w/ Jim Field

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs got back to work Monday after their bye as they began practicing for an AFC West showdown against the Denver Broncos on Sunday night. Not only did everyone practice at the Chiefs’ training facility, they also welcomed back rookie safety Sanders Commings from injured reserve. That means the 9-0 Chiefs are full strength for the first time in weeks heading into their biggest game of the season. That’s hardly the case for the 8-1 Broncos.

A person with knowledge of the results says Peyton Manning’s MRI showed aggravation of his right ankle that is not expected to keep the Broncos quarterback out of next Sunday’s game against Kansas City. The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t addressed the issue. Interim coach Jack Del Rio meets with the media Monday afternoon. While Manning was throwing the final pass in a 28-20 win over the Chargers, San Diego lineman Corey Liuget hit the quarterback around the ankles. Manning was noticeably limping as he finished the game.

He had an MRI on Monday morning. Manning originally hurt both ankles last month. The Denver Post had first reported the results of the MRI.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Chip Rank scored 18 points to lead UNI to an 86-52 blowout over Coe College on Monday night. Rank set the pace with three 3-pointers in the first half. But the game remained close until 8:06 in the first half, when Northern Iowa (1-1) pulled away on a 12-0 burst to go ahead 34-21. Marvin Singleton had 13 rebounds off the bench for the Panthers.

J.T. Vonderhaar was the leading scorer for Coe (0-1) with 10 points. UNI has the longest active win streak in the Missouri Valley Conference with five consecutive 20-win seasons.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Grant Rohach will remain Iowa State’s starting quarterback despite a shaky debut and probably will keep the job the rest of the season. Rohach made his first start in the Cyclones’ 21-17 loss to TCU last Saturday and played better in the second half after struggling early. He’s healthier at this point than previous starter Sam Richardson, so he’ll take the first snap again in next Saturday’s game at No. 22 Oklahoma.

Richardson has been slowed by an assortment of injuries and now has a sore thumb that hampers his passing. But he’s a better runner than Rohach, and coach Paul Rhoads alternated the two quarterbacks against TCU. Rhoads says he hasn’t decided if he’ll use the same rotation this week, but Rohach said he expects it to continue.

IRVING, Texas – Iowa State senior forward Hallie Christofferson was named this season’s first Big 12 Player of the Week, the league announced today. This is her second-career weekly honor, as she garnered Freshman of the Week honors in 2010.

Christofferson tallied a career-high 32 points and 11 rebounds in Iowa State’s 84-55 win over North Dakota. Her 32 points is tied for the 10th-most scored in ISU history. It also marked her 12th-career double-double. Christofferson was one of 10 Big 12 players to record a double-double in the first week of play (including teammate Kidd Blaskowsky), and her 32 points led all Big 12 scorers.

Christofferson went 11-for-18 from the field at a .611 clip, tying a career high in field goals made and setting a career-high with 18 field goal attempts. She also went 7-of-8 (.875) from the free-throw line.

Christofferson and the No. 20/22 Iowa State Cyclones return to the court on Wednesday at 7 p.m. to take on the South Dakota Lady Coyotes in their second game of the season.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State guards Naz Long and DeAndre Kane earned Phillips 66 Big 12 Player and Newcomer of the Week awards for their performances in Sunday’s season opening win against UNC Wilmington. Kane shared the newcomer of the week honor with Oklahoma’s Ryan Spangler.

In his first career start, Long posted a career-best 26 points (previous high was seven) with two rebounds and two assists in the Cyclones’ 95-62 win over UNCW. The sophomore guard was 9-of-12 (.750) from the field, including 8-of-11 (.727) from 3-point range. The eight 3-pointers ties for the third-most in school history. During his freshman campaign last year, Long scored a total of 25 points and made five 3-pointers for the entire season.

Kane narrowly missed a triple-double in his debut with the Cyclones despite playing just 25 minutes. The senior guard finished with 13 points, a career-high tying 11 rebounds and seven assists in the ISU victory. He had just one turnover and finished 4-of-6 (.667) from the field while making all five attempts from the free throw line.

Iowa State returns to action Tuesday when it hosts Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 7 p.m.

A group of basketball ambassadors will come to Harlan this (Monday) evening to take on some local celebrities. The Harlem Ambassadors are an organization similar to the Harlem Globetrotters and will bring high flying slam dunks and family comedy to the Harlan Community High School Gymnasium starting at 7pm. Dawn Gardner from the Harlan Community High School says the Ambassadors will play against the Harlan Community Hoopsters.

The Hoopsters will be coached by the Harlan Mayor Gene Gettys and Izzy Clark and the team is made up of current Harlan Community staff members such as Superintendent Justin Wagner, teacher Dan Hoch and former Harlan Community graduates including Randy Bissen, Paul Bruck and Kevin Osborn.

The entire event is sponsored by the Harlan Community Teammates Mentoring Program. Gardner says “The Teammates Program was started by Doctor Tom Osborne and Nancy Osborn in Nebraska as a school based mentoring program. Students meet once a week for an hour during the school year. It gives students an extra adult to look up to other than family members.”

No ticket is needed to get into the family show this evening at the high school gym but seating is limited. A free-will donation will be taken at the door with proceeds going to the Teammates program. Along with the basketball fun, the concession stand will be open as well as a merchandise stand from the Harlem Ambassadors. A signed basketball from the Ambassadors will be auctioned off to coach Izzy Clark, too.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

w/ Jim Field

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AMES, Iowa (AP) – Hallie Christofferson scored a career-high 32 points to go along with 11 rebounds as Number 23 Iowa State beat North Dakota 84-55 Sunday in the season opener for both teams. Iowa State struggled to break away from North Dakota for most of the first half, but the Cyclones closed the first half on a 14-5 run, pushing their half-time lead to 47-35. North Dakota never threatened in the second half.

Nicole Blaskowsky scored 14 points and added a career-high 10 rebounds while Nikki Moody added 10 points of her own.  Madi Buck led North Dakota with 16 points, and Megan Lauck scored 13 of her own. Mia Loyd led the team with 10 rebounds. North Dakota struggled from the field, shooting only 30 percent.

The win brought Iowa State’s season-opener record to a perfect 19-0 under head coach Bill Fennelly.

AMES, Iowa (AP) – Naz Long hit eight 3s en route to a career-high 26 points and Iowa State pounded UNC-Wilmington 95-62 on Sunday.  Georges Niang had 16 points and DeAndre Kane added 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Cyclones, (1-0), who cruised to their 16th straight win in a home opener.

Iowa State hit 15 3s – two shy of the school record set last year against Kansas – and closed the first half on a 38-9 run. Long had six 3s in the first half, becoming the first Iowa State player since 2008 to accomplish that feat.

Chris Dixon had 15 points for UNC-Wilmington (0-2). The Seahawks lost to Iowa by 43 points on Friday.