THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” FRIDAY JANUARY 13, 2023

*******************THE SCOREBOARD*******************

INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES

BOWMAN ACADEMY	68	GARY WEST	62
GREENSBURG	51	BATESVILLE	33
HAMMOND SCIENCE & TECH	83	PORTAGE CHRISTIAN	79
HAUSER	42	FRANKLIN COUNTY	40	OT
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN	72	INDIANAPOLIS HERRON	22
INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS	61	VICTORY COLLEGE PREP	26
INDIANAPOLIS RITTER	95	PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY	12
MISHAWAKA MARIAN	70	SOUTH BEND CLAY	36
MUNSTER	54	HIGHLAND	34
NEW PALESTINE	58	PENDLETON HEIGHTS	41
NORTHEASTERN	71	UNION CITY	32
SOUTH BEND CAREER	60	SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS)	46
SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON	78	SOUTH BEND ADAMS	40
SOUTH DEARBORN	59	OLDENBURG ACADEMY	28
CLERC TOURNAMENT
MODEL DEAF (D.C.)	63	INDIANA DEAF	55
NORTHEAST CORNER CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
WESTVIEW	71	ANGOLA	69
CHURUBUSCO	93	HAMILTON	69
GARRETT	45	FAIRFIELD	44

INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES

ARGOS	61	OREGON-DAVIS	47
ATTICA	48	DONOVAN (ILL.)	37
BETHANY CHRISTIAN	42	FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK	26
BLOOMFIELD	53	CLAY CITY	33
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH	58	MOORESVILLE	45
BOONE GROVE	41	WHEELER	28
BOONVILLE	48	TELL CITY	32
BORDEN	49	ORLEANS	37
BREBEUF JESUIT	43	BETHESDA CHRISTIAN	34
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL	47	GREENSBURG	43
CASTLE	58	EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL	53
CENTER GROVE	51	COLUMBUS NORTH	34
CHESTERTON	56	LAPORTE	19
COLUMBUS EAST	68	EASTERN (PEKIN)	44
CRAWFORD COUNTY	50	WEST WASHINGTON	45
DUGGER UNION	37	RED HILL (ILL.)	32
EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL	55	HAMMOND NOLL	43
EASTERN GREENE	46	MITCHELL	42
ELKHART CHRISTIAN	43	CALUMET CHRISTIAN	33	OT
ELKHART	66	BREMEN	49
EMINENCE	49	INDIANA MATH & SCIENCE	37
EVANSVILLE HOMESCHOOL	68	WASHINGTON CATHOLIC	44
EVANSVILLE MATER DEI	48	NORTH POSEY	39
EVANSVILLE NORTH	40	VINCENNES LINCOLN	38
FAITH CHRISTIAN	56	DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN	44
FORT WAYNE NORTHROP	53	BELLMONT	44
FRANKLIN	47	INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI	31
FRANKTON	42	TIPTON	40
GIBSON SOUTHERN	65	TECUMSEH	54
HAGERSTOWN	30	CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN	26
HAMILTON HEIGHTS	53	GREENWOOD	32
HERITAGE HILLS	61	PERRY CENTRAL	29
HOBART	58	LOWELL	47
INDIANAPOLIS RITTER	47	HORIZON CHRISTIAN	29
INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON	54	CENTRAL CHRISTIAN	37
JASPER	42	EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN	23
JEFFERSONVILLE	68	NEW ALBANY	49
JOHN GLENN	23	SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH	20
KOKOMO	49	TRITON CENTRAL	48
LAKELAND CHRISTIAN	56	NORTHFIELD	49
LANESVILLE	82	ROCK CREEK ACADEMY	32
LAPEL	77	SHENANDOAH	26
LAWRENCE NORTH	54	LAWRENCE CENTRAL	53
MARQUETTE CATHOLIC	41	TRINITY GREENLAWN	15
MILFORD (ILL.)	30	SOUTH NEWTON	29
MONROE CENTRAL	40	MUNCIE CENTRAL	27
MORRISTOWN	53	BEECH GROVE	22
NEW PRAIRIE	68	SOUTH BEND RILEY	19
NORTH DECATUR	57	SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)	25
NORTH KNOX	62	SHOALS	15
NORTHEAST DUBOIS	28	BARR-REEVE	23
PARK TUDOR	43	INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN	32
PARKE HERITAGE	74	COVINGTON	30
PENN	58	JIMTOWN	31
PERRY MERIDIAN	50	EDINBURGH	9
PIKE CENTRAL	43	WHITE RIVER VALLEY	41
PRINCETON	52	WOOD MEMORIAL	50
RIVERTON PARKE	49	CRAWFORDSVILLE	31
SCOTTSBURG	60	SALEM	18
SHAKAMAK	51	NORTH VERMILLION	39
SHAWE MEMORIAL	51	MILAN	36
SHERIDAN	51	SPEEDWAY	40
SOUTH DEARBORN	60	OLDENBURG ACADEMY	48
SOUTH DECATUR	60	WALDRON	35
SOUTH KNOX	53	NORTH DAVIESS	29
SOUTH RIPLEY	42	RISING SUN	38
SOUTHRIDGE	39	SOUTH SPENCER	36
SOUTHWOOD	55	PERU	44
SPRINGS VALLEY	50	PAOLI	43
SWITZERLAND COUNTY	63	SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER)	47
TRI-COUNTY	49	FOUNTAIN CENTRAL	35
TRI	78	ANDERSON PREP ACADEMY	26
TWIN LAKES	53	NORTH WHITE	24
UNIVERSITY	61	GUERIN CATHOLIC	27
VINCENNES RIVET	61	LOOGOOTEE	36
WEST LAFAYETTE	45	RENSSELAER CENTRAL	31
WESTERN	38	LEWIS CASS	26
WHITELAND	72	SOUTHPORT	45
WHITKO	43	LAKEWOOD PARK	39
WINCHESTER	63	CENTERVILLE	20
CLERC TOURNAMENT
INDIANA DEAF	51	ALABAMA DEAF	11
DELAWARE COUNTY TOURNAMENT
WAPAHANI	61	DELTA	33
COWAN	34	DALEVILLE	27
INDIANAPOLIS CITY TOURNAMENT
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL	65	PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD	33
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN	52	INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD	36
NORTHEAST CORNER CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
ANGOLA	51	WESTVIEW	27
CHURUBUSCO	50	HAMILTON	23
FREMONT	50	PRAIRIE HEIGHTS	42

INDIANA WRESTLING SCORES: HTTPS://INDIANAMAT.COM/INDEX.PHP?/DUALRESULTS.HTML/

***********TOP 25 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL***********

#7 UCLA 68 UTAH 49

#8 GONZAGA 75 BYU 74

#9 ARIZONA 96 OREGON STATE 74

ELSEWHERE:

PURDUE FORT WAYNE 70 IUPUI 55

SOUTHERN INDIANA 74 LITTLE ROCK 67

MINNESOTA 70 OHIO STATE 67

IOWA 93 MICHIGAN 84 OT

YOUNGSTOWN STATE 84 DETROIT 79

WRIGHT STATE 99 GREEN BAY 67

MILWAUKEE 80 NORTHERN KENTUCKY 75

ARIZONA STATE 90 OREGON 73

WASHINGTON 86 STANFORD 69

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD:  HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/CBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230112

************TOP 25 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL***********

#1 SOUTH CAROLINA 95 KENTUCKY 66

#5 LSU 77 MISSOURI 57

#6 INDIANA 68 #9 MARYLAND 61

#7 NOTRE DAME 86 WAKE FOREST 61

FLORIDA STATE 91 #11 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 72

#13 VIRGINIA TECH 81 LOUISVILLE 79

#16 DUKE 66 CLEMSON 56

#22 NORTH CAROLINA 70 VIRGINIA 59

ELSEWHERE:

GREEN BAY 60 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 32

RUTGERS 65 MINNESOTA 59

SYRACUSE 83 BOSTON COLLEGE 73

CLEVELAND STATE 81 MILWAUKEE 50

OLE MISS 66 GEORGIA 58

MIAMI FLORIDA 69 GEORGIA TECH 60

TENNESSEE 62 TEXAS A&M 50

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD:  HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/WCBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230112

***********SUPER WILD CARD WEEKEND SCHEDULE************

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14

NFC:    4:30 PM (ET)                 7 SEATTLE AT 2 SAN FRANCISCO (FOX, FOX DEPORTES)

AFC:    8:15 PM (ET)                 5 LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT 4 JACKSONVILLE (NBC, PEACOCK, UNIVERSO)

SUNDAY, JANUARY 15

AFC:    1:00 PM (ET)                 7 MIAMI AT 2 BUFFALO (CBS, PARAMOUNT+)

NFC:    4:30 PM (ET)                 6 NEW YORK GIANTS AT 3 MINNESOTA (FOX, FOX DEPORTES)

AFC:    8:15 PM (ET)                 6 BALTIMORE AT 3 CINCINNATI (NBC, PEACOCK, UNIVERSO)

MONDAY, JANUARY 16

NFC:    8:15 PM (ET)                 5 DALLAS AT 4 TAMPA BAY (ESPN/ABC, ESPN2-MANNINGCAST, ESPN+, ESPN DEPORTES)

THE DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE WILL BE ANNOUNCED NEXT WEEKEND.

***********NBA***********

OKLAHOMA CITY 133 PHILADELPHIA 114

MIAMI 108 MILWAUKEE 102

BOSTON 109 BROOKLYN 98

TORONTO 124 CHARLOTTE 114

DALLAS 119 LA LAKERS 115 2OT

CLEVELAND 119 PORTLAND 113

BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/WCBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230112

***********NHL***********

SEATTLE 3 BOSTON 0

WINNIPEG 4 BUFFALO 2

MONTRÉAL 4 NASHVILLE 3

DETROIT 4 TORONTO 1

TAMPA BAY 5 VANCOUVER 4

NY RANGERS 2 DALLAS 1

CAROLINA 6 COLUMBUS 2

MINNESOTA 3 NY ISLANDERS 1

CALGARY 4 ST. LOUIS 1

CHICAGO 3 COLORADO 2

OTTAWA 5 ARIZONA 3

VEGAS 4 FLORIDA 2

BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NHL/SCOREBOARD.ASP

************TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES*************

************NFL NEWS****************

ATLANTA WILL BE SITE IF BILLS, CHIEFS MEET FOR AFC TITLE

NEW YORK (AP) Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be the neutral site if Buffalo and Kansas City meet in the AFC championship game.

The NFL decided to put that potential matchup in a neutral city after the Bills’ Week 17 game against Cincinnati was canceled when Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field.

The Chiefs (14-3) are the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but played one more game than the second-seeded Bills (13-3). The league brokered the neutral site deal because Buffalo could have been the top seed with a victory over the Bengals.

The Buffalo-Cincinnati game Jan. 2 was halted in the first quarter after Hamlin collapsed and was resuscitated on the field.

Hamlin was released from a Buffalo hospital on Wednesday.

The NFL said Thursday that Atlanta was designated as a potential backup postseason site before the 2022 season. All other potential matchups in the AFC title game will be played on the higher seed’s home field.

“We are heartened by the continued improvement and progress of Damar Hamlin in his recovery, and Damar and his family remain top of mind for the entire NFL community,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “We are also grateful to Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons for agreeing to host the AFC championship game in Atlanta should the Bills and Chiefs advance.”

Steve Cannon, vice chairman of Falcons owner Arthur Blank’s Sports and Entertainment portfolio, which also includes the MLS’ Atlanta United and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, said Atlanta is accustomed to hosting such big events as the Super Bowl in 2019, the college football national championship game in 2017 and this season’s College Football Playoff semifinal Peach Bowl.

“We’re certainly ready to host it,” Cannon said Sunday when he confirmed Atlanta’s interest in the game. “Even though we’ve never hosted an AFC championship, that’s certainly who we are. Yes, and guess what, it’s going to be awesome. We’re going to do a great job, just like we did for semifinals of college football.”

LAMAR JACKSON SAYS IN TWEET HE’S SUFFERED GRADE 2 PCL SPRAIN

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) The Baltimore Ravens are still practicing without Lamar Jackson.

Thursday, however, included one significant development – an update from the star quarterback’s Twitter account.

“Thank you everyone for your support and concerns regarding my injuries. I want to give you all an update as I am in the recovery process,” Jackson tweeted. “I’ve suffered a PCL grade 2 sprain on the borderline of a strain 3. There is still inflammation surrounding my knee and my knee remains unstable.

“I’m still in good spirits, as I continue with treatments on the road to recovery. I wish I could be out there with my guys more than anything but I can’t give a 100% of myself to my guys and fans I’m still hopeful we still have a chance.”

Jackson hasn’t practiced since injuring his knee in a Dec. 4 win over Denver. He missed the final five games of the regular season, and now the Ravens face the prospect of playing their postseason opener at Cincinnati without him Sunday night.

Tyler Huntley started four games in Jackson’s absence, then was held out of the regular-season finale last weekend – which was also at Cincinnati. Anthony Brown played quarterback in that game, a 27-16 loss to the Bengals.

Huntley has been dealing with shoulder issues, and he was limited at practice Wednesday. On Thursday, he did do some throwing in the portion of practice open to reporters. That’s what passes for good news with the Ravens these days, although the team did list Huntley as limited again.

Running back Gus Edwards (concussion) and receiver Tylan Wallace (hamstring) were also limited. Long snapper Nick Moore (illness), center Trystan Colon (illness) and cornerback Brandon Stephens (illness) did not practice.

SEAHAWKS-49ERS PREVIEW

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan knows the challenges of trying to beat an opponent three times in a season after falling short a year ago in the playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams.

The 49ers open this postseason with a similar challenge when they host NFC West rival Seattle in a wild-card playoff game Saturday less than a month after beating the Seahawks for the second time this season.

“I don’t really look at it as you have to beat someone three times. I just look at it as we have to beat them on Saturday,” Shanahan said. “That’s the game, I don’t think the other games have to do with it.”

The Niners (13-4) are seeking a better result against the Seahawks (9-8) than they had last year against the Rams, when they blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead and lost 20-17 to Los Angeles in the NFC title game.

“Once you know each other that well, usually the game becomes simpler,” Shanahan said. “You don’t trick each other after that and usually teams are playing at a higher level by that third time.”

That game last year was decided on a few key plays down the stretch, like a potential dropped interception by San Francisco, a failed short-yardage conversion and then an interception by Jimmy Garoppolo on the final drive with the Niners attempting a comeback.

The Niners have had the advantage so far this year against the Seahawks, winning 27-7 at home in Week 2 and then going to Seattle for a 21-13 victory Dec. 15 in rookie quarterback Brock Purdy’s first road start.

The constant has been the defense led by edge rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner that limited Seattle to one TD drive on 20 offensive possessions.

“For the most part we were just behind the sticks a lot,” quarterback Geno Smith said. “We were behind the chains and we were in second-and-longs and third-and-longs and that’s not a recipe for winning football for us.”

The Seahawks have had good success over the years against the Niners with Shanahan in charge, winning eight of the 12 games. But San Francisco took the most important one so far in a Week 17 showdown in 2019 that decided the NFC West title.

“Sometimes they get us and sometimes we get them,” coach Pete Carroll said. “I say that about the chess match thing because I have so much respect for what Kyle does, their whole style of play and all that they have developed over the years. It’s going to be a good challenge.”

THIRD TIME’S A CHARM

The Niners will be 25th team in Super Bowl era to sweep two games against an opponent in regular season and play them again in playoffs.

Those previous teams went 14-10 in the third meeting in the playoff, including the loss by San Francisco to the Rams last season on the road. But teams that hosted the third game had a 13-6 record.

DISCOVER DK

For the most part, 2022 was a career season for Seattle’s DK Metcalf, with a career-best 90 receptions and topping 1,000 yards for the second time in his four seasons.

Despite those numbers, he mostly disappeared the final two weeks. Metcalf was held to one catch for 3 yards in a Week 17 win over the Jets and last weekend against the Rams had more activity jawing with Jalen Ramsey than catching passes, it seemed. Metcalf had just three catches for 40 yards on eight targets against the Rams.

“We have run the ball very well the past couple weeks, and I know that’s taken up a lot of plays on offense but as long as we’re winning I’m not mad or anything because that’s my whole purpose of being here is just to win,” Metcalf said.

But Seattle could use Metcalf making an impact against the 49ers. He had 11 catches in the two games combined against San Francisco, but his longest reception went for only 13 yards as Charvarius Ward did a good job eliminating his big plays.

TOUCHDOWN TARGET

Purdy has been on a remarkable run since taking over for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo, winning all five of his starts to extend San Francisco’s winning streak to 10 games.

Purdy has thrown multiple TD passes in six straight games for the longest streak for a rookie. Many of those passes have gone to tight end George Kittle, who has seven TD catches in the past four games.

“He does a great job of just creating space and I know where he is going to be,” Purdy said. “He’s a freak of nature and we just have to continue to have that connection moving forward for this playoff run.”

UNDER PRESSURE

One way Seattle can try to fluster Purdy is getting some pressure on the young quarterback. Fortunately, Seattle’s pass rush has made an appearance the past two games. The Seahawks had four sacks in Week 17 against the Jets and sacked Los Angeles’ Baker Mayfield five times last weekend.

Those five sacks were spread across four different pass rushers, with Bruce Irvin, Boye Mafe, Uchenna Nwosu and Darrell Taylor all pitching in. That foursome combined for eight QB hits, four coming from Nwosu.

Seattle had just one sack and three QB hits on Purdy when the teams met last month. But pressuring Purdy won’t matter if Seattle can’t slow the 49ers’ run game.

“If we can eliminate the run, we can get after them,” Nwosu said.

• This is the second playoff game between the Seahawks and 49ers all-time (Seahawks won the 2013 NFC Championship Game). San Francisco won both regular season meetings with Seattle but has never beaten a single team three times in one season (including playoffs).
• The Seahawks are in the postseason for the 10th time under head coach Pete Carroll (since 2010). In that span, the only team with more playoff appearances is the Patriots (11). Prior to Carroll’s arrival, the Seahawks had made the playoffs 10 times in their first 34 seasons.
• Geno Smith led the NFL in completion percentage this season, the second Seahawk to ever do that (Dave Krieg in 1991). And with 30 TD passes, Smith became the third Seahawk to lead the NFC all-time joining Matt Hasselbeck (2005) and Russell Wilson (2017 & 2018).
• The 49ers own a 10-game winning streak, the 13th team in the Super Bowl era to enter the postseason on a double-digit winning streak. The previous 12 teams to do that were 7-5 in their first playoff game that season.
• Christian McCaffrey has scored an offensive touchdown in each of his last six games, tied for the second longest streak in the NFL this season (Ezekiel Elliot, nine). The last Niner to have a longer streak (including the playoffs) was Terrell Owens in 1998 (nine).
• The Seahawks averaged 6.2 yards per first-down play this season, second best in the NFL (Dolphins, 6.9). However, the 49ers allowed just 4.7 yards per first-down play on defense this season, also second best in the NFL (Saints, 4.6).

CHARGERS-JAGUARS PREVIEW

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) Trevor Lawrence feels as if he’s been in the playoffs the past two months.

Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars were 3-7 and four games behind division-leading Tennessee in late November. It was clear they needed to find ways to start winning close games.

Lawrence easily could have panicked or even packed it in. Instead, he and the Jaguars picked it up and won six of seven down the stretch, clinching the AFC South and returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

Now, Lawrence will make his official postseason debut when the Jaguars (9-8) host fellow playoff newcomer Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers (10-7) in a wild-card game Saturday night.

It could be the first of many postseason trips for two of the NFL’s youngest rising stars.

“When you’re in this position and you’re playing guys like that, that means you’re playing the best teams, and that’s where you want to be at this time of the year,” Lawrence said. “It’s not necessarily I’m looking forward to playing against those guys. I’m excited for the opportunity that our team has to go play these teams that are really good teams that have great quarterbacks, too.”

At 23, Lawrence is the youngest quarterback in this year’s playoff field and will become the fourth-youngest No. 1 overall pick to start a playoff game in his first two seasons.

He has been everything the Jaguars expected – and more, really – since they chose him with the top pick in 2021. He completed 66.3% of his passes for 4,113 yards, with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He more than doubled his TD passes from his rookie year and cut down his INTs by more than half.

“You want him to have these moments,” coach Doug Pederson said. “That’s the winning culture we’re trying to build here and establish. We want to be here in the conversation at the end of the season, have the team playing in these meaningful games, and that’s credit to the quarterback.

“He’s the leader of your team and franchise, and these are all games that will continue to prepare and teach Trevor how important they are.”

This matchup could be the first of many featuring Lawrence and the 24-year-old Herbert, two guys recognized as much for their flowing locks as their flawless passes. For now, it’s merely “Hair Bowl II,” a rematch from Week 3, which Jacksonville won 38-10 in Los Angeles.

Herbert (ribs) was banged up for that one. But he’s been solid otherwise and led the Chargers to the postseason for the first time since 2018.

He has completed 68.2% of passes for 4,739 yards, with 25 TDs and 10 INTs. He joined Hall of Famer Peyton Manning as the only players in NFL history with at least 25 TD passes in each of their first three seasons.

“He is a big-time player,” Chargers offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said. “Usually, those guys shine brightest in the big lights. I think he will be fine. Again, our message is that it is a big game, you’re not going to hide that, but don’t make it bigger than it is.

“You don’t have to do anything different than what you have done up to this point. Just go out and play football.”

EKELER FACTOR

Chargers running back Austin Ekeler’s previous game in Jacksonville was one for the record books. He had 101 yards rushing and 112 yards receiving in the team’s 45-10 victory in 2019. He did it on 12 touches, the fewest in league history to get over the century mark in both categories.

CRUNCHTIME CLOSER

Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins has a knack for delivering big plays late. His strip-sack of Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs led to Josh Allen’s 37-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Jenkins also made a shoestring interception that he returned 52 yards for a score to beat Dallas in overtime last month.

Now, Jenkins faces the team that drafted him in the fourth round in 2017 and then let him leave.

“It’s no hard feelings,” Jenkins said. “I could have been anywhere, and if they let me walk, then they let me walk. But I have pride about this game that I love so much. I love to prove people wrong and show what I can do.”

ON THE RUN

If there are two things that could make the Chargers’ playoff run brief, it is giving up explosive plays and having a porous run defense.

Los Angeles has given up 72 plays this season of at least 20 yards, third most in the league.

The Jaguars ran for 151 yards in the early season meeting between the teams and held the ball for more than 38 minutes.

• The Jaguars beat the Chargers, 38-10, when these teams met in Inglewood in Week 3 this season. That win improved Jacksonville’s all-time record against the Chargers to 4-9. The Chargers have scored at least 24 points in all nine of their wins in the series, and 21 or fewer in all four losses.
• This is the Chargers’ first playoff appearance since 2018, when they beat Baltimore before falling to New England. The Chargers have won at least one playoff game in four of their last five appearances. They are 3-0 against AFC South teams in the playoffs since the division was created in 2002 (2-0 vs. Indianapolis, 1-0 vs. Tennessee).
• Austin Ekeler had 107 receptions this season for a total of 722 yards. That is the fewest yards in NFL history by a player with at least 100 receptions. The previous mark was held by the Chargers’ LaDainian Tomlinson, who had 100 catches for 725 yards in 2003.
• The Jaguars won their final five games to clinch the fourth division title in franchise history and secure their eighth playoff berth. Jacksonville is 7-7 all-time in the postseason, and 3-1 at home. The AFC South has not won a Super Bowl since 2006 (Colts), the longest drought among all divisions. Every other division has won at least one Super Bowl since 2010.
• Trevor Lawrence improved his completion percentage from 59.6 last season to 66.3 this season, and his passer rating increased from 71.9 to 95.2 — both increases were the largest among qualified quarterbacks. His 4113 passing yards rank third in franchise history, behind Blake Bortles’ 4428 in 2015 and Mark Brunell’s 4367 in 1996.
• These teams each had a trio of players with at least 700 receiving yards and four touchdown receptions — Mike Williams, Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler for the Chargers and Christian Kirk, Zay Jones and Evan Engram for the Jaguars. The only other team in the NFL with three such players is Cincinnati.

DOLPHINS-BILLS PREVIEW

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) With Damar Hamlin recovering at home, Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott smiled when asked if he thought the tide of bad news might finally be turning for his team.

And he jumped on an opportunity to move forward to Sunday, when the AFC East champion Bills (13-3) host their division rival Miami Dolphins (9-8) in a wild-card playoff game.

“I appreciate where you’re going with that, but this is not a soap opera,” McDermott responded. “We’ve got one game to get ready for, and that’s really what we’re focused on.”

In the wake of an emotionally draining stretch during which the Bills were inspired by the outpouring of support from around the NFL, and uplifted further by Hamlin’s remarkable recovery since he had to be resuscitated on the field in Cincinnati, McDermott’s message was clear.

Given the adversity the Bills have overcome – from two snowstorms, injuries and four four-quarter deficits – already this season, this is no time for a letdown or occasion to overlook an opponent that may well be down to its third-string quarterback in rookie Skylar Thompson.

The Bills are heavily favored – by 13 1/2 points on FanDuel Sportsbook – with Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa already ruled out due to the aftereffects of a concussion sustained three weeks ago, and backup Teddy Bridgewater nursing a broken pinky finger.

The Bills also have momentum on their side in closing the season on a 7-0 run, which included a 32-29 win over Miami four weeks ago. And Buffalo is a more playoff-tested team in making its fourth consecutive postseason appearance.

The Dolphins, by comparison, stumbled down the stretch in losing five straight before clinching their first playoff berth since 2016 with an 11-6 win over the New York Jets last weekend – and only after New England was eliminated following a 35-23 loss at Buffalo.

First-year coach Mike McDaniel remains upbeat while understanding the challenge ahead.

“I know we have a dedicated, hungry football team that’s excited to play a game they earned to play in,” McDaniel said.

Rather than view the Dolphins’ late-season skid as a negative, the coach attempted to turn it into a positive by informing his players they’re one of five NFL teams to lose five straight and still qualify for the playoffs.

“You prefer to not lose five in a row, but I think it also more precisely speaks to the level of determination, the lack of splintering,” McDaniel said.

The Bills know plenty about perseverance, while also appreciating what they’ve overcome doesn’t provide them a pass into the next round.

“We understand the mortality of this team, and granted that might be the wrong choice of words in this given moment,” center Mitch Morse said. “But we understand that anyone can beat anyone on any given day. We do not feel like we’re owed anything.”

SEASON SPLIT

The teams split the season series. The Bills melted down in the South Florida heat in blowing a fourth-quarter lead in a 21-19 loss in September. Four weeks ago, the Dolphins froze in the fourth quarter as snow began falling in blowing an eight-point lead in a 31-28 loss.

The forecast for Sunday calls for sun and a high of 32.

HOW COLD?

McDaniel’s attempt at reverse psychology failed before Miami’s most recent trip to Buffalo. The coach turned up the air-conditioning in the Dolphins indoor facility and wore a shirt with the words, “I wish it were colder” printed on it.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen got in the last laugh following the win by ending an interview repeating those words.

“We’ll see,” Allen said this week, when asked about his remark.

The Bills are also 8-2 in their past 10 home games against Miami played in December or later, not including a 16-3 loss in Buffalo’s “home” outing played indoors in Toronto in 2008.

PLAYOFF INEXPERIENCE

Dolphins veteran cornerback Xavien Howard remembers one thing about Miami’s last playoff game in the 2016 season.

“We got whooped,” he said, recalling Miami’s 30-12 loss at Pittsburgh in the wild-card round.

Howard is the lone Dolphin left who appeared in that game, with more than half (33) of the team’s roster having no playoff experience. Receiver Tyreek Hill leads Miami with 13 career postseason games – all with Kansas City, including the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win three years ago.

SKYLAR TIME?

Thompson is 1-1 in two starts this season. He was selected in the seventh round out of Kansas State. He closed his career by going 21 of 28 for 259 yards and three TDs in the Wildcats’ 42-20 win over LSU in the Texas Bowl a year ago.

“I feel like I got a pretty good feel for what a playoff game kind of would look like just last week,” Thompson said of beating the Jets. “It was a win or go home type of situation for us, so getting to experience kind of what that felt like last week I think was helpful.”

• Miami and Buffalo have met in the postseason four times, all of which took place during the 1990s, with Buffalo winning three of the four. However, Miami won the most recent postseason matchup, 24-17, in the 1998 Wild Card round.
• The Dolphins have lost their last four games in the postseason, scoring 24 points over those four games. Only one team has scored fewer points over a four-game span in the playoffs in postseason history, the Giants from 1939 to 1944 (16 points).
• Tyreek Hill caught 119 passes for 1710 yards this season — both were career highs. No Dolphin had ever had more than 1400 receiving yards in one season, with the next closest being Mark Clayton in 1984 with 1389 receiving yards.
• In the Wild Card round of last year’s playoffs, the Bills beat the Patriots by 30 points, 47-17. That was the biggest win by an AFC team in the playoffs since the 2015 Wild Card round, when the Chiefs beat the Texans by 30 points, 30-0.
• Josh Allen has thrown one interception in 228 career passing attempts in the postseason, the lowest rate in NFL playoff history (0.4 interception percentage, min. 200 att). The only other player with an interception percentage below 1.0 is Alex Smith at 0.8.
• This season, the Dolphins offense led the league, averaging 6.85 yards on first down plays, while the Bills were third (6.13). The teams were close on defence on first down plays as well, with the Dolphins 14th (5.27 yards allowed per play) and the Bills 15th (5.39).

GIANTS-VIKINGS PREVIEW

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Minnesota Vikings quickly found their stride under rookie head coach Kevin O’Connell as a confident, close-knit and resilient team – featuring the league’s leading receiver – with an NFL-record 11 wins by eight points or fewer.

Just because O’Connell’s career is ascending doesn’t mean this season of strong wills and late-game thrills can be replicated with the current core.

The Vikings face eight-figure salary-cap hits in 2023 for eight players, five of them age 30 and older, in a crunch that likely will force the departure of a key player or two. Then there’s the statistical improbability of staying undefeated under O’Connell in one-score games.

“NFL stands for `not for long,’ and people move on. I kind of felt like this is a special group, and there’s a time sensitivity here where we’ve got to do it now,” quarterback Kirk Cousins said after the Vikings beat the New York Giants on Dec. 24.

The playoffs have arrived, starting with a rematch on Sunday against the Giants in the wild-card round. The Vikings (13-4) are back after a two-year absence that triggered the coaching change, eager to prove their viability despite a negative point differential that has fueled external doubts about their legitimacy as a contender in the wide-open NFC.

“We can be as dangerous as we want to be,” said Justin Jefferson, whose 1,809 yards and 128 receptions were the sixth and seventh-most of all time. “I feel like we shoot ourselves in the foot the majority of the time when things don’t go our way.”

The Giants (9-7-1) are in the playoffs for the first time since 2016, with their own first-time head coach in Brian Daboll. They went 22-59 over the previous five seasons.

“To be on the other side of it, it means a lot. It’s about what we do now from this point on and how we handle this opportunity, how we prepare and ultimately how we play,” quarterback Daniel Jones said. “We’re certainly happy we are where we are. But there’s a lot more.”

The Giants haven’t had a postseason victory since their Super Bowl championship 11 years ago. They snagged the second of three wild-card spots while playing in the NFL’s strongest division this season, but after winning only two of their last eight games, they largely are being overlooked in the field while likely having to play on the road the entire time they’re alive.

“We’re going to be humble about it, and we’re going to go about our work while everybody sleeps on us,” safety Julian Love said. “We take it one week at a time. We know it’s never going to be perfect. We’re going to continue to be who we are.”

STAYING GROUNDED

The Giants, who were fourth in the league in rushing, have run for at least one touchdown in a franchise-record 15 straight games.

Saquon Barkley’s return to his rookie-year form after a couple of injury-wrecked seasons was one of the catalysts for the turnaround by the Giants, who gave him 352 touches – including a team-high-tying 57 receptions – for the third-most in the NFL.

“We know he has a bunch of tools,” Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks said. “We know that they’re going to give him the ball any way they can.”

SECONDARY REINFORCEMENTS

Jefferson had 12 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown and tight end T.J. Hockenson had 13 catches for 109 yards and two scores in the matchup last month, but the Giants have safety Xavier McKinney back from the broken hand that cost him seven games. Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since Nov. 20, could be ready this week as well.

“Even when me and Adoree’ are out there, they’re going to make plays,” McKinney said. “When you face another great player, you have to limit them. You can’t really stop them all the way.”

IF THE GAME COMES DOWN TO A KICK …

Both teams ought to be confident. Graham Gano was 29 of 32 on field-goal attempts and 32 of 34 on extra points for the Giants. One of his field-goal misses was blocked, and the other was a 58-yarder into the wind on the last play of overtime in the 20-20 tie against Washington on Dec. 4. He scored 119 points and set a team record with eight field goals of 50-plus yards.

Greg Joseph gave the Vikings the 27-24 victory three weeks ago with a franchise-record 61-yard field goal as time expired. Though he missed seven field goals (26 for 33) and six extra points (40 for 46), Joseph had a team-record five game-winning field goals this season.

CAN’T HEAR YOU

The Vikings will have a handy advantage with the crowd noise at home, where they’re 40-18 since U.S. Bank Stadium opened in 2016. The only NFC team with a better home record since then is Green Bay (45-16-1). The Vikings hosted only one playoff game in their first six years at U.S. Bank Stadium, the “Minneapolis Miracle” win over New Orleans on a last-play touchdown pass in the divisional round after the 2017 season.

• This will be the first postseason meeting between the Giants and Vikings since the 2000 NFC Championship Game, a 41-0 Giants win in which New York outgained Minnesota, 518-114. It remains the only postseason game in NFL history in which one team outgained the other by 400 or more yards.
• This is the Vikings’ 31st playoff appearance, currently tied with the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz for the most by any MLB/NBA/NFL/NHL team that has never won a championship.
• Kirk Cousins finished with 25 or more TD passes and fewer than 15 interceptions for the eighth straight season. The only other QB in NFL history to have a streak that long is Tom Brady (10 straight, 2009-18).
• Cousins and backup Nick Mullens were both sharp in the regular-season finale, with Cousins going 17-for-20 (85.0%) and Mullens 11-for-13 (84.6%). It’s the only time in the Super Bowl era that two teammates each completed at least 80.0% of their passes on at least a dozen attempts in the same game.
• The Giants are 8-2 in playoff games since the start of the 2007 season, the best record by any NFL team in that time. Four of the Giants’ 16 previous playoff appearances in the Super Bowl era have ended in a Super Bowl victory (25.0%), the highest percentage for any team.
• This season Daniel Jones became the second QB in NFL history to have 3000+ passing yards, 500+ rushing yards and no more than five interceptions in a season, along with Robert Griffin III in his 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign.

RAVENS-BENGALS PREVIEW

CINCINNATI (AP) The Bengals and Ravens play for the second consecutive week – and third time this season – on Sunday night in a wild-card playoff game.

The AFC North rivals know each other pretty well by now.

“They know what we try to do on offense, we know what they try to do on defense,” Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow said. “So they try to take away our bread-and-butter stuff, and they’re pretty good at it.”

But it’s the playoffs, so there’s bound to be some surprises and extra intensity when the teams meet again in Cincinnati on Sunday night.

Baltimore is especially motivated after going 8-9 last season and missing the playoffs for the first time in four seasons, then watching the Bengals make a Super Bowl run.

“There is a hunger, for sure,” Ravens tight end Mark Andrews said. “This team has been through a lot.”

Baltimore (10-7) will look a little different this week than last.

With a wild-card berth already secured, the Ravens rested some key players last week, including running back J.K. Dobbins, Andrews and others. The Bengals won 27-16, splitting the season series.

With quarterback Lamar Jackson out with a knee injury and backup Tyler Huntley dealing with a sore shoulder, rookie Anthony Brown got his first NFL start. He threw for 286 yards but was intercepted twice and fumbled in his own end zone resulting in a Cincinnati touchdown.

Jackson said in a tweet Thursday that he suffered a PCL sprain and hasn’t healed enough to play.

“I’m still in good spirits, as I continue with treatments on the road to recovery. I wish I could be out there with my guys more than anything but I can’t give a 100% of myself to my guys and fans I’m still hopeful we still have a chance.”

It’s not clear whether Huntley will be ready to go, either, or if Brown will get another start on Sunday night. The Ravens are 2-3 without Jackson, who hasn’t practiced since he hurt his knee Dec. 4.

“There’s so much trust in both of them, and that’s with everybody on the team,” Andrews said. “Whoever it may be, we’re going to be alright.”

Either way, Baltimore will lean on a refreshed Dobbins, who since returning from a knee injury in Week 14 has rushed for 397 yards, including 13 runs of 10 or more yards.

The Bengals (12-4) have their own issues. Right guard Alex Cappa will miss the game after hurting his ankle last week. That came after the Bengals lost right tackle La’el Collins to a knee injury in the Dec. 24 win over the Patriots.

The right side of a retooled Bengals line that had been so good throughout an eight-game win streak will start two backups, tackle Hakeem Adeniji and guard Max Scharping.

If the postgame discussion about cheap shots last week is any indication, emotions could be heated.

“We’ll see Sunday night,” linebacker Patrick Queen said. “If there’s smoke, there’s smoke. We’re not running from anybody.”

SUPER JOE

Burrow’s flat second half last week notwithstanding, Cincinnati offensive coordinator Brian Callahan marveled at the third-year quarterback’s ability to do whatever is needed to win.

Sometimes it’s just enough.

“He’s delivered in big moments on big stages and given every opportunity to do it, he’s tended to do it,” Callahan said. “You feel good about that, but his personality is one where he doesn’t ever shrink in the moment. Everything he ever does is going to be standing and deliver when it’s required of him to be that player. I don’t know what makes him like that.”

ROAD WARRIORS

Ravens coach John Harbaugh has won an NFL-record eight road playoff games, and the team’s past five postseason victories were all away from home.

Baltimore is 6-0 on the road in wild-card games.

DEFENSIVE RISE

The Ravens gave linebacker Roquan Smith a five-year contract extension this week after he helped transform the defense into one of the league’s top units. In the nine games since Smith arrived in a trade from Chicago, Baltimore has allowed only 14.7 points per game.

Smith and Queen have formed a nice tandem in the middle of the Baltimore defense.

“I think we’ve just grown into each other,” Queen said. “It’s not like really something that you can just look at and tell, it’s just a feel of being on the field and just playing better.”

THE BIG THREE

Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase’s 86 receiving yards against the Ravens put him up over 1,000 in his second NFL season. Chase has 1,046, and Tee Higgins is right behind him with 1,029. The numbers are even more impressive considering Chase missed four games with a hairline hip fracture, and Higgins was limited by a hamstring injury. Tyler Boyd had 762 receiving yards, and the three have combined for 21 touchdowns.

• Ja’Marr Chase has caught at least seven passes in all four of his games against the Ravens. Since the merger, the only player with a longer streak of games with seven or more receptions against a single divisional opponent to start a career (including playoffs) is Marcus Robinson against the Vikings (five straight, 1999-2001).
• Cincinnati has won eight consecutive games, which is tied for the longest win streak in team history. The Bengals are the only current NFL team without at least one winning streak of at least nine games in their franchise history (regular season + playoffs).
• Joe Burrow has a completion percentage of 68.3 percent in playoff games, which is the second highest among NFL quarterbacks with at least 100 postseason attempts, behind only Erik Kramer (70.0 percent).
• The Ravens earned a first down on 31.7 percent of their rushing attempts this season, which is the highest such percentage in a single season by any team in the Super Bowl era.
• Justin Tucker led the NFL with 37 field goals this season, his fifth season with 35 or more made field goals. That breaks a tie with Stephen Gostkowski for most such seasons in NFL history.
• The Ravens are the only franchise in NFL history with a winning record in road playoff games at 11-7 (.611). Meanwhile, the Bengals have the worst overall record in playoff games in the history of the league (8-15, .348).

COWBOYS-BUCCANEERS PREVIEW

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Tom Brady led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers down a winding path to the playoffs. Dak Prescott helped the Dallas Cowboys weather significant challenges on their way to the postseason.

The star quarterbacks meet Monday night in an NFC wild-card game, and they are hoping the regular-season adversity will pave the way to a Super Bowl run.

“Everyone works hard to get to this point. There’s no more second chances,” said the 45-year-old Brady, who has the Bucs (8-9) in the hunt for a second title in three years despite finishing the regular season with a losing record for the first time in more than two decades as a NFL starter.

“It’s going to be hard, but we’re battle tested,” the seven-time Super Bowl champion added. “We’ve had some tough games. Some we came back from. Some we haven’t. But … close won’t be good enough going forward for anybody.”

Perhaps no team enters the playoffs under more of a microscope than Dallas (12-5), which lost Prescott for five games after he broke his right thumb during a season-opening loss to Tampa Bay, but remained in contention for the best record in the NFC until last weekend.

A listless double-digit loss to Washington in the regular-season finale raised questions about how Prescott and the Cowboys will react to beginning the postseason on the road against the Bucs.

Dallas hasn’t won a postseason game on the road since the 1992 playoffs. And the Cowboys have never beaten Brady, who is 7-0 against them, including wins with Tampa Bay in the past two season openers.

“Obviously, a lot has changed for both teams since September. I think it’s just a matter of going through the season and gathering information that feels pertinent to your game plan. That has been our approach,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said.

“But you know, it’s playoff football. The only thing we’re guaranteed is four quarters to go win and move on to the next round,” McCarthy added. “Regardless of what they did to win their division, all of that, it’s two teams lining up with the opportunity to move forward.”

No one has accomplished more in the playoffs than Brady, who is looking to add to numerous postseason records, including most games played (47), wins (35), Super Bowl titles (seven) and appearances (10), passing yards (13,049) and touchdowns passes (86).

Despite breaking his own NFL mark for completions in a season (490) and throwing for the third-most yards in the league (4,694), the Bucs have been inconsistent on offense and haven’t won more than two games in a row at any point.

There’s comfort, though, in knowing a five-time Super Bowl MVP is on your side.

“He understands how these games have to be played. The last of my worries, really, is Tom,” offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich said.

“When you get in these moments, it’s (about) making sure we’re good around him, making sure we’re all on the same page,” Leftwich added. “That’s what bit us early in the year. It’s hard to get people on the same page when you’re not practicing and there’s a different guy in the huddle every day and there’s youth in the huddle. … I think we have benefited from some of those young guys playing a lot.”

HISTORY LESSON

Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn told some of his players the Cowboys haven’t won a road game in the playoffs since the 1992 season, when a 30-20 victory over San Francisco in the NFC championship game sparked a run of three Super Bowl titles in four years.

The losing streak is at eight games, with the most recent defeat coming to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round to finish the 2018 season. The Cowboys are opening on the road in the playoffs for the first time since the 2006 season, when Tony Romo flubbed the snap on a potential winning field goal in the final two minutes of a 21-20 loss at Seattle.

“We’re just going to go out there and try to rewrite that,” said safety Jayron Kearse, who volunteered that Quinn had brought it up. “It’s just part of having the star on your helmet. The things that people talk about. It hasn’t been since ’92. Ninety-two to 2023, that means nothing.”

There is a positive side to history for the Cowboys. They are 2-0 against Tampa Bay in the playoffs, although both victories were at home in early 1980s.

SHIFTING BACK

Two players had to move on the already unsettled Dallas offensive line when center Tyler Biadasz injured an ankle two weeks ago. Now that he appears set to return, those players are likely moving back, too.

Rookie Tyler Smith figures to return to left tackle, where he has been most of the season after eight-time Pro Bowler Tyron Smith tore a hamstring in training camp. Tyler Smith slid over to left guard after Biadasz’s injury because Connor McGovern had to move to center.

Right tackle Terence Steele’s season-ending knee injury came the week before Tyron Smith was ready for his first game of the season. Rather than move Tyler Smith, the Cowboys decided to put Tyron Smith at right tackle for the first time since his rookie year in 2011.

The most recent shuffling affected the running game more than all the uncertainty before it. The Cowboys were held to fewer than 100 yards on the ground in consecutive games for the first time this season in the final two games of the regular season.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Brady, who retired last winter only to announce 40 days later he was returning for a third year with the Bucs, will be a free agent at the end of season. He continues to shrug off questions about his plans beyond these playoffs.

“I haven’t thought about any of that,” he said. “I just want to be the best I can for my teammates every day and show up like a professional, come out and play good.”

• The Cowboys are 2-0 in the playoffs against the Buccaneers all-time, winning both games by double digits, most recently in the Wild Card round in the 1982 season. Tom Brady, however, is 2-0 against the Cowboys (both regular season games) since joining the Buccaneers.
• Dallas is 6-3 (.667) all-time at home but 1-3 (.250) on the road on Wild Card weekend. The Cowboys are looking to avoid their ninth consecutive road loss in the playoffs, which would give them the second-longest such streak in NFL history (Detroit, 11 straight).
• Dak Prescott completed a career-low 37.8 percent of his passes in Week 18. In his career immediately following games where he completed less than 50.0 percent of his passes, Prescott is completing 80.7 percent of his passes (6 TD, 0 INT), with the Cowboys winning each of those four games by an average of 22.3 points.
• Tampa Bay ranked worst in the league this season in yards per rush (3.39). Of the last five teams to make the playoffs while ranking worst in that category, four of the five have lost their first playoff game while the other won the Super Bowl (2011 Giants).
• Tom Brady has thrown for 13,049 yards in his playoff career. That is nearly 4,000 yards more than the combined career total for the other 13 projected playoff starting quarterbacks this season (9,184 combined passing yards).
• CeeDee Lamb, Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard each recorded at least 900 scrimmage yards and nine touchdowns this season. It is the first time the Cowboys finished a season with three or more players hitting those marks.

****************MEN’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL/NFL NEWS*********************

BEARS HIRE BIG TEN COMMISSIONER WARREN AS TEAM PRESIDENT

CHICAGO (AP) The Chicago Bears hired Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren as their president and CEO on Thursday, bringing him back to the NFL to help lead a founding franchise after three years running one of college athletics’ marquee conferences.

Warren, who replaces the retiring Ted Phillips, becomes Chicago’s fifth president and the first from outside the organization. He goes from becoming the first Black president of a Power Five conference to the first for the Bears. He is the team’s second president that was not part of the Halas-McCaskey family tree, joining Phillips.

Warren’s biggest task would be helping the Bears construct a new enclosed stadium, assuming they finalize the purchase of a 326-acre tract of land in suburban Arlington Heights and decide to move.

He also is joining an organization with the No. 1 pick in the draft following one of the worst seasons in franchise history. The Bears went 3-14 and set a franchise record for losses.

“I am honored and recognize the responsibility bestowed upon me to lead the Chicago Bears during this exciting and pivotal time for the franchise,” Warren said in a statement. “I join the Chicago Bears with gratitude and drive to carry out and build upon the legacy and spirit of this founding franchise and my predecessors.”

Chairman George McCaskey called Warren “a man of integrity, respect and excellence.”

“He is a proven leader who has many times stepped outside of his comfort zone to challenge status quo for unconventional growth and prosperity,” McCaskey said. “In this role, Warren will serve in the primary leadership position of the franchise to help bring the next Super Bowl championship trophy home to Bears fans.”

It wasn’t immediately clear how the team’s chain of command would be structured. General manager Ryan Poles, who was hired a year ago, currently reports directly to McCaskey. Previous GMs reported to Phillips.

Poles said he looks forward to working with Warren.

“In my time spent with him during the interview process, it quickly became apparent his resume and business acumen will be a powerful asset to helping improve our organization and ultimately reach our goal to be a championship organization,” he said.

Warren had spoken with several professional teams going through transitions at the top, including the Denver Broncos, Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves during his tenure as Big Ten commissioner, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Dec. 29.

Warren was hired as Big Ten commissioner in June 2019 out of the Minnesota Vikings’ front office to replace the retiring Jim Delany. Now, the conference is searching for a new leader again.

With the Bears’ headquarters in Lake Forest about a 25-mile (40-kilometer) drive from the Big Ten’s offices in Rosemont, Warren won’t have to move.

He worked in the NFL for more than two decades, doing stints with the St. Louis Rams and Detroit Lions before settling in with Minnesota in 2005. He was the Vikings’ chief operating officer from 2015 to 2019.

Warren played a big role in their construction of U.S. Bank Stadium, which opened in 2016. The Bears see it as a model for their potential new home, assuming their deal to purchase the site of the shuttered Arlington International Racecourse from Churchill Downs Inc. is completed and they decide to leave their longtime lakefront home at Soldier Field.

The Bears want to turn the Arlington Heights site, once a jewel of thoroughbred racing, into a different kind of gem, anchored by an enclosed stadium and bursting with year-round activity.

They envision restaurants, retail and more on the plot of land some 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Soldier Field – all for about $5 billion, with some taxpayer help. The Bears plan to pay for their stadium but want taxpayer dollars to cover infrastructure costs such as roads and sewers to develop the site.

Soldier Field has been the Bears’ home since 1971. The team played at Wrigley Field from 1921 to 1970, and if a new stadium is constructed, the franchise would have its name on the mortgage for the first time since arriving in Chicago.

Phillips, an accountant by trade, joined the Bears as their controller in 1983. He became team president in February 1999.

Warren drew sharp criticism early in his tenure with the Big Ten when the league called off the 2020 fall football season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Player parent groups sent letters demanding the conference reverse course. A petition that got 280,000 signatures in three days was started by Ohio State star Justin Fields, now the Bears’ quarterback. There were rumblings that some schools, including Nebraska and Ohio State, would create their own schedules for the fall. The conference ultimately reversed course and played an abbreviated schedule.

There also have been some big wins for the Big Ten in recent months.

In July, the Big Ten announced that Southern California and UCLA will join the conference in 2024, giving it a coast-to-coast footprint in the nation’s largest markets. A month later, the conference landed about $7 billion in media rights deals with FOX, CBS and NBC to share the rights to football and basketball games. The contracts go into effect in 2023 and expire in 2030.

******************MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS***********************

NO. 7 UCLA DOMINATES UTAH, 68-49, IN 12TH STRAIGHT WIN

LOS ANGELES (AP) UCLA is showing off different ways to win while the seventh-ranked Bruins pile up victories.

Tyger Campbell scored 17 points and Adem Bona added 15 in a 68-49 victory over Utah on Thursday night for the Bruins’ 12th consecutive victory.

UCLA (15-2, 6-0 Pac-12) is on its longest winning streak since opening the 2016-17 season with 13 straight wins. The Bruins are 10-0 at home this season.

Given the timing, coach Mick Cronin isn’t overly impressed.

“As my dad would probably tell me that winning streak in January and a few bucks would get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks,” he said.

Still, the Bruins were impressive. They shot 48% from the floor, controlled the boards, 40-26, and kept the ball moving with 21 assists.

“The best thing I saw other than the assists was Tyger getting it going. He hasn’t really been himself,” Cronin said. “I was imploring him to be more aggressive. He’s been a little bit too passive.”

Bona continues to soar. He’s been the Pac-12 freshman of the week the last two weeks.

“He’s flourishing now and that’s what we’re going to need him to do if we’re going to be a great team,” Jaime Jaquez Jr. said.

Bona scored five points in the second half when the Bruins ran away. They opened with a 15-6 run to extend their lead to 46-28. Jaquez scored his first points of the game in that span. UCLA’s scoring leader finished with eight points, less than half his average, but Jaquez tied his season high with 12 rebounds, which was double his average.

Campbell contributed during an 8-0 spurt that produced a 62-38 lead.

“Guys were driving in and kicking it and finding me. I was just taking my time,” Campbell said. “My big thing is I’m a patient player. I kind of wanted to come off the screen and find my reads. I was trying to play what the defense gave me.”

Rollie Worster led the Utes (12-5, 5-2) with 12 points off the bench. Four players average in double figures but they were all held to single digits, including leading scorer Branden Carlson. He finished with four – well under his average of 15.7.

“We know the formula: share the ball and play as hard as you can on defense,” Jaquez said. “Once you do that good things happen.”

The Bruins missed their first four shots of the game, then went on a tear. They reeled off 11 straight points to lead 11-4. Bona scored six in a row, capped by the first of his three dunks in the half. He grabbed eight rebounds.

“That was kind of the boost we needed,” Bona said. “It’s a team effort. It wasn’t just me. I was the open man.”

Bona and Campbell later combined to score 15 straight points for the Bruins. Bona dunked two-handed and on UCLA’s next possession the freshman grabbed an offensive rebound and fired to Campbell, who hit a 3-pointer. Campbell hit another 3 and Dylan Andrews added one as well to help the Bruins lead 31-22 at halftime.

BIG PICTURE

Utah: The Utes lost their first Pac-12 road game of the season. They came in having won three of four and were tied for second in the league. But they struggled to hold onto the ball with 16 turnovers that UCLA converted into 19 points.

UCLA: The Bruins keep winning ahead of their road trip to the Arizona schools next week. They face a stiff test at No. 9 Arizona, likely the last ranked team they’ll play in the regular season.

DON’T GO THERE

Kenneth Nwuba had five of UCLA’s eight blocked shots in 15 minutes.

UP NEXT

Utah: Visits Southern California on Saturday.

UCLA: Hosts Colorado on Saturday to conclude a three-game homestand.

NO. 8 GONZAGA RALLIES PAST BYU ON STRAWTHER’S GAME-WINNER

PROVO, Utah (AP) Gonzaga found a way to win another nail-biter against a WCC opponent.

Julian Strawther hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 9.8 seconds left to lift the No. 8 Bulldogs to a 75-74 victory over BYU on Thursday night.

Drew Timme had 19 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs. Anton Watson added 18 points and Strawther finished with 11 – including the game-winner.

“That’s the glory of having all these tough shot makers,” Strawther said. “Every time we need a big shot or a big three, somebody steps up and knocks it down.”

Gonzaga (15-3, 4-0 WCC) overcame 34.5% shooting in the second half to rally for the win. It marked the third consecutive game where the Zags rallied from a double-digit deficit and won by five points or less.

“The mental strength of this team is strong, and it shows,” Watson said. “It’s definitely going to help us in the future, but I think there’s times where it’s like, `Hey, lets just win the game. Let’s keep the lead.'”

Spencer Johnson scored 18 points to lead BYU. Gideon George and Jaxon Robinson chipped in 17 points apiece for the Cougars. Johnson, George, and Robinson combined to make 12 3-pointers.

BYU (13-7, 3-2 WCC) lost to Gonzaga for the sixth straight time. The Cougars shot 47% from the field to give themselves a chance to win after getting outrebounded 47-32 and surrendering 42 points in the paint.

“These guys continue to get better,” BYU coach Mark Pope said. “I think they’re hungry to get better. They’ve been incredibly committed to growing as a team and trying to get better.”

The Cougars staked out a quick 13-9 lead after Fousseyni Traore capped a 10-1 run by converting a 3-point play off a steal and slam. BYU soon fell behind while struggling to hold Gonzaga’s potent offensive attack in check.

Hot shooting helped Gonzaga carve out a double-digit lead late in the first half. The Bulldogs made 10 of 11 shots over a six-minute stretch and surged to a 37-27 lead over BYU. Watson accounted for four of the baskets.

Gonzaga shot 56% from the field overall before halftime. The Bulldogs quickly cooled off after the locker room but still found ways to hang around.

“It’s kind of ingrained in our program,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “When you’re in this program you expect to win. Hopefully, they’re learning how to win like all our other groups have. I don’t think they ever count themselves out.”

BYU erased the deficit after halftime behind a flurry of 3-pointers. Johnson buried a pair of 3-pointers to ignite a 18-4 run that gave the Cougars a 66-56 lead. He and Robinson combined to make six 3-pointers over a 10-minute stretch to help BYU surge ahead of the Bulldogs again.

Gonzaga chipped away at the lead and finally went ahead on Strawther’s 3-pointer in the final seconds. Watson blocked a 3-point field goal attempt by Johnson as time ran out.

“It hurts for sure,” Johnson said. “We were right there and we put ourselves in a really good position to win the game. We just couldn’t quite come through.”

POSTSEASON SIMULATOR

With BYU heading to the Big 12 next season, Gonzaga will lose a tough road environment that has served the Bulldogs well in past seasons as a proving ground in getting ready for the NCAA Tournament.

Gonzaga boasts a 9-3 record in Provo since BYU joined the West Coast Conference in 2011. Few said the raucous Marriott Center – which had a sellout crowd of 18,987 on Thursday – has traditionally helped his players get a sneak peek of what to expect to face in March.

“I don’t think we make Final Fours without BYU coming in our league. I just don’t,” Few said. “They’ve challenged us. . It’s been a treat to come in here and battle.”

BIG PICTURE

Gonzaga: Cold shooting in the second half nearly doomed the Bulldogs but they extended their winning streak in the month of January to 35 games.

BYU: The Cougars were lethal from 3-point range for much of the game, going 13-of-25 from long distance.

UP NEXT

Gonzaga hosts Portland on Saturday.

BYU hosts Pepperdine on Saturday.

TUBELIS LIFTS NO. 9 ARIZONA TO 86-74 WIN OVER OREGON STATE

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) Pac-12 scoring leader Azuolas Tubelis had 25 points to help No. 9 Arizona beat Oregon State 86-74 on Thursday night.

The Wildcats (15-2, 4-2 Pac-12) were coming off a 74-61 loss to Washington State that snapped Arizona’s 28-game home winning streak. Tubelis got the team back in the win column.

He made 11 of 15 from the field and had 10 rebounds. Oumar Ballo scored 15 points with 14 rebounds and two blocks.

Oregon State (7-11, 1-5 Pac-12) struggled against Arizona’s aggressive man-to-man defense. The Beavers shot just 25% in the first half and trailed 44-26 at the break. Tubelis scored 15 points in the first half.

The Beavers scored the first five points of the second half to cut the lead to 12, but Arizona responded with a 10-0 run and led by as much as 24 points.

Oregon State rallied to make the game interesting late in the second half.

A Jayden Stevens layup cut the lead to 72-62, but Arizona’s Kerr Krissa answered with a 3-pointer and Oregon State was unable to get closer than 10 points the rest of the way.

Tyler Bilodeau and Michael Rataj scored 18 points apiece to pace the Beavers.

Arizona scored the game’s first seven points and never trailed.

Courtney Ramey’s 3-pointer culminated a 10-0 run and gave Arizona a 20-point lead at 37-17.

BIG PICTURE

Arizona: After shooting under 38% in their last three games, and 16% on 3-pointers in their previous game against Washington State, the Wildcats found the range against Oregon State. Arizona shot 52.5% and made 11 of 29 3-pointers.

Tubelis continues to be a force for the Wildcats, especially inside where the 6-foot-11 junior forward scores most of his points.

Oregon State: Bilodeau, a 6-9 freshman forward, had his best game of the season with 18 points. The Beavers have shown progress from last year’s 3-28 nosedive after reaching the Elite Eight in 2021, but they remain a work in progress with 11 newcomers on the roster, including eight true freshmen.

UP NEXT

Arizona: The Wildcats will be at Oregon on Saturday.

Oregon State: The Beavers will be at home Saturday against Arizona State.

SANDFORT RALLIES IOWA PAST MICHIGAN IN OVERTIME, 93-84

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) Payton Sandfort scored Iowa’s final seven points in regulation to tie it, then got off to a fast start with five of his team’s first six points in overtime as the Hawkeyes knocked off Michigan 93-84 on Thursday night.

Iowa trailed 77-70 with 2:18 left in regulation. Sandfort hit from 3 to get within 77-75 and he added a catch-and-shoot 3 from the top of the key over the outstretched arms of Kobe Bufkin, drawing the foul and adding a free throw for a four-point play to tie the game at 79-79 with 20 seconds left. Dug McDaniel’s running layup in the final seconds missed wide left for Michigan and the game headed to overtime.

Sandfort opened the extra period by hitting a jumper from just inside the 3-point line, then added an improbable three-point play, leaping backward to snare a blocked Kris Murray 3-point attempt and redirected it in for a layup, then tacked on a free throw to give the Hawkeyes an 85-79 lead that Michigan could not overcome.

Murray finished with 27 points on 10 of 22 shooting from the field, 4 of 13 from distance, with eight rebounds and three assists for Iowa (11-6, 3-3 Big Ten). Sandfort finished with 26 points, hitting 4 of 9 from deep, with seven boards and three assists. Filip Rebraca scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Josh Dix added 10 points and five assists. Iowa shot 32 of 71 from the field (45.1%), including 12 of 30 from three-point range (40%).

Michigan freshman Jett Howard finished the game hitting a career-high 7 of 13 from distance, a career-high 12 of 22 from the field and scoring a career-high 34 points. He scored the first 11 points for Michigan and hit five straight 3-pointers to start the game – hitting from both corners and making a shot from the Hawkeye logo during the run.

Michigan (9-7, 3-2) shot better than 50% from the field for most of the game, but tailed off to finish 33 of 67 (49.3%), including 14 of 31 from distance (45.2%). Hunter Dickinson and McDaniel both had 12 points and Dickinson added 13 boards.

UP NEXT

Iowa plays host to Maryland Sunday.

Michigan plays host to Northwestern Sunday.

******************WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS******************

BOSTON, COOKE LEAD NO. 1 SOUTH CAROLINA IN ROUT OF KENTUCKY

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) Aliyah Boston had 21 points and 11 rebounds, Zia Cooke scored 10 of her 20 points during a 16-0 second-quarter rally and top-ranked South Carolina pulled away in the fourth quarter to rout Kentucky 95-66 on Thursday night.

After battling back to win at Mississippi State on Sunday, the Gamecocks (17-0, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) overcame another road challenge from the Wildcats to retain a share of first place in the conference.

Kentucky’s 16-1 run over the first and second quarters provided a 31-21 lead with 5:27 left in the half and a huge dose of confidence against the reigning national champions. But South Carolina quickly seized momentum. Boston, who was 9-of-11 shooting, responded with a jumper and Cooke added a 3-pointer, a three-point play and two layups during the surge to lead 37-33 at the break.

“It was just me playing my role and letting the game come to me and just being ready when the ball does come to me,” said Cooke, who made 8-of-14 shots from the field with five layups. “We’ve been down before, the game is full of highs and lows at times. We just continued to keep our pace and do what we do.”

The Gamecocks maintained a small cushion after three quarters before going 13 of 17 from the floor in the fourth to pull away.

Maddie Scherr scored a career-high 25 points with five 3s for the Wildcats (8-9, 0-4), who fell to their second top-10 opponent this week. Kentucky lost 67-48 to now-No. 5 LSU on Sunday at Rupp Arena.

Jada Walker added 17 points and Robyn Benton 10 for Kentucky, which shot 42% but was outrebounded just 35-29 by the taller Gamecocks.

“I just went in and tried to talk to them about the positives,” Kentucky coach Kyra Elzy said. “For three quarters against the No. 1 team in the country, you showed what you were made of. They made the run in the fourth, we can learn from that.”

South Carolina nearly doubled Kentucky in scoring in the paint (62-32) on the way to shooting a season-high 64% (35 of 55). Kamilla Cardoso added 12 points and Laeticia Amihere 11 as the Gamecocks also dominated bench scoring 39-10.

Thursday was the teams’ first meeting since Kentucky upset the top-seeded Gamecocks 64-62 to win the SEC Tournament title. South Carolina went on to win its second national title and hasn’t looked back, though it entered the contest in a four-way tie atop the league.

BIG PICTURE

South Carolina: A double-digit deficit didn’t faze the Gamecocks, who had plenty of time to regroup and use their size and speed to reclaim the lead. Cooke sparked the rally and contributed key plays whenever needed to help her team survive another road test. Red-hot shooting also helped, as they surpassed their 63% accuracy against Auburn.

“Sometimes you’ve just got to let things play out,” coach Dawn Staley said of the pivotal run. “I just wanted to take Kentucky’s best punch and see how we’d respond to it. …. We’re going to feel that. The most important thing is not to panic.”

Kentucky: The Wildcats stayed within reach but just couldn’t stop Boston or Cooke, who found a lot of room inside for layups. Scherr made 10 of 15 from the field and 5 of 7 from deep to surpass her previous best of 22 points on Sunday. Inside scoring was another story against the nation’s top shot-blocking team, which averages 9.6 blocks; South Carolina rejected 11 attempts.

“I know they were going to fall eventually,” Scherr said. “I had all the encouragement from my teammates and coaches, and that’s what got me there.”

UP NEXT

South Carolina: Hosts Missouri on Sunday.

Kentucky: Visits Florida on Sunday to begin a two-game road swing.

**************NBA NEWS***************

CELTICS PULL AWAY IN 4TH, BEAT NETS 109-98 FOR 5TH STRAIGHT

NEW YORK (AP) No Kevin Durant on one side, no Jaylen Brown on the other.

When the fourth quarter arrived, Kyrie Irving seemed to take it upon himself to pick up the missing offense for the Nets.

The Celtics just relied on the balance and defense that have made them the top team in the NBA.

Jayson Tatum had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Boston pulled away to beat Brooklyn 109-98 on Thursday night in the Nets’ first game since losing Durant to a knee injury.

Marcus Smart added 16 points and 10 assists for the Celtics. Malcolm Brogdon also scored 16 points, teaming with fellow backup guard Payton Pritchard to lead the decisive spurt early in the fourth that sent the Celtics to their fifth straight victory.

Smart said the two reserves changed the game for the Celtics.

“They got us on a rhythm, they got our momentum back for us,” Smart said.

Brown had right adductor tightness, a night after scoring a season-high 41 points in a victory over New Orleans. Interim coach Joe Mazzulla said Brown could miss a week or more.

Derrick White, starting for Brown, scored 15 points, and Boston picked up the pace with the quickness Pritchard said the backups possess.

“So it makes us really dangerous and fast” he said. “I think that’s kind of what changed the game, is that speed.”

Irving scored 24 points for the Nets, who were right with the Celtics until getting outscored 12-2 to open the fourth. T.J Warren added 20 and Joe Harris, starting for Durant, had 18.

Irving was 3 for 10 in the fourth, taking more than half the team’s shots after coach Jacque Vaughn said he didn’t want the star guard feeling he needed to do more in Durant’s absence.

“The first three quarters, felt like I had some good rhythmic shots going,” Irving said. “In the fourth, I just wanted to be aggressive.”

The Nets, who will be without Durant for at least two weeks after he sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee on Sunday, had won 18 of their previous 20 games and reached the midpoint of their schedule at 27-14.

Ben Simmons had a season-high 13 assists and grabbed nine rebounds, but took just three shots and was scoreless.

Brogdon and Pritchard each had two baskets early in the fourth, when the Nets missed six of their first seven shots. A lob to Luke Kornet capped the burst and made it 96-84 and the Nets couldn’t really get close again.

The Celtics swept the Nets in the first round of last season’s playoffs and have won the last five regular-season meetings, including a victory here last month that was the only defeat in Brooklyn’s 12-1 December.

“You want to play the best team and the way they play, they’re very together defensively and offensively,” Simmons said. “They have some great individuals, but when you put it together they play team basketball.”

The Nets shot 51.2% – right at their league-leading average – in a well-played first half, but the Celtics rallied to a 60-57 lead when Tatum was fouled and made all three free throws with 9.8 seconds left.

TIP-INS

Celtics: Boston also played without another starter, Al Horford, because of low back stiffness. … Kornet scored 11 points.

Nets: The Nets had their five-game home winning streak snapped. … Brooklyn waived G Alondes Williams, who had been signed to a two-way contract and appeared in one game for the Nets.

ALL-STAR UPDATE

Tatum moved ahead of Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid for the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference frontcourt in the latest update of fan balloting, putting the Nets and Celtics in position to have three starters in the All-Star Game. Durant is the leader among East frontcourt players and Irving is tops among guards. Brown is fourth in the backcourt.

UP NEXT

Celtics: At Charlotte on Saturday.

Nets: Host Oklahoma City on Sunday.

GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER SCORES 37, THUNDER TOP 76ERS 133-114

PHILADELPHIA (AP) For a team that scuffled this season on the road, the Oklahoma City Thunder sure did look like a playoff team in Philly.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points and Josh Giddey had 20 to lead the Thunder to a 133-114 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.

The Thunder won for the fourth time in six games, but this was perhaps their signature win of the season. The Thunder were a solid 13-9 at home, but won just their sixth road game of the season.

“I think it shows we belong,” Giddey said. “We’ve shown we belong with some of the best teams in the league.”

They got a little bit of something from everyone. Jaylin Williams and Tre Mann each scored 14 points.

Oklahoma City also avenged a 19-point loss to the 76ers on Dec. 31, and came back strong after a one-point loss Tuesday at Miami.

“We attacked and were appropriately aggressive,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “I just think we’ve got to be that team. Trust that.”

Joel Embiid had 30 points and 10 rebounds. James Harden had 24 points and 15 assists.

Embiid got to work late in the fourth to give the Sixers a shot. The reigning NBA scoring champ dunked. He bullied his way toward a bucket. He sank a couple of free throws. OKC’s lead shrunk and Philly fans got loud.

The Thunder stood their ground. They made 31 of 33 free throws and sealed the win from the line down the stretch.

“There’s just times where things get tight and you kind of naturally drift from your identity,” Daigneault said. “I thought the difference was, when it got tight, I just thought we got closer to our identity. Closer to team basketball. That’s a sign of a team that believes in what they’re doing.”

The plucky Thunder scored on eight straight possessions in the third — getting a 3 from Mike Muscala — to take an 85-78 lead. They even bounced back when blocked, as in, a monster Embiid rejection that got fans to their feet. No worries. The Thunder retained possession and Mann buried a 3. Muscala’s second 3 of the quarter made it 97-80.

Just two days after the 76ers thumped Detroit by 31, they let the Thunder shoot 54% in the third. The Thunder, who had the youngest roster in the league on opening night, led 101-85.

“We’re a good defensive team, but we did not defend tonight,” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. “I guess the one common theme overall is just getting beat off the dribble into the point. On those nights, we struggle. Honestly, on those nights, every team struggles. They got into the paint over and over again.”

The Thunder opened the statistical midway point of the season just 1 1/2 games out the Western Conference play-in tournament and only three games out of the sixth seed. Reaching the No. 6 seed would ensure they miss the play-in tournament.

The Thunder showed why — even under .500 — they’re at least sniffing a playoff run. They hit 8 3s the first half and Gilgeous-Alexander scored 17 points as they built a 15-point lead. Embiid played only 10 minutes because of foul trouble.

“I think the competitiveness of the team has come from our players and our locker room,” Daigneault said. “Those guys are ambitious and they’re willing to do it together. When the ball goes up most nights, they’re ready to compete.”

TIP-INS

Thunder: Gilgeous-Alexander entered fourth in the NBA in scoring. … Made 14 3s.

76ers: Harden has six games with at least 15 assists this season and passed Wilt Chamberlain (1967-68) and Maurice Cheeks (1987-88) for the most such games in a season in team history.

UP NEXT

Thunder: Play Friday night at Chicago.

76ers: Hit the road for a five-game trip that starts Sunday at Utah.

SHORT-HANDED HEAT RALLY, TOP SHORT-HANDED BUCKS, 108-102

MIAMI (AP) The Miami Heat were short-handed. The Milwaukee Bucks were short-handed.

The Heat got the better of it all.

Gabe Vincent scored a career-best 28 points, Bam Adebayo had 24 points and 12 rebounds, and the Heat beat the Bucks 108-102 in a game in which at least five would-be starters were out for various reasons.

“We’re developing some grit and mental toughness and stability,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Jimmy Butler had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, who got 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists from Victor Oladipo.

Max Strus had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Miami (23-20), which moved a season-best three games over .500, even without starters Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro and Caleb Martin.

Jrue Holiday had 24 points and 11 assists for the Bucks, who were without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Grayson Allen, Khris Middleton, Serge Ibaka and Joe Ingles. Many are expected back when the teams play again in Miami on Saturday.

“We got up 15 or so and the energy and effort was good at both ends to start the game,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said.

Jevon Carter scored 18, Jordan Nwora had 16, AJ Green scored 15 and Bobby Portis had 12 for the Bucks.

The Heat’s streak of consecutive free throws made ended at 55, when Butler missed one with 27.7 seconds left. They finished 15 of 16 from the line and nearly became the first team in Heat history to be perfect from the line in consecutive games. Miami set an NBA record with a 40-for-40 showing from the line in a win Tuesday over Oklahoma City.

Milwaukee led 32-17 after the game’s first 15 minutes, even with two regular starters out in Antetokounmpo and Allen. Middleton is another starter, but has been limited to seven games so far this season.

But it ended up becoming Miami’s biggest comeback win of the season. The Heat rallied from a pair of 13-point deficits for wins, and were 0-8 in games in which they trailed by 14 or more.

“Winning,” Strus said. “Winning cures everything. We’re finding ways to grit out wins and come together as a unit.”

Miami came into the night 28th in the 30-team NBA in rebounding, Milwaukee came into the game leading the league in that department. But the Heat outrebounded the Bucks 61-39 – by far the biggest rebound margin Miami has enjoyed this season. They outrebounded the Los Angeles Clippers by 14 on Jan. 2.

“I think a lot of that goes toward having our center back,” Vincent said, after Adebayo returned from a one-game absence with a wrist issue. “He makes the game easy on both sides of the floor for a lot of us.”

Miami outscored Milwaukee 58-18 in the paint. The Bucks made 35 field goals, 22 of them being 3-pointers.

TIP-INS

Bucks: Milwaukee is now 4-3 without Antetokounmpo this season. … The Bucks were 19-1 in games in which they led by at least 15 points this season. The other loss was at Chicago on Dec. 28. … Carter’s six 3-pointers were a season high. His career best on 3’s is eight, done in the final game of his rookie season for Memphis against Golden State on April 10, 2019.

Heat: Inter Miami coach Phil Neville was at the game. … Miami used another different starting lineup, its eighth in 10 games and its 19th so far this season. … Dewayne Dedmon served his one-game suspension imposed for conduct detrimental to the team, surrounding his actions in Tuesday’s matchup against Oklahoma City.

TOUGH STRETCH

The Bucks are in a tough schedule stretch. They played in Atlanta on Wednesday, got to Miami around 2:30 a.m., played Thursday, play Saturday afternoon in Miami, then play Indiana on Monday afternoon in Milwaukee – as part of the league’s Martin Luther King Day lineup – to start another back-to-back that ends Tuesday against Toronto.

NAME GAME

The “FTX Arena” signage was still in place at Miami’s arena on Thursday, one day after a bankruptcy court terminated the naming rights deal between the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange and Miami-Dade County. The county and the Heat said Thursday they will “work aggressively to identify a new naming rights partner for the arena.” The FTX signage is likely to begin coming down in the next few days.

SIAKAM SCORES 35, RAPTORS BEAT HORNETS FOR 3RD STRAIGHT WIN

TORONTO (AP) Pascal Siakam scored 35 points, Scottie Barnes added 21 and the Toronto Raptors have won three consecutive games for the first time this season, beating the Charlotte Hornets 124-114 on Thursday night.

Gary Trent Jr. scored 19 points and O.G. Anunoby had 15 as the Raptors swept a pair of home games against the struggling Hornets.

“We’ve just got to keep going,” Barnes said. “Don’t settle for less. Stay hungry. That’s what the team mindset is right now, stay hungry.”

Toronto led by as many as 18 points and never trailed. The Raptors have won five straight home games against Charlotte.

Fred VanVleet scored 11 points and Precious Achiuwa had 10 points and a career-best five steals as Toronto improved to 3-2 on a season-high six-game homestand that concludes Saturday against Atlanta.

Siakam shot 11 for 13, going 3 for 3 from 3-point range and 10 for 12 at the line in the 50th 30-point game of his career.

LaMelo Ball scored 32 points before fouling out, and Terry Rozier had 21 points as Charlotte lost for the sixth time in seven games.

“We got beat on all the toughness plays,” Rozier said. “We’ve just got to dig deep and really look ourselves in the mirror and crack down.”

Ball shot 11 for 19. He missed a 3-pointer with 1:19 to go in the fourth quarter that would have cut the deficit to two points. Later on the same possession, Ball missed a driving layup. VanVleet answered with a 3-pointer, putting Toronto up 117-109 with 48 seconds remaining.

“We double-teamed there late when we didn’t need to,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. “That was not what we were doing. That led to the VanVleet 3.”

Charlotte made 10 turnovers in Tuesday’s loss and had a season-worst 22 miscues Thursday, leading to 26 points by the Raptors.

Toronto shot 28 for 36 at the line, while Charlotte was 19 of 27.

“If you turn the ball over 22 times and you’re minus-nine in the free throw game, end of story,” Clifford said. “It’s hard to win.”

Mason Plumlee had 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Hornets, who are 5-21 against Eastern Conference opponents.

“Our defense is just not where it needs to be,” Clifford said.

Siakam and Anunoby each scored 12 points in the first quarter and the Raptors led 38-29 after one.

Ball scored 13 points in the second, but Charlotte turned the ball over eight times in the quarter, coughing it up on five straight possessions at one stretch. Toronto led 69-55 at the break.

Siakam had 10 points in the third, but the Hornets closed the gap behind 14 points from Rozier. Toronto took a 97-88 lead to the fourth.

PASCAL PRODUCES

Siakam scored 30 or more for the seventh time this season. Toronto is 15-6 over the last two seasons when Siakam scores at least 30 points.

TIP-INS

Hornets: F Gordon Hayward (left hamstring) missed his fifth straight game and G Kelly Oubre Jr. (left hand surgery) missed his seventh. . Recorded a season-high 42 rebounds. . Dropped to 6-18 on the road, and 1-9 against Atlantic Division teams.

Raptors: Recorded assists on 12 of 15 made baskets in the first quarter. . Barnes had nine assists and eight rebounds. Shot 10 for 28 from 3-point range after making a season-high 20 from long distance Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Hornets: Host Boston on Saturday night.

Raptors: Host Atlanta on Saturday night.

DONCIC HITS 2 BIG 3-POINTERS, MAVS TOP LAKERS 119-115 IN 2OT

LOS ANGELES (AP) Luka Doncic hit tying 3-pointers in the final seconds of regulation and the first overtime, finishing with 35 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists in the Dallas Mavericks’ 119-115 double-overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

Doncic highlighted his 56th career triple-double with that pair of clutch 3-pointers, while Christian Wood added 24 points and 14 rebounds in the Mavs’ fourth straight win over the Lakers. Tim Hardaway Jr. had 22 points and eight rebounds for Dallas, and Spencer Dinwiddie scored twice in a late 6-0 run to put it away in double OT.

Russell Westbrook scored a season-high 28 points and LeBron James had 24 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists for the Lakers, who have lost two straight after a five-game winning streak. Los Angeles rallied all the way back from a 19-point regulation deficit and got to the brink of an unlikely win, but couldn’t match Doncic’s dramatic flair.

The Lakers took a lead on Dennis Schroder’s layup with 1:31 left in regulation before Westbrook made two free throws with 11.8 seconds left for a 101-98 advantage. Doncic calmly moved past a perimeter screen and drilled a tying 3-pointer for his first field goal of the fourth quarter with six seconds left.

Troy Brown missed a 3-pointer at the regulation buzzer, failing to get a foul call on what appeared to be clear contact from Hardaway.

James hit two free throws to put the Lakers up 108-105 late in the first overtime, but Doncic hit another tying 3-pointer with 47.8 seconds left. Wood blocked James’ layup attempt shortly before the buzzer.

Doncic then hit the go-ahead layup midway through the second overtime. The Lakers missed four of their final five shots and committed an offensive foul in the final two minutes.

James returned from a one-game absence with a sore left ankle and mostly looked sharp, but the Lakers were still short-handed without Anthony Davis, Lonnie Walker, Austin Reaves and Patrick Beverley. The injuries forced coach Darvin Ham to use his 23rd different starting lineup in 42 games this season, with rookie second-round pick Max Christie making his second career start.

Dallas had an early 19-point lead, but the Lakers tied it early in the fourth quarter.

TIP-INS

Mavericks: Dwight Powell played 18 minutes despite a bruised right hip from Tuesday’s game against the Clippers. … Dorian Finney-Smith missed his 12th straight game with a right adductor strain. … Maxi Kleber remained out with a torn right hamstring that has sidelined him for a full month. … Davis Bertans got a technical foul from the bench in the second quarter for his apparently overzealous celebration of a layup by Wood.

Lakers: Brown returned from a three-game absence with a strained right quadriceps and scored eight points in 38 minutes. … Beverley was declared out early in the day with a non-COVID illness.

UP NEXT

Mavericks: At Portland on Saturday.

Lakers: Host Philadelphia on Sunday.

RUBIO RETURNS AND CAVALIERS DOWN STRUGGLING BLAZERS 119-113

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points, Ricky Rubio played in his first game since a knee injury more than a year ago and the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 119-113 on Thursday night.

Damian Lillard had a season-high 50 points, but it wasn’t enough for the Blazers in their fifth straight loss.

Jarrett Allen added 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers’ fifth victory in their last seven games.

“Just kept fighting,” Mitchell said.

Portland led by 14 points early and had a 91-87 lead going into the final quarter.

Lillard’s 3-pointer from 29 feet put Portland up 102-97 with 7:11 left, but the Blazers couldn’t hold the lead. Allen’s layup cut it to 104-103 and Mitchell’s jumper gave the Cavs their first lead of the game with 4:40 to go.

Anfernee Simons hit a 3-pointer to tie it, but Mitchell and Evan Mobley made consecutive baskets and the Cavaliers pulled away.

“We played hard,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “We didn’t get into the slump that we are in in one game and we’re not going to get out of it in one game. I think we’re getting close. I’m proud of our effort.”

Rubio finished with nine points in 10 minutes – including two 3-pointers in the third quarter. The 32-year-old tore his left anterior cruciate while driving to the basket at New Orleans on Dec. 28, 2021.

“Today there was a lot of emotions out there,” Rubio said. “I’ve been working hard all year just to be healthy so I’m grateful to be out there playing basketball.”

The Cavaliers had listed him as questionable on the pregame injury report, but he came in off the bench with 3:38 left in the first quarter.

Lillard appeared to struggle with a sore ankle early in the game. He remained in the contest, but at times appeared to be in pain.

Despite that, Lillard had 25 points in the opening half and Portland went into the break with a 58-51 lead.

Rubio’s 3-pointer got the Cavaliers within 74-70 midway through the third quarter. Jerami Grant answered with a 3 for the Blazers.

Another Rubio 3-pointer closed the gap to 82-77 as the Cavs kept the margin at single digits.

“It was a game we deserved to win. We just came up short,” said Lillard, who added that he was hopeful the Blazers were on the verge of a turnaround.

FIFTY IS NIFTY

It was Lillard’s 15th career game with 50 or more points. He joins James Harden and Stephen Curry as the only three players over the last 10 seasons with 10 or more 50-point games.

TIP INS

Cavaliers: It was the second and final meeting with the Blazers this season. Cleveland routed Portland 114-96 in the first game,

Trail Blazers: The team announced that Nassir Little has had on-court contact activities after a hip injury in December, but there’s no timeline for his return. Justise Winslow continues to improve from a left ankle sprain, but will miss at least the next two weeks. … Lillard has four games this season with 25 or more first-half points.

UP NEXT

Cavaliers: At Minnesota on Saturday night.

Trail Blazers: Host Dallas on Saturday night.

************NHL NEWS***********

RED HOT KRAKEN SEND BRUINS TO 1ST REGULATION HOME LOSS, 3-0

BOSTON (AP) Kraken goalie Martin Jones called it Seattle’s best game of the season, and who was forward Yanni Gourde to argue?

“I won’t disagree with Jonesy, especially after tonight’s game,” Gourde said Thursday night after Jones stopped 27 shots for second straight shutout in the Kraken’s 3-0 victory over the Boston Bruins.

“He’s been phenomenal for us throughout the season, especially the last two games,” Gourde said. “He came out big tonight against a very, very talented that group, made some key saves throughout the game and they kept us in the game.”

Three nights after shutting out the Canadiens in Montreal, Jones stopped David Pastrnak’s breakaway in the second period – Boston’s best chance at a goal – and Seattle matched its franchise record with a seventh straight victory. The Kraken also won seven in a row earlier this season – its second since joining the NHL as an expansion team.

Brandon Tanev and Eeli Tolvanen scored for Seattle and Jaden Schwartz added an empty netter after the Bruins pulled Linus Ullmark for a 6-on-5 advantage with about five minutes to play.

“I thought that was probably our most complete game of the season,” Jones said. “To come in and play how we did and, and come up with a win in this building, you know, that’s a big step forward for us.”

Ullmark made 28 saves for the Bruins, who had won four straight while building an 11-point lead in the race for the NHL’s best record. It was the first regulation loss at home all season for Boston, an Original Six franchise in its 99th season.

Seattle took a 1-0 lead seven minutes into the first period when what seemed like a harmless attempt to send the puck behind the net by Daniel Sprong was tipped by Tanev into the narrow space on Ullmark’s glove side.

“I was a little surprised,” Tanev said. “But, I mean, you take them any way you can get them.”

The Kraken made it 2-0 in the second when Tolvanen received a deflected puck in the slot, whirled around, faked a slapshot and wristed it under the crossbar. The Bruins played on, but the referee and the replay official confirmed that the puck found the back of the net.

The Bruins pulled Ullmark with five minutes left and kept the puck in the Kraken zone for almost all of the next three minutes before Schwartz cleared it into the empty net to make it 3-0.

The Kraken also won seven in a row from Nov. 17 to Dec. 1, a streak that included four overtime victories. All seven of the expansion team’s current winning streak – the longest active run in the NHL – have been in regulation.

The Bruins’ last home loss in regulation was April 14, 2022, to Ottawa. They had been 19-0-3 at home this season.

“It’s a tough place to win, obviously,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “You don’t come in here with any passengers and win a hockey game.”

UP NEXT

Kraken: At Chicago on Saturday night.

Bruins: Host Toronto on Saturday night.

RED WINGS BEAT MAPLE LEAFS FOR 1ST TIME IN NEARLY 4 YEARS

DETROIT (AP) Lucas Raymond had a goal and two assists as the Detroit Red Wings beat Toronto 4-1 on Thursday night for their first victory over the Maple Leafs in nearly four years.

Robby Fabbri, Ben Chiarot and Moritz Seider also scored for Detroit and Ville Husso stopped 31 shots. Rasmus Sandin scored for the Maple Leafs, who had won three in a row.

Detroit’s previous win against the Maple Leafs was a 3-2 overtime victory on Feb. 1, 2019. Toronto had had won nine in a row in regulation over the Red Wings, outscoring them 48-21.

The Maple Leafs are 18-2-2 vs. Detroit since the start of the 2016-17 season.

“Tonight we had a good five-on-five game, we executed on special teams and we flipped a tight game,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “A very good win for us.”

Raymond scored at 8:48 of the first period to put the Red Wings in front. It was his second goal in as many games and fourth in the last six games.

Detroit also led 1-0 Saturday at Toronto, but ended up losing 4-1. This time, the Red Wings took a 2-0 advantage at 3:49 of the second when Fabbri beat goaltender Ilya Samsonov on a power play.

Fabbri scored for the third time in four games since returning Jan. 4 from knee surgery. He injured his knee in a game on March 10, 2022, against the Minnesota Wild.

“I’m just going off more on getting back to my game, getting my legs going and all that and goals are coming,” Fabbri said. “I’m not going to complain about that. Getting them in wins definitely feels a lot better.”

Less than four minutes later, Toronto scored when Sandin’s shot from the point deflected off the stick blade of Detroit captain Dylan Larkin and past Husso.

In the third period, Chiarot scored an empty-net goal and Seider then beat Samsonov with 19.8 seconds to go.

Playing his second NHL game, Toronto forward Bobby McMann thought he’d scored his first career goal 56 seconds after the opening faceoff. After review, it was ruled that McMann had used a distinct kicking motion to direct the puck in the net and the goal was disallowed.

“That was sad, because he gets his first career goal and he’s celebrating and everyone is happy for him, and then we didn’t really know what was going on,” Samsonov said. “He’s going to get one soon, though. He’s a good player.”

Samsonov made 19 saves for Toronto.

On Tuesday, the Red Wings topped Winnipeg 7-5, ending the Jets’ five-game winning streak.

“We feel like we can win every night and this is a good example, two wins over two really good teams this week so far,” Lalonde said.

The Leafs were 0 for 5 on the power play and Detroit was 1 for 5 with the man advantage.

“They played fast and hard and they were competitive right from the get-go,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said of the Red Wings. “You could tell they were refreshed and focus and all those things.”

The Maple Leafs have been on the ice a lot lately.

“I loved the effort — not just on a back-to-back on our fifth game in eight days,” Keefe said. “We punched back in the second period when too often you let a game run away on you.”

“We got the goal and we were fighting basically right to the end. We just didn’t generate enough offense,” he said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

The Maple Leafs played their second game without center Auston Matthews. The 2021-22 NHL MVP is out with an undisclosed injury that Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe indicated has to do with lingering issues. The Leafs are listing Matthews as day to day.

UP NEXT

Leafs: Finish a two-game road trip Saturday at Boston.

Red Wings: Complete a three-game homestand Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

PESCE SCORES TWICE, LEADS HURRICANES OVER BLUE JACKETS 6-2

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Brett Pesce had two goals, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2 on Thursday night to stop a four-game slide.

Seth Jarvis and Jaccob Slevin each had a goal and an assist for Carolina, which had won 11 in a row before its losing streak. Brent Burns and Jalen Chatfield each scored one of five goals by Hurricanes defensemen.

“Tonight we’re able to have good solid victory and just kind of get the gas on,” Slavin said. “We take a lot of pride in our defensive abilities, but to join in and contribute on the offensive side is awesome.”

Frederik Andersen stopped 21 shots in his first start after missing 29 games with a lower-body injury.

“He was steady,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “That’s the way he plays. We were all a little bit nervous on how he was going to play, because he just hasn’t played in forever. Good for him to bounce back. We needed it.”

Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Kuraly scored for Columbus in its third straight loss. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 35 shots.

Pesce put Carolina ahead to stay when he scored his third goal of the season 2:34 into the first period. He also scored 8:02 into the third, sliding home his own rebound after Korpisalo lost his helmet.

Chatfield gave the Hurricanes a 3-1 lead when he converted a short-handed breakaway at 15:52 of the second. It was his third goal of the season.

Slavin extended the Carolina advantage to 5-1 at 14:55 of the third before Gaudreau scored 32 seconds later. Jarvis made it 6-2 at with 3:15 left.

“We’ve got to simplify things,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. “You got to make sure that we’re managing the puck way better.”

200 AND COUNTING

Brind’Amour notched his 200th career coaching win, all of them behind the Carolina bench. Korpisalo played in his 200th NHL game.

INJURY REPORT

Carolina’s Max Pacioretty left in the first period with a lower-body injury, unrelated to his previous Achilles injury. … The Blue Jackets placed forward Carson Meyer on injured reserve after he suffered an oblique strain in Tuesday’s loss at Tampa Bay. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks. Eric Robinson also went on IR with an upper-body injury. Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins is suffering from a “lingering illness” and is day to day. Columbus recalled Trey Fix-Wolansky and goalie Jet Greeves from the minors.

RESCHEDULED

The Blue Jackets’ Dec. 27 game against Buffalo that was postponed because of weather issues was rescheduled for April 14 at Nationwide Arena.

UP NEXT

Hurricanes: Host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.

Blue Jackets: Visit the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.

FLAMES’ DUEHR 1ST PLAYER FROM SOUTH DAKOTA TO SCORE IN NHL

ST. LOUIS (AP) Walker Duehr made history with his first career NHL goal.

Duehr’s first goal for Calgary on Thursday night broke a scoreless tie in the second period, and the 23-year-old winger who was born in Sioux Falls became the first South Dakota-born player to score in the NHL.

“This shows that anybody who puts their head down and goes to work can achieve pretty great things,” Duehr said.

Dillon Dube scored twice in the third period and Dan Vladar made 25 saves, helping the Flames to a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues.

Dube broke a 1-all tie, scoring with 9:10 left in regulation and added an empty-netter in the final minutes. Blake Coleman pushed the lead to 3-1 with his eighth goal of the season with 3:56 left.

Calgary has recorded points in 16 of its last 19 games.

Duehr took a pass from Nazem Kadri late in the second period and wristed a shot past goalie Thomas Greiss, who had stopped 61 successive shots over his last three games. Nazem Kadri set up the goal with a pinpoint pass on a 2-on-1 breakout.

Calgary coach Darryl Sutter got a thrill out of seeing, Duehr get his first goal.

“Good for the young man,” Sutter said. “It’s awesome. Everybody always remembers their first.”

Maybe not Duehr.

“I think I blacked out,’ Duehr said. “It was a pretty cool feeling. Something you dream about.”

Duehr was called up over the weekend and made the second start of his career on Tuesday. He played in one game for the Flames in 2021.

“It was special to see the grin on his face,” Dube said. “I train with him and I know him pretty well. I’m happy for him. It’s a special night for sure. You enjoy it when someone does that. It was awesome, especially a big goal like that.”

Duehr’s goal seemed to ignite his teammates. Calgary scored three third-period goals in a span of 5:49.

Vladar, who wears No. 80, improved to 7-4-4 this season.

Jake Neighbours scored for St. Louis, which had won eight of its last nine against the Flames, including a 4-3 overtime decision on Tuesday.

Dube picked up a loose puck in the slot and broke a 1-all tie with his eighth goal of the season. He scored into an empty net with 3:21 left.

“We played a full 60 (minutes,)” Dube said.

Kadri was booed throughout the game. Last year, as a member of the Colorado Avalanche, he collided with St. Louis goalie Jordan Binnington in Game 3 of a second-round playoff series and ended Binnington’s season.

The Blues are without Vladimir Tarasenko (hand) and Ryan O’Reilly (foot) for four to six weeks.

Greiss made 36 saves and kept his team in the game over the first three periods.

“He was phenomenal tonight,” Neighbours said. “It’s a little frustrating.”

SIGHTSEEING

Calgary coach Darryl Sutter and his staff went to see the Budweiser Clydesdale horses on a day off in downtown St. Louis on Wednesday.

EXTRA DUTY NOT SO FUN

The Flames lead the NHL with 12 overtime games. They lost to Chicago in OT on Sunday before dropping a 4-3 extra-session decision to the Blues on Tuesday. The Flames are 2-6 in OT periods and 1-3 in shootouts.

UP NEXT

Flames: Continue a five-game trip in Dallas on Saturday.

Blues: Face Tampa Bay on Saturday in the third of seven successive home games.

RADDYSH SCORES IN THIRD AS BLACKHAWKS BEAT AVALANCHE 3-2

CHICAGO (AP) Taylor Raddysh snapped a tie in the third period, and the lowly Chicago Blackhawks beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Thursday night for their third straight victory.

Sam Lafferty and Andreas Athanasiou also scored for Chicago (11-25-4), and Petr Mrazek made 31 saves.

The Blackhawks had a 2-20-1 stretch before their win streak.

Cale Makar and Evan Rodrigues scored for Colorado (20-17-3), and Nathan MacKinnon had two assists. Pavel Francouz had 27 stops for the defending Stanley Cup champions.

The slumping Avalanche dropped to 1-6-1 in their last eight games.

Raddysh gave Chicago a 3-2 lead with a tip-in of Tyler Johnson’s perfect feed 6:36 into the third. It was Raddysh’s 11th goal of the season.

“We want to keep building on this,” Raddysh said.

Colorado’s Alex Newhook appeared to score with 4:51 remaining, poking in a rebound in the slot. But the Blackhawks challenged for goaltender interference, and the goal was disallowed by referees Kelly Sutherland and Jake Brenk.

“I was only worried it took so long to get it right,” Chicago coach Luke Richardson said. “The first thing I saw was (Mikko) Rantanen’s stick pushing Petr’s pad.”

The Avalanche tied it at 2 on Makar’s screened wrist shot with 8:13 left in the second. Mrazek never saw it coming.

The Blackhawks opened the scoring on Lafferty’s 20-foot wrist shot 3:24 into the game. The Avalanche then tied it at 1 on Rodrigues’ rebound backhand off MacKinnon’s shot at 11:40.

Chicago made it 2-1 when Athanasiou beat Francouz from the left slot after skating in from the deep right wing early in the second.

“Good to get the lead early and play in front of them,” Raddysh said. “They’re not an easy team to come back on.”

Mrazek picked up his first assist of the season and fourth of his career by starting the play. He also helped the Blackhawks kill all five Colorado power plays in his third win of the season.

“Cost us the game, simple as that,” Rodrigues said of the power-play trouble. “We’re losing (places) in the playoff race here, and we’ve got to figure it out pretty quickly.”

Newhook was hit in the nose by the deflected shot of teammate Devin Toews late in the second period. He went to the locker room for repairs, and then returned for the third.

KANE TO INJURED RESERVE

Blackhawks star Patrick Kane, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, was placed on injured reserve. He could play Saturday against Seattle if he’s ready. He skated on his own Thursday morning but didn’t participate in the team skate. Chicago activated MacKenzie Entwistle off injured reserve to fill Kane’s roster spot.

UP NEXT

Avalanche: Host Ottawa on Saturday night.

Blackhawks: Continue their seven-game homestand against Seattle on Saturday night.

***************MLB NEWS****************

BAUER RELEASED BY LOS ANGELES DODGERS AFTER SUSPENSION CUT

NEW YORK (AP) Trevor Bauer was released Thursday by the Los Angeles Dodgers after the pitcher’s unprecedented 324-game suspension over sexual misconduct allegations was reduced by an arbitrator.

Los Angeles designated Bauer for assignment on Jan. 6, the last day to restore him to the roster, after arbitrator Martin Scheinman cut the suspension imposed by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred from 324 to 194 games. The Dodgers placed the pitcher on waivers Thursday, and any team can claim Bauer by 1 p.m. EST Friday.

Bauer is owed about $22.5 million from the remainder of his $102 million, three-year contract, making a waiver claim unlikely. If the 2020 NL Cy Young Award winner is not claimed, any team can sign him after 2 p.m. EST Friday for the major league minimum of $720,000. The Dodgers would be responsible for the remainder of the $22,537,635 he is owed.

The suspenson has cost Bauer about $37.6 million in salary.

Manfred suspended Bauer last April for violating the league’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy after a San Diego woman said he beat and sexually abused her in 2021. Bauer has maintained he did nothing wrong, saying that everything that happened between him and the woman was consensual.

Bauer was never charged with a crime.

The players’ association filed a grievance on Bauer’s behalf, and a three-man panel headed by Scheinman ruled on Dec. 2. Scheinman concluded that Bauer violated MLB’s policy and docked his pay for the first 50 games of 2023, covering part of the period the pitcher was on paid leave in 2021 and ’22.

Bauer joined his hometown Dodgers before the 2021 season and was 8-5 with a 2.59 ERA in 17 starts before being placed on leave.

In February 2022, Los Angeles prosecutors decided not to charge Bauer for allegedly beating and sexually abusing the San Diego woman because they said they were unable to prove her accusations beyond a reasonable doubt.

The woman, who was 27 at the time, said Bauer choked her into unconsciousness, punched her repeatedly and sexually assaulted her during two sexual encounters.

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they have been victims of sexual assault.

Bauer said in a video posted on YouTube after the prosecutor’s decision that he and the woman engaged in rough sex at her suggestion and followed guidelines they agreed to in advance. Each encounter ended with her spending the night at his Pasadena home, he said.

“The disturbing acts and conduct that she described simply did not occur,” he said at the time.

The woman had sought a restraining order, but a judge denied it. The judge found that Bauer honored the woman’s boundaries when the woman set them, and could not have known about those he violated because she didn’t express them clearly.

**********TOP INDIANA RELEASES************

COLTS FOOTBALL

COLTS INTERVIEW KANSAS CITY CHIEFS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR ERIC BIENIEMY FOR HEAD COACH POSITION

The Colts on Thursday completed an interview for the team’s head coach position with Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

The Chiefs led the NFL with an average of 29.2 points per game in 2022, and have ranked in the top six in scoring in each of Bieniemy’s five years as offensive coordinator.

Bieniemy joined head coach Andy Reid’s staff in Kansas City in 2013 as running backs coach, and held that role until he was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2018. Prior to being hired by the Chiefs, Bieniemy was the University of Colorado’s offensive coordinator (2011-2012), the Minnesota Vikings’ running backs coach (2006-2009) and assistant head coach/running backs (2010), UCLA’s running backs coach (2003-2005) and the Colorado’s running backs coach (2001-2002).

A running back himself, Bieniemy was selected in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He rushed for 1,589 yards and 11 touchdowns over 142 games between the Chargers (1991-1994), Cincinnati Bengals (1995-1998) and Philadelphia Eagles (1999).

COLTS INTERVIEW DENVER BRONCOS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR EJIRO EVERO FOR HEAD COACH POSITION

The Colts on Thursday completed an interview for the team’s head coaching position with Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

Evero spent 2022 as the Denver Broncos’ defensive coordinator. The Broncos ranked sixth in yards per play allowed (5.0) and second on third down (34.1 percent) in 2022.

Prior to joining the Broncos, Evero served as the Los Angeles Rams’ safeties coach from 2017-2020 and secondary coach/pass game coordinator in 2021.

Evero was a defensive quality control coach for the Green Bay Packers in 2016, and over five seasons with the San Francisco 49ers was a quality control coach (2011), offensive assistant (2012-2013) and defensive assistant (2014-2015). He also spent three seasons (2007-2009) as a defensive quality control coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Evero began his coaching career at his alma mater, UC Davis, as an assistant in 2005.

PACERS BASKETBALL

TYRESE HALIBURTON MEDICAL UPDATE

The Indiana Pacers announced on Thursday that guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered a left elbow sprain and a mild left knee bone contusion during the third quarter of Wednesday night’s game at New York. He underwent an MRI this afternoon on his elbow and knee in Indianapolis and the team is awaiting additional opinion on the results of those scans.

Haliburton will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks and updates will be provided as appropriate.

GAME PREVIEW: PACERS VS HAWKS

The Pacers (23-19) will be going for their seventh straight home win on Friday night when they open a two-game homestand against the Atlanta Hawks (19-22).

Indiana has won six in a row at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, a streak that actually started on Dec. 27 with a 129-114 victory over Atlanta. The Blue & Gold’s offense has been rolling at home over the past couple weeks, averaging 123.5 points over six victories.

The Pacers have, however, dropped both of their road games over that span, including a 119-113 loss on Wednesday in New York, where they nearly erased a 25-point deficit against the Knicks but came up just short.

The larger concern coming out of Wednesday’s game is the health of some of Indiana’s best players. Starting center Myles Turner was scratched shortly before tipoff after experiencing back spasms, while star point guard Tyrese Haliburton exited in the third quarter and did not return after injury his left knee.

The Pacers performed admirably down the stretch without Turner and Haliburton, but will be without at least one of them for the next couple weeks. The team announced Thursday that Haliburton sustained a left elbow sprain and a mild left knee bone contusion and will be reevaluated in two weeks. With Haliburton sidelined, rookie guard Andrew Nembhard will likely have to slide over onto the ball to run the point in his absence and reserve guards Bennedict Mathurin and Chris Duarte will likely see increased minutes.

If Turner is also sidelined (he’s listed as questionable for Friday), added responsibility will fall on a trio of young big men — Jalen Smith, Isaiah Jackson, and Goga Bitadze.

While the Pacers now face the challenge of playing without Haliburton, who leads the NBA in assists, the Hawks played Wednesday without All-Star point guard Trae Young, who is right behind Haliburton on the NBA leaderboard. Young, who also ranks 10th in the NBA in scoring at 27.5 points per game, missed a 114-105 loss to Milwaukee due to illness but is expected to be back in the lineup on Friday.

Atlanta has dropped six of its last eight while facing a difficult schedule. The Hawks made a big move over the offseason to acquire 26-year-old guard Dejounte Murray from San Antonio. Murray has averaged 20.1 points and 6.1 assists for Atlanta this season, but struggled without Young next to him in the backcourt on Wednesday, scoring just nine points on 4-of-16 shooting.

Projected Starters

Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Buddy Hield, F – James Johnson, C – Jalen Smith

Hawks: G – Aaron Holiday, G – Dejounte Murray, G – De’Andre Hunter, F – John Collins, C – Onyeka Okongwu

Injury Report

Pacers: Oshae Brissett – questionable (sore left hamstring), Aaron Nesmith – questionable (non-COVID illness), Myles Turner – questionable (back spasms), Kendall Brown – out (right tibia stress reaction), Tyrese Haliburton – out (left elbow sprain/left knee bone contusion), Daniel Theis – out (right knee surgery)

Hawks: Clint Capela – out (right calf strain), Tyrese Martin – out (G League assignment)

Last Meeting

Dec. 27, 2022: The Pacers bounced back from a 20-point loss the night before in New Orleans, carrying a double-digit lead for much of the night and blowing the game open in the fourth quarter in a 129-114 win over Atlanta for an impressive bounce-back performance.

Buddy Hield led Indiana with a game-high 28 points, going 11-for-16 from the field and 6-for-7 from 3-point range while pulling down nine rebounds.

“In this league, when you have one bad game, you get another night to prove yourself in less than 24 hours or 48 hours,” Hield said.

Tyrese Haliburton scored 12 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and dished out seven assists, while three other Pacers scored between 16 and 18 points in the victory.

John Collins had a team-high 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting and 10 rebounds for Atlanta before fouling out with 5:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. Trae Young added 22 points and 10 assists, while Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 18.

Noteworthy

The Hawks swept four games against the Pacers last season, but Indiana can take the season series with a win on Friday. The Pacers and Hawks meet just three times this year in the regular season with their final meeting scheduled for March 25 in Atlanta.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle and Hawks head coach Nate McMillan rank third and fourth among active coaches on the NBA’s career wins list. Carlisle is 14th on the all-time list with 884 career wins, while McMillan is 18th with 750 victories.

The Hawks roster features two former Pacers in brothers Aaron and Justin Holiday. Aaron Holiday was drafted by Indiana in 2018 and played his first three seasons with the Pacers, while Justin Holiday played for the Blue & Gold from 2019-22.

Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)

TV: Bally Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)

Tickets

The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, Jan. 13 at 7:00 PM ET.

INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL

Opening Tip

• Indiana University continues its 123rd season of competition in men’s basketball with a home matchup against No. 18/18 Wisconsin at 1 p.m. ET on Jan. 14 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The game will be broadcast on CBS.

• The Badgers, led by eighth-year head coach Greg Gard, sport an 11-4 record and a 3-2 mark in B1G play. The game will mark the fourth ranked opponent for IU this season.

Game Information

Jan. 14, 2023 • 1 p.m. ET

Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) • Bloomington, Ind.

TV: CBS (Spero Dedes, Bill Raftery, Jay Wright)

Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)

Series History: Indiana leads, 96-80

Last Meeting: WIS 74, IU 69 on Feb. 15, 2022 in Bloomington

Series History

• Indiana holds a 96-80 lead over Wisconsin. The Badgers have claimed the win in 24 of the last 27 games in the series dating back to the start of the 2007-08 season.

• The Hoosiers fell in a pair of five-point losses to the Badgers a season ago. Indiana held the lead for 63 total minutes in the two games. Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis averaged 19.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.0 blocks in the two games.

• Indiana holds a record of 3-16 record all time against a ranked Wisconsin squad when playing as an unranked team. All three victories came in Bloomington with the most recent coming in a 75-73 result on Feb. 26, 2019.

Last Time Out

• Indiana lost for the third-straight outing in an 85-66 result at Penn State on Jan. 11. The Nittany Lions drilled 18 3-point field goals in the game, the most by a Hoosier opponent in the last 25 seasons.

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis posted a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double with four assists and two blocks in the loss.

• Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino (11), sophomore guard Tamar Bates (11), and junior guard Trey Galloway (10) all scored in double figures.

Fino on the Rise

• After hitting double figures in the scoring column just twice in his first six collegiate games, freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino has scored 10-plus points in seven-straight games.

• During the seven-game run, Hood-Schifino is averaging 17.9 points on 51.2% shooting from the floor and 56.3% shooting from the 3-point line. The Montverde Academy product has made 2.7 3-pointers since returning to the lineup at Kansas on Dec. 17.

• Hood-Schifino scored a career-best 33 points on 12-of-17 shooting from the floor and 5-of-7 shooting from the 3-point line against Northwestern on Jan. 8.

• JHS ranks third among all freshmen in the Big Ten in scoring (13.2 points per game), first in assists (4.5), fifth in rebounds (4.4), and fifth in made 3-pointers per game (1.7).

Shuffling the Deck

• Indiana has utilized seven starting lineup combinations through the first 16 games of the season, compared to just four different starting units a season ago.

• Junior forward Jordan Geronimo (Jan. 8) and sophomore guard Tamar Bates (Jan. 5) have each earned their first collegiate starts this season.

Notable Statistical Performances

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis pulled down a career-best 24 rebounds against Northwestern on Jan. 8. The tally marked the most by a Hoosier in a single game since Steve Downing had 25 against Kentucky on December 11, 1971 and the most rebounds by a Big Ten player since Aaron Johnson had 24 for Penn State on Nov. 15, 2004.

• Jackson-Davis recorded the third triple-double in Indiana basketball history with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and a career-high 10 assists against Nebraska on Dec. 7.

• The Center Grove product blocked a career-high nine shots at No. 8/6 Kansas on Dec. 17, the second most by an IU player. Steve Downing blocked a school-record 10 shots against Michigan on Feb. 23, 1971.

• Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino netted a career-high 33 points for Indiana on Jan. 8 against Northwestern, the highest point total by a Hoosier freshman since Eric Gordon scored 33 against Chattanooga on Nov. 12, 2007.

• Junior forward Jordan Geronimo blocked a combined 10 shots against Miami (Ohio) on Nov. 20 and Little Rock on Nov. 23. The tally marked the most by a Hoosier off the bench since 1996-97.

Chasing History

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis currently sits eighth all-time at IU in scoring (1,814), fourth in rebounds (923), and second in blocked shots (214). He joins Alan Henderson as the only Hoosiers to be top-10 all-time in career scoring, rebounding, and blocks.

• The Center Grove product is the only active player in the country to tally at least 1,800 career points, 900 career rebounds, and 200 career blocks. In the last 25 seasons, only 22 players have achieved those numbers in college basketball. Three (Kyle Hines; UNCG, Shawn Long; ULL, and Nathan Knight; WMU) have produced those numbers on a higher career scoring average.

• Jackson-Davis is one of two Power 5 players (Zach Edey; Purdue) to average at least 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game this season.

Double Double, Double Double (CAREER)

Trayce Jackson-Davis: 38; last at Penn State, 1/11/23

Race Thompson: 9; last vs. Elon, 12/20/22

Xavier Johnson: 4; last at Arizona, 12/10/22

Jordan Geronimo: 1; vs. Merrimack, 12/12/21

Other Notables

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis recorded the third triple-double in Indiana basketball history with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and a career-high 10 assists against Nebraska on Dec. 7. He added three blocks and three steals in the win.

• Jackson-Davis joined historic company of triple-doubles in IU history. Juwan Morgan notched a 10-point, 10-rebound, and 10-assist triple-double against Jacksonville on Dec. 22, 2018. Steve Downing tallied 28 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 blocks against Michigan on Feb. 23, 1971.

• TJD is the first player to compile a triple-double with at least three blocks and three steals since Luke Walton accomplished the feat with 27 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, four blocks, and four steals against USC on Jan. 17, 2002.

• Junior guard Trey Galloway scored a career-best 20 points on a career-high 4-of-6 shooting from the 3-point line in the win over the Huskers on Dec. 7.

• Sophomore guard Tamar Bates scored 19 points on a career-high five 3-point baskets on Dec. 7 against Nebraska.

• Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino had 17 points along with seven assists, two rebounds, and two steals against Elon.

• Freshman guard CJ Gunn scored a career-high 11 points, on 5-of-10 shooting as well as three rebounds, three assists, and two steals versus Elon.

• Sophomore guard Tamar Bates led Indiana in scoring against Kennesaw State on Dec. 23 with 19 points.

• Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino scored 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting against the Owls on Dec. 23.

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis secured his eighth-career 30-point game in Indiana’s 91-89 loss at Iowa on Jan. 5. He added a team-best nine rebounds and three blocked shots.

• Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino became the third Hoosier to score at least 20 points in their Big Ten debut in the last 25 years with 21 points at Iowa on Jan. 5.  He canned 5-of-8 shots from behind the 3-point line.

• Hood-Schifino joined NBA Lottery Draft picks Eric Gordon (25 points at Iowa in 2008) and Romeo Langford (20 points against Northwestern in 2018) on the exclusive list.

• Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino had a career-high 33 points on 12-of-17 from the field and 5-of-7 from the 3-point line against Northwestern on Jan. 8.

• The 33-point outburst were the highest output by an IU freshman since Eric Gordon also scored 33 on Nov. 12, 2007 against Chattanooga.

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis had 18 points, a career-high 24 rebounds, eight assists, and four blocks against the Wildcats.

• His 24 rebounds were the most by a Hoosier in a single game since Steve Downing had 25 against Kentucky on December 11, 1971 and the most rebounds by a Big Ten player since Aaron Johnson had 24 for Penn State on Nov. 15, 2004.

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis had 14 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks at Penn State on Jan. 11. The game marked his 38th career double-double.

• Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis has swatted at least two shots in 31 of his last 48 games played.

• Indiana’s debut starting lineup of fifth-year senior guard Xavier Johnson, freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, fifth-year senior forward Miller Kopp, sixth-year senior forward Race Thompson, and senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis is 6-0 in games in which all five start and finish the game this season.

• Four of Indiana’s five starters from the start of the season have missed a total of 13 games due to injury.

• The Hoosiers was ranked in each of the first 10 (including preseason) Associated Press Top-25 Polls, the longest streak to open a season for IU since the 2016-17 season.

INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Four players scored in double figures as No. 6 Indiana picked up a top 10 victory with a win over No. 9/11 Maryland, 68-61, on Thursday night inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

KEY MOMENTS

After a slow start, paired with a couple of turnovers, the Hoosiers went bucket for bucket with the Terrapins throughout the quarter, thanks to a pair of threes, one each from freshman guard Yarden Garzon and junior guard Sydney Parrish. The Hoosiers trailed by one point, 20-19, going into the second.

The Hoosiers had a lightning quick start to the second quarter thanks to a pair of threes from Parrish. The Hoosiers controlled the paint throughout the quarter, on both the offensive and defensive end, keeping the Terrapins scoreless over a span of 5 minutes. The Hoosiers took at 35-27 lead into halftime, shooting 53 percent from the field and 50 percent from the three.

Coming out of halftime, the Hoosiers were able to control the paint, however struggled at the free throw line. The Hoosiers defense, however, was able to keep the Terrapins shooting 2 for their last 10 field goals to close out the third quarter. The Hoosiers took a 48-42 lead into the fourth.

Following a slow start to the fourth, the Terrapins were able to tie the game up at 50 with 6-minutes left in the game. The Hoosiers proceeded to go on a 7-0 run, getting to the paint with ease, controlling the momentum. The Hoosiers were able to close out the game going 6 of 8 from the line. The Hoosiers defeated the Terrapins 68-61. Senior forward Mackenzie Holmes finished the contest with a double-double, shooting 70% from the floor, scoring 15 points 10 rebounds. The Hoosiers shot 51% from the floor and 40% from behind the arc.

NOTABLE

Junior guard Sydney Parrish was the first to double-digits, scoring 13 in the first half and finishing the game with 18 points

Senior forward Mackenzie Holmes scored 15 points, her 17th-consecutive ballgame with double-digit points.

She also pulled down 10 rebounds, recording her fourth-straight double-double and the seventh of the season.

Freshman guard Yarden Garzon and graduate student guard Grace Berger both scored 11 points in the win.

Berger matched a season high, dishing out eight assists.

IU shot 51 percent from the field and held the Terrapins to just 36.8 percent shooting and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.

The Hoosiers picked up their second top-10 win of the season, the first time in the Teri Moren era and the first time since 2001-02 that the program has won two games in the same campaign against top-10 opposition.

IU outrebounded Maryland 37-29 and scored 32 points in the paint compared to the Terrapins’ 18.

The 15-1 start to the season is the best in program history since beginning the 1974-75 season at 16-1.

IU has now beaten Maryland in three of the past four games.

With the win, Moren moves within one game of matching the all-time coaching victories record in program history. She now has 187 career wins in nine seasons at the helm of Indiana.

QUOTABLE

Indiana head coach Teri Moren

“It was a really good win. They’re all good, they’re all hard and good. After you look at the stat sheet, that was a hard played game by two really good teams. I’m proud of our stick to it ness tonight, our resilience, our toughness, especially when they tied it up. We had to make a stand and I thought we did that defensively. We finally found some action that was good for us offensively. Put the ball in Grace Berger’s hands and had her being our decision maker out there. Inside of every game, we left a lot of points out there from the free throw line tonight and that kind of happened throughout. that’s very uncharacteristic of our team, but I’m really happy. I said going into this that our turnovers had to be low. Some of those were not just live ball turnovers, some of them were charges and so forth. That’s disappointing to see that number 19, but at the end of the night, when you shoot 57 percent from the free throw, you have 19 turnovers, but you still manage to find a way to win, that’s gritty basketball. I’m really happy for our guys tonight.”

UP NEXT

The Hoosiers host Wisconsin on Sunday for the annual Head to the Hall Day where all tickets for all fans are $1. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. ET.

INDIANA FOOTBALL

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – As the dust settles on the 2022 college football season, the Football Writers Association of America has announced that Indiana freshman running back/kick returner Jaylin Lucas was named to the publications 32-person Freshman All-America team.

Lucas is the first Hoosier to earn Freshman All-America honors from the FWAA since Ted Bolser in 2010 and the third overall (John Kerr, 2002). He is just the second Big Ten kick returner to earn freshman honors from the FWAA (K.J. Hamler, Penn State; 2018).

He is the first IU return specialist to earn All-Big Ten honors and the first true freshman to win the Rodgers–Dwight Return Specialist of the Year (both began in 2015).

The first Indiana kick returner to garner All-America status since Marcus Thigpen during the 2006 season, Lucas was a first-team All-American selection by USA Today, Walter Camp, Pro Football Focus and CBSSports.com, the AFCA tabbed him second team and Phil Steele had him as an honorable mention. Along with the FWAA, The Athletic named him as a first-team Freshman All-American, as did Pro Football Focus. A full list of honors and awards can be found at the bottom of this release.

With two return touchdowns, Lucas is No. 2 on both the IU single season and career charts after one season on campus. He trails Thigpen (2005-08), who returned all three of his career kickoffs for scores during the 2006 campaign. His two kickoff return touchdowns rank tied for No. 7 among active FBS student-athletes, as well.

With 591 kickoff return yards, Lucas finished No. 12 in a single season in program history and led the Big Ten in the category. His 28.1 yards per return rank No. 4 nationally. He added 271 yards rushing and 82 yards receiving to total 994 all-purpose yards on the season to lead the team. That total is the most in a season by an IU player since Whop Philyor (1,094) in 2019.

The Houma, Louisiana, native is the first Hoosier since Tevin Coleman in 2014 with three 70-yard scoring plays in a single season. Both of his kickoff return scores covered 80-plus yards and he added a 71-yard rushing touchdown in the season finale versus Purdue as part of his first career 100-yard rushing game.

2022 Postseason Honors

Aaron Casey – Third-team All-Big Ten (Pro Football Focus), fourth-team All-Big Ten (Phil Steele), honorable mention All-Big Ten (B1G media), Big Ten Sportsmanship Award

James Evans – Honorable mention All-Big Ten (B1G coaches & media)

Cam Jones – Honorable mention All-Big Ten (B1G coaches & media)

Jaylin Lucas – All-America (AFCA, 2nd; CBS Sports, 1st; Phil Steele, HM; Pro Football Focus, 1st; Walter Camp, 1st; USA Today, 1st), Freshman All-America (The Athletic, 1st; Pro Football Focus, 1st; FWAA), Big Ten’s Rodgers–Dwight Return Specialist of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten (B1G coaches & media, Phil Steele, Pro Football Focus, Associated Press)

Tiawan Mullen – Fourth-team All-Big Ten (Phil Steele), honorable mention All-Big Ten (B1G coaches & media).

Sean Wracher – Second-team All-Big Ten (Phil Steele)

PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL

#3 PURDUE RETURNS HOME TO HOST NEBRASKA ON FRIDAY

GAMEDAY INFO

Friday, January 13, 2023

[3] Purdue (15-1, 4-1) vs. Nebraska (9-8, 2-4)

West Lafayette, Ind. | Mackey Arena (14,876)

TELEVISION: BTN | RADIO: Purdue Sports Network

ANNOUNCERS: Dave Revsine, Stephen Bardo

THE NOTES TO KNOW

• Sandwiched between two-game road trips on each end, the No. 3-ranked Purdue men’s basketball team hosts Nebraska under the lights of Mackey Arena on Friday. It will close out the two-game regular-season series with the Cornhuskers, after Purdue prevailed in overtime, 65-62, in early December in Lincoln.

• Friday’s game marks the return of The Paint Crew, which hasn’t been at a game in over a month (Dec. 7 vs. Hofstra). Against Big Ten foes since 2014-15 and with The Paint Crew in attendance, Purdue is 50-5. If you exclude the 2019-20 season (5-4), Purdue is 45-1 with The Paint Crew in attendance in that span (lone loss: Feb. 7, 2018 vs. Ohio State). Purdue has won 20 straight games with The Paint Crew in attendance.

• Purdue’s 15-1 record through 16 games ties the program’s best mark through 16 games (1987-88, 1993-94, 2010-11). A win over Nebraska gives Purdue a 16-1 record for the first time since the 1993-94 season.

• A Purdue win would be the 1,900th in school history, the 11th team to reach that total. Purdue is 1,899-1,054 (.643) all-time.

• Matt Painter needs one victory to become the fifth coach in Big Ten history with 400 victories while at a conference school (Bob Knight, Tom Izzo, Gene Keady, Lou Henson). He needs two victories to become the seventh coach with 200 Big Ten Conference victories.

• Purdue can claim America’s best resume, being the only team in America with six quad-1 wins, five of them against teams ranked in the NCAA Net’s top 30 (Gonzaga, Ohio State, West Virginia, Marquette, Duke). Five of the wins (Marquette) have come away from Mackey Arena. Through Wednesday’s games, Alabama, Kansas, Arizona and Miami (Fla.) have five quad-1 victories.

• Since the start of last year, Purdue owns a 44-9 record, good for the fourth-most wins in the country. The next closest teams in the Big Ten for wins in that same span are Iowa and Wisconsin with 36 overall wins each.

• After struggling shooting the ball for the majority of the season, Purdue has gone 26-of-61 (.426) from 3-point range over the last five halves of basketball. Prior to this stretch, Purdue was 93-of-309 (.301) from long range.

• For the second straight year, Purdue has been voted No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll. A year ago, Purdue was voted No. 1 on Dec. 6, for the first time in school history. Purdue becomes the first Big Ten program since Indiana (1974-75, 1975-76) to be ranked No. 1 in consecutive seasons.

• Appearing at No. 3 in this week’s AP Top 25 poll, Purdue has been ranked in the top 5 in consecutive years for the first time since the 1986-87 and 1987-88 seasons. The Boilermakers have spent 19 of the past 29 AP polls ranked in the top 5. Only Gonzaga (22) has spent more time in the top 5 than Purdue since the start of last season. Purdue’s 26 appearances in the top 10 during that span are second behind Kansas (29).

• One year after ranking second in the country in rebound margin, Purdue leads the country in rebound margin (+11.8) this season. Purdue leads Tennessee (2nd) by 1.9 rebounds per game, the largest margin from first to second in the category since 2016-17 (+3.3 by North Carolina).

• Purdue has MADE 262 free throws this season, while opponents have SHOT just 160. Purdue has made 145 more free throws (262 to 117) than its foes this season, the highest discrepancy in the nation (Purdue +145, North Carolina +134, Providence +134, Arizona +121).

• Purdue has held 28 straight opponents to 75 or fewer points, the second-longest streak in the country (North Texas 49).

• Zach Edey ranks No. 1 in the KenPom POY ratings by a significant margin and has been the game MVP in 13 of the 15 Purdue games that he has played in (missed New Orleans with the flu). Edey has scored 10 or more points in 32 straight games with eight straight double-doubles.

• Perhaps our favorite Zach Edey stat: Through his 15 games this year, he has more blocked shots (31) than personal fouls (26). He has also played 30 minutes 10 times this season after not doing it once in his first two seasons. Edey is averaging just 2.2 fouls / 40 minutes.

• Over the last two games (both road games), freshmen Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith are averaging a combined 29.5 points and 8.0 assists per game. The duo is shooting 21-of-44 (.477) from the field and 13-of-25 (.520) from 3-point range in that span.

BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL

BUTLER AND VILLANOVA SLATED FOR FRIDAY NIGHT AT HINKLE FIELDHOUSE

Butler (10-8, 2-5 BIG EAST) vs. Villanova (8-9, 2-4 BIG EAST)

Friday, Jan. 13;  7PM

Hinkle Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Ind.

TV: FS1 – Brandon Gaudin & Nick Bahe

Radio: 1430AM – @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)

Varsity Network Radio App, SiriusXM 381, SXM App 971

THE SERIES: Villanova Leads, 15-5

Streak: Villanova, W2

At Hinkle: Villanova Leads, 5-4

First Meeting: VU, 62-54; 11/30/96

Last Meeting: VU, 78-59; 3/5/22

Bulldogs vs. Villanova

• The teams first met in the 1996 Puerto Rico Shootout; current Director of Athletics Barry Collier was Butler’s head coach at the time.

• The remainder of the match-ups have come since Butler joined the BIG EAST prior to the 2013-14 season.

• Four of Butler’s five wins in the series have come at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

• Butler is 4-2 against Villanova in the six most recent meetings at Hinkle Fieldhouse; Villanova was ranked No. 1 nationally in two of those Butler wins.

Of Note:

• According to KenPom, Butler has played the nation’s 14th-toughest schedule so far this season.

• Butler is committing only 12.6 fouls per game, which leads the nation.

• Butler is 7-2 at Hinkle Fieldhouse this season, averaging 75.1 points per game while hitting 50 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range.

• Matta is 20-3 at Hinkle Fieldhouse as the head coach at Butler (2000-01 and the current 2021-22 seasons).

• Butler’s top five scorers each are averaging double figures, and all five have appeared in all 18 games for the Bulldogs.

• With the addition of Ali Ali to the first five Tuesday at St. John’s, the Bulldogs utilized their third different starting line-up of the season.

• Ali became the seventh different Bulldog to register double figures in a game this season with his 10 points Tuesday at St. John’s.

• Against St. John’s, Ali posted season-highs in points (10), rebounds (4), assists (4), steals (2), and minutes (33). Ali missed the first 11 games of the season (nasal surgery/concussion symptoms).

• With 17 points at St. John’s, Chuck Harris led the Bulldogs in scoring for the fifth time this season and 26th time in his career.

• Harris, Manny Bates and Jayden Taylor have each led the Bulldogs in scoring in at least five games this season (includes ties).

• Butler committed 22 turnovers in Tuesday’s loss at St. John’s, the second-highest total of the season. Through the team’s first six BIG EAST games, Butler was averaging a league-best 9.7 turnovers per game.

• The game also had Butler force St. John’s into 18 turnovers with the Bulldogs collecting 12 steals. The 12 steals were the second-most of the season for Butler.

• Only three of Butler’s 18 games this season have been decided by single digits.

• Simas Lukosius scored 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting at St. John’s; he had averaged only 5.2 points per game over the six games prior to that.

• Jalen Thomas has led the Bulldogs in rebounding in three of his seven games played this season since returning from a pulmonary embolism.

• Butler is 10-0 this season when leading at halftime.

• Butler is 10-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points.

• The Bulldogs are 7-0 this season when out-rebounding its opponent.

• Butler has shot 50 percent or better from the field nine times already this season; the Bulldogs hit the 50-percent mark six times all of last season (31 games). In a similar fashion, Butler already has eight games this season shooting 40 percent or better from three-point range, which was only done four times during the 2021-22 season.

• Among active coaches with at least 10 seasons of NCAA Division I experience, Thad Matta’s .735 winning percentage ranks fourth (Few, Self, Calipari).

• Butler has placed all five starters in double figures three times this season, with the most recent coming at Cal Dec. 10.

• Harris is now 21st in Butler history in career three-pointers (123).

• Bates has 35 blocks already this season, moving him just two away from tenth on Butler’s single-season list.

• Bates is 16th nationally with a 62.8 field goal percentage and is 35st nationally in blocks per game at 1.9 per game.

• Bates is shooting 62 percent in BIG EAST play, good for fifth in the conference.

• Eric Hunter Jr. led the Bulldogs with a career-high 23 points in Butler’s most recent home game (a Jan. 4 win over DePaul). It marked the first time that Hunter led Butler in scoring this season.

• The New Year’s Day win over Georgetown was the third-most lopsided win by Butler over a BIG EAST opponent since joining the conference in 2013-14 (89-56, at St. John’s, 2/6/16; and 79-46, at DePaul, 3/6/14).

• Butler held Georgetown to 28.8-percent shooting in the win; it’s the third time since joining the BIG EAST that Butler has held a conference opponent under 30-percent shooting (vs. St. John’s, 1/27/18 and at Seton Hall, 1/25/17).

IUPUI MEN’S BASKETBALL

JAGUARS THWARTED BY THREE-POINT LINE IN 70-55 HOME LOSS

INDIANAPOLIS – The almighty three-point line proved to be the enemy as the IUPUI basketball team fell at home to Purdue Fort Wayne inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Thursday night (Jan. 12), 70-55. IUPUI connected on just one three and saw the visiting Mastodons connect on 11-of-31 hoists from deep.

Graduate transfer Chris Osten paced a balanced IUPUI attack with 12 points and eight rebounds and both Jlynn Counter and DJ Jackson finished with nine points each. Vincent Brady II closed with seven points. Jarred Godfrey had 22 points for the victors and Deonte Billups closed with 15 points.

IUPUI (3-15, 0-7 HL) outrebounded the Mastodons by a 36-32 margin, cut down their turnovers to just 12 miscues and held Purdue Fort Wayne (12-6, 4-3 HL) under 40 percent for the game, but was ultimately outgunned from deep. The Jaguars’ lone trey was a Brady make late in the first half.

“We just didn’t make shots, plain and simple. We let some of their guys get going early and it’s really hard to match when you’re getting twos and giving up threes. That was a veteran team that knows how to play together and we’re playing a lot of new guys who are still figuring our what college basketball is all about,” head coach Matt Crenshaw said. “I liked our fight. We didn’t back down and in fact, I thought we punched back.

“We’ve got a lot more basketball to play, so I think our guys learned a lot about themselves tonight.”

Purdue Fort Wayne’s first four field goals of the night came from beyond the arc, but IUPUI was still even at 12 all after Daylan Hamilton made a pair of free throws. A 9-0 PFW run made it 21-12, capped by a BIllups three, before Hamilton and Marlon Taylor got back-to-back buckets.

As was the story all night, each time IUPUI made a move, the Mastodons countered with a trey. IUPUI trailed 34-28 with 18:11 left when Jackson banked in a runner, but the guests fired back with six straight to push their lead to 12.

IUPUI closed within five on two different occasions, but never got closer that two possessions.

Osten continued his efficient work on the inside, hitting 6-of-8 shots to fuel IUPUI’s 36-22 edge in points in the paint. Jackson finished with a career-high nine as he was reinserted into the starting five while Counter handed out a game-high five assists against just one turnover.

Hamilton added five boards and three steals and freshman Amhad Jarrard delivered four assists from the lead guard spot.

IUPUI will return to action when the Jaguars host Cleveland State on Saturday (Jan. 14) at noon inside the Coliseum.

BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HOSTS RIVAL MIAMI SATURDAY IN MACTION

Game 17 | Ball State (12-4, 2-1 MAC) vs. Miami (6-10, 1-2 MAC)

Jan. 12 | Muncie, Ind. | Worthen Arena | 11 am ET

Opening Tip:

– Ball State is looking to get back on the winning track after falling to 76-83 to Toledo Wednesday night in Savage Arena. Ball State placed four in double digits with Marie Kiefer leading the way with a season best 19 points. Sophomore Ally Becki chipped in 17 points while teammate Thelma Dis Agustsdottir had 14 points. Rounding out the double figure scoring was redshirt senior Anna Clephane with 11.

– Saturday’s game against Miami will mark the 71st time in program history the two schools have met with the RedHawks leading the all-time series 40-30. Ball State won the two-game series over Miami in 2021 defeating the RedHawks 85-82 in Worthen Arena on Jan. 27, 2021 and then again in Oxford, Ohio 79-77 on Feb. 13, 2021. In their lone contest in 2022, the Cardinals posted a 67-64 victory against thee RedHawks in Worthen Arena Jan. 24.  Ball State has won four of the last five meetings against Miami.

– Miami rallied from a double-digit second-half deficit to stun Kent State 84-76 in overtime Wednesday night at Millett Hall. Ivy Wolf scored a game-high 25 points for the RedHawks, while Peyton Scott added 22 points, seven rebounds and seven steals before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. Amani Freeman contributed 15 points and a game-high nine rebounds, with Maddi Cluse adding 12 points. Sierra Morrow scored all six of her points in overtime and had six blocks (one shy of the school record).

– Since the 1989-90 season, the Cardinals have won 20 of the last 30 meetings against the RedHawks. Out of all the Ball State women’s basketball coaches, Brady Sallee owns the best record over Miami at 11-1.

– It may be cold outside but the Cardinals tend to get hot in the month of January under 11th-year head coach Brady Sallee. Sallee owns an overall record of 52-28 (.650) in the month of January dating back to his first season in 2012-13.

When BSU Scores 80+ We Win:

When the Cardinals score 80+ points this season it results in a victory for Ball State. The Cardinals are 8-0 when the reach the 80 point plateau with wins over Indiana University East (105-51), Butler (84-68), Utah State (80-55), Western Kentucky (82-76), Saint Louis (85-51), Tarleton State (80-77), Chicago State (119-53) and Bowling Green (81-73).

Fast Facts:

– Redshirt senior Anna Clephane has 983 points for her career and only needs 17 points to become the 10th player under Brady Sallee to reach the 1,000 point milestone. Clephane is first on the team in scoring averaging 12.9 points per game.

 – Sophomore Marie Kiefer has proven to be a great defender for the Cardinals. She currently sits in 12th place all-time in blocked shots with 72 and so far has 24 total this season. Kiefer averages 1.4 blocks per contest.

– Graduate senior Thelma Dis Agustsdottir has found her rhythm behind the arc again as she currently leads the team with 47 three’s so far this season. Agustsdottir has 265 total 3-pointers for her career and sits in fourth place all-time. She needs one more to move up to third place which is currently being held by former Cardinal Jill Morrison (2013-17) with 266 3-pointers.

Home Sweet Home:

John E. Worthen Arena has been very good to the Cardinals for the past decade. Ball State has a record of 165-85 (.653) at Worthen Arena from 2004-present. In 11 seasons Brady Sallee has compiled a 100-50 (.658) record in Worthen Arena. His best season at home was in 2017- 18 when the Cardinals went 15-3 in Muncie. So far this season the Cardinals are undefeated at home with a 7-0 mark.

BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL

BALL STATE, EASTERN MICHIGAN SELECTED FOR TELEVISION

CLEVELAND – The Mid-American Conference announced today that two additional MAC contests have been added to the men’s basketball television package.

Ball State will host Eastern Michigan on Friday, February 3rd at 6:30 PM ET. The game will air live on CBS Sports Network. Additionally, ESPNU will air the Kent State at Akron contest later that day at 9:00 PM ET.

Check GetSomeMACtion.com for all the latest MAC news, notes and statistics. You can also get all of the latest on MAC Basketball via Twitter at @MACSports.

MAC Men’s Basketball Wildcard TV Selections

Friday, February 3- – Eastern Michigan at Ball State, 6:30 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network)

Friday, February 3 — Kent State at Akron, 9 p.m. ET (ESPNU)

BALL STATE FOOTBALL

BRADY HUNT NAMED FWAA FRESHMAN ALL AMERICAN

MUNCIE, Ind. – – Ball State football tight end Brady Hunt was named a Freshman All-American Thursday (Jan. 12) afternoon by the Football Writers Association of America.

Hunt is the first Cardinals tight end to earn the honor and the fifth BSU player all-time to be named an FWAA Freshman All-American.

It is the third Freshman All-American honor Hunt has earned this season, along with being named to the College Football News and The Athletic Freshman All-American squads. A 2022 First Team All-Mid-American Conference selection, he has also earned praise as a Phil Steele First Team All-MAC honoree and a Pro Football Focus (PFF) College Second Team All-MAC selection.

A converted high school quarterback, the Muncie, Indiana, native was in his first full season as a tight end. He caught 46 passes for 498 yards and five touchdowns for the Cardinals. Hunt secured multiple catches in 11 of 12 games, including six games of at least four grabs.

In conference play, Hunt had 34 catches for 401 yards and four scores. Across the last four contests of the season, he totaled 22 receptions for 229 yards. His five touchdowns this season tied him for the 12th-most among all tight ends in college football.

NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL

GAME 18 PREVIEW: REVENGE IN MIND

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – “Winning is contagious.” The Notre Dame men’s basketball squad will look to put that quote to the test on Saturday when they travel to New York to challenge Syracuse inside the JMA Wireless Dome. It’ll be a revenge matchup for the Irish, as they carry some momentum into the matchup from their 73-72 overtime win against Georgia Tech this past Tuesday. The Irish and Orange will square off at 7 p.m. ET on ACC Network.

ND vs SYRACUSE

Syracuse was Notre Dame’s first league game of the year and what was the first of a few last-minute ‘Unluck of the Irish’ moments. The first meeting between these two went like this:

Cormac Ryan, who connected on a big three with 1:16 on the clock, cut it to 60-58. An Irish defensive stand later and this time it was Marcus Hammond with a big and-one with the shot clock winding down which gave the Irish a 61-60 lead with 29.5 seconds left.

Out of the Syracuse timeout, the Orange converted on its next play with a layup, making it 62-61 visitors. Irish then had the ball with a chance to win it with 14.2 seconds left. With fouls to give, Syracuse brought the clock down to seven seconds. After the in-bounds play, the Irish were forced to take a tough three in the corner and it fell short.

Dane Goodwin led with 16 points and nine rebounds. Syracuse marked one of Ven-Allen Lubin’s best games of the season, as the freshman notched 10 points and eight boards.

1 GAME WIN STREAK

Coach Brey kept mentioning it after the 0-4 start, then the 0-5 start – ‘If we can just get a one-game win streak right now, we can get the monkey off our back and get going.’

What was impressive with the Irish performance against Georgia Tech on Jan. 10 was that they rallied down seven with 2:20 to go. They even forced a shot-clock violation on Georgia Tech’s final possession of regulation and had a chance for the win. In overtime, they took each Georgia Tech punch and dished one back. The Yellow Jackets scored first, then Goodwin responded with a three. Georgia Tech counters with a three, but then Wertz hits his second three of the game (hit a corner three earlier to tie the game 65-all in regulation). Georgia Tech makes two free throws, but then Laszewski comes up clutch and goes to line and hits two. With 23 seconds on the clock, the defense held its own once more.

VOCAL LEADER – RYAN

A three-time captain, Ryan used his voice and his leadership ability to rally the Irish in a huddle down seven with 2:30 to go against Georgia Tech on Jan. 10.

“C-Mac’s huddle,” said Brey. “Coach didn’t need to say anything. The guys react to him. He was unbelievable. Cormac wants it so bad. He’s invested so much.”

Notre Dame then closed regulation on a 9-2 run to tie the game at 65-all to force overtime, where they ultimately won it 73-72.

“Cormac kind of lit a fire under us and I think that certainly helped,” Goodwin said. “He just kind of got into us. It happens. That’s what a veteran leader should do. I think we responded well and I think we responded how we should have.”

BREY IN OVERTIME

Coach Brey and the Irish have been a force in overtime games the past couple of years. With the 73-72 OT victory over Georgia Tech on Jan. 10, the Irish have now won four straight overtime games and five of their last six – which dates back to Toledo on Jan. 21, 2019.

Overall, Brey is 26-13 in overtime, with a .667 winning percentage. Or how about this stat – he’s 23-6 in his last 29 OT games. A full list can be found in his bio on page 9.

MILESTONES APPROACHING

The Syracuse matchup on Saturday will mark a special one for Coach Brey – his 900th career game as a head coach, spanning his Delaware days.

Cormac Ryan sits at 981 career points, which spans his four year career and freshman year at Stanford.

Marcus Hammond sits at 1,491 career points and is nine off from the 1500-point milestone. He accumulated 1422 points in four years at Niagara.

DANE TRENDING

Goodwin has found his offensive rhythm with 5 straight games in double figures. He’s amassed 71 points in the last 5 games, averaging 14.2 ppg. He is 29-of-56 from the field and 6-of-15 from three.

In 2023 (3 games), Goodwin is averaging 15.0 ppg, which ranks as the 12th best scoring average in the ACC since Jan. 1. He’s also been more active on the glass grabbing 25 boards over the last 3 games.

He had a team high 19 points and a career best 12 rebounds in the ACC win over Georgia Tech on Jan. 10. Goodwin connected on a big three in the overtime period.

JJ FINDING HIMSELF

Starling has recorded double-digit points in 8 of the last 9 games and has produced the most overall double-digit scoring performances on the team this season with 13.

One of the main reasons for the recent surge — in what was an achilles heel at the beginning of the season is now a strong point as of late – that’s JJ’s three-point shooting. He’s 14-of-31 from beyond the arc over the last 9 games aka 45.2 percent. Compare that to his season 3PT FG% of .349. 

He’s putting his stamp of play on several recent games. For example, with 5 minutes left vs Georgia Tech on Jan. 10, Starling scored 6 of the team’s final 11 points to help force overtime and the eventual win. Starling finished with 16 points.

JJ co-led the team in scoring at BC with 16 points. Prior, vs Jacksonville on Dec. 27, JJ scored all 11 of his points in the 2nd half. More impressively, he impacted the game elsewhere, grabbing a season high 8 rebounds.

“JJ is getting better,” Brey said. “And more comfortable, in a good rhythm. He’s improved defensively. He’s moving the ball and playing. I’m excited about where he’s at. He has just been really good. To shake off a tough 1st half and say, ‘I’m going to keep playing.’ When he can square his shoulders and we get some cutters and we move and he can turn a corner, we don’t have anybody like that. He’s the guy.”

JJ almost singlehandedly won the Irish the game at Florida State on Dec. 21 – recording his 2nd 20-point performance of the season. Starling went on a 6-0 run to end the game to pull the Irish within one, giving them an opportunity to win with 6 seconds left.

WINS VS LOSSES

The stats that stick out:

– Points – ND is averaging 75.6 ppg in wins versus a dropoff of  62.8 in losses. Defensively, not much of a difference, allowing 66 in wins vs. 72.6 in losses, proving the emphasis is on the offense.

– FG% – shooting 48.8 percent in wins vs. 41.8 percent in losses

– 3PT – Interesting to note that teams are shooting better against us from three in games Notre Dame wins vs. loses. In wins, opponents are averaging 6.9 threes per game at a 34.4 percent rate. In losses, 5.6 threes per game at 29.6 percent rate. Offensively, Notre Dame makes the same amount of threes with the same shooting percentage in wins and losses.

– FT Made – ND is averaging 12.8 makes in wins vs. 6.6 in losses. In fact, in losses, opponents have made more free throws (88) than Notre Dame has even attempted (78).

NOTRE NOTABLES

The Irish currently rank in the top-10 in three different statistical categories. Their highest ranking – 2nd in fouls per game – only committing 12.6. That has been a Coach Brey staple. In the last 12 years, Notre Dame has only failed to finish among the top 10 in least amount of personal fouls committed just once. They have also led the country in least amount of personal fouls five times. 

Next, they rank 4th in the country in turnovers per game, only surrendering 9.5.

Furthermore, if the Irish can get to the free-throw line in late-game situations, look out. They rank 22nd in free-throw percentage, converting 76.1 percent from the stripe – ranks 3rd in the ACC.  Goodwin, Ryan and Laszewski are all shooting above .860 from the stripe.

A DIFFERENCE OF A FEW POSSESSIONS

A difference in a few possessions – one in each of the following games in fact (Syracuse, Florida State, Boston College) and the Irish could easily be sitting at 3-1 in ACC play.

Syracuse – Down five, with under 1:20 to play, Cormac Ryan and Marcus Hammond recorded back-to-back three-point plays to go up 61-60, but the Orange answered with 14 seconds on the clock. Notre Dame couldn’t connect on the buzzer-beater, falling 62-61.

Florida State – With six seconds remaining on the clock down one, Notre Dame ran a great in-bounds play to Wertz but his next pass to an open and sprinting Cormac Ryan was thrown just a tad too high/long as the Seminoles tracked it down and escaped with a 73-72 win. The Irish were on a 6-0 run with two big defensive stands in the final minute before the final play of the game.

Boston College – The Irish led for the first 37:19 of the game but Boston College closed on a 17-4 run to take it 70-63. Notre Dame led 59-53 with 4 minutes remaining. When BC took its first lead at 1:43, 62-61, Notre Dame went 0-3 on its next three possessions.

“The older guys have been through it all on this team. I gave an example of the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, plus previous teams of mine, teams who have been dead in the water and came back.” – Coach Brey

THREAT FROM THREE

Over the last 11 games, Notre Dame has knocked down 103 three-pointers (9.4 per game) which ranks 2nd amongst Power-Five schools since Nov. 30.

Overall on the season, they are averaging 8.8 threes per game, which would crack the program’s all-time top-10. The program record is 9.7 set by the 19-20 squad.

Furthermore, let’s dive in to the recent three-point shooting trends of the team:

– Goodwin – a team best 44.4 percent from deep. He’s also 6-of-15 from three over the last 5 games.

– Wertz – coming off 2 clutch late threes in OT win versus Georgia Tech. He’s now 8-of-15 from three in last 4 games aka 53.3 percent.

– Hammond – connected on multiple threes in 4 of the last 5 games. He’s 10-for-23 during that stretch. In fact, he’s shooting better from three (.424) than overall from the field (.410).

– Ryan – has made a three in 12 straight games and has made one in all but two games this season.

NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

WESTBELD’S 25 POINTS HELP IRISH SHUT DOWN DEMON DEACONS, 86-47

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Wake Forest (11-7, 2-5) has never beaten Notre Dame (13-2, 4-1). That streak remains alive after an 86-47 drubbing at Purcell Pavilion on Thursday night.

The seventh-ranked Irish paced the game from start to finish, beginning on a 7-0 run and never looking back with the help of junior Maddy Westbeld. The forward had a career night, finishing with 25 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. She has hit 25 points only once before, and it was her freshman season. It is the highest point total any Notre Dame player has amassed this season.

“It started with Liv [Miles] and Maddy,” Karen & Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey said after the game while flanked by the two players. “I thought Maddy was really aggressive today offensively. That really got us going. We set the tone on both sides of the ball.”

Notre Dame took a 21-8 lead into the second quarter and was up 44-25 at the break. The team went 19-32 in the first half (59.4 percent). The Irish did anything but let up in the third quarter, ending the period on a 12-0 run.

Just a few weeks into her Irish career, early enrollee Cass Prosper had another eye-catching performance with 12 points and 5 rebounds in just 17 minutes of play. She hit a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter that brought the crowd to its feet.

Ivey asked her team to bring defensive intensity to the floor after a loss at North Carolina last week, and the group delivered. Wake Forest star guard Jewel Spear was averaging nearly 16 points per game entering Thursday night. She went just 2-11 with 5 points, 2 rebounds and an assist against the Irish.

“We need to rely on our defense when our offense isn’t necessarily going for us,” Miles said of what she learned after Sunday’s disappointing outing. “We had to [come back this week and] patch the holes in our defense, and I think we did that during practice.”

The Irish out-rebounded the Demon Deacons 49-27 and did not allow second-chance shots on Wake Forest’s end of the floor; 35 of those 49 rebounds were defensive. Dara Mabrey tied her season-high with 6 of them.

“I’m really proud that we had a complete game for 40 minutes,” Ivey said.

Notre Dame is back on the road this weekend as the Irish head to Syracuse (13-4, 4-2). The game will tip off at 2 p.m. ET on the ACC Network.

INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S GOLF

SYCAMORE GOLF ANNOUNCES SPRING SCHEDULE

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State women’s golf has announced its spring 2023 schedule, as announced today by head coach Greg Towne.

The Sycamores will play in four events across four different states during the regular season, beginning with the UTRGV Invitational March 6-7, hosted by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley at McAllen Country Club in McAllen, Texas.

From the Lonestar State to the Volunteer State, the Sycamores will then travel to Tennessee March 12-14 to compete in the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate hosted by Tennessee Tech at Sevierville Golf Club in Sevierville, Tenn.

Indiana State heads to Kentucky after that for the Nevel Meade Intercollegiate hosted by Cleveland State March 20-21 at Nevel Meade Golf Club in Prospect, Ky.

The Sycamores wrap up the regular season here in Terre Haute April 2-3 when they host the ISU Spring Invitational at Country Club of Terre Haute.

“We’ve had to move our schedule in the spring away from the southeast and farther west since COVID because a lot of the resorts have booked up the courses from the increase in golfers and pent up demand. Bryan Novoa, the coach at UTRGV, was really helpful in giving us a spot in their nice event. Texas weather will be more like our spring conference event as well,” said Coach Towne.

INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL

MEN’S BASKETBALL AT MURRAY STATE SELECTED FOR DISTRIBUTION ON ESPNU JAN. 21

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Missouri Valley Conference has announced “Wildcard” telecast selections for men’s basketball games on Saturday, Jan. 21.

ESPN has selected the Indiana State at Murray State men’s basketball game for distribution on ESPNU on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 6 p.m. ET.

Indiana State is 7-3 all-time against first-year Valley member Murray State, including 3-2 on the road. The two teams have not met since 2008.

The networks and game times were previously listed as TBD on the MVC schedule, as were all other league games scheduled on that date. Times and networks for the Jan. 21 “Wildcard” date are below.

Saturday, Jan. 21

UNI at UIC (ESPN3), 2 p.m. ET

Drake at Evansville (ESPN+), 4 p.m. ET

Belmont at Bradley (MVC TV/ESPN+), 4 p.m. ET

Southern Illinois at Missouri State (ESPN3), 4 p.m. ET

Indiana State at Murray State (ESPNU), 6 p.m. ET

Valparaiso at Illinois State (ESPN3), 7 p.m. ET

Using the Wildcard model, the Missouri Valley Conference — in conjunction with its television partners — reserves clearance windows for select dates throughout the season and waits until two weeks before the contest(s) to determine network clearances.

Up Next

The Sycamores take to the road this weekend with a trip to Missouri State for a matchup against the Bears Sunday, Jan 15. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. ET in Springfield.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL

‘DONS EARN LEAGUE WIN AT IUPUI

INDIANAPOLIS – Jarred Godfrey finished with 22 points in a 70-55 victory for Purdue Fort Wayne over IUPUI on Thursday (January 12) at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

Godfrey now has three straight 20-point games, and seven on the season.

He was one of three Mastodons in double-digits. Deonte Billups scored 15 points with six rebounds. Bobby Planutis finished with 12 points.

The ‘Dons had only eight turnovers and limited IUPUI to just 1-of-12 from three.

Purdue Fort Wayne forced an IUPUI timeout with 9:37 left in the first half when Billups drained a 3-pointer to put Purdue Fort Wayne up 21-12. It was the exclamation point of a 9-0 run.

Purdue Fort Wayne finished with seven 3-pointers in the first half with five different Mastodons making the first five.

The ‘Dons went to the break leading 31-24, with only three field goals inside the arc. Anthony Roberts had all three of the two-point hoops, including a nice move in the lane at the first half buzzer.

IUPUI never seriously threatened in the second half. The dagger came by Godfrey with a 3-pointer with just over five minutes left. It put the Mastodons up 60-47 as IUPUI asked for time.

Purdue Fort Wayne finished 23-of-58 (39.7 percent) from the floor and 11-of-31 (35.5 percent) from three.

IUPUI falls to 3-15 (0-7 Horizon League). The ‘Dons improve to 12-6 (4-3 Horizon League). Godfrey saw a streak of 27 consecutive free throws snapped in the game. His miss in the second half was his first in league play this season after starting 37-of-37.

The ‘Dons are back in action on Monday (Jan. 16) at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum against Cleveland State. It will be a 7 p.m. tip against the Vikings.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

‘DONS FALL TO RED-HOT PHOENIX ON THURSDAY

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball team fell in Horizon League action to the red-hot Green Bay Phoenix on Thursday (Jan. 12) night. The Phoenix won their 10th-straight game following a 60-32 victory over the host Mastodons.

Making her first start of the season on Thursday, senior Sylare Starks led Purdue Fort Wayne with 16 points. Starks scored all 13 of Purdue Fort Wayne’s points in the opening half behind a 5-of-10 shooting effort from the floor. She also knocked in 3-of-6 triples in the game’s first 20 minutes of action. Shayla Sellers added five points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

While Starks scored all 13 to start the game, it was a 13-0 start for Green Bay that put the Mastodons’ backs against the wall. The Phoenix built the lead up to as large as 29.

The Mastodons were even with the Phoenix in the fourth quarter at 11 thanks to five points from Sellers and three from each of Jazzlyn Linbo and Audra Emmerson.

Sydney Levy (12), Bailey Butler (11) and Maddy Schreiber (10) all scored in double figures to lead a balanced Phoenix scoring attack. The ‘Dons held the Phoenix to just 60 points, well below their season average of 69 coming into the contest.

Purdue Fort Wayne fall to 5-12 (2-5 Horizon League) with the loss. The Phoenix move to 13-3 overall and 6-1 in Horizon League play. The Mastodons will be back in action on Saturday (Jan. 14) against the Milwaukee Panthers as Horizon League play continues. Game time from the Gates Sports Center is slated for 2 p.m.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

PURDUE FORT WAYNE WELCOMES DIVISION III POWERHOUSE CARTHAGE TO GATES

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball will play host to Division III juggernaut Carthage on Friday (Jan. 13). Carthage has won the last two Division III national championships and has an overall record of 59-6 in three years under former Mastodon player and assistant coach JW Kieckhefer.

Game Day Information

Who: Carthage Firebirds

When: Friday, January 13 | 7 PM

Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center

Live Stats: Link

Watch: ESPN+

Tickets: Link

Game Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne

Know Your Foe

Carthage is the owner of the last two NCAA Division III national championships. The Firebirds are 47-3 over the last two years, but have not played a Division I/II since 2016, when they picked up a win at Quincy and lost at Lindenwood. The Firebirds return three of their top four hitters from a year ago, but graduated their top performer, Matt Slivinski. Their setter, Gene McNulty, is also back. Carthage added former Mastodon Mitch Geiger to the roster as well this offseason.

Series History

The Mastodons are 5-3 against Carthage all-time, but the two teams have not played since 2012. Carthage won both matches in that season 3-1. The two teams’ first match was in 2006, and was a MIVA match. The Firebirds were a MIVA member from 2005-07.

Carthage In the MIVA

Carthage and Purdue Fort Wayne overlapped in the MIVA when the Firebirds were in the league in 2005-07. Carthage competed in the Coleman Division while the ‘Dons played in the Shondell/Dunlap Division. The two teams played just once in a MIVA regular season match, which the ‘Dons won 3-0 in 2006. The two teams met again in the MIVA Tournament that season and the Mastodons won again in three sets. Carthage won the Coleman Division of the MIVA in 2007, its last season as a MIVA member.

The Last Time We Met…

The last time that Purdue Fort Wayne and Carthage played was 2012. That was also the last time that two Mastodons recorded 20+ digs in the same match. Eddie Rivera was one of the two. Who was the other? Former Mastodon and current Carthage head coach JW Kieckhefer.

Some JW Notes

Carthage head coach JW Kieckhefer played four years for the Mastodons before moving into an assistant coach role for the Mastodons. As a player, he racked up 480 digs, including 2.57 per set as a sophomore, which still ranks in the top five in program history for a single-season clip. As a coach, Kieckhefer assisted during the transition from legendary head coach Arnie Ball to current head coach Ryan “Rock” Perrotte. The highlight of his coaching career with the Mastodons was an upset over No. 3 UC Irvine on the road. In three years as the head coach at Carthage, Kieckhefer’s teams have combined for a 59-6 record and two NCAA Division III national championships.

One Week, One Award

After Emmanuel Jurineack’s first week of collegiate volleyball, he was named the MIVA Defensive Player of the Week on January 10. He had 10 blocks in his first six sets of action, including six against King. He finished the week with 1.67 blocks per set and 0.50 digs per set.

Block Party

Purdue Fort Wayne is second in the nation with 3.25 blocks per set. Emmanuel Jurineack is third in the country with 1.67, Sergio Carillo and Mark Frazier are eighth with 1.17 and Bryce Walker is 17th with 1.00.

Mark It Down

After playing in just five matches in his freshman season, Mark Frazier started his sophomore season with a team-leading 3.17 kills per set in the opening weekend. Frazier had 12 kills against NJIT and seven in the opener against King.

Hello Old Friends

In his first match after graduating from King, Noah Melendez had seven digs against his former team. The libero from Carolina, Puerto Rico had 13 in his first week as a Mastodon, a team-best 2.17 per set.

High Expectations

Jon Diedrich and Bryce Walker were selected by MIVA head coaches to the 2023 Preseason All-MIVA Team. Diedrich was a First Team All-MIVA honoree in 2022, while Walker was a Second Team pick.

In The Rankings

Purdue Fort Wayne finished the 2022 season as the No. 15 team in the AVCA Top 15 Coaches Poll. The Mastodons were ranked in the final three polls of the season. In the program’s history, the Mastodons have been ranked in 317 weeks of the 587 possible Top 15 Coaches Polls. The ‘Dons were receiving votes to start the year.

Chasing 1,000

Jon Diedrich is on pace to join the 1,000-kill club while at Purdue Fort Wayne. He has 740 kills and has averaged 3.32 kills per set in his career. If he continues this pace, he will hit the 1,000 mark in 78 sets.

Last Time Out

Purdue Fort Wayne split the opening weekend with a win against King and a loss to (RV) NJIT. Both matches were 3-0 sweeps.

Coming Up

The Mastodons will take on a pair of opponents next weekend: first-year program Missouri S&T and EIVA foe Harvard. Missouri S&T has already played MIVA members Loyola Chicago and Lewis this season, both 3-0 losses.

SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL

USI POSTS WIN IN NATIONAL TELEVISION DEBUT

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball won its national television debut with a 74-67 victory over the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Thursday evening at Screaming Eagles Arena. The Screaming Eagles go to 9-9 overall and 2-3 in the OVC, while Trojans are 5-13, 1-4 OVC. 

The game was televised on ESPNU and in front of an announced crowd of 2296.    USI soared out of the gate to start the game, building a 10-3 lead before three minutes were gone in the game. Sophomore guard Isaiah Swope (Newburgh, Indiana) led the charge with eight points on three-of-four, including a pair from downtown. 

The Trojans would overcome a slow start and rally to take a 23-19 lead on a 14-3 run. Little Rock was able to shut down the USI offense for over four minutes and held the Eagles to one-of- seven during the drought. 

After falling behind 25-20, the Eagles exploded on a 17-4 surge to regain the lead, 37-29, when senior forward Jacob Polakovich (Grand Rapids, Michigan) slammed the ball home for his ninth point of the run. USI reversed its fortunes from the outside during the five-minute surge with seven-of-nine from the outside.  

The Eagles and the Trojans would trade buckets and free throws in the final minutes of the opening half as USI took a 40-36 lead into the intermission. Swope and Polakovich led the first half action for the Eagles with 13 points and 11 points, respectively.

Following a Little Rock sprint to regain the lead, USI graduate forward Trevor Lakes (Lebanon, Indiana) outscored the Trojans, 9-2, on a trio of three-point bombs to put the Eagles up, 54-48, with 14:00 to play. Little Rock would rally to knot the game at 59-59 with 7:07 to play on a 9-1 wave of points. 

USI responded with 10-4 dash to regain the momentum, 69-63 with 3:19 left on the clock. The Trojans tried to come back, 70-67, but Swope would put a dagger through the hoop from 25 feet and no time on the shot clock to put the lead back to six, 73-67, and sealed the victory, 74-67, with a free throw 31 ticks left on the clock. 

In the scoring column, Lakes scored 17 points in the second half and finished with a game-high 22 points. He was six-of-eight from the field in the final 20 minutes, five-of-seven from beyond the arc. 

Polakovich finished with 16 points on a blistering seven-of-10 from the field and a pair of free throws, while Swope had 19 points on five-of-13 from the field, four-of-seven from long range, and five-of-seven from the stripe. 

The Eagles won the game on the glass, outrebounding the Trojans, 46-34, with Polakovich (14) and Lakes (10) combining for 24 of the boards. The double-double was Polakovich’s sixth and Lakes third of the season. 

Next Up For USI:

USI concludes a three-game homestand Saturday when it hosts the University of Tennessee at Martin for a 7;30 p.m. OVC contest at Screaming Eagles Arena. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ in addition to being heard on ESPN 97.7FM and 95.7FM The Spin.

UT Martin saw its record go to 11-7 overall and 3-2 in the OVC after defeating Tennessee State University, 77-66, this evening on the road. The Skyhawks were led by sophomore guard Jordan Sears with 21 points. 

UT Martin has three players in double-digits for 2022-23, led by graduate guard Parker Stewart with 17.1 points per game.

Saturday’s matchup will be the ninth meeting in the history of the series with UT Martin leading 5-3 since the 1970-71 season. The Skyhawks won the last meeting with the Eagles in 1992, but USI has won three of the last five matchups. USI is 3-2 at home, while UT Martin is 3-0 when hosting the Eagles.

SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

EAGLES BATTLE TROJANS TO FINAL POSSESSION IN 47-44 LOSS

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball continued Ohio Valley Conference action from Screaming Eagles Arena on Thursday night, battling the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to a 47-44 final in favor of the visitors.

The hosting Screaming Eagles entered Thursday night in a tie for fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference standings, while the Trojans entered in a tie for first place. The matchup on Thursday night went down to the final seconds.

The game started with both teams trying to find a flow into the contest. Little Rock grabbed an early 5-0 lead until USI got on the scoreboard 4:05 into the game. Southern Indiana senior forward Tara Robbe (Wildwood, Missouri) cashed in on a three-pointer, and a minute later, sophomore guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) swished home a triple to tie the game 6-6 in the first quarter.

The early defensive battle continued for the rest of the first quarter. Little Rock went ahead 13-8 after the first period, attacking the inside and going without an attempt from beyond the arc in the first.

The Screaming Eagles began the second quarter by snapping nearly a four-minute scoreless drought, as junior guard Lexie Green (Indianapolis, Indiana) canned a wide-open three to make the score 13-11 Little Rock. The contest was a grind on both ends of the floor, as each side had to value each possession.

USI had a pair of big plays late in the second quarter. With 2:52 left in the second period, junior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) absorbed contact underneath the basket for a layup. With just under two minutes until halftime, senior guard Tori Handley (Jeffersonville, Indiana) ripped a three-pointer through the bottom of the net to give USI a 25-21 lead. Little Rock had a small burst before halftime to force a tied ballgame at the intermission, 27-27.

Out of halftime, the Trojans jumped in front 33-27 on six straight points by redshirt junior forward Sali Kourouma, who had 14 points at the break. The Screaming Eagles responded with some big noise of their own, going on a 10-0 run. USI surged ahead 37-33, receiving a pair of threes from Green and Shafford in the process.

The rest of the third quarter saw the defenses step up and the offenses cool down. Southern Indiana’s defense held Little Rock scoreless for the remaining six minutes of the third period. USI led 40-35 after three periods of play.

With just over six minutes remaining in the fourth, USI graduate forward Ashlynn Brown (Perrysburg, Ohio) hit a jumper to put USI up seven, 42-35. Meanwhile, USI’s defense continued to be stingy, as Little Rock’s scoreless drought reached over 10 minutes. Down the stretch, each possession was important.

The Trojans cut into USI’s lead, but a pair of made free throws by senior forward Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio) gave USI a 44-40 margin with three minutes left. The Trojans reclaimed the lead 47-44 off a 7-0 run with just over 90 seconds left and held on the rest of the game.

On the night, Southern Indiana was led by Shafford with 10 points and eight rebounds. Brown was second in scoring for USI with eight points while claiming six rebounds. Green provided a solid boost off the bench with six points and eight rebounds. USI was 15-for-57 for just over 26 percent in the game, hitting seven triples. The Screaming Eagles were plus-11 on the boards, which included 19 offensive rebounds that led to 11 second-chance points.

The Trojans were led by Kourouma with 20 points. Little Rock was 18-for-54 shooting for just over 33 percent in the game, making a single three-pointer.

Following Thursday’s game, USI’s record moved to 8-8 overall and 2-3 in OVC play. Little Rock’s record improved to 8-8 this season and 5-0 in OVC action.

The Screaming Eagles conclude the homestand Saturday at 5 p.m. from Screaming Eagles Arena, as USI takes on the University of Tennessee at Martin.

VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TO HONOR WOMEN ATHLETES FEB. 1

The Valpo women’s basketball program is holding a Women in Sports Day to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of Title IX on Wednesday, Feb. 1 as the Beacons face UIC. As part of that, the program is looking to honor women athletes who played and/or coached high school, GAA or college basketball between 1969-79 with a pregame reception and a game ball presentation.

The pregame reception will take place at 5 p.m. and the game ball presentation at 5:50 p.m. prior to the 6 p.m. tipoff against the Flames. Any female athlete of the 1969-79 era interested in participating can contact women’s basketball director of operations Kaylin Speedy (219-464-6931; Kaylin.Speedy@valpo.edu), director of ticketing and promotions Erica Fedornock (219-464-5233; Erica.Fedornock@valpo.edu) or group sales ticket coordinator Renee’ Turpa (219-464-5112; Renee.Turpa@valpo.edu).

The Women in Sports Day will celebrate all eras of women’s athletics – the past, with the pregame recognition of the pioneers; the present, with the current Valpo student-athletes facing UIC; and the future, as halftime of that game will feature a Knockout contest between middle school athletes.

VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL

VALPO TO FACE OFF WITH RAGLAND-COACHED ACES

Valparaiso (6-12, 0-7 MVC)

at Evansville (4-14, 0-7 MVC)

Game No. 19 – Saturday, Jan. 14, 3 p.m. CT

Ford Center (10,000) – Evansville, Ind.

Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team will renew an instate rivalry with one of the program’s most frequent all-time opponents on Saturday afternoon as the Beacons head south to take on Evansville at the Ford Center. This will mark a reunion of sorts as first-year Evansville head coach David Ragland spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Valpo under Matt Lottich in 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Last Time Out: Valpo is coming off a 74-59 loss to Belmont on Tuesday night at the Athletics-Recreation Center. Kobe King reached the 1,000-career point milestone as part of a game-high 17 points. Belmont used a 17-0 run in the first half to transform a two-point Valpo lead into a 15-point deficit.

Following the Beacons: Streaming – ESPN3

Radio – 95.1 FM, WVUR, ValpoAthletics.com, TuneIn Radio App – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey (analyst)

Twitter updates – @ValpoBasketball

Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.

Head Coach Matt Lottich: Matt Lottich (103-108) is in his seventh season as the head coach of the men’s basketball program in 2022-2023. Twice during his tenure, Valpo has upset Top-25 opponents, defeating Drake and Rhode Island at the ARC. Valpo has four wins over AP Top 25 teams in program history, and two have come under Lottich. In 2019-2020, Valpo became the first team in the history of Arch Madness, the annual Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Louis, to reach the title game after playing in the opening round by winning three games in three days. Lottich, hired as the 22nd head coach of the Valpo men’s basketball program in April 2016, graduated from Stanford University in 2004 and New Trier High School (Illinois) in 2000.

Series Notes: Valpo owns a 23-72 all-time record as the two teams get set to compete in their 96th all-time matchup. Valpo is 7-43 on the road in the head-to-head series. Evansville is the second most common opponent in program history as Valpo has played only Butler (103) more frequently. The Brown & Gold have gotten the better of the play in recent years as Valpo owns a 6-2 mark in the last eight showdowns. The two teams are 6-6 against one another since Valpo joined the Missouri Valley Conference. The Beacons earned a three-game sweep of Evansville in two of the last three years, bouncing the Purple Aces from the State Farm MVC Tournament in both 2020 and 2022.

Kobe Reaches 1,000 

Kobe King reached a significant career milestone on Jan. 10 vs. Belmont at the Athletics-Recreation Center. At the 13:41 mark of the second half, he made his milestone basket to reach the 1,000-point threshold. He was recognized with a nice ovation at the next timeout.

King registered 386 points over his three seasons at Wisconsin and has done the rest of the damage during his two-year run with the Beacons.

King became the second Valpo player to score his 1,000th collegiate point this season. Ben Krikke achieved the feat in the Nov. 13 home-opening victory over Western Michigan.

Prior to this year, the last Valpo player to join that esteemed group was current graduate assistant Tevonn Walker exactly five years prior to Krikke’s milestone – Nov. 13, 2017 vs. Trinity Christian.

Double Figure Streak

The only player in the Missouri Valley Conference who has scored in double figures in each of his team’s games this season is Kobe King, who has scored 10+ in 18 straight.

King has scored in double figures in 37 of his 41 games in a Valpo uniform.

The former Wisconsin Mr. Basketball has scored 15 points or more in 12 of his 18 games this season. He has five 20-point outputs this year and has scored 15 or more points in 22 of his 41 games with the Beacons.

King is up to 42 career double-figure scoring efforts including his tenure at Wisconsin.

At the end of last season, King became Valpo’s second All-Newcomer Team choice since joining the league and first since Bakari Evelyn in 2017-18.

He appeared on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays after a three-quarter court buzzer-beater on Dec. 11 vs. Charlotte, a play that ranked No. 9 on the popular countdown that evening.

Krikke in Select Company

Ben Krikke is one of seven players in the country who is averaging at least 17.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting better than 75 percent from the free-throw line and better than 50 percent from the field.

Krikke is one of five players in the MVC shooting better than 50 percent from the field and better than 75 percent from the foul line, joining Drake’s Garrett Sturtz, Indiana State’s Cooper Neese, Bradley’s Rienk Mast and Indiana State’s Julian Larry.

Krikke is one of three players in the MVC averaging at least 17.0 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game this year. He joins Drake’s Tucker DeVries and Southern Illinois’ Marcus Domask.

Krikke on the All-Time Scoring List  

Ben Krikke moved up another spot on Valpo’s all-time scoring list in the Jan. 10 game vs. Belmont. He made his way past Chuck Kriston (1960-63; 1,287) for 18th.

Entering Jan. 14 at Evansville, Krikke has scored 1,295 career points. His next target is Milo Stovall (1998-2002), who is 17th in program history with 1,345 points.

Krikke cracked the top 20 on Valpo’s all-time scoring list when he scored the first basket of the game on Dec. 18 vs. Elon, and moved up to 19th on Jan. 4 vs. UNI.

Sharing is Caring

Over the last three games, the Beacons have handed out 46 assists on 68 made baskets with 67.6 percent of their baskets being assisted. Prior to the Jan. 4 game vs. UNI, 48.5 percent of Valpo’s baskets were assisted this season and 41.7 percent in conference play.

As a team, Valpo tallied 18 assists on 25 made baskets on Jan. 4 vs. UNI, tying a season high reached on three prior occasions – Nov. 13 vs. Western Michigan, Dec. 18 vs. Elon and Dec. 21 vs. Stonehill.

The 18 assists were Valpo’s most in a conference game since 18 on Jan. 2, 2022 vs. Illinois State (W 81-76, OT) and the program’s most in a regulation conference game since Feb. 6, 2021 vs. Drake (19).

The Beacons followed by obtaining 14 assists on 21 made baskets in the Jan. 7 game at Bradley and then 14 assists on 22 made baskets in in the Jan. 10 game vs. Belmont.

In the Jan. 4 game vs. UNI, forward Ben Krikke gave out a team-high six assists, shattering his previous career high of five set on Jan. 26, 2021 vs. Bradley.

Krikke had nine total assists in 15 games this season prior to the six-helper outburst against the Panthers. He now has three or more assists in each of his last three contests and 13 total assists in that span, nearly doubling his season total.

Q’s Recent Thievery

Sixth-year senior Quinton Green has transformed into a steals machine over the last three games. He matched a career high set while playing at Cedarville with four steals on Jan. 4 vs. UNI and again hit that total on Jan. 10 vs. Belmont.

Green has recorded three steals or more in three straight outings, totaling 11 in that span. He has over doubled his season steal total in that time as he had 10 total steals over the first 15 games.

New Places, Same Faces

Saturday’s game at Evansville continues a season-long trend of former members of the Valpo basketball program facing off with the team as part of the opposing coaching staff. Evansville head coach David Ragland spent two seasons as an assistant to Matt Lottich. Ragland will make his return to the ARC when Evansville visits Valpo on Jan. 28.

Stonehill assistant coach Jason Karys is a former Valpo student manager, walk-on player, graduate assistant and Director of Basketball Operations. The Beacons faced Karys and the Skyhawks on Dec. 21.

The first reunion game of the year was on Nov. 19, when Chris Artis returned to the building as an Incarnate Word assistant coach. He played at Valpo in the mid-1990s and helped the program to its first Mid-Continent Conference regular season and tournament championships en route to an NCAA Tournament berth in 1995-96. The next year, he again led the team to regular season and tournament titles as well as an NCAA Tournament return.

The Dec. 6 game featured another familiar face as Trinity Christian is guided by head coach Jason Hawkins, who played at Valpo from 2000-2003 and was part of the 2002 NCAA Tournament team. He also spent two seasons coaching at his alma mater.

Among Conference & National Leaders

Valpo has two of the top three players in the MVC in terms of field goals made and two of the top 40 nationally. Ben Krikke leads the conference and ranks seventh in the nation with 132 made field goals, while Kobe King ranks third in the conference and 37th nationally with 113.

Valpo is one of two teams in the country with two players in the top 31 nationally in terms of field goals made, joining Marshall.

Krikke and King also represent two of the league’s top seven players in terms of scoring average. Krikke’s 17.8 points per game rank second in The Valley with King not far behind at 16.6 ppg, seventh.

In league-only games, Krikke is averaging 18.9 points per outing, second only to UNI’s Bowen Born (22.7 ppg).

Valpo is the only team in the conference with two players who rank in the top 10 in the league in scoring average.

Starter Shuffle

Ben Krikke, Kobe King and Quinton Green have been fixtures in the starting lineup this season as all three have started each of the first 18 games.

The other two spots have rotated with Nelson (nine starts) and Palm (nine starts) splitting time as Krikke’s frontcourt mate. Nelson has started each of the last three contests.

Darius DeAveiro (two), Preston Ruedinger (six) and Nick Edwards (10) have all started at point guard. Edwards has started each of the last seven.

U OF I MEN’S BASKETBALL

MEN’S HOOPS UPS WIN STREAK, BESTS MINERS FOR 15TH CONSECUTIVE TIME

INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 24 UIndy men’s basketball (13-2, 5-2 GLVC) upped its winning streak to seven games on Thursday, digging past Missouri S&T (10-5, 4-3 GLVC) by a score 86-67 from Nicoson Hall.

Kendrick Tchoua dominated the paint once again in the win, finishing with 26 points and seven rebounds against the Miners. The forward was perfect from the field, making all eight buckets from the paint to increase his DII best field goal percentage to 74.3.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Hounds kept up their defensive pressure on Thursday, scoring 14 points off 10 first-half turnovers to build a 41-35 lead at the break. Tchoua scored half of his points in the opening 20 minutes, sinking 5-of-6 from the charity stripe, while Bruno Williams chipped in eight tallies.

The visiting Miners kept punching UIndy in the mouth early in the second half, inching to within two with 12:52 on the clock. It was all Greyhounds from there, however, with a putback from Sean Craig jump starting a 35-18 run to end the contest.

Eleven different Greyhounds finished in the scoring column, with the bench combing for 29 points. Jarvis Walker led the reserves with eight in more than 22 minutes of action, adding three assists and three rebounds.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

– Tchoua’s 26 points marks a new career-high for the fourth-year junior.

– UIndy has now defeated S&T in 15 straight meetings, stretching as far back as Jan. 18, 2010.

– The Hounds have attempted 22 or more free throws in three consecutive games, shooting 74.7 percent from the line during the stretch.

– Josiah Tynes snagged a team-best eight boards in the win, the most in his Greyhound career.

– Filling up the box score was Jakobie Robinson, finishing with six points, four assists, four rebounds, and four steals.

HOUND BYTES

Head coach Paul Corsaro on Tchoua’s success…

“Shhh, don’t jinx it! Kendrick has always been one of the most talented players in this program. I mean look at him, he’s built like a Greek god. He’s always had the physical attributes, but now we got him playing smarter. And that’s why he’s playing so well.”

UP NEXT

Nicoson Hall will witness its first top-25 matchup in more than three years when No. 11 Missouri-St. Louis visits the Circle City for a 3 p.m. tip. The Greyhounds lead the all-time series, 25-9, while the Tritons have won each of the last four meetings.

U OF I WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

HOUNDS FALL AFTER BIG FOURTH QUARTER FROM MISSOURI S&T

INDIANAPOLIS- Despite leading by 10 points heading into the fourth quarter, the UIndy women’s basketball team (7-8, 3-4 GLVC) fell victim to a conference loss on Thursday evening at Nicoson Hall after Missouri S&T (9-6, 5-2 GLVC) managed a strong fourth quarter.

The Miners scored 24 points in the final 10 minutes on 11-of-17 shooting from the field (64.7 percent) while holding the Hounds to just nine points on a 3-of-14 effort in return.

Sadie Hill managed a team-high 15 points while Jodi Mullins was close behind with 14 points of her own. In total, nine different players for UIndy scored three or more points.

This loss by five points to Missouri S&T marks the fifth game this year the Hounds have fallen to an opponent by single-digits.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The defensive pressure from the Hounds headlined action to open up as the team forced the Miners into seven turnovers through the first quarter alone. Along with this, the 21 points scored in the opening 10 minutes by UIndy was the second-most the team has had in the opening frame of a game so far this season. This solid start, which also saw the Greyhounds shoot 50 percent from the field in the opening half, guided the hometown Hounds into a lead of seven at the intermission.

Both teams were active down low in the paint in the first half with 18 points each. UIndy, who entered the game as one of the best free throw shooting teams in the conference, had just one attempt at the charity stripe in the first 20 minutes due to S&T having only committed one personal foul in that span of play.

A big 14-3 scoring run out of the locker room for the Hounds midway through the third helped the team gain some breathing room over the Miners. However, despite trailing by double-digits on the road, Missouri S&T came storming back with its massive fourth quarter that ultimately guided the team into the win.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

-UIndy went a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line, but this is the lowest amount of free throws attempted by the team this year.

-The Hounds were out-rebounded by 20 in the game.

-Missouri S&T had 13 second chance points while the Greyhounds had none.

-The Miners finished with just five personal fouls which is the team’s season-low so far.

SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC 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

*******NBA STANDINGS*******

Eastern Conference
	W	L	Pct	Conf GB	Home	Road	Div	Conf	Last 10	Streak
1 Boston	31	12	.721	—	17-5	14-7	5-0	17-8	8-2	5 W
2 Brooklyn	27	14	.659	3.0	13-6	14-8	5-3	20-8	8-2	1 L
3 Milwaukee	27	15	.643	3.5	16-5	11-10	4-3	15-11	5-5	1 L
4 Cleveland	27	16	.628	4.0	18-4	9-12	7-3	17-8	5-5	1 W
5 Philadelphia	25	16	.610	5.0	17-7	8-9	4-3	17-10	6-4	1 L
6 New York	23	19	.548	7.5	11-11	12-8	2-4	14-10	5-5	1 W
7 Indiana	23	19	.548	7.5	15-7	8-12	2-2	16-10	7-3	1 L
8 Miami	23	20	.535	8.0	13-9	9-11	5-1	9-12	7-3	2 W
9 Atlanta	19	22	.463	11.0	11-9	8-13	4-3	13-15	3-7	1 L
10 Chicago	19	23	.452	11.5	11-9	8-14	4-3	16-13	5-5	2 L
11 Toronto	19	23	.452	11.5	14-10	5-13	2-8	13-16	5-5	3 W
12 Washington	18	24	.429	12.5	11-8	7-16	4-3	11-14	6-4	1 W
13 Orlando	16	26	.381	14.5	10-12	6-14	2-5	7-18	5-5	1 W
14 Detroit	12	33	.267	20.0	6-14	6-19	0-6	4-20	4-6	1 W
15 Charlotte	11	32	.256	20.0	5-14	6-18	3-6	5-21	2-8	3 L
Western Conference
	W	L	Pct	Conf GB	Home	Road	Div	Conf	Last 10	Streak
1 Denver	28	13	.683	—	18-3	10-10	7-3	21-9	8-2	4 W
2 Memphis	28	13	.683	—	18-3	10-10	6-2	14-10	8-2	8 W
3 New Orleans	25	17	.595	3.5	17-5	8-12	7-3	16-10	5-5	1 L
4 Dallas	24	19	.558	5.0	16-6	8-13	6-2	18-8	7-3	1 W
5 Sacramento	22	18	.550	5.5	13-9	9-9	4-5	10-9	5-5	2 W
6 LA Clippers	22	21	.512	7.0	12-9	10-12	3-4	12-13	3-7	1 W
7 Phoenix	21	22	.488	8.0	14-7	7-15	8-0	18-11	2-8	1 L
8 Golden State	20	21	.488	8.0	17-5	3-16	4-4	12-9	5-5	3 L
9 Utah	21	23	.477	8.5	13-7	8-16	3-4	16-14	3-7	1 W
10 Minnesota	20	22	.476	8.5	12-9	8-13	6-4	13-13	4-6	1 L
11 Portland	19	22	.463	9.0	9-8	10-14	4-6	13-13	2-8	5 L
12 Oklahoma City	19	23	.452	9.5	13-9	6-14	3-6	10-12	5-5	1 W
13 LA Lakers	19	23	.452	9.5	10-9	9-14	1-7	8-15	6-4	2 L
14 San Antonio	13	29	.310	15.5	8-13	5-15	2-7	5-22	3-7	3 L
15 Houston	10	31	.244	18.0	6-14	4-17	1-8	5-23	1-9	8 L

******NHL STANDINGS******

Eastern Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Boston Bruins	41	32	5	4	68	30	156	91	19-1-3	13-4-1	7-1-2
2 Carolina Hurricanes	42	26	9	7	59	23	136	115	12-5-1	14-4-6	6-3-1
3 Toronto Maple Leafs	43	26	10	7	59	26	144	113	15-3-4	11-7-3	6-3-1
4 New Jersey Devils	41	26	12	3	55	26	141	109	11-10-2	15-2-1	5-4-1
5 New York Rangers	43	24	12	7	55	22	140	117	11-7-4	13-5-3	6-2-2
6 Tampa Bay Lightning	40	26	13	1	53	25	144	119	17-4-1	9-9-0	6-4-0
7 Washington Capitals	44	23	15	6	52	23	143	123	13-6-3	10-9-3	6-2-2
8 Pittsburgh Penguins	40	21	13	6	48	20	133	121	11-4-4	10-9-2	3-5-2
9 New York Islanders	43	22	18	3	47	22	131	119	12-7-1	10-11-2	4-5-1
10 Detroit Red Wings	40	18	15	7	43	17	125	135	11-8-3	7-7-4	5-4-1
11 Buffalo Sabres	40	20	18	2	42	19	154	139	9-11-2	11-7-0	6-4-0
12 Florida Panthers	43	19	20	4	42	18	140	149	10-6-3	9-14-1	4-6-0
13 Ottawa Senators	41	19	19	3	41	18	125	130	11-10-1	8-9-2	5-4-1
14 Philadelphia Flyers	42	17	18	7	41	17	119	136	9-10-1	8-8-6	7-3-0
15 Montreal Canadiens	42	17	22	3	37	13	113	159	9-11-0	8-11-3	2-7-1
16 Columbus Blue Jackets	41	12	27	2	26	11	105	164	10-13-1	2-14-1	2-8-0
Western Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Vegas Golden Knights	43	28	13	2	58	25	144	122	13-10-0	15-3-2	6-3-1
2 Dallas Stars	43	25	11	7	57	24	147	113	12-4-3	13-7-4	6-3-1
3 Los Angeles Kings	45	25	14	6	56	21	152	152	14-7-2	11-7-4	7-2-1
4 Winnipeg Jets	42	27	14	1	55	27	141	112	16-6-0	11-8-1	6-4-0
5 Seattle Kraken	41	25	12	4	54	25	150	125	10-8-2	15-4-2	7-2-1
6 Minnesota Wild	41	23	14	4	50	20	132	117	12-8-1	11-6-3	5-3-2
7 Calgary Flames	43	20	14	9	49	19	133	128	12-7-2	8-7-7	5-2-3
8 Edmonton Oilers	43	22	18	3	47	22	153	145	10-11-2	12-7-1	5-4-1
9 St. Louis Blues	43	21	19	3	45	18	137	155	8-9-2	13-10-1	5-3-2
10 Nashville Predators	41	19	16	6	44	17	115	121	9-6-3	10-10-3	5-3-2
11 Colorado Avalanche	40	20	17	3	43	17	118	118	9-8-3	11-9-0	3-6-1
12 Vancouver Canucks	41	17	21	3	37	15	142	163	8-10-1	9-11-2	4-6-0
13 San Jose Sharks	43	13	22	8	34	12	133	161	4-11-6	9-11-2	3-5-2
14 Arizona Coyotes	41	13	23	5	31	12	113	154	7-6-2	6-17-3	3-7-0
15 Anaheim Ducks	42	12	26	4	28	9	98	175	8-12-1	4-14-3	3-6-1
16 Chicago Blackhawks	40	11	25	4	26	11	89	146	8-14-2	3-11-2	4-6-0

*******FOOTBALL HISTORY*******

January 13, 1957 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – The NFL held its 7th annual Pro Bowl game and it was the all-stars of the Western Conference who overcame the challenge of their Eastern Conference rivals 19-10. The Most Valuable player on the defensive side per the Pro-Football-Reference.com was Pittsburgh’s Ernie Stautner, a defensive tackle and Baltimore Colt Bert Rechichar, a kicker won the award for the MVP of the offense. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1957/probowl.htm

January 13, 1958 – NCAA adds 2 point conversion to football scoring. Despite the plays used in college ball, according to the liveabout.com website, it was not immediately adapted in professional football. In fact, the two-point conversion rule was not officially adopted by the NFL until 1994. The professional levels of football did tinker with the 2 point play prior to 1994 though. According to the American Football Database, the AFL used the conversion tactic during its ten years of existence in the 1960’s. The NFL Europe and its reincarnation the World League of American Football adopted the rule and were probably a further testing ground of it prior to the NFL’s adoption. It has really added some interesting dynamics to contests as formulas and charts have been famously made to determine when a team should go for two. The success of the two point try has been reported to be anywhere from 40% to 55% accomplishment, so there is a pretty good sized risk reward aspect to it.

January 13, 1963 – Balboa Stadium, San Diego – The second AFL All Star Game was played. In the contest it was the Western Division All-stars who edged their Eastern Division, counter parts 21-14. The MVPs of the game were Dallas Texans running back Curtis McClinton and Earl Faison who played defensive end for the Chargers.

January 13, 1963 – The annual NFL Pro Bowl game was played at the Lis Angeles Memorial Coliseum once again. The NFL Eastern Conference outscored the Western Conference Pro Bowlers 30-20. The offensive Most Valuable Player was Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns while the MVP of the defense was Pittsburgh’s defensive tackle Eugene Lipscomb.

January 13, 1974 – Rice Stadium, Houston, Texas – The Miami Dolphins won their second consecutive NFL Title by claiming victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl VIII. The final score was Miami 24, Minnesota 7. The big game’s Most Valuable Player was Dolphins bruising running back Larry Csonka. The Dolphins becmae the first teams to play in three consecutive Super Bowl games.

January 13, 2020 – Superdome, New Orleans – National Championship for College Football took place as Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow and his teammates of the #1 LSU Tigers were to be tested by Trevor Lawrence and the rest of his Tigers of #3 Clemson. LSU overpowered Clemson 42-15 to win the National College Playoff Championship in this battle of Tigers.

HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 13

January 13, 1907 – Sulphur Springs, Texas – Southern Methodist University’s Hall of Fame stalwart QB Gerald Mann was born.

January 13, 1947 – Cairo, Georgia – Defensive Tackle Bill Stanfill of Georgia celebrated his arrival into the world. The National Football Foundation voters chose Bill Stanfill for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998.

January 13, 1958 – Vero Beach, Florida – Florida A&M’s outstanding guard Tyrone McGriff was born per the NFF. The College Football Hall of Fame happily opened its doors wide in 1996 to accept Tyron McGriff into the lodge of collegiate legends.

********SUPER BOWL HISTORY*******

1968: Super Bowl 3
Site: Miami
Result: New York Jets 16 Baltimore Colts 7
MVP: Joe Namath (QB, NY Jets)

Summary: The Jets, an 18-point underdog, delivered the most famous upset in the history of sports after the flamboyant Namath publicly guaranteed as much in the buildup before kickoff. Namath’s greatest contribution on the field was his brain—calling a conservative game, he handed off to Matt Snell 30 times for 121 yards and steered clear of mistakes. Meanwhile, Baltimore’s Earl Morrall was intercepted three times, bringing an MVP year to a devastating conclusion.

******BASEBALL HISTORY******

1922       Buck Weaver applies unsuccessfully for reinstatement in professional baseball, one of six attempts to clear his name. The Black Sox infielder remained banned for life due to allegations of throwing the 1919 World Series to the Reds, although he batted .324 and played errorless ball in the Fall Classic.

1958       On the eve of conferences to discuss the impact of major league telecasts on minor league attendance, Senator Kenneth Keating urges baseball to proceed with caution. The Republican legislator representing New York believes broadcasting big-league games in out-of-town markets could doom the existence of the minor leagues, which have already formally appealed to Congress about their ‘desperate plight.’

1959       State Senator Joe Cowgill introduces a bill to build an eight-million-dollar stadium in Delaware Township, dependent on the nearby Phillies’ decision to move to southern New Jersey. The proposed legislation results from team owner Bob Carpenter threatening to leave Philadelphia if the City of Brotherly Love doesn’t build a new ballpark.

1972       Bernice Gera, barred for five years due to gender discrimination, wins her landmark lawsuit against the National Association of Baseball Leagues (NABL). The Ernest (NY) housewife will become the first female umpire in a professional game when she makes her debut in June at Geneva, N.Y., arbitrating a New York-Penn League contest.

1978       At the age of 90, Hall of Fame manager Joe McCarthy dies of pneumonia in a Buffalo hospital. The former Cubs (1926-30), Yankees (1931-46), and Red Sox (1948-50) skipper compiled a 1460-867 (.627) record, winning nine pennants and seven World Championships during his 24-year tenure in the dugout.

1982       The BBWAA elects Hank Aaron (Braves, Brewers) and Frank Robinson (Reds, Orioles, Dodgers, Angels, Indians) to the Hall of Fame in the player’s first year of eligibility. Hammerin’ Hank, the all-time home run leader, falls just nine votes short of being the baseball writers’ first player to be selected unanimously.

1988       After hitting a meager .211 last season and not being offered a new contract by San Diego, former National League Most Valuable Player Steve Garvey decides to retire. The perennial All-Star first baseman for the Dodgers and Padres ends his 19-year career with a lifetime .294 batting average

1996       🇨🇺 Cuban defector Livan Hernandez agrees to a $4.5 million four-year deal, including a record $2.5 million bonus, to pitch for the Marlins. The 20-year-old right-hander, a Villa Clara native, will post a mediocre 24-24 record during his four years with the club but plays a pivotal role in the team’s 1997 World Championship, posting wins in both of his World Series starts.

2005       The owners unanimously approve the $223-million sale of the Brewers to Mark Attanasio, a Los Angeles investor. The purchase of the team, formerly owned by the family of commissioner Bud Selig, ensures Milwaukee will keep their team due to a 30-year lease to play in newly built Miller Park.

2005       Marvin Miller, 88, the former executive director of the Major League Players Association who helped change the nature of the player-owner relationship forever, receives the Fuchs Award from the Boston Chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The honor, named for Judge Emil E. Fuchs, who owned the hometown Braves from 1929 through 1935, is given for “long and meritorious service to baseball.”

2005       At the owners’ meeting in Scottsdale (AZ), major league baseball and the players association agree in principle on a stricter drug-testing policy in response to the scrutiny of national lawmakers. Addressing a problem ignored for years, the new program, which includes steroids but not amphetamines, will randomly conduct tests year-round, with first-time offenders suspended for ten days and a fourth violation resulting in a one-year ban for the offending player.

2005       Hoping to sway the veterans’ committee, North Dakota’s House of Representatives approves House Concurrent Resolution 3006, proclaiming native son Roger Maris (Indians, A’s, Yankees, Cardinals) should gain election to the Hall of Fame. The lawmakers’ action, which Rep. Andy Maragos sponsored, orders the Secretary of State to send a copy of the resolution to the 85 baseball veterans’ committee members, including 60 living members enshrined in Cooperstown.

2006       Johnny Estrada, who filed for arbitration after being traded from the Braves for relievers Lance Cormier and Oscar Villarreal, agrees to a $2 million, one-year contract to catch for the Diamondbacks. The former All-Star backstop had limited playing time after a midseason home plate collision with Angels’ center fielder Darin Erstad.

2006       Legal proceedings begin to determine if Arte Moreno violated a ten-year-old contract that Anaheim claims to have cost the city $100 million in tourism and merchandising revenue when the owner changed the team’s name from the Anaheim Angels to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Some people in the crowded courtroom for the much-anticipated trial wear Angel-colored red T-shirts imprinted with the words “We Are Not L.A.” to show their displeasure with the Halos’ new identity.

2009       Appearing on Larry King Live, President George W. Bush makes it very clear he doesn’t have any interest in becoming baseball’s commissioner when Bud Selig leaves the post. The former owner of the Rangers, who leaves office in seven days, tells the CNN talk show host he isn’t looking to get back into the game in any capacity.

2009       The Brewers announce a $6 million, one-year deal with free-agent reliever Trevor Hoffman after the all-time career saves leader passes a physical. The 41-year-old right-hander, a fixture in the Padres bullpen since 1993, has compiled 554 saves in 930 relief appearances during his 16-year tenure in the major leagues.

2010       Royals’ general manager Dayton Moore hires former Milwaukee manager Ned Yost as a special advisor. The 54-year-old former major league catcher met the Kansas City GM when they worked in the Braves organization.

2010       Ryan Church and the Pirates agree on a $1.5 million, one-year deal. Pittsburgh plans to use a 31-year-old left-handed hitting outfielder, who batted .273 with the Mets and Braves in an injury-plagued season last year, to be the team’s fourth outfielder, backing up Brandon Moss, Andrew McCutchen, and Lastings Milledge.

2020       Major League Baseball suspends Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and skipper AJ Hinch this season without pay for their role in Houston’s sign-stealing scheme, with team owner Jim Crane firing both men an hour later. In addition to the suspensions, other MLB penalties include the club forfeiting their 2020 and 2021 first-and second-round draft picks and a $5 million fine, the most substantial amount allowed under the organization’s constitution.

******SPORTS IN NUMBERS*******

99- 44 – 70 – 13 – 32 – 76 – 86 – 16 – 39 – 22 – 20 – 21 – 9 – 23 – 14 – 7 – 10

January 13, 1953 – 3rd NBA All-Star Game, Allen County Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Indiana: West beats East, 79-75; MVP: Number 99, George Mikan, Minneapolis Lakers, C

January 13, 1957 – 7th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: Western Conference beats Eastern Conference, 19-10; MVPs: Number 44, the kicker of the Baltimore Colts, Bert Rechichar and Defensive tackle Ernie Stautner, Number 70 of the Pittsburgh Steelers

January 13, 1962 – Wilt Chamberlain in his number 13 for the Philadelphia Warriors set an NBA record at the time scoring 73 points in a contest against the Chicago Packers for a 135-117 win. This game high point total still ranks third in the NBA record books!

January 13, 1963 – Number 32 Jim Brown, who played for the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, earned the offensive MVP honors in the NFL Pro Bowl game on this day as the Eastern Squad downed their Western counterparts 30-20 at the LA Memorial Coliseum.

Eugene Big Daddy Lipscomb Number 76 of the Pittsburgh Steelers was the defensive MVP for the same Pro Bowl game in 1963.

January 13, 1963 – 2nd AFL All Star Game, Balboa Stadium, San Diego, California: Western Division beats Eastern Division, 21-14. The game MVPs were Dallas Texans, RB, Number 32, Curtis McClinton & LA Chargers, DE Earl Faison, who wore Number 86

January 13, 1965 – 15th NBA All-Star Game, St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Mo: East beats West, 124-123; MVP: selected was Cincinnati Royals, F, Number 16, Jerry Lucas

January 13, 1974 – Super Bowl VIII, Rice Stadium, Houston, TX: Miami Dolphins beat Minnesota Vikings, 24-7; MVP: Number 39 of the Miami Dolphins, Running back Larry Csonka.

January 13, 1981 – New York Islander’s Number 22, Mike Bossy’s 15th career hat trick-4 goals

January 13, 1982 – Baseball legends Hank Aaron (Number 44) and Frank Robinson (Number 20) were both elected to Hall of Fame

January 13, 1985 – Playing in his 436th career game, Edmonton center Number 99, Wayne Gretzky scores his 400th career NHL goal and adds 2 assists in a 5-4 Oilers’ win over the Sabres in Buffalo

January 13, 2001 – Atlanta Hawks retire Dominique Wilkins’ Number 21 in pre-game ceremonies at Philips Arena; joins Bob Pettit (Number 9) and Lou Hudson (Number 23) as the only Hawks to have their numbers retired

January 13, 2008 – Orlando Magic knocked down a then NBA-record 23 3-pointers in 37 attempts (62.2%). Number 14, Jameer Nelson goes 5-for-5 from beyond the arc as Magic beat the Sacramento Kings, 139-107

January 13, 2014 – FIFA Ballon d’Or: Real Madrid & Portugal forward Number 7, Cristiano Ronaldo ends Number 10, Lionel Messi’s domination of award; FFC Frankfurt goalkeeper Number 1, Nadine Angerer takes women’s award

January 13, 2019 – Lionel Messi scored for FC Barcelona in 3-0 win over Eibar, his 400th goal in La Liga; becomes first player to reach mark in just one of Europe’s top 5 leagues; Cristiano Ronaldo had 409 in Spain, England & Italy

**********TV FRIDAY*********

NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES	TIME ET	TV
YALE AT CORNELL	5:00PM	ESPNU
KENT STATE AT OHIO	6:30PM	CBSSN
VILLANOVA AT BUTLER	7:00PM	FS1
NEBRASKA AT PURDUE	7:00PM	BTN
EASTERN MICHIGAN AT AKRON	7:00PM	ESPNU
SIENA AT NIAGARA	7:00PM	ESPN3
MARIST AT CANISIUS	7:00PM	ESPN3
SAINT PETER’S AT QUINNIPIAC	7:00PM	ESPN3
FAIRFIELD AT IONA	7:00PM	ESPN+
MANHATTAN AT MOUNT ST. MARY’S	7:00PM	ESPN+
VCU AT DAYTON	9:00PM	ESPN2
MICHIGAN STATE AT ILLINOIS	9:00PM	FS1
UTAH STATE AT NEVADA	11:00PM	FS1
GOLF	TIME ET	TV
PGA: SONY OPEN IN HAWAII	7:00PM	GOLF
NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
NEW ORLEANS AT DETROIT	7:00PM	BALLY SPORTS
ATLANTA AT INDIANA	7:00PM	BALLY SPORTS
NEW YORK AT WASHINGTON	7:00PM	MSG NBCS-WSH
GOLDEN STATE AT SAN ANTONIO	7:30PM	ESPN NBCS-BAY BALLY SPORTS
OKLAHOMA CITY AT CHICAGO	8:00PM	BALLY SPORTS NBCS-CHI
PHOENIX AT MINNEOSTA	8:00PM	BALLY SPORTS
ORLANDO AT UTAH	9:00PM	BALLY SPORTS ATTSN-RM
DENVER AT LA CLIPPERS	10:00PM	ESPN ALT BALLY SPORTS
HOUSTON AT SACRAMENTO	10:00PM	ATTSN-SW NBCS-CA
NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
WINNIPEG AT PITTSBURGH	7:00PM	NHLN SPORTSNET BALLY SPORTS
NEW JERSEY AT ANAHEIM	10:00PM	ESPN+ HULU
EDMONTON AT SAN JOSE	10:30PM	SPORTSNET NBCS-CA
SOCCER MATCHES	TIME ET	TV
GULF CUP OF NATIONS: BAHRAIN VS KUWAIT	10:00AM	ESPN+
GULF CUP OF NATIONS: QATAR VS UNITED ARAB EMIRATES	10:00AM	ESPN+
SERIE A: NAPOLI VS JUVENTUS	2:45PM	PARAMOUNT+
FIRST DIVISION A: WESTERLO VS OH LEUVEN	2:45PM	ESPN+
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: ASTON VILLA VS LEEDS UNITED	3:00PM	USA
LA LIGA: CELTA DE VIGO VS VILLARREAL	3:00PM	ESPN+
LIGA MX: PUEBLA VS QUERÉTARO	10:10PM	TUDN