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

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Judging by her stats, Iowa junior Megan Gustafson might be the best player in America. She leads the nation in scoring with 25.6 points per game for the sixth-seeded Hawkeyes, who face 11th-seeded Creighton on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Los Angeles.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Matt Carpenter is showing the St. Louis Cardinals what they were missing while he was sidelined by a back strain. A day after making his spring training debut, Carpenter hit a two-run, wind-aided home run off Justin Verlander in the Cardinals’ 3-1 win over Houston. Carpenter also singled through the right side of the infield in the first inning. He walked twice Tuesday against Miami and reached base in all four plate appearances.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Patrick O’Brien, Tristan Gebbia and Adrian Martinez are being given an equal chance to win the starting quarterback’s job as Nebraska enters spring practice under new coach Scott Frost. Only O’Brien has game experience. The biggest challenge in the move from the pro-style offense to spread option is adjusting to the fast pace.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs’ trades of Alex Smith to the Redskins and Marcus Peters to the Rams became official with the start of the new league year. So did the free-agent signings of wide receiver Sammy Watkins and linebacker Anthony Hitchens, who should fill two of the Chiefs’ biggest holes heading into next season.

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Actor Jim Caviezel has played Jesus and golfer Bobby Jones on the big screen. On Wednesday, he portrayed Kansas City Royals bench coach Dale Sveum. Sveum had a medical appointment for his stiff neck and missed the photo shoot, so Caviezel stood in for him. Sveum’s face will then be Photoshopped over Caviezel’s in the team photo.

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Aric Holman had 16 points and 10 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season, Lamar Peters was four assists shy of a NIT record with a career-high 14 and Mississippi State won its first post-season game since 2010 with a 66-59 victory over Nebraska in the first round. Mississippi State (23-11) is in the postseason for the first time since a 101-96 double-overtime loss to UMass in the 2012 NIT.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — In October 1970, one of two planes carrying the Wichita State football team to a game at Utah State crashed in Colorado, killing 31 people. Six weeks later, Marshall’s team plane returning from a game crashed near its West Virginia campus. On Friday, the two schools forever linked by tragedy will meet in the NCAA Tournament. Marshall and Wichita State have never before played in men’s basketball.