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

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Freshman guard Joe Wieskamp had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Nicholas Baer scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half and 14th-ranked Iowa held off Pittsburgh 69-68 for its third win over a power program this season. Jordan Bohannon had 12 points and six steals for the Hawkeyes, who have also taken down Oregon and Connecticut this month.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Nick McGlynn scored 23 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked four shots and Drake held off Boise State 83-74. Nick Norton added 16 points with four assists for the Bulldogs (4-1), who made 23 of 28 free throws.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State coach Matt Campbell and his players are just happy to be playing a 12th game. The 24th-ranked Cyclones will host Drake on Saturday. The game replaces the season opener with South Dakota State that was called off because of lightning. Drake also had its opener scrubbed because of weather the same night. The two teams have played each other 69 times, but not since 1985.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit filed on behalf of people who paid a fee giving them the right to buy season tickets for the former St. Louis Rams. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports a settlement notice was filed in federal court but details were not released. The case involves more than 20,000 ticket accounts.

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald is the unanimous choice for Big Ten coach of the year according to a vote by coaches and media. He led the Wildcats to the West Division title after going winless in nonconference play and losing several starters to injuries. Michigan’s Devin Bush is defensive player of the year and top linebacker. Michigan State’s Kenny Willekes was voted top defensive lineman and Iowa’s Amani Hooker the top defensive back.

Hawkeye Ten Conference

Winterset 69, Atlantic 55 (Chase Mullenix 28pts for Atlantic)
Carroll 71, Kuemper Catholic 55
Denison-Schleswig 53, Lewis Central 52
Glenwood 74, CB Thomas Jefferson 52
Nodaway Valley 61, Clarinda 49
Shenandoah 73, Southwest Valley 45

Western Iowa Conference

Audubon 76, IKM-Manning 62 (Tate Killeen 31pts, Lane Lawson 30pts for Audubon)
Treynor 67, AHSTW 47 (Jon Schwarte 17pts, 14reb for Treynor)
Tri-Center 59, Riverside 39 (Leyton Nelson 21pts, 7reb for Trojans)
Underwood 58, Missouri Valley 33

Rolling Valley Conference

Ar-We-Va 50, Boyer Valley 39
CAM 55, Paton-Churdan 36
Exira-EHK 61, Coon Rapids-Bayard 43
Woodbine 66, Glideen-Ralston 40

Other Scores

Bedford 72, Essex 20
Lenox 64, Orient-Macksburg 37

Hawkeye Ten Conference

Carroll 61, Kuemper Catholic 41
Glenwood 64, CB Abraham Lincoln 55
Nodaway Valley 48, Clarinda 12
Shenandoah 58, Southwest Valley 41
St. Albert 68, Logan-Magnolia 44

Western Iowa Conference

IKM-Manning 68, Audubon 44 (Alexa Ahrenholtz 24pts for Wolves)
Treynor 66, AHSTW 41 (Konnor Sudmann 18pts, Mandy Stogdill 15pts)
Tri-Center 57, Riverside 33 (Lilly Dahir 13pts, Marissa Anderson 13pts)
Underwood 49, Missouri Valley 29

Rolling Valley Conference

Ar-We-Va 61, Boyer Valley 51
CAM 69, Paton-Churdan 50 (Madison Gettler 22pts, 10reb, 6stl, 5asst)
Exira-EHK 56, Coon Rapids-Bayard 44
Glidden-Ralston 57, Woodbine 51
West Monona 82, West Harrison 24

Other Scores

Bedford 61, Essex 13
East Union 47, Diagonal 25
Lenox 67, Orient-Macksburg 30

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Freshman guard Joe Wieskamp had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Nicholas Baer scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half and 14th-ranked Iowa held off Pittsburgh 69-68 on Tuesday night for its third win over a power program this season.

Jordan Bohannon had 12 points and six steals for the Hawkeyes (6-0), who’ve also taken down Oregon and Connecticut this month.

Pitt (6-1) put itself in position for the upset — only to miss two shots in the final 10.4 seconds that would’ve given the Panthers the win.

Baer and Pitt freshman Xavier Johnson traded free throws to make it a 69-68 game with 40.7 seconds left. Iowa’s Connor McCaffery then missed a 3 at the shot-clock buzzer.
Tyler Cook grabbed the rebound — only to miss both ensuing free throws. Trey McGowens and Sidy N’Dir each had chances for the game-winning shot, with Iowa only securing the victory when N’Dir’s desperate turnaround jumper went awry.

A pair of crucial 3s by Baer helped Iowa jump ahead 64-62. Johnson then missed a driving layup, but Kene Chukwuka pulled Pitt to 67-66 on an underneath bucket with 1:09 to go.
Johnson had 18 points to lead Pitt.

The Hawkeyes announced just before tip-off that junior reserve forward Cordell Pemsl will have season-ending surgery next month.

UP NEXT
The Panthers face city rival Duquesne in downtown Pittsburgh.
Iowa hosts the Badgers on Friday in its Big Ten opener.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Nick McGlynn scored 23 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked four shots and Drake held off Boise State 83-74 on Tuesday night.

Nick Norton added 16 points with four assists for the Bulldogs (4-1), who made 23 of 28 free throws. Tremell Murphy scored 13 points and D.J. Wilins added 10 with three steals.

Trailing by 10 points, Boise State rallied and closed to 58-52 on Pat Dembley’s layup, but Drake was up 64-52 on McGlynn’s alley-oop dunk midway through the second half. The Broncos closed to 73-70 on Dembley’s jumper, but Drake hit 8 of 10 from the line in the final 2:28 and the Broncos missed two 3-pointers in the final eight seconds.

David Wacker’s dunk tied it at 27 after a back-and-forth start, but Noah Thomas hit a go-ahead free throw and Drake outscored the Broncos 15-3 in the final 5:56 to lead 42-32 at halftime.

Justinian Jessup scored 21 points with four 3-pointers for the Broncos (2-4). Marcus Dickinson added 14 points, Dembley had 10 and RJ Williams nine with nine boards.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa men’s basketball junior forward Cordell Pemsl is scheduled to have season-ending surgery next month after final exams. The announcement came Tuesday by head coach Fran McCaffery.

“Cordell’s procedure is to remove hardware near his knee from a previous surgery when he was in high school,” said McCaffery. “It was hoped this procedure could wait until the end of the season, but is now determined the hardware removal is necessary before he will be able to return to the court.

“Cordell really worked hard preparing for his junior season and this is an unfortunate setback. We will submit a medical hardship waiver request to the Big Ten Conference after the season.”

“I have been attempting to play through some chronic irritation caused by the hardware during preseason practice, but after consulting with our training staff it is determined that the best course of action is to correct the problem before returning to the court. Although I am disappointed that I will be unable to help the team on the court this season, I am confident in my teammates and will do everything I can to be a good teammate from the sidelines.”

Pemsl (6-foot-8, 230 pounds) has played in only one game this season, 13 minutes in the season opener against UMKC on Nov. 8. The native of Dubuque, Iowa, has played in 67 career games, averaging 7.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa junior defensive back Amani Hooker has been named the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year and sophomore wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette has been named the Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year. The honorees and defensive all-conference teams were announced by the Big Ten Tuesday. Offensive award winners will be announced Wednesday.

“Amani and Ihmir both made strides in their development as football players and leaders throughout the course of the season,” said head coach Kirk Ferentz. “Both A.J. and Geno also improved as younger players and played a bigger and bigger role as the season went on. For our seniors, the recognition is a result of their play on the field, and the leadership they have provided throughout their careers. It’s gratifying to see others recognize those contributions.”

Hooker is the fourth Hawkeye to earn the defensive back award, and the third in the past four seasons.  Micah Hyde (2012), Desmond King (2015), and Josh Jackson (2017) previously earned the defensive back honor.

Hooker was named first-team All-Big Ten by coaches and media, while Smith-Marsette was named first team by media and second team by coaches.

Sophomore defensive end A.J. Epenesa joins Hooker in earning first-team All-Big Ten honors, being named first team by media and second team by coaches. Junior defensive end Anthony Nelson was named second team by conference media and third team by coaches.

Senior defensive tackle Matt Nelson, senior safety Jake Gervase, and senior kicker Miguel Recinos earned honorable mention recognition from coaches and media. Senior defensive end Parker Hesse and sophomore safety Geno Stone earned honorable mention from media. Hesse is Iowa’s Sportsmanship Award recipient.

Hooker is a native of Minneapolis. He is second on the team with 59 tackles, leads the team with seven pass break-ups and is tied for the team lead with four interceptions. He also recorded 3.5 tackles for loss. As a team, Iowa is tied for the national lead with 18 interceptions after the Hawkeyes led the nation a year ago with 21.

Smith-Marsette is the first Hawkeye to be named Return Specialist of the Year. The award bears the name of Iowa’s 1997 consensus All-American Tim Dwight. Smith-Marsette, a native of Newark, New Jersey, ranks second in the nation in kickoff returns with a 29.3 average on 19 returns.

Epenesa and Nelson share the team lead with 9.5 sacks, the most by a Hawkeye player since 2011.  Epenesa, a native of Glen Carbon, Illinois, has recorded 35 tackles and scored a touchdown at Illinois on a fumble return.  Nelson is from Waukee, Iowa, and has 41 tackles. He scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery against Maryland. Epenesa (Iowa State and Illinois) and Nelson (Minnesota and Nebraska) were two-time defensive Player of the Week honorees.

Iowa (8-4) is bowl eligible for the 17th time in the last 18 seasons. Iowa’s bowl destination and opponent will be announced Sunday.

Deer hunters will soon be trading in their bows for shotguns and body harnesses for blaze orange vests as the calendar turns to December and the first of Iowa’s three main gun seasons begin.  And based on reports, it looks like hunting will be good, if the weather cooperates. Tyler Harms, wildlife biometrician with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), says “Our deer population is similar to last year and they are definitely moving right now. The recent colder weather and rut activity have things looking positive for our shotgun seasons.” First shotgun season is Dec. 1-5, followed by second shotgun season Dec. 8-16. Late muzzleloader season is Dec. 17-Jan. 10, which it shares with the reopening of the bow season.

The bulk of the deer harvest, and hunter participation, occurs during the shotgun seasons. The Iowa DNR expects about 60,000 hunters in each shotgun season, plus 30,000 in the late muzzleloader season. The traditional technique in shotgun season is to drive and post where some members of the group post the end of the timber, while other walk through driving deer towards them. With all that activity in the timber, Harms advised hunters to keep safety at the top of their hunting plan. The hunting plan identifies where each hunter will be and how the hunt will unfold. The plan should also include checking the blaze orange and replace any that has faded over time. Hunters are required to wear one article of external solid blaze orange clothing: vest, jacket, coat, sweatshirt, sweater, short or coveralls. An orange hat alone doesn’t suffice. “You want to be seen by other hunters so it would be a good idea to wear more than the minimum amount of blaze orange required,” Harms said.

Hunters will notice few regulations changes from 2017. The DNR has added a January antlerless season in four counties and new deer management zones near Harpers Ferry, Elkader and Seymour. Unfilled youth deer licenses are now valid for any remaining seasons, but are still mentor licenses and they must follow all other rules specified for each season. Iowa’s overall deer harvest across all seasons last year was 105,578 and the 2018 harvest should be similar.

Report your harvest: The deer is down, tagged and on its way to the truck. But the harvest is not complete until the deer is registered; either online, over the phone or at a license vendor. Online, it takes just a couple minutes. Go to www.iowadnr.gov/hunting and click on the orange ‘Report Your Harvest Online’ bar in the middle of the page.  From there, scroll down and follow instructions. Be ready to enter your tag’s nine-digit harvest report number. By phone? Call 800-771-4692. The deer should be reported by the hunter whose name is on the tag…and it must come before midnight, the day after the deer is tagged. Reporting your harvest is important because harvest numbers are used to manage Iowa’s deer herd annually and it is required by law.

Safety reminder: Hunters are encouraged to use safe hunting practices and to discuss the hunting plan so each member of the hunting group knows where the others will be at all times during the hunt.

Tips:

• Treat every gun as if it is loaded
• Wear plenty of blaze orange
• Be sure of the target and what’s behind it
• Don’t shoot at running deer

Turn in poachers: See something in the field that doesn’t look right? Report hunting violations to Turn in Poachers as soon as possible by calling 1-800-532-2020. Provide as much information as possible like a description of the individual(s), vehicle and time and location of the violation. You can remain anonymous.

Chronic wasting disease: The Iowa DNR has launched a new online system where hunters who provide samples for chronic wasting disease testing can check on the test results themselves. Go to www.iowadnr.gov/hunting and click on the CWD reporting system link on the right. There, they can enter either their hunter identification number or the nine digit registration number on the deer tag. Results should be available in 2-3 weeks. The Iowa DNR is continuing to monitor for the always fatal disease with increased focus areas along the Nebraska border, northeast and north central Iowa, and Wayne, Appanoose, Davis, and Keokuk counties. New deer management zones were added in Allamakee, Clayton and Wayne counties this year to increase deer tissue samples in the area where chronic wasting disease has been confirmed in the wild herd and allow hunters an additional opportunity to go deer hunting. Hunters using a management zone license are required to provide a tissue sample and hunt within the zone boundaries. Licenses are available locally. More details are available at www.iowadnr.gov/cwd.

January antlerless season: The DNR has added an antlerless deer season January 11-27, 2019, in four counties: Allamakee, Clayton, Wayne and Appanoose. Licenses are available until the season ends, or the quotas fill, whichever comes first. Hunters may use a bow, muzzleloader, handgun, shotgun, straight wall cartridges or centerfire rifles shooting .24 caliber or larger in this season. Each of the participating counties has more than 1,000 antlerless licenses available.

Youth license: New this year – an unfilled youth deer season license is valid for the remaining deer seasons until filled. The youth hunter must follow the method of take for that season. The youth license is still a mentored license where they must hunt under the supervision of a licensed adult.

Help Us Stop Hunger – HUSH: Have an extra deer at the end of the hunt? Maybe you bought an extra tag, to hunt longer? Consider donating to Iowa’s HUSH program. HUSH (Help Us Stop Hunger) works with 66 participating lockers to provide high quality meat to needy Iowans, through the Food Bank of Iowa. Field dressed deer are skinned, de-boned and ground into two-pound packages…then distributed to local needy families. The program is funded by hunters, who pay a dollar surcharge with each deer tag purchase. HUSH has provided meat from nearly 74,000 deer to those who need it—nearly 3,800 last year. Processors receive $75 for their end of the work. The Food Bank of Iowa picks up $5, as it oversees distribution. Each locker will accept whole deer, asking the hunter to fill out a Hunter HUSH card. There is no fee paid at the locker. A list of participating lockers is available in the Iowa Hunting Regulations and online at www.iowahush.com.

Donated deer hides benefit disabled veterans: Hunters donated more than 3,300 deer hides to Elks Lodges across Iowa last year that were used by the Veterans Leather Program to make professionally-crafted leather gloves for veterans in wheelchairs, and turned in to leather used for therapy programs for recovering veterans. The Veterans Leather Program relies on the charity of hunters to donate their deer hides. Hunters willing to donate their hides are encouraged to contact the local Elks Lodge for drop off locations or visit www.elks.org to find the nearest lodge. The therapeutic kits and gloves are distributed at no cost to the veterans. Contact Lisa Widick at 208-360-6294 or lwidick@theperrychief.com for more information.

Don’t wait until the last minute to purchase deer licenses: Deer hunters are encouraged to avoid the last minute rush and buy their deer licenses soon. An estimated 60,000 deer hunters are expected to participate in each of the two shotgun seasons. Deer licenses are available at nearly 750 license vendors across the state.

The recent blast of arctic air is growing ice on lakes and ponds over much of Iowa. Anglers are starting to get out for the popular early ice fishing season. Joe Larscheid, chief of fisheries for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), says “Many of us can’t wait to get out on the ice each winter. Ice fishing is a fun, inexpensive activity for anglers of all ages to get outdoors and avoid cabin fever.” The DNR recommends a minimum of four inches of clear ice for fishing and at least five inches for snowmobiles and ATVs.

“Check ice thickness as you make your way to your favorite fishing spot,” Larscheid said. “Ice conditions change constantly and its thickness can vary across the lake. Trust your instincts – if the ice does not look right, don’t go out.” Early ice offers an excellent chance for success.  If fish are finicky, cut a series of holes and spend 15 minutes at each hole. Use small baits and light line.

Safety Tips on the Ice

• No ice is 100 percent safe.
• New ice is usually stronger than old ice.
• Don’t go out alone – if the worst should happen, someone will be there to call for help or to help rescue.
• Let someone know where you are going and when you will return.
• Check ice thickness as you go out – there could be pockets of thin ice or places where ice recently formed.
• Avoid off-colored snow or ice. It is usually a sign of weakness.
• The insulating effect of snow slows down the freezing process.
• Bring along these basic items to help keep you safe: hand warmers, ice cleats to help prevent falls, ice picks (wear around your neck) to help you crawl out of the water if you fall in, a life jacket, a floating safety rope, a whistle to call for help, a basic first aid kit and extra dry clothes including a pair of gloves.

The Atlantic boys basketball team will open up the 2018-19 season tonight with a road game at Winterset. The Trojans will have a new look this season in a number of different ways. Size will be one of those changes as the Trojans graduated a lot of height from last year with 6-7 Austin Alexander, 6-4 Grant Podhajsky, and 6-6 Scott Leonard all graduating. Those three also were among the top 4 scorers on last year’s squad. The top returnee is guard Chase Mullenix who averaged 11.2 points per game as a junior. Logan Reilly, Tyler Moen, and Sam Granner will be among a number of players that will be counted on for more minutes and production this season.

The Trojans also have a new face on the sideline as Jeff Ebling takes over for the departing Alan Jenkins who left to become the Head Coach at Southeast Polk High School. Ebling comes in with a wealth of experience as both a Head Coach and an Assistant at a number of schools in Iowa. He said Atlantic felt like a great opportunity for his family and he feels great about the move so far.

When asked about the style of play he likes his team to have, Coach Ebling said it does depend on the players you have each season and he will let the boys dictate the tempo with their execution.

On the defensive end Coach Ebling said he tends to stick with mostly man to man defense with a few wrinkles thrown in.

Atlantic was 14-9 last season and fell in the Regional Semifinals to eventual State Champion Glenwood. The Trojans are in the midst of one of the most successful runs in program history and it will be up to some new faces to carry the torch. After the opener against Winterset the Trojans will host St. Albert on Friday night and then travel to Red Oak next Tuesday. We’ll have that road contest at Red Oak on KJAN.