“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL
INDIANA SRN HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL POLLS
4A
1 FISHERS 12-0
2 LAWRENCE NORTH 8-1
3 CROWN POINT 7-0
4 GREENFIELD CENTRAL 8-2
5 NORTHRIDGE 10-0
6 WESTFIELD 7-1
7 ANDERSON 8-1
8 EVANSVILLE REITZ 8-0
9 BEN DAVIS 8-2
10 AVON 9-1
3A
1 CATHEDRAL 9-2
2 BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL 9-0
3 SILVER CREEK 12-1
4 SB ST. JOSEPH 9-1
5 CRISPUS ATTUCKS 8-4
6 NORTHWOOD 10-1/NORTHVIEW 11-0
7 NEW PALESTINE 9-2
8 GUERIN CATHOLIC 10-2
9 SB WASHINGTON 8-1
10 NEW PALESTINE 9-2/PRINCETON 10-1
2A
1 WAPAHANI 10-0
2 PARKE HERITAGE 10-1
3 SOUTH RIPLEY 10-0
4 MANCHESTER 10-1
5 FW LUERS 7-1
6 LINTON 8-1
7 GARY 21ST CENTURY 10-0
8 TAYLOR 9-0
10 PROVIDENCE 8-1
1A
1 CLAY CITY 8-1
2 ORLEANS 5-2
3 BLOOMFIELD 8-2
4 KOUTS 7-1
5 INDY METRO 10-3
6 CARROLL FLORA 7-1
7 CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 8-3
8 HAUSER 7-1
9 TRITON 6-1
10 WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP 6-1
IBCA POLL
1. FISHERS (12-0)
2. LAWRENCE NORTH (8-1)
3. CROWN POINT (7-0)
4. INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (9-2)
5. GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (8-2)
6. NORTHRIDGE (10-0)
7. SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (9-1)
8. CARMEL (6-3)
9. BEN DAVIS (8-2)
10. ANDERSON (8-1)
11. INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS (8-4)
12. WARSAW (9-3)
13. WESTFIELD (7-1)
14. NEW PALESTINE (9-2)
15. FORT WAYNE LUERS (7-1)
16. NEW ALBANY (7-1)
17. JEFFERSONVILLE (6-5)
18. NORTHWOOD (10-1)
19. AVON (9-1)
20. SILVER CREEK (12-1)
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL
INDIANA SRN GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL POLLS
4A
1 HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 17-0
2 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 16-1
3 WARSAW 15-0
4 HOMESTEAD 14-2
5 SB WASHINGTON 15-1
6 NORTHRIDGE 15-2
7 FLOYD CENTRAL 15-2
8 BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 15-1
9 CENTER GROVE 13-2
10 BROWNSBURG 12-3
3A
1 GREENSBURG 16-0
2 WASHINGTON 14-2
3 SILVER CREEK 12-2
4 COLUMBIA CITY 13-3
5 DANVILLE 13-3
6 EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 13-3
7 BELLMONT 14-1
8 NORWELL 10-5
9 BISHOP CHATARD 9-5
10 CORYDON CENTRAL 12-3
2A
1 NORTHEASTERN 15-1
2 ALEXANDRIA 16-0
3 RENSSELAER CENTRAL 14-1
4 SOUTH KNOX 14-2
5 AUSTIN 15-1
6 NORTH KNOX 10-5
7 BLUFFTON 13-2
8 EASTERN HANCOCK 13-2
9 OAK HILL 14-1
10 PARKE HERITAGE 13-2
1A
1 NORTH CENTRAL-FARMERSBURG 15-2
2 ORLEANS 13-1
3 WESTVILLE 11-1
4 OLDENBURG ACADEMY 14-1
5 TRI-COUNTY 13-1
6 MARQUETTE CATHOLIC 12-3
7 BORDEN 12-5
8 TRI 11-4
9 WHITE RIVER VALLEY 10-3
10 NORTH DECATUR 10-5
IBCA POLL
1. HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (17-0)
2. LAWRENCE CENTRAL (16-1)
3. WARSAW (15-0)
4. GREENSBURG (16-0)
5. SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (15-1)
6. HOMESTEAD (14-2)
7. NORTHRIDGE (15-2)
8. SOUTH KNOX (14-2)
9. BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (15-1)
10. BROWNSBURG (12-3)
11. NOBLESVILLE (12-3)
12. COLUMBIA CITY (13-3)
13. CENTER GROVE (13-2)
14. SILVER CREEK (12-2)
15. LAWRENCE NORTH (10-4)
16. WASHINGTON (14-2)
17. FLOYD CENTRAL (14-2)
18. MCCUTCHEON (15-3)
19. PLAINFIELD (10-5)
20. PENN (12-5)
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
#20 PURDUE 79 NORTHWESTERN 61
#11 UCONN 87 PROVIDENCE 84
#7 KANSAS 99 CENTRAL FLORIDA 48
#9 OREGON 83 MARYLAND 79
#22 ILLINOIS 81 WASHINGTON 77
#21 MEMPHIS 68 NORTH TEXAS 64
OTHER GAMES OF INTEREST:
INDIANA 77 PENN STATE 71
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25
#14 DUKE 69 PITTSBURGH 31
#3 NOTRE DAME 76 #17 NORTH CAROLINA 66
#10 OHIO STATE 92 NORTHWESTERN 62
#7 UCONN 83 VILLANOVA 52
#2 SOUTH CAROLINA 95 MISSISSIPPI STATE 68
#22 NC STATE 91 BOSTON COLLEGE 52
TEXAS A&M 60 #25 OLE MISS 58
#16 KENTUCKY 96 VANDERBILT 78
#5 TEXAS 90 ARKANSAS 56
#9 OKLAHOMA 87 #15 TENNESSEE 86
#19 ALABAMA 68 MISSOURI 49
#6 LSU 73 AUBURN 63
#8 MARYLAND 74 #23 IOWA 66
#20 CALIFORNIA 81 SMU 66
#4 USC 92 RUTGERS 42
OTHER SCORES OF INTEREST:
PURDUE FT. WAYNE 77 OAKLAND 37
BRADLEY 65 INDIANA STATE 52
NEBRASKA 72 PENN STATE 61
MINNESOTA 68 ILLINOIS 61
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
THURSDAY, JAN. 9
PENN STATE VS. NOTRE DAME (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL GAME — ORANGE BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
FRIDAY, JAN. 10
TEXAS VS. OHIO STATE (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
NFL SCORES
INDIANAPOLIS 26 JACKSONVILLE 23 OT
NEW ENGLAND 23 BUFFALO 16
DENVER 38 KANSAS CITY 0
HOUSTON 23 TENNESSEE 14
TAMPA BAY 27 NEW ORLEANS 19
WASHINGTON 23 DALLAS 19
CHICAGO 24 GREEN BAY 22
CAROLINA 44 ATLANTA 38 OT
PHILADELPHIA 20 NY GIANTS 13
LA CHARGERS 34 LAS VEGAS 20
NY JETS 32 MIAMI 20
ARIZONA 47 SAN FRANCISCO 24
SEATTLE 30 LA RAMS 25
DETROIT 31 MINNESOTA 9
NFL PLAYOFFS WILD CARD WEEKEND
SATURDAY, JAN. 11
AFC: 3:30 P.M. — 5 LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT 4 HOUSTON (CBS, PARAMOUNT+)
AFC: 7:00 P.M. — 6 PITTSBURGH AT 3 BALTIMORE (PRIME VIDEO)
SUNDAY, JAN. 12
AFC: 12:00 P.M. — 7 DENVER AT 2 BUFFALO (CBS, PARAMOUNT+)
NFC: 3:30 P.M. — 7 GREEN BAY AT 2 PHILADELPHIA (FOX, FOX DEPORTES)
NFC: 7:00 P.M. — 6 WASHINGTON AT 3 TAMPA BAY (NBC, PEACOCK, UNIVERSO)
MONDAY, JAN. 13
NFC: 7:00 P.M. — 5 MINNESOTA/DETROIT AT 4 LOS ANGELES RAMS (ESPN/ABC/ESPN+/ ESPN DEPORTES; MANNINGCAST-ESPN2/ESPN+)
NBA SCORES
OKLAHOMA CITY 105 BOSTON 92
NEW ORLEANS 110 WASHINGTON 98
CLEVELAND 115 CHARLOTTE 105
UTAH 105 ORLANDO 92
HOUSTON 119 LA LAKERS 115
SACRAMENTO 129 GOLDEN STATE 99
NHL SCORES
NY RANGERS 6 CHICAGO 2
NY ISLANDERS 5 BOSTON 4 OT
CAROLINA 4 PITTSBURGH 3 OT
TORONTO 3 PHILADELPHIA 2 OT
ANAHEIM 4 TAMPA BAY 1
TOP NATIONAL RELEASES/HEADLINES
NFL NEWS
PATRIOTS FIRE HC JEROD MAYO FOLLOWING 4-13 FIRST SEASON IN NEW ENGLAND
The New England Patriots have fired embattled head coach Jerod Mayo following a disappointing 4-13 debut season, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported on Sunday.
The team quickly confirmed the news, via a statement from owner Robert Kraft.
“After the game today, I informed Jerod Mayo that he will not be returning as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025,” Kraft said. “For me, personally, this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. I have known Jerod for 17 years. He earned my respect and admiration as a rookie in 2008 and throughout his career for his play on the field, his leadership in the locker room and the way he conducted himself in our community. When he joined our coaching staff, his leadership was even more evident, as I saw how the players responded to him. When other teams started requesting to interview him, I feared I would lose him and committed to making him our next head coach. Winning our season-opener on the road at Cincinnati only strengthened my convictions. Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team’s performances throughout the season did not ascend as I had hoped.”
Kraft had been a Mayo supporter, essentially prepping him behind the scenes as Bill Belichick’s eventual replacement prior to parting ways with the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach after the 2023 season.
But the former Patriots linebacker appeared to struggle both with the football operations part of the job, as well as with keeping his locker room together.
Kraft had only hired three coaches in his 30-plus year run as owner: Pete Carroll, Belichick and Mayo. Carroll coached for three seasons before Belichick returned to New England to start his epic run toward six Super Bowl titles. Mayo now becomes the Patriots’ first one-and-done coach since Rod Rust’s 1-15 season in 1990.
Mayo won his regular-season debut with an upset of the Cincinnati Bengals, which was a rousing start to his head-coaching career after following in the giant footsteps of Belichick. But things quickly went awry for the Patriots, as they fell to 1-6 with six straight losses after being run out of Wembley Stadium by the Jaguars on Oct. 20. That loss was an early flashpoint in Mayo’s rocky tenure as he questioned his team’s toughness.
“What I would say is, look, we’re a soft football team across the board,” Mayo said at the time.
Mayo’s Patriots got back on track with wins over the Jets and Bears, but they closed the season with six straight losses before Sunday’s win over the Bills, which also prevented New England from securing the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“Since buying the team, I have always considered myself and my family as custodians of a public asset,” Kraft said in a statement. “We have tremendous fans who expect and deserve a better product than we have delivered in recent years. I apologize for that. I have given much thought and consideration as to what actions I can take to expedite our return to championship contention and determined this move was the best option at this time.
“I am grateful for Jerod’s many contributions to the New England Patriots throughout his career and will always be rooting for his success. I appreciate all his hard work and hope the experiences gained will help him in the future, as I still believe he will be a successful head coach in this league. I wish Jerod and his family nothing but success in the future.”
Even the strong first-year showing from first-round QB Drake Maye couldn’t gloss over some of the Patriots’ issues, especially on defense — where Mayo’s expertise lies. They were considerably flawed in all three areas of the game this season, and several Patriots players openly spoke down the stretch about the need for offseason change in order to return to contention.
Belichick’s first season wasn’t much better, record-wise, at 5-11 in 2000. The next season he and a young Tom Brady famously guided the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title with an upset win over the St. Louis Rams.
The belief heading into the final stages of the season was that Kraft did not want to fire Mayo. The Patriots have a true building block in Maye and some significant, fungible assets with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and more than $100 million in salary-cap space this coming season, via Over The Cap.
But clearly, the plan changed following a few big losses down the stretch. Does this mean the Patriots have a clear successor in mind, such as former Titans head coach — and another former Pats LB — Mike Vrabel? Or will the Patriots break free of the Belichick tree in their second coaching search in the past 12 months?
After more than two decades of unprecedented franchise success, the future of the Patriots appears unpredictable and uncertain.
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, January 5, the 18th week of the 2024 season.
- With one game remaining this season, there have been 141 games decided by seven-or-fewer games, tied with the 2022 season for the most in a season in NFL history.There have been 121 games this season decided by six-or fewer points and 152 games decided by eight-or-fewer points, both the second-most in a season in NFL history, trailing only 2022 (122 games decided by six-or-fewer, 156 games decided by eight-or-fewer).
There have been 188 games within one score (eight points) in the fourth quarter, the second-most such games in a season in NFL history, trailing only 2022 (203 games).
- The Minnesota Vikings (15-2) secured the NFC North division title, the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs. The Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) secured the No. 2 seed in the NFC and will face the No. 7 seed Green Bay Packers (11-6) on Wild Card Weekend powered by Verizon. The Eagles defeated the Packers, 34-29, in Week 1 in the first-ever regular-season game in Brazil.
The No. 3 seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7) defeated New Orleans, 27-19, in Week 18 to secure the NFC South division title for the fourth-consecutive season and will host the No. 6 seed Washington Commanders (12-5), who are making their first playoff appearance since 2020, on Wild Card Weekend
The Los Angeles Rams (10-7), who won the NFC West for the first time since 2021, are the No. 4 seed and will host the No. 5 seed, either Detroit or Minnesota, next week.
- The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs (15-2), which secured the AFC West division title for the ninth-consecutive season, are the No. 1 seed in the AFC and will have a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs.The No. 2 seed Buffalo Bills (13-4), who won the AFC East for the fifth-straight season, will host the Denver Broncos (10-7), who qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2015, on Wild Card Weekend. The Bills became the first team in NFL history with at least 30 touchdown passes (30) and 30 rushing touchdowns (32) in a season.
The No. 3 seed Baltimore Ravens (12-5), who clinched their second-consecutive AFC North division title with a win on Saturday of Week 18, will host the No. 6 seed Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) in the first round of the playoffs. The two AFC North rivals split their two meetings during the regular season.
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson had 41 touchdown passes and four interceptions this season and became the first player with at least 40 touchdown passes and fewer than five interceptions in a season in NFL history.
The No. 4 seed Houston Texans (10-7), who won the AFC South for the second-straight season under head coach DeMeco Ryans, will host the No. 5 seed Los Angeles Chargers (11-6), who qualified for the postseason in their first season under head coach Jim Harbaugh.
- Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Evans had nine receptions for 89 yards in the Buccaneers’ 27-19 win over New Orleans.Evans had 1,004 receiving yards this season, his 11th-consecutive season with at least 1,000 receiving yards, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (11 consecutive seasons from 1986-96) for the most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons in NFL history.
- New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes, including one to wide receiver Davante Adams, in the team’s 32-20 win over Miami.Rodgers has 503 regular-season touchdown passes and became the fifth player in NFL history with 500 regular-season touchdown passes, joining Tom Brady (649 touchdown passes), Drew Brees (571) and Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning (539) and Brett Favre (508).
Rodgers reached 500 touchdown passes in 248 career regular-season games and joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (244 games) as the only players to reach 500 regular-season touchdown passes in fewer than 250 career games.
Rodgers had 28 touchdown passes this season, his 14th career season with at least 25 touchdown passes, tied with Drew Brees (14 seasons) for the third-most such seasons in NFL history. Only Tom Brady (17 seasons) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (16) have more.
Rodgers and Adams have connected for 83 touchdowns, surpassing Miami’s quarterback-wide receiver duo of Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino and Mark Clayton (82 touchdowns) for the third-most touchdowns, including the playoffs, by a quarterback-wide receiver pairing in NFL history.
- Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels completed 69 percent of his pass attempts (331 of 480) for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns with a 100.1 passer rating and added 891 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns in 17 starts this season, the highest completion by a qualified rookie quarterback ever and the most rushing yards by a rookie quarterback in NFL history.Daniels is one of five qualified rookie quarterbacks in NFL history with a passer rating of 100-or-higher, joining Dak Prescott (104.9 rating in 2016 with Dallas), Robert Griffin III (102.4 in 2012 with Washington), C.J. Stroud (100.8 in 2023 with Houston) and Russell Wilson (100.0 in 2012 with Seattle).
Daniels became the third rookie starting quarterback in NFL history to win 12 games, joining Dak Prescott (13 wins in 2016 with Dallas) and Ben Roethlisberger (13 in 2004 with Pittsburgh).
- Denver rookie quarterback Bo Nix completed 26 of 29 pass attempts (89.7 percent) for 321 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions for a 152.4 passer rating and rushed for 47 yards in the Broncos’ 38-0 win over Kansas City.Nix’s 89.7 completion percentage (26 of 29) in Week 18 is the highest single-game completion percentage by a rookie quarterback with a minimum of 25 pass attempts in NFL history, surpassing Dak Prescott (88.9 percent (32 of 36) on Dec. 18, 2016 with Dallas).
Nix became the first rookie quarterback all-time with multiple games with at least 300 passing yards four touchdown passes and a passer rating of 140-or-higher.
Nix began Week 18 by completing each of his first 18 pass attempts, the most consecutive completions to begin a game by a rookie since at least 1978.
Nix had 29 touchdown passes this season and surpassed Baker Mayfield (28 touchdown passes in 2018 with Cleveland) for the second-most touchdown passes by a rookie quarterback in NFL history. Only Justin Herbert (31 touchdown passes in 2020 with the Los Angeles Chargers) had more.
Nix had 19 touchdown passes at home this season and surpassed Russell Wilson (17 home touchdown passes in 2012 with Seattle) and C.J. Stroud (17 in 2023 with Houston) for the most home touchdown passes by a rookie quarterback in NFL history.
Nix had 10 games with at least two touchdown passes this season and joined Justin Herbert (2020 with the Los Angeles Chargers) as the only rookies with 10 such games all-time.
Nix became the first rookie quarterback ever with seven games with multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions.
Nix had five games with at least three touchdown passes this season and joined Justin Herbert (six games in 2020 with the Los Angeles Chargers) as the only rookies with five such games in NFL history.
Nix had 376 completions this season and surpassed Trevor Lawrence (359 completions in 2021 with Jacksonville) for the third-most completions by a rookie quarterback in NFL history, trailing only Justin Herbert (396 completions in 2020 with the Los Angeles Chargers) and Carson Wentz (379 in 2016 with Philadelphia).
- Additional notes from Sunday include:
- Las Vegas rookie tight end Brock Bowers had 112 receptions this season while New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers had 109 receptions in 2024, the two highest reception totals by rookies in NFL history.Las Vegas’ Brock Bowers, with 112 receptions, and Arizona’s Trey McBride, with 111 receptions, recorded the third and fourth-most receptions by a tight end in a season in NFL history, trailing only Zach Ertz (116 receptions in 2018 with Philadelphia) and Evan Engram (114 in 2023 with Jacksonville).
- Carolina quarterback Bryce Young totaled five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) with a 123.5 passer rating in the Panthers’ 44-38 overtime win over Atlanta.Young, who is 23 years and 164 days old, became the fourth player under the age of 24 with at least three touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns in a game, joining Josh Allen (Dec. 30, 2018 with Buffalo), Steve Grogan (Oct. 3, 1976 with New England) and David Woodley (Nov. 9, 1980 with Miami).
- Atlanta rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (age 24) passed for 312 yards and two touchdowns, running back Bijan Robinson (age 22) rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns and wide receiver Drake London (age 23) had 10 receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns in Week 18.The Falcons became the first team in NFL history with a 300-yard passer, 175-yard receiver and 150-yard rusher each under the age of 25 in the same game.
Atlanta became the first team with a 175-yard receiver and 150-yard rusher each under the age of 24 in the same game in NFL history.
Robinson has 32 career games with at least 50 scrimmage yards, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famers Edgerrin James (32 games) and LaDainian Tomlinson (32) for the most games with at least 50 scrimmage yards by a player in his first two seasons in NFL history.
- Dallas linebacker Micah Parsons tied his career high with 2.5 sacks in Week 18.Parsons had 12 sacks in 2024 and became the fourth player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, with at least 10 sacks in each of his first four NFL seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Dwight Freeney, Derrick Thomas and Reggie White.
Parsons has 15 career games with at least two sacks and became the fourth player since 1982 with at least 15 games with two-or-more sacks in his first four seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Reggie White (22 games) and Richard Dent (16) as well as J.J. Watt (15).
Parsons has 52.5 career sacks since entering the NFL in 2021 and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney (51 sacks) for the fifth-most sacks by a player in his first four seasons since 1982. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Reggie White (70 sacks), Derrick Thomas (58) and DeMarcus Ware (53.5) as well as J.J. Watt (57) had more.
NFL ROUNDUP: LIONS DOMINATE VIKINGS FOR NO. 1 SEED IN NFC
Jahmyr Gibbs had 170 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns and the host Detroit Lions pulled away for a 31-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
Jared Goff completed 27 of 33 passes for 231 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for Detroit (15-2). Gibbs rushed for 139 yards and three touchdowns and caught five passes for 31 yards and one score.
Sam Darnold completed 18 of 41 passes for 166 yards for Minnesota (14-3), which was held without a touchdown. The Vikings’ nine-game winning streak ended.
The Lions clinched the NFC North title for the second year in a row. They will have a bye next week and have secured home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs.
Broncos 38, Chiefs 0
The best day of Bo Nix’s young career punched Denver’s ticket to the playoffs, as the Broncos put together a rout of visiting Kansas City.
It marks the first time since their Super Bowl-winning 2015 season that the Broncos (10-7) have reached the postseason. Denver clinched the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoffs. Nix completed his first 18 throws and was 26-for-29 passing for the game, setting a career high with 321 yards, and he also had four touchdown passes. Marvin Mims Jr. had a pair of receiving TDs.
With the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs wrapped up, the Chiefs (15-2) rested several top players, such as Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Isiah Pacheco, Chris Jones, Jawaan Taylor and George Karlaftis. Quarterback Carson Wentz was 10-of-17 passing for 98 yards for Kansas City.
Panthers 44, Falcons 38 (OT)
Miles Sanders rushed for a game-winning 1-yard touchdown in overtime as Carolina eliminated host Atlanta from playoff contention.
Bryce Young completed 25 of 34 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns, adding two more scores on the ground for the Panthers (5-12), who scored their most points in a game this season.
Michael Penix Jr. threw for 312 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for the Falcons (8-9), who needed a win paired with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss to the New Orleans Saints in order to win the division. Bijan Robinson ran for 170 yards and two touchdowns, while Drake London caught 10 passes for 187 yards and two scores.
Commanders 23, Cowboys 19
Marcus Mariota’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin with three seconds left lifted Washington over Dallas in Arlington, Texas.
Relieving Jayden Daniels in the second half, Mariota was 15-of-18 passing for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He kept the game-winning 11-play, 91-yard drive alive with a 33-yard carry on fourth-and-1. The Commanders (12-5) nailed down the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs and won 12 games in a single season for the first time since 1991.
Trey Lance, the third overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, made his first start since Sept. 18, 2022, and was 20-of-34 passing for 244 yards for the Cowboys (7-10).
Bears 24, Packers 22
Cairo Santos drilled a 51-yard field goal on the final play of Chicago’s season finale as the Bears ended a 10-game losing streak by edging host Green Bay.
The win also snapped the longest active winning streak by a team against one opponent. Chicago had lost its previous 11 games against Green Bay. Caleb Williams moved the Bears (5-12) 47 yards to set up Santos’ heroics after Brandon McManus’ third field goal of the afternoon, a 55-yarder, had given Green Bay (11-6) a 22-21 lead with 54 seconds remaining.
Williams was 21-of-29 passing for 148 yards and a touchdown to DJ Moore, who caught nine passes for 86 yards. Packers quarterback Jordan Love hit on 7 of 12 passes for 69 yards but left the game during Green Bay’s fifth series due to a right elbow injury and did not return.
Colts 26, Jaguars 23 (OT)
Matt Gay kicked four field goals, including a 38-yarder in overtime, to help Indianapolis defeat visiting Jacksonville.
Jonathan Taylor rushed for 177 yards and one touchdown on 34 carries for the Colts (8-9). Joe Flacco completed 23 of 40 throws for 264 yards and found Alec Pierce for his lone passing score. Indianapolis notched a fourth-down stop after Gay’s go-ahead kick in the extra session.
Mac Jones was 20-of-32 passing for 225 yards, one touchdown and one interception for the Jaguars (4-13). Parker Washington had a touchdown catch, Tank Bigsby rushed for a score and Brian Thomas Jr. finished with seven receptions for 103 yards.
Patriots 23, Bills 16
Joe Milton III threw for one touchdown and rushed for another in his NFL debut to guide New England past Buffalo in Foxborough, Mass.
Milton rattled off 11 straight completions to begin his professional career and finished 22-of-29 passing for 241 yards. Kayshon Boutte was Milton’s favorite target, hauling in seven receptions for a career-high 117 yards and a TD. The Patriots (4-13) would have secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft had they lost.
Mitchell Trubisky threw for 101 yards and a TD on 15-for-21 passing for the Bills (13-4), the No. 2 seed in the AFC during the upcoming playoffs. Ray Davis led Buffalo’s rushing attack with 64 yards on 15 carries.
Eagles 20, Giants 13
Tanner McKee threw two touchdown passes in his first NFL start as Philadelphia beat visiting New York to match a single-season franchise record for wins.
The Eagles (14-3), who posted the same record two years ago, were already locked in as the No. 2 seed in the NFC and did not play most of their starters. They will host the Packers in a wild-card game next weekend. McKee threw for 269 yards on 27-of-41 passing.
Giants rookie Malik Nabers had 64 yards on five catches and set the franchise’s single-season reception record with 109, breaking Steve Smith’s 2009 mark of 107. New York (3-14) finished the campaign winless in the NFC East and ended its disastrous centennial season with a franchise record for losses.
Buccaneers 27, Saints 19
Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes and host Tampa Bay came from behind to defeat New Orleans and win its fourth consecutive NFC South title.
Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans reached 1,000 yards receiving for the 11th consecutive season to tie Jerry Rice’s NFL record for consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns. Mayfield passed for 221 yards and rushed for 68, but Tampa Bay (10-7) didn’t lead until he threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jalen McMillan with 10:09 left in the game.
Blake Grupe kicked four field goals and rookie Spencer Rattler passed for a season-high 240 yards and a touchdown for the Saints (5-12), who lost their last four games.
Texans 23, Titans 14
C.J. Stroud threw a touchdown pass and Dameon Pierce rushed for 176 yards and another score as Houston tuned up for the playoffs by defeating Tennessee in Nashville.
Stroud hit all six of his passes for 50 yards on the game’s first possession, finding Nico Collins for a 2-yard scoring strike. Houston coach DeMeco Ryans pulled Stroud at that point and used backup Davis Mills, who was 12-of-22 passing for 128 yards for the Texans (10-7).
With their loss and the Patriots’ victory over the Bills, the Titans (3-14) received the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Will Levis hit on 9 of 17 passes for 175 yards, including a 49-yard TD pass to Tay Martin with 2:41 left in the game, while Mason Rudolph also played at quarterback and went 7-of-9 passing for 70 yards.
Cardinals 47, 49ers 24
Kyler Murray tied a career high with four touchdown passes and did not throw an interception to lead Arizona to a victory over San Francisco in Glendale, Ariz.
Murray was 25-of-35 passing for 242 yards for Arizona, which concluded its season 8-9. The Cardinals did not play leading rusher James Conner (knee injury).
San Francisco (6-11) played without starting quarterback Brock Purdy (elbow) and receiver Deebo Samuel (ribs/wrist). Purdy’s replacement, Joshua Dobbs, started eight games for the Cardinals last season while Murray nursed a knee injury. Dobbs completed 29 of 43 pass attempts on Sunday for 326 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Seahawks 30, Rams 25
Geno Smith threw four touchdown passes, including a 16-yarder to Noah Fant with 3:19 remaining, as Seattle edged Los Angeles in Inglewood, Calif.
Smith completed 20 of 27 passes for 223 yards. Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh combined for 108 rushing yards, with Fant and fellow tight end AJ Barner each finishing with five receptions and scoring once for the Seahawks (10-7).
The Rams (10-7), who had already clinched the NFC West, rested several starters, including quarterback Matthew Stafford. Jimmy Garoppolo was 27-of-41 passing for 334 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in his Los Angeles debut.
Chargers 34, Raiders 20
Quentin Johnston hauled in a career-high 13 receptions for 186 yards, leading Los Angeles over host Las Vegas to help the Chargers clinch the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs.
With the win, the Chargers (11-6) will head to Houston to face the Texans in the wild-card round. Justin Herbert threw for 346 yards and two touchdowns, completing 28 of 36 passes for Los Angeles. Ladd McConkey had 95 yards on five catches.
Aidan O’Connell threw for 214 yards and two touchdowns for the Raiders (4-13). Jakobi Meyers hauled in nine receptions for 123 yards to reach 1,000 receiving yards in a season for the first time in his six-year career. Brock Bowers added four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown to finish his rookie campaign with 112 receptions. The Las Vegas tight end set the single-season reception record for a rookie at any position.
Jets 32, Dolphins 20
In what might have been the final game of his Hall of Fame career, Aaron Rodgers threw a season-high four touchdown passes and reached a career milestone while leading New York to a win over Miami in East Rutherford, N.J.
Rodgers’ first touchdown pass on Sunday was the 500th of his career, joining Tom Brady (649), Drew Brees (571), Peyton Manning (539) and Brett Favre (508) as the only quarterbacks to reach the mark. Rodgers completed 23 of 36 passes for 274 yards and threw an interception as the Jets (5-12) played spoiler against their longtime AFC East rivals.
Even before time expired, Miami (8-9) was eliminated from playoff contention once the Broncos beat the Chiefs to clinch the AFC’s final wild-card berth. The Dolphins missed the postseason after making it there in each of the past two seasons.
TITANS CLINCH NO. 1 OVERALL PICK IN 2025 NFL DRAFT WITH LOSS TO TEXANS, PATRIOTS’ WIN OVER BILLS
The Tennessee Titans clinched the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft with Sunday’s home loss to the Houston Texans.
The Patriots entered Week 18 with the best chance to earn the top pick prior to their victory. However, New England’s win over Buffalo and Tennessee’s strength-of-schedule tiebreakers over the Browns and Giants moved the 3-14 Titans into the top slot. Cleveland secured the No. 2 overall pick, while the Giants have the third pick, New England holds the fourth pick, the Jaguars are in the No. 5 slot and the Raiders are locked into the sixth selection with their loss to the Chargers.
The Titans played both quarterbacks, Will Levis and Mason Rudolph, in Sunday’s loss and neither has yet proven capable of effectively leading Brian Callahan’s offense.
It would not be surprising to see the Titans put a major emphasis on improving the talent at the position in the offseason. Callahan was part of a Bengals staff that found itself in a similar position in 2020, when Cincinnati selected LSU’s Joe Burrow first overall.
Tennessee would love to find that caliber of savior this offseason. The franchise also is expected to have ample salary-cap space this offseason, currently projected to be upward of $60 million by Over The Cap.
The last time the Titans held the first pick was back in 2016. They ended up trading it to the Rams — who selected Jared Goff — in a major swap of draft selections, one of which ended up being spent on Derrick Henry.
The Titans have not picked first overall since the franchise moved to Tennessee, although their predecessors, the Houston Oilers, selected DE John Matuszak (1973) and RB Earl Campbell (1978) in the top overall slot. The highest the Titans have picked was second overall in the 2015 NFL Draft, when they selected QB Marcus Mariota.
SAQUON BARKLEY, JA’MARR CHASE HEADLINE REGULAR-SEASON STAT LEADERS
Star running backs Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry wasted no time settling into their new homes.
Barkley, in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles, became the ninth running back in NFL history to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark on the ground. He finished with 2,005 to lead the league, edging Henry (1,921 rushing yards), who was dominant in Year 1 with the Baltimore Ravens after spending the first eight seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans.
Henry helped Baltimore to a 12-5 finish, which was good enough for an AFC North title. The Ravens were able to come out on top despite having to contend with the Cincinnati Bengals, who had the NFL leader in passing yards in Joe Burrow (4,918 yards).
Detroit Lions signal-caller Jared Goff (4,629 passing yards) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (4,500) rounded out the top three in that category.
Burrow also topped the league in passing touchdowns with 43. Mayfield and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson were tied for second with 41.
Ja’Marr Chase was a big reason why Burrow put up such gaudy numbers. The 24-year-old wideout finished with 127 receptions for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns — all NFL bests.
Rookies Brock Bowers (Las Vegas Raiders) and Malik Nabers (New York Giants) cracked the top five in receptions, with Bowers snatching 112 catches to land in third and Nabers reeling in 109 passes to end up in fifth.
Cincinnati defensive end Trey Hendrickson was a force to be reckoned with on the other side of the ball and piled up 17.5 sacks. Myles Garrett collected 14 for the Cleveland Browns, and the Denver Broncos’ Nik Bonitto totaled 13.5
Zaire Franklin of the Indianapolis Colts led the league in combined tackles (173).
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 22 ILLINOIS BEATS WASHINGTON, CAPS STRONG WEEK
Kasparas Jakucionis had 18 points, six assists and five rebounds as No. 22 Illinois held on to defeat Washington 81-77 on Sunday and complete a sweep of its trip to the Pacific Northwest.
Tre White had 17 points and seven rebounds and Kylan Boswell added 14 points, including two clinching free throws with six seconds left, for the Fighting Illini (11-3, 3-1 Big Ten), who have won four consecutive games, including a 109-77 victory Thursday at No. 9 Oregon.
DJ Davis led the Huskies (10-5, 1-3), who were coming off a 75-69 upset of Maryland, with career highs of 31 points and seven 3-pointers. Luis Kortright scored 10.
Illinois shot 31 of 66 from the field (47.0 percent) despite going just 5 of 26 from 3-point range. The Huskies shot 28 of 65 (43.1 percent) and were 10 of 26 from behind the arc. The Illini had a 43-30 rebounding edge and outscored Washington 52-30 in the paint.
No. 7 Kansas 99, UCF 48
Hunter Dickinson dominated with 27 points, nine rebounds and three blocks as the Jayhawks trounced the Knights in Orlando, Fla., for the Jayhawks’ first win in the series.
Dickinson narrowly missed his fifth consecutive double-double, but it was more than enough to help Kansas (10-3, 1-1 Big 12) avoid an 0-2 start in conference play for the first time since the 1990-91 season.
Keyshawn Hall had 12 points, six rebounds and three steals for UCF (10-3, 1-1), which had its six-game winning streak snapped. The Knights also lost at Addition Financial Arena for the first time this season after an 8-0 start.
No. 9 Oregon 83, Maryland 79
Keeshawn Barthelemy hit a 3-pointer with 2:16 left to give the Ducks the lead for good in a therapeutic victory over the Terrapins in Eugene, Ore.
Jackson Shelstad made all five of his 3-point attempts, scoring 23 points, as Oregon (13-2, 2-2 Big Ten) recovered from its stunning 109-77 loss to No. 22 Illinois on Thursday.
Rodney Rice scored 19 points to lead Maryland (11-4, 1-3). Derik Queen added 17 points and five rebounds, while Ja’Kobi Gillespie provided 16 points.
No. 11 UConn 87, Providence 84
Hassan Diarra scored a career-high 19 points and Solo Ball tossed in 16 to help the Huskies overcome a 14-point second-half deficit and defeat the Friars in Storrs, Conn.
Aidan Mahaney added 15 points and Alex Karaban had 13 for the Huskies, who outscored the Friars 60-45 in the second half. UConn (12-3, 4-0 Big East) shot 56.3 percent from the field and extended its winning streak to eight games.
Providence (7-8, 1-3) received a game-high 24 points from Jayden Pierre and 18 from Wesley Cardet. Oswin Erhunmwunse added six points and a game-high nine rebounds for the Friars, who have lost their last four games.
No. 20 Purdue 79, Northwestern 61
Braden Smith bundled 22 points with six rebounds and seven assists to help the host Boilermakers beat the Wildcats in West Lafayette, Ind.
Trey Kaufman-Renn and C.J. Cox added 12 points apiece for the Boilermakers (11-4, 3-1 Big Ten), who never trailed and led by as many as 29 en route to their third straight win. Purdue outshot the Wildcats 50.9 percent to 38.3 percent and held them to their fewest points this season.
Freshman Angelo Ciaravino scored a season-high 19 points to lead Northwestern (10-5, 1-3), which also got 11 points from both Jalen Leach and Brooks Barnhizer. Nick Martinelli, who entered Sunday second in the Big Ten in scoring (20.1 points per game), managed just 10 on 2-of-8 shooting.
No. 21 Memphis 68, North Texas 64
PJ Haggerty made his first seven shots on his way to a game-high 27 points, Dain Dainja added 14 and the host Tigers held off a feisty Mean Green squad.
It was not without drama, however, as a dunk by Moulaye Sissoko helped North Texas trim the deficit to two points with 12 seconds remaining. But Colby Rogers made two free throws to earn Memphis (12-3, 2-0 American) its fifth win in six games.
Brenen Lorient paced North Texas (10-4, 1-1) with 18 points, including 14 in the second half, while Sissoko posted a career-high 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting to go along with eight boards. The Mean Green had a four-game winning streak snapped.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: PAIGE BUECKERS HURT IN NO. 7 UCONN’S WIN
Paige Bueckers scored 15 points before leaving the game with a knee injury in the third quarter as visiting No. 7 UConn routed Big East Conference rival Villanova 83-52 on Sunday.
Bueckers dove for a loose ball along with the Wildcats’ Jasmine Bascoe, who rolled into her left leg. Bueckers, the projected No. 1 overall pick in this year’s WNBA Draft, returned to the bench later in the game with an ice pack on her knee. Huskies coach Geno Auriemma said he’s optimistic that Bueckers isn’t seriously injured.
Sarah Strong scored a game-high 21-points for UConn (13-2, 4-0), while Villanova (7-8, 1-2) was paced by Bascoe’s 12 points.
No. 2 South Carolina 95, Mississippi State 68
Tessa Johnson came off the bench for 22 points as the Gamecocks shrugged off a slow start to earn a Southeastern Conference rout of the Bulldogs in Starkville, Miss.
Chloe Kitts added 17 points and 10 rebounds for South Carolina (14-1, 2-0), which trailed 22-13 after a quarter before outscoring Mississippi State 55-23 in the middle two quarters.
Jerkaila Jordan scored a game-high 24 points for the Bulldogs (13-3, 0-2).
No. 3 Notre Dame 76, No. 17 North Carolina 66
Hannah Hidalgo scored 24 points and dished out five assists as the Fighting Irish notched an Atlantic Coast Conference win over the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Olivia Miles added 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists for Notre Dame (12-2, 3-0), while Liatu King tallied 15 rebounds to go with eight points.
North Carolina (13-3, 1-2) got 16 points and nine rebounds from Maria Gakdeng.
No. 5 Texas 90, Arkansas 56
Six players scored in double figures as the Longhorns rolled to an SEC rout of the Razorbacks in Austin, Texas.
Aaliyah Moore scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Texas (15-1, 2-0), which earned a 46-27 advantage on the boards and forced 25 turnovers.
Arkansas (7-10, 0-2) got a game-high 23 points from Izzy Higginbottom.
No. 6 LSU 73, Auburn 63
A 27-8 second quarter burst was the difference as LSU stayed unbeaten by winning the matchup of SEC Tigers in Baton Rouge, La.
Aneesah Morrow scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for LSU (17-0, 2-0), while Kailyn Gilbert added 17 on 8-of-10 shooting off the bench.
Auburn (9-6, 0-2) got 19 points off the bench from Audia Young.
No. 9 Oklahoma 87, No. 15 Tennessee 86
The Sooners built a 16-point lead after three quarters and hung on to hand the Lady Vols their first loss in an SEC thriller in Knoxville, Tenn.
Payton Verhulst scored 16 points for Oklahoma (13-2, 1-1), including two foul shots with 50 seconds left that proved to be the difference. Raegan Beers added 13 points and eight rebounds.
Jewel Spear fired in a game-high 28 for Tennessee (13-1, 1-1), which had a chance to win but saw Sara Puckett miss a 3-pointer in the last five seconds.
No. 10 Ohio State 92, Northwestern 62
The Buckeyes raced to a 77-43 lead after three quarters en route to an easy Big Ten Conference win over the Wildcats in Columbus, Ohio.
Jaloni Cambridge scored a game-high 20 points for Ohio State (14-0, 3-0), which led by 39 at one point in the fourth quarter. Cotie McMahon had 16 points as five Buckeyes scored in double figures.
Kyla Jones tallied 15 points for Northwestern (7-8, 0-4), which has lost three in a row.
No. 14 Duke 69, Pitt 31
The Blue Devils forced 29 turnovers and allowed the punchless Panthers to hit just 11 of 45 field goal attempts in posting an easy ACC victory in Durham, N.C.
Reigan Richardson scored 13 points for Duke (12-3, 3-0), reaching the 1,000-point mark for her career.
Khadija Faye tallied a game-high 17 points for Pitt (8-8, 0-3), which had just four other players score.
No. 16 Kentucky 96, Vanderbilt 78
Georgia Amoore finished with 24 points and nine assists as the Wildcats bombed in 15 3-pointers and scored 31 first-quarter points in an SEC win over the Commodores in Nashville, Tenn.
Amelia Hassett added 20 points (six 3-pointers), nine rebounds and five assists as five players scored in double figures for Kentucky (13-1, 2-0).
Vanderbilt (14-2, 1-1) got 24 points out of Mikayla Blakes.
No. 19 Alabama 68, Missouri 49
Zaay Green scored a game-high 23 points and the Crimson Tide started SEC play 2-0 for the first time in 21 seasons by drilling the Tigers in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Aaliyah Nye added 11 for Alabama (15-1, 2-0), which held Missouri to 34 percent field goal shooting and forced 20 turnovers.
Angelique Ngalakulondi and Nyah Wilson each scored nine points for Missouri (11-6, 0-2).
No. 22 North Carolina State 91, Boston College 52
The Wolfpack jumped out to a 28-9 first-quarter lead and never looked back in an easy ACC rout of the Eagles in Raleigh, N.C.
Saniya Rivers scored 23 points and added 11 rebounds for NC State (11-3, 3-0), while Zoe Brooks chipped in 11 points and 11 boards.
T’yana Todd scored 20 points to pace Boston College (10-7, 1-3).
Texas A&M 60, No. 25 Ole Miss 58
Sole Williams scored a game-high 18 points and the Aggies outscored the Rebels 20-6 in the fourth quarter to earn an SEC win in College Station, Texas.
Jada Malone shot a perfect 7-for-7 to post 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench for Texas A&M (8-6, 1-1).
Ole Miss (10-4, 1-1), which made only 19 of 53 shots from the field, was led by Madison Scott’s 14 points.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: THUNDER TAKE DOWN CELTICS, WIN 15TH STRAIGHT
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 105-92 home win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
The Thunder extended their winning streak to a franchise-record 15 games.
Aaron Wiggins, the star of Oklahoma City’s fourth-quarter comeback against the Knicks on Friday, scored 15 points off the bench.
The Thunder tightened things up defensively after giving up 65 points in the first half, holding defending champion Boston to just 27 points in the second half. The Celtics were only 8 of 40 (20 percent) from the field in the second half.
Jayson Tatum had 26 points and 10 rebounds for Boston, whose three-game winning streak was snapped. Jaylen Brown added 21 points — all in the first half. Brown was 0 for 7 from the floor after halftime. Kristaps Porzingis added 19 points and nine boards.
Rockets 119, Lakers 115
Jalen Green scored a game-high 33 points, Amen Thompson posted a double-double in his return from suspension, and Houston held on to defeat visiting Los Angeles.
Green scored on consecutive possessions late in the fourth quarter after the Lakers closed to within 112-108 on two free throws from Anthony Davis. Thompson paired 23 points on 11-for-19 shooting with a career-high 16 rebounds after missing the previous two games.
Davis totaled 30 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks, while LeBron James finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists and Austin Reaves had 21 points and 10 assists for the Lakers.
Cavaliers 115, Hornets 105
Darius Garland scored 25 points and Jarrett Allen posted a double-double as Cleveland won its 10th straight game and stuck visiting Charlotte with its 10th defeat in a row.
Allen paired 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting with 11 rebounds for Cleveland, which also got 19 points from Donovan Mitchell and 17 from Evan Mobley. Georges Niang chipped in 10 points off the bench as the Cavaliers continued to roll after completing a 4-0 road trip.
Even with its top two offensive players, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, back in action, Charlotte was pummeled. Ball and Miller finished with 24 points apiece in their first games since Dec. 26.
Pelicans 110, Wizards 98
CJ McCollum scored a team-high 25 points to help New Orleans knock off host Washington for the second time in three days.
Trey Murphy III added 22 points for the Pelicans and Dejounte Murray collected 14 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for his first triple-double of the season.
Kyle Kuzma led Washington with 28 points, followed by Alexandre Sarr’s 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Jazz 105, Magic 92
Brice Sensabaugh scored 27 points off the bench as short-handed Utah earned its second straight victory following a five-game losing streak, beating host Orlando.
One night after scoring a career-high 34 points in a 136-100 win over the Miami Heat, Sensabaugh went 11-for-19 from the field and 5-for-6 from beyond the arc against the Magic. Collin Sexton added 20 points for Utah, which earned its ninth win this season.
The Jazz led by nine at the start of the fourth quarter and quickly extended their lead to 84-67 on Sensabaugh’s 3-pointer with 8:27 remaining. Jett Howard led Orlando with a career-high 21 points off the bench, and Wendell Carter Jr. scored 15 points.
Kings 129, Warriors 99
Malik Monk and Domantas Sabonis each posted a double-double for Sacramento, which rode a dominant first half to a win over Golden State in San Francisco.
Monk went for 26 points and 12 assists while Sabonis collected 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Kings, who led 75-51 at the break.
Stephen Curry finished with 26 points and seven boards, but the Warriors saw a modest two-game winning streak come to an end.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: DUCKS’ FRANK VATRANO LANDS NEW CONTRACT, SCORES TWICE
Frank Vatrano celebrated a new contract with two goals and an assist and the Anaheim Ducks continued a strong stretch of play by beating the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 on Sunday night.
Signed to a three-year extension earlier in the day, Vatrano scored during a two-goal first period and sealed the win with a third-period empty-netter.
Troy Terry found the back of the net for the fifth time in six games and added an assist and Jackson LaCombe scored in the third period as the Ducks improved to 4-1-0 over their past five games. Ryan Strome posted two assists in his 200th game for Anaheim.
Tampa Bay’s Jake Guentzel tallied his ninth power-play goal of the season. Jonas Johansson made 22 saves for the Lightning, who were swept on a three-game California road trip while being outscored 8-3.
Islanders 5, Bruins 4 (OT)
Bo Horvat scored his second goal of the game with 1:50 remaining in overtime as New York edged host Boston.
After New York goaltender Ilya Sorokin (26 saves) stopped Brad Marchand at one end, Horvat rushed ahead to corral a loose puck and slid a game-winning score five-hole on Boston’s Joonas Korpisalo. Anders Lee also scored a pair of goals and Ryan Pulock had a goal and two assists to lead the Islanders, who ended a three-game losing streak.
Boston’s David Pastrnak scored twice in the third period to force the extra session, marking his second multi-goal performance in as many nights. Cole Koepke and Justin Brazeau also scored while Korpisalo made 32 saves for Boston, which is 0-3-1 in its past four games.
Rangers 6, Blackhawks 2
Filip Chytil scored twice and Brett Berard, Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren each earned two assists to lift visiting New York to a rout of Chicago.
Louis Domingue stopped 25 shots for New York in his season debut while 12 Rangers registered at least one point.
Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom made 28 saves. Chicago got goals from Tyler Bertuzzi and Wyatt Kaiser but has lost six of its past seven games.
Hurricanes 4, Penguins 3 (OT)
Sebastian Aho’s goal 1:30 into overtime gave Carolina a win over Pittsburgh in Raleigh, N.C.
Seth Jarvis had two goals and an assist, Aho added two assists and defenseman Jalen Chatfield also scored for the Hurricanes. Dustin Tokarski stopped 16 shots.
Defenseman Erik Karlsson had a goal and an assist and Kevin Hayes and Michael Bunting also scored for the Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic made 27 saves.
Maple Leafs 3, Flyers 2 (OT)
Morgan Rielly scored at the 2:25 mark of overtime and Toronto defeated visiting Philadelphia.
Rielly scored from the right circle after taking a pass from Auston Matthews to extend Toronto’s winning streak to four games. Matthew Knies and Oliver Ekman-Larsson also scored for the Maple Leafs, who were completing a set of back-to-back home games. Matthews added two assists, and Dennis Hildeby made 30 saves.
Tyson Foerster and Scott Laughton scored for the Flyers, who finished a 2-3-1 road trip. Ivan Fedotov started in goal for the first time since Dec. 5 and stopped 22 shots.
GOLF NEWS
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA BREAKS PGA TOUR SCORING RECORD, WINS THE SENTRY
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama couldn’t be caught while shooting a final-round 8-under-par 65 to win The Sentry, the PGA Tour’s season opener, on Sunday at The Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii.
Matsuyama finished at 35-under 257, the lowest 72-hole score to par in PGA Tour history. It was good for a three-stroke victory on runner-up Collin Morikawa, who shot 67.
It marked Matsuyama’s 11th career victory on the tour and follows two tournament titles last year.
Matsuyama holed out for eagle on the par-4 third hole with the ball bouncing a couple of times before landing in the cup as his lead grew to three strokes. The margin was four shots going to the back nine even after Matsuyama’s bogey on the par-4 seventh marked just his second bogey of the tournament.
Morikawa’s birdie on the 15th hole closed the gap to two shots. Matsuyama responded with a birdie on the next hole.
Matsuyama, who turns 33 next month, took the lead during Friday’s second round and kept up his pace of birdies. Morikawa had matched Matsuyama’s scores Friday and Saturday (65 and 62), entering the final round trailing by one shot.
South Korea’s Sungjae Im (65) was third at 29 under and Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas (65) placed fourth at 25 under.
Belgium’s Thomas Detry (71), Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg (64) and Canada’s Corey Conners (67) shared fifth place at 24 under.
Canada’s Taylor Pendrith recorded the first albatross in the 27-year history of the tournament, helping him to a 67 for the second day in a row. He ended up tied for 13th place at 22 under. His 2 on the par-5 fifth hole was the highlight, though a double-bogey on No. 17 took some shine off his round.
All 58 golfers who finished the tournament were 3 under or better.
TOP INDIANA RELEASES/HEADLINES
COLTS FOOTBALL
COLTS RELEASE
COLTS BEAT JAGUARS IN OVERTIME IN FINAL GAME OF 2024 SEASON
In their final game of the 2024 season, the Colts took things down to the wire against the Jacksonville Jaguars, going to overtime before recording one last win to finish 8-9 on the season.
The Colts opened the game with a surgically precise drive downfield to take an early 7-0 lead, as quarterback Joe Flacco needed just three plays – all of which were passes – to reach the end zone. Wide receiver Alec Pierce scored his seventh touchdown of the season with a 40-yard reception, doing exactly what he’s become so well-known for this season as he beat out his defender and coasted into the end zone.
After the Jaguars responded in kind on their first offensive possession, the rest of the first quarter turned into the two teams trading possessions with neither able to garner enough momentum to put any more points on the board.
Jacksonville nailed a 53-yard field goal to go up 10-7 early in the second quarter, but the Colts quickly retook the lead with an eight-play, 70-yard touchdown drive. Running back Jonathan Taylor, who only had 16 rushing yards in the first quarter, had seven carries for 44 yards – including a six-yard run for the touchdown.
The score marked Taylor’s 11th touchdown of the season, and his sixth in the last three games.
The Colts settled in as the second quarter went on, forcing Jacksonville to go three-and-out – Kwity Paye recorded his team-leading eighth sack of the season in the process – and extending their lead 17-10 thanks to a 49-yard field goal by kicker Matt Gay.
The Jaguars kicked a field goal of their own to narrow the Colts’ lead with 1:25 to go in the second quarter, but Flacco and his offense marched back down the field to add three more points to their lead, taking a 20-13 lead into halftime.
Midway through the third quarter, Jacksonville was poised to make a big play and have a chance to tie the game; quarterback Mac Jones heaved a 49-yard pass intended for wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., but cornerback Julian Blackmon played spoiler by snagging the ball for his third interception of the season, handing the ball back to Flacco and the Colts offense.
After a series of incompletions, the Colts were forced to settle for a field goal, but Gay’s 51-yard kick sailed wide right to keep the score 20-13 with just under three minutes left in the third quarter.
It took until just under the eight-minute mark in the fourth quarter for either team to put any more points on the board, when Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington lunged across the goal line after recovering his own fumble to tie things up, 20-20.
Once again unable to reach the red zone on their following possession, the Colts were forced to try for another field goal; this time, Gay’s kick was good from 45 yards.
With just under four minutes remaining, the Jaguars made their way down the field and, after back-to-back incompletions, made a 53-yard field to tie the game once again.
The Colts were forced to punt the ball away after failing to cross the 50-yard line, however. The Jaguars got the ball back with 15 seconds left on the clock and opted to take a knee, sending the game into overtime.
On the first possession of overtime, the Colts muscled their way down the field as Taylor barreled his way through the Jaguars’ defensive line for multiple first downs and Pierce leapt up for a 17-yard reception. But after an incompletion at the goal line, the Colts kicked a field goal and left the door open for the Jaguars.
However, the Colts defense stepped up in a major way as linebacker Zaire Franklin sacked Jones on third down and forced the Jaguars into a fourth-and-22 situation. Jones’ pass was too short to reach a first down, and the Colts were able to end the 2024 season on a high note.
COACH SHANE STEICHEN POST GAME: https://www.colts.com/video/shane-steichen-colts-vs-jaguars-postgame-x6925
QB JOE FLACCO POST GAME: https://www.colts.com/video/joe-flacco-colts-vs-jaguars-postgame
LOCKER TALK: https://www.colts.com/video/locker-talk-ryan-kelly-jonathan-taylor-and-julian-blackmon-colts-vs-jaguars-postgame
COLTS’ 2025 OPPONENTS FINALIZED
With the Colts’ 26-23 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, we now know the 14 opponents the Colts will play in the 2025 regular season.
By virtue of finishing second in the AFC South, the Colts will host the second-place finishers in the AFC East (Miami Dolphins) and NFC South (Atlanta Falcons) and will play a road game against the second-place team in the AFC North (Pittsburgh Steelers) in 2025.
The AFC South will play the AFC West and NFC West in 2025, with the Colts hosting the Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers. The Colts will play two road games at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles against the Chargers and Rams; it’ll be the first time in franchise history the Colts will play in Los Angeles twice in the same season.
The 2025 NFL regular season schedule will be announced this spring.
INDIANA PACERS
GAME PREVIEW: PACERS AT NETS
The Indiana Pacers haven’t lost yet in 2025, and can extend their winning streak to three straight during a quick trip to the Big Apple to start the week.
Indiana (18-18) can go above .500 in the record column for the first time this season when they play Brooklyn (13-22) at Barclays Center on Monday.
Due to several recent injuries, it’s unclear which personnel will be available for the Nets on Monday.
Seven players were sidelined for Brooklyn on Saturday against the Philadehpia 76ers, and recent Nets addition D’Angelo Russell hurt his shin during game action and didn’t return.
Among the players who could sit out include the Nets’ top two scorers in Cam Thomas (24.7 points per game) and Cameron Johnson (19.5 points per game), as well as ex-Pacer Bojan Bogdanovic and former All-Star Ben Simmons.
The Pacers and Nets are trending in different directions in recent weeks, as Indiana is 7-3 over its last 10 games while Brooklyn is 3-7 during that span.
Home court hasn’t yielded better results for the Nets, as they’re 5-10 at Barclays Center this season. Conversely, Indiana is 7-1 in its last eight road games after dropping eight straight road games earlier in the season.
The Pacers have played solid team ball over the last four games, recording a 3-1 record while averaging 122.3 points as a team on 45.8 percent shooting (38.6 percent from 3-point range), 46.5 rebounds, and 30.8 assists nightly.
All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton has put up big numbers during thestretch, averaging 25.8 points, 9.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds, while Myles Turner has been steady at 17.5 points and 6.8 rebounds nightly, and Pascal Siakam has supplied 17.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists on average. Bennedict Mathurin has also played a major role in the improved play, averaging 16 points and 6.5 rebounds.
The Pacers enter Monday’s matchup following a 126-108 home win over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday.
Indiana was outshot 47.9 to 48.7 percent overall but made 15 3-pointers to Phoenix’s 12 and outrebounded their visitors 47-36. Six players scored in double figures for the Pacers against the Suns, led by 27 from Haliburton and 20 by Turner.
Brooklyn trailed at the end of each quarter against Philadelphia on Saturday, losing 123-94 in New York.
Ziaire Williams topped the Nets with 19 points, Tyrese Martin scored 16, and Keon Johnson had 15.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Bennedict Mathuin, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Nets: G – Keon Johnson, G – Tyrese Martin, F – Ziaire Williams, F – Jalen Wilson, C – Nic Claxton
Injury Report
Pacers: Isaiah Jackson – out (torn right Achilles tendon), Aaron Nesmith – out (left ankle sprain), James Wiseman – out (torn left Achilles tendon)
Nets: Bojan Bogdanovic – questionable (left foot injury recovery), Cameron Johnson – questionable (right ankle sprain), D’Angelo Russell – questionable (right shin contusion), Ben Simmons – questionable (left calf soreness), Cam Thomas – questionable (left hamstring strain), Maxwell Lewis – out (left tibia fracture), De’Anthony Melton – out (left ACL tear), Trendon Watford – out (left hamstring strain)
Last Meeting
Dec. 4, 2024: In the first matchup between Brooklyn and Indiana this season, a slow start doomed the Pacers in a 99-90 loss in New York.
The Pacers trailed 24-17 after the first quarter and 51-35 at halftime before storming back to tie the game at 80 with 8:08 left. The Nets responded with a 10-0 run and ultimately held on for the victory.
Neither team shot the ball well, as the Nets edged the Pacers 43.2 to 42.7 percent from the field. Indiana made eight 3-pointers to Brooklyn’s 12 treys.
Tyrese Haliburton led six Pacers in double-digit points, scoring 17 points on 5-for-13 shooting. Pascal Siakam and T.J. McConnell tallied 14 points each, Obi Toppin supplied 13, Johnny Furphy added 12 and Myles Turner had 11.
Cam Johnson topped the Nets with 26 points, Nic Claxton scored 16, and Shake Milton chipped in 15 points off the bench.
Turnovers were an issue for Indiana, as the Pacers coughed the ball up 16 times in the loss. The Pacers also lost the rebounding battle 43-39.
Noteworthy
Forward Bojan Bogdanovic spent two seasons with the Pacers (2017-2019).
Indiana has a record of 7-3 since center Thomas Bryant joined the team via trade on Dec. 15.
Brooklyn and Indiana play three times total this season, with the last matchup set for March 20 in Indianapolis.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
FanDuel Sports Network – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (studio host)
INDY FUEL
FUEL ACQUIRE CARON IN TRADE WITH IDAHO
INDIANAPOLIS – On Sunday, the Indy Fuel completed a trade with the Idaho Steelheads. The Fuel sent Forward, Andrew Bellant in exchange for Steelheads Forward, Thomas Caron.
Bellant appeared in 28 games for the Fuel this season, tallying two goals and six assists for a total of eight points. Bellant has been with the Fuel since his first ECHL game during the 2021-22 season. In his time with the Fuel, he played in 182 games scoring 38 goals and tallying 49 assists for a total of 81 points.
Caron appeared in 31 games for the Steelheads this season, tallying eight goals and 18 assists for a total of 26 points. Caron has played with the Trois-Rivieres Lions, Norfolk Admirals, and Idaho Steelheads, totaling 105 games since the 2022-23 season. Caron has 20 goals and 38 assists for a total of 58 points in his ECHL career.
Caron’s first professional game was in the AHL for the Manitoba Moose. He has 58 games played in the AHL with five goals and five assists.
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
HOOSIERS HOLD OFF PENN STATE, SNAG IMPORTANT ROAD VICTORY
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Indiana is becoming a basketball team no one wants to face.
Stifling defense?
Check.
Dynamic 3-point shooting?
Check again, and if it’s only a two-game perimeter sharp-shooting sample, don’t overlook the significance in the wake of Sunday’s 77-71 victory over Penn State at the Palestra.
“It was a gutty effort,” coach Mike Woodson told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during the post-game radio show. “(Penn State) forces you to play 40 minutes. They get after you defensively. I thought if we came in with a defensive mindset and rebounded with them we’d, have a shot.”
The Hoosiers (12-3 overall, 3-1 in the Big Ten) throttled one of the conference’s best offensive teams, holding Penn State (12-3, 2-2) 17 points below its season average.
A 15-2 surge to open the second half — sparked by swingman Mackenzie Mgbako’s personal 8-0 run in 56 seconds — provided crucial separation as IU won its fourth straight game. Mgbako finished with 20 points.
“That was big time,” Woodson told Fischer. “He started the run. We couldn’t throw it in the ocean in the first half from three. After that, it became a trickle effect, which was good.”
Mgbako was 4-for-8 on 3-pointers. Forward Luke Goode was 3-for-5 while scoring 12 points. Guards Myles Rice and Trey Galloway each had a 3-pointer.
Center Oumar Ballo dominated for the second straight game. He totaled 25 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. He had 17 and 12 during Thursday night’s win over Rutgers.
That coincides with IU being without forward Malik Reneau, who was injured early against Rutgers. His return status is uncertain, although the injury isn’t expected to be season ending. Woodson said during the post-game press conference that it would “be a while” before Reneau returns.
“Ballo was huge,” Woodson told Fischer. “We’re featuring him now. He’s always been a double-double guy in his career. We’re featuring him more now with Malik being out. He really stepped up, but it was a total team effort.”
Hoosier defense and Penn State misfires resulted in 3-for-21 Nittany Lion 3-point shooting, not good enough against an IU team that made nine 3-pointers.
Perhaps going 1-for-20 on 3-pointers against Winthrop was the best thing to happen to IU. It is 21-for-50 from beyond the arc in two games since.
Still, it was the Hoosiers’ ability to contain Penn State’s offense and guard Ace Baldwin Jr. (he scored 12 points on 5-for-15 shooting), that generated the most Woodson praise.
“Our defense held us where we needed to be,” he told Fischer.
The 98-year-old Palestra is considered one of the nation’s most iconic basketball venues. Penn still uses it as its home court, and Penn State schedules one game there every season. Its hallways includes a 1960s’ black-and-white photo of Bob Knight during his Army coaching days.
Mgbako and Goode hit early 3-pointers to boost IU to a 13-10 lead. Add a strong start from Ballo and those three kept the Hoosiers ahead until a Nittany Lion surge gave them a 22-18 lead midway through the first half. All 22 of those points came in the paint.
A Galloway jumper tied it at 22-22 with seven minutes left in the half. A Ballo dunk put IU ahead 29-27 with two minutes left.
The Hoosiers defended Penn State into a six-minute scoring drought before the half ended in a 29-29 tie. Ballo led with 14 points and nine rebounds.
Mgbako’s eight-point surge in the first 56 seconds of the second half helped boost IU to a 39-29 lead. Goode’s second 3-pointer of the game pushed the Hoosiers ahead 44-31. Another Goode 3-pointer gave Indiana a 15-point lead. A Galloway 3-pointer made it a 61-45 score midway through the second half.
Mgbako’s fourth 3-point kept IU ahead 65-54 with 7:23 left, but Ballo went out with his fourth foul. Penn State responded with its first two 3-pointers of the game to close within 65-61. Ballo returned to deliver a three-point play with 5:26 left.
A Penn State 3-pointer cut Indiana’s lead to 73-71 with 1:27 left. Mgbako and Rice each hit a pair of free throws to clinch the victory.
“The bottom line, we made the plays coming down the stretch and made our free throws to secure it,” Woodson told Fischer.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
#20 PURDUE WINS THIRD STRAIGHT WITH DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OVER NORTHWESTERN
[20] Purdue 79, Northwestern 61 (Postgame Notes)
Purdue won its third straight game and moved to 11-4 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten Conference with a 79-61 victory over Northwestern.
The 18-point margin was the largest in the series since Jan. 23, 2022 (80-60 Purdue win) – a span of five games. Purdue led by 23 at halftime (41-18), its largest halftime lead of the season.
Purdue held Northwestern to 38.3 percent shooting and its two leading scorers, Brooks Barnhizer and Nick Martinelli, who entered the game averaging 40.2 points per game between them, to 21 points on 6-of-23 shooting with 10 combined turnovers.
Purdue is 3-1 (or better) in Big Ten play for the fifth time in the last nine years and for the third straight season.
Purdue has now won 25 straight home games, dating to Feb. 2023. The streak is tied for the sixth-longest streak in America, and the third longest in Mackey Arena history.
Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Purdue is now 54-3 (.947) in Mackey Arena.
Purdue has won 13 straight home games against Big Ten opponents, the fifth-longest streak in Mackey Arena history.
Matt Painter won his 229th game in Big Ten Conference play, moving past Ward “Piggy” Lambert for fourth on the career wins list in conference history (Bob Knight – 355; Tom Izzo – 346; Gene Keady – 265; Matt Painter – 229).
Purdue averaged 12.3 turnovers per game in its first 12 games of the season. In the last three games, Purdue has averaged 7.3 turnovers per game.
Since the start of the 2021-22 season (senior class), Purdue is now 103-23 overall, good for the sixth-most wins by a senior class in school history.
Purdue won its 64th straight game (and second straight) when shooting at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 70 percent from the free throw line. The last time Purdue lost when reaching those numbers came in March 2004.
The big three of Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith combined for 43 points in the win. When the trio combines for 41 points, the Boilermakers are 10-0.
Braden Smith recorded his third straight 20-point game with 22 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals. Over the last three games, Smith is averaging 25.3 PPG, 9.7 APG, 5.3 RPG and 2.0 SPG, while making 14, 3-pointers.
Smith moved into second on the school’s career assists chart with 574, passing Brian Walker (572 in 1979-81).
Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 12 points with six rebounds and a career-high four assists. He has scored at least 11 points in all 15 games this season.
Freshman C.J. Cox scored 12 points and pulled down a career-high eight rebounds.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Braden Smith had 22 points and seven assists to lead No. 20 Purdue to a 79-61 rout of Northwestern on Sunday.
Smith, who scored 17 of his points in the first half, hit 8 of 16 shots for the Boilermakers (11-4, 3-1 Big Ten). Trey Kaufman-Renn and C.J. Cox each scored 12 points for Purdue.
Angelo Ciaravino led the Wildcats (10-5, 1-3) with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Brooks Barnhizer, who graduated from nearby Lafayette Jefferson High School, and Jalen Leach each had 11 points. Barnhizer, who was averaging 20.1 points entering the game, struggled from the field, making 4 of 15 shots and committed eight turnovers.
The Boilermakers led by as many as 29 points at 63-34 with 11:21 left in the second half. They scored the first seven points and never trailed.
The Boilermakers shot 59% in the first half while holding Northwestern to 25%.
Takeaways
Northwestern: Ciaravino was a bright spot as he was averaging just 3.3 points prior to the game. Nick Martinelli, who averaged 20.1 points entering the game, had 10 points on 2-of-8 shooting.
Purdue: The Boilermakers continue to dominate at home, winning a 25th consecutive home game. Purdue has now won three in a row after a stretch where it lost three of four games.
Key moment
Myles Colvin sank a 3-pointer to give Purdue a 25-14 lead to fire up the crowd. Colvin, who had been mired in a shooting slump, was 1 of 16 from 3-point range in the previous five games. Colvin added a second 3-pointer in the second half, finishing with seven points.
Key stat
Purdue held the Wildcats to 38% from the field, including 28% from 3-point range. In contrast, Purdue shot 51% from the field and 40% from 3-point range.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
NO. 3 IRISH EARN DOUBLE-DIGIT ROAD WIN OVER NO. 17 UNC
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — That’s four double-digit ranked wins for the Irish.
On Sunday, No. 3 Notre Dame (12-2, 3-0) earned a hard-fought 76-66 victory over No. 17 North Carolina (13-3, 1-2). It is the first win in Chapel Hill since 2017 and avenges back-to-back losses from the previous two seasons.
The stars were out for Notre Dame, as Hannah Hidalgo paced the game with 24 points. Olivia Miles had five 3-pointers, a career-high, finishing with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Miles entered this season with a lifetime 3-point percentage of 24.6. She is shooting 47.8 percent from downtown this year.
“Truthfully, it’s been my confidence,” Miles said of the improvement in her shooting from beyond the arc. “I feel like before I got hurt, I was thinking too much when I shot the ball, teams were going under me, I was just in my head,”
“Being injured, you look at things so differently. Not everything matters [as much]. You miss a [3-pointer], it doesn’t matter. I used to hang on to those misses so much, and it would make me miss more. Now I have the mindset to just let it fly.”
In keeping with the air attack theme, it started early. The Irish had averaged 11.5 triples per game over their last four games, and Notre Dame went 5-8 from downtown in the first quarter. Hidalgo and Miles each had a pair and scored Notre Dame’s first 12 points of the game.
Hidalgo started Q2 with another triple and completed the first 4-point play for the Irish since 2015. The visitors then started to heat up, making five of six shots in a stretch midway through the second quarter. UNC was 2-10 during that stretch.
The Irish ended the half 8-12 from the floor from deep. They entered the game averaging 8.6 made treys per game this season. Liatu King had 11 first-half boards, giving her double-figure boards in every game this season with the exception of the JMU game, which she left early due to a concussion.
UNC’s halftime adjustments showed early, as the Tar Heels went on a 7-0 run to start the half before Liza Karlen hit a jumper and a triple, her first 5 points of the game.
UNC won the third quarter 24-19, but the Irish carried a 61-52 lead into Q4. Cassandre Prosper was quietly Notre Dame’s leading scorer with 7 points in the frame. The attack became more balanced as the game went on. Karlen led the Irish with 9 points in the second half.
In total, Notre Dame had 20 second chance points, tying a season-high. The Irish went 13-21 from deep (61.9). UNC entered the game with the top 3-point defense in the league (23.8).
Also of note, Notre Dame played with Maddy Westbeld for the first time this season. She played 13 minutes and had a rebound, a block and a steal.
“We’re just trying to get her comfortable,” Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey said. “She’s done a phenomenal job getting herself ready, so kudos to Coach [Carlos] Knox and our performance team on getting her ready and strong.
“Every game she will get more comfortable and be able to play more minutes.”
The Irish are back in action on Thursday against Wake Forest. The game is at 5 p.m., which is a change from the previous 7 p.m. scheduling due to Notre Dame football’s Orange Bowl game against Penn State.
BALL STATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
NO. 5 CARDINALS CONCLUDE OPENING WEEKEND WITH 3-0 SWEEP OVER TRINE
MUNCIE, Ind. — The fifth-ranked Ball State men’s volleyball team soared past Trine Sunday afternoon in Worthen Arena for another 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 25-13) sweep to start the season.
The Cardinals (2-0) put the pressure on from start to finish, recording nine aces and hitting at a .443 clip while holding the Thunder (0-1) to just .085.
Patrick Rogers led the team with 10 kills, three aces and two blocks. Also making a big impact were Rodney Wallace and Eyal Rawitz who recorded six and five kills respectively.
Rajé Alleyne kicked things off with a kill to put the Cardinals on the board first. Ball State expanded its lead early in set one with a few Thunder errors and an ace from Rogers to make the score 5-2. The Cardinal team carried that momentum through the rest of the set, winning the first frame 25-13 on a Trine service error.
The energy stayed consistent in set two as the Cardinals put themselves up 4-0 with a couple of strong kills and an ace from Lucas Machado. After a short period of going point-for-point, back-to-back kills from Rawitz followed by a kill from Ryan Louis helped extend the Cardinal lead to 10-3. A kill from Will Patterson ended the set with a score of 25-13.
Set three started on a similar note with the Ball State team going on an early five-point run to make the score 6-1. The Cardinal offense never let up, securing the win in a 25-13 third frame.
Next up, Ball State will hit the road for the first time this season to take on the No. 13-ranked Standford Cardinals. The series is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 10 and Saturday, Jan. 11 with both games starting at 9 pm ET.
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SYCAMORES’ COMEBACK EFFORT FALLS SHORT AT BRADLEY
PEORIA, Ill. – Savannah White tallied a career-high 12 points Sunday afternoon as part of a balanced scoring effort for Indiana State, but the Sycamores were unable to overcome a slow start in a 65-52 defeat to Bradley inside Renaissance Coliseum
White also led the Sycamores with six rebounds and a career-high four assists, while Keslyn Secrist added 12 points off the bench. Mia Simpson scored in double-figures for the second straight game with 10.
Indiana State struggled from the field early on, hitting just three of its first 14 shots as Bradley opened up a seven-point lead after a quarter. The Sycamores clawed their way back within three early in the second but a scoring run followed for the home side as Indiana State faced a double-digit deficit at the half. Indiana State pulled within two possessions on multiple occasions in the last two quarters, using an inside and midrange game to inch closer. The Sycamores never got closer than five, though, as Bradley pulled away late.
First Half
White got the scoring started for the Sycamores with a layup, but the Trees struggled from the field until a pair of late 3-pointers from Queen Ruffin pulled Indiana State within four at 13-9. Ruffin’s pair of treys were the last baskets for the Sycamores in the quarter, though, as Bradley took a 16-9 lead to the second.
Five quick points from Secrist to start the second, along with a Davina Smith fastbreak layup, got the Sycamores within three less than two minutes into the quarter. Bradley followed with a 10-2 run, though, to extend its lead to double digits. Baskets from Secrist and Simpson pulled the Sycamores closer, but Indiana State faced a 34-22 deficit at the half.
Second Half
Two early baskets from Simpson in the third got the Sycamores on the right track, with Bella Finnegan adding a trey to make it 39-31. Secrist tacked on a jumper and Ruffin added a late basket, but Bradley closed the third quarter strong to lead 45-36 heading into the fourth.
Finnegan knocked down a midrange jumper early in the fourth, as Indiana State cut its deficit to 45-39. That was the closest the Sycamores got, though. A pair of three-point plays from White gave the Trees life, with Secrist adding a three-ball to trim the deficit down to 10. White and Simpson tacked on late baskets, but Indiana State’s comeback attempt fell short in a 65-52 setback.
News and Notes
Savannah White’s 12 points and four assists were both career highs, with the junior forward scoring in double-figures for the first time in her career.
Mia Simpson scored in double-figures for the second straight game and the third time in her last five games played.
Indiana State continued to find production from its bench, with the Sycamores scoring 22 bench points in Sunday’s game.
Indiana State took full advantage of Bradley’s turnovers, with the Sycamores scoring 16 points off 13 Bradley giveaways.
Indiana State dished out 14 assists, the Sycamores’ second-most in a game this season. Seven different players had at least one assist.
Up Next
Indiana State opens a three-game homestand January 12 at 2 p.m. against Evansville.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
MASTODONS WIN EIGHTH IN A ROW, STAND ALONE ATOP #HLWBB STANDINGS
ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball team continued to roll on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 5), obliterating Oakland 77-37 on the road.
Sunday’s game was the eighth win in a row for head coach Maria Marchesano’s squad, the longest win streak for the Mastodons since 1995. It also propelled the Mastodons to a perfect 6-0 mark in the Horizon League, which is the best league start as a Division I institution. Purdue Fort Wayne is the only undefeated team left in the HL.
The Mastodons’ 40-point margin of victory is the largest against a league foe on the road as a member of a Division I league.
The Mastodons never trailed in the game for the third contest in a row. They have not trailed for the last 153 minutes of basketball dating back to December 21.
While the offense was certainly clicking, it was the defense that was the story of Sunday’s game. The Mastodons held Oakland to 28.8 percent from the floor and 15.8 percent from 3-point land. The Golden Grizzlies could not get into any offensive flow as the ‘Dons held them to four field goals or fewer in each quarter. It took over 26 minutes for Oakland to manage a 3-point field goal.
The Mastodons crushed Oakland on the glass, out-rebounding the Golden Grizzlies 44-32, grabbing 14 offensive boards. Lauren Ross grabbed 11 rebounds to go with 10 points for the first double-double as a Mastodon.
Sydney Freeman lit up the Golden Grizzlies on the offensive end, scoring 21 points for the Mastodons. She went 7-for-10 from the floor and 5-of-7 from 3-point range.
Like Freeman, the rest of the Mastodons were feeling it from 3-point range. They poured in 13 triples, with six different ‘Dons scoring at least one.
The Mastodons were at their best even after the game had essentially been decided. Up 54-27 late in the third quarter, the ‘Dons marched on a 16-0 run to go up 68-27. In this stretch, Ross scored four, and Jordan Reid, Jazzlyn Linbo, Renna Schwieterman, Freeman, Amellia Bromenschenkel and Taeya Steinauer each scored two. While the ‘Dons rolled on the offensive end, they held Oakland to 0-for-8 from the floor and forced them into four turnovers.
Freeman’s game-high 21 was paired with 11 from Schwieterman and 10 from Bromenschenkel and Ross.
Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 11-5 with a 6-0 mark in Horizon League play. Oakland falls to 6-8, 4-1 after the ‘Dons handed the Golden Grizzlies their first league loss.
The Mastodons are back in action when they host Milwaukee in the Gates Sports Center on Thursday (Jan. 9) at 7 p.m.
VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
VALPO SEEKS TO EXTEND WINNING STREAK TO THREE AS INSTATE FOE INDIANA STATE ARRIVES ON WEDNESDAY
Indiana State (9-6, 3-1 MVC)
at Valparaiso (9-6, 2-2 MVC)
Game No. 16 – Wednesday, Jan. 8, 7 p.m. CT
Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) – Valparaiso, Ind.
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team will host defending Missouri Valley Conference regular-season champion Indiana State in an instate showdown on Wednesday night as the Beacons attempt to extend their winning streak to three. It’s Gold Out Night at the Athletics-Recreation Center as fans are encouraged to wear gold. Valpo is off to its best 15-game start since also beginning 9-6 in 2018-19.
Last Time Out: The Beacons led nearly wire-to-wire on Saturday at the ARC, taking the lead five minutes into the first half and holding it for the game’s final 35 minutes en route to an 80-73 victory over UNI, the team picked second in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll. Valpo led 43-36 at halftime and the two teams each scored 37 points after the break. The Beacons were led by a season-high 20 points from Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro in the win over the Panthers, a top-100 KenPom team and a top-80 NET team that held a 3-0 league record entering the contest.
Following the Beacons: Streaming – ESPN+ – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Jamie Stangel (analyst)
Radio – WVUR 95.1 FM Valparaiso, TuneIn Radio App, ValpoAthletics.com – Jack Hutter and Eli Conklin
X updates – @ValpoBasketball
Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Roger Powell Jr.: Roger Powell Jr. (15-31) is in his second season as the head coach of the Valpo men’s basketball program. After helping guide Gonzaga to a 121-13 record during his four seasons as an assistant coach, Powell returned to Valpo, where he was part of head coach Bryce Drew’s staff from 2011-2016 and led the team to 124 wins in five seasons, including a program-record 30 victories and a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) title game appearance in 2015-16. He was part of head coach Mark Few’s Gonzaga staff as the Bulldogs reached the 2021 national championship game after winning their first 31 games of the season. During Powell’s first season on staff in 2019-20, Gonzaga was 31-2 at the time the NCAA college basketball season was halted due to COVID-19. The Bulldogs reached the Sweet Sixteen in each of his final three seasons on staff, including two Elite Eight appearances and the aforementioned trip to the 2021 national title game. Prior to his arrival at Gonzaga, Powell served as the associate head coach at Vanderbilt University under Bryce Drew from 2016-2019. During his stint as an assistant at Valpo, he was part of four Horizon League regular-season championships in a five-year period while also leading the 2012-13 and 2014-15 squads to Horizon League tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. A product of Joliet West High School and a native of Joliet, Ill., Powell capped a prolific collegiate playing career at Illinois with a national title game appearance in 2005 before going on to a successful professional playing career.
Series Notes: These two instate foes will meet for the 97th time on Wednesday with Valpo holding a 37-59 record against the Sycamores. Indiana State has won four straight with all four matchups over the last two seasons being decided by 18 points or more and the Trees owning an average margin of victory of 24.8 points per game in those contests.
With the win over UNI, Valpo…
Stopped a four-game skid against the Panthers and captured just the program’s sixth win in 39 all-time meetings with UNI. Valpo had dropped six of the previous seven matchups with five of those losses by double figures and the lone win requiring overtime.
Owns a 2-2 record through four league games after starting 0-4 each of the last two seasons.
Owns a league record of .500 or better through four MVC games for the first time since 2019-20.
Secured its ninth win of the season with 16 regular-season games remaining after winning seven games all of last season.
Made it back-to-back wins in league play for the first time under head coach Roger Powell Jr.
Improved to 9-6, the program’s best record through 15 games since also starting 9-6 in 2018-19.
Improved to 7-2 at home, eclipsing last year’s home win total.
Beat a team that was picked in the top two in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll, snapping a 15-game losing streak against teams picked to finish first or second in the MVC by recording the team’s first such victory since Feb. 13, 2021 at UNI.
Has defeated Missouri State and UNI in the same season for the first time since 2018-19 and just the second time since joining the Missouri Valley Conference.
With a win on Wednesday vs. Indiana State, Valpo Would…
Match its Missouri Valley Conference win total from last season with 15 regular-season games remaining.
Hold a 3-2 record through five Valley games after starting league play 0-5 each of the last two years. Valpo was 1-4 in 2021-22, 2-3 in 2020-21 and hasn’t been 3-2 or better through five league games since 2019-20.
Own a three-game winning streak in league play for the first time since January 2023 (Evansville, UIC, Illinois State).
Own 10 wins in the first 16 games for the first time since 2018-19. Valpo began 11-6 that season.
Improve to 8-2 at home, already matching the program’s home win total from 2022-23 and one away from matching the team’s highest home win total since 2019-20.
Have regular-season wins over Indiana State, Missouri State and UNI all in the same season for the first time since joining the Missouri Valley Conference.
Snap a four-game head-to-head losing streak and beat Indiana State for the first time since Feb. 5, 2022 (W 79-72, 2OT).
Beat the defending conference regular-season champions for the first time since Feb. 13, 2020, a 70-57 victory over UNI, and snap a six-game losing streak against the defending MVC regular-season champs.
All Wright Among Valley’s Top Freshmen
Valpo freshman All Wright is averaging 10.3 points per game, one of two Valley freshmen averaging in double figures and second in the league among MVC rookies behind only Evansville’s Gabriel Pozzato, who hasn’t played since Dec. 12.
Wright also ranks second among Valley rookies in assists per game at 2.9 per contest, behind only Indiana State’s Josiah LeGree, who is handing out 3.5 helpers per game.
No Valley rookie has scored more points than Wright, as he eclipsed Pozzato on Jan. 4 vs. UNI as the league’s highest-scoring freshman with 155 total points.
No Valpo freshman has finished the season with at least 10.0 points per game and 3.0 assists per game since Milo Stovall in 1998-99 (10.6 ppg, 3.1 apg). Before that, it was Bryce Drew in 1994-95 (13.4 ppg, 6.0 apg).
No Missouri Valley Conference freshman has averaged 10.0 points per game and 3.0 assists per game since Wichita State’s Landry Shamet in 2016-17 (11.4 ppg, 3.3 apg).
In the last 30 seasons, Valpo has had eight freshmen finish the season with a double-figure scoring average – Bryce Drew (13.4 ppg, 1994-95), Milo Stovall (10.6 ppg, 1998-99), Lubos Barton (13.8 ppg, 1998-99), Samuel Haanpaa (12.0 ppg, 2006-07), Alec Peters (12.7 ppg, 2013-14), Tevonn Walker (10.3 ppg, 2014-15), Javon Freeman-Liberty (11.0 ppg, 2018-19) and Cooper Schwieger (13.2 ppg, 2023-24).
Schwieger Surging
After scoring no points vs. Drake and having his second straight single-figure performance vs. Central Michigan, Cooper Schwieger has gone on a tear, tallying 13 points or more in six straight games. He’s averaging 18.7 points per game during that stretch and has poured in more than 20 in three of his last four games.
Schwieger has made 29 of his last 30 free-throw attempts and ranks seventh in the league at 86 percent for the season.
Schwieger finished with 22 points on Jan. 1 at Missouri State, matching his season high that was previously established on Nov. 21 vs. Lindenwood. In the game against the Bears, he was limited to just 20 minutes due to foul trouble.
That marked Schwieger’s third straight game with at least 20 points, and his fourth such performance overall this season. It also marked his fourth straight game with at least 19 points and his fifth straight with at least 16.
He scored 21 points on Dec. 29 at Bradley despite being limited to four first-half points in just seven minutes due to foul trouble.
Through nine games this season, Schwieger was averaging 11.1 points per game. He is averaging 18.7 points per game over the last five.
Schwieger ranks 12th in the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring (14.1 ppg), seventh in rebounding (6.7 rpg) and tied for third in blocked shots (1.2 bpg). He’s the only player in the Missouri Valley Conference averaging at least 14 points, six rebounds and one block per game.
Schwieger is one of four sophomores nationally averaging at least 14 points, six rebounds and one block, joining South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles, Texas Tech’s JT Toppin and Iowa’s Owen Freeman.
The last Missouri Valley Conference player to finish a season averaging at least 14 points, six rebounds and one block was Missouri State’s Gaige Prim in 2021-22. The last Valley underclassmen (freshman or sophomore) to do so were Evansville’s Deandre Williams and Drake’s Liam Robbins in 2019-20.
Limiting the Giveaways
Valpo turned the ball over just six times in the Jan. 4 win over UNI, the team’s second-lowest turnover total of the season behind four on Jan. 27 vs. Northern Illinois.
That marked the seventh time in 15 games this season that Valpo has had a single-digit turnover total including each of the last two.
Valpo has won or tied the turnover battle in 12 out of 15 games this season.
The Beacons are averaging just 10.1 turnovers per game, the fewest in the MVC and 38th fewest nationally. They rank second in the league in turnover margin at +2.2 per game.
Making the Free Ones
Entering Jan. 8 vs. Indiana State, Valpo is shooting a conference-best 80.1 percent at the free-throw line this season, ninth nationally. The Beacons make an average of 18.3 free throws per game, first in the league and 22nd nationally.
Valpo has posted a better free-throw percentage than its opponent in 13 out of 15 games this season, including Jan. 4 vs. UNI, when Valpo went 21-of-24 for an 87.5 percent clip.
Tyler Schmidt (t-3rd, .889), Cooper Schwieger (7th, .860) and All Wright (13th, .811) all rank among the MVC leaders in free-throw percentage.
There is a lot of season left to be played, but for reference, the modern program record for team single-season free-throw percentage is 77.5 percent in 2016-17 followed by 77.4 percent in 1992-93.
Other Notes Wrapping Up Jan. 4: Valpo 80, UNI 73
Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro led the team in scoring for the first time this season with a season-high 20 points, three better than his previous season peak on Dec. 29 at Bradley. He came within one point of a career high of 21, reached twice while playing for Western Michigan including most recently Feb. 3 of last season.
De La Cruz Monegro went 6-of-10 from the floor and grabbed five rebounds while handing out three assists and swiping two steals. He scored in double figures for the seventh straight game and has tallied at least nine points in all 15 games this season. His two highest rebound totals of the season have been in the last three games – a season-best six on Dec. 29 at Bradley before the five vs. UNI.
Tyler Schmidt scored 15 points, his third time reaching double figures in the last four games. He went 8-for-8 at the free-throw line over those two contests and drilled three triples and was 4-for-4 at the stripe against the Panthers.
Cooper Schwieger had 13 points, his sixth straight double-figure effort. He was 7-for-7 at the free-throw line.
Darius DeAveiro posted 13 points, tying a season high set on Nov. 29 at DePaul. This marked his second double-figure performance of the season and first in the last nine games.
Kaspar Sepp secured seven rebounds, pacing the team for the eighth time this season and the 12th time in his career. It marked his ninth game with seven or more rebounds this season.
Freshman All Wright added seven points and a team-high four assists.
Scouting the Sycamores
The defending MVC regular-season champions went 32-7 overall, 17-3 in MVC play and reached the title game of both the MVC Tournament and the NIT last season.
The Sycamores were picked eighth of 12 in the MVC preseason poll, two spots ahead of the Beacons.
They enter this game at 178 in the KenPom and 180 in the NET. Valpo ranks 193 in KenPom and 174 in the NET. The Beacons moved ahead of Indiana State in the NET with Saturday’s win over UNI.
The Sycamores lone league loss came in overtime against Bradley. They are coming off a 66-62 win at Evansville and also own victories over Murray State and Missouri State.
Head coach Matthew Graves is in his first season at the helm after spending the last three seasons as associate head coach for the Sycamores.
Indiana State is led in scoring by Samage Teel, who has a league-most seven 20-point games and ranks second in The Valley in scoring at 17.1 points per game.
UINDY MEN’S BASKETBALL
HOUNDS OVERCOME PRAIRIE STARS SURGE TO WIN FIFTH STRAIGHT
INDIANAPOLIS – Add a slash to the tally marker, as the UIndy men’s basketball team stretched its win streak to five on Sunday with a thrilling 80-79 victory over Illinois Springfield at Nicoson Hall.
Five Greyhounds finished with double figures, led by Dashawn Jackson’s game-high 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including a 3-for-6 effort from 3-point range.
UIndy led for more than 33 minutes but were forced to overcome a raucous second-half comeback from UIS. Jackson gave the Greyhounds the lead for good with 25 seconds left before Dylan Ingram sealed the win at the free-throw line for the second straight contest.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Several Hounds chipped in during the team’s first-half run, with buckets from Kelvin Amoako and a 3-pointer from Zac Szul stretching their lead to as many as 16 late in the period. The Prairie Stars responded, however, outscoring the Greyhounds, 13-4, over the next three minutes.
UIndy took advantage of the half’s final possession, with Grant Disken feeding Lavonte Harris on the left wing for a buzzer-beating triple to put the hosts up 11 at the break.
Disken capitalized on an and-1 opportunity early in the second half, putting the Greyhounds in the driver’s seat with a 14-point advantage at the 16:10 mark. It was from there the Prairie Stars shot their way back into the conference contest, forging a 31-14 run over 10+ minutes.
The Greyhounds did not fold; Tucker Tornatta came alive to score eight of his 10 points in the final five minutes, including a three-point play to give his team a 70-69 lead. UIndy held UIS scoreless for nearly three minutes in the final moments, scoring five of its final seven points at the charity stripe for the win.
INSIDE THE BOX
– UIndy has scored at least 38 points in the first half in each game during its five-game winning streak, including 43 this afternoon against the Prairie Stars.
– The Hounds coughed up possession a season-best four times, all in the second half. The Crimson & Grey outscored their opponents off turnovers, 16-2.
– Each of Tornatta’s 10 points came in the second half; the freshman Swiss-army knife added six boards, four assists, one block, and one steal to his scoring total.
– Disken was on fire in the early going, drilling three triples in the first 10 minutes of the game.
– The Greyhounds recorded nine steals, including two from Brody Whitaker.
MORE NOTES
UIndy now leads the all-time series, 16-3, and has won the last three meetings by single digits … Szul finished with 11 points, including three triples in the win … UIS guard Evan Altman scored a team-high 16 points, while Max Kunnert was the lone player on the afternoon to log 40 minutes of action.
HOUND BYTES
Jackson on the UIS comeback…
“We couldn’t find it from 3, but we were getting open looks. We should have knocked those down and we let them get easy stuff; we got to be better with that. We have to start putting on foot on the gas when we have that opportunity.”
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds look to keep their winning ways going on Thursday, as Quincy visits the Circle City and Nicoson Hall for a 7:30 p.m. tip. UIndy has won the past three meetings with the Hawks, including a double-overtime thriller in the GLVC quarterfinals in March 2023.
UINDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S HOOPS WRAPS WEEKEND AGAINST ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD
INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy women’s basketball team suffered another setback on Sunday, falling to Illinois Springfield by a score of 67-58.
Patricia Chikamba scored a game-high 23 points, while Halie Gilbert recorded her first-career double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Following a tight first half where the both teams led for at least six-and-a-half minutes, the Prairie Stars opened the third quarter on an 11-0 run to lead by double digits. Ruby Garner scored the team’s first points after the break with 3:55 on the clock.
Chikamba put the Hounds back within striking distance with six minutes left in the game, setting up 3-pointers from Elana Wells and Amyrah Sapenter to cut the deficit to five with 2:31 left. Chikamba followed with a layup moments later, but it was too late for a comeback as the visitors iced their win at the charity stripe.
Chikamba started the game on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting, including her lone triple of the afternoon. The Carmel product scored her first five buckets at the rim and finished with 20 points in the paint herself.
INSIDE THE BOX
– Sunday marked the first time this season two Greyhounds recorded five-plus assists, as Jaelynne Murray dishing out a game-high six and Sanaa Thomas finishing with five.
– The Prairie Stars outscored the Hounds off turnovers by a 28-18margin.
– Chikamba made a career-high 11 field goals, shooting 73.3 percent from the floor.
– Murray logged a team-high 35+ minutes, adding seven rebounds to her six assists.
– Four Greyhounds blocked a shot, including Autumn Rucker with her second of the season.
ON ANOTHER NOTE
UIS’s Kayla Rice swiped a program-record seven steals, becoming the first Prairie Star since 2007 to do so.
UP NEXT
UIndy returns home for two more GLVC matchups next weekend, first with Quincy on Thursday for a 5 p.m. battle.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
SPORTS EXTRA
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
24 – 20 – 19 – 51 – 45 – 29 – 7 – 8
Number 24 is the uniform of baseball pitcher Early Wynn who wore the number as a member of the Chicago White Sox in 1959 when he won the Cy Young Award and the American League MVP. January 6, 1920 was his date of birth.
Don Sutton is our Number 20 and on January 6, 1998 the right handed pitcher most famously of the LA Dodgers was selected to enter into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
On January 6, 1995 Atlanta Hawks Coach Lenny Wilkens surpassed legend Red Auerbach in coaching victories with his 939th as the Hawks outlasted Washington 112-90. Wilkens of course as a player wore Number 19 for many of his seasons in the NBA.
January 6, 2015 – Randy Johnson (Number 51), Pedro Martinez (Number 45), John Smoltz (Number 29) and Craig Biggio (Number 7) were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
January 6, 2018 – Tennessee Titans quarterback Number 8, Marcus Mariota scored a touchdown off own pass in 22-21 victory over Kansas City Chiefs, second NFL quarterback to do so
FOOTBALL HISTORY
January 6, 1980 – Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh – The AFC Championship game to determine who would win the Lamar Hunt Trophy and represent the American Football Conference in Super Bowl XIV. Two of the old AFC Central foes met for the third time in the season, the Oilers of Houston and the defending champs the Pittsburgh Steelers. Late in the third quarter of this game is one of the most controversial officiating calls in NFL History. With the Oiler deep inside Pittsburgh territory QB Dan Pastorini dropped back and tossed a pass towards the back right corner of the end zone. Houston receiver Mike Renfro seemingly came down with an amazing catch with Steeler corner Ron Johnson in tight coverage on him. The official on the coverage did not call anything though and the crew got together in a huddle and discussed the play. A few moments later they deemed it an incomplete pass as when Renfro finally secured it he had fallen out of bounds. This was 6 years before instant replay was used in NFL officiating and it may be the very play that was at the root of Replays adoption. The Oilers were forced to kick a field goal and for the second straight year the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Houston Oilers, 27-13 to advance.
January 6, 1980 – Tampa Stadium – The NFC Championship was hosted by the Buccaneers who were in only their fourth season of existence. The Bucs played tough but the Los Angeles Rams came to town on a mission and defeated Tampa Bay 9-0 for the right to face the Steelers in the Super Bowl.
January 6, 1985 – Miami Orange Bowl – At the AFC Championship game it was the Dan Marino led Miami Dolphins outsourcing the Pittsburgh Steelers, 45-28 to move on to the big game.
January 6, 1985 – Candlestick Park, SF – The NFC Championship game was played and the San Francisco 49ers with Joe Montana under center advanced to the Super Bowl as they blanked the Chicago Bears, 23-0.
January 6, 2014 – The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California – The BCS National Championship was a memorable one as #1 Florida State would have a tough test against #2 Auburn per ESPN.com. This was a match-up of the ages as Heisman Winner QB Jameis Winston, Kelvin Benjamin and Devonta Freeman were on the Seminoles high powered offense and faced the Tigers that sported Sammie Coates, Dee Ford and Carl Lawson and CJ Uzomah. As often happens in these great games it came down to the final seconds of play. With 13 seconds remaining, Winston threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin to lift FSU to a 34-31 win and the National Title!
January 6, 2018 – Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota scores a touchdown that he threw to himself! In one of the craziest play sequences the Titans had the ball at the Kansas City Chiefs 6 yard line facing third and goal per the ringer.com. Mariota dropped back and scrambled around a bit then saw daylight left. As he approached the line of scrimmage he launched a pass towards the end zone but a defender, KC’s Darrell Revis, batted the ball which went back to Marcus and he caught it and dove to the pylon for a TD. It was important too as it aided in the 22-21 victory over Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Mariota was the second NFL quarterback in history to have done so. The other was Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brad Johnson in 1997, who also caught his own pass on a third and goal and scored against the Panthers.
January 6, 2018 – The Oakland Raiders formerly announced that Jon Gruden would be returning to become their head coach per ESPN.com. It had been nearly a decade since Gruden’s first stint as the Raiders coach as from 2009 through the 2017 season he was broadcasting on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.
Hall of Fame Birthdays for January 6
January 6, 1913 – The guard from Princeton University John “Jac” Weller was born. Jac received All-America honors in 1935 according to his bio on the NFF website. He was the top lineman on the Tiger teams that suffered only one loss in three seasons and that was a Yale 7-0 victory. The College Football Hall of Fame placed Jac Weller into their house of collegiate legends in 1957.
January 6, 1947 – Clarksburg, West Virginia – Frank Loria, Virginia Tech’s fine defensive back celebrated his day of birth. According to the NFF Frank was a 3 year starter with the Hokies and was a two-time All American. VT retired Loria’s jersey number 10 as he was well known for his great defensive play as well as his punt return abilities. Frank averaged 13 yards per return and even took 4 of them back for touchdowns in his college career. The National Football Foundation honored Frank Loria posthumously with entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
January 6, 1956 – Portland Oregon – The prolific tight end front he University of Notre Dame, Ken MacAfee arrived into life. Ken had some very good traits as a tight end according to the FootballFoundation.org website. He was a dominant blocker and also had a great set of hands to catch passes with. Ken was an All-America selection three times. He added the Academic All-America title to his resume in 1977, as he also won the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award , and was third in the Heisman Trophy vote. That year he caught 54 passes for 797 yards and six touchdowns. It is no wonder that the fighting Irish also won the National Championship that season! The National Football Foundation honored Ken MacAfee with entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.
January 6, 1960 – Somerville, Massachusetts – Howie Long the four year letterman from Villanova was born. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Howie was a 1981 second round draft pick of the Oakland Raiders. He spent 13 seasons with the club and registered 84 sacks. You could probably add another 7-½ sacks to the total because in his rookie season , sacks were not an official statistic in the NFL. Long was an All-Pro in three different seasons and was selected to play in 8 Pro Bowls. During the festivities in Canton in 2000, Howie Long was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
January 6, 1964 – Gladys, Virginia – The outstanding defensive end from James Madison University Charles Haley was born. Charles still has the record for being the leading tackler in James Madison’s Football history as he gained All-America status twice while at the school according to the National Football Foundation. In fact Haley was the first player to gain the honor of being called an All-American. Charles completed his collegiate career with 506 tackles, three interceptions and 17 quarterback sacks. The NFF voters happily checked the boxes for Charles Haley to gain entry into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011. The San Francisco 49ers got quite the steal when they laid claim to Haley in the fourth round of the 1986 NFL Draft. Haley spent 12 seasons in the NFL with the Niners and the Dallas Cowboys. He was the first player from James Madison to be drafted into the NFL and also holds the distinction to be the first NFL player to win 5 Super Bowls. Charles Haley was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
Jan. 6
1951 — The Indianapolis Olympians beat the Rochester Royals 75-73 in six overtimes, the longest game in NBA history.
1976 — Ted Turner, a millionaire communications executive and internationally known yachtsman, buys the Atlanta Braves for a reported $10-to-12 million.
1980 — The Los Angeles Rams, behind three field goals by Frank Corral, beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-0 to win the NFC Championship. This is the first conference championship game in NFL history without a touchdown being scored.
1980 — The Pittsburgh Steelers advance to their fourth Super Bowl appearance since 1974 by eliminating the Houston Oilers for the second consecutive year with a 27-13 triumph in the AFC title game.
1981 — John Tonelli ties a New York Islanders record with five goals in a 6-3 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Nassau Coliseum. Mike Bossy gets an assist on all six goals to set an Islanders record. Tonelli scores once in the first period, once in the second and three times in the third.
1985 — Dan Marino passes for a record 421 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Miami Dolphins to a 45-28 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC championship game.
1985 — The San Francisco 49ers holds the Chicago Bears to 186 yards and sacks quarterback Steve Fuller nine times to win the NFC Championship 23-0.
1994 — Nancy Kerrigan is attacked after practice at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit. Shane Stant clubs Kerrigan on the knee and flees the scene. Later that evening, Scott Davis wins the men’s U.S. Figure Skating title.
1995 — Lenny Wilkens becomes the winningest coach in NBA history as the Atlanta Hawks post a 112-90 victory over the Washington Bullets. Wilkens, with his 939th win, surpasses Red Auerbach’s record. Wilkens reaches the record in his 22nd year as an NBA coach, including four as a player-coach.
2005 — For the first time in NBA history, a player leads his team in scoring without making a field goal. Detroit’s Richard Hamilton scores 14 points despite missing all 10 of his field goal attempts in a 101-79 loss to Memphis.
2011 — Miami of Ohio caps a historic season with a 35-21 win over Middle Tennessee in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. The RedHawks (10-4) are the first team in Football Bowl Subdivision history to win 10 games one season after losing 10. Miami finished a dismal 1-11 in 2009.
2014 — Patrick Maher of Division III Grinnell College breaks the NCAA record with 37 assists in a 164-144 victory over College of Faith.
2014 — Jameis Winston throws a 13-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds left and No. 1 Florida State beat No. 2 Auburn 34-31 to win the last BCS national championship game.
2015 — Patrik Elias has a goal and two assists to reach 1,000, NHL points, and the New Jersey Devils beat the struggling Buffalo Sabres 4-1. The goal is the 399th for Elias.
2016 — Ken Griffey Jr. is elected to the baseball Hall of Fame with the highest voting percentage ever, and Mike Piazza makes it in his fourth year on the ballot. Griffey is on 437 of 440 votes in his first appearance on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot. His 99.3 percentage tops Tom Seaver’s 98.84 in 1992.
2018 — Jon Gruden returns to the NFL as Oakland Raiders head coach after nearly a decade of broadcasting (ESPN Monday Night Football 2009-17).
Jan. 7
1920 — Joe Malone of Quebec scores two goals to become the NHL’s career leader with 59 and leads the Bulldogs to a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Arenas.
1925 — Harry Broadbent of the Montreal Maroons scores five goals in a 6-2 triumph over Hamilton.
1972 — The Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Atlanta Hawks 134-90 for their 33rd straight victory, an NBA record.
1979 — The Pittsburgh Steelers win their third AFC championship by beating the Houston Oilers 34-5 in a cold, steady rain at Three Rivers Stadium.
1981 — Marcel Dionne of the Los Angeles Kings scores his 1,000th point with a goal in a 5-3 triumph over the Hartford Whalers.
1987 — Gary Bossert of Niagara sets an NCAA record by hitting 12 of 14 three-point shots, including 11 straight, against Siena.
1992 — Pitchers Tom Seaver and Rollie Fingers are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Seaver receives the highest percentage of votes in baseball history.
1997 — Rutgers-Camden ends its NCAA-record 117-game losing streak with a 77-72 victory over Bloomfield College. The Division III Pioneers were winless since beating Ramapo 74-73 on Jan. 18, 1992.
2003 — Kobe Bryant makes an NBA-record 12 shots from 3-point range, including nine straight, and scores 45 points in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 119-98 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics.
2004 — Brian Boucher becomes the first NHL goalie in almost 55 years to record four consecutive shutouts. His 27 saves carry the Phoenix Coyotes past Washington 3-0.
2006 — The New England Patriots set an NFL mark with 10 straight postseason victories by beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 28-3. New England’s milestone surpasses the nine straight playoff victories by Green Bay in the 1960s.
2007 — Coach Phil Jackson gets his 900th NBA victory as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated Dallas 101-98. Jackson is the fastest to reach 900, doing so in 1,264 games.
2008 — Second-ranked LSU turns the BCS national championship game into a horrible replay for No. 1 Ohio State. Matt Flynn throws four touchdown passes in a 38-24 win. LSU (12-2) becomes the first two-loss team to play for the title and wins its second BCS crown in five seasons.
2010 — Alabama knocks Texas quarterback Colt McCoy out of the BCS title game early and goes on to a 37-21 victory for the Crimson Tide’s first national title since 1992.
2011 — Rookie Luke Harangody has career highs with 17 points and 11 rebounds for his first NBA double-double, and the Boston Celtics earn the 3,000th victory in franchise history, beating the Toronto Raptors 122-102.
2012 — Old Dominion routs hapless Towson 75-38 giving the Tigers the NCAA Division I record for consecutive losses at 35. Towson had been tied at 34 with Sacramento State.
2012 — Jarome Iginla scores his 500th career goal, leading the Calgary Flames to a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Iginla is the 42nd player in NHL history to reach the milestone and the 15th to do it with one team.
2013 — Alabama rolls to its second consecutive BCS championship, and third in four seasons, beating No. 1 Notre Dame 42-14 in a BCS championship game. AJ McCarron throws four touchdown passes and Eddie Lacy runs for 140 yards and scores twice for the second-ranked Crimson Tide.
2019 — College Football, National Championship, Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara: #2 Clemson beats #1 Alabama, 44-16.
_____
Jan. 8
1972 — The NCAA announces freshmen will be eligible to play on varsity football and basketball teams starting in the fall.
1973 — David Vaughn of Oral Roberts grabs 34 rebounds in a 123-95 win over Brandeis.
1984 — The Executive Committee of the NCAA votes to expand the championship basketball field to 64 teams starting in 1985.
1984 — Bengt Gustafsson of the Washington Capitals scores five goals in a 7-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.
1993 — Michael Jordan becomes the 18th NBA player to reach the 20,000-point plateau when he scores 35 points in the Chicago Bulls’ game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Jordan reaches 20,000-points in 620 games, faster than anyone except Wilt Chamberlain, who did it in 499 games.
1994 — Dino Ciccarelli becomes the 19th NHL player to score 500 career goals in the Detroit Red Wings’ 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.
2000 — Eddie House scores 61 points to tie Lew Alcindor’s Pac-10 record and lead the Sun Devils to 111-108 double-overtime victory over California.
2003 — Utah guard Mark Jackson becomes the third NBA player to reach 10,000 career assists in the Jazz’s 99-93 win over the Phoenix Suns. Jackson joins career assists leader and teammate John Stockton (15,425) and Magic Johnson (10,141).
2007 — Second-ranked Florida dominates Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and No. 1 Ohio State for a 41-14 in the BCS National Championship Bowl. The Gators become the first Division I school to hold football and basketball titles at the same time.
2008 — Goose Gossage becomes the fifth relief pitcher elected to the Hall of Fame.
2009 — Tim Tebow wins the matchup of Heisman winners as No. 1 Florida beats No. 2 Oklahoma and this year’s Heisman winner Sam Bradford, 24-14, in the BCS National Championship Bowl.
2011 — The Seattle Seahawks stun the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints 41-36 to open the NFL playoffs. Seattle, the first division winner with a losing record at 7-9, advances behind four touchdown passes by Matt Hasselbeck and a brilliant 67-yard run by Marshawn Lynch.
2012 — Denver’s Tim Tebow connects with Demaryius Thomas on an electrifying 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime and the Broncos stun the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-23 in a AFC wild-card game. The play, the longest to end a playoff game in overtime, takes 11 seconds and is the quickest ending to an overtime in NFL history.
2014 — Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas are elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame, while Craig Biggio fell two votes short.
2016 — Oakland’s Khalil Mack makes history earning a selection at two positions on the 2015 Associated Press All-Pro Team, an NFL first. The second-year Raiders defensive end and outside linebacker draws enough support from a panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league to make the squad both spots.
2018 — College Football National Championship, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta: #4 Alabama beats #3 Georgia, 26-23.
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Jan. 9
1942 — Joe Louis knocks out Buddy Baer with four seconds left in the first round at Madison Square Garden in New York to retain the world heavyweight title.
1977 — Oakland wins their first NFL Championship and the Minnesota Vikings drop their fourth Super Bowl as the Raiders post a 32-14 triumph.
1988 — Anthony Carter catches 10 passes for an NFL postseason-record 227 yards to lead the Minnesota Vikings to a 36-24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers and advanced to the NFC title game.
1991 — Dean Smith collects his 700th career coaching victory as North Carolina routs Maryland 105-73. Smith is the sixth Division I basketball coach to reach the 700-win plateau and does so in the shortest time.
1996 — The Toronto Raptors set an NBA record by not making a single free throw in a 92-91 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The expansion Raptors shoots 0-for-3 from the foul line.
2004 — Brian Boucher of Phoenix posts his fifth consecutive shutout in a 2-0 win over Minnesota. He stops 21 shots and passes Bill Durnan’s NHL mark of 309:21, early in the third period.
2006 — Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers scores 45 points against Indiana, making him the first player since Wilt Chamberlain — in November of 1964 — to score at least that many in four straight games.
2007 — Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Mark McGwire, whose 583 home runs ranked seventh on the career list, does not make it on his first ballot.
2008 — Golf Channel suspends anchor Kelly Tilghman for two weeks for saying a week earlier that young players who wanted to challenge Tiger Woods should “lynch him in a back alley.”
2010 — Peyton Manning becomes the first player to win The Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player honors four times.
2010 — Detroit’s Ben Gordon scores 20 points, including the 10 millionth point in NBA history, in a 104-04 loss to Philadelphia.
2012 — Jeremy Shelley kicks five field goals and Trent Richardson breaks a 34-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter as No. 2 Alabama beats No. 1 LSU 21-0 — the first shutout in BCS title game history.
2013 — No one is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. For the second time in four decades, baseball writers fail to give any player the 75 percent required for induction to Cooperstown. Craig Biggio, 20th on the career list with 3,060 hits, appears on 68.2 percent of the 569 ballots, the highest total but 39 votes shy.
2016 — Quarterback Carson Wentz, out since mid-October with a broke wrist, returns to lead North Dakota State to an unprecedented fifth straight FCS championship with a 37-10 victory over top seed Jacksonville State.
2016 — Chris Boswell kicks a 35-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining as the Steelers somehow pull out an 18-16 victory over Cincinnati in the AFC wild-card game. Pittsburgh moves into field goal position after a pair of 15-yard penalties on the Bengals, one on linebacker Vontaze Burfict and another on Adam Jones after Burfict hits defenseless Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown.
2017 — College Football National Championship, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa: #2 Clemson beats #1 Alabama, 35-31.
TV SPORTS MONDAY
NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
Portland Trail Blazers vs Detroit Pistons | 7:00 pm | Rip City FanDuel Sports DET |
Phoenix Suns vs Philadelphia 76ers | 7:00pm | NBATV SCHN NBCS-PHI |
Indiana Pacers vs Brooklyn Nets | 7:30pm | FanDuel Sports IND YES |
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Miami Heat vs Sacramento Kings | 10:00pm | NBATV FanDuel Sports Sun NBCS-CA |
NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
Washington Capitals vs Buffalo Sabres | 7:00pm | ESPN+ MNMT MSG-BUF |
Vancouver Canucks vs Montreal Canadiens | 7:30pm | ESPN+ Sportsnet |
Florida Panthers vs Colorado Avalanche | 9:00pm | ESPN+ Scripps ALT |
New Jersey Devils vs Seattle Kraken | 10:00pm | ESPN+ MSGSN KONG |
COLLEGE FOOTBALL | TIME ET | TV |
North Dakota St. at Montana St. | 7:00pm | ESPN |
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
McNeese at Northwestern State | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
South Florida at Wichita State | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |
Wisconsin at Rutgers | 7:00pm | FS1 |
UTRGV at Southeastern Louisiana | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
North Carolina Central at Morgan State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
Norfolk State at Delaware State | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
A&M-Corpus Christi at New Orleans | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
Houston Christian at Stephen F. Austin | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
Nicholls at East Texas A&M | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
UIW at Lamar | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
South Carolina State at Coppin State | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
Southern at Prairie View A&M | 8:30pm | YouTube |
TCU at Houston | 9:00pm | ESPN2 |
Ohio State at Minnesota | 9:00pm | FS1 |
Grambling State at Texas Southern | 9:00pm | ESPNU |
SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
Copa del Rey: Deportiva Minera vs Real Madrid | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
Supercoppa Italiana: Final | 2:00pm | CBSSN Paramount+ |
EPL: Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Nottingham Forest | 3:00pm | USA Peacock |
TENNIS | TIME ET | TV |
Adelaide-ATP/WTA, Auckland-ATP & Hobart-WTA Early Rounds | 1:30am | TENNIS |