“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
HOMESTEAD.COM
| ARGOS | 41 | CULVER | 27 | |
| BATESVILLE | 51 | RUSHVILLE | 38 | |
| CANNELTON | 47 | CLOVERPORT (KY.) | 21 | |
| CASCADE | 60 | OWEN VALLEY | 32 | |
| CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | 66 | TRINITY LUTHERAN | 30 | |
| CONNERSVILLE | 41 | EAST CENTRAL | 35 | |
| COVENANT CHRISTIAN | 73 | INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN | 56 | |
| EVANSVILLE BOSSE | 79 | SOUTH SPENCER | 67 | |
| FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK | 69 | HERITAGE CHRISTIAN | 49 | |
| GRIFFITH | 66 | HIGHLAND | 35 | |
| HAMMOND CENTRAL | 63 | WESTVILLE | 42 | |
| HAMMOND MORTON | 77 | CALUMET | 55 | |
| MERRILLVILLE | 47 | CULVER ACADEMY | 43 | |
| MUNCIE BURRIS | 57 | UNION (MODOC) | 44 | |
| NORTH DECATUR | 50 | JAC-CEN-DEL | 46 | OT |
| PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD | 53 | INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE | 51 | |
| SHAKAMAK | 77 | LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN | 49 | |
| SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE) | 61 | MORRISTOWN | 52 | |
| GIAC TOURNAMENT | ||||
| INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN | 93 | CENTRAL CHRISTIAN | 14 | R1 |
| INDIANA MATH & SCIENCE | IRVINGTON PREP | 6:00 PM | ||
| VICTORY COLLEGE PREP | MOORESVILLE CHRISTIAN | 6:00 PM | ||
| INDIANAPOLIS RIVERSIDE | 63 | EMINENCE | 23 | R1 |
| PUTNAM COUNTY TOURNAMENT | ||||
| SOUTH PUTNAM | 55 | NORTH PUTNAM | 42 | R1 |
| GREENCASTLE | 56 | CLOVERDALE | 27 | R1 |
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL-REGIONAL PAIRINGS
CLASS 4A
LAPORTE
HAMMOND CENTRAL (20-3) VS. VALPARAISO (18-7), 2 P.M.
WARSAW (23-1) VS. SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (24-1), 5 P.M.
MARION
MCCUTCHEON (23-3) VS. FORT WAYNE SNIDER (13-11), 4 P.M.
HOMESTEAD (24-2) VS. HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (25-0), 7 P.M.
DECATUR CENTRAL
LAWRENCE NORTH (15-8) VS. PENDLETON HEIGHTS (19-6), 1 P.M.
PIKE (18-6) VS. FRANKLIN CENTRAL (18-9), 4 P.M.
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (22-2) VS. EAST CENTRAL (12-11), 7 P.M.
BOONVILLE
FLOYD CENTRAL (23-4) VS. GIBSON SOUTHERN (20-6)
CLASS 3A
JIMTOWN
COLUMBIA CITY (22-4) VS. LOWELL (16-9), 4 P.M.
WINAMAC COMMUNITY
CULVER ACADEMY (20-5) VS. HIGHLAND (14-10), 4 P.M.
BELLMONT
EAST NOBLE (16-9) VS. NORWELL (19-6), 7 P.M.
WES-DEL
MACONAQUAH (16-8) VS. DELTA (17-7), 7 P.M.
GREENCASTLE
CATHEDRAL (17-9) VS. NORTHVIEW (20-6), 4 P.M.
SOUTHMONT
RONCALLI (16-8) VS. DANVILLE (20-5), 4 P.M.
CHARLESTOWN
GREENSBURG (24-0) VS. WASHINGTON (23-2), 7 P.M.
BOONVILLE
CORYDON CENTRAL (20-5) VS. EVANSVILLE CENTRAL (22-4), 4 P.M.
CLASS 2A
JIMTOWN
EASTSIDE (25-1) VS. ANDREAN (15-11), 1 P.M.
CASTON
WHITKO (20-4) VS. BREMEN (24-2), 1 P.M.
RENSSELAER CENTRAL (23-2) VS. ALEXANDRIA (25-1), 4 P.M.
LAPEL
LEWIS CASS (19-6) VS. SHERIDAN (24-1), 7 P.M.
GREENCASTLE
MONROVIA (19-7) VS. PARKE HERITAGE (22-4), 1 P.M.
SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)
NORTHEASTERN (24-1) VS. HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (13-12), 4 P.M.
CHARLESTOWN
LANESVILLE (20-3) VS. SOUTH KNOX (24-2), 4 P.M.
WEST WASHINGTON
NORTH POSEY (19-6) VS. BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (21-5), 4 P.M.
CLASS A
BELLMONT
ELKHART CHRISTIAN (20-5) VS. FREMONT (20-6), 4 P.M.
WINAMAC COMMUNITY
MARQUETTE CATHOLIC (21-4) VS. TRI-COUNTY (22-2), 1 P.M.
LAPEL
MONROE CENTRAL (20-6) VS. LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (22-4), 4 P.M.
WES-DEL
CARROLL (FLORA) (18-7) VS. NORTH MIAMI (15-10), 4 P.M.
SOUTHMONT
GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN (7-17) VS. ANDERSON PREP (17-9), 1 P.M.
SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)
SOUTH DECATUR (15-11) VS. OLDENBURG ACADEMY (21-4), 1 P.M.
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE
NORTHEAST DUBOIS (18-6) VS. NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) (23-3), 4 P.M.
WEST WASHINGTON
VINCENNES RIVET (15-10) VS. BORDEN (19-5), 7 P.M.
INDIANA WRESTLING SEMI-STATE
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25
#25 NEBRASKA 83 NEBRASKA 75
#14 MEMPHIS 80 SOUTH FLORIDA 65
ELSEWHERE:
WESTERN ILLINOIS 87 SOUTHERN INDIANA 62
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25
LOUISVILLE 83 #23 FLORIDA STATE 69
#10 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 76 MIAMI FLORIDA 74
#13 DUKE 72 WAKE FOREST 47
#15 TENNESSEE 99 AUBURN 61
NEBRASKA 91 #17 MARYLAND 71
#12 NORTH CAROLINA 67 VIRGINIA TECH 62
#4 SOUTH CAROLINA 101 FLORIDA 63
#3 TEXAS 67 #8 KENTUCKY 49
CLEMSON 68 #19 GEORGIA TECH 61
#9 OHIO STATE 87 MINNESOTA 84 OT
#2 NOTRE DAME 88 PITTSBURGH 57
#6 USC 71 #1 UCLA 60
ELSEWHERE:
SOUTHERN INDIANA 76 WESTERN ILLINOIS 70
WRIGHT STATE 78 YOUNGSTOWN STATE 76 OT
ILLINOIS STATE 85 INDIANA STATE 77
VALPARAISO 60 ILLINOIS CHICAGO 51
EVANSVILLE 55 BRADLEY 45
DRAKE 92 MURRAY STATE 86
DETROIT 50 MILWAUKEE 46
ROBERT MORRIS 61 IU INDY 58
NORTHERN IOWA 73 BELMONT 61
GREEN BAY 75 OAKLAND 39
MISSOURI STATE 83 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 48
ILLINOIS 67 PENN STATE 55
OLE MISS 89 ARKANSAS 50
IOWA 55 RUTGERS 43
GONZAGA 66 OREGON STATE 62 OT
NEW MEXICO 88 BOISE STATE 83 OT
MISSISSIPPI STATE 85 VANDERBILT 77 2OT
WASHINGTON STATE 63 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 51
CALIFORNIA 72 BOSTON COLLEGE 63
STANFORD 79 SYRACUSE 58
COLLEGE BASEBALL
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
TOP 25
#6 FLORIDA STATE 9 #15 MISSOURI 1
#15 MISSOURI 10 CLEMSON 6
#7 TEXAS A&M 9 WICHITA STATE 1
#18 FLORIDA ATLANTIC 13 MINNESOTA 4
#12 GEORGIA 3 MICHIGAN 2
#10 ARIZONA 7 S. ALABAMA 6
#17 MISSISSIPPI STATE 10 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 3
#1 FLORIDA 12 BOSTON COLLEGE 7
ARIZONA STATE 4 #21 OREGON 3 (8)
#10 ARIZONA 15 S. ALABAMA 0
ELSEWHERE:
INDIANA 10 NORTH DAKOTA STATE 0
TENNESSEE MARTIN 2 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 1
WESTERN MICHIGAN 11 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 3
NBA SCOREBOARD
GOLDEN STATE 105 HOUSTON 98
NEW ORLEANS 140 SACRAMENTO 133 OT
DALLAS 118 MIAMI 113
MINNESOTA 116 OKLAHOMA CITY 101
LA CLIPPERS 120 UTAH 116 OT
NHL SCOREBOARD
USA 6 FINLAND 1
TOP NATIONAL RELEASES/HEADLINES
NFL NEWS
JETS SPLIT FROM QB AARON RODGERS, WISH HIM WELL
The New York Jets have informed veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers that they are moving on without him.
“Last week we met with Aaron and shared that our intention was to move in a different direction at quarterback,” Jets head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey said in a statement released by the team on Thursday.
“It was important to have this discussion now to provide clarity and enable each of us the proper time to plan for our respective futures. We want to thank him for the leadership, passion, and dedication he brought to the organization and wish him success moving forward.”
Rodgers, 41, joined the Jets amid much fanfare ahead of the 2023 season but suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the opener. Last season, he rebounded to start all 17 games but the Jets finished only 5-12. He completed 63.0 percent of his passes for 3,897 yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
“I personally want to thank Aaron for his time at the New York Jets,” Jets chairman Woody Johnson said in a statement released by the team. “His arrival in 2023 was met with unbridled excitement and I will forever be grateful that he chose to join us to continue his Hall of Fame career.
“From day one, he embodied all that it meant to be a New York Jet, embraced our fans, and immersed himself in our city. That is what I will remember most when I look back at his time here. He will always be welcome, and I wish him only the best in whatever he chooses to do next.”
Rodgers has options should he wish to continue playing in the NFL. The Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns are at the top of the list of teams in need of a starting quarterback, however the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans and New York Giants also are among teams that could be in the mix.
Rodgers spent 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers before moving on the Jets. The future Pro Football Hall of Fame member and four-time NFL MVP ranks in the top 10 in NFL history in many statistical categories.
He is first in passer rating (102.6), fifth in career touchdown passes (503), and seventh in both pass completions (5,369) and passing yards (62,952).
The Jets will feature a new look in many ways next season. In addition to Glenn and Mougey, the team will have a new offensive coordinator in Tanner Engstrand and largely a new coaching staff.
Without Rodgers, New York has veteran Tyrod Taylor, Jordan Travis and Adrian Martinez as quarterbacks under contract.
The Jets also have the No. 7 pick in the April NFL draft.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
FIVE TERPS SCORE DOUBLE-DIGITS AS NO. 25 TERPS SECURE ROAD WIN AT NEBRASKA, 83-75
LINCOLN, NE – All five starters scored in double figures as No. 25 Maryland men’s basketball defeated Nebraska, 83-75, at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Thursday. Maryland, No. 18 in the NCAA NET, improved to 19-6 overall and 9-5 in Big Ten play. The Terps have now won six of their last seven games. The win was the Terps’ sixth Quad 1 victory this season.
It was the fourth time all five Maryland starters scored in double-figures this season. The Terps went into halftime with a 42-35 advantage and never trailed in the second half. The Huskers cut the deficit to two points (77-75) with 1:03 left to play, but Selton Miguel connected on a runner on the baseline to put the Terps ahead 79-75. They then closed out the game from the free-throw line.
Maryland shot an impressive 58.5 percent from the floor, the Terps’ best field goal percentage in a conference game since shooting 68.1 at Minnesota on Feb. 22, 2023. That mark included 7-of-15 (46.7 percent) from beyond the three-point line.
Derik Queen led the team, posting his eighth career double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds. It was also his ninth game this season with 20 or more points and fifth with 20+ points and 10+ rebounds (most by any freshman in the nation). Queen shot a dazzling 9-of-11 from the floor. He moved to fifth on the program’s all-time freshman scoring list. Queen has 395 this season and is nearing fifth-place Johnny Rhodes, who scored 425 points his freshman year in 1993.
Julian Reese added 13 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks as Maryland’s frontcourt duo combined for 37 points and 21 rebounds. It was Reese’s 11th double-double of the season and 33rd of his career. He ranks tied for fifth in program history in double-doubles. This was also the third time this season that Queen and Reese both recorded a double-double.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Miguel were the major contributors to Maryland’s hot shooting. Miguel scored 17 on 3-of-5 three-point shooting to go along with three assists. Gillespie totaled 15 points on 3-of-5 three-point shooting with seven assists and three rebounds. Rodney Rice (14 points) was the final Terp starter to net double-digit points.
With four games in which all five starters have scored double figures, only Kentucky (5) among major college conference programs has more than Maryland this season. Arkansas also has four.
This was the second time this season the Terps defeated the Huskers (16-9, 6-8 Big Ten), as Maryland won 69-66 on Jan. 19 in College Park. Maryland boasts a 14-4 all-time head-to-head record in matchups against Nebraska.
Nebraska was led by Juwan Gary, who scored a Husker-high 22 points. Brice Willaims added 20 points. The loss to the Terps snapped the Huskers’ four-game win streak.
NO. 14 MEMPHIS HANDLES BUSINESS IN WIN OVER SOUTH FLORIDA
TAMPA, Fla. – The No. 14 University of Memphis men’s basketball team took care of business in its win over South Florida, 80-65, Thursday night inside the Yuengling Center.
With the victory, head coach Penny Hardaway picked up win No. 150 for his career.
Memphis extended its winning streak to eight games to sit 21-4 overall and 11-1 in American Athletic Conference play.
Senior center Dain Dainja led four Tigers in double figures with 20 points and seven rebounds.
Sophomore guard PJ Haggerty followed with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists. Returning to the lineup after missing the last game, guard Tyrese Hunter scored 15 points and grabbed six boards.
The Tigers had a slow start to the game, turning the ball over eight times in the first 12-plus minutes. Midway through the half, they went through a stretch where they connected on just 1-of-10 shot attempts.
Both teams traded baskets back-and-forth with neither side having more than a three-point lead until Memphis reeled off a 12-2 run to lead by eight with five minutes to play in the half.
The Tigers then used a 12-3 run to break the game open, taking a 42-27 advantage into the locker room.
The Tigers carried that momentum into the second half, extending the lead to 20 points less than five minutes into the action with a triple from Colby Rogers.
Memphis led by as many as 24 points with 13:54 to play. The Bulls tried to make a comeback, going on a 12-2 run with less than five minutes left in the game, however, Memphis proved to be too much.
The Tigers dominated the glass, pulling down a season high 51 rebounds to just 34 for the Bulls. It’s the most rebounds for Memphis in a game since also pulling down 51 against Tulane on March 11, 2023 in the AAC Championship.
Three players led USF in scoring with 11 points each.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 10 NC STATE EDGES MIAMI LATE
Madison Hayes scored 19 points with a season-high four 3-pointers and Zoe Brooks weaved through traffic for a go-ahead layup with 46 seconds remaining as No. 10 North Carolina State escaped with a 76-74 victory over Miami on Thursday at Raleigh, N.C.
Aziaha James scored 15 points and Tilda Trygger added 10 for the Wolfpack (20-4, 12-1 ACC), who extended their winning streak to nine games, while winning for the 16th time in their last 17 games. Hayes surpassed 1,000 points for her career.
Haley Cavinder scored 20 points with eight rebounds and six assists and Natalija Marshall added 17 points as the Hurricanes (13-11, 3-10) lost to the No. 10 team for the second consecutive game after falling to Duke on Sunday.
After trailing 69-62 with 9:18 remaining, Miami tied the game 74-74 on a layup by Cavinder. The teams went scoreless for nearly three minutes before Brooks split three defenders to put NC State on top. Cavinder missed a shot inside at the buzzer that would have tied the game.
Louisville 83, No. 23 Florida State 69
Tajianna Roberts scored 17 points with 10 rebounds and Jayda Curry also had 17 points as the visiting Cardinals won their third consecutive game with the victory over the Seminoles at Tallahassee, Fla.
Nyla Harris scored 14 points with nine rebounds for Louisville (18-7, 11-3 ACC), while Imari Berry added 11 points and Olivia Cochran had nine rebounds to reach 1,000 for her career.
Ta’Niya Latson scored 29 points, O’Mariah Gordon had 15 and Makayla Timpson had 10 for Florida State (19-6, 9-4), which went 3 of 20 (15.0 percent) from 3-point range and lost its second straight following a six-game winning streak.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: NAZ REID-LED WOLVES ROUT WEST-BEST THUNDER
Naz Reid collected 27 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, and the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled away for a 116-101 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday in Minneapolis.
Anthony Edwards added 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Minnesota, which snapped a two-game skid despite scratching Rudy Gobert (back spasms). Jaden McDaniels scored 21 points.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished nine assists to lead the Thunder, who never led in the game — the first time that happened all season.
Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams scored 20 points. Chet Holmgren (11 points, 12 rebounds) and Isaiah Hartenstein (10 points, 12 rebounds) each notched a double-double.
Pelicans 140, Kings 133 (OT)
CJ McCollum scored 43 points, including a tiebreaking 3-pointer in overtime, and host New Orleans ended a 10-game losing streak by defeating Sacramento.
Trey Murphy III added 18 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds while Jose Alvarado scored 18 for New Orleans.
Zach LaVine collected 32 points and 10 assists for the Kings, whose three-game winning streak ended. Domantas Sabonis added 22 points and 28 rebounds, and Malik Monk had 24 points and nine assists.
Warriors 105, Rockets 98
Stephen Curry scored a game-high 27 points and Golden State survived a fourth-quarter comeback from Houston to claim a road victory.
The Warriors improved to 3-1 since the acquisition of Jimmy Butler III, who finished with 19 points and eight rebounds. Golden State (28-27) pulled above .500 entering the All-Star break. Brandin Podziemski put up 18 points for Golden State. Draymond Green contributed 13 points and eight assists, and Moses Moody recorded 10 points.
Aaron Holiday scored a season-high 25 points while Jock Landale added 13 points (11 in the fourth quarter) and eight rebounds for the Rockets. Nate Williams tallied a season-best 11 points in 18 minutes, also a season-high total.
Clippers 120, Jazz 116 (OT)
Norman Powell scored a season-high 41 points and came up big in overtime while lifting Los Angeles over Utah in Salt Lake City.
Powell scored nine of the Clippers’ 12 OT points. James Harden added 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks. Ben Simmons made his Clippers debut, days after the Brooklyn Nets bought out his contract and he signed with Los Angeles. He totaled 12 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals in a reserve role.
Jazz rookie Kyle Filipowski scored a career-high 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Lauri Markkanen also logged 20 points.
Mavericks 118, Heat 113
Dante Exum scored a season-high 27 points to lead seven Dallas players in double figures as the Mavericks beat visiting Miami in the final game before the All-Star break for both teams.
Max Christie scored 19 points, Spencer Dinwiddie added 18 and Kessler Edwards had a season-high 15 for the Mavericks, who won for the fourth time in their last five games. Naji Marshall scored 12 points, Brandon Williams had 11 and Olivier-Maxence Prosper netted 10. The short-handed Mavericks were without eight injured players, including Kyrie Irving (right shoulder soreness) and Klay Thompson (left foot sprain).
Tyler Herro matched his season high with 40 points for Miami, which lost its fourth straight. Kel’el Ware scored 17 points, Kyle Anderson added 15 points and 10 rebounds and Alec Burks had 12 points off the bench.
HOCKEY NEWS
USA PULLS AWAY FROM FINLAND FOR 4 NATIONS BLOWOUT
Matthew Tkachuk scored twice in a three-point performance and his younger brother, Brady, added two goals during Team USA’s decisive 6-1 victory over Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off on Thursday in Montreal.
Matt Boldy and Jake Guentzel both collected a goal and an assist for the United States. Zach Werenski notched three assists, Jack Eichel added two helpers and Connor Hellebuyck made 20 saves.
Henri Jokiharju produced the lone goal for Finland, which received a 26-stop performance from Juuse Saros.
Team USA will face Canada on Saturday, after Finland meets Sweden earlier in the day. Canada beat Sweden 4-3 in overtime in the tournament opener on Wednesday. The U.S. team sits in first place with three points following a regulation win, with Canada second on two points following its OT triumph.
After Finland and the United States traded first-period goals, Boldy gave the Americans their first lead with 2:56 remaining in the second period. Just as Finland was gaining momentum, Boldy won a board battle and promptly went to the net, where he deflected Brock Faber’s point shot into the net.
Team USA broke the game wide open with four goals in the third period. Matthew Tkachuk’s power-play goal 15 seconds into the final frame, a long shot that was redirected by a defender, extended the edge.
Guentzel added another goal 11 seconds later, finding the mark from the left faceoff dot on a rush created from the ensuing faceoff.
Brady Tkachuk netted his second of the game at the three-minute mark of the final frame, finishing a three-way passing play with his brother and Eichel on the rush.
Matthew Tkachuk notched his second of the game at 11:13 when he pounced on a rebound for another power-play marker.
From there, the clubs coasted to the final buzzer.
Finland opened the scoring when Jokiharju tallied off the rush at the 7:31 mark. Brady Tkachuk responded three minutes later when he grabbed a loose puck and banked a shot from behind the goal line off Saros and into the net.
RACING NEWS
NASCAR EJECTS TWO CREW CHIEFS BEFORE DAYTONA 500
NASCAR ejected two Cup Series crew chiefs from the rest of the Daytona 500 weekend on Thursday due to rules violations.
Chris Lawson, crew chief for Front Row Motorsports driver Todd Gilliland, and Billy Plourde, crew chief for Rick Ware Racing’s Cody Ware, were both sanctioned for improper weights on the No. 34 and No. 51 cars, respectively.
Kevyn Rebolledo will replace Lawson and Tommy Baldwin will take over for Plourde as preparations continue for Sunday’s “Great American Race” in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Both cars in question are chartered entries, meaning they have guaranteed spots in the starting grid regardless of how they finished in Thursday’s qualifying Duels.
BUBBA WALLACE TAKES DUEL 1, WILL START THIRD AT DAYTONA 500
Bubba Wallace outran defending Daytona 500 winner William Byron to win the first race of Speedweeks in Duel 1 on Thursday night at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.
After fending off Ty Dillon’s No. 10 Chevrolet in the final 10 laps, Wallace took the white flag as the leader and held his 23XI Racing car owned by NBA icon Michael Jordan out front for Toyota’s third consecutive Duel win.
Wallace, who led six times for 20 laps, will start third in Sunday’s Daytona 500.
Following Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet were Dillon, Ross Chastain and Tyler Reddick in the five-caution race.
In his first race in Martin Truex Jr.’s former No. 19, polesitter Chase Briscoe started the 60-lap race but did not have the chance to show the speed he had in winning the first-ever Daytona 500 pole for Toyota.
The first of the 150-mile qualifiers had its initial incident a mere three laps in as Zane Smith, running fifth, cut a tire on the west end of the 2.5-mile superspeedway and scrubbed the outside wall in a one-car incident.
With Clash winner Chase Elliott out front, Chandler Smith’s No. 66 Ford smacked the Turn 1 wall after moving down on Justin Haley’s No. 7, while four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves spun. The Toyotas of Wallace, Reddick and Ty Gibbs also were in it.
Content after running nearly half of the laps, Briscoe retired the No. 19, saving it from incident and putting it safely away for Sunday’s 500-miler, which he will lead the field in.
Wallace and Byron swapped the lead before the No. 23 Toyota driver pulled slightly ahead with 18 laps to go.
AUSTIN CINDRIC EARNS TIGHT VICTORY IN DAYTONA DUEL 2
Polesitter Austin Cindric led a Ford blockade and nipped Erik Jones on the final lap to win Speedweeks’ Duel 2 on Thursday night at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Jones put his No. 43 Toyota up high on the backstretch and got a strong push from the No. 17 Ford of Chris Buescher. Cindric, driving the No. 2 Team Penske Ford, edged Jones but had to wait out NASCAR’s decision for the win.
As a handful of cars wrecked behind them, Buescher, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano completed the top five.
Corey LaJoie, driving the No. 01 Ford for Rick Ware Racing in a partial schedule, came home sixth and made the field for the 200-lap event on Sunday.
Just as top qualifier Chase Briscoe did in the first Duel, Cindric owned the point at the green flag and was able to flex his Ford’s muscle alongside Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota, but Hamlin was up to the task.
Hamlin led until Lap 16 when Jones pulled past with seven-time Cup champion and two-time Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson, Jones’ teammate at Legacy Motor Club, trailing in his No. 84 Toyota.
At the halfway point and still under green, Daniel Suarez’s No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet moved by Jones, and Hamlin battled beside Johnson in a matchup of former 500 winners.
Suarez continued to hold the point on Lap 40, with Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney and Anthony Alfredo rounding out fast group out front.
On Lap 45, all the Chevys and Toyotas hit pit road, but Larson, Hamlin and John Hunter Nemechek were tagged with speeding penalties.
The Fords all pitted on the following circuit, and the race’s first caution occurred when a bottleneck of cars checked up and forced Alex Bowman into Suarez. Bowman’s No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet wound up striking the inside wall.
GOLF NEWS
LPGA TO PENALIZE PLAYERS WITH FINES, STROKES UNDER NEW PACE OF PLAY POLICY
The Ladies Professional Golf Association is implementing a policy to regulate the pace of play, putting it into effect this spring.
The policy lowers the timing threshold for stoke penalties, among the changes. It will apply to both the LPGA and the Epson Tour.
“The LPGA conducted a thorough review of the current pace of play policy to evaluate and address an issue that has been a source of frustration for players and fans alike. This new policy, which was player-led and developed through an established Pace of Play Committee, was created in what we believe is in the best interest of our brand, fans and the overall LPGA watching experience,” said Vicki Goetze-Ackerman, the LPGA player president, in a statement. “Based on a data-backed approach and direct player input, this policy now acts as a stronger deterrent, ensuring players take warnings seriously before penalties become necessary.
“Our overall intention is to improve the pace of play on Tour, and these updates mark a significant step toward creating a more efficient and enjoyable competitive environment, benefiting both our Members and our fans.”
The policy takes effect March 27 on the LPGA Tour at the Ford Championship in Chandler, Ariz., and on April 25 for the Epson Tour at the IOA Championship in Beaumont, Calif.
If a player goes over the allotted time she has to hit a shot, the following penalties will apply:
–1-5 seconds over time: fine
–6-15 seconds over: one-stroke penalty
–16 seconds or more: two-stroke penalty
Under the updated policy, the LPGA will continue to allow players who tee off first on par 3 holes and “reachable” par 4s an additional 10 seconds. Eliminated is the extra time given to those who play first on par 4 and par 5 holes.
The issue of slow play reached a boiling point at the end of the 2024 season, when two of the faster players on tour — Nelly Korda and Charley Hull — needed five hours, 38 minutes to complete the third round at The Annika last November because of a logjam ahead of them.
Hull held the 54-hole lead, but Korda caught and passed her English rival on the final day, dropping her final putt as darkness descended following another five-hour round.
Hull called the situation “ridiculous,” and said she fell sorry for the fans who have to endure the long rounds and offered a solution sure to curb the growing issue.
“I’m quite ruthless, but I said, ‘Listen, if you get three bad timings, every time it’s a two-shot penalty,” she said. “If you have three of them you lose your tour card instantly. I’m sure that would hurry a lot of people up and they won’t want to lose their tour card. That would kill the slow play, but they would never do that.”
Korda wasn’t quite as aggressive with her reaction but didn’t disagree.
“It’s a pretty big issue,” Korda, the world’s top-ranked player, said in November. “I think that it really, really needs to change.
“Players just need to be penalized. Rules officials need to watch from the first group. Once they get two minutes behind, one minute behind, it just slows everything down.”
A committee was put together to study the issue in the offseason.
At the Founders Cup last weekend in Bradenton, Fla., no one exceeded the target time of four hours, 45 minutes.
“There was not one round that we sniffed 4:45,” Korda said. “It was very nice.”
DENNY MCCARTHY ON TOP, SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER 2 BACK AT RAINY GENESIS
Denny McCarthy made an eagle on his final hole to card a 4-under-par 68 and set the first-round pace at the Genesis Invitational on Thursday in San Diego.
Patrick Rodgers and Ireland’s Seamus Power are one shot behind and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is two back at the unusually rain-soaked Torrey Pines Golf Course.
The signature event is being played at Torrey Pines rather than Los Angeles’ Riviera Country Club because of last month’s wildfires that caused extensive damage to the Los Angeles area.
Unusually wet and windy conditions in San Diego kept scores down in the first round. Only 20 of the 72 players in the field shot even par or better.
McCarthy, 31, has yet to win on the PGA Tour but qualified for the signature event via the FedEx Cup standings from 2024.
He was 1 under par through 16 holes before draining a 25-foot birdie putt at No. 17 and then reaching the green in two shots at the par-5 18th. He had just 7 feet and change for eagle and made the left-to-right putt to move in front.
Scheffler was in contention early after marking down four birdies and a bogey through his first seven holes. He petered out after that, missing a handful of fairways and greens in regulation before adding his second bogey of the day at No. 14.
He had a chance for birdie at No. 18 but his 4-footer lipped out, leading to a three-putt par.
At 2-under 70, he is tied for fourth with Wyndham Clark and Davis Thompson.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland is part of a tie at even-par 72. Viktor Hovland of Norway, Tom Kim of South Korea, Irishman Shane Lowry, Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa are at 1-over 73. Jordan Spieth, Max Homa and Tony Finau were among those to finish at 4-over 76.
There will be no 36-hole cut as all players in the field will play all four rounds.
TOP INDIANA RELEASES/HEADLINES
INDY IGNITE
IGNITE FIRE BACK INTO WIN COLUMN WITH VICTORY OVER SAN DIEGO
The Indy Ignite returned to their winning ways tonight, pounding past the visiting San Diego Mojo in four sets before an ecstatic crowd at Fishers Event Center.
The victory, by scores of 25-21, 25-14, 18-25 and 25-15, ended a two-match losing skid and advanced the Ignite’s record to 5-4 in Pro Volleyball Federation competition. The Mojo lost for the fourth straight time, dropping their record to 3-6.
“We needed that,” Ignite outside hitter Azhani Tealer said of the win. “We know we’re really good, but this is a tough league and we’re going to take some Ls. To get a win against a team that’s really good, it’s a lot of fun, so it was good for us.”
Tealer, one of three Ignite players named Tuesday to the PVF All-Star Team, was among several Indy players to have a lot of fun in the match. She tied for the team high with 16 kills and led the Ignite with four blocks for points and two service aces. Fellow outside hitter Nina Cajic also had 16 kills to go with a block. Middle blocker Blake Mohler totaled 11 kills and a block.
Mohler was particularly effective in the opening set when she notched five kills as the Ignite bolted to a 10-4 lead and were never headed. She credited her slide move to attack at the pin for the big night.
“I felt a lot of confidence coming from my setter,” Mohler said, dishing an assist to Ignite setter and PVF All-Star Sydney Hilley, who handed out 47 assists in the match. “It was just a really calm setting match so it was easy to score when the ball was so perfect in my range.”
Indy pulled to a 16-8 lead in the second set when outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh – the third Ignite All-Star – left the match with an apparent left ankle injury and didn’t return. Even without the league’s leading scorer, Indy held strong for a 25-14 second-set win.
San Diego found its mojo in the third set, jumping to a 10-4 lead that led to a 25-18 set win and extended the match. Indy never trailed in the final set, scoring four straight points to take a 13-7 lead and meticulously extending the advantage to the final 10-point margin.
“The first two sets, everything was working well,” Tealer said. “Obviously, Lek goes down and that’s tough. She’s a lot of points, a lot of production, a lot of personality and leadership, and so that’s hard. Ultimately, I think we scored a lot from the middle and blocked a lot in the middle, and we haven’t done that necessarily at that level that we did today. That was big from our middles tonight.”
The Ignite head back on the road Sunday, meeting the Atlanta Vibe for the first time in a match that airs live on CBS Sports Network at 6 p.m. ET. Heading there coming off a win is important, according to Mohler.
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
INDIANA BASKETBALL GAME NOTES – GAME 26 VS. UCLA
Opening Tip
• Indiana University continues Big Ten Conference play in its 125th season of competition in men’s basketball against RV/RV UCLA at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 14, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The game will carry a national broadcast on FOX with Jason Benetti (pxp) and Robbie Hummel (analyst) on the call.
• The Bruins enter the game with a record of 18-7 (9-5 Big Ten) under sixth-year head coach Mick Cronin. UCLA has 10 players that average at least 10.0 minutes per game and six guys that score 7.5 points per game or more. Junior forward Tyler Bilodeau leads the team at 14.3 points per night to pair with 4.5 rebounds and 32 made 3-pointers.
Game Information
Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 • 8 p.m. ET
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) • Bloomington, Ind.
TV: FOX (Jason Benetti, Robbie Hummel)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
Series History: Series tied, 6-6
Last Meeting: UCLA 54, IU 49 on March 17, 2007, in Sacramento
Series History
• Indiana and UCLA, two of the most iconic college basketball programs, play for the first time as Big Ten Conference opponents and 13th time overall. Both sides have won six contests. The two programs have combined for 3,966 wins and 16 national titles.
• The Hoosiers and Bruins have met five times in March Madness, including a 106-79 IU triumph in the Elite 8 of the 1992 NCAA Tournament. Calbert Cheaney, the Big Ten’s all-time leading scorer, dropped 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting in the win.
Last Time Out
• Indiana took down No. 11/11 Michigan State by a final tally of 71-67 on Feb. 11 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. The victory marked the fifth AP top-15 win under head coach Mike Woodson and the first on the road since beating No. 5 Purdue (79-71) at Mackey Arena on Feb. 25, 2023.
• Junior forward Malik Reneau (19 points, 12 rebounds) and sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo (14 points, 10 rebounds) each collected double-doubles as IU scored 38 points in the paint. Redshirt sophomore guard Myles Rice and senior forward Luke Goode each contributed 10 points.
Big Fella Ballo
• Sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo has averaged 13.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 blocks per contest and has shot 64.6% (126-of-195) from the floor. He is one of five Division I men’s basketball players (Johni Broome, Auburn; Nelly Junior Joseph, New Mexico; Denijay Harris, Southern Miss; Yaxel Lendeborg, UAB) to average 13.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocked shots per night, and the only player to post those numbers on 60.0% shooting or better.
• Ballo is one of six active players to score 1,600 career points and grab 1,000 career rebounds. He joins Johni Broome (Auburn), Norchad Omier (Baylor), Ryan Kalkbreener (Creighton), Hunter Dickinson (Kansas), and Nelly Junior Joseph (New Mexico) on the exclusive list. He recorded his 42nd career double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) at No. 11/11 Michigan State (Feb. 11). Ballo has posted seven double-doubles across his last 12 contests. During that stretch, he has averaged 14.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
• The 7-footer is second among Big Ten players (Danny Wolf, Michigan) and ranks 16th nationally in boards per game. Ballo has strung together 12 games with double-digit boards, including a season-high 18 against Miami (Ohio) on Dec. 6.
Luke Playing Some Goode Ball
• Senior forward Luke Goode has averaged 11.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while shooting 46.1% (47-of-102) from the floor, 46.4% (32-of-69) from the 3-point line, and 90.5% (19-of-21) from the free throw line over his last 13 games (9 starts).
• The Fort Wayne, Ind., native has averaged 14.2 points per game on 16-of-31 (51.6%) shooting from behind the 3-point line in his last five Big Ten Conference road games.
• Goode scored a career-high 23 points at Ohio State (Jan. 17). He knocked down four triples against the Buckeyes, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:07 to play in overtime.
• He has made at least one 3-point field goal in 21 of the last 22 games, including all nine games he started. The Fort Wayne native has made 133 3-pointers in 101 career collegiate games.
Reneau for Two
• Junior forward Malik Reneau has averaged 12.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game across 20 contests. He has shot 53.2% (100-of-188) from the floor and 72.5% (50-of-69) from the free throw line in 22.3 minutes per game.
• He posted 19 points (16 in the second half) to pair with 12 rebounds in an upset victory over No. 11/11 Michigan State (Feb. 11). The double-double marked the second of his season and fourth of his career. Over the last two seasons, Reneau has averaged 22.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in his last three road games in which he has played at least 20 minutes against Associated Press Top 15 teams.
• The Miami, Fla., native missed five games (at Penn State, Jan. 5; vs. USC, Jan. 8; at Iowa, Jan. 11; vs. Illinois, Jan. 14; at Ohio State, Jan. 17) with a lower body injury. He returned to the lineup in a bench role at Northwestern (Jan. 22).
• Reneau has tallied 15-plus points 28 times in his career, including nine games this season, and topped the 20-point threshold nine times. IU holds a record of 19-9 in games Reneau scores at least 15 points throughout his career.
INDIANA SOFTBALL
INDIANA HANDLES NORTH DAKOTA STATE
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico ––– Indiana continued its winning ways to start play in the Puerto Vallarta Challenge, defeating North Dakota State 10-0 in five innings on Thursday night at Nancy Almaraz Field.
The win marked five in a row for the Hoosiers to improve its season record to 5-1.
INDIANA 10, NORTH DAKOTA STATE 0 (F/5)
KEY MOMENTS
• Indiana opened the game with a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an Avery Parker RBI, with Melina Wilkison scoring on the play and Brianna Copeland came home on an error.
• In the top of the second inning, Madalyn Strader hit a single up the middle to score Kinsey Mitchell to make it 3-0.
• The scoring continued after Wilkison hit a triple to right field to score Alex Cooper and then Wilkison advanced home on an error to increase the lead to make it a 5-0 game.
• In the top of the third, Aly VanBrandt singled down the right field line to score Peyton Drummond and increase the lead to 6-0.
• Copeland singled to bring Cooper home and make it 7-0 in the top of the fourth inning.
• The Hoosiers added three runs in the top of the fifth to close the game with a 10-run advantage.
• Taylor Hess entered the circle in the bottom of the fifth inning and went three-up, three-down to finish the game.
NOTABLES
• Berry went 4.0 innings, allowed no runs and only two hits while striking out three batters. She picked up the win to start her collegiate career 3-0.
• The Hoosiers outhit the Bison, 11-2.
• Five different Hoosiers recorded an RBI: Aly VanBrandt (2), Melina Wilkison (1), Brianna Copeland (1), Avery Parker (1), Madalyn Strader (1).
• Wilkison and Alex Cooper each scored two runs.
• Taylor Hess had one strikeout in 1.0 innings pitched to close out the game.
UP NEXT
Indiana will continue play in the Puerto Vallarta Challenge tomorrow with a game at 4 p.m. (ET)/3 p.m. (CT) against Illinois State and a game against Boise State at 7 p.m. (ET)/6 p.m. (CT).
PURDUE SOFTBALL
BOILERS HEAD TO FLORIDA ATLANTIC FOR WEEK TWO
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.- Heading into week two of preseason, Purdue heads to the campus of Florida Atlantic for the Joan Joyce Classic. The Boilers will face Dartmouth, NC State, and Louisville during the three day tournament from Feb. 14-16.
The Boilermakers went 2-3 at the Aggie Classic last weekend. Purdue took victories over Abilene Christian and Villanova, while falling to the No. 5 ranked Texas A&M Aggies and the No. 24 ranked Baylor Bears.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Friday, Feb. 14 – Purdue vs Dartmouth – 3:45 p.m. ET (FloSoftball)
Friday, Feb. 14 – Purdue vs. NC State – 6:00 p.m. ET (FloSoftball)
Saturday, Feb. 15 – Purdue vs. NC State – 1:30 p.m. ET (FloSoftball)
Saturday, Feb. 15 – Purdue vs. Dartmouth – 6:00 p.m. ET (FloSoftball)
Sunday, Feb. 16 – Purdue vs. Louisville – 1:15 p.m. ET (FloSoftball)
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Dartmouth will compete in its first tournament of the 2025 season in Boca Raton. In 2024, Dartmouth went 18-17, with 13 wins in conference. In the Ivy League tournament, it opened with the No. 1 seeded Princeton Tigers, falling 4-0. In the second matchup Dartmouth took the 4-3 victory over the Bulldogs of Yale, before ending the season with a one-run loss to Harvard.
The NC State Wolfpack began its season going 3-2 at the UCF tournament. NC State took victories over CSU Bakersfield, and James Madison. The Wolfpack fell to the host team, UCF, as well as the No. 12/14 Georgia Bulldogs. NC State ended the 2024 season 30-23, but 6-18 in conference, failing to qualify for the conference tournament.
Louisville attended The Spring Games for its first tournament of 2025, going 3-2, taking wins over Middle Tennessee, Rutgers, and Cleveland State. The Cardinals put up 22 runs in the victory over Cleveland State, but fell 9-4 to Liberty and 3-1 to Radford.
SERIES HISTORY
The two meetings between Dartmouth and Purdue will mark the first-ever in their histories, while Purdue and NC State have played one another in four games prior to 2025. The series between the two teams is tied at two games apiece. The Wolfpack took the first meeting and the most recent meeting, while the Boilermakers took the two in between. This is the first time the teams will face off under two new head coaches.
With the most abundant of the histories, Purdue and Louisville have faced one another ten times. The Cardinals lead the series 8-2. The most recent Purdue victory came back in 2009 and the Boilermakers look to add the first win in 16 years.
PURDUE BASEBALL
PLAYING A TEXAS TEAM IN SUGAR LAND: PURDUE OPENS WITH 4 VS SFA
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Stephen F. Austin (10-44, 5-22 WAC in 2024) vs. Purdue (33-24, 13-11 Big Ten in 2024)
4-Game Series / Friday to Sunday, Feb. 14 to Feb. 16
Constellation Field / Sugar Land, Texas
Doubleheader: Friday, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m. ET
Middle Day: Saturday, Feb. 15 at 4 p.m. ET
Series Finale: Sunday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. ET
All-Time Series: First Meetings
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1 Friday: Carter Doorn (Sr, RHP) vs. SFA’s Dylan Mulchay (So, RHP)
Game 2 Friday: Cole Van Assen (So, RHP) vs. SFA’s Cody Templeton (Jr, LHP)
Saturday: Easton Storey (So, LHP) vs. SFA’s Trent Nickerson (Sr, LHP)
Sunday: TBA for Both Teams
SUGAR LAND, Texas – As Purdue Baseball opens its new season at the Triple-A stadium in Sugar Land for the fourth year in a row, it’s an in-state opponent from Texas in the other dugout this season as the Boilermakers take on Stephen F. Austin.
It’s a four-game series with a season-opening doubleheader Friday as the Boilermakers take on a Southland Conference opponent for weekend series for the first time since the 2005 spring break trip at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Purdue has played current SLC members Incarnate Word (2018), Nicholls (2018), Southeastern Louisiana (2018, 2024) and A&M-CC (2015) for single games in the years since.
After schedule changes this week due to a threat of thunderstorms Saturday, first pitch is set for 2 p.m. ET on Friday, 4 p.m. ET (or potentially later) Saturday and 2 p.m. ET on Sunday. Purdue is slated to play a season-opening doubleheader for the first time since 2018 as part of a three-game sweep of Western Michigan in Emerson, Georgia.
Constellation Field is the home of the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Houston Astros Triple-A affiliate in the Pacific Coast League. Purdue has compiled a 10-2 record at Constellation Field since 2022, sweeping South Dakota State in 2022 and winning three of four vs. Holy Cross and Stony Brook the last two years.
The Boilermakers are 5-0 in season openers under sixth-year head coach Greg Goff. They’ve also won seven of their last eight openers since 2017. Purdue is opening its season in the same location for four straight years for the first time since 2009-13, when the Big East/Big Ten Challenge was an annual event in the Clearwater-St. Petersburg area of Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Purdue’s 35-man travel roster for the opening weekend features 15 returnees and 20 true newcomers. Of the 20 newcomers, 13 have prior Division I experience.
Pitchers Carter Doorn, Cole Van Assen and Easton Storey are all slated to make the first weekend starts of their collegiate careers. Van Assen’s road to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team last season began in Sugar Land when he worked 3 2/3 innings of two-hit relief to earn the victory in Sunday’s game. He needed only 42 pitches to give Purdue 11 outs and would have retired all 12 batters he faced over four scoreless frames had it not been for a two-out error in the top of the seventh.
Senior Ty Gill and Doorn both made their collegiate debuts at Constellation Field in 2022, with Gill hitting a home run in his first at-bat as a Boilermaker. Four years later, Doorn has earned the right to be the Opening Day starter on the mound. He’ll become Purdue’s first four-year senior since 2013 to make his first career Opening Day start on day 1 of his final collegiate campaign.
Located in Nacogdoches, Texas – about 160 miles from Sugar Land – Stephen F. Austin played its last three seasons as a member of the Western Athletic Conference before returning to the Southland for this school year. SFA was previously part of the SLC from 1988-2021, though the university did not field a baseball program from 1995-2006.
The Lumberjacks are led by first-year coach Matt Vanderburg, who won over 500 games as the head coach at West Texas A&M from 2009-24. He rebooted more than 80% of the SFA roster, with the only returnees being on the mound.
D1BASEBALL.COM’S BOILERMAKERS TO WATCH
• Top First Basemen: CJ Richmond (No. 21)
• Top Shortstops Nationally: Camden Gasser (No. 21)
• Star Power: Albert Choi
• Picks to Click: Keenan Spence, Cole Van Assen
• Top Prospect, 2025 MLB Draft: CJ Richmond
• Top Prospect, 2026 MLB Draft: Easton Storey
• Top Newcomer: Barron Sawyer
• Impact Freshman: Joe Trenerry
• Top 50 D-I Transfer Hitters: CJ Richmond (No. 42)
• Top 50 JUCO Transfers: Barron Sawyer, Gavin Beuter, Maclane Finley, Nick Kolze, Avery Moore
PURDUE’S LEADERS IN SUGAR LAND
Among Active Boilermakers
2024 VERSUS STONY BROOK
• Logan Sutter: 9-for-17, 6 2B, HR, 7 RBI, BB, HBP, 5 R, SB
• Keenan Spence: 2-Run HR, 3 BB, 3 R, SB
• Camden Gasser: 3-for-7, BB, SB
• Brody Chrisman: 3-for-12, HBP, 2 R
• Cole Van Assen: Win, 3 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K
• Brayden Olson: 2 2/3 IP, 3 H, R, BB, 4 K
MULTI-YEAR COMBINED TOTALS
• Ty Gill: 3-for-16, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, HBP, 3 R, Sac Fly, Sac Bunt
• Carter Doorn: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K
• Avery Cook: 1 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, K
PROGRAM RECORDS SET IN 2024
• Big Ten Win Streak – 11 (March 31-May 3), longest by a Big Ten team since 2018
• Home Runs – 6 on April 27 at Northwestern, matching a single-game mark (also hit 6 in 2006 game at IU)
• Home Runs – 75, eclipsing a mark (73) that had stood since 1987
• Runs Scored – 457, eclipsing a mark (454) that had stood since 1986
• Runs Per Game – 8.02, breaking the record for the second time in three years (7.44 in 2022)
• RBI – 427, eclipsing a mark (397) that had stood since 1986
• On-Base Pct. – .406, eclipsing a mark (.405) that had stood since 2009
• Hit By Pitch – 113, breaking the record for the second time in three years (112 in 2022)
• Carter Doorn – 0.65 WHIP & 4.05 hits per 9 innings were both records in Big Ten play (minimum 15 IP)
MORE 2024 STREAKS OF NOTE
• Carter Doorn – 19 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in Big Ten play (March 24-May 16);
• Camden Gasser – 24-game on-base streak (Feb. 17-March 26); 12-game hit streak (March 2-17)
• Logan Sutter – 17-game on-base streak (Feb. 16-March 13)
• Purdue: 9-game road win streak (March 31-May 10) – team’s longest since 2001
NOTABLES FROM THE POWER HITTERS
1.000+ OPS Seasons
• Logan Sutter – .453 OBP + .618 SLUG = 1.071 OPS
• Keenan Spence – .399 OBP + .629 SLUG = 1.028 OPS
Back-to-Back Home Runs
• March 13 – Luke Gaffney & Logan Sutter vs. Northern Illinois
• March 16 – Connor Caskenette & Logan Sutter vs. Samford
• April 12 – Jo Stevens & Keenan Spence vs. Michigan State
• May 18 – Keenan Spence & Thomas Green vs. Illinois
Multi-Homer Games
• May 10 – Keenan Spence at Michigan
• May 21 – Keenan Spence vs. Indiana at Big Ten Tournament
PURDUE SWIMMING
10 SWIMMERS SET TO RACE AT 3-DAY OHIO STATE WINTER INVITE
MEET INFORMATION
Purdue Men at the Ohio State Winter Invitational
Friday, Feb. 14 to Sunday, Feb. 16
Prelims at 11 a.m., Finals at 5 p.m. ET
McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion / Columbus, Ohio
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Ten of Purdue’s men’s swimmers are set to race in Columbus this weekend at the three-day, six-session Ohio State Winter Invitational.
Action is set for Friday through Sunday with prelims at 11 a.m. and finals at 5 p.m. Sunday, the finals session moves up an hour to 4 p.m. The field of men’s teams also features swimmers from Ohio State, Stanford, Pitt and Cleveland State.
Representing Purdue includes: Chris Bartmess, Wyatt Blair, Cooper Callahan, Gabe Eschbach, Brody Friend, Gage Johnson, Charles Lee, Griffin Poulsen, AJ Robertson and Sam White. With 10 swimmers in attendance, fielding two teams in many of the relays will be an option.
The Boilermakers are scheduled to have an entry in 17 events (all but the 400 IM), with five events on Friday and six on both Saturday and Sunday. As an invitational meet format, the schedule of individual events mirrors the Big Ten Championships later this month. But unlike Big Tens, two relays are set for both Friday and Saturday as part of the finals sessions.
Selected Boilermakers competing this weekend will also race at Big Tens in two weeks as Minnesota hosts the men’s meet for the first time since 2018.
Purdue regularly had co-ed representation at the Ohio State Winter Invite in the 2010s, but has not sent swimmers to Columbus in mid-February since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
MEN’S FIELD OF TEAMS
• Purdue, Ohio State, Stanford, Pitt, Cleveland State
INDIVIDUAL EVENT SCHEDULES
• Chris Bartmess – 100 & 200 Breast, 50 Free, 100 Fly, Relays
• Wyatt Blair – 100 & 200 Fly, Relays
• Cooper Callahan – 50, 100, 200 & 500 Free, Relays
• Gabe Eschbach – 200, 500 & 1650 Free, Relays
• Brody Friend – 50, 100 & 200 Free, Relays
• Gage Johnson – 50 Free, 100 & 200 Back, Relays
• Charles Lee – 100 & 200 Breast, 100 Fly, 200 IM, Relays
• Griffin Poulsen – 200, 500 & 1650 Free, Relays
• AJ Robertson – 100 & 200 Fly, 50 Free, Relays
• Sam White – 50 & 100 Free, 100 Breast, 100 Fly, Relays
DAILY SCHEDULES
Friday (Prelims at 11 a.m., Finals at 5 p.m.)
• 200 Free Relay – Teams TBA
• 500 Free – Cooper Callahan, Gabe Eschbach, Griffin Poulsen
• 200 IM – Charles Lee
• 50 Free – Chris Bartmess, Cooper Callahan, Brody Friend, Gage Johnson, AJ Robertson, Sam White
• 400 Medley Relay – Teams TBA
Saturday (Prelims at 11 a.m., Finals at 5 p.m.)
• 200 Medley Relay – Teams TBA
• 100 Fly – Chris Bartmess, Wyatt Blair, Charles Lee, AJ Robertson, Sam White
• 200 Free – Cooper Callahan, Gabe Eschbach, Brody Friend, Griffin Poulsen
• 100 Breast – Chris Bartmess, Charles Lee, Sam White
• 100 Back – Gage Johnson
• 800 Free Relay – Teams TBA
Sunday (Prelims at 11 a.m., Finals at 4 p.m.)
• 1650 Free – Gabe Eschbach, Grifin Poulsen
• 200 Back – Gage Johnson
• 100 Free – Cooper Callahan, Brody Friend, Sam White
• 200 Breast – Chris Bartmess, Charles Lee
• 200 Fly – Wyatt Blair, AJ Robertson
• 400 Free Relay – Teams TBA
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
BATTLE AT THE BEACH PREVIEW
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – On a three-game winning streak, the Notre Dame Softball team heads back out east to compete in the Battle at the Beach in Conway, South Carolina. The tournament is being held at St. John Softball Stadium on the campus of Coastal Carolina.
The Irish split last weekend’s NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Florida. After dropping the first three of the weekend, Notre Dame bounced back with consecutive wins over 15th-ranked Missouri, Penn State and Bethune-Cookman.
First-year Head Coach Kris Ganeff became the first coach in Notre Dame Softball history to beat a ranked opponent for her first win (#15 Missouri) on a Jane Kronenberger two-run walkoff home run to left.
Following a tough opening three games, the Irish pitching staff turned it around to salvage the weekend. Micaela Kastor and Kami Kamzik both tossed complete game winning efforts. Kastor was named to the All-Tournament Team, while Kamzik leads the team with a 2.44 ERA after the first weekend.
Offensively, Addison Amaral paced the Irish. She leads the team with a .375 batting average, six hits and six RBI. Amaral was named to the NFCA Top Performance of the Week list. Sydny Poeck hit two doubles last weekend while Mickey Winchell hit .364 in five games.
All six Irish freshmen made their debuts in Clearwater. Kaia Cortes started all six games at first, driving in a pair, while O’Brien started five games at third and stole a base.
Battle at the Beach Preview
Marist – Friday, Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m.
Marist is coming off a 4-1 start at the Texan Classic last weekend. The Red Fox are ranked 15th in the D1 Softball mid-major poll.
Miah McDonald leads the team with 10 hits and 8 RBI on the season. As a team Marist is hitting .359 on the young season and slugging .570.
Coastal Carolina – Friday Feb. 14 at 5 p.m.
Coastal Carolina hosted the Kickin’ Chicken Classic last weekend, facing Creighton and Purdue Fort Wayne State twice before hosting North Carolina in a midweek clash. The Chanticleers are 3-2 after last night’s 16-11 loss to the Tar Heels.
Coastal has five players hitting above .400 to start the season and three players with two home runs each. In the circle, Nicolette Picone has steadied the Chanticleers with a 2.28 ERA and 11 strikeouts.
Towson – Saturday, Feb. 15 at 9:15 a.m. and Sunday, Feb. 16 at 11:15 a.m.
Towson opened up the season at the Terrier Invite in Spartansburg, South Carolina. The Tigers went 2-3, beating Youngstown State twice.
Towson as a team has notched 33 hits and 24 RBI, 12 of them coming in the win against Youngstown State.
Kent State – Saturday, Feb. 15 at 2:15 p.m.
Kent State is also 2-3 on the year. The Golden Flashes posted wins against East Tennessee State and UMass last weekend at the Camel Stampede.
Delaney Roberson is hitting .667 through her four games, leading the team in doubles (2) and RBI (6).
Live stats will be available for every game at the Battle of the Beach this weekend. All games against Coastal Carolina will be streamed on ESPN+, including Friday night’s clash between the Irish and the Chanticleers at 5 p.m.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
MILES TIES SCHOOL RECORD WITH 8 TRIPLES, NO. 2 IRISH BEAT PITT
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — When Olivia Miles said she worked on her deep shot while she was injured, she meant it.
On Thursday, No. 2 Notre Dame (22-2, 13-0) topped Pittsburgh (11-15, 3-10) for the 11th consecutive time, 88-57. Miles was the star of the show with an 8-13 showing from deep, tying the Notre Dame single-game triple record set in 1998 by Sheila McMillen. She finished with a season-high 28 points.
Sonia Citron also posted a standout game going 8-9 from the floor and 4-4 from beyond the arc, ending with 22 points and her third double-double of the year.
Additionally, the Irish hit 14 total 3-pointers, the most they’ve made in a conference game since joining the ACC.
Both teams started the game 5-9 from the floor, but Notre Dame was hitting shots from deep. Pittsburgh closed out the first frame hitting their last four attempts to make it 22-21 after 10. Citron and Miles combined for 5-5 from the floor with three treys.
The second quarter started with a lethal sequence for Notre Dame — a Citron triple, a Citron steal on the other end and a pullup triple for Miles. It continued to rain threes for the Irish captains, who hit a total of six in Q2.
Citron was 7-7 from the floor with a 4-4 showing from deep in the first half along with a team-leading 5 boards. Miles hit her first five shots, all of which were from deep, before missing a trey at the buzzer to send the game to the break with Notre Dame up, 49-33. The Irish still have not trailed at halftime this season.
Notre Dame opened up a 20-point lead early in the third quarter to go up 55-35 and kept building on it with a 10-0 run while Pitt was 1-9 from the floor. The Panthers did not give up and went on a mini 9-0 run of their own, led by forward Khadija Faye, who had a 20-point double-double. The quarter aptly closed on a Miles 3-pointer.
The Irish took control in the final frame with a 19-7 conclusion, including a 10-0 run to end it. Liza Karlen led Notre Dame with 6 points, but it was Miles who hit that coveted triple to tie the record.
Notre Dame has the weekend off before a Monday night clash with No. 13 Duke (20-5, 11-2).
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
IRISH KICK OFF 2025 SEASON AT NORTH FLORIDA
The 2025 Notre Dame baseball season officially gets underway as the Irish travel to North Florida for a three-game series from February 14-16. Under the guidance of John P. and Catherine Murphy Head Coach Shawn Stiffler, the Irish have 15 freshmen and four graduate student transfers joining 27 players with experience in the program in the 2025 campaign.
It is the season opener for both teams.
2025 CAPTAINS
The 2025 Irish baseball team will look to four captains to help guide the way this spring. John P. and Catherine Murphy Head Baseball Coach Shawn Stiffler announced graduate students OF Brady Gumpf and RHP Jackson Dennies, senior RHP Radek Birkholz, and junior INF Estevan Moreno as team captains for the season.
Gumpf has played in 92 career contests for the Irish heading into the spring season. He had a single-season career-high 48 games played in 2024 and boasted a .352 on-base percentage with 31 RBI, 12 doubles, and nine home runs.
Dennies has 41 career appearances and 76.1 innings pitched over his career heading into 2025. During his 2023 campaign, Dennies struck out 49 batters over 46.1 innings of work.
Birkholz has made 48 appearances with 83.0 innings of work over three seasons for the Irish. He went 3-0 on the mound during the 2024 season with 20 strikeouts in 17.1 innings over nine appearances.
Moreno had a team-best .625 slugging percentage in 2024 with 13 home runs and 17 doubles. His 42 runs scored was third on the team, and he has competed in 100 games for the Irish through two seasons of play.
TOP TALENT
The Irish have four players listed in the D1baseball.com Preseason rankings by position.
Junior Estevan Moreno was 24th on the Top 50 shortstops list.
Sophomore Carson Tinney was tabbed 47th on the Top 50 catchers listing.
Graduate student Jared Zimbardo was 40th on the Top 100 outfielders report.
Junior Rory Fox was 106th on the Top 150 starting pitchers list.
EXPERIENCE ON THE MOUND
The Irish return eight pitchers who threw at least 11.0 innings in 2024. The returning members of the pitching staff also account for more than 30 starts on the mound a season ago. Sophomore RHP Jack Radel (53.0 IP, 39 Ks), junior RHP Rory Fox (50.0 IP, 38 Ks), and senior RHP Ricky Reeth (48.1 IP, 38Ks) lead the way among the Irish veterans in both workload and strikeouts.
Also back on the bump for the Irish in 2025 with at least 11.0 IP last season are:
RHP Tobey McDonough (31.0 IP)
RHP Radek Birkholz (17.1 IP)
RHP DJ Helwig (15.1 IP)
RHP Sammy Cooper (11.0 IP)
RHP Jackson Dennies (11.0 IP)
POSITION BREAKDOWN
CATCHERS
Carson Tinney is set to return from an injury that sidelined him in 2024. The sophomore had 15 starts and 28 appearances with better than a .265 batting average. Joey Spence made 37 appearances for the Irish a year ago and hit over .275.
Davis Johnson saw time behind the plate in his freshman campaign, and has gained valuable experience over the last year.
INFIELDERS
Estevan Moreno will anchor the infield as the junior makes the move to shortstop in 2025. Senior Nick DeMarco’s offseason efforts in the Northwoods League and on campus have him in line to start at third base this spring. Noah Coy is likely to get the nod to start at second base in his freshman season, and Connor Hincks has shown versatility while becoming a key first baseman for the Irish.
Freshmen Bino Watters and Parker Brzustewicz – who both hail from Rochester Hills, Michigan – will likely be in the mix from day one for the Irish. Watters is a frontrunner for the team at the designated hitter slot but also plays first base and outfield. Brzustewicz, meanwhile, is an option in both the infield and outfield.
OUTFIELDERS
Veterans and newcomers alike will fill the green in the outfield in 2025. Senior DM Jefferson is likely to anchor the efforts in center field while graduate student and South Bend native Brady Gumpf was the mainstay for the squad a year ago in right field.
Graduate transfer Jared Zimbardo joins the Irish from Quinnipiac, where he posted over 180 hits, nearly 140 runs, over 100 RBI, 25 home runs, eight triples, and 43 doubles in four seasons with a .303 batting average.
Freshman Jayce Lee is also a frontrunner for the Irish in the outfield. Another South Bend native, Lee was a two-sport standout in baseball and basketball, brining another athletic option to the squad.
STARTING PITCHERS
Sophomore RHP Jack Radel, graduate student RHP Jackson Dennies, and graduate student RHP Dylan Heine are slated to start the opening series for the Irish.
Sophomore RHP DJ Helwig and graduate transfer RHP Dylan Heine will also be in contention for starting pitching opportunities.
RELIEF PITCHERS
The Irish have depth in the middle and late relief pitching corps in 2025. Senior RHP Radek Birkholz, senior RHP Ricky Reeth, graduate student RHP Tobey McDonough, graudate student transfer LHP Jack Walker, and graduate student transfer RHP Clark Gilmore all bring a wealth of experience to the bullpen.
Several freshmen will also have their numbers called to the mound. RHP Chase Van Ameyde, RHP Kellan Klosterman, and LHP Brady Koester will all likely be in line for time early and throughout the season in the Irish pitching plan.
IU INDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
JAGUARS FALL SHORT AT ROBERT MORRIS, 61-58
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The IU Indianapolis women’s basketball team dropped a close contest to the Robert Morris Colonials, 61-58, on Thursday night in Moon Township. Three Jags totaled double-digit points in the loss with Katie Davidson leading the way with 15.
The Jaguars took a narrow 19-17 lead in the first quarter, shooting 50 percent from the field (6-for-12) and 60 percent from beyond the arc (3-for-5). However, Robert Morris capitalized on IU Indy turnovers in the second quarter, forcing five miscues and limiting the Jaguars’ offensive flow. Meanwhile, the Colonials took full advantage of second-chance opportunities, grabbing six offensive rebounds. As a result, Robert Morris held a 34-30 advantage at halftime.
Coming out of the half, the Colonials quickly extended their lead to nine points. The Jaguars responded, erasing the deficit and pulling ahead 48-47 late in the third quarter. Davidson led the way, scoring ten of her team-high 15 points in just the third period.
The fourth quarter saw the Jaguars struggle offensively, shooting just 2-for-16 from the field. Despite their shooting woes, IU Indy made it a thrilling finish when Alexa Hocevar knocked down a three-pointer to cut the lead to just one point with three seconds remaining. However, Robert Morris closed out the game with two clutch free throws, sealing the 61-58 victory.
Davidson led the Jaguars with 15 points, while Hocevar finished with 13 and Nevaeh Foster added 11 points.
With the loss, IU Indianapolis falls to 6-19 overall and 5-11 in Horizon League play. The Jaguars will now travel to Youngstown State on Saturday, Feb. 15.
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
BULLDOGS RETURN TO ACTION SATURDAY, HOST GEORGETOWN IN ANNUAL PROJECT 44 GAME
The Bulldogs host Georgetown Saturday at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Saturday’s game will be Butler’s annual Project 44 game, which raises awareness for the bone marrow registry in honor of late Butler great Andrew Smith. Butler Bulldog great Shelvin Mack will be the FS1 analyst for Saturday’s game. In his three seasons at Butler, Mack scored 1,527 career points, leading the Bulldogs to the 2010 and 2011 Final Fours. Neither Butler nor Georgetown played a midweek game. The teams met Jan. 31 in the nation’s capital with Georgetown taking a 73-70 win.
Butler (11-13, 4-9 BIG EAST) vs. Georgetown (15-9, 6-7)
Saturday, Feb. 15 • 2PM
Hinkle Fieldhouse • Indianapolis, Ind.
TV: FS1 • Cooper Boardman & Shelvin Mack
Audio: Varsity Network App, SiriusXM 384, XM App 974 & TuneIn • @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
• Butler enters the game off an 82-81 win over Providence.
• Butler is a combined 22-for-43 (51 percent) from three-point range over the team’s last two games; those are two of the Bulldogs’ six games this season making 10 or more three-pointers. On the season, Butler is 31st nationally, shooting 37.5 percent from behind the arc.
• Jahmyl Telfort led Butler with 24 points and a career-high four steals in Saturday’s win over Providence; he has scored at least 24 points in three of the team’s last six games.
• Butler has scored 80 or more points in all four of its BIG EAST wins this season and is 7-0 overall when hitting 80 points.
• Butler has led at the half in nine of the team’s 13 BIG EAST games (and was tied in one of the other four games).
• The Bulldogs out-rebounded Providence, 34-24, in the team’s last outing. Over the last seven games, Butler has out-rebounded its opponent five times (and the teams were even on the boards in the other two games.)
• Butler withstood 16 made three-pointers by Providence in Saturday’s win, the most made three-pointers by a Butler opponent since Marquette also hit 16 on Jan. 24, 2020. Since 2003, there have only been seven games when Butler’s opponent made 14 or more three-pointers; Butler is 5-2 in those games.
• Butler is committing only 14.0 fouls per game, which is the 15th-fewest nationally.
• The Bulldogs have shot a combined 49 percent over the team’s last seven games, including shooting 50 percent or better in four of those games — all wins.
• Butler defeated Seton Hall, 84-54, Feb. 5. The 30-point win is Butler’s third-largest margin of victory in a BIG EAST game since joining the conference prior to the 2013-14 season. (Butler holds 33-point wins over DePaul in 2014 and St. John’s in 2016 — both were also on the road.)
• Six Bulldogs scored in double figures against Seton Hall; Butler also had six players in double figures in the Nov. 15 win over SMU.
• The Bulldogs shot a season-high 58 percent from the field against Seton Hall; it was Butler’s best shooting performance since Nov. 17, 2022 vs. St. Francis (Pa.) when the Bulldogs made 70.4 percent of their attempts.
• Boden Kapke recorded his first career double-double in the win over Seton Hall, pulling down a career-best 11 rebounds while matching his career-high with 13 points. Kapke became the fifth Bulldog to post at least one double-double this season.
• Finley Bizjack is shooting 18-for-32 (56 percent) from three-point range over the last six games; he is averaging 14.3 points per game during that stretch.
• Patrick McCaffery has hit at least one three-pointer in 30 consecutive games (which includes all 24 games this season and the final six games of Iowa’s 2023-24 season). He has 17 games this season with multiple made three-pointers.
• The Bulldogs defeated Northwestern and No. 25 Mississippi State in taking the Arizona Tip-Off title over Thanksgiving.
Andrew Smith and Project 44
• Launched in 2016, Project 44 was created in honor of the late Andrew Smith. Wearing No. 44, Andrew was a beloved, standout member of Butler’s two-time NCAA Men’s Basketball national championship game teams. On Jan. 12, 2016, at the age of 25, Andrew passed away following a two-year battle with cancer.
• Having been a personal recipient of a bone marrow transplant in November of 2015, Andrew and his wife Samantha were blessed with an additional three months together to make and share memories that would last well beyond Andrew’s final days on earth.
• Project 44’s mission is to create awareness for the national bone marrow registry.
First Time Around
• A 15-0 second half run — turning a 44-40 Butler lead with 17:53 to play into a Hoyas 55-44 advantage with 13:22 remaining — proved to be the difference as Georgetown came away with a 73-70 win over Butler Jan. 31 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
• Micah Peavy and Thomas Sorber each scored 19 points to lead the Hoyas.
• Finley Bizjack led Butler with 17 points and five assists. Andre Screen made eight of his 11 attempts from the field in posting 16 points.
• Butler had 13 turnovers, compared to just six for the Hoyas. Georgetown turned those Butler turnovers into 17 points.
• Of Georgetown’s 73 points, 52 came in the paint.
About the Hoyas
• Georgetown is 15-9 on the year, including 6-7 in BIG EAST play.
• Like Butler, Georgetown also enters the game with the Bulldogs off a conference mini-bye as neither team has a midweek game.
• Micah Peavy leads Georgetown in scoring at 15.2 points per game; his 2.33 steals per game are Top 20 nationally. Freshman Thomas Sorber averages 14.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.13 blocks per game; both his rebounding and blocks averages are among the Top 40 nationally.
• The Hoyas rely on a defense that allows just 64.9 points per game and 40.3-percent shooting by its opponents; both marks are among the Top 35 nationally.
The Series with the Hoyas
• Twenty-three of the 25 match-ups between the two teams have come as BIG EAST opponents once the Bulldogs joined the conference prior to the 2013-14 season.
• The teams first met in the 2009 Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden and also played at the 2014 Battle 4 Atlantis, as both teams had agreed to be part of the event before Butler joined the BIG EAST.
• Each team has found success on the road as Butler is 8-4 in the nation’s capital, while Georgetown is 7-4 at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Series: Butler Leads, 13-12
Streak: Georgetown, W1
At Hinkle: Georgetown Leads, 7-4
First Meeting: Dec. 8, 2009; Georgetown, 72-65 (Jimmy V; MSG)
Last Meeting: Jan. 31, 2025; Georgetown, 73-70 (at GU)
BUTLER BASEBALL
BUTLER BASEBALL BEGINS 2025 SEASON AT TARLETON STATE
The Butler baseball team will play in Texas this weekend to signal the start of the 2025 season. Tarleton State will host a four-game series against the Bulldogs on their home diamond. Friday and Sunday are nine-inning games, while Saturday’s doubleheader will feature a seven-inning game followed by a nine-inning contest in the afternoon. Fans can watch the first three games on ESPN+. The finale will be picked up by the WAC Network.
Weekend Schedule
Friday, Feb. 14 – 4 PM
Saturday, Feb. 15 – 2 PM
Saturday, Feb. 15 – 5 PM
Sunday, Feb. 17 – 1 PM
*All Games Played at the Tarleton Baseball Complex
Projected Starters
Game 1 – LHP Ben Whiteside vs. RHP Jake Burcham
Game 2 – RHP Andrew Hendrickx vs. RHP Brian Panneton
Game 3 – RHP Tate Foxson vs. TBA
Game 4 – RHP Marcus Goodpaster vs. RHP Ben Bosse
Scouting Tarleton State
The Texans went 32-29 last year with 14 of those wins coming at home. They were 17-13 in conference and won the WAC Tournament to become the first D1 reclassifying baseball program to win a conference tournament. They played as the five-seed and knocked off the four-seed California Baptist. Now shifting gears to 2025, Tarleton State has been picked to finish fourth in the WAC Preseason Coaches Poll behind favorite Grand Canyon, Abilene Christian, and Cal Baptist.
Head Coach Fuller Smith will send Jake Burcham, Brian Panneton and Ben Bosse to the bump with the fourth option still up in the air. All three are right-handers and upperclassmen. A year ago, Burcham went 2-4 on the mound over 10 starts. He made 22 total appearances and held a 5.67 ERA. Panneton is a juco transfer from Wharton County. He was a First Team All-American there and the Conference Pitcher of the Year. Bosse attended Auburn for two years before pitching for Blinn College in 2024. Blinn won a juco championship in 2024. Bosse struck out 33 in 27 innings.
BIG EAST Preseason Poll
1. UConn (7) – 49
2. Xavier – 38
3. St. John’s (1) – 37
4. Creighton – 30
5. Georgetown – 25
6. Seton Hall – 24
7. Villanova – 12
8. Butler – 9
BIG EAST Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year – Maddix Dalena, 1B, UConn
Preseason Pitcher of the Year – Ian Cooke, SP, UConn
Moroknek Named to Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
Butler outfielder Jack Moroknek was named to the 2025 Preseason Baseball All-BIG EAST Team. He held a .327 batting average in 2024, collecting 69 hits in 54 starts. Moroknek ended the year with 14 doubles, one triple and a team-high 13 home runs. His 13 homers ranked fourth in the BIG EAST and helped him reach 124 total bases and 44 RBIs.
Moroknek Earns D1Baseball.com Honor
Jack Moroknek was listed at #89 in D1Baseball.com’s Preseason Top 100 Outfielder’s List.
Coaching Staff Updates
Blake Beemer added Seth Petry to the Bulldog coaching staff in prep for the 2025 season. Additionally, the Bulldogs added a Director of Operations position to the program with the hire of Sean O’Brien.
Petry was a graduate assistant at UT Martin before joining the Bulldog staff. The Skyhawks made the Ohio Valley Conference Championship Field during his lone season on campus and had two pitchers earn all-conference honors.
Prior to coaching, Petry was a pitcher at UT Martin. He ranks sixth in school history in games started (36) and seventh in total appearances (67). Petry pitched 206 innings, recorded 148 strikeouts and won 10 games on the mound.
Sean O’Brien is also new to the BU coaching staff in 2025. A former Rhode Island assistant coach, O’Brien will bring a wealth of knowledge to the program. While with the Rams, Rhode Island produced 20 all-conference selections, won two regular season championships, one conference tournament title and had five players selected in the MLB Draft.
New Year, New Team
Blake Beemer and the Bulldog coaching staff added 17 student-athletes to the 2025 roster. Nine of the 17 are pitchers in a group that includes one graduate, three juniors, two sophomores and three freshmen. Four infielders, two catchers and a pair of outfielders are also in the mix to earn playing time for BU.
2024 Highlights
The Bulldogs won 20 games a year ago behind an explosive offense. They swept Alabama A&M in Week 2 of the regular season, won at Memphis and split a four-game series vs. Indiana by winning the first and last game of the series. Jack Moroknek tied a school record by hitting three home runs in the win at Eastern Michigan last year and the Bulldogs won a conference series against Villanova, taking two of three against the Wildcats.
A Year Ago
Butler traveled to Tallahassee to open the 2024 season at Florida State. Only two of the three games played at Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium were played due to weather. The Seminoles won game one 11-0 and ended the series with a 15-5 victory. Ian Choi scored the first run of the season for BU in the third inning of game two. AJ Solomon and Zach Munton scored in the seventh, Drew Charney scored in the eighth and Ryan Drumm added the final run in the ninth.
Three Butler BIG EAST Games to Stream on FloSports
The Bulldogs will play three games on the BIG EAST Digital Network this spring. One will be at home while the other two take place on the road. Butler’s contest at Seton Hall on April 27 will be the first game streamed by the conference. The home game against Creighton on May 2 will be the second and the final will be Butler’s tilt at UConn on May 11.
Beemer Added Three Pitchers on National Signing Day
The Butler Bulldog baseball coaching staff added three talented arms to the program on National Signing Day. Grayson Bradberry (Columbia City, Ind.) Jake Thomas (Kansas City, Mo.) and Garyson Smiddy (Defiance, Ohio) all made their decisions official on Nov. 15. Coach Beemer believes this class addresses top end pitching talent for the program and is excited for them to impact the 2026 season.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will play a three-game series at Norfolk State next weekend. Game one is set for Friday, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. Saturday’s first pitch is bumped up to 1 p.m. and the getaway game begins at noon on Sunday.
BUTLER SOFTBALL
BUTLER SOFTBALL HEADS TO SOUTHERN INDIANA FOR CONDENSED ACES TOURNAMENT
Tournament Information – Aces Tournament (Evansville)
DATE: Friday, Feb. 14
LOCATION: Evansville, Indiana / Evansville
LIVE STATS: butlersports.com
LIVE VIDEO: N/A
The Butler softball team is heading to southern Indiana for what was originally its second weekend tournament of the season. A forecast of inclement weather has reduced both the number of participants and contests. Previously scheduled games with Green Bay and Southern Indiana have been canceled. The Bulldogs will now play two games against Evansville on Friday.
The Bulldogs are coming off a season-opening tournament in Chicago where they finished 4-1. Evansville went 3-2 in its opening tournament in South Carolina.
Bulldog Bits
Cate Lehner’s 10 hits rank 1st in the BIG EAST and 11th nationally.
Hailey Conger’s 8 hits rank 2nd in the BIG EAST and 66th nationally.
Makena Alexander’s 4 home runs and her 12 RBI lead the BIG EAST and rank 3rd nationally. Her 1.118 slugging % is third in the conference and 43rd nationally.
at Rosemont
Butler’s four wins to start the season matched the 4-0 start of the 2003 team. Only the 1990 squad had a hotter start, winning eight games to start the season.
Makena Alexander hit four home runs over a three-game stretch, with two vs. Green Bay, one vs. Detroit Mercy, and a grand slam vs. Valparaiso. She accumulated 12 RBI over the same stretch.
Cate Lehner led the Bulldogs with ten hits and a pair of doubles.
In her first collegiate start in the circle (vs. Green Bay), Gwen Baker produced a complete game victory.
With five RBI over the weekend, Ella White has moved into a tie for the third spot on Butler’s All-Time list for RBI with a career-total of 109.
Makena Alexander was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after her performances at the Rosemont Dome Tournament.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Evansville (3-2, 0-0 Missouri Valley)
Evansville played in the Paladin Tournament in Greenville, S.C. last weekend. The Aces defeated Stonehill, UT Martin, and Furman and lost two games to Tennessee Tech.
Hitting leaders: K. Warner (.556) 5H | T. Howe (.471) 8H, 3-2B, 6RBI | C. Meinel (.353) 6H, 3B, 3HR, 10RBI
Pitching leaders: K. Ridgway (1-1) 10.0-IP, 2.70 ERA, 9K | Hollingswort (2-0) 10.1-IP, 4.35 ERA, SV, 8K
BALL STATE BASEBALL
BASEBALL TO OPEN SEASON AT SWIG & SWINE CLASSIC FRIDAY
The Ball State baseball team opens its 2025 season on Friday at the Swig & Swine Classic at Shipyard Park in Charleston, S.C.
The Cardinals begin play at 11 a.m. on Friday against Towson. Saturday features games against Maryland at noon and UMass Lowell at 4 p.m. Sunday’s finale is against UAB at 10 a.m.
A video stream is available through the HiCast Sports Network, with the single user pass costing $19.99 and a family pass for up to four members costing $29.99. Additionally, AJ Swiatek will be on the call for digital radio broadcasts. Links to the video and radio streams and live stats can be found above.
Ball State is coming off a 2024 season when it went 35-23-1 (18-12 Mid-American Conference) and made a run to the MAC Tournament championship game as the No. 3 seed. The Cardinals lost the MAC
Pitcher of the Year (Merritt Beeker) and Defensive Player of the Year (Michael Hallquist) to the pros but return MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year Keegan Johnson and Second Team All-MAC first baseman Blake Bevis.
SCOUTING TOWSON: The Tigers went 15-39 (5-20 CAA) last year in head coach Matt Tyner’s six season leading the program. Towson was picked last in the 12-team Coastal Athletic Association preseason poll, while senior infielder Jordan Peyton was named to the preseason All-Conference Team.
SCOUTING MARYLAND: The Terrapins produced a 34-22 (10-14 Big Ten) record in 2024 to finish 11th in the 13-team Big Ten and missed out on the conference tournament in the first year with head coach Matt Swope in charge. Sophomore shortstop Chris Hacopian, senior third baseman Kyle McCoy and sophomore left-handed pitcher Gavin DeVooght were recently named as players to watch for Maryland.
SCOUTING UMASS LOWELL: The River Hawks finished 2024 with a 24-31 (11-12 AE) record in head coach Nick Barese’s first season to finish fourth in the seven-team America East. UMass Lowell was picked fifth in this year’s AE preseason poll, while outfielders Alex Luccini and Carlos Martinez and starting pitcher Michael Simes were named to the preseason All-Conference team.
SCOUTING UAB: The Blazers went 26-29 (13-14 AAC) last season in Casey Dunn’s third leading the program for a fifth place finish in the 10-team American Athletic Conference. UAB was recently picked eighth in the preseason poll, while junior pitcher Colin Daniel was named the preseason AAC Pitcher of the Year.
CLOSING IN ON NO. 1,000: Head coach Rich Maloney enters the 2025 season 12 wins away from 1,000 in his career as a collegiate head coach, which is entering his 30th season.
Maloney (988) is 10th on the career wins leaderboard among active NCAA Division I coaches. The group consists of Paul Mainieri (South Carolina, 1,505 wins), Danny Hall (Georgia Tech, 1,411), Elliott Avent (NC State, 1,260), Dave Van Horn (Arkansas, 1,254), Rich Hill (Hawaii, 1,173), Steve Owens (Rutgers, 1,046), Rick Heller (Iowa, 1,041), Tim Corbin (Vanderbilt, 1,027), and Mike Bianco (Ole Miss, 1,006).
HIGH EXPECTATIONS: The 2025 Cardinals were picked to finish first in the recently released Mid-American Conference preseason poll. Ball State got six first place votes for the regular season and five to win the MAC Tournament.
The Ball State baseball program boasts the best winning percentage both overall (.636) and in conference play (.647) among MAC teams since 2019.
K’S FOR KEEGAN: Sophomore Keegan Johnson struck out 83 in 65.1 innings of work last season on his way to being named First Team All-MAC and the MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year.
The left-handed pitcher out of Frederick, Md., posted a 4.96 ERA and 1.48 WHIP during his freshman campaign, which were both the third-best on the team. Johnson was named the MAC Co-Pitcher of the Week on March 25 and MAC Pitcher of the Week on April 8 after double-digit strikeout performances.
BEVIS BASHES: Junior Blake Bevis was named Second Team All-MAC in 2024 after accumulating 12 home runs, 16 doubles, 55 RBI, 48 runs scored and a .310/.372/.537 slash line in 59 starts as a sophomore.
The primary first baseman was named MAC Co-Player of the Week on May 20 after a big weekend at Kent State and finished the year with 22 multi-hit games.
MIX OF NEW AND OLD: Ball State’s 2025 roster features 17 returning players from last year’s team, seven true freshmen and 13 incoming transfers.
BALL STATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL DEFEATS LEWIS IN FIRST OF TWO MATCHES
MUNCIE, Ind. — No. 9 Ball State took down No. 14 Lewis in a 3-1 (21-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-23) victory Thursday night in Worthen Arena.
It was a slow start for the Cardinals as Lewis took control of the first set early. Ball State’s only lead of the first frame was their opening point from an opponent error. After that point, Lewis held the upper hand and jumped to a 3-1 advantage. The Flyers slowly pulled away, seeing their biggest lead at 12-7. Ball State was able to get back within one after a four-point run that included three consecutive kills from Patrick Rogers, narrowing the score to 12-11. However, the Cardinals were never able to fully regain control, falling 21-25 in the first frame.
The second set opened much differently as the Cardinals found momentum quickly, building up a 4-2 lead over the Flyers. They remained dominant over Lewis, extending as much as a five-point lead at 19-14 with the help of back-to-back kills from Tinaishe Ndavazocheva. Ball State evened the match score 1-1 after winning the second frame 25-19.
Three errors and a kill from Rogers put the Cardinals up 4-0 at the start of the third. The Flyers were unable to battle back as Ball State never allowed them to get within three points. A kill from Rogers won the set at 25-17.
The Flyers fought hard heading into the fourth set, controlling the frame at 4-2. However, the Cardinals responded with kills from Rajé Alleyne, Will Patterson and Wil Basilio to get back on top of the game. It was an even fight through the rest of the set as the lead consistently jumped from one team to the other. Ultimately, the Cardinals were able to pull-off the match-winning point at 25-23 thanks to a big kill from Ryan Louis.
Alleyne and Rogers led the Ball State team offensively, each recording 16 kills and hitting .273 and .250 respectively. Ndavazocheva was also a major asset, hitting .571 from the floor and adding 9 kills. Assisting the offense was Lucas Machado who recorded 46 total assists.
At the net, Braydon Savitski-Lynde led the team with seven total blocks, a new single-game high. Cameron Gray was also very impressive defensively, adding a collegiate best of 12 digs.
Ball State will welcome Lewis again Friday (Feb. 14) night for a Valentine’s Day red-out match. Tickets will be buy one get one free for a 7 p.m. scheduled first serve.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL RETURNS TO #MACTION SATURDAY AT EASTERN MICHIGAN
Opening Tip:
– Saturday’s game against Eastern Michigan will mark the 92nd time in program history the two schools have met with the Cardinals leading the all-time series record, 46-45. Head coach Brady Sallee holds an overall record of 17-9 against Eastern Michigan from 2012-13 to present.
– The Eagles have not beating the Cardinals in Worthen Arena since the 2020-21 season. That year Eastern Michigan defeated Ball State 77-58 on Dec. 2, 2020.
– Ball State recently fell to James Madison in its MAC/SBC Challenge game on the road last Saturday by a score of 78-74. The game was close for the entire contest. Alex Richard led the squad with 22 points and nine rebounds.
– Ball State set a program record for best MAC start improving to 11-0 in league play after defeating Bowling Green 71-51 in Worthen Arena on Feb. 5.
– The Cardinals are one of two schools in the nation that remain undefeated in conference play.
– The Cardinals have been road warriors the past four years during Mid-American Conference action. Ball State owns a 33-10 (.767) ledger when playing league games on the road dating back to the 2021 MAC season with its best showing being in 2021 when the Cardinals went 9-1 that year.
– Ball State has won 15-straight MAC regular season games. The Cardinals haven’t lost a regular season league contest since Feb. 24, 2024, which was at Toledo.
– The Cardinals rank in the top 50 in the nation in these statistical categories; 39th in assists per game (16.4), 41st in blocks per game (4.3), 42nd in winning percentage (79.2), 44th in scoring margin (14.3), 47th in field goal percentage (45.2), 48th in assist/turnover ratio (1.13) and 49th in 3-point field goal attempts (23.9).
– Ally Becki ranks sixth in the nation in assists (148), eighth in assists per game (6.2), 31st in steals (60), 37th in steals per game (2.50) and 5th in double-doubles while Marie Kiefer sits at 30th in blocks (45) and 41st in blocks per game (1.88).
– Another MAC win for the Cardinals will earn Ball State a 12-0 conference ledger which is the best conferene start amongst league members since Central Michigan did it in 2017-18.
– Ally Becki has made the ESPN top 10 plays twice this season. The senior is on pace to become the lone Division I player ever to average at least 10 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in every season since her freshman year in 2021-22.
– Madelyn Bischoff became the 35th women’s basketball player of all-time to reach the 1,000 point plateau and the 14th player under Ball State 13th-year head coach Brady Sallee at James Madison on Saturday, Feb. 8. Bischoff drained a 3-pointer at the 2:16 mark for her 1,000th point to put Ball State up by three (74-71).
Another 20-Win Season is on the Horizon:
The Cardinals are one win away until they hit the 20-win plateau for their third-straight season. It will be the eighth time in Sallee’s career at Ball State to have reached that milestone. Sallee’s 20-win seasons at Ball State were — 22-10 (2015-16), 21-11 (2016-17) 25-7 (2017-18), 21-10 (2019-20), 20-13 (2021-22), 26-9 (2022-23) and 20-2 (2023-24).
BSU on ESPN | FEB. 22 vs. Kent State:
The Ball State women’s basketball team will play in a nationally televised regular season game on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 12 p.m. ET when it hosts Kent State in Worthen Arena. The Cardinals are the only league school to have been chosen to play on ESPNU three years in row.
The contest will be a rematch of a game played on Jan. 15, with the Cardinals defeating the Golden Flashes, 66-57, at the M.A.C Center.
With eight games remaining in the MAC regular season, the Cardinals (18-4, 10-0 MAC) remain atop of the league standings two games ahead of their counterparts. Ball State is the only team in conference play that is undefeated, and the Cardinals currently have won 12 in a row.
This is the second time this season that the Cardinals will have played on a national stage. Ball State played on the CBS Sports Network on Jan. 20 and will now be on ESPNU.
Scouting Eastern Michigan:
– First year head coach Sahar Nusseibeh is familiar with the MAC as she was an assistant coach at Bowling green from 2013-16.
– With her 14 points at Georgia State (Feb. 8), Sisi Eleko brought her season total to 403 points. She is the first EMU player to record 400+ points and 200+ rebounds in the same season since Natachia Watkins tallied 405 points and 2018 rebounds in the 2011-12 season.
– Sisi Eleko has 11 doubles-doubles this season (18th in the NCAA) and 31 for her career, which ranks 31st among all NCAA Division I players. She also ranks 20th in rebounds per game this season (10.0) while her 8.70 career average is 17th among active NCAA Division I players.
– Through 22 games, the Eagles have scored 159 three-pointers for an of 7.2 per game. If the team continues that pace, it would wind up in the program’s all-time top 10 as 208 would rank seventh.
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL
SYCAMORES SET TO COMPETE AT SAMFORD TOURNAMENT
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State Softball is set for weekend 2 of the 2025 season, traveling to Birmingham, Alabama, to compete in the Samford Tournament. The Sycamores will face Samford and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) on Saturday and Sunday, February 15th and 16th.
All four games throughout the weekend will have live stats available, and the Sunday game at noon against Samford will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Last Time Out:
The Indiana State Sycamores opened its 2025 season with a challenging weekend at the FGCU Softball Complex, finishing with a 1-4 record but securing their first win under head coach Windy Thees.
Indiana State dropped its first four games, falling 5-2 to LIU and 3-2 to FGCU on opening day. The Sycamores then suffered two more losses on Day 2 of the Kickoff Classic, losing 8-2 to Boston College and 6-0 to Boston University.
The Sycamores capped the weekend with a 4-3 victory over LIU, marking Thees’ first win at Indiana State.
A balanced offensive attack led the way, highlighted by a two-run second inning featuring an RBI triple from Mills and a Wischmeier RBI single. Esposito, Colip, and Erschen added clutch hits in the third to extend the lead to 4-0.
The Sharks put two runs on the board in the fourth inning and added another in the sixth, but the Sycamores capitalized on opportunities and secured their first win.
Griffin delivered a solid start in the circle, and Sackett secured the save with a key strikeout in the final frame.
Sycamore Standouts:
Sophie Esposito has started the season strong, hitting .389 with a .778 OPS. She tallied seven hits and three runs during the Kickoff Classic, posting a .389 on-base percentage. Esposito also leads the Sycamores with two stolen bases.
The freshmen had a strong college debut last weekend. Madison Poulson picked up her first collegiate hit, while Brailey Mills hit an RBI triple in Sunday’s 4-3 win and scored three runs. Whitley Wischmeier added two hits and two RBIs over the weekend.
The Sycamores recorded three doubles this weekend, with contributions from Livi Colip, Taylor Erschen, and Hannah Welch.
Hailey Griffin led the Sycamore pitching staff this weekend, earning the first win of the 2025 season. She allowed just three hits in Sunday’s game and recorded 9 strikeouts over the opening weekend. Griffin heads into this weekend with a 2.47 ERA.
Scouting Samford:
Samford went 2-2 at the Trojan Invitational, falling to North Texas 7-4 and Tennessee State 12-9 but earning wins over Central Michigan (3-2) and Troy (12-0). Katie Campbell’s homer and Logan Champion’s solo shot helped secure their first win. Jordyn Partain’s two-hit shutout and five multi-hit performances powered the Bulldogs’ dominant victory over Troy.
Scouting UAB:
UAB softball opened the season 4-1 at the South Alabama Invitational, rebounding from a 4-1 loss to South Alabama with wins over Northwestern State (7-0), UIC (8-0, 6-3), and Murray State (9-1). Tait Davidson threw a no-hitter in her debut, while Caroline McLendon posted a 0.00 ERA in 8.1 innings. Bella Wiggins hit .556 with eight stolen bases, and Lindsey Smith added two home runs.
Up Next:
The Sycamores will travel to UT Chattanooga next weekend, from February 21-23, to compete in a tournament. They will face off against UT Chattanooga, Lamar University, Illinois State, SEMO, and IU Indy.
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
REDBIRDS’ SECOND-HALF RALLY SINKS SYCAMORES
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Bella Finnegan led all players with 27 points Thursday night and Deja Jones added another double-double for the Trees, but visiting Illinois State scored 50 points in the second half to escape with an 85-77 win over the Sycamores inside Hulman Center.
Finnegan shot 50 percent from both the field and 3-point range. Jones had 14 points and 11 assists, her third straight game with 10-plus assists. Keslyn Secrist and Mia Simpson also finished in double-figures with 13 and 12, respectively.
Indiana State shot better than 50 percent from both the field and 3-point range in the opening 20 minutes, with a Finnegan 3-ball late in the second quarter helping the Sycamores take a two-point lead at the half. Back-to-back layups to start the second half gave the Trees a six-point lead, but Illinois State rallied back to go in front late in the third. Indiana State used the three-ball to stay within two possessions for most of the fourth, but couldn’t string together a late rally as the visitors eked out a win.
First Half
Indiana State got off to a strong start with baskets from Jones and Simpson, along with a trey from Secrist. Layups from Jones and Savannah White put the Sycamores in front midway through the frame, with Jones tacking on a three-point play just past the halfway point of the period. The Sycamores struggled late in the quarter, though, as Illinois State took a 17-16 lead after the first 10 minutes.
The Sycamores picked up the pace in the second, with baskets from Simpson and Finnegan along with threes from Jones and Secrist putting the Trees ahead by a point midway through the quarter. Secrist and Finnegan added layups, with the former also knocking down a late trey to give Indiana State a 35-32 lead. Jones tacked on a jumper inside the final minute, as Indiana State took a 37-35 lead to the intermission.
Second Half
Back-to-back layups from White and Finnegan to start the third saw the Sycamore advantage grow to 41-35, but that was the largest lead Indiana State had in the game. Simpson kept the Trees ahead with a midrange jumper, but a Redbird run saw Illinois State go back in front midway through the quarter. Finnegan hit a late trey and added a pair of free throws inside the final minute, but the Blue and White faced a 55-50 deficit entering the fourth.
Layups from Simpson and Jones kept the Sycamores within two possessions early in the quarter, while a trio of 3-pointers from Finnegan pulled Indiana State within 68-63 at the midway point of the period. That was as close as the Sycamores got, though, with Illinois State having an answer for every Indiana State basket. Layups from White and Simpson were followed by a 7-0 Redbird run. Indiana State closed the game on a 7-0 run to make it 85-77, courtesy of layups from Simpson and Finnegan and a three-ball from the latter, but ultimately ran out of time to complete a rally.
News and Notes
Deja Jones recorded her first career double-double with 14 points and 11 assists after registering the only triple-double in the MVC in the Sycamores’ last game. Jones has 10-plus assists in each of the last three games, and is averaging 8.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 11.0 assists per game in that span.
Bella Finnegan recorded her second straight game with 25-plus points, finishing with 27 against Illinois State. Finnegan has 13 3-pointers over the last two games while averaging 28.5 points per game in that span.
The Sycamores continued their momentum from distance in Thursday’s game, hitting nine 3-pointers while shooting 47.4 percent from behind the arc.
Indiana State took advantage of turnovers and extra possessions, finishing with 20 second chance points and 19 points off turnovers.
Indiana State shot better than 45 percent from the field and 3-point range in three of the four quarters in Thursday’s game.
Of the 33 fouls called between the two teams, 15 came in the fourth quarter.
Up Next
Indiana State remains at home to face Bradley Sunday at 2 p.m. for its annual Alumni Weekend game.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
BASEBALL OPENS 2025 AT NO. 2 LSU
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne baseball team opens the 2025 season on Friday at No. 2 LSU. The Tigers are ranked second in the College Baseball Hub Composite Top 25 rankings and third in both the USA TODAY Coaches Poll and the D1Baseball.com Top 25.
Game Day Information
When:
Friday, Feb. 14 | 3:00 p.m. ET
Saturday, Feb. 15 | 2:00 p.m. ET
Sunday, Feb. 16 | 2:00 p.m. ET
Where: Alex Box Stadium | Baton Rouge, La.
Live Stats: Friday | Saturday | Sunday
SECN+: Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Weather:
Friday: High of 63/low of 59, 30% chance of rain
Saturday: High of 82/low of 50, 70% chance of rain
Sunday: High of 55/low of 31, 10% chance of rain
Series History: First ever meeting.
Probable Starters:
Purdue Fort Wayne: RHP Dillon Fischer, LHP Zane Danielson, RHP Gavin Walters
LSU: LHP Kade Anderson LHP, RHP Anthony Eyanson, RHP Chase Shores
House Call: Justin Osterhouse returns for his sophomore season after earning All-Horizon League Second Team accolades last year. He slashed .355/.424/.609 with nine home runs and 38 RBI for the ‘Dons in 2024. He had a busy summer as well. He was an all-star in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League for Muskegon and then was on the winning Home Run Derby X team in August at the home of the Fort Wayne TinCaps.
Two For the ‘Dons: Justin Osterhouse and Nick Hockemeyer were 2024 Preseason All-Horizon League picks by Perfect Game. Hockemeyer is a Fort Wayne native and Homestead High School graduate who spent last season at Dallas College Richland. He was a standout for the Thunderducks in junior college, earning National Junior College Athletic Association Division III First Team All-American honors. He slashed .383/.458/.574 with 26 extra base hits and nine stolen bases. In the nation he ranked sixth in doubles (20), ninth in hits (70), 10th in total bases (102) and 13th in RBI (58).
A Few to Watch: D1baseball.com picked Justin Osterhouse as the No. 3 prospect in the Horizon League in the 2026 MLB Draft. Drew Helton (No. 3), Trent Murphy (No. 4) and Tyson Greenwood (No.8) were picked as Impact Freshman in the league.
Back to LSU: Mastodon newcomer Kevin Hall played at LSU last season on April 30, 2024 when he was a member of Grambling.
SEC Time: The ‘Dons don’t have to look too far back to their last win over an SEC squad. The Mastodons split a four-game series at Missouri last season.
Talking Ranking: The ‘Dons earned a 9-6 win at No. 20 Indiana on Feb. 27, 2024 last season, the Mastodons’ last game against a nationally ranked team. The Mastodons hit five home runs in the game. It was the first win over a Top 25 team in program history.
Nice to Meet You: This weekend will be the first time as Mastodons that Kevin Hall and Nick Hockemeyer take to the field, but it won’t be the first time they are teammates. They spent the summer of 2024 playing for the Elizabethton River Riders of the Appalachian League. Hall had a .453 OBP in 26 games for the River Riders. Hockemeyer hit .296 in 18 games.
Blood Lines: Mastodon head coach Doug Schreiber coached Trent Murphy’s father, Rob, when Schreiber was an assistant at Ball State.
CSC Pick: Owen Willard (Butler, Ind. / Eastside HS) was a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selection in 2024 after throwing 34.2 innings with 20 pitching appearances. This season he’ll return seeing some time in the field and at the plate by pitching and playing infield for the ‘Dons as he did in high school.
Up Next: The ‘Dons play at Indiana on Wednesday (Feb. 19).
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
MUIR AND FOSDICK SET CAREER-HIGH MARKS IN SETBACK TO QUEENS
FORT WAYNE, Ind. -Logan Muir and Kaden Fosdick had career-high kill figures in the Purdue Fort Wayne men’s volleyball team’s four-set (25-19, 20-25, 25-22, 27-25) MIVA loss to Queens on Thursday (Feb. 13).
Muir finished with 23 kills while Fosdick matched his career-best with 12. Haven Wankerl added nine kills on a .667 clip, a season-best mark.
The match entered the third set at an even 1-1 tie. The Mastodons took off on a 4-0 run early in the set, but the Royals responded with a 9-4 run to claim the lead at 12-11. The set was within two points until Queens took a 24-20 lead following a 3-0 run. The ‘Dons managed to push into the lead, but were stopped short at a 25-22 conclusion to the set.
The fourth set bounced back and fourth until the team’s were tied at 11-11. The Mastodons strung together a 5-0 run to take the lead at 20-19. The Royals finished the set on a 8-5 push, surviving a Purdue Fort Wayne set point, to win the final set 27-25. Queens tallied four aces in the set, two from Carson Strawbridge.
The Royals shot out to a nine-point first set lead at 18-9. Queens’ .455 hitting percentage was enough to fend off the ‘Dons and take the set 25-19 set. Muir finished the first set with eight kills and Andrej Polomac put up 15 assists. The Royals threatened to repeat the first set following a 5-1 run, but Purdue Fort Wayne rallied off four straight points to take the lead in the second set at 8-6. The Mastodons managed to hold the lead for the remainder of the set, surviving a 5-2 Queens run late in the set. The ‘Dons closed out the set on a 4-0 run with three of Muir’s eight kills in the second frame.
Purdue Fort Wayne drops to 5-5, 0-3 in MIVA play. Queens moves to 9-4, 2-1 in the MIVA. The Mastodons host a rematch with Queens on Friday (Feb. 14) at 7 p.m.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL DROPS A PAIR AT UT MARTIN’S SKYHAWK CLASSIC
MARTIN, Tenn. – The Purdue Fort Wayne softball team dropped a pair of games at the Skyhawk Classic on Thursday (Feb. 13), falling to UT Martin 2-1 and Western Michigan 11-3.
GAME 1: UT Martin 2, Purdue Fort Wayne 1
The Mastodons took a 1-0 lead in the opening game of the event, but UT Martin scored a run in each of the fifth and seventh innings to come back to win.
The first hit of the game for the Mastodons was a solo home run for Bailey Manos in the fourth inning. Manos sent a long ball over the right field wall for the second home run of her career. Two innings later, UT Martin answered with a solo shot of its own. Kyrsten Brown sent a ball over the left field wall.
After the UT Martin homer, Alanah Jones did not allow a hit until the final play of the game, a double to left that brought a Skyhawk home. Jones was relatively effective, throwing 6.1 innings, allowing just two runs on five hits. She struck out six Skyhawks, but suffered the loss.
UT Martin’s Ashtyn Green threw 6.0 innings before Rylee Tittle got the win in 1.0 inning of relief.
The Skyhawks improved to 4-3.
GAME 2: Western Michigan 11, Purdue Fort Wayne 3
Purdue Fort Wayne got its bats going early in game two, but Western Michigan’s offense rolled to an 11-3 victory.
WMU got a pair of runs in the second inning, but the Mastodons responded with two runs of their own. After Brooke Lickey singled, Alexa Carter doubled to left to bring Lickey home. In the next at bat, McKenna Minton got a single to get Carter around the basepaths. In the second inning alone, the ‘Dons racked up five hits.
An inning later, Aglaia Rudd blasted a homer over the left field wall to force a Western Michigan pitching change. Unfortunately for the Mastodons, the WMU reliever Jadeyn Merrill did not allow a hit the rest of the way.
On the offensive side, the Broncos added five in the fourth and two more in the fifth.
Aubrey Zachary got the start with 2.2 innings pitched and took the loss. Gracie Brinkerhoff, Mackenzie Arroyo and Jones split the relief duties.
Purdue Fort Wayne fell to 1-6 and Western Michigan improved to 2-5.
The Mastodons will be back in action tomorrow (Friday, Feb. 14) at 9:30 a.m. ET against DePaul and 4:30 p.m. ET against the Broncos.
EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
UE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL EARNS SECOND MVC WIN OVER BRADLEY
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team led for almost 30 minutes in its 55-45 win over the Bradley Braves on Thursday night.
The Purple Aces earned their second win of Missouri Valley Conference play in a defensive battle against Bradley. After dropping their road contest in Peoria by only a basket, UE turned on the gas to pull away from the Braves in the fourth quarter. Three Evansville players ended the night in double figures while freshman guard Logan Leubbers Palmer (Union, Ky. / Randall K. Cooper HS) set a career-high in made field goals with six.
“I’m really thrilled with how our kids played tonight, especially in the second half,” said Head Coach Robyn Scherr. “I thought we did a really nice job of creating just enough separation in each quarter. And as we were going into the fourth quarter, I told these guys to play to win. No one was going to be timid. No one was going to hope that we didn’t make a mistake. We need to go out and take it. And I thought they did just that. I’m really really proud of the girls.”
The Aces got off to a hot start on Thursday night, shooting 50% from the floor in the first quarter. Senior guard Júlia Palomo (La Seu d’Urgell, Spain) began the scoring with a three in the first 40 seconds. It was only treys being scored for the first three minutes until Palmer had her first of five buckets in the paint. UE held the lead in the first until over halfway through when Bradley tied up the game with under four on the clock. Evansville held onto the lead until the final minute. The Braves took a brief lead at the end of the first, but the Aces regained the upper hand in the final seconds.
It was a slow second quarter for UE as it took over two minutes to make a basket. Both teams had a two-and-a-half-minute scoreless streak midway through the second. Evansville broke up the drought as Palmer cut to the basket. The Aces and Bradley traded shots until the final minute and a half of the half. The Braves put together a five-point run to pull ahead of UE by a point going into halftime.
Bradley kept the momentum into the start of the second half as Evansville tied the game up three times in the first three minutes. The Aces began to pull ahead on an eight-point run as the Braves didn’t score for over five minutes. UE had a six-point lead with 2:16 left in the third quarter. But a three-point run for Bradley made it only a three-point Evansville lead heading into the final 10 minutes of the game.
The Aces had their highest-scoring quarter of the night in the final 10 minutes starting with a seven-point run for a double-digit lead. The Braves were able to respond with a brief four-point run. UE’s defense kicked it up a notch after the run, not letting Bradley score multiple baskets in a row the rest of the game. Evansville ended on a 12-5 run to pick up the team’s second Valley win of the season.
Freshman guard Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind. / Hamilton Heights HS) led the Aces on offense with 17 points and four assists thanks to 14 made free throws. Palmer almost hit her season high with 14 points while sophomore forward Maggie Hartwig (Sauk City, Wis. / Sauk Prairie HS) had her seventh double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Despite not scoring much over 33 minutes Palomo led UE with six assists to help distribute the offense across the floor.
Evansville will play its annual Play4Kay game to raise awareness for the fight against breast cancer on Saturday afternoon. The Aces will wear pink accessories in their game against Illinois State on February 15. Tip-off against the Redbirds in Meeks Family Fieldhouse is set for 2 p.m.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
UE BASEBALL BEGINS 2025 SEASON AT LITTLE ROCK
After a record season Aces Baseball is back and hungry for more success in 2025. UE appeared in the programs first Super Regional in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, forcing eventual 2024 Champions #1 Tennessee to an “as necessary” third game. While Evansville has enjoyed its success from the 2024 NCAA Tournament the program turns the page on a new chapter this weekend. The Aces begin the 2025 season with their first visit to Little Rock in six years on Friday afternoon.
It will be a new look team for UE in 2025 as six consistent 2024 starters graduated from the program. Evansville returns 39.7% of its at-bats from the prior season and only 38.1% of its hits. The Aces do welcome a large incoming class in 2025 with 11 freshman and 4 transfer players. Most notably UE brings in graduate catcher Matt Flaherty who spent the prior season with ASUN Bellarmine.
Evansville will have several familiar faces on the mound in 2025. The Aces return 2024 MVC Freshman of the Year and 2025 D1Baseball Preseason Third Team All-American left hander Kenton Deverman. UE will also rotate in junior right hander Max Hansmann for his first full season as a starter and sophomore left hander Kevin Reed. At the plate the Aces return a trio of seniors in second baseman Cal McGinnis, right fielder Harrison Taubert, and center fielder Ty Rumsey. Of the three McGinnis saw the most production in 2024 with a .348 average, 69 hits, 38 runs, two triples, and six home runs.
UE makes its return to face the Little Rock Trojans after six seasons away. The two teams have only ever met on the Trojans turf with Evansville holding the 7-4 advantage. In the two teams last meeting in 2019, the Aces picked up two of three wins including the team’s first double figure win of the season in the final game at 10-5.
The Little Rock Trojans are replacing the majority of their everyday players in the lineup from 2024 to 2025. After capturing the Ohio Valley Conference regular season in 2024, the Trojans will have a much different look compared to last year’s roster, which finished 32-24 overall. However, Little Rock does return Jackson Wells, the 2023 OVC Pitcher of the Year, who will face off with UE right-hander Max Hansmann to start the series on Friday afternoon.
SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
USI FALLS TO HOT-SHOOTING WIU, 87-62
MACOMB, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball fell to a hot-shooting Western Illinois University, 87-62, Thursday evening at Western Hall. The Screaming Eagles are 9-16 overall and 4-11 in OVC action, while the Leathernecks go to 9-17, 3-12 OVC.
USI jumped out to a quick 4-0 start but WIU swiftly bounced back with a 12-4 dash to get control. The Leathernecks would extend the lead to as many as 17 points, 39-22, before an Eagles’ offensive surge cut the margin to single digits, 39-31, in the first half.
WIU scored the final six points of the first half to lead 45-31 at the break. Junior guard Damoni Harrison led the way for USI during the first 20 minutes with 13 points, while junior guard Jayland Randall added nine first-half points.
In the second half, USI was unable to get any momentum going as WIU continued its hot-shooting game. The Leathernecks extended its halftime margin to as many as 28 points (87-59) by shooting 62.1 percent in the final 20 minutes (18-29) and 56.7 percent for the game (34-60).
USI was led in the 87-62 loss by Harrison, who posted his second double-double of the year with 21 points and 10 rebounds. He was followed by Randall, who had 17 points, while sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi closed out the double-figure scorers with 10 points.
After the loss, the Eagles are three games out of the OVC post-season race. USI trails the University of Tennessee at Martin and Lindenwood University, who are tied for seventh in the league standings.
Next Up For USI:
The Lions of Lindenwood are 12-14 overall and 7-8 in the OVC after upsetting Morehead State University, 73-60, at home tonight. Lindenwood is 3-2 in the last five games and .500 over the last 10 contests.
The Eagles lead the all-time series, 8-1, after taking the first meeting of the year in January, 80-73. Harrison led three Eagles in double-digits with 26 points and 10 rebounds. He was followed by Randall, who had 17 points, and graduate forward Jack Mielke, who had 10 points.
SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WEBB’S CAREER-HIGH 24 POINTS LEADS USI OVER LEATHERNECKS
MACOMB, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball secured its berth in the 2024-25 Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament Thursday evening after earning a hard-fought 76-70 win on the road at Western Illinois University.
Southern Indiana clinched its second consecutive berth into the OVC tournament and will continue to work toward defending its OVC championship from last season come early March. USI also locked up its second win in a row and moved back to 10 games over .500 on Thursday behind a career-high 24 points from graduate forward Madi Webb. The Screaming Eagles improved to 18-8 overall and 10-5 in the OVC, remaining in fifth place in the conference. Western Illinois dropped to 12-12 on the season with a 6-9 conference record.
In a tight contest out of the gates, Southern Indiana found early success inside through the play of graduate forward Meredith Raley and sophomore forward Chloe Gannon. Each scored a pair of field goals in the early minutes of the opening quarter. USI’s trap defense also had an early presence, forcing Western Illinois into five first-quarter turnovers. Despite some outside shooting woes with an 0-6 start from three, the Screaming Eagles continued to find offense in the paint. Webb matched Raley and Gannon with two conversions under the basket. Southern Indiana led 18-14 after the first 10 minutes.
USI continued attacking the post with Webb and Raley combining to score the Eagles’ first three buckets in the second period. At the 7:20 mark of the second, Southern Indiana increased its lead to eight, 27-19, after getting its first three-point make from junior guard Ali Saunders. Webb continued to have a strong first half, reaching double digits for the game and giving USI a 12-point, 33-21 advantage with four minutes left in the first half. Webb totaled 14 first-half points. Western Illinois ended the first half with a small run, cutting USI’s lead in half down to six, 38-32, at the break.
Western Illinois scored seven straight points out of halftime to take the lead before Southern Indiana scored its first second-half points on a basket from Gannon at the 6:32 mark of the third quarter. The Leathernecks tallied eight consecutive points after the Gannon basket to go ahead by seven, 47-40. Later in the period, Raley earned a three-point play and scored once more to hit double figures in the game and bring USI back within one possession with under three minutes left in the third. Webb resumed her solid performance with a pair of buckets late in the frame to help knot the game at 54 going into the fourth quarter.
The two sides went back and forth into the middle of the fourth quarter. Even when Western Illinois grabbed a four-point lead on a triple near the seven-minute mark of the fourth, Southern Indiana answered with a three-point of its own. Later, Webb tied the game at 66 and surpassed 20 points for the game at the midway point of the fourth quarter. After the Leathernecks went up by four, USI responded and went ahead 71-70 on a go-ahead trey from sophomore guard Triniti Ralston with two minutes remaining, as the Screaming Eagles sealed the win at the free-throw line.
Southern Indiana shot over 42 percent (29-68) from the floor and just above 23 percent (4-17) from three-point range. USI went for 70 percent (14-20) at the free-throw stripe. The Eagles had a strong game on the glass, outrebounding Western Illinois 47-40. USI also outscored the Leathernecks 46-20 in the paint. The Screaming Eagles did a good job taking care of the basketball, recording a season-low eight turnovers.
Webb led USI and tied a game-high 24 points on 10-19 shooting in setting her new career mark. Raley posted her seventh career double-double and first of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Vanessa Shafford tallied 14 points and pulled down nine boards.
Western Illinois was held to 39.4 percent (26-66) shooting overall but did connect for 37 percent (10-27) from three. The Leathernecks were 8-14 for 57 percent at the foul line. Sophomore guard Raegan McCowan led four Leathernecks in double figures, tying a game-high 24 points.
Next, the Screaming Eagles will make the trip to St. Charles, Missouri on Saturday for an 11 a.m. matchup against Lindenwood University. Saturday’s game will be televised on ESPNU and is the first nationally televised game for USI Women’s Basketball at the D-I level. The Spin 95.7 FM will have additional radio coverage.
VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
EARNEST REACHES 1,500 CAREER POINTS AS VALPO DOWNS UIC
While the temperature was dropping outside, the Valpo women’s basketball team was scorching the net inside the ARC Thursday evening early on, as the Beacons hit six first-quarter 3-pointers and then held off a push from visiting UIC to come away with a 60-51 victory. With a basket in the third quarter, Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) became just the third player in program history to score 1,500 career points.
How It Happened
It took a couple minutes for the Beacons’ offense to get going in the opening period, but once it did, it was like a boulder rolling downhill. Layla Gold (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) got things started with a 3-pointer 2:20 into the game which gave Valpo the lead for good.
After a turnover on their next trip, the Beacons hit the trifecta of trifectas, knocking down 3-pointers on three possessions. First Maci Rhoades (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek [Radford]), then Earnest and finally Nevaeh Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) connected from deep, the latter forcing a UIC timeout with Valpo leading 12-3 less than five minutes in.
A steal and fast-break bucket by Jackson with 3:20 to go in the opening quarter pushed Valpo’s lead to double figures for the first time.
Jackson and Katie Beyer (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) made back-to-back triples in the final two minutes of the first period to give Valpo a 24-7 lead at the end of one. The Beacons limited UIC to just six field goal attempts in the opening 10 minutes, forcing nine turnovers over that same stretch.
The quarter break seemingly did nothing to cool the Beacons off, as Fiona Connolly (South Burlington, Vt./Brewster Academy [La Salle]) drilled a 3-pointer on Valpo’s first possession of the second quarter. The next time down the court, Gold converted a second-chance layup to push the lead to 29-7 with 8:35 to play in the half.
The offense flipped from hot to cold after that bucket, as Valpo scored just four points the rest of the half. UIC ended the half on a 17-4 run, but it was still a 33-24 edge for the Beacons at intermission.
The Flames cut Valpo’s lead to five points twice in the third quarter, but both times Jackson was there with points to answer immediately.
The Beacons’ largest lead of the third quarter came late, as a Beyer bucket made it an 11-point advantage with 1:26 to play in the period. Valpo carried a 47-38 lead into the fourth quarter.
A 3-pointer from Mor Shabtai (Tel Aviv, Israel/Tichonet) which was originally ruled to have beaten the shot clock was reviewed and overturned at the media timeout with 5:27 to play, turning what had been an 11-point Valpo lead entering the stoppage into an eight-point advantage. Out of the timeout, UIC scored on each of its next two possessions, pulling with 50-46 — as close as the Flames had been since the opening minutes.
The Beacon defense got stops on each of UIC’s next four trips, and a drive and finish from Earnest with 2:10 to play gave Valpo a little more breathing room.
UIC scored with 1:16 remaining to make it a five-point game at 53-48.
On the ensuing offensive possession, a Flame foul led to an inbounds from the sideline. Connolly took the inbounds pass and found herself with room to penetrate the middle. With the defense collapsing into the paint, Connolly kicked to Beyer in the right corner and the senior coolly drilled a 3-pointer with 58 seconds to play.
UIC hit a 3-pointer with 50 seconds to play, again making it a five-point game. The Flames chose to play defense instead of fouling to extend the game, and Rhoades made them pay, as with the shot clock run nearly all the way down, Rhoades drove for an inside effort. She missed the initial shot, but got her own rebound and went back up with it for a layup which put the game away.
Inside the Game
The win snapped a three-game winning streak for UIC in the series, while it was just the second time the Beacons have prevailed over the Flames in eight attempts since UIC joined the Valley.
The result was the reverse of the first meeting of the year, when UIC downed the Beacons in Chicago, 60-45. It was the program’s largest shift from the first meeting of the season to the second meeting since the 2021-22 team fell to Indiana State by 20 the first time out before winning by five the second time around.
Valpo improved to 9-0 this year when holding its opponent under 60 points. The 51 points marked UIC’s lowest output of the season.
A basket by Earnest with 5:54 to play in the third quarter marked the 1,500th point of her career. It also moved her past Sarrah Stricklett for third in program history in career scoring.
Earnest ended the night with a team-best 15 points, pushing her career total to 1,506 points. Second place on Valpo’s all-time chart might take some doing to reach, as Dani Franklin currently resides in that spot with 1,721 points.
Earnest also registered her seventh double-double of the campaign as she led all players with a season-best 13 rebounds. She was one off her season high as well with a game-high five assists.
Earnest is the only MVC player this season to reach 15 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in the same game. The last MVC player to do so? Also Earnest, last season in the home win over Bradley. The last MVC player to have a line like that who isn’t named Leah Earnest was Missouri State’s Kennedy Taylor on Feb. 4, 2023.
Earnest was one of three Beacons to score in double figures Thursday. Jackson hit the 10-point mark for the 16th time this season with a 14-point night, while Beyer had her seventh double-digit output of the season with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
Rhoades nearly joined the aforementioned trio, posting nine points and six rebounds — the latter one shy of her career best.
Valpo cooled off from the 3-point line after the opening 10-plus minutes, as after hitting 7-of-9 to open the game, the Beacons were just 1-of-14 from deep the rest of the night. Valpo was solid inside throughout, however, finishing with a 46% overall clip from the floor as it hit 15-of-27 from 2-point range.
The Beacons also committed just 14 turnovers Thursday night, their lowest mark in the last seven games.
Valpo limited UIC to 34.5% shooting from the floor. The Flames went just 2-for-17 from deep, the worst mark by a Valpo opponent since Southern Illinois hit just 1-of-14 from 3-point range in the Valley opener.
VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEN’S BASKETBALL LOOKS TO SUSTAIN MOJO WITH SUNDAY NIGHT HOOPS AT UE
Valparaiso (11-15, 4-11 MVC)
at Evansville (9-17, 6-9 MVC)
Game No. 27 – Sunday, Feb. 16, 7 p.m. CT
The Ford Center (11,000) – Evansville, Ind.
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team will look to make it back-to-back wins with a rare Sunday night game at Evansville as the instate foes collide in a President’s Day Weekend showdown. Valpo will look to continue to build as the program has already surpassed its Missouri Valley Conference win total from last season.
Last Time Out: Valpo posted its highest point total in a conference game since 1998 as the Beacons blitzed Belmont 101-86 on Wednesday night at the Athletics-Recreation Center, snapping a nine-game overall losing streak and a seven-game head-to-head skid. Cooper Schwieger led the way with his third straight double-double of 27 points (a season high) and 13 rebounds, while All Wright (20), Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro (19) and Tyler Schmidt (16) all finished in double figures.
Following the Beacons: Streaming – The Valley on ESPN Exclusive (ESPN+) – Telly Hughes (play-by-play) and Adam Emmenecker (analyst)
Radio – WVUR 95.1 FM Valparaiso, TuneIn Radio App, ValpoAthletics.com – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey (analyst)
X updates – @ValpoBasketball
Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Roger Powell Jr.: Roger Powell Jr. (18-40) is in his second season as the head coach of the Valpo men’s basketball program. After helping guide Gonzaga to a 121-13 record during his four seasons as an assistant coach, Powell returned to Valpo, where he was part of head coach Bryce Drew’s staff from 2011-2016 and led the team to 124 wins in five seasons, including a program-record 30 victories and a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) title game appearance in 2015-16. He was part of head coach Mark Few’s Gonzaga staff as the Bulldogs reached the 2021 national championship game after winning their first 31 games of the season. During Powell’s first season on staff in 2019-20, Gonzaga was 31-2 at the time the NCAA college basketball season was halted due to COVID-19. The Bulldogs reached the Sweet Sixteen in each of his final three seasons on staff, including two Elite Eight appearances and the aforementioned trip to the 2021 national title game. Prior to his arrival at Gonzaga, Powell served as the associate head coach at Vanderbilt University under Bryce Drew from 2016-2019. During his stint as an assistant at Valpo, he was part of four Horizon League regular-season championships in a five-year period while also leading the 2012-13 and 2014-15 squads to Horizon League tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. A product of Joliet West High School and a native of Joliet, Ill., Powell capped a prolific collegiate playing career at Illinois with a national title game appearance in 2005 before going on to a successful professional playing career.
Series Notes: Evansville leads 75-25 in this long-standing instate showdown as the two teams matched up for the 100th time earlier this season. The Purple Aces hold a 44-8 lead in games hosted in the River City. Valpo had won five straight prior to last year, when Evansville prevailed 78-75 at home and 63-62 at the ARC in two games decided by a total of four points. UE has now won three straight head-to-head matchups. Evansville is the second most common opponent in Valpo basketball history, and within the next few seasons will surpass Butler (103 matchups) as the most frequent opponent of all time.
Jan. 25 – Evansville 78, Valpo 68: Valpo battled back late after trailing by as many as 22 with 13 minutes to play, but visiting Evansville held on for a 78-68 victory at the Athletics-Recreation Center last month. Tanner Cuff had 22 points and seven rebounds, Connor Turnbull blocked six shots and freshman Gabriel Pozzato poured in 21 points for the Purple Aces. The Beacons were led by 13 points apiece from Cooper Schwieger, All Wright and Tyler Schmidt.
Scouting the Purple Aces
Picked to finish ninth of 12 in the MVC preseason poll, one spot ahead of the Beacons.
Under the direction of former Valpo assistant coach David Ragland, who was on staff in 2016-17 and 2017-18. Evansville assistant coach Peter Funk is a double Valpo alum and former Director of Basketball Operations for the Beacons.
Led in scoring by Tayshawn Comer at 15.7 points per game.
Freshman Gabriel Pozzato checks in at 15.2 points per game as this game will feature the league’s two highest scoring freshmen – Pozzato and Valpo’s All Wright.
Rank 255 in the NET and 263 in KenPom, 12th in the MVC in both categories.
Currently on a three-game losing streak that followed a three-game winning streak, most recently falling 71-54 at Missouri State on Wednesday.
Tied for ninth, two games ahead of Valpo in the MVC standings.
UINDY WRESTLING
UINDY SET TO COMPETE AT GLVC CHAMPIONSHIPS
INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 23-ranked UIndy wrestling team will wrap up their GLVC dual schedule this Sunday Feb. 15 at the GLVC Championships, hosted by McKendree in Lebanon, Ill.
The Hounds are set to take on the No. 6-seed Quincy in their opening dual, with the winner set to take on No. 17-ranked Upper Iowa in the second round.
“We haven’t been healthy all season, but we are excited for the opportunity to wrestle for a GLVC title this weekend,” head coach Jason Warthan said.
The Greyhounds enter the GLVC Championships after a 2-1 weekend at the Greyhound Duals, where they took down both Kentucky Wesleyan and Montevallo in shutout victories. The Hounds have won three of their last four GLVC duals, with their only loss during that stretch coming to potential second round match up Upper Iowa.
The lineup UIndy will send to the GLVC Championships, consists of four of the five NWCA preseason national poll honorees for the Hounds to start the season; Jackson Hoover (149), Trey Sizemore (174), Derek Blubaugh (197), and Cale Gray (285).
Those four have combined for 44 total wins, including six pin victories this season.
Along with those four, UIndy had another wrestler emerge to create some noise during duals for the Hounds this season, Brayden Lowery in the 141 weight class. Lowery currently sits at No. 20 in 141 in The Open Mat rankings after his two wins over the weekend at the Greyhound Duals.
Lowery and the rest of the team will look to best their 2024 GLVC Championship showing on Sunday at 10 a.m. against Quincy.
UINDY MEN’S TENNIS
#12 MEN’S TENNIS TO KICKOFF ITA INDOOR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP FRIDAY
INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 12-ranked University of Indianapolis men’s tennis team is set to host the ITA National Team Indoor Championship this weekend. The three-day event will begin this Friday, Feb 14, and will run through Sunday afternoon.
The 2025 ITA Division II National Team Indoor Championship showcases eight of the top men’s Division II tennis teams in the three-day tournament to crown an indoor national champion. The Greyhounds enter the tournament as the sixth seed, and will open competition against the third seed, No. 4 Barry this Friday at 2:30 PM. The winner of that match will face the winner of the second and seventh seed, No. 2 Flagler and No. 7 West Florida.
On the other side of the bracket, No. 3 Saint Leo defends their position as the first seed against No. 8 Washburn. No. 5 Columbus State will take on No. 7 Rollins in the four vs. five seed match up.
Last year at the ITA National Indoor Championship, the Hounds finished in fifth place, losing in the first round to Columbus State before taking wins over then No. 8-ranked Wayne State and No. 1-ranked Valdosta State.
UIndy is off to a 4-1 start on the year, collecting wins against No. 22 Ferris State, Thomas More, Purdue Northwest, and Tiffin. Their one loss came at the hands of No. 17-ranked Wayne State. Junior Matthieu Derache has started the year on a tear in singles, with a perfect 5-0 record on the year playing mostly in #3 singles. Sophomore Tadeo Gaggiofatto also has an unblemished mark in singles competition, sporting a 5-0 mark primarily in #5 singles.
More information about the ITA Division II Indoor Team Championship, including streaming, live stats and scheduling, can be found on the ITA website here.
The tournament will open at 8 AM this Friday, with the championship set to take play on Sunday at 2:30 PM.
UINDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
GREYHOUNDS RALLY, WELLS REACHES MILESTONE AT ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The UIndy women’s basketball team rallied late to earn an 80-75 overtime victory at Illinois Springfield on Thursday.
Elana Wells became the 25th Greyhound in program history to reach 1,000 career points on Thursday, maneuvering around the defense in the third quarter to surpass the milestone scoring number.
It was Jaelynne Murray, however, that sealed the win, hitting a layup with 0.2 seconds left off an inbound pass from Wells.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Murray’s game-winner put her in double-digit points with 10, adding nine rebounds, six assists, and four steals to the impressive stat line.
Amyrah Sapenter provided the first buzzer-beater of the night, sending the game to overtime after a step-back 3-pointer with just 1.4 seconds remaining in regulation. Wells earned the assist on that, as well, forcing UIS to double team her, which gave Sapenter an opening.
Wells scored seven of her 11 points in the extra session, including three at the charity stripe. Kylah Lawson stepped up in the late moments, sinking a pair of free throws to put UIndy ahead, 77-76, with 22 seconds left. It appeared as if the Prairie Stars would extend the game to a second overtime with their own bucket before a Greyhound timeout advanced the ball into the front court.
UIndy trailed by as many as 12 midway through the third quarter before Patricia Chikamba ignited a spark with 11 of her 24 points in the final 6:56 of regulation.
INSIDE THE BOX
– The team’s 80 points is the most in a game this season.
– Sapenter accounted for the Hounds’ only two 3-pointers of the evening.
– UIndy shot 55.6 percent from the floor in the second half and overtime, with a 5-for-6 effort in the final 5:24 of action.
– Chikamba and Murray shared the team lead on the glass with nine rebounds apiece.
– Queen Baker saw two minutes at the beginning of the second half, making efficient use of her time with a field goal.
HOUND BYTES
Head coach Jama Sharp on Wells’ accomplishment…
“Hitting 1,000 career points puts her in some elite company and I’m really happy for her that she could reach that milestone. She’s put in a lot of work the last four years to get here.”
Sharp on the fight and comeback win…
“Nothing went our way, but we kept fighting. We executed down the stretch, with Amyrah stepping up to hit a huge shot to even force overtime.”
MORE NOTES
Wells is the first Hound to reach 1,000 career points since Taylor Drury during the 2020-21 season …Emari Doby and Kayla Rice each scored 22 points for the Prairie Stars … UIndy now leads the all-time series, 13-6.
UP NEXT
UIndy wraps up the weekend at McKendree on Saturday, scheduled for a 1 ET tip in Lebanon, Ill. The Bearcats used a 35-point fourth quarter in January’s matchup at Nicoson Hall to overrun the Greyhounds to open the 2025 calendar year.
UINDY SOFTBALL
EADS’ NO-HITTER HIGHLIGHTS HIGH-SCORING SWEEP
TRIADELPHIA, W.V. – The No. 16 UIndy softball team racked up a lofty 25 runs to twice run-rule Wheeling University Thursday afternoon. Freshman pitcher Cheyenne Eads overshadowed the offensive onslaught by throwing her first collegiate no-hitter in the opener.
The games were contested indoors at the Highlands Sports Complex in Triadelphia, W.V., located a short drive from the Wheeling campus.
GAME 1 | UIndy 14, Wheeling 0 (5 inn.)
Eads (1-2) faced just two batters over the minimum, with a first-inning hit by pitch and a fourth-inning walk accounting for the only Cardinal base runners. The Shelbyville, Ind., native racked up a dozen Ks in the process, including striking out the side in the fifth and final frame.
Eads become just the third Greyhound freshman to toss a no-no since 2001*. In just her fourth collegiate start, it marked the earliest ever no-hitter in a Greyhound career in that same time span.
Eads’ pitching performance paired well with an impressive outburst from the UIndy offense. Eads herself racked up three hits in four at bats, but the standout was fellow-freshman Brooklyn Willis, whose five ribbies led the team.
Willis attacked the first pitch she saw, launching a two-run homer in the top of the first. She followed that with a bases-loaded double in the second inning, fueling an eight-run rally. Both hits came with two outs.
Jocelyn Calvin later managed a three-run double of her own, while Sydney Oliver and Cara Cooper added a pair of hits apiece.
GAME 2 | UIndy 11, Wheeling 2 (5 inn.)
UIndy once again piled up runs early and often, rushing out of the gate with a six-run first. The Hounds coaxed five consecutive walks in the inning, while Cooper’s two-run single capped the rally.
The Hounds scored again in three of the next four innings, including two tallies each in the fourth and fifth frames. Eads and Calvin each had an RBI single.
Senior hurler Jayden Casebolt (2-1) got the win in the circle, allowing two runs and striking our five in four innings of work. Freshman Hailey Thompson came on to pitch to finish the game with a scoreless fifth.
Willis and Calvin combined for an amazing seven walks in the game.
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds return to the Highlands Sports Complex tomorrow for a twin bill versus West Liberty University starting at 11 a.m. ET.
UINDY SWIMMING
MEDAL COUNT GROWS AS GLVC CHAMPIONSHIPS ROLL ON
ELKHART, Ind. – The 2025 GLVC Swimming & Diving Championships continued Thursday, with the University of Indianapolis combining for two more event wins and eight medal performances on the day. The Greyhounds finished the night in a close second in the women’s team standings, while the men held steady in third.
The annual conference meet, which is being held at Elkhart Health and Aquatics in Elkhart, Ind., continues Friday morning with prelims starting at 10 a.m. ET. The event started Tuesday evening and will continue through Saturday night.
TEAM STANDINGS THRU DAY 3 (top 5 only)
WOMEN PTS MEN PTS
1. Drury 939 1 Drury 861
2. UIndy 862 2. McKendree 836
3. McKendree 560 3. UIndy 677
4. UMSL 376 4. S&T 410
5. Lewis 354 5. Lewis 404
THURSDAY
The Greyhounds swept gold in the 400 IM, setting a school record in the women’s race and taking three of the top four spot in the men’s. Andrea Gomez continued her stellar senior campaign, setting a new program and GLVC mark with a time of 4:13.31, while Cedric Buessing topped a trio of hurrying Hounds with a pool-record 3:46.40. Jeremias Pock touched less than a second behind Cedric to take silver, while Silas Buessing finished comfortably in fourth.
Andrea Paaske and Oskar Sawicki each earned a silver medal in their respective 100 fly races. Paaske broke the school record with a 54.18, while Sawicki (46.65) claimed the No. 2 spot on the UIndy men’s all-time top 10.
On the diving boards, sophomore Adam Carr earned his first career GLVC medal, taking bronze on the 3-meter with a score of 423.80.
The evening was capped with a pair of medal-winning swims in the 400 medley relay. The women’s team of Caroline Reinke, Celina Schmidt, Paaske and Kirabo Namutebi earned silver status with a 3:39.91; while by the men’s quartet of Cedric Buessing, Brayden Cole, Sawicki and Pock secured bronze with a 3:09.29. The top three in the men’s relay touched the wall within about a second of each other, while the UIndy women’s B team won the consolation final with a time that would have placed them third in the A final.
UINDY MEN’S BASKETBALL
HOUNDS SPLIT REGULAR-SEASON SERIES WITH PRAIRIE STARS
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The UIndy men’s basketball team dropped a 68-62 decision to Illinois Springfield on Thursday evening, officially splitting the regular-season series with its league rival.
The Prairie Star defense limited the Greyhounds to just 22 points and 24.2 percent shooting in the second half. Dashawn Jackson sunk a pair of free throws with 53 seconds left to inch UIndy back within two before UIS squeaked away.
Dylan Ingram led the team with 15 points, while Jackson was right behind with 14 on the night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
A free throw from Tucker Tornatta put the Greyhounds up 58-54 with more than eight minutes to play before the Prairie Stars hit their stride and never looked back. The hosts held UIndy scoreless for the next 6+ minutes to build a six-point lead as the seconds ticked away.
Lavonte Harris – who opened the game’s scoring with a triple – kept the Hounds alive with a layup at the 1:39 mark of the second half before Jackson brought the team back within two. Illinois Springfield scored on its ensuing possession, then sealed the win with a steal and fast-break bucket.
UIndy had momentum in the first half, leading by 10 points following a Zac Szul 3-pointer. The Prairie Stars inched to a two-point deficit before the break, but Ingram and Tornatta capped the 40-point half with field goals.
INSIDE THE BOX
– All 16 players – eight for each team – scored on Thursday, with the UIndy bench outscoring its counterpart, 36-25.
– The Hounds turned the ball over eight times, marking the third time in last four games with single-digit miscues.
– After shooting eight for 19 (42.1 percent) from 3-point range in the first half, the Greyhounds were held to just two triples in the final 20 minutes.
– Brody Whitaker secured a team-high nine rebounds, including six boards on the offensive glass.
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds look to snap their two-game skid on Saturday with a matchup at McKendree. Tip is scheduled for 3 ET in Lebanon, Ill.
UINDY BASEBALL
UINDY OPENS SEASON AT HOME AGAINST LAKE ERIE
INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 5-ranked UIndy baseball team begins its 2025 season with a three-game season opening series against Lake Erie at home.
The Storm and the Greyhounds split their 2024 meetings against each other, both winning the home games of the two standalone match ups.
UIndy is coming off a historic 2024 campaign that saw them win their second consecutive NCAA Super Regional championship, and make its second consecutive NCAA College World Series appearance.
2025 Preseason All-American Easton Good returns to the lineup this year, along with the 2024 GLVC first-team member Diego Cardenas and second-team member Cole Hampton. The Hounds also have 12 new transfer additions this season including; Chase Mason (Missouri S&T), Trè Hondras (Marshall), Ian Kennedy (Michigan), Brian Robertson (Mount Olive) and Will Melby (Louisiana Tech).
MARIAN TRACK
MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD INDOOR CROSSROADS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW
Upland, Ind. – This Friday and Saturday the Marian men’s track and field team will head to Taylor University to compete in the Indoor Crossroads League Championships. Marian will have three or more athletes competing in all 20 events, looking to win the sixth Indoor Championship in a row. The meet begins on Friday with the Heptathlon starting at 9:30 am, field events starting at 11:30 am, and the running events starting at 2:10 pm. Below is Marian’s entry list for the meet, listing the event and seed.
Event: Athlete (Seed)
60m: Will Osafo (1), Jeremiah Brown (2), Ricardo Mateo (4), Jonathon Phillips (7)
200m: Olivier Lifrange (1), Jeremiah Brown (2), Jonathon Phillips (3), Eric Materna (4)
400m: Eric Materna (1), Olivier Lifrange (2), Eli Givens (3)
600m: Richard Dube (1), Eric Materna (2), Benjamin Riehle (3), Raif Miller (4)
800m: Tristan Trevino (1), Mason Piatt (3), Andrew McDade (4)
1000m: Owen Pittman (1), Benjamin Riehle (2), Everett Carlisle (8)
Mile: Rick Williams (10), Lucas Steward (11), Nick Frank (25)
3000m: Charles Leedke (4), Clark Chustz (8), Adam Heitz (15)
5000m: Clark Chustz (2), Adam Heitz (9), Nick Frank (T15)
60m Hurdles: Micah Williams (3), Gustavo Martinez (T5), Caleb Carter (7)
4x400m Relay: 1 seed (Probable Lineup: Richard Dube, Eli Givens, Raif Miller, Michael Hunter (Alternate: Mason Piatt))
4x800m Relay: 1 seed (Probable Lineup: Owen Pittman, Andrew McDade, Rick Williams, Everett Carlisle)
DMR: 1 seed (Probable Lineup: Charles Leedke, Michael Hunter, Mason Piatt, Tristan Trevino)
High Jump: Gunner Kovach (1), Victor Dailey (2), Jaiden Dresselhaus (3)
Pole Vault: Jake Grangier (5), Brenden Endres (T6), Aidan Hudspith (9)
Long Jump: Armani Glass (1), Marko Brajovic (3), Michael Starks (5)
Triple Jump: Van Lian (1), Armani Glass (2), Jake Grangier (3)
Shot Put: Christian Rios (1), Javian Jones (2), Markevious Keys (6)
Weight Throw: Christian Rios (1), Markevious Keys (2), Brady Betustak (4)
Heptathlon: Gustavo Martinez, Brendan Oleksak, Felipe Mentz
WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD INDOOR CROSSROADS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW
Upland, Ind. – This Friday and Saturday the Marian men’s track and field team will head to Taylor University to compete in the Indoor Crossroads League Championships. Marian will have three or more athletes competing in all 20 events, looking to win their fourth Indoor Championship in a row and their fifth championship in six years. The meet begins on Friday with the Pentathlon starting at 10:00 am, field events starting at 11:30 am, and the running events starting at 2:10 pm. Below is Marian’s entry list for the meet in each event and each athlete’s seed.
Event: Athlete (seed)
60m: Armoney Clay (T1), Adrianna Woods (6), Jovana Milosevic (7)
200m: Jovana Milosevic (1), Janae Bailey (2), Adrianna Woods (3)
400m: Janae Bailey (3), Hanna Reuter (5), Emma Edwards (6)
600m: Adrianna Boyd (4), Emma Edwards (5), Hanna Reuter (6)
800m: Nora Steele (1), Adrianna Boyd (8), Gracie Fields (13)
1000m: Katie Woods (1), Summer Rempe (3), Gracynn Hinkley (7)
Mile: Katie Woods (1), Vivienne Siefker (6), Lindsay Huston (10)
3000m: Katie Woods (1), Emma Beimfohr (16), Lindsay Huston (21)
5000m: Lainey Roth (9), Emersyn Weaver (10), Josie Feldman (12)
60m Hurdles: Nina Marinkovic (1), Brooke Coffman (7), Bella Dean (T11)
4x400m Relay: 1 Seed (Probable Lineup: Holli Reuter, Adrianna Woods, Adrianna Boyd, Gracie Fields (Alternates: Armoney Clay & Nora Steele))
4x800m Relay: 1 Seed (Probable Lineup: Vivienne Siefker, Grace Goecke, Summer Rempe, Gracynn Hinkley)
DMR: 1 Seed (Probable Lineup: Nora Steele, Holli Reuter, Gracie Fields, Katie Woods)
High Jump: Gina Butz (1), Brooke Coffman (3), Nina Marinkovic (T6)
Pole Vault: Delaney Teachnor (T2), Quynh Sedlacek (T8), Mia Curran (T11)
Long Jump: Hanna Reuter (5), Nina Marinkovic (6), Adrianna Woods (8)
Triple Jump: Naomi Walters (1), Shirmara Anderson (T2), Holli Reuter (4)
Shot Put: Ozofu Magaji (4), Hadleigh Filipovich (7), Gabi Bilbrey (8)
Weight Throw: Nhaydia Watson (1), Ozofu Magaji (2), Keeley Hughes (4)
Pentathlon: Taylor Aselage, Nina Marinkovic, Bella Dean
WABASH SWIMMING
WABASH MOVES TO THIRD AT MIDWAY POINT OF 2025 NCAC SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
GRANVILLE, Ohio — Wabash moved into third place after two days of competition at the 2025 North Coast Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships hosted by Denison University.
The Little Giants sit in third place with 416 points midway through the meet. Denison holds the lead with 716 points, followed by Kenyon in second place with 565 points. Wooster is fourth (325 points), with Oberlin (324 points), DePauw (282.5 points), Hiram (182.5 points), Ohio Wesleyan (169 points), and Wittenberg (156 points) rounding out spots five through nine in the team standings.
The Wabash 400-yard medley relay team of Ryan West, Quinn Sweeney, Brody Page, and Ethan Johns produced the top finish of the evening for Wabash, placing fourth overall with a season-best time of 3:22.19.
Freshman Mason Gilliam turned in a career-best time of 4:34.84 to earn eighth place in the “A” final of the 500-yard freestyle. Sweeney and Xander Straw competed in the “B” final of the 500 free. The twosome finished 13th and 14th, respectively, with Sweeney finishing in 4:41.89. Straw touched the wall for the final time in 4:42.86. William Renie swam to 20th place in the “C” final with a career-best time of 4:45.63.
West placed 11th in the “B” final of the 200-yard individual medley with a career-best time of 1:52.69. Barret Smith finished the “C” final in 2:00.99 to earn 24th place.
Johns turned in the best effort of his career in the 50-yard freestyle, touching the wall in a career-best time of 20.98 to finish 12th in the “B” final. Connor Craig added a career-best time of 21.32 for a 13th-place finish. Daniel Streeter scored a 19th-place finish in the “C” final with his career-best time of 21.45.
Five Wabash divers also produced points in the one-meter event Thursday evening. Nicolas Hakimian scored a career-high 263.20 points to place eighth in the finals of the one-meter competition. Christopher Wiatr earned a ninth-place finish in the finals with a score of 246.75. Alexander Arruza finished in tenth place with a score of 258.25. Garrett Mroz scored 231.35 points to finish 11th. Michael Cruzado added a 12th-place finish with a score of 206.30.
The Trumball Aquatics Center competition continues on Friday, with preliminary events starting at 9:30 a.m.
WABASH MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
WABASH IMPROVES TO 9-1 WITH THREE-SET WIN OVER WESTMINSTER
Wally Volleyball 2020
Here’s the latest Wabash College Volleyball News:
Wabash Improves To 9-1 With Three-Set Win Over Westminster
2/13/2025 | Volleyball | Box Score
CRAWFORDSVILLE, Indiana — The Wabash College volleyball team rebounded from its first loss of the season with a decisive three-set win over Westminster College from Missouri. The Little Giants improved to 9-1 for the season with a 3-0 victory against the Blue Jays by scores of 25=23, 25-19, and 25-19.
Wabash jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the opening set before Westminster (7-7) closed to within a point at 15-14. The Little Giants responded with their own rally, pushing the lead to 24-21. The Blue Jays scored the following two points before Bawibawi Thang put away one of his 16 kills of the night for the 25-23 set victory.
The two teams played a much tighter second set until Wabash moved in front 20-14, maintaining no less than a five-point advantage for the remainder of the set. The Little Giants gave up the lead only once in the second and third sets before taking the lead for good. Westminster closed within a point at 13-12 in the final set before Wabash pulled away for the 25-19 victory.
Thang’s 16 kills paced the Wabash offense. The sophomore produced a .412 hitting percentage. Zev Wolverton added seven kills, and Shad Wilson scored six. Will Beikes gave out 27 assists. Piotr Wolan led the defense with nine digs. Beikes recorded eight, and Thang had seven.
Wabash begins a string of 12 consecutive matches away from Chadwick Court with a two-game matchup at Trinity Christian College next Friday.
TAYLOR BASEBALL
PENTECOST FANS NINE, DAVID SPARKS OFFENSE IN WIN OVER RV ST. THOMAS
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Gabel Pentecost struck out nine Bobcats in five innings, and the Trojan lineup produced a season-high 16 hits in a 10-4 win for No. 19 Taylor (5-3) over RV St. Thomas (9-3) during Thursday’s series opener.
Mason David got the ballgame started the right way for Taylor with a double, and he scored one batter later on a single chopped through the infield by Kaleb Kolpien.
STU put an unearned run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning to make it 1-1, where the score would remain until the third frame.
David’s spot was due up to open that third inning, and he turned on a 1-2 pitch, sending it over the left field wall for a go-ahead homer. Five singles ensued in the inning, with Luke Picchiotti and Luke Sutter notching run-scoring hits to push TU’s advantage to 5-1.
Meanwhile, Pentecost (2-1) was in complete control on the mound. The junior struck out the side in the fourth inning as he completed five frames, allowing just three hits and no earned runs.
Jake Boyer picked up where Pentecost left off in the sixth inning, pitching two scoreless innings to keep the Bobcats’ lineup to a single run through seven frames.
Sam Gladd had provided insurance at that point with a two-run blast pulled to right field in the top of the seventh, and pinch hitter Nate Simpson added to the lead with a sharp two-run single in the eighth – making for his first two RBIs in a Trojan uniform.
STU plated three quick runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to draw closer at 9-4, but Conner Miller killed the host’s momentum by retiring six of the seven batters he faced to close the game.
Sutter delivered the Trojans’ 10th run with an RBI single in the ninth as part of a three-hit, three-RBI day for the sophomore.
Gladd also recorded three hits, while David, Brayden Manning and Ben Kennedy each had two base knocks.
Taylor also played well in the field, highlighted by inning-ending plays in the seventh and eighth innings. Middle infielders Brennan Frickel and Kennedy showed off their gloves and their arms to record those third outs, respectively.
No. 19 TU continues its four-game series at RV St. Thomas with a doubleheader Friday beginning at 3 p.m.
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”
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
Feb. 14
1934 — The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the NHL All-Stars 7-3. The game is played as a benefit for fomer Toronto player Ace Bailey. Bailey suffers a skull fracture earlier in the season from a hit by Boston’s Eddie Shore.
1936 — Maribel Vinson wins her eighth U.S. figure skating singles championship and Robin Lee wins his second consecutive men’s title.
1951 — Sugar Ray Robinson wins the middleweight title with a technical knockout in the 13th round over Jake LaMotta in Chicago.
1953 — Bill Chambers of William & Mary grabs 51 rebounds in a 105-84 victory over Virginia.
1966 — Philadelphia’s Wilt Chamberlain scores 41 points in a 149-123 win over Detroit to become the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, passing Bob Pettit (20,880 points).
1975 — Julius Erving of the New York Nets scores 63 points in a 176-166 quadruple overtime loss to the San Diego Conquistadors. Erving sets an ABA record by shooting 25-for-46 from the field and the 342 points are an ABA record.
1986 — Wayne Gretzky gets seven assists for the third time in his career as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Quebec Nordiques 8-2. Gretzky doesn’t score a goal for a career-high ninth straight game, but ties his NHL record with the seven assists.
1988 — Bobby Allison outduels his 26-year-old son Davey to win the Daytona 500 and becomes the first 50-year-old to win NASCAR’s premier event.
1990 — Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins ends his 46-game scoring streak, the second-longest in NHL history, leaving after two scoreless periods of a 4-3 overtime victory over the New York Rangers.
1992 — Bonnie Blair becomes the first American woman in 40 years to win two gold medals in the Winter Olympics when she takes the 1,000-meter speed skating event.
2004 — Anaheim’s Sergei Fedorov is the first Russian-born player to collect 1,000 points with an assist on Keith Carney’s goal in the second period of the Ducks’ 2-1 win over Vancouver.
2005 — Savannah State is 0-for-the-season, becoming the second NCAA Division I school in a half-century to go through an entire season without a win, losing to Florida A&M 49-44 to finish 0-28.
2010 — In Vancouver, British Columbia, an American breaks through the Nordic combined barrier, winning the first Olympic medal in the sport dominated by Europeans. Jason Lamy Chappuis of France overtakes American Johnny Spillane on the final straightaway for the gold medal, winning four-tenths of a second ahead of Spillane.
2010 — The Eastern Conference edges the West 141-139 in the NBA All-Star game before the largest crowd ever to watch a basketball game. A crowd of 108,713 at Cowboys Stadium watches Dwyane Wade score 28 points and take MVP honors before Dallas native Chris Bosh makes the winning free throws with 5.0 seconds left.
2010 — Sailing’s America’s Cup, once again, belongs to America after Larry Ellison’s space-age trimaran easily speeds ahead of two-time defending champion Alinghi of Switzerland to complete a two-race sweep in the 33rd America’s Cup.
2015 — Mikaela Shiffrin becomes the third woman to win back-to-back slalom titles at world championships. She finishes in a combined time of 1:38.48, edging Frida Hansdotter of Sweden by 0.34 seconds.
2016 — The first NBA All-Star Game outside the U.S. is the highest-scoring ever. Kobe Bryant says his NBA All-Star Game goodbye as the West wins 196-173 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Russell Westbrook scores 31 points in his second straight All-Star MVP performance. Paul George finishes with 41 for the East.
2018 — Snowboarder Shaun White wins America’s 100th Winter Olympic gold medal, throwing down a spectacular final run in the men’s halfpipe at the Pyeongchang Games. The United States is the second country to win 100 winter golds, trailing Norway, which started the day with 121.
2021 – 63rd Daytona 500: Michael McDowell navigates through fiery, final-lap pileup to claim his first career NASCAR Cup Series win in his 14th season; race delayed by rain for 6 hours after huge Lap 14 crash.
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Feb. 15
1932 — Eddie Eagen, as a member of the four-man U.S. bobsled team, wins a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. He previously won a gold medal in boxing light heavyweight division at the 1920 Summer Games in Antwerp, Belgium.
1936 — Sonja Henie of Norway, wins her third consecutive Olympics figure skating gold medal in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
1953 — Tenley Albright becomes the first American woman to win a world figure skating title beating Germany’s Gundi Busch at the World Championships in Davos, Switzerland.
1964 — Ken Hubbs, the 22-year-old Chicago Cubs second baseman, dies when his private plane crashes in Utah. The 1962 NL Rookie of the Year had his pilot’s license for two weeks and was flying in bad weather.
1974 — Boston’s Phil Esposito scores his 1,000th point with an assist in the Bruins’ 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.
1978 — Leon Spinks wins a 15-round split decision over Muhammad Ali to take the world heavyweight title at Las Vegas.
1980 — Rookie Wayne Gretzky ties the NHL record with seven assists in a game and sets a scoring record for first-year players in Edmonton’s 8-2 victory over the Washington Capitals.
1986 — A crowd of 44,180, at the time the largest to attend an NBA game, turned out at the Pontiac Silverdome to watch the Pistons beat the Sixers 134-133 in overtime.
1994 — Kentucky makes one of the greatest comebacks in college basketball history with a 99-95 victory over LSU after trailing by 31 points with 15:30 to play.
1994 — Freshman Ila Borders becomes the first woman to pitch in an NCAA or NAIA game. The left-hander pitches a complete-game for Southern California College, allowing five hits in the Vanguards’ 12-1 win over Claremont-Mudd.
1995 — Charlie Standish sets a PBA record by rolling three perfect games in the first round of the Peoria Open bowling tournament. Standish rolls the 300s in the second, fourth and sixth games of the six-game round and at one point has 23 consecutive strikes.
1998 — Dale Earnhardt takes the Daytona 500 on his 20th try and ends a 59-race winless streak on the day NASCAR begins celebrating its 50th anniversary.
2000 — Martin Brodeur becomes first goaltender in NHL history to get credit for a “game winning” goal as New Jersey wins, 4-2 over the visiting Philadelphia Flyers.
2002 — The worst judging scandal in Winter Olympics history is resolved, with Canadian pairs figure skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier declared co-gold medalists with the Russian winners.
2004 — Dale Earnhardt Jr. barrels past Tony Stewart to win the Daytona 500 on the same track that claimed his father’s life three years ago. Junior wins this race in his fifth try, the same race that bedeviled his later father for 19 years.
2007 — Joe Sakic scores twice, including his 600th career goal, and adds three assists and Milan Hejduk has three goals to lead Colorado to a 7-5 win at Calgary.
2010 — American Seth Wescott defends his Olympic title in Vancouver, British Columbia, overtaking Canada’s Mike Robertson to win the gold medal in the wild sport of men’s snowboardcross. Didier Defago wins the gold in the Olympic downhill and American Bode Miller breaks his personal streak of major championship mishaps by taking the bronze.
2013 — Ted Ligety becomes the first man in 45 years to win three gold medals at a skiing world championships. French great Jean-Claude Killy took home four golds in 1968. Ligety wins giant slalom by a massive margin for his third gold. Earlier in the championships held in Schladming, Austria, Ligety won the super-G and super-combined — both events he had never won on the World Cup circuit.
2014 — Renaud Lavillenie breaks Sergei Bubka’s 21-year-old indoor pole vault world record in Donetsk, Ukraine. Lavillenie clears the bar comfortably at 6.16 meters (20 feet, 2 1/2 inches) in Bubka’s home city, almost to the day the pole vault great cleared achieved 6.15 (20-2) on Feb. 21, 1993.
2018 – German figure skaters Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot set new ISU best free skating score of 159.31 on their way to pairs gold medal at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
2024 — Caitlin Clark becomes the NCAA Division I women’s career scoring leader in a game for Iowa against Michigan, scoring a career-high 49 points.
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Feb. 16
1961 — Elgin Baylor of Los Angeles scores 57 points to lead the Lakers over the Detroit Pistons 129-106.
1967 — Rick Barry of the San Francisco Warriors scores 52 points against Chicago at Fresno for his second consecutive 50-point game.
1969 — Alex Delvecchio of the Detroit Red Wings gets his 1,000th point with an assist in a 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.
1970 — Joe Frazier retains his world heavyweight title with a fifth-round knockout of Jimmy Ellis.
1972 — Wilt Chamberlain of the Los Angeles Lakers becomes the first player in NBA history to reach the 30,000 point mark during a 110-109 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
1989 — Chicago’s Michael Jordan scores 27 of his 50 points in the fourth quarter, to lead the Bulls to a 117-116 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
1992 — Martina Navratilova becomes the career singles titles leader by beating Jana Novotna in three sets in the final of the Virginia Slims of Chicago. Navratilova, with her 158th career singles championship, passes Chris Evert, who retired in 1989.
1992 — Chicago’s Michel Goulet becomes the 17th NHL player to score 500 goals, getting one in the first period of the Blackhawks’ 5-5 tie with Calgary.
1994 — John Stockton hands out 12 assists in Utah’s 103-99 road win over the Los Angeles Clippers to become the third guard in NBA history (joining Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson) to reach 9,000 career assists.
1997 — Jeff Gordon, 25, becomes the youngest winner of the Daytona 500 after Dale Earnhardt crashes 12 laps from the end to prolong his Daytona 500 jinx.
2001 — Philadelphia coach Larry Brown earns his 1,000th professional win, including his ABA record. Brown, 1,000-707 overall, ranks third on the career list behind Toronto’s Lenny Wilkens and Miami’s Pat Riley. Allen Iverson’s 42 points leads the 76ers to a 108-93 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
2009 — Harness driver Brian Sears drives seven winners on the Presidents Day afternoon card at the Meadowlands. The last driver to win seven races on a 10-race card at the Meadowlands was John Campbell on Feb. 3, 1983.
2013 — American teenager Mikaela Shiffrin becomes the youngest woman in 39 years to win the slalom title at the world alpine championships held in Schladming, Austria. At the age of 17 years, 340 days, Shiffrin edges local hope Michaela Kirchgasser. The only slalom world champions younger than Shiffrin were Hanni Wenzel of Liechtenstein in 1974 and Esme Mackinnon of Britain in 1931.
2014 – American Bode Miller (36) becomes the oldest medalist in Olympic alpine skiing history when he ties for bronze in the super-G in Sochi
2017 — Lowell Bailey upsets the pre-race favorites in the men’s individual competition to become the first American biathlete to win gold at the world championships. Bailey beats out Ondrej Moravec of the Czech Republic and three-time world champion Martin Fourcade of France.
2017 — Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby feeds Chris Kunitz for a first-period goal against Winnipeg to become the 86th player in NHL history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. He adds an assist on Phil Kessel’s game-tying goal in the third and then puts the winner past Connor Hellebuyck with 21 seconds left in overtime as the Penguins escaped with a 4-3 victory.
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Feb. 17
1923 — Cy Denneny of the Ottawa Senators becomes the NHL’s career scoring leader. He scores his 143rd goal to surpass Joe Malone in a 2-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens.
1924 — Johnny Weissmuller sets a world record in the 100-yard freestyle swim with a time of 52.4 seconds.
1926 — Suzanne Lenglen beats Helen Wills 6-3, 8-6 in Cannes, France, in their only tennis match against each other.
1928 — Sweden’s Gillis Grafstrom successfully defends his 1920 and 1924 Olympic figure skating title, with Austrian Willy Bockl finishing in second place as he did four years earlier.
1941 — Joe Louis knocks out Gus Dorazio in the second round in Philadelphia to defend his world heavyweight title.
1955 — Mike Souchak establishes the PGA 72-hole scoring record with a 257 at the Texas Open. Souchak starts with a record-tying 60 at San Antonio’s Brackenridge Park course and ends with a 27-under-par, beating the previous low for a 72-hole event by two shots.
1968 — The Basketball Hall of Fame opens in Springfield, Mass.
1974 — Richard Petty wins his second straight Daytona 500. It’s the fifth Daytona 500 title for Petty, who also won in 1964, 1966, 1971 and 1973.
1992 — Raisa Smetanina wins a gold medal with the Unified Team in the 20-kilometer cross-country relay to set the career Winter Olympics medal record with 10. Smetanina, 39, also becomes the oldest champion and the first to win a medal in five straight Winter Games.
1994 — San Antonio’s David Robinson records the fourth quadruple-double in NBA history with 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 blocks in the Spurs’ 115-96 win over Detroit.
1998 — The U.S. women’s hockey team wins the sport’s first Olympic gold medal. Sandra Whyte scores on an empty-netter with 8 seconds left to give the United States a 3-1 victory over Canada.
2010 — Americans Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso finish 1-2 in the downhill at the Vancouver Olympics. It’s the first time since 1984 that the U.S won gold and silver in a women’s Alpine event.
2013 — Danica Patrick wins the Daytona 500 pole, becoming the first woman to secure the top spot for any Sprint Cup race.
2014 — Meryl Davis and Charlie White win the gold medal in ice dance, the first Olympic title in the event for the U.S..
2018 — Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu becomes the first man to successfully defend his Olympic figure skating title since Dick Button in 1952.
2020 – 62nd Daytona 500: Denny Hamlin wins second straight title by 0.014 seconds over Ryan Blaney on the second restart in overtime; his third Daytona victory
Feb. 18
1924 — Theresa Weld Blanchard wins her sixth and final U.S. figure skating championship. Sherwin Badger captures his fifth straight and final men’s title.
1928 — Sonja Henie, 15, becomes the youngest Olympic figure skating champion. She easily beats Fritzi Burger of Austria and Beatrix Loughran of the U.S.
1932 — Sonja Henie wins her sixth straight world title.
1951 — Manhattan District Attorney Frank Hogan orders the arrest of three City College basketball players on bribery charges and two professional gamblers and two intermediaries in a game-fixing scandal involving college teams across the country.
1961 — Bob Pettit of St. Louis scores a career-high 57 points in a 141-138 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
1964 — Wilt Chamberlain scores 52 points against Detroit, his second consecutive 50-point game.
1972 — Randy Smith of Buffalo plays the first of what would become 906 consecutive games, an NBA record which took more than 11 full seasons to accomplish.
1981 — Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky scores five goals and adds two assists to lead the Oilers over the St. Louis Blues 9-2.
1986 — San Antonio’s Alvin Robertson records the second quadruple-double in NBA history, with 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals in the Spurs’ 120-114 win over Phoenix.
1990 — Dale Earnhardt blows a tire with one mile remaining in the Daytona 500, giving Derrike Cope the biggest upset in stock car racing history.
1992 — Italy’s Alberto Tomba wins the giant slalom in Albertville, France, to become the first Alpine skier to win the same event at two Winter Olympics.
1995 — Utah guard John Stockton becomes the first NBA player with 10,000 assists in a 108-98 victory over the Boston Celtics.
2001 — Dale Earnhardt, the greatest stock car star of his era, is killed in a crash on the last turn of the last lap of the Daytona 500 as he tries to protect Michael Waltrip’s victory.
2006 — Shani Davis becomes the first black athlete to win an individual gold medal in the Winter Olympics, capturing the 1,000-meter speedskating race. Joey Cheek makes it a 1-2 American finish, adding a silver to his victory in the 500 at the Turin Games.
2010 — Evan Lysacek becomes the first U.S. man to win the Olympic gold medal since Brian Boitano in 1988, shocking everyone with an upset of defending champion Evgeni Plushenko.
2012 — Shenneika Smith’s 3-pointer from the wing with 8 seconds left lifts St. John’s to a 57-56 win over No. 2 Connecticut, ending the Huskies’ 99-game home court winning streak. It’s the Huskies’ first home loss to an unranked opponent in nearly 19 years.
2013 — Brittney Griner scores 25 points, including the 3,000th of her career, to help No. 1 Baylor rally past third-ranked Connecticut 76-70.
2017 — Mikaela Shiffrin wins a third straight slalom title at the world championships to retain her unbeaten record at major events.
2022 – Johannes Thingnes Bø of Norway wins his 4th biathlon gold medal of the Beijing Winter Olympics when he takes out the men’s mass start.
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Feb. 19
1928 — Canada wins the gold medal in ice hockey at the Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Canada, represented by the 1926 Toronto University team, receives a bye to the final round. The Canadians beat Sweden 11-0, Britain 14-0 and Switzerland 13-0.
1955 — Bernie Geoffrion of the Montreal Canadiens scores five goals in a 10-2 victory over the New York Rangers.
1977 — Rod Gilbert of the New York Rangers gets his 1,000th career point with a goal in a 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders.
1982 — Atlanta’s 127-122 four-overtime win over Seattle equals the fourth-longest game in NBA history and the second-longest since the institution of the 24-second clock.
1984 — Phil and Steve Mahre of the United States become the first brothers to finish 1-2 in an Olympic event, the men’s slalom, at the Winter Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. The Soviet Union beats Czechoslovakia 2-0 to win the gold medal in hockey.
1984 — Cale Yarborough sweeps into the lead two turns before the finish to win the Daytona 500. He becomes the second driver to win consecutive Daytona 500s; Richard Petty was the other.
1993 — Wendel Suckow edges two-time world champion Georg Hackl of Germany by 0.106 seconds to capture the first world luge championship medal of any kind for the United States.
1994 — Speedskater Bonnie Blair wins the fourth gold of her Olympic career with her third consecutive 500-meter victory.
2002 — In Salt Lake City, bobsledders Jill Bakken and Vonetta Flowers give the United States 21 medals in the Winter Games. Flowers becomes the first black athlete in history to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics.
2005 — Lindsay Kennedy becomes the first woman to play in a Major Indoor Soccer League game. Kennedy, a St. Louis forward, participates in the final 76 seconds of Milwaukee’s 7-3 win over the Steamers at Savvis Center.
2005 — Schreiner ends its NCAA-record losing streak at 83 games, beating Sul Ross State 75-69 in a women’s basketball game. It’s the Division III Mountaineers first win since Jan. 17, 2002, when they also beat Sul Ross.
2012 — American star Hannah Kearney’s all-discipline record for consecutive FIS World Cup victories ends at 16 with a semifinal loss in a dual moguls event at Naeba, Japan. Kearney’s streak began in Lake Placid, N.Y., on Jan. 22, 2011.
2012 — Steven Holcomb and brakeman Steve Langton win the two-man bobsled in Lake Placid, N.Y., the first time the U.S. captures this event at the world championships.
2014 — Norway wins the first Olympic mixed relay in biathlon at the Sochi Games and Ole Einar Bjoerndalen becomes the most decorated Winter Olympian ever with 13 medals. Ted Ligety wins the giant slalom with a dominating performance, becoming the first American man to win two Olympic gold medals in Alpine skiing.
2017 — Laura Dahlmeier wins the world title in the women’s 12.5-kilometer mass start, becoming the first to win five gold medals at a single biathlon world championship.
2017 — Anthony Davis scores 52 points, 10 more than Wilt Chamberlain’s All-Star record that had stood for 55 years. The Western Conference beats the Eastern Conference 192-182 in the highest-scoring game in league history.
2021 – In a softening of 4-year WADA ban on Russia from all international sport, Russia to compete under acronym “ROC” after name of the Russian Olympic Committee.
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Feb. 20
1887 — The International Association, the first minor league baseball association, is organized in Pittsburgh.
1951 — The college point-shaving scandal prompts Long Island University to drop basketball and all other intercollegiate sports. LIU revives basketball in 1957.
1971 — En route to a record 76-goal season, Boston’s Phil Esposito becomes the first player to score his 50th goal in February, but the Bruins lose to the Los Angeles Kings 5-4.
1972 — Larry Brown of the Denver Rockets sets ABA records for assists in a game (23), half (18) and quarter (10) during a 146-123 home win over the Pittsburgh Condors.
1974 — Gordie Howe, the NHL’s career scoring leader, comes out of retirement and signs a $1 million, four-year contract to play with the Houston Aeros of the WHA and sons Mark and Marty.
1976 — Muhammad Ali beats Jean-Pierre Coopman with a fifth-round knockout at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Puerto Rico to defend his world heavyweight title.
1988 — In Calgary, Alberta, Brian Boitano of the U.S. wins the Olympic figure skating gold medal on a technical merit tiebreaker and nearly flawless free skate.
1993 — Julio Cesar Chavez records a fifth-round TKO over Greg Haugen in a WBC super lightweight title bout before a record crowd of 130,000 at Mexico City’s Aztec Stadium.
1998 — Tara Lipinski, 15, becomes the youngest Olympic figure skating champion, beating fellow teen and U.S. teammate Michelle Kwan to take the gold. Lipinski is two months younger than Sonja Henie was in her 1928 victory.
2006 — Tanith Belbin and partner Ben Agosto end the U.S. medals drought in Olympic ice dance competition with a silver. The last to do so were Colleen O’Connor and James Millns, who won bronze in 1976.
2009 — Lindsey Van of the U.S. becomes the first female ski jumping world champion. Women’s ski jumping makes its debut at this year’s Nordic world championships in the Czech Republic. Todd Lodwick wins the opening Nordic combined event to give the U.S. two golds in one day. Before Van’s victory, the U.S. had not won a gold at a Nordic worlds since 2003 when Johnny Spillane took a Nordic combined sprint.
2010 — Switzerland’s Simon Ammann wins the large hill at the Vancouver Games to become the first ski jumper with four individual Olympic titles.
2011 — Trevor Bayne, 20, wins the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s biggest race, in only his second Sprint Cup start.
2011 — Kobe Bryant wins his record-tying fourth All-Star game MVP award, scoring 37 points before his hometown fans and leading the West past the East 148-143.
2016 — Lindsey Vonn clinches a record 20th World Cup crystal globe title and surpasses Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark. It’s Vonn’s record eighth downhill title. Stenmark won 19 globes between 1975 and 1984.
2021 – Australian Open Women’s Tennis: Naomi Osaka of Japan wins her 4th major and second Australian title; beats American Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3.
2022 – Hannah Green of Australia becomes first woman to win a mix-gender golf tournament over 72 holes; closes with 5-under 66 for a 4-stroke win in TPS Murray River on the PGA Tour of Australasia.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
FEBRUARY 14
1887 For a record price of $10,000, the Cubs, then known as the White Stockings, sell current National League batting champ and future Hall of Famer Mike King Kelly to the Beaneaters. The popular box office draw, who will earn his nickname King while playing in Boston, will continue to be productive, hitting .311 for three years during his first tenure with the team.
1928 The American Legion baseball program, on the brink of bankruptcy, receives a pledge of $50,000 from Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis and the MLB Advisory Council to continue developing a national championship program for teenagers. With the much-needed funding, Legion Baseball will continue in 1928, and the following season, teams from every state and the District of Columbia will participate in the youth tournament.
1934 Southpaw-swinging Sam Rice, who spent the first 19 seasons with the Senators, ends his career after playing one year with the Indians. The 44-year-old future Hall of Famer (1963) collected 2,987 career hits during his two decades in the major leagues.
1945 After his retirement as the president of the Braves, Bob Quinn’s son, John, succeeds him as the team’s general manager. The former Red Sox and Braves owner, whose grandson will also become a major league GM, will serve as president of the Baseball Hall of Fame from 1948 to 1951, resigning after suffering two strokes.
1957 “Anything that tends to break down the bulwarks of segregation must be forcibly met by this general assembly. We have a situation in Georgia which has come about because of a national situation. I am referring to the Negroes in organized baseball in this state. It is unfortunate that some few people would participate in the destruction of our institutions for a few dollars.” – GEORGIA STATE SENATOR LEON BUTTS, commenting on his bill that prohibits blacks from playing baseball with whites.Ten years after the integration of major league baseball, the Georgia Senate unanimously approves Leon Butts’ bill barring that prohibits blacks from playing baseball with whites except at religious gatherings. The Lumpkin legislator’s measures, which carry fines up to $1000 and imprisonment for 60 days to a year for committing the misdemeanor, will directly impact the minor league spring training centers of the Braves and Cardinals whose farmhands workout, respectively, in Waycross and Albany.
1959 The Orioles, to find a backup for first baseman Bob Boyd, buy 32-year-old veteran infielder/outfielder Whitey Lockman from the Giants for an undisclosed sum. In June, Baltimore will trade their new acquisition to the Reds for Walt Dropo, who has played the position exclusively since winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1950.
1976 Braves’ season-ticket holders and the Atlanta media receive Valentine’s Day cards from the team. The verse reads:”Rose is a Red, Morgan’s one too.
They finished first, like we wanted to.
But last year’s behind us, we’re happy to say.
Now we’re tied for first, Happy Valentines Day.”
1986 The Mets sign Doc Gooden to a one-year, $1.32 million contract, making the 21-year-old the youngest millionaire in major league history. The National League’s reigning Cy Young Award winner, who struck out 268 batters and posted a league-leading 1.53 ERA en route to compiling a 24-4 record last season, avoids going to arbitration after agreeing to his new deal.
1996 Kevin McClatchy and his investors purchase the Pirates from the Pittsburgh Associates. The deal includes the condition of having to build a baseball-only ballpark in Pittsburgh within five years.
2001 The Ford C. Frick Award, named in memory of the former baseball commissioner who was a broadcaster, will be given to the Marlins’ radio announcer Rafael Ramirez during Hall of Fame induction ceremonies this summer. ‘Felo,’ who began his 56-year career broadcasting games in Cuba, has been in the Miami broadcast booth since the team’s inaugural season in 1993.
2001 According to the Detroit Free Press, Major League Baseball is informing umpires to remove pitchers who deliberately throw a beanball at a batter’s head from the game without issuing a warning. According to officials, the crackdown clarifies and reinforces an existing rule.
(Ed. note: Our thanks to long-time contributor J. Feehan for inspiring the use of this classic line by Archie “Moonlight” Graham in the Field of Dreams- LP)
2002 Detroit signs Dmitri Young (.302, 21, 69) to a four-year contract with two team options. In December, the Tigers traded outfielder Juan Encarnacion (.242, 12, 52) and minor league right-hander Luis Pineda to acquire the first baseman/outfielder from the Reds.
2003 After much speculation and the help of Major League Baseball, the Chunichi Dragons return Kevin Millar to the Marlins for an undisclosed amount of money for relinquishing their rights to the outfielder. After reconsidering an offer from the Red Sox, who blocked the waiver deal to obtain him, the 31-year-old California native had a change of heart and didn’t want to play for the Japanese Central League team.
2005 🇻🇪 The Twins sign arbitration-eligible Johan Santana (20-6, 2.61) to the richest contract in franchise history, agreeing to a four-year, $40 million deal. Last season, the 25-year-old southpaw, garnering all 28 first-place votes, became the first Venezuelan to win the Cy Young Award.
2007 For the first time at Wrigley Field, the Cubs will allow ads among the ivy on the green doors in the left- and right-field bleachers, according to Jay Blunk, director of marketing and sales. Although other companies have approached the team, Under Armour, whose company spokesman is newly acquired outfielder Alfonso Soriano, is the “right fit” for the 7-by-12 foot signage featuring the performance apparel’s signature logo.
2009 The Angels and Bobby Abreu (.296, 20, 100) agree to a $5 million, one-year deal. The 34-year-old free-agent outfielder, taking a significant pay cut after having a solid season with the Yankees last season, is expected to add some much-needed punch from the left side for the AL West champions.
2011 The Yankees come to terms with free agent Andruw Jones on a $1.5 million, one-year contract, eliminating the team’s likelihood of resigning Johnny Damon. The ‘Curacao Kid,’ best known for his outstanding outfield defense for the Braves at the start of his career, will spend two seasons in the Bronx before finishing his 17-year major league tenure with a lifetime .254 batting average.
2011 Avoiding arbitration, Carlos Marmol agrees to a three-year, $20 million deal with the Cubs. The 28-year-old closer saved 38 games in 43 opportunities last season and compiled a 2-3 record with an ERA of 2.55.
2014 Avoiding arbitration, 24-year-old outfielder Jason Heyward and the Braves agree to a two-year, $13.3 million deal. After the season, Atlanta will trade their 2007 first-round pick (14th overall) and right-handed reliever Jordan Walden to the Cardinals for right-handers Tyrell Jenkins and Shelby Miller.
2014 Freddie Freeman agrees to a franchise-record eight-year, $135 million contract, surpassing the six-year, $90 million deal the Braves gave Chipper Jones in 2000. The 24-year-old All-Star first baseman, who finished fifth in the MVP balloting this season, has hit .285 during his four years with the team, averaging 17 home runs and 70 RBIs annually.
FEBRUARY 15
1931 Crescent Lake Field, the Yankees’ spring training site since 1925, is renamed Miller Huggins Field in honor of the team’s late manager, who passed away at the end of the 1929 season. In 1963, the facility will become known as Huggins-Stengel Field to honor another Bronx Bomber skipper, Casey Stengel, the National League’s expansion team pilot, presently working out in the St. Petersburg ballpark.
1946 The Phillies hire the first female major league scout when they sign Edith Houghton, who will ink fifteen players, mostly from Philadelphia high schools, to contracts. The North Philadelphia native continues to scour the Philly area for local talent until 1952 before returning to the Navy to serve her country during the Korean and Vietnam wars.
(Ed. Note: Although Edith Houghton is given credit as the first paid female scout, Bessie Largent and her husband, Roy, worked as a team for the White Sox in that capacity beginning in 1925, signing 25 major leaguers, the most distinguished being Hall of Fame shortstop Luke Appling. -LP)
1946 Three days before he marries New York department store heiress, Coral Gimbel, Hank Greenberg comes to terms with the Tiger, signing a contract for $60,000. After leading the American League in home runs (44) and RBIs (127) this season, the slugging first baseman threatens to retire rather than take a pay cut, prompting Detroit to trade the future Hall of Famer to the Pirates.
1961 Donald M. Grant, chairman and a minority owner of the Mets, offers Branch Rickey a contract to become the general manager of the new National League expansion team. After the former Browns, Cardinals, Dodgers, and Pirates GM turns down the job, George Weiss, who filled the same role with the Yankees from 1947 to 1960, accepts the position.
1973 In a national poll, Phillies’ southpaw Steve Carlton beats out golf legend Jack Nicklaus to win the $15,000 diamond-studded gold buckled Hickok Belt, an award given to the top “Professional Athlete of the Year.” Last season’s National League Cy Young Award winner joins an elite list of previous recipients, including Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, Jim Brown, Rocky Marciano, and Arnold Palmer.
1990 With the issue of the implementation of the salary cap unresolved, a thirty-two-day lockout begins when major league owners refuse to open spring training camp without reaching a new Basic Agreement with the players. The season will be delayed one week due to baseball’s seventh work stoppage and will need to be extended for three days to accommodate the 162-game schedule.
2001 After turning down the Mets’ offer of salary arbitration that at the very least would have been worth $2 to $3 million, Bobby Jones signs a one-year free-agent deal with the Padres for only $625,000. The 31-year-old right-hander, 11-6 last year with New York, will lose 19 games for the Padres this season.
2003 After the Japanese Central League’s Dragons release Kevin Millar for an undisclosed payment, the Red Sox, who blocked the Marlins’ sale of him going to Japan with a waiver claim, acquire the 31-year-old first baseman-outfielder (.306, 16, 57). In a complicated deal brokered by MLB, Florida repaid the money Chunichi had paid for Millar, who previously turned down the opportunity to stay in the United States, and Boston compensated the National League team with a similar amount in return for Millar.
2006 According to Adam Katz, Sammy Sosa’s agent, the 37-year-old slugger will probably retire eleven homers shy of becoming the fifth major leaguer to hit 600 round-trippers. Earlier, the Dominican outfielder rejected a non-guaranteed contract from the Nationals, including performance bonuses.
2006 Former Dodgers starter Jeff Weaver (14-11, 4.22) agrees to a one-year contract with the other team with Los Angeles in its name. The deal for the last major player left on the free-agent market is worth $8,325,000, and the 29-year-old right-hander can earn an additional $600,000 in performance bonuses for innings pitched and game starts with the Angels.
2007 After more than two months of speculation about Barry Bonds’ deal with the Giants, the commissioner’s office approves the one-year contract worth $15.8 million. The 42-year-old slugger had reached a preliminary agreement with the team early in December, but finalizing the contract was delayed when language about promotional appearances and an additional clause stating San Francisco could void the deal with the outfielder if the alleged use of steroids leads to an indictment.
2007 The Yankees announce the team will wear black armbands on the left sleeve of their uniforms in memory of teammate Cory Lidle. The 34-year-old right-hander and flight instructor Tyler Stanger died when their plane crashed into a 52-story high-rise apartment building in Manhattan on a rain-swept afternoon last October.
2011 Barack Obama bestows the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Stan Musial, an award for which the president of the United States selects the honorees. The Cardinals’ legend, who benefitted from the local grass-roots effort on his behalf, joins major leaguers Hank Aaron, Moe Berg, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, and Ted Williams as a recipient of the most prestigious honor given to a United States civilian.
2012 The Rays and Joe Maddon agree to a three-year contract extension to keep the two-time American League Manager of the Year with Tampa through the 2015 season. During his six-year tenure with the club, the 58-year-old skipper has compiled a 495-477 (.509) record, leading the team to the postseason three times in the last four years, including an American League pennant in 2008.
2016 “Baseball is known as our national pastime, but the game has deep roots and a rich history here in New York State. From the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in storied Cooperstown to the Mets and Yankees — the pinnacles of Major League Baseball, to our recently crowned Little League World Series champions from Maine-Endwell, New York State is clearly the epicenter of baseball greatness. It is time that we formally recognize baseball as our official state sport.” – JAMES SEWARD, New York state senator.
New York State Sen. James Seward (R-Milford), thanks to a suggestion from a group of fourth-graders at Cooperstown Elementary School, announces he has introduced legislation (S.4288) to designate baseball as New York’s official state sport. In a press release, Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson says he “enthusiastically supports” the proposed bill, citing that Cooperstown is baseball’s spiritual home.
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
27 – 13 – 43 – 22
February 14, 1887 – The Chicago Cubs sold the rights of player Mike King Kelly for $10,000 cash to the Boston Beaneaters. That is truly a mouthful of information!
February 14, 1960 – At the Daytona 500 Race, there was a 37 car pileup in turn number 4 of the track, that Junior Johnson somehow avoided and escaped to claim victory of the second running of the legendary race. Johnson was driving the Number 27 Chevorlet owned by John Masoni in the victory.
February 14, 1966 – Wilt Chamberlain, Number 13 of Philadelphia hit a record setting milestone in NBA scoring at 20,884 points!
February 14, 1971 – The results of the 13th annual Daytona 500 were that the driver of car Number 43, Richard Petty won his 3rd time at the Great American Race. This propelled the legendary driver to go on to win the inaugural Winston Cup title later in 1971.
February 14, 1995 – The Portland Trail Blazers traded star Clyde Drexler, Number 22 to the Houston Rockets. The Rockets with the aquisition of Clyde “the Glide” went on to end up winning the 1995 NBA Championship!
FOOTBALL HISTORY
1913 – Clifton, Ohio – The Ohio State University coaching legend Woody Hayes was born. Find more by clicking his highlighted name above.
1919 – Brookline, Massachusetts – Boston College’s legendary Guard, George Kerr was born. Kerr played on the Eagles gridiron from 1938 through the 1940 season per the National Football Foundation’s online bio of him. The “Righteous Reject”, as he was called at Boston College reported to his coach the first time wearing multiple layers of sweaters and jackets to boost his weight some 25 pounds heavier than he actually was and to give him the appearance of a larger stature. What the coach saw though was his big heart and desire to succeed at football. Through his hard work and dedication Kerr went from sixth team to receiving All-American mention. Kerr helped to post a 26-3-2 record in three seasons, and his outstanding Sugar Bowl performance against Tennessee earned him a place on the All-Time Sugar Bowl team. George Kerr received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1984.
1960 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – The outstanding quarterback from the Miami Hurricane’s program Jim Kelly was born. The Buffalo Bills selected Kelly in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft but the signal caller decided to sign with the USFL’s Houston Gamblers franchise instead. The 6’-4” 225 quarterback spent two seasons with the Gamblers and threw for 9,842 yards and a whopping 83 touchdowns per the ProFootballHOF.com website. When the USFL folded Jim signed on with the NFL team that originally drafted him, the Bills in 1986. It was a perfect fit for both parties as Kelly ran the famed “no Huddle” fast paced offense of Coach Marv Levy to a tee. Having offensive weapons like running back Thurmon Thomas and receivers Andre Reid and James Lofton didn’t hurt either. The Bills played in four straight Super Bowls in the 1990’s led by Kelly’s arm. In Jim’s 11 seasons with the Bills, he led the Bills to the AFC playoffs eight times. In those 17 playoff appearances, including four the Super Bowls, Kelly tossed the ball for 3,863 yards and 21 touchdowns! Jim Kelly was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
TV SPORTS FRIDAY
| NBA | TIME ET | TV |
| NBA All-Star Celebrity Game | 7:00pm | ESPN ESPN+ |
| NBA Rising Stars Challenge | 9:00pm | TNT truTV MAX |
| MEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Columbia at Dartmouth | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Saint Louis at Loyola Chicago | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Fairfield at Saint Peter’s | 7:00pm | ESPNU |
| Ohio at Kent State | 7:00pm | CBSSN |
| Cornell at Harvard | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Penn at Yale | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Princeton at Brown | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Northern Kentucky at Green Bay | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UCLA at Indiana | 8:00pm | FOX |
| Wright State at Milwaukee | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Nevada at San Jose State | 10:00pm | FS1 |
| BOXING | TIME ET | TV |
| Lightweights: Denys Berinchyk vs. Keyshawn Davis | 9:00pm | ESPN |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| Champions Tour: Chubb Classic | 12:00pm | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: Genesis Open | 4:00pm | GOLF |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Bundesliga: Augsburg vs RB Leipzig | 2:30pm | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| Serie A: Bologna vs Torino | 2:45pm | Paramount+ |
| Ligue 1: Brest vs Auxerre | 2:45pm | Fanatiz beIN Sports fuboTV |
| EPL: Brighton & Hove Albion vs Chelsea | 3:00pm | USA Peacock fuboTV |
| La Liga: Girona vs Getafe | 3:00pm | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| Liga MX: Mazatlán vs Santos Laguna | 10:00pm | VIX |
| Liga MX: Tijuana vs Juárez | 10:00pm | VIX |
| NCAA SOFTBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Shriners Children’s Invitational: Virginia vs. Auburn | 10:00am | ESPN2 |
| Shriners Children’s Invitational: San Diego St. vs. Alabama | 12:00pm | SECN |
| Shriners Children’s Invitational: Kentucky vs. Clemson | 1:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Shriners Children’s Invitational: Oklahoma St. vs. UCLA | 3:00pm | ESPN2 |
| NCAA GYMNASTICS | TIME ET | TV |
| Oklahoma at LSU | 9:00pm | ESPN2 |
| NCAA WRESTLING | TIME ET | TV |
| Stanford at NC State | 7:00pm | ACCN |
TV SPORTS SATURDAY
| NBA | TIME ET | TV |
| NBA All-Star Saturday Night | 8:00pm | TNT truTV MAX |
| NHL | TIME ET | TV |
| Finland at Sweden | 1:00pm | ABC ESPN+ |
| United States at Canada | 8:00pm | ABC ESPN+ |
| MEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Arkansas at Texas A&M | 12:00pm | ESPN/2 |
| Miami (FL) at Pitt | 12:00pm | ESPN/2 |
| DePaul at Xavier | 12:00pm | FS1 |
| Clemson at Florida State | 12:00pm | CW |
| St. Bonaventure at UMass | 12:00pm | NESN |
| Rice at Tulane | 12:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Saint Joseph’s at George Mason | 12:30pm | USA |
| Bucknell at Lafayette | 1:00pm | Lafayette Sports |
| Wisconsin at Purdue | 1:00pm | CBS |
| Vanderbilt at Tennessee | 1:00pm | SECN |
| Saint Francis U at Central Connecticut | 1:00pm | NEC Front Row |
| Colgate at Boston University | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Illinois State at Indiana State | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UMass Lowell at New Hampshire | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UMBC at Bryant | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Army West Point at Navy | 1:30pm | CBSSN |
| West Virginia at Baylor | 2:00pm | ESPN/2 |
| Houston at Arizona | 2:00pm | ESPN/2 |
| Georgetown at Butler | 2:00pm | FS1 |
| Virginia at Virginia Tech | 2:00pm | CW |
| Washington at Penn State | 2:00pm | BTN |
| Samford at Wofford | 2:00pm | ESPNU |
| Boston College at NC State | 2:00pm | ACCN |
| Hofstra at Hampton | 2:00pm | MNMT |
| Drexel at William & Mary | 2:00pm | MASN |
| Oral Roberts at North Dakota | 2:00pm | MidCo Sports 2 |
| Denver at North Dakota State | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Charleston at North Carolina A&T | 2:00pm | WMYV |
| Fairleigh Dickinson at LIU | 2:00pm | NEC Front Row |
| Chicago State at Le Moyne | 2:00pm | NEC Front Row |
| Alabama State at UAPB | 2:00pm | SWACN |
| Northern Illinois at Ball State | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Purdue Fort Wayne at Robert Morris | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Bowling Green at Buffalo | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| App State at Georgia State | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Holy Cross at Lehigh | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| High Point at Winthrop | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Vermont at Maine | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Jacksonville at North Alabama | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Binghamton at NJIT | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Monmouth at Towson | 2:00pm | FloSports |
| UConn at Seton Hall | 2:30pm | FOX |
| Duquesne at Dayton | 2:30pm | USA |
| Miami (OH) at Western Michigan | 2:30pm | ESPN+ |
| James Madison at Coastal Carolina | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Southern Miss at ULM | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Texas Tech at Oklahoma State | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UCF at Colorado | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Presbyterian at Longwood | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Grand Canyon at UTA | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Lamar at East Texas A&M | 3:15pm | ESPN+ |
| Missouri at Georgia | 3:30pm | SECN |
| Stony Brook at Northeastern | 3:30pm | CBSSN |
| Mercyhurst at Stonehill | 3:30pm | NEC TV |
| Toledo at Eastern Michigan | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Kennesaw State at Sam Houston | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Stanford at Duke | 4:00pm | ABC |
| Cincinnati at Iowa State | 4:00pm | ESPN/2 |
| Auburn at Alabama | 4:00pm | ESPN/2 |
| Minnesota at USC | 4:00pm | BTN |
| East Carolina at Charlotte | 4:00pm | ESPNEWS |
| California at Georgia Tech | 4:00pm | ACCN |
| George Washington at Davidson | 4:00pm | FanDuel Sports South |
| Cal State Fullerton at CSU Bakersfield | 4:00pm | Spectrum |
| Wyoming at Colorado State | 4:00pm | MWN |
| Loyola Maryland at American | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Howard at Delaware State | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Jacksonville State at Louisiana Tech | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Northern Arizona at Sacramento State | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| La Salle at Rhode Island | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Queens at Eastern Kentucky | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Old Dominion at Georgia Southern | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Texas State at South Alabama | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Campbell at Delaware | 4:00pm | FloSports |
| Charleston Southern at UNC Asheville | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| North Florida at Central Arkansas | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Morehead State at Western Illinois | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| UT Martin at Eastern Illinois | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Southern Indiana at Lindenwood | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Tennessee State at SIUE | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Nicholls at Southeastern Louisiana | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Stephen F. Austin at Northwestern State | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| UIW at A&M-Corpus Christi | 4:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Tennessee Tech at Southeast Missouri | 4:45pm | ESPN+ |
| Cornell at Dartmouth | 5:00pm | NESN+ |
| FGCU at Lipscomb | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Stetson at Austin Peay | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Northern Colorado at Portland State | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Pacific at Oregon State | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Alcorn State at Bethune-Cookman | 5:30pm | YouTube |
| Houston Christian at UTRGV | 5:30pm | ESPN+ |
| McNeese at New Orleans | 5:30pm | ESPN+ |
| North Carolina at Syracuse | 6:00pm | ESPN |
| Mississippi State at Ole Miss | 6:00pm | ESPN/2 |
| UTSA at Tulsa | 6:00pm | ESPNU |
| LSU at Oklahoma | 6:00pm | SECN |
| Wake Forest at SMU | 6:00pm | ACCN |
| Villanova at Providence | 6:00pm | CBSSN |
| Fordham at Richmond | 6:00pm | MNMT |
| Columbia at Harvard | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Penn at Brown | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| West Georgia at Bellarmine | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Idaho at Eastern Washington | 7:00pm | SWX |
| Alabama A&M at Mississippi Valley State | 7:00pm | YouTube |
| UNLV at Fresno State | 7:00pm | MWN |
| Belmont at Southern Illinois | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Akron at Central Michigan | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Gardner-Webb at USC Upstate | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Elon at UNCW | 7:00pm | FloSports |
| Texas Southern at Grambling State | 7:30pm | SWACN |
| Michigan State at Illinois | 8:00pm | FOX |
| Kentucky at Texas | 8:00pm | ESPN |
| Troy at Arkansas State | 8:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| Princeton at Yale | 8:00pm | ESPNU |
| Middle Tennessee at WKU | 8:00pm | CBSSN |
| Omaha at St. Thomas | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Marshall at Louisiana | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UC Santa Barbara at UC Riverside | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Cal Poly at CSUN | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Idaho State at Montana State | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| TCU at Arizona State | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Seattle U at Tarleton | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| South Carolina at Florida | 8:30pm | SECN |
| Utah Valley at Southern Utah | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Pepperdine at Gonzaga | 9:00pm | KHQ |
| Utah Tech at California Baptist | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Kansas State at BYU | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Weber State at Montana | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| FIU at NM State | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Liberty at UTEP | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Kansas at Utah | 10:00pm | ESPN |
| Washington State at Saint Mary’s | 10:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| Boise State at San Diego State | 10:00pm | CBSSN |
| UC Davis at UC San Diego | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| San Francisco at San Diego | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Loyola Marymount at Portland | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UC Irvine at Hawai’i | 11:59pm | Spectrum |
| NCAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Army West Point at Navy | 11:00am | CBSSN |
| Purdue at Indiana | 12:00pm | BTN |
| Georgetown at Creighton | 4:00pm | FS1 |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| PGA Tour: Genesis Open | 1:00pm | GOLF |
| Champions Tour: Chubb Classic | 3:00pm | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: Genesis Open | 3:00pm | CBS |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| EPL: Leicester City vs Arsenal | 7:30am | USA Peacock fuboTV |
| La Liga: Leganés vs Deportivo Alavés | 8:00am | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| Serie A: Atalanta vs Cagliari | 9:00am | Paramount+ fuboTV |
| Bundesliga: Bochum vs Borussia Dortmund | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Union Berlin vs Borussia M’gladbach | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: Stuttgart vs Wolfsburg | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| Bundesliga: St. Pauli vs Freiburg | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| EPL: Fulham vs Nottingham Forest | 10:00am | USA Peacock fuboTV |
| EPL: Aston Villa vs Ipswich Town | 10:00am | Peacock fuboTV |
| EPL: Manchester City vs Newcastle United | 10:00am | Peacock fuboTV |
| EPL: Southampton vs AFC Bournemouth | 10:00am | Peacock fuboTV |
| EPL: West Ham United vs Brentford | 10:00am | Peacock fuboTV |
| La Liga: Osasuna vs Real Madrid | 10:15am | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| Ligue 1: Olympique Marseille vs Saint-Étienne | 11:00am | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| Serie A: Lazio vs Napoli | 12:00pm | Paramount+ fuboTV |
| EPL: Crystal Palace vs Everton | 12:30pm | NBC Peacock fuboTV |
| La Liga: Atlético Madrid vs Celta de Vigo | 12:30pm | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern München | 12:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Ligue 1: Monaco vs Nantes | 1:00pm | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| Serie A: Milan vs Hellas Verona | 2:45pm | Paramount+ fuboTV |
| La Liga: Villarreal vs Valencia | 3:00pm | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| Ligue 1: Toulouse vs PSG | 3:05pm | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| Liga MX: Toluca vs Guadalajara | 10:10pm | VIX |
| SKIING | TIME ET | TV |
| FIS: Alpine World Championships | 3:00pm | NBC Peacock fuboTV |
| NCAA SOFTBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Shriners Children’s Invitational: Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma St. | 10:00am | ESPN2 |
| Shriners Children’s Invitational: Liberty vs. Missouri | 10:30am | SECN |
| Shriners Children’s Invitational: UCLA vs. Alabama | 4:00pm | ESPNU |