AMES, Iowa (AP) – Senior Fallon Ellis scored a career-high 18 points and unranked Iowa State stunned No. 3 Baylor 76-71 on Saturday, handing the Lady Bears their second straight loss after a 26-1 start.
Brynn Williamson added 17 for the Cyclones (18-10, 9-8 Big 12), who knocked off their second top-five opponent this season. Iowa State beat then-No. 3 Texas 59-57 on Jan. 10.

Baylor (26-3, 15-2), which trailed by as much as 10, got within 72-71 with 1:53 left. But Ellis picked up a steal after a Seanna Johnson layup, and Nikki Moody’s layup with 40 seconds left sealed it for the Cyclones.  Nina Davis scored 16 points for the Lady Bears, who dropped consecutive games for just the second time since 2010.

CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) – Anthony Beane had 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting to lead Southern Illinois to a 63-57 win over Drake on Saturday. Sean O’Brien had 14 points as the Salukis (11-20, 4-14 Missouri Valley) shot 52.1 percent from the field, and now claim the No. 9 seed in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and will face No. 8 Missouri State.

Southern Illinois maintained a double-digit lead until Reed Timmer and Ore Arogundade hit back-to-back 3s to pull within eight with 2:43 left. The Salukis finished 3 of 4 from the free throw line in the final minute. Beane started the game off 4-of-4 shooting, which included three 3-pointers, to help the Salukis jump up to a 23-11 lead in the first half.

Timmer lead the Bulldogs (9-21, 6-12), who made 9 of 18 3-point attempts, with 25 points.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) – Wesley Iwundu capped a 22-9 scoring run with a two-handed slam that gave Kansas State a 70-69 win over No. 12 Iowa State on Saturday and back-to-back Top 25 wins.  Kansas State (15-15, 8-9 Big 12) tied the game at 66 apiece with a tip-in by Justin Edwards with 59.4 seconds left.  After Iwundu gave Kansas State a 68-66 lead, Monte Morris had a 3-point play to give the Cyclones a one-point advantage.

A bad pass from Georges Niang on a later inbounds pass gave Iwundu the opportunity at redemption for a missed free throw with a two-handed slam. The Wildcats held Iowa State (20-8, 10-6) to 38 percent shooting in the second half, which followed 8-of-15 shooting from 3-point range in the opening 20 minutes. Nigel Johnson led Kansas State with 17 points after scoring a career-high 20 points in an upset of No. 8 Kansas on Monday night. Justin Edwards added a season-high 16 points.

Niang led Iowa State with 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Ron Baker scored 17 points to help No. 11 Wichita State beat No. 10 Northern Iowa 74-60 on Saturday and win the Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship. Fred VanVleet added 13 points for the Shockers (27-3, 17-1 Missouri Valley) while Tekele Cotton and Evan Wessel scored 11 each. Seth Tuttle scored 16 points to lead Northern Iowa (27-3, 16-2), which had a 16-game winning streak snapped. No other Panther scored in double figures.

Northern Iowa entered the game allowing 53.8 points a game, fourth best nationally. Up 12 at halftime, Wichita State extended its lead in the first five minutes. A Baker layup, VanVleet jumper and Shaquille Morris dunk equaled a quick 6-0 run that give the Shockers a 51-33 lead with 15:20 remaining. The Panthers shot their way back into the game behind the 3-point line, but it wasn’t enough.

Paddlefish season in Iowa begins this weekend on the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers. Iowa residents can no longer apply for licenses or paddlefish tags, but D-N-R fisheries biologist Van Sterner says those who are eligible for the season — which opens Sunday — are required to follow strict rules.  “We do have a protected slot limit,” Sterner says. “Fish measuring 35 to 45 inches, measured from the front of the eye to the fork in the tail, must be released immediately, unharmed.”

The odd-looking fish has a flat front that looks kind of like a paddle. It’s also known as a spoonbill. Sterner says some of the fish may have a tag in their lower jaw that’s very similar to those seen on waterfowl. Those who snag a tagged fish are asked to report it to the Department of Natural Resources to help track and research the population. “Nebraska and South Dakota do have a fairly valid estimate up there in the Gavins Point area but down this way, in the channelized stretch of the river, we just haven’t collected enough tag returns,” Sterner says. “This is all based on mark and recapture and we haven’t collected enough recaptures to give us a valid estimate yet.”

He says the department is hoping to increase interest in catching paddlefish in the future. “We offered 1,000 licenses, 950 resident licenses and 50 non-resident licenses,” Sterner says. “The 50 non-residents sold out and we sold a total of 743 licenses, so we didn’t sell out this year.”

This will be the first time anyone can legally go after paddlefish on the two rivers since 1986 when fishing was cut off out of concern for the survival of the species. The season opens Sunday and will continue through April 15th.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is encouraging hunters to be aware that gray wolves are once again a protected federal species. D-N-R furbearer biologist, Vince Evelsizer, says they want to remind Iowa hunters after the gray wolf protection was reinstated near the end of December. “It just means to be sure of your target — especially if you are out coyote hunting this time of the year when the season is still open for coyotes — to keep an eye out. Because now the gray wolf is protected both federally and state protected,” Evelsizer says.

The change protects gray wolves in all of Wisconsin and Michigan, the eastern half of North Dakota and South Dakota, and the northern half of Iowa. Evelsizer says it is possible a hunter might mistake a gray wolf for a coyote and fire at the animal. “I think you could, I think it’s possible. I think most Iowans when they are out coyote hunting are not expecting or really keeping an eye out for a gray wolf when they coyote hunt,” according to Evelsizer. “We are just reminding folks that it’s time to start doing that more. We’ve had a few larger canines in our state recently.”

Wolves generally are larger and bulkier while coyotes are shorter, sleek and lighter on their feet. Evelsizer says there is not a breeding population of gray wolves in Iowa. He says it’s hard to figure just how many might be here. “It’s been occasional, it’s always a little tough to tell as there is sometimes dog-wolf hybrids out there,” Evelsizer says.

The D-N-R has information and identification tips online at www.iowadnr.gov/wolves.

(Radio Iowa)

Regional Finals all games at 7:00pm

CLASS 1A:
Nodaway Valley vs. Fremont-Mills, Tabor @ Atlantic
Danville vs. Sigourney @ Fairfield
Gladbrook-Reinbeck vs. West Central, Maynard @ Independence
Grand View Christian School vs. Earlham @ Johnston
West Hancock, Britt vs. Nashua-Plainfield @ Mason City
Marquette Catholic, Bellevue vs. Belle Plaine @ Prairie, Cedar Rapids
Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto vs. Lawton-Bronson @ Sioux City, North
South O’Brien, Paullina vs. Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire @ Spencer

CLASS 2A:
Pocahontas Area vs. Forest City @ Algona
Pella Christian vs. Des Moines Christian @ Ankeny
Aplington-Parkersburg vs. New Hampton @ Cedar Falls High School
Monticello vs. Cascade, Western Dubuque @ Dubuque, Senior
Treynor vs. IKM-Manning @ Harlan Community
Sioux Center vs. Western Christian, Hull @ MOC-Floyd Valley
Regina, Iowa City vs. West Burlington @ Muscatine
Woodward Academy vs. Panorama, Panora @ Waukee

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Chris Parks.

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JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Adam Wainwright won’t pitch in exhibition games until mid-March because of his abdominal strain, a delay that could prevent the St. Louis Cardinals ace from starting the major league season opener at the Chicago Cubs on April 5.’

Wainwright was hurt Monday while putting a 45-pound weight back on a rack. He returned to St. Louis for an examination by Dr. Michael Brunt, who said the injury was minor. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny is open to the idea of pushing back Wainwright’s season debut a couple of days if the right-hander doesn’t respond to proscribed rest as quickly as doctors expect.

4A Semifinals
Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln 75, Lewis Central 57
Sioux City, North 78, Sioux City, East 73