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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was perhaps the biggest wild card for Kansas City entering the season. But the first-year starter, and now an MVP candidate, has been perhaps the most consistent player for the Chiefs as they seek an AFC West title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas was supposed to have an easy run to its 15th consecutive Big 12 title. But the emergence of Texas Tech and Oklahoma coupled with solid play from Kansas State and TCU have turned their road into a bumpy one. It begins with a showdown between the Jayhawks and Sooners next week, when the double-round-robin slate begins.

UNDATED (AP) — The Big Ten’s expanded schedule is shaping up to be quite a grind. After starting the season with only three teams in the AP Top 25, the league now has six. That’s significant at a time when the Big Ten has increased the number of conference games. Each of the league’s men’s basketball teams will play 20 conference games now. That’s up from 18 a season ago.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa State University football team won’t be the only group from Iowa to take the field at the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, on Friday night. The marching band from Gehlen Catholic School in Le Mars will be performing during halftime. Lisa Niebuhr, the school’s development director, says the entire trip will have an educational focus.

“Educational in the sense of the competition as well as working with the clinicians for the mass band performance on music,” Niebuhr says. “We are doing some history education by going to the Alamo.” There’s also science education planned, too, she says, with a trip to SeaWorld and to some natural caverns. While in Texas, the band will compete in a marching band contest with around 20 other bands that will be there from various sizes of schools participating in the Alamo Bowl festivities.

Niebuhr says the trip also serves as community outreach as the bowls are non-profit organizations with proceeds from the event going to Fort Sam Houston Hospital, which serves members of the military. “Since patriotism and citizenship are an important component of what we do at Gehlen, from everything from our Veterans Day prayer service to saying the Pledge every day, one of the reasons why we choose the Alamo Bowl is because it’s a way for us to give back to our servicemen and women,” she says.

Niebuhr’s husband, Paul, is the band’s director and she notes, the 37-member marching band is getting plenty of attention from across Iowa. Niebuhr says, “It’s a real testimony to our community because Ames and Des Moines have picked up the coverage of Le Mars and even the athletic director from Iowa State sent Paul and I a personal note that we shared with the band and said they’re going to be cheering with Gehlen.” This will mark the sixth time Gehlen has performed at a college bowl game.

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LeBron hurt as Lakers rip Warriors…Celts outlast Sixers…Bucks dump Knicks…Harden leads Rockets

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kyle Kuzma scored a team-high 19 points and the Los Angeles Lakers won at Golden State for the first time in 12 tries by blasting the Warriors, 127-101. The Lakers finished the game without LeBron James, who had 17 points, 13 rebounds and five assists before suffering a strained left groin 4:09 into the second half. James slipped under the Golden State basket while trying for a loose ball.

BOSTON (AP) — Kyrie Irving provided 40 points and 10 rebounds as the Boston Celtics outlasted the Philadelphia 76ers, 121-114 in overtime. Irving tied the game with 20 seconds left in regulation and nailed back-to-back 3-pointers in OT to put the Celtics ahead to stay. Joel Embiid led with 34 points and 16 rebounds for the Sixers, who were ahead 113-108 with 3:33 remaining.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks were winners in their first Christmas Day game in 41 years as Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered a game-high 30 points and a team-best 14 rebounds in a 109-95 downing of the Knicks in New York. Antetokounmpo dropped in 11 points while Milwaukee outscored New York 36-22 in the third quarter to take an 84-65 lead into the final period. Brook Lopez finished with 20 points and Malcolm Brogdon added 17 in Milwaukee’s fifth win in six games.

HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden poured in 40 points and Clint Capela had a double-double as the Houston Rockets won for the seventh time in eight games, 113-109 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Harden scored at least 40 points for the seventh straight game and became the first player to score 40 or more points on Christmas since Kevin Durant had 44 for the Thunder in 2010. Capela had 16 points and tied a season high with 23 rebounds to help the Rockets take over the Southwest Division lead despite an 11-14 start.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah Jazz won for the fifth time in their last six home games behind Rudy Gobert’s 18 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks in a 117-96 romp over Portland. Donovan Mitchell added 19 points and Joe Ingles chipped in 15 points, seven boards and five assists to help the Jazz beat the Blazers for the second time in five days. Damian Lillard had a team-high 20 points for Portland, which shot just 39 percent.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs are 0-2 when trying to clinch the AFC West and the top seed in the playoffs after a 38-31 loss to Seattle on Sunday night. Now, their potent offense and maligned defense are feeling the pressure as they prepare to face Oakland in their regular-season finale. Win and everything is fine. Lose and all bets are off.

UNDATED (AP) — Duke has regained the top spot in The Associated Press Top 25 following a win over No. 12 Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden. The Blue Devils moved up a spot after previous No. 1 Kansas lost at No. 18 Arizona State. Michigan climbed two spots to No. 2, moving past No. 3 Tennessee.

UNDATED (AP) — Quarterbacks who grew up with personal coaches, 7-on-7 spring leagues and all they ever wanted to know about two-deep coverage on YouTube have taken over college football. The passing game has reached new heights this season. With 26 postseason games left to play, the current passer efficiency rating for the Bowl Subdivision is 134.99, which would break the previous record of 133.83 set in 2012.

UNDATED (AP) — No. 19 Kentucky heads to Louisville for latest version of “nasty” rivalry during a slow week in the AP Top 25. The Wildcats have won nine of the past 11 games in the Bluegrass rivalry

DETROIT (AP) — Paul Johnson simply wants some time off. The 61-year-old coach will lead Georgia Tech for the final time Wednesday against Minnesota in the Quick Lane Bowl. Johnson is 82-59 at Georgia Tech over 11 seasons and 128-88 overall, including six seasons at Navy. Minnesota has a nation-high 52 percent of its roster filled by freshmen. The youngsters won two of their final three games to become bowl eligible under coach P.J. Fleck.

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

SEATTLE (AP) — For the second straight week, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs faltered in their attempt to send the entire AFC playoffs through Arrowhead Stadium. Rather than a relaxing Week 17 with a chance to rest players headed into the postseason, the Chiefs must avoid one more stumble that could cost them a division title and homefield advantage. Kansas City’s 38-31 loss to Seattle on Sunday night kept the Chiefs from wrapping up the AFC West and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

SEATTLE (AP) — Russell Wilson threw three touchdown passes including a 2-yard TD to Ed Dickson with 7:31 remaining, Chris Carson rushed for two scores, and the Seattle Seahawks clinched an NFC wild-card berth with a 38-31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night. Wilson got the better of Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and helped lead Seattle back to the postseason after missing the playoffs a year ago.

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Kansas is likely to fall out of the No. 1 spot in The Associated Press college basketball poll following its 80-76 loss to No. 18 Arizona State. No. 2 Duke could move back into the top of the AP Top 25 after surviving a test against No. 12 Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nick Norton scored 14 of his career-high 31 points in the second overtime and Drake beat San Diego 110-103 in the championship game of the Las Vegas Classic. Brady Ellingson hit a 3-pointer for Drake in the closing seconds of regulation and San Diego’s half-court heave went wide. The Bulldogs hit seven of their last eight shots of regulation.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowans aiming to improve their heart health may want to hit a weight room rather than step on a treadmill after learning about a new study from Iowa State University. D.C. Lee, associate professor of kinesiology at ISU, led the research published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. “We found that even less than one hour per week of resistance exercise lowers CVD (cardiovascular disease) risk (by) 40 to 70 percent,” Lee said.  The researchers also found spending MORE than one hour a week in the weight room did NOT yield any ADDITIONAL benefit in terms of lowering cardiovascular disease risk. According to Lee, the workout also doesn’t need to involve a bench press, heavy barbells and weight plates.

“The muscle doesn’t know whether it’s from digging, carrying heavy shopping bags, or lifting dumbbells and barbells,” Lee said. “The stimulation of muscle, I think, is the key in terms of type of resistance exercise on cardiovascular health outcomes.”  The research found the benefits of strength training are independent of running, walking or other aerobic activity. Lee is hoping THAT information encourages people to keep exercising when they aren’t seeing desired results. “People believe in order to get health benefits from exercise they have to lose weight, but we found that the benefits of resistance exercise on cardiovascular disease doesn’t really need weight loss,” Lee said. “So, if you go to the gym to lose weight – if you do resistance exercise, you can get cardiovascular benefits. You should not stop exercising because you’re not losing weight.”

The data from nearly 13,000 adults was analyzed in the study conducted by Lee and his colleagues. They found just one hour of resistance exercise per week reduced a person’s risk for a heart attack or stroke by 40 to 70 percent.

SEATTLE (AP) — Russell Wilson threw a 2-yard pass to Ed Dickson with 7:31 left for his third touchdown strike, Chris Carson rushed for two scores, and the Seattle Seahawks clinched an NFC wild-card berth with a 38-31 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night. Wilson got the better of Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and helped lead Seattle back to the postseason after missing the playoffs a year ago. Seattle’s now made the playoffs in seven of the nine seasons with Pete Carroll in charge, and six of seven with Wilson at quarterback.

The Seahawks (9-6) can wrap up the No. 5 seed and a matchup with Dallas by beating Arizona in Week 17. Carson became the first Seattle running back since Marshawn Lynch in 2014 to have 1,000 yards rushing. Travis Kelce passed Tony Gonzalez for most yards receiving in a single season by a tight end in Chiefs history. Patrick Mahomes has 30 touchdown passes on the road, most in NFL history. Tom Brady had 29 in 2007. Kansas City running back Darrel Williams suffered a hamstring injury in the first half and did not return.
UP NEXT
Chiefs: Kansas City hosts Oakland in Week 17.
Seahawks: Seattle hosts Arizona to close out the regular season.