THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” THURSDAY JANUARY 9, 2025

“THE SCOREBOARD”

AP BOYS BASKETBALL POLLS

4A

1 FISHERS

2 LAWRENCE NORTH

3 NORTHRIDGE

3 GREENFIELD-CENTRAL

5 CROWN POINT

6 WESTFIELD

7 EVANSVILLE REITZ

7 ANDERSON

9 WARSAW

10 BEN DAVIS

3A

1SB ST. JOSEPH

2 CATHEDRAL

3 CRISPUS ATTUCKS

4 SILVER CREEK

5 NORTHWOOD

6 GUERIN CATHOLIC

7 SOUTHRIDGE

8 BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL

9 NEW PALESTINE

10 NORTHVIEW

2A

1 WAPAHANI

2 FW LUERS

3 PARKE HERITAGE

4 LINTON

5 GARY 21^ST CENTURY

6 SOUTH RIPLEY

7 MANCHESTER

8 TAYLOR

9 PROVIDENCE

10 FOREST PARK

1A

1 CLAY CITY

2 ORLEANS

3 BLOOMFIELD

4 KOUTS

5 INDY METRO

6 CARROLL FLORA

7 HAUSER

8 LIBERTY CHRISTIAN

9 CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

9 TRITON

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES

HOMESTEAD.COM

BEECH GROVE	43	INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD	37
CHESTERTON	76	ANDREAN	61
CHRISTEL HOUSE	86	INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY	49
GARY 21ST CENTURY	81	GARY LIGHTHOUSE	32
INDIANAPOLIS RIVERSIDE	48	PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD	38
LAWRENCE CENTRAL	69	PARK TUDOR	53
MISSISSINEWA	52	SOUTHWOOD	31
TAYLOR	60	MACONAQUAH	57
MADISON COUNTY TOURNAMENT
LAPEL	87	ALEXANDRIA	53
ANDERSON PREP	66	ELWOOD	55
ANDERSON	70	PENDLETON HEIGHTS	52
LIBERTY CHRISTIAN	58	FRANKTON	55
RANDOLPH COUNTY TOURNAMENT
WINCHESTER	68	UNION CITY	34
RIPLEY COUNTY TOURNAMENT
BATESVILLE	62	JAC-CEN-DEL	44
SOUTH RIPLEY	75	MILAN	47

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES

HOMESTEAD.COM

COLUMBIA CITY	74	CARROLL (FORT WAYNE)	48
DONOVAN (ILL.)	47	SOUTH NEWTON	16
EAST NOBLE	52	ANGOLA	27
EASTERN (GREENTOWN)	49	TAYLOR	31
EASTERN HANCOCK	59	BLUE RIVER	21
FORT WAYNE NORTH	68	HAMILTON	23
GREENCASTLE	56	CLAY CITY	46
GUERIN CATHOLIC	44	PARK TUDOR	33
HAMMOND CENTRAL	48	MARQUETTE CATHOLIC	39
HAMMOND MORTON	75	HOBART	39
KOKOMO	63	NORTHWESTERN	37
MADISON-GRANT	52	TIPTON	21
MANCHESTER	48	CHURUBUSCO	43
MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE)	66	DECATUR CENTRAL	32
NOBLESVILLE	64	INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL	40
NORTHRIDGE	58	TIPPECANOE VALLEY	32
OREGON-DAVIS	48	TRITON	44
PERU	45	TRI-CENTRAL	39
PLYMOUTH	35	ROCHESTER	25
SHELBYVILLE	51	SOUTHPORT	49	OT
SHERIDAN	55	UNIVERSITY	45
SOUTHWOOD	46	MARION	41
SPEEDWAY	42	INDIANAPOLIS TECH	20
TERRE HAUTE NORTH	84	SOUTH VERMILLION	16
WESTFIELD	48	INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD	40
WESTVILLE	47	CHESTERTON	43
WHITKO	74	WABASH	53
ZIONSVILLE	45	HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE)	35
RANDOLPH COUNTY TOURNAMENT
MONROE CENTRAL	61	UNION (MODOC)	25	R1
UNREPORTED GAMES
PURDUE POLY NORTH		GEO NEXT GENERATION		6:00 PM
POSTPONEMENTS
EVANSVILLE HARRISON		EVANSVILLE MATER DEI		PPD.
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH		BLOOMFIELD		PPD.
EVANSVILLE CENTRAL		EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL		PPD., J11
PRINCETON		VINCENNES LINCOLN		PPD., J27
UNION COUNTY		CONNERSVILLE		PPD., J27
MOUNT VERNON (POSEY)		CARMI (ILL.)		PPD., J29
SILVER CREEK		JEFFERSONVILLE		PPD., J30

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/

GIRLS REGIONALS:

1. GOSHEN | 10 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS 
FEEDER SECTIONALS: ILLIANA CHRISTIAN, HOBART, MISHAWAKA, GOSHEN

2. ROCHESTER | 9 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS 
FEEDER SECTIONALS: COLUMBIA CITY, LAFAYETTE JEFFERSON, CRAWFORDSVILLE, WESTERN

3. ALEXANDRIA MONROE | 9 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS 
FEEDER SECTIONALS: ALEXANDRIA MONROE, MUNCIE CENTRAL, EASTERN HANCOCK, PERRY MERIDIAN

4. MOORESVILLE | 11 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS 
FEEDER SECTIONALS: MT. VERNON, BEN DAVIS, WEST WASHINGTON, FLOYD CENTRAL

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

TOP 25

VILLANOVA 68 #9 UCONN 66

#23 OLE MISS 73 ARKANSAS 66

#5 ALABAMA 88 SOUTH CAROLINA 68

#18 GONZAGA 93 SAN DIEGO 80

#13 ILLINOIS 91 PENN STATE 52

#10 TEXAS A&M 80 #17 OKLAHOMA 78

#11 KANSAS 74 ARIZONA STATE 55

ELSEWHERE:

INDIANA 82 USC 69

NC STATE 66 NOTRE DAME 65

EVANSVILLE 69 ILLINOIS STATE 51

VALPARAISO 98 INDIANA STATE 95 OT

PROVIDENCE 84 BUTLER 65

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

TOP 25

#11 TCU 80 KANSAS 73

#9 OHIO STATE 84 #25 MICHIGAN 77

#17 WEST VIRGINIA 89 TEXAS TECH 53

#7 UCONN 81 XAVIER 27
NEBRASKA 85 #20 MICHIGAN STATE 80

#4 USC 79 #8 MARYLAND 74

#13 KANSAS STATE 71 #22 UTAH 47

ELSEWHERE:

INDIANA 68 NORTHWESTERN 64

AKRON 73 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 71

BALL STATE 101 EASTERN MICHIGAN 69

CENTRAL MICHIGAN 47 MIAMI OH 46

BUFFALO 70 BOWLING GREEN 60

BUTLER 57 PROVIDENCE 47

IU INDY 79 OAKLAND 73

TOLEDO 70 KENT STATE 59

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

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

INDIANA 129 CHICAGO 113

PHILADELPHIA 109 WASHINGTON 103

CLEVELAND 129 OKLAHOMA CITY 122

NEW YORK 112 TORONTO 98

DETROIT 113 BROOKLYN 98

PORTLAND 119 NEW ORLEANS 100

DENVER 126 LA CLIPPERS 103

MILWAUKEE 121 SAN ANOTNIO 105

NHL SCORES

FLORIDA 4 UTAH 1

CHICAGO 3 COLORADO 1

CALGARY AT LOS ANGELES PPD

TOP NATIONAL RELEASES/NEWS HEADLINES

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

PENN STATE COACH JAMES FRANKLIN CALLS FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL TO HAVE UNIFORMITY

DANIA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Big Ten plays nine conference games in football. So does the Big 12. The Southeastern Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference are among those playing eight-game league schedules. The Mountain West played a seven-game league slate. Notre Dame doesn’t have a league.

Enough, Penn State coach James Franklin says.

Franklin — who raised some eyebrows last month when he said that former Alabama coach Nick Saban should become commissioner of college football, a job that doesn’t technically exist and an idea that Saban didn’t seem to like very much — was at it again Wednesday, saying on the eve of his team’s matchup with Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Orange Bowl that the sport needs uniformity.

“I know a lot of times when coaches talk like this people roll their eyes,” Franklin said. “But I think when every decision that we make is based on finances, then we’re not making great decisions that’s in the student-athlete and the game of football’s best interest. … I think it should be consistent across college football.”

Franklin — who was seated next to Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman as he spoke in the final news conference previewing their Orange Bowl matchup Thursday night — is not new to offering big-picture solutions to issues facing college football. He also made clear that he wasn’t knocking Notre Dame, which views not being in a conference for football as a strength.

“I think everybody should play a conference championship game or no one should play a conference championship game,” Franklin said. “I think everybody should play the same number of conference games. … The Big Ten went to nine games, and I was not a math major at East Stroudsburg, but just the numbers are going to make things more challenging if you’re playing one more conference game.”

Among Franklin’s other ideas: looking at starting the season a week earlier to help alleviate end-of-year pressures especially for schools that go deep into the CFP, and he reiterated the idea of having someone — Saban, former Boise State and Washington coach Chris Petersen and former Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson would be atop his list — overseeing the game.

The notion of a commissioner — Saban in particular — drew support from Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin, one of Saban’s former assistants, earlier this month as well.

“I can’t imagine there being a better person that genuinely has the best interest for the game and the kids,” Kiffin said. “He always has. He’s always been old-school that way. There couldn’t be a better person than him to do it.”

In this era of name, image and likeness, with an expanded playoff now in place and with the college seasons longer than ever for some teams — the teams in the CFP title game will be playing either their 16th or 17th games of the season — it only makes sense for changes to keep coming.

“But it doesn’t matter who the commissioner is, you have to give the guy power,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. “And right now the power is with the leagues. And if everybody wants to get in the sandbox and play nice and let someone be in charge of it, that would be best thing. Right now no one is showing that they’re willing to let somebody create consensus, and I think that’s what’s hurting our game.”

Franklin doesn’t have all the answers. But he, like many coaches, has a ton of questions at what seems to be a transformative time for the college game.

“I think there’s just a ton of things that need to be discussed and looked at,” Franklin said. “And I think we need to do it with people that do not feel the pressure from their university or their conference.”

CFP SEMIFINALS BY THE NUMBERS: ALL FOUR TEAMS ARE MEMBERS OF THE EXCLUSIVE 900-WIN CLUB

The College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams to get some new blood.

The final four are decidedly blueblood.

The semifinals match Penn State against Notre Dame at the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9 and Texas against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10.

All four teams are among the eight programs with at least 900 all-time victories.

By the NCAA’s count, Ohio State ranks second with 976 wins, Notre Dame and Texas are tied for fourth with 961 and Penn State is seventh with 943.

The four teams have combined for 18 national championships since 1936, when the Associated Press rankings started. Notre Dame has eight titles, Ohio State five, Texas three and Penn State two.

A look at the semifinals, by the numbers:

2-1

Texas’ lead in the series with Ohio State. This will be their first meeting since 2009. They will open the 2025 season against each other Aug. 30 in Columbus.

9-9-1

The Notre Dame-Penn State series record. This will be their first meeting since 2007.

1, 3, 5, 8

National rankings of the four teams in total defense: Ohio State (244.6 yards per game), Texas (277.7), Penn State (288.8) and Notre Dame (295.4).

17, 25, 27, 51

National rankings of the four teams in total offense: Texas (443.9 yards per game), Penn State (436.3), Ohio State (432.5) and Notre Dame (406.6).

4

Passes of 40-plus yards allowed by Ohio State, fewest in the FBS.

6

National award winners in the semifinals: Ohio State’s Seth McLaughlin (Rimington Trophy, top center), Penn State’s Tyler Warren (John Mackey, top tight end), Penn State OL Nick Dawkins (Wuerffel Trophy, community service), Texas’ Kelvin Banks (Lombardi Award, top lineman; Outland Trophy, top interior lineman), Texas’ Jahdae Barron (Jim Thorpe, top defensive back) and Texas DL Colin Simmons (Shaun Alexander Award, top freshman).

9

Notre Dame’s consecutive wins in neutral-site games, best in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

13

Two-time AP first-team All-America safety Xavier Watts’ interceptions for Notre Dame since 2023, most in the FBS.

26

Consecutive games in which Texas’ Quinn Ewers has thrown at least one touchdown pass, the longest streak in the FBS.

98

Tyler Warren’s receptions for Penn State, most by a Power Four tight end.

102

Texas’ scrimmage plays that have gone for at least 20 yards. The Longhorns are only team with more than 100.

173

Consecutive extra-point kicks made by Texas’ Bert Auburn since 2021.

239

Ohio State has outscored its opponents by this differential over the second and third quarters (326-87), the largest margin in the FBS.

1,000 X 2

Penn State is the only FBS team with two running backs with at least 1,000 yards apiece. Kaytron Allen has 1,026 and Nicholas Singleton has 1,015.

A PLOT TWIST FROM WHAT COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAS BECOME: A PLAYER WHO STAYED

DANIA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — When Penn State moved a different linebacker into what had been Tyler Elsdon’s starting spot, Elsdon made a choice that doesn’t really fit into the storyline college football has been selling these days.

He stayed right where he was.

In an era in which NIL money, more playing time and the promise of the transfer portal are a click or a phone call away, Penn State’s fifth-year senior is something of a rarity for a top program — a player not driven by cash, but who sticks around because he loves football, feels loyal to his teammates and loves his school.

The payoff: Elsdon is playing in a national semifinal Thursday night against Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, a mere two wins from bringing a third national title back to Happy Valley.

“My decision to stay here was challenging, and of course I had thoughts” about leaving, Elsdon said. “But I knew the guys around me still supported me and I still love them. Like, I was going to be 100% loyal to the guys that I sacrificed for years up to that point.”

A promising start, but another player was in waiting

Elsdon started all 13 games at middle linebacker in 2022, his sophomore year, which ended with a win in the Rose Bowl. That was good enough to start the next season on the watch list for the Senior Bowl, where some of college’s top players appear in a scouting combine of sorts at the end of the season.

But Kobe King — a highly ranked recruit from Michigan who was a year behind Elsdon — was lurking, and took over the starting spot.

Elsdon, who grew up about 100 miles from State College, had been recruited by Virginia, West Virginia, an assortment of Ivy League schools and a few others, but when the Nittany Lions moved in late, he said yes right away.

Seismic changes have hit the sport in only five years

College football has been through a lot since he arrived at Penn State.

“NIL is challenging, and it’s very tempting,” he said. “I was at college before NIL. I was here during COVID with no fans, so I saw Beaver Stadium barren. Then I saw it with 110,000. Then, I saw it with 110,000 and there’s money being thrown around. I never got into football for money. I never played football for myself.”

Coach James Franklin said he could not describe “the impact Tyler Elsdon has had on our locker room. He’s earned everybody’s respect, and he’s done it the right way.”

The coach said he’s hopeful there’s still room for players like Elsdon in a changing landscape that, under terms of the House settlement that is formalizing schools’ ability to pay players, will limit football rosters to 105 players. That could ultimately limit chances for walk-ons and high-character backups like his fifth-year linebacker.

“Are there less of those stories now because of the 105?” Franklin said. “I sure hope not, because I think they’re the stories that make college football so special.”

The benefits of staying put

By staying at Penn State instead of chasing playing time elsewhere, Elsdon wrapped up a major in health policy administration and a minor in kinesiology last summer. He is in a grad-certificate program that teaches how to use technology to facilitate change in a rapidly shifting business world.

“I should be able to roll that into a master’s, a little bit after I finish here,” he said. “School’s very important to me.”

He has no problem with players making money — in fact, thinks his teammates deserve every penny they get.

But his motivation comes from other places.

Elsdon was placed in a foster home as a toddler, then adopted by his parents in central Pennsylvania. He kept the last name of his biological parents as a reminder of where he came from. He got into football (as a water boy) when he was 4 because his dad was a coach. He stayed in it, in large part because “I had a bunch of buddies who played.”

That story might help explain his approach to football.

“It was, how am I going to get to a championship so the guys around me can feel the joy of winning a championship?” he said of his experience at North Schuylkill High, where he racked up small-school accolades in four years as a letterman. “When I got to college it was the same thing. Materialistic things, they come and go. But these memories, the joy you feel, being in the locker room with these guys, that’s what it’s about.”

He’ll be in that locker room once or maybe two more times this season.

Championship or not, he could be a sign of the past: A player who spent five years at the same school, never left, and didn’t spend much time wondering about the grass being greener or the money being bigger somewhere else.

“I’m very grateful for what I’ve received,” he said. “At times I think people do chase small things. But there’s something super special to be a man among men, to love each other, and be confident with each other and play football for the right reasons.”

BRIEFLY A BUCKEYE, TEXAS QB QUINN EWERS RETURNED TO HIS ROOTS TO LEAD LONGHORNS’ RESURGENCE

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Long before Quinn Ewers was a key part of Texas’ resurgence as a college football power, he bolted north for Ohio State, lured by money and a chance to play in a program already competing for national championships.

After landing on campus in the middle of training camp and spending a semester deep on the depth chart in Columbus, Ewers headed back south to become the leader of Steve Sarkisian’s rebuilding project with the Longhorns.

On Friday, Ewers and Texas will face his former team when the fifth-seeded Longhorns (13-2) and eighth-seeded Buckeyes (12-2) clash in the Cotton Bowl in a College Football Playoff semifinal.

“The reason that I came back to Texas was, one, to be closer to where I’m from and just closer to the resources that I have and the relationships that I’ve built over time just being from Texas,” Ewers said this week.

Ewers grew up in the Dallas suburbs, where the lanky kid developed a super-smooth throwing release and starred at high school football powerhouse Southlake Carroll on his way to becoming the top-rated quarterback recruit in the country.

Everybody wanted him. Including Ohio State, where he had caught the attention of coach Ryan Day at a Buckeyes recruiting camp in 2018. Ewers was still in the eighth grade.

Day, who was then the Ohio State offensive coordinator, marveled at the youngster’s “tremendous release.”

“I remember grabbing him and grabbing his dad and said, ‘Man, you got a bright future ahead of you. I don’t know if this is good or bad, but we’re going to offer you a scholarship, even in eighth grade,’” Day said. “Again, I don’t know if that’s legal or not, but we did.”

Still, Ewers seems destined to be a Longhorn. He had committed to Texas by 2020, but as the program continued to struggled under then-coach Tom Herman, Ewers switched to Ohio State.

The Buckeyes were a consistent playoff team. And there was money to be made. Ewers, still a junior, was a top national recruit in the new era of compensating college athletes for use of their name, image and likeness. Texas state law did not allow high school athletes to make money. Ewers reclassified as a senior, left high school before the 2021 season and took off early for Ohio State, where he had an NIL deal reportedly worth nearly $1.5 million.

“Me and my family had a pretty big opportunity in front of us that we felt it was a good decision for me to go on and forego my senior year and enroll early at Ohio State, and I (had) the opportunity to have some good money in our pockets as a family,” Ewers said.

“I don’t regret any decision I’ve made on going or anything like that, but the main reason I went was I felt like I had a great relationship with the coaching staff. And they were winning a lot of games, and I wanted to go be a part of something like that,” he said.

The money was there in Columbus. Playing time was not. Freshman C.J. Stroud won the competition to be the starting quarterback while Ewers was still trying to figure out where to go on campus.

“Definitely had to grow up super fast,” Ewers said. “For me to kind of go in the middle of fall camp and practice at a college level was definitely a shock, for sure.”

Ewers played just two snaps in the 2021 season and didn’t throw a pass. Ewers said he still created good relationships with his teammates and noted he and standout Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer were freshmen roommates. Sawyer is one of the top players on Ohio State’s top-rated defense and they are sure to meet up again on Friday.

“Those guys were fun to be around when I was there,” Ewers said. “I felt like I belonged there.”

But from his seat on the Buckeyes’ bench, Ewers was still looking back at Texas as the Longhorns struggled to 5-7 in Sarkisian’s first season. Opportunity awaited in the Lone Star State.

Sarkisian’s rebuild needed a jumpstart and Ewers was the spark. Ewers transferred to the Longhorns in time to join spring practice, where he beat out Hudson Card to be the starter for the opening game of the 2022 season.

Despite various shoulder, abdomen and ankle injuries in each of his three seasons, Ewers is 27-8 as a starter. He led Texas to its first Big 12 title in 15 years in 2023, the program’s last season in that league, and to the SEC championship game this season. Texas is the only one of last season’s four playoff teams to return under this season’s expanded 12-team format.

Ewers enters the game against his old team with 8,845 career passing yards and 66 touchdowns, which both rank third in school history. He still has a year of eligibility left, but is expected to turn pro, opening the door for backup Arch Manning to take over.

In the Peach Bowl overtime thriller over Arizona State last week, Ewers’ final three passes went for scores and the stage is set for a storybook ending over the next two weeks.

“When he went to Ohio State early on, he should have still been a senior in high school. And when we got him back, he was still, in our eyes, a freshman,” Sarkisian said. “To watch him grow into the leader that he’s grown into for us, his ability to have the poise and composure he has, whether it be injuries, whatever that looks like.

“To be at his best when his best was needed …I think that’s all from a seismic shift from a maturity standpoint, physically and mentally,” Sarkisian said.

ORANGE BOWL MAGNITUDE NOT LOST ON PENN STATE, NOTRE DAME COACHES

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Penn State coach James Franklin and Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman sat side-by-side Wednesday morning well aware of the significant moment that awaits them. It goes far beyond football.

When Franklin’s No. 6-seeded Nittany Lions (13-2) face Freeman’s No. 7-seeded Fighting Irish (13-1) on Thursday night in the Orange Bowl, it’s the first-ever matchup of Black coaches in a College Football Playoff semifinal.

The winner will become the first Black coach to vie for a national championship on Jan. 20 against either Texas or Ohio State.

Thursday’s game will take place at the same place — Hard Rock Stadium — where Super Bowl XLI was held in 2007 when for the first time two Black head coaches squared off in the NFL’s championship game. Tony Dungy’s Colts defeated Lovie Smith’s Bears, 29-17 on Feb. 4, 2007.

“I do think it had an impact,” said Franklin during a joint press conference with Freeman on Wednesday. “I remember thinking that as a coach, how significant that was in the profession and how significant that was for young coaches coming up in the profession to see those guys in that role.

“I hope a game like ours could have an impact, and really just looking for an opportunity for guys to be able to get in front of some search firms and ADs and get opportunities that they earned.”

Franklin recalled how at the time of that Super Bowl there were six Black head coaches among the 127 Football Bowl Subdivision schools. This season, there were 16 among 134 FBS schools.

Freeman, who is in his third season at Notre Dame, acknowledged the potential impact for a Black coach to lead a team to a national championship represents.

“I don’t take that for granted,” Freeman said. “And I just want to work tirelessly to be the best version of me, and it’s great, because even the guys in our program, my own kids, can understand like you don’t put a ceiling on what you can be and what you can do.”

–Franklin said he anticipates defensive end Abdul Carter will play, but he’s officially listed as a game-time decision. Carter left last week’s Fiesta Bowl win over Boise State with an apparent arm injury in the first quarter and did not return.

“He’s doing everything he possibly can to play,” Franklin said. “His approach has been awesome. He’s lived in the training room. But it’ll be a game-time decision, and we’ll see.”

–Freeman said he expects running back Jeremiyah Love to be “good to go” on Thursday. Freeman said he’s confident Jadarian Price can continue to step up if needed.

Love, who has 1,076 yards and 16 touchdowns this season, carried the ball only six times for 19 yards in Notre Dame’s Sugar Bowl win over Georgia due to an aggravation of a previous knee injury.

“Jeremiyah has had a great week of practice,” Freeman said. “We have to be smart in terms of how much we’re asking him to do in practice. We’ve got to get him ready for the game. But he’s confident.”

–Notre Dame’s ability to run the ball and stop the run remains the backbone of its return to national championship contender status under Freeman.

Freeman inherited a Notre Dame offense that ranked 83rd in rushing in 2021. Over the past three seasons, the Fighting Irish have gone from being ranked 35th nationally in rushing yards per game in 2022 to 28th last season to 11th this season, averaging 217.5 rushing yards per game.

“It’s a mentality. It’s a mindset,” Freeman said. “Just from our defensive coaching background, when you can’t stop an offense from running the ball, it can be demoralizing. That’s why we say we have to do it now.”

NFL NEWS

DANIELS AND NIX WILL BECOME A RARE ROOKIE QB DUO TO START IN THE SAME NFL POSTSEASON

The impressive feats from the 2024 rookie quarterback class will carry over into the postseason.

Washington’s Jayden Daniels and Denver’s Bo Nix are expected to make their playoff debuts on Sunday in a rare case of two rookie starting quarterbacks in the same postseason.

While there are a few examples of fill-in rookies getting the nod in the playoffs, this will be just the fourth time that two rookie quarterbacks start in the same postseason after making at least six starts during the regular season.

It last happened in 2012 when Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson all got playoff starts. The other times came in 2008 with Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco, and 1983 with Hall of Famers John Elway and Dan Marino.

Only seven rookie quarterbacks have won playoff starts, and there’s never been a year when more than one did it. A rookie quarterback has never started in the Super Bowl, with Brock Purdy (2022), Mark Sanchez (2009), Flacco (2008), Ben Roethlisberger (2004) and Shaun King (1999) all losing in the conference title game.

Daniels and Nix already have had barrier-breaking seasons, with both QBs winning at least 10 starts, producing at least 30 touchdowns rushing and passing, and accounting for at least 4,000 yards of offense on the ground and through the air.

Before this season, no rookie QB had ever hit all those marks in a season.

Daniels and Nix have some company when it comes to young quarterbacks, with a record-tying 11 of the 14 projected starters in the postseason in their 20s.

That includes four members of the 2018 draft class: Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. This is the fifth time that four QBs from the same draft class started in the same postseason, with the 2018 class also doing it last season, when Mason Rudolph got the nod instead of Darnold.

Run it back

This year’s version of the playoffs will have a familiar look.

Ten of the teams that made the postseason are back after getting there last season, with only Denver, Minnesota, Washington and the Chargers breaking through after missing out in 2023.

The four newcomers are tied for the fewest since the NFL expanded to 12 playoff teams in 1990, with that last happening in 2015. The four previous seasons with 14 playoff teams featured at least six newcomers each season, with seven new teams qualifying in 2022 and eight in 2020.

All four division winners in the AFC are repeat champions, with Kansas City (nine straight), Buffalo (five), Baltimore (two) and Houston (two) all going back to back. The only other times since the 2002 realignment that all four division winners in a conference repeated came in the 2019 AFC and the 2012 AFC.

Tampa Bay won its fourth straight NFC South title and Detroit won its second straight in the NFC North, marking the third time there were six repeat division winners. It previously happened in 2012 and 2014.

Bungling Bengals

When it came to individual accomplishments, few teams fared better than the Cincinnati Bengals. It just didn’t lead to success on the field.

Ja’Marr Chase became the fifth player since the 1970 merger to win a receiving Triple Crown, leading the NFL in catches, yards receiving and TD receptions.

Joe Burrow led the league in yards passing and TD passes, while Trey Hendrickson had the most sacks.

No team had ever had the individual leaders in all of those categories, but it didn’t help the Bengals, who finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs.

Win and stay home

Posting a winning record again wasn’t good enough for the Seattle Seahawks to make the playoffs.

A year after going 9-8 but missing out on the final wild-card spot to Green Bay on the strength of victory tiebreaker, the Seahawks were done in again by that seldom used tiebreaker.

Seattle tied the Rams for first in the NFC West at 10-7 after splitting the season series. The teams also had identical records in the division, against common opponents and in conference games. The Rams came out ahead because the teams they beat combined for two more wins than the teams the Seahawks beat.

Seattle became just the second 10-win team to miss the playoffs since the seventh team was added in each conference in 2020, with Miami also falling short after going 10-6 in 2020. Twelve other teams that won at least 10 games missed the postseason from 1990-2019, when there were six playoff teams per conference.

The Seahawks became the fourth team to miss the playoffs in back-to-back seasons with winning records since 2000, with Cincinnati also falling short after going 9-8 for the second straight season. Miami came up short twice in back-to-back winning seasons, missing out on the postseason in 2002-03 and 2020-21.

Stumbling Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are stumbling into the postseason.

The Steelers lost their final four games to go from being a team fighting for the top seed to a team that is the second wild-card and a heavy underdog Saturday night at AFC North champion Baltimore.

Pittsburgh is just the third team to enter the playoffs on a losing streak of at least four games and the first to do it since Detroit in 1999. The Lions sneaked in as a wild-card team at 8-8 that season and then lost 27-13 to Washington.

The 1986 New York Jets were more similar to the Steelers, getting off to a 10-1 start before losing their final five games. New York recovered to beat Kansas City in the wild-card game before losing in double overtime at Cleveland in the divisional round.

Pittsburgh has another losing streak to worry about, having lost five straight playoff games starting with the 2016 AFC title game at New England. A loss to the Ravens would leave the Steelers tied with the fourth-longest playoff losing streak ever, trailing Detroit (nine), Cincinnati (eight) and Kansas City (eight).

REPORT: RAIDERS, BRADY REACH OUT TO BELICHICK ABOUT HEAD COACHING JOB

The Las Vegas Raiders are among the multiple NFL teams that have contacted Bill Belichick about whether he’d reconsider becoming North Carolina’s head coach, sources told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Raiders minority owner Tom Brady recently spoke with Belichick about what it would take for him to join the Raiders, Pelissero adds. Brady and Belichick won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots during their 20-year tenure together.

Belichick signed a five-year deal in December to become the Tar Heels’ head coach. The agreement includes a $10-million buyout if he leaves before June 1, but it’s unclear whether that buyout would apply to his return to the NFL, per Pelissero.

The Raiders fired head coach Antonio Pierce on Tuesday after he held the job for one full season. Pierce took over as the team’s interim head coach in 2023 when owner Mark Davis dismissed head coach Josh McDaniels. Brady will apparently assist the team in finding its next head boss.

Las Vegas started its coaching search Wednesday, reportedly requesting to interview Detroit Lions coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn.

The Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, and Patriots also have head-coaching openings.

Belichick is considered one of the best coaches in league history. He’s accumulated 302 wins in 467 regular-season games, good for a .647 winning percentage.

REPORT: RAVENS’ FLOWERS LONG SHOT TO PLAY SATURDAY VS. STEELERS

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers is a long shot to play Saturday against the Pittsburgh Steelers due to a knee sprain, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Flowers has a chance to return in the divisional round if Baltimore defeats Pittsburgh, Rapoport adds. He didn’t participate in Tuesday’s practice.

The 24-year-old suffered the ailment during last week’s victory over the Cleveland Browns. Flowers collided with a Browns defender in the second quarter and was looked at by trainers. He didn’t return to the contest after heading to the locker room.

Flowers leads Baltimore in targets (116), receptions (74), and receiving yards (1,059). The Boston College product totaled five catches for 100 yards in the Ravens’ victory over the Steelers on Dec. 21.

Steelers-Ravens is set to kick off at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday.

EAGLES QB JALEN HURTS (CONCUSSION), PACKERS QB JORDAN LOVE (ELBOW) BACK AT PRACTICE

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is back at practice and expected to play in the NFC wild-card game Sunday against the Packers.

Philadelphia (14-3) hosts Green Bay (11-6) in the second meeting between the teams this season. The Eagles beat the Packers 34-29 in Brazil on Sept. 6 in the regular-season opener for both teams.

The Eagles used backup quarterbacks Tanner McKee and Kenny Pickett the past two games with Hurts sidelined by a concussion since Dec. 22.

Green Bay ended the regular season with QB health concerns, too.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said he expected no lingering injury issues for quarterback Jordan Love, who was unable to finish the team’s Week 18 loss to the Chicago Bears due to an elbow injury.

Love said team doctors told him during Sunday’s game the pain in his throwing arm should “go away.”

“Not sure when, but it’s feeling better,” Love said.

Love also left the first meeting with the Eagles in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. He threw two TD passes, one interception and was sacked once.

Backup

Malik Willis hurt his thumb against the Bears and LaFleur said the Packers almost turned back to Love to hand the ball off.

Hurts, 26, had 18 touchdown passes and 14 rushing touchdowns during the regular season.

Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said Tuesday he has been in close contact with Hurts regarding the game plan. Hurts tossed two TD passes and two interceptions in Week 1 against the Packers.

REPORT: 49ERS REMOVE DC ROLE FROM NICK SORENSEN

The San Francisco 49ers have removed Nick Sorensen from his role as defensive coordinator, ESPN reported.

He just completed his first season in the position after being elevated from defensive passing game specialist and nickelbacks coach.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan hopes to retain Sorensen, 46, in a different role, per Tuesday night’s report.

The 49ers (6-11) missed the playoffs after reaching at least the NFC Championship game in four of the previous six seasons.

San Francisco finished 29th in points allowed (25.6 per game), including 87 combined points in the final two games of the campaign.

Sorensen received his promotion last March, replacing Steve Wilks. Wilks was the DC for one season in 2023 after succeeding DeMeco Ryans, now the head coach of the Houston Texans.

Sorensen joined the 49ers in 2022 as a defensive assistant after serving as an assistant with the Seattle Seahawks (2013-20) and as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ special teams coordinator (2021).

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

UCLA’S MICK CRONIN CALLS HIS PLAYERS ‘SOFT’ AND ‘DELUSIONAL’ AFTER LOSING FOR 3RD TIME IN 4 GAMES

LOS ANGELES (AP) — UCLA coach Mick Cronin ripped into his players following the 22nd-ranked Bruins’ third loss in four games, saying they don’t give enough effort and lack toughness.

UCLA, which won 10 of its first 11 games and started 2-0 in the Big Ten, has dropped two straight following Tuesday night’s 94-75 home loss to No. 24 Michigan. The Bruins lost 66-58 at Nebraska on Saturday.

“I have to run onto the court to get guys to play hard,” Cronin said. “It’s crazy, and it’s every day. I’m tired of it. I have the most energy of anybody in practice every day. I’m upset with everybody in that locker room, my assistant coaches and my players.

“I don’t need to do anything else. I almost got 500 wins. I’m only 53. You’d think I’m coaching the Lakers. It’s a joke. It’s a joke. Yet I come in and I have more passion and energy and pride than everybody. And that’s the problem. That is the truth right now.”

Cronin said his team is “too soft to play hard enough” and that it shows up at crucial times.

“So what the truth of it has been, it’s really hard to coach people that are delusional,” he said. “The hungry dog gets the bone. We got guys who think they’re way better than they are. They’re nice kids. They’re completely delusional about who they are.”

Cronin said he hoped the Michigan loss was the “humble pie” his team needs and that his task will be to find players who will play hard for him and do what he tells them.

“But right now,” he said, “I’m searching deeply for some guys that will play hard enough to win a Big Ten game.”

TOP 25 ROUNDUP: VILLANOVA ENDS NO. 9 UCONN’S WIN STREAK

Eric Dixon scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half to propel host Villanova to a 68-66 upset of No. 9 UConn on Wednesday night.

In a raucous atmosphere in Villanova’s on-campus gym, Wooga Poplar added 18 points as the Wildcats (11-5, 4-1 Big East) snapped the Huskies’ eight-game winning streak.

UConn (12-4, 4-1) had a chance to take the lead with 3.1 seconds left, but Alex Karaban, who entered the game shooting 81.4 percent from the free throw line, missed two foul shots with the Huskies down by one.

In winning for the eighth time in its last nine games, Villanova weathered a UConn rally from 12 points down in the second half, which earned the Huskies a brief lead, 57-55, when Solo Ball (16 points) hit a 3-pointer with 8:38 left. But the Wildcats quickly regained the lead for good on layups by Dixon and Jordan Longino.

No. 5 Alabama 88, South Carolina 68

Mark Sears finished with 22 points and six assists to lead the Crimson Tide to a victory over the Gamecocks in Columbia, S.C.

The Crimson Tide (13-2, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) won their seventh in a row overall and 10th in a row against the Gamecocks (10-5, 0-2), who dropped their second consecutive game. Aden Holloway contributed 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting for Alabama.

Jacobi Wright led the Gamecocks with 20 points. Jamarii Thomas totaled 15 points, but fouled out with 6:03 left in the game.

No. 10 Texas A&M 80, No. 17 Oklahoma 78

Zhuric Phelps sank a go-ahead 3-pointer with 19.6 seconds left to cap a career-high 34-point outburst, leading the Aggies’ comeback win over the Sooners in Norman, Okla.

Texas A&M overcame an 18-point second-half deficit and a huge night from Oklahoma’s Brycen Goodine, who scored a season-high 34 points and hit 9 of 11 3-point attempts. The Aggies, playing without injured leading scorer Wade Taylor IV (15.7 ppg), still won their ninth consecutive game.

Solomon Washington scored 11 points and Pharrel Payne added 10 points for the Aggies (13-2, 2-0 SEC). Jeremiah Fears scored 13 points and Jalon Moore chipped in 11 points for the Sooners (13-2, 0-2), who absorbed their second loss in a row.

No. 11 Kansas 74, Arizona State 55

Zeke Mayo scored 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting to lead the Jayhawks back from a halftime deficit to beat Arizona State in Lawrence, Kan.

Hunter Dickinson added 15 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and three steals for the Jayhawks (11-3, 2-1 Big 12). He put Kansas ahead 43-42 by finishing a three-point play with 16:08 remaining in the game, part of an 11-0 start to the half for the Jayhawks.

Arizona State (10-4, 1-2) went scoreless for the first seven-plus minutes of the second half, breaking the ice on a 3-pointer by Adam Miller that cut Kansas’ lead to 45-42 before Kansas answered with an immediate 9-0 run.

No. 13 Illinois 91, Penn State 52

Senior Ben Humrichous scored 19 of his season-high 21 points in the first half to spark the Fighting Illini to a victory over the Nittany Lions in Champaign, Ill.

Illinois prevailed despite the absence of leading scorer Kasparas Jakucionis (forearm). Tre White contributed 20 points and seven rebounds for the Illini (12-3, 4-1 Big Ten). Freshman Morez Johnson Jr. added a career-high 20 points off the bench and pulled down 11 rebounds.

Nick Kern Jr. scored 13 points and Zach Hicks added 11 for the Nittany Lions (12-4, 2-3), who set a season low for points and finished 35 points below their average. Junior Yanic Konan Niederhauser blocked a career-high seven shots.

No. 18 Gonzaga 93, San Diego 80

Five Bulldogs scored in double figures as Gonzaga outgunned the Toreros in Spokane, Wash.

Ben Gregg pumped in a game-high 23 points for the Bulldogs (13-4, 4-0 West Coast Conference). Khalif Battle added 20. Graham Ike made just 1 of 5 field-goal attempts but still finished with 15 points and hauled in a game-high 19 rebounds.

Five players reached double digits for San Diego (4-13, 1-3), led by reserve Kjay Bradley with 21 points, but the Toreros took their 19th straight head-to-head loss against Gonzaga.

No. 23 Ole Miss 73, Arkansas 66

Malik Dia scored a season-high 21 points and drained a crucial 3-pointer with 1:10 remaining as the Rebels topped the Razorbacks in Fayetteville, Ark.

With Arkansas rallying and down 68-62, Dia — who had a team-high eight rebounds — took a pass from Jaylen Murray and canned a wide-open trey to lock down the win for the Rebels (13-2, 2-0 SEC). Sean Pedulla had 16 points and made 3 of 4 from deep for Ole Miss.

Adou Thiero led the Razorbacks (11-4, 0-2) with 17 points and nine boards. Johnell Davis had 15 points, while Boogie Fland had 14 points, six rebounds and five assists.

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 4 USC HANDS NO. 8 MARYLAND FIRST LOSS

Kennedy Smith produced a personal 7-0 run to tie the game midway through the fourth quarter, and No. 4 Southern California rallied for a 79-74 win over No. 8 Maryland on Wednesday in College Park, Md.

The Terrapins led 68-61 before Smith sank two layups, then drilled a 3-pointer to level the game with 3:46 remaining. Maryland subsequently led 72-70, but USC pulled away with a 9-0 surge that featured a three-point play from Kiki Iriafen, who also hit two foul shots to cap the run.

Iriafen and JuJu Watkins each scored 21 points for the Trojans (15-1, 5-0 Big Ten), who have an 11-game winning streak. Smith scored 11 points, and teammates Kayleigh Heckel and Avery Howell each had 10 points off the bench.

Shyanne Sellers poured in 26 points, but it wasn’t enough for Maryland (14-1, 4-1) to avoid its first loss of the season. Kaylene Smikle added 16 points, and Christina Dalce amassed 15 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots.

No. 7 UConn 81, Xavier 27

In their first game without injured guard Paige Bueckers (leg), the Huskies cruised to a victory over the Musketeers in Hartford, Conn.

Azzi Fudd put up 23 points, freshman Allie Ziebell scored a season-best 17 points and Sarah Strong finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and five steals for UConn (14-2, 5-0 Big East).

Irune Orio hit 4 of 5 shots from the floor and scored 10 points for Xavier (5-10, 0-4). The rest of the Musketeers shot 5 of 33 (15.2 percent).

No. 9 Ohio State 84, No. 25 Michigan 77

Jaloni Cambridge logged 29 points, six rebounds and four assists, powering the Buckeyes to a comeback win over the Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Ohio State (15-0, 4-0 Big Ten) trailed by 13 points at halftime but made a big charge in the third quarter, during which Cambridge and Chance Gray each scored nine points. Gray wound up with 16 points, teammate Cotie McMahon had 13 and Ajae Petty scored 10.

Olivia Olson produced 20 points for Michigan (10-5, 1-3), which lost for the fourth time in five games. Syla Swords notched 14 points, and Greta Kampschroeder and Jordan Hobbs each had 13 points.

No. 11 TCU 80, Kansas 73

Sedona Prince amassed 30 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots as the Horned Frogs downed the Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kan.

Up by six at halftime, TCU (16-1, 4-0 Big 12) never trailed in the second half en route to its seventh win in a row. Kansas (11-4, 1-3) got within three points twice in the third quarter and once in the game’s final seconds but never drew closer.

TCU’s Hailey Van Lith finished with 19 points and six assists while Taylor Bigby scored 12 points. Kansas got 24 points from S’Mya Nichols, 19 points and six rebounds from Elle Evans, and 12 points from Laia Conesa.

No. 12 Kansas State 71, No. 22 Utah 47

Serena Sundell led a balanced Wildcats attack with 15 points as Kansas State defeated the Utes in Salt Lake City.

Ayoka Lee added 14 points and Temira Poindexter and Jaelyn Glenn each scored 11 as the Wildcats (16-1, 4-0 Big 12) registered their 11th consecutive victory.

Gianna Kneepkens scored 12 points and Reese Ross had 11 for Utah (12-3, 3-1), which had its seven-game winning streak end.

No. 17 West Virginia 89, Texas Tech 53

JJ Quinerly, Jordan Harrison and Sydney Shaw combined for 60 points as the Mountaineers routed the Lady Raiders in Lubbock, Texas.

Quinerly put up 21 points, Harrison 20 and Shaw 19 as the trio combined to shoot 19-for-25 from the floor as West Virginia (13-2, 3-1 Big 12) won its third game in row.

The only player to finish in double figures for Texas Tech (12-5, 1-3) was Bailey Maupin with 15 points.

Nebraska 85, No. 20 Michigan State 80

Senior center Alexis Markowski scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed eight rebounds while leading the Cornhuskers past the Spartans in Lincoln, Neb.

A 28-12 second-quarter explosion gave Nebraska (12-4, 3-2 Big Ten) a 10-point halftime lead. Michigan State (12-3, 2-2) never got closer than five points in the second half until the closing seconds.

Julia Ayrault scored 21 points and Theryn Hallock contributed 18 for Michigan State, which lost for the third time in four games.

NBA NEWS

NBA ROUNDUP: CAVS PREVAIL IN SHOWDOWN WITH THUNDER

Jarrett Allen collected 25 points and 11 rebounds to lift the host Cleveland Cavaliers to a 129-122 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday in a battle of the NBA’s top two teams.

Evan Mobley contributed 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Cavaliers, who have won 11 in a row overall and improved to 11-0 against Western Conference opponents. Oklahoma City rode a franchise-record 15-game winning streak into the Wednesday matchup.

Cleveland’s Darius Garland scored 18 points and Max Strus sank five 3-pointers to highlight his 17-point performance off the bench.

Oklahoma City superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and Jalen Williams added 25 points and nine assists. Isaiah Hartenstein notched 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for the Thunder, who fell to 11-1 vs. Eastern Conference foes.

Bucks 121, Spurs 105

Damian Lillard scored 26 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 25 points as Milwaukee beat visiting San Antonio.

Lillard also had eight assists, while Antetokounmpo added 16 rebounds and eight dimes for his 432nd career double-double, moving past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the top spot in Bucks history. Brook Lopez posted 22 points for Milwaukee, which set up its clinical win with a commanding 34-19 second quarter.

Keldon Johnson combined 24 points with 11 boards in 25 minutes off the bench for San Antonio, while Chris Paul contributed 18 points and seven assists. Victor Wembanyama had 10 points, 10 rebounds and a game-high three blocked shots.

Nuggets 126, Clippers 103

Jamal Murray had 21 points and nine assists, Russell Westbrook and Michael Porter Jr. scored 19 points each and host Denver beat Los Angeles.

Julian Strawther contributed 16 points for the Nuggets, who lost to the visiting Boston Celtics on Tuesday but improved to 8-0 in the second game of back-to-backs. Denver center Nikola Jokic (illness) missed his second straight game.

Norman Powell scored 30 points for the Clippers, who have lost four of their past five games. Kawhi Leonard was absent after returning to Los Angeles to be with his family because of the wildfires burning in Southern California.

Knicks 112, Raptors 98

Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart each posted double-doubles for host New York, which snapped a three-game losing streak by gradually pulling away from Toronto.

Towns, who was listed as questionable after sitting out Monday with a knee injury, finished with 27 points and 13 rebounds for his 31st double-double of the season. Hart had 21 points and 11 rebounds while adding seven assists.

Immanuel Quickley scored 22 points while Scottie Barnes had 18 and RJ Barrett finished with 16 for the Raptors, who have lost 14 of 15.

76ers 109, Wizards 103

Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points, including the go-ahead basket with 24 seconds remaining, to elevate undermanned Philadelphia past visiting Washington.

Maxey’s driving finger roll to break a 103-103 stalemate made up for the previous possession when the game’s high scorer missed a contested fadeaway jumper. The basket was part of a game-ending 8-0 run for the 76ers.

Washington took its first lead since the game’s opening minutes earlier in the period on the strength of a 20-5 run, fueled by reserves Jared Butler and Corey Kispert. The two each scored eight points in the burst, part of Butler’s career-high 26 and Kispert’s season-high-tying 23.

Pistons 113, Nets 98

Malik Beasley scored 23 points as Detroit moved over .500 and pushed its winning streak to five games by defeating depleted Brooklyn in New York.

The Pistons led most of the way in winning for the eighth time in nine games and improved to 19-18. Beasley, who made 9 of 17 shots and sank four 3-pointers overall, and scored 16 of his points in the opening half.

Noah Clowney scored a career-best 29 points for the Nets, who dropped their seventh straight home game and lost for the 14th time in 18 games. Brooklyn was missing 10 players.

Trail Blazers 119, Pelicans 100

Deni Avdija scored 26 points to lead a balanced scoring effort and hot-shooting Portland routed host New Orleans.

Shaedon Sharpe added 21 points as six Blazers scored in double figures. Portland shot 54.5 percent from the floor and 36.1 percent from beyond the arc.

CJ McCollum scored 23 points and Dejounte Murray added 20 for the Pelicans, who played without forward Zion Williamson (rest). Williamson returned from a 27-game absence prompted by a strained hamstring to score 22 points Tuesday.

Pacers 129, Bulls 113

Pascal Siakam scored 26 points as Indiana beat Chicago in Indianapolis.

Thomas Bryant added 22 points and eight rebounds while Tyrese Haliburton collected 16 points and 13 assists as the Pacers won their fourth straight game.

Zach LaVine led Chicago with 31 points. Coby White had 19 for the Bulls, who had their two-game winning streak snapped.

NHL NEWS

NHL ROUNDUP: ANOTHER BIG GAME FOR JESPER BOQVIST IN PANTHERS’ WIN

Jesper Boqvist scored two goals and Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves in the Florida Panthers’ 4-1 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Wednesday in Salt Lake City.

Sam Reinhart and Eetu Luostarinen also scored and Matthew Tkachuk had two assists for the Panthers, who have alternated losses and wins for six games. Bobrovsky improved to 18-9-1 this season.

Boqvist logged the third multigoal game in his six NHL seasons, but his second in his last five games. Logan Cooley collected Utah’s only goal, and Karel Vejmelka stopped 29 of 31 shots.

The Utah Hockey Club are 1-5-2 in their past eight games, including an 0-3-1 mark on home ice. No team in the NHL has fewer home points (14) than Utah, from a home record of 5-8-4.

Blackhawks 3, Avalanche 1

Connor Bedard had a goal and an assist to back a 35-save effort from Petr Mrazek and lift host Chicago to a win over Colorado.

Ilya Mikheyev and Frank Nazar also scored for Chicago, which ended an eight-game point streak for Colorado (7-0-1).

Juuso Parssinen scored an unassisted goal and Avalanche goaltender Trent Miner had 17 saves in his first NHL start. Miner appeared in relief during a Nov. 15 loss against Washington. He rejoined the team this week after Scott Wedgewood (lower body) was placed on injured reserve.

Capitals 2, Canucks 1 (OT)

Pierre-Luc Dubois scored twice, including the game-winner with 41 seconds left in overtime, as Washington defeated visiting Vancouver.

Logan Thompson made 30 saves for the Capitals, who have alternated wins and losses over their last eight games. Connor McMichael, Aliaksei Protas and Matt Roy each had an assist.

Conor Garland scored for the Canucks, who have lost three straight (0-1-2) and four of six (1-2-3). Kevin Lankinen stopped 16 of 18 shots. Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood assisted on Garland’s tally.

Flames at Kings, ppd.

The NHL postponed the scheduled game between visiting Calgary and Los Angeles because of the wildfires raging in Southern California. A makeup date has not yet been announced.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

PERFECTGAME

PRE-SEASON TOP 25

While much of the country is blanketed in a fresh layer of snow, student athletes are reporting back to campus and skill related workouts have begun. Opening Day for the college baseball season falls on Valentine’s Day this year and it is just six weeks away. After an unpredictable, and at times, tumultuous offseason for the game as a whole, we are reminded that we are in the golden age for the game we are so fond of. So, here we go with our annual Perfect Game pre-season Top-25 poll.

After making an amazing run to the championship series of the CWS, eventually losing to Tennessee in 3-games, the Texas A&M Aggies will debut the 2025 season as our No.1 ranked team. First year head coach Michael Early navigated a crazy offseason and kept together arguably the most talented offense in the nation recovering the likes of Jace Laviolette and Gavin Grahovac from the transfer portal. Laviolette is the top collegiate bat and a front runner to go 1:1 in this year’s MLB Draft while Grahovac was the SEC’s Freshman of the Year. The Aggies also got a nice surprise when staff ace and Dick Howser Award Semifinalist, Ryan Prager, decided to forgo his professional career and return to College Station.

The LSU Tigers will enter the season as our No. 2 team as they return five everyday starters and landed some of the nation’s top transfers once again. Freshman All-American Steven Milam and Freshman All-SEC Ashton Larson return for their sophomore year to lead a potent lineup including Jared Jones who returns 28 home runs. The Virginia Cavaliers are No. 3 and may have the deepest lineup in the nation. Sluggers Harrison Didawick, Jacob Ference and Henry Ford return 23, 17 and 17 home runs, respectively, and Henry Godbout is back with his 1.117 OPS. Coming in at No. 4 will be the Georgia Bulldogs who crushed the transfer portal landing eight of the Top-50 transfers in the nation and return six everyday starters including cornerstone Slate Alford and Freshman All-American Tre Phelps. Rounding out the Top-5 will be the defending National Champions, Tennessee Volunteers who return top 2025 draft-eligible sophomore Dean Curley while junior transfer Andrew Fischer will add his powerful, left-handed stroke to the everyday lineup.

The SEC once again leads the poll with a total of 10 members on the pre-season list. The ACC in the next closest with 6 teams and the Big 12 comes in with a total of 4 teams in the poll. Other than that, the Big 10, Big West, Sun Belt and Conference USA had one a piece with independent Oregon State coming in at No. 10 overall.

1 TEXAS A&M

2 LSU

3 VIRGINIA

4 GEORGIA

5 TENNESSEE

6 FLORIDA STATE

7 TEXAS

8 CLEMSON

9 DUKE

10 OREGON STATE

11 FLORIDA

12 ARIZONA

13 ARKANSAS

14 OREGON

15 VANDERBILT

16 WAKE FOREST

17 DALLAS BAPTIST

18 TCU

19 NORTH CAROLINA

20 OKLAHOMA

21 WEST VIRGINIA

22 AUBURN

23 COASTAL CAROLINA

24 UC SANTA BARBARA

25 OKLAHOMA STATE

GOLF NEWS

REPORTS: JON RAHM’S LIV TEAM SIGNING RORY MCILROY PROTOGE

LIV Golf has yet to announce a marquee new signing a month out from its 2025 season opener, but the league is set to make a splash with the addition of a Rory McIlroy protoge.

Fellow Northern Irishman Tom McKibbin is set to join Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team on a multi-year deal, according to multiple reports. The move comes just weeks after the 22-year-old earned his PGA Tour card as one of the top 10 players without a card on the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai.

McKibbin will replace relegated Kieran Vincent in joining Rahm’s team along with England’s Tyrrell Hatton and America’s Caleb Surratt.

A friend of McIlroy’s with both having played out of Holywood Golf Club, McKibbin is currently 110th in the Official World Golf Ranking. His most recent start was a T24 at the Alfred Dunhill Championship to close out 2024, but McKibbin did finish T10 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and T11 at the DP World Tour Championship.

He declined to comment on his reported signing with LIV Golf while at this week’s Team Cup event in Abu Dhabi, where McKibbin is playing for Great Britain and Ireland captain Justin Rose and European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald. The team also includes Hatton and European Ryder Cup star Tommy Fleetwood.

“I’m not gonna make any comments this week out of respect for Justin and Luke and this tournament,” McKibbin told Golf Digest on Wednesday. “It’s a team event, so I’m just trying to give my best to the team and see how many points I can get.”

LIV Golf’s first of 14 events for the breakaway league’s fourth season is scheduled to begin Feb. 6 in Saudi Arabia.

McKibbin turned professional in 2021 and won the Porsche European Open in 2023. His best finish last year was a runner-up in the Italian Open, and McKibbin already has qualified for this year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush. He also is scheduled to play in next week’s Dubai Desert Classic.

McKibbin will become the second player from Northern Ireland to sign with LIV, joining former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell.

TOP INDIANA RELEASES/NEWS HEADLINES

INDIANA PACERS

GAME REWIND: PACERS 129, BULLS 113

We’re over a week into 2025 and the Pacers are keep rolling.

Indiana (20-18) collected its fourth straight win to start the new year, cruising to a 129-113 victory over the Chicago Bulls (17-20) on Wednesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Pacers only trailed for a total of 31 seconds (all in the first quarter) and led by as many as 34 points on their way to victory.

Pascal Siakam led five Pacers in double figures with 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting (3-of-7 from 3-point range), while also tallying six rebounds and three assists.

Thomas Bryant, starting for the first time as a Pacer with Myles Turner sidelined due to illness, added a season-high 22 points and eight rebounds.

“He was great,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of Bryant’s performance. “22 and eight, played efficient, played smart. He seemed to always be at the right place at the right time, had a couple of important putbacks at key moments of the game. And he brings a real positive energy just as a person out there, too, along with being a heck of a player.”

The Pacers matched a season high with 76 points in the paint in the victory.

“We knew we had to attack the paint with those guys and just force the issue down there,” Siakam said. “They don’t the protect the rim very well, so just tried to do that as much as we could and it worked tonight. That’s who we are. We’ve got to be that every single night. It just shows that we’re playing with force and attacking downhill.”

Siakam got the night off to a strong start, as the two-time All-Star scored seven points as Indiana opened the game with a 13-5 spurt.

The Pacers’ defense helped them maintain a lead for the remainder of the first quarter. Indiana forced seven turnovers in the opening frame and closed the quarter with an 8-0 run to take a 29-18 lead into the second quarter.

The Blue & Gold continued their run at the start of the ensuing frame, scoring seven straight points to stretch the margin to 18 points. The lead continued to grow from there, highlighted by Tyrese Haliburton’s alley oop to Bennedict Mathurin with 4:19 remaining in the first half that made it 50-28.

The Pacers led by as many as 23 before halftime and took 63-44 lead into the intermission. All 10 Pacers players to see the floor in the first half scored, with seven contributing five or more points.

The hosts didn’t let up after halftime. Bryant scored on each of Indiana’s first three possessions, hitting a three and then converting two layups. A three from Siakam and baskets from Haliburton and Mathurin followed to complete a 14-4 Indiana run to open the second half.

The lead continued to grow, culminating with a sequence where Haliburton knocked down a three, then T.J. McConnell stole the ensuing inbound pass and made a layup to make it 94-60 with 3:20 remaining in the third quarter. The Bulls outscored Indiana 16-6 over the remainder of the quarter but the Pacers still took a 24-point lead into the final frame.

Indiana led 109-86 with 9:30 remaining, but the Bulls reeled off nine straight points in a 1:20 span, forcing Carlisle to put his starters back in the game. That group quickly put the game away, with Andrew Nembhard scoring nine points during an 11-4 run.

Haliburton recorded a double-double in the win, tallying 16 points and 13 assists. Nembhard stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals, second-year forward Jarace Walker chipped in 12 points off the bench on 5-of-7 shooting, and reserve forward Obi Toppin finished with 12 points and five boards.

Zach LaVine scored 22 of his team-high 31 points in the second half for Chicago and went 12-for-20 from the field on the night. Coby White added 19 points and five rebounds, while Bulls big man Jalen Smith tallied 13 points and seven boards off the bench against his former team.

The Pacers will welcome Steph Curry and the Warriors to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday before taking part in a home-and-home series with the East-leading Cavaliers. Indiana heads to Cleveland on Sunday before hosting the Cavs on Tuesday. It will be a tall task to maintain their perfect record in 2025 through that stretch, but the Pacers have been very impressive through their first four games of the near year.

“I think we just went into these games locked in, playing the right way,” Haliburton said. “We looked at the start of the new year as a fresh start for us as a group. Obviously the end of ’24 and the first whatever how many games this season that was (wasn’t) great and we knew we wanted to get back to .500 and get beyond that. Our goal is just taking it one game at a time, continue to be the best version of ourselves.”

Inside the Numbers

Siakam surpassed 20 points for the 20th time this season. The Pacers are 11-9 when he scores 20 or more points.

Bryant’s 22-point outing was his first double-figure performance in 22 games this season.

Haliburton recored his team-leading 14th double of the season. Indiana is 12-2 on the year when Haliburton has a double-double.

The Pacers outscored Chicago 76-54 in points in the paint. Their 76 points in the paint matched their total from their win at Dallas on Nov. 4 for their most points in the paint this season.

Indiana outrebounded the Bulls 46-40 overall and 15-10 on the offensive glass and outscored Chicago 21-12 in second chance points. The Pacers are 11-5 on the season when winning the battle of the boards.

You Can Quote Me On That

“It was a big emphasis to get to the paint…These guys play lightning fast. If you’re just looking to trade threes with them, that’s likely a losing formula. But the combination of getting to the paint and getting good threes off paint penetration has been the best thing for us all year.” -Carlisle on matching a season high with 76 points in the paint

“It was a really big emphasis. We really wanted to try to attack the paint and get easy shots. We believe us getting into the paint opens up our 3-point range a lot more for us and I feel like we executed that the right way today.” -Bryant on attacking the paint

“We’re just defending at a high level right now. Our offense is our offense. We know we can score against anybody. We’re doing a great job of defending. That allows us to play in transition more. I think that’s really where the jump has happened for us. We’re doing good things on the defensive end and that’s what’s opened things up for us defensively.” -Haliburton on keys to the Pacers’ recent success

“Getting Andrew Nembhard back has helped a lot. He’s an all-league defender, he’s been guarding the toughest matchup every night, and getting him back has been really big for us.” -Haliburton on why the Pacers are playing better defensively

“No matter what it is, whether I’m scoring, rebounding, playing defense, I try to give that infectious energy no matter what…As long as we get the dub and we win, that’s what matters.” -Bryant on his mentality

“You’ve got to love having a guy like TB on your team. The energy he brings, the professionalism — give me 12 Thomas Bryants just (with) his energy and willingness to do the right things. He’s a professional. We knew he’d step in, play the right way. I thought he did a great job defensively. Obviously what Myles does anchoring our defense — I thought TB stepped into that role well, made shots for us…Big game for him.” -Haliburton on Thomas Bryant

“They’ve embraced me so much from when I first stepped in…Everybody accepted to me to be a five man, to

come in here, give the infectious energy for the guys, and try and build (on) something that they were doing before and put me (in as) a part of it. This team had success before. The main thing I wanted to do was just build more success for the team. With them accepting me so much…it just really means a lot.” -Bryant on how his new teammates have welcome him

“He makes the game so much easier for everybody. The constant (attention) that they put on him, especially defensively when we’re on offense, he creates so much stuff for himself and for us. And he’s so unselfish to where he just makes the game so much easier for anyone that’s playing with him.” -Bryant on playing with Tyrese Haliburton

Stat of the Night

Over the first four games of 2024, the Pacers have led for 177 minutes and trailed for a total of just six minutes.

Noteworthy

The Pacers are now 2-0 on the season against the Bulls with Wednesday’s win and a 132-123 victory at Chicago on Dec. 6. They will host the Bulls again on March 2 and visit Chicago on March 10.

Turner missed his third game this season. He has what Carlisle described as a non-COVID illness.

Two-way big man Enrique Freeman filled in as the backup center, matching his career highs with six points and four rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench.

Up Next

The Pacers wrap up a two-game homestand by hosting Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday, Jan. 10 at 7:00 PM ET.

INDY FUEL

FUEL WIN AT HOME ON WEDNESDAY OVER WHEELING

FISHERS– The Fuel hosted the Wheeling Nailers on Wednesday night, facing off with them for the first time at home this season. After a goal apiece in the second period, the game headed to overtime and the Fuel took the 2-1 win after a Ryan Gagnier game winner.

1ST PERIOD

At 3:04, Dakota Seaman and Indy’s Nathan Noel each got a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct after an altercation along the boards.

At 9:50, David Jankowski took a tripping penalty that earned the Fuel extra time on the power play with a delayed call but they did not score. 

After the first period, the Fuel were outshooting Wheeling 10-4.

2ND PERIOD

Just a minute and a half into the second frame, Indy’s Ty Farmer took a holding penalty giving Wheeling their first power play of the game. The Fuel were able to kill it off. 

At 10:40, the Nailers scored courtesy of Mats Lindgren to make it 1-0. 

Indy tied the game up at 17:41 with a goal by Cam Hausinger, assisted by Ryan Gagnier and Kevin Lombardi. 

At the end of the second period, the Fuel were outshooting Wheeling 19-12. 

3RD PERIOD

Wheeling’s Matthew Quercia took a holding penalty at 6:37 to give the Fuel another power play advantage, however they killed it off. 

As the Nailers caught up in shots, the game got progressively chippier until time expired in regulation and the game headed to overtime tied 1-1. 

Through three periods, Indy had the edge in shots 26-25. 

OVERTIME

The Nailers controlled possession in overtime, recording four shots in three minutes, but Fuel goalie Ben Gaudreau made every save. 

At 3:28, Ryan Gagnier scored on a breakaway, giving the Fuel the 2-1 win on the first Fuel shot in overtime.

These two teams meet again on Friday as the Fuel host the Nailers for Hockey Talks Night.

INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL

BALLO, HOOSIERS POWER PAST USC

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Center Oumar Ballo flexed and dunked, and the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall crowd roared approval.

Forward Luke Goode drilled three-pointers, even while being fouled, and, again, the crowd roared.

Myles Rice and Trey Galloway carved up the USC defense by shot and by pass, and the crowd, yet again, roared.

Welcome to the latest Indiana victory, this one by an 82-69 score Wednesday night.

The Hoosiers’ fifth straight victory, and ninth in 10 games, boosted their record to 13-3 overall, 4-1 in the Big Ten. They rallied from an early 10-point deficit for a 38-38 halftime tie before taking charge in the final 20 minutes.

“In the Bahamas, we couldn’t guard anybody,” Goode said. “Now, our defense and rebounding is carrying us. We’ve got to continue to defend and rebound. What we’ve done the last five games has been great.”

Added Galloway: “We have to continue to get better and grow as a team.”

Coach Mike Woodson said it took time for the rebuilt roster to learn how to play together.

“It’s getting defensive stops, rebounding, and getting out and getting quick strikes,” he said. “When we defend and get out as a unit and play fast, that’s Indiana basketball. We’ve had glimpse of it. The last three to four games, we’re playing better.”

The 7-foot Ballo is a big part of that. He extended his dominant play to three straight games with 23 points on 8-for-9 shooting, 5-for-5 from the line, with eight rebounds.

“He’s playing better,” Woodson said. “We’re featuring him. He’s a big piece to the puzzle. That’s why we brought him here. He has to continue to play well.”

USC (9-6, 1-3) had no one to contain Ballo.

“Ballo is a big guy,” Woodson said. “Their center was not as big. Early on, Ballo couldn’t didn’t the ball. As the game wore on, everything loosened up. We were able to utilize him more and he delivered.”

Rice had 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Goode had 16 points on 4-for-5 3-point shooting. Galloway had 11 points and six assists.

Galloway said it took a while for he and Rice to learn each other’s games because Galloway missed so much off-season time while recovering from knee surgery.

“That connection is getting there,” he said. “Missing the summer was tough for me. Since I’ve been on the court, I’m starting to feed off the other guys. We’re learning how we play together. We have to continue to build on that.”

The Hoosiers owned the second half when it mattered most, building leads as large as 13 points. They defended USC into a series of empty possessions, while totaling 17 assists against just six turnovers.

“They came out physical,” Galloway said. “That shocked us a little bit. Then we started punching back. The way we responded was great. We started to defend and got back and finished.”

IU thrived despite swingman Mackenzie Mgbako’s offensive struggles — zero points on 0-for-8 shooting in 15 minutes. Bryson Tucker contributed nine points, four rebounds and an assist off the bench.

“When someone is struggling,” Woodson said, “I’ve got to search as a coach. He’ll be back. I have to lean on everybody. It’s what you do with minutes you get to set us up to win.”

USC opened the game with 3-point and two-point baskets for a 5-0 lead. Ballo muscled in an offensive rebound. The Trojans slashed inside for two more baskets and a 9-2 lead. Rice drove inside for consecutive layups. A Goode 3-pointer got IU within 11-9 after five minutes.

An 8-0 run boosted USC to a 19-9 lead after 12 minutes. Jumpers by Galloway and Tucker got the Hoosiers within 22-16. A Kanaan Carlyle 3-pointer and a pair of Rice free throws tied the score at 24-24 with six minutes left. Two Ballo free throws and then a Ballo layup pushed IU ahead 30-28 with three minutes left before ending the half in a 38-38 tie.

Goode led with 11 points on 3-for-3 3-point shooting. Ballo had 10 points.

Baskets by Galloway and Rice, and then a Galloway 3-pointer and a layup, boosted IU to a 49-41 lead four minutes into the second half. A Ballo dunk off a Galloway assist made it 53-45. Another Ballo dunk pushed the Hoosiers ahead 57-47, then 62-52. Goode hit a 3-pointer for a 65-52 lead with eight minutes left.

The Trojans got it under 10 points a couple of times, but never really threatened.

IU travels to Iowa (11-4, 2-2) Saturday night. The Hawkeyes are coming off a 97-87 overtime home win against Nebraska.

“They’re well coached,” Woodson said. “They won a big game the other night coming from behind. You have to play there for 40 minutes to beat Iowa.”

INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

CIEZKI PROPELS HOOSIERS TO PROGRAM’S 900TH VICTORY

EVANSTON, Ill.  – Indiana held on for a 65-61 victory over Northwestern on Wednesday night to notch the program’s 900th win. Junior guard Shay Ciezki paced the Hoosiers with 20 points in the win.

KEY MOMENTS

Indiana (11-4, 3-1) took its first lead on back-to-back triples from graduate student guard Sydney Parrish and junior guard Yarden Garzon with 5:14 to go. Junior forward Lilly Meister kept the lead with Indiana as her two-straight buckets gave IU the 20-11 edge after one.

Northwestern (7-9, 0-5 B1G) went on an 8-0 run before Ciezki got IU on the board with 6:06 on the clock in the second. An and-1 by senior forward Karoline Striplin pushed the lead back to six but the Wildcats kept threatening making it a one possession game with just under three minutes until the half.

Defense would hold Northwestern to no field goals in the final 2:52 of action as Parrish put the stamp on the frame on a transition layup to take a 31-26 lead at the break.

Three pointers from x and Ciezki. Parrish ended a third quarter scoring drought in the final seconds with a left wing 3-pointer to keep her team on top, 46-41.

An intense fourth quarter kept everyone on the edge of their seats as Northwestern pushed at the Hoosiers, taking a one-point lead with 1:34 left in the fourth. IU was able to bust up the Wild cat press with just under a minute to play to get junior guard Lilly Meister a wide-open layup.

A defensive board by Moore-McNeil sent her to the line in the bonus as the lead grew to five but Northwestern answered with a 3-pointer with just six seconds remaining Ciezki’s free throw sealed the deal for IU.

NOTABLE

With the win, IU recorded the program’s 900th victory.

Indiana has now won six-in-a-row over Northwestern in the all-time series.

Ciezki led the Hoosiers in scoring with 20 points, her fifth-straight game in double figures and second 20-point effort of the season.

The Hoosiers dished out 18 assists on 22 made shots led by five from Ciezki.

Three other players scored in double figures including 13 points from Striplin, 12 from Parrish and 10 from Garzon.

Parrish led Indiana on the glass with seven rebounds while also picking up a team-high three steals.

UP NEXT

IU continues its road trip at Iowa on Sunday afternoon in a 3 p.m. ET tip on Peacock at Carver Hawkeye Arena.

INDIANA BASEBALL

TAYLOR NAMED PERFECT GAME PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Junior outfielder Devin Taylor – one of the premier returning players in college baseball – was named a Second Team Preseason All American by Perfect Game, the organization announced on Tuesday (Jan. 7) evening. It’s Taylor’s second-straight year being honored by Perfect Game in the preseason.

The Cincinnati, Ohio native followed up a fantastic freshman season in 2023 with an All-American performance in 2024. He smashed a Big Ten best 20 home runs and drove in 54 RBIs while hitting .357 on the season. He embraced the leadoff role and ended the season hitting home runs in 12 of the team’s final 22 contests.

In 2024, Taylor was a Perfect Game Second Team All-American and an ABCA/Rawlings Third Team All-American. He has been named to the All-Big Ten First Team in consecutive seasons – the first IU player to get First Team All-Big Ten honor in each of his first two years of college baseball.

Taylor heads into 2025 as one of the best available draft prospects for this year’s MLB Draft. He is just 12 home runs away from breaking the program’s all-time record and needs just 51 hits to reach 200 in his career at IU. He will head a potent offensive attack in Bloomington this season alongside junior shortstop Tyler Cerny, sophomore second baseman Jasen Oliver and senior third baseman Josh Pyne.

2025 Indiana Preseason Baseball Honors

• Devin Taylor – Perfect Game Second Team All-American

INDIANA WRESTLING

NO. 24 INDIANA TO HOST NO. 16 RUTGERS ON FRIDAY

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– No. 24 Indiana is back in action for its first dual since Dec. 6 on Friday when it hosts No. 16 Rutgers at 7 p.m. in Wilkinson Hall.

BACK TO BIG TEN:

-Indiana enters the dual with a 4-1 record and 0-1 conference mark after losing to No. 11 Illinois in December.

-Rutgers is 8-2 and this will be their first Big Ten match.

-The Hoosiers and Scarlet Knights have split the last two meetings with Rutgers winning 30-11 in Piscataway, N.J. last year and Indiana taking the dual, 24-16, in Bloomington in 2023.

-Rutgers boasts 10 ranked wrestlers to Indiana’s six.

-There were a couple of potential preview matches at the dual with Indiana and Rutgers having four sets of wrestlers face each other.

-Indiana’s Tyler Lillard (165), Gabe Sollars (197) and Jacob Bullock (285) defeated Anthony White, John Poznanski and Yaraslau Slavikouski at Midlands, respectively.

-Rutgers’ Dean Peterson (125) defeated Jacob Moran in the semifinals at Midlands, as well.

MIDLANDS SUCCESS:

-Indiana had its best performance at Midlands in program history on Dec. 29-30.

-The Hoosiers earned fourth place with 95.5 team points, finishing just behind Stanford, Rutgers and Penn.

-The Hoosiers set two program records with six placers and three finalists. Tyler Lillard (165) won the 165 lbs. title and was the program’s first Midlands Champion since Taylor Walsh in 2014.

-Gabe Sollars (197) and Jacob Bullock (285) each took second place.

-Jacob Moran (125) got 4th, DJ Washington (184) got 7th and Nick Pavlechko (285) took 8th place.

ON THE RISE:

-Indiana has seen a gradual progression in the national rankings throughout the season as the team has picked up some key wins.

-After beginning the season unranked, Indiana broke into the top-30 nationally on InterMat’s Dual Rankings and most recently got slated at No. 24 in the NWCA’s Coaches Poll.

-This is the third consecutive season that Indiana has been ranked in the top 25. In 2022-23 and 2023-24 the team got to be as high as No. 16 among different polls.

-The Hoosiers currently have six ranked wrestlers and have had as many as eight at once this season.

-Indiana started the season 4-0 in duals until the loss to Illinois to put the team at 4-1. The 4-0 record marks the third consecutive year where the team got off to a 3-0 or better start.

ILLINOIS OPENER:

-Indiana fell short in its first Big Ten dual of the season when it lost 34-3 to No. 11 Illinois on Dec. 6 in Indianapolis as part of the inaugural Big Ten Takedown.

-No. 22 Jacob Moran (125) defeated Illinois’ Calean Riley by decision, 5-2, to open the match and put Indiana up 3-0.

-Despite the lopsided score, most of the bouts were very close. Seven of then ten matches were decided by three points or less.

PURDUE WRESTLING
WRESTLING BEGINS B1G SCHEDULE AT HOME VS. NORTHWESTERN ON FRIDAY

WEST LAFAYETTE – No. 25 Purdue Wrestling will begin its Big Ten Conference slate with the team’s first home dual of the season on Friday against Northwestern.

The matches will start at 7 p.m. ET in Holloway Gymnasium. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and admission is free to all students and fans.

Additionally, fans at home can watch every match live on B1G+.

After seven road duals and two tournaments, the Boilermakers will take to the mat in Holloway for the first time since the preseason Wrestle Offs. It’s the team’s first regular season home dual since last February.

With a record of 6-1, the Boilermakers enter conference action with their best dual record since the 2021-22 season.

Purdue won its last dual against the Wildcats convincingly, a 29-11 decision in Evanston, Ill., on Feb. 9, 2024.

Regular starters again this season, Matt Ramos, Dustin Norris, Joey Blaze, Stoney Buell, Brody Baumann and James Rowley were all victorious in their matches at Northwestern last February.

One of the oldest rivalries in school history, the meeting marks the 95th matchup against Northwestern. The Boilermakers hold a 48-44-2 advantage in the all-time series.

Purdue has only faced in-state rival Indiana more times throughout program history (110). The Boilers have also battled Illinois 94 times.

Northwestern enters the dual at 2-1 this season. The Wildcats finished 1-7 in the Big Ten a year ago.

LAST TIME OUT

Purdue won its most recent dual in a road trip to Kent State, beating the Golden Flashes 31-0.

Ramos earned his 100th career win with a 16-4 major decision over Kent State’s Nico Balello.

Baumann showed off his offensive prowess by scoring the most points of any Boilermaker all season in a 21-5 tech fall over Hunter Andel.

Norris, Law and Vanadia also won via tech fall while Clark earned a major decision and Cruz won a sudden victory decision.

RANKINGS ROUNDUP

In the national rankings, Purdue has continued to stand out. Ramos has kept himself atop the 125-pound rankings, and Blaze resides in the Top 10 with him, but in the 157-pound weight class at No. 7. In total, seven members of the Boilermakers’ lineup are currently ranked nationally.

PROJECTED LINEUP

Purdue

125 | #1 Matt Ramos

133 | Dustin Norris

141 | #33 Greyson Clark

149 | Isaac Ruble

157 | #7 Joey Blaze

165 | #33 Stoney Buell

174 | #26 Brody Baumann

184 | #20 James Rowley

197 | #30 Ben Vanadia

285 | Hayden Filipovich

Northwestern

125 | Dedrick Navarro

133 | Massey Odiotti

141 | No. 10 Chris Cannon OR Giosue Hickman

149 | Sam Cartella

157 | No. 11 Trevor Chumbley OR Jacob Bostelman

165 | No. 19 Maxx Mayfield

174 | Joseph Martin OR Aiden Vandenbush

184 | Jon Halvorsen

197 | No. 13 Evan Bates

285 | Dirk Morley

PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL

#20 PURDUE HEADS TO RUTGERS IN SEARCH OF FOURTH STRAIGHT VICTORY

GAMEDAY INFORMATION — GAME 16

[20] Purdue (11-4, 3-1) vs. Rutgers (8-7, 1-3)

Thursday, January 9, 2025

6 p.m. ET | Piscataway, New Jersey

Jersey Mike’s Arena (8,000)

TELEVISION: FS1 (Alex Faust, Bill Raftery)

RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell)

THE NOTES TO KNOW

• Purdue heads East for the second time in Big Ten play as it looks to win at a place where wins have been tough to come by, visiting Jersey Mike’s Arena on Thursday for a contest with the talented Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Purdue enters on a three-game winning streak but will be tested in a facility that the Boilermakers have won just one of their last four meetings.

• In an incredible twist of scheduling fate, the Boilermakers will visit both coasts in a the span of a week, visiting the Jersey Shore and the Atlantic Ocean coast on Jan. 9, before heading to Seattle next week for a journey to the Pacific Ocean to face both Washington and Oregon.

• A win will give Purdue a four-game winning streak, matching its longest of the season (first four games of the year) and a 4-1 mark in Big Ten Conference play. Under Matt Painter, Purdue has started 4-1 or better just four times (2023, 2018, 2011, 2008). Ironically, Purdue has only won the Big Ten regular-season title once when starting 4-1 or better (2023).

• Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Purdue owns an 18-2 record in the month of January.

• Purdue has just 22 turnovers over the last three games. Purdue averaged 12.3 turnovers per game in the first 12 games of the season. In the last two games, Purdue has 57 assists against 22 turnovers. It has also forced 35 turnovers in that span, a margin of plus-4.33 per game.

• In the last four years, Purdue has defeated teams ranked No. 1 (Arizona), No. 2 (Alabama), No. 4 (Marquette), No. 5 (Villanova), No. 6 (Wisconsin, Tennessee, Gonzaga), No. 7 (Tennessee), No. 8 (Duke) and No. 9 (Illinois). All but Alabama and Illinois came away from Mackey Arena.

• Purdue is now 103-23 since the start of the 2021-22 season, recording the second-most wins in the country (Houston – 106; Connecticut – 103) during that span. The senior class of Caleb Furst (only senior) became the seventh class in school history with 100 career victories.

• Purdue’s trio of Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith have combined for 178 of Purdue’s 243 points in the last three games. The trio has gone 68-of-131 (.519) from the field and 22-of-47 (.468) from 3-point range.

• The starting backcourt of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer are 74-15 since their arrival at Purdue, starting every game of their tenure. The duo has combined for 2,035 points, 617 rebounds and 763 assists during their careers, shooting 287-of-712 from deep (.403).

• Fletcher Loyer needs four points for 1,000 in his career. Should he reach 1,000 career points, he would join his backcourt mate Braden Smith (1,039 points) to reach the 1,000-point club in the last week (Smith did so vs. Minnesota on Jan. 2).

• Braden Smith was named Big Ten Player of the Week after averaging 25.3 points, 9.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game in three games during the voting week. He went 14-of-32 (.438) from 3-point range and has made at least five 3-pointers in four of the last six games, going 26-of-57 (.456) from deep in the last six games. He is the only player in America with 225 points, 125 assists and 50 rebounds.

• Trey Kaufman-Renn is one of two players nationally (South Dakota State’s Oscar Cluff) to average 17.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and shoot at least 57 percent from the field. He has scored in double-figures in all 15 games this season.

• Gicarri Harris (Grayson HS) and Rutgers’ Ace Bailey (McEachern HS) squared off in the Georgia Class 7A state basketball championship, with Harris’ Grayson team winning the title, 51-41, last March. Harris had nine points in the title game, while Bailey had 18.

• A year ago, Purdue became the first Big Ten team since the Fab Five of Michigan to have two NBA Draft lottery picks from the same recruiting class (Jaden Ivey — No. 5; Zach Edey — No. 9). Rutgers is expected to have the same this coming draft with Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey.

• Purdue, Duke, Gonzaga and Houston are the only programs in America to have made at least a Sweet 16, Elite 8 and Final Four during their last five NCAA Tournament appearances. Purdue reached the Sweet 16 in 2022, the Elite 8 in 2019 and the Final Four in 2024.

SMITH NAMED TO WOODEN AWARD MID-SEASON WATCH LIST

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – One day after being named the Big Ten Player of the Week, Purdue point guard Braden Smith was selected as one of 25 players to the Wooden Award mid-season watch list, whittled down from 50 players named to the preseason watch list.

Smith was one of five Big Ten players to make the list, joined by Rutgers’ freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, Maryland freshman Derik Queen and Illinois freshman Kasparas Jakucionis.

For the season, Smith is averaging 15.4 points, 8.6 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game, leading the league in both assists per game (8.6) and 3-pointers made (42). He is on pace to become the first player nationally since Murray State’s Ja Morant in 2018-19, and third player this century, to average at least 15.0 points, 8.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. He is shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range and 88.6 percent from the free throw line.

Prior to this season, Purdue had two games with 20 points and 10 assists in school history. Smith has reached those marks three times in the last six games and he has 14 career point-assist double-doubles, all of which have come in the last 53 games he has played in.

Smith recently surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career and is the only player in Big Ten history with 1,000 points, 500 assists and 400 rebounds in his first three years.

Smith and the No. 20-ranked Boilermakers travel to Rutgers for a 6 p.m. ET, tip on Thursday.

NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL

FREEMAN WINS GEORGE MUNGER COLLEGE COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD

Garnering his second national Coach of the Year honor, Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman was named the winner of the George Munger College Coach of the Year Award, presented by the Maxwell Football Club.

Freeman is the second Notre Dame coach to win the Munger Award (Tyrone Willingham, 2002).

Freeman, also the winner of the Dodd Trophy and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, is in his third season at Notre Dame and has led the Irish to an 13-1 record in 2024, including a First-Round playoff win over Indiana and a Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia, with a No. 3 ranking in the Associated Press (AP) and Coaches Polls, and the No. 7 seed in the 2024 College Football Playoff.

The Irish, currently on a 12-game win streak, move on in the College Football Playoff to face No. 6 Penn State in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Jan. 9, 2025.

Freeman has led Notre Dame to six victories over opponents ranked in the AP Poll at the time of the game this season: No. 20 Texas A&M, No. 15 Louisville, No. 24 Navy, No. 18 Army, No. 9 Indiana and No. 2 Georgia. The CFP victory over Georgia was the 13th ranked win of the Freeman era at Notre Dame, more than any other Irish head coach in the first three years of his tenure, and the second-most of any FBS program over the last three years (Georgia, 14).

Through the season and the Quarterfinal round of the CFP, Notre Dame is first in pass efficiency defense (99.88), first in turnovers gained (31), first in defensive touchdowns (6), first in blocked kicks (6), second in scoring defense (13.6), second in blocked punts (3), third in turnover margin (1.29), third in fumbles recovered (13), fourth in scoring offense (37.7), fourth in interceptions (18), fifth in passing defense (167.4), fifth in red zone defense (0.686),  fifth in third down defense (0.299), fifth in fourth down defense (0.333), seventh in passes had intercepted (6), eighth in total defense (295.4), eighth in fourth-down success rate (0.731), eighth in kickoff return defense (15.72) and 11th in rushing offense (217.5).

FREEMAN NAMED FINALIST FOR BEAR BRYANT COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD

Adding to his 2024 coaching accolades, Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman has been named a finalist for the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award, which honors contributions that make the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life – both on and off the field.

One previous Notre Dame coach has won the Bear Bryant Award: Lou Holtz in 1988.

Freeman, the winner of the 2024 Dodd Trophy and the 2024 George Munger College Coach of the Year Award, and selected as the honorary head coach for the 2024 AFCA Allstate Good Works Team, is also a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. He in his third season at Notre Dame and has led the Irish to an 13-1 record in 2024, including a First-Round playoff win over Indiana and a Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia, with a No. 3 ranking in the Associated Press (AP) and Coaches Polls, and the No. 7 seed in the 2024 College Football Playoff.

The Irish, currently on a 12-game win streak, move on in the College Football Playoff to face No. 6 Penn State in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Jan. 9, 2025.

Freeman has led Notre Dame to six victories over opponents ranked in the AP Poll at the time of the game this season: No. 20 Texas A&M, No. 15 Louisville, No. 24 Navy, No. 18 Army, No. 9 Indiana and No. 2 Georgia. The CFP victory over Georgia was the 13th ranked win of the Freeman era at Notre Dame, more than any other Irish head coach in the first three years of his tenure, and the second-most of any FBS program over the last three years (Georgia, 14).

Through the season and the Quarterfinal round of the CFP, Notre Dame is first in pass efficiency defense (99.88), first in turnovers gained (31), first in defensive touchdowns (6), first in blocked kicks (6), second in scoring defense (13.6), second in blocked punts (3), third in turnover margin (1.29), third in fumbles recovered (13), fourth in scoring offense (37.7), fourth in interceptions (18), fifth in passing defense (167.4), fifth in red zone defense (0.686),  fifth in third down defense (0.299), fifth in fourth down defense (0.333), seventh in passes had intercepted (6), eighth in total defense (295.4), eighth in fourth-down success rate (0.731), eighth in kickoff return defense (15.72) and 11th in rushing offense (217.5).

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMI-FINAL GAME NOTES: NOTRE DAME VS. PENN STATE

NOTRE DAME NOTES:

GAME AT A GLANCE • Notre Dame and Penn State are meeting for the 20th time, with the series tied at 9-9-1. The two teams have met in the postseason once previously, the 1977 Gator Bowl (a 20-9 Irish win) • Both teams have been ranked on seven previous occasions in the series. This season’s installment will be the collective highest ranking from both teams (No. 3 vs. No. 5 in the AP Poll). • Notre Dame has played in the Orange Bowl on five previous occasions (1972, 1974, 1989, 1990, 1995), with a 2-3 overall record in the Orange Bowl. The most recent trip for the Irish to the Orange Bowl was in 1995 (26-31 loss to Florida State). • The Irish have faced two Big Ten opponents this season, defeating both Purdue (66-7) and Indiana (27-17). • Notre Dame has played twice previously in Hard Rock Stadium (0-2). • The victory over Georgia was the 13th ranked win of the Marcus Freeman era at Notre Dame, more than any other Irish head coach in the first three years of his tenure, and the second-most of any FBS program over the past three seasons (Georgia, 14). • Notre Dame leads the nation in turnovers gained (31). The Irish have earned 148 points off of turnovers this season, compared to their opponents’ 34 (+114 point differential). • Jayden Harrison’s 98-yard kick return to start the second half in the 23-10 win over Georgia was the second-longest kick return in Sugar Bowl history, behind Andre Debose’s 100-yard effort for Florida in 2013. • Harrison’s return also set a Notre Dame postseason record for longest kickoff return, topping the previous high of 96, Armando Allen vs. Hawai’i (’08 Hawai’i Bowl), and ties for seventh all-time in long kick returns in Notre Dame records.

IRISH ITEMS – BY THE NUMBERS 1 Notre Dame’s 2024 defense is dominant and one of the most complete defenses in the country, ranking among the FBS’ top teams. Through the season and the Quarterfinal round of the CFP, Notre Dame is first in pass efficiency defense (99.88), first in turnovers gained (31), first in defensive touchdowns (6), second in scoring defense (13.6), third in fumbles recovered (13), fourth in interceptions (18), fifth in passing defense (167.4), fifth in red zone defense (0.686), fifth in third down defense (0.299), fifth in fourth down defense (0.333) and eighth in total defense (295.4). 2 Senior quarterback Riley Leonard owns 34 rushing touchdowns for his career, including three in the first half at Purdue, and two vs. Miami (OH) and Georgia Tech. He ranks second among all active FBS quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns. 3 Riley Leonard is one of seven FBS quarterbacks (and three Power 4 quarterbacks) this season to have passed for 2,300 yards and rushed for 700 yards. 3-24 Notre Dame held two-straight opponents to 3-24 on third down (Miami 2-12, Purdue 1-12), the best back-to-back two-game total since 2021 (Cincinnati 2-12, Wisconsin 1-14). Those are the two best back-to-back two-game stretches since data is available starting in 1996. 4 Notre Dame is one of just four programs in the Power 4 with eight or more wins over each of the last five seasons (2020-24), joined by Alabama, Clemson and Georgia. 13 Notre Dame is now 13-1, the most wins in a season in program history. Playing in its 15th game this season in the Sugar Bowl, Notre Dame will extend the record for the most games it has played in a season ever. 13 The victory over Georgia was the 13th ranked win of the Marcus Freeman era at Notre Dame, more than any other Irish head coach in the first three years of his tenure, and the second-most of any FBS program over the past three seasons (Georgia, 14). In 2023, the 40-8 Sun Bowl victory over No. 21 Oregon State not only earned Freeman his first campaign with 10 victories, it also was his team’s seventh victory over an Associated Press-ranked team in his first two years leading the program – breaking Terry Brennan’s previous program record of six in 1954 and 55. 13 Xavier Watts has made a statement as the best defensive player in college football. Watts has totaled 13 interceptions on his career. His 13 interceptions over the last two seasons are the most by any FBS player during that span; the next closest players have nine. He has averaged 0.5 interceptions per game over that span. He has the most career interceptions by an Irish player since 1996. He is the 19th Notre Dame player to intercept 10 or more passes in a career and is tied for third on the all-time list for career interceptions in program history. Watts is responsible for seven of Notre Dame’s 31 turnovers gained this season (six interceptions, one fumble recovery). 10 Leonard and Love have each had a rushing TD in the same game 10 times this season, tied for the most by any FBS duo in any season in the last 25 years with Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick and Vai Taua in 2010 (10). 13 Jeremiyah Love scored a rushing touchdown in 13-straight games this season, a Notre Dame record for most consecutive game with a rushing TD, and a Notre Dame record for most consecutive games with a rushing TD to start a season. He was the only FBS running back to have scored a rushing touchdown in each regular season game this season. 130 Jeremiyah Love’s performance vs. Army was noteworthy, rushing seven times for 130 yards. He is one of just two Power 4 running backs this season to achieve 130 rushing yards on fewer than 10 carries, and one of just seven Irish running backs to achieve 100 or more yards on fewer than 10 carries since 1950. 99 + 100 The 49-35 victory at USC was sealed for the Irish on two pick-sixes on back-to-back drives to close the game, as CB Christian Gray took a 99-yard interception for a score, and S Xavier Watts followed it up with a 100-yard pick-six on the very next USC drive. Not only was it the first time this season that a team had two interception returns for 99 or more yards in a single game, but it marked the first time since at least 1996 that such a feat has occurred. Gray tied the Notre Dame record for longest interception return in program history (Luther Bradley, 1975 against Purdue), and Watts broke the record with his 100-yard return. 15 QB Riley Leonard broke the Notre Dame record for most rushing touchdowns in a single season by a quarterback with 15 (14, Brandon Wimbush, 2015). 1000 RB Jeremiyah Love has 1,076 rushing yards so far in 2024, the 21st time an Irish player has broken the 1,000-yard rushing mark in a season. He is averaging 7.4 yards per carry, which would rank second among all single-season 1,000-yard rushers in ND records (Reggie Brooks, 1992, 8.0 – 1,343).

TWO-DEEP TIDBITS – OFFENSE • Jayden Thomas entered 2023 season as Notre Dame’s leading returning receiver and served in that role in the first four games of the 2023 season, catching 12 passes for over 180 yards and a touchdown. • Beaux Collins is Notre Dame’s leading receiver in 2024, with 36 receptions for 445 yards. He recorded 91 receptions for 1,290 yards and 11 touchdowns in 1,578 offensive snaps over 32 games (27 starts) at Clemson from 2021-23. He broke out late in his true freshman season with 31 catches for 407 yards and three touchdowns. • Jaden Greathouse was the first Irish true freshman wideout to catch two touchdown passes in his first-career game (against Navy in 2023). His five touchdown catches during a rookie campaign are the most for a Notre Dame true freshman since 2016. • Jayden Harrison was a first-team All-American as a kick returner at Marshall last season, tying for the FBS lead with two kick return touchdowns in 2023. He recorded his first touchdown catch for the Irish in the 35-14 win over Virginia. In 2023, Harrison played in all 13 games for Marshall (started four), totaling 28 receptions for 410 yards (14.6 yards per reception) and a touchdown. • Kris Mitchell, a transfer from FIU, led CUSA and ranked in the Top 20 nationally in receiving yards in 2023 (1,118 – 18th nationally) and receiving yads per game (93.2 – 13th nationally). Mitchell owns 118 career receptions for 1,853 yards and 13 touchdowns. • Jordan Faison joined the Notre Dame football team as a walk on and made his collegiate athletics debut at No. 25 Louisville in 2023, and was put on football scholarship. He would end the season with 19 catches for 322 yards and four touchdowns, capping the year by earning Sun Bowl MVP honors with five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown. • Notre Dame’s offensive line presents some new faces in 2024 with the departures of NFL Draftees Joe Alt and Blake Fisher. Pat Coogan, Ashton Craig, Billy Schrauth, Tosh Baker, Rocco Spindler and Charles Jagusah own starting experience. Irish linemen Aamil Wagner, Sam Pendleton and Anthonie Knapp all made their first-career starts at No. 20 Texas A&M. Even with injuries and young talent, the line was named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award. • Mitchell Evans had a breakout season in 2023 before being sidelined with an injury. A 2024 semifinalist for the Mackey Award, he played in eight games as a junior in 2023, starting seven, and ended the season as the team’s top receiving target, averaging 52.8 yards per game. Through those eight games, Evans totaled 29 receptions for 422 yards and a touchdown during the season, averaging 14.6 yards per catch. • With Evans’ injury in 2023, Cooper Flanagan and Eli Raridon saw action in 2023, each scoring a touchdown, and will look to have an increased role in 2024. • Riley Leonard owns 34 rushing touchdowns for his career, ranking second among all active FBS quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns. He entered his senior season and first with Notre Dame coming off a Duke career as one of the ACC’s premier quarterbacks. • Steve Angeli made the most of his first-career start in the 2023 Sun Bowl completing 15 of 19 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns. Prior to that game, he went 19-for-25 passing with four touchdowns in seven relief appearances. • With the departure of NFL Draft pick Audric Estimé, Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are poised to lead the Irish running backs in 2024. Love has posted 11-straight games with a rushing touchdown.

TWO-DEEP TIDBITS – DEFENSE • Joshua Burnham finished the 2023 season with 18 tackles, four tackles-for-loss and a sack. Junior Tuihalamaka appeared in all 13 games in 2023 while posting 10 tackles. • Howard Cross III established himself as one of the top playmaking interior defensive lineman in the country during the 2023 season, and continued his dominance in 2024. See page 20 for more information on Cross. Donovan Hinish stepped up in relief of Cross when injured, and put together an impressive showing through three starts. He appeared in nine games in 2023 and posting a career-best four stops in the win over Central Michigan. • RJ Oben transferred from Duke in the offseason with 34 career starts and 50 games played. Entering Notre Dame, he had posted 67 tackles on his career, with 14.5 sacks (loss of 91 yards), five forced fumbles, two passes defended and an interception. Bryce Young is now seeing time in the regular defensive line rotation and has made a significant mark on special teams, ranking second in the nation in individual blocked kicks (3). He is four-star true freshman and was an Adidas All-American as a high school senior. See page 22 for more on Young. • Jack Kiser leads a linebacker room with young talent. A team captain and finalist for the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy and the 2024 Wuerffel Trophy, Kiser holds the Notre Dame record for career games played. See page 20 for more information on Kiser. Jaiden Ausberry appeared in four regular-season games in 2023, preserving his eligibility. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is a highly touted five-star linebacker who was a finalist for the high school Butkus Award in 2023. He posted a career-high seven tackles vs. Northern Illinois. Drayk Bowen has posted 54 tackles this season, second behind Kiser’s 64. He appeared in 12 games in 2023 (missing one contest with an injury) and recorded 14 stops and a forced fumble.  Jaylen Sneed appeared in all 13 games in 2023, totaling 14 tackles, five QB hurries and two PBU. • Jordan Clark joined the Irish from Arizona State with 22 career starts and 39 games played entering 2024. Throughout his college career, he has snagged four interceptions (one for a touchdown) and 164 tackles (118 solo) with 7.5 TFL and 24 passes defended. • Adon Shuler has posted three interceptions this season, one each against Texas A&M, Georgia Tech and Virginia. Starting each game in 2024, he showed his playmaking ability late in the 2023 season, posting all six career tackles in the final three games of the year. See page 21 for more on Shuler. Luke Talich quickly established himself as a special teams mainstay during his freshman season in 2023, and posted his first-career pick six vs. Florida State. • True freshmen Karson Hobbs, Leonard Moore and Kennedy Urlacher have impressed in preseason camp. Moore and Urlacher both garnered one four-star ranking through recruitment. Moore made his college football debut at No. 20 Texas A&M, and his first-career start vs. No. 15 Louisville, leading the team with seven tackles. He also posted seven tackles in his second start, at Georgia Tech. Tae Johnson made his debut on the depth chart for Florida State week, and saw his first game action after coming back from injury. • Christian Gray started his first-career game in the 23-13 win at No. 20 Texas A&M. He saw action in 12 games and made 11 tackles in 2023. He intercepted his first career pass against Pittsburgh and finished the year with a career-best three tackles in the Sun Bowl victory over Oregon State. • Xavier Watts is a semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Bednarik Award, Lott Trophy and Thorpe Award. Watts won the Nagurski Trophy in 2023 and was a unanimous All-American. See page 18 for more on Watts. Rod Heard II spent his prior career at Northwestern, where he amassed 31 starts and 46 games played with 182 tackles, 11 for loss, two sacks and two interceptions, as well as 10 passes defended, five forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

PENN STATE NOTES:

NO. 6 SEED PENN STATE MEETS NO. 7 SEED NOTRE DAME IN CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL • OPENING KICK: No. 6 seed Penn State faces No. 7 seed Notre Dame in a College Football Playoff semifinal game in the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Fla. on Thursday, January 9. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. • SERIES HISTORY: Penn State meets Notre Dame for the 20th time in program history. The series is even at 9-9-1. The Nittany Lions and the Fighting Irish meet in a bowl game for the second time. The two teams previously played in the 1976 Gator Bowl, a 20-9 win by Notre Dame. In the last matchup in 2007, Penn State won 31-10. PSU held Notre Dame to 0 rushing yards on 26 attempts and 144 total yards, while Derrick Williams scored on a 78-yard punt return. • SINGLETON, ALLEN REACH 1,000 RUSHING YARDS: In Penn State’s 31-14 win over Boise State, Kaytron Allen (1,026 yards) and Nicholas Singleton (1,015) both went over 1,000 rushing yards on the season. They became the first Penn State duo to rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. Allen and Singleton is the first Big Ten duo since Iowa’s Akrum Wadley (1,081) and Leshun Daniels Jr. (1,058) in 2016 and the ninth Big Ten running back duo to run for 1,000 yards in the same season. Allen and Singleton is the only running back duo with 1,000 rushing yards in the FBS this season. • TAKEAWAYS: After recording three interceptions against SMU in its CFP first round game, Penn State followed up with four takeaways against Boise State. In the first quarter, Kobe King forced a fumble along the sideline, which was recovered by Zakee Wheatley. The fourth quarter featured three interceptions, starting with a pick by Wheatley, who returned it 28 yards to help him earn Fiesta Bowl Defensive Player of the Game honors. CB Zion Tracy secured an interception with 3:44 left in the game and S Tyrece Mills tallied an interception in the end zone to stop Boise State’s final drive of the game. Mills’ interception was one of PSU’s three red-zone stops in the fourth quarter. • THE OPPOSITION: Notre Dame is the No. 7 seed in the College Football Playoff and earned a quarterfinal win, 23-10 over No. 2 seed Georgia, in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The Fighting Irish are 13-1 overall this season. Riley Leonard threw for 90 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 80 yards. Jayden Harrison returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. On defense, Notre Dame held Georgia to 62 rushing yards and collected nine tackles for loss.

SERIES NOTES:

HEAD COACH MARCUS FREEMAN • Marcus Freeman is in his third full season as head coach at Notre Dame. • Freeman is 32-9 as head coach at Notre Dame, including 10 wins in 2023 and 13 wins in 2024. • He has led Notre Dame to a 4-1 mark in postseason games, including wins in the 2022 Gator Bowl (45-38 vs. South Carolina), 2023 Sun Bowl (40-8 vs. Oregon State), 2024 CFP First Round (27- 17 vs. Indiana) and 2024 Sugar Bowl/CFP Quarterfinal (23-10 vs. Georgia). • Prior to becoming head coach, Freeman served as defensive coordinator/linebackers coach in 2021-22. • He was also defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Cincinnati from 2017-20 and co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Purdue in 2016. • Freeman was a four-year letterman at Ohio State, helping the Buckeyes to two national championship appearances, and played in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears and Houston Texans. SCOUTING THE FIGHTING IRISH • Notre Dame is 13-1 this season, including 12-straight wins. • The Fighting Irish entered the College Football Playoffs as the No. 7 seed and No. 5 in the CFP rankings. • Notre Dame opened the playoffs with a 27-17 win over No. 10 seed Indiana in the CFP First Round and a 23-10 victory over No. 2 seed Georgia in the CFP Quarterfinal/All-State Sugar Bowl. • Notre Dame ranks fourth in the nation in scoring offense (37.7), 49th in total offense (406.6), 11th in rushing offense (217.5) and 108th in passing offense (189.1). • Leonard has completed 66.5 percent of his passes for 2,383 yards and 18 touchdowns, while rushing for 831 yards and 15 scores. • RB Jeremiyah Love ranks second in the nation in yards per carry (7.27) and 14th in rushing touchdowns (16). • The Fighting Irish sits second in the nation in scoring defense (13.6), eighth in total defense (295.4), fifth in passing defense (167.4) and 34th in rushing defense (127.9). • S Xavier Watts is second in the country with six interceptions, while totaling 66 tackles and nine pass breakups. • LB Jack Kiser leads the squad with 75 tackles, while DE Rylie Mills paces the team with 8.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.

LAST ORANGE BOWL

– Kevin Kelly’s 29-yard field goal in the third overtime lifted Penn State to a thrilling 26-23 victory over Florida State in the Orange Bowl. Austin Scott carried five times for 57 yards on Penn State’s second drive and scored from 2 yards out for a 7-0 lead. Scott gained 110 yards on 26 carries and two TDs, replacing an injured Tony Hunt. Two of the nation’s premier defenses then kept each side in check until a wild final 4:09 of the second quarter. Florida State tied the game at 7-7 on Willie Reid’s 87-yard punt return. Then Drew Weatherford hit Lorenzo Booker on a 57-yard TD pass, but the PAT kick was missed. The Lions quickly responded, as Big Ten MVP Michael Robinson lofted a 25-yard pass to Ethan Kilmer, who made a leaping catch over a defender for the TD with just :06 left in the half. Kelly’s PAT made it 14-13 at the half. The Nittany Lion defense did not allow any points in the third period despite great field position for Florida State throughout the quarter. Jeremy Kapinos pinned Florida State deep as the fourth quarter began. Jim Shaw pressured Weatherford in the end zone, he threw the ball away and was called for intentional grounding, giving Penn State a safety and a 16-13 lead with 13:36 to play. Florida State later advanced to the Lions’ 29, but Penn State stiffened and Gary Cismesia hit a 48-yard field goal with 4:08 to play. A 38-yard completion from Robinson to Jordan Norwood took the ball to the Seminoles’ 11. With :32 left in regulation, Kelly’s 29-yard field goal attempt was wide, but he would later emerge as the hero. Robinson was 21-of-39 for 253 yards, accounting for 28 touchdowns during the season. The Lions held No. 22 Florida State to 26 yards rushing, 12 first downs and 3-of-17 on third down. Linebacker Dan Connor made seven tackles (two TFL) and defensive tackle Scott Paxson had six stops (1.5 TFL). Jay Alford made four hits, with 2.5 TFL, and forced a fumble deep to win a spot on ESPN.com’s All-Bowl team. All-America cornerback Alan Zemaitis grabbed his Big Ten-leading sixth interception of the season.

PENN STATE IN THE ORANGE BOWL • Penn State has a 4-1 record in five previous appearances in the Orange Bowl. • Penn State participated in the 1969 (Kansas), 1970 (Missouri), 1974 (LSU), 1986 (Oklahoma) and 2006 (Florida State) editions of the prestigious game. • Penn State’s six appearances in the Orange Bowl tied with the Citrus/Capital One Bowl for PSU’s second-most frequent bowl game, behind only the Fiesta Bowl (eight appearances). • Penn State (4-1) and Georgia (4-1) are tied for the best win percentage among teams who have made at least five appearances in the Orange Bowl. • In 1969, Penn State earned a 15-14 win over Kansas in dramatic fashion. Trailing 14-7, Neal Smith partially blocked a punt to give PSU the ball at the 50 yard-line with 1:16 left. Chuck Burhart hit Bob Campbell on a 47-yard completion and three plays later, Burkhart scored with eight seconds left. On the two-point conversion attempt, a pass by Burkhart was knocked away, but Kansas was flagged for 12 men on the field. With another chance, Campbell took a sweep into the end zone. • In 1970, Penn State claimed a 10-3 win over Missouri. PSU forced nine takeaways, including seven interceptions and two fumbles. The Nittany Lions completed back-to-back undefeated seasons. • In 1974, PSU won 16-9 over LSU, highlighted by a 72-yard touchdown from Tom Shuman to Chuck Herd. The Nittany Lions finished off a 12-0 season. • In 2006, Kevin Kelly knocked through a 29-yard field goal to cap off a three-overtime thriller, 26-23, over Florida State. Ethan Kilmer caught a 24-yard touchdown. PSU took a 16-13 lead in the fourth quarter on a safety on an intentional grounding in the end zone, but Florida State answered with a field goal to tie the game. After trading touchdowns in the second overtime, Kelly converted the game-winner.

TOP 5 MATCHUPS • Penn State is 4-9 all-time in regular season matchups where both teams are ranked in the Top 5 of the AP Poll. • The Nittany Lions have played in six more matchups in bowl games and Penn State is 2-3-1 in those games. • Penn State is 17-62-1 all-time against Top 5 teams, including a 15-56 record in regular season matchups. • When ranked among the Top 5, Penn State has an all-time record of 108-25-1.

STORIED PROGRAMS MEET • Penn State and Notre Dame both rank among the top-10 programs in winning percentage and total victories in NCAA history. • Four of the top-10 winningest programs, by total wins and winning percentage, in NCAA history are from the Big Ten. • Penn State sits No. 7 in all-time victories (943) and No. 9 in winning percentage (.691). • Notre Dame sits tied-fourth with 960 all-time victories and No. 4 with an all-time winning percentage of .732. • The Nittany Lions and the Fighting Irish are also among the most ranked teams in NCAA history according to the AP poll. • Notre Dame has spent 98 weeks ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll (fourth all-time) and Penn State has earned the No. 1 ranking by the AP on 21 occasions (T-17th all-time). (Not including preseason rankings). • Penn State’s 711 weeks ranked among the AP Top 25 ranks ninth all-time, while Notre Dame’s 889 weeks are the fourth-most in NCAA history.

NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL

IRISH LOSE SECOND STRAIGHT ONE-POINT GAME, 65-66 AT NC STATE

RALEIGH – A sense of deja vu the Notre Dame men’s basketball team didn’t want to experience. The Fighting Irish (7-8, 1-3) boasted a lead as large as eight in the second half and a later lead of four with two minutes remaining, but couldn’t hold on against NC State (9-6, 2-2), falling on the road Wednesday night, 65-66. The Irish had a chance for a go-ahead bucket at the buzzer but couldn’t get it to fall as they dropped their second straight ACC contest by one point.

Highlight of the contest was junior forward Kebba Njie who recorded his first career double-double. Njie posted 10 points behind 5-8 shooting, plus a season best 11 rebounds.

In fact, all five starters were in double figures for the first time this season. Tae Davis posted 14 points and a career-high six assists. Davis was 5-10 from the floor and 4-5 from the free-throw line. Markus Burton made the start tonight and scored 15 points behind 5-15 shooting overall and 2-4 from deep. Burton also dished out four assists.

Braeden Shrewsberry recorded 13 points on 5-12 shooting, plus 3-10 from beyond the arc. Lastly, Matt Allocco tallied 11 points on 3-5 shooting (3-4 from three) and seven rebounds.

The Irish finished the game 43.6 percent from the field compared to the Wolfpack’s 46.2 percent. ND outrebounded NC State 34-29.

HOW IT HAPPENED

At 8:38, NC State had acquired its largest lead of the half up six at 12-18. The Irish were doing a solid job defensively though of jamming the paint, as the Wolfpack were living and dying by the three ball. Soon after, the Notre Dame offense took a turn.

A pair of Tae Davis layups sandwiched back-to-back Markus Burton and Braeden Shrewsberry threes and just like that the Irish found themselves in the lead up 22-21 with 5:25 left.

A few moments later, the Irish fired off an 11-0 run spanning three minutes and 46 seconds – a Kebba Njie dunk, a Julian Roper II drive and score, a layup and pair of free throws from Davis and another Shrewsberry three.

All-in-all, the Irish offense converted nine of their last 12 from the field to claim a 33-26 halftime lead. NC State who started 7-of-17 only made three of their last 11.

NC State scored the first four points of the second half to make it a one-possession game but an Allocco three and Burton drive and score stymied their momentum momentarily, pushing the score to 38-30.

When the Wolfpack cut it to 44-41 it was Burton again, this time with a three. Plus Njie was battling hard down low and accomplished his first career double double a possession prior.

However, NC State’s Jayden Taylor was a thorn in Notre Dame’s side. His third three of the half cut the gap to 47-44 to prompt a Coach Shrews timeout just under 12 minutes left. Taylor had 12 second-half points at this juncture.

Out of the timeout, the Irish executed their play to perfection as Roper found Shrewsberry for the easy score to go up 49-44.

With 7:40 remaining, NC State’s Ben Middlebrooks capped a Wolfpack 3-for-3 stretch from the field with a three, recapturing the lead at 53-54. ND immediately retaliated as a Burton inlet pass to Davis was finished for an and-one. A possession later, Burton earned another assist finding Allocco for the three, 59-54.

Out of the 3:57 media timeout the Irish needed a bucket up 60-56 and Shrewsberry delivered with a three, his third of the game. However, the Wolfpack wouldn’t go away hitting one of their on the next possession.

With just under 2:30 left it was a 63-61 ballgame and Notre Dame drew a foul. Allocco stepped up and drilled both from the stripe to push the lead to four. Unfortunately, those were the last points scored by the Irish.

Middlebrooks converted a pair of free throws then Burton missed a three-point attempt. Marcus Hill from NC State grabbed the board and went coast-to-coast for the easy score. Shrewsberry then had a chance at a three and couldn’t connect as the Wolfpack got another board. They were then fouled on their next offensive possession and Middlebrooks made 1-of-2 for the 65-66 lead.

Out of the timeout, Burton drove the paint, was double-teamed, then attempted a stepback jumper, but it didn’t drop.

UP NEXT

The Irish will stay out in North Carolina and complete its trip with #4 Duke on Saturday. That match will tip at Noon ET on ESPN.

NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — No. 3 Notre Dame (12-2, 3-0) will look to continue its hot ACC start on Thursday evening, as Wake Forest (7-7, 0-3) visits Purcell Pavilion for the first home game of 2025.

Notre Dame’s last trip out was a successful one. The Irish earned their fourth double-digit ranked victory of the season by knocking off No. 17 UNC at their place, 76-66. Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles led the charge. Hidalgo had 24 points, 5 assists and 3 steals. Miles had 19 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Both guards knocked down five triples, and Notre Dame finished 13-21 from downtown.

All-ACC forward Maddy Westbeld returned to the court for the first time this year as well, playing 13 minutes and notching a rebound, a block and a steal.

While the Demon Deacons have struggled to finish ACC games so far, they’ve been competitive against both Clemson and Louisville. Wake Forest took the Cardinals to overtime on Sunday, and Rylie Theuerkauf had 17 points with five 3-pointers. The team shot 58.7 percent from the floor and 52.6 percent from beyond the arc.

In total this season, the Demon Deacons have the third-best scoring defense in the ACC (57.0 points per game). Malaya Cowles is the leading rebounder (6.3), and Theuerkauf is their leading scorer on the other end (10.2). Five different players are averaging at least 8 points per game.

Notre Dame is 12-0 all-time against the Demon Deacons. Thursday’s game tips off at 5 p.m., which is a change from the previously scheduled 7 p.m.

NOTRE DAME SWIMMING

IRISH OPEN 2025 WITH TRI-MEET AT PURDUE, VERSUS KENTUCKY

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — After a week in the Florida sun for training camp, Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving returns to the Midwest for a tri-meet at Purdue and against Kentucky on Friday.

The Irish last competed as a group at the Ohio State Fall Invitational, where the team finished fifth.

Freshman Carli Cronk showed out and was Notre Dame’s top swimmer of the meet. She placed second in the 200 fly with a time of 1:57.03, which ranks seventh in school history. The San Antonio native added a win in the B final of the 400 IM with a time of 4:12.87, which ranks fifth in school history. Both times are NCAA B cuts.

Other top-10 performances in school history included Imogen Meers’ leadoff leg of the 400 free relay (49.03 // third in program history) and her 100 back (53.48 // 10th in program history). Jess Geriane added a 52.48 performance in the 100 back, which is fifth in school history.

Additionally, junior diver Grace Courtney finished fifth in the 3-meter (320.95) and 11th in the 1-meter (273.15) to qualify for Zone C Championships this year.

As for Friday’s competition, the Boilermakers are 1-1 in dual meets this season with a win over Missouri and a loss to Louisville.

Purdue’s last NCAA meet was the Purdue Invite just before Thanksgiving. The group set three program records and won 19 events over the three days. Kathryn Ackerman set the school record in the 400 IM with a time of 4:10.61, and Hannah Hill won both the 50 and 100 free. Caitlin Hurley was the leading overall scorer for the Boilermakers, finishing second in the 500 free, third in the 1650 free, fourth in the 200 free and seventh in the 100 free.

The Irish last visited West Lafayette in October 2019 but hosted the Boilermakers in October 2021.

Kentucky is 3-1 on the year in dual meets with wins over Akron, West Virginia and Vanderbilt and a loss to Ohio State. The Wildcats swept the Commodores on Jan. 3. Grace Frericks (100 back, 100 free), Katy Jost (500 free, 1000 free), Hayden Penny (200 free, 200 breast) and Billie Sherratt (100 fly, 200 fly) each earned two individual victories each.

Notre Dame last saw Kentucky in October 2019 as part of a home-and-home that began the year before.

Friday’s meet begins at 10 a.m. It was previously scheduled to start at 11 a.m., but has been moved due to weather. Live results can be found here, while diving scores can be found here. The full event list is as follows:

400 medley relay

1000 free

200 free

100 back

100 breast

200 fly

50 free

100 free

200 back

200 breast

500 free

100 fly

400 IM (women only)

200 IM (men only)

200 free relay (women only)

400 free relay (men only)

1-meter and 3-meter diving

BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL

BUTLER FALLS TO PROVIDENCE ON THE ROAD

Providence used 44 points in the paint and a large rebounding advantage to take an 84-65 win over Butler Wednesday night at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Rhode Island.

With the win, Providence improves to 8-8 overall and 2-3 in BIG EAST play. Butler is now 7-9 (0-5).

OF NOTE:

Providence out-rebounded Butler, 43-26, in the contest; fourteen of the Friars’ caroms were on the offensive end.

Bensley Joseph and Jayden Pierre led four Friars in double figures with 18 points apiece.

The Friars made 10 of their 24 three-point attempts, while Butler went only 4-for-16 from behind the arc.

Jahmyl Telfort and Pierre Brooks II led the Bulldogs with 17 points each. Patrick McCaffery added 12.

Andre Screen had six points for Butler, which put him over 1,000 in his collegiate career. ‘

Providence led 37-29 at the half, which was the largest lead of the first 20 minutes.

Five straight points from Wesley Cardet gave Providence a 12-point lead with 12:03 remaining (55-43) and the Friars’ lead never got back to single digits.

Butler committed only six turnovers and made 15 of their 19 free throw attempts.

Providence shot 49 percent from the field.

Telfort left the game with 3:35 remaining in the first half with a back injury, but was able to return to the contest with 15:38 left in the second half.

Butler has lost eight straight games.

Providence now holds a 10-2 advantage in games played in Rhode Island.

UP NEXT: The Bulldogs return to Hinkle Fieldhouse to host Creighton Saturday. The Noon tip will air on FOX. The game is also the program’s annual IMS Checker Out game, which will include a large Indianapolis Motor Speedway and INDYCAR presence with fans asked to wear blue or white depending on the section they are seated in. A limited number of tickets remain for the contest and are available on ButlerSports.com/BuyTickets

BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

DEFENSE LEADS BUTLER TO 57-47 WIN OVER PROVIDENCE

Butler limited Providence to just 16 second half points on Wednesday night to help the Bulldogs record a 57-47 victory over the Friars at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The win moves Butler to 11-7 on the year and gives BU their first BIG EAST win of the season. Kilyn McGuff led the Bulldogs with 14 points. Sydney Jaynes added 13 and Karsyn Norman was responsible for a season-high 11.

Butler used an 11-0 scoring run in the fourth quarter to outscore their opponent 22-10 over the final 10 minutes of the contest. They were down eight at the half, but stifled the Friar offense in the third quarter limiting PC to just six points on 3-of-14 shooting.

Butler doubled up Providence in the third quarter (12-6) and would use that momentum to collect their first conference win.

The game got underway with a 7-0 Bulldog run. Three different players accounted for the first three made field goals of the contest, but Providence would fire back with a 9-0 scoring run. Olivia Olsen had seven of PC’s 14 points at the first media timeout allowing the visitors to lead by three after one.

Providence stayed on top by winning the second quarter 15-10. They led Butler for nearly 26 minutes in the game, but the late BU scoring run paired with the Bulldog defense would push the home team to victory.

Inside the Box Score

– Kilyn McGuff led BU with 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds

– Sydney Jaynes came up with 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting while adding a 3-pointer

– Karysn Norman had 11 points, six assists and two steals in the win

– Butler went 12-for-13 from the free throw line

– BU was only whistled for four fouls resulting in PC only shooting two free throws

– The Bulldogs outscored the Friars 34-16

– Butler recorded 10 steals and caused 17 PC turnovers

– Olivia Olsen had 13 points for PC and Marta Morales had 11

Up Next

The Bulldogs are off this weekend and will return to action on Tuesday, Jan. 14 with a home game against Georgetown. Tip is set for 7 p.m.

BUTLER VOLLEYBALL

BUTLERVB ADDS ALABAMA TRANSFER ELLERY REES

The Butler volleyball team announced the addition of 6’3″ middle blocker Ellery Rees to the team on Wednesday afternoon.

The Chicago, Ill. native returns to the Midwest after spending her freshman season at the University of Alabama.

Rees appeared in 41 sets totaling 73 kills and 24 total blocks. Her best performance came at UTSA on Sep. 13, where she collected a season-high 11 kills and four blocks.

The new transfer was a standout at the prep level earning AVCA Second Team All-American honors in 2023. She also helped lead the 1st Alliance Volleyball Club team to the PrepDig Gauntlet Open Champion. She also played on the Mother McAuley High school that won the IHSA 4A State Championship in 2022.

Coach’s Quote

“Ellery is a perfect fit for Butler. She has elite experience at the prep level and will add good size and physicality to our middle blocking group.”

IU INDY MEN’S BASKETBALL

JAGUARS TO WELCOME TITANS TO THE JUNGLE ON THURSDAY

INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indianapolis men’s basketball team will return to its home hardwood on Thursday night (Jan. 9) when the Jaguars host Detroit Mercy at 6:30 p.m. inside the Jungle. The Jaguars enter play looking snap a seven-game skid following a tough 67-61 road loss at Cleveland State on Saturday.

The Jags led 56-55 with 5:29 to play after Timaris Brown drilled a three, but made just two field goals down the stretch to fall to the Vikings. Brown had a season-high 19 points and seven rebounds off the bench and Jarvis Walker added 13 points in a return to the starting lineup. Alec Millender contributed 10 points and Sean Craig closed with nine points and seven rebounds.

The Jags finished that game down two starters as Julian Steinfeld was in street clothes and top scorer Paul Zilinskas missed the final 17-plus minutes due to injury.

Zilinskas (17.8 ppg) and Walker (15.9 ppg) continue to lead the team in scoring while Craig nearly averages a double-double at 9.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.

GAME SPONSOR

Thursday’s game is sponsored by Meijer. 

SCOUTING DETROIT MERCY

Detroit Mercy enters play at 6-11 overall and 2-4 in Horizon League play with victories over Purdue Fort Wayne and Robert Morris. The Titans are 2-8 away from home on the year with road victories at Ball State and Eastern Michigan. Junior guard Orlando Lovejoy leads UDM in scoring (16.1 ppg), rebounding (4.9 rpg), assists (69) and steals (31). Emmanuel Kuac checks in at 9.1 points per game and a team-high 21 made threes while 6-foot-8 junior Legend Geeter is averaging 8.5 points per game. As a team, UDM shoots 41 percent from the floor and 34 percent from three while holding foes under 31 percent from beyond the arc. The Titans also win the glass at +2.0 rebounds per game this season.

SERIES HISTORY

Detroit Mercy leads the all-time series 8-3 and the Jaguars are 3-3 in six meetings in Indy. The two teams split last year’s regular season series with each school winning at home.

UP NEXT

The Jaguars will hit the road to face Oakland on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 7:00 p.m. in Rochester on ESPN+.

IU INDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

STRONG SECOND HALF LEADS IU INDY TO VICTORY OVER OAKLAND, 79-73

ROCHESTER, Mich. – With a strong second half, the IU Indy women’s basketball team earned the Horizon League road victory over the Oakland Golden Grizzlies on Wednesday night, 79-73. Four Jaguars reached double figures, with Katie Davidson leading the way in her second game back, scoring 23 points and pulling down seven rebounds.

Oakland came out of the gates strong, taking a commanding 21-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Golden Grizzlies shot 53.8 percent from the field, while the Jaguars struggled at just 25.0 percent. Early turnovers were a major issue for IU Indy, as they gave up possession eight times in the opening frame.

The Jaguars began to find their rhythm in the second quarter. Fueled by a hot offensive stretch, IU Indy outscored Oakland 26-21, cutting the lead to just seven by halftime. The Jaguars shot an efficient 57.9 percent from the field during the period, with strong contributions from multiple players.

The second half saw IU Indy turn the tide completely. Coming out of the half, the Jaguars’ offense stayed hot while their defense ramped up. In a dominant third quarter, they outscored Oakland 24-10, taking a 59-52 lead heading into the final period.

The Jaguars held firm in the fourth quarter, closing out the game with tight defense and forcing 12 turnovers in the second half alone. Despite a late push from the Golden Grizzlies, IU Indy secured the 79-73 victory.

Davidson’s 23-point performance was key, shooting 8-for-16 from the field and 4-for-6 from the free-throw line. Nevaeh Foster added 17 points, including a 3-for-6 mark from beyond the arc, while Alexa Hocevar contributed 14 points and was a defensive standout with eight steals. Jada Patton rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points and seven rebounds.

As a team, the Jaguars shot 48.3% from the field and forced a total of 20 turnovers from Oakland.

With the win, IU Indy has now won back-to-back games and will look to continue their momentum as they head to Northern Kentucky on Saturday, Jan. 11.

INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL

INDIANA STATE DROPS WEDNESDAY ROAD CONTEST AT VALPO IN OVERTIME

VALPARAISO, Ind. – Indiana State men’s basketball fell on Wednesday night at Valparaiso in an 98-95 contest that saw the Sycamores’ second overtime game since the new year. Indiana State fell to 9-7, 3-2 MVC while Valparaiso improved to 10-6, 3-2 MVC.

Valparaiso went a perfect four-for-four from the field in overtime and four-for-six from the free throw line to outscore the Sycamores 12-9 in the extra five-minute period to secure the 98-95 victory in overtime. Indiana State also made four buckets from the field but was limited to shoot only one-for-one from the line, which proved to be the difference in the three-point game.

Samage Teel and Markus Harding got the scoring underway with layups in back-to-back possessions. Valparaiso made its first three-of-four shots and matched the effort from the free throw line, while Camp Wagner and K’mani Doughty made threes in consecutive possessions to tie the ballgame 10-10 at the first media timeout at 15:43.

Jaden Daughtry entered the game and scored the next six points for Indiana State, which ended up being the only points for the Sycamores between the two timeouts. Daughtry’s last bucket was a one-handed slam trailing an offensive rebound by Jahni Summers.

Valpo went on a short 10-4 run in the next 2 1/2 minutes to take a five-point lead with 10:02 remaining. The Sycamores made a run of their own, an 8-0 spurt with five points from Teel. Indiana State led 28-25 with 6:53 remaining in the half.

The two teams continued to exchange the lead, with four lead changes in the next three minutes. Valpo took a one-point lead with just under two minutes left as part of a 9-0 run to close the half. Valpo’s Cooper Schwieger drained a three pointer in the final two seconds before the buzzer rang on the clock, giving the Beacons a 45-40 lead headed into the break.

Doughty’s three-pointer was the first basket of the second half, but the Beacons went on an 11-4 run in the next 3 1/2 minutes to lead 56-47 at the first media timeout. Valpo grabbed three of the team’s 10 offensive boards in a single possession in the run, leading to a triple.

Another Valpo three-pointer after the timeout gave them a 12-point, 59-47 lead, which tied for their largest lead of all 45 minutes of game time. That’s when the Sycamores clawed back.

The Trees went on a 9-2 run, highlighted by a Summers three-pointer and four points from Aaron Gray. Indiana State trailed by five with 12:46 remaining, 61-56.

Inside the six-minute mark and with the Sycamores down seven, Teel and Doughty turned in key plays to get Indiana State within a possession. Doughty secured a steal and passed ahead to Teel who made a layup, and the very next possession Doughty grabbed a defensive rebound for Teel to bank in another layup.

The next defensive possession resulted in yet another defensive rebound by Doughty, this time leading to a LeGree layup to put Indiana State down one, 76-75, with 4:48 to play.

Valparaiso slowly worked back to a five-point lead, but after free throws by Teel and Daughtry, Doughty came through again for Indiana State. The graduate student converted the conventional and-one with 1:28 left on the clock to tie the game at 82 apiece. The two teams exchanged buckets and free throws, and the game went to overtime tied 86-86 before the eventual 98-95 final score.

Samage Teel led the Sycamores offensively with 23 points on 9-for-18 shooting while dishing out a game-high seven assists. He played 42:17 minutes in the game, the most between the two teams. Jaden Daughtry scored 16 points going 6-for-9 from the field, and he tied Derek Vorst for a team-high seven rebounds. K’mani Doughty finished with 15 points on a 5-for-9 night, going 2-for-4 from deep with three rebounds and three assists. Camp Wagner scored 14 points, knocking down four three-pointers and pulling down four rebounds. Aaron Gray rounded out the five Sycamores in double figures with 10, going 5-for-10 from the field with six rebounds.

Valparaiso was led by a combined 71 points from All Wright (25), Cooper Schwieger (23), and Tyler Schmidt (23). The three combined for 21-of-43 (48.5%) from the field and attempted 43 of the team’s 62 field goal attempts (69.4%).

News & Notes

The Sycamores shot 50.0% from the field, the first time in the last four games the team has finished 50.0% or better from the field (58.3% on December 21 vs. UHSP).

The Sycamores have now dropped three of the last four contests: three-of-four have been on the road, and one road loss was to Ohio State.

Indiana State finished 18-for-31 from the free throw line (58.1%) compared to Valparaiso shooting 32-for-43 (74.4%). The 58.1% by the Sycamores is the lowest mark (min. 10 attempts) since February 10, 2024 at Missouri State (5-for-10, 50.0%). The 43 attempts by Valpo is the second-most free throw attempts shot against the Sycamores this season (46 on November 16 by Ball State).

There were 74 free throws attempted combined between the two teams, the second-most of the season behind the November 16 total at Ball State (75).

Indiana State shot 28-for-46 from two-point range (60.9%), which is the 10th-best percentage of the season. However, the 28 made two-pointers is the third-most makes this season.

Indiana State’s 13 offensive rebounds are the most since November 7 against Eureka (16).

The Sycamore defense held Valpo to only 33.3% shooting in the second half, in comparison to the Beacons shooting 53.6% in the first half.

Samage Teel has now led Indiana State in scoring eight times and in assists eight times. It’s the eighth time he has finished with 20+ points this season. He has recorded back-to-back games with seven assists, the first time this season he has recorded back-to-back games with 5+ assists.

Jaden Daughtry has four-straight games of 16+ points, the best stretch of his collegiate career. He is shooting 62.2% (28-for-45) in the stretch.

Derek Vorst tied for a team-high seven rebounds in only 10:50 on the court, which all came in the first half.

K’mani Doughty has scored 10+ points in three of his last four times.

Aaron Gray finished in double figures for the third time this season in nine games played.

Up Next

Indiana State returns to Hulman Center on Saturday, January 11 to host Belmont at 1 p.m. ET. Indiana State will honor its Hall of Fame inductees during the game. The 2024 Hall of Fame Class features Dr. Daniel Bradley (President), Mike Eberle (Baseball), John Gartland (Cross Country/Track & Field), Kelsey Luna (Women’s Basketball), and Peter Magnusson (Men’s Tennis).

INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S GOLF

SYCAMORE GOLF ANNOUNCES SPRING 2025 SCHEDULE

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State women’s golf head coach Greg Towne announced the team’s Spring 2025 schedule.

Indiana State is set to compete in five total tournaments this spring, opening with back-to-back tournaments in Florida. They begin at the Butler Don Benbow Invitational in South Tampa from March 9-11 at the Ardea Country Club, then head to Palm Coast from March 12-14 to play in the PFW Hammock Beach Invitational. The squad returns to the Midwest but play the next tournament at the Ozarks National Invitational in Hollister, Mo. from March 24-26.

You can catch the Sycamores in action here in Terre Haute for the Indiana State University Invitational at the Country Club of Terre Haute on April 6-7. The home tournament is the final one before heading to the MVC Championships in Waterloo, Ill. at the Annbriar Golf Course on April 13-15.

Indiana State seeks to keep the momentum flowing from a strong fall showing, capping the fall season with both a team victory and an individual victory at the Braun Intercollegiate. The team won the Braun Intercollegiate for the second-straight year, highlighted by a Yang Tai first-place finish.

Briana LeMaire and Alana Gilbert joined Tai placing in the top five in Evansville. Tai finished shooting three-over and LeMaire and Gilbert tied in fifth place with a two-day nine-over score.

As a team, the Sycamores shot a 301 and 310 in the two rounds for a two-round score of 611. This beat last season’s score of 619. Indiana State (+35) defeated Belmont (second place, +45), Evansville (+50), UIC (+59), Valparaiso (+82), and Evansville B Team (+104). Seven of the eight golfers all recorded their best finishes of the fall to lead the team to victory.

The Indiana State golfers consistently improved throughout the fall. Tai, a junior, dropped her stroke average from the 2023-24 season to the fall by 4.96 from an 80.5 to 75.54. Twelve of her 13 rounds were 79 or better, and she finished as the low player for the Sycamores in three-of-five tournaments.

LeMaire, a junior, tied Tai with the lowest round shot of the fall, a 71. LeMaire recorded 11-of-13 rounds shooting 80 or better. She dropped her average from last season by .63 strokes.

Eliza Baker, a third junior on the team, averaged an 84 through her first three tournaments but capped her season with a season-low 78.

Rosalie DiNunzio improved her stroke average from her freshman year by 3.22, the second-best of the five returners. She shot a new career low of 72 at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational leading to her first top 10 finish.

Sophomore Sophia Florek dropped her stroke average by 2.6 strokes. Florek averaged a 78.5 in her first six rounds then 77.7 in the last seven rounds.

Gabby Cone opened her collegiate career with a 91 but continued to finish with a better score in almost every tournament after. She improved all the way through the end, ending her fall with her low round of 79.

Nicole Feistl made a tremendous jump in between the two halves of her first season. In her first two tournaments, she averaged an 85.6 but dropped 4.8 strokes off her average in her last two, down to an 80.8.

Alana Gilbert made an immediate impact as a freshman on the squad. She played in each of the five tournaments. She averaged an 82.83 in first six rounds then 77.29 in last seven rounds. She got off to a slow start, with only one of her first six rounds better than 80. Gilbert flipped the switch and finished her final seven rounds with an 80 or better in each.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

LEAGUE-LEADING MASTODONS SET TO BATTLE PANTHERS ON THURSDAY

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The only unbeaten women’s basketball team in the Horizon League, Purdue Fort Wayne, will be back in action on Thursday (Jan. 9) at 7 p.m. against the Milwaukee Panthers in the Gates Sports Center.

Game Day Information

Who: Milwaukee Panthers

When: Thursday, January 9 | 7 PM

Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center

Live Stats: Link

Watch: Link

Tickets:Link

Know Your Foe

Milwaukee is 4-13 with a 1-5 start to Horizon League play. In their last three games, the Panthers are 1-2, but went to overtime at Cleveland State and fell to Northern Kentucky by three. A 25-point victory at Wright State was sandwiched between those two games. Kacee Baumhower is leading the Panthers with 13.6 points per game, while Anna Lutz is adding 10.9 points per game.

The Series

Milwaukee leads the series 10-5, but the Mastodons lead 4-3 at home all-time and have won three of the last four. The ‘Dons won the last meeting 75-55 in Fort Wayne behind 21 points from Shayla Sellers. The series dates back to 1984, when Milwaukee won 77-68 in Fort Wayne.

Points For Millie

Amellia Bromenschenkel needs 34 points to match Shayla Sellers and move into 10th place on the Mastodons’ all-time scoring list.

9. 1386 – Haley Seibert (2011-15)

10. 1332 – Shayla Sellers (2019-24)

11. 1298 – Amellia Bromenschenkel (2020-present)

Boards for Millie

Amellia Bromenschenkel needs 25 rebounds more to match Robin Scott for third on the Mastodons’ all-time rebounding list.

2. 759 – Pam Edwards (1989-94)

3. 662 – Robin Scott (1987-91)

4. 637 – Amellia Bromenschenkel (2020-present)

Linbo Limbo

Jazzlyn Linbo is shooting a career-best 52.7 percent from the floor this season and ranks in the top-five in program history in career field goal percentage at 50.8 percent.

3. 53.1 – Rhonda Unverferth (1982-85)

4. 50.8 – Jazzlyn Linbo (2021-present)

5. 50.7 – Pam Edwards (1989-94)

6. 50.6 – Lisa Miller (1988-92)

Can’t Lose if you Don’t Trail

Purdue Fort Wayne has not trailed for the last 153 minutes of basketball, dating back to December 21.

We Love Fort Wayne

Purdue Fort Wayne’s 6-0 start at home is the best as a Division I institution and the best overall since 1995-96, when the Mastodons went 13-0 at home.

A Deep Lineup

Eight different Mastodons have scored at least 18 points in a single game in their Division I careers: Amellia Bromenschenkel, Audra Emmerson, Sydney Freeman, Jazzlyn Linbo, Ella Riggs, Lauren Ross, Renna Schwieterman and Taeya Steinauer.

Home Sweet Gates

The Mastodons are 6-0 at home this season. In its six home games this season, Purdue Fort Wayne is scoring 85.2 points per game and has an average margin of victory of 30.2 points per game. The Mastodons are shooting 48.4 percent from the floor and 39.6 percent from 3-point range in Fort Wayne.

League Leaders

Purdue Fort Wayne stands as the only unbeaten team left in Horizon League play at 6-0. The Mastodons beat the only other remaining unbeaten, Oakland, 77-37 on Sunday (Jan. 5).

Streak Tracker

The Mastodons are on a seven-game winning streak, which ties the fifth-best in program history and is the longest of the Division I era (2001-present).

14 wins – 1995-96

11 wins – 1982-83

10 wins – 1990-91, 1993-94

8 wins – 2024-25

A Perfect Start to League Play

Purdue Fort Wayne is 6-0 to start Horizon League play this season. That is the best start to a league season since the Mastodons started 7-0 in the Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference in 1995-96, which stands as the program record.

Free Assists Here!

Sydney Freeman dished out her 500th career assist at Oakland on January 5. She ranks in the top-25 nationally among active players in that category.

Ross Has the Sauce

Through 16 games, Lauren Ross is shooting 48.5 percent from the floor, 50 percent from 3-point range and 93.5 percent from the line. With a slight uptick in field goal percentage, she would be the first women’s player and second player overall to ever shoot 50/50/90 since the 3-point line was added to college basketball. Salim Stoudamire (Arizona, 2004-05) is the only other college player to do hit all three marks for an entire season while meeting minimum requirements.

Triumphant Trio

Through six Horizon League games, Lauren Ross, Amellia Bromenschenkel and Sydney Freeman have all been dangerous for the Mastodons. Ross is averaging 15.2 points, Bromenschenkel is at 14.3 and Freeman is at 10.0. All three of them have scored at least 19 points in a league game this season.

Schweeeeeet

After a 28.9 3-point field goal percentage a year ago, Renna Schwieterman is shooting 36.2 percent from deep this season.

Thief!

Sydney Freeman is second in the Horizon League and top-75 nationally with 33 steals this season.

Our Ball!

Purdue Fort Wayne’s 7.88 turnover margin ranks first in the Horizon League and is a top-20 mark nationally. Their 21.13 turnovers forced per game also leads the league.

Offensive Threat

Per College Basketball Reference, Lauren Ross has an offensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions) of 132.6, the highest on the team among rotation players. She also has an effective field goal percentage of 63.6 percent, a team-best. She is taking 60.4 percent of her shots from 3-point range. She also has the highest plus/minus on the team among rotation players with +8.0 per game.

Fill It Up

Purdue Fort Wayne is averaging 78.8 points per game, which ranks first in the Horizon League and top-35 nationally. The Mastodons’ 37.1 3-point shooting percentage and 9.9 3-point makes per game both rank top-25 nationally.

Chasing 1,000

Audra Emmerson has a chance to reach 1,000 points for her career. She has 825 points, needing 175 to reach the milestone. She scored 343 last season.

In The Polls…

Purdue Fort Wayne has been receiving votes in the recent CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 since November 12. On December 10, they earned 25 points, their most ever in the 15 years the poll has been done.

Magic Numbers 70 and 80

Under head coach Maria Marchesano, the Mastodons are 35-8 when they score 70 points or more and 16-3 when they hit 80.

200 For the Boss

Maria Marchesano is nearing 200 head coaching wins for her career. She owns 197 W’s as a head coach, 57 of which have come as the head coach for the Mastodons.

Last Time Out

Purdue Fort Wayne dominated Oakland on the road 77-37 to win their eighth in a row and move to 6-0 in Horizon League play. Sydney Freeman led the way with 21 points as the Mastodons poured in 13 3-pointers.

Coming Up

The Mastodons will be back in action on Sunday (Jan. 12) with a visit to preseason favorite Cleveland State. The Vikings are 13-3, 5-1 in the Horizon League.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL

MASTODONS PULL AWAY FROM MILWAUKEE 78-73

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s basketball team never trailed over the final 25 minutes of Wednesday’s (Jan. 8) 78-73 Horizon League victory. The Mastodons recorded 10 blocks, the most in a game for the program since 11 against SIUE on Feb. 23, 2010.

Jalen Jackson scored 25 points and came one rebound short of his first career double-double. Rasheed Bello filled up the scoresheet thanks to 23 points, four rebounds, two blocks, two steals and two assists. The senior went 10-for-10 from the free throw line, all in the final four minutes of the game as he helped turn a 61-all-game with 4:17 left to a five-point victory.

The biggest exclamation point of the final minutes came on a thunderous two-handed slam by Deangelo Elisee after the ‘Dons broke Milwaukee’s pressure on the other end of the court. Elisee had multiple key plays in the contest, including a battle for an offensive board which won the crowd’s praise.

Bello (2), Elisee (2), Corey Hadnot II (2), Chandler Cuthrell (2), Jackson (1) and Trey Lewis (1) combined for the 10-block performance.

Lewis had six points off the bench and was the only Mastodon to make more than one 3-pointer in the game. The 3-point loving ‘Dons pulled away in the second half from Milwaukee with the aid of only one ball from long range.

Quinton Morton-Robertson scored five points and went over 1,000 points for his NCAA career.

Milwaukee shot 38.6 percent (27-of-70) with Themus Fulks owning a team-high 18 points. The ‘Dons finished at 42.6 percent (26-of-61).  

The Mastodons improve to 12-6 (5-2 Horizon League) and 8-0 at home this year.

Milwaukee falls to 11-6 (4-2 Horizon League). The ‘Dons host Detroit Mercy on Saturday (Jan. 11).

EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL

DEFENSE SHINES AS UE MEN DEFEAT ILLINOIS STATE

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Holding Illinois State to a season-low 51 points, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team earned a dominant 69-51 win over the Redbirds on Wednesday at the Ford Center.

Entering the game, ISU’s lowest scoring output was a 64-point game against George Washington.  Four Purple Aces registered double figures with Tayshawn Comer leading the way once again, scoring 19 points while adding 5 assists.  Tanner Cuff and Cam Haffner finished with 14 apiece while Josh Hughes had 10 points and 9 boards.  Connor Turnbull also had a stellar performance, recording 8 points, 10 boards, and 3 blocks.

“We are the best defensive team in the league facing the best offensive team and something had to give.  Our guys did everything that we needed to do; we kept them off balance, challenged every shot and made things hard on them,” Aces head coach David Ragland said.  “Since returning from Christmas, we have established our identity with our physical play.  There are still areas for improvement, but if our defense plays at this level, we will have a chance in every game.”

Neither team could find the bottom of the net in the opening minutes as the teams combined to miss their first 11 shots on the evening.  After missing their first five shots, the Purple Aces got on the board on a drive by Tanner Cuff.  On the other end, the Redbirds quickly countered.  ISU connected on a triple to take its first lead at 5-4 before Cam Haffner knocked down a triple to give UE a 7-4 lead at the 14:23 mark.

With the score tied at 11-11, Evansville made its first run of the night, scoring eight in a row.  Highlighting the stretch was a 4-point play by Gui Tesch following a foul on a 3-point make.  Illinois State battled right back, making it a 24-22 game as the period approached the final four minutes.  Haffner drained his third triple of the evening in the final moments as UE held a 34-30 advantage at the break.  Haffner recorded a game-high 9 points in the opening 20 minutes.

Comer opened the second half with a triple before back-to-back field goals from Connor Turnbull pushed the lead to 10 – 43-33.  Two more baskets extended the lead to 14 points with the UE defense holding the Redbirds to a 1-of-9 start from the field.  In a defensive clinic, the Aces held strong over the remainder of the game with the lead never getting back to single digits.

The biggest lead for UE was the final score as the 18-point victory gave the Aces their third MVC win of the season.

Evansville shot 50% in the contest while holding ISU to 34.6%.  Illinois State wrapped up the night with a slight 33-30 edge on the glass.  Malachi Poindexter was the lone double figure scorer for ISU, tallying 14.

Next up for the Aces is a 2-game swing through Iowa.  UE faces Drake on Saturday before traveling to UNI on Tuesday.

SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

EAGLES CONTINUE ROAD SWING THIS WEEK AT SEMO AND LITTLE ROCK

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball continues its three-game road swing in Ohio Valley Conference play this week with trips to Southeast Missouri State University on Thursday and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Saturday.

Thursday’s tilt against Southeast Missouri is slated for 5:15 p.m. from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, while Saturday’s battle against Little Rock is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Little Rock, Arkansas. This week’s games can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM.

Southern Indiana embarks on its latest road trip with an 11-4 overall record and a 3-1 mark in the OVC. USI is tied for second in the conference standings with three other teams, including Little Rock, at 3-1.

USI looks to get back on track after suffering its first conference loss last Thursday at Tennessee Tech University, 83-79. The game was tied at 38 at halftime before the Golden Eagles outscored USI in the second by four. Southern Indiana shot the ball well at over 50 percent in the game for the fourth time this season. However, Tennessee Tech’s advantages from three, at the foul line, and on the glass ended up being pivotal differences in the contest.

Sophomore guard Triniti Ralston led the Screaming Eagles at Tennessee Tech in scoring, matching her career high with 25 points on 9-16 shooting and a perfect 4-4 from beyond the arc. Senior guard Vanessa Shafford registered her second double-double and 20-point game of the season with 23 points and 12 rebounds. The two players scoring 20-plus marked the first game USI had two players score 20 or more in the same game since Shafford (24) and Hannah Haithcock (21) did so against Eastern Illinois University in January 2023.

Heading into Thursday’s game at SEMO, Shafford is approaching USI’s all-time mark for career three-pointers. Currently, with 190 made threes in her career, Shafford is four away from Stephanie Carpenter’s (2010-14) record of 194 made triples.

Efficient three-point shooting has also been a key for Southern Indiana this season. Shooting just over 38 percent collectively, USI ranks first in the OVC and top 15 in the nation in three-point percentage. The Screaming Eagles have five players shooting 35 percent or better with at least 25 attempts this season. Shafford leads the team at 41 percent from three.

USI also ranks well atop the OVC in many defensive categories, including scoring defense (59.7), field-goal percentage defense (35.1), and defensive rebounds per game (28.3). The Eagles’ field-goal defense also ranks top 20 in the nation.

The Screaming Eagles have four players averaging double figures on the campaign. Graduate forward Meredith Raley leads the way at 13.2 points per outing. Junior guard Ali Saunders and Shafford are nearly neck and neck at 11.8 and 11.7 points per game, respectively. Ralston is also currently in the double-digit club at 10.6 points per contest. As a team, USI averages an OVC-leading 72.8 points while holding opponents to an OVC-best 59.7 points per game.

Sophomore forward Amiyah Buchanan makes her return to SEMO this week after spending her freshman season as a Redhawk last year. Buchanan made 12 starts in 27 appearances for Southeast Missouri, averaging five and five boards per game with a team-best 22 blocks last season.

Southeast Missouri (4-9, 2-2 OVC) comes into the week having split each of its first two weeks in OVC play. Last week, the Redhawks defeated Tennessee State University, 75-68, before falling to the University of Tennessee at Martin, 85-69, last time out.

Reigning OVC Freshman of the Week Zoe Best paces the Redhawks at 15 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Best had a team-high 23 points in the last game against UT Martin. Sophomore guard Indiya Bowen is second on SEMO in scoring right at 10 points per game. SEMO averages 63.8 points while surrendering 75 points per game.

Southeast Missouri leads the all-time series, 12-4, heading into the 17th meeting. The series dates back to 1980 with the Redhawks winning the first 11 matchups. However, USI has won three of the four meetings in recent history since the Screaming Eagles joined the OVC in 2022. USI swept both games last season. USI concluded last season at home against SEMO with a 70-59 victory. In that game, Shafford tied a career high with 26 points.

Little Rock (5-8, 3-1 OVC) enters the week on a two-game uptick after sweeping UT Martin, 66-61, and Tennessee State, 67-63, last week. The Trojans split their first week of OVC play before the holidays.

Junior forward Faith Lee is the reigning OVC Player of the Week and tops the Trojans with 16.4 points per game. Lee led Little Rock last week with 26 points against UT Martin and 23 points against Tennessee State. Senior guard Jordan Holman is second on the team in scoring at 10.8 points per game. Little Rock averages 58.7 points while limiting the opposition to 66.6 points per game.

Southern Indiana and Little Rock have split their short series history, 2-2. The Trojans swept both matchups in 2022-23 and USI swept both games last season. In the last meeting at Little Rock last February, USI won 88-51 after shooting over 65 percent from the floor (34-52) and above 72 percent (13-18) from three-point range.

Following the conclusion of this week’s road swing, the Screaming Eagles return home to Liberty Arena next week for a pair of contests against Lindenwood University on January 16 and Western Illinois University on January 18. Tickets for all home games at Liberty Arena can be purchased online at usiscreamingeagles.com or the USI Ticket Office.

SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

EAGLES CONTINUE ROAD SWING THIS WEEK AT SEMO AND LITTLE ROCK

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball continues its three-game road swing in Ohio Valley Conference play this week with trips to Southeast Missouri State University on Thursday and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Saturday.

Thursday’s tilt against Southeast Missouri is slated for 5:15 p.m. from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, while Saturday’s battle against Little Rock is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Little Rock, Arkansas. This week’s games can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM.

Southern Indiana embarks on its latest road trip with an 11-4 overall record and a 3-1 mark in the OVC. USI is tied for second in the conference standings with three other teams, including Little Rock, at 3-1.

USI looks to get back on track after suffering its first conference loss last Thursday at Tennessee Tech University, 83-79. The game was tied at 38 at halftime before the Golden Eagles outscored USI in the second by four. Southern Indiana shot the ball well at over 50 percent in the game for the fourth time this season. However, Tennessee Tech’s advantages from three, at the foul line, and on the glass ended up being pivotal differences in the contest.

Sophomore guard Triniti Ralston led the Screaming Eagles at Tennessee Tech in scoring, matching her career high with 25 points on 9-16 shooting and a perfect 4-4 from beyond the arc. Senior guard Vanessa Shafford registered her second double-double and 20-point game of the season with 23 points and 12 rebounds. The two players scoring 20-plus marked the first game USI had two players score 20 or more in the same game since Shafford (24) and Hannah Haithcock (21) did so against Eastern Illinois University in January 2023.

Heading into Thursday’s game at SEMO, Shafford is approaching USI’s all-time mark for career three-pointers. Currently, with 190 made threes in her career, Shafford is four away from Stephanie Carpenter’s (2010-14) record of 194 made triples.

Efficient three-point shooting has also been a key for Southern Indiana this season. Shooting just over 38 percent collectively, USI ranks first in the OVC and top 15 in the nation in three-point percentage. The Screaming Eagles have five players shooting 35 percent or better with at least 25 attempts this season. Shafford leads the team at 41 percent from three.

USI also ranks well atop the OVC in many defensive categories, including scoring defense (59.7), field-goal percentage defense (35.1), and defensive rebounds per game (28.3). The Eagles’ field-goal defense also ranks top 20 in the nation.

The Screaming Eagles have four players averaging double figures on the campaign. Graduate forward Meredith Raley leads the way at 13.2 points per outing. Junior guard Ali Saunders and Shafford are nearly neck and neck at 11.8 and 11.7 points per game, respectively. Ralston is also currently in the double-digit club at 10.6 points per contest. As a team, USI averages an OVC-leading 72.8 points while holding opponents to an OVC-best 59.7 points per game.

Sophomore forward Amiyah Buchanan makes her return to SEMO this week after spending her freshman season as a Redhawk last year. Buchanan made 12 starts in 27 appearances for Southeast Missouri, averaging five and five boards per game with a team-best 22 blocks last season.

Southeast Missouri (4-9, 2-2 OVC) comes into the week having split each of its first two weeks in OVC play. Last week, the Redhawks defeated Tennessee State University, 75-68, before falling to the University of Tennessee at Martin, 85-69, last time out.

Reigning OVC Freshman of the Week Zoe Best paces the Redhawks at 15 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Best had a team-high 23 points in the last game against UT Martin. Sophomore guard Indiya Bowen is second on SEMO in scoring right at 10 points per game. SEMO averages 63.8 points while surrendering 75 points per game.

Southeast Missouri leads the all-time series, 12-4, heading into the 17th meeting. The series dates back to 1980 with the Redhawks winning the first 11 matchups. However, USI has won three of the four meetings in recent history since the Screaming Eagles joined the OVC in 2022. USI swept both games last season. USI concluded last season at home against SEMO with a 70-59 victory. In that game, Shafford tied a career high with 26 points.

Little Rock (5-8, 3-1 OVC) enters the week on a two-game uptick after sweeping UT Martin, 66-61, and Tennessee State, 67-63, last week. The Trojans split their first week of OVC play before the holidays.

Junior forward Faith Lee is the reigning OVC Player of the Week and tops the Trojans with 16.4 points per game. Lee led Little Rock last week with 26 points against UT Martin and 23 points against Tennessee State. Senior guard Jordan Holman is second on the team in scoring at 10.8 points per game. Little Rock averages 58.7 points while limiting the opposition to 66.6 points per game.

Southern Indiana and Little Rock have split their short series history, 2-2. The Trojans swept both matchups in 2022-23 and USI swept both games last season. In the last meeting at Little Rock last February, USI won 88-51 after shooting over 65 percent from the floor (34-52) and above 72 percent (13-18) from three-point range.

Following the conclusion of this week’s road swing, the Screaming Eagles return home to Liberty Arena next week for a pair of contests against Lindenwood University on January 16 and Western Illinois University on January 18. Tickets for all home games at Liberty Arena can be purchased online at usiscreamingeagles.com or the USI Ticket Office.

SOUTHERN INDIANA SWIMMING

USI SWIM & DIVE VOYAGES NORTH TO CHICAGO FOR TWO WEEKEND MEETS

EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Swimming and Diving is back in action after winter training, traveling to the Chicago area for meets at Northwestern University on Friday and University of Illinois-Chicago on Saturday. Friday’s meet at Northwestern takes place in Evanston, Illinois at 5 p.m. Saturday’s meet against UIC at the Flames Natatorium in Chicago starts at 11 a.m.

Northwestern

The meet against the Wildcats marks the second road trip to Big Ten country this season after competing in the Indiana Intercollegiate at Purdue University. The meet is the first meeting between to two squads at the Norris Aquatic Center.

The Northwestern women are coming off a seventh place 2023-24 Big Ten Championship finish, along with starting the season 2-1 with victories over University of Miami-Ohio and University of Cincinnati. The Eagles last competition with the Wildcats was the Purdue Indiana Intercollegiate in 2023, where Northwestern finished in second.

The men placed sixth in the 2023-24 Big Ten Championships. Northwestern earned a dominant fall schedule showing with three wins over Miami (Ohio), Cincinnati, and Duke University. The Wildcats last competed with USI in the Purdue Indiana Intercollegiate where they finished first. 

UIC

Saturday’s meet takes place in a familiar pool for the Eagles diving squad. USI competed in a diving only event last year at UIC as sophomores Nathan Deputy and Maranda Uttke scorched school records at the time as freshmen.

The flames women finished seventh in the Missouri Valley last season and currently own a 2-2 record, beating University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Davenport University. UIC outscored USI in 2023 at the Indiana State Quad-Meet, 198-101.

Illinois Chicago’s men’s squad finished fourth in the Mid-American Conference in 2024. UIC is currently 3-1, beating Ball State University, Milwaukee, and Davenport. The Eagles fell to the Flames in 2023, 98-200.

Women

Over the fall, USI went 3-2 against opponents highlighted by wins over Northern Kentucky University, Valparaiso University, and their programs first victory over University of Evansville. The Eagles also earned their best finish in program history at the A3 Performance Invite in fourth place, improving by 133.5 points from 2023. The Eagles dropped narrow matchups against Indiana University Indianapolis and Bellarmine University.

The women shattered nine individual records and three relays. Sophomore Hayden Shurtz garners the lead for the most individual records with three in the 200 IM, 100 Breaststroke, and 200 Breaststroke. Sophomore Caiya Cooper, freshman Elizabeth Ketcham, freshman Ailyn Zurliene each garnered two school records in the fall season. Sophomore Reagan Holmes added another school record in the 100 freestyle.

Freshman Anna Bunnell shinned in her first semester, shattering both diving records. Bunnell found the podium at the A3 Performance Invite in third place, along with breaking the one-meter record (228.35 pts). The Evansville native broke the three-meter record (238.05 pts) against Evansville and capped off her fall garnering Summit League Diver of the week for placing third at the A3 Performance.

Men

The men finished their fall season 2-3 with victories over NKU and Valparaiso. USI finished the Purdue Indiana Intercollegiate in fourth place and the A3 Performance Invite in fifth.

USI broke seven individual records in the fall season. Freshman Jude Winnington impressed with two records in the 200 IM (1:53.41) and the 400 IM (4:00.82). Sophomore Sam Smith remains a consistent force for the Eagles with two fall records in the 500 freestyle (4:35.12) and the 200 Butterfly (1:49.76). Freshman Luke Rich also made an instant impact snatching the 200 Breaststroke record (2:07.89).

USI diving continued to improve as junior Lane Pollock specialized in the one-meter dive, breaking the record (273.38 pts). Pollock also earned his second Summit League Diver of the Week honor after placing third at the A3 Performance. Sophomore Nathan Deputy continued to excel in his hometown of Evansville, breaking his own three-meter record with a monstrous score (278.33 pts) across town at UE.

USI’s individual highlights included earning four top three finishes at the A3 Performance Invite from Pollock, Winnington (twice), and Smith.

VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CONTINUES CHALLENGING ROAD STRETCH AT MURRAY STATE

Valparaiso (5-9, 1-2 MVC)

Game #15 – January 10, 2025 – 6 p.m.

at Murray State (8-4, 2-1 MVC)

CFSB Center (8,600) – Murray, Ky.

Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valpo women’s basketball team takes to the road for a second consecutive weekend, this time for the Valley’s southern road swing, starting with a 6 p.m. tip Friday evening at Murray State. The game against the Racers is the third of four consecutive road games for the Beacons against top-100 NET teams.

Previously: The second quarter proved to be the difference for Valpo on Saturday afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa, as despite playing right with host Drake for the other three quarters, a 12-point deficit in the second stanza proved to be too much to overcome in an 82-64 loss. Leah Earnest moved into fifth place in program history in career scoring in the defeat.

Following Valpo Basketball: Video: ESPN+

Links for live coverage: Available via ValpoAthletics.com

Head Coach Mary Evans: Mary Evans is in her seventh year at the helm of the program in 2024-25 and owns a record of 65-125. Evans’ first six seasons at the helm have seen Valpo’s six of the top-eight single-season 3-pointers made marks, including each of the top five, while defensively, her teams have racked up steals at a high rate, averaging at least 7.7 steals/game in five of her six seasons. Under her guidance, Valpo players have earned an MVC Sixth Player of the Year honor, five All-Conference accolades, three All-Freshman/Newcomer Team awards and three All-Defensive Team honors.

Series Notes: It’s a brief series between the Beacons and the Racers, as the two programs did not meet prior to Murray State joining the MVC. The Racers have claimed victories in all three meetings, including a 90-62 win in Murray last season in the lone matchup of the year. Leah Earnest led all players in that game with 17 points and nine rebounds.

@ValpoWBB…

…and @ValleyHoops

– Valpo was picked to finish in eighth place in the MVC preseason poll, totaling 193 points to edge out Indiana State.

– The eighth-place projection is two spots ahead of the Beacons’ regular-season finish last year.

– Valpo is in its eighth season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.

– The Valley was ranked 13th in conference NET last season. In Valpo’s time in the MVC, the conference has been ranked as high as seventh in NET (2020-21).

…looking back at last year

– Valpo finished last season with a 5-25 overall record and finished at 4-16 in MVC play, good for 10th in the Valley standings.

– Leah Earnest was a Second Team All-MVC honoree.

– Valpo won three consecutive road games in Valley play, the second straight year the Beacons have accomplished that – prior to that, the program had last accomplished that feat against three different opponents since 2007.

…at Drake

– Valpo led by as many as five in the first quarter, but the Bulldogs scored twice in the final 50 seconds of the opening period to lead 20-18 after the first 10 minutes.

– A coast-to-coast drive by Lexi Castator less than 90 seconds into the second quarter tied the game at 20-20. That proved to be Valpo’s last point for over five minutes, however, as Drake went on a 12-0 run to push its lead into double figures.

– The Bulldogs led by as many as 16 late in the second quarter and took a 41-27 lead into halftime.

– Valpo was unable to get the deficit down to single digits in the second half, as Drake led 62-46 at the end of the third and by as many as 27 in the fourth quarter.

– Leah Earnest paced Valpo with 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting, tying her career high for field goals made. She also surpassed her career best on the defensive end, coming up with four steals.

– It was Earnest’s fourth consecutive 20-point game and her sixth of the season.

– Layla Gold knocked down three 3-pointers on her way to 13 points, her fifth game scoring in double digits this season.

– The Beacons posted solid shooting numbers on Saturday, hitting 41.8% from the floor and going 8-of-22 from deep, but were unable to slow down the Bulldogs on their attempts, as Drake finished at a 50.9% clip from the field and 12-of-28 from the 3-point line.

– Valpo did force 22 Drake turnovers, 13 of which were steals — the seventh time this year the MVC leaders in turnovers forced per game forced at least 20 miscues. But despite a +4 in the turnover margin department, Valpo was outscored by Drake in points off turnovers, 23-19.

…at UNI

– Valpo got out to a quick start, as Mor Shabtai, Nevaeh Jackson and Leah Earnest each connected on a 3-pointer within the Beacons’ first four possessions to give them a 9-4 lead just over two minutes in.

– UNI outscored Valpo 19-4 over the remainder of the opening period to lead 23-13 at the end of one.

– A triple by Earnest and a fast-break layup by Jackson gave the Beacons the first five points of the second quarter, forcing a UNI timeout with the deficit cut to 23-18 and 8:33 to play in the half.

– After the teams traded baskets out of the stoppage, the Panthers went on a 14-2 run over the next four minutes to pull out to a 39-22 lead. UNI’s lead reached as many as 21 late in the half and was 50-30 at intermission.

– Valpo cut UNI’s lead to 16 multiple times in the third quarter, but was unable to get any closer, and the Panthers went on a late run to close the quarter with a 75-51 lead.

– UNI’s advantage remained in the 20-point range throughout the fourth quarter.

– Earnest led all players with 21 points, finishing the game 8-of-13 from the field, and also paced the Beacons with six rebounds.

– Jackson backed up Earnest with a 16-point night, connecting on 7-of-12 from the floor.

– The aforementioned duo was the only Valpo players to reach double figures, though, as the Beacons’ next leading scorer was Lexi Castator, who hit 3-of-4 from the field for eight points — just one off her season high.

– Maci Rhoades set a career best with a team-high four assists.

– The Beacons posted a 48.2% field goal percentage Thursday, hitting 27-of-56 for their second-best effort against a D-I opponent this year. But UNI bettered that with a 56.4% clip from the floor and took advantage of 21 more free throw attempts, hitting 25-of-35 from the stripe to Valpo’s 9-of-14.

– Valpo also lost the turnover battle by its highest margin of the year, committing 23 turnovers which the Panthers scored 28 points off. Meanwhile, the Beacons forced just 14 turnovers — their second-lowest total of the season — and scored just 12 points off turnovers.

…looking ahead

– The Beacons close out this challenging stretch of road games on Sunday afternoon at Belmont.

– Valpo returns to the ARC for the first time since Dec. 29 next Friday, Jan. 17 against Illinois State.

…away from home

– Friday’s game is Valpo’s ninth contest of the year away from home.

– The Beacons are still in search of their first true road win, as they sit at 0-6 in true road games.

– Valpo is also 1-1 in neutral site games.

@RacersWBB

– Murray State enters Friday’s game with an 8-4 overall record this year and is 2-1 in MVC play, falling at Missouri State last time out after Valley wins over Illinois State and Southern Illinois.

– The Racers lead the Valley and rank sixth nationally, averaging 89.4 points/game. They also rank second nationally in 3-pointers made, averaging 11.0 triples/game.

– Katelyn Young paces four MSU players who average in double figures with 18.4 points/game on 51.5% shooting from the field.

Quad Talk

– The Beacons are in the midst of a challenging two-week road stretch, as they face the Valley’s two toughest road swings on back-to-back weekends.

– All four games over these two weekends are against teams in the top-85 of the NET (UNI-67; Drake-82; Murray State-66; Belmont-58).

– Based on the quadrant system, the UNI, Murray State and Belmont games are Quad 1 games, while the game at Drake is a Quad 2 game.

– In nonconference play, Valpo played no Quad 1 games and just one Quad 2 game (at Lehigh-94).

The Road Life

– This weekend is the second of rare back-to-back road weekends with two games apiece within MVC play, as Valpo will play four road games in 11 days.

– This is just the second time since joining the Valley Valpo has four consecutive conference road games (outside of the COVID-affected 2020-21 campaign) – but the other time had much closer trips, as the Beacons played at Indiana State and Evansville one weekend, and then at Bradley and Illinois State the next weekend in February 2023.

– Notably, after returning home the weekend of Jan. 17-19, the Beacons play their next three on the road, as seven of their first 10 conference games this year are away from home.

– On the flip side, that means Valpo closes the season with seven of its last 10 games at home.

Forcing Miscues

– The Beacons rank as the MVC’s best at forcing miscues, averaging 20.1 turnovers/forced game through 14 games.

– The Beacons have forced more turnovers than they’ve committed in nine of 14 games.

– Valpo also leads the MVC with 10.2 steals/game and has tallied double-figure steals in eight games this year, including seven of the last 10.

– Valpo has forced at least 20 turnovers in seven games so far, highlighted by 29 forced turnovers against Detroit Mercy and 26 in back-to-back wins over Goshen and North Dakota.

– Against Goshen, the Beacons racked up 15 steals, a season high and the team’s highest total in exactly one calendar year. The Beacons matched that mark in the win over Western Michigan as well.

– In the win over North Dakota, Valpo turned the Fighting Hawks’ 26 turnovers into 33 points and held a massive 33-9 edge in points off turnovers. It was the program’s greatest number of points off turnovers and the highest edge in the category since a Feb. 22, 2020 win at Loyola, when Valpo forced 31 turnovers and owns a 38-4 advantage in points off turnovers.

20/20/20/20 Vision

– 14 games into the season, and Valpo has four different players with 11 combined 20-point games under their belt.

– That is already more players and more 20-point games as last year’s team, which featured just two different players who combined for nine 20-point efforts.

– Leah Earnest has six such efforts: 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting last time out at Drake, a game-high 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting at UNI, 22 points in the win over SIU, 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting versus Detroit Mercy, 23 points on 6-of-10 shooting in the win over Western Michigan and 29 points – the second-highest output of her career – at Lehigh.

– Earnest has scored 20 or more points 16 times in her collegiate career.

– Layla Gold joined Earnest in crossing the 20-point mark versus UDM, finishing with 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Earlier this year, Gold more than doubled her previous career best of 11 points with a 23-point night – which included five 3-pointers – at Milwaukee.

– Nevaeh Jackson raced past her previous career high with 26 points at Saint Louis; this coming after 20-point performances earlier in the season in the win over Goshen and against Purdue Fort Wayne.

– Against Trinity Christian, Kayla Preston smashed her previous best, going for 20 points on 7-10 FG and 6-8 FT.

Four, Count Them, Four

– Four of Earnest’s six 20-point games have come in Valpo’s last four games, including the Beacons’ first three MVC contests.

– Earnest is one of two Valley players to score at least 20 points in each of her team’s first three MVC games, as Murray State’s Katelyn Young has as well.

– Earnest is the first Valpo player in at least 15 seasons to score 20 or more in four consecutive games.

– Prior to this current stretch, Earnest had never even had a stretch of three consecutive games with 20+ points.

– The last Valpo player prior to Earnest’s current stretch with three straight 20+ point games was Shay Frederick, who dropped 27 at Wisconsin Dec. 20, 2020 and then 20 and 26 on back-to-back nights versus UNI Jan. 7 & 8, 2021.

Zooming Up the Charts

– Leah Earnest entered the season 14th in program history in career scoring, but has jumped all the way up to fifth all-time at Valpo with 1,351 career points.

– Earnest moved up from sixth to fifth last time out at Drake with her final basket of the game, surpassing Meredith Hamlet and her 1,350 points.

– Next up for Earnest is Jeanette Gray in fourth with 1,460 career points.

– Earnest continued her match up the career rebounding chart against UDM, moving past Tabitha Gerardot for fourth on the program’s career rebounding chart. She finished the Drake game with 747 boards – next up there is Gray in third position with 766 career boards.

– Earnest is also second all-time at Valpo with 127 games played (14 shy of Caitlin Morrison for the program record), fourth with 289 free throws made (52 shy of third) and seventh with 488 field goals made (moved past Amber Schober at UNI; 4 shy of sixth, 5 shy of fifth).

– Earnest impacted the program’s single-game record book as well at the Christmas City Classic as she went 12-for-12 at the foul line against Lehigh. She is one of just 12 players to hit 100% from the foul line in a game (minimum 10 attempts) and one of just four to do so on at least 12 tries.

No Sophomore Slump

– After ranking fourth on the team in scoring (7.2 points/game) as a rookie, sophomore Nevaeh Jackson has cemented herself as a consistent second scorer this season.

– Jackson has nearly doubled her scoring average, entering Friday’s game second on the team with 13.7 points/game.

– Jackson has scored in double figures in 10 of 14 games, highlighted by her 26-point effort at Saint Louis.

– Jackson has improved her 2-point percentage by 94 points (.440 as a freshman, .534 to date this season) and her 3-point percentage by 42 points (.317 as a freshman, .359 to date this season) – the latter improvement coming with an increased volume of nearly two and a half more attempts per game from deep.

Career Highs

– Five of Valpo’s seven returnees have set career bests in the scoring column this season – the only returnees who haven’t are Saniya Jackson, who is out for the season, and Earnest.

– Joining the trio who had their first career 20-point efforts are senior Katie Beyer and sophomore Raeven Raye-Redmond.

– Raye-Redmond smashed past her previous best of nine with a 15-point night on 6-of-9 shooting at Milwaukee.

– Beyer hit three 3-pointers on her way to a 14-point game in the season opener versus Liberty, and then against North Dakota, surpassed that again with a 16-point effort.

All-Tournament Honors

– Valpo had a pair of players recognized as All-Tournament Team honorees following the conclusion of the Christmas City Classic.

– Leah Earnest averaged 23.5 points, 10 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game over the Beacons’ two contests.

– Katie Beyer earned her selection by virtue of a strong 16-point performance, surpassing her career high, in the win over North Dakota.

Missing Pieces

– Valpo is down two starters for the remainder of the season due to injury.

– Saniya Jackson did not see any game action this year, undergoing successful knee surgery in early November.

– Raeven Raye-Redmond suffered a lower leg injury late in regulation Dec. 21 against Detroit Mercy and will miss the rest of the year as well.

MARIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

KNIGHTS GROUND PILOTS 76-35

Mishawaka, Ind.- The Marian women’s basketball dominated Bethel in their first meetup of the 2024-25 season tabbing a 76-35 win Wednesday evening. The Knights are now 13-3 overall and 6-0 in the Crossroads League.

Marian paved the way for the night ahead quickly in the first quarter outscoring Bethel 20-7. The early minutes of the quarter with Abbey McNally marking her spot on the board first with a layup. The Pilots were able to fire back with a three-pointer but the Knights went full steem ahead with eight straight scoring plays to take the early 17-3 lead. Taylor Double and Olivia Faust tabbed a three-pointer each while Kiley McNally, Faust, and Kirby were each able to record a layup. Abbey was able to record a pair of free throws while Faust was able to hit one to make up the scoring run. Bethel attempted to fight back firing off a layup but Kennedy Fuelling countered with a three pointer. The Pilots ended the first quarter with a layup to draw the score 20-7.

The Knights continued to breeze by the Pilots outscoring them once more 24-6. Marian opened up the second quarter with a six basket run started out by Abbey McNally’s pair of free throws. Abbey and Double were both able to tab a layup each and Kiley was able to record a pair of free throws in the run to increase the lead 28-7. Bethel continued to attempt to decrease the margin with a three-pointer but were quickly followed up by a layup from Kiley less than 15 seconds later. Bethel was able to score once more in the quarter with another three to bring the score 30-13. Marian followed up with a nine basket run with Bailey and Eva Fisher each recording one free throw and Kiley recording two. Bailey and Kiley were each able to record a pair of layups while Fisher was able to fire off one to end the half with a score of 44-13.

The Pilots stayed in the game more after the half only trailing by six points in scoring for the quarter. Kiley McNally opened up the third quarter with a jumper and a free throw, Kirby was able to follow up the baskets with a layup to increase the margin to 36. Bethel fired off a pair of free throws to bring down the score 49-15. Both sides fired off baskets but the Knights outscored the opponents once more with a pair of jumpers from Abbey and Double. Abbey was able to continue to fire off points with a layup which was only countered by a Pilots free throw to bring the score 55-19 at the 4:16 mark on the clock. Bethel was able to fire off another pair of free throws but Fuelling was able to counter with a jumper. The home team was able to tab two more free throws but Zoe Wheeler had the final basket of the quarter with a three-pointer to draw the score 60-23.

The visitors were able to record the first shot of the quarter as well as out-shoot their opponents once more with a pair of layups from Kiley compared to a single free throw from the Pilots. Bethel was able to benefit off of a Marian foul to record another pair of free throws which Kirby followed up with a jumper and layup to bring the score 68-26. The home team was able to go on their first scoring streak of the evening with a three-pointer followed by a jumper and a free throw. Both sides traded a pair of free throws with Kirby recording the baskets for Marian. Bethel hit their final basket of the evening with a free throw to bring the score 70-35. The Knights ended the game with a pair of free throws from Esther Sevilla and a pair of jumpers from Kenna Gray and Emily Grim to secure the 76-35 win over Bethel.

Kiley McNally led the team in points with 19 as well as tabbing five rebounds and one assist on the evening. Abbey McNally was also in double digits for points with 12 and led the team in rebounds with eight and had two assists. Kenna Kirby was the final Knight to tab double digits with 10 points and recorded four rebounds. Madisyn Bailey led the team in assists with five as well as tabbed four rebounds and five points on the evening.

The Knights will be back in action on Saturday, January 11th at home as they take on No. 11 Saint Francis with tip-off set at 1:00 p.m.

MARIAN MEN’S BASKETBALL

MARIAN FALLS AT NO. 10 BETHEL IN MID-WEEK CROSSROADS CLASH

Mishawaka, Ind. – The Marian men’s basketball team dropped a hard-fought contest on Wednesday night to No. 10 Bethel University, falling by a final of 70-53 in the mid-week bout. Marian slides back to 8-8 overall on the season and 2-4 in league play.

A low-scoring contest was in the making after the opening three minutes of play, as Bethel out-scored the Knights 4-0 with the two sides combining to start the night 1-9 from the field. Marian got in a rhythm after calling a quick timeout, scoring on three straight possessions to get their offense in gear. Dylan Moles started the game strong with an early seven points, draining a three to get within one of Bethel with 13:03 to play in the half. Marian would keep within two possessions for much of the first half as the two sides matched their efforts, and clawed within one point at the under-10 minute media timeout.

Trailing 21-20 with 8:32 to play in the first half, Marian got a pair of stops with blocks from Reis Butcher and Josiah Gustin halting the Pilot attack. The defense turned into offense with 7:06 to go as Gavin Foe canned a mid-range jumper to give the Knights their first lead of the game, but Marian would be unable to hold on to their edge, as Bethel roared back. The Pilots would score on their next possession to take back the lead, embarking on a 13-1 run to cover the final 6:37 of the half. Bethel led 34-23 at the break following their run.

Marian shot strong to open the second half, however Bethel came out firing as well, with the home team starting 4-5 from the field. Despite Bethel keeping a firm hold on the lead, Marian played tough defense, trimming a 14-point Pilot lead to 10 points with 12:24 to play in the game following a pair of Noah Lovan scores. The home side used a timeout to halt the Knights’ momentum, and after the stoppage went on a 7-2 run to grab a five possession lead.

Bethel would extend their lead to as many as 18 points, holding a five possession lead for over five minutes. Marian trailed 61-43 with 4:58 to play, and despite getting scores from Noah Lovan and Luke Carroll in the next minute of play, they were unable to get within five scores until the final minute of play, falling 70-57.

Marian started the game shooting 35 percent in the opening half, improving dramatically in the second half as they shot 46 percent from the field. In spite of the shooting improvement, the Knights went 0-6 from downtown in the second half, ending the game 2-11 from the field. Lovan would end the night as the team’s leading scorer with 16 points, while Dylan Moles scored 11. Aidan Franks finished the night with 10 points, and Reis Butcher led the bench with seven.

The Knights will return to play on Saturday, coming home to the PE Center to take on St. Francis. Tip is slated for 3:00 p.m.

TAYLOR ATHLETICS

WEBB’S 26 LIFTS TROJANS PAST NO. 22 INDIANA WESLEYAN

UPLAND, Ind. – Anton Webb and Chaz Harvey combined for 33 of Taylor’s 42 second-half points, with Webb finishing with a game-high 26 to lift the Trojans to a 79-76 victory over No. 22 Indiana Wesleyan on Wednesday inside Odle Arena.

The Trojans led throughout the majority of the night, using an early 12-0 spurt to double up the Wildcats at 20-10 with 11:19 to play in the opening half. TU leaned on the long ball to fuel the run, getting a go-ahead trey from Kobe Funderburk and back-to-back triples from Webb before Kaden Furhmann got fouled behind the line and sank all three attempts from the stripe.

IWU (11-5, 1-5 CL) closed to within a point with just over two minutes to play in the stanza, but Taylor again countered from distance, getting a three from Furhmann to spark a 10-2 stretch into the break.

TU headed to intermission with a 37-28 lead, having assisted on 11-of-14 field goals and converted on five-of-eight looks from three-point range. Furhmann led the way for Taylor with 10 points, while the Trojan defense held the powerful Wildcat lineup to a 34.5-percent clip from the field.

The IWU offense came alive right out of the break, scoring on its first three touches, but making no dent in the Taylor lead, as Webb and Harvey countered with three buckets to keep the spread at nine.

The Taylor lead eventually swelled to 14 midway through the second on a Harvey hoop for a 62-48 lead and again moments later on a dunk from Izaiah Day for a 64-50 lead with 9:38 left in the game.

The TU offense cooled down the stretch however, just as the Wildcats heated from the perimeter to narrow the margin. The Trojans mustered just three baskets over the final nine minutes, with all three coming in the paint from Webb.

Webb’s final bucket of the contest came via an and-one conversion that gave Taylor a 73-69 lead with 2:14 to play.

Indiana Wesleyan continued its charge, eventually taking its first lead of the second half on an and-one of its own for a 74-73 lead at the 1:35 mark.

The two sides traded free throws over the next few possessions with a pair from Harvey and Webb pushing TU back on top by one with 38 ticks showing on the clock.

A pair of defensive rebounds from Harvey in the closing seconds and two more free throws from the junior guard helped Taylor secure the thrilling, 79-76, win over its cross-county rival.

Webb was a force all night, ending with 26 points, eight rebounds, two assists, a steal and one block in 29 minutes of work. Webb finished nine-of-12 from the field and scored 11 of TU’s final 15 points to keep the Wildcats at bay.

Harvey was right behind with 18 points on six-of-nine shooting, while adding four rebounds, four assists and one steal. Harvey poured in 14 second-half points on three-of-four shooting and six free throws.

Furhmann joined Webb and Harvey in double figures with 14 points on five-of-eight shooting and Pete Combs joined Nate Paarlberg with seven points.

Taylor rebounded from its worst offensive performance of the season in a loss at Spring Arbor by shooting 61.7 percent from the field against the Indiana Wesleyan defense. TU shot 15-of-22 from two-point range over the final 20 minutes for a blistering 68.2-percent clip.

The precise shooting helped TU overcome an 18-2 deficit in second-chance points, and an 18-point deficit from beyond the arc in the second half, as IWU turned six offensive boards into 14 points in the half and knocked down six triples after the break.

Taylor (10-6, 3-3 CL) will host Goshen (5-11, 0-6 CL) on Saturday in a 3:00 pm start, following the women’s game at 1:00 pm.

TAYLOR ATHLETICS

WARFEL EFFICIENT IN LOSS TO NO. 2 IWU

UPLAND, Ind. – Whitney Warfel drained five three-pointers and scored 22 points Wednesday evening as the Taylor women’s basketball team fell 81-48 versus second-ranked Indiana Wesleyan (16-0, 6-0 CL).

TU competed well on the defensive end against the undefeated Wildcats, forcing 15 turnovers while holding them to five points under their season average.

Outside of Warfel and a brief burst in the second quarter, though, the home team struggled mightily, shooting just 28.8 percent from the floor in the game.

IWU, on the other hand, started the night out hot as it took a 27-11 lead after one quarter.

Taylor fought back in the second stanza, with Warfel making a trio of treys and McKayah Musselman dissecting the visitors’ extended zone from the elbow by making both of her field goals. The Purple and Grey also forced six turnovers throughout the period as it cut into the deficit, 41-27.

Warfel splashed home one three-pointer in both the third and fourth periods, but TU could not find any rhythm as the defensive pressure intensified from No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan.

The Trojans were led on both ends of the court by Warfel with her 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting (5-of-6 from deep) and three steals.

Kalyn Bunch made all four of her free throws in the fourth quarter to finish with six points.

Four Trojans – Kendall Wayne, Ava Henson, Ellie Vermilion and Musselman – tied for a team-high four rebounds, while midseason addition Kendall Sietsema logged her first minutes of action and tallied the first point, rebound, assist and steal of her Taylor career.

Taylor (5-11, 0-6 CL) stays at home for a 1 p.m. matchup on Saturday versus Goshen (8-7, 2-4).

BUCCILLA SCORES 1,000TH CAREER POINT IN ROAD LOSS TO DENISON

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Indiana — Wabash rallied from a 12-point deficit to capture a three-point lead with 5:31 remaining. The Little Giants could not come up with the victory on the night senior guard Vinny Buccilla scored his 1,000th career point, losing at 25th-ranked Denison University in North Coast Athletic Conference action Wednesday evening.

Wabash moved to 7-6 overall and dropped its first NCAC game of the season (3-1). Denison improved to 12-1 overall and 4-0 in NCAC contests.

Buccilla became the 32nd Wabash basketball player to score 1,000 or more points in a career, nailing a jumper with 8:58 remaining in the first half to cut the Big Red’s lead to 15-12. Denison eventually pushed the advantage to 12 points in the first half by taking advantage of an uncharacteristically high number of turnovers. The Little Giants came into the game leading Division III in the fewest turnovers committed per game at 8.6 per contest. Wabash gave the ball away 11 times in the first 20 minutes, leading to 12 Denison points, and finished the game with 16 total turnovers for 16 Denison points.

Trailing 35-23 at halftime, Wabash began to cut into the Denison lead. Gavin Schippert opened the second half with a layup, followed by a Rich Brooks three-pointer to bring Wabash within seven. The Big Red regained an 11-point lead with 11:02 left to play in the game before the Little Giants’ shooting hands got hot. Buccilla hit a three-point basket. Randy Kelley converted a Denison turnover into a driving layup to bring Wabash to within six points, 47-41.

Denison’s Trevor Reed pushed the lead back to eight points with a layup with 9:06 on the game clock. But Schipperts and Brooks responded with back-to-back three-pointers to bring Wabash to within two points at 49-47 with 8:21 left to play.

Kelley tied the game at 49-49 with another drive to the baskets. Noah Hupmann gave the Little Giants their first lead at 50-49 with a free throw. Kelley nailed two free throws at 5:31 to put Wabash up 52-49.

Denison would not go away. Scotty Dean and Tyler Miller sandwiched two more Kelley free throws with three-point baskets to put the Big Red back in front 55-52. Kelley added two more free throws to make it a 55-54 score. Denison ran off a 6-0 scoring run over the three minutes to move in front 60-54. Wabash got no closer than four points in the final minute in the 64-58 contest

Wabash finished the game shooting 21 of 50 from the field (42 percent) and made 7 of 18 three-point tries (38.9 percent). Denison connected on 24 of 50 field goals (48 percent), making 8 of 17 three-point attempts (47.1 percent).

Kelley led Wabash with a season-best 17 points. Nate Matelic added 13 points and grabbed six rebounds. Buccilla finished with seven points. Hupmann added five points and led the team with eight rebounds and six blocked shots.

Reed finished with 15 points to lead Denison in scoring. Cameron Smith chipped in with 10 points.

Wabash continues its schedule against top-25-ranked teams with a home contest against tenth-ranked Wooster. The Scots improved to 13-1 overall and 5-0 in NCAC games with their 84-71 win Wednesday evening at Kenyon.

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

4 – 32 – 12 – 33 – 13 – 99 – 8 – 15 – 5 – 25 – 22 – 10

Number 4 in your program for January 9 is early NBA player Dino Martin who on this day in 1947 beceame the first player to score 40 points while with the Providence Steamroller as they won a 91-68 win over Cleveland Rebels at Rhode Island Auditorium.

Jersey Number 32 belongs to Freshman Bevo Francis of the 1953 Rio Grande College basketball team, who scored 116 pts in a single basketball game! Bevo did the same feat again that season too. You can learn more about Bevo Francis on the Sports History Network’s very own Basketball History 101 Podcast, Episode 44 with host Rick Loayza.

January 9, 1954 – Bert Olmstead, Number 15 of the Montreal Canadiens, tied the NHL record of 8 points in a single game

Cincinnati Bearcats first year, varsity guard, the great Oscar Robertson wearing the Number 12, scored 56 point is a game while his opponent’s entire team, Seton Hall, only scored 54 points on January 9, 1958.

January 9, 1972 – Led by future Lakers star Number 33, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee Bucks beat LA Lakers, 120-104, ending LA’s consecutive win streak at 33, the longest winning streak in major league sports history

January 9, 1977 – Super Bowl XI, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA: Oakland Raiders beat Minnesota Vikings, 32-14; MVP was Number 25, Fred Biletnikoff, Oakland, WR

Number 4 also represents the sweater number on one Bobby Orr that was retired by the Boston Bruins on January 9, 1979.

January 9, 1989 – Catcher Johnny Bench (Number 5) and Carl Yastrzemski (Number 8) were elected to become Baseball Hall of Fame inductees

January 9, 1990 – MLB legends Jim Palmer (Number 22) and Joe Morgan (Number 8) were selected to enter into the Baseball Hall of Fame

January 9, 1991 – Chicago Bulls, Number 23, Michael Jordan scores a game-high 40 points to lead the Bulls to a 107-99 win over Philadelphia at the Spectrum; reaches the 15,000 point mark of his career

January 9, 1998 – Hockey News Magazine selected Number 99, Wayne Gretzky as the best NHL player ever

January 9, 2000 – Miami Dolphin QB, Number 13, Dan Marino won his last career NFL game (20-17 vs Seattle)

January 9, 2012 – FIFA Ballon d’Or: Barcelona forward, Number 10, Lionel Messi wins award for a record 3rd consecutive year; Japanese midfielder Number 10, Homare Sawa wins women’s award

FOOTBALL HISTORY

January 9, 1962 – The NFL issued a rule that prohibited the grasping of face masks on any player. According to the footballzebras.com website a head protector became mandatory in 1943 in the NFL. Face masks were optional until 1955 when the NFL rules makers could still petition the NFL commish to be allowed to go without one. In 1956 the rule arrived where grasping the face mask of anyone except for the runner was illegal. This 1962 face mask rule brought the revision to pretty close what we see today that if a face mask is grasped on any player it is a 15-yard penalty and if flagrant, the offending player is disqualified.

January 9, 1967 – The Pro Football Hall of Fame tells us that New Orleans’ franchise officially adopted the name of the “Saints”. The NFL awarded the 16th franchise to the City of New Orleans on November 1, 1966, “All Saints Day.” We have more on the start of this franchise on our November 1 post.

January 9, 1977 – Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California – Super Bowl XI was played. This is the earliest date of the year that any Super Bowl was played and judging by the current format of playing in February, it will probably always remain the earliest played one. The matchup was the Minnesota Vikings and the Oakland Raiders who both advanced through their respective Conference Championships that we discussed back on our December 26 post. After a scoreless first quarter the Raiders opened up the scoring by rattling off 16 unanswered points before the half. That was really all they needed according to Pro-Football-Reference.com as the Raider defense stepped up and limited the Vikings to a mere 14 points. Oakland running back Pete Banaszak scored twice on short dives and DB Willie Brown registered a 75 yard pick six to seal the deal as the  Oakland Raiders beat  the Minnesota Vikings, 32-14 to capture the Lombardi.  The game MVP was Raiders Wide Receiver Fred Biletnikoff, who hails from Erie, PA and attended Florida State, had four catches for 79 yards in the game.

January 9, 2000 – Miami Dolphins Quarterback Dan Marino has his final NFL victory in the AFC Wildcard game. The Dolphins defeated the Seattle Seahawks by the score of 20-17 according to the Pro-Football-Reference.com website. The last game for Marino was the following week when the Jacksonville Jaguars steamrolled the Fins 62-7.  

January 9, 2012 – Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans – At the14th BCS National Championship  #2 Alabama upended their SEC rival #1 LSU, 21-0 per the Onthisday.com.

January 9, 2017 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa – The College Football National Championship Game. The College Football Playoff website called the game the “unprecedented rematch.”  The Clemson Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide would battle for the second consecutive year in the Title game. The year prior was an exciting one as Alabama eked past Clemson 45-40.  According to ESPN.com this game in 2017 had all the build-up and more than the original matchup had and it lived up to its billing.  Clemson rallied from a two score deficit early to get back in the game and then played sound defense to limit Bama to a season low 376 yards of offense. The Tigers also got Alabama off the field as Nick Saban’s crew went only 2-15 on third downs. 21 points in the final stanza by Clemson in a quarter that saw  three lead changes brought the college season finale to a climax. With one second remaining  Clemson Quarterback Deshaun Watson  flicked a two yard pass to Hunter Renfrow to move #2 Clemson past #1 Alabama, 35-31!

Hall of Fame Birthdays for January 9

January 9, 1909 – Canton, Massachusetts – The fine center from Harvard University Ben Ticknor who played for the Crimson in the late 1920’s.

January 9, 1916 – Auburn, New York – Jerome “Brud” Holland, the great end from Cornell, was born. This guy’s bio on footballfoundation.org earns my respect. Brud came from a big family that had 12 kids. Money was tight, and as an African-American wanting to attend Cornell and play football, he had to work hard. Brud is said to have worked his way through college by tending furnaces and working as a dishwasher, and yet he still found time to do his studies and achieve straight As! Oh yeah, he played a mean game of football, too! He made the All-America team twice in his collegiate career. His most productive game had to be the 1937 contest against Colgate, where he caught a touchdown pass and scored on two end-around plays! The NFF placed the name of Brud Holland into their College Football Hall of Fame in 1965. You just know that a fella as ambitious as Brud was going to do something great in his life. Well, in fact, he did as he was the president of Hampton Institute, president of Delaware State, U.S. ambassador to Sweden from 1970 through 1972, charmed the American Red Cross, was the chairman of Salvation Army, as well as the chairman of Planned Parenthood, and was the first African American director of the New York Stock Exchange! Wow! That is an accomplished life!

January 9, 1934 – Montgomery, Alabama – The stellar quarterback from the University of Alabama, Bart Starr was born.

January 9, 1956 -Satanta, Kansas – Kansas State Linebacker Gary Spani celebrated his birth. Gary may very well be considered the greatest college football player ever from Kansas State according to the National Football Foundation. Spani was an All-America selection in 1977 and was voted the MVP of the Japan Bowl as well as the East -West Shrine game and was even a finalist in the Heisman voting! Gary was all over the field especially in his senior year when he averaged an amazing 17 tackles per game! The doors were open wide at the College Football Hall of Fame to welcome Gary Spani in 2002. After his career at K State Gary was selected in the third round  of the NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. He was a Chiefs defensive star for nine seasons and retired as the leading tackler in KC franchise history. Spani was selected as the Miller/NFL “Man of the Year” Award in 1983.

YESTERDAY IN BASEBALL

Andy Van Slyke is a former baseball player. He was drafted in the first round (sixth overall pick) of the 1979 MLB amateur draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Van Slyke played for four teams in his career: the St. Louis Cardinals (1983–1986), Pittsburgh Pirates (1987–1994), Baltimore Orioles (1995), and Philadelphia Phillies (1995). He played his final game on October 1, 1995. In his 13-year career, Van Slyke appeared in three All-Star games (1988, 1992, 1993), won five Gold Glove Awards, two Silver Slugger Awards, and ranked in the top 10 in many offensive categories in varying seasons.

In 1658 games over 13 seasons, Van Slyke compiled a .274 batting average (1562-for-5711) with 835 runs, 293 doubles, 91 triples, 164 home runs, 792 RBI, 245 stolen bases, 667 walks, 1063 strikeouts, an on-base percentage of .349 and a slugging percentage of .443. He recorded a .987 fielding percentage at all three outfield positions, first base and third base.

Career highlights and awards:

3× All-Star (1988, 1992, 1993)

5× Gold Glove Award (1988–1992)

2× Silver Slugger Award (1988, 1992)

Fernando Valenzuela played 17 MLB seasons, from 1980 to 1991 and 1993 to 1997. While he played for six MLB teams, his longest tenure was with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Historically, there is no match to Valenzuela’s 1981 season. Only one pitcher in Major League history has won the Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in the same season — Valenzuela. Add to that, he was the National League starting pitcher in the All-Star Game that season, and he won a World Series championship.

His six-season span from 1981–1986 will forever be regarded as one of the elite runs by a Dodger pitcher — six All-Star selections, three top-three finishes in the Cy Young Award balloting, two Silver Slugger Awards and a Gold Glove Award, 97 wins, 84 complete games, 1,258 strikeouts and a 2.97 ERA. In eight postseason starts, he was 5–1 with a 2.00 ERA

Valenzuela’s no-hitter on June 29, 1990, is regarded as one of the greatest performances ever at Dodger Stadium.

Career highlights:

6× All-Star (1981–1986)

World Series champion (1981)

NL Cy Young Award (1981)

NL Rookie of the Year (1981)

Gold Glove Award (1986)

2× Silver Slugger Award (1981, 1983)

NL wins leader (1986)

MLB strikeout leader (1981)

Pitched a no-hitter on June 29, 1990

Los Angeles Dodgers No. 34 retired

MLB THROWBACK

Oct. 14, 1965 – Los Angeles Dodgers manager Walter Alston had this decision to make concerning his Game 7 starter in the World Series: Use Sandy Koufax on just two days rest or Don Drysdale on three days rest.

Alston chose Koufax, and the lefthander didn’t let him or the Dodgers down. Koufax, who had blanked Minnesota on four hits in Game 5, shut down the power-loaded Twins again. He allowed only three hits and struck out 10 again to win 2-0 as the Dodgers became world champions.

And Koufax did it basically with just one pitch. Because he had difficulty getting his curve over the plate early, Koufax stuck with his fastball. “It can’t be done unless you are exceptional,” said catcher John Roseboro, “and Sandy is the most exceptional pitcher in the game today.”

Koufax walked three, two in the first inning. But he found his rhythm in the middle innings and dominated the Twins. He ended the game with a flourish, fanning Earl Battey and Bobby Allison to become the first pitcher to record three double-digit strikeout games in Series play.

Despite his arthritic left elbow, Koufax struck out 411 in 361 2/3 innings and went 28-9 this year, including the Series

TODAY IN SPORTS

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 THURSDAY

NBA REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
TORONTO RAPTORS VS CLEVELAND CAVALIERS	7:00PM	SPORTSNET FANDUEL SPORTS OH
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS VS DETROIT PISTONS	7:00PM	NBCS-BAY FANDUEL SPORTS DET
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES VS ORLANDO MAGIC	7:00PM	NBATV FANDUEL SPORTS NORTH FANDUEL SPORTS FL
HOUSTON ROCKETS VS MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES	8:00PM	SCHN FANDUEL SPORTS SE
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS VS DALLAS MAVERICKS	8:30PM	RIP CITY KFAA
ATLANTA HAWKS VS PHOENIX SUNS	9:00PM	FANDUEL SPORTS SE AFSN
MIAMI HEAT VS UTAH JAZZ	9:00PM	FANDUEL SPORTS SUN KJZZ
CHARLOTTE HORNETS VS LOS ANGELES LAKERS	10:30PM	FANDUEL SPORTS SE SPECTRUM
NHL REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
BUFFALO SABRES VS OTTAWA SENATORS	7:00PM	ESPN+ MSG-BUF SPORTSNET
BOSTON BRUINS VS TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING	7:00PM	ESPN+ FANDUEL SPORTS SUN NESN
NEW JERSEY DEVILS VS NEW YORK RANGERS	7:00PM	ESPN+ MSGSN MSG
DALLAS STARS VS PHILADELPHIA FLYERS	7:00PM	ESPN+ VICTORY+ NBCS-PHI
EDMONTON OILERS VS PITTSBURGH PENGUINS	7:00PM	ESPN+ ATTSN-PIT SPORTSNET
SEATTLE KRAKEN VS COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS	7:00PM	ESPN+ FANDUEL SPORTS OH KONG
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS VS CAROLINA HURRICANES	7:30PM	ESPN+ HULU
ANAHEIM DUCKS VS ST. LOUIS BLUES	8:00PM	ESPN+ FANDUEL SPORTS MW VICTORY+
COLORADO AVALANCHE VS MINNESOTA WILD	8:00PM	ESPN+ FANDUEL SPORTS NORTH ALT
NEW YORK ISLANDERS VS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS	10:00PM	ESPN+ MSGSN SCRIPPS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL	TIME ET	TV
CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL: SEMIFINAL: NOTRE DAME VS. PENN STATE	7:30PM	ESPN
COLLEGE BASKETBALL	TIME ET	TV
UNCG AT CHATTANOOGA	5:00PM	CBSSN
PURDUE AT RUTGERS	6:00PM	FS1
OREGON AT OHIO STATE	6:00PM	BTN
BINGHAMTON AT MAINE	6:00PM	ESPN+
VERMONT AT UMASS LOWELL	6:00PM	ESPN+
JACKSONVILLE AT BELLARMINE	6:30PM	ESPN+
DETROIT MERCY AT IU INDIANAPOLIS	6:30PM	ESPN+
ELON AT WILLIAM & MARY	7:00PM	CBSSN
CAMPBELL AT HAMPTON	7:00PM	MNMT
CHARLESTON AT HOFSTRA	7:00PM	MSG2
NORTHEASTERN AT TOWSON	7:00PM	MNMT2
DREXEL AT STONY BROOK	7:00PM	SNY
UNCW AT MONMOUTH	7:00PM	ESPN+
OAKLAND AT WRIGHT STATE	7:00PM	ESPN+
CENTRAL ARKANSAS AT STETSON	7:00PM	ESPN+
NORTH ALABAMA AT FGCU	7:00PM	ESPN+
NORTH FLORIDA AT EASTERN KENTUCKY	7:00PM	ESPN+
UALBANY AT NEW HAMPSHIRE	7:00PM	ESPN+
UMBC AT NJIT	7:00PM	ESPN+
JAMES MADISON AT MARSHALL	7:00PM	ESPN+
TEXAS STATE AT TROY	7:00PM	ESPN+
DELAWARE AT NORTH CAROLINA A&T	7:00PM	FLOSPORTS
FIU AT LOUISIANA TECH	7:30PM	ESPN+
KENNESAW STATE AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE	7:30PM	ESPN+
WASHINGTON AT MICHIGAN STATE	8:00PM	BTN
JACKSONVILLE STATE AT WKU	8:00PM	ESPN+
QUEENS AT LIPSCOMB	8:00PM	ESPN+
WEST GEORGIA AT AUSTIN PEAY	8:00PM	ESPN+
VMI AT SAMFORD	8:00PM	ESPN+
MOREHEAD STATE AT LITTLE ROCK	8:00PM	ESPN+
ULM AT SOUTHERN MISS	8:00PM	ESPN+
OLD DOMINION AT LOUISIANA	8:00PM	ESPN+
ARKANSAS STATE AT SOUTH ALABAMA	8:00PM	ESPN+
GRAND CANYON AT UTAH VALLEY	8:00PM	ESPN+
NORTH DAKOTA STATE AT ORAL ROBERTS	8:00PM	SUMMIT
SOUTHERN INDIANA AT SOUTHEAST MISSOURI	8:30PM	ESPN+
UT MARTIN AT WESTERN ILLINOIS	8:30PM	ESPN+
TENNESSEE STATE AT LINDENWOOD	8:30PM	ESPN+
TENNESSEE TECH AT EASTERN ILLINOIS	8:30PM	ESPN+
TARLETON AT SOUTHERN UTAH	8:30PM	ESPN+
LIBERTY AT SAM HOUSTON	9:00PM	CBSSN
NORTH DAKOTA AT DENVER	9:00PM	ALT2
CAL STATE FULLERTON AT UC DAVIS	9:00PM	ESPN+
NORTHERN ARIZONA AT MONTANA	9:00PM	ESPN+
NORTHERN COLORADO AT MONTANA STATE	9:00PM	ESPN+
UTA AT UTAH TECH	9:00PM	ESPN+
PACIFIC AT WASHINGTON STATE	9:30PM	ESPN+
PORTLAND AT SAN FRANCISCO	10:00PM	ESPN+
OREGON STATE AT SANTA CLARA	10:00PM	ESPN+
IDAHO AT SACRAMENTO STATE	10:00PM	ESPN+
EASTERN WASHINGTON AT PORTLAND STATE	10:00PM	ESPN+
CAL POLY AT UC SAN DIEGO	10:00PM	ESPN+
CSU BAKERSFIELD AT UC SANTA BARBARA	10:00PM	ESPN+
HAWAI’I AT UC RIVERSIDE	10:00PM	ESPN+
UC IRVINE AT CSUN	10:00PM	ESPN+
GOLF	TIME ET	TV
PGA TOUR: SONY OPEN	7:00PM	GOLF
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
SUPERCOPA DE ESPAÑA: REAL MADRID VS MALLORCA	2:00PM	ESPN2 ESPN+ FUBOTV
FA CUP: SHEFFIELD UNITED VS CARDIFF CITY	2:00PM	ESPN+
BELGIAN CUP: BEERSCHOT VS ANDERLECHT	2:30PM	CBSSN PARAMOUNT+
FA CUP: EVERTON VS PETERBOROUGH UNITED	2:45PM	ESPN+
FA CUP: FULHAM VS WATFORD	2:45PM	ESPN+
TENNIS	TIME ET	TV
ADELAIDE-ATP/WTA, AUCKLAND-ATP & HOBART-WTA QUARTERFINALS	1:30AM	TENNIS