Bobby Allison, founder of racing’s “Alabama Gang” and a NASCAR Hall of Famer, died Saturday. He was 86.

NASCAR released a statement from Allison’s family that said he died at home in Mooresville, North Carolina. A cause of death wasn’t given, but Allison had been in declining health for years.

Allison moved to fourth on NASCAR’s Cup Series victory list last month when chairman Jim France recognized him as the winner of the Meyers Brothers Memorial at Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina in 1971. The sanctioning body updated its record books to reflect the decision, giving Allison 85 wins and moving him out of a tie with Darrell Waltrip.

France and longtime NASCAR executive Mike Helton presented Allison with a plaque commemorating the victory. With it, Allison trails only fellow Hall of Famers Richard Petty (200), David Pearson (105) and Jeff Gordon (93) in Cup wins.

Allison was inducted into NASCAR’s second Hall of Fame class, in 2011. He was the 1983 NASCAR champion, finished second in the series title race five times, and a three-time winner of the Daytona 500.

“Bobby was the ultimate fan’s driver,” Allison’s family said in a statement. “He thoroughly enjoyed spending time with his fans and would stop to sign autographs and have conversations with them everywhere he went. He was a dedicated family man and friend, and a devout Catholic.”

He helped put NASCAR on the map with more than his driving. His infamous fight with Cale Yarborough in the closing laps of the 1979 Daytona 500 served as one of the sport’s defining moments.

“Cale went to beating on my fist with his nose,” Allison has said repeatedly, often using that phrase to describe the fight. “Cale understands like I do that it really was a benefit to the interest of racing. It proves that we were sincere.”

Born in Miami in 1937, Allison started searching for more racing opportunities outside the Sunshine State. He landed in central Alabama, where he found a number of small, dirt tracks.

He returned to Florida to get brother Donnie and close friend Red Farmer. They set up shop in Hueytown, Alabama, and dominated regional races throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. They were later joined in the Alabama Gang by Jimmy Mears, Neil Bonnett and Bonnett and Allison’s sons Davey and Clifford.

Allison retired in 1988 following a crash that nearly killed him. In June 1987, he wrecked on the opening lap at Talledega Superspeedway. He hit the outside wall and then got T-boned in the driver’s side door. He was initially declared dead upon reaching a local hospital but was later resuscitated.

He eventually regained his memory, re-learned everyday activities and attempted a comeback. But a series of tragedies led Allison to retire. His son, Clifford, was fatally injured during a crash in practice for the second-tier Busch Series at Michigan International Speedway in 1992. A year later, son Davey was killed in a helicopter crash at Talladega.

Three years after that, Bobby and wife Judy divorced. They reconnected four years later at their daughter-in-law’s wedding and were remarried in 2000. They remained together until Judy’s death in 2015.

Allison was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1992 and into the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with Ned Jarrett, Bud Moore, Pearson and Lee Petty.

“Bobby Allison personified the term ‘racer,’” France said in statement. “Though he is best known as one of the winningest drivers in NASCAR Cup Series history, his impact on the sport extends far beyond the record books.

Allison is one of 10 drivers to have won NASCAR’s career “grand slam” that includes the Cup Series’ most iconic races: the Daytona 500, the Winston 500, the Coca-Cola 600 and the Southern 500.

Allison made six IndyCar Series starts for Roger Penske, including a pair of Indy 500s.

BY&nbsp;JENNA FRYERU, Associated PressBobby Allison, founder of racing’s “Alabama Gang” and a NASCAR Hall of Famer, died Saturday. He was 86.NASCAR released a statement from Allison’s family that said he died at home in Mooresville, North Carolina. A cause of death wasn’t given, but Allison had been in declining health for years.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The NASCAR family mourns the loss of Bobby Allison, who passed away peacefully at home today at the age of 86. <a href="https://t.co/X4zUxohSNc">pic.twitter.com/X4zUxohSNc</a>&mdash; NASCAR (@NASCAR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASCAR/status/1855401398369755510?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Allison moved to fourth on NASCAR’s Cup Series victory list last month when chairman Jim France recognized him as the winner of the Meyers Brothers Memorial at Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina in 1971. The sanctioning body updated its record books to reflect the decision, giving Allison 85 wins and moving him out of a tie with Darrell Waltrip.France and longtime NASCAR executive Mike Helton presented Allison with a plaque commemorating the victory. With it, Allison trails only fellow Hall of Famers Richard Petty (200), David Pearson (105) and Jeff Gordon (93) in Cup wins.Allison was inducted into NASCAR’s second Hall of Fame class, in 2011. He was the 1983 NASCAR champion, finished second in the series title race five times, and a three-time winner of the Daytona 500.“Bobby was the ultimate fan’s driver,” Allison’s family said in a statement. “He thoroughly enjoyed spending time with his fans and would stop to sign autographs and have conversations with them everywhere he went. He was a dedicated family man and friend, and a devout Catholic.”He helped put NASCAR on the map with more than his driving. His infamous fight with Cale Yarborough in the closing laps of the 1979 Daytona 500 served as one of the sport’s defining moments.“Cale went to beating on my fist with his nose,” Allison has said repeatedly, often using that phrase to describe the fight. “Cale understands like I do that it really was a benefit to the interest of racing. It proves that we were sincere.”Born in Miami in 1937, Allison started searching for more racing opportunities outside the Sunshine State. He landed in central Alabama, where he found a number of small, dirt tracks.He returned to Florida to get brother Donnie and close friend Red Farmer. They set up shop in Hueytown, Alabama, and dominated regional races throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. They were later joined in the Alabama Gang by Jimmy Mears, Neil Bonnett and Bonnett and Allison’s sons Davey and Clifford.Allison retired in 1988 following a crash that nearly killed him. In June 1987, he wrecked on the opening lap at Talledega Superspeedway. He hit the outside wall and then got T-boned in the driver’s side door. He was initially declared dead upon reaching a local hospital but was later resuscitated.He eventually regained his memory, re-learned everyday activities and attempted a comeback. But a series of tragedies led Allison to retire. His son, Clifford, was fatally injured during a crash in practice for the second-tier Busch Series at Michigan International Speedway in 1992. A year later, son Davey was killed in a helicopter crash at Talladega.Three years after that, Bobby and wife Judy divorced. They reconnected four years later at their daughter-in-law’s wedding and were remarried in 2000. They remained together until Judy’s death in 2015.ADVERTISEMENTAllison was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1992 and into the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with Ned Jarrett, Bud Moore, Pearson and Lee Petty.“Bobby Allison personified the term ‘racer,’” France said in statement. “Though he is best known as one of the winningest drivers in NASCAR Cup Series history, his impact on the sport extends far beyond the record books.Allison is one of 10 drivers to have won NASCAR’s career “grand slam” that includes the Cup Series’ most iconic races: the Daytona 500, the Winston 500, the Coca-Cola 600 and the Southern 500.Allison made six IndyCar Series starts for Roger Penske, including a pair of Indy 500s.<h2>___</h2>

Bobby Allison, NASCAR Hall of Famer and 3-time Daytona 500 winner, dies at 86

KANSAS STATE (1-0) vs. CLEVELAND STATE (1-1)

Saturday, November 9, 2024 &gt;&gt; 3 p.m., CT &gt;&gt; Bramlage Coliseum (11,010) &gt;&gt; Manhattan, Kan.TELEVISIONBig 12 Now / WatchESPN (link&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/espnplus/player/_/eventCalendarId/401706972" target="_blank">here</a>)

K-State Sports NetworkFlagships: // KMAN 1350 &amp; WIBW 580Satellite Radio: noneOnline: Varsity Network [free] /&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/watch" target="_blank">www.kstatesports.com/watch</a>&nbsp;[free]

<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/" target="_blank">kstatesports.com</a><a href="http://kstate.statbroadcast.com/" target="_blank">kstate.statbroadcast.com</a>TICKETS<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/2015/6/12/mbbtickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>Starting at $13COACHESK-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College ‘07]Record at K-State: 46-25/3rd YearCareer Record: 48-25*/3rd Yearvs. Cleveland State: 0-0 [0-0 at home]Cleveland State: Daniyal Robinson [Little Rock ‘99]Record at CSU: 43-30/3rd YearCareer Record: 43-30/3rd Yearvs. K-State: 0-0 [0-0 on the road]

K-State (1-0)G: #3 C.J. JonesG: #11 Brendan HausenG: #2 Max JonesW: #33 Coleman HawkinsW: #1 David N’GuessanCleveland State (1-1)G: #0 Tevin SmithG: #1 Tahj StaveskieG: #22 Chase RobinsonF: #7 Isaac AbiddeF: #12 Dylan Arnett

Overall: K-State leads 3-0At Home: K-State leads 2-0At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 2-0Active Streak: K-State, 3First Meeting: W, 93-60 [12/5/2006 in Manhattan]Last Meeting: W, 85-56 [12/29/2010 in Manhattan]Jerome Tang vs. Daniyal Robinson: 0-0

K-STATE CONTINUES HOMESTAND VS CLEVELAND STATE SATURDAYK-State continues its homestand to open the 2024-25 season by hosting Cleveland State (1-1) on Saturday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum. The game will tip off at 3 p.m., CT on ESPN+. It will be the second of four consecutive home games to start the 2024-25 season.This will be just the fourth meeting between the two schools and the first since the Wildcats posted an 85-56 win over the Vikings on Dec. 29, 2010. K-State is 11-1 all-time vs. teams from the Horizon League, including 10-0 at home.

Senior wing David N’Guessan registered his fourth career double-double with a game-high 21 points and 15 rebounds in helping K-State to an 89-65 win over New Orleans in the season opener for both teams on Tuesday night before 9,155 fans at Bramlage Coliseum. He is the first Wildcat to post at least 20 points and at least 10 rebounds in an opener since Wesley Iwundu in 2015.Trailing by as many 10 points near the midway point of the first half, the K-State offense exploded for 74 of its 89 points in the last 29 minutes of action. The Wildcats ended the first half on a 29-7 run, flipping a 25-15 deficit with 10:15 to play into a 44-32 halftime advantage. K-State’s lead never dropped below 18 points in the second half and grew to as many as 26.

ALL-TIME MEETINGSDateRankResultScoreLocation12/5/2006--/--W93-60Manhattan11/22/2008--/--W69-59Cleveland12/29/200912/--W85-56ManhattanLAST MEETING:K-STATE 85, CLEVELAND STATE 56 [Dec. 29, 2009]

LAST TIME OUT:K-STATE 89, NEW ORLEANS 65

‘CATS PICKED 8TH IN BIG 12 POLL; HAWKINS NAMED CO-NEWCOMER

GAME 2KANSAS STATE (1-0) vs. CLEVELAND STATE (1-1)Saturday, November 9, 2024 &gt;&gt; 3 p.m., CT &gt;&gt; Bramlage Coliseum (11,010) &gt;&gt; Manhattan, Kan.TELEVISIONBig 12 Now / WatchESPN (link&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/espnplus/player/_/eventCalendarId/401706972" target="_blank">here</a>)<ul>
 <li>Ben Boyle (play-by-play)</li><li>Stan Weber (analyst)</li><li>Sophie Smith (sideline reporter)</li>
 </ul>RADIOK-State Sports NetworkFlagships: // KMAN 1350 &amp; WIBW 580Satellite Radio: noneOnline: Varsity Network [free] /&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/watch" target="_blank">www.kstatesports.com/watch</a>&nbsp;[free]<ul>
 <li>Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play)</li><li>Matt Walters (analyst)</li>
 </ul>LIVE STATS&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/" target="_blank">kstatesports.com</a><a href="http://kstate.statbroadcast.com/" target="_blank">kstate.statbroadcast.com</a>TICKETS<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/2015/6/12/mbbtickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>Starting at $13COACHESK-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College ‘07]Record at K-State: 46-25/3rd YearCareer Record: 48-25*/3rd Yearvs. Cleveland State: 0-0 [0-0 at home]Cleveland State: Daniyal Robinson [Little Rock ‘99]Record at CSU: 43-30/3rd YearCareer Record: 43-30/3rd Yearvs. K-State: 0-0 [0-0 on the road]LAST GAME STARTERS:K-State (1-0)G: #3 C.J. JonesG: #11 Brendan HausenG: #2 Max JonesW: #33 Coleman HawkinsW: #1 David N’GuessanCleveland State (1-1)G: #0 Tevin SmithG: #1 Tahj StaveskieG: #22 Chase RobinsonF: #7 Isaac AbiddeF: #12 Dylan ArnettSERIES HISTORYOverall: K-State leads 3-0At Home: K-State leads 2-0At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 2-0Active Streak: K-State, 3First Meeting: W, 93-60 [12/5/2006 in Manhattan]Last Meeting: W, 85-56 [12/29/2010 in Manhattan]Jerome Tang vs. Daniyal Robinson: 0-0K-STATE CONTINUES HOMESTAND VS CLEVELAND STATE SATURDAYK-State continues its homestand to open the 2024-25 season by hosting Cleveland State (1-1) on Saturday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum. The game will tip off at 3 p.m., CT on ESPN+. It will be the second of four consecutive home games to start the 2024-25 season.This will be just the fourth meeting between the two schools and the first since the Wildcats posted an 85-56 win over the Vikings on Dec. 29, 2010. K-State is 11-1 all-time vs. teams from the Horizon League, including 10-0 at home.LAST TIME OUTSenior wing David N’Guessan registered his fourth career double-double with a game-high 21 points and 15 rebounds in helping K-State to an 89-65 win over New Orleans in the season opener for both teams on Tuesday night before 9,155 fans at Bramlage Coliseum. He is the first Wildcat to post at least 20 points and at least 10 rebounds in an opener since Wesley Iwundu in 2015.Trailing by as many 10 points near the midway point of the first half, the K-State offense exploded for 74 of its 89 points in the last 29 minutes of action. The Wildcats ended the first half on a 29-7 run, flipping a 25-15 deficit with 10:15 to play into a 44-32 halftime advantage. K-State’s lead never dropped below 18 points in the second half and grew to as many as 26.KEY STORYLINES<ul>
 <li>K-State will be looking to go 2-0 to start a season for the first time since opening the 2022-23 campaign with 6 consecutive victories. Last season, the Wildcats rebounded from its season-opening loss to No. 21/22 USC in Las Vegas with 3 straight wins (Bellarmine, South Dakota State, Providence).&nbsp;</li><li>It’s just one game but areas of concern (3-point shooting and turnovers) a year ago for K-State seemingly have been addressed as the Wildcats made 13 3-point field goals and turned the ball over just 9 times in the win over New Orleans. The 13 triples tied for the 10th-most in a game in school history and were the most since hitting 15 vs. West Virginia on Feb. 26, 2024. The 9 turnovers were the fewest in any game since having just 5 vs. Michigan State in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.</li><li>Newcomers made quite the impact in the opener, as they combined to score 64 of the 89 points with double-digit scoring efforts by senior Max Jones (19 points) and junior Brendan Hausen (17 points) to go along with 20 of the 45 rebounds and 22 of the 24 assists. Senior Coleman Hawkins nearly had double-digit rebounds (9), while junior Dug McDaniel had a team-best 8 assists.</li><li>The Wildcats have been impressive at Bramlage Coliseum under Tang, posting a 30-4 mark with just one non-conference loss (Nebraska in 2023) in that span. Last season, the team went 15-3 at home (14-3 at Bramlage Coliseum) with losses to the Huskers, Oklahoma and TCU.</li><li>Cleveland State, led by former Iowa State assistant Daniyal Robinson (2008-10, 2015-22), has split its first 2 games, rebounding from a loss at Michigan for a win over Baldwin Wallace Wednesday. He is the first head coach to lead the Vikings to consecutive 20-win season in his first 2 seasons.</li>
 </ul>A K-STATE WIN WOULD…<ul>
 <li>Make the Wildcats 2-0 for the 3rd time in 4 seasons.</li><li>Move the Wildcats to 4-0 all-time vs. Cleveland State.</li><li>Move coach Jerome Tang to 31-4 at Bramlage Coliseum.</li><li>Give the Wildcats an 183-56 non-conference mark since 2006.</li><li>Extend its home non-conference mark to 144-16 since 2006.</li>
 </ul>NOTES ON CLEVELAND STATE<ul>
 <li>Led by third-year head coach Daniyal Robinson, Cleveland State returns 5 lettermen, including one starter, from a squad that posted a 21-15 record, including a tie for seventh place in the Horizon League standings with an 11-9 mark. The team advanced to the quarterfinals of the CBI.</li><li>Cleveland State (1-1) opened the season with a 101-53 loss at Michigan on Monday night before earning its first win of the season with a 91-53 victory over Baldwin Wallace at home on Wednesday.</li><li>Junior Dylan Arnett is the lone returning starter for the Vikings after starting all 36 games in 2023-24, averaging 5.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. He is averaging a near double-double through the first 2 games with team-highs in both scoring (13.0 ppg.) and rebounding (9.0 rpg.). Freshman Je’Shawn Stevenson is averaging 12.5 points per game. In all, nine players are averaging 5 points or better on the season.</li><li>Cleveland State is led by Robinson, who has a 43-30 record in his third season. He is the first head coach in school history to post 20 or more wins in his first 2 seasons. He is a former assistant coach at Little Rock, Illinois State, Iowa State (twice), Houston and Loyola Chicago.</li>
 </ul>LAST GAME OUT<ul>
 <li>Cleveland State picked up its first win of the season on Wednesday with a 91-53 victory over Baldwin Wallace at home. The Vikings blew open a tight 43-35 margin at the half with a 48-18 effort in the second half, in which, they connected on 57.6 percent (19-of-33) from the field.</li><li>CSU scored its 91 points on 56.9 percent (37-of-65) shooting, including 27.3 percent (3-of-11) from 3-point range, and 73.7 percent (14-of-19) from the free throw line. Five players scored in double figures, including 19 points from junior Dylan Arnett and 18 points from rookie Je’Shawn Stevenson.</li>
 </ul>FAMILIAR FACE<ul>
 <li>Cleveland State head coach Daniyal Robinson is familiar with K-State after having served as an assistant coach at Iowa State (2008-10, 2015-22) for head coaches Greg McDermott, Fred Hoiberg, Steve Prohm and T.J. Otzelberger. He helped recruit and coach 12 players who went onto the NBA, including Tyrese Haliburton and Talen Horton-Tucker.</li>
 </ul>SERIES HISTORY<ul>
 <li>K-State is 3-0 all-time against Cleveland State with home wins in 2006, 2008 and 2009.</li><li>K-State is 11-1 all-time against Horizon League competition, including 10-0 at home. The last game against a Horizon League opponent came in an 82-64 win over Green Bay at home on Dec. 12, 2021.</li>
 </ul>ALL-TIME MEETINGSDateRankResultScoreLocation12/5/2006--/--W93-60Manhattan11/22/2008--/--W69-59Cleveland12/29/200912/--W85-56ManhattanLAST MEETING:K-STATE 85, CLEVELAND STATE 56 [Dec. 29, 2009]<ul>
 <li>Senior Jacob Pullen led five players in double figures with 18 points, as K-State earned an 85-56 win over Cleveland State in the last meeting between the schools on Dec. 29, 2009 at Bramlage Coliseum.</li><li>The Wildcats connected on 46.4 percent (26-of-56) from the field while using their size to grab a 50-30 advantage on the glass and converting on 26-of-40 attempts from the free throw line.</li>
 </ul>LAST TIME OUT:K-STATE 89, NEW ORLEANS 65<ul>
 <li>Senior David N’Guessan registered his fourth career double-double with a game-high 21 points and 15 rebounds in helping K-State to an 89-65 win over New Orleans in the season opener for both teams on Tuesday night before 9,155 fans at Bramlage Coliseum. He is the first Wildcat to score at least 20 points and grab at least 10 rebounds in an opener since Wesley Iwundu in 2015.</li><li>N’Guessan had a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds) in the first half before earning his first career 20-point, 10-rebound performance of his college career. His 21 points were two shy of his career-high of 23 vs. Abilene Christian on Dec. 6, 2022, while his 15 boards were one short of his career-high of 16 against Iowa State in his last game at home on March 9.</li><li>N’Guessan was joined in double figures by senior Max Jones (19 points) and junior Brendan Hausen (17 points), who combined for 8 of the Wildcats’ 13 made 3-point field goals on the night. The 13 triples tied for the 10th-most in a game in school history and were the most since knocking down 14 against South Dakota State on Nov. 13, 2023, which was a season-high for 2023-24.</li><li>Trailing by as many 10 points near the midway point of the first half, the K-State offense exploded for 74 of its 89 points in the last 29 minutes of action. The Wildcats ended the first half on a 29-7 run, flipping a 25-15 deficit with 10:15 to play into a 44-32 halftime advantage. Hausen (12 points) and Jones (8) combined for 20 of the team’s 29 points during this pivotal run, including 5 by Jones in the last 2 seconds of the half.</li><li>K-State’s lead never dropped below 18 points in the second half and grew to as many as 26 after a pair of free throws by junior Dug McDaniel with 5:47 to play. McDaniel dished out a game-high 8 assists to go with 6 points and 2 steals in 23 minutes off the bench in his first career action.</li><li>The Wildcats finished the night with 24 assists on 34 made field goals with just 9 turnovers, the fewest in a game since posting just 5 in the win over Michigan State in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.</li><li>K-State connected on 46.6 percent (34-of-73) from the field, including 38.2 percent (13-of-34) from 3-point range, and 66.7 percent (8-of-12) from the free throw line. The Wildcats scored 42 of their 89 points in the paint, while they held advantages in points off turnovers (15-13), second-chance points (22-12), fast-break points (13-10) and bench points (19-12).</li><li>K-State moved to 94-27 all-time in openers, including 82-10 at home and 30-3 at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats have won 19 of their last 22 openers.</li>
 </ul>POSTGAME NEWS &amp; NOTES<ul>
 <li>K-State’s 13 made field goals tie for the 10th-most in a game and the most since hitting 15 vs. West Virginia (2/26/24)... Six players had at least one triple, including 4 each by junior Brendan Hausen and senior Max Jones.</li><li>10 different players had at least one field goal made, while 7 players had at least one assist and 9 players had at least one rebound.</li><li>Three Wildcats scored in double figures, including a 21-point, 15-rebound performance from senior David N’Guessan... It was his first career 20-point, 10-rebound effort... It was his fourth double-double and his second career 20-point game... He had 11 points and 11 rebounds in the first half, becoming the first Wildcat since Mark Smith in 2022 to post a double-double in one half.</li><li>K-State used a starting lineup of junior C.J. Jones, junior Brendan Hausen, senior Max Jones, senior Coleman Hawkins and senior David N’Guessan... It marked the first career starts at K-State for Hausen, C. Jones, M. Jones and Hawkins... N’Guessan earned his 40th career start (all at K-State)... He is the first Wildcat to start 3 consecutive openers since Mike McGuirl (2019-21).</li>
 </ul>‘CATS PICKED 8TH IN BIG 12 POLL; HAWKINS NAMED CO-NEWCOMER<ul>
 <li>K-State was picked eighth in the new 16-team Big 12 preseason poll, while senior transfer Coleman Hawkins was named the league’s co-Newcomer of the Year, alongside Baylor’s Jeremy Roach.</li><li>Hawkins is the first Wildcat to be selected as the Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and the fourth to be chosen for a preseason player honor, joining Michael Beasley (2007-08 Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year), Jacob Pullen (2010-11 Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year) and Dean Wade (2018-19 Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year).</li><li>Hawkins, who earned All-Big Ten honors at Illinois in 2023-24, was also selected to the preseason All-Big 12 Second Team by the league coaches, joining Baylor’s Norchad Omier and Roach, Iowa State’s Keshon Gilbert and Kansas’ Dajuan Harris Jr.</li><li>Hawkins is also the first Wildcat to earn selection to one of the main preseason all-conference teams by the coaches since Barry Brown Jr. and Wade in 2018-19. He is one of eight players in school history to be chosen for preseason all-conference honors dating to Manny Dies in 1998-99. Others include Pullen and Curtis Kelly in 2010-11, Rodney McGruder in 2012-13 and Marcus Foster in 2014-15.</li><li>K-State received 133 points to place eighth in the poll, just two points behind seventh-place Texas Tech and 17 points ahead of ninth-place BYU.</li><li>Kansas was picked first with 215 points and nine first-place votes followed closely by Houston (211, five first-place votes), third-place Iowa State (194, one first-place vote), fourth-place Baylor (185) and fifth-place Arizona (179, one first-place vote).</li><li>Hawkins has also been named to the watch list for the Naismith Trophy as well as the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award.</li>
 </ul>SUCCESS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY<ul>
 <li>K-State has posted a 182-56 (.764) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season. During that span, the Wildcats have a 143-16 (.899) mark at home venues (includes games played at Bramlage Coliseum, INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita and the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City) in non-conference play, including a 127-13 (.907) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.</li><li>K-State’s 12-1 non-conference mark in 2022-23 was the best since the 2009-10 team went a program-best 13-1. Last season, the team went 10-3 in non-conference play, including 7-1 at Bramlage Coliseum.</li>
 </ul>

PREVIEW: K-State Continues Homestand Saturday vs. Cleveland State

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - Kansas Wesleyan's <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6417b91b-e77a-4eff-8fcf-008937c3a82a?elinkdata=14938">Alex Littlejohn</a> was one assist short of a triple-double on Friday night as the Coyotes beat the Waldorf Warriors 85-74 in the Morningside Classic at Allee Gym.

Littlejohn, Wesleyan's all-everything player, finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists on the night.

The Coyotes led 6-2 early in the game, but Waldorf took a brief 7-6 lead before the Coyotes went on a 12-0 run to take an 18-7 lead on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0f9332ce-105f-4e61-a922-eaaa562d1d62?elinkdata=14938">Landon Wagler's</a> 3-pointer with 13:32 left in the first.

Wesleyan stretched the lead out to 14 with 4:33 left in the half on a 3-pointer by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/10c95052-1503-48d3-bb92-d9981923380f?elinkdata=14938">Caden Hale</a> before Waldorf cut the difference to 10 at the break.

KWU led by 12 with 17:16 left in the game when the Coyotes went on an 8-0 spurt to take a 53-33 lead on a three-point play by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c600be66-8599-4cc0-9ce3-5fcc8b64c674?elinkdata=14938">Evens Appolon</a> with 16:11 left.

The Warriors cut the difference to 12 again with 11:14 left and the Coyotes responded yet at again with a 10-0 run to take their biggest lead of the night at 70-48 on a 3-pointer by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/34dacf3b-e500-461f-9edc-5d6a14e9e4c4?elinkdata=14938">Carson Jones</a> with 9:48 to go.

Waldorf cut it to 11 with 1:25 left, but <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ab1bd04f-027f-421c-8867-9c3c4aef623e?elinkdata=14938">Easton Hunter's</a> 3-pointer with 55 seconds left ended any suspense as the Coyotes closed it out on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bef61e08-c07b-49de-b3fd-6d392f2eb864?elinkdata=14938">Jameer Clemons'</a> free throws with 14 seconds left.

KWU was 32 of 63 shooting for 50.8 percent and 9 of 14 from 3-point range for 64.3 percent and 12 of 16 at the line. Littlejohn's 19 led the Coyotes, while Hunter had 15 and Appolon 12 to go along with nine rebounds. KWU outrebounded Waldorf 42-26.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - Kansas Wesleyan's <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6417b91b-e77a-4eff-8fcf-008937c3a82a?elinkdata=14938">Alex Littlejohn</a> was one assist short of a triple-double on Friday night as the Coyotes beat the Waldorf Warriors 85-74 in the Morningside Classic at Allee Gym.Littlejohn, Wesleyan's all-everything player, finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists on the night.The Coyotes led 6-2 early in the game, but Waldorf took a brief 7-6 lead before the Coyotes went on a 12-0 run to take an 18-7 lead on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0f9332ce-105f-4e61-a922-eaaa562d1d62?elinkdata=14938">Landon Wagler's</a> 3-pointer with 13:32 left in the first.Wesleyan stretched the lead out to 14 with 4:33 left in the half on a 3-pointer by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/10c95052-1503-48d3-bb92-d9981923380f?elinkdata=14938">Caden Hale</a> before Waldorf cut the difference to 10 at the break.KWU led by 12 with 17:16 left in the game when the Coyotes went on an 8-0 spurt to take a 53-33 lead on a three-point play by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c600be66-8599-4cc0-9ce3-5fcc8b64c674?elinkdata=14938">Evens Appolon</a> with 16:11 left.The Warriors cut the difference to 12 again with 11:14 left and the Coyotes responded yet at again with a 10-0 run to take their biggest lead of the night at 70-48 on a 3-pointer by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/34dacf3b-e500-461f-9edc-5d6a14e9e4c4?elinkdata=14938">Carson Jones</a> with 9:48 to go.Waldorf cut it to 11 with 1:25 left, but <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/ab1bd04f-027f-421c-8867-9c3c4aef623e?elinkdata=14938">Easton Hunter's</a> 3-pointer with 55 seconds left ended any suspense as the Coyotes closed it out on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bef61e08-c07b-49de-b3fd-6d392f2eb864?elinkdata=14938">Jameer Clemons'</a> free throws with 14 seconds left.KWU was 32 of 63 shooting for 50.8 percent and 9 of 14 from 3-point range for 64.3 percent and 12 of 16 at the line. Littlejohn's 19 led the Coyotes, while Hunter had 15 and Appolon 12 to go along with nine rebounds. KWU outrebounded Waldorf 42-26.

Littlejohn flirts with triple-double as Men's Basketball beats Waldorf 85-74

WICHITA - Kansas Wesleyan Men's Soccer dropped a 2-0 decision to the Ottawa Braves on Friday afternoon inside the indoor facility at Scheels-Stryker Sports Complex.

The match was moved inside due to inclement weather outside.

The first goal of the match came in the 21st minute when Cale Scott took an initial shot at goal that was saved by KWU keeper <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1f48b9f7-1278-4dd2-9d66-d8fd90f831ec?elinkdata=14912">Santiago Pagnutti</a>, but Slobodan Novicevic was there to collect the rebound off the save and score it for the Braves.

The Coyotes had a chance in the 37th minute, but <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/155e2100-b55d-4ae2-8a3f-e3c6cf77a818?elinkdata=14912">Mika Wernicke's</a> shot hit the crossbar.

Wesleyan kept getting chances at a goal in the second half, but were denied. Ottawa keeper Marko de Sa Faria made countless outstanding saves on shots by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e42f2a1e-bd80-4dae-8766-d21135e7da74?elinkdata=14912">Kamille Kum</a> in the 50th and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/040a1575-dc00-45bf-a16c-c77a7583b5d2?elinkdata=14912">Seth Flores</a> in the 55th. The Ottawa defense also kept a shot by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3888b1fb-1c19-45a2-a505-090efe93b5da?elinkdata=14912">Mateo Hoyos</a> from scoring in the 59th minute.

Ottawa got its second goal in the 62nd minute by Alonso Basauri, on a play where it appeared a Brave player was offside but the flag did not go up and the goal stood.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1fbe593c-5d2d-4d6a-8392-1bc000655ae7?elinkdata=14912">Gerardo Garcia</a> had a shot hit the crossbar in the 84th minute on a direct and Wernicke's follow also missed for the Coyotes.

The shots were even 10-10 for each team. Wernicke, Garcia and Hoyos had two shots each for the Coyotes. Pagnutti had four saves in goal.

WICHITA - Kansas Wesleyan Men's Soccer dropped a 2-0 decision to the Ottawa Braves on Friday afternoon inside the indoor facility at Scheels-Stryker Sports Complex.The match was moved inside due to inclement weather outside.The first goal of the match came in the 21st minute when Cale Scott took an initial shot at goal that was saved by KWU keeper <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1f48b9f7-1278-4dd2-9d66-d8fd90f831ec?elinkdata=14912">Santiago Pagnutti</a>, but Slobodan Novicevic was there to collect the rebound off the save and score it for the Braves.The Coyotes had a chance in the 37th minute, but <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/155e2100-b55d-4ae2-8a3f-e3c6cf77a818?elinkdata=14912">Mika Wernicke's</a> shot hit the crossbar.Wesleyan kept getting chances at a goal in the second half, but were denied. Ottawa keeper Marko de Sa Faria made countless outstanding saves on shots by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e42f2a1e-bd80-4dae-8766-d21135e7da74?elinkdata=14912">Kamille Kum</a> in the 50th and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/040a1575-dc00-45bf-a16c-c77a7583b5d2?elinkdata=14912">Seth Flores</a> in the 55th. The Ottawa defense also kept a shot by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3888b1fb-1c19-45a2-a505-090efe93b5da?elinkdata=14912">Mateo Hoyos</a> from scoring in the 59th minute.Ottawa got its second goal in the 62nd minute by Alonso Basauri, on a play where it appeared a Brave player was offside but the flag did not go up and the goal stood.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/1fbe593c-5d2d-4d6a-8392-1bc000655ae7?elinkdata=14912">Gerardo Garcia</a> had a shot hit the crossbar in the 84th minute on a direct and Wernicke's follow also missed for the Coyotes.The shots were even 10-10 for each team. Wernicke, Garcia and Hoyos had two shots each for the Coyotes. Pagnutti had four saves in goal.

KWU MSOC falls to Ottawa 2-0 in KCAC Semifinals

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Hunter Dickinson had 20 points and 10 rebounds for No. 1 Kansas, which blew a 20-point first-half lead against No. 9 North Carolina before holding on for a 92-89 victory when the Tar Heels’ Elliot Cadeau missed a 3-pointer as time expired Friday night.

Zeke Mayo had 21 points and KJ Adams Jr had 14 for the Jayhawks (2-0), who led 49-29 in the first half but trailed 87-83 with 3:28 to go. Dickinson and Mayo responded with a series of baskets to tie the game at 89, and Dickinson’s basket with 1:15 to go and free throw with 12 seconds remaining made it a three-point game.

The Tar Heels (1-1) raced up the floor, but Cadeau’s 3 from the wing was contested and never had a chance.

Seth Trimble scored 19 points to lead North Carolina. RJ Davis had 16 points and Cadeau finished with 12.

It was just the 13th matchup of the Tar Heels and Jayhawks, and first since Kansas rallied from a 16-point deficit to win the 2022 national championship. The only other time they have met on campus was in 1960, when Larry Brown — who would later coach the Jayhawks to the 1988 title — helped the Tar Heels win in Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas made a repeat seem unlikely when it built a 20-point first-half lead.

But the Tar Heels trimmed the deficit in the second half, and Jae'Lyn Withers' 3-pointer gave them an 80-79 lead with 7:06 to go. The two bluebloods wrestled it away several other times before Kansas finally put the game away.

North Carolina stayed alive by getting to the basket and drawing fouls, ultimately going 28 of 31 from the line. But the lack of production in the paint was a big problem.

Kansas avoided what would have been the biggest blown-lead loss in school history.

Dickinson's basket inside with 1:15 left gave Kansas the lead, and the All-American center's free throw forced North Carolina into needing a 3-pointer to tie the game.

20 — The lead that Kansas had in the first half. And that the Tar Heels overcame in the second.

North Carolina plays American next Friday night. The Jayhawks play Michigan State on Tuesday night in Atlanta.

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 all season. Sign up&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apnews.com/newsletters">here</a>. AP college basketball:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball">https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731114962588.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Hunter Dickinson had 20 points and 10 rebounds for No. 1 Kansas, which blew a 20-point first-half lead against No. 9 North Carolina before holding on for a 92-89 victory when the Tar Heels’ Elliot Cadeau missed a 3-pointer as time expired Friday night.Zeke Mayo had 21 points and KJ Adams Jr had 14 for the Jayhawks (2-0), who led 49-29 in the first half but trailed 87-83 with 3:28 to go. Dickinson and Mayo responded with a series of baskets to tie the game at 89, and Dickinson’s basket with 1:15 to go and free throw with 12 seconds remaining made it a three-point game.The Tar Heels (1-1) raced up the floor, but Cadeau’s 3 from the wing was contested and never had a chance.Seth Trimble scored 19 points to lead North Carolina. RJ Davis had 16 points and Cadeau finished with 12.It was just the 13th matchup of the Tar Heels and Jayhawks, and first since Kansas rallied from a 16-point deficit to win the 2022 national championship. The only other time they have met on campus was in 1960, when Larry Brown — who would later coach the Jayhawks to the 1988 title — helped the Tar Heels win in Allen Fieldhouse.Kansas made a repeat seem unlikely when it built a 20-point first-half lead.But the Tar Heels trimmed the deficit in the second half, and Jae'Lyn Withers' 3-pointer gave them an 80-79 lead with 7:06 to go. The two bluebloods wrestled it away several other times before Kansas finally put the game away.<h2>Takeaways</h2>North Carolina stayed alive by getting to the basket and drawing fouls, ultimately going 28 of 31 from the line. But the lack of production in the paint was a big problem.Kansas avoided what would have been the biggest blown-lead loss in school history.<h2>Key moment</h2>Dickinson's basket inside with 1:15 left gave Kansas the lead, and the All-American center's free throw forced North Carolina into needing a 3-pointer to tie the game.<h2>Key stat</h2>20 — The lead that Kansas had in the first half. And that the Tar Heels overcame in the second.<h2>Up next</h2>North Carolina plays American next Friday night. The Jayhawks play Michigan State on Tuesday night in Atlanta.___Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 all season. Sign up&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apnews.com/newsletters">here</a>. AP college basketball:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball">https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball</a>

🏀 No. 1 Kansas holds on to beat No. 9 North Carolina

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

On a cold and dreary Friday night amidst rainy conditions, the Southeast of Saline Trojans remained as hot as ever, taking down the Norton Blue Jays 34-7 in a game they led from wire to wire.

Southeast remains perfect at 10-o on the year and will advance to the quarterfinal round for a rematch with Hoisington (6-4), who held off Haven tonight.

Norton meanwhile, sees its season draw to a close at 8-2.

“I was impressed with the way our players adapted to whatever needed to be done,” SES head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “Norton is a very good, well-coached team, and our guys played well tonight.”

From the opening kick, both teams knew that weather would play a role in this second-round matchup, which suited Southeast just fine.

“Our guys embraced the challenge of the weather,” Gebhardt said. “I didn’t hear a single person complain about the conditions.”

The Trojans took their opening drive right down the field, converting from 13 yards out on a touchdown run from Grady Gebhardt.

On the ensuing kickoff, Norton fumbled, giving excellent field position back to the Trojans, who immediately put the ball back in Gebhardt’s capable hands, leading to his second rushing score in as many drives.

That start would set the tone for the Trojans and Gebhardt, who finished his night just shy of 250 rushing yards.

Norton cut the deficit to one possession following a long, 14-play drive, but Southeast came right back as Gannon Jacobson got the passing game involved on a 20-yard strike to Malachi Hopkins.

After a stop, Jacobson would carry in the next score in himself, this time from the five-yard line on the ground to put SES ahead 28-7 at the intermission.

With a comfortable lead, the Trojan defense would do the rest, forcing a turnover on downs, a fumble, and a late interception to put the game on ice, with one last touchdown pass to Tucker Thaxton serving as the icing on the cake of yet another playoff victory.

When the final whistle was blown, the Trojans had held Norton, a team that averaged 363 yards and 36 points per game, to just 90 yards of total offense and 7 points.

Offensively, the Trojans looked completely unfazed by the wet conditions, and by playing away from home, finishing the night with 324 yards, including 243 from Gebhardt, and two passing touchdowns to complement three rushing scores.

The Trojans will host Hoisington in a grudge match next week as they look to avenge a loss against the team that ended their run in 2023.

Check out the full broadcast of tonight's game below!

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostOn a cold and dreary Friday night amidst rainy conditions, the Southeast of Saline Trojans remained as hot as ever, taking down the Norton Blue Jays 34-7 in a game they led from wire to wire.Southeast remains perfect at 10-o on the year and will advance to the quarterfinal round for a rematch with Hoisington (6-4), who held off Haven tonight.Norton meanwhile, sees its season draw to a close at 8-2.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715807615208.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>“I was impressed with the way our players adapted to whatever needed to be done,” SES head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “Norton is a very good, well-coached team, and our guys played well tonight.”From the opening kick, both teams knew that weather would play a role in this second-round matchup, which suited Southeast just fine.“Our guys embraced the challenge of the weather,” Gebhardt said. “I didn’t hear a single person complain about the conditions.”The Trojans took their opening drive right down the field, converting from 13 yards out on a touchdown run from Grady Gebhardt.On the ensuing kickoff, Norton fumbled, giving excellent field position back to the Trojans, who immediately put the ball back in Gebhardt’s capable hands, leading to his second rushing score in as many drives.That start would set the tone for the Trojans and Gebhardt, who finished his night just shy of 250 rushing yards.Norton cut the deficit to one possession following a long, 14-play drive, but Southeast came right back as Gannon Jacobson got the passing game involved on a 20-yard strike to Malachi Hopkins.After a stop, Jacobson would carry in the next score in himself, this time from the five-yard line on the ground to put SES ahead 28-7 at the intermission.With a comfortable lead, the Trojan defense would do the rest, forcing a turnover on downs, a fumble, and a late interception to put the game on ice, with one last touchdown pass to Tucker Thaxton serving as the icing on the cake of yet another playoff victory.When the final whistle was blown, the Trojans had held Norton, a team that averaged 363 yards and 36 points per game, to just 90 yards of total offense and 7 points.Offensively, the Trojans looked completely unfazed by the wet conditions, and by playing away from home, finishing the night with 324 yards, including 243 from Gebhardt, and two passing touchdowns to complement three rushing scores.The Trojans will host Hoisington in a grudge match next week as they look to avenge a loss against the team that ended their run in 2023.Check out the full broadcast of tonight's game 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/P8NP7Yd8Joc"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
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Trojan defense puts Norton on ice amidst cold conditions

The Salina Post Sports Friday Night Preview show returns for week ten, as Tyler Henry and Devin Hanney get you ready for another exciting week of high school football.

On this week's show we take a full look back at week nine, chat with Ell-Saline head coach Joe Roche, and get you ready for Southeast of Saline vs. Norton, and Ell-Saline vs. Madison.

<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YtOhCQCNsDY"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Salina Post Sports Friday Night Preview show returns for week ten, as Tyler Henry and Devin Hanney get you ready for another exciting week of high school football.On this week's show we take a full look back at week nine, chat with Ell-Saline head coach Joe Roche, and get you ready for Southeast of Saline vs. Norton, and Ell-Saline vs. Madison.

Salina Post Sports Friday Night Preview: Week Ten

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, as far as the injuries go, JuJu (Smith-Schuster) will be the only one that’s out, everybody else practiced. Turk (Tershawn Wharton) practiced today so, good thing he’s out there. (We) look forward to the challenge of playing Denver, they’re – we know they’re a good football team so look forward to getting here in GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in front of our crowd. Anyways, with that, time’s yours.”

Q: Do you think everybody will be good to play on Sunday?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think so. Yeah, I mean right now – we’ll see how it plays out.”

Q: How has Patrick Mahomes done with his ankle this week?

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesNovember 8, 2024HEAD COACH ANDY REIDOPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, as far as the injuries go, JuJu (Smith-Schuster) will be the only one that’s out, everybody else practiced. Turk (Tershawn Wharton) practiced today so, good thing he’s out there. (We) look forward to the challenge of playing Denver, they’re – we know they’re a good football team so look forward to getting here in GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in front of our crowd. Anyways, with that, time’s yours.”Q: Do you think everybody will be good to play on Sunday?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think so. Yeah, I mean right now – we’ll see how it plays out.”Q: How has Patrick Mahomes done with his ankle this week?

Chiefs Quotes: 11-8-24

After stumbling to their first and only loss in week one, the Ell-Saline Cardinals have been putting on a show, rattling off eight straight wins and rolling into the second round of the 8-Man Division I playoffs ranked 5th in the state.

Ell-Saline wasted no time dispatching of Mankato Rock Hills in their playoff opener, eliminating the Grizzlies 56-8 in a game that saw Kas Kramer find the end zone eight times on five rushing touchdowns, a receiving touchdown and two scoop and scores.

That dominant victory was simply a by-product of what the Cardinals have grown into over the course of the season, and as the playoffs heat up, Ell-Saline continues putting its best football on the field week after week.

“I’ve been impressed by our progression throughout the course of the year,” Ell-Saline head coach Joe Roche said. “We’ve been on the same page a lot more here at the end of the year than we were early and our defense has really come around. I knew our defensive line was going to be good and I knew our secondary play would be strong but I had my doubts about our linebackers and those guys have really bought in and played well.”

That defensive unit has been one of the more underrated groups in 8-man this year, holding opponents to just ten points per game over the last seven weeks.

That stretch included a 38-36 win over state-ranked Little River, and an unexpected 58-12 shellacking of formerly state-ranked Central Plains.

With one playoff win already under its belt, the Cardinals (8-1) turn their attention to the Madison Bulldogs (6-3) in the second round this week.

The Bulldogs confidently took care of Ceder Vale-Dexter 54-14 at home last week, and will be hungry to return to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2021.

“Madison has some athletes at their skill positions and they have some big boys up front,” Roche said. “It’s going to be imperative not to let them build up steam and swallow us up and we need to use our speed and quickness to our advantage and control the point of attack.”

Kickoff between the Cardinals and Bulldogs is set for 6:00 in Brookville, the winner will advance to the quarterfinals to play either Oswego (7-2) or Clifton-Clyde (7-2).

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostAfter stumbling to their first and only loss in week one, the Ell-Saline Cardinals have been putting on a show, rattling off eight straight wins and rolling into the second round of the 8-Man Division I playoffs ranked 5th in the state.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715807615208.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Ell-Saline wasted no time dispatching of Mankato Rock Hills in their playoff opener, eliminating the Grizzlies 56-8 in a game that saw Kas Kramer find the end zone eight times on five rushing touchdowns, a receiving touchdown and two scoop and scores.That dominant victory was simply a by-product of what the Cardinals have grown into over the course of the season, and as the playoffs heat up, Ell-Saline continues putting its best football on the field week after week.“I’ve been impressed by our progression throughout the course of the year,” Ell-Saline head coach Joe Roche said. “We’ve been on the same page a lot more here at the end of the year than we were early and our defense has really come around. I knew our defensive line was going to be good and I knew our secondary play would be strong but I had my doubts about our linebackers and those guys have really bought in and played well.”That defensive unit has been one of the more underrated groups in 8-man this year, holding opponents to just ten points per game over the last seven weeks.That stretch included a 38-36 win over state-ranked Little River, and an unexpected 58-12 shellacking of formerly state-ranked Central Plains.With one playoff win already under its belt, the Cardinals (8-1) turn their attention to the Madison Bulldogs (6-3) in the second round this week.The Bulldogs confidently took care of Ceder Vale-Dexter 54-14 at home last week, and will be hungry to return to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2021.“Madison has some athletes at their skill positions and they have some big boys up front,” Roche said. “It’s going to be imperative not to let them build up steam and swallow us up and we need to use our speed and quickness to our advantage and control the point of attack.”Kickoff between the Cardinals and Bulldogs is set for 6:00 in Brookville, the winner will advance to the quarterfinals to play either Oswego (7-2) or Clifton-Clyde (7-2).

🏈 Cardinals welcome in Madison for second round showdown

After steamrolling Larned 76-12 to open their playoff push, the Southeast of Saline football team will turn its attention to a fellow contender from 2023 when they welcome in the Norton Blue Jays.

The Trojans have been firing on all cylinders from the word go and enter this pivotal matchup at 9-0 while Norton comes in at 8-1 with their lone loss coming at the hands of Phillipsburg.

Southeast played arguably its best game a week ago, opening the playoffs with a beatdown that saw them score 70 points in the first half after falling behind on the first drive of the game.

“I felt like our kids were ready and locked in even before the game,” SES head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “They understand that we’re in playoff mode and that showed in the way we practiced. Our kids are playing with a lot of confidence right now. We were upset that we got scored on but nobody flinched and we just kept playing.”

To advance to the state quarterfinals for a fifth straight season, the Trojans will have to take down a perennial power in Norton, who somehow managed to slide to third place in their district despite finishing the regular season at 7-1.

“Norton is a very good football team,” Gebhardt said. “They’re very solid up front, they have a seasoned quarterback, good receivers and a back that does a good job of running the football. Defensively they present a lot of problems for people, we have a real battle ahead of us.”

The Norton offense runs through senior quarterback Eli Jones, who has put up ridiculous numbers in 2024, completing 59% of his passes for 1,467 yards, 12 touchdowns and only 3 picks, while also leading the running game with another 628 yards and 16 more touchdowns.

Norton’s defense will have to contend with Southeast’s own powerhouse offense, which sees Gannon Jacobson leading the way with exactly 1,467 passing yards of his own, and 30 total touchdowns to nine interceptions.

Grady Gebhardt has been a force on the ground for Southeast, racking up 889 yards and nine touchdowns on 106 carries, while Tucker Thaxton has roasted secondaries, hauling in 50 catches for 712 yards and 11 touchdowns.

All of this, coupled with a defense that has allowed less than ten points per game all season, has created a seemingly unstoppable brand of football that will be put to one of its toughest tests this week.

“We have to take care of the football in a game like this and continue to get first downs to keep their high-powered offense off the field,” Gebhardt said. “Defensively we have to rally to the football and take care of our responsibilities. In close ballgames a special teams play here and there can also make the difference so we have to be solid in all facets of the game.”

Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 at Kansas Wesleyan’s JRI Stadium in Salina, and as always, can be streamed with live video and commentary on Salina Post by clicking <a href="https://youtube.com/live/Y7ne-t35IT8">HERE</a>, or heard on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM).

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostAfter steamrolling Larned 76-12 to open their playoff push, the Southeast of Saline football team will turn its attention to a fellow contender from 2023 when they welcome in the Norton Blue Jays.The Trojans have been firing on all cylinders from the word go and enter this pivotal matchup at 9-0 while Norton comes in at 8-1 with their lone loss coming at the hands of Phillipsburg.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715807615208.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Southeast played arguably its best game a week ago, opening the playoffs with a beatdown that saw them score 70 points in the first half after falling behind on the first drive of the game.“I felt like our kids were ready and locked in even before the game,” SES head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “They understand that we’re in playoff mode and that showed in the way we practiced. Our kids are playing with a lot of confidence right now. We were upset that we got scored on but nobody flinched and we just kept playing.”To advance to the state quarterfinals for a fifth straight season, the Trojans will have to take down a perennial power in Norton, who somehow managed to slide to third place in their district despite finishing the regular season at 7-1.“Norton is a very good football team,” Gebhardt said. “They’re very solid up front, they have a seasoned quarterback, good receivers and a back that does a good job of running the football. Defensively they present a lot of problems for people, we have a real battle ahead of us.”The Norton offense runs through senior quarterback Eli Jones, who has put up ridiculous numbers in 2024, completing 59% of his passes for 1,467 yards, 12 touchdowns and only 3 picks, while also leading the running game with another 628 yards and 16 more touchdowns.Norton’s defense will have to contend with Southeast’s own powerhouse offense, which sees Gannon Jacobson leading the way with exactly 1,467 passing yards of his own, and 30 total touchdowns to nine interceptions.Grady Gebhardt has been a force on the ground for Southeast, racking up 889 yards and nine touchdowns on 106 carries, while Tucker Thaxton has roasted secondaries, hauling in 50 catches for 712 yards and 11 touchdowns.All of this, coupled with a defense that has allowed less than ten points per game all season, has created a seemingly unstoppable brand of football that will be put to one of its toughest tests this week.“We have to take care of the football in a game like this and continue to get first downs to keep their high-powered offense off the field,” Gebhardt said. “Defensively we have to rally to the football and take care of our responsibilities. In close ballgames a special teams play here and there can also make the difference so we have to be solid in all facets of the game.”Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 at Kansas Wesleyan’s JRI Stadium in Salina, and as always, can be streamed with live video and commentary on Salina Post by clicking <a href="https://youtube.com/live/Y7ne-t35IT8">HERE</a>, or heard on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM).

🏈 Trojans host Norton on campus of KWU in 2A postseason clash

The Southeast of Saline cross country teams posted another pair of podium finishes over the weekend, with the boy’s team finishing runner-up and the girl's team coming in third at state in Lawrence.

On the boys side, the Trojans finished just 21 points shy of the mark to beat set by Holcomb, and 14 points ahead of the defending champs in Wichita Trinity, led on the day by Brayden Walker, who returned to the course to finish 12th after missing several races due to injury.

“I was really excited for the boys,” SES head cross country coach Wade Caselman said. “After not having Brayden for a couple of weeks, we didn’t know where he would be physically but for him to end up being our number one runner was very exciting and the whole team performed well.”

On the girl’s side, the Lady Trojans were favored, but battled some adversity of their own, sliding to third place in a field that saw the top three teams separated by just five points.

Freshman Ava McGraw led the way for the girls with a strong 24th-place finish.

“I thought our girls did a really good job,” Caselman said. “We were hoping to pull off that five-peat, but unfortunately we had some girls come down with some illness that affected their performance. Even despite that to be five points out of first place is an exciting result and I’m proud of the way they ran all season.”

Of the group of runners who took to the course at state, Southeast will lose just two seniors in Cali Augustine and Jacob Tonne, and should be a force to be reckoned with when the 2025 season gets underway.

“We’re going to miss our seniors but we’ve got some young kids that should be able to step into those roles and the kids we had running this year are only going to get stronger,” he said. “We’re really excited about the future.”

Full results from this year’s state meet can be found below.

3A GIRLS TEAM RESULTS 1. Hesston - 104 2. Wichita Trinity - 105 3. SE of Saline - 109 4. Norton - 133 5. Scott City - 145 6. West Franklin - 151 7. Hiawatha - 175 8. Southwestern Height - 178 9. Jayhawk Linn - 199

SE OF SALINE GIRLS RESULTS 24. Ava McGraw (20:39.83) 28. Cali Augustine (20:46.91) 39. Anna Jackson (21:33.46) 45. Regan Duran (21:46.29) 50. Piper Brown (21:54.76) 54. Alea Barnaby (22:07.26) 69. Layla Lund (22:56.68)

3A BOYS TEAM RESULTS 1. Holcomb - 58 2. SE of Saline - 79 3. Wichita Trinity - 93 4. West Franklin - 113 5. Lakin - 124 6. Scott City - 150 T7. Girard - 201 T7. Santa Fe Trail - 201 9. Nemaha Central - 214 10. Jayhawk Linn - 234

SE OF SALINE BOYS RESULTS 12. Brayden Walker (16:47.34) 15. Jacob Bircher (16:52.44) 19. Jacob Tonne (17:05.36) 34. Zach Carlin (17:32.02) 35. Brooks Carlin (17:32.28) 43. Cole Franklin (17:43.55) 78. Caleb Knopf (18:42.26)

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Southeast of Saline cross country teams posted another pair of podium finishes over the weekend, with the boy’s team finishing runner-up and the girl's team coming in third at state in Lawrence.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715807615208.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>On the boys side, the Trojans finished just 21 points shy of the mark to beat set by Holcomb, and 14 points ahead of the defending champs in Wichita Trinity, led on the day by Brayden Walker, who returned to the course to finish 12th after missing several races due to injury.“I was really excited for the boys,” SES head cross country coach Wade Caselman said. “After not having Brayden for a couple of weeks, we didn’t know where he would be physically but for him to end up being our number one runner was very exciting and the whole team performed well.”On the girl’s side, the Lady Trojans were favored, but battled some adversity of their own, sliding to third place in a field that saw the top three teams separated by just five points.Freshman Ava McGraw led the way for the girls with a strong 24th-place finish.“I thought our girls did a really good job,” Caselman said. “We were hoping to pull off that five-peat, but unfortunately we had some girls come down with some illness that affected their performance. Even despite that to be five points out of first place is an exciting result and I’m proud of the way they ran all season.”Of the group of runners who took to the course at state, Southeast will lose just two seniors in Cali Augustine and Jacob Tonne, and should be a force to be reckoned with when the 2025 season gets underway.“We’re going to miss our seniors but we’ve got some young kids that should be able to step into those roles and the kids we had running this year are only going to get stronger,” he said. “We’re really excited about the future.”Full results from this year’s state meet can be found below.3A GIRLS TEAM RESULTS 1. Hesston - 104 2. Wichita Trinity - 105 3. SE of Saline - 109 4. Norton - 133 5. Scott City - 145 6. West Franklin - 151 7. Hiawatha - 175 8. Southwestern Height - 178 9. Jayhawk Linn - 199SE OF SALINE GIRLS RESULTS 24. Ava McGraw (20:39.83) 28. Cali Augustine (20:46.91) 39. Anna Jackson (21:33.46) 45. Regan Duran (21:46.29) 50. Piper Brown (21:54.76) 54. Alea Barnaby (22:07.26) 69. Layla Lund (22:56.68)3A BOYS TEAM RESULTS 1. Holcomb - 58 2. SE of Saline - 79 3. Wichita Trinity - 93 4. West Franklin - 113 5. Lakin - 124 6. Scott City - 150 T7. Girard - 201 T7. Santa Fe Trail - 201 9. Nemaha Central - 214 10. Jayhawk Linn - 234SE OF SALINE BOYS RESULTS 12. Brayden Walker (16:47.34) 15. Jacob Bircher (16:52.44) 19. Jacob Tonne (17:05.36) 34. Zach Carlin (17:32.02) 35. Brooks Carlin (17:32.28) 43. Cole Franklin (17:43.55) 78. Caleb Knopf (18:42.26)

SES XC Posts pair of podium finishes at state

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Using a strong first half from Temira Poindexter, (13/13) K-State eased past Belmont, 82-56, at Bramlage Coliseum on Thursday night.

Poindexter led all scorers with 23 points, including 19 in the first half which featured five 3-pointers. The forward from Sapulpa, Oklahoma, finished 9-of-16 from the field including 5-of-11 from long range. She also filled up her stat line with four rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.

Senior forward Kennedy Taylor made her first K-State start and responded with 18 points, including 12 in the second half, on 6-of-10 shooting and a 6-of-8 effort from the foul line and hauled in five rebounds.

Sophomore guard Zyanna Walker carded 14 points, five assists, six rebounds and three steals, while senior guard Jaelyn Glenn notched 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.

- K-State (2-0) used a 15-2 run midway through the first quarter to build a 19-10 lead before Belmont (0-1) cut the deficit to three, 19-16, at the end of the frame. Poindexter registered six of K-State’s 15 points during the run.

- The Wildcats used a 12-0 run to begin the second quarter to boost its lead to 31-16 with 5:48 remaining in the opening half. Poindexter registered eight of the 12 points during the run, carding her fourth 3-pointer of the first half with 6:11 to play.

- Poindexter cashed in her fifth 3-pointer of the first half with 3:14 remaining and followed with a fastbreak layup with 2:43 left to give the Wildcats their halftime lead of 42-24.

- A three-point play from Walker with 6:50 to play in the third quarter gave the Wildcats their largest of the night at 22, 50-28.

- After the Bruins narrowed the deficit to 15, 50-35, the Wildcats used a 12-3 run to close the third quarter to build a 65-40 lead. Taylor scored eight of the final 12 points of the frame for K-State.

- In the fourth quarter, K-State would shoot over 50.0 percent (54.5 percent) for the second time on Thursday night and edge the Bruins in the frame, 17-16.

- The Wildcats finished the night shooting 51.7 percent (31-of-60) from the field including 40.9 percent (9-of-22) from deep.

- K-State held Belmont to 31.3 percent (21-of-67) shooting including 18.2 percent (4-of-22) from long range.

- K-State and Belmont met for the first time in the series. The Wildcats are 45-14 against current members of the Missouri Valley Conference.

- K-State is 398-156 (.718) in its 37-season history inside Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats own a 231-30 (.885) record against non-conference opponents inside Bramlage.

- K-State owns a record of 250-95 (.725) as an AP ranked team. K-State is 17-3 (.850) all-time when ranked 13th in the nation.

- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 646-370 (.636) in his 33 seasons as a head coach, including a mark of 192-135 (.587) in his 11 seasons at K-State. Mittie is 402-113 (.781) in games played in his home venue, including a 128-48 (.727) mark in Bramlage Coliseum.

- The Wildcats are 162-54 (.750) in games played in the month of November, including wins in 50 of its last 61 games in the month. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 48-11 (.814) in games during the 11th&nbsp;month.

- K-State's starting five consisted of guards: Zyanna Walker, Jaelyn Glenn and Serena Sundell; forward Temira Poindexter and forward Kennedy Taylor. This was the 105th career start for Sundell, the 101st career start for Jaelyn Glenn, the 89th&nbsp;career collegiate start and second at K-State for Poindexter, the second career start for Walker and the 42nd&nbsp;career start for Taylor and her first at K-State.

- The Wildcats held a 42-24 lead at halftime on Thursday. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 152-19 (.889) when leading at halftime.

- K-State shot 50.0 percent or better in a quarter twice on Thursday night (second and fourth frames). The Wildcats have four quarters of 50.0 percent or better shooting this season.

- The Wildcats handed out 21 assists on Thursday. Over the last 17 seasons, K-State is 94-8 (.922) when handing out 20 or more assists in a game.

- K-State pulled in 41 rebounds on Thursday to outrebounds Belmont (41-37). Over the last four seasons, K-State is 44-3 (.936) when holding the advantage on the glass.

- Poindexter tallied her 37th&nbsp;career game with 20 or more points and her 82nd career game with 10 or more points. She improved her collegiate point total to 1,609.

- Poindexter made five 3-pointers on Thursday. This was her 16th&nbsp;career game with four or more connections from long range and her 56th&nbsp;time with two or more. She is the first Wildcat to make five or more 3-pointers in a game since Gabby Gregory at Washington on March 24, 2023.

- Poindexter collected two steals, which was her 28th&nbsp;career game and second at K-State with two or more steals.

- Poindexter sent back two shots on Thursday. She owns 42 career games with two or more blocks.

- Taylor registered her 45th&nbsp;career game with 10 or more points.

- Walker recorded her 12th&nbsp;career game, all at K-State, with 10 or more points.

- Walker dished out five assists, her fourth career game with five or more assists and her second this season.

- Walker owns 12 career games with two or more steals.

- Glenn scored 10 or more points in a game for the 41st time in her career. She needs 118 points to reach 1,000 career points.

- Glenn made two 3-pointers on Thursday. This was her 49th career game with two or more connections from long range. She needs six connections to move into 10th on the K-State career 3-point field goals made list.

- Glenn pulled in five rebounds, her 46th career game with five or more rebounds. She needs 31 rebounds to move into the top-30 in school history for career rebounds.

- Glenn dished out four assists. She needs 14 assists to move into 25th&nbsp;on the K-State career assists list.

- Glenn pocketed two steals on Monday. This was her 60th career game with two or more steals. Glenn passed Mariah White (2009-13; 209) for ninth on the K-State career steals list with 210.

- Sundell’s six assists on Thursday improved her career total to 558 and ranks fourth in school history for career assists. This was her 66th&nbsp;career game with five or more assists.

“Good win for our group tonight. I thought we did some good things. Poindexter got off to a great start in the first half. I thought defensively we gave up the early threes to 35, she really got the first couple, but we did a great job on 14 tonight. She comes into the game as a really, really good shooter. We don't give her anything from three tonight. I thought for the most part, we have pretty good communication, even though we had some players that were maybe playing a little different spot or maybe some extended minutes, I thought overall, this is a really good win for us.”

On much of the early season production coming from the transfer portal…

“It's the way of college athletics now. Well, 70% of our roster is players that started with us. Every year, there's going to be needs that you've got to be able to fill in the transfer portal. Hopefully those needs come from graduation, and that's how our needs have come, but you don't always know, and you've just got to be ready. So credit to my staff for doing a good job of identifying who fits what I'm looking for, and who fits all of the things that we want in a player, not just on the basketball floor, but work ethic, chemistry wise, character, all the above.”

On [Ayoke] Lee and [Taryn] Sides’ potential returns from injuries…

“Yoki ecould have gone in tonight but I just would feel better if she wasn’t 85% and I think that she'll be really, really good here through the weekend, and that'll give her good practice time. Taryn, I think will be the same way. I think it'll be good to have&nbsp; the weekend, and then hopefully we won't have any lingering effects after that.”

On Tamira Poindexter’s play this season…

“She seems just so effortless at times out there, right? And very instinctual and smart. She is picking up things that we're wanting her to pick up. And I noticed that right away in the summer, when we were going through a lot of plays, she was out there with veterans, and we're running an action that we've run, so everybody knows it, and she didn't take long to pick it up. So all those things come to mind. I've been impressed with her from the start of just how she wanted to acclimate herself with her teammates. I did want her to be more aggressive, but that hasn't been a problem in the first two games. I think she's found the right balance of aggressiveness and making the right play. There are things she needs to improve, she's got improved defensively. She had a stretch tonight where I didn't think she played through fatigue very well. She's got to play through that fatigue better. She was forced into a more ball handling role tonight, and I thought she did a pretty good job for the most part.”

On Kennedy Taylor replicating some of the things Ayoka Lee does…

“I think we could stay with some of it. But what was challenging tonight about staying with some of it was the other lineups that we had on the floor. But you did see in the second half where we were able to run some stuff that has been bread and butter for Ayoka [Lee], because she is strong down low, and when she has an advantage down there, she does a pretty good job of using it.”

K-State Senior Forward Temira Poindexter

On embracing her new role with Kansas State…

“It's better than what I envisioned. I really am enjoying my time here, and I'm just very grateful to be here and be able to play with the teammates that I’ve met, and I feel like we're gonna be good this year.

“I just have to give it up to my teammates for finding me, giving me good passes, and letting me get in my rhythm. So that's a lot to do with it.”

K-State Sophomore Guard Zyanna Walker

On gaining more minutes through the loss of depth…

“Yeah, losing Taryn (Sides) we lost a ball handler so that makes it harder out there. We ended up playing more minutes, so I feel like that's good for us going into the season and getting that cardio, endurance, and learning to play through fatigue, but we definitely missed her tonight for sure.”

On playing without Ayoka Lee in the offense…

“Yeah, it really stresses that we need to stay in front of the ball because we don't have her to send out of the paint. Rebounding–everybody has to rebound. Everybody has to box out. It really makes it hard on offense too, because we have to score, and we probably have to hit more outside shots. “

On potential with team depth this year…

“I think this team's potential is very high, just because of our depth. People were out who usually play a lot today, but we were able to hold it down and I still think we look pretty good out there. It's good for us to work through it early.”

The Wildcats continue its five-game home stand on Thursday, November 14 at 5:30 p.m., as K-State hosts Creighton. Thursday is a doubleheader night with the men’s basketball game against LSU following at 8 p.m. Thursday’s game is Purple Pride Night, as fans are encouraged to wear purple. For tickets, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or call (800) 221-CATS.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;Using a strong first half from Temira Poindexter, (13/13) K-State eased past Belmont, 82-56, at Bramlage Coliseum on Thursday night.Poindexter led all scorers with 23 points, including 19 in the first half which featured five 3-pointers. The forward from Sapulpa, Oklahoma, finished 9-of-16 from the field including 5-of-11 from long range. She also filled up her stat line with four rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.Senior forward Kennedy Taylor made her first K-State start and responded with 18 points, including 12 in the second half, on 6-of-10 shooting and a 6-of-8 effort from the foul line and hauled in five rebounds.Sophomore guard Zyanna Walker carded 14 points, five assists, six rebounds and three steals, while senior guard Jaelyn Glenn notched 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.HOW IT HAPPENED- K-State (2-0) used a 15-2 run midway through the first quarter to build a 19-10 lead before Belmont (0-1) cut the deficit to three, 19-16, at the end of the frame. Poindexter registered six of K-State’s 15 points during the run.- The Wildcats used a 12-0 run to begin the second quarter to boost its lead to 31-16 with 5:48 remaining in the opening half. Poindexter registered eight of the 12 points during the run, carding her fourth 3-pointer of the first half with 6:11 to play.- Poindexter cashed in her fifth 3-pointer of the first half with 3:14 remaining and followed with a fastbreak layup with 2:43 left to give the Wildcats their halftime lead of 42-24.- A three-point play from Walker with 6:50 to play in the third quarter gave the Wildcats their largest of the night at 22, 50-28.- After the Bruins narrowed the deficit to 15, 50-35, the Wildcats used a 12-3 run to close the third quarter to build a 65-40 lead. Taylor scored eight of the final 12 points of the frame for K-State.- In the fourth quarter, K-State would shoot over 50.0 percent (54.5 percent) for the second time on Thursday night and edge the Bruins in the frame, 17-16.- The Wildcats finished the night shooting 51.7 percent (31-of-60) from the field including 40.9 percent (9-of-22) from deep.- K-State held Belmont to 31.3 percent (21-of-67) shooting including 18.2 percent (4-of-22) from long range.QUICK FACTS- K-State and Belmont met for the first time in the series. The Wildcats are 45-14 against current members of the Missouri Valley Conference.- K-State is 398-156 (.718) in its 37-season history inside Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats own a 231-30 (.885) record against non-conference opponents inside Bramlage.- K-State owns a record of 250-95 (.725) as an AP ranked team. K-State is 17-3 (.850) all-time when ranked 13th in the nation.- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie owns a career record of 646-370 (.636) in his 33 seasons as a head coach, including a mark of 192-135 (.587) in his 11 seasons at K-State. Mittie is 402-113 (.781) in games played in his home venue, including a 128-48 (.727) mark in Bramlage Coliseum.- The Wildcats are 162-54 (.750) in games played in the month of November, including wins in 50 of its last 61 games in the month. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 48-11 (.814) in games during the 11th&nbsp;month.TEAM NOTES- K-State's starting five consisted of guards: Zyanna Walker, Jaelyn Glenn and Serena Sundell; forward Temira Poindexter and forward Kennedy Taylor. This was the 105th career start for Sundell, the 101st career start for Jaelyn Glenn, the 89th&nbsp;career collegiate start and second at K-State for Poindexter, the second career start for Walker and the 42nd&nbsp;career start for Taylor and her first at K-State.- The Wildcats held a 42-24 lead at halftime on Thursday. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 152-19 (.889) when leading at halftime.- K-State shot 50.0 percent or better in a quarter twice on Thursday night (second and fourth frames). The Wildcats have four quarters of 50.0 percent or better shooting this season.- The Wildcats handed out 21 assists on Thursday. Over the last 17 seasons, K-State is 94-8 (.922) when handing out 20 or more assists in a game.- K-State pulled in 41 rebounds on Thursday to outrebounds Belmont (41-37). Over the last four seasons, K-State is 44-3 (.936) when holding the advantage on the glass.PLAYER NOTES- Poindexter tallied her 37th&nbsp;career game with 20 or more points and her 82nd career game with 10 or more points. She improved her collegiate point total to 1,609.- Poindexter made five 3-pointers on Thursday. This was her 16th&nbsp;career game with four or more connections from long range and her 56th&nbsp;time with two or more. She is the first Wildcat to make five or more 3-pointers in a game since Gabby Gregory at Washington on March 24, 2023.- Poindexter collected two steals, which was her 28th&nbsp;career game and second at K-State with two or more steals.- Poindexter sent back two shots on Thursday. She owns 42 career games with two or more blocks.- Taylor registered her 45th&nbsp;career game with 10 or more points.- Walker recorded her 12th&nbsp;career game, all at K-State, with 10 or more points.- Walker dished out five assists, her fourth career game with five or more assists and her second this season.- Walker owns 12 career games with two or more steals.- Glenn scored 10 or more points in a game for the 41st time in her career. She needs 118 points to reach 1,000 career points.- Glenn made two 3-pointers on Thursday. This was her 49th career game with two or more connections from long range. She needs six connections to move into 10th on the K-State career 3-point field goals made list.- Glenn pulled in five rebounds, her 46th career game with five or more rebounds. She needs 31 rebounds to move into the top-30 in school history for career rebounds.- Glenn dished out four assists. She needs 14 assists to move into 25th&nbsp;on the K-State career assists list.- Glenn pocketed two steals on Monday. This was her 60th career game with two or more steals. Glenn passed Mariah White (2009-13; 209) for ninth on the K-State career steals list with 210.- Sundell’s six assists on Thursday improved her career total to 558 and ranks fourth in school history for career assists. This was her 66th&nbsp;career game with five or more assists.FROM THE HEAD COACHK-State Head Coach Jeff MittieOpening Statement…“Good win for our group tonight. I thought we did some good things. Poindexter got off to a great start in the first half. I thought defensively we gave up the early threes to 35, she really got the first couple, but we did a great job on 14 tonight. She comes into the game as a really, really good shooter. We don't give her anything from three tonight. I thought for the most part, we have pretty good communication, even though we had some players that were maybe playing a little different spot or maybe some extended minutes, I thought overall, this is a really good win for us.”On much of the early season production coming from the transfer portal…“It's the way of college athletics now. Well, 70% of our roster is players that started with us. Every year, there's going to be needs that you've got to be able to fill in the transfer portal. Hopefully those needs come from graduation, and that's how our needs have come, but you don't always know, and you've just got to be ready. So credit to my staff for doing a good job of identifying who fits what I'm looking for, and who fits all of the things that we want in a player, not just on the basketball floor, but work ethic, chemistry wise, character, all the above.”On [Ayoke] Lee and [Taryn] Sides’ potential returns from injuries…“Yoki ecould have gone in tonight but I just would feel better if she wasn’t 85% and I think that she'll be really, really good here through the weekend, and that'll give her good practice time. Taryn, I think will be the same way. I think it'll be good to have&nbsp; the weekend, and then hopefully we won't have any lingering effects after that.”On Tamira Poindexter’s play this season…“She seems just so effortless at times out there, right? And very instinctual and smart. She is picking up things that we're wanting her to pick up. And I noticed that right away in the summer, when we were going through a lot of plays, she was out there with veterans, and we're running an action that we've run, so everybody knows it, and she didn't take long to pick it up. So all those things come to mind. I've been impressed with her from the start of just how she wanted to acclimate herself with her teammates. I did want her to be more aggressive, but that hasn't been a problem in the first two games. I think she's found the right balance of aggressiveness and making the right play. There are things she needs to improve, she's got improved defensively. She had a stretch tonight where I didn't think she played through fatigue very well. She's got to play through that fatigue better. She was forced into a more ball handling role tonight, and I thought she did a pretty good job for the most part.”On Kennedy Taylor replicating some of the things Ayoka Lee does…“I think we could stay with some of it. But what was challenging tonight about staying with some of it was the other lineups that we had on the floor. But you did see in the second half where we were able to run some stuff that has been bread and butter for Ayoka [Lee], because she is strong down low, and when she has an advantage down there, she does a pretty good job of using it.”FROM THE FLOORK-State Senior Forward Temira PoindexterOn embracing her new role with Kansas State…“It's better than what I envisioned. I really am enjoying my time here, and I'm just very grateful to be here and be able to play with the teammates that I’ve met, and I feel like we're gonna be good this year.On her 23-point performance…“I just have to give it up to my teammates for finding me, giving me good passes, and letting me get in my rhythm. So that's a lot to do with it.”K-State Sophomore Guard Zyanna WalkerOn gaining more minutes through the loss of depth…“Yeah, losing Taryn (Sides) we lost a ball handler so that makes it harder out there. We ended up playing more minutes, so I feel like that's good for us going into the season and getting that cardio, endurance, and learning to play through fatigue, but we definitely missed her tonight for sure.”On playing without Ayoka Lee in the offense…“Yeah, it really stresses that we need to stay in front of the ball because we don't have her to send out of the paint. Rebounding–everybody has to rebound. Everybody has to box out. It really makes it hard on offense too, because we have to score, and we probably have to hit more outside shots. “On potential with team depth this year…“I think this team's potential is very high, just because of our depth. People were out who usually play a lot today, but we were able to hold it down and I still think we look pretty good out there. It's good for us to work through it early.”UP NEXTThe Wildcats continue its five-game home stand on Thursday, November 14 at 5:30 p.m., as K-State hosts Creighton. Thursday is a doubleheader night with the men’s basketball game against LSU following at 8 p.m. Thursday’s game is Purple Pride Night, as fans are encouraged to wear purple. For tickets, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or call (800) 221-CATS.

#13 K-State WBB Sails Past Belmont

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;For the fourth time in her career, K-State senior center Ayoka Lee has been named to the Los Angeles Athletic Club John R. Wooden Award, presented by Principal, Preseason Women’s Top 50 Watch List.

Lee was previously named to the Wooden Award Watch List in the 2021, 2022 and 2024 seasons. The product of Byron, Minnesota, was named to the Wood Award National Ballot in the 2022 and 2024 seasons.

The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2025 John R. Wooden Award® Women’s Player of the Year. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award®. Wooden Award™ voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during the tournament’s early round games. The Wooden Award All-American Team™ will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2025 John R. Wooden Award®, presented by Principal, will be presented at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on April 11, 2025.

Lee adds Thursday’s recognition to her preseason haul of honors which includes: Associated Press All-America honorable mention selection, preseason All-America Second Team honors from The Athletic, selection to the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Women’s Player of the Year Watch List, 2024-25 Lisa Leslie Award Watch List and being named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year by the league’s coaches and her unanimous selection to the preseason All-Big 12 team.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;–&nbsp;For the fourth time in her career, K-State senior center Ayoka Lee has been named to the Los Angeles Athletic Club John R. Wooden Award, presented by Principal, Preseason Women’s Top 50 Watch List.Lee was previously named to the Wooden Award Watch List in the 2021, 2022 and 2024 seasons. The product of Byron, Minnesota, was named to the Wood Award National Ballot in the 2022 and 2024 seasons.The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2025 John R. Wooden Award® Women’s Player of the Year. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award®. Wooden Award™ voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during the tournament’s early round games. The Wooden Award All-American Team™ will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2025 John R. Wooden Award®, presented by Principal, will be presented at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on April 11, 2025.Lee adds Thursday’s recognition to her preseason haul of honors which includes: Associated Press All-America honorable mention selection, preseason All-America Second Team honors from The Athletic, selection to the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Women’s Player of the Year Watch List, 2024-25 Lisa Leslie Award Watch List and being named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year by the league’s coaches and her unanimous selection to the preseason All-Big 12 team.During the 2023-24 season, Lee was a Second Team All-America selection by The Athletic, a Third Team All-America honoree by The Sporting News, an honorable mention Associated Press All-American, an honorable mention WBCA All-American, a 2024 John R. Wooden Award National Ballot top-15 candidate, an All-Big 12 First Team selection, a Big 12 All-Defensive Team member and Big 12 All-Tournament Team recipient.In her career, Lee ranks third in school history for points scored with 2,201, holds the school record for career scoring average at 19.1, owns the school record for career rebounds with 1,122, holds the school record for career rebounding average at 9.8, the school record holder for career blocks with 312 and blocks per game at 2.71 and owns the school record for career double-doubles with 60. She is the first player in program history with 300 or more career blocks and 100 or more career steals.K-State women’s basketball season tickets are available now. Prices start at just $75 with a Wildcat 4-Pack to see every game in Bramlage. Order now by visiting&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or calling 1-800-221-CATS.K-State, ranked 13th&nbsp;in the preseason Associated Press and USA Today/WBCA Coaches polls, opens returns to action tonight at 6:30 p.m., as the Wildcats host Belmont. For tickets, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;or call (800) 221-CATS.