Month: January 2020

Lady Blue Devils post fourth 20-win season in last five years

A fast-breaking, attacking offense has been the foundation of two KCKCC national championships. Here, Tiaria Earnest, center, led a fast break flanked by Destiny Zamudio (11), Mercer Roberts (4), Shanea Dinwiddie (22) and Jada Mayberry (5) in KCKCC’s 106-41 win over Park University’s junior varsity Tuesday. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)
KCKCC freshman Aliayah Myers put up a shot as she and Diamond Williams, left, and Adoreya Williams (10) outran four Park University defenders in a 106-41 win Tuesday. Kamryn Estell (32) trailed the play. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)
While one Park University defender tumbled to the court, KCKCC’s Kamryn Estell was scoring two of her 16 points in the Blue Devils’ 106-41 win Tuesday. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Kansas City Kansas Community College’s women wrote win No. 20 into the record books Tuesday with a 106-41 victory over Park University’s junior varsity in Parkville.

It was the fourth 20-win season in five years for head coach Joe McKinstry and the 10th 20-win season in the 45-year history of women’s basketball at KCKCC.

“Twenty wins and 20-2. That’s kind of the standard for wins so that’s pretty good,” said McKinstry, whose Blue Devils were right back in action Wednesday when they returned to Jayhawk Conference action at Fort Scott at 5:30 p.m.

The Blue Devils put Tuesday’s game out of reach in the first quarter. Limiting Park to just one field goal in 15 attempts, KCKCC bolted to a 24-4 lead.

Everyone got in on the fast start as eight Blue Devils scored and eight had rebounds in the first quarter and by game’s end all 10 Blue Devils had scored and claimed rebounds, seven had assists and a half-dozen had steals – along with 22 assists on 35 field goals.

“Our most complete game of the year,” McKinstry said. “While our opponent was not the greatest, we’ve played other teams on the same level this season and struggled. Tonight, we were able to stay focused and do the things we practice. Everyone scored and everyone had at least one rebound and our defense led to a lot of easy baskets. I know the 13 threes are the most this year and we shot the ball well (.500 on 35-of-70).”

Five Blue Devils scored a dozen or more points in a well-balanced attack. Aliayah Myers had 18 points, Brodi Boyd 17, Kamryn Estell 16, Diamond Williams a career high 14 and Tiaira Earnest 12 to lead the way. Destiny Zamudio added 8 points, Jada Mayberry 7, Mercer Roberts 6 and Adoreya Williams five.

Shanea Dinwiddie shared rebound honors with Myers with a career high six while Estell, Diamond Williams and Adoreya Williams added five each. Zamudio led in assists with five with Estell, Byrd, Myers and both Williams chipping in with three apiece. Diamond Williams also had four steals and Byrd three of KCKCC’s 17 thefts.

Defensively, KCKCC forced 25 turnovers while committing 17 and limited the Pirates to just 15 field goals in 64 attempts for 23.4 percent.

In addition to Wednesday’s game at Fort Scott, the Blue Devils stay on the road at league-leading Highland (16-0) Saturday at 1 p.m. before returning home next Wednesday to play host to Johnson County at Academic Success Night.

Kansans can’t bet the house on Super Bowl LIV, but LV is a possibility

by Stephen Koranda, Kansas News Service

Topeka, Kansas — Kansans thinking about wagering a few bucks on the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl appearance this weekend would have to go to one of 14 states to do it legally.

But by later this year, sports betting could be legal in Kansas. This year’s bill is a compromise — allowing people over 21 to gamble on sports through the companies that run the state-owned casinos and via online apps. And it has some critical support.

“I feel confident that this year there will be a bill done, a solution passed,” said Republican Sen. Bud Estes, chairman of the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee.

Lawmakers are taking another crack at the issue after sports gambling legislation struck out at the end of the 2019 session, held up by disagreements over who’d run the betting and manage mobile-gaming apps.

But a final agreement will need a key compromise between casino operators and state regulators with the Kansas Lottery, because those are groups with the largest interests. Under the state constitution, the Lottery must ultimately run Kansas gambling.

“There’s a lot of players involved, excuse the pun,” Estes said after Wednesday’s Wednesday.

Millions of dollars in state revenue are at stake, though no one expects sports gambling to solve Kansas’ budget problems. Under the plan, the state would levy a 7.5 percent tax on revenue from in-person bets and 10 percent on online bets.

State budget staff estimated at least $500 million in sports bets, which would ultimately leave $25 million for taxes, fees and profit. In the end, that would put $2.25 million in state coffers.

This year’s stats

Sports betting apps are critical, according to Jeff Morris, vice president of public affairs and government relations for Penn National Gaming. That company runs the Hollywood Casino in Kansas City, Kansas.

The new bill would allow only people physically located in Kansas — wherever that might be — to gamble through an app. The casino companies would have the option to run the apps. If they declined, it would fall to the state lottery.

Currently, Kansans can gamble on the Super Bowl (or other sporting events) in other states like Nevada or Iowa. They also can wager through illegal gaming websites based in other countries.

“Those players are still going to be wagering illegally,” he said, “and you miss out on a significant piece of sports betting across the country.”

Local governments say the proposal is missing one thing: shifting some revenue to cities and counties.

Under current law, local governments get a cut from the state-owned casinos to help pay for the roads, infrastructure and services leading to the casinos.

The League of Kansas Municipalities argues sports gaming revenue should be no different.

“It is foreseeable that more people will be making their way to these facilities, increasing the burden on local government entities,” said John Goodyear, the group’s staff attorney.

The National Council on Problem Gaming doesn’t oppose the bill, but wants some of the money to go toward treatment and restrictions that could help limit gambling addictions, such as barring messages that encourage players to bet higher amounts.

Notably absent from this week’s testimony: professional sports leagues. Last year, a sticking point was that Major League Baseball and other leagues wanted a cut of any gaming revenue because they’d have to spend money monitoring for cheating related to gambling.

Estes said payments to sports leagues didn’t materialize in other states that have legalized gambling, so it likely won’t be part of the discussion this year.

“That question is off the table,” he said. “That simplified it a lot.”

Stephen Koranda is the Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda.

The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy. Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link to ksnewsservice.org.

See more at https://www.kcur.org/post/kansans-cant-bet-house-super-bowl-liv-lv-possibility.

Rep. Davids makes friendly wager with California representative on Super Bowl outcome

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-3rd Dist., has challenged U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., to a friendly wager on whether Kansas City or the San Francisco 49ers will take home the Super Bowl LIV championship title on Sunday.

Rep. Davids will provide Rep. Swalwell’s office with world-famous Kansas City barbecue if the 49ers win, and Rep. Swalwell will provide Rep. Davids’ office with chocolate from Blommer Chocolate Co. if Kansas City wins. Also, the member from the losing team will have to wear the winning team’s jersey for one day.

“As a candy lover myself, I’m excited to taste some of California’s finest chocolates, but nothing will be as sweet as when Kansas City beats the 49ers,” Rep. Davids said. “With players like Pat Mahomes on the field and thousands of KC fans in the stands, I have no doubt we’ll bring the Vince Lombardi trophy back home where it belongs.”

“While I am happy to see Kansas City finally make it to the Super Bowl, they’re simply no match for our 49ers,” Rep. Swalwell said. “I am looking forward to enjoying the Kansas City BBQ provided by Rep. Davids on Monday, February 3rd. Go Niners!”