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

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Luka Garza scored 27 points to reach another milestone and No. 8 Iowa beat Michigan State 84-78. Garza, who came into the game as the nation’s leading scorer at 26.4 points per game, became the second 2,000-point scorer in program history. Garza, who has 2,009 points, is 107 points behind all-time leading scorer Roy Marble. The Hawkeyes (13-4, 7-3 Big Ten) led 79-70 before the Spartans (8-7, 2-7) went on an 8-1 run. Michigan State had a chance to tie the game after forcing a shot-clock violation, but Joshua Langford missed a jumper with 24 seconds left. Iowa’s Jordan Bohannon closed the game with four consecutive free throws.

UNDATED (AP) — Eric Bieniemy has become the focal point when it comes to discussions about minority assistants who have been denied the opportunity to become head coaches in the NFL. Three years as the coordinator of one of the league’s most prolific offenses in Kansas City has led to several interviews for Bieniemy but no promotions to a head coaching job. Bieniemy says he doesn’t want to be the “poster boy” for the issue and is focused on beating Tampa Bay in the Super Bowl.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — It takes hitting at a high percentage on late-round fliers and undrafted rookies to be able to carry the size of contracts that Kansas City has lavished on its stars. Well, the Chiefs have 22 players on their roster they chose in the third round or later or went undrafted entirely, including 10 that are expected to start against Tampa Bay in the Super Bowl. There are plenty of reasons why the Chiefs are so successful at finding and developing overlooked talent, ranging from Chiefs coach Andy Reid and his staff to a locker room confident and secure in itself to impart whatever wisdom they can on their teammates.

UNDATED (AP) — Clyde Christensen mentored Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning before he became Tom Brady’s quarterbacks coach this season. Tom Moore worked with Manning, Terry Bradshaw and many others before the 82-year-old assistant got a chance to coach Brady. Christensen and Moore are quarterback whisperers on a staff led by Bruce Arians, who once wrote a book called: “The Quarterback Whisperer.” Having an opportunity to win a Super Bowl with Brady is an excellent way to cap stellar careers, though none of the coaches are ready for retirement.

UNDATED (AP) — LeSean McCoy has watched both Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady up close the past two seasons. And he has a slam dunk comparison for the star quarterbacks. McCoy says he’s a huge fan of both Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan and he sees Brady like Jordan as established and older maybe lacking the big air dunk but beating teams with the fadeaway. McCoy says Mahomes is the young Kobe coming with the league aware of him. McCoy would know. He won the Super Bowl with Mahomes last year and now is chasing another title with Brady’s Bucs.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Nine years and a pair of career-threatening injuries later, Jason Pierre-Paul is back in the Super Bowl and ready to wreak havoc. The relentless pass rusher helped the 2011 New York Giants beat Tom Brady in the NFL title game. This time, he’s trying to help the six-time champion win a record seventh ring in the 43-year-old quarterback’s first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Pierre-Paul was traded from the Giants to the Bucs three years ago and is one of just six players on Tampa Bay’s roster with previous experience on football’s biggest stage.

UNDATED (AP) — A 10th trip to the Super Bowl puts Tom Brady in some exclusive company across sports. Brady’s 10th trip to the title round comes a few months after LeBron James did the same in the NBA Finals, making them the only players in the four major North American sports leagues to do that in more than 30 years. Brady and James are the first players to make it to the title round for a 10th time since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it in his final season in the NBA in 1989. Twenty-four players have done it overall led by Yogi Berra’s 14 World Series appearances.