KANSAS CITY, Mo (AP) – The Kansas City Chiefs are headed into the postseason with a more complete team than last year, when their defense let them down in an AFC title game loss to New England. Their offense is still plenty potent behind quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his seemingly endless array of pass-catchers. But their revamped defense has been nearly as good. It pieced together a string of 10 consecutive quarters without allowing a touchdown late in the season. That has the entire locker room brimming with more confidence than ever before.

(Radio Iowa) — The Quad Cities will play host to hundreds of competitors from one of the fastest growing sports in the country. The metro area will be home to the 2021 U-S Masters Championships for the Professional Disc Golf Association. Chase Roberts, who owns a disc golf supply store in Moline, Illinois, is one of the local tourney organizers. With no snow and warmer-than-normal temperatures, he says some disc golfers are still at it. Roberts says, “We obviously have a slowdown season when it gets too cold, but one of the great things about it is that anybody can play it, and it’s relatively cheap to get involved with the game.”

Disc Golf

Roberts says the association chose the Quad Cities for the championship because it successfully hosted two previous national competitions in 2007 and 2017. Roberts says disc golf is similar to traditional golf, but with something resembling a frisbee. “They’re actually more like a discus that you would use in track and field than they are a traditional frisbee,” Roberts says. “We still have some discs that resemble the frisbee form — those are putters. They’re slower speed discs. There’s mid-range discs that are a little bit better for control, and then there’s drivers and distance drivers for high-speed and long-distance shots.”

It’s scored the same as golf, but instead of holes competitors “putt” into baskets. The 2021 Masters Championships will be for those age 40 and above. It will be held in September of 2021. Roberts says the Quad Cities is a “hotbed” for disc golf, with 11 courses in the area and a total of about 40 within a short driving distance.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.3MB)

Subscribe: RSS

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

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — No. 7 Oregon held off No. 11 Wisconsin 28-27 to win its third straight trip to the Rose Bowl. The Big Ten runner-up Badgers lost in their fourth consecutive trip to Pasadena over the last 10 years.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tyler Johnson had 12 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns to become Minnesota’s career receiving leader and propel the 16th-ranked Gophers to a 31-24 victory over No. 9 Auburn in the Outback Bowl. Johnson broke Eric Decker’s school record for receiving yards on his second catch of the day and became Minnesota’s all-time leader for scoring receptions. Minnesota finished 11-2, its first season with more than 10 wins since 1904. Auburn wound up 9-5.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Mac Jones threw three touchdown passes and Jerry Jeudy became the first Alabama player to top 200 receiving yards in a bowl game as the ninth-ranked Crimson Tide topped No. 17 Michigan 35-16 on Wednesday in the Citrus Bowl.

UNDATED (AP) — Tom Brady and the New England Patriots aren’t getting their usual week to rest, relax and recharge ahead of the NFL playoffs. The Patriots are playing on wild-card weekend for the first time since 2009. The two teams that earned first-round byes this season are the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Patriots host the Tennessee Titans on Saturday in the wild-card round. And the Houston Texans host the Buffalo Bills in the other game. The Ravens own the top seed for the first time and the Chiefs get their second straight first-round bye.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Mitch Ballock hit five 3-pointers and scored a season-high 24 points, Ty-Shon Alexander added 21 points and a career-high six steals and Creighton stretched its winning streak to eight games, topping Marquette 92-75. Damien Jefferson had 17 points for the Blue Jays in the Big East Conference for both teams. Marcus Zegarowski added 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Alexander also had eight rebounds. Brendan Bailey, Markus Howard and Sacar Anim scored 18 points apiece for the Golden Eagles, whose five-game win streak came to end. Bailey also had 11 rebounds for his first career double-double.

UNDATED (AP) — Underclassmen are thriving at point guard in college basketball as conference play begins in earnest. The list includes top NBA prospects like Iowa State sophomore Tyrese Haliburton, Arizona freshman Nico Mannion and injured North Carolina freshman Cole Anthony. Sophomores are playing big roles for No. 3 Kansas with Devon Dotson, No. 17 Kentucky with Ashton Hagans and defending national champion Virginia with Kihei Clark. North Carolina coach Roy Williams says the challenge with developing young point guards is more about mentality than physical skills.

(hawkeyesports.com) IOWA CITY, Iowa — Sophomore center Monkia Czinano started the University of Iowa’s scoring salvo 17 seconds into the first quarter. Junior Zion Sanders finished it with 43 seconds remaining.

In between, Iowa tacked on 37 more field goals and 17 free throws for a school-record point total during a 108-72 rout of Illinois in women’s basketball Tuesday in front of 6,942 on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Iowa is 10-3 overall, 1-1 in the Big Ten; Illinois is 9-4, 0-2.

The Hawkeyes made 65 percent of their field goals (39 of 60), second only to a 70-percent effort against North Carolina Central on Dec. 14. They held the Illini to 38 percent shooting (26 of 69).

“There is no perfection in basketball, but we really clicked on offense,” Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said. “We did not click (during a 78-69 loss) at Nebraska (on Dec. 28), and I was proud that we were able to bounce back and focus on Illinois and play like it was the Big Ten Championship game.”

Senior Kathleen Doyle scored a game and career-high 33 points, making 11 of 14 field goals and all nine free throws. Three other Hawkeyes scored in double figures: Czinano with 16 (7 of 10 from the field), senior Makenzie Meyer with 15 (5 of 10 from 3-point range), and senior Amanda Ollinger with 12 (6 of 7 from the field). Ollinger posted her first double-double by grabbing 14 rebounds (12 defensive).

“It feels I have been right there all season, so finally getting (a double-double) feels good,” Ollinger said. “My teammates and coaches have supported me. It took one game for knocking down that high-post shot to finally click.”

Kennedi Myles led Illinois with 18 points and five rebounds.

UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes take on Northwestern (11-1) on Sunday at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois. The Wildcats played Maryland on Tuesday at home.

Darrell Brown had 19 points and eight assists as Bradley won its ninth consecutive home game, beating Drake 80-72. Nate Kennell had 16 points and nine rebounds for Bradley Ville Tahvanainen added 13 points. Ja’Shon Henry had 10 points.

DJ Horne had a season-high 22 points as Illinois State topped Northern Iowa 76-70 in their first Missouri Valley Conference game of the season. Zach Copeland had 15 points for Illinois State. Antonio Reeves added 13 points, and Jaycee Hillsman had 11 points. AJ Green had 23 points for the Panthers, whose five-game win streak was broken. Austin Phyfe added 13 points and 12 rebounds. Green scored UNI’s final seven points, capped by a 3-pointer with 57 seconds remaining before Illinois State made six free throws.

Rod Melton Jr. scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half, D.J. Jones added 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and Florida A&M beat Iowa State 70-68. The Rattlers have won back-to-back games after opening the season with nine consecutive losses. The Cyclones were without leading-scorer Tyrese Haliburton (17.3 points per game). The sophomore guard, who leads the Big 12 in assists (7.7) and steals (2.6) per game, missed the game due to a wrist injury suffered in practice and is expected to play in the Big 12 opener on Saturday.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (7.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS

(Learfield Sports/Radio Iowa) –The Iowa State women outscored North Alabama 21-10, Monday, in the third quarter then held off a late rally for an 80-72 win in Ames. The Cyclones improve to 8-3.  The Cyclones led by 16 points before being outscored 27-19 in the fourth quarter. Ashley Joens led the Cyclones with 22 points and added 16 rebounds.