The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.

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(AP) – Luka Garza had 28 points and 13 rebounds as No. 19 Iowa held on in the closing seconds to beat No. 24 Rutgers 85-80. Connor McCaffery hit four free throws in the final 16 seconds, his only points of the night, to close out the win for the Hawkeyes. Iowa led by nine points three times in the second half before Rutgers rallied. Garza had his 11th double-double of the season. Ron Harper Jr. had a career-high 29 points for Rutgers. His previous best was 27 against the Hawkeyes last season.

Roman Penn had 14 points, eight assists and six rebounds, Wednesday, and Garrett Sturtz recorded 10 points and six rebounds as Drake romped past Evansville 73-50. Shamar Givancel led the Purple Aces with nine points.

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

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Luka Garza had 28 points and 13 rebounds as No. 19 Iowa held on in the closing seconds to beat No. 24 Rutgers 85-80. Connor McCaffery hit four free throws in the final 16 seconds, his only points of the night, to close out the win for the Hawkeyes. Iowa led by nine points three times in the second half before Rutgers rallied. Garza had his 11th double-double of the season. Ron Harper Jr. had a career-high 29 points for Rutgers. His previous best was 27 against the Hawkeyes last season.

CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — Lance Jones scored 20 points and Barret Benson scored 13 with six rebounds and Southern Illinois beat Northern Iowa 68-66. Jones’ basket gave Southern Illinois a 63-57 lead with 2:21 remaining. AJ Green’s 3-pointer brought the Panthers within 67-66. On the Salukis following possession, Green came up with a steal against Trent Brown, but he missed a jump shot with two seconds left and time expired. Marcus Domask and Trent Brown each scored 11 for the Salukis. Southern Illinois has won four of its last six. Trae Berhow led Northern Iowa with 22 points and nine rebounds.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The No. 19 Iowa women’s basketball team enters its home game against Ohio State on Thursday night riding a 30-game home win streak. That’s second-longest in Division I behind Baylor’s 49 consecutive home wins. Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder grew up in Iowa and understands the state’s passion for the sport. In-state rival Iowa State draws 9,500 fans per game in Ames to rank third in the nation. Iowa is 11th in attendance at more than 5,900. Last season, when the Hawkeyes made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, they averaged almost 6,800. Bluder said her team’s winning ways have fueled attendance.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Big 12 has suspended four players from Kansas and Kansas State a combined 25 games for their roles in a melee that spilled off the court. The brawl erupted into a section of disabled seating in Allen Fieldhouse near the end of the third-ranked Jayhawks’ win over the Wildcats. Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa was suspended indefinitely by Jayhawks coach Bill Self earlier Wednesday. He was given a 12-game suspension by the league office. His teammate, David McCormack, was suspended two games while Kansas State forward James Love received an eight-game suspension and Antonio Gordon a got three-game suspension.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs saw value in a trio of players that were essentially castoffs from what was one of the least-successful franchises in the NFL over the past 10 years in Damien Williams, Matt Moore and Jordan Lucas. Their decision to pick them up when just about nobody else was calling is a big reason why they’re playing in the Super Bowl. Williams has turned into their top running back, Moore played crucial games when Patrick Mahomes was hurt, and Lucas has been a valuable player on special teams while providing depth at safety this season.

UNDATED (AP) — Brett Favre sees some of his own traits as a football player in Patrick Mahomes. The mobility and passing outside the pocket, usually on the run. The willingness to stick with a play and see if it can develop into something grand. The howitzer of an arm. The Hall of Fame quarterback, who is appearing weekly on SiriusXM NFL Radio for a third NFL season, isn’t exactly looking into a mirror when he watched Mahomes. But it isn’t far off.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals signed outfielder Alex Gordon to a $4 million contract for next season. The move gives the rebuilding club a veteran presence in what is expected to be a young lineup under new manager Mike Matheny. The Royals designated right-hander Heath Fillmyer for assignment in a corresponding roster move. The 35-year-old Gordon is a three-time All-Star and won his seventh Gold Glove last season to move within one of Frank White for the most in franchise history.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Matt Wieters has finalized a $2 million, one-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, a deal that brings back the 33-year-old to again back up Yadier Molina. Wieters was a four-time All-Star with Baltimore before spending two seasons with Washington and then joining the Cardinals. He was a non-roster invitee who wound up starting 54 games and appearing in 67 last season, hitting .214 with 11 homers and 27 RBIs while helping St. Louis win the NL Central.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The No. 19 Iowa women’s basketball team enters its home game against Ohio State on Thursday night riding a 30-game home win streak. That’s second-longest in Division I behind Baylor’s 49 consecutive home wins. Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder grew up in Iowa and understands the state’s passion for the sport.

In-state rival Iowa State draws 9,500 fans per game in Ames to rank third in the nation. Iowa is 11th in attendance at more than 5,900. Last season, when the Hawkeyes made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, they averaged almost 6,800. Bluder said her team’s winning ways have fueled attendance.

ST. LOUIS, MO., January 22, 2020­ – The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they have agreed to terms with free-agent catcher Matt Wieters (pronounced WEE-ters) on a one-year contract for the upcoming 2020 season.

Wieters, 33, returns to the Cardinals for a second-straight season.   He signed with St. Louis on February 27 last year as a non-roster invitee, and was a key member of the Redbirds’ N.L. Central Division-winning club, appearing in 67 games (54 starts).

The 6-5, 235-pound Wieters hit 11 home runs last season, his most since 2016, and threw out 8 of 19 (42 pct.)  attempted base-stealers.  Wieters owns a career .250 batting mark with 146 HR’s and 546 RBI in 1,148 games played and he begins 2020 just 11 hits shy of 1,000 for his career.   His 146 career home runs rank 6th all-time among switch-hitting catchers.

Before joining St. Louis last season, Wieters had played two seasons (2017-18) with the Washington Nationals after an eight-year stint in Baltimore where he was named an American League All-Star four times (2011-12, 2014 & 2016).

A former first round (5th player overall) draft selection of the Baltimore Orioles in 2007 out of Georgia Tech University, Wieters was a Rawlings Gold Glove recipient in both 2011 and 2012.

Wieters addition puts the Cardinals 40-man Major League roster at a full 40.

(By The Associated Press) –  Iowa athletic director Gary Barta has been chosen as the new chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee. Barta was appointed to the selection committee in January 2019 and will replace Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens as chairman. Three new members of the selection committee were also appointed for three-year terms. They are former Penn State offensive lineman John Urschel, Wyoming athletic director Tom Burman and Colorado AD Rick George. Besides Mullens, also cycling off the committee are former Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer and Robert Morris University President Chris Howard, a former football player at Air Force.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell announced today that Mick McCall, who was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Northwestern the past 12 seasons, was added to the Cyclone coaching staff to coach the running backs.

McCall, who has 41 years of collegiate coaching experience, including 13 seasons as an offensive coordinator at the FBS level, will reunite with Campbell. The duo were on the same staff at Bowling Green from 2003-04 and 2007.

“Mick will be a wonderful addition to our coaching staff,” Campbell said. “Mick has had an outstanding career in coaching and his vast experience and knowledge of the game will certainly give our offensive staff room an added boost. Mick was one of my mentors when I began my career in the coaching profession and I have no doubt he will be a great fit for Iowa State football.”

McCall joined the Northwestern coaching staff as the director of the offense and quarterbacks coach in 2008, helping the Wildcats go 89-67 and record three 10-win seasons (2012, 2015, 2017). NU qualified for nine bowl games, winning four, and claimed its first-ever Big Ten West title in 2018.

Northwestern boasted a number of quality quarterbacks under McCall’s guidance, including Clayton Thorson, Trevor Siemian, Kain Colter, Mike Kafka and Dan Persa.

Thorson, a three-time All-Big Ten performer, graduated in 2018 as the program’s career leader in passing yards (10,731), completions (991) and passing touchdowns (61). Siemian ended his NU career fourth in passing yardage (5,931) and completions (550) before forging a successful NFL career. He was the Denver Broncos starting quarterback in 2016 and 2017.

Northwestern offenses were effective in the running game and passing game during his tenure. One of his best weapons was Justin Jackson, who was a four-time All-Big Ten honoree from 2014-17. Jackson is NU’s career leader in carries (1,142), rushing yards (5,440) and rushing touchdowns (41). He also utilized wide receiver Austin Carr, who became just the third player since 1990 to lead the Big Ten in receptions (90), receiving yards (1,247) and touchdowns (12) in 2016. Carr and Jackson were the only duo in the nation to lead a conference in both receiving yards and rushing yards.

In 2012, McCall served as the architect to one most unique offensive systems in the country with Colter and Siemian. Colter started 12 games and rushed for 894 yards and a team-best 12 touchdowns. Siemian threw for 1,312 yards and six touchdowns.

In 2009, McCall directed the conference’s top passing attack (286.5 ypg). In the Outback Bowl, McCall’s offense broke 21 bowl records, compiling 625 total yards during a dramatic 38-35 overtime loss to Auburn. Kafka’s 47 completions, 78 passing attempts and the Wildcats 115 total offensive plays were both NCAA bowl and NCAA FBS records.

McCall was the offensive coordinator at Bowling Green in 2007, directing the Falcons’ spread offense, which averaged 402.5 yards per game. Prior to 2007, McCall spent four years as BGSU’s quarterbacks coach, mentoring All-Americans Josh Harris (2003) and Omar Jacobs (2004). In 2004, Jacobs set an NCAA record by throwing a nation best and MAC-record 41 TD passes with just four interceptions, the best TD/interception ratio in the history of college football.

McCall began coaching in 1979 at his alma mater, Southern Colorado, as the quarterbacks and running backs coach. He had coaching stints at Idaho State, Oregon State and Wyoming. Among the more notable players McCall has coached is former Idaho State running back Merril Hoge. Hoge went on to star for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL from 1987-93.

Prior to his coaching career, McCall was a quarterback at Southern Colorado in Pueblo, Colo., from 1975-78 where he was a two-time All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference performer and lettered in basketball. He was invited to participate in the training camp of the NFL’s Detroit Lions following his college playing career.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.

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(Radio Iowa) — Legislators in the Iowa House AND Senate are discussing steps that would let Iowa college athletes earn money if their name or likeness is used for profit. Senators Nate Boulton, a Democrat from Des Moines, and Republican Brad Zaun of Urbandale have been talking about establishing trust funds for student athletes’ compensation. Boulton says Division One college football has become the minor league for the N-F-L.

“There’s a general consensus that the power imbalance is unsustainable right now with the amount of money that’s going into college athletics and the inability to see anything other than facilities and coaching salaries be the outlet for that,” Boulton says.

Now that sports betting is legal in Iowa, Boulton says gamblers are profiting off college athletes, too.  “There’s money all around this system and on an island, without any resources coming to them, are the student athletes who are putting their bodies on the line,” Boulton says.

Representatives Ras Smith, a Democrat from Waterloo, and Republican Joe Mitchell of Wayland met last month with former University of Iowa star Marvin McNutt to discuss how trust funds might work — so the compensation comes after the student athlete’s college career is over.  “Me and Representative Smith have both said that we think that these guys should have the rights to the fruits of their own labor,” Mitchell says. “A lot of these guys aren’t going to play pro, but they would be able to make some money in college.”

Mitchell says playing a sport like football at the Division One level is essentially job.  “If we’re going to go to have these guys go out there and play and make money for the universities and if the coaches can make money off endorsements, but the players can’t — who are really the ones that people come to watch — that’s where I see the problem with it,” Mitchell says.

Mitchell says this is a sensitive issue, but if legislators can come up with a bipartisan consensus, the Iowa law could be a model for other states and even the N-C-Double-A.