“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL
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| ANDERSON PREP | 66 | PURDUE POLY NORTH | 33 | |
| GIBSON SOUTHERN | 65 | JASPER | 44 | |
| INDIANA MATH & SCIENCE | 56 | CROSSPOINTE CHRISTIAN | 47 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS HOMESCHOOL | 80 | INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY | 75 | |
| LAKE CENTRAL | 50 | ANDREAN | 47 | |
| LAKE STATION | 66 | CALUMET CHRISTIAN | 41 | |
| MARQUETTE CATHOLIC | 53 | NEW PRAIRIE | 36 | |
| MICHIGAN CITY | 79 | GARY WEST | 74 | |
| NORTHEASTERN | 72 | CENTERVILLE | 54 | |
| PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD | 72 | IRVINGTON PREP | 37 | |
| TRITON CENTRAL | 60 | WALDRON | 47 | |
| VINCENNES RIVET | 48 | OPH (ILL.) | 46 |
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL
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| BARR-REEVE | 43 | PIKE CENTRAL | 18 | |
| BATESVILLE | 49 | FRANKLIN COUNTY | 43 | |
| BELIEVE CIRCLE CITY | 58 | MTI KNOWLEDGE | 9 | |
| BENTON CENTRAL | 56 | WEST LAFAYETTE | 30 | |
| BLOOMINGTON SOUTH | 70 | TERRE HAUTE NORTH | 24 | |
| BLUFFTON | 73 | BLACKFORD | 20 | |
| BORDEN | 61 | NEW WASHINGTON | 18 | |
| BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL | 32 | SEYMOUR | 21 | |
| CARROLL (FLORA) | 49 | WESTERN | 46 | |
| CASTLE | 40 | JASPER | 32 | |
| COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN | 48 | ROCK CREEK ACADEMY | 34 | |
| CORYDON CENTRAL | 64 | SCOTTSBURG | 49 | |
| COVENANT CHRISTIAN | 49 | SOUTHMONT | 47 | |
| COWAN | 31 | HAGERSTOWN | 29 | |
| DELPHI | 73 | FRANKFORT | 34 | |
| EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL | 54 | HIGHLAND | 52 | OT |
| EASTERN (PEKIN) | 51 | CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | 38 | |
| EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL | 56 | SOUTH SPENCER | 44 | |
| FLOYD CENTRAL | 50 | JEFFERSONVILLE | 33 | |
| FORT WAYNE SOUTH | 62 | HERITAGE | 21 | |
| FREMONT | 67 | EDON (OHIO) | 22 | |
| GREENSBURG | 66 | SOUTH DECATUR | 17 | |
| HAUSER | 45 | INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN | 26 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE | 70 | BEECH GROVE | 42 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON | 37 | PHALEN ACADEMY | 12 | |
| JOHN GLENN | 53 | TRINITY GREENLAWN | 15 | |
| KOUTS | 37 | SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) | 34 | |
| LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC | 67 | FOUNTAIN CENTRAL | 32 | |
| LAKEWOOD PARK | 48 | NEW HAVEN | 36 | |
| LANESVILLE | 40 | HENRYVILLE | 26 | |
| LINTON | 53 | EASTERN GREENE | 25 | |
| MORRISTOWN | 64 | BLUE RIVER | 30 | |
| MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) | 44 | CONNERSVILLE | 41 | OT |
| MUNCIE CENTRAL | 51 | INDIANAPOLIS TECH | 8 | |
| NOBLESVILLE | 71 | HAMILTON HEIGHTS | 26 | |
| NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) | 50 | SHAKAMAK | 25 | |
| NORTH DAVIESS | 58 | LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN | 19 | |
| NORTH HARRISON | 56 | NEW ALBANY | 50 | |
| NORTH JUDSON | 59 | ARGOS | 46 | |
| NORTH MONTGOMERY | 59 | COVINGTON | 40 | |
| NORTHEAST DUBOIS | 45 | SPRINGS VALLEY | 38 | |
| NORTHRIDGE | 64 | EAST NOBLE | 41 | |
| OLDENBURG ACADEMY | 53 | NORTH DECATUR | 50 | |
| PAOLI | 49 | SALEM | 28 | |
| PERRY CENTRAL | 65 | CRAWFORD COUNTY | 45 | |
| PLYMOUTH | 50 | TIPPECANOE VALLEY | 46 | |
| PRAIRIE HEIGHTS | 46 | BETHANY CHRISTIAN | 34 | |
| PRINCETON | 57 | FOREST PARK | 50 | |
| RENSSELAER CENTRAL | 74 | TWIN LAKES | 39 | |
| RIVERTON PARKE | 58 | CLAY CITY | 28 | |
| ROSSVILLE | 34 | NORTH WHITE | 30 | |
| SOUTH CENTRAL (ELIZABETH) | 60 | LOUISVILLE COLLEGIATE (KY.) | 33 | |
| SOUTHRIDGE | 43 | TELL CITY | 33 | |
| SPEEDWAY | 63 | CHRISTEL HOUSE | 7 | |
| TECUMSEH | 43 | HERITAGE HILLS | 37 | |
| TERRE HAUTE SOUTH | 57 | SOUTH VERMILLION | 5 | |
| TRINITY LUTHERAN | 68 | EDINBURGH | 35 | |
| UNIVERSITY | 75 | ANDERSON PREP | 35 | |
| VINCENNES RIVET | 69 | BLOOMFIELD | 22 | |
| WAPAHANI | 63 | CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN | 16 | |
| WARREN CENTRAL | 45 | BEN DAVIS | 32 | |
| WAWASEE | 37 | ELKHART CHRISTIAN | 31 | |
| WEST CENTRAL | 67 | OREGON-DAVIS | 22 | |
| WEST NOBLE | 35 | WESTVIEW | 34 | |
| WEST WASHINGTON | 56 | MITCHELL | 19 | |
| WESTFIELD | 38 | BREBEUF JESUIT | 10 | |
| WOOD MEMORIAL | 75 | WASHINGTON CATHOLIC | 17 |
INDIANA WRESTLING RESULTS
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
WEEK 15
FRIDAY, DEC. 6
7 P.M. | WESTERN KENTUCKY VS. JACKSONVILLE STATE | CONFERENCE USA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME | CBSSN
8 P.M. | NO. 17 TULANE AT ARMY | AAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME | ABC
8 P.M. | NO. 11 BOISE STATE VS. NO. 22 UNLV | MOUNTAIN WEST CHAMPIONSHIP GAME | FOX
SATURDAY, DEC. 7
12 P.M. | NO. 16 ARIZONA STATE VS. NO. 18 IOWA STATE | BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (ARLINGTON, TEXAS) | ABC
12 P.M. | MIAMI (OH) VS. OHIO UNIVERSITY | MAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (DETROIT, MICHIGAN) | ESPN
2 P.M. | SOUTHERN AT JACKSON STATE (SWAC CHAMPIONSHIP) | ESPN2
2 P.M. | MONTANA AT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (FCS PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
2 P.M. | RHODE ISLAND AT MERCER (FCS PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
2 P.M. | VILLANOVA AT UIW (FCS PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
3 P.M. | UT MARTIN AT MONTANA STATE (FCS PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
3 P.M. | ABILENE CHRISTIAN AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE (FCS PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
3 P.M. | TARLETON STATE AT SOUTH DAKOTA (FCS PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
4 P.M. | NO. 3 TEXAS VS. NO. 7 GEORGIA | SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (ATLANTA) | ABC
4 P.M. | ILLINOIS STATE AT UC DAVIS (FCS PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
7:30 P.M. | LOUISIANA VS. MARSHALL | SUN BELT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME | ESPN
8 P.M. | NO. 9 SMU VS. NO. 12 CLEMSON| ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA) | ABC
8 P.M. | NO. 1 OREGON VS. NO. 4 PENN STATE | BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (INDIANAPOLIS) | CBS
9 P.M. | LEHIGH AT IDAHO (FCS PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
TOP 25:
PENN STATE 81 #8 PURDUE 70
ELSEWHERE:
DETROIT 79 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 78
DRAKE 66 VALPARAISO 60
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
TOP 25
#16 NORTH CAROLINA 72 #14 KENTUCKY 53
NORTH CAROLINA STATE 68 #18 OLE MISS 61
#10 NOTRE DAME 80 #4 TEXAS 70 OT
#13 KANSAS 110 USC UPSTATE 24
CALIFORNIA 69 #19 ALABAMA 65
#3 SOUTH CAROLINA 81 #8 DUKE 70
#5 LSU 94 STANFORD 88 OT
ELSEWHERE:
BALL STATE 80 DAVIDSON 61
BUTLER 70 TENNESSEE MARTIN 60
NFL WEEK 14 SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, DEC. 5
DETROIT 34 GREEN BAY 31
SUNDAY, DEC. 8
NEW YORK JETS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (1:00P CBS)
ATLANTA FALCONS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1:00P FOX)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT NEW YORK GIANTS (1:00P FOX)
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (1:00P FOX)
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (1:00P CBS)
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1:00P CBS)
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT TENNESSEE TITANS (1:00P CBS)
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (4:05P CBS)
BUFFALO BILLS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS (4:25P FOX)
CHICAGO BEARS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4:25P FOX)
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 9
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT DALLAS COWBOYS (8:15P ESPN/ABC)
NFL WEEK 15 SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, DEC. 12
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SUNDAY, DEC. 15
DALLAS COWBOYS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (1:00P FOX)
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (1:00P CBS)
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT HOUSTON TEXANS (1:00P CBS)
NEW YORK JETS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1:00P FOX)
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1:00P FOX)
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT NEW YORK GIANTS (1:00P CBS)
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT TENNESSEE TITANS (1:00P FOX)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (4:25P CBS)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT DENVER BRONCOS (4:25P CBS)
BUFFALO BILLS AT DETROIT LIONS (4:25P CBS)
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (4:25P FOX)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (4:25P FOX)
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 16
CHICAGO BEARS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (8:00P ABC)
ATLANTA FALCONS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (8:30P ESPN)
NFL WEEK 16 SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, DEC. 19
DENVER BRONCOS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SATURDAY, DEC. 21
HOUSTON TEXANS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (1:00P NBC)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (4:30P FOX)
SUNDAY, DEC. 22
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS 1:00P FOX)
NEW YORK GIANTS AT ATLANTA FALCONS (1:00P FOX)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT BUFFALO BILLS (1:00P CBS)
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (1:00P FOX)
DETROIT LIONS AT CHICAGO BEARS (1:00P FOX)
TENNESSEE TITANS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (1:00P CBS)
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT NEW YORK JETS (1:00P CBS)
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (1:00P FOX)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (4:05P FOX)
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (4:25P CBS)
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (4:25P CBS)
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT DALLAS COWBOYS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 23
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (8:15P ESPN)
NFL WEEK 17 SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25 (CHRISTMAS)
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (1:00P NETFLIX)
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT HOUSTON TEXANS (4:30P NETFLIX)
THURSDAY, DEC. 26
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT CHICAGO BEARS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SATURDAY, DEC. 28
TBD TBD (1:00P NFL NETWORK)
TBD TBD (4:30P NFL NETWORK)
TBD TBD (8:00P NFL NETWORK)
SATURDAY GAME POOL:
DENVER BRONCOS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT NEW YORK GIANTS
ATLANTA FALCONS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
SUNDAY, DEC. 29
NEW YORK JETS AT BUFFALO BILLS (1:00P CBS)
TENNESSEE TITANS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1:00P CBS)
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1:00P FOX)
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1:00P FOX)
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1:00P CBS)
DALLAS COWBOYS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (4:25P FOX)
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 30
DETROIT LIONS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (8:15P ESPN/ABC)
NFL WEEK 18 SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, JAN. 4 OR SUNDAY, JAN. 5
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT DALLAS COWBOYS
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT DENVER BRONCOS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT DETROIT LIONS
CHICAGO BEARS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
BUFFALO BILLS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW YORK JETS
NEW YORK GIANTS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
HOUSTON TEXANS AT TENNESSEE TITANS
NBA SCOREBOARD
DALLAS 137 WASHINGTON 101
CLEVELAND 126 DENVER 114
OKLAHOMA CITY 129 TORONTO 92
NEW YORK 125 CHARLOTTE 101
CHICAGO 139 SAN ANTONIO 124
NEW ORLEANS 126 PHOENIX 124
MEMPHIS 115 SACRAMENTO 110
GOLDEN STATE 99 HOUSTON 93
NHL SCOREBOARD
FLORIDA 7 PHILADELPHIA 5
OTTAWA 2 DETROIT 1
WINNIPEG 3 BUFFALO 2 OT
MONTRÉAL 3 NASHVILLE 0
TAMPA BAY 8 SAN JOSE 1
SEATTLE 5 NY ISLANDERS 2
EDMONTON 6 COLUMBUS 3
CAROLINA 5 COLORADO 3
ST. LOUIS 4 CALGARY 3 OT
MEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER NCAA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
QUARTERFINALS
SATURDAY DECEMBER 7
WAKE FOREST VS. OHIO STATE 5PM
VERMONT VS. PITTSBURGH 3PM
UMASS VS. DENVER 3PM
MARSHALL VS SMU 7PM
WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER NCAA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
SEMIFINALS
FRIDAY, DEC. 6
#1 DUKE VS. #2 UNC 7:30
#2 WAKE FOREST VS. #3 STANFORD 5:00
CHAMPIONSHIP
MONDAY, DEC. 9
SEMIFINAL WINNERS, 7 P.M.
MLS PLAYOFFS
CHAMPIONSHIP
SATURDAY, DEC. 7
LA GALAXY VS, NEW YORK, 4 P.M.
TOP NATIONAL NEWS HEADLINES/RELEASES
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
NO. 3 PENN STATE GETS A SHOT AT NO. 1 OREGON IN BIG TEN TITLE GAME
No. 1 Oregon (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten, No. 1 CFP) at No. 3 Penn State (11-1, 8-1, No. 3 CFP), at Indianapolis, Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (CBS)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Oregon by 3 1/2.
Series record: Penn State leads 3-1.
What’s at stake?
Both teams look like locks for the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff field, so this game will be all about two things: Capturing a league title and postseason seeding. The winner probably gets a first-round bye and possibly the No. 1 overall seed while the loser probably settles for hosting a first-round game. Big Ten newcomer Oregon is chasing its first conference crown since winning Pac-12 titles in 2019 and 2020 and has the nation’s longest winning streak (13). Penn State’s last league title came in 2016.
Key matchup
Oregon run defense vs. Penn State ground game. Nittany Lions RBs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen have been a dynamic combination this year, rushing for a total of 1,431 yards and 12 scores. The emergence of TE Tyler Warren and backup QB Beau Pribula has added other elements to Penn State’s rushing attack. Oregon has been stout against the run all season, allowing just 112.2 yards per game (22nd in FBS). But if they struggle to contain Singleton and Allen, the Nittany Lions could keep the ball away from the Ducks’ offense — a potentially decisive twist.
Players to watch
Oregon: QB Dillon Gabriel. In a game featuring two of the nation’s most efficient quarterbacks, all eyes will be on Gabriel. The Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Year has been the catalyst for Oregon’s high-octane offense. The 23-year-old and FBS career leader in total TDs (183) is playing in his first conference championship game. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of fellow Hawaiian star Marcus Mariota by leading the Ducks to a national championship game.
Penn State: DE Abdul Carter. The athletic junior has been a menace to opponents all year, and the Nittany Lions need him to equally effective. Carter leads the Nittany Lions with 10 sacks, is tied for third in passes defensed (three) and is fourth in tackles (54). But stats don’t tell the whole story. His presence frees up others to make plays, which could be a key factor in slowing down the Ducks.
Facts & figures
This will be the first meeting in this series since Penn State completed its perfect season by winning the 1995 Rose Bowl 38-20. … It also will be the first Big Ten title game that does not feature division champs. … Oregon has been ranked No. 1 for seven straight weeks and was a unanimous choice this week. It also is the last remaining unbeaten FBS team this season. It’s the Ducks’ first 12-0 season since 2010 … The Nittany Lions made only one other Big Ten championship game appearance, beating Wisconsin 38-31. … … Gabriel will be making his 62nd career start, an FBS record. He leads the league in yards passing (3,275) while WR Tez Johnson’s nine TD catches rank third in the conference. … Warren broke the Big Ten’s single-season record for receptions by a tight end with 81. … Oregon DEs Matayo Uiagalelei and Jordan Burch have combined for 19 sacks. … Franklin’s next win will be his 100th in the 11 seasons since taking the Nittany Lions job.
NO. 2 TEXAS GOES FOR A TITLE IN ITS FIRST SEASON AS AN SEC MEMBER, FACING NO. 5 GEORGIA
No. 5 Georgia (10-2, 6-2 SEC, No. 5 CFP) vs. No. 2 Texas (11-1, 7-1, No. 2) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Saturday, 4 p.m. EST (ABC)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Texas by 2 1/2
Series record: Texas leads 4-2
What’s at stake?
A Southeastern Conference championship and first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. The winning team advances straight to the quarterfinals at the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day, while the loser is expected to host a first-round game at its campus stadium on either Dec. 20 or 21. Georgia is playing in the SEC title game for the seventh time in Kirby Smart’s nine seasons as coach. Texas reached the championship game in its first season as an SEC member.
Key matchup
Georgia’s running game vs. Texas’ defensive front. The Bulldogs handed the Longhorns their only loss when the teams met Oct. 19 in Austin, using a strong running game led by Trevor Etienne in a 30-15 victory. But Etienne seems unlikely to play after missing the last three games with a rib injury. If Etienne can’t go, Georgia will rely on freshman Nate Frazier and Roderick Robinson, who missed most of the season with a toe injury before returning for last week’s eight-overtime victory against Georgia Tech.
Players to watch
Georgia: QB Carson Beck. In an up-and-down season, Beck got away with throwing three interceptions in the regular-season game against the Longhorns. He can’t expect to be that fortunate this time around, so the Bulldogs need a clean game out of their fifth-year quarterback.
Texas: LTs Kelvin Banks Jr. and Trevor Goosby. Banks is Texas’ Outland Trophy finalist and a likely high draft pick in the 2025 NFL draft. But he went out early with an injury in last week’s victory over Texas A&M.
Facts & figures
The SEC championship game was held at the Georgia Dome for 23 years before moving next door to Mercedes-Benz Stadium when it opened in 2017. … Texas is seeking its second straight conference title, having won the 2023 Big 12 championship game with a 49-21 romp over Oklahoma State before joining the SEC. … Texas RB Quintrevion Wisner has 344 yards rushing in the last two games at an average of 5.8 yards per carry. The Longhorns ran for only 29 yards against Georgia in the first matchup. … Even though Atlanta is considered a de facto home game for Georgia, the Bulldogs are only 4-7 in SEC titles games played in the state capital. … Georgia’s defense dominated in the regular-season victory over Texas.
NO. 19 UNLV VISITS NO. 10 BOISE STATE FOR MOUNTAIN WEST CHAMPIONSHIP
No. 19 UNLV (10-2, 6-1 Mountain West, No. 20 CFP) at No. 10 Boise State (11-1, 7-0, No. 10 CFP), Friday, 8 p.m. EST (FOX)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Boise State by 4
Series record: Boise State leads 10-3
What’s at stake?
Boise State and UNLV aren’t only playing for the Mountain West championship but also for a spot in the newly expanded College Football Playoffs as the Group of Five representative. A victory for Boise State likely would result in a first-round bye as well since it would finish ranked higher than the Big 12’s champion, a conference with two finalists in No. 15 Arizona State and No. 16 Iowa State ranked behind the Broncos.
Key matchup
When the two teams met in late October, all eyes were on Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty, who was held to his lowest yards per carry average at 3.9 and his second-lowest yards in a game this season with 128. Look for UNLV to follow the same blueprint and force Boise State QB Maddux Madsen to beat the Rebels again.
Players to watch
Boise State: Jeanty, who leads the nation in rushing with 2,288 yards and trails FBS all-time single-season rushing record holder Barry Sanders by 340 yards, will have the national stage to himself among Heisman contenders on Friday. Madsen picked up the slack for the Broncos’ flagging offense against UNLV earlier this season and may have to do it again, leaning on WR Cameron Camper.
UNLV: Dual threat QB Hajj-Malik Williams, who didn’t start until three games into the season, is the key to UNLV’s potent rushing attack, which ranks fourth in the country at 254.1 yards per game. Williams rushed for 105 yards and a TD while throwing for 179 yards and two TDs against the Broncos in October. When Williams does throw the ball, he’ll be locked in on WR Ricky White III.
Facts & figures
Boise State will be aiming to do something the Broncos have surprisingly never done in school history — win back-to-back Mountain West championships. … Although this will be only the 14th meeting between the two programs, UNLV last beat Boise State in 1976 and has never won in Boise in five tries, the Rebels’ last attempt a 42-25 defeat in 2016. … Something will have to give in this game as Boise State is on a 10-game winning streak, while UNLV has won eight straight on the road dating back to last season. … With wins at Houston and Kansas, the Rebels became the first non-Big 12 team to notch multiple road victories against Big 12 opponents.
NO. 24 ARMY TRIES TO END 1ST SEASON IN THE AAC WITH A CHAMPIONSHIP BY BEATING TULANE
Army’s goal every year is to reach December with a chance to win a trophy by beating Navy.
The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy will indeed be on the line when the Black Knights and Midshipmen meet on Dec. 14 in one of college football’s famed rivalry games.
But this season, Army can pick up some additional hardware along the way.
The No. 24 Black Knights (10-1, 8-0, No. 24 CFP) can finish off a smashing debut in the American Athletic Conference by winning the conference title with a victory over Tulane (9-3, 7-1) on Friday night on their home field in West Point, New York.
“There’s only 18 teams playing this week for a championship. There will only be nine winners. It’s a blessing to be in the position,” Army cornerback Jaydan Mayes said. “I think everybody would rather be on this end of the spectrum than on the other end, waiting around to play Navy and watching what could have happened for our team.”
Army went undefeated in its first season in the AAC and is playing for a conference title for the first time. The Black Knights played in Conference USA from 1998-2004 and otherwise had been an independent since their program began in 1890.
Quarterback Bryson Daily was the league’s offensive player of the year and goes into the title game with a chance to break the AAC record for rushing touchdowns in a season. Jeff Monken was voted coach of the year.
The reward is a matchup with a Tulane team playing in its third straight AAC title game. The Green Wave enter off a 34-24 home loss to Memphis on Thanksgiving that ended their 17-game winning streak in conference games, their hopes of hosting the championship and perhaps even reaching the College Football Playoff.
Coach Jon Sumrall didn’t expect the disappointment to linger.
“We’ve got a chance to play in a conference championship. If we’re not focused then shame on us,” he said, adding he told his team of 18 all-conference selections that he doesn’t remember individual honors.
“I do remember which teams won championships. Like, the championship teams I’ve been a part of, I remember that forever,” Sumrall said. “Like, I’ll be 75 years old and laying around and unable to function and I’ll remember the championship teams I was part of. That’s different. It means something. It’s different. And so if we’re not focused and excited about that opportunity, we’ve got a problem. Need a heart transplant if we ain’t ready for that.”
The Green Wave split their appearances in the last two AAC championship games, beating UCF in 2022 before falling to SMU last year, both at home.
Army came along and rolled through its first time in the conference, losing only to Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium and snatching the No. 1 seed that had belonged to Tulane in the previous two seasons. But perhaps in part because of all their late-season experience — the Green Wave beat Southern California in the 2023 Cotton Bowl after winning the AAC championship — the visitors are listed as 4 1/2-point favorites by BetMGM.
“This is a game they’ve played in. They’ve got people that have been part of the conference championship game,” Monken said. “This is our first time, so this is a new experience for our guys and it’s exciting, but we’re going to have to play very good football if we’re going to have a chance to win.”
Strange schedule
With the Navy matchup still to come, Army will appear in a conference championship game before it plays its final regular-season game. Both teams beat Air Force this season, guaranteeing the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy to the winner.
Winning in West Point
Tulane snapped an Army 15-game home winning streak when it won at Michie Stadium on Oct. 5, 2019. This time, the Black Knights have won eight in a row at home as they welcome a Green Wave squad that has won 15 of its last 16 road games, with the only loss at then-No. 15 Oklahoma in September.
Daily’s dominance
Daily led the AAC with 1,354 rushing yards, including an Army single-season record nine consecutive games of 100 or more, and his 25 rushing TDs are second in the nation behind Ashton Jeanty of Boise State’s 28. Daily needs one more to break the AAC mark that was set by Navy QB Will Worth in 2016.
On the run again
Tulane is 9-0 when outrushing its opponent but fell to 0-3 when outgained after Memphis ran to a 236-57 advantage. The Green Wave have to turn that stat back around against an Army team that leads the nation with 312.5 yards per game on the ground.
USA TODAY SPORTS NETWORK ALL-BIG TEN FOOTBALL TEAM 2024
* unanimous selection
Player of the Year: Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
Coach of the Year: Curt Cignetti, Indiana*
Newcomer of the Year: Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
OFFENSE
Quarterback: Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
Running back: Kaleb Johnson, Iowa*
Running back: Kyle Monangai, Rutgers
Wide receiver: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
Wide receiver: Tai Felton, Maryland
Tight end: Tyler Warren, Penn State
Offensive line: Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota*
Offensive line: Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon
Offensive line: Connor Colby, Iowa
Offensive line: Donovan Jackson, Ohio State
Offensive line: Logan Jones, Iowa
DEFENSE
Defensive line: Abdul Carter, Penn State
Defensive line: Mikail Kamara, Indiana
Defensive line: Mason Graham, Michigan
Defensive line: Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon
Linebacker: Jay Higgins, Iowa*
Linebacker: Carson Schwesinger, UCLA
Linebacker: Aiden Fisher, Indiana
Defensive back: Caleb Downs, Ohio State*
Defensive back: D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana
Defensive back: Xavier Scott, Illinois
Defensive back: Koi Perich, Minnesota
SPECIAL TEAMS
Punter: Eddie Czaplicki, USC
Kicker: Dominic Zvada, Michigan
All-Purpose: Kaden Wetjen, Iowa
Also receiving votes: QB: Kurtis Rourke, Indiana; Will Howard, Ohio State; RB: Jonah Coleman, Washington, Woody Marks, USC, Jordan James, Oregon; WR: Pat Bryant, Illinois; Tez Johnson, Oregon; TE: Colston Loveland, Michigan; OL: Seth McLaughlin, Ohio State; Gennings Dunker, Iowa; Ajani Cornelius, Oregon; Hollin Pierce, Rutgers; Emmanuel Pregnon, USC; Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State; Caleb Tiernan, Northwestern; DL: Kenneth Grant, Michigan; Josaiah Stewart, Michigan; Jordan Burch, Oregon; Derrick Harmon, Oregon; JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State; LB: Jailin Walker, Indiana; Carson Bruener, Washington; Cody Simon, Ohio State; Kobe King, Penn State; DB: Dillon Thieneman, Purdue; Jaylen Reed, Penn State; Thaddeus Dixon, Washington; Jermari Harris, Iowa; Jabbar Muhammad, Oregon; Lathan Ransom, Ohio State; Jaylen Smith, USC.
P: Rhys Dakin, Iowa; Ryan Eckley, Michigan State; K: Jonathan Kim, Michigan State; All-Purpose: Nicholas Singleton, Penn State.
UCLA, OC ERIC BIENIEMY PART WAYS AFTER ONE SEASON
UCLA and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy parted ways after one season on Thursday.
The Bruins (5-7) ranked 126th out of 134 FBS teams with 18.4 points per game in their first season in the Big Ten and first under head coach Deshaun Foster.
Bieniemy, 55, won two Super Bowls as the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator from 2018-22 and interviewed for multiple NFL head coaching vacancies across multiple offseasons.
He made a lateral move in 2023 to become the offensive coordinator with the Washington Commanders before joining the Bruins this season.
Multiple outlets reported UCLA fired Bieniemy. However, his agent, Jason Fletcher, called it a planned, mutual separation that will allow his client to return to the NFL coaching ranks.
“Eric and UCLA mutually parted ways today as previously planned,” Fletcher said in a statement, per NFL Network. “He’s still getting paid by the Commanders. After interviewing for head coaching jobs last year, he wanted to stay active and busy. So, he decided to go help out Deshaun Foster, who is like his little brother, at UCLA as opposed to sitting out a year. The plan was always to return to the NFL in 2025, and he’s looking forward to the opportunities ahead.”
COLORADO’S SHEDEUR SANDERS, TRAVIS HUNTER BIG 12 POYS
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and cornerback Travis Hunter swept top honors in the Big 12 Conference on Thursday.
Sanders, a senior and son of Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders, was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. He leads the conference in pass completions (337), yards (3,926) and touchdown passes (35).
Hunter, a junior who also excels as a wide receiver, was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He leads the league with 11 passes defended to go along with four interceptions and 32 tackles.
Hunter also made the All-Big 12 first-team offense with 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year. Picked to finish last in the 16-team Big 12, the Sun Devils (10-2) are playing against Iowa State (10-2) in the conference championship game on Saturday.
NFL NEWS
LIONS EDGE PACKERS, WIN 11TH STRAIGHT, ON WALK-OFF FG
Jake Bates kicked a 35-yard field goal on the final play of the game and the host Detroit Lions extended their franchise-record winning streak to 11 games with a 34-31 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night.
Jared Goff passed for 283 yards and three touchdowns (two to Tim Patrick) for the Lions (12-1). David Montgomery had 84 combined yards rushing and receiving and scored a touchdown.
Josh Jacobs scored three rushing touchdowns for Green Bay. Jordan Love, who was held to 31 yards passing in the first half, finished with 206 passing yards and a touchdown.
The Packers (9-4) are 7-2 over their last nine games with both losses coming against Detroit.
The Lions held a 17-7 halftime lead.
Detroit scored on its first possession of the game, with Montgomery finishing off the 11-play, 70-yard march with a 3-yard scoring run.
Love’s second completion of the game was fumbled by Christian Watson on the first play of the second quarter. The Lions recovered the ball at their own 46-yard line and turned the giveaway into three points, as Bates kicked a 43-yard field goal.
Jacobs’ 1-yard scoring run with 5:35 left in the half put the Packers on the board.
However, the Lions reestablished the double-digit lead in the closing seconds of the half on fourth-and-goal. Goff hit running back Jahmyr Gibbs over the middle on a 2-yard pass to complete the 70-yard drive.
Love’s 59-yard completion to Watson during the opening possession of the second half set up his 12-yard scoring pass to tight end Tucker Kraft. That cut Detroit’s lead to 17-14.
Keisean Nixon picked off a Goff pass moments later, giving the Packers the ball at the Lions’ 16-yard line. Green Bay took the lead on Jacobs’ 6-yard run with 11:15 remaining in the quarter.
Goff and the Lions responded with a 13-play drive. Goff found Patrick on fourth-and-goal from the 3, providing Detroit with a 24-21 lead.
After forcing a punt, Detroit gambled on fourth-and-1 from its own 31 but it backfired as Gibbs was thrown for a loss. Jacobs scored from four yards out in the opening minute of the fourth quarter as the Packers regained the lead.
The Lions roared right back with a 10-play drive, completed by Goff’s 1-yard pass to Patrick with 8:39 to play. The Packers tied it at 31-apiece with 3:38 left on Brandon McManus’ 32-yard field goal.
Detroit ran out the clock on its ensuing possession. A 16-yard pass from Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Montgomery’s 7-yard run on fourth down (with Goff falling to the ground as he handed the ball off) with less than a minute left put Bates in position to make the game-winning kick.
COWBOYS G ZACK MARTIN TO HAVE SEASON-ENDING ANKLE SURGERY
Seven-time All-Pro guard Zack Martin will have season-ending surgery on his right ankle, Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy announced Thursday.
McCarthy acknowledged that he had a conversation with Martin this week, with the latter determining that surgery was the best avenue toward recovery.
“He’s gonna be missed,” McCarthy said. “We’re not gonna replace Zack Martin, by any means. … He brings so much to the team and the team culture. We all recognize what kind of player he’s been here in Dallas, but the type of person he is — people gravitate to him. His leadership, he’ll definitely be missed in that area.”
Martin, 34, is in the final year of his contract. He said in June that retirement was an option following this season.
A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Martin was named the Cowboys’ 2024 nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award on Thursday.
Martin last played in Dallas’ 34-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Nov. 18.
He has started 10 games this season and all 162 in which he has played since the Cowboys selected him with the 16th overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft.
REPORT: BENGALS LB LOGAN WILSON (KNEE) OUT FOR SEASON
Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson will miss the rest of the regular season after a clean-up procedure on his knee Thursday, NFL Network reported.
Wilson, 28, did not practice all last week with a knee injury and missed Sunday’s 44-38 home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Wilson started the first 11 games this year and ranks second on the team in tackles (104) with two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
A third-round pick by Cincinnati in 2020, Wilson has recorded 495 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 11 interceptions across 68 games (58 starts).
The Bengals (4-8) have lost three straight games heading into Monday night’s game against the Dallas Cowboys (5-7) in Arlington, Texas.
NFL RELEASES LIST OF WALTER PAYTON AWARD NOMINEES
The NFL introduced the 32 nominees for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, the highest honor given to a player in the league, on Thursday.
Nominees are players who both excel on the field and provide a “positive impact beyond the game,” according to the league.
“The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award celebrates Walter’s enduring legacy of excellence on the field and compassion off it,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a news release. “This award is the league’s most prestigious honor, and we are proud to recognize these 32 outstanding men for the positive impact they make in their communities every day.”
The award will be presented Feb. 6 during the NFL Honors ceremony. The winner will receive a donation of up to $265,000 to a charity of his choice. The others will receive up to $55,000 for their causes.
Cameron Heyward of the Pittsburgh Steelers won the 2023 award.
The nominees, by team, are:
Arizona Cardinals, Trey McBride
Atlanta Falcons, Grady Jarrett
Baltimore Ravens, Roquan Smith
Buffalo Bills, Dion Dawkins
Carolina Panthers, Adam Thielen
Chicago Bears, Andrew Billings
Cincinnati Bengals, Orlando Brown Jr.
Cleveland Browns, Denzel Ward
Dallas Cowboys, Zack Martin
Denver Broncos, Alex Singleton
Detroit Lions, Jared Goff
Green Bay Packers, Kenny Clark
Houston Texans, Jalen Pitre
Indianapolis Colts, Kenny Moore II
Jacksonville Jaguars, Arik Armstead
Kansas City Chiefs, Travis Kelce
Las Vegas Raiders, Maxx Crosby
Los Angeles Chargers, Cameron Dicker
Los Angeles Rams, Kyren Williams
Miami Dolphins, Alec Ingold
Minnesota Vikings, C.J. Ham
New England Patriots, Deatrich Wise Jr.
New Orleans Saints, Cameron Jordan
New York Giants, Darius Slayton
New York Jets, Solomon Thomas
Philadelphia Eagles, Brandon Graham
Pittsburgh Steelers, Larry Ogunjobi
San Francisco 49ers, Curtis Robinson
Seattle Seahawks, Uchenna Nwosu
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mike Evans
Tennessee Titans, Jeffery Simmons
Washington Commanders, Bobby Wagner
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS
TOP 25
PENN STATE FORCES 24 TURNOVERS, UPSETS NO. 8 PURDUE
Ace Baldwin Jr. scored 17 points with six assists and Freddie Dilione V added 14 points as Penn State opened Big Ten Conference play with an 81-70 upset victory at home against No. 8 Purdue on Thursday in University Park, Pa.
Puff Johnson scored 13 points and Nick Kern added 12 points with eight rebounds as the Nittany Lions (8-1) ended an eight-game losing streak against the Boilermakers. Zach Hicks scored 11 points.
High-scoring Penn State, which entered third in the nation with 91.3 points per game, leaned into its defense by forcing Purdue into 24 turnovers, tied for the most in 20 seasons under head coach Matt Painter.
The Nittany Lions earned a victory over a top-10 team for the first since December 2019 and are off to their best start since the 2014-15 team opened 12-1.
Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer each scored 15 points and C.J. Cox added 12 for Purdue (7-2), which entered off a neutral-court victory over No. 23 Ole Miss and defeated then-No. 2 Alabama earlier this season.
The Boilermakers, two-time defending Big Ten regular-season champions, saw the Nittany Lions make 28 of their 32 free-throw attempts.
Penn State set the tone early by picking up Purdue full court and playing a half-court pressure defense that held the Boilermakers below 10 points for the first 11 minutes of the game.
The Nittany Lions used an 11-0 run in the first half to take an early 18-9 lead. Penn State went 11 of 13 from the free-throw line in the first half and held a 40-24 lead at the break.
The Nittany Lions turned 14 Boilermakers turnovers in the first half into 15 points and continued the relentless defensive pressure in the second half to open their first 20-point lead at 52-32 with 15:48 still to play.
Soon after, a jumper by Johnson started an 8-0 run from the Nittany Lions that gave them a 60-34 lead with 11:41 remaining and they weren’t threatened the rest of the way.
Baldwin got the best of a point-guard battle with Purdue’s Braden Smith, who had six points with five assists. Smith entered second in the nation with 9.1 assists per game.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 10 IRISH EDGE NO. 4 TEXAS IN OT
Hannah Hidalgo scored 30 points and grabbed eight rebounds as No. 10 Notre Dame outlasted No. 4 Texas for an 80-70 overtime victory on Thursday in an SEC/ACC Challenge game at South Bend, Ind.
Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron added 18 points apiece for the Fighting Irish (6-2). Texas scored the first basket of overtime before Notre Dame finished the game on a 12-0 run, including 3-pointers from Hidalgo and Citron.
Madison Booker scored 20 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished five assists to lead Texas (7-1). Shay Holle finished with 14 points and Kyla Oldacre scored 13.
No. 13 Kansas State 110, South Carolina Upstate 24
The Wildcats recorded their largest win in school history as they walloped the Spartans by an 86-point margin in Manhattan, Kan.
Serena Sundell produced 26 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds, the first triple-double by a Kansas State player in 15 years. Taryn Sides scored 23 points and Temira Poindexter finished with 17 for the Wildcats (9-1), who finished the game on a 24-0 run.
Ava Miller led South Carolina Upstate (2-9) with seven points.
No. 16 North Carolina 72, No. 14 Kentucky 53
Reniya Kelly scored 18 points and handed out a team-high six assists as the Tar Heels took down the Wildcats in an SEC/ACC Challenge game at Chapel Hill, N.C.
Maria Gakdeng added 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds for North Carolina (8-1), which improved to 4-0 at home. Alyssa Ustby scored 13 points and secured eight rebounds.
Dazia Lawrence scored 17 points to lead Kentucky (7-1), which was playing its first true road game of the season. Amelia Hassett had 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Georgia Amoore finished with 10 points and eight assists.
North Carolina State 68, No. 18 Ole Miss 61
Zoe Brooks scored 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting and the Wolfpack held off a late rally by the Rebels in an SEC/ACC Challenge game at Raleigh, N.C.
Zamareya Jones added 14 points and made all four of her 3-point attempts for North Carolina State (5-3). The Wolfpack shot 57.1 percent (8 of 14) as a team from beyond the arc.
Madison Scott scored 15 points to lead Ole Miss (5-3). Tameiya Sadler added 14 points for the Rebels, who outscored the Wolfpack 23-13 in the fourth quarter but ran out of time to complete their comeback attempt.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: CAVS BEAT NUGGETS DESPITE NIKOLA JOKIC’S BIG NIGHT
Nikola Jokic moved to No. 3 in career triple-doubles with 27 points, 20 rebounds and 11 assists at Cleveland, but his Denver Nuggets couldn’t withstand the host Cavaliers’ 3-point barrage and lost 126-114 on Thursday night.
Jokic’s 139th career triple-double broke a tie with Magic Johnson on the all-time list. It was also his second triple-double with 20-plus points and 20-plus rebounds this season.
The Cleveland quartet of Donovan Mitchell (28 points), Darius Garland (24), Caris LeVert (21) and Evan Mobley (20), however, responded by combining to make 17 treys and rack up 93 points.
The Cavaliers earned their third win in a row. The Nuggets have alternated losses and wins for nine games.
Mavericks 137, Wizards 101
Luka Doncic recorded his first triple double of the season as Dallas won its sixth straight game, a rout of host Washington.
Doncic finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his 78th regular-season triple-double. Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 25 points for the Mavericks, who have won 10 of 11 games, and former Wizards center Daniel Gafford scored 16 points off the bench.
Malcolm Brogdon and Marvin Bagley III netted 16 points apiece and Carlton Carrington added 15 for the Wizards, who tied the franchise record with their 16th straight defeat within one season.
Warriors 99, Rockets 93
Jonathan Kuminga registered a career-high 33 points, Andrew Wiggins went for 23 and Golden State beat Houston for the 15th consecutive time, winning in San Francisco.
With Stephen Curry resting sore knees and Draymond Green dealing with a painful calf, Golden State used a 21-4 run bridging the second and third quarters to take a lead it never relinquished en route to snapping a five-game losing streak.
Attempting to beat the Warriors for the first time since February 2020, the Rockets got 16 points from Alperen Sengun and 15 from Dillon Brooks in a balanced attack while dropping their second straight.
Knicks 125, Hornets 121
Karl-Anthony Towns recorded his 12th consecutive double-double to lead New York’s easy victory over visiting Charlotte.
Towns racked up 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting overall to go along with 16 rebounds for New York, which had all five of its starters score in double figures. OG Anunoby netted 25 points, followed by Jalen Brunson (24 points), Mikal Bridges (19) and Josh Hart (18). Hart added 10 rebounds and six assists.
The Hornets got 26 points and six rebounds from Brandon Miller but were outshot 53.9 percent to 44.9 percent from the field in what ended up being their seventh loss in a row. Vasilije Micic went for 14 points and 12 assists, and Seth Curry totaled 18 points off the bench.
Thunder 129, Raptors 92
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points as visiting Oklahoma City routed Toronto.
Jalen Williams added 20 points for the Thunder, who have won two games in a row and six of their past seven. Isaiah Joe contributed 16 points and Isaiah Hartenstein had 16 rebounds and six assists.
RJ Barrett registered 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Raptors, who had a four-game home winning streak snapped. Scottie Barnes added 12 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
Pelicans 126, Suns 124
Brandon Ingram scored 29 points, CJ McCollum had 25 and host New Orleans ended a nine-game losing streak by defeating Phoenix.
McCollum scored on a drive to break a tie in the last minute, then fed Trey Murphy III for a dunk and a 125-121 lead with 14 seconds left. Murphy logged 19 points and Dejounte Murray had 17 for the Pelicans.
Devin Booker netted 28 points and Bradley Beal scored 24 for the Suns, who had won three of their past four games.
Grizzlies 115, Kings 110
Memphis got 60 points from its reserves and survived losing star Ja Morant to a late-game ejection in defeating visiting Sacramento.
Marcus Smart had 18 points off the bench and starter Desmond Bane also scored 18 to lead the Grizzlies, who won their sixth consecutive home game. Santi Aldama contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds. Morant was ejected after his second technical during a span of 82 seconds in the fourth quarter.
Sacramento was led by DeMar DeRozan, who had a game-high 26 points, and Malik Monk, who scored 23. De’Aaron Fox had 18 points, six rebounds and six steals, and Domantas Sabonis added 17 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.
Bulls 139, Spurs 124
Nikola Vucevic poured in a season-high 39 points and Ayo Dosunmu added a season-best 27 points to go with 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his first career triple-double as Chicago defeated host San Antonio.
The Bulls led by 11 points heading into the fourth quarter after fending off a tepid San Antonio run late in the third period. The Spurs pared the margin to 130-122 on two Keldon Johnson free throws with 3:18 remaining, but Chicago reeled off nine straight points, capped by Vucevic’s banked layup with 1:31 left, to cement the win.
Keldon Johnson logged 28 points off the bench for the Spurs. Devin Vassell had 17 points and Jeremy Sochan amassed 16 points and 14 rebounds. San Antonio played without star center Victor Wembanyama (sore back).
NHL ROUNDUP:
LIGHTNING SCORE FIVE IN FIRST PERIOD, ROUT SHARKS
Brandon Hagel scored twice in 23 seconds during Tampa Bay’s five-goal outburst in the first period as the Lightning trounced the visiting San Jose Sharks 8-1 on Thursday.
Cam Atkinson and Conor Geekie had a goal and an assist apiece before Hagel hit the net twice. Jake Guentzel, who finished with two points, scored to cap the explosive frame, putting the Lightning in position to improve to 8-0-1 in their past nine meetings with San Jose.
Brayden Point tied a career high with four assists in his 600th NHL game.
Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 20 shots to improve to 8-2-0 all-time against San Jose and win for the second time in his past five starts.
Oilers 6, Blue Jackets 3
Zach Hyman made the most of his return to the ice, scoring twice to lead Edmonton past visiting Columbus.
The left wing missed the Oilers’ five previous games due to an unspecified injury. Even before missing time, the 32-year-old, who scored 54 goals last season, was battling through a slump with just three goals through 20 games.
The Oilers’ top weapons joined Hyman in the scoring barrage. Leon Draisaitl also scored twice to tie Florida’s Sam Reinhart for the league lead with 19 goals, and Connor McDavid had a season-high four assists.
Blues 4, Flames 3 (OT)
Colton Parayko scored the overtime winner and Robert Thomas tallied once in a three-point performance as St. Louis continued its winning ways by knocking off host Calgary.
Zack Bolduc and Pavel Buchnevich also scored for the Blues, who are 4-0-1 since Jim Montgomery was named coach of the club following the firing of Drew Bannister on Nov. 24. Philip Broberg collected a pair of assists, and Jordan Binnington made 36 saves.
Jakob Pelletier, Matt Coronato and MacKenzie Weegar scored for the Flames, who have one win in six games (1-3-2). Goalie Dan Vladar stopped 20 shots. Calgary’s six-game home winning streak was snapped.
Canadiens 3, Predators 0
Sam Montembeault made 29 saves and Patrik Laine scored his second power-play goal in as many games to lift host Montreal past reeling Nashville.
Montembeault turned aside all 13 shots he faced in the third period to preserve his third shutout of the season and fourth in his career. Captain Nick Suzuki and rookie defenseman Lane Hutson each notched an assist to extend their respective point streaks, as the Canadiens improved to 2-0-0 on their five-game homestand.
Nashville’s Justus Annunen finished with 27 saves in his first start since being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday but received no offensive support as the Predators lost their sixth straight game overall (0-3-3).
Hurricanes 5, Avalanche 3
Andrei Svechnikov’s empty-net goal combined with three earlier assists gave him the first four-point outing of his seven-year career in Carolina’s victory against Colorado in Raleigh, N.C.
NHL points leader Martin Necas provided a goal and an assist for Carolina, which snapped a season-worst three-game losing streak. Pyotr Kochetkov made 16 saves for his first victory since Nov. 20. He had missed time with a concussion and took the loss Tuesday against Seattle.
Valeri Nichushkin scored two goals after Colorado teammate Artturi Lehkonen opened the game’s scoring. Scott Wedgewood stopped 30 shots. Wedgewood, acquired from Nashville on Saturday, made his first start for Colorado after picking up a victory in relief earlier in the week.
Jets 3, Sabres 2 (OT)
Adam Lowry scored late in overtime as Winnipeg snapped its season-worst four-game losing streak with a road win over Buffalo.
Gabriel Vilardi had a goal and an assist, Kyle Connor also scored and Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves for Jets, who had been 3-7-0 since winning 15 of their first 16. Winnipeg also got two assists apiece from Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele while snapping a three-game road slide.
Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens scored first-period goals for the Sabres, who are 0-3-2 since winning seven of their previous nine. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 28 shots.
Senators 2, Red Wings 1
Josh Norris’ second goal of the game came with 43 seconds left and gave host Ottawa a narrow win over Detroit.
Norris, who is from the Detroit suburb of Oxford, Mich., and played at the University of Michigan, beat Red Wings’ goalie Ville Husso with a wrist shot from the high slot off of the rush for the winner. It was Norris’ 11th goal of the season.
Drake Batherson had two assists and Linus Ullmark made 19 saves for Ottawa, which snapped a two-game losing streak. The Red Wings lost their fourth consecutive game.
Panthers 7, Flyers 5
Sam Reinhart scored the go-ahead goal with 1:59 remaining and Matthew Tkachuk tallied a goal and four assists to highlight Florida’s wild road win over Philadelphia.
Amid a scramble in front of the net, Carter Verhaeghe sent a no-look backhand pass to a wide-open Reinhart, who hammered a slap shot into the wide-open net for his 19th goal, snapping a 5-5 tie. Reinhart and Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl are tied atop the league’s goal list.
Owen Tippett scored twice and Matvei Michkov had three assists for Philadelphia, which saw its three-game winning streak halted. Florida netminder Spencer Knight made 29 saves, helping the Panthers win for the fourth time in five games.
Kraken 5, Islanders 2
Vince Dunn had a goal and two assists as Seattle rolled over New York in Elmont, N.Y.
Tye Kartye, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Shane Wright added goals for the Kraken, who have won the first two games of a four-game Eastern Conference road trip. Goalie Joey Daccord carried a shutout into the third before finishing with 27 saves.
Noah Dobson and Maxim Tsyplakov scored in the back half of the third for the skidding Islanders, who have lost 10 of 13 games (3-5-5). Ilya Sorokin recorded nine saves before being pulled after two periods for Marcus Hogberg, who stopped all 11 shots he faced in his first NHL action since April 28, 2021, when he was a member of the Ottawa Senators.
BLACKHAWKS FIRE RICHARDSON, NAME SORENSEN INTERIM HEAD COACH
The last-place Chicago Blackhawks fired head coach Luke Richardson on Thursday, the team announced.
Rockford IceHogs head coach Anders Sorensen will take over Richardson’s post on an interim basis.
Richardson was in his third season on the job, but the club didn’t seem to be making progress. Chicago sits last in the entire NHL with 18 points. The team owned a 57-118-15 record under his stewardship.
“Today I made the difficult decision to move on from Luke as our head coach. We thank him for his efforts and contributions to the organization and our community,” general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement. “As we have begun to take steps forward in our rebuilding process, we felt that the results did not match our expectations for a higher level of execution this season and ultimately came to the decision that a change was necessary.”
Sorensen, who hails from Sweden, becomes the third European-born and trained head coach in NHL history after Finland’s Alpo Suhonen and Czechia’s Ivan Hlinka.
The 49-year-old Sorensen is expected to remain the team’s interim bench boss for the rest of the season, and the organization will conduct a coaching search after the campaign ends, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports.
Sorensen has worked in the Blackhawks organization since 2014-15, serving as AHL Rockford’s head coach since November 2021. The IceHogs made the playoffs in each of the last three years, losing in Round 2 each time.
BASEBALL NEWS
LUIS SEVERINO AND ATHLETICS AGREE TO $67 MILLION, 3-YEAR CONTRACT, AP SOURCES SAY
Right-hander Luis Severino and the Athletics have agreed to a $67 million, three-year contract, two people familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not yet been announced by the team. Severino can opt out and become a free agent after the 2026 season.
It’s the largest deal ever for the low-budget franchise, topping a $66 million contract for third baseman Eric Chavez covering 2005-10.
There was skepticism the A’s could land a pricey free agent while planning to play the next three seasons in West Sacramento, California, before hopefully moving to a new stadium in Las Vegas. The A’s went 69-93 for their third straight losing season in 2024, then left Oakland after 57 seasons.
Severino, who turns 31 on Feb. 20, was a free agent for the second straight offseason after going 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA over 182 innings in his only season with the New York Mets, his best year since he was an All-Star for the second straight year with the New York Yankees in 2018.
He left the Yankees last offseason to sign a one-year deal with the Mets guaranteeing $13 million and earned an additional $2 million in performance bonuses.
FORMER WHITE SOX SLUGGER AND LONGTIME ANALYST BILL MELTON DIES AT 79
CHICAGO (AP) — Bill Melton, a star slugger for the Chicago White Sox in the 1970s who later became a fixture on their broadcasts as a pregame and postgame TV analyst for more than two decades, has died. He was 79.
The team said he died early Thursday in Phoenix following a brief illness.
Born in Gulfport, Mississippi, Melton debuted with the White Sox in 1968 and spent eight of 10 major league seasons with the club. “Beltin’ Bill” hit 33 homers in both 1970 and 1971, when he led the American League and made his lone All-Star team. No White Sox player had hit 30 in a season or led the league prior to that.
Melton hit .253 with 160 homers and 591 RBIs in a career that included stops with the California Angels in 1976 and Cleveland Indians in 1977. His 154 homers with the White Sox were a club record until Hall of Famer Harold Baines broke it in 1987.
Melton returned to the White Sox in 1992 as a team ambassador and part-time scout. He worked with Michael Jordan as one of his hitting instructors following his first retirement from the NBA in 1993. Melton joined the TV broadcast team as a pregame and postgame analyst in 1998 and remained in that role until he retired in 2020.
“Bill Melton enjoyed two tremendous careers with the White Sox,” White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “His first came as a celebrated home run king for White Sox teams in the early 1970s, where ‘Beltin Bill’ brought power to a franchise that played its home games in a pitcher-friendly ballpark. Photos of Bill wearing his home run crown and others of him posing with ballpark organist Nancy Faust still generate smiles to this day. Bill’s second career came as a well-liked and respected pre and postgame television analyst, where on a nightly basis Sox fans saw his passion for the team, win or lose. Bill was a friend to many at the White Sox and around baseball, and his booming voice will be missed.”
Melton is survived by his wife Tess, son Billy, daughter Jennifer and a grandson.
GOLF NEWS
CAMERON YOUNG CARDS 64, LEADS HERO WORLD CHALLENGE
After a few months off, Cameron Young was pleasantly surprised to come out to the Bahamas and shoot an 8-under-par 64 at Albany Golf Club for the first-round lead on Thursday at the Hero World Challenge.
A field of 20 players is in Albany for the exclusive exhibition event hosted by Tiger Woods. Young has a two-shot lead on Justin Thomas after Day 1.
“Yeah, kind of (surprised). I didn’t play great (Wednesday),” Young said. “You always feel like you can shoot a number like that, but I really felt very well in control, which isn’t necessarily surprising but it’s a nice thing to come out and just feel like yourself.
“Yeah, really happy with it. I feel like with the driver I was just really comfortable and that’s a huge key out here.”
Young spread eight birdies across his card without recording a bogey. His 21-foot birdie putt at the par-3 second hole set the tone for his round, and his last birdie was a 14 1/2-footer at another par-3, the 17th.
“I’m sure I missed a fairway or two, but for the most part I was really well in position,” Young said. “Then I made a couple putts early, which was nice. Just kind of got off to a nice start with the putter. There’s a bunch of par 5s and a couple drivable holes, so I feel that if you’re on top of it, especially off the tee, you can make a bunch of birdies.”
Young, 27, is one of the highest-ranked players in the world who’s yet to win on the PGA Tour. If he were to win the Hero, it would not count as an official tour victory nor gain him any FedEx Cup points, but Official World Golf Ranking points are on offer this week.
Thomas shot a blazing 6-under 30 on the back nine after posting one bogey and one birdie through nine holes. He rolled in four birdies in a row at Nos. 14-17.
“It was nice to make that birdie on 7,” Thomas said, “and had good chances there on 8 and 9, but then once 10, 11 happened I felt like I got in a nice
rhythm there on the back nine.”
Tied for third at 5-under 67 are World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Ludvig Aberg of Sweden, Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala.
Scheffler, the defending champion, made a change to his putting grip and rolled in six birdies with one bogey Thursday.
“You know, this year I had thought about it from time to time and it was something that we had just said, ‘Let’s table that for the end of the season, take a look at it,’” Scheffler said. “Took a look at it this offseason and figured this is a good week to try stuff just because you can practice and practice and do all the stuff at home, but there’s just something different about being in competition. I really enjoyed the way it felt, I felt like I’m seeing some improvements in my stroke.”
TOP INDIANA NEWS HEADLINES/RELEASES
INDIANA PACERS
GAME PREVIEW: PACERS AT BULLS
The Pacers (9-14) will look to close out a four-game road trip with a win when they face the Bulls (9-13) on Friday night in Chicago.
Indiana is coming off back-to-back losses in Toronto on Tuesday and Brooklyn on Wednesday that followed strikingly similar patterns. In both games, the Pacers fell behind by 20+ points in the first half, mounted a significant charge in the second half (getting within two points of the lead against the Raptors and actually tying the game against the Nets), but then ran out of gas as the home team pulled away late.
Turnovers have been an issue for the Pacers recently, as they’ve had some quarters where they’ve struggled to take care of the basketball. Indiana had nine turnovers in the first quarter in Toronto and finished the night with 21 giveaways. They had 16 turnovers in Brooklyn, but 12 came in the second quarter. The Blue & Gold need to bring those numbers down to avoid falling into first half holes.
The Bulls will be on the second night of a back-to-back and won’t get back to Chicago until early Friday morning after playing on Thursday night in San Antonio.
Chicago’s offense revolves around two former All-Stars in Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. LaVine is averaging 21.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while shooting 51 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from 3-point range. Vucevic averages a double-double with 20.9 points and 10 rebounds per game and is also having an outstanding year shooting the ball with a .582 field goal percentage and .476 3-point percentage.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Quenton Jackson, F – Bennedict Mathuin, , F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Bulls: G – Josh Giddey, G – Ayo Dosunmu, F – Zach LaVine, F – Julian Phillips, C – Nikola Vucevic
Injury Report
Pacers: Andrew Nembhard – questionable (left knee injury management), Isaiah Jackson – out (torn right Achilles tendon), Aaron Nesmith – out (left ankle sprain), Ben Sheppard – out (left oblique strain), James Wiseman – out (torn left Achilles tendon)
Bulls: Josh Giddey – questionable (right ankle sprain), Lonzo Ball – out (left knee injury management), Coby White – out (left ankle sprain), Patrick Williams – out (left foot injury)
Last Meeting
March 27, 2024: The Bulls rolled to a 125-99 win over the Pacers at the United Center. Chicago outscored Indiana 37-20 in the second quarter to build a 21-point halftime lead. The Pacers pulled back within nine in the third quarter, but the Bulls pulled away in the fourth, outscoring the Blue & Gold 38-25 in the final frame.
DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 27 points, while Bulls centers Nikola Vucevic (22 points and 12 rebounds) and Andre Drummond (14 points and 11 boards) both recorded double-doubles. Chicago outscored the Pacers 60-38 in points in the paint.
Andrew Nembhard led Indiana with 18 points and five assists. Pascal Siakam added 14 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, while Tyrese Haliburton tallied 13 points and five assists.
Noteworthy
This will be the first meeting this season between the Pacers and Bulls. Indiana will host Chicago on Jan. 8 and March 2 before returning to the United Center on March 10.
The Bulls won three of four meetings against the Pacers last season, sweeping two games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and splitting a pair of games in Chicago.
Tyrese Haliburton needs six assists on Friday to pass Travis Best (1,785 assists) for sixth place in NBA franchise history. Haliburton also needs nine 3-pointers to pass George Hill (487 3-pointers) for seventh place in franchise history.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
FanDuel Sports Network – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (studio host)
Tickets
After a four-game road trip, the Pacers will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host Brandon Miller and the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 5:00 PM ET.
FUEL HOCKEY
FUEL TO HOST HISTORIC HOME OPENER IN NEW ARENA
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indy Fuel host the Iowa Heartlanders for the first time this season in the brand new Fishers Event Center. After a 15-game road trip, the wait is finally over for players, staff, and fans. Coming off of an aggressive three-game sweep in Utah, the Fuel looks to gather points against Central Division foes.
WITHOUT THE ‘C’
Due to leaving the bench for an altercation in the final game in Utah, captain Chris Cameron has been suspended for five games. The 6’4 defenseman has been an asset on the first defense pairing. The Fuel has an average of 23.33 shots against per game, the least in the league. Along with 1.87 goals against, the second least in the league. The Fuel will need to work around not having their captain by staying out of the box, supporting their defenseman, and most importantly not letting this suspension mess with their mentality.
NOT YOUR TYPICAL IOWA
Last year, the Fuel were 4-1-0-1 against Iowa, with the Fuel ranked second in the Central Division and Iowa seventh. This year, Iowa is currently second in the Central Division, just coming off of an overtime win against Toledo. Both teams also have a strong rookie goaltender defending the posts and a solid defense that minimizes opponents’ scoring chances.
ABOUT THE INDY FUEL:
The Indy Fuel are the proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks and the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs. The Fuel will be back for their eleventh season during the 2024-25 campaign beginning in October, 2024.
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
INDIANA BASKETBALL GAME NOTES – GAME 9 VS. MIAMI (OHIO)
Opening Tip
• Indiana University continues its 125th season of competition in men’s basketball with a non-conference tilt against Miami (Ohio) on Friday, Dec. 6, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The game will be broadcast on BTN with Connor Onion (pxp) and Shon Morris (analyst) on the call.
• The RedHawks enter the game with a record of 5-2 under third-year head coach head coach Travis Steele. Junior guard Peter Suder, a Carmel High School graduate, leads Miami (Ohio) in scoring at 17.4 points per game. Redshirt sophomore wing Kam Craft (14.1) and sophomore wing Eian Elmer (14.0) give the RedHawks a trio of double-figure scorers.
Game Information
Friday, Dec. 6, 2024 • 7 p.m. ET
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) • Bloomington, Ind.
TV: BTN (Connor Onion, Shon Morris)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
Series History: Indiana leads, 22-3
Last Meeting: IU 86, MIAMI 56 on Nov. 20, 2022, in Indianapolis
Series History
• Indiana holds a series record of 22-3 over Miami (Ohio). The Hoosiers have won six straight, 16 of the last 17, and 14-of-16 games in Bloomington in the series.
• All-American forward Trayce Jackson-Davis led the Hoosiers to an 86-56 victory over the RedHawks with 17 points, 16 rebounds, and three assists on Nov. 20, 2022, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Jalen Hood-Schifino added 12 points and Miller Kopp scored 10 points in the game.
Last Time Out
• Indiana (6-2) received 36 bench points, including a season-high 18 points from senior forward Luke Goode to down Sam Houston by a score of 97-71 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Illinois transfer knocked down a career-best five 3-pointers in 17 minutes.
• Junior forward Malik Reneau secured his third double-double of his career with 18 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and three steals. He is one of two major conference players (Ian Schieffelin, Clemson) to reach those numbers in a game this season
• Redshirt sophomore guard Myles Rice bounced back with a game-high 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the floor to go along with three rebounds and three assists. Fifth-year senior guard Anthony Leal posted four points, four rebounds, four assists, and two assists. He was a game-high +39 in 25 minutes of run off the bench.
Second-Year Leap for Mgbako
• Sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako scored a career-high 31 points on 13-of-17 shooting from the floor and 4-of-5 shots from behind the arc in Indiana’s victory over SIUE on Nov. 6 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
• Mgbako is averaging 16.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 54.7% (47-of-86) from the field, 48.6% (17-of-35) from behind the arc, and 92.0% (23-of-25) from the charity stripe.
• The Gladstone, N.J., native is one of two Big Ten players (John Tonje Wisconsin) to average at least 15.0 points per game while shooting above 50.0% from the floor, 40.0% from the 3-point line, and 90.0% from the free throw line this season.
It’s Goode from Three
• Senior forward Luke Goode drilled a career-best five 3-pointers against Sam Houston on Dec. 3 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. He is the first IU player to hit at least five 3s in a game since Jalen Hood-Schifino (6) on Jan. 28, 2023, and the first to do it off the bench since Tamar Bates on Dec. 7, 2022.
• Goode the first IU player to score at least 18 points off the bench since Anthony Walker on Dec. 19, 2023, and the first to do it in 17 minutes or less since Jeremy Hollowell (18 points, 17 minutes) on Nov. 26, 2013.
• The Fort Wayne, Ind., native shot 38.9% (61-of-157) from the 3-point line for an Illinois team that made and Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament last season.
The Leal Deal
• Fifth-year senior guard Anthony Leal was a team-best + 39 in Indiana’s 97-71 victory over Sam Houston on Dec. 3 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. He added four points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals in the win.
• The 2020 Mr. Basketball in the state of Indiana set or matched career highs in points (13), rebounds (7), blocks (1), made field goals (4), made 3-pointers (3), and made free throws (2) in IU’s 74-68 victory over Iowa on Jan. 30, 2024.
• Leal knocked down the game-winning baseline triple with 22 seconds left at Ohio State on Feb. 6, 2024. He also tipped in the winning bucket with five seconds left in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament on March 14, 2024, against Penn State.
Reneau for Two
• Junior forward Malik Reneau is averaging 15.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, both rank second on the team. The Miami, Fla., native is shooting 60.0% (45-of-75) from the floor and 90.0% (27-of-30) from the free throw line in 27.4 minutes per game.
• He is one of three major conference players (Fousseyni Traore, BYU; Lynn Kidd, Miami) to average at least 10.0 points per game while shooting 60.0% from the floor and 90.0% from the free throw line.
• Reneau has tallied 15-plus points 24 times in his career, including five games this season, and topped the 20-point threshold nine times. IU holds a record of 16-8 in games Reneau scores at least 15 points throughout his career.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
#8 PURDUE DROPS BIG TEN OPENER AT PENN STATE
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The Penn State defense turned 24 Purdue turnovers into 32 points to hand the No. 8-ranked Boilermakers an 81-70 setback in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
The Boilermakers fall to 7-2 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten heading into Sunday’s home tilt with Maryland.
Purdue’s 24 turnovers were its most since having 24 against Florida State in Nov. 2019, in a tournament played in Destin, Florida.
The Boilermakers’ turnover woes ruined a solid shooting night as Purdue shot 51.1 percent from the field and 8-of-21 (.381) from 3-point range. It marked the first time Purdue shot over 50.0 percent and made at least eight 3-pointers since a loss to Virginia Tech in Nov. 2018.
Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer led Purdue with 15 points each, while C.J. Cox added 12 points off the bench.
PURDUE VOLLEYBALL
SHONDELL STAYS PERFECT IN NCAA FIRST ROUND
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The No. 4 seeded Purdue Boilermakers steamed past Western Michigan, 3-0 (25-21, 25,23, 25-22). With the result, Purdue remains undefeated in the first round under head coach Dave Shondell (19-0 record).
No. 4 seed Purdue (26-6, 16-4 Big Ten) will host tomorrow’s NCAA Second Round match vs. Loyola Chicago (22-11, 13-5 A10) at Holloway Gymnasium. The match will begin at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+. Both teams swept their opponents in the first round, with Loyola Chicago posting the upset over No. 5 seeded BYU behind dominant 25-20, 25-21, 25-17 set scores.
Eva Hudson and Chloe Chicoine combined for 33 kills with two errors on 69 swings in the win. Hudson posted a .455 hitting %, the highest mark since Day 2 of the season (.467% vs. UMBC, 8/31/24) and remained errorless until the third set, all while tying a career-high five blocks. Meanwhile, Chicoine notched a double-double with 19 digs, 12 kills on a .440 hitting %. Nine of Chicoine’s digs came in the opening frame alone.
Moreover, Raven Colvin surpassed Purdue great Stephanie Lynch to become the all-time leader in block assists. The Indianapolis, Indiana native entered the evening needing four to tie Lynch’s 550 and totaled six, setting the record at 552 career block assists and counting. Colvin already ranks second in total blocks and blocks per set behind Lynch (1.39 per set)
Taylor Anderson dished out 45 assists in the three-setter, guiding the team to a .387 hitting clip. The Boilermakers revved up its blocking as the match went on to out-block the Broncos 10-4, with five Purdue blocks coming in the final set. Purdue also out-dug Western Michigan, 51-49.
All three sets saw tight races to the 25th point, but the difference-maker came in Purdue’s ability to close out, going on a run in every set to take the match.
The Boilermakers began with a .400 attack % in each of the first two sets. Starting out strong, the team combined for 16 kills, zero errors on 27 attacks in Set 1, with Hudson recording a .529 clip and Chicoine a .600 clip alongside nine digs. Although the Broncos tied the match, 21-21, Purdue closed it out with four straight points with a pair of Hudson kills and block assists by Raven Colvin.
Despite being down 21-23 in Set 2 after back-to-back Bronco aces put them within reach of taking the set, the Boilermakers came out of a time out with all systems firing. Purdue responded with four consecutive points, three coming on Hudson kills, one on an Anderson and Colvin block assist to win the set.
In Set 3, Western Michigan tied the match, 22-22, but a kill by Chicoine followed by a pair of Hudson and Lourdes Myers block assists solidified the first round win.
Hudson’s offensive performance marked the second straight NCAA First Round she has gone the entire match with just one attack error. She is the first outside/opposite to produce two NCAA matches during their career with just one attack error since Grace Cleveland.
PURDUE SWIMMING
SAMUELS BESTS 2-TIME OLYMPIAN TO WIN 50 FREE AT U.S. OPEN
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Purdue’s Brady Samuels rocketed his way to a national victory at USA Swimming’s Toyota U.S. Open Championships, climbing to the top of the podium with an event win in the 50-yard freestyle Thursday.
Samuels enjoyed a time drop of 0.24 hundredths from the prelims to the final to leapfrog Carmel, Indiana, native and fellow former IHSAA state champion Drew Kibler, a two-time Olympian. Samuels won with a time of 19.33, moving into second place in Purdue history while coming up just 0.02 hundredths shy of Nikola Aćin’s team record (19.31) that has stood since November 2021.
Samuels joined Danny Tucker (2011-14) as Boilermakers to win gold at a USA Swimming national meet. Tucker was victorious in the 100-meter freestyle at the 2013 U.S. Open, a long course meet held in July of that year in Southern California.
In the 50 free prelims Thursday, Kibler won heat 4 in 19.48 and Samuels was victorious in the ninth and final heat with a time of 19.57. Samuels was victorious in the final by 0.16 hundredths, with Kibler claiming silver with a time of 19.49. Kibler helped Team USA win silver in the 4×200-meter free relay at the Olympic Games this summer.
Classmate Idris Muhammad (19.82) joined Samuels in the A final, finishing sixth to match his prelim showing. Nathaniel Thomas (19.95) was also fourth in the B final. The Boilermakers produced three of the top 10 finishers among a field of 62 swimmers in the 50 free prelims.
Freshman Blake Rowe (1:47.87) posted a top-10 overall finish in the 200 individual medley, taking runner-up honors in the B final thanks to a time drop of 0.84 hundredths from the prelims to the finals.
Among a small group of entries Wednesday, the Boilermakers were victorious in both the 200 medley and 800 free relays. Samuels contributed to both victories, swimming the butterfly leg on the medley and the leadoff leg on the freestyle. He teamed up with Muhammad, Raymond Whittaker and Dom Mazurek on the medley team as well as Rowe, Walker Mattice and Andy Kelly on the freestyle team. The 800 free team moved into sixth place in team history with a time 6:26.46. There were eight entries in the 200 medley relay and four entries in the 800 free relay.
Samuels’ leadoff leg split on the 800 free relay was 1:34.06, another lifetime best for the senior (in the 200 free) that improved on his second-fastest mark in team history. He pulled within 0.79 hundredths of Nick Sherman’s team record (1:33.27) from the 2023 NCAA Championships. Samuels, Aćin and Sherman all swam on the same All-American relay team for Purdue during the 2021-22 season, Samuels’ freshman season.
Samuels now has NCAA provisional qualifying times (B Cuts) in four events this season – the 50, 100 and 200 free plus the 100 backstroke. He’s also among the top seeds in the 100 free, 100 back and 100 butterfly this week at the U.S. Open. The 100 fly and 100 back are both on Friday.
Lance Lesage (100 back) and Kelly (200 IM) both posted career-best times in time trials Thursday morning. They’re set to race in individual events beginning Friday.
The U.S. Open continues Friday with prelims at 9 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m. The meet continues through Saturday evening.
PURDUE RESULTS FROM WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY AT U.S. OPEN
(B) – NCAA Provisional Qualifying Time
* – Team Season-Best Time
^ – Personal Season-Best Time
50 Free
Brady Samuels, 19.33* (B) – Event Winner; Won Heat 9 of Prelims; 2nd Fastest in Team History
Idris Muhammad, 19.82^ (Prelim Time) – Finished 6th in A Final
Nathaniel Thomas, 19.95^ (Prelim Time) – Finished 4th in B Final
Dom Mazurek, 20.50^ (Prelim Time) – Finished 28th in Prelims
500 Free
Evan Mackesy, 4:27.83^ – Finished 7th in B Final
200 IM
Blake Rowe, 1:47.87^ – Finished 2nd in B Final
Raymond Whittaker, 1:50.04^ (Prelim Time) – Finished 5th in C Final
200 Medley Relay
Muhammad, Whittaker, Samuels & Mazurek, 1:26.69* – Event Winner
800 Free Relay
Samuels, Rowe, Mattice & Kelly, 6:26.46* – Event Winner; 6th Fastest in Team History
Samuels leadoff leg split of 1:34.06* (B) is 2nd Fastest in Team History in the 200 Free
400 Medley Relay
Rowe, Whittaker, Samuels, Muhammad – DQ’d
PURDUE WRESTLING
BOILERMAKERS SET FOR 18TH CLIFF KEEN INVITE APPEARANCE
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue wrestling team is set to compete in the 42nd annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational tournament on Dec. 6-7, taking place this year in the Las Vegas Convention Center.
In what has become a yearly trip west for the Boilermakers, the squad will once again participate in one of the premier national tournaments in collegiate wrestling. Purdue is among the field of 30 teams, which includes 12 of the top 25 ranked programs in the nation.
Over 130 nationally ranked wrestlers are set for action in Las Vegas, including five ranked Boilermakers.
Times: Event Schedule
Tickets: Purchase tickets here
Watch: FloWrestling.org ($)
Live Updates: FloArena (free) and on X/Twitter: @PurdueWrestling
PURDUE PREVIEW
In what will be Purdue’s 18th appearance at CKLV, the team is sending 10 wrestlers in total, one for each weight class. Five Boilermakers earned pre-seeds for the meet, the program’s most since 2021 when Purdue had seven.
125 lbs – #3 Matt Ramos – 2 seed
133 lbs – Jacob Macatangay
141 lbs – Greyson Clark – 12 seed
149 lbs – Isaac Ruble
157 lbs – #15 Joey Blaze – 8 seed
165 lbs – #22 Stoney Buell
174 lbs – #28 Brody Baumann – 12 seed
184 lbs – #26 James Rowley – 10 seed
197 lbs – Ben Vanadia
285 lbs – Hayden Filipovich
Checking in at No. 3 in the country, redshirt-senior star Matt Ramos is competing in his fourth and final Cliff Keen Invite. A podium finish for Ramos would make him the first-ever Boilermaker to earn four climbs up the podium in Las Vegas.
Last year Ramos took seventh place, becoming the seventh wrestler in team history to climb the CKLV podium three times.
No. 22 Stoney Buell and Ben Vanadia will each be making their third career appearance at the Cliff Keen Invite. Buell has four wins at CKLV, including two tech falls and two major decisions, highlighted by an upset 12-1 win over No. 10 Antrell Taylor from Nebraska in 2023.
Vanadia has earned two victories in two different weight classes in Vegas.
No. 15 Joey Blaze, No. 26 James Rowley, No. 28 Brody Baumann and Hayden Filipovich will each be making their second trip to CKLV. Rowley notably pulled off a 12-3 major upset over Campbell’s No. 24 Caleb Hopkins last season as a redshirt freshman.
Jacob Macatangay, Greyson Clark and Isaac Ruble will be making their debuts at the prestigious meet.
BOILERS IN CKLV HISTORY
• Purdue has eight top-10 finishes at the event, including three of the last five trips.
• 49 Boilermakers have placed in the tournament.
• Purdue placed 21st last season in a stacked field of competition.
LAST TIME OUT
The Boilermakers are coming in hot after sweeping a pair of duals in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Nov. 23. Purdue defeated Princeton, 26-15, before turning around to dominate host Chattanooga, 41-3, improving to 4-1 on the season. The Boilers are off to their best start in dual season since the 2021-22 season.
UP NEXT
After returning from Las Vegas, Purdue will begin preparation for its next dual at Cleveland State on Dec. 18. The Wednesday night dual against the Vikings is set for 7 p.m. ET in Woodling Gymnasium.
NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL
WEAR GREEN SATURDAY FOR ACC OPENER AGAINST SYRACUSE
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Early December means that one early ACC game where you can test the waters. For Notre Dame men’s basketball this year that means hosting Syracuse on Saturday, Dec. 7. The Fighting Irish (4-5) look to regain control of the ship and end their five-game skid by finally returning home and getting a green boost as well. Saturday marks one of the program’s four Wear Green games. The Irish will tip off against the Orange (4-3) at Noon ET on the CW.
IRISH VS. ‘CUSE
No matter what, these teams play close games. Over the last nine contests, spanning from 2018 on, not one side has won by 10 points or more. The margin of victory in those nine games – 4.7.
The CW, a channel known for drama, might get some on Saturday. In their last meeting, the Irish came a three-point shot shy of recording the largest comeback in program history. Trailing by as much as 29 points, Notre Dame had two shots to tie in the final minute but fell short.
Notre Dame trails in the overall series 23-34 with an 11-15 mark at home. The Orange have won three straight in the series.
STATE OF THE IRISH
Markus Burton was averaging just over 21 ppg heading into Vegas. Then the All-ACC selection and reigning ACC Rookie of the Year went down and the Irish have to come together and find a way to steer the ship without him. Burton will be out of competition on a week-to-week basis. Not to mention Sir Mohammed, Notre Dame’s primary guard off the bench, was already recovering from his respective knee injury, thus depleting their depth.
And despite losing the face of the program, all three games in Vegas were right there for the taking.
1. Matt Allocco put the team on his back against Rutgers and had a ‘March worthy’ performance. He forced overtime with a last-second three in regulation. Then in OT, he converted three triples in under 30 seconds to force a tie with under 15 seconds left. He ended up with a 24-point, 10-rebound double-double with 5 assists. He was 6-for-9 from three.
2. Versus #6/7 Houston, the Irish recorded a 7-0 run in the second half to pull within one at 44-45. Unfortunately, ND only scored 10 points in the final 13 minutes as Houston pulled away to win 65-54. Tae Davis led the Irish in scoring with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting. It marked his second 20+ point performance of the season. He also tallied a team-high eight rebounds and a team-high four assists.
3. #21/19 Creighton was very similar. The Irish ultimately erased a 17-point deficit to take a lead 53-52 lead with 10:19 remaining. Yet, Creighton countered with four triples over the next four minutes and that ended up being the difference maker. Tae Davis and Braeden Shrewsberry led the Irish with 17 points each.
4. At Georgia, the Irish recorded season lows in shooting percentage and points. They cut what was a 17-point deficit to as low as four points (39-43) in the second half before the Bulldogs ran away with the 48-69 win.
MAKING UP POINTS
Before Vegas, Burton was the only player in the country averaging 20+ points, 5+ assists, and 5+ rebounds. So making up 20+ points per game is no easy task. Davis, Shrewsberry and Allocco are all averaging double digit points in the four-game span of Burton’s absence.
Davis leads the way at 17.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 2.8 apg. He’s shooting 45.3 percent from the field during that span. He’s also gotten to the line 27 times, knocking down 18. Tae has recorded four straight games with double-digit points. He ended last season on a career best streak of seven.
Next, there’s Braeden Shrewsberry. The sophomore is riding a career best streak of five straight games with double-digit points. Over the last four games though he’s averaging 15.8 ppg on 34.7 percent shooting.
Then there’s Matt Allocco, who is averaging 12.3 ppg since Burton went down. Allocco is shooting 39.0 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from deep in that span.
However, Coach Shrewsberry is looking for others to step up to supplement this trio in scoring. Keep an eye on freshman forward Garrett Sundra.
Sundra played his first significant minutes against #21/19 Creighton and delivered, recording his first double-digit scoring effort with 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting (3-for-4 from three). He followed that with 5 points on 2-for-3 shooting at Georgia.
A CHANGE IN OFFENSIVE DYNAMIC
When Burton was in the lineup the offense was vastly improved from a year ago. Case in point, Notre Dame posted six straight games to start the year with 75+ points, which hasn’t happened since the start of the 2009-10 season.
With Burton:
The Irish were shooting 51.9 percent from the field which ranked 14th nationally and led the ACC at the time. They were also a hot 61.0 percent from two, which ranked 17th in the country. CBB Analytics had Notre Dame’s offensive rating at 122.3 (34th nationally) while KenPom’s offensive efficiency ranking put the Irish at No. 51.
Irish Numbers Heading Into Game 10:
Notre Dame is now shooting 47.1 percent from the field, which ranks 7th in the ACC. The Irish are converting 54.2 percent from two. CBB Analytics have them with a 113.4 offensive rating with KenPom placing them at No. 60.
TAE-KING OVER
The Irish will lean heavily on Tae Davis moving forward. He has the innate ability to attack the rim like no other on the team. He’s currently averaging a career best 14.4 ppg on 48.3% shooting.
The Indy native is shooting 51.3% from two. Diving deeper, he’s 27-of-42 (.643) from around the rim (within 4.5 feet) and 5-of-6 from the mid-range.
Tae is averaging 6.5 fouls/drawn per 40 minutes. His 40 made free throws rank 5th in the ACC, while his 53 attempts rank 4th. His free-throw numbers have gone up every year in college. He’s at 75.5 percent this season.
BRAEDEN’S OFFENSIVE GAME
We know what Breaden is capable from three. Last season, he drained 55 three-pointers in conference play which set a new program record for ACC threes. He ultimately hit 78 treys which were second most by a DI freshman.
This season, he’s averaging a team best 2.6 made threes per game which ranks fifth in the ACC. Shrewsberry is hot from corner threes this year, knocking down 47.6 percent (10-for-21), which is 12.8 percent above the D1 average. Overall, he’s 31.9 percent from beyond the arc.
But Braeden has added to his offensive arsenal in year two. He’s shooting 53.7 percent from two-point range and 52.2 percent from the paint. He’s developed a dangerous floater that keeps defenders guessing.
His 15.2 ppg ranks second behind Burton.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
NO. 10 NOTRE DAME DOWNS NO. 4 TEXAS IN OVERTIME, 80-70
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The Irish are back on track.
On Thursday, No. 10 Notre Dame (6-2) defeated the second-consecutive top-five opponent it faced, downing No. 4 Texas (7-1) in overtime, 80-70. The Irish beat No. 3 USC on the road a couple of weeks ago.
“This team turned the page,” Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey said after the win. “They came out, and they responded with their defense. The mental toughness and focus that this group had this week, this result was because of them coming in and getting back to work. I’m really proud of this team.”
The game started as a back-and-forth affair with four ties and a combined six treys, three for each team. Hannah Hidalgo had 10 points and hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer at the end of Q1.
Notre Dame hit a couple more deep shots in the second quarter and started 4-6 from the floor from deep. Hidalgo facilitated a “play-of-the-year” level sequence with just over 8 minutes to go in the frame, diving for a steal and throwing the ball backward over her head to a waiting Olivia Miles, who notched the easy layup.
Meanwhile the Longhorns went cold, failing to score for more than 2 minutes twice in the second quarter, including to close out the half. Notre Dame held the 39-34 lead after 20 minutes, and Hidalgo had 19 points to lead all players. That is tied for her most in a half this year.
Notre Dame tied its biggest lead of the game at the 5:21 mark in Q3, taking a 47-40 advantage. The Irish had cold spells of their own, including a 3:30 span in the third. Notre Dame had a 5-point lead heading into the final quarter.
It was tied at 55 with 8:21 left before the teams started trading buckets down the stretch. A Miles layup with 2 seconds left gave Notre Dame a 68-66 advantage before an Irish foul led to two free throws for Texas’ Rori Harmon. She nailed them both, starting extra basketball. There were five lead changes in the fourth quarter alone.
Notre Dame took off from there, outscoring the visitors 12-2 in the final 5 minutes of the game. Hidalgo and Citron hit back-to-back 3-pointers to ice the game. The Irish ended on a 12-0 run.
Hidalgo posted her first 30-point game of the year, while Miles and Citron had 18 points each. Miles led the Irish with 6 assists and Liatu King had 12 rebounds. It is her sixth game this season with 10+ rebounds and her fourth double-double. Citron also had 7 steals, smashing her previous career-high of 4.
“I think we fought,” Citron said when asked about the difference between this game and the previous two. “Every single one of us played hard for 40, 45 minutes. I hope you could see just how hard we were working. We had each other’s backs and played together. Ultimately, we fought, and we were tough.”
“Soni, the always solid, poised veteran that she is, stepped up and made huge plays, time after time,” Ivey added of her senior wing. “We were undersized in the post, so I thought she did a great job getting in there, getting rebounds, getting tips.”
Freshman Kate Koval added five more blocks and continues to lead the conference with 3.9 rejections per game.
Notre Dame heads back on the road this weekend to face Syracuse (4-5). The game tips off at noon on the ACC Network.
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
BIG EAST-BIG 12 BATTLE TAKES BUTLER TO NO. 17/18 HOUSTON SATURDAY AFTERNOON
Butler, winners of six straight, begins a five-game stretch that includes four Top 25 opponents when the Bulldogs travel to No. 17/18 Houston Saturday. The game is part of the BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle that matches up teams from both conferences. Butler is 3-1 in previous Battle games, which includes home wins over Texas Tech (2023) and Kansas State (2022), a 2021 road win at Oklahoma, and a road loss at Baylor in 2019.
THE SPECIFICS:
Butler (7-1) at #17/18 Houston (4-3)
Saturday, Dec. 7 • 5:30PM ET / 4:30PM CT
Fertitta Center • Houston, Texas
FOLLOW ALONG:
TV: ESPN2 • Roxy Bernstein & Sean Farnham
Audio: Varsity Network App, SiriusXM 385, XM App 975 & TuneIn • @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
TEXT TO SCROLL THROUGH AT YOUR LEISURE:
• While Butler is 2-0 away from Hinkle Fieldhouse this season (winning the Arizona Tip-Off), Saturday’s game serves as the Bulldogs’ first true road contest of the season.
• The Bulldogs last played in Houston in the 2011 Final Four, defeating VCU in the national semifinals before falling to UConn in the championship game.
• Butler’s field goal percentage defense is ranked fifth nationally as opponents have hit only 36.1 percent of their attempts from the field.
• Butler has made at least 17 free throws and has shot at least 70 percent from the free throw line in each game so far this season. The Bulldogs went 20-for-25 from the line against Eastern Illinois Tuesday.
• Butler ranks 11th nationally, averaging 19.8 made free throws per game.
• The Bulldogs defeated Northwestern and No. 25 Mississippi State in taking the Arizona Tip-Off title over Thanksgiving. Butler is 3-0 against power conference opponents so far this season (also defeating SMU) with non-conference match-ups with Houston and Wisconsin remaining.
• The Arizona Tip-Off title was Butler’s first in-season, multi-team event championship since the 2019 Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City.
• Jahmyl Telfort earned Tournament MVP honors at the Arizona Tip-Off, averaging 23.5 points per game in the team’s two contests. Telfort scored 23 in the win over Northwestern and then followed that with 24 in the championship game win over Mississippi State.
• For his performance in Arizona, Telfort was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week. He is the first Bulldog to receive the weekly honor since Jayden Taylor Feb. 13, 2023.
• Telfort was extremely efficient in Arizona, making 56 percent of his shots, including a 6-for-10 performance from three-point range and making all 11 of his free throw attempts.
• Pierre Brooks II joined Telfort on the All-Tournament Team after registering 22 points and nine rebounds in the win over Mississippi State.
• As part of shooting 53 percent from the field against Mississippi State, Butler made 12 of 22 attempts from three-point range (54.5 percent). Butler ranks eighth nationally, making 41.8 percent of their long-range attempts.
• Telfort and Patrick McCaffery led the Bulldogs with 20 points apiece in Tuesday’s win over Eastern Illinois; it marks the second consecutive game that Butler had two players each score 20 or more. (Telfort has scored 20 or more in three straight games and four times this season.)
• McCaffery went 5-for-8 from three-point range against Eastern Illinois, his second game this season connecting on five three-pointers. He is 17th nationally, making 50 percent of his three-point attempts.
• Telfort, Brooks and McCaffery rank 1-3 in the BIG EAST in minutes played per game.
• Telfort’s scoring average of 17.9 points per game is fourth in the BIG EAST.
• Andre Screen is sixth in the BIG EAST at 7.1 rebounds per game; he has five straight games with at least eight rebounds.
Houston…They are a Problem
• Over the last four seasons, Houston has posted a record of 125-19, advancing to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament each year, including one Final Four appearance.
• Houston is currently ranked No. 17 and No. 18, respectively, in the national polls. The Cougars were ranked No. 4 in both preseason polls.
• Houston is 4-3 on the season and enters the contest with Butler on a week of rest following the Players Era event in Las Vegas. Two of Houston’s three losses came in that event: to Alabama and San Diego State. Houston’s other loss this season came against Auburn.
• Houston’s trademark defense is allowing opponents an average of only 59.3 points per game. L.J. Cryer and Emanuel Sharp lead the team in scoring, with each just over 14 points per game.
One Time with the Cougars
• Butler’s only previous match-up with Houston came in the 2021 Maui Invitational, which was moved to Las Vegas due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Series: Houston Leads, 1-0
Streak: Houston, W1
In Houston: First Meeting
First Meeting: Nov. 22, 2021; UH, 70-52, Maui Invitational played in Las Vegas
The Line of Demarcation
• The three-point line has been telling for Butler and its opponents this season.
• On the season, Butler is shooting 41.8 percent from behind the arc, which is eighth nationally.
• Conversely, Butler is holding opponents to just a 26.5-percent mark from three-point range, a defensive effort that is 16th nationally.
• Butler makes 8.9 three-pointers per game, while the opposition is averaging only 5.5 makes per game.
• That differential from three-point range matches up almost identically to Butler’s +12.8 points per game scoring margin so far this season.
Value The Ball
• While Butler is making it tough on opponents to make shots, those opponents are getting a shot almost every time down the floor as Butler is forcing only 8.1 turnovers per game; that is 352nd nationally.
• Butler’s average of 14.3 turnovers per game ranks 352nd nationally and is last in the BIG EAST.
• Butler’s season turnover margin of -6.1 is 354th nationally. Butler has committed more turnovers than its opponent in each game this season.
BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
FOURTH QUARTER RALLY PUSHES BUTLER PAST UT MARTIN 70-60
The Butler women’s basketball team improved to 8-2 on Thursday night after recording a gritty 70-60 win over UT Martin. The Bulldogs outscored the Skyhawks 21-11 in the fourth quarter behind a 12-0 scoring run sparked by Caroline Strande and Lily Zeinstra.
BU trailed by as many as seven points in the fourth quarter but would fight back to tie the contest at 58-58 after an old-fashioned 3-point play from Strande. The Bulldogs leading scorer came up with six-straight to pull Butler even and back-to-back clutch 3-pointers from Zeinstra would follow to give Butler a 65-58 lead with just over a minute to play.
Zeinstra led Butler with 13 points on 4-for-6 shooting. She went 3-for-4 from distance and added a pair of free throws. Riley Makalusky was in the box score with 11 points and Kilyn McGuff had another double-double with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
Butler made adjustments throughout the matchup to get multiple players involved offensively. They had six turnovers in the first quarter and 11 at the half, but still led by 10 after 20 minutes of action. BU only had two turnovers in the second half, helping them secure their 10-point win.
The Bulldogs shot 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from behind the arc. McGuff had two triples while Makalusky added one. Karsyn Norman and Caroline Strande each had nine points while Cristen Carter added eight.
Butler’s final non-conference road trip is up next with the Bulldogs heading to Ohio to face the Bobcats on Sunday. Tip is set for 1 p.m.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WBB DEFEATS DAVIDSON ON FIELD TRIP DAY IN FRONT OF SECOND LARGEST CROWD IN PROGRAM HISTORY
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State women’s basketball team (6-3) defeated Davidson (3-6) by a score of 80-61 in front of 5,049 screaming fans for its eighth annual “Field Trip Day”. The attendance was the second largest crowd in program history.
The Cardinals outscored the Wildcats 17-8 in the first quarter to take an early nine-point advantage (17-8) after the opening 10 minutes of play. Senior Ally Becki was well on her way with another impressive showing as she scored nine of the Cardinals’ 17 points.
Ball State carried its momentum into the second quarter as Lachelle Austin nailed one from way behind the arc to extend the Cardinals’ lead to 15 (23-8) with only two minutes shaved off the clock.
But Davidson wasn’t going to go away silently. Davidson stayed on the heels of the Cardinals, which didn’t faze Ball State as it consistently answered back. Some key 3-point baskets from Becki and Madelyn Bischoff led to Ball State’s 40-25 halftime advantage over Davidson.
Davidson came out of the gates strong after intermission, outscoring Ball State 11-8 by the 4:48 mark. BSU responded quickly with a few key rebounds. Ball State also managed to get to the line as Hailey Smith went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe which kept it a double-digit (50-36) advantage for Ball State. The Cardinals went on to maintain a 64-43 advantage over the Wildcats heading in the final 10 minutes of play which was capped off by a 3-pointer at the buzzer from freshman Grace Kingery.
After that, Davidson managed to regroup and did in fact outscore Ball State 18-16 in the final quarter. But Ball State stayed the course throughout the fourth period to secure today’s victory.
For the game, Becki led all players with 20 points while Austin finished the day with 18. Bischoff tallied a 14-point performance while Marie Kiefer rounded out the double figure scoring with 10.
As a team, the Cardinals scored 24 points of the Wildcats 17 turnovers. Ball State also out-rebounded Davidson, 36-22.
The Ball State women’s basketball team will travel to No. 7 Ohio State for a 6 pm ET start on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at Schottenstein Center.
BALL STATE FOOTBALL
SEMONZA, GILLIE, MUCCIOLO AND KOZIOL LEAD BALL STATE ALL-MAC FOOTBALL SELECTIONS
MUNCIE, Ind. – Redshirt freshman quarterback Kadin Semonza was the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year for the 2024 college football season, and senior Malcolm Gillie was the league’s Special Teams Player of the Year as part of All-MAC football teams that were announced on Thursday. Jon Mucciolo and Tanner Koziol were other top Ball State honorees as part of All-MAC football teams named on Thursday.
Semonza completed his first full college season while throwing for 2,904 yards and completing 64.4 percent of his passes. His 25 touchdown passes were the most by a Cardinals quarterback since NFL draft pick Keith Wenning threw 35 TDs in 2013.
Gillie, a senior, was Ball State’s only first-team selection, earning distinction as an All-MAC kickoff returner. His 25.6 yards per kickoff return were tops in the MAC and 11th nationally.
Mucciolo, a grad student, was a second-team All-MAC honoree on the offensive line. He was a preseason All-MAC pick and a member of 247Sports’ Transfer All-America Team last season. With Ethan Crowe and Taran Tyo, both third-team selections, Mucciolo helped guide the most experienced offensive line in the MAC.
Ball State’s most highly touted offensive star in 2024 was junior tight end Tanner Koziol whose 7.8 receptions per game ranked fourth in the country. Unfortunately, ahead of him in the national rankings, second, was Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin who garnered first team All-MAC honors.
A highly regarded second-teamer, Koziol broke Ball State’s single-season and career receptions records by a tight end. He finished the year with 94 catches for 839 yards. His 94 catches are fourth in Cardinals history by any receiver. Through three seasons, his 163 career receptions are ninth in Ball State history.
Crowe and Tyo earned third-team selections while anchoring the veteran offensive line with Mucciolo. Crowe, a senior, earned his second All-MAC selection while Tyo, a redshirt sophomore, earned his first.
Another third-team selection was junior wide receiver Cam Pickett whose breakout season followed two years of injury. His 49 catches and 528 yards both were second on the team to Koziol.
Ball State’s only defensive selection was senior rush linebacker Brandon Berger who had five sacks and led the Cardinals with nine QB hurries.
Under the leadership of new head coach Mike Uremovich, season tickets for the 2025 Ball State football season are on sale now at an exclusive presale price.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
SYCAMORES ANNOUNCE FIRST THREE TO JOIN THE 2025 CLASS
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State head baseball coach Tracy Archuleta announced three players will be joining the Sycamore baseball team for the 2026 season as Colin Sander, Owen Roberts, and Trevor Fenters have all committed to joining the program next year.
The trio are the first of the 2026 class to be announced as the Sycamores continue their preparations for the future.
Colin Sander | INF | 5-11 | Fisherville, Ky. | Trinity High School
Sander joins the Sycamores by way of Fisherville, Ky. and Trinity High School where he lined up under Coach Rick Arnold. He also played for the Louisville Legends under Coach Devin Hicks. Sander was an All-District selection on the diamond, while also earning All-State academic honors. He was a member of the National Honors Society and was on the Principal’s List.
Statistical highlights from his prep days include being a three-year starter at Trinity where he lined up both in the field and on the mound. He posted a .296 batting average, .440 on-base percentage, and .903 OPS, while adding 11 extra-base hits. On the mound, he recorded a 2.49 ERA and 1.373 WHIP.
In addition to baseball, he also played on the Trinity freshman basketball team. He’s the son of Mark and Ann-Marie Sander and plans on majoring in business at Indiana State.
Owen Roberts | RHP/INF | Aurora, Ill. | Waubonsie Valley High School
Roberts joins the Sycamores by way of Aurora, Ill. and Waubonsie Valley High School where he lined up under Coach Bryan Acevado. He also played on the Elite Sports Performance American 2025 team under Coach Kevin Lavery. He was named the 2024 DuPage Valley Conference Player and Pitcher of the Year, while also earning Naperville Sun/Beacon News Player of the Year and Aurora NCTV Male Athlete of the Year honors. He was an IHSBCAI 4A All-State selection and was named to the Prep Baseball Report All-State Second Team as a two-way player. He also earned the Prep Baseball Report Summer Invite Tournament MVP honors.
Among his statistical highlights include posting a 10-0 record on the mound over 57.1 innings pitched with a 1.099 ERA. He added a 73:13 strikeout-to-walk ratio. At the plate, Robert hit .452 with 47 hits including 16 extra-base hits and an OPS of 1.265.
In addition to his success on the diamond, Robert was also a 2023 All-Conference Honorable Mention on the gridiron while lining up at safety, punt returner, and wide receiver for the Waubonsie Valley team. He is the son of Brennen and Amanda Roberts and plans on majoring in finance at Indiana State.
Trevor Fenters | RHP | Valparaiso, Ind. | Valparaiso High School
Fenters joins the Sycamores by way of Valparaiso, Ind. and Valparaiso High School where he lined up under Coach Todd Evans. He also played on the Cangelosi Sparks club team under Coach Tyler Thompson. Fenters was a member of the Sectional and DAC Championship teams, while earning All-Area recognition. He also received Freshman and Varsity MVP honors over his playing career.
The right-hander posted a 1.82 ERA over 42.1 innings on the mound. He posted a 48:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the field.
In addition to baseball, Fenters also lined up on the Trinity freshman basketball team. He was also a member of the National Honors Society and received his Academic Letter. He is the son of Barry and Crystal Fenters and plans on majoring in kinesiology at Indiana State.
INDIANA STATE SWIMMING
SYCAMORES SET EIGHT NEW SCHOOL RECORDS ON FIRST DAY OF MIAMI INVITATIONAL
OXFORD, Ohio – The morning session at Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center foreshadowed one of the best starts to a meet in school history as Indiana State set six new school records in Thursday evening’s finals including Kaleigh Kelley breaking the Sycamores’ mark in the 50-yard Freestyle twice to cap the first day of action at the Miami Invitational.
The Sycamores set eight new school marks on Thursday in their first action in the pool since November 9 with several records going down multiple times. Erin Cummins also claimed the individual title in the 500-yard Freestyle event holding off Claire Parsons for the title by .08 seconds in Indiana State’s lone individual win of the day.
Kaleigh Kelley broke her own school record in the 50-yard Freestyle three separate times and was also the third leg of Indiana State’s record-setting 400-yard Medley Relay team to finish the day. Parsons set the new mark in the 500-yard Freestyle in the morning session, before Cummins topped her teammate in the evening session by .08 to claim the new mark. Sahara Visscher (100 Back) and Alexandria Cotter (200 IM) rounded out the Sycamores’ record-setting pace in the water on Thursday.
“I’m really proud of the team for a tremendous first day,” head coach Josh Christensen said. “Looking forward to carrying this momentum into day two tomorrow.”
Thursday Evening Results
Indiana State opened up the evening the same way it finished the morning session – by setting new school records. Kaleigh Kelley set a new Indiana State mark after going 22.93 on the opening 50 yards of the 200-yard Freestyle Relay in leading the Sycamores to a second-place finish with a team time of 1:31.69. Kelley, Farro, Szadorski, and Boles posted the second-fastest time in school history in the event.
The B Team of Allie Barasch, Sahara Visscher, Peyton Heagy, and Kalli Agapios finished fifth in 1:34.33, while the final group of Sophia Diaz, Ash Saple, Kate Reeves, and Raz Harel finished ninth in 1:36.60.
After dominating the 500-yard Freestyle prelims with five athletes in the top six, Erin Cummins and Claire Parsons both broke the Indiana State school record on their way to leading four Sycamores inside the top five in Thursday evening’s finals.
Cummins’ time of 4:47.51 set a new standard in taking the individual title in the event, while Parsons finished .08 behind her teammate in second place. Maria Saldana Riebeling was third overall after shaving nearly nine seconds off her prelim time to post a 4:52.09. Haley Halsall was fifth in the field in 4:57.90, while Rose Parsons finished eighth overall in 5:03.21.
Alexandria Cotter set the Sycamores’ third record of the evening session as the senior finished second overall in the 200-yard IM field. Her time of 2:01.40 broke her own school mark, while Gemma Dilks (2:02.60) set a new P.R. in finishing third overall in the field. Ali Pearson (2:04.71) and Dorotea Bukvic (2:05.35) finished seventh and eighth overall.
Kelley continued her record-setting ways in the 50-yard Freestyle finals as the sophomore set the school record for the third time on Thursday as she finished second in the field in 22.82. She now owns the four fastest times in program history dating back to the end of the 2023 season. Visscher was eighth overall with a time of 23.30, while Boles finished with a time of 23.14.
Visscher’s record-setting pace in the opening 100-yard Backstroke portion of the 400-yard Medley Relay led to Indiana State’s sixth different school record set on Thursday evening. Visscher went 54.96 to set a new mark, while the team of Pearson, Kelley, and Farro touched the wall in 3:39.82 to set the relay mark and finish second overall in the field.
The final group of Ella Moustgaard, Szadorski, Diaz, and Agapios finished seventh overall in 3:48.93.
Daniela Orta Castaneda led the Sycamores in the 3M Diving consolation bracket finishing second overall in the field with a six-dive score of 222.90.
Thursday Night Finals – Top Indiana State Finishers in Each Event
200-yard Free Relay: 2nd – Kaleigh Kelley (School Record – 50 Free – 22.93), Chloe Farro, Alexa Szadorski, Raine Boles (1:31.69)
500-yard Free: 1st – Erin Cummins (4:47.59, School Record)
200-yard IM: 2nd – Alexandria Cotter (2:01.40, School Record)
50-yard Free: 2nd – Kaleigh Kelley (22.82, School Record)
400-yard Medley Relay: 2nd – Sahara Visscher (School Record – 100 Back – 54.96), Ali Pearson, Kaleigh Kelley, Chloe Farro (3:39.82)
3M Diving Consolation: 2nd – Daniela Orta Castaneda (222.90)
Thursday Morning Results
Claire Parsons led four Sycamores that went sub-5:00 to open the 500-yard Freestyle preliminaries on Thursday night as the Indiana State sophomore set a school record on her way to winning the event in 4:49.13. Parsons’ time held off teammates Erin Cummins (4:53.03) and Haley Halsall (4:58.15) to claim the event win with the fastest time in the Missouri Valley this season.
Rose Parsons (4:59.68) went sub-5:00 for the first time in her collegiate career to finish fifth overall in the field, while Maria Saldana Riebeling (5:00.90) was sixth to the wall. Trista Bullock rounded out the group in 15th with a time of 5:04.41.
Alexandria Cotter and Gemma Dilks finished second and third overall in the 200-yard IM in leading the Sycamores in the field. Cotter was the first Indiana State swimmer to the wall in 2:03.13, while Dilks touched closely behind in 2:04.06. Dorotea Bukvic (2:05.42) and Ali Pearson (2:05.56) finished sixth and seventh overall in the field to also record Top 10 results.
Ella Moustgaard sat among the leaders finishing 12th overall in 2:07.10, while Sophia Diaz was 14th in 2:08.11. Olivia Diruzza (2:11.07) and Raz Harel (2:11.21) finished 27th and 28th in the field respectively.
Kaleigh Kelley set Indiana State’s second school record of the day as the sophomore finished third overall in the 50-yard Freestyle. Kelley touched the wall in 23.00 breaking her previous mark of 23.01 set last year at the MVC Championships. Sahara Visscher (23.35) was seventh in the field with Chloe Farro (23.46) and Raine Boles (23.46) tying for ninth overall.
Alexa Szadorski (23.58) posted a Top 15 finish in the field, while Kalli Agapios (24.05), Peyton Heagy (24.06), and Allie Barasch (24.18) all finished inside the Top 25. Ash Saple (24.33) and Kate Reeves (25.02) rounded out the Sycamores in the field.
Daniela Orta Castaneda led the four Sycamore divers on the boards in the 3M Diving prelims as the senior posted a score of 208.20 to place 13th overall in the field. Lucia McDougall was 18th in 187.30 finishing ahead of Brenna Woodruff (19th) 182.20, while Angelina Damiano posted a score of 147.00 to place 23rd in the field.
Thursday Morning Prelims – Top Indiana State Finishers in Each Event
500-yard Free: 1st – Claire Parsons (4:49.13, School Record)
200-yard IM: 2nd – Alexandria Cotter (2:03.13)
50-yard Free: 3rd – Kaleigh Kelley (23.00, School Record)
3M Diving: 13th – Daniela Orta Castaneda (208.20)
Up Next
Friday Event Schedule at Miami Invitational – Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center
9:35 a.m. Prelims: 100 Fly, 400 IM, 200 Freestyle, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, 1M Diving; 5:05 p.m. Finals: 200 Medley Relay, 100 Fly, 400 IM, 200 Freestyle, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, 800 Freestyle Relay, 1M Diving
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SYCAMORES, PANTHERS RENEW LONGSTANDING SERIES FRIDAY IN CHARLESTON
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State and Eastern Illinois face off for the 64th time in program history Friday evening when the Sycamores make the short trek to Charleston to face the Panthers.
Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. and will be carried on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
Chloe Williams paced Indiana State with 17 points Tuesday night and Keslyn Secrist added 16, but homestanding Marquette’s offense clicked on all cylinders in an 83-67 defeat for the Sycamores inside the Al McGuire Center.
Williams also led Indiana State with seven rebounds, while Mia Simpson finished with 10 points for her first double-figure scoring game in a Sycamore uniform.
Indiana State got off to a slow start, trailing by double-digits within the first four minutes of the game, and never fully recovered. The Sycamores’ offense started to turn things around in the middle stages of the game, but Marquette scored 20-plus points in each of the first three quarters, including a 31-point outburst in the third, to take full control of the game. Despite outscoring Marquette 15-7 in the fourth quarter, the Sycamores dug themselves in too big a hole to overcome.
On The Road Again
Indiana State is in the midst of a 45-day span between home games, with the Sycamores not returning home until their Dec. 29 conference opener against Northern Iowa. The 45 days between home games is the second-longest stretch between home games in all of Division I.
Despite the long stretch on the road, the Sycamores have performed better away from Terre Haute in recent years. Indiana State’s lone win this season came on the road, while the Trees have a 18-28 record in away games since the start of the 2021-22 season, compared to a 14-31 mark at home during that stretch.
Taking Advantage
Indiana State has taken full advantage of extra possessions in recent games, with the Sycamores scoring 14 or more bench points in four of the last five games. Included in that stretch is a season-high 19 second chance points against Marquette.
Indiana State is averaging 12.0 offensive rebounds per game this season, converting those extra opportunities into 12.0 second chance points per game.
Sharing Is Caring
Indiana State dished out 12 assists in its last game against Marquette, the Sycamores’ second-highest assist total of the season. Eight different players had at least one assist for the Blue and White, with Queen Ruffin leading the Trees with three.
The Sycamores assisted on 50 percent or more of their baskets in three of the four quarters against Marquette.
Attack The Line
Indiana State finds itself among the national leaders when it comes to getting to the free throw line this season. The Sycamores are 39th nationally with 21.1 free throw attempts per game, while the Trees’ 15.3 free throws made per game ranks 31st in Division I.
The Sycamores have shot better than 70 percent from the charity stripe in five of the first seven games this season, including marks of 77 percent or better in each of the last three games.
Wreaking Havoc
Indiana State continues to be among the Missouri Valley Conference leaders in forcing turnovers, with Sycamore opponents averaging 17.9 giveaways per game. The Trees rank third in the MVC in turnovers forced during the 2024-25 campaign.
Indiana State has often converted their takeaways into points on the other end, with the Trees averaging 17.4 points off turnovers per game. The Sycamores have scored double-digit points off turnovers in six of the first seven games, including three games with 18 or more points off turnovers.
Eastern Illinois At A Glance
Eastern Illinois enters Friday’s game at 2-5 overall, though the Panthers are 2-0 at home with wins over Loyola Chicago and IU Indy. EIU fell 93-40 in its last game at No. 13/12 Kansas State.
Macy McGlone leads the Panthers in scoring and rebounding at 17.1 points and 8.6 boards per game, while Tiny Lewis averages 8.3 points per game off the bench. Kiyley Flowers averages 3.6 assists and 4.1 steals per game for the Panthers, while McGlone also adds 1.3 blocks per game.
Marqus McGlothan is in his first season as the head coach at Eastern Illinois and his third season on the EIU staff. McGlothan spent the 2022-23 season as an assistant coach and the 2023-24 season as associate head coach for the Panthers.
Series History Against Eastern Illinois
Indiana State is 38-25 all-time against Eastern Illinois, including a 16-14 mark in games played in Charleston.
Friday’s game is the first in the series since the 2021-22 season, with the Sycamores’ last win in the series coming in Charleston during the 2019-20 season.
Last Meeting Against Eastern Illinois (Nov. 17, 2021)
Indiana State was unable to overcome inopportune turnovers in the contest and Eastern Illinois took advantage down the stretch as the Sycamores fell at home to the visiting Panthers, 64-55.
Indiana State shot 40.7 percent (22-of-54) from the field in the contest and held the 33-31 rebounding edge in a back-and-forth game through the first three quarters in the Sycamores’ second home contest of the 2021-22 season. The Panthers took advantage of five Indiana State turnovers down the stretch and scored seven points off the miscues in taking the non-conference win.
Adrian Folks was back in double-digits for the third consecutive game as the junior forward finished with 15 points and five rebounds, while Del’Janae Williams was in double-digits for the second time of the season with 11 points and four rebounds in the loss.
Up Next
Indiana State takes part in the Eastern Kentucky MTE December 15-16 in Lexington, Kentucky. The Sycamores will face Northern Illinois and Eastern Kentucky as part of the three-team event.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE SOFTBALL
2025 MASTODON SOFTBALL SLATE SET
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne softball head coach Amber Bowman announced her program’s 2025 schedule on Thursday (Dec. 5).
The 2025 campaign includes 44 regular season games with 13 of those games being played at home. The Mastodons will host their home opener against Akron following their first 21 away from home. They will play 24 Horizon League games this season, with three-game series against each of the eight league teams.
The ‘Dons start their season up with a trip to Conway, South Carolina, as they play in the Kickin’ Chicken Classic hosted by Coastal Carolina from February 7-9. The next week for the second and final tournament of the month, the team will travel to Martin, Tennessee to play in UT Martin’s tournament on February 14-15.
Following a two-week break, the ‘Dons will head out to Carbondale, Illinois for Southern Illinois’ tournament on March 1-2, in which the ‘Dons will get two games against Purdue and games against Central Arkansas and Southern Illinois. One week later, they will be on the road to Richmond, Kentucky to play in the Eastern Kentucky Tournament on March 8-9.
The ‘Dons have one more non-league game in Muncie, Indiana against Ball State on March 1 before competing against IU Indy in Indianapolis to start off their Horizon League slate on March 14-15. The ‘Dons will have their home opener against Akron on March 18, followed by their last non-league game with a short trip to Columbus, Ohio to face Ohio State on March 25. To finish off the month, they will return home to face Detroit Mercy in their second Horizon League series on March 28-29.
Starting off April, the ‘Dons travel to Youngstown, Ohio to face Youngstown State on April 4-5 followed by a homestand against Cleveland State on April 8-9. The ‘Dons are back on the road for back-to-back weekends for series against Oakland (April 12-13) and Robert Morris (April 18-19). The ‘Dons host Northern Kentucky on April 25-26 and stay home for the last weekend of regular season league play when they will face Green Bay on May 2-3, with the last game being Senior Day at the Purdue Fort Wayne Softball Field.
The top six teams in the league will earn a bid to the Horizon League Softball Championship, which will be hosted by the highest available seed that meets facility requirements. The tournament runs May 7-10.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL
#HLMBB OPENER GOES TO DETROIT MERCY 79-78
DETROIT – Purdue Fort Wayne fell at Detroit Mercy 79-78 on Thursday (Dec. 5) afternoon in the Horizon League men’s basketball opener for both teams.
Rasheed Bello and Jalen Jackson led the ‘Dons with 17 points. Bello added four assists. Jackson had five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Corey Hadnot II added 10 points off the bench, scoring half of the Mastodons’ 20 bench points in the contest.
The game featured 13 lead changes and six ties. A Maximus Nelson 3-pointer followed by a Bello jumper put the ‘Dons up 77-74 with 1:04 remaining. It was a 78-76 game when Legend Geeter made a 3-pointer with four seconds left to give the Detroit Mercy Titans a 79-78 lead. A Mastodon timeout setup a final look, but a 3-point attempt rimmed out at the buzzer.
The ‘Dons finished the game shooting 49.2 percent (29-of-59). Detroit Mercy shot 48.3 percent (29-of-60). Geeter had a game-high 22 points for the Titans.
Bello led the ‘Dons with seven points in the first half as Purdue Fort Wayne led 33-31 at the break.
Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 5-4 (0-1 Horizon League). Detroit Mercy improves to 5-5 (1-0 Horizon League). Purdue Fort Wayne hosts Robert Morris on Sunday (Dec. 8). It will be a 2 p.m. start at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
VALPO EDGED BY UNDEFEATED DRAKE IN DRAMATIC LEAGUE OPENER
The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team pushed undefeated Drake to the brink, but the visiting Bulldogs escaped the Athletics-Recreation Center with their unblemished mark intact after a 66-60 victory over the Beacons, who were led by 20 points from fifth-year senior Tyler Schmidt (Valparaiso, Ind. / Victory Christian Academy). When the devastation of a tightly-contested defeat wears off, Valpo fans will have reason for optimism after an encouraging showing against the Missouri Valley Conference’s top team according to NET ratings.
How It Happened
Valpo got off to a strong start, particularly on the defensive end by holding Drake to just five points over the game’s first seven minutes. The Beacons possessed a 12-5 edge thanks in part to early triples from freshman All Wright (Durango, Mexico / Link Year) and redshirt sophomore Isaiah Shaw (Phoenix, Ariz. / Davidson Academy).
The Bulldogs ran off seven straight points to tie the game at 12, but Shaw hit his second 3-pointer to put the Beacons back in front. After falling behind by seven early, Drake outscored Valpo 17-4 during the next stretch to build up a six-point advantage with 7:49 left in the half.
The Beacons chipped to within two, but another Bulldog burst ballooned the lead to eight with 3:45 on the first-half clock. Drake pushed the edge to double figures for the first time with 2:06 remaining in the half and led by as many as 12 before a 3 by Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro (LaSalle, Quebec, Canada / Orangeville Prep) beat the halftime buzzer to make it 35-26 at the break.
Another 3 by De La Cruz Monegro cut the deficit briefly to eight, but for the majority of the first nine minutes of the second half Valpo trailed by double figures. A stretch carried by Schmidt helped Valpo claw to within five on a triple by the hometown product with 8:45 to play to make it 50-45.
A big 3 by Wright cut the gap to four with seven minutes to go, and eventually the volume level in the ARC rose to a decibel reminiscent of some of the great moments of Valpo yesteryear when Schmidt hit the game-tying 3 with 3:41 to play.
A flurry of baskets by Drake’s Bennett Stirtz were the difference down the stretch. He finished with 29 points while playing all 40 minutes.
Inside the Game
Schmidt’s team-high 20 points came on 7-of-9 shooting and 3-of-5 from distance. He outdid his previous season high of 19 that occurred on Nov. 24 vs. Eastern Illinois. Schmidt made his first seven shots of the night.
Schmidt, who entered the evening fourth on the team in scoring average, surpassed three teammates and is now the team’s leading scorer for the season at 11.9 points per game, leading four Beacons averaging in double figures.
Shaw tallied a career-high 15 points, edging his previous personal best of 14 from Nov. 8 vs. Concordia Ann Arbor. He shot at a 5-of-7 clip and made three of his four 3-point attempts.
The Beacons turned it over just 10 times, the team’s sixth time in eight games with 10 or fewer and fourth straight such contest.
The Valpo bench outscored Drake’s bench 39-16. Schmidt and Shaw alone combined for 58.3 percent of Valpo’s points.
Sophomore Kaspar Sepp (Tartu, Estonia / Fairmont Academy) squeezed a team-high seven rebounds. The Estonia native has grabbed seven or more boards on five occasions in the first eight games of the year.
Drake outscored Valpo in the paint 32-18 including a 22-6 advantage in the first half.
Drake remained one of only nine undefeated teams in the country.
VALPO SOFTBALL
VALPO ANNOUNCES 2025 SOFTBALL SCHEDULE
With opening day of the 2025 season just over two months away, the Valpo softball program unveiled its schedule for the upcoming campaign Thursday.
The Beacons will start the season with a short trip to Rosemont, Ill. for the DePaul Dome Tournament Feb. 8-9, facing Butler, DePaul, Green Bay and Detroit Mercy over the course of two days. This will mark the fourth time in the last five seasons Valpo has opened its season indoors in Rosemont.
After a weekend off, Valpo heads to Presbyterian for the second consecutive season for early-season tournament action. The Beacons will face Monmouth twice and Presbyterian, UMES and Cleveland State once apiece Feb. 21-23.
A trip to St. Charles, Mo. for the Lindenwood Invitational is on tap the next week, as Valpo takes on the hosts twice, Western Illinois twice and Green Bay once Feb. 28-March 2. Tournament action concludes at Marshall March Madness March 7-9 with two games apiece against Loyola and Buffalo and one matchup with the hosts, and the Beacons will make a brief pit stop for a game against Northern Kentucky on their way back to Valpo.
Valpo will hit the road for three midweek nonconference games in the midst of conference action. The Beacons head to DePaul March 26, Illinois April 16 and Notre Dame April 23.
Missouri Valley Conference play gets underway March 14-16 at Indiana State, with the Beacons’ home-opening series set for March 21-23 against Southern Illinois. Valpo will also play on the road at Bradley (April 4-6), Belmont (April 17-19) and UNI (May 1-3), and host home series against Evansville (March 28-30), Illinois State (April 11-13) and Drake (April 25-27). The Beacons’ series against UIC will be split into a doubleheader in Chicago April 1 and a single game in Valpo April 8.
The MVC Tournament will be contested May 7-10 in Des Moines, Iowa, with the champion earning the Valley’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
UINDY MEN’S BASKETBALL
OFFENSE STALLS IN ROAD LOSS TO TRITONS
ST. LOUIS – A sluggish offensive start proved too much to overcome on Thursday, as the UIndy men’s basketball team fell at Missouri-St. Louis, 66-59. Dashawn Jackson led the team in scoring 18 points, including a couple 3-pointers in the waning minutes.
The Greyhound defense forced 21 turnovers on the evening, but shot just 29.4 percent from the floor in the first half and played from behind the rest of the way.
Dylan Ingram scored all 14 of his points in the second half, drilling four triples in the first four minutes to pull UIndy within one on two occasions.
INS & OUTS
Blanked in the first half in an 0-for-11 effort from 3-point range, Ingram came out firing out of the break with four 3-balls to cut the deficit to 37-36 at the under-16 media timeout.
The teams traded punches, as freshman Tucker Tornatta slammed one home to even the game at 43 apiece and Pierce Thomas hit a jumper with under 10 minutes left with the Hounds trailing by a deuce.
The offense stalled for five-and-a-half minutes thereafter, with the Tritons using an 11-0 run to pull away from the Greyhounds. Jackson drilled each of his three 3-point attempts in the final 3:18 to up his team lead in the category to 17 on the season.
INSIDE THE BOX
– With his four 3-pointers at UMSL, Ingram surpassed his 2023-24 total from deep and now has 10 triples this season. The senior leads the team with a 38.5 percent clip from beyond the arc.
– Brody Whitaker led the Hounds with eight rebounds in a team-high 32 minutes, while Jackson secured seven boards.
– The Greyhounds outscored the Tritons, 17-7, in points off turnovers, but managed a single free throw on the fast break.
– Grant Disken has now logged 21+ minutes in consecutive games after ranging between 16-18 in the team’s first five contests.
UP NEXT
The Hounds remain in search for their first GLVC win of the season, traveling down the road to Maryville for a Saturday bout scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET.
UINDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
THIRD QUARTER PUSH NOT ENOUGH AT UMSL
ST. LOUIS – The UIndy women’s basketball dropped its second straight game to open GLVC play on Thursday, falling to Missouri-St. Louis by a score of 64-49.
The Greyhounds outscored their hosts, 17-10, in the third quarter to make it a game before the Tritons pulled away late in the final frame.
Both Patricia Chikamba (12) and Amyrah Sapenter (10) finished with double figures, while Halie Gilbert recorded a career-high nine points and five rebounds.
INS & OUTS
Trailing by 18 in the third quarter, Chikamba sparked a 10-0 run with less than three-and-a-half minutes to go in the period. Gilbert split the scoring duties with Chikamba during the stretch, with Elana Wells sinking a pair of free throws to pull the Greyhounds within eight at the buzzer.
Gilbert opened the fourth with two of her own at the charity stripe to cap the impressive 12-0 UIndy run and force a Tritons’ timeout. Autumn Rucker cut the deficit back to six with a triple with 7:18 on the scoreboard; UMSL responded with a 12-3 run to close the contest thanks in large part to a couple 3-pointers from Kate Rolfes.
Kylah Lawson opened the evening with a field goal in the team’s first possession, while Wells followed with a layup of her own to give the Hounds an early 4-3 lead.
INSIDE THE BOX
– UIndy won the turnover battle for just the second time this season, forcing 16 UMSL miscues compared to its 14.
– Thursday marked the third consecutive game the Greyhounds have secured 30 or more rebounds, as all eight players who saw action recorded at least one. Chikamba led all players with seven boards.
– Gilbert made all three of her free-throw attempts, adding three made field goals.
– Sapenter committed another four steals on Thursday to up her conference lead to 20 as of publication. Ruby Garner finished with three.
UP NEXT
The Hounds remain in search for their first GLVC win under new head coach Jama Sharp on Saturday at Maryville. Tip with the Saints is scheduled for a 2 p.m. ET.
UINDY FOOTBALL
SCHULTE HEADLINES ALL-REGION LIST; GILLAM, CROWELL HONORED
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – UIndy football standouts Key Crowell, Markez Gillam and Clay Schulte were voted to the D2CCA All-Super Region 3 Team, announced Thursday. Crowell and Gillam both earned second-team recognition, while Schulte was named the region’s Defensive Player of the Year. The trio led UIndy to its fourth-ever 10-win regular season this fall, as well as a third consecutive playoff appearance and GLVC title.
Also dubbed the GLVC Defensive Player of the Year, Schulte finished the season with an even 100 tackles—including 14.5 tackles for loss and four sacks—while adding three interceptions and a forced fumble. The hard-hitting linebacker spearheaded a unit that ranked seventh in Division II in rushing defense and 21st in scoring defense. He picked up his third career All-GLVC honoree this past season as well as his fourth career GLVC Defensive Player of the Week nod.
Crowell secured all-region accolades at cornerback as a true freshman. The Lebanon, Tenn., native was the GLVC co-leader with five interceptions while topping the team’s non-linebackers in tackles. The All-GLVC first teamer earned an INT and a pass breakup at Hillsdale in his collegiate debut and later managed a 40-yard pick-six versus SW Baptist.
Lastly, Gillam ranked third in the nation in kickoff return average at 33.5 per attempt and was the one of only three Super Region 3 players with two kickoff return TDs this year. The Reynoldsburg, Ohio product broke off a 96-yard return touchdown versus Truman in week 2 before taking back a kickoff 100 yards versus Missouri S&T in week 10. An All-GLVC First Team at return specialist, he also averaged 13.6 yards per reception and 11.7 yards per rush this season.
Overall, UIndy’s three honorees led all GLVC schools, with William Jewell the only other league school to earn inclusion. The yearly honors were nominated for and voted on by the region’s sports communicators.
MARIAN VOLLEYBALL
NO. 20 MARIAN UPENDS NO. 12 PROVIDENCE IN NAIA TOURNAMENT POOL PLAY
Sioux City, Iowa – The Marian women’s volleyball team opened up day two of NAIA Pool Play this morning at the Tyson Events Center upsetting No. 12 Providence 3-1. The Knights are now 25-9 overall on the season.
The beginning part of the first set drew four ties with the Knights benefiting off of an attacking error and kills by Nicole Wilkinson, Madison Brooks, and Sarah Bennett. Providence then broke up the bottleneck with a 4-0 run to bring the set 4-9. The Knights began to chip away at the lead with Gabby Fish claiming two kills and Mikayla Christiansen with one but were not able to claim a deep run against the Argos defense. The Knights got their footing to gain a 4-0 run with Wilkinson, Khori Dryden, Bennett all claiming kills as well as an attacking error by Providence to draw a timeout by the Argos with a set score of 11-13. Both sides were unable to draw any runs longer than two with Dryden, Christiansen, Smith, Wilkinson, and Brooks each claiming a kill while Bennett was able to claim two. The Argos capitalized on two kills and an attacking error to claim their last three points out of a Marian timeout and secure the set victory of 25-22.
Marian kicked it into gear in the second set with Christiansen and Brooks opening up with back to back kills to claim the first two points of the set. Brooks and Dryden both claimed a kill followed up by an attacking error from Taylor of the Argos to take the early 5-1 lead. The Knights continued to dominate and break up Providence’s potential runs with Bennett and Dryden both claiming a kill each as well as Gabby Fish and Wilkinson claiming a block to bring the score 10-5. The Knights then went on their longest run of the day so far with a 10-0 run to only be broken up by a timeout by the Argos between the seventh and eighth point of the run. Christiansen, Brooks, and Wilkinson each claimed a kill as well as multiple blocks in the run as well as Smith’s second ace of the day. Brooks, Smith, and Dryden’s kills were all on fire as well as Bennett and Brooks’ block to secure the 25-14 set win and tie the game up 1-1.
The Knights continued to bring the heat into the third set with Brooks and Wilkinson putting a stop to the Argos’ efforts of scoring the first point with a block. Marian continued to maintain their lead with a 2-0 run followed up by a 5-0 run with Christiansen claiming one kill, Dryden claiming two, and Brooks claiming three with Logan Smith claiming the assist on each play and claiming the 8-2 lead. Each side continued to trade points back and forth with the Knights continuing to maintain the lead with Brooks, Christiansen, and Dryden claiming kills as well as Wilkinson and Brooks claiming blocks to stop the Argos’ efforts. Marian drew their first timeout of the set with the score at 16-14. Coming out of the timeout Dryden, Fish, and Christiansen each claimed crucial kills to draw Providence’s first timeout of the set. Wilknson came out of the timeout with a kill with the assist from Emerson Evans bringing the score 20-16. Fish and Brooks each claimed a kill in the final points of the set as well as Chrsitiansen claiming an ace. Brooks ended the set with a kill from a pass off of Smith to secure the 25-20 win in set three.
Marian opened the final set with a 4-0 run followed by a 5-0 run with Christiansen, Brooks, and Dryden each claiming multiple kills to secure the 9-3 lead over Providence. The Knights continued to push 3-0 runs with Christiansen claiming five kills and Fish and Dryden claiming one each before Providence drew their first timeout with the score 18-13. Coming out of the timeout Brooks claimed two kills as well as an assisted block with Bennett to claim Marian’s third 3-0 run and bring the Knights four points away from an upset over Providence. Dryden, Brooks, and Christiansen each claimed a kill bringing the game to a match point with Sydney Schaffer back to serve. Schaffer drills the serve to the ride side of the court and the Argos were unable to claim a dig ending the set off of an ace from Schaffer to claim the 25-21 set win as well as the 3-1 upset over No. 12.
Madison Brooks led the team in kills with 20 claiming not only her career-high in kills but in points as well with 24. Mikayla Christiansen also claimed her career-high in kills with 17 in the match. Khori Dryden claimed 13 kills as well on the day. Logan Smith led the team in assists with 36 claiming a new career high as well as a new career high in digs with 22. Emerson Evans also claimed 17 assists in the matchup. Emma Lyons led the team in digs with 35 while Christiansen had 12 and Lexa Zimmerman claimed 10. Nicole Wilkinson led the team in blocks with eight while Brooks was close behind with seven. Smith led the team in serving aces with two while Christiansen and Sydney Schaffer each had one.
The Knights hopes of continuing into the Quarterfinal match-ups in the NAIA National Tournament depend on the results of the Providence and Bellevue matchup tomorrow morning at 11 AM ET. If Marian advances to the tiebreaker round, the events will be streamed on the NAIA network tomorrow night, December 6th.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
24 – 44 – 45 – 14 – 80 – 22 – 33
December 6, 1939 – 5th Heisman Trophy Award was won by Iowa halfback Number 24, Nile Kinnick.
December 6, 1961 – 27th Heisman Trophy Award was historic as it went to the first African American to have ever won the prestigious trophy, Syracuse halfback, Number 44, Ernie Davis
December 6, 1975 – 41st Heisman Trophy Award was won by Ohio State running back Number 45, Archie Griffin.
December 6, 1986 – 52nd Heisman Trophy Award was won by Miami Hurricanes quarterback Number 14, Vinny Testaverde
December 6, 1992 – San Francisco 49ers wide receiver, Number 80, Jerry Rice catches NFL recorded his 101st career touchdown in a 27-3 win over Miami Dolphins at Candlestick Park
December 6, 2018 – Tennessee Titans running back Number 22, Derrick Henry exploded for a record 238 yards and 4 touchdowns in 30-9 win versus the Jacksonville Jaguars in Nashville; 99-yard TD run tied a performance by Dallas Cowboys HOF RB Number 33 Tony Dorsett’s longest run in NFL history
FOOTBALL HISTORY
December 6, 1925 – Polo Grounds, New York – A record crowd of more than 73,000 paid to watch the Chicago Bears beat NY Giants 19-7. American Fandom’s website claims that the big draw was Red Grange as he had recently joined the Bears roster after his college schedule at Illinois was completed. Everyone wanted to get a glimpse of the great player that just a few weeks earlier was still taking the College game by storm.iframesrc=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/0ieIbClaB84″
December 6, 1930 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – The 18th Grey Cup game was played and the Toronto Balmy Beach squad won their 2nd title as the beat out the Regina Roughriders by the final score of 11-6.
December 6, 1939 – The Downtown Athletic Club selected Iowa’s standout halfback, Nile Kinnick as the 5th Heisman Trophy Award winner. The Hawkeyes of 1939 had an additional nickname per the Heisman.com website, “the Ironmen.” Kinnick was their leader and he led the team by almost never leaving the field, averaging 57 minutes per game! At one point in the1939 season he played 402 straight minutes that spanned over 7 games, until a shoulder injury in the season finale forced him to sit out for a spell. It is remarkable to think that this guy left the University of Minnesota a couple years earlier because he didn’t make their team! Nile’s 1939 stats were that he threw for 638 yards and 11 touchdowns as well as pounding out for 374 yards on 106 carries on the ground while also drop-kicking for another 41 points for Iowa.
December 6, 1961 – We alluded to this earlier in the week but this day was a watershed moment in Heisman history. Ernie Davis Syracuse’s outstanding halfback became the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy Award! If you remember back to our December 4 segment of the Football History Headlines Ernie was also the first black player to be drafted with the top pick in the NFL Draft by the Washington franchise two days before this Heisman announcement. What a week for this young man! Davis was the top player in the nation in 1961 as he rushed for 823 yards as a senior and scored 15 touchdowns while leading Syracuse in pass receiving with 16 catches for 157 yards.
December 6, 1975 – We foreshadowed this story earlier this week too. Archie Griffin, the Ohio State Buckeyes prolific runner became the first player to take home consecutive Heisman Trophy Awards when he won the 41st edition of the coveted honor. In his senior season of ‘75 Archie ran for 1357 yards, and led Ohio State to a perfect 11-0 record and the top ranking in the nation. It is amazing to think that he was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio and was able to achieve these great gridiron heights in front of his hometown crowd! Heisman.com brings up the fact that Griffin started all four years he was with the Buckeyes, and became the first player to ever play in four Rose Bowl Games! On top of that Archie reached All-America honors three times! Others in consideration for the 1975 Heisman were Chuck Muncie and Ricky Bell.
December 6, 1986 – The 52nd Heisman Trophy Award was announced and it was the University of Miami’s Quarterback Vinny Testaverde who took home College Football’s top honor. The Hurricanes enjoyed not just the accomplishment of their signal caller taking home the Downtown Athletic Clubs famous hardware for the first time by a Miami player, but also the team went undefeated on the season. Heisman.com’s web bio on Vinny T. tells us that he ran in four touchdowns while tossing the pigskin for 2557 yards and 26 more scores.
December 6, 1992 -Candlestick Park – San Francisco 49ers GOAT wide receiver Jerry Rice caught an NFL record 101st career touchdown in a 27-3 win over Miami Dolphins. When Rice completed his awesome career he set the bar high with 197 receptions that scored 6 points. The next closest player to that record was Randy Moss who finished over 40 TDs behind Rice per the Pro-Football-Reference stats.
Rapid Fire Headlines from Onthisday.com
December 6, 1997 – The SEC Championship Game for the ‘97 season came down to #3 Tennessee edging out #11 Auburn in a close one with a 30-29 final score.
December 6, 2003 – The 12th SEC Championship Game was a battle of top teams as #3 LSU crushed #5 Georgia’s aspirations in a 34-13 lopsided victory.
December 6, 2008 – This SEC Championship Game was key to the national championship picture when #2 Florida overcame the challenge of #1 Alabama with a stunning 31-20 final score.
December 6, 2014 – If you love close scores in big games then the ACC Championship Game of 2014 will be one that you will want to remember. This game went right down to the wire as #2 Florida State overcame a #12 Georgia Tech scare to win 37-35.
December 6, 2018 – Nashville’s Nissan Stadium -Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry goes on a rampage as he ran for a franchise-record of 238 yards with 4 scores. Henry propelled his team to a dominating 30-9 victory over their divisional rivals the Jacksonville Jaguars. During the contest Derick had a 99-yard touchdown run that tied a long standing NFL record as the longest run in League history held by Dallas Cowboys legendary runner Tony Dorsett. You’ll want to see the run by checking out this link to Tennessee Titans.com.
November 27, 2021 – The Michigan Wolverines knocked off their nemesis Ohio State for the first time in a decade. The win along with some timely games in the Conference Championships propelled the Big Blue to the number one seed in the national Championship tourney.
December 5, 2021 – The Detroit Lions had their first win of the season in week 13 as they stunned the Minnesota Vikings 29-27 in the victory.
December 6, 2021 – It was a very windy evening in Buffalo, New York when the New England Patriots sitting at 7-4 went to play the Bills (7-4) for first place in the AFC East on Monday Night Football. Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels had a surprise in store for the Bills and all who watched as his Rookie QB, Mac Jones threw only 3 total pass attempts in the entire game to lead the patriots to a stunning 14-10 victory. The Pats had 222 yards on the ground and the New England Defense stifled the powerful Buffalo offense to a mere 230 total yards. It was the fewest pass attempts in an NFL game by a team since 1974.
Hall of Fame Birthdays for December 6
December 6,1896 – George Trafton the long time center of the Chicago Bears was born. Trafton according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s biography sketch on him played only one season of college ball at Notre Dame before jumping to the Pro ranks with George Halas and the Bears. In fact he was the franchise’s first center because he actually started off his NFL career as a Staley. Trafton indicated that in those early days, rosters were small so players on the team were expected to play a full 60 minutes. Mr. Trafton set a couple of NFL trends as he was the first offensive center to snap the ball using only one hand and on the other side of the ball he was the first defensive lineman to move around the field in a rover like manner. He spent 12 seasons in the League. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined George Trafton in 1964.
December 6, 1898 – Waco, Texas – Benny Lee Boynton the quarterback from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts was born. Benny’s profile on footballfoundation.org informs us that he is Williams College’s most famous gridiron player as Boynton directed the Williams eleven to a total of 18 wins, five loses and one tie. Their 1917 team had a perfect undefeated, season as they registered upset victories over larger schools like Cornell and Columbia. Benny received consensus All-America recognition in 1917 and 1919. In 1920 he led the Williams offense to some high offensive productions such as the game against Wesleyan where the Ephs put up 50 points, scoring 62 versus Trinity, RPI gave up 63, and Hamilton saw an embarrassing 82 put against their defense. The National Football Foundation selected Benny Lee Boynton to go into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1962.
December 6, 1918 – Ford City, Pennsylvania – Nick Drahos the great tackle from Cornell University was born. The National Football Foundation selected Nick Drahos to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981.
December 6, 1921 – Waukegan, Illinois – Otto Graham the great signal caller for the 1941 to ‘43 Northwestern Wildcats came into this world. According to the National Football Foundation Graham was well rounded as he was All-America in football in 1943, All-America in basketball in 1944. Otto also won two letters in baseball and excelled as a musician, geez was there anything this young man couldn’t do well? It may have been a shorter to list those items! Technically in college Graham played the position of left-halfback in the Wildcat’s single wing offense. Just an editor’s note there does not seem to be any correlation of Northwestern success with the single-wing offense and the fact that the single-wing in today’s football landscape being referenced as the “Wildcat” offense. Perhaps this is a story for a future episode. Any how back to Otto Graham. He set numerous offensive records at his school and they can be found on the NFF article. In 1956 the College Football Hall of Fame accepted Otto Graham into their ranks of gridiron legends. After his college playing days ended, Graham became the first Cleveland Browns player when coach Paul Brown signed him as a T-formation quarterback. Otto and the Browns dominated the now defunct AAFC professional league and then thereafter entered into the realm of the NFL where they had continued their previous success. Graham’s biography sketch on profootballhof.com tells us that he played 10 seasons of pro ball and was the top passer in the respective leagues he played in 6 of those years. He also was given All-League honors in 9 of the ten years he played professionally. The 1950 NFL title game saw Otto toss 4 TD passes and in the 1954 NFL Championship contest he ran for 3 and threw for 3 scores. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Otto Graham in 1965.
December 6, 1925 -Andy Robustelli the Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end was born. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Los Angeles Rams drafted Robustelli, an end from tiny Arnold College, in the nineteenth round of the 1951 National Football League Draft. He didn’t stand much a chance making the team as an end with players like Tom Fears and Crazy Legs Hirsch already on the roster but they found a place for Andy on the defensive side of the ball. He played 14 seasons on the Rams D line and missed only one game in that time. He played in 8 NFL championship games while playing for the Rams for five seasons and then 9 more as a member of the New York Giants. In 1962 Robustelli was named as the NFL’s top player by the Maxwell Club.
TODAY IN SPORTS
Dec. 6
1939 — Iowa’s Nile Kinnick wins the Heisman Trophy. The back passed for 638 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushed for 374 yards.
1961 — Syracuse running back Ernie Davis becomes the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy.
1984 — Martina Navratilova loses to Helena Sukova, ending the longest winning streak in history of women’s singles tennis — 74 matches dating to Jan. 15, 1984.
1986 — Miami’s Vinny Testaverde wins the Heisman Trophy in a runaway. The quarterback, who led the nation in passing efficiency, won the by 1,541 points over Temple running back Paul Palmer, the country’s top rusher.
1990 — The Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators receive approval to join the NHL in 1992-93.
1992 — Jerry Rice becomes the NFL’s career leader in touchdown receptions with his 101st scoring pass during the fourth quarter of the San Francisco 49ers’ 27-3 victory over Miami. Rice surpassed Steve Largent’s mark of 100.
1992 — Jim Courier rebounds from a slow start to beat Switzerland’s Jakob Hlasek in four sets as the United States recaptures the Davis Cup.
1998 — Denver with a 35-31 comeback win over Kansas City, becomes the third 13-0 team in NFL history. The Broncos join the 1934 Chicago Bears and 1972 Miami Dolphins.
2000 — Golden State’s Antawn Jamison and the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant each scored 51 points, including trading six straight scores in the final two minutes of overtime. It’s Jamison’s second 51-point performance in four days, and Bryant’s career high. But Jamison earns extra satisfaction as the Warriors prevail 125-122 over Los Angeles. It’s the first time in 38 years two players score 50 in the same game.
2003 — Army becomes the first team to finish 0-13 in major college history after a 34-6 loss to Navy.
2005 — Philadelphia wins the first scoreless NHL game that is decided by a shootout, beating Calgary 1-0. Philadelphia’s Antero Niittymaki stops 28 shots in regulation and overtime and all three during the shootout.
2008 — Southern California beats UCLA 28-7 to win its record seventh straight Pac-10 championship. The Trojans (11-1) also have won 11 or more games in seven straight seasons — another record.
2009 — Switzerland’s Carlo Janka wins the giant slalom to become the first man in more than 2 1/2 years with three consecutive World Cup victories. Janka won the super combined event two days earlier and the downhill yesterday.
2009 — Drew Brees is 35 for 49 for 419 yards with two touchdowns and one interception as New Orleans stays undefeated with a 33-30 overtime win at Washington. New Orleans and Indianapolis both improve to 12-0, marking the first time in NFL history that two teams are unbeaten this late in the season.
2009 — Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre sets an NFL record by playing in his 283rd consecutive game, a 30-17 loss to Arizona. The 40-year-old Favre breaks the record of 282 held by longtime Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall.
2013 — Jennifer O’Neill scores a career-high 43 points, including the go-ahead basket in the fourth overtime, and No. 5 Kentucky beats No. 9 Baylor 133-130 in the highest-scoring Division I women’s game in history. The previous high for a Division I women’s game was 252 points in SMU’s 127-125 win over TCU, also in four overtimes, on Jan. 25, 1997.
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Dec. 7
1973 — Jerry West of Los Angeles sets an NBA record with 10 steals in the Lakers’ 115-111 loss to the Seattle Supersonics.
1985 — Auburn tailback Bo Jackson beats Iowa quarterback Chuck Long by 45 points in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy, the closest vote in the 51-year history of the trophy.
1991 — AJ Kitt becomes the first American in seven years to win a men’s World Cup race, taking the first downhill of the season In Val D’Isere, France.
2002 — St. John’s (Minn.) coach John Gagliardi wins his 400th game with a 21-14 victory over Linfield in the Division III quarterfinals. Gagliardi is the second coach to reach the 400 mark, eight victories behind Eddie Robinson.
2003 — The computer rankings have Oklahoma as the country’s top team while the human poll voters pick USC. Despite getting walloped by Kansas State 35-7, No. 3 Oklahoma takes its 12-1 record to the Sugar Bowl against No. 2 LSU, which won the Southeastern Conference championship by beating Georgia 34-13.
2006 — Willie Parker breaks Pittsburgh’s single-game rushing record with 223 yards as the Steelers rough up the Cleveland Browns 27-7. Parker, the first player in Steelers history to have two 200-yard games in a season, betters John “Frenchy” Fuqua’s record of 218 yards against Philadelphia in 1970.
2008 — The Arizona Cardinals clinch their first division title in 33 years by beating the woeful St. Louis Rams 34-10. The Cardinals, long the league’s doormat franchise with just one winning season in the past 24 years, earn their first playoff berth since 1998 and first divisional title since they won the NFC East in 1975.
2013 — Aurelien Collin scores the equalizer in the second half of the MLS Cup, then drives home the deciding penalty kick to give Sporting Kansas City a dramatic victory over Real Salt Lake and its first league title since 2000. With the score 1-1 through regulation and 30 minutes of overtime, the teams engage in the longest penalty-kick shootout in championship history — one that both sides had chances to win before Collin’s shot and Jimmy Nielsen’s save left Sporting KC with the 7-6 victory.
2014 — The first College Football Playoff expands the national championship race and produces a final four with major star power. Nick Saban’s No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Urban Meyer’s No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes at the Sugar Bowl. Marcus Mariota and second-seeded Oregon vs. Jameis Winston, last season’s Heisman Trophy winner, and defending national champion Florida State at the Rose Bowl.
2014 — Robbie Keane scores on a breakaway in the 111th minute, and Landon Donovan wins his record sixth MLS title in the LA Galaxy’s 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution in the MLS Cup.
2016 — Napheesa Collier scores 20 points, Gabby Williams has 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists and No. 1 Connecticut beats No. 2 Notre Dame 72-61 for its 83rd straight victory. UConn’s last loss was 88-86 in overtime to Stanford on Nov. 17, 2014.
2017 — Larry Nassar, a former elite sports doctor whose sexual assault cases that rocked Michigan State University and the group that trains U.S. Olympic gymnasts, is sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for possessing thousands of images of child pornography. Nassar, 54, will also be sentenced for 10 state counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in January. In November, he pled guilty to using his hands to molest girls at his campus office, his home and at a gymnastics club near Lansing, Michigan.
Dec. 8
1940 — The Chicago Bears beat the Washington Redskins 73-0 for the most one-sided victory in NFL Championship play.
1942 — Georgia’s Frank Sinkwich wins the Heisman Trophy. Sinkwich ends his career holding the Southeastern Conference record for total offense with 2,399 yards.
1948 — Southern Methodist junior Doak Walker wins the Heisman Trophy. Walker over three years scores 303 points, including 40 touchdowns and 60 points after touchdowns.
1961 — Philadelphia’s Wilt Chamberlain scores 78 points and grabs 43 rebounds in a 151-147 triple overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Elgin Baylor leads the Lakers with 63 points.
1963 — Cookie Gilchrist of the Buffalo Bills sets an AFL record with 243 yards rushing and ties a league record with five touchdowns in a 45-14 rout of the New York Jets.
1977 — Texas running back Earl Campbell wins the Heisman Trophy.
1987 — Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers becomes the first NHL goaltender to shoot a puck into the opposing goal in a 5-2 victory over the Boston Bruins.
2000 — Shaquille O’Neal sets an NBA record by going 0-for-11 from the free-throw line as the SuperSonics beat the Lakers 103-95. He broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record, who went 0-for-10 for Philadelphia against Detroit on Nov. 4, 1960. O’Neal had 26 points and 16 rebounds.
2002 — Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon sets an NFL record with his 10th 300-yard game of the season, throwing for 328 yards in the Raider 27-7 win over San Diego and breaking a tie with Dan Marino, Warren Moon and Kurt Warner.
2007 — Florida quarterback Tim Tebow becomes the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. He beats out Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, the first player since 1949 to finish second in consecutive seasons.
2011 — Three-time NL MVP Albert Pujols agrees to a $254 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels on the final day of baseball’s winter meetings. Pujols’ contract is the second-highest in baseball history and only the third to break the $200 million barrier, following Alex Rodriguez’s $252 million, 10-year deal with Texas before the 2001 season and A-Rod’s $275 million, 10-year contract with the Yankees before the 2008 season.
2011 — The NBA and players union reach financial agreement to end a 161-day lockout, shortening the season by 16 games.
2012 — Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel becomes the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, taking college football’s top individual prize after a record-breaking debut. Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o finishes a distant second and Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein is third in the voting.
2013 — Zach Johnson rallies from four shots behind with eight holes to play and beats Tiger Woods, the No. 1 player in golf, at the World Challenge. Johnson holes out from a drop area for par on the last hole to force a playoff and wins when Woods misses a 5-foot par putt on the first extra hole.
2013 — Lydia Ko, a 16-year-old from New Zealand, rallies to win her first title as a professional. Ko, making her second pro start, wins the Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters, closing with a 4-under 68 for a three-stroke victory over South Korea’s So Yeon Ryu. She won four pro events as an amateur, taking the Canadian Women’s Open the last two years.
2018 — Kyler Murray, Oklahoma, wins Heisman Trophy.
2022 — American basketball star Brittany Griner is released by Russian authorities in a prisoner exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout; Griner detained on drug smuggling charges since February 2022.
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Dec. 9
1934 — The New York Giants wins the NFL championship by beating the Chicago Bears 30-13 in the famous “Sneakers Game.” With the temperature at 9 degrees and the Polo Grounds field a sheet of ice, the Giants open the second half wearing basketball shoes and score 27 points in the final period to overcome a 13-3 Chicago lead.
1938 — The Chicago Cardinals select TCU center Ki Aldrich with the first pick of the NFL Draft.
1939 — The Chicago Cardinals select Tennessee half back George Cafego with the first pick of the NFL Draft.
1949 — The All-America Conference merges with the National Football League. Three teams from the AAFC — the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Colts — join the 10-team NFL. The league is called the National-American Football League, but months later the National Football League name is restored.
1973 — Jim Bakken of the St. Louis Cardinals kicks six field goals in a 32-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
1977 — Moses Malone scores 20 points and grabs nine rebounds in the second half to lead the Houston Rockets to a 116-105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The game s marred by a one-punch knockout of Rockets’ forward Rudy Tomjanovich by Los Angeles forward Kermit Washington.
1984 — Eric Dickerson of the Los Angeles Rams rushes for 215 yards and two touchdowns against the Houston Oilers, breaking O.J. Simpson’s NFL single-season rushing record of 2,003 yards. Dickerson ends the season with 2,105 yards.
1993 — Kevin Johnson of Phoenix becomes the 13th player to record 10 steals in an NBA game, during the Suns’ 114-95 win over Washington.
2000 — Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith rushes for a season-high 150 yards, putting him over 1,000 for a record-tying 10th straight season and joins Walter Payton and Barry Sanders as the only players in NFL history with 15,000 career yards.
2001 — Bode Miller becomes the first American since 1983 to win a World Cup giant slalom race. Miller, third after the opening leg, has an excellent second run to win in a combined time of 2 minutes, 36.02 seconds in Val D’Isere, France.
2007 — Peyton Manning of Indianapolis becomes the fifth quarterback in NFL history to throw 300 touchdown passes, getting four and going 13-for-17 for 249 yards in a 44-20 win over Baltimore.
2009 — Cassidy Schaub rolls consecutive 300 games and sets a Professional Bowlers Association 16-game scoring record, averaging 257.25 to retain the second-round lead in the Pepsi Red, White and Blue Open. Schaub had a 16-game total of 4,116 pins to erase the PBA record of 4,095 set by John Mazza in Las Vegas in 1996.
2016 — Russia’s sports reputation is ripped apart again when a new report into systematic doping details a vast “institutional conspiracy” that covers more than 1,000 athletes in over 30 sports and a corrupted drug-testing system at the 2012 and 2014 Olympics. This second and final report by World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren says the conspiracy involves the Russian Sports Ministry, national anti-doping agency and the FSB intelligence service, providing further details of state involvement in a massive program of cheating and cover-ups that operated on an “unprecedented scale” from 2011-15.
2017 — Jozy Altidore opens the scoring in the 67th minute and Toronto FC beats the Seattle Sounders 2-0 in the MLS Cup to become the first Canadian champion in league history.
2018 – New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady breaks Peyton Manning’s record for most touchdown passes in NFL history.
2018 — Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers breaks Tom Brady’s NFL record with his 359th straight pass without an interception during Packers 34-20 win over Atlanta Falcons; finishes game with streak intact at 368.
2021 – Chicago Black Hawks Marc-Andre Fleury becomes 3rd NHL goaltender to reach 500 career wins.
2023 — Japanese baseball two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani signs a North American pro-sports record 10-year $700m deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
TV SPORTS FRIDAY
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Orlando Magic vs Philadelphia 76ers | 7:00pm | FanDuel Sports Florida NBCS-PHI |
| Los Angeles Lakers vs Atlanta Hawks | 7:30pm | Spectrum FanDuel Sports Southeast SN |
| Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics | 7:30pm | ESPN FanDuel Sports Wisconsin NBCS-BOS |
| Indiana Pacers vs Chicago Bulls | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports Indiana CHSN |
| Sacramento Kings vs San Antonio Spurs | 8:00pm | NBCS-CA FanDuel Sports Southwest |
| Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors | 10:00pm | ESPN FanDuel Sports North NBCS-BAY SN |
| Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers | 10:00pm | KJZZ KPTV |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Washington Capitals vs Toronto Maple Leafs | 7:00pm | ESPN+ MNMT Sportsnet |
| Seattle Kraken vs New Jersey Devils | 7:00 PM | ESPN+ KONG MSGSN |
| Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers | 7:30 PM | ESPN+, HULU Sportsnet |
| Dallas Stars vs Vegas Golden Knights | 10:00 PM | ESPN+ Victory+ Scripps Sportsnet |
| Minnesota Wild vs Anaheim Ducks | 10:00 PM | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports West Victory+ |
| Columbus Blue Jackets vs Vancouver Canucks | 10:00 PM | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports Ohio Sportsnet |
| COLLEGE FOOTBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Tulane vs Army | 8:00pm | ABC ESPN+ |
| CUSA No. 2 vs Jacksonville State | 8:00pm | CBSSN |
| CSU/UNLV vs Boise State | 8:00pm | FOX |
| MEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| St. Joseph’s (NY) at Hofstra | 11:30am | FloSports |
| Calumet at Eastern Illinois | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Brown at Bryant | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Delaware at Duquesne | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Siena at Niagara | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Georgetown at West Virginia | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Miami (OH) at Indiana | 7:00pm | BTN |
| Portland at Kent State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| New College at FIU | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Charleston Southern at Davidson | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Kennesaw State at Georgia State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Iona at Sacred Heart | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Manhattan at Saint Peter’s | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Merrimack at Canisius | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Mount St. Mary’s at Marist | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Quinnipiac at Rider | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Campbellsville-Harrodsburg vs. Eastern Kentucky | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Prairie View A&M at UAB | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| North Texas at High Point | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| East-West at Western Illinois | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Illinois at Northwestern | 9:00pm | BTN |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| DP World Tour: Nedbank Golf Challenge | 4:00am | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: Hero World Challenge | 1:30pm | GOLF |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Serie A: Internazionale vs Parma | 12:30pm | Paramount+ |
| Ligue 1: Lille vs Brest | 1:00pm | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| Bundesliga: Stuttgart vs Union Berlin | 2:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Serie A: Atalanta vs Milan | 2:45pm | Paramount+ |
| Ligue 1: Auxerre vs PSG | 3:00pm | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| La Liga: Celta de Vigo vs Mallorca | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
TV SPORTS SATURDAY
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Hornets | 1:00pm | FanDuel Sports Ohio FanDuel Sports South |
| Denver Nuggets vs Washington Wizards | 7:00pm | ALT2 MNMT |
| Oklahoma City Thunder vs New Orleans Pelicans | 7:00pm | FanDuel Sports Oklahoma GCSN |
| Detroit Pistons vs New York Knicks | 7:30pm | FanDuel Sports Detroit MSG |
| Dallas Mavericks vs Toronto Raptors | 7:30pm | KMPX Sportsnet |
| Memphis Grizzlies vs Boston Celtics | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports Southeast NBCS-BOS |
| Phoenix Suns vs Miami Heat | 8:00pm | AFSportsnet FanDuel Sports Sun |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Philadelphia Flyers vs Boston Bruins | 1:00pm | ESPN+ NBCS-PHI NESN |
| Utah Hockey Club vs Buffalo Sabres | 1:00 PM | ESPN+ Utah16 MSG-BUF |
| Winnipeg Jets vs Chicago Blackhawks | 4:00 PM | ESPN+ Sportsnet CHSN |
| Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Islanders | 5:00 PM | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports South MSGSN |
| San Jose Sharks vs Florida Panthers | 6:00 PM | ESPN+ NBCS-CA Scripps |
| Colorado Avalanche vs Detroit Red Wings | 7:00 PM | ESPN+ ALT FanDuel Sports Detroit |
| Toronto Maple Leafs vs Pittsburgh Penguins | 7:00 PM | ESPN+ ATTSN-PIT Sportsnet |
| Nashville Predators vs Ottawa Senators | 7:00 PM | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports South Sportsnet2 |
| Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens | 7:00 PM | ESPN+ MNMT2 Sportsnet |
| Minnesota Wild vs Los Angeles Kings | 8:00 PM | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports North KCAL |
| St. Louis Blues vs Edmonton Oilers | 10:00 PM | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports Midwest Sportsnet |
| COLLEGE FOOTBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Iowa State vs Arizona State | 12:00pm | ABC ESPN+ |
| Ohio vs Miami(OH) | 12:00pm | ESPN |
| Texas vs Georgia | 4:00pm | ABC ESPN+ |
| Marshall vs Louisiana | 7:30pm | ESPN |
| Clemson vs SMU | 8:00pm | ABC ESPN+ |
| Penn State vs Oregon | 8:00pm | CBS Paramount+ |
| MEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Oklahoma State at Seton Hall | 12:00pm | FS1 |
| Maryland at Purdue | 12:00pm | BTN |
| Richmond at Auburn | 12:00pm | SECN |
| Maine at Fordham | 12:00pm | YES |
| Vanderbilt vs. TCU | 12:30pm | ESPNU |
| Kansas at Missouri | 1:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Cornell at Army West Point | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Siena at Canisius | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Merrimack at Niagara | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Saint Peter’s at Iona | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Harvard at New Hampshire | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Tarleton at UCF | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Colgate at Northeastern | 2:00pm | NESN |
| Sacred Heart at Quinnipiac | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Robert Morris at Purdue Fort Wayne | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Marist at Manhattan | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Fairfield at Mount St. Mary’s | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Howard at Cincinnati | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Ball State at SIUE | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Bucknell at Radford | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Vermont State-Johnson at Bryant | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Texas A&M vs. Texas Tech | 3:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Chicago State at Saint Louis | 3:00pm | FanDuel Sports Midwest |
| Austin Peay at Samford | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| FGCU at LSU | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Rice at Texas State | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Mercer at Stetson | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Arkansas State at Memphis | 4:00pm | ESPNU |
| Prairie View A&M at Mississippi State | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Southeast Missouri at Murray State | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Jacksonville State at South Alabama | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UConn at Texas | 5:00pm | ESPN |
| Dartmouth at UIC | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UCLA at Oregon | 6:00pm | BTN |
| Duke at Louisville | 6:00pm | ACCN |
| Jackson State at Iowa State | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Mary Baldwin at Longwood | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| NCAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Iowa vs. Tennessee | 7:00pm | FOX |
| Louisville vs. UConn | 9:00pm | FOX |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| DP World Tour: Nedbank Golf Challenge | 4:00am | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: Hero World Challenge | 12:00pm | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: Hero World Challenge | 2:30pm | NBC |
| SKIING | TIME ET | TV |
| World Cup | 5:00pm | NBC |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| EPL: Everton vs Liverpool | 7:30am | USA Peacock Fubo |
| La Liga: Las Palmas vs Real Valladolid | 8:00am | ESPN+ Fubo |
| Serie A: Genoa vs Torino | 9:00am | CBSSN Paramount+ Fubo |
| Bundesliga: Bayern München vs Heidenheim | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen vs St. Pauli | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Bochum vs Werder Bremen | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Eintracht Frankfurt vs Augsburg | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Holstein Kiel vs RB Leipzig | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| EPL: Brentford vs Newcastle United | 10:00am | USA Peacock Fubo |
| EPL: Crystal Palace vs Manchester City | 10:00am | Peacock Fubo |
| EPL: Aston Villa vs Southampton | 10:00am | Peacock |
| La Liga: Real Betis vs Barcelona | 10:15am | ESPN+ Fubo |
| Ligue 1: Monaco vs Toulouse | 11:00am | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| Serie A: Juventus vs Bologna | 12:00pm | Paramount+ Fubo |
| EPL: Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest | 12:30pm | NBC Peacock Fubo |
| Bundesliga: Borussia M’gladbach vs Borussia Dortmund | 12:30pm | ESPN+ |
| La Liga: Valencia vs Rayo Vallecano | 12:30pm | ESPN+ Fubo |
| La Liga: Las Palmas vs Mallorca | 12:30pm | ESPN+ Fubo |
| Ligue 1: Nice vs Le Havre | 1:00pm | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| Serie A: Roma vs Lecce | 2:45pm | Paramount+ Fubo |
| La Liga: Girona vs Real Madrid | 3:00pm | ESPN+ Fubp |
| Ligue 1: Angers SCO vs Olympique Lyonnais | 3:00pm | Fanatiz beIN Sports |