INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL
STATE FINALS-SATURDAY MARCH 30
SESSION 1
PUBLIC GATES OPEN AT 9:30 AM ET
10:30 AM ET | CLASS 1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN (23-7) VS. FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY (18-9)
APPROX. 12:45 PM ET | CLASS 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (27-4) VS. WAPAHANI (26-2)
FIELDHOUSE CLEARED
SESSION 2
PUBLIC GATES OPEN AT 5 PM ET
6 PM ET | CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
SCOTTSBURG (24-5) VS. SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (20-9)
APPROX. 8:15 PM ET | CLASS 4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
BEN DAVIS (23-5) VS. FISHERS (28-1)
STATE FINALS PREVIEW: https://www.ihsaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2023-24%20Boys%20Basketball%20Preview.pdf
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL SCORES-REPORTED
FLOYD CENTRAL 10 EVANSVILLE NORTH 0
NORTH DAVIESS 11 EASTERN GREENE 2
TECUMSEH 15 FOREST PARK 0
SOUTH KNOX 12 VINCENNES LINCOLN 7
HERITAGE HILLS 4 NORTHEAST DUBOIS 0
HANOVER CENTRAL 10 CHESTERTON 0
MUNSTER 12 LINCOLN WAY CENTRAL 2
EASTSIDE 15 EDON 3
HENRYVILLE 7 SOUTHWESTERN 5
RIVERTON PARKE 14 GREENCASTLE 2
LAWRENCE NORTH 14 RICHMOND 1
FRANKLIN CENTRAL 8 MARTINSVILLE 0
CENTER GROVE 7 PENDLETON HEIGHTS 6
AVON 8 BUTLER 2
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 4 JASPER 3
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SCORES-REPORTED
EASTERN HANCOCK 9 COMMUNITY 7
HANOVER CENTRAL 5 WEST VIGO 0
FOREST PARK 2 LOUISVILLE 0
CORNERSVILLE 9 EASTERN HANCOCK 4
DAVIDSON ACADEMY 6 HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 3
SHELBYVILLE CENTRAL 3 N. POSEY 0
FISHERS 14 CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF KNOXVILLE 7
LAWRENCE CENTRAL 10 BEECH GROVE 8
CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN 13 TAYLOR 4
NORTH POSEY 4 SEQUATCHIE COUNTY 0
NORWELL 5 BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL 0
HENRY COUNTY 5 HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 4
SODDY DAISY 5 ALEXANDRIA MONROE 3
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 13 HUNTLAND 0
SILVER CREEK 9 DEKALB 2
COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN 21 CANNELTON 7
NOBLESVILLE 10 SCIENCE HILL 0
TAYLOR 17 PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE 13
PERRY MERIDIAN 3 GREENFIELD CENTRAL 0
JEFFERSONVILLE 7 CARROLL 0
WHEELER 3 MICHIGAN CITY 2
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 14 PERKINS 6
ZIONSVILLE 4 COLLIERVILLE 3
KOUTS 21 CALUMET NEW TECH 3
ALEXANDRIA MONROE 12 CASCADE 8
RIVER FOREST 11 HAST 1
HOBART 10 GRIFFITH 0
LAVILLE 16 ARGOS 0
NEW PRAIRIE 11 BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 1
CALUMET CHRISTIAN 9 DUNDEE CROWN 8
FRANKLIN COUNTY 7 N. DECATUR 0
SOUTH SPENCER 20 PERRY CENTRAL 11
BHRA 7 ROSSVILLE 5
WHITELAND 11 SCOTTSBURG 1
HERITAGE HILLS 12 NORTHEAST DUBOIS 0
LAWRENCE NORTH 8 TRI-WEST 1
SHELBYVILLE 11 E. CENTRAL 3
RISING SUN 13 BATESVILLE 0
INDY GENESIS 20 SOUTHWESTERN 2
MOUNT VERNON 5 EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN 1
SULLIVAN 2 WASHINGTON 0
DECATUR CENTRAL 7 PIKE 5
RICHMOND 6 WAPAHANI 1
COLUMBUS EAST 9 CORYDON CENTRAL 5
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 8 WEST DE PERE 0
WILSON CENTRAL 8 FISHERS 2
OWEN VALLEY 3 S. KNOX 2
PAGE 8 CRAWFORDSVILLE 7
FLOYD CENTRAL 7 CARROLL 0
NOBLESVILLE 10 OAKLAND 3
NOLENSVILLE 8 AVON 7
WESTERN BOONE 4 ROCKET CITY 0
NORWELL 7 EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 6
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
NORTH CAROLINA STATE 67 MARQUETTE 58
PURDUE 80 GONZAGA 68
DUKE 54 HOUSTON 51
TENNESSEE 82 CREIGHTON 75
(NIT)
TUESDAY, APRIL 2
UTAH VS. INDIANA STATE 7 PM
GEORGIA VS. SETON HALL 9:30 PM
WOMEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT
OREGON STATE 70 NOTRE DAME 65
SOUTH CAROLINA 79 INDIANA 75
NORTH CAROLINA STATE 77 STANFORD 67
TEXAS 69 GONZAGA 47
NBA SCOREBOARD
DETROIT 96 WASHINGTON 87
LA CLIPPERS 100 ORLANDO 97
INDIANA 109 LA LAKERS 90
GOLDEN STATE 115 CHARLOTTE 97
BROOKLYN 125 CHICAGO 108
CLEVELAND 117 PHILADELPHIA 114
OKLAHOMA CITY 128 PHOENIX 103
MIAMI 142 PORTLAND 82
SAN ANTONIO 130 NEW YORK 126 OT
MINNESOTA 111 DENVER 98
HOUSTON 101 UTAH 100
DALLAS 107 SACRAMENTO 103
NHL SCOREBOARD
BUFFALO 5 NEW JERSEY 2
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
MILWAUKEE 3 NY METS 1
ATLANTA 9 PHILADELPHIA 3
TAMPA BAY 8 TORONTO 2
PITTSBURGH 7 MIAMI 2
NY YANKEES 7 HOUSTON 1
ARIZONA 7 COLORADO 3
SAN FRANCISCO 8 SAN DIEGO 3
SEATTLE 1 BOSTON 0
CLEVELAND 6 OAKLAND 4
LA DODGERS 6 ST. LOUIS 3
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES
NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7 NOTRE DAME 6
INDIANA 11 BUTLER 2
RUTGERS 4 MICHIGAN STATE 2
NEBRASKA 5 NORTHWESTERN 2
MARYLAND 11 MICHIGAN 9
MINNESOTA 16 IOWA 9
OHIO STATE 8 PURDUE 2
ILLINOIS 14 PENN STATE 10
MILWAUKEE 3 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 1
MIAMI OHIO 15 AKRON 5
MIAMI OHIO 7 AKRON 5
XAVIER 10 BOWLING GREEN 3
BALL STATE 12 OHIO 3
TOLEDO 8 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 7
CENTRAL MICHIGAN 8 EASTERN MICHIGAN 5
WESTERN MICHIGAN 7 KENT STATE 5
BRADLEY 6 VALPARAISO 4
INDIANA STATE 10 ILLINOIS CHICAGO 6
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 10 EVANSVILLE 6
ILLINOIS STATE 12 MISSOURI STATE 11
SOUTHERN INDIANA 8 MOREHEAD STATE 7
COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES
NOTRE DAME 10 NORTH CAROLINA 5
NEBRASKA 11 WISCONSIN 7
RUTGERS 5 PURDUE 1
IOWA 4 MICHIGAN STATE 0
MARYLAND 2 PENN STATE 0
MICHIGAN 15 INDIANA 6
NORTHWESTERN 10 OHIO STATE 0
MINNESOTA 16 ILLINOIS 1
NATIONAL SPORTS RELEASES/HEADLINES
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS
NCAA TOURNAMENT ROUNDUP: DUKE TAKES DOWN NO. 1 SEED HOUSTON
Kyle Filipowski scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds as fourth-seeded Duke earned a spot in the Elite Eight with a 54-51 victory over top-seeded Houston on Friday night in the South Region in Dallas.
Jeremy Roach scored all 14 of his points in the second half while playing with a dislocated left pinkie finger for the Blue Devils (27-8).
Houston played the final 26 1/2 minutes without All-American Jamal Shead (sprained right ankle). LJ Cryer scored 15 points and J’Wan Roberts added 13 points and eight rebounds for the Cougars (32-5).
Duke will face 11th-seeded North Carolina State, one of its Atlantic Coast Conference rivals, on Sunday for a spot in the Final Four.
No. 11 NC State 67, No. 2 Marquette 58
DJ Horne scored 19 points and the Wolfpack continued their stunning run with a victory over the Golden Eagles in Dallas to advance to the Elite Eight.
Casey Morsell added 15 points and Mohamed Diarra had 11 points and 15 rebounds as NC State (25-14) reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 1986. The Wolfpack will play No. 4 Duke in the regional final on Sunday riding an eight-game winning streak after they lost four straight to end the regular season.
Kam Jones scored 20 points and Tyler Kolek added 17 points and 10 rebounds for Marquette, (27-10), which shot just 33.3 percent from the field and a measly 4 of 31 (12.9 percent) from 3-point range.
Midwest Region
No. 1 Purdue 80, No. 5 Gonzaga 68
Zach Edey powered his way to 27 points and 14 rebounds and the Boilermakers pulled away to beat the Bulldogs in Detroit, advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2019.
Braden Smith racked up 14 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds for Purdue (32-4), which shot 57.1 percent from the field and outscored Gonzaga 42-26 in the paint. Purdue will play No. 2 seed Tennessee in the regional final on Sunday.
Graham Ike had 18 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out for Gonzaga (27-8), which shot 49.2 percent. Nolan Hickman had 16 points while Ryan Nembhard and Anton Watson added 14 apiece.
No. 2 Tennessee 82, No. 3 Creighton 75
Dalton Knecht had 24 points, six rebounds and five assists and the Volunteers qualified for the Elite Eight for the second time in school history by beating the Bluejays in Detroit.
Zakai Zeigler supplied 18 points and six assists, and Josiah-Jordan James contributed 17 points for Tennessee (27-8), which ran off 18 straight points early in the second half to take control. Starting guard Santiago Vescovi missed the game due to an illness.
Baylor Scheierman led Creighton (25-10) with 25 points. Steven Ashworth added 16 points, Ryan Kalkbrenner had 14 points and seven rebounds, and Trey Alexander added 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
JAMES MADISON TABS MOREHEAD STATE’S PRESTON SPRADLIN AS COACH
James Madison hired Morehead State’s Preston Spradlin as its new coach and signed him to a six-year contract, the school announced Friday.
Financial terms were not disclosed for Spradlin, who guided the Eagles to their second NCAA appearance in the last four seasons. Morehead State notched a program-record in wins (26) before it dropped an 85-69 decision to Illinois on March 21 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
A two-time Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Spradlin posted a 140-109 record in eight seasons with the Eagles.
“Preston stood out at the top of our list as we researched candidates based upon the resume that he’s built at a very young age as a head coach,” James Madison athletic director Jeff Bourne said in a release. “Once we met with him, it was even more evident that he’s the total package in a head coach. The results speak for themselves, but beyond the results we found a genuine and authentic coach and teacher who cares about his student-athletes, about his institution and the community.”
Spradlin, 37, will replace Mark Byington, who accepted the Vanderbilt job earlier this week.
“My family and I are extremely excited for the opportunity to lead the JMU program and take over during a monumental time for the University,” Spradlin said in the release. “Throughout this process it was of the upmost importance that we not only found a great basketball program but also a caring community that we can embrace and continue to raise our family. We are looking forward to connecting with the many supporters of JMU Athletics and partnering together to compete for future championships.”
Under Byington, the Dukes (32-4) set a program record for wins this season. They defeated No. 5 Wisconsin 72-61 in a South Region opener before they were eliminated 93-55 by Duke.
G MYLES RICE ONE OF SIX WASHINGTON STATE PLAYERS TO ENTER PORTAL
Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Myles Rice is one of six Washington State players who have entered the transfer portal this week.
Rice averaged 14.8 points, 3.8 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 35 starts for the Cougars (25-10), who won a game in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008. Rice was Washington’s State second-leading scorer and led the squad in assists.
Just two days after Washington State lost to Iowa State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, coach Kyle Smith departed to become head coach at Stanford.
Now players are investigating opportunities and Rice confirmed his entry into the transfer portal on Thursday.
The other Washington State players to enter the portal are forward Andrej Jakimovski, center Rueben Chinyelu, forward Kymany Houinsou, center AJ LeBeau and guard Dylan Darling.
The loss of Rice is the big blow. He overcame a bout with cancer that caused him to miss last season to be one of the key cogs that helped the program halt their long NCAA Tournament drought. He redshirted his first season on campus prior to the battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
“After reflecting on the recent changes in the Washington State Mens Basketball Program, I have made the difficult decision to enter my name into the transfer portal,” Rice said in an Instagram post. “I would like to thank the entire coaching staff and the administration of WSU for supporting me for the past 3 years.”
Jakimovski started all 35 games and averaged 9.7 points and 5.6 rebounds. He ranked fourth on the team in scoring and second in rebounding.
Chinyelu and Houinson were part-time starters. Chinyelu started 12 of 35 games played and averaged 4.7 points and 5.0 rebounds, while Houinsou started 10 of 35 games and averaged 4.3 points and 3.4 rebounds.
Washington State associate coach Jim Shaw reportedly interviewed for the head-coaching opening this week.
The Cougars defeated Drake 66-61 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before being eliminated 67-56 by Iowa State.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS
WOMEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT ROUNDUP: NO. 1 SOUTH CAROLINA SURVIVES
No. 1 seed South Carolina put on a dominating display in the first half but barely held on in the fourth quarter to defeat No. 4 seed Indiana 79-75 in the Albany 1 Region semifinal of the NCAA Tournament on Friday in Albany, N.Y.
The Hoosiers turned the 17-point halftime deficit into just a two-point margin on Mackenzie Holmes’ layup with 1:08 to play. Raven Johnson hit a critical 3-pointer on the Gamecocks’ next possession to stem the tide.
Kamilla Cardoso put up 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds for South Carolina (35-0), which advances to meet Oregon State in the regional final on Sunday. Johnson added 14 points, six assists and five rebounds.
Sydney Parrish paced Indiana (26-6) with 21 points, while Yarden Garzon added 16 points.
ALBANY 1 REGION
No. 3 Oregon State 70, No. 2 Notre Dame 65
All-American Raegan Beers’ layup with 29 seconds left was enough to allow the Beavers to squeeze past the Fighting Irish in the Albany 1 region semifinal of the Women’s NCAA Tournament.
For the Beavers (27-7), it was their first-ever win against the Irish (28-7) as they advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2018. Next up for Oregon State is a matchup against top-seeded South Carolina (35-0) on Sunday.
Timea Gardiner led the Beavers with 21 points plus 11 rebounds, followed by Beers, who scored 18 and had 13 rebounds For Notre Dame, freshman All-American Hannah Hidalgo was held to 10 points on 4-of-17 shooting. Teammate Sonia Citron scored 22 points and had a team-leading seven rebounds.
PORTLAND 4 REGION
No. 1 Texas 69, No. 4 Gonzaga 47
Aaliyah Moore had a terrific all-around game and the Longhorns used suffocating defense to throttle the Bulldogs in the Portland 4 Region semifinals.
Moore collected 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the No. 1 seed Longhorns (33-4) as they advanced to an Elite Eight matchup with North Carolina State on Sunday. Shaylee Gonzalez scored 15 points and Shay Holle added 12. Madison Booker (six points), the Big 12 Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, was not a factor.
Yvonne Ejim led Gonzaga (32-4) with 14 points, but the senior — who came in with a 19.9-point scoring average — shot 4-for-10 from the field and fouled out late in the game. The Bulldogs shot only 26.5 percent from the field (13-for-49) and were 4-for-22 (18.2 percent) from 3-point territory.
No. 3 North Carolina State 77, No. 2 Stanford 67
Aziaha James scored 29 points and the Wolfpack stormed back from a 10-point deficit early in the second half to overwhelm the Cardinal in the Portland 4 Region semifinal.
NC State (30-6) outscored Stanford (30-6) 50-30 in the second half to advance to the Elite Eight, where it will face Texas on Sunday. James scored 25 of her points in the second half and finished 8-for-14 from the field, 3-for-5 from 3-point range and 10-for-11 from the foul line.
Stanford’s Kiki Iriafen scored 18 of her 26 points in the second half and finished with 10 rebounds. Senior All-American Cameron Brink finished her college career with 13 points, nine rebounds and seven blocked shots. She played only 24 minutes before fouling out early in the fourth quarter.
NBA NEWS
SIXERS’ NICK NURSE, KELLY OUBRE JR. FINED $50K FOR POSTGAME BEHAVIOR
Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse and forward Kelly Oubre Jr. each were fined $50,000 Friday for their behavior toward game officials following Wednesday’s 108-107 home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
NBA executive vice president Joe Dumars announced the fine for Nurse, indicating the coach “aggressively” pursued and verbally abused game officials. Oubre also was fined for “verbally abusing and directing an obscene gesture toward game officials.”
“First and foremost, heat of the moment, this is an intense basketball game, we are not perfect,” Oubre said after the game, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “The refs are not perfect. I want to apologize for losing my cool, because that’s something I work on each and every day and I try to represent God in the best way I possibly can and that wasn’t it.”
Added Oubre after his postgame behavior: “… I’ll take whatever penalties that come with that.”
NBA crew chief Kevin Scott said after a review of the final play that enough contact was present for a foul to be called.
“On the floor in real time to the crew, the crew interpreted that play as the defender jumping vertically,” Scott said, according to the Inquirer. “However, in postgame video review, we did observe some slight drift to his left by the defender, (Paul) George, and a foul should have been ruled.”
The 76ers led for most of Wednesday’s game before the Clippers made a late charge. Los Angeles took a 108-107 lead when Kawhi Leonard made a three-point play with 15.7 seconds remaining after he was fouled by Oubre while making a reverse layup.
On the other end, Oubre attacked the basket in the closing seconds, making contact with George in the lane before Leonard swatted away his potential game-winning shot. The Clippers finished off the victory after never leading by more than one point in the game.
NBA ROUNDUP: VICTOR WEMBANYAMA’S HUGE NIGHT LIFTS SPURS IN OT
Victor Wembanyama racked up a career-high 40 points, including the game-sealing 3-pointer with 1:12 to play in overtime, as the San Antonio Spurs held off the visiting New York Knicks 130-126 on Friday.
Wembanyama also had 20 rebounds (tying his career best) and seven assists, and the Spurs needed all of it to outlast the effort of New York’s Jalen Brunson, who poured in a career-high 61 points.
With 24 seconds left, San Antonio tied it with a pair of free throws by Wembanyama to send the game to overtime. Tre Jones hit a floater with 3:35 left before Wembanyama stoked the Spurs’ advantage to 125-121 with 2:56 left. Brunson’s layup cut the margin to one point before Wembanyama canned a 3-pointer to make it 128-124 with 1:12 to go.
Mitchell Robinson’s putback culled New York’s deficit to two points, but Brunson’s 3-point attempt with five seconds left missed, and the Knicks threw away the rebound. Brunson missed the Knicks’ record for single-game scoring by one point, as Carmelo Anthony had a 62-point game on Jan. 25, 2014, against the then-Charlotte Bobcats.
Heat 142, Trail Blazers 82
Bam Adebayo posted 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in just three quarters to lead host Miami to an historic win over Portland.
It was the largest margin of victory in Heat history. The Heat also dished out a franchise-record 41 assists. Miami, which led by as many as 47 points, also got a game-high 26 points along with 11 rebounds from reserve Thomas Bryant. Jimmy Butler, who missed the previous game due to illness, returned and provided eight points and eight assists in 25 minutes.
The Trail Blazers, who have lost nine straight, were led by Scoot Henderson, who scored 20 points. Deandre Ayton added 18 points, including 16 in the first half.
Timberwolves 111, Nuggets 98
Anthony Edwards had 25 points and Rudy Gobert finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds as Minnesota beat host Denver to move into a tie for first place in the Western Conference.
Mike Conley scored 23 points and Jaden McDaniels 17 for the Timberwolves, who have won four in a row despite Karl-Anthony Towns’ absence after surgery on his left knee.
Nikola Jokic had 32 points and 10 rebounds and Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. scored 14 each for the Nuggets, who have lost two in a row at home for the first time this season. They fell to third in the West, a half-game behind Minnesota and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Mavericks 107, Kings 103
Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic combined for 56 points, Dante Exum broke a late tie with a 3-pointer and Dallas completed a two-game road sweep of Sacramento with a victory.
Irving led the way with 30 points and Doncic completed a double-double with 26 points and a game-high 12 assists for the Mavericks (44-29), who had won 132-96 in the opener of the four-day double-header on Tuesday.
Domantas Sabonis recorded an NBA-leading 26th triple-double with 13 points, a game-high 12 rebounds and a team-high 10 assists for the Kings (42-31), who fell two games behind the Mavericks in the Western Conference playoff race after having started the two-game set tied.
Clippers 100 Magic 97
Kawhi Leonard scored the last of his game-high 29 points on a go-ahead jumper with 34.1 seconds remaining and Los Angeles escaped with a road win over Orlando.
Leonard’s basket, which proved to be the game-winner, came off a James Harden steal of Paolo Banchero.That led to a Paul George basket, part of his 12 points, effectively putting the game away with 5.1 seconds to play.
Banchero scored a team-high 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds but committed seven of Orlando’s 17 total turnovers. Franz Wagner finished with 13 points but shot just 5 of 13 from the floor, including 0-for-3 from 3-point range. The last of those misses was when his overtime-forcing effort at the buzzer was no good.
Thunder 128, Suns 103
Josh Giddey scored 23 points to lift host Oklahoma City to a win over Phoenix.
It was the Thunder’s first win in three games this season without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who missed his second consecutive game with a right quad contusion. Oklahoma City has won six of its past eight and kept pace near the top of the Western Conference.
It was just the second loss in six games for the Suns. Kevin Durant led Phoenix with 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting. Bradley Beal chipped in with 15 points and Devin Booker added 14.
Warriors 115, Hornets 97
Stephen Curry scored 23 points in a return to his hometown as visiting Golden State beat Charlotte Hornets.
The Warriors, who have a three-game winning streak made up exclusively of road games, also received 20 points from Andrew Wiggins and 18 from Trayce Jackson-Davis, while Moses Moody added 15 off the bench. Chris Paul contributed 11 points and a game-high nine assists.
Miles Bridges led Charlotte with 22 points, though that wasn’t enough to give the team consecutive victories for the first time in more than a month. Davis Bertans had 14 points in the first 20 minutes for the Hornets, but he didn’t score again.
Pacers 109, Lakers 90
Pascal Siakam scored 22 points with 11 rebounds, Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points with eight rebounds and eight assists and Indiana flashed some improved defense while earning a victory to end Los Angeles’ season-best five-game winning streak.
T.J McConnell scored 16 points and Aaron Nesmith added 12 as the Pacers exacted revenge after giving up 150 points to the Lakers in a road loss Sunday. The Pacers held the Lakers to a season low in points on 40.7 percent shooting from the floor, while shooting 48.3 percent on their offensive end.
Anthony Davis scored 24 points with 15 rebounds for the Lakers after missing Wednesday’s victory at Memphis to rest knee discomfort. LeBron James scored 16 points with 10 rebounds and D’Angelo Russell was held to six points as the main Los Angeles scoring trio played together for the first time in four games.
Rockets 101, Jazz 100
Jalen Green scored 34 points, including 30 in the second half, and Fred VanVleet added 22 as red-hot Houston defeated Utah in Salt Lake City for its 11th consecutive victory.
Amen Thompson contributed 18 points, 14 rebounds and five assists to help the Rockets match their longest winning streak since late in the 2017-18 season. Houston remains a game behind the Golden State Warriors for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.
John Collins contributed 30 points and 11 rebounds and Collin Sexton had 29 points for the Jazz, who lost their eighth straight.
Cavaliers 117, 76ers 114
Georges Niang scored 25 points and Evan Mobley added 20 points and 11 rebounds on Friday as host Cleveland dealt Philadelphia its third straight loss.
Darius Garland had 14 points and 12 assists, and Jarrett Allen contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds for The Cavaliers, who welcomed back Donovan Mitchell after a six-game absence due to a nasal fracture. He scored 12 points.
Kyle Lowry led the Sixers with 23 points, Tobias Harris added 21 and Tyrese Maxey had 16 points and 11 assists. The Sixers played without Joel Embiid, De’Anthony Melton and Robert Covington. Embiid is now traveling with the team and appears to be close to returning from knee surgery on Feb. 6.
Nets 125, Bulls 108
Cam Thomas scored 28 points and Dennis Schroder added 27 as Brooklyn heated up from behind the 3-point arc in the second half and earned a victory over Chicago in New York.
The Nets tied a season-high with their third straight win thanks to an offense that made 18 of 24 3-point attempts in a 78-point second half. The Nets tied a season-high with 25 treys and finished with 68 3-pointers while completing a three-game season sweep of the Bulls.
DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 31 points but Chicago lost for the fourth time in five games.
Pistons 96, Wizards 87
Cade Cunningham had 33 points and seven assists to lead Detroit to a road win over Washington in a game between teams with the two worst records in the NBA.
Jalen Duren had 20 points and 17 rebounds for the Pistons, who snapped an eight-game losing streak. The Pistons shot just 6 of 24 from 3-point range but made 31 of their 65 field goals inside the arc and hit 16 of 20 from the free-throw line.
Corey Kispert scored 23 points and Deni Avdija had 18 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in defeat for Washington, which has lost two straight following a three-game winning streak.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL NEWS
BRAVES MANAGER SNITKER LEAVES FAMILY HOME ON OPENING DAY BECAUSE OF ‘HOSTILE CROWD’ IN PHILADELPHIA
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker’s family stayed out of Philadelphia on opening day.
Snitker called out Phillies fans in spring training for what he said was objectionable behavior from them in the playoffs toward his wife and other Atlanta friends and family members.
“It’s rough there,” Snitker said in an interview with Atlanta radio station WZGC broadcast March 21. “And they don’t seem to mind, either, quite honestly. It was rough on them all last year to the point where it was concerning.”
The Phillies eliminated the Braves in Philadelphia each of the last two seasons in the NL Division Series. The Braves have won six straight NL East titles and the 2021 World Series.
Snitker had also said Philly had “by far the most hostile crowd” and his wife would refuse to return to Citizens Bank Park.
Asked what made his family feel unsafe at the ballpark, Snitker said Friday, “I’m not going to get into all that. Let’s talk about today.”
“My wife’s babysitting and the grandkids are in school,” Snitker said in Atlanta’s dugout. “They wouldn’t be anywhere, honestly, other than home.”
Snitker otherwise praised the atmosphere at Citizens Bank Park which — aside from celebrating its 20-year anniversary this season — has earned a reputation as one of the rowdiest places to play in baseball.
“This is a passionate fan base and there’s a lot of energy in the air, and rightly so,” Snitker said. “This is a really good club. These fans are passionate about what they do. It’s a fun place to come play, quite honestly, because there is a lot of energy.”
LEFT-HANDER JORDAN MONTGOMERY AND DIAMONDBACKS FINALIZE $25 MILLION, 1-YEAR CONTRACT
PHOENIX (AP) — Left-hander Jordan Montgomery and the Arizona Diamondbacks finalized their $25 million, one-year deal on Friday.
Montgomery pitched for Texas against Arizona in the World Series last year, and his addition bulks up the defending National League champions’ rotation. He should slide into the No. 3 or No. 4 spot once he’s ready for game action, joining Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodríguez, who signed an $80 million, four-year contract with the Diamondbacks earlier in the offseason.
The contract includes a vesting option for 2025.
If Montgomery makes at least 10 starts this season, the option would become guaranteed at $20 million and the left-hander also would gain the right to opt out. The option price would escalate to $22.5 million if he makes 18 starts and to $25 million if he makes 23 starts — a figure he has reached in three straight seasons.
The sides agreed to the deal on Tuesday, pending a physical.
Because Montgomery was not in the organization on opening day, the Diamondbacks cannot make a qualifying offer to him as a free agent and would not be eligible to get an additional pick in the 2025 amateur draft if he leaves Arizona at the end of the season and signs with another team.
MLB ROUNDUP: MOOKIE BETTS BELTS RECORD HR IN DODGERS’ WIN
Mookie Betts led off with a club-record home run and Teoscar Hernandez added two home runs of his own as the Los Angeles Dodgers earned a 6-3 victory Friday over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.
Betts not only set the Dodgers’ record for leadoff home runs with 29 — breaking a tie with Davey Lopes — he moved past Ian Kinsler and into sole possession of fifth place on MLB’s all-time list with 49 in 11 seasons. Miguel Rojas added a homer for Los Angeles.
Right-hander Bobby Miller (1-0) had a career-best 11 strikeouts over six innings. He gave up two hits with one walk. Evan Phillips pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his second save.
Nolan Gorman drove in two runs, while left-hander Zack Thompson gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings for the Cardinals, who are 0-2 after going 71-91 last season for their worst record in a 162-game season since 1990.
Brewers 3, Mets 1
Freddy Peralta and a trio of relievers combined on a one-hitter and Christian Yelich had three hits, including a solo homer, as Milwaukee beat host New York in the season opener for both teams.
Yelich homered in the fourth inning for the Brewers to tie the game at 1-1. Milwaukee added runs on William Contreras’ tie-breaking sacrifice fly in the fifth and rookie Jackson Chourio RBI fielder’s choice in the seventh. Chourio, who is 20 years and 18 days old, batted leadoff and went 1-for-3 with a single, a walk and a stolen base.
Peralta (1-0) went six innings, giving up only Starling Marte’s line-drive homer in the second inning. He walked one and struck out eight. Jose Quintana (0-1) allowed two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four over 4 2/3 innings.
Braves 9, Phillies 3
Matt Olson had three doubles and three RBIs, Michael Harris II added three hits and an RBI and Atlanta defeated host Philadelphia on Opening Day for both teams.
Orlando Arcia compiled three hits, Ronald Acuna Jr. added two hits and an RBI and Adam Duvall produced a two-run, pinch-hit double. Braves starter Spencer Strider allowed three hits and two runs with eight strikeouts and two walks in five innings. Pierce Johnson (1-0) earned the win in relief.
Brandon Marsh hit a two-run home run and Alec Bohm had two hits for the Phillies. Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler tossed six scoreless innings and gave up five hits with five strikeouts and no walks. Jose Alvarado (0-1) allowed five runs on three hits and two walks in just two-thirds of an inning.
Mariners 1, Red Sox 0
George Kirby allowed just two hits over 6 2/3 scoreless innings and J.P. Crawford homered as Seattle edged visiting Boston.
Kirby (1-0), a right-hander, walked two and struck out eight. Reliever Andres Munoz got the final four outs for his first save, striking out the side in the ninth. Crawford went deep off Red Sox starter Pivetta (0-1) with one out in the bottom of the sixth, hitting a cut fastball on an 0-1 count just inside the right-field foul pole.
It was the third and final hit Pivetta allowed in his six innings, following a two-out single by Ty France in the second and a leadoff single by Julio Rodriguez in the fourth. Pivetta didn’t walk a batter and struck out 10.
Guardians 6, Athletics 4
Andres Gimenez had three hits and scored two runs for visiting Cleveland in a win against Oakland in the second game of their four-game series.
Jose Ramirez hit a two-run homer, Steven Kwan had two hits and two runs scored and Josh Naylor had two hits and a run for the Guardians, who won the season opener 8-0 on Thursday. Cleveland starter Logan Allen (1-0) allowed three runs and six hits in five-plus innings.
J.D. Davis homered twice and Shea Langeliers and Nick Allen had two hits each for the A’s. Oakland starter Ross Stripling (0-1) allowed five runs (four earned) and seven hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked two.
Rays 8, Blue Jays 2
Brandon Lowe socked his fourth career grand slam and Tampa Bay won for the first time in 2024, routing Toronto in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Lowe, who went 2-for-5, belted the blast in the third inning. The Rays’ Yandy Diaz was 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs, and Aaron Civale (1-0) allowed a run and four hits in six innings.
George Springer hit a solo homer for the second straight night and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled twice and walked for the Blue Jays. Chris Bassitt (0-1) yielded five runs (four earned) on six hits in five innings.
Giants 8, Padres 3
Matt Chapman homered twice and knocked in five runs while Kyle Harrison pitched six effective innings as San Francisco stopped host San Diego.
Harrison (1-0) allowed six hits and two runs, walking none and fanning five as he handed Bob Melvin his first win as San Francisco manager. Chapman belted a two-run shot off Joe Musgrove (0-1) to center field in the first, then capped the scoring in the ninth by blasting another two-run homer off Pedro Avila.
Fernando Tatis Jr. cracked two solo homers and Manny Machado also clubbed a solo shot for San Diego, which was coming off a 6-4 win in its home opener on Thursday.
Diamondbacks 7, Rockies 3
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Christian Walker smacked back-to-back homers and Alek Thomas added a three-run blast to help Arizona top Colorado in Phoenix.
Joc Pederson went 4-for-4 with an RBI in his Arizona debut. Merrill Kelly (1-0) pitched 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball as the Diamondbacks defeated the Rockies for the second straight night and picked up their 2,000th win as a franchise.
Elias Diaz homered for the Rockies, and Charlie Blackmon delivered an RBI triple. Cal Quantrill (0-1) gave up five runs and nine hits in five innings in his Colorado debut. He
Pirates 7, Marlins 2
Ke’Bryan Hayes had two hits, scored twice and drove in two runs as visiting Pittsburgh capitalized on A.J. Puk’s control problems in a win over Miami.
Oneil Cruz and Connor Joe each had two hits and drove in a run for Pittsburgh, which drew seven walks and improved to 2-0. Ryder Ryan (1-0) threw 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Josh Fleming gave up one run over three innings for the save.
Puk (0-1) issued a career-high six walks and gave up four runs on three hits with one strikeout over two-plus innings in his first career start. Jake Burger, Tim Anderson and Bryan De La Cruz each had two hits for Miami.
Yankees 7, Astros 1
Oswaldo Cabrera went 4-for-5 with three RBIs as New York followed a two-run seventh inning with a four-run eighth to top host Houston.
New York’s Juan Soto went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Giancarlo Stanton hit a 419-foot homer to left-center in the ninth. The win went to Luke Weaver (1-0), the third of six New York pitchers. He retired all four batters he faced in 1 1/3 innings.
Cabrera delivered an RBI single off Astros reliever Tayler Scott (0-1) with one out in the seventh that knotted the score at 1-1, two batters before Soto greeted Houston right-hander Rafael Montero with a bases-loaded walk that forced home Austin Wells.
NFL NEWS
JAGUARS LB FOYE OLUOKUN SIGNS 3-YEAR EXTENSION THAT INCLUDES $22.5M GUARANTEED, AP SOURCE SAYS
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Foye Oluokun signed a three-year contract extension Friday that includes $22.5 million guaranteed, a person familiar with negotiations said.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because financial details were not released publicly. Oluokun’s agent, AJ Vaynerchuk, confirmed the length of the extension on X, formerly Twitter.
The 28-year-old Oluokun was entering the final year of a three-year, $45 million contract he signed in 2022. He was scheduled to count $21.75 million against the salary cap in 2024. The extension is expected to lower his cap number and create extra space for Jacksonville to sign more free agents and its upcoming draft class.
After leading the NFL in tackles in 2021 and 2022, Oluokun finished fourth last season with 173. He’s the sixth player since 2000 to record at least 150 tackles in three consecutive seasons, topping a list that includes Baltimore’s Roquan Smith, the New York Jets’ C.J. Mosley, San Diego’s Donnie Edwards, Carolina’s Luke Kuechly and Miami’s Zach Thomas.
DOLPHINS’ MOSTERT LANDS NEW REPORTED 2-YEAR, $9M DEAL
The Miami Dolphins and running back Raheem Mostert agreed to a contract extension that keeps the rusher with Miami through the 2025 season, his agency announced Friday.
It’s a new two-year, $9-million deal beginning this season, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Mostert was set to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2024 season. He signed a two-year, $5.5-million deal last offseason after playing on a one-year contract with the Dolphins in 2022.
The 31-year-old secured his first 1,000-yard rushing season last year and led the league in rushing touchdowns with 18. Mostert has been the Dolphins’ leading rusher over the last two campaigns and was a key cog in one of the league’s most lethal ground attacks.
Mostert has battled injuries for most of his career but has suited up in 31 contests since joining Miami. He has 3,513 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns in 90 career contests.
REPORT: EAGLES TRADING REDDICK TO JETS
The Philadelphia Eagles are trading star pass-rusher Haason Reddick to the New York Jets in exchange for a conditional 2026 third-round pick, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The pick will become a second-round selection if Reddick plays 67.5% of New York’s snaps and records at least 10 sacks in 2024, Schefter added. The 29-year-old has hit both of those milestones in each of the last four campaigns.
The Eagles gave Reddick permission to seek a trade in February as he’s entering the final season of his current contract. The veteran defender currently doesn’t have a new deal with the Jets, according to Schefter.
New York is expected to take on $14.5 million of Reddick’s 2024 compensation, while Philadelphia will be responsible for the $1-million roster bonus he was due in early March, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
Reddick racked up 27 sacks in two seasons with the Eagles and led the team in that category both years.
NFL ANNOUNCES OFFSEASON WORKOUT DATES FOR ALL 32 TEAMS
The Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers and Washington Commanders will kick off their respective offseason workouts on April 2, the NFL announced on Friday.
The early start likely will be appreciated by the three teams given that they all have new head coaches, namely Raheem Morris (Falcons), Jim Harbaugh (Chargers) and Dan Quinn (Commanders).
The Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans also feature new head coaches and will start their respective offseason programs on April 8. Dave Canales is the head coach of the Panthers, while Jerod Mayo (Patriots), Mike Macdonald (Seahawks) and Brian Callahan (Titans) lead their respective teams.
Below are the offseason workout dates for all 32 teams:
ARIZONA CARDINALS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-22, May 28-30, June 3-6
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
ATLANTA FALCONS
First Day: April 2
Voluntary Minicamp: April 22-24
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 13-14, May 16, May 20-21, May 23, June 3-4, June 6
Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12
BALTIMORE RAVENS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20, May 22-23, May 28, May 30-31, June 3-4, June 6-7
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
BUFFALO BILLS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 28-30, June 3-4, June 6
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
CAROLINA PANTHERS
First Day: April 8
Voluntary Minicamp: April 23-25
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 28-29, May 31, June 3-4, June 6
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
CHICAGO BEARS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 28-29, May 31
Mandatory Minicamp: June 4-6
CINCINNATI BENGALS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 28-30, June 3-6
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
CLEVELAND BROWNS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 21-23, May 28-30, June 3-6
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
DALLAS COWBOYS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 21-23, May 29-31
Mandatory Minicamp: June 4-6
DENVER BRONCOS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 21-23, May 28-30, June 3-6
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
DETROIT LIONS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 21-23, May 29-31, June 10-12
Mandatory Minicamp: June 4-6
GREEN BAY PACKERS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 28-29, May 31, June 3-4, June 6
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
HOUSTON TEXANS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 29-31, June 3-4, June 6
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 21-23, May 29-31
Mandatory Minicamp: June 4-6
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 28-29, May 31, June 3-6
Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-22, May 28-30, June 4-7
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 28-29, May 31, June 3-6
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
First Day: April 2
Voluntary Minicamp: April 22-24
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 29-31, June 4-7
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
LOS ANGELES RAMS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 28-29, May 31, June 3-6
Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12
MIAMI DOLPHINS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 28-29, May 31
Mandatory Minicamp: June 4-6
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 28-29, May 31, June 10-13
Mandatory Minicamp: June 4-6
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
First Day: April 8
Voluntary Minicamp: April 23-24
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 29-31, June 3-4, June 6-7
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 21-23, May 28-30, June 3-6
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
NEW YORK GIANTS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 28-29, May 31, June 3-4, June 6-7
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
NEW YORK JETS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 28-29, May 31, June 3-4, June 6-7
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20, May 22-23, May 28, May 30-31
Mandatory Minicamp: June 4-6
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 21-23, May 28-30, June 3-6
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 28-29, May 31
Mandatory Minicamp: June 4-6
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
First Day: April 8
Voluntary Minicamp: April 22-24
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20, May 22-23, May 28, May 30-31, June 3-4, June 6-7
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
First Day: April 15
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 21-23, May 28-30, June 4-6
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
TENNESSEE TITANS
First Day: April 8
Voluntary Minicamp: April 22-24
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 28-29, May 31, June 10-13
Mandatory Minicamp: June 4-6
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
First Day: April 2
Voluntary Minicamp: April 22-24
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 14-15, May 17, May 21-22, May 24, June 4-5, June 7
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
SMART ADDRESSES EXPANDED CFP, EXPECTS ‘DOMINANCE’ FROM GEORGIA
Georgia has suffered as many losses as it’s won national titles over the last three seasons, but Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart isn’t satisfied entering his ninth season with the team.
“I want more than relevance. I want dominance, and we’ve been more dominant in the last three years,” Smart recently told ESPN’s Chris Low. “What I don’t want are the ebbs and flows or the one-hit wonders you see out there. I don’t want any player to leave Georgia without a championship.”
He added: “I was brought here to win championships, but the thing I’m proudest of has been the consistency. I look back on Year 1 (when Georgia went 8-5) as a failure and not the standard, but every year after that, we’ve been right there. Nobody else over that span can say they’ve finished in the top seven at the very end for seven straight years. You can’t find it, not even at Alabama. We missed the damn playoff three times by being No. 5 or No. 6, so those are missed at-bats we would have had in this 12-team playoff. We’ve been relevant every year but that first one.”
Georgia won back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022 but failed to make the playoff after suffering its only loss of the season to Alabama in the SEC title game last year. The Bulldogs are 94-16 under Smart, who took over as head coach in 2016.
As Smart and the Bulldogs try to return to the playoffs and remain one of the country’s most dominant teams, they’ll have to adapt to the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams in 2024.
The 48-year-old has an issue with the new playoff format, though.
“The idea of the SEC championship loser, who just fought their ass off to be the second-place team in the best conference in the world, having to turn around and play maybe two weeks later with no bye,” Smart said. “If you go through our conference undefeated like we did last year and lose to a team in the SEC championship game, you’re going to lose your bye and go play as a 5-seed somewhere? That’s crazy.”
But Smart said he does think the expanded CFP field will offer a lot of meaningful games to fans.
“It keeps your hopes alive with one loss, maybe two,” he added. “A lot of coaches have complained that once they lost a game, their kids just said that they were done. There won’t be as much of that. Everybody’s fighting for the same thing, and that’s the beauty of making those last three or four weeks really, really eventful. I know some people say, ‘It devalues the late-season games because you’ll know you’re in.’ Well, there will be more people in the hunt now. So there will be a lot of meaningful games. That team with two losses late in the year that has played a tough schedule is going to be fighting and scratching to earn that 12th spot.”
The College Football Playoff is expected to expand to 14 teams beginning in 2026.
NHL NEWS
TAGE THOMPSON’S 4-GOAL NIGHT RALLIES BUFFALO SABRES TO 5-2 WIN OVER THE NEW JERSEY DEVILS
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Tage Thompson’s scored four times, including the go-ahead goal with 4:34 remaining, and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Devils 5-2 on Friday night to put a dent in New Jersey’s late-season playoff push.
Thompson’s natural hat trick rallied Buffalo from a 2-0 deficit, and he capped the outing with an empty-netter with 6 seconds left.
The loss left the Devils five points behind the Washington Capitals, who hold the Eastern Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot. New Jersey lost for just the third time this season — 16-2-1 — when leading after one period.
Buffalo, meanwhile, stayed mathematically in the race by moving into 12th in the East, a point a ahead of Pittsburgh, and six behind the Capitals.
JJ Peterka, with his fifth goal in four games, also scored an empty-net goal. Alex Tuch had two assists to extend his point streak to seven games, in which he’s combined for a goal and nine assists. Devon Levi stopped 28 shots.
Max Willman and Jesper Bratt scored for the Devils, who blew a chance to win three straight for just the fifth time this season. Jake Allen stopped 31 shots in dropping to 4-3 since being acquired in a trade with Montreal.
After scoring twice in the second period, Thompson completed his sixth-career three-or-more-goal outing by batting down Rasmus Dahlin’s shot from the left point. The puck dribbled under Allen, and Thompson used his lengthy reach to sweep the puck in behind the goalie.
Thompson’s surge began after Willman deflected in Luke Hughes’ point shot and Bratt had a shot deflect in off Peterka’s stick to stake the Devils to a 2-0 lead 10:31 into the first period.
Thompson responded by scoring 28 seconds into the second period off Timo Meier’s turnover in the neutral zone. He then tied it with 2:31 left into the period after being set up in the middle by Tuch, who forced John Marino to cough up the puck at the left boards.
Hughes’ assist on Willman’s goal was the rookie defenseman’s 41st point of the season. He now ranks third on the team’s rookie list, one point ahead of Scott Niedermayer, and one behind Viacheslav Fetisov. Will Butcher holds the record with 44 points in 2017-18.
UP NEXT
Devils: Host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.
Sabres: Host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
RACING NEWS
WILLIAM BYRON HEADS TO RICHMOND CHASING 3RD WIN OF SEASON
Just as he did last year, William Byron is setting a blistering pace to a NASCAR Cup Series season, but he has a strong collection of contenders who will be looking to dethrone him on Easter Sunday in Virginia’s capital.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver will seek his second consecutive victory and third in seven races when the series moves to Richmond Raceway for the Toyota Owners 400 on Sunday night.
Once again, the 26-year-old Charlotte native became the first multiple winner in NASCAR’s top series in a season.
In 2023, he posted consecutive victories during the first month of races, taking the checkers at Las Vegas and Phoenix.
It took him two more starts than that this season, as he won the season-opening Daytona 500 and then prevailed last Sunday in the season’s first road race, at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
The top three drivers in the point standings are winless — leader Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs (five points back) and reigning series champion Ryan Blaney (nine points back) — but one of the five winners this season to keep an eye on might be the driver who nearly ran down Byron in the final laps at COTA, Christopher Bell.
Three weeks ago, the Oklahoma native racer triumphed at Phoenix Raceway, which has been on the schedule since 1988 but is now deemed a short track. Though winless at Richmond’s three-quarter-mile, D-shaped design, Bell has a strong record at the small venue.
In seven Cup starts, Bell has four top-five finishes and five top-10 results. With an average start of 17.7 and finish of 7.7, the 29-year-old has led 99 laps at RR but has never been first to the checkers.
“Richmond has been a really good track for me and that has a lot to do for the team I drive for,” said the Toyota driver. “Joe Gibbs Racing has been exceptional at Richmond Raceway. Unfortunately, the last race we had at Richmond I didn’t do very well at all (finishing 20th).
“So we need to put that behind us, but coming off of Phoenix, this is the next short track with the new rules package, so we’re really looking forward to seeing what we have. I think it’s going to be a good race for us.”
Maybe, but that might depend on whether he can avoid Kyle Busch.
The Cup Series’ active leader with six Richmond wins, Busch was spun by Bell and irate when he confronted his former JGR teammate with an extremely direct conversation that had almost no back and forth.
When Busch point-blank asked Bell if he had ever wrecked him and Bell replied no, the two-time series champion shot back, “Ok, well, that (stuff’s) coming.”
Bell said the intent to wreck the No. 8 Chevrolet was not there.
“KB is frustrated about what happened in Turn 1,” said the No. 20 Toyota standout. “But I had no intentions of turning him, and I’m sure we’ll talk it out before the next race.”
Busch’s last win at Richmond came on Sept. 22, 2018, a season in which he captured both Richmond races.
GOLF NEWS
HANNAH GREEN SHOOTS 61, TAKES FORD CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD
Australia’s Hannah Green made six consecutive birdies to close an 11-under-par 61 on Friday, and she holds the lead midway through the Ford Championship in Gilbert, Ariz.
The career-low round leaves Green at 14-under 130, one stroke ahead of Sarah Schmelzel and Taiwan’s Peiyun Chien, who shot 63 and 65, respectively, at Seville Golf and Country Club.
South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim (67 on Friday) and Spain’s Azahara Munoz (68) share fourth place at 12 under. First-round leader Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand (70), Japan’s Yuka Saso (63), New Zealand’s Lydia Ko (64) and Germany’s Caroline Masson (65) are tied for sixth at 11 under.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda (68) is in a group of 12 players level at 10 under, tied for 10th place.
Green didn’t wake up thinking she would produce the round of her life. She ended the bogey-free round with 11 birdies.
“I wasn’t really feeling that great overnight,” she said. “Kind of have a bit of a runny nose and sore throat, so wasn’t expecting that much, which is maybe a good thing.
“I missed a short putt on the first (hole) and I was like, ‘Oh, OK, that’s fine.’ I really took advantage of the shorter holes we had. I also holed a couple really long putts. Maybe even moved the hole. It was that firm. But just felt really good out there. Yeah, just had a really nice morning.”
Green birdied five of the first 10 holes, then made back-to-back pars before her finishing charge.
“I did hole a couple short putts that I was able to hit close for birdie and a couple 10-footers,” she said. “It’s nice to see the ball go in and the reads that I had were correct.
“(Thursday) I actually didn’t feel like I played that much different. I just read the greens a little better and hit putts that obviously went in.”
Green is looking for her second victory of the month after she earned her fourth career LPGA title on March 3 at the HSBC Women’s World Championship.
Schmelzel posted nine birdies and no bogeys in the second round. The 29-year-old Phoenix native is looking for her first LPGA win.
“I had quite a few family and friends out there today, so it was just awesome,” she said. “One of my friends was fist-bumping me for every birdie, so we got pretty excited towards the back nine when we were tallying them up pretty good.
“But it just feels great to get some putts going in. It’s always nice to see the momentum keep going, so just looking forward to (Saturday).”
Chien birdied four of her first six holes and also carded a bogey-free round.
REIGNING CHAMP TONY FINAU SURGES AHEAD FOR HOUSTON OPEN LEAD
Defending champion Tony Finau caught fire toward the end of his round and posted an 8-under 62 to grab the 36-hole lead at the Texas Children’s Houston Open on Friday at Memorial Park Golf Course.
After starting his day with three birdies on the back nine and making the turn with a bogey 5 at No. 1, Finau rolled in birdies at Nos. 3, 4, 6 and 7 before a perfectly read chip-in eagle at the par-5 eighth to go out in 5-under 30.
Finau rose to 9 under for the tournament, where few players could threaten him the rest of the day. Argentina’s Alejandro Tosti made a 30-foot birdie at his last hole, the par-3 ninth, to polish off a 67 and take second place at 7 under; Belgium’s Thomas Detry carded a 64 and is alone in third at 6 under.
Finau had his putter to thank for most of his birdies down the stretch. He drained a left-to-right 27-footer at the fourth hole, a tough right-to-left 30-footer at the sixth and another 30-footer at the par-3 seventh to take the outright lead.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler touched 7 under several times during his round but settled for an up-and-down 70 and a tie for fourth at 5 under. After a bogey and three birdies on his front nine, Scheffler picked up two more of each down the stretch before making a mess of the par-4 18th green.
After lipping out a par putt, his 2-footer for bogey also refused to go down and he accepted a double bogey. Scheffler’s streak of 28 straight rounds under par on tour was halted by the even-par 70.
RETIEF GOOSEN, STEVEN ALKER, ALEX CEJKA SHARE GALLERI CLASSIC LEAD
Retief Goosen of South Africa rode a hot start to a 6-under 66 Friday for a share of the first-round lead at the Galleri Classic in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Goosen, Steven Alker of New Zealand and Alex Cejka of Germany are tied atop the leaderboard, one stroke ahead of fourth-place Billy Andrade. Steve Stricker, last year’s Charles Schwab Cup champion, is part of a large tie at 4-under 68 at Mission Hills Country Club.
Goosen birdied his first three holes, then added two more at the par-3 fifth and eighth holes for a 5-under 31 on the front nine. He reached 7 under par through 13 holes before cooling off, with a bogey and four pars the rest of the way.
So despite his low score, Goosen said he was heading to the range after his round.
“I wasn’t hitting the ball that good, funny enough, but made everything (putting) on the front nine,” Goosen said. “Then really from sort of No. 11 onwards, I didn’t really hit the ball all that good, missed a lot of fairways, struggled to get it close to the hole. You know, caught up with me on the back nine, the bad ball-striking.”
Goosen, a World Golf Hall of Famer, has just two victories to his name on the PGA Tour Champions and none since March 2022.
“I just like the course. The course is in great shape,” Goosen said. “Everything’s there in front of you. If you hit the ball well, you’re going to score well and putt well.”
Goosen tied for third at the Galleri Classic last year, while Alker finished second. Alker went bogey-free with six birdies on Friday.
“Around this golf course, you’ve just got to keep it in the fairway to give yourself some chances,” Alker said. “Things might soften up a little bit, so maybe the irons being a little more aggressive. I think the key here is really the tee shot is very important just to give yourself a shot at the green.”
Cejka joined Alker in posting a bogey-free round. He started on the back nine and finished his day with consecutive birdies at Nos. 8-9.
David Toms, the defending champion, opened with a 3-under 69.
INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES/NEWS
INDIANA PACERS BASKETBALL
(PACERS RELEASE)
GAME REWIND: PACERS 109, LAKERS 90
Five days after the Lakers outscored Indiana in a 150-145 shootout in Los Angeles, the Pacers got some revenge on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Blue & Gold’s defense stepped up on Friday, stifling the Lakers to their lowest scoring output of the season in a 109-90 victory. Six players and all five starters scored in double figures for the Pacers (42-33) as they snapped the Lakers’ five-game win streak.
Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton led the way. Siakam tallied 22 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists, while Haliburton registered 21 points, eight boards, and eight assists.
Anthony Davis finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds, while LeBron James added 16 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists for the Lakers (41-33).
“Very determined defensive effort, top to bottom,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said after the win. “Really started with our best players. Started with Tyrese and Pascal and Myles (Turner), those guys led the way. I thought Tyrese had a really, really strong game defensively…Tonight we adjusted and did some really good things.
“Really happy for our guys. It’s hard holding this team to 90 after giving up 150 a few nights ago.”
With the victory, Indiana remained in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with seven games remaining in the regular season. The top six teams at the end of the season advance directly to the playoffs, while the teams that finish seventh through 10th must compete for the final two playoff berths in the Play-In Tournament.
“These are all playoff games,” Carlisle said. “They’re fighting for their position in the standings, we are. This is big-time stuff.”
PLAYOFF PICTURE: Track the Latest Standings, Potential Matchups, and More >>
The Pacers led 27-24 after a competitive first quarter that featured nine lead changes and three ties. Aaron Nesmith got the offense going early, scoring seven of Indiana’s first 11 points, while Haliburton also got off to a fast start, registering five points and five assists in the opening frame.
The second unit helped the Blue & Gold create a little separation at the start of the second quarter. T.J. McConnell scored twice and dished out four assists — three to rookie guard Ben Sheppard — as Indiana opened the frame with a 13-9 spurt to stretch the margin to seven.
The hosts maintained the lead until late in the half, when the Lakers briefly tied the game at 47 after Davis’ hook shot with 1:39 remaining capped a 6-0 run by Los Angeles.
But on the other end, Nesmith kicked to Andrew Nembhard for a corner three in front of the Indiana bench. Then after a Davis miss, Siakam scored in transition to make it a five-point game. That’s where the margin remained at the intermission, with Indiana in front, 54-49.
The Pacers were able to stretch the margin in the third quarter. They took a double-digit lead following two Siakam free throws with 6:57 remaining in the frame, then used an 8-0 run a few minutes later to extend the lead to 16 at 83-67.
Siakam had 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists in the quarter. Backup big man Jalen Smith delivered a statement to close the frame when he rejected D’Angelo Russell at the rim, simulaneously sending his shot to the sideline and sending the Pacers into the fourth quarter with an 86-72 lead.
The Lakers got back within single digits early in the final frame, as Austin Reaves knocked down a 3-pointer and Davis converted a three-point play on the visitors’ first two possessions of the quarter.
But from there, the Pacers battled to prevent the Lakers from getting any closer. On one possession with Indiana leading 92-85, Haliburton got switched onto James on the left wing. The four-time MVP called for a post-up against the smaller guard, but Haliburton was able to jump Reaves’ pass and get a steal, triggering a fastbreak where he found Siakam for a layup.
That play wound up being the start of a 12-0 Pacers run, which was capped with another steal and score, this time Nembhard intercepting a James pass and throwing ahead to Siakam, who threw down a right-hand slam that served as the exclamation point on an impressive victory.
With the game in hand in the final minutes, during a timeout the in-arena cameras ran a Snapchat filter on Lakers fans that made it appear as if they were crying, much to the amusement of the home crowd.
“There’s always going to be juice when you play the Lakers,” Haliburton said. “They travel well, the fans go crazy for them. So it’s a big game no matter what.”
McConnell continued his strong play off the bench, scoring 16 points in 19 minutes on 7-of-11 shooting. Nesmith scored 12 points, Nembhard added 10, and Turner finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and two blocks.
Reaves had 16 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists for the Lakers in the loss. Rui Hachimura tallied 14 points.
The Pacers will have two days off before hosting the Nets on Monday. Those two teams will meet again in Brooklyn on Wednesday before Indiana returns to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for games against Oklahoma City and Miami next weekend.
Inside the Numbers
With 42 wins, the Pacers have officially clinched their first winning season since 2019-20, when they went 45-28 in a season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Pacers are now 37-13 on the season when six or more players reach double figures.
Siakam has now surpassed 20 points in 21 of 34 games since joining the Blue & Gold from Toronto in a trade and has accomplished the feat in six of his last seven contests.
Haliburton has reached 20 points 31 times this season, including four of his past six games.
All five Pacers starters had a plus/minus of +14 or better, with Haliburton (+27) and Siakam (+23) leading the way. All five Lakers starters were -12 or worse.
McConnell has scored in double figures in nine straight games, the longest double-digit scoring streak in his nine-year career. He has come off the bench in all nine of those contests.
The Pacers limited the Lakers to 40.7 percent shooting overall and just 5-of-30 (16.7 percent) shooting from 3-point range. Only once this season has a Pacers opponent made fewer threes (the Trail Blazers made just four on Jan. 19 in Portland).
You Can Quote Me On That
“I just thought we did a good job locking in, understanding that we just played them a week ago. Schematically, I thought we just did a good job of locking in to what they did. Doing a good job with AD and LeBron in the post, it’s difficult but I think that (Nesmith) and Myles did a good job of fighting those guys. We were doubling from time-to-time, we just did a good job of rotating and finishing possessions with rebounds.” -Haliburton on the Pacers’ defense
“T.J.’s just a terrific player. He’s aggressive. You dare him to do something, he’s going to do it. He keeps pressure on the rim, he passes the ball, he defends. He does a lot of the physical things that a lot of smaller guards don’t like to do. He gets on screens, he draws offensive fouls. He’s just super valuable.” -Carlisle on McConnell
“Just being really ultra-aggressive. I think he just has a lot of confidence trusting his jumper right now. I wouldn’t say that he’s ever trusted his jumper as an NBA player. I think that that’s really changed things for him.” -Haliburton on McConnell’s scoring off the bench
“Aaron carries the flag when it comes to guarding guys like LeBron James. That body type, we had nobody else. It speaks to his maturity, it speaks to how he’s adjusted his game to fit the way the game’s being officiated now. He puts his body in there, he shows his hands, and he makes it tough. And he just keeps coming.” -Carlisle on Nesmith, who logged 39 minutes primarily guarding James and picked up just one foul
“I think that Aaron is going to be one of the better defenders in our league. He can guard multiple positions one through four. When we played Philly earlier in the year, he had to guard Joel (Embiid) for a little stretch. He’s just doing a great job. He is one of the biggest examples in our league of just knowing your role and excelling in that, while continuing to grow his game at the same time. I think that the more he’s playing, the more his confidence is growing. He’s just a special, special guy. Glad that he’ll be here long-term.” -Haliburton on Nesmith’s defense
“We just kind of took it kind of personally. They felt like that game was pretty easy for them offensively. We just had a better focus in terms of the things we want to do and how we want to do them. There was just so much more communication and we were more in sync in terms of rotations…The guys responded.” -Siakam on having a better defensive showing after allowing 150 to the Lakers on Sunday
“Having him on our team, just to see how easy it looks for him. He gets to his spots…He knows where to get on the floor and he gets to that every time and the results are always 100 percent every single time. And he plays with so much pace and energy, that’s always needed. I’m glad he’s on my team now.” -Siakam on what’s impressed him about McConnell
Stat of the Night
The Pacers limited the Lakers to 90 points on Friday, both the lowest total by a Pacers opponent this season and the fewest points scored by the Lakers this season. The previous low for a Pacers opponent was 97 by Orlando on March 10, while the Lakers’ previous low was 94 (Nov. 8 at Houston and Nov. 27 at Philadelphia).
Noteworthy
The Pacers snapped a three-game home losing streak to the Lakers. Their last win over the Lakers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse prior to Friday was on Dec. 17, 2019.
With the win, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle now has 938 career victories, moving him into a tie with the legendary Red Auerbach for 12th place on the NBA’s all-time wins list.
Turner was honored prior to the start of Friday’s game, receiving a framed collage from Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard in honor of the ninth-year center passing Jermaine O’Neal to become the franchise’s all-time leader in blocks on March 22 at Golden State.
Up Next
The Pacers continue their homestand by welcoming Mikal Bridges and the Brooklyn Nets to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday, April 1 at 7:00 PM ET.
INDY ELEVEN SOCCER
INDY HOSTS FIRST EASTERN CONFERENCE FOE OF 2024 IN DETROIT CITY FC | KICK SLATED FOR 7 P.M. ET
Indy Eleven vs Detroit City FC
Saturday, March 30, 2024 – 7:00 p.m. ET
Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis
Kick for a Cause – Join us for our Kick for a Cause Night
Follow Live
WNDY
CBS SPORTS GOLAZO NETWORK
Spanish Radio: Exitos Radio 94.3 FM & exitos943.com
In-game updates: @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed
Stats: #INDvDET MatchCenter at USLChampionship.com
2024 USL Championship Records
Indy Eleven: 1-1-1 (-), 4 pts; 7th in Eastern Conference
Detroit City FC: 2-0-0 (+2), 6 pts; 2nd in Eastern Conference
Community Health Network Sports Medicine Indy Eleven Injury Report
OUT: A. Quinn (knee)
QUESTIONABLE: None
SETTING THE SCENE
The Boys in Blue return to action Saturday at home against Detroit City FC, in their first USL Championship Eastern Conference battle of the 2024 season.
Indy is coming off a 1-1 tie with Sacramento Republic FC to move to 1-1-1 on the season, while Detroit sits at 2-0-0 after a 2-1 win over Loudoun United FC last week.
SERIES VS. DETROIT
Saturday marks the fifth overall meeting between the sides in USL Championship action, with Indy holding the 2-1-1 all-time advantage.
Indy Leads 2-1-1 | GF 4, GA 1
Recent Meetings
Sept. 30, 2023 | W, 3-0 | Home
March 25, 2023 | W, 1-0 | Away
Sept. 3, 2022 | D, 0-0 | Away
July 9, 2022 | L, 1-0 | Home
THE [NEW] GAFFER
2024 is Indy’s first season under head coach Sean McAuley, who previously served as interim head coach/assistant at MLS-side Minnesota United FC. McAuley helped Minnesota to playoff appearances in each of his first three seasons, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2020. In 2015, he hoisted the MLS Cup with Portland Timbers. McAuley opened his playing career with Manchester United and played for Portland Timbers and the U-21 Scottish National Team, among others.
TOTW X2
Indy opened the season with back-to-back weeks with players on the USL Championship Team of the Week. Jack Blake and Younes Boudadi were honored after the week one match at Oakland, while Blake repeated alongside Aedan Stanley after the win over Memphis week two.
LAST TIME OUT
INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, March 23, 2024) – Indy Eleven and Sacramento Republic FC played to a 1-1 draw in the Boys in Blue’s home opener.
Indy Eleven found themselves on the wrong side of an own goal in the 31st minute, but answered back almost immediately when Augi Williams found the back of the net for the first time this season off and assist from Max Schneider.
The teams traded chances in the second half, but neither was able to find the eventual match winner.
Indy was outshot 14-7 in the contest, with Williams having a match-high four, equaling his season best. In goal, Yannik Oettl logged three saves.
Scoring Summary
SAC – Own Goal 31’
IND – Augi Williams (Max Schneider) 34’
Discipline Summary
IND – Adrian Diz Pe (caution) 71’
IND – Max Schneider (caution) 79’
SAC – Jared Timmer (caution) 83’has context menu
INDY FUEL HOCKEY
FUEL DEFEAT FORT WAYNE IN OT THRILLER
FORT WAYNE – The Fuel went up to Fort Wayne for a Friday night contest against the Komets. It was a hotly contested game but the Fuel would ultimately walk away as the victors in an overtime thriller 4-3.
1ST PERIOD
The game started fast with two goals in the first five minutes, one by each team.
At 3:54, Ethan De Jong scored a power-play goal for the Komets with the main assist coming from new addition Zack Andrusiak. It didn’t take the Fuel long to respond as less than 30 seconds later Colin Bilek rifled a shot past Tyler Parks for his first goal in his first game back from injury.
The rest of the period remained quiet on the scoreboard despite some exciting chances from both sides.
After the one, the Komets outshot the Fuel 13-10. Only one penalty was committed by Cam Hausinger, getting called for boarding at 2:13.
2ND PERIOD
The Komets kept their same early-period pressure with an early score by the newly acquired Zack Andrusiak at 3:55.
After their early score, the Fort Wayne attack began to slow down. Through two periods, the Komets had 24 shots on goal. The Fuel had 24 shots on goal in the second period alone with one of those shots finding the back of the net unconventionally.
At 15:05, Matt Cairns sent a shot to the net that popped up off the stick of Cam Hausinger about 10 feet in the air over the Fort Wayne goaltender and slowly dribbled past the goal line to tie the score up at 2.
The Komets committed three minor penalties to the Fuel’s one in the second period.
3RD PERIOD AND OVERTIME
It only took seven seconds into the period for Jake Chiasson to score the third goal of the game for the Komets, one of the fastest goals to start a period against the Fuel all season long.
Just after a Komets player was released from the box for hooking, Andrew Bellant scored off a beautiful feed from Bryan Lemos to tie the game up at three goals each.
A late Ryan Gagnier high-sticking minor at 18:17 gave the Fuel a scare before the end of regulation but the game would ultimately go into overtime giving the 7,000 fans in attendance free hockey.
Fort Wayne would have an early chance in a 4 on 3 with the high-sticking carrying into overtime but a great save by Zack Driscoll thwarted Fort Wayne’s effort.
At the 1:54 mark in overtime, Seamus Malone scored the game-winning goal on a wrap-around shot. The Fuel would win the game 4-3 with the final shots favoring Indy 48-37.
ABOUT THE INDY FUEL:
The Indy Fuel, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks and the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs, are back at Indiana Farmers Coliseum for their tenth season.
INDIANA WOMEN’S BB
HOOSIERS COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AGAINST TOP SEEDED SOUTH CAROLINA
ALBANY, N.Y. – Indiana nearly erased a 22-point deficit as it outscored top-seeded South Carolina in the second half but came up short in a 79-75 loss in the NCAA regional semifinal at MVP Arena on Friday night.
KEY MOMENTS
After an 10-2 lead early for South Carolina (35-0) in the first, Indiana (26-6) responded with a 7-0 run of its own, which featured a 3-pointer from Garzon and Scalia’s baseline floater make it a 10-9 just under the five-minute mark.
Parrish drilled a triple from the right wing to tie the game up at 12-all but another 8-0 run from the Gamecocks pushed the deficit back to eight. Scalia’s step back 3-pointer with 2:54 to go was the last field goal of the frame for the Hoosiers as it trailed 26-15.
Indiana got back-to-back field goals from Scalia and a Moore-McNeil triple to come back within single digits. Garzon and Moore-McNeil then combined for two 3’s at the 5:57 mark but were limited to just four points in the remainder of the second, facing a 49-32 halftime deficit.
The third quarter would be won by the Hoosiers as Parrish scored eight of her 21 points as she went back-to-back at the 3-point line while attacking the rim with 4:33 on the clock. South Carolina responded with back-to-back buckets, but Indiana wouldn’t go quietly as Moore-McNeil’s five points pulled to a 65-55 game at the end of the third.
It was Parrish again in the fourth, as she hit a pair of big 3-pointers to make it a two-possession game with 3:58 to go. Senior guard Sara Scalia hit her second triple of the night as Parrish got to the line to keep the game within four, 74-70, with 1:42 remaining.
Holmes’ move around the defender with just over a minute to play cut it down to two, but South Carolina’s Raven Johnson sank a 3-pointer with 21 seconds remaining.
NOTABLE
Parrish led the Hoosiers with 21 points as she hit five 3-pointers. All five starters scored in double figures as Garzon added 16 points and tied a team-high six rebounds.
Holmes capped off her IU career with 12 points, four rebounds, two blocks two assists and a steal. In her five-year career, the Gorham, Maine native scored 2,530 points (1st), shot 63.9 percent (1st), grabbed 990 rebounds (4th) and averaged 17.2 points per game (T3rd).
Scalia added 12 points with five rebounds and two assists. She rounds out her IU career by connecting on a single season 103 triples in 2023-24. For her five-year career that spanned three seasons at Minnesota and two at Indiana, Scalia scored 1,981 points and making 370 career 3-pointers.
Moore-McNeil finished with eight assists and 12 points to go along with six rebounds.
Indiana outscored South Carolina, 43-30, in the second half and shot 55.2 percent in the third and fourth quarters.
Indiana connected on 13 3-pointers on the night, finishing the season with a new single season record of 268 makes from beyond-the-arc. They also set new program records for field goal percentage (50.4), 3-point percentage (39.6), assists (591) and second in points per game (79.5).
The Hoosiers played in their third NCAA regional semifinal in four years, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen in 2021, 2022 and 2024.
INDIANA BASEBALL
BOTHWELL TOSSES GEM TO BEAT BUTLER
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana Baseball team (14-13, 1-2 B1G) returned to winning ways on Friday (March 29) night at Bart Kaufman Field behind an eight-inning gem from sixth-year senior pitcher Ty Bothwell (W, 3-1) and a plethora of offensive production.
The two teams went back-and-forth in the first four innings but IU broke the gates open with nine total runs combined between the fifth and sixth frames. Sophomores Tyler Cerny (two-run) and Devin Taylor hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth before junior Brock Tibbitts launched one of his own in the sixth as IU beat Butler 11-2.
Bothwell produced the longest outing of his career at IU, tossing 97 pitches across eight wonderful innings. The only blemish came on a two-run home run in the fifth. He struck out eight batters and allowed just six hits. He’s now got 182 strikeouts in his time at IU as he closes in on 200 for his career.
Eight of IU’s nine starters produced hits with four players recording multi-hit games. Junior outfielder Nick Mitchell (10) and freshman second baseman Jasen Oliver (8) each extended their respective hitting streaks.
IU will look to take the series from Butler tomorrow night in a scheduled doubleheader. First pitch of the opening game is set for 2:00 PM with sophomore flamethrower Connor Foley on the bump.
Scoring Recap
Bottom First
Tyler Cerny handed IU an early lead on Friday. After Carter Mathison opened the game with a single, Cerny took the first pitch he saw over the head of the left fielder for an RBI double. Mathison came all the way to score from first.
Indiana 1, Butler 0
Bottom Fourth
Josh Pyne rocketed a ball towards the left fielder, who made a spectacular catch falling backwards, for a sacrifice fly that scored Nick Mitchell.
Indiana 2, Butler 2
Top Fifth
Butler equalized in the fifth as Joey Urban hit a 425-foot home run over the wall in left field.
Indiana 2, Butler 2
Bottom Fifth
The Hoosiers were quick to respond in the bottom of the frame. Cerny hit a no-doubt two-run home run. Devin Taylor followed with a solo bomb to right field to make it back-to-back home runs.
Indiana 5, Butler 2
Bottom Sixth
IU did the rest of its damage in the sixth inning with a six spot on the board. Mathison took a 1-1 fastball the other way through the left side to beat the shift and score Jasen Oliver and Joey Brenczewski. Taylor followed suit by doubling down the right field line to score Mathison and Andrew Wiggins. Brock Tibbitts added some insurance with a two-run home run into the bullpen in left field.
Indiana 11, Butler 2
Top Hoosier Performers
#5 Taylor, Devin
2-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 HR
#8 Cerny, Tyler
2-5, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 HR
#41 Bothwell, Ty
8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 8 K
Notes to Know
• Ty Bothwell produced an eight-inning gem, the longest outing of his career and the longest outing (8.0 IP) of any IU pitcher this season. He did so in under 100 pitches with eight strikeouts.
• Bothwell’s eight punchies takes him to 182 for his career, moving him within 18 of becoming the 10th pitcher in program history with 200 strikeouts.
• Tyler Cerny and Devin Taylor hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning. It’s the second time this week IU has managed to do so after Jasen Oliver, Sam Murrison and Carter Mathison combined for three-straight long balls against Middle Tennessee on Tuesday.
Up Next
IU finishes the series with Butler on Saturday with a scheduled doubleheader. Both contests will be nine innings with the first starting at 2:00 PM. Both games will be streamed on BTN+ or can be heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio.
INDIANA SOFTBALL
HOOSIERS FALL AT HOME TO WOLVERINES
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. ––– After a back-and-forth start, Michigan used a late scoring push to defeat Indiana, 15-6, on Friday evening at Andy Mohr Field.
Following the loss, Indiana now sits at 23-10 on the season with an 0-4 record in conference play.
MICHIGAN 15, INDIANA 6 (F/6)
KEY MOMENTS
• Michigan scored first in the top of the second off a solo home run from Keke Tholl.
• Indiana took the lead back in the bottom of the second after sophomore Avery Parker scored on an error and junior Sarah Stone hit a two-run home run out to left field for Indiana to go up 3-1.
• The third inning featured plenty of scoring, as well as both teams continued to hit the ball well. Michigan went up 4-3 after the top of the third before Indiana went up 5-4 after the bottom of the inning.
• Michigan would add on eight runs between the fourth and fifth inning to go up 12-5 after the top of the fifth.
• Stone doubled down the right field line in the bottom of the fifth to bring in one Hoosier run.
• Michigan would score their final three runs of the game in the sixth inning.
NOTABLES
• Eight different Hoosiers recorded a hit.
• Stone had four RBI on the day, with three of them coming from her home run.
• This was Stone’s second three-hit game of the season
• Both Parker and Aly VanBrandt had two hits on the game.
UP NEXT
Indiana continues their weekend series with another game against Michigan tomorrow at 2 p.m.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
TOP-SEEDED PURDUE ROLLS PAST GONZAGA FOR SPOT IN ELITE EIGHT
[1] Purdue 80, [5] Gonzaga 68 (Postgame Notes)
The No. 3-ranked Purdue men’s basketball team topped No. 18-ranked and fifth-seeded Gonzaga, 80-68, to move to Sunday’s Midwest Regional final.
The Boilermakers won their 32nd game of the year and are now 32-4 on the season. The 32 victories are a continuing school record.
Purdue now owns a 5-0 record all-time against Gonzaga, winning three games against the Bulldogs in the last 17 months. Gonzaga was ranked sixth, 11th and 18th in those three games.
Purdue has won its first three games in the NCAA Tournament by a combined 79 points (78-50 vs. Grambling; 106-67 vs. Utah State; 80-68 vs. Gonzaga).
Purdue is making its second Elite Eight appearances in five seasons, last making the Regional Finals in 2019 (lost to eventual National Champion Virginia in overtime). Prior to the 2019 season, the Boilermakers last made the Elite Eight in 2000.
Purdue improved to 9-0 this season against nationally-ranked teams. They are the second team in the last 15 years to play at least nine games against nationally-ranked teams without a loss (2012 Kentucky; 10-0).
Purdue has won 20 straight non-conference, regular-season and postseason games against power-conference OR nationally-ranked teams. It equals the second-longest streak in NCAA history, and is just behind the 22 straight by UCLA from 1971 to 1974. Duke (March 1991 to Feb. 1993) and UCLA (March 1968 to Dec. 1970) also won 20 straight games.
Purdue is 18-5 (.783) against nationally-ranked teams since the start of the 2021-22 season, easily the best record in America (Arizona; 14-7).
Since the 2020-21 season, Purdue is now 49-2 when shooting 50.0 percent or better from the field. Purdue shot 57.1 percent from the field, including 60.7 percent in the second half. Purdue went 15-of-21 (.714) inside the 3-point line in the second half.
Purdue is now 39-4 since the 2020-21 season when having single-digit turnovers. Purdue had nine turnovers against Gonzaga.
Purdue’s 57.1 field goal percentage was its highest in the NCAA Tournament since 1999.
Purdue is now 90-18 (.833) since the 2021-22 season.
Purdue is 92-3 since the start of the 2017-18 season when scoring at least 80 points.
Purdue is 25-4 this season against the KenPom top 100.
Braden Smith recorded his eighth double-double of the season with 14 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds. The 15 assists are the third most in a game in school history and the 10th most by any player in the NCAA Tournament. It was tied for the most assists by a Big Ten player ever in an NCAA Tournament game (Indiana’s Keith Smart; Ohio State’s Aaron Craft).
Smith joined Indiana’s Keith Smart (March 14, 1987) and Murray State’s Ja Morant (March 21, 2019) as the only players in NCAA Tournament history with at least 14 points, 15 assists and 8 rebounds.
Braden Smith is the fourth player in NCAA history with at least 425 points, 270 assists and 200 rebounds in a season (UCLA’s Lonzo Ball, BYU’s Kyle Collinsworth, California’s Jason Kidd).
Smith moved into third place on the Big Ten’s all-time single-season assists list with 271 (Cassius Winston – 291; Mateen Cleaves – 274).
Zach Edey scored 27 points with 14 rebounds and an assist. He has had at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in four straight NCAA Tournament games, the second-longest stream in NCAA Tournament history (David Robinson – 5 games).
In three NCAA Tournament games this season, Edey has 80 points, 49 rebounds and six assists. Edey joins Wake Forest’s Len Chappell (1960) and West Virginia’s Jerry West (1961) as the only players with at least 80 points, 45 rebounds and five assists in the first three NCAA Tournament games.
Edey became Purdue’s NCAA Tournament rebounds leader with 88 rebounds in eight games.
Edey moved into third place on Purdue’s single-season points scored list with 886 points. He is now fifth on the Big Ten single-season points list.
Edey now has 2,419 career points, needing 19 points to tie Indiana’s Steve Alford for fifth on the Big Ten career points list.
Zach Edey tied Caleb Swanigan for second on Purdue’s single-season rebounds list with 436, needing two rebounds to tie the school record he set last year (438).
Zach Edey become the sixth player in NCAA history with at least 400 free throw attempts (402), and the first since Pete Maravich in 1970 (436).
Zach Edey’s 27 double-doubles are now the second most in a season in Purdue history, behind just the 28 he recorded last season.
Edey become the 11th player in NCAA history with 875 points and 435 rebounds in a season – the first since Indiana State’s Larry Bird in 1979.
Edey became the fourth player in NCAA history with two seasons of at least 750 points and 425 rebounds (Elvin Hayes – 3; Rick Barry – 2; Oscar Robertson – 2).
Fletcher Loyer scored 10 points and is now 15-of-22 (.682) from 3-point range in the month of March.
DETROIT — They leaned on him. They jawed at him. One time, they slapped him right across the forehead. None of it came close to stopping Purdue’s big man, Zach Edey, and now he and the Boilermakers are one win away from the Final Four.
The 7-foot-4 Edey withstood all the abuse Gonzaga could lay on him Friday night, finishing with 27 points and 14 rebounds to lift Purdue to an 80-68 victory over the Bulldogs.
There were highlights galore in the Midwest Region No. 1 seed’s 32nd victory of the season, including a 14-point, 15-assist, eight-rebound masterpiece from guard Braden Smith.
No moment, though, told the story better than at the end of the first half when Edey had Gonzaga’s Ben Gregg pinned underneath the basket. Gregg, in a desperation move to make a play, flailed at the ball and ended up roundhousing Edey full-on in the forehead with his open hand, picking up his third foul.
“It didn’t feel good,” Edey said to a room full of laughs. “Obviously, he was just trying to make a play for the ball, just missed it and whack-a-moled my head a little bit.”
On Sunday, Purdue, which last year became history’s second first-round loser as a No. 1 seed, will play the winner of Friday’s later game between Tennessee and Creighton. A win there would land the program in the Final Four for the first time since 1980.
Smith finished two assists shy of joining Joe Barry Carroll — who played on Purdue’s last Final Four squad — as the program’s second player to record a triple-double. Smith made two of Purdue’s seven 3-pointers in the first half, all of which forced Gonzaga into a choice no team wants to make — take away the 3s or sag down on Edey, the nation’s leading scorer.
“It’s pick your poison,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “They shot it great from 3, and then in the second half, we shut down that area pretty good. Then, Edey was just a load.”
Once Edey got loose, foul trouble and an ever-shrinking basket ended the hopes for the fifth-seeded Zags.
Graham Ike had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs, who shot only 38% over the first 15 minutes of the second half and fell to 0-3 vs. Edey and the Boilermakers over the past two seasons.
As Purdue’s lead mushroomed, the arena in Detroit sounded more like Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana. The Boilermakers, long seen as underachievers when the lights get bright in March, have a chance to play in April this time.
“We’ve had some experience in the tournament,” coach Matt Painter said. “We’ve had disappointment, and I think any time you have that, you appreciate things a little bit more, and your attention is detail is a little bit better.”
Like all Gonzaga big men, Ike spent the evening in foul trouble; he got his fifth and trudged off the court for good with 5:07 left. His second foul came halfway through the second half after he and Edey tussled in the paint, then jawed at each other after the ref’s whistle. That didn’t throw Edey off his game, either.
“I think he did a good job tonight of doing that — just keep your mouth shut and carry a big stick,” Painter said.
Edey made one of two free throws there, but followed with a couple baby hooks as part of a 10-0 run that made this a 16-point game.
All par for the course for last season’s AP Player of the Year, who pretty much has a double-double when he gets out of bed in the morning. He recorded his 27th of the season and 66th of his career at the 14:44 mark of the second half. The 10th rebound came on the offensive glass and was part of a five-shot trip down the court that Edey sealed with a jumper in the paint.
Edey finished the evening 10 for 15 from the floor and 7 for 10 from the line. He drew nine fouls, seven more than anyone else on his team. He didn’t have a block but made things difficult on Gonzaga from his low spot in Purdue’s zone — altering no fewer than a half-dozen shots in the second half.
GOOD COMPANY
With his 14 rebounds, Edey joined Elvin Hayes, Rick Barry and Oscar Robertson as the fourth player in NCAA history with at least two seasons of 750 points and 425 rebounds. Edey is trying to become the first player since Robertson in 1960 to lead the nation in scoring and reach the Final Four.
GOOD FINISH
Few said the loss couldn’t obscure Gonzaga’s strong finish to the season. After fearing they might miss the tournament altogether, the Zags won 16 of their last 19.
“They doubled down, and they showed their real character and competed and then got even closer instead of pulling apart,” Few said.
PURDUE BASEBALL
OSU SCORES 8 UNANSWERED TO TAKE OPENER; SATURDAY’S GAME MOVED UP TO NOON
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Connor Caskenette connected for a two-out, two-run homer in the first inning but Ohio State turned 15 hits into eight unanswered runs, taking the series opener vs. Purdue Baseball 8-2 Friday.
The Buckeyes (11-11, 1-0 Big Ten) had a base runner in every inning and scored in four of the first five frames, opening up a 7-2 advantage in the process. Led by a four-hit night from Nick Giamarutsti in the 7-hole, the bottom third of the OSU lineup was a combined 8-for-12 with four extra-base hits, four RBI and six runs scored.
As the fourth batter of the game, Caskenette hit an opposite-field blast to right with Luke Gaffney aboard for his team-leading sixth home run of the season. Caskenette also tied Gaffney for the Big Ten lead in RBI (33).
But the Boilermakers (16-11, 1-3 Big Ten) were unable to record multiple hits in an inning against OSU lefthander Landon Beidelschies (3-4), who struck out seven while limiting the visitors to five hits over seven innings.
Gaffney posted his team-leading 14th multi-hit game, highlighted by a double down the right field line in the eighth inning. It was his 10th two-bagger of the season, making the redshirt freshman the fourth fastest Boilermaker to reach the benchmark since 2001.
Camden Gasser was kept off base for the first time this season, ending his on-base streak at 24 consecutive games. It was Purdue’s fifth longest season-opening streak since 2001.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Jo Stevens – 13-game on-base streak; 7-game on-base streak in Big Ten play (since 5/18/23)
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 10-game on-base streak in Big Ten play (since 4/29/23); 6-game on-base streak in all games
Third baseman Jo Stevens made an excellent catch reaching over the fence near the third base dugout in the seventh inning. Stevens’ momentum carried him into the gate in the fence, which popped open on contact. With runners on second and third on the play, the umpires ruled Stevens briefly left the field of play in what was deemed a catch and carry. That allowed the runner from third base to score.
Davis Pratt matched his season high with five strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings of effective relief. The only run he was charged with scored on the unique call on Stevens’ catch. Purdue only had two use two pitchers on the night thanks to Pratt’s outing.
The Boilermakers lost for the sixth time in their last seven games. They conceded at least 12 hits for the fourth consecutive games, surrendering 56 total hits over the last 34 innings on the mound. Purdue has also given up 10-plus hits eight of the last 10 games, with the pitching staff sporting a .319 batting average against during that stretch.
Game 2 of the series has been moved up to a noon ET first pitch.
PURDUE SOFTBALL
SEVENTH INNING BURNS BOILERMAKERS
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After entering the seventh inning tied 1-1, the Purdue softball squad (12-18, 0-4 Big Ten) fell in Game One vs. Rutgers (21-13, 3-1 Big Ten) after the Scarlet Knights scored four runs in the final frame.
After Rutgers took an early 1-0 lead on a walk with the bases loaded in the first inning, the Boilermakers responded in the third when Moriah Polar scored on an RBI double by Khloe Banks. A stalemate ensued until the final inning when the Scarlet Knights scored to seal the game.
Banks, batting .377 on the year, led the team with two hits, including her fourth double of the season. Meanwhile, Polar secured her 22nd run of the season, second-most on the team.
The Boilermakers and Scarlet Knights each notched five hits, with Purdue committing one error in the seventh inning.
Starting pitcher Julia Gossett struck out four batters and tossed 107 pitches over 5.2 innings of work. The freshman retired after allowing one run and two hits. Madi Elish, who entered for Gossett, received the loss as she moves to 2-5 on the year following five batters faced, one walk, one hit and two runs. Kendall Klochack closed the game for the last .2 innings and five batters.
SCHEDULE UPDATE
Due to incoming weather, the remaining games will become a doubleheader vs. Rutgers tomorrow beginning at 2 p.m. ET. The will not be a game on Sunday. Fans can attend the game for free or watch via B1G+.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
NOTRE DAME’S SEASON ENDS WITH 70-65 SWEET 16 LOSS TO OREGON STATE
No. 2 Notre Dame (28-7) saw its season come to an end in the Sweet 16 on Friday afternoon, as the Irish fell to No. 3 Oregon State (27-7), 70-65. Sonia Citron finished with 22 points, and Maddy Westbeld had 19. Citron also led the way with 7 boards.
It was a back-and-forth contest for most of the afternoon. Oregon State led by as much as 10 in the third quarter, but Notre Dame stormed back and took the lead multiple times. Ultimately, the Beavers’ height, rebounding ability and a 60.4 percent day from the floor was too much for a Notre Dame squad riddled with injuries.
With the loss, Hannah Hidalgo‘s historic freshman year comes to a close. She ended the season with 790 points, which ranks third in a single-season in program history. She also had a program record 160 steals.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
IRISH DROP SERIES WITH 7-6 LOSS AT NO. 22 NC STATE
RALEIGH, N.C. – Notre Dame (14-11, 2-9 ACC) fell in the bottom of the ninth 7-6 to No. 22 NC State (17-7, 7-4 ACC) Saturday.
INF Estevan Moreno led the Irish with two hits, both doubles, and three RBI on the evening, also notching three assists at second base. Notre Dame posted six doubles in the game, the most for the Irish in a single game since March 15, 2022 vs. Valparaiso (seven).
RHP Caden Spivey (1-1) took the loss for Notre Dame, while RHP Jack Radel made his fourth-career start, going four innings and allowing one run.
Notre Dame led 3-1 until the sixth inning, when NC State took a 5-3 lead, adding one in the sixth to make it 6-3. The Irish added three in the eighth to tie it, but a Wolfpack walk off RBI single ended the game in the bottom of the ninth.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Notre Dame batters battled in the box early, forcing a full 3-2 count three times through the first two innings. OF David Glancy drew a one-out walk in the first inning, but two quick outs sent the Irish to the field. Radel and the Irish sat NC State down in order.
In the second, OF Tito Flores also drew a one-out walk, and after an out, C Carson Tinney walked, as well. A strikeout ended the inning, however, with both on base. Radel held the Wolfpack off the board in the second, earning his first strikeout to end the inning with two runners on base.
OF T.J. Williams led off the third inning with a double, and scored on a Glancy single to center field to strike first for Notre Dame. Three strikeouts ended the top of the inning. NC State responded in the bottom of the inning, posting two-consecutive singles to lead off, and both runners advanced to scoring position on a fly ball. A grounder scored one to tie the game, and Radel forced another ground ball to end the inning tied up at one run apiece.
Flores led off the fourth inning with a double, and after a flyout, Tinney sent another double, this one to right field, to score Flores. Moreno hit Notre Dame’s third double of the inning, scoring Tinney and putting the Irish up 3-1. Radel and the Irish retired NC State in order, with INF Simon Baumgardt snagging two popups and Radel adding a strikeout.
For the third-straight inning, Notre Dame led off with a double, courtesy INF Connor Hincks, but Hincks was tagged out on his attempt to take third. Baumgardt and INF Jack Penney followed with singles, but two outs prevented the Irish from adding to the score. RHP Bennett Flynn began the bottom of the fifth on the mound and forced a flyout before walking two batters. Both batters took a base on a wild pitch, and with two in scoring position, Penney took care of the final two outs on a popup and groundout to hold the Wolfpack away from home.
The Irish were unable to add in the sixth. The Wolfpack led off the bottom half with a single, and a walk placed two on base. After a Flynn strikeout, another single loaded the bases, and NC State delivered a grand slam to go up 5-3. After a walk, Baumgardt snagged a line drive and turned to Hincks at first for the double play to end the inning.
Notre Dame went three up, three down in the seventh, and Spivey took the mound. After a groundout, a walk placed a runner on base, and a single pushed the lead runner to third. Spivey dealt a strikeout, but a single scored another for NC State. A flyout ended the inning with the Wolfpack up 6-3.
The Irish came alive in the eighth inning and batted through the lineup, as Penney led off with a single and Flores followed suit, hitting a single as Penney took third on a subsequent error. A wild pitch sent Penney to score, while Flores took second. DH Joey Spence drew a walk, and INF Casey Kmet entered to pinch run. Tinney laid down a bunt in front of the plate to push both runners a base into scoring position, and Moreno followed with his second double of the evening to score both Flores and Kmet. Williams and Glancy drew consecutive walks to load the bases, and Hincks hit into a fielder’s choice to keep the bases loaded but tag Moreno out at home. A strikeout ended the top of the inning with a tie 6-6 score.
After a foul-out to Tinney in the bottom of the eighth, a walk and a single placed two runners on base. A lineout to center field advanced the lead runner to third, but a pivotal strikeout from Spivey ended the inning and held NC State from scoring.
Penney forced an error to lead off the ninth, and after two outs, Tinney singled to push Penney to third. Tinney stole second, but a strikeout ended the inning. NC State led off with a single, and after a flyout, added another single. A HBP loaded the bases, and an RBI single won the game for NC State, 7-6.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame and No. 22 NC State return to Doak Field at Dail Park for the series finale Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ACCNX.
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
ALLEN AND KRONENBERGER HOMER TO EVEN THE SERIES IN CHAPEL HILL
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The University of Notre Dame softball team evened the series with the North Carolina Tar Heels Friday afternoon in Chapel Hill. The Fighting Irish got a strong start in the circle from junior Shannon Becker and the bottom four hitters of the Irish lineup combined for nine of the team’s 11 hits to earn the win. The Irish improved to 21-11 overall and 6-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. North Carolina moves to 23-9 and 5-6 in the ACC.
Becker worked 6.2 innings to earn her fifth win of the season. She struck out one hitter, allowing eight hits, five runs, three earned in the win. Micaela Kastor came on in the seventh, getting a ground ball for the final out on the lone batter she faced.
Cassidy Grimm, Rachel Allen, Jane Kronenberger and Anna Holloway each tallied a pair of hits. Allen and Kronenberger homered, driving in three and two, respectively. Grimm added a pair of RBI as Winchell and Holloway each added an RBI.
How It Happened
North Carolina scored the first run of the day in the first inning. A lead off double came in on a sacrifice fly to take the 1-0 lead.
Notre Dame battled back in the second, scoring a run of its own. With two outs, Kronenberger singled to right center and scored from first when Holloway roped a double to the wall in right center to tie it. Allen led off the fourth with a solo homer as the Irish took the 2-1 lead.
The Tar Heels tied it again in the fourth. Another lead off double came in with two outs as a single dropped in behind the Irish infield to score the run.
The Irish offense hung its first crooked number of the weekend in the fifth, scoring six runs. An error, a walk and a fielder’s choice put two on as the Irish strung together four-straight hits, capped by a Kronenberger home run as Notre Dame took the 8-2 lead.
UNC got a run back in the bottom of the fifth, as a lead off single came around on a sacrifice fly to cut it down to 8-3, Irish.
Notre Dame tacked on two more in the sixth. Tran led off with an infield single and stole second. Grimm drove her in with a single to right center and stole second. Allen knocked a ground ball to the shortstop and the throw to get her at first was off target and Grimm came around from second to score and put the Irish up 10-3.
An error prolonged the ninth as the Tar Heels hit a two-run homer, but Kastor got the ground ball to end the game and give the Irish the win.
Up Next
The Irish and Tar Heels will have a rubber game beginning at noon Saturday at Anderson Softball Stadium.
BUTLER BASEBALL
INDIANA TAKES SATURDAY RESULT OVER BUTLER IN BLOOMINGTON
A six-run sixth inning allowed Indiana to pull away as part of an 11-2 win over visiting Butler Friday afternoon at Bart Kaufman Field in Bloomington. The IU win levels the series at a game apiece after the Bulldogs took the opener Thursday in Indianapolis.
The teams are scheduled for a Saturday twinbill in Bloomington.
A two-run home run by Joey Urban in the top of the fifth leveled the game at 2-2 before Indiana scored three runs in the bottom half of the frame to retake the lead, followed by the six-run sixth.
Butler ran into a strong outing on the mound by Indiana’s Ty Bothwell, who struck out eight Bulldogs in eight innings of work. He allowed six hits to Butler and didn’t surrender a walk in securing the win.
Butler’s Tyler Banks took the loss, allowing five runs and eight hits in five innings of work.
Three Hoosiers left the yard in game: Tyler Cerny, Devin Taylor and Brock Tibbitts.
With the result, Butler is now 11-13 on the season. IU improves to 14-13.
Saturday’s doubleheader in Bloomington is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
BUTLER SOFTBALL
SETON HALL TAKES GAME TWO IN SERIES WITH @BUTLERSOFTBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler softball team lost the second game of its three-game series with Seton Hall by the final score of 6-3. The visiting Pirates (16-12, 7-4 BIG EAST) put up five runs in the first three innings and never trailed. The Bulldogs (14-19, 3-8 BIG EAST) scored three in the fifth but could get no closer.
Game 2: Seton Hall 6, Butler 3 (7 innings)
Seton Hall score one in the first inning, two in the second, and two in the third to build a 5-0 lead that held until the middle of the fifth.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Bulldogs pulled off back-to-back squeeze plays. First, Kieli Ryan bunted and reached first as Kaylee Gross scored from third. Then, Sydney Carter laid one down and Olivia Roberts scored from third. Two batters later, with the bases loaded, Hailey Conger hit an infield grounder that pushed Erin Clark across. Butler drew to within two runs, at 5-3.
In the top of the seventh, the Pirates added a run for a 6-3 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Bulldogs puts runners on with a pair of singles, but they made it no farther than second and third base.
Sydney Cammon (5-8) started in the circle for Butler and took the loss. In 1.2 innings, she allowed three runs on five hits and a walk. Rylyn Dyer (1.0IP, 2R, 0ER, 2H) and Kayla Noerr (4.1IP, R, 6H, 3BB) each provided relief, with Noerr finishing the game.
Up Next
Butler hosts the third and final game of the BIG EAST series with Seton Hall on Saturday, March 30. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.
BALL STATE SOFTBALL
LOVETT’S SOLID DAY NOT ENOUGH AS SOFTBALL DROPS PAIR AT TOLEDO
TOLEDO, Ohio – – Despite a team-high three hits from sophomore right fielder Ashlee Lovett, the Ball State softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader at Toledo by scores of 7-3 and 2-1 Friday afternoon at Scott Park.
With the Cardinals (15-19; 2-6 Mid-American Conference) trailing 3-0 entering the second inning in Friday’s opener, Lovett drove in BSU’s first run of the series with an RBI double to left field. After moving to third on a groundout, Lovett would come around to score on a triple from senior left fielder Kaitlyn Mathews to cut the lead to one.
The score remained 3-2 until the bottom of the third, when the Rockets (15-13; 6-2 MAC) were able to push three more runs across the plate, with the final two scoring on a costly two-out error.
Each team would score one more down the stretch to give the game its final score of 7-3.
Not to be lost, however, was the solid pitching from sophomore reliever Bridie Murphy who entered the game with two outs and two on in the bottom of the third. She would have worked out of the jam, if not for the error, and finished her 4.0 innings of work allowing just three hits and one run.
Murphy followed with another solid outing in the nightcap, earning the starting nod and holding the Rockets to six hits and two runs over her six innings of work in the game. Overall, Murphy boasted a 2.10 ERA on the day and a .257 average against, allowing just nine hits and three runs over 10.0 innings of work.
Unfortunately, the offense was only able to offer one run of support in the second game, claiming a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on a bases loaded sac fly to right field from graduate first baseman Samantha-Jo Mata.
Toledo scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to claim the win.
Despite the pair of losses, the Cardinals were able to tally 13 total hits on the day, paced by three from Lovett. Mathews, redshirt junior catcher McKayla Timmons, redshirt sophomore designated player Jessica Hoffman, and graduate senior second baseman Jazmyne Armendariz each collected two hits.
Ball State also stayed aggressive on the base paths, collecting two more stolen bases to raise its season total to 59.
From behind the plate, Timmons was also able to throw out her team-leading eighth runner trying to steal in the opener as she threw out MAC steals leader Eli Enriquez for just the third time this season. Enriquez has 22 steals on the season which is currently five more than anyone else in the MAC.
GAME 1 SCORING SUMMARY – Ball State 3 – Toledo 7
B1 | After opening the bottom of the inning with a triple, Enriquez scores on an RBI squeeze play from Sidney Griffith (1-0)
B1 | Griffith scores on a single to center field from Riley Mohr (2-0)
B1 | Pinch runner Grace O’Malley scores on an RBI fielder’s choice from Emily Bracamonte (3-0)
T2 | Lovett drives in BSU’s first run of the game with her double to left field (3-1)
T2 | Mathews followed with her RBI triple (3-2)
B3 | Mohr scores on an RBI single by Maris Barbato (4-2)
B3 | An error on a grounder to third by Lauren Erickson allows two more to score (6-2)
B5 | Bracamonte drives in UT’s final run with a sac fly to right field (7-2)
T6 | Graduate third baseman Haley Wynn singles to open the inning and eventually scores on an error (7-3)
GAME 2 SCORING SUMMARY – Ball State 1 – Toledo 2
T2 | Mata drives in the first run of the game with a bases loaded sac fly to right field (1-0)
B4 | Jenna Kroll ties the game with an RBI single to left field (1-1)
B5 | A sac fly from Madison Mikulski pushes across the game-winning run (1-2)
UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team closes its three-game series at Toledo Saturday with a scheduled 3 p.m. first pitch.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
BEEKER BRILLIANT AND DOBBINS DYNAMITE IN 12-3 WIN OVER OHIO
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State baseball team rode big performances from Merritt Beeker and Hunter Dobbins on its way to a 12-3 win over Ohio on Friday afternoon at the First Merchants Ballpark Complex.
The Cardinals (16-12, 4-7 Mid-American Conference) took down the Bobcats (8-15, 4-7 MAC) with the help of Beeker’s 13 strikeouts in 7.0 innings of two-run ball and Dobbins’ two home runs and five RBI. Dobbins pounded a grand slam to open up a 9-2 lead for Ball State in the seventh inning.
“Solid team win for our boys,” head coach Rich Maloney said. “Merritt Beeker was outstanding, and Hunter Dobbins came up big with two home runs. We had several players make contributions.”
The hosts got on the board with three runs in the bottom of the second as Nick Husovsky drove in Clay Jacobs with an RBI single before scoring on a wild pitch. Dobbins followed with a solo shot to center for his first homer of the day.
Blake Bevis and Jacobs extended the Cardinals’ edge to 5-0 with RBI singles in the fifth inning. After the Bobcats scored twice in the seventh, Dobbins responded with a slam to right center that put Ball State in position to win its fourth straight game.
Michael Hallquist plated three on a home run to right field in the eighth for some insurance runs as part of a Cardinals offense that scored 10+ for the seventh game in 2024.
Beeker (3-2) didn’t allow a hit and faced the minimum through the first five innings and struck out multiple Ohio batters in five innings. The lefty pitcher and MAC leader in punchouts struck out the side in the fourth.
Ohio starter Tim Knapschaefer allowed five runs in 5.0 innings to suffer the loss and drop his record to 2-1. The Bobcats’ offense was limited to only five hits and three walks on the day.
The Cardinals will go for the sweep with the final game of the set scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday.
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL
I.HENNING HOMERS IN THE 2-1 LOSS AGAINST BELMONT
TERRE HAUTE, Ind.- The Sycamores fell to Belmont in game one of the three-game series with a score of 2-1.
Game one: Belmont 2, Indiana State 1
Game one was scoreless until the sixth inning when the Bruins took the lead 2-0 with a 2 RBI single by Gressly to score Bertucci and Ensio.
Indiana State cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth when Isabella Henning recorded her third home run of the 2024 season.
Lauren Sackett (6-7) took the loss in the circle for the Sycamores, throwing a complete game, allowing only two hits and two runs scored, while striking out eight.
Abi Chipps, Abby Robakowski, and Sophie Esposito all recorded singles in the loss, against Belmont’s Maya Johnson, who took the victory in the circle for the Bruins.
Up Next:
Indiana State will host game two of the three-game series against Belmont tomorrow at 2 p.m ET and the first 50 fans will receive a rally towel.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
SYCAMORES SCORE 10 UNANSWERED RUNS TO RALLY BACK AND TAKE FRIDAY OPENER AGAINST UIC
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State scored 10 unanswered runs to overcome an early deficit on Friday afternoon as the Sycamores claimed the series opener over UIC at Bob Warn Field with the 10-6 win.
Adam Pottinger, Mike Sears, and Luis Hernandez all homered for Indiana State (19-5, 3-1) as the Sycamores battled back into the ballgame after trailing UIC (16-8, 2-2) 6-0 after the top of the second inning. The Sycamores scored two in the second inning, one in the third, three in the fourth, and four in the fifth inning to rally back against the Flames.
The win marked No. 600 for head coach Mitch Hannahs over his 20-year coaching career at both Lincoln Trail College and Indiana State. He posted 270 wins over nine seasons at LTC and recorded his 330th win in the Sycamores’ dugout on Friday in hitting the career milestone.
UIC took the early lead with a four-run first inning highlighted by James Harris’ three-run home run. The Flames added two more runs in the top of the second as AJ Henkle connected on a two-run homer driving in Zane Zielinski to put UIC ahead 6-0.
From there, it was all Sycamores as Adam Pottinger started the Sycamore rally with a two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning driving in Connor Hicks. Mike Sears followed with a leadoff solo shot in the third inning, before ISU started to string together hits in the fourth and fifth frames to complete the comeback.
The Sycamores loaded the bases in the fourth inning with Dominic Listi, Luis Hernandez, and Parker Stinson all driving in runs to tie the game up against UIC reliever Presley Wachowiak (0-2). Randal Diaz gave Indiana State its first lead of the game drawing a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the fifth inning scoring Adam Pottinger to put ISU ahead 7-6. After a double play brought home another ISU run, Luis Hernandez launched a two-out, two-run home run over the tree line in left center to give ISU the 10-6 lead.
ISU’s bullpen took over from there with Cole Gilley (2-0) going 2.2 innings scoreless to hold UIC at bay before Cam Edmonson struck out four over the final 2.1 innings to secure the win.
Grant Magill went 3-for-4 from the plate with a double and two runs scored to highlight an ISU offense that connected on 13 hits on Friday afternoon. Hernandez and Pottinger added multi-hit days with Pottinger, Magill, and Josue Urdaneta all scoring two runs apiece.
Gilley picked up his second win of the season after taking over with a runner on first and none out in the fifth. The redshirt junior right-hander struck out the first two batters he faced and retired eight of 10 in an extended relief outing. Edmonson went the final 2.1 innings on the mound striking out three of the first four batters he faced and didn’t allow a ball out of the infield in closing out the game.
Cameron Holycross went the first 1.2 innings allowing four hits and five runs while striking out two in taking the no-decision. Jacob Spencer went the next 2.1 innings surrendering Henkle’s home run before shutting down the UIC offense allowing the ISU offense to rally back into the game.
Zielinski and Rayth Petersen combined for four of UIC’s eight hits in the contest, while Henkle and Harris both homered in the Flames’ loss.
Wachowiak took the loss allowing four hits and four runs over 2.0 innings in relief of starter Zak Gould. Gould went the first 3.0 innings allowing eight hits and six runs while striking out four in the no-decision. Colin Hawkins, Vincent Trapani, and Vincent Gohlke combined to go the final 3.0 innings for UIC.
How They Scored
UIC took the early 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning thanks to Kendall Ewell’s RBI single and James Harris’ three-run home run to straightaway center field.
The Flames added two more to the lead in the top of the second inning on A.J. Henkle’s two-run home run over the left center wall scoring Zane Zielinski to put UIC ahead 6-0.
Adam Pottinger put the Sycamores on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning as the centerfielder followed Connor Hicks’ single with a two-run home run over the wall in right center to cut the deficit down to 6-2.
Mike Sears led off the bottom of the third inning with a solo home run on a line drive over the left field wall to cut the UIC lead down to 6-3.
ISU tied it up at 6-6 in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Sycamores loaded the bases with Dom Listi (RBI HBP), Luis Hernandez (RBI fielder’s choice), and Parker Stinson (RBI single) all driving in runs to make it a brand-new ballgame.
The fifth inning remained Indiana State’s inning as the Sycamores put up four more runs in the frame to take the 10-6 lead. Randal Diaz drew a bases loaded walk scoring Adam Pottinger, while a second run came across on a double play ball. Luis Hernandez connected on a two-out, two-run home run scoring Josue Urdaneta to cap the four-run inning.
News & Notes
Dominic Listi extended his on-base streak to 24 games on Friday afternoon after singling in the bottom of the first inning. He finished the game 1-for-3 from the plate reaching base three times after getting walked and hit by a pitch to raise his on-base percentage to .532
Luis Hernandez extended his hitting streak to 23 consecutive games following his single in the bottom of the first inning. He continues the longest hitting streak in the Mitch Hannahs coaching era dating back to the 2014 season and finished the day 2-for-5 from the plate with a home run and three RBIs.
Adam Pottinger connected on his second home run of the season in the bottom of the second inning marking the sixth Sycamore to post multiple homers in 2024. It was his first home run since going deep on March 19 in the sixth inning against Indiana.
Mike Sears connected on home run No. 9 in the bottom of the third inning as the redshirt senior third baseman extended his team lead in the category. It marked his first home run since going deep in the fifth inning on March 19 against Indiana.
Adam Pottinger extended his on-base streak to 15 consecutive games on Friday afternoon following his two-run home run in the bottom of second inning.
Josue Urdaneta extended his on-base streak to 13 consecutive games on Friday afternoon following his bunt single in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Sycamores hit three home runs in the game marking the fifth time in the 2024 season Indiana State has hit three or more homers in the same game and second time this week after Connor Hicks, Grant Magill, and Parker Stinson all homered against Purdue in Tuesday’s 8-7 win.
The fifth inning remains kind to Indiana State this season as ISU has outscored its opponents 37-11 in the middle frame of the game after today’s four-run go-ahead rally against UIC in the inning.
Up Next
Indiana State remains at Bob Warn Field this weekend as the Sycamores continue Missouri Valley play with game two of the three-game series against UIC on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. ET with the game to be carried live on 105.5 The Legend.
Saturday’s promotional giveaway includes a Bottle Koozie Giveaway (sponsored by Sparkle Pools) to the first 200 fans.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
MASTODON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SEASON COMES TO A CLOSE IN WNIT SUPER 16
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The best season of Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball wrapped up on Friday (March 29), as the Mastodons fell to Saint Louis 82-78 in the Super 16 of the WNIT.
The Mastodons finished the year 23-13, marking their most wins as a Division I program and tying the overall program-best. The ‘Dons finished with 12 home wins and 11 wins away from home, which both tied all-time bests and set Division I era records. Purdue Fort Wayne set new program records for single-season points (2,554), 3-pointers (319), rebounds (1,255). They were two steals shy of that record as well.
Shayla Sellers’ illustrious Mastodon career came to an end. She finished in the program’s top-10 in points (1329, 10th), rebounds (573, 6th), free throw percentage (80.7, 6th), 3-pointers (212, 5th), blocks (99, 3rd), steals (226, 2nd), minutes (4365, 1st), games started (145, 1st) and games played (146, 1st).
The Mastodons season ended in front of 767 fans in the Gates Sports Center, which was their best home attendance since 2022.
Amellia Bromenschenkel had the best game of her career on Friday night. She finished with a career-high matching 27 points and new career-high of 14 rebounds. Five of her rebounds were of the offensive variety. She added two blocks, two steals and an assist.
The Mastodons looked to cruise in the first half, as they buried nine 3-pointers on 15 attempts before the halftime break. The ‘Dons finished 11-of-26 from deep after SLU’s defense took away the good looks they were getting in the first half.
Purdue Fort Wayne trailed 69-56 with 8:57 to go before Bromenschenkel led a charge late. She had 14 of her 27 points in the 22-11 run in the fourth. It was a two-point game with 55 seconds left after Renna Schwieterman hit a pair of free throws, but SLU scored on its next possession. From there, the Billikens held the ‘Dons scoreless to take the victory.
The difference in the game came in rebounding. Saint Louis out-rebounded the Mastodons 40-31 which led to 21 second-chance points.
The Mastodons shot 27-of-58 from the floor for 46.6 percent. They were 11-of-26 (42.3 percent) from the 3-point line and 13-of-14 (92.9 percent) from the charity stripe. SLU finished 33-of-73 (45.2 percent) from the floor.
Saint Louis improves to 19-18 and will move on to play at Wisconsin in the Great 8.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
PITCHERS’ DUEL GOES TO MILWAUKEE
FRANKLIN, Wis. – Jacob Walker collected multiple hits for the 11th time this season as the Mastodon baseball team fell 3-1 to Milwaukee on Friday (Mar. 29).
Walker went 2-for-4 and scored a run for the ‘Dons in the first inning. He ripped a single to right to open up the game before making it up to second on a balk. Two batters later, Grant Thoroman singled up the middle to bring Walker home.
Back-to-back doubles plated a run for Milwaukee in the bottom of the first. The Panthers added one insurance run in the fourth and another in the fifth. The ‘Dons left six runners on base on Friday including one in the eighth and ninth innings.
Adrian Montilva (1-2) got the win for Milwaukee with six innings and allowing one run on four hits and 10 strikeouts. Mac Ayres took the loss for Purdue Fort Wayne allowing three runs on seven hits and striking out three in 6.0 innings. Logan Snow got a save for the Panthers after throwing three scoreless innings.
The ‘Dons wrap up the series on Saturday (Mar. 30). First pitch in game three is set for 2 p.m. ET.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
BASEBALL RUN-RULES SOUTHERN ILLINOIS, 12-2 TO OPEN SERIES
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Evansville senior starter Shane Harris tossed six strong innings on Thursday night, and the Purple Aces broke things open with nine runs in the seventh and eighth innings to post a series-opening 12-2 run-rule victory over the Southern Illinois Salukis at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.
“It’s great to get back in the win column obviously,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “It really started on the mound for us tonight with the effort that we got out of Shane Harris. He got some early swings tonight, which kept his pitch-count low, and that really helped him settle in and set the tone for us.
“Offensively, we got a lot of hits early, but also left a lot of guys on base, and it felt like we should have been up more early on. But, the guys never wavered, and finally, in winning time, we were able to string together a lot of good at-bats and we were finally able to put up the big inning. Overall, I really liked the energy that our guys came to the park with today and we need to carry that over to tomorrow night.”
Harris set the tone early for UE, recording a pair of strikeouts in the first inning, as he retired the first 12 men he faced. Graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger then led off the game with a double to left-center field and he eventually scored on an RBI ground out by graduate third baseman Brent Widder, as UE took a 1-0 lead just three batters into the game.
Shallenberger then added a two-run double off the wall in left-center field in the second inning to push the lead to 3-0. Evansville would collect seven hits in the first three innings, but left five men stranded on base, as the lead remained 3-0.
Southern Illinois would finally get its first hit and run of the game off of Harris in the fifth inning, and tacked on another run in the sixth inning, but he buckled down and got a fly out from SIU’s clean-up batter to end the sixth inning with a 3-2 lead. Harris (2-4) would earn the victory in just his second start of the year, giving up just two runs on five hits in 6.0 innings of work with three strikeouts against no walks.
SIU threatened to tie the game in the seventh inning, putting two men on base, but reliever Drew Fieger got a pop up to end the frame and keep Evansville in the lead. Then, in the seventh inning, Evansville took advantage of extreme wildness from the SIU bullpen to plate six runs on a lead-off single, an error, seven walks and a pair of sacrifice flies. UE then enacted the run-rule in the eighth inning on a run-scoring ground-rule double by junior outfielder Harrison Taubert, a run-scoring passed ball, and a walk-off RBI single by Shallenberger.
Shallenberger led UE by going 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI. Taubert, graduate first baseman Chase Hug and junior catcher Evan Waggoner also had two-hit outings.
With the victory, Evansville improves to 10-15 overall and 1-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Southern Illinois, meanwhile, falls to 17-9 overall and 3-1 in the Valley. The series will continue on Friday night at 6 p.m. in a game that can be heard live in the Tri-State on 107.1 FM-WJPS and seen live on ESPN+. Freshman left-hander Kenton Deverman (2-1, 4.46 ERA) will get the start for UE.
EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL DROPS SERIES OPENER TO FLAMES
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – UIC broke a scoreless tie in the top of the 7th and defeated the University of Evansville softball team by a 1-0 final in Friday’s series opener at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at Cooper Stadium.
UE starter Sydney Weatherford tossed the entire 7-inning contest, allowing just one run on four hits while walking one batter. Flames pitcher Christina Toniolo was equally impressive, allowing four hits while walking three in the complete game win. Evansville notched four hits with Zoe Frossard recording three.
After Sydney Weatherford retired the Flames in order in the top of the first, the Purple Aces had a prime scoring opportunity in the bottom of the inning. Hits by Marah Wood and Alexa Davis were followed by a walk from Jess Willsey that loaded the bases. The Flames were able to get the final two outs to keep things scoreless.
UIC put its first runner in scoring position with a pair of 2-out hits in the top of the fifth before a ground out to Weatherford put an end to the threat and kept the Flames off the board. In the top of the 7th, the Flames were the first to strike, scoring on a base hit from pinch hitter Jazmyn Casas.
The Aces look to even the series on Saturday with a 2 p.m. contest.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
USI HOLDS ON TO DEFEAT MSU, 8-7
MOREHEAD, Ky. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball stopped a nineth inning Morehead State University rally to win 8-7 Friday evening in Morehead, Kentucky. USI is 12-14 overall and 3-2 in the OVC, while MSU goes to 15-12, 2-3 OVC.
The MSU Eagles plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the third to get the early 2-0 lead. USI junior catcher Logan Mock (Livermore, California) and junior rightfielder Adam Euler (Evansville, Indiana) evened the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth with back-to-back home runs to lead off the frame.
After a one-out walk to junior third baseman Ricardo Van Grieken (Venezuela), junior second baseman Land Crowden (Jackson, Missouri) blasted a two-run homer to right center to give the Screaming Eagles a 4-2 lead in the middle of the fourth.
Following a two-run MSU rally that tied the score, 4-4, in the bottom of the sixth, USI took the lead for good with a run in the seventh for a 5-4 lead. Euler would strike again with an RBI single to right, plating senior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas).
USI sealed the victory with a three-run eighth inning extending the margin to 8-4. Sophomore second baseman Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana) made the score 6-5 with a run-scoring double down the left field line, while junior centerfielder Terrick Thompson-Allen (Sioux City, Iowa) finished the USI scoring with a two-run home run to right field for the 8-4 advantage.
The MSU Eagles would make a game of it in the final two innings. MSU cut the USI advantage to 8-5 with a tally in the eighth before threatening in the Screaming Eagles in the ninth.
After cutting the USI lead to 8-7, MSU loaded the bases with two out before the Screaming Eagles’ junior right-hander Tyler Hutson (Villa Hills, Kentucky) shut door on the USI victory. The save was Hutson’s team-high fourth of the year.
The victory on the mound went to junior right-hander Gavin Wilson (Lee’s Summit, Missouri). Wilson (2-1) went 3.2 innings, allowing three runs on three hits in addition to striking out three batters.
USI junior right-hander Gavin Seebold (Jeffersonville, Indiana) started and got a no decision. Seebold gave up four runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out three in five innings.
Up Next for the Eagles:
The Screaming Eagles and the MSU Eagles conclude the series Saturday at noon (CDT).
USI finishes the road trip Tuesday when it visits Murray State University for a 5 p.m. game Tuesday in Murray, Kentucky, before returning to the friendly surroundings of the USI Baseball Field to host Murray State at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
SOUTHERN INDIANA SOFTBALL
EAGLES SPLIT PAIR WITH REDHAWKS ON FRIDAY
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball split a pair of games against Southeast Missouri State University on Friday at USI Softball Field, as the Screaming Eagles took game 1 by a score of 2-1 before falling in game 2 to the Redhawks, 6-0.
Following Friday’s doubleheader, Southern Indiana (13-13) and Southeast Missouri (12-19) remained tied for second place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings with a 7-4 conference record.
Offense came at a premium in the afternoon’s first game Friday. After junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) struck out the side in the top of the second and third innings, Southern Indiana produced some run support in the home half of the third frame. The Screaming Eagles loaded the bases before USI’s all-time hit-by-pitch leader, senior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana), was hit by a pitch to score a run. One batter later, senior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) singled to right field to give USI a 2-0 lead through three innings.
SEMO got a run back on a two-out RBI double in the top of the fifth inning. The Redhawks threatened with the potential tying run coming home from second on a single, but USI left fielder Kennedy Nalley (Huntingburg, Indiana) threw a dart to Kihega, who made the swipe tag for the last out of the inning. USI kept a 2-1 lead going to the sixth.
Even though Southeast Missouri did not go quietly in the seventh with a couple of baserunners, Newman and the Screaming Eagles sealed the deal with a game 1 victory.
SEMO scored one run on six hits, while USI tallied two runs off seven hits. Senior outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) went 2-3 with a run and Kihega was 2-3 with an RBI.
Newman improved to 11-5 in the pitching circle with her 16th complete game of the season. The right-hander allowed just one run and struck out 10 batters. Newman’s counterpart, senior pitcher Paytience Holman for SEMO, moved to 7-7 with the loss after giving up two runs – one earned – in three innings pitched.
In game 2, Southeast Missouri scored first with a run in the first inning. The Redhawks later built their lead up to 4-0 with three runs in the top of the third on a pair of RBI knocks and a bases-loaded walk.
After a clean fourth inning for USI sophomore pitcher Raegan Gibson (Louisville, Kentucky), SEMO tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning to increase its lead to 6-0.
Junior pitcher Whitley Hunter (Nashville, Illinois) took over for Gibson in the last two innings, as USI looked to rally at the plate. Despite solid contact late in the contest, Southern Indiana had nothing to show for it with Southeast Missouri closing out the game 2 victory to force a rubber match in Saturday’s series finale.
SEMO posted six runs on nine hits, while USI had four hits. The top four players in the batting order for USI were responsible for three of the four hits.
Gibson was dealt the loss, moving to 0-3 this season, after five innings of work in her third start of the season. SEMO freshman pitcher Maddie Carney went to 2-4 on the campaign, hurling six shutout innings.
The series finale is set for Saturday at Noon from USI Softball Field. The game can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM. Additional coverage links can be found on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.
VALPO SOFTBALL
BEACONS FALL IN HOME OPENER
The Valpo softball team got off to a strong start in its home opener against Bradley in MVC action Friday afternoon, as a leadoff home run from senior Alexis Johnson (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) sparked a three-run first inning, but the visiting Braves used a big fifth inning to turn the tide in their favor as the Beacons fell by a 7-4 final.
How It Happened
After a scoreless top of the first, it took Valpo just five pitches to get on the board in its first turn at the plate. Johnson took the first four pitches she saw before swinging and driving a 3-1 offering over the fence in center field to put the Beacons on top.
Sophomore Kam Utendorf (Columbus Grove, Ohio/Columbus Grove [Black Hawk College]) followed by drawing a walk, but the next two Beacons went down in order as it looked like Valpo might be limited to the single run in the opening frame.
Senior Regi Hecker (Lee’s Summit, Mo./Blue Springs South) started the two-out rally with an infield single, followed by sophomore Lexi Szostak (Roselle, Ill./Lake Park) knocking an 0-2 pitch into center to score Utendorf.
Senior Emily Crompton (Salem, Ill./Christ Our Rock Lutheran) kept the line moving by knocking an RBI single up the middle, bringing Hecker in to make it 3-0 Beacons. Crompton’s run-scoring hit also served to knock Bradley’s Sydney Kennedy, the reigning MVC Pitcher of the Week, out of the circle.
The Braves threatened to immediately cut into Valpo’s lead in the top of the second, loading the bases with one out. Senior Caitlyn Kowalski (Temperance, Mich./Notre Dame Academy) induced a grounder to third which resulted in a force at the plate for the key second out, and followed by getting a soft liner to third to keep Bradley off the board.
Valpo added a run to its side of the ledger in the bottom of the third, as freshman Kayden Krug (Milford, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) drew a leadoff walk and eventually scored on a Hecker RBI single to push the lead to 4-0 after three complete.
Bradley scored all its runs in the top of the fifth, sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring seven runs on six hits, a walk and a Valpo error to take a 7-4 lead.
The Beacons’ best chance at pulling back one or more runs came in the bottom of the sixth, as a Bradley error and a walk turned the lineup over with the potential tying run coming to the plate before a pop-up ended the inning.
Inside the Game
Johnson’s home run to lead off the bottom of the first inning was the first collegiate home run for the senior. It came in her 129th career game and 281st career at-bat.
Johnson is the first Valpo player to hit a first-inning leadoff home run since Carly Trepanier went deep to start the bottom of the first against IUPUI March 27, 2019. Notably, that game was Valpo’s home opener that season as well.
Hecker was the lone Beacon to reach base multiple times on Friday, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Her single in the bottom of the first was the 100th hit of her collegiate career.
Six different players combined for Valpo’s seven hits.
Kowalski started in the circle and went 4.1 innings, giving up just two runs — only one of which was earned. Freshman Anna Wilming (Columbus, Ohio/Olentangy Orange) took the loss in relief, while fellow rookie Sydney McDermott (Stout, Ohio/Portsmouth West) tossed 1.2 innings of shutout relief.
Next Up
Valpo (6-19, 0-4 MVC) closes out the series against Bradley with a Saturday twinbill beginning at noon.
VALPO BASEBALL
BRAVES TAKE SERIES OPENER FROM BEACONS
A first-inning offensive explosion that transformed into a pitchers’ duel thereafter saw the Valparaiso University baseball team drop the series opener against visiting Bradley 6-4 on Friday afternoon at Emory G. Bauer Field. The Valpo bullpen performed well after entering the game in the second inning, but a four-run first for the guests proved pivotal in the game’s outcome.
How It Happened
Bradley got four in the opening inning to take the early lead. The first five Braves batters all reached base.
Valpo responded in the bottom of the first as Kyle Schmack (Wanatah, Ind. / South Central) grounded an RBI single through the left side, Brady Renfro (Antigo, Wis. / Antigo) had a run-scoring knock through the right side and Schmack crossed the dish on a passed ball to make it 4-3.
Bradley extended its edge to 5-3 with an unearned run in the second, but nothing else crossed the plate over three innings against reliever Grant Jablonski. He was followed on the mound by Joe Seiber (Homer Glen, Ill. / Lockport [College of DuPage]) , who yielded just one hit and no walks over three shutout frames.
Although Valpo pitching kept the Braves at bay, the Beacons could not muster up a run in the middle part of the game. Bradley eventually tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth before an Alex Thurston (Fowler, Ind. / Benton Central) solo shot in the last of the ninth accounted for the game’s final score.
Inside the Game
The only Valpo player with a multi-hit day was Kaleb Hannahs (West Terre Haute, Ind. / West Vigo), whose two hits extended his season-long on-base streak to 24.
Seven of the nine Beacons in the lineup had a hit on a day where each team lashed out eight, but the Thurston homer in the ninth was Valpo’s lone extra-base knock.
Thurston’s home run was his fourth of the season and the seventh of his collegiate career. Three of his home runs have come in the last six games.
Up Next
Valpo (8-16, 0-4 MVC) will continue the series on Saturday. Check back for any potential schedule changes based on the weather forecast.
UINDY SOFTBALL
REES’ MONSTER GAME HIGHLIGHTS SOFTBALL SPLIT AT UMSL
ST. LOUIS – The No. 5 UIndy softball team lost for only the third time this season after splitting a doubleheader against Missouri-St. Louis Friday afternoon. This capped a 20-game win streak for the Greyhounds that started on Feb. 29.
UIndy’s blowout win in game two featured a pair of grand slams by veteran catcher Lexy Rees. She became the first-ever Greyhounds since at least 2001* to hit two salamis in a single contest, while her eight RBIs matched the highest single-game total by a Hound over that same span.
GAME 1 | UMSL 3, UIndy 2
The Greyhounds entered the top of the fifth down 3-0 to the Tritons. Megan Nichols was the first batter to step up in the inning and sent the ball into left field for her fourth double this season. With Nichols on base, Emily O’Connor stepped up to the plate. O’Connor hit a bomb over the centerfield fence for a two-run homer. This closed UMSL’s lead to one, but pitcher Ashley Borowitz and the Tritons’ defense did not allow another UIndy run.
Kenzee Smith endured her first loss this season after 16 straight wins. Smith, who was recently named to the National Pitcher of the Year watchlist, allowed three unearned runs – all in the third inning.
Dominique Proctor finished with a walk and a team-high two hits, including a double. Lexy Rees added a two-bagger as well, while Grace Mosele took one for the team with a hit by pitch.
GAME 2 | UIndy 13, UMSL 2 (5 innings)
Rees stole the show during the second game for the Greyhounds. The senior made UIndy history by hitting two grand slams during the contest. They happened in the first two innings and helped the Hounds build an abrupt 10-1 lead by the end of the second. The Greenwood, Ind., native now has five career grand slams to her credit, tying the UIndy mark set by Megan Russell in 2010.
Nichols also had two home runs during game two. The junior had a solo homer in the fourth and followed up with a two-run shot in the fifth. She now has seven home runs this season, already matching her season high.
Pitcher Jayden Casebolt earned hew 11th win of the season during the contest. In four innings, Casebolt did not allow a single walk and struck out four batters. Kaitlyn Brown entered the circle in the final inning to close out the game.
UP NEXT
UIndy will travel to McKendree tomorrow for another conference doubleheader. The Bearcats are currently third in the GLVC standings. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. ET at Bearcat Field in Lebanon, Ill.
UINDY BASEBALL
HAWKS SNAP HOUNDS STREAK, SWEEP FRIDAY DOUBLEHEADER
INDIANAPOLIS – In a rare Friday doubleheader, the UIndy baseball team saw it’s historic GLVC-baseball winning streak come to an end at the hands of the Rockhurst Hawks. The Hounds, who set a program record for wins to start conference play, dropped both games on the docket, the first 12-4 and the second 5-4.
Zack Williams was big in game one, going 2-2 from the dish with three RBIs. While for game two, Armen Torosian and Cole Hampton were the run scorers while Drew Donaldson recorded a three-hit game.
GAME 1 | Rockhurst 12, UIndy 4
After the Hounds manufactured a run in the first frame of the contest, the Hawks went on a run, tossing up crooked numbers in the third and fourth to run the score up to 10-1. The Hounds answered with a Vergara RBI sacrifice fly in the fourth and a big Williams double to eat into the lead.
The Hawks managed two more runs to end the ballgame as the Hounds saw their streak end. Errors bit the Hounds in game one as they had four misplays in the field, two by the men on the mound.
GAME 2 | Rockhurst 5, UIndy 4
The latter of the two battles was much closer as a run scored in every inning minus the seventh, with the Hawks handing the Hounds two runs in the first two frames. They issued a bases-loaded walk in the first and then had a throwing error at shortstop allow for Bryce Goodwine to sprint home.
The Hounds’ lead did not hold though, with the Hawks chipping away slowly, two runs coming via Greyhound errors. Hampton, with runners at the corners, came up big in the sixth, bringing the game within one.
Poor situational hitting reared its ugly head as the Hounds left game two with ten runners left on base. Despite the result, Austin Bestul and E.J. White were solid out of the bullpen, limiting the Hawks to just one run over the last 3 & 1/3 innings.
UP NEXT
The finale is on deck on Saturday as the Hounds will chase the series split with the Hawks at noon at Greyhound Park. Rain does show in the forecast so stay tuned to @UIndyBaseball for updates.
MARIAN BASEBALL
GAME TWO BRILLIANCE FROM ADAMS GIVES MARIAN SPLIT AGAINST MT. VERNON
Mt. Vernon, Ohio – After dropping game one on Thursday to Mt. Vernon Nazarene, the Marian baseball team rallied behind Chris Adams in game two, as the third-year pitcher tossed a complete game shutout in the Knights second game victory. Marian’s conference split against the Cougars moves their CL record to 11-7, as they remain tied for fourth place in the Crossroads League with their 16-13 overall record.
Game 1 | Marian 3-13 Mt. Vernon | 8 Innings
The Knights got off to a slow start offensively in the opening game of the series, as they mustered just one hit at the plate with the Cougars facing the minimum through two complete innings. In the bottom of the second the home team pounced on pitcher Logan Drook, who was able to survive a pair of base hits in the first inning but was not as lucky in the second. Mt. Vernon pieced together four hits and drew four walks against the starting pitcher, scoring five runs in total to take a 5-0 lead after two complete.
Marian started a response in the third innings as Dawson Estep busted a single to the outfield that surged Nathan Pinarski into scoring position, with a sacrifice fly from Kameron Salazar driving in the team’s first run. The Knights were unable to keep the rally going as Estep was caught stealing to end the inning, and in the bottom of the third Garrett West came on in relief of Drook, but faced a rocky start as he allowed three hits that scored the Cougars’ sixth run of the game. West was able to retire the side and saw his offense get a run back in the fourth as Pierson Barnes delivered an RBI single, making it a 6-2 game. The freshman would pitch a clean fourth inning as he picked up two strikeouts, but in the fifth a walk and pair of erratic throws from the infield allowed Mt. Vernon to reclaim their five-run advantage.
West pitched another flawless inning in the sixth as the Knights kept the contest a 7-2 game, but back to back trips to the plate without getting a runner in scoring position hurt the Knights comeback efforts. The freshman reliever pitched into the seventh inning but saw signs of struggles after recording the first out, as a series of plays allowed the Cougars to score two runs. Hunter Reagan was called on out of the bullpen to limit the damage to two, but struggled with walks, allowing two more runs to score as the inning ended with the Knights trailing 11-2.
In the eighth inning the Knights got a run back from a solo home run off of Dawson Estep’s bat, but the offense was unable to keep the momentum going as the game shifted to its final half inning. In the bottom of the frame, Mt. Vernon picked up two hits and had one batter hit by Reagan, as they scored a run with one out away from the inning concluding. Dylan Holmes came on after the 12th run scored, but was unable to pitch Marian into the ninth, as he walked back-to-back batters as the game ended in a 13-3 run-rule defeat.
The Knights had eight hits in the loss, with Rylan Huntley, Estep, and Barnes each recording a pair. Max Steffen and Josh Lamb also had base hits in the game. On the mound Drook suffered the loss as he dropped to 1-2 on the year, allowing six hits and five earned runs. West threw a season-best 4.1 innings, allowing five hits while recording four strikeouts. West and Reagan each allowed three earned runs.
Game 2 | Marian 8-0 Mt. Vernon
In the second act of the doubleheader, the Knights turned in a strong start in part to the efforts of their starting pitcher Chris Adams, who pitched into a self-inflicted jam with three first inning walks but came out of the inning scoreless. After Adams stranded three runners in the first, the Knights came back with four runs in the top of the second inning, with Johnny Roeder reaching base after getting hit by a pitch. Roeder stole bases into third, and after Jacob Dill walked, a single from Caden Mason pushed in the first run of the day. Dawson Estep drove home two more with his double to right, while Kameron Salazar capped the four-run frame with an RBI single.
The 4-0 lead would be all that Adams needed, as he continued to deliver strong material. The third-year pitcher struck out the side in the second inning after allowing a pair of walks, and in the third pitched a scoreless inning, riding the momentum from Bryce Davenport’s two-run home run in the top half. Adams would keep the 6-0 lead in tact after four innings of play, allowing his first hit of the day in the inning but shutting down the Cougars with two more strikeouts.
In the fifth inning Adams gained more support from his offense, with Mason delivering another RBI base hit, this time driving home Roeder with the knock to left field. Mason’s hit gave Marian a 7-0 lead, which carried into the sixth inning after two more strikeouts from the righty pitcher stifled the Cougars hitters. Rylan Huntley put the final dent in the board in the top of the sixth inning as he smacked an RBI single to score Salazar, putting the game to an 8-0 lead.
Adams retired the side in order in the sixth inning as his one-hit game continued, and in the seventh inning the ace completed his shutout, stranding a base hit as his 10th strikeout of the game capped the complete game shutout in the 8-0 victory.
The redshirt-sophomore Adams moved to 2-4 on the season with fourth complete game effort of the season, tossing his first career shutout. Adams retired 10 batters via the strikeout, and allowed just two hits, pitching out of jams in multiple innings as he scattered six walks. The shutout is the third thrown by the Marian pitching staff this season.
At the plate Marian again had eight hits, with Mason, Huntley, and Salazar each recording a pair. Davenport, Mason, and Estep each had two RBI, and catcher Jacob Dill drew a pair of walks. Roeder scored two runs in the game, reaching on a walk and hit by pitch.
The Knights and Cougars will resume their series on Monday, April 1, at 2:00 p.m., with Marian looking to complete their fourth series victory of the Crossroads League season. The series finale was postponed from Saturday due to forecasted weather conditions.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETICS
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/
MNCHESTER 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/
HOY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
34 – 4 – 22 – 11
March 30, 1940 – Indiana knocked off Kansas, 60-42 in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship game. Hoosiers’ forward Marvin Huffman, Number 34 was named tournament Most Outstanding Player.
March 30, 1943 – At the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship it was Wyoming beats Georgetown, 46-34; Cowboys’ point guard Ken Sailors, Number 4 is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
March 30, 1975 – Washington Capitals player Ron LaLonde, Number 22 scored the first hat trick in franchise history.
March 30, 1981 – Point guard Isiah Thomas, Number 11 won the Most Outstanding Player award for the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament as his Indiana team coached by Bobby Knight, defeated the North Carolina Tarheels coched by Dean Smith, 63-50.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
Rules Revisions Fill the Headlines!
March 30, 1889 – At the football rules convention early rules makers voted in a new rule to read that “a touchdown is made when the ball is carried, kicked or passed across the goal-line and is held either in touch or in goal. We get this info from Parke H. Davis fine book Football the InterCollegiate Game published in 1911.
March 30, 2004 – At the NFL Owners Meetings the group voted to extend Instant Replay System in place for another 5 years. The plan with the extension was that proponents hoped the next time the vote would come up they could tweak it and make it a permanent fixture in the NFL. Their wish came true in 2007 when a 30-2 vote gave replay permanence so as it would not have to be debated each year. At that same meeting the owners would give a reward for coaches who were successful on their first two reviews: a third challenge according to Operations.NFL.com.
Hall of Fame Birthdays for March 30
March 30, 1914 – Morris, Oklahoma – The fine tackle of the Stanford Cardinal, Bobby Reynolds was born.
March 30, 1935 – Saint Augustine, Florida – Florida A&M’s halfback from 1953 through the 1956 season, Willie Galimore arrived to celebrate his birth.Willie, also known as the “Galloping Gal” was a stud runner four all four seasons he played at the school. The NFF says he was All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference choice four times and was named black college All-America by the Pittsburgh Courier three times. The A&M Rattlers won four conference championships and one black college national championship in the era of Galimore. In Galimore’s biggest game he rushed for 295 yards and four touchdowns against Tennessee State in 1956. He had rushing totals of 187 yards against Morris Brown College and 159 against Xavier University of Louisiana in 1955. He scored 16 total touchdowns in the 1956 season alone with his longest run was 98 yards against Allen College that season. In WIllie’s four year career he gained 3,596 yards rushing. Willie Galimore received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1966 — The Koufax-Drysdale holdout ended. The Los Angeles Dodgers announced the signings. Sandy Koufax got $120,000 and Don Drysdale $105,000, making them the highest paid teammates in history.
1978 — The Boston Red Sox acquire pitcher Dennis Eckersley and catcher Fred Kendall from the Cleveland Indians for pitchers Rick Wise and Mike Paxton, catcher Bo Diaz and infielder Ted Cox.
1992 — The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox made a trade. The Cubs sent outfielder George Bell to the White Sox for outfielder Sammy Sosa and pitcher Ken Patterson.
2001 — Pitcher Dwight Gooden announces his retirement. The four-time All-Star and Cy Young Award winner posted a 194-112 record with a 3.51 ERA and 2293 strikeouts in 16 seasons.
2004 — The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays opened the season in Japan with Tampa Bay posting an 8-3 victory behind the pitching of Victor Zambrano and the hitting of Tino Martinez. Martinez had three hits including the 300th homer of his career.
2008 — Nationals Park opens for action with the host Nationals beating the Braves, 3 – 2.
2019 — In a very rare occurrence, position players take the mound for both teams in the Dodgers’ 18 – 5 win over the Diamondbacks.
2023 — For the first time ever, all 30 teams are active on opening day as no rainouts affect the schedule.
APRIL 2-APRIL 4
April 2
1931 — Virne Beatrice “Jackie” Mitchell, the first woman in professional baseball, pitched against the New York Yankees in an exhibition game in Chattanooga. Babe Ruth waved wildly at the first two pitches and took a third strike. Lou Gehrig timed his swing to miss three straight pitches. Tony Lazzeri, after trying to bunt, walked and Mitchell left the game.
1952 — Hall of Fame outfielder Monte Irvin of the New York Giants broke his ankle in an exhibition game. Irvin played just 46 games that season.
1976 — The Oakland Athletics trade two key members from their recent World Series championship teams, sending OF Reggie Jackson and P Ken Holtzman to the Baltimore Orioles.
1984 — The New York Mets lost to the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 for their first opening-day defeat in 10 years.
1995 — The longest strike in major league history comes to an end. Having the first 23 days of this major league season canceled and 252 games of the last season lost, the owners accept the players’ March 31st unconditional offer to return to work. The players’ decision to return to work is made after a US District Court issued an injunction restoring terms and conditions of the expired agreement. Teams will play 144-game schedules. The strike had begun on August 12, 1994.
1996 — St. Francis of Illinois pummeled Robert Morris 71-1, with Robert Morris coach Gerald McNamara ending the after four innings.
1997 — For the first time, the salary of one player — Albert Belle — exceeded the payroll of an entire team — the Pittsburgh Pirates. Belle, the game’s highest-paid player for 1997 at $10 million, made $928,333 more than the whole Pirates payroll of $9,071,667.
1998 — By hitting a home run at Bank One Ballpark, Ellis Burks sets a major league record by having homered in 33 different stadiums.
2001 — For the first time in major league history, a Japanese position player participates in a regular season game. Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, hitless in his first three at-bats, singles in the 7th inning to ignite a two-run rally, and bunts for another single in the 8th in his debut at Safeco Field. He will go on the be both the American League Rookie of the Year and MVP this year.
2001 — Roger Clemens became the AL strikeout king, getting five to pass Walter Johnson as the Yankees beat Kansas City 7-3 in their season opener. Clemens fanned Joe Randa for his 3,509th career strikeout.
2003 — Alex Rodriguez became the youngest player to hit 300 home runs, connecting for a three-run drive in the Texas Rangers’ 11-5 loss to the Anaheim Angels. Rodriguez at 27 years, 249 days old, surpassed Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx (27 years, 328 days).
2003 — The Detroit Tigers became the first team to have four pitchers make their major league debuts in the same game — Jeremy Bonderman, Wilfredo Ledezma, Chris Spurling and Matt Roney. The Tigers lost 8-1 to the Minnesota Twins.
2007 — Tampa Bay’s Elijah Dukes homered in his first big league at-bat in a 9-5 loss to the New York Yankees.
2008 — Kevin Youkilis plays his 194th consecutive error-free game at first base, breaking Steve Garvey’s 23-year-old major league record.
2010 — The Minnesota Twins open their new ballpark, Target Field, with an 8 – 4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in an exhibition game.
2011 — Ichiro Suzuki breaks the franchise hit record for the Seattle Mariners in the Mariners’ 6 – 2 win over Oakland. Ten years to the day after his first major league hit, Ichiro collects safety number 2,248, passing Edgar Martinez, with an infield single that drives in the winning run in the 9th.
2011 — Ian Kinsler of Texas became the first major leaguer with leadoff homers in each of his team’s first two games. Kinsler hit the first of four homers by the Rangers in a 12-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
2012 — Matt Cain and the San Francisco Giants agreed to a $127.5 million, six-year contract, the largest deal for a right-handed pitcher in baseball history.
2017 — Madison Bumgarner hit two homers but the Arizona Diamondbacks scored twice with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning off new San Francisco closer Mark Melancon to beat the Giants 6-5 in a wild season opener. Bumgarner retired his first 16 batters and became the first pitcher to hit two home runs on opening day. He struck out 11 with no walks in seven innings.
2019 — Returning to Washington, D.C. for the first time since signing a record free agent contract with the Phillies in the spring, Bryce Harper is back. He collects 3 hits, including a 458-foot two-run homer to lead the Phillies to an 8 – 2 win over the Nationals.
2021 — Commissioner Rob Manfred announces that the 2021 All-Star Game will not be staged in Atlanta, GA, as planned, but will be moved to another location to be determined, in response to the state of Georgia’s adoption of rules aimed at restricting the voting rights of African-Americans. This follows only two days after President Joe Biden stated he supported such a move, given the discriminatory nature of Georgia’s law.
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April 3
1923 — In Chicago, Ill., two Black Sox sue the White Sox. Swede Risberg and Happy Felsch seek $400,000 in damages and $6,750 in back salary for conspiracy and injury to their reputation in the aftermath of the scandalous 1919 World Series court case. Their suit will be unsuccessful.
1966 — The New York Mets sign University of Southern California star P Tom Seaver to his first contract.
1974 — The Cincinnati Reds defeated the Atlanta Braves 7-6 in 11 innings before a crowd of 52,000 at Riverfront Stadium. In his first at-bat, Hank Aaron hit a three-run homer off Jack Billingham. It was his 714th, tying Babe Ruth’s career record. The Braves had considered keeping Aaron on the bench for the season-opening series in Cincinnati so that he could attempt to tie the record four days later in Atlanta. But commissioner Bowie Kuhn would not allow it and ordered the Braves to put Aaron into the lineup for at least two of the three games.
1985 — A major league owners’ proposal is agreed to by the Players Association. The American and National leagues playoff formats are changed to best-of-sevens.
1987 — The Chicago Cubs trade starting pitcher Dennis Eckersley to the Oakland Athletics for three minor leaguers. Eckersley will emerge as the game’s dominant closer, saving 291 games over the next eight seasons.
1988 — George Bell became the first player to hit three home runs on opening day, leading the Toronto Blue Jays past the Kansas City Royals 5-3. Bell, bitter throughout spring training with his move to designated hitter, homered three times in that role off Bret Saberhagen.
1989 — Ken Griffey, Jr. of the Seattle Mariners makes his major league debut.
1994 — Chicago’s Karl Rhodes hit three solo home runs off Dwight Gooden in a 12-8 loss to the New York Mets on opening day at Wrigley Field. Rhodes became the second player to homer three times in an opener.
1998 — Mark McGwire tied Willie Mays’ National League record by hitting a home run in each of his first four games of the season. McGwire launched a towering three-run shot in the sixth inning of an 8-6 victory over the San Diego Padres.
1999 — America’s pastime opened in Mexico for the first time. The Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 8-2 in baseball’s first season opener away from the United States and Canada.
2000 — A new major league record for Opening Day is set with five players having multiple home run games.
2001 — Hideo Nomo became the fourth pitcher in major-league history to throw a no-hitter in both leagues in Boston’s 3-0 victory over Baltimore. Nomo, who threw the first no-hitter in Colorado’s Coors Field on Sept. 17, 1996, for Los Angeles, walked three and struck out 11 in the first no-hitter in the 10-year history of Camden Yards. Nomo joined Cy Young, Jim Bunning and Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers with no-hitters in both leagues.
2003 — Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs became the 18th player to hit 500 career homers, connecting for a solo shot in a 10-9 loss to Cincinnati. He became the fifth player to reach 500 homers before his 35th birthday. Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Jimmie Foxx were the others.
2005 — Dmitri Young became the third player to hit three homers on opening day, and Jeremy Bonderman won as the youngest opening day starter in the major-leagues since 1986 to lead Detroit over the Royals 11-2.
2005 — In his first outing for the New York Yankees, Randy Johnson allows a run and five hits in six innings as New York open the major league season with a 9 – 2 win.
2006 — Seattle Mariners rookie Kenji Johjima, the first catcher from Japan to start a major league game, hits a home run for his first hit.
2015 — MLB suspends P Ervin Santana, who signed the largest free agent contract in Twins history this off-season, for 80 games for testing positive to the anabolic steroid stanozolol.
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April 4
1974 — The Cincinnati Reds defeated the Atlanta Braves 7-6 in 11 innings before a crowd of 52,000 at Riverfront Stadium. In his first at-bat, Hank Aaron hit a three-run homer off Jack Billingham. It was his 714th, tying Babe Ruth’s career record. The Braves had considered keeping Aaron on the bench for the season-opening series in Cincinnati so that he could attempt to tie the record four days later in Atlanta. But Commissioner Bowie Kuhn ordered the Braves to put Aaron into the lineup for at least two of the three games.
1988 — George Bell became the first player to hit three home runs on opening day, leading the Toronto Blue Jays past the Kansas City Royals 5-3. Bell, bitter throughout spring training with his move to designated hitter, homered three times in that role off Bret Saberhagen.
1993 — At Camden Yards, Bill Clinton becomes the first U.S. President to throw the first pitch of the season from the pitcher’s mound.
1994 — Chicago’s Karl Rhodes hit three solo home runs off Dwight Gooden in a 12-8 loss to the New York Mets on opening day at Wrigley Field. Rhodes became the second player to homer three times in an opener.
1994 — The Cleveland Indians open new stadium, Jacobs Field, with a 4 – 3 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
1998 — Mark McGwire tied Willie Mays’ National League record by hitting a home run in each of his first four games of the season. McGwire launched a towering three-run shot in the sixth inning of an 8-6 victory over the San Diego Padres.
1999 — America’s pastime opened in Mexico for the first time. The Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 8-2 in baseball’s first season opener outside the United States and Canada.
2001 — Hideo Nomo became the fourth pitcher in major league history to throw a no-hitter in both leagues in Boston’s 3-0 victory over Baltimore. Nomo, who threw the first no-hitter in Colorado’s Coors Field on Sept. 17, 1996, for Los Angeles, walked three and struck out 11 in the first no-hitter in the 10-year history of Camden Yards. Nomo joined Cy Young, Jim Bunning and Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers with no-hitters in both leagues.
2003 — Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs became the 18th player to hit 500 career homers, connecting for a solo shot in a 10-9 loss to Cincinnati. He became the fifth player to reach 500 homers before his 35th birthday. Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Jimmie Foxx were the others.
2005 — Dmitri Young became the third player to hit three homers on opening day, and Jeremy Bonderman won as the youngest opening day starter in the major leagues since 1986 to lead Detroit over the Kansas City Royals 11-2.
2011 — Nelson Cruz of Texas became the third player in major league history to homer in the first four games of a season and the Rangers beat Seattle 6-4. Cruz joined Willie Mays (1971) and Mark McGwire (1998) as the only players to go deep in each of their first four games of a season.
2012 — The Miami Marlins open a new name and a new ballpark, Marlins Park, but lose to the St. Louis Cardinals.
2016 — Colorado Rockies SS Trevor Story becomes the first player to hit two homers in his debut on Opening Day.
2018 — MLB experiments with a new medium as today’s game between the Phillies and Mets is broadcast live exclusively on “Facebook Watch”.
2021 — For the first time since his debut in Major League Baseball in 2018, Shohei Ohtani is in the batting order in a game in which he is also the starting pitcher.
BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW: 1958 (BASEBALL ALMANAC)
Off the field…
The United States launched its first satellite “Explorer I” into orbit around the earth. The launch was in response to the Soviets who had successfully launched their first satellite “Sputnik” one year earlier.
U.S. Troops landed in Lebanon for the first time after President Eisenhower ordered approximately five-thousand U.S. Marines deployed to help maintain order after a revolt in Iraq resulted in the ouster of the pro-Western Lebanese government.
Pan Am introduced the first 707 trans-Atlantic jet service on October 27, when its first 707 airliner, christened the “Clipper America”, took off for Paris, France from New York.
In the American League…
Cleveland Indian Vic Power became the first American League player since 1927 to steal home twice in the same game. The crafty first baseman first stole home in the eighth inning, then again in the tenth giving the Indians a 10-9 win over the Detroit Tigers.
Two walks and a hit batsman are all that Jim Bunning allowed as he won his sixth game in seven decisions and tossed the only American League no hitter of the season on July 20.
Boston’s Ted Williams hit the 17th grand slam of his career (along with a three-run home run) during an 11-8 win over the Detroit Tigers on July 29th. The bases-loaded-round-tripper tied the Red Sox slugger for 2nd place with Babe Ruth and moved him within six of the all-time leader, Lou Gehrig.
In the National League…
Tragedy struck the Los Angeles Dodgers after catcher Roy Campanella was involved in a serious auto accident on Long Island. Although he survived suffering a broken neck, his spinal column was nearly severed and his legs were permanently paralyzed.
On May 11th, the St. Louis Cardinals set a National League record by using ten pinch hitters during a regulation double-header. Despite walking fourteen batters in game one, The “Redbirds” managed to top the Chicago Cubs 8-7 and followed in game two with another 6-5 win. Despite the lengthy line-up, Stan Musial remained the Cardinals biggest threat at the plate and posted a home run and four singles to come within two hits of three-thousand. Amazingly, the Cards would tie their own record two months later against the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 13th.
Milwaukee Braves ace Warren Spahn became the first lefty to win twenty or more games, nine times, after beating the St. Louis Cardinals 8-2 on September 13th. (Eddie Plank and Lefty Grove, each won twenty games, eight times).
Around the League…
Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick announced that the players and coaches (rather than the fans) would elect their line-ups for the All-Star Game.
“Teddy Ballgame” aka Ted Williams, signed a whopping $135,000 contract extension with the Boston Red Sox making him the highest paid player (to date) in the history of Major League Baseball. Later that season he became only the 10th player ever to get one-thousand extra-base hits.
Decades before the premiere of ESPN or the YES Network, the New York Yankees announced that they would televise an unprecedented one-hundred forty games during the 1958 season. The Philadelphia Phillies followed several days later agreeing to broadcast seventy-eight games in the New York City area.
Starting this season, all American League hitters were required to wear batting helmets.
BASEBALL’S GREAT PITCHERS
STEVE CARLTON
The 1980 season was a banner year for Steve Carlton. Lefty, as he was universally known around the league, led all National League pitchers with 24 wins. He was the major-league leader in strikeouts with 286. He struck out 10 or more batters in 11 games. Carlton led all pitchers in WAR (Wins Above Replacement) with 10.2. Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Stone led all pitchers in wins with 25, but Carlton won the 1980 National League Cy Young Award by an overwhelming margin and finished fifth in the NL MVP voting behind his teammate Mike Schmidt. After his historic 1972 campaign (27 victories for a Phillies team that won only 59 games and finished in the NL East basement), Carlton’s next three seasons had been marred by mediocrity. But with a renewed focus, he established himself as one of the game’s top pitchers during the period 1976-1980. During those seasons he won 20 games or more three times, and won the NL Cy Young Award twice. Carlton was the best left-handed pitcher in the game.
READ MORE: https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/steve-carlton/
TODAY IN NBA HISTORY
March 30, 1976
Paul Silas of the Boston Celtics joined Bill Russell and Bill Bridges as the third player in NBA history to collect 10,000 rebounds before scoring 10,000 points.
March 30, 1979
Robert Parish of Golden State became the first Warrior in 10 years (since Nate Thurmond) to get at least 30 points and 30 rebounds in a game. Parish scored 30 points and hauled down 32 boards as the host Warriors defeated New York 114-98.
March 30, 1980
San Antonio’s George Gervin becomes the fifth player to win at least three consecutive scoring titles, joining George Mikan, Neil Johnston, Wilt Chamberlain and Bob McAdoo. Michael Jordan would later join that select circle.
March 30, 1986
The Boston Celtics tied an NBA record by beating New Jersey 122-117 for Boston’s 27th consecutive home court victory, matching the single-season mark set by the Minneapolis Lakers in 1950. The Celtics eventually extended their record streak to 38 games, over two seasons, before losing to Washington in Hartford on Dec. 2, 1986.
March 30, 1995
Chicago beat Boston 100-82 to win the first of an NBA record 44 consecutive home games (over two seasons) before losing to Charlotte 98-97 on April 8, 1996.
March 30, 2000
The United Nations Drug Control Program (UNDCP) and the NBA teamed up to produce an anti-drug public service announcement featuring Sacramento Kings center Vlade Divac. The NBA Store hosted a special press conference featuring Divac on two-way video to announce his participation as the United Nations Drug Control Program Goodwill Ambassador for Sports Against Drugs.
March 30, 2000
NBA.com launched NBA.com/UK, a special online section customized for basketball fans in the United Kingdom. NBA.com/UK features information relevant to UK fans, including television listings for NBA games and shows on ITV and TNT, local event information, features and statistics. Fans are also be able to participate in interactive activities such as special player chats and mailboxes.
March 30, 2000
The NBA/National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Prohibited Substances Committee adds Androstenedione (Andro), along with eight additional substances, to the list of steroids banned by the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Agreement. The Committee, jointly appointed by the NBA and NBPA, includes three experts in the field of illegal and performance enhancing drugs. The steroids added by the Committee to the list of Prohibited Substances are as follows: Androstenedione, Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), Fluoxymesterone, Methyltestosterone, Nandrolone, Oxandrolone, Oxymetholone, Stanozolol and Testosterone.
March 30, 2001
The Philadelphia 76ers retired the No. 34 in honor of Charles Barkley, who played eight seasons for the Sixers from 1984 to 1992. Barkley became the seventh player in 76ers’ history to have his number retired.
March 30, 2001
John Stockton of the Utah Jazz played in the 1,330th game of his NBA career, a 95-88 win over Cleveland, and moved into third place all-time in NBA games played. Stockton trailed only Robert Parish (1,611 games) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,560).
March 30, 2008
Boston limits the Miami Heat to just 17 field goals in an 88-62 win. That total is the lowest in an NBA game since the advent of the shot clock in 1954.
March 30, 2012
Deron Williams of the New Jersey Nets dished out 20 assists in a 102-101 win over the Golden State Warriors.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1940 — Indiana routs Kansas 60-42 for the NCAA basketball championship.
1943 — Ken Sailors scores 16 points to lead Wyoming to a 56-43 victory over Georgetown in the NCAA basketball championship.
1976 — Paul Silas of the Boston Celtics joins Bill Russell and Bill Bridges as the third player in NBA history to collect 10,000 career rebounds before scoring 10,000 career points.
1979 — Robert Parish of Golden State becomes the first Warrior in 10 years (since Nate Thurmond) to get at least 30 points and 30 rebounds in a game. Parish scores 30 points and grabs 32 rebounds in a 114-98 win over the New York Knicks.
1980 — San Antonio’s Larry Kenon scores 51 points and George Gervin adds 37 to lead the Spurs to a 144-124 win over Detroit in the final game of the regular season. Gervin wins the scoring title with a 33.1 points per game and becomes the fifth player to win at least three consecutive scoring titles, joining George Mikan, Neil Johnston, Wilt Chamberlain and Bob McAdoo.
1981 — Sophomore guard Isiah Thomas scores 23 points to lead Indiana to a 63-50 victory over North Carolina to win the NCAA basketball title.
1987 — Keith Smart’s 16-foot jump shot gives Indiana a 74-73 victory over Syracuse for the NCAA men’s basketball championship.
1990 — Jack Nicklaus makes his debut on the Senior PGA Tour with a 71 (-1) in the first round of The Tradition at Desert Mountain; wins event by 4 strokes over Gary Player.
1995 — Maine beats Michigan 4-3 in triple overtime, the longest hockey game in NCAA tournament history, to advance to the NCAA title game.
2001 — Michael Phelps becomes the youngest American swimmer to set a world record, winning the 200-meter butterfly in the USA Swimming Championships in 1 minute, 54.92 seconds. Phelps, 15, breaks the record of 1:55.18 set by Olympic gold medalist Tom Malchow in June.
2007 — American Ryan Lochte pulls off a stunning upset in the 200-meter backstroke, beating the supposedly invincible Aaron Peirsol with a world-record time of 1:54.32. Lochte erases Peirsol’s old mark of 1:54.44 to give Peirsol his first international loss in the 200 since the Sydney Olympics seven years ago.
2007 — Kobe Bryant scores 53 points for his eighth 50-point performance of the season as the Los Angeles Lakers lost to Houston 107-104 in overtime.
2008 — The Boston Celtics hold Miami to an NBA-record low 17 field goals, coasting to an 88-62 victory. The previous record for fewest field goals in a game came against Miami in April 1999, when Chicago managed only 18.
2013 — Syracuse shuts down Marquette with a 55-39 win in the East regional final and reached the Final Four for the first time in a decade. The Golden Eagles’ 39 points are a record low for a team in an NCAA tournament regional final since the shot clock was introduced in 1986. The 94 combined points was also a record low for a regional final.
2014 — Aaron Harrison makes a 3-pointer from about 24 feet with 2.3 seconds left to lift Kentucky to a 75-72 win over Michigan and the program’s 16th trip to the Final Four. Eighth-seeded Kentucky is the first all-freshman starting lineup to make the Final Four since the Fab Five at Michigan in 1992.
2014 — Shabazz Napier scores 17 of his 25 points in the second half, and UConn beats Michigan State 60-54 to return to the Final Four a year after the Huskies were barred from the NCAA tournament. The Huskies rally from a nine-point second-half deficit to become the first No. 7 seed to reach the Final Four since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
2020 — International Olympic Committee announces postponed 2020 Summer Olympic Games will be held July 23-August 8 in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
TV SPORTS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL (MEN’S)
4:30 a.m.
FS1 — AFL: Melbourne at Port Adelaide
1 a.m. (Sunday)
FS2 — AFL: Sydney at Richmond
AUTO RACING
8:30 a.m.
FS1 — NASCAR Xfinity Series: Qualifying, Richmond Raceway, Richmond, Va.
10:30 a.m.
FS1 — NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying, Richmond Raceway, Richmond, Va.
1 p.m.
CBS — ABB FIA Formula E: Round 5, Tokyo
1:30 p.m.
FS1 — NASCAR Xfinity Series: The ToyotaCare 250, Richmond Raceway, Richmond, Va.
BOWLING
7 p.m.
FS1 — PBA: The Elite League, Las Vegas
COLLEGE BASEBALL
2 p.m.
SECN — Missouri at Vanderbilt
3 p.m.
BTN — Minnesota at Iowa
4 p.m.
ACCN — Pittsburgh at Virginia Tech
PAC-12N — Washington St. at Washington
5 p.m.
SECN — Georgia at Tennessee
7 p.m.
ACCN — North Carolina at Wake Forest
8 p.m.
SECN — Auburn at Texas A&M
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
2 p.m.
ESPNU — NJCAA Tournament: Triton vs. Barton, Championship, Hutchinson, Kan.
3 p.m.
CBS — NCAA Division II Tournament: Nova Southeastern vs. Minnesota St., Championship, Evansville, Ind.
6 p.m.
TBS — NCAA Tournament: Illinois vs. UConn, Elite Eight, Boston
TRUTV — NCAA Tournament: Illinois vs. UConn, Elite Eight, Boston
8:30 p.m.
TBS — NCAA Tournament: Clemson vs. Alabama, Elite Eight, Los Angeles
TRUTV — NCAA Tournament: Clemson vs. Alabama, Elite Eight, Los Angeles
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
1 p.m.
ABC — NCAA Tournament: LSU vs. UCLA, Sweet Sixteen, Albany, N.Y.
3:30 p.m.
ABC — NCAA Tournament: Colorado vs. Iowa, Sweet Sixteen, Albany, N.Y.
ESPN — NCAA Tournament: Baylor vs. Southern Cal, Sweet Sixteen, Portland, Ore.
8 p.m.
ESPN — NCAA Tournament: Duke vs. UConn, Sweet Sixteen, Portland, Ore.
COLLEGE HOCKEY (MEN’S)
4 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: Cornell vs. Denver, Quarterfinal, Springfield, Mass.
ESPNU — NCAA Tournament: Cornell vs. Denver, Quarterfinal, Springfield, Mass.
6:30 p.m.
ESPNU — NCAA Tournament: Minnesota vs. Boston U., Quarterfinal, Sioux Falls, S.D.
COLLEGE LACROSSE (MEN’S)
Noon
ESPN2 — Michigan at Johns Hopkins
2 p.m.
ACCN — Syracuse at Notre Dame
COLLEGE LACROSSE (WOMEN’S)
Noon
ACCN — North Carolina at Boston College
12:30 p.m.
BTN — Maryland at Michigan
6 p.m.
BTN — Rutgers at Northwestern
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Noon
ESPNU — Virginia Tech at Duke
SECN — Arkansas at Georgia
2 p.m.
PAC-12N — Oregon at UCLA
10 p.m.
ESPN2 — Stanford at Arizona
ESPNU — CS Northridge at Long Beach St.
WATER POLO (WOMEN’S)
11 a.m.
BTN — Southern Cal at Indiana
CROSS COUNTRY
6 a.m.
CNBC — World Athletics Championships: From Belgrade, Serbia
GOLF
4 a.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Hero Indian Open, Third Round, DLF Golf & Country Club – The Gary Player Course, New Delhi, India
1 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Texas Children’s Houston Open, Third Round, Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston
3:30 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Galleri Classic, Second Round, Mission Hills Country Club – Dinah Shore Tournament Course, Rancho Mirage, Calif.
NBC — PGA Tour: The Texas Children’s Houston Open, Third Round, Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston
6 p.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The Ford Championship, Third Round, Seville Golf and Country Club, Gilbert, Ariz.
2:30 a.m. (Sunday)
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Hero Indian Open, Final Round, DLF Golf & Country Club – The Gary Player Course, New Delhi, India
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL (BOY’S)
2 p.m.
NBATV — The Throne National Championship: TBD, Championship, East Rutherford, N.J.
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL (GIRL’S)
Noon
NBATV — The Throne National Championship: TBD, Championship, East Rutherford, N.J.
HORSE RACING
8 a.m.
FS2 — The Dubai World Cup: From Meydan Racecourse, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
1 p.m.
FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
6 p.m.
CNBC — 1/ST RACING TOUR: The Florida Derby, Gulfstream Park, Hallandale, Fla.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — UFC Fight Night Prelims: Undercard Bouts, Atlantic City, N.J.
10 p.m.
ESPN — UFC Fight Night Main Card: Erin Blanchfield vs. Manon Fiorot (Flyweights), Atlantic City, N.J.
MLB BASEBALL
1:30 p.m.
MLBN — Milwaukee at NY Mets
4 p.m.
FS1 — Atlanta at Philadelphia
7 p.m.
FOX — Regional Coverage: NY Yankees at Houston OR San Francisco at San Diego
10 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Boston at Seattle (9:40 p.m.) OR St. Louis at LA Dodgers (9:10 p.m.)
NBA BASKETBALL
5 p.m.
NBATV — Boston at New Orleans
7:30 p.m.
NBATV — Milwaukee at Atlanta
NHL HOCKEY
12:30 p.m.
NHLN — Detroit at Florida
RUGBY (MEN’S)
8 p.m.
FS2 — Premiership: Bath Rugby at Harlequins (Taped)
SOCCER (MEN’S)
7:30 a.m.
CBSSN — Serie A: Atalanta at Napoli
8:30 a.m.
USA — Premier League: West Ham United at Newcastle United
11 a.m.
USA — Premier League: Crystal Palace at Nottingham Forest
1:25 p.m.
ESPN — Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund at Bayern Munich
1:30 p.m.
NBC — Premier League: Wolverhampton at Aston Villa
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
3:30 p.m.
ESPN — NWSL: Angel City FC at Kansas City Current
7:30 p.m.
ION — NWSL: Racing Louisville FC at Portland Thorns FC
10 p.m.
ION — NWSL: Houston Dash at Bay FC
TENNIS
12:30 p.m.
TENNIS — Miami-ATP Doubles Final
3 p.m.
TENNIS — Miami-WTA Singles Final
UFL FOOTBALL
1 p.m.
FOX — Birmingham at Arlington
4 p.m.
FOX — St. Louis at Michigan
_____
Sunday, Mar. 31
AUTO RACING
5 p.m.
CBSSN — FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship: The MXGP, Xanadu-Arroyomolinos, Spain
7 p.m.
FOX — NASCAR Cup Series: The Toyota Owners 400, Richmond Raceway, Richmond, Va.
1 a.m. (Monday)
CNBC — AMA Supercross Series: Round 12, St. Louis (Taped)
BOWLING
1:30 p.m.
FOX — PBA: The USBC Masters Finals, Las Vegas
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Noon
BTN — Maryland at Michigan
2 p.m.
SECN — Georgia at Tennessee
3 p.m.
BTN — Penn St. at Illinois
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
2 p.m.
CBS — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Elite Eight
4:45 p.m.
CBS — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Elite Eight
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
1 p.m.
ABC — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Elite Eight
3 p.m.
ABC — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Elite Eight
COLLEGE HOCKEY (MEN’S)
4 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Quarterfinal, Providence, R.I.
6:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Quarterfinal, St. Louis
COLLEGE LACROSSE (MEN’S)
2:30 p.m.
ESPNU — Syracuse at Notre Dame
7 p.m.
BTN — Maryland at Penn St.
COLLEGE LACROSSE (WOMEN’S)
3 p.m.
PAC-12N — California at Southern Cal
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Noon
ESPN2 — Arkansas at Georgia
SECN — South Carolina at Mississippi
GOLF
1 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Texas Children’s Houston Open, Final Round, Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston
2:30 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Galleri Classic, Final Round, Mission Hills Country Club – Dinah Shore Tournament Course, Rancho Mirage, Calif.
NBC — PGA Tour: The Texas Children’s Houston Open, Final Round, Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston
6 p.m.
GOLF — LPGA Tour: The Ford Championship, Final Round, Seville Golf and Country Club, Gilbert, Ariz.
MLB BASEBALL
1:30 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Atlanta at Philadelphia OR Toronto at Tampa Bay
4:30 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: San Francisco at San Diego (4:10 p.m.) OR Boston at Seattle (4:10 p.m.)
7 p.m.
ESPN — St. Louis at LA Dodgers
NBA BASKETBALL
3:30 p.m.
NBATV — Cleveland at Denver
7 p.m.
NBATV — Golden State at San Antonio
NHL HOCKEY
3:30 p.m.
TNT — Anaheim at Vancouver
RODEO
Noon
CBS — PBR: Bucking Battle, Nampa, Idaho (Taped)
8 p.m.
CBSSN — PBR: Round 3 & Championship Round, Nampa, Idaho
RUGBY (MEN’S)
6 p.m.
FS1 — MLR: San Diego at Miami
SOCCER (MEN’S)
9 a.m.
USA — Premier League: Brighton & Hove Albion at Liverpool
11:30 a.m.
NBC — Premier League: Arsenal at Manchester City
3:30 p.m.
FOX — MLS: Chicago Fire FC at Atlanta United FC
9:30 p.m.
FS2 — Liga MX: Santos Laguna at Juárez
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
3 p.m.
CBSSN — D1 Arkema: Havre at Lyon
TENNIS
12:30 p.m.
TENNIS — Miami-WTA Doubles Final
3 p.m.
TENNIS — Miami-ATP Singles Final
UFL FOOTBALL
Noon
ESPN — D.C. at San Antonio
3 p.m. ESPN — Memphis at Houston