IRVING, Texas – Iowa State women’s basketball senior point guard Nikki Moody was named a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 first-team, while sophomore guard Seanna Johnson and senior guard Brynn Williamson earned honorable mention honors.

Moody, a Dallas, Texas native, was a first-team pick after averaging 14.4 points and 6.9 assists. In conference play, Moody’s 6.9 assists per game ranked second in the Big 12 and ninth nationally. She also broke the Iowa State career assists record with 733 career assists and counting. Her 733 assists ranks sixth in Big 12 history.

Moody, who tallied double figures in a team-high 21 games this season, led Iowa State in scoring in 13 games and in assists in 25. Moody is averaged 17.4 points and 7.3 assists over the last 14 conference games. This is Moody’s first time on the All-Big 12 first-team as she was named to the second team in 2013-14.

Johnson, who was an honorable mention selection, is the Big 12’s leading rebounder with 9.2 boards per game. She also is averaging 11.5 points per contest this season. She has rebounded in double-figures in 14 games this season and led the Cyclones in rebounding in 21 games. This is Johnson’s second-straight Big 12 honor, as the sophomore guard was named to the All-Big 12 freshman team last season. Johnson is one of two Cyclones to start every game this season.

Williamson, who earned honorable mention honors for the first time in her career, averaged 11.4 points and was second on the team with 6.2 rebounds per game. She scored in double figures in 18 games this season and netted a team-high 72 3-pointers this season. Williamson also started every game for the Cyclones this season.

2014-15 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Awards
Coach of the Year: Kim Mulkey, Baylor (15th season)
Player of the Year: Nina Davis, Baylor, F, 5-11, So, Memphis, Tenn.
Freshman of the Year: Gabbi Ortiz, Oklahoma, G, 5-9, Fr, Racine, Wis.
Newcomer of the Year: Peyton Little, Oklahoma, G, 5-11, So, Abilene, Texas
Defensive Player of the Year: Chelsea Prince, TCU, F, 5-11, Sr, Fort Worth, Texas
Sixth Man Award: Khadijiah Cave, Baylor, C, 6-2, So, Augusta, Ga.

All-Big 12 First Team (all honors listed alphabetical by school)
Nina Davis**! Baylor F 5-11 So Memphis, Tenn.
Niya Johnson** Baylor G 5-8 Jr Gainesville, Fla.
Nikki Moody**^ Iowa State G 5-8 Sr Dallas, Texas
Chelsea Gardner**! Kansas F 6-3 Sr DeSoto, Texas
Peyton Little Oklahoma G 5-11 So Abilene, Texas
Brittney Martin** Oklahoma State G 6-0 Jr Syracuse, Utah
Zahna Medley! TCU G 5-6 Jr Springfield, Ill.
Imani McGee-Stafford^ Texas C 6-7 Jr Los Angeles, Calif.
Amber Battle^ Texas Tech G 5-9 Sr Albuquerque, N.M.
Bria Holmes**! West Virginia G 6-1 Jr New Haven, Conn.

All-Big 12 Second Team
Breanna Lewis K-State F 6-5 So Milwaukee, Wis.
Gioya Carter Oklahoma G 5-9 So Midwest City, Okla.
Kaylon Williams Oklahoma F 6-3 Jr Midwest City, Okla.
Veja Hamilton TCU G/F 5-10 Jr Spring, Texas
Kelsey Lang Texas C 6-5 So The Woodlands, Texas

All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
Sune Agbuke (Baylor), Imani Wright (Baylor), Seanna Johnson (Iowa State), Brynn Williamson (Iowa State), Asia Boyd (Kansas), Natalie Knight (Kansas), Ashia Woods (K-State), Sharane Campbell-Olds (Oklahoma), Liz Donohoe (Oklahoma State), LaShawn Jones (Oklahoma State), Chelsea Prince (TCU), Nneka Enemkpali (Texas), Brady Sanders (Texas), Averee Fields (West Virginia)

Big 12 All-Defensive Team
Sune Agbuke Baylor C 6-4 Sr San Antonio, Texas
Breanna Lewis K-State F 6-5 So Milwaukee, Wis.
Sharane Campbell-Olds Oklahoma G 5-10 Sr Spencer, Okla.
Brittney Martin Oklahoma State G 6-0 Jr Syracuse, Utah
Chelsea Prince TCU F 5-11 Sr Fort Worth, Texas

Big 12 All-Freshman Team
Kristy Wallace** Baylor G 5-11 Loganholme, Queesnland, Australia
Lauren Aldridge Kansas G 5-7 Marshfield, Mo.
Gabbi Ortiz Oklahoma G 5-9 Racine, Wis.
Ariel Atkins Texas G 5-11 Duncanville, Texas
Brooke McCarty Texas G 5-4 League City, Texas

** Unanimous First Team Selection (coaches cannot vote for own players, unanimous denotes voted first team by other nine coaches)
! 2013-14 All Big 12 First Team Selection
^ 2013-14 All-Big 12 Second Team Selection

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The new flat-seam ball in college baseball is having the desired effect, with teams hitting 40 percent more home runs so far this season. The NCAA announced Wednesday that teams are hitting a home run about every other game. Last year, teams homered about once every three games through the first three weeks of the season.

The actual average is 0.47 home runs per team compared with 0.33 at this point in 2014. Last season’s final average of 0.39 per team was a record low. The NCAA approved use of the flat-seam ball in an attempt to punch up a game that has seen steep declines in offense since new bat standards took effect in 2011. Studies show the flat-seam ball travels 20 feet farther than the old raised-seam ball.

Janet Waterbury from Schaller, Norwalk’s Jill Martin and Tri-Center, Neola’s Wendy Ausdemore are the 2015 inductees into the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union’s Basketball Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame ceremony will take place at halftime of the Class 4A State Championship game Saturday, March 7.

Janet Waterbury

Waterbury torched the nets for 3,390 career points for Schaller from 1960 to 1964. Her skills helped Schaller qualify for the only state tournament berths in school history in 1963 and 64.

Waterbury was named to the all-tournament team at the 1963 State Tournament Team despite playing in just one game, a 62-60 loss to Farragut where she scored 31 points.

She led Schaller back to the 1964 state tournament, scoring 44 points in first round loss to Wellsburg squad.

Wendy Ausdemore

Ausdemore played at Tri-Center, Neola from 2001 to 2005 and was named Miss Iowa Basketball in 2005. She was a two-time first-team all-state selection. She led Tri-Center to a runner-up finish in Class 2A in 2005, earning captain of the 2A all-tournament team. Ausdemore finished her career with 1,812 points and 886 career rebounds.

Ausdemore went on to play college basketball at the University of Iowa, twice earning third-team all-Big Ten honors and was a three-time academic all-conference pick. A three-year starter, Ausdemore played on three NCAA Tournament teams with the Hawkeyes. She finished her career ranked among Iowa’s top 10 in career scoring, rebounding, assists and three-pointers.

Jill Martin

Martin was a two-time Class 3A player of the year her junior and season seasons at Norwalk, averaging a double-double in points and rebounds. As a senior, she averaged 24.3 points and 11.2 rebounds in leading the Warriors to the state semifinals, where she averaged 21.5 points and 10.5 points in two games.

Martin finished her high school career with 1,628 points with 775 career rebounds.

Martin enjoyed similar success at Drake. A four-year starter, Martin was the fourth player in Drake’s history to earn first-team All Missouri Valley Conference honors three times. After missing most of the 2006-07 season with a back injury, she returned from the injury to average 16.8 points, 9 rebounds and the led the MVC in double-doubles. Martin is just one of five players in Drake history with 1,000 career rebounds.

Martin went on to play three years of basketball overseas but has returned to her hometown, teaching fourth grade at Lakewood Elementary and is the junior varsity head coach and varsity assistant for the Warriors.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Jim Field.

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Class 4A Quarterfinals
10:00-a.m. Ballard vs. Bishop Heelan
11:45-a.m. Western Dubuque vs. Indianola

Class 5A Quarterfinals
1:30-p.m. West Des Moines/Valley vs. Mason City
3:15-p.m. Iowa City West vs. Southeast Polk
5:00-p.m. Dowling Catholic vs. Johnston
6:45-p.m. Waukee vs. Cedar Falls

Class 1A Semifinals
8:30-p.m. Newell-Fonda vs. Burlington Notre Dame

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Aaron White had 21 points and five rebounds to lead the Iowa Hawkeyes to a 77-63 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers on Tuesday night. Jarrod Uthoff had 14 points and six rebounds, and Gabriel Olanseni added 13 points for the Hawkeyes (20-10, 11-6 Big Ten), who have won five straight.

Nick Zeisloft scored 15 points, all from 3-point range, and James Blackmon, Jr. finished with 14 points and five rebounds for the Hoosiers (19-11, 9-8), who have lost two in a row. Olaseni’s go ahead basket with 5:40 left in the first half to make it 25-24 gave Iowa the lead for good. Peter Jok, who finished with eight points, made two 3-pointers and Uthoff scored to put the Hawkeyes ahead 61-48. They led by as much as 16 when Anthony Clemmons scored a free throw with 1:10 left to play.

BOYS BASKETBALL
4A Substate Championships
Sioux City, North 47, Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln 46
Ames 64, Dowling Catholic, West Des Moines 47
Cedar Rapids, Kennedy 58, Linn-Mar, Marion 54
North Scott, Eldridge 59, Bettendorf 41
Pleasant Valley 57, Clinton 32
Iowa City, West 79, Cedar Rapids, Washington 50
Des Moines, Hoover 56, Ankeny Centennial 33
Waukee 65, Valley, West Des Moines 47

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Class 2A State Tournament- State Quarterfinal
Western Christian, Hull 50, Regina, Iowa City 45
Class 3A State Tournament – State Quarterfinal
Crestwood, Cresco 58, Spirit Lake 46
Mediapolis 63, Mount Vernon 53
Nevada 54, Red Oak 38
PAC-LM 63, Clear Lake 59
Class 4A State Tournament – State Quarterfinal
Carlisle 56, Waverly-Shell Rock 50
Harlan 54, Cedar Rapids Xavier 31

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Northern Iowa forward Seth Tuttle, the Missouri Valley’s active leader in scoring and rebounding, has been selected the conference’s player of the year. Tuttle, a senior, received 38 of a possible 47 first-place votes in voting by coaches, sports information directors and a media panel. Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet, teammates on regular season champion and ninth-ranked Wichita State, were second and third.

Baker had five first-place votes and VanVleet, the player of the year last season, had four. Joining those three on the all-conference team were D.J. Balentine and Egidijus Mockevicius of Evansville and Devonte Brown of Indiana State.

CLASS 2-A:

Western Christian 50, Iowa City Regina 45

Freshman Ashtyn Veerbeek helped Western Christian stay in the hunt for a fourth consecutive state championship,  coming off the bench to score 17 points and grab 10 rebounds as the second-ranked Wolfpack held off No. 12 Iowa City Regina 50-45.  Payton Harmsen added 12 points for Western Christian (22-3) and Jamie Gesink scored 11 and pulled down nine rebounds.  Western Christian will play No. 3 North Linn in the semifinals at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

CLASS 3-A:

Mediapolis 63, Mount Vernon 53

Top-ranked Mediapolis had just a little too much firepower and size for Mount Vernon. As a result, the Bullettes are still unbeaten and still in the running for their first state championship since the six-player days in 1973.  Andrea Larson scored 20 points, making 8 of 13 shots, and Mediapolis used a big second-half run to sideline unranked Mount Vernon 63-53.  Darby Massner added 15 points for the Bullettes (25-0), Ashley Hedges scored 11 and freshman Mackenzie Rogers had nine. Heidi Hillyard helped out with 11 rebounds and six points.

Nevada 54, Red Oak 38

Nevada celebrated a victory that was a long time coming.  The seventh-ranked Cubs shot 55.6 percent behind young stars Lexy Koudelka and Clair Ausman and beat No. 9 Red Oak 54-38.  This is Nevada’s first trip to state since 1968 and its first state tournament victory in 91 years. The last was a 26-17 win over Crawfordsville in the first round of the 1924 tournament, before it fell under the auspices of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union.  Koudelka, a 6-foot-1 freshman, hit 8 of 10 shots and scored 20 points. Ausman, a sophomore, made her first five 3-point shots and scored 17 points. She finished 5-for-6 from long range and 6-for-8 overall.  Junior Kati Cassabaum added eight points, 13 rebounds, two steals and two assists for the Cubs (22-3), who have no seniors.  Grace Blomstedt led Red Oak (20-5) with 14 points. Kate Walker, who’ll continue her career at Bucknell, scored 11.  Nevada never trailed after running off 10 straight points to open a 13-4 lead. The Cubs led 28-19 at halftime, then broke the game open with a 13-3 run in the third quarter to go up 43-24. Four different players scored during that run, with Koudelka getting six points — all in the lane.  Next up for Nevada is a semifinal date against top-ranked Mediapolis at 3:15 p.m. Thursday.

Crestwood 58, Spirit Lake 46

Crestwood is headed back to the Class 3A semifinals for the second year in a row.  The fifth-ranked Cadets shot 60 percent from 3-point range and led almost all the way in beating No. 11 Spirit Lake 58-46 in a first-round game.  Madison Sickles made 6 of her 9 shots and scored 17 points to lead the Cadets (22-2), who got their first-ever state tournament victory a year ago. Freshman Shannon Pisney added 12 points and seven rebounds and Karlee Grabau had 11. Pisney and Kate Grover, who finished with eight points, each hit a pair of 3-pointers.

Pocahontas Area 63, Clear Lake 59

The shots weren’t falling, the third quarter was a near disaster and the opponent kept making baskets.  Somehow, Pocahontas Area survived it all to play another day.  The second-ranked Indians hit four 3-pointers during a 2 1/2-minute span in the fourth quarter and rallied to beat No. 13 Clear Lake 63-59 to complete first-round play in the Class 3A tournament.  Pocahontas (24-1) managed only four points in the third quarter and trailed 52-44 before making its late run to gain a semifinal matchup with fifth-ranked Crestwood at 5 p.m. Thursday. The Indians did it with cluch play from a pair of sophomores, Faith Meyer and Elle Ruffridge.  Meyer led all scorers with 22 points and knocked down 5 of 7 3-point attempts. She finished 8-for-11 from the field overall. Ruffridge was held below her state-leading 27-point scoring average but came through when her team needed her and wound up with 21 points, seven assists and three steals.

CLASS 4-A:

Carlisle 56, Waverly-Shell Rock 50

Carlisle keeps giving its large gathering of loyal fans a reason to cheer.  The fourth-ranked Wildcats are in the Class 4A semifinals for the second straight year after charging from behind in the fourth quarter to hand No. 5 Waverly-Shell Rock its first loss of the season, 56-50.  Their success the past two years under coach Bryan White has come after the Wildcats struggled through a 1-22 season in 2012-13.  In this latest victory, Payton Keeney broke a 45-45 tie with a free throw and Agatha Baier followed with a 3-pointer from deep in the left corner for a 49-45 lead with 3:20 remaining. The Wildcats (22-2) stayed on top the rest of the way, helped by Baier’s slick high-low pass to Keeney for a layup that put Carlisle up 51-46.  Keeney finished 6-for-9 from the field and led the Wildcats with 20 points. Kaleigh Haus added 15 points, while Baeier had 10 points and six assists.

Harlan 54, Cedar Rapids Xavier 31

Make it 50 straight for Harlan, though it took a while for the Cyclones to get going in this one.  Taylor Frederick dominated inside with 27 points and 15 rebounds and top-ranked Harlan overcame a miserable start to beat No. 8 Cedar Rapids Xavier 54-31 in Class 4A play.  The victory keeps the Cyclones (24-0) in the running for a third consecutive appearance in the title game and they did it without a big game from season scoring leader Jess Schaben. Schaben struggled shooting the ball all night and scored just four points. But the Iowa State volleyball recruit grabbed 14 rebounds, blocked two shots and was an intimidating presence on several others as Harlan held the Saints (17-7) to 10 field goals.  Jordyn Moser added 10 points and Taylor Wagner seven for the Cyclones, who haven’t lost since falling to Xavier in the 2013 state championship game.  Xavier bothered Harlan with its aggressive defense early and the Cyclones could manage only seven first-half baskets and a 21-14 lead at the break.  But Wagner started the second half with a 3 and Frederick then took over, scoring 12 of her team’s next 15 points as Harlan stretched its lead to 39-19. Frederick posted up strong to get four baskets inside and sank four free throws during the big run and Xavier never recovered.  Lizzy Bailey, McKenna Andersen and Morgan Breitbach each scored seven points for Xavier, which capped another successful season with an 11th state tournament trip. The Saints have won four titles, including three in a stretch from 2003 through 2007.  The semifinals will match Harlan against No. 4 Carlisle, the team the Cyclones beat 45-42 in last year’s semis. They’ll meet at 6:45 p.m. Thursday.

Jim Field and Chris Parks have the call of the Class 1A State Quarterfinal Game played at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

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