Latest Mid-America sports
ORAL ROBERTS-MISSOURI ST
Johnson powers Missouri State past Oral Roberts, 86-76
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Alize Johnson scored 20 points and grabbed 16 rebounds while Jarred Dixon added another 15 points off the bench and Missouri State held off Oral Roberts late to take an 86-76 win Wednesday night.
Kris Martin, who finished with a career-high 35 points for Oral Roberts, converted a four-point play with 6:25 left to get the Golden Eagles (2-9) within one, 70-69. Ryan Kreklow responded with a jumper and Dixon hit back-to-back jumpers to push the Bears’ lead back to five points, 76-71.
Johnson grabbed 10 of his rebounds off the offensive glass and converted 9 of 18 from the field in leading Missouri State (6-3). Collectively the Bears were 33 of 74 from the field (44.6 percent), including 7 of 21 from distance.
Martin, whose previous high was 19 points against Oklahoma on Dec. 7, was 13 of 22 from the field, including 7 of 14 from behind the arc.
SAINT LOUIS-S ILLINOIS
Fletcher scores 21; Southern Illinois tops Saint Louis 70-55
CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — Armon Fletcher scored a career-high 21 points, Sean O’Brien had a double-double and Southern Illinois pulled away from Saint Louis 70-55 on Wednesday night.
The Billikens led 32-30 at the half but the Salukis used a 7-0 run with a Fletcher 3-pointer in the middle to take the lead for good at 42-38. Southern Illinois inched the lead up to eight but after Reggie Agbeko’s free throw with 2:39 to play, Saint Louis didn’t score again. The Salukis scored the final eight points.
O’Brien had 13 points and 13 rebounds and Thik Bol had 14 points for Southern Illinois (6-5), which shot 51 percent and had just eight turnovers.
Agbeko made 5 of 7 shots but was just 1 of 6 from the line, scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for the Billikens (3-7), who were 6 of 14 from the line.
Saint Louis had 21 turnovers, which led to 23 Salukis points.
T25-KANSAS-BRAGG
Battery charge dismissed against Kansas forward Bragg
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities have dismissed a battery charge against Kansas forward Carlton Bragg Jr. and charged the woman who accused him of shoving her.
The Douglas County district attorney’s office said Wednesday the charge was dismissed after law enforcement reviewed surveillance video showing a woman repeatedly striking a man and putting her hands near his neck.
Bragg, a 20-year-old sophomore, had been suspended from the Kansas basketball team after he was arrested Friday. Coach Bill Self said in a statement Wednesday that Bragg is no longer suspended and he’s proud of how Bragg handled the allegations.
Bragg said in the statement that it’s been a “difficult and humiliating experience” he hopes to put behind him.
The district attorney’s office says Saleeha Soofi faces one count of battery. It’s unclear whether she has a lawyer.
MINORITY PLAYERS-TRUMP SIGN
Trump sign flashed at minority ball players prompts apology
WARENSBURG, Mo. (AP) — A predominantly white Missouri school district is apologizing after a Donald Trump campaign sign was waved during player introductions for an all-minority Kansas City basketball team.
The Warrensburg school district apologized on its official Facebook page Tuesday, saying it would try to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Video posted online shows someone holding the sign in the Warrensburg High School student section and fans turning their backs as Center High School players took the court Monday.
Warrensburg Superintendent Scott Patrick tells The Kansas City Star the back-turning is a longstanding practice, but the campaign sign “took this from something that was unsportsmanlike to something that was insensitive, not necessary and inappropriate.”
Center’s spokeswoman says players were unaware of the sign during the game.
Warrensburg’s school district is 80 percent white. The Center district is 19 percent white.
