“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA SRN BOYS BASKETBALL POLLS
4A
1 FISHERS
2 LAWRENCE NORTH
3 WARSAW
4 NOBLESVILLE
5 GREENFIELD CENTRAL
6 PIKE
7 NORTHRIDGE
8 CARMEL
9 JEFFERSONVILLE
10 CROWN POINT
ALSO RECEIVING VOTES: ANDERSON, KOKOMO, BEN DAVIS, FT. WAYNE WAYNE, WESTFIELD, SB SILEY, EVANSVILL REITZ, SB ADAMS, HOMESTEAD, NEW ALBANY
3A
1 SB ST. JOSEPH
2 SOUTHRIDGE
3 CRISPUS ATTUCKS
4 CATHEDRAL
5 GUERIN CATHOLIC
6 NEW PALESTINE
7 PRINCETON
8 FT. WAYNE BLACKHAWK
9 SB WASHINGTON
10 NORTHWOOD
ALSO RECEIVING VOTES: BREBEUF, SILVER CREEK, BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL, HERITAGE HILLS, EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL, MACONAQUAH, EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL, DANVILLE
2A
1 WAPAHANI
2 PARKE HERITAGE
3 FT. WAYNE LUERS
4 GARY 21ST CENTURY
5 PROVIDENCE
6 JIMTOWN
7 MANCHESTER
8 FOREST PARK
9 LINTON
10 LAPEL
ALSO RECEIVING VOTES: TAYLOR, SHENANDOAH, SOUTHMONT, WESTVIEW, SULLIVAN, SOUTHWESTERN HANOVER
1A
1 ORLEANS
2 CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
3 LIBERTY CHRISTIAN
4 INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN
5 BARR-REEVE
6 WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
7 SOUTHWOOD
8 NORTHEAST DUBOIS/CARROLL FLORA
9 CLAY CITY
10 FT. WAYNE CATERBURY/BLOOMFIELD
ALSO RECEIVING VOTES: ROCK CREEK ACADEMY, MARQUETTE CATHOLIC, ROSSVILLE, NORTH DAVIESS, TRI, TINDLEY, TRITON, LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC, NORTH CENTRAL
INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SAGARIN RATINGS
4A
1 FISHERS
2 KOKOMO
3 LAWRENCE NORTH
4 NOBLESVILLE
5 WESTFIELD
6 CROWN POINT
7 GREENFIELD-CENTRAL
8 CARMEL
9 JEFFERSONVILLE
10 PIKE
3A
1 CATHEDRAL
2 CRISPUS ATTUCKS
3 GUERIN CATHOLIC
4 SB ST. JOSEPH
5 BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL
6 NORTHWOOD
7 PRINCETON
8 EVANSVILLE CENTRAL
9 FW BLACKHAWK
10 COLUMBIA CITY
2A
1 FW LUERS
2 PARKE HERITAGE
3 SOUTH RIPLEY
4 INDIANAPOLIS RITTER
5 WAPAHANI
6 MANCHESTER
7 GARY 21ST CENTURY
8 FOREST PARK
9 LINTON
10 PROVIDENCE
1A
1 ORLEANS
2 BARR-REEVE
3 HAUSER
4 CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
5 CLAY CITY
6 LIBERTY CHRISTIAN
7 BLOOMFIELD
8 INDY METRO
9 INDY LUTHERAN
10 ROCK CREEK ACADEMY
IBCA BOYS POLLS
1. FISHERS (5-0)
2. LAWRENCE NORTH (3-1)
3. INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS (6-2)
4. GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (4-1)
5. INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (5-2)
6. CARMEL (3-1)
7. WARSAW (4-0)
8. CROWN POINT (3-0)
9. NOBLESVILLE (4-1)
10. JEFFERSONVILLE (3-2)
11. PIKE (4-0)
12. SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (5-0)
13. ANDERSON (4-0)
14. NEW PALESTINE (3-1)
15. NEW ALBANY (3-0)
16. NORTHRIDGE (5-0)
17. BEN DAVIS (2-2)
18. EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (4-2)
19. FORT WAYNE LUERS (3-0)
20. WESTFIELD (3-1)
INDIANA SRN GIRLS BASKETBALL POLLS
4A
1 LAWRENCE CENTRAL
2 HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
3 WARSAW
4 SB WASHINGTON
5 HOMESTEAD
6 CENTER GROVE
7 NORTHRIDGE
8 BROWNSBURG
9 FLOYD CENTRAL
10 BLOOMINGTON SOUTH
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: MCCUTCHEON, PLAINFIELD, LAWRENCE NORTH, NOBLESVILLE, FISHERS, FRANKLIN CENTRAL, PENDLETON HEIGHTS, PENN, PIKE, AVON
3A
1 GREENSBURG
2 WASHINGTON
3 COLUMBIA CITY
4 BELLMONT
5 SILVER CREEK
6 DANVILLE
7 EVANSVILLE CENTRAL
8 NORWELL
9 CORYDON CENTRAL
10 RONCALLI
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL, LOWELL, CHARLESTOWN, CATHEDRAL, BISHOP CHATARD, JASPER, JENNINGS COUNTY, MADISON, PRINCETON
2A
1 SOUTH KNOX
2 ALEXANDRIA
3 NORTHEASTERN
4 EASTERN HANCOCK
5 BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL
6 AUSTIN
7 RENSSELAER CENTRAL
8 PARKE HERITAGE
9 BLUFFTON
10 LANESVILLE
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: EASTSIDE, NORTH KNOX, EVANSVILLE MATER DEI, SHERIDAN, BREMAN, WAPAHANI
1A
1 NORTH CENTRAL-FARMERSBURG
2 BORDEN
3 WESTVILLE
4 MARQUETTE CATHOLIC
5 ORLEANS
6 TRI-COUNTY
7 TRI
8 OLDENBURG ACADEMY/LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC
9 NORTHEAST DUBOIS
10 CLINTON CENTRAL
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: NORTH DECATUR, CARROLL FLORA, TECUMSEH, WOOD MEMORIAL, MORGAN TOWNSHIP, NORTH JUDSON, SOUTHERN WELLS, FREMONT, BARR-REEVE
INDIANA GIRLS IBCA POLL
1. LAWRENCE CENTRAL (12-0)
2. HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (12-0)
3. WARSAW (11-0)
4. HOMESTEAD (10-1)
5. SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (10-1)
6. NORTHRIDGE (10-1)
7. GREENSBURG (12-0)
8. CENTER GROVE (9-1)
9. SOUTH KNOX (12-0)
10. BROWNSBURG (9-2)
11. FLOYD CENTRAL (9-0)
12. COLUMBIA CITY (9-2)
13. BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (10-1)
14. MCCUTCHEON (11-2)
15. NOBLESVILLE (7-3)
16. SILVER CREEK (7-2)
17. PLAINFIELD (7-3)
18. LAWRENCE NORTH (5-4)
19. WASHINGTON (10-2)
20. FISHERS (8-4)
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SAGARIN RATINGS
4A
1 WARSAW
2 LAWRENCE CENTRAL
3 HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
4 HOMESTEAD
5 NORTHRIDGE
6 BLOOMINGTON SOUTH
7 SB WASHINGTON
8 FLOYD CENTRAL
9 BROWNSBURG
10 LAWRENCE NORTH
3A
1 GREENSBURG
2 COLUMBIA CITY
3 SILVER CREEK
4 WASHINGTON
5 NORWELL
6 EVANSVILLE CENTRAL
7 BELLMONT
8 CATHEDRAL
9 BISHOP CHATARD
10 DANVILLE
2A
1 SOUTH KNOX
2 BLUFFFTON
3 RENSSELAER CENTRAL
4 NORTHEASTERN
5 EASTSIDE
6 BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL
7 NORTH KNOX
8 PARKE HERITAGE
9 LANSVILLE
10 AUSTIN
1A
1 NORTH CENTRAL FARMERSBURG
2 LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC
3 MARQUETTE CATHOLIC
4 BORDEN
5 ORLEANS
6 OLDENBURG ACADEMY
7 WESTVILLE
8 WOOD MEMORIAL
9 NORTH DECATUR
10 TECUMSEH
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
TUESDAY, DEC. 17
NO. 25 MEMPHIS VS. WEST VIRGINIA (FRISCO BOWL) | 9 P.M. | ESPN
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18
JAMES MADISON VS. WESTERN KENTUCKY (BOCA RATON BOWL) | 5:30 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 24 UNLV VS. CAL (LA BOWL) | 9 P.M. | ESPN
THURSDAY, DEC. 19
SAM HOUSTON VS. GEORGIA SOUTHERN (NEW ORLEANS BOWL) | 7 P.M. | ESPN2
FRIDAY, DEC. 20
OHIO VS. JACKSONVILLE STATE (CURE BOWL) | 12 P.M. | ESPN
FLORIDA VS. TULANE (GASPARILLA BOWL) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 8 INDIANA AT NO. 5 NOTRE DAME (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FIRST ROUND) | 8 P.M. | ABC/ESPN
SATURDAY, DEC. 21
NO. 10 SMU AT NO. 4 PENN STATE (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FIRST ROUND) | 12 P.M. | TNT/MAX
NORTH DAKOTA STATE VS. SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (FCS SEMIFINALS) | 12 P.M. | ABC
VALDOSTA STATE VS. FERRIS STATE (DII CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN MCKINNEY, TEXAS) | 2 P.M. | ESPN2
MONTANA STATE VS. SOUTH DAKOTA (FCS SEMIFINALS) | 3:30 P.M. | ABC
NO. 16 CLEMSON AT NO. 3 TEXAS (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FIRST ROUND) | 4 P.M. | TNT/MAX
NO. 7 TENNESSEE AT NO. 6 OHIO STATE (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FIRST ROUND) | 8 P.M. | ABC/ESPN
NORTH CENTRAL (IL) VS. SUSQUEHANNA (DIII SEMIFINALS) | TBA | ESPN+
MOUNT UNION VS. JOHNS HOPKINS (DIII SEMIFINALS) | TBA | ESPN+
MONDAY, DEC. 23
COASTAL CAROLINA VS. UTSA (MYRTLE BEACH BOWL) | 11 A.M. | ESPN
NORTHERN ILLINOIS VS. FRESNO STATE (FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL) | 2:30 P.M. | ESPN
TUESDAY, DEC. 24
SOUTH FLORIDA VS. SAN JOSE STATE (HAWAI’I BOWL) | 8 P.M. | ESPN
THURSDAY, DEC. 26
PITT VS. TOLEDO (GAMEABOVE SPORTS BOWL) | 2 P.M. | ESPN
RUTGERS VS. KANSAS STATE (RATE BOWL) | 5:30 P.M. | ESPN
ARKANSAS STATE VS. BOWLING GREEN (68 VENTURES BOWL) | 9 P.M. | ESPN
FRIDAY, DEC. 27
NAVY VS. OKLAHOMA (ARMED FORCES BOWL) | 12 P.M. | ESPN
GEORGIA TECH VS. VANDERBILT (BIRMINGHAM BOWL) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
ARKANSAS VS. TEXAS TECH (LIBERTY BOWL) | 7 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 21 SYRACUSE VS. WASHINGTON STATE (HOLIDAY BOWL) | 8 P.M. | FOX
USC VS. TEXAS A&M (LAS VEGAS BOWL) | 10:30 P.M. | ESPN
SATURDAY, DEC. 28
UCONN VS. NORTH CAROLINA (FENWAY BOWL) | 11 A.M. | ESPN
BOSTON COLLEGE VS. NEBRASKA (PINSTRIPE BOWL) | 12 P.M. | ABC
TCU VS. LOUISIANA (NEW MEXICO BOWL) | 2:15 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 13 MIAMI (FLA.) VS. NO. 18 IOWA STATE (POP-TARTS BOWL) | 3:30 P.M. | ABC
COLORADO STATE VS. MIAMI (OHIO) (ARIZONA BOWL) | 4:30 P.M. | CW NETWORK
NC STATE VS. EAST CAROLINA (MILITARY BOWL) | 5:45 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 17 BYU VS. NO. 23 COLORADO (ALAMO BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
NO. 22 ARMY VS. LOUISIANA TECH (INDEPENDENCE BOWL) | 9:15 P.M. | ESPN
MONDAY, DEC. 30
NO. 19 MISSOURI VS. IOWA (MUSIC CITY BOWL) | 2:30 P.M. | ESPN
TUESDAY, DEC. 31
NO. 11 ALABAMA VS. MICHIGAN (RELIAQUEST BOWL) | 12 P.M. | ESPN
LOUISVILLE VS. WASHINGTON (SUN BOWL) | 2 P.M. | CBS
NO. 15 SOUTH CAROLINA VS. NO. 20 ILLINOIS (CITRUS BOWL) | 3 P.M. | ABC
LSU VS. BAYLOR (TEXAS BOWL) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 9 BOISE STATE VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — FIESTA BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 1
NO. 12 ARIZONA STATE VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — PEACH BOWL) | 1 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 1 OREGON VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — ROSE BOWL) | 5 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 2 GEORGIA VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — SUGAR BOWL) | 8:45 P.M. | ESPN
THURSDAY, JAN. 2
NO. 14 OLE MISS VS. DUKE (GATOR BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
FRIDAY, JAN. 3
NORTH TEXAS VS. TEXAS STATE (FIRST RESPONDER BOWL) | 4 P.M. | ESPN
MINNESOTA VS. VIRGINIA TECH (DUKE’S MAYO BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
SATURDAY, JAN. 4
LIBERTY VS. BUFFALO (BAHAMAS BOWL) | 11 A.M. | ESPN2
SUNDAY, JAN. 5
TBD VS. TBD (DIII STAGG BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN HOUSTON, TEXAS) | TBA | ESPN
MONDAY, JAN. 6
TBD VS. TBD (FCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN FRISCO, TEXAS) | 7 P.M. | ESPN
THURSDAY, JAN. 9
TBD VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL GAME — ORANGE BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
FRIDAY, JAN. 10
TBD VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL GAME — COTTON BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
MONDAY, JAN. 20
TBD VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME — IN ATLANTA) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
NFL SCORES/SCHEDULE
SUNDAY
DALLAS 30 CAROLINA 14
KANSAS CITY 21 CLEVELAND 7
HOUSTON 20 MIAMI 12
CINCINNATI 37 TENNESSEE 27
WASHINGTON 20 NEW ORLEANS 19
NY JETS 32 JACKSONVILLE 25
BALTIMORE 35 NY GIANTS 14
PHILADELPHIA 27 PITTSBURGH 13
DENVER 31 INDIANAPOLIS 13
BUFFALO 48 DETROIT 42
TAMPA BAY 40 LA CHARGERS 17
ARIZONA 30 NEW ENGLAND 17
GREEN BAY 30 SEATTLE 13
MONDAY, DEC. 16
CHICAGO BEARS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (8:00P ABC)
ATLANTA FALCONS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (8:30P ESPN)
NFL WEEK 16 SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, DEC. 19
DENVER BRONCOS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SATURDAY, DEC. 21
HOUSTON TEXANS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (1:00P NBC)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (4:30P FOX)
SUNDAY, DEC. 22
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS 1:00P FOX)
NEW YORK GIANTS AT ATLANTA FALCONS (1:00P FOX)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT BUFFALO BILLS (1:00P CBS)
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (1:00P FOX)
DETROIT LIONS AT CHICAGO BEARS (1:00P FOX)
TENNESSEE TITANS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (1:00P CBS)
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT NEW YORK JETS (1:00P CBS)
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (1:00P FOX)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (4:05P FOX)
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (4:25P CBS)
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (4:25P CBS)
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT DALLAS COWBOYS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 23
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (8:15P ESPN)
NFL WEEK 17 SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25 (CHRISTMAS)
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (1:00P NETFLIX)
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT HOUSTON TEXANS (4:30P NETFLIX)
THURSDAY, DEC. 26
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT CHICAGO BEARS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SATURDAY, DEC. 28
TBD TBD (1:00P NFL NETWORK)
TBD TBD (4:30P NFL NETWORK)
TBD TBD (8:00P NFL NETWORK)
SATURDAY GAME POOL:
DENVER BRONCOS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT NEW YORK GIANTS
ATLANTA FALCONS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
SUNDAY, DEC. 29
NEW YORK JETS AT BUFFALO BILLS (1:00P CBS)
TENNESSEE TITANS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1:00P CBS)
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1:00P FOX)
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1:00P FOX)
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1:00P CBS)
DALLAS COWBOYS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (4:25P FOX)
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 30
DETROIT LIONS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (8:15P ESPN/ABC)
NFL WEEK 18 SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, JAN. 4 OR SUNDAY, JAN. 5
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT DALLAS COWBOYS
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT DENVER BRONCOS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT DETROIT LIONS
CHICAGO BEARS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
BUFFALO BILLS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW YORK JETS
NEW YORK GIANTS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
HOUSTON TEXANS AT TENNESSEE TITANS
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25:
#3 IOWA STATE 83 OMAHA 51
#12 OREGON 79 STEPHEN F AUSTIN 61
ELSEWHERE:
PURDUE FORT WAYNE 99 EASTERN MICHIGAN 76
IOWA 104 NEW ORLEANS 57
NORTHWESTERN 71 GEORGIA TECH 60
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25:
#17 MICHIGAN STATE 68 #21 IOWA 66
#22 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 72 LOUISVILLE 42
#24 NEBRASKA 66 CHATTANOOGA 42
#6 TEXAS 65 RICHMOND 54
#2 CONNECTICUT 79 GEORGETOWN 44
#3 SOUTH CAROLINA 78 S. FLORIDA 62
#25 GEORGIA TECH 82 #14 NORTH CAROLINA 76
#8 NOTRE DAME 118 EASTERN MICHIGAN 49
#15 WEST VIRGINIA 68 TEMPLE 46
#10 OKLAHOMA 94 ORAL ROBERTS 54
#4 LSU 85 LOUISIANA 57
#22 OLE MISS 94 S. ALABAMA 39
#12 TCU 92 LOUISIANA TECH 41
#5 USC 88 ELON 30
#18 IOWA STATE 87 EASTERN ILLINOIS 55
ELSEWHERE:
BUTLER 95 ST. FRANCIS 38
RUTGERS 86 WAGGENER 48
INDIANA 95 BELLARMINE 61
NORTHERN ILLINOIS 82 INDIANA STATE 78
ILLINOIS 73 SOUTHERN INDIANA 50
KANSAS 68 PENN STATE 65
NORTHWESTERN 67 BRADLEY 57
BALL STATE 77 NORTHERN KENTUCKY 51
NBA SCOREBOARD
INDIANA 119 NEW ORLEANS 104
BOSTON 112 WASHINGTON 98
NEW YORK 100 ORLANDO 91
MINNESOTA 106 SAN ANTONIO 92
PHOENIX 116 PORTLAND 109
LA LAKERS 116 MEMPHIS 110
NHL SCOREBOARD
CHICAGO 5 NY ISLANDERS 3
TORONTO 5 BUFFALO 3
CAROLINA 4 COLUMBUS 1
ST. LOUIS 3 NY RANGERS 2
VEGAS 3 MINNESOTA 2
TOP NATIONAL RELEASES/NEWS
NFL NEWS
SEVEN FROM SUNDAY
A look at seven statistical highlights from games played during the 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET windows on Sunday, December 15, the 15th week of the 2024 season.
- The Houston Texans defeated Miami, 20-12, and along with Indianapolis’ Week 15 loss, clinched the AFC South division title for the second consecutive season. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans is the sixth head coach since 2000 to win a division in each of his first two seasons, joining Jim Caldwell, Jim Harbaugh, Matt LaFleur, Sean McVay and Mike Tomlin.The Pittsburgh Steelers, with losses by Indianapolis and Miami in Week 15, clinched a playoff berth for the fourth time in the past five seasons.
The Buffalo Bills defeated Detroit, 48-42, and became the fifth team all-time to score 30 points in eight consecutive games within a single season, joining the 2013 Denver Broncos, the 2007 and 2010 New England Patriots, and the 2000 St. Louis Rams.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen passed for 362 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 68 yards and two touchdowns in Week 15, after recording three touchdown passes and three rushing touchdowns in Week 14.
Allen is the first player in NFL history with at least two touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns in consecutive games and the first player all-time with three such games in a season.
Allen is the second player ever with at least 350 passing yards, 50 rushing yards, two touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns in a game, joining Russell Wilson (Sept. 22, 2019, with Seattle).
Allen has 74 career regular-season wins, tied with Patrick Mahomes (74 wins) for the second-most regular-season wins by a quarterback in his first seven seasons in NFL history. Only Russell Wilson (75) has more.
Allen, who has 11 rushing touchdowns this season and had 15 rushing touchdowns in 2023, is the third quarterback all-time with at least 10 rushing touchdowns in multiple career seasons, joining Jalen Hurts (four seasons) and Cam Newton (three).
Allen has a rushing touchdown in five consecutive games, and along with his five-game streak of rushing touchdowns in 2023, is the first quarterback ever with multiple five-game streaks with a rushing touchdown.
The Philadelphia Eagles defeated Pittsburgh, 27-13, for their franchise-record 10th-consecutive win.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who recorded two separate winning streaks of 11 games from 2021-22 and 2022-23, is the fifth quarterback since 1950 with at least three career winning streaks of 10-or-more games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers John Elway and Peyton Manning as well as Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.
The Denver Broncos defeated Indianapolis, 31-13, to improve to 9-5 and clinch their first winning season since 2016 (9-7). Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto had a 50-yard fumble-return touchdown in Week 15 and along with his 71-yard interception-return for a touchdown in Week 13 prior to the team’s Week 14 bye, became the first linebacker since 1970 with a 50-yard defensive touchdown in consecutive games.
- Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson completed 21 of 25 pass attempts (84 percent) for 290 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions for a 154.6 passer rating and rushed for 65 yards in the Ravens’ 35-14 win at the New York Giants.Jackson became the first player in NFL history with five touchdown passes, 50-or-more rushing yards and a completion percentage of 80-or-higher in a regular-season game (Josh Allen reached these marks on Jan. 15, 2022, in the AFC Wild Card round).
Jackson has eight career games with a passer rating of 150-or-higher, tied with Drew Brees (eight games) and Ben Roethlisberger (eight) for the most such games (minimum 15 pass attempts in each game) in NFL history.
Jackson has six career games with at least five touchdown passes, tied with Patrick Mahomes (six games), Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (six) and Ben Roethlisberger (six) for the fourth-most such games in NFL history. Only Drew Brees (11 games), Tom Brady (nine) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (nine) have more.
Jackson is the third player all-time with three games of three-or-more touchdown passes and a passer rating of 150-or-higher in a season, joining Drew Brees (2018) and Kirk Cousins (2015).
Jackson has 6,001 career rushing yards and became the second quarterback in NFL history with at least 6,000 rushing yards, joining Michael Vick (6,109 rushing yards).
- Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes had two touchdown passes in the Chiefs’ 21-7 win at Cleveland.Mahomes has 87 career regular-season wins and surpassed Tom Brady (86 wins) and Russell Wilson (86) for the most wins by a starting quarterback in his first eight seasons in NFL history.
Mahomes has 74 career regular-season games with at least two touchdown passes, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (74 games) for the most such games by a player in his first eight seasons in NFL history.
Mahomes has 241 career regular-season touchdown passes, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (241 touchdown passes) for the second-most touchdown passes by a player in his first eight seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (244 touchdown passes) has more.
Mahomes has 31,772 career regular season passing yards and surpassed Derek Carr (31,700 passing yards) for the third-most passing yards ever by a player in his first eight seasons. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (33,189 passing yards) and Matt Ryan (32,757) have more.
Mahomes has 300 career combined passing and rushing touchdowns (282 passing, 18 rushing) in 128 games, including the playoffs, and surpassed Aaron Rodgers (135 games) as the fastest player to reach 300 combined passing and rushing touchdowns, including the postseason, in NFL history.
- Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow recorded three touchdown passes and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase registered nine receptions for 94 yards in the Bengals’ 37-27 win at Tennessee.Burrow became the fifth player in NFL history with at least three touchdown passes in six consecutive games, joining Tom Brady (10 consecutive games in 2007) and Andrew Luck (eight in 2018) as well as Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning (eight in 2004) and Dan Marino (seven from 1986-87).
Burrow, who has 36 touchdowns passes this season and had 35 touchdown passes in 2022, became the fifth player in NFL history with at least 35 touchdown passes in two of his first five seasons, joining Josh Allen (three seasons) and Patrick Mahomes (three) as well as Pro Football Hall of Famers Dan Marino (two) and Kurt Warner (two).
Burrow has 133 career touchdown passes and surpassed Andrew Luck (132 touchdown passes) for the fifth-most by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Dan Marino (168 touchdown passes) and Peyton Manning (138) as well as Patrick Mahomes (151) and Josh Allen (138) have more.
Chase leads the NFL with 102 receptions, 1,413 receiving yards and 15 touchdown receptions this season and became the fifth player in NFL history with at least 100 receptions, 1,400 receiving yards and 15 touchdown receptions in a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Marvin Harrison (2001), Randy Moss (2003) and Jerry Rice (1995) as well as Cooper Kupp (2021).
- Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels completed 25 of 31 pass attempts (80.6 percent) for 226 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions for a 118.5 passer rating and added 66 rushing yards while wide receiver Terry McLaurin had seven receptions for 73 yards and two touchdowns in the Commanders’ 20-19 win at New Orleans.Daniels is the first rookie and the fifth player overall in NFL history with four games with a completion percentage of 80-or-higher (minimum 20 attempts in each game) in a season, joining Drew Brees (2018), Kirk Cousins (2019), Trevor Lawrence (2022) and Dak Prescott (2023).
Daniels has 3,045 passing yards and 656 rushing yards and became the fourth rookie quarterback in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards, joining Robert Griffin III (2012), Kyler Murray (2019) and Cam Newton (2011).
Daniels’ 656 rushing yards are the fourth-most ever by a rookie quarterback, trailing only Robert Griffin III (815 rushing yards in 2012), Cam Newton (706 in 2011) and Lamar Jackson (695 in 2018).
McLaurin, who has 68 receptions and 969 receiving yards this season, became the fourth player in NFL history with 50 receptions and 900 receiving yards in each of his first six seasons, joining Mike Evans, A.J. Green and Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss. Seattle’s DK Metcalf (54 receptions and 812 receiving yards in 2024) can join this group on Sunday Night Football in Week 15.
- New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers passed for 289 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions for a 120.0 passer rating and wide receiver Davante Adams had nine receptions for 198 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s 32-25 win at Jacksonville.Rodgers has 159 career games with at least two touchdown passes, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre (159 games) for the fourth-most such games in NFL history. Only Tom Brady (204 games), Drew Brees (173) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (165) have more.
Adams has 101 career touchdown receptions and became the sixth player in NFL history with at least 100 receiving touchdowns in his first 11 seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (146), Randy Moss (135), Marvin Harrison (122) and Terrell Owens (114) as well as Mike Evans (103).
Adams has 18 career games with at least 100 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Don Hutson (18 games) for the fourth-most such games in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (27 games), Randy Moss (26) and Marvin Harrison (22) have more.
- Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield, in his 100th career start, passed for 288 yards and four touchdowns and wide receiver Mike Evans recorded nine receptions for 159 yards and two touchdowns in the Buccaneers’ 40-17 win at the Los Angeles Chargers.Mayfield has 159 touchdown passes, the fifth-most touchdown passes by a quarterback selected No. 1 overall in his first 100 career starts, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (178 touchdown passes), Matthew Stafford (178), Andrew Luck (171 in 86 starts) and Carson Palmer (160).
Evans, who has 52 receptions this season, became the fifth player at time with at least 50 receptions in each of his first 11 seasons, joining Anquan Boldin, Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, Torry Holt and Larry Fitzgerald.
Evans has seven career games with at least 150 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famers Lance Alworth (six games) and Bob Hayes (six) as well as Mark Duper (six) for the fourth-most such games by a player in his first 11 seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (15 games) and Don Maynard (eight) as well as Tyreek Hill (eight, in first nine seasons) have more.
- Additional notes from Sunday include:
- Dallas wide receiver CeeDee Lamb had nine receptions for 116 yards and one touchdown and linebacker Micah Parsons had two sacks in the Cowboys’ 30-14 win at Carolina.Lamb has 489 career receptions and surpassed Jarvis Landry (481 receptions) for the second-most receptions by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history. Only Michael Thomas (510 receptions) has more.
Parsons has 14 career games with at least two sacks, tied with Simeon Rice (14 games) for the fourth-most such games by a player in his first four seasons since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Reggie White (22 games) and Richard Dent (16) as well as J.J. Watt (15) have more.
- Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert passed for 195 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in Week 15.Herbert has 20,182 passing yards since entering the NFL in 2020 and joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (20,618 passing yards) as the only players with at least 20,000 passing yards in their first five seasons in NFL history.
Herbert, from Weeks 2-14, recorded 357 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, the fifth-longest such streak in NFL history, trailing only Aaron Rodgers (402 consecutive pass attempts in 2018), Tom Brady (399 in 2022 and 358 from 2010-11) and Jared Goff (383 from 2022-23).
- New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers had 10 receptions in Week 15 and joined Odell Beckham Jr. (four games), Jaylen Waddle (three) and Brock Bowers (three, entering Week 15) as the only rookies in NFL history with three games of 10-or-more receptions.Nabers has 90 receptions this season and joined Odell Beckham Jr. (91 receptions) as the only players with at least 90 receptions in their first 12 career games in NFL history.
- Jacksonville rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. registered 10 receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns while tight end Brenton Strange recorded 11 receptions in Week 15.Thomas Jr. is the sixth rookie in NFL history with at least 10 receptions, 100 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions in a game, joining Odell Beckham Jr. (Nov. 23, 2014, and Dec. 14, 2014, with the New York Giants), Anquan Boldin (Sept. 7, 2003 with Arizona), Jerry Butler (Sept. 23, 1979, with Buffalo), Ja’Marr Chase (Jan. 2, 2022 with Cincinnati) and Darius Slayton (Nov. 10, 2019, with the New York Giants).
Thomas Jr. (22 years old) and Strange (23 years old) are fourth pair of teammates each under the age of 24 to record at least 10 receptions in the same game in NFL history, joining the New York Giants’ Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson (Sept. 26, 2024), Green Bay’s Davante Adams and Ty Montgomery (Oct. 20, 2016) and New Orleans’ Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead (Dec. 21, 2015).
- Detroit quarterback Jared Goff passed for 494 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had 14 receptions for 193 yards and one touchdown in Week 15.Goff is the first player in NFL history with four career games with at least 400 passing yards, four touchdown passes and no interceptions, surpassing Joe Burrow (three games), Drew Brees (three), Patrick Mahomes (three), Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (three) and Aaron Rodgers (three).
Goff has 40 career games with at least 300 passing yards and became the fifth quarterback in NFL history with 40 such games in his first nine career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning (40 games) and Dan Marino (41) as well as Patrick Mahomes (47, in first eight seasons) and Matt Ryan (41).
St. Brown has 410 receptions since entering the NFL in 2021 and joined Michael Thomas (470 receptions) and Jarvis Landry (400) as the only players with 400 receptions in their first four seasons in NFL history.
St. Brown has 46 games with at least five receptions and surpassed CeeDee Lamb (45 games) for the third-most such games by a player in his first four career seasons in NFL history. Only Michael Thomas (52 games) and Jarvis Landry (49) have more.
- New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara recorded his 25th career touchdown reception and along with 60 career rushing touchdowns, became the fourth player in NFL history with at least 50 rushing touchdowns and 25 receiving touchdowns, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk and Lenny Moore as well as Christian McCaffrey.
- Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. Watt had two sacks and a forced fumble in Week 15.Watt has at least two sacks in 25 career games and became the fifth player with at least 25 such games in his first eight seasons since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Reggie White (33 games) and Richard Dent (25) as well as Jared Allen (28) and Simeon Rice (27) have more.
Watt has 33 career forced fumbles and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware (32 forced fumbles) for the third-most by a player in his first eight seasons since 2000. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney (36 forced fumbles) and Robert Mathis (36) have more.
NFL ROUNDUP: LIONS’ 11-GAME WINNING STREAK ENDS AT HANDS OF BILLS
Josh Allen passed for two touchdowns and rushed for two more and the visiting Buffalo Bills halted the Detroit Lions’ franchise-record 11-game winning streak with a 48-42 victory on Sunday.
Allen, who has 10 total touchdowns in the past two games, passed for 362 yards and rushed for 68 against Detroit. James Cook rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns for the Bills (11-3).
Jared Goff passed for 494 yards and matched his career high of five touchdown passes for the Lions (12-2). Amon-Ra St. Brown hauled in a touchdown while establishing career bests of 14 catches and 193 receiving yards.
The teams combined for 1,080 yards. Buffalo had 559, Detroit totaled 521. With the loss, the Lions are now tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for the best record in the NFC, with the Minnesota Vikings also at two losses ahead of a meeting with the Chicago Bears on Monday night.
Texans 20, Dolphins 12
C.J. Stroud threw two touchdown passes to Nico Collins and Houston clinched the AFC South title with a victory over visiting Miami.
Will Anderson Jr. forced a turnover with a key strip-sack, Derek Stingley Jr. recorded two interceptions and Calen Bullock also had a pick for Houston (9-5). The Texans formally clinched the division when the Indianapolis Colts lost to the Denver Broncos later Sunday.
Tua Tagovailoa completed 29 of 40 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown for Miami, but he lost a fumble and matched his career worst of three interceptions for the Dolphins (6-8), who are two games out in the AFC wild-card race.
Eagles 27, Steelers 13
Jalen Hurts passed for two touchdowns and ran for one as Philadelphia beat visiting Pittsburgh for its franchise-record 10th consecutive win.
Reportedly playing with a broken finger on his left (non-throwing) hand, Hurts completed 25 of 32 passes for 290 yards and TDs to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. He ran for 45 yards and recorded his 14th rushing score of the season. The Eagles (12-2) leaned on a passing game that was under fire all week amid drama regarding the relationship between Hurts and Brown (eight catches for 110 yards).
The Steelers (10-4) have lost 11 consecutive road games in this Pennsylvania rivalry, with their most recent win in Philadelphia coming in 1965. Pittsburgh still clinched a playoff berth courtesy of losses by the Dolphins and Colts. Russell Wilson completed 14 of 22 passes for 128 yards and one touchdown for the Steelers, who were held to 163 yards of offense.
Cowboys 30, Panthers 14
Cooper Rush threw for two of his three touchdowns in the third quarter as Dallas pulled away from Carolina for a victory at Charlotte.
CeeDee Lamb had 116 receiving yards and a touchdown on nine catches and Rico Dowdle rushed for a career-high 149 yards on 25 carries for the Cowboys (6-8), who are trying to stay in playoff contention. Brandon Aubrey kicked three field goals.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young committed four turnovers — two interceptions and a pair of fumbles. He threw for 219 yards on 19-for-28 passing, but Carolina (3-11) lost its fourth consecutive game. Young ran for a fourth-quarter touchdown.
Chiefs 21, Browns 7
Patrick Mahomes threw for a pair of touchdowns before injuring his ankle as Kansas City beat host Cleveland.
Mahomes completed 19 of 38 passes for 159 yards but had to be replaced by veteran signal-caller Carson Wentz after getting caught up under Cleveland defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson with 7:57 left in the game. Kansas City (13-1) had already built its 21-7 lead, and Chiefs coach Andy Reid said afterward that he vetoed Mahomes’ request to return to the game.
The Browns (3-11) also switched quarterbacks after Jameis Winston had 146 yards and three interceptions on 16-for-25 passing. Dorian Thompson-Robinson passed for 18 yards and a pick once he came in. Jerome Ford rushed for a 62-yard TD in the third quarter for the Browns, and Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski said after the game that star running back Nick Chubb broke his foot in the third quarter.
Jets 32, Jaguars 25
Breece Hall ran for a 1-yard touchdown with 1:05 left as visiting New York rallied in the fourth quarter for a win over Jacksonville.
Hall’s run capped a 70-yard drive that featured two critical connections between Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams. The duo hooked up for third-down gains of 23 and 41 yards that got the ball just shy of the end zone, teeing up Hall’s game-winning score for the Jets (4-10).
Rodgers finished 16-of-30 passing for 289 yards and three scores, finding Adams nine times in the second half for 198 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jacksonville (3-11) had a chance to force overtime on its last possession, but Mac Jones’ deep pass down the left side was intercepted by Sauce Gardner at the New York 13 with 37 seconds left.
Commanders 20, Saints 19
Jayden Daniels threw two touchdown passes to Terry McLaurin and visiting Washington held on to defeat New Orleans after the Saints scored as time ran out but failed on the ensuing two-point conversion attempt.
Daniels completed 25 of 31 passes for 226 yards without an interception and rushed 11 times for 66 yards for the Commanders (9-5), but he was sacked eight times.
After second-year quarterback Jake Haener struggled in his first NFL start in place of an injured Derek Carr, the Saints (5-9) turned to rookie Spencer Rattler, who completed 10 of 21 passes for 135 yards and the touchdown with no time left. But Rattler’s pass on the ensuing two-point conversion try sailed wide of diving tight end Juwan Johnson.
Ravens 35, Giants 14
Lamar Jackson threw for 290 yards and tied a career high with five touchdown passes, including a pair to Rashod Bateman, to boost Baltimore over skidding New York in East Rutherford, N.J.
Baltimore (9-5) stayed in the thick of the AFC playoff race while moving within one game of AFC North-leading Pittsburgh. Jackson had more TDs than incompletions, finishing 21-for-25 passing before yielding to backup Josh Johnson.
New York (2-12) tied a franchise record with its ninth consecutive loss and remained winless at home. Back at quarterback, Tommy DeVito suffered a concussion and left the game in the second quarter. He was 10-for-13 passing for 68 yards while getting sacked twice.
Bengals 37, Titans 27
Cincinnati took advantage of four turnovers by Tennessee quarterback Will Levis while getting three touchdown passes from Joe Burrow to win in Nashville.
The two teams combined for 10 turnovers and 26 penalties in the mistake-filled game. The 10 total turnovers, including six by the Titans, are the most in an NFL game since a 2007 contest between the Lions and Minnesota Vikings.
The Bengals (6-8) won back-to-back games for just the second time this season while the Titans (3-11) lost two fumbles and had two quarterbacks who combined to throw four interceptions.
Cardinals 30, Patriots 17
James Conner rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns as Arizona stayed in the NFC West title race with a win over New England in Glendale, Ariz.
Conner blew the game open in the fourth quarter with a pair of 1-yard scores as Arizona (7-7) snapped a three-game losing streak. Quarterback Kyler Murray completed 23 of 30 passes for 224 yards as the Cardinals outgained New England 395-311.
Rookie quarterback Drake Maye hit on 19 of 23 passes for 202 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Patriots, who fell to 3-11. Rhamondre Stevenson led New England’s rushing attack with 69 yards on 13 attempts.
Broncos 31, Colts 13
The Denver defense shut out visiting Indianapolis in the second half, forcing five turnovers and scoring a touchdown en route to a win.
Bo Nix completed 20 of 33 passes for 130 yards and threw three touchdowns and three interceptions for Denver (9-5). Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins and Courtland Sutton caught touchdowns for the Broncos. Brandon Jones and Patrick Surtain II had interceptions, while Nik Bonitto and D.J. Jones recovered fumbles.
Anthony Richardson was 17-of-38 passing for 172 yards with a rushing touchdown and two interceptions for the Colts (6-8).
Buccaneers 40, Chargers 17
Mike Evans notched two second-half touchdowns to lead Tampa Bay’s rout over offensively inept Los Angeles in Inglewood, Calif.
Evans caught scoring passes of 57 and 35 yards as the Buccaneers (8-6) outscored the Chargers 27-0 in the second half. Evans finished with 159 yards on nine catches. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield went 22-for-27 passing for 288 yards and four touchdowns.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert’s streak of 357 consecutive passes without an interception ended in the third quarter as he battled a lingering ankle injury and withering pressure. Herbert finished 21-for-33 passing for 195 yards and two touchdowns as Los Angeles (8-6) was outgained 506-206.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
NO. 12 OREGON DOWNS STEPHEN F. AUSTIN TO GET BACK IN WIN COLUMN
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Brandon Angel had 15 points and six rebounds as No. 12 Oregon defeated Stephen F. Austin 79-61 on Sunday.
Angel, a 6-foot-9 senior transfer from Stanford, was 4 for 5 from the field and 6 for 7 from the line for the Ducks (10-1), who bounced back from their first loss of the season against UCLA last weekend.
Supreme Cook and Jadrian Tracey scored 14 points apiece for Oregon while Nate Bittle added 13 points in 18 minutes before fouling out.
Matt Hayman led the Lumberjacks (5-6) with 17 points while Keon Thompson added 11.
Oregon shot 47.8% from the field in the first half to take a 37-23 lead, and the Lumberjacks got no closer than 12 points in the second half.
Takeaways
Stephen F. Austin: It was the toughest test of the season for the Lumberjacks, who have two more nonconference games before returning to Southland Conference play, where they are 0-2.
Oregon: The Ducks have two remaining nonconference games, including a trip to face former Pac-12 rival Stanford on Saturday. Sophomore Kwame Evans Jr., who left the game in the second half with what appeared to be an injury to his left knee or ankle. Evans had eight points and five rebounds in 14 minutes.
Key moment
Oregon’s defense stifled the Lumberjacks at the start for an 18-4 lead just over eight minutes into the game. Stephen F. Austin opened the game 2 of 13 from the field with six turnovers.
Key stat
Oregon got 44 points from its bench, led by Cook and Tracey, while the Lumberjacks had just 13.
Up next
Stephen F. Austin hosts Texas Wesleyan on Friday, and Oregon visits Stanford on Saturday.
NO. 3 IOWA STATE RUNS PAST OMAHA, 83-51
AMES, Iowa – No. 3 Iowa State (9-1, 0-0 Big 12) increased its homecourt winning streak to 24 games in an 83-51 victory vs. Omaha (4-9, 0-0 Summit League) Sunday afternoon in Hilton Coliseum.
After a sluggish start, the Cyclones rebounded with a 20-2 run to end the first half to seize control. The Cyclones have scored 80+ points in all 10 games this season, marking the first time in school history ISU has opened a season with 10-straight 80-point performances.
Keshon Gilbert led the way for the Cyclones with 16 points while connecting on 6-of-9 shots from the field to help ISU shoot above 50 percent (53.3 pct.) for the fifth time in the last six games.
Gilbert was joined by four other Cyclones in double-figuring scoring. Joshua Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic each scored 13 points and Tamin Lipsey and Nate Heise chipped in with 11 and 10 points, respectively. The Cyclones are now 12-0 in the T.J. Otzelberger era when five players score 10+ points.
Jefferson grabbed a team-high eight caroms and Curtis Jones led the Cyclones in assists with six.
How it Happened
Omaha’s J.J. White buried a 3-pointer at the midway point of the first half to give the Mavericks their first lead of the game at 17-16. Up to that point, ISU had turned the ball over eight times and could never get into rhythm.
The game was still tied at 21-21 with 6:53 left in the first half, but the anxiety inside Hilton Coliseum soon diminished as the Cyclones closed the half on an impressive 20-2 run.
ISU held Omaha scoreless for nearly five minutes and quit turning the ball over. Gilbert played a huge role in the spurt. He started it with a trey and had seven points in the run to give the Cyclones a 41-23 lead at the break.
Another spurt by the Cyclones in the early moments of the second half, this time a 9-0 run, put the game out of reach. Gilbert converted an and-one and Heise made a tough left-handed reverse layup off a beautiful bounce pass from Jones to move ISU out in front 52-27.
The Mavericks briefly trimmed the lead to 18 points at one point, but back-to-back Momcilovic 3-pointers gave the Cyclones a 28-point advantage (69-41) with 8:52 left in the contest.
Key Performer
Nate Heise’s confidence and playmaking ability has improved dramatically over the last two weeks. Heise gave the Cyclones a spark off the bench again tonight with 10 points, five rebounds and two assists. Heise made both of his 3-point field goal attempts and his ability to guard the perimeter has been outstanding. The Cyclones made their huge run late in the opening period with Heise on the floor.
Notes
Joshua Jefferson played in his 70th career game.
He eclipsed 100 career assists, dishing three.
Curtis Jones went over 1,100 points in his career.
Notched assist number 100 at ISU today, dishing six.
Keshon Gilbert now has over 1,100 points in his career.
Brandton Chatfield pulled in rebound number 500 today.
Up Next
Iowa State remains at home next Sunday (Dec. 22) in its final non-conference game playing host to Morgan state. Tipoff is set for Noon on ESPN+.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: LUKA DONCIC, KLAY THOMPSON LEAD MAVS’ CHARGE PAST WARRIORS
Luka Doncic scored a game-high 45 points as part of a triple-double, Klay Thompson turned back the clock with seven 3-pointers and the Dallas Mavericks avenged an NBA Cup loss to the Golden State Warriors with a 143-133 victory on Sunday night in San Francisco.
Thompson finished with a season-best 29 points and Kyrie Irving tossed in 21 to complement eight assists for the Mavericks, who won for the eighth time in their past nine games.
Andrew Wiggins went for a team-high 29 points, Stephen Curry posted 26, Draymond Green added 21 and Jonathan Kuminga had 20 for the Warriors, who beat the Mavericks 120-117 on Nov. 12 but have won just five times in 14 games since.
Pacers 119, Pelicans 104
Pascal Siakam scored a game-high 22 points, helping lead Indiana to a win over visiting New Orleans in Indianapolis.
Tyrese Haliburton had 21 points and 10 assists, while Andrew Nembhard added 17 points for Indiana, which has won three of its last four. Obi Toppin scored 16 off the bench and Myles Turner chipped in 14 in the win.
Brandon Boston Jr. led the Pelicans with 20 points off the bench, followed by 19 apiece from Herb Jones and Dejounte Murray. Trey Murphy III scored 16 and CJ McCollum had 15 as New Orleans lost its fourth in a row and 13th in 14 games. Yves Missi had nine points and a game-high 14 boards.
Celtics 112, Wizards 98
Jayson Tatum collected 28 points and 12 rebounds to help Boston earn a road victory over Washington.
Payton Pritchard came off the bench and had 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Boston also received seven points, 11 rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes from Luke Kornet. It was a rough shooting night for Jaylen Brown, who was 4-of-14 from the field and 1-of-4 from the free throw line. He scored 11 points. Kristaps Porzingis scored 11 points before he left the game in the second quarter with a foot injury.
Jordan Poole led the Wizards with 21 points. Coulibaly finished with 19 points and Justin Champagnie added 13 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Carlton Carrington put up 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Knicks 100, Magic 91
Karl-Anthony Towns recorded his first 20-point, 20-rebound game in over five years, when he lifted visiting New York to a win over Orlando.
Towns had 22 points and 22 rebounds for his 13th career 20-20 game and his first since March 23, 2019. Jalen Brunson scored 31 points for the Knicks, who have alternated wins and losses over their past five games. Mikal Bridges added 17 points while Josh Hart finished with 12 for New York.
Moritz Wagner scored a career-high 32 points off the bench for the Magic, who lost at home for the first time in 11 games this season. Tristan da Silva (20 points) was the only other Magic player to score in double figures.
Timberwolves 106, Spurs 92
Anthony Edwards scored 26 points in 28 minutes of court time to help lift visiting Minnesota to a win over San Antonio in a Western Conference game created by the results of the NBA Cup.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 17 points in a reserve role for Minnesota while Jaden McDaniels racked up 12 points and 11 rebounds, Julius Randle had 11 points and Rudy Gobert scored 10.
Victor Wembanyama had 20 points and 12 rebounds to lead San Antonio, which had a two-game winning streak snapped. Jeremy Sochan added 17 points and 15 rebounds, Harrison Barnes also scored 17 points and Julian Champagnie hit for 11.
Lakers 116, Grizzlies 110
Anthony Davis shrugged off an injury scare to match season bests of 40 points and 16 rebounds as Los Angeles defeated visiting Memphis.
Austin Reaves had 19 points and eight assists while LeBron James, back after missing two games due to a foot injury, chalked up 18 points, eight boards and eight assists for Los Angeles.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 25 points before fouling out for the Grizzlies, whose four-game winning streak came to an end. Ja Morant had 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists, offset by a 6-for-21 clip from the floor and seven turnovers.
Suns 116, Trail Blazers 109
Devin Booker had a game-high 28 points and Phoenix rode a big fourth quarter to take down visiting Portland.
Despite shooting 1-for-9 from 3-point range, Kevin Durant added 20 points for the Suns, who were without Bradley Beal for a second straight game because of a swollen knee.
Portland has now lost six games in a row. All five Trail Blazers starters scored in double figures, led by Anfernee Simons (20 points) and Jerami Grant (17). Reserve Deni Avdija also had 17 points.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: JOHN TAVARES’ HAT TRICK CARRIES LEAFS OVER SABRES
John Tavares scored a natural hat trick with three straight goals — two of them 1:10 apart in the second period — and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the visiting Buffalo Sabres 5-3 on Sunday night.
It was the 14th career hat trick for Tavares, who scored the final three goals of the game to turn a 3-2 deficit into the two-goal win. He capped the hat trick with an empty-netter with 2:12 left in the game.
Max Domi and Nicholas Robertson each had a goal and assist for the Maple Leafs, who have won three of their last four games. Toronto goaltender Dennis Hildeby made his third career NHL start and stopped 24 shots.
Jack Quinn had two goals and Alex Tuch scored once for the Sabres, who have dropped the first two of a three-game road trip and are winless in their last 10 overall (0-7-3).
Golden Knights 3, Wild 2
Victor Olofsson scored twice, including the go-ahead goal in the third period, to lift Vegas over Minnesota in Saint Paul, Minn.
Shea Theodore notched a goal and an assist for Vegas, which bounced back from a loss in Edmonton one day earlier. Kirill Kaprizov scored twice for Minnesota, which lost for the third time in the past five games.
Vegas goaltender Ilya Samsonov stopped 20 of 22 shots to improve to 7-3-1. Minnesota goaltender Jesper Wallstedt turned aside 24 of 27 shots in his season debut. The Wild promoted Wallstedt from Iowa of the AHL on Saturday.
Blackhawks 5, Islanders 3
Connor Bedard scored the go-ahead goal with 54 seconds remaining and Teuvo Teravainen had a goal and two assists as host Chicago defeated New York.
Bedard added an assist and Alex Vlasic had two assists to help Chicago avenge a 5-4 road loss to the Islanders on Thursday. Chicago, which has surrendered eight third-period goals in its past three games, scored twice in the final minute to earn the win.
With the game tied 3-3, Bedard put the Blackhawks ahead for good, sliding a shot past Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin with heavy traffic in front of the net, moments after an unsuccessful New York power play.
Blues 3, Rangers 2
Robert Thomas scored a goal and added an assist as St. Louis edged visiting New York.
Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou also scored for St. Louis, which is 6-2-2 since Jim Montgomery replaced Drew Bannister as head coach. Joel Hofer made 26 saves to win his fourth straight start for the Blues.
Brett Berard scored and Will Cuylle scored and Jonathan Quick made 21 saves for the Rangers, who have lost 10 of their last 13 games.
Hurricanes 4, Blue Jackets 1
Goaltender Dustin Tokarski returned to the NHL a winner, recording 27 saves in his Carolina debut as the Hurricanes defeated Columbus in Raleigh, N.C.
Appearing with his sixth NHL team, the 35-year-old Tokarski hadn’t won an NHL game since Jan. 10, 2023, when he was with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jordan Martinook had a goal and an assist to lead the Hurricanes to their third win in their last eight games (3-5-0).
Dmitri Voronkov scored for the Blue Jackets, who have lost four in a row (0-2-2). Elvis Merzlikins, who stopped 24 shots, has just one victory in his last five outings (1-4-0).
TOP INDIANA RELEASES/NEWS
COLTS FOOTBALL
COLTS FALTER IN FOURTH QUARTER, PLAYOFF HOPES FADE AFTER WEEK 15 LOSS TO BRONCOS
DENVER – The Colts were unable to take advantage of three takeaways and a six-point halftime advantage – which nearly became a 13-point lead in the third quarter – and saw their playoff odds take a major hit in a 31-13 Week 15 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High.
The Colts are now 6-8. Their loss, coupled with the Houston Texans’ win over the Miami Dolphins, clinched the AFC South for the Texans; the Colts are two games behind the 8-6 Los Angeles Chargers for the final spot in the AFC playoffs.
Denver scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to send the Colts back to Indianapolis with a loss.
Quarterback Anthony Richardson struck first with a 23-yard untouched dash to the end zone, capping a game-opening drive on which the Colts converted on third-and-11 (a 22-yard completion to wide receiver Josh Downs) and third-and-10 (a 15-yard run by running back Jonathan Taylor).
Linebacker Zaire Franklin jumped in front of a Bo Nix pass for an interception on Denver’s ensuing drive, and the Colts turned that takeaway into a 37-yard Matt Gay field goal.
The Broncos took advantage of good field position to generate their first touchdown of the game, a 13-yard strike from Nix to tight end Adam Trautman.
Just before halftime, though, wide receiver Anthony Gould scampered 36 yards on a punt return, which set up a 49-yard field goal from Gay that put the Colts ahead 13-7 after two quarters.
Neither team sustained much offense in the first half – the Colts averaged 4.1 yards per play while the Broncos were at 3.3 yards per play.
Wide receiver Alec Pierce was evaluated for a concussion late in the first half and did not return to the game.
Cornerback Sam Womack III picked off Nix to begin the second half – on a third-and-1, Nix overthrew wide receiver Courtland Sutton – and the Colts nearly turned it into a momentum-shifting touchdown. However, officials ruled that Taylor did not possess the ball as he crossed the goal line on what would’ve been a 41-yard touchdown; Taylor dropped the ball, which rolled out of bounds for a touchback, ceding possession back to the Broncos.
After both teams traded punts, safety Nick Cross wiped out a Broncos drive when he intercepted Nix on a third-and-long from the Colts’ 39-yard line midway through the third quarter. Broncos safety P.J. Locke, though, forced a fumble after wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. caught a Richardson pass, with Denver recovering on the Colts’ 31- yard line. Broncos kicker Wil Lutz turned Pittman’s fumble into a 44-yard field goal, bringing the Broncos within three points with about five minutes left in the third quarter.
Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims ripped off a 60-yard punt return early in the fourth quarter, which set up tight end Nate Adkins’ 15-yard, go-ahead touchdown with just under 14 minutes left. The score gave Denver its first lead of the game; they wouldn’t give it back, landing a haymaker on the Colts’ ensuing possession.
With the ball in Broncos territory, the Colts called a double pass, with Richardson throwing to wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, who then threw back toward Richardson. Broncos defensive end Nik Bonitto read the play, though, and jumped in front of Mitchell’s lateral, grabbing the ball and running 50 yards for a touchdown.
The touchdown put Denver up by 11 with 12:29 left in the game. The Broncos added another score on a Sutton touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
The Colts’ defense held strong throughout the day, though – Denver only had one possession gain more than 40 yards, and their longest play of the game (until Sutton’s 20-yard touchdown) was a 16-yard scramble by Nix.
COACH SHANE STEICHEN POST GAME: https://www.colts.com/video/shane-steichen-colts-at-broncos-postgame
QB ANTHONY RICHARDSON POST GAME: https://www.colts.com/video/anthony-richardson-colts-at-broncos-postgame
INDIANA PACERS
GAME REWIND: PACERS 119, PELICANS 104
The Pacers had four days off at the start of this week, a break in the schedulecreated by the NBA Cup. Refreshed and rejuvenated, Indiana returned to action this weekend and swept a pair of games, following up Friday night’s victory in Philadelphia with a 119-104 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday evening at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Sunday’s win was perhaps the most convincing of the season for the Pacers (12-15), who took a 17-point lead into halftime, stretched the margin as high as 25 points in the third quarter, and never let New Orleans (5-22) get back within single digits.
Five players scored in double figures in the victory. Pascal Siakam scored 16 of his team-high 22 points in the second half, while Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points, 10 assists, and three steals while going 4-for-8 from 3-point range.
Indiana went 16-for-38 (42.1 percent) from beyond the arc, while the Pelicans were just 10-for-33 (30.3 percent).
“It’s a great win,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “Wins have been not easy to come by. We did a lot of good things.”
The Pacers got to the foul line early on Sunday, scoring nine of their first 16 points from the charity stripe. They eventually got it going from the field as well, with Haliburton hitting two threes and Obi Toppin adding two off the bench to propel Indiana to a 31-28 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Thomas Bryant, officially acquired by Indiana earlier on Sunday in a trade with Miami, made his Pacers debut when he checked in with 5:14 remaining in the opening quarter. The former Indiana University big man made his only shot in his first stint on the court, getting a friendly bounce on a mid-range jumper at the 3:39 mark.
Bryant then swished a three in his next stint at the start of the second quarter that put Indiana up 39-29.
“Felt blessed,” Bryant said after the game about joining the Pacers. “It’s a business and things happen at the speed of light sometimes, but knowing I was coming back to Indiana where I played (in) college and coming in with a great group of guys, I felt great about it.”
The Pacers put together a strong close to he first half, reeling off 11 unanswered points and holding New Orleans without a point for over four minutes before Yves Missi tipped in a shot in the closing seconds. All told, Indiana outscored the Pelicans 28-14 in the second quarter as the hosts took a 59-42 lead into the intermission.
The Blue & Gold picked up where they left off after halftime. They opened the third quarter with an 8-2 run to push the lead to 23. After seven straight New Orleans points, Haliburton took over.
First, the All-Star point guard knocked down his fourth three of the night. On the other end, he jumped a CJ McCollum pass and finished the ensuing fastbreak in style, throwing down a two-hand reverse dunk that sent the Pacers’ bench into hysterics. But Haliburton wasn’t done, as he came up with another steal second later and then converted a layup in transition.
That seven-points-in-27-seconds outburst forced a timeout from Pelicans head coach Willie Green with Indiana up 74-51 with 8:10 remaining in the third quarter.
The Pacers led by as many as 25 points in the frame and took a 99-80 lead into the fourth quarter.
Indiana led 113-93 with under four minutes to play. The Pelicans strung together a quick 9-0 run to make it a little interesting, but Haliburton connected with Toppin on an alley-oop with 2:13 to play that effectively sealed the victory.
Andrew Nembhard tallied 17 points and seven assists for Indiana. Toppin added 16 points, five boards, and three steals off the bench while going 4-for-6 from 3-point range. Myles Turner stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, five rebounds, four blocks, and two steals.
Brandon Boston Jr. had a team-high 20 points off the bench for the Pelicans. Dejounte Murray added 19 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, while Herb Jones also scored 19.
The Pacers have three more days off before embarking on a three-game West Coast trip that starts in Phoenix and continues on to Sacramento and Golden State.
Inside the Numbers
Haliburton registered his second straight double-double and his 10th of the season on Sunday.
The Pacers held New Orleans to just 14 points in the second quarter, the lowest point total they’ve allowed in any quarter all season.
In his first game as a Pacer, Bryant finished with seven points on 3-of-3 shooting and two rebounds in 11:26 off the bench.
Indiana’s bench outscored the Pelicans’ reserves 37-26. T.J. McConnell had six points and eight assists, while Jarace Walker tallied eight points and nine rebounds.
The Pacers scored 25 points off of 18 Pelicans turnovers. Indiana had 17 giveaways, but New Orleans only converted those into 14 points.
The Pelicans outrebounded Indiana 19-7 on the offensive glass and outscored Indiana 20-8 in second chance points.
You Can Quote Me On That
“We are in the position where we are right now and we know that’s not where we want to be so we’re going to have to work double, triple just to get to where we’re supposed to get to. It’s going to take a lot and we know that. I think everybody’s ready to just go out there and compete every night.” -Siakam on trying to build consistency
“He’s going to help us. He’s thrilled to be here. He gives us size, energy. The skill is obvious. He made a three, has a good feel for the game. He just plays with a high motor for a guy that’s 6-10, 6-11.” -Carlisle on Thomas Bryant’s debut
“TB is good for us. I think he’s really carved out a role in this league of being a high-energy guy, playing the right way, playing hard. I think that’s exactly what we need right now. He does a good job of spacing the floor, runs the floor hard. I thought he did some really good things for us defensively, being in the right spots. He was in here early today going over everything offensively, going over everything defensively. I just look at that as the ultimate pro to come in here today and be ready to go and know our stuff.” -Haliburton on Bryant
“I think he brings just toughness, also somebody that’s going to go out there and run, he also can shoot. He can do a lot of things that help us. For me, I just want him to just be himself, play hard, the game’s going to come.” -Siakam on Bryant
“I know there’s a big need to have another five. Just trying to fill that role with the guys and talking with them as well, just trying to see what I can bring…They want me to just play my game and just be you.” -Bryant on his initial conversations with his new teammates and coaching staff
“The last two games, Ty has stepped up his defense in a big way. He’s being much more physical at the point of attack, he’s getting more rebounds, and every little bit helps our team.” -Carlisle on Haliburton’s defensive impact
“Just trying to play basketball the right way, just trying to be more solid defensively. I feel like when I’m able to do that, we do really well.” -Haliburton on his seven points in 30 seconds with two steals in the third quarter
“He’s a really good, solid player. He can take on defensive matchups, he’s physical, he rebounds the ball well for his position. His playmaking is really important…He has a good feel for the moment and he’s real good counter to Ty out there.” -Carlisle on what Nembhard adds to the starting lineup
“Andrew is obviously just a great connector, plays the game the right way, an elite defender in our league. Of course adding a guy like that is going to help. It’s good to have him back playing four quarters.” -Haliburton on having Nembhard back healthy and off a minutes restriction
“I really love the way Myles is playing right now. He’s being patient, disciplined, he’s making the right reads. He’s playing unseflishly but not too unselfishly. He’s just doing so many good things. When he gets three or four blocks, that gets our crowd going. And then tonight, he did a good job of punishing the small matchups on the inside.” -Carlisle on Myles Turner
“That’s what he does. He’s so great on defense, but I think an underrated part of his game is just how much pressure he can put on the other team. He goes downhill probably almost every possession. He’s basically a point guard so he makes all the reads necessary and he’s just as tough as anybody out there. I think we missed that person.” -Siakam on Nembhard
Stat of the Night
Indiana shot 50.6 percent from the field on Sunday while limiting the Pelicans to 39.2 percent.
Noteworthy
Sunday’s game was the third and final meeting between the Pacers and Pelicans in the regular season. Indiana won the series 2-1, with the home game winning all three games. The Pelicans prevailed in New Orleans on Nov. 1 before Indiana won on Nov. 25.
The Pelicans have lost four straight and 13 of their last 14 games.
The Pacers wore their 2024-25 Nike City Edition uniforms for the fifth time on Sunday. They are 4-1 when wearing City Edition so far this season.
Up Next
The Pacers will tip off a three-game West Coast road trip on Thursday, Dec. 19, when they take on the Suns in Phoenix at 9:00 PM ET.
PACERS POST GAME: https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/rewind-pacers-pelicans-241215
INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BENCH SPARKS HOOSIERS IN BLOWOUT VICTORY OVER BELLARMINE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Seven players scored in double figures in the same game for the first time in school history as Indiana beat Bellarmine, 95-61, on Sunday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
KEY MOMENTS
Indiana (8-3, 1-0 B1G) led from the jump including junior guard Yarden Garzon’s first 3-pointer of the day. It rounded out the first frame making six of eight attempts from the floor, taking a 27-12 lead over the Knights (9-3).
A rebound by sophomore forward Juliana LaMendola helped Garzon find junior guard Lexus Bargesser for a fast-break layup to spark a Hoosier 12-0 run with just over five minutes left in the half. The home team finished the second on a 17-2 run over 3:59, highlighted by offensive efforts from junior guard Henna Sandvik with a pair of threes, perfect scoring from the charity stripe (2-for-2) and a layup on the fast break.
It was the IU bench that highlighted the first half with Sandvik going a perfect 3-for-3, six points from Bargesser and a game-high 15 points from Striplin (6-for-7) helped the Hoosiers win the battle at the rim at the bottom of the half, going 21-for-31 shooting (67%) and holding Bellarmine to 13-for-27 from the floor (48.1%)
Indiana completed the third frame with 9-for-18 shooting, outscoring Bellarmine 12-4 in the paint. Garzon scored a team high of six points. The Hoosiers had at least six different scorers in the third, as it built up
Freshman guard Valentyna Kadlecova made her first a career 3-pointer in the fourth, pushing the Hoosiers to the largest lead, and final margin of victory, of the game at 34 points.
NOTABLE
Indiana scored a season-high 91 points, scoring 90 point or more for the first time since Feb. 11, 2024.
Seven players reached double digits, for the first time in program history. Striplin led the way with 18 points, Garzon (16), Sandvik (13), Meister, Ciezki and Bargesser each had 11 and LaMendola also added on double figures (11).
The Indiana bench scored a season-high 45 points led by Striplin and Sandvik.
As a team, they also shot a season-best 56.1 percent from the field and won the battled of the boards, 41 -27.
Striplin and LaMendola paced their team with eight boards each while the squad also pulled down 12 offensive boards including three each from Striplin and Sandvik.
IU knocked down 10 3-pointers in the win, including a career first for freshman guard Valentyna Kadlecova.
The Hoosiers won their fourth-straight game and its fourth win at home this season.
Indiana spread the love in assists, dishing out 27 dimes on 37 made shots. Garzon led the way with six assists and Moore-McNeil finished the day with five. Moore-McNeil recorded her 400th career assist in the win, becoming the seventh player in program history to reach the feat.
UP NEXT
The Hoosiers pause action for finals on campus and resume with its final non-conference game on Sunday, Dec. 22 at Noon ET vs. Oakland.
PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PURDUE HEADS TO MIAMI (OHIO) ON TUESDAY
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team will play its first true road game of the season when it heads to Miami (Ohio) on Tuesday night for a 7 p.m. tip on ESPN+.
Tim Newton will be on the call for the Purdue Global Radio Network on 95.3 BOB FM and Purdue Stretch Internet.
GAME INFORMATION
Purdue (5-5) vs. Miami (5-2)
Tuesday, Dec. 17
Time: 7 PM
TV/Stream: ESPN+
Radio: 95.3 BOB FM
Audio: Purdue Stretch Internet
Live Stats: Purduestats.com
LAST TIME OUT
The Boilermakers dropped an 82-52 decision to No. 16, their fourth game of the year against an AP Top-25 team. Lana McCarthy led the way in scoring and rebounding with 12 points and seven rebounds. McKenna Layden connected on two of Purdue’s 3-pointers on the night.
NOTES
• Purdue leads the all-time series 7-2. Tuesday will be the third matchup since in the 1984-85 season.
• Destini Lombard is one of three Big Ten players averaging over 12 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.0 APG and 2.0 SPG.
• Lana McCarthy’s three games with 12 points and seven rebounds or better is tied for third most among freshmen nationally.
• Purdue and UConn are the only teams in the country to have two freshmen averaging 5.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG and shoot 50% – Lana McCarthy & Kendall Puryear.
• Three of Purdue’s next four games will be on the road with the first two contests out of the holiday break at Iowa (Dec. 29) and Michigan State (Jan. 1).
• Starting against Maryland, the Boilermakers are in a run of nine games with seven opponents ranked in the top 50 of the NET.
• Purdue’s non-conference NET strength of schedule checks in at 33, the second hardest in the Big Ten behind Indiana.
• Destini Lombard has been a pest on the defensive end, recording 25 steals on the year for 2.5 per game, ranking second in the Big Ten to USC’s JuJu Watkins in both categories.
• Lombard has recorded three or more steals six times this season, which ranks eighth in the nation and leads the Big Ten.
• Purdue is 36th in the country with 4.7 blocks per game. Reagan Bass leads the team with 12 rejections on the year.
• The fifth-year senior is also one of seven guards from the Big Ten to average over 12 points per game with a season shooting clip of 50% or better.
• The seven active newcomers have powered the Boilermakers’ production this year with 75% of the points, 89% of rebounds, 63% of assists. All six of Purdue’s double-doubles have been recorded by a player in their first year on the court at Purdue.
• After missing the opening nine games of the year, freshman Jordyn Poole was on the active roster for the first time against Kentucky. The top-60 signee is set to make her Purdue debut.
• The Boilermakers have held four teams to nine or fewer points in the first quarter this season, including the three games.
• Lana McCarthy is one of five freshmen to record two double-doubles against Division I opposition this year and is one of two from the Big Ten alongside Kiyomi McMiller from Rutgers.
• McCarthy is one of five freshmen nationally with over 7.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 50% or better.
• While hitting 13 3-pointers on the year, second most on the team, Sophie Swanson has eclipsed her assist total from last season (11) with 21 helpers, good for third on the team.
• Rashunda Jones tallied 17 points off the bench against Maryland to lead the Boilermakers. The sophomore has reached double figures twice this season off the bench.
• Three Boilermakers have connected on 12 or more 3-pointers with Destini Lombard leading the way with 15, while Sophie Swanson has made 13 triples and Ella Collier has hit 12 times. The trio are tied for second most on a team in the Big Ten behind Nebraska’s four.
• Purdue will play nine games scheduled against teams in the preseason AP Top-25 rankings and is the only team in the nation that will face four teams in the top six of the preseason Top-25.
• The Boilermakers’ four games against ranked teams over the first 10 games of the year is tied for the third most in the nation.
The 2024-25 Purdue women’s basketball season is presented by Purdue Global, Purdue University’s online educational solution for working adults.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
RISCH HITS 7 TREYS TO POWER IRISH PAST EAGLES, 118-49
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — A high-powered air attack gave Notre Dame its largest win of the season on Sunday, as the eighth-ranked Irish (9-2) downed Eastern Michigan (1-6), 118-49. That mark is the fifth-most points scored in program history, and the scoring margin of 69 ranks eighth. Notre Dame shot 69.8 percent from the floor for the first time since 2018.
Hannah Hidalgo led the scoring efforts with 27 points, but six Notre Dame players finished in double figures including a pair of career highs from Emma Risch (23) and Cassandre Prosper (20). Risch had seven 3-pointers, tied for the second-most in program history in a single game.
The Irish offense was unstoppable out of the gate. Notre Dame had three first-half 10-0 or better runs, and the Irish scored the first 15 points of the contest. Notre Dame hit 11 of its first 15 shots, including four from beyond the arc. Risch had three of those, approaching her season high of 12 points set in the opener just 7 minutes into the game.
Notre Dame went on an 11-0 run to end the half, one that included yet another buzzer beat. A Hidalgo dish to Olivia Miles with a second left led to a trey. Notre Dame finished 9-15 from deep in the half with four treys from Risch and three from Miles. Notre Dame also had 24 paint points and was up 61-20 at the break. They scored at least 60 in a half for the first time since the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
Individually, four Irish were already in double-figures: Miles (13), Risch (12), Hidalgo (10) and King (10). King also had 7 rebounds. All seven players who played in the first half recorded an assist, and Notre Dame totaled 14.
The Risch Show continued in the second half with two more third quarter threes. Hidalgo had 9 points in Q3, Risch had 8, and Prosper had 7. The Irish were 12-17 from the floor. The fourth quarter was more of the same, and seven players scored, including a Sarah Cernugel 3-pointer. The lead climbed as high as 74 with just over 2 minutes to play.
Notre Dame now has the week off for final exams before hosting Loyola Maryland next Sunday.
BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BULLDOGS SET SINGLE-GAME 3-POINT RECORD IN 95-38 WIN OVER SAINT FRANCIS
History was made on Sunday afternoon with Butler making 18 3-pointers in the 95-38 win over Saint Francis. The 57-point victory was the last non-conference contest on the schedule for the Bulldogs. BU will head into league play on Dec. 21 with a 10-3 overall record.
Eight different Bulldogs hit at least one 3-pointer in the win giving BU 18 on the day. That number broke the old record of 16 which was reached by two other teams (2023, 2014). Lily Zeinstra and Kilyn McGuff each hit four to lead the team. BU shot 56 percent from distance (18-32) and 50 percent from the field (33-66).
Butler owned a 17-10 lead after the first quarter. They shot 47 percent from the field (7-15) and made three 3-pointers over the opening 10 minutes. Lily Carmody led all players early with a game-high seven points.
Second quarter action included a BU 8-0 scoring run that pushed the advantage to 25-13. Carmody and Riley Makalusky accounted for 22 of Butler’s 41 points in the first half, allowing BU to lead by 21 at the break.
Butler came out firing in the second half and would outscore the Red Flash 11-2 before a timeout. Cristen Carter scored on a paint touch before three-straight Kilyn McGuff 3-pointers. BU made eight triples in the frame to outscore Saint Francis 32-5 in the third.
Zeinstra hit Butler’s first shot from distance in the fourth quarter to set the new program record. Her second of the quarter came in front of the BU bench and pushed the team total to 18.
Inside the Box Score
– Lily Carmody filled up the box score with 18 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals
– Lily Zeinstra had 17 points, three assists and two blocks
– Zeinstra made the first start of her collegiate career on Sunday
– Riley Makalusky had 16 points in the win
– Kilyn McGuff also had 16 points for BU
– Butler made eight of their 18 3-pointers in the third quarter
– McGuff reached 100 career 3-pointers in the game by making four against the Red Flash
– BU had 26 assists on 33 made field goals
– Cristen Carter led Butler with seven rebounds
– BU outrebounded Saint Francis 44-28
– Karsyn Norman had six assists and three steals vs. SFU
– Butler only had nine turnovers in the game
– Butler forced 17 turnovers, resulting in 27 points
Up Next
Butler begins BIG EAST play on Saturday, Dec. 21. The DePaul Blue Demons will host the Bulldogs at Wintrust Arena for a 3 p.m. eastern, 2 p.m. central p.m. tip on BEDN.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
KINGERY SCORES CAREER HIGH 23 POINTS TO LIFT WBB PAST NKU
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Behind true freshman Grace Kingery’s 23-point performance, the Cardinals were able to bring home the 71-44 road victory Sunday afternoon at Northern Kentucky. With the win, Ball State improves to 7-4 on the season while Northern Kentucky drops to 2-9.
Kingery led all players with a personal best 23 points while her seven 3-pointers ranks sixth in the Cardinals’ single-game record books. Elise Stuck chipped in 11 points while Ally Becki finished the day with 10. Defensively, Marie Kiefer ended the contest with nine rebounds.
As a team, Ball State dominated in the paint (30-14) while also holding onto a lead for over 36 minutes of play.
It was a tightly contested first half, but Kingery was able to provide a spark for the Cardinals as the true freshman in her first game-day start, took it upon herself scoring 17 points to help Ball State take a 40-27 cushion over Northern Kentucky at intermission.
For the half, Kingery went 6-of-9 from the field and 5-of-8 from behind the arc, helping Ball State to its largest lead (40-20) with just 1:17 remaining in the second quarter of play.
After the break, NKU came out of the gates strong as the Norse started the third quarter with a 7-0 run to cut the Cardinals once 20-point edge to six (40-34) at the 7:44 mark.
Kingery, once again came to Ball State’s rescue. She drained her sixth 3-pointer of the contest to put BSU back up by nine (43-34). Kingery’s 3-pointer sparked an 11-0 run for the Cardinals ultimately allowing BSU to build their lead back up to 17-points (51-34) with just under five minutes remaining in the third stanza. Ball State continued to dominate play and would increase its lead to 24 points (64-40) with one quarter remaining.
With Ball State outscoring Northern Kentucky 24-13 in the third stanza, the Norse were unable to recover the remainder of the contest allowing Ball State to walk away with today’s victory.
The Ball State women’s basketball team will wrap up its portion of the 2024 non-conference schedule when it hosts Anderson University on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 6:30 pm ET in Worthen Arena. Tickets are available for $1.00 for that game and make sure you wear an ugly Christmas sweater.
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
LATE 3-POINT BARRAGE LIFTS HUSKIES PAST SYCAMORES
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Indiana State had five players score in double-figures Sunday afternoon, but lights-out shooting in the second half from Northern Illinois propelled the Huskies past the Sycamores 82-78 in the first game of the EKU MTE at the Clive M. Beck Center.
Deja Jones led the Sycamores with a career-high 17 points and also led all players with seven assists. Bella Finnegan, Saige Stahl and Chloe Williams added 12 points apiece, with Stahl also grabbing 10 rebounds to complete a double-double. Keslyn Secrist extended her streak of double-digit scoring games to nine after finishing with 10 points.
Indiana State had all the momentum early, forcing nine turnovers in the first quarter and shooting 50 percent in the opening frame to build a 26-13 lead. The Trees extended that lead out to 18 following seven early second quarter points from Jones and weathered a late NIU run to take a six-point advantage into the intermission. Indiana State came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders with a 9-0 run to push the lead out to 48-33, and maintained that double-digit lead into the fourth quarter. Northern Illinois caught fire from behind the arc in the closing stages, though, going 6-for-7 from 3-point range in the fourth quarter to rally past the Sycamores.
First Half
Indiana State came out firing early, with a layup from Williams and a three-ball from Secrist giving the Trees an early lead. The Sycamores added to their advantage with baskets from Williams and Queen Ruffin, and Stahl made it 13-6 with a basket down low. Back-to-back baskets from Finnegan, along with a jumper from Williams, extended the lead, and the advantage reached double-figures with a fastbreak layup from Savannah White. Indiana State took a 26-13 lead into the second after Jones added another layup off a turnover.
Jones had the hot hand early in the second half, making a pair of layups and knocking down a triple to make it 33-15 Trees. Northern Illinois worked its way back with an 11-0 run midway through the quarter before Finnegan drained a 3-pointer to push the lead back up to double-digits. Secrist added another trey for Indiana State inside the final minute, as the Trees led 39-33 at the half.
Second Half
Indiana State started the third quarter on the right foot, with the Sycamores opening on a 9-0 run to push their lead out to 48-33. Williams, Stahl, Secrist, Jones and Ruffin all scored for the Trees during the run, with Stahl and Williams adding baskets shortly after to make it 52-35. Indiana State kept its pressure up with baskets from Semie Brar and Stahl, along with free throws from White and Ruffin, but Northern Illinois hit a pair of 3-pointers to inch closer. Despite the late run from the Huskies, the Sycamores took a 60-48 lead into the fourth.
A 3-pointer from Ruffin and a basket from Secrist kept the Sycamore lead in double-digits early in the fourth, but Northern Illinois came rallying back with a flurry of 3-pointers in the final frame. The Sycamores got baskets inside from Stahl, Jones and Williams, but NIU went 6-for-7 from behind the arc in the last 10 minutes to pull in front. Finnegan knocked down a 3-pointer and Jones added four points inside the final minute, but NIU’s red-hot fourth quarter allowed the Huskies to prevail past the Sycamores 82-78.
News and Notes
Bella Finnegan made her 2024-25 season debut in Sunday’s game, finishing with 12 points, two rebounds and one assist in 21 minutes.
Semie Brar made her first start of the season in Sunday’s game.
Deja Jones came off the bench for the first time this season and finished with a career-high 17 points to go along with three rebounds and seven assists.
Saige Stahl’s double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) was her third of the season.
Indiana State matched its season high of 36 points in the paint in Sunday’s game, while the Sycamores’ 33 bench points were a season best.
Indiana State’s six 3-pointers were the second-most in a game for the Sycamores this season (seven at Marquette).
Indiana State forced 20-plus turnovers for the third time in the last four games, with Northern Illinois finishing with 22 turnovers. The Sycamores turned those turnovers into 23 points on the other end, the third time in the last four games with 20-plus points off turnovers.
Up Next
Indiana State closes play in the Eastern Kentucky MTE Monday at 2 p.m. against tournament host Eastern Kentucky.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL
‘DONS DOMINATE EASTERN MICHIGAN WITH 20 3-POINTERS
YPSILANTI, Mich. – Behind a 54.7 percent shooting performance, the Mastodon men’s basketball team defeated Eastern Michigan 99-76 on Sunday (Dec. 15) afternoon. It is the Mastodons’ first ever win at Eastern Michigan after three previous attempts.
Jalen Jackson scored his 1,000th career point, Purdue Fort Wayne and UIC combined, with a field goal in the first half. The Fort Wayne native now has 790 points in a Mastodon uniform.
Rasheed Bello scored his 1,500th career point with a 3-pointer in the first half. He now has 718 points for the ‘Dons and 791 with UW-Parkside.
The ‘Dons never trailed in the contest, leading 48-34 at half. Bello and Jackson each had 14 points in the first 20 minutes
Purdue Fort Wayne finished 20-of-39 (51.3 percent) from beyond the arc. The 20 3-pointers are one short of the school-record 21 the ‘Dons have made on three occasions. This is the fourth time the ‘Dons have made exactly 20 3-pointers in a game in program history.
Bello finished with a team-high 19 points and five 3-pointers. Corey Hadnot II also recorded five 3-pointers for 17 points. Jackson joined Hadnot II with 17 points. Maximus Nelson drained four 3-pointers for 14 points. Chandler Cuthrell used two 3-pointers to hit double-digits with 10 points. Cuthrell and Hadnot II helped the ‘Dons to a 37-6 edge in bench points.
EMU was led by Jalen Terry’s 28 points.
Eastern Michigan falls to 5-5. The ‘Dons improve to 8-4. Purdue Fort Wayne hosts Defiance on Friday (Dec. 20) at the Gates Sports Center.
SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
EAGLES END NONCONFERENCE WITH ROAD LOSS AGAINST ILLINI
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball concluded its non-conference season with a 73-50 setback against the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday’s result moved Southern Indiana’s record to 8-3 with the beginning of Ohio Valley Conference play looming later this week. The loss was USI’s third against a major-conference team and second against a Big Ten Conference school this season. Illinois, who had received votes in the latest AP Top-25 poll and was ranked No. 25 in the latest coaches poll, improved to 9-2 on the campaign.
In a defensive battle to start the contest, senior guard Vanessa Shafford got Southern Indiana on the board with a three-pointer to answer an early three by Illinois. A 9-7 lead for the Fighting Illini with two and a half minutes left in the first quarter flipped into USI’s favor thanks to six forced turnovers and a 6-0 run to give the Screaming Eagles a 13-9 lead after 10 minutes of action.
Despite USI’s solid second-quarter defense, Illinois utilized three triples and held Southern Indiana scoreless for nearly nine minutes. This difference led to a 24-13 advantage for the Illini. Sophomore guard Sophia Loden and graduate forward Meredith Raley ended the Eagles’ scoreless drought in the last minute of the first half. However, Illinois went into halftime ahead 28-17.
Out of the break, Raley tallied back-to-back baskets to pull Southern Indiana within nine, 30-21. Illinois later responded with a 12-0 run over three minutes to go up 44-23. Junior guard Ali Saunders snapped the run draining a trey with three minutes left in the third quarter. A jumper from Raley in the last minute of the third put the forward into double figures for the game, as Illinois led 52-32 after three periods of play.
Southern Indiana began the fourth quarter with five fast points to draw back to within 15, 52-37, forcing Illinois to take a quick timeout. USI drew closer thanks to a three-pointer and a jumper from Shafford, and then a fast-break layup from sophomore guard Triniti Ralston brought the Eagles to within 10, 56-46, with a little over five minutes remaining. However, a pair of three-point plays and a 9-0 run over the last 2:30 of the game helped the Illini to close out the game.
The Screaming Eagles were 19-52 for nearly 37 percent from the floor and 7-13 for over 53 percent from beyond the arc. USI was 5-10 at the foul line. Raley led Southern Indiana with 13 points while Shafford added 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Illinois shot for nearly 42 percent overall (25-60) and hit 33 percent from three-point range (7-21). The Illini went 16-18 for nearly 89 percent at the free-throw stripe. Illinois outrebounded USI 44-26. Fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic posted her seventh double-double of the season with 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Illini. Freshman forward Berry Wallace had a game-high 18 points.
USI returns to Liberty Arena, home of the Screaming Eagles, Thursday at 5 p.m. to tip off Ohio Valley Conference play against Tennessee State University. Thursday’s contest will be the first of three straight at home to start the OVC season for the Screaming Eagles. Tickets for all home games at Liberty Arena can be purchased online at usiscreamingeagles.com or the USI Ticket Office.
SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
SCREAMING EAGLES BACK ON TRACK WITH 35-POINT WIN
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball returned to .500 on the season with an impressive 91-56 victory over Shawnee State University Sunday afternoon at Liberty Arena. The Screaming Eagles are 5-5 overall this season, while the Bears are 3-6.
USI was slow out of the gate with Shawnee State jumping out to a 9-2 lead with two-and-a-half minutes gone in the game. The Eagles quickly erased the deficit with a 22-5 run to pull in front, 24-14, with 8:14 left in the half. Junior guards Jayland Randall and Braxton Jones had a combined 14 of 22 points to lead USI’s surge with seven points each.
The Eagles would lead by as many as 18 points during the opening 20 minutes, 40-22, before settling for the 40-25 halftime advantage. Sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi was the first Eagle to reach double-digits in the game with 10 points, while Randall added nine in the opening half.
The second half saw USI expand its margin, growing the lead to as many as 37 points, 91-54, with a minute to play in the contest. The Eagles won the second half by an impressive 20 points, 51-31, and by shooting 55.9 percent (19-34) from the field.
USI ended the game with four in double-digits, led by the 18-point performance of Olowoniyi. The sophomore forward was eight-of-12 from the field and two-of-seven from the stripe, while grabbing a team-high seven rebounds.
Eagles’ junior guard Damoni Harrison followed with 17 points on a blistering seven-of-eight from the field, two-of-two from downtown, and one-of-one from the line. Randall and Jones rounded out the double-digit scorers with 13 points each.
Next Up For USI:
USI continues its four-game homestand Thursday when it opens the 2024-25 Ohio Valley Conference schedule by hosting Tennessee State University. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. at Liberty Arena.
The Tigers of Tennessee State snapped a four-game losing streak with an 89-58 win over Johnson University Saturday, raising its record to 4-7 this year.
USI leads the series with TSU, 5-4, but lost last season’s set of games, 2-1. The Eagles won the first meeting at Liberty Arena, 69-67, but lost to the Tigers, 79-74, in Nashville, Tennessee, and 78-64 at the Ford Center in the OVC Championship opening round.
The homestand of OVC games continues December 21 when the University of Tennessee at Martin visits for a 3:30 p.m. contest and concludes New Year’s Eve against Morehead State University at 7:30 p.m.
VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
FAMILIAR FACES FACE OFF AS VALPO VISITS OHIO STATE ON TUESDAY
Valparaiso (5-4, 0-1 MVC)
at Ohio State (6-4, 1-1 Big Ten)
Game No. 10 – Tuesday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m. CT
Value City Arena (19,500) – Columbus, Ohio
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: After its most impressive victory of the season on Saturday, the Valparaiso University men’s basketball team will face its toughest test yet on Tuesday night as the Beacons visit Big Ten foe Ohio State, a team ranked 36th nationally in KenPom and 34th in NET. Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler is a Valpo alum and played for the program from 2005-2009 before serving as part of the coaching staff from 2009-2013.
Last Time Out: Valpo racked up its highest point total against a Division-I opponent in seven years, pulling away for a 93-77 victory over Central Michigan on Saturday. The Beacons exceeded expectations as KenPom had the game as a projected loss and Central Michigan entered the day with a NET ranking of 122. Freshman All Wright boasted 26 points to lead all scorers, while fifth-year senior Tyler Schmidt poured in 21. The game was tied at 54 midway through the second half before the Beacons outscored the Chippewas 39-23 down the stretch.
Following the Beacons: Streaming – Peacock – Jac Collinsworth (play-by-play) and Stephen Bardo (analyst)
Radio – WVUR 95.1 FM Valparaiso, TuneIn Radio App, ValpoAthletics.com – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey (analyst)
X updates – @ValpoBasketball
Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Roger Powell Jr.: Roger Powell Jr. (12-29) is in his second season as the head coach of the Valpo men’s basketball program. After helping guide Gonzaga to a 121-13 record during his four seasons as an assistant coach, Powell returned to Valpo, where he was part of head coach Bryce Drew’s staff from 2011-2016 and led the team to 124 wins in five seasons, including a program-record 30 victories and a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) title game appearance in 2015-16. He was part of head coach Mark Few’s Gonzaga staff as the Bulldogs reached the 2021 national championship game after winning their first 31 games of the season. During Powell’s first season on staff in 2019-20, Gonzaga was 31-2 at the time the NCAA college basketball season was halted due to COVID-19. The Bulldogs reached the Sweet Sixteen in each of his final three seasons on staff, including two Elite Eight appearances and the aforementioned trip to the 2021 national title game. Prior to his arrival at Gonzaga, Powell served as the associate head coach at Vanderbilt University under Bryce Drew from 2016-2019. During his stint as an assistant at Valpo, he was part of four Horizon League regular-season championships in a five-year period while also leading the 2012-13 and 2014-15 squads to Horizon League tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. A product of Joliet West High School and a native of Joliet, Ill., Powell capped a prolific collegiate playing career at Illinois with a national title game appearance in 2005 before going on to a successful professional playing career.
Series Notes: The Beacons will play Ohio State for the fourth time and first since Nov. 25, 2011, an 80-47 loss to the then No. 3 Buckeyes. Valpo also played in Columbus on Dec. 2, 2006, a 78-58 Ohio State victory in Greg Oden’s collegiate debut. Current Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler started for Valpo and had five points and six rebounds in 28 minutes against the No. 3/1 Buckeyes. The Brown & Gold beat Ohio State in the first matchup between the two teams on Nov. 25, 2000, a 67-64 victory at the Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage, Alaska.
Facing a Familiar Face
Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler played for Valpo from 2005-2009, starting all 98 games over his final three seasons. He was then part of the coaching staff from 2009-2013.
Diebler and Valpo head coach Roger Powell Jr. coached together at Valpo from 2011-2013 and at Vanderbilt from 2016-2019, under head coach Bryce Drew at both schools. At Vanderbilt during those years, the third assistant on staff was Casey Shaw, the father of current Valpo redshirt sophomore Isaiah Shaw.
During his playing days at Valpo, Diebler was known as one of the program’s hardest-working players on both ends of a court and had a program-record 278 consecutive minutes played over seven games in the first half of his senior season. At the time of his graduation, his 130 career steals (10th) and 229 career assists (16th) ranked among the program’s all-time leaders.
Diebler graduated from Valpo with a degree in marketing in 2009 and went on to earn his master’s in business administration from the school in 2011.
Diebler served as an assistant coach for the Buckeyes from 2019-20 through Feb. 14, 2024, when he was named interim head coach. He earned the permanent job by leading the Buckeyes to a 6-2 record as interim head coach including an upset of No. 2 Purdue.
Ohio State assistant coach Luke Simons was part of the Valpo coaching staff in Bryce Drew’s final season as head coach in 2015-16 alongside Roger Powell Jr. They then worked together at Vanderbilt from 2016-19 along with Diebler and Shaw, as Simons served as Director of Scouting. Simons is in his first season at Ohio State after serving as the Director of Basketball Operations under former Valpo head coach Scott Drew at Baylor for the last two seasons.
While Diebler is certainly a familiar face to Valpo fans, Powell is somewhat of a familiar face to Ohio State fans, as he led Illinois to a 5-1 record against the Buckeyes in Big Ten play during his playing days from 2002-05. Powell averaged 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in six games over three seasons against Ohio State.
Valpo vs. Power-Conference Competition
Valpo’s last win over a power-conference opponent was a 68-60 success story vs. Alabama at a multi-team event in Las Vegas on Nov. 21, 2016.
The win over the Crimson Tide marked Valpo’s third triumph over a power-conference opponent in a two-year span. During the 2015-16 campaign, the team went on the road and beat Oregon State and then took down Florida State at the ARC in the second round of the NIT.
Prior to 2015-16, Valpo hadn’t beaten a power-conference opponent since the 2008 win over Washington in the CBI.
Nine of Valpo’s last 12 victories over power-conference opponents have come on neutral floors, with the most recent true road win coming in the aforementioned game at Oregon State.
Valpo has lost 16 straight against Big Ten competition dating back to Dec. 28, 2004, a 69-56 victory over Penn State as part of the Arizona State Classic in Tempe, Ariz.
A Return to the Road
Valpo did not play a true road game until Nov. 27, the latest Valpo played its road opener since 2008-09 (Dec. 2 at Cleveland State).
On Saturday vs. Central Michigan, Valpo closed out a stretch of playing seven out of eight at home after starting the season with a neutral-site contest.
The Beacons are hitting the road this week for back-to-back trips – Tuesday at Ohio State and Friday at Western Michigan.
Prior to Saturday’s game vs. Central Michigan, Valpo has played only one game over the last 14 days, but now the Beacons are in the midst of playing four games in nine days to close out the nonconference docket. After the two road games this week, Valpo hosts Calumet College of St. Joseph on Sunday, Dec. 22, the team’s second game in under a week against a Valpo grad as CCSJ head coach Jason Hawkins played for the Brown & Gold from 2000-2003.
UINDY WRESTLING
GREYHOUNDS CAP OFF DAY TWO AT MIDWEST CLASSIC
INDIANAPOLIS – Three Greyhounds competed for the No. 10 ranked UIndy wrestling team on day two of the 45th Midwest Classic.
Nathan Smith (125), Toby Billerman (133), and Cale Gray (285) all advanced to day two after successful day one campaigns.
INS & OUTS
In the 125 weight class, Smith fell in the first match of the day in the consolation bracket via tech fall to Montevallo’s Colt Brown.
At 285, Gray fell in a closely fought 11-8 decision against the tournament’s number one-seeded Dorian Crosby from Gannon.
He got the chance to redeem himself in the consolation bracket against Glenville State’s Colby Whitehill, but fell via tech fall in the third period.
Billerman (133) was forced to withdraw from the tournament before his first match on day two against Glenville State’s Gionvanni Diaz due to an injury.
As a team UIndy finished in 28th place with 23 points, tied with King University. Central Oklahoma, Wisconsin-Parkside and Glenville State rounded out the top three teams for the tournament.
UP NEXT
The Hounds will have a month to rest before heading out west to the University of Northern Iowa on Jan. 10 for the NWCA National Duals.
DAY 1
Gray started out his day strong with a comfortable 15-0 tech fall victory over McKendree’s Dustin Olmstead. These two faced off two weeks ago, and resulted in a similar outcome to today’s first round win for Gray.
He then backed up his first win with another comfortable 14-5 major decision over King’s Jacob Telles, before advancing to the quarterfinals in a thrilling overtime decision.
Gray secured the third round victory with a 7-4 overtime decision after taking down #11 Jake Swirple from Minot State with a walk-off take down.
At 125, Smith began his day with a loss to fellow GLVC competitor Jason Strope from McKendree, but went on a roll after that, winning two straight en route to a place in the fifth round wrestleback.
Smith racked up a 12-4 major decision over Grand Valley State’s Orion Wilson, and eventually punched his ticket to the second day with a convincing shutout victory in three periods over Joshua Jasionowicz from East Stroudsburg.
In the 133 weight class, Billerman had a similar start to the day as Smith, but rebounded quickly with two pin victories with a spladle over Western Colorado’s Devin Gomez and American International’s Joseph Aldrich.
The Hounds had three pin victories on the day, Billerman’s pin against Gomez was the Hounds quickest pin of day one at 1:01 in the first period.
The other pin for the Hounds came from Aidan Petersen in the second round of the 184 wrestleback against Emmanuel’s Chase Bisel.
Along with Petersen’s pin victory in the third round wrestleback, he also picked up an 18-1 tech fall victory in the third round wrestleback, before falling to the University of Mary’s Dante Roggio via tech fall.
Zach Haughton (141) also earned a strong victory against Motevallo’s Chad Strickland, but later bowed out to Quincy’s Sabian Russell in a closely fought match.
UINDY MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEN’S BASKETBALL HOSTS GVSU IN MONDAY MATCHUP
vs. Grand Valley State Lakers (6-2)
Monday // December 16
7:30 p.m. // Nicoson Hall
Fresh off a road in-region victory last Wednesday, the UIndy men’s basketball team returns home for a Monday matchup against Grand Valley, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Nicoson Hall. It will be the Lakers’ first trip to the Circle City since 2021.
UIndy and Grand Valley have split its 12 meetings dating back to 1986, while the Hounds have won four of the past five contests. Jesse Bingham led the team with 16 points a year ago in Allendale, while Kendrick Tchoua secured 10 boards.
GAME NOTES: https://athletics.uindy.edu/documents/2024/12/12/Grand_Valley_State.pdf
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
FOOTBALL HISTORY
December 16, 1923 – The Chicago Bears and the Milwaukee Badgers tied in the final game of the season 7-7. The significance of this was that it became official that the Canton Bulldogs would repeat as champions of the NFL as Canton finished the season 11-0-1 per Scorum.com. The Bulldogs technically locked up the title in their final game on December 9, but it became official with the season’s closing game of the Badgers and the Bears.
December 16, 1928 – The Providence Steam Roller franchise won the National Football League Championship Title as they posted a record of 8-1-2. That era of NFL football had the team with the best record at the end of the season being declared the champs. The Steam Roller according to an NFL.com article had plenty of star players from that era of football on their roster. Men like Jimmy Conzelman, The brothers Bill Cronin and Jack Cronin, Heavyweight Champ Gus Sonnenberg at running back, and one of my personal favorites tailback George Wildcat Wilson. Providence had an awesome defense too as they allowed only 42 points to be scored on them all season long including 5 complete shutouts.
December 16, 1945 – Cleveland Municipal Stadium – With temperatures at near zero and the field covered with snow, the Cleveland Rams played their last game before moving out to Los Angeles. It happened to be the 1945 NFL Championship game against the Washington Redskins. In preparation for the weather before the game, Cleveland brass had nearly 9000 bales of straw covering the field to protect it from the weather per an LA Times archived article. With an army of volunteers the Cleveland faithful removed the straw covered in ice and snow from the frozen turf. Washington had an interesting predicament before the game started as the NFL’s leading passer on the season, Sammy Baugh had a nagging rib injury he suffered in a prior game but as a back up at QB they had Frank Filchock who was the passing leader the year earlier. Baugh fumbled the first offensive play for the Redskins and threw an errant pass from his own endzone in desperation which was ruled a safety for committing the foul from behind his own goal line. The Rams gave their fans a great memory as they edged out the Washington Redskins, 15-14. What a way for a franchise to leave a city! It almost makes one think, is it better to leave Cleveland like they did or the way Art Modell moved the Browns away to Baltimore when they won a Super Bowl within five seasons removed from Cleveland.
December 16, 1946 – Bob Fenimore from University of Oklahoma A&M was the first pick in the 1947 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.
December 16, 1962 – New York Giants Quarterback Y. A.Tittle set the NFL’s passing touchdowns in a season record when he threw 6 scoring strikes in one game against the Dallas Cowboys to put his season total at 33. The Giants signal caller had a total of 346 yards passing on the day with 2 interceptions as New York outscored Dallas 41-31 per Pro-Football-Reference.com.
December 16, 1972 – The Miami Dolphins closed out the 1972 regular season with a 16-0 blanking of the Baltimore Colts. The significance of course is that they became the first undefeated NFL team with a perfect 14-0 record per ESPN.com. The Dolphins went on to defeat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII on January 14, 1973 to go undefeated in the postseason to so far be the only team since the AFL/NFL merger to do so. The 2007 New England Patriots got close with a 16-0 regular season but lost the Super Bowl to the Giants.
December 16, 1973 – O.J. Simpson became the first NFL running back to rush for 2,000 yards in a season and he did it in a 14 game regular season for the Buffalo Bills.
December 16, 1979 – Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas – Legendary quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, Roger Staubach threw 3 touchdown passes for a total of 336 yards in his last NFL regular season game with the Cowboys. DFW.CBSlocal.com tells us in their article that the Cowboys trailed the Redskins on the scoreboard by 17 points during the first half. Dallas needed everybit of Roger the Dodgers’ efforts for the comeback too as the Cowboys edged out a 35-34 win over Washington Redskins.
December 16, 2013 – The 79th Heisman Trophy Award went to Jameis Winston, Florida State’s talented quarterback. Heisman.com tells us that Jameis was the first freshman to have his team win the national Championship and win a Heisman in the same season. On the year Winston threw for 3,820 yards and 38 touchdowns.
December 16, 2019 – Drew Brees went 29 of 30 in his passes for 307 yards & 4 TDs for a record 96.7% pass completion against the Indianapolis Colts. In doing so Brees also broke former Colt Peyton Manning’s NFL record of 539 career touchdown passes as New Orleans Saints buried Indianapolis 34-7.
December 16, 2021 – Just 13 games into the NFL season, the Jacksonville Jaguars fired first year Head Coach Urban Meyer after a 2-11 start to the season. Meyer had previous experience at the colelge level winning National Champioships at both Florida and Ohio State. Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell will act as the interim coach for the balance of the 2021 season. Jags owner Shad Khan had this statement on NFL.com;
“After deliberation over many weeks and a thorough analysis of the entirety of Urban’s tenure with our team, I am bitterly disappointed to arrive at the conclusion that an immediate change is imperative for everyone.”
Meyer had some allegations earlier this season that disappointed the Jaguar brass. After an early season loss on Thursday Night Football, the Coach skipped flying back with the team and was later photographed at a Cincinnati night club getting a close up and personal dance from a young lady that was not his wife. This situation plus the tryout of his former Florida player Tim Tebow, NFL fines for violation of organized team activities and some questionable hirings after joining the organization all contributed to the coach’s dismisal.
Birthdays of Hall of Fame Players for December 16
December 16, 1913 – Greece – Gust Zarnas the guard from Ohio State University is born. Zarnas was no ordinary lineman, according to the footballfoundation.org the Buckeyes would run trick plays using Zarnas as an offensive weapon. The story goes that in the 1937 game opposing Indiana University, Gust came out of his guard position, took a hand-off from one of the backs and threw a forward pass for a 57-yard completion to a teammate. Gust received All-America honors in 1937 not just for his tricks but also for his solid blocking and all around solid play. The National Football Foundation selected Gust Zarnas to enter into their College Football Hall of Fame in 1975.
December 16, 1914 – Chicago, Illinois – Northwestern University’s fine guard Steve Reid came into this life. Reid was a captain and a three year letterman for the Wildcats and received All-America criteria for his great line work per the NFF website. His best skill set was pulling and blocking ahead of ball carriers. Steve Reid found his way into the legendary museum of the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
December 16, 1962 – Lubbock, Texas – The safety from the University of Texas Jerry Gray celebrates his birthday. Jerry was a two time All-America selection who had 297 career tackles and 16 interceptions while with the Longhorns. The NFF voters chose Jerry Gray to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
December 16, 1963 – Liverpool, New York – Tim Green the defensive tackle from Syracuse University came into this world. Green was a two-time Academic All-American as he registered 24 collegiate sacks in his career. Tim Green was selected by the NFF to enter into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002. After school Tim was a first round Draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons taken 17th overall in 1986.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
Dec. 16
1918 — Jack Dempsey knocks out Carl Morris in 14 seconds in a heavyweight bout in New Orleans.
1930 — Golfer Bobby Jones wins the first James E. Sullivan Award. The award is given to “the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.”
1940 — Joe Louis knocks out Al McCoy in the sixth round at the Boston Garden to retain the world heavyweight title.
1945 — The Cleveland Rams beat the Washington Redskins 15-14 for the NFL championship. The deciding play turns out to be a first-quarter automatic safety when the Redskins’ Sammy Baugh passes from his own end zone and the wind carries the ball into the goal post.
1967 — Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scores 68 points in a 143-123 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
1973 — O.J. Simpson of the Buffalo Bills rushes for 200 yards in a 34-14 victory over the New York Jets and sets an NFL record with 2,003 yards rushing for the season. Simpson needed 61 yards to break Jim Brown’s NFL single season rushing record of 1,863 yards set in 1963.
1990 — Warren Moon passes for a 527 yards — the second-greatest passing day in NFL history — as the Houston Oilers beat Kansas City 27-10.
2003 — New Orleans Saints receiver Joe Horn is fined $30,000 by the NFL for making a choreographed cell-phone call in the end zone to celebrate a touchdown during the Saints’ 45-7 rout of the New York Giants on Dec. 14.
2006 — Morten Andersen becomes the greatest scorer in NFL history. The 46-year-old Andersen breaks Gary Anderson’s career scoring record of 2,434 points with the second of four extra points in the Atlanta Falcons’ 38-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
2007 — Brett Favre passes for 227 yards in Green Bay’s 33-14 win over St. Louis, eclipsing Dan Marino to become the NFL career leader in yards passing. Favre, in his 17th season, finishes the game with 61,405 yards. Marino had 61,361 in 17 seasons.
2007 — Kikkan Randall becomes the first U.S. woman and second American to win a World Cup cross country race when she defeats world sprint champion Astrid Jacobsen of Norway in the final meters of a 1.2-kilometer freestyle race. Randall is the first American to win a World Cup cross country race since Bill Koch in 1983.
2010 — American Ryan Lochte sets the first individual swimming world record since high-tech bodysuits were banned, winning the 400-meter individual medley at the short-course world championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
2012 — Ryan Lochte wins two more races at the short-course world championships in Istanbul, finishing the event with six golds and one silver. The result matches his medal total from the last championships, in Dubai in 2010.
2013 — Justin Tucker makes six field goals, including a 61-yarder in the final minute, to give the Baltimore Ravens an 18-16 win over the Detroit Lions.
2014 — Nick Bjugstad scores the game-winning goal in the longest shootout in NHL history to lift the Florida Panthers over the Washington Capitals 2-1. Bjugstad’s goal comes in the 20th round of a shootout — on the 40th shot — and beats Braden Holtby on the right side.
2016 — James Harden gets his sixth triple-double of the season and the Houston Rockets make an NBA-record 24 3-pointers in a 122-100 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
2019 — Drew Brees breaks Peyton Manning’s NFL record (539) for career touchdown passes as New Orleans Saints rout Indianapolis Colts, 34-7; Brees 29 of 30 for 307 yards & 4 TDs for record 96.7% pass completion.
2020 – US Major League Baseball announces it is elevating the Negro Leagues to Major League status
Dec. 17
1933 — The Chicago Bears win the first NFL championship with a 23-21 victory over the New York Giants. The Bears score the winning touchdown on a 36-yard play that starts with a short pass from Bronko Nagurski to Bill Hewitt, who then laterals to Bill Kerr for the score.
1944 — National Football League Championship, Polo Grounds, NYC: Green Bay Packers beat New York Giants, 14-7 for 6th and final league title under long-time coach Curly Lambeau.
1983 — In his 352nd NHL game, Wayne Gretzky scores a goal & 5 assists in 8-1 rout of Quebec Nordiques to record his 800th point and 500th assist; averages 2.27 points, 1.42 assists, 0.85 goals per game to start career.
1987 — Chicago’s Michael Jordan scores 52 points to lead the Bulls to a 111-100 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
1991 — The Cleveland Cavaliers turn a 20-point halftime lead over Miami into the most lopsided victory in NBA history, 148-80 over the Heat. The 68-point margin eclipses the mark of 63 set March 19, 1972, when the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 162-99.
1993 — Julio Cesar Chavez secures his place in boxing history, retaining his WBC super lightweight title with a fifth-round victory over Britain’s Andy Holligan. It’s the 27th time Chavez fought for a title without a loss since 1984, breaking Joe Louis’ mark of 26.
1993 — Virgil Hill becomes the most successful light heavyweight in boxing history, winning a record 15th title defense with a unanimous decision over Guy Waters of Australia. Hill, the WBA champion for five of the last six years, had been tied with Bob Foster, who held light heavyweight titles from 1968 to 1974.
2000 — Terrell Owens catches an NFL-record 20 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown in San Francisco’s 17-0 victory over Chicago. Jeff Garcia completes 36 of 44 passes for 402 yards and two touchdowns for the 49ers.
2005 — John Ruiz loses the WBA heavyweight title, dropping a disputed majority decision to 7-foot Nikolay Valuev of Russia in Berlin. Valuev, the first Russian heavyweight champion, also becomes the tallest and heaviest (323 pounds) champion of all-time.
2006 — LaDainian Tomlinson breaks Paul Hornung’s 46-year-old NFL single-season scoring record on a 15-yard run in the first quarter of San Diego’s game against Kansas City. The touchdown run gives him 180 points, breaking Hornung’s record of 176 set with the Green Bay Packers in 1960.
2006 — Gilbert Arenas sets a franchise record with 60 points, 16 of them in overtime, to lead Washington to a 147-141 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
2013 — Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis scores 21 points on a career-high seven 3-pointers and No. 1 Connecticut beat second-ranked Duke 83-61. Breanna Stewart has 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Huskies as coach Geno Auriemma earns his 850th career win.
2016 — Donnel Pumphrey breaks the NCAA career rushing record in his college finale, running for 115 yards and a touchdown in San Diego State’s 34-10 victory over Houston in the Las Vegas Bowl. Pumphrey passes former Wisconsin star Ron Dayne’s mark of 6,397 yards on a 15-yard run early in the fourth quarter and wraps up his sensational career in his Nevada hometown with 6,405 yards. Pumphrey’s senior total of 2,133 yards rushing ranks in the top 10 for a FBS player.
2016 — Malik Monk scores a Kentucky freshman record 47 points and hits the go-ahead 3-pointer with 16.7 seconds left to lead the sixth-ranked Wildcats past No. 7 North Carolina 103-100 in a thrilling showdown of traditional powers.
2022 — Minnesota Vikings recover from 33-0 down at halftime to beat Indianapolis Colts, 39-36 in overtime at US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN; biggest comeback in NFL history.
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Dec. 18
1930 — Adolph Rupp coaches his first game at Kentucky, a 67-19 win over Georgetown College in Kentucky. Rupp retires in 1972 after winning 879 games and four national titles.
1949 — The Philadelphia Eagles win the NFL championship with a 14-0 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
1954 — Montreal’s Maurice Richard becomes the first player in NHL history to score 400 goals during the Canadiens’ 4-2 road victory against the Chicago Black Hawks.
1961 — Olympic track star Wilma Rudolph wins The Associated Press’ female athlete of year award for the second consecutive year.
1962 — Wilt Chamberlain of the San Francisco Warriors scores 61 points in a 130-110 over the St. Louis Hawks.
1964 — Oscar Robertson of the Cincinnati Royals scores 56 points, including 18 in the final quarter, in a 111-107 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
1976 — Oakland quarterback Kenny Stabler scores with 14 seconds left to give the Raiders a 24-21 comeback victory over the New England Patriots in the in the AFC divisional playoffs.
1983 — Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky scores his 100th point of the season the Edmonton Oilers’ 34th game, a 7-5 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Gretzky scores two goals and has two assists to get to 100 points faster than any player in NHL history. He finishes the season with 205 points.
1995 — Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers records the fifth-highest yardage total by a receiver in NFL history with 289 yards, and catches three touchdown passes in a 37-30 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
1997 — Germany’s Katja Seizinger wins her sixth straight race to tie former French star Jean-Claude Killy’s World Cup record for consecutive victories.
2005 — Indianapolis, which won its first 13 games, the fourth team in NFL history to do so, loses 26-17 at home to San Diego.
2006 — Tenth-ranked Arizona State beats Texas Tech 61-45 when the second outdoor game in women’s college basketball history is called on account of rain with 4:18 to play at Chase Field, home of baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks.
2007 — Edmonton sets an NHL record by competing in its fourth straight shootout, but loses to Dallas 2-1. The Oilers, who had won the first three, lose for the second time in their 12 shootout appearances.
2008 — Steve Asmussen is the first North American trainer to win 600 Thoroughbred races in a single year as Storm Trust captures the fifth race at Delta Downs.
2011 — The Green Bay Packers’ 19-game winning streak, second-longest in NFL history, is snapped with a 19-14 loss at Kansas City.
2011 — Brittney Griner scores 12 of her 25 points in the closing run that pushes the top-ranked Baylor Lady Bears past No. 2 UConn 66-61.
2016 — New England defeats Denver 16-3 to clinch the AFC East and earn a first-round bye. It marks the eighth consecutive division title for the Patriots, the longest streak in NFL history, breaking a tie with the 1973-79 Los Angeles Rams (seven). New England is the only team in NFL history to win 13 division titles in a 14-year span.
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Dec. 19
1913 — Heavyweight champion Jack Johnson fights to a 10-round draw with Battling Jim Johnson in Paris.
1917 — The NHL begins play. Joe Malone of the Montreal Canadiens scores five goals in a 9-4 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Harry Hyland of the Montreal Wanderers scores five goals in a 10-9 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
1943 — Harry Lumley, at 17 years and 38 days old, becomes the youngest goaltender in NHL history when he plays for the Detroit Red Wings in a 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
1948 — The Cleveland Browns complete an undefeated season beating the Buffalo Bills 49-7 in AAFC championship game.
1948 — The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Chicago Cardinals 7-0 in a major snowstorm for the NFL title. Philadelphia’s Bucko Kilroy recovers a fumble on the 17-yard line in the fourth period, and Steve Van Buren later scores from the 5.
1976 — The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Baltimore Colts 40-14 in an AFC playoff game. Ten minutes after the game, Donald Kroner, a former charter pilot, crashes a rented, low-wing, Piper Cherokee into the upper deck of Memorial Stadium. No one is seriously hurt as most of the capacity crowd of 60,020 left the one-sided contest early or were heading down the exit ramps.
1987 — Boston and St. Louis combine for the fastest two goals in NHL history. Ken Linseman puts the Bruins ahead 6-5 with 10 seconds left in the third period. Doug Gilmour of Boston wins the faceoff and shoots the puck into an empty net two seconds later to wrap up a 7-5 win over the Blues at Boston Garden.
1990 — Los Angeles Raiders running back Bo Jackson is named to the AFC team, as a reserve, becoming the first athlete chosen for All-Star games in two sports.
2001 — Marshall, led by Byron Leftwich, comes back from a 38-8 halftime deficit to beat East Carolina 64-61 in double-overtime in the GMAC Bowl for the highest scoring bowl game in history.
2007 — New York Islanders forward Chris Simon is banned for 30 games, drawing the longest suspension in NHL history again. Simon’s latest infraction was stepping on Pittsburgh’s Jarkko Ruutu with his skate during a Dec. 15 game. This is the seventh suspension of Simon’s career.
2009 — Michael Phelps helps his American team trounce a group of European all-stars in the Duel in the Pool, anchoring a relay to one of the eight world records the U.S. sets over the two-day meet in Manchester, England.
2010 — Philadelphia’s DeSean Jackson returns a punt 65 yards for a touchdown as time expires in the Eagles’ 38-31 comeback win at the New York Giants. It’s the only game-winning punt-return touchdown in NFL history as the Eagles come back from a 31-10 fourth-quarter deficit. It marks the ninth time in NFL history in which a team trailed by at least 21 points in the fourth quarter and wins the game.
2010 — The Detroit Lions stop their record road skid at 26 games with a 23-20 overtime win at Tampa Bay. It’s the first road win since Oct. 28, 2007, when they beat the Bears 16-7 at Chicago.
2017 — Freshman Trae Young has 26 points and ties an NCAA Division I record with 22 assists as No. 17 Oklahoma rolls past Northwestern State 105-68.
2017 — North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell becomes the third women’s Division I coach to register her 1,000th career victory after the Tar Heels beat Grambling State 79-63.
2017 — Geno Auriemma wins his 1000th game as top-ranked UConn beat Oklahoma 88-64 in the Hall of Fame women’s Holiday Showcase. Auriemma becomes the fourth women’s coach to reach the 1,000-win mark, joining Pat Summitt, Tara VanDerveer and Sylvia Hatchell, who earned her milestone victory earlier in the day.
2018 – Houston Rockets set NBA single-game record with 26 three-pointers in 136-118 victory over Washington Wizards