Kansas
🏀 Jayhawks Hold off Kansas City for 70-61 Victory
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Four starters scored in double figures as Kansas led wire-to-wire and defeated Kansas City 70-61 on Saturday afternoon at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri.
With the win, Kansas improves to 2-1 on the year, while the Roos fall to 1-3 on the season.
“It’s the third game in a row where the lead guard is our opponent’s leading scorer. We have to evaluate that, whether that’s because we’re switching certain people off of others or not getting better players to her early enough when a player like that gets going. She has not shown that she’s their best player but today she was. “
Head Coach Brandon Schneider
Kansas scored the first six points of the game and pushed ahead for a 15-2 advantage midway through the first quarter. The Jayhawks went on to shoot 71.4% (10-of-14) in the first quarter and led 23-8 at the end of one behind six points from Taiyanna Jackson and four points a piece from Wyvette Mayberry and S’Mya Nichols.
The Jayhawks outscored the Roos 19-12 in the second quarter as Holly Kergieter hit two threes in the period. Kansas took its largest lead of the half into the locker room as they led 42-20. Nichols and Kergieter both entered double-figures in the first half with 11 points a piece at the break. Danai Papadopoulou topped her previous career-high with six rebounds in the first half.
The second half started with back-to-back scoring by both teams, but the Roos were able to outscore the Jayhawks 16-11 in the first six minutes of the second half. Up 17 with 2:24 left in the third, Ryan Cobbins splashed a three to increase the lead to 20. Kansas City knocked down a three-pointer as time expired in the third to cut Kansas’ lead down to 17, 58-41.
Kansas City continued to fight back in the fourth as they went on a 10-4 run in the first 3:37 of the fourth period. Kansas City only trailed by seven with 2:03 left in the game, but Jackson made a tough put-back layup to increase Kansas’ lead to nine. Kansas controlled the rest of the way as Kansas City resorted to fouling.
Kansas was led by a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds by Jackson, who recorded her second double-double in three games and 29th of her career. Nichols scored a team-high 18 points, while Kersgieter finished with 15 and Mayberry added 13.
Next Up
Kansas heads to George Town, Cayman Islands next week for the Cayman Islands Classic, where the Jayhawks will meet a pair of highly ranked non-conference opponents. KU will play No. 9 Virginia Tech on Nov. 24, before facing No. 8 UConn on Nov. 25.
Kansas
Steelers Get No Favors Before Chiefs Matchup
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers host the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17, in a game they hoped carried a different meaning. Heading into their three-games in 11 days stretch, the black and gold had an opportunity to compete for the top seed in the AFC and claim the AFC North crown.
Now, things aren’t different. They’re fighting to remain the division crown, and will need to beat the Chiefs to keep themselves at the top of the race instead of banking on help from the Baltimore Ravens.
The Buffalo Bills didn’t make that challenge any easier. After going down early in Week 16 against the New England Patriots, it looked as if the Bills were going to give Kansas City and early Christmas present. A loss and the Chiefs claimed home-field advantage in the AFC, which would’ve taken a lot of pressure off them to play injured players like Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones.
Instead, Buffalo climbed their way back and won, keeping the AFC race alive. And heading into Week 17 against the Steelers, it gave Kansas City every ounce of motivation to keep their winning ways alive and beat the Steelers.
The Steelers are 2.5-point underdogs against the Chiefs heading into Week 17. They’ll be looking to get names like George Pickens and DeShon Elliott back on the field, while monitoring a list of Chiefs injuries that includes Jones and offensive tackle D.J. Humphries.
Nothing will come easy this Christmas for Pittsburgh, and thanks to the Bills, their hopes of Carson Wentz and some backups starting at Acrisure Stadium won’t happen. It’ll be good on good for those tuning in for the holiday showdown.
Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI to get all your daily Pittsburgh Steelers news, interviews, breakdowns and more!
Kansas
2025 NFL Draft scouting report: Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
Cutback Ability
The first thing you see when you watch Devin Neal is his ability to make decisive decisions as a runner. It allows him to see and find running lanes as they develop or while they are. It is also showcased when he breaks into the second level and is tasked with making a defender miss.
Speed
Neal can finish runs when in space, break off long runs, and find the endzone when given the chance. He shows whenever he is given the chance to be a receiver and already has momentum built up. With any touch of the ball he has, he can go to the endzone with his speed.
Receiving Ability
Neal has some drops on his film, he isn’t perfect, but he gets open when tasked with running a route. He does a good job of moving without the ball in his hands, and it allows him to be in a position to be a reliable receiver. Once he gets the focus drops out of the way, he can really find some nice receiving work in the NFL if given the chance.
Kansas
Kansas State Fans Unload On Jerome Tang After Wichita State Loss
Kansas State’s meltdown loss to the Stockers can be attributed to many on the team.
But it was coach Jerome Tang who was the center of the criticism Saturday night. This is the second time in the last three games where the Wildcats were outdone dramatically in the second half.
Kansas State stars Coleman Hawkins and David N’Guessan combined for just 15 points on 35 percent shooting. Meanwhile, David Castillo went 0 of 7 from 3-point range, contributing to a 28 percent shooting performance from the arc.
On the other end, Wichita State’s Xavier Bell and Corey Washington combined for 42 points. The Shockers collectively got to the paint and free-throw line very often Saturday.
“I saw this live,” one user said. “Competitive for 30 minutes, the Cats freaked out being down by 4 and couldn’t stop chucking threes and play horrible defense. Tang tries but this squad has no heart and grit. Soft. Fragile.”
Kansas State starts facing conference opponents next week, with their first Big 12 matchup against Cincinnati (9-1) Monday night. But honestly, most fans are ready to throw in the towel on the season already.
“I love this college with my whole heart,” another fan said. “Will always support the University but this is one of the worst starts to a season I have ever seen. This is not the standard we have built and something needs to change. The program should be embarrassed because the fans sure are.”
Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
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