KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Byron Buxton drove in the tying run in the eighth inning, Christian Vázquez drove in the go-ahead run to start off a four-run ninth, and the Minnesota Twins rallied for a 5-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.

Griffin Jax (1-0), who earned the save on opening day, picked up the win with a scoreless eighth inning for Minnesota. Brock Stewart handled the ninth this time, working around a single by MJ Melendez to put the Twins on the brink of a second straight season-opening sweep of their AL Central rivals.

“I mean, up and down the lineup, fantastic. Almost every guy in this lineup did several things to help us win the game,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “Our pitching staff ... had a fantastic day. The bullpen came in and just shut things down.”

Will Smith (0-1), whom the Royals signed to a $5 million deal to close out games, had a debut to forget. He hit Ryan Jeffers with one out in the ninth, walked Willi Castro on a full-count pitch, then watched Vázquez drive in the go-ahead run.

Alex Kirilloff added a sacrifice fly and Buxton a two-run double later in the ninth.

“If we continue to pitch like that,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said, “we’re going to be fine.”

The Royals' bullpen ultimately wasted six brilliant innings from Seth Lugo, whom they signed to a $45 million, three-year deal in the offseason. Lugo allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out four in a dominant first outing for Kansas City.

“My goal is to pitch as deep as possible,” said Lugo, who also hit a batter — before his bullpen proceeded to hit three more. "Weak contact and ground balls, that’s my game plan.”

The Twins didn't exactly do any favors for Joe Ryan, either.

The right-hander retired the first 10 batters he faced and was still cruising along until Bobby Witt Jr. legged out a double in the sixth. Steven Okert came in and, after getting a groundout and intentionally walking Salvador Perez, Melendez singled through the left side to give Kansas City the 1-0 lead.

It was still that way after the Royals' John Schreiber escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. But Edouard Julien led off the eighth with a double off James McArthur, and Buxton followed two batters later with a tying double of his own.

“We didn't put a bunch of runs on the board but we had some good swings. We just couldn't get the right swing at the right time,” Baldelli said. “We got some baserunners and we took advantage of it late in the game and separated in a good way.”

Twins INF Royce Lewis went on the injured list with a “severe quad strain” and could miss more than a month, said Derek Falvey, their president of baseball operations. Lewis hurt it on opening day Thursday rounding the bases. He had homered and singled in his two at-bats. “He's going to have some significant time down,” Falvey said.

UTIL Austin Martin was called up from Triple-A St. Paul and is prepared to make his big league debut. He had about 10 friends and family members fly into Kansas City with the hopes of seeing him play this weekend.

Twins RHP Bailey Ober will start the series finale on Sunday. RHP Brady Singer will face him for Kansas City.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Byron Buxton drove in the tying run in the eighth inning, Christian Vázquez drove in the go-ahead run to start off a four-run ninth, and the Minnesota Twins rallied for a 5-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.Griffin Jax (1-0), who earned the save on opening day, picked up the win with a scoreless eighth inning for Minnesota. Brock Stewart handled the ninth this time, working around a single by MJ Melendez to put the Twins on the brink of a second straight season-opening sweep of their AL Central rivals.“I mean, up and down the lineup, fantastic. Almost every guy in this lineup did several things to help us win the game,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “Our pitching staff ... had a fantastic day. The bullpen came in and just shut things down.”Will Smith (0-1), whom the Royals signed to a $5 million deal to close out games, had a debut to forget. He hit Ryan Jeffers with one out in the ninth, walked Willi Castro on a full-count pitch, then watched Vázquez drive in the go-ahead run.Alex Kirilloff added a sacrifice fly and Buxton a two-run double later in the ninth.“If we continue to pitch like that,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said, “we’re going to be fine.”The Royals' bullpen ultimately wasted six brilliant innings from Seth Lugo, whom they signed to a $45 million, three-year deal in the offseason. Lugo allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out four in a dominant first outing for Kansas City.“My goal is to pitch as deep as possible,” said Lugo, who also hit a batter — before his bullpen proceeded to hit three more. "Weak contact and ground balls, that’s my game plan.”The Twins didn't exactly do any favors for Joe Ryan, either.The right-hander retired the first 10 batters he faced and was still cruising along until Bobby Witt Jr. legged out a double in the sixth. Steven Okert came in and, after getting a groundout and intentionally walking Salvador Perez, Melendez singled through the left side to give Kansas City the 1-0 lead.It was still that way after the Royals' John Schreiber escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. But Edouard Julien led off the eighth with a double off James McArthur, and Buxton followed two batters later with a tying double of his own.“We didn't put a bunch of runs on the board but we had some good swings. We just couldn't get the right swing at the right time,” Baldelli said. “We got some baserunners and we took advantage of it late in the game and separated in a good way.”TRAINER'S ROOMTwins INF Royce Lewis went on the injured list with a “severe quad strain” and could miss more than a month, said Derek Falvey, their president of baseball operations. Lewis hurt it on opening day Thursday rounding the bases. He had homered and singled in his two at-bats. “He's going to have some significant time down,” Falvey said.ROSTER MOVESUTIL Austin Martin was called up from Triple-A St. Paul and is prepared to make his big league debut. He had about 10 friends and family members fly into Kansas City with the hopes of seeing him play this weekend.UP NEXTTwins RHP Bailey Ober will start the series finale on Sunday. RHP Brady Singer will face him for Kansas City.

Buxton, Vázquez deliver timely hits as Twins rally for victory over Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pablo Lopez pitched seven sparkling innings, Royce Lewis homered before leaving with an injury, and the Twins beat the Royals 4-1 to begin defense of their AL Central crown. 

Carlos Correa added three hits and two RBIs for Minnesota. That was plenty of support for Lopez, who gave up a homer to Maikel Garcia, the first batter he faced, but little else on a warm and sunny afternoon. He allowed four hits and struck out seven without a walk. 

Cole Ragans struck out nine, a Royals record for opening day, but still took the loss after pitching six strong innings..

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711667585037.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals' Maikel Garcia celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals' Maikel Garcia celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pablo Lopez pitched seven sparkling innings, Royce Lewis homered before leaving with an injury, and the Twins beat the Royals 4-1 to begin defense of their AL Central crown. Carlos Correa added three hits and two RBIs for Minnesota. That was plenty of support for Lopez, who gave up a homer to Maikel Garcia, the first batter he faced, but little else on a warm and sunny afternoon. He allowed four hits and struck out seven without a walk. Cole Ragans struck out nine, a Royals record for opening day, but still took the loss after pitching six strong innings..

⚾ Lopez shuts down Royals as Twins begin defense of AL Central title with 4-1 win

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals owner John Sherman said jokingly that he doesn't sleep very well under normal circumstances, so just imagine how his nights are going these days, with opening day on deck and a key vote for a downtown ballpark coming up next week.

The Royals play AL Central rival Minnesota on Thursday in their opening three-game series. After an offseason spending spree resulted in a revamped starting rotation, rebuilt bullpen and revitalized lineup, expectations in Kansas City are the highest in years for a club that lost 106 games last season.

“I'm trying not to play the expectation game,” Sherman said Wednesday before a public workout at Kauffman Stadium, the 51-year old building affectionately known as “the K” that the Royals want to replace with a downtown ballpark by 2028.

“We've done a lot to make this team better,” Sherman said. “I'm particularly encouraged by the mix of veterans in the clubhouse, the energy, setting an example for the younger guys. I would say my expectations are high. Time will tell.”

The biggest additions were starters Seth Lugo, who signed a $45 million, three-year deal, and Michael Wacha, who got a $32 million, two-year contract. They will fill out an rotation headlined by opening day starter Cole Ragans, who arrived last year in a trade with Texas, along with Brady Singer and Alec Marsh, who won the final job in spring training.

More money was spilled on the bullpen, where the Royals signed left-hander Will Smith — a three-time World Series champion — to a $5 million deal to close out games, and right-hander Chris Stratton to a $4 million deal to hold onto leads.

The biggest lineup addition is outfielder Hunter Renfroe, who signed a $13 million, two-year deal to provide some pop.

In all, just seven players are left on the 26-man roster from the club that struggled so mightily lsat season.

“That's a pretty significant revamp,” Sherman said.

One of those seven back? Bobby Witt Jr., the Royals' brilliant young shortstop, who committed to their future by signing an 11-year deal worth more than $288.7 million guaranteed to serve as their cornerstone going forward.

That deal also sent notice to weary Royals fans, many of whom will vote Tuesday, that they are serious about winning.

On the ballot in Jackson County, Missouri, is the renewal of a 3/8-cent sales tax that has been paying for the upkeep of Kauffman Stadium and neighboring Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the Super Bowl-champion Chiefs.

The Royals want to use their share of future money to help pay for a $2 billion ballpark and entertainment district in a section of Kansas City known as the Crossroads, just south of the T-Mobile Center and Power &amp; Light District. The Chiefs plan to use their share to help with an $800 million renovation to Arrowhead Stadium after the 2026 World Cup is played there.

“What keeps me up at night? It's really thinking about this decision, this process for our ownership group,” Sherman said. “This is the most important thing we'll probably do while we are the stewards of this franchise.”

Neither the Royals nor the Chiefs have said what they would do should the ballot measure fail. But Sherman is doing his best to allay concerns among voters, which range from traffic to parking to what would happen to current Crossroads businesses. He spent last weekend knocking on doors, attending a church service and taking part in a neighborhood meeting in the 18th &amp; Vine district, which is near the Crossroads and home to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

“I've got my ear to the ground,” said Sherman, who joked that his wife went to a restaurant in the Brookside neighborhood of Kansas City recently and “she had four yeses, three nos and a couple of maybes" in her informal polling.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro made his opinion clear, wearing a shirt Wednesday that read “Vote Yes on 1.”

“When you travel around to different cities in the league, the downtown ballparks put a ton of energy into the city. The players enjoy it. The fans soak that kind of thing in,” Quatraro said. “And what a new ballpark could bring our team — the amenities, the facilities underneath (Kauffman Stadium) are smaller. The operation is continuing to grow, and players need certain things that are hard to provide here. From a player-development standpoint, I think it would be a great thing for the team.”

In the meantime, Quatraro is much like Sherman in that his expectations are high for a better season in Kansas City.

“We came into last year with great expectations as well. We don't come into any season thinking it's not going to be good,” he said. “From a team concept, we expect these guys to go out and try to win every game.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705687592823.jpeg" alt="File Photo- (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)" />
 <figcaption>File Photo- (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Royals owner John Sherman said jokingly that he doesn't sleep very well under normal circumstances, so just imagine how his nights are going these days, with opening day on deck and a key vote for a downtown ballpark coming up next week.The Royals play AL Central rival Minnesota on Thursday in their opening three-game series. After an offseason spending spree resulted in a revamped starting rotation, rebuilt bullpen and revitalized lineup, expectations in Kansas City are the highest in years for a club that lost 106 games last season.“I'm trying not to play the expectation game,” Sherman said Wednesday before a public workout at Kauffman Stadium, the 51-year old building affectionately known as “the K” that the Royals want to replace with a downtown ballpark by 2028.“We've done a lot to make this team better,” Sherman said. “I'm particularly encouraged by the mix of veterans in the clubhouse, the energy, setting an example for the younger guys. I would say my expectations are high. Time will tell.”The biggest additions were starters Seth Lugo, who signed a $45 million, three-year deal, and Michael Wacha, who got a $32 million, two-year contract. They will fill out an rotation headlined by opening day starter Cole Ragans, who arrived last year in a trade with Texas, along with Brady Singer and Alec Marsh, who won the final job in spring training.More money was spilled on the bullpen, where the Royals signed left-hander Will Smith — a three-time World Series champion — to a $5 million deal to close out games, and right-hander Chris Stratton to a $4 million deal to hold onto leads.The biggest lineup addition is outfielder Hunter Renfroe, who signed a $13 million, two-year deal to provide some pop.In all, just seven players are left on the 26-man roster from the club that struggled so mightily lsat season.“That's a pretty significant revamp,” Sherman said.One of those seven back? Bobby Witt Jr., the Royals' brilliant young shortstop, who committed to their future by signing an 11-year deal worth more than $288.7 million guaranteed to serve as their cornerstone going forward.That deal also sent notice to weary Royals fans, many of whom will vote Tuesday, that they are serious about winning.On the ballot in Jackson County, Missouri, is the renewal of a 3/8-cent sales tax that has been paying for the upkeep of Kauffman Stadium and neighboring Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the Super Bowl-champion Chiefs.The Royals want to use their share of future money to help pay for a $2 billion ballpark and entertainment district in a section of Kansas City known as the Crossroads, just south of the T-Mobile Center and Power &amp; Light District. The Chiefs plan to use their share to help with an $800 million renovation to Arrowhead Stadium after the 2026 World Cup is played there.“What keeps me up at night? It's really thinking about this decision, this process for our ownership group,” Sherman said. “This is the most important thing we'll probably do while we are the stewards of this franchise.”Neither the Royals nor the Chiefs have said what they would do should the ballot measure fail. But Sherman is doing his best to allay concerns among voters, which range from traffic to parking to what would happen to current Crossroads businesses. He spent last weekend knocking on doors, attending a church service and taking part in a neighborhood meeting in the 18th &amp; Vine district, which is near the Crossroads and home to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.“I've got my ear to the ground,” said Sherman, who joked that his wife went to a restaurant in the Brookside neighborhood of Kansas City recently and “she had four yeses, three nos and a couple of maybes" in her informal polling.Royals manager Matt Quatraro made his opinion clear, wearing a shirt Wednesday that read “Vote Yes on 1.”“When you travel around to different cities in the league, the downtown ballparks put a ton of energy into the city. The players enjoy it. The fans soak that kind of thing in,” Quatraro said. “And what a new ballpark could bring our team — the amenities, the facilities underneath (Kauffman Stadium) are smaller. The operation is continuing to grow, and players need certain things that are hard to provide here. From a player-development standpoint, I think it would be a great thing for the team.”In the meantime, Quatraro is much like Sherman in that his expectations are high for a better season in Kansas City.“We came into last year with great expectations as well. We don't come into any season thinking it's not going to be good,” he said. “From a team concept, we expect these guys to go out and try to win every game.”

⚾ Royals ready for opening day, key vote next week to help fund downtown ballpark

LOS ANGELES (AP) - JuJu Watkins&nbsp;scored Southern California's first seven points of the game, giving her team a shot of confidence.

The stellar freshman finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, and the top-seeded Trojans led all the way in defeating Kansas 73-55 on Monday night to reach the Sweet 16 of the women's NCAA Tournament.

Watkins raced over to the student section at Galen Center and high-fived her way down the front row in celebration, wearing the scratch on her face like a badge of honor.

“I really wouldn't want to be anywhere else,” she said.

McKenzie Forbes hit a career-high six 3-pointers and scored 20 points for the Trojans (28-5), who will face fifth-seeded Baylor (26-7) in the Portland Region 3 in Oregon on Saturday.

USC last went this deep when it reached the Elite Eight in 1994, 10 years after the school won the second of its back-to-back national championships.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-usc-texas-am-corpus-christi-score-93dd62ab3b84ec67ad9a3ee01bd7425f">The Trojans</a>&nbsp;beat 16th-seeded Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi in the first round.

“It's just been really fun to see this place come back to life,” said Forbes, a graduate transfer from Harvard. “We didn't want to leave the court. They had that place jumping.”

Freshman S’Mya Nichols scored 22 points for the Jayhawks (20-13). Taiyanna Jackson had 10 points and 18 rebounds. Kansas fell to 0-6 all-time when facing a No. 1 seed in the tournament.

After Kansas got within one in the third, the Trojans took over with a 17-2 run that carried over into the fourth. Watkins had nine points and Kayla Padilla hit a 3-pointer that extended USC's lead to 64-48.

Clarice Akunwafo, who at 6-foot-6 equaled Jackson's height, disrupted the Kansas center with a career-high six blocks among USC's 10 in the game and even did a little scoring down the stretch.

“Their physicality not only wore down Taiyanna, but wore down our team a little bit,” Jayhawks coach Brandon Schneider said. “Even when we could get to the rim it was hard to finish.”

The Jayhawks outscored USC 22-20 in the third, scoring nine in a row to close to 47-46. Watkins closed the quarter by hitting a 3-pointer and making a pair of free throws before picking up her third foul. Forbes stole the ball and Akunwafo got fouled, making 1 of 2 to keep the Trojans ahead 53-46.

Kansas rallied from 10 points down in the fourth quarter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-michigan-kansas-women-score-1e45b5170df7f4a7a2c1c4a79b4bed10">to force overtime against Michigan</a>&nbsp;in the first round but was completely taken out of it in the fourth by the Trojans.

Watkins got off to a sizzling start with the crowd chanting “USC! USC!” The Trojans ran off 12 straight points over the end of the first and start of the second quarter, capped by Watkins' 3-pointer that extended USC's lead to 24-9.

“Ju was spectacular,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “They had to change and go to zone because of her attacking early on.”

The Trojans forced 12 Kansas turnovers that led to 16 points for them in the first half, which ended with USC ahead 33-24. The Jayhawks made just one 3-pointer in the half. They started the game shooting 3 of 14 from the floor.

“The difference in the game was points off turnovers,” Schneider said. “Uncharacteristically, we turned the ball over quite a bit in the first 15 minutes of the game.”

Among the USC supporters were Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller, former NBA player John Wall, former USC quarterback Matt Leinert and football coach Lincoln Riley.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711447177488.png" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) - JuJu Watkins&nbsp;scored Southern California's first seven points of the game, giving her team a shot of confidence.The stellar freshman finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, and the top-seeded Trojans led all the way in defeating Kansas 73-55 on Monday night to reach the Sweet 16 of the women's NCAA Tournament.Watkins raced over to the student section at Galen Center and high-fived her way down the front row in celebration, wearing the scratch on her face like a badge of honor.“I really wouldn't want to be anywhere else,” she said.McKenzie Forbes hit a career-high six 3-pointers and scored 20 points for the Trojans (28-5), who will face fifth-seeded Baylor (26-7) in the Portland Region 3 in Oregon on Saturday.USC last went this deep when it reached the Elite Eight in 1994, 10 years after the school won the second of its back-to-back national championships.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-usc-texas-am-corpus-christi-score-93dd62ab3b84ec67ad9a3ee01bd7425f">The Trojans</a>&nbsp;beat 16th-seeded Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi in the first round.“It's just been really fun to see this place come back to life,” said Forbes, a graduate transfer from Harvard. “We didn't want to leave the court. They had that place jumping.”Freshman S’Mya Nichols scored 22 points for the Jayhawks (20-13). Taiyanna Jackson had 10 points and 18 rebounds. Kansas fell to 0-6 all-time when facing a No. 1 seed in the tournament.After Kansas got within one in the third, the Trojans took over with a 17-2 run that carried over into the fourth. Watkins had nine points and Kayla Padilla hit a 3-pointer that extended USC's lead to 64-48.Clarice Akunwafo, who at 6-foot-6 equaled Jackson's height, disrupted the Kansas center with a career-high six blocks among USC's 10 in the game and even did a little scoring down the stretch.“Their physicality not only wore down Taiyanna, but wore down our team a little bit,” Jayhawks coach Brandon Schneider said. “Even when we could get to the rim it was hard to finish.”The Jayhawks outscored USC 22-20 in the third, scoring nine in a row to close to 47-46. Watkins closed the quarter by hitting a 3-pointer and making a pair of free throws before picking up her third foul. Forbes stole the ball and Akunwafo got fouled, making 1 of 2 to keep the Trojans ahead 53-46.Kansas rallied from 10 points down in the fourth quarter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-michigan-kansas-women-score-1e45b5170df7f4a7a2c1c4a79b4bed10">to force overtime against Michigan</a>&nbsp;in the first round but was completely taken out of it in the fourth by the Trojans.Watkins got off to a sizzling start with the crowd chanting “USC! USC!” The Trojans ran off 12 straight points over the end of the first and start of the second quarter, capped by Watkins' 3-pointer that extended USC's lead to 24-9.“Ju was spectacular,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “They had to change and go to zone because of her attacking early on.”The Trojans forced 12 Kansas turnovers that led to 16 points for them in the first half, which ended with USC ahead 33-24. The Jayhawks made just one 3-pointer in the half. They started the game shooting 3 of 14 from the floor.“The difference in the game was points off turnovers,” Schneider said. “Uncharacteristically, we turned the ball over quite a bit in the first 15 minutes of the game.”Among the USC supporters were Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller, former NBA player John Wall, former USC quarterback Matt Leinert and football coach Lincoln Riley.___

🏀 March Madness: USC tops Kansas for trip to women's Sweet 16

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Tameiya Sadler scored all 10 of her points in the second half to lead a balanced scoring attack and No. 5 seed Colorado beat four-seed Kansas State 63-50 on Sunday to advance to the Sweet 16.

The Buffaloes (24-9) will face the winner of Monday's game between No. 1 seed Iowa and No. 8 seed West Virginia Saturday in Albany, N.Y.

This was the first home sellout for Kansas State since they hosted No. 1 UConn on Dec. 11, 2016.

Colorado, which had six players with nine or more points, used an 11-2 run in the third quarter to grab its largest lead of the game at 48-41. The Buffaloes outscored K-State 19-7 in the third quarter to take a 52-42 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats (26-8) had multiple chances to trim the deficit to three in the fourth quarter, but couldn't get the shots to fall.

Gabby Gregory scored 12 points to lead Kansas State. Ayoka Lee added 10 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks.

Neither team could grab control in the first half. The first quarter ended with the score tied at 14. Kansas State used an 8-0 run early in the second quarter to open a 22-15 advantage, the largest by either team to that point.

Serena Sundell hit a 3-pointer later in the quarter and sank an accompanying free throw to give K-State a 33-24 lead. But Colorado responded with a 9-0 run to tie the game at 33-33.

Colorado: The Buffaloes were not intimidated by the partisan crowd. Every time K-State grabbed the momentum and the crowd got louder, the Buffs responded.

Kansas State: The Wildcats will be totally different next year without Lee, who anchors the middle on offense and defense. With 13 assists, K-State set a school record for assists in a season with (631). And with eight blocks, the Wildcats established a school record for blocks in a season 178.

Colorado: The Buffaloes will go to Albany to play the winner of Monday's game between No. 1 seed Iowa and No. 8 West Virginia.

Kansas State: The Wildcats are done for the season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711313286627.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Tameiya Sadler scored all 10 of her points in the second half to lead a balanced scoring attack and No. 5 seed Colorado beat four-seed Kansas State 63-50 on Sunday to advance to the Sweet 16.The Buffaloes (24-9) will face the winner of Monday's game between No. 1 seed Iowa and No. 8 seed West Virginia Saturday in Albany, N.Y.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">OFFICIALLY SOLD OUT‼️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KStateWBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KStateWBB</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarchMadness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MarchMadness</a> <a href="https://t.co/r3DO2SF6tL">pic.twitter.com/r3DO2SF6tL</a>&mdash; K-State Athletics (@kstatesports) <a href="https://twitter.com/kstatesports/status/1771619297392992405?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>This was the first home sellout for Kansas State since they hosted No. 1 UConn on Dec. 11, 2016.Colorado, which had six players with nine or more points, used an 11-2 run in the third quarter to grab its largest lead of the game at 48-41. The Buffaloes outscored K-State 19-7 in the third quarter to take a 52-42 lead into the fourth quarter.The Wildcats (26-8) had multiple chances to trim the deficit to three in the fourth quarter, but couldn't get the shots to fall.Gabby Gregory scored 12 points to lead Kansas State. Ayoka Lee added 10 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks.Neither team could grab control in the first half. The first quarter ended with the score tied at 14. Kansas State used an 8-0 run early in the second quarter to open a 22-15 advantage, the largest by either team to that point.Serena Sundell hit a 3-pointer later in the quarter and sank an accompanying free throw to give K-State a 33-24 lead. But Colorado responded with a 9-0 run to tie the game at 33-33.THE TAKEAWAYColorado: The Buffaloes were not intimidated by the partisan crowd. Every time K-State grabbed the momentum and the crowd got louder, the Buffs responded.Kansas State: The Wildcats will be totally different next year without Lee, who anchors the middle on offense and defense. With 13 assists, K-State set a school record for assists in a season with (631). And with eight blocks, the Wildcats established a school record for blocks in a season 178.UP NEXTColorado: The Buffaloes will go to Albany to play the winner of Monday's game between No. 1 seed Iowa and No. 8 West Virginia.Kansas State: The Wildcats are done for the season.___

🏀 March Madness: Colorado ends season for Kansas State WBB 

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Gonzaga played a nearly perfect second half, busting open a back-and-forth game with a 15-0 run Saturday to pull away from Kansas for an 89-68 win and extend its nation-best streak of trips to the Sweet 16 to nine.

Anton Watson shot 8 for 11 for 21 points on an afternoon when basically everyone in a navy jersey was a star, especially after halftime.

The fifth-seeded Zags (27-7) made their first five 3-pointers of the second half, not missing from long range until 1:30 remained and the game had long entered extended garbage time.

Mark Few's team will make its regular trip to the second weekend to play the winner of Sunday's game between Purdue and Utah State.

Nolan Hickman finished with 17 points for the Zags, and big man Graham Ike had 15 points and nine rebounds, going toe to toe with KU’s Hunter Dickinson, who finished with a quiet 15 points. Making all the Bulldogs look good was Ryan Nembhard, who blew off a rough shooting night (1 for 6) and finished with 12 assists.

While Gonzaga was cruising, parts of this looked painfully familiar to fans of the fourth-seeded Jayhawks (23-11), who have struggled with depth, shooting, consistency and injuries — leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr. (knee) was out for the tournament. During Gonzaga’s 15-0 run, the Jayhawks missed 10 straight shots and never got within single digits again.

A few of those misses looked strangely ugly, including when Dickinson grabbed a rebound under the bucket and looked poised for an easy bucket but could barely get the ball to the rim.

For 22 minutes, at least, this game lived up to its billing — a rare showdown between much-adored power programs. There were eight lead changes. At one point late in the first half, the teams combined to make nine straight shots from the field, trading leads almost every time down.

It ended abruptly when Ike made a turnaround jumper, then Watson took a dish from Ben Gregg on the next possession for an easy layup. It was the start of a 15-0 run that expanded to 32-4 and pushed the lead as high as 27.

Gonzaga won both its games in Salt Lake City by 21. The opener against McNeese might have been expected. That the second one was such a breeze, even against a flawed KU team, was a surprise.

Lamar Simpson,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-samford-foul-call-c37a66fd1b8235c6ad308061062c43ea">the official who called the phantom foul</a>&nbsp;that helped KU lock up its opening-night win over Samford, watched both games from press row as the alternate official.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711229956196.png" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Gonzaga played a nearly perfect second half, busting open a back-and-forth game with a 15-0 run Saturday to pull away from Kansas for an 89-68 win and extend its nation-best streak of trips to the Sweet 16 to nine.Anton Watson shot 8 for 11 for 21 points on an afternoon when basically everyone in a navy jersey was a star, especially after halftime.The fifth-seeded Zags (27-7) made their first five 3-pointers of the second half, not missing from long range until 1:30 remained and the game had long entered extended garbage time.Mark Few's team will make its regular trip to the second weekend to play the winner of Sunday's game between Purdue and Utah State.Nolan Hickman finished with 17 points for the Zags, and big man Graham Ike had 15 points and nine rebounds, going toe to toe with KU’s Hunter Dickinson, who finished with a quiet 15 points. Making all the Bulldogs look good was Ryan Nembhard, who blew off a rough shooting night (1 for 6) and finished with 12 assists.While Gonzaga was cruising, parts of this looked painfully familiar to fans of the fourth-seeded Jayhawks (23-11), who have struggled with depth, shooting, consistency and injuries — leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr. (knee) was out for the tournament. During Gonzaga’s 15-0 run, the Jayhawks missed 10 straight shots and never got within single digits again.A few of those misses looked strangely ugly, including when Dickinson grabbed a rebound under the bucket and looked poised for an easy bucket but could barely get the ball to the rim.For 22 minutes, at least, this game lived up to its billing — a rare showdown between much-adored power programs. There were eight lead changes. At one point late in the first half, the teams combined to make nine straight shots from the field, trading leads almost every time down.It ended abruptly when Ike made a turnaround jumper, then Watson took a dish from Ben Gregg on the next possession for an easy layup. It was the start of a 15-0 run that expanded to 32-4 and pushed the lead as high as 27.Gonzaga won both its games in Salt Lake City by 21. The opener against McNeese might have been expected. That the second one was such a breeze, even against a flawed KU team, was a surprise.ON THE SIDELINELamar Simpson,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-kansas-samford-foul-call-c37a66fd1b8235c6ad308061062c43ea">the official who called the phantom foul</a>&nbsp;that helped KU lock up its opening-night win over Samford, watched both games from press row as the alternate official.___

🏀Gonzaga plays near-perfect 2nd half to dispatch Kansas

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Zakiyah Franklin scored 22 points, including&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessWBB/status/1771627653616865626">a tying 3-pointer that bounced on the rim and dropped</a>&nbsp;with 12 seconds left in regulation, and Kansas beat Michigan 81-72 in overtime in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament on Saturday.

“My coach said you must be living right,” Franklin said, grinning.

Wyvette Mayberry and S'Mya Nichols added 15 points each and Taiyanna Jackson had 14 points and eight rebounds for the eighth-seeded Jayhawks (20-12).

“March is about getting everyone's best basketball,” Nichols said. “It was exciting, back and forth, not easy.”

The Jayhawks rallied in the fourth quarter, when they outscored the Wolverines 23-14. Then Kansas stepped up its defense and controlled the five-minute extra session, 14-5.

“They never fragmented,” Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said. “They just stayed the course and made some really big plays that were preceded by stop after stop.”

Lauren Hansen's 3-pointer pulled the Wolverines within 75-72. Franklin missed, but the 6-foot-6 Jackson grabbed the rebound. Nichols scored and drew the foul, extending the Jayhawks' lead to 78-72.

Franklin stole the ball with 22 seconds left and Nichols got fouled and made both.

The Jayhawks advanced to a second-round game against either No. 1 seed Southern California or 16th-seeded Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi.

Cameron Williams scored 18 points to lead ninth-seeded Michigan (20-14). Laila Phelia added 16 points.

“I thought they were by far the best team for three quarters,” Schneider said of Michigan. “Williams in particular did some things to us.”

Williams went to the bench after picking up her third and fourth fouls early in the fourth. Phelia made the first of two free throws for a 58-48 lead.

After Franklin's tying 3-pointer, Hansen's potential game-winning 3 missed for Michigan.

“We run this play all the time when it's late clock,” Franklin said. “We felt we were still having time to play.”

The Jayhawks got within 65-62 on a free throw by Jackson. With Kansas pressuring and the shot clock winding down, Phelia raced in for a layup that extended Michigan's lead to 67-62.

Jackson scored again and Phelia's offensive foul turned the ball over with 1:16 to play. But the Jayhawks couldn't take advantage and Nichols was called for an offensive foul.

Williams scored 10 points in the third when the Wolverines led 53-44.

The Jayhawks had a six-point lead when the Wolverines outscored them 14-5 to go into halftime leading 32-29. Jordan Hobbs and Elissa Brett hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Williams added four points in the spurt.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711229750953.png" alt=" Zakiyah Franklin-photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption> Zakiyah Franklin-photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Zakiyah Franklin scored 22 points, including&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessWBB/status/1771627653616865626">a tying 3-pointer that bounced on the rim and dropped</a>&nbsp;with 12 seconds left in regulation, and Kansas beat Michigan 81-72 in overtime in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament on Saturday.“My coach said you must be living right,” Franklin said, grinning.Wyvette Mayberry and S'Mya Nichols added 15 points each and Taiyanna Jackson had 14 points and eight rebounds for the eighth-seeded Jayhawks (20-12).“March is about getting everyone's best basketball,” Nichols said. “It was exciting, back and forth, not easy.”The Jayhawks rallied in the fourth quarter, when they outscored the Wolverines 23-14. Then Kansas stepped up its defense and controlled the five-minute extra session, 14-5.“They never fragmented,” Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said. “They just stayed the course and made some really big plays that were preceded by stop after stop.”Lauren Hansen's 3-pointer pulled the Wolverines within 75-72. Franklin missed, but the 6-foot-6 Jackson grabbed the rebound. Nichols scored and drew the foul, extending the Jayhawks' lead to 78-72.Franklin stole the ball with 22 seconds left and Nichols got fouled and made both.The Jayhawks advanced to a second-round game against either No. 1 seed Southern California or 16th-seeded Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi.Cameron Williams scored 18 points to lead ninth-seeded Michigan (20-14). Laila Phelia added 16 points.“I thought they were by far the best team for three quarters,” Schneider said of Michigan. “Williams in particular did some things to us.”Williams went to the bench after picking up her third and fourth fouls early in the fourth. Phelia made the first of two free throws for a 58-48 lead.After Franklin's tying 3-pointer, Hansen's potential game-winning 3 missed for Michigan.“We run this play all the time when it's late clock,” Franklin said. “We felt we were still having time to play.”The Jayhawks got within 65-62 on a free throw by Jackson. With Kansas pressuring and the shot clock winding down, Phelia raced in for a layup that extended Michigan's lead to 67-62.Jackson scored again and Phelia's offensive foul turned the ball over with 1:16 to play. But the Jayhawks couldn't take advantage and Nichols was called for an offensive foul.Williams scored 10 points in the third when the Wolverines led 53-44.The Jayhawks had a six-point lead when the Wolverines outscored them 14-5 to go into halftime leading 32-29. Jordan Hobbs and Elissa Brett hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Williams added four points in the spurt.

🏀Kansas women get past Michigan in overtime in March Madness

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Gabby Gregory had 22 points and Ayoka Lee scored 21 to lead Kansas State to a 78-65 win over Portland in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament on Friday.

The fourth-seeded Wildcats built a big first-half lead and then kept the No. 13 seed Pilots at an arm’s reach the rest of the game. They led 25-10 after one quarter and 34-14 at one point, but the Pilots closed the gap to 40-28 at halftime.

“I think we needed a game like this,” Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie said. “I thought we got off to a great start today. I thought our players were playing extremely well. I feel like the ball was moving. I thought we were getting the ball to some really really good spots of the floor.

"But we couldn’t run away from Portland.”

K-State will face the winner of the Colorado vs. Drake game on Sunday in the second round.

Serena Sundell added 16 points for Kansas State (26-7).

While the Wildcats were not pleased with their inability to put the game away, they were thankful they had the cushion.

“There are some people on the team that play with a lot of emotion,” Gregory said. “But there are some people on the team that don’t really do that. But we saw some of that (emotion) today.”

Portland (21-13) was led by Maisie Burnham, who had 17 of her 21 points in the second half. The Pilots also got 12 points from Kianna Hamilton-Fisher.

“Once we started scoring, we could get into our pressure a little bit,” Portland coach Michael Meek said. “I felt like the tempo became a little bit more in our favor. I couldn’t be any more proud of the fight that our team put forth.”

The game became chippy in the second half as there were 10 fouls called before the midway point of the third quarter. There were 15 total fouls called in the third quarter.

“Playing in the Big 12 prepares you to play against very physical teams," Gregory said. “That was just another game of physicality.”

Lee, who was 7 of 8 from the free-throw line but could have gone even more often, added, “I don’t think it was anything we hadn’t seen before. Down the stretch just came down to us being smart.”

Lee, who finished with nine rebounds, had 11 points in the third quarter as the Wildcats maintained a 12-point lead.

K-State shot 26 of 51 from the field, including 7 of 16 on 3-pointers. The Wildcats, however, only made 65.5% of their free throws.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711159819886.png" alt="Photo KState Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo KState Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Gabby Gregory had 22 points and Ayoka Lee scored 21 to lead Kansas State to a 78-65 win over Portland in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament on Friday.The fourth-seeded Wildcats built a big first-half lead and then kept the No. 13 seed Pilots at an arm’s reach the rest of the game. They led 25-10 after one quarter and 34-14 at one point, but the Pilots closed the gap to 40-28 at halftime.“I think we needed a game like this,” Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie said. “I thought we got off to a great start today. I thought our players were playing extremely well. I feel like the ball was moving. I thought we were getting the ball to some really really good spots of the floor."But we couldn’t run away from Portland.”K-State will face the winner of the Colorado vs. Drake game on Sunday in the second round.Serena Sundell added 16 points for Kansas State (26-7).While the Wildcats were not pleased with their inability to put the game away, they were thankful they had the cushion.“There are some people on the team that play with a lot of emotion,” Gregory said. “But there are some people on the team that don’t really do that. But we saw some of that (emotion) today.”Portland (21-13) was led by Maisie Burnham, who had 17 of her 21 points in the second half. The Pilots also got 12 points from Kianna Hamilton-Fisher.“Once we started scoring, we could get into our pressure a little bit,” Portland coach Michael Meek said. “I felt like the tempo became a little bit more in our favor. I couldn’t be any more proud of the fight that our team put forth.”The game became chippy in the second half as there were 10 fouls called before the midway point of the third quarter. There were 15 total fouls called in the third quarter.“Playing in the Big 12 prepares you to play against very physical teams," Gregory said. “That was just another game of physicality.”Lee, who was 7 of 8 from the free-throw line but could have gone even more often, added, “I don’t think it was anything we hadn’t seen before. Down the stretch just came down to us being smart.”Lee, who finished with nine rebounds, had 11 points in the third quarter as the Wildcats maintained a 12-point lead.K-State shot 26 of 51 from the field, including 7 of 16 on 3-pointers. The Wildcats, however, only made 65.5% of their free throws.Portland shot 44% for the game.

Kansas State defeat Portland in women's NCAA Tournament first round

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Nicolas Timberlake of Kansas swears he got fouled. If he did, Samford’s A.J. Staton-McCray insisted, then “I guess Casper hit him.”

The fourth-seeded Jayhawks took advantage of what looked like a phantom foul in the waning seconds Thursday night that set up two key free throws by Timberlake for a 93-89 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The 13th-seeded Bulldogs used their frenetic press and deep bench to trim a 22-point deficit to one with less than a minute left. They were trapping KU in the backcourt when Timberlake took a long pass in stride as he was streaking toward the basket.

As he went up to dunk, Staton-McCray came from behind and blocked the shot, appearing to touch nothing but ball.

The whistle blew and Timberlake calmly made both free throws with 14.7 seconds left to help Bill Self's team push the lead to three and set up a second-round meeting against Gonzaga.

“I was definitely fouled on the breakaway,” Timberlake said.

Well, maybe not, according to Staton-McCray.

“I feel like it was a great play by me,” he said “Terrible call.”

The debate will play out for about a day back in Lawrence, where bigger things await, but will linger longer in Birmingham, where tiny Samford, champion of the Southern Conference, was denied the first tournament victory in program history.

“I thought A.J. made an incredible play, you know what I’m saying?” Samford coach Bucky McMillan said. “I’m not faulting the call. You can see it different ways. But I was really proud of our guys’ ability to go make a play.”

The call certainly didn't detract from the game Hunter Dickinson had for Kansas.

Playing with a sleeve on to protect his recently dislocated right shoulder, the KU center finished with 19 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks. KJ Adams Jr., led the Jayhawks with 20 points, while Timberlake finished with 19 after his two game-deciding free throws.

Self’s team came into the tournament slumping — a popular pick to go down early without leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr. (knee) and having lost four of its last five.

The Jayhawks play on. But the Kansas coach wouldn't play into the good call-bad call debate.

“I thought Nic attacked the basket well,” Self said. “He’s a much better athlete than what a lot of people think. He attacked it strong, just like he should.”

That he had legs left to do that was a feat, given the way Samford played fullcourt basketball for 40 minutes, slowly wearing down a KU rotation that had essentially been reduced to six players.

Achor Achor had 23 points and eight rebounds for Samford, including a tomahawk jam with 38 seconds that cut the Bulldog deficit to two.

Dickinson then hit Adams with a long pass for a dunk, but Jaden Campbell (18 points) answered with a 3-pointer for the Bulldogs to set up the crazy finish.

Kansas, and the refs, walked off the court to lusty boos from the rowdy Samford contingent, many of whom stuck around, calling up replays of the foul call on their phones.

The Jayhawks won this game, but they were forced to do it Samford’s way. The Bulldogs rushed Kansas into tying its season high with 18 turnovers.

The tradeoff was that Kansas shot 60% from the floor and made this look like a dunk contest at times. Of KU's 35 field goals, 14 were layups and eight were slams

The biggest shot, though, was the one that didn’t go in by Timberlake.

“I’m not blaming the whistle (but) if there is no whistle, we’re going to have the numbers advantage going the other way to advance to round two,” McMillan said. "That’s how close the game was and that’s how well our guys played when we were down 22.”

The first tipoff Saturday in Salt Lake City will be at 10:45 a.m. local time between Arizona and Dayton, with the Kansas-Gonzaga matchup to follow. This will mark the third matchup between the programs; they split the last two.

A technical foul on the Samford bench gave Kansas two easy points in the first half that turned out to be important in a game this close. Samford officials said they weren't told which coach was slapped with the ‘T,’ which was officially charged to the bench.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711079287013.png" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Nicolas Timberlake of Kansas swears he got fouled. If he did, Samford’s A.J. Staton-McCray insisted, then “I guess Casper hit him.”The fourth-seeded Jayhawks took advantage of what looked like a phantom foul in the waning seconds Thursday night that set up two key free throws by Timberlake for a 93-89 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.The 13th-seeded Bulldogs used their frenetic press and deep bench to trim a 22-point deficit to one with less than a minute left. They were trapping KU in the backcourt when Timberlake took a long pass in stride as he was streaking toward the basket.As he went up to dunk, Staton-McCray came from behind and blocked the shot, appearing to touch nothing but ball.The whistle blew and Timberlake calmly made both free throws with 14.7 seconds left to help Bill Self's team push the lead to three and set up a second-round meeting against Gonzaga.“I was definitely fouled on the breakaway,” Timberlake said.Well, maybe not, according to Staton-McCray.“I feel like it was a great play by me,” he said “Terrible call.”The debate will play out for about a day back in Lawrence, where bigger things await, but will linger longer in Birmingham, where tiny Samford, champion of the Southern Conference, was denied the first tournament victory in program history.“I thought A.J. made an incredible play, you know what I’m saying?” Samford coach Bucky McMillan said. “I’m not faulting the call. You can see it different ways. But I was really proud of our guys’ ability to go make a play.”The call certainly didn't detract from the game Hunter Dickinson had for Kansas.Playing with a sleeve on to protect his recently dislocated right shoulder, the KU center finished with 19 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks. KJ Adams Jr., led the Jayhawks with 20 points, while Timberlake finished with 19 after his two game-deciding free throws.Self’s team came into the tournament slumping — a popular pick to go down early without leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr. (knee) and having lost four of its last five.The Jayhawks play on. But the Kansas coach wouldn't play into the good call-bad call debate.“I thought Nic attacked the basket well,” Self said. “He’s a much better athlete than what a lot of people think. He attacked it strong, just like he should.”That he had legs left to do that was a feat, given the way Samford played fullcourt basketball for 40 minutes, slowly wearing down a KU rotation that had essentially been reduced to six players.Achor Achor had 23 points and eight rebounds for Samford, including a tomahawk jam with 38 seconds that cut the Bulldog deficit to two.Dickinson then hit Adams with a long pass for a dunk, but Jaden Campbell (18 points) answered with a 3-pointer for the Bulldogs to set up the crazy finish.Kansas, and the refs, walked off the court to lusty boos from the rowdy Samford contingent, many of whom stuck around, calling up replays of the foul call on their phones.The Jayhawks won this game, but they were forced to do it Samford’s way. The Bulldogs rushed Kansas into tying its season high with 18 turnovers.The tradeoff was that Kansas shot 60% from the floor and made this look like a dunk contest at times. Of KU's 35 field goals, 14 were layups and eight were slamsThe biggest shot, though, was the one that didn’t go in by Timberlake.“I’m not blaming the whistle (but) if there is no whistle, we’re going to have the numbers advantage going the other way to advance to round two,” McMillan said. "That’s how close the game was and that’s how well our guys played when we were down 22.”UP NEXTThe first tipoff Saturday in Salt Lake City will be at 10:45 a.m. local time between Arizona and Dayton, with the Kansas-Gonzaga matchup to follow. This will mark the third matchup between the programs; they split the last two.MYSTERY TECHA technical foul on the Samford bench gave Kansas two easy points in the first half that turned out to be important in a game this close. Samford officials said they weren't told which coach was slapped with the ‘T,’ which was officially charged to the bench.

🏀 Jayhawks advance in March Madness with victory over Samford

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Payton Sandfort scored 30 points and made seven 3-pointers to lead Iowa over Kansas State 91-82 on Tuesday night in the NIT.

Sandfort added 12 rebounds for the Hawkeyes (19-14). Ben Krikke scored 24 points while going 9 of 15 and 5 of 8 from the free-throw line and added 11 rebounds and three steals. Owen Freeman had 10 points and shot 3 of 6 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line.

Dai Dai Ames finished with 16 points and five assists for the Wildcats (19-15). William McNair added 15 points and seven rebounds for Kansas State. Cam Carter had 13 points and three steals.

Iowa took the lead with 19:01 remaining in the first half and did not relinquish it. Sandfort led his team in scoring with 22 points in the first half to help put them ahead 50-39 at the break. Iowa used a 9-0 run in the second half to build a 13-point lead at 69-56 with 13:28 left in the half.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710901737379.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Payton Sandfort scored 30 points and made seven 3-pointers to lead Iowa over Kansas State 91-82 on Tuesday night in the NIT.Sandfort added 12 rebounds for the Hawkeyes (19-14). Ben Krikke scored 24 points while going 9 of 15 and 5 of 8 from the free-throw line and added 11 rebounds and three steals. Owen Freeman had 10 points and shot 3 of 6 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line.Dai Dai Ames finished with 16 points and five assists for the Wildcats (19-15). William McNair added 15 points and seven rebounds for Kansas State. Cam Carter had 13 points and three steals.Iowa took the lead with 19:01 remaining in the first half and did not relinquish it. Sandfort led his team in scoring with 22 points in the first half to help put them ahead 50-39 at the break. Iowa used a 9-0 run in the second half to build a 13-point lead at 69-56 with 13:28 left in the half.

🏀 Sandfort's 30 leads Iowa past Kansas State in NIT

MANHATTAN, Kansas –&nbsp;Following one of the best seasons in program history,&nbsp;Kansas State women's basketball was rewarded with an at-large bid and to host the first and second rounds in Manhattan at Bramlage Coliseum for the 2024 NCAA Tournament during Sunday night's NCAA Women's Basketball Selection Show on ESPN. This is the program's 18th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and the fifth under the direction of head coach Jeff Mittie.

Tickets for K-State's first round matchup with Portland are available now at&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>. The K-State Athletics Ticket Office opens on Monday at 8:30 a.m., and orders can also be made by calling the K-State Ticket Office at (800) 221-CATS or stopping by the ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum. All ticket orders will be distributed as a digital ticket.

K-State (25-7, 13-5 Big 12) was chosen as a No. 4 seed in the Albany 2 regional and will be opposed by No. 13 seed Portland (21-12, 10-6 WCC). The game will be played on Friday with a time and broadcast information announced on Monday. The contest will be available on the K-State Sports Network, including the flagship stations Sunny 102.5 and 1350 KMAN and free live audio on&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/" target="_blank">kstatesports.com</a>&nbsp;and on the K-State Sports app.

K-State and Portland will meet for the first time. The last time the Wildcats faced a member of the West Coast Conference came on December 29, 2007, at Loyola Marymount, a 70-47 K-State win.

The winner of the Kansas State-Portland game will play the winner of the No. 5 Colorado-No. 12 Drake matchup on Monday, March 25. The top four seeds in the Albany 2 region are: No. 1 Iowa (29-4), No. 2 UCLA (25-6), No. 3 LSU (28-5) and No. 4 Kansas State.

K-State is 14-17 in its previous 17 NCAA Tournament bids. The Wildcats took part in the 2022 NCAA Tournament in Raleigh, North Carolina, as K-State entered the tournament as the No. 9 seed in the Bridgeport region. K-State defeated the No. 8 seed Washington State, 50-40, in the first round and fell to top-seed NC State, 89-57, in the second round.

Under Mittie's guidance in his 10th season, Kansas State has registered the program’s most wins since the 2008-09 season. K-State recorded 13 Big 12 wins for the fourth time since the formation of the league in 1996-97.

After being slated for a fourth-place finish by the Big 12 Conference coaches in the preseason poll, K-State carded a third-place finish in the conference standings which marks the 19th&nbsp;season the Wildcats have finished above its preseason predicted finish.

On the floor this season, Kansas State features 2024 All-America candidate Ayoka Lee, Serena Sundell and Gabby Gregory.

Lee, a 2024 2024 John R. Wooden Award National Ballot top-15 candidate, has had a strong 2023-24 as she is averaging 20.1 points on a .622 field goal percentage, 8.4 rebounds and 2.73 blocked shots. She ranks sixth in the nation and leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage. Lee is second in the Big 12 in scoring average, second in the league and ninth in the nation for blocks per game and third in the Big 12 for rebounding average.

Lee, a Lisa Leslie Award Top 10 finalist, has recorded 13 games this season with 20 or more points including her second career 20-20 double-double with 24 points, 21 rebounds and five blocked shots against Oral Roberts.

This season, Lee has led the Big 12’s top defense with 20 games of two or more blocked shots including a season-high seven at UCF on Jan. 6 and at Iowa State on Feb. 14. The 2024 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist has also collected two or more steals in six games.

In her career, Lee ranks third in school history for points scored with 2,163, holds the school record for career rebounds with 1,098, the school record holder for career blocks with 303 and owns the school record for career double-doubles with 59. She is the first player in program history with 300 or more career blocks and 100 or more career steals.

Sundell is second on the team in scoring with 12.0 points per game on a career-best .536 field goal percentage. She leads the Big 12 for total assists (174) and assists per game (5.4 apg). The All-American candidate was second for Big 12-only games with 5.7 assists per game, she ranks fourth in league-only games for field goal percentage (.539) and is 12th in conference play for scoring (13.82 ppg).

With her points (384) and assists (174) totals this season, Sundell is the first player in program history and the third Big 12 player since at least 2009-10 to record three seasons with 350 or more points and 150 or more assists.

In her career, Sundell is fifth in school history for career assists with 534 and is second in program history for career assists per game (5.29 apg). She ranks tied for 24th&nbsp;on the K-State career scoring list with 1,234 points. She is the only player in school history with 1,000 or more career points, 500 or more career assists and 50 or more career blocked shots.

Gregory has averaged just under 10 points per game this season (8.9) and established a career-high for assists with 113 (3.5 apg). When combined with Sundell’s 174 assists, the tandem ranks third in school history for combined assists in a season. Gregory ranks 11th&nbsp;in the Big 12 in assists per game and is fifth in the league in assist-turnover ratio (1.92).

In her two seasons at K-State, Gregory is the first player to transfer to K-State and then reach the 1,000- and 1,500-point marks in her collegiate career. Gregory has scored in double figures in 42 games at K-State. She also ranks fifth in program history for career free throw percentage (.801).

Portland enters the NCAA Tournament with wins in four straight games, including three consecutive in the West Coast Conference tournament to win the league’s automatic bid into the field. This will be the seventh NCAA Tournament appearance for the Pilots and the second straight after making the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

On the floor, Portland is led by the trio of Emme Shearer, Maisie Burnham and Kennedy Dickie. Shearer leads the squad in scoring at 12.2 points per game on a .486 field goal percentage, while Burnham is second on the team at 11.6 points and Shearer is averaging 10.5 per game. Dickie and Burnham were named to the WCC All-Tournament Team, while Dickie collected most outstanding player honors for the event.

MANHATTAN, Kansas –&nbsp;Following one of the best seasons in program history,&nbsp;Kansas State women's basketball was rewarded with an at-large bid and to host the first and second rounds in Manhattan at Bramlage Coliseum for the 2024 NCAA Tournament during Sunday night's NCAA Women's Basketball Selection Show on ESPN. This is the program's 18th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and the fifth under the direction of head coach Jeff Mittie.Tickets for K-State's first round matchup with Portland are available now at&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>. The K-State Athletics Ticket Office opens on Monday at 8:30 a.m., and orders can also be made by calling the K-State Ticket Office at (800) 221-CATS or stopping by the ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum. All ticket orders will be distributed as a digital ticket.K-State (25-7, 13-5 Big 12) was chosen as a No. 4 seed in the Albany 2 regional and will be opposed by No. 13 seed Portland (21-12, 10-6 WCC). The game will be played on Friday with a time and broadcast information announced on Monday. The contest will be available on the K-State Sports Network, including the flagship stations Sunny 102.5 and 1350 KMAN and free live audio on&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/" target="_blank">kstatesports.com</a>&nbsp;and on the K-State Sports app.K-State and Portland will meet for the first time. The last time the Wildcats faced a member of the West Coast Conference came on December 29, 2007, at Loyola Marymount, a 70-47 K-State win.The winner of the Kansas State-Portland game will play the winner of the No. 5 Colorado-No. 12 Drake matchup on Monday, March 25. The top four seeds in the Albany 2 region are: No. 1 Iowa (29-4), No. 2 UCLA (25-6), No. 3 LSU (28-5) and No. 4 Kansas State.K-State is 14-17 in its previous 17 NCAA Tournament bids. The Wildcats took part in the 2022 NCAA Tournament in Raleigh, North Carolina, as K-State entered the tournament as the No. 9 seed in the Bridgeport region. K-State defeated the No. 8 seed Washington State, 50-40, in the first round and fell to top-seed NC State, 89-57, in the second round.Under Mittie's guidance in his 10th season, Kansas State has registered the program’s most wins since the 2008-09 season. K-State recorded 13 Big 12 wins for the fourth time since the formation of the league in 1996-97.After being slated for a fourth-place finish by the Big 12 Conference coaches in the preseason poll, K-State carded a third-place finish in the conference standings which marks the 19th&nbsp;season the Wildcats have finished above its preseason predicted finish.On the floor this season, Kansas State features 2024 All-America candidate Ayoka Lee, Serena Sundell and Gabby Gregory.Lee, a 2024 2024 John R. Wooden Award National Ballot top-15 candidate, has had a strong 2023-24 as she is averaging 20.1 points on a .622 field goal percentage, 8.4 rebounds and 2.73 blocked shots. She ranks sixth in the nation and leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage. Lee is second in the Big 12 in scoring average, second in the league and ninth in the nation for blocks per game and third in the Big 12 for rebounding average.Lee, a Lisa Leslie Award Top 10 finalist, has recorded 13 games this season with 20 or more points including her second career 20-20 double-double with 24 points, 21 rebounds and five blocked shots against Oral Roberts.This season, Lee has led the Big 12’s top defense with 20 games of two or more blocked shots including a season-high seven at UCF on Jan. 6 and at Iowa State on Feb. 14. The 2024 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist has also collected two or more steals in six games.In her career, Lee ranks third in school history for points scored with 2,163, holds the school record for career rebounds with 1,098, the school record holder for career blocks with 303 and owns the school record for career double-doubles with 59. She is the first player in program history with 300 or more career blocks and 100 or more career steals.Sundell is second on the team in scoring with 12.0 points per game on a career-best .536 field goal percentage. She leads the Big 12 for total assists (174) and assists per game (5.4 apg). The All-American candidate was second for Big 12-only games with 5.7 assists per game, she ranks fourth in league-only games for field goal percentage (.539) and is 12th in conference play for scoring (13.82 ppg).With her points (384) and assists (174) totals this season, Sundell is the first player in program history and the third Big 12 player since at least 2009-10 to record three seasons with 350 or more points and 150 or more assists.In her career, Sundell is fifth in school history for career assists with 534 and is second in program history for career assists per game (5.29 apg). She ranks tied for 24th&nbsp;on the K-State career scoring list with 1,234 points. She is the only player in school history with 1,000 or more career points, 500 or more career assists and 50 or more career blocked shots.Gregory has averaged just under 10 points per game this season (8.9) and established a career-high for assists with 113 (3.5 apg). When combined with Sundell’s 174 assists, the tandem ranks third in school history for combined assists in a season. Gregory ranks 11th&nbsp;in the Big 12 in assists per game and is fifth in the league in assist-turnover ratio (1.92).In her two seasons at K-State, Gregory is the first player to transfer to K-State and then reach the 1,000- and 1,500-point marks in her collegiate career. Gregory has scored in double figures in 42 games at K-State. She also ranks fifth in program history for career free throw percentage (.801).Portland enters the NCAA Tournament with wins in four straight games, including three consecutive in the West Coast Conference tournament to win the league’s automatic bid into the field. This will be the seventh NCAA Tournament appearance for the Pilots and the second straight after making the 2023 NCAA Tournament.On the floor, Portland is led by the trio of Emme Shearer, Maisie Burnham and Kennedy Dickie. Shearer leads the squad in scoring at 12.2 points per game on a .486 field goal percentage, while Burnham is second on the team at 11.6 points and Shearer is averaging 10.5 per game. Dickie and Burnham were named to the WCC All-Tournament Team, while Dickie collected most outstanding player honors for the event.

K-State Women’s Basketball Selected for 2024 NCAA Tournament

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State was rewarded for a successful season on Sunday night, as the Wildcats earned their eighth bid to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) and first since 2009.K-State (19-14, 8-10 Big 12) received an at-large bid and will play No. 3 seed Iowa (18-14, 10-10 Big Ten) in the first round at 8 p.m., CT on Tuesday, March 19 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. 

The winner will advance to play the winner of No. 2 seed and future Big 12 member Utah (19-14, 9-11 Pac-12) and Big West regular-season champion UC Irvine (24-9, 17-3 Big West) on Saturday, March 23 or Sunday, March 24.The Wildcats are joined in the 8-team bracket by top-seed Villanova (18-15), 2-seed Utah (19-14), 3-seed Iowa (18-14) and 4-seed UCF (17-15), which will all host first-round games. 

In addition to the games between K-State and Iowa and Utah and UC Irvine, Villanova will host VCU (22-13) and UCF will host South Florida (24-7).K-State is making its 40th postseason appearance, which includes 32 in the NCAA Tournament and eight in the Postseason NIT. 

The Wildcats have now advanced to the postseason 13 times in the last 18 seasons (10 trips to the NCAA Tournament and three to the NIT). It is the second straight postseason bid under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/jerome-tang/2353">Jerome Tang</a>.

The Wildcats were one of 20 at-large selections to the NIT, as conference mates Cincinnati (20-14) and UCF (17-15) received the Big 12's two automatic bids as the teams with the highest NET ratings.The winners of the four 8-team brackets will advance to the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for the semifinals on Tuesday, April 2 and the championship on Thursday, April 4.

K-State has a 6-8 record in the NIT, including 4-3 in the first round. The Wildcats will be making their eighth overall appearance in the tournament, including 1976, 1992, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2007 and 2009.This will be the first trip to the NIT since 2009 when the Wildcats defeated Illinois State, 83-79 in overtime at home, on March 18 before a 70-52 loss at San Diego State on March 20.Iowa enters Tuesday's game with an 18-14 overall record, including a tie for sixth place in the Big Ten with a 10-10 mark. The Hawkeyes average 82.9 points on 47.5 percent shooting, including 34.7 percent from 3-point range, and connect on 77.8 percent from the free throw line. 

Four players are averaging in double figures led by junior&nbsp;Payton Sandfort&nbsp;(16.3 ppg.), senior&nbsp;Tony Perkins&nbsp;(14.5 ppg.), graduate&nbsp;Ben Krikke&nbsp;(13.5 ppg.) and freshman&nbsp;Owen Freeman&nbsp;(10.6 ppg.). Perkins paces the team in assists (147) and Freeman leads in rebounds (6.6 ppg.). &nbsp;Freeman was named the Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year by the league coaches, while four others (Perkins, Sandfort, Krikke and sophomore&nbsp;Josh Dix) were selected to various All-Big Ten teams, including Second Team honors for Perkins and Third Team honors for Sandfort

.Iowa is led by longtime head coach&nbsp;Fran McCaffery, who has a 530-367 record in 27 seasons and a 279-190 record in 14 seasons leading the Hawkeyes. He has led Iowa to the postseason on 10 occasions, including to the NCAA Tournament in 5 of the last 6 seasons. This is his fourth trip to the NIT with the Hawkeyes.The all-time series with Iowa is tied 4-all, which dates to 1946. The Hawkeyes have won the last 2 meetings, including a 65-63 win in the last matchup at the Las Vegas Invitational in the Orleans Arena on Nov. 29, 2008. The Wildcats are 1-3 all-time in games played in Iowa City, including an 89-70 win by the Hawkeyes in the last such meeting on Dec. 22, 2001. 

This will be the first meeting in the postseason.The winner of Tuesday's game will play the winner of the matchup between No. 2 seed Utah (19-14, 9-11 Pac-12) and Big West regular-season champion UC Irvine (24-9) on either Saturday, March 24 or Sunday, March 25. The Utes, which finished in a tie for sixth in the Pac-12 standings, is led by First Team All-Pac-12 selection&nbsp;Branden Carlson&nbsp;(17.1 ppg.) as well as two others in double figures. 

The Anteaters, which finished 17-3 in the Big West before losing to eventual NCAA Tournament participant Long Beach State in the semifinals, has 7 players averaging better than 7 points per game, including All-Big West First Team selection&nbsp;Pierre Crockrell II&nbsp;(7.9 ppg., 6.4 apg.).K-State leads the all-time series with Utah, 2-1, but the schools haven't met since 1983.

The series with UC Irvine is tied 1-all with the Anteaters beating the Wildcats in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.K-State has posted a 19-14 overall record, including a tie for ninth in the Big 12 with an 8-10 mark. 

Among the Wildcats' 19 victories are 4 over Top 25 teams, including 3 in the Top 10. 

Three players are averaging in double figures led by All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selections&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/tylor-perry/11222">Tylor Perry</a>&nbsp;(15.5 ppg.) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/arthur-kaluma/11226">Arthur Kaluma</a>&nbsp;(14.7 ppg.).Perry had a memorable run in the 2023 NIT, as he helped North Texas win the title over UAB en route to earning MVP honors. He averaged 20.6 points on 46 percent shooting in the Mean Green's 5-game run.K-State was one of a record 11 Big 12 teams to earn berths to the NCAA Tournament and NIT, including a record eight in the Big Dance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710759233679.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>Kansas State AthleticsMANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State was rewarded for a successful season on Sunday night, as the Wildcats earned their eighth bid to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) and first since 2009.K-State (19-14, 8-10 Big 12) received an at-large bid and will play No. 3 seed Iowa (18-14, 10-10 Big Ten) in the first round at 8 p.m., CT on Tuesday, March 19 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. The winner will advance to play the winner of No. 2 seed and future Big 12 member Utah (19-14, 9-11 Pac-12) and Big West regular-season champion UC Irvine (24-9, 17-3 Big West) on Saturday, March 23 or Sunday, March 24.The Wildcats are joined in the 8-team bracket by top-seed Villanova (18-15), 2-seed Utah (19-14), 3-seed Iowa (18-14) and 4-seed UCF (17-15), which will all host first-round games. In addition to the games between K-State and Iowa and Utah and UC Irvine, Villanova will host VCU (22-13) and UCF will host South Florida (24-7).K-State is making its 40th postseason appearance, which includes 32 in the NCAA Tournament and eight in the Postseason NIT. The Wildcats have now advanced to the postseason 13 times in the last 18 seasons (10 trips to the NCAA Tournament and three to the NIT). It is the second straight postseason bid under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/jerome-tang/2353">Jerome Tang</a>.The Wildcats were one of 20 at-large selections to the NIT, as conference mates Cincinnati (20-14) and UCF (17-15) received the Big 12's two automatic bids as the teams with the highest NET ratings.The winners of the four 8-team brackets will advance to the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for the semifinals on Tuesday, April 2 and the championship on Thursday, April 4.K-State has a 6-8 record in the NIT, including 4-3 in the first round. The Wildcats will be making their eighth overall appearance in the tournament, including 1976, 1992, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2007 and 2009.This will be the first trip to the NIT since 2009 when the Wildcats defeated Illinois State, 83-79 in overtime at home, on March 18 before a 70-52 loss at San Diego State on March 20.Iowa enters Tuesday's game with an 18-14 overall record, including a tie for sixth place in the Big Ten with a 10-10 mark. The Hawkeyes average 82.9 points on 47.5 percent shooting, including 34.7 percent from 3-point range, and connect on 77.8 percent from the free throw line. Four players are averaging in double figures led by junior&nbsp;Payton Sandfort&nbsp;(16.3 ppg.), senior&nbsp;Tony Perkins&nbsp;(14.5 ppg.), graduate&nbsp;Ben Krikke&nbsp;(13.5 ppg.) and freshman&nbsp;Owen Freeman&nbsp;(10.6 ppg.). Perkins paces the team in assists (147) and Freeman leads in rebounds (6.6 ppg.). &nbsp;Freeman was named the Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year by the league coaches, while four others (Perkins, Sandfort, Krikke and sophomore&nbsp;Josh Dix) were selected to various All-Big Ten teams, including Second Team honors for Perkins and Third Team honors for Sandfort.Iowa is led by longtime head coach&nbsp;Fran McCaffery, who has a 530-367 record in 27 seasons and a 279-190 record in 14 seasons leading the Hawkeyes. He has led Iowa to the postseason on 10 occasions, including to the NCAA Tournament in 5 of the last 6 seasons. This is his fourth trip to the NIT with the Hawkeyes.The all-time series with Iowa is tied 4-all, which dates to 1946. The Hawkeyes have won the last 2 meetings, including a 65-63 win in the last matchup at the Las Vegas Invitational in the Orleans Arena on Nov. 29, 2008. The Wildcats are 1-3 all-time in games played in Iowa City, including an 89-70 win by the Hawkeyes in the last such meeting on Dec. 22, 2001. This will be the first meeting in the postseason.The winner of Tuesday's game will play the winner of the matchup between No. 2 seed Utah (19-14, 9-11 Pac-12) and Big West regular-season champion UC Irvine (24-9) on either Saturday, March 24 or Sunday, March 25. The Utes, which finished in a tie for sixth in the Pac-12 standings, is led by First Team All-Pac-12 selection&nbsp;Branden Carlson&nbsp;(17.1 ppg.) as well as two others in double figures. The Anteaters, which finished 17-3 in the Big West before losing to eventual NCAA Tournament participant Long Beach State in the semifinals, has 7 players averaging better than 7 points per game, including All-Big West First Team selection&nbsp;Pierre Crockrell II&nbsp;(7.9 ppg., 6.4 apg.).K-State leads the all-time series with Utah, 2-1, but the schools haven't met since 1983.The series with UC Irvine is tied 1-all with the Anteaters beating the Wildcats in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.K-State has posted a 19-14 overall record, including a tie for ninth in the Big 12 with an 8-10 mark. Among the Wildcats' 19 victories are 4 over Top 25 teams, including 3 in the Top 10. Three players are averaging in double figures led by All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selections&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/tylor-perry/11222">Tylor Perry</a>&nbsp;(15.5 ppg.) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/arthur-kaluma/11226">Arthur Kaluma</a>&nbsp;(14.7 ppg.).Perry had a memorable run in the 2023 NIT, as he helped North Texas win the title over UAB en route to earning MVP honors. He averaged 20.6 points on 46 percent shooting in the Mean Green's 5-game run.K-State was one of a record 11 Big 12 teams to earn berths to the NCAA Tournament and NIT, including a record eight in the Big Dance.

🏀 K-State MBB earns NIT bid; to play Iowa on Tuesday

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas enters the 2024 NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament, marking its 51st&nbsp;all-time appearance.

Kansas will play Samford in the first round on Thursday, March 16, at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Playing as the No. 4 seed for the 14th&nbsp;time in program history, Kansas enters the NCAA Tournament with a 22-10 overall record, including a 10-8 Big 12 mark which finished fifth in the Big 12 in 2023-24. The Jayhawks are 8-5 as a No. 4 seed all-time, including 6-1 against No. 13 seeds.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710719016829.jpeg" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
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 </figure>Kansas AthleticsLAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas enters the 2024 NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament, marking its 51st&nbsp;all-time appearance.Kansas will play Samford in the first round on Thursday, March 16, at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The bracket 🙌 <a href="https://t.co/X5pG3A8PlI">pic.twitter.com/X5pG3A8PlI</a>&mdash; NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessMBB/status/1769496098664583361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Playing as the No. 4 seed for the 14th&nbsp;time in program history, Kansas enters the NCAA Tournament with a 22-10 overall record, including a 10-8 Big 12 mark which finished fifth in the Big 12 in 2023-24. The Jayhawks are 8-5 as a No. 4 seed all-time, including 6-1 against No. 13 seeds.Kansas will play in the NCAA Midwest Region for the second time in three seasons. Kansas is 45-5 in the NCAA Tournament First Round all-time, while it will be the first-ever meeting between Kansas and Samford. Kansas holds a 111-49 record in the NCAA Tournament all-time.Kansas will take on Samford, winners of the Southern Conference Tournament (SoCon) with a 76-69 win over East Tennessee State University on March 11. Samford enters the NCAA Tournament with a 29-5 overall record and 15-3 record in conference play. It’s Sanford’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2000.Samford, located in Birmingham, Alabama, is under fourth-year head coach Bucky McMillan, who holds a 77-40 record over his career. McMillan was named the SoCon Coach of the Year after leading Samford to a program-record 29-win season in 2023-2024.Samford is led by First-Team All-SoCon forward Achor Achor, who averaged 15.8 points per game on 60% from the field and 45% from beyond the arc. Samford enters Thursday’s game after winning four-straight games with its last loss coming to Wofford on Feb. 28.Samford’s NCAA Tournament appearance is their second all-time, including first since 2000, where the Bulldogs hold an 0-2 record all-time.