THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” THURSDAY JANUARY 12, 2023

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

INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES

*CONNERSVILLE*	55	*CENTERVILLE*	19
*EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL*	78	*HAMMOND MORTON*	51
*FORT WAYNE DWENGER*	56	*NEW HAVEN*	49
*INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS*	66	*URBANA (ILL.)*	44
*INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL*	55	*CARMEL*	47
*INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN*	88	*IRVINGTON PREP ACADEMY*	23
*INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY*	85	*INDIANAPOLIS RIVERSIDE*	42
*JENNINGS COUNTY*	64	*JAC-CEN-DEL*	40
*NORTH DAVIESS*	70	*WHITE RIVER VALLEY*	39
*SMITH ACADEMY*	59	*PIERCETON WOODS ACADEMY*	21
*DELAWARE COUNTY TOURNAMENT*
*COWAN*	54	*DALEVILLE*	45	R1
*DELTA*	75	*WES-DEL*	53	R1
*MARION COUNTY TOURNAMENT*
*PIKE*	63	*INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI*	52	QF
*LAWRENCE NORTH*	47	*BREBEUF JESUIT*	44	QF
*SOUTHPORT*	56	*LAWRENCE CENTRAL*	53	QF
*BEN DAVIS*	67	*WARREN CENTRAL*	52	QF
*NORTHEAST CORNER CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT*
*LAKELAND*	33	*EASTSIDE*	29	QF
*CENTRAL NOBLE*	65	*ANGOLA*	46	QF
*PRAIRIE HEIGHTS*	45	*FREMONT*	44	QF
*WEST NOBLE*	56	*WESTVIEW*	53	QF

INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES

*ANDREAN*	45	*KOUTS*	18
*CULVER*	47	*FRONTIER*	43
*DANVILLE*	71	*DECATUR CENTRAL*	65
*DIXIE HEIGHTS (KY.)*	64	*EAST CENTRAL*	46
*EASTBROOK*	65	*WABASH*	28
*FRANKLIN*	77	*PLAINFIELD*	50
*HIGHLAND*	55	*HAMMOND MORTON*	30
*HUNTINGTON NORTH*	47	*FORT WAYNE WAYNE*	42
*INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON*	61	*IRVINGTON PREP ACADEMY*	37
*LAKE CENTRAL*	71	*GARY WEST*	15
*LEO*	42	*FORT WAYNE NORTH*	22
*LOGANSPORT*	40	*ROCHESTER*	30
*MONROE CENTRAL*	59	*UNION (MODOC)*	34
*NORTH MIAMI*	43	*LEWIS CASS*	36
*NORTHWESTERN*	57	*OAK HILL*	27
*NORWELL*	59	*FORT WAYNE DWENGER*	20
*RIVER FOREST*	34	*GRIFFITH*	18
*SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS)*	66	*KNOX*	32
*UNION COUNTY*	46	*RANDOLPH SOUTHERN*	28
*VINCENNES LINCOLN*	52	*EVANSVILLE CENTRAL*	46
*WARSAW*	71	*MISHAWAKA*	29
*WESTVILLE*	54	*SOUTH BEND CAREER*	33
*NORTHEAST CORNER CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT*
*EASTSIDE*	67	*LAKELAND*	57	*OT \| QF*
*CENTRAL NOBLE*	52	*ANGOLA*	30	QF
*FAIRFIELD*	57	*GARRETT*	39	QF
*WEST NOBLE*	40	*WESTVIEW*	29	QF

INDIANA WRESTLING SCORES: https://indianamat.com/index.php?/dualresults.html/

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

#1 HOUSTON 83 S. FLORIDA 77

#4 ALABAMA 84 #15 ARKANSAS 69

#25 MARQUETTE 82 #6 UCONN 76

#10 TEXAS 79 #17 TCU 75

#12 XAVIER 90 CREIGHTON 87

#16 MIAMI FLORIDA 88 BOSTON COLLEGE 72

TEXAS A&M 82 #20 MISSOURI 64

#22 CHARLESTON 71 NORTH CAROLINA WILMINGTON 69

#24 DUKE 77 PITTSBURGH 69

ELSEWHERE:

PENN STATE 85 INDIANA 66

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 69 INDIANA STATE 61

BRADLEY 91 EVANSVILLE 46

RUTGERS 65 NORTHWESTERN 62

GEORGIA 58 MISSISSIPPI STATE 50

CENTRAL FLORIDA 107 MEMPHIS 104 2OT

SYRACUSE 82 VIRGINIA TECH 72

BAYLOR 83 WEST VIRGINIA 78

ILLINOIS STATE 76 MISSOURI STATE 66 OT

ST. LOUIS 63 GEORGE MASON 62

CINCINNATI 83 E. CAROLINA 55

CLEMSON 83 LOUISVILLE 70

WAKE FOREST 90 FLORIDA STATE 75

BOISE STATE 84 UNLV 66

WASHINGTON STATE 66 CALIFORNIA 51

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/CBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230111

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

#4 UCONN 82 ST. JOHN’S 52

#12 IOWA 93 NORTHWESTERN 64

#15 IOWA STATE 67 KANSAS STATE 56

OKLAHOMA STATE 70 #18 BAYLOR 65

#19 OKLAHOMA 89 TEXAS TECH 79

#25 VILLANOVA 71 DEPAUL 64

ELSEWHERE:

TOLEDO 83 BALL STATE 76

EVANSVILLE 65 INDIANA STATE 54

BUTLER 72 GEORGETOWN 48

ILLINOIS CHICAGO 51 VALPARAISO 50

NEBRASKA 80 PENN STATE 51

WISCONSIN 84 MICHIGAN STATE 80 OT

WESTERN MICHIGAN 79 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 70

BUFFALO 69 OHIO STATE 64

AKRON 60 EASTERN MICHIGAN 43

MIAMI OHIO 84 KENT STATE 76 OT

PROVIDENCE 64 XAVIER 50

EAST CAROLINA 72 TEMPLE 51

GEORGE WASHINGTON 63 FORDHAM 57

TCU 54 RICHMOND 51

BOWLING GREEN 101 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 68

DAYTON 66 DAVIDSON 60

NORTHERN IOWA 70 DRAKE 69

SOUTH FLORIDA 58 MEMPHIS 45

COLORADO STATE 71 BOISE STATE 50

WYOMING 61 AIR FORCE 60

SAN DIEGO STATE 49 FRESNO STATE 43

CREIGHTON 75 SETON HALL 53

NEW MEXICO 88 NEVADA 58

UNLV 84 SAN JOSE STATE 58

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/WCBK/SCOREBOARD.ASP?CONF=-1&DAY=20230111

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

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14

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

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

SUNDAY, JANUARY 15

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

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

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

MONDAY, JANUARY 16

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

THE DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE WILL BE ANNOUNCED NEXT WEEKEND.

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

NEW YORK 119 INDIANA 113

DETROIT 135 MINNESOTA 118

WASHINGTON 100 CHICAGO 97

MILWAUKEE 114 ATLANTA 105

BOSTON 125 NEW ORLEANS 114

MEMPHIS 135 SAN ANTONIO 129

DENVER 126 PHOENIX 97

SACRAMENTO 135 HOUSTON 115

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

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

PHILADELPHIA 5 WASHINGTON 3

TORONTO 2 NASHVILLE 1

EDMONTON 6 ANAHEIM 2

LOS ANGELES 4 SAN JOSE 3

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

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

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

THE STARTING 11: NFL TEAMS TAKE FIRST STEPS TOWARD SUPER BOWL LVII

The air is crisper, the atmosphere carries more decibels and even the popcorn is fresher. There’s a win-or-go-home mentality that carries a palpable brand of urgency. Games of inches become games of millimeters.

Fourteen teams, 13 games, two conferences, one focus: The Vince Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl LVII in Arizona.

Welcome to the 2022 playoffs.

The NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend schedule:

Saturday, January 14
NFC	Seattle (9-8) at San Francisco (13-4)	4:30 PM ET	FOX, FOX Deportes
AFC	Los Angeles Chargers (10-7) at Jacksonville (9-8)	8:15 PM ET	NBC, Peacock, Universo

Sunday, January 15
AFC	Miami (9-8) at Buffalo (13-3)	1:00 PM ET	CBS, Paramount+
NFC	New York Giants (9-7-1) at Minnesota (13-4)	4:30 PM ET	FOX, FOX Deportes
AFC	Baltimore (10-7) at Cincinnati (12-4)	8:15 PM ET	NBC, Peacock, Telemundo

Monday, January 16
NFC	Dallas (12-5) at Tampa Bay (8-9)	8:15 PM ET	ESPN/ABC, ESPN2-Manningcast, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes

The Starting 11 entering Super Wild Card Weekend…

1. DUUUVAL, PEDERSON BACK IN PLAYOFFS: If recent history is an indicator, at least one Super Bowl team will be in action this weekend. That’s because the last No. 1 seed to win a Super Bowl was the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles’ head coach that season was DOUG PEDERSON. Could he be on the verge of another postseason run?

Now at the reins of the JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, Pederson has joined MIKE HOLMGREN and Pro Football Hall of Famer BILL PARCELLS as the only head coaches ever to follow a Super Bowl win by taking another franchise to the playoffs in their first seasons with that team. With Pederson on his roster as a player, Holmgren guided the Packers to a Super Bowl XXXI title and then led the Seahawks to the playoffs in his first season with Seattle, 1999. Parcells won Super Bowls XXI and XXV with the Giants and then led the Cowboys to the playoffs in his first season with Dallas, 2003.
- Since the 1970 league merger, Jacksonville (3-14 in 2021) is one of just five teams to rebound from having at least a share of the league’s worst record to a division crown the following season. The AFC South champion Jaguars join the 2008 Miami Dolphins, 2004 San Diego Chargers, 1999 Indianapolis Colts and 1975 Baltimore Colts in that group of remarkable turnarounds.
- In 18 of the past 20 NFL seasons, at least one team has won its division the season after finishing last or tied for last place, including the 2022 Jaguars.
- The future of the NFL is in great hands. When Jacksonville (9-8) hosts the LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (10-7) on Saturday (8:15 PM ET, NBC, Peacock, Universo), two of the game’s most exciting young signal-callers will be in the spotlight. The Chargers’ JUSTIN HERBERT (24 years, 310 days on Saturday) and the Jaguars’ TREVOR LAWRENCE (23 years, 100 days) are expected to make their matchup just the ninth playoff contest since 1950 in which both starting quarterbacks are under 25 years old. Three of those games happened in the past two postseasons (2020-21).

2. NUMBERS OF THE WEEK – 18: The number of consecutive seasons (2005-22), without a repeat Super Bowl champion, extending the longest streak in league history.

7 – The NFL’s streak of postseason games entering this week decided by six points or less. Six of those seven were separated by just three points.
- 7 – The NFL’s streak of postseason games entering this week decided in the last two minutes of regulation or in overtime. Teams have scored the winning points on the game’s final play in five of the past seven NFL postseason contests.
- 25 – Games during the 2022 regular season decided by a winning score on the final play.

3. MOST COMPETITIVE SEASON IN HISTORY: There’s every reason to believe the unprecedented level of close games and comebacks in 2022 will continue into the playoffs. During the regular season, the average margin of victory was just 9.70 points, the lowest over a full season in 90 years, since it was 9.13 in 1932. Plus, the NFL established four other single-season records: Most games decided by six-or-fewer points (122), most games decided by seven-or-fewer points (141), most games decided by eight-or-fewer points (156) and most games within one score in the fourth quarter (203).

4. SPOTLIGHT – INDIVIDUAL MATCHUP: When TAMPA BAY (8-9) has the ball on Monday Night Football (8:15 PM ET, ESPN/ABC, ESPN2-Manningcast, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes), look for a one-on-one matchup between two Pro Bowlers. Whether tackle TRISTAN WIRFS is able to neutralize linebacker MICAH PARSONS could play a significant role in which team advances. Led by Parsons, just the third player since 1982 with at least 13 sacks in each of his first two NFL seasons, DALLAS (12-5) ranked second in the NFL this season with a sack on 9.82 percent of opponents’ pass attempts. Wirfs and Tampa Bay’s offensive line, however, led the league by allowing sacks on only 2.93 percent of the Buccaneers’ pass attempts.

Monday’s game features the DALLAS COWBOYS, tied with Green Bay for the most postseason appearances all-time by an NFL franchise (35), against TOM BRADY, who is expected to add to his NFL-record 20 career postseason games. ADAM VINATIERI and Pro Football Hall of Famers PEYTON MANNING and JERRY RICE are tied for second on that list with 15 postseason games.
- Defensive coordinator DAN QUINN and his Cowboys unit have led the NFL in takeaways each of the past two seasons. Prior to 2021, the last time Dallas had the most takeaways in a season was 1971.

5. SPOTLIGHT – TEAM MATCHUP: Miami’s TYREEK HILL (1,710 receiving yards) and JAYLEN WADDLE (1,356) combined for 3,066 receiving yards, the third-highest total ever by a pair of teammates in a season. On Sunday at Highmark Stadium (1:00 PM ET, CBS, Paramount+), they face a Buffalo secondary that includes Pro Bowlers TRE’DAVIOUS WHITE and JORDAN POYER, as well as standout rookie cornerback KAIIR ELAM. MIAMI (9-8) and BUFFALO (13-3) split their season series this year.

6. STREAK SPEAK: Five teams – SAN FRANCISCO (10 straight wins), CINCINNATI (eight), BUFFALO (seven), JACKSONVILLE (five) and KANSAS CITY (five) – enter the playoffs on winning streaks of at least five games. That’s never happened in a postseason.

SAN FRANCISCO (13-4) is bidding to join the 1967 and 1976 Oakland Raiders, 1972 Miami Dolphins and 2003 and 2007 New England Patriots as Super Bowl teams that entered the postseason with winning streaks of at least 10 games. The 49ers’ first test is the resilient SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (9-8) on Saturday at Levi’s Stadium (4:30 PM ET, FOX, FOX Deportes), where San Francisco (8-1) tied for the league’s best home record in 2022.
- Seattle quarterback GENO SMITH is aiming to become the first quarterback since RICH GANNON in 2000 to win his first postseason start at least 10 years into his NFL career. Smith recorded a career-high and franchise-record 4,282 passing yards with 30 touchdown passes and a 100.9 rating in 2022.
- San Francisco’s 10-game winning streak was split between quarterbacks JIMMY GAROPPOLO and BROCK PURDY. The last NFL team to finish a season in which two starting quarterbacks had winning streaks of five-or-more games was the 1972 Miami Dolphins (Pro Football Hall of Famer BOB GRIESE and EARL MORRALL).
- Super Wild Card Weekend features two contests in which both starting quarterbacks are expected to make their postseason debuts: Seattle’s GENO SMITH against San Francisco’s BROCK PURDY, and the Chargers’ JUSTIN HERBERT against Jacksonville’s TREVOR LAWRENCE, both on Saturday. The last time a postseason had multiple games in which both quarterbacks made their playoff debuts was 1986 (Washington’s JAY SHROEDER against the Rams’ JIM EVERETT, and the Jets’ PAT RYAN against the Chiefs’ TODD BLACKLEDGE).
- The 49ers, who swept the regular-season series with the Seahawks, are attempting to defeat an opponent three times in the same season. That’s happened 14 times in NFL history, most recently during the 2017 playoffs, when New Orleans captured a third win over Carolina. Of the 14 teams to defeat an opponent three times in the same season, six advanced to the Super Bowl.

7. DID YOU KNOW?: The BALTIMORE RAVENS (10-7) travel to meet the CINCINNATI BENGALS (12-4) on Sunday Night Football (8:15 PM ET, NBC, Peacock, Telemundo) just seven days after concluding the regular season at Paycor Stadium. Since 1978, it’s the 17th time two teams will meet in the playoffs one week after finishing a regular season. The team that won the regular-season finale has won three of the last five playoff games. The Ravens will become the first such team to return to the same stadium one week later since the 2009 Packers, who made consecutive trips to Arizona. In that Wild Card game, Jan. 10, 2010, the Cardinals won a 51-45 overtime thriller to avenge a loss to the Packers in the regular-season finale.

8. UNDER-THE-RADAR STORYLINE: Hope is one of the NFL’s most extraordinary hallmarks. Seven teams in the 2022 playoff field – BALTIMORE, JACKSONVILLE, the L.A. CHARGERS, MIAMI, MINNESOTA, the N.Y. GIANTS and SEATTLE – have returned to the postseason after missing the playoffs last season. Since 1990 – a streak of 33 consecutive seasons – at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs that were not in the postseason the year before.

9. TREND TIME: An NFL-record five head coaches in their first seasons at the reins of their teams are in the playoffs – TODD BOWLES, BRIAN DABOLL, MIKE MCDANIEL, KEVIN O’CONNELL and DOUG PEDERSON. Previously, the most head coaches in their first seasons at the helm in a single postseason was four in 1997 (PETE CARROLL, JIM FASSEL, STEVE MARIUCCI and BOBBY ROSS).

Three of those five (Daboll, McDaniel and O’Connell) are in their first seasons as an NFL head coach, matching the NFL record for a single postseason (also three in 1992 and 2008).
- Daboll’s NEW YORK GIANTS (9-7-1) meet O’Connell’s MINNESOTA VIKINGS (13-4) on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium (4:30 PM ET, FOX, FOX Deportes).
- O’Connell became one of six rookie head coaches in NFL history to win at least 13 games, joining JIM CALDWELL (14), GEORGE SEIFERT (14), JIM HARBAUGH (13), MATT LAFLEUR (13) and STEVE MARIUCCI (13).

10. THIS WEEK IN NFL HISTORY: Jan. 14, 1973 (50 years ago) – The only perfect season in NFL history isn’t perfect until MIAMI secures a hard-fought, 14-7 win over WASHINGTON in Super Bowl VII, and the issue remains in doubt until the final moments. With the Dolphins nursing a 14-0 lead, eventual Super Bowl MVP JAKE SCOTT intercepts BILLY KILMER in the end zone to thwart Washington’s marathon fourth-quarter drive. His second interception of the day, Scott’s 55-yard return sets up a 42-yard GARO YEPREMIAN field-goal attempt with just over two minutes remaining. But a diving BILL BRUNDIGE blocks the kick, Yepremian scoops up the loose ball and attempts to pass before Washington’s MIKE BASS snags it out of the air and sprints 49 yards for a touchdown. However, Miami’s No-Name Defense stiffens in the final seconds to extinguish Washington’s hopes, thanks to a pair of outstanding plays by Scott’s Georgia Bulldogs college teammate, defensive end BILL STANFILL, to stamp an exclamation point on Miami’s 17-0 season.

11. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST: The NFL’s draft class of 2020 figures to play a prominent role in this year’s postseason. Among the notable players from that draft:

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback JUSTIN HERBERT has the most passing yards (14,089) and completions (1,316), and second-most touchdown passes (94) by a player in his first three seasons all-time.
- Cincinnati quarterback JOE BURROW this year became the third player ever to reach 4,000 passing yards, 35 touchdown passes and five rushing touchdowns in a single season (he finished with 4,475 passing yards, 35 touchdown passes and five rushing touchdowns). Burrow also has the most games with at least 400 passing yards (five) by a player in first three seasons all-time.
- Philadelphia quarterback JALEN HURTS became the third player ever to reach 3,500 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes and 10 rushing touchdowns in a single season. Hurts finished with 3,701 passing yards, 22 touchdown passes and 13 rushing touchdowns.
- Minnesota wide receiver JUSTIN JEFFERSON owns the most receptions (324) and receiving yards (4,825) by a player in his first three seasons all-time.

BILLS SAFETY DAMAR HAMLIN RELEASED FROM BUFFALO HOSPITAL

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) Bills safety Damar Hamlin was released from a Buffalo hospital on Wednesday, more than a week after he went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated during a game at Cincinnati, after his doctors said they completed a series of tests.

A news release from the Bills quoted Dr. Jamie Nadler as saying: “We have completed a series of tests and evaluation and in consultation with the team physicians, we are confident that Damar can be safely discharged.” Nadler said Hamlin will continue his rehabilitation with the Bills.

Hamlin is going home after spending two days undergoing tests at Buffalo General Medical Center. He was transferred to Buffalo on Monday after spending last week at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where the 24-year-old from the Pittsburgh area experienced what doctors called “a remarkable recovery.”

The news came as the Bills returned to practice to prepare to host their division rival Miami Dolphins in a wild-card playoff game on Sunday.

Coach Sean McDermott said it would be up to Hamlin whether he would visit the team.

“His health is first and foremost on our mind a far as his situation goes,” McDermott told reporters. “We’ll welcome him back as he feels ready.”

Hamlin collapsed on the field after being struck in the chest by Bengals receiver Tee Higgins while making what appeared to be a routine tackle during the first quarter of Buffalo’s since-canceled game at Cincinnati on Jan. 2.

He spent the first two days in hospital under sedation. He was awakened and able to grip people’s hands at his bedside, and eventually taken off a ventilator and able to address his teammates on Friday.

His doctors said Hamlin’s progress in recovering from cardiac arrest, considered a life-threatening event, has been normal to accelerated, and that he was able to cheer on the Bills from his hospital bed during their win over the New England Patriots last weekend.

He has been tweeting his gratitude to fans and medical staff in recent days. “Keep me in y’all prayers please!” he wrote Tuesday.

Doctors have said it is premature to comment on the potential cause of Hamlin’s cardiac arrest. The news release did not provide any information on what the tests revealed.

The Bills wore No. 3 Hamlin patches on their jerseys Sunday and honored their teammate by raising three fingers in the closing minutes. It was part of a league-wide outpouring of support for the second-year player out of Pitt, whose collapse during the Monday night game and the frightening aftermath was seen by millions of television viewers. With an ambulance standing by on the field, medical personnel frantically worked on Hamlin for several minutes as anguished teammates looked on, some of them in tears.

In the days that followed, $8.6 million in GoFundMe donations poured into Hamlin’s toy drive fundraiser, which will be used to support young people through education and sports.

He also will use proceeds from the sale of new T-shirts, emblazoned with “Did We Win?” along with his hands in the shape of a heart, to raise money for the trauma center in Cincinnati that initially treated him.

LAMAR JACKSON STILL ABSENT DURING OPEN PORTION OF PRACTICE

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) Lamar Jackson was again absent from practice during the portion open to reporters Wednesday.

The Baltimore star hasn’t practiced since injuring his knee in a Dec. 4 win over Denver, and there was no sign of him Wednesday as the Ravens prepared for Sunday night’s playoff opener at Cincinnati. Jackson missed the final five games of the regular season.

Tyler Huntley, who started the first four of those, has been dealing with shoulder issues and did not play in the regular-season finale. Anthony Brown started that game.

The Ravens lost three of five games without Jackson, and if he was going to have a full week of practice before the playoffs, he needed to be on the field Wednesday. Instead, nothing seems to have changed.

TUA TAGOVAILOA RULED OUT OF DOLPHINS’ PLAYOFF GAME VS. BILLS

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has not been cleared to return to football activities and has been ruled out for Sunday’s playoff game against the Buffalo Bills as he remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol, coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday.

The Dolphins are preparing for rookie Skylar Thompson to be their starter when they face the Bills for the third time this season. Backup Teddy Bridgewater is working his way back to full strength after dislocating his pinky finger.

McDaniel said he doesn’t know if Tagovailoa will be able to travel with the team this weekend, and although he hasn’t had any setbacks in the healing process, there are “compounding variables” at play that will keep him off the field indefinitely.

Tagovailoa was diagnosed with his second concussion of the season after a Week 16 loss to Green Bay and missed the Dolphin’s final two games of the regular season.

He missed two games earlier in the season after he was concussed in a Week 4 game against Cincinnati on a scary hit that briefly knocked him unconscious. That was four days after he was allowed to return to a game after appearing disoriented following a hit.

The NFL later changed its concussion protocol to mandate that if a player shows possible concussion symptoms – including a lack of balance or stability – he must sit out the rest of the game.

McDaniel declined to say whether there is any concern about Tagovailoa’s long-term health and if there have been any thoughts about how the head injuries will affect the third-year quarterback’s career.

Thompson, in his second start of the season, completed 20 of 31 passes for 152 yards and no turnovers Sunday in a 11-6 victory over the New York Jets.

“The way Skylar thinks, he hopes that’s the worst game that he’s played,” McDaniel said.

BILLS’ HYDE, CROWDER RESUME PRACTICING FOR POTENTIAL RETURN

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) The Buffalo Bills opened the window of possibility for starting safety Micah Hyde and backup receiver Jamison Crowder to return from injury at some point during the playoffs after both were cleared Wednesday to return to practice.

Hyde has been out since he required surgery to repair a herniated disc after being hurt in a 41-7 win against Tennessee in Week 2. Crowder has been sidelined since breaking his ankle in a win over Baltimore two weeks later.

Both remain on the injured reserve list, but are eligible to resume practicing over a three-week period after which the Bills have the option of activating them to the roster or ending their season.

Coach Sean McDermott already ruled both out from playing Sunday, when the Bills (13-3) host their division rival Miami Dolphins (9-8) in a wild card playoff game.

Hyde was initially projected to miss between six and eight months. After having surgery, he rejoined the team in Buffalo to rehab and also serve as a quasi-assistant coaching role.

Last month, Hyde was open to the possibility of returning to play but said the final decision rested on his doctors’ recommendations and evaluation of his neck.

Hyde is a 10-year NFL veteran and in his sixth season in Buffalo, where he’s been a member of one of the NFL’s top secondaries.

His potential return comes at a time when the Bills are thin at safety after Damar Hamlin was placed on IR last week. Hamlin, who was starting in place of Hyde, is out while recovering after going into cardiac arrest and needing to be resuscitated on the field in a game at Cincinnati.

Bills starting safety Jordan Poyer, meanwhile, continues to play despite a nagging knee injury.

Crowder, an offseason free agent addition, opened the season sharing the duties in the slot receiver spot.

RAVENS SIGN LB ROQUAN SMITH TO 5-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) The Baltimore Ravens have signed Roquan Smith to a contract extension, agreeing to a five-year deal with the star linebacker who arrived in a midseason trade from Chicago and helped his new team secure a playoff spot with a stout defensive effort down the stretch.

The Ravens announced the extension Wednesday.

“We are so excited to announce a five-year extension with Roquan Smith. Since he’s been here, Roquan has been a leader on and off the field, impressing us with his attitude and desire,” general manager Eric DeCosta said. “There is certainly a standard of defense in Baltimore, and Roquan has proven that he can surpass that lofty mark.”

The 25-year-old Smith was the NFL’s third-leading tackler this season. He came to Baltimore after his tenure with Chicago ended somewhat acrimoniously. With his rookie contract set to expire, Smith participated in voluntary and mandatory offseason workouts, but when training camp started, he attended meetings and practices without participating in drills. He also went public with a trade request and accused general manager Ryan Poles of negotiating in bad faith.

Smith eventually started practicing and played the first eight games for Chicago before being dealt to the Ravens. Since the trade, Baltimore has allowed just 14.7 points per game.

“He doesn’t worry about what people think. He doesn’t care,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “He wants to do the things that are required to be a great player and to be a great unit and then to impact your team. That’s what he’s all about – 100% – (and) that’s what I love about him.”

The Ravens reached the postseason despite a knee injury that kept quarterback Lamar Jackson out for the past five games. Baltimore opens the playoffs at Cincinnati this weekend.

Jackson, of course, has his own expiring contract, and with Smith now returning, the question is whether Baltimore can reach a long-term deal with its star quarterback. The franchise tag is also an option for the Ravens.

AP SOURCE: PANTHERS TO INTERVIEW REICH, INTERESTED IN MOORE

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) The Carolina Panthers are interviewing former Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich and have requested permission to interview Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore for their head coaching vacancy, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the team does not release details of its coaching search.

Panthers owner David Tepper appears to have locked in on candidates with offensive backgrounds if he doesn’t retain this season’s interim head coach, Steve Wilks.

On Tuesday, the Panthers requested permission to interview four other NFL offensive coordinators for their head coaching vacancy: Philadelphia’s Shane Steichen, Buffalo’s Ken Dorsey, Detroit’s Ben Johnson and the New York Giants’ Mike Kafka, a person familiar with the situation told the AP.

Along with former Detroit Lions and Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, who interviewed with the team on Monday, that brings to seven the number of coaches with offensive backgrounds the Panthers have shown interest in or spoken with.

Wilks, who was 6-6 as Carolina’s interim head coach this season, has a defensive background.

Wilks interviewed for the job on Tuesday.

Reich was the starting quarterback for the Panthers’ inaugural regular-season game in 1995 and kept the seat warm until first-round draft pick Kerry Collins was ready to take over as the full-time starter.

Reich spent 4 1/2 seasons as the Colts’ head coach, amassing a 40-33-1 record before being fired this season after Indianapolis stumbled to a 3-5-1 start. The Colts reached the playoffs twice during his tenure, winning one game.

The Cowboys finished 11th in offense and fourth in points scored during the regular season this year under Moore.

AP SOURCE: MIKE LAFLEUR OUT AS JETS’ OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

(AP) — Mike LaFleur is out as offensive coordinator of the New York Jets after two disappointing and mostly non-productive seasons on offense, according to a person with knowledge of the decision.

LaFleur’s future with the team was uncertain after Zach Wilson struggled mightily in his second season and the offense was among the worst in the NFL for two straight years. There was increasing speculation LaFleur could be on the way out after Robert Saleh’s Jets finished 7-10 with a season-ending six-game losing streak.

On Wednesday, the Jets and LaFleur agreed to part ways after a few other teams inquired about the embattled offensive coordinator, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team didn’t announce the move.

The 36-year-old LaFleur, the younger brother of Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur, was a first-time coordinator when he joined Saleh and the Jets in 2021. He was an offensive intern with Cleveland in 2014 before serving as an offensive assistant with Atlanta under coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who brought LaFleur with him to San Francisco when he was hired as head coach in 2017.

LaFleur was the 49ers’ passing game coordinator for four seasons – while Saleh was the defensive coordinator – before leaving to join Saleh’s staff as the Jets’ offensive coordinator.

Saleh said Monday he “definitely” was planning to hire a senior offensive assistant to help improve the offense and to work with Wilson. Greg Knapp, who was hired in 2021 for that role, died before that season when he was struck while riding his bicycle at home in California. Saleh brought in Matt Cavanaugh and John Beck, Wilson’s personal quarterback coach, last season but then chose to not have a veteran offensive assistant this season.

Saleh will now likely be looking to fill at least two roles on his offensive coaching staff.

Saleh and Matt LaFleur served as graduate assistants at Central Michigan in 2004 and the two would often stop by the LaFleur family’s home during lunch breaks — and Mike, then in high school, got to know Saleh through those visits.

Saleh brought Mike LaFleur with him from San Francisco when he was hired by the Jets two years ago, excited about having a friend and one of the NFL’s top young offensive minds on his staff.

But New York’s offense couldn’t find any consistency – or the end zone at times – and Wilson didn’t develop as expected after being the No. 2 overall pick in April 2021.

The Jets, who didn’t score a touchdown in their final three games, missed the playoffs for a 12th consecutive year – and LaFleur’s offense was a primary culprit.

Ultimately, LaFleur paid the price.

The Jets were among the league’s worst offenses the past two years, but showed flashes at times in the middle of this season. Injuries to rookie running back Breece Hall and second-year offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker were major blows, as was an injury-plagued O-line.

But the disappointing play of Wilson was a major issue, especially this year when he was benched twice.

That led to a revolving door at the quarterback position with Wilson, Mike White and Joe Flacco all starting games. None could provide consistent success on offense, and LaFleur didn’t appear to do enough to compensate for the issues at quarterback.

The Jets’ next offensive coordinator will come in with a major question at the game’s most important position – “the head of the snake,” as Saleh has called it.

Saleh has insisted the Jets will remain committed to developing Wilson “through hell or high water.” LaFleur acknowledged “in hindsight” last week that Wilson would have benefited from sitting as a rookie behind a veteran.

It appears likely New York will pursue a vet this offseason to step in as a potential starter next season. Both White and Flacco are scheduled to be free agents.

Wilson has 15 touchdowns and 18 interceptions with a 55.2% completion rate and a 72.8 quarterback rating in 22 starts. He has shown flashes of athleticism and ability to make off-schedule throws and plays, but Wilson has been unable to consistently read defenses and has struggled with mechanics and fundamentals.

“In 2023 now, I guess you can say, people don’t want to wait,” LaFleur said last week. “They want the instant gratification of these rookies, these second-year guys to be superstars and understandably so. You get why – this is a highly competitive environment.”

RECORD 5 1ST-YEAR COACHES LEAD TEAMS INTO NFL POSTSEASON

Coaching changes paid off in a big way for several NFL teams this season.

From impressive turnarounds for Jacksonville and the New York Giants to big boosts for Minnesota and Miami, a record-setting five of the 10 teams that hired new coaches for the 2022 season made the playoffs.

Doug Pederson led the Jaguars on a worst-to-first flip in the AFC South, Brian Daboll helped the Giants go from last place to a wild-card berth, Kevin O’Connell took Minnesota from a losing record to 13 wins and an NFC North title, Mike McDaniel got Miami to its first playoff berth since 2016 and Todd Bowles helped Tampa Bay repeat as division champs for the first time in franchise history.

That broke the previous record of four coaches getting to the postseason in their first season with a team, which was set in 1997 when Jim Fassel (Giants), Pete Carroll (Patriots), Bobby Ross (Lions) and Steve Mariucci (49ers) did it.

There were a record-tying 10 coaching changes last offseason and not all of the newcomers had success, with Denver firing Nathaniel Hackett last month and Houston firing Lovie Smith on Sunday night.

Chicago’s Matt Eberflus finished with the worst record in the NFL, Josh McDaniels turned a 10-win playoff team in Las Vegas into a 6-11 team and the Saints had double-digit losses for the first time since 2005 in their first year under Dennis Allen.

The most impressive turnaround came in Jacksonville, where Pederson helped the Jaguars become the first team since the 2008 Dolphins to win their division the season after posting the league’s worst record.

Daboll’s work helped the Giants go from 4-13 to 9-7-1 despite a flawed roster hurt by a staggering $54.8 million in dead money on the salary cap to get to the postseason for the first time since 2016.

Bowles struggled a bit more as Tampa Bay won just eight games to become the fourth division winner in NFL history with a losing record. Two of the previous three — the 2010 Seahawks (7-9) and 2014 Panthers (7-8-10) — won a playoff game, while Washington (7-9) lost to the Bucs in the 2020 playoffs.

The Texans are looking for a new coach again after rare, back-to-back seasons of one-year coaching tenures. Houston fired David Culley after the 2021 season and Smith this season.

The only other team since the merger to do that was the 49ers, who had three coaches in a row last a year or less from 1976-78 in Monte Clark, Ken Meyer and Pete McCulley, and did it again in 2015-16 with Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly.

REMATCH WEEKEND

All six games on wild-card weekend are rematches from the regular season, including three matchups of division foes, with Baltimore playing Cincinnati, Miami visiting Buffalo and San Francisco hosting Seattle.

Two of those three matchups ended in splits in the regular season, with the Ravens-Bengals and Dolphins-Bills splitting their two games.

The 49ers swept the Seahawks but know how little that matters after losing to the Rams in the NFC title game last season following two regular-seasons wins.

In the Super Bowl era, teams that swept an opponent in the regular season are 14-10 in a playoff rematch, including 13-6 when the game is at home, like it is for the 49ers on Saturday.

In the other rematches, the Chargers are seeking to avenge a Week 3 loss to Jacksonville, the Giants are looking to do the same after losing to the Vikings in Week 16 and the Cowboys are trying to do it after losing in Week 1 to Tampa Bay.

This is the fifth time since the merger that every game in the opening round of the playoffs is a rematch from the regular season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. It happened on four-game wild-card weekends in 2009, 2004, 1994 and 1992.

STREAKING

The Niners are headed into the postseason on a quite a roll, having won the last 10 games of the regular season, with Jimmy Garoppolo starting the first five games and Brock Purdy the last five.

The last team to have two QBs with consecutive five-game winning streaks were the perfect Dolphins in 1972 with Bob Griese and Earl Morrall.

San Francisco is the 13th team in the Super Bowl era to end the regular season on a winning streak of at least 10 games.

The results of the previous 12 haven’t been overly impressive, with only three winning the Super Bowl: the 1972 Dolphins, 1976 Raiders and 2003 Patriots.

Two others got to the Super Bowl before losing, with the 1967 Raiders and 2007 Patriots falling in the final game.

Five of the teams lost their first playoff game: the 2019 Ravens, 2012 Broncos, 2009 Chargers, 2006 Chargers and 1993 Oilers.

Kansas City won a wild-card game in 2015 before losing in the division round and Pittsburgh won the division round game in 2004 before losing in the AFC title game.

HAPPY RETURNS

Nyheim Hines’ emotional kick return TDs for Buffalo on Sunday were historic as well.

Hines became the first Bills player to return the opening kick for a TD since Terrence McGee did it against Miami and added another later in the game to become the first player with two kick return TDs in a game since Leon Washington did it for Seattle in 2010.

Hines was also the last player with two punt-return touchdowns in the same game, doing it in 2019 for the Colts, and he became the first player to have a game with at least with at least two kickoff-return touchdowns and one with at least two punt-return touchdowns in his career.

The returns gave the NFL nine combined punt and kick return TDs — the second fewest in the Super Bowl era to the seven in the nine-game, strike-shortened 1982 season.

WILD-CARD WEEKEND FEATURES 6 REMATCHES, 3 DIVISION GAMES

Wild-card weekend is all about familiarity.

All six games feature teams that already faced off this season, including three matchups between division rivals going head-to-head for the third time and two clubs playing each other in back-to-back weeks.

Bust out the popcorn. It should be a wild weekend.

The action kicks off Saturday with the San Francisco 49ers (13-4) hosting the Seattle Seahawks (9-8).

The 49ers are the hottest team in the NFL, entering the postseason on a 10-game winning streak that gave them the NFC’s No. 2 seed.

The Seahawks walked off the field last week uncertain about their playoff berth and got in when the Detroit Lions upset Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night.

Rookie third-string quarterback Brock Purdy, the very last player selected in the draft, has won all five of his starts since replacing the injured Jimmy Garoppolo. Purdy has thrown multiple touchdown passes in the last six games, helping the 49ers score an NFL-best 33.5 points per game in that stretch.

Purdy has plenty of talent around him, including Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. The Niners also have the league’s top-ranked defense. They swept Seattle in the regular season.

Geno Smith broke several of Russell Wilson’s passing records in his first year as Seattle’s starter, but the Seahawks struggled down the stretch. They had lost five of six, including three in a row, before winning their last two games.

The 49ers are 9 1/2-point favorites, per FanDuel Sportsbook. It’s not enough.

49ERS, 31-16

Los Angeles Chargers (minus 2 1/2) at Jacksonville

Brandon Staley and Justin Herbert are in the playoffs for the first time in their second season together in Los Angeles.

Doug Pederson needed one season to take the Jaguars from worst to first in the AFC South. Pederson, who led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl title after the 2017 season, has helped 2021 No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence develop into a franchise QB.

The fifth-seed Chargers (10-7) have the eighth-ranked offense and 20th-ranked defense. The fourth-seed Jaguars (9-8) are ninth in offense and 24th on defense. The Jags won their last five games to capture the AFC South.

The Chargers have plenty of firepower on offense with Herbert, Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams, Keenan Allen and others. They dominated Jacksonville in a 38-10 home win in Week 3.

CHARGERS, 24-20

Miami (plus 13 1/2) at Buffalo

The Bills (13-3) and Dolphins (9-8) split their regular-season games, each winning at home. Miami had a dynamic offense when Tua Tagovailoa led them to an 8-3 start, winning all eight games he finished. But Tagovailoa is in the concussion protocol, Teddy Bridgewater injured his finger and the Dolphins were down to third-string rookie Skylar Thompson last week.

No matter who’s under center for Miami, going to Buffalo to face a superior Bills team playing for fallen teammate Damar Hamlin is a tall task.

Josh Allen and Co. are on a mission.

BEST BET: BILLS, 31-13

New York Giants (plus 3) at Minnesota

The Vikings (13-4) beat the Giants (9-7-1) on Greg Joseph’s 61-yard field goal as time expired on Christmas Eve. They had a 11-0 record in one-score games this season, winning eight of them after trailing in the fourth quarter.

The Giants, resting many starters, gave No. 1 seed Philadelphia a tough time in the regular-season finale.

Two first-year coaches — Kevin O’Connell for Minnesota and Brian Daboll for New York — go head-to-head while Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson and Giants star running back Saquon Barkley make their playoff debuts.

VIKINGS, 23-21

Baltimore (plus 7 1/2) at Cincinnati

The teams split their regular-season matchups, with the Bengals beating the Ravens 27-16 last week to secure home-field advantage for this one.

Baltimore had Lamar Jackson when it rallied for a 19-17 win against Cincinnati on Justin Tucker’s 43-yard field goal in the final seconds back in October.

Jackson missed the last five games of the regular season with a knee injury, and the Ravens (10-7) have no chance without him.

Joe Burrow was outstanding in leading the Bengals to eight straight wins to secure the No. 3 seed. The Bengals (12-4) reached the Super Bowl last season as the fourth seed. They’re determined to go back and finish the job. It starts Sunday night.

BENGALS, 27-18

Dallas (minus 2 1/2) at Tampa Bay

The Cowboys (12-5) looked awful last week in a loss that eliminated Washington. They barely beat lowly Houston in Week 14 and lost to Jacksonville the following week.

Dak Prescott is turning over the ball far too often, with three pick-6s in the last four games. But Micah Parsons could make life miserable for Tom Brady against an inferior offensive line.

The Buccaneers (8-9) struggled all season, winning a woeful NFC South to get the No. 4 seed. Brady led them to three comeback wins in the fourth quarter over the final six games for their only wins in that span.

Tampa beat Dallas 19-3 on the road in Week 1 for one of just two double-digit wins.

Chasing his eighth Super Bowl ring, Brady has never entered the playoffs on a team this bad. It could be a quick exit.

COWBOYS, 24-23

2022 RECORD

Last Week: Straight up: 11-5. Against spread: 8-8.

Season: Straight up: 171-99. Against spread: 136-129-5.

Thursday: Straight up: 13-6. Against spread: 9-10.

Monday: Straight up: 10-7. Against spread: 8-9.

Best Bet: Straight up: 10-8. Against spread: 9-9.

Upset Special: Straight up: 6-11. Against spread: 8-8-1.

NFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK – WEEK 18

Running back JAMAAL WILLIAMS of the Detroit Lions, safety QUANDRE DIGGS of the Seattle Seahawks and kicker JAKE ELLIOTT of the Philadelphia Eagles are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played in Week 18.

OFFENSE: RB JAMAAL WILLIAMS, DETROIT LIONS

Williams rushed for 72 yards and two second-half touchdowns, including the go-ahead touchdown with under six minutes remaining in the Lions’ 20-16 win at Green Bay on Sunday Night Football. He led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns this season and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer BARRY SANDERS (16 rushing touchdowns in 1991) for the most in a season in franchise history.
This is the first-career Offensive Player of the Week award for Williams and he is the first Lions running back to earn the honor since KEVIN SMITH in Week 11 of the 2011 season.
He is the first former BYU running back to win the award and joins TAYSOM HILL (Week 5, 2022) as the only former BYU players to win Offensive Player of the Week since 2000.

DEFENSE: S QUANDRE DIGGS, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Diggs recorded an interception in overtime and added four tackles in the Seahawks’ 19-16 win over the Los Angeles Rams. It marked the fifth overtime interception in the NFL this season.
This is Diggs’ first-career Defensive Player of the Week award and he is the third Seattle player to earn the award this season, joining UCHENNA NWOSU (Week 1) and TARIQ WOOLEN (Week 6).
Diggs is the fourth former Texas safety to win Defensive Player of the Week since 2000, joining MICHAEL HUFF (Week 5, 2010), ADRIAN PHILLIPS (Week 8, 2021) and EARL THOMAS (Week 5, 2017).

SPECIAL TEAMS: K JAKE ELLIOTT, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Elliott converted all five of his field goal attempts – from 32, 52, 39, 54 and 22 yards – and led all kickers in scoring (16 points) in Week 18 as the Eagles defeated the New York Giants, 22-16.
This is Elliott’s third-career Special Teams Player of the Week award, having previously won the award in Week 11 of the 2021 season and as a rookie in Week 3 of the 2017 season.
Elliott joins STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI (seven-time winner) as the only former Memphis kickers to win the award at least three times.

AFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK – WEEK 18

Wide receiver JERRY JEUDY of the Denver Broncos, linebacker JOSH ALLEN of the Jacksonville Jaguars and running back NYHEIM HINES of the Buffalo Bills are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played in Week 18.

OFFENSE: WR JERRY JEUDY, DENVER BRONCOS

Jeudy led all players and set career highs in receiving yards (154) and scrimmage yards (193) during Week 18 as the Broncos defeated the Los Angeles Chargers, 31-28.
This is the first Offensive Player of the Week award for Jeudy and he becomes the first Broncos wide receiver to earn the honor since EMMANUEL SANDERS (Week 7, 2018).
He is the third former Crimson Tide wide receiver to ever win Offensive Player of the Week, joining JULIO JONES (four-time winner) and AMARI COOPER (three-time winner).

DEFENSE: LB JOSH ALLEN, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Allen recorded six tackles, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble and recorded the game-winning 37-yard fumble-return for a touchdown with 2:51 remaining in the Jaguars’ 20-16 win over Tennessee. Jacksonville completed the “worst-to-first” turnaround and clinched the AFC South division title for the first time since 2017.
This is the second-career Defensive Player of the Week award for Allen, having previously won the award in Week 9 of the 2021 season. He is the second Jaguar to earn Defensive Player of the Week this season, joining safety RAYSHAWN JENKINS (Week 15).
Allen is the sixth former Kentucky Wildcat to earn multiple Defensive Player of the Week awards, joining JEFF BRADY, DEWAYNE ROBERTSON, ZA’DARIUS SMITH (three), ART STILL and WESLEY WOODYARD.

SPECIAL TEAMS: RB NYHEIM HINES, BUFFALO BILLS

Hines recorded two kickoff-return touchdowns (96- and 101-yards) in the Bills’ 35-23 win over the Patriots in Week 18 as he became the first player since LEON WASHINGTON (Week 3, 2010) with two kickoff-return touchdowns in the same game.
This is Hines’ second-career Special Teams Player of the Week award, having previously won the award with Indianapolis when he had two punt-return touchdowns in Week 16 of the 2019 season.
He is the first player in NFL history to have a game with two kickoff-return touchdowns and a game with two punt-return touchdowns in his career.

2023 PRO BOWL GAMES SKILLS COMPETITIONS ANNOUNCED

The NFL announced today the eight unique skills competitions that Pro Bowl players from the AFC and NFC will compete in during The 2023 Pro Bowl Games presented by Verizon. Taking place over two days in Las Vegas, the skills challenges will be broadcasted live for the first time on Thursday, February 2, on ESPN from 7:00-8:30 PM ET as an epic made-for-tv event, and the competitions will continue Sunday, February 5, throughout the day, along with the first-ever NFL Flag football games. The AFC team will be led by PEYTON MANNING (AFC head coach), RAY LEWIS (AFC defensive coordinator) and DIANA FLORES (AFC offensive coordinator), while the NFC team will be led by ELI MANNING (NFC head coach), DEMARCUS WARE (NFC defensive coordinator) and VANITA KROUCH (NFC offensive coordinator).

Taking place at Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center, the Las Vegas Raiders’ headquarters and practice facility,

on Thursday and Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, The Pro Bowl Games skills competitions will be brought to life by A. Smith & Co. Productions, producers of shows such as American Ninja Warrior, Hell’s Kitchen and The Titan Games.

Sunday’s events from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas will be televised from 3:00-6:00 PM ET on ESPN and ABC, and ticketholders will be able to witness all the impressive player feats live, including three epic seven-on-seven Flag football games between the league’s best players, the culmination of The Pro Bowl Games skills events and a major musical performance. Visit probowl.com/tickets to buy tickets, which start as low as $35.

A staple of the annual AFC vs. NFC competition, the NFL’s top players are set to participate in the following new and fan-favorite Pro Bowl skills competitions that showcase their football and non-football skills:

Thursday, February 2

Epic Pro Bowl Dodgeball: A multi-round tournament of classic dodgeball featuring four teams of five players that begins with the offenses and defenses from both conferences squaring off and culminates in an AFC vs. NFC showdown. In the first match, the AFC offense will face the AFC defense to determine the AFC winner. In the second game, the NFC offense squares off with the NFC defense to determine the NFC winner. In the finales, the AFC winner and NFC winner meet to determine which conference will earn three points.
Lightning Round: New this year, each conference will select 16 players to compete in a three-part elimination challenge that will leave one player left at the end to earn three points for his conference. In the first event, “Lightning Round – Splash Catch,” teammate pairings from each conference will toss water balloons back and forth from increasing distances. Each tandem that completes all of their tosses advances to the second phase. In part two, “Lightning Round – High Stakes,” advancing players will attempt to catch punts from a JUGS machine to earn a place representing their conference in the final round of the competition. In the final part of the challenge, “Lightning Round – Thrill of the Spill,” the remaining players from each conference will aim at targets attached to a bucket hanging above the head of an opposing conference’s coach. The first team to dump the bucket on the opposing coach wins and earns three points for his conference.
Longest Drive: Four players from each conference will compete in a challenge to drive a golf ball the furthest distance off a tee. Each player will get three swings and the player that drives the furthest within the boundaries on each side of the fairway will win three points for his conference.
Precision Passing presented by EA SPORTS Madden NFL 23 Mobile: Each of the conference’s three quarterbacks will battle it out in a one-minute accuracy competition, as they attempt to accumulate points by hitting as many targets as possible. The quarterback with the highest individual score among all participants is the winner and earns three points for his conference. There are a total of 10 targets that are either static or attached to robotic dummies and drones, each worth a different amount, ranging from one to five points. There is also a Long Toss Bucket 60 yards away that is worth 10 points.
Best Catch presented by Uber Eats (First Round): Two players from each conference will compete in a best catch competition, showing off their creativity, inventiveness and talent. In the first round on Thursday, the players will showcase their best receptions in highlight reels shot at iconic venues around Las Vegas. Fans will vote online to determine their favorite catch by a player in each conference, and the players with the highest votes will compete in the finals on Sunday.

Sunday, February 5

Best Catch presented by Uber Eats (Finale): On Sunday, the top vote getters from each conference will compete head-to-head, as they perform in front of panel of celebrity judges. The pass-catcher who accumulates the highest score from the judges will be determined the winner.
Gridiron Gauntlet: A side-by-side relay race showcasing strength, speed and agility, six players from each conference will compete to see who finishes first and wins three points for his team. The four-part Gauntlet, each segment 40-yards in length, includes a series of breakaway walls, a section of climbing over walls and under tables, a tire run and a blocking sled carrying a Legend coach across the finish line.
Kick Tac Toe: Each team’s kicker, punter and long snapper compete in a giant Tic-Tac-Toe competition to showcase their respective skills. The first team to complete a connecting line of three squares or hit five squares total will be declared the winner and earn three points for his conference.
Move The Chains: Four teams (two teams from each conference) will compete side by side in a weighted wall pull that will showcase their strength, speed and ingenuity. Each team of five players is responsible for pulling a wall, loaded up with heavy weights, 10-yards as quickly as possible using first-down chains. The winner of the best-of-three playoff will earn three points for their conference.

The Pro Bowl Games skills competitions will have cumulative scoring leading up to the Flag football games on Sunday. Scoring for The Pro Bowl Games works in the following way:

The winning conference of each skill competition earns three points towards their team’s overall score, with 24 total points available across the eight skills events.
The winning conference from each of the first two Flag football games on Sunday will earn six points for their team, for a total of 12 available points.
Points from the skills competitions and first two Flag games will be added together and will be the score at the beginning of the third and final Flag game, which will determine the winning conference for The Pro Bowl Games.

ESPN will also have a star-studded lineup of commentators and on-field reporters who will cover both Thursday’s and Sunday’s events, pursuing fun, spontaneous interactions, interviews and commentary from Pro Bowl players. An announcement around their plans will be issued in the near future.

The 2023 Pro Bowl Games presented by Verizon will be a week-long celebration of AFC vs. NFC competitions featuring a new format that spotlights Flag football. To help program the week-long event, the NFL will work with partners, including ESPN, Peyton Manning and Omaha Productions— which co-created and executive produces the Emmy-Award-winning Monday Night Football with Peyton & Eli alongside ESPN, as well as ESPN+’s critically acclaimed PLACES series in partnership with NFL Films. Peyton and Eli Manning will also be the head coaches for the AFC and NFC teams respectively.

****************COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS****************

RHULE ANNOUNCES 3 HIRES TO COMPLETE HIS 1ST NEBRASKA STAFF

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — New Nebraska coach Matt Rhule has completed his staff with the additions of Bob Wager as tight ends coach, Rob Dvoracek as linebackers coach and Garret McGuire as wide receivers coach.

The hirings were announced Wednesday, just over six weeks after Rhule signed an eight-year, $74 million contract with the Cornhuskers.

Wager has been a Texas high school head football coach for more than 20 seasons, most recently at Arlington Martin. Among the NFL players he helped develop was Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, the No. 1 overall pick in 2017.

Dvoracek was on Rhule’s staff with the Carolina Panthers. He previously was as assistant at Lehigh and a defensive quality control coach for Rhule’s first two Baylor teams in 2017-18. Dvoracek played for Rhule at Temple in 2013.

McGuire was an offensive assistant on Rhule’s staff with the Panthers. He joined the team after his playing career at Baylor. McGuire’s father, Joey, is the head coach at Texas Tech.

CHARLES WHITE, USC’S HEISMAN-WINNING TAILBACK, DIES AT 64

LOS ANGELES (AP) Charles White, the Southern California tailback who won the Heisman Trophy in 1979, died Wednesday. He was 64.

USC announced the death of White, who is still the Trojans’ career rushing leader with 6,245 yards. The nine-year NFL veteran died of cancer in Newport Beach, California, the school said.

“He was the toughest player I’ve ever coached,” said John Robinson, White’s former head coach at USC and with the Los Angeles Rams. “He was really unusual in that regard. He was a great player and just loved playing the game. Those are the things I remember the most. He was a really tough guy, and he was an extremely gifted athlete. But the toughness … wow!”

A two-time All-American and Los Angeles native, White won a national title in 1978 before claiming the Heisman in the following season, when he captained the Trojans and led the nation in yards rushing. White led the Trojans in rushing in each of his final three seasons. He also won the Walter Camp, Maxwell and Pop Warner Awards after his senior season.

He was named the Rose Bowl’s most valuable player in both games following the 1978 and 1979 seasons. White was the third of USC’s record eight Heisman winners, and he is still regarded reverently at the school long known as Tailback U.

“Charles White was one of the all-time great Trojans,” USC athletic director Mike Bohn said. “A Rose Bowl legend, a two-time unanimous All-American and an NCAA record setter, he made USC proud donning the Cardinal and Gold.”

White was the 27th overall pick in the 1980 draft by Cleveland, and he spent five years with the Browns, missing the entire 1983 season due to injury. He joined the Rams in 1985 and played four more seasons under Robinson, finishing his NFL career with 3,075 yards rushing.

After his NFL retirement, he coached USC’s running backs from 1993-97 while again working for Robinson, who had returned to the Trojans. He also held administrative jobs in the Trojans’ athletic department.

White is survived by his ex-wife, Judianne White-Basch, their five children and a granddaughter. Memorial service details are pending.

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

SASSER, SHEAD LEAD NO. 1 HOUSTON PAST SOUTH FLORIDA 83-77

HOUSTON (AP) Marcus Sasser scored a career-high 31 points, Jamal Shead added 20 points and six rebounds, and No. 1 Houston used a huge second half to beat South Florida 83-77 on Wednesday night.

Sasser scored 25 points and Shead had 13 as the backcourt mates combined to score 38 of Houston’s 46 second-half points. Sasser, a preseason All-American, finished 7 of 17 from the field, including 6 of 12 on 3-pointers. In the second half, Sasser and Shead combined to shoot 10 of 16 from the field and were 6 of 11 on 3s.

“My teammates were telling me it’s time step up,” Sasser said. “They were trying to get me going, giving me confidence. Being a senior on the team, being a leader, I’ve kind of seen it all. … When you have good teammates, they trust you with the ball and feel like you can change the game.”

Tramon Mark scored 13 points for Houston (17-1, 5-0 American Athletic Conference), which won its eighth straight game.

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson appreciated his team’s grit during a less-than-stellar performance.

“We’ve had a lot of nights where we’ve played poorly and won over the years, but it’s a beautiful win,” Sampson said. “That game was a thing of beauty. … Get the win and go home.”

Tyler Harris scored a career-high 31 points, Russel Tchewa added 14 points and eight rebounds and Jamir Chaplin scored 14 points for the Bulls (7-10, 0-4), who lost their fourth straight.

South Florida coach Brian Gregory said Houston needed an All-American effort out of Sasser to beat the Bulls, and that’s what he gave the Cougars.

“It challenged our guys a little bit in terms of the competitiveness and toughness that you have to play with,” Gregory said. “We’re a good team. We’ve had second-half leads in all four games in our league. … It’s disappointing where we’re at.”

Harris was 9 of 13 from the field, including 6 of 10 on 3-pointers.

Houston shot 42%, including 11 of 27 from the 3-point line. The Cougars forced South Florida into 18 turnovers and converted those into 13 points.

South Florida shot 49%, including 10 of 21 on 3-pointers.

“Every time it looked like we were about to stretch it out from 10 to 12 or 12 to 15 or something like that, they would bang a 3,” Sampson said. “They’ve been a poor 3-point shooting team and free throw (shooting team). Not tonight, but that’s how upsets occur. It’s nights like tonight.”

Trailing 53-48 with 14 1/2 minutes remaining, Houston went on a 20-4 run over the next 7 1/2 minutes to open up an 11-point lead on a 3-pointer by Shead. Sasser scored 13 points during the burst. The Bulls got no closer than six points the rest of the way.

Houston used a 10-0 run to open a 37-26 lead on a 3-pointer by Emanuel Sharp with three minutes left in the first half, but South Florida answered with a 10-0 run to end the half to cut the lead to one on a layup by Chaplin.

BIG PICTURE

South Florida: The Bulls fell to 0-6 all-time against No. 1-ranked teams. … South Florida did not hit a field goal for nearly 8 1/2 minutes in the second half as Houston went on its run. … The Bulls outrebounded Houston 36-30, and South Florida had a 26-22 edge in points in the paint.

Houston: Jarace Walker, who had scored more than 20 points in two straight games, was out of the lineup with an illness. … The 36 first-half points by the Bulls were the most Houston has allowed before halftime this season, and the 77 points allowed was also a season high. … Houston won its 12th straight over the Bulls.

FOUL TROUBLE

The teams combined for 45 fouls. Houston shot 22 of 32 from the free-throw line, led by Sasser, who was 11 of 14. The Bulls were 21 of 27 from the line, with Tchewa going 8 of 9.

UP NEXT

South Florida: At East Carolina on Sunday.

Houston: At Tulane on Jan. 17.

CARR’S 3-POINTER LIFTS NO. 10 TEXAS OVER NO. 17 TCU, 79-75

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Marcus Carr made the go-ahead 3-pointer with a minute to play and Sir’Jabari Rice hit three free throws over the final six seconds, sending No. 10 Texas to a wild 79-75 win over No. 17 TCU on Wednesday night.

The Horned Frogs led by 18 in the first half and appeared in total control on their way to what would have been the program’s first road win over a top-10 opponent.

But then Texas (14-2, 3-1 Big 12) chipped away in the early minutes of the second half and rallied behind Rice and Dylan Disu, who combined for 27 points after halftime. Rice scored 10 in a row during one burst and Disu had 12 in a five-minute span as Texas tied it 71-all on his layup.

“In the Big 12,” Longhorns interim coach Rodney Terry said, “we’re going to be in games like this all season long.”

After Carr’s 3-pointer gave Texas the lead, TCU’s Emanuel Miller had a chance to tie it with a three-point play but missed the free throw. Rice got a rebound off a Longhorns miss at the other end and made two free throws to stretch the Texas lead.

Miller scored 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting to lead TCU (13-3, 2-2).

“In the second half, we’ve got to pick up our pace and show our will,” Miller said. “We’ve got to know every possession matters. In this league you mess up one possession, it can cost you the game.”

The previous time the teams met in last season’s Big 12 tournament, Texas led by 18 at halftime only to watch the Horned Frogs rally to win.

Timmy Allen scored 17 points to lead the Longhorns. Rice had 15, all in the second half.

Texas shot 59% from the floor after the break in its largest comeback win since 2013, when the Longhorns rallied from 22 down in the second half to beat Oklahoma in overtime.

Allen started the rally with a steady diet of mid-range jumpers that seemed to loosen up the Horned Frogs’ defense for Disu to get to the basket for layups and dunks.

Texas trimmed the deficit to two, only to see the Horned Frogs push it back to 12 with about nine minutes left.

“It was, `Cut it to 10, cut it to five.’ Getting the run to get the momentum back on our side was key,” Allen said. “Work the game for 40 minutes, good start or bad start.”

BIG PICTURE

TCU: The Horned Frogs disrupted the Longhorns with quick hands and pickpocket steals that turned into early points. Texas had six turnovers before making five baskets – all on TCU steals. But those mostly stopped when Texas rallied. The Longhorns committed only three turnovers in the second half.

“Our defense was really good in the first half. … We didn’t sustain it,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. “They were just more physical and more active in the second half.”

Texas: Every game the rest of the season will likely have the feel of an audition for Terry as school officials consider who will replace Chris Beard full-time next season. Terry is 7-1 since taking over the program when Beard was initially suspended after an arrest on a felony domestic violence charge Dec. 12. Beard was fired last week.

TIGHTENING UP

After giving up a whopping 116 points in a loss a week ago to No. 11 Kansas State, Texas has tightened up the defense. The Longhorns held Oklahoma State under 50 points, then outrebounded TCU by seven in the second half to limit the Horned Frogs’ possessions during the rally.

DISHING IT

Carr and fellow guard Tyrese Hunter were just 7-of-24 shooting but combined for 13 assists.

UP NEXT

TCU hosts No. 11 Kansas State on Saturday.

Texas hosts Texas Tech on Saturday.

NO. 25 MARQUETTE TOPS NO. 6 UCONN 82-76 FOR 5TH STRAIGHT WIN

MILWAUKEE (AP) After squandering second-half leads in each of its four losses this season, Marquette vowed to finish games more effectively.

So far, so good.

Oso Ighodaro scored 19 points and showed some uncharacteristic free-throw accuracy down the stretch as No. 25 Marquette defeated No. 6 UConn 82-76 on Wednesday for its fifth consecutive victory. The Golden Eagles have erased halftime deficits in each of their last three wins.

“We just felt like we didn’t finish games good enough in those losses,” Ighodaro said. “Me and TK (point guard Tyler Kolek) talked about just trying to lead in those moments and make sure we got the right shots.”

Marquette (14-4, 6-1 Big East) trailed by 11 points late in the first half and was down 37-33 at the break. The Golden Eagles were behind 48-41 midway through a 96-85 victory at St. John’s on Jan. 3 and erased a 36-34 halftime deficit in a 95-73 blowout of Georgetown on Saturday.

The Golden Eagles have shot 62.5% after halftime in those three games.

“The fact that our guys are playing better down the stretch of games I think is in a lot of ways because they’ve done it now and they’ve been in some games and we took some lumps in some close games earlier in the year,” Marquette coach Shaka Smart said.

UConn (15-3, 4-3) has lost three of its last four. All three losses came on the road against teams currently in the Top 25: No. 12 Xavier, No. 19 Providence and Marquette.

“The way the games are played in nonconference and the NCAA Tournament are much different than the way they’re played in league play,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “The games are a lot more physical. We’re proving to be better suited for maybe those other types of games that are played a little bit differently, which makes me feel better about March, but it was scary, the amount of one-on-ones, being driven and scored on, the lack of physical toughness at the point of contact in some situations.”

Olivier-Maxence Prosper scored 17 points and Kam Jones added 15 – all in the second half – for Marquette.

UConn lost despite getting 20 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks from 7-foot-2 freshman Donovan Clingan off the bench. Alex Karaban added 17 points and Adama Sanogo had 10.

After trailing by eight with less than two minutes left, UConn got the margin down to three on two occasions. But Marquette answered each time.

Marquette led 76-73 when Ighodaro got fouled with 36.2 seconds left. He hit both free throws to give the Golden Eagles some breathing room. Ighodaro sank two more free throws with 11 seconds remaining to cap the scoring.

Ighodaro had been just 16 of 38 on free-throw attempts this season before hitting those four.

“I had a couple of tough games this year at the free-throw line, but I trust myself,” Ighodaro said. “I work every day at it. I think I’m a good free-throw shooter. My teammates believe in me.”

Smart said he was confident and cited Ighodaro’s track record. Ighodaro made 73.8% of his free throws last season.

“What I saw in his eyes is there was no avoidance,” Smart said. “There was no hesitation. It was, `I’m stepping up to the line and you send me to the line, I’m going to get two points for my team.'”

BIG PICTURE

UConn: The Huskies scored 16 straight points in the first half but couldn’t slow down Marquette’s offense in the second half. The Huskies lost despite collecting a season-high 11 blocks, including eight in the first half.

Marquette: The Golden Eagles stayed competitive without getting much in the first half from Jones, who entered the night with a team-high 16.1 points per game. Once Jones heated up, Marquette took off. The Golden Eagles went 30 of 59 from the floor and are shooting over 50% as a team.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Marquette should stay in the Top 25 next week now even if it loses at Xavier on Sunday. UConn probably needs to beat St. John’s this week to stay in the top 10.

UP NEXT

UConn: Hosts St. John’s on Sunday.

Marquette: At Xavier on Sunday.

NO. 4 ALABAMA USES LATE RUNS TO PUT AWAY NO. 15 ARKANSAS

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) No. 4 Alabama went on a 16-4 run midway through the second half and an 11-0 run late to beat No. 15 Arkansas, 84-69, on Wednesday and stay unbeaten in the Southeastern Conference.

The Crimson Tide (14-2, 4-0 SEC) made 5 of 6 goals during the stretch in the middle of the second half while Arkansas was just 1 of 7 during Alabama’s run as a tie game turned into a 12-point Alabama lead.

Arkansas (12-4, 1-3) pulled within two points with 4:30 left after making five straight shots from the floor to close the gap. Alabama followed with 3-pointers on each of its next three possessions, including one by Brandon Miller, to sap the home crowd and rebuild the lead to double digits

Alabama struggled during the period when its best player did, too. Miller, who entered as the top scorer in the SEC averaging 18.1 points per game, was without a shot attempt through the first half and the Crimson Tide were tied at the break.

Mark Sears did most of the Crimson Tide’s offensive damage early and plenty late as he scored a game-high 24 points. Noah Clowney added 15 and Sears finished with 14 points.

Arkansas had four players in double figures as Devonte Davis and Jalen Graham led with 16 apiece, but shooting was the curse as the Razorbacks were just 2 of 10 from 3-point range against Alabama’s 9-of-20 game from deep.

BIG PICTURE

Alabama: Alabama looked the part of a No. 1-seed when the NCAA Tournament rolls around, showing a clear edge for a bulk of the game and using runs when things were close.

Arkansas: The Razorbacks started SEC play 0-3 last year before reeling off eight straight in league play en route to the Elite Eight. But Arkansas’ injuries and shifting substitution patterns have given 2023 a different feel.

UP NEXT

Alabama: Hosts LSU on Saturday

Arkansas: At Vanderbilt on Saturday

BOUM SCORES 26 AS NO. 12 XAVIER HOLDS OFF CREIGHTON 90-87

CINCINNATI (AP) Souley Boum scored 26 points and Colby Jones scored 20 as No. 12 Xavier won its 10th straight game, 90-87 over Creighton on Wednesday night.

Jack Nunge had 15 points and 12 rebounds for Xavier (14-3, 6-0 Big East), which is off to its best start ever in Big East play. Jerome Hunter scored 12 points off the bench.

“In many ways, tonight’s victory was our best of the season,” Musketeers coach Sean Miller said. “I believe Creighton is an excellent team. I can’t imagine an arena that had a better atmosphere than the one we just finished playing in.”

Baylor Scheierman led Creighton (9-8, 3-3) with 25 points. Ryan Nembhard scored 17 and Trey Alexander had 16 for the Bluejays.

Xavier led by seven points with 1:31 left but Nembhard scored the next five and Creighton had a chance to tie or take the lead in the closing seconds. A steal with 13 seconds left denied that opportunity, and then Boum made four free throws in the last five seconds.

“He’s as solid as they come,” Jones said. “I was like, `Ballgame.’ I felt very confident with Souley at the free throw line at the end of the game.”

The Bluejays were the preseason pick to win the league for the first time since joining the Big East in 2013 but dropped to fifth in the conference standings. Creighton had a six-game losing streak earlier this season.

“High-level basketball game,” Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. “We did a lot of the things that I thought we had to do to have a chance to win. Xavier’s hard to guard.”

Since Xavier and Creighton joined the Big East in 2013, 16 of their 22 meetings have been decided by eight points or fewer, including two overtime games.

Wednesday’s game featured 13 lead changes and five ties.

The Musketeers hit six straight shots including a 3-pointer by Nunge to go ahead 80-73, their largest lead of the game with 5:17 remaining.

Nembhard’s jumper cut the Musketeers’ lead to 86-84 with 23.9 seconds remaining.

The Bluejays and Musketeers were a combined 11 of 17 shooting to start the game and neither team cooled off much.

Creighton led by as many as seven points in the first half, but the Musketeers closed the half on a 6-0 run to trim the deficit to 46-45.

Creighton began the second half by making 4 of 8 from 3-point range.

“We’ve had opportunities in the last five or six minutes to win games and we just haven’t been able to finish,” McDermott said. “Fatigue was a factor for both teams because it was a really high paced game. We lost to a really good team.”

BOUM’S BEST

Miller called Boum’s performance his best of the season. He finished two short of his season high in points and added five rebounds, eight assists and three blocks.

“To play in a game that fast and have zero turnovers, is really hard to do,” Miller said. “He’s playing like an All-American.”

Boum transferred from UTEP and has one year of eligibility left.

“I can’t imagine a better fit for the guys they had returning,” McDermott said.

BIG PICTURE

Creighton: The Bluejays were ranked ninth in the AP preseason poll, the highest preseason ranking in school history. Xavier was the Bluejays’ sixth ranked opponent this season, all on the road. They were coming off an 69-60 loss at No. 6 UConn.

“We’ve played a killer schedule,” McDermott said. “Not many teams are going to win in Storrs and not many are going to win in Cincinnati. But we were close.”

Xavier: Defensive issues continue to plague the Musketeers, who have allowed 80 or more points five times this season. But they held Creighton without a field goal for nearly four minutes to get back in the game late in the second half.

“The way we play getting out on offense and got to guard our man on defense, it’s not as easy as everyone thinks,” Boum said. “But that’s what it takes to be a really good team so we just have to keep growing in that area.”

UP NEXT

Creighton: Hosts No. 19 Providence on Saturday.

Xavier: Hosts No. 25 Marquette on Sunday.

RADFORD HAS 16 AS AGGIES DEFEAT NO. 20 MISSOURI 82-64

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams didn’t love everything his team did Wednesday night.

But he said he was proud of how his players stuck together when a huge lead dwindled to four points and they had to respond.

Tyrece Radford scored 16 points and Wade Taylor IV added 14 as Texas A&M built a huge lead early and withstood a second-half push to defeat No. 20 Missouri 82-64.

“We were immature in some regards … (but) I think our guys are growing up,” Williams said. “I don’t think that they’re blaming; I don’t think they’re complaining.”

It’s the fifth straight victory for the Aggies. Missouri dropped its second in three games.

The Aggies (11-5, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) were up by 18 at halftime after a terrible shooting first half by the Tigers, who didn’t make a field goal for almost 11 minutes.

Missouri (13-3, 2-2) got going on offense after the break thanks to a full-court press.

A 3-pointer by Nick Honor cut A&M’s lead to four. But the Aggies scored the next 12 points to make it 65-49 with less than six minutes left. Taylor led the way in that stretch, scoring eight points.

“We never got into a rhythm, and I think Buzz did a good job of disrupting the rhythm,” Missouri coach Dennis Gates said.

Kobe Brown scored 12 points to the lead the Tigers.

Dexter Dennis scored 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Henry Coleman III had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Radford said he is happy with the progress the team has made, but the Aggies still need to get better.

“We just can’t get ahead of ourselves,” he said. “We know it was a good win, a big win. We’ve just got to continue to stick to our roots.”

Williams was proud of his defense because of how powerful Missouri’s offense can be. The Tigers entered the game ranked second in the nation by averaging 87.1 points a game. Texas A&M held them to a season low.

“They’re making decisions based on how you help,” he said. “If you have a second of hesitation, they’re going to have success.”

The Tigers used an 11-2 run to cut the lead to 48-36 with about 12 minutes to go. All of Missouri’s points in that span came off turnovers as the team employed a full-court press to slow the Aggies down.

Andre Gordon made a layup for the Aggies after that, but Missouri scored the next 10 points, capped by consecutive 3s from D’Moi Hodge, to get within 50-46 midway through the second half.

“I thought our guys made the extra effort we didn’t see in the first half,” Gates said. “For some reason our guys were in mud early.”

The Aggies lead 43-25 at halftime.

BIG PICTURE

Missouri: The Tigers will have to regroup after losing two of three after opening the season 12-1. They played well in the second half but can’t play like they did before halftime if they hope to contend for the SEC title.

Texas A&M: The Aggies have been steadily improving during this winning streak after consecutive losses to Memphis and Wofford. If they keep getting better, they could make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since Williams took over for the 2019-20 season.

ODDS & ENDS

Missouri made just 7 of 31 3-pointers. … The Aggies outrebounded Missouri 42-25. … The Tigers got 33 points from their bench while A&M got 18. … The Aggies had four blocks. … Texas A&M had 18 turnovers to just nine by the Tigers.

UP NEXT

Missouri: Visits Florida on Saturday

Texas A&M: Visits South Carolina on Saturday

TYSON SCORES 28, CLEMSON REACHES 6-0 IN ACC FOR FIRST TIME

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) Hunter Tyson had 28 points and 11 rebounds for his fifth consecutive double-double and Clemson defeated Louisville 83-70 on Wednesday night to reach 6-0 in ACC play for the first time in 70 years.

Clemson, a charter member of the ACC since 1953, had a previous best start of 5-0 in 1996-97. The Tigers are 14-3 overall and 9-0 at home this season.

A three-point play by Ian Schieffelin gave Clemson a 17-point lead near the 17-minute mark of the second half before Louisville rallied on four free throws by Mike James and a three-point play by JJ Traynor. Later, Jae’lyn Withers hit a 3-pointer and Louisville trailed 62-55 with 7:15 to go.

Clemson’s lead stayed within seven to 11 points until Kamari Lands hit a 3-pointer to get Louisville within 72-66 with 2:51 remaining. Louisville drew within six points again on a layup by Traynor with 1:12 remaining, but a three-point play by PJ Hall put the game well in hand for the Tigers, 79-70 with 1:04 to go.

Tyson shot 9 for 14 overall, hit four 3-pointers and made 6 of 9 free throws. Not only does he have a double-double in Clemson’s last five games, he has had a double-double in all six ACC games. Chase Hunter had 13 points, Hall 10 and Brevin Galloway 10 for Clemson.

James scored 17 points, El Ellis 12, Withers 11 and Sydney Curry 10 for Louisville (2-15, 0-6 ACC).

Tyson had 12 points and six rebounds, and the Tigers shot 55% from the field to take a 40-28 lead at the break. Louisville shot 38% and had 12 turnovers before halftime.

Clemson hosts Duke on Saturday and Louisville hosts North Carolina, also on Saturday.

FILIPOWSKI, PROCTOR HELP NO. 24 DUKE RALLY PAST PITT 77-69

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) Kyle Filipowski and his Duke teammates started asserting themselves in the paint, attacking the boards and doing a better job defending Pittsburgh’s shot makers.

The effort erased a big deficit – and provided first-year coach Jon Scheyer with an illustration of how this bunch of young Blue Devils can meet their potential.

Filipowski had a season-high 28 points and matched his season high of 15 rebounds to help No. 24 Duke rally past Pittsburgh 77-69 on Wednesday night. The Blue Devils trailed by a dozen points shortly after halftime.

“I can tell you this much,” Scheyer said. “I feel we learned something.”

The performance certainly reiterated the intensity of effort required by the Blue Devils (13-4, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) to win an ACC game, particularly against a transfer-heavy team filled with older players.

Filipowski was the star, with the 7-foot freshman making 8 of 14 shots and 11 of 13 free throws. Fellow freshman Tyrese Proctor added 14 points, including a pair of tough driving scores that helped the Blue Devils hold their late lead.

The Blue Devils rallied by snagging seemingly every loose rebound. There was also a defensive uptick; after Pitt thrived in isolation plays with some of its top shot-makers to build its lead, Duke started getting stops in those sequences with more defensive switches.

“There’s been some games where we haven’t shown that fire,” Filipowski said. “We’ve had some tough practices after those. But just letting it all out, that’s what Coach has been saying too. Just be expressive, fight for one another, be confident, we all have each other’s backs.”

Duke had a 15-0 run during the game-turning stretch. Pittsburgh (11-6, 4-2), meanwhile, went more than eight minutes without a basket and never found its range from behind the arc after thriving there all season.

Jamarius Burton scored 16 points to lead the Panthers, who shot 8 of 28 after halftime (28.6%) and made 6 of 22 3-pointers for the game.

By the end of the game, Duke nearly had as many offensive rebounds (24) as Pittsburgh had total rebounds and had finished with a 51-28 edge on the glass. Duke also scored 24 second-half points in the paint after managing 10 before the break.

“They just kind of knew: we can dominate the glass,” Panthers coach Jeff Capel said. “And they just kept – just relentless. That was their best offense, just to get it on the rim and then to go get it.”

BIG PICTURE

Pittsburgh: The Panthers had been a surprise in a league where little has gone to plan so far. They got off to their first 4-0 ACC start since their debut season in the league in 2013-14 before before falling last weekend to Clemson. They shot nearly 57% before the break and played with plenty of confidence early – including Blake Hinson barking at the rowdy “Cameron Crazies” after making a first-half 3 – but were unable to keep it going.

“They switched everything and they really did a great job of using their size and length to contest shots,” Capel said. “Some of the shots we were making in the first half and the start of the second half, we just missed them.”

Duke: The Blue Devils were coming off a bumpy week, which included a blowout loss at North Carolina State and a one-point win at Boston College. But the defend-and-rebound emphasis under Scheyer was on full display after halftime. The Blue Devils also got quality minutes to aid that effort from from 7-1 freshman Dereck Lively II (six points, four rebounds) in the defensive switches.

SHORT-HANDED

Both teams were missing key contributors.

Duke captain Jeremy Roach (11.9 points) missed his second straight game with a lingering toe injury. He was wearing a gray boot on his right foot on the bench.

Pitt said forward John Hugley IV (8.0 points) didn’t make the trip due to a non-COVID illness.

UP NEXT

Pittsburgh: At Georgia Tech on Saturday.

Duke: At Clemson on Saturday.

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

AURIEMMA, FUDD RETURN IN UCONN’S 82-52 ROUT OF ST. JOHN’S

NEW YORK (AP) UConn welcomed Geno Auriemma back to the bench and Azzi Fudd to its lineup in a rout of St. John’s.

Fudd scored 14 points in her first game in a month after injuring her right knee as the fourth-ranked Huskies routed St. John’s 82-52 on Wednesday night at UBS Arena.

Auriemma had missed the Huskies’ previous two games because he wasn’t feeling well. He also missed two games while sick in December. The 68-year-old coach is also grieving the death of his 91-year-old mother in early December.

“He said he was coming on the trip, that’s when I knew,” said associate head coach Chris Dailey who filled in for Auriemma in the postgame media session. “I just wanted to make sure he was in a good place and he should come back and he was ready to come back. He assured me he was.”

The Hall of Fame coach had been likely to miss a third game as the Huskies were set to play DePaul last Sunday, but that game was postponed when UConn (14-2, 7-0 Big East) didn’t have enough available players due to injuries. It will be made up on Jan. 23.

Fudd, a sophomore guard who came in averaging 20.6 points, injured her knee against Notre Dame on Dec. 4 and missed the next eight games. She had been cleared to resume playing about two weeks ago.

“It’s been a progression. She’s looked really good and a matter of feeling more comfortable and she’s done that,” Dailey said. “We thought today was going to be the day.”

Fudd played 20 minutes and said that unlike last year when she came back from a foot injury quickly, she wanted to make sure her knee was fully healthy before playing.

“The knee I feel like it’s a lot more serious than my foot last year,” Fudd said. “I didn’t have any prep time before I came back (last year). Wanted to make sure I was ready.”

UConn also got back Aaliyah Edwards (foot) but still was without Ayanna Patterson (concussion), Caroline Ducharme (concussion), Paige Bueckers (knee) and Ice Brady (knee).

Lou Lopez Senechal scored 20 points, making eight of her nine shots to lead the Huskies. Dorka Juhasz added 18 points and 10 rebounds. Edwards finished with 15 points.

Kadaja Bailey scored 17 points to lead St. John’s (14-2, 5-2).

“Obviously always a difficult game when you’re playing a team of this nature,” St. John’s coach Joe Tartamella said. “I was pleased with the way we competed. We had a couple stretches where we played with a lot more energy than we played all year, specifically in the third.”

Fudd checked into the game midway through the first quarter and made an immediate impact as the Huskies built a 17-11 lead by the end of the period. They blew the game open in the second, outscoring the Red Storm 24-9 to go up by 21 at the half.

NEW SPOT

It was the first women’s basketball game played at UBS Arena, home to the NHL’s New York Islanders. There was a men’s basketball game between Notre Dame and Saint Bonaventure in November.

“Great experience to play the first women’s game here,” St. John’s forward Danielle Robinson said. “Something we’ll all remember.”

SCHEDULE SHIFT

UConn was set to play Seton Hall on Jan. 19, but with the DePaul game’s new date, the Huskies moved up the game at the Pirates by two days. Had they not, UConn would have had a stretch of five games in 10 days.

UP NEXT

UConn: Hosts Georgetown on Sunday.

St. John’s: At Villanova on Saturday.

OKLAHOMA STATE WOMEN END SKID AGAINST NO. 18 BAYLOR 70-65

WACO, Texas (AP) Lior Garzon scored 18 points, Naomi Alnatas had 11 of her 17 in the fourth quarter and Oklahoma State ended a 13-game losing against Baylor with a 70-65 win over the No. 18 Bears on Wednesday.

Claire Chastain had a jumper and a 3-pointer and Alnatas a 3 and a three-point play for an 11-0 run that gave Oklahoma State a 16-7 lead in the middle of the first quarter and Baylor never led again.

Sarah Andrews had 12 points in the fourth quarter and she started off with a pair of 3s and Ja’Mee Asberry’s 3 pulled the Bears even at 52 with 6 1/2 minutes to play. But Alnatas and Anna Gret Asi hit 3s for Oklahoma State, which quickly reeled off eight points.

The Bears made six free throws with pull within two with 2:59 to play and Asberry’s 3 made it a one point game with 21/2 minutes to go. The Bears then missed two free throws and had a turnover when they had a chance to grab the lead.

Alnatas hit a 3 and the Cowgirls made 5 of 8 free throws in the last 30 seconds to pull out the win.

Terryn Milton had 10 points for the Cowgirls (12-4, 2-2 Big 12 Conference).

Asberry had 19 points and Andrews 16 for the Bears (12-4, 3-1), who were the last unbeaten team in league play.

TCU is at Oklahoma State on Saturday and Baylor plays at West Virginia on Sunday.

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

BEY, BOGDANOVIC LEAD SHORTHANDED PISTONS PAST TIMBERWOLVES

DETROIT (AP) Saddiq Bey scored 31 points and the Detroit Pistons rallied to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 135-118 on Wednesday night.

Bojan Bogdanovic added 27 points for the shorthanded Pistons, who were down 10-0 in the first three minutes. Four other players had at least 13 points, one night after a 147-116 loss in Philadelphia.

“I didn’t know if we would win tonight, but I knew we would come out and play hard,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. “This is a very resilient group of young men, and we felt we would have better matchups tonight.”

Anthony Edwards scored 20 for Minnesota, which had won four straight since a 116-104 loss to Detroit on New Year’s Eve. D’Angelo Russell added 19 and Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 14 rebounds.

“There was zero defensive impact all night,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “We didn’t do anything to make them uncomfortable. They put 135 on the board, had at least 31 points in every quarter, and shot 60% from the floor and 53% on 3s.”

The Pistons were without three rotation post players: Marvin Bagley III (hand), Jalen Duran (ankle) and Isaiah Stewart (shoulder). That left Nerlens Noel, who had played in only nine of Detroit’s first 45 games, as the starting center against Gobert.

Noel only scored two points in 21 minutes, but blocked four shots in the third quarter.

“I thought Nerlens changed the game defensively,” Casey said. “His shot-blocking presence at the rim gave us an opportunity to get out on a break and score some points with our defense.”

Minnesota was also missing a key big man in Karl-Anthony Towns (calf).

Edwards missed the third quarter with hip soreness and Russell picked up two fouls early in the period, sending him to the bench with four. Without them, Minnesota struggled at both ends of the floor, allowing the Pistons to take a 94-81 lead with three minutes left in the period.

“I thought Nerlens brought energy to the whole team in the third quarter,” said Jaden Ivey, who had 18 points and eight assists. “We started playing our brand of basketball, which was getting out on the break and making sure everyone was getting a touch of the ball.”

The Pistons outscored Minnesota 36-23 in the third to take a 101-87 lead. Edwards returned for the fourth, scoring 15 points, but Detroit was never threatened.

“They told me he wasn’t going to be able to return and then they said he was good to go, so we got him back on the floor,” Finch said. “I don’t know how much it is hurting him – you’d have to ask him that.”

TIP-INS

Timberwolves: Taurean Prince had nine points in 27 minutes despite limping off the floor in the first half after stepping on Noel’s foot and rolling his ankle.

Pistons: Detroit scored a season-high 67 points on jumpers: 51 on 3-pointers and 16 on long 2-pointers.

SMALL BALL

Detroit pulled away in the second half with a lineup that, at times, had 6-foot-7 Kevin Knox II and 6-foot-5 Hamadou Diallo playing center against the 7-foot-1 Gobert. Diallo was giving up 8 inches and 64 pounds to Gobert.

“We know how much he can impact a game with his energy and athleticism, but tonight he showed great discipline to play all over the floor,” Casey said of Diallo, who scored 18 points in 26 minutes before fouling out. “We were asking him to go up against Gobert and play the screen and roll. He did a heck of a job.”

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: Host the Phoenix Suns on Friday.

Pistons: Host the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.

KUZMA HITS LATE 3-POINTER TO LIFT WIZARDS PAST BULLS, 100-97

WASHINGTON (AP) Kyle Kuzma broke a tie with a 3-pointer with 5.7 seconds left and the Washington Wizards beat the Chicago Bulls 100-97 on Wednesday night.

Following a timeout, Kuzma drove to his right and hit a leaning shot as he floated toward the Wizards’ bench.

Zach LaVine missed a 16-footer for Chicago with 2.3 seconds left, with Deni Avdija grabbing the last of his career-high 20 rebounds for Washington.

Earlier, LaVine beat the shot clock to tie it at 97.

Kuzma finished with 21 points. Backup forward Anthony Gill scored a career-high 18 points, and Monte Morris added 17 for Washington.

LaVine had 38 points for Chicago. Bulls scoring leader DeMar DeRozan missed his first game of the season because of quadriceps strain.

Washington overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to take seven-point lead into the fourth quarter. Morris scored 15 points in the third quarter while the Wizards romped to a 41-21 advantage.

TIP-INS

Bulls: Alex Caruso started in DeRozan’s place.

Wizards: SG Bradley Beal (hamstring) missed his third consecutive game. F/C Kristaps Porzingis (right rib contusion) also sat out.

UP NEXT

Bulls: Host Oklahoma City on Friday night.

Wizards: Host New York on Friday night.

HOLIDAY, LOPEZ HELP BUCKS HOLD OFF HAWKS, 114-105

ATLANTA (AP) Jrue Holiday scored 27 points, Brook Lopez had 20 points and 12 rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks held off the Atlanta Hawks 114-105 on Wednesday night.

Giannis Antetokounmpo added seven points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists, and Bobby Portis II had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Milwaukee has won four of five.

“We’re resilient,” Holiday said. “We don’t like to lose. I think close games like that – not that we enjoy those moments – but we do think they’re teaching moments where can kind of close out games and use all that and everything we did tonight in the future.”

The Hawks, playing without Trae Young and Clint Capela, erased a 24-point deficit early in the third to make it 101-all on John Collins’ fast-break layup with 4:05 remaining. They took their first lead on Bogdan Bogdanovic’s baseline jumper coming out of a timeout. Lopez answered with a corner 3, and the Bucks went on a 10-0 run and led the rest of the way.

Bogdanovic scored 22 points, and De’Andre Hunter had 16 for the Hawks.

“We did a better job of applying pressure in the second half,” Atlanta coach Nate McMillan said. “This is a team that’s going to try to attack the paint, attack the rim and if they can’t get to the rim, they’re going to shoot 3s. In the second half we got more pressure, disrupted more and were able to get some stops.”

An illness left the Hawks without Young, averaging 27.3 points and 9.8 assists. Leading rebounder Capela was sidelined with a strained right calf.

The Bucks led 39-19 after the first quarter and built a lead that didn’t look like the Hawks could overcome when Milwaukee led by 24 in the third.

“Credit to our guys,” Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We had a big lead, then a big comeback for Atlanta. A big punch from Atlanta. We were able to throw the last one and were able to finish it. Credit to our players.”

It was an uncharacteristicly low scoring night for Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP who averages 31.7 points, but Budenholzer thought he was engaged throughout the game.

“I thought it was one of Giannis’ best games without scoring,” Budenholzer said. “I thought he trusted his teammates. He made a ton of great plays. For him to go to the boards, do everything else he does and then find the willpower, the competitiveness to get a tough offensive rebound, not force it through a bunch of traffic.”

TIP-INS

Bucks: G Khris Middleton missed his 34th game, the last 13 with right knee soreness, but he participated in 5-on-5 drills Tuesday in Atlanta and is getting closer to returning. … Milwaukee shot 64.3% on 3s while the Hawks 0 for 3 beyond the arc in the first quarter. … Starting guard Grayson Allen sprained his right ankle in the first half and did not return. He finished with six points. … Holiday improved to 6-2 in games against brothers Aaron and Justin Holiday.

Hawks: Capela missed his eighth straight game and 11th overall. … Atlanta was outrebounded 32-20 in the first half and 57-41 overall. … Aaron Holiday started in Young’s spot and finished with four points in 14 minutes. Justin Holiday did not play. … Derrick Favors, a 12-year veteran forward-center, was added to the Hawks’ roster on a 10-day contract to give the team more size during Capela’s absence. He has not played this season.

UP NEXT

Bucks: At Miami on Thursday and Saturday.

Hawks: At Indiana on Friday.

BROWN SCORES SEASON-HIGH 41 POINTS, CELTICS BEAT PELICANS

BOSTON (AP) The numbers that Celtics stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have been putting up this season point to a duo playing even better than last season when Boston reached the NBA Finals.

Brown believes there’s another level they can reach. Their latest performance might have been a peek of that next plateau.

Brown scored a season-high 41 points and had 12 rebounds and the Celtics won their fourth straight game, holding off the New Orleans Pelicans 125-114 on Wednesday night.

Tatum added 31 points and 10 rebounds. It was the fifth career 40-point game for Brown. It was the 10th time in their careers Brown and Tatum have combined for 70 or more points.

“I don’t think this is the best you will see,” Brown said. “I definitely think we’ve got other limits to reach in the future, in our career. This is just part of the process.”

Boston interim coach Joe Mazzulla believes Tatum and Brown are putting the lessons learned from last season’s shortcomings to use.

“To get to that point in your career when you know you need each other and you know you need your teammates – it’s a very powerful thing,” Mazzulla said.

Malcolm Brogdon added 20 points, and Al Horford had 14, making four 3-pointers. The Celtics have won their last five home games.

Horford said the growth Brown and Tatum had made even since last season is bleeding into every aspect of the the team’s dynamic on the floor.

“They continue to grow in front of our eyes,” Horford said. “What we did last year and what they did last year leading us to the Finals, it shows a lot of growth on their end… Now I feel like they’re just playing basketball, trying to lead us.”

Boston will take an NBA-best 30-12 record to Brooklyn Thursday night to face a Nets team that has the East’s second-best record at 27-13.

CJ McCollum had 38 points for New Orleans, his fifth consecutive game with at least 25 points.

“He’s gotten himself going. It’s incredible to see how consistent he is,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “Unfortunately we just came up short tonight.”

He kept the Pelicans in the game throughout, going 6 of 12 from the 3-point line. They played without Zion Williamson for the fifth consecutive game as he continues to deal with a strained right hamstring.

Naji Marshall added 18 points and Trey Murphy III had 15 for New Orleans, The Pelicans have lost three of four.

The Celtics took a six-point lead into halftime and increased it to 104-89 with just under 10 minutes to play.

New Orleans got to 107-97 with 7:32 left. But Boston responded with a 11-3 run to get it back to 118-100.

Brogdon said there’s no question the Celtics are being led by a two-pronged set of stars.

“We got a juggernaut in JT but we got another one in JB,” he said.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: The Pelicans are 6-4 in games both Williamson and Ingram have missed. . Dropped to 8-12 on the road. . Went 9 of 15 overall from the 3-point line in the first half. . Jose Alvarado was called for a taunting technical foul with four minutes left in the third quarter after pointing at Luke Kornet after Alvarado drove past him and scored on a layup.

Celtics: This was the 19th time Tatum and Brown have both had 30 or more points in a game. Boston is 18-1 in those games. .. Brown had 18 points and 10 rebounds in the first half.

UP NEXT

Pelicans: At Detroit on Friday night.

Celtics: At Brooklyn on Thursday night.

MORANT SCORES 38 IN RETURN AS STREAKING GRIZZLIES TOP SPURS

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Ja Morant scored 38 points, Jaren Jackson added 21 points and 12 rebounds, and the Memphis Grizzlies hung on to beat the San Antonio Spurs 135-129 Wednesday night for their season-high eighth straight victory.

Morant, who missed the previous two games with right thigh soreness, was 14 of 25 from the field, including 3 for 5 from outside the arc. He also had a right-handed hammer dunk over Spurs center Jakob Poeltl with 3:35 left to help preserve the Memphis lead.

“He was huge for us,” coach Taylor Jenkins said, adding that Morant had “a pop to him” from the rest. “When he gets to his spots, and he plays at that level, it’s really important to us.”

Desmond Bane finished with 18 points and Tyus Jones added 16 for the Grizzlies.

Morant had averaged 38.8 points over his previous four games against the Spurs.

“It’s just pretty much me getting to my spots on the floor,” he said. “I feel like that’s pretty much it. Obviously, the shooting around me helps a lot.”

Keldon Johnson, who missed the past two games with left hamstring tightness, led the Spurs with 24 points. Tre Jones had 22 points and six assists, while Poeltl added 17 points, 13 rebounds and a season-high five blocks.

Memphis, up 14 at halftime, maintained the lead through the third quarter before consecutive 3-pointers from Josh Richardson (12 points) early in the fourth helped get the Spurs within single digits. San Antonio trailed 130-127 after a floater by Richardson with 2:42 left, but the Grizzlies closed it out.

The late rally was indicative of what Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has seen from his team, an attitude of playing hard even when the deficit reaches double digits.

“They never quit,” Popovich said. “That’s a tribute to their character. You can’t coach that. I was really proud of them.”

TIP-INS

Spurs: Doug McDermott was 4 of 4 in the first half, including a pair of 3s. He finished with 15 points … Poeltl blocked four shots in the first quarter.

Grizzlies: Dillon Brooks passed O.J. Mayo for 10th place on the franchise scoring list. Mayo had 4,584 points. … The 76 first-half points matched a season high for Memphis. … Jackson’s 12 rebounds matched his career high.

JA GIVES AFTER THIEVES TAKE AWAY

At Monday’s game against the Spurs, 11-year-old Grizzlies fan Ellie Hughes had an autographed ball stolen by two people as she tried to get Morant’s attention to sign it. Hughes, of Forrest City, Arkansas, had collected players’ signatures on the ball for the past six years. Hearing of her plight through social media, Morant reached out to her family, invited her to the game and then gave her his game-worn jersey and his Ja 1 Nike shoes, which haven’t been released to the public yet.

“It’s something I pretty much love to do,” Morant said of the gesture. “You touch somebody’s heart like that. A big fan of the Grizzlies for years. It’s moments like that that mean the most to them. Something they will never forget.”

MORANT APPRECIATION

Morant didn’t play Monday in the opener of the two-game series, and it’s hard to believe Popovich would relish facing a player who came in averaging 27.8 points in 11 career games against San Antonio. But he was looking forward to the challenge.

“It’s good for our guys to go against that sort of thing,” the veteran coach said. “Every time he plays, he brings it. So, I’m looking forward to it. One of my coaches is going to try and get his autograph.”

UP NEXT

Spurs: Host the Golden State Warriors on Friday in the Alamodome.

Grizzlies: Travel to Indianapolis to face the Pacers on Saturday.

JOKIC, NUGGETS ROUT SUNS 126-97 FOR 12TH STRAIGHT HOME WIN

DENVER (AP) Nikola Jokic had 21 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists before sitting out the fourth quarter and the Denver Nuggets won their 12th straight home game, routing the weary and short-handed Phoenix Suns 126-97 on Wednesday night.

Bones Hyland added 21 points and Jamal Murray had 16 to help the Nuggets win for the 14th time in 17 games. They reached the halfway point of the season tied with Memphis for the Western Conference lead.

“But we’re not satisfied,” said Hyland, who hit five of Denver’s 15 3-pointers.

A night after winning at Golden State despite missing four starters and six rotation players, the Suns ran out of gas playing a back-to-back at altitude while dressing 10 players.

Torrey Craig scored 16 points and Josh Okogie added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Suns. They have dropped 10 of 12.

“They posted up Jokic early and just flattened us out (defensively),” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “And he does a really good job of finding the open man or scoring.”

Phoenix started the second quarter with an 8-second violation and things only got worse. Hyland hit all four of his 3s in the period, Jokic had a rebound and put-back using only one hand and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit his fourth 3 in the half without a miss as Denver built a 23-point lead.

“I feel like whoever gets the ball and they’re open, it’s a made shot,” Hyland said. “I feel like we’re so connected right now.”

Jokic had nine points and nine rebounds in the third quarter as the lead stretched to 31 points. The two-time reigning MVP rested in the fourth instead of pursuing his 12th triple-double of the season against the overwhelmed Suns.

Phoenix remained without Devin Booker (groin), Chris Paul (hip), Deandre Ayton (ankle), Cameron Johnson (knee), Landry Shamet (hip) and Cameron Payne (foot), and also is without Jae Crowder.

Guard Saben Lee, a Phoenix area product, signed a 10-day contract before the game and scored eight points.

“It’s good to have another body down there,” Williams said. “When I look down there and see more coaches than players, I’m like … this is … yeah, I’ll stop there.”

The absences soured the rematch of the Christmas night overtime thriller won by the Nuggets behind Jokic’s 41-point triple-double and Aaron Gordon’s power dunk over Shamet.

The Nuggets have faced depleted teams in their last three games. Cleveland rested Donovan Mitchell on Friday and the LeBron James didn’t play for the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.

BACK-TO-BACK BLUES

Williams was unhappy playing consecutive nights in San Francisco and Denver. It involved moving ahead one time zone, dealing with the lengthy drive from Denver’s airport to downtown and adjusting to the mile-high altitude.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone called it “the toughest back-to-back in the business.”

At least ESPN picked up the game and moved the tipoff back an hour.

“When you fly two hours and have to drive 30-40 minutes, that’s a lot on any team,” Williams said.

TIP-INS

Suns: Their 22 losses are four more than all of last season. … Williams had no update on Paul’s injury. Williams said Johnson has begun playing “a little bit of 1-on-1.”

Nuggets: Murray rolled his ankle in the second half, but Malone doesn’t expect him to miss time. … Jokic made 10 of 15 shots, marking the 31st straight game he’s shot 50% or better from the field. … Denver scored at least 120 points for the fourth straight game and is 19-1 when scoring that many this season. … Denver, which is 18-3 at home, last won 12 straight at Ball Arena in the 2018-19 season.

UP NEXT

Suns: At Minnesota on Friday night.

Nuggets: At the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.

SABONIS NEARLY HAS TRIPLE-DOUBLE, KINGS TOP SKIDDING ROCKETS

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Domantas Sabonis had 25 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists as the Sacramento Kings beat the skidding Houston Rockets 135-115 on Wednesday night.

“It starts with our two All-Stars,” Kings coach Mike Brown said about Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox.

Fox added 24 points and nine assists for Sacramento (22-18). Trey Lyles scored 15 of his 20 points off the bench in the fourth quarter. Keegan Murray and Harrison Barnes each finished with 16.

“We feel like we’re a good team, but we feel like we can be a whole lot better than we are,” Fox said. “It’s good. I’m happy that we aren’t lower, but I feel like we can be better. We have a long way to go.”

Alperen Sengun became the youngest center in NBA history with a triple-double. The 20-year-old finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Houston (10-31).

“It was a great moment for me,” Sengun said. “Appreciate my whole team.”

Jalen Green had 26 points for the Rockets, who have lost eight consecutive games and 13 of their last 14. Kenyon Martin Jr. scored 21 off the bench.

“It was a combination of missing good and open shots,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said about the final quarter. “And then not doing what we needed on the defensive end. . We have to figure out a way to close these games.”

TIP-INS

Rockets: Garrison Matthews received a flagrant foul with 2:09 remaining in the third quarter. . G Kevin Porter Jr. exited after 10 minutes with a bruised left foot. … Houston is 4-17 on the road.

Kings: G Kevin Huerter was ruled out before the game with a non-COVID-19 illness. Terence Davis started in his place.

UP NEXT

The teams finish a two-game series Friday night with another game in Sacramento.

HAWKS SIGN 12-YEAR VETERAN DERRICK FAVORS TO 10-DAY CONTRACT

ATLANTA (AP) — The Hawks signed Atlanta native Derrick Favors to a 10-day contract on Wednesday, hoping he can provide a boost in the middle while Clint Capela deals with a calf injury.

Favors is a 12-year NBA veteran who spent one season at Georgia Tech before he was selected No. 3 overall pick by the Nets in the 2010 draft. The Hawks will become the fifth team the center has played for in a career spent mostly with the Utah Jazz.

Favors took part in morning shootaround ahead of a home game Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Hawks have six games over the next 10 days, giving them a chance to get an extended look at their newest player.

Atlanta (19-21) has lost 14 of its last 22 games, sliding to ninth in the Eastern Conference.

The 31-year-old Favors has not played this season after spending the 2021-22 campaign with Oklahoma City, where he averaged 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 39 games, including 18 starts.

For his career, Favors has averaged 10.6 points and 7.1 rebounds.

Capela sustained a right calf injury in mid-December and has missed 10 of the last 11 games. His absence has especially hurt the Hawks on the boards, an area where Favors could provide some help.

The Hawks have outrebounded only one opponent during Capela’s absence, going 4-6 in those games.

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

KONECNY’S HAT TRICK LEADS SURGING FLYERS PAST CAPITALS 5-3

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Travis Konecny sent hats flying and kept the Philadelphia Flyers’ confidence soaring.

Konecny had a hat trick, and Owen Tippett and Scott Laughton also scored to lead the surging Flyers to a 5-3 win over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.

“I’m kind of getting my bounces right now,” Konecny said. “It goes around in the locker room throughout a season and it’s just going my way right now.”

Marcus Johansson and T.J. Oshie beat Carter Hart for two straight goals in the third for Washington that trimmed the lead to 4-3. Hart held on the rest of the way and finished with 26 saves.

The Flyers have banned iPads on the bench so players on are focused on the next shift rather than reviewing the last one. Perhaps they were spending too much time watching recent Konecny highlights.

“He just plays. The puck finds him,” coach John Tortorella said. “Everything about his game is effort and I think he’s getting rewarded.”

Konecy buried an empty-netter in the final seconds for his third goal of the game – 24th overall – and sent hats flying over the ice. It was his second career hat trick. He has points in 10 straight games, the longest active streak in the NHL.

After spending most of the season buried in the Eastern Conference standings, the Flyers have won six of seven games. They picked up their first shutout win of the season Monday at Buffalo.

Even with the recent hot streak, the Flyers only have 17 wins. But Tortorella, a veteran coach who won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay, has refused to concede the season for improved odds at the No. 1 pick.

A sports city that had largely given up on the Flyers instead was chanting “Let’s Go Flyers!” in the third period after Tippett buried a wrister past Darcy Kuemper and Konecny scored his 23rd for a 4-1 lead.

“It’s just been an all-team effort,” Konecny said. “Everyone’s been buying into what we have to do and believing in one another.”

Garnet Hathaway also scored for the Capitals and Kuemper finished with 31 saves.

Alex Ovechkin failed to score a goal for Washington in the first game this week of a home-and-home series.

“I thought we kept fighting back in the third,” Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said. “We had chances to tie that game. Just didn’t get it done. At the beginning, at the end. We had our chances there. But we did enough to hurt ourselves, too.”

With Ovechkin in the box for tripping, Laughton buried his 10th goal on a power-play shot from the slot and a 1-0 lead.

Ovechkin had career goal 810 in sight on a breakaway that jolted fans out of their seats, only for Hart to shut him down with a pad save. The crowd roared on the mid-first period stop that kept the Flyers up 1-0.

Flyers’ PA announcer Lou Nolan has barely finished saying “last of minute of play in the first period” when Nick Jensen fed a streaking Harthaway at the doorstep and he banged in his sixth goal and tied the game.

The Capitals have eight goals this season in the final minute of a period.

Usually the most crushing of goals, the Flyers didn’t simply play out the final seconds. Joel Farabee slipped the puck from behind the net and hit Konecny for his 22nd goal and a 2-1 lead. Konecny wasn’t named to the first announcement of NHL All-Stars, even as he’s on pace for a career season.

“Really good job by TK to find that quiet ice and it’s easy just to find him there,” Farabee said.

NOTES: Capitals D Trevor van Riemsdyk played his 500th NHL game just two days after older brother and Flyers forward James played his 900th career game. … Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom an assist for his first point of the season. Backstrom made his season debut on Sunday following hip resurfacing surgery,

UP NEXT

The series wraps Saturday at Washington.

MARNER SCORES LATE AS MAPLE LEAFS BEAT PREDATORS 2-1

TORONTO (AP) Mitch Marner scored a power-play goal with 1:15 left in regulation and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Nashville Predators 2-1 on Wednesday night.

John Tavares had a goal and an assist for Toronto, which was without injured star Auston Matthews. William Nylander added two assists and Matt Murray made 32 saves.

With time winding down, Marner took a pass from Nylander on a late four-minute power play and beat Predators goalie Juuse Saros, who was caught out of position, for his 16th goal of the season. It came after a Nashville defender broke his stick.

The NHL’s seventh-ranked power-play unit had flubbed its way through three earlier opportunities and a big chunk of the four-minute advantage.

“It was ugly, but won us the hockey game,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said of the team’s power play. “So coach is gonna keep his mouth shut.”

Murray then held shut the door in waning seconds as the Predators pushed for an equalizer.

“I’m not sure there’s ever been a game (this season) where the goaltender won us the game,” Keefe said. “In a lot of ways, you could say that here tonight.”

Filip Forsberg scored for Nashville and Saros had 33 saves. The Predators snapped a season-high four-game winning streak.

“We did a good job on the penalty kill,” Nashville head coach John Hynes said. “You can’t give them those looks. We allowed their power play to be the difference.”

Toronto improved to 31-15-2 all-time without Matthews – absent from the lineup for the first time this season due to an undisclosed ailment.

“Auston obviously brings a lot to our team,” said Marner, who tied Darryl Sittler’s franchise record by registering at least a point in his 18th straight home game. “The scoring ability, the leadership, the defensive play.

“Just got to take over and try and win games without him.”

The goaltenders put on a show in the first period, with Murray denying Tanner Jeannot on three consecutive chances – including a no-look desperation effort while swimming in his crease – before Saros made terrific stops on Nylander and Timothy Liljegren at the other end.

“Bit of a crazy play,” Murray said of his saves on Jeannot. “There was some contact after the first shot and kind of spun me around. I was looking over my shoulder and saw the guy made a pass down to the back door.

“Had to get something over there.”

Tavares then opened the scoring with 3:06 remaining in the period when he took a pass from Nylander on a 2-on-1 and slid home his 20th of the season – and the Toronto captain’s fifth in the last four games.

Forsberg got the Predators back even 1:46 into the second when he snuck behind Nylander before taking a pass and deking around Murray for his 17th.

Murray made a pair of nice stops on Ryan Johansen early in the third to keep things tied 1-1 before Saros stopped Michael Bunting on a 2-on-1.

MATTHEWS SIDELINED

Matthews, last season’s Hart Trophy winner, sat out with an issue Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said he’d been dealing with “for a while.” Matthews, who took part in the Maple Leafs’ optional morning skate and is listed as day-to-day, has 20 goals and 47 points in 41 games this season.

MCMANN DEBUTS

Matthews’ absence opened the door for Bobby McMann, a 26-year-old from Alberta, to make his NHL debut. McMann was the AHL’s reigning player of the week with six points in three games before being called up from the Toronto Marlies.

UP NEXT

Predators: At Montreal on Thursday night to wrap up a five-game trip.

Maple Leafs: At Detroit on Thursday night to open a two-game trip.

KOSTIN, MCDAVID LEAD OILERS’ 6-2 ROUT OF LAST-PLACE DUCKS

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Klim Kostin scored two goals, and Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist apiece in the Edmonton Oilers’ 6-2 victory over the last-place Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night.

Leon Draisaitl also scored and Jack Campbell made 21 saves for the Oilers, who snapped a two-game skid on the second stop of a four-game West Coast road trip. Edmonton recorded 53 shots on goal while scoring at least six goals for the fifth time over the past five weeks and avenging a 4-3 loss to the lowly Ducks last month.

Dylan Holloway got the opening goal just 3:24 into Edmonton’s four-goal first period, which was highlighted by McDavid’s exceptional backhand goal after a turnover by Cam Fowler to make it 3-1.

“It’s important to have a good start, especially against a young group,” McDavid said. “To get on top of them early is important, and make sure that they know it’s going to be a hard night.”

McDavid has 79 points in 43 games this season after his 22nd multi-point game, boosting his lead over Draisaitl to 16 points in the race for his fifth NHL scoring title.

Kostin had his third career two-goal game and his second in the past two weeks, scoring late in the first period off a turnover by Dmitry Kulikov and getting another in the second period.

“I feel a little more confidence since the start of the year,” Kostin said. “It’s easy to play with those (linemates), Nuge and Janny (Mattias Janmark). We understand each other. … I didn’t deserve a hat trick yet, though. I need to work a little harder.”

Sam Carrick and Simon Benoit scored and John Gibson stopped 31 shots while giving up six goals in the first two periods for the Ducks, who dropped to 3-5-1 on their franchise-record 10-game homestand. Anaheim already was the NHL’s worst defensive team before yielding 17 goals in its past three games.

“Our best guys were clearly not our best guys,” Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins said. “It shouldn’t take a big meeting between periods to get you going in this league. Working hard is not enough. You have to compete. You have to be a self-starter. You have to do what’s required.”

When Kostin’s second goal hit the net, Anaheim had given up eight goals in its last 42 minutes of play dating to Boston’s three-goal third period in the Bruins’ 7-1 win on Sunday.

Draisaitl’s power-play goal to make it 6-1 in the second period was another thing of beauty: The German superstar redirected the puck with his stick between his own legs, beating Gibson with style.

D-MAN DEBUTS

Vincent Desharnais made his NHL debut for Edmonton. The 26-year-old defenseman was a seventh-round pick by the Oilers in 2016.

“I thought he was fantastic,” McDavid said. “I thought he looked really good back there. … I know he was really happy to have his family here. Just really cool to see someone live out their dream.”

Derek Ryan missed his first game since Oct. 18 with Edmonton electing to dress seven defensemen for Desharnais’ debut.

Calvin Pickard backed up Campbell while rookie goalie Stuart Skinner was away from the team to be with his wife for the birth of their first child.

DUCKS DECISIONS

Max Jones returned to Anaheim’s lineup for the first time since Dec. 12, missing 12 games with an upper-body injury.

Ducks forward Justin Kirkland missed his second straight game after getting into a car accident on the way to the rink last Sunday and spending a night in the hospital. Kirkland is expected to make a full recovery.

UP NEXT

Oilers: At San Jose on Friday.

Ducks: Host New Jersey on Friday.

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

CORREA’S GETS DEAL FINALIZED

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) This time, Carlos Correa’s deal is done.

Correa passed his physical exam Wednesday and signed a $200 million, six-year contract to return to the Minnesota Twins, who re-entered the most convoluted free agent negotiations in baseball history after deals with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets fell through.

Correa agreed Tuesday to a contract that could be worth $270 million over 10 seasons if the All-Star shortstop stays healthy, a uniquely structured deal the Twins assembled to jump back in contention after it appeared they’d be outspent – twice – by bigger-market franchises.

The agreements with the Giants and Mets dissolved over concerns by those clubs about the long-term viability of his lower right leg. Correa broke a bone near his ankle sliding into third base as a minor leaguer in 2014, and he had a metal plate inserted for extra support in the surgical repair.

Correa agreed Dec. 13 to a $350 million, 13-year contract with the Giants, who scheduled a news conference a week later to announce the deal. That was called off hours before it was set to begin.

Correa agreed that night to a $315 million, 12-year deal with the Mets, and high-spending owner Steve Cohen even publicly confirmed the pending agreement. But the Mets also raised concerns about the ankle after a Dec. 22 physical, and they held off finalizing the contract while attempting to negotiate protections over the next two weeks. Boras maintained last month that Correa’s tibia surgery should not have been an issue.

The Twins had more advanced insight on Correa’s health, having signed him prior to last season in a deal that Correa opted out of to hit the market again after making $35.1 million in 2022. Correa only missed time to an injured finger after being hit by a pitch and a bout with COVID-19. He played in 136 games, batting .291 with 22 homers and 64 RBIs and leading all major league shortstops with an .834 OPS.

The Mets issued a 13-word statement after the Twins announced the surprise signing of Correa for a second straight offseason: “We were unable to reach an agreement. We wish Carlos all the best.”

The deal with the Twins gives Correa an $8 million signing bonus, half payable next month and half in February 2024, and salaries of $32 million in each of the first two seasons, $36 million in 2025, $31.5 million in 2026, $30.5 million in 2027 and $30 million in 2028.

Then it gets more complicated, part of the design to protect the Twins once Correa turns 34. The team has options for $25 million in 2029, $20 million in 2030, $15 million in 2031 and $10 million in 2032, and those salaries would become guaranteed if Correa has 575 plate appearances in 2028, 550 in 2029, 525 in 2030 and 502 in 2031. The contract could be worth $225 million over seven seasons, $245 million over eight years and $260 million over nine seasons.

An option would become guaranteed if in the previous season Correa finishes among the top five in MVP voting or wins a Silver Slugger award or World Series or League Championship Series MVP. He gets a no-trade provision.

He would get a $250,000 bonus for an MVP award, $100,000 for finishing second in the voting, $75,000 for third and $50,000 for fourth through sixth. He would earn $100,000 each for World Series MVP, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger or All-Star selection, and $50,000 for LCS MVP.

Correa won the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year award with Houston, a Gold Glove and Platinum Glove award winner in 2021 and twice made the All-Star team with the Astros, who drafted him first overall in 2012.

The Twins raved about Correa’s leadership during their first season together, and the native of Puerto Rico praised them right back – remarking often about how much he enjoyed the community, the ballpark and the organization. He insisted all along the Twins were in the mix to keep him, even with the bigger spenders pursuing him in a particularly lucrative offseason for shortstops.

Correa’s $33.3 million average annual salary is the 11th-highest among current players, just behind Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor’s $34.1 million.

BOSTON DEFERRING $75M TO RAFAEL DEVERS, PAYING THROUGH 2043

BOSTON (AP) — Rafael Devers has $75 million in deferred salaries in his new contract with the Boston Red Sox, who committed $331 million over 11 seasons to the third baseman but will not fully pay the money until 2043.

Boston on Wednesday finalized a 10-year contract worth $313.5 million that covers 2024-33 and follows a $17.5 million, one-year agreement reached on Jan. 3.

Devers’ long-term deal includes a $20 million signing bonus, of which $5 million is payable each February from 2023-26.

He gets salaries of $27.5 million a year from 2024-26, $31 million annually from 2027-30 and $29 million per season from 2031-33.

In each season of the long-term deal, $7.5 million will be deferred. The money will be payable 10 years after the season in which is is earned, half on Feb. 1 and half on Nov. 30.

Devers would receive a $2 million assignment bonus if traded, payable by the receiving team.

Devers was the AL’s starting All-Star third baseman each of the past two years. In 141 games last season, he batted .295 with 42 doubles, 27 home runs and 88 RBIs.

Boston hopes to bounce back after finishing last in the AL East at 78-84. The Red Sox won 92 games in 2021 and reached the AL Championship Series.

Last week, the Red Sox agreed to a $21.7 million, two-year contract with third baseman Justin Turner. His deal includes a $8.3 million salary this year and a $13.4 million player option for 2024 with a $6.7 million buyout. Turner can earn an additional $1 million in performance bonuses this year based on plate appearances: $200,000 for 480 plate appearances and each additional 20 through 560.

******************AUTO RACING NEWS*******************

JOHNSON TO DRIVE NO. 84 FOR REBRANDED LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Jimmie Johnson on Wednesday revealed his rebranded NASCAR team and said he will drive the No. 84 — the reverse of his longtime No. 48 — when the seven-time champion competes for Legacy Motor Club.

Legacy Motor Club replaces Petty GMS, the name the two-car Cup team had last year when Maury Gallagher became the primary owner of Richard Petty’s organization. Johnson bought into the ownership group in November, and with two of NASCAR’s seven-time champions part of the team, the name change was fitting.

“With the addition of Jimmie in an ownership role, we knew change was inevitable with his experience and knowledge,” said Gallagher, who is entering his second year of Cup ownership.

“Our goal is to win races, win championships and to represent our partners by performing at the highest level. The new image of Legacy M.C. is something that will allow us to stand out and foster a team environment that breeds success.”

Legacy M.C. will field a pair of full-time Chevrolets for Erik Jones in Petty’s famed No. 43, and Noah Gragson will join the team in the No. 42 this season. Johnson, who has so far only announced he will enter the Daytona 500 next month, will pilot the No. 84 when he races.

Johnson drove the No. 48 for his entire Cup career with Hendrick Motorsports, as well as the last two seasons in IndyCar. Alex Bowman currently drives Johnson’s old No. 48 at Chevrolet, forcing Johnson to find a new number for his NASCAR return.

“After brainstorming about the new name of our team, Maury and I recognized the opportunity to do something special and different,” Johnson said. “We felt it was important to have a name that honored the past and acknowledged the future. The term ‘Motor Club’ is a nod to car clubs of the past. Legacy M.C. will be an inclusive club for the automobile racing enthusiast.

“I am excited to be a part of a story so rich in heritage and look forward to creating a new legacy in this sport outside of the race car.”

Petty, Johnson and the late Dale Earnhardt are the only drivers to win seven Cup titles.

“There couldn’t be a better name to fit our race team than Legacy,” Petty said. “The ‘Motor Club’ is a perfect fit because we want our fans to pull for the whole team. When I see the No. 42 & 43 cars, no matter who the driver was, is currently or could be in the future, I want our fans to remember the Petty history that comes with them, and that history will continue to be made.”

***********WOMEN’S TENNIS NEWS**************

NAOMI OSAKA SAYS SHE’S PREGNANT, PLANS TENNIS RETURN IN 2024

(AP) — Naomi Osaka is pregnant and plans to return to competition in 2024, the tennis star announced Wednesday.

The former world No. 1 posted what she called “a little life update for 2023” on social media, including a picture of an ultrasound.

The 25-year-old Osaka has been dating Cordae, a rapper, for years.

“I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, ‘that’s my mom,'” Osaka wrote.

Osaka hasn’t played a competitive match since September and withdrew from the Australian Open, which begins Sunday. She has won that tournament twice, along with two U.S. Open championships.

She has taken mental health breaks in recent years and didn’t play again after the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, shortly after falling in the first round of the U.S. Open. Osaka said the few months away have given her “a new love and appreciation for the game I’ve dedicated my life to.”

Ash Barty, the 2022 Australian Open champion, announced last week she was pregnant. She retired last year while holding the No. 1 ranking.

But Osaka said she will return to tennis and plans to be in Melbourne next year for the start of the Grand Slam season.

“2023 will be a year that’ll be full of lessons for me and I hope I’ll see you guys in the start of the next one cause I’ll be at Aus 2024,” Osaka wrote. “Love you all infinitely.”

Osaka closed by saying she doesn’t know if there’s a perfectly correct path in life, but that “if you move forward with good intentions you’ll find your way eventually.”

*************MEN’S TENNIS NEWS**********

DJOKOVIC, NADAL CAN ONLY MEET IN FINAL AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Rivals Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were placed on opposite halves of the Australian Open bracket in the draw Thursday, meaning the owners of a combined 43 Grand Slam singles titles could only meet in the final at Melbourne Park.

Djokovic, a nine-time champion in Australia, returns to the hard-court tournament after missing it last year when his visa was revoked and he was deported from the country because he isn’t vaccinated against COVID-19. He also couldn’t compete at the 2022 U.S. Open.

Fourth-seeded Djokovic will open his bid for a 10th Australian Open title against Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena in the tournament which begins Monday.

Iga Swiatek, the women’s No. 1-ranked player, takes on German Jule Niemeier, who is ranked No.68, in the opening round. The Polish player was a semifinalist at Melbourne Park in 2022, a year in which she won the French and U.S. Open titles.

But the main first-round focus will be on Nadal, who faces a potentially challenging match against British player Jack Draper. Draper, who is 21, was a semifinalist in the Next Gen Championships in November and will also play in a semifinal of the Adelaide International on Friday.

Another opening-round highlight has five-time Australian Open finalist Andy Murray against Italian Matteo Berrettini, a former Wimbledon finalist who is the No. 13-seeded player.

Murray defeated Australian Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-3 in an exhibition match on Thursday and is pleased with his form.

“It is always difficult in exhibition matches to play like it is the first round of a Grand Slam but I wanted to try to leave everything out on the court to give my body the best preparation, to see how I was moving, to see how I was serving, and it went well,” Murray said.

The potential men’s quarterfinals by seeding are: Nadal vs. No. 7 Daniil Medvedev in what would be a rematch of last year’s final at Melbourne Park, won by Nadal after dropping the initial two sets, and No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime in the top half; and Djokovic vs. No. 5 Andrey Rublev, and No. 2 Casper Ruud vs. No. 8 Taylor Fritz in the bottom half.

Nadal has a leading 22 Grand Slam singles titles, one more than Djokovic.

Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios, who faces Roman Safiullin in the opening round, will play Djokovic in an exhibition match on Friday in Melbourne.

“I am one of the best players in the world, so I am definitely going to go into the Australian Open and any Grand Slam with confidence,” Kyrgios said.

Ons Jabeur, who reached both the Wimbledon and U.S. Open finals in 2022, is seeded second and plays Tamara Zidansek in the women’s draw.

No. 3 Jessica Pegula, who led the U.S. team that claimed the mixed teams United Cup in Sydney last week, faces Jacqueline Cristian from Romania in the first round.

Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup captain Alicia Molik, who attended the draw at Melbourne Park, said Pegula is a contender.

“I feel like she has the mental fortitude and I really feel like she can be here late in the stage of the Australian Open,” Molik said.

Seventh-seeded Coco Gauff, who won a tournament in Auckland last week, faces a tough first-round test against Katerina Siniakova, who defeated her in the Billie Jean King Cup finals in November.

The potential women’s quarterfinals are: Swiatek vs. Gauff in what would be a rematch of last year’s French Open final, won by Swiatek, and Pegula vs. No. 6 Maria Sakkari in the top half of the bracket; and Jabeur vs. No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka, and No. 4 Caroline Garcia vs. No. 8 Daria Kasatkina in the bottom half.

Another big first-round match is two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka against Sofia Kenin, who won the title at Melbourne Park in 2020.

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

INDIANA PACERS

Minutes before the opening tip, the Indiana Pacers found out they would need to overcome some adversity against their rivals in the Empire State.

Down two starters and a rotational player, the Pacers came into Wednesday’s matchup with the New York Knicks short-handed.

Once the game commenced it didn’t get easier, as the Pacers found themselves down by more than 20 by half before losing their star point guard to injury in the third quarter.

Regardless, the Blue & Gold almost pulled off an improbable comeback.

The Pacers (23-19) fell to the Knicks (23-19), 119-113, at Madison Square Garden despite making it a one-possession game in the final frame after being down by 25 in the third quarter.

The Pacers trailed 112-109 with 1:15 remaining, but Knicks guard Quentin Grimes scored five points down the stretch and RJ Barrett hit two free throws while the Pacers ran out of time.

“This is who we are. This is a team that is defiantly competitive,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’ve been down a lot this year, and we always fight back. We don’t always win, but we always fight back.”

Pacers shooting guard Buddy Hield scored a season-high 31 points in the loss, making 11 of 20 field goal attempts (7-for-15 3-point range), to go along with eight rebounds. Rookie Bennedict Mathurin was next for the Blue & Gold with 20 points and six rebounds while reserve point man T.J. McConnell had 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

After trailing by 21 at halftime, the Pacers outscored the Knicks 72-57 on 55.3 percent shooting in the second half.

At halftime, McConnell talked to the team about playing with higher intensity.

“It was all of us, really, just coming together and saying the effort we had in the first half isn’t going to get it done,” McConnell said. “If we came out with the same effort we did in the first half, it was going to be a long night for us. We just all came together and said it’s time to take it personally and go out there and give it a better effort on both ends.”

Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 34 points (11-for-20, 3-for-4 3-point range) and RJ Barrett scored 27. Julius Randle, an NBA All-Star and the league’s Most Improved Player in 2021, finished with 14 points and 16 rebounds.

Less than a half hour before the game started, the Pacers found out they would be without starting center Myles Turner, who was a late scratch due to back spasms. Turner is averaging career highs in points (17.0) and rebounds (7.9) this season for the Blue & Gold.

Aaron Nesmith also didn’t suit up against the Knicks, due to a non-COVID-19 illness, so Jalen Smith took his place in the starting lineup. Forward Oshae Brissett was also a late scratch for the Pacers due to a sore hamstring.

Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton left the game late in the third quarter with a sore left knee and didn’t return. In his 27:11 of play, Haliburton had 15 points and seven assists.

While the Pacers had poor injury developments before the game, the Knicks had good news as it was announced Barrett was returning after missing six games due to a finger injury.

In the opening frame, the Knicks shot 54.2 percent from the field, led by a strong start by Brunson, who shot 6-for-7 (2-for-2 3-point) for 15 points in the first 12 minutes of play.

The teams kept it within four points until the Knicks outscored the Pacers 17-6 in the final 6:16 of the period to build a 37-21 by the end of the first quarter.

Indiana had an 8-0 scoring string early in the second quarter, on a 3-pointer from Chris Duarte and and-one from Mathurin, but five quick points by Barrett kept the Knicks far ahead at 47-30 with 7:27 left in the half.

New York built its lead to as many as 23 in the second quarter before going into half up 62-41.

At the break, Brunson led all scorers with 19 points and Barrett had 16.

The Knicks made 21 of 45 field goal attempts (9-for-23 3-point range) while the Pacers shot 17-for-43 (4-for-19 3-point range) in the first half.

Indiana outscored New York 40-33 in the third quarter on 65 percent shooting. Hield made four 3-pointers and had 13 points and Mathurin scored 10 in the quarter.

The Pacers hit four 3-pointers in a row – including three by Hield – and then had an and-one by Mathurin to make 84-68 with 4:54 left in the third quarter.

With 2:32 left in the third, Haliburton exited with his injury and did not return. Post-game, Carlisle said Haliburton would leave the arena on crutches and get evaluated.

The Pacers pulled within 11 points, but ended up trailing the Knicks 95-81 going into the final frame.

Indiana opened the fourth quarter on a 9-0 run, on five points by Goga Bitadze, free throws from McConnell and a putback by Smith, to make it a three-point game with 9:13 left.

The Knicks responded with a 7-2 run to get a small cushion before back-to-back baskets from Hield narrowed the deficit to 105-103 with 3:10 remaining.

Hield scored a layup then converted a four-point play to cut it to 112-109 with 1:22 left in the game, but from there the Knicks answered and held on.

Overall, the Pacers outshot the Knicks 47.8 percent to 45.2 percent. The Knicks, however, went 28-for-33 from the free throw line while the Pacers made 15 of 21 from the stripe.

New York won the rebounding margin 50-41 but were outscored 54-38 in the paint. The Pacers had 20 fast-break points in the game.

“You don’t come in this building and this city and lay down,” Carlisle said. “That’s just not what it’s about. That’s not what we’re about, so I was really proud of the effort in the second half. I wished we could have pulled it off, but it was not to be.

With the win, the Knicks lead the season series against the Pacers 2-0.

Indiana will host the Atlanta Hawks on Friday before taking on the Memphis Grizzlies Saturday in the second leg of a back-to-back.

Inside the Numbers

Hield shot 9-for-13 (6-for-10 3-point range) in the second half to score 26 of his 31 team-high total points.

Hield has hit five or more 3-pointers now 16 times in a game this season.

Mathurin has scored 20 or more points 16 times this season.

McConnell had a season-high eight rebounds.

The Pacers are 18-4 when outshooting their opponent.

New York went to the free throw line 33 times, the most by an Indiana opponent this season.

The Pacers won the fastbreak point differential 20-6.

Bitazde, who played 15 minutes, had the highest +/- on the Pacers in the game at +10.

Six players scored in double figures for the Knicks compared to five for the Pacers.

You Can Quote Me On That

“We’ve just got to start the game stronger. We came out in the second half and played amazing. We were able to cut it down to three points. I think it’s about keeping it aggressive and staying aggressive in general.” – Mathurin on the loss

“Having Andrew (Nembhard) and T.J. (McConnell), who is always ready to play, I feel like we are able to make a lot of great plays. Having T.J. being T.J., getting a lot of steals and just playing hard, is pretty powerful.” – Mathurin on the offense adapting without having Haliburton in

“We stayed the course. We played tough and competed. We had it to a three-point game at the end. Shout out to all the guys.” – Bitazde on coming back in the second half

“We can’t just worry about the offensive end. We can get good shots, but when we’re locked in on the defensive end we’re tough to stop on the offensive end. Being locked in on that end, for the entire game, we have to be better.” – McConnell on defense leading to offense in the second half

“You just need to have that next-man-up mentality. Unfortunately, we had some guys down tonight. That’s what being a pro is all about – being ready when your number is called.” – McConnell on playing with different rotations due to injury/illness

“We like our team. We’re young, we’re competitive, we have a great point guard, we have shooting, we have a great defensive center who has also become a real factor offensively for us. We’re trying to do something that’s very difficult to do, which is develop young players and win, so that’s kind of where we are.” – Carlisle on the team

Stat of the Night

The Pacers outscored the Knicks 72-57 in the second half on 55.3 percent shooting while holding the Knicks to 43.6 shooting.

Noteworthy

Indiana will host New York on April 5 before concluding the regular season series at Madison Square Garden on April 9.

Thirteen-year NBA veteran James Johnson, who has played in 10 games for the Pacers this season, started in place of Turner. It was Johnson’s first career start with the Blue & Gold and 243rd of his career.

Up Next

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

COLTS INTERVIEW SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR BUBBA VENTRONE FOR HEAD COACH POSITION

The Colts on Wednesday completed an interview for the team’s head coach position with special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone.

Ventrone has served as the Colts’ special teams coordinator since 2018.

In 2022, cornerback Dallis Flowers led the NFL in yards per kickoff return (31.1), and in 2021 long snapper Luke Rhodes earned first-team AP All-Pro honors while wide receiver Ashton Dulin was named a second-team AP All-Pro special teamer.

Ventrone this season guided the Colts through transitions at punter (from Rigoberto Sanchez to Matt Haack) and kicker (from Rodrigo Blankenship to Chase McLaughlin).

The Colts also scored a special teams touchdown for the fifth consecutive season when defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo blocked a punt, which linebacker JoJo Domann returned for a touchdown, in Week 15 against the Minnesota Vikings.

Prior to joining the Colts, Ventrone served as the New England Patriots’ assistant special teams coach from 2015-2017. Ventrone played 97 games and had 64 tackles in his career for the Patriots (2007-2008), Cleveland Browns (2009-2012) and 49ers (2013-2014).

FUEL HOCKEY

INDIANAPOLIS- After playing three matches in Iowa this past week, the Fuel hosted the Heartlanders for the fourth and final game in a row versus their divisional opponent. Indy was able to take the win 3-1 after a dominant second period where they scored two goals.

The first period started off slow with some big defensive plays from both teams keeping the score tied at zero through most of the frame. Of the three penalties handed out, only one went to Indy. In the last four seconds of the period, Luc Brown was able to capitalize on the power play opportunity and get Indy on the board 1-0.

At the end of the first period, the Fuel were outshooting the Heartlanders, 11-5.

Iowa opened the scoring in the second period just four minutes in, tying it up with a goal by Nolan Orzeck. Less than twenty seconds later, Carson Rose gave the Fuel the lead again by tallying his first career ECHL goal.

Cam Hillis added on another goal for the Fuel to make it 3-1, this one assisted by Alex Wideman. With that assist, Wideman tied his career high eight-game point streak record.

The third period was much like the first with little action but a lot of whistles blown for scuffles and hard hits. Just two penalties were handed out (one per team) before Iowa pulled their goaltender with under three minutes left.

With about thirty seconds left in the game, the Fuel had the puck bounce off the post of the empty goal but could not knock it in. Iowa couldn’t come up with another goal despite having the extra attacker and the score remained 3-1 until the end.

The Fuel are back at Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Saturday, January 14 where they host the Kalamazoo Wings for Star Wars Night.

INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Truth hurts and it did Wednesday night. Truth in theory can set you free and, for these Indiana Hoosiers, we’ll see.

IU’s worst-ever loss to Penn State, coming by an 85-66 score, was a smack down in every way and coach Mike Woodson wasn’t about to sugar coat it, not for his players, not for himself.

“Our guys are down, and they should be,” he said. “They got smacked in the face.

“We’re not competing at all. That’s on me. I’ve got to get us competing harder and stronger.”

Want more hard truth? A team that opened the season with Big Ten aspirations and that was ranked in the top 10 in late November is in three-straight defeat freefall.

“We’ve got to be mentally sharp and play hard,” Woodson said. “When we get smacked around, we kind of shrink and go the other way. We can’t do that.”

Penn State unleashed program record-breaking three-point shooting (18-for-31) the Hoosiers didn’t come close to stopping.

“We were awful in guarding,” Woodson said. “We had a good game plan. On half of the threes, we were right there with a hand up and hoping they would miss instead of getting into the ball and making them put it down.”

Or, as guard Trey Galloway put it, “We can’t dare them to shoot it. We have to get up and contain.”

Penn State’s three-point shooting prowess surfaced early. It made nine three-pointers in the first half to build leads as large as 14.

The second half wasn’t any better for Indiana. The Nittany Lions (12-5 overall, 3-3 in the Big Ten) hit nine more three-pointers to send the Hoosiers (10-6 overall, 1-4 in the Big Ten) to their sixth loss in their last nine games.

Penn State shot 54 percent from the field, 58 percent from three-point range.

How did that happen? For one thing, IU defended in ways that had nothing to do with the game plan.

“When you try to dig out of a hole, you do things,” Woodson said. “A couple times we did things we never talked about doing. You shake your head and ask, why did you do that? Those are the things that beat you. Tonight we had no shot with all the threes we gave up.”

Defense was supposed to be a Hoosier strength, but they’ve allowed at least 84 points in five of their last seven games.

“Momentum comes from stops,” Galloway said. “We couldn’t find enough stops. We were out of sorts on offense because they kept scoring and scoring.

“It all starts with our defense. We have to get better. We know we have to get better. If we want to win games in the Big Ten, we can’t keep giving up 80 points. It comes down to practice and focus on the little things. We have to lock in and do the right things.”

Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis led IU with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Jalen Hood-Schifino and Tamar Bates had 11 points each. Galloway had 10.

That wasn’t nearly enough.

“We can play harder,” Galloway said. “The coaches are preaching it. That’s our identity and we’re not doing that. It’s all of us. We can all give more.

“We have to play every game like it’s our last. Every game in the Big Ten will be challenging. We can’t go into these games not ready for a war because they’re all wars.”

Penn State was led by Seth Lundy’s 25 points and seven three-pointer. Andrew Funk had 23 points and seven three-pointers.

Early on, forward Jordan Geronimo took Woodson’s play-harder talk to heart. In the first six minutes, he had three rebounds and an assist, and defended ferociously. He added a basket for a 10-10 tie after seven minutes.

Then it disappeared.

“I thought Gallo competed,” Woodson said. “Geronimo was all over the place. Miller (Kopp) was all over the place. We have to get something from those guys.”

Freshman forward Malik Reneau came in during the first half, first to give Jackson-Davis a rare breather, then to pair with Jackson-Davis to give the Hoosiers a big lineup that could have given them an advantage. But a pair of turnovers sent Reneau to the bench, and the Nittany Lions’ three-point shooting made any IU lineup irrelevant.

“We have to play harder,” Galloway said. “On defense, we’re not getting stops. We have to focus on game plan and follow it. Do the right things in practice. Find our identity on the defensive end. Teams that win the big Ten play defense.”

Penn State’s three-point shooting barrage (9-for-16 beyond the arc) helped create leads of 21-15, 26-18 and 37-23. IU’s eight turnovers kept it from pushing back.

Guard Tamar Bates hit the Hoosiers’ only three-pointer of the half to make it 37-26 at halftime.

Slowing down Penn State’s perimeter shooting and getting Jackson-Davis more involved offensively (he only had six points) were big IU second-half priorities.

For a few second-half-opening minutes, it worked. Jackson-Davis scored six points in an 8-0 Hoosier run as IU cut the lead to five.

Then Penn State hit three-straight three-pointers, all by Funk, to restore its double-digit lead.

The Hoosiers never recovered.

Next up — Saturday’s home game against Wisconsin.

“Being 1-4 in the Big Ten is not a good start,” Galloway said, “but it’s a long season. We have a lot more games to play. If we commit to it, we can get out of this hole and get right back into (the Big Ten race).”

INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Two Top 10 conference foes will battle it out on Thursday night when No. 6/6 Indiana hosts No. 9/11 Maryland. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

ABOUT THE TERRAPINS

Maryland has won its last five, dating back to December 8 and includes a win over then No. 6 UConn. Senior forward Diamond Miller leads the way with 18.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while sophomore guard Shyanne Sellers adds 14.7 points per outing.

SERIES HISTORY

Maryland leads 12-2

LAST MEETING

3/4/22 – W, 62-51 (Indianapolis)

NOTES

Graduate student guard Grace Berger made her triumphant return on Sunday afternoon at Northwestern. In her first outing since suffering a knee injury on Nov. 25, the Louisville, Ky. native scored a season-high 16 points, five assist and two steals. She also eclipsed the 1,600-career scoring mark and became 10th all-time in scoring in school history.

The Hoosiers picked up their first win in the series against Maryland in 2021-22, a regular season win at home and a victory in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.

Senior forward Mackenzie Holmes leads the way for Indiana in scoring and rebounding as she continues her strong start to the 2022-23 season. Holmes has scored in double figures in all 15 games and has eight 20-point scoring games and one 30-point scoring game. The Gorham, Maine native is averaging 21.1 points and 8.0 rebounds – both team-highs – and is shooting 68.4 percent from the floor, which leads the Big Ten.

Ninth year head coach Teri Moren picked up her 186th victory at the helm of the Hoosiers on Sunday in the win at Northwestern, pulling closer to the all-time coaching win record in school history. She needs two more victories to tie Jim Izard’s 188 wins that he amassed over 12 seasons.

UP NEXT

The Hoosiers will host Wisconsin on Sunday for Head to the Hall and LGBTQ+ Pride Day. Tickets for the game for the Head to the Hall promotion are $1 for all fans.

INDIANA WRESTLING

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– Fresh off a dramatic, 17-16, win at No. 16 Maryland, No.17-ranked Indiana (5-1, 1-1) heads into the weekend with another tough task ahead.

The Hoosiers host No. 16 Rutgers (8-1, 0-0) on Friday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. in Wilkinson Hall.

BACK IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT:

-For the first time since Feb. 2016, Indiana is back in the national rankings.

-FloWrestling put Indiana at No. 17 in this week’s poll, following the team’s 17-16 win over No. 16 Maryland.

-In addition to the team ranking, IU has five grapplers who are ranked in national polls.

-There is a bit of variance depending on the ranking site you look at, but Henry Porter (133), Graham Rooks (149), Derek Gilcher (157), DJ Washington (174) and Jacob Bullock (285) are all currently ranked.

-The group are each ranked as the following (listed with their highest mark): Porter: No. 31, Rooks: No. 33, Gilcher: No. 18, Washington: No. 18, Bullock: No. 17.

ROLLING WITH RUTGERS:

-Indiana’s next dual features a home contest against No. 16 Rutgers on Friday, Jan. 13.

-The matchup includes two teams that are pretty even amongst each other as both are nationally ranked and only one spot in the polls separates them. Additionally, Indiana has five ranked wrestlers compared to Rutgers’ six.

-Indiana is 5-1 on the year with a 1-1 conference mark while Rutgers is 8-1 and has not faced a Big Ten opponent yet.

-Despite not facing a conference team yet, Rutgers has a plethora of impressive wins, including victories over No. 21 Penn, Stanford and Princeton. The one loss came to No. 12 Arizona State.

-The Scarlet Knights’ top wrestlers include their starters at the 125, 133 and 184-lbs. weight classes.

-They open duals against opponents with No. 13 Dean Peterson (125) and No. 14 Joe Heilmann (133). At 184, they have No. 14-ranked Brian Soldano. The trio have a combined 47-11 record.

-Indiana has yet to defeat Rutgers since it has joined the Big Ten, holding a 1-6 record against the Scarlet Knights. The one win was 29-9 victory on Nov. 29, 2008.

MARYLAND MADNESS:

-Indiana’s most recent match came down to tie-breaking criteria for IU to secure its one-point win over No. 16 Maryland, 17-16.

-Redshirt senior and No. 33-ranked Graham Rooks (149) secured a massive victory over No. 22 Ethen Miller in a 5-3 decision in the dual’s final bout to tie the match at 16-16.

-Indiana and Maryland each had won five bouts in the dual.

-Due to Indiana having more total match points by a 57-46 margin, that was enough for IU to earn the tie-breaking point and come out victorious.

-It was Indiana’s first conference win of the season and helped improve their program record to 7-0 against the Terrapins.

OHIO STATE REWIND:

-Indiana fell short in its Big Ten opener to No. 7 Ohio State last Friday, 26-13.

-The Buckeyes won the overall dual, but the Hoosiers were able to pick off four matches from them.

-Two of the wins were major resume boosters to Indiana’s Derek Gilcher and Jacob Bullock.

-No. 17 Gilcher (157) defeated No. 18 Paddy Gallagher by decision, 5-4. Then, No. 31-ranked Bullock won over No. 15 Tate Orndorff in a 7-2 decision.

MIDDLEWEIGHTS BATTLING:

-Two of Indiana’s middleweight wrestlers – Graham Rooks (149) and Derek Gilcher (157) – are leading the way.

-The duo are the first grapplers on the team this year to reach 20-plus wins. Rooks owns a 20-4 season record while Gilcher is 20-5.

-Both are coming off of impressive performances, too. Rooks’ decisive, 5-3, victory over No. 22 Ethen Miller in the Maryland dual was his best win of the season and put Indiana in position to win the dual.

-Gilcher has defeated back-to-back ranked opponents in No. 18 Paddy Gallagher (OSU) and No. 33 Michael North (Maryland).

-Additionally, he has won six consecutive bouts, and has won ten of his last 11 bouts.

-Gilcher will likely face No. 23 Andrew Clark on Friday. He previously defeated him in a 6-2 decision at Midlands.

STARTING STRONG:

-IU Wrestling is off to its best start to a season in the Angel Escobedo era.

-The 5-1 start paces with the 2015-16 team that also began the year 5-1.

-Indiana’s two ranked victories this year also match the best mark since 2018-19 when the team also had two ranked wins.

-This season’s win total of five already surpasses last year’s total of three.

BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

WASHINGTON D.C. – The Butler women’s basketball team secured a road win at Georgetown on Wednesday night by defeating the Hoyas 72-48. The outcome went down as Butler’s first 20+ win over a BIG EAST opponent since Feb. 15, 2019. With the win, BU improves to 7-10 on the year and 2-6 in the conference.

How It Happened

Three Bulldogs scored in double figures at McDonough Arena to lift Butler to a 24-point victory. Kendall Wingler led all players with a career-high 23 points. Wingler had 20 after the third quarter and would hit her fourth 3-pointer of the game late in the fourth quarter to set her new career-high.

Jordan Meulemans scored a career-high 12 points in the victory by making four 3-pointers and Sydney Jaynes was the third member of the trio with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

The game got underway with Georgetown scoring the first six points, helping the Hoyas lead BU 13-5 at the first media timeout. Butler ended the first quarter on a 7-2 run and a 7-0 run in the second quarter would give BU a 22-19 lead with just over five minutes to play in the first half.

The Bulldogs ended the second quarter on a 19-4 scoring run to lead Georgetown 34-23 at the half. Kelsey Ransom and Kennedy Fauntleroy combined to score 14 of Georgetown’s first 19 points, but the Bulldogs were able to bottle them up after a hot start. Ransom still led all Hoyas with 16 points.

Butler used an 8-0 run in the third quarter to win that 10-minute stretch 14-9 and 24 points in the fourth would secure their second road conference win of the season.

After a full 40 minutes of action, Butler dished out 19 assists on 26 made field goals and went 7-for-7 from the foul line while shooting 50 percent (26-52) from the field. They outrebounded Georgetown 32-30 and got a huge lift with 54 bench points.

Postgame Parkinson Quotes

“I am really proud of our team defense tonight,” Parkinson stated. “Offensively, we shared the ball and made shots, but more importantly we showed pride on the defensive end.”

Stat of the Game

Butler shot 54 percent from 3-point range making 13 of their 24 attempts.

Inside the Box Score

– Kendall Wingler scored a career-high 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting

– Wingler added a team-high three steals and three assists

– Jordan Meulemans scored a career-high 12 points by going 4-for-5 from 3-point range

– Sydney Jaynes only missed one shot to collected 12 points; she added five boards

– Caroline Strande just missed a double-double with nine points and a team-high eight rebounds

– Jessica Carrothers filled up the box score with six points, six assists and four rebounds

– Carrothers played tonight for the first time since Dec. 18

– Shay Frederick returned to action in D.C. and was inserted into the starting lineup

– Butler snapped a three-game skid with the victory

– Butler’s defense held Georgetown 14 points under their season average scoring total

Up Next

Butler will host Creighton on FS1 this Saturday at 4 PM.

IUPUI MEN’S BASKETBALL

INDIANAPOLIS – The IUPUI basketball team will kickoff a four-game homestand on Thursday night (Jan. 12) when the Jaguars host in-state foe Purdue Fort Wayne (11-6, 3-3 HL) inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum at 7:00 p.m.. Tickets are available by clicking here and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+ as Greg Rakestraw (pxp) and Hall of Famer Bob Lovell (analyst) describe the action. The first 100 IUPUI students in attendance will receive a FREE Jaguars seat cushion, while supplies last and the game is sponsored by IU Health.

On the court, the Jaguars were tough luck losers at Robert Morris on Monday night as they erased a 15-point halftime deficit before falling late in a 77-70 defeat. Graduate transfer Chris Osten hit 8-of-10 shots for a career-high 21 points and Jlynn Counter chipped in 14 points. Junior Daylan Hamilton had 11 points off the bench and freshman Amhad Jarrard closed with nine points and five boards. IUPUI outrebounded the Colonials by nine boards, but committed 17 turnovers, leading to 18 RMU points.

QUOTABLE

“I thought we showed a lot of heart and grit tonight. We got down big at halftime and honestly, we never quit. We really had some guys step up make some big time plays to get us back in the game. We still had some key turnovers and missed some key free throws late in the game and that was the difference. We need to cut down some of the careless turnovers and we’ll continue to work on that, but I think some of our freshmen really grew up tonight,” head coach Matt Crenshaw said.

SCOUTING PURDUE FORT WAYNE

Purdue Fort Wayne comes in at 11-6 overall and 3-3 in Horizon League play. The Mastodons were picked as co-favorites to win the league according to the preseason polls and are 4-4 away from home this season. They’re coming off a 74-70 home loss to Milwaukee on Saturday (Jan. 7), despite a 22-point performance from Jarred Godfrey and 16 points from Damian Chong Qui. Indianapolis-native Ra Kpedi just missed a double-double with nine points and 10 boards. For the season, Godfrey (16.5 ppg) and Bobby Planutis (12.1 ppg) lead the team in scoring and Chong Qui averages 9.9 points per game. Kpedi is the team’s top rebounding at 8.2 boards per contest. Collectively, PFW relies heavily on the three as four different players have made more than 30 triples on the year.

UP NEXT

IUPUI will continue the homestand against Cleveland State on Saturday (Jan. 14) at noon inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Tickets are available by clicking here.

Tidbits heading into today’s game (click here for full game notes (.pdf))

FREQUENT FOE

Tonight marks the 52nd meeting all-time between IUPUI and Purdue Fort Wayne – making the Mastodons the most frequent foe in IUPUI’s basketball history. IUPUI has played Oakland 50 times and Western Illinois 49 times.

IUPUI’s 32 wins in the series is its second-most against any opponent, trailing only IUPUI’s 33 victories over Western Illinois in the all-time series.

FIRST THURSDAY

Tonight’s game marks IUPUI’s first Thursday night Horizon League game of the season. IUPUI has been relegated to a Saturday-Monday schedule in the first three weeks of league play.

OSTEN’S BEEN AWESOME

In the three games in the 2023 calendar year, graduate transfer Chris Osten has been nothing short of awesome. In those three contests, Osten is averaging 18.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting a nearly ridiculous 79.3 percent (23-of-29) from the field. Osten is coming off a career-high 21 points (8-10 FG, 5-7 FT) at Robert Morris on Monday (Jan. 9).

Osten is currently shooting 65.1 percent for the season, chasing the school record for single-season shooting percentage (Jon Avery – 67.9 percent in 2008-09).

Coming into this season, he had scored in double-digits just one time in his Division I career

in stops at both Arizona State and Northern Illinois, and never had a double-double. However,

in 17 games this season, Osten has hit double-figures nine times and registered four

double-doubles.

THREE TIMES

IUPUI freshman Vincent Brady II has won the #HLMBB Freshman of the Week Award three times this season, tops in the league. Brady, a 6-foot-4 guard, is second on the team in scoring (9.8 ppg) and leads the squad in minutes played (30.2 mpg) and threes made (29).

Brady comes in having made at least one three in 12 straight games and in 15 of the team’s 17 games this season.

FRESH DUBS

It would appear that Brady will be hovering around double-digits in scoring all season long as he’s hit for double-digits in seven of IUPUI’s last 10 games after failing to do so in the season’s first seven games.

The Dec. 5 Green Bay game was his 4th straight game of 15 points or more, becoming the first IUPUI freshman to have at least four straight games of 15 points or more since Alex Young in ’08.

Freshmen scoring in double-digits has been a rarity for the IUPUI program as just two have done so in the program’s Division I-era. Young went on to score 2,286 points in his four-year career and Hill scored 1,619 points in three-plus seasons before being drafted in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft.

Alex Young – 10.8 ppg (2008-09); George Hill – 10.7 ppg (2004-05)

TOPS IN THE COUNTRY

IUPUI is tops in the nation, having had 12 different players miss at least one game due to injury or illness, 10 of whom are scholarship student-athletes. Highest on the list are Zach Gunn (out for the season), Bryce Monroe (13 games missed) and DJ Jackson (11 games). Other scholarship student-athletes who have missed multiple games this season include John Egbuta (5 games), Armon Jarrard (5 games), Cooper Dewitt (3 games) and Amhad Jarrard (3 games).

Behind IUPUI, Wyoming, Vanderbilt and Iona have all had eight student-athletes miss time and both Dayton and Texas State have had seven miss time.

SOLID AS A ROC

Prior to a recent injury, sophomore Jlynn Counter, known as Roc, had a fantastic two-game Indiana Classic just before Christmas, averaging 25.0 points in the two contests. He had a career-high 27 points (10-19 FG, 7-7 FT) and five rebounds against Southern Indiana on Dec. 19 and followed up with 23 points (9-13 FG, 1-1 3’s, 4-4 FT) in the Dec. 20 win over Texas A&M Commerce.

The Oklahoma-native has climbed to No. 13 in the Horizon League in scoring (13.2 ppg), sixth in field goal percentage (49.1%) and fifth in free throw percentage (82.0%) among qualified players.

ALL DAY-LAN

Quietly, junior Daylan Hamilton has scored in double-digits in four of IUPUI’s last five games, averaging 9.8 points per contest during that span. Hamilton had scored in double-digits just twice in the season’s first 12 games before doing so in four of the past five.

LAST TIME OUT

At Robert Morris on Monday (Jan. 9), IUPUI trailed 44-29 at halftime, but rallied to come all the way back in the second half. The Jaguars tied the game at 61 all and again at 63-63 before being outscored 14-7 over the game’s first five-plus minutes in the 77-70 loss.

IUPUI outrebounded RMU by nine for a season-high rebounding margin.

IN LEAGUE PLAY… QUICK HITTERS

In six Horizon League games, IUPUI is outrebounding opponents by 2.0 rebounds per game as Chris Osten (6.2 rpg) and Vincent Brady II (4.8 rpg) lead the way.

The flip side – IUPUI’s turnover margin in league play has been astonishing as the Jaguars turn it over nearly seven times more than their opponents (-6.83 to/gm) and turn it over 17.7 times per game. Amhad Jarrard (12 ast/10 to) and DJ Jackson (4 ast/2 to) are the only two regulars to have more assists than turnovers in league play.

The three-point line has continued to be problematic in league play as well as the Jaguars are making just 4,7 treys per game in the league and yielding 9.7 threes per game in the six games.

Brady (12.7 ppg), Counter (11.4 ppg) and Osten (10.8 ppg) are all scoring in double-digits in league play.

MAGIC MARLON

On New Year’s Eve against Northern Kentucky, Marlon Taylor took full advantage of a rare opportunity for extended action. Coming into the game, Taylor had exactly seven points and eight rebounds in his collegiate career, which began as a walk-on at Indiana State in 2018. He had made 16 prior appearances for the Jaguars and actually took two years away from basketball from 2020-2022. Suffice it to say, he likely wasn’t on the scouting report.

With virtually half the active roster sidelined with injuries, Taylor was awarded 26 minutes of action and responded with a career-high eight points (4-8 FG), nine rebounds and two assists.

He later had a career-high 10 points (4-4 FG, 2-2 3’s) at Youngstown State on Jan. 7, doing so in just 11 minutes of work.

FRESHIES

Of the seven Horizon League Freshman of the Week Awards this season, three have gone to IUPUI players as Vincent Brady II is a two-time recipient and Armon Jarrard is the reigning honoree.

Jarrard came off the bench to average 10.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in the two-game Indiana Classic, including a career-high 16 points (4-7 FG, 2-3 3’s, 6-7 FT) against Southern Indiana.

IUPUI has relied on freshmen since the start of the season with Brady and the Jarrard twins being fixtures in the rotation. A fourth rookie, DJ Jackson, also came in with high expectations, but suffered an injury at the start of the season, and returned to game action on Dec. 31.

Here’s a look at how the four have performed so far this season.

Vincent Brady: 29.7 mpg (leads team), 9.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 27 3’s made (leads team)

Amhad Jarrard: 22.1 mpg (5th on the team), 5.8 ppg, 1.7 apg, 7 steals

Armon Jarrard: 17.5 mpg (7th on the team), 4.3 ppg, 7 3’s made (2nd on the team), 15 steals

DJ Jackson (5 games): 15.0 mpg, 3.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg

FRESH STARTERS

IUPUI had three freshmen in the starting lineup in the opener as Vincent Brady II, Amhad Jarrard and Armon Jarrard all got the starting nod. The trio, all of whom are Indianapolis natives, combined on four points, five boards and an assist in the opener at Iowa State.

A fourth freshman, DJ Jackson, made his first collegiate start on Dec. 31 against NKU.

TIGHTEN UP

In the win over Texas A&M Commerce, IUPUI tightened up to an eight-man rotation by both necessity and success. Daylan Hamilton earned his second straight start and chipped in a career-high 14 points (5-10 FG, 4-7 FT) and four assists. Boston Stanton III, also making a second straight start, had four points and a career-high seven rebounds.

The only three that saw time off the bench were Armon Jarrard (5 pts), Jonah Carrasco (3 pts, 3 reb) and Cooper Dewitt (season-high 17 min).

IUPUI hosted its annual NCAA Readers Become Leaders game on Dec. 12 against Spalding University and had a program best 4,114 fans in attendance. The game attracted roughly 3,500 3rd graders from Central Indiana and stressed the importance of creating reading habits at a young age. The 4,114 fans easily surpassed the previous record for an IUPUI home game – 3,327 against Indiana State inside Conseco Fieldhouse on Dec. 23, 2008.

The previous record for an IUPUI game inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum was 3,159 in the inaugural game against Indiana State on Nov. 14, 2014.

THE MONROE EFFECT

After missing the first three games of the season to injury, junior transfer Bryce Monroe came in and made a major impact in the Jaguars’ lineup. In his four appearances, Monroe led the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) and assists (3.8 apg), despite suffering an injury in his third game back. More importantly, the team as a whole has improved its output. Without Monroe in the lineup, the Jags averaged just 53.4 points per game and scored 65.0 points per game with him available.

The San Diego-transfer had a monster game at New Orleans on Nov. 24, pumping in 29 points (13-20 FG, 3-6 3’s) and seven assists – both of which are the most by an IUPUI player this season. However, Monroe was injured during the New Orleans trip and is currently sidelined indefinitely.

BOOK WORMS

The Jaguars put together a 3.03 team grade point average during the fall semester with 12 members of the team earning a 3.0 or better. Junior John Egbuta was most impressive with a perfect 4.0 mark during the fall.

BALL STATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

No. 6 Ball State (0-0) at No. 1 Hawaii (0-0)

Thursday, Jan. 12 & Friday, Jan. 13

Live Stats: hawaiiathletics.com

Live Streaming: ESPN+

Series History: Hawai’i leads the all-time series 13-5

Last meeting: Hawai’i 3, Ball State 2 (5/5/22) National Semifinals

CRUZ’S FIRST MEMORABLE SEASON: The Cardinals are looking to build off a historic 2022 season which saw Donan Cruz, in his first year at the helm, lead Ball State to a 23-4 overall record and the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship. BSU was also ranked third in the final NVA/AVCA Men’s Division I-II Coaches Poll: the highest ranking in program history. Ball State was also the 2022 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association regular season and tournament champions. Cruz was named the 2022 AVCA Coach of the Year last season and MIVA Coach of the Year.

WELCOME HOME TO HAWAII: Ball State head men’s volleyball coach Donan Cruz was born and raised in Maui. The Cardinals’ Keau Thompson who’s a freshman opposite hitter this season and sophomore libero Xander Pink are also from the island. Thompson is from Honolulu and Pink is a native Mililani.

MIVA/AVCA PREASEASON PREDICTION: The reigning 2022 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association regular season and tournament champions, the Ball State men’s volleyball team was picked first in the preseason MIVA poll. In addition, two Cardinals were named to the 12-member preseason all-conference team — outside attacker Kaleb Jenness and middle blocker Felix Egharevba. Jenness was also tabbed as the preseason MIVA Player of the Year. The Cardinals were recently selected No. 6 in the preseason AVCA Coaches Poll.

SCOUTING HAWAI’I: UH is 35-9 all-time in season-openers including an 11-2 mark under head coach Charlie Wade. The Warriors have won nine straight season openers dating back to 2014. This year marks the second consecutive year and third time in four seasons that UH is the preseason No. 1 in the AVCA Coaches Poll. UH leads the series 13-5 including a 10-1 advantage in Honolulu against BSU.

CARDINAL STANDOUTS RETURN: The Cardinals return veterans outside attacker Kaleb Jenness and middle blocker Felix Egharevba. Jenness has been tabbed preseason All-MIVA three straight seasons. Last year, Jenness was tabbed the MIVA Player of the Year and the MIVA Tournament MVP while also tallying First Team All-MIVA honors. Jenness was also tabbed as First Team NVA/AVCA All-American. Egharevba, a force to be reckoned with on defense, Egharevba was tabbed to the All-MIVA Second Team for the second time in his career. Last year Egharevba also earned NVA/AVCA All-American Honorable Mention. He ended last season as the 2021-22 NCAA Division NC statistical champion for blocks per set (1.41).

WHAT A WAY TO START THE SEASON: Ironically, the 2023 campaign will start against a familiar opponent in two-time defending national champion Hawai’i which earned a hard-fought 3-2 (28-26, 19-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-11) victory over the Cardinals in the national semifinals. Last season in Muncie, the Cardinals topped the then ranked-No. 1 Rainbow Warriors twice during 2022 regular season in Worthen Arena.

THE LAST WIN AT HAWAI’I: Ball State’s lone win at Hawai’i came on Jan. 13, 2011. The Cardinals took that match over the Warriors with a 3-0 sweep (25-22, 25-20, 25-17).

USA VOLLEYBALL WINS BRONZE: Ball State men’s volleyball senior Kaleb Jenness along with his former teammate and alumnus Quinn Isaacson helped the USA Men’s Volleyball team earn the bronze medal at the Pan Am Cup this past summer in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The U.S. led in kills (56-42) and had a .463 hitting efficiency behind Isaacson who dished out 86 assists in four sets (25-16, 25-15, 22-25, 25-21) against Chile.

NEXT GAME: After this weekend, Ball State will host Harvard for its home opener Friday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. ET in Worthen Arena.

BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

TOLEDO, Ohio – The Ball State women’s basketball team (12-4, 2-1 MAC) dropped its first Mid-American Conference contest of the season on the road at Toledo (11-3, 2-1 MAC) Wednesday night in Savage Arena.

It came to no surprise that tonight’s midweek MACtion would be a tightly contested competition between the Cardinals and the Rockets which resulted in an 83-76 victory for Toledo.

The game came down to the final stanza after Toledo began to pull away from Ball State with 7:49 remaining in the contest to go up by eight (70-62). After that, Toledo continued to string together a series of offensive spurts that were too much for Ball State to overcome despite its efforts.

The Cardinals fouled out of frustration and the Rockets, who leads the league in free throws, found success from the charity stripe, ultimately allowing Toledo to stay atop of Ball State the remainder of the ball game.

Ball State trailed Toledo throughout the first 10 minutes of action struggling to connect offensively. The Cardinals had some unforeseen errors and weren’t playing to the best of their defensive ability. Toledo outscored Ball State 23-14 in the first quarter.

But the tides turned quickly in the second stanza that frankly left Toledo’s defense in shock. The Cardinals gave the Rockets a piece their own medicine scoring 14-straight points.

Sophomore Marie Kiefer single handily scored 11 points in the second quarter after shooting 5-of-6 from the field, including 1-of-1 from behind the arc. The Cardinals comeback earned them the 39-37 lead over the Rockets at intermission.

After the break, both teams went neck and neck with Toledo barely coming out on top 61-59 after graduate senior Thelma Dis Agustsdottir topped the third quarter off with a jumper at the buzzer.

Ball State placed four in double digits with Kiefer leading the way with a season best 19 points. Sophomore Ally Becki chipped in 17 points while teammate Agustsdottir had 14 points. Rounding out the double figure scoring was redshirt senior Anna Clephane with 11.

The Ball State women’s basketball team returns home Saturday for a double-header along with the men’s basketball program as both teams will host its MAC rival the Miami RedHawks. The women’s game will begin at 11 am ET while the men’s contest is scheduled for a 2 pm ET tip-off.

NOTRE DAME SWIMMING AND DIVING

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — After a few weeks of winter training in Naples, Fla., for the men’s and women’s swim teams and extended training back in South Bend for the dive teams, Notre Dame will be back in action for the first time in 2023 this weekend. The Irish will head to Annapolis to take on Navy and Princeton in a tri-meet.

“Once again our team continues to thrive together and build momentum as we approach championship season,” Peterson Family Head Coach Chris Lindauer said. “Our training camp has been electrifying, and our team has stepped up and responded with dominance. Training camp builds perspective and appreciation for the opportunity we have to be Irish. Our staff is excited to see how we respond this weekend against some great competition!”

Men’s Preview

The Notre Dame men’s swimming and diving squad, which is currently ranked No. 23 in the nation, will face 8-1 Navy and 5-1 Princeton teams.

Princeton is coming off of a 231-65 drubbing of La Salle on Jan. 7 to start 2023. The Tigers won 15 of 16 events. Senior Raunak Khosla earned four total victories: 200 freestyle (1:38.62), 200 backstroke (1:52.15), 200 medley relay (1:30.45) and 200 freestyle relay (1:22.16). Khosla was a three-time Ivy League champion in 2022 and won the meet’s high-point award.

Navy edged Towson on Saturday, 150-139. After winning a Patriot League title last season in the 100 breaststroke, senior Jackson Schultz continues to be a threat for the Midshipmen. He won the 200 breaststroke (2:00.03) and 200 IM (1:49.83) against Towson. Sophomore diver Blakeman Shaw won both diving events at the meet (355.80 in the 3-meter and 320.40 in the 1-meter).

The Irish men have had quite a long break since their last competition, although freshman diver Daniel Knapp competed at the USA Diving Winter Nationals just before Christmas. He took 17th place down in Morgantown, W.V., while facing some of the nation’s elite.

Between the lane lines, sophomore Chris Guiliano and freshman Tommy Janton were the standouts at the early December U.S. Open. Both men broke school LCM records and qualified for 2024 Olympic Trials in Indianapolis.

Women’s Preview

The Princeton women most recently topped La Salle in the previously mentioned meet, 180-110. They are a relatively young team with just a pair of seniors. Freshman Sabrina Johnston won three of her four events against the Explorers, including a 56.21 100 backstroke performance. The rookie posted the fourth-fastest 50 freestyle in school history earlier this year (22.69).

Unlike the Navy men, the women (7-1) have yet to compete this calendar year. They last topped Army on Dec. 2 by a score of 172.5-127.5. Freestyler Cameron Horner picked up wins in both the 200 freestyle (1:47.47) and 500 freestyle (4:52.13). Butterflyer Caroline Irwin won both the 100 and 200 butterfly, including a pool-record time of 53.13 in the 100. She went 1:57.66 in the 200.

Senior Coleen Gillilan has been the Irish women’s heartbeat this season, winning three events in meets against Pittsburgh and Penn State plus a home meet versus Louisville. She was an A-finalist in three events at the Ohio State Invitational just before Thanksgiving.

Friday’s meet session will begin at 3 p.m. ET, while Saturday will start at noon. There will not be a video stream, but results will be posted on Meet Mobile.

NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Midway through her sophomore season and around two years after she arrived at Notre Dame as the program’s first early enrollee, Olivia Miles continues to rack up the watch list honors. On Wednesday, the point guard was named to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Ann Meyers Drysdale Women’s Player of the Year Award Watch List along with 20 other women.

Miles, a native of Phillipsburg, N.J., leads Notre Dame in four of the five major statistical categories this season: points (15.1), rebounds (7.9), assists (7.4) and steals (2.4). She is one of just two Division I players averaging at least 15 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists per game (Iowa’s Caitlin Clark).

While she is solid across the board, it is Miles’ passing game that often draws eyes and forces jaws to drop. Her 7.4 assists per contest currently ranks fourth in the nation and leads the ACC.

In addition to Miles, two other ACC players made the cut: Virginia Tech center Elizabeth Kitley and Florida State guard Ta’Niya Latson.

In the past, numerous Notre Dame players have been named to the USBWA All-America Team, but Ruth Riley is the only player to earn the National Player of the Year honor. She did so during the 2000-01 season when the Irish won the program’s first national championship.

The winner of the 2022-23 Drysdale Award will announced at the Final Four in Dallas and formally recognized at the USBWA’s College Basketball Awards on Monday, April 10 at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis. She will be joined in St. Louis by the Oscar Robertson Trophy winner as the men’s national player of the year. The women’s and men’s national coaches of the year and the two national freshman players of the year will be honored as well, the winners of the Wayman Tisdale Award and Tamika Catchings Award.

The full list of nominees can be found here.

About The Award

The Ann Meyers Drysdale Award is presented annually to the women’s national player of the year by the USBWA. Named for the legendary UCLA guard, the award was first presented in the 1987-88 season and formally named in Meyers Drysdale’s honor in the 2011-12 season. South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston was the 2021-22 winner.

Drysdale played at UCLA from 1974-78, which pre-dates the USBWA All-America selections. She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season.

NOTRE DAME HOCKEY

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey team returns to Compton Family Ice Arena Jan. 13-14 as they host No. 2/2 Minnesota for the regular season series finale with the Golden Gophers.

With a 7:05 p.m. puck drop set for night one, Friday, the Chicago Blackhawks’ game DJ Lee Michaels will make a guest appearance for 80’s night, pumping up the crowd with classic 80’s hits. Fans are encouraged to arrive early for a rally towel giveaway (while supplies last).

The two teams return to the ice Saturday night for a 6:05 p.m. faceoff on First Responder Night. Prior to the start of the game, a ceremonial puck drop will take place at center ice with members from the the St. Joseph County Police Department K-9 unit.

QUICK HITS

Notre Dame most recently split on the road at Wisconsin, dropping game one before bouncing back to a 6-4 victory Saturday night.

Their six-goal performance was a team best in 2022-23, with Drew Bavaro, Trevor Janicke, Jesse Lansdell, and Jack Adams lighting the lamp in Saturday night’s road win.

Three individuals boasted three points in the Wisconsin series, including Bavaro and T. Janicke with two goals each. Lansdell also tallied a goal Saturday night along with two assists for a career-high night.

Ryan Bischel picked up his nation-leading fourth shutout of the season in the team’s first game of the calendar year, defeating Alaska, 2-0, stopping all 25 shots faced in the contest.

The Irish closed out the first half of their season with an 8-8-2 record following a split with No. 5 Penn State at home to enter the holiday break.

In game two of that series, Bischel stopped a career-high 47 saves as the Irish picked up a 5-3 win, and amassed 81 saves over the two game weekend.

With 672 total saves this season, Bischel currently ranks second nationally in the category.

NOTRE DAME vs. MINNESOTA

All-time, Notre Dame trails Minnesota in the series, 25-40-5.

Earlier this season the Irish fell at the hands of the Gophers in Minnesota. Ryan Bischel set a then-career high 45 saves on night one in Minneapolis as the Irish dropped a 4-1 decision. Jack Williams also saw time between the pipes in the contest, registering five saves in the third period in 7:10 played.

Justin Janicke net the lone Irish goal on the weekend, finding twine at 19:14 of the third to ward off the Gophers’ shutout bid.

The last time the two teams met in Indiana, the Irish split the series with a 3-2 overtime victory on night two. Landon Slaggert scored the game-winner in the contest, taking just 32 seconds of the overtime period to net the sudden death goal.

TEAM LEADERS

Ryder Rolston and Trevor Janicke boast six goals a piece, nine assists and 15 points total, all team highs.

Jack Adams, who scored the eventual game-winner on night two with the Badgers leads the team with three game-winning goals. His other two came against Penn State and Ohio State.

Three individuals boast multiple powerplay tallies, with Primeau, T. Janicke and Rolston all having a pair.

Ryan Bischel recorded 47 saves on the weekend against Alaska, bringing his 2022-23 season total to 672 which ranks second nationally.

With his fourth blanking of the season Sunday night against the Nanooks, the senior leads the nation in shutouts in 2022-23.

Always willing to jump in front of a shot, Jake Boltmann’s 40 blocks leads the team and is 14th nationally.

INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – It was a tale of two halves Wednesday night as the Valley leader Indiana State welcomed the Valley’s second-ranked team Southern Illinois to Hulman Center for Blackout Cancer Night in front of the largest home crowd of the season. The Sycamores led by double digits at halftime but were outscored by 18 in the second half as they suffered their first Valley loss of the season, 69-61.

Indiana State (13-5, 6-1 MVC) led Southern Illinois (13-5, 5-2 MVC) by 15 points midway through the first half and still held a double-digit lead after the first 20 minutes, going into halftime up by 10. The Salukis used an 11-3 run early in the second half to cut their deficit to three before taking the lead in the middle of a 10-0 run later in the half. The Sycamores would tie things up on three occasions in the last 6:45 but could never quite recover the lead.

Four Sycamores scored in double figures, led by Courvoisier McCauley with 13 points. McCauley, Julian Larry, and Robbie Avila each extended their double-digit scoring streaks while Trenton Gibson put up double figures for the first time since Nov. 27.

After giving up the first basket, Indiana State responded with an 11-0 run spanning 3:46 to take an 11-2 lead at 15:28 in the first half. The Sycamores shot 5-of-6 from the field during that run, including a triple from Cameron Henry that sparked the run. SIU shot 0-of-4 with a shotclock violation in that span.

Gibson later checked into the game with a pair of quick triples, and then McCauley hit his first trey of the day to push ISU’s lead to a game-high 15 points at 27-12 with 9:01 to go in the first half. The Salukis would come back within single digits late in the half, but the Sycamores held onto a 36-26 lead at halftime.

Early in the second half, Larry swiped his third ball of the day which led to a McCauley stepback triple that made it 40-29 at 18:53, but then SIU went on its 11-3 run, holding the Sycamores to one bucket in over four minutes. During that run, Avila was called for a shooting foul that caused a technical foul on head coach Josh Schertz, and SIU’s Marcus Domask would hit all four free throws.

Shortly after, the Salukis went off on a 10-0 run to take a 50-45 lead at 8:14. Avila nailed a triple to even things up at 52-52 with 6:45 to go, and Cooper Neese completed the and-1 to tie things back up at 57-57 at 3:47. Avila then came up with a pair of huge stops for the Sycamores with a block and a defensive rebound.

The Salukis later hit 6-of-6 from the charity stripe as part of a 10-2 run for a 67-59 lead with 28 seconds on the clock, and Larry would get a layup back in the final 20 seconds but SIU closed it out with another pair of free throws.

Inside the Numbers

Free throws were the difference maker as the Sycamores outshot the Salukis 41.5 percent (22-of-53) from the field compared to 40.8 percent (20-of-49), but were just 9-of-14 at the line compared to SIU going 24-of-31 at the line.

The Sycamores held SIU’s leading scorer Marcus Domask to just four points in the first half, and though he ended with 14 points, six of those points came from the charity stripe as he was held to 4-of-14 from the field and 0-of-5 from three.

Indiana State hit five 3-pointers in the first half after hitting five the entire game in the last outing. The Sycamores ended with eight triples, marking the 12th time they’ve made eight or more in a game.

Courvoisier McCauley extended his double-digit scoring streak to 10 games and he has hit double figures in all but two games this season. He has also hit three triples in five straight games and has hit three or more in 11 games this season.

Robbie Avila finished his night with 12 points alongside a team-high six boards and two steals. He has scored in double digits in three straight games.

Julian Larry made it five straight games in double figures on the scoresheet, finishing with 10 points beside three assists and three steals.

Trenton Gibson hit double figures for the first time since Nov. 27 against Trinity Christian with 10 points including two triples.

Cameron Henry dished out six assists with eight points, a block, and a steal.

News & Notes

Wednesday’s game was the first of two Blackout Cancer games for ISU this season. The Sycamores wore special black jerseys with pink striping, and a percentage of the proceeds from the overall ticket sales will be donated toward the Rich and Robin Porter Cancer Research Center.

Wednesday marks ISU’s first Valley loss at home since Feb. 23, 2022.

Tonight was the third time this season the Sycamores have scored 61 or less points in a game, and ISU is 0-3 in those games. Those 61 points are the least amount of points ISU has scored against a Valley team this season.

Going into Wednesday’s game, ISU was 13-1 when leading at halftime. Tonight was just the second loss when leading at the half this season. The Sycamores are 0-3 when trailing at halftime.

The Sycamores led for most of Wednesday’s game and trailed for just 8:32. They have trailed in Valley games for just 21:01 this season. When SIU went up by eight at :19 in the second half, that marked ISU’s largest deficit in Valley play this season.

Up Next

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

INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Indiana State’s two-game road win streak was snapped Wednesday night, as the Sycamores dropped a 65-54 decision to Evansville inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.

Chelsea Cain led all scorers with 18 and was one of three Sycamores to grab a team-high five rebounds. Cain also reached the 1,000-point mark for her collegiate career. Del’Janae Williams had 15 points and five boards, while Bella Finnegan finished with eight points.

Indiana State got off to a strong start, but Evansville flipped the script after the opening quarter. The Sycamores trailed by double-digits in the third, but Williams and Cain led the Trees on a comeback charge, cutting their deficit to one possession in the fourth. Shots didn’t fall for the Blue and White in the final frame, though, as the home side held on in front of a frenzied crowd.

First Half

Indiana State had all the momentum early, as the Sycamores jumped out to an 11-1 lead. Finnegan opened the scoring with a 3-pointer from the corner, with Cain adding six early points for the Sycamores. Finnegan added another basket midway through to give the Sycamores their largest lead of the contest at 13-2 before Evansville started cutting into the lead. Adrian Folks ended a scoring run with a layup down low, as the Trees took a 16-10 lead after one.

Williams opened the second quarter with a jumper, but baskets were hard to come by in the period for the Trees. Mya Glanton and Cain both scored baskets in the paint midway through, but Evansville closed the quarter on an 11-1 run to take a 29-23 lead into the break.

Second Half

Evansville quickly upped its lead in the third quarter, extending its advantage to 38-26 less than three minutes into the frame. Cain and Caitlin Anderson both scored baskets in the paint, the latter coming on the fastbreak, to cut the deficit back into single-digits. Williams caught fire late in the quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers to get Indiana State within two, and Anderson added a layup to keep it a one-possession game inside the final minute. A pair of late free throws gave Evansville a 49-45 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Glanton scored an early fastbreak basket in the fourth to cut the Sycamore deficit to 49-47, but that was the closest the Sycamores got. Finnegan made it a two-point game once again with a 3-pointer from the wing, but Evansville went on a 13-2 run to put the game out of reach. A pair of Cain free throws were the final points, as the Sycamores fell on the road for the first time during MVC play.

Inside the Numbers

Indiana State had an advantage in points off turnovers (20-14), second chance points (7-5), points in the paint (32-28) and fastbreak points (12-9).

Del’Janae Williams was a plus-13 in 23 minutes, the second-best mark of any player on either team.

Chelsea Cain and Del’Janae Williams combined to score 16 of Indiana State’s 22 points in the third quarter.

News & Notes

Chelsea Cain surpassed 1,000 points in her collegiate career with a layup in the first quarter. Cain scored 857 points in three seasons at Nicholls State and has 159 points this season, giving her 1,016 points for her career.

Wednesday’s loss was Indiana State’s first road loss in MVC play. The Sycamores won their first two road conference games against UIC and Valparaiso.

Indiana State dropped to 3-7 when fewer than three players hit double-figures. The Sycamores also fell to 1-4 when scoring fewer than 60 points.

Up Next

Indiana State returns home to face Drake Saturday at 1 p.m.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne will take the quick trip down to the Circle City to play in-state rival IUPUI on Thursday (Jan.12).

Game Day Information

Who: Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (11-6, 3-3 Horizon League) vs. IUPUI Jaguars (3-14, 0-6 Horizon League)

When: Thursday, January 12 | 7 p.m. ET

Where: Indianapolis, Ind. | Indiana Farmers Coliseum

Live Stats: Link

Watch: ESPN+

Radio: 1380 AM The Fan | Listen

Talent: Brett Rump

Game Notes (PDF): Purdue Fort Wayne | IUPUI

Series Record: IUPUI leads 27-16

KNOW YOUR FOE:

// Jlynn Counter is averaging 13.2 points per game, a team best.

// The Jaguars have wins over Franklin, Spalding and Texas A&M-Commerce.

‘DONS & ENDS

// Due to COVID schedule changes, this is Purdue Fort Wayne’s first game against IUPUI in Indianapolis since Dec. 14, 2019.

// The ‘Dons took only 10 attempts from beyond the arc against Green Bay (Jan. 5). It was the fewest during the head coach tenure of Jon Coffman. The last time the ‘Dons took 10 or fewer in a game was when they took 10 at IUPUI on Feb. 22, 2014.

// Anthony Roberts has scored in double-digits in four of the last seven games.

// Ra Kpedi grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds at Robert Morris (Dec. 29) with a career-best nine offensive rebounds. Kpedi is the first Mastodon with 15 rebounds since John Konchar had 15 vs. North Dakota State (March 2, 2019). He is the first Mastodon to record nine offensive rebounds in a game since Kevin Harden had nine against UTPA (now UTRGV) on Nov. 16, 2012.

// The ‘Dons are giving up 65.5 points per game, second best in the Horizon League. Should the Mastodons finish the season at this average, it would be the best during the Division I era (2001-present) in program history. The current record is the 66.0 points the ‘Dons gave up in 2012-13.

// The ‘Dons are 10-0 this season when scoring 71 or more points in a game.

// Per sports-reference.com, Ra Kpedi leads the Horizon League in offensive rebounding percentage at 16.0 percent. He has a league best 63 offensive boards.

// Jarred Godfrey owns 1,877 career points, second place in program history. He passed Frank Gaines (1,841) on Jan. 6 for second place. The only Mastodon ahead of Godfrey is his former teammate John Konchar. Konchar sits in first place in program history with 2,065 points.

// Jarred Godfrey owns 575 rebounds, sixth in program history. When he reaches 603 rebounds he’ll enter the top five in program history. He is already in the top five in points, assists, steals, field goals and 3-pointers.

// The Mastodons are the only team in the league with four players in the top 10 in the league in made 3-pointers. Bobby Planutis (3rd, 46), Jarred Godfrey (8th, 33) Deonte Billups (9th, 32) and Quinton Morton-Robertson (10th, 30).

// Jarred Godfrey is shooting 94.4 percent (67-of-71) from the free throw line, 6th in the nation. Only once in program history has a player made 50 or more free throws in a season and finished at 90 percent or better. That was Ben Botts in 2009-09, making 65-of-71 (91.5 percent).

// Jarred Godfrey has the best free throw percentage of any player in NCAA Division I men’s basketball with 70 or more attempts.

// Jarred Godfrey enters the IUPUI game with a streak of 24 consecutive made free throws. His last miss came Dec. 19 vs. Texas A&M-Commerce.

// Ra Kpedi has won the opening tip in 14-of-17 games this season. He also won the tip in overtime against Oakland (Dec. 3).

// The ‘Dons are 11th in the nation in 3-pointers per game (10.1).

// Jarred Godfrey (1,877), Damian Chong Qui (1,452), Anthony Roberts (1,438), and Bobby Planutis (1,070) have each scored 1,000 career NCAA points. Deonte Billups (910) could enter that group this season.

// The ‘Dons have 12 games of double-digit offensive rebounds this season.

// Jarred Godfrey has failed to reach double-digits only once this season (nine points vs. Bluffton).

// Jarred Godfrey is one of two current student-athletes in NCAA Division I men’s basketball with 1,800 points, 500 rebounds and 400 assists. Taevion Kinsey (Marshall) is the other.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball plays host to another of the Horizon League’s hottest teams this week. The Mastodons will welcome Green Bay to the Gates Sports Center on Thursday (Jan. 12) for a 7 p.m. game. The Phoenix have won nine straight.

Game Day Information

Who: Green Bay Phoenix

When: Thursday, January 12 | 7 PM

Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center

Live Stats: Link

Watch: ESPN+

Game Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne | Green Bay | Horizon League

Know Your Foe

Green Bay has won nine games in a row, owning a 12-3 record. The Phoenix are 5-1 in league play, with their only loss coming at Milwaukee in the season opener. They have also won their last five games by at least 17 points. Sydney Levy and Maddy Schreiber are both averaging between 10 and 11 points, with six other players between five and nine.

The Series

Green Bay has won all six meetings with the Mastodons in the series dating back to 1983-84. The ‘Dons have played four, including the last three games, at home.

In The Wins…

In the Mastodons’ wins this year, Amellia Bromenschenkel is recording 19.6 points and 6.6 rebounds with a 61.2 percent shooting clip and a 52.0 percent 3-point shooting percentage. She is also averaging 2.0 steals, 1.6 assists and 0.8 blocks per game in those games.

Shayla Show

Shayla Sellers had one of her best games as a Mastodon against IUPUI on January 4. She recorded 23 points with a 69.2 percent clip from the floor and 50 percent from the 3-point line, six rebounds, four steals, three blocks and an assist. Her points, blocks and steals all at least tied a season-high mark.

Recent Stats

In the last six games…

• Amellia Bromenschenkel is averaging 10.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game

• Shayla Sellers is averaging 9.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game with an 88.2 percent clip from the free throw line.

• Destinee Marshall is averaging 7.1 points and 2.4 assists per game.

• Abbigail Stephens is averaging 6.6 points per game on 57.7 percent shooting from the floor and 40 percent from the 3-point line.

• Jazzlyn Linbo is shooting 66.7 percent from the floor.

The Best Choice For Defensive Player of the Year

In Horizon League play, Shayla Sellers is the league-leader with 2.5 steals per game and is fourth in the league with 1.2 blocks per game. She is the only player in the league that is in the top five in both categories.

Thieves!

Purdue Fort Wayne is first the Horizon League and 52nd in the country with 9.9 steals per game. The ‘Dons also force the 36th-most turnovers in the country at 20.25 per game.

Especially Those Two!

In league play only, Amellia Bromenschenkel and Shayla Sellers are first and second in the league with 2.8 and 2.3 steals per game.

Block Party

Purdue Fort Wayne is second in the Horizon League with 3.7 blocks per game.

New Year New Abby!

Since New Year’s Eve, Abbigail Stephens is averaging 10.3 points per game while shooting 58.3 percent from the floor in 13 minutes per game. This includes a career-high 14-point outing against Youngstown State.

Money Millie

Here’s how Amellia Bromenschenkel’s stats stack up in the Horizon League:

12.3 points per game: 8th

4.9 rebounds per game: 17th

1.4 3FG per game: 13th

0.8 blocks per game: 9th

1.3 steals per game: 14th

29.6 minutes per game: 11th

3-Point Threats

Purdue Fort Wayne takes 27.6 3-pointers per game, which is the most in the Horizon League and 10th-most in the nation.

Linbo Limbo

Jazzlyn Linbo is second in the Horizon League with 20 blocks.

Familiar Five

Purdue Fort Wayne has had the same starting five in all 16 games: Amellia Bromenschenkel, Ryin Ott, Shayla Sellers, Jazzlyn Linbo and Destinee Marshall.

Last Time Out

Cleveland State took down the Mastodons 74-56. The ‘Dons held Preseason Player of the Year Destiny Leo below her season average at 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting.

Coming Up

Purdue Fort Wayne will play its last home game until February 2 on Saturday (Jan. 14) with Milwaukee coming to town. The ‘Dons will then hit the road for four games in a row away from the Gates Sports Center. The first is an 11 a.m. tip at Northern Kentucky on January 20.

EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL

PEORIA, Ill. – Shooting 54.76% in the game and 61.3% in the second half, Bradley University defeated the University of Evansville men’s basketball team on Wednesday evening by a score of 91-46 inside Carver Arena.

Limited to just seven players, the Purple Aces were led by Kenny Strawbridge Jr.’s 13-point game. Marvin Coleman II added 11. Yacine Toumi recorded a game-high nine assists. Six Bradley players reached double figures with Connor Hickman scoring 15 with Rienk Mast recording 14.

Hitting their first three triples of the night, Bradley opened a 9-3 lead. Gage Bobe took a feed from Marvin Coleman II for Evansville’s first 3-pointer. Coleman hit an outside shot of his own as the Aces cut the deficit to 11-8 before the Braves took their first double figure lead at 22-11 at the 11-minute mark.

Yacine Toumi scored the ensuing basket to make it a 9-point game before the Braves embarked on a 10-2 run to go up 32-15. Continuing a 7-for-8 start from 3-point range, Bradley extended its lead with 8:45 left in the half. With just over a minute to go in the opening period, BU took its largest lead at 46-27 before UE closed to make it a 46-30 contest at the break. Evansville had a solid shooting half, finishing at 48.0%. The point differential came from the outside shooting of the Braves, who were 9-of-16. UE hit four of its 11 outside tries.

After doing most of their scoring from outside in the first 20 minutes, Bradley got their inside game going to start the second half. Knocking down six of their first nine tries, the Braves made it a 60-31 game. Evansville missed its first six attempts while turning it over five times. Kenny Strawbridge Jr. hit the first UE field goal of the period with 13 minutes remaining.

Things continued to go the Braves’ way as the game rounded the homestretch. Evansville made just one of its first 18 field goals of the half as the Braves outscored UE 41-5 in the first 16 minutes. Evansville connected on three late field goals to cut into the deficit to make it a 91-46 final.

UE shot 34.8% for the game while being outrebounded by a 40-25 margin. The Aces will be back home on Saturday for a 3 p.m. game against Valparaiso at the Ford Center.

EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

EVANSVILLE – Backed by a raucous crowd decked-out in orange, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team used timely runs and hot shooting to top Indiana State, 65-54, in an MVC rivalry matchup on Wednesday evening inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse in Evansville.

Four Aces finished in double-figures in the win with fifth-year guard Myia Clark leading the way with 17 points and six assists. Freshman guard Kynidi Mason Striverson tallied 13 points, all in the opening half to give the Aces a halftime lead, while redshirt junior Barbora Tomancova went for a 12-point and 12-board double-double in the victory. Rounding-out the double-digit scorers for the Aces was senior guard/forward Abby Feit, who finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, while joining Mason Strivers for the team lead with three made triples. For the Sycamores, Chelsea Cain powered Indiana State with 18 points on the night.

Indiana State jumped out to an early advantage as the Aces opened the game with trouble with turnovers. After trailing 11-1 in the opening minutes of the game, Evansville battled itself back behind some strong offensive play from Mason Striverson as the Aces trailed 16-10 following the opening quarter.

The second quarter saw a significant shift in momentum with Evansville proving to find its rhythm. Again, Mason Striverson helped provide the boost for Evansville, knocking-down a pair of three in the frame to push UE in front 23-22 with just over three minutes left in the half. What would end up being an 11-1 run to close the half for Evansville, just as Indiana State opened the game, handed the Aces a six-point lead at the break.

Out of the half, Evansville continued its run that began in the second quarter, going on a 9-3 spree in the opening minutes of the third frame and forcing a Sycamore timeout. In all, Evansville’s game-altering run ended at 20-4, garnering the Aces a 38-26 lead with 7:14 remaining in the quarter. The Sycamores would claw back into the game, responding with a 9-2 run of their own to close withing five at 40-35. After exchanging baskets for much of the rest of the third, the Aces and Indiana State went into the final 10 minutes separated by just four points at 49-45.

Evansville’s lead shrank as low as two on a pair of occasions in the final period, but each time the Aces seemed to have an answer. In what was a game of runs, UE secured its victory with a 9-2 run that was capped-off by a triple from Feit that lifted Evansville back to a nine-point advantage at 61-52 with just over three minutes left in regulation en route to the Aces 65-54 win.

The Aces continue a mini homestand on Sunday against UNI at 1 PM inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse in Evansville.

SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball resumes a three-game homestand in Ohio Valley Conference action Thursday against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock at 5 p.m. and Saturday against the University of Tennessee at Martin at 5 p.m.

Both matchups can be seen live with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on 95.7 FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com).

Thursday’s game against Little Rock is part of Whiteout Night at Screaming Eagles Arena. Fans are encouraged to wear white apparel for the game. USI students are encouraged to pack the Penn Station Student Section, and the first 250 students to enter at the student entrance will receive a free t-shirt and a rally towel provided by Liberty Federal Credit Union. Plus, USI students can enter a raffle giveaway for a PS5, courtesy of USI Housing and Residence Life.

In addition to Whiteout Night Thursday, Saturday’s USI-UT Martin contest is Military Appreciation Day, which is sponsored by the USI Student Veteran Association. Veterans and their guests will receive free tickets with proof of service (limit to five per veteran).

Tickets to the game can be purchased online at usi.universitytickets.com.

The Screaming Eagles (8-7, 2-2) got back on track after a brief, two-game skid with a convincing 79-59 home win last Saturday against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. USI has won five of the last eight games.

USI had a fast start against SIUE on Saturday, outscoring the Cougars 23-15 after the first. Following a defensive second period, USI came out of halftime with a strong third quarter, building a 20-point lead that held for the sizable win.

USI had six players score eight or more in the win with four in double figures. Sophomore guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) and senior forward Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio) each posted a double-double. Shafford recorded 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Haithcock tallied 14 points and 10 boards. For Shafford, it was her third double-double of the season, and for Haithcock, it was her second of the season.

Saturday marked the first time two USI players tallied double-doubles in the same game since February 17, 2018, when Kaydie Grooms registered 26 points and 12 rebounds and Morgan Dahlstrom accumulated 20 points and 10 rebounds against Rockhurst University.

Shafford continues to shoot the ball well from outside the perimeter. The sophomore just missed out on a perfect 5-for-5 performance from distance on Saturday against SIUE, as she went 4-for-5 against the Cougars. Shafford already achieved a 5-for-5, three-point performance earlier this season on November 19 against Bowling Green State University. Shafford leads the nation in three-point percentage at 60.3 percent. The 5’9″ guard is averaging 13.3 points per game and team-best 7.2 rebounds per game. Shafford is averaging 14.5 points and 7.8 boards per outing in conference-only games. Plus, she is hitting at a 67 percent clip from three against the OVC.

Haithcock has continued her sharp performance in recent weeks. The senior forward has scored 14 or more points in the last eight games, including two career-high games. In the last eight games, Haithcock is averaging 17.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest. Haithcock paces USI with 15.2 points per game this season. Against the OVC, Haithcock is averaging a team-high 17 points and 8.3 caroms per game.

After being held to four points on December 31 at Eastern Illinois University, junior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) has bounced back well. Raley scored 18 points last Thursday at Morehead State University and 14 points on Saturday against SIUE. The junior is second on the team in overall scoring at 13.9 points per game.

Graduate forward Ashlynn Brown (Perrysburg, Ohio) also had a notable game against SIUE on Saturday, recording 10 points and eight rebounds. It was her first game in double digits since tying a career high with 19 points on December 21 against Brescia University (Ky.). Brown had three blocks in the game, giving her 17 total to tie with Haithcock this season. Brown’s eight rebounds also contributed to the team’s total of 53 boards against the Cougars, which matched the team’s season high for the third time this season.

What was also impressive with USI’s 53 rebounds against SIUE was that 19 came from the offensive glass. The Screaming Eagles’ rebounding efforts have taken over the top spot in the OVC entering the week. USI is first in rebounds per game with 38.9, defensive rebounds per game with 26.5, and offensive rebounds per game with 12.5. Additionally, USI is first in the conference in rebound margin and total rebounds.

Thursday’s opponent, Little Rock, is 7-8 overall and tied for first with Eastern Illinois in the OVC standings with a 4-0 conference record. The Trojans have been a low-scoring team this season, averaging 50.9 points per game. Little Rock has the lowest number of three-pointers made and attempted in the nation this season. The Trojans’ 12 triples made from 71 attempts adds up to a three-point percentage of 16.9 percent.

Little Rock has won four consecutive games, including a 65-45 win against Southeast Missouri State University last Saturday. Junior forward Sali Kourouma led Little Rock in the game with 30 points. She paces the Trojans at 16.3 points per game this season after coming back into the fold at the start of conference play.

Saturday’s opponent, UT Martin, enters the week with a 6-9 record and a 2-2 mark in conference action. The Skyhawks are averaging 61.2 points per game and are right up there with USI in field goal percentage at 41.2 percent from the field.

The Skyhawks dropped their last game, 61-49, against Tennessee Tech University on Saturday, as they were unable to overcome a halftime deficit after being outscored 28-15 in the second quarter against the Golden Eagles. UT Martin will face Tennessee State University Thursday before coming to Screaming Eagles Arena on Saturday.

During the season, UT Martin has dealt with injuries. Freshman Kenley McCarn leads UT Martin at 19.8 points per contest but has not played since November 21. Freshman forward Sharnecce Currie-Jelks actively leads UT Martin in scoring at 13.7 points per game. Graduate guard Paige Pipkin is averaging 10.9 points and Littleford is averaging 10.1 points per outing.

This week’s matchups for USI against Little Rock and UT Martin will be the first all-time meetings in both games.

Following the conclusion of the three-game homestand on Saturday, Southern Indiana will hit the road next week for two games near the metro area of St. Louis, Missouri. USI will first travel to Lindenwood University next Thursday for a 5:30 p.m. tilt before facing SIUE once again on the road next Saturday at 1 p.m.

VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The Valpo women’s basketball team looked poised to capture its first MVC victory of the season Wednesday evening in Chicago, but it wasn’t to be, as host UIC claimed the 51-50 victory with a game-winning 3-pointer from Josie Filer with 1.9 seconds to play.

How It Happened

Valpo trailed 13-4 eight minutes into Wednesday’s contest before junior Ava Interrante (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) and senior Olivia Brown (East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids [St. Bonaventure]) hit inside baskets in the final two minutes to cut the deficit to 13-8 at the end of the opening period.

UIC scored four points in the first minute of the second quarter, but the Beacon defense held the Flames without a point for over eight and a half minutes from that point. While Valpo scored just eight points in that same stretch, it allowed the Beacons to erase the deficit, and Valpo eventually trailed just 20-18 at intermission.

Valpo took its first lead of the game mere seconds into the second half as Interrante connected from downtown. The Beacons led by as many as four in the third quarter, and after UIC reclaimed the lead at 32-30 with 3:39 left in the quarter, Valpo scored six of the quarter’s final eight points — capped by a driving layup in the final seconds from freshman Ali Saunders (Depauw, Ind./North Harrison) — to lead 36-34 with 10 minutes to play.

A 3-point play by sophomore Olivia Sims (Toledo, Ohio/Notre Dame Academy [Oakland]) with 6:52 to play gave Valpo its largest edge at that point at 41-36, and just under two minutes later, fifth-year Ilysse Pitts (Aurora, Ill./Montini Catholic) hit from 3-point range to put the Beacons ahead 46-38 with 4:58 remaining.

Valpo was held scoreless for the next three-plus minutes, with UIC hitting a pair of triples in that stretch to make it a two-point game. A free throw from Sims was answered by two from the Flames with 35 seconds to play to cut Valpo’s edge to 47-46.

A UIC foul sent the Beacons to the line, where they missed a pair of free throws, but Sims came up with a big play on the defensive end, as she intercepted an errant pass and was fouled with 19.5 seconds to play. The sophomore hit both free throws to push the lead to 49-46.

Valpo was called for a foul on the defensive end, allowing UIC to hit a pair of free throws to make it a 49-48 game with 10.7 seconds remaining. A UIC foul resulted in a split pair of free throws for Brown with 8.6 to go, setting up Filer’s game-winning shot.

Inside the Game

The 51 points allowed matched the lowest output by an opponent since Valpo held Purdue to 47 points on Dec. 6, 2020.

The Beacons held UIC to 39% shooting, while on the offensive end, Valpo hit at a 45.9% clip. At the foul line, however, the Beacons were just 11-of-22 to the Flames’ 12-of-18.

Sims matched her career high in the scoring column, with her final two free throws giving her a team-best 12 points on the night. The sophomore, who went 4-of-6 from the field and 4-of-5 from the foul line, has four 12-point efforts in her career.

Sims was the lone Valpo player in double figures, as Brown, Interrante and Saunders all tied for second-best with eight points.

Interrante and Pitts shared joint team-high honors with five rebounds.

Next Up

Valpo (2-11, 0-5 MVC) continues the conference slate on Saturday afternoon at the ARC as the Beacons host Missouri State at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.

INDIANAPOLIS ATHLETICS

The University of Indianapolis Department of Athletics and the Greyhound Clubare pleased to announce the 2023 UIndy Athletics Hall of Fame inductees.

The Hall of Fame ceremony will occur Saturday, Feb. 4.The inductees will be introduced at halftime of the men’s basketball game against Quincywhich begins at approximately 3 p.m. Following the game at 5:30 p.m., dinner and the induction ceremony will take place at Primo Banquet Hall and Convention Center (2615 N. National Avenue, Indianapolis, IN46227).

The event will feature the official Hall of Fame inductions, as well as brief remarks by the recipients.Dinner tickets are $40 per person, which includes admission to the basketball games. If you are interested in sponsoring a dinner, table, or ring, please visit getinvolved.uindy.edu/halloffame. If you are attending the ceremony, you can complete your registration using the same link.

Questions regarding the Hall of Fame event can be directed to Grace Bransonin the Athletic Development Office at bransong@uindy.edu or 317-788-3359.

UIndy Athletics is proud to introducethis year’s inductees:

Team: 2005 Women’s Swimming and Diving

Under head coach Gary Kinkead, the 2005 UIndy Women’s Swimming and Diving team earned a 8-3 record, won the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and earned a perfect 5-0 record at home. The team advanced through the postseason and finished seventh at the NCAA Division II Championships. The team consisted of Kirstel (Sowa) Burgan, Valerie Crosby, Laura Folsom, Amy (Broxterman) Fox, Meghan (DuHadway) Harmon, Amanda Herd, Holly (Spohr) Huckstep, Mandy (Chun) Lau, Ellie (Miller) Lindauer, Kenzie (Miller) Lowrance, Kristen Lund, Whitney (Miles) Miller, Nikki Mohrbacher, Niki (Stevens) Monkul, Alison (Smith) Pickett, Brittany Rissler, Emily Sabo, Erin (Sarbaugh) Sincroft, Valencia Smith, Kristen (Kendzierski) Tedhams, Tasha Wiseman, assistant coach Chris Modglin, and head coach Gary Kinkead.

“I” Person of the Year – Dr. Donnie Strack graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training where he was awarded the Athletic Training Department Performance award. In 2005, he received his doctorate in Physical Therapy from UIndy. Dr. Strack was a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Indiana Pacers from 2002 – 2005. He also served as an AT during the 2002 World Basketball Championship and the RCA Tennis Championship in 2001 and 2002.In 2010, he completed his post-doctorate in fellowship Manual Therapy from Regis University. Dr. Strack is in his 15th season as Vice President of Human & Player Performance for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA, where he is responsible for leading the medical and performance staff. Dr. Strack took action, in 2020, during the Thunder-Jazz game that ultimately stopped the NBA from playing when COVID broke out.

Paige (Balka) Anderson is a 1993 graduate of the University of Indianapolis where she was a four-year letterwinner for the volleyball and track teams and a one-year letterwinner for the basketball team. While at UIndy, Paige graduated with cum laude honors and earned the UIndy School of Business award, Alberta Miller Business Award, National Business Education Association Award of Merit in ’93, and earned a Master in Education degree in Curriculum and Instructions in 2000.Paige was a captain for three years on the volleyball team, where she was a three-time team MVP, named four times to the All-Cedarville Tournament Team, three times to Academic All-Conference, and to the GTE Academic All-Region Team. She helped the track team finish in second place in 1990 and first in 1991 at the Indiana Little State Championship. After graduating, she has had multiple roles through Midwest Sports Complex, UIndy, and Beech Grove High School. Most recently, she is a teacher at Beech Grove High School within the business department.

Al Cooper is a 1983 graduate of the University and a four-year letterwinner for the baseball team. While on the team he earned All-GLVC honors three times, All-Region Third Team in ’81, and the Kelso-Reid Mental Attitude Award and team MVP in ’83. He helped the team become GLVC Tournament and Heartland Conference champions and reach the NCAA regionals in ’81 and ’82. Post graduation, Al has taught, coached, and is currently the Athletic Director at New Palestine High School.He coached the New Palestine baseball team to a state title in 2004, runner-up in 2003, eight straight conference titles, and coached the New Palestine girls’ basketball team to multiple championships. Al was UIndy’s Alumni Baseball Coach of the Year 2007-08 and 2009-10.

Cindy (Simko) Martin is a 1991 graduate of the University, was a four-year letterwinner for the women’s basketball and softball teams and a team captain for both teams. Throughout her softball career, Cindy was named to the all-conference team four times, received the Robert Brooker Female Athlete of the Year award in ’91, and helped her team become GLVC champions in ’90. On the basketball team Cindy was named two-time MVP, holds multiple UIndy records for steals and assists, is a part of the 1,000 point club, and helped her team become GLVC champions in ’88. Cindy is currently a territory sales manager at AZEK Building Products, serves on the Noblesville girls club leadership board, and is the 8th grade Noblesbville girls’ basketball coach.

Tony Starks is a 1980 graduate of the University of Indianapolis. He was a four-time letterwinner for the wrestling team and captain for the team in 1980. While at UIndy, Tony was the first NCAA Division II All-American in 1980 and first Mid-Eastern Super Regional Champion, a two-time Heartland conference champion in 1977 and ’80, and qualified for the NCAA tournament in 1977 and ’80. During his senior season he set then-UIndy records for career and single season victories, was voted team captain, named MVP,and led the team in pins on the season. Since graduation, before retiring, Tony was the head wrestling coach at Ben Davis and Mt. Vernon High Schools, and a high school teacher for 33 years. Through coaching he was awarded IHSWCA Coach of the Year in ’91 and UIndy Alumni Coach of the Year in ’94. While teaching he was presented the Olin Davis Award for Indiana High School Economic Educators.

Al Williams is a 1969 graduate where he was a four-year letterwinner for the basketball and track team. While at Indiana Central, Alan was selected twice to the All-Conference team and was an All-District and NAIA national tournament selection in 1969 for basketball. Following the 1968-69 season he was selected to the Indiana-Kentucky College All-Star basketball game and was one of the leading scorers. For track, Alan won the conference high jump title and was named All-Conference once.Al holds multiple top-20 records for the basketball team. After graduating from UIndy, Alan attended Pepperdine University’s grad program for Business/General Electrical Management Training. Alan is now the CEO of Projects Analytics, Inc.

INDIANAPOLIS MEN’S BASKETBALL

Thursday, Jan. 12, 7:30 p.m.

vs. Missouri S&T Miners

Watch | Live Stats | Listen

Saturday, Jan. 14, 3 p.m.

vs. #11 Missouri-St. Louis

Watch | Live Stats | Listen

The UIndy men’s basketball team returns home this weekend for a pair of GLVC contests, highlighted by a top-25 matchup on Saturday against No. 11 Missouri-St. Louis from Nicoson Hall. The Greyhounds re-entered the coaches’ poll on Tuesday, earning a spot at No. 24.

The Hounds host Missouri S&T on Thursday evening in the first contest of a four-game home stand. UIndy has claimed each of the last 14 meetings with the Miners. Despite leading the all-time series with Missouri-St. Louis, however, the Tritons have gotten the best of the Greyhounds in the past four contests. The last three, all under head coach Paul Corsaro’s tenure, have been decided by single digits.

Kendrick Tchoua is averaging 12.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, while leading all of NCAA DII with a 72.2 field goal percentage. Meanwhile, Jesse Bingham tops the team in scoring with 16.1 points per contest.

INDIANAPOLIS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

hursday, Jan. 12, 5:30 p.m.

vs. Missouri S&T Miners

Watch | Live Stats | Listen

Saturday, Jan. 14, 1 p.m.

vs. Missouri-St. Louis Tritons

Watch | Live Stats | Listen

INDIANAPOLIS – With the next four games on the schedule set to take place at Nicoson Hall, the UIndy women’s basketball team will prepare this week to host Missouri S&T on Thursday and then Missouri St.-Louis on Saturday. After that, the Hounds will welcome Maryville on Monday, Jan. 16 and McKendree on Saturday, Jan. 21 for “Pack the House” day.

Entering the contest against Missouri S&T, the Hounds hold the all-time series lead at 13-5. Last season, both teams grabbed a win over the other in a pair of close single-digit outcomes.

Against UMSL, UIndy also carries the series lead at 22-14 despite having lost four of the last five games in the series. The Tritons beat the Greyhounds by 10 points last season at Nicoson Hall.

Sadie Hill leads UIndy in scoring this year at 14.9 points per game while Elana Wells has accumulated a 10.4 points per game average. As a team, the Greyhounds have continued to prove they are one of the top free throw shooting teams in the GLVC this season. As of writing this, the Hounds lead the conference in free throw attempts per game (22) and free throws made per game (16.9) while ranking second, only behind UMSL, in free throw percentage (76.9 percent).

MARIAN MEN’S BASKETBALL

News Photo

ST. FRANCIS (IND.) SPOILS NO. 16 MARIAN’S HOME-WINNING STREAK

Men’s Basketball | Wed, Jan. 11, 2023 at 9:20 PM

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INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian men’s basketball team had a chance to force overtime Wednesday night, but came up short as their three-game home winning-streak was snapped by St. Francis. The 73-71 home loss drops Marian to a 14-4 overall record, while dropping to 4-4 in Crossroads League play.

The Franciscan foes used the first six minutes of the game to set the tone, as play was continuous throughout thet early 8-7 St. Francis surge. Taeshon Cherry scored five of the Knights first seven points before the game hit its first break at the media timeout, but after the stoppage the Cougars pounced with Zane Burke scoring five in an 8-4 run. Hayden Langkabel and Brody Whitaker answered Burke by combining on a 5-0 run in a 60 second stretech.

Whitaker and Cherry took over the scoring duties for Marian as the clock rolled under seven minutes to play in the half, with the Cougars and Knights trading blows. Whitaker’s fourth field goal of the half provided the home team with a 25-24 lead, and after St. Francis held Marian without a point for two minutes of play, Christian Harvey’s three-pointer provided a 28-26 lead with 4:51 to play. Harvey’s trifecta started a 9-0 run as Luke Gohmann and Cherry knocked one down from behind the arc, providing Marian with a 34-26 lead. The eight-point swing would stand as the Knights’ largest lead of the game, with St. Francis whittling the score to three over the final four minutes, trailing Marian 38-35 at the half.

Langkabel started the second half with a bang for Marian as the senior buried a three on the team’s second possession of the half, with Harvey getting to rim to push the lead to sevn. Burke answered the bucket from the Richmond native with a second-chance three-pointer, and ignited the Cougars as they took off on a 12-0 run. The three-minute shift in momentum saw Marian commit three turnovers while missing four field goals, as they fell behind 48-43. Cherry got Marian out of their funk with a pair of makes, while a three-point play from Whitaker leveled the score at 50 with 13:25 to play.

The scoring continued to go back and forth as Marian answered each of the punches thrown by their opponents. With 11:04 to play Marian got a spark from Cherry, as the California native scored on three consecutive possessions, while a Maximus Gizzi steal led to an open layup for Whitaker, who capitalized the 10-0 run which took 4:02 off the game clock. Ashton Johnson ended Marian’s run and started one for the visitors, as the 65-57 lead evaporated over the ensuing two minutes. A dunk from Cherry halted the St. Francis run with 4:21 to play, but with 2:23 to go Branden Northern extinguished a two minute drought with a three.

St. Francis led 69-67 after the three from Northern, and were able to pad their lead at the foul line. Cherry and Harvey would get Marian within two in the final 28 seconds, and after Antwaan Cushingberry missed the front end of a one-and-one, Marian had a chance to tie trailing 73-71. With 4.7 seconds to play Marian was able to find Cherry, but the senior bobbled the entry pass, forcing a contested shot that missed wide and resulted in Marian dropping the home contest to St. Francis.

The tightly contested game ended with Marian shooting 48.3 percent from the floor, and 33 percent from downtown. Cherry was Marian’s leading scorer with 26 points and six rebounds, while Whitaker finished with 16 points off the bench. Harvey scored 11 in the defeat, with Gohmann and Langkabel each scoring eight.

Marian will aim to get back in the win column as they close the week at Mount Vernon Nazarene on Saturday afternoon.

MARIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Fort Wayne, Ind. The No. 6 Marian women’s basketball team escaped the Hutzell Athletic Center with a 65-56 victory. The balanced attack by the Knights help move them to a perfect 8-0 record in the Crossroads League and improve their overall record to 17-1.

Saint Francis got off to a hot start to begin the game, jumping out to a 7-2 lead before a jumper and three-pointer by Allison Bosse got Marian within one at 8-7. A 6-2 run by the Cougars put them back up five with 4:27 left to play in the first quarter. Kinnidy Garrard gave the Knights some spark off the bench as she came up with four quick points and a big-time block to help her team cut the deficit to 16-13. The two teams traded points the remainder of the period, but it was the Cougars holding the 21-16 advantage after quarter one.

The game continued to be tightly contested to start as the margin stayed within single digits through the first two quarters of play.

Garrard picked up where she left off to start the second quarter by hitting a pair of free throws to cut the Cougar lead to 21-18. St. Francis answered back with two of their own free throws and took the five-point lead with 6:18 left to play in the quarter. A Bosse triple and layup by Aliyah Evans evened things up at 25-25, but the Cougars continued to respond to regain their lead. Marian scored the last six points of the half with two minutes to play to tie it up at 31-31.

Marian was able to gain an 11-point lead after halftime with an 11-0 run, highlighted by five Ella Collier points. USF finally responded at the 5:23 mark with a free throw before Sara Majorosova connected with Bosse for the long ball to grow the Knights’ lead to 45-32. The Cougars put together a late 12-2 run to close out the third quarter trailing by three at 47-44.

The opening two and half minutes saw the two teams trading points before a small 6-0 run by the Knights put them up nine. St. Francis put up a fight, clawing back to within three with 3:43 left to play. Six straight points from Collier gave Marian the nine-point cushion with a little over a minute to go. USF came back down the floor to score a layup with 54 ticks left on the clock, but it was too late as Marian was able to hold off the hosts and go on to win 65-56.

Five Knights scored in double-digits with Bosse leading the way with 17 points. Collier added 12 points and six rebounds, while Evans scored 12 points to go along with five rebounds. Perryman and Garrard each added 10 points and four rebounds.

The Knights return to the court on Saturday, January 14 on the road at Mount Vernon Nazarene. Tipoff is set for 1 PM.

SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:

INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/

ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index

TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/

OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx

ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index

IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/

IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/

IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/

PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/

INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx

GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/

HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

SPORTS EXTRA

*******NBA STANDINGS*******

Eastern Conference

Pct

Conf GB

Home

Road

Div

Conf

Last 10

Streak

1 Boston

.714

—

17-5

13-7

4-0

16-8

8-2

4 W

2 Brooklyn

.675

2.0

13-5

14-8

5-2

20-7

9-1

2 W

3 Milwaukee

.659

2.5

16-5

11-9

4-3

15-10

5-5

2 W

4 Philadelphia

.625

4.0

17-6

8-9

4-3

17-10

7-3

2 W

5 Cleveland

.619

4.0

18-4

8-12

7-3

17-8

5-5

1 L

6 New York

.548

7.0

11-11

12-8

2-4

14-10

5-5

1 W

7 Indiana

.548

7.0

15-7

8-12

2-2

16-10

7-3

1 L

8 Miami

.524

8.0

12-9

9-11

5-1

8-12

6-4

1 W

9 Atlanta

.463

10.5

11-9

8-13

4-3

13-15

3-7

1 L

10 Chicago

.452

11.0

11-9

8-14

4-3

16-13

5-5

2 L

11 Toronto

.439

11.5

13-10

5-13

2-8

12-16

5-5

2 W

12 Washington

.429

12.0

11-8

7-16

4-3

11-14

6-4

1 W

13 Orlando

.381

14.0

10-12

6-14

2-5

7-18

5-5

1 W

14 Detroit

.267

19.5

6-14

6-19

0-6

4-20

4-6

1 W

15 Charlotte

.262

19.0

5-14

6-17

3-6

5-20

3-7

2 L

Western Conference

Pct

Conf GB

Home

Road

Div

Conf

Last 10

Streak

1 Denver

.683

—

18-3

10-10

7-3

21-9

8-2

4 W

2 Memphis

.683

—

18-3

10-10

6-2

14-10

8-2

8 W

3 New Orleans

.595

3.5

17-5

8-12

7-3

16-10

5-5

1 L

4 Sacramento

.550

5.5

13-9

9-9

4-5

10-9

5-5

2 W

5 Dallas

.548

5.5

16-6

7-13

6-2

17-8

7-3

2 L

6 LA Clippers

.512

7.0

12-9

10-12

3-4

12-13

3-7

1 W

7 Phoenix

.488

8.0

14-7

7-15

8-0

18-11

2-8

1 L

8 Golden State

.488

8.0

17-5

3-16

4-4

12-9

5-5

3 L

9 Utah

.477

8.5

13-7

8-16

3-4

16-14

3-7

1 W

10 Minnesota

.476

8.5

12-9

8-13

6-4

13-13

4-6

1 L

11 Portland

.475

8.5

9-7

10-14

4-6

13-13

2-8

4 L

12 LA Lakers

.463

9.0

10-8

9-14

1-7

8-14

6-4

1 L

13 Oklahoma City

.439

10.0

13-9

5-14

3-6

10-12

5-5

1 L

14 San Antonio

.310

15.5

8-13

5-15

2-7

5-22

3-7

3 L

15 Houston

.244

18.0

6-14

4-17

1-8

5-23

1-9

8 L

******NHL STANDINGS******

Eastern Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Boston Bruins	40	32	4	4	68	30	156	88	19-0-3	13-4-1	8-0-2
2 Carolina Hurricanes	41	25	9	7	57	22	130	113	12-5-1	13-4-6	6-3-1
3 Toronto Maple Leafs	42	26	9	7	59	26	143	109	15-3-4	11-6-3	7-2-1
4 New Jersey Devils	41	26	12	3	55	26	141	109	11-10-2	15-2-1	5-4-1
5 New York Rangers	42	23	12	7	53	21	138	116	10-7-4	13-5-3	6-2-2
6 Tampa Bay Lightning	39	25	13	1	51	24	139	115	16-4-1	9-9-0	6-4-0
7 Washington Capitals	44	23	15	6	52	23	143	123	13-6-3	10-9-3	6-2-2
8 Pittsburgh Penguins	40	21	13	6	48	20	133	121	11-4-4	10-9-2	3-5-2

9 New York Islanders	42	22	17	3	47	22	130	116	12-6-1	10-11-2	4-4-2
10 Buffalo Sabres	39	20	17	2	42	19	152	135	9-10-2	11-7-0	7-3-0
11 Florida Panthers	42	19	19	4	42	18	138	145	10-6-3	9-13-1	4-6-0
12 Detroit Red Wings	39	17	15	7	41	16	121	134	10-8-3	7-7-4	4-5-1
13 Philadelphia Flyers	42	17	18	7	41	17	119	136	9-10-1	8-8-6	7-3-0
14 Ottawa Senators	40	18	19	3	39	17	120	127	11-10-1	7-9-2	4-5-1
15 Montreal Canadiens	41	16	22	3	35	12	109	156	8-11-0	8-11-3	2-7-1
16 Columbus Blue Jackets	40	12	26	2	26	11	103	158	10-12-1	2-14-1	2-8-0

Western Conference
	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	ROW	GF	GA	Home	Road	L10
1 Dallas Stars	42	25	11	6	56	24	146	111	12-4-3	13-7-3	7-3-0
2 Vegas Golden Knights	42	27	13	2	56	24	140	120	12-10-0	15-3-2	5-4-1
3 Los Angeles Kings	45	25	14	6	56	21	152	152	14-7-2	11-7-4	7-2-1
4 Winnipeg Jets	41	26	14	1	53	26	137	110	16-6-0	10-8-1	6-4-0
5 Seattle Kraken	40	24	12	4	52	24	147	125	10-8-2	14-4-2	7-2-1
6 Minnesota Wild	40	22	14	4	48	19	129	116	12-8-1	10-6-3	5-3-2
7 Calgary Flames	42	19	14	9	47	18	129	127	12-7-2	7-7-7	5-2-3
8 Edmonton Oilers	43	22	18	3	47	22	153	145	10-11-2	12-7-1	5-4-1

9 St. Louis Blues	42	21	18	3	45	18	136	151	8-8-2	13-10-1	5-3-2
10 Nashville Predators	40	19	15	6	44	17	112	117	9-6-3	10-9-3	6-2-2
11 Colorado Avalanche	39	20	16	3	43	17	116	115	9-8-3	11-8-0	4-5-1
12 Vancouver Canucks	40	17	20	3	37	15	138	158	8-10-1	9-10-2	4-6-0
13 San Jose Sharks	43	13	22	8	34	12	133	161	4-11-6	9-11-2	3-5-2
14 Arizona Coyotes	40	13	22	5	31	12	110	149	7-5-2	6-17-3	3-7-0
15 Anaheim Ducks	42	12	26	4	28	9	98	175	8-12-1	4-14-3	3-6-1
16 Chicago Blackhawks	39	10	25	4	24	10	86	144	7-14-2	3-11-2	3-7-0

*******FOOTBALL HISTORY*******

January 12, 1906 – According to the US Library of Congress the college football rules committee met. It would meet again on March 31, 1906 to formally become known as the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, the forerunner of the NCAA. Going through the progressive timeline of this group we have to refer back again to the famous October 9, 1905 meeting where US President Theodore Roosevelt called the biggest name of football together to discuss making football safer due to the high number of severe injuries and deaths that were occurring. On December 28, 1905 the reps of 62 college programs met to appoint a rules committee for Intercollegiate football. As a result of that committee appointment, this was the first official meeting of the Football Rule Committee. The accomplishments of this first meeting of the new rules making board were mostly procedural and appointment of sub-committees according to the Cornell Daily Sun write up.

January 12, 1946 – The NFL approved the move of the League Champion Cleveland Rams moving to Los Angeles. We eluded to this in our December 16 post and podcast in the segment on the 1945 NFL Championship game. The relocation was extremely significant for multiple reasons. The team had just won the World Title for God’s sake! The other and maybe even more groundbreaking item was that at the time the next closest NFL franchise to LA was 200 miles away in Chicago per the SportsTeam History.com site. By the Rams leaving Cleveland they allowed the AAFC’s Cleveland Browns to dominate the fan base of the city’s football faithful.

January 12, 1952 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – The second annual NFL Pro Bowl game was played. According to the American Football Database it was the National Conference coached by the Rams head man Joe Stydahar defeated the Paul Brown coached American Conference Stars by the score of 30-13. The game’s Most Valuable Player was the Los Angeles Rams Fullback Dan Towler. That had to make the home crowd happy! Compensation for the players in that game was that the winners each received $600 while members of the losing team got 500 dead presidents in their billfolds.

January 12, 1958 – LA Memorial Coliseum – Per the Onthisday.com website the 8th NFL Pro Bowl was won by the Western Conference as they beat the Eastern Conference, 26-7. The MVPs of the contest were Hugh McElhenny, San Francisco 49ers star Halfback and the Washington Redskins great Defensive End Gene Brito.

January 12, 1964 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – Colts Quarterback Johnny Unitas and his Baltimore teammate Gino Marchetti were the co-MVPS of the 14th annual NFL Pro Bowl. This game was filled with all-time great players according to the Pro-Football-Reference website. Cleveland back Jim Brown, Bears Tight End Mike Ditka, Lenny Moore of the Colts, and Green Bay’s Ray Nitchke were only some of the legends on the rosters. In the game it was the Western Conference Stars who knocked off their Eastern Conference counterparts 31-17.

January 12, 1969 – Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida – Super Bowl III the day the AFL gained some respect. Super Bowl III pitted the AFL Champions the New York Jets against the NFL’s heavily favored Baltimore Colts. The most famous art of this game may have been the confident promise of the ever trend setting Jets Quarterback Joe Namath who declared in pre-game interviews that the Jets would win the game! The prediction rung true and the Jets won the game and put the AFL on even keel with the old guard NFL teams.

January 12, 1975 – Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, Louisianna – Super Bowl IX had the upstart Pittsburgh Steelers defeating the Minnesota Vikings, 16-6. This game was dominated by two great defenses, Minnesota’s Purple People Eaters were matched against the Steel Curtain anchored by Mean Joe Green. The scoring started with a 2nd quarter safety and the Super Bowl Square that would have won at the half would have been an odd 2-0. Quarterbacks Fran Tarkenton and Terry Bradshaw together only mustered a total of 198 yards passing combined in the game per the Pro-Football-Reference. Franco Harris ran for 158 yards and a touchdown to earn the Most Valuable Player Award.

January 12, 1986 – Miami Orange Bowl – The AFC Championship game for the 1985 season saw the New England Patriots beat Miami Dolphins, 31-14 per the Onthisday.com website.

January 12, 1986 – Soldier Field, Chicago – The Chicago Bears dominated the contest with the Los Angeles Rams, 24-0 in the NFC Championship game per the Onthisday.com website.

January 12, 1992 – Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York – The AFC Championship game went on record as having the Buffalo Bills knocking off the Denver Broncos, 10-7. The FootballDB.com shows how a Scott Norwood 44 yard field goal in the fourth quarter was the difference in the defensive battle. John Elway could only muster 121 yards passing and his back up Gary Kubiak added 136 while Bills QB Jim Kelly only threw for 117 yards.

January 12, 1992 – RFK Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C. – The NFC Championship shows that the Washington Redskins blew out the Detroit Lions, 41-10 to gain entrance into the Super Bowl per the Onthisday.com website.

January 12, 1997 – Foxborough Stadium – At the AFC Championship game featured Quarterback Tom Brady and his New England Patriots who outlasted the Jacksonville Jaguars, 20-6 per the Pro-Football-Reference website.

January 12, 1997 – The NFC Championship game hosted at Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers took apart the Carolina Panthers, 30-13 per the Onthisday.com website.

January 12, 2013 – Denver Colorado – Baltimore Ravens Quarterback Joe Flacco launched a 70 yard touchdown pass to receiver Jacoby Jones to tie the game in what has become known as the “Mile High Miracle” during the AFC Divisional Playoff Game. According to ESPN.com, at the time the Denver Broncos were leading in the score over the Baltimore Ravens 35-28 with 1:09 remaining. The most unexpected catch and score took the game to Overtime where the Ravens Ravens won in overtime on a Justin Tucker 47 yard field goal to advance.

January 12, 2015 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas – The College Football National Championship had the #4 Ohio State Buckeyes winning over the #2 Oregon Ducks, 42-20. Sports-Reference.com shares how OSU running back Ezekiel Elliott dominates the game with 4 touchdowns and 246 yards on the ground.

HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 12

January 12, 1895 – Prairie Hill, Texas – The great quarterback from Centre College, Bo McMillin gained entry into this world. At Centre McMillin, excelled as he lettered in 5 seasons of football! The FootballFoundation.org website states that this was possible because he spent part of 1918 in service and the football season did not count against his college eligibility. He was reported to win games by drop-kicked field goals, taking off on long runs and these feats helped him to make it on Walter Camp’s All-America team as the quarterback of 1919. Bo was also mentioned as an All-American in 1920 and 1921. The NFF voters selected Bo McMillin as a member of the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.

January 12, 1920 – Odell, Illinois – The Hall of Fame end from Utah, Mac Speedie was born.

January 12, 1943 – Fort Lauderdale, Florida – Tucker Frederickson, the talented Auburn halfback was born. Tucker was one of the last of the great two way stars of college football according to the NFF. Offensively in 1964, he averaged 4.4 yards rushing while on defense he was a safety and made many tackles at the line of scrimmage and in 1963 he led his team in interceptions. In both 1963 and 1964 he won the Jacobs Award as the best blocking back in the Southeastern Conference.The National Football Foundation honored Tucker Frederickson with his entry into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

********SUPER BOWL HISTORY*******

1967: Super Bowl 2
Site: Miami
Result: Green Bay Packers 33 Oakland Raiders 14
MVP: Bart Starr (QB, Green Bay)

Summary: Starr’s mistake-free brand of football was the story again. The Green Bay quarterback was 13/24 for 202 yards, and his team won the turnover battle 3-zip. The Packers again let the heavy underdog from the AFL hang around. The score was only 16-7 at half, as Green Bay bogged down near the end zone. But another explosive second half led to a Super Bowl rout in Vince Lombardi’s final game on the Packer sideline.

******BASEBALL HISTORY******

1920 Charles Ebbets’ plan of selecting minor league players at the annual draft in the inverse order of the final standings is finally adopted. The Dodgers’ owner, an advocate of this type of selection for many years, believes giving losing teams the initial picks will maintain a competitive balance.

1961 The Cubs name Charlie Grimm and Rube Walker to the team’s college of coaches, which calls for a different coach to manage the team during each month of the season. The Cubs will finish with a 64-90 record, a slight improvement over the previous year; however, the team will post the worst mark (59-103) in franchise history next season, finishing in ninth place, six games behind the new Houston club in the expanded National League.

1972 Tigers’ owner John Fetzer makes a surprise announcement that the team has signed a 40-year lease to build a multi-sport stadium west of Cobo Hall along the Detroit River. The $126 million proposal for the downtown 54,000-seat domed complex never is completed due to a lack of funding and the construction of the Silverdome in nearby Pontiac, Michigan.

1981 Gaylord Perry, eleven victories shy of 300 career wins, signs a one-year contract with Atlanta valued at $300,000. The 42-year-old future Hall of Famer will compile an 8-9 record while posting a 3.96 ERA for the fifth-place Braves.

1983 Orioles legend and perennial Gold Glover Brooks Robinson becomes the 14th player elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. The BBWAA also selects, in his third year of being on the ballot, right-hander Juan Marichal, the former ace of the Giants and the all-time winningest pitcher from Latin America with 243 victories.

1988 Willie Stargell, who played his 21-year career with the Pirates, is the only person elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame this year. Nine writers submit blank ballots, denying Jim Bunning entrance to Cooperstown because he receives less than the 75 percent needed for induction due to the votes counted but does not name any players

1994 In his first year on the ballot, Steve Carlton, garnering 95.6% of the writers’ votes, is the only player elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA. ‘Lefty,’ a 24-year veteran best known for his 15 seasons with the Phillies, won 329 games and collected four National League Cy Young Awards (1972, 1977, 1980, 1982).

1999 Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball is sold at Guernsey’s Auction House in New York for a record-shattering price of $3.05 million, surpassing the $126,500 spent last year to obtain the ball Babe Ruth hit for the first home run at Yankee Stadium. Todd McFarlane, the creator of the comic book Spawn, is later revealed to be the buyer for the ball the Cardinal slugger on his final swing on the last day of the season. ((Ed. Note: In 2003, Todd McFarlane pays $450,000 plus fees at the Lelands.com Auction for Barry Bonds’ record-breaking 73rd home run baseball.)

1999 An anonymous bidder purchases the historic 70th home run ball hit by Cardinal slugger Mark McGwire on his final swing on the season’s final day. The $3.05 million price tag far surpasses the previous record for a baseball, topping last year’s bid of $126,500 to obtain the ball Babe Ruth hit for the first homer at Yankee Stadium.

2005 At a Dodger Stadium news conference, general manager Paul DePodesta announces the team has signed right-hander Derek Lowe (14-12, 5.42) to a $36 million, four-year deal. The former Red Sox starter, who has the second-most wins during the past three seasons, is the first pitcher to win the deciding game in all three postseason series.

2005 Paul Lo Duca (.286, 13, 80), avoiding salary arbitration, signs a three-year, $18 million deal to remain with the Marlins. The catcher was acquired by Florida, along with relief pitcher Guillermo Mota and outfielder Juan Encarnacion, in a trading deadline blockbuster swap that sent starter Brad Penny first baseman Hee Seop Choi, and southpaw prospect Bill Murphy to the Dodgers.

2008 According to reports, the Brewers have reached an agreement with free-agent Mike Cameron (.242, 21, 78) on a $7 million, one-year deal contingent upon the outfielder passing a physical. The 34-year-old former Padres center fielder will miss the first 25 games of the season with the Brew Crew due to testing positive for a banned substance for the second time.

2009 Rickey Henderson, in his first year of eligibility, and Jim Rice, in his final year on the ballot, are elected to the Hall of Fame. Henderson, who will enter the Cooperstown shrine as a member of the A’s, is the game’s all-time stolen base leader, with Rice compiling a .298 lifetime batting average during his 16-year career with the Red Sox, considered a dominant player of his era.

2010 The Marlins and the major league players’ union reach an understanding that the team agrees to increase its payroll, an agreement that ends in 2012 with the debut of Florida’s new ballpark. The small amount the club spends on paying its players violates the collective bargaining agreement’s revenue-sharing provisions.

2012 The MLB owners vote to give commissioner Bud Selig a two-year contract extension, a deal that will keep him in the post until the end of 2014. The 77-year-old executive was appointed as an interim in September 1992 and became the game’s ninth commissioner upon his election six years later.

******SPORTS IN NUMBERS*******

7 – 32 – 39 – 80 – 4 – 19 – 89 – 12 – 19 – 32 – 5 – 27 – 8 – 11 – 9 – 5 – 10 – 14

January 12, 1918 – Center Joe Malone Number 7 of the Montreal Canadiens scored 5 goals in a a game against Ottawa to lift Montreal to a 9-4 victory as Malone became the first skater to score 20 golas in one season. Joe ended up with 44 on the season that year!

January 12, 1952 – At the 2nd NFL Pro Bowl, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: National Conference beats American Conference, 30-13; MVP of the game was the Los Angeles Rams, Fullback, Number 32, Dan Towler.

January 12, 1958 – 8th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: Western Conference beats Eastern Conference, 26-7; MVPs were San Francisco Halfback, Number 39, Hugh McElhenny, and of the defensive side of the ball, Washington Redskins, DE, Number 80, Gene Brito.

January 12, 1958 – Dolph Schayes wearing Number 4 as a power forward for the NBA’s Syracuse Nationals posted an League record of 11,770 career points as the Nats fell to the Detroit Pistons. Schayes knocked home 31 points in the losing effort.

January 12, 1960 – Syracuse National Dolph Schayes became the 1st NBA player to score 15,000 points

January 12, 1964 – 14th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: Western Conference beats Eastern Conference, 31-17; MVPs were Baltimore Colts, QB, Number 19, Johnny Unitas . On defense it was his future Hall of Fame teammate, Gino Marchetti, Number 89, a defensive end with the Baltimore Colts.

January 12, 1969 – New York Jets QB Joe Namath sporting his famous Number 12, promised and led the J-E-T-S to an unlikely victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, 16-7, also earning the signal caller the game’s MVP.

January 12, 1971 – 21st NBA All-Star Game, San Diego Sports Arena: West beats East, 108-107; MVP selected was Seattle SuperSonics, PG, Number 19, Lenny Wilkens. He was the oldest MVP in All-Star history (33), but he earned it with hard play scoring 21 points against the World’s top hoops players.

January 12, 1975 – Super Bowl IX, Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, LA: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Minnesota Vikings, 16-6; MVP was Pittsburgh, RB Number 32, Franco Harris.

January 12, 1983 – Brooks Robinson (Number 5, Orioles) and Juan Marichal ( Number 27, Giants) were both elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame

January 12, 1988 – Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder/first baseman, Number 8, Willie Stargell elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

January 12, 1994 – Philadelphia Phillies Lefthanded pitcher, Number 32, Steve Carlton was elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

January 12, 2006 – The New York Rangers held a ceremony, where they retired the Number 11 jersey in honor of Mark Messier.

January 12, 2009 – Cristiano Ronaldo ( Number 7) was awarded 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year for the first time at a ceremony in Zurich

January 12, 2013 – “Mile High Miracle”, In AFC Divisional Playoff Game Denver Broncos ahead of Baltimore Ravens 35-28 with 1:09 remaining, quarterback Number 5, Joe Flacco heaves 70 yard touchdown pass to receiver Number 12, Jacoby Jones to tie the game. Ravens win in overtime.

January 12, 2015 – FIFA Ballon d’Or: Real Madrid & Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo won for a 2nd consecutive time; his 3rd award overall; VfL Wolfsburg midfielder Number 8, Nadine Kessler is women’s award winner

January 12, 2020 – Argentine striker Number 10, Sergio Agüero becomes top-scoring overseas player in English Premier League football history with a hat-trick in Manchester City’s 6-1 rout of Aston Villa; total 177 takes him past Number 14, Thierry Henry

**********TV THURSDAY*********

NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES	TIME ET	TV
JAMES MADISON AT SOUTH ALABAMA	TBA	ESPN+
MINNESOTA AT OHIO STATE	6:30PM	FS1
STETSON AT BELLARMINE	6:30PM	ESPN+
GEORGIA SOUTHERN AT APP STATE	6:30PM	ESPN+
MICHIGAN AT IOWA	7:00PM	ESPN2
LONGWOOD AT UNC ASHEVILLE	7:00PM	ESPNU
DREXEL AT STONY BROOK	7:00PM	CBSSN
NORTH ALABAMA AT LIBERTY	7:00PM	ESPN+
NORTH FLORIDA AT JACKSONVILLE STATE	7:00PM	ESPN+
JACKSONVILLE AT KENNESAW STATE	7:00PM	ESPN+
CENTRAL ARKANSAS AT QUEENS	7:00PM	ESPN+
FGCU AT EASTERN KENTUCKY	7:00PM	ESPN+
PURDUE FORT WAYNE AT IUPUI	7:00PM	ESPN+
ROBERT MORRIS AT OAKLAND	7:00PM	ESPN+
YOUNGSTOWN STATE AT DETROIT MERCY	7:00PM	ESPN+
TROY AT GEORGIA STATE	7:00PM	ESPN+
COASTAL CAROLINA AT OLD DOMINION	7:00PM	ESPN+
LOUISIANA AT ULM	7:30PM	ESPN+
NORTHERN KENTUCKY AT MILWAUKEE	8:00PM	ESPN+
WRIGHT STATE AT GREEN BAY	8:00PM	ESPN+
LINDENWOOD AT SOUTHEAST MISSOURI	8:00PM	ESPN+
A&M-COMMERCE AT HOUSTON CHRISTIAN	8:00PM	ESPN+
NICHOLLS AT LAMAR	8:00PM	ESPN+
TEXAS STATE AT ARKANSAS STATE	8:00PM	ESPN+
WESTERN ILLINOIS AT ORAL ROBERTS	8:00PM	–
ST. THOMAS AT KANSAS CITY	8:00PM	–
NORTH DAKOTA AT OMAHA	8:00PM	–
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA AT A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI	8:30PM	ESPN+
NEW ORLEANS AT UIW	8:30PM	ESPN+
SIUE AT EASTERN ILLINOIS	8:30PM	ESPN+
MOREHEAD STATE AT TENNESSEE TECH	8:30PM	ESPN+
SOUTHERN MISS AT MARSHALL	9:00PM	ESPN2
ARIZONA STATE AT OREGON	9:00PM	FS1
LITTLE ROCK AT SOUTHERN INDIANA	9:00PM	ESPNU
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT AT SAINT MARY’S	9:00PM	CBSSN
COLORADO AT USC	9:00PM	PAC12
NORTH DAKOTA STATE AT DENVER	9:00PM	ALT2
UTA AT GRAND CANYON	9:00PM	–
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN AT UTAH TECH	9:00PM	ESPN+
SAM HOUSTON AT SOUTHERN UTAH	9:00PM	ESPN+
MCNEESE AT NORTHWESTERN STATE	9:00PM	ESPN+
UT MARTIN AT TENNESSEE STATE	9:00PM	ESPN+
LIPSCOMB AT AUSTIN PEAY	9:00PM	ESPN+
WEBER STATE AT MONTANA	9:00PM	ESPN+
IDAHO STATE AT MONTANA STATE	9:00PM	ESPN+
GONZAGA AT BYU	9:30PM	ESPN
PEPPERDINE AT SAN DIEGO	10:00PM	–
NM STATE VS. SEATTLE U	10:00PM	ESPN+
NORTHERN ARIZONA AT PORTLAND STATE	10:00PM	ESPN+
NORTHERN COLORADO AT SACRAMENTO STATE	10:00PM	ESPN+
ARIZONA AT OREGON STATE	11:00PM	ESPN2
SAN FRANCISCO AT PORTLAND	11:00PM	ESPNU
STANFORD AT WASHINGTON	11:00PM	FS1
UTAH AT UCLA	11:00PM	PAC12
GOLF	TIME ET	TV
PGA: SONY OPEN IN HAWAII	7:00PM	GOLF
NBA REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
OKLAHOMA CITY AT PHILADELPHIA	7:00PM	BALLY SPORTS NBCS-PHI
BOSTON AT BROOKLYN	7:30PM	TNT
MILWAUKEE AT MIAMI	7:30PM	BALLY SPORTS
CHARLOTTE AT TORONTO	7:30PM	SPORTSNET BALLY SPORTS
DALLAS AT LA LAKERS	10:00PM	TNT
CLEVELAND AT PORTLAND	10:00PM	BALLY SPORTS ROOT SPORTS
NHL REGULAR SEASON GAMES	TIME ET	TV
TORONTO AT DETROIT	7:00PM	ESPN
CAROLINA AT COLUMBUS	7:00PM	BALLY SPORTS
DALLAS AT NY RANGERS	7:00PM	BALLY SPORTS MSG
NASHVILLE AT MONTRÉAL	7:00PM	BALLY SPORTS SPORTSNET
SEATTLE AT BOSTON	7:00PM	ROOT SPORTS NESN
VANCOUVER AT TAMPA BAY	7:00PM	BALLY SPORTS SPORTSNET
WINNIPEG AT BUFFALO	7:00PM	MSG-BUF SPORTSNET
MINNESOTA AT NY ISLANDERS	7:30PM	BALLY SPORTS MSGSN
CALGARY AT ST. LOUIS	8:00PM	BALLY SPORTS SPORTSNET
COLORADO AT CHICAGO	8:30PM	ALT NBCS-CHI
OTTAWA AT ARIZONA	9:00PM	SPORTSNET BALLY SPORTS
FLORIDA AT VEGAS	10:00PM	BALLY SPORTS ATTSN-RM
SOCCER MATCHES	TIME ET	TV
GULF CUP OF NATIONS: IRAQ VS YEMEN	10:00AM	ESPN+
GULF CUP OF NATIONS: SAUDI ARABIA VS OMAN	10:00AM	ESPN+
COPPA ITALIA: FIORENTINA VS SAMPDORIA	12:00PM	PARAMOUNT+
SUPERCOPA DE ESPAÑA: REAL BETIS VS BARCELONA	2:00PM	ESPN2
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: FULHAM VS CHELSEA	3:00PM	PEACOCK
COPPA ITALIA: ROMA VS GENOA	3:00PM	PARAMOUNT+
CULB FRIENDLY: HERTHA BSC VS MILLONARIOS	7:00PM	ESPN+
LIGA MX: ATLAS VS MAZATLÁN	10:00PM	TUDN