THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” THURSDAY JANUARY 16, 2025

“THE SCOREBOARD”

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL

SCOREBOARD-HOMESTEAD.COM

ANDERSON PREP	78	BLUE RIVER	58
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE	81	MARTINSVILLE	68
CENTERVILLE	51	EAST CENTRAL	43
CONNERSVILLE	60	SETON CATHOLIC	55
EVANSVILLE HARRISON	67	EVANSVILLE MATER DEI	52
FRANKLIN COUNTY	49	UNION COUNTY	32
INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE	79	INDIANAPOLIS INTERNATIONAL	19
LOOGOOTEE	62	VINCENNES RIVET	35
NORTH DAVIESS	46	EASTERN GREENE	32
NORTH MIAMI	67	ARGOS	63
ORLEANS	62	MITCHELL	40
PHALEN ACADEMY	81	KIPP INDY LEGACY	74
TRITON	64	JOHN GLENN	31
TWIN LAKES	46	BENTON CENTRAL	33
WESTVILLE	57	LAKE STATION	44
DELAWARE COUNTY TOURNAMENT
WAPAHANI	43	DELTA	38	R1
YORKTOWN	66	WES-DEL	50	R1
MARION COUNTY TOURNAMENT
BEN DAVIS	59	SOUTHPORT	47	QF
LAWRENCE NORTH	41	WARREN CENTRAL	39	QF
PIKE	57	INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI	37	QF
NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS)	72	DECATUR CENTRAL	58	QF
NECC TOURNAMENT
GARRETT	57	WEST NOBLE	49	QF
CENTRAL NOBLE	61	LAKELAND	52	QF
CHURUBUSCO	43	FAIRFIELD	38	QF
WESTVIEW	63	PRAIRIE HEIGHTS	42	QF

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL

SCOREBOARD-HOMESTEAD.COM

CARROLL (FLORA)	41	DELPHI	32
DANVILLE	73	DECATUR CENTRAL	47
DEKALB	69	NEW HAVEN	20
EAST CENTRAL	52	RUSHVILLE	29
EASTERN (PEKIN)	59	CLARKSVILLE	29
EVANSVILLE CENTRAL	69	VINCENNES LINCOLN	49
EVANSVILLE MATER DEI	77	EVANSVILLE HARRISON	56
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL	69	SOUTH NEWTON	13
HUNTINGTON NORTH	71	FORT WAYNE WAYNE	44
LAWRENCEBURG	49	JAC-CEN-DEL	39
MICHIGAN CITY	42	RIVER FOREST	38
MONROE CENTRAL	57	UNION (MODOC)	15
MONROVIA	57	EDGEWOOD	45
NORTH JUDSON	49	LAVILLE	43
NORTH PUTNAM	59	NORTH MONTGOMERY	49
NORWELL	51	FORT WAYNE DWENGER	40
OAK HILL	40	NORTHWESTERN	29
OWEN VALLEY	51	CLAY CITY	26
PENN	31	NORTHRIDGE	29
PLAINFIELD	71	BLOOMINGTON NORTH	54
ROCHESTER	50	LOGANSPORT	18
SOUTH BEND RILEY	54	GARY WEST	29
TIPPECANOE VALLEY	52	NORTH MIAMI	26
TRI-WEST	67	SOUTHMONT	53
UNION COUNTY	44	RANDOLPH SOUTHERN	22
WABASH	46	EASTBROOK	33
WARSAW	71	MISHAWAKA	11
NECC TOURNAMENT
EASTSIDE	58	ANGOLA	41	QF
CENTRAL NOBLE	50	LAKELAND	31	QF
FAIRFIELD	41	FREMONT	38	QF
WESTVIEW	40	PRAIRIE HEIGHTS	35	QF

INDIANA BOYS WRESTLING:

DUAL RESULTS: https://indianamat.com/index.php?/dualresults.html/boys-dual-results/

TOURNAMENT RESULTS: https://indianamat.com/index.php?/curtournamentresults.html/boys-tournament-results/

INDIANA MAT HOMEPAGE: https://indianamat.com/

INDIANA GIRLS WRESTLING:

STATE FINALS

JANUARY 17

@ CORTEVA COLISEUM

SCHEDULE

8:30 AM ET – GATES OPEN

9:30 AM ET – PARADE OF CHAMPIONS

10 AM ET – FIRST ROUND BEGINS*

* QUARTERFINALS AND SEMIFINALS WILL BE WRESTLED IMMEDIATELY AFTER FIRST ROUND

APPROX. 3:30 PM ET – INTERMISSION

4:15 PM ET – CONSOLATION ROUND BEGINS

7 PM ET – STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES BEGIN

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES

#2 IOWA STATE 74 #9 KANSAS 57

#12 MICHIGAN STATE 90 PENN STATE 85

#6 TENNESSEE 74 #23 GEORGIA 56

#10 HOUSTON 70 WEST VIRGINIA 54

#17 PURDUE 69 WASHINGTON 58

UNLV 65 #22 UTAH STATE 62

ELSEWHERE:

VANDERBILT 66 SOUTH CAROLINA 63

WAKE FOREST 80 STANFORD 67

GEORGE MASON 67 DAYTON 59

BUTLER 82 SETON HALL 77

VIRGINIA TECH 79 NC STATE 76

NORTH CAROLINA 79 CALIFORNIA 53

ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM 92 S. FLORIDA 83

OAKLAND 72 IU INDY 59

PURDUE FORT WAYNE 120 WRIGHT STATE 113 2OT

ST. BONAVENTURE 63 RICHMOND 49

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 73 MISSOURI STATE 51

CLEVELAND STATE 76 NORTHERN KENTUCKY 58

DUQUESNE 73 GEORGE WASHINGTON 65

TULANE 80 FLORIDA ATLANTIC 65

TROY 77 LOUISIANA MONROE 58

TEXAS STATE 94 GEORGIA STATE 80

UTAH 73 TCU 65

SOUTH ALABAMA 75 SOUTHERN MISS 62

ILLINOIS CHICAGO 97 MURRAY STATE 93 2OT

BRADLEY 118 INDIANA STATE 65

DRAKE 66 ILLINOIS STATE 62

LOYOLA ILLINOIS 81 RHODE ISLAND 77

SMU 54 VIRGINIA 52

OMAHA 80 DENVER 62

TEXAS 77 OKLAHOMA 73

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES

#20 WEST VIRGINIA 73 COLORADO 46

#22 MICHIGAN STATE 70 RUTGERS 60

#6 CONNECTICUT 71 ST. JOHN’S 45

#1 UCLA 83 PENN STATE 67

NORTHWESTERN AT #4 USC POSTPONED

ELSEWHERE:

UMASS 82 LASALLE 66

ARMY 74 LAFAYETTE 65

CLEVELAND STATE 74 ROBERT MORRIS 53

COLGATE 62 NAVY 54

VILLANOVA 66 DEPAUL 55

LEHIGH 80 BOSTON 54

USC UPSTATE 60 UNC ASHEVILLE 57

CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 78 WINTHROP 50

DAYTON 80 DUQUESNE 71

RICHMOND 98 ST. BONAVENTURE 60

RHODE ISLAND 64 VCU 50

HOLY CROSS 63 BUCKNELL 37

CENTRAL MICHIGAN 75 AKRON 55

GEORGIA SOUTHERN 69 TEXAS STATE 62

JAMES MADISON 93 MARSHALL 65

IU INDY 75 WRIGHT STATE 63

EAST CAROLINA 72 CHARLOTTE 65

BUFFALO 77 EASTERN MICHIGAN 55

YOUNGSTOWN STATE 75 NORTHERN KENTUCKY 66

OLD DOMINION 78 APPALACHIAN STATE 71

MIAMI OHIO 73 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 52

BALL STATE 66 KENT STATE 57

TULANE 66 WICHITA STATE 62

BOWLING GREEN 74 OHIO 53

PROVIDENCE 51 XAVIER 45

MICHIGAN 82 WASHINGTON 69

WESTERN MICHIGAN 41 TOLEDO 38

GEORGE MASON 69 LOYOLA ILLINOIS 39

ST. JOSEPH 72 FORDHAM 65

TULSA 79 FLORIDA ATLANTIC 64

NORTH TEXAS 61 RICE 53

ST. LOUIS 64 GEORGE WASHINGTON 63

ARKANSAS STATE 69 LOUISIANA 65 OT

TEXAS SAN ANTONIO 70 MEMPHIS 68

KANSAS CITY 73 DENVER 66 OT

NORTH DAKOTA 80 SOUTH DAKOTA 54

BOISE STATE 93 SAN JOSE STATE 64

WYOMING 66 NEVADA 61

OREGON 69 PURDUE 53

COLORADO STATE 62 SAN DIEGO STATE 58

FRESNO STATE 74 UTAH STATE 54

SETON HALL 58 MARQUETTE 52

UNLV 84 AIR FORCE 51

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

MONDAY, JAN. 20

NOTRE DAME VS. OHIO STATE (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME — IN ATLANTA) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN

NFL PLAYOFFS

DIVISIONAL PLAY-OFF SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, JAN. 18

AFC:

4:30 P.M.

HOUSTON AT KANSAS CITY (ESPN/ABC, ESPN+, ESPN DEPORTES)

NFC:

8:00 P.M.

WASHINGTON AT DETROIT (FOX, FOX DEPORTES)

SUNDAY, JAN. 19

NFC:

3:00 P.M.

LOS ANGELES RAMS AT PHILADELPHIA (NBC, PEACOCK, TELEMUNDO, UNIVERSO)

AFC:

6:30 P.M.

BALTIMORE AT BUFFALO (CBS, PARAMOUNT+)

SUNDAY, JAN. 26

NFC:

3:00 P.M.

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (FOX, FOX DEPORTES)

AFC:

6:30 P.M.

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (CBS, PARAMOUNT+)

NBA SCORES

NEW YORK 125 PHILADELPHIA 119 OT

TORONTO 110 BOSTON 97

MEMPHIS 129 SAN ANTONIO 115

ATLANTA 110 CHICAGO 94

MILWAUKEE 122 ORLANDO 93

NEW ORLEANS 119 DALLAS 116

CHARLOTTE 117 UTAH 112

HOUSTON 128 DENVER 108

GOLDEN STATE 116 MINNESOTA 115

LA LAKERS 117 MIAMI 108

LA CLIPPERS 126 BROOKLYN 67

NHL SCORES

BUFFALO 4 CAROLINA 2

EDMONTON 5 MINNESOTA 3

TOP NATIONAL RELEASES/HEADLINES

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

TEXAS’ EWERS DECLARES FOR 2025 NFL DRAFT

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers will forgo his senior season and declare for the 2025 NFL Draft, his agent, Ron Slavin, told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Ewers’ decision comes at the deadline for eligible college players to declare their intention to go pro.

The Texas signal-caller led the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff during his final collegiate season, losing to Ohio State in the semifinals.

Ewers went 21-5 as a starter over his last two seasons with Texas, making the CFP in both years. The Longhorns went winless in the CFP in 2023 but notched two playoff victories in Ewers’ final campaign over Clemson and Arizona State.

He passed for 3,472 yards with 31 touchdowns to 12 interceptions this past season. Ewers ends his Texas career with 27 wins in 35 starts and a total of 9,128 yards, 68 passing scores, and 24 picks.

Ewers joins a 2025 quarterback class that also includes Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward, among others.

NFL NEWS

LIONS, COMMANDERS COLLIDE IN BATTLE OF THE BOLD

Detroit claimed the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time in franchise history, but the Lions are nowhere near the top of their bucket list as the divisional playoffs get underway Saturday night at Ford Field.

“We came into this year ready for games like this,” Lions quarterback Jared Goff said. “If we win, we get another one at home. That’s a big reward.”

Runners up to the 49ers in the NFC last season, the Lions (15-2) set a franchise record for wins in the 2024 regular season, clinching the NFC North with a Week 18 win over the Minnesota Vikings. That victory secured the only first-round bye in the conference.

While the Lions rested and plotted ways to protect their injury-ravaged defense, the Washington Commanders scored their first postseason victory since 2005 at Tampa Bay, 23-20 behind rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

A completion percentage of 72 percent with 12 touchdowns in the fourth quarter and overtime helped define Daniels’ stellar rookie season. He threw a game-tying TD pass to No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin on fourth down at Tampa Bay and, after the Buccaneers tied the game, he calmly connected on three straight passes and ran for a first down to set up the game-winning field goal. Daniels led five comeback wins and helped Washington crash the playoffs with three fourth-quarter touchdown passes to beat the Eagles last month.

Rookie quarterbacks are 5-7 in the Divisional Playoffs since 1950 and 1-4 since 2010. Only Mark Sanchez (2009 with the Jets) and Joe Flacco (2008, Ravens) have won multiple road games as rookie starters.

Daniels, described by his coach as a “killer inside that helmet,” might not fit the description of rookie at this point in the season. He helped the Commanders improve from four wins to a 12-5 finish and was 8-3 in one-score games.

“He does not play the position like a rookie quarterback,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said.

The No. 6 seed in the NFC goes back on the road for the fourth playoff matchup with the Lions, who are 0-3 against Washington in the playoffs. With a win, the Commanders would advance to the conference championship for the first time since they defeated the Lions in the 1991 NFC title game.

“Jayden has such poise in these winning time moments. And that is contagious as well,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said.

Beating Detroit on its home turf is likely to require another clutch showing from Daniels and the Washington defense. The Commanders slowed down Baker Mayfield and the Bucs last week, but the Lions are a different animal.

No. 1 in the NFL in scoring offense (33.2 points per game) and second in total offense (409.5 yards per game) during the regular season, Detroit welcomes the return of running back David Montgomery (1,116 yards from scrimmage, 12 rushing TDs in 2024) after he missed three games with a knee injury suffered Dec. 15. Montgomery was considered a surgery candidate but said rehab has him feeling stronger than he was before the injury.

“He’s a big part of this team. Anytime you get a key player and a guy like him — the way he runs, you really can’t replace it,” Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said. “To have him back, we’re all pretty excited on the offensive side of the ball because he sets a tone for us as an offense. I feel like he gets guys going. We can’t wait to have him out there. I’m excited to see him even go in practice again and then be out there for the game.”

Montgomery’s pad-popping running style is the ideal complement to speedy Jahmyr Gibbs, who topped 21 miles per hour on two of his TDs (70-yard run, 54-yard reception), according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Gibbs led the team with 1,412 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns, plus 52 catches for 517 yards and four more TDs. St. Brown was named All-Pro in 2024 with a team-high 115 receptions for 1,263 yards and 12 TDs, and Goff throwing 37 TD passes and completing 72.4 percent of his attempts.

“They’re all really good,” Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said. “They test your discipline. I think (offensive coordinator) Ben (Johnson) does a really nice job of understanding coverages. He understands the responsibility of every player, and he’s going to test the discipline of those players in coverage. … And then they have really good players.”

Detroit’s defense has been dominant on third down despite being besieged by injuries. The Lions led the NFL in third-down defense and beat the Vikings by surprising Minnesota with more than 50 percent man-to-man coverage, far higher than the league average. Even with subs in several key positions, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn hasn’t changed the approach. Twelve defensive players who were starters or key backups are on IR.

But staying the course and delivering results is the big reason he’s been a popular target for teams with a vacancy at head coach.

“One thing I’ve respected is so many times when you see a team have injuries, they change to play differently,” Quinn said. “And ‘let’s play more of this,’ which they never did. I thought there’s some boldness and confidence that goes with that.”

Washington and Detroit are both plenty bold when it comes to rolling the dice. The Commanders led the NFL in fourth-down conversion percentage, moving the chains on 20 of 23 attempts. Campbell and Johnson went for it on fourth down more than any other team this season and converted 22 of 33 tries. They lead the NFL with 151 attempts on fourth down since 2021.

The Commanders converted three times in five fourth-down tries last week.

“I think that’s who we are the whole season,” Quinn said. “But when you do get stopped early, you just have to stay the course knowing that, ‘Hey, keep your chin tucked and keep swinging,’ knowing that this is going to be a game that’s going to go all the way down to the end.”

Goff, a No. 1 pick in 2016 who played in a Super Bowl with the Rams before joining the Lions via trade, said Daniels, drafted No. 2 in 2024, appears comfortable no matter the circumstance.

“It doesn’t look like he is a rookie, it doesn’t look like he feels like a rookie,” Goff said. “It feels like he understands the moment and is comfortable in it and our job on defense is to try to make him uncomfortable. It’s been a challenge for a lot of teams this year, but I’m excited to see what they do.”

MICAH PARSONS ‘DEVASTATED’ BY COWBOYS, MIKE MCCARTHY SPLIT

Dallas Cowboys All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons called the decision to part with head coach Mike McCarthy “devastating.”

Parsons said on “The Edge” podcast this week he was not expecting Dallas and McCarthy to go separate ways after five seasons. McCarthy is the only head coach Parsons has played for in the NFL.

“I’m obviously very sad because of the relationships we had with Coach McCarthy and everything he’s done for our program,” Parsons said on the podcast. “Three straight 12-5 seasons, playoff appearances and obviously an unfortunate year due to injuries. … It is devastating. Coach Mike is a great father, great coach. One of the most winningest coaches. He’s always been good to us as a unit, coaches, players. Losing a great coach like Mike hurts.”

NFL Network reported Wednesday that the Cowboys are expected to interview former New York Jets coach Robert Saleh for the available position.

Already Parsons and the Cowboys were entering what could be a contentious stage in their relationship because of his contract status. The 25-year-old is set to play on a team option worth $24 million in 2025 and recent history shows owner and general manager Jerry Jones is willing to let the clock tick before addressing extensions. Before massive contracts were reached with CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott in 2024, the two sides engaged in extended standoffs.

Lamb held out of training camp and signed days before the start of the 2024 regular season.

Even so, Parsons said he believes Jones will make the right decision in replacing McCarthy.

“But listen, I already know,” he told the podcast. “I trust my owner, I trust our GM, I trust (vice president of player personnel) Will McClay that we’re going to make the right decisions when it comes to coaching.”

REPORT: COWBOYS TO INTERVIEW EX-JETS COACH ROBERT SALEH

The Dallas Cowboys will officially begin their coaching search by interviewing former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh, NFL Network reported Wednesday.

Saleh compiled a 20-36 record in three-plus seasons with the Jets. He was fired after a 2-3 start this season.

The Cowboys parted ways with Mike McCarthy earlier this week after five seasons and a 49-35 record, including three 12-win seasons and two NFC East titles but also a 1-3 mark in the playoffs.

Saleh, 45, is reportedly on the coaching radar screen for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders, and could also be in the mix for multiple defensive coordinator openings.

Saleh was the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers from 2017-20 before taking over the Jets.

The Cowboys finished 7-10 in 2024. They have not been to the Super Bowl since beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX on Jan. 28, 1996.

BROWNS SUED BY CITY OVER POSSIBLE MOVE FROM CLEVELAND TO PROPOSED DOMED STADIUM IN SUBURBS

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland’s fight to keep the Browns from moving from downtown and into a proposed dome in the suburbs has taken yet another legal turn.

The city has filed a lawsuit to stop the NFL team from leaving Cleveland’s lakefront when its stadium lease expires after the 2028 season. Team owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam intend to build a $2.4 billion stadium and adjacent entertainment complex in Brook Park, Ohio, 15 miles south of the city.

Cleveland filed the lawsuit in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday.

It’s the latest twist in a struggle that has history and familiarity to Browns fans, who felt betrayed in 1995 when late owner Art Modell, unable to strike a deal with the city to get a new stadium, moved the franchise to Baltimore.

That messy situation led to the enactment of the “Modell Law, ” which in part says that any professional sports team that uses state funding for its facility for home games can’t leave without permission or providing advance notice.

The law, passed in 1996, also gives residents a chance to buy the team or find a new buyer. In the lawsuit, the city claims the Browns violated the law by not doing either.

The Browns have not commented on the city’s lawsuit.

In October, the team informed Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb of its intentions to build the state-of-the-art stadium, which the Browns have proposed being partially funded by public money. Cleveland has been in its current home, Huntington Bank Field, since 1999 when the city was awarded an expansion team following Modell’s exit.

The team has filed its own lawsuit seeking clarity on the “Modell Law.” That federal case is pending.

The Haslams previously benefited from the Modell Law. When it was enacted to keep the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer from leaving Ohio’s state capital in 2019, the Haslams bought the franchise. Haslam Sports Group also has a minority ownership stake in the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks.

The city had previously offered the Browns $461 million to help with renovations to their current 65,000-seat stadium.

RAMS NEED TO SLOW SAQUON BARKLEY IN NFC DIVISIONAL MATCHUP AT EAGLES

If it were up to Saquon Barkley, he would put the entire Philadelphia Eagles organization on his back and try to sprint into the NFC Championship Game.

The Los Angeles Rams hope to prevent that from happening, but it won’t be easy.

Barkley will be a focal point when the Eagles host the Rams on Sunday afternoon in an NFC divisional-round playoff matchup. No. 2 seed Philadelphia is coming off a win over the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round, and No. 4 seed Los Angeles advanced after a wild-card win over the Minnesota Vikings.

It will be the second meeting of the season between the Eagles and Rams. In the first game, Barkley erupted for a career-high 302 yards from scrimmage, including a franchise-record 255 rushing yards, to go along with two touchdowns.

Philadelphia cruised to a 37-20 win in that one. Barkley became the sixth player in NFL history to record multiple rushing touchdowns of 70-plus yards in a game.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni knows the Rams want to avoid a blockbuster sequel.

“They’ll see stuff on film they want to repeat and they want to do differently,” Sirianni said. “We know we’re going to get people’s best effort to stop Saquon. That’s what we’ve dealt with all year.”

Neither club is a stranger to the big stage. Sirianni and the Eagles are looking to reach the conference title game for the second time in the past three seasons, and Rams coach Sean McVay is aiming for his third championship game in eight seasons.

The teams took far different paths to this point in the postseason.

Philadelphia was one of the best teams in the NFL for much of the regular season as it surged to a 12-2 start and finished 14-3 as the NFC East champions.

Los Angeles, on the other hand, lost four of its first five games and sat at 5-6 in the standings after the loss to Barkley and the Eagles on Nov. 24. But then the Rams closed the regular season on a 5-1 run to clinch the NFC West, and they dominated the Vikings in their playoff opener, 27-9, despite the game being moved to Arizona because of devastating wildfires in Los Angeles.

McVay said the early-season struggles were a blessing, in retrospect.

“All those scars were necessary to be able to get us to the point we are today,” McVay said. “There’s a resilience, a grit. You learn from those challenging setbacks, and that’s where real growth can occur if people take the right approach.”

Matthew Stafford is the steadying influence who runs the Rams offense. He passed for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions in the regular season, and he posted a 117.7 passer rating last week while completing 19 of 27 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings. Stafford is 5-1 in the playoffs with the Rams.

Wideouts Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp are Stafford’s top two weapons in the passing game and will test the Philadelphia secondary. Running back Kyren Williams racked up 1,299 yards and 14 touchdowns in the regular season and also will pose a threat.

For the Eagles, Jalen Hurts will look to build upon a playoff opener in which he completed 13 of 21 passes for 131 yards and two scores in the 22-10 win. He also rushed six times for 36 yards, and he will give Philadelphia a dual threat as the Rams primarily focus on Barkley.

Sirianni praised Hurts for taking care of the football and giving his team a chance to win.

“It’s pretty impressive, isn’t it?” Sirianni said. “Impressive by him in being able to lead us to wins and not turn the ball over. And be explosive doing it. Everybody has hard jobs to do, but that’s a very hard job for Jalen to do. Can’t give him enough credit.”

Eagles wideout A.J. Brown will try to break out in the receiving game after catching only one pass for 10 yards last week. Brown missed practice Wednesday to rest his knee but said he would return to practice later in the week and be ready to play Sunday.

On defense, the Rams are coming in hot after matching an NFL playoff record with nine sacks against the Vikings a week ago. Kobie Turner had two sacks, and Byron Young and Neville Gallimore finished with 1 1/2 sacks apiece.

The Eagles also boast a high-energy defense. Philadelphia turned in a stellar defensive performance with four takeaways against the Packers in the wild-card round. The unit led the NFL in turnover margin (plus-17) and points scored off takeaways (97) over the final 11 weeks of the regular season.

This is the fourth time the teams have met in the playoffs and the first time since the 2001 season. The Rams hold a 2-1 edge in the series.

MVP FAVORITES LAMAR JACKSON, JOSH ALLEN READY FOR PLAYOFF SHOWDOWN

The two leading candidates for the NFL MVP award will share the field Sunday when the Baltimore Ravens visit the Buffalo Bills in an AFC divisional playoff game.

But neither Lamar Jackson nor Josh Allen view it as a one-on-one battle when the teams square off at Orchard Park, N.Y.

Regardless, the chatter is loud and the contest seemingly continues to narrow down to Lamar vs. Josh.

Jackson is in the mix for his third MVP award. Allen is trying to win his first.

“In the history of football, I’ve never played against another quarterback,” Allen said Wednesday. “I played against their defense.”

Jackson is trying to avoid the comparisons and the MVP discussions, and makes it clear he has no interest in being pals with other quarterbacks.

“We competing against each other,” Jackson said Wednesday. “I’m trying to beat you. I’m not trying to be your friend.”

Veteran Bills linebacker Von Miller sees the appeal of the game and not just because a spot in the AFC Championship Game is on the line.

“He’s an elite player, I’m a huge fan of Lamar for a bunch of years,” Miller said. “Battle of MVPs this weekend. They have a really good team. But we have a good team, as well. That’s why you play the game. You have one game to prove it. It’s not a best-of-seven. You play 60 minutes.”

The second-seeded Bills recorded a 31-7 rout of the visiting Denver Broncos in last week’s wild-card round while the third-seeded Ravens dominated the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers 28-14.

Baltimore racked up 299 rushing yards against the Steelers with Derrick Henry rushing for 186 and two touchdowns on 26 carries.

Henry was signed as a free agent in March after spending his career with the Tennessee Titans and has given the Ravens an extra element. He rushed for 1,921 yards and tied for the NFL lead with 16 rushing touchdowns in the regular season.

“Having him is huge,” said Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, Henry’s former college teammate at Alabama. “I know it’s no fun taking those hits because he usually takes those hits to the defenders. He’s always been a pretty locked-in guy.”

Baltimore is trying to return to the AFC Championship Game. The Ravens lost at home to the Kansas City Chiefs 17-10 last season.

Jackson is just 3-4 as a playoff starter and Baltimore is trying to win two games in the same postseason for the first time since Joe Flacco quarterbacked them to the Super Bowl title in the 2012 season.

Buffalo has lost in this round in three straight campaigns after reaching the AFC title game in the 2020 season, where the Bills fell to the Chiefs. Allen is 6-5 as a playoff starter, including a 17-3 divisional-round win over the Ravens in the 2020 campaign.

Earlier this season, the Ravens rolled to a 35-10 home victory over the Bills on Sept. 29. Henry scored on an 87-yard run as part of a season-best 199-yard day on the ground.

Jackson passed for two touchdowns that day while Allen didn’t throw for any.

“I don’t think either team has taken a step back in any way — both teams are better across the board,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said while reflecting on the previous matchup. “Both teams have kind of defined their personalities a little bit more over the course of the season. It’s kind of what you’d expect at this point.”

Buffalo coach Sean McDermott really doesn’t need a reminder of how the first matchup went.

“They handled us pretty good the first go-around and they’re certainly playing well, well-coached,” McDermott said. “(Harbaugh) won a Super Bowl and comes from great pedigree, so it’ll be a big challenge for us.”

Buffalo reserve running back Ray Davis (concussion) and offensive lineman Alec Anderson (calf) were limited at Wednesday’s walkthrough.

Ravens receiver Zay Flowers (knee) missed practice Wednesday and his status for Sunday will be determined later in the week. He was injured in the regular-season finale against the Cleveland Browns and sat out against the Steelers.

“He can play without practicing — for sure — if he feels healthy enough and if it’s safe for him,” Harbaugh said.

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

TOP 25 ROUNDUP: CURTIS JONES CARRIES NO. 2 IOWA ST. PAST NO. 9 KANSAS

Curtis Jones scored 25 points on 9-for-17 shooting, including 5-for-6 accuracy from 3-point range, and No. 2 Iowa State pulled away for a 74-57 win over No. 9 Kansas on Wednesday in Ames, Iowa.

Dishon Jackson scored 17 points for Iowa State (15-1, 5-0 Big 12), which won its 12th game in a row. Joshua Jefferson registered 10 points and 12 rebounds as the Cyclones increased their home-court winning streak to 28 games.

Zeke Mayo scored 17 points on 7-for-19 shooting to lead Kansas (12-4, 3-2), which had a three-game winning streak end. Dajuan Harris Jr. finished with eight points to go along with a team-high seven assists.

Iowa State finished the game on a 17-5 run to secure the victory. It was the Cyclones’ first game since they reached No. 2 in the rankings for the first time in program history. Iowa State has never been No. 1.

No. 6 Tennessee 74, No. 23 Georgia 56

Jordan Gainey registered 19 points and seven rebounds and the Volunteers overcame a slow start to post a victory over the Bulldogs in Knoxville, Tenn.

Zakai Zeigler recorded 16 points, seven assists and a career-best six steals for Tennessee (16-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference). Jahmai Mashack had 11 points and Cade Phillips added 10 for Tennessee, which opened the second half with a 26-4 burst.

Asa Newell scored 13 points and Silas Demary Jr. added 12 for the Bulldogs (14-3, 2-2), who are ranked in the AP poll for the first time since January 2011. Georgia committed 19 turnovers and shot 37.7 percent from the field.

No. 10 Houston 70, West Virginia 54

J’Wan Roberts scored a game- and season-high 22 points as the Cougars extended the nation’s longest home winning streak to 32 games with a win against the Mountaineers.

L.J. Cryer scored 18 points and Emmanuel Sharp added 14 points for Houston (13-3, 5-0 Big 12), which has won nine straight overall.

Amani Hansberry led West Virginia with 16 points off the bench, with of his points coming in the second half. Javon Small scored 13 points for the Mountaineers (12-4, 3-2), who have dropped two of three since winning seven in a row.

No. 12 Michigan State 90, Penn State 85

Frankie Fidler had a season-high 18 points to go with seven rebounds and four steals as the Spartans beat the Nittany Lions in East Lansing, Mich., to extend their winning streak to 10 games.

Jaden Akins supplied 16 points for the Spartans (15-2, 6-0 Big Ten). Tre Holloman added 10 points and six assists for Michigan State, which turned 14 Penn State turnovers into 27 points.

Ace Baldwin Jr. led the Nittany Lions (12-6, 2-5), losers of four straight games, with 20 points and nine assists. D’Marco Dunn logged 18 points.

No. 17 Purdue 69, Washington 58

Trey Kaufman-Renn had 19 points and six rebounds to help the Boilermakers overcome a slow first half and notch a victory over the Huskies in Seattle.

Braden Smith recorded 17 points, six rebounds and five assists, and he tied his season high of five steals as the Boilermakers (14-4, 6-1 Big Ten) won their sixth straight game.

Great Osobor scored a season-best 28 points on 8-of-9 shooting and was 5 of 5 from 3-point range. Osobor also had nine rebounds and three steals. Washington (10-8, 1-6) has lost four consecutive games, all to ranked teams.

UNLV 65, No. 22 Utah State 62

Jalen Hill, Julian Rishwain and Jailen Bedford each scored in double figures and the Runnin’ Rebels scored the final seven points for an upset victory over the Aggies in Las Vegas.

Hill led the way for UNLV (10-7, 4-2 Mountain West) with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting in addition to grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. Rishwain scored 13 points with four 3-pointers and Bedford added 10 points in 17 minutes off the bench.

Tucker Anderson led the Aggies (16-2, 6-1) with 19 points, making six of his 12 attempts from the field and 4 of 8 attempts from 3-point range. Ian Martinez added 15 points, shooting 5 of 11 from the field overall. Karson Templin scored eight points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for the Aggies.

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 24 MICHIGAN ST. GETS PAST RUTGERS

Julia Ayrault and Emma Shumate scored 12 points apiece and Grace VanSlooten added 11 as No. 24 Michigan State survived for a 70-60 win over Rutgers on Wednesday in Piscataway, N.J.

VanSlooten netted eight points in the third quarter as the Spartans (14-3, 4-2 Big Ten) broke away from a halftime tie to lead by nine going into the fourth. Ayrault added nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks on the night.

Destiny Adams collected 15 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks for the Scarlet Knights (8-10, 0-7), who have lost six straight games. Kiyomi McMiller chipped in 13 points, but she also was responsible for seven of her team’s 22 turnovers.

Michigan State converted those giveaways into 26 points. Neither team shot better than 38 percent from the floor.

No. 6 UConn 71, St. John’s 45

Paige Bueckers returned after a two-game absence caused by a left knee sprain and scored 12 points as the Huskies blew out the Red Storm in New York.

Azzi Fudd led UConn (16-2, 7-0 Big East) with 13 points, and Ashlynn Shade added 10. The Huskies, who built a double-digit lead before the midpoint of the first quarter, have won six straight games.

St. John’s (11-6, 1-5) shot just 32.7 percent from the floor. Ber’Nyah Mayo paced the Red Storm with 10 points.

No. 20 West Virginia 73, Colorado 46

Sydney Shaw and JJ Quinerly scored 19 points apiece and the Mountaineers held the Buffaloes to a two-point second quarter to take control in Morgantown, W.Va.

Kyah Watson and Kylee Blacksten each added 10 points for West Virginia (14-3, 4-2 Big 12). Shaw hit two 3-pointers in the second quarter as the Mountaineers turned a 22-15 deficit after one quarter into a 31-24 lead at the break.

Frida Formann tallied 11 points, Nyamer Diew added nine and Jade Masogayo collected eight points, seven rebounds and two blocks for Colorado (12-5, 3-3), which has lost three of its past five games.

NBA NEWS

NBA MAKES WILDFIRE-RELATED SCHEDULE UPDATES

The NBA announced nine changes to the regular season schedule on Wednesday.

Two games were postponed last week because of the Los Angeles wildfires, while Saturday’s game in Atlanta was postponed due to icy weather. Six other scheduling changes were made to accommodate the rescheduling.

–Charlotte at L.A. Lakers, moved from Jan. 9 to Feb. 19
–Houston at Atlanta, moved from Jan. 11 to Jan. 28
–Charlotte at L.A. Clippers, moved from Jan. 11 to March 16
–Chicago at L.A. Clippers, moved from Jan. 21 to Jan. 20
–Washington at Utah, moved from Jan. 23 to March 19
–Utah at L.A. Lakers, moved from Feb. 11 to Feb. 10
–Washington at L.A. Clippers, moved from March 16 to Jan. 23
–Washington at Portland, moved from March 18 to March 17
–L.A. Clippers at Utah, moved from March 19 to Feb. 13

No makeup date has been selected for last Saturday’s postponed game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Lakers.

The revised schedule does not do the Clippers any favors, giving them three sets of back-to-back games over the next nine days: Wednesday vs. Brooklyn and Thursday at Portland; Sunday vs. Lakers and Monday vs. Chicago; and Jan. 22 vs. Boston and Jan. 23 vs. Washington.

NBA ROUNDUP: CLIPPERS LAY HISTORIC BEATING ON NETS

Kawhi Leonard scored a season-high 23 points and the Los Angeles Clippers posted the largest margin of victory in franchise history by obliterating the visiting Brooklyn Nets 126-67 on Wednesday night.

James Harden added 21 points, 11 assists and six rebounds for Los Angeles, which won by 59 points to better a 50-point victory (138-88) over the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 10, 2022. The Clippers’ largest lead Wednesday was 64. The 59-point margin tied the 10th largest in NBA history.

Leonard shot 8 of 11 from the field in 24 minutes while playing for just the fourth time this season. He was out due to knee issues until earlier this month.

The setback was also the largest in Nets history. The franchise lost by 52 (139-87) to the Houston Rockets on Oct. 18, 1978, when it was known as the New Jersey Nets. Brooklyn’s 67 points were the fewest scored in an NBA game this season.

Knicks 125, 76ers 119 (OT)

Jalen Brunson scored 38 points and Josh Hart posted a triple-double as visiting New York nipped Philadelphia in overtime.

Mikal Bridges contributed 23 points and OG Anunoby scored 17 for New York, which had lost five of its previous seven games. The Knicks played without center Karl-Anthony Towns (thumb), which created more opportunities for Hart to accumulate 10 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists and four steals.

Philadelphia has lost four straight games, all without Joel Embiid (foot). Tyrese Maxey led the way for the Sixers in this one with 33 points, while Paul George notched 26.

Raptors 110, Celtics 97

RJ Barrett produced 22 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as Toronto defeated visiting Boston.

Scottie Barnes added 18 points and nine assists for the Raptors, who have won two in a row for the third time this season — their best runs. Jakob Poeltl had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Toronto. Gradey Dick scored 12 points, and Davion Mitchell chipped in with 10 points.

Payton Pritchard scored 20 points off the bench and Jayson Tatum added 16 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the struggling Celtics, who have lost three of their past five games. Kristaps Porzingis had 18 points and eight rebounds, Jrue Holiday scored 12 points and Al Horford and Jaylen Brown each contributed 10 points.

Lakers 117, Heat 108

Anthony Davis scored 22 points with 11 rebounds, LeBron James added 22 points with nine assists, and Los Angeles ended a three-game losing streak by rallying past visiting Miami.

Rui Hachimura scored a team-high 23 points and Max Christie had 16 for the Lakers, who improved to 1-1 since they had two games postponed because of deadly wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

Tyler Herro scored 34 points for the Heat on a torrid shooting night that saw him go 12 of 18 from the floor and 7 of 12 from 3-point range. Haywood Highsmith and Nikola Jovic each scored 12 points for Miami, which dropped to 3-4 since Jimmy Butler was suspended for seven games for conduct detrimental to the team.

Pelicans 119, Mavericks 116

Dejounte Murray scored 30 points and Trey Murphy III added 24 and a game-saving blocked shot as host New Orleans defeated Dallas.

With the Pelicans up by one near the end, New Orleans turned the ball over and the Mavericks’ Spencer Dinwiddie drove to the basket, but Murphy blocked his shot and made two free throws with 1.5 seconds left. The Pelicans held on for their third win in four games.

Daniel Gafford had 27 points and 12 rebounds, Jaden Hardy scored 21 and Dinwiddie scored 20 for Dallas, which has lost three in a row.

Rockets 128, Nuggets 120

Jalen Green scored 34 points, Alperen Sengun had 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and visiting Houston beat Denver.

Fred VanVleet and Cam Whitmore each scored 16 points and Amen Thompson finished with 11 points for the Rockets, who have won five in a row.

The Nuggets played without three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who injured his elbow during warmups and was ruled out before the start of the game, as well as Aaron Gordon (injury management).

Warriors 116, Timberwolves 115

Stephen Curry finished with 31 points and eight assists to lead Golden State to a turbulent win over Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Curry buried the go-ahead 3-pointer with 47.3 seconds remaining, securing the win after the Warriors blew a 24-point lead they held late in the first quarter. Curry made 10 of his 21 field-goal attempts, including 7 of 12 on 3-point attempts, pushing the Warriors to just their eighth win in 25 games. Andrew Wiggins scored 24 points, including 18 in the second half.

Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo led the Timberwolves with 28 points each. Rudy Gobert added seven points and 10 rebounds, while Julius Randle chipped in 17 points. Edwards chipped in eight boards.

Grizzlies 129, Spurs 115

Ja Morant racked up 21 points and 12 assists as visiting Memphis were at its best in the final two quarters in a victory over San Antonio.

Jackson finished with 19 points and Bane added 21 points for Memphis. Santi Aldama amassed 20 points and 10 rebounds, Luke Kennard had 15 points and nine boards and Jay Huff tallied 11 points as the Grizzlies won for the second time in three games.

Rookie Stephon Castle led the Spurs with a season-high 26 points. Devin Vassell added 21 points, Keldon Johnson scored 17 off the bench and Victor Wembanyama posted 13 points with 12 rebounds and also blocked eight shots in the first half.

Bucks 122, Magic 93

Damian Lillard scored 30 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 26 points and 11 boards to lead host Milwaukee to a dominant victory over Orlando.

Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis each added 14 points off the bench for Milwaukee, which won for the fifth time in six games. Brook Lopez scored 13 points and blocked five shots.

Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 22 points on 8-for-20 shooting. Wendell Carter Jr. added 12 points and 10 boards as the Magic took their fourth loss in six games. Trevelin Queen scored 13 points, Cole Anthony had 11 and Anthony Black contributed 10.

Hawks 110, Bulls 94

Keaton Wallace scored a career-high 27 points and Daeqwon Plowden chipped in 19 off the bench on 7-for-8 shooting in his NBA debut to boost short-handed Atlanta to a win against the host Chicago Bulls.

Missing three starters and their top reserve, the Hawks never trailed while leading by as many as 17 to sweep a back-to-back that started with Tuesday’s home win against Phoenix. Trae Young, who scored a season-best 43 points in that game, was sidelined with a right rib contusion. Jalen Johnson (right shoulder inflammation), Zaccharie Risacher (left adductor irritation), and De’Andre Hunter (left foot soreness) also were out. Dyson Daniels scored 18 points while Onyeka Okongwu (14 points, 13 rebounds) and Clint Capela (11 points, 10 rebounds) both notched double-doubles. Vit Krejci added 11 points.

Coby White paced the Bulls with 16 points. Zach LaVine followed with 15 points and Nikola Vucevic had a double-double of 14 points and 16 rebounds. Julian Phillips and Patrick Williams chipped in 10 points each.

Hornets 117, Jazz 112

Mark Williams amassed 31 points and 13 rebounds to lead Charlotte past Utah in Salt Lake City.

LaMelo Ball totaled 27 points, nine assists and six rebounds while Miles Bridges contributed 25 points and 10 boards as the Hornets won for just the third time on the road all season.

Keyonte George returned from a five-game injury absence to lead the Jazz with 26 points. Brice Sensabaugh finished with 19 points, and rookie Isaiah Collier logged 11 points and 10 assists.

NHL NEWS

MCLEOD SCORES 3 GOALS AS SABRES BEAT HURRICANES 4-2 FOR THIRD WIN IN FOUR GAMES

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Ryan McLeod scored three goals for his first career hat trick and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Wednesday night.

Dylan Cozens also scored and Jason Zucker had two assists for the Sabres, who won for the third time in four games. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 35 saves.

Jaccob Slavin and Martin Necas scored and Brent Burns had two assists in the Hurricanes’ second straight loss. Dustin Tokarski made 21 saves.

McLeod opened the scoring 43 seconds into the game when he whistled a shot past Tokarski. His goal with 6 seconds left in the second period made it 3-0.

Slavin’s got the Hurricanes on the scoreboard 3:45 into the third period and Necas made it a one-goal game with 3:10 to play.

Thompson completed his hat trick with 24 seconds left to make it 4-2.

Takeaways

Sabres: After blowing multi-goal leads in Colorado and home against Seattle on Saturday, Buffalo held on in the third period.

Hurricanes: This is the first time Carolina has lost two in a row since they dropped two straight around the Christmas break at Nashville on Dec. 23 and at New Jersey on Dec. 27.

Key moment

McLeod’s third goal was awarded when his stick was slashed and broken by Burns as he went to put the puck into an empty net with 24 seconds left in the game.

Key stat

McLeod’s muti-goal game is the third of his career and his first goal was the fastest goal to start a game at KeyBank Center this season.

Up Next

Sabres host Pittsburgh on Friday, and Hurricanes host Vegas.

MCDAVID SCORES TWICE, OILERS BEAT WILD 5-3 FOR SEVENTH WIN IN EIGHT GAMES

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Vasily Podkolzin scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, Connor McDavid had two goals and an assist, and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Minnesota Wild 5-3 on Wednesday for their seventh win in eight games.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also had a goal and assist, and Zach Hyman started Edmonton’s comeback from a 2-0 deficit with his 15th goal of the season. Calvin Pickard had 31 saves.

Matt Boldy, Marco Rossi and Ryan Hartman scored for Minnesota, which has lost three of four as it deals with major injuries. Filip Gustavsson stopped 31 shots.

Boldy scored his 17th goal of the season on the power play 3:02 into the game and Rossi added another power-play tally for his 17th to make it 2-0 in the first period. But the Oilers had erased the deficit before the end of the first when McDavid scored his first on the power play.

Minnesota lost forward Marcus Johansson in the second after he took an elbow to the face from McDavid. No penalty was called on the play.

Takeaways

Oilers: With Hyman back to being productive on the first line, Edmonton is surging. Nugent-Hopkins is skating with Hyman and McDavid and has six goals in his last 10 games. Hyman has scored in two of three.

Wild: With four key players out in leading-scorer Kirill Kaprizov and defensemen Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin and Brock Faber, Minnesota has a hard time keeping pace with teams. The Wild have lost three of the four games Brodin and Faber have missed. Kaprizov missed his 10th straight game but has started skating.

Key moment

Hyman’s goal came just 21 seconds after Minnesota had taken a two-goal lead.

Key stat

McDavid passed Jari Kurri for second all-time in points in Edmonton history. McDavid, the three-time Hart trophy winner for league MVP and five-time scoring champion, now has 1,044 points and trails only Wayne Gretzky (1,669) on the franchise list.

Up Next

Oilers visit Colorado on Thursday, and Wild play at Nashville on Saturday.

TENNIS NEWS

NO. 4 TAYLOR FRITZ POSTS ANOTHER AUSTRALIAN OPEN BLOWOUT

Fourth-seeded Taylor Fritz continued to display his top form on Thursday at the Australian Open, routing Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 in second-round action.

In his two victories, Fritz has lost a total of eight games.

The 27-year-old entered the tournament having led the U.S. team to the United Cup title earlier this month. He finished last season on a roll, too, reaching his first career Grand Slam final at the U.S. Open before advancing to the title match at the ATP Finals.

“It always feels great to come out and play a match like that,” Fritz said. “I played well in the first round, too, so I’m high in confidence going into the third round. This is awesome.”

Fritz racked up 24 winners to Garin’s nine, and Garin committed 32 errors to Fritz’s 20. The U.S. player took advantage of seven of his nine break chances without ever conceding a break point.

Following the match, Fritz, a Southern California native, announced that he was donating his first-round winnings (more than $80,000 U.S.) to relief efforts related to the wildfire disaster in the Los Angeles area.

“Southern California’s my home and L.A. was my home for a very long time, so I’m just doing what I can do to help,” he said. “I would encourage anyone else who can donate to help, too, because a lot of people really need help.”

Next up for Fritz is a matchup against another hot player, 38-year-old Frenchman Gael Monfils. Last week, Monfils won the event at Auckland, New Zealand, to become the oldest player to capture an ATP Tour-level title since 1977.

Monfils defeated Germany’s Daniel Altmaier 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (3) on Thursday.

In other second-round action, No. 8 Alex de Minaur of Australia whipped U.S. qualifier Tristan Boyer 6-2, 6-4, 6-3; No. 16 Lorenzo Musetti of Italy downed Canada’s Denis Shapovalov 7-6 (3), 7-6 (6), 6-2; Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic upset No. 18 Hubert Hurkacz of Poland 6-4, 6-4, 6-2; Canada’s Gabriel Diallo dumped No. 19 Karen Khachanov of Russia 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-3, 6-3; No. 21 Ben Shelton of the United States topped Spain’s Pablo Carreno-Busta 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-4; and No. 31 Francisco Cerundolo advanced when fellow Argentine Facundo Diaz Acosta retired while trailing 6-2, 1-0.

IGA SWIATEK POWERS INTO THIRD ROUND AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Iga Swiatek enhanced her status as the WTA’s bagel queen on Thursday at the Australian Open.

The second-seeded Polish player crushed Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova 6-0, 6-2 in the second round at Melbourne, Australia.

The perfect first set marked the 24th time Swiatek logged a 6-0 score during a Grand Slam match over the past four-plus years. She is far and away the leader in that category, with top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus sitting second on the list with nine bagels in that span.

Swiatek put just 49 percent of her first serves in play against Sramkova but never faced a break point while converting five of her six break opportunities.

“I felt really solid today and it was a really efficient game,” Swiatek said. “I’m happy that I kept my focus.”

The result sends Swiatek to a matchup of Grand Slam champions in the third round. Swiatek, a four-time French Open champ and the 2022 U.S. Open winner, will face off against Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu, the 2021 U.S. Open champ.

Raducanu rallied for a 6-3, 7-5 win over the United States’ Amanda Anisimova on Thursday. Anisimova led 3-1 in the first set before losing five games in a row, then went up 3-0 (with two service breaks) in the second set before Raducanu bounced back again.

Raducanu and Anisimova are close off the court.

“It’s incredibly difficult whenever you play a friend, it adds another dimension to the match and not necessarily a pleasant one,” Raducanu said. “It’s really difficult to put all things off court aside. I think I managed to do a great job today.

“She’s such an amazing opponent (and) had so many big wins. So I knew I had to fight hard, raise my game and not go away in the second set even when the chips are down. So I’m just really pleased and I wish her all the best.”

In other early Thursday action, No. 6 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan blitzed the United States’ Iva Jovic 6-0, 6-3; No. 8 Emma Navarro of the United States edged China’s Xiyu Wang 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; No. 9 Daria Kasatkina of Russia bounced China’s Yafan Wang 6-2, 6-0; No. 24 Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan topped China’s Shuai Zhang 6-2, 6-1; and No. 32 Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine thrashed Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic 6-0, 6-1; and Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur toppled Colombia’s Camila Osorio 7-5, 6-3.

TOP INDIANA RELEASES/HEADLINES

COLTS FOOTBALL

COLTS NAMED HOME TEAM FOR NFL’S FIRST BERLIN GAME

The Indianapolis Colts are the designated home team for the NFL’s first regular-season game in Berlin in 2025.

The league confirmed the Colts are set for the game with a date and opponent at historic Olympic Stadium scheduled to be announced when the full schedule is released for 2025.

“The NFL is making history in Berlin, and the Colts are proud to be part of this landmark event in one of the world’s most historic cities,” Colts owner Jim Irsay said in a statement. “The NFL has become a global brand, and we’re looking forward to growing American football in Germany and expanding Colts Nation’s footprint around the world. This game also provides a unique opportunity for our local Indiana partners to engage with German businesses, customers and fans this season and in the future.”

Four previous games in the NFL’s International Series have been held in Germany, in Munich (2022, 2024) and in Frankfurt (two in 2023).

“Germany is an important market for the NFL, with continued growth in fandom and passion for the game,” NFL Germany general manager Alexander Steinforth said in a statement. “After four successful international games in-market across Munich and Frankfurt, we’re thrilled to have the Colts as the designated team for our first-ever regular season game in Berlin in 2025 — a city that holds so much football history and is a true testament to the international expansion and growth of the league.”

The Colts have played twice in Europe, beating the New England Patriots 10-6 in Frankfurt in 2023 and losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars 30-27at London’s Wembley Stadium in 2016.

Olympic Stadium opened in 1936 for the Berlin Summer Games, where American track and field star Jesse Owens won four gold medals.

The NFL played five American Bowl games from 1990-94 at the stadium, which also served as home to the Berlin Thunder of NFL Europe from 2003-07.

COLTS SIGN T LUKE TENUTA TO RESERVE/FUTURE CONTRACT

Indianapolis – The Indianapolis Colts today signed tackle Luke Tenuta to a reserve/future contract.

Tenuta, 6-9, 315 pounds, rejoins the Colts after spending Weeks 1-5 on the team’s active roster in 2022. In 2024, he spent the entire season on the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad. Tenuta was elevated in Week 18 but did not play. He spent the entire 2023 season on the Green Bay Packers’ Injured Reserve list. In 2022, Tenuta saw action in three games with the Packers after spending time with Indianapolis. He participated in the Buffalo Bills’ 2022 offseason program and training camp. Tenuta was originally selected by the Bills in the sixth round (209th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. Collegiately, he played in 34 career games (26 starts) at Virginia Tech (2018-21). His last name is pronounced tuh-NOO-tuh.

INDIANA FUEL

FUEL EARN POINT IN OVERTIME LOSS TO MAINE ON WEDNESDAY

FISHERS– The Fuel hosted the Maine Mariners for the first and only time this season on Wednesday night. After a five-goal first period, the teams headed to overtime and Maine ultimately took the 4-3 win.

1ST PERIOD

The Fuel got off to a hot start with a goal at 5:01 by Nathan Burke to make it 1-0. Bryan Lemos and Colin Bilek had the assists on that goal. 

Burke added to the Fuel’s lead with his second goal of the night at 7:07 to make it 2-0. Defensemen Lucas Brenton and Chris Cameron claimed the assists on that goal. 

At 9:00, Maine’s Xander Lamppa took a slashing penalty putting the Fuel on the power play for the first time. The Mariners killed it off. 

Indy went up 3-0 with a goal by Kevin Lombardi at 13:09. Cam Hausinger collected the lone assist on that goal. 

Lemos took a holding penalty at 14:50, giving Maine their first power play chance of the game. 

Maine bounced back before the end of the period with quick goals by Carter Johnson, exactly as the penalty on Lemos expired, and Lamppa 13 seconds later. 

Shots were equal at ten apiece at the end of the first period. 

2ND PERIOD

Just 23 seconds into the second period, Justin Bean was called for slashing but the Mariners killed off the penalty quickly. 

At 4:14, Hausinger took a slashing penalty to put Maine on the power play but they killed it off. 

Maine tied it up with a goal by Brooklyn Kalmikov at 7:37. 

Both teams settled down after that and the period expired, still tied 3-3.

3RD PERIOD

At 5:27, Brenton was sent to the penalty box for interference but 59 seconds later, Lamppa was penalized for slashing, forcing about a minute of 4-on-4. 

The Fuel had a few good chances on the power play but the Mariners ultimately killed off the last minute. 

Lemos took a hooking penalty at 11:44, putting Maine back on the power play but they killed it off.

Both teams went back and forth in the last half of the third frame before Indy had one last chance as time expired. With the game tied 3-3 and the Fuel outshooting Maine 22-21, the teams headed to overtime. 

OVERTIME

At 2:14 of the overtime period, Jacob Hudson scored for the Mariners to end the game. The Mariners outshot the Fuel 24-23 in the game, and 3-1 in overtime. 

INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

INDIANA TO MATCH UP WITH ILLINOIS ON THURSDAY

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Hoosiers return home to the friendly confines of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall as it hosts a pair of games starting with Illinois on Thursday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

GAME DAY INFO

RV/NR Indiana (12-4, 4-1 B1G) vs. Illinois (12-4, 2-3 B1G)

Thursday, January 16, 2025 • 7 p.m. ET

Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall • Bloomington, Ind. 

Broadcast: Peacock (Keith Lee, Nicole Cardaño-Hillary)

Radio: B97 (Austin Render)

Live Stats: Statbroadcast

Social Media: Facebook | X | Instagram

Promotions: Pride Game (First 500 fans will receive an IU pride flag)

ABOUT THE COACHES

Indiana              Illinois

Teri Moren        Shauna Green

Career Record: 438-233 (22nd Season)      Career Record:  209-104 (11th Season)

Indiana Record: 237-102 (11th Season)       Illinois Record: 53-29 (3rd Season)

ABOUT THE FIGHTING ILLINI

Illinois returns to action after beating then No. 23 Iowa on Thursday, Jan. 9 at State Farm Center. Fifth year forward Kendall Bostic led the way with 17 points and 14 rebounds, her 10th double-double of the season, while three others scored in double figures. Bostic is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder with 15.7 points and 11.3 rebounds while senior guard Genesis Bryant chips in 14.4 points per night. The Illini average 72.2 points per game while shooting 43.3 percent from the floor.

SERIES HISTORY

Indiana leads 50-31

LAST MEETING

2/19/24 – L, 66-68 (Champaign, Ill.)

NOTES

Indiana nabbed its third Top 25 win of the season with a 72-67 win over No. 23 Iowa on Sunday in Iowa City. Junior guard Yarden Garzon lit up the scoreboard with a 21-point performance against the Hawkeyes where she went 5-for-5 from the 3-point line.

Garzon’s effort tied eight other players for the school’s single season 3-point record and the best performance from long range since Ali Patberg went 4-for-4 versus Illinois in the 2019-20 season.

Graduate student guard Sydney Parrish added 15 points on three 3-pointers against the Hawkeyes as she begins to return to form after missing time with a knee injury in late November and December. She also hit three triples in the win at Northwestern.

The Hoosiers have won 17 of the last 18 meetings in the series with Illinois, suffering its only hiccup last season in a loss in Champaign. They also hold an eight-game home win streak over their border foe, last falling at home to the Illini in 2012. 

UP NEXT

A battled with No. 4/5 USC is set for Sunday afternoon when the two teams face off in a nationally televised broadcast on NBC at 12 p.m. ET in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

INDIANA SOFTBALL

ALY VANBRANDT SLATED AT NO. 12 SPOT IN D1SOFTBALL SECOND BASE POSITION RANKINGS

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. ––– Indiana sophomore Aly VanBrandt was listed at No. 12 in D1Softball’s second base position rankings on Wednesday.

In 2024, VanBrandt broke out in her freshman season for the Hoosiers, earning the starting spot at second base and led the team in batting average with a .369 mark. She charted 17 RBI and had 12 stolen bases.

VanBrandt was also named to the All-Big Ten Second Team, NFCA All-Region Second Team and the Big Ten’s All-Freshman Team in 2024.

INDIANA MEN’S SOCCER

MEN’S SOCCER ANNOUNCES FOUR MID-YEAR ADDITIONS

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana men’s soccer head coach Todd Yeagley announced on Wednesday (Jan. 15) the addition of four mid-year enrollees to the program’s 2025 spring roster.

The quartet includes three transfer additions and one freshman early enrollee: senior Palmer Ault (Butler), senior Cristiano Bruletti (Michigan State), redshirt freshman Jacopo Fedrizzi (Evansville) and freshman Owen Sloan.

“We are excited to add these four athletes to our program,” Yeagley said. “As we look to reload for next season, we are confident that Palmer, Cristiano, Jacopo and Owen are ready to make an impact at IU. Each player brings a unique and important skillset as we build our roster for 2025 and beyond. Having the spring term to integrate our four mid-year enrollees will give us a jumpstart for next fall. In the near future, we will announce additional key commitments to our 2025 roster.”

Palmer Ault | Forward | Jr. | Noblesville, Ind. | Butler

Palmer Ault recorded 54 points over three seasons at Butler, scoring 21 goals with 12 assists. Ault broke into the collegiate scene from the jump, earning Top Drawer Soccer Freshman Best XI honors in 2022 as the unanimous BIG EAST Freshman of the Year. The Hoosier State native since earned second-team All-BIG EAST honors both as a sophomore and junior.

“Palmer is a proven goalscorer who can play several roles in our attack,” Yeagley said. “Palmer also has a great soccer IQ, and his final ability to unbalance off the dribble and pass make him an asset for our team. He will provide an immediate impact this fall.”

Cristiano Bruletti | Midfielder | Jr. | Commerce Township, Mich. | Michigan State

Indiana brings on a midfielder with Big Ten experience in Cristiano Bruletti, who spent the last two seasons at Michigan State after a freshman campaign at South Carolina. Bruletti started all 17 matches for the Spartans in the fall, helping them earn one of the top defensive records in the league (18 goals in 17 games).

“Cristiano brings a lot of college experience and maturity to our midfield, and he makes the players around him better,” Yeagley said. “He has the technical ability to connect through the lines while also bringing a toughness and edge to our midfield.”

Jacopo Fedrizzi | Midfielder | R-Fr. | Giulia, Italy | Evansville

A Missouri Valley Conference All-Tournament Team and second-team All-MVC selection, Jacopo Fedrizzi helped Evansville reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996 as a redshirt freshman. Fedrizzi assisted in MVC Tournament wins over Missouri State and Bowling Green and totaled four goals and a team-leading six assists last season. A native of Giulia, Italy, Fedrizzi spent part of his youth career in the academy of Serie A club Udinese.

“Jacopo is an intelligent and excellent passer who is great in combination play,” Yeagley said. “He is an elite finisher and will be an asset with his service on attacking restarts. We anticipate Jacopo to be a key piece to our attack over the next three seasons.”

Owen Sloan | Forward | Fr. | Lake Forest, Ill. | Chicago Fire

Owen Sloan is Indiana’s first freshman addition of the 2025 class. Another product of the Chicago Fire Academy (U17-U19) and FC United (U15-U16), Sloan recorded 44 goals and 20 assists over three-and-a-half between the two clubs and helped the former reach the MLS NEXT Cup quarterfinals. Sloan’s father, Jeremy, played soccer for Ohio State between 1993-96.

“Owen is a versatile and athletic attacking player that has a great engine and a knack for creating problems for opposing defenses,” Yeagley said. “We also feel Owen could develop into an excellent attacking wide back during his time at IU.”

PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL

#17 PURDUE CONTINUES WINNING STREAK AT WASHINGTON

[17] Purdue 69, Washington 58 (Postgame Notes)

No. 17-ranked Purdue improved to 14-4 overall and 6-1 in the Big Ten Conference with a 69-58 win over Washington in Seattle.

The win was Purdue’s sixth in a row overall and sixth in a row in Big Ten play. The Boilermakers have won at least six straight games in Big Ten play in four straight years.

Purdue is 6-1 in the Big Ten for the fifth time under Matt Painter (2025, 2023, 2018, 2011, 2008).

All six of Purdue’s wins during its current streak have come by double-digits, as well as five straight wins by double-digits in Big Ten play. The last time Purdue won five straight Big Ten games by 10 or more points came from Feb. 21 to March 5, 1988.

Purdue is now 21-2 in the month of January since the 2022-23 season, winning 11 straight games in the month.

Purdue has won 30 straight games when holding opponents to 59 or fewer points.

Over the last five games, opponent’s starting lineup is averaging just 37.2 points per game after the Huskies’ starting five scored just 43 points.

Purdue outscored Washington, 47-28, in the second half, shooting 15-of-25 from the field and 14-of-16 from the free throw line. Purdue trailed by 10 in the first half (30-20). After having seven turnovers in the first half, Purdue had just four turnovers in the second half.

Purdue made just three 3-pointers in the win over Washington. However, Purdue is 6-3 since the start of the 2022-23 season when making three or fewer 3-pointers.

In the last 20 years, just one Purdue player has had at least 15 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals in the same game – Braden Smith, who has done it twice this season (Yale, Washington). It has only happened 11 times in the last 20 years in Big Ten play.

Caleb Furst scored a career-high 15 points with six rebounds and four steals.

When Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer combine for 25 points during their careers, the Boilermakers are 31-2. The duo combined for 29 points in the win over Washington.

When the trio of Smith, Kaufman-Renn and Loyer combine to score at least 41 points, the Boilermakers are 13-0. The trio combined to score 48 points in the win,

SEATTLE — Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 19 points to help No. 17 Purdue dig itself out of a hole and come away with a 69-58 win over Washington on Wednesday night.

The Boilermakers (14-4, 6-1 Big Ten) trailed by 10 late in the first half and were down by eight at the break, but opened the second period with an 11-2 surge to storm back in front.

Kaufman-Renn, who entered averaging 17.5 points per game, had a lot to do with the turnaround, scoring 13 points in the final 20 minutes.

Braden Smith added 17 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals for Purdue. Caleb Furst had a career-high 15 points and Fletcher Loyer chipped in with 12.

The Boilermakers outscored the Huskies (10-8, 1-6) by 19 in the second half, and dominated them 40-22 in the paint.

Great Osobor led Washington with 28 points, finishing 8 of 9 from the field and a career-best 5 for 5 from beyond the arc. He also pulled down nine boards.

Takeaways

Purdue: The Boilermakers stretched their winning streak to six, and have won those games by an average of 20.3 points.

Washington: The Huskies, who have lost three straight, set a season worst with 17 turnovers.

Key moment

Purdue pulled away for good with a 13-0 run in just over three minutes, turning a 36-35 deficit into a 48-36 advantage with 10:11 remaining.

Key stat

Purdue went 2 of 6 from the free-throw line in the first half, but 14 for 16 after the break.

Up next

Purdue wraps up its trip to the Pacific Northwest at No. 13 Oregon on Saturday. Washington visits the Ducks on Tuesday.

NOTRE DAME HOCKEY

IRISH HEAD TO MINNESOTA FOR WEEKEND SERIES

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame embarks on their first true road game of the calendar year this weekend as they head to Minnesota to face off against the Golden Gophers, Jan. 17-18, in Minneapolis. The games will air locally on Fox9 and stream live on B1G+.

SERIES OVERVIEW
Opponent: #3/3 Minnesota Golden Gophers | Jan. 17-18
Location: Minneapolis, Minn. | 3M Arena at Mariucci
Schedule: 7p.m. CT (Fri.) | 5p.m. CT (Sat.)
TV: Fox9 | B1G+
Live Stats: FightingIrish.com
Radio: fightingirish.com/radioaffiliates/
Game Notes: Notre Dame

QUICK HITS

The Irish and Golden Gophers reunite for their second weekend series of the season this weekend as they get set to face off in Minneapolis, Jan. 17-18.

In their last meeting, Brennan Ali and Axel Kumlin both boasted career nights as the two recorded for a goal and two assists each. Jack Larrigan also scored his first collegiate goal earlier this season against the Golden Gophers when the two teams first clashed inside Compton Family Ice Arena.

In their most recent series, the Irish split a pair of games with then-No. 9/9 Michigan. After a 5-3 loss Friday night, the Irish responded with a dominant 7-4 victory Saturday.

Fueled by Justin Janicke’s first career hat trick, five individuals boasted multiple points in the contest while Owen Say made 37 stops in net to clinch the victory.

The Irish led Michigan 2-1 after one period of play but it was a memorable second period that insured the victory. At 5:37 of the middle stanza, Hunter Strand tipped a shot in from Jimmy Jurcev to make it a 3-1 game. The primary assist was the first point of Jurcev’s career.

Janicke net his second of the night just 15 seconds after Strand’s tally, to give the Irish a 4-1 lead and force the Wolverines to make a change in goal. Just 17 seconds later, and on their first shot since the change in goalie, Danny Nelson scored his first of the calendar year.

The three goals in 32 seconds set a program record.

With five points on the night, including his first career hat trick, Janicke became the first Irish skater to boast five points in a single game since Bobby Nardella in the 2018-19 season.

Danny Nelson was on the ice for six of the team’s seven goals Saturday night for a +6 on-ice rating which set a Big Ten Conference record. The sophomore center appeared on the box score three times Saturday night with a goal and two assists.

On Friday night, Cole Knuble had a hand in all three Irish goals, picking up a goal and two assists. The team leader in points became the first Irish player to 20 points this season and now sits at 22 points in 18 games played thus far (8-14-22).

Justin Janicke’s six point weekend (3-3-6) also escalated him to 20 points. He now boasts 21 points through 22 games.

The opening contest of 2025 marked Notre Dame’s fourth-ever appearance in an outdoor contest, having previously played at Soldier Field (2013), Fenway Park (2014) and Notre Dame Stadium (2019).

The Irish and Nittany Lions went to an eight-round shootout, the team’s first shootout of the season, Friday night. After the Nittany Lions scored in the first round of the shootout, Hunter Strand evened it up in round two. Nicholas Kempf proceeded to stop seven straight shots in the shootout to clinch the victory after Ryan Helliwell scored in the eighth round to give the Irish the advantage.

The Irish wore a new jersey for Friday’s contest with the design meant to replicate those of the iconic Chicago flag and the Chicago Cubs (MLB).

Notre Dame’s signature leprechaun could be seen on the front of the white jersey inside the “C” of the Cubs organization while the striping on the sleeves takes an Irish twist on the city’s flag, replacing the notable red stars with gold shamrocks.

The teams closed out the weekend on Sunday with the first game at Compton Family Ice Arena of the new year where the Irish fell 3-0 to Penn State.

The Irish closed out the first half of the season with a trip to Columbus, Ohio to face the Buckeyes.

In two games, Danny Nelson led the team with a pair of goals while Nicholas Kempf stopped a career-best 41 saves in Friday’s overtime contest.

The Irish team returned 19 student-athletes from the 2023-24 roster, including 11 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders. The forwards include graduate senior Grant Silianoff and seniors Justin Janicke, Hunter Strand and Tyler Carpenter. Returning defensemen include four who appeared in the final series of the 2023-24 season in Michael Mastrodomenico, Paul Fischer, Zach Plucinski and Henry Nelson.

Notre Dame returned two 20+ point scorers from a season ago as Danny Nelson (9-14-23) and Cole Knuble (9-11-20) are now in their sophomore seasons with the Irish.

In total, eight returners posted double-digit points last season. In addition to Nelson and Knuble, Hunter Strand (4-15-19), Justin Janicke (4-12-16), Paul Fischer (2-14-16), Brennan Ali (3-10-13), Maddox Fleming (3-9-12) and Grant Silianoff (4-7-11) look to improve upon their double-digit performances a season ago.

At the last line of defense, the Irish return Jack Williams in goal and added two new netminders to the mix in Nicholas Kempf (USNTDP) and Owen Say (Mercyhurst).

The Irish added 10 new faces to the squad in 2024-25, including five freshmen and five transfers. The 10 newcomers consist of five forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders.

NOTRE DAME vs. MINNESOTA

In 78 all-time meetings between the Irish and Golden Gophers, Minnesota holds a 45-27-6 edge.

At Mariucci, the Irish trail the all-time series by a 16-23-3 margin and earned a split with the Golden Gophers a season ago in Minneapolis.

Earlier this season, Jack Larrigan net his first collegiate goal against Minnesota in game one of the season series.

In game two of the weekend series at Compton Family Ice Arena, Axel Kumlin and Brennan Ali both earned career nights with three points each off a goal and two assists.

NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL

MOORE NAMED FWAA FRESHMAN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – On the heels of his FWAA Freshman All-America Team selection, true freshman cornerback Leonard Moore has been named the 2024 FWAA Freshman Defensive Player of the Year. He is the first Irish player to earn a FWAA Freshman Player of the Year honor since the organization instituted the award in 2018.

Moore, a 2024 FWAA Freshman All-American, was also named the 2024 College Football Network Freshman Cornerback of the Year, as well as being named to the Freshman All-America teams for ESPN, The Athletic (First Team), Pro Football Focus, the College Football Network and the 247Sports True Freshman All-America Team.

Moore, now with nine starts under his belt, totaled seven tackles in each of his first two career starts. He has posted two interceptions this season, one against Virginia and one against Navy. 

This season, Moore has totaled 43 tackles, including 2.0 TFL, 10 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a QB hurry. He has made an impact throughout Notre Dame’s CFP run, totaling five tackles, two pass breakups and a TFL against Georgia and allowing just one catch for a 39.6 opposing passer rating against Indiana, according to Pro Football Focus.

Moore recorded five pass breakups in the 49-35 victory at USC, tied for the second-most pass breakups in a single game by any FBS player this season, and the only freshman in the country to achieve the feat in 2024.

In the 35-14 win over Virginia, Moore snagged an interception which led to an Irish touchdown drive, adding a quarterback hurry and three tackles.  In his third-career start in the 51-14 win at No. 24 Navy, Moore snagged his first-career interception on fourth down to cement an Irish victory.

Moore shone in his second-career start, leading the Irish secondary with seven tackles and being the key playmaker on the defining drive of the 31-13 win at Georgia Tech. In addition to his seven tackles, Moore posted a TFL (-16 yards) and two pass breakups.

In his first-career start in Notre Dame’s 31-24 win over No. 15 Louisville, he led the entire defense with seven tackles (six solo), forcing a fumble to return possession to the Irish and leading to a Notre Dame touchdown to take the lead.  With the game tied in the first quarter, Moore executed a textbook punch-out on a Louisville QB run, giving Notre Dame possession at the Irish 47-yard line and leading to a touchdown on the ensuing drive to take a 14-7 lead. Notre Dame would not relinquish the lead.

TERRY HANRATTY NAMED TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

Terry Hanratty (1966-68), who led the University of Notre Dame to the 1966 National Championship as the starting quarterback and was a Consensus All-American in 1968 has been named to the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class, as announced by the National Football Foundation on Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

The 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas on December 9, 2025.

Hanratty becomes the 56th former Fighting Irish student-athlete or coach in the College Football Hall of Fame, which is by far the most for any college football program.

Hanratty threw for over 1,200 yards in each of his three seasons as Notre Dame’s starting quarterback and upon his graduation in 1969 held the program record for completions (304), passing yards (4,152) and passing touchdowns (27). He also rushed for 586 yards and 16 touchdowns. He finished in the top-10 of Heisman Trophy voting in all three seasons as Notre Dame’s signal caller – 1966 (sixth), 1967 (ninth) and 1968 (third).

Some of Hanratty’s notable performances at Notre Dame included –

16 for 24 passing for 304 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start against No. 7 Purdue in 1966.

11 of 17 passing for 129 yards and a rushing touchdown at No. 10 Oklahoma in 1966.

15 of 20 passing for 208 yards and two touchdowns, 46 yards rushing and one touchdown versus California in 1967.

18 for 27 passing for 202 yards and two touchdowns against No. 5 Oklahoma in 1968.

A Butler, Pennsylvania, native, a town located just north of Pittsburgh, Hanratty was drafted by the Steelers in the second round of the 1969 NFL Draft. He played seven seasons with his hometown team, helping the Steelers win the 1974 and 1975 Super Bowls. He also played one season in Tampa Bay in 1976 and finished with 2,510 passing yards and 24 touchdown passes during his NFL career. Hanratty’s son, Conor, was an offensive lineman for Notre Dame from 2012-14.

NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL

AMARAL RANKED IN TOP-10 OF D1 SOFTBALL’S SECOND BASE RANKINGS

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Sophomore middle infielder Addison Amaral was ranked the eighth-best second basemen in the country, D1 Softball announced this morning. The Salinas, California native has now been recognized by both D1 Softball and Softball America this preseason.

Amaral started all 50 games last season, 49 of them at second base, and led the team with 10 home runs and 53 RBI. It was the first time since 2007 that a Notre Dame freshman led the team in RBI. She was named to the second team All-ACC and Freshman All-ACC team a year ago.

The Irish begin the 2025 season on February 7th in Clearwater, Florida against Morgan State at the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic.

Amaral Preseason Accolades:

#71 on Softball America’s Preseason Top 100 List

#8 on D1 Softball’s Second Base Ranking

NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL

LOOKING TO PARTY LIKE IT’S 1997

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Notre Dame men’s basketball team feels like they have a fresh start. They are fully healthy, they learned from some tough 1-point losses and now they are ready to build a winning streak. In addition, they are looking to change their road culture and find success away from Purcell Pavilion. In order to start stockpiling wins, the Fighting Irish will have to secure a win in the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday when they clash with the Syracuse Orange (8-9, 2-4). That matchup will tip at 4 p.m. ET on ACC Network.

SATURDAY’S TABLE SETTER

A win on Saturday would give the Irish their first ACC road win of the season. A win would also mark Notre Dame’s first at Syracuse since the 2020 season, ending a three-game skid at the JMA Wireless Dome. A victory would also result in a home-and-home season sweep of Syracuse for the first time since 1997.

Last year at Syracuse: The Irish trailed by as much as 29 points and cut it to just three points with one minute remaining in the game. The Irish had two cracks at it to tie in the final minute but both attempts fell short as the Orange escaped with the 88-85 win. It could have marked the greatest comeback in program history. The Irish trailed 29-49 at the half and then outscored the Orange 56-39 in the second in their most prolific scoring half all season. Notre Dame shot 68.8 percent from the field (22-32 FG) in the second half, plus 10-of-15 from three-point range. Markus Burton and Braeden Shrewsberry scored 20 and 18 points respectively in the second half, thus 38 of the team’s 56 points. Burton finished with 28 points and eight assists. Shrewsberry hit all six of his three-pointers in the second half (6-of-9), thus all 18 of his points.

FRESHLY SQUEEZED WIN

Notre Dame won its ACC opener for the first time since the 2017-18 season with a 69-64 victory over Syracuse. The player that helped seal the win was Braeden Shrewsberry. The sophomore had a huge game, tying his career high of 25 points behind six made three-pointers. He shot 8-of-15 overall and 6-for-11 from deep. Two of those triples came in the final four minutes of the game.

J.R. Konieczny was a spark off the bench with a season-high 15 points – 13 of which came in the first half. Despite getting into foul trouble, Tae Davis was a crucial piece of the Notre Dame offense with 15 points, going 6-8 from the floor while also chipping in two assists and two steals. Kebba Njie was just shy of a double-double as he finished with nine points and nine rebounds for the Irish.

The Orange were held to without a three for the first time since Holy Cross on Nov. 28, 2014.

FAITH OVER DOUBT

Coach Shrews had it written on the team board both after Duke and after the BC win. Have faith in this team and don’t let the doubt creep in after tough losses that should have been wins. That faith and belief got the Irish back in the win column with a decisive 78-60 victory over Boston College.

Tae Davis led the Irish in scoring for the seventh time this season, pouring in 26 points, which was one shy of his career high. It marked his fourth game of 20+ in the last seven matchups. Another MVP was Julian Roper II who led the team in +/- with +26.

After committing nine turnovers in the first half, they only coughed it up once in the second. The Irish tied their season high in offensive boards (17) and recorded a season best in second-chance points (25). Defensively, the Irish achieved a season high in steals with 13.

And now the table is set for the Irish to prove they are better than what their record states. The season has been disjointed with injuries but now is the time. The next seven opponents currently have sub-500 ACC records. The next seven opponents are a combined 10-30 in ACC play.

BURTON IS BACK

After 39 days away rehabbing his knee injury, Burton has returned and amplified the ND offense. Before Vegas, Burton was the only player in the country averaging 20+ points, 5+ assists, and 5+ rebounds.

If you discount the Rutgers game since Burton got injured in the first four minutes, the sophomore has recorded 20+ points in five of his last six games. Even despite that 2-point game dragging down his scoring average, he is still averaging 19.0 ppg on the year.

Over the last week, Burton has dropped 23 points at #4 Duke in which he tied his career high in made three-pointers with four, then netted 20 points with a season high four steals against BC.

Since his return (last four games), Burton is averaging a team best 20.3 ppg on 41.0 percent shooting.

THE TAE-KOVER

Tae Davis has emerged as one of the top talents in the ACC. His dunk in the win over BC on Jan. 13 even got several NBA scouts to notice (check it out @NDMBB on social).

Tae is averaging a career best 16.7 ppg, up from last year’s 9.2 ppg. The Indy native is also shooting a career best 52.4 percent.

In ACC play, Tae’s numbers are even higher. He ranks eighth in the league in scoring (18.3) and sixth in field goal percentage (.534).

Tae is ultimately riding a career best 12 straight games in double figures. He’s posted 20+ points in four of the last seven games.

Over the last five games — Tae is averaging 19.0 ppg on 50.8 percent shooting. He’s 28-34 (.824) from the free-throw line. Plus he’s averaging a team best 3.0 apg in that span.

EVOLVING

When Burton went down, the Irish not only had to make up his 20+ points per game, but also his ability to create shots for his teammates.

Three players in particular stepped up and evolved their game. Tae Davis is not the only Irish posting  career numbers, for Braeden Shrewsberry is doing the same in scoring and field goal percentage. Then there’s Matt Allocco who is on pace to have the highest assist-to-turnover ratio in program history.

We have touched on Tae already but let’s dive a little deeper. The junior has been highly proficient around the rim where he’s 66-of-97 (.680).

Tae uses his explosiveness to attack the rim and he’s been using that to his advantage. He’s averaging 6.5 FD/40 which ranks 43rd nationally according to KenPom. Tae ranks third in the league in FT attempts and third in makes. He’s shooting a career best 77.1 percent from the stripe.

Next is Braeden Shrewsberry, who is averaging 14.9 ppg, up from last year’s 10.2. He’s shooting 43.2 percent, which is up from last year’s 39.8. He’s connecting on 2.8 threes per game this season, with a .366 clip from beyond the arc. Shrewsberry’s sweet spot has been the corner three where he’s 14-31 (.452), which is 9.9 percent above the D1 average.

Shrewsberry boasts higher three ball numbers in ACC play where he ranks fourth in 3pt FG% (.435) and third in in threes/game (3.3).

However, it’s important to point out that he’s added to his overall arsenal with a dangerous floater that keeps defenders guessing. He’s shooting 50.0 percent from the mid-range and he’s 13-16 around the rim. He’s 53.7 percent overall from two.

Last but not least is grad transfer Matt Allocco. The 6-4 guard from Princeton is averaging 10.1 ppg on 45.5 percent shooting from the floor and a career best 46.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Allocco owns a 3.86 assist-to-turnover ratio which ranks seventh in the nation and first in the ACC. The highest A/TO ratio in program history for a season was 3.16 by Martin Inglesby back in 2000-01.

Lastly, Allocco leads the team in the +/- category with +83.

NOTRE NOTABLES

Matt Allocco scored 13 points in the win over BC on Jan. 13. As a result, he now has over 1,000 points in his career with 1,008.

Kebba Njie is averaging 7.2 ppg and 6.8 rpg in ACC games. His 3.2 O-Reb/game in league play ranks fifth in ACC.

Njie, who recorded his first career double-double against NC State on Jan. 8, posted 11 points against BC on Jan. 13. Thus, he’s been in double figures twice over the last three games. He entered the season with four career games in double figures.

Burton is shooting 51.4 percent from the mid-range, which is 15.8 percent above the D1 average.

Yes Sir! – The freshman guard impressed at #4 Duke, recording his first double-digit scoring performance with 11 points on 4-7 shooting, plus 2-4 from three.

Notre Dame is shooting 39.5 percent from three in ACC play – leads all schools.

Notre Dame continues to rise its KenPom Offense Adj. Efficiency. Over the last few games it has risen from 56th to 45th to now 41st.

NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

NO. 3 NOTRE DAME HOSTS NO. 17 GEORGIA TECH

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Just over two months into the 2024-25 season, No. 3 Notre Dame (14-2, 5-0) is staring down its sixth ranked matchup already. The Irish will host No. 17 Georgia Tech (15-2, 3-2) on Thursday evening at Purcell Pavilion.

Notre Dame is coming off a hard-fought 67-58 victory at Clemson on Sunday, one in which they did not have All-American guard Hannah Hidalgo. Olivia Miles has been rolling with Hidalgo on the court, and that continued without Hidalgo as Miles led the offense and put Liatu King in a position to score as the Tigers crowded the paint. King led the crew with 23 points and 11 rebounds, her eighth double-double of the season. Miles had 17 points and 9 assists.

“I feel like they’re very confident,” Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey said on Wednesday when asked about her team beginning to fire on all cylinders as players return from injury. “I think the last game [against Clemson], everyone knew they had to do a little bit more. You can’t replace 15 points, 6 steals and 5 assists, or whatever [Hannah’s] stat line is, but everybody adjusted.

“With her back, they’re all getting confident, growing and building that chemistry together.”

While Georgia Tech is coming off back-to-back losses — its only losing efforts of the season — the Yellow Jackets bring a high-powered offense to South Bend (82.4 points per game) led by juniors Kara Dunn and Tonie Morgan. Dunn leads the team with 16 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. She is shooting 54.5 percent from the floor.

The Yellow Jackets also boast the ACC’s top freshman scorer in Dani Carnegie (15.1 ppg), although her health remains in question after suffering a hamstring injury against Virginia Tech last week. She did not play at Louisville on Sunday. Carnegie has drained 45 of 107 3-point attempts this season as well (42.1 percent).

On that note, Notre Dame is “anticipating” Hidalgo will play on Thursday, Ivey said on Wednesday. Hidalgo ranks second nationally with 25.7 points per game and 4.1 steals per game.

Notre Dame is 18-1 all-time against Georgia Tech and has won the last five meetings. In addition to the broadcast on the ACC Network at 6 p.m., ACCN’s Nothing But Net pregame show will be live from Purcell Pavilion beginning at 5:30 p.m.

BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL

BULLDOGS GO ON THE OFFENSIVE TO TOP SETON HALL, 82-77

Pierre Brooks II and Andre Screen led the way as Butler picked up an 82-77 win over Seton Hall Wednesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Brooks scored 19 points and Screen registered 16 to lead the Bulldog effort.

With the win, Butler is now 8-10 on the season and picks up the team’s first BIG EAST victory of the season. The Pirates fall to 6-11 (1-5).

THE KEY STRETCH: Butler scored on each of its final four possessions of the contest, bouncing back from a Seton Hall 13-3 run that cut a 71-59 Butler lead with 6:58 remaining to just 74-72 with 2:03 on the clock. The Bulldogs got a driving lay-up from Patrick McCaffery to make it a two-possession game with 42 seconds left and then hit all six free throw attempts following as Seton Hall never cut the deficit back to a single possession.

NOTES:

Both teams shot well as Butler made 51 percent of their attempts and Seton Hall hit an even 50 percent.

Butler out-rebounded Seton Hall, 31-24, and surrendered only five offensive rebounds to the Pirates.

The Bulldogs went 23-for-28 from the free throw line (82 percent).

Butler committed only eight turnovers, while Seton Hall turned the ball over only seven times. Butler has single-digit turnover outputs in seven of its last nine games.

Screen’s 16 points came on 6-for-8 shooting from the field.

Kolby King (11) and Jahmyl Telfort (10) also found double figures for the Bulldogs.

Boden Kapke made the first start of his Butler career following his career-high 13 points in the Saturday’s game against Creighton.

Chaunce Jenkins led Seton Hall with 21 points.

Butler’s defense held Seton Hall’s leading scorer, Isaiah Coleman, to 11 points on 3-for-10 shooting. Coleman entered the game averaging 23.2 points per game in BIG EAST contests.

Seton Hall went 9-for-16 from three-point range (56 percent), including making all four of their three-point attempts during the 13-3 run that brought them back into the game.

Butler’s win ends the team’s losing streak at nine games.

Butler’s win also breaks a six-game winning streak by Seton Hall in the series between the two teams.

UP NEXT: Butler is the lone BIG EAST team without a weekend game before the team returns to action Tuesday night at defending national champion UConn. The tip in Hartford is scheduled for 7 p.m. on FS1. The Bulldogs’ next home game is Saturday, Jan. 25 when DePaul visits Hinkle Fieldhouse. Tickets are still available for that 4 p.m. contest.

IU INDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

DAVIDSON AND NICHOLS-VANNETT SPARK JAGUARS IN 75-63 WIN

INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indianapolis Jaguars picked up a key Horizon League victory on Wednesday night, defeating the Wright State Raiders 75-63 in the Jungle. Despite a late rally from Wright State, the Jaguars dominated the first half and never looked back, improving their record to 4-5 in league play.

The Jaguars came out firing in the opening quarter, shooting an efficient 41.2 percent from the field and 60 percent from beyond the arc. They established an early lead, outpacing the Raiders 21-13. Junior Nevaeh Foster led the way offensively, knocking down all three of her three-point attempts to finish with nine first-quarter points. The Jags’ defense was equally aggressive, forcing eight turnovers in the opening frame to stifle Wright State’s offensive rhythm.

In the second quarter, IU Indy’s offense remained in control. They shot 50 percent from the field and put up another 20 points. Meanwhile, the Jaguars’ defense was suffocating, limiting the Raiders to just nine points while forcing another eight turnovers. By halftime, IU Indy had built a commanding 41-22 lead.

Wright State responded in the third quarter with a more efficient offensive effort, shooting 54.5 percent from the field. However, the Jaguars matched the Raiders’ intensity, with both teams scoring 17 points in the period. IU Indy maintained the 58-39 lead heading into the final frame.

The Raiders made one final push in the fourth quarter, scoring 24 points, but the Jaguars’ early dominance proved to be too much to overcome. IU Indy held firm, sealing the 75-63 win.

Katie Davidson and Shania Nichols-Vannett led the Jaguars offensively, each scoring 17 points. Nichols-Vannett also grabbed a team-high six rebounds, while Davidson contributed four steals. Foster added 14 points while Jada Patton contributed nine.

With the win, IU Indy moves to 5-13 overall and 4-5 in Horizon League play. The Jaguars will next host Cleveland State on Saturday, January 18, at 2:00 PM.

IU INDY MEN’S BASKETBALL

OFFENSE SPUTTERS IN 72-59 ROAD LOSS AT OAKLAND

ROCHESTER, Mich. – The IU Indianapolis men’s basketball team saw its offense bottled up on Wednesday night (Jan. 15) as the Jaguars fell on the road at reigning Horizon League champion Oakland University, 72-59. The Jaguars were held to under 43 percent shooting and just 6-of-23 (26.1 percent) from three-point range against OU’s zone defense.

Oakland (7-12, 4-4 HL) had an efficient offensive performance, shooting 49 percent overall and 32 percent from beyond the arc. The Oakland frontcourt duo of Allen Mukeba and Tuburu Naivalurua hit a combined 14-of-16 shot attempts with Mukeba finishing with 20 points and nine rebounds. Naivalurua closed with 14 points, almost exclusively in the paint as the Jaguars’ top interior defender, 7-foot graduate Julian Steinfeld, missed a third straight game due to injury.

Jarvis Walker paced the Jaguars with 16 points and four assists and Sean Craig added 13 points and eight boards. Paul Zilinskas, coming back from injury, contributed eight points and a pair of treys off the bench.

It was a 30-25 margin after Zilinskas deposited a wing three off a find from Caleb Hannah with 4:58 before intermission, but the Jags went scoreless from there as Oakland built a 36-25 halftime lead. The Golden Grizzlies proceeded to score the first eight points of the second half, including a pair of DQ Cole threes, to build a 19-point advantage. The lead grew as large as 21 before the Jaguars reeled off an 11-0 run to close within 10 with 5:01 to play. Eight of the points came at the free throw line, sandwiched around a Zilinskas corner three at the 5:46 mark.

The Jags made just one field goal over the next four-plus minutes before a pair of Walker threes in the final minute helped set the final margin.

The typically reliable three-point shooting Jaguars struggled with Oakland’s zone as both Walker and Zilinskas were harassed into 2-of-7 efforts. Conversely, Cole connected on 4-of-10 from deep for the hosts as part of his 14-point effort.

Millender and Timaris Brown scored six points each and Keenan Garner contributed five points and three rebounds.

The Jaguars will return home to host Cleveland State on Sunday (Jan. 19) inside the Jungle at 2:00 p.m. on ESPN+.

BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

ALLY BECKI NAMED TO THE BECKY HAMMON MID-MAJOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST

HOPEWELL, N.J. – Ball State senior guard Ally Becki has received national recognition as she has been voted to the 2025 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watch List, announced this morning by Her Hoops Stats.

Becki ranks fifth in the nation in triple doubles, 15th in the nation in assists (91) and 17th in the nation in assists per game (5.7). Becki also leads the MAC in four different categories, assist/turnover ratio (2.33), assists (91), assists per game (5.7) and triple doubles (1).

Becki recently earned MAC Player of the week honors for the eighth time in her career on January 7 after averaging 21.0 points per game, 8.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 3.0 steals while shooting 56 percent (13-23) from the field and went a perfect 13-13 from the charity stripe in wins over Miami and Central Michigan.

Prior to the season, Becki earned MAC postseason accolades for the third-straight year.

Becki recorded her first triple double on Nov 13, 2024, against Memphis. For the game, Becki scored 22 points, pulled down 10 rebounds while dishing out 10 assists. Becki’s triple double also marked the first from a Ball State women’s basketball player since at least 2010 when the NCAA started keeping the triple double stat. Becki ranks fifth in the nation in triple doubles and first in the MAC.

She currently ranks 11th on Ball State’s all-time scoring list (1,419 pts), third all-time in assists (596) and 17th all-time in rebounds (635).

This year’s midseason list includes representatives from 15 teams and 10 conferences. Five conferences – the A-10, MEAC, Mountain West, Missouri Valley and Summit League – placed two players on the watch list. Gonzaga’s Yvonne Ejim becomes the third player to appear on three midseason watch lists, joining Dyaisha Fair and Katelyn Young. All stats only include games against Division I opponents unless otherwise noted.

WBB’S RELENTLESS DEFENSE LIFTS CARDINALS PAST THE GOLDEN FLASHES IN MIDWEEK #MACTION

KENT, Ohio – In yet another highly contested Mid-American Conference game, Ball State (13-4, 5-0 MAC) walked away with a 66-57 road win at Kent State (10-7, 3-2 MAC) Wednesday night at the M.A.C Center. 

With the win, Ball State remains undefeated in MAC play with a 5-0 mark for the second-straight season. The Cardinals also extended its win streak to seven games.

It comes to no surprise that Ball State’s defense was a big part of tonight’s outcome against Kent State. The Cardinals’ ball handling was near perfect, committing a season low seven turnovers. Defensively, Ball State forced Kent State to commit 17 turnovers and capitalized by turning those miscues into 18 points. 

Kent State would open the game with an 8-2 run in a span of a five minutes which left BSU a bit in shock.  The Cardinals’ defense kept the Golden Flashes from expanding their lead and BSU’s shots began to fall after an Ally Becki layup. From that moment on the Cardinals outpaced the Golden Flashes 14-2 which was capped off by a Madelyn Bischoff 3-pointer that would allow BSU to take the 16-12 lead over Kent State into the second stanza.

The first half continued to be entertaining as both teams played closed to one another in the second quarter. The Golden Flashes knotted the contest 31-31 with 1:06 left to play but a Grace Kingery steal helped the Cardinals have the last possession prior to intermission. Kingery was sent to the line and the true freshman knocked down both free throws to give BSU the 33-31 edge over Kent State at the break.

Ball State turned up its defense in the third quarter which gave the Cardinals more opportunities to score. Some steals and crucial defensive rebounds eventually led to back-to-back 3-pointers from Lachelle Austin and Kingery that would increase Ball State’s lead to 13 (49-36) by the 4:58 mark. The Cardinals would outscore the Golden Flashes 18-7 to go up by 13 (51-38) as both teams headed into the final 10 minutes of play.

Kent State opened the final 10 minutes with a 12-2 run to make it a 3-point ball game (53-50) with 5:30 left on the clock. The Cardinals continued to hang on, highlighted by some key plays on defense and would build their lead back up to eight (60-52) after an Alex Richard layup.

It was still a tight contest (60-55) at the 1:39 mark when Maliyah “MJ” Johnson made a layup that would spark a 6-0 run to finish out the contest and seal the victory for Ball State.

For the game, Austin led the Cardinals with 17 points while Richard ended the night with 16. Becki and Kingery each tallied 10 points apiece.

The Ball State women’s basketball team continues Mid-American Conference action when it hosts Akron Saturday at 11:30 a.m. ET in Worthen Arena.

BALL STATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL HOSTS TOP-TEN MATCHUP IN WORTHEN THURSDAY AND FRIDAY

No. 6 Ball State (3-1) vs. No. 5 BYU (4-0)

Last Meeting: Ball State 3, BYU 1 (2/4/23)

Series History: BYU leads the series 14-6

Coach Cruz: Ball State head coach Donan Cruz enters his fourth season at the helm of the Cardinals and owns an overall record at BSU of 67-24 (.736) along with a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) Tournament Championship, three MIVA regular season titles and an NCAA Tournament appearance.

First Serve: These teams last met in Worthen Arena in 2023. They went 1-1 with the Cougars taking the first match (Feb. 2, 2023) 3-1 and the Cardinals answering with a 3-1 win in the rematch (Feb. 4, 2023). Noteworthy names from these matches include Tinaishe Ndavazocheva and Vanis Buckholz who each had a big impact on the court against the Cougars.

Last Serve: Ball State returns to Worthen after two matches in Stanford, California against the Cardinal. They split their weekend matches, winning the first in a 3-0 (25-22, 26-24, 25-16) sweep before falling to Stanford in a close 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 30-28) battle. Rajé Alleyne led the Cardinals both nights, adding a total of 27 kills, two aces and five blocks.

Scouting BYU: The fifth-ranked Cougars are currently 4-0 on the season with a pair of wins over Ohio State and St. Thomas Aquinas College. The Cougars opened their year with back-to-back 3-1 wins over the OSU Buckeyes on the road. Most recently, they swept the Spartans in two matches over the weekend to stay in the win column. Leading the BYU offense are Luke Benson and Keoni Thiim who currently hit .464 and .423 from the floor, respectively.

Preseason All-MIVA:  The 2025 roster welcomes back many well-known faces and also offers several exciting new additions. Two impactful returners include senior outside hitter Tinaishe Ndavazocheva and junior outside hitter Patrick Rogers. Ndavazocheva and Rogers were named to the Preseason All-MIVA team, along with Cardinal newcomer Rajé Alleyne. Alleyne, the opposite senior transfer from Quincy, brings a wealth of experience at the net. Last season, Alleyene led the MIVA in kills per set (4.41) and in points scored (421.5), averaging 5.08 points per set. He also earned First Team All-MIVA honors and AVCA All-American Honorable Mention. 

Looking Ahead: Ball State men’s volleyball will stay on their home court for two more matches next week against Lees-McRae on Thursday (Jan. 23) and Maryville on Friday (Jan. 24). Both matches will start at 7 p.m. ET in Worthen Arena.

BALL STATE FOOTBALL

UREMOVICH WELCOMES 25 MID-YEAR ENROLLEES IN FIRST INCOMING CLASS AT BALL STATE

MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State football coach Mike Uremovich has announced the enrollment of 25 new student-athletes who have arrived on campus and begun taking classes in the Spring 2025 semester. The first class of student-athletes to arrive under Uremovich’s watch includes 15 transfers, five mid-year freshman enrollees who signed with the Cardinals in December, and five grayshirt student-athletes who delayed their enrollment after signing with Ball State a year ago.

The impressive list of transfers features a pair of all-conference selections from last season. Thirteen of the 15 transfers have spent time at a host of notable FBS programs: Coastal Carolina, Colorado, Connecticut, Duke, Georgia Southern, Kennesaw State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Missouri, Northern Illinois, Old Dominion, Purdue, Rutgers, Vanderbilt and Western Michigan. All 20 mid-year enrollees are expected to participate in spring drills later this semester.

Ball State’s 2025 Mid-Year Enrollees – Transfers

Qua Ashley – RB, 5-10, 195, R-Jr., Dublin, Ga./Kennesaw State

Brody Boehm – K, 5-11, 200, R-Fr., Westfield, Ind./Missouri

Drew Cassens – TE, 6-3, 250, R-Sr., Downers Grove, Ill./Butler

Alfred Chea – Sniper, 6-3, 220, R-Sr., Jacksonville, Fla./Connecticut

Michael Gravely Jr. – S, 6-1, 205, R-Sr., Cleveland, Ohio/Western Michigan

Elijah Jackson – RB, 5-10, 191, R.-So., Indianapolis, Ind./Purdue

Ashton Nawrocki – DL, 6-2, 235, Jr., Elmhurst, Ill./Butler

Roman Pearson – CB, 6-2, 195, R-Jr., Pickerington, Ohio/Bucknell

Deondre Shepherd – DB, 5-10, 180, R-Fr., McKinney, Texas/Coastal Carolina

Avery Stuart – DB, 6-2, 196, R-So., Montgomery, Ala./Kentucky

Walter Taylor III – QB, 6-5, 235, R-Jr., Jackson, Ala./Colorado

Nathan Voorhis – DL, 6-4, 253, Sr., Stroudsburg, Pa./Bryant

Eric Weatherly – WR, 5-8, 180, R-Jr., St. John’s, Fla./Bucknell

Ashton Whitner – S, 5-11, 198, R-Jr., Greenville, S.C./Old Dominion

Micah Wing – LB, 6-4, 225, R-Jr., Wilmington, Del./Dodge City CC

Ball State’s 2025 Mid-Year Enrollees – Incoming Freshmen:

Tobi Adewoyin – S, 6-1, 185, Fr., Atlanta, Ga./North Atlanta HS

* Brady Barrowman – OL, 6-5, 275, Fr., Minooka, Ill./Minooka HS

Kamron Chamble – S, 6-0, 175, Fr., Port Orange, Fla./Spruce Creek HS

Elisha Durham – WR, 6-2, 165, Fr., West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield

* Ryan Eldridge – OL, 6-6, 260, Fr., Goshen, Ind./Goshen HS

Donovan Lanier – CB, 6-0, 170, Fr., Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange HS

* Mason Riggins – TE, 6-6, 235, Fr., Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville HS

Michael Thacker – DT, 6-1, 272, Fr., New Palestine, Ind./ New Palestine HS

* DJ Williams – RB, 5-10, 195, Fr., Youngstown, Ohio/Austintown Fitch HS

* CJ Zeltwanger – OL, 6-5, 305, Fr., West Lafayette, Ind./Harrison HS

* Grayshirt student-athletes who signed with Ball State in December 2023, but delayed their enrollment

More on each new signee can be found below:

Tobi Adewoyin – S, 6-1, 185, Fr., Atlanta, Ga./North Atlanta HS

Classified as an “athlete” and honored as an all-league safety and return specialist at 6A North Atlanta HS … returned two kickoffs for touchdown in 2024, in addition to four interceptions and 10 pass break-ups … flipped his commitment to Ball State from Kennesaw State following the announcement of Ball State’s new coaching staff … also recruited by Louisville and Northwestern; service academies Air Force, Army and Navy; and MAC schools Central Michigan and Miami.

Qua Ashley – RB, 5-10, 195, R-Jr., Dublin, Ga./Kennesaw State

Ashley arrives at Ball State with two seasons of eligibility after three years at Kennesaw State … All-CUSA kick returner and honorable mention All-CUSA at running back … his 29.4-yard kickoff return average would have been the third-highest among FBS programs last season had he not played for a reclassifying school … he was one of just three players nationally with two kickoff returns for touchdown … had a 97-yard KOR for TD at UTEP (11/9) and a 93-yard return for TD vs. Jacksonville State (10/4) … named an All-American and National Kick Returner of the Year by College Football Network … out of the backfield, he led the Owls in receptions and all-purpose yards in 2024, and was the team’s second-leading rusher … carried 122 times for 436 yards, one touchdown and 3.4 yards per rush … caught 28 passes for 255 yards, one TD and 9.1 yards per catch … big plays included a 60-yard run at Middle Tennessee and a 51-yard catch at UTSA … he averaged 99.4 all-purpose yards per game … appeared in six games as a redshirt freshman in 2023 and did not see action in 2022 … decorated career at Dublin High School included a trip to the GHSA stats playoffs as a senior, and a 2019 state title as a sophomore … two-way star in high school playing running back and safety, he was an all-region selection in both football and basketball.

Brody Boehm – K, 5-11, 200, R-Fr., Westfield, Ind./Missouri

Boehm transfers to the Cardinals after a freshman year at Missouri in which he saw no action … completed a standout prep career at Westfield HS … successfully converted 6-of-12 field goals and 48-of-49 PATs as a senior … booted 46 of 67 kickoffs for touchbacks … also averaged 37.3 yards per punt … rated as one of the nation’s top 20 kickers by Kohl’s Kicking Camps … named a U.S. Army All-American as a senior.

Drew Cassens – TE, 6-3, 250, R-Sr., Downers Grove, Ill./Butler

Grad student transfers to Ball State, following Uremovich and his staff from Butler … he played one year at Butler after three seasons and a transfer from Northern Illinois … caught 10 passes for 126 yards in 2024 … appeared in 26 games over three seasons at NIU, mostly on special teams … played in 10 games as a freshman in 2021, four in 2022 and 12 as a redshirt sophomore in 2023 … two-way starter at quarterback and safety for Downers Grove North HS, was the Trojans’ offensive MVP as a junior and senior.

Kamron Chamble – S, 6-0, 175, Fr., Port Orange, Fla./Spruce Creek HS

One of two mid-year enrollees who flipped prior commitments to Kennesaw State, following coaching changes in both programs … Chamble starred for four seasons at Spruce Creek HS where the Hawks finished 28-15 during his prep career … as a sophomore in 2022, he led his area with five interceptions, and followed with four interceptions as a junior … as a senior in 2024, he made 73 tackles, broke up eight passes and grabbed two picks … regarded as a hard-hitting safety, he added 13 catches for 122 yards as a receiver as Spruce Creek advanced to the 7A regional semifinals.

Alfred Chea – Sniper, 6-3, 220, R-Sr., Jacksonville, Fla./Connecticut

A linebacker at UConn since 2020, Chea reports to the Cardinals with one season of eligibility … 13-game contributor for the Huskies last season including a victory in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl against North Carolina … finished the season with eight tackles and a fumble recovery … played 12 games in 2023 and earned a redshirt in 2022 with just four games of action … participated in 11 games as a true freshman, and did not play in the 2020 campaign … played in the secondary at First Coast High School in Jacksonville where he posted 54 tackles in six games in 2019 … added six PBUs, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery … was a team captain at First Coast as a senior.

Elisha Durham – WR, 6-2, 165, Fr., West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield

Highly-regarded, Detroit-area wide receiver chose Ball State over Wisconsin and a host of offers from other Mid-American conference schools … long and lanky, he collected 2,041 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns over two varsity seasons at West Bloomfield HS … had 1,124 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior, and got 917 yards and 11 more TDs as a senior … his 11 touchdowns each season set a school record.

Michael Gravely Jr. – S, 6-1, 205, R-Sr., Cleveland, Ohio/Western Michigan

Transfer from Western Michigan who appeared in six games for the Broncos in 2024, after playing for NJCAA champion College of Dupage in 2023 … he reports to the Cardinals with one year of eligibility … posted three tackles last season … had 36 tackles (28 solo) with 4.5 tackles for loss for DuPage, along with one sack, one interception, three pass break-ups and a fumble recovery … enrolled at Michigan State in January 2021 and earned a redshirt with the Spartans in the 2021 season, following a first-team all-state campaign as a senior at Euclid High School in Ohio … entered college ranked the third-best safety in Ohio by Rivals.com, and No. 36 overall.

Elijah Jackson – RB, 5-10, 191, R.-So., Indianapolis, Ind./Purdue

Former Purdue and Indianapolis prep star transfers to Ball State with three seasons of eligibility … speedster boasts a 10.47 time in the 100 meters and was the 2023 IHSAA state champion in the 100m at Lawrence Central HS … former walk-on was Purdue’s top kickoff returner last year, averaging 18.1 yards over eight returns … carried six times for 97 yards as a redshirt freshman for the Boilermakers, scoring on a 69-yard run against Indiana State in the 2024 season opener … three carries for 83 yards in his opening game, had two carries at Wisconsin and one vs. Penn State … 1,237 rushing yards and nine touchdowns over his last two seasons at Lawrence Central, where he saw time at RB, WR, CB and kick returner.

Donovan Lanier – CB, 6-0, 170, Fr., Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange HS

Four-year varsity cornerback for West Orange High School … finished his high school career with 103 total tackles, 61 solo tackles, nine interceptions, three caused fumbles and two TDs … part of the Warriors team that made an appearance in Class 7A FHSAA state semifinals his senior year.

Ashton Nawrocki – DL, 6-2, 235, Jr., Elmhurst, Ill./Butler

Transfer from Butler with two years of eligibility … played in 17 games over two seasons with the Bulldogs, recording 19 tackles (13 solo) … recorded two tackles for loss, both sacks, and three pass deflections … recorded a sack in consecutive games in 2024, at Valparaiso (11/9) and against St. Thomas (11/16) … career-high four tackles as a freshman at Morehead State (11/4) … was part of the winningest team in York HS football history, winning a conference championship and reaching the semi-state round of the IHSA playoffs as a senior … helped York go 12-1 overall with an 8-0 conference record … made 44 tackles including 18.5 tackles for loss … credited with 8.5 sacks … all-conference lineman was the West Suburban Conference co-defensive lineman of the year … earned Academic All-State recognition.

Roman Pearson – CB, 6-2, 195, R-Jr., Pickerington, Ohio/Bucknell

Two-year starter at Bucknell arrives at Ball State with two seasons of eligibility remaining … played in all 12 games for the Bison last season, making 11 starts at cornerback … seventh on the team with 40 tackles (31 solo) … had two interceptions, nine pass breakups and 1.5 tackles for a loss … recorded interceptions in consecutive games against Cornell and Georgetown … had a career-high four pass break-ups against Cornell … played 10 games and made seven starts as a redshirt freshman … registered 21 tackles (14 solo), two interceptions, six pass break-ups and a forced fumble … recorded first career interception against Penn … helped Pickerington HS to a 2019 state title and a state runner-up finish in 2020 … son of former NFL and Ohio State running back Pepe Pearson.

Deondre Shepherd – DB, 5-10, 180, R-Fr., McKinney, Texas/Coastal Carolina

Redshirt freshman appeared in one game last season for Coastal Carolina … transfers to Ball State with four years of eligibility … a first-team all-district honoree at McKinney HS in Texas, he led the Lions to a 9-3 record as a senior in 2023 while starring under secondary coach and current Ball State assistant coach Mayomi Olootu.

Avery Stuart – DB, 6-2, 196, R-So., Montgomery, Ala./Kentucky

Former four-star secondary recruit transfers to Ball State from Kentucky, with three seasons of eligibility … saw action in two games as a redshirt freshman last year with the Wildcats, against Ohio and Murray State … saw action in one game as a true freshman, against Akron … four-star recruit by multiple publications was ranked as high as the No. 19 prospect in Alabama and the No. 29 cornerback in the country … four-year starter at Alabama Christian Academy … played on both sides of the ball, as a cornerback and wide receiver … as a WR, made nine catches for 228 yards and five TDs as a senior … initially chose Kentucky over offers that included Auburn, Florida State, Oklahoma and Penn State.

Walter Taylor III – QB, 6-5, 235, R-Jr., Jackson, Ala./Colorado

Arrives at Ball State as a big, strong dual-threat quarterback … transfer from Colorado who did not see action in lone season with the Buffaloes … transferred to CU from Vanderbilt where he appeared in five games in 2023 and earned a redshirt in 2022 … five completions for 44 yards and 30 rushes for 103 yards and a touchdown in 2023 with Vandy, and scored his first career rushing touchdown on a 2-yard run at Ole Miss … three-star prospect out of Jackson HS in Alabama … On3 listed him as the No. 20 quarterback in the class and No. 15 player from Alabama … ESPN ranked him as the No. 52 quarterback in the class and No. 46 player from Alabama … led Jackson to Alabama Class 4-A state semifinals as a senior, earning Back of the Year in the class from the Alabama Sports Writers Association … Jackson went 11-3 during his senior campaign after throwing for 3,405 yards and 40 touchdowns while completing 62.9 percent of passes … ran for 613 yards and 10 touchdowns, caught one touchdown pass … cousin, Darius Slayton, plays for the New York Giants.

Michael Thacker – DT, 6-1, 272, Fr., New Palestine, Ind./ New Palestine HS

Senior leader on defense for the IHSAA Class 4A state champion and undefeated New Palestine Dragons … finished his high school career with over 100 tackles for loss … completed senior campaign with 10 sacks, two fumble recoveries and 33 QB hurries on route to a 14-0-1 record and state title as a senior … he also picked off a pass, forced a fumble and blocked a punt while earning a spot on the Indianapolis Star’s 2024 Super Team and the IFCA’s Top 50 All-State Team … helped the Dragons to a semi-state championship appearance his junior year … finished his high school career with a total of 339 tackles, 232 solo tackles, 35.5 sacks, two blocked punts and six forced fumbles … he is the younger brother of current Ball State wide receiver Isaiah Thacker.

Nathan Voorhis – DL, 6-4, 253, Sr., Stroudsburg, Pa./Bryant

Defensive lineman and edge rusher transfers to the Cardinals after three seasons with UConn and Bryant … played in 11 games last season for Bryant, receiving his most extensive playing time with 47 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and a forced fumble … had a streak of five straight games with a sack, including two against Richmond … career-high eight tackles at Maine … appeared in 11 games for UConn in 2023, and 10 with the Huskies in 2022 … two-time all-conference star at Stroudsburg HS in Pennsylvania … as a senior was first-team all-conference at defensive end, and a second-team selection as a tight end.

Eric Weatherly – WR, 5-8, 180, R-Jr., St. John’s, Fla./Bucknell

First-team All-Patriot League wideout comes to Ball State with two seasons of eligibility … began his career with the 2022 season at Duke, but transferred to Bucknell where he caught 117 passes for 1,468 yards and 15 touchdowns over the past two seasons … boasts five games with 100+ receiving yards the past two seasons, and three with 10+ receptions … also averaged 19.4 yards per return on 23 kickoff returns, and 8.2 yards on 23 punt returns during the 2023 and 2024 seasons … started all 12 games last year and led the Bison with 75 catches for 865 yards and eight TDs … led the Patriot League in receiving yards and TDs … had at least five receptions in 10 games and eclipsed 10 catches twice … career highs of 11 catches and 175 yards, with two TDs, in a win over Colgate … 10 receptions, 129 yards and two TDs against Holy Cross … played in 11 games and made seven starts as a redshirt freshman in 2023, finishing second on the team with 42 receptions and 603 receiving yards … finished fourth in the Patriot League with seven receiving scores … appeared in two games with Duke in 2022, against North Carolina A&T and Kansas … three-star prospect out of Bartram Trail HS where he was charted by ESPN.com as the No. 54 receiver in the nation and No. 99 prospect out of Florida … posted 4,210 all-purpose yards over four seasons, while leading Bartram Trail to a 47-13 overall record with four state playoff appearances.

Ashton Whitner – S, 5-11, 198, R-Jr., Greenville, S.C./Old Dominion

Whitner appeared in 19 games with three starts over the past two years with Old Dominion … he earned a redshirt during a true freshman season with no action at Georgia Southern … posted 26 tackles last season over six games, including a season-high nine stops against Marshall, and six against Virginia Tech … played in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman for the Monarchs, recording 26 tackles with an interception … season-high 10 tackles at Liberty … made his first college start against Georgia State, totaling four tackles with his first INT … had four tackles in the Famous Toastery Bowl against Western Kentucky … three-star recruit was rated as the No. 30 player in the state of South Carolina, per ESPN.com … three-time all-region selection at Greenville HS.

Micah Wing – LB, 6-4, 225, R-Jr., Wilmington, Del./Dodge City CC

Linebacker played eight games for Dodge City Community College, after originally attending Rutgers in 2022 … tallied 21 tackles (11 solo) with 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks for the Conquistadors in 2024 … former three-star signee made his college debut for Rutgers, against Boston College, and played in four games for the Scarlet Knights prior to entering the transfer portal in April 2023 … did not play in the ’23 season and wound up at Dodge City last year … defensive end recruit from Salesianum HS in Wilmington, Delaware, earned offers from programs such as Arizona, Boston College, East Carolina, Kansas, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Temple and Virginia Tech before committing to the Scarlet Knights.

INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL

SYCAMORES FALL TO BRADLEY ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT

PEORIA, Ill. – Indiana State men’s basketball fell to Bradley, 118-65, on Wednesday night in Carver Arena. Indiana State fell to 9-9, 3-4 MVC while Bradley improved to 15-3, 6-1 MVC.

Markus Harding and Samage Teel each knocked down a three-pointer to get Indiana State on the board within the first 90 seconds of the game. Bradley got out to a five-point lead, but the Sycamores tied It back up at 11-11 off a Camp Wagner triple just over three minutes into the game. The game was tight at the first media timeout at 15:59, 13-11 in favor of the Braves.

The score remained close during the next few minutes as Bradley still held a four-point lead at the second media break, 23-19 with 11:47 on the clock.

Bradley used two runs in the last 8 1/2 minutes of the half to take control of the game. The Braves used a 26-7 run in 6:52 minutes to lead 47-24 with 5:50 remaining, and the final five minutes of the half saw a 19-9 run by Bradley. In total, the last 12 1/2 minutes the Sycamores were outscored 46-16; Bradley shot 61.9% in the stretch opposed to Indiana State’ 26.7%. Indiana State trailed at the half, 66-33.

Indiana State scored first in the second half with five-straight points from Teel. Through the first five minutes of the half, the Sycamores outscored Bradley 12-10.

The Braves increased their lead by 40 midway through the half, 90-50 and closed the game outscoring Indiana State 31-15 to secure the 118-65 victory.

Samage Teel led the Sycamores in scoring with 13 points, grabbing a team-high five rebounds and tying Josiah LeGree with a team-high three assists. Aaron Gray and Jaden Daughtry each scored nine points; Gray recorded four rebounds and Daughtry four. Derek Vorst tied them with four rebounds. Jayan Walker recorded three steals.

News & Notes

Indiana State shot 31.5% (17-for-54) from the field, 29.0% (9-for-31) from three, and 78.6% (22-for-28) from the free throw line.

The 31.5% shooting from the field is the lowest for the team since January 5, 2019 when the Sycamores shot 31.4% against Bradley in Hulman Center.

With recording three assists in the game, Samage Teel now has 1,300+ points, 300+ rebounds, and 300+ assists in his collegiate career.

Up Next

Indiana State returns to Hulman Center on Saturday evening for a nationally televised contest, hosting the current MVC No. 2 Drake at 6 p.m. on ESPNU. Promotions for the game include:

Theme: Black Out

State DM/Riley Children’s Hospital Game

Halftime Entertainment: Tumble Express from Brazil, Ind.

For students:

The first 300 students in The Forest will receive a free slice of pizza, courtesy of President Godard

The first 300 students will receive a free Blackout Cancer shirt

INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SYCAMORES SEEK SECOND STRAIGHT WIN AGAINST SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State looks to continue its momentum Thursday night when it welcomes Southern Illinois for a 7 p.m. tip inside Hulman Center

Thursday’s game will be carried on ESPN+ with Kelsie Kasper (play-by-play) and Adrian Madrid (analyst) on the call. John Sherman will also have the radio call on WVIG-FM/105.5 The Legend.

 Last Time Out

Bella Finnegan matched her season high of 22 points Sunday afternoon while Saige Stahl added career highs of 16 points and 17 rebounds to lead Indiana State to a 90-74 win over Evansville inside Hulman Center.

Keslyn Secrist tacked on 16 points and a career-high nine rebounds for the Trees, while Deja Jones joined her in double-figures with 11 points as the Sycamores scored 20-plus points in all four quarters.

Indiana State took the lead for good on a Secrist three-ball just before the first quarter horn, and broke out late in the second quarter with a 10-0 run to push its lead to double-digits at the intermission. A pair of threes from Finnegan midway through the third upped the advantage to 57-36, but Evansville rallied back to cut the Sycamore lead to 10 heading into the fourth. The visitors got within eight early in the fourth, but an 8-0 Sycamore run followed to put the game out of doubt. Stahl’s final basket of the game gave the Sycamores their most points in a game in over a decade.

Light It Up

Indiana State put together its highest-scoring game in over a decade in its recent win against Evansville, hitting the 90-point mark for the first time since the 2013-14 season. The Sycamores’ last game with 90-plus points came on Jan. 5, 2014 when they defeated Drake by a 90-81 margin.

The Sycamores featured four players in double-figures in their 90-74 win over the Purple Aces, led by Bella Finnegan with 22. Keslyn Secrist and Saige Stahl added 16 apiece, while Deja Jones chipped in 11.

Indiana State was efficient on offense throughout the game, shooting 50 percent from the field (36-for-72) and 43.8 percent from 3-point range (7-for-16).

Attack The Basket

Indiana State went to the paint early and often in its win over Evansville, with 60 percent of the Sycamores’ scoring in their 90-74 win coming in the paint.

Indiana State tallied a season-best 54 points in the paint, marking the Sycamores’ most in a game since the first round of the 2022 MVC Tournament, which was also against Evansville. The Sycamores had at least 12 points in the paint in all four quarters against the Purple Aces and shot 57 percent from the paint (27-for-47).

Stuffing The Stat Sheet

Indiana State forward Saige Stahl put together a career-best performance against Evansville, finishing with 16 points and a game-high 17 rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench against the Purple Aces. Stahl’s 16 points tied her career high, which she also set at Purdue, while her 17 rebounds were a career-best tally.

Stahl’s 17 rebounds are tied for 11th in a single game in program history, and marked the fourth time in the last four seasons that Indiana State had a player pull down 15 or more rebounds in a game.

Sharp-Shooting Sycamores

Indiana State continues to lead the MVC in 3-point percentage during conference play, with the Sycamores shooting 42.9 percent from behind the arc against league foes. The Trees are the only team in the MVC shooting better than 40 percent from 3-point range in conference play.

The Sycamores have averaged seven 3-pointers per game over the last five games, dating back to the non-conference finale at Purdue and are shooting 43.2 percent from behind the arc in that span. For comparison, Indiana State shot just 28.6 percent from 3-point range across its first 10 games of the season.

Indiana State has a pair of sharpshooters leading the 3-point barrage, with Bella Finnegan and Keslyn Secrist both ranking in the top 10 in the MVC in 3-point percentage during conference play. Finnegan has knocked down 50 percent of her shots from behind the arc, ranking third in the MVC, while Secrist is 10th in the conference in 3-point percentage at 41.7 percent. Finnegan and Secrist are both tied for third in the conference with 2.5 made 3-pointers per game against league foes.

Extra Opportunities

A game after having zero second chance points against Bradley, Indiana State made up for that low mark in a major way against Evansville. The Sycamores tallied a season-high 24 second chance points against the Purple Aces, a figure that can be attributed to a dominant performance on the glass (plus-21 rebound margin) and efficient shooting numbers (50.0 field goal percentage).

Indiana State’s 24 second chance points against Evansville were the most for the Sycamores in a game since Jan. 21, 2022, when the Trees had 26 second chance points against Valparaiso. Similar to Sunday’s game, the Sycamores dominated the glass in that game against the Beacons (plus-21 rebound margin) and had an efficient shooting performance (50.7 field goal percentage).

Southern Illinois At A Glance

Southern Illinois enters Thursday’s game at 2-11 overall and 0-4 in conference play. The Salukis have lost seven straight game and are 1-6 away from home this season.

Gift Uchenna leads the Salukis with 14.7 points and 12.7 rebounds per game, and is the only player in the MVC averaging a double-double. Uchenna ranks second in the nation in rebounds per game. Six other Salukis average more than five points per game, while Kayla Cooper also adds 2.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

Kelly Bond-White is in her third season as head coach at Southern Illinois and owns a 25-50 career record. Bond-White is 4-2 in her career against Indiana State, including a 2-0 mark in Terre Haute.

Series History Against Southern Illinois

Indiana State is 47-59 all-time against Southern Illinois, including a 21-25 mark in Terre Haute. The Sycamores went 2-1 against the Salukis last season, defeating SIU both on the road and in the MVC Tournament.

Indiana State’s last home win against Southern Illinois came in the 2013-14 season.

Last Meeting Against Southern Illinois (March 14, 2024)

Mya Glanton led all players with a career-high 30 points, propelling Indiana State to a 66-54 win over Southern Illinois in the first round of Hoops in the Heartland.

Glanton’s 30-point performance came on an efficient 12-for-16 shooting clip. Ella Sawyer added 12 points for the ninth-seeded Sycamores, including a perfect 10-for-10 mark from the free throw line, while Kiley Bess was also in double-figures for the Sycamores with 10.

Trailing by one entering the second quarter, Indiana State came alive with consecutive 3-pointers from Bella Finnegan and Bess and never trailed from the midway point of the second on. The Sycamores went down low early and often to Glanton, who had 19 in the first half, building a double-digit lead by halftime. Southern Illinois cut Indiana State’s lead down to three by the end of the third quarter, but the Sycamores never wavered. Glanton outscored Southern Illinois on her own in the fourth quarter 11-9, as the Trees advanced to the quarterfinals for the second time in the last three seasons.

Up Next

Indiana State closes its three-game homestand Sunday afternoon with a 2 p.m. tip against Missouri State.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL

‘DONS WIN 2 OT INSTANT CLASSIC AT WRIGHT STATE 120-113

DAYTON, Ohio – A late steal in the first overtime keyed a Purdue Fort Wayne men’s basketball 120-113 double overtime victory at Wright State on Wednesday (Jan. 15) evening.

The Mastodons’ 120 points are the most points in a game against a Division I team in program history. It is the first time a team has scored 120 points in a Horizon League game since Evansville defeated Butler 136-128 in double overtime on Feb. 9, 1991.

The ‘Dons trailed by as many as 10 in the first half but grabbed a lead as large as eight in the second half. Down the stretch, however, it was back-and-forth.

Jalen Jackson led the ‘Dons with 30 points and was a force in the most important moments.

Down 88-86 with less than two minutes left the Mastodons kept it simple trying to tie the game. Jackson drove to the lane. He worked through contact and finished at the hoop to knot it up.

It was Jackson once more with under a minute in regulation with the ‘Dons down two again. His contested shot inside was no good. But he was fouled while battling for the rebound and made both free throws of a one-and-one to tie the game at 90 with 37.8 seconds left.

Jackson then took a charge with 16.9 left to set up the ‘Dons with a chance to win. Rasheed Bello’s driving layup attempt was no good as the two teams went to overtime.

It looked like the game was destined to end in a Wright State win in overtime. The Raiders led 103-98 with 29 seconds left. Jackson pulled up for a quick three and made it a 103-101 game. Wright State added two free throws and a dunk by Chandler Cuthrell with seven seconds put the score at 105-103. WSU inbounded the ball and Quinton Morton-Robertson trapped Keaton Norris near the Mastodon bench forcing Norris to lose the ball. Jackson picked up the ball and went right to the basket and tied the game in dramatic fashion with 2.5 seconds left.

The game went to a second overtime and that is where Morton-Robertson added to his heroics on the night. He scored eight points in the final OT session including back-to-back threes that put the ‘Dons up 114-109. It was a one-possession game at 116-113 when Jackson iced it on a layup with 15 seconds on the clock.

Jackson added seven rebounds to go with his 30 points. Bello totaled 27 points and eight assists. Cuthrell recorded his second career double-double and first as a Mastodon with 20 points and 16 rebounds, both career highs. Corey Hadnot II pitched in 17 points while Morton-Robertson finished with 16.

The ‘Dons were 15-of-15 from the free throw line after halftime. Purdue Fort Wayne shot 53.2 percent (42-of-79) from the floor including 48.5 percent (16-of-33) from three over the 50 minutes of basketball. The ‘Dons had only seven turnovers to Wright State’s 16.

Alex Huibregtse scored 31 points for Wright State thanks to seven 3-pointers.

Wright State falls to 9-10 (3-5). The Mastodons win their fourth straight game and move to 14-6 (7-2). Purdue Fort Wayne is back in action on Wednesday (Jan. 22) at Oakland.

SOUTHERN INDIANA SOFTBALL

NEWMAN RECOGNIZED IN D1SOFTBALL.COM PRESEASON TOP 100 PLAYER RANKINGS

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball senior pitcher Josie Newman was recognized by D1Softball.com in their 2025 preseason top 100 player rankings. Newman also came in as the no. 6 pitcher/utility (dual-threat) in the positional rankings.

Newman is the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year after leading the USI pitching staff with a 22-10 record and a 1.77 ERA in 2024. The right-hander set new career marks with 22 wins, 230 innings pitched, 230 strikeouts, and 30 complete games. The 230 innings of work were five innings shy of USI’s single-season record. Newman started 32 games in 33 appearances, tossed five shutouts, and held the opposition to a .194 batting average.

Across the OVC, Newman ranked first in wins, innings, and strikeouts as well as ranking top three in ERA. Newman struck out 10 or more batters in 11 games. The Indianapolis, Indiana native was a two-time OVC Pitcher of the Week.

Newman was also strong at the plate in 2024, hitting .344 with a home runs and 11 RBIs. Newman scored seven runs and totaled 31 hits. Throughout the season, Newman had nine multi-hit games and two multi-RBI outings.

In addition to being named OVC Pitcher of the Year at the end of the 2024 campaign, Newman was selected All-OVC First Team, OVC All-Tournament Team, and NFCA All-Midwest Region Third Team.

Newman heads into the 2025 season top 10 in USI history with 535 innings pitched, 60 complete games, 17 shutouts, and 55 wins. Plus, the righty is third in USI history with 560 career strikeouts.

Coming off a 25-win season and a fourth-place finish in the OVC last year, Southern Indiana opens the 2025 season February 6-8 at the University of Hawaii Paradise Classic.

SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SCREAMING EAGLES RETURN HOME THIS WEEK TO HOST LINDENWOOD AND WESTERN ILLINOIS

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball returns home to Liberty Arena this week in Ohio Valley Conference play, hosting Lindenwood University Thursday at 5 p.m. and Western Illinois Saturday at 1 p.m.

This week’s games can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM and WREF 97.7 FM.

Thursday is PJ Night and 812 Night with Hacienda West Evansville. Doubleheader tickets are $8.12 for upper-level seating. Along with discounted tickets, USI encourages fans to visit Hacienda West for their $8.12 small famous wet burrito that comes with a drink from 2-6 p.m. Customers can show their e-ticket from the game to receive the limited-time offer at Hacienda West.

Saturday is Military Appreciation Day, and tickets are free for veterans and their guests (limit to five per veteran) with proof of service. Plus, there will be free t-shirts for USI students while supplies last. Military Appreciation Day is sponsored by the USI Student Veteran Association.

Southern Indiana (12-5, 4-2 OVC) returns to the friendly confines of Liberty Arena, home of the Screaming Eagles, after a 1-2 road swing over the last two weeks. Last week, USI split its two games with a 93-69 win at Southeast Missouri State University last Thursday before falling 89-83 in overtime at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Sunday. USI hopes to continue its home-court momentum this week, as the Eagles began the OVC season with three straight home wins in late December. USI is 8-0 at home this season.

In the last game at Little Rock, USI played its first overtime game this season. Both teams battled from the jump with neither side gaining a lead bigger than single digits. There were 10 lead changes during the contest – the most in a USI game this season. The game was tied at 75 before the Trojans outscored the Eagles 14-8 in the extra frame. Graduate forward Meredith Raley led five Screaming Eagles in double figures with 25 points.

Additionally, in Sunday’s clash against the Trojans, senior guard Vanessa Shafford broke the USI Women’s Basketball all-time record for most three-point field goals. Shafford surpassed Stephanie Carpenter’s (2010-14) previous mark of 194. Shafford exited the game with 196.

On Tuesday, Raley was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week for the second time this season after strong performances last week at Southeast Missouri and Little Rock. Raley began the week posting a career-high 29 points last Thursday against SEMO before dropping 25 points at Little Rock on Sunday. Raley averaged 27 points on the week and shot the ball for 73 percent (22-30) from the floor.

For the season, Raley paces Southern Indiana in scoring at 14.8 points per contest while shooting a team-best and OVC-best 53 percent overall. Shafford is second in scoring with 12 points per outing and just ahead of junior guard Ali Saunders at 11.9. Sophomore guard Triniti Ralston is USI’s fourth double-digit scorer with 10.9 points per contest. Collectively, USI averages an OVC-high 74.6 points and has held the opposition to 62 points per game.

Lindenwood (9-6, 5-1 OVC) enters the week with solid momentum after three straight conference wins. The Lions’ only OVC setback so far came at the start of January against conference-leading Eastern Illinois University. Last week, Lindenwood defeated Tennessee State University, 68-54, and the University of Tennessee at Martin, 79-73.

Three Lions average double figures on the season with sophomore guard Ellie Brueggemann leading the charge at 11.9 points per game. Brueggemann is also a three-point threat with a team-best 32 made threes and over 32 percent from beyond the arc. Lindenwood’s other two double-digit scorers are sophomore guards Gracy Wernli and Brooke Coffey 10.3 points per outing. The Lions average 66.5 points and allow 65.5 points per game as a team.

Southern Indiana and Lindenwood are familiar with each other after recent years battling in the Great Lakes Valley Conference before transitioning to Division I. USI has the upper hand in the series history having won all eight previous meetings against the Lions. Last year, the Eagles won 71-68 at Lindenwood early in the OVC season and again on the final weekend of the regular season, 75-38, at Liberty Arena.

Western Illinois (8-7, 2-4 OVC) heads into the week after splitting its pair of games last week, falling to UT Martin, 73-60, before beating Tennessee State last time out, 88-67. The Leathernecks are seeking to find some consistency having split its last four games. Western Illinois will be at Morehead State University on Thursday before coming to Liberty Arena on Saturday.

Sophomore guard and reigning OVC Freshman of the Year Raegan McCowan leads the Leathernecks in scoring and rebounding with 20.4 points and eight boards per game. Junior forward Mia Nicastro, a transfer from Saint Louis University, is second behind McCowan at 13.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per contest. Western Illinois averages 69.9 points while surrendering 64.9 points per outing.

Southern Indiana leads the all-time series against Western Illinois, 3-0. The Screaming Eagles swept the season series last year in the first season the two sides faced off as conference opponents. USI won 81-61 at home last January and captured a 96-89 overtime victory in a thriller at Western Illinois last February.

Tickets for all home games at Liberty Arena can be purchased online at usiscreamingeagles.com or the USI Ticket Office.

SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S TENNIS

MTEN PICKED FOURTH IN HORIZON LEAGUE SOUTH DIVISION PRESEASON POLL

EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Men’s Tennis was predicted to finish fourth in the Horizon League South Division in the 2025 Under Armour #HLTennis Preseason Polls voted on by the head coaches.

Following Lindenwood University’s departure, the conference will consist of 10 teams and two divisions. The top three teams from the two divisions will earn a postseason spot and fight for the conference crown in Ann Arbor, Michigan on April 25-27.

The Screaming Eagles return to the Horizon League South Division after a fifth-place finish last season. USI is coming off a 5-14 record with a 0-5 conference campaign.

Belmont University was predicted to finish on top in the South Division, totaling 21 total votes. Tennessee State University came second with 19, only one ahead of Tennessee Tech University. USI and Eastern Illinois round out the final two spots in the division with USI receiving nine votes and EIU in last with eight.

In the north, Cleveland State University was voted into the top spot with 24 votes and the top overall spot with four first-place votes. Youngstown State University also broke the 20-vote mark finishing with 21 and one first-place vote. Third through fifth place were separated by only eight votes with Indiana University Indianapolis receiving 13, Northern Kentucky University with 12, and Chicago State University with five.

The Eagles kick off the 2025 season in Evansville against Butler University at the Evansville Tennis Center. USI’s spring schedule features a difficult slate with power conference matches against Vanderbilt University, University of Louisville, Indiana University, and University of Notre Dame. The sqaud starts Horizon play on March 22, battling Belmont University at the USI Tennis Courts.

For more information, visit our website at USIScreamingEagles.com or find us on social media at USIAthletics.

VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL RETURNS HOME FRIDAY VERSUS ILLINOIS STATE

Valparaiso (5-11, 1-4 MVC)

Game #17 – January 17, 2025 – 6 p.m.

Illinois State (9-7, 3-2 MVC)

Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) – Valparaiso, Ind.

Next Up in Valpo Basketball: Coming off of back-to-back challenging road weekends in Valley play, the Valpo women’s basketball team returns home to the ARC for the first time since Dec. 29 Friday evening as the Beacons host Illinois State.

Previously: The first quarter proved to be the difference for Valpo on Sunday, as despite getting as close as six points in the second half, the Beacons were unable to overcome a 13-point deficit after the opening period as they fell 67-53 at Belmont. Leah Earnest led the Beacons with 14 points.

Following Valpo Basketball: Video: ESPN+

Links for live coverage: Available via ValpoAthletics.com

Head Coach Mary Evans: Mary Evans is in her seventh year at the helm of the program in 2024-25 and owns a record of 65-127. Evans’ first six seasons at the helm have seen Valpo’s six of the top-eight single-season 3-pointers made marks, including each of the top five, while defensively, her teams have racked up steals at a high rate, averaging at least 7.7 steals/game in five of her six seasons. Under her guidance, Valpo players have earned an MVC Sixth Player of the Year honor, five All-Conference accolades, three All-Freshman/Newcomer Team awards and three All-Defensive Team honors.

Series Notes: Illinois State leads the all-time series over Valpo, 13-4, including wins in each of the last six matchups. The Beacons forced the Redbirds to rally in both games last season, however, as Valpo led 37-35 at halftime at the ARC before ISU won 77-68, and later in the season, Valpo held a 59-54 lead with 6:17 to play in Normal before ISU won 78-64. Leah Earnest had 20 points and 10 rebounds in the home game and 32 points and 13 rebounds in the road matchup.

@ValpoWBB…

…and @ValleyHoops

– Valpo was picked to finish in eighth place in the MVC preseason poll, totaling 193 points to edge out Indiana State.

– The eighth-place projection is two spots ahead of the Beacons’ regular-season finish last year.

– Valpo is in its eighth season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.

– The Valley was ranked 13th in conference NET last season. In Valpo’s time in the MVC, the conference has been ranked as high as seventh in NET (2020-21).

…looking back at last year

– Valpo finished last season with a 5-25 overall record and finished at 4-16 in MVC play, good for 10th in the Valley standings.

– Leah Earnest was a Second Team All-MVC honoree.

– Valpo won three consecutive road games in Valley play, the second straight year the Beacons have accomplished that – prior to that, the program had last accomplished that feat against three different opponents since 2007.

…at Belmont

– After the teams traded baskets over the first two minutes of the game, the Bruins went on a 14-0 run over the next five minutes to pull out to an 18-4 lead and held a 25-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.

– Belmont’s lead remained in double figures throughout the second quarter as it led 38-26 at halftime.

– Belmont pushed its edge to 16 points early in the third quarter before the Beacons responded with a 9-0 run to move within single digits. Valpo trailed 51-43 with 10 minutes to play.

– Layla Gold converted a driving layup on the Beacons’ second possession of the fourth quarter to make it a two-possession game.

– Valpo limited Belmont to just two baskets over the first six-plus minutes of the final period, but was unable to make any more headway as the Beacons had just Gold’s field goal over the same stretch. The difference came at the free throw line, where the Bruins took their opportunities to go on a 9-2 run after Gold’s basket to extend their lead back to double digits for good.

– Sunday’s game concluded a stretch of four road games in 11 days for the Beacons, all of which came against top-100 NET teams. Belmont entered Sunday’s contest ranked #57 in the NET.

– After shooting season worsts from the field and 3-point range at Murray State, the Beacons had their second-worst marks in both departments Sunday, hitting just 33.3% (19-of-57) from the field and 17.9% (5-of-28) from 3-point range.

– Valpo did limit Belmont to 42.3% shooting from the floor and 24% from 3-point range on the defensive end.

– The Beacons were a +7 in turnover margin on Sunday, committing just 12 miscues — matching their season low against a D-I opponent — while forcing 19 Belmont turnovers. Valpo outscored the Bruins 21-12 in points off turnovers.

– Valpo also held a 10-7 edge in second-chance points over the Bruins.

– Leah Earnest paced Valpo with 15 points on Sunday and added five rebounds as well.

– Katie Beyer came off the bench with 10 points — her fifth double-figure scoring effort of the year — and a team-high seven rebounds — setting a career high.

…at Murray State

– Valpo opened the game on a 7-0 run and led from start to finish in the first quarter, holding the Racers to 4-of-21 shooting over the first 10 minutes.

– The Beacons’ lead was 13-9 at the end of the opening period.

– Nevaeh Jackson answered a Racer 3-pointer to open the second quarter with a triple of her own, and after five straight points for Murray State gave MSU its first lead, Layla Gold came up with a steal and fast-break layup to make it 18-17 Beacons with six minutes to play in the half.

– Murray State ended the half on a 21-5 run, including the final nine points of the quarter, to take a 38-23 lead into the locker room.

– A drive and finish from Mor Shabtai just over a minute into the third quarter was the first points for either team, bringing the Beacons back within 13. But the Racers scored the next eight in a row on their way to leading 64-36 with 10 minutes to play.

– Valpo shot just 29.6% (16-of-54) from the field Friday and was just 4-for-24 (16.7%) from 3-point range — both marks the team’s worst of the season.

– On the defensive end, the Beacons held the Racers to 35.9% shooting — the second-lowest shooting percentage of the year by a Valpo D-I opponent. But Murray State was 28-of-78 from the field, earning 24 more field goal attempts as it gathered 28 offensive rebounds and scored 24 second-chance points.

– Valpo committed 23 turnovers, but did force 19 Murray State miscues as well. However, the Racers finished with a 21-7 advantage in points off turnovers.

– Jackson paced the Beacons with 13 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, and pulled down five rebounds as well.

– Gold joined Jackson in double figures as she hit 5-of-9 from the field for 11 points.

…looking ahead

– The Beacons conclude their home weekend on Sunday versus Bradley.

– Next week is a light week for Valpo, with a single game next Sunday, Jan. 26, at UIC.

…at the ARC

– Sunday’s game is the seventh of 15 home games this season for the Beacons, as Valpo hosted five nonconference games in addition to its 10 MVC home games.

– Valpo is 4-2 at the ARC this season, including a win in its last home game – the MVC opener against Southern Illinois.

@RedbirdWBB

– Illinois State enters Friday’s game with a 9-7 overall record this season. The Redbirds sit at 3-2 in MVC play, but had a three-game winning streak snapped last time out on Sunday at Drake.

– Illinois State leads the Valley in team field goal percentage (.488), led by two of the conference’s top three individuals – Addison Martin (.640, 10.4 PPG) and Nevaeh Thomas (.593, 13.1 PPG).

– Shannon Dowell leads four Redbirds averaging in double figures in the scoring department with 16.1 PPG.

In the Rear View Mirror

– Perhaps Valpo’s most challenging stretch of four games since joining the MVC is behind the Beacons now, capped by last Sunday’s game at Belmont.

– Valpo played four road games in 11 days, only the second time since joining the Valley (outside of the COVID-affected 2020-21 campaign) it has played four straight road games.

– Not only that, the four opponents – UNI, Drake, Murray State and Belmont – are all ranked in the top-70 of the NET and are the top four Valley teams in that metric.

– Valpo’s highest-rated opponent in the NET prior to this stretch was its road game at Lehigh, which comes in at 90.

The Road Awaits Again

– This weekend provides a brief respite to the Beacons’ bus life, but more travel itineraries are right around the corner.

– Next week is Valpo’s single-game week against its travel partner, as it will head to UIC next Sunday.

– The following weekend sees the Beacons trek to Indiana State and Evansville.

– At the halfway point of the Valley slate (following the Evansville game), Valpo will have played seven of its 10 games on the road.

Gotta Make Shots

– Valpo suffered through its two worst shooting performances of the year last weekend, posting a .296 field goal percentage at Murray State and a .333 field goal percentage at Belmont.

– The Beacons had their worst games of the year from 3-point range as well, hitting below 20% from deep in both contests and combining to go just 9-for-52 (.173) on 3-pointers over the two games.

– Those two efforts came after an eight-game stretch during which Valpo hit at a .376 clip from 3-point range and averaged 8.5 3-pointers made per game.

– The Beacons shot at better than a 40% clip from 3-point range in four of the eight games in that stretch.

Forcing Miscues

– The Beacons rank as the MVC’s best at forcing miscues, averaging 20.0 turnovers forced/game.

– The Beacons have forced more turnovers than they’ve committed in 10 of 16 games.

– Valpo also leads the MVC with 9.9 steals/game and has tallied double-figure steals in eight games this year.

– Valpo has forced at least 20 turnovers in seven games so far, highlighted by 29 forced turnovers against Detroit Mercy and 26 in back-to-back wins over Goshen and North Dakota.

– Against Goshen, the Beacons racked up 15 steals, a season high and the team’s highest total in exactly one calendar year. The Beacons matched that mark in the win over Western Michigan as well.

– In the win over North Dakota, Valpo turned the Fighting Hawks’ 26 turnovers into 33 points and held a massive 33-9 edge in points off turnovers. It was the program’s greatest number of points off turnovers and the highest edge in the category since a Feb. 22, 2020 win at Loyola, when Valpo forced 31 turnovers and owns a 38-4 advantage in points off turnovers.

20/20/20/20 Vision

– Valpo has four different players with 11 combined 20-point games under their belt this season.

– That is already more players and more 20-point games as last year’s team, which featured just two different players who combined for nine 20-point efforts.

– Leah Earnest has six such efforts: 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting at Drake, a game-high 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting at UNI, 22 points in the win over SIU, 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting versus Detroit Mercy, 23 points on 6-of-10 shooting in the win over Western Michigan and 29 points – the second-highest output of her career – at Lehigh.

– Earnest scored 20+ in four consecutive games Dec. 21-Jan. 4, the first Valpo player to do so in at least 15 years – the last time a Valpo player had scored 20+ in even three straight games was Shay Frederick in the 2020-21 campaign.

– Layla Gold joined Earnest in crossing the 20-point mark versus UDM, finishing with 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Earlier this year, Gold more than doubled her previous career best of 11 points with a 23-point night – which included five 3-pointers – at Milwaukee.

– Nevaeh Jackson raced past her previous career high with 26 points at Saint Louis; this coming after 20-point performances earlier in the season in the win over Goshen and against Purdue Fort Wayne.

– Against Trinity Christian, Kayla Preston smashed her previous best, going for 20 points on 7-10 FG and 6-8 FT.

Zooming Up the Charts

– Leah Earnest entered the season 14th in program history in career scoring, but has jumped all the way up to fifth all-time at Valpo with 1,370 career points.

– Earnest moved up from sixth to fifth at Drake with her final basket of the game, surpassing Meredith Hamlet and her 1,350 points.

– Next up for Earnest is Jeanette Gray in fourth with 1,460 career points.

– Earnest continued her match up the career rebounding chart against UDM, moving past Tabitha Gerardot for fourth on the program’s career rebounding chart. She finished the Belmont game with 758 boards – next up there is Gray in third position with 766 career boards.

– Earnest is also second all-time at Valpo with 129 games played (12 shy of Caitlin Morrison for the program record), fourth with 296 free throws made (45 shy of third) and fifth with 493 field goals made (moved up two spots at Belmont; 9 shy of 4th).

– Earnest impacted the program’s single-game record book as well at the Christmas City Classic as she went 12-for-12 at the foul line against Lehigh. She is one of just 12 players to hit 100% from the foul line in a game (minimum 10 attempts) and one of just four to do so on at least 12 tries.

No Sophomore Slump

– After ranking fourth on the team in scoring (7.2 points/game) as a rookie, sophomore Nevaeh Jackson has cemented herself as a consistent second scorer this season.

– Jackson has nearly doubled her scoring average, entering Friday’s game second on the team with 13.4 points/game.

– Jackson has scored in double figures in 11 of 16 games, highlighted by her 26-point effort at Saint Louis.

Career Highs

– Five of Valpo’s seven returnees have set career bests in the scoring column this season – the only returnees who haven’t are Saniya Jackson, who is out for the season, and Earnest.

– Joining the trio who had their first career 20-point efforts are senior Katie Beyer and sophomore Raeven Raye-Redmond.

– Raye-Redmond smashed past her previous best of nine with a 15-point night on 6-of-9 shooting at Milwaukee.

– Beyer hit three 3-pointers on her way to a 14-point game in the season opener versus Liberty, and then against North Dakota, surpassed that again with a 16-point effort.

All-Tournament Honors

– Valpo had a pair of players recognized as All-Tournament Team honorees following the conclusion of the Christmas City Classic.

– Leah Earnest averaged 23.5 points, 10 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game over the Beacons’ two contests.

– Katie Beyer earned her selection by virtue of a strong 16-point performance, surpassing her career high, in the win over North Dakota.

Missing Pieces

– Valpo is down two starters for the remainder of the season due to injury.

– Saniya Jackson did not see any game action this year, undergoing successful knee surgery in early November.

– Raeven Raye-Redmond suffered a lower leg injury late in regulation Dec. 21 against Detroit Mercy and will miss the rest of the year as well.

VALPO WOMEN’S TENNIS

VALPO TENNIS ANNOUNCES 2025 SPRING SLATE

The Valparaiso University tennis program has announced its 2025 spring schedule, which will culminate with the Beacons hosting the Missouri Valley Conference Championship at the Valpo Tennis Complex on April 25-27, the first time the program has hosted the league’s team championship.

The Beacons begin the spring slate with seven nonconference matches, six of which will take place at home. Home matches will occur at The Courts of Northwest Indiana until weather is cooperative enough for the venue to shift to the on-campus outdoor location.

Valpo starts the spring by hosting SIUE on Sunday, Jan. 26 at 10 a.m. The Beacons will also have early home dates against Western Michigan (Feb. 1 at 2 p.m.) and Milwaukee (Feb. 8 at 4 p.m.). After the lone nonconference road trip to Northern Illinois (Feb. 15 at 10 a.m.), the squad returns home to host Marian (Feb. 16 at 10 a.m.), Bowling Green (Feb. 22 at 2 p.m.) and Butler (March 15 at 2 p.m.) to close out the nonconference slate.

Missouri Valley Conference play begins with a home match against Missouri State on March 22, before Valpo embarks on four straight road matches split up into two weekends. The first trip will feature stops at Belmont (March 29) and Murray State (March 30) before the second one sees the Beacons visit the state of Iowa for matches against Drake (April 5) and UNI (April 6).

The final three regular-season matches will take place at home against Illinois-based schools. Illinois State (April 12), Bradley (April 13) and UIC (April 18) will all make their way over the state line and into Northwest Indiana prior to the Beacons hosting the aforementioned MVC Championship the weekend of April 25-27.

A promising fall season started with Valpo winning a trio of dual matches all by the score of 7-0 before strong showings at the Redbird Invitational, MVC Individual Championships and ITA Midwest Regional. Moira Silva (Flight 1 Singles), Naomi Lalonde (Flight 2 Singles) and Jolene Fernandes (Flight 4 Singles) all captured championships at Illinois State before the Flight 2 Doubles tandem of Sydney Stone and Lacey Tanner took home a conference crown.

VALPO PICKED FOURTH IN 2025 MVC TENNIS PRESEASON POLL

The Valparaiso University tennis team was picked to finish in the top half of the standings, as the Beacons were tabbed fourth of nine as the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll was released on Wednesday.

A promising fall season started with Valpo winning a trio of dual matches all by the score of 7-0 before strong showings at the Redbird Invitational, MVC Individual Championships and ITA Midwest Regional. Moira Silva (Flight 1 Singles), Naomi Lalonde (Flight 2 Singles) and Jolene Fernandes (Flight 4 Singles) all captured championships at Illinois State before the Flight 2 Doubles tandem of Sydney Stone and Lacey Tanner took home a conference crown.

The fourth-place projection ties with the 2022 season for the program’s highest since 2007, the team’s final season in the Mid-Continent Conference. The squad jumped two spots from last year’s preseason poll, when Valpo was picked sixth.

Murray State is the preseason favorite to win the league, followed by UIC and Illinois State.

2025 MVC Women’s Tennis Preseason Poll

Murray State – 78 (6)

UIC – 72 (2)

Illinois State – 65 (1)

Valparaiso – 49

Belmont – 41

Missouri State – 35

Bradley – 31

Drake – 22

UNI – 12

UINDY WRESTLING

HOUNDS MOVE TO 19TH IN LATEST NCAA DIVISION II RANKINGS

MANHEIM, Pa. – Heading into the Greyhounds first two home meets of 2025, the UIndy wrestling team finds themselves as the No. 19-ranked team in the latest NCAA Division II wrestling rankings. The latest rankings have the Hounds dropping six spots from last week’s rankings.

The Hounds also have three wrestlers inside the top-20 at their respective weight classes, Derek Blubaugh (197) and Cale Gray (285).

Blubaugh, coming off an undefeated weekend at the NWCA National Duals, remains atop the 197 rankings. Gray also remains in the top-20 for 285, dropping only one spot to 15.

The Hounds still have a lot of season left, including two home duals this upcoming weekend against in-region opponent Findlay on Friday Jan. 17, and GLVC opponent Maryville on Saturday Jan. 18, with both duals set to get under way at 7 p.m.

UINDY SWIMMING

POCK NABS FOURTH GLVC SWIM & DIVE WEEKLY HONOR

INDIANAPOLIS – University of Indianapolis junior Jeremias Pock has been named the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Athlete of the Week in  men’s swimming and diving, it was announced by the league office Wednesday. It marked the fourth time in 10 weeks this season that the Germany native earned the honor.

MEN’S ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Jeremias Pock, #4 Indianapolis

Jr. | Breast/IM | Nuremberg, Germany

Major: Exercise Science

Team Results: W 194-94 vs. Ball State, L 142-155 vs. Southern Illinois (1/10)

Took first in 100 Breaststroke (53.12) and 200 Breast (1:54.93)

Swam 44.21 split for runner-up 400 Free Relay team (3:00.65)

Earns fourth career Athlete of the Week Award (1/15/25, 12/12/24, 10/30/24, 10/16/24)

Last Greyhounds’ Athlete of the Week: Jeremias Pock (12/12/24)

IU INDY TENNIS

GREYHOUNDS SELECTED 12TH IN ITA PRESEASON COACHES POLL

TEMPE, Ariz. – The University of Indianapolis men’s tennis team was tabbed as the No. 12 team in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) preseason coaches poll released Wednesday.

The ITA Top 25 Coaches Poll is voted on by the ITA National Ranking Committee. The National Ranking Committee is made up of ITA Region Chairs, with each chair casting an individual, secret ballot.

The Greyhounds begin the season on the road in Chicago, for an exhibition match against Illinois-Chicago.

MARIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

KNIGHTS BOUNCE BACK FROM SATURDAY’S LOSS WITH AN 89-54 WIN OVER MT. VERNON

Mount Vernon, Ohio- Marian women’s basketball claimed a huge 35 point win over Mount Vernon recording a final score of 89-54. The Knights are now 14-4 overall on the season and 7-1 in the Crossroads League.

The Knights dominated in the match-up against Mount Vernon, out scoring them in all four quarters. Kiley and Abbey McNally started out the game putting the Knights in the early lead, each recording a layup in the first three minutes of play. The Cougars followed up with a three-pointer but came up short to Kenna Kirby’s jumper and Kiley McNally’s layup. The home team fought back with another three-pointer but Madisyn Bailey was able to throw up a layup and was followed by Taylor Double’s three pointer to extend the lead 13-6 drawing the media timeout. Abbey McNally and Olivia Faust were able to record two points each out of the timeout with McNally recording a layup and Faust recording a pair of free throws. The last minute of play in the quarter was very back-and-forth with Mount Vernon recording three layups and a free throw but Marian was able to outscore the Cougars once more with a three-pointer from Kennedy Fuelling and a layup as well as a pair of free throws from Bailey. With nine seconds remaining in the quarter Mount Vernon was able to score a buzzer beater three pointer to end the quarter 24-16 in favor of Marian.

Abbey McNally opened up the second quarter with a layup and jumper only to be broken up by a layup from the other side of the court. Both teams traded layups and jumpers with Kiley McNally recording a layup for the Knights and Kirby recording a jumper for the Knights to bring the score 32-20.  Faust extended the lead with a three-pointer only to be broken up by a free throw from the Cougars. Each side recorded a layup and free throw with Kirby recording the layup and Zoe Wheeler recording a free throw, Mount Vernon was able to break up the bottle neck of scoring with a layup to bring the score 38-28. Marian was able to go on a three basket run to end the quarter with Abbey recording two layups and Kirby recording one to bring the score 44-28.

Out of halftime Marian was able to go on a three basket run once more with Kirby recording a jumper and a layup and Abbey recording a layup. The Cougars were able to put two more three-pointers on the board at the 7:22 mark of the third quarter. The Knights followed it up with a four basket run with Abbey and Double both throwing a layup and Kirby throwing a pair to bring the score 58-34. Mount Vernon was only able to break up Marian’s run with a pair of free throws which were followed up with a three-pointer from Kirby and a layup from Bailey and Fuelling. With two minutes remaining in the game both sides were able to trade layups with Bailey recording the basket for Marian. Abbey ticked off the last point of the quarter for the Knights with a free throw and was followed up by a three-pointer from the Cougars to bring the score 68-41.

Both sides traded a layup to open the final quarter with Emily Grim tabbing the basket for the Knights. Mount Vernon continued to bank the three-pointers and Marian was able to counter with a free throw from Kiley McNally, a jumper from Grim, a three-pointer from Fuelling, and a free throw from Abbey McNally. The Cougars broke up the scoring run with a layup but were countered by a pair of free throws from Kiley McNally to bring the score 80-48. With less than five minutes of play left Grim was able to knock in another layup but was broken up by a pair of free throws and a layup from the home team. Esther Sevilla got her hand in the mix with a layup followed up by a three pointer from Emily Grim and a jumper by Wheeler. Mount Vernon recorded the last basket of the night with a layup to bring the score 89-54 and secure the win for the Knights.

Kenna Kirby and Abbey McNally led the team in points with 19 while Madisyn Bailey tabbed 10, and Kiley McNally as well as Emily Grim recorded nine. Abbey recorded another double-double in the regular season, grabbing 13 rebounds in the evening. Bailey recorded the most assists on the evening with nine while Kiley, Taylor Double, and Eva Fisher were each able to record two.

The Knights will be back in action at home on Saturday, January 18th to wrap up the first half of Crossroads League play as they take on No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan with tip set for 1:00 p.m. in the P.E. Center.

MARIAN MEN’S BASKETBALL

SHORT-HANDED KNIGHTS’ COMEBACK EFFORTS SPOILED AT MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE

Mount Vernon, Ohio – Playing with just seven active players, the Marian men’s basketball team fought back from a 17-point deficit against Mount Vernon Nazarene, but were unable to hold on to a four-point lead in the waning minutes, as the Knights fell 66-63. Marian’s loss drops the team to 8-10 overall on the season and 2-6 in league play.

The Knights got off to a slow start on Wednesday night, as a 1-4 start from the field coupled with a pair of turnovers put Marian in a 9-2 hole in the first 3:15 of game time. Noah Lovan would score the first points of the game for either team, then turned the scoring over to Aidan Franks, who scored 10 early points to make up for the sluggish start. The 10 points from Franks brought the team within four of the Cougars, trailing 14-10 with 12:27 to play in the opening half, but was not enough to bring his team to a level balance.

Mount Vernon expanded their four-point lead to 12 over the next five minutes, using a 10-2 run to grab a 24-12 advantage. The Cougars would remain in control of the remainder of the first half coming off of their run, eventually expanding their lead to 17 points as the Knights endured a lengthy spell without a made field goal. Trailing 35-18 with 2:50 to play in the first half, the Knights regained composure and clawed back into the game with a 9-2 sprint to close the period. A three-pointer from Reis Butcher as the clock hit zeros brought Marian within 10 at the break, as they entered the locker room trailing 37-27.

Coming out of the intermission, Marian became the aggressors and attacked the rim intensely, opening the half on a 6-2 run to get within two scores. Marian continued to whittle away as Franks and Lovan chipped away with layups, getting within three points by the first media timeout of the half. The effort put Marian in a 43-40 game, however their early hot streak faded as the Cougars pushed their lead back to seven over the next three minutes.

With 12:20 to play in the game Franks sparked the rally cry, getting a pair of layups to fall in a three possession swing to inch within one possession. The defense kept Marian in the game as Gavin Foe and Luke Carroll fought for rebounds, eventually turning their efforts into offense as a Hayden Nahra layup with 9:48 to play made the difference two points. Reis Butcher tied the game on Marian’s next possession after the under-10 minute timeout, bringing the game level at the 9:15 mark. Mount Vernon would reclaim a four-point lead, however Marian stayed engaged and pulled back within a point, taking the lead on a second-chance layup from Hayden Nahra.

Leading 56-55 with 4:27 to play in the game, Marian was able to expand their lead to four over the next 90 seconds after Gavin Foe canned a 17′ jumper. Despite building their two possession edge, the Knights were unable to keep the Cougars down, as defensive fouls allowed the home team to score five consecutive points at the foul line to grab a lead. The free throw spree for Mount Vernon continued as the Knights came up empty on two consecutive offensive possessions in the final minute, with Gage Milton extended their advantage to three points. An offensive foul against Marian with 14 seconds to play would seal the game, as Mount Vernon Nazarene iced the game away in the final seconds with two more foul shots, closing out their 66-63 victory.

Aidan Franks had a strong offensive game for Marian, carrying the load with 24 points on a 10-23 shooting night. Noah Lovan and Hayden Nahra finished the game with 13 points each, with Lovan recording six rebounds and assists. Gavin Foe had career night in the glass in the loss, recording 19 rebounds to set a new career-high. Of Foe’s rebounds, the redshirt-junior grabbed nine on the offensive glass and 10 on the defensive end. Reis Butcher would score five points to lead the short-handed bench, while Luke Carroll scored two points to go with a blocked shot and steal.

As a team, Marian finished the game shooting 23-66 from the field, going 3-14 from downtown. Marian made 14 foul shots in the game, and finished the night +14 on the glass with a 45-31 edge.

Marian will return home on Saturday, taking on (RV) Indiana Wesleyan in their first meeting of the season. Tip for the Knights comes at 3:00 p.m. as the two teams end the first half of the Crossroads League schedule.

WABASH MEN’S BASKETBALL

SCHIPPERT’S THREE LIFTS WABASH TO ROAD WIN AT OWU

DELAWARE, Ohio — A Gavin Schippert three-pointer with 2:26 remaining gave Wabash a one-point edge and erased Ohio Wesleyan’s only lead of the night. Vinny Buccilla followed with another three-point to help the visiting Little Giants to a 78-70 road North Coast Athletic Conference victory over the host Battling Bishops.

With the victory, Wabash improves to 9-6 overall and 5-1 in NCAC games. Ohio Wesleyan is 8-7 overall and 3-3 in NCAC contests.

Wabash matched its season high by making 12 three-point baskets. The Little Giants connected on 46.2 percent of their 26 long-range shots. Wabash made 28 of 59 shots in the game for 47.5 percent shooting. The Little Giants dominated the boards, grabbing a season-best 42 rebounds, including 13 offensive boards, while limiting OWU to 22 rebounds.

The Little Giants took a 37-29 lead at halftime and extended it to an 11-point advantage on a Rich Brooks triple to open the final 20 minutes of play. The advantage hovered around double-digits with Schippert scoring a triple to give Wabash a 46-36 edge with 17:36 left to play. The Battling Bishops responded with a 14-7 run over the next four minutes to draw even at 50-50. Randy Kelley put Wabash back in front with his lone three-point basket of the game.

Ohio Wesleyan drew within one point at 56-55 before Josh Whack scored on a pull-up jumper, and Buccilla drilled a three-pointer to give the Little Giants a 61-55 advantage with 8:13 on the game clock. Wabash clung to a one-point lead after the Battling Bishops closed in before baskets from Nate Matelic and Schippert, and a free throw by Kelley pushed the advantage to 66-60 at the 4:42 mark.

Jessee Battle connected on a three-pointer for OWU, and Henry Hinkle added two free throws to make it a one-point game. Hinkle followed a minute later with a three-point basket to give the Battling Bishops a 68-66 lead with 3:09 left to play.

Wabash missed a jump shot on its next possession but grabbed the offensive rebound and found Schippert on the left wing for a wide-open three-pointer. The junior drilled the shot to put the Little Giants back in front by one. The Battling Bishops missed a triple on their ensuing offensive trip before Whack hit two free throws to put Wabash up 71-68. Another missed three-pointer by the Bishops came before Buccilla iced the game with his fourth triple of the game, giving Wabash a 74-68 advantage with less than a minute remaining. Buccilla added a pair of free throws in the closing minute, and Kelley’s final layup with 22 seconds left secured the eight-point victory.

Buccilla finished with 18 points to lead the Little Giants on offense. Whack tossed in 14 points. Schippert added 13 points and ten rebounds, and Brooks scored 11 points. Noah Hupmann also snared ten rebounds for the Little Giants.

Hinkle led OWU with 18 points. Battle added 14 points. Isaac Ward and Tony Carter each chipped in 12 points.

The Little Giants return to Chadwick Court on Saturday with a 2 p.m. contest against the Kenyon College Owls as part of the Wabash basketball alumni weekend.

TAYLOR ATHLETICS

TROJANS FALL AT NO. 18 HUNTINGTON

HUNTINGTON, Ind. – Taylor got a 10th double-double from Anton Webb and a career-high 16 points from Pete Combs but could not overcome a 45-point first half from No. 18 Huntington, as the Trojans suffered an 82-68 defeat.

Combs nailed five-of-six attempts in the opening half for 12 point and finished the night with a personal-best 16 points on seven-of-10 shooting and added six boards.

Webb continued his excellent production, erupting for 14 points and 10 rebounds in the second half to close with an 18-point, 13-board double-double. Webb’s 18 points moved him to within 37 of reaching 1,000 points in his three years in a Taylor uniform.

Kaden Fuhrmann also stayed hot with 16 points and four assists, while Chaz Harvey posted 12 points.

Despite having four player reach double-figures in scoring, Taylor never threatened the host Huntington (14-4, 4-4 CL) squad, as the Foresters also put four in double-digits, drained 11 triples and led by double-figures for much of the contest.

Taylor (11-7, 4-4 CL) will close the first half of its league slate on Saturday, January 18 at 3:00 pm against No. 10 Bethel (15-3, 8-0 CL).

TAYLOR ATHLETICS

TOUGH FOURTH QUARTER AT HU PROLONGS SKID

HUNTINGTON, Ind. – The Taylor women’s basketball team could not sustain momentum Wednesday evening in a 72-62 loss at Huntington (10-8, 3-5 CL).

The Trojans entered the fourth quarter behind by three points, but they were outscored 24-17 in the final frame as HU shot 6-of-11 from the floor and added 10 free throws to put its finishing touches on the game.

TU found the range early in the contest, with backcourt members Emma Fohl, Kendall Wayne and Ava Henson each connecting on a triple. The teams exchanged single-possession leads multiple times through one quarter, though it was a four-point scoring burst from McKayah Musselman that put Taylor ahead, 18-14.

The Purple and Grey got the second quarter underway by extending their lead to seven on a three-pointer by Maycee Woods. Huntington then began to chip away before ultimately ending the half on a 10-2 run to grab the lead, 35-30.

Henson knocked down a pair of treys through the first five minutes of the third stanza, which complemented Quinn Kelly’s all-around impact and gave Taylor the advantage, 41-40.

Whitney Warfel got in the scoring column late in the third quarter to put TU in front, 45-43, but that wound up being the Trojans’ last lead of the game as they managed to shoot just 28.6 percent in the fourth quarter.

Henson led all scorers in the game with 22 points, nine of which came from outside the arc.

Fohl and Wayne scored eight points and made two triples apiece, helping TU notch 10 made threes in a game for the fourth time this season. Wayne added six rebounds and five assists as the senior continued her Crossroads League-best 50.0 percent shooting from distance.

Kelly closed with a game- and season-high 12 rebounds, marking the second straight contest she’s reached double-digit boards.

The Trojans tied for a season-low seven turnovers, though the possession advantage was mitigated by a 23-for-70 shooting display.

Taylor (5-13, 0-8 CL) concludes the first half of its CL schedule when it hosts Bethel (8-9, 2-6) on Saturday at 1 p.m.

VINCENNES WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

LADY BLAZERS CRUISE LATE TO BIG ROAD REGION 24 WIN AT REND LAKE COLLEGE

INA, Ill. – The Vincennes University Lady Trailblazers hit the road Wednesday night heading to Ina, Ill. for another tough Region 24 contest against Rend Lake College.

The Lady Blazers battled all game long and were able to pull away late, allowing only nine points in the fourth quarter to come away with the 77-52 victory over the Lady Warriors.

VU got off to a bit of a slow start, after scoring the first five points of the game Rend Lake answered back with eight straight and would hold the lead for most of the opening quarter of play.

Vincennes would get back on track late in the first quarter, closing out the opening period on a 9-0 scoring run to take a 19-15 lead into the second quarter.

VU continued this scoring run into the second quarter, opening the second period by outscoring the Lady Warriors 9-2 to increase the lead to 28-17.

The Lady Blazers would get their lead to as many as 15 in the first half before the Lady Warriors hit a late three to cut the VU lead to 39-27 heading into the locker room at the break.

Vincennes kept playing tough into the second half, using an 11-3 scoring run midway through the third quarter to increase the lead to 54-38.

The two teams would trade baskets to close out the third quarter, with the Lady Blazers holding a strong 60-43 lead going into the final 10 minutes of play.

Rend Lake looked to put together a late comeback in the fourth quarter but were unable to keep the offense going as the Lady Warriors were held to just nine points in the final 10 minutes of play.

VU kept their foot on the gas all night and closed out the game strong with a 10-0 scoring run to pull away and close out the 77-52 victory.

Th Lady Blazers were led offensively by another outstanding game by freshman Emani Washington (Indianapolis, Ind.) who had a very efficient night, scoring 29 points on 17 shots, while also dishing out three assists.

Freshman Netala Dixon (Dyersburg, Tenn.) got the offense going early and came away with her first collegiate double-double Wednesday night, filling up the stats sheet with 19 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Freshman Delora Pricop (Satu Mare, Romania) came away with her fourth straight double-double and ninth of the season Wednesday night, finishing her game with 12 points and a team-high 13 rebounds.

Freshman Ahmya Thomas (Phoenix, Ariz.) was the fourth Lady Blazer in double figures scoring, ending her night with 12 points, five assists and four rebounds.

The Lady Blazers will look to keep this momentum going as they get set to hit the road again Saturday, Jan. 18 when VU heads to Rockford, Ill. to face off against Rock Valley College at 2 p.m. eastern.

VU will return home to open the following week of action when Vincennes hosts Region 24 opponent Olney Central College inside the P.E. Complex, Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 5 p.m. eastern.

INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES

INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/

ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index

TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/

OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx

ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index

IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/

IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/

IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/

PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/

INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx

GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/

HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

“SPORTS EXTRA”

NUMBERS IN SPORTS

6 – 84 – 9 – 22 – 24 – 32 – 30 – 12 – 31 – 13

January 16, 1905 – Stanley Cup, Dey’s Arena, Ottawa, ON: Ottawa Senators rout Dawson City (Yukon), 23-2 for 2-0 series sweep; most lopsided challenge playoff game in history. In the series, Frank McGee scored a remarkable 14 goals

January 16, 1952 – Stan Musial has the U.S. Standard Board give the okay on his salary to be raised to $85,000. The St Louis Cardinal Outfielder who wore the Number 6 on his uniform received the increase in pay of $35,000 after a new salary stabilization policy was announced. the government decided that the club’s payroll and not the individual player would be the measuring stick in the regulated formula.

January 16, 1955 – 5th NFL Pro Bowl, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: Western Conference beats Eastern Conference, 26-19; MVP was Number 84, Billy Wilson, the San Francisco 49ers, wide receiver.

January 16, 1960 – Right wing Gordie Howe, of the Detroit Redwings, wearing the Number 9 on his sweater scored an assist and a goal to move into the top spot in the NHL’s All-Time leader in scoring in his 888th game. His 947 career points slid him past Maurice Richard of Montreal.

January 16, 1962 – Bob Pettit, registered an NBA All-Star game record 27 rebounds as the West team defeated the East 150-130. Petit represented the St Louis Hawks that season and wore the Number 9.

January 16, 1963 – Bill Russell, who wore Number 6 with the Boston Celtics, was named the MVP of the NBA All-Star game. The East won the game 115-108.

January 16, 1965 – 4th AFL All Star Game, Jeppeson Stadium, Houston: Western Division beats Eastern Division, 38-14. There were two MVPs selected. Los Angeles Chargers Running back, Number 22, Keith Lincoln, on offense; and on defense, Denver Broncos defensive back, Number 24, Willie Brown.

January 16, 1966 – The legendary Jim Brown sporting his famous Number 32 jersey, was selected as the MVP of the NFL Pro Bowl.

January 16, 1966 – Chicago Black Hawks’ right wing Bobby Hull (Number 9) scored 4 goals (his 17th career hat trick) in a 6-5 loss to NY Rangers; becomes the first player in team history to score 300 goals

January 16, 1966 – Chicago is granted an NBA franchise to be called the Bulls; become the 3rd NBA franchise in the city, after the Chicago Stags (1946–50) and Chicago Packers/Zephyrs (now the Washington Wizards)

January 16, 1968 – 21st NHL All-Star Game, Maple Leaf Gardens: Toronto Maple Leafs beat All-Stars 4-3; MVP selected was Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltender, Number 30, Bruce Gamble.

January 16, 1972 – Super Bowl VI, Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, LA: Dallas Cowboys beat Miami Dolphins, 24-3; MVP selected was Dallas, QB, Number 12, Roger Staubach.

January 16, 1982 – Edmonton’s rookie goaltender Grant Fuhr, Number 31 had his 23-game unbeaten streak end with a 7-1 Oilers’ defeat in Toronto

January 16, 2019 – Records were set in bunches in the Golden State Warriors versus the New Orleans Pelicans. In the first quarter Golden State broke two franchise records;  in 1st quarter, record 10 three-point field goals on way to franchise best 51 points in the period. Golden State guard Stephen Curry (Number 30) became the first player in NBA history to hit eight or more three-point field goals in 3 consecutive games. Curry went 9-of- 17 from beyond the arc in the Warriors’ 147-140 victory over New Orleans. These two teams combined for an NBA record of forty-three 3-pointer field goals. 

January 16, 2019 – Houston Rockets guard, Number 13, James Harden becomes first player to score 55+ points in back-to-back NBA games since Wilt Chamberlain (1962); scores 58 in 145-142 OT loss to Brooklyn; 18 straight games with 30+ points

FOOTBALL HISTORY

January 16, 1883 – Quebec Rugby Football Union forms per the PRFA’s publication “The Coffin Corner” Volume 23, by Robert Sproule in 2001. A group of teams from the Quebec province after teams in Ontario organized on January 6, 1883. There were teams from Montreal, McGill, Britannia and Quebec City. There were 15 players per side in this game on a field that was 110 yards in length. The game more closely resembled rugby by today’s standards, but at the time it was different because the ball was placed on the ground and the teams, which were lined up on opposing sides came together to try and gain control of the ball and try to push it past a line on the ground. Sproule notes that it was closer to a line of scrimmage than a scrum. Finally in 1904 the QRFU adopted a system of downs where it was slowly morphing into what we would recognize as Canadian Football.

January 16, 1955 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – At the 5th annual NFL Pro Bowl the Western Conference team defeated the Eastern Conference, 26-19. The games Most Valuable Player was San Francisco 49er Wide Receiver Billy Wilson.

January 16, 1965 – Jeppeson Stadium, Houston –  The American Football League held its 4th All Star Game. In the end of the year exhibition game the Western Division defeated the Eastern Division squad by the score of 38-14. The MVPs were Los Angeles Chargers Running back Keith Lincoln and Willie Brown the Denver Broncos Defensive Back.

January 16, 1970 – NFL realigned into 3 divisions in each Conference after the official merger of the AFL into the NFL per the American Football Fandom site. As we talked about in earlier posts the NFL had 16 teams  prior to the merger while the AFL held only 10. The easiest fix to balance out the conferences was to move three traditionally NFL teams to the new AFC to join the existing AFL squads. So in the realignment the Baltimore Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns all joined the old AFL squads in the conference. The divisions were listed as the AFC West being made up of the Raiders, Chargers, Broncos, and Chiefs. The AFC East consisted of the Bills, Colts,  Patriots, Jets, and Dolphins. The Central Division of the AFC placed the Browns, Bengals, Oilers and Steelers together. Over in the other conference the NFC East consisting of the Eagles, Redskins, Cowboys, Giants, Cardinals. The NFC Central was comprised of the Packers, Bears, Vikings, Lions. The Rams, 49ers, Saints, Falcons made up the NFC West. 

January 16, 1972 – Tulane Stadium, New Orleans – The NFL title would be decided in Super Bowl VI as the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins would clash to see who would take home the Lombardi Trophy. Dallas Running back Duane Thomas pounded out 95 yards on the ground with a touchdown while Roger Staubach tossed scoring passes to Mike Ditka and Lance Alworth to lift the Cowboys over the Miami Dolphins, 24-3. According to the Pro-Football-Reference.com Roger Staubach with his 12 of 19 for 119 and two scores was selected as the games MVP.

January 16, 1988 – The St Louis Cardinals football team announced that they would be moving to Phoenix according to the barstoolsports.com. The franchise spent 27 years in the Gateway to the West City. The Cardinals who are the oldest franchise in the NFL are the first to have called three different cities home. Our colleague on the Sports History Network, Joe Ziemba has some great Podcasts on the history of the Cardinals, especially their years in Chicago. Joe is probably one of the foremost experts on Cardinals history and that is solidified with his great book “When Football was Football.”

A link to Joe’s When Football was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL book is shown below. Purchasing the book through the Amazon link below helps some proceeds go to PigskinDispatch.com to help pay for our operating costs. Your patronage is appreciated both by PigskinDispatch and Joe!

Hall Of Fame Birthdays for January 17

January 16, 1882 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Henry Phillips the stellar Sewanee guard was born. The National Football Foundation selected Henry Phillips to go into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959.

January 16, 1894 – Blue Springs, Nebraska – Guy Chamberlin the sensational back and end of Nebraska Wesleyan and University of Nebraska was born. Guy was also a top early NFL coach who won multiple championships. Click his name to learn more about him with some other posts.

January 16, 1914 – New Orleans, Louisiana – The great halfback of Tulane Claude Monk Simons arrived into life. Monk’s father was the highly regarded trainer of the Green Wave of Tulane and his young son grew up dreaming about being on the playing field of the gridiron for Tulane. Sometimes with hard work and dedication those dreams come true, they sure did for Simons. The NFF has a great story in their bio of Monk. The Tulane team was invited to host the first Sugar Bowl game against Head Coach Pop Warner’s very talented Temple team.  That New Year’s Day in 1935 the 22,000 fans filled the air with excitement!  The home crowd was silenced at the onset of the contest as Temple scored two quick touchdowns to start the game.  Simons had been preparing for this moment for most of his young life. After the second Owl TD, Tulane’s Johnny McDaniel handed off to Simons, and the fleet-footed halfback raced 86 yards down the sideline for the score that ignited the Green Wave to a comeback and eventual victory, 20-14.  The College Football Hall of Fame inducted Monk Simons in 1963.

January 16, 1953 – Akron, Ohio – Dave Brown the safety from Michigan was born. Michigan had a remarkable defense when Brown was on the team. The Wolverines were 30-2-1 and in 33 games played, his teams surrendered more than ten points in only five games and registered 11 shutouts according to the NFF. As a junior Brown was consensus All-America selection, and he scored a TD in each of his 3 seasons played. Dave Brown was received as a legend into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007.

January 16, 1977 – Phillipsburg, Kansas -The great Kansas State linebacker Mark Simoneau was born. According to the footballfoundation.org website Simoneau holds a school record with 251 career unassisted tackles, ranks third in school history with 400 total tackles, 52 TFL and eight forced fumbles.  The NFF voters selected Mak Simoneau to enter into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012. Mark was a third round  draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons in the 2000 NFL Draft.  Simoneau played 11 seasons for the Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

Jan. 16

1962 — Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scores 42 points and grabs 24 rebounds as he won MVP honors even though his East team lost to the West 150-130 in the NBA All-Star game. The West’s Bob Pettit pulls down an All-Star record 27 rebounds.

1972 — The Dallas Cowboys dominate the Miami Dolphins, setting a Super Bowl record of 252 yards rushing en route to a 24-3 victory.

1974 — Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Mantle is elected in his first year of eligibility and Ford in his second year.

1988 — Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder, the CBS NFL Today tout for 12 years, is fired for his racial comments during an interview the previous day with WRC-TV in Washington.

1993 — Kansas beats Louisville 98-77 for its 1,500th win in school history.

1993 — Michael Jordan scores 64 points, but Chicago is upended in overtime by visiting Orlando 128-124. The Magic are led by rookie center Shaquille O’Neal, who has 29 points and 24 rebounds.

2008 — Bob Knight becomes the first men’s Division I coach with 900 wins when Texas Tech beats No. 10 Texas A&M 68-53.

2011 — New York Jets stun the New England Patriots 28-21. The Patriots — who had the league’s best record during the regular season — suffer their third straight postseason loss. Mark Sanchez throws three touchdown passes, Tom Brady is sacked five times and the Jets advance to their second straight AFC championship game.

2015 — The NCAA restores 112 football wins it stripped from Penn State and Joe Paterno in the Jerry Sandusky child-molestation scandal and reinstates the venerated late coach as the winningest in major college football history. The NCAA announces the new settlement with the school weeks before a scheduled trial on the legality of the sanctions imposed in 2012.

2016 — Larry Fitzgerald sets up and scores the winning touchdown on the third play of overtime, taking a 5-yard pass from Carson Palmer that lifts Arizona past Green Bay 26-20 after Aaron Rodgers’ desperation 41-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Janis on the final play of regulation. Fitzgerald turns a short pass into a 75-yard gain on the first play of overtime to set up his 5-yard shovel pass reception for the winning score.

2019 — Golden State guard Stephen Curry first player in NBA history to hit 8+ three-point FGs in 3 consecutive games; goes 9-of- 17 three’s in Warriors’ 147-140 win over New Orleans; teams combine for NBA record 43 3-pointers.

2020 – Former Sacramento State softball player Alyssa Nakken becomes first woman to hold a coaching position on a MLB staff when named an assistant by the San Francisco Giants.

2022 — Unvaccinated World #1 tennis player Novak Đoković is deported by the Australian government on “health and good order” grounds, without playing in the Australian Open.

TV SPORTS THURSDAY

NBA REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Indiana Pacers vs Detroit Pistons	7:00 pm	FanDuel Sports IND FanDuel Sports DET
Phoenix Suns vs Washington Wizards	7:00pm	SCHN MNMT2
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Oklahoma City Thunder	7:30pm	TNT
Los Angeles Clippers vs Portland Trail Blazers	10:00pm	FanDuel Sports SoCal Rip City
Houston Rockets vs Sacramento Kings	10:00pm	TNT
NHL REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
San Jose Sharks vs Columbus Blue Jackets	7:00 pm	ESPN+ FanDuel Sports OH NBCS-CA
New Jersey Devils vs Toronto Maple Leafs	7:00pm	ESPN+ MSGSN2 Sportsnet
Washington Capitals vs Ottawa Senators	7:00pm	ESPN+ MNMT Sportsnet
Anaheim Ducks vs Tampa Bay Lightning	7:00pm	ESPN+ FanDuel Sports Sun Victory+
Detroit Red Wings vs Florida Panthers	7:00pm	ESPN
Philadelphia Flyers vs New York Islanders	7:30pm	ESPN+ NBCS-PHI MSGSN
Montreal Canadiens vs Dallas Stars	8:00pm	ESPN+ Victory+ Sportsnet
Chicago Blackhawks vs Nashville Predators	8:00pm	ESPN+ FanDuel Sports South CHSN
Calgary Flames vs St. Louis Blues	8:00pm	ESPN+ FanDuel Sports MW Sportsnet
Seattle Kraken vs Winnipeg Jets	8:00pm	ESPN+ KONG Sportsnet
New York Rangers vs Utah Hockey Club	9:00pm	ESPN+ MSG Utah16
Edmonton Oilers vs Colorado Avalanche	9:30pm	ESPN
Los Angeles Kings vs Vancouver Canucks	10:00pm	ESPN+ FanDuel Sports West Sportsnet
COLLEGE BASKETBALL	TIME ET	TV
Maine at NJIT	11:00am	ESPN+
Cheyney at Coppin State	11:00am	ESPN+
New Hampshire at UMBC	6:00pm	ESPN+
Stony Brook at Delaware	6:30pm	SNY
Bryant at UAlbany	6:30pm	ESPN+
Lipscomb at Bellarmine	6:30pm	ESPN+
West Georgia at FGCU	6:30pm	ESPN+
Memphis at Temple	7:00pm	ESPN2
Michigan at Minnesota	7:00pm	FS1
High Point at Longwood	7:00pm	ESPNU
Hofstra at Towson	7:00pm	CBSSN
Elon at Drexel	7:00pm	NBCS-PHI+
Binghamton at Vermont	7:00pm	NESN
Sacred Heart at Siena	7:00pm	WNYA
Northeastern at UNCW	7:00pm	WSFX
Canisius at Iona	7:00pm	ESPN+
Marist at Saint Peter’s	7:00pm	ESPN+
Merrimack at Quinnipiac	7:00pm	ESPN+
Mount St. Mary’s at Rider	7:00pm	ESPN+
Niagara at Fairfield	7:00pm	ESPN+
Central Arkansas at North Florida	7:00pm	ESPN+
Queens at Stetson	7:00pm	ESPN+
North Alabama at Jacksonville	7:00pm	ESPN+
Louisiana Tech at Jacksonville State	7:00pm	ESPN+
NM State at FIU	7:00pm	ESPN+
Sam Houston at Kennesaw State	7:00pm	ESPN+
App State at Old Dominion	7:00pm	ESPN+
Georgia Southern at Coastal Carolina	7:00pm	ESPN+
Marshall at James Madison	7:00pm	ESPN+
Charleston at Campbell	7:00pm	FloSports
Monmouth at North Carolina A&T	7:00pm	FloSports
William & Mary at Hampton	7:00pm	FloSports
Western Illinois at Morehead State	7:30pm	ESPN+
North Dakota at South Dakota State	8:00pm	MidCo Sports
Kansas City at North Dakota State	8:00pm	WDAY-DT3
Portland State at Northern Colorado	8:00pm	ESPN+
Sacramento State at Northern Arizona	8:00pm	ESPN+
Eastern Kentucky at Austin Peay	8:00pm	ESPN+
Louisiana at Arkansas State	8:00pm	ESPN+
California Baptist at Tarleton	8:00pm	ESPN+
Utah Valley at UTA	8:00pm	ESPN+
Oral Roberts at South Dakota	8:00pm	Summit
SIUE at Tennessee State	8:30pm	ESPN+
Southeast Missouri at Tennessee Tech	8:30pm	ESPN+
Lindenwood at Southern Indiana	8:30pm	ESPN+
Eastern Illinois at UT Martin	8:30pm	ESPN+
Rutgers at Nebraska	9:00pm	FS1
Maryland at Northwestern	9:00pm	BTN
UTEP at Liberty	9:00pm	CBSSN
Abilene Christian at Grand Canyon	9:00pm	KUTP
Montana at Weber State	9:00pm	ESPN+
Montana State at Idaho State	9:00pm	ESPN+
UC Riverside at UC Santa Barbara	10:00pm	Spectrum SportsNet
Pacific at Portland	10:00pm	KRCW
San Francisco at Pepperdine	10:00pm	ESPN+
Utah Tech at Seattle U	10:00pm	ESPN+
Santa Clara at Loyola Marymount	10:00pm	ESPN+
Washington State at San Diego	10:00pm	ESPN+
UC San Diego at Long Beach State	10:00pm	ESPN+
UC Davis at Cal Poly	10:00pm	ESPN+
Cal State Fullerton at UC Irvine	10:00pm	ESPN+
Gonzaga at Oregon State	11:00pm	CBSSN
CSUN at Hawai’i	11:59pm	ESPN+
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL	TIME ET	TV
Georgia Tech at Notre Dame	6:00pm	ACCN
Illinois at Indiana	7:00pm	BTN
Nebraska at Iowa	7:00pm	Peacock
California at Duke	8:00pm	ACCN
Ohio State at Wisconsin	9:00pm	Peacock
GOLF	TIME ET	TV
PGA Tour: The American Express	4:00pm	GOLF
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
EPL: Ipswich Town vs Brighton & Hove Albion	2:30pm	Peacock
EPL: Manchester United vs Southampton	3:00pm	USA Peacock
Liga MX: América vs Tijuana	9:00pm	VIX