IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa star big man Luka Garza says working vacations in Bosnia and California last summer helped elevate his game. Now he’s one of the leading candidates for national player of the year. Garza did two-a-day basketball workouts with his uncle and cousin in Bosnia and three-a-day workouts with his father and grandpa in California.

Garza has led the Big Ten in scoring since November. He’s scoring 23.7 points per game and is on a streak of 15 consecutive games of 20 points or more in Big Ten play. That’s the longest streak in the Big Ten in 26 years.

Class 1A Semifinal

Bishop Garrigan 69, Bellevue Marquette Catholic 37

Newell-Fonda 84, Saint Ansgar 33

Class 2A Semifinal

North Linn, Troy Mills 61, West Hancock, Britt 46

Osage 46, Cascade,Western Dubuque 32

Class 3A State Championship

Bishop Heelan Catholic, Sioux City 53, North Polk, Alleman 46

Class 5A State Championship

Johnston 69, Waukee 65

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The No. 1-ranked Northwest Missouri State Bearcat men’s basketball team advanced to the semifinals of the 2020 MIAA Tournament with a 75-54 triumph over the Lincoln Blue Tigers at Municipal Auditorium.

Northwest extended its win streak to 21 straight games and moved to 29-1 on the season. Lincoln completes its season at 11-19 overall.

Senior Ryan Hawkins led the way with a game-high 31 points. Hawkins tallied 21 first-half points and added 10 in the second half. Hawkins went 11-of-17 from the field, including 4-of-7 from three-point range. Hawkins sank all five of his free throw attempts. Hawkins was credited with a game-high nine rebounds.

Sophomores Trevor Hudgins and Diego Bernard joined Hawkins in double-figure scoring. Hudgins posted 14 points and was 4-of-6 from three-point range. Bernard was 6-of-8 from the field and dished out a game-high five assists.

The Bearcats will play in the semifinals on Saturday at 6 p.m. against the winner of the Washburn-Missouri Western contest that takes place on Friday.

Class 2A Semifinals

10:00 a.m. – #1 Cascade (26-0) vs. #4 Osage (23-2)
11:45 a.m. – #2 West Hancock (25-1) vs. #3 North Linn (23-2)

Class 1A Semifinals

1:30 p.m. – #1 Newell-Fonda (25-0) vs. #5 Saint Ansgar (22-2)
3:15 p.m. – #2 Marquette Catholic (24-1) vs. #3 Bishop Garrigan (24-1)

Class 5A Championship

6:00 p.m. – #3 Johnston (23-2) vs. #1 Waukee (23-2)

Class 3A Championship

8:00 p.m. – #5 North Polk (21-5) vs. #3 Bishop Heelan (21-4)

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Liam Robbins scored 18 points as Drake defeated Illinois State 75-65 in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tourney. Anthony Murphy and Garrett Sturtz added 17 points apiece for the Bulldogs, while Jonah Jackson chipped in 15. Keith Fisher III led the Redbirds with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Kwang Hyun Kim showed no signs of the groin tightness that kept him from making his previously scheduled start, pitching two shutout innings for the St. Louis Cardinals against the New York Mets. After Adam Wainwright gave up five runs and eight hits in four innings, Kim extended his spring training scoreless streak this year to five innings. He allowed his first three hits. Kim went 17-6 with a 2.51 ERA as a starter last season for the SK Wyverns and was selected best pitcher in South Korea. St. Louis signed him to an $8 million, two-year contract. .

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Alex Gordon remains a key figure for the Kansas City Royals after 13 seasons with the small-market franchise. The team is unlikely to replicate its consecutive World Series appearances from 2014 and ’15, but Gordon is hoping to help usher in the next Kansas City contender. The seven-time Gold Glove winner in left field re-signed with the Royals for $4 million this year after his $72 million, four-year deal expired. He said it would be a “privilege” to finish out his career with Kansas City.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas forcefully objected to charges that its storied men’s basketball program, currently No. 1 in the nation, and its football programs had committed significant violations tied primarily to recruiting when it issued its formal response to the NCAA’s notice of allegations Thursday night. In a series of documents that total nearly 300 pages of arguments and supporting materials, the school claims that several facts involving Bill Self’s basketball program are in dispute, including charges that Kansas lacked institutional control and that the Hall of Fame coach and his assistant, Kurtis Townsend, had committed a series of high-level violations.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Jon Teske scored 12 points and Zavier Simpson added 11 in their home finale, and No. 25 Michigan beat Nebraska 82-58. The Wolverines also welcomed former coach John Beilein back to Crisler Center. Beilein watched from a box about halfway up the seating bowl as his old team closed out its home schedule. Michigan led 32-28 at halftime before starting the second with an 18-4 run. Nebraska was without guard Cam Mack, suspended for a violation of team rules. The Cornhuskers have lost 15 straight. Isaiah Livers had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Michigan. Haanif Cheatham led Nebraska with 19 points.

UNDATED (AP) — Michigan State has won four straight games and with a win Sunday over Ohio State would claim a third straight Big Ten regular-season championship. The Spartans also would lock up the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament next week. The Spartans were in the middle of the pack a month ago but have flashed their traditional March form in recent games. Maryland and Wisconsin also have locked up double byes for the Big Ten Tournament, which begins next week in Indianapolis.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Amy Dlik scored 22 points, Naz Hillmon added 20 and seventh-seeded Michigan used a strong third-quarter to defeat 10th-seeded Nebraska 81-75 in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. Leigha Brown and Isabelle Bourne combined for 22 points to put Nebraska on top 42-34 at halftime but the Wolverines took the lead for good with a 13-2 run to open the second half. Hilmon contributed five points, Akienreh Johnson tied it at 44 with a layup and Maddie Nolan followed with a 3-pointer for the lead. Brown finished with 22 points and Bourne 16.

Class 5A Semifinals

#3 Johnston 71, #2 Iowa City High 61
#1 Waukee 88, #5 Waterloo West 65

Class 3A Semifinals

#6 North Polk 46, #1 Dike-New Hartford 44
#3 Bishop Heelan Catholic, Sioux City 61, #2 Clear Lake 57

Class 4A Semifinals

#1 North Scott 40, #4 Center Point-Urbana 32
#6 Lewis Central 62, #2 Glenwood 51

The Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team captured three of the four specialty awards from the All-Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association and had four players earn all-league honors as announced by the MIAA office today.

Trevor Hudgins (Player of the Year, First Team All-MIAA), Ryan Hawkins (Defensive Player of the Year, All-Defensive Team, First Team All-MIAA) and Ben McCollum (Coach of the Year) claimed the MIAA’s specialty awards, while Diego Bernard (Third Team All-MIAA, All-Defensive Team) and Ryan Welty (Honorable Mention) also garnered accolades.

For the fifth straight season the MIAA Player of the Year resides in Maryville. Sophomore guard Trevor Hudgins (Manhattan, Kansas) took home the league’s top honor after averaging 19.6 points per game and shooting 51.8 percent from the field. Hudgins is a four-time MIAA men’s basketball athlete of the week honoree in 2019-20. Hudgins leads the nation in three-point field goal percentage (52.7%). He ranks No. 3 among NCAA Division II players in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.72). Hudgins is tops in the MIAA in assists (175 – 6.0 per game). Hudgins has three 30-plus point scoring contests and 17 20-plus point scoring games in 2019-20. He posted a career-high 36 points in a 96-49 win over Lincoln on Feb. 8.

Hawkins (Atlantic, Iowa) repeats as MIAA Defensive Player of Year and earned first team all-MIAA honors for the first time. Hawkins leads the Bearcats in scoring (22.8 ppg), rebounds (7.6 rpg), steals (2.1 spg) and blocked shots (0.7 bpg). Hawkins leads the MIAA in steals (65), ranks fifth in rebounding and fifth in minutes played per game. Hawkins is one of three MIAA players (Lincoln’s Jonell Burton, Missouri Western’s Will Eames) with at least 20 steals, 20 blocks, 20 assists and 20 three-pointers made. Hawkins is shooting 55.5% from the field and 45.0% from three-point range. Hawkins leads the Hawkins has collected eight double-doubles this season. Hawkins has reached 30 or more points on four occasions and he has posted 18 20-plus point scoring contests in 2019-20. Hawkins set the Northwest single-game scoring record with 44 points vs. Southern Nazarene on Nov. 2, 2019. Hawkins is a four-time MIAA athlete of the week award recipient.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa standout Luka Garza is one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Trophy, which is presented annually to the most outstanding player who achieves tremendous on-court success, it was announced Thursday by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

Garza (6-foot-11, 260 pounds) ranks first nationally with 12 20-point/10-rebound performances and field goals made (275), second in 20-point games (24), third in points per 40 minutes played (29.9), fifth in scoring (23.7), ninth in 30-point games (5), 17th in double-doubles (15) and offensive rebounds per game (3.7), and 33rd in rebounding (9.9). His 15 double-doubles are third most in a single-season by a Hawkeye in three decades and the most since 2002 (Reggie Evans, 18). Garza is one of two players in the country, and only player from a major conference, to average better than 23 points and nine rebounds per game.

Garza, who has led the Big Ten in scoring since November, surpassed 700 points on March 3 to break the Iowa’s 50-year old single-season scoring record. He has scored 20 points or more in a school-record 15 straight Big Ten games, the longest streak by any player in the Big Ten since Purdue’s Glenn Robinson (15 in 1994).

Garza has scored 25 points or more 12 times this season, including the last two contests (Penn State and Purdue). He has controlled 12 or more rebounds 10 times this season, a total that ties for 14th best in the NCAA. The native of Washington, D.C., is the only Big Ten player to register seven 25-point/10-rebound performances in the same season in more than 17 years.

Garza, who is seeking to become Iowa’s first Big Ten MVP since Sam Williams in 1968, has been a force with his back to the basket in the post and facing defenders on the perimeter. He has produced the two highest point totals in a game by a Big Ten player this season (44 at Michigan; 38 at Indiana). Garza is one of two centers in the nation shooting 35 percent or better from 3-point range (min. 100 attempts).

Finalists for the trophy will be revealed on March 17, while the winner will be announced April 5, at the Naismith Awards Brunch in Atlanta.

No. 18 Iowa (20-10, 11-8) will play its regular season finale at No. 23 Illinois (20-9, 12-6) on Sunday in Champaign, Illinois. The game will be televised nationally on BTN.

Naismith Trophy Semifinalists

Udoka Azubuike               Sr.           C             Kansas
Vernon Carey                    Fr.           C             Duke
Devon Dotson                  So.          G             Kansas
Malachi Flynn                    Jr.           G             San Diego State
Luka Garza                        Jr.           C             Iowa
Markus Howard                Sr.           G             Marquette
Myles Powell                     Sr.           G             Seton Hall
Payton Pritchard               Sr.           G             Oregon
Jalen Smith                       So.          F              Maryland
Obi Toppin                        So.          F              Dayton