The Griswold Tigers open up the 2020-21 basketball season with a road trip to Southwest Valley for a varsity doubleheader.  We’ll have coverage on KJAN with pregame starting about 5:45 p.m. and the girls game set to tip-off at 6:00 p.m.

The girls game was won on December 2nd last season by Southwest Valley 64-28. Griswold finished the season 2-18 and the Timberwolves finished 9-13. Top scorers Mikala Pelzer and McKenna Wiechman return for the Tigers. The Timberwolves bring back Maggie Haer who averaged around 6 points per game last year.

The boys game was won by the Timberwolves in the opener last year 61-38 and Southwest Valley then also ended the Tigers season with an 80-38 win in the play-in round of the 1A playoffs. The Tigers were 4-18 and the Timberwolves finished last season at 6-17. The Tigers return top scorers Jayden Amend and Adam Houser. SW Valley also brings back their top scorer in Tucker Tepoel.

Tune in on KJAN AM 1220, FM 101.1, or online at kjan.com

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa Athletics Department conducted 346 COVID-19 PCR tests for the week of Nov. 23-29, 2020. Six positive tests and 340 negative tests have been received. As part of the return to campus protocol, testing began May 29, 2020, and includes student-athletes, coaches and staff. A total of 323 positive tests, 10,232 negative tests and one inconclusive test have been received.

The Big Ten Conference began daily rapid antigen surveillance testing on Sept. 30, 2020. Any positive tests identified through the surveillance testing process would be confirmed through a PCR test and reflected in the numbers listed above.

Following the positive test result, protocol established by UI Athletics and medical staff, including contact tracing procedures, is being followed to ensure the safety of all UI Athletics student-athletes and staff. This mandatory protocol also includes isolation for the individuals who test positive, and quarantine for those individuals who might have been exposed to someone with the virus.

Men’s Basketball’s Luka Garza Tuesday, September 3, 2019 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. (Brian Ray/hawkeyesports.com)

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa men’s basketball All-American Luka Garza has been named the first Big Ten Player of the Week of the 2020-21 season following the Hawkeyes’ two victories last week. The announcement came Monday by the Big Ten Conference office.

Garza (6-foot-11, 265 pounds) averaged 33.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks in wins over North Carolina Central (97-67) and Southern University (103-76). The native of Washington, D.C., scorched the nets making 86.2 percent (25-of-29) of his field goal attempts, 75 percent from 3-point range (3-of-4), and 87.5 percent from the foul line (14-of-16). His 33.5 scoring average is tops among Division I players.

Garza torched Southern University for 41 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks. He netted 36 first-half points, which is believed to be the most points scored by a Hawkeye in a half in program history. In the first half, Garza made all 12 field-goal attempts and was 10-of-12 from the free throw line.     

Garza’s 41 points are the most points scored by a Hawkeye in a single-game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena history (1983), besting the 36 scored by Adam Haluska (2006) and Rob Griffin (2000). He finished the contest with a .933 field goal percentage (14-of-15), including a perfect 1.000 (3-of-3) from 3-point range, which is the best single-game mark by a Big Ten player since 1984 (Minnesota’s Tommy Davis, 15-of-16, at Indiana).

In Iowa’s season opener against North Carolina Central, Garza posted his 21st career double-double, recording game highs in scoring (26), rebounds (10), and blocked shots (3).

Garza tallied 20 points or more in both games last week and 18 straight, dating back to last season. That ties Oklahoma’s Trae Young (2017-18) for the second-longest streak by a major conference player over the last 20 seasons, trailing only North Carolina State’s T.J. Warren (19).

Garza’s 67 points last week moved him into Iowa’s top 10 in career scoring, surpassing Dean Oliver, Adam Haluska, and Jess Settles. Garza (1,626) is 10 points from moving past Matt Gatens (1,635) for eighth place.

The center is one of two players in program history to score 40 points or more in two games in a career (John Johnson, 49 and 46). Garza netted 44 points at Michigan last season.

Garza earned two Big Ten Player of the Week honors last season (Dec. 9, 2019 and Jan. 20, 2020).No. 3 Iowa (2-0) will entertain Western Illinois (0-0) on Thursday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

IRVING, Texas – Iowa State junior defensive lineman Latrell Bankston was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, announced today by the Big 12 Conference.

The Woodstock, Ga., native was sensational in Iowa State’s 23-20 victory at No. 20 Texas on Friday, registering career highs in tackles (five) and sacks (2.0).

His two sacks were crucial. His first sack was on third down and halted a Texas drive at midfield.

Bankston’s second sack was even bigger. It occurred with Iowa State clinging to a 23-20 lead and Texas in possession with its final drive.

The Longhorns drove down to the ISU 36 and had 3^rd-and-10 with :09 seconds left in the contest. With one final play from scrimmage, Bankston busted up the middle and sacked Sam Ehlinger for a four-yard loss. It forced UT to use its final timeout with :04 seconds left.

Bankston’s sack pushed back the potential game-tying field goal attempt to 58 yards, as the kick hooked left and barely missed as time expired.

The win gave Iowa State its school-record seventh conference victory and clinched at least a share of the Big 12 regular-season title.

Iowa State enters its final-regular season game on Saturday vs. West Virginia ranked No. 12 nationally in the Associated Press poll.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa freshman Caitlin Clark was named Big Ten Women’s Basketball Co-Freshman of the Week, the conference announced Monday. Clark was also named to the Big Ten Player of the Week Honor Roll. Clark shares the freshman honor with Maryland’s Angel Reese. 

It is the first honor of Clark’s career and the first for the Hawkeyes this season. 

The West Des Moines, Iowa, native scored 27 points, pulled down eight rebounds, dished out four assists, registered three steals, and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line – believed to be the best debut for a Hawkeye freshman. 

Clark’s 27 points are the most in a Big Ten debut since Maryland junior Eleanna Christinaki had 32 points in a win over Coppin State (Dec. 20, 2017). Her 27 points are believed to be the most in a Big Ten freshmen debut since Illinois’ Robin Preacely had 27 points against Illinois State (Dec. 1, 1992). 

Clark and the Hawkeyes travel to Drake on Wednesday for their first road contest of the season. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (CT). The game will be televised on Mediacom MC22. Iowa returns home on Saturday, hosting Wisconsin in its Big Ten opener. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. on BTN Plus.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior kicker Keith Duncan has been named the Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week, following No. 24 Iowa’s 26-20 win against Nebraska to retain the Heroes Trophy for the sixth straight year. The announcement was made Monday by the Big Ten Conference office.

Duncan shares the honor with Michigan State kicker Matt Coghlin, who made 3-of-4 field goals in Michigan State’s win over No. 8 Northwestern.

Duncan (5-foot-10, 179-pounds) earns his fifth career weekly honor and first of the season. It is the third time this season a Hawkeye has earned a weekly conference honor (Zach VanValkenburg at Minnesota; Charlie Jones vs. Northwestern).

Duncan, a Weddington High School (N.C.) graduate, connected on four field goals (32, 33, 48, 37) for the fourth time in his career. Duncan’s third field goal was ultimately the game-winner against Nebraska to help push Iowa’s season winning streak to four games. It also marked Duncan’s 17th career field goal of at least 40 yards.

Iowa plays at Illinois on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 2:30 p.m. (CT). The game will be televised on BTN or FS1.

Kickoff times have been set for the upcoming Saturday football games for Iowa and Iowa State.

The Iowa Hawkeyes’ road trip to Illinois will be a 2:30 p.m. kickoff and will be televised by either FS1 or BTN. We’ll have coverage on the Hawkeye Radio Network with pregame starting at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Iowa State-West Virginia football game in Jack Trice Stadium will kickoff at 2:30 p.m. CT. ESPN will televise the game. The Cyclones can clinch the outright Big 12 Regular Season Title with a win over the Mountaineers.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.

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

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 462 yards and three touchdowns to outplay Tom Brady and lead the Kansas City Chiefs to a 27-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tyreek Hill scored on receptions of 75, 44 and 20 yards, backflipping into the end zone on his second TD, and finishing with 13 catches for 269 yards. Hill’s last receptions was an 8-yarder on third-and-7 to give Mahomes an opportunity to run out the clock. The Chiefs won their sixth straight game and clinched their seventh 10-win season in eight years under coach Andy Reid.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Christian Bishop scored 13 of his 16 points in the second half, Antwann Jones fueled the decisive run in the first half, and No. 11 Creighton opened the season with a 69-58 win over North Dakota State. Jones scored nine of his 11 points in succession as Creighton turned an early deficit into a lead, and Bishop had nine points in the first five minutes of the second half as the Bluejays went up by as many as 23 points. Rocky Kreuser had 16 points, Tyree Eady had 12 and Maleeck Harden-Hayes added 11 for the Bison.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Newcomer Jalen Coleman-Lands scored 17 points, Rasir Bolton added 16 and Iowa State took over in the second half to defeat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 80-63. The Cyclones, in their season opener, trailed 37-34 at the break before Coleman-Lands, a graduate transfer from DePaul, sparked a second-half rally. After a Harris Bolton had two buckets, including a dunk, and Coleman-Lands a 3 for a 10-0 run that made it 58-44. Markedric Bell and Shaun Doss scored 15 points apiece for the Golden Lions. The win was the 200th for Iowa State coach Steve Prohm, the 96th with the Cyclones.

UNDATED (AP) — Alabama is the unanimous No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll again as the top eight teams in the rankings held steady for the fourth week in a row. The Crimson Tide got 62 first-place votes for the second consecutive week and are followed by No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4. Clemson. Texas A&M and Florida are fifth and sixth, respectively. Unbeaten Cincinnati is seventh and undefeated BYU is eighth. The changes in the poll came after that, with Miami inching up to No. 9 and Indiana returning to the top 10. Texas, Auburn and North Carolina dropped out of the rankings while Iowa, Washington and Liberty entered. The Tide ran their streak of consecutive poll appearances to 209, matching Florida for the third-longest streak ever.

The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Nov. 28, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:

Others receiving votes: North Carolina 65, Buffalo 56, Texas 39, Auburn 25, Colorado 21, NC State 11, Boise St. 8, San Jose St. 8, SMU 8, Oregon St. 1, UCF 1.