THE SCOREBOARD
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL
THE FINAL INDIANA SRN BASKETBALL POLLS
4A
- SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON
- NOBLESVILLE
- HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
- ZIONSVILLE
- FISHERS
3A
- TWIN LAKES
- NORWELL
- EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL
- JAY COUNTY
- INDIAN CREEK
2A
- CENTRAL NOBLE
- NORTH KNOX
- FOREST PARK
- ANDREAN
- BLACKFORD
1A
- TRI
- LANESVILLE
- TRINITY LUTHERAN
- CASTON
- NORTHEAST DUBOIS
THE FINAL IBCA GIRLS BASKETBALL POLL
1. SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (23-0)
2. NOBLESVILLE (21-3)
3. HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (20-2)
4. FISHERS (20-2)
5. ZIONSVILLE (19-2)
6. BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (20-3)
7. COLUMBIA CITY (20-2)
8. FORT WAYNE NORTHROP (19-3)
9. TWIN LAKES (23-0)
10. INDIAN CREEK (22-1)
11. CENTER GROVE (18-4)
12. HOMESTEAD (16-5)
13. EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (23-1)
14. FORT WAYNE SNIDER (18-4)
15. LAKE CENTRAL (18-5)
16. VALPARAISO (20-2)
17. WARSAW (17-5)
18. WARREN CENTRAL (15-6)
19. NORTHRIDGE (19-5)
20. NORWELL (19-3)
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SECTIONAL SCHEDULE TUESDAY
LAKE CENTRAL SECTIONAL
HAMMOND MORTON (8-14) VS. HAMMOND CENTRAL (8-15)
LOWELL SECTIONAL
KANKAKEE VALLEY (16-6) VS. HOBART (13-10)
PLYMOUTH SECTIONAL
MISHAWAKA (11-11) VS. SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (23-0)
CONCORD SECTIONAL
PENN (16-6) VS. NORTHRIDGE (19-5)
WARSAW (17-5) AT CONCORD (5-17)
DEKALB SECTIONAL
FORT WAYNE NORTH (7-15) AT DEKALB (11-11)
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (14-7) VS. FORT WAYNE NORTHROP (19-3)
HUNTINGTON NORTH SECTIONAL
FORT WAYNE SOUTH (2-17) VS. NEW HAVEN (2-18)
COLUMBIA CITY (20-2) VS. HOMESTEAD (16-5)
LAFAYETTE JEFF SECTIONAL
KOKOMO (11-12) VS. MCCUTCHEON (11-11)
LOGANSPORT (12-9) VS. MARION (1-21)
NOBLESVILLE SECTIONAL
CARMEL (4-18) VS. FISHERS (20-2)
WESTFIELD (12-10) VS. ZIONSVILLE (19-2)
MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) SECTIONAL
GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (14-9) AT PENDLETON HEIGHTS (14-9)
LAWRENCE CENTRAL SECTIONAL
NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) (8-14) VS. LAWRENCE NORTH (14-9)
SOUTHPORT SECTIONAL
BEN DAVIS (14-9) AT SOUTHPORT (10-12)
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH SECTIONAL
PLAINFIELD (7-15) VS. TERRE HAUTE NORTH (10-14)
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH SECTIONAL
MOORESVILLE (17-6) AT BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (13-8)
CENTER GROVE (18-4) VS. GREENWOOD (8-14)
SHELBYVILLE SECTIONAL
FRANKLIN (15-5) VS. COLUMBUS NORTH (14-8)
COLUMBUS EAST (9-13) VS. EAST CENTRAL (15-10)
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE SECTIONAL
JENNINGS COUNTY (16-5) AT BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (20-3)
EVANSVILLE HARRISON SECTIONAL
JASPER (10-14) AT EVANSVILLE HARRISON (2-20)
CASTLE (13-9) VS. EVANSVILLE CENTRAL (12-11)
GRIFFITH SECTIONAL
BOONE GROVE (6-14) AT GRIFFITH (4-18)
BREMEN SECTIONAL
JOHN GLENN (8-14) VS. CULVER ACADEMY (13-10)
ROCHESTER (11-12) AT BREMEN (7-14)
MISHAWAKA MARIAN SECTIONAL
JIMTOWN (9-13) AT MISHAWAKA MARIAN (19-5)
FAIRFIELD SECTIONAL
NORTHWOOD (13-10) VS. WAWASEE (11-11)
FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA SECTIONAL
HERITAGE (5-16) VS. FORT WAYNE DWENGER (9-15)
BENTON CENTRAL SECTIONAL
TWIN LAKES (23-0) VS. NORTH MONTGOMERY (3-20)
NORWELL SECTIONAL
PERU (9-13) VS. MACONAQUAH (5-17)
HAMILTON HEIGHTS SECTIONAL
CENTERVILLE (5-13) VS. JAY COUNTY (22-1)
LEBANON SECTIONAL
WESTERN BOONE (16-6) AT LEBANON (10-12)
OWEN VALLEY SECTIONAL
SOUTH VERMILLION (0-23) VS. BROWN COUNTY (12-9)
BREBEUF JESUIT SECTIONAL
INDIANAPOLIS HERRON (7-13) VS. HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (15-7)
GUERIN CATHOLIC (8-14) VS. INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (8-13)
SPEEDWAY SECTIONAL
BEECH GROVE (9-12) AT SPEEDWAY (10-10)
INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON (8-13) VS. CHRISTEL HOUSE MANUAL (1-19)
RUSHVILLE SECTIONAL
SOUTH DEARBORN (5-18) VS. CONNERSVILLE (8-14)
CORYDON CENTRAL SECTIONAL
SALEM (5-18) VS. MADISON (9-11)
CHARLESTOWN (17-6) AT CORYDON CENTRAL (21-2)
PRINCETON SECTIONAL
HERITAGE HILLS (14-8) VS. SOUTHRIDGE (16-7)
PIKE CENTRAL (4-18) AT PRINCETON (13-10)
MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) SECTIONAL
EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (23-1) AT MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) (1-19)
BOONVILLE (9-13) VS. EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (11-12)
ANDREAN SECTIONAL
LIGHTHOUSE CPA (0-14) VS. NORTH NEWTON (3-19)
GARY 21ST CENTURY (3-15) VS. WHITING (7-14)
NORTH JUDSON SECTIONAL
HEBRON (5-19) VS. SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) (20-3)
LAVILLE (17-6) AT NORTH JUDSON (15-7)
CENTRAL NOBLE SECTIONAL
CHURUBUSCO (5-17) VS. WESTVIEW (8-14)
PRAIRIE HEIGHTS (1-21) AT CENTRAL NOBLE (21-2)
LEWIS CASS SECTIONAL
WABASH (15-7) VS. PIONEER (19-3)
BLUFFTON SECTIONAL
MANCHESTER (6-16) AT BLUFFTON (10-10)
SOUTH ADAMS (12-10) VS. WHITKO (9-13)
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC SECTIONAL
SEEGER (19-3) VS. DELPHI (10-13)
CARROLL (FLORA) (20-3) VS. COVINGTON (8-14)
BLACKFORD SECTIONAL
EASTBROOK (16-5) VS. MADISON-GRANT (10-12)
ALEXANDRIA SECTIONAL
WAPAHANI (19-4) VS. LAPEL (16-7)
HAGERSTOWN SECTIONAL
NORTHEASTERN (15-8) AT HAGERSTOWN (8-15)
TRITON CENTRAL SECTIONAL
EASTERN HANCOCK (19-3) AT TRITON CENTRAL (18-4)
GREENCASTLE SECTIONAL
SOUTHMONT (11-10) AT GREENCASTLE (19-4)
SWITZERLAND COUNTY SECTIONAL
NORTH DECATUR (17-5) VS. SOUTH RIPLEY (13-9)
AUSTIN SECTIONAL
EASTERN (PEKIN) (10-12) VS. PROVIDENCE (14-8)
EASTERN GREENE SECTIONAL
PAOLI (14-10) VS. NORTH DAVIESS (8-14)
SULLIVAN (14-9) VS. SOUTH KNOX (18-6)
FOREST PARK SECTIONAL
CRAWFORD COUNTY (15-8) VS. SOUTH SPENCER (15-7)
NORTH POSEY (9-11) AT FOREST PARK (19-3)
KOUTS SECTIONAL
DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN (18-5) VS. WASHINGTON TWP. (16-6)
TRI-TWP. (16-6) VS. HAMMOND SCIENCE & TECH (4-11)
CULVER SECTIONAL
MARQUETTE CATHOLIC (13-8) VS. OREGON-DAVIS (7-15)
FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK SECTIONAL
LAKEWOOD PARK (8-13) VS. HAMILTON (2-11)
TRI-COUNTY SECTIONAL
FRONTIER (5-17) AT TRI-COUNTY (11-11)
WEST CENTRAL (6-16) VS. NORTH WHITE (6-17)
SOUTHERN WELLS SECTIONAL
SOUTHWOOD (16-5) VS. FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY (2-17)
ATTICA SECTIONAL
CLINTON CENTRAL (16-6) VS. FAITH CHRISTIAN (19-3)
NORTH VERMILLION (9-14) VS. FOUNTAIN CENTRAL (10-12)
RANDOLPH SOUTHERN SECTIONAL
CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN (5-15) AT RANDOLPH SOUTHERN (13-7)
TRI (21-1) VS. UNION CITY (9-14)
BLOOMFIELD SECTIONAL
NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) (17-5) VS. SHAKAMAK (13-8)
EMINENCE SECTIONAL
GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN (4-18) VS. INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY (11-9)
SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE) SECTIONAL
WALDRON (5-17) VS. JAC-CEN-DEL (12-11)
BORDEN SECTIONAL
WEST WASHINGTON (7-14) VS. SOUTH CENTRAL (ELIZABETH) (2-20)
CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (9-13) VS. ROCK CREEK ACADEMY (14-6)
RISING SUN SECTIONAL
SHAWE MEMORIAL (16-5) VS. TRINITY LUTHERAN (18-6)
MEDORA (4-14) AT RISING SUN (10-11)
SPRINGS VALLEY SECTIONAL
VINCENNES RIVET (12-10) VS. LOOGOOTEE (3-20)
TECUMSEH SECTIONAL
EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN (15-7) VS. NORTHEAST DUBOIS (17-4)
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SECTIONAL BRACKETS
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT FAVORITES
HTTP://SCOREBOARD.HOMESTEAD.COM/GIRLS/PIX.HTM#LOADED
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SECTIONAL SAGARIN RATINGS
HTTP://SCOREBOARD.HOMESTEAD.COM/GIRLS/SECTRATE.HTM#LOADED
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SAGARIN RATINGS BY CLASS
HTTP://SCOREBOARD.HOMESTEAD.COM/GIRLS/CLASSRATE.HTM#LOADED
THE INDIANA SRN BOYS BASKETBALL POLLS
4A
- BEN DAVIS
- PENN
- BROWNSBURG
- HAMMOND CENTRAL
- CATHEDRAL
3A
- MISHAWAKA MARIAN
- NORTH DAVIESS
- NORTHWOOD
- NORWELL
- SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON
2A
- LINTON STOCKTON
- FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK
- SOUTH SPENCER
- UNIVERSITY
- WAPAHANI
1A
- BLOOMFIELD
- ORLEANS
- BETHESDA CHRISTIAN
- FOUNTAIN CENTRAL
- EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN
INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SAGARIN RATINGS BY CLASS
HTTP://SCOREBOARD.HOMESTEAD.COM/BOYS/CLASSRATE.HTM#LOADED
INDIANA WRESTLING REGIONAL SITES
1. HOBART | 9 AM CT
FEEDER SECTIONALS: EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL, PORTAGE.
2. CROWN POINT | 8 AM CT
FEEDER SECTIONALS: CROWN POINT, LAPORTE.
3. PENN | 9 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: MISHAWAKA, PLYMOUTH.
4. LOGANSPORT | 10 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: LAFAYETTE JEFFERSON, WINAMAC COMMUNITY.
5. GOSHEN | 9:30 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: ELKHART, WEST NOBLE.
6. CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) | 8 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: CARROLL (FORT WAYNE), NEW HAVEN.
7. PERU | 8 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: PERU, OAK HILL.
8. JAY COUNTY | 8 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: DELTA, JAY COUNTY.
9. NORTH MONTGOMERY | 8 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: CRAWFORDSVILLE, FRANKFORT.
10. PENDLETON HEIGHTS | 8 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: ELWOOD, INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECHNICAL.
11. PERRY MERIDIAN | 9 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: WARREN CENTRAL, SOUTHPORT.
12. RICHMOND | 8 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: SOUTH DEARBORN, SHENANDOAH.
13. MOORESVILLE | 8 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: AVON, MOORESVILLE.
14. BLOOMINGTON SOUTH | 8 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: BLOOMINGTON NORTH, SOUTHRIDGE.
15. JEFFERSONVILLE | 8 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: JEFFERSONVILLE, JENNINGS COUNTY.
16. CASTLE | 8 AM CT
FEEDER SECTIONALS: CASTLE, EVANSVILLE CENTRAL.
*******************TOP 25 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL************************
#1 PURDUE 77 MICHIGAN STATE 61
#23 PROVIDENCE 70 VILLANOVA 65
ELSEWHERE:
CLEVELAND STATE 78 IUPUI 72
WICHITA STATE 85 E. CAROLINA 72
PENN STATE 83 MICHIGAN 61
ROBERT MORRIS 68 OAKLAND 63
IOWA 93 RUTGERS 82
YOUNGSTOWN STATE 73 DETROIT 63
ST. JOHN’S 75 GEORGETOWN 73
BRADLEY 83 ILLINOIS CHICAGO 76
ILLINOIS STATE 72 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 66
MEMPHIS 80 TULSA 68
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/CBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230129
*******************TOP 25 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL*******************
#1 SOUTH CAROLINA 65 ALABAMA 52
PURDUE 73 #2 OHIO STATE 65
#3 STANFORD 62 OREGON 54
#5 UCONN 63 #21 VILLANOVA 58
#6 INDIANA 91 RUTGERS 68
#20 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 69 #7 NOTRE DAME 65
#9 UTAH 71 #8 UCLA 69
#12 VIRGINIA TECH 72 VIRGINIA 60
#13 MICHIGAN 77 MINNESOTA 41
#15 NORTH CAROLINA 69 CLEMSON 58
#24 FLORIDA STATE 70 #16 DUKE 57
WASHINGTON STATE 70 #19 ARIZONA 59
#22 ILLINOIS 86 MICHIGAN STATE 76
USC 71 #25 COLORADO 54
ELSEWHERE:
MARQUETTE 65 BUTLER 63
INDIANA STATE 62 MURRAY STATE 56
BELMONT 76 EVANSVILLE 58
VALPARAISO 78 BRADLEY 71
NORTHWESTERN 70 WISCONSIN 67
WAKE FOREST 55 MIAMI FLORIDA 52
KENTUCKY 77 MISSOURI 54
CALIFORNIA 64 ORGAN STATE 62
OLE MISS 76 ARKANSAS 73 OT
KANSAS 85 KANSAS STATE 72
ILLINOIS STATE 55 ILLINOIS CHICAGO 42
LOUISVILLE 79 SYRACUSE 67
VANDERBILT 88 TEXAS A&M 79
WASHINGTON 55 ARIZONA STATE 53
BOSTON COLLEGE 74 PITTSBURGH 60
GEORGIA 62 MISSISSIPPI STATE 34
HOUSTON 82 TULANE 36
COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/WCBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230129
NFL PLAYOFFS
PHILADELPHIA 31 SAN FRANCISCO 7…. BOX SCORE: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/FB/BOXSCORE.ASP?GAMECODE=20230129021&HOME=21&VIS=25&FINAL=TRUE
KANSAS CITY 23 CINCINNATI 20….. BOX SCORE: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/FB/BOXSCORE.ASP?GAMECODE=20230129012&HOME=12&VIS=4&FINAL=TRUE
NBA
MEMPHIS 112 INDIANA 100
CHARLOTTE 122 MIAMI 117
CLEVELAND 122 LA CLIPPERS 99
MILWAUKEE 135 NEW ORLEANS 110
BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NBA/SCOREBOARD.ASP
NHL
TORONTO 5 WASHINGTON 1
CAROLINA 4 BOSTON 1
BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/NHL/SCOREBOARD.ASP
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
NFL PLAYOFFS
HURTS, EAGLES SOAR INTO SUPER BOWL, ROUT 49ERS FOR NFC TITLE
PHILADELPHIA (AP) Jalen Hurts had one of Philadelphia’s four rushing touchdowns and the Eagles soared into the Super Bowl, forcing both of San Francisco’s quarterbacks out of the game with injuries and beating the wounded 49ers 31-7 in the NFC championship game on Sunday.
The Eagles, who won the Super Bowl five years ago with a different coach and quarterback, will try to do it again behind the formidable duo of Hurts and coach Nick Sirianni. Philadelphia will play either the Cincinnati Bengals or former Eagles coach Andy Reid’s Kansas City Chiefs.
“Obviously this is something you dream about as a kid. All these guys on the team have dreamt about this their entire lives, too,” Sirianni said. “Just to be able to do this together with a bunch of men that love each other, that are connected to each other, that will do anything for each other is pretty sweet.”
Miles Sanders ran for two touchdowns and linebacker Haason Reddick made the hit that forced 49ers rookie quarterback Brock Purdy out of the game with an elbow injury. Reddick also recovered a fumble by Purdy’s replacement, Josh Johnson, who later suffered a concussion.
That forced Purdy back into the game, but his injury was clearly a factor as the 49ers all but gave up on throwing the ball, even while trailing by multiple scores.
San Francisco’s bad luck at quarterback was finally too much to overcome as its 12-game win streak ended. The Niners lost both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo to season-ending injuries, and Purdy – the final pick in April’s draft – lost as a starter for the first time.
Philadelphia police greased traffic and light poles in what has often proved a futile attempt to slow the revelry ahead. But a city that has been starved for a championship now has its beloved Birds in the Super Bowl just three months after the Philadelphia Phillies reached the World Series.
“You see this city and the passion they have for this team. We’re so appreciative of these fans,” Sirianni said. “Look at this place. There’s no place like this in the NFL. It’s a hard-working city, it’s a blue-collar city. We think that’s the type of team we have.”
The game disintegrated in the waning minutes and Philadelphia’s K’Von Wallace and San Francisco’s Trent Williams were ejected for their roles in a brawl. Williams yanked Wallace from behind and slammed him to the ground.
At that point, who cared? Eagles fans waved their green towels and went wild as confetti fluttered around them. They sang the fight song – one more emphatic “E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles!” – in celebration of a franchise that advanced to its fourth Super Bowl.
The Eagles broke the game open in the final two minutes of the first half, getting a rise out of a crowd that had been quiet with nervous energy since a touchdown on the opening drive.
Sanders broke free for a 13-yard run for a 14-7 lead, concluding a 14-play, 75-yard drive extended by three 49ers penalties.
Johnson bobbled a shotgun snap and fumbled on the next drive, and Reddick – the free-agent pickup from Carolina having one of the great defensive seasons in franchise history – recovered at the San Francisco 30. Boston Scott scooted 10 yards for a touchdown and 21-7 lead.
Even with Hurts almost a non-factor – he had 97 yards passing in the first half – the Eagles were firmly in control. Hurts finished 15 of 25 for 121 yards. His 1-yard rushing touchdown on Philadelphia’s signature rugby-style QB sneak made it 28-7.
“It’s been a lot. I’m not going to make this about me,” Hurts said. “This city is a special city. They deserve everything, It’s a special city. We have one more.”
Purdy left the game with an elbow injury after he was drilled in the arm by Reddick on San Francisco’s first drive, leading to a fumble. The 23-year-old Purdy’s improbable rise from “Mr. Irrelevant” to playoff starter ended with a whimper as he failed to become the first rookie QB to lead a team to the Super Bowl.
He was improbably needed again in the third quarter after Johnson, a journeyman backup signed in December, was also hurt.
The Eagles used quick thinking as they scored on their opening drive for the second straight playoff game. DeVonta Smith made a sensational one-handed grab for 29 yards, but replays showed he appeared to lose control of the ball as he hit the ground. Smith popped up and frantically waved the Eagles to the line. Niners coach Kyle Shanahan did not challenge the call and the Eagles got off the next play. Sanders scored on a 6-yard run.
With little hope they could get anything going behind Johnson, the 49ers turned to Christian McCaffrey to get on the board. He broke three tackles on a 23-yard touchdown run that made it 7-7 in the second quarter.
With no quarterbacks who could throw, that was about the end for Shanahan’s Niners, who managed 164 yards of offense and 11 first downs.
IN THE HOUSE
First lady Jill Biden, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, actor Bradley Cooper, comedian Kevin Hart and several 76ers including Joel Embiid attended the game.
UP NEXT
The Super Bowl is Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona.
BROCK PURDY, 49ERS OUSTED BY EAGLES IN NFC TITLE GAME
PHILADELPHIA (AP) Brock Purdy’s magical run from being the last pick in the NFL draft to winning his first seven starts for the San Francisco 49ers ended when Haason Reddick knocked him out in the first quarter of the NFC championship game.
Purdy was forced to return in the second half despite an elbow injury after Josh Johnson left with a concussion. But he threw only two passes and handed off the rest of the game.
By that time, the 49ers already trailed the Eagles 21-7 and couldn’t get anything going in the 31-7 loss Sunday.
From Trey Lance to Jimmy Garoppolo to Purdy, the 49ers overcame quarterback injuries throughout the season, winning 12 straight games to reach their third conference title game in four years.
Down to their fourth-string QB for almost two quarters, the 49ers (15-5) had no chance against the Eagles (16-3).
Purdy, the seventh-round pick from Iowa State, was outstanding after stepping into the lineup in December. He threw for 1,374 yards, 13 TDs and four interceptions in the regular season and became a finalist for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Purdy completed both of his passes before Reddick drilled his right arm on a play that was ruled a fumble. The Eagles recovered the fumble and the injury proved to be a game-changer.
The 36-year-old Johnson was signed off Denver’s practice squad for his fourth stint with the 49ers after Garoppolo was injured in December. He had thrown just two passes this season before entering to face Philadelphia’s ferocious defense.
Johnson was 7 of 13 for 74 yards with one turnover before Ndamukong Suh’s hit took him out of the game.
A fifth-round pick by the Buccaneers in 2008, Johnson is 1-8 as a starter in 15 seasons with 14 different teams, the most for a player in league history. He also played in the United Football League, Alliance of American Football and XFL.
Johnson was overmatched in his first playoff experience.
The 49ers played with no discipline, committing costly penalties throughout the game. They were flagged 11 times, including a couple penalties that changed possession.
On Philadelphia’s second scoring drive, a pass interference call on San Francisco’s Jimmie Ward on an incomplete pass on third-and-7 gave the Eagles a first down. An illegal contact penalty on Charvarius Ward gave the Eagles another first down later in the drive and Miles Sanders ran in from the 13 for a 14-7 lead.
Johnson fumbled two plays later, the Eagles recovered at the 49ers 30 and Boston Scott scored on a 10-yard run to make it 21-7 right before the half.
A roughing-the-punter penalty on San Francisco’s Jordan Mason gave the Eagles a first down at the 49ers 35 in the third quarter. Jalen Hurts finished that drive with a 1-yard TD run for a 28-7 lead.
Niners coach Kyle Shanahan made a mistake on the opening drive that led to Philadelphia’s first touchdown. He didn’t challenge a 29-yard catch by DeVonta Smith on fourth-and-3 to the 49ers 6. Smith immediately signaled for the Eagles to run a play without a huddle and they quickly scurried to the line of scrimmage to do it.
Replays showed the ball appeared to hit the ground, so Shanahan missed an opportunity to overturn the call and change possession. Sanders then scored on a 6-yard run.
CHIEFS TOP BENGALS 23-20 ON LAST-SECOND KICK FOR AFC TITLE
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Patrick Mahomes was forced to rely on his badly sprained right ankle rather than his strong right arm when the Kansas City Chiefs were desperately driving with a chance to win the AFC championship.
The All-Pro quarterback, missing three wide receivers to injuries and battered himself, took off on a third-down play near midfield in another gut-check game with the Cincinnati Bengals. Mahomes strained to reach the mark he needed and was headed out of bounds when he felt the hands of Joseph Ossai send him sprawling into the bench.
The mad dash, coupled with the 15-yard penalty for a late hit, was all Kansas City needed.
Harrison Butker strode confidently onto the field, sent a 45-yard kick through cold, gusting wind over the crossbar with 3 seconds to go, and put the Chiefs back in the Super Bowl for the third time in four years with a 23-20 victory.
“I don’t think we have any cigars,” Mahomes said with a smile, “but we’ll be ready to go in the Super Bowl.”
It was vindication for the AFC West champions, who had lost three straight to their newfound nemeses, including a three-point overtime loss to Cincinnati in last year’s conference title game. All of those defeats were by three points.
Now, the Chiefs are headed back to the big game.
Awaiting them is coach Andy Reid’s old team, the Eagles, in the first matchup of Black quarterbacks in the Super Bowl with Mahomes and Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts. It will also feature a brother-against-brother showdown between Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Philadelphia center Jason Kelce.
“I’ve watched them all year,” Mahomes said. “It’s going to be a great challenge for us. But I’m going to celebrate this first.”
Mahomes, who hurt his ankle against Jacksonville in the divisional round, threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns, even though he was missing three of his wide receivers to injuries by the end. Marquez Valdes-Scantling led with 116 yards and a touchdown, while Travis Kelce – bad back and all – had seven catches for 78 yards and a score.
“It’s a tough bunch. My heart goes out to them, man, they’re tough guys,” Reid said. “They worked so hard this week. Pat and Kelce were both banged up a little bit. They pushed through and great things happened.”
The Chiefs also managed to shut the mouths of the Bengals, some of whom had taken to calling their home “Burrowhead” for Joe Burrow, who had never lost to Kansas City. Even Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval started in on the trash talk.
“I’ve got some wise words for that Cincinnati mayor,” Kelce said. “Know your role and shut your mouth, you jabroni!”
Burrow, who was sacked five times and wobbly by the end, finished with 270 yards passing to go with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Bengals. Tee Higgins had six catches for 83 yards and the score.
“We’re not going to make it about one play. There was plenty of plays we left on the field today that could have put us in a better position,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “The character of this football team, that’s never going to change. We’ve got the right people in the locker room, the right men leading this team and this organization.
“I know that this is a team that our city and our fan base can be proud of,” Taylor added. “They represent themselves the right way, and we’re going to fight, scratch and claw to be back in this position next year.”
The Chiefs were able to do early what the Buffalo Bills could not in last week’s divisional round: They ran roughshod over an ailing Bengals offensive line missing two starters to injury with another bothered by a sore knee.
Burrow was sacked three times in the first quarter alone and the Bengals offense did not gain a single yard.
Mahomes looked just fine on his sore ankle in leading Kansas City to a field goal on its opening possession. When the Chiefs got the ball back, Mahomes did it again, but only after Kadarius Toney failed to pull in a nifty throw for a would-be touchdown – the incompletion was upheld upon review.
Cincinnati finally got moving in the second quarter, but it also had to settle for Evan McPherson’s chip-shot field goal.
So much for two of the league’s highest-scoring offenses.
The Chiefs finally reached the end zone late in the second quarter when Mahomes hit Kelce, loosely covered by Jessie Bates III, with a fourth-down throw for the touchdown. The Bengals drove 90 yards in the closing minutes, but only added a field goal to get within 13-6 at the break.
Turns out their offense was just hitting its stride. And another classic was brewing.
After the Chiefs went three-and-out to start the second half, Burrow led the Bengals downfield, bolting through a yawning hole in the defense for a third-down conversion before hitting Higgins from 27 yards out to knot the game 13-all.
Mahomes, suddenly down three wide receivers to injuries and beginning to limp, gamely pressed on. He answered Burrow with a touchdown drive of his own, capped by a third-down throw to Valdes-Scantling to regain the lead.
The Chiefs had a chance to gain some breathing room later in the third quarter, but Mahomes somehow lost control of the ball before throwing a pass and the Bengals pounced on the fumble. Six players later – including an audacious fourth-down throw from Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase – Samaje Perine ran into the end zone to tie it at 20.
Burrow gave the Chiefs a chance when his deep throw to Higgins on third down was batted into the air and picked by rookie cornerback Josh Williams. Mahomes managed to move the Chiefs past midfield, but two runs went nowhere and his third-down throw to Jerick McKinnon was well short, forcing them to punt in Bengals territory.
Kansas City’s defense held, though, got a crucial sack from Chris Jones to force a punt with 39 seconds left, and shaky return man Skyy Moore broke free for 29 yards on the return. That gave Mahomes and the offense one more try.
“It was a tough road to get here. To win 10 in a row, it was a pretty incredible feat,” Taylor said. “We came up short. We wanted to play longer than that, but really proud of these guys.”
INJURIES
Bengals: WR Tyler Boyd left with a quadriceps injury early in the second half.
Chiefs: Lost CB L’Jarius Sneed (concussion), LB Willie Gay Jr. (shoulder) and WRs Toney (ankle), Mecole Hardman (pelvis) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee).
UP NEXT
The Chiefs are headed to their third Super Bowl in four seasons. They ended a 50-year championship drought when they rallied to beat the San Francisco 49ers in 2020, then lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following year.
COWBOYS MOVING ON FROM OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR KELLEN MOORE
(AP) — The Dallas Cowboys are moving on from offensive coordinator Kellen Moore after another season without a trip beyond the divisional round of the playoffs.
Coach Mike McCarthy said Sunday night it was “a mutual decision to part ways.” Moore had a year remaining on his contract. Quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier, whose contract was expiring, also won’t return.
McCarthy called the plays for most of his 12-plus seasons as head coach in Green Bay and could return to that role with the Cowboys.
McCarthy said he kept Moore as the play-caller when he came to Dallas in 2020 because he wanted continuity for quarterback Dak Prescott.
The Cowboys had one of the NFL’s highest-scoring offenses each of the past two seasons but were inconsistent, and it ended up costing them in the postseason both times.
Prescott’s two interceptions played big roles in a 19-12 divisional loss at San Francisco last weekend.
The 2021 season ended with a shaky showing from the offense in a 23-17 wild-card loss at home against the 49ers.
“The production of our offense and his mentorship of Dak were at the center of Kellen’s impact, and we are grateful for his tenure and leadership,” McCarthy said.
Dallas has a seven-game losing streak in the divisional round, the longest since the 1970 merger, and the Cowboys haven’t reached an NFC championship game since the most recent of the franchise’s five Super Bowl titles 27 years ago.
Moore interviewed for the Carolina head coaching job this month before the Panthers hired Frank Reich.
McCarthy declined to say Moore would return in his final meeting of the season with reporters, saying he was being evaluated along with the rest of the coaches.
Less than an hour later, McCarthy said it was “big for us” that defensive coordinator Dan Quinn had decided to return after interviewing for three head coaching vacancies.
Moore was promoted to offensive coordinator in Jason Garrett’s final season in 2019, when Dallas missed the playoffs and Garrett’s contract wasn’t renewed.
McCarthy replaced Garrett and kept Moore in the play-calling role. McCarthy called plays for Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers with the Packers, winning the Super Bowl with Rodgers to finish the 2010 season.
After giving up the play-calling for a time in Green Bay, McCarthy returned to that role and said he would never give up the play-calling role again. He was fired in the middle of the second consecutive losing season in 2018.
McCarthy said he decided to keep the system the Cowboys had in place because he believed Prescott had the right leadership under Moore.
Dallas had one of the best offenses in the league this season after Prescott returned from a five-game absence because of a broken thumb.
Inconsistencies showed up again late in the season, with a poor showing in the regular-season finale against Washington before one of the best games of Prescott’s career in a 31-14 wild-card victory at Tampa Bay.
Prescott threw an early interception against the 49ers to put Dallas in a 3-0 hole, and another pick late in the first half resulted in at least a six-point swing for San Francisco, which led 9-6 at the break.
Prescott led the NFL with a career-high 17 interceptions, playoffs included. He threw at least one in 14 of the 17 games he played.
Moore joined the coaching staff as quarterbacks coach immediately following the 2017 season, going from one of Prescott’s backups to his position coach.
Long considered a bright offensive mind with a future in coaching, Moore spent six seasons as a player in the NFL, not even taking his first snap until late in his fourth year in 2015.
Moore was undrafted out of Boise State, where he was the winningest quarterback in FBS history with a 50-3 record. He was in the top 10 in all major passing categories when his career ended.
AP SOURCE: DOLPHINS HIRE VIC FANGIO AS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
(AP) — The Miami Dolphins have reached a deal with former Denver Broncos coach Vic Fangio to become their defensive coordinator, a person familiar with the hire told The Associated Press on Sunday.
The person spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been finalized.
Fangio, who had been one of the most sought-after defensive coordinator candidates this offseason, was Denver’s head coach from 2019-21, going 19-30.
The Dolphins fired defensive coordinator Josh Boyer after three seasons with the team.
Miami finished the season ranked 18th in total defense, 27th in passing defense and tied for 24th on third downs as the team dealt with various injuries.
The 64-year-old Fangio, a respected defensive mind, figures to mesh well with Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel and the talent Miami has on defense.
Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins had a career year, totaling 98 tackles. Linebacker Jaelan Phillips and rookie cornerback Kader Kohou both had standout seasons.
CHARGERS’ HERBERT HAS SURGERY ON NON-THROWING SHOULDER
COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert had surgery on his non-throwing shoulder last week.
However he is expected to be ready for the offseason program in the spring.
The team announced on Sunday that Herbert had surgery on the labrum in his left shoulder on Jan. 25. The Chargers’ offseason program will begin in mid-April.
Herbert showed up on the Chargers’ injury report with a left shoulder injury leading up to the Jan. 8 regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos, but was a full participant throughout the week.
The Chargers made the postseason for the first time in Herbert’s three-year NFL career, but they were eliminated by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC wild-card round after blowing a 27-point, first-half lead.
Herbert was second in the league in completions (477) and passing yards (4,739) this season. He was selected as an alternate for the Pro Bowl Games, but will be unable to participate.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
GEORGIA’S BENNETT ARRESTED IN TEXAS FOR PUBLIC INTOXICATION
DALLAS (AP) Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett, who led the Bulldogs to their second straight national championship, was arrested early Sunday after police said he was intoxicated and banging on doors.
Bennett, 25, was charged with public intoxication and taken to the city detention center, Dallas police said.
Police said that at about 6:10 a.m., officers responded to reports of a man banging on doors. The location given by police was a community of townhomes near downtown Dallas.
Last week, Bennett told reporters that he would be training for his pro career in Fort Worth, Texas, which is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Dallas.
Video from WFAA-TV showed Bennett leaving the detention center on Sunday just before 11 a.m. He did not say anything as he got into a vehicle.
Earlier this month, Bennett threw two touchdown passes and ran for two scores in the first half as No. 1 Georgia demolished No. 3 TCU 65-7 to win the College Football Playoff national championship.
Bennett walked on at Georgia nearly six years ago at the beginning of its growth into college football’s most dominant program.
The University of Georgia athletic department did not immediately offer comment on Sunday. An email sent to Bennett’s agent was not immediately returned.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
BYNUM LEADS NO. 23 PROVIDENCE PAST VILLANOVA 70-65
PHILADELPHIA (AP) Jared Bynum scored 17 of his 19 points after halftime and hit a key jumper and two free throws late to help No. 23 Providence defeat Villanova 70-65 on Sunday.
The game was played at the Wells Fargo Center and ended about an hour before the Philadelphia Eagles hosted the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game across the street at Lincoln Financial Field. There were some Eagles chants and plenty of green jerseys throughout the arena.
Ed Croswell scored 14 points, Bryce Hopkins had 13 and Devin Carter chipped in 12 for the Friars (17-5, 9-2 Big East). Providence trailed by seven midway in the second half before rallying.
“It shows our guys are resilient and can compete when we’re not at our best,” Providence coach Ed Cooley said. “So, that was really good for us.”
Cam Whitmore had 21 points to lead Villanova (10-11, 4-6), which returned to the court after an eight-day layoff. Eric Dixon added 14 points and Caleb Daniels and Brandon Slater had 10 apiece for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats couldn’t contain Bynum down the stretch.
“Phenomenal. He took over the game,” Cooley said.
Providence was clinging to a one-point lead in the final minute when Bynum converted a turnaround, step-back jumper off one foot with 24.7 seconds to play.
“It is not a shot I normally take, but we practice those shots for moments like that,” Bynum said. “It came in handy.”
After a Villanova turnover, Bynum was fouled and made both free throws during a one-and-one situation with 13 seconds left to clinch the victory.
“I’ve been in situations like that my whole life,” he said.
It was the second game back in the lineup after missing four due to an abdominal strain for Bynum, who transferred to Providence from Saint Joseph’s.
“It says we’re a pretty good team and have strong aspirations for what we’re trying to do,” Bynum said of the win.
Justin Moore returned to action for Villanova for the first time since suffering a torn Achilles’ in Villanova’s 50-44 Elite Eight victory over Houston last spring.
The home crowd roared when Moore was introduced last in the Wildcats’ starting lineup and cheered again when the 6-foot-4 senior guard made his first basket on a left-handed layup three minutes into the game. Moore finished with five points.
“It was great to be out there with my teammates,” Moore said. “They were excited for me, and I was excited. We just wanted to focus on playing harder than the other team and competing.”
Whitmore’s corner 3 broke a 42-all tie and started a 7-0 Villanova second-half run. The spurt ended with an inside basket by Whitmore that made it 49-42 with 10:41 to play, matching the Wildcats’ largest lead to that point.
But then Providence got hot from long range. The Friars missed their first 11 tries from beyond the arc before finding their strokes.
“I said, `We’re going to make 3s,'” Cooley said about his message.
He was right.
Hopkins’ 3 with 6:44 left put the Friars in front 58-55. Bynum came up big during that stretch, scoring 10 points during a Providence run over 4:44 on a pair of 3s and two layups.
The Friars’ advantage increased to six when Bynum and Noah Locke hit 3s on consecutive trips down the floor from the opposite sides of the court, making it 64-58 with 3:57 left. But Villanova scored five of the next seven, capped by another Whitmore 3, to pull within 66-65 with 1:54 remaining before Bynum sealed it.
“They’re a good team,” Villanova first-year coach Kyle Neptune said. “They’re not going to lay down for you. Unfortunately, they were able to make tough shots.”
MOORE RETURNS
Moore was projected to be a late first-round or early second-round pick in last year’s NBA draft before his injury. He will have to shake off rust and show scouts he is healthy to get back to that point. But there definitely were good signs for Moore, including when he drove hard to the basket for a bucket with 4 1/2 minutes left in the first half.
Moore had four points, three rebounds and an assist in the opening 20 minutes to help the Wildcats take a 31-28 lead at the break.
BIG PICTURE
Providence: The Friars have a big matchup at No. 13 Xavier on Wednesday as they look to repeat as Big East Conference regular-season champs. They started play on Sunday a half-game behind the Musketeers in the Big East. Win or lose, Providence is in good position to reach its seventh NCAA tournament appearance in 12 years under Cooley. The Friars also have the talent for a second straight trip to the Sweet 16.
Villanova: With Moore back and Villanova looking energized, the Wildcats will look to climb out of the middle of the pack and up the Big East standings. They have won seven of the last nine regular-season conference titles and could make a late-season push with Moore back. All of those championships, of course, were under former coach Jay Wright, who surprisingly retired after last season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Villanova: Jordan Longino (left hamstring) missed his sixth straight game. The 6-foot-5 guard is averaging 6.2 points.
UP NEXT
Providence: At No. 13 Xavier on Wednesday.
Villanova: At No. 16 Marquette on Wednesday.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
BOSTON, HALL LEAD NO. 1 GAMECOCKS PAST ALABAMA 65-52
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) Dawn Staley has “utmost confidence” in Bree Hall’s ability to knock down shots.
Hall richly rewarded that faith with a career-high 18 points and four 3-pointers in No. 1 South Carolina’s 65-52 victory over Alabama on Sunday. Gamecocks star Aliyah Boston had 16 points and 12 rebounds for her 14th double-double of the season.
“These are normal shots for (Hall) that if she gets them, 90% of the time she’s going to knock them down,” said Staley, sporting Jalen Hurts’ No. 1 Philadelphia Eagles jersey in honor of the NFC championship game with the San Francisco 49ers. “They weren’t rushed. They were in the flow of our offense. She was ready. We do have the utmost confidence in her to take those shots.”
The Gamecocks (21-0, 9-0 Southeastern Conference) got their 27th consecutive win in a game that remained close into the third quarter.
Alabama (16-6, 5-4) pulled to within four points in the third quarter but Hall, Boston and South Carolina’s defense took over. The duo paired up for 11 straight points to give the Gamecocks a 48-35 edge, their biggest of the game at that point.
Boston made of 8 of 10 shots and had four blocks and four assists. The reigning national player of the year got plenty of help from Hall, who made half of her 8 3-point attempts.
Coming into the game, Hall had made just 1 of 11 3s and was averaging 2.6 points.
“I feel like when I come into the game, I think more of just let the game come to me,” Hall said. “I try to play really hard defense first and then I’m like, `All right, let’s try to get it going offensively.’
“I don’t usually come into the game thinking about a shot. I just let the game kind of just flow and come to me.”
South Carolina leading scorer Zia Cooke scored six points – 10 below her season average.
“People talk about how good Aliyah Boston is but Zia Cooke runs that team somewhat,” said Alabama’s Sarah Ashlee Barker, who scored a season-high 15 points, “You’ve just got to give credit to that and realize she’s going to come out and try to get her shots and we did a really good job of knowing where she was on the floor.
“We just knew we needed to limit her shots and make them really hard, contested shots.”
Brittany Davis scored 11 of her 13 in the first half and had eight rebounds for the Tide, and Aaliyah Nye had eight points and played just 17 minutes before fouling out.
Raven Johnson’s layup and a 3-pointer with 1:45 left gave the Gamecocks a 33-23 lead late in the first half. Alabama then ended a four-minute field goal drought with Davis’ long 3-pointer with 19 seconds to play, cutting the halftime margin to 33-26.
Alabama did hold South Carolina to 18 points below its season average.
“No moral victories. We expected to win today,” Alabama coach Kristy Curry said. “We came up short (against) a really good South Carolina team. It’s a tall task, literally.”
BIG PICTURE
South Carolina: The Gamecocks got 35 points off the bench but shot just 18 of 52 (35%) from the floor. They have won 21 straight over the Tide dating back to 2008.
Alabama: Playing its third game in seven days, the Tide lost 89-51 to No. 4 LSU and beat Arkansas 69-66 on a late 3-pointer. Alabama has lost 41 straight games against top-5 teams.
BIG GAME
Staley, an Eagles fan, made it clear she was looking ahead to the big game, just not next Sunday’s clash with No. 5 UConn.
“Oh, I thought you were talking about the Eagles and the 49ers. I was so ready for that question,” Staley joked when asked about the Huskies game.
UP NEXT
South Carolina: Hosts Kentucky on Thursday night.
Alabama: Visits Missouri on Feb. 5.
PARIS, NO. 15 UNC WOMEN TOP CLEMSON 69-58, EXTEND WIN STREAK
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) Freshman Paulina Paris hit six 3-pointers, scored 22 points and had five steals – all career highs – and Kennedy Todd-Williams added 15 points Sunday to help No. 15 North Carolina hold off Clemson for a 69-58 win, the Tar Heels’ seventh in a row.
No. 15 North Carolina (16-5, 7-3 ACC) hasn’t lost since a 62-58 defeat at Miami on Jan. 5 and the Tar Heels have won six straight – and 28 of the last 31 – against Clemson.
Todd-Williams scored 10 points in the first 3 1/2 minutes, including back-to-back 3-pointers that capped a 14-4 opening run and UNC never trailed.
Alyssa Ustby had seven points, 11 rebounds and three of North Carolina’s season-high tying 16 steals. Deja Kelly added nine points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals.
Daisha Bradford led Clemson (13-10, 4-7) with 14 points and Amari Robinson scored 10.
The Tigers shot 6 of 26 (23.1%) from the field – including 2 of 12 (17%) from 3-point range – hit just 33% (3 of 9) from the free-throw line and scored just 17 points in the first half.
Paris hit a 3-pointer to open the second half and give the Tar Heels their biggest lead at 39-17 with 8:47 left in the third but they went 2 for 13 from the field and committed five turnovers as Clemson trimmed its deficit to 43-39 going into the fourth. The Tigers ripped off 17 straight points during a 22-4 run – including eight points from Bradford – to close the third.
Paris hit a 3-pointer and Todd-Williams converted a three-point play to make it 49-41 with 8:58 to play and Paris made another 3 that ignited a 10-0 spurt, capped when Kelly hit a jumper with 5:03 remaining that gave UNC a 15-point lead.
North Carolina had two scoring droughts of five-plus minutes, one to open the second quarter and the other in the third.
UP NEXT
North Carolina plays next Sunday at Louisville
Clemson hits the road to take on Miami on Thursday
GRIFFIN LEADS NO. 5 UCONN OVER NO. 21 VILLANOVA, 63-58
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) This time, UConn had Aubrey Griffin.
The junior forward scored 19 points and No. 5 Connecticut beat No. 21 Villanova 63-58 on Sunday, a year after losing to the Wildcats on the same court.
Griffin was home recovering from back surgery for that game, which like this one, came just after a big win over Tennessee.
“Being able to play this year and contributing and trying to help my team any way I can to help us win, it’s been good,” Griffin said.
Dorka Juhasz added 16 points and Aaliyah Edwards had 13, including some key free throws for the Huskies (20-2, 12-0 Big East) in the team’s 13th straight win.
Maddy Siegrist scored 25 points for Villanova, which handed the Huskies their last conference loss last February. Lucy Olsen had 19.
The Wildcats (18-4, 9-2) had won nine in a row.
Villanova led 51-45 with eight minutes left, but UConn went on a 15-4 run for a 60-55 advantage with 51 seconds left.
Olsen’s 3-pointer made it a two-point game with 22 seconds remaining. But Edwards hit a foul shot and then blocked a 3-pointer by Siegrist, and the Huskies also forced an off-balance contested attempt from Olsen.
Edwards hit two more free throws to secure the win.
“Hey man, I know I can knock in those free throws,” Edwards said. “I missed one, but I knew I could knock in the rest of them.”
UConn led by as many as eight points in the first half. But the Wildcats held the Huskies without a point for an almost nine-minute stretch from the second quarter into the third.
Siegrist gave Villanova a 34-33 lead on a pair of free throws, part of a 12-0 run. The Wildcats outscored the Huskies 15-10 in the third quarter and led 45-43 going into the fourth.
“You put yourself in a position to win the game and then, you know, we didn’t capitalize down the stretch,” Siegrist said. “They’re a great team, a great program and so just knowing that you hung with them, you can hang with anyone.”
Griffin put the Huskies in front with a three-point play on a driving layup with 3:48 left in the game.
“Today, Aubrey was just on fire,” Edwards said.
BIG PICTURE
Villanova: Siegrist has scored 20 or more points in every one of the Wildcats’ games this season. She came into the game leading the nation in scoring at 28.5 points per game.
UConn: UConn was again without guards Caroline Ducharme, who has missed the Huskies’ last nine games with a concussion, and Azzi Fudd, who has missed 13 games this season after twice injuring her right knee. Former national player of the year Paige Bueckers and freshman Ice Brady were lost for the season with knee injuries.
“Today was the first game all year where I thought we looked really tired,” coach Geno Auriemma said.
KEY STATS
Siegrist hit just three of her 12 shots in the first half before making 6 of 11 in the second. The Huskies outrebounded Villanova 36-33 and outscored the Wildcats 30-22 in the paint.
PHILLY FANS
Auriemma, who grew up in the Philadelphia suburb of Norristown, Pennsylvania, came into his postgame news conference sporting a Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl T-shirt.
“There were three Philadelphia teams today,” Auriemma joked, apparently counting his Huskies as the third team. “We were hoping for a 2-1 split, with Villanova coming out a little bit on the short end, but not by much.”
UP NEXT
Villanova: Returns home to host Marquette on Wednesday.
UConn: Visits Providence on Wednesday.
NBA NEWS
ROZIER, WASHINGTON HELP HORNETS RALLY PAST HEAT 122-117
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Terry Rozier scored 31 points, P.J. Washington had 27 and the Charlotte Hornets stopped Miami’s three-game win streak with a 122-117 victory over the Heat on Sunday.
LaMelo Ball scored 13 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as Charlotte improved to 7-16 at home. Gordon Hayward was a perfect 7 of 7 from the field for 20 points.
Rozier also had seven assists and six rebounds. He was 11 for 19 from the field, including a 5-for-11 performance from 3-point range. He made two buzzer-beater 3s at the end of quarters.
Jimmy Butler scored 28 points for Miami, and Tyler Herro had 24.
The Hornets, who have been hampered by injuries all season, have won four of six for the team’s best stretch of the season. Washington believes it’s a reflection of the team getting healthier.
Charlotte’s projected starting five to begin the season is finally back on the floor and appears to be starting to mesh.
“Everybody is back and everybody is healthy – and that is a major difference,” Washington said. “At the end of the day we have to keep going the way we are right now.”
Hayward has struggled with shoulder and hamstring issues, limiting the team’s highest-paid player to just 24 games.
Sunday marked his best game in months.
“He’s playing confident and getting easy baskets and just bullying guys down low,” Washington said. “He’s playing great basketball and I expect that of him every night.”
Whether a now healthy Hornets team can make a playoff push remains to be seen, but coach Steve Clifford remains optimistic.
“Getting ‘Melo and Gordon back, obviously you’re a different team,” Clifford said. “If we can get into playing set groups then we’ll have a good chance to hopefully put some good stretches together. (It helps) when they know who they’re playing with and they know where the shots are coming from.”
The Heat led 62-58 after Rozier banked in a 3 from the midcourt logo to close out the first half.
Miami went on a 10-1 run to start the third quarter. Herro knocked down two 3-pointers to help the Heat open a 13-point lead.
But Charlotte came storming back behind Washington and Rozier, who began knocking down shots from deep.
Charlotte pushed the lead to 12 with 5:54 left on a turnaround jumper by Rozier.
Miami rallied with a 10-0 run. Kyle Lowry found Bam Adebayo inside for a layup to cut the lead to 108-106.
But Charlotte had another burst as Mason Plumlee got the ball after Rozier won a jump ball and drove to the basket for a score. Ball canned an open 3-pointer to put Charlotte back up 114-106 with 1:50 left.
Washington’s rebound and score off his own miss kept Charlotte up by seven and Plumlee dunked off a pass from Washington to put the game away in the final minute.
Charlotte shot 54.2% from the field and scored 25 points in transition. The Hornets also outrebounded Miami 47-36.
“They have had a lot of injuries but when they have been fully healthy, this team can score much different than their numbers may suggest for the season,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We did not step up defensively, they got a lot of easy run-ups that quickly changed the momentum of the game.”
TIP-INS
Heat: Adebayo scored 17 points, but he only had four rebounds.
Hornets: Plumlee entered the game shooting 76.5% from the field over his last 20 games, the highest percentage by any player in any 20-game span since the ABA-NBA merger in 1976-77, per Stathead. … Charlotte’s career leading scorer Kemba Walker attended the game.
UP NEXT
Heat: Continue a four-game road trip Tuesday at Cleveland.
Hornets: Play five of their next six games on the road beginning Tuesday at Milwaukee.
OSMAN TIES CAREER HIGH WITH 29 POINTS, CAVS ROUT CLIPPERS
CLEVELAND (AP) Cedi Osman tied his career high with 29 points and matched the franchise record by making all seven of his 3-pointers as the Cleveland Cavaliers built a 40-point lead on their way to a 122-99 rout of the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.
All-Star starter Donovan Mitchell had 11 points in his return for Cleveland after missing three games with a strained groin. The Cavaliers never trailed and took their largest lead of the season at 82-42 on Jarrett Allen’s first 3-pointer since Nov. 5, 2021.
“It was a great feeling, everybody was sharing the moment with me,” Osman said. “We played great offensively, and it was a great game for everybody. We’ve got such a good group of guys who support each other at all times.”
The Clippers, who had won five in a row, opted not to dress Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Reggie Jackson, all of whom played Saturday in Atlanta. Officially, George and Leonard did not play because of right knee trouble and Jackson has a sore right Achilles.
Turkey national team member Osman made 11 of 13 shots on Turkish Heritage Night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. He joined Kyrie Irving and Mo Williams as the only Cavaliers to go 7 of 7 beyond the arc in a game.
“That’s what Turkish Heritage Night will do for you,” Allen said, laughing. “Every single thing, except for his layups, went in. He did everything he was supposed to all night.”
Darius Garland collected 16 points and 10 assists, and Allen had 15 points and eight rebounds for Cleveland, which has the best home record in the East at 21-5.
The performance was in stark contrast to the Cavaliers’ 120-114 home loss to Golden State nine days earlier, when the Warriors sat Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins.
“Tonight was a similar situation, but we took it serious,” Osman said. “We knew Golden State was missing a lot of pieces and learned a tough lesson from it.”
Brandon Boston Jr. scored 24 points and Moses Brown had 13 points and 16 rebounds for Los Angeles. Rookie Jason Preston from Ohio University had season highs of 12 points and eight assists.
The Clippers are 1-1 on a six-game road trip that ends Feb. 6 in Brooklyn. They missed 16 of their first 17 3-pointers and finished 2 of 19.
“I had a couple of friends and family here, so it was a good night, for sure,” Preston said. “The more I was out there, I kept getting a little more confident.”
WELCOME BACK
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue took the Cavaliers to three straight NBA Finals appearances, winning their lone championship in 2016. F Kevin Love and Osman are the only remaining players who played for Lue.
“When you lose LeBron (James) and Kyrie (Irving), usually it’s going to take a long time to get back,” said Lue, who went 128-83 in four seasons with the Cavaliers. “To be where they are now, they’ve done a great job putting together this team.
“It started with the trade for Jarrett Allen, which was out of this world, and getting Donovan Mitchell this year took them to the next level.”
TIP-INS
Clippers: G Terance Mann had the sole assist by a Los Angeles starter in the first half. . F Marcus Morris (bruised rib) missed his third consecutive game and F Robert Covington (personal reasons) sat out his second. G John Wall (abdominal soreness) last played on Jan. 13 against Denver. . Two-way C Brown was recalled from Ontario in the G League.
Cavaliers: Love (low back spasms) was inactive for the third straight game. The 34-year-old has missed six contests with the injury since the start of December. . Cleveland must win its next game to finish a winning record for the fourth consecutive month. It hasn’t started a season with four straight winning months since its 2015-2016 title campaign.
UP NEXT
Clippers: Visit Chicago on Tuesday night.
Cavaliers: Host Miami on Tuesday night.
ANTETOKOUNMPO SCORES 50 FOR BUCKS; PELICANS LOSE 8TH IN ROW
MILWAUKEE (AP) Giannis Antetokounmpo says he wants to keep producing outstanding performances that he can show his kids one day when they’re old enough to appreciate them.
The two-time MVP added one more to the list Sunday night.
Antetokounmpo scored 50 points while playing only 30 minutes as the Milwaukee Bucks rolled to a 135-110 victory over the slumping New Orleans Pelicans. Antetokounmpo shot 20 of 26 from the floor – including 3 of 4 from 3-point range – and 7 of 12 from the foul line.
“They might say, `Daddy, you’re boring. You’re lame. We don’t want to see your highlights. We’ve heard so much about you. We want to watch Scooby-Doo’ or whatever the case might be,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’m just going to keep creating the way people in the past created, the way I can go back and watch Magic Johnson highlights, Kevin Garnett highlights, Kobe Bryant highlights, Allen Iverson highlights, KD’s, LeBron’s. They’ve created so much art throughout the years, and we can go back and see it and admire what they did. Tim Duncan.”
Antetokounmpo’s 50 points were five off the career high he set Jan. 4 in a 123-113 victory over the Washington Wizards.
Jrue Holiday scored 17 and Brook Lopez added 15 for the Bucks, who shot 55.2%.
New Orleans never led and lost its eighth straight. The Pelicans were playing for the second consecutive night – they lost 113-103 at home to the Wizards on Saturday – and were missing their top three scorers.
Zion Williamson hasn’t played since Jan. 2 due to a strained right hamstring. Brandon Ingram (toe injury on left foot) and CJ McCollum (sprained right thumb) also were out Sunday.
Jose Alvarado stepped up to lead the Pelicans with 18 points, while Trey Murphy III and Jonas Valanciunas had 16 each.
“I thought our effort was there,” Pelicans coach Willie Green. “I thought we fought. It just wasn’t enough tonight.”
Even at full strength, the Pelicans would have struggled to slow down Antetokounmpo on a night when he seemingly couldn’t miss.
This marked the 10th time this season that Antetokounmpo has scored at least 40 points, matching the career high he set last year for 40-point games in a single season.
“He made it look easy all night long,” Bucks forward Khris Middleton said. “He’s playing efficient. He’s playing dominant. He’s playing unstoppable. He’s playing like the MVP again. We need that from him every night, and he knows that.”
Antetokounmpo already had 16 points midway through the first quarter. He went 8 of 9 for 18 points in that opening period, nearly matching New Orleans’ scoring total while helping the Bucks build a 37-19 advantage.
He finished the night as well as he started it.
Antetokounmpo scored 12 straight Bucks points during a stretch that began with less than four minutes left in the game. Antetokounmpo capped that spurt by making consecutive 3-pointers, the last of which put him at the 50-point mark with 1:38 remaining.
“It’s one of those moments you can never take for granted because you never know if you’re going to have that moment again,” Antetokounmpo said.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Kira Lewis Jr. played for the first time since Jan. 18 and scored 15 points. …. Larry Nance Jr. had a season-high 12 rebounds … The Pelicans were outrebounded 57-38. They had a minus-11 rebound margin Saturday against the Wizards.
Bucks: The Bucks reached the 130-point mark for the fifth time in their last seven games. … Middleton came off the bench for a fourth straight game and had nine points in 17 1/2 minutes as the Bucks continue to monitor the three-time All-Star’s workload in his return from right knee soreness. Middleton has played just 11 games this year, missing time first to recover from offseason wrist surgery and later to deal with his knee issue.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: At Denver on Tuesday in the second game of a three-game road swing. The Pelicans have split two home matchups with the Nuggets this season.
Bucks: Host Charlotte on Tuesday. The Bucks won at Charlotte, and a month later lost to them at home.
NHL NEWS
RIELLY SCORES FIRST GOAL OF SEASON, LEAFS DOWN CAPITALS 5-1
TORONTO (AP) Morgan Rielly’s first goal of the season stood up as the winner for Toronto in the Maple Leafs’ 5-1 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Michael Bunting, with a goal and an assist, William Nylander, Pierre Engvall and Zach Aston-Reese provided the rest of the offence for Toronto. Ilya Samsonov made 23 saves in his sixth straight start – and seventh consecutive appearance.
Nicklas Backstrom scored the first goal for Washington. Darcy Kuemper allowed four goals on 20 shots before being replaced by Charlie Lindgren. The Capitals backup finished with six stops.
Leafs captain John Tavares, who played the 1,000th regular-season game of his NHL career, was honored by the team with a ceremony before a rare 5 p.m. puck drop.
Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said earlier in the day goaltender Matt Murray (ankle) will be out through the NHL all-star break and the club’s subsequent bye week, but added the injury isn’t expected to keep him out long-term.
Murray was scheduled to start Friday’s ugly 6-2 loss to Ottawa, but was a late scratch that forced the overworked Samsonov back into action. Joseph Woll was called up from the AHL on an emergency basis Sunday. The Leafs were also without star center Auston Matthews for a second straight game with a knee injury that will keep him out until at least mid-February.
Down 1-0 after the first period, Toronto got even 1:29 of the second when Bunting slid his 15th goal of the season past Kuemper on a power play.
Rielly then snapped his first of the campaign – the defenseman looked skyward in relief as he celebrated – at exactly seven minutes to make it 2-1.
Nylander added his team-leading 28th on a delayed penalty at 10:45 before Engvall scored his 10th at 14:20 for a 4-1 advantage that spelled the end of Kuemper’s outing.
Leafs center David Kampf picked up an assist on Toronto’s fourth goal for the 100th point of his career.
Aston-Reese rounded out the scoring with 3:13 left in regulation with his fifth.
Washington opened the scoring with 2:43 left in a sleepy first when Backstrom, who played just his ninth game of 2022-23 following hip surgery, fired his first of the campaign through a screen on Samsonov.
The netminder signed with Toronto in free agency after being cut loose by Washington, which drafted him 22nd overall at the 2015 NHL draft, in the summer when he wasn’t tendered a qualifying offer.
TAVARES HITS 1,000
The 32-year-old expected “quite a few” family and friends in attendance for his milestone moment. “Probably the most I’ve had in my career,” Tavares said following Saturday’s practice. “Great to share it with so many people.” Selected first overall by the New York Islanders in 2009, the Oakville, Ontario, product is the 375th player in NHL history to play 1,000 games. “Tremendous honor,” Tavares said. “Hard to put into words . just a lot of gratitude.”
LAVIOLETTE REACHES OWN MILESTONE
Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette coached the 1,400th game of his NHL career. The 58-year-old debuted with the Islanders in 2001 and won the Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006. Laviolette has also coached Philadelphia and Nashville.
LEAFS INJURIES
The Leafs announced before the game Matthews has been put on injured reserve. Toronto also activated TJ Brodie off IR. The defenseman had missed the last 10 games with a rib problem – his second time on the shelf this season after missing 15 contests because of an oblique injury.
UP NEXT
Capitals: Visit Columbus on Tuesday.
Maple Leafs: Host Boston on Wednesday.
AHO SCORES AGAIN, HURRICANES BEAT BRUINS 4-1
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Sebastian Aho scored a goal for the fourth straight game and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Boston Bruins 4-1 on Sunday in a matchup of the teams with the two best records in the NHL.
Paul Stastny scored on a second-period power play, Seth Jarvis posted a goal in the third, and Jordan Staal added a short-handed empty-netter as the Hurricanes won their fifth game in a row and extended their points streak to eight games (7-0-1).
Frederik Andersen, playing for the first time since he left Wednesday night’s game in Dallas with an upper-body injury, made 24 saves.
Pavel Zacha scored for the Bruins, who lead the NHL with 81 points but have lost three games in a row for the first time this season. Linus Ullmark stopped 32 shots.
Aho stole the puck at his defensive blue line took off on a breakaway for his 21st goal of the season with 9:08 left in the first. He has seven goals during his scoring streak.
After Carolina’s four successful penalty kills through 30 1/2 minutes, the Hurricanes scored on a power play as Stastny converted from in front of the net with 7:55 left in the second. It was his fourth.
Jarvis made a nifty move along the boards to gain control of the puck from Boston defenseman Brandon Carlo and sped into the zone on a breakaway, beating Ullmark at 1:56 of the third for his eighth of the season and first in seven games.
Boston struck back on Zacha’s 10th at 3:22, but failed to reach two goals for just the third time this season.
Staal capped the scoring with 4:20 left.
ICE MATTERS
Hurricanes D Brent Burns had an assist on Stastny’s goal in his 1,300th NHL game. … This was just the second regulation road loss in Boston’s last 13 road games (9-2-2). … Staal has 13 goals, but only three since Christmas. … Andersen has won in his last five decisions.
UP NEXT
Bruins: At Toronto on Wednesday night.
Hurricanes: Host Los Angeles on Tuesday night.
MEN’S GOLF
MCILROY LEADS BY 3 IN DUBAI; REED’S DRIVE GETS STUCK IN TREE
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Rory McIlroy delivered an exhibition of short iron play to shoot 7-under 65 in his third round and build a three-stroke lead at the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday.
The top-ranked McIlroy made eight birdies at Emirates Golf Club – four in a row from No. 1, three straight from No. 13, and another at No. 17 – and none of the birdie putts were from more than 7 feet.
“I drove the ball better today, which put me in better positions to attack and make birdies,” said the Northern Irishman, making his first start of 2023. “It’s nearly there, not quite there, but I’m making the most of the good shots that I’m hitting and putting well. I’m just playing really efficient golf right now.”
McIlroy did, though, give the chasers some hope by making bogey at the par-5 No. 18, for his only dropped shot of the round, after hitting a fairway wood from around 250 yards into the water in front of the green. After missing a par putt from 8 feet, McIlroy had a look of disappointment across his face as he walked off the green, despite holding a commanding lead.
The four-time major champion made the same mistake on the 18th hole in his final round in last year’s tournament to finish a shot behind the leaders, when a birdie would have won him the title.
“I love this golf course, this tournament. I have won here a couple of times … but I don’t think I’ve won on my first start (of a year),” he said. “I’ve given myself an opportunity to try to do something I’ve never done before.”
McIlroy was on 15 under overall, with English players Callum Shinkwin (67) and No. 484-ranked Dan Bradbury (68) tied for second place.
As the players on the leaderboard went down the stretch, there looked to be a strong chance of McIlroy and Patrick Reed being together in the last group in Monday’s final round. That would have been must-watch viewing after they made headlines with a pre-tournament spat.
Reed, however, made bogey at the drivable par-4 17th when his tee shot got stuck up a palm tree after the American attempted to cut the corner on a dog-leg right. Reed wound up shooting 69 and was in a seven-man group tied for fourth place on 11 under, four shots behind McIlroy.
“You know what, I hit that tee shot, I didn’t even see those palms,” Reed said. “I felt like it was on a good line, just left of the green and I guess I just need to be a little more right or a little higher.”
Reed and a rules official used binoculars to identify the player’s ball in the tree. That allowed Reed to take a penalty drop near the base of the tree instead of having to return to the tee.
“I would have gone back to the tee if I wasn’t 100%,” Reed told British newspaper The Daily Telegraph. “I got lucky that we were able to look through the binoculars and you have to make sure it’s your ball, and how I mark my golf balls is I always put an arrow on the end of my line.
“And you could definitely see and identify the line with the arrow on the end, and the rules official, luckily, was there to reconfirm and check it to make sure it was mine as well.”
The group on 11 under included France’s Victor Perez (66), the winner last week at the equally prestigious Abu Dhabi Championship.
Spanish player Adri Arnaus briefly held the lead on 13 under after eight holes of his round, but he fell away after bogeying No. 9 and making double-bogey at the par-5 13th. Arnaus was also one of those on 11 under.
The tournament is finishing on Monday after bad weather cut short play on the opening two days.
TOP INDIANA RELEASES
PACERS BASKETBALL
INDIANA LOSES ROAD CONTEST AT MEMPHIS
Just a handful of teams can claim they’ve entered FedExForum and escaped with a win over the Memphis Grizzlies this season.
Unfortunately for the Indiana Pacers, they can’t count themselves among those squads.
Despite boasting a double-digit halftime lead, the Pacers (24-28) were held to 38 points in the second half – the fewest points by the Blue & Gold in the second half of a game this season – in a 112-100 loss to the Grizzlies (32-18) on Sunday in Memphis.
The Pacers led 62-50 at halftime before being outscored 62-38 in the final 24 minutes. In the second half, the Pacers shot 38.9 percent from the field while the Grizzlies made 55.8 percent of their shots.
With the win, Memphis boosted its league-best home winning percentage by moving to 21-3 on their own floor while also snapping a five-game losing streak. Indiana has now lost three games in a row including nine straight on the road.
Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin had another impressive outing, finishing with 27 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Five players scored in double figures for the Pacers, with Aaron Nesmith (16), Myles Turner (15), Isaiah Jackson (13) and Andrew Nembhard (12) following Mathurin.
The Grizzles were anchored by 27 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds by point guard Ja Morant and 28 points and eight rebounds from Jaren Jackson Jr. Morant has five triple-doubles this season.
Indiana was outrebounded 41-38 in the game and outscored 66-46 in the paint.
“It’s a disappointing experience that we’re gonna need to learn from,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said, “and being able to sustain an effort like that in the first half into the second half on the road. It’s something that’s not easy to do because you know the other team is going to turn it up, make it more physical, challenge the referees to blow the whistle, all those kinds of things. So it’s got to be a lesson where we learn from it.”
The Pacers led by as many as 19 points in the second quarter and held a 62-50 advantage at intermission.
In the first quarter, the Grizzlies led 14-7 by making six of their first nine shots before the Pacers answered with a 9-0 run, in part of five made free throws by Nesmith, to take their first lead at 16-14 with 6:44 left in the first quarter.
Indiana then stayed up thanks to some hot shooting by Mathurin, who scored nine points in the final 1:36 of the opening frame as the Pacers led 32-23 after 12 minutes of play.
Five points by Nembhard and three from Mathurin pushed the Pacers’ lead to 40-26 two minutes into the second quarter.
Two straight dunks by Isaiah Jackson – including a left-handed alley oop dunk – extended the lead to 56-37 with 4:30 left in the half before the Grizzlies got back into an offensive groove.
Memphis responded with a 9-2 run to cut it to 58-44 with 1:38 on the clock, but the Pacers stayed ahead by double digits thanks to two more made baskets by Nesmith down the stretch.
The Grizzlies were able to retake the lead in the third quarter by outscoring the Pacers 30-17.
Out of the break, Turner scored the team’s first six points to put the Pacers ahead 68-52 two minutes into the second half.
From 9:30 to 6:06 the Grizzlies went on a 14-0 run, and then extended the scoring stretch to 19-2, to tie the game at 70 with 4:35 left in the third quarter. Five different players recorded a basket during the scoring spree.
In the final 3:06, the teams continued to duke it out, but the Grizzlies took a 80-79 advantage into the final frame.
The Pacers made just one 3-pointer in the third quarter while shoot 6-for-18 overall in the period.
Memphis came out hot to start the fourth quarter, using a 13-2 run to go up 91-81 with 9:11 to play.
While Mathurin scored the first 12 points for the Pacers in the fourth quarter, the team trailed 99-91 with 6:13 remaining.
In the waning minutes, the Grizzlies answered every Pacers basket to come away with the win.
“The main thing for us was to stay locked-in on defense,” Mathurin said. “(The) defense was pretty bad in the second half. Rebounding and second shots really hurt us in the second half. I felt like that was a big reason we lost today.”
The Pacers will have a three-day break before hosting the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday before the Sacramento Kings come in on Friday.
Inside the Numbers
Mathurin has scored 20 or more points in five straight games, which is the longest streak of his young career. He has also scored 20 or more points in a game 22 times this season.
T.J. McConnell, who had averaged 16.1 points per game over the last 10 games, didn’t score a point in his 23 minutes of action. McConnell hasn’t scored in just three games he’s played in this season.
Nesmith went 7-for-7 from the free throw line which is the most free throws he’s ever made in a game.
The Pacers finished 19-for-21 from the free throw line after making all 12 attempts in the first half.
Indiana turned the ball over 12 times in the second half after having just five giveaways in the first half.
You Can Quote Me On That
“I thought from the very beginning when he went in he was a factor. He was getting deflections, blocks, rebounds. He’s putting pressure on the rim and he did a lot of good things he played well against his guys.” – Carlisle on Isaiah Jackson’s performance
“That’s nothing new. He’s a fearless guy. He’s a fearless player. He gets the ball in the basket.” — Calrisle on Mathurin
“We’ve got two really hot teams coming in this week with the (Los Angeles) Lakers and Sacramento (Kings). And that’ll be a great challenge for our defense. We’ve got two important practice days leading up to it.” – Carlisle on next week’s gams on Thursday and Friday
“I feel like the biggest difference was they just came out and played harder. They went on a little run and the crowd got into it, and I feel like it just went downward from there. It’s a good learning experience for not only me, but for the team – just learning how to close out games.” – Isaiah Jackson on the loss
“I pretty much just try to stay aggressive. I come into the game with the same mentality all the time. Whether I make shots or not I’m still going to be aggressive.” — Mathurin on his recent scoring
Stat of the Night
The Pacers, which have played well consistently in the later minutes of games, scored a season-worst 38 second-half points against the Grizzles. The previous low was 39 versus the Miami Heat on Nov. 4.
Noteworthy
Hield hit one 3-pointer in the game. He is three short of becoming the third Pacer ever to make 200 treys in a season.
Memphis has won four straight games against Indiana.
Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton missed a ninth straight game due to left knee and elbow sprains. He is expected to return in the beginning of February.
Tickets
The Pacers welcome LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7:00 PM ET.
INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
NO. 6 HOOSIERS PICK UP 20TH WIN IN VICTORY OVER RUTGERS
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Graduate student guard Grace Berger and senior forward Mackenzie Holmes each had 21 points as No. 6 Indiana picked up its 20th win in a 91-68 victory over Rutgers inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday.
KEY MOMENTS
The Hoosiers went back and forth with Rutgers to start the game before junior guard Sydney Parrish recorded an and-one opportunity to give Indiana momentum. Freshman guard Yarden Garzon and Senior forward Holmes combined for the Hoosiers first 10 points of the game.
The Scarlet Knights were able to finish the quarter on a 6-0 run to lead 22-17 after the first quarter.
In the second junior guard Chloe Moore-McNeil started an 11-0 run off a fast break and-one opportunity off the Berger assists. Indiana went 10-for-12 from the floor to go 83.3 percent in the frame while going 4-for-4 from behind the arc. It would be part of a 50-42 lead at halftime.
Berger got the Hoosiers started with five points as she scored 10 of her 21 in the quarter. Indiana led by as many as 13 points with 4:09 to go before Rutgers cut their deficit down to single digits holding on to a 10-point lead going into the fourth.
Indiana limited Rutgers to just seven points in the final 10 minutes to secure the largest win over Rutgers in the series.
NOTABLE
With their 15th win in a row at home, Indiana secures their 8th straight 20 win season.
With today’s win at home, Indiana secures their 8th straight 20 win season under 9th year head coach Teri Moren.
This win puts the Hoosiers at 15 consecutive wins at home. The streak dates back to IU’s first and second round wins in the NCAA Tournament from March 2022.
Indiana’s 15 consecutive home wins currently ranks 5th longest in the nation.
As a team, Indiana shot 62.7 percent, which ranks 5th all time in a single game for the Hoosiers and the best since 2016.
Grace Berger had a season high 21 points on 9-for-11 and tied her career high three 3-pointers. She also finished the game with seven assists and two steals.
Mackenzie Holmes also added 21 points and tied Parrish with a team high six rebounds. Her three assists tied her season-high as she also added two blocks and two steals.
Yarden Garzon went 4-for-6 from the three point line and had 14 points. This was her 15th game with multiple 3-pointers and her seventh game scoring four or more.
Sydney Parrish was the fourth Hoosiers to reach double digits with 17 points and six rebounds. Her six rebounds tied with Holmes for the team high.
IU scored 25 points off of fast breaks on the afternoon.
With an attendance of 8,598, today’s game was the seventh most attended in school history.
Indiana now owns the all-time advantage in the series history with Rutgers, 7 to 6.
Indiana dished out 21 assists during the game. This makes the ninth time this season the Hoosiers have had 20 or more assists.
QUOTABLE
Indiana head coach Teri Moren
“For us this afternoon coming off of such an emotional night the other night with our win against Ohio State, you know, the flow, the rhythm felt a little bit like we were, for me, felt like we were playing a little uphill this afternoon. I don’t know if it’s because they were hitting shots, we weren’t getting the stops that we needed. Certainly, I thought we were good offensively. When you look at the end of the game, you shoot 63 percent from the two’s and 61 percent from the three. Our free throws continue to hover around 70 (percent) and over which is good. I felt offensively I thought Grace Berger was terrific today. It was good to see her have a breakout game. We’ve seen her do that before but today was I thought Grace Berger Day where she looked for her shot. I thought she was aggressive and that was great to see and we needed it because she had to carry us there for a little bit there I thought offensively when we weren’t getting stops and we were trying to extend the lead. And she seemed like she was the one that was willing to make some plays for us, so. Give Rutgers credit, they played hard, they hit shots. Coquese (Washington) is going to do an outstanding job at Rutgers. I have so much respect for her as a coach and I know that it’s just a matter of time before that program is back to where Coach (C.) Vivian (Stringer) had it at one point. This is another, like I said another right step in the direction for us today I’m happy with the outcome certainly, but I’d like to have felt like we were really great lockdown defenders today and I didn’t think that was the case. But we’ll have to sure some things up and then turn around quickly and get to Minnesota Wednesday and hopefully be better on that side of the ball.”
UP NEXT
The Hoosiers travel to Minnesota on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET.
INDIANA MEN’S TENNIS
DEFEATS BALL STATE, 5-2
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana Men’s Tennis beat the Ball State University Cardinals, 5-2, in their second match of their double-header at the IU Tennis Center on Sunday afternoon.
Indiana’s No. 1 doubles pair Patrick Fletchall and Jagger Saylor won the doubles point after a 6-2 win. No. 3 doubles duo, Luka Vukovic and Ekansh Kumar, clinched the point for the Hoosiers after a 7-5 win over the Cardinals.
The Hoosiers had stellar performances in the singles matches, winning three straight matches in straight sets, to take a 4-0 Hoosiers lead.
In the No. 3 singles match, Landau earned an emphatic point for the Hoosiers with a win, 6-0, 6-0.
Fletchall followed that up with the win in the No. 1 singles match 6-3, 6-2, over the Cardinals
Tiraspolsky gave the Hoosiers their fourth point after winning the No. 4 match 6-1, 6-4 to give the Hoosiers a 4-0 lead.
Kumar closed it out giving the Hoosiers their fifth and final point of the match, with a win at No. 6, 6-3, 7-5.
Vukovic lost a nail-biter on No. 2 in a 6-10 tiebreak, losing the game, 3-6, 6-2, 6-10.
Saylor lost in straight sets on No. 5, 3-6, 2-6.
The Hoosier squad improves to 4-1 on the season. Up next, Indiana will compete against Dartmouth at 11 a.m. at the IU Tennis Center.
Final Results
Indiana 5, Ball State 2
Singles competition
1. Patrick Fletchall (IU) def. Nathaniel Webster (BSU), 6-3, 6-2
2. Vince Orlando (BSU) def. Luka Vukovic (IU), 6-3, 2-6, 10-6
3. Sam Landau (IU) def. Danilo Kovacevic (BSU), 6-0, 6-0
4. Ilya Tiraspolsky (IU) def. Eli Herran (BSU), 6-1, 6-4
5. Jacks Lancaster (BSU) def. Jagger Saylor (IU), 6-3, 6-2
6. Ekansh Kumar (IU) def. Petar Petrovic (BSU), 6-3, 7-5
Doubles competition
1. Fletchall/Saylor (IU) def. Kovacevic/Simmons (BSU), 6-2
2. Boulier/Landau (IU) vs. Orlando/Herran (BSU), 6-5, unfinished
3. Vukovic/Kumar (IU) def. Wojitalik/Fletcher (BSU), 7-5
Order of Finish:
Singles: 3, 1, 4, 5, 6, 2
Doubles: 1, 3, 2-unfinished
INDIANA WRESTLING
NO. 17 INDIANA COMES FROM BEHIND TO BEAT PURDUE, 17-16, IN WEST LAFAYETTE
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. –––– Facing a 13-4 halftime deficit, Indiana won four of the last five matches to storm back and beat Purdue, 17-16, in a thrilling rivalry dual on Sunday afternoon.
Indiana found life in the 165 bout when Nick South topped Cooper Noehre in Sudden Victory for a 3-1 win, to pull the score to 13-7.
No. 18 Donnell Washington continued the onslaught by defeating Jake Null by major decision, 19-11, at 174 lbs. to make it 13-11.
A Purdue decision followed at 184. Freshman Gabe Sollars quickly snatched the momentum back to the Hoosiers with a 4-0 decision victory to set up a dramatic last bout with Indiana just trailing by two points, 16-14.
Senior and No. 24 Jacob Bullock (285) was in a tight battle with Hayden Copass in the final match. It was a scoreless first period before Bullock started on bottom in the second, and quickly escaped to go up 1-0.
From there, Bullock rode Copass out the final two minutes and secured the riding time point in the process to earn a 2-0 decision victory.
Indiana’s win propelled it to 7-2 on the season and 3-2 in the Big Ten.
This was the Hoosiers’ first win over Purdue since 2010, snapping a 12-dual losing streak.
NOTABLES
• Indiana redshirt senior Graham Rooks’ win at 149 improved to 22-5.
• In his first win since the Rutgers match, Nick South (165) found a way to win another dramatic, and decisive bout, while bumping up to 7-5 on the season in the process.
• Washington’s win at 174 was his sixth win by major decision this year.
• The win for Sollars was his first Big Ten dual victory of his collegiate career.
• This is the second time this season that Jacob Bullock won a deciding-bout for the Hoosiers, previously pinning Cory Day of Binghamton at the Garden State Grapple to secure an Indiana win.
UP NEXT
• Indiana Wrestling will be back at home for its next match as the Hoosiers host top-ranked Penn State on Sunday, Feb. 5 for a 2 p.m. dual at Wilkinson Hall.
FULL RESULTS
125: No. 3 Matt Ramos (PU) def. Jacob Moran (IU) |Dec. 7-1 | Score: PUR up 3-0
133: Dustin Norris (PU) def. No. 28 Henry Porter (IU) |Dec. 8-6 | Score: PUR up 6-0
141: No. 14 Parker Filius (PU) def. Cayden Rooks (IU) |MD, 15-3 | Score: PUR up 10-0
149: No. 30 Graham Rooks (IU) def. Christian Navida (PU) |MD, 12-2 | Score: PUR up 10-4
157: No. 6 Kendall Coleman (PU) def. No. 19 Derek Gilcher (IU) |Dec. 10-3 | Score: PUR up 13-4
165: Nick South (IU) def. Cooper Noehre (PU) |SV-1, 3-1 | Score: PUR up 13-7
174: No. 18 DJ Washington (IU) def. Jake Null (PU) |MD, 19-11 | Score: PUR up 13-11
184: Ben Vanadia (PU) def. Clayton Fielden (IU) |Dec. 6-4 | Score: PUR up 16-11
197: Gabe Sollars (IU) def. Hayden Filipovich (PU) |Dec. 4-0 | Score: PUR up 16-14
285: No. 24 Jacob Bullock (IU) def. Hayden Copass (PU) |Dec. 2-0 | Score: IU up 16-14
FINAL TEAM SCORE: No. 17 INDIANA 17, PURDUE 16
EXHIBITIONS:
165: Robert Major (IU) def. Stoney Buell (PU) |Dec. 5-3 |
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
#1 PURDUE ROLLS MICHIGAN STATE BEHIND EDEY’S CAREER DAY
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue center Zach Edey donned Sunday’s postgame prizes with pride.
A bloody lip felt like a championship belt, and the homemade T-shirt his mother handed him was a reminder of how far his all-around game has come in three college seasons.
Edey scored a career-high 38 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, leading No. 1 Purdue to a 77-61 victory over Michigan State.
“When they started hacking me, it got me going a little bit. They busted my lip in the second half,” Edey said with a smile. “They always play super physical.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, the two best games of his career both came against Michigan State over the past two weeks. This time, his mother, Julia, rewarded him with a shirt bearing a new nickname, “Big Maple,” on the front and a new moniker, “He’s not just tall, eh?” on the back.
Edey, who had 32 points and 17 rebounds in a 64-63 win at Michigan State on Jan. 16, appreciated the gesture after going 15 of 24 from the field. He also had three assists and a career-best three steals.
Once again, Michigan State had no answers.
“If one guy gets 70 points in two games, you can’t blame that on the players. Blame the coach,” Spartans coach Tom Izzo said. “We just couldn’t cover him.”
At 7-foot-4, 300 pounds, Edey is a load, but he had help Sunday.
David Jenkins Jr. added a season-best 11 points and Fletcher Loyer had nine as the Big Ten-leading Boilermakers (21-1, 10-1) won their eighth straight.
A.J. Hoggard led Michigan State with 20 points and Jaden Akins had 12. The Spartans (14-8, 6-5) haven’t won at Mackey Arena since 2014, and Edey stood in their way again.
After scoring just four points and grabbing only one rebound in the first 12 minutes, he heated up quickly and put the Spartans in deep trouble.
A stretch of eight consecutive points for Edey sent the Boilermakers on a half-closing 23-5 run. Izzo also drew a technical foul at the end of the first half, and Braden Smith converted both free throws for a 42-22 lead before the second half started.
Edey was just warming up.
He scored Purdue’s first three baskets in the second half. When Michigan State went on a 7-0 run to close to 53-43, Edey made two layups and four free throws, extending the lead to 61-45 with 8:58 to play.
BIG PICTURE
Michigan State: While the Spartans may be getting stronger, facing Edey twice in 13 days is enough to challenge any team. The good news: Michigan State won’t see Purdue again until at least March and may have contended with Edey for the last time.
Purdue: The Boilermakers are rolling. Not only have they won eight straight, 23 straight opponents have failed to top the 70-point mark and now they’re finding complementary pieces for Edey, too. It’s a dangerous combination — for Purdue’s opponents.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The Boilermakers solidified their No. 1 ranking this week by sweeping the Big Ten’s two Michigan schools. Purdue is the only Power Five program with fewer than two losses and despite some close calls, Purdue has avoided the pitfalls others have not.
MILESTONE MOMENT
The game featured two of the conference’s most successful coaches.
Izzo and Purdue coach Matt Painter became the third set of coaches with 400 or more wins to square off in a Big Ten game, joining Gene Keady and Bob Knight and Knight and former Illinois coach Lou Henson. Painter and Izzo also tied Keady and Knight for the most combined wins by two coaches on the sideline for a Big Ten game (1,084).
(Postgame Notes)
Purdue improved to 21-1 overall and 10-1 in the Big Ten Conference with a 77-61 victory over Michigan State in Mackey Arena. The win was Purdue’s eighth straight victory.
The Boilermakers move to 75-56 in the all-time series against the Spartans, taking 10 of the last 14 meetings against Michigan State. Purdue has won six straight games in Mackey Arena against the Spartans, coming by an average of 13.8 points per game.
The game was also Purdue’s annual T-shirt game. Purdue is 9-1 in T-shirt games, winning nine straight games by an average of 14.7 points per game.
Mackey Arena hit 123.2 decibels in the victory, the loudest recorded decibel reading in Mackey Arena. The contest was the first home game in school history as the nation’s No. 1-ranked team with The Paint Crew in attendance.
With the season sweep of Michigan State, Purdue has swept the season series with the two Michigan schools (min. 3 games) for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
With losses this week, Purdue now owns the fifth-longest winning streak in the country (8).
The 21-1 start is the best start by a Big Ten team since Ohio State started the 2010-11 season with a 24-0 record. It marks just the fourth time since 2000 that a Big Ten team has started 21-1 (2011 Ohio State, 2007 Wisconsin, 2005 Illinois).
Since the start of last season, Purdue owns a 50-9 record, becoming the fourth school to win 50 games since the start of last year (Arizona – 52; Houston – 52; Kansas – 51; Purdue – 50).
Purdue’s 10-1 start in league play is the Boilermakers’ best since the 2017-18 team started 12-0 in league play. Purdue has started 10-1 or better six times (2023, 2018, 2008, 1988, 1984, 1969).
Michigan State scored just 61 points, the 23rd straight opponent held to 70 or fewer points, tied for the longest streak in the country (Saint Mary’s).
Purdue has won 41 straight games when scoring 70 or more points.
Purdue won the turnover and rebound battle against Michigan State for the sixth time this season. The Boilermakers are 144-15 under Coach Painter when doing so. Purdue has won 17 straight games when turning the ball over nine times or less.
Zach Edey scored a career-high 38 points with 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 block in the win over Michigan State. He is the first Purdue player (second player in school history) to have at least 38 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists in a game since Glenn Robinson had 41-13-3 vs. Portland (Nov. 27, 1993).
Edey recorded his 17th double-double of the season, good for seventh on the single-season list. His 29 career double-doubles ranks seventh all-time.
Based on a 35-game season, Edey is on pace for 775 points, 453 rebounds and 77 blocked shots. The only player we can find in the sports-reference database to have at least 750 points, 450 rebounds and 75 blocked shots in a season is Navy’s David Robinson in 1986 (796-455-207).
David Jenkins Jr., scored 11 points with two rebounds, going 3-of-4 from 3-point range. Over the last three games, Jenkins Jr., is 6-of-8 from 3-point range.
PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BOILERS BOUNCE #2 BUCKEYES
COLUMBUS, Ohio. – For the first time in program history, the Purdue women’s basketball team knocked off a top-5 ranked opponent on the road. On Sunday, the Boilermakers pulled off a 73-65 win over No. 2 Ohio State at Value City Arena.
The Boilermakers (15-6, 6-5) built up a 17-point lead early in the third quarter, only for Ohio State (19-3, 8-3) to storm back and tie the score at 58-58 with 4:28 to go in the fourth. From there, the Boilermakers stood on tough defense and the scoring prowess of Madison Layden and Abbey Ellis to pull off the win.
Purdue went on a 7-0 run with scores on three straight possessions. Layden twirled her way through the Ohio State defense to unleash a floater in the late with 3:39 to put Purdue back ahead for good. The junior then connected on a corner triple on the Boilermakers’ ensuing possession, before Ellis added a jumper with 2:15 to play.
The Buckeyes pulled within six with a little over a minute left, before Ellis silenced the crowd of 8,664 with a step-back triple as the shot clock expired. Purdue closed the game on a 15-7 run.
Ellis dropped 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting with five 3-pointers. She was joined in double figures by Cassidy Hardin with 15 points, who also connected on a quintet of triples. Caitlyn Harper tallied 12, while Layden added 10 points off the bench with seven coming in the final quarter.
Jeanae Terry had another all-around performance with eight points, seven rebounds, eight assists and four steals.
The Boilermakers shot 43.1% from the field and connected on a season-high 13 3-pointers, which tied for the fifth-most triples in program history. Purdue dished out 17 assists on 25 made field goals, while going 10-of-11 at the line.
Purdue’s defense held Ohio State to just 7-of-28 from behind the arc, while the Buckeyes shot 41.7% for the game. The Boilermakers flipped 15 turnovers into 22 points.
The Boilermakers jumped out in front in the first quarter with seven 3-pointers. Hardin went 3-for-3 behind the arc, while Ellis rolled off 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting. The defense turned four OSU turnovers into 11 points, while holding the Buckeyes to just 5-of-15 shooting in the opening frame.
The Boilermakers matched any run by the Buckeyes early in the second quarter. Jayla Smith cut through the lane for a tough layup, before Harper connected on a 3-pointer at the top of the arc to open a 15-point lead with 4:52 to play. Ellis tacked on her 14th points of the quarter on a 3-pointer to give the Boilermakers a 41-29 lead after one.
Purdue shot 46.7% from the field and went 9-of-17 from distance in the first half.
Harper got things started in the third with a traditional 3-point play, before Ellis drove the lane to make it a five-point run. Ohio State chipped away at the gap with a 12-2 run midway through the period. Terry put Purdue back in front by 11 with a tough finish at the rim with 2:29 to play. The lead was eight going into the final period.
In the fourth, the hosts erased the deficit over the first 5:32 of the period with a 14-6 run. The Boilermakers made two of the first seven shots in the period. With Layden’s artsy finish in the lane, Purdue closed the game making its final four shots and going 4-of-5 at the line in the final four minutes. Ohio State was held to just three of its final 10 attempts, with all of its misses coming from behind the arc.
DOWNING GIANTS
Purdue picked up its first ever win against the No. 2-ranked team in the country. The Boilermakers now have 19 wins all-time against AP top-10 teams. Purdue’s last win against a top-five opponent came against Texas A&M at Mackey Arena on Dc. 4, 2011, when the Aggies were ranked fourth.
NOTES
• Ohio State now leads the all-time series 49-32.
• The win was Purdue’s second in Columbus since 2004 and the first in Value City Arena in that span.
• Ohio State came into the game averaging 12.9 steals per game. The Boilermakers kept that number to just five on Sunday.
• Terry tallied her 11th game this season with at least five points, five rebounds and five assists.
• Terry sits second in the nation to Caitlin Clark with at least five rebounds and five assists in 14 games.
• Hardin’s five 3-pointers moved her into fifth in program history with 197 in her career.
• Harper has now finished in double figures in nine of the last 12 games.
• Ellis closed her week averaging 21 points per game while shooting 60% and 7-of-12 from behind the arc.
UP NEXT
The Boilermakers turn their attention to the first leg of the best rivalry in college basketball. Purdue will face its third straight ranked opponent when it hosts No. 6 Indiana at Mackey Arena next Sunday. Tip is set for 1 p.m. on FS1.
PURDUE WRESTLING
PURDUE LOSES NAILBITER TO #25 INDIANA
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Wrestling’s 12 match win streak against their in-state rivals came to an end on Sunday, as the team came up short in a 17-16 loss at the hands of No. 25 Indiana in front of 1,103 fans in Holloway Gymnasium.
The Boilermakers (4-8, 0-5 B1G) split the matches five-to-five and held the lead for nine of the ten weights, but were ultimately done in by bonus point wins for the Hoosiers. Head coach Tony Ersland’s team started the dual hot, winning the first three and four of the first five bouts.
Redshirt-freshman Dustin Norris gave the Boilers the momentum early with his 8-6 upset win over No. 28 Henry Porter in the 133-pound match. A week after Purdue took three ranked upsets against No. 13 Minnesota, Norris added one himself on Sunday. The Cincinnati native shucked Porter to get in on a single-leg for two in the first six seconds of the match and didn’t look back, picking up two more takedowns and only giving up one.
On either side of Norris’ win, Purdue got a decision from No. 3 Matt Ramos and a major decision from No. 14 Parker Filius to open up a 10-point lead. The redshirt-sophomore Ramos opened the dual with a 7-1 win over Jacob Moran. The 125-pounder stayed hot coming off his big weekend last week and he controlled the match from the beginning, only allowing an escape to Moran to move to 4-1 against Big Ten opponents on the season.
Filius followed Norris with a much-needed bonus point victory in the form of a 15-3 major over Cayden Rooks. He broke the match open when he worked a turn in the closing moments of the second period for four and then added three more in the third to earn his sixth major of the season.
157-pounder No. 6 Kendall Coleman delivered once again for Ersland, making easy work of No. 19 Derek Gilcher to the tune of a 10-3 decision. The redshirt-senior picked up four takedowns to give himself 292 in his career and move within five of the eighth most in program history (Eric Douglas, 297). It is the 22nd match this season in which he did not give up a takedown.
Redshirt-freshman 184-pounder Ben Vanadia was the only Boilermaker who was able to pick up a win in the second half of the dual, claiming a 6-4 decision against Clayton Fielden. He grabbed a takedown in the first and added one more in the second to take his first career Big Ten dual win.
Purdue will stay at home for the second straight weekend when they host Nebraska on Sunday, February 5 at 6:00 p.m. ET in Holloway.
Purdue 16 – Indiana 17
125: #3 Matt Ramos (PUR) over Jacob Moran (IND) (Dec 7-1)
133: Dustin Norris (PUR) over #28 Henry Porter (IND) (Dec 8-6)
141: #14 Parker Filius (PUR) over Cayden Rooks (IND) (MD 15-3)
149: #30 Graham Rooks (IND) over Christian Navida (PUR) (MD 12-2)
157: #6 Kendall Coleman (PUR) over #19 Derek Gilcher (IND) (Dec 10-3)
165: Nick South (IND) over Cooper Noehre (PUR) (SV-1 3-1)
174: #18 Donnell Washington (IND) over Jacob Null (PUR) (MD 19-11)
184: Ben Vanadia (PUR) over Clayton Fielden (IND) (Dec 6-4)
197: Gabe Sollars (IND) over Hayden Filipovich (PUR) (Dec 4-0)
285: #28 Jacob Bullock (IND) over Hayden Copass (PUR) (Dec 2-0)
Extra: Robert Major (IND) over Stoney Buell (PUR) (Dec 6-4)
BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BULLDOGS LOSE AT THE BUZZER TO MARQUETTE 65-63
INDIANAPOLIS – Caroline Strande hit a 3-pointer for the Bulldogs to tie the game at 63-63 with less than 30 seconds to play in regulation, but it wouldn’t be enough as Marquette came up with an offensive rebound and a put-back basket to win the game 65-63. Butler moves to 7-15 on the year while the Golden Eagles improve to 14-7.
How It Happened
Marquette outscored Butler 19-12 in the fourth quarter to storm back and steal a win at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Chloe Marotta scored 27 of Marquette’s 65 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter to will her team back to victory. Marotta broke a 56-56 ties late in the game and would hit a huge jumper from the right elbow in crunch time to give the Golden Eagles a 63-60 edge with 30.7 remaining.
Butler called a timeout and was able to get Strande an open look after the Marotta jumper. Strande hit the field goal to tie the game, but Marquette was left with the final possession. The Golden Eagles went with Jordan King with the game on the line, but King missed the shot. The rebound went to Marotta who also missed, but Emily La Chapell would pick up the pieces and hit a shot in the paint to give Marquette the win at the buzzer.
The Bulldogs led for a majority of the game and just missed out on recording their third BIG EAST game of the season. Butler used a 9-0 scoring run in the first quarter to double Marquette up at 16-8. Shay Frederick hit back-to-back 3-pointers during that stretch and her six points matched with five from Tenley Dowell would allow Butler to lead Marquette 18-10 after the first 10 minutes.
The Bulldogs opened the game going 4-for-5 from 3-point range and the Eagles were 0-for-5 from behind the arc. Despite the shooting woes, Marquette cut the deficit to four at the half (33-29).
Jordan King was responsible for six of Marquette’s first eight points, but ended the half with just those six. Senior forward Chloe Marotta was also limited to 11 minutes with foul trouble. Marotta was the difference in the second half. She ended the game going 10-for-19 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free throw line. Together, Marotta and King scored 17 of Marquette’s 19 fourth quarter points and 37 of their 65 total.
Postgame Parkinson Quotes
“Chloe Marotta was awesome in the second half and we didn’t have an answer for her. Our kids battled back though, and we just want to continue to put ourselves in position to be close late in games. We were able to execute a couple of plays today to give ourselves a chance. I’m proud of our players. We are defending better and getting better game in and game out. We will get one of these here soon.”
Stat of the Game
Chloe Marotta scored 25 of her game-high 27 points in the second half.
Inside the Box Score
– Caroline Strande led Butler with 14 points, six rebounds, and two steals
– Rachel McLimore and Sydney Jaynes each ended the game with 10 points and four rebounds
– Butler led for nearly 27 minutes on Sunday afternoon
– BU had 12 assists on 23 made field goals
– The Bulldogs went 7-for-13 from 3-point range
– Butler’s bench provided the team with 21 points
– The game was tied at 56-56 with three minutes to play in the fourth quarter
– Emily La Chapell hit the game-winner with one second left on the game clock
– Jordan King played all 40 minutes and was held to 10 points
– Marotta added a game-high 14 rebounds to notch a double-double
– 1,074 fans were in attendance at Hinkle Fieldhouse
Up Next
Butler will return to action next weekend with a 2 PM tip vs. Villanova on Saturday, Feb. 4.
IUPUI MEN’S BASKETBALL
LATE COMEBACK FALLS SHY AT CLEVELAND STATE IN 78-72 DEFEAT
CLEVELAND – Freshman Armon Jarrard scored a career-high 22 points off the IUPUI bench and Jlynn Counter added 13 but the Jaguars’ saw a second half comeback effort fall short at Cleveland State in a 78-72 defeat on Sunday (Jan. 29). IUPUI trailed by 20 with 14:29 to play, but whittled the Vikings’ lead back to three with 3:01 left in the defeat.
IUPUI (3-20, 0-12 HL) made a season-high 10 threes and held the Vikings without a trey in the second half in the furious comeback. Jarrard fueled the effort, sinking a career-high five triples on seven attempts.
“We dug too big of a hole and you can’t do that against good teams. We left some points on the free throw line and turned it over a little too much, but this team doesn’t quit. We stayed in the fight,” head coach Matt Crenshaw said. “We knew it would be tough without (Osten) and without some other guys, but we didn’t fold.
“I thought we were better defensively in the second half and that helped us get some easy opportunities. Now, we have to get back home, hopefully get some healthy bodies back and continue to fight.”
IUPUI was seemingly left for dead after CSU shot better than 59 percent in the opening half and the Jaguars’ top three scorers – Counter, Vincent Brady II and Chris Osten – had a combined two points as Osten was stuck back in Indy due to injury. The Vikings led 47-32 at the break and pushed the lead to 20 when Deshon Parker scored in transition with 14:29 to play.
Down 68-56 with 5:08 to play, IUPUI outscored the Vikings 11-2 over the next two minutes to make it a one-possession game. Jonah Carrasco started the run with a tough bucket inside, followed by back-to-back Jarrard threes, the second of which prompted a CSU timeout. After a defensive stop, Boston Stanton III drilled a corner three to make it 70-67 with 3:01 left. CSU’s Drew Lowder hit a tough baseline jumper to push the lead back to five and Stanton misfired on an open three with 2:09 remaining.
The Vikings staved off the Jags down the stretch, ultimately moving into a four-way tie for first place in the Horizon League standings.
Jarrard needed just eight field goal attempts for his first career 20-point game while all 13 of Counter’s points came in the second half. Freshman DJ Jackson added 11 points and John Egbuta recorded eight points and six boards off the bench. Carrasco, who played 36 minutes in Osten’s absence, had four points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots. Brady added seven points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Lowder and Tae Williams led four CSU players in double-digits with 15 apiece.
IUPUI will return home to host Milwaukee on Thursday (Feb. 2) at 11:00 a.m. inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum. More than 1,000 elementary school students from Indianapolis Public Schools are expected to be in attendance and the game will also be broadcast on ESPN+ as Greg Rakestraw (pxp) and IUPUI Hall of Famer Bob Lovell (analyst) will be on the call.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
LATE RALLY NOT ENOUGH TO TOP WOLFPACK IN RALEIGH
RALEIGH, N.C. — After five consecutive wins in what is arguably the best conference in the country, No. 7 Notre Dame (17-3, 8-2) fell at No. 20 NC State (16-5, 6-4) on Sunday afternoon by a score of 69-65.
The Irish came out hot in the first quarter, posting 20 points and landing nine buckets. Junior Maddy Westbeld had three of those including a shot from distance. The Irish fell apart a bit in the second quarter, allowing the Wolfpack to take a 34-29 lead into the locker room.
Notre Dame had been in this position before — down at the half — including in the most recent outing against Florida State. The outcome in Raleigh was different. NC State seemingly hit 3-pointer after 3-pointer against what was the conference’s top 3-point defense entering Sunday. The Wolfpack finished with a 41.2 success rate from behind the arc (7-17). Star guard Diamond Johnson had four of those seven and had 20 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists in total.
The Irish mounted a bit of a comeback in the final frame, at one point posting a 13-2 run to cut the NC State lead to 65-63 with 2:32 to play. Early enrollee Cassandre Prosper played a huge role in that surge, hitting back-to-back treys. The rally wasn’t enough.
Westbeld led Notre Dame with 19 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists. It was her second double-double this year and a season-high in the rebounding category. Four Notre Dame players — Prosper, Westbeld, Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron — were in double-figures. Notre Dame played without center Lauren Ebo, who is dealing with a lower body injury. She is not expected to be out for an extended period of time.
Notre Dame has another road game at Boston College before a much-needed four-game home stand. The Irish and the Eagles will face off at 7 p.m. ET on ACCNX on Thursday night. Notre Dame won the matchup in South Bend earlier this season, 85-48.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S TENNIS
IRISH KNOCK OFF #13 USC TO SPLIT ITA KICKOFF WEEKEND
ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team competed in the peach state over the weekend as part of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Kickoff weekend. The Fighting Irish began the weekend as the three-seed in the four-team tournament, taking on 13th ranked USC Friday. The Irish knocked off the Trojans to take on the host Georgia Bulldogs and a chance to advance to the ITA Indoor Nationals later this spring. Notre Dame dropped the final contest of the weekend 4-1 to the sixth-ranked Bulldogs.
The weekend started Friday night in doubles competition with the Trojans. The Irish dropped the point, falling behind early to the 13th-ranked team in the country. Akari Matsuno tied the game up with a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 6 singles. USC took the lead back with a wins at No. 2 and No. 4 to take the 2-1 lead. Notre Dame would go on to win the final three matches to secure the victory. Yashna Yellayi earned a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 3, Page Freeman knocked off 24th ranked singles player Eryn Cayetano, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. Freshman Bojana Pozder came up clutch. With the match tied at three, the rookie earned a 6-2 win in the first set, before falling in set two 4-6. She rallied to defeat Grace Piper, 7-5 in the third set to give the Irish the 4-3 victory.
The championship match didn’t go as scripted for the Irish. Notre Dame earned the doubles point as Julia Andreach and Carrie Beckman earned a 6-3 win at No. 2 and Yashna Yellayi and Rylie Hanford gave Notre Dame the early lead with a 7-5 win at No. 3 doubles.
Notre Dame couldn’t find the points in the singles competition. Georgia took the matches at two through five for the decisive four points needed for the win. Matches at No. 1 and No. 6 singles went unfinished.
1/27 – vs. #13 USC
Notre Dame Fighting Irish 4, #13 Southern California 3
Singles competition
Page Freeman (ND-W) def. #24 Eryn Cayetano (USC) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
#2 Madison Sieg (USC) def. Julia Andreach (ND-W) 6-4, 7-5
Yashna Yellayi (ND-W) def. #17 Snow Han (USC) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
#83 Emma Charney (USC) def. #102 Nibi Ghosh (ND-W) 7-5, 7-5
Bojana Pozder (ND-W) def. Grace Piper (USC) 6-2, 4-6, 7-5
Akari Matsuno (ND-W) def. Mckenna Koenig (USC) 6-3, 6-3
Doubles competition
Naomi Cheong/Snow Han (USC) def. Page Freeman/Bojana Pozder (ND-W) 6-3
#20 Madison Sieg/Eryn Cayetano (USC) vs. Julia Andreach/Carrie Beckman (ND-W) 5-4, unfinished
Grace Piper/Nathalie Rodilosso (USC) def. Yashna Yellayi/Rylie Hanford (ND-W) 7-5
Match Notes: Notre Dame Fighting Irish 5-0 Southern California 4-1;
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (6,2,4,3,1,5)
ITA Kickoff Weekend – Athens, Ga.
Played Outdoors
Official: Karen Badger-Mabry T-3:06 A-25
1/28 – vs. #6 Georgia
#6 Georgia 4, Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1
Singles competition
#19 Lea Ma (UGA) vs. Page Freeman (ND-W) 6-3, 2-6, 1-2, unfinished
#31 Dasha Vidmanova (UGA) def. Julia Andreach (ND-W) 7-5, 6-2
Mell Reasco (UGA) def. Yashna Yellayi (ND-W) 6-3, 6-2
#100 Meg Kowalski (UGA) def. #102 Nibi Ghosh (ND-W) 6-0, 6-3
Ania Hertel (UGA) def. Bojana Pozder (ND-W) 6-3, 6-1
Mai Nirundorn (UGA) vs. Akari Matsuno (ND-W) 4-6, 5-4, unfinished
Doubles competition
Guillermina Grant/Mai Nirundorn (UGA) vs. Page Freeman/Bojana Pozder (ND-W) 4-5, unfinished
Julia Andreach/Carrie Beckman (ND-W) def. Meg Kowalski/Mell Reasco (UGA) 6-3
Yashna Yellayi/Rylie Hanford (ND-W) def. Ania Hertel/Anastasiia Lopata (UGA) 7-5
Match Notes: Notre Dame Fighting Irish 5-1 Georgia 2-0; National ranking #6
Up Next
Notre Dame is back in action Sunday, February 5th as it heads to Champaign, Illinois for a matchup with the Fighting Illini at 11 a.m.
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SYCAMORES SHOW RESILIENCE, TOP RACERS ON ALUMNI WEEKEND
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Del’Janae Williams scored a team-high 24 points Sunday afternoon, helping Indiana State overturn an early double-digit deficit in a 62-56 Alumni Weekend win over Murray State inside Hulman Center.
Williams led the Sycamores in scoring despite not hitting her first basket until the final minute of the first quarter. Chelsea Cain added 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while eight different Sycamores found the scoring column.
Facing a 10-point deficit midway through the second quarter, Indiana State responded by shooting 50 percent from the field over the middle 20 minutes. Williams went on a personal 9-0 run as part of a 17-5 Sycamore run to close the first half, and Bella Finnegan hit a 3-pointer early in the third to give the Trees the lead for good. Murray State made it a two-point game in the fourth quarter, but Williams knocked down a clutch 3-pointer from the corner inside the final minute to seal Indiana State’s first home conference win of the season.
First Half
Indiana State got off to a slow start, with Murray State scoring each of the first two baskets. Mya Glanton opened the scoring for the Blue and White with a putback layup, and Anna McKendree hit a 3-pointer to cut the Trees’ deficit to one at the media timeout. Adrian Folks gave the Sycamores their first lead of the game with a layup, but Murray State used a strong end to the first to take a 17-14 lead after the opening 10 minutes.
Murray State’s momentum carried into the early stages of the second quarter, as the Racers opened up a double-digit lead at 24-14. Free throws from Cain and a second chance basket from Lily Niebuhr cut it down to six, but the Racers responded to lead 28-18 at the media timeout. From there, the momentum shifted in Indiana State’s favor to close the half. The Sycamores went on an 11-0 run, with Williams scoring the first nine points in that span, to pull ahead 29-28 and Cain closed the half with four late points as Indiana State took a 35-33 lead into the intermission.
Second Half
Murray State evened the score early in the third quarter, but a Bella Finnegan 3-pointer from the top of the key off a Niebuhr pass gave Indiana State a lead it did not relinquish. Baskets by Cain and McKendree tacked on to the lead for the Blue and White, as Indiana State pulled ahead but six heading into the media timeout. Indiana State took its largest lead of the third quarter at 48-41 following a pair of Williams free throws, but Murray State closed the period on a 5-0 run. The Trees took a narrow 48-46 lead into the final frame.
Back-to-back baskets down low by Cain to start the fourth quarter helped Indiana State push its lead back out to two possessions. The Sycamores led by eight following a floater by Williams to make it 56-48, but a cold stretch from the field allowed Murray State to claw its way back. The Racers cut the Sycamore lead to as little as two in the later stages of the fourth, but Indiana State remained calm. Williams knocked down a clutch 3-pointer from the corner as the shot clock was winding down in the final minute and Indiana State’s defense stood tall, as the Sycamores prevailed 62-56 for their first home conference win of the season.
Inside the Numbers
Indiana State shot 50 percent from the field across the second and third quarters (12-for-24), outscoring Murray State by five (34-29) during that stretch.
Indiana State forced 20 Murray State turnovers, the most by the Racers during conference play. The Sycamores converted those turnovers into 25 points on the other end, the most for Indiana State against an MVC foe this season and most for Indiana State since scoring 32 points off turnovers in a win at Drake last season.
Del’Janae Williams scored 20-plus points for the third time this season and second time in conference play. The Sycamores have won both conference games that Williams has scored 20-plus points in.
Lily Niebuhr had a career-high six rebounds, including a pair on the offensive glass.
Murray State’s 56 points scored were its second-fewest in an MVC game this season, while its 20 percent clip from the 3-point line was its worst against an MVC foe.
News & Notes
Del’Janae Williams currently sits 45 points away from reaching 1,000 for her career. Williams would be the 29th player in program history to hit the milestone.
Tasked with the difficult assignment of defending All-American forward Katelyn Young, Lily Niebuhr played a career-high 26 minutes, during with Indiana State was plus-15.
Indiana State improved to 6-1 this season and 12-2 under head coach Chad Killinger when holding teams to less than 60 points.
Sunday’s win marked the third time this season the Sycamores came back from down by double-digits to win after trailing by 10 in the second quarter. Indiana State previously accomplished the feat against Saint Louis (trailed by 14) and Valparaiso (trailed by 11).
Sunday’s win was Indiana State’s first home conference win of the season, after its first three MVC wins all came on the road.
Sundays have been kind to the Sycamores this season. Indiana State is 3-1 in Sunday games, winning each of the last three Sunday afternoon contests.
Head coach Chad Killinger sits one win shy of reaching 300 wins for his collegiate coaching career. Killinger will have the chance to accomplish the feat at home Wednesday against Evansville.
Up Next
Indiana State’s three-game homestand comes to a close Wednesday when the Sycamores face Evansville at 6 p.m. on National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
LATE ACES RALLY SHOWS PROGRESS AS EVANSVILLE FALLS TO BRUINS, 76-58
EVANSVILLE – Producing a rally late in the fourth quarter, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team battled to get itself back in the game before falling to Belmont, 76-58, on Sunday afternoon inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse in Evansville.
“I thought we got good shots and they just didn’t fall and then confidence kind of dips and that’s where we still need to grow is being tougher through those moments and find a way to put the ball in the bucket,” said Aces head women’s basketball coach Robyn Scherr-Wells. “I though we got good shots and they didn’t fall and then it kind of snowballs just not getting enough stops on the other end and before you know it we’re spotting them a close to 20-point lead in that first quarter. That’s tough to overcome against a team like that.”
Recording her third 20-plus point performance of the season, fifth-year guard Myia Clark led Evansville on the afternoon, pouring-in 20 points, while adding four boards and a pair of assists. Also finishing in double-figures for the Aces was senior guard/forward Abby Feit, who tallied 14 points and six boards. THe Bruins were led by two players who finished with 18 points; Destinee Wells and Madison Bartley.
Evansville found itself in trouble early in the contest thanks to a consistent Belmont scoring attack and the fact that the Aces shots just would not fall. The Bruins built a 12-0 lead in the game’s first four minutes, forcing an Evansville timeout. Out of the break, Belmont added to its advantage, scoring 17-straight points to begin the game before Clark made a layup just inside the final five minutes in the quarter. Evansville was haunted by poor shooting in the opening period, hitting just two of its first 20 field goals (10%) and trailing 23-5 after the first 10 minutes of action.
The Aces would do their best to dig out of that hole, shooting just shy of 50% from the field for the rest of the game. In the second quarter, Evansville would get as close as 16 on multiple occasions, but another spree to end the half from the Bruins gave the visitors a 41-20 lead at the break.
Belmont’s advantage would grow as large as 27 in the third quarter, but again, it was Evansville who would not let the game get away. Over the final four minutes of the third frame, the Aces chipped away at the deficit, eventually getting a triple from Feit just before the quarter buzzer to get within 18 at 60-42 heading into the final 10 minutes.
Another triple from Feit and an and-one basket and freebie from Clark highlight Evansville’s comeback attempt early in the fourth as Clark’s aforementioned play trimmed the Belmont lead all the way to 11 with just under five minutes remaining. With a manageable deficit to work back from, the Aces looked poised to make another run at the Bruins, but down the stretch, Belmont knocked-down key shots to secure the 76-68 victory.
Evansville awaits a busy stretch of basketball ahead, beginning with a Wednesday matchup with Indiana State at 5 PM (CT) in Terre Haute, Ind.
VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
BEACONS TO BATTLE BEARS FOR FIRST TIME THIS SEASON
Valparaiso (10-13, 4-8 MVC)
at Missouri State (11-11, 7-5 MVC)
Game No. 24 – Wednesday, Feb. 1, 7 p.m. CT
Great Southern Bank Arena (11,000) – Springfield, Mo.
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team will look to extend its recent stretch of success on Wednesday night at Missouri State. The Beacons have won four of their last five games as they get set to battle the Bears for the first and only time during the regular season. Missouri State is the lone Valley team that will not enter the Athletics-Recreation Center in 2022-23 as part of the new 20-game scheduling format in the 12-team league.
Last Time Out: Valpo secured the season series sweep of Evansville and notched its fifth straight win in the head-to-head series by besting the Purple Aces 81-69 on Saturday night at the Athletics-Recreation Center. Ben Krikke was a point shy of a career high as he accrued 30 points to go along with nine rebounds and four assists. Nick Edwards handed out 10 helpers, while Kobe King registered double figures yet again with a 13-point output.
Following the Beacons: Streaming – ESPN+
Radio – 95.1 FM, WVUR, ValpoAthletics.com, TuneIn Radio App – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey (analyst)
Twitter updates – @ValpoBasketball
Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Matt Lottich: Matt Lottich (107-109) is in his seventh season as the head coach of the men’s basketball program in 2022-2023. Twice during his tenure, Valpo has upset Top-25 opponents, defeating Drake and Rhode Island at the ARC. Valpo has four wins over AP Top 25 teams in program history, and two have come under Lottich. In 2019-2020, Valpo became the first team in the history of Arch Madness, the annual Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Louis, to reach the title game after playing in the opening round by winning three games in three days. Lottich, hired as the 22nd head coach of the Valpo men’s basketball program in April 2016, graduated from Stanford University in 2004 and New Trier High School (Illinois) in 2000.
Series Notes: Valpo is 10-25 all-time against Missouri State and has lost six straight head-to-head matchups since the 89-82 win on March 7, 2020 that sent the Brown & Gold to the title game of the State Farm MVC Tournament. Although Valpo ended Missouri State’s season that time around, the Bears returned the favor by bouncing the Beacons from Arch Madness each of the last two seasons, most recently winning 67-58 in the second round a year ago. Valpo is 5-9 all-time at Missouri State. The Beacons own a 3-11 mark against the Bears since joining the Missouri Valley Conference.
Krikke Folds the Aces
Ben Krikke boasted one of his biggest games in a Valpo uniform to help the Beacons blitz Evansville 81-69 on Jan. 28. The team’s leading scorer poured in 30 points, his second career game with 30 or more and one shy of a career high.
Krikke’s personal best of 31 came on Dec. 4 of this season vs. Murray State.
The senior forward went 10-of-14 from the field and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line. The 10 made field goals were his most since 12 vs. Murray State on Dec. 3, and the 10 made free throws shattered his previous career high of eight set on Jan. 17 of this season vs. UIC.
Krikke also squeezed nine rebounds, his third straight game with eight or more caroms and highest rebound total in league play this year.
Krikke became just the third different Valpo player in the last decade with 30 or more points and nine or more rebounds in a single game, joining Javon Freeman-Liberty (twice) and Alec Peters (seven times). He became the first Valpo player to achieve that stat line since Javon-Freeman Liberty on Nov. 25, 2019 vs. Cincinnati in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Krikke’s 10 made free throws were the most by a Valpo player in a game since Tevonn Walker on Jan. 3, 2018 at Bradley.
During the game against Evansville, Krikke upped his season point total to 417, eclipsing his career high for points in a season that was previously 411 last season.
Krikke Keeps Climbing
Ben Krikke moved up another spot on Valpo’s all-time scoring list in the Jan. 28 win vs. Evansville. He made his way past Mike Jones (1986-90; 1,378) for 16th.
Entering Feb. 1 at Missouri State, Krikke has 1,391 career points, just four points away from tying for 15th and five away from bumping Jeff Simmons (1978-82; 1,395) for an outright spot in the top 15.
He is also on the verge of passing fellow Canadian Tevonn Walker (1,405) for 14th.
Krikke cracked the top 20 on Valpo’s all-time scoring list when he scored the first basket of the game on Dec. 18 vs. Elon, and moved up to 19th on Jan. 4 vs. UNI.
Double-Digit Distribution
Nick Edwards handed out 10 assists in the Jan. 28 win over Evansville, his third game this season with double-figure assists and the fourth overall by a Beacon this year.
Edwards became the first Missouri Valley Conference player with three 10-assist games this year, as he previously turned the trick on Dec. 21 vs. Stonehill (12) and Dec. 18 vs. Elon (13).
In fact, no other MVC player has more than one double-figure assist effort.
There have been only seven games featuring an MVC individual with 10 or more assists this year, and four of them have been by Valpo – Edwards’ three plus one by Darius DeAveiro.
As a team, Valpo had a season-high 19 assists in the win over the Purple Aces. This marked the team’s highest assist output since 23 on Dec. 22, 2021 vs. William & Mary and highest total in conference play since also giving out 19 on Feb. 6, 2021 vs. Drake.
Putting Up Points
Valpo scored 81 points in the Jan. 28 win over Evansville, tying a season-high against a Division-I opponent. The Beacons previously scored 81 vs. Western Michigan and vs. James Madison, the latter of which came in overtime in Savannah, Ga.
The 81 points were the team’s most in any contest since 96 on Dec. 6 vs. Trinity Christian.
The 81 marked Valpo’s highest point total in a regulation, regular-season MVC game since Feb. 25, 2020 vs. Missouri State (W 89-74).
This marked Valpo’s 21st straight win when scoring 80 points or more. Valpo is 39-1 in its last 40 such contests with the lone loss coming on Feb. 13, 2019, an 87-82 OT setback vs. Indiana State.
Other Notes Wrapping Up Jan. 28: Valpo 81, Evansville 69
Valpo has swept the regular season series with Evansville for the second straight year and the third time since joining the league. Valpo owns a five-game head-to-head winning streak over the Purple Aces.
Valpo shot 85.7 percent (18-of-21) at the free-throw line, its best showing at the stripe since shooting 87 percent on Nov. 19 vs. Incarnate Word.
In addition to Ben Krikke (30) and Kobe King (13) tallying double figures, Valpo got a nine-point effort from Connor Barrett that went along with his career-high seven rebounds. His previous personal best on the glass was six on Dec. 6, 2020 vs. Judson.
Maximus Nelson was a contributor as well, tossing in eight points on 3-of-5 shooting while pulling down a personal-best seven boards. His previous peak on the glass was six on two occasions.
Valpo survived 3-point shooting struggles as the team shot just 22.7 percent (5-of-22) from long range. This was Valpo’s worst 3-point percentage while still scoring 80+ points since Nov. 12, 2016 vs. Trinity Christina (5-of-27, 18.5 percent, W 89-75) and worst under those conditions against a Division-I opponent since Dec. 20, 2012 (4-of-21, 19 percent vs. IUPUI).
Scouting the Bears
Coming off a 74-71 loss at Murray State on Saturday.
Have played five straight games decided by four points or fewer and six straight that have either been decided by four points or fewer or gone to overtime (or both).
During the stretch of close contests, have losses at Illinois State (76-66, overtime), vs. SIU (61-57) and at Murray State (74-71) and wins vs. Indiana State (64-62), at Drake (65-62, OT) and vs. UIC (63-59).
Led in scoring by Chance Moore at 10.9 points per game with former Valpo player Donovan Clay not far behind at 10.8 ppg.
Picked to finish fourth of 12 in the MVC preseason poll.
VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BIG EFFORTS FROM BROWN, EARNEST LEAD WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TO WIN OVER BRADLEY
Valpo women’s basketball senior Olivia Brown (East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids [St. Bonaventure]) matched her career high with 24 points on Sunday at the ARC, while junior Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) delivered 19 points as part of her seventh double-double of the year to lead the way as the Beacons closed out the first half of MVC play with a 78-71 victory over Bradley.
How It Happened
Bradley jumped out to an early four-point lead before 3-pointers from Ava Interrante (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) and Brown gave Valpo a 10-8 edge with 5:32 to go in the opening period.
Brown carried the Beacons’ offense in the first quarter, scoring the final three of her 13 first-quarter points on a triple with 1:05 to play in the period to put Valpo on top, 18-16.
But the Braves came back with a 3-pointer of their own the next time down the floor for the fifth and final lead change of the quarter, as they led 19-18 10 minutes into the game.
Most of the second quarter was played with a narrow three-point spread, from a two-point Valpo lead to a one-point Bradley edge.
Valpo finally broke through with six straight points late in the quarter, the last two coming on a pull-up jumper at the free throw line by freshman Ali Saunders (Depauw, Ind./North Harrison) inside the final minute to push the lead to six points before Bradley hit one final triple to cut Valpo’s lead to 35-32 at intermission.
The Beacons led throughout the third quarter, matching their largest lead of the game three minutes into the second half on a second-chance 3-pointer by Brown to go up 46-40.
The Braves cut the lead to one point three minutes later, and it was still just a two-point Valpo lead at 53-51 with 1:08 to play in the quarter.
A critical 30-second stretch gave the Beacons breathing room, as Brown hit a 3-pointer, Brown came up with a steal on the defensive end and Interrante canned a triple of her own. Saunders assisted on both 3-pointers, which pushed Valpo to an eight-point advantage en route to a 59-53 lead with 10 minutes to play.
The lead reached double figures just 70 seconds into the fourth quarter thanks to layups by junior Jayda Johnston (Roseville, Minn./Roseville Area) on each of Valpo’s first two possessions of the final period, forcing a Bradley timeout.
The Braves slowly chipped into Valpo’s lead, making it a five-point game inside of five minutes before Earnest converted a second-chance layup to help keep Bradley at bay.
A layup from Saunders with 3:19 to play extended it to 70-61 Beacons before Bradley put together a 7-2 run over the next 1:44, cutting it to 72-68 with 1:35 to play.
But Bradley couldn’t score further if it didn’t have the ball, and Valpo erased over a minute off the game clock on its next offensive possession. The Beacons missed a pair of 3-point attempts during the trip, but Brown hit the glass, coming down with a pair of offensive rebounds to extend the possession. Bradley finally fouled Saunders to send her to the line with 34 seconds to play, and the rookie calmly knocked down both to make it a 74-68 game.
The Beacons got a pair of stops on their next two defensive possessions, the second of which was a block of a 3-point attempt by Saunders, to secure the victory.
Inside the Game
Brown’s 13-point first-quarter explosion propelled her to a game-best 24 points, surpassing her previous high in the Valpo uniform and matching her career best — set back in December 2019.
The senior went 8-of-10 from the field, including a 6-of-8 mark from the 3-point line. The 6-of-8 effort from deep matches her performance in the MVC opener at Belmont, tying a career high for 3-pointers made and tying for the seventh-best 3-point percentage in a single game in program history.
Brown’s two offensive boards in the final minute gave her seven rebounds on the afternoon, her new high at Valpo and just one off her career best.
Brown’s 13-point first quarter matched the high quarter for a Valpo player this season, accomplished last time out by Johnston against Illinois State. It is the third time this year Brown has scored in double figures for a single period.
Earnest finished just one point off her career high with a 19-point afternoon. The junior picked up her seventh double-double of the campaign as she tied for game-high honors with 11 rebounds.
Earnest also rewrote her career bests in a pair of other categories. She dished out four assists for the first time in her collegiate career and matched her career high with three steals.
Saunders chipped in 15 points off the bench, reaching double figures for the 10th time this season, and added a game-high five assists to match her season best.
Fifth-year guard Ilysse Pitts (Aurora, Ill./Montini Catholic) handed out four assists as well in the winning effort.
Valpo posted its season-high point total in regulation with its 78 points on Sunday. The Beacons shot 48.2% (27-of-56) from the floor, their best shooting percentage since the MVC opener at Belmont, and were 9-of-24 from 3-point range.
Valpo won despite Bradley hitting at a 50% clip from the field and going 6-of-12 from the 3-point line.
The Beacons committed just eight turnovers on Sunday, a season low and the team’s lowest total since surrendering the ball just seven times on Feb. 10, 2022 — notably, also a home win over Bradley. While Valpo forced just 11 Bradley miscues, it held a 17-7 edge in points off turnovers.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
SPORTS EXTRA
NBA STANDINGS
| EASTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||||||||
| W | L | PCT | CONF GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF | LAST 10 | STREAK | |||
| 1 BOSTON | 36 | 15 | .706 | — | 19-6 | 17-9 | 6-1 | 20-11 | 7-3 | 1 W | ||
| 2 PHILADELPHIA | 32 | 16 | .667 | 2.5 | 19-7 | 13-9 | 5-3 | 18-10 | 9-1 | 7 W | ||
| 3 MILWAUKEE | 33 | 17 | .660 | 2.5 | 20-5 | 13-12 | 7-4 | 19-13 | 7-3 | 4 W | ||
| 4 BROOKLYN | 30 | 19 | .612 | 5.0 | 14-8 | 16-11 | 6-4 | 21-10 | 4-6 | 1 W | ||
| 5 CLEVELAND | 31 | 21 | .596 | 5.5 | 21-5 | 10-16 | 8-3 | 18-9 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 6 MIAMI | 28 | 23 | .549 | 8.0 | 17-9 | 11-14 | 6-3 | 12-14 | 7-3 | 1 L | ||
| 7 NEW YORK | 27 | 24 | .529 | 9.0 | 12-13 | 15-11 | 3-7 | 18-15 | 5-5 | 1 L | ||
| 8 ATLANTA | 25 | 25 | .500 | 10.5 | 13-11 | 12-14 | 5-4 | 17-17 | 6-4 | 1 L | ||
| 9 WASHINGTON | 23 | 26 | .469 | 12.0 | 12-10 | 11-16 | 5-3 | 13-15 | 6-4 | 5 W | ||
| 10 CHICAGO | 23 | 26 | .469 | 12.0 | 13-10 | 10-16 | 5-4 | 19-15 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 11 INDIANA | 24 | 28 | .462 | 12.5 | 16-10 | 8-18 | 3-4 | 17-14 | 1-9 | 3 L | ||
| 12 TORONTO | 23 | 28 | .451 | 13.0 | 15-12 | 8-16 | 4-9 | 15-19 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 13 ORLANDO | 19 | 31 | .380 | 16.5 | 13-13 | 6-18 | 2-7 | 9-21 | 4-6 | 2 L | ||
| 14 CHARLOTTE | 15 | 36 | .294 | 21.0 | 7-16 | 8-20 | 5-6 | 8-23 | 4-6 | 2 W | ||
| 15 DETROIT | 13 | 38 | .255 | 23.0 | 6-19 | 7-19 | 0-8 | 5-23 | 2-8 | 1 L | ||
| WESTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||||||||
| W | L | PCT | CONF GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF | LAST 10 | STREAK | |||
| 1 DENVER | 34 | 16 | .680 | — | 22-4 | 12-12 | 9-4 | 25-10 | 7-3 | 2 L | ||
| 2 MEMPHIS | 32 | 18 | .640 | 2.0 | 21-3 | 11-15 | 6-2 | 15-15 | 5-5 | 1 W | ||
| 3 SACRAMENTO | 27 | 21 | .563 | 6.0 | 16-11 | 11-10 | 5-5 | 15-10 | 7-3 | 2 L | ||
| 4 LA CLIPPERS | 28 | 25 | .528 | 7.5 | 14-11 | 14-14 | 4-4 | 17-15 | 6-4 | 1 L | ||
| 5 MINNESOTA | 27 | 25 | .519 | 8.0 | 18-10 | 9-15 | 6-6 | 18-16 | 7-3 | 3 W | ||
| 6 GOLDEN STATE | 25 | 24 | .510 | 8.5 | 19-6 | 6-18 | 4-4 | 14-9 | 5-5 | 2 W | ||
| 7 DALLAS | 26 | 25 | .510 | 8.5 | 17-9 | 9-16 | 6-2 | 19-12 | 3-7 | 1 L | ||
| 8 NEW ORLEANS | 26 | 25 | .510 | 8.5 | 17-9 | 9-16 | 7-3 | 16-12 | 1-9 | 8 L | ||
| 9 PHOENIX | 26 | 25 | .510 | 8.5 | 18-8 | 8-17 | 8-0 | 20-14 | 6-4 | 1 W | ||
| 10 UTAH | 26 | 26 | .500 | 9.0 | 17-9 | 9-17 | 4-5 | 19-15 | 6-4 | 1 W | ||
| 11 OKLAHOMA CITY | 24 | 25 | .490 | 9.5 | 15-10 | 9-15 | 4-6 | 11-13 | 7-3 | 1 W | ||
| 12 PORTLAND | 23 | 26 | .469 | 10.5 | 13-11 | 10-15 | 5-7 | 17-15 | 4-6 | 1 L | ||
| 13 LA LAKERS | 23 | 27 | .460 | 11.0 | 13-12 | 10-15 | 1-9 | 12-17 | 4-6 | 1 L | ||
| 14 SAN ANTONIO | 14 | 36 | .280 | 20.0 | 9-18 | 5-18 | 2-7 | 5-29 | 1-9 | 5 L | ||
| 15 HOUSTON | 12 | 38 | .240 | 22.0 | 7-17 | 5-21 | 1-8 | 6-27 | 2-8 | 1 W |
NHL STANDINGS
| EASTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | ROW | GF | GA | HOME | ROAD | L10 | ||
| 1 BOSTON BRUINS | 50 | 38 | 7 | 5 | 81 | 36 | 187 | 109 | 22-1-3 | 16-6-2 | 6-3-1 | |
| 2 CAROLINA HURRICANES | 49 | 32 | 9 | 8 | 72 | 29 | 163 | 131 | 16-5-2 | 16-4-6 | 7-1-2 | |
| 3 TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS | 51 | 31 | 12 | 8 | 70 | 31 | 173 | 136 | 20-4-4 | 11-8-4 | 6-3-1 | |
| 4 NEW JERSEY DEVILS | 49 | 32 | 13 | 4 | 68 | 31 | 171 | 131 | 13-10-2 | 19-3-2 | 8-1-1 | |
| 5 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING | 48 | 32 | 15 | 1 | 65 | 31 | 175 | 141 | 20-4-1 | 12-11-0 | 8-2-0 | |
| 6 NEW YORK RANGERS | 49 | 27 | 14 | 8 | 62 | 25 | 157 | 129 | 13-9-4 | 14-5-4 | 6-2-2 | |
| 7 WASHINGTON CAPITALS | 52 | 26 | 20 | 6 | 58 | 25 | 162 | 149 | 14-8-3 | 12-12-3 | 4-6-0 | |
| 8 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS | 49 | 24 | 16 | 9 | 57 | 23 | 161 | 153 | 14-6-4 | 10-10-5 | 4-3-3 | |
| 9 BUFFALO SABRES | 49 | 26 | 19 | 4 | 56 | 25 | 185 | 165 | 11-12-2 | 15-7-2 | 6-2-2 | |
| 10 NEW YORK ISLANDERS | 52 | 25 | 22 | 5 | 55 | 25 | 148 | 144 | 15-9-2 | 10-13-3 | 3-5-2 | |
| 11 FLORIDA PANTHERS | 52 | 24 | 22 | 6 | 54 | 23 | 178 | 183 | 13-7-3 | 11-15-3 | 5-3-2 | |
| 12 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS | 51 | 21 | 21 | 9 | 51 | 21 | 142 | 162 | 10-12-2 | 11-9-7 | 5-3-2 | |
| 13 DETROIT RED WINGS | 48 | 21 | 19 | 8 | 50 | 20 | 145 | 160 | 12-10-3 | 9-9-5 | 5-4-1 | |
| 14 OTTAWA SENATORS | 49 | 23 | 23 | 3 | 49 | 22 | 146 | 155 | 14-11-1 | 9-12-2 | 5-5-0 | |
| 15 MONTREAL CANADIENS | 50 | 20 | 26 | 4 | 44 | 16 | 130 | 184 | 11-13-1 | 9-13-3 | 4-5-1 | |
| 16 COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS | 50 | 15 | 32 | 3 | 33 | 14 | 128 | 194 | 11-15-1 | 4-17-2 | 3-6-1 | |
| WESTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||||||||
| GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | ROW | GF | GA | HOME | ROAD | L10 | ||
| 1 DALLAS STARS | 51 | 28 | 13 | 10 | 66 | 27 | 173 | 133 | 13-5-6 | 15-8-4 | 4-2-4 | |
| 2 SEATTLE KRAKEN | 49 | 29 | 15 | 5 | 63 | 29 | 177 | 151 | 13-10-3 | 16-5-2 | 6-3-1 | |
| 3 WINNIPEG JETS | 51 | 31 | 19 | 1 | 63 | 31 | 162 | 135 | 17-8-0 | 14-11-1 | 5-5-0 | |
| 4 VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS | 51 | 29 | 18 | 4 | 62 | 26 | 160 | 148 | 14-13-0 | 15-5-4 | 2-6-2 | |
| 5 LOS ANGELES KINGS | 52 | 28 | 18 | 6 | 62 | 24 | 169 | 178 | 14-9-2 | 14-9-4 | 6-4-0 | |
| 6 MINNESOTA WILD | 48 | 27 | 17 | 4 | 58 | 23 | 151 | 138 | 15-8-1 | 12-9-3 | 5-4-1 | |
| 7 EDMONTON OILERS | 50 | 28 | 18 | 4 | 60 | 28 | 187 | 162 | 13-11-3 | 15-7-1 | 7-1-2 | |
| 8 COLORADO AVALANCHE | 48 | 27 | 18 | 3 | 57 | 23 | 151 | 133 | 13-9-3 | 14-9-0 | 7-3-0 | |
| 9 CALGARY FLAMES | 50 | 24 | 17 | 9 | 57 | 23 | 157 | 152 | 14-9-2 | 10-8-7 | 5-3-2 | |
| 10 NASHVILLE PREDATORS | 48 | 24 | 18 | 6 | 54 | 22 | 137 | 141 | 14-7-3 | 10-11-3 | 6-4-0 | |
| 11 ST. LOUIS BLUES | 50 | 23 | 24 | 3 | 49 | 20 | 154 | 181 | 10-12-2 | 13-12-1 | 4-6-0 | |
| 12 VANCOUVER CANUCKS | 49 | 20 | 26 | 3 | 43 | 17 | 165 | 193 | 10-13-1 | 10-13-2 | 3-7-0 | |
| 13 SAN JOSE SHARKS | 51 | 15 | 25 | 11 | 41 | 14 | 157 | 196 | 5-12-7 | 10-13-4 | 3-4-3 | |
| 14 ARIZONA COYOTES | 50 | 16 | 28 | 6 | 38 | 14 | 131 | 177 | 10-8-2 | 6-20-4 | 3-6-1 | |
| 15 ANAHEIM DUCKS | 50 | 16 | 29 | 5 | 37 | 13 | 125 | 205 | 9-13-1 | 7-16-4 | 4-5-1 | |
| 16 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS | 48 | 15 | 29 | 4 | 34 | 15 | 118 | 176 | 9-16-2 | 6-13-2 | 6-4-0 |
FOOTBALL HISTORY
JANUARY 30, 1892 – ATHENS, GEORGIA – THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA PLAYED ITS FIRST FOOTBALL GAME IN ATHENS AGAINST MERCER UNIVERSITY. ACCORDING TO AN INTERESTING POST ON THE UGA.EDU WEBSITE THE BULLDOGS STARTED OFF THEIR FIRST GRIDIRON CAMPAIGN WITH CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR, DR. CHARLES HOLMES HERTY ORGANIZED NOT ON GEORGIA’S FIRST FOOTBALL TEAM BUT THE FIRST IN THE DEEP SOUTH OF AMERICA. IN THIS FIRST GAME THE BULLDOGS PUMMELLED MERCER 50-0. THEIR SCHEDULE FOR THAT FIRST SEASON CONSISTED OF ONLY ONE OTHER GAME THAT TOOK PLACE ON FEBRUARY 20 AGAINST AUBURN. WE WILL COVER THAT ONE MORE IN DETAIL IN THE UPCOMING FEBRUARY 20 FOOTBALL HISTORY HEADLINES. AN INTERESTING STORY THAT COMES FROM THE ARTICLE TELLS THAT IN THIS FIRST GAME ON THE ATHLETICS FIELDS (NOW KNOWN AS HERTY FIELD) THERE ARE REPORTS THAT INDICATE THAT THE OFFICIAL SCORER FOR THE GAME MISSED AT LEAST ONE TOUCHDOWN WHEN HE WALKED TO THE CITY ALCOHOL DISPENSARY ON BROAD ST. ACROSS FROM THE CAMPUS TO PURCHASE A BOTTLE OF WHISKEY DURING THE GAME. WITH A 50 POINT DIFFERENTIAL THE PLAYERS FROM MERCER MAY HAVE WISHED THEY HAD JOINED HIM!
JANUARY 30, 1960 – OAKLAND RAIDERS ENTERED THE AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE PER THE RAIDERS.COM. THE OAKLAND GROUP WAS AWARDED THE FORMER MINNEAPOLIS-ST.PAUL FRANCHISE WHICH WAS BASICALLY ABANDONED WHEN THE NFL GRANTED PERMISSION FOR THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS FRANCHISE TO FORM BEFORE THE AFL COULD SET ON UP.
JANUARY 30, 1968 – RON YARY FROM USC IS THE FIRST OVERALL PICK BY MINNESOTA VIKINGS IN THE 1968 NFL DRAFT. YARY WAS AN AWESOME PICK AS HE MADE IT INTO THE HALL OF FAME! ACCORDING TO THE PRO FOOTBALL REFERENCE WEBSITE THE OTHER FUTURE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAMERS FROM THIS CLASS SO FAR INCLUDE CLAUDE HUMPHREY, LARRY CSONKA, CURLY CULP, KEN STABLER, CHARLIE SANDERS, ELVIN BETHEA AND ART SHELL. THE RAIDERS HAD A BANNER DAY BUILDING THE CORE OF THEIR OFFENSE OF THE 1970’S WITH THE PICKS OF SHELL AND STABLER!
JANUARY 30, 1973 – THE TEAM’S FRONT OFFICES ASSEMBLED IN NEW YORK FOR THE 1973 NFL DRAFT. JOHN MATUSZAK FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA WAS FIRST OVERALL PICK BY THE HOUSTON OILERS. THE PRO FOOTBALL REFERENCE DATA TELLS US THAT HALL OF FAMERS THAT HAVE BUSTS IN CANTON SO FAR FROM THIS CLASS ARE JOHN HANNAH, RAY GUY AND JOE DELAMIELLEURE.
JANUARY 30, 1983 – ROSE BOWL, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – SUPER BOWL XVII WAS A REMATCH OF SUPER BOWL VII, WHICH WAS ALSO PLAYED IN THE LA AREA AS IT PITTED THE 8-1 WASHINGTON REDSKINS AGAINST THE MIAMI DOLPHINS WHO SPOTTED A RECORD OF 7-2 IN THE STRIKE SHORTENED NFL SEASON. THE AMERICAN FOOTBALL DATABASE FILLS US IN WITH THE GAME DETAILS ON THEIR GREAT ARTICLE. THE DOLPHINS HELD A 17-10 LEAD AT THE HALF WITH A FULTON WALKER 98 YARD TOUCHDOWN RETURN OF A KICK OFF AND JIMMY CEFALO’S 76 YARD TD RECEPTION. THE TURNING POINT IN THE GAME CAME WITH 10:10 REMAINING IN THE FOURTH. WASHINGTON WAS FACING A FOURTH DOWN AND 1-YARD TO GO SITUATION AT THE DOLPHINS’ 43-YARD LINE, AND THEY WERE STILL TRAILING 17-13. THAT’S WHEN WASHINGTON’S VETERAN RUNNING BACK JOHN RIGGINS BROKE THROUGH THE DOLPHIN DEFENSE AND RAN ALL THE WAY TO PAYDIRT TO TAKE THE LEAD. D.C. WIDE RECEIVER CHARLIE BROWN THEN ADDED AN INSURANCE TOUCHDOWN WITH HIS 6-YARD SCORING CATCH AND THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS OUTLASTED THE MIAMI DOLPHINS, 27-17. THE REDSKIN OFFENSIVE LINE WAS KNOWN AS THE HOGS. O-LINE COACH JOE BUGEL GAVE THE ORIGINAL GROUP OF LINEMEN THE MONIKER IN 1982. THEY WERE COMPRISED OF CENTER JEFF BOSTIC, LEFT GUARD RUSS GRIMM, RIGHT GUARD MARK MAY, LEFT TACKLE JOE JACOBY, RIGHT TACKLE GEORGE STARKE, GUARD FRED DEAN, ALONG WITH TIGHT ENDS DON WARREN AND RICK WALKER. RIGGINS WITH HIS POWER RUNNING BEHIND THE HOGS EARNED THE GAME’S MVP AWARD.
JANUARY 30, 1994 – GEORGIA DOME, ATLANTA – THE BUFFALO BILLS PLAYED IN THEIR FOURTH STRAIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCE IN SUPER BOWL XXVIII WHEN THEY FACED THE POWERFUL DALLAS COWBOYS. THINGS LOOKED PROMISING FOR THE BILLS IN THE FIRST HALF AS THEY HELD A 13-6 LEAD IN THE LOCKER ROOM. THE THIRD QUARTER THOUGH THINGS STARTED TO UNRAVEL ACCORDING TO THE STATMUSE.COM WEB SITE ARTICLE ON THE GAME. COWBOYS DEFENDER JAMES WASHINGTON PICKED UP A 3RD QUARTER BILL FUMBLE AND RAMBLED 48 YARDS FOR A SCORE TO TIE THE GAME. IT WAS THEN MORE STIFLING DEFENSE AND A HEAVY DOSE OF RUNNING BACK EMMIT SMITH WHO SCORED TWICE IN THE SECOND HALF TO LEAD THE DALLAS COWBOYS OVER BUFFALO BILLS 30-13. THE GAME’S MVP WAS EMMITT SMITH WHO BESIDES HIS TWO LATE TDS ADDED 132 HARD EARNED YARDS ON THE GROUND.
JANUARY 30, 2000 – GEORGIA DOME, ATLANTA – WHO CAN FORGET THE SUSPENSE OF THE VERY LAST PLAY OF SUPER BOWL XXXIV? THE ST. LOUIS RAMS WERE UP BY SEVEN BUT STEVE MCNAIR HAD MARCHED THE TENNESSEE TITANS MOST OF THE LENGTH OF THE FIELD TO THE RAMS TEN YARD-LINE WITH 6 SECONDS ON THE CLOCK AND NO TIMEOUTS REMAINING! A BLEACHER REPORT ARTICLE REMINDS OF THE REST, AS DB MIKE JONES WAS COVERING TITAN TIGHT END FRANK WYCHECK ON THE PLAY NEAR THE GOAL LINE WHEN AN OPEN KEVIN DYSON CAUGHT THE PASS FROM MCNAIR. JONES LEFT HIS COVERAGE WHEN THE BALL WAS PASSED AND TACKLED DYSON AT HIS LEGS, LEAVING THE RECEIVER TO STRETCH FOR THE GOAL LINE. AS THE PLAY HAPPENED, EVERYBODY WATCHING WAS ON THE EDGE OF THEIR SEATS, AND THEN DYSON’S SHOULDER TOUCHED THE GROUND…THE BALL WAS SHORT OF THE LINE! THE RAMS WIN IN THE MOST DRAMATIC OF ENDINGS OVER TENNESSEE 23-16. ST. LOUIS QUARTERBACK KURT WARNER WON THE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD AFTER HE THREW FOR 414 YARDS AND TWO SCORES IN THE GAME TO LEAD THE GREATEST SHOW ON TURF. AT THE TIME THIS GAME HAD THE FIFTH HIGHEST NUMBER OF VIEWERS IN THE HISTORY OF TELEVISION AS OVER 130.7 PEOPLE WATCHED THE GAME.
JANUARY 30, 2011 NFL PRO BOWL WAS PLAYED ONCE AGAIN AT BEAUTIFUL ALOHA STADIUM IN HONOLULU. THE RESULT OF THE GAME WAS THAT THE NFC OUTSCORED THE AFC, 55-41. WASHINGTON REDSKINS DEFENSIVE BACK, DEANGELO HALL WAS GIVEN THE MVP.
HOF BIRTHDAYS
JANUARY 30, 1925 – DETROIT, MICHIGAN – THE NIFTY HALFBACK THAT PLAYED BOTH FOR PURDUE AND MICHIGAN IN COLLEGE CHALMERS BUMP ELLIOTT WAS BORN. BUMP WAS ALSO A HEAD COAH AND AN AD THAT MADE IT TO THE COLLEGE HALL OF FAME.
BASEBALL HISTORY
1919 DURING WORLD WAR I, UNABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THEIR MANAGER CHRISTY MATHEWSON, WHO IS SERVING AS A CAPTAIN IN THE NEWLY-CREATED CHEMICAL SERVICE ALONG WITH TY COBB, THE REDS HIRE PAT MORAN. THE FORMER PHILLIES SKIPPER PILOTS THE CLUB TO A 96-44 RECORD EN ROUTE TO LEADING CINCINNATI TO A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WHEN THEY DEFEAT THE WHITE SOX IN THE SCANDAL-RIDDEN FALL CLASSIC.
1926 THE COMMISSION ON RULES OF THE MAJOR LEAGUES DISCUSSES THE POSSIBLE ELIMINATION OF THE INTENTIONAL WALK, BUT THE GROUP TAKES NO ACTION. THE PURPOSEFUL BASE ON BALLS REQUIRING THE PITCHERS TO TOSS FOUR PITCHES WILL REMAIN PART OF THE GAME UNTIL MANAGERS INVOKE THE STRATEGY AUTOMATICALLY BY A DUGOUT SIGNAL, BEGINNING WITH THE 2017 SEASON.
1952 THE LITTLE LEAGUE HEADQUARTERS RELOCATES TO WILLIAMSPORT, PA, WITH PETER J. MCGOVERN BECOMING THE CIRCUIT’S FIRST FULL-TIME PRESIDENT. IN NOVEMBER OF 1955, CARL STOTZ, WHO STARTED THE YOUTH BASEBALL PROGRAM 28 YEARS EARLIER, WILL HAVE SUBSTANTIAL DIFFERENCES WITH THE INCREASING COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE ORGANIZATION, CAUSING THE LLB INC. BOARD TO REMOVE HIM FROM HIS POSITION AS COMMISSIONER.
1958 COMMISSIONER FORD FRICK ANNOUNCES THE FANS WILL NO LONGER VOTE IN SELECTING PARTICIPANTS FOR THE ALL-STAR GAME, WITH TEAMS NOW CHOSEN BY MAJOR LEAGUE PLAYERS AND COACHES. THE CHANGE PREVENTS THE STUFFING OF THE BALLOT BOX, AS HAPPENED WHEN FANS, SPURRED ON BY BALLOTS PUBLISHED DAILY IN THE CINCINNATI TIMES-STAR, LOCAL BROADCAST MEDIA, AND BURGER BEER SUPPLYING BALLOTS TO TAVERNS, ELECTED EIGHT REDS TO START LAST SEASON’S MIDSUMMER CLASSIC.
1959 THE REDS TRADE CATCHER SMOKY BURGESS, PITCHER HARVEY HADDIX, AND THIRD BASEMAN DON HOAK TO THE PIRATES. IN RETURN, CINCINNATI RECEIVES THIRD BASEMAN FRANK THOMAS, RIGHT-HANDER WHAMMY DOUGLAS, OUTFIELDER JOHNNY POWERS, UTILITY MAN JIM PENDLETON, AND CASH.
1987 THE CUBS TRADE VETERAN THIRD BASEMAN RON CEY FOR THE A’S INFIELDER LUIS QUINONES. AFTER HE PLAYS 45 GAMES, OAKLAND RELEASES THE 39-YEAR-OLD ‘PENGUIN,’ WHO RETIRES WITH A .261 LIFETIME BATTING AVERAGE AFTER SPENDING 17 YEARS IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES.
1996 THE EXPANSION DEVIL RAYS NAME THE FIRST TWO SKIPPERS OF THEIR MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM. FORMER MAJOR LEAGUER TOM FOLEY WILL MANAGE AT BUTTE IN THE PIONEER LEAGUE, AND VETERAN MINOR-LEAGUE COACH AND MANAGER BILL EVERS WILL BE AT THE HELM FOR THE ST. PETERSBURG TEAM IN THE GULF COAST ROOKIE LEAGUE.
2003 IN HIS FIRST YEAR OF ELIGIBILITY, BY A UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THE MEDIA COVERING THE TEAM, CAL RIPKEN JR. JOINS HIS DAD BY BECOMING THE 40TH MEMBER OF THE ORIOLES HALL OF FAME. THE FORMAL CEREMONY WILL TAKE PLACE ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2003, MARKING THE EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NIGHT THE BALTIMORE INFIELDER BROKE LOU GEHRIG’S RECORD CONSECUTIVE GAMES STREAK OF 2,130 GAMES AT CAMDEN YARDS.
2006 THE CUBS AND JERRY HAIRSTON JR. (.261, 4, 30) AVOID SALARY ARBITRATION WHEN THE SECOND BASEMAN/OUTFIELDER AGREES TO A ONE-YEAR, $2.3 MILLION DEAL. LAST FEBRUARY, THE 29-YEAR-OLD ILLINOIS NATIVE WAS ACQUIRED FROM THE ORIOLES FOR SLUGGER SAMMY SOSA.
2007 🇨🇳 THE YANKEES, WHO WILL SEND COACHES, SCOUTS, AND PLAYER-DEVELOPMENT STAFF TO THE FAR EAST, AGREE TO HELP ESTABLISH BASEBALL ACADEMIES IN CHINA. THE TEAM’S PRESIDENT, RANDY LEVINE, COMMITTED THE BRONX BOMBERS TO HELP THE CHINESE BASEBALL ASSOCIATION DEVELOP YOUNG TALENT WHILE PROMOTING THE GAME IN A CULTURE WHERE THE SPORT REMAINS VIRTUALLY UNKNOWN.
2009 THE METS AVOID SALARY ARBITRATION WITH JOHN MAINE (10-8, 4.18) WHEN BOTH SIDES AGREE TO A $2.6 MILLION, ONE-YEAR DEAL. THE 25-YEAR-OLD RIGHT-HANDED STARTER, WHO MISSED THE LAST FIVE WEEKS OF THE SEASON DUE TO AN INJURY TO HIS PITCHING SHOULDER, IS EXPECTED TO PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE THIS YEAR IN THE TEAM’S PITCHING ROTATION.
2009 LOCKING UP THEIR MOST EFFECTIVE STARTER THROUGH HIS REMAINING ELIGIBLE YEARS, THE PIRATES AVOID ARBITRATION BY SIGNING PAUL MAHOLM TO A $14.5 MILLION, THREE-YEAR CONTRACT, INCLUDING A TEAM OPTION FOR 2012. IN HIS 31 STARTS FOR THE BUCS LAST SEASON, THE 26-YEAR-OLD SOUTHPAW COMPILES A 9-9 RECORD WITH A 3.71 ERA FOR A PITTSBURGH TEAM, A TEAM FINISHING 28 GAMES UNDER .500.
2009 JASON VARITEK REACHES A PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT WITH THE RED SOX FOR A REPORTED GUARANTEED $5 MILLION, ONE-YEAR CONTRACT, INCLUDING OPTIONS FOR THE 2010 SEASON. THE TEAM’S CATCHER AND CAPTAIN, A 12-YEAR VETERAN, ACCEPTS MUCH LESS THAN HE WOULD HAVE MADE HAD HE TAKEN THE TEAM’S ARBITRATION OFFER MADE IN DECEMBER.
2009 JON GARLAND AGREES TO A ONE-YEAR DEAL WITH THE DIAMONDBACKS WORTH AT LEAST $7.25 MILLION. THE 29-YEAR-OLD RIGHT-HANDER, WHO WILL FILL RANDY JOHNSON’S SPOT AS A STARTER, JOINS A STRONG ARIZONA ROTATION, INCLUDING BRANDON WEBB, DAN HAREN, MAX SCHERZER, AND DOUG DAVIS.
2009 APPEARING ON CNN’S “LARRY KING LIVE,” JOE TORRE ANSWERS QUESTIONS CONCERNING HIS BOOK’S INFLAMMATORY EXCERPTS, THE YANKEE YEARS, WHICH CAUSED A FIRESTORM OF REACTION FROM FORMER PLAYERS AND FANS AFTER THEY WERE RELEASED LAST WEEK. THE DODGERS SKIPPER, WHO MANAGED THE BRONX BOMBERS FOR A DOZEN SEASONS, TELLS THE HOST HE BELIEVES THE CONTROVERSY WILL DIE DOWN AND PEOPLE WILL COOL DOWN AFTER THEY GET A CHANCE TO READ THE ACTUAL BOOK.
2012 THE RANGERS SIGN RON WASHINGTON TO A TWO-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION, WHICH WILL KEEP THE 59-YEAR-OLD SKIPPER IN THE TEXAS DUGOUT THROUGH THE 2014 SEASON. WASHINGTON PILOTED THE TEAM TO CONSECUTIVE APPEARANCES IN THE WORLD SERIES, LOSING TO SAN FRANCISCO AND ST. LOUIS IN 2010 AND 2011, RESPECTIVELY.
2017 AS A RESULT OF A RULING HANDED DOWN BY COMMISSIONER ROB MANFRED, THE CARDINALS WILL RELINQUISH THEIR TOP TWO PICKS IN THIS YEAR’S AMATEUR DRAFT AND PAY THE ASTROS $2 MILLION AS PUNISHMENT FOR HACKING INTO HOUSTON’S EMAIL SYSTEM AND SCOUTING DATABASE. AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO FIVE COUNTS OF UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO A PROTECTED COMPUTER IN FEDERAL COURT, CHRIS CORREA, THE FORMER REDBIRDS SCOUTING DIRECTOR, IS PLACED ON BASEBALL’S PERMANENTLY INELIGIBLE LIST AFTER BEING SENTENCED TO SERVE 46 MONTHS IN PRISON.
SPORTS IN NUMBERS
73 – 22 – 78 – 72 – 44 – 16 – 99 – 20 – 13 – 32
JANUARY 30, 1936 – THE NEW OWNERS OF BASEBALL’S BOSTON BRAVES DID A SURVEY OF NEWSPAPER JOURNALISTS TO PICK A NEW TEAM MONIKER. THERE WERE 1327 DIFFERENT NICKNAMES SUBMITTED FOR REVIEW AND A HANDFUL WERE STRONGLY CONSIDERED. THE WINNER WAS ANNOUNCED IN THE BOSTON GLOBE THE NEXT MORNING THAT THE TEAM WOULD NOW BE KNOWN AS THE BOSTON BEES HOWEVER THE FRANCHISE WOULD RETURN TO ‘BRAVES’ NAME IN 1941. THE ENTRIES STARTED WITH EVERY LETTER OF THE ALPHABET EXCEPT THE LETTRE “X.”
JANUARY 30, 1968 – NFL DRAFT: RON YARY FROM USC FIRST PICK BY MINNESOTA VIKINGS. YARY WOULD WEAR THE NUMBER 73, FOR THE VIKES AS THE FUTURE HALL OF FAME PLAYER WOULD END UP PLAYING 15 SEASONS, MAKING IT TO 7 PRO BOWLS AND WAS A 6 TIME ALL-PRO.
JANUARY 30, 1973 – 26TH NHL ALL-STAR GAME, MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NYC: EASTERN DIVISION BEATS WESTERN DIVISION, 5-4; MVP: GREG POLIS, NUMBER 22 OF THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS, LW
JANUARY 30, 1973 – 1973 NFL DRAFT: JOHN MATUSZAK FROM UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA FIRST PICK BY HOUSTON OILERS. JOHN WORE NUMBER 78 IN HIS TIME WITH THE OILERS. HE WAS PROBABLY BETTER KNOWN BY HIS NUMBER 72 WITH THE RAIDERS IN LATER YEARS OF HIS CAREER.
JANUARY 30, 1978 – ADDIE JOSS & LARRY MACPHAIL WERE BOTH ELECTED TO BASEBALL HALL OF FAME. JOSS WAS A GREAT PITCHER FOR CLEVELAND FROM 1902 TO 1910, MANY YEARS BEFORE UNIFORM NUMBERS WERE WORN. MACPHAIL WAS A FAMOUS LAWYER AND QUITE THE BASEBALL EXECUTIVE BEFORE WORLD WAR II, WITH THE CINCINNATI REDS, BROOKLYN DODGERS AND NEW YORK YANKEES, AND WAS A ONE-THIRD OWNER OF THE YANKEES FROM 1945 THROUGH 1947.
JANUARY 30, 1983 – AT THE ROSE BOWL, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA THE SUPER BOWL XVII WAS PLAYED AS THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS OUTLASTED THE MIAMI DOLPHINS, 27-17; MVP: WAS WASHINGTON’S BRUISING RUNNINGBACK JOHN RIGGINS, WHO WORE NUMBER 44. THE QUESTION OF THE DAY? WHO WAS THE DOLPHINS STARTING QB IN THE GAME. THE ANSWER IS DAVID WOODLEY, NUMBER 16. REMEMBER THIS IS A FEW YEARS BEFORE OLE NUMBER 13 DAN MARINO WAS DRAFTED.
JANUARY 30, 1990 – LOS ANGELES KINGS CENTER WAYNE GRETZKY, WEARING HIS FAMOUS NUMBER 99 SET AN NHL RECORD BY SCORING HIS 100TH POINT OF THE SEASON FOR THE 11TH STRAIGHT SEASON! THE “GREAT ONE” REACHED THE MILESTONE RECORD WITH AN ASSIST IN A 5-2 KINGS’ WIN OVER VISITING NEW JERSEY DEVILS
JANUARY 30, 1994 – SUPER BOWL XXVIII, GEORGIA DOME, ATLANTA, GA: DALLAS COWBOYS BEAT BUFFALO BILLS, 30-13; MVP WAS DALLAS COWBOY RUNNINGBACK NUMBER 22, EMMITT SMITH.
JANUARY 30, 1996 – FUTURE BASKETBALL HALL OF FAMER MAGIC JOHNSON WEARING HIS LEGENDARY NUMBER 32 JERSEY AFTER A 5 YEAR RETIREMENT; RE-ENTERED THE LEAGUE WITH HIS OLD TEAM TO HELP THE LA LAKERS TO 128-118 WIN OVER GOLDEN STATE AT THE GREAT WESTERN FORUM. HE STILL HAD THE “MAGIC” TO AS HE SCORED 19 POINTS, HAULED DOWN 8 REBOUNDS AND REGISTERED 10 ASSISTS.
JANUARY 30, 1998 – ALL-STAR FLORIDA MARLIN CATCHER DARREN DAULTON WHO WORE NUMBER 20 WITH THE CLUB IN HIS ONE PARTIAL SEASON THERE, RETIRED. DAULTON HAD SPENT THE PREVIOUS 14 SEASONS AS A MEMBER OF THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES WEARING NUMBER 10. A LITTLE KNOWN FACT IS THAT HE DID PLAY PART OF THE 1983 SEASON ON A CALL UP FROM THE MINORS TO THE PHILLIES WEARING NUMBER 29.
JANUARY 30, 2000 – IN THE BIG NFL GAME OF THE SEASON, AT THE GEORGIA DOME IN ATLANTA THE VERY MEMORABLE SUPER BOWL XXXIV WAS PLAYED. IT CAME DOWN TO THE LAST PLAY, LAST SECOND, AND THE FINAL 1/2 YARD ON THE FIELD AS THE ST. LOUIS RAMS STOPPED THE TENNESSEE TITANS, 23-16. THE GAME’S MVP WAS QUARTERBACK KURT WARNER, NUMBER 13 OF THE RAMS.
JANUARY 30, 2002 – THE UTAH JAZZ, LEGENDARY NUMBER 32, KARL MALONE BECAME ONLY THE SECOND PLAYER IN NBA HISTORY AT THE TIME TO REGISTER 34,000 CAREER POINTS. THE TALENTED POWER FORWARD TOSSED IN 18 POINTS IN A 90-78 WIN OVER THE CHICAGO BULLS AT THE DELTA CENTER. THE TOP PLAYER AT THAT TIME WAS KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR, NUMBER 33 WITH 38,387 POINTS PLAYING FOR THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS AND THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS.
JANUARY 30, 2018 – HOUSTON ROCKETS FORWARD JAMES HARDEN, WHO WORE NUMBER 13 REGISTERED THE HIGHEST SCORING TRIPLE-DOUBLE IN NBA HISTORY WHEN HE RECORDED 60 POINTS, 10 REBOUNDS, 11 ASSISTS AS THE ROCKETS OUTLASTED THE ORLANDO MAGIC, 114-107 IN HOUSTON. HARDEN ALSO HAS WORN LUCKY 13 FOR THE BROOKLYN NETS.
TV MONDAY
| NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES – MEN’S | TIME ET | TV |
| VIRGINIA AT SYRACUSE | 7:00PM | ESPN |
| NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL AT NORFOLK STATE | 7:00PM | ESPNU |
| LOYOLA MARYLAND AT COLGATE | 7:00PM | CBSSN |
| CHICAGO STATE AT THE CITADEL | 7:00PM | ESPN+ |
| ALABAMA A&M AT BETHUNE-COOKMAN | 7:30PM | – |
| SOUTH CAROLINA STATE AT HOWARD | 7:30PM | – |
| DELAWARE STATE AT COPPIN STATE | 7:30PM | – |
| MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE AT MORGAN STATE | 7:30PM | – |
| SOUTH DAKOTA AT ORAL ROBERTS | 7:30PM | – |
| SOUTH DAKOTA STATE AT KANSAS CITY | 7:30PM | – |
| ALCORN STATE AT GRAMBLING STATE | 8:00PM | – |
| BAYLOR AT TEXAS | 9:00PM | ESPN |
| IOWA STATE AT TEXAS TECH | 9:00PM | ESPN2 |
| JACKSON STATE AT SOUTHERN | 9:00PM | ESPNU |
| ALABAMA STATE AT FLORIDA A&M | 9:00PM | – |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| ORLANDO AT PHILADELPHIA | 7:00PM | NBCS-PHI BALLY SPORTS |
| LA LAKERS AT BROOKLYN | 7:30PM | YES SPECTRUM |
| SACRAMENTO AT MINNESOTA | 8:00PM | NBCS-CA BALLY SPORTS |
| GOLDEN STATE AT OKLAHOMA CITY | 8:00PM | NBCS-BAY BALLY SPORTS |
| WASHINGTON AT SAN ANTONIO | 8:00PM | NBCS-WSH BALLY SPORTS |
| DETROIT AT DALLAS | 8:30PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| TORONTO AT PHOENIX | 9:00PM | SPORTSNET BALLY SPORTS |
| ATLANTA AT PORTLAND | 10:00PM | ROOT SPORTS BALLY SPORTS |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES | TIME ET | TV |
| NY ISLANDERS AT PHILADELPHIA | 7:00PM | MSGSN2 NBCS-PHI |
| TAMPA BAY AT FLORIDA | 7:00PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| CALGARY AT NY RANGERS | 7:30PM | SPORTSNET MSG |
| VANCOUVER AT NEW JERSEY | 7:30PM | SPORTSNET MSGSN |
| ANAHEIM AT DALLAS | 8:30PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| MINNESOTA AT ARIZONA | 9:00PM | BALLY SPORTS |
| SOCCER MATCHES | TIME ET | TV |
| SERIE A: UDINESE VS HELLAS VERONA | 2:45PM | PARAMOUNT+ |
| ENGLAND FA CUP: DERBY COUNTY VS WEST HAM UNITED | 2:45PM | ESPN+ |
| LA LIGA: VILLARREAL VS RAYO VALLECANO | 3:00PM | ESPN+ |
| ARGENTINA PRIMERA DIVISIÓN: BARRACAS CENTRAL VS GODOY CRUZ | 3:00PM | PARAMOUNT+ |
| ARGENTINA PRIMERA DIVISIÓN: BANFIELD VS UNIÓN SANTA FE | 6:00PM | PARAMOUNT+ |