– Wayne Byers Show -Morning – Dec 30

CSi Weather…

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON MONDAY TO 6 PM CST MONDAY EVENING…JAMESTOWN AND VALLEY CITY AREA

Forecast…

REST OF TODAY… Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow in the Jamestown area. Patchy blowing and drifting snow. Highs

20 to 25. Northwest winds 15 to 25 mph.

.TONIGHT…Cloudy in the evening then partly cloudy. Patchy

blowing and drifting snow through the night. Lows 5 to 10. Windy.

Northwest winds 20 to 30 mph.

.TUESDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 20s. West winds 5 to

15 mph.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Decreasing clouds. Lows 10 to 15. Southwest

winds 5 to 10 mph.

.NEW YEARS DAY…Partly sunny. Slight chance of snow in the

afternoon. Highs in the lower 30s. Southwest winds around 10 mph.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 20s.

.THURSDAY…Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of snow in the morning.

Highs in the lower 30s.

.THURSDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows in the lower 20s.

.FRIDAY…Mostly cloudy. Highs in the mid 20s.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow.

Lows 10 to 15.

.SATURDAY…Partly sunny. A 20 percent chance of snow in the

morning. Highs in the mid 20s.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows around 10.

.SUNDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 20s.

Jamestown (City Hall) Jamestown City crews planned to begin operations at 4 a.m. on Monday and work through Tuesday, depending upon weather.

Please move parked vehicles and garbage or recycling containers from streets to allow plows to move more easily through the streets.

No garbage or recycling collection Monday. Monday and Tuesday routes will be collected on Tuesday, weather permitting.

Valley City (CSi) Valley City street clearing on Monday will be on Emergency Snow Routes, only. Vehicles parked on emergency routes will be towed. Residential snow clearing will start on Tuesday.

City Of Jamestown, all non-essential city employees will not report. City Hall, Municipal Court, Civic Center all closed Monday. Essential services in public safety and public works will operate.

. . . Stutsman County Courthouse closed, Special Meeting cancelled.

…….Jamestown City Hall closed. Monday

Valley City City Hall offices opening at noon. Also no garbage pickup and the transfer station closed.

Valley City State University, Closed

Jamestown (CSi) With the Jamestown Salvation Army reaching the their 2019 Red Kettle Campaign goal, of $139,00, it means no cuts in services, and the reopening of the Youth Center in 2020.

The Red Kettle Campaign ran, November 29 and through Christmas Eve.

Major, Judy Lowder adds that she’s grateful for all those who volunteered as bell ringers, and those who donated at the Jamestown kettle sites.

The final official total will be tabulated in January.

(INFORUM) Names have been released in a construction accident that killed one and injured another on Dec. 7 at Eldridge, North Dakota.

Stutsman County sheriff, Chad Kaiser says 25 year old Darin Dejno, of Grand Forks, was killed in the accident. 54 year old David Kutcka, from the Grand Forks area, was injured and airlifted to a Fargo hospital for treatment.

The accident occurred during construction work at Country Grain Cooperative when a segment of the crane arm detached from the rest of the arm and fell to the ground striking the two men.

Kaiser adds the Stutsman County investigation to the incident has been completed although other agencies also investigated.

MINOT, ND (Valley News Live) – Fire crews responded Saturday evening to a structure fire in Minot.

At approximately 5:15 p.m., a fire broke out on Minot Air Force Base.

The fire involved one unoccupied hangar, which was used for equipment storage.

Officials say no one was injured and the hangar did not have any personnel or aircraft inside.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

MANDAN, N.D. (AP) — A Mandan man is accused of threatening to “shoot up” a state government agency. Forty-six-year-old Christopher Chase faces a felony terrorizing charge. Chase allegedly threatened Workforce Safety and Insurance in social media posts, saying “I want them all to suffer the way I have.” Police responded to a request for a welfare check after a caller saw the posts. Chase made his initial court appearance on Thursday. His bail carries a stipulation that he not have contact with the state agency. Court documents do not list an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Jocelyn Burdick, who became North Dakota’s first female U.S. senator when she was appointed to briefly fill the seat vacated by her late husband, has died at age 97. Her son, Cass County State’s Attorney Birch Burdick, says she died Thursday night at a care facility in Fargo. She was appointed in September 1992, following the death of her husband, Quentin Burdick, a cornerstone of the North Dakota Democratic Party. She served until a special election that November. Jocelyn Burdick was a strong and longtime supporter of women’s rights.

In sports…

The Hi-Liner Basketball games Monday evening in Devils Lake have been postponed.

UJ Men’s Bball vs Manitoba, Monday Cancelled

Sunday

SIOUX CITY, IOWA (VCSU)– Valley City State dropped their final game at the Holiday Classic Sunday as Briar Cliff outscored the Vikings 76-60.

Mackenzie Huber led the way with a double-double Sunday, tallying 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Vikings. Freshman Taryn Dieterle added 17 points for Valley City State after going 5-for-5 from the field and 7-for-10 at the free throw line.

Valley City State shot 37 percent from the field (21-57), 7 percent on 3’s (1-14), and 74 percent on free throws (17-23). Briar Cliff shot 41 percent from the field (26-64), 45 percent on 3’s (14-31), and 77 percent on free throws (10-13).

Briar Cliff tallied 16 steals in the game to the Vikings’ six. The Vikings out-rebounded the Chargers 44-31 and picked up six blocks Sunday.

The Vikings had a slow start as Briar Cliff led by as much as 10 points in the first quarter with 5:31 on the clock. The Vikings began to heat up as they scored the next seven points, cutting the Charger lead to three with 1:14 left in the first quarter.

The Vikings kept their momentum into the second quarter as they picked up their first lead of the game on a Dieterle free throw with 4:47 on the clock. From there, the Vikings would only allow one Charger basket to hold onto a 26-24 halftime lead.

The Chargers commanded the floor coming out of the locker room, scoring 29 points in the third quarter. With 3:26 left on the clock in the third, a Dieterle basket gave Valley City State the drive to score six straight points to get within three points of the Chargers. Briar Cliff picked up a 3 pointer at the buzzer to regain a double figure lead at the end of the third quarter, 53-43.

With the Vikings looking to come back in the fourth quarter, they would get as close as six points on a basket from Allie Critchley with 7:09 to go. That would be as close as they could get though as Valley City State fell to Briar Cliff 76-60.

The Chargers were led by Konnor Sudmann with 24 points and four assists, including five 3’s. Alyssa Carley added 22 points and Payton Slaughter tallied 16 for Briar Cliff.

Valley City State falls to 3-6 overall while Briar Cliff improves to 4-11 this season.

UP NEXT: Valley City State continues their stretch on the road as they face Bethany Lutheran College on Saturday, Jan. 4, at 3 p.m. They then travel to University of Jamestown to take on the Jimmies on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 6 p.m.

The Vikings will return home to resume conference play on Friday, Jan. 10, against Dakota State University at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 11, against Bellevue University at 3 p.m. Both games are scheduled to be doubleheaders with men’s games to follow.

Saturday High School Hockey

BOY’S HOCKEY

Chippewa Falls, Wis. 1, Fargo South/Shanley 0

Fergus Falls Tournament

West Fargo 8, New Ulm Eagles, Minn. 6

Little Falls Tournament

West Fargo-Sheyenne United 6, Willmar, Minn. 3

Morris/Benson Tournament
Championship

Morris Benson Area Storm, Minn. 3, May Port CG 1

Roseau Tournament

Roseau, Minn. 6, Minot 2

Thief River Falls Tournament

Thief River Falls, Minn. 4, Fargo North 1

Wadena-Deer Creek Tournament
Third Place

Bottineau 4, Worthington/Fulda, Minn. 0

Warroad (Hockeytown) Tournament

Grafton-Park River 3, Osseo, Minn. 2, OT

GIRLS HOCKEY

Grand Forks Knightriders 3, Crookston Pirates, Minn. 2

Blaine Tournament
Fifth Place

Bismarck High 4, Hopkins/St. Louis Park, Minn. 1

Sartell Tournament

St. Cloud Icebreakers, Minn. 3, West Fargo 0

GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL=

Minot 61, Jamestown 55

Bismarck Legacy 86, Turtle Mountain 44

Bismarck St. Mary’s 65, Williston 38

Fargo Davies 65, Fargo Shanley 56

Fargo South 50, Grand Forks Central 44

Linton-HMB 63, Hazen 41

Max 42, North Shore Plaza 37

NCEUH, Minn. 57, Oak Grove Lutheran 48

New Town 48, Garrison 34

Jamestown Tournament=

Park Christian, Minn. 50, Medina-Pingree-Buchanan 37

POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=

Enderlin vs. Oakes, ppd.

Mobridge-Pollock, S.D. vs. Ellendale, ppd.

Napoleon/Gackle-Streeter vs. Wyndmere-Lidgerwood, ccd.

Northern Cass vs. Dakota Prairie, ccd.

BOYS PREP BASKETBALL=

Minot 71, Jamestown 64

1st loss this season for the Blue Jays Boys

Jamestown and Minot tied for first place in the West Region.

Bismarck Legacy 73, Turtle Mountain 70

Bismarck St. Mary’s 81, Williston 62

Fargo Davies 80, Fargo Shanley 33

Fargo South 83, Grand Forks Central 76

Four Winds 74, Dickinson Trinity 50

Four Winds/Minnewaukan 74, Dickinson Trinity 50

Hazen 58, Stanley 41

Langdon-Edmore-Munich 67, Bishop Ryan 43

North Shore Plaza 76, Max 48

Shiloh Christian 59, Thompson 42

St. John 56, Beulah 50

Velva 54, New Town 35

Fargo Oak Grove Tournament=

Oak Grove Lutheran 91, Hawley, Minn. 69

Jamestown Tournament=

Park Christian, Minn. 53, Medina-Pingree-Buchanan 38

Mandan Holiday Tournament=

Fifth Place=

Flasher 66, Wilton-Wing 48

Seventh Place=

Turtle Lake-Mercer-McClusky 51, Grant County 33

Third Place=

Linton-HMB 68, Bottineau 34

POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=

Central Cass vs. New Rockford-Sheyenne, ppd.

Dakota Prairie vs. Kidder County, ppd.

LaMoure-Litchville-Marion vs. Glenburn, ppd.

Mobridge-Pollock, S.D. vs. Ellendale, ppd.

VCSU Basketball…

SIOUX CITY, IOWA (VCSU)– Valley City State dropped their opening game of the Holiday Classic Tournament to No. 7 Morningside College 86-55 Saturday in Sioux City, Iowa.

Valley City State shot 43 percent overall (20-47), 25 percent on 3’s (4-16), and 69 percent on free throws (11-16). Morningside shot 38 percent overall (32-85), 31 percent on 3’s (13-42), and 56 percent from the charity stripe (9-16).

The Vikings’ 32 turnovers allowed the Mustangs 38 more shots on Saturday. Morningside narrowly out-rebounded Valley City State 45-42 but their 23 offensive rebounds gave Morningside 17 second-chance points.

Valley City State started out with a 13-8 lead in the first quarter including five from Mackenzie Huber. With 6:03 on the clock, Morningside went on a 13-5 run to close out the first quarter to gain a 21-18 lead.

Valley City State kept up with Morningside through most of the second quarter, spreading their 13 points among six Vikings as they held a 31-27 lead with 3:38 on the clock. The Mustangs picked up some momentum as they scored 15 straight points over the last 2:17 to close out the first half, leading 42-31.

Coming out of the locker room, the Mustangs continued their hot streak as they scored the first eight points of the third quarter. From there, the Mustangs grew their lead to as much as 35 points in the second half en route to their 86-55 victory over the Vikings.

Valley City State falls to 3-5 on the season. Morningside College improves to 11-3 overall.

UJ Men’s Bball

Saturday…

(uj.edu) For a team that came to town on a four-game losing streak, including a 101-45 loss to No. 1 Morningside (Iowa) in their most recent outing, and only eight players dressed due to injuries and illness, the Dakota State (S.D.) University Trojans showed a lot of mettle against the University of Jamestown men’s basketball team Saturday night.

The duo of Brock Schrom (JR/Grand Rapids, MN) and Brady Birch (JR/Melrose, MN) went to work in the second half for head coach Danny Neville, combining for 24 points on 11-of-12 shooting in the final 20 minutes, and the Jimmies went on to record a 93-66 victory.

Despite shooting 48 percent while holding the Trojans to 38 percent, the Jimmies took a slim 36-27 lead into the halftime break.

Cole Bruhn’s bucket made it 39-34 with 17:35 in the second half, but it was just a matter of time before UJ’s size and depth took over.

Birch and Schrom combined for all seven points in a 7-0 run over the next 59 seconds, that put the Jimmies up by a dozen.

DSU scored on back-to-back possessions to make it a seven-point game with 15:51 to play, but a putback by Birch, a Jack Frazier (SR/Salem, OR) three-pointer, and a basket by Schrom made it 53-39, and the depleted Trojan squad essentially ran out of gas.

A 12-0 UJ run capped off by a Marc Kjos (FR/Lake City, MN) three-pointer at the 3:11 mark put a nice bow on the Jimmies’ post-Christmas victory, which was the 94th win for Neville as head coach. Neville passed Jeff Trumbauer (2004-10) and now trails only Brad Huse (184 wins from 1996-2004) for the most by a Jimmie coach dating back to 1973-74.

Schrom led the Jimmies with a career-high 27 points. Birch added 11, all of them coming in the second half, and grabbed a team-best seven rebounds. Frazier tied his career high of 11 points, and Isaiah Dobson (SR/Stillwater, MN) was also in double figures with 10.

Jamestown shot a scorching 68 percent in the second half (23-of-34), including 18-of-24 on shots inside the arc.

Anthony Costello led DSU with 18 points and nine rebounds. Gare Ewefada (14) and Carson Rentz (13) were also in double figures.

NFL-SCHEDULE

49ers get home field…Eagles take division title…Chiefs, Packers get playoff bye

UNDATED (AP) — It took the final game of the NFL regular season to determine the playoff pairings for the wild-card round. There was good news for fans of the 49ers, Eagles, Packers, Chiefs and Titans, while the Seahawks, Cowboys, Patriots, Steelers and Raiders either lost out on first-round byes or missed the postseason altogether.

The 49ers won the NFC West and the No. 1 seed in the conference playoffs with a 26-21 win over the Seahawks. But the victory wasn’t certain until receiver Jacob Hollister was stopped by rookie linebacker Dre Greenlaw on fourth-and-goal just inches short of the goal line on the final play.

Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 285 yards and Raheem Mostert ran for a pair of second-half touchdowns to help the Niners claim home-field advantage for the first time since 1997.

Marshawn Lynch ran for 34 yards and a TD in his return to the NFL, but the Seahawks had to settle for the fifth seed in the conference playoffs.

The Eagles are NFC East champions after Boston Scott ran for three touchdowns in the second half of their 34-17 win over the Giants. Scott scored two short TDs after Jake Elliott’s 50-yard field goal broke a 17-17 tie in the fourth quarter.

Scott also had 54 yards rushing and 84 receiving to help Philadelphia finish 9-7 and hold off Dallas for the division crown. Carson Wentz threw for 289 yards, including a 24-yard TD pass to Josh Perkins.

The Packers gained the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs by knocking off the Lions, 23-20 on Mason Crosby’s 33-yard field goal as time expired. The 13-3 Packers fell behind by two touchdowns in the second quarter and didn’t lead until Crosby made his second game-winning kick against Detroit this season. Aaron Rodgers was 27 of 55 for 323 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, while Aaron Jones ran for 100 yards on 25 carries.

The Chiefs closed out a 12-4 regular season with their sixth straight win, a highlight-laden 31-24 decision over the Chargers. Mecole Hardman returned a kickoff 104 yards for a touchdown and Damien Williams took a handoff 84 yards for another score. Patrick Mahomes (mah-HOHMZ’) threw for 174 yards and a touchdown, and Williams finished with 124 yards rushing on just 12 carries.

Philip Rivers threw for 281 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in what could be the veteran quarterback’s final game for the Chargers.

The Chiefs actually gained a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs with New England’s 27-24 loss to the Dolphins. The Patriots led until Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mike Gesicki (geh-SIH’-kee) with 24 seconds remaining. Fitzpatrick’s game-winning toss came after Tom Brady’s 13-yard scoring strike to James White put the Pats in front 24-20 with 3:53 left.

New England finishes the regular season 12-4 and will play in the opening weekend of the postseason for the first time since 2009. The Patriots have never won a Super Bowl after playing in the wild-card round.

The Titans have grabbed the second AFC wild card and earned a meeting with the Patriots next weekend by thumping the Texans, 35-14. Derrick Henry rushed for a season-high 211 yards and three touchdowns for the 9-7 Titans, who won in Houston for the first time since Jan. 1, 2012.

Ryan Tannehill passed for 198 yards and two touchdowns for Tennessee and will make his playoff debut in his eighth NFL season. Rookie receiver A.J. Brown had 124 yards receiving and a touchdown.

In other action on the final Sunday of the NFL’s 100th regular season:

— The Saints finished a 13-3 campaign by thrashing the Panthers, 42-10. Drew Brees (breez) threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns, and Alvin Kamara ran for two scores as New Orleans handed Carolina its eighth straight loss. The only thing that went right for the 5-11 Panthers was Christian McCaffrey joining Roger Craig and Marshall Faulk as the third player in NFL history to record 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season.

— Dak Prescott threw four touchdown passes to help the Cowboys crush the Redskins, 47-16, but the win was rendered meaningless with the Eagles’ win over the Giants. Prescott was 23 of 33 for 303 yards, although he fell one yard short of Tony Romo’s single-season club record of 4,903 yards passing. Michael Gallup had three scoring receptions for Dallas.

— The Ravens will carry a 12-game winning streak into the AFC divisional round after a 28-10 drubbing of the Steelers. Baltimore’s first touchdown followed a fumble by Steelers rookie quarterback Devlin Hodges. The Ravens’ special teams also produced as Jordan Richards recovered a Pittsburgh fumble in the end zone to help Baltimore end up a conference-leading 14-2.

— Sam Darnold hit Jamison Crowder for a tiebreaking, 1-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to send the Jets past the playoff-bound Bills, 13-6. Darnold threw 13 scoring passes while New York was going 6-2 in the second half to avoid its fourth straight season with double-digit losses. Matt Barkley was 18 of 35 for 232 yards, two interceptions and a lost fumble after Buffalo starter Josh Allen was lifted in the first quarter.

— Eddy Piñeiro’s fourth field goal of the game was a 22-yarder with 10 seconds left to give the Bears a 21-19 victory over the Vikings. Rookie David Montgomery had 23 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown to help the Bears beat the 10-6 Vikings for the fourth consecutive time. Minnesota rested most of its starters after securing the second NFC wild-card berth.

— Tyler Higbee and Robert Woods caught touchdown passes from Jared Goff in the fourth quarter of the Rams’ 31-24 win over the Cardinals. Goff passed for 319 yards and hit Cooper Kupp for 99 yards and an early TD to help the Rams secure their third consecutive winning season. The Los Angeles defense had four takeaways in the final NFL game at the 96-year-old Coliseum.

— The Raiders were losers in their final game as an Oakland franchise, 16-15 at Denver. Rookie Drew Lock had 177 yards passing, including a short scoring pass to Andrew Beck. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr threw for a touchdown with seven seconds remaining, but his pass for the two-point conversion was blocked by Shelby Harris.

— Deion Jones returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage in overtime to give the Falcons a 28-22 win over the Buccaneers. Atlanta’s Matt Ryan completed 30 of 51 passes for 313 yards and one touchdown, but the 7-9 Falcons needed a field goal on the final play of regulation to extend the game and win for the sixth time in eight games. Jameis (JAY’-mihs) Winston became the first Tampa Bay quarterback to pass for 5,000 yards in a season, and he also finished with a league-high 30 interceptions and the Bucs ended up 7-9.

— Andy Dalton threw for a touchdown and ran for another in his farewell as a franchise quarterback, leading the Bengals past the Browns, 33-23. The Bengals complete a 2-14 season that matched the worst in team history and allowed them to secure the first overall pick in the upcoming draft for the first time since 2003. Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield went 12 of 27 for 279 yards, ending his second NFL season with fewer touchdown passes and more interceptions than last year as Cleveland finished a disappointing 6-10.

— Gardner Minshew turned in his best performance in two months by throwing for 295 yards and three touchdowns and leading the Jaguars to a 38-20 victory over the Colts. Minshew connected with Keelan Cole, Ryquell Armstead and Dede Westbrook for scores as Jacksonville finished 6-10 amid reports that head coach Doug Marrone could be let go. Jacoby Brissett fumbled on consecutive drives, ending any chance Indianapolis had to end the season at .500.

NFL-WILD-CARD PLAYOFFS

Playoff matchups set

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL playoffs will begin Saturday with the Bills visiting the Texans before the Titans take on the Patriots in Foxborough. Sunday’s action will conclude with the Eagles entertaining the Seahawks after the Saints battle the visiting Vikings.

The Ravens, Chiefs, 49ers and Packers will enjoy a free weekend while preparing for the divisional round.

NFL-BROWNS-KITCHENS FIRED

Browns boot Kitchens

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — The Browns are in the market for a new head coach. Again.

Freddie Kitchens was let go after the Browns finished 6-10 in his only full season as head coach. He failed to lead a talented roster to the postseason and paid the price.

The next head coach will be the sixth for the Browns since Dee and Jimmy Haslem took control of the team in 2012.

T25 MEN’S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE

West Virginia downs Ohio State

UNDATED (AP) — Second-ranked Ohio State has suffered its second loss of the season by scoring a season-low for points while committing a season-high for turnovers and fouls.

The Buckeyes also wasted a nine-point, first-half lead in a 67-59 loss to No. 22 West Virginia at Cleveland. The Mountaineers went ahead for good on a basket by Derek Culver with 3:31 left.

Miles McBride kept West Virginia in front by scoring six of his season-high 21 points in the final 2:22.

Kaleb Wesson had 17 points and nine rebounds for the 11-2 Buckeyes, who had 22 turnovers and committed 25 fouls in losing for the second time in four games.

Elsewhere in Top 25 men’s college basketball action:

— Isaiah Moss drained three straight 3-pointers to help fifth-ranked Kansas pull away in the second half of a sloppy 72-56 win at Stanford. Moss finished with 17 points and Udoka Azubuike (oo-DOH’-kah az-uh-BOO’-kee) grabbed 13 rebounds as the 10-2 Jayhawks overcame 21 turnovers.

Chris Duarte shot 6-for-9 from 3-point range while scoring a season-high 31 points to lead No. 6 Oregon’s 98-59 pounding of Alabama State. Anthony Mathis had 15 points as the 11-2 Ducks won their fifth in a row.

— Auburn is 12-0 after Danjel Purifoy had 17 points and nine rebounds to lead the eighth-ranked Tigers to an 86-59 thumping of Lipscomb. Jamal Johnson matched his season high with 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range.

— No. 11 Michigan rolled to an 86-60 rout of UMass Lowell behind Jon Teske’s 25 points and eight rebounds. Elis Brooks had 15 points for the 10-3 Wolverines.

— Anthony Cowan Jr. furnished 19 points as 13th-ranked Maryland beat Bryant, 84-70. Aaron Wiggins added 15 points and Jalen Smith had 11 points and 10 rebounds as the 11-2 Terrapins stopped a two-game skid.

— Kihei (KEE’-hay) Clark scored five points during a 12-0 second-half run that sent No. 16 Virginia past Navy, 65-56. Braxton Key led the 10-2 Cavaliers with 15 points, Mamadi Diakite (MAH’-mah-dee dee-ah-KEE’-tay) chipped in 13 and Clark added 10 with 13 assists.

— Mike Watkins and Lamar Stevens each delivered 19 points and Watkins finished with 10 boards as 20th-rated Penn State dumped Cornell, 90-59.

— Kyler Edwards and Jahmi’us Ramsey scored 20 points apiece as 23rd-ranked Texas Tech defeated Cal State Bakersfield, 73-58.

— No. 25 Iowa coasted to a 93-51 rout of Kennesaw State as Luka Garza contributed 23 points and Ryan Kriener added a career-high 20.

NBA-SCHEDULE

Thunder top champs in Toronto

UNDATED (AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder have done a nice job pushing themselves back into the NBA’s Western Conference playoff race after a 5-10 start.

The Thunder are seventh in the conference at 17-15 following a 98-97 victory over the defending-champion Raptors in Toronto. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander matched his career-high with 32 points for the Thunder, who have won six of their last seven and 11 of 15. Gilgeous-Alexander made the go-ahead basket on a jump shot with 36 seconds left in the fourth quarter, then grabbed the rebound on a missed 3-pointer by VanVleet.

Chris Paul had 25 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as Oklahoma City handed the Raptors their third loss in four games.

Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet each scored 20 points for Toronto.

Checking out Sunday’s other NBA action:

— Anthony Davis had team highs of 23 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers in a 108-95 downing of the Mavericks. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was 4-for-5 from beyond the arc and finished with 19 points off the bench while helping Los Angeles hold Dallas to 36% from the field.

— Will Barton scored 19 points, including two free throws with eight seconds left to help the Nuggets hold off the Kings, 120-115. Rookie Michael Porter Jr. had a season-high 19 points and six rebounds in his first career start as Denver won for the ninth time in 10 games.

— Lonzo Ball drained a career-high seven 3-points while scoring a season-high 27 points in the Pelicans’ fourth consecutive win, 127-112 over the Rockets. E’Twaun Moore hit five 3s and scored a season-high 25 points for New Orleans, which trailed by nine early in the fourth quarter before rallying against a team that played without starters James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Clint Capella.

— Dillon Brooks scored 20 points and rookie Brandon Clarke provided 18 more as the Grizzlies dealt the Hornets their fifth straight loss, 117-104. Jonas Valanciunas (YOH’-nuhs val-ehn-CHOO’-nuhs) finished with 16 points and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 14 with 12 rebounds for Memphis.

NHL-SCHEDULE

Blues extend win streak

UNDATED (AP) — The St. Louis Blues have expanded their lead in the NHL’s Central Division and Western Conference races by stretching their winning streak to a season-high eight games.

Jaden Schwartz scored twice and Jordan Binnington made 25 saves to help the St. Louis Blues beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-1. Ryan O’Reilly and Robert Thomas also scored for the defending Stanley Cup champions, who have outscored opponents 32-16 during the winning streak.

Elsewhere on NHL ice:

— Jake DeBrusk scored two power-play goals in an 18-second span early in the third period to give the Bruins a 3-1 lead in a 3-2 victory against the Sabres. David Pastrnak (PAHS’-tur-nahk) added his team-high 28th goal and Tuukka (TOO’-kah) Rask stopped 24 shots as Boston pulled within two points of Washington for the Eastern Conference lead.

— The Islanders had dropped four of five and trailed 1-0 before scoring three times in the third period of a 3-1 win at Minnesota. Ryan Pulock (POO’-lahk) and Matt Martin scored 97 seconds apart early in the final period before Tom Kuhnackl (KOO’-nah-kul) added an insurance tally to back Semyon Varlamov’s (SEHM’-yahn vahr-LAH’-mahvz) 25-save performance.

— The Flyers made it five wins in their last six games by downing the Ducks, 2-1 on a goal by Kevin Hayes at 3:53 of overtime. Brian Elliott made 27 saves, Sean Couturier (koo-TOOR’-ee-ay) scored in the first period and Jakub Voracek had two assists for Philadelphia.

— Jonathan Huberdeau (HOO’-bur-doh) collected four of his line’s nine points by furnishing two goals and two assists in the Panthers’ 6-5 win over the Canadiens. Aleksander Barkov netted a pair and had an assist, while linemate Mike Matheson added a goal and two helpers.

— Brayden Point scored a power-play goal in the third period to send the Lightning past the Red Wings, 2-1. Tampa Bay has won 16 consecutive regular-season games versus Detroit, the longest winning streak in Lightning franchise history.

— Tyler Myers and Tanner Pearson each provided two goals and an assist in the Canucks’ 5-2 win over the Flames. Jake Virtanen added a goal and an assist to Vancouver’s fifth straight win.

— Roope Hintz (ROO’-peh hihnts) provided the go-ahead goal while the Stars erupted for four goals in the third period of a 4-2 verdict over the Coyotes. Hintz’s team-leading 13th goal of the season made it 3-2 with 4:09 left to play.

— Jonathan Toews (tayvz) and Patrick Kane scored shootout goals to cap the Blackhawks’ comeback in their fourth victory in four games, 3-2 at Columbus. The Blue Jackets led 2-0 until Dylan Strome (strohm) and Erik Gustafsson scored in the third period.

— The Devils pulled out a 4-3 win at Ottawa on Jack Hughes’ goal less than a minute into overtime. Nico Hischier (HEE’-shur) and Nikita Gusev had power-play goals for New Jersey.

MALE ATHLETE OF THE DECADE

The King reigns: LeBron James is AP’s male athlete of decade

UNDATED (AP) — LeBron James has been selected as The Associated Press male athlete of the decade.

James won three NBA championships, played in eight straight finals and changed teams three times over the last 10 years.

He was a runaway winner in a vote of AP member sports editors and AP beat writers, easily outpacing runner-up Tom Brady of the New England Patriots and Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt.

NISHIKORI OUT

Kei Nishikori out of Australian Open with elbow injury

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A day after Andy Murray put his Grand Slam comeback on hold, Japan’s Kei Nishikori (kay nih-shih-KOHR’-ee) has become the latest high-profile player to withdraw from next month’s Australian Open, citing a right elbow injury.

Tennis Australia says Nishikori had withdrawn from the season-opening major at Melbourne Park and from the ATP Cup, a new international men’s team event which starts next week and will be played in Sydney, Perth and Brisbane.

The world No.13, who has not played since a third-round loss to Australia’s Alex de Minaur at the U.S. Open, required minor elbow surgery in the off-season.

In world and national news…

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Ukraine this week, making his first trip to the country at the heart of President Donald Trump’s impeachment. The State Department says Ukraine will be the first stop on a five-nation tour of Europe and Central Asia that Pompeo will begin on Thursday as the Senate weighs options for a trial. Trump’s impeachment on charges of abuse of office and obstruction of Congress hinges on his policy toward Ukraine. Witnesses told House investigators that Trump wanted Ukraine to announce an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden’s son in return for releasing critical military aid to Ukraine. Trump denies doing anything wrong.

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The U.S. ambassador in Warsaw has come to Poland’s defense following repeated claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin that Poland bears blame for the outbreak of World War II. Ambassador Georgette Mosbacher said: “Dear President Putin, Hitler and Stalin colluded to start WWII. That is a fact. Poland was a victim of this horrible conflict.” She posted her message on Twitter Monday in both English and Polish — but not Russian.

WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas (AP) — Texas officials are praising armed churchgoers who fatally shot a gunman inside a Fort Worth area church. Officials say the gunman opened fire Sunday at the West Freeway Church of Christ and was shot within seconds by two congregants who were part of a volunteer security team. Witnesses say the gunman was unfamiliar and may have been wearing a fake beard. Among those killed was a deacon in the church, according to the man’s daughter. Tiffany Wallace tells Dallas TV station KXAS that her father, Tony Wallace, had just handed out communion when he was shot.

MONSEY, N.Y. (AP) — The family of a man accused of stabbing five people at a Hanukkah celebration says he was raised to embrace tolerance but has a history of mental illness. An attorney issued a statement late Sunday on behalf of the family of Grafton Thomas. He pleaded not guilty on Sunday in connection with a Saturday night attack in Monsey, New York. His relatives said they are praying for those injured, and they thanked the medical workers who came to their aid. Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the savagery was the 13th anti-Semitic attack in New York since Dec. 8.

LONDON (AP) — British comedy writer and actor Neil Innes, who created a Beatles parody group called the Rutles and frequently worked with the members of Monty Python, has died at age 75. His agent says Innes died of natural causes on Sunday night. Innes often was referred to as the “seventh Python” due to his frequent collaboration with the comedy troupe. He wrote songs for the popular film “Monty Python And The Holy Grail,” appeared in “Life of Brian” and toured the U.K. and Canada with the group. Innes also was known for his work with the Bonzo Dog Band. A statement released on behalf of his family Monday said, “We have lost a beautiful, kind, gentle soul whose music and songs touched the heart of everyone and whose intellect and search for truth inspired us all,”