AMES, Iowa (AP) – Natasha Howard had her school-record 15th double-double of the season with 10 points and 13 rebounds, and 10th-seeded Florida State defeated cold-shooting Iowa State 55-44 in the first round of the NCAA women’s tournament on Saturday.

The Seminoles (21-11) won their 11th straight tournament opener since 1991, prevailing in a game in which turnovers outnumbered field goals 44-36. They’ll play No. 2 seeded Stanford or No. 15 South Dakota on Monday night.

Cheetah Delgado had 10 points and six assists and Ivey Slaughter grabbed 13 rebounds for the Seminoles.

Hallie Christofferson scored 13 points, Brynn Williamson added 12 on four 3-pointers, and Jadda Buckey had 10 for the Cyclones (20-11).

Howard came in averaging 29.2 points in her previous nine games but didn’t crack double figures until less than 4 minutes were left.

w/ Chris Parks

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (905.3KB)

Subscribe: RSS

SAN ANTONIO (AP) – Georges Niang scored 24 points to lead third-seeded Iowa State as the Cyclones pulled away from No. 14 North Carolina Central in the second half for a 93-75 win Friday night in the East Region.

The Big 12 tournament champions found themselves in an early struggle with a program making its first NCAA tournament appearance in just its third year as a full-time Division I program. But the Cyclones’ quickness and balance eventually took over.

Iowa State (27-7) had five players score in double figures. Niang’s two 3-pointers early in the second half keyed Iowa State’s run that put the game away.

Jeremy Ingram scored 28 for North Carolina Central (28-6), which came in on a 20-game win streak and won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Chiefs have signed cornerback Chris Owens, who will likely take over the nickel position and provide depth behind starters Sean Smith and Brandon Flowers.

Kansas City waived defensive lineman Brandon Moore on Friday to make room for Owens, who spent last season with Miami and Cleveland after four seasons with the Falcons.

The 5-foot-9 Owens doesn’t fit the mold of big, physical cornerbacks preferred by Chiefs general manager John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid, but he does have the kind of speed and toughness that helps him make up for his size.

The Chiefs were desperate for depth in the defensive backfield after they let free safety Kendrick Lewis go in free agency and parted ways with veteran Dunta Robinson.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa coach Fran McCaffery says the tumor that doctors removed from his son’s thyroid earlier this week was malignant. McCaffery’s 14-year-old son Patrick had surgery in Iowa City on Wednesday, just hours before the Hawkeyes lost to Tennessee in the First Four of the NCAA tournament.

McCaffery says he and his family will meet with doctors soon to determine further treatment for Patrick. McCaffery isn’t planning to additional comment on his son’s condition at this time.

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) – The head girls basketball coach at the high school in Independence has carried through with his intention to quit. Rod Conrad and assistant coach Rob Ratchford had complained of threats and criticism from parents and others. The school board accepted Ratchford’s resignation on Monday.

Conrad had said in a statement released March 12 that he’d had second thoughts, citing community support that had surfaced.  Athletics director Rob Arnold said Thursday that Conrad finally concluded that after everything that had happened, Conrad didn’t think he could be as effective in the post.

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) – Cuban shortstop Aledmys Diaz was set to make his exhibition debut for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Washington Nationals. Diaz was in the starting lineup to hit eighth. Washington started Gio Gonzalez.  Diaz last played in Cuba in 2012, then defected. His probably will start the season at Double-A Springfield.

He worked out with the Cardinals last week and played in minor league exhibition games before going to Mexico for his U.S. work visa, which is needed before he can play in big league spring training games.

w/ Jim Field

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (10.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS

A pair of national hunting organizations is announcing plans to hold their annual joint expo in Iowa next year. Des Moines is the 2015 host for the National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic. Rehan Nana is a spokesman for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.  “Iowa has a great outdoor heritage and this is our third time we’re going to be in Iowa for National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic,” Nana says. “It’s the only city we’ve been in three times and we had such a great time the past two, we want to make it back for number three.”

It was a natural move to return to the Hawkeye State for the event, he says, as Iowa has more chapters of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever than any other state — 104 chapters — with some 20-thousand members. “If you’re a pheasant hunter, if you’re an outdoors person at all, this is the best show for you,” Nana says. “Really from wild game cooking to bird dogs to habitat conservation and habitat management, all things under the sun.” Last month, Milwaukee hosted this year’s show. Des Moines last hosted the show in 2010. At that event, U-S Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Conservation Reserve Program general signup #39. That C-R-P effort has served as one of the U-S-D-A’s most successful conservation programs.

Nana says a significant sum of money has been invested in wildlife habitat projects in Iowa through the years. “Since 1985, there’s been over $45-million spent in Iowa based on all of our chapters’ efforts for over 111,000 habitat projects. That’s more than 1.1-million acres for wildlife there.” The event is planned for Iowa’s capitol city February 20-22 of 2015. Learn more at the website: www.pheasantfest.org

(Radio Iowa)

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Miami second baseman Derek Dietrich broke his nose when he was struck in the face by a bad-hop single during the Marlins’ 4-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday. Dietrich was hit by Jon Jay’s batted ball that hopped up at him while setting up for a double play in the fifth. Dietrich, who walked off the field holding a towel to his face, did not need stitches. He said he was day to day.

Marcell Ozuna hit his first home run of the spring in the sixth inning, a tiebreaking shot to left field on a 2-0 pitch. Ozuna hadn’t had a hit in his last four games. Jose Fernandez struck out eight in six innings but gave up three runs and five hits.