular.”

On any family appearing for Senior Night…

“Yeah, I know Gisela, her parents finally made it in from Spain, so they were at our practice yesterday, and they were taking pictures of Bram and it's always just cool to see people who have never been here, come experience it for the first time. I think it just gives you a sense of gratitude that we get to do this. It's nothing new to us, but just to see how, like, I don't know, in awe they were of just everything that we have going on was super special. And I'm so happy for G that she got her parents here and that she was able to do the whole ceremony tonight.”

K-State Senior Guard Temira Poindexter

On the added intensity of the rivalry game…

“Yeah, I definitely knew how big these games were. Coming in, I understood it was going to be a big game with a big crowd. They definitely made that clear, so I’m glad we managed to sweep.”

On the impact that the crowd had…

“Oh, it was so much fun. I haven't played in front of anything like this before. Credit to the fans and everyone who came out, especially those who stayed after seeing it. It really shows how much they care about us.”

On the emotions from senior night…

“It was a lot of emotions, seeing all of the seniors crying, even the underclassmen. It just shows how much this team cares for one another. And yeah, I just love my teammates, and I'm glad and I'm blessed that I got the opportunity to come here.”

On how important Monday’s game is…

“Yeah, we’ve got to come back tomorrow, locked in. We know it won’t be easy, they’re at the top of the conference. We have to be ready. This game was fun, but we’ve got to put it behind us and focus on the next one.”

“Oh, it means a lot. Honestly, I wish I had gotten here earlier, maybe a year ago, but it happened how it happened. K-State means everything to me in this one year. I love the team, the fans, and Coach. I’m grateful for the opportunity he gave me to come here, and I’m just so thankful for everything that made it possible.”

Kansas Freshman Guard Zoe Canfield

On putting up a season-high of 12 points tonight….

“It was definitely a cool moment to get that opportunity and to you know, produce but it was obviously not the outcome we wanted. I just wanted to do everything I could to help the team.”

On what it means to play in the Sunflower Showdown as a native Kansan…

“It's really cool. It's like chills every time I come out of the tunnel. You know, you just want to get those wins so badly.”

On preparing for the postseason…

“I think we're a really tight knit group, and we work hard.&nbsp; I think we have the potential to make a good run here for the end of the season.”

On facilitating with teammates for three-pointers…

“Yeah, I think three-point shooting is big, but I wouldn't have been able to make those shots without great passes from my teammates and getting the defense to collapse. So I think everything kind of just goes hand in hand.”

K-State Honors Seniors with Win Over Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Hunter Dickinson had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and four other Jayhawks scored at least 14 as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">No. 23</a>&nbsp;Kansas demolished Oklahoma State 96-64 on Saturday.

The Jayhawks (18-9, 9-7 Big 12) used a well-rounded offensive attack and held the Cowboys to almost 30 points below their season average. They started the first half slowly before finally seizing control with a late run. They led by 29 at halftime and stretched it to as many as 39 points in the second half.

Besides Dickinson, Kansas got 15 points from David Coit and Zeke Mayo. Dajuan Harris Jr. had an excellent all-around game with 14 points, five assists and six steals.

Oklahoma State (13-14, 5-11) was led by Bryce Thompson with 21 points.

Oklahoma State: The Cowboys fell to 0-8 on the road in Big 12 play. They haven't won in Lawrence since 2018.

Kansas: The Jayhawks needed a blowout victory. They had lost on four consecutive Saturdays and had suffered back-to-back losses to Utah and BYU.

Kansas was holding a tenuous four-point lead at 23-19 with just under 9:00 left in the first half when Harris hit a 3-pointer. That started a 19-2 run that blew open the game. In that run, Harris twice found KJ Adams for alley-oop dunks that ignited the Kansas crowd.

Kansas shot 57.1% from the field and held OSU to just 36.7%. Kansas had its most 3-pointers in a game this season (14), surpassing the 11 the Jayhawks had in their season-opening victory over Howard. They were three makes away from the school record.

Oklahoma State will host No. 8 Iowa State on Tuesday night. Kansas plays at Colorado on Monday night.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740265908505.png" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Hunter Dickinson had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and four other Jayhawks scored at least 14 as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">No. 23</a>&nbsp;Kansas demolished Oklahoma State 96-64 on Saturday.The Jayhawks (18-9, 9-7 Big 12) used a well-rounded offensive attack and held the Cowboys to almost 30 points below their season average. They started the first half slowly before finally seizing control with a late run. They led by 29 at halftime and stretched it to as many as 39 points in the second half.Besides Dickinson, Kansas got 15 points from David Coit and Zeke Mayo. Dajuan Harris Jr. had an excellent all-around game with 14 points, five assists and six steals.Oklahoma State (13-14, 5-11) was led by Bryce Thompson with 21 points.<h2>Takeaways</h2>Oklahoma State: The Cowboys fell to 0-8 on the road in Big 12 play. They haven't won in Lawrence since 2018.Kansas: The Jayhawks needed a blowout victory. They had lost on four consecutive Saturdays and had suffered back-to-back losses to Utah and BYU.<h2>Key moment</h2>Kansas was holding a tenuous four-point lead at 23-19 with just under 9:00 left in the first half when Harris hit a 3-pointer. That started a 19-2 run that blew open the game. In that run, Harris twice found KJ Adams for alley-oop dunks that ignited the Kansas crowd.<h2>Key stat</h2>Kansas shot 57.1% from the field and held OSU to just 36.7%. Kansas had its most 3-pointers in a game this season (14), surpassing the 11 the Jayhawks had in their season-opening victory over Howard. They were three makes away from the school record.<h2>Up next</h2>Oklahoma State will host No. 8 Iowa State on Tuesday night. Kansas plays at Colorado on Monday night.___

🏀 No. 23 Kansas pounds Oklahoma State to end 2-game skid

McPHERSON - All 19 players on the Kansas Wesleyan roster played at least one set for the Coyotes on Friday night against Central Christian as KWU cruised to a 25-11, 25-10, 25-14 win over the Tigers.

In the opening set, the Coyotes sped out to a 7-2 lead and never looked back pushing the difference to 19-10 on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/20576fe4-36b7-499f-94bc-70b61cac91a1?elinkdata=19763">Ryan Wagner's</a> block. After a Central point, KWU scored the final six of the set behind <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ddffe8fe-1dfa-41cc-84d1-c1229d395fe0?elinkdata=19763">Jeremy Lapeze's</a> serve and a kill by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/82d51332-244a-4019-a0b9-c7aa5e5d187d?elinkdata=19763">Justin Burras</a> closed out the set.

In the second, the Coyotes burst out to a 6-1 lead but Central got back into it making it a 7-5 set. Then the Coyotes took control, rattling off eight straight points to take a 15-5 lead on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3ce3bb5d-ba55-4d79-9720-0b78e643a844?elinkdata=19763">Angel Diaz's</a> service ace. After a Central point the Coyotes put together five more in a row capped by a kill by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e8cb158c-5e84-4195-bb67-7faaf034d0dd?elinkdata=19763">Matt Lucas</a> to lead 20-6, and Burras closed the set with a block.

KWU led 4-0 to start the third set, and it was a 9-8 score in favor of the Coyotes when KWU went on a 9-1 run to take an 18-9 lead. It was 20-14 when the Coyotes scored the last five points of the match capped by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d9974a1b-3213-48f0-a8ba-ca03df809371?elinkdata=19763">Aidan Patton's</a> kill to close it out.

Wesleyan hit .431 for the match including a .692 clip in the second set. Burras and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b5d25297-587f-47d2-8184-0f0b06633228?elinkdata=19763">Zayin Martinez</a> led the way with five kills. Diaz had three service aces to go along with 13 assists. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d5581e50-0469-44ea-bc80-f89af1537192?elinkdata=19763">Ethan Ricketts</a> had 10 assists and four digs.

McPHERSON - All 19 players on the Kansas Wesleyan roster played at least one set for the Coyotes on Friday night against Central Christian as KWU cruised to a 25-11, 25-10, 25-14 win over the Tigers.In the opening set, the Coyotes sped out to a 7-2 lead and never looked back pushing the difference to 19-10 on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/20576fe4-36b7-499f-94bc-70b61cac91a1?elinkdata=19763">Ryan Wagner's</a> block. After a Central point, KWU scored the final six of the set behind <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ddffe8fe-1dfa-41cc-84d1-c1229d395fe0?elinkdata=19763">Jeremy Lapeze's</a> serve and a kill by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/82d51332-244a-4019-a0b9-c7aa5e5d187d?elinkdata=19763">Justin Burras</a> closed out the set.In the second, the Coyotes burst out to a 6-1 lead but Central got back into it making it a 7-5 set. Then the Coyotes took control, rattling off eight straight points to take a 15-5 lead on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3ce3bb5d-ba55-4d79-9720-0b78e643a844?elinkdata=19763">Angel Diaz's</a> service ace. After a Central point the Coyotes put together five more in a row capped by a kill by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e8cb158c-5e84-4195-bb67-7faaf034d0dd?elinkdata=19763">Matt Lucas</a> to lead 20-6, and Burras closed the set with a block.KWU led 4-0 to start the third set, and it was a 9-8 score in favor of the Coyotes when KWU went on a 9-1 run to take an 18-9 lead. It was 20-14 when the Coyotes scored the last five points of the match capped by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d9974a1b-3213-48f0-a8ba-ca03df809371?elinkdata=19763">Aidan Patton's</a> kill to close it out.Wesleyan hit .431 for the match including a .692 clip in the second set. Burras and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b5d25297-587f-47d2-8184-0f0b06633228?elinkdata=19763">Zayin Martinez</a> led the way with five kills. Diaz had three service aces to go along with 13 assists. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d5581e50-0469-44ea-bc80-f89af1537192?elinkdata=19763">Ethan Ricketts</a> had 10 assists and four digs.

Men's Volleyball cruises by Central Christian

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

The Southeast of Saline basketball teams closed out their regular season with a pair of big wins on senior night, defeating the Lady Lions of Lyons 41-27 on the girl’s side and 62-58 on the boy’s side.

The girl’s game was far from pretty for 32 minutes but when all was said and done the Lady Trojans did enough defensively to win with confidence in a home blowout.

Uncharacteristically, SES turned the ball over 21 times, matched only by a staggering 28 turnovers from Lyons.

Points generated off of those turnovers would prove to be the difference in this game, and after a slow start that saw them lead just 8-4 after the first quarter, SES began turning their steals into buckets on the other end.

Southeast led by 12 at the intermission and pulled away from there to win 41-27.

Taryn Goetz and Adyson Rohr led the charge for the Lady Trojans scoring eight points apiece, while Aba Pearson and Kyiah Samuelson chipped in seven more each.

Peyton Kruse would go down as the only Lady Lion in double figures, dropping 10 points including three big triples, but it was far from enough as Southeast cruised to the finish line.

With this result, SES moves to 14-5 overall and secures at least a share of the top spot in the NCAA pending Ellsworth’s game with Sacred Heart on Tuesday.

The Trojans knew they were in for a fight against a much-improved Lyons squad that they were able to beat in a road comeback earlier this year, and the game lived up to the hype.

A one-point lead for Lyons was all either team could muster in the first quarter, but going into the second, Southeast stagnated, falling to score so much as a free throw for the first five minutes of the second quarter.

Lyons pounced on this opportunity, building a 12-point lead that SES would cut to just six before halftime thanks to a few crucial steals and quick buckets by Gannon Jacobson.

The Lions continued to pressure SES in the third quarter, rebuilding the lead back to 12 and holding a nine-point edge going into the fourth and final quarter.

After a similar drought to the one Southeast went through to start the second, Lyons found their lead whittled down to two midway through the fourth, and SES continued to force the issue, eventually tying the game in the last five minutes.

Jacobson and Adam Thiel were masterful in the closing minutes, combining to score 13 of Southeast’s 21 fourth-quarter points, but it was Grady Gebhardt who hit the games biggest shot, a three-pointer to give SES the lead, on his only attempt of the fourth.

From there, the Trojans were able to pull away for a victory, improving to 10-9 on the year while Lyons fell to 9-10.

Both Southeast teams will open sub-state play next week.

The Lady Trojans lost a three-way coin flip tiebreaker and will be the 5-seed, hosting the 12-seed in Wichita Collegiate at 7:00 on Thursday.

The Trojans are the 9-seed in their bracket and will travel to Garden Plain at 7:00 on Friday.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Southeast of Saline basketball teams closed out their regular season with a pair of big wins on senior night, defeating the Lady Lions of Lyons 41-27 on the girl’s side and 62-58 on the boy’s side.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715807615208.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Girls: SE of Saline 41, Lyons 27The girl’s game was far from pretty for 32 minutes but when all was said and done the Lady Trojans did enough defensively to win with confidence in a home blowout.Uncharacteristically, SES turned the ball over 21 times, matched only by a staggering 28 turnovers from Lyons.Points generated off of those turnovers would prove to be the difference in this game, and after a slow start that saw them lead just 8-4 after the first quarter, SES began turning their steals into buckets on the other end.Southeast led by 12 at the intermission and pulled away from there to win 41-27.Taryn Goetz and Adyson Rohr led the charge for the Lady Trojans scoring eight points apiece, while Aba Pearson and Kyiah Samuelson chipped in seven more each.Peyton Kruse would go down as the only Lady Lion in double figures, dropping 10 points including three big triples, but it was far from enough as Southeast cruised to the finish line.With this result, SES moves to 14-5 overall and secures at least a share of the top spot in the NCAA pending Ellsworth’s game with Sacred Heart on Tuesday.Boys: SE of Saline 62, Lyons 58The Trojans knew they were in for a fight against a much-improved Lyons squad that they were able to beat in a road comeback earlier this year, and the game lived up to the hype.A one-point lead for Lyons was all either team could muster in the first quarter, but going into the second, Southeast stagnated, falling to score so much as a free throw for the first five minutes of the second quarter.Lyons pounced on this opportunity, building a 12-point lead that SES would cut to just six before halftime thanks to a few crucial steals and quick buckets by Gannon Jacobson.The Lions continued to pressure SES in the third quarter, rebuilding the lead back to 12 and holding a nine-point edge going into the fourth and final quarter.After a similar drought to the one Southeast went through to start the second, Lyons found their lead whittled down to two midway through the fourth, and SES continued to force the issue, eventually tying the game in the last five minutes.Jacobson and Adam Thiel were masterful in the closing minutes, combining to score 13 of Southeast’s 21 fourth-quarter points, but it was Grady Gebhardt who hit the games biggest shot, a three-pointer to give SES the lead, on his only attempt of the fourth.From there, the Trojans were able to pull away for a victory, improving to 10-9 on the year while Lyons fell to 9-10.Both Southeast teams will open sub-state play next week.The Lady Trojans lost a three-way coin flip tiebreaker and will be the 5-seed, hosting the 12-seed in Wichita Collegiate at 7:00 on Thursday.The Trojans are the 9-seed in their bracket and will travel to Garden Plain at 7:00 on Friday.

Trojans sweep Lyons to close out regular season on senior night

By NOAH HELGET Salina Post Contributor

Girls: Sacred Heart 56, Republic County 31&nbsp;

By NOAH HELGET Salina Post Contributor<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715807615208.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Girls: Sacred Heart 56, Republic County 31&nbsp;Sacred Heart and Republic County closed out their second leg of their league matchup on Friday, as the Lady Knights defeated the Lady Buffaloes 56-31, and the Knights did the same 57-41.&nbsp;The Lady Knights would find themselves locked in a good battle going into halftime, leading by three after the first and expanding that lead to eight at the intermission.&nbsp;Sacred Heart stuck around in the third as Skylar Douglas battled for the Lady Knights, she had eight in the third quarter. The team never trailed and they found themselves up after three quarters 46-25.&nbsp;Skylar Douglas led the Lady Knights with a career-high 30 points, backed up by Mia Hamilton, who added 14 more.&nbsp;The Lady Buffaloes were led in scoring by Kylie Stone (13), Avery Stindt (11). The Lady Knights move to 10-8 overall and sit at 6-4 in league.&nbsp;Boys: Sacred Heart 57, Republic County 41&nbsp;On the boys’ side, Sacred Heart was caught off guard to start as they found themselves in a defensive battle after one, leading 8-7.&nbsp;Despite a late start for the Knights, Will Tuttle and Maddox Wells got rolling and the Knights tightened things defensively, allowing just three third-quarter field goals.&nbsp;Tuttle and Wells would combine for 28 in the win, on a night where only six members of the Sacred Heart offense needed to score.&nbsp;Ben Disberger came off the bench and stole the show underneath the basket, defending and rebounding well while scoring 12 in the contest.&nbsp;On the other end, Connor Martin dominated down low in the contest all 16 of his points were in the paint.&nbsp;The Knights were led in scoring by Will Tuttle (15), Maddox Wells (13), Ben Disberger (12). The Knights stay undefeated on the season 18-0 overall and 10-0 in league.The Knights and Lady Knights will close out the regular season with league rival Ellsworth on Tuesday.