MANHATTAN, Kan. –&nbsp;Led by four players in double figures, Kansas claimed the Dillons Sunflower Showdown sweep over Kansas State with a 75-68 win at Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday.

The Jayhawks improved to 17-11 (7-9 Big 12) and were led by 17 points from junior S’Mya NIchols. Nichols was joined in double figures scoring by freshman Jaliya Davis (16), sophomore Regan Williams (16) and Lilly Meister (14) as Kansas won its sixth game in its last nine, while claiming its first Dillons Sunflower Showdown sweep since 2013.&nbsp;

Kansas State falls to 15-14 (8-8 Big 12) this season.

“I think we did a much better job of taking care of the ball in the second half,” head coach Brandon Schneider said. “I thought we really rebounded well all night and we were able to get the free throw battle under control in the second half as well.”

Kansas opened the game by hitting its first six field goal attempts of the game, building a five-point edge on two occasions, including at 12-7 after Davis connected on a short jump shot. KSU answered with four-straight points, closing to within one at 12-11 before Williams scored KU’s final seven points of the quarter to give Kansas a 19-15 edge at the end of one.

Davis scored the first three points of the second quarter before Laia Conesa got a steal and went the length of the court to score and put KU up 24-18 at the 7:00 mark. Williams connected on another basket and Meister hit back-to-back baskets, including a three, as the Jayhawks took a 31-19 lead, forcing KSU to take a timeout with 4:05 to play in the half. Williams again scored, pushing the lead to 14 with 3:06 to play in the half, but the Jayhawks were held scoreless the rest of the half while KSU closed on a 14-0 run to even the score at 33-33 heading into halftime.

The score was tied twice more early in the third quarter before Kansas State took their first lead of the game at 39-37 after a pair of free throws at the 5:32 mark. Davis and Nichols combined to score the next six points as Kansas regained the lead, 43-41. After two more ties, Williams and Nichols scored the next three points at the stripe, which allowed KU to carry a 48-47 lead into the fourth quarter.&nbsp;

Kansas scored the first five points of the fourth and opened on a 7-3 run to extend its lead to 55-50 as Nichols scored on a drive to the basket with 7:18 to play. K-State would draw to within one point with just over four minutes remaining, before Kansas went on a 6-0 run to build its lead to 68-61 with 3:10 to go.

The Jayhawks would finish off the Wildcats down the stretch, outscoring the Wildcats 27-21 in the fourth quarter to take the 75-68 win.&nbsp;

MANHATTAN, Kan. –&nbsp;Led by four players in double figures, Kansas claimed the Dillons Sunflower Showdown sweep over Kansas State with a 75-68 win at Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday.The Jayhawks improved to 17-11 (7-9 Big 12) and were led by 17 points from junior S’Mya NIchols. Nichols was joined in double figures scoring by freshman Jaliya Davis (16), sophomore Regan Williams (16) and Lilly Meister (14) as Kansas won its sixth game in its last nine, while claiming its first Dillons Sunflower Showdown sweep since 2013.&nbsp;Kansas State falls to 15-14 (8-8 Big 12) this season.“I think we did a much better job of taking care of the ball in the second half,” head coach Brandon Schneider said. “I thought we really rebounded well all night and we were able to get the free throw battle under control in the second half as well.”Kansas opened the game by hitting its first six field goal attempts of the game, building a five-point edge on two occasions, including at 12-7 after Davis connected on a short jump shot. KSU answered with four-straight points, closing to within one at 12-11 before Williams scored KU’s final seven points of the quarter to give Kansas a 19-15 edge at the end of one.Davis scored the first three points of the second quarter before Laia Conesa got a steal and went the length of the court to score and put KU up 24-18 at the 7:00 mark. Williams connected on another basket and Meister hit back-to-back baskets, including a three, as the Jayhawks took a 31-19 lead, forcing KSU to take a timeout with 4:05 to play in the half. Williams again scored, pushing the lead to 14 with 3:06 to play in the half, but the Jayhawks were held scoreless the rest of the half while KSU closed on a 14-0 run to even the score at 33-33 heading into halftime.The score was tied twice more early in the third quarter before Kansas State took their first lead of the game at 39-37 after a pair of free throws at the 5:32 mark. Davis and Nichols combined to score the next six points as Kansas regained the lead, 43-41. After two more ties, Williams and Nichols scored the next three points at the stripe, which allowed KU to carry a 48-47 lead into the fourth quarter.&nbsp;Kansas scored the first five points of the fourth and opened on a 7-3 run to extend its lead to 55-50 as Nichols scored on a drive to the basket with 7:18 to play. K-State would draw to within one point with just over four minutes remaining, before Kansas went on a 6-0 run to build its lead to 68-61 with 3:10 to go.The Jayhawks would finish off the Wildcats down the stretch, outscoring the Wildcats 27-21 in the fourth quarter to take the 75-68 win.&nbsp;NOTES<ul>
 <li>Kansas earns its second straight win, improving to 17-11 on the year and 7-9 in Big 12 play with two games remaining in the regular season.</li><li>The Jayhawks claimed their first win over Kansas State at Bramlage Coliseum since 2019, snapping a streak of six-straight defeats. KU previously defeated the Wildcats 83-61 on Jan. 25 in Lawrence, so Saturday’s win also completes a regular season sweep for Kansas over Kansas State. Kansas records its first season sweep of Kansas State since 2012-13.&nbsp;</li><li>Kansas improves to 53-82 all-time against KSU and 17-40 all-time in Manhattan.</li><li>Kansas freshman Jaliya Davis scored 16 points on 5-of-7 from the floor, as she has scored in double figures in all 17 games that she has played in this season.</li><li>Sophomore Regan Williams scored 16 points, giving her double-digit scoring efforts in two of the last three games, including her ninth game this season. Williams’ outing was her best scoring performance in conference play this season.</li><li>Senior Sania Copeland was 1-of-3 from beyond the arc, giving her two straight games with a made 3-pointer for the first time this season.</li><li>Senior Lilly Meister scored 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting, marking her fourth game in double figures in the last five games, including her 13th double digit scoring effort this season.</li>
 </ul>

🏀 Jayhawks Sweep Wildcats in Dillons Sunflower Showdown, 75-68

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Donovan Atwell had 26 points with six 3-pointers, Christian Anderson scored 21 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">No. 13</a>&nbsp;Texas Tech beat Kansas State 100-72 on Saturday in the first game for the Red Raiders since standout post JT Toppin's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/toppin-texas-tech-acl-db87460d6a72580c11c7fc256156061f">season-ending knee injury</a>.

Texas Tech (20-7, 10-4 Big 12) maintained a double-digit lead after making nine consecutive shots, including three 3s in a row by Atwell, during a 26-10 run in just under seven minutes for a 40-20 lead with 6:20 left in the first half.

Anderson, who also had nine assists, scored 16 of his points after halftime, when LeJuan Watts had 13 of his 19.

The Red Raiders reached 20 wins for the third season in a row. The school record is four, with coach Bob Knight from 2001-02 to 2004-05.

PJ Haggerty had 17 points and Nate Johnson 15 points for Kansas State (11-16, 2-12), which was playing its second game since a coaching change. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baylor-kansas-state-0697fac96a6dbedd6e199b0b1ebfe789">Wildcats beat Baylor 90-74</a>&nbsp;at home Tuesday, two days after coach&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-state-basketball-jerome-tang-fired-661654e2e421d697212fcdfb30a3f534">Jerome Tang was fired</a>.

The Wildcats led only twice at Tech, when Johnson made their first two shots of the game, a 3 and then a jumper that made it 5-3.

Toppin, the preseason AP All-America selection, averaged 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds a game while having 16 double-doubles before tearing the ACL in his right knee in a 72-67 loss at Arizona State on Tuesday night. He sat at the end of the Tech bench Saturday.

Sophomore forward Luke Bamgboye, a 6-foot-11 transfer from VCU, made his fifth start for the Red Raiders, his first since Dec. 7. He scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting while also having six rebounds and three blocked shots in 21 minutes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771717392709.jpeg" alt="Texas Tech forward Lejuan Watts (3) drives to the basket ahead of Kansas State guard Mobi Ikegwuruka during the first half in an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Annie Rice)" />
 <figcaption>Texas Tech forward Lejuan Watts (3) drives to the basket ahead of Kansas State guard Mobi Ikegwuruka during the first half in an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Annie Rice)</figcaption>
 </figure>LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Donovan Atwell had 26 points with six 3-pointers, Christian Anderson scored 21 and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">No. 13</a>&nbsp;Texas Tech beat Kansas State 100-72 on Saturday in the first game for the Red Raiders since standout post JT Toppin's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/toppin-texas-tech-acl-db87460d6a72580c11c7fc256156061f">season-ending knee injury</a>.Texas Tech (20-7, 10-4 Big 12) maintained a double-digit lead after making nine consecutive shots, including three 3s in a row by Atwell, during a 26-10 run in just under seven minutes for a 40-20 lead with 6:20 left in the first half.Anderson, who also had nine assists, scored 16 of his points after halftime, when LeJuan Watts had 13 of his 19.The Red Raiders reached 20 wins for the third season in a row. The school record is four, with coach Bob Knight from 2001-02 to 2004-05.PJ Haggerty had 17 points and Nate Johnson 15 points for Kansas State (11-16, 2-12), which was playing its second game since a coaching change. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baylor-kansas-state-0697fac96a6dbedd6e199b0b1ebfe789">Wildcats beat Baylor 90-74</a>&nbsp;at home Tuesday, two days after coach&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-state-basketball-jerome-tang-fired-661654e2e421d697212fcdfb30a3f534">Jerome Tang was fired</a>.The Wildcats led only twice at Tech, when Johnson made their first two shots of the game, a 3 and then a jumper that made it 5-3.Toppin, the preseason AP All-America selection, averaged 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds a game while having 16 double-doubles before tearing the ACL in his right knee in a 72-67 loss at Arizona State on Tuesday night. He sat at the end of the Tech bench Saturday.Sophomore forward Luke Bamgboye, a 6-foot-11 transfer from VCU, made his fifth start for the Red Raiders, his first since Dec. 7. He scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting while also having six rebounds and three blocked shots in 21 minutes.

🏀Atwell, Anderson lead Texas Tech to win over K-State

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Moustapha Thiam had a career-high 28 points and led Cincinnati to an 84-68 upset of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">No. 8</a>&nbsp;Kansas on Saturday.

This was the second win of the season for Cincinnati (15-12, 7-7 Big 12) against a ranked team, having taken down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-state-cincinnati-basketball-score-ec0d2a1a062988a0f4f2707e609fdd92">then-No. 2 Iowa State 79-70</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 17.

The 7-footer Thiam made 11 of 17 shots from the field and had eight rebounds. Baba Miller added 18 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

Jalen Celeste had 14 points and eight rebounds, shooting 4 of 8 on 3-pointers. Day Day Thomas scored 10.

Cincinnati held a 36-34 lead after a tumultuous first half that saw nine ties and 10 lead changes. The Bearcats kept the Jayhawks (20-7, 10-4) at arm’s length with timely shots to kill momentum throughout the second, only allowing Kansas to pull ahead for one possession before retaking the lead.

They delivered the final blows with a 20-8 run, surging ahead by double digits for the first time with less than five minutes to go.

The Bearcats were particularly effective from behind the 3-point line, where they made 12 of 21 attempts.

Flory Bidunga led the Jayhawks with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman star Darryn Peterson had 17 points in 32 minutes after leaving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-oklahoma-st-score-dfb47c76d8ff123cd71b6782fe130097">Kansas’ last game against Oklahoma State</a>&nbsp;early in the second half. Tre White scored 11.

Cincinnati: Visits No. 13 Texas Tech on Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771709093540.png" alt="Photo Cincinnati Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Cincinnati Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Moustapha Thiam had a career-high 28 points and led Cincinnati to an 84-68 upset of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">No. 8</a>&nbsp;Kansas on Saturday.This was the second win of the season for Cincinnati (15-12, 7-7 Big 12) against a ranked team, having taken down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-state-cincinnati-basketball-score-ec0d2a1a062988a0f4f2707e609fdd92">then-No. 2 Iowa State 79-70</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 17.The 7-footer Thiam made 11 of 17 shots from the field and had eight rebounds. Baba Miller added 18 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.Jalen Celeste had 14 points and eight rebounds, shooting 4 of 8 on 3-pointers. Day Day Thomas scored 10.Cincinnati held a 36-34 lead after a tumultuous first half that saw nine ties and 10 lead changes. The Bearcats kept the Jayhawks (20-7, 10-4) at arm’s length with timely shots to kill momentum throughout the second, only allowing Kansas to pull ahead for one possession before retaking the lead.They delivered the final blows with a 20-8 run, surging ahead by double digits for the first time with less than five minutes to go.The Bearcats were particularly effective from behind the 3-point line, where they made 12 of 21 attempts.The Jayhawks were 4 of 18 on 3s.Flory Bidunga led the Jayhawks with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman star Darryn Peterson had 17 points in 32 minutes after leaving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-oklahoma-st-score-dfb47c76d8ff123cd71b6782fe130097">Kansas’ last game against Oklahoma State</a>&nbsp;early in the second half. Tre White scored 11.<h2>Up next</h2>Kansas: Hosts No. 2 Houston on Monday.Cincinnati: Visits No. 13 Texas Tech on Tuesday.

🏀 Thiam scores  28 to lead Cincinnati to an upset of KU

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

The Southeast of Saline basketball teams made the most of the final week of their regular season, sweeping Ellsworth on Tuesday and Lyons on Friday to pick up steam ahead of sub-state.

The Lady Trojans put this game to bed early, flying out of the gates to a 23-9 lead after just the first quarter.

In the second, Southeast turned up the heat, holding Lyons to just two points on one made field goal to push that lead to 35 at the half.

The third quarter saw more of the same, with SES stretching their advantage to 41, taking the running clock into the fourth quarter and cruising to a 63-24 win.

The Lady Trojans got everyone in on the fun, with nine different players scoring, including four in double digits, led by Taryn Goetz (14), Reagan Duran (12), Kyiah Samuelson (10), and Abigail Pearson (10).

On the Lyons side of the matchup eight different players scored, but Dayanna Gonzalez was the only Lady Lion to total more than five points on the evening.

With this win, the Lady Trojans conclude the regular season 16-5 overall and 8-4 in league play, while Lyons moves to 2-19 and 0-12 respectively.

Much like the first battle between these two, things were close by the final buzzer, but the Lyons comeback effort came up short on their home floor.

Southeast came roaring off the starting line, dropping 26 points in the first quarter to take a 12-point lead into the second.

Lyons responded well, outpacing the Trojans 17-13 in the second to cut the halftime deficit to eight, but in the third, Tiernan Ptacek and Adam Thiel helped the Trojans push that advantage back to 15.

Lyons mounted a furious fourth-quarter comeback, trimming the lead to five, but that was all the closer they could get as Southeast held on for a 70-65 win.

Four different Trojans ended the night in double figures, led by Tiernan Ptacek (19), Hendrix Lund (17), Gannon Jacobson (15), and Adam Thiel (12).

Those performances were just enough to offset stellar nights for a trio of Lions in Tegan Link (23), Paco Espinoza (22), and Detrell Stanley (12).

With this result, the Trojans conclude the regular season 7-14 overall, winning three of their final six with Gannon Jacobson back on the floor.

Lyons meanwhile, drops to 8-13 on the year.

You can watch both games on demand below.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Southeast of Saline basketball teams made the most of the final week of their regular season, sweeping Ellsworth on Tuesday and Lyons on Friday to pick up steam ahead of sub-state.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765031258309.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Girls: SE of Saline 63, Lyons 24The Lady Trojans put this game to bed early, flying out of the gates to a 23-9 lead after just the first quarter.In the second, Southeast turned up the heat, holding Lyons to just two points on one made field goal to push that lead to 35 at the half.The third quarter saw more of the same, with SES stretching their advantage to 41, taking the running clock into the fourth quarter and cruising to a 63-24 win.The Lady Trojans got everyone in on the fun, with nine different players scoring, including four in double digits, led by Taryn Goetz (14), Reagan Duran (12), Kyiah Samuelson (10), and Abigail Pearson (10).On the Lyons side of the matchup eight different players scored, but Dayanna Gonzalez was the only Lady Lion to total more than five points on the evening.With this win, the Lady Trojans conclude the regular season 16-5 overall and 8-4 in league play, while Lyons moves to 2-19 and 0-12 respectively.Boys: SE of Saline 70, Lyons 65Much like the first battle between these two, things were close by the final buzzer, but the Lyons comeback effort came up short on their home floor.Southeast came roaring off the starting line, dropping 26 points in the first quarter to take a 12-point lead into the second.Lyons responded well, outpacing the Trojans 17-13 in the second to cut the halftime deficit to eight, but in the third, Tiernan Ptacek and Adam Thiel helped the Trojans push that advantage back to 15.Lyons mounted a furious fourth-quarter comeback, trimming the lead to five, but that was all the closer they could get as Southeast held on for a 70-65 win.Four different Trojans ended the night in double figures, led by Tiernan Ptacek (19), Hendrix Lund (17), Gannon Jacobson (15), and Adam Thiel (12).Those performances were just enough to offset stellar nights for a trio of Lions in Tegan Link (23), Paco Espinoza (22), and Detrell Stanley (12).With this result, the Trojans conclude the regular season 7-14 overall, winning three of their final six with Gannon Jacobson back on the floor.Lyons meanwhile, drops to 8-13 on the year.You can watch both games on demand below.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QltHZc-RyiU"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

🏀 Southeast sweeps Lyons to conclude regular season in style

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“I wanted to get with you guys today, we’re in this long offseason that’s not normal for us and we’ve got the Combine coming up and all these good things happening as we go forward here. It gives us a chance to talk and communicate with you on some of the new hirings that we’ve had and then getting ourselves digging in on this offseason. In the coaching ranks, (Running Backs Coach) DeMarco Murray was hired as the running back coach, (Wide Receivers Coach) Chad O’Shea at the wide receiver position, then (Defensive Backs/Safeties Coach) Andre Curtis will work with (Defensive Backs Coach) Dave (Merritt) in the secondary with the safeties, so good additions there. We’ve had a couple of new quality control coaches come in likewise that work into the mix and help out. Sometimes change can be good as we know and I think this is good for both sides – people have moved on and have had opportunities to hook onto other places, and they’ll be very successful doing that and likewise the people that we’ve brought in we feel like will do the same for us. So, all in all (it’s) positive there. The personnel side, (General Manager) Brett (Veach) already has his guys digging in on things (and) they’re sorting everything out. As you know there are a million different options of things you have to look at – doing it. It’s positive from the standpoint of where we’re picking in the draft. You give Brett those opportunities with his staff and they come up with good stuff. We look forward to adding those new additions to the team and then whatever happens in free agency. Again, sorting all of that out right now (and) the coaches are looking at tape on that. The personnel department has sorted some things out for them to look at and we roll from there. A lot of moving parts (are) going on but all good stuff to give us an opportunity to be better. As coaches we’ve been in our scheme evaluations and knocking that out in the early part of the day and then in the afternoon we do the personnel side of it. Nothing is set in gold for you or in granite there, it’s all moving along there as we go. So, with that, time’s yours.”

Q:&nbsp;&nbsp;What did you see in Wide Receivers Coach Chad O’Shea, Running Backs Coach DeMarco Murray and Defensive Backs/Safeties Coach Andre Curtis?

REID: “(Wide Receivers Coach) Chad’s (O’Shea) got a ton of experience (and) he had actually been a Chief at one point in a backup type coaching position – quality control position with special teams with (Former Head) Coach (Dick) Vermeil’s staff. But he’s been around (and) he’s worked at a championship caliber level with New England, and he’s had a lot of good receivers and done well with them. That was Chad’s part of it. I really like what he brings to the table (and) he’s been in a coordinator position where he has a good feel for the whole – the way things are put together from a whole standpoint. Then (Running Backs Coach) DeMarco Murray is – we know he is a football player (and) a great football player that he was. DeMarco has been at the University of Oklahoma and done a nice job there for six years and had some good running backs. I just thought him coming in(to) that position, there’d be a strength to that and not only from an experience standpoint, but also the way he goes about teaching things – I think he is a nice addition there. Then (Defensive Backs/Safeties Coach) Andre Curtis - I’ve tried to hire Andre before when (Defensive Coordinator) Steve Spagnuolo came in. They’ve been together at three different places, and he’s actually worked with every member of our defensive staff and I thought it was an easy one to kind of plug in and go. It’s great for (Former Chiefs Outside Linebackers Coach) Rod (Wilson) to have an opportunity to move on and do his own thing there at Arizona. That’s a plus for him.”

Q:&nbsp;Have you received any information on Travis Kelce’s decision for this upcoming season?

REID: “There is communication though and that’s the main thing Sam (McDowell). I’ve said this before to you, as long as there is communication, I’m good. That means people want to move forward and I think that’s where Trav (Kelce) – I’m not trying to put words in his mouth at all, and I try to give him some space here (because) he’s been doing this a long time and he can sort all of that out as he goes forward. We’re proceeding with that and there is communication going on.”

Q:&nbsp;How does having a top 10 draft pick intensify things for the personnel staff?

REID: “You try to find some positives in sitting where you’re at and why you’re there. Then the positives are you get yourself geared down and get better. So, if this has a chance to help you get better and that’s how (General Manager) Brett (Veach) feels and that’s the way he’s going about it. Nobody wants to be picking at ninth but we are (and) that’s the reality of it, so you dig in and you put a plan together and go for it the best you can. He’s had his guys in here (and) they’ve done a couple of lockdowns already where he’s had them in for a couple of weeks (and) they live in that room and go through all of these different players. Good things normally come out of those meetings, and I look forward to how the draft goes.”

Q:&nbsp;Does the Rashee Rice situation change anything on how you view the wide receiver position in the draft and free agency?

REID:&nbsp;“I would tell you no. I can’t comment on Rashee’s (Rice) situation, it’s in law enforcement’s hands so there’s no comment there. But I would tell you no, not right now.”

Q:&nbsp;On salary cap space decisions.

REID:&nbsp;“It’s all pieces to a puzzle here so you go through and you evaluate that and see where you can spend (and) what’s out there. Free agency is a little bit different animal and how you handle it. We’ll see how things go. We’re sorting through all of that as we go. As you know, the Combine ends up being an area where people talk and you’ve got agents, coaches (and) GMs, everybody together. People have a tendency to – you hear things and people talk and you keep your ears open and your mouth shut and listen and see what’s going on. Until the new league year starts, nobody can really dig in on it and go. People like to talk in this league, that’s why you’re making a living at it right (chuckles), that’s how it goes.”

Q: How do you evaluate a reunion with a player like WR Tyreek Hill?

REID:&nbsp;“We go through everything and everybody. That’s how (General Manager) Brett (Veach) does (it). I don’t even know if Tyreek (Hill) is healthy right now to do anything. I’m sure he’s (Tyreek Hill) working hard on that part of it (and) trying to get all that straightened out. We talk about everything so there’s nothing happening there, but we know what you know and he’s out there cranking away trying to get himself back to where he can play, period.”

Q: Is there any reason why you aren’t traveling to the NFL combine?

REID:&nbsp;“I couldn’t take you guys any more than this this right here Herbie (Teope) (laughs). I’ll tell you Herbie, I had a little knee procedure done. I’m on IR for about a second here. Not long though Herbie, that’s right.”

Q: What are your top wants and top needs with position groups?

REID:&nbsp;“Well, I can’t tell you – you’re around the team enough to know. There are a lot of moving parts that take place in the offseason. You have to stay flexible. With that, you have to evaluate what you have here and how you’re going to handle what you have here and what you want to bring in and the whole (salary) cap part of it comes into play then you try to blend that with the free agency. (There are) a lot of moving parts that go on. We’re in the process of doing that. To give you an actual position, that probably wouldn’t be very smart to do that, but I think you guys have your own opinions on it and you go from there.”

Q: What characteristics does a player need to fit into the team?

REID:&nbsp;“You have to come in with the right attitude, for sure. Again, that’s a big part of this thing and there is a fit, literally there’s a certain expectation that we’ve got, and we didn’t reach that this past year. It’s important that we take care of business from a coaching standpoint, from an organizational standpoint, whether it’s personnel or front office and make sure we keep the expectations high and aggressive and then make sure we bring in the right people to be able to do that and handle that. That’s the whole fit you’re talking about, that’s what we’re working through.”

Q: What do you want the offensive coaching staff to improve on while watching tape?

REID:&nbsp;“We look at everything and everybody, that’s how this league is. Try not to miss anything there. Right now, execution becomes the important thing to me and how you go about that, the discipline of it and how you go about it, the trust within one another, all the things that make up a good offense. You narrow things down to what you think your guys do the best and then you coach it with discipline and with expectation that this is where we’re going, right here. It’s your responsibility as a player to make sure that you’re focused in on that (and) at the same time, the coach has got to give the player direction to get there.”

Q: Do you anticipate changes to happen on offense and defense due to staff changes?

REID:&nbsp;“Well there’s always change. Every year there’s change that takes place. Is it a wholesale change, no.&nbsp; But we’ll figure out the guys that we have and what they do the best and we’ll put them in a position there to exploit their strengths and then to work on their weaknesses to get them better. That’s the base premise there and then execution becomes an important thing and how you go about doing that at a high level. That’s coaching and playing mixed together to make that happen and you want to make sure though that you get these guys in the right position to where they at least have an opportunity to do that and then they have a responsibility to make sure they up their game to do it – the right things at the right time.”

Q: What was the ultimate factor in deciding to hire Running Backs Coach DeMarco Murray? How did you convince him to leave Oklahoma?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, he (Running Backs Coach DeMarco Murray) did do that (turn down other jobs) and was doing well there ( at Oklahoma University). He could’ve stayed there – he’s a legend there so he could’ve stayed there forever probably but he wanted to get in the National Football League. He wanted to be here and learn. Hiring (Offensive Coordinator) Eric Bieniemy I think is a big thing because if Eric’s not coaching the running backs, he’s the best running backs coach in the national football league. He (Eric Bieniemy) had an opportunity to go back and do that again last year, so we hired him here as the offensive coordinator. If I’m a running back coach, what a great opportunity to learn. There’s nobody better to learn from than Eric for that particular spot. I think that intrigued him. Eric recruited him out of high school, so they’ve known each other for a number of years and that was another piece of it. I always look to see who works well together and what I anticipate will work well together there. I wanted to bring a young guy in who was a guy that was ambitious to learn, and I thought DeMarco did a heck of a job. We talked to a lot of running back coaches and I just thought that this was a pretty good fit.”

Q: What degree are you invigorated by all the change happening?

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, I love challenges (and) every year is a challenge. This one presents a little different because of what we’re coming off of after this last year. Nobody wants that, fans don’t want that, organization doesn’t want that, coaches (and) players don’t want that so you dig in and you work to fix the problems that you think were in place and take care of business there so that’s what we’re doing and there’s always change in this league so that always presents different challenges there but that’s part of the NFL, whether it’s coaches or it’s players. They’re moving parts and so when you’re building it back up here then you’re looking at what fits and putting the pieces of the puzzle back together whether it’s coaches (or) whether its players. A lot of variables with free agency, the draft, post draft (and) the things that go on there (with) potentially picking up people so it’s going to continue for a while and eventually you get this group together and you have an opportunity to train them through the offseason and then up through training camp (and) it’s great to see how that grows.”

HEAD COACH ANDY REIDOPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“I wanted to get with you guys today, we’re in this long offseason that’s not normal for us and we’ve got the Combine coming up and all these good things happening as we go forward here. It gives us a chance to talk and communicate with you on some of the new hirings that we’ve had and then getting ourselves digging in on this offseason. In the coaching ranks, (Running Backs Coach) DeMarco Murray was hired as the running back coach, (Wide Receivers Coach) Chad O’Shea at the wide receiver position, then (Defensive Backs/Safeties Coach) Andre Curtis will work with (Defensive Backs Coach) Dave (Merritt) in the secondary with the safeties, so good additions there. We’ve had a couple of new quality control coaches come in likewise that work into the mix and help out. Sometimes change can be good as we know and I think this is good for both sides – people have moved on and have had opportunities to hook onto other places, and they’ll be very successful doing that and likewise the people that we’ve brought in we feel like will do the same for us. So, all in all (it’s) positive there. The personnel side, (General Manager) Brett (Veach) already has his guys digging in on things (and) they’re sorting everything out. As you know there are a million different options of things you have to look at – doing it. It’s positive from the standpoint of where we’re picking in the draft. You give Brett those opportunities with his staff and they come up with good stuff. We look forward to adding those new additions to the team and then whatever happens in free agency. Again, sorting all of that out right now (and) the coaches are looking at tape on that. The personnel department has sorted some things out for them to look at and we roll from there. A lot of moving parts (are) going on but all good stuff to give us an opportunity to be better. As coaches we’ve been in our scheme evaluations and knocking that out in the early part of the day and then in the afternoon we do the personnel side of it. Nothing is set in gold for you or in granite there, it’s all moving along there as we go. So, with that, time’s yours.”Q:&nbsp;&nbsp;What did you see in Wide Receivers Coach Chad O’Shea, Running Backs Coach DeMarco Murray and Defensive Backs/Safeties Coach Andre Curtis?REID: “(Wide Receivers Coach) Chad’s (O’Shea) got a ton of experience (and) he had actually been a Chief at one point in a backup type coaching position – quality control position with special teams with (Former Head) Coach (Dick) Vermeil’s staff. But he’s been around (and) he’s worked at a championship caliber level with New England, and he’s had a lot of good receivers and done well with them. That was Chad’s part of it. I really like what he brings to the table (and) he’s been in a coordinator position where he has a good feel for the whole – the way things are put together from a whole standpoint. Then (Running Backs Coach) DeMarco Murray is – we know he is a football player (and) a great football player that he was. DeMarco has been at the University of Oklahoma and done a nice job there for six years and had some good running backs. I just thought him coming in(to) that position, there’d be a strength to that and not only from an experience standpoint, but also the way he goes about teaching things – I think he is a nice addition there. Then (Defensive Backs/Safeties Coach) Andre Curtis - I’ve tried to hire Andre before when (Defensive Coordinator) Steve Spagnuolo came in. They’ve been together at three different places, and he’s actually worked with every member of our defensive staff and I thought it was an easy one to kind of plug in and go. It’s great for (Former Chiefs Outside Linebackers Coach) Rod (Wilson) to have an opportunity to move on and do his own thing there at Arizona. That’s a plus for him.”Q:&nbsp;Have you received any information on Travis Kelce’s decision for this upcoming season?REID: “There is communication though and that’s the main thing Sam (McDowell). I’ve said this before to you, as long as there is communication, I’m good. That means people want to move forward and I think that’s where Trav (Kelce) – I’m not trying to put words in his mouth at all, and I try to give him some space here (because) he’s been doing this a long time and he can sort all of that out as he goes forward. We’re proceeding with that and there is communication going on.”Q:&nbsp;How does having a top 10 draft pick intensify things for the personnel staff?REID: “You try to find some positives in sitting where you’re at and why you’re there. Then the positives are you get yourself geared down and get better. So, if this has a chance to help you get better and that’s how (General Manager) Brett (Veach) feels and that’s the way he’s going about it. Nobody wants to be picking at ninth but we are (and) that’s the reality of it, so you dig in and you put a plan together and go for it the best you can. He’s had his guys in here (and) they’ve done a couple of lockdowns already where he’s had them in for a couple of weeks (and) they live in that room and go through all of these different players. Good things normally come out of those meetings, and I look forward to how the draft goes.”Q:&nbsp;Does the Rashee Rice situation change anything on how you view the wide receiver position in the draft and free agency?REID:&nbsp;“I would tell you no. I can’t comment on Rashee’s (Rice) situation, it’s in law enforcement’s hands so there’s no comment there. But I would tell you no, not right now.”Q:&nbsp;On salary cap space decisions.REID:&nbsp;“It’s all pieces to a puzzle here so you go through and you evaluate that and see where you can spend (and) what’s out there. Free agency is a little bit different animal and how you handle it. We’ll see how things go. We’re sorting through all of that as we go. As you know, the Combine ends up being an area where people talk and you’ve got agents, coaches (and) GMs, everybody together. People have a tendency to – you hear things and people talk and you keep your ears open and your mouth shut and listen and see what’s going on. Until the new league year starts, nobody can really dig in on it and go. People like to talk in this league, that’s why you’re making a living at it right (chuckles), that’s how it goes.”Q: How do you evaluate a reunion with a player like WR Tyreek Hill?REID:&nbsp;“We go through everything and everybody. That’s how (General Manager) Brett (Veach) does (it). I don’t even know if Tyreek (Hill) is healthy right now to do anything. I’m sure he’s (Tyreek Hill) working hard on that part of it (and) trying to get all that straightened out. We talk about everything so there’s nothing happening there, but we know what you know and he’s out there cranking away trying to get himself back to where he can play, period.”Q: Is there any reason why you aren’t traveling to the NFL combine?REID:&nbsp;“I couldn’t take you guys any more than this this right here Herbie (Teope) (laughs). I’ll tell you Herbie, I had a little knee procedure done. I’m on IR for about a second here. Not long though Herbie, that’s right.”Q: What are your top wants and top needs with position groups?REID:&nbsp;“Well, I can’t tell you – you’re around the team enough to know. There are a lot of moving parts that take place in the offseason. You have to stay flexible. With that, you have to evaluate what you have here and how you’re going to handle what you have here and what you want to bring in and the whole (salary) cap part of it comes into play then you try to blend that with the free agency. (There are) a lot of moving parts that go on. We’re in the process of doing that. To give you an actual position, that probably wouldn’t be very smart to do that, but I think you guys have your own opinions on it and you go from there.”Q: What characteristics does a player need to fit into the team?REID:&nbsp;“You have to come in with the right attitude, for sure. Again, that’s a big part of this thing and there is a fit, literally there’s a certain expectation that we’ve got, and we didn’t reach that this past year. It’s important that we take care of business from a coaching standpoint, from an organizational standpoint, whether it’s personnel or front office and make sure we keep the expectations high and aggressive and then make sure we bring in the right people to be able to do that and handle that. That’s the whole fit you’re talking about, that’s what we’re working through.”Q: What do you want the offensive coaching staff to improve on while watching tape?REID:&nbsp;“We look at everything and everybody, that’s how this league is. Try not to miss anything there. Right now, execution becomes the important thing to me and how you go about that, the discipline of it and how you go about it, the trust within one another, all the things that make up a good offense. You narrow things down to what you think your guys do the best and then you coach it with discipline and with expectation that this is where we’re going, right here. It’s your responsibility as a player to make sure that you’re focused in on that (and) at the same time, the coach has got to give the player direction to get there.”Q: Do you anticipate changes to happen on offense and defense due to staff changes?REID:&nbsp;“Well there’s always change. Every year there’s change that takes place. Is it a wholesale change, no.&nbsp; But we’ll figure out the guys that we have and what they do the best and we’ll put them in a position there to exploit their strengths and then to work on their weaknesses to get them better. That’s the base premise there and then execution becomes an important thing and how you go about doing that at a high level. That’s coaching and playing mixed together to make that happen and you want to make sure though that you get these guys in the right position to where they at least have an opportunity to do that and then they have a responsibility to make sure they up their game to do it – the right things at the right time.”Q: What was the ultimate factor in deciding to hire Running Backs Coach DeMarco Murray? How did you convince him to leave Oklahoma?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, he (Running Backs Coach DeMarco Murray) did do that (turn down other jobs) and was doing well there ( at Oklahoma University). He could’ve stayed there – he’s a legend there so he could’ve stayed there forever probably but he wanted to get in the National Football League. He wanted to be here and learn. Hiring (Offensive Coordinator) Eric Bieniemy I think is a big thing because if Eric’s not coaching the running backs, he’s the best running backs coach in the national football league. He (Eric Bieniemy) had an opportunity to go back and do that again last year, so we hired him here as the offensive coordinator. If I’m a running back coach, what a great opportunity to learn. There’s nobody better to learn from than Eric for that particular spot. I think that intrigued him. Eric recruited him out of high school, so they’ve known each other for a number of years and that was another piece of it. I always look to see who works well together and what I anticipate will work well together there. I wanted to bring a young guy in who was a guy that was ambitious to learn, and I thought DeMarco did a heck of a job. We talked to a lot of running back coaches and I just thought that this was a pretty good fit.”Q: What degree are you invigorated by all the change happening?REID:&nbsp;“Listen, I love challenges (and) every year is a challenge. This one presents a little different because of what we’re coming off of after this last year. Nobody wants that, fans don’t want that, organization doesn’t want that, coaches (and) players don’t want that so you dig in and you work to fix the problems that you think were in place and take care of business there so that’s what we’re doing and there’s always change in this league so that always presents different challenges there but that’s part of the NFL, whether it’s coaches or it’s players. They’re moving parts and so when you’re building it back up here then you’re looking at what fits and putting the pieces of the puzzle back together whether it’s coaches (or) whether its players. A lot of variables with free agency, the draft, post draft (and) the things that go on there (with) potentially picking up people so it’s going to continue for a while and eventually you get this group together and you have an opportunity to train them through the offseason and then up through training camp (and) it’s great to see how that grows.”Q: On Patrick Mahomes’ rehab.

Chiefs Quotes: 2-20-26

The Sacred Heart basketball teams continued to roll through the NCAA, sweeping Ellsworth on Thursday in a doubleheader that saw the Knights claim another league title.

Girls: Sacred Heart 53, Ellsworth 39

Ellsworth kept this game interesting through three quarters, but lockdown defense in the fourth quarter allowed Sacred Heart to pull away for a comfortable victory.

The Lady Knights saw a five-point first-quarter lead cut down to just one at the halftime break, but got their three-point shooting going in the third, knocking down four triples to push the advantage back to six.

In the fourth, Sacred Heart stifled Ellsworth, holding them to just three made field goals to pull away, all without sending the Lady Bearcats to the free throw line once.

Emmy Lee was the star of the show, scoring a game-high 21 points off the bench, complementing big nights from Addie Lee (15), and Skylar Douglas (11).

Lainey Peschka led the charge for the Lady Bearcats with 11 points on the evening.

With this win, Sacred Heart improves to 18-4 overall, and 9-2 in league play, while Ellsworth slides to 12-6 and 7-5 respectively.

Boys: Sacred Heart 51, Ellsworth 47

On the boys' side, the Bearcats kept things closer than many anticipated, giving the Knights a late scare on a night where sole possession of a league title was on the table.

Things went down to the wire but a big night from Will Tuttle allowed Sacred Heart to hold on and claim another NCAA title, now out of reach of Beloit in the standings.

Sacred Heart held a four-point lead at the end of the first quarter but a surging Bearcat squad outscored the Knights 14-6 in the second to take a four-point lead into the locker room.

The Knights got back on top in the third and had just enough gas in the tank to pull themselves over the finish line in a four-point victory.

Will Tuttle led the way for Sacred Heart with 20 points, and was the only Knight in double digits in this game.

That proved more than enough to combat solid evenings from Jace Thomasson (16) and Tucker Goss (11) for the Bearcats.

The Knights are now 20-2 overall, and sit atop the league at 11-0 in NCAA play while Ellsworth falls to 4-14 and 2-10 respectively.

You can watch both of these games on-demand any time below.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Sacred Heart basketball teams continued to roll through the NCAA, sweeping Ellsworth on Thursday in a doubleheader that saw the Knights claim another league title.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765031258309.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Girls: Sacred Heart 53, Ellsworth 39Ellsworth kept this game interesting through three quarters, but lockdown defense in the fourth quarter allowed Sacred Heart to pull away for a comfortable victory.The Lady Knights saw a five-point first-quarter lead cut down to just one at the halftime break, but got their three-point shooting going in the third, knocking down four triples to push the advantage back to six.In the fourth, Sacred Heart stifled Ellsworth, holding them to just three made field goals to pull away, all without sending the Lady Bearcats to the free throw line once.Emmy Lee was the star of the show, scoring a game-high 21 points off the bench, complementing big nights from Addie Lee (15), and Skylar Douglas (11).Lainey Peschka led the charge for the Lady Bearcats with 11 points on the evening.With this win, Sacred Heart improves to 18-4 overall, and 9-2 in league play, while Ellsworth slides to 12-6 and 7-5 respectively.Boys: Sacred Heart 51, Ellsworth 47On the boys' side, the Bearcats kept things closer than many anticipated, giving the Knights a late scare on a night where sole possession of a league title was on the table.Things went down to the wire but a big night from Will Tuttle allowed Sacred Heart to hold on and claim another NCAA title, now out of reach of Beloit in the standings.Sacred Heart held a four-point lead at the end of the first quarter but a surging Bearcat squad outscored the Knights 14-6 in the second to take a four-point lead into the locker room.The Knights got back on top in the third and had just enough gas in the tank to pull themselves over the finish line in a four-point victory.Will Tuttle led the way for Sacred Heart with 20 points, and was the only Knight in double digits in this game.That proved more than enough to combat solid evenings from Jace Thomasson (16) and Tucker Goss (11) for the Bearcats.The Knights are now 20-2 overall, and sit atop the league at 11-0 in NCAA play while Ellsworth falls to 4-14 and 2-10 respectively.You can watch both of these games on-demand any time below.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/80pHrizBvCs"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

🏀 Knights secure league title in Sacred Heart sweep of Ellsworth

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4a348c38-1c24-44e1-9623-09f572a26dd2?elinkdata=38234">Zac Goldenberg</a> drove in eight runs, hitting a grand slam and a 3-run homer as the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes crushed the Avila University Eagles on Thursday at the Zarda Multisport Complex.

The Coyotes continued to do Coyote things, hitting eight home runs in the game, as KWU combined for a team homerun cycle - connecting on solo shots, 2-run shots, a 3-run shot and two grand slams.

It was all Wesleyan early, and often, and the Coyotes finished the game with a flourish, scoring 13 in the seventh inning.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6a6f8df4-d90f-4c85-9a55-04c03d321d4a?elinkdata=38234">Garrett Garfield</a> reached on a first inning error and then scored on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7b0c1cb4-2feb-4d7f-89ab-132e3d0a37df?elinkdata=38234">Fernando Ruvalcaba's</a> single.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4b119e53-28fd-46c2-a5c1-8583a6331f2d?elinkdata=38234">Blake Dale</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3f80b567-ddb5-4f0f-b24e-9f06c0c5dc55?elinkdata=38234">Logan Arndt</a> both singled to lead off the second inning and Goldenberg stepped to the plate and clubbed a 3-run homer to make it 4-0.

In the third, the Coyotes put five more on the board. Ruvalcaba walked, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/67de88ce-6f4a-4fd7-b7d7-61ac99d14cc1?elinkdata=38234">Chris Finocchario</a> was hit by a pitch. Dale hit into a double play, but Arndt walked and Goldenberg reached on an error loading the bases and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3fb3f70b-11a5-46fc-b00d-d4f34b189fdc?elinkdata=38234">Coulson Riggs</a> stepped up and unloaded them with a grand slam. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0f4cf12f-b3db-43bb-9ab4-0764cd099e8e?elinkdata=38234">Niko Olson</a> made it back-to-back jacks for the Coyotes following with a homer to make it 9-0.

Ruvalcaba homered in the fourth, a 2-run shot after Garfield was hit by a pitch.

Avila got on the board in the fourth with a solo homer, but the Coyotes got another back in the top of the fifth when <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bf885390-ff58-4a3f-a09a-b86a86e6de99?elinkdata=38234">Carter Allen</a> homered.

In the sixth, the Coyotes added three more runs, with all three runs scoring on wild pitches.

Avila got three in the bottom of the inning, but in the top of the seventh, Wesleyan exploded offensively.

Wesleyan put 13 runs on the board in the top of the seventh inning. Garfield walked, Ruvalcaba singled and Finocchario walked to load the bases for Dale who doubled home two runs. Arndt then doubled home another run, Goldenberg drove in a run on a groundout, and Riggs hit his second homer of the day.

Olson walked and Allen followed with a 2-run homer. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4055aeec-f887-497b-8e2a-e190e6864da3?elinkdata=38234">Isaac Hawthrone</a> doubled, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e2323d50-f2ce-4733-9fea-1c02f8262c33?elinkdata=38234">Drew Wardell</a> was hit by a pitch and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7279e21e-65ab-4710-ae6a-56b4b7f1f3c8?elinkdata=38234">Chase Aurand</a> was hit by a pitch to load the bases. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/72ba360b-fdef-480c-b883-e60fb2f61360?elinkdata=38234">Tyler Nordyke</a> singled home a run, and in his second at bat of the inning, Goldenberg hit a grand slam to make it 28-4.

Wesleyan needed only 19 hits for the 28 runs. Riggs and Ruvalcaba had three hits each. Riggs drove in six runs.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dfcd20bb-1057-4136-b2c0-6155edae1d4b?elinkdata=38234">Logan Baptista</a> went five innings to pick up the win allowing a run on two hits with three strikeouts.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4a348c38-1c24-44e1-9623-09f572a26dd2?elinkdata=38234">Zac Goldenberg</a> drove in eight runs, hitting a grand slam and a 3-run homer as the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes crushed the Avila University Eagles on Thursday at the Zarda Multisport Complex.The Coyotes continued to do Coyote things, hitting eight home runs in the game, as KWU combined for a team homerun cycle - connecting on solo shots, 2-run shots, a 3-run shot and two grand slams.It was all Wesleyan early, and often, and the Coyotes finished the game with a flourish, scoring 13 in the seventh inning.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6a6f8df4-d90f-4c85-9a55-04c03d321d4a?elinkdata=38234">Garrett Garfield</a> reached on a first inning error and then scored on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7b0c1cb4-2feb-4d7f-89ab-132e3d0a37df?elinkdata=38234">Fernando Ruvalcaba's</a> single.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4b119e53-28fd-46c2-a5c1-8583a6331f2d?elinkdata=38234">Blake Dale</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3f80b567-ddb5-4f0f-b24e-9f06c0c5dc55?elinkdata=38234">Logan Arndt</a> both singled to lead off the second inning and Goldenberg stepped to the plate and clubbed a 3-run homer to make it 4-0.In the third, the Coyotes put five more on the board. Ruvalcaba walked, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/67de88ce-6f4a-4fd7-b7d7-61ac99d14cc1?elinkdata=38234">Chris Finocchario</a> was hit by a pitch. Dale hit into a double play, but Arndt walked and Goldenberg reached on an error loading the bases and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3fb3f70b-11a5-46fc-b00d-d4f34b189fdc?elinkdata=38234">Coulson Riggs</a> stepped up and unloaded them with a grand slam. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0f4cf12f-b3db-43bb-9ab4-0764cd099e8e?elinkdata=38234">Niko Olson</a> made it back-to-back jacks for the Coyotes following with a homer to make it 9-0.Ruvalcaba homered in the fourth, a 2-run shot after Garfield was hit by a pitch.Avila got on the board in the fourth with a solo homer, but the Coyotes got another back in the top of the fifth when <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bf885390-ff58-4a3f-a09a-b86a86e6de99?elinkdata=38234">Carter Allen</a> homered.In the sixth, the Coyotes added three more runs, with all three runs scoring on wild pitches.Avila got three in the bottom of the inning, but in the top of the seventh, Wesleyan exploded offensively.Wesleyan put 13 runs on the board in the top of the seventh inning. Garfield walked, Ruvalcaba singled and Finocchario walked to load the bases for Dale who doubled home two runs. Arndt then doubled home another run, Goldenberg drove in a run on a groundout, and Riggs hit his second homer of the day.Olson walked and Allen followed with a 2-run homer. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4055aeec-f887-497b-8e2a-e190e6864da3?elinkdata=38234">Isaac Hawthrone</a> doubled, <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e2323d50-f2ce-4733-9fea-1c02f8262c33?elinkdata=38234">Drew Wardell</a> was hit by a pitch and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7279e21e-65ab-4710-ae6a-56b4b7f1f3c8?elinkdata=38234">Chase Aurand</a> was hit by a pitch to load the bases. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/72ba360b-fdef-480c-b883-e60fb2f61360?elinkdata=38234">Tyler Nordyke</a> singled home a run, and in his second at bat of the inning, Goldenberg hit a grand slam to make it 28-4.Wesleyan needed only 19 hits for the 28 runs. Riggs and Ruvalcaba had three hits each. Riggs drove in six runs.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/dfcd20bb-1057-4136-b2c0-6155edae1d4b?elinkdata=38234">Logan Baptista</a> went five innings to pick up the win allowing a run on two hits with three strikeouts.

⚾️ Bats come alive as Coyote baseball blasts Avila 28-4

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;As college athletics continues to evolve within the new era of revenue sharing, K-State Athletics has announced the public launch of&nbsp;Cats+&nbsp;(<a href="http://www.catsplus.com/" target="_blank">www.catsplus.com</a>), a new subscription-based service that provides fans a direct path to support Wildcat student-athletes while also seeing benefits in return.

The uniqueness of this platform and service is that it provides a direct revenue stream to support Wildcat student-athletes and will be powered by ONELIVE, the widely successful direct-to-fan ecommerce company, who has worked with various artists, such as Taylor Swift, Zac Brown Band and Willie Nelson. This partnership with K-State is the first of its kind between ONELIVE and a college athletics program with others working toward launch in the future.

“As college athletics evolves, we must keep up and be proactive,” Athletics Director&nbsp;Gene Taylor&nbsp;said. “Our fans continue to ask how they can help in this new model, and Cats+ is a way to directly support our student-athletes and programs while benefiting from access through exclusive content and experiences. It’s a win-win for both parties, especially our fans that may have moved away from the region but still want to be connected and support K-State Athletics.”

The service, available on a monthly or yearly plan, includes behind-the-scenes access; special features highlighting K-State student-athletes and coaches via videos, podcast, special&nbsp;K-State Sports Extra&nbsp;articles written by D. Scott Fritchen and classic game replays; early access to digital and product-based items; exclusive digital content; and enter-to-win sweepstakes for experiences and products.

“College athletics is entering a new era where the future of NIL funding will be driven by fan membership, not just traditional donations,” said ONELIVE CEO Tom West. “K-State is leading that shift by launching Cats+, creating a scalable way for fans everywhere to support Wildcat student-athletes while gaining meaningful insider access. We’re proud to power the platform that makes that possible.”

ONELIVE powers official fan membership platforms for sports and entertainment organizations nationwide. The company serves as technology partner for scalable membership and e-commerce programs that connect fans directly with student-athletes and athletic departments to drive strategic revenue for NIL and revenue sharing in this new era of college athletics.

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;As college athletics continues to evolve within the new era of revenue sharing, K-State Athletics has announced the public launch of&nbsp;Cats+&nbsp;(<a href="http://www.catsplus.com/" target="_blank">www.catsplus.com</a>), a new subscription-based service that provides fans a direct path to support Wildcat student-athletes while also seeing benefits in return.The uniqueness of this platform and service is that it provides a direct revenue stream to support Wildcat student-athletes and will be powered by ONELIVE, the widely successful direct-to-fan ecommerce company, who has worked with various artists, such as Taylor Swift, Zac Brown Band and Willie Nelson. This partnership with K-State is the first of its kind between ONELIVE and a college athletics program with others working toward launch in the future.“As college athletics evolves, we must keep up and be proactive,” Athletics Director&nbsp;Gene Taylor&nbsp;said. “Our fans continue to ask how they can help in this new model, and Cats+ is a way to directly support our student-athletes and programs while benefiting from access through exclusive content and experiences. It’s a win-win for both parties, especially our fans that may have moved away from the region but still want to be connected and support K-State Athletics.”The service, available on a monthly or yearly plan, includes behind-the-scenes access; special features highlighting K-State student-athletes and coaches via videos, podcast, special&nbsp;K-State Sports Extra&nbsp;articles written by D. Scott Fritchen and classic game replays; early access to digital and product-based items; exclusive digital content; and enter-to-win sweepstakes for experiences and products.“College athletics is entering a new era where the future of NIL funding will be driven by fan membership, not just traditional donations,” said ONELIVE CEO Tom West. “K-State is leading that shift by launching Cats+, creating a scalable way for fans everywhere to support Wildcat student-athletes while gaining meaningful insider access. We’re proud to power the platform that makes that possible.”ONELIVE powers official fan membership platforms for sports and entertainment organizations nationwide. The company serves as technology partner for scalable membership and e-commerce programs that connect fans directly with student-athletes and athletic departments to drive strategic revenue for NIL and revenue sharing in this new era of college athletics.

K-State Launches Cats+ Platform to Support Student-Athletes

Kansas Wesleyan Men's Basketball honored its 2025-26 seniors prior to the start of Wednesday's home finale against the arch-rival Bethany Swedes inside Mabee Arena.

Once the ball went up for the opening tip, the seniors and the rest of the Coyote lineup did their part to make sure the final home game of the season was a good one.

The Coyotes shot 50 percent from the field, outrebounded the Swedes by 30 and had 14 players score in the game as KWU obliterated Bethany 101-65 in front of a large and raucous crowd.

The victory also keeps the Coyotes in the hunt for the eighth and final playoff spot in the KCAC Tournament which starts next week. The Coyotes are tied with Avila at 11-10 in conference play, but Avila holds the tiebreaker on the Coyotes by winning the earlier season match-up between the teams.

KWU needs to beat Ottawa on Saturday in Ottawa and then become giant Tabor College fans as Avila faces Tabor in Hillsboro on Saturday.

Wesleyan raced out to an 11-2 lead and never looked back, the Swedes getting no closer than six points after that at 13-7 with 14:37 left in the first half. A 15-3 run by the Coyotes made it 28-10 Coyotes with 9:20 left in the first.

Bethany got it within 13 at 28-15, but another Coyote spurt, a 9-0 run made it 37-15 with 6:51 to go in the first.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bfe1c57f-a639-4f9c-8570-94de8267584f?elinkdata=38199">Matthew Garber's</a> 3-pointer with 1:22 left in the first half gave the Coyotes a 53-25 lead and it was a 53-27 difference at the half.

Bethany got within 19 with 14:25 left in the game, but got no closer.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c593047a-597e-4110-b2aa-d07077ba525f?elinkdata=38199">Evens Appolon's</a> dunk with 9:03 left put the Coyotes up 30 at 79-49 and the only question left on the table was would the Coyotes get to 100 points in the game.

Senior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c85549dd-fb1b-408c-a692-25b573709662?elinkdata=38199">Quint Mouer</a> hit a 3-pointer with a minute left to give the Coyotes 98 points and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c50a0ce9-e9ab-467b-8df8-7572ca17b42e?elinkdata=38199">Garrett Robertson's</a> triple with 47 seconds left pushed the Coyotes over the century mark making it 101-63 before a Bethany bucket made it 101-65.

KWU was 40 of 80 shooting for 50 percent and hit 14 3-pointers, the most since a game against Morningside last season. The Coyotes pulled down a season high 55 rebounds including 24 offensive boards led by Appolon with nine and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6f48ea7e-8ff5-4b89-9b8a-0c3669ccde89?elinkdata=38199">Gabe Phillips</a> with eight.

Kansas Wesleyan Men's Basketball honored its 2025-26 seniors prior to the start of Wednesday's home finale against the arch-rival Bethany Swedes inside Mabee Arena.Once the ball went up for the opening tip, the seniors and the rest of the Coyote lineup did their part to make sure the final home game of the season was a good one.The Coyotes shot 50 percent from the field, outrebounded the Swedes by 30 and had 14 players score in the game as KWU obliterated Bethany 101-65 in front of a large and raucous crowd.The victory also keeps the Coyotes in the hunt for the eighth and final playoff spot in the KCAC Tournament which starts next week. The Coyotes are tied with Avila at 11-10 in conference play, but Avila holds the tiebreaker on the Coyotes by winning the earlier season match-up between the teams.KWU needs to beat Ottawa on Saturday in Ottawa and then become giant Tabor College fans as Avila faces Tabor in Hillsboro on Saturday.Wesleyan raced out to an 11-2 lead and never looked back, the Swedes getting no closer than six points after that at 13-7 with 14:37 left in the first half. A 15-3 run by the Coyotes made it 28-10 Coyotes with 9:20 left in the first.Bethany got it within 13 at 28-15, but another Coyote spurt, a 9-0 run made it 37-15 with 6:51 to go in the first.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bfe1c57f-a639-4f9c-8570-94de8267584f?elinkdata=38199">Matthew Garber's</a> 3-pointer with 1:22 left in the first half gave the Coyotes a 53-25 lead and it was a 53-27 difference at the half.Bethany got within 19 with 14:25 left in the game, but got no closer.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c593047a-597e-4110-b2aa-d07077ba525f?elinkdata=38199">Evens Appolon's</a> dunk with 9:03 left put the Coyotes up 30 at 79-49 and the only question left on the table was would the Coyotes get to 100 points in the game.Senior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c85549dd-fb1b-408c-a692-25b573709662?elinkdata=38199">Quint Mouer</a> hit a 3-pointer with a minute left to give the Coyotes 98 points and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c50a0ce9-e9ab-467b-8df8-7572ca17b42e?elinkdata=38199">Garrett Robertson's</a> triple with 47 seconds left pushed the Coyotes over the century mark making it 101-63 before a Bethany bucket made it 101-65.KWU was 40 of 80 shooting for 50 percent and hit 14 3-pointers, the most since a game against Morningside last season. The Coyotes pulled down a season high 55 rebounds including 24 offensive boards led by Appolon with nine and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6f48ea7e-8ff5-4b89-9b8a-0c3669ccde89?elinkdata=38199">Gabe Phillips</a> with eight.

🏀 Coyote Men’s Basketball dominates Swedes 101-65

The stakes couldn't have been higher, the emotion and pressure any greater.

Needing a victory over their archrival to stay in the hunt for a berth in the Kansas Conference's postseason tournament and playing at home on Senior Night before large crowd the Kansas Wesleyan women didn't flinch.

Leading from start to finish they rolled over Bethany 62-49 on Wednesday night inside Mabee Arena and kept their postseason hopes very much alive. A victory in the regular season finale Saturday at Ottawa would give the Coyotes the eighth seed in the eight-team tournament that begins Feb. 25.

KWU (10-11) is tied for eighth with Ottawa and Avila in the KCAC standings and owns the tiebreaker over Avila after defeating them earlier this season. A victory Saturday would give them Coyotes the tiebreaker over Ottawa after winning both games this season.

"A lot of toughness from these ladies," KWU coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/36dfec27-e918-4987-a718-6fa1ea055b17?elinkdata=38164">Harper Taylor</a> said. "I'm just really proud of how hard we played tonight in front of a crowd for a rivalry game and also of our seniors. I think that we knew that tonight would be a very emotional night, but we needed to stay locked in and stay logical."

Wesleyan (13-14 overall) recognized six seniors during a pregame ceremony, but it was a junior who paved led the way. Point guard <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b1af10f6-3788-4eae-a369-f0b514744b2f?elinkdata=38164">Odessa Ozuna</a> was sensational once again and flirted with a triple double - 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 37 minutes. She had 12 points, four rebounds and three assists in the second half.

"Odessa has a lot of experience with the people that have played before her," Taylor said. "I expect nothing less and she has high expectations. She really takes it upon herself to be the leader of our team and do the hard work on her end. She's been trying to take lead all season; we just needed some other people to fall into place a certain way."

Senior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5b86fb7e-49b1-4748-8353-457f2900a913?elinkdata=38164">Emma Gertken</a> scored 11 and included three 3-pointers and senior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/74c5e267-1bb2-411b-9311-11190ec2707c?elinkdata=38164">Jocelyn Hall</a> had seven rebounds and five blocks to go along with four points.

"Great defensive effort," Taylor said. "(Hall) has got to help on that back side if our guards get beat and I thought she was a really good helper and leader out there."

Hall was a part of KWU's superb overall defensive effort that limited Bethany to 32 percent shooting (20 of 62) including 1 of 14 from 3-point range.

We've been talking a lot about defense," Taylor said. "The last time we played Bethany, we really struggled. Our game plan all week was to figure out how we can stop their ball screen coverage, and I think we did a fantastic job tonight."

KWU led 18-12 after one quarter and 30-24 at intermission. The Swedes (16-10, 14-7 KCAC) scored the first four points of the third quarter to get within 30-28 but the Coyotes responded with an 11-0 run and took a 47-38 lead into the fourth quarter.

Leading 52-44 midway through the final period, they pulled away with a 10-0 run that made it 62-44 with 2:12 remaining. The surge began with back-to-back 3-pointers from Gertken.

"Giving a young female the head coaching position even though they had just come off all the success they had with the previous coach is a pretty incredible feeling," Taylor said. "I'm just really honored that I got to coach this group this year and that I got to witness how great they could be."

The stakes couldn't have been higher, the emotion and pressure any greater.Needing a victory over their archrival to stay in the hunt for a berth in the Kansas Conference's postseason tournament and playing at home on Senior Night before large crowd the Kansas Wesleyan women didn't flinch.Leading from start to finish they rolled over Bethany 62-49 on Wednesday night inside Mabee Arena and kept their postseason hopes very much alive. A victory in the regular season finale Saturday at Ottawa would give the Coyotes the eighth seed in the eight-team tournament that begins Feb. 25.KWU (10-11) is tied for eighth with Ottawa and Avila in the KCAC standings and owns the tiebreaker over Avila after defeating them earlier this season. A victory Saturday would give them Coyotes the tiebreaker over Ottawa after winning both games this season."A lot of toughness from these ladies," KWU coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/36dfec27-e918-4987-a718-6fa1ea055b17?elinkdata=38164">Harper Taylor</a> said. "I'm just really proud of how hard we played tonight in front of a crowd for a rivalry game and also of our seniors. I think that we knew that tonight would be a very emotional night, but we needed to stay locked in and stay logical."Wesleyan (13-14 overall) recognized six seniors during a pregame ceremony, but it was a junior who paved led the way. Point guard <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b1af10f6-3788-4eae-a369-f0b514744b2f?elinkdata=38164">Odessa Ozuna</a> was sensational once again and flirted with a triple double - 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 37 minutes. She had 12 points, four rebounds and three assists in the second half."Odessa has a lot of experience with the people that have played before her," Taylor said. "I expect nothing less and she has high expectations. She really takes it upon herself to be the leader of our team and do the hard work on her end. She's been trying to take lead all season; we just needed some other people to fall into place a certain way."Senior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5b86fb7e-49b1-4748-8353-457f2900a913?elinkdata=38164">Emma Gertken</a> scored 11 and included three 3-pointers and senior <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/74c5e267-1bb2-411b-9311-11190ec2707c?elinkdata=38164">Jocelyn Hall</a> had seven rebounds and five blocks to go along with four points."Great defensive effort," Taylor said. "(Hall) has got to help on that back side if our guards get beat and I thought she was a really good helper and leader out there."Hall was a part of KWU's superb overall defensive effort that limited Bethany to 32 percent shooting (20 of 62) including 1 of 14 from 3-point range.We've been talking a lot about defense," Taylor said. "The last time we played Bethany, we really struggled. Our game plan all week was to figure out how we can stop their ball screen coverage, and I think we did a fantastic job tonight."KWU led 18-12 after one quarter and 30-24 at intermission. The Swedes (16-10, 14-7 KCAC) scored the first four points of the third quarter to get within 30-28 but the Coyotes responded with an 11-0 run and took a 47-38 lead into the fourth quarter.Leading 52-44 midway through the final period, they pulled away with a 10-0 run that made it 62-44 with 2:12 remaining. The surge began with back-to-back 3-pointers from Gertken."Giving a young female the head coaching position even though they had just come off all the success they had with the previous coach is a pretty incredible feeling," Taylor said. "I'm just really honored that I got to coach this group this year and that I got to witness how great they could be."

🏀 KWU WBB beats the Swedes 62-49

ORLANDO, Florida&nbsp;–&nbsp;K-State used a big first quarter to propel themselves to a 93-67 win over UCF on Wednesday night at Addition Financial Arena.

The 93 points were the most by the Wildcats in a Big 12 game since carding 97 against UCF on Feb. 15, 2025.

K-State (15-13, 8-7 Big 12) saw four players reach double figures and were led by senior guard Tess Heal with 19 points. Junior forward Nastja Claessens added 16 points, freshman guard Jordan Speiser notched 15 points and freshman guard Gina Garcia tallied 10 points and seven assists.

- K-State made 12 straight field goals in the first quarter to tie its season-high for field goal percentage in a quarter at 81.3 percent (13-of-16). The Wildcats would end the frame with a 30-14 lead at the end of the first stanza. This was K-State’s fourth 30-point quarter this season.

- UCF (10-16, 2-13) would cut the K-State lead to 12, 38-26, with 3:51 remaining in the second quarter. The Wildcats would close the second stanza on a 10-2 run to hold a 48-28 lead at halftime.

- K-State shot 64.5 percent (20-of-31) from the floor in the opening half, including 55.6 percent (5-of-9) from 3-point range.

- The Wildcats outscored the Knights, 15-6, in the first two and a half minutes of the third quarter to build a 63-34 advantage with 7:32 remaining. K-State would eventually win a high-scoring third quarter, 29-28, shooting 64.7 percent (11-of-17) from the field including 62.5 percent (5-of-8) from beyond the arc and hold a 77-56 lead entering the fourth.

- K-State would hold serve in the fourth, winning the frame 16-11.

- For the night, K-State shot a season-best 58.7 percent from the field (37-of-63) including 55.0 percent (11-of-20) from 3-point range.

- K-State leads the series, 4-0. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 6-0 in his career against UCF.

- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 687-391 (.637), including a mark of 233-156 (.599).

- In its 30th&nbsp;season of play in the Big 12, K-State owns a record of 253-254 (.499) in Big 12 action.

- The Wildcats are 305-334 (.477) in road games during its 58-season history. Under Mittie, K-State is 56-77 (.421) in road games.

- The Wildcats are 241-205 (.540) in games played in the month of February. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 44-46 (.489) in games during the second month.

- K-State's starting five consisted of guards Gina Garcia, Brandie Harrod, Tess Heal, and Taryn Sides and forward Nastja Claessens. This was the fifth time this lineup has started together this season. This was the 27th&nbsp;career start for Sides. This was the 26th&nbsp;career start for Garcia. Heal made her 15th&nbsp;start this season and her 89th&nbsp;&nbsp;career start. Claessens made her 24th&nbsp;career start. This was the Harrod’s 24th&nbsp;career start.

- The Wildcats held a 48-28 lead at halftime on Wednesday. Under Mittie, K-State is 185-22 (.894) when leading at halftime, including a 9-1 mark this season.

- Since the start of the quarter-system in women’s college basketball in the 2015-16 season, K-State is 173-73 (.703) when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter in a game, including a 13-8 mark this season. The Wildcats have 38 quarters this season with 20 or more points scored.

- This season, K-State owns 40 quarters with an effort of 50.0 percent or better shooting from the field, including the first (81.3) and third (64.7) quarters on Wednesday.

- This was the 17th&nbsp;time (11-6) this season K-State has scored 70 or more points in a game. Since the 2014-15 season, K-State is 142-26 (.845) when scoring 70 or more points in a game.

- K-State carded a 44-32 advantage in points in the paint. The Wildcats have had the edge in the paint in 16 games and have tallied 30 or more points in the paint in 16 games.

- Heal reached double figures for the 88th&nbsp;time in her career, including her 14th&nbsp;time this season. Heal’s collegiate career point total now stands at 1,730 points.

- Heal knocked down three 3-pointers on Wednesday. She has 29 career games with two or more connections from long range, including her sixth this season.

- Garcia reached double figures for the seventh time this season.

- Garcia handed out seven assists on Wednesday. This was her 14th&nbsp;game this season with five or more assists. Garcia has dished out 134 assists this season, which is sixth in program history by a freshman.

- Sides dished out nine assists. She is 17th&nbsp;on the K-State career assists list with 303 assists. This was her 26th&nbsp;career game, including her 11th&nbsp;this season, with five or more assists.

- Speiser tallied 16 points. This was her 14th&nbsp;game this season with 10 or more points.

- Speiser connected on three 3-pointers. This was her 13th&nbsp;game this season with two or more connections from long distance.

- Claessens reached double figures in scoring for the 15th&nbsp;time this season.

K-State returns to Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday at 4 p.m., as the Wildcats host Kansas in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown. Saturday’s game will be Senior Night, as the Wildcats will honor Tess Heal and Mikayla Parks. For tickets, call (800) 221-CATS or visit&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>.

ORLANDO, Florida&nbsp;–&nbsp;K-State used a big first quarter to propel themselves to a 93-67 win over UCF on Wednesday night at Addition Financial Arena.The 93 points were the most by the Wildcats in a Big 12 game since carding 97 against UCF on Feb. 15, 2025.K-State (15-13, 8-7 Big 12) saw four players reach double figures and were led by senior guard Tess Heal with 19 points. Junior forward Nastja Claessens added 16 points, freshman guard Jordan Speiser notched 15 points and freshman guard Gina Garcia tallied 10 points and seven assists.HOW IT HAPPENED- K-State made 12 straight field goals in the first quarter to tie its season-high for field goal percentage in a quarter at 81.3 percent (13-of-16). The Wildcats would end the frame with a 30-14 lead at the end of the first stanza. This was K-State’s fourth 30-point quarter this season.- UCF (10-16, 2-13) would cut the K-State lead to 12, 38-26, with 3:51 remaining in the second quarter. The Wildcats would close the second stanza on a 10-2 run to hold a 48-28 lead at halftime.- K-State shot 64.5 percent (20-of-31) from the floor in the opening half, including 55.6 percent (5-of-9) from 3-point range.- The Wildcats outscored the Knights, 15-6, in the first two and a half minutes of the third quarter to build a 63-34 advantage with 7:32 remaining. K-State would eventually win a high-scoring third quarter, 29-28, shooting 64.7 percent (11-of-17) from the field including 62.5 percent (5-of-8) from beyond the arc and hold a 77-56 lead entering the fourth.- K-State would hold serve in the fourth, winning the frame 16-11.- For the night, K-State shot a season-best 58.7 percent from the field (37-of-63) including 55.0 percent (11-of-20) from 3-point range.QUICK FACTS- K-State leads the series, 4-0. Head coach Jeff Mittie is 6-0 in his career against UCF.- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 687-391 (.637), including a mark of 233-156 (.599).- In its 30th&nbsp;season of play in the Big 12, K-State owns a record of 253-254 (.499) in Big 12 action.- The Wildcats are 305-334 (.477) in road games during its 58-season history. Under Mittie, K-State is 56-77 (.421) in road games.- The Wildcats are 241-205 (.540) in games played in the month of February. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 44-46 (.489) in games during the second month.TEAM NOTES- K-State's starting five consisted of guards Gina Garcia, Brandie Harrod, Tess Heal, and Taryn Sides and forward Nastja Claessens. This was the fifth time this lineup has started together this season. This was the 27th&nbsp;career start for Sides. This was the 26th&nbsp;career start for Garcia. Heal made her 15th&nbsp;start this season and her 89th&nbsp;&nbsp;career start. Claessens made her 24th&nbsp;career start. This was the Harrod’s 24th&nbsp;career start.- The Wildcats held a 48-28 lead at halftime on Wednesday. Under Mittie, K-State is 185-22 (.894) when leading at halftime, including a 9-1 mark this season.- Since the start of the quarter-system in women’s college basketball in the 2015-16 season, K-State is 173-73 (.703) when scoring 20 or more points in any quarter in a game, including a 13-8 mark this season. The Wildcats have 38 quarters this season with 20 or more points scored.- This season, K-State owns 40 quarters with an effort of 50.0 percent or better shooting from the field, including the first (81.3) and third (64.7) quarters on Wednesday.- This was the 17th&nbsp;time (11-6) this season K-State has scored 70 or more points in a game. Since the 2014-15 season, K-State is 142-26 (.845) when scoring 70 or more points in a game.- K-State carded a 44-32 advantage in points in the paint. The Wildcats have had the edge in the paint in 16 games and have tallied 30 or more points in the paint in 16 games.PLAYER NOTES- Heal reached double figures for the 88th&nbsp;time in her career, including her 14th&nbsp;time this season. Heal’s collegiate career point total now stands at 1,730 points.- Heal knocked down three 3-pointers on Wednesday. She has 29 career games with two or more connections from long range, including her sixth this season.- Garcia reached double figures for the seventh time this season.- Garcia handed out seven assists on Wednesday. This was her 14th&nbsp;game this season with five or more assists. Garcia has dished out 134 assists this season, which is sixth in program history by a freshman.- Sides dished out nine assists. She is 17th&nbsp;on the K-State career assists list with 303 assists. This was her 26th&nbsp;career game, including her 11th&nbsp;this season, with five or more assists.- Speiser tallied 16 points. This was her 14th&nbsp;game this season with 10 or more points.- Speiser connected on three 3-pointers. This was her 13th&nbsp;game this season with two or more connections from long distance.- Claessens reached double figures in scoring for the 15th&nbsp;time this season.UP NEXTK-State returns to Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday at 4 p.m., as the Wildcats host Kansas in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown. Saturday’s game will be Senior Night, as the Wildcats will honor Tess Heal and Mikayla Parks. For tickets, call (800) 221-CATS or visit&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>.

🏀 K-State WBB Cruises to Road Win at UCF

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Freshman Darryn Peterson scored 20 of his 23 points in the first half, sparking No. 8 Kansas to an 81-69 win over Oklahoma State on Wednesday night.

Peterson, a guard who is expected to be among the first picks in the NBA draft later this year, had shot 13 for 36 from the field combined in his previous three games. He made 7 of 12 field goals against the Cowboys, including 6 of 10 3-pointers.

Tre White scored 16 points and Elmarko Jackson added 14 for Kansas. Bryson Tiller had 10 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists and Flory Bidunga added eight points, 11 rebounds and four blocks for the Jayhawks (20-6, 10-3 Big 12), who made 11 of 24 3-pointers and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-iowa-basketball-score-2244f41882aa408058620e8506a644a1">bounced back from a blowout loss at Iowa State</a>&nbsp;last Saturday.

Parsa Fallah scored 21 points and Anthony Roy added 16 for Oklahoma State (16-10, 4-9), which lost its fourth straight since a win over BYU. The Cowboys&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tcu-oklahoma-state-score-big-12-d411d5067b05bd3fcf13948a24b82065">were coming off a tough overtime home loss to TCU</a>&nbsp;and could have used a quality win to strengthen their NCAA Tournament resume.

It was a blackout game for the Oklahoma State crowd, but about a third of the fans were wearing Kansas blue.

Oklahoma State fell behind 10-1 and went more than three minutes without a field goal to start the game. The Jayhawks ran out to a 39-16 lead before the Cowboys went on an 11-0 run. Kansas led 43-29 at the break.

The Jayhawks remained in control in the second half, despite Peterson scoring just three points. Kansas shot 48% from the field after the break to stay safely ahead.

Oklahoma State: Visits Colorado on Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1771472138650.png" alt="Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Freshman Darryn Peterson scored 20 of his 23 points in the first half, sparking No. 8 Kansas to an 81-69 win over Oklahoma State on Wednesday night.Peterson, a guard who is expected to be among the first picks in the NBA draft later this year, had shot 13 for 36 from the field combined in his previous three games. He made 7 of 12 field goals against the Cowboys, including 6 of 10 3-pointers.Tre White scored 16 points and Elmarko Jackson added 14 for Kansas. Bryson Tiller had 10 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists and Flory Bidunga added eight points, 11 rebounds and four blocks for the Jayhawks (20-6, 10-3 Big 12), who made 11 of 24 3-pointers and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-iowa-basketball-score-2244f41882aa408058620e8506a644a1">bounced back from a blowout loss at Iowa State</a>&nbsp;last Saturday.Parsa Fallah scored 21 points and Anthony Roy added 16 for Oklahoma State (16-10, 4-9), which lost its fourth straight since a win over BYU. The Cowboys&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tcu-oklahoma-state-score-big-12-d411d5067b05bd3fcf13948a24b82065">were coming off a tough overtime home loss to TCU</a>&nbsp;and could have used a quality win to strengthen their NCAA Tournament resume.It was a blackout game for the Oklahoma State crowd, but about a third of the fans were wearing Kansas blue.Oklahoma State fell behind 10-1 and went more than three minutes without a field goal to start the game. The Jayhawks ran out to a 39-16 lead before the Cowboys went on an 11-0 run. Kansas led 43-29 at the break.The Jayhawks remained in control in the second half, despite Peterson scoring just three points. Kansas shot 48% from the field after the break to stay safely ahead.<h2>Up next</h2>Kansas: Hosts Cincinnati on Saturday.Oklahoma State: Visits Colorado on Saturday.

🏀 Freshman star Darryn Peterson leads KU past Oklahoma State 

With the regular season winding down, the Salina South basketball teams split their two-game set with Andover Central on Tuesday, with the Lady Jaguars and Cougars emerging victorious in their respective contests.

Girls: Andover Central 51, Salina South 43

The Lady Cougars battled, but couldn’t overcome an insanely hot three-point shooting performance by Andover Central, as the Lady Jags sunk ten threes in a 51-43 victory.

Scoring came at a premium in the first half, and by the intermission, South trailed 23-15 with just six made field goals.

The Lady Cougars did pick things up in the third quarter, but so did Andover Central, as the Jaguars first five second-half makes from the floor all came from beyond the arc.

South gave a good fourth-quarter effort but the damage was done as the Lady Jaguars cruised to a victory.

Paityn Fritz led the Lady Cougar charge with 16 points on the night while on the other side, Reese Wilborn racked up 18 on six makes from beyond the arc.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostWith the regular season winding down, the Salina South basketball teams split their two-game set with Andover Central on Tuesday, with the Lady Jaguars and Cougars emerging victorious in their respective contests.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765031258309.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Girls: Andover Central 51, Salina South 43The Lady Cougars battled, but couldn’t overcome an insanely hot three-point shooting performance by Andover Central, as the Lady Jags sunk ten threes in a 51-43 victory.Scoring came at a premium in the first half, and by the intermission, South trailed 23-15 with just six made field goals.The Lady Cougars did pick things up in the third quarter, but so did Andover Central, as the Jaguars first five second-half makes from the floor all came from beyond the arc.South gave a good fourth-quarter effort but the damage was done as the Lady Jaguars cruised to a victory.Paityn Fritz led the Lady Cougar charge with 16 points on the night while on the other side, Reese Wilborn racked up 18 on six makes from beyond the arc.With this result both teams move to 12-9 on the year, with Andover Central now holding the head-to-head tiebreaker.Boys: Salina South 65, Andover Central 59On the boys' side, the Cougars rode elite fourth-quarter performances from Kobie Henley and Gavin Devoe to a crucial win over Andover Central.The Cougars looked good off the line, taking a 17-11 lead into the second quarter, but the Jaguars quickly flipped the script to reclaim a three-point halftime lead behind 15 first-half points from Drew Bontrager.In the third quarter, Gavin Devoe began his reign of terror on the inside, scoring 8 of South’s 15 third-quarter points in a frame that saw the Cougars allow just one Jag, CJ Allen, to score.In the fourth, Devoe continued to dominate, scoring eight more points, matched only by Henley, who added ten in the fourth quarter to help the Cougars over the finish line.Devoe finished his night with 22 points, followed closely by Henley (17), and Sawyer Walker (13).On the other side, CJ Allen (19), Drew Bontrager (17), and Carter Inslee (11), did their best but couldn’t get Andover Central back in the game late.With this win South improves to 14-7 while Andover Central falls to 8-12.You can watch both of these games on-demand any time below.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Uf4iBc4zZis"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>