“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL
INDIANA SRN BASKETBALL POLLS
4A
1 FISHERS 9-0
2 LAWRENCE NORTH 6-1
3 CROWN POINT 6-0
4 NORTHRIDGE 10-0
5 GREENFIELD CENTRAL 7-2
6 ANDERSON 7-1
7 WARSAW 6-2
8 WESTFIELD 6-1
9 CARMEL 6-2
10 NOBLESVILLE 5-3
3A
1 CATHEDRAL 7-2
2 SOUTHRIDGE 7-1
3 SB ST. JOSEPH 9-1
4 SILVER CREEK 11-1
5 CRISPUS ATTUCKS 8-4
6 NORTHWOOD 7-0
7 GUERIN CATHOLIC 10-2
8 NEW PALESTINE 8-2
9 BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL 9-0
10 EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL 6-0
2A
1 WAPAHANI 9-0
2 FW LUERS 4-0
3 PARK HERITAGE 8-1
4 FOREST PARK 7-1
5 MANCHESTER 8-1
6 TAYLOR 6-0
7 GARY 21ST CENTURY 6-2
8 SOUTH RIPLEY 10-0
9 PROVIDENCE 6-1
10 TIPTON 4-2
1A
1 CLAY CITY 7-1
2 CARROLL FLORA 6-0
3 KOUTS 5-1
4 ORLEANS 5-2
5 INDY METRO 10-3
6 CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 7-3
7 TRITON 6-1
8 WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP 6-1
9 HAUSER 7-1
10 BLOOMFIELD 7-2
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL
INDIANA SRN BASKETBALL POLLS
4A
1 HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 15-0
2 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 14-1
3 WARSAW 13-0
4 SB WASHINGTON 14-1
5 CENTER GROVE 12-1
6 NORTHRIDGE 15-2
7 HOMESTEAD 12-2
8 BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 14-1
9 FLOYD CENTRAL 12-2
10 NOBLESVILLE 10-3
3A
1 GREENSBURG 16-0
2 WASHINGTON 14-2
3 SILVER CREEK 11-2
4 COLUMBIA CIRTY 13-3
5 DANVILLE 13-3
6 EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 11-3
7 BELLMONT 12-1
8 NORWELL 10-5
9 CORYDON CENTRAL 11-3
10 BISHOP CHATARD 9-5
2A
1 ALEXANDRIA 16-0
2 NORTHEASTERN 15-1
3 SOUTH KNOX 14-2
4 AUSTIN 12-1
5 RENSSELAER CENTRAL 13-1
6 PARKE HERITAGE 13-0
7 BLUFFTON 13-1
8 EASTSIDE 13-0
9 LANESVILLE 10-2
10 EASTERN HANCOCK 12-2
1A
1 ORLEANS 13-1
2 OLDENBURG ACADEMY 12-1
3 TRI-COUNTY 13-1
4 WESTVILLE 11-1
5 NORTH CENTRAL FARMERSBURG 13-2
6 BORDEN 12-4
7 MARQUETTE CATHOLIC 12-3
8 FREMONT 10-4
9 WHITE RIVER VALLEY 10-3
10 NORTH DECATUR 10-5
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING
BOYS DUAL RESULTS: https://indianamat.com/index.php?/dualresults.html/
GIRLS DUAL RESULTS: https://indianamat.com/index.php?/dualresults.html/211_girls-dual-results/
BOYS TOURNAMENT RESULTS: https://indianamat.com/index.php?/curtournamentresults.html/boys-tournament-results/
GIRLS TOURNAMENT RESULTS: https://indianamat.com/index.php?/curtournamentresults.html/212_tournament-results-for-girls-events/
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25
#21 PURDUE 83 TOLEDO 64
#6 FLORIDA 85 STETSON 45
#12 OKLAHOMA 89 PRAIRIE VIEW 67
#24 ILLINOIS 117 CHICAGO STATE 64
#5 ALABAMA 105 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 82
#9 OREGON 89 WEBER STATE 49
ELSEWHERE:
INDIANA 77 WINTHROP 68
OHIO STATE 103 INDIANA STATE 83
PENN STATE 86 PENN 66
NORTHWESTERN 85 NORTHEASTERN 60
MINNESOTA 90 MORGAN STATE 68
MILWAUKEE 88 IU INDY 81
WASHINGTON 90 NEW JERSEY TECH 53
PURDUE FT. WAYNE 83 GREEN BAY 67
BRADLEY 81 VALPO 75
EVANSVILLE 57 MISSOURI ST. 40
WOMEN’S TOP 25 BASKETBALL
TOP 25
#20 ALABAMA 93 JACKSONVILLE 46
#3 NOTRE DAME 95 VIRGINIA 54
#8 MARYLAND 72 #19 MICHIGAN STATE 66
#7 UCONN 67 PROVIDENCE 41
#2 SOUTH CAROLINA 93 WOFFORD 47
#6 LSU 83 ALBANY 61
#13 GEORGIA TECH 100 PITT 61
#15 TENNESSEE 114 WINTHROP 50
#10 OHIO STATE 77 RUTGERS 63
#11 TCU 79 BROWN 47
#24 IOWA 84 PURDUE 63
#17 NORTH CAROLINA 69 MIAMI FL 60
#5 TEXAS 94 TEXAS RIO GRANDE 35
#9 OKLAHOMA 82 NEW MEXICO STATE 64
#1 UCLA 91 NEBRASKA 54
#22 NC STATE 83 CLEMSON 79
ELSEWHERE:
DRAKE 76 EVANSVILLE 54
VALPO 69 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 51
NORTHERN IOWA 75 INDIANA STATE 65
SETON HALL 69 BUTLER 49
NFL SCOREBOARD
NY GIANTS 45 INDIANAPOLIS 33
PHILADELPHIA 41 DALLAS 7
BUFFALO 40 NY JETS 14
LAS VEGAS 25 NEW ORLEANS 10
TAMPA BAY 48 CAROLINA 14
JACKSONVILLE 20 TENNESSEE 13
MIAMI 20 CLEVELAND 3
MINNESOTA 27 GREEN BAY 25
WASHINGTON 30 ATLANTA 24
MONDAY DECEMBER 30
DETROIT AT SAN FRANCISCO 8:15 ESPN, ABC, ESPN+
THE FINAL WEEK 18 SCHEDULE (ALL TIMES ET):
SATURDAY, JAN. 4, 2025
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS, 4:30P — ESPN/ABC
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS, 8:00P — ESPN/ABC
SUNDAY, JAN. 5, 2025
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS, 1:00P — CBS
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT DALLAS COWBOYS, 1:00P — FOX
CHICAGO BEARS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS, 1:00P — FOX
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, 1:00P — FOX
BUFFALO BILLS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS, 1:00P — CBS
NEW YORK GIANTS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, 1:00P — CBS
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, 1:00P — FOX
HOUSTON TEXANS AT TENNESSEE TITANS, 1:00P — CBS
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS, 4:25P — FOX
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT DENVER BRONCOS, 4:25P — CBS
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS, 4:25P — CBS
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS, 4:25P — FOX
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW YORK JETS, 4:25P — FOX
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT DETROIT LIONS, 8:20P — NBC
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
MONDAY, DEC. 30
NO. 19 MISSOURI VS. IOWA (MUSIC CITY BOWL) | 2:30 P.M. | ESPN
TUESDAY, DEC. 31
NO. 11 ALABAMA VS. MICHIGAN (RELIAQUEST BOWL) | 12 P.M. | ESPN
LOUISVILLE VS. WASHINGTON (SUN BOWL) | 2 P.M. | CBS
NO. 15 SOUTH CAROLINA VS. NO. 20 ILLINOIS (CITRUS BOWL) | 3 P.M. | ABC
LSU VS. BAYLOR (TEXAS BOWL) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 4 PENN STATE VS. NO. 9 BOISE STATE (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — FIESTA BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 1
NO. 3 TEXAS VS. NO. 12 ARIZONA STATE (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — PEACH BOWL) | 1 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 1 OREGON VS. OHIO STATE (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — ROSE BOWL) | 5 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 2 GEORGIA VS. NO. 5 NOTRE DAME (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — SUGAR BOWL) | 8:45 P.M. | ESPN
THURSDAY, JAN. 2
NO. 14 OLE MISS VS. DUKE (GATOR BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
FRIDAY, JAN. 3
NORTH TEXAS VS. TEXAS STATE (FIRST RESPONDER BOWL) | 4 P.M. | ESPN
MINNESOTA VS. VIRGINIA TECH (DUKE’S MAYO BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
SATURDAY, JAN. 4
LIBERTY VS. BUFFALO (BAHAMAS BOWL) | 11 A.M. | ESPN2
SUNDAY, JAN. 5
NORTH CENTRAL (IL) VS. MOUNT UNION (STAGG BOWL FOR THE DIII CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN HOUSTON) | TBA | ESPN
MONDAY, JAN. 6
MONTANA STATE VS. NORTH DAKOTA STATE (FCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN FRISCO, TEXAS) | 7 P.M. | ESPN
THURSDAY, JAN. 9
TBD VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL GAME — ORANGE BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
FRIDAY, JAN. 10
TBD VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL GAME — COTTON BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
MONDAY, JAN. 20
TBD VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME — IN ATLANTA) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
NBA SCORES
ORLANDO 102 BROOKLYN 101
INDIANA 123 BOSTON 114
ATLANTA 135 TORONTO 107
OKLAHOMA CITY 130 MEMPHIS 106
MIAMI 104 HOUSTN 100
MINNESOTA 112 SAN ANTONIO 110
NHL SCORES
BUFFALO 4 ST. LOUIS 2
ANAHEIM 5 EDMONTON 3
DETROIT 4 WASHINGTON 2
MONTREAL5 TAMPA BAY 2
PITTSBURGH 3 NY ISLANDERS 2
VEGAS 3 CALGARY 0
OTTAWA 3 MINNESOTA 1
DALLAS 5 CHICAGO 1
LA KINGS 5 PHILADELPHIA 4
TOP NATIONAL RELEASES/HEADLINES
NFL
SEVEN FROM SUNDAY
A look at seven statistical highlights from games played during the 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET windows on Sunday, December 29, the 17th week of the 2024 season.
The Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) defeated Dallas, 41-7, to clinch the NFC East division title for the second time in the past three seasons as running back Saquon Barkley rushed for 167 yards in the win.
Barkley has 2,005 rushing yards this season and is the ninth player in NFL history with 2,000 rushing yards in a season and the first since Derrick Henry in 2020 (2,027 rushing yards with Tennessee).
Barkley is the fifth player in the past 20 seasons (2005-24) with 13 games of 110-or-more scrimmage yards in a season, joining Steven Jackson (14 games with the St. Louis Rams in 2006), Larry Johnson (13 with Kansas City in 2006), DeMarco Murray (13 with Dallas in 2014) and Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (13 with the San Diego Chargers in 2006.
The Buffalo Bills (13-3) defeated the New York Jets, 40-14, to clinch the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs. Kansas City clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC with its win on Christmas Day. Buffalo became the eighth team in NFL history to score at least 30 points in 12 games within a season and the first since the 2020 Green Bay Packers (12 games).
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen recorded three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in the win and has 76 career regular-season wins, surpassing Russell Wilson (75 wins) for the most regular-season wins by a quarterback in his first seven seasons in NFL history.
Allen has 40 combined passing and rushing touchdowns (28 passing, 12 rushing) this season and joined Aaron Rodgers (six seasons) as the only players in NFL history with five career seasons with at least 40 combined passing and rushing touchdowns.
Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold passed for a career-high 377 yards with three touchdown passes and a 116.1 passer rating and wide receiver Jordan Addison had a touchdown reception in the Vikings’ 27-25 win over Green Bay.
Darnold is the first starting quarterback in NFL history to record 14 wins in his first season with a team,
Darnold has 35 touchdown passes in 2024 and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre (33 touchdown passes in 2009 with Minnesota) and Vinny Testaverde (33 in 1996 with the Baltimore Ravens) for the fourth-most touchdown passes by a player in his first season with a team. Only Matthew Stafford (41 touchdown passes in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams), Tom Brady (40 in 2020 with Tampa Bay) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (37 in 2012 with Denver) have more.
Darnold is the fourth player in NFL history with 12 games with multiple touchdown passes and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in a season, joining Aaron Rodgers (14 games in 2020 and 13 in 2011), Patrick Mahomes (13 in 2018) and Matt Ryan (12 in 2016).
Addison, who is 22 years old, has 19 career touchdown receptions, tied with Odell Beckham Jr. (19 touchdown receptions) for the fourth-most touchdown receptions by a player under the age of 23 in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (28 touchdowns), Rob Gronkowski (27) and Ja’Marr Chase (22) have more.
Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 27 of 32 pass attempts (84.4 percent) for 359 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions and a 153.0 passer rating, while wide receiver Mike Evans had eight receptions for 97 yards and two touchdowns in the Buccaneers’ 48-14 win over Carolina.
Tampa Bay became the sixth team in the Super Bowl era to record 500-or-more total yards of offense and allow fewer than 250 yards of offense in multiple games in a season, joining the 2010 Oakland Raiders (three games), 1978 Dallas Cowboys (three), 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (two), 2009 Baltimore Ravens (two) and 1967 Baltimore Colts (two).
The Buccaneers are the fifth team since 1970 with at least 300 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in multiple games in a season, joining the 2011 New Orleans Saints (three games), 2023 Miami Dolphins (two), 2016 New Orlans Saints (two) and 1984 Miami Dolphins (two).
Mayfield became the fifth player in NFL history with a completion percentage of 80-or-higher, at least 350 pass yards, five touchdown passes and a passer rating of 150-or-higher, joining Tom Brady (Oct. 21, 2007 and Oct. 18, 2009, both with New England), Aaron Rodgers (Oct. 20, 2019 with Green Bay), Ben Roethlisberger (Oct. 26, 2014 with Pittsburgh) and Deshaun Watson (Oct. 6, 2019 with Houston).
Evans has 11 touchdown receptions this season and became the fifth player all-time with at least 11 touchdown receptions in six career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Randy Moss (eight), Jerry Rice (eight seasons), Marvin Harrison (seven) and Terrell Owens (seven).
Evans has 65 receptions this season and became the first wide receiver and third player all-time with at least 65 receptions in 11 consecutive seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (2003-13) and Travis Kelce (2014-24).
Las Vegas rookie tight end Brock Bowers had seven receptions for 77 yards in the Raiders’ 25-10 win at New Orleans.
Bowers has 1,114 receiving yards this season and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (1,076 receiving yards in 1961) for the most receiving yards by a rookie tight end in NFL history.
Bowers has 108 receptions this season and surpassed Puka Nacua (105 receptions in 2023) for the most receptions by a rookie in NFL history.
Bowers’ 108 receptions are the fifth-most by a tight end in a season in NFL history, trailing only Zach Ertz (116 receptions in 2018 with Philadelphia), Evan Engram (114 in 2023 with Jacksonville), Travis Kelce (110 in 2022 with Kansas City and Jason Witten (110 in 2012 with Dallas)
New York Giants quarterback Drew Lock totaled 309 passing yards, five touchdowns (four passing, one rushing) and a 155.3 passer rating while rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers had seven receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns and rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. had 73 scrimmage yards (59 rushing, 14 receiving) in the team’s 45-33 win over Indianapolis.
Lock is the fifth player in NFL history with at least 300 passing yards, four touchdown passes, one rushing touchdown and a passer rating of 155-or-higher in a game, joining Josh Allen (Oct. 1, 2023 with Buffalo), Drew Brees (Dec. 29, 2013 with New Orleans), Ryan Fitzpatrick (Sept. 9, 2018 with Tampa Bay) and Aaron Rodgers (Oct. 20, 2019 with Green Bay).
Nabers has 104 receptions this season, tied with Jaylen Waddle (104 receptions in 2021 with Miami) for the third-most receptions by a rookie in NFL history, trailing only Brock Bowers (108 receptions in 2024 with Las Vegas) and Puka Nacua (105 in 2023 with the Los Angeles Rams).
Nabers has 13 games with at least five receptions this season and surpassed Anquan Boldin (12 games in 2003) and Terry Glenn (12 in 1996) for the most games with five-or-receptions by a rookie in NFL history.
Nabers, with 1,142 scrimmage yards in 2024, and Tracy Jr., with 1,057 scrimmage yards this season, became the third pair of rookie teammates each with at least 1,000 scrimmage yards in the same season, joining New Orleans’ Reggie Bush and Marques Colston (2006) and the Dallas Texans’ Abner Haynes and Pro Football Hall of Famer Johnny Robinson (1960).
Jacksonville rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. had seven receptions for 91 yards and one touchdown in the Jaguars’ 20-13 win against Tennessee.
Thomas Jr. has 80 receptions for 1,179 yards and 10 touchdowns this season and became the fourth rookie in the Super Bowl era with at least 1,100 receiving yards and 10 touchdown receptions, joining Odell Beckham Jr. (2014 with the New York Giants), Ja’Marr Chase (2021 with Cincinnati) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (1998 with Minnesota).
Thomas. Jr. has six consecutive games with at least 75 receiving yards and surpassed Brandon Aiyuk (five consecutive games in 2020 with San Francisco) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (five in 1998 with Minnesota) for the second-most consecutive games with at least 75 receiving yards by a rookie in NFL history, trailing only Odell Beckham Jr. (nine consecutive games in 2014 with the New York Giants).
Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett had two sacks in Week 17 and has 14 sacks this season.
Garrett is the first player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, to record at least 14 sacks in four consecutive seasons.
Garrett is the third player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, with at least 13 sacks in five-or-more of his first eight seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White (seven seasons) and T.J. Watt (five).
NFL ROUNDUP: COMMANDERS HEAD TO PLAYOFFS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2020
Jayden Daniels hit Zach Ertz for a 2-yard touchdown with 2:42 left in overtime as the Washington Commanders beat the Atlanta Falcons 30-24 on Sunday night in Landover, Md., to secure their first playoff berth since the 2020 season.
The Commanders (11-5) clinched a wild-card berth with their fourth straight win and could finish as high as the sixth seed in the NFC. In the NFC South, Atlanta (8-8) sits behind the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who can clinch the division by defeating the New Orleans Saints in Week 18.
Washington took the opening kickoff of the extra session, and Daniels later ran for 16 yards on third-and-2 at midfield, then passed to Chris Rodriguez Jr. two plays later for a 12-yard gain and another first down. Daniels eventually added a pair of 6-yard runs that got him in position to find Ertz for the game-winning points.
Daniels completed 24 of 36 passes for 227 yards, three touchdowns and one interception and ran for 127 yards on 16 attempts. Ertz caught two touchdown passes, and Olamide Zaccheaus had eight catches for 85 yards and a score.
Bijan Robinson ran for two touchdowns and finished with 90 yards on the ground for Atlanta. Michael Penix Jr. was 19-of-35 passing for 223 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and Drake London had seven catches for 106 yards. Riley Patterson came up short on a 56-yard field-goal attempt as time expired in regulation.
Eagles 41, Cowboys 7
Saquon Barkley rushed for 167 yards to join the 2,000-yard club and Philadelphia clinched the NFC East title with a lopsided victory against visiting Dallas.
The Eagles (13-3) swept the season series with the rival Cowboys (7-9) for the first time since 2011 and locked up at least the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs. With his 11th 100-yard game of the campaign, Barkley became the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. Starting under center for Philadelphia with Jalen Hurts in the concussion protocol, Kenny Pickett tallied a touchdown pass and a touchdown run before exiting early in the third quarter with a rib injury.
The Cowboys turned the ball over four times. Cooper Rush threw two interceptions and one touchdown pass and Rico Dowdle rushed for 104 yards to record his first 1,000-yard season (1,007).
Bills 40, Jets 14
Josh Allen passed for two touchdowns and rushed for one more as Buffalo clinched the No. 2 seed in the AFC by clobbering New York in Orchard Park, N.Y.
Allen was showered with “M-V-P” chants after putting the game away with a pair of third-quarter touchdown passes — a 30-yard connection with Amari Cooper and a 14-yard strike to a leaping Keon Coleman with 12 seconds left in the frame. Those scores sandwiched a 1-yard touchdown run by James Cook for Buffalo (13-3).
The Bills’ defense forced three turnovers and racked up four sacks. Aaron Rodgers struggled under center for New York (4-12), completing 12 of 18 passes for 112 yards. He was picked off twice. Second-string signal-caller Tyrod Taylor broke the shutout with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson with 6:59 left in the game.
Jaguars 20, Titans 13
Mac Jones threw two touchdown passes and Jacksonville earned a season-series sweep of visiting Tennessee.
Jones connected on 15 of 22 passes for 174 yards, finding Parker Washington and rookie Brian Thomas Jr. for scores, as Jacksonville (4-12) left Tennessee (3-13) behind in the AFC South cellar. Cam Little booted field goals of 48 and 44 yards.
Mason Rudolph hit on 19 of 31 pass attempts for 193 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Titans, who dropped their fifth consecutive game. Tyjae Spears rushed for 95 yards on 20 carries, taking on lead running back duties in place of Tony Pollard (flu/ankle).
Raiders 25, Saints 10
Brock Bowers set a pair of rookie receiving records and Ameer Abdullah notched the first 100-yard rushing game of his 10-year career in Las Vegas’ win over host New Orleans.
Bowers caught seven passes for 77 yards, giving him 1,144 yards on the season to surpass Mike Ditka’s 63-year-old rookie tight end record. He also eclipsed the rookie reception record with his 106th catch, besting Puka Nacua’s mark from last season. Abdullah finished with 115 yards on 20 carries as the Raiders (4-12) won their second straight game.
Aidan O’Connell threw two touchdown passes for Las Vegas, while Spencer Rattler passed for 218 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions and fell to 0-5 as the starter for the Saints (5-11).
Giants 45, Colts 33
Drew Lock matched his career high of four touchdown passes and also rushed for a score and New York snapped its franchise-record 10-game losing streak by outlasting Indianapolis in East Rutherford, N.J.
Malik Nabers had seven receptions for a career-best 171 yards and two touchdowns to exceed 100 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards during his strong rookie campaign. Lock completed 17 of 23 passes for 309 yards, and Ihmir Smith-Marsette returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown for the Giants (3-13).
The Colts (7-9) were eliminated from the AFC playoff race. Joe Flacco started at quarterback with Anthony Richardson (back/foot) sidelined and completed 26 of 38 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns. But he was also intercepted twice and lost a fumble. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries.
Buccaneers 48, Panthers 14
Baker Mayfield threw for five touchdowns and Tampa Bay stayed atop the NFC South title race by pounding visiting Carolina.
Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan each caught two TD passes and Bucky Irving rushed for 113 yards as Tampa Bay’s second victory of the month against Carolina came much easier than the road version in overtime. Mayfield completed 27 of 32 passes for 359 yards. The Buccaneers (9-7) collected 551 yards of total offense.
The Panthers (4-12) have lost five of their past six games despite Bryce Young throwing two touchdown passes to Adam Thielen (five catches, 110 receiving yards). Young finished 15-for-28 passing for 203 yards, but Carolina managed only 39 rushing yards as it played without injured running back Chuba Hubbard.
Dolphins 20, Browns 3
Tyler Huntley completed 22 of 26 passes for 225 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions and ran for another score to lead Miami past host Cleveland.
The Dolphins (8-8) kept their playoff hopes alive and must beat the Jets next week and hope the Denver Broncos lose to the Kansas City Chiefs to secure the AFC’s final wild-card playoff berth. Huntley started in place of injured starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (hip).
Dorian Thompson-Robinson started at quarterback for the Browns (3-13) but completed only 24 of 47 passes for 170 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. Jerry Jeudy made a career-high 12 catches for 94 yards. Cleveland lost its fifth game in a row.
Vikings 27, Packers 25
Sam Darnold completed 33 of 43 passes for a career-best 377 yards to go with three touchdowns and one interception and Minnesota escaped with a win over Green Bay in Minneapolis.
Justin Jefferson had eight catches for 92 yards for Minnesota (14-2), which won its ninth game in a row. Jalen Nailor, Jordan Addison and Cam Akers had one touchdown reception apiece for the Vikings.
Jordan Love completed 19 of 30 passes for 185 yards and one touchdown for Green Bay (11-5). Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson each rushed for a touchdown and Malik Heath had a touchdown catch for the Packers, who lost to the Vikings for the second time this season.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 5 ALABAMA ROUTS SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
Aden Holloway established career highs of 26 points and eight 3-pointers to help No. 5 Alabama roll to a 105-82 nonconference victory over South Dakota State on Sunday at Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Freshman Labaron Philon had the best game of his young career with 21 points and six assists for the Crimson Tide (11-2). Mark Sears had 20 points, including 6-for-14 3-point shooting. Grant Nelson added 17 points and eight rebounds and scored the game’s first eight points.
Alabama did connect on a season-best 19 3-point shots but also attempted 55 long-range shots (34.5 percent). The Tide also saw South Dakota State put up 49 points in the second half to keep the score relatively competitive.
South Dakota State (9-6) was led by Washington State transfer Oscar Cluff, who had 21 points and 15 rebounds, including seven offensive boards. The Jackrabbits connected on 11 of 26 3-point shots (42.3 percent).
No. 6 Florida 85, Stetson 45
Alijah Martin scored 18 points and Will Richard added 17 on 8-of-11 shooting as the Gators crushed the visiting Hatters in Gainesville, Fla.
Walter Clayton Jr. paired 12 points with seven assists for Florida (13-0), which begins Southeastern Conference play with three straight matchups against currently ranked opponents. Florida shot 50.7 percent overall and held a 34-2 advantage in fast-break points.
Mehki Ellison scored 15 points to lead the Hatters (2-11), who finished 26.5 percent from the floor and fell to 0-3 this season against SEC foes.
No. 9 Oregon 89, Weber State 49
The Ducks led for all but the first 1:11 of the game, shooting 55 percent from the field in a victory over the Wildcats in the final nonconference game for both teams in Eugene, Ore.
Oregon (12-1) has won three consecutive games since losing at home to UCLA in a Big Ten game three weeks ago. The Ducks had five scorers in double figures, led by Jackson Shelstad, who had 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field.
Blaise Threatt was Weber State’s lone scorer in double figures with 15 points. The Wildcats (6-8) head into Big Sky play having lost four of their past six games.
No. 12 Oklahoma 89, Prairie View A&M 67
Jalon Moore led the host Sooners with 22 points as they finally put away the pesky Panthers in Norman, Okla.
Jeremiah Fears scored 19 points and Duke Miles added 17 for the Sooners, who are 13-0 for the fourth time in program history and the first time since the 1987-88 season.
Tanahj Pettway led PVAMU with 22 points, while Marcel Bryant added 14. Braelon Bush and Jordan Tillmon each chipped in 11 points for PVAMU (1-12) which played without leading scorer Nick Anderson (18.9 points per game).
No. 21 Purdue 83, Toledo 64
Braden Smith set career highs with 34 points and six 3-pointers as the Boilermakers pulled away from the Rockets for a victory in a nonconference matchup in West Lafayette, Ind.
Smith went 12 of 22 from the floor and added 12 assists and three steals for Purdue (9-4). Trey Kaufman-Renn added 23 points on 11-of-14 shooting, and Fletcher Loyer chipped in 17 points.
Sam Lewis collected 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Sonny Wilson also scored 13 points to lead Toledo (6-6).
No. 24 Illinois 117, Chicago State 64
Tomislav Ivisic scored a career-high 23 points to lead six players in double figures as the Fighting Illini raced past the visiting Cougars in Champaign, Ill.
Kylan Boswell also starred for the Fighting Illini (9-3) with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
Gabe Spinelli scored 20 points for the winless Cougars (0-15) and Noble Crawford added 15. Illinois outshot Chicago State 62.1 percent (41 of 66) to 37.3 percent (25 of 67) from the field and outrebounded the visitors 47-23.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 3 NOTRE DAME DOMINATES VIRGINIA
Olivia Miles notched a triple-double (11 points, 10 rebounds, 14 assists) and Sonia Citron added 25 points and 11 rebounds as No. 3 Notre Dame dominated Virginia 95-54 in an Athletic Coast Conference matchup Sunday in South Bend, Ind.
Hannah Hidalgo scored 28 points and Liatu King chipped in eight points and 12 rebounds as the Fighting Irish (11-2, 2-0) jumped out to a 37-9 lead behind a 28-0 run, easily winning the battle of the boards (54-31), points in the paint (44-26) and fastbreak points (39-10).
Winning its sixth straight game, Notre Dame shot 51.4 percent from the floor and 38.5 from 3-point range while dishing out 32 assists on 38 made baskets.
For the Cavaliers (8-6, 0-2), Kymora Johnson led the way with 12 points on a day the visitors shot just 29.7 percent from the floor, including 23.8 percent on 3-point attempts.
No. 20 Alabama 93, Jacksonville 46
Aaliyah Nye poured in 30 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the floor, including a scorching 8-for-10 from 3-point range, as the Crimson Tide throttled the Dolphins in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
In its final tuneup before opening Southeastern Conference play on Thursday against visiting Florida, Alabama (13-1) only led by two after the first quarter but outscored Jacksonville 32-11 in the second quarter.
Three other Crismon Tide players – Eris Lester (14 points, eight rebounds), Zaay Green (13 points) and Sarah Ashlee Barker (12 points) — scored in double figures as the team shot 54.2 percent from the field and a red-hot 53.8 percent from beyond the arc. For the Jaguars (6-6), Saniyah Craig scored a team-high 11 points as the visitors struggled from the field, shooting just 29.5 percent.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: COLE ANTHONY CAPS MAGIC’S 21-POINT RALLY PAST NETS
Cole Anthony hit the game-winning basket with 1.3 seconds left to cap a furious rally as the host Orlando Magic erased a 21-point deficit and completed a season sweep of the Brooklyn Nets with a 102-101 victory on Sunday.
The Magic ended their fourth win over the Nets this season on a 22-4 run over the final 7:16 and capped the comeback on Anthony’s dramatic shot.
da Silva led the Magic with 21 points to go along with seven assists and six rebounds. Goga Bitadze collected 11 rebounds and added 19 points, including a free throw that gave Orlando its first lead since the opening quarter with 17.7 seconds left.
Cam Thomas returned from a hamstring injury and led all scorers with 25 off the bench but the Nets did not make a field goal in the final 7:16 and lost for the 10th time in 13 games. Jalen Wilson added 16 and Keon Johnson contributed 14 as the Nets also lost Cameron Johnson to a sore left hip after the third.
Timberwolves 112, Spurs 110
Donte DiVincenzo scored a season-high 26 points as Minnesota outlasted Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio in a wild Western Conference clash in Minneapolis.
The game was tied heading to the fourth quarter after the Spurs rallied from a 16-point deficit early in the third period. Rudy Gobert scored 17 points and 15 rebounds as the Timberwolves won their third straight game. Julius Randle had 16 points, Anthony Edwards scored 14 on 6 of 20 shooting from the floor, Jaden McDaniels hit for 12 and Naz Reid scored 11 for Minnesota.
Wembanyama rang up 34 points to lead all scorers. Harrison Barnes added 24 for San Antonio, Devin Vassell hit for 22 points, Keldon Johnson tallied 13 and Chris Paul had 14 assists and four steals.
Thunder 130, Grizzlies 106
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points to help Oklahoma City run its winning streak to 11 games with a home victory over Memphis.
The loss snapped the Grizzlies’ two-game winning streak and was just their fourth in 18 games. The Thunder had a season-high 35 assists, led by eight from Jalen Williams. Six other Oklahoma City scorers joined Gilgeous-Alexander in double figures, including 17 points off the bench from Ajay Mitchell and 16 from Aaron Wiggins.
Without Ja Morant, who sustained a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder in Friday’s win over New Orleans, and several other key players, Memphis didn’t have an answer for the Western Conference-leading Thunder. Desmond Bane led Memphis with 22 points.
Heat 104, Rockets 100
Tyler Herro recorded game highs of 27 points and nine assists before being ejected during a hostile final minute as Miami rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit to beat host Houston.
Herro was one of five players tossed in the final 47.4 seconds after Nikola Jovic’s 3-pointer gave Miami a 98-94 lead. Houston’s Fred VanVleet was ejected first for arguing a five-second call on the Rockets’ ensuing inbounds play. Twelve seconds later, Herro and Rockets forward Amen Thompson ignited a skirmish that led to both being disqualified along with Heat guard Terry Rozier and Houston guard Jalen Green. Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and assistant Ben Sullivan were also kicked out.
Jovic finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists off the bench. Haywood Highsmith tallied 15 points and eight rebounds for the Heat, who played a fifth consecutive game without Jimmy Butler. Bam Adebayo paired 12 points with 10 boards. Dillon Brooks scored a team-high 22 points for Houston after missing the last three games with right ankle soreness.
Pacers 123, Celtics 114
Tyrese Haliburton had 31 points, six rebounds and seven assists as Indiana pulled away late to defeat host Boston for the second time in the teams’ three regular-season meetings.
Andrew Nembhard returned from a one-game absence (left knee) and added 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Pacers, who also got 17 points, eight boards and six assists from Pascal Siakam.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 31 points and six assists. Jayson Tatum added 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists but was just 2-of-10 from 3-point range. A three-point play by Tatum completed a 9-0 spurt that pulled the Celtics within 105-103 with 7:38 left, but the Pacers scored the next 13 points to put the game out of reach.
Hawks 136, Raptors 107
Trae Young collected 34 points and 10 assists and Atlanta never trailed in dealing host Toronto its 10th straight loss.
Reserve De’Andre Hunter added 22 points for the Hawks, who have won four games in a row. Jalen Johnson chipped in 15 points, six steals and one block.
Scottie Barnes had 19 points, eight rebounds and three steals for the Raptors, who committed 31 turnovers. RJ Barrett added 17 points, and Jakob Poeltl (groin injury) was back in the lineup after missing four games and had 13 points. Bruce Brown made his season debut and scored 12 points off the bench.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: PATRICK KANE HITS MILESTONE, RED WINGS TOP CAPS
Patrick Kane reached the 1,300-point mark with a goal and an assist as the host Detroit Red Wings snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Todd McLellan recorded his first win in two games as Detroit’s head coach. McLellan replaced Derek Lalonde, who was fired on Thursday.
Kane is the second U.S.-born player to reach 1,300 career points, trailing only Mike Modano’s 1,374. Kane is also the fourth active player to reach that milestone, joining Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin.
As for Ovechkin, he scored for the second consecutive game after missing the previous 16 Capitals contests due to a broken fibula. Ovechkin’s 17th goal of the season moved him within 24 goals of tying Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894.
Penguins 3, Islanders 2
Sidney Crosby passed Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux to claim Pittsburgh’s all-time record for assists as the host Penguins split a weekend home-and-home set with New York.
Michael Bunting, Evgeni Malkin and Anthony Beauvillier each added a goal for Pittsburgh, which lost 6-3 on Saturday. Crosby’s assist on Bunting’s goal gave him 1,034 career helpers.
Anders Lee and Bo Horvat scored for the Islanders, who have only two wins in their last six games. Goalie Marcus Hogberg, in his first NHL start since April 28, 2021, while with the Ottawa Senators, stopped 38 shots.
Golden Knights 3, Flames 0
Ilya Samsonov turned aside 31 shots for his 14th career shutout and Tanner Pearson had a goal and an assist as host Vegas extended its season-best winning streak to six games with a win over Calgary.
It was Samsonov’s first shutout with the Golden Knights and marked his sixth win in his past seven starts. Pacific Division-leading Vegas improved to an NHL-best 15-3-0 at home. The Golden Knights also moved into a tie with the Winnipeg Jets for the NHL lead in points with 53.
Dan Vladar stopped 34 of 36 shots for Calgary, which had a five-game point streak (3-0-2) come to an end.
Ducks 5, Oilers 3
Ryan Strome scored the go-ahead goal at 17:24 of the third period and Anaheim rallied from a two-goal deficit to hand visiting Edmonton a second straight loss.
Strome took the puck from behind the net and stuffed it in on the doorstep. It initially appeared that goalie Calvin Pickard kept it out, but a video review confirmed it went over the line.
Leon Draisaitl scored twice, Evan Bouchard had a goal and an assist, and Connor McDavid had two assists for the Oilers, who have lost consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 16-18. Pickard made 27 saves.
Stars 5, Blackhawks 1
Matt Duchene and Jamie Benn each had a goal and two assists to lead six players with multi-point nights and Jake Oettinger made 24 saves to lift Dallas past host Chicago.
Dallas scored the final five goals of the game to keep Chicago reeling. The Blackhawks have lost four straight and six of nine. Dallas improved to 16-1-1 when leading after two periods.
Arvid Soderblom stopped 30 shots for Chicago, which grabbed a 1-0 lead at 12:20 of the first period as Connor Bedard scored a power-play goal on a wrist shot from the high slot. Benn scored at 17:12 to begin the comeback.
Canadiens 5, Lightning 2
Jake Evans scored in his fifth straight game and Alexandre Carrier had two assists as Montreal beat host Tampa Bay for the Canadiens’ fifth win in six games.
Sam Montembeault stopped 21 shots as Montreal improved to 2-1-0 on its season-long six-game road trip. The Canadiens beat the Panthers 4-0 on Saturday in the first game of their Florida back-to-back.
Alex Newhook and Christian Dvorak also scored for Montreal, which killed all three Lightning power plays while allowing just one shot.
Sabres 4, Blues 2
Jason Zucker and Tage Thompson each had a goal and an assist to lead visiting Buffalo past St. Louis for the Sabres’ third straight win.
Peyton Krebs and Juri Kulich also scored for the Sabres, who endured a 13-game winless stretch before the winning streak. Jack Quinn had two assists for Buffalo and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 35 saves.
Brayden Schenn and Nathan Walker scored for the Blues and Colton Parayko earned two assists. St. Louis goaltender Jordan Binnington allowed four goals on 16 shots faced.
Senators 3, Wild 1
Josh Norris scored the go-ahead goal with 7:18 remaining in the third period and Ottawa held on to beat host Minnesota in Saint Paul, ending the Senators’ two-game skid.
Ridly Greig and Claude Giroux also scored for Ottawa, which improved to 7-2-0 in its past nine contests.
Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen stopped 30 of 31 shots to pick up his second career win in his fifth game. The save total marked the second-most in the brief career of the 22-year-old from Finland.
Kings 5, Flyers 4
Anze Kopitar scored a pair of third-period goals, Adrian Kempe added a goal and an assist, and host Los Angeles Kings rallied past Philadelphia to run its home winning streak to seven games.
Kevin Fiala and Warren Foegele added goals and David Rittich made 17 saves for the Kings, who improved to 10-2-2 dating to Nov. 27, with a pair of victories over the Flyers in the stretch. Kopitar moved into a tie with Dave Taylor for third place on the Kings’ all-time goals-scored list with 431 in 19 seasons.
Scott Laughton and Matvei Michkov each scored a goal with an assist for the Flyers, while Tyson Foerster and Joel Farabee also had goals. Aleksei Kolosov made 15 saves for Philadelphia, which lost for the fifth time in its past seven games (2-5-0).
TOP INDIANA RELEASES/HEADLINES
COLTS FOOTBALL
GIANTS TOPPLE COLTS 45-33 TO ELIMINATE INDY FROM THE PLAYOFF RACE
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Giants snapped a franchise-record 10-game losing streak and ended the Indianapolis Colts’ slim playoff hopes Sunday as Drew Lock threw four touchdown passes and ran for another in a 45-33 victory.
New York earned its first home win of the season and it no longer has control of the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
Lock sandwiched touchdown passes of 31 and 59 yards to Malik Nabers around TD passes of 32 yards to Darius Slayton and 5 yards to Wan’Dale Robinson in leading the Giants (3-13) to their first win since beating Seattle on Oct. 6.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette had a 100-yard return on the second-half kickoff on a day the league’s worst offense set a season high for points.
Jonathan Taylor scored on runs of 3 and 26 yards for Indianapolis (7-9), while Joe Flacco, subbing for the injured Anthony Richardson, threw touchdown passes of 13 yards to Alec Pierce and 7 yards to Michael Pittman, the last bringing the Colts within 35-33 with 6:38 left in the fourth quarter.
Lock, who finished 17 of 23 for 309 yards, iced the game by leading a nine-play, 70-yard drive that he capped with a 5-yard run.
The 45 points were the most for New York since putting up 49 in a 52-49 loss to the Saints in 2015. It’s the Giants most in a win since a 45-14 rout against Washington in 2014 and most at home since a 52-27 win against the Saints in 2012.
Nabers finished with seven catches for a career-high 171 yards.
Flacco was 26 of 38 for 330 yards with two interceptions, the second by rookie Dru Phillips shortly after Lock’s TD run. Taylor, who rushed for 218 yards in a win over Tennessee last weekend, finished with 125 yards on 32 carries. Pierce had six catches for 122 yards.
Rookies
Nabers and running back Tyrone Tracy become the third pair of rookies to have more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage in the same season. The previous duo was running back Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston of the Saints in 2006.
Injuries
Colts: Richardson was inactive with foot and back injuries sustained against Tennessee.
Giants: DL Armon Watts (knee) was ruled out in the first half.
Up next
Colts: Finish the regular season by hosting Jacksonville.
Giants: At Philadelphia to face Saquon Barkley and the Eagles.
COACH SHANE STICHEN POST GAME: https://www.colts.com/video/shane-steichen-colts-at-giants-postgame
INDIANA PACERS
GAME REWIND: PACERS 123, CELTICS 114
The Pacers returned to Boston’s TD Garden on Sunday to complete the season series with the defending champion Celtics. After dropping two games straight, including a loss to the Celtics on Friday, Indiana exacted its revenge with a victory, 123-114.
The Blue and Gold opened the contest with impressive efficiency as all five of their first five shots found the bottom of the net. They hammered the paint of Boston’s parquet with a sense of urgency that was absent in their two losses last week.
The Pacers did not attempt a 3-point shot until over three minutes had elapsed in the game – a stark contrast to their opponents. Boston attempted five shots from long range in that same time, but knocked down just one of them.
The Celtics’ rocky start from deep didn’t discourage them from firing more 3-point shots. They attempted 16 in the first quarter alone, and shot 5-for-6 after missing eight of their first 10. Indiana shot 54.5% from the field in the first quarter, but connected on just one of its six shots from deep. The wave of early offense from the Celtics didn’t overwhelm the Pacers, however. Indiana trailed by two points after the first frame, 29-27.
Jarace Walker made a grand entrance in the second quarter as he drained all three of his 3-point attempts to give the Pacers an eight point lead with under two minutes to play in the half. The Blue and Gold attempted just seven 3-point shots in the second quarter, and Walker drained three of the Pacers’ four makes from long range in that same time. He’s recorded 12 points in the first half, and 11 of those in the second quarter.
A 38-point second quarter from the Pacers gave them a 7-point lead at halftime despite the explosive first half from Boston’s Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard. Brown and Pritchard combined to score 37 points in the first half, but Indiana entered the break leading, 65-58.
Haliburton caught fire in the third quarter as he poured in 12 of Indiana’s 33 third quarter points, but Jayson Tatum mirrored his offensive success as he tallied 12 points of his own. The Pacers took a seven point lead into the fourth quarter, primed to take the NBA’s defending champions down to the wire.
“Ty’s not going to get 30 points every game,” coach Rick Carlisle said postgame. “We know that. But on nights where he’s got it going, and it’s the right thing for him to attack and be a scorer like that, we need it. Tonight was one of those nights.”
After a shaky back and forth that cut Indiana’s lead to six and stymied any momentum, Bennedict Mathurin took a steal the length of the floor to convert a layup through contact. Mathurin’s made free throw gave the Pacers a 9-point advantage early in the fourth quarter. Tenacious defense by Siakam produced another steal, and Mathurin took the outlet pass in for a clean layup, this time to increase the lead to 11. The surge of intensity by the Blue and Gold forced a Boston timeout with just over nine minutes left to play.
The Celtics answered with a 6-0 run out of the break that forced an Indiana timeout by coach Rick Carlisle. Carlisle, sensing a dangerous swing in momentum, substituted Nembhard, Haliburton, and Myles Turner back into the game for the final eight minutes of play.
Ben Sheppard hit a massive 3-pointer shortly after a 9-0 run by the Celtics to push Indiana’s lead back to seven, then took a fastbreak opportunity to the rim to bring the lead back to nine. A slick pass by Nembhard to Turner for a dunk marked another 9-0 run, this time favoring the Pacers.
“It’s a team attitude that we have to have,” Carlisle said. “And we had it tonight, in a big way, the collective resilience.”
Indiana would ride that wave of offense to a 13-0 run before Brown made a layup to end it with nearly three minutes and thirty seconds remaining in the contest. After losing by 37 points in Boston on Friday, the Pacers entered the final three minutes of Sunday’s matchup with a 15 point lead.
Indiana held the Celtics to 23 fourth quarter points as they defeated the reigning champions in their home building, 123-114. Their tenacity on the glass led to some major opportunities for their offense as they outrebounded Boston, 50-41. The Pacers limited their own turnovers to just nine – they average 14.4 per game on the season – and dominated the paint as they scored 66 points down low.
Haliburton’s 31 points tied Brown for the game-high, and he added six rebounds and seven assists to his efforts for the Pacers. Nembhard had a strong game with 17 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists as well. None of Indiana’s five starters had less than five rebounds, and all five of them shot 50% from the floor.
The Pacers will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 31, with a 16-17 record as they prepare to take on the Bucks at 3:00 PM ET for a chance at a .500 record.
Inside the Numbers
Indiana outscored the Celtics in the paint by 18 points.
Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, and Pascal Siakam accounted for 21 of the Pacers’ 27 total assists.
The Pacers held the Celtics to just 29.6% shooting from 3-point range.
Boston took 31 more shots from 3-point range than Indiana, but only made seven more than the Pacers.
You Can Quote Me on That
“Resilience was the key of the game. We got off to a good start. They answered back, but it was a bend not break type of thing. Really the big difference [was] we just played with more force and conviction.” — Carlisle on staying composed
“A really big key to this game was Jarace Walker and how he played. He’s getting an amazing opportunity right now…I really challenged him to bring a consistently high level of force to the game, to play to exhaustion…He played as hard as I’ve ever seen him play. He played to exhaustion…He played a really key part.” — Carlisle on Jarace Walker
“One of my definitions of a playmaker is they enhance the abilities of people around them. So Tyrese is elite, and really Drew, quietly, is also elite. They both do it a little differently, but they complement each other very well…He’s always influencing the game in a positive way for us, some way or other, defensively and offensively.” — Carlisle on Andrew Nembhard
Stat of the Night
Every starter recorded at least five rebounds, and together they gathered 33 of Indiana’s 50 total rebounds.
Noteworthy
The Pacers have won the season series against the Celtics, 2-1.
Andrew Nembhard’s eight assists against the Celtics on Sunday tie his season high.
Tyrese Haliburton recorded his fifth 30-point game of the season in the win against Boston.
Up Next
The Pacers will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 31, with a 16-17 record as they prepare to take on the Bucks at 3:00 PM ET for a chance at a .500 record.
PACERS POST GAME: https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/rewind-pacers-celtics-241229
INDIANA MEN’SBASKETBALL
HOOSIERS CLOSE NON-CONFERENCE WITH 77-68 VICTORY OVER WINTHROP
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — It was a time for an unexpected Hoosier hero and Langdon Hatton delivered.
Did he ever.
The 6-10 reserve senior center got his Sunday night chance with Oumar Ballo not available and Malik Reneau battling foul trouble and produced seven points, 11 rebounds, three blocks, a steal and an assist in Indiana’s 77-68 victory over Winthrop.
Before Sunday, Hatton hadn’t played more than eight minutes, hadn’t played at all in three games, and totaled 18 points and six rebounds.
“Thank goodness for Langdon,” coach Mike Woodson said. “I gave him the game ball. He played his butt off. He never complains. He always comes to work. He gave us a big lift when we needed it. It’s all about team.”
Hatton, a former Indiana all-state player out of North Harrison High School, transferred from Bellarmine.
“We knew Ballo was questionable early this morning,” Hatton said. “(Playing so well) comes from treating practice every day as serious as possible. That helps you be ready.”
As far as getting the game ball, Hatton added, “Being from Indiana, it’s a dream come true to be on the team. When your number is called … I’m excited to help out.”
Woodson wouldn’t address why Ballo, who dressed and watched warmups without participating, didn’t play. Luke Goode replaced him in the starting lineup.
“We didn’t have a lot of lead time (about knowing Ballo wouldn’t play),” Woodson said. “That doesn’t matter. The guys who are in uniform have got to play. Ballo didn’t play. We’ll address the situation.”
Missed three throws and 3-pointers took a toll. The Hoosiers (10-3) were 16-for-24 from the line and 1-for-20 beyond the arc. Goode, who was brought in from Illinois for his 3-point shooting prowess, was just 1-for-9. Mackenzie Mgbako was 0-for-5.
“Shooting is a funny thing,” Woodson said. “They were all good looks. I can’t complain they were bad shots. They have to keep working. Eventually, they will fall.”
Added guard Myles Rice: “We got good looks. I’m comfortable with everyone who took them. We have to get over the hurdle.”
IU had been solid on free throws and 3-point shooting earlier in the season.
Not anymore.
“When we were making them, life was good,” Woodson said. “I know it’s there. We have to go back and find it.”
Despite the shooting struggles and the fact Winthrop (10-5) closed within a point at 69-68 with three minutes remaining, IU found a way in its final non-conference game.
“When they cut the lead to one, we didn’t fold,” Woodson said. “We made the plays we had to make. That’s what I look at.”
Rice led Indiana with 18 points, using his quickness to drive for layups and easy baskets.
“They pressured me,” he said. “Any time someone tries to pressure me, I feel I have the advantage. I use my speed and quickness to attack.”
Rice added that extra motivation came from Sunday being his grandfather’s birthday.
“I played for him.”
Guard Trey Galloway added 11 points. Foul trouble limited Reneau to just 14 minutes, six in the first half. He finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Winthrop relentlessly attacked the basket. IU relentlessly neutralized it with blocked shots, altered shots and overall pressure. The Eagles tried the perimeter, with 6-for-23 inconsistency.
The Hoosiers’ own 3-point struggles kept them from pulling away.
“We have to focus and make them,” Woodson said. “That would make life a lot better.”
A Goode 3-pointer and a pair of Rice baskets helped IU make five of its first six shots and push to an 11-5 lead after four minutes. Winthrop rallied to within a point at 13-12. A pair of Hatton free throws and a jumper and a dunk from Bryson Tucker made it a 19-12 score with 13 minutes left in the half.
Consecutive 3-pointers again brought Winthrop within a point, this time at 23-22. A Reneau basket, a Hatton dunk, a Rice layup and a Galloway free throw pushed the lead to 30-22 with five minutes left.
The Eagles surged within 34-32 before a Tucker 3-point play and four Rice free throws helped IU take a 41-37 halftime lead. Rice led Indiana with 12 points. Foul trouble limited Reneau to six points in six minutes.
IU went right to Reneau to start the second half and was rewarded with a pair of his free throws in the first eight seconds. Rice followed with a layup. Galloway added one of his own.
Then Reneau picked up his third foul and returned to the bench. Winthrop again got within two points. IU again refused to give up the lead.
A Goode steal and 3-point play pushed the Hoosiers ahead 54-47 with 15 minutes remaining. A Mgbako dunk made it 59-52 with 10 minutes left. A Galloway layup gave IU a 63-55 lead. A Rice layup and a Galloway layup off a rebound pushed the Hoosiers ahead 67-58 with five minutes left.
A Winthrop 3-pointer cut IU’s lead to 69-68 with three minutes left. Free throws by Reneau and Hatton, and then a Reneau 3-point play and an Anthony Leal rebound basket, provided the difference-making cushion
IU, which is 1-1 in the Big Ten, resumes conference play Thursday night against Rutgers (7-5, 1-1).
“I feel we’re improving,” Rice said. “We’ve been taking strides.
“Rutgers is a good team. We’ll get back to work and get ready for them.”
INDIANA WRESTLING
FOUR HOOSIERS REACH SEMIFINALS AT MIDLANDS CHAMPIONSHIPS
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. ––– Indiana concluded a jam-packed first day of wrestling at the 60th annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships on Sunday at NOW Arena.
The Hoosiers entered 16 wrestlers in the tournament with nine still competing after day one. Four Hoosiers reached the semifinals of their respective weight classes. Indiana’s semifinalists included No. 22 Jacob Moran (125), Tyler Lillard (165), No. 28 Gabe Sollars (197) and No. 23 Jacob Bullock (285).
Indiana scored 62.0 team points and currently sit in fifth place in the team race.
KEY MOMENTS
• Indiana opened the tournament with three consecutive bonus-point victories as No. 20 DJ Washington (184) and No. 22 Jacob Moran (125) won their first matches by tech fall and Blaine Frazier (125) won by fall.
• Moran secured his bid to the semifinals with a close 6-3 decision win over No. 20 Diego Sotelo (Harvard).
• Tyler Lillard (165) edged No. 25 Anthony White (Rutgers) in Sudden Victory, winning 2-1, to make the semifinals.
• No. 28 Gabe Sollars (197) handled No. 22 Nick Stemmet (Stanford) to advance to the semifinals in a 16-0 win by tech fall.
• No. 23 Jacob Bullock (285) topped No. 33 Sebastian Garibaldi (Princeton) in the quarterfinal by tech fall, 19-3, to clinch his spot in the semis.
NOTABLES
• Indiana put Seven wrestlers in the quarterfinals.
• Bullock is in the Midlands semifinals for the second consecutive year.
• Sam Goin’s (184) win over No. 33 Tye Montiero (Stanford) was his second ranked victory of his career.
• Both of Bullock’s wins today were by tech fall.
• Lillard’s upcoming match against No. 13 Hunter Garvin (Stanford) will be a rematch from last year at the 2024 Southern Scuffle when Lillard won by tech fall.
RESULTS
Blaine Frazier – 125 lbs.
R64: Blaine Frazier (IU) advanced on bye.
R32: Blaine Frazier (IU) def. Nick Corday (Michigan State): Fall (6:28)
R16: No. 30 Koda Holeman (Cal Poly) def. Blaine Frazier (IU): Fall (6:22)
Cons. R3: Blaine Frazier (IU) def. Davian Guanajauto (SIUE): TF, 23-7
Cons. R4: Blaine Frazier (IU) def. Isaiah Quintero (Purdue): Dec. 14-7
No. 22 Jacob Moran – 125 lbs.
R64: No. 22 Jacob Moran (IU) def. Ashton Jackson (Purdue): TF, 19-3
R32: No. 22 Jacob Moran (IU) def. Wilfried Tanefeu (Michigan): Fall (2:12)
R16: No. 22 Jacob Moran (IU) def. Grant Stahl (Central Michigan): Inj. (4:35)
Quarterfinal: No. 22 Jacob Moran (IU) def. No. 20 Diego Sotelo (Harvard): Dec. 6-3
Logan Frazier – 133 lbs.
R32: No. 29 Kurt Phipps (Bucknell) def. Logan Frazier (IU): Dec. 2-1
Cons. R1: Logan Frazier (IU) advanced on bye.
Cons. R2: Markel Baker (Northern Illinois) def. Logan Frazier (IU): Dec. 7-0
No. 25 Angelo Rini – 133 lbs.
R32: No. 25 Angelo Rini (IU) advanced on bye.
R16: Sean Spidle (Central Michigan) def. No. 25 Angelo Rini (IU): Dec. 1-0
Cons. R2: No. 25 Angelo Rini (IU) def. Andrew Hampton (MSU): TF, 16-0
Cons. R3: No. 25 Angelo Rini (IU) def. Markel Baker (Northern Illinois): Dec. 9-7
Joey Buttler – 141 lbs.
R32: Evan Mougalian (Penn) def. Joey Buttler (IU): TF, 15-0
Cons. R1: Joey Buttler (IU) def. Giosue Hickman (Northwestern): Dec. 5-3
Cons. R2: Dante Frizi (Harvard) def. Joey Buttler (IU): MD, 17-7
Anthony Bahl – 149 lbs.
R64: Anthony Bahl (IU) advanced on bye.
R32: Kade Brown (Pittsburgh) def. Anthony Bahl (IU): TF, 18-2
Cons. R1: Alex Nini (Rutgers) def. Anthony Bahl (IU): Dec. 8-2
Matt Hart – 149 lbs.
R64: Matt Hart (IU) advanced on bye.
R32: Andrew Clark (Rutgers) def. Matt Hart (IU): Dec. 12-5
Cons. R1: Matt Hart (IU) def. Donald Pigoni (Harvard): Dec. 8-1
Cons. R2: Tommy Curran (Northern Illinois) def. Matt Hart (IU): Dec. 5-3
Cole Rhemrev – 149 lbs.
R64: Cole Rhemrev (IU) advanced on bye.
R32: Cole Rhemrev (IU) def. Jaden Reynolds (Purdue): MD, 17-5
R16: No. 8 Jaden Abas (Stanford) def. Cole Rhemrev (IU): TF, 18-3
Cons. R3: Tommy Curran (Northern Illinois) def. Cole Rhemrev (IU): Dec. 4-2
Chris Crawford – 165 lbs.
R32: No. 23 Evan Maag (George Mason) def. Chris Crawford (IU): Dec. 7-3
Cons. R1: Ethan Birden (Ohio State) def. Chris Crawford (IU): Dec. 7-3
Tyler Lillard – 165 lbs.
R32: Tyler Lillard (IU) def. Tyler Schofield (Northern Illinois): Fall (2:28)
R16: Tyler Lillard (IU) def. Dominic Federici (Lehigh): SV-1, 7-1
Quarterfinal: Tyler Lillard (IU) def. No. 25 Anthony White (Rutgers): SV-1, 2-1
Sam Goin – 184 lbs.
R64: Sam Goin (IU) advanced on bye.
R32: Sam Goin (IU) def. Jon Halvorsen (Northwestern): Dec. 5-1
R16: Sam Goin (IU) def. No. 32 Tye Monteiro (Stanford): Inj. (4:00)
Quarterfinal: No. 19 Reece Heller (Pittsburgh) def. Sam Goin (IU): MD, 15-2
No. 20 DJ Washington – 184 lbs.
R64: No. 20 DJ Washington (IU) def. Dominic Heim (Northern Illinois): TF, 20-4
R32: No. 20 DJ Washington (IU) def. Ian Bush (West Virginia): Dec. 21-18
R16: No. 20 DJ Washington (IU) def. Chase Kranitz (Pittsburgh): Dec. 8-3
Quarterfinal: No. 33 Nathan Haas (Cal Baptist) def. No. 20 DJ Washington (IU): Dec. 8-7
No. 28 Gabe Sollars – 197 lbs.
R32: No. 28 Gabe Sollars (IU) advanced on bye.
R16: No. 28 Gabe Sollars (IU) def. Kael Wisler (Michigan State): Inj. (1:22)
Quarterfinal: No. 28 Gabe Sollars (IU) def. No. 22 Nick Stemmet (Stanford): TF, 16-0
No. 23 Jacob Bullock – 285 lbs.
R32: No. 23 Jacob Bullock (IU) advanced on bye.
R16: No. 23 Jacob Bullock (IU) def. John Pardo (Penn): TF, 17-1
Quarterfinal: No. 23 Jacob Bullock (IU) def. No. 33 Sebastian Garibaldi: TF, 19-3
Nick Pavlechko – 285 lbs.
R32: Nick Pavlechko (IU) advanced on bye.
R16: Nick Pavlechko (IU) def. Kade Sottolano (Edinboro): Dec. 2-0
Quarterfinal: No. 5 Yaraslau Slavikouski (Rutgers) def. Nick Pavlechko (IU): TF, 15-0
TEAM STANDINGS
Rutgers (87.5)
Stanford (76.5)
Penn (71.5)
Pittsburgh (65.0)
Indiana (62.0)
UP NEXT
• Indiana will return to the mat tomorrow for day two of the tournament with Session III starting at 11:30 a.m. (ET) and Session IV closing out the event at 4 p.m. (ET).
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
#21 PURDUE ENDS NON-CONFERENCE PLAY WITH 83-64 WIN OVER TOLEDO
[21] Purdue 83, Toledo 64 (Postgame Notes)
No. 21-ranked Purdue improved to 9-4 overall with an 83-64 win over the defending MAC Champions Toledo in front of the 80th straight sellout crowd at Mackey Arena.
Purdue finishes non-conference play with an 8-3 record, with the three losses coming to No. 2-ranked Auburn, No. 8-ranked Marquette and No. 13-ranked Texas A&M.
The win was Purdue’s 24th straight victory in Mackey Arena – the sixth-longest active streak in the country. It was also Purdue’s 32nd straight non-conference victory at home – the longest streak in school history.
Purdue committed just eight turnovers in the victory. In Purdue’s nine victories, the Boilermakers average just 9.9 turnovers per game. In its four losses, the Boilermakers average 16.8 turnovers per game.
Purdue won its 26th straight game when holding foes under 70 points.
Purdue ended the 2024 calendar year with a 31-8 record from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31.
Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Purdue is 101-23, the second-most victories in the country during that span.
Since the start of the 2015-16 season, Purdue is 244-82 overall, the fifth-most victories in the country during that span (Gonzaga, Kansas, Houston, Duke).
Purdue went 10-of-28 from 3-point range and has now won 11 straight games when making double-digit 3-pointers.
Purdue is 99-3 since the start of the 2017-18 season when scoring 80 points in a game.
The big three of Trey Kaufman-Renn (23), Fletcher Loyer (17) and Braden Smith (34) combined for 74 of Purdue’s 83 points. When the trio scores 41 or more combined points, the Boilermakers are 8-0.
Braden Smith scored a career-high 34 points to go along with 12 assists, four rebounds and three steals, while making a career-high six 3-pointers. Over the last four games, Smith is 18-of-38 (.474) from 3-point range, having three games of at least five 3-pointers.
Smith is the first player in school history to have at least 30 points and 10 assists in the same game.
Smith’s career totals now stand at 997 points, 557 assists and 433 rebounds in 87 career games (11.5 PPG, 6.4 APG, 5.0 RPG).
Smith moved into 31st place on the Big Ten’s career assists list (557). He needs just 37 assists to move into the top 20 and 117 assists to move into the top 10.
Smith becomes the first player to have at least 34 points and 12 assists in a regulation game since Oklahoma’s Trae Young (39 pts, 14 asts) vs. TCU on Dec. 30, 2017. He and Young are the only players to do so in the last 20 years in regulation.
The 34-point, 12-assist effort marked his 13th career point-assist double-double, just one shy of Cassius Winston’s 14 career point-assist double-doubles over the last 20 years. Smith’s 13 point-assist double-doubles have come in the last 51 games.
Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 23 points with six rebounds and two assists, his fifth 20-point game of the season. Kaufman-Renn went 11-of-14 from the field.
Fletcher Loyer scored 17 points, his most since having 17 in a win over No. 2-ranked Alabama on Nov. 15, 2024.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Braden Smith had 34 points and 12 assists Sunday night to lift No. 21 Purdue to an 83-64 victory over Toledo.
Smith sank 12 of 22 shots, including 6 of 13 from 3-point range, for the Boilermakers (9-4). Trey Kaufman-Renn contributed 23 points on 11-of-14 shooting and Fletcher Loyer added 17 points for Purdue.
Smith scored 17 of his points in the opening half to guide Purdue to a 39-28 halftime advantage. Purdue used an 18-2 spurt to take a 28-14 lead with 5:39 left in the first half.
Sonny Wilson and Sam Lewis each scored 13 points, and Seth Hubbard 11 points for the Rockets (6-6). Lewis had a team-high 11 rebounds as Toledo outrebounded Purdue 40-33.
The Boilermakers shot 49.2% from the field, while the Rockets shot 40.6%. Purdue had a 15-2 edge in fast break points.
Takeaways
Toledo: The Rockets were able to hold their own scoring inside with a 34-28 edge in the paint but shot 2 for 14 from 3. Toledo made just 4 of 9 free throws in the first half, including two consecutive air balls by Grgur Brcic.
Purdue: The Boilermakers rebounded from two straight losses to win their 32nd consecutive non-conference game at home. Purdue got most of their scoring from their top three season scorers: Smith, Kaufman-Renn and Loyer.
Key moment
After Toledo cut the deficit to 55-47 with 12:35 left, Smith hit a driving layup to start a 17-2 run for Purdue.
Key stat
The Boilermakers sank 10 of 28 3-pointers while Toledo was 2 of 14 on 3-pointers.
PURDUE WOMEN’SBASKETBALL
PURDUE FALLS AT #24 IOWA
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team dropped its final game of 2024 in a 84-63 loss on the road at No. 24 Iowa.
The Boilermakers (7-6, 0-2) were led by Destini Lombard’s 12 points, her 11th game in double figures this season. Purdue finished the afternoon shooting 41% from the field and made a season-high nine 3-pointers. Sophie Swanson led the way on the perimeter with a trio of triples.
Purdue flipped 16 Iowa turnovers into 18 points. Lombard matched her career high with six steals, the most by a Boilermaker since Jeanae Terry swiped six against Penn State during the 2022-23 season.
Iowa (10-2, 1-1) shot 55% from the field and went 8-of-24 behind the arc. Addison O’Grady was the lone Hawkeye in double figures with 12 points. The Hawkeyes won the rebounding battle 42-27.
KEY MOMENTS
• Five different Boilermakers scored over the opening four minutes, as Purdue trailed 11-9 .
• Iowa closed the opening frame on a 11-2 run to take a 27-13 lead.
• Poole gave the Boilermakers a jolt to start the second with four straight points.
• Purdue rolled off an 11-3 run in the first 3:14 of the second to shave the gap down to six. Poole had six on the run.
• Lombard connected on a long-range 3-pointer to make it a five-point deficit at 32-27 with 5:03 to play in the half.
• Purdue tallied five points the remainder of the half with a layup from Rashunda Jones and a Swanson triple. Iowa carried a 50-32 advantage into the break.
• Iowa tallied a trio of free throws to extend the gap to 21 points a minute into the third.
• Lombard connected on a corner triple with 7:42 to play to open a 13-point swing for the Boilermakers. Collier drained a pair of 3-pointers on the run to cut the gap to eight with 3:57 In the third.
• Iowa closed the frame with 11 straight points.
• Swanson hit a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth, but Purdue was unable to chip into the deficit.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers will open 2025 on New Year’s Day at No. 19 Michigan State.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
MILES BECOMES FIRST ACC PLAYER WITH BACK-TO-BACK TRIPLE-DOUBLES, IVEY REACHES WIN NO. 100 AS IRISH BEAT UVA
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — History. For multiple people.
On Sunday, No. 3 Notre Dame (11-2, 2-0) downed visiting Virginia (8-6, 0-2), 95-54. Olivia Miles recorded her second consecutive double-double, notching 11 points, 10 rebounds and tying a career-high 14 assists. She now has six triple-doubles in her career, tying Maryland’s Alyssa Thomas for most in ACC history. Miles also notched career rebound No. 500 during the game, becoming just the third player in program history with 1000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists (Lindsay Allen and Skylar Diggins).
“It’s special,” Miles said postgame. “It’s even more special coming off a year where I [did not play]. It’s a testament to my rehab, the work that I put in. It’s definitely not an easy thing to do, to sit out, but I learned so much, and it’s enabled me to come and do what I do.”
In addition to Miles’ historic achievement, Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Family Head Coach Niele Ivey achieved her 100th career win in just 134 games, a program record and the fastest an ACC coach has ever reached 100 wins to start their head coaching career.
“To see what we’ve manifested with this program is just unbelievable,” Ivey said after the game. “I’m so grateful, and I’m really lucky to be the coach for this group.”
The game unfolded as many Irish contests have this season — with a fast start. Notre Dame took control in the first frame with a 16-0 run to close the quarter. Hannah Hidalgo hit a pair of treys and led all players with 12 points to help give the Irish a 25-9 advantage. Sonia Citron had 9 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists of her own while going 3-4 from the floor.
The run continued and reached 28-0 — the best of the season — in the second quarter before the Hoos hit a free throw to break it. Miles and Liatu King were the stars of the frame with 6 points and 5 rebounds plus 4 points and 6 rebounds, respectively.
Notre Dame led 43-19 at the break, holding its second opponent this month to 20 or fewer first-half points (Eastern Michigan). Virginia went 8-32 from the floor and 1-10 from downtown.
Citron came out on fire in Q3, starting 4-5 from deep and staying a perfect 4-4 from the line. She had 14 points and 6 rebounds alone in the second half.
The senior wing finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds and went 5-9 from deep. Hidalgo had 28 points. They are the first Notre Dame players with 25 points in a conference game since Arike Ogunbowale and Jessica Shepard did it in 2019.
As a team, Notre Dame recorded 32 assists on 38 made field goals, the most assists in a conference game since joining the ACC.
Notre Dame will be off this week before heading to Chapel Hill to play No. 17 UNC on Sunday.
NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL
TIPPING OFF BEFORE THE BALL DROPS – GEORGIA TECH
ATLANTA – The extended breaks between games is no more. It’s ACC season for Notre Dame men’s basketball as they tip off league play on the final day of the year. The Fighting Irish (7-5, 1-0) head to Atlanta to battle the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-7, 0-2) on Tuesday, Dec. 31, at 2:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network. The Irish look to achieve their first 2-0 ACC start since the 2017-18 season.
IT’S ALWAYS CLOSE
Notre Dame will kickstart non-stop ACC play with a team they’ve waged epic battles with over time. The Irish lead the overall series 18-13 and executed a perfect 3-0 sweep over Georgia Tech last season, which included an 84-80 victory in Washington D.C. in the opening round of the ACC Tournament. But that doesn’t paint the whole picture of this rivalry.
Twenty-one of the last 23 games between these two have been decided by single digits. Five of those games have gone to overtime. Of those 21 games that have been decided by single digits, the average margin of victory has been 4.9.
It was the usual suspects who performed best against the Yellow Jackets last season. In the three wins, both Braeden Shrewsberry and Markus Burton averaged 17.0 ppg, while Tae Davis rounded out those in double-digits with 13.0 ppg. Shrewsberry shot 45.7 percent from the floor and 11-of-25 from deep. Davis shot 51.7 percent from the field and averaged 6.3 rpg. Kebba Njie averaged 7.7 ppg and a team-best 8.3 rpg.
NEW YEAR’S TABLE SETTER
With a win on NYE, the Irish can win their fourth straight, matching their four straight to start the season. They can also pick up a coveted road ACC win which would move Notre Dame to 2-0 in ACC play for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign. That year they started 3-0 with wins over Georgia Tech, NC State and Syracuse.
Also both Braeden Shrewsberry and Tae Davis are riding career-best double-digit scoring streaks heading into the match. Shrewsberry has produced eight in a row, averaging 18.3 ppg in that span. Davis has earned seven straight, averaging 18.1 ppg in said stretch.
BUILDING CONFIDENCE AFTER THREE STRAIGHT WINS
When Markus Burton went down in Vegas, there was no time to practice nor strategize how to play without their All-ACC guard. There was only time to move on to the next game. After Georgia, the Irish finally had time to regroup and learn to play and win without him. Notre Dame banded together and have won three straight, which includes a conference win at home over Syracuse. They’ve been led by the dynamic duo of Shrewsberry and Davis.
Over the last three games, Shrewsberry is averaging 20.3 ppg on 54.1 percent shooting (20-37). He’s 11-of-24 (.458) from three-point range.Davis has produced back-to-back games with 20+ points for the first time of his career. During this three-game win streak, Tae is averaging 19.7 ppg on a blistering 67.7 percent shooting. He’s averaging 6.0 rpg as well.
Since December 7 (last three games for the Irish), Shrewsberry’s scoring average ranks as the fourth highest amongst ACC players while Davis’ ranks sixth.
As a team, the Irish have averaged 79.0 ppg on 48.8 percent shooting over the last three.
MAKING UP POINTS
Before Vegas, Burton was the only player in the country averaging 20+ points, 5+ assists, and 5+ rebounds. Now the Irish continue to work together to make up the 20+ points per game lost along with Burton’s ability to create shots for his teammates.
Two players that have stepped up have been Tae Davis and Braeden Shrewsberry.
Tae has this explosiveness and innate ability to attack the rim like no other on the team. He’s been using that to his advantage and currently averaging a career-best 15.8 ppg on a career-high 53.3 percent shooting. Tae ranks third in the ACC in field goal percentage.
Where is the Indy native getting it done? Well, he’s shooting 43-of-64 (.672) from around the rim. He leads the team in free throw attempts (6.3) and free throws made (4.7) per game. He’s shooting a career-best 74.7 percent from the stripe.
Then there’s Shrewsberry, who is averaging a career-best 16.5 ppg, which ranks ninth in the ACC. In addition, his 2.8 threes per game rank second in the league, while his .354 clip from three ranks fourth. Shrewsberry is hot from corner threes this year, knocking down 47.6 percent (10-for-21), which is 12.9 percent above the D1 average.
So who’s next?
Well there’s Matt Allocco, who is averaging 11.0 ppg since Burton went down. Allocco is shooting a team-best 46.4 percent from deep in that seven-game span.
Allocco also boasts a 4.2 assist-to-turnover ratio which ranks sixth in the nation and leads all ACC players. It’s obviously way too early for comparisons, BUT, the highest A/TO ratio in program history for a season was 3.16 by Martin Inglesby back in 2000-01.
NOTRE NOTABLES
The Irish have been cleaning up around the glass. They are averaging 27.8 defensive rebounds per game which ranks fourth in the ACC and 45th in the nation.
Notre Dame is shooting 47.5 percent from the field which ranks fourth in the ACC as well.
According to HaslamMetrics.com, Notre Dame’s mid-range percentage vs. the average opponent (47.7) is the best it’s been since the 2015-16 squad. Also, Notre Dame’s near proximity percentage vs. the average opponent (63.5) is the highest it’s been since the 2020-21 season.
Another thing the Irish have done well is create tough three-point looks for its opponents. Notre Dame’s three-point field goal percentage defense of .296 ranks fourth in the ACC. According to HaslamMetrics once again, ND’s three-point percentage allowed against the average opponent (28.4) ranks 12th nationally. That’s the highest ranking they’ve had in that category in a decade.
Logan Imes recorded a breakout game vs. Le Moyne on Dec. 22. Imes recorded a career high 11 points on 3-5 shooting, plus 5-6 from the free-throw line. He also tied his career high in assists (4) and steals (2).
Kebba Njie is averaging a career-best 6.8 ppg and a career-high 5.9 rpg.
BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BULLDOGS FALL TO SETON HALL IN BIG EAST HOME OPENER
The Seton Hall Pirates moved to 2-0 in BIG EAST play after defeating Butler 69-49 at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Sunday afternoon. Freshman Jada Eads led SHU to victory with a game-high 26 points
The final game of 2024 didn’t go as planned for the home team with BU shooting just 34 percent from the field. Seton Hall’s defense limited Butler to just two made field goals in the opening frame and a 10-0 scoring run would give the Pirates a 12-6 lead after one.
Caroline Strande suited up in this one and took the court at the start of the second quarter. It was by far Butler’s best stretch of basketball as they carved up the Pirate defense with 19 points, but SHU would lead at the break 38-25.
Seton Hall dominated Butler in rebounding, second chance points and points in the paint in the first half. They also made six of their last eight shots to extend their lead while BU went scoreless over the final four minutes of the second quarter.
Second half action got underway with Butler scoring the first four points, but Seton Hall responded with the next eight. They outscored BU by four in the third and by three in the fourth to take us to the final score of 69-49.
Riley Makalusky led Butler with 11 points. She made 9-of-10 from the charity stripe while BU would finish 13-for-20 as a team. Karsyn Norman also had a nice game offensively with nine points. All three of her made shots came from 3-point range.
Sydney Jaynes jumped into the starting lineup for the first time this season and would end the contest with four points, three rebounds and three assists. Kilyn McGuff was yet another player with a solid stat line going for six points, six rebounds and two blocked shots.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will bring in the New Year with a 3 p.m. tip at Creighton on Wednesday afternoon (2 p.m. Central).
IU INDY MEN’S BASKETBALL
JAGUARS FALL ON THE ROAD TO #HLMBB FAVORITE MILWAUKEE, 88-81
MILWAUKEE – The IU Indianapolis men’s basketball team fell victim to a familiar script on the road at Milwaukee on Sunday (Dec. 29), playing the Horizon League preseason favorite neck-and-neck to the wire before falling late in an 88-81 defeat. Sean Craig had a team-high 22 points, eight rebounds and four steals and Paul Zilinskas added 21 points in the loss.
Milwaukee (10-4, 3-0 HL) won a fifth straight game and was paced by Themus Fulks’ 26 points and five assists and Kentrell Pullian contributed 20 points, including four treys.
“I thought we really competed in a tough road environment,” head coach Paul Corsaro said. “They’re a really good, really balanced team and we were right there with them. We still need to figure out how to finish off games. We’ve proven that we can compete with really good teams, but now we need to get over that hump and finish them off.”
The game was tied at 72 all with 2:57 to play when Jarvis Walker drilled a pair of free throws after being fouled as the shot clock was to expire. However, Milwaukee rattled off the game’s next seven points and the Jaguars were forced to play the foul game over the final 85 seconds as the hosts secured the win at the free throw line.
The Panthers lived at the line, making 27-of-37 attempts while the Jaguars were just 14-of-17 for the day.
The first half was nip-and-tuck, featuring seven ties, the final of which being a 35 all score at intermission. The Jags shot 54 percent in the first half, despite making just 3-of-10 from long range. Neither side led by more than two possessions in the second half until Fulks put Milwaukee ahead at the free throw line, 79-72 with 1:25 remaining.
The Jaguars had a chance to make it a one-possession game after Craig collected a steal in the full court press, but Zilinskas misfired on an open three with 1:12 to play.
Fulks finished 14-of-16 at the free throw line, matching the Jaguars’ output on his own.
The Jaguars largest lead after the break was a 47-42 advantage after DeSean Goode scored in close off an Alec Millender assist.
Ultimately, the game featured 16 ties and seven lead changes.
Walker finished with 12 points and four assists off the bench, but was limited to just 18 minutes due to foul trouble. Goode added eight points and Timaris Brown scored seven points in just 11 minutes. Freshman Keenan Garner had six points and three rebounds and 7-foot center Julian Steinfeld finished with six rebounds and a season-high three blocked shots.
The Jaguars finished play at 47.6 percent from the field and 7-of-23 (30.4 percent) from three. Milwaukee shot a blistering 68 percent after halftime en route to a 54 percent effort for the game. The Panthers also outscored the Jaguars 31-5 on fast break points and won the glass by a 36-26 margin.
IU Indy will return home to host Youngstown State at noon on New Year’s Day inside Corteva Coliseum (formerly Indiana Farmers Coliseum) at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ as Greg Rakestraw (pxp) and IU Indy Hall of Famer Bob Lovell (analyst) describe the action.
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PANTHERS OUTLAST SYCAMORES IN 2024-25 MVC OPENER
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Three of Indiana State’s five starters scored in double-figures Sunday afternoon, but visiting Northern Iowa spoiled the Sycamores’ return to Hulman Center in a 75-65 setback.
Keslyn Secrist led the Trees with 17 points, her most in a MVC game in her career, while Chloe Willams and Bella Finnegan each had 11, with Finnegan drawing her first start of the season. Williams added a team-high seven rebounds and three blocks, while Saige Stahl and Savannah White each pulled down six boards.
The Sycamores shot nearly 50 percent from the field in the first quarter while playing strong defense to take a four-point lead after one. UNI opened the second with a 10-0 run in what became a back-and-forth game, with the visitors taking a 31-28 advantage at the half. Northern Iowa led by as many as 10 in the third, before a strong close including a Secrist three pulled the Sycamores within 49-44 heading to the fourth. Secrist and Finnegan scored early in the fourth to make it a one-point game, but a 9-0 UNI run followed. The Trees got back within two possessions late but ran out of time to complete their comeback.
First Half
Early baskets from Stahl and Finnegan, the latter’s being a three, put Indiana State up early, and Queen Ruffin added a layup to extend the lead to 8-5 midway through the first. Secrist went on a personal 5-0 run with a layup and a three-ball, with White also adding a layup to make it 15-11. Mia Simpson hit a jumper late in the quarter, as Indiana State took a 17-13 lead to the second.
Northern Iowa opened the second quarter on a 10-0 run to go in front before baskets from White and Simpson cut into the Panther lead. Secrist tacked on a pair of free throws and knocked down another trey, while Davina Smith connected on a jumper inside the final minute, as Indiana State pulled within 31-28 at the intermission.
Second Half
Similar to the second quarter, Northern Iowa jumped out to a 6-0 run to begin the third before a layup from Ruffin and a 3-pointer from Secrist curtailed the scoring spree for the Panthers. Williams tacked on five points in the middle stages of the quarter, including a three-point play, but Indiana State still faced a 10-point deficit with two minutes to go in the third. A layup from White and a three-ball from Secrist inside the final minute gave the Trees life, as Indiana State trailed 49-44 entering the fourth.
Free throws from Finnegan and Secrist, along with another triple from Secrist, helped the Trees whittle UNI’s lead down to 51-50 early in the fourth. That was as close as the Sycamores got, though, as the visitors followed with a 9-0 run. Baskets down low from Williams and Stahl cut into the deficit, with Finnegan and Williams knocking down threes to make it 69-63 with less than two minutes remaining. Deja Jones added a late layup to keep it a two-possession game inside the final minute before the Panthers iced it from the free throw line. Despite a spirited effort, Indiana State dropped its conference opener 75-65.
News and Notes
Keslyn Secrist (17), Chloe Williams (11) and Saige Stahl (seven) all set career-highs for points in a conference game.
Indiana State shot a season-high 53.6 percent from 3-point range, going 7-for-13 from behind the arc
Indiana State finished with a better shooting percentage than Northern Iowa, with the Sycamores holding the Panthers to a 35.8 percent clip from the field.
Bella Finnegan made her first start of the season in Sunday’s game, finishing with 11 points and five rebounds.
Bella Finnegan and Keslyn Secrist combined to go 6-for-10 from 3-point range in Sunday’s game.
Indiana State registered a season-high six blocks, with Chloe Williams matching her season high of three blocks Sunday.
Sunday’s game was Indiana State’s first home game since November 15, with the 45-day stretch between home games being the second-longest in all of Division I this season.
Up Next
Indiana State kicks off the new year on the road, with the Sycamores traveling to Illinois State Thursday night for a 7:30 p.m. tip.
INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
BIG TEN’S BUCKEYES BEAT SYCAMORES IN NON-CONFERENCE FINALE
Columbus, Ohio – Indiana State men’s basketball ended the calendar year against Big Ten’s Ohio State and fell in Columbus, 103-83. The Sycamores fell to 8-5 while Ohio State improved to 9-4.
K’mani Doughty broke open the scoring for Indiana State with a three-pointer in front of Ohio State’s bench. A layup by Bruno Alocen and a trio of free throws by Camp Wagner put the Sycamores up 8-5 early, but an OSU jumper before the media timeout made the score 8-7.
Jaden Daughtry scored the next seven points for Indiana State with three layups and a free throw, which ended up being seven of the team’s first 15 points. Heading into the second media timeout, Ohio State led 22-15 with each team shooting nearly the same – Indiana State shot 41.7% from the field and Ohio State 41.2%.
The Sycamores and Buckeyes went back-and-forth in scoring as Alocen knocked down a triple with just over 10 minutes remaining in the half to cut into the nine-point deficit. Ohio State two possessions later made a jumper, then Wagner in the ensuing possession drained a three-pointer of his own. An OSU triple with 8:37 left in the half gave them a 28-21 advantage.
Samage Teel got into the scoring column for the first time in the game with a stepback three-pointer from the right wing, which ended up being the final basket before the under-eight media timeout. Through this point in the game, Indiana State had committed eight turnovers compared to Ohio States’ four, but only five points of OSU’s 28 points came off those Sycamore turnovers.
Back-to-back treys from Teel and Wagner brought the Sycamores within a possession, 33-30, with six minutes left in the half. After a short fadeaway jumper by the Buckeyes, Teel converted a four-point play by making the free throw after draining a three-pointer between the top of the key and the right wing. The Buckeyes converted the conventional and-one in the very next trip down the court.
Teel scored 10 points in only a 2 1/2 minute span, and after his free throw the Sycamores trailed by one, 35-34, with 5:24 remaining.
Josiah LeGree dished off a pass to Daughtry for a layup after a nice backdoor cut. The next possession resulted in an OSU three-pointer, then Alocen tied the game at 46 with a trey from the right side. Ohio State took a 52-47 lead into the half.
The Buckeyes opened the half with a 7-2 run which included back-to-back dunks to put OSU up 59-49, forcing an Indiana State timeout with 17:32 on the clock.
Ohio State continued their impressive second-half shooting, connecting on 5-of-8 versus Indiana State’s 2-for-6 effort.
The Buckeyes built a 15-point lead, 72-57, with 14:15 remaining in the game. In the next four minutes of action, each team scored 11 points, with Teel (7) and Daughtry (4) scoring all 11 for the Sycamores. Daughtry’s four points came on two enormous one-handed slams.
Five-straight points, including a Wagner right-corner three off the pass from LeGree brought the deficit within 10 for the Sycamores, 83-73, but that was as close as the Sycamores could get for the rest of the game. Indiana State closed the last 8 1/2 minutes shooting 1-for-11 from the field but shot 8-for-10 from the free throw line. Ohio State outscored the Sycamores 20-10 in that span to secure the 20-point victory.
Jaden Daughtry led the way offensively for Indiana State with 25 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the floor and 11-for-15 from the free throw line in 20:15 minutes on the court. He pulled down five rebounds, three on the offensive glass. Samage Teel scored 19 points, going 5-for-9 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from the line, also tying for the game high in assists with five. Camp Wagner recorded 13 points knocking in three three-pointers and 4-of-5 from the free throw line. K’mani Doughty in 15 minutes of play finished perfect with 10 points: 3-for-3 from the floor, 2-for-2 from three, and 2-of-2 from the line. Josiah LeGree finished with a team-high six rebounds.
Bruce Thornton led Ohio State with his second-straight 30-plus point game with 33 points, shooting 11-for-16 from the field.
News & Notes
The Sycamores snapped their five-game win streak with the loss but closed the month of December with a 4-1 record.
With 83 points scored, Indiana State scored 80+ in each of the last seven games.
Ohio State’s 103 points are the most given up by the men’s basketball program since the 2015-16 season in a road loss at Loyola, 104-96 in double overtime on January 30, 2016.
In the 2023-24 season, Indiana State gave up 102 to #24 Alabama on the road on November 10, 2023.
Indiana State made 27-of-32 attempts from the free throw line, the best this season and the most attempts. In last year’s NIT run, the Sycamores made 30-of-35 in the opening round on March 20, 2024.
There were 51 fouls committed by both teams, tying for the most this season with the game at Ball State.
The team’s 19 turnovers are the most since 20 were committed at Southern Indiana. The six committed by Ohio State is the fewest by an opponent this season.
Jaden Daughtry recorded his career-high and third game this season with 20+ points with 25 on Sunday afternoon. His 11-for-15 effort are both career highs and the most made and attempted by a Sycamore this season.
Samage Teel has scored 19+ points in eight of 13 games this season. He remains the only Sycamore to start every game this season.
Josiah LeGree’s six rebounds are a new career high for the freshman.
Indiana State shot just above the season average in the first half, 53.6%, but in the second half only made 30.8% of shots and 12.5% of threes.
Up Next
Indiana State resumes MVC play for the rest of the season, returning to Hulman Center on January 1 to welcome the Bradley Braves to Terre Haute. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.
PURDUE FT.WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL
‘DONS SHOOT LIGHTS OUT IN VICTORY AT GREEN BAY
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Behind 15 3-pointers, Purdue Fort Wayne won 83-67 at Green Bay on Sunday (Dec. 29) in a Horizon League men’s basketball contest.
The final score doesn’t tell the whole story of the day for the Mastodons. Purdue Fort Wayne and Green Bay were about four minutes from the national anthem when the power went out at the Resch Center. It went on and off multiple times before the decision was made to move the game to the Kress Center, Green Bay’s on-campus facility. Everyone jumped in a bus or a car and headed 11.7 miles down the road to Green Bay’s campus. The game started at 3:48 ET at the Kress Center after an original start time of 2 p.m. ET at the Resch Center.
The Phoenix scored the first five points of the game but the ‘Dons responded with a 15-0 run. Purdue Fort Wayne forced five turnovers in the run and made four 3-pointers.
Purdue Fort Wayne forced two Green Bay timeouts in the first half as the Phoenix never found a way to pause the Mastodons’ balanced scoring. Eight ‘Dons scored in the first half with Trey Lewis adding seven points off the bench and Maximus Nelson notching three of the Mastodons’ nine 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes.
Green Bay never threatened in the second half. The ‘Dons finished at 15-of-27 from three with Quinton Morton-Robertson making all four of his attempts for a game-high 16 points. Jalen Jackson had 15 points and five assists. Lewis finished with 12 points and five rebounds.
The number that pops off the box score belongs to Rasheed Bello. The Chicago-native had a career-high 12 assists. He is the first Mastodon with 12 assists since Jarred Godfrey recorded 12 in the Horizon League Tournament at Cleveland State in 2021 in a triple overtime game. The last Mastodon with 12 assists in a 40-minute contest was John Konchar who had 14 at Denver on Feb. 14, 2019.
Bello is the first Horizon League player to reach 12 assists in a league game since Jalen Moore had 14 and 13 for Oakland during the 2021-22 season.
Bello helped the ‘Dons record 22 assists to only eight turnovers on Sunday.
Preston Ruedinger led Green Bay with 12 points.
Green Bay falls to 2-13 (0-4 Horizon League). The ‘Dons are now 10-5 (3-1 Horizon League) and are at Northern Kentucky on Wednesday (Jan. 1).
EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEN’S BASKETBALL DEFEATS MISSOURI STATE IN MVC SHOWDOWN
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Four Purple Aces scored in double figures as the University of Evansville men’s basketball team wrapped up the 2024 calendar year with a 57-40 win over Missouri State on Sunday afternoon inside the Ford Center.
Cam Haffner led the way with 13 points while Josh Hughes and Tayshawn Comer finished with 11 apiece. Tanner Cuff completed the game with 10 points. Hughes tallied nine rebounds while Cuff added eight. Dez White was the leading scorer for the Bears, posting 12 while Michael Osei-Bonsu posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 boards.
“This was a good team win for us; our defense came out ready to play and it really showed,” UE head coach David Ragland said. “Our guys really stepped up and played a physical game. We are pleased to put together this type of effort in front of our home crowd.”
It was a low-scoring opening half with the Purple Aces wrestling away a 23-20 lead at the half. Cam Haffner knocked down a triple to get UE on the board leading to a 5-5 tie four minutes into the contest. The Bears jumped back in front at 7-5 before Evansville went up 9-7 on a Josh Hughes bucket.
Entering the final five minutes of the period, the Bears held the largest advantage of the half at 19-15. Tayshawn Comer converted a field goal to open an 8-1 stretch that saw UE jump back in front at the half. Connor Turnbull found Kaia Berridge for an open three before Turnbull followed with his own field goal to help UE hold a 23-20 lead at the break.
Missouri State knocked down a 3-pointer in their opening possession of the second half while Haffner immediately answered. Consecutive triples by Hughes followed with Evansville taking its largest lead at 34-25 inside of 16 minutes remaining. The Bears countered with five in a row to make it a 4-point game, but Connor Turnbull took control. Consecutive baskets by the junior were followed by a Cuff field goal that put UE up by 10 – 40-30 – with 12 minutes left.
Over the next four minutes, the Bears scored six in a row, but the damage could have been more. As a team, MSU hit one of their nine field goal tries while cutting into the deficit. After taking the 10-point lead, Evansville missed its next four attempts but as the clock reached the 8-minute mark, Haffner drained a trey with Comer picking up the assist to push the lead to 43-36. Michael Day also played a role in the possession, picking up an offensive rebound off a missed free throw.
Day made his presence known shortly after, connecting on a 3-pointer that pushed the lead to 13 – 51-38 – inside of five minutes remaining. The lead reached as many as 18 in the final moments with the Aces completed the day with the 57-40 victory.
Evansville shot 38.3% while holding the Bears to 25.9% from the field and 20% from outside. MSU had a 41-35 rebounding edge. Comer led all players with five assists.
MVC play continues Wednesday with UE travels to Carbondale to face Southern Illinois in a 1 p.m. game.
EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
ACES WOMEN’S BASKETBALL DROPS MVC OPENER TO DRAKE
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team opened conference play in the arena of the 2025 Credit Union1 MVC Women’s Basketball Tournament against the Drake Bulldogs.
The Purple Aces returned to the floor on Sunday afternoon with a 76-54 loss to reigning Missouri Valley Conference champs Drake. UE closed out December with a month best assist to turnover ratio against a Division I opponent through 40 minutes with the Bulldogs. For the third game in a row sophomore forward Maggie Hartwig (Sauk City, Wis. / Sauk Prairie HS) led Evansville on offense with 19 points. While senior guard Júlia Palomo (La Seu d’Urgell, Spain) had a team high seven rebounds.
“It was a tough game today,” said Head Coach Robyn Scherr. “We opened up the game pretty well and then we got tired. We looked young out there. We’re a little short handed today with some injuries and some illness. I think that caught up to us in the second quarter. Drake has three seniors that are really experienced and they sure played like it.”
Freshman guard Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind. / Hamilton Heights HS) began the Aces scoring on Sunday with an open three in the first minute and a half. UE made all but one point behind the arc in the first quarter from three separate players. Evansville did not make a field goal in the last four minutes of the quarter as Drake led by as many as nine after 10 minutes.
While the second quarter began with a 4-0 Bulldog run, the Aces soon turned the tables. UE forced four turnovers from Drake in under four minutes to break out on an 8-0 run to get within five points at the media timeout. Evansville came within a basket on junior forward Tameshia Dozier’s (Louisville, Ky. / Wabash Valley) first three of the game with just under two minutes. But a 10-0 run from the Bulldogs made it a 38-26 game after the first half.
The Aces began the second half similar to the first with an open three for freshman guard Kaiden Kreinhagen (Indianapolis / North Central HS). UE called an early timeout shortly after as reigning MVC Jackie Stiles Player of the Year Katie Dinnebier made back-to-back threes. Evansville didn’t score a field goal for over six minutes until Runner made a fast break layup. Runner also had the final bucket of the third, a buzzer beater three from the right wing as the Aces trailed by 23.
UE opened scoring in the fourth with another three this time from freshman forward Elle Snyder (Latrobe, Penn. / Greater Latrobe HS). Evansville had the first two baskets of the quarter as Drake went scoreless through the first three minutes. The Bulldogs had a 17-5 run through the middle of the fourth putting the game out of reach for the Aces. UE closed out the game with an eight-point run for a 76-54 final.
Hartwig and Runner were Evansville’s only double-digit scorers with 19 and 14 points. Six different Aces made three-pointers as Hartwig, Runner, and Palomo had two each. It was a career game defensively for Palomo as she pulled down seven boards while adding two steals.
UE hits the road for its first Valley series later this week. Evansville will begin 2025 in Peoria to take on the Bradley Braves Friday. Tip-off from Renaissance Coliseum is set for 6 p.m. on January 2nd.
SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
USI RESUMES OVC PLAY AGAINST MOREHEAD STATE AND TENNESSEE TECH
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball returns from the holiday break and resumes Ohio Valley Conference play this week with a home game Tuesday at Liberty Arena against Morehead State University and a road contest Thursday at Tennessee Tech University.
Tuesday’s New Year’s Eve clash against Morehead State is scheduled for 5 p.m., while Thursday’s tip time is set for 5:30 p.m. from Cookeville, Tennessee. This week’s games can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM. WREF 97.7 FM will have additional radio coverage for Tuesday’s home game.
On Tuesday, fans can ring in the New Year with USI at Liberty Arena with a special offer of four tickets, four sodas, and four popcorns for $20.25. Additional tickets are $5. For more information, call the USI Ticket Office at 812-465-1189 or visit the USI ticket website.
Southern Indiana enters the week with a 10-3 overall record and 2-0 in conference action. USI joined Lindenwood University and Eastern Illinois University as the only teams to start 2-0 in the OVC.
The Screaming Eagles conclude a three-game homestand to open the Ohio Valley Conference season on Tuesday against Morehead State. USI is 7-0 at home this season and has won 17 straight regular-season home games going back to last December. Southern Indiana hopes to ring in the new year with a win on Tuesday and a 3-0 start in the OVC for the second consecutive season.
After a conference-opening 74-56 victory against Tennessee State University on December 19, Southern Indiana completed a week one sweep in the OVC with a 69-59 win over the University of Tennessee at Martin inside Liberty Arena on December 21. Following an even first quarter, USI created separation in the second and third quarters. UT Martin, which was coming off a 100-point, 60-plus percent shooting performance in its conference-opening win at Morehead State two days before, was limited to 59 points and below 32 percent shooting against the USI defense.
Against the Skyhawks, sophomore guard Triniti Ralston matched a game-high 18 points to pace Southern Indiana. It was Ralston’s third game this season leading USI in scoring. Additionally, sophomore forward Amiyah Buchanan and senior guard Vanessa Shafford registered the Eagles’ first double-doubles of the season. Buchanan posted her first career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Shafford recorded her 13th career double-double and first of the season with 12 points and 10 boards.
Graduate forward Meredith Raley is USI’s leading scorer entering the week at 12.8 points per game. Junior guard Ali Saunders is second in scoring with 12.4 points per contest, while Shafford is third at 10.8 points per outing. Southern Indiana averages 71.8 points offensively, second-best in the OVC, and an OVC-best 57.5 points defensively this season.
On Tuesday, USI faces Morehead State for the first time since clinching the Screaming Eagles’ first-ever OVC regular-season championship with a win at Morehead State last February. Southern Indiana leads the all-time series, 3-1, through four head-to-head meetings over the last two seasons.
Morehead State is 6-6 this season and 1-1 within the OVC under interim head coach Chris Palmer. After a tough start to the season, Morehead State has rebounded well in the last month. The Eagles also responded well after their OVC-opening defeat to UT Martin on December 19. Last time out, Morehead State regrouped to earn a 68-51 victory against Tennessee State on December 21. After trailing 34-29 at halftime to the Tigers, Morehead State outscored Tennessee State 39-17 in the second half.
Sophomore guard Kate Novik tops Morehead State in scoring at 15 points per game. Novik also leads the Eagles in assists (5.3), steals (2.9), blocks (1.0), and minutes (31.4). Senior guard Aileen Marquez is second in scoring with 10.5 points per outing. Morehead State averages an OVC-leading 72.9 points while surrendering 69.9 points per game this season.
Southern Indiana and Morehead State are the top two in the conference in scoring offense, rebounding, turnover defense and margin, and steals.
The Screaming Eagles, who are 3-3 away from home and 1-3 in true road games this season, will play their first OVC road contest Thursday at Tennessee Tech. The Golden Eagles are 7-4 overall with a 1-1 mark in the OVC. Tennessee Tech, which is 4-0 at home this season, began its conference slate with a road split before the holidays. Tennessee Tech won 72-52 at Western Illinois University on December 17 before falling 67-54 at Lindenwood on December 19.
Junior guard Reghan Grimes is the leading scorer for Tennessee Tech at 12.8 points per game. Graduate guard Peyton Carter is second in scoring with 11.3 points per contest. Freshman guard Chloe Larry and senior forward Taris Thornton, who transferred from Eastern Illinois, are next up at 10.5 points per contest. The Golden Eagles have notched 68.5 points while allowing 61.4 points per game on the campaign.
USI is 2-2 all time against Tennessee Tech. Southern Indiana swept Tennessee Tech with a three-point win at home and a nine-point decision in Cookeville last season. The Golden Eagles recorded a season sweep the year before in 2022-23.
After traveling to Tennessee Tech, the Screaming Eagles will have a week between game action. USI’s three-game road swing will continue on January 9 at Southeast Missouri State University and January 11 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
USI RETURNS TO ACTION TUESDAY, HOSTS MOREHEAD STATE
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball returns to action New Year’s Eve when it hosts Morehead State University for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff at Liberty Arena. The Screaming Eagles will start 2025 on the road with a 7:30 p.m. visit to Tennessee Tech University.
The USI Screaming Eagles (6-6, 1-1 OVC) split the first week of Ohio Valley Conference action with a thrilling 77-75 win over Tennessee State University but suffered a disappointing 77-46 loss to the University of Tennessee at Martin at home. The win over TSU temporarily pushed USI over the .500 mark for the first time since the 2022-23 regular season.
Fans can ring in the New Year with USI at Liberty Arena with a special offer of four tickets, four sodas, and four popcorns for $20.25. Additional tickets are $5. For more information, call the USI Ticket Office at 812-465-1189 or visit the USI ticket website.
The Screaming Eagles end the calendar year led by junior guard Jayland Randall, who is posting 16.0 points per contest. Sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi follows with 14.9 points per game, while grabbing a team-high 6.1 rebounds per contest.
Junior guards Damoni Harrison and Jared Washington round out USI’s double-digit scorers with 12.1 and 10.3 points per outing.
The Eagles of MSU (67-6, 2-0 OVC) are .500 in 2024-25 after opening OVC play with a pair of victories, winning 70-69 in overtime versus the University of Tennessee at Martin and 74-68 over Tennessee State University. MSU finished its non-conference schedule with a 94-63 victory over Alice Lloyd College Saturday.
USI and MSU split the games last season with both winning on the road. The MSU Eagles took the opening game at USI, 81-70, before the Screaming Eagles grabbed the game in Morehead, 80-73.
The Golden Eagles of TTU (5-7, 1-1 OVC) split its first weekend of the OVC season, losing 71-68 at Western Illinois University and winning 79-73 at Lindenwood University. TTU, who saw its four-game losing streak stopped with the win at Lindenwood, plays a non-conference game versus Milligan University December 29 prior to hosting the Screaming Eagles.
USI and TTU split the series last year with both winning on the road. TTU won at USI, 73-59, while the Screaming Eagles won in Cookeville, 74-71.
All of the USI Basketball action can be seen live on ESPN+. The game can also be heard on ESPN 97.7FM (http://listentotheref.com) and 95.7FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com). Tickets for the homestand and all USI home dates are on sale now at USIScreamingEagles.com.
VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
VALPO NIPPED BY MVC PRESEASON FAVORITE BRADLEY IN DOUBLE OVERTIME THRILLER
The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team forced double overtime in a road game against the preseason favorite to win the Missouri Valley Conference, but ultimately the Beacons fell 81-75 to Bradley, which improved to 11-2 and extended its home winning streak to 11. This was the closest Valpo has ever come to a victory at Carver Arena in Peoria, Ill. as the Beacons fell to 0-8 all-time when visiting the Braves. Sophomores Cooper Schwieger (Overland Park, Kan. / Blue Valley Southwest [Link Year] and Kaspar Sepp (Tartu, Estonia / Fairmont Academy) shined as Schwieger poured in 21 points while Sepp delivered a double-double.
How It Happened
Valpo got off to a good start from long range as Sepp, Schwieger and Tyler Schmidt (Valparaiso, Ind. / Victory Christian) all hit triples in the first nine minutes of the game. Schmidt’s tied the game at seven, then Sepp’s gave Valpo the lead at 10-7 with 14:09 left in the half.
After Sepp’s 3, the Beacons led for the next nine minutes, building the bulge as high as seven on Schwieger’s 3 at the 11:33 mark.
A step-back jumper by MVC Preseason Player of the Year Duke Deen gave Bradley its first lead at 23-22 with five minutes to go in the half. Valpo battled back in front, but Connor Dillon hit consecutive 3s for the Braves to put the hosts back ahead by five. Valpo appeared to be on the verge of getting into the locker room down just three, but Deen hit a miraculous 3 from just beyond the opposite free-throw line as the buzzer sounded to end the first half, helping Bradley go into the locker room up six at 36-30.
Early second-half 3s by Deen and Zek Montgomery helped Bradley open up its first double-figure lead with just two minutes elapsed in the second stanza. Bradley still led by eight with eight minutes to go in regulation and by seven with seven minutes on the clock at 57-50. The Beacons rattled off nine straight points to take a 59-57 lead.
Schwieger gave Valpo the lead with a layup with a minute to go to make it 63-61, but Darius Hannah tied the game with 32 seconds left. Both teams had chances to win it in the closing seconds, but both came up empty, and regulation reached its end with the score deadlocked at 63.
Valpo trailed by five at 69-64 with 90 seconds to go in the first overtime. Schmidt hit a crucial 3 to cut the lead to two, and later senior Darius DeAveiro (Kanata, Ottawa / Canada / Orangeville Prep) knocked down a big-time triple with 56 ticks to go to make it 71-70 Bradley. Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro (LaSalle, Quebec, Canada / Orangeville Prep) was fouled with under five seconds on the clock and Valpo down one. He split his free throws and Valpo got a stop at the other end, sending the game to a second overtime.
The Beacons struggled to shoot in the second overtime, as Bradley scored the first six points to open up a 77-71 lead. Schwieger cut it to four with a 3 with 53 seconds to go, but that was Valpo’s lone made field goal of the second OT and Bradley would go on to win it by six.
Inside the Game
This marked Valpo’s best performance ever in Peoria as the Beacons are 0-8 all-time when visiting the Braves. Prior to Sunday, which was Valpo’s first road game against the Braves under head coach Roger Powell Jr., five of Valpo’s seven all-time losses at Bradley had come by 20+ points, and the seven losses had come by an average of 23.6 points.
Bradley extended its overall head-to-head winning streak against Valpo to seven. Coincidentally, Valpo’s last victory over Bradley came in a double overtime game on Jan. 28, 2021 at the ARC with Valpo prevailing 91-85.
This was Valpo’s first overtime game of the Roger Powell Era as the team’s last OT prior to Sunday was a 77-76 loss at Murray State on Feb. 26, 2023. The Beacons played their first double overtime game since Feb. 4, 2023 vs. Drake (L 85-82). Valpo has now dropped each of its last five overtime games.
Bradley has played double overtime just twice in the last nine seasons and both have come against Valpo.
Sepp had 11 points and 15 rebounds, both season highs. His 15 boards outdid his previous career high of 12 set on Dec. 6, 2023 at Central Michigan. This marked Sepp’s first career double-double as he recorded Valpo’s fifth double-double of the season and became the third different Beacon with a double-double this year.
Sepp became the first Valpo player with a 15-rebound game since Jaxon Edwards on Nov. 17, 2023 at Illinois and just the fifth different Valpo player with 15 rebounds in a game in the last decade as Sepp and Edwards are joined by program greats Ben Krikke, Javon Freeman-Liberty and Alec Peters (five times).
Sepp became the first Valpo player since Krikke on Jan. 24, 2021 at Illinois State to notch a 15-rebound double-double.
Sepp’s big day came on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting and he knocked down his lone 3-point attempt of the game. Six of his 15 boards came on the offensive glass, and he also dished out three assists, tying a season high. His 11 points marked his first time with more than seven this season, while he notched his fourth double-figure rebounding game and his second straight.
Schwieger finished with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting to go along with six rebounds despite having his first-half run limited to seven minutes due to foul trouble. He had just four points at the break. Schwieger has scored at least 16 points in four straight games, has three straight with 19 or more and has scored 20 or more three times this season including each of his last two.
De La Cruz Monegro had only two points at halftime but finished with 17 points despite a tough shooting day. He did a good chunk of his damage at the foul line, where he was 8-of-10. He has scored at least 13 points in five straight games and nine or more in all 13 games this season.
DeAveiro had two assists, moving into a tie with Rob Cavanaugh (1990-94) for 11th in program history with 329. He is one away from moving into the program’s all-time top 10 by drawing even with Matt Kenney (2009-13).
Schmidt threatened a double-double with nine points and a season-high eight rebounds.
Valpo is 0-2 in league play but the losses have come by six points apiece against the league’s top two teams according to both NET and KenPom. For further context, Bradley’s other MVC game was a 23-point road win at Southern Illinois, and Drake improved to 2-0 in the league with a 19-point victory over Belmont on Sunday.
Up Next
Valpo (7-6, 0-2 MVC) will return to action on New Year’s Day against Missouri State at 7 p.m. in Springfield, Mo. The game will air on ESPN+.
VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL LOCKS DOWN IN MVC-OPENING WIN OVER SIU
The Valpo women’s basketball team put together one of its best defensive performances of the year to open Missouri Valley Conference with a 1-0 record, as the Beacons led for the final 35 minutes of a 69-51 win at the ARC over Southern Illinois. Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) led three Beacons in double figures offensively with 22 points and added 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the year.
How It Happened
It was a slow start offensively for the Beacons, who trailed the Salukis 6-2 four minutes into the game.
Valpo took the lead for good with an 11-0 run, which featured two triples from Nevaeh Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) and five points from Earnest, to pull ahead 13-6 with 3:28 left in the opening period.
SIU closed to within three late in the quarter, but Katie Beyer (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) closed an eight-point opening quarter with a last-second layup off a feed from Mor Shabtai (Tel Aviv, Israel/Tichonet) to make it 21-15 Valpo 10 minutes into the game.
The game took perhaps its decisive turn a little past the halfway point of the second quarter, as SIU had closed to within 26-25 and had two possessions with a chance to take the lead.
Valpo got stops on the defensive end both times, and after the second one, Beyer drilled a triple to not only give the Beacons breathing room, but also spark a 9-0 run to push the lead into double figures for the first time.
Valpo eventually took a 36-26 lead into intermission.
The Beacons’ lead hovered between 10 and 13 points for the first five-plus minutes of the second half before a quick three-possession spurt — an Earnest layup, a Jackson 3-pointer and a fast-break layup for Lexi Castator (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) triggered by an Earnest blocked shot — pushed the lead to 18 with 3:22 to play in the quarter.
Valpo’s advantage was 58-41 with 10 minutes to play.
The decisive lead proved quite handy in the fourth quarter, as the Beacons opened the final period with 12 consecutive empty possessions. SIU scored on four of its five trips on the offensive end to close to within 58-49 with 7:44 to play and force a Valpo timeout.
While the Beacons were still dealing with their drought on the offensive end, their defense stepped up, limiting the Salukis to just two free throws over the next four minutes to maintain some breathing room.
Layla Gold (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) finally snapped the offensive skid with a driving layup with 3:23 remaining, and Jackson followed with a drive and finish of her own on the next possession to make it 62-51 and force an SIU timeout with 2:45 to go.
The Beacons did not give up a point the rest of the way, closing out the game on an 11-0 run and holding the Salukis without a field goal over the final 7:44 and without a point over the final 5:05.
Inside the Game
The win was Valpo’s first in an MVC opener since beginning the 2020-21 campaign 1-0 in Valley play with a win over UNI. Notably, that is the only other time since joining the Valley that Valpo has opened the conference slate at the ARC.
The victory was Valpo’s fifth in 14 all-time meetings against SIU, snapping a three-game winning streak by the Salukis. The 18-point margin of victory was Valpo’s largest in the series.
The Beacons held the Salukis to 19-of-60 shooting from the field Sunday, the 31.7% field goal percentage the lowest mark by a Valpo D-I opponent this season.
Valpo also limited SIU to 1-of-14 shooting from the 3-point line, matching the line the Beacons limited Goshen to from deep earlier this year. It was the best defensive 3-point percentage by Valpo against a D-I opponent since holding Purdue to 0-of-15 from deep in the win over the Boilermakers Dec. 6, 2020.
Led by three steals by Earnest, the Beacons racked up 10 steals on Sunday — their seventh effort in double digits in steals this year.
Meanwhile, on the offensive end, Valpo hit at a 46.5% clip from the field and was 9-of-20 from deep. The Beacons’ 45% mark from 3-point range was their second-best of the season — they have now hit at least 40% from 3-point range in four of the last six games.
Valpo took advantage of its trips to the foul line as well Sunday, finishing 20-of-24 from the charity stripe — the 83.3% free throw percentage the team’s second-best of the season.
Earnest finished with 22 points, including a 10-of-12 mark from the foul line, and 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season.
Earnest’s effort was her third double-double with at least 20 points this year, tied for the most among MVC players.
The graduate student took the floor for the 125th time in her Valpo career, tied for second-most in program history. She also moved up two spots on the program’s career free throws made chart, jumping to fourth with 285 career makes from the charity stripe.
Jackson backed Earnest up with an 18-point effort, including a 4-of-7 mark from the 3-point line. The sophomore scored in double figures for the ninth time this year and hit at least four triples for the fourth time.
Jackson also pulled down a season-high six rebounds, a mark matched by Maci Rhoades (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek [Radford]), who also set a season best.
Buoyed by her eight-point opening quarter, Beyer finished with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting to score in double digits for the fourth time this year.
Shabtai made her first collegiate start in the win, dishing out a season-high five assists in 27 minutes of action.
Despite giving up 11 offensive rebounds and 21 rebounds overall to SIU’s Gift Uchenna, the D-I leader in offensive rebounding, Valpo was outrebounded by just a 35-32 margin in the win. After the Salukis scored eight second-chance points in the first quarter, the Beacons held SIU to just two second-chance points over the final 30 minutes.
Postgame Press Conference – Mary Evans and Nevaeh Jackson
Next Up
Valpo (5-7, 1-0 MVC) opens a tough stretch of four consecutive road games on Thursday evening from Cedar Falls, Iowa as the Beacons take on UNI at 6 p.m. The game can be seen live on ESPN+.
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
66 – 11 – 5 – 9 – 10 – 99 – 8 – 7 – 34 – 15
December 30, 1907 – Abraham Mills and a committee he chaired declared baseball was invented in 1839 by future American Civil War general Abner Doubleday in Cooperstown, New York; widely disproven, now known as ‘the Doubleday myth’
December 30, 1962 – National Football League Championship, Yankee Stadium, NYC: Green Bay Packers beat NY Giants, 16-7. The game’s MVP was Green Bay, LB, Number 66, Ray Nitschke.
December 30, 1971 – Long Island NHL franchise purchased to later become the New York Islanders.
December 30, 1975 – Ballon d’Or: FC Dynamo Kyiv forward Number 11, Oleg Blokhin claimed the award for best European football player ahead of former winners, Bayern Munich defender Number 5, Franz Beckenbauer and Ajax forward Number 9, Johan Cruyff
December 30, 1980 – Ballon d’Or: Bayern Munich forward Number 11, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was selected as the best European football player; beats German international teammate Number 5, Bernd Schuster of FC Barcelona and Saint-Étienne midfielder Number 10, Michel Platini
December 30, 1981 – Edmonton Oilers Number 99, Wayne Gretzky scored 5 goals and an assist in Edmonton’s 7-5 win over Philadelphia; gives Gretzky 50 goals in 39 games, the fastest 50 in 50 in NHL history; also sets NHL record with 15-game assist streak
December 30, 1986 – Ballon d’Or: Dynamo Kyiv’s Ukrainian forward Number 10, Igor Belanov was named best football player in Europe ahead of Barcelona striker Number 8, Gary Lineker and Real Madrid forward Number 7, Emilio Butragueño
December 30, 1992 – Washington defenseman Number 34, Al Iafrate became the first player in NHL history to have his shot officially break 100 miles per hour; records 101.4 mph during the Capitals Superskills competition
December 30, 2018 – Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, Number 15, Patrick Mahomes became only the second QB in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns during KC Chiefs’ 35-3 win over Oakland Raiders; achieves both marks with 3rd quarter 89-yard TD pass to Number 11, Demarcus Robinson
FOOTBALL HISTORY
December 30, 1956 – Yankee Stadium, New York – The NFL’s 1956 Championship game, New York Giants won the franchise’s fourth League title after they crushed the Chicago Bears, 47-7. The Pro-Football Reference.com site informs us that the Giants scoring was paced by two TD passes by QB Charlie Conerly while Alex Webster rushed for two others to aid in the New York victory.
December 30, 1962 – Yankee Stadium, New York – The Giants also participated in the 1962 NFL Championship game per a Bleacher Report story. Their opponents were the Green Bay Packers who were playing in their third straight League finale. Kicker Jerry Kramer booted 3 successful field goals to fuel the scoring as Green Bay defeated the NY Giants, 16-7.Ray Nitschke of Packers was selected as the game’s Most Valuable Player.
December 30, 1973 – Miami Orange Bowl – The AFC Championship had the Dolphins hosting the Oakland Raiders. The Miami squad became the first team to play in 3 consecutive Super Bowls as they knocked off the Raiders, 27-10 powered by 3 touchdown runs by Larry Csonka according to a barstoolsports.com article.
December 30, 1973 – Texas Stadium, Irving – The NFC Championship game also had a final score of 27-10. The Pro-Football-Reference.com site shows that Bobby Brown had a 63 yard scoop and score to help seal the Super Bowl invitation for the Minnesota Vikings as they beat the Dallas Cowboys to earn the right to play in the big game.
December 30, 2002 – A CBSSports.com story tells us that the 2002 Season concluded with an All Time NFL season record of 25 overtime games.
Now for some Onthisday.com Quick hitter headlines:
December 30, 2008 – NFL head coach Mike Shanahan is fired by the Denver Broncos
December 30, 2013 – NFL head coach Mike Shanahan is fired by the Washington Redskins
December 30, 2016 – 83rd Orange Bowl: #10 Florida State beats #6 Michigan, 33-32
December 30, 2017 – 84th Orange Bowl: #6 Wisconsin beats #11 Miami (Florida), 34-24
December 30, 2018 – Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes during KC Chiefs’ 35-3 win over Oakland Raiders became only the 2nd quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns. Both milestones were reached on a 3rd quarter 89-yard TD pass to Demarcus Robinson per the Onthisday.com website.
Hall of Fame Birthdays for December 30
December 30, 1938 – The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s bio on Ron Wolf tells how he was born in New Freedom, Pennsylvania and attended the University of Oklahoma. Wolf has one of the top front office resumes in NFL history per a ProFootballHOF.com article. Ron helped to build the Oakland Raiders teams that went on to win nine divisional titles, played in 8 conference championships and 3 Super Bowls. He also took over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their inaugural season and was also responsible for the rebuilding of the Green Bay Packers of the 1990s and 200’s that went to back to back Super Bowls and won Super Bowl XXXI. Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Ron Wolf as a contributor in 2015’s class.
December 30, 1941 – Houston, Texas – The super athletic running back of the Oregon Ducks Mel Renfro was born. Yes, Mel was an offensive weapon in college and not roaming the secondary like he did on the other side of the ball as a pro in Dallas. We will get to that in a moment, but for now let’s learn about his collegiate days. Renfro according to the footballfoundation.org website led Oregon in rushing and scoring throughout his three seasons of 1961 through 1963. After the 1962 season he was voted as a Consensus First Team All- America player. The College Football Hall of Fame held the doors open wide to welcome Mel Renfro to their fold of legends in 1986. Renfro became the second pick of the 1964 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys who selected him to play defensive back. For the next 14 seasons Mel played either corner of safety on the Cowboys defense and also acted as a return man for much of his career as he accumulated over 2200 kick return yards over his tenure. Renfro made the Pro Bowl in each of his first ten seasons in the League. Mel Renfro was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.
December 30, 1953 – Oakridge, Tennessee – Chet Moeller the Safety from the US Naval Academy celebrated his birth. Chet was one of the most awarded Navy players of all time per the NFF. The Midshipman DB was a unanimous All-America in 1975, was named an AP Player of the Week and received the Ernie Davis Award at the Coaches All-America Game. Moeller was a finalist for the NCAA Today’s Top Five, earned a second team NCAA Academic All-America and he was given the Naval Academy’s Athletic Association Sword. He registered 275 tackles during his career at Navy. The National Football Foundation selected Chet Moeller into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
December 30, 1966 – Sharon, Pennsylvania – Westminster College’s famed Quarterback Joe Micchia was born. Footballfoundation.org says that Joe received second Team All-American honors in 1988 and then followed that up in 1989 as a First Team All- America selection. Micchia led Westminster to back-to-back undefeated seasons en route to consecutive NAIA Division II national championships. His record as a starter with the Westminster Titans was an amazing 31-0 as he was the school’s first-ever 4,000-yard passer and had 68 career TD passes with 32 of them occurring in one season. The NFF voters sent Joe Micchia into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
December 30, 1972 – Lebanon, Pennsylvania – The Great Nittany Lions QB Kerry Collins celebrates his birth. After the 1994 season Kerry received consensus First Team All-America honor’s and he broke nine single-season school records the year. The NFF states that Collins led the nation in passing efficiency in 1994 with a 172.9 rating which is the fourth best all-time. Kerry Collins had no trouble finding his way into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018. Collins became the Carolina Panthers, first-ever draft pick when they selected him as the fifth overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft. The two-time Pro Bowl selection played 17 years in the NFL with the Panthers, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts.
Dec. 30
1956 — The New York Giants win the NFL title with a 47-7 rout of the Chicago Bears.
1962 — The Green Bay Packers beat the New York Giants 16-7 to win the NFL title for the second straight year.
1973 — The Minnesota Vikings beat the Dallas Cowboys 27-10 to win the NFC championship.
1973 — The Miami Dolphins, behind 266 yards rushing, beat the Oakland Raiders 27-10 for an unprecedented third straight AFC title.
1981 — In the 39th game of the season, Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky scores five goals, including his 50th into an empty net, to lead the Oilers to a 7-5 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Gretzy betters the mark of 50 goals in 50 games held by Maurice Richard and Mike Bossy.
1990 — Orlando point guard Scott Skiles dishes out an NBA-record 30 assists in a 155-116 victory against the Denver Nuggets. Skiles breaks the record of 29 assists set by the Nets’ Kevin Porter in 1978.
2000 — Nebraska ends a disappointing season by setting a bowl record for points in a 66-17 victory over Northwestern in the Alamo Bowl.
2002 — TCU sets an NCAA record for fewest points allowed when the Lady Frogs beat Texas Southern 76-16. The 16 points allowed breaks the Division I record for fewest points. Prairie View scored 19 points against Jackson State in 1983.
2007 — Drew Brees sets an NFL record with 443 completions, passing the previous mark of 418 set by Rich Gannon in 2002. Brees completes 35 of 60 passes for 320 yards with three TD passes in New Orleans’ 33-25 loss to Chicago.
2008 — NFL head coach Mike Shanahan is fired by the Denver Broncos.
2010 — Top-ranked Connecticut’s record 90-game winning streak in women’s basketball ends when No. 9 Stanford outplays the Huskies from the start in a 71-59 victory at Maples Pavilion — where the Cardinal have their own streak going. Stanford hasn’t lost in 52 games at home. The Cardinal took an early 13-point lead, never trailed and didn’t let the mighty Huskies back in it.
2016 — Isaiah Thomas scores 29 of his career-high 52 points in the fourth quarter, setting a club record for points in a period and leading Boston to a 117-114 victory over the Miami Heat.
2017 — Alex Hornibrook throws four touchdown passes, three of them to Danny Davis, and No. 6 Wisconsin caps off the winningest season in school history by topping No. 11 Miami 34-24 in the Orange Bowl. Jonathan Taylor finishes his record-setting freshman season with 130 rushing yards on 26 carries for the Badgers (13-1). Taylor finishes the year with an FBS-freshman-record 1,977 yards.
2018 — Patrick Mahomes becomes only the 2nd quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns during KC Chiefs’ 35-3 win over Oakland Raiders; achieves both marks with 3rd quarter 89-yard TD pass to Demarcus Robinson.2020 – San Antonio assistant Becky Hammon becomes first female to coach an NBA team after Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is ejected in a 121-107 loss to the LA Lakers.
TV SPORTS MONDAY
| NFL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Detroit at San Francisco | 8:15pm | ABC ESPN |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| New Orleans Pelicans vs Atlanta Hawks | 7:30pm | GCSportsnet FanDuel Sports Southeast |
| Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics | 7:30pm | FanDuel Sports Sun NBCS-BOS |
| Brooklyn Nets vs Chicago Bulls | 8:00pm | YES CHSN |
| Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves | 8:00pm | NBATV Spectrum FanDuel Sports North |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| New York Rangers vs Florida Panthers | 7:00pm | ESPN+ MSGSN Scripps |
| Nashville Predators vs Winnipeg Jets | 7:30pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports South Sportsnet |
| Utah Hockey Club vs Seattle Kraken | 8:00pm | ESPN+ Utah16 KONG |
| COLLEGE FOOTBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| TransPerfect Music City Bowl: Iowa vs. Missouri | 2:30pm | ESPN |
| MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Utah Tech at FIU | 12:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Akron at Princeton | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Emerson at UMass Lowell | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Cleary at Central Michigan | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Western Michigan at Michigan State | 3:00pm | BTN |
| Bethesda at Sacramento State | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Siena at Cornell | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Columbia at Rutgers | 5:00pm | BTN |
| Monmouth at Auburn | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Columbia International at UNC Asheville | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Portland at Oregon State | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| New Hampshire at Iowa | 7:00pm | BTN |
| Presbyterian at South Carolina | 7:00pm | SECN |
| Cincinnati at Kansas State | 7:00pm | CBSSN |
| Southeastern Louisiana at McNeese | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Muskingum at Ohio | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| East-West at Northern Illinois | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Elms at Vermont | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Defiance at Miami (OH) | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| A&M-San Antonio at Lamar | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Alabama State at Missouri | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Dallas Christian at UTRGV | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Oakland at Arkansas | 8:00pm | ESPNU |
| A&M-Texarkana at Oral Roberts | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Bryant at Grand Canyon | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| New Orleans at Vanderbilt | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| William Carey at Southern Miss | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Fort Valley State at Jacksonville State | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Mobile at South Alabama | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Benedictine Mesa at Northern Arizona | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Houston at Oklahoma State | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| TCU at Arizona | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Southern at Nebraska | 9:00pm | BTN |
| Bethune-Cookman at Mississippi State | 9:00pm | SECN |
| Iowa State at Colorado | 9:00pm | CBSSN |
| Western Oregon at Eastern Washington | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Loyola Marymount vs. Washington State | 9:30pm | ESPN+ |
| (at Spokane, WA) | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Nicholls at Seattle U | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Santa Clara at San Francisco | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Pacific at San Diego | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Gonzaga at Pepperdine | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UC Irvine at California Baptist | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Serie A: Como vs Lecce | 12:30pm | Paramount+ |
| Serie A: Bologna vs Hellas Verona | 2:45pm | Paramount+ |
| EPL: Aston Villa vs Brighton & Hove Albion | 2:45pm | Peacock |
| EPL: Ipswich Town vs Chelsea | 2:45pm | Peacock |
| EPL: Manchester United vs Newcastle United | 3:00pm | USA Peacock |
| TENNIS | TIME ET | TV |
| United Cup | 6:00am | TENNIS |
| United Cup | 6:30pm | TENNIS |