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

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Luka Garza scored 24 points, and No. 20 Iowa got strong contributions from its bench in a 85-76 win over No. 25 Ohio State. It was Garza’s 12th consecutive game of 20 points or more in Big Ten play, the longest streak for an Iowa player in 49 seasons and the most by any conference player in the last 20 years. Bakari Evelyn came off the bench to score 15 points for the Hawkeyes. Joe Wieskamp had 13 points, and Ryan Kriener added 12.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Cassius Winston scored 23 points, Gabe Brown had career highs with 17 points and five 3-pointers, and Michigan State overcame sloppy play to beat Nebraska 86-65. The Spartans (18-9, 10-6 Big Ten) turned over the ball a season-high 22 times but made 13 3-pointers and outrebounded the Cornhuskers 51-26. They busted open the game with a 22-8 run in the middle of the second half. Nebraska (7-19, 2-13) dropped its 11th straight game, the most consecutive losses in the same season in program history. Dachon Burke had 21 points to lead the Huskers.

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — The health of Carlos Martinez’s shoulder is even more important for the St. Louis Cardinals now that Miles Mikolas will miss the first few weeks of the season because of an inflamed flexor tendon. Shoulder weakness last spring training following off-season surgery prompted the Cardinals to shift Martinez to the bullpen. He eventually replaced injured Jordan Hicks as closer, saving 24 games in 27 chances. St. Louis has an opening for a starter in a rotation projected to include Jack Flaherty, Dakota Hudson and Adam Wainwright.

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Kansas City Royals newcomer Maikel Franco is hoping a different look will be a sign of different results this year. Franco didn’t have his usual shoulder-length dreadlocks when he arrived at the spring training clubhouse. Instead, his hair was short. Franco was let go by the Philadelphia Phillies after hitting .234 with 17 home runs and 56 RBIs last season. The Royals signed him to a one-year contract worth nearly $3 million. Franco is set to become the everyday third baseman for the Royals.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton’s intimidating presence was missing from the middle of the Yankees’ lineup for a big chunk of 2019 because of an injury-filled season. The New York slugger will have his spring at-bats analyzed more than most veterans as he tries to bounce back this year. He’s one of a handful of established players whose performances will be watched closely over the next month. Spring training game action begins in Arizona on Friday with a meeting between the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals. The other 28 teams play their first exhibition games in the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues on Saturday.

WICHITA, Kansas (AP) — Jaime Echenique tied his career high with 20 points as Wichita State defeated South Florida 65-55 and the Shockers have secured 20 wins for the 11th straight season. Echenique sank two free throws and Dennis Dexter followed with a 3-pointer as Wichita State fought out of the second of two ties midway through the final period with five unanswered points. Laquincy Rideau had 14 points and six rebounds for the Bulls.

MARYVILLE, Missouri – Sophomore point guard Trevor Hudgins hit a lean-in, off-balance jumper at the buzzer to lift No. 1-ranked Northwest Missouri State to a 77-76 victory over No. 17-ranked Missouri Southern at Bearcat Arena.

The triumph clinched Northwest’s seventh consecutive MIAA regular season title and was the 31st straight win in Bearcat Arena.

Missouri Southern (19-6 overall, 12-4 MIAA) and Northwest (25-1 overall, 15-1 MIAA) traded blows like a heavyweight title fight in Bearcat Arena. The contest featured 19 lead changes and seven ties, which 16 of the lead changes occurring in the final 20 minutes.

Bearcat junior Ryan Hawkins scored his 19th point of the game on a basket with 4:07 to play lifting Northwest to a 72-71 advantage. Kinzer Lambert answered that basket with a putback with 3:49 left giving the Lions a one-point cushion at 73-72.

Southern hit a dagger of a three-pointer with 1:18 left that gave the Lions a four-point lead at 76-72. Following a Missouri Southern timeout, Hudgins came down and knocked in his third three-pointer of the game pulling the Bearcats to within one at 76-75 with 51.4 ticks left. Lambert missed a three-pointer with 28 seconds left and Waters grabbed the missing giving Northwest a chance to retake the lead. Hawkins got the ball into the point and took a shot up that rattled in the room, but Northwest’s Diego Bernard touched it above the cylinder forcing an offensive goaltending call against the Bearcats with 9.7 seconds left.

After Northwest committed enough fouls to put Missouri Southern into the bonus, the Bearcats put Braelon Walker to the line for a 1-and-1 with 6.8 seconds left. Walker missed the front end and Hawkins corralled the miss. Hawkins found Hudgins who sped down the floor to the left wing.

Hudgins was met by a pair of Lions defenders, but split them with a jump stop and lifted an off-balance, lean-in jumper that found nothing but the bottom of the net as the clocked hit 0:00.0. Hudgins was mobbed by Bernard and his teammates as the Bearcat student section flooded onto the floor to celebrate the seventh consecutive MIAA regular season title for Northwest. Hudgins game-winner capped a 19-point, six-assist performance.

Northwest will be back in action again Saturday at home against Pittsburg State. The Bearcats and Gorillas will tip at approximately 3:30 p.m.

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — Jake LaRavia had 18 points and seven rebounds and Tyreke Key posted 18 points and six rebounds as Indiana State held off Northern Iowa 67-64. Northern Iowa dropped into a first-place tie with Loyola Chicago in the Missouri Valley Conference with three games remaining. AJ Green scored 21 points for the Panthers.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Luka Garza scored 24 points, and No. 20 Iowa got strong contributions from its bench in a 85-76 win over No. 25 Ohio State. It was Garza’s 12th consecutive game of 20 points or more in Big Ten play, the longest streak for an Iowa player in 49 seasons and the most by any conference player in the last 20 years. Bakari Evelyn came off the bench to score 15 points for the Hawkeyes. Joe Wieskamp had 13 points, and Ryan Kriener added 12.

Connor McKee went 11-12 at the free throw line, including 7 of 7 in the fourth quarter, to help CAM seal a 71-66 win over Earlham on Thursday night. The Cougars led the majority of the game but the Cardinals fought back hard in the final minutes. Thanks to a couple of steals a big three from TJ Harkins the Cardinals got within 2 at 67-65 with under a minute to play. Connor McKee was fouled and calmy stepped up and knocked down two free throws to make it a two possession game again. After a free throw make from the Cardinals, McKee would add two more freebies to provide the final margin. After the game McKee said he was glad he could come up big for the team and he adjusted after his first and only miss on the night.

CAM seemed to have a nice burst at the end of each period. The Cougars went on a 8-2 run to end the first quarter and lead 16-10. After Earlham took a lead 26-24 late in the 2nd quarter the Cougars answered with another 8-2 run to lead 32-28 at half. Jacob Holste hit two big threes late in the third quarter to take the Cougars from a 3 point lead to 9 by the quarter break 52-43. CAM Head Coach Nick Hodges said that energy was a big key.

Connor McKee finished with 20 points on the night and Jacob Holste added 17. The Cougars improved to 18-4 on the season and advance to the Class 1A District 14 Semifinals against the Stanton Vikings at home next Tuesday. CAM won a regular season meeting with the Vikings 51-49 on January 30th in Stanton.

Jackson Vandever led the Cardinals with 23 points and TJ Harkins finished with 17. The Cardinals end their season with a record of 9-13.

Listen to the full postgame interview with Coach Hodges below.

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The Stanton Vikings hit a three to begin the second half and took the lead from Exira-EHK. A lead they wouldn’t let go of the rest of the way in a 52-43 win in a Class 1A District 14 Quarterfinal contest on Thursday night in Anita. The Vikings trailed the entire first half but got within 2 at halftime 24-22. After grabbing the lead to start the second half the Vikings increased the lead to as much as 12 down the stretch.

The Vikings used some pressure defense and worked hard to gum up the lane to slow down Creighton Nelson inside for the Spartans. Nelson had 12 in the first half, many of those on easy buckets behind the defense. He finished with 19 in the game but the Vikings made it much tougher to get looks in the second half.

Stanton had three players in double figures. Tyler Peterson led the way with an impressive night of 14 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 blocks, and 5 steals. Keygan Day and Colby Royal each added 11 points for the Vikings. Stanton improved to 19-3 on the season and will move on to the District Semifinals next Tuesday night against CAM back in Anita.

Tyler Petersen added 17 points for the Spartans. Exira-EHK ends their season with a record of 11-11.

Listen to the full postgame interview with Exira-EHK Head Coach Doug Newton below.

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