THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” TUESDAY JANUARY 21, 2025

“THE SCOREBOARD”

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL

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BREBEUF JESUIT	62	INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN	47
GARY 21ST CENTURY	57	UNIVERSITY CITY (MO.)	46
LAKEWOOD PARK	45	SOUTH ADAMS	38
SOUTH KNOX	85	WASHINGTON CATHOLIC	9
SOUTHRIDGE	68	TECUMSEH	52

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL

ICGSA POLLS

CLASS 4A

1. HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (19-0)

2. LAWRENCE CENTRAL (17-1)       

3. WARSAW (18-0)   

4. SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (20-1)      

5. HOMESTEAD (18-2)           

6. NOBLESVILLE (15-3)         

7. CENTER GROVE (16-2)    

8. PIKE (13-3)

9. BROWNSBURG (15-4)      

10. PLAINFIELD (14-5)          

11. PENN (16-5)         

12. BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (17-2)

13. NORTHRIDGE (17-4)      

14. LAWRENCE NORTH (10-7)         

15. MCCUTCHEON (18-3)

CLASS 3A

1. GREENSBURG (18-0)

2. WASHINGTON (18-2)       

3. SILVER CREEK (15-2)       

4. EVANSVILLE CENTRAL (16-3)     

5. COLUMBIA CITY (16-4)   

6. BELLMONT (16-2)

7. DANVILLE (16-4)  

8. CORYDON CENTRAL (15-4)         

9. NORWELL (12-6)  

10. INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (12-7)           

11. INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (12-7)     

12. NORTHWOOD (15-5)     

13. HERITAGE HILLS (8-8)   

14. NORTHVIEW (14-6)

CLASS 2A

1. SOUTH KNOX (17-2)

2. ALEXANDRIA (19-1) (1)    

3. RENSSELAER CENTRAL (17-2)  

4. EASTSIDE (20-1)   

5. NORTHEASTERN (19-1)   

6. AUSTIN (17-2)        

7. BLUFFTON (17-2) 

8. LANESVILLE (13-2)            

9. NORTH KNOX (11-6)         

10. BREMEN (16-2)   

11. BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (14-5)         

12. SHERIDAN (16-1)             

13. EASTERN HANCOCK (17-2)      

14. WHITKO (13-3)   

15. OAK HILL (18-1)  

16. TRITON CENTRAL (11-7)

CLASS 1A

1. MARQUETTE CATHOLIC (15-4)  

2. NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) (17-3)

3. BORDEN (12-5)     

4. OLDENBURG ACADEMY (16-2) 

5. WESTVILLE (16-2)

6. ORLEANS (14-3) (1)           

7. TRI-COUNTY (15-1)            

8. FREMONT (14-6)  

9. WOOD MEMORIAL (11-8)             

10. WHITE RIVER VALLEY (13-4)    

11. VINCENNES RIVET (11-7)           

12. TRI (13-6)

13. CLINTON CENTRAL (15-4)         

14. ELKHART CHRISTIAN (15-4)     

15. TECUMSEH (8-6)

16. NORTHEAST DUBOIS (10-6)

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL

HOMESTEAD.COM

BIG WALNUT (OHIO)	60	LAWRENCE NORTH	51
CULVER ACADEMY	54	TWIN LAKES	36
FAITH CHRISTIAN	52	ROSSVILLE	45
INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA	45	MOORESVILLE CHRISTIAN	17
KING’S CHRISTIAN (CANADA)	65	INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS	41
LAKE CENTRAL	71	HINSDALE SOUTH (ILL.)	32
LAWRENCE CENTRAL	62	PURCELL MARIAN (OHIO)	56
MONROVIA	63	INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN	12
NORTH DAVIESS	54	PIKE CENTRAL	19
NORTH DECATUR	55	EDINBURGH	14
NORTH KNOX	66	NORTH POSEY	32
NORTHEAST DUBOIS	44	FOREST PARK	35
NORTHVIEW	47	OWEN VALLEY	22
PIKE	57	HARVEST PREP (OHIO)	38
SEEGER	59	COVINGTON	31
SOUTH KNOX	104	WASHINGTON CATHOLIC	9
SPRINGS VALLEY	71	SALEM	31
SWITZERLAND COUNTY	53	NEW WASHINGTON	36
TELL CITY	53	PERRY CENTRAL	50
TRINITY LUTHERAN	57	WEST WASHINGTON	28
WEST VIGO	43	NORTH PUTNAM	40
WHITE RIVER VALLEY	79	DUGGER UNION	38
PORTER COUNTY TOURNAMENT
SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS)	73	BOONE GROVE	33	R1
WESTVILLE	52	WASHINGTON TWP.	50	R1

INDIANA BOYS WRESTLING:

DUAL RESULTS: https://indianamat.com/index.php?/dualresults.html/boys-dual-results/

TOURNAMENT RESULTS: https://indianamat.com/index.php?/curtournamentresults.html/boys-tournament-results/

INDIANA MAT HOMEPAGE: https://indianamat.com/

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL AP POLL

#1 AUBURN 17 – 1

#2 DUKE 16 – 2

#3 IOWA STATE 15 – 2

#4 ALABAMA 15 – 3

#5 FLORIDA 16 – 2

#6 TENNESSEE 16 – 2

#7 HOUSTON 14 – 3

#8 MICHIGAN STATE 16 – 2

#9 KENTUCKY 14 – 4

#10 MARQUETTE 15 – 3

#11 PURDUE 15 – 4

#12 KANSAS 13 – 4

#13 TEXAS A&M 14 – 4

#14 MISSISSIPPI STATE 15 – 3

#15 OREGON 15 – 3

#16 OLE MISS 15 – 3

#17 ILLINOIS 13 – 5

#18 WISCONSIN 15 – 3

#19 UCONN 13 – 5

#20 ST. JOHN’S 16 – 3

#21 MICHIGAN #14 – 4

#22 MISSOURI 15 – 3

#23 WEST VIRGINIA 13 – 4

#24 MEMPHIS 14 – 4

#25 LOUISVILLE 14 – 5

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:

TEXAS TECH 104, UTAH ST. 38, VANDERBILT 35, GONZAGA 34, GEORGIA 30, CLEMSON 30, ARIZONA 21, SAINT MARY’S 12, CINCINNATI 4, BAYLOR 4, UC IRVINE 3, WAKE FOREST 2, CREIGHTON 2, BRADLEY 1, MARYLAND 1.

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL AP POLL

#1 UCLA 17 – 0

#2 SOUTH CAROLINA 18 – 1

#3 NOTRE DAME 16 – 2

#4 USC 17 – 1

#5 LSU 20 – 0

#6 UCONN 17 – 2

#7 TEXAS 17 – 2

#8 MARYLAND 16 – 1

#9 TCU 19 – 1

#10 KANSAS STATE 19 – 1

#11 KENTUCKY 16 – 1

#12 OHIO STATE 17 – 1

#13 NORTH CAROLINA 17 – 3

#14 DUKE 15 – 4

#15 OKLAHOMA 15 – 4

#16 WEST VIRGINIA 15 – 3

#17 TENNESSEE 15 – 3

#18 GEORGIA TECH 16 – 3

#19 ALABAMA 17 – 3

#20 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 14 – 4

#21 MICHIGAN STATE 15 – 3

#22 CALIFORNIA 17 – 3

#23 MINNESOTA 17 – 2

#24 MICHIGAN 13 – 5

#25 BAYLOR 16 – 3

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:

NEBRASKA 35, CREIGHTON 28, MISSISSIPPI 9, UTAH 9, VANDERBILT 9, OKLAHOMA ST. 5, SOUTH DAKOTA ST. 2, HARVARD 2, MISSISSIPPI ST. 1.

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES

TOP 25

#1 UCLA 72 BAYLOR 57
#7 TEXAS 89 #8 BAYLOR 51

ELSEWHERE:

BALL STATE 77 TOLEDO 63

NEBRASKA 91 WISCONSIN 60

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

OHIO STATE 34 NOTRE DAME 23

NFL PLAYOFFS

CONFERENCE CHA MPIONSHIPS

SUNDAY JANUARY 26

NFC

WASHINGTON (12-5) @ PHILADELPHIA (14-3) 3:30 FOX

AFC

BUFFALO (13-4) @ KANSAS CITY (15-2) 6:30 CBS

NBA SCORES

Charlotte 110 Dallas 105

Detroit 107 Houston 96

Memphis 108 Minnesota 106

New York 119 Atlanta 110

Cleveland 118 Phoenix 92

Boston 125 Golden State 85

New Orleans 123 Utah 119 OT

Chicago 112 LA Clippers 99

NHL SCORES

Boston 6 San Jose 3

Minnesota 3 Colorado 1

Seattle 6 Buffalo 4

St. Louis 5 Vegas 4

Toronto 5 Tampa Bay 3

NY Islanders 3 Columbus 1

Carolina 4 Chicago 3 OT

Utah 5 Winnipeg 2

Pittsburgh 5 Los Angeles 1

TOP NATIONAL RELEASES/HEADLINES

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

OHIO STATE SURVIVES NOTRE DAME RALLY TO CLAIM NATIONAL TITLE

ATLANTA (AP) — Instead of crying over another collapse, Ohio State can celebrate another national title after holding off a Notre Dame comeback bid Monday night to walk away with a nailbiter of a 34-23 victory over the Fighting Irish.

Will Howard hit big-play receiver Jeremiah Smith for 56 yards on a late third-and-11 to lock down a game that had been a laugher, then turned into something else.

Trailing 31-7, Notre Dame scored two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions to make it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter.

The Irish stopped Ohio State on the first two plays of the next drive and used their timeouts. But on third down, Howard found Smith in single coverage on the right sideline and dropped his best pass of the season into the hands of the second-team All-American.

“They were running man coverage and I said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna let this loose and let him make a play on it,’” Howard said.

It set up a field goal that started the celebration in earnest (and helped Ohio State cover the 8 1/2-point spread at BetMGM Sportsbook). And it closed out a seven-week climb from the depths of a program-shaking loss to 20-point underdog Michigan to the top of college football after this, the debut of the sport’s 12-team playoff.

Ohio State will bring its sixth “natty” and first since the 2014 season back to the Horseshoe in Columbus.

“It’s a great story about a bunch of guys who have just overcome some really tough situations, and with the point where there’s a lot of people that counted us out (they) just kept swinging and kept fighting,” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said.

Howard, a transfer-portal success story from Kansas State, threw for 231 yards and two scores, but nothing will beat the pass to Smith with everything on the line.

The receiver, who had been bottled up by Texas in the semifinals then fairly quiet for most of this game, finally got loose for the kind of play he’s been making all year. He finished with five catches for 88 yards.

Ohio State scored touchdowns on its first four possessions, then added a field goal on its fifth.

When Quinshon Judkins (100 yards, 11 carries, three TDs), a transfer from Mississippi who highlighted Ohio State’s judicious use of the ever-growing portal, busted a 70-yard run to set up the score that made it 28-7, this game looked over.

It wasn’t, and now Irish coach Marcus Freeman will have to answer a few tough questions — one about the failed fake punt in the third quarter that turned into a field goal for a 31-7 lead; the other about sending Mitch Jeter in for a short field goal attempt while down 16 and facing fourth-and-goal from the 9. It might have looked like a better call had Jeter’s kick not clanged off the left upright.

Really, though, Ohio State was the better team. The Buckeyes outgained Notre Dame 445 yards to 308. Howard completed his first 13 passes and never really got stopped. Ohio State punted a grand total of once.

The Buckeyes rolled through four games in the new, expanded playoff — what great timing for Ohio State, which didn’t even play for the Big Ten title — by an average score of 36-21.

Ohio State was seeded eighth in the tournament, but the seedings were pretty much meaningless. The worse seed won every game in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, and the Buckeyes dominated in this title-game showdown of No. 7 vs. No. 8.

It puts to rest, for now, any angst about that 13-10 Michigan loss in November — Ohio State’s fourth straight in the series — that ended with a brawl after Wolverine players tried to plant a flag at midfield. The whole scene left a lot of folks, both in and out of Buckeye circles, thinking Day, in his sixth season, had outlived his usefulness on a campus that hadn’t tasted a title in a decade.

Instead, he’s on a list of title-winning coaches with Urban Meyer, Jim Tressel, Woody Hayes and Paul Brown. Also, Day’s .873 winning percentage is third among coaches with 50-plus games — one spot behind none other than the Notre Dame legend Knute Rockne, himself.

College football still has never had a Black coach win the national title. Freeman was trying to become the first.

Instead, another kind of history. This marked the first time the Big Ten has taken back-to-back titles since 1942. Last year’s champion was Michigan, which was sitting home watching this one, but still played a special role in a Buckeyes redemption story hardly anyone saw coming.

CFB WRAP-UP: TAKEAWAYS FROM OHIO STATE’S TITLE-GAME WIN

Ohio State left no doubt about who the best team in the nation was for the 2024 season, taking out Notre Dame in Atlanta on Monday to claim the first national championship in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

The Buckeyes’ star-laden roster was simply too much for the Fighting Irish. They scored at will to take a 31-7 lead early in the second half, and a late field goal sealed the deal after Notre Dame stormed back to make it an eight-point contest.

Here are the main takeaways from Ohio State’s victory.

Day’s offensive additions shine

Recruitment is as essential to success in college football as any other aspect of the game. Some questioned Ryan Day’s in-game coaching in recent years, but there can be no denying that the man is an absolute ace when it comes to building a roster. He convinced Jack Sawyer, TreVeyon Henderson, Emeka Egbuka and JT Tuimoloau to stay in school one final year, and his additions via the transfer portal shined bright Monday night.

Many were surprised by Kyle McCord’s decision to transfer in the offseason after he wasn’t promised the starting quarterback job, and when Day brought in Will Howard from Kansas State to take over the offense, the move didn’t immediately look like an upgrade. The jokes were flying when McCord broke the passing record with Syracuse, but Day and Howard got the last laugh with a brilliant run in the playoffs.

Howard set a title-game record with 13 straight completions to begin the contest and finished the four-game playoff with a sparkling 75% completion rate and eight touchdown passes.

Day also brought in Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss in a move that felt like a man with a garage full of Ferraris adding another. It’s great to own another luxury car, but do you really need one? As it turns out, he did. His plan to get TreVeyon Henderson more rest this year worked brilliantly.

The duo complemented each other perfectly and piled up numbers while remaining healthy for the length of the schedule. Judkins’ final act this season was his most impactful. He only touched the ball a few times against Notre Dame, but he scored a trio of touchdowns with those touches.

Chip was deep in his bag

The highest-profile offseason addition came in the form of Chip Kelly, who left his position as head coach of UCLA to become the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator. The move initially seemed puzzling, especially considering the Bruins became conference foes with Ohio State this season, but Kelly insisted he was tired of all that being a head coach entailed and just wanted to coach ball. Kelly’s imprint was strong all season, and he was particularly deep in his bag throughout the playoffs.

Howard’s a solid quarterback with a strong skill set. He’s not showing up early on any draft board for 2025, but there’s talent there, and Kelly did a brilliant job of scheming players open play after play, drive after drive, to get the most out of that talent.

Giving Kelly a seemingly endless supply of weapons on offense is borderline unfair, and he showed his acumen on a couple of occasions Monday. One of his finer moments came on Ohio State’s opening touchdown – a play where Kelly was able to get the most dangerous receiver in the country wide open.

Day previously played under Kelly at New Hampshire, and the reunion between the two paid off over and over again this year.

Freeman’s questionable calls

Marcus Freeman’s a brilliant coach who has brought Notre Dame plenty of respect on the national level. However, he’s going to look back and want a few mulligans on some big moments from Monday’s game.

The first questionable call came after Ohio State took the opening drive of the second half for a touchdown to make things 28-7 and put Notre Dame on the ropes. Faced with 4th-and-2 on their own 33, Freeman realized the game was at a critical point and that his team needed a first down. But the Irish opted for madness as backup quarterback Steve Angeli attempted a fake punt throw. Ohio State didn’t look remotely fooled by the move, and Angeli’s pass sailed wide of the intended target, putting the Buckeyes in excellent field position and setting them up for a field goal.

The second questionable call was the most baffling of the bunch and came when the Irish attempted a furious comeback in the fourth quarter. Trailing by 16, Notre Dame drove deep in Ohio State’s zone and was faced with 4th-and-goal from the 11. A 16-point deficit would seemingly make it an easy decision to try to score the touchdown, but Freeman opted for a field goal to cut the deficit to 13 – a margin that still requires two touchdowns. To make matters worse, Mitch Jeter doinked the kick off the upright and the lengthy trip came up empty.

Notre Dame stormed down the field on the next drive to score a touchdown and get the two-point conversion, but that was the last time it saw the ball before gaining possession while down 10 with 25 seconds to play.

Ohio State defense snuffed out initial hope

The Irish opened the contest by paying tribute to the troops with an 18-play, 75-yard drive that lasted 9:45 and featured nine runs by the quarterback. The uniforms said Notre Dame, but Leonard carrying the ball every other play resembled something we might see from Army, Navy or Air Force. It suggested the underdogs might be able to move the ball on the Buckeyes’ stout defense and keep the game close.

But Leonard obviously wasn’t going to make it through the game if Notre Dame was going to run him every other play. After scoring the opening touchdown, the dual-threat quarterback vomited on the sideline before catching his breath.

All the hope from the opening drive then quickly evaporated as Jim Knowles’ defense adjusted and completely stopped the Irish attack. The next four drives saw the offense run 16 plays for a total of 11 yards. You do not need a Notre Dame education to realize that’s less than one yard per play.

The Buckeyes’ defense was the best in the nation throughout most of the season and featured future NFL talent across all levels of the field. While the sack total wasn’t the same as previous playoff games – notably the eight registered in the win over Oregon – most of that boils down to Leonard’s elite ability to avoid pressure.

The final numbers will show Notre Dame ended up moving the ball with some success on the Buckeyes’ defense, but the vast majority of that came once the game was well out of reach at 31-7.

We heaped praise on Kelly earlier for his brilliant playcalling, but Knowles deserves just as much credit for the defense he built in Columbus. The Buckeyes funnel over $4 million combined into their two coordinators – money that was very well spent this season.

BIG TEN COMMISH: OHIO STATE HAD ‘GREATEST RUN IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL HISTORY’

There isn’t another team in college football history that can hold a candle to the path Ohio State took on its route to a national championship, according to Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti.

“That’s the greatest run in college football history,” Petitti said following the Buckeyes’ 34-23 victory over Notre Dame on Monday night, via Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports.

Ohio State earned the honor of being the first program ever to record five wins against AP top-five opponents in a single season with Monday’s win, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The Buckeyes entered the title game tied with LSU’s 2019 team, USC’s 1967 squad, and Notre Dame’s 1943 roster.

Ryan Day’s group are also the first winners of the 12-team College Football Playoff format. Day and Co. defeated Tennessee to start before handing Oregon its first and only loss of the season. They then went on to beat Texas before trouncing Notre Dame in the CFP final.

“We built a foundation early in the season,” Day said postgame. “We knew (we’d have to) withstand some storms along the way. We did. We stuck together, we hung in there like a family does when things get hard.”

He added: “This just gives so much credibility to what these guys did all season. I’m so proud of them.”

The national championship was the first of Day’s career and Ohio State’s first since 2014.

NFL NEWS

REPORTS: BEARS SET TO HIRE LIONS OC BEN JOHNSON AS HEAD COACH

The Chicago Bears are closing in on a deal to hire Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their next head coach, according to multiple reports on Monday.

Johnson will take over a Bears team that floundered to last-place finish in the NFC North this season after winning four of its first six games.

Chicago lost 10 straight after its promising start, including a 23-20 defeat at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day that led to the firing of coach Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29.

Johnson became available to hire after the top-seeded Lions’ surprising 45-31 home loss to the Washington Commanders in a divisional round game Saturday night.

The 38-year-old was one of the most coveted head coaching candidates this season.

His creative playcalling, which includes a deep bag of gadget plays, has helped Detroit sustain one of the league’s most potent offenses.

In each of Johnson’s three seasons as offensive coordinator, the Lions finished among the NFL’s top five in total yards and points per game.

Detroit boasted the league’s top scoring offense this season (33.2 ppg) and finished second in total yards per game (409.5). Their 564 points this season were a franchise record, as were their 15 regular-season wins.

Johnson will aim to improve a Bears offense that managed the fewest yards (284.6) and tied for the fourth-fewest points per game (18.2) last season with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the top overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

DAN CAMPBELL: LIONS WILL BE BACK ‘STRONGER’

Dan Campbell might lose a coach or two during the ongoing NFL hiring cycle, but he remains confident the Lions have the foundation to be back stronger next season to compete for the Super Bowl.

“We talk about that core. That core group is still intact — and we’ve signed some back, some are up on contracts and that’ll be ongoing. But, yeah, we absolutely do,” Campbell said Monday of whether the Lions’ window is still open. “I think the most important thing is you want to know you’ve got your culture, you’ve got your identity, and you’ve got players that fit into that, and we’ve got that. And we’ve got players in every pivotal position you can ask for to have success and those guys are made the right way, so, absolutely, our window is open.”

Detroit claimed the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time in franchise history. But the Lions were blown out by the Washington Commanders, 45-31, on Saturday night at Ford Field. The abrupt end to a season in which the Lions were 15-2 is a difficult reality for Campbell and many of his players who felt the sting of a season-ending loss in the NFC Championship at San Francisco a year ago.

“We met two of those goals this year and, in a sense, went above and beyond what we were a year ago,” Campbell said. “But yet, we didn’t get any further and man, that’s disappointing. But it also eats at me. That drives me. That motivates me.”

Campbell said of the season finish: “We’re going to come back stronger, we’re going to learn from this, and it’s just more fuel on the fire, is what it is.”

The Lions re-signed multiple core players last offseason with new deals for quarterback Jared Goff, offensive tackle Penei Sewell and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

While there are personnel holes to be filled, Campbell also has a coaching staff in flux. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has three known interviews for head-coaching vacancies and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is a popular candidate, too. Campbell said he reminded players and coaches there is a “next man up” mentality regardless of what happens with his top lieutenants.

With a 27-7 regular-season record the past two seasons, the win-now approach for the franchise won’t change, Campbell said. He is prioritizing making certain Goff’s comfort level in the offense doesn’t decline.

“We’re not going to allow that to happen,” Campbell said. “Does it hurt to lose those guys? Absolutely. They’re a part of what we’ve been here. They’ve been here for four years and they’re one of the major reasons why we’ve been able to get to where we’ve been.

“We came out of the dump and got to where we’re at, so I will forever be grateful for those guys and our team will. And is it a loss? Absolutely, it’d be a loss, but yet we move forward. This train rolls on and I’ll find the next best guys for us.”

REPORT: AARON GLENN TO HAVE SECOND JETS INTERVIEW

The New York Jets will have a second, in-person interview with Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, NFL Network reported Monday.

Glenn, 52, conducted a virtual interview with the Jets regarding their head coaching vacancy on Jan. 9. He is also expected to meet in person with the New Orleans Saints.

Glenn’s season ended Saturday when the top-seeded Lions lost 45-31 to the visiting Washington Commanders in an NFC divisional playoff game.

Glenn was a first-round pick (12th overall) by the Jets in 1994. The three-time Pro Bowl defensive back played the first eight of his 15 NFL seasons with New York and later worked as a scout for the franchise from 2012-13.

He has been Detroit’s defensive coordinator since 2021 following stints as a defensive backs coach with the Saints (2016-20) and Cleveland Browns (2014-15).

The Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh after a 2-3 start this season and went 3-9 under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich.

REPORT: MIKE KAFKA, ANTHONY WEAVER GET 2ND INTERVIEWS WITH SAINTS

The New Orleans Saints are hosting New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka for a second interview for their head coaching job Tuesday, while Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator will get a second look later this week, NFL Network reported.

Kafka, 37, will get a longer look in New Orleans after being a finalist for Seattle’s opening last winter. Weaver is again a finalist after bids with Washington and Atlanta a year ago. His second interview will be Wednesday, per the report.

Kafka has no experience leading an NFL team, but he has been the head coach for collegiate showcases in each of the past two seasons: the East-West Shrine Bowl on Feb. 1, 2024, and the upcoming Feb. 1 Senior Bowl.

He has been New York’s offensive coordinator since 2022 and added the title of assistant head coach on Brian Daboll’s staff in 2024.

The Giants finished 18th, 29th and 30th in the NFL in total offense from 2022-24 under Kafka.

A journeyman NFL quarterback who spent time with seven teams from 2010-15, Kafka joined Andy Reid’s staff in Kansas City in 2017 and moved his way up to quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator from 2020-21.

Weaver, 44, is in his first season as defensive coordinator with the Dolphins. He was a position coach on that side of the line with the New York Jets (2012), Buffalo Bills (2013), Cleveland Browns (2014-15), Houston Texans (2016-19) and Baltimore Ravens (2021-23) before becoming the Texans’ DC in 2020.

The Saints’ search has also included in-person interview with interim coach Darren Rizzi, who went 3-5 following the firing of Dennis Allen. New Orleans has had virtual interviews with offensive coordinators Kellen Moore and Joe Brady of the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills, respectively.

BENGALS NAME SCOTT PETERS NEW OFFENSIVE LINE COACH

The Cincinnati Bengals named Scott Peters their new offensive line coach on Monday.

Peters, 46, replaces Frank Pollack, fired by the Bengals on Jan. 6.

Peters was the O-line coach in New England this past season but was out of a job when the Patriots fired head coach Jerod Mayo after one season. Peters is a former assistant offensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns (2020-23).

The Bengals also named Michael McCarthy assistant offensive line coach. McCarthy, 39, was Peters’ assistant in New England.

Quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked 48 times in 2024 after Cincinnati allowed 50 total sacks in 2023.

RAMS’ MATTHEW STAFFORD NONCOMMITTAL ABOUT NFL FUTURE

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford acknowledged Sunday that “it sure feels like” he has football left in him, but the 16-year veteran and one-time Super Bowl winner wasn’t ready to commit himself to 2025.

Stafford had just thrown for 324 yards and two touchdowns in snowy Philadelphia, and had a comeback attempt fall just short in a 28-22 loss to the Eagles in a division-round playoff game. The Rams reached the Philadelphia 13-yard line in the final minute before the drive stalled.

“As far as my future goes, I mean, it’s 30 minutes after our last game, so I’ll take some time to think about it. I feel like I was playing some really good ball,” Stafford told reporters afterward. The quarterback, who will turn 37 years old on Feb. 7, is under contract for two more seasons.

Stafford later said he enjoys competing and didn’t sound ready to retire.

“I love being in those moments. Sure as hell not afraid of them. And competed my (expletive) off and it didn’t go the way I wanted to today. Next time I’m out there, line it up. Let’s do it again.”

Coach Sean McVay, who guided the Rams to the Super Bowl title after the 2021 season, Stafford’s first in Los Angeles, sounded equally disinterested in talking about the quarterback’s future.

“I’m not really interested in talking about anything as it relates to next year,” McVay said. “Right now, I’m just appreciative of this team.”

The coach’s comments certainly made it clear he has full confidence in Stafford, who played his first 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions before he was dealt to Los Angeles in March 2021 for two first-round draft picks, a third-round pick and quarterback Jared Goff.

“(Stafford) put us in a position to win that football game. That’s who he is, and I’m not at all surprised. We all had the expectation with him leading the way that we were going to win that game,” McVay said.

The coach added that he and the team “didn’t see it going any other way than us winning that game 29-28.”

In 222 career regular-season games, Stafford has completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 59,809 yards and 377 touchdowns, both good for 10th in league history.

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

AUBURN A UNANIMOUS NO. 1, DUKE NOW NO. 2; MICHIGAN ST INTO TOP 10, LOUISVILLE ENDS AP TOP 25 DROUGHT

A wild week of upsets and court storming led to a massive shakeup in the AP Top 25.

One constant: Auburn.

The Tigers were the unanimous pick at No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll released on Monday, holding on to the top spot following a week in which 19 ranked teams lost at least once — including seven teams in the top 10.

Auburn claimed the program’s second No. 1 ranking last week and won both its games despite playing without injured big man Johni Broome. The Tigers rolled over No. 14 Mississippi State 88-66 and survived a late comeback to beat then-No. 19 Georgia 70-68.

No. 2 Duke moved up a spot after winning both of its games last week and swapped places with No. 3 Iowa State, which blew out No. 12 Kansas but lost to No. 23 West Virginia. Alabama and Florida rounded out the top five despite each losing a game last week.

Only three teams — Alabama, Florida and No. 6 Tennessee — held the same spot from a week ago. The chaotic week allowed No. 8 Michigan State to move into the top 10 for the first time this season and No. 22 Missouri into the poll for the first time since 2022-23.

Louisville’s climb

Louisville has made quite a turnaround under first-year coach Pat Kelsey.

The Cardinals won a combined 12 games the previous two seasons, but are playing some of their best basketball in years. Following a three-game skid, Louisville has won eight straight to move into the poll for the first time in four years at No. 25. Last week, the Cardinals won at Syracuse for the first time in eight years and capped the week by sweeping Virginia for the first time since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2013.

Rising Red Storm

No. 20 St. John’s moved back into the poll this week and has its highest ranking since reaching No. 15 on Dec. 29, 2014, under coach Steve Lavin. The Red Storm, in their second season under Rick Pitino, moved into first place in the Big East with their win over Seton Hall and Marquette’s loss to Xavier. They haven’t won a share of the Big East regular-season title since 1992.

St. John’s (16-3) is off to its best start through 19 games since opening 17-2 (ultimately 20-2) in 1985-86. And the Johnnies are 7-1 in Big East play for the first time since opening 8-1 in 1998-99.

Rising and falling

No. 11 Purdue and No. 18 Wisconsin had the biggest jump among the teams in the poll, each climbing six spots. No. 16 Ole Miss is up five places after splitting games against No. 4 Alabama and No. 14 Mississippi State.

No. 24 Memphis had the week’s biggest drop, losing six places after losing to Temple and beating Charlotte. Two-time NCAA champion UConn lost five places to No. 19 after seeing its 28-game home winning streak end in a 68-63 loss to Creighton.

Welcome back

No. 22 Missouri is ranked for the first time this year after ending Florida’s 16-game home winning streak and posting an 18-point win over Arkansas. No. 23 West Virginia is back in the poll after taking down Iowa State.

Louisville had not been ranked since reaching No. 25 on Jan. 25, 2021.

Farewell (for now)

Three ranked teams lost both of their games last week and dropped out of the poll.

Gonzaga lost to Oregon State and Santa Clara, falling out of the AP Top 25 for the first time since early last year. Georgia dropped out from No. 23 following losses to Tennessee and Auburn. Baylor, No. 25 a week ago, is out after after losses to Arizona and TCU.

Utah State’s stint in the AP Top 25 lasted two weeks. The Aggies dropped out from No. 22 following a 65-62 loss to UNLV.

Conference watch

The SEC has eight ranked teams after Georgia dropped out of the poll, including five in the top 10.

The Big Ten was next with six, followed by the Big 12 with five. The Big East and Atlantic Coast each had two ranked teams, with American Athletic and Mountain West conferences at one each.

PURDUE, RUTGERS NET MEN’S BASKETBALL WEEKLY ACCOLADES

Player of the Week
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue
F – Jr. – 6-9 – Sellersburg, Ind. – Silver Creek

• Averaged 21.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, leading No. 11 Purdue to a pair of road victories
• Paired 23 points, including 9-for-9 from the free throw line, and 11 rebounds in a 65-58 win at then-No 13 Oregon
• Scored 19 points, including six in the second half, in a come-from-behind 69-58 win over Washington
• Claims second Player of the Week honor this season
• Last Purdue Player of the Week: Braden Smith (January 6, 2025)

Freshman of the Week
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
G – 6-10 – Chattanooga, Tenn. – McEachern

• Averaged 22 points, 10.5 rebounds. 3.0 assists, and 3.0 blocked shots, as Rutgers scored a pair of wins
• Posted 24 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and a game-sealing steal in the final minute of an 85-82 win at Nebraska
• Led the Scarlet Knights with 20 points and 10 rebounds in a 75-68 win over UCLA
• Earns his second Freshman of the Week award
• Last Rutgers Player of the Week: Ace Bailey (January 6, 2025)

AKRON’S LYLES CLAIMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS

MAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week
Amani Lyles, Junior, Forward, Akron
Columbus, Ohio (Beechcroft HS)
Posting a pair of career nights this past week, Amani Lyles was a driving force that helped power the Akron Zips to a 2-0 week to stay undefeated in the MAC. Amani averaged 16.5 points (33 points) while shooting .778 (14-of-18) from the field and 4-of-5 (.800) from the free throw line. Lyles was captain clutch for the Zips with 31 of his 33 points coming in the second half. Lyles also added nine rebounds, eight assists, five blocks and two steals on the week.
 
Playing a then-undefeated Toledo squad, Lyles posted a then career-high 16 points with all of them coming in the second half. Amani went 7-of-9 from the field ( .778) and was perfect from inside the arc (6-of-6) while adding five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal against the Rockets.
 
Amani would reset his career-high in scoring with 17 points coming against a then-undefeated Ohio squad. Along with setting a new career-high in scoring, Amani set career highs in blocks (3) and assists (6) against the Bobcats. He would once again shoot 7-of-9 from the field ( .778). Lyles added four rebounds and one steal to go along with his assists and blocks.

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

SOUTH CAROLINA GAINS A FIRST-PLACE VOTE AS UCLA, GAMECOCKS, NOTRE DAME TOP WOMEN’S AP TOP 25

South Carolina has so far cruised through the difficult part of its conference schedule and remained No. 2 in The Associated Press women’s basketball Top 25 on Monday, picking up a first-place vote to gain a bit of ground on top-ranked UCLA.

The Gamecocks are in the midst of a five-game stretch against ranked opponents. So far they’ve beaten Texas by 17, Alabama by 18 and Oklahoma by 41 on Sunday. They face No. 5 LSU on Thursday and No. 17 Tennessee on Jan. 27.

UCLA received 27 first-place ballots this week while No. 3 Notre Dame got the other two. USC remained No. 4.

After LSU were UConn, Texas and Maryland — the Longhorns faced the Terrapins later Monday in the Coretta Scott King Classic — and TCU and Kansas State moved up to ninth and 10th, respectively, after losses by Ohio State and Oklahoma. The Wildcats were awaiting word on star center Ayoka Lee, who was injured in Sunday’s win over Arizona State.

Odds and ends

Tennessee lost at Vanderbilt for the first time since 2014. … Penn State topped Ohio State for its first win over a ranked team since February 2021. … Michigan re-entered the poll at No. 24.

Conference breakdown

The Southeastern Conference and Big Ten each have seven teams ranked this week, with the ACC right behind with six. With Utah and Oklahoma State dropping out, the Big 12 is down to four teams and the Big East one.

Ranked Bears

Baylor entered the poll for the first time since the third week of the season. The Bears have won five straight, including a victory over then-No. 23 Utah last week. Nicki Collen’s squad has a difficult week coming up with a matchup against No. 1 UCLA later Monday in the Coretta Scott King Classic. The Bears then visit No. 9 TCU on Sunday.

Games of the week

No. 5 LSU at No. 2 South Carolina, Thursday. The undefeated Tigers will try and knock off the Gamecocks in a matchup of two of the best teams in the SEC.

No. 8 Maryland at No. 12 Ohio State, Thursday. The Buckeyes will look to bounce back from their first loss of the season when they host the Terrapins. Maryland also hosts No. 1 UCLA on Sunday.

MARYLAND, OHIO STATE AND NEBRASKA SCORE BIG TEN WEEKLY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL AWARDS

Player of the Week
Shyanne Sellers, Maryland
Senior – Guard – Aurora, Ohio – Aurora
• Powered Maryland to a 99-92 victory over No. 24 Minnesota with a season-high 27 points
• Added nine rebounds and seven assists to the stats sheet
• Shot 81.8 percent (9-11) from the field while going 6-for-6 at the free throw line and 3-for-3 from beyond the arc
• Earns the second Big Ten Player of the Week award of her career
• Last Maryland Player of the Week: Kaylene Smikle (Jan. 6, 2025)

Big Ten Women’s Basketball Weekly Honor Roll
Lauren Betts, UCLA: Recorded her 10th double-double (22 points, 12 rebounds) of the season in the Bruins’ win over Penn State
JuJu Watkins, USC: Paced the Trojans with a game-high 22 points in a comeback win at Indiana
Sayvia Sellers, WASH: Averaged 27.0 points and went 8-for-8 at the charity stripe during the Huskies’ split week

Co-Freshman of the Week
Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State
Guard – Nashville, Tenn. – Montverde Academy
• Led the Buckeyes to a 69-60 road win at Wisconsin with a game-best 27 points
• Notched a career-high eight rebounds along with four assists and a steal
• Collects her second Big Ten Freshman of the Week laurel
• Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: Jaloni Cambridge (Jan. 13, 2025)

Co-Freshman of the Week
Britt Prince, Nebraska
Guard – Omaha, Neb. – Elkhorn North
• Scored 22 points to propel Nebraska to an 87-84 overtime win against Iowa, the first victory in Iowa City since 2018
• Registered career marks in three-pointers (5) and steals (6) while chipping in seven rebounds and five assists
• Sank a pair of free throws with 2.8 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime
• Secures her first Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor
• Last Nebraska Freshman of the Week: Natalie Potts (March 4, 2024)

NBA NEWS

NBA ROUNDUP: PELICANS COME BACK FROM DOWN 25, TOP JAZZ IN OT

CJ McCollum scored six of his 45 points in overtime and the host New Orleans Pelicans set a franchise record by overcoming a 25-point deficit in defeating the Utah Jazz 123-119 on Monday night.

Dejounte Murray had 26 points and 11 assists, Trey Murphy III scored 24 points and Jordan Hawkins added 18 for the Pelicans, who had beaten the Jazz 136-123 on Friday night.

Keyonte George scored 23 points to lead Utah. Isaiah Collier added 20 points and 11 assists, Walker Kessler had 19 points and 13 rebounds and Svi Mykhailiuk also scored 19 points.

McCollum made a layup to start the scoring in overtime, and he scored four more points to help the Pelicans take a 118-113 lead. George made a layup and added two free throws to get Utah within one with 49.7 seconds left, but Murphy answered with a 3-pointer to put the game on ice.

Utah scored the first 14 points of the game, led 38-19 after one quarter, took its largest lead at 46-21 early in the second and led by 20 at halftime.

Celtics 125, Warriors 85

Jayson Tatum led six Boston scorers in double figures with a game-high 22 points as the Celtics steamrolled Golden State in San Francisco as part of the NBA’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day slate.

Kristaps Porzingis chipped in 18 points and Jaylen Brown scored 17 for Boston. Golden State had not lost by 40 at home since Jan. 15, 1985. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 18 points but was just 4-for-12 from 3-point range.

The Warriors were held to 34.8 percent shooting overall and 26.4 percent shooting from deep, connecting on just 14 of 53 3-point tries. Andrew Wiggins really struggled for Golden State, missing all four of his 3-point attempts and finishing just 1-for-11 from the floor in a four-point effort.

Pistons 107, Rockets 96

Cade Cunningham scored 19 of his game-high 32 points in the third quarter and Jalen Duren added a double-double without missing a shot to help visiting Detroit beat Houston.

Cunningham added nine rebounds and seven assists to offset his 10-turnover performance. Duren posted 16 points on 8-of-8 shooting to go along with 14 rebounds plus four steals and two blocks for the Pistons, who snapped a two-game skid.

Fred VanVleet led the Rockets with 20 points and tied his season best with six steals. Jalen Green added 19 points as Houston lost for the second time in three games.

Hornets 110, Mavericks 105

LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges each scored 23 points and Charlotte defeated visiting Dallas to notch its first three-game winning streak of the season.

Nick Smith Jr. finished with 19 points and Mark Williams scored 10 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter for the Hornets, who hit 17 shots from 3-point range. Reserves Moussa Diabate and Cody Martin each added 10 points.

Kyrie Irving’s 33 points and Daniel Gafford’s season-high 31 points were tops for the Mavericks, who managed to score only five points in the last six minutes. Dallas was 6-for-32 (18.8 percent) from long range.

Grizzlies 108, Timberwolves 106

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 15 of his team-high 24 points in the fourth quarter to lead Memphis past visiting Minnesota, improving the Grizzlies’ home record to 16-5.

Desmond Bane added 22 points and Ja Morant contributed 19 points and seven assists for Memphis, which won for the fourth time in five games. Jackson led the team with 11 rebounds.

Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 32 points and Naz Reid had 29 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Edwards missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Knicks 119, Hawks 110

Jalen Brunson scored 34 points and helped host New York continue its dominance on Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a victory over Atlanta.

Brunson made 12 of 18 shots from the field while recording six assists and one steal as the Knicks improved to 24-15 in MLK Day games, the most wins on the holiday in NBA history.

The win was New York’s first in three games against Atlanta this season and ended the team’s three-game losing streak against the Hawks. Atlanta was led by Trae Young, who had 27 points and six assists.

Cavaliers 118, Suns 92

Donovan Mitchell erupted for 33 points as Cleveland cooled off visiting Phoenix.

Mitchell also had five rebounds and five assists for Cleveland, which seemed unaffected by the absences of Evan Mobley (calf), Caris LeVert (wrist) and Isaac Okoro (shoulder). The Cavaliers led by as many as 32 and put on a clinic from 3-point range, hitting 19 of 46 attempts from distance (41.3 percent).

Kevin Durant netted a team-high 23 points as Phoenix fell for just the second time in seven games. Devin Booker added 15 points, Tyus Jones had 13 and Grayson Allen totaled 10.

Bulls 112, Clippers 99

Zach LaVine scored 35 points and Josh Giddey added 18 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as Chicago ended a season-worst five-game losing streak with a victory over Los Angeles in Inglewood, Calif.

Talen Horton-Tucker delivered 18 points and Nikola Vucevic had 14 as the Bulls pulled out the victory on the second night of a back-to-back after losing to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.

Norman Powell scored 27 points and James Harden added 17 for the short-handed Clippers, who were without Kawhi Leonard (right knee injury management) and Ivica Zubac (eye).

NHL NEWS

NHL ROUNDUP: PENGUINS END KINGS’ HOME WINNING STREAK

Kevin Hayes, Sidney Crosby and Anthony Beauvillier each had a goal and an assist to help the Pittsburgh Penguins end the Los Angeles Kings’ nine-game home winning streak with a 5-1 victory on Monday night.

Evgeni Malkin and Cody Glass also scored and Alex Nedeljkovic made 25 saves for the Penguins, who had lost four of their previous five games and eight of their last 10 (2-5-3).

Adrian Kempe scored and David Rittich made 27 saves for the Kings, who have dropped four of five following a five-game winning streak. Los Angeles had not lost at home since a 1-0 setback to Buffalo on Nov. 20.

The Penguins scored on their only power play, Hayes’ goal to open the scoring at 10:09 of the first period. The Penguins played without the team’s leading goal scorer, Rickard Rakell, who returned to Pittsburgh for personal reasons.

Maple Leafs 5, Lightning 3

Matthew Knies had two goals and an assist as Toronto defeated visiting Tampa Bay for the Maple Leafs’ third straight win.

Mitchell Marner had a goal and two assists and Auston Matthews added a goal and an assist for Toronto while Joseph Woll stopped 27 shots for Toronto, which is 3-0 against Tampa Bay this season.

Nick Paul scored two goals and Darren Raddysh had a goal and an assist for the Lightning, who had won their two previous games. Jonas Johansson made 23 saves for the Lightning in the opener of a four-game road trip.

Utah Hockey Club 5, Jets 2

Barrett Hayton registered a goal and two assists as the Utah Hockey Club built a rare winning streak with a victory over Winnipeg in Salt Lake City.

Clayton Keller had a goal and an assist while Josh Doan and Nick Schmaltz each had two assists for Utah, which has won back-to-back games for the first time since a four-game run from Dec. 12-20. Both of its latest victories have come on home ice, where the club has won only eight times in 23 games (8-11-4).

Connor Ingram stopped 23 shots in a much-needed quality outing for the Utah goalie. Ingram struggled to a 3.38 goals-against average in his first 15 games of the season before taking almost two months off to be with his ailing mother, who died Dec. 3.

Bruins 6, Sharks 3

Charlie Coyle scored the tying and winning goals in the third period as part of a three-point effort — all coming in the final period — to help host Boston surge past San Jose.

David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand and Elias Lindholm each registered a goal and an assist, while Vinni Lettieri also scored for Boston, which is 3-0-1 in its last four games.

Rookie Will Smith, a native of nearby Lexington, Mass., led the Sharks with a goal and an assist in his first NHL game in Boston. San Jose has lost three in a row and six of seven.

Wild 3, Avalanche 1

Yakov Trenin and Brock Faber scored goals 1:35 apart early in the third period as Minnesota beat Colorado in Denver.

Jake Middleton had a goal and an assist, Liam Ohgren contributed two assists and Marc-Andre Fleury turned away 26 shots for Minnesota, which snapped a three-game skid and improved to 17-5-3 on the road. They have the most road wins in the NHL.

Nathan MacKinnon scored the only goal for Colorado, which is 2-2 on its five-game homestand that finishes Wednesday against Winnipeg. Mackenzie Blackwood had 23 saves in the loss.

Blues 5, Golden Knights 4 (SO)

Jake Neighbours and Brayden Schenn both scored in the shootout as visiting St. Louis prevailed despite blowing a two-goal lead in the final 3:10 of regulation in Las Vegas.

Schenn, Neighbours, Nathan Walker and Cam Fowler each scored goals and Jordan Kyrou had two assists for the Blues, who moved within one point of the idle Calgary Flames for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Jordan Binnington made 28 saves and stopped two of three shots in the shootout.

Jack Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev each had a goal and an assist, Shea Theodore had four assists and Tomas Hertl and Brett Howden also scored goals for Vegas, which suffered its season-high fourth straight loss and sixth in seven games. Adin Hill finished with 24 saves.

Kraken 6, Sabres 4

Defensemen Jamie Oleksiak and Adam Larsson scored key goals as Seattle defeated visiting Buffalo to improve to 2-0 in a 10-game stretch that includes nine home games.

Jared McCann had a goal and two assists while Joey Daccord made 25 saves to win for the third time in his past four starts.

Four different players — including Jack Quinn and Tage Thompson — scored for Buffalo. Devon Levi, recalled Saturday from the American Hockey League with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen dealing with some nagging injuries, stopped 28 of 33 shots in the loss.

Islanders 3, Blue Jackets 1

Bo Horvat scored twice in the second period for host New York, which scored three times in a 5:04 span to beat Columbus in Elmont.

Simon Holmstrom’s short-handed goal in the second proved to be the game-winner for the Islanders, who have won two straight to improve to 2-2-0 on a season-high seven-game homestand.

Kent Johnson scored early in the first period for the Blue Jackets, who have lost two in a row (0-1-1) following a six-game winning streak. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 22 shots.

Hurricanes 4, Blackhawks 3 (OT)

Sebastian Aho scored the game-winning goal in overtime and Jaccob Slavin collected three assists as Carolina came back to win in Chicago.

Seth Jarvis, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jordan Staal also scored for the Hurricanes, who have won four of their last six games. Frederik Andersen, playing in his 500th career game and his first since Oct. 26 (knee surgery), made 22 saves for Carolina.

Aho rocketed a one-timer from the right circle to net his 15th career overtime goal 59 seconds into the extra period. Aho has netted all four of Carolina’s overtime winning goals this season.

TENNIS NEWS

ALEXANDER ZVEREV SURVIVES TOMMY PAUL IN AUSSIE QUARTERS

Still in search of his first Grand Slam title, Germany’s Alexander Zverev nearly missed out on a trip to the semifinals at the Australian Open.

However, even with some shaky serving in his first two games, the second-seeded Zverev survived 12th-seeded American Tommy Paul 7-6 (1), 7-6 (0), 2-6, 6-1 in the quarterfinals in Melbourne on Tuesday.

Zverev will next play the winner of Tuesday’s other quarterfinal match between rivals Novak Djokovic of Serbia, the No. 7 seed, and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, the No. 3 seed.

Zverev, who will play in his third Aussie Open semi, lost serve at 5-5 in the first set and sat a game from falling behind 1-0. But he fought back to survive a set point and broke the 27-year-old Paul before rolling in the tiebreaker.

Zverev, 27, slipped up even earlier in the second set, dropping his first service game and ultimately falling behind 3-0. He again fought back, though, breaking Paul to pull within 5-4 before holding serve from there — despite facing another set point — and blanking his opponent in the tiebreaker.

“To be honest, I should have been down two sets to love,” Zverev said in his on-court interview following the match. “He played better than me. I was not playing great and I thought he was.

“I somehow won the first set, somehow won the second set, and I’m up two sets to love all of a sudden and I need only one more set.”

Paul did dominate the third set to gain some hope for a comeback, but that quickly went away, as Zverev cruised in the fourth set to close out the match.

“The fourth set was definitely the best that I’ve played and I’m obviously extremely happy to be back in the semifinals now,” Zverev said.

PAULA BADOSA ENDS COCO GAUFF’S UNBEATEN RUN IN AUSSIE QUARTERS

Coco Gauff’s unbeaten start to 2025 is over. So are her hopes of winning the Australian Open.

The third-seeded Gauff, 9-0 on the year and unbeaten in 13 straight matches entering the day, was swept by 11th-seeded Paula Badosa of Spain 7-5, 6-4 in the quarterfinals in Melbourne on Tuesday.

The 2023 U.S. Open champion dominated most of the stat sheet but was undone by mistakes. Most notably, she committed six double faults to Badosa’s two and nearly doubled Badosa in unforced errors (41-23).

The first 10 games were played evenly, with only two break points (both by Badosa in the third game, won by Gauff). But the 27-year-old Badosa finally broke the 20-year-old Gauff in the 11th game and put the set away in the next game.

Gauff, the third-ranked player in the world, again faltered on her serve, this time dropping serve in the first game of Set 2. She gained it back by breaking Badosa to make it 2-2 but immediately dropped her next service game. Gauff soon fell behind 5-2, a deficit she could not overcome.

“Today I came in, and I wanted to play my best game, and I think I did it,” Badosa said after the match. “Coco, at the beginning, she was playing insane tennis, but I’m super proud of the level I gave (Tuesday).

“A year ago, I was here with my back (injury) that I didn’t know if I had to retire from this sport, and now I’m here, playing the best in the world. … I’m in the semifinals, and I never would think that a year later, I would be here.”

Badosa, the 2024 WTA Comeback Player of the Year, picked up her first career top-10 victory at a Slam and will next face the winner of the quarterfinal between top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and No. 27 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia. That will be played later Tuesday.

TOP INDIANA RELEASES/HEADLINES

COLTS FOOTBALL

REPORTS: COLTS HIRING FORMER BENGALS DC LOU ANARUMO FOR SAME ROLE

The Indianapolis Colts are hiring Lou Anarumo as defensive coordinator, according to multiple media reports on Monday.

Anarumo, 58, served the past six seasons as DC in Cincinnati before the Bengals fired him on Jan. 6.

Cincinnati went 9-8 and won its last five games but missed the playoffs. The Bengals finished the season 25th in total defense (348.3 yards per game) and tied for 25th in points allowed (25.5 per game).

The Colts fired defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, 58, on Jan. 6 after three seasons. The defense allowed 25.1 points per game (24th) and 361.2 yards per game (29th).

Anarumo was the Bengals’ defensive coordinator from 2019-24, a role he also served as interim with Miami in 2015. He was the Dolphins’ defensive backs coach in 2014-17, and coached the New York Giants’ defensive backs in 2018.

INDIANA WOMEN’S SOCCER

RAINEY, HAMM SIGN WITH INDIANA WOMEN’S SOCCER

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s soccer has announced the addition of Sally Rainey and Grace Hamm to the program for the 2025 season.

 
Sally Rainey 
Rainey joins the Hoosiers after a successful three-year career at the University of New Hampshire where she is coming off back-to-back America East Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2023 and 2024. The West Lebanon, New Hampshire native’s list of accolades also includes United Soccer Coaches All-Region second team (2024) and third team (2023) along with America East All-Conference first team honors. In 2024, Rainey started all 18 games for UNH, posting a 12-5-1 overall record and 0.78 GAA. She collected 55 saves and recorded nine shutouts, which led the league. In 2023, Rainey started in all 16 games and recorded eight shutouts which led the America East. Additionally, she was second in the America East in goals against average (.821) and save percentage (.843). A five-time America East Defensive Player of the week through her career, Rainey also excels in the classroom where she has been a two-time America East All-Academic Team and two-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree. A graduate of Lebanon High School, Rainey was a four-time All-State first team selection and three-time team captain in soccer and basketball.

Grace Hamm
Hamm will begin her collegiate career at Indiana after a successful stint at San Marcos High School. She was an Open Division CIF champ, two-time All-League selection including first team honors. Hamm played club soccer with Legends FC, where her club made it to back-to-back Final Fours. Her athletic career also saw numerous accolades in lacrosse where she was a CIF Division 2 semi-finalist, First-Team All-League and helped her squad to a league championship. She is the sister of former Hoosier, Camille Hamm, who played for the program from 2021-24.

PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL

#11 PURDUE BEGINS THREE-GAME HOMESTAND TUESDAY VS. OHIO STATE

GAMEDAY INFORMATION — GAME 20

[11] Purdue (15-4, 7-1) vs. Ohio State (10-8, 2-5)

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

7:30 p.m. ET | West Lafayette, Ind.

Mackey Arena (14,876)

TELEVISION / STREAM: Peacock (Noah Eagle, Robbie Hummel)

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

THE NOTES TO KNOW

• Fresh off the sweep of the Pacific Northwest schools, the No. 11-ranked Purdue men’s basketball team returns home to begin a challenging three-game homestand, beginning Tuesday with a visit from Ohio State. After having just three home games in the last 43 days, the Boilermakers will now host Ohio State, Michigan and Indiana in the next 11 days before traveling to Iowa on Feb. 4.

• Tuesday’s game marks the 700th career coaching game for head coach Matt Painter (30 at Southern Illinois; 669 at Purdue). He owns a 487-212 record in his 21st season as a head coach, including 462-207 in 20 seasons at Purdue.

• With Purdue’s No. 11 ranking in the AP Top 25 poll released yesterday, the Boilermakers have been ranked in the Top 25 in 50 straight polls. Purdue has been ranked in 72 of the last 74 top-25 polls, missing out on the first two polls of the 2022-23 season — a year the Boilers went 29-6. During the last 50 weeks, Purdue has been ranked in the top five in 37 of the 50 polls.

• Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Purdue owns a 22-2 record in the month of January, having won 12 straight games. The 12-game winning streak in the month is the third longest nationally (Saint Mary’s – 26; McNeese State – 13).

• 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), No. 9 (Illinois), No. 12 (Illinois), No. 13 (Oregon, Illinois), No. 16 (Ohio State), No. 17 (Illinois), No. 18 (North Carolina, Gonzaga) and No, 20 (Utah State). Only three of the 18 wins listed above have come in Mackey Arena.

• Since the turn of the calendar to January, Purdue ranks No. 2 nationally in efficiency behind Houston via BartTorvik.com. The Boilermakers are 11th in offensive efficiency and ninth in defensive efficiency in that span. Through December 31, Purdue ranked 29th overall in efficiency while placing 15th in offensive efficiency and 77th in defensive efficiency.

• Since the 2015-16 season (10 years), Purdue owns a 132-49 (.729) record in Big Ten regular-season play. The 72.9 winning percentage is the best by a Big Ten program over a 10-season span since Indiana went 132-48 (.733) from 1975 to 1984.

• During Purdue’s seven-game winning streak, the Boilermakers have just 63 turnovers (9.0), resulting in only 59 points for opponents. Over the last seven games, Purdue has 126 assists against 63 turnovers (2.00), while forcing 101 turnovers in that span, a margin of plus-5.43 turnovers per game. Purdue averaged 12.3 turnovers per game in the first 12 games of the season, resulting in 170 points (14.2 per game).

• Purdue’s seven-game winning streak is tied for the 10th longest nationally. The seven-game conference winning streak is tied for seventh nationally. Purdue’s four straight road wins are tied for the eighth-longest streak nationally. Purdue’s 26-game home streak is third nationally.

• Purdue is now 107-23 since the start of the 2021-22 season, recording the second-most wins in the country (Houston – 111) during that span. The senior class of Caleb Furst (only senior) needs just three more victories to tie the school record for most wins in a four-year career.

• Braden Smith (5th) and Trey Kaufman-Renn (7th) are the only teammates nationally to rank in the top 10 for the KenPom National Player of the Year race. Since the 2016-17 season, Purdue has had eight players ranked in the KenPom top 10 (including this year).

• Braden Smith is the only player in America with 275 points, 150 assists and 75 rebounds. Smith is on pace to become the first player since Loyola Marymount’s Terrell Lowery (1990-91) to average 15.0 points, 9.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and shoot over 40.0 percent from 3-point range.

• Braden Smith leads the Big Ten in both assists (8.9) and steals per game (2.4). Mike Conley Jr. (OSU; 2007) is the only Big Ten player to do that.

• Trey Kaufman-Renn is one of two players nationally to average 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and shoot at least 58 percent from the field. In Big Ten history, only Chris Webber, Evan Eschmeyer, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Brad Miller have done that.

NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL

IRISH COMEBACK FALLS SHORT IN TITLE GAME LOSS TO OHIO STATE

ATLANTA – Notre Dame’s historic season came to an end on Monday evening in the College Football Playoff Championship Game, falling to Ohio State by a final score of 34-23 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

The Fighting Irish finished the season with a program record 14 wins, including an Orange Bowl victory over Penn State, a Sugar Bowl win over Georgia and a first round win in South Bend over Indiana.

A welcome is planned for the team’s return to campus on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at 3pm ET. The Notre Dame community is encouraged to attend and celebrate the winningest team in Notre Dame Football history.

BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL

AFTER SHORT LAYOFF, BUTLER HEADS TO HARTFORD FOR TUESDAY TIP AT UCONN

The Bulldogs head to Hartford for a Tuesday night tip against UConn.  Butler hasn’t played in nearly a week as the team had a BIG EAST “mini-bye” as the team without a weekend conference game. Butler enters the contest off an 82-77 win over Seton Hall Wednesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Butler (8-10, 1-6 BIG EAST) at #19/18 UConn (13-5, 5-2)

Tuesday, Jan. 21 • 7PM

XL Center • Hartford, Conn.

TV: FS1 • Jason Benetti & Bill Raftery

Audio: Varsity Network App, SiriusXM 384, XM App 974 & TuneIn • @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)

• This is the second meeting between Butler and UConn as the Huskies won a 78-74 match-up Dec. 21 in Indianapolis.

• Butler will be done with its home-and-home series with UConn prior to playing DePaul, Georgetown or Xavier once.

• Butler went 23-for-28 from the free throw line in the win over Seton Hall; the 23 makes tied a season-high. Butler’s average of 17.4 made free throws per game ranks 26th nationally. The Bulldogs attempt 23.6 free throws per game, which is 34th nationally.

• The Bulldogs committed only eight turnovers against Seton Hall; Butler has single-digit turnover outputs in seven of the last nine games. Butler opened the season with only one single-digit turnover game among the team’s first nine outings.

• The Seton Hall win was the fifth game this season that Butler scored more than 80 points and the fifth game that the Bulldogs shot 50 percent or better from the field.

• Butler’s 17 assists against Seton Hall tied for the team’s second-highest total this season; seven of the eight Bulldogs to see action in the win had at least one assist.

• Butler’s bench accounted for 27 points in the win over Seton Hall, one game after the Butler bench held a 24-4 advantage in the Jan. 11 game against Creighton.

• Butler is committing only 14.8 fouls per game, which is the 33rd-fewest nationally.

• Butler is 48th nationally, averaging 36.9-percent accuracy from three-point range on the season.

• The Bulldogs out-rebounded Seton Hall, 31-24, Wednesday night, which included limiting the Pirates to only five offensive rebounds. The +7 rebounding margin was Butler’s best against a BIG EAST opponent so far this season. Butler is 6-3 when out-rebounding its opponent this season, but one of those losses came to UConn (as Butler held a 32-31 rebounding edge Dec. 21).

• Pierre Brooks II paced Butler with 19 points in the win over Seton Hall; it was his seventh time this season leading the team in scoring. Brooks leads the team in scoring in BIG EAST play and has registered double figures against each conference opponent.

• Jahmyl Telfort leads Butler in scoring, assists and steals; he ranks third on the team in rebounding.

• Patrick McCaffery led the Bulldogs with 21 points against Creighton Jan. 11, his second-highest scoring output of the season. It marked his third 20-point game of the season and the tenth of his career. He has hit multiple three-pointers in 13 of the team’s games, including five twice.

• Despite the recent success taking care of the ball, Butler ranks 346th nationally in turnover margin (-3.8 per game) as the team generates only 3.5 steals per game (354th nationally) and forces opponents into only 7.7 per game (which is 352nd nationally).

• Butler’s win over Seton Hall halted a nine-game losing streak, which was the program’s longest skid since the 1989-90 season. Butler’s schedule is currently ranked as the 22nd-toughest nationally by KenPom.

• Four different Bulldogs have recorded a double-double this season (Brooks, McCaffery, Telfort twice, Andre Screen); four of the team’s five double-doubles have come against BIG EAST opponents.

• The Bulldogs defeated Northwestern and No. 25 Mississippi State in taking the Arizona Tip-Off title over Thanksgiving.

First Time Around

• Down 14 in the second half, Butler was able to claw all the way back to briefly tie the game before falling to No. 13/11 Connecticut in the closing minutes by a score of 78-74 in the Dec. 21 contest at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

• Andre Screen led the Bulldogs with a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double in the loss. Patrick McCaffery also scored 17 points.

• Alex Karaban led the Huskies with 21 points, while Liam McNeeley added 17 points and seven assists.

• UConn made 11 of their 24 attempts from three-point range (46 percent).

• Butler got to the free throw 28 times, making 23 (81 percent).

Update on UConn

• UConn is 13-5 on the season and 5-2 in BIG EAST play.

• UConn ranks in the Top 15 nationally in several offensive categories: first in assist/turnover ratio (1.9), fifth in assists per game (19.3 per game), tenth in free throw percentage (78.8), and 12th in field goal shooting (49.5). Defensively, UConn’s 6.7 blocks per game are second nationally.

• Alex Karaban leads the Huskies at 15.6 points per game, hitting 42 percent of his three-point attempts.

• UConn has lost two of its last three games, including its first home loss of the season it the team’s most recent outing (68-63 to Creighton).

The Series with the Huskies

• The Bulldogs and UConn first met in the 2011 NCAA Championship Game in Houston.

• The remaining match-ups in the series have come since UConn returned to the BIG EAST prior to the 2020-21 season.

Series:  UConn Leads, 10-0

Streak: UConn, W10

In Conn.: UConn Leads, 4-0

First Meeting: April 4, 2011; UConn, 53-41 (NCAA Champ Game)

Last Meeting: Dec. 21, 2024; UConn, 78-74 (at BU)

BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BECKI SCORES 26 WHILE AUSTIN REACHES 1,000 CAREER POINTS IN WBB’S MAC RIVAL WIN OVER TOLEDO

MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State women’s basketball team remained undefeated (7-0) in Mid-American Conference action after posting a 77-63 victory on CBS Sport Network against league rival Toledo Monday afternoon in Worthen Arena.

With the win, the Cardinals improved to 15-4 on the season, 7-0 in #MACtion while extending their win streak to nine. The Cardinals have achieved a 7-0 conference start in back-to-back years.

It was a record-breaking day as Lachelle Austin reached 1,000 career points. Ally Becki led the squad with 26 points and was one assist shy (9) of a double- double. Becki also shot a staggering 78 percent (11-14) from the field. Austin finished the day with an 18-point performance while Alex Richard chipped in 12 points and eight rebounds.

It was a defensive battle to open the ball game today which was to be expected between the two MAC rivals. The Cardinals got some good looks under the basket but couldn’t get their shots to fall which led to the Rockets jumping out to a 10-2 advantage by the media timeout. Ball State then turned the page quickly with a 16-4 run to end the quarter after 3-pointers from Austin, Marie Kiefer and Grace Kingery. Ball State ended the first stanza with an 18-14 edge over Toledo.

It continued to be a marathon not a sprint for the Cardinals in the second frame. Madelyn Bischoff nailed a 3-pointer off the dribble at the 5:12 mark to give BSU a seven-point edge (28-21). Despite the Cardinals lead it remained an up-and-down affair versus the Rockets. BSU continued to press Toledo defensively on every ensuing possession. Ball State’s strong defense allowed the Cardinals to take a 38-28 edge over the Rockets at intermission.

The second half was highlighted by Austin scoring her 1,000th career point which came after a layup at the 5:14 mark to extend the Cardinals lead to 46-34.  After that, the Cardinals never looked back and remained on cruise control the remainder of ball game.

Ball State had the lead for over 32 minutes during today’s contest. The victory marked coach Brady Sallee’s 150th career MAC regular season victory ranking him the third winningest coach in MAC women’s basketball history behind his former boss Bob Lindsay (232) and Tricia Cullop (194).

The Ball State women’s basketball team continues Mid-American Conference action when it travels to Northern Illinois Saturday for a 2 pm ET tipoff against the Huskies in Convocation Center.

BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL

MEN’S BASKETBALL STARTING ROAD STRETCH TUESDAY NIGHT AT CMU

The Ball State men’s basketball team begins a four road games out of five stretch when the Cardinals play at Central Michigan at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

The contest will be streamed on ESPN+, while Mick Tidrow and David Eha handle the radio broadcast on WMUN 1340AM – 92.5FM.

Ball State leads the head-to-head series 70-39, but the Chippewas hold a 30-23 edge at home against the Cardinals. Both teams won on the road last season with Central Michigan taking a 71-65 decision on Jan. 6 in Muncie and Ball State winning 79-71 on Feb. 27 in Mount Pleasant.

The Cardinals (8-9, 2-3 Mid-American Conference) got 20 points and nine rebounds from Payton Sparks but fell 93-75 to Toledo on Saturday afternoon at Worthen Arena. Ball State will be looking for its second MAC road win of the season in three tries after topping Kent State 75-67 on Jan. 4 in the conference opener.

The Chippewas (8-9, 2-3 MAC) have won two straight, beating Eastern Michigan 82-63 last Tuesday at home before winning 71-66 at Northern Illinois on Saturday. Two of Central’s three losses in conference play have been to common opponents with the Cardinals (57-55 against Ohio on Jan. 4 and 69-67 at Toledo on Jan. 10).

Central Michigan rebounds and defends to the tune of a MAC-best +4.8 rebounding margin and second-best scoring defense (70.1 points per game) and field goal percentage defense (42.2) tallies so far this season.

Senior Jakobi Heady paces the Chippewas in scoring (14.1 points per game) and rebounding (6.7 per game), while senior guard Anthony Pritchard is second in the MAC in steals per game (2.3, No. 23 in

NCAA Division I) and total steals (39) and third in assists per game (7.3) and total assists (73). Pritchard was voted First Team All-MAC in the preseason poll.

Ball State will continue on the road with a game at Northern Illinois at 4:30 p.m. ET (3:30 CT) on Saturday in DeKalb.

CLUTCH ON THE ROAD: Mickey Pearson Jr. averages 13.3 points and 6.5 rebounds in six true road games this year, which are higher than his overall averages of 11.5 and 5.6 per game.

The forward put up a career-best 25 points last February in Ball State’s 79-71 triumph at Central Michigan.

MOMENTUM IN MICHIGAN: The Cardinals claimed a 4-0 record in games played in the state of Michigan last season, beating all three Mid-American Conference teams and Detroit Mercy on the road.

Ball State has won two straight games in Mount Pleasant, as they took down the Chippewas 65-51 on Feb. 7, 2023.

BUCKEYE STATE BATTLES: Toledo was Ball State’s fifth straight opponent from the state of Ohio to begin the Mid-American Conference schedule.

After Saturday, the Cardinals have played every MAC team in the state besides Akron.

SPREAD OUT THE SCORING: Six Cardinals scored in double figures in Ball State’s 91-69 triumph over Bowling Green on Jan. 11: Payton Sparks (19 points), Juanse Gorosito (16), Mickey Pearson Jr. (16), Jeremiah Hernandez (14), Jermahri Hill (12), and Ethan Brittain-Watts (10).

It was the first time the men’s basketball team has placed six in double digits in the box score since Nov. 19, 2022 against IU-South Bend. The Cardinals followed that up with five with 10+ on Saturday against Toledo

OFFENSIVE SHOWCASE: The Cardinals shot 58.9 percent (33-for-56) from the field in last Saturday’s 91-69 winning decision against Bowling Green.

The shooting percentage was Ball State’s best since Nov. 24, 2023 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (61.1), while the total field goals made tied for the most in a game this season.

PAYTON POUNDING THE GLASS: Senior center Payton Sparks had recorded double figures rebounds in five consecutive games (16-12-16-13-12) before recording nine on Saturday to increase his season rebounding average to second in the Mid-American Conference (7.5 per game).

The Winchester, Ind., native leads the league in rebounding in conference games with an average of 12.4 per contest.

70 IS A MAGIC NUMBER: The Cardinals have found success when scoring at least 70 points (7-4 record) and/or allowing fewer than 70 points (6-0) this season.

Ball State has put up at least 70 points in eight straight games, which is the longest current stretch among MAC teams.

GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THE FREE THROW LINE: Junior guard Jermahri Hill (121) and Sparks (106) are first and second in the league in free throw attempts, respectively.

The two are No. 1 and No. 4 in the conference in free throws made, with 84 for Hill and 63 for Sparks, while Pearson Jr. (62) is fifth in the MAC.

ONE-TWO PUNCH: Sparks and Hill have established a dynamic duo over the last few weeks, combining for 202 points, 108 rebounds and 33 assists in the most recent six games.

Hill led the Cardinals in scoring in three of those games while Sparks has been the leading rebounder in all six contests for Ball State.

MILESTONE WATCH: After Sparks (currently 1,078 points) reached the milestone on New Year’s Eve, Hernandez (959) and Pearson Jr. (918) are each closing in on scoring 1,000 points in his Division I career.

Sparks (660 rebounds) is currently No. 13 in Ball State program history for a career.

GETTING TO THE LINE: The Cardinals pace the Mid-American Conference in both free throw attempts per game (26.5) and free throws made per game (18.5) through the season’s first 17 games.

Ball State ranks No. 7 and No. 11 in those categories in NCAA Division I, respectively. The total tallies (450 attempts and 314 makes) outpace the next-closest MAC team (Toledo) by 86 attempts and 68 makes.

GORO-THREE-TO: Junior guard Juanse Gorosito was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Week after hitting seven 3-pointers for 21 and adding four assists and three steals on Dec. 14 at Bellarmine.

Gorosito is third in the conference in 3-pointers made (46) and first in shooting percentage (44.2) from distance, which ranks No. 21 in NCAA Division I.

HOME STATE HEROES: Brittain-Watts (2019), Zane Doughty, Joey Hart and Mason Jones (2023) were each named Indiana High School All-Stars, while three more Cardinals also had ties to the state before arriving in Muncie.

Ball State has the second-most players from Indiana high schools among Indiana-based Division I teams behind Purdue.

WORLD FLYERS: The 2024-25 Ball State roster consists of student-athletes from three different countries in addition to the United States of America.

Gorosito (Argentina), Ben Hendriks (Canada) and Jurica Zagorsak (Croatia) are international Cardinals this season. Interestingly, Juanse, Ben and Jurica were born on different continents, so

Ball State has student-athletes from North America, South America and Europe on the team.

TRANSFERS FROM ALL OVER: Each of Ball State’s seven student-athletes who have transferred into the program have come from different college basketball conferences.

The list includes Ethan Brittain-Watts (Patriot League, Boston), Gorosito (West Coast Conference, Portland), Hart (SEC, Kentucky), Hernandez (Ohio Valley Conference, USI), Pearson Jr. (Big 12, TCU), Sparks (Big Ten, Indiana) and Hill who played junior college ball at South Plains in Levelland, Texas.

INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL

INDIANA STATE TRAVELS TO ILLINOIS STATE ON TUESDAY

NORMAL, Ill. – Indiana State men’s basketball travels to Illinois State on Tuesday evening, tipping off at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.

In the last time out, Indiana State fell to Drake inside Hulman Center, 71-53. Samage Teel led the Sycamores with a team-high 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting, including a 1-of-5 mark from behind the arc as Indiana State shot 36.0% against a pressure Drake defense. Markus Harding added a 12-point, six-rebound game, while Josiah Legree filled the statistics sheet with eight points, four assists, and four steals.

Illinois State overcame a 13-point first-half deficit, coming back to defeat the Missouri State Bears by a 74-68 final score on Saturday evening inside CEFCU Arena. Johnny Kinziger scored 19 points (all in the second half) while Landon Wolf recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Nineteen games into the season, Samage Teel and Jaden Daughtry are the only two Sycamores averaging double-digit scoring – Teel averaging 17.1 and Daughtry 13.0. Daughtry is shooting a team-high 61.0% from the field, good for 12th in the nation at the time of writing. Teel sits second on the team and 91st in the nation, hitting at a 51.6% clip.

Following the Illinois State matchup, Indiana State returns to Terre Haute for the next two games: Northern Iowa on Saturday, January 25 and Missouri State on Wednesday, January 29.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

LAUREN ROSS SELECTED AS HORIZON LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

INDIANAPOLIS – Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball guard Lauren Ross was named the Horizon League’s women’s basketball Player of the Week on Monday (Jan. 20).

Ross led the league in scoring this week, scoring 23 points in the only game on the Mastodons’ schedule. Ross scored 20 of her 23 points in the first half of the Mastodons’ 76-52 victory over Northern Kentucky.

In the game against the Norse, Ross finished with 23 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals with just one turnover. She shot 8-of-14 from the floor and 5-of-10 from 3-point range.

Ross leads the Mastodons with 17.4 points per game this season. She is shooting 49.0 percent from the floor, 50 percent from 3-point range and 94.4 percent from the free throw line. She is the national leader in 3-point percentage and sixth in free throw percentage.

The Mastodons are on an 11-game win streak and own an unblemished 9-0 mark in Horizon League play. The ‘Dons own the seventh-longest active winning streak in the nation.

This is Ross’ second Player of the Week award this season. She is one of two student-athletes to earn the award twice this year.

Ross and the Mastodons are back in action on Wednesday (Jan. 22) at Detroit Mercy for a Horizon League contest.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL

JALEN JACKSON NAMED #HLMBB PLAYER OF THE WEEK

INDIANAPOLIS – Purdue Fort Wayne junior Jalen Jackson has been named the Horizon League Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday (Jan. 20).

Jackson scored 30 points in a double overtime victory at Wright State last week. He also had seven rebounds, three steals and two assists.

The Fort Wayne native scored 13 points in the second half and added nine points in overtime. Jackson took a charge and had four key points at the end of regulation. He added a 3-pointer, a steal and basket just before the buzzer of the first overtime to tie the game.

This is Jackson’s first career Horizon League weekly honor. This is the third player of the week award of the year for the ‘Dons. Rasheed Bello has the other two.

The ‘Dons are 14-6 and 7-2 in the Horizon League. Purdue Fort Wayne is at Oakland on Wednesday (Jan. 22).

The Mastodons’ next home game is Jan. 30 against Cleveland State on ESPNU. All kids 12th grade and under are free for the contest.

EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

KELLEY EARNS FIRST MVC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK HONOR

ST. LOUIS – After back-to-back career games freshman point guard Avery Kelley (Evansville, Ind. / Memorial HS) is the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Week.

Setting multiple offensive career highs in two games last week Kelley was selected as the Valley Freshman of the Week by conference office staff on Monday afternoon. She was the leading scorer for the Purple Aces in their game against Missouri State. Kelley was also the second leading scorer for UE in the team’s first conference win of 2025 over Southern Illinois on Sunday.

Evansville had a limited bench in its game against the Lady Bears and Kelley shined with increased minutes. Through 31 minutes on the floor, she had a team high 18 points along with adding five rebounds. Kelley was also the only Ace to record multiple assists and steals on Friday in the loss. Her performance battling Missouri State was Kelley’s best shooting game with an overall shooting percentage of 76.9% including being a perfect four of four from the free throw line.

Kelley had a similar performance on Sunday scoring 18 points for the second game in a row. She has now had double figure scoring outings in her last three games. Kelley made a career high three triples against the Salukis and had her second game this season making seven free throws on eight attempts. Away from scoring Kelley grabbed three boards, assisted on four baskets, and grabbed one steal.

In two games Kelley scored just over 25% of UE’s points in the team’s return to Meeks Family Fieldhouse. She averaged 28.5 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game over the weekend.

Kelley is now Evansville’s second freshman to earn Freshman of the Week honors. Teammate Camryn Runner has been the MVC Freshman of the week six times in 10 weeks. The Aces have now earned seven of the 11 possible weekly awards for players in their first year of collegiate basketball.

SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL

HARRISON NAMED OVC PLAYER & NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana junior guard Damoni Harrison has been recognized as the Ohio Valley Conference Player and Newcomer of the Week awards. The weekly awards are voted on by the OVC’s communications directors.

The awards are the first of Harrison’s career and the first for USI Men’s Basketball since the 2022-23 season. Harrison also is the first Screaming Eagle to win both the Player and Newcomer of the Week awards since Trevor Lakes in December 2022.

In the two games at Liberty Arena last week, Harrison averaged a team-best 26.0 points per game, posting a season-high 26 points in the win over Lindenwood University, 80-73, and Western Illinois University, 78-66. He also was second on the team with 8.0 rebounds per game, while posting three assists and recording a steal in 74 minutes of action (37.0 minutes per game).

Harrison started the week with a season-high 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Eagles to the win over Lindenwood. The double-double also was the first of the season for Harrison, who was eight-of-16 from the field, three-of-five from beyond the arc, and seven-of-nine from the stripe.

The junior guard finished the week by leading USI to the victory over WIU by matching his season-high 26 points. He was 11-of-19 from the field, including a pair of three-point field goals, and two-of-two from the line.

For the season, Harrison is second on the team with 14.9 points per game and third on the Eagles with 5.2 rebounds per contest. He is shooting 45.8 percent from the field (97-212), 41.8 from beyond the arc (33-79), and 80.8 percent from the charity stripe (42-52). The junior guard also has scored in double-digits 14 times and scored 20-of-more points five times.

Harrison and the Eagles (8-10, 3-5 OVC) are on the road this week, visiting Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and Eastern Illinois University Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Both games can be viewed on ESPN+ and heard on ESPN 97.7FM and The Spin 95.7 FM.

UINDY WRESTLING

HOUNDS LAND AT 23 IN LATEST NWCA TEAM RANKINGS, BLUBAUGH REMAINS ATOP 197

MANHEIM, Pa.- The UIndy wrestling team heads into the home stretch of the season ranked No. 23 in the latest edition of the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division II Men’s Coaches Poll released Monday afternoon.

The Greyhounds were one of three GLVC teams ranked inside the top-25 in this latest edition of the rankings, McKendree and Maryville being the two other GLVC teams. UIndy is coming off two big dual home wins this past weekend against Findlay and newly-ranked No. 24 Maryville.

Derek Blubaugh also makes his routine appearance on top of the 197 weight class rankings, edging out St. Cloud State’s Dominic Murphy and McKendree’s Logan Kvien for the top spot.

This is the fourth conescutive NWCA rankings release in which Blubaugh has been ranked first in 197. He is also coming off two dominating victories against Findlay’s Luke Sparkman (Fall 1:20) and Maryville’s Jeremiah Larson (TF 16-1).

Blubaugh and the Hounds are back on the road this weekend looking to extend their win streak to three straight against Drury on Saturday Jan. 25.

The next edition of the NWCA poll will come out as Division II’s teams head into the final weeks of the regular season, with a release date of Feb. 17, 2025.

UINDY BASEBALL

HOUNDS RANKED 8TH IN D2BASEBALL.COM PRESEASON POLL

INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Indianapolis baseball team will open the 2025 season as the No. 8-ranked team in the nation, according to the latest released D2baseball.com preseason rankings.

The 2024 Greyhounds team are once again led by Al Ready, who enters his seventh season after a 41-21 record and a 29-7 GLVC record, winning their second straight NCAA Midwest Regional title, and making their second consecutive College World Series appearance.

UIndy returns a lot of their offensive production from last year including shortstop Easton Good, who led the team in batting average (.360), slugging percentage (.589), OPS (1.054) and was second on the team in home runs (9) and RBIs (60). Along with Good also returns Caleb Vaughn in right-field, who ranked top-six in all team hitting categories, and also Cole Hampton who led the team in RBIs (62).

The Hounds have brought in multiple transfers this season to add to their already dominant offensive firepower including Mason Chase who posted a career .329 batting average with 77 RBIs, and 17 home runs in three years at Carl Sandburg College.

Chase is not the only transfer brought in for the 2025 season, the Hounds have also brought in five former D1 hitters including; Tre Hondras (Marshall), Parker Redden (Delaware), Luke Smock (UW-Milwaukee), Ian Kennedy (Michigan) and Austin Bhode (Indiana).

On the mound, the Hounds return five of their top eight pitchers in innings pitched. Dawson Gabe, Diego Cardenas, and Carter Nowak all started double-digit games for UIndy in 2024, and will look to carry over their strong 2024 performances to the 2025 season.

UIndy will begin their pursuit for another NCAA DII Championship appearance on Feb. 14 against Lake Erie at Greyhound Park. 

2025 DIIBaseball.com PRESEASON POLL

Rank | School | 2024 Record

Tampa (52-8)

Angelo State (44-21)

Catawba (46-17)

Central Missouri (52-10)

Point Loma (46-13-1)

Southern New Hampshire (37-19)

Colorado Mesa (38-18)

UIndy (41-21)

Augustana (47-10)

Indiana (PA) (41-18)

UNC Pembroke (43-14)

West Chester (43-9)

North Greenville (41-14)

Georgia College (37-22)

Young Harris (41-15)

Lubbock Christian (45-16)

Missouri Southern (44-15)

Arkansas-Monticello (35-24)

East Stroudsburg (43-14)

Ashland (42-15)

Cal State Monterey Bay (39-21)

Millersville (38-16)

Seton Hill (41-17)

West Texas A&M (37-19)

Northwest Nazarene (36-15-1)

Others Receiving Votes: Central Oklahoma, Charleston, Embry-Riddle, Harding, Lander, Lee, Maryville, Minnesota State, Molloy, Mount Olive, Regis, Saginaw Valley, Saint Leo, San Francisco State and West Florida.

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

7 – 14 – 9 – 89 – 12 -13 – 45 – 27 – 32 – 26 – 12 – 21 – 5 – 4 – 66

January 21,  1930 – Cooney Weiland who put on the Number 7 sweater for the Boston Bruins, scored the franchises 100th goal of the season in a 5-1 thwarting of the Chicago Blackhawks, to help the Bruins become the first NHL franchise in history to post 100 goals in one season.

January 21,  1954 – Bob Cousy of the Boston Celtics leads his East All-Star team to victory 98-93 over the West by scoring 10 points in Overtime! Cousy wearing Number 14 was handed the MVP award for the game. If you remember back to January 15 post, the great Guard would later win the NBA All-Star game Most Valuable Player award for the 1957 game as well. 

January 21,  1958 – Bob Pettit wearing the Number 9 for the NBA West All-Star squad became the first member of the losing team to be selected as the annual game’s Most Valuable Player. Pettit who normally played with the St Louis Hawks that season hauled in 26 rebounds and scored 28 points to keep the West in the game during the 118-130 loss. The athletic Center would go on to win the All-Star game MVP honor 4 times in his career.

January 21, 1968 – 18th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: West beats East, 38-20; MVPs: Chicago Bears, HB, Number 40, Gale Sayers, and on defense it was Green Bay Packers, DT, Number 89, Dave Robinson

January 21, 1968 – 7th AFL All Star Game, Gator Bowl, Jacksonville: Eastern Division beats Western Division, 25-24; MVPs: the duo of New York Jets, Number 12, Quarterback Joe Namath, his flanker partner, Number 13, Don Maynard, and Los Angles Charger returner/Defensive Back Speedy Duncan, Number 45

January 21, 1969 – 22nd NHL All-Star Game, Montreal Forum: Western Division ties Eastern Division, 3-3; MVP: Frank Mahovlich (Number 27), Detroit, LW

January 21, 1973 – 23rd NFL Pro Bowl, Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas: AFC beats NFC, 33-28; MVP was Buffalo Bills, RB, Number 32, O J Simpson,

January 21, 1975 – 28th NHL All-Star Game, Montreal Forum: Wales Conference beats Campbell Conference, 7-1; MVP: Syl Apps Jr., Number 26, Pittsburgh, C

January 21, 1979 – Super Bowl XIII, Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, FL: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Dallas Cowboys, 35-31; MVP:  was Pittsburgh, QB, Number 12, Terry Bradshaw

FOOTBALL HISTORY

January 21, 1949 – According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this marks the day that the New York Bulldogs/Yanks franchise began. As we alluded to in our January 19 post, the Yanks really got their League start in 1945 when the Brooklyn team reassembled the Yanks franchise that left the NFL in the mid 1940’s and went into the All-America Football Conference. They played as the AAFC’s Boston Yanks for three seasons  from 1946-1948 per the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 1949, the franchise changed homes again and returned to the Big Apple and became the New York Bulldogs and played at the Polo Grounds along with the New York Giants. The 1950 season had the Bulldogs change their name back to the Yanks. Later in 1952, the NFL purchased the Yanks from owner Ted Collins. 

January 21, 1967 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – The results of the 6th AFL All Star Game were that the Eastern Division knocked off the Western Division, 30-23. According to the RemembertheAFL.com the game’s MVPs were Babe Parilli the quarterback of the  Boston Patriots and the great defensive end of the New York Jets Verlon Biggs.

January 21, 1968 – Gator Bowl, Jacksonville –  The Eastern Division of the AFL must have liked playing on January 20. Because at the 7th AFL All Star Game the Eastern Division once again got one over on their Western Division rivals by the score of 25-24 per the RemembertheAFL.com.  A couple of New York Jets were voted as the offensive Most Valuable Players as Quarterback Joe Namath and Don Maynard shared that spotlight and the defensive MVP of the game was Speedy Duncan of LA Charger who played defensive back and also returned kicks. Duncan muffed an early punt that the West recovered and later scored on but his  90 yard kickoff return later in the game made up for it.

January 21, 1968 – LA Memorial Coliseum – 18th NFL Pro Bowl according to the American Football Database was won by the Western Division as they outscored their Eastern counterparts, 38-20. Otto Graham of Washington coached the East while matching wits with the Colts Don Shula. Graham took some heat from his players when he benched QB Fran Tarkenton in the 4th quarter because of who Tarkenton was and the game being a charity exhibition. The Most Valuable Players were Gale Sayers of the Chicago Bears and Green Bay’s Dave Robinson. The MVP honor was the second season in a row that Sayers earned.

January 21, 1973 – Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas – The 23rd NFL Pro Bowl story was covered once again by the American Football Database. In the contest The Steelers Chuck Noll coached the AFC and faced the man in the fedora Tom Landry who was coaching the NFC. The AFC edged out the NFC, 33-28. The game’s MVP was O. J. Simpson the running back of the Buffalo Bills. The winners cashed out $2000 per man while the NFC players got $1500 in the loss.

January 21, 1979 – Miami Orange Bowl, Miami – Super Bowl XIII may be one of the greatest NFL Championships ever played according to a 247Sports.com article. The two top teams of the era squared off with Hall of Fame Coaches, Tom Landry on the Dallas Cowboys sideline while the Pittsburgh Steelers strategist was Chuck Noll.  The game was heavily hyped in the build-up of the game and it really lived up to everyone’s expectation and probably surpassed it. The game was a rematch of Super Bowl X played 3 years earlier where the Steelers  won 21-17.  The game had a still standing record of 19 future Pro Football Hall of Famers who were at the game. Nol, Landry, Tex Schramm the Cowboys GM, Pittsburgh owners Art and Dan Rooney and assistant coaches for Dallas Mike Ditka and Ernie Stautner.  Part of the pregame hype was Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson mocking Terry Bradshaw’s intelligence and this enraged many of the Steelers players. Henderson even had a big hit on T.B. that caused a fumble resulting in Dallas only lead but the Blonde Bomber overcame 3 turnovers to have a great second half.  His throws put receivers Lynn Swann and John Stalworth both over 100 yards receiving on the day, a Super Bowl record for having two on the same team. Dallas had its chance at the end but Tight End Jackie Smith dropped a wide open, sure touchdown pass in the end zone with the Cowboys facing 3rd and three from the Steelers ten yard-line in the third quarter and Dallas had to kick a field goal. The Pittsburgh Steelers were victorious over the Dallas Cowboys, 35-31. The game’s MVP was Terry Bradshaw. One final note is that this was the final Super Bowl ever played at the Orange Bowl. Five of the first thirteen were played there including the first matchup of these two teams in Super Bowl X and the great Jet versus Colts game in Super Bowl III.

January 21, 1992 – Bill Cowher is announced as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, becoming only the second head coach of the team since 1970. He replaced legend Chuck Noll, who has stepped down after 23 seasons at the helm.

January 21, 2007 – RCA Dome, Indianapolis – The Pro-Football Reference.com states that at the AFC Championship game the Indianapolis Colts outlasted the New England Patriots, 38-34. Running back Joseph Addai completed a late Colts go ahead drive at the 1:00 mark of the fourth quarter in this classic Peyton Manning versus Tom Brady contest.

January 21, 2007 – The NFC Championship was played at Soldier Field in Chicago. The Pro-Football Reference.com lists the Chicago Bears beating up on the New Orleans Saints, 39-14 to advance to Super Bowl XLI.

January 21, 2018 – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia -The Philadelphia Eagles crushed the hopes of the Minnesota Vikings, 38-7 in the NFC Championship game.

January 21, 2018 – At the AFC Championship played at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough. Mass. The New England Patriots edges out the Jacksonville Jaguars, 24-20.

Hall of Fame Birthdays for January 21

January 21, 1901 – Bell Buckle, Tennessee – Lynn Bomar the College Hall of Fame end from Vanderbilt was born.

January 21, 1925 – Chicago, Illinois – Holy Cross and Notre Dame lineman George Connor arrived into this life. Irish Coach Frank Leahy claimed Conner as one of the best blockers he had ever seen. The NFF states that during Connor’s two seasons in an Irish uniform, he never played in a losing game. Connor played eight years with the Chicago Bears and was an all-pro and was Al- NFL 5 times. George Connor was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975. 

January 21, 1957 – Pasadena, Texas – Jacob Green the fine Texas A&M defensive lineman was born. The National Football Foundation selected Jacob Green to be inducted into their the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019.

January 21, 1975 – Wichita Falls, Texas – Aaron Taylor the former Nebraska offensive lineman was born. The National Football Foundation selected Aaron Taylor to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018. 

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

1921    “The legend has been spread that the owners hired the Judge off the federal bench. Don’t you believe it. They got him right out of Dickens.” – LEO DUROCHER, speaking about encounters with the commissioner during his playing days. In a move widely supported by the press, 55-year-old Kenesaw Mountain Landis becomes baseball’s first commissioner, replacing the three-man National Commission, formerly governed by league presidents Ban Johnson, John Heydler, and Reds owner Garry Herrmann. In November, the jurist agreed to take the position for seven years at a salary of $50,000 (minus a $7,500 reduction to reflect his current pay as a judge) on the condition if he can continue to serve on the federal bench, an arrangement that ends in thirteen months, when he resigns from his judicial responsibilities.

1941    The Indians sign Bob Feller (27-11, 2.61) to a deal worth a reported $30,000, making the 22-year-old farm boy from Van Meter, Iowa, the highest-paid hurler in baseball history. Robins’ right-hander Dazzy Vance and southpaw Lefty Grove of the A’s previously held the distinction when they were paid $27,500 for one season of work.

1947    The BBWAA elects southpaws Carl Hubbell and Lefty Grove, infielder Frank Frisch, and catcher Mickey Cochrane for induction into the Hall of Fame in July, along with 11 additional individuals the Old-Timers Committee selected that led to revisions in the selection process. The extensive list of new HOFers included Tommy McCarthy, Jesse Burkett, Clark Griffith, Joe McGinnity, Jack Chesbro, Eddie Plank, Rube Waddell, Frank Chance, Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Ed Walsh.

1953    Cardinal legend Dizzy Dean and outfielder Al Simmons, best known for his years with the A’s, are elected to the Hall of Fame, but in his first year of eligibility, Joe DiMaggio is not. The Yankee Clipper will have to wait until 1955 when 88.8% of the BBWAA scribes put his name on their ballot.

1958    To fill the void of National League baseball in New York City, the Phillies agree to televise 78 games in the metropolitan area, not hosting a Senior Circuit team for the first time since the league’s inception in 1876. The Pirates and Cardinals will also beam games into the Big Apple, but their contests will only feature the departed Dodgers and Giants as opponents.

1960    Stan Musial insists the Cardinals cut his salary from $100,000 to $80,000, believing the team overpaid him in 1958 and 1959, and the reduced wage should reflect his poor performance for the team last season. The Redbird’s 39-year-old All-Star first baseman batted .255 with 14 home runs and 44 RBIs in the 115 games played last season.

1965    Teams, Inc. meet with National League president Warren Giles to plead their case of keeping the Braves in Milwaukee through the upcoming season. The community non-profit organization, headed by future baseball commissioner Bud Selig, successfully prevents the club from marching to Atlanta at the All-Star break when the league rules the team must honor the final year of their stadium lease.

1969    Cardinal legend Stan Musial is elected into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, receiving 93% of the writers’ votes. The BBWAA also selects Roy Campanella, the former Dodger catcher and winner of three National League MVPs before being permanently disabled in a car accident just before spring training in 1958.

1971    With Yogi Berra (67.2%) and Early Wynn (66.7%) coming the closest, no player receives three-fourths of the necessary votes for election into the Hall of Fame. The writers will eventually select the top eight vote-getters for enshrinement, except for Gil Hodges, who will get the Veterans Committee’s nod in 2022.

1981    The office of the Baseball Commissioner announces lifetime passes to any major or minor league regular-season game to the returning 52 Iranian hostages and the 14 others released earlier during the ordeal. In 1973, MLB made a similar gesture to the hundreds of prisoners of war returning from Vietnam.

1981    The Reds trade Cesar Geronimo to the Royals for minor league infielder German Barranca. After a three-year stint in Kansas City, the four-time Gold Glover will retire, compiling a lifetime average of .258 during his 15 seasons in the major leagues.

1987    “My physical condition is good; so while I am still in good health, I have decided to retire. I am going to miss my fans, the players and all the people associated with baseball…” – VIDA BLUE, announcing his retirement from baseball. Free agent Vida Blue comes to terms with the A’s, signing an estimated $300,000 deal to pitch for Oakland this season, but surprises the team the day before spring training begins by announcing his retirement. The 37-year-old southpaw, who posted a 10-10 mark with San Francisco last season, compiled a 209-161 (.565) record and an ERA of 3.27 during his 17-year tenure in the major leagues.

2001    The Angels turn off Edison International Field’s Big A and the Little A signs to conserve electricity during California’s energy crisis. The landmark beacons, formerly illuminated 24 hours a day, will be turned on only for stadium events.

2005    After asking for $22 million in salary arbitration, Roger Clemens agrees to a one-year, $18 million deal with the Astros. The pact makes the Rocket the most expensive hurler in major league history.

2008    Yadier Molina (.275, 6, 40) agrees to a $15.5 million, four-year deal to remain with the Cardinals. The Redbirds catcher, best known for his defensive prowess, nailed 23 of 46 baserunners trying to steal a base last season.

2008    Brett Tomko and the Royals agree to a $3 million, one-year deal. Kansas City, who had hoped the 34-year-old starter would overcome the problems that plagued him with LA and San Diego (4-12, 5.55) last season, will release the right-hander in June after he compiles a 2-7 record along with an ERA of 6.30.

2009    The Orioles and Nick Markakis finalize a significant $66.1 million six-year deal, covering the span the right fielder would have been eligible for arbitration and the first three after being available to file for free agency. The 25-year-old fly chaser, who had his best offensive season with the team and led the American League in outfield assists last season, was named the team’s most valuable player by the local media last season.

2009    To increase the team’s attendance, Washington reduces individual ticket fees on 14,000 seats without raising the price of 41,888 seats at Nationals Park. The club ranked a disappointing 13th place in attendance in the 16-team National League circuit despite playing in a brand-new stadium in the nation’s capital.

2009    “​Nine years ago you welcomed me into your community. You greeted me as a name and embraced me as a person, and I leave you now as a friend.” – ROCCO BALDELLI, thanking Tampa Bay fans in an open letter for their support during his time with the Rays. Rocco Baldelli, recently traded to the Red Sox, takes out an ad in the St. Petersburg Times to show his appreciation for the support given to him by the Rays fans during his five years with the franchise. In an open letter, the outfielder writes, “I will always think of the Tampa Bay area as my second home, and I would like to thank everyone for accepting me and for making my time here as enjoyable as it was.”

2009    Erik Bedard, avoiding salary arbitration, signs a $7.75 million, one-year contract with the Mariners. The deal gives the left-hander, the team’s Opening Day starter, obtained last season from Baltimore, a raise of $750,000 from last season.

2009    Jon Lester became the 48th recipient of the Hutch Award and the first patient from the renowned institution named for Seattle baseball legend Fred Hutchinson to receive the honor. The Red Sox hurler, a survivor of anaplastic large cell lymphoma, is honored with the annual award for best exemplifying the spirit and competitive drive of the former major leaguer and skipper, who died of cancer in 1964 at the age of 45.

2010    Joe Blanton (2-8, 4.05) and the Phillies, avoiding an arbitration hearing, agree on a $24 million, three-year deal. The 29-year-old right-hander is slotted to be the National League champion’s number-three starter in a rotation including Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and J.A. Happ.

2010    Octavio Dotel (3-3, 3.32 ERA), hoping to be the Pirates closer, agrees to a $3.5 million, one-year deal with the Bucs, the only team that offered the right-hander the opportunity to save games. The 36-year-old reliever, who hasn’t been a closer since 2007 with Kansas City, struck out 75 batters in 62.1 innings in a setup role for the White Sox last season but didn’t record a save.

2011    The Blue Jays send Vernon Wells to the Angels for catcher Mike Napoli and fly-chaser Juan Rivera in a cost-cutting move. Toronto still owed the 32-year-old three-time All-Star outfielder $86 million through 2014 but will only have to spend $5 million to Los Angeles to complete the trade, giving the team a better opportunity to compete in the AL East.

2012    After picking up his $6 million option in October, the Red Sox trade Marco Scutaro (.299, 7, 54) to the Rockies for right-hander Clayton Mortensen (2-4, 3.86). The unexpected move of the 36-year-old infielder to Colorado may signal that Boston is counting on prospect Jose Iglesias to start Opening Day.

2015    The Nationals introduce Max Scherzer, the newest member of the team’s solid pitching staff. The 29-year-old right-hander, who inked a seven-year, $210 million contract to hurl for Washington, joins Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister, and Gio Gonzalez, a fivesome many consider the best starting rotation in baseball history.

2016    At a Camden Yards news conference, the Orioles announce first baseman Chris Davis will be returning to the team, having signed the richest deal in franchise history. The reigning major league home run king, who went yard 47 times last season, agreed to a $161 million, seven-year contract that includes $42 million in deferred money to stay with Baltimore.

2020    Derek Jeter, named on 396 of 397 the BBWAA ballots, falls one vote shy of being elected unanimously to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, a feat only accomplished by his long-time Yankee teammate and friend, Mariano Rivera. The writers also select 1997 National League MVP Larry Walker (76.5%) by six votes on the Canadian ballplayer’s tenth and final appearance on the ballot.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

Jan. 21

1921 — Kenesaw Mountain Landis takes office as baseball’s commissioner.

1947 — Carl Hubbell, Frank Frisch, Mickey Cochrane, and Lefty Grove are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

1953 — Dizzy Dean and Al Simmons are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The baseball writers pass over Joe DiMaggio in his first year of eligibility.

1954 — For the first time in NBA All-Star history, an overtime period is needed. Boston’s Bob Cousy scores 10 points in the overtime to give the East a 98-93 victory and Cousy the MVP honors.

1958 — Bob Pettit of St. Louis becomes the first member of the losing team to win the NBA All-Star MVP award, scoring 28 points and grabbing 26 rebounds, even though the East beats the West 130-118.

1969 — Roy Campanella and Stan Musial are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

1979 — Terry Bradshaw throws four touchdown passes to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to their third Super Bowl win, a 35-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Bradshaw, the game’s MVP, completes 17 of 30 passes for 318 yards.

1990 — John McEnroe becomes the first player thrown out of the Australian Open. McEnroe’s tantrum comes while leading Mike Pernfors 6-1, 4-6, 7-5, 2-4.

1996 — Karrie Webb becomes the second quickest winner in LPGA Tour history winning the HealthSouth Inaugural at Walt Disney World. Webb, in her second LPGA start, beat Jane Geddes and Martha Nause on the fourth hole of a playoff. Webb finished second in her first LPGA start a week earlier in the Chrysler-Plymouth Tournament of Champions.

2005 — Four-time Olympic champion Ole Einar Bjoerndalen wins his 49th career World Cup biathlon, breaking the record for career victories. Bjoerndalen edges fellow Norwegian Frode Andresen in the 10-kilometer sprint event to pass former cross country great Bjorn Daehlie at 48 career wins.

2007 — Lovie Smith becomes the first black head coach to make it to the Super Bowl when his Chicago Bears win the NFC championship. Tony Dungy joins him when his Indianapolis Colts take the AFC title.

2009 — New Jersey Institute of Technology ends its 51-game losing streak, getting 26 points from Jheryl Wilson in a 61-51 victory over Bryant. NJIT had not won since it defeated Longwood on Feb. 19, 2007.

2010 — Los Angeles guard Kobe Bryant becomes the 15th player in NBA history to reach 25,000 career points and the youngest to hit the milestone. Bryant finishes with 31 points in the Lakers’ 93-87 loss at Cleveland.

2012 — Notre Dame upsets No. 1 Syracuse 67-58 and hands the Orange their first loss after 20 straight victories. It’s the eighth time Notre Dame has beaten a No. 1 team — that ties for fourth-most all-time.

2017 — Adam Hadwin shoots a 13-under 59 in the CareerBuilder Challenge for the ninth sub-60 round in PGA Tour history and the second in 10 days. The 29-year-old Canadian reaches 13 under with a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-4 17th and makes a 3-footer from just off the green for par on the 18th at La Quinta Country Club.

2019 – Golden State guard Klay Thompson sets an NBA record by making his first 10 attempts from 3-point range as the Warriors beat the LA Lakers, 130-111; Thompson scores 44 points.

2024 — Tara VanDerveer, Stanford, becomes winningest college basketball coach with 1,203rd victory.

_____

Jan. 22

1920 — The New York Yankees announce they will be the first team to wear uniform numbers, according to the player’s position in batting order.

1960 — Paul Pender beats Sugar Ray Robinson in a 15-round split decision to capture the world middleweight boxing title.

1962 — Bob Feller and Jackie Robinson are elected into baseball’s Hall of Fame. Robinson, the first black to play in the majors, is also the first to enter the Hall.

1968 — The NBA awards expansion franchises to Milwaukee and Phoenix.

1973 — George Foreman knocks out Joe Frazier in the second round in Kingston, Jamaica, to win the world heavyweight title.

1983 — Houston becomes the first NBA team not to score a point in overtime. The Portland Trail Blazers outscore the Rockets 17-0 for a 113-96 victory.

1988 — Mike Tyson knocks out Larry Holmes in the fourth round at Atlantic City to retain his world heavyweight title.

1998 — New York’s Pat LaFontaine reaches 1,000 career points, scoring his 19th goal in the Rangers’ 4-3 loss to Philadelphia.

2003 — Andy Roddick wins one of the longest matches of the Open era, beating Younes El Aynaoui in a fifth set that ended 21-19 to reach the Australian Open semifinals. The American won 4-6, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4, 21-19 in a match lasting 4 hours, 59 minutes — the longest men’s singles match at the Australian Open since tiebreaker sets were introduced into Grand Slam events in 1971.

2005 — Jockey Russell Baze passes Bill Shoemaker to take second place on the career win list. Russell gets his 8,834th victory aboard Hollow Memoires in the seventh race at Golden Gate Fields.

2006 — The Pittsburgh Steelers are the first team since the 1985 Patriots to win three postseason road games thanks to a 34-17 dismantling of the Denver Broncos in the AFC title game.

2006 — Kobe Bryant scores a staggering 81 points — the second-highest total in NBA history — and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 122-104.

2012 — The New England Patriots beat the Ravens 23-20 in the AFC championship game after Baltimore’s Billy Cundiff misses a 32-yard field goal attempt with 11 seconds remaining that would have tied the score.

2012 — New York’s Lawrence Tynes kicks a 31-yard field goal in sudden-death overtime and the Giants beat the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 in the NFC championship game.

2016 — David Blatt, the second-year coach who guided Cleveland to the NBA Finals in 2015, is fired despite the Cavaliers holding a 30-11 record. Blatt is the first coach since conferences began in 1970-71 to be fired when his team had the best record in its conference.

2018 – New Orleans Pelicans’ DeMarcus Cousins has 44 points, 24 rebounds & 10 assists in 132-128 double-OT win over Chicago Bulls; 1st player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1972) with 40+ points, 20+ rebounds & 10+ assists.

_____

Jan. 23

1944 — The Detroit Red Wings defeat the New York Rangers 15-0 to set an NHL record for consecutive goals.

1959 — In the NBA All-Star game in Detroit, St. Louis’ Bob Pettit and Elgin Baylor of Minneapolis become the first co-winners of the MVP award, leading the West to a 124-108 victory.

1979 — Willie Mays is named on 409 of 432 ballots and elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

1980 — George Gervin of San Antonio scores 55 points in a 144-130 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

1987 — Hana Mandlikova upsets Martina Navratilova 7-5, 7-6 to win the Australian Open.

1988 — Steffi Graf wins the Australian Open with a 6-1, 7-6 victory over Chris Evert.

1993 — Mike Gartner of the New York Rangers sets an NHL record when he reaches 30 goals for the 14th consecutive season. Gartner, with three goals in the Rangers’ 8-3 victory over Los Angeles, surpasses Phil Esposito, Bobby Hull and Wayne Gretzky.

2001 — Sam Cassell scores 22 points and the Bucks hit a franchise record 14 3-pointers to beat the Knicks 105-91 and snap New York’s NBA-record 33-game streak of holding opponents to under 100 points.

2005 — Jennifer Rodriguez becomes the first American woman in nine years to win the World Sprint Speedskating Championship.

2008 — Baylor, which waited 39 years to get back into the Top 25, plays five overtimes in its first win as a ranked team. Curtis Jerrells scores a career-high 36 points, including 11 in the fifth overtime to lead No. 25 Baylor to a 116-110 win over No. 18 Texas A&M.

2010 — Lindsey Vonn makes it five wins in five downhills this season. Her 30th World Cup victory ties her with Croatia’s Janica Kostelic for eighth place on the career list and nearly halfway to Austrian leader Annemarie Moser-Proell’s 62 wins.

2011 — Francesca Schiavone wins the longest women’s match in Grand Slam history — a 6-4, 1-6, 16-14 victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova that takes 4 hours, 44 minutes at the Australian Open. Schiavone saves six match points, then converts on her third match point in the longest women’s match at a major in terms of time in the Open era.

2011 — Aaron Rodgers runs for a touchdown and makes a saving tackle, B.J. Raji returns an interception for a score and Sam Shields has two interceptions to lead the Green Bay Packers to a 21-14 win over the Chicago Bears in the NFC championship game. The Packers, with road wins in Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago, become the first NFC No. 6 seed to advance to the Super Bowl.

2011 — The Pittsburgh Steelers advance to their third Super Bowl in six years with a 24-19 victory over the New York Jets.

2012 — Skylar Diggins matches a season high with 27 points and No. 2 Notre Dame routs No. 7 Tennessee 72-44, holding the Lady Vols to their lowest scoring output in modern school history.

2015 — Klay Thompson sets an NBA record for the most points in a quarter, a 37-point third period that powers the Golden State Warriors to a 126-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Thompson makes all 13 shots and finishes with a career-high 52 points.

2022 – Buffalo wide receiver Gabriel Davis scores an NFL playoff record 4 TDs in the Bills’ epic 42-36 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in their divisional-round playoff at Arrowhead Stadium.

TV SPORTS TUESDAY

NBA REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
New York Knicks vs Brooklyn Nets	7:30 pm	TNT
Portland Trail Blazers vs Miami Heat	7:30pm	FanDuel Sports Sun Rip City
Orlando Magic vs Toronto Raptors	7:30pm	TNT FanDuel Sports SE
Philadelphia 76ers vs Denver Nuggets	10:00pm	TNT
Washington Wizards vs Los Angeles Lakers	10:30pm	MNMT2 Spectrum
Chicago Bulls vs Los Angeles Clippers	10:30pm	CHSN FanDuel Sports SoCal
NHL REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Detroit Red Wings vs Philadelphia Flyers	7:00 pm	ESPN+ FanDuel Sports DET NBCS-PHI
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens	7:00 pm	ESPN+ FanDuel Sports Sun Sportsnet
Ottawa Senators vs New York Rangers	7:00 pm	ESPN+ MSG Sportsnet
San Jose Sharks vs Nashville Predators	8:00 pm	ESPN+ FanDuel Sports South NBCS-CA
Carolina Hurricanes vs Dallas Stars	8:00 pm	ESPN+ Hulu
Washington Capitals vs Edmonton Oilers	9:00 pm	ESPN+ MNMT Sportsnet
Florida Panthers vs Anaheim Ducks	10:00 pm	ESPN+ Victory+
Buffalo Sabres vs Vancouver Canucks	10:00 pm	ESPN+ MSG-BUF Sportsnet
MEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL	TIME ET	TV
Ohio at Eastern Michigan	6:30pm	ESPN+
Mississippi State at Tennessee	7:00pm	ESPN2
Butler vs. UConn	7:00pm	FS1
Texas Tech at Cincinnati	7:00pm	ESPNU
Vanderbilt at Alabama	7:00pm	SECN
Boston College at Virginia	7:00pm	ACCN
VCU at Rhode Island	7:00pm	CBSSN
Saint Joseph’s at Davidson	7:00pm	FanDuel Sports South
George Mason at St. Bonaventure	7:00pm	ESPN+
Dayton at Duquesne	7:00pm	ESPN+
Northern Illinois at Western Michigan	7:00pm	ESPN+
Akron at Buffalo	7:00pm	ESPN+
Ball State at Central Michigan	7:00pm	ESPN+
Bowling Green at Miami (OH)	7:00pm	ESPN+
Kent State at Toledo	7:00pm	ESPN+
Ohio State at Purdue	7:30pm	Peacock
UTSA at UAB	7:30pm	ESPN+
Bradley at Belmont	7:30pm	ESPN+
Indiana State at Illinois State	8:00pm	MARQ
Marquette at Seton Hall	8:00pm	Peacock
UCF at Iowa State	8:00pm	ESPN+
Utah at Houston	8:00pm	ESPN+
East Carolina at Tulsa	8:00pm	ESPN+
Missouri State at UNI	8:00pm	ESPN+
UT Martin at Tennessee State	8:30pm	ESPN+
North Carolina at Wake Forest	9:00pm	ESPN
Arizona at Oklahoma State	9:00pm	ESPNU
Creighton at DePaul	9:00pm	FS1
Minnesota at Iowa	9:00pm	BTN
Missouri at Texas	9:00pm	SECN
Louisville at SMU	9:00pm	ACCN
Arizona State at West Virginia	9:00pm	CBSSN
Wisconsin at UCLA	9:30pm	Peacock
BYU at Colorado	11:00pm	ESPNU
Washington at Oregon	11:00pm	BTN
Wyoming at UNLV	11:00pm	CBSSN
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
UEFA Europa League: Galatasaray vs Dynamo Kyiv	10:30am	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Champions League: Atalanta vs Sturm Graz	12:45pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Champions League: Monaco vs Aston Villa	12:45pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Champions League: Bologna vs Borussia Dortmund	3:00pm	CBSSN Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Champions League: Atlético Madrid vs Bayer Leverkusen	3:00pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Champions League: Benfica vs Barcelona	3:00pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Champions League: Club Brugge vs Juventus	3:00pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Champions League: Crvena Zvezda vs PSV	3:00pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Champions League: Liverpool vs Lille	3:00pm	Paramount+ VIX
UEFA Champions League: Slovan Bratislava vs Stuttgart	3:00pm	Paramount+ VIX