“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
HOMESTEAD.COM
| BORDEN | 61 | CRAWFORD COUNTY | 31 | |
| BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL | 54 | FLOYD CENTRAL | 36 | |
| CASTON | 59 | NORTH WHITE | 14 | |
| EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL | 49 | EVANSVILLE CENTRAL | 46 | |
| FAITH CHRISTIAN | 63 | SOUTH NEWTON | 46 | |
| FORT WAYNE NORTH | 91 | FORT WAYNE HOMESCHOOL | 67 | |
| NORTHWOOD | 85 | LAKE STATION | 34 | |
| NORWELL | 49 | FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA | 43 | |
| SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE) | 64 | MTI KNOWLEDGE | 36 |
INDIANA GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL STATE FINALS
SESSION 1
9:30 AM ET | PUBLIC GATES OPEN
10:30 AM ET | CLASS 1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (25-4) VS. BORDEN (22-5)
APPROX. 12:45 PM ET | CLASS 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
RENSSELAER CENTRAL (26-2) VS. SOUTH KNOX (27-2)
FIELDHOUSE CLEARED
SESSION 2
5 PM ET | PUBLIC GATES OPEN
6 PM ET | CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
NORWELL (22-6) VS. GREENSBURG (27-0)
APPROX. 8:15 PM ET | CLASS 4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
WARSAW COMMUNITY (26-1) VS. LAWRENCE NORTH (18-8)
INDIANA BOYS SWIMMING STATE FINALS
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
FRIDAY, FEB. 28, 2025
GATES OPEN AT 4:30 PM ET / 3:30 PM CT
6 PM ET / 5 PM CT | SWIMMING PRELIMINARIES | HEAT SHEETS | PSYCH SHEET
SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 2025
GATES OPEN AT 7:30 AM ET / 6:30 AM CT
9 AM ET / 8 AM CT | DIVING PRELIMINARIES, SEMIFINALS
1 PM ET / 12 PM CT | CHAMPIONSHIP/CONSOLATION FINALS IN ALL SWIMMING EVENTS; DIVING FINALS
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
#12 MICHIGAN 49 NEBRASKA 46
#5 HOUSTON 69 #9 TEXAS TECH 61
#23 KANSAS 71 COLORADO 64
AP MEN’S BASKETBALL POLL
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | PREV. |
| 1 | AUBURN (60) | 25-2 | 1,500 | 1 |
| 2 | DUKE | 24-3 | 1,406 | 3 |
| 3 | FLORIDA | 24-3 | 1,397 | 2 |
| 4 | HOUSTON | 23-4 | 1,327 | 5 |
| 5 | TENNESSEE | 22-5 | 1,236 | 6 |
| 6 | ALABAMA | 22-5 | 1,198 | 4 |
| 7 | ST. JOHN’S | 24-4 | 1,132 | 10 |
| 8 | MICHIGAN STATE | 22-5 | 1,055 | 14 |
| 9 | IOWA STATE | 21-6 | 1,004 | 8 |
| 10 | TEXAS TECH | 21-6 | 915 | 9 |
| 11 | WISCONSIN | 21-6 | 800 | 11 |
| 12 | TEXAS A&M | 20-7 | 797 | 7 |
| 13 | CLEMSON | 22-5 | 712 | 18 |
| 14 | MISSOURI | 20-7 | 683 | 15 |
| 15 | MICHIGAN | 20-6 | 657 | 12 |
| 16 | MARYLAND | 21-6 | 630 | 20 |
| 17 | KENTUCKY | 18-9 | 461 | 17 |
| 18 | MEMPHIS | 22-5 | 393 | 22 |
| 19 | LOUISVILLE | 21-6 | 372 | 25 |
| 20 | PURDUE | 19-9 | 328 | 13 |
| 21 | MARQUETTE | 20-7 | 309 | 16 |
| 22 | ARIZONA | 18-9 | 289 | 19 |
| 23 | SAINT MARY’S | 25-4 | 284 | NR |
| 24 | MISSISSIPPI STATE | 19-8 | 264 | 21 |
| 25 | BYU | 19-8 | 135 | NR |
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: CREIGHTON 53, MISSISSIPPI 28, KANSAS 25, NEW MEXICO 23, VCU 20, OREGON 20, UCLA 14, DRAKE 12, UC SAN DIEGO 8, GONZAGA 3, HIGH POINT 3, ILLINOIS 3, VANDERBILT 2, UTAH ST. 1, YALE 1.
USA TODAY MEN’S TOP 25 POLL
THE USA TODAY SPORTS TOP 25 MEN’S BASKETBALL POLL, WITH TEAM’S RECORDS THROUGH SUNDAY IN PARENTHESES, TOTAL POINTS BASED ON 25 FOR FIRST PLACE THROUGH ONE POINT FOR 25TH, RANKING IN LAST WEEK’S POLL AND FIRST-PLACE VOTES RECEIVED.
| RANK | SCHOOL (RECORD) | POINTS | LAST WEEK’S RANK | FIRST-PLACE VOTES |
| 1 | AUBURN (25-2) | 748 | 1 | 28 |
| 2 | DUKE (24-3) | 708 | 3 | 2 |
| 3 | FLORIDA (24-3) | 693 | 2 | 0 |
| 4 | HOUSTON (23-4) | 660 | 5 | 0 |
| 5 | TENNESSEE (22-5) | 610 | 6 | 0 |
| 6 | ALABAMA (22-5) | 607 | 4 | 0 |
| 7 | ST. JOHN’S (24-4) | 571 | 9 | 0 |
| 8 | MICHIGAN STATE (22-5) | 512 | 13 | 0 |
| 9 | IOWA STATE (21-6) | 492 | 8 | 0 |
| 10 | TEXAS TECH (21-6) | 467 | 10 | 0 |
| 11 | TEXAS A&M (20-7) | 438 | 7 | 0 |
| 12 | WISCONSIN (21-6) | 384 | 11 | 0 |
| 13 | MICHIGAN (20-6) | 377 | 12 | 0 |
| 14 | CLEMSON (22-5) | 352 | 17 | 0 |
| 15 | MARYLAND (21-6) | 326 | 20 | 0 |
| 16 | MISSOURI (20-7) | 263 | 16 | 0 |
| 17 | LOUISVILLE (21-6) | 241 | 22 | 0 |
| 18 | MEMPHIS (22-5) | 205 | 19 | 0 |
| 19 | PURDUE (19-9) | 175 | 14 | 0 |
| 20 | SAINT MARY’S (25-4) | 173 | 24 | 0 |
| 21 | ARIZONA (18-9) | 159 | 18 | 0 |
| 22 | MARQUETTE (20-7) | 150 | 15 | 0 |
| 23 | KENTUCKY (18-9) | 137 | 21 | 0 |
| 24 | MISSISSIPPI STATE (19-8) | 89 | 23 | 0 |
| 25 | CREIGHTON (19-8) | 43 | NR | 0 |
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
#1 TEXAS 57 GEORGIA 26
#19 BAYLOR 79 #12 KANSAS STATE 62
NBA SCOREBOARD
DETROIT 106 LA CLIPPERS 97
DENVER 125 INDIANA 116
CHICAGO 142 PHILADELPHIA 110
WASHINGTON 107 BROOKLYN 99
ATLANTA 98 MIAMI 86
MINNESOTA 131 OKLAHOMA CITY 128 OT
PORTLAND 114 UTAH 112
SACRAMENTO 130 CHARLOTTE 88
NHL SCORES
WINNIPEG 2 SAN JOSE 1 OT
LOS ANGELES 5 VEGAS 2
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SPRING TRAINING
PITTSBURGH – PHILADELPHIA CANCELED
TORONTO – DETROIT CANCELED
MIAMI – HOUSTON CANCELED
MINNESOTA – TAMPA BAY CANCELED
NY YANKEES – BOSTON CANCELED
ATLANTA – BALTIMORE CANCELED
ST. LOUIS 7 NY METS 4
COLORADO 2 SAN FRANCISCO 2
TEXAS 11 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 3
CINCINNATI 8 LA DODGERS 1
LAS VEGAS 1 KANSAS CITY 1
CHICAGO CUBS 10 SAN DIEGO 5
LA ANGELS 7 SAN FRANCISCO 4
SEATTLE 12 MILWAUKEE 8
ARIZONA 4 CLEVELAND 3
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
#5 NORTH CAROLINA 6 E. CAROLINA 3
#2 LSU 13 NICHOLLS 3
UNLV 7 #23 CINCINNATI 6
AUSTIN PEAY 12 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 0
INDIANA 4 NORTHWESTERN 3
TOLEDO 5 HIGH POINT 3
CENTRAL ARKANSAS 10 EASTERN MICHIGAN 9
LOUISVILLE 10 WESTERN MICHIGAN 4
NEVADA 7 BAKERSFIELD 4
TEXAS A&M CORPUS CHRISTI 8 WASHINGTON STATE 2
USA TODAY BASEBALL COACHES POLL
THE USA TODAY SPORTS TOP 25 BASEBALL POLL, WITH TEAM’S RECORDS THROUGH SUNDAY IN PARENTHESES, TOTAL POINTS BASED ON 25 FOR FIRST PLACE THROUGH ONE POINT FOR 25TH, RANKING IN LAST WEEK’S POLL AND FIRST-PLACE VOTES RECEIVED.
| RANK | SCHOOL (RECORD) | POINTS | LAST YEAR’S RANKINGS | FIRST-PLACE VOTES |
| 1 | TENNESSEE (7-0) | 730 | 2 | 18 |
| 2 | TEXAS A&M (5-1) | 711 | 1 | 11 |
| 3 | LSU (6-1) | 653 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | ARKANSAS (6-1) | 640 | 5 | 0 |
| 5 | FLORIDA STATE (7-0) | 618 | 6 | 1 |
| 6 | NORTH CAROLINA (6-0) | 597 | 8 | 0 |
| 7 | FLORIDA (7-0) | 559 | 10 | 0 |
| 8 | GEORGIA (8-1) | 520 | 9 | 0 |
| 9 | CLEMSON (6-1) | 473 | 11 | 0 |
| 10 | OREGON STATE (5-2) | 448 | 7 | 0 |
| 11 | VIRGINIA (3-3) | 420 | 4 | 0 |
| 12 | VANDERBILT (7-1) | 386 | 18 | 0 |
| 13 | WAKE FOREST (7-1) | 384 | 15 | 0 |
| 14 | TEXAS (5-1) | 359 | 13 | 0 |
| 15 | OREGON (6-2) | 295 | 14 | 0 |
| 16 | MISSISSIPPI STATE (6-1) | 264 | 19 | 0 |
| 17 | OKLAHOMA (6-0) | 239 | 25 | 0 |
| 18 | DALLAS BAPTIST (6-1) | 225 | 21 | 0 |
| 19 | UC SANTA BARBARA (6-1) | 198 | 22 | 0 |
| 20 | ALABAMA (8-0) | 121 | NR | 0 |
| 21 | DUKE (4-3) | 104 | 12 | 0 |
| 22 | TCU (5-2) | 100 | 23 | 0 |
| 23 | SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI (7-1) | 72 | NR | 0 |
| 24 | TROY (6-1) | 67 | 25 | 0 |
| 25 | OKLAHOMA STATE (2-3) | 63 | 17 | 0 |
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: KENTUCKY (4-1) 55; SOUTH CAROLINA (8-0) 51; UC IRVINE (4-3) 51; AUBURN (7-1) 49; MISSISSIPPI (6-1) 45; NORTH CAROLINA STATE (3-4) 44; STANFORD (7-0) 43; CINCINNATI (4-2) 23; COASTAL CAROLINA (6-2) 23; ARIZONA STATE (6-1) 21; KANSAS (7-0) 17; WEST VIRGINIA (6-0) 16; UCLA (6-1) 13; CENTRAL FLORIDA (6-1) 11; LOUISVILLE (4-1) 8; FLORIDA ATLANTIC (6-1) 7; ARIZONA (4-3) 6; HAWAII (7-1) 6; GEORGIA TECH (6-1) 5; COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (5-2) 2; MICHIGAN (4-3) 2; NEBRASKA (3-4) 2; TULANE (6-1) 2; KANSAS STATE (4-4) 1; STETSON (4-3) 1.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCOREBOARD
#2 OKLAHOMA 8 BOWLING GREEN 5
#14 TEXAS TECH 6 UTEP 1
#11 OKLAHOMA STATE 9 CENTRAL ARKANSAS 5
#2 OKLAHOMA 9 ABILENE CHRISTIAN 1
BUTLER 3 WESTERN ILLINOIS 0
BUTLER 3 MURRAY STATE 0
WASHINGTON 11 CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE 0
TENNESSEE MARTIN 10 WESTERN MICHIGAN 0
EVANSVILLE 7 WESTERN MICHIGAN 2
LINDENWOOD 2 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 1
BOWLING GREEN 9 TULSA 4
NORTHERN ILLINOIS 3 LINDENWOOD 2
EVANSVILLE 9 TENNESSEE MARTIN 0
COLLEGE MEN’S LAX SCOREBOARD
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
COLLEGE WOMEN’S LAX SCOREBOARD
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
COLLEGE HOCKEY SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
TOP NATIONAL PRESS RELEASES/HEADLINES
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
AUBURN ATOP AP TOP 25 FOR 7TH STRAIGHT WEEK; PRESEASON NO. 1 KU OUT, ENDING RANKED RUN AT 80 WEEKS
Auburn remained atop the AP Top 25 for the seventh straight week on Monday, while preseason No. 1 Kansas dropped out of the men’s basketball poll for the first time in nearly four years, ending the Jayhawks’ ranked run at 80 consecutive weeks.
The Tigers earned all 60 votes from the national media panel after beating Arkansas and Georgia last week. They were followed by Duke and Florida, which traded places in the poll, with Houston and Tennessee rounding out the top five. Houston has the nation’s longest active streak in the Top 25 at 102 weeks.
The Jayhawks were dropped from the poll for the first time since Feb. 8, 2021, when the season was played amid the COVID-19 pandemic. That had ended a record 231 consecutive weeks in the Top 25 for Kansas.
The Jayhawks’ were dropped this week after a 74-67 loss at Utah and a 91-57 blowout loss at BYU, the biggest margin of defeat in school history for a ranked Kansas team against an unranked opponent. BYU entered the poll at No. 25 this week.
Kansas took out its frustration on Oklahoma State on Saturday, rolling to a 96-64 victory in Allen Fieldhouse.
“We’re 1-0,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said afterward. “That’s what we’re talking about. And everybody’s stat sheet in what they’re averaging this year is exactly what happened today. And we’re not even gonna talk about the other stuff right now.”
Alabama fell two spots to No. 6 this week and was followed by St. John’s and Michigan State, which jumped six spots after back-to-back ranked wins over Purdue and Michigan. Iowa State and Texas Tech rounded out the top 10.
Kansas dropped out along with Ole Miss, which had been ranked the last 13 weeks and 15 of the last 16. That made room for Saint Mary’s, which beat Portland and Gonzaga to enter at No. 23, and BYU, which followed its win over the Jayhawks by beating then-No. 19 Arizona 96-95 on Saturday thanks to two free throws by Richie Saunders with 3.2 seconds left.
It was the first time the Cougars had beaten ranked teams in consecutive games since 1988.
“My message to our group is, you know, whatever the next challenge in front of us, we’re trying to attack it, whether that’s practice, whether that’s shoot-around, whether that’s a game,” first-year BYU coach Kevin Young said. “I know that sounds cliche but that’s really been the recipe for us, to not look any further than what we have to do at that moment.”
Rising and falling
Louisville joined Michigan State in making the biggest jump in this week’s poll, climbing six spots to No. 19. The Cardinals beat Florida State in their only game last week for their fifth consecutive win, and they head into this week tied with No. 13 Clemson for second in the ACC behind the second-ranked Blue Devils.
Purdue fell seven spots to No. 20 after losses to Michigan State and Indiana, but the Boilermakers held onto a spot in the Top 25 for the 55th consecutive week. That is now the third-longest active streak behind Houston and Tennessee (76 weeks).
Preseason Top 25 checkup
Kansas isn’t the only team ranked highly in the preseason poll to drop out altogether this season.
Two-time defending national champion UConn was No. 3 with 11 first-place votes in October but did not appear on any ballots this week. Gonzaga was sixth, Baylor eighth and North Carolina ninth in the preseason poll — and all are unranked.
In all, more than half of the teams in the preseason poll — 13 of them — failed to crack this week’s Top 25.
Conference watch
The SEC continued its dominance with three of the top five and eight total in the Top 25 this week. The Big 12 had three in the top 10 and five ranked teams, while the Big Ten also had five teams in the poll. The ACC had three, the Big East had two and the American and West Coast conferences had one team apiece.
EMU’S TERRY TAKES HOME PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
MAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week
Jalen Terry, Senior, Guard, Eastern Michigan
Flint, Mich. (Beecher)
Eastern Michigan’s Jalen Terry continued his impressive stretch, helping the Eagles to a 2-0 week with wins over second-place Miami and at Northern Illinois. Against NIU, Feb. 22, Terry drilled a 35-foot shot at the buzzer to stun the Huskies, 79-76, as the Eagles had trailed by four points with 19 seconds left. Terry also tied the game on a lay-up with 14 seconds left. In that game, Terry scored 28 points with six made three-pointers and six rebounds, marking his fourth game with at least 25 points and six made three-pointers, doubling the amount by any Eagle player in a single season since the 2002-03 season. The senior nearly recorded a double-double in the win over Miami, Feb. 18, netting 24 points and logging nine rebounds. Terry also added in five steals and a pair of blocks, helping Eastern record its second different three-game winning streak in conference play, which EMU had not done since the 2013-14 season.
HCAC MEN’S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK, WEEK 16
Athlete of the Week:
Cole Pride (Osgood, Ind.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Forward | Sophomore – Pride had a career-night in Wednesday’s 101-78 win over Earlham as he scored 29 points on 12-18 shooting and 3-9 from the outside. The sophomore was a perfect 9-9 shooting from inside the arc, and he pulled down 8 rebounds as he dominated the paint all game long.
Notable Performances:
- Rob Davidson (Indianapolis, Ind.) Anderson University | Wing | Sophomore – Rob Davidson led the Ravens with 19 points, 13 rebounds and 3 steals as Anderson topped Bluffton 96-64 on Wednesday. Davidson also converted 6-of-8 (75 percent) shots from the field.
- Cooper Matthews (Hamilton, Ohio) Franklin College | Guard | Sophmore – Matthews set a career-high with 24 points on Wednesday night in the Grizzlies’ regular season finale against Manchester.
- Luke Miller (Madison, Ind.) Hanover College | Senior – Luke Miller helped the Panthers secure the no. 4 seed over Transylvania by knocking off the Pioneers 75-71. Miller led all scorers with 21 points and three rebounds. He shot 53 percent from the floor including three, three-pointers.
- Ty Lynas (Crawfordsville, Ind.) Manchester University | Guard | Senior – Lynas led the Spartans in scoring in their final two games of the season while helping lead the Black & Gold to a conference tournament berth. Lynas averaged 17.0 ppg, 3.5 rbg, and 1.5 spg. Lynas also hit the dagger 3 that would seal the win over Franklin and lock up the #8 seed for the Tournament.
- Jason Lavender (West Chester, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | Forward | Sophomore – Lions sophomore forward Jason Lavender came off the bench for the Lions in a come from behind overtime win over Berea in the season finale to score a team-high 21 points. He did so on a 7-for-11 shooting night, while pulling down 4 rebounds.
- Drew Marshall (Nicholasville, Ky.) Transylvania University | Guard | Sophomore – In a 75-71 loss to close out the regular season, Drew Marshall led the team with 16 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 5 of 8 from the field.
MILOS UZAN DRILLS LATE 3 TO LIFT NO. 4 HOUSTON OVER NO. 10 TEXAS TECH
Milos Uzan scored a career-high 22 points, including a dagger 3-pointer inside the final minute, to lift No. 4 Houston to a 69-61 Big 12 Conference win over No. 10 Texas Tech on Monday.
The Cougars (24-4, 16-1 Big 12) remained unbeaten on the road in conference play and clinched at least a share of the Big 12 regular-season title. Houston did so by avenging its lone conference loss after the Red Raiders (21-7, 12-5) snapped the Cougars’ 33-game homecourt winning streak with an overtime victory on Feb. 1.
Texas Tech, which played without injured starters Chance McMillian and Darrion Williams, missed 12 consecutive field goals midway through the second half, allowing Houston to seize its largest lead at 59-49 on a J’Wan Roberts free throw with 3:42 left to play.
The Red Raiders made one final push, slicing the deficit to 62-59 on a pair of Kerwin Walton 3-pointers and two Elijah Hawkins free throws with 1:12 remaining.
But Uzan drilled a 3-pointer of his own with 44.9 seconds left to stem the tide. He finished the game 8-for-15 shooting, including three triples. Roberts added 16 points and seven rebounds, and Emanuel Sharp finished with 10 points for the Cougars.
JT Toppin posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Red Raiders, while Hawkins and Walton combined for 26 points on 6-for-21 shooting. Texas Tech shot 29.8% overall and used only one bench player throughout the game.
Uzan answered a short Red Raiders spurt with a jumper in the lane and a corner 3-pointer that pushed Houston to a 14-11 lead with 13:33 left in the first half. Hawkins helped Texas Tech pull even with three free throws, but Uzan capped a 7-0 run with a three-point play initiated by his steal and transition layup. Houston upped its 23-19 lead to six points on back-to-back 3s from Sharp.
Neither team closed the half with a flourish. The Red Raiders missed 6 of 7 shots down the stretch while Houston went 0-for-5 over the final 3:24 yet carried a 33-30 lead into the break.
The Cougars led by as many as five points while the Red Raiders’ largest lead was three. The first half featured four ties and eight lead changes, forecasting the tension of the second half.
NO. 15 MICHIGAN EDGES NEBRASKA, CLIMBS BIG TEN STANDINGS
Roddy Gayle Jr. had 12 points and five rebounds to lead No. 15 Michigan to a 49-46 win over Nebraska on Monday in a Big Ten contest in Lincoln, Neb.
Tre Donaldson scored 11 points, Danny Wolf had a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double and Vladislav Goldin had eight points and 10 rebounds for Michigan (21-6, 13-3 Big Ten), which moved into a first-place tie with Michigan State in the conference.
Brice Williams led all scorers with 26 points for Nebraska (17-11, 7-10), which has lost three of its last four.
Nebraska took a 39-37 lead with 6:32 remaining, but Michigan answered with an 8-0 run to take a 45-39 lead with 4:25 left after five points from Wolf and a 3-pointer by L.J. Cason.
Trailing 45-41, Nebraska cut the deficit to 45-44 with 1:35 remaining in the game on a 3-pointer by Sam Hoiberg.
With 18.7 seconds left, Gayle hit two free throws to extend the Michigan lead to 47-44.
Michigan fouled Williams with 12.6 seconds left, and he made two free throws to cut the Wolverines’ lead to one.
Gayle was fouled on the ensuing inbounds pass, but he missed the front end of a one-and-one. Nebraska got the rebound, pushed the ball up court and got the ball to Connor Essegian, who missed a 3-pointer with under six seconds remaining.
Michigan’s Tre Donaldson tracked down the rebound and was fouled with 2.6 seconds left. He made both free throws to give Michigan a 49-46 lead.
Nebraska had one last chance to tie, but Berke Buyuktuncel missed a tying 3-pointer before the buzzer sounded.
Both teams struggled mightily offensively.
Michigan shot 29.5 percent from the field (18-of-61) and 18.5 percent from 3-point range (5-of-27), while Nebraska shot 25.8 percent overall (16-of-62) and 21.4 percent from 3-point range (6-of-28).
HUNTER DICKINSON ERUPTS FOR 32 POINTS TO PUSH KANSAS PAST COLORADO
Hunter Dickinson had a season-high 32 points and pulled down 13 rebounds, KJ Adams Jr. scored 15 points, and Kansas beat Colorado 71-64 in Boulder, Colo., on Monday night for the Jayhawks’ second straight Big 12 Conference win.
Rylan Griffen contributed 10 points for Kansas (19-9, 10-7 Big 12), which entered the game unranked for the first time in 80 weeks and stopped a four-game road skid.
Dickinson averaged 25.5 points and 11 rebounds in two wins over Colorado this season.
Bangot Dak had 16 points and Julian Hammond III scored all 11 of his points in the second half for the Buffaloes (11-17, 2-15), who had an 18-5 edge in offensive rebounding.
The Jayhawks opened the second half by missing their first three shots and five of six free throws, which allowed Colorado to erase a five-point halftime deficit and take a 39-38 lead for its first of the night.
After Kansas jumped back in front with five straight points, and following a Javon Ruffin 3-pointer to bring Colorado back even at 46-46, the Jayhawks reeled off five straight points to regain the advantage.
Kansas tried to pull away but two dunks by Dak kept Colorado within range. After Flory Bidunga missed the front end of a 1-and-1, Dak’s putback dunk got the Buffaloes within 59-57. Dak then fouled Griffen on a 3-point attempt; Griffen hit all three free throws to push the lead back to five points.
Hammond answered with a 3-pointer, the teams traded misses, and Dajuan Harris Jr. made a driving layup to give Kansas a 64-60 lead with 3:18 left.
Following a Hammond turnover, Dickinson split a pair of free throws and later added a layup with 1:07 to go that allowed the Jayhawks to close out the win.
Kansas hit its first six shots of the game and raced out to a quick 14-4 lead. The Buffaloes closed within 26-20 with 8:42 left, the Jayhawks responded to lead by 10 again but Colorado scored six straight points to get within 32-28 and trailed 37-32 at intermission.
WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NEW NO. 1 TEXAS TROUNCES GEORGIA
On the same day it rose to the No. 1 ranking in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2004, the Texas women’s basketball team crushed Georgia 57-26 on Monday in Athens, Ga., for its 11th consecutive win.
Taylor Jones recorded 17 points, a career-high 16 rebounds and five blocked shots for the Longhorns (27-2, 13-1 Southeastern Conference). Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda and Rori Harmon added 10 points apiece.
De’Mauri Flournoy scored nine points for the Lady Bulldogs (10-18, 2-12), who took their third consecutive loss.
Georgia trailed just 20-16 at halftime after shooting 35.3 percent from the floor and limiting Texas to 29 percent shooting. However, the Lady Bulldogs managed just 10 second-half points while going 5-for-19 (26.3 percent) from the floor and committing 13 turnovers. Texas heated up to 50 percent after the break and gave the ball away only four times in the second half.
No. 17 Baylor 79, No. 14 Kansas State 62
Aaronette Vonleh put up a season-high 24 points and matched her season best with 12 rebounds as the Bears downed the Wildcats in Manhattan, Kan.
Yaya Felder and Aliyah Matharu each scored 15 points for Baylor (25-5, 15-2 Big 12), which ran its winning streak to nine games. The Bears’ Sarah Abrams logged 12 points and Jada Walker dished out 11 assists.
Serena Sundell produced 20 points, but third-place Kansas State (25-5, 13-4) took its third loss in six games to fall two games behind the Bears in the conference standings. Kennedy Taylor totaled 16 points and a team-best seven rebounds.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TEXAS IS NO. 1 IN WOMEN’S AP TOP 25 FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 21 YEARS; NC STATE CLIMBS INTO TOP 10
Texas is No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll for the first time in 21 years and the third different team to hold the top spot in the past three weeks.
The Longhorns moved atop the poll Monday after previous No. 1 Notre Dame lost in double overtime to North Carolina State. UCLA had been No. 1 the 12 prior weeks to the Irish.
“I’m so happy for my kids, they’ve earned where they are today,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said in a phone interview hours before his team faced Georgia late Monday.
It is only the fifth time since 2001 that three different schools have been No. 1 in a three-week span. Add in South Carolina being No. 1 to start the season and there have been four teams atop the rankings this season, just the sixth time that has happened since the poll began in 1976. It has never happened with five schools.
“There’s so much parity in the game right now,” Schaefer said.
Texas, which last held the top spot in the poll on Feb. 16, 2004, received 19 first-place votes from a 31-member national media panel. The Longhorns have spent 48 weeks atop the poll in their illustrious history dating to their first appearance at No. 1 in 1980.
“So much respect and admiration for coach (Jody) Conradt and the tradition of our program and I certainly understand the standard we hope we can live up to,” Schaefer said.
Notre Dame fell to third after its 19-game winning streak was snapped while UCLA moved up a spot to second. The Bruins, who edged Iowa 67-65 on two late free throws Sunday, garnered 11 top votes. USC was fourth receiving one first-place ballot. UConn was fifth.
South Carolina, LSU and North Carolina were next. North Carolina State jumped up four places to ninth after its big win over the Irish. TCU was 10th.
Ins and outs
Florida State and Louisville re-entered the rankings this week at No. 24 and 25. The Seminoles beat Pittsburgh and then-No. 20 Georgia Tech. The Cardinals knocked off then-No. 11 Duke before losing to North Carolina. The Yellow Jackets and Illinois both fell out of the Top 25.
Conference breakdown
The Southeastern Conference has seven ranked teams. The ACC has six while the Big Ten and Big 12 each have five. The Big East has two.
Games
of the week
No. 4 USC at No. 2 UCLA, Saturday. The Big Ten regular-season title will be on the line when the two Los Angeles teams play. USC won the first meeting, handing the Bruins their lone loss of the season.
No. 22 Creighton at No. 5 UConn, Thursday. First place in the Big East will be on the line when the Bluejays visit the Huskies.
No. 8 North Carolina at No. 16 Duke, Thursday. The two ACC rivals will play for the second time this season with a potential double-bye into the quarterfinals of the conference tournament at stake.
No. 10 TCU at No. 17 Baylor, Sunday. First place in the Big 12 Conference could be at stake as the Horned Frogs visit the Bears.
USC, UCLA AND OHIO STATE EARN BIG TEN WEEKLY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL AWARDS
Co-Player of the Week
JuJu Watkins, USC
Sophomore – Guard – Los Angeles, Calif. – Sierra Canyon
• Paced USC to a pair of wins over ranked opponents in No. 22 Michigan State and No. 25 Illinois
• Had 28 points, eight rebounds, three steals, three blocks and three assists against the Spartans
• Added 22 points, five rebounds, four blocks and three assists versus Illinois
• Was a perfect 10-for-10 at the free throw line against the Illini
• Moved up two spots in USC’s career list and is ranked No. 11 all-time with 1,574 career points, surpassing Cynthia Cooper
• Earns the sixth Big Ten Player of the Week award of her career
• Last USC Player of the Week: JuJu Watkins (Feb. 17, 2025)
Co-Player of the Week
Lauren Betts, UCLA
Junior – Center – Centennial, Colo. – Grandview
• Averaged 22 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.5 blocks and 2.5 assists in two wins for UCLA
• Scored 22 points with seven rebounds, six blocks and three assists versus No. 25 Illinois
• Broke UCLA’s single-season blocks record with her six-rejection effort, surpassing Monique Billings for the all-time spot
• Recorded a double-double (22 points, 12 rebounds) while shooting 75.0 percent (9-of-12) from the field at Iowa
• Claims the third Big Ten Player of the Week award of her career
• Last UCLA Player of the Week: Lauren Betts (Jan. 27, 2025)
Big Ten Women’s Basketball Weekly Honor Roll
Alexis Markowski, NEB: Dropped a career-high 35 points to go along with a season-best 15 rebounds in Nebraska’s comeback victory over Oregon
Elle Ladine, WASH: Put up 28.0 points on 62.9 percent shooting with 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists during two Washington triumphs
Grace Grocholski, MINN: Led Minnesota past Purdue on a career-high 27 points while going 8-for-12 from the field and 8-for-9 at the charity stripe
Freshman of the Week
Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State
Guard – Nashville, Tenn. – Montverde Academy
• Averaged a team-high 22.3 points, 3.7 assists and 3.0 steals over Ohio State’s three games
• Finished with a game-best 29 points, four assists and three rebounds versus Iowa
• Tallied 18 points with four steals and four rebounds at Indiana
• Had 20 points, five assists, four steals and three rebounds against Purdue
• Went 7-for-7 at the free throw line versus the Boilermakers
• Collects her third Big Ten Freshman of the Week laurel
• Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: Ava Watson (Feb. 17, 2025)
HCAC 2024-25 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL, WEEK 16
Athlete of the Week:
Grace Bezold (Covington, Ky.) Hanover College | Guard | Senior – Bezold led Hanover in their season finale at Transylvania tying a season-high 33 points (game-high) while shooting 60.8 percent from the floor. She pulled in nine rebounds and charted two blocks. The senior also had one steal.
Notable Performances:
- Izzy Davis (Indianapolis, Ind.) Anderson University | Guard | Junior – Izzy Davis notched 20 points, 3 assists and 1 block and Anderson fought past Bluffton 63-57 on Wednesday.
- Taylor Cooney (Greensburg, Ind.) Franklin College | Guard | Senior – Cooney led all players with 22 points and grabbed five rebounds as Franklin claimed a win over Manchester to close out the regular season.
- Karlee Mills (Fairfield, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | Guard | Junior – MSJ junior guard Karlee Mills played all 40 minutes in the teams 61-55 win over Berea on Wednesday. She scored a game-high 21 points, pulled in 5 rebounds dished out 2 assists and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line down the stretch.
- CK Rodriguez-Gallegos (El Paso, Texas) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Forward | Junior – Gallegos Rodrigez led the Fightin’ Engineers to the 69-54 victory over Earlham on Wednesday with 10 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for her second double-double of the season.
- Riley Flinn (Remington, Ind.) Transylvania University | Guard | Sophomore – In a 74-66 win against Hanover, Riley Flinn had 17 points and 13 rebounds for a double double in the regular season finale. She also added four assists and was one of four Pioneers scoring in double figures in the win.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: WOLVES SWAT THUNDER IN OVERTIME
Anthony Edwards came up with a block in the closing seconds of overtime to help lift the Minnesota Timberwolves to a stunning 131-128 road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.
The Timberwolves trailed by as much as 24 in the fourth quarter and by 16 with less than four minutes remaining. Minnesota, though, scored the final 16 points of the quarter, capped by Jaden McDaniels converting an and-one layup with 11 seconds remaining to force overtime.
In overtime, after Naz Reid made two free throws to put the Timberwolves on top 129-128 with 22 seconds left, the Thunder put the ball in Gilgeous-Alexander’s hands coming out of a timeout. Edwards came over from the help side to block Gilgeous-Alexander’s shot.
Minnesota’s Terrence Shannon Jr. grabbed the rebound and Nickeil Alexander-Walker — Gilgeous-Alexander’s cousin — made a pair of free throws. Edwards then matched up with Gilgeous-Alexander once more in the closing seconds, forcing a missed 3-pointer to end the game.
Nuggets 125, Pacers 116
Aaron Gordon scored 25 points, Michael Porter Jr. had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Nikola Jokic added 18 points, nine rebounds and a career-high 19 assists Denver beat Indiana in Indianapolis.
Christian Braun had 17 points for Denver, which bounced back after having its nine-game winning streak snapped in a 123-100 home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. Jamal Murray added 16 points and Zeke Nnaji had 14 off the bench.
Myles Turner led Indiana with 23 points. Tyrese Haliburton added 19 points and 15 assists, Pascal Siakam had 19 points and nine rebounds, Aaron Nesmith scored 17 points and Obi Toppin finished with 11.
Bulls 142, 76ers 110
Josh Giddey scored 25 points, Kevin Huerter added 23 and Zach Collins had 19 as Chicago routed host Philadelphia, which extended its losing streak to eight games.
Knocking down an impressive 50.6 percent of field goals (45 of 89) and 45 percent of 3-pointers (18 of 40), the Bulls snapped their own six-game losing streak in the victory.
Led by 19 points apiece from Kelly Oubre Jr. and Paul George, the 76ers were missing former MVP Joel Embiid — who underwent imaging on his left knee — and trailed by as many as 50 points during the contest.
Pistons 106, Clippers 97
Cade Cunningham posted 29 points, nine boards and seven assists as Detroit picked up its seventh straight win – the franchise’s longest winning streak since the 2014-15 season.
The Pistons took advantage of a short-handed Los Angeles team that was playing without its leading scorer in Norman Powell and franchise player Kawhi Leonard. Still, the Clippers grabbed the lead early in the third quarter before Detroit answered with a Cunningham lay-in and an alley-oop dunk from Jalen Duren.
Los Angeles narrowed the gap to four points in the fourth quarter. But a 3-pointer from Malik Beasley put Detroit back in front 96-84, and Cunningham’s 3-pointer with 1:06 to play put the game away for the Pistons, who handed the Clippers their third straight loss.
James Harden paced Los Angeles with 18 points and 12 rebounds, but he also committed seven turnovers.
Wizards 107, Nets 99
Jordan Poole scored 26 points, Bilal Coulibaly added 20 and Washington snapped a six-game losing streak with a home win over Brooklyn.
The Wizards closed the game on an 11-2 run and held the Nets without a field goal for the final 4:45. That stretch included a Brooklyn scoring drought of more than four minutes. Poole and Coulibaly shot a combined 8-for-12 from beyond the arc for the game, with Poole sinking 5 of 8.
Ziaire Williams’ 19 points led the Nets. Cameron Johnson added 17 and Tyrese Martin scored 15 points off the bench.
Kings 130, Hornets 88
Zach LaVine exploded for a season-high 42 points in 31 minutes, Malik Monk recorded a double-double, and Sacramento gradually pulled away from visiting Charlotte.
LaVine hit 16 of his 19 shots, including 8 of 9 from 3-point range, en route to the 22nd 40-point game of his career. Monk added 13 points and 10 assists while DeMar DeRozan had 18 points for the Kings, who snapped a two-game losing streak.
Miles Bridges had 23 points to pace the Hornets, who were playing their seventh consecutive road game and took their second straight loss of at least 42 points. On Saturday, Charlotte fell by 53 points at Portland.
Hawks 98, Heat 86
With 11 points and 14 assists, Trae Young picked up his 34th double-double of the season, one of six Atlanta players scoring in double figures, as the Hawks snapped a three-game skid with the home win.
Onyeka Okongwu had 17 points to pace Atlanta, while both Caris LeVert and Terance Mann chipped in with 15 points off the bench.
Andrew Wiggins scored 23 for his third straight 20-point game for the Heat, who finished just 7-of-40 from 3-point range. Leading scorer Tyler Herro finished with just 11 points, missing all nine of his 3-point tries as Miami lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Trail Blazers 114, Jazz 112
Anfernee Simons had 28 points, and Portland withstood a late barrage of 3-pointers from Keyonte George to record its 12th win in 17 games.
Leading by as many as 13, the Trail Blazers fell behind 92-90 early in the fourth quarter before a 9-0 run put the Blazers back on top by seven points. After building a 10-point lead with just over four minutes left, the Jazz then stormed back.
George hit a 3-pointer with under 12 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 111-109, then, after two made free throws from Simons, buried another triple with four seconds remaining to put the score at 113-112.
Jerami Grant made just one of two free throws, but George missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to earn Portland the win.
George finished with 21 points off the bench for Utah, which lost for the sixth time in eight games.
NFL NEWS
BRONCOS ASSISTANT COACH MICHAEL WILHOITE ARRESTED AFTER BEING ACCUSED OF PUNCHING A POLICE OFFICER
DENVER (AP) — An assistant coach for the Denver Broncos is facing a felony assault charge after being accused of punching a police officer in the face at the Denver International Airport.
Outside linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault on a police officer and booked into the Denver jail on Sunday, according to jail records. A judge set a $5,000 bond on Monday.
The Broncos issued a statement saying, “We are aware of a situation involving Michael Wilhoite that occurred Sunday and are in the process of gathering more information.”
According to a police affidavit, Wilhoite pulled up to the airport’s drop-off lane Sunday afternoon and left his vehicle unattended. A uniformed police officer approached Wilhoite when he returned and told him he couldn’t do that.
Wilhoite told the officer to shut up and bumped his chest into the officer, who shoved Wilhoite back, according to the affidavit. Wilhoite then punched the officer in the face, knocking him down, and returned to his truck, according to the police affidavit.
The officer used a Taser on Wilhoite as he entered his vehicle to drive away and Wilhoite was subsequently arrested, according to the affidavit.
Magistrate Arnie Beckman set a $5,000 bond for Wilhoite at Monday’s hearing.
“These are routine, everyday interactions that thousands of people get through successfully at the airport without assaulting a police officer,” Beckman said in court, according to the Denver Post. “That a routine, everyday encounter turned violent is concerning to the court.”
The Associated Press left a message Monday with Wilhoite’s attorney seeking comment.
Wilhoite, 38, joined the Broncos’ coaching staff in 2023 after previously working for head coach Sean Payton in New Orleans as a defensive and special teams assistant in 2019-20. He was the Los Angeles Chargers’ linebackers coach from 2021-22.
The Broncos set a franchise record last season with an NFL-best 63 sacks in the regular season as Denver ended an eight-year playoff drought.
Before going into coaching, Wilhoite spent six seasons in the NFL as a linebacker with the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.
NHL NEWS
QUINTON BYFIELD’S FOUR ASSISTS PROPEL KINGS PAST KNIGHTS
Quinton Byfield recorded four assists to lead the Los Angeles Kings’ 5-2 comeback win over the visiting Vegas Golden Knights on Monday.
Down 2-1 at the second intermission, the Kings surged ahead with four unanswered goals. Warren Foegele scored the game-winner 8:31 into the third period, set up by a superb backhand pass from Byfield that found an open Foegele at the side of the Vegas net.
The Kings are on a six-game points streak (5-0-1), and they are 4-0-1 on their six-game homestand. Los Angeles is 19-3-2 at home this season, leading the NHL with an .833 home point percentage.
Trevor Moore scored two goals, Foegele had a goal and an assist and Adrian Kempe had two assists for the Kings. Joel Edmundson and Kevin Fiala scored the other Los Angeles goals, and Adrian Kempe notched two assists.
Darcy Kuemper stopped 20 of 22 shots, including an outstanding sprawling pad save to rob Nicolas Roy late in the first period.
The four points marked a new single-game high for Byfield in his five NHL seasons. Byfield has 10 points (all assists) over his past six games.
The Golden Knights had their three-game winning streak end. Vegas is 1-2-0 against the Kings this season, and 14-1-1 against all other Pacific Division clubs.
Mark Stone and Brayden McNabb scored for Vegas, and Ilya Samsonov made 14 saves.
Los Angeles struck first on Moore’s power-play tally 10:30 into the first period. The Golden Knights had just one shot on net in the game’s first 15 minutes, but they took control over the next 25 minutes to take the lead.
McNabb rang a wrist shot off the post and into the net for the equalizer at 10:26 into the second period. Stone then put Vegas ahead at the 16:41 mark, tipping a Noah Hanifin point shot past a screened Kuemper.
Moore quickly changed the momentum just 42 seconds into the third period. His second goal of the game came on a wrist shot that deflected in off the crossbar.
After Foegele’s go-ahead goal, Los Angeles poured on the pressure. Edmundson’s point shot found the net 15:28 into the third period, and Fiala added another insurance tally at 17:41.
JETS SCORE LATE TO FORCE OT, WIN ON MARK SCHEIFELE GOAL OVER SHARKS
Mark Scheifele scored at 1:33 of overtime to help the Winnipeg Jets complete the comeback over the visiting San Jose Sharks 2-1 on Monday for their 10th straight win.
Scheifele left the puck for Nikolaj Ehlers in the high slot, went to the net, and knocked in the rebound after Vitek Vanecek made the initial save on Ehlers.
Winnipeg forced overtime during a 6-on-5 play with 26 seconds left in regulation as Josh Morrissey tied the score 1-1 when he got to a loose puck and scored from the top of the left circle.
Connor Hellebuyck made 17 saves for Winnipeg.
William Eklund scored for the Sharks, who have lost six straight and 12 of 13. Vanecek was stellar in defeat, making 33 saves and bidding for his first shutout in nearly two years. The Sharks are 0-2 on to begin their seven-game road trip.
San Jose was 26 seconds away from just their seventh road win of the season.
The Sharks went 1-for-3 on the power play; the Jets were 0-for-2.
Eklund gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead at 15:07 of the first period, scoring on a one-timer from the right circle off a pass from Macklin Celebrini during a 4-on-3 power play.
Vanecek made a diving save on Kyle Connor’s point-blank backhand shot to preserve the 1-0 lead early in the second period.
The score remained 1-0 despite a furious final minute of the period. That included Vanecek making a series of saves during a Jets power play, and San Jose’s Tyler Toffoli hitting the post on a rebound attempt.
Winnipeg’s Colin Miller hit the left post with just under 11 minutes remaining in the third period. Less than six minutes later, Adam Lowry had a chance to even the score, but Vanecek turned him away with a stellar pad save.
Ultimately, though, the Sharks could not keep Winnipeg off the scoreboard, as late-game heroics and the early overtime score lifted the Jets to victory.
The Jets entered Monday averaging 3.60 goals per game – second in the NHL – while San Jose was allowing 3.71 goals per game, which is the most in the NHL.
TOP INDIANA PRESS RELEASES/HEADLINES
GAME REWIND: PACERS 116, NUGGETS 125
Game Recap
Playing on the second night of a back-to-back against one of the top teams in the West, the Pacers competed until the final buzzer but came up short on Monday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Indiana (34-23) managed to trim a 17-point deficit entering the fourth quarter down to six with 3:40 to play, but ran out of gas down the stretch as the Denver Nuggets (38-20) held on for a 125-116 win.
The loss snapped a three-game win streak for the Pacers, who slipped into fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Nuggets, meanwhile, have won 10 of their last 11 and moved into second place in the West.
Myles Turner led five Pacers in double figures, scoring 23 points in the loss, while Tyrese Haliburton recorded his second straight double-double with 19 points and 15 assists.
Aaron Gordon had a game-high 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting for Denver, while three-time MVP Nikola Jokic narrowly missed out on a triple-double, stuffing the stat sheet with 18 points, nine rebounds, a career-high 19 assists, and four steals.
“They’re obviously a unique team in our league the way they play (through Jokic),” Haliburton said. “…They just made more plays than we did at the end of the day. In the fourth, I thought we got right there, but just couldn’t get over the hump.”
Gordon got off to a fast start, hitting his first four shots and scoring 10 points in the first four minutes to propel Denver out to an early 15-7 lead.
Turner scored eight points and Obi Toppin added seven off the bench for Indiana in the first quarter. But the Nuggets shot 60.9 percent from the field in the frame, led by as many as 11, and took a 36-28 lead into the second quarter.
Denver extended its lead to 48-35 in the ensuing frame before the Blue & Gold mounted a charge. Haliburton connected with Pascal Siakam for a corner three, then knocked down a three of his own to start Indiana’s rally. A few minutes later, Turner, Aaron Nesmith, and Toppin all connected on dunks as part of another 6-0 mini-run that trimmed the Nuggets’ lead to 56-53.
After a Denver timeout, Turner then stole Russell Westbrook’s inbounds pass and Haliburton threw it ahead to Toppin for another fastbreak slam to pull the Blue & Gold within one.
But the Nuggets responded with six straight points and took a 64-58 lead into halftime.
The visitors quickly pushed their lead back to double digits after the break, scoring on their first three possessions in the third quarter.
Jokic powered Denver’s offense throughout the frame, scoring 10 points and assisting on five other baskets as the Nuggets used a 36-point quarter to build a 100-83 lead.
With the game on the brink, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle rolled out a lineup featuring four of his starters and Ben Sheppard against Denver’s reserve-heavy unit to open the fourth quarter. That lineup eventually trimmed the deficit to 107-97 following Pascal Siakam’s putback layup with 7:24 remaining, forcing a timeout from the Nuggets, who subbed Jokic back into the game.
The Pacers continued their charge after the stoppage, slowly cutting into the lead and eventually pulling within six on Ben Sheppard’s 3-pointer with 3:40 to play.
But Christian Braun answered with a layup on the other end and then after Siakam hit one of two free throws, a corner three from Gordon and another layup by Braun sealed the victory for the visiting team.
Siakam finished with 19 points and nine rebounds in the loss. Aaron Nesmith tallied 17 points, four boards, and two blocks, while Toppin scored 11 points off the bench.
Michael Porter Jr. had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Denver. Braun finished with 17 points and eight boards, while Jamal Murray had 16 points and six assists.
The Pacers return to action on Wednesday, wrapping up a four-game homestand against Toronto. They will then travel to Miami to face the Heat on Friday before returning to Indiana for another two-game homestand.
Inside the Numbers
After going 14 games in a row without a double-double, Haliburton recorded his second double-double in as many nights. His 15 assists matched his season high, set on Jan. 2 at Miami.
Turner had his 10th 20-point performance of the season on Monday.
Nesmith scored in double figures for the third straight game. He has averaged 16.3 points over the homestand.
Haliburton went 6-for-11 from the field, with 10 of his attempts coming from 3-point range.
Jokic entered the night averaging a triple-double and set a new career high with 19 assists. He had registered 18 assists twice before in his career and had dished out 17 assists three times, including twice this season.
Denver outrebounded Indiana 46-32 overall and 14-8 on the offensive glass.
Turnovers were an issue for both teams. The Nuggets scored 26 points off of 18 Indiana giveaways, while the Pacers tallied 24 points off 20 Denver turnovers.
You Can Quote Me On That
“We had 18 turnovers, we lost the boards pretty substantially, and we had a rough shotmaking night…It’s a rough game. But they’re great at what they do. It’s a rough situation being (on a) back-to-back with them coming off a tough loss on national TV a couple nights ago, but that’s just how things are in this league. We had chances.” -Carlisle on Monday’s loss
“I thought we got a lot of good looks…We got a lot of open threes, just didn’t make as many as you probably want to there.
It’s a make-or-miss league. We just missed shots. It’s tough to win that game when you miss some shots like that.” -Haliburton on the Pacers’ shooting
“They packed the paint. They were aggressive at the point of attack, so a lot of times Ty got double-teamed so he had to make a quick decision…They did some good things and we hurt ourselves on the boards and we hurt ourselves with turnovers.” -Carlisle on the Nuggets’ defensive game plan
“On pick-and-rolls, Jokic is almost in a soft double (team) the whole time and they’re really pulling over forcing me to throw the skip (pass) the majority of the game. It’s hard for me to get in the paint off the pick-and-roll…I’m really just trying to find my spots. I know I’ve got to be better. I’m better when I get in the paint, the more paint touches I have.” -Haliburton on how the Nuggets guarded him
“We were just looking for five guys that can get something going. It got rough when it got to 17. We were just searching for something…I thought we tried to fight hard. We were picking up full (court) and all that kind of stuff. They just made some plays and made us pay the price.” -Carlisle on what he saw from the lineup he deployed in the fourth quarter with four starters and Sheppard
Stat of the Night
The Nuggets outscored Indiana 74-46 in points in the paint on Monday. Denver’s 74 points in the paint were the most this season by a Pacers opponent, surpassing the 70 points scored by Orlando on Nov. 6.
Noteworthy
Haliburton surpassed 800 career 3-pointers on Monday. He now has 801.
The Pacers are now 3-6 on the season when playing on the second night of a back-to-back. They have five back-to-backs remaining.
Indiana has lost nine straight games against the Nuggets and six straight against Denver at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Their last win over the Nuggets came on Jan. 19, 2020 in Denver, while their last home win over the Nuggets was on March 24, 2019.
The Pacers and Nuggets will meet again in Denver on April 6.
Pacers backup point guard T.J. McConnell missed Monday’s game with a right ankle sprain sustained in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win over the Clippers. Carlisle said that McConnell is considered day-to-day.
Up Next
The Pacers wrap up a four-game homestand by welcoming Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7:00 PM ET.
INDIANA BASEBALL
SCHUYLER WALKS OFF NORTHWESTERN WITH FIRST CAREER HIT
CARY, N.C. – Sophomore catcher T.J. Schuyler was 0-for-20 to open his college career at the plate. He had made 23 appearances and five starts entering the day but couldn’t get over the early hump inside the batter’s box.
Until Monday afternoon.
Head coach Jeff Mercer called on the Antioch, Illinois native to pinch hit in the bottom of the ninth inning on Monday (Feb. 24) against Northwestern. With two runners on and no outs, he squared around to bunt. Schuyler then pulled back and roped a ball into left field. It dropped in front of the outfielder as redshirt sophomore Korbyn Dickerson raced around to score the winning run.
After a trio of late losses last week in Arizona, the Indiana Baseball team (3-4) finally was able to close out a close game. Northwestern tied the game in the top half of the ninth but Schuyler’s clutch hit delivered a 4-3 win and capped off a perfect weekend in Cary for the Hoosiers.
IU’s bullpen provided a brilliant day after the Wildcats scored two early runs. Graduate student right-handed pitcher Drew Buhr tossed four scoreless innings out of the bullpen to keep IU within striking distance. Freshman right-hander Henry Brummel had a pair of strikeouts in 2.2 innings of action. Graduate student right-handed pitcher Ben Grable (W, 1-0), a former Northwestern pitcher, got the final out in the ninth and earned the win.
Redshirt sophomore outfielder Korbyn Dickerson continued his outstanding start to the season with his fourth-consecutive multi-hit game. He led off the ninth inning with a base knock and scored the eventual winning run. Over his last five games, Dickerson is hitting .417 (10-24) with three home runs, 10 runs scored and 13 RBIs.
Sophomore outfielder Andrew Wiggins was inserted into the cleanup spot this weekend and has run with the opportunity. He reached base four times and picked up his first three-hit day of the season. Despite starting just three games this year, he leads the team with 11 walks – six of which came this weekend.
IU is set to play its home opener on Wednesday (Feb. 26) afternoon at 2:00 p.m. inside the friendly confines of Bart Kaufman Field. The Hoosiers will meet Xavier for the second time this season. The game will have free admission for all fans and will be streamed on B1G+.
Scoring Recap
Top First
Tyler Ganus opened the scoring for Northwestern, hitting a sacrifice fly to center field to score the game’s first run.
Northwestern 1, Indiana 0
Top Second
The Wildcats added a second run with a RBI groundout from Ryan Kucherak.
Northwestern 2, Indiana 0
Bottom Fourth
Indiana finally broke through in the fourth inning. Jake Hanley extended his hitting streak to seven games with a RBI double over the head of the left fielder. Andrew Wiggins scored on the play.
Northwestern 2, Indiana 1
Bottom Seventh
It was a one-run game for nearly three innings before IU finally tied it in the seventh. Korbyn Dickerson smoked a first-pitch fastball for a RBI single to bring it level at two-all.
Indiana 2, Northwestern 2
Bottom Eighth
Joey Brenczewski gave IU its first lead of the game. He singled through the six hole, just beating out the stretched glove of the shortstop. Hanley, who advanced to third on a passed ball, scored easily.
Indiana 3, Northwestern 2
Top Ninth
The Wildcats finally got to IU reliever Henry Brummel in the ninth. Jack Lausch singled passed the outstretched arm of Cooper Malamazian, tying the game at three in the final frame. Ben Grable came on for IU and got the final out.
Indiana 3, Northwestern 3
Bottom Ninth
With two on and no outs, head coach Jeff Mercer inserted T.J. Schuyler into the game for a pinch-hit opportunity. He squared around to bunt but pulled back and swung at the first pitch. His first career hit landed in front of the left fielder and allowed Dickerson to score the winning run.
Indiana 4, Northwestern 3
Top Hoosier Performers
#20 Dickerson, Korbyn
3-5, 1 R, 1 RBI
#13 Wiggins, Andrew
3-4, 1 R, 1 BB
#24 Buhr, Drew
4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R
Inside the Box Score
• The Hoosiers racked up 12 hits, the fourth-consecutive 10+ hit game for the team.
• The top four hitters in the order combined on eight hits.
• IU’s bullpen allowed just one run in seven innings of work.
• Dustin Glant’s pitching staff allowed just six hits and three walks on Monday.
Notes to Know
• Freshman first baseman Jake Hanley had the second multi-hit day of his young career and extended his hitting streak to seven games. He’s the first IU true freshman with base knocks in each of his first seven career starts since Paul Toetz (13 starts – 2021).
• Sophomore catcher T.J. Schuyler delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning. It was IU’s first walk-off win since beating Penn State, 10-9, on April 13, 2023. The last walk-off hit came courtesy of former outfielder Morgan Colopy (two-run home run) against Iowa in 2023.
• Graduate student right-handed pitcher Drew Buhr offered up four scoreless innings in relief to keep IU within striking distance against Northwestern. Over the last two seasons, it was the fifth time that Buhr has gone at least four innings without allowing a single run. It’s the second time it has happened this season.
• The Hoosiers won three-straight games – while allowing five-or-fewer runs – for the first time since last May. The nine earned runs that IU allowed this weekend are the fewest in a three-game weekend since giving up just nine runs in a series victory over Michigan last season.
• Redshirt sophomore Korbyn Dickerson provided his second three-hit contest in as many days. He’s the first IU player since Josh Pyne (April 5-6 at Maryland) with back-to-back three-hit performances. Over a seven-day span (Feb. 17-24), Dickerson was 10-for-20 with three home runs and 13 RBIs.
Up Next
A home opener for the Hoosiers is scheduled for Wednesday (Feb. 26) afternoon at Xavier. First pitch has been moved up to 2:00 p.m. It will be streamed on B1G+ and can be heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio.
BUTLER SOFTBALL
DYER’S NO-HITTER HIGHLIGHTS TWO-WIN MONDAY FOR BUTLER SOFTBALL
MURRAY, Ky. – Rylyn Dyer produced just the fourth no-hitter in Butler softball program history on a day in which the Bulldogs won a pair of games at the Velvet Milkman Classic in Kentucky. The junior pitcher propelled Butler to a 3-0 win over Western Illinois (3-8, 0-0 Ohio Valley), before the Dawgs won their fifth consecutive game, a 3-0 victory over the Racers of Murray State (4-6, 0-0 Missouri Valley). The no-hitter against WIU avenged the only loss of the season for Butler (9-1, 0-0 BIG EAST) which came at the hands of the Leathernecks on February 9.
Game 1: Butler 3, Western Illinois 0 (7 innings)
Butler struck first when Paige Dorsett singled in Ella White in the bottom of the first inning. The 1-0 lead held through three complete.
In the fourth, Cate Lehner hit a two-RBI single that extended the lead to 3-0.
Rylyn Dyer (3-1) pitched a complete-game no-hitter, allowing three walks and striking out three.
Game 2: Butler 3, Murray State 0 (7 innings)
Butler scored first, in the second inning. With runners on second and third, a passed ball allowed Olivia Moxley to cross the plate.
In the third, Ella White doubled to send Cate Lehner home. Two batters later, Paige Dorsett singled to right-center, allowing White to score. The 3-0 lead for the Dawgs would hold through the final out.
Gwen Baker (3-0) started in the circle for Butler and earned a complete-game shutout victory. In 7.0 scoreless innings, she allowed three hits and two walks while striking out six.
Bulldog Bits
Rylyn Dyer’s no-hitter vs. Western Illinois was a career first. It was her third win of the season and the ninth of her career.
Dyer’s no-hitter was the fourth in Butler Softball program history, and the first since 2019.
Ella White’s two doubles vs. Murray State give her three this season and 37 for her career.
Cate Lehner’s stolen base vs. Murray State was her sixth this season and the 49th of her career.
Gwen Baker’s complete-game win her second this season and her fourth overall win.
Up Next
Butler heads to Florida to compete in the Spring Games at Madeira Beach from Friday, February 28, through Sunday, March 2. Scheduled opponents are Bethune-Cookman, Binghamton, UAlbany, and Bellarmine.
BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
CARDINALS HOSTING LEAGUE-LEADING AKRON TUESDAY NIGHT
The Ball State men’s basketball team hosts league-leading Akron at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Worthen Arena in the second-to-last home game of the season.
The matchup will be streamed on ESPN+ with Mick Tidrow and David Eha on the call, while Mark Foerster and Scot Bunnell handle the radio broadcast on WMUN 1340AM – 92.5FM.
Akron leads the head-to-head series with the Cardinals 31-19, but the Cardinals own a 13-11 record in games played in Muncie against the Zips. Akron won 81-73 at home in a back-and-forth affair on Feb. 4 in the first game of the year between the two teams.
Ball State (14-13, 7-7 Mid-American Conference) beat Buffalo 80-66 on Saturday afternoon to sweep the season series with the Bulls. Payton Sparks led the Cardinals with 18 points and pulled down eight rebounds for the game.
Akron (21-6, 13-1 MAC) is at the top of the conference standings but fell 84-67 at Ohio on Saturday night after winning 13 straight games. The Zips won nine of those games by double figures.
The Zips lead the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.47), assists per game (18.4, No. 4 in NCAA Division I), bench points per game (33.6, No. 7), rebounding margin (+4.4), rebounds per game (39.8, No. 18), scoring offense (83.6 points per game, No. 12), 3-point attempts per game (30.4, No. 4), 3-pointers made per game (10.9, No. 4) and 3-point defense (30.8 percent).
Redshirt junior guard Nate Johnson leads a balanced Akron offense with 13.7 points per game and ranks third in the MAC with 1.9 steals per game. Senior forward James Okonkwo is the league’s second-leading rebounder at 7.7 per game.
Up next for the Cardinals is a 2 p.m. game on Saturday at Bowling Green. Ball State beat the Falcons 91-69 on Jan. 11 at Worthen in the first matchup of the year between the teams.
IMPROVEMENT IN THE REMATCH: Ball State has improved its point differential in the second game of each of its three home-and-homes so far this season.
The Cardinals improved by 16 points against Northern Illinois, 17 against Toledo and one point against Buffalo, beating the Bulls 89-76 on Feb. 1 at Buffalo before Saturday’s 80-66 win at Worthen Arena.
CAREER HIGH FOR THE CANADIAN: Center Ben Hendriks scored a career-best 14 points in Saturday’s triumph over the Bulls.
Hendriks was efficient in doing so, going 6-for-8 from the field and making both free throw attempts in 11 minutes of playing time.
CLOSE CONTESTS WITH THE ZIPS: The most recent four games between Ball State and Akron have been decided by single digits, including the Feb. 4 meeting at Akron when the Cardinals trailed by two points with five minutes to play before the host Zips claimed an 81-73 decision.
The Zips escaped with an 80-76 win on Jan. 9, 2024 at Worthen Arena after each home team won in the 2023 season. The Cardinals won 70-63 on Jan. 6, while Akron won 87-83 on Feb. 28 at James A. Rhodes Arena.
CARDIAC CARDS: The Cardinals had played in four straight games decided by one point or in overtime following last Tuesday night’s 67-66 setback at Toledo.
The last time the Ball State men’s basketball team had such a stretch was late in the 2008-09 season when they had a one-point game at Northern Illinois and overtime contests against Western, Eastern and Central Michigan. This year’s Cardinals are 5-2 in games decided by four points or fewer.
BACK-TO-BACK OVERTIME GAMES: Ball State beat Eastern Michigan (86-84) on Feb. 11 and Northern Illinois (89-83) on Feb. 15 in overtime.
The men’s basketball team last played back-to-back overtime games in late January of 2018 at Kent State and vs Akron. The most recent time Ball State has won two straight games that both went to overtime was in 2017 when the Cardinals won 81-72 at Northern Illinois on Feb. 14 and 109-100 at Central Michigan on Feb. 18.
GORO-THREE-TO: Junior guard Juanse Gorosito put up a season-best 24 points, making 5 of 8 3-pointers, in Ball State’s 89-83 overtime win over Northern Illinois on Feb. 15.
Gorosito has now made multiple triples in 19 games this season and ranks fourth in the conference in 3-pointers made (67) and first in shooting percentage (42.1) from distance among among those who’ve made at least two per game. The Argentina native is one 3-pointer shy of 200 for his collegiate career.
LOVING THE LINE: The Cardinals had season-bests in both free throws made (34) and attempted (50) on Feb. 15 vs NIU.
The previous season highs for Ball State at the line occurred on Nov. 16 against Indiana State when the Cardinals went 33-for-46 on free throws.
FATT WITH THE FLUSH: Junior guard Jermahri Hill had a highlight reel game-winning two-hand slam dunk with 2.8 seconds on the clock in Ball State’s 86-84 overtime win over Eastern Michigan on Feb. 11 at Worthen Arena.
Hill took the ball coast-to-coast for the jam which was featured as the No. 6 play on SportsCenter’s Top 10 segment. The Bessemer, Ala., native led the Cardinals with 21 points, eight rebounds and a season-best seven assists.
TRIO OF 1,000 POINT SCORERS: Jeremiah Hernandez became the third Ball State men’s basketball player of the season to amass 1,000 career points when he hit the milestone early in the second half on Feb. 11 vs Eastern Michigan.
Sparks secured his 1,000th point on New Year’s Eve before Mickey Pearson Jr., hit the mark on Feb. 8.
MOVING UP THE RECORD BOOK: Sparks (742 career rebounds at Ball State) passed Franko House (741) Saturday afternoon against Buffalo to move up the Ball State record book for career boards.
Bonzi Wells (843 career rebounds) is 7th on the list.
GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THE FREE THROW LINE: Sparks (191) and Hill (181) are first and second in the league in free throw attempts, respectively.
The two also are tied for second in the conference in free throws made at 121. Sparks ranks No. 17 nationally in free throw attempts, while Hill is No. 26 in NCAA Division I.
GETTING TO THE LINE: The Cardinals pace the Mid-American Conference in both free throw attempts per game (27.0) and free throws made per game (18.9) through the season’s first 27 games.
Ball State ranks No. 4 and No. 8 in those categories in NCAA Division I, respectively. The total tallies (728 attempts and 509 makes) outpace the next-closest MAC team (Toledo) by 160 attempts and 91 makes.
HOME STATE HEROES: Brittain-Watts (2019), Zane Doughty, Joey Hart and Mason Jones (2023) were each named Indiana High School All-Stars, while three more Cardinals also had ties to the state before arriving in Muncie.
Ball State has the second-most players from Indiana high schools among Indiana-based Division I teams behind Purdue.
WORLD FLYERS: The 2024-25 Ball State roster consists of student-athletes from three different countries in addition to the United States of America.
Gorosito (Argentina), Hendriks (Canada) and Jurica Zagorsak (Croatia) are international Cardinals this season. Interestingly, Juanse, Ben and Jurica were born on different continents, so Ball State has student-athletes from North America, South America and Europe on the team.
TRANSFERS FROM ALL OVER: Each of Ball State’s seven student-athletes who have transferred into the program have come from different college basketball conferences.
The list includes Ethan Brittain-Watts (Patriot League, Boston), Gorosito (West Coast Conference, Portland), Hart (SEC, Kentucky), Hernandez (Ohio Valley Conference, USI), Pearson Jr. (Big 12, TCU), Sparks (Big Ten, Indiana) and Hill who played junior college ball at South Plains in Levelland, Texas.
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. 25
1940 — The first telecast of an American hockey game is transmitted over station W2XBS in New York. The viewing audience watches the New York Rangers battle the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden.
1957 — The United States Supreme Court rules that pro football, unlike professional baseball, is subject to the anti-trust laws of the United States. The court decides 6-3 that baseball is only anti-trust exempt pro sport.
1961 — Niagara ends St. Bonaventure’s 99-game winning streak at home with an 87-77 victory over the Bonnies.
1962 — Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scores 67 points, but New York’s Richie Guerin scores 50 to lead the Knicks to a 149-135 victory.
1964 — Cassius Clay wins the world heavyweight title when Sonny Liston is unable to answer the bell for the seventh round at Convention Hall in Miami Beach, Fla.
1977 — Pete Maravich of the New Orleans Jazz scores 68 points, the most by an NBA guard, in a 124-107 victory over the New York Knicks. Only Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor had scored more points in an NBA game.
1987 — The Southern Methodist football team is suspended for the 1987 season after investigations reveal that players received $61,000 from a booster slush fund.
1994 — Oksana Baiul of Ukraine wins the figure skating gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, and Nancy Kerrigan, who was whacked on the knee 2½ months earlier, wins the silver. Tonya Harding, later convicted of hindering prosecution in the Kerrigan attack, finishes eighth.
2001 — In the largest playoff in PGA Tour history, Rert Allenby wins the Nissan Open on the first extra hole against five other players. It’s Allenby’s third PGA Tour victory, all of them won in playoffs.
2010 — In Vancouver, British Columbia, the Canadian women defeat the United States 2-0 for their third straight Olympic hockey title. Americans Billy Demong and Johnny Spillane finish 1-2 in a Nordic combined race. They are the first American medalists in a sport that’s been part of the Winter Olympics since 1924.
2017 — Marit Bjoergen wins a record 15th world championship gold medal in cross-country skiing with victory in a 15-kilometer skiathlon. The 36-year-old Bjoergen has more gold medals than any other cross-country skier — male or female — in world championship history, having previously shared the record of 14 gold medals with retired Russian Yelena Valbe.
2017 — Kelsey Plum surpasses Jackie Stiles to become the NCAA’s all-time scoring leader with a career-best 57 points in the final regular season game of her career, leading No. 11 Washington past Utah 84-77. Plum passes Stiles’ mark of 3,393 points midway through the fourth quarter.
2018 — Kirill Kaprizov scores a power-play goal in overtime to lift the Russians to the gold medal in men’s hockey with a 4-3 win over Germany at the Pyeongchang Olympics.
2018 — Norway’s Marit Bjoergen closes out a remarkable Olympic career, winning the gold medal in the women’s 30-kilometer mass start at the Pyeongchang Games. The 37-year-old Bjoergen is the only Olympian to win five medals at these Games and finishes her career with 15 medals. She leaves as the most decorated athlete in Winter Olympic history.
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Feb. 26
1935 — Babe Ruth is released by the New York Yankees and signed by the Boston Braves.
1938 — Glenn Cunningham sets a world indoor records in 1500-meter race at the AAU nationals at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Cunningham finishes in 3:48.4.
1947 — Brothers Doug and Max Bentley lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a 9-7 win over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Doug Bentley scores four goals and sets up two more goals. Max Bentley scores three goals and assists on another goal.
1960 — Dave Jenkins of the United States wins the figure skating gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, Calif.
1967 — Mario Andretti, better known for his accomplishments in open-wheel and USAC competition, wins the Daytona 500 pulling away from 1965 champion Fred Lorenzen in the closing laps. It’s Andretti’s his first and only NASCAR Grand National event. He is the only person born outside the United States to win the Daytona 500.
1968 — Thirty-two African nations agree to boycott the Olympics because of the presence of South Africa.
1981 — The Boston Bruins beat the Minnesota North Stars 5-1 in a game marred by fights. The teams set an NHL record with 84 penalties worth 392 minutes, and 12 players are ejected.
1987 — Michael Jordan scores 58 points, the most by a Chicago player in a regular-season game, to lead the Bulls over the New Jersey Nets 128-113. Jordan scores almost half his points from the free throw line, hitting 26 of 27.
1989 — NFL Dallas Cowboys fire coach Tom Landry after a 29-year career.
1989 — Pittsburgh’s Mario Lemieux becomes the third NHL player to have 100 assists in a season, joining Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky. Lemieux gets three assists and a goal in the Penguins’ 8-6 loss to the Hartford Whalers.
1994 — In Lillehammer, Norway, Vreni Schneider of Switzerland wins the slalom for the fifth medal of her career, the most of any woman in Alpine Olympic history.
2006 — Sweden beats Finland 3-2 to win the Olympic men’s hockey gold. Germany leaves Turin with the most overall medals with 29, 11 of them gold, while the Americans win 25 medals overall, including nine gold.
2007 — Roger Federer reaches a new milestone breaking Jimmy Connors’ 30-year-old mark with his 161st week at the top of the ATP rankings. Connors set his record from July 1974 to August 1977. The ATP rankings began on Aug. 23, 1973. Federer took the No. 1 spot on Feb. 2, 2004.
2012 — Pete Weber wins a record fifth U.S. Open bowling championship, throwing a strike on his final ball to beat Mike Fagan 215-214. Weber surpasses his father, Dick Weber, who won the tournament’s predecessor four times, as did Don Carter.
2012 — In Bansko, Bulgaria, Lindsey Vonn captures her fourth World Cup super-G race of the year and becomes the career leader in the discipline. By winning her 18th super G the American overtakes Austria’s Renate Goetschl for the record.
2017 – 59th Daytona 500: Kurt Busch wins after Kyle Larson runs out of gas on last lap; Jeffrey Earnhardt makes NASCAR history, 1st ever 4th generation driver to compete in Daytona 500.
2018 — The U.S. Open changes to a two-hole aggregate playoff, the last of the four majors to do away with an 18-hole playoff.
2018 — The top-ranked UConn women’s team completes an undefeated regular season for the 10th time in program history with an 82-53 win over No. 20 South Florida. The Huskies (29-0, 16-0 American) are 98-0 in games against American Athletic Conference opponents. They are 86-0 in the regular season and have won all four conference tournaments.
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Feb. 27
1918 — The first neutral site game in NHL history is held in Quebec City. Frank Nighbor scores twice in the first period to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens.
1955 — Boston beats Milwaukee 62-57 at Providence, R.I. in a game which set records for fewest points scored by one team, and by both teams, since the introduction of the 24-second clock.
1959 — The Boston Celtics beat the Minneapolis Lakers 173-139 as seven NBA records fall. The Celtics set records for most points (179), most points in a half (90), most points in a quarter (52) and most field goals (72). Boston’s Tom Heinsohn leads all scorers with 43 points and Bob Cousy adds 31 while setting an NBA record with 28 assists.
1966 — Richard Petty wins the rain-shortened Daytona 500 by more than a lap at a speed of 160.927 mph. Petty holds the lead for the last 212 miles of the scheduled 500-mile event, which is called five miles from the finish. Cale Yarborough finishes second.
1977 — Stan Mikita of the Chicago Black Hawks scores his 500th goal in a 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
1982 — Florida apprentice Mary Russ becomes the first female jockey to win a Grade I stakes in North America when she captures the Widener Handicap aboard Lord Darnley at Hialeah (Fla.) Park.
1992 — Prairie View sets an NCAA Division I record for most defeats in a season with a 112-79 loss to Mississippi Valley State in the first round of the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament. Prairie View’s 0-28 mark breaks the record of 27 losses shared by four teams.
1994 — Sweden wins its first hockey gold medal, defeating Canada 3-2 in the first shootout for a championship at the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. Canada is 1:49 away from its first championship in 42 years when Magnus Svensson’s power-play goal ties it at 2. Paul Kariya’s shot is stopped by Sweden’s Tommy Salo after Peter Forsberg puts Sweden ahead on his team’s seventh shot.
1998 — Indiana’s 124-59 victory over Portland marks the first time in the NBA’s 51-year history that one team scores more than twice as many points as the other.
2005 — David Toms delivers the most dominant performance in the seven-year history of the Match Play Championship, winning eight out of nine holes to put away Chris DiMarco with the largest margin of victory in the 36-hole final. The score 6 and 5, could have been much worse as Toms was 9 up at one point.
2006 — Effa Manley is the first woman elected to the baseball Hall of Fame. The former Newark Eagles co-owner is among 17 people from the Negro Leagues and pre-Negro Leagues chosen by a special committee.
2010 — Steven Holcomb drives USA-1 to the Olympic gold medal in four-man bobsledding, ending a 62-year drought for the Americans in the event. Holcomb’s four-run time was 3:24.46, with Justin Olsen, Steve Mesler and Curt Tomasevicz pushing for him.
2015 — Travis Kvapil’s NASCAR Sprint Cup car is stolen early in the day from a hotel parking lot, forcing him to withdraw from a race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The team didn’t have a backup car in Atlanta, so it’s forced to drop out when the stolen machine couldn’t be located in time for NASCAR’s mandatory inspection.
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
13 – 21 – 32 – 7 -10 – 13
February 25, 1924 – Marie Boyd scores 156 points in Maryland HS basketball game (163-3)
February 25, 1957 – The US Supreme Court decides 6-3, baseball is only antitrust exempt pro sport
February 25, 1962 – Philadelphia center Wilt Chamberlain, Number 13 scores 67 points against NY Knicks at Philadelphia Civic Center for the second successive year; Warriors lose 149-135
February 25, 1968 – Number 21, Cale Yarborough driving for Wood Brothers Racing wins the Daytona 500 by less than a second over LeeRoy Yarbrough.
February 25, 1972 – In a very one-sided trade the St. Louis Cardinals traded pitcher Steve Carlton, Number 32 as the Philadelphia Phillies handed them the rights to pitcher Rick Wise
February 25, 1977 – The New Orleans Jazz player Pete Maravich, Number 7 set an NBA record for the guard position when he scored 68 points
February 25, 1994 – Former New York Yankees shortstop Phil Rizzuto, Number 10 was elected to enter into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Rizzuto had 13 awesome seasons with the Yanks from 1941 through 1956.
February 25, 2019 – Number 13, James Harden’s scoring streak of games with at least 30 points ends at 32 as he scores 28 in the Rockets’ 119-111 win over Atlanta in Houston; 2nd longest mark in NBA history
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1933 Four days after turning thirty years old and acquiring a very generous inheritance from his step-father, Tom Yawkey purchases the Red Sox from Robert Quinn for $1.2 million. The acquisition of the Boston American League franchise, which lasts for 44 years, the longest by a sole owner in baseball history, is prompted by former school classmate and Hall of Fame infielder Eddie Collins, who serves as the team’s general manager until 1947.
1934 John McGraw dies at 60 at a New Rochelle Hospital two weeks after hearing optimistic reports about his recovery. The renowned Giants skipper, known as ‘Little Napoleon’ due to his style and stature, won ten pennants and three world championships during his 30 years as the team’s manager.
1965 The MLB owners refuse to raise the minimum salary requested by the players to $7,000 from the current $6,000, a level that is only $500 more than the first minimum salary established 18 years ago. In 1968, thanks to the first-ever collective bargaining agreement in professional sport, the amount will be raised to $10,000, setting the tone for more rapid increases in the coming years.
1969 Baseball avoids the sport’s first work stoppage when the owners agree to increase their contribution to the newly revised pension plan, changing the players’ ability to qualify from five years to four and lowering the minimum age to receive benefits from fifty to forty-five. Other improvements include the players agreeing to collect $5.45 million per year, retroactive to 1959, and a percentage of the revenue generated by televised games.
1972 After multiple salary disputes with their 27-year-old southpaw, the Cardinals trade a stunned 20-game winner, Steve Carlton (20-9), to the last-place Phillies for Rick Wise (17-14). This season, ‘Lefty’ will post a 27-10 record for Philadelphia, winning the first of four National League Cy Young Awards during his 15-year tenure with Philadelphia.
1973 The spring training lockout ends when the players’ union and the owners reach a three-year agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. The CBA establishes salary arbitration for players with two+ years of major league service, raises the minimum salary to $15,000, and includes the new ’10 and 5′ trade rule that allows a player with ten years of service, in which the last five are with his current team, to veto any trade.
1981 At the White House, Ronald Reagan receives a major league season pass from baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn, who hopes the president will attend a few games during the upcoming year. Ironically, the Executive Board of the Major League Baseball Players Association will vote unanimously in Tampa today to strike on May 29, if necessary, surprising the owners who thought the well-paid players wouldn’t risk a costly work stoppage.
1987 Commissioner Ueberroth bans former Cy Young Award winner LaMarr Hoyt from major league baseball for the 1987 season due to multiple drug-related incidents during the past year. An arbitrator orders the Padres to reinstate the right-hander after reducing the penalty to sixty days.
1993 Resembling a fish with arms and legs, ‘Billy the Marlin’ is introduced as the mascot of Miami’s new National League franchise. Owner Wayne Huizenga selects the name partly because a dolphin is from the “billfish” species, which differs from typical baseball mascot names like Smasher.
1994 After a long campaign by Yankee fans, including owner George Steinbrenner, the Veterans Committee elects Phil Rizzuto to the Hall of Fame and the posthumous selection of Leo Durocher. The former infielder and current television broadcaster’s enshrinement causes much debate, given the borderline career stats became especially important to his supporters when Pee Wee Reese, a similar-styled shortstop of the rival crosstown Brooklyn Dodgers, was inducted in 1984.
2002 Diamondbacks’ third baseman Matt Williams breaks a bone in his left leg during a spring training workout. Arizona will not issue a timetable for their injured infielder’s return, but the 36-year-old veteran will resume his duties at the hot corner after the All-Star break on July 11.
2002 The 84-year-old Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell announces this season will be his last as the Tigers’ radio play-by-play announcer. During his 62-year career behind the mike, the 1981 Ford Frick Award winner for baseball broadcasting excellence had worked for the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, and Baltimore Orioles before moving to Detroit.
2003 The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame selects Blue Jays’ World Series hero Joe Carter for a June induction. Pete Rose, who played 95 games for the Expos and collected his 4000th hit with Montreal, was one of the 46 nominees considered but was not chosen by 75 percent of the voters.
2005 After winning an auction for the one-day naming rights for the Boston Fleet Center, Yankee fan Kerry Konrad initially plans to honor Derek Jeter but agrees to rename the arena the ‘Jimmy Fund Center’ after a friend offers to give an additional $6,275 to the charity. The donation brings the total to $8,600, reflecting the 86 years between Red Sox World Championships.
2008 Terry Francona signs a three-year contract extension that runs through 2011, including team options for 2012 and 2013 to continue as the Red Sox manager. After an eighty-six-year drought, the Boston skipper led the club to a pair of World Series titles in four seasons.
2010 The Rangers void Khalil Greene’s contract, announcing the reason for the action is a private matter done in the ballplayer’s best interest. The 30-year-old utility infielder, who missed 49 games with the Cardinals last season because of social anxiety, did not report to spring training last week due to an unidentified problem.
2012 On their Twitter account, the Mets send out an image of the patch the team will wear this season in memory of Gary Carter, who died earlier in the month of brain cancer at 57. The black pentagon will feature the former New York catcher’s nickname, Kid, and the number 8.
Gary Carter’s Memorial Uniform Patch
2016 The players’ union and MLB agree to a slide rule after Ruben Tejada suffers a broken leg covering second base during the NLDS. The new policy, the direct result of Chase Utley’s attempt to break up a double play that injured the Mets infielder, will be reviewable and allow contact to be permissible with the fielder but prohibit the runner from changing his path to disrupt the play deliberately.
TV SPORTS TUESDAY
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Boston Celtics vs Toronto Raptors | 7:00pm | NBCS-BOS Sportsnet |
| Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic | 7:30pm | TNT truTV MAX |
| San Antonio Spurs vs New Orleans Pelicans | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports SW GCSN |
| Phoenix Suns vs Memphis Grizzlies | 8:00pm | AFSN FanDuel Sports MEM |
| Milwaukee Bucks vs Houston Rockets | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports WIS SCHN |
| Charlotte Hornets vs Golden State Warriors | 10:00pm | NBCS-BAY FanDuel Sports CHA |
| Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers | 10:00pm | TNT truTV MAX |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins | 7:00pm | ESPN+ NESN Sportsnet |
| Carolina Hurricanes vs Montreal Canadiens | 7:00pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports South Sportsnet |
| Dallas Stars vs Columbus Blue Jackets | 7:00pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports Ohio Victory+ |
| Anaheim Ducks vs Buffalo Sabres | 7:00pm | ESPN+ MSG-BUF Victory+ |
| Calgary Flames vs Washington Capitals | 7:00pm | ESPN+ MNMT Sportsnet |
| Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers | 7:00pm | ESPN+ ATTSN-PIT NBCS-PHI |
| New York Rangers vs New York Islanders | 7:30pm | ESPN+ MSG MSGSN |
| Edmonton Oilers vs Tampa Bay Lightning | 7:30pm | ESPN+ Hulu |
| Detroit Red Wings vs Minnesota Wild | 8:00pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports DET FanDuel Sports North |
| Florida Panthers vs Nashville Predators | 8:00pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports South Scripps |
| Seattle Kraken vs St. Louis Blues | 8:00pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports MW KONG |
| Chicago Blackhawks vs Utah Hockey Club | 9:00pm | ESPN+ CHSN Utah16 |
| MEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| App State at Georgia Southern | 5:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Bowling Green at Eastern Michigan | 6:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Duke at Miami (FL) | 7:00pm | ESPN |
| Baylor at Cincinnati | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Providence at Marquette | 7:00pm | FS1 |
| Florida at Georgia | 7:00pm | SECN |
| Georgia Tech at Pitt | 7:00pm | ACCN |
| VCU at Richmond | 7:00pm | CBSSN |
| Saint Louis at Davidson | 7:00pm | FanDuel Sports South |
| Northwestern at Minnesota | 7:00pm | Peacock |
| Buffalo at Central Michigan | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Akron at Ball State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Toledo at Kent State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Northern Illinois at Miami (OH) | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Ohio at Western Michigan | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Old Dominion at Marshall | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| James Madison at ULM | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Troy at Texas State | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Illinois State at Southern Illinois | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Indiana State at Murray State | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Iowa State at Oklahoma State | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Lindenwood at Western Illinois | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Mississippi State at Alabama | 9:00pm | ESPN2 |
| South Carolina at Missouri | 9:00pm | ESPNU |
| Iowa at Illinois | 9:00pm | FS1 |
| Tennessee at LSU | 9:00pm | SECN |
| Louisville at Virginia Tech | 9:00pm | ACCN |
| TCU at West Virginia | 9:00pm | CBSSN |
| Colorado State at Air Force | 9:00pm | ALT |
| Washington at Wisconsin | 9:00pm | Peacock |
| UNLV at San Jose State | 10:00pm | NBCS-CA |
| Wyoming at Nevada | 10:00pm | KNSN |
| New Mexico at San Diego State | 11:00pm | FS1 |
| Gonzaga at Santa Clara | 11:00pm | CBSSN |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| EPL: Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa | 2:30pm | USA Peacock |
| EPL: Brighton & Hove Albion vs AFC Bournemouth | 2:30pm | Peacock |
| EPL: Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Fulham | 2:30pm | Peacock |
| DFB Pokal: Arminia Bielefeld vs Werder Bremen | 2:45pm | ESPN+ |
| Coppa Italia: Internazionale vs Lazio | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Copa del Rey: Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Coupe de France: Angers SCO vs Reims | 3:00pm | FS2 fuboTV |
| EPL: Chelsea vs Southampton | 3:15pm | Peacock |
| CONCACAF Champions Cup: Inter Miami vs Sporting KC | 8:00pm | FS2 fuboTV |
| Liga MX: Tigres UANL vs Juárez | 8:00pm | fuboTV |
| CONCACAF Champions Cup: Los Angeles FC vs Colorado Rapids | 10:00pm | FS2 fuboTV |
| Liga MX: Mazatlán vs Monterrey | 10:00pm | VIX |
| Liga MX: Tijuana vs Pumas UNAM | 10:10pm | VIX |