“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
TUESDAY’S SECTIONAL CAPSULES: https://scoreboard.homestead.com/boys/capsTue.htm#load
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
TOP 25
#4 HOUSTON 65 KANSAS 59
#2 DUKE 93 WAKE FOREST 60
ELSEWHERE:
UCLA 73 NORTHWESTERN 69
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
NBA SCOREBOARD
BOX SCORES: https://www.thescore.com/nba/events/date/2025-03-03
NHL SCOREBOARD
BOX SCORES: https://www.thescore.com/nhl/events/date/2025-03-03
MLB SPRING TRAINING
BOX SCORES: https://www.thescore.com/mlb/events/date/2025-03-03
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
COLLEGE BASEBALL SCOREBOARD
BOX SCORES: https://d1baseball.com/scores/?date=20250303
COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCOREBOARD
BOX SCORES: https://d1softball.com/scores/?date=20250303
COLLEGE MEN’S LAX SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
COLLEGE WOMEN’S LAX SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDEULED
COLLEGE HOCKEY SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
NATIONAL NEWS RELEASES
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
NO. 3 HOUSTON BEATS KANSAS, SETS BIG 12 SINGLE-SEASON WINS MARK
L.J. Cryer scored 18 of his game-high 22 points in the first half and No. 3 Houston beat visiting Kansas 65-59 on Monday to set a single-season mark for Big 12 victories.
The Cougars (26-4, 18-1 Big 12) extended their winning streak to nine by producing a plus-26 margin in shot attempts courtesy of 17 offensive rebounds and 20 forced turnovers. Cryer answered a bucket by Kansas center Hunter Dickinson with a second-chance layup — his lone bucket of the half — at the 1:40 mark of the second half for a 61-56 lead.
Cryer followed two free throws from Emanuel Sharp that answered a David Coit 3-pointer, which closed the margin to two, with a steal and a pair from the line. Sharp posted 12 points and six rebounds while Milos Uzan and Mylik Wilson scored 10 apiece for the Cougars. Wilson added five rebounds, six assists and four steals to his ledger. Houston had 16 steals as a team.
The Jayhawks (19-11, 10-9) turned a 12-6 run early in the second half into a 39-36 lead, with Dajuan Harris Jr. following a Coit steal with a transition layup. But Uzan and Sharp keyed a 12-3 Houston rally with back-to-back 3-pointers and the Cougars maintained the lead.
Dickinson paired 17 points with 12 rebounds before fouling out. Coit tallied 14 points and four assists while KJ Adams added 15 points for the Jayhawks.
Excluding Coit and Cryer, neither team could generate much momentum offensively in the first half. The Cougars struggled after Uzan picked up his second foul early in the half and went to the bench, missing six consecutive shots before Cryer hit a 3 that lifted Houston to an 18-13 lead.
Coit stopped a skid by the Jayhawks with a 3-pointer that Cryer matched, and later added two more 3-pointers before two Adams free throws pulled the Jayhawks even at 23-all. Kansas took a 25-23 lead before Cryer responded with five consecutive points, helping carry the Cougars to a 30-27 halftime lead.
While Coit finished 3 for 3 and tallied nine points before the intermission, Cryer made 7 of 13 shots, including four 3-pointers. Excluding Cryer, the Cougars shot 5 for 26 from the floor in the first half.
COOPER FLAGG EXCELS AS NO. 2 DUKE ROUTS WAKE FOREST
Cooper Flagg scored 28 points in the last home game of his freshman season as No. 2 Duke dominated the second half in a 93-60 victory against visiting Wake Forest on Monday night at Durham, N.C.
Kon Knueppel had 17 points and Tyrese Proctor, who was back after missing the last 1 1/2 games with a knee injury, racked up 12 points. Sion James and reserve Mason Gillis each added 11 points as the Blue Devils (27-3, 18-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) remained in first place in the league going into the regular-season finale Saturday night at North Carolina.
Flagg shot 10 of 16 from the field and collected eight rebounds, seven assists, three blocked shots and two steals. Classmate Khaman Maluach pulled in 14 rebounds — with six on the offensive end — as Duke completed an unbeaten home slate at 17-0.
Efton Reid III and Ty-Laur Johnson both posted 14 points for Wake Forest (20-10, 12-7). The Demon Deacons, who’ve lost four of their last six games, committed 15 turnovers.
Duke hit 14 shots from 3-point range compared to Wake Forest’s six.
Duke held a 40-27 halftime advantage before taking off after the Demon Deacons pulled within 42-35.
Flagg scored 10 points in the first five-plus minutes of the second half, giving him 20 for the game as the Blue Devils held a 53-38 lead.
They were just getting warmed up. Duke eclipsed their first-half point total in just 15 minutes of the second half in building an 81-47 lead. The lead topped out at 40 points.
It might have been Wake Forest’s final chance for a notable result as it has slipped from most NCAA Tournament projections. The Demon Deacons lost by 63-56 in a late-January meeting with Duke, even taking the lead in the second half of that encounter. They couldn’t keep this one close.
Wake Forest team scoring leaders Hunter Sallis (nine points) and Cameron Hildreth (zero) shot a combined 3-for-17 from the field.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER (51), THUNDER WIN 50TH GAME
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 51 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 137-128 home win over the Houston Rockets on Monday.
It was Gilgeous-Alexander’s fourth game with 50 or more points this season and ninth game with 40 or more points — both tops in the NBA. He had never produced a 50-point game in his career before January.
Gilgeous-Alexander shot 18 of 30 from the floor and 5 of 9 on 3-point attempts while adding seven assists and five rebounds.
Oklahoma City has won four consecutive games and 13 of its past 15. The Thunder registered their 50th win of the season before any other team in the conference hit 40 wins. Oklahoma City is the first team to accomplish that feat since the 2004-05 Miami Heat.
Warriors 119, Hornets 101
Buddy Hield racked up 22 points and Stephen Curry scored 21 points in his hometown as Golden State defeated host Charlotte.
Brandin Podziemski added 19 points and 11 rebounds, Draymond Green finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and seven rebounds and Jimmy Butler III had 13 points as seven different Golden State players made at least one 3-point shot. Hield connected five times from beyond the arc.
Charlotte’s losing streak reached seven games despite 35 points from Miles Bridges and 25 points from LaMelo Ball. Mark Williams provided 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Hornets, who committed 17 turnovers. Tidjane Salaun had 10 points off the bench.
Hawks 132, Grizzlies 130
Caris LeVert’s reverse layup at the buzzer lifted visiting Atlanta to a victory over Memphis, spoiling the first career triple-double by Desmond Bane.
Levert scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half. Zaccharie Risacher led the Hawks with 27 points, Onyeka Okongwu added 16 points and 12 rebounds, Daniels contributed 14 points and Trae Young finished with 12 points and 15 assists.
Bane scored a season-high 35 points — including 18 in the third quarter — and added 10 points and 10 assists. Luke Kennard had 17 points and seven assists. The Grizzlies lost their third game in a row and have dropped six of their last eight. Jaren Jackson Jr. injured his left ankle 1:39 into the game and did not return.
Trail Blazers 119, 76ers 102
Anfernee Simons scored 34 points and Shaedon Sharpe and Donovan Clingan each posted a double-double as Portland continued its strong road trip with a victory over Philadelphia.
Sharpe registered 20 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, while Clingan totaled 13 points, 13 boards and three blocks. The Trail Blazers improved to 4-1 on their seven-game road trip, which continues this week with challenging contests in Boston and Oklahoma City.
Philadelphia, which has lost 10 of its past 11, continued to play without Joel Embiid (knee), who is out for the season. Paul George (groin) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (illness) also sat out, while Tyrese Maxey left with a back contusion after taking a hard fall in the third quarter. Andre Drummond posted a season-high 25 points and 18 rebounds.
Pistons 134, Jazz 106
Cade Cunningham scored 29 points and Detroit cruised to its 10th win in 11 games by beating Utah in Salt Lake City.
Cunningham, who also contributed nine assists and four steals, put up 17 points in the first half as Detroit built a 23-point lead. Jalen Duren contributed 16 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks.
Kyle Filipowski compiled 25 points and eight boards for the Jazz, who concluded their homestand with a 3-6 record. Collin Sexton scored 16 points.
Heat 106, Wizards 90
Bam Adebayo posted 19 points and 15 rebounds and Miami used a fourth-quarter run to pull away from visiting Washington.
Duncan Robinson added 17 points for the Heat, who have won three of their past four games. Pelle Larsson scored half of the Heat’s points during a decisive 12-0 stretch in the fourth quarter.
The Wizards shot a dismal 3 of 23 in the second quarter, finishing 31 of 84 (36.9 percent) for the night. Khris Middleton led Washington with 16 points.
Kings 122, Mavericks 98
Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan combined for 42 points and Sacramento took advantage of a knee injury sustained by Kyrie Irving to run away from host Dallas.
Irving left the game for good with 2:35 remaining in the first quarter after it appeared he hyperextended his left knee on a drive to the basket. LaVine led all scorers in the game with 22 points, making eight of his 12 shots and four of his five 3-point attempts.
Dallas’ top six scorers were all reserves. Kai Jones led the way with 21 points, while Naji Marshall added 18, and Spencer Dinwiddie and Max Christie had 10 apiece. Jones pulled down nine boards, while Marshall and Dinwiddie had six assists each.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: PANTHERS DENY LIGHTNING 9TH STRAIGHT WIN
Aleksander Barkov scored two goals and Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves as the Florida Panthers snapped the Tampa Bay Lightning’s eight-game winning streak with a 2-1 decision on Monday night in Sunrise, Fla.
Tampa Bay had held the NHL’s longest active win streak, but it ended in large part due to Barkov’s first multi-goal game of the season. Florida’s penalty-killing unit also delivered, going 7-for-7 as the Panthers won their fourth straight game.
For Tampa Bay, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 27 shots in his 11th straight start. He is 9-1-1 in that span. Brayden Point scored the Lightning’s goal, his team-leading 32nd of the season.
Barkov capitalized on a turnover by J.J. Moser for his first goal to make it 1-0 midway through the second, then scored a power-play goal six minutes later after Moser took a penalty. Five-time All-Star defenseman Seth Jones made his Panthers debut, providing three shots, two blocks and one hit in 22:56.
Capitals 5, Senators 4 (SO)
Dylan Strome scored the winner in the third round of the shootout and Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and two assists as host Washington snapped a season-worst three-game losing streak with a victory over Ottawa.
Strome deked goalie Linus Ullmark and then roofed a backhand shot for the only score of the shootout. Connor McMichael, Tom Wilson and Martin Fehervary each had a goal and an assist and Logan Thompson made 33 saves and stopped all three shootout tries for the Capitals.
Shane Pinto scored two goals, Claude Giroux had a goal and an assist and Jake Sanderson had three assists for Ottawa, which rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to tie it with a six-on-four power-play goal by Brady Tkachuk with 1:08 remaining. Tim Stutzle added two assists and Ullmark finished with 37 saves, plus two stops in the shootout.
Canadiens 4, Sabres 3 (OT)
Nick Suzuki recorded a goal and three assists for Montreal, which extended its winning streak to five games with an overtime victory against visiting Buffalo.
Mike Matheson scored the game-winner from the right side at 1:21 of the extra frame, off assists from Juraj Slafkovsky and Suzuki. Slafkovsky and Matheson each collected a goal and an assist, Cole Caufield also scored, Lane Hutson logged two assists and Sam Montembeault made 33 saves for the Canadiens.
Alex Tuch, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin scored and JJ Peterka had two assists for the Sabres, who have lost three straight (0-2-1). James Reimer made 16 saves.
Sharks 3, Maple Leafs 2 (SO)
Fabian Zetterlund scored the decisive goal of a shootout and visiting San Jose came back to defeat Toronto.
Jack Thompson and Tyler Toffoli scored in the third period for the Sharks, who ended an eight-game losing streak. Alexander Wennberg had two assists and Alexandar Georgiev stopped 25 shots.
John Tavares had a goal and an assist and Matthew Knies also scored for the Maple Leafs, who had a five-game winning streak end. Anthony Stolarz made 20 saves.
Rangers 4, Islanders 0
Will Cuylle scored on a fortuitous bounce late in the first period and added an assist as the Rangers beat the visiting Islanders for the third time in three meetings this season.
The Rangers recorded consecutive shutouts for the first time since March 18-19, 2023. J.T. Miller, who assisted on Cuylle’s goal, scored his seventh goal in 11 games since being acquired on Jan. 31. Will Borgen netted his first career short-handed goal and Artemi Panarin contributed an empty-net tally. Igor Shesterkin made 21 saves.
The Islanders lost for the sixth time in nine games (3-6-0) since winning seven straight. The visitors, who scored seven goals against the Nashville Predators on Saturday, were blanked for the seventh time this season. Igor Sorokin stopped 22 shots for the Isles, who have been outscored 14-3 by the Rangers this season.
Blackhawks 5, Kings 1
Spencer Knight stopped 41 shots in his team debut and Ilya Mikheyev and Ryan Donato each tallied a goal and assist to lift host Chicago to a win against slumping Los Angeles.
Chicago has won consecutive games for the first time since earning three straight wins from Dec. 15-19. Outshot 42-19, the Blackhawks overwhelmed Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper nonetheless. Los Angeles was outscored 15-4 on a winless, three-game road trip to Dallas, St. Louis and Chicago.
Knight shined in his first game for the Blackhawks after arriving Saturday in a trade with the Florida Panthers. Alec Martinez, Ethan Del Mastro and Andreas Athanasiou also scored for Chicago, while Anze Kopitar scored for the Kings and Kuemper had 14 saves.
NFL NEWS
DEEBO SAMUEL: ‘NOTHING BUT LOVE’ FOR 49ERS AFTER TRADE
Deebo Samuel, dealt by the San Francisco 49ers to the Washington Commanders over the weekend, took to social media on Monday to clarify his feelings about his now former team and his conditioning in 2024.
Following a disappointing 2024 season, the veteran wide receiver requested a trade, and the 49ers eventually obliged.
He posted Monday on X, “49ers know where I stand with them and it’s nothing but love. Love John (Lynch, the general manager) and Kyle (Shanahan, the head coach) to death no bad blood no way shape or form. They know I’m more than appreciative of everything they done for me as a player and a man nothing but love.”
Samuel also responded to a quote from The Athletic’s Tim Barrows speaking on The TK Show podcast. Barrows said, “(Samuel’s weight in 2024) got really high and there may have been reasons for that. Not able to work out because of pneumonia. Not able to work out because of injuries. But that’s a concern. I think the 49ers had that concern the minute he showed up in Santa Clara in 2019 and it never fully went away.”
Samuel, whose listed playing weight is 215 pounds, posted in response on X, “225 to be exact. … Can’t wait till this season start. Fresh start new Bo”
Last season, Samuel finished with 51 catches for 670 yards and three touchdowns in addition to 42 carries for 136 yards and one score. The total yardage was the lowest figure of his career, outside of the 2020 campaign when he appeared in only seven games.
Samuel, 27, was a first-team All-Pro in 2021, when he had 1,770 total yards and 14 total touchdowns.
In 81 career NFL games (73 starts), all for the 49ers, Samuel has 334 receptions for 4,792 yards and 22 touchdowns. He has produced 1,143 yards and 20 TDs on 202 carries.
Washington dealt a fifth-round draft pick to San Francisco in exchange for Samuel.
INDIANA NEWS RELEASES
INDIANA PACERS
GAME PREVIEW: PACERS VS ROCKETS
Game Preview
After a win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, the Pacers (34-25) turn their attention to the Rockets (37-23) as they prepare to host Houston on Tuesday.
Houston is led by All-Star center Alperen Sengun, who averages 19 points and nearly 11 rebounds per game this season. Sengun’s feel for playmaking gives the Rockets a different edge – the third-year player dishes out just shy of five assists per game.
Jalen Green brings a five-game double-figure scoring streak into Gainbridge Fieldhouse, including a 35-point performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Green averages 21.6 points per contest for the Rockets this season, and has recorded ten 30+ point scoring nights this year.
Tyrese Haliburton is nursing a streak of his own for the Pacers. Haliburton has recorded a points and assists double-double for five consecutive games after recording a Pacers career high stretch of 14 games without one. Over Indiana’s last five contests, he’s distributed a combined 60 assists while committing just five total turnovers.
Houston will visit Indiana on the second night of back-to-back road contests after making a stop in Oklahoma City on Monday. The Rockets and the Pacers clash in the middle of Houston’s 3-game road trip in which they will play three games in four days.
The Pacers seek a win to bolster their win total, but also to chase down the fourth-place Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference standings. Indiana and Milwaukee have identical records (34-25), but the Bucks currently own the tiebreaker over the Pacers after defeating Indiana in the clubs’ two previous meetings. The East’s top-four seeds get home court advantage in the NBA Playoffs.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Aaron Nesmith, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Rockets: G – Jalen Green, G – Amen Thompson, F – Dillon Brooks, F – Jabari Smith Jr., C – Alperen Sengun
Injury Report
Pacers: Bennedict Mathurin – doubtful (left wrist sprain), Isaiah Jackson – out (torn right Achilles tendon)
Rockets: Steven Adams – questionable (sore left ankle), Dillon Brooks – questionable (right knee contusion), Tari Eason – questionable (leg injury management), Alperen Sengun – questionable (sore lower back), Amen Thompson – questionable (sore right shoulder), Fred VanVleet – out (right ankle strain)
Last Meeting
Nov. 20, 2024: The Pacers fell to the Rockets as Houston rallied behind Alperen Sengun’s 31-point, 12-rebound double-double. Indiana ceded over 30 points to the Rockets in all four quarters, leading to a 130-113 Houston victory.
Indiana posted four double-digit scorers in the loss, and were led by Quenton Jackson’s 24 points. Pascal Siakam added 21 points, T.J. McConnell added 17, and Myles Turner tallied 10 points.
Tyrese Haliburton recorded just four points and eight assists, shooting 1-for-7 from the field. The Pacers missed the defensive abilities of Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard as the two were sidelined with injuries.
Noteworthy
T.J. McConnell needs just two more rebounds to reach 2,000 in his career.
Myles Turner needs four defensive rebounds to pass Herb Williams (3,342 career defensive rebounds) for fifth place in franchise history.
Bennedict Mathurin missed his second consecutive game on Sunday after being sidelined by an ankle injury.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
FanDuel Sports Network – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Tickets
The Pacers welcome Alperen Sengun and the Houston Rockets to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday, March 4 at 7:00 PM ET
PLAYOFF PICTURE: https://www.nba.com/pacers/playoff-picture
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
INDIANA BASKETBALL GAME NOTES – GAME 30 AT OREGON
Opening Tip
• Indiana University continues Big Ten Conference play in its 125th season of competition in men’s basketball with the second leg of a two-game Pacific Northwest road swing against the Oregon Ducks at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 4, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene. The game will be shown on FS1 with Guy Haberman (pxp) and Casey Jacobsen (analyst) on the call.
• The Ducks enter the game with a record of 21-8 (10-8 Big Ten) under 15th-year head coach Dana Altman. Oregon is led by 13.4 points per game and 56 made 3-pointers from sophomore guard Jackson Shelstad. Senior center Nate Bittle adds 13.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. Senior guards Keeshawn Barthelemy (10.2 points per game) and TJ Bamba (10.1) each average double-figure scoring numbers.
Game Information
Tuesday, March 4, 2025 • 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT)
Matthew Knight Arena (12,364) • Eugene, Ore.
TV: FS1 (Guy Haberman, Casey Jacobsen)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
Series History: Indiana leads, 3-0
Last Meeting: IU 68, UO 60 on Dec. 28, 1978, in Portland
Series History
• The Hoosiers have not lost in three tries against the Ducks. All three matchups have been played in Portland as part of the Far West Classic
• Indiana defeated Oregon by a score of 68-60 on Dec. 28, 1978, the last time the two programs played. Current IU head coach Mike Woodson led the way with 36 points and nine rebounds.
Last Time Out
• Indiana upped its winning streak to three games with an 83-78 result at Washington on Saturday, March 1, in Seattle. The game marked the first Big Ten clash between the two programs and the first played in Seattle.
• Junior forward Malik Reneau scored 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the floor to go along with six rebounds. Senior forward Luke Goode knocked down five 3-pointers to score 18 points.
• The Hoosier bench outpaced the Husky reserves by a tally of 35-10.
Reneau for Two
• Junior forward Malik Reneau has averaged 13.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game across 23 contests. He has shot 56.7% (122-of-215) from the floor and 73.1% (57-of-78) from the free throw line in 23.0 minutes per game. He became the 55th player in program history to score 1,000 career points on Feb. 23.
• In his last five appearances, Reneau has posted 17.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game on 61.7% (37-of-60) shooting from the floor.
• Reneau made 17-straight shots from the floor from the close of the UCLA game (Feb. 14) through the first half of the contest at Washington (March 1). The streak marked the longest for any Hoosier in the last 25 seasons.
• Reneau has tallied 15-plus points 30 times in his career, including 11 games this season, and topped the 20-point threshold 10 times. IU holds a record of 21-9 in games Reneau scores at least 15 points throughout his career.
Following the Gallo-Way
• Fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway has dished out more than 125 assists in each of the last two seasons. He is the first Hoosier to achieve the feat since Kevin “Yogi’ Ferrell handed out 125-plus assists in four-straight seasons (2012-16). Tom Coverdale (2001-03) is the only other Hoosier to hit the mark multiple times in the last 25 seasons.
• The Culver Academies alum has handed out at least five helpers in 38 career games and at least eight dimes in eight contests. The Hoosiers hold a record of 7-1 in those games.
• Galloway posted 15 points, nine assists, four rebounds, and just two turnovers against No. 13/14 Purdue (Feb. 23). He is one of eight players to post that stat line or better against a ranked opponent this season.
• He is tied for the school record (Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell) in all-time games played with 137 at Indiana. Gallo is eighth in career assists (414), and 58th in career points scored (973).
• Galloway is one of two active Big Ten players (Braden Smith, Purdue) to have collected 950 points, 400 assists, 300 rebounds, and 100 steals in their careers.
Luke Playing Some Goode Ball
• Senior forward Luke Goode has averaged 11.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 46.8% (65-of-139) from the floor and 44.8% (43-of-96) from the 3-point line his last 17 games (13 starts).
• The Fort Wayne, Ind., native has averaged 14.8 points per game on 21-of-40 (52.5%) shooting from behind the 3-point line in his last six 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 25 of the last 26 games, including all 13 games he started. The Fort Wayne native has 144 made 3-pointers in 105 career collegiate games.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
#18 PURDUE HOSTS RUTGERS IN FINAL HOME GAME OF SEASON
GAMEDAY INFORMATION — GAME 30
[18] Purdue (20-9, 12-6) vs. Rutgers (14-15, 7-11)
Tuesday, March 4, 2025 | 7 p.m. ET
West Lafayette, Indiana | Mackey Arena (14,876)
TELEVISION: Peacock (Noah Eagle, Robbie Hummel)
RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell)
ABOUT GAMEDAY
• The No. 18 Purdue men’s basketball team ends the 2024-25 home campaign with a matchup against talented Rutgers on Tuesday night, looking to stay in the hunt for a double-bye in next week’s Big Ten Tournament. The Boilermakers are currently tied for third in the league standings and a win in the last two games will lock up a double-bye next week in Indianapolis.
THE NOTES TO KNOW
THE NUMBERS (AS OF MARCH 3): A look at Purdue’s numbers entering the Rutgers contest.
• NCAA NET: 17th
• Quad-1: 8-8 | Quad 2: 6-1 | Quad 3: 2-0 | Quad 4: 4-0
• KenPom: 16th | Off. Efficiency: 10th | Def. Efficiency: 51st
• Strength of Schedule (KenPom): 6th
• Associated Press: 18th | USA Today Coaches Poll: 18th
• BracketMatrix.com (Seed): 4 seed
THE FINAL TIME: Purdue ends its home season on Tuesday night, hosting Rutgers on Senior Day.
• The Boilermakers are 13-2 at home this season and 29-2 at home over the last two campaigns.
• During the senior class’ career at Mackey Arena, Purdue owns a 59-5 (.922) record.
• With a win over Rutgers, the Class of 2025 can become the fifth class in school history with 60 home wins (2019, 2018, 2011, 2010).
WELCOME TO THE BIG TEN: With its win over UCLA on Friday night, Purdue went 4-0 this season against the West Coast teams, one-of-two teams to be undefeated against Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington (Michigan is the other).
WE SHALL CALL IT A DOZEN: Purdue won its 12th Big Ten game of the season on Friday night, now having won at least 12 league games for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons. The Boilermakers went 9-11 during the 2019-20 season for their lone season of not having 12 wins.
• Purdue has won at least 12 league games in five straight seasons.
• Purdue (2015-25) and Wisconsin (2007-17) are the only programs in Big Ten history to have had 10, 12-win seasons in an 11-year span.
• Purdue’s is also the only program in league history to have had two different, 5-year spans of 12-win seasons (2015-19; 2021-25).
THE LEADERS: Purdue’s has shot at least 50.0 percent from the field in 12 of 18 Big Ten contests. In league games only, Purdue leads the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.499), while USC is second at 48.4 percent.
• Purdue leads the Big Ten (league games only) in 3-point percentage (.373) and steals (7.6) and is second in turnover magin (+2.94).
• In league games only, Trey Kaufman-Renn is first in the Big Ten in scoring, while Braden Smith leads in assists again and is second in steals.
• Braden Smith’s 8.6 assists per game average in league play would rank as the highest in Big Ten history (2019 – Cassius Winston, 7.9).
THE RECORD-SETTERS: Purdue players have set long-standing career records in the three major statistical categories during the last two seasons.
• Zach Edey broke a 54-year scoring record a year ago, previously set by Rick Mount in 1970.
• Zach Edey broke a 44-year rebounding record a year ago, previously set by Joe Barry Carroll in 1980.
• And on Friday, Braden Smith broke a 48-year assists record, previously set by Bruce Parkinson in 1977.
ON THE CUSP: Point guard Braden Smith needs just four assists to become the first player in NCAA history to have scored at least 1,250 points, dish out 700 assists and grab 500 rebounds by the end of his junior campaign.
500-POINT PACE:Trey Kaufman-Renn (567) and Braden Smith (465) are on pace to become the first Purdue teammates since 2017-18 (Carsen Edwards, Isaac Haas) to both have at least 500 points in a season, on pace for almost 1,300 combined points.
• Fletcher Loyer is on pace to surpass 475 points. Purdue hasn’t had three 475-point scorers since 2017-18 (Edwards, Edwards, Haas).
SMITH NAMED TOP-5 FINALIST FOR THE BOB COUSY AWARD
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Naismith Basketball Memorial Hall of Fame has announced that Purdue point guard Braden Smith was named one of five finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, given annually to the nation’s top point guard.
Smith, who was also a finalist last season, was joined by Tennessee’s Zakai Ziegler, Alabama’s Mark Sears, Marquette’s Kam Jones and Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr.
Smith, who is one of the top candidates for National Player of the Year and All-America status, is averaging 16.0 points, 8.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game, while shooting almost 40.0 percent from 3-point range.
In Big Ten games, he is averaging 17.0 points, 8.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, on pace to set the Big Ten record for assists average by a significant margin.
Smith has already set the Purdue record for assists in a career with 696 and needs just four assists to become the first player in NCAA history to have at least 1,250 points, 700 assists and 500 rebounds by the end of his junior campaign.
He already ranks second on Purdue’s single-season assists chart (251) and is the only player in Big Ten history to have two seasons of 250 or more assists. He is one of three players in NCAA history (Oakland’s Kay Felder, East Tennessee State’s Keith Jennings) to have two seasons of at least 450 points, 250 assists, 125 rebounds and 60 steals, and is only joined by Michigan State’s Magic Johnson (1979) as Big Ten players to reach those marks in a single-season.
Smith has posted eight double-doubles this season and has 21 career games of double-digit assists, the most in Big Ten history. He owns four games of at least 20 points and 10 assists. Prior to this season, Purdue had two 20-point, 10-assist performances in program history.
Smith and the Boilermakers face Rutgers on Tuesday.
NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL
FINAL HOMESTAND STARTS WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITH STANFORD
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame men’s basketball team gets to end the regular season at home, hosting two games inside Purcell Pavilion with two opponents that are new to the ACC and haven’t played here in quite some time. The first challenge is Stanford on Wednesday, March 5, at 9:05 p.m. ET on ESPNU. The Irish are 3-0 all-time against the Cardinal, a team they haven’t matched up with since 1993. Then Notre Dame hosts Cal in the regular-season finale on Saturday, March 8, at 4 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
Notre Dame enters the week in a tie for 13th place. One of the teams they are tied with is Cal (13-16, 6-12). There’s another group of three tied at 7-11, just one game in front of the Irish (FSU, Pitt, Virginia). The only team that could technically catch the Irish are the Wolfpack at 4-14. NC State plays Pitt and Miami this week. The ACC Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 11, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Now back to the task at hand. To topple Stanford, the Irish will have to figure out how to stop one of the best big men in the country, Maxime Raynaud. He ranks 15th nationally in points per game (20.2), fourth nationally in rebounds per game (10.9) and leads all DI players in double-doubles with 21.
The Irish will look to counter with sophomore sensation Markus Burton who has been putting up insane numbers over the last three games. He’s totaled 79 points in that span, good for a 26.3 ppg average. He’s shooting 48.1 percent from the floor and he’s 23-25 from the free-throw line.
Over the last three games, Tae Davis has done superb as well, averaging 17.0 ppg on 52.9 percent shooting. He’s 4-9 from three in that span.
BURTON – A WALKING BUCKET
Grab your popcorn because Markus Burton is a walking bucket. Burton has produced 20+ points in 13 of his 16 games since his return on Jan. 4.
In his last three games, Burton has gone 20-30-29. A little further back, Burton dropped a career-best 32 points at BC on Feb 12, marking the fourth-highest point total by a Notre Dame player in an ACC game. Burton has now surpassed Bonzie Colson for most 30-point performances in ACC games with three.
With all that said, Burton is now averaging 22.3 ppg in ACC play which surpassed Duke’s Cooper Flagg (21.1) for the No. 1 spot.
Overall on the year, he’s averaging 21.1 ppg which places him seventh nationally. For perspective, the last Irish player to finish a season with a 20.0+ ppg average was Luke Harangody (21.8 ppg) in the 2009-10 season. Now here’s the kicker. If you take out his two-point Rutgers injury game in which he departed four minutes in, Burton’s average would be 22.0 ppg which would rank him third nationally.
ACHIEVEMENTS UNLOCKED
54 games. That’s all it took for Markus Burton to cross over the 1,000-career point milestone, etching his name alongside the program’s all-time greats. He became the seventh fastest Irish player to do so:
Austin Carr – 35 games
Adrian Dantley – 44
Tom Hawkins – 44
Bob Arnzen- 47
John Shumate – 47
Troy Murphy – 48
Markus Burton – 54
Gary Brokaw – 58
Chris Thomas – 60
He also became the program’s 68th overall player to do so which moved Notre Dame into a tie with Kansas for fourth place for most 1,000 point scorers behind UNC, Duke and Louisville.
There’s another rare list Burton can write his name on as well. He is currently averaging 21.1 ppg and a team best 3.1 apg. If those averages hold, he’ll join David Rivers as the only Irish players to average 20+ points and 3+ assists in a season.
MORE ON BURTON
In ACC play, the sophomore currently ranks first in scoring, eighth in free-throw percentage (.874) eighth in steals (1.6), 11th in threes per game (2.0) and 14th in FG% (.443).
Burton is most dangerous attacking the basket and utilizing his quickness. He’s shooting 48.4 percent from two-point range overall. More specifically he’s 45.7 percent from the midrange and 48.9 percent from the paint.
And more likely than not, Burton will get fouled attacking the basket and he’s the team’s best free-throw shooter. He is converting 86.8 percent from the stripe, which ranks 5th in the ACC. That number is up from last year’s 82.1 percent.
Furthermore, Burton worked hard in the offseason on his three-point shot and it shows. He went from a 30.0 percent shooter from three to 37.3 percent this season. He’s tied his career high of four made triples three times since returning Jan. 4 In fact, he’s converting 38.1% from deep in ACC play.
THE TAE-KOVER
Tae Davis should be a candidate for Most Improved in the ACC. He’s averaging a career-best 15.8 ppg, up from last year’s 9.2 ppg. The Indy native is shooting a career-best 49.7 percent, which ranks fifth in the league in overall games. He’s also shooting a career-best 73.5 percent from the free-throw line.
In ACC play, Tae is averaging 15.7 ppg on 48.5 percent shooting – the latter ranks 10th. The junior has been highly proficient around the rim where he’s 66.9 percent.
After recording just 4 points against Georgia Tech on Jan. 28, Tae has responded with nine consecutive games in double figures, including two of 20+. Tae was critical in the 2OT win at BC, dropping 20 points. Also, a commonality with the Pitt win was Tae dropping a team-best 21 points.
CERTA-FIED BUCKET
With both Matt Allocco and Braeden Shrewsberry out with injuries for the Pitt game, Coach Shrews needed some other guards to step up and fill the void. Insert freshman guard Cole Certa who brought the home crowd to its feet when he drained three triples in a 125-second span, including one in which he sent a Pitt defender crashing into the ND bench before draining a corner three. Certa tallied all 12 of his points in the second half.
Certa almost did it again at Wake Forest. He had already drained two triples and found the ball in his hands with 10 seconds left down three, but the rim just didn’t allow it.
FINDING A 2ND HALF GEAR
Notre Dame men’s hoops developed a certain narrative over the ACC season of building double-digit first-half leads, only to falter down the stretch and lose close. Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Miami, Syracuse and NC State all followed the same script. Protect those leads and their record would be flipped at 12-6.
Over the 2024-25 season, the Irish are 4-7 in games decided by six or fewer points. Four losses have been by one possession.
What was great to see in the Boston College double-overtime win on Feb. 12 was the fact that Notre Dame flipped the script. They trailed the Eagles by 14 points with 14 minutes left in the game. However, this time around they were the team clawing back, they were the team giving the other fits. Even in double OT when a player was ejected and BC retook the lead, the Irish remained calm, dug deep and gutted out the 97-94 win.
NOTRE NOTABLES.
Markus Burton broke his own record set last season (349) for most points during an ACC campaign with 356.
Burton’s 21.1 ppg would rank him fifth all-time for sophomores at Notre Dame, trailing Adrian Dantley (30.4), Troy Murphy (22.7), Austin Carr (22.0) and Bob Arnzen (21.3) aka VERY good company.
Over the last three games, Cole Certa is averaging a point every two minutes.
According to Haslam Metrics, Notre Dame has a rating of 11.0 vs. the average opponent in potential points allowed off of second chances (ranked 18th in the country).
Also according to Haslam, Notre Dame has done a good job preventing opponents from draining threes this year. They rank 45th in the NCAA in defensive three-point percentage, allowing the ‘average opponent’ to make just 31.9 percent of their attempts from afar.
The 14-point comeback at BC was the largest come-from-behind victory in the Coach Shrews era.
Burton’s 32-point performance at BC was not only a career high but the fourth highest point total for an Irish player in an ACC game.
Notre Dame was a perfect 16-16 from the free-throw line against Virginia Tech on Feb. 8. It marked the third best free-throw shooting percentage game in program history. .
Kebba grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds in the win at BC and recorded the game-winning putback.
Limited sample size but Sir is shooting 55.9 percent from two-point range.
Garrett Sundra tied his career high of 11 points vs. SMU on Feb. 19.
Notre Dame earned its first-ever win in Charlottesville after a 74-59 victory over Virginia. Coach Shrewsberry has now defeated Virginia twice in three matchups.
BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
2025 BIG EAST WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT BRACKET SET
NEW YORK – The bracket for the 2025 BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Tournament presented by JEEP was finalized on Sunday afternoon. Action tips off on March 7 with the BIG EAST Tournament First Round. No. 8 seed St. John’s will face No. 9 seed Butler at 11 a.m. ET, followed by No. 7 seed Providence against No. 10 seed Georgetown at 1:30 p.m. Day 1 closes out at 4 p.m. when No. 6 seed DePaul tips off against No. 11 seed Xavier. All three of Friday’s first round games will stream on the BIG EAST Digital Network on FloSports presented by Invesco QQQ.
The winner of the Red Storm-Bulldogs game moves on to face No. 1 seed and BIG EAST regular-season champion UConn in Saturday’s first of four quarterfinal games. Tipoff on FS1 is slated for noon. At 2:30 p.m. on FS2, No. 4 seed Marquette faces No. 5 seed Villanova. FS2 will air both evening quarterfinal games as well, beginning at 7 p.m. when No. 2 seed Creighton faces the winner of the Hoyas-Friars. Rounding out the night at 9:30 p.m. is No. 3 seed Seton Hall against the winner of the Blue Demons-Musketeers.
Quarterfinal winners advance to Sunday’s semifinals on FOX, with Saturday’s afternoon session winners squaring off at 2:30 p.m., followed by the evening session winners at 5 p.m. Semifinal winners advance to Monday’s title game on FS1, which will tip at 7 p.m.
UConn has won the last four BIG EAST Tournaments, all at Mohegan Sun Arena. Since 2013, DePaul (2014-15, 2018-20), Marquette (2017) and St. John’s (2016) have also won the conference crown.
The BIG EAST Tournament is set for March 7-10 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., marking the fifth year the conference postseason will be held at Mohegan Sun. All 11 teams qualify for the conference postseason, with the top five teams in the final regular-season standings receiving first-round byes. The winner of the BIG EAST Tournament receives the league’s automatic bid into the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
2025 BIG EAST Tournament Seeding Notes
UConn is the No. 1 seed for the fifth consecutive year and 23rd time overall
The No. 1 seed has won 24 of 42 BIG EAST Tournament tiles; the most recent non-No. 1 seed to win the tourney was No. 2 seed DePaul in 2019
Creighton is the No. 2 seed for the third time since joining the BIG EAST
The No. 1 seed is 42-0 all-time against the No. 8 and 9 seeds in the quarterfinals
The No. 5 seed has beaten the No. 4 seed in each of the last four Tournaments
2025 BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Tournament
Mohegan Sun Arena – Uncasville, Conn.
March 7 – First Round
Game 1: No. 8 St. John’s vs. No. 9 Butler, 11 a.m. (BEDN)
Game 2: No. 7 Providence vs. No. 10 Georgetown, 1:30 p.m. (BEDN)
Game 3: No. 6 DePaul vs. No. 11 Xavier, 4 p.m. (BEDN)
March 8 – Quarterfinals
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. No. 1 UConn, Noon (FS1)
Game 5: No. 5 Villanova vs. No. 4 Marquette, 2:30 p.m. (FS2)
Game 6: Game 2 winner vs. No. 2 Creighton, 7 p.m. (FS2)
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. No. 3 Seton Hall, 9:30 p.m. (FS2)
March 9 – Semifinals
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 2:30 p.m. (FOX)
Game 9: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 5 p.m. (FOX)
March 10 – Final
Game 10: Game 8 winner vs Game 9 winner, 7 p.m. (FS1)
All times Eastern
IU INDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HOSTS OAKLAND FOR OPENING ROUND OF #HLWBB TOURNAMENT
INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indy women’s basketball team will host the Oakland Golden Grizzlies for the opening round of the Horizon League Tournament on Tuesday, March 4. It’s a quick turnaround for the Jags and Golden Grizzlies as the two teams faced each other less than a week ago on Wednesday, February 26, with IU Indy taking the edge at 80-65. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM on ESPN+.
IU Indy has defeated Oakland in both meetings this season with the first victory on January 8, 79-73. The IU Indy women’s basketball team then overpowered Oakland on Wednesday night, 80-65 in the Jungle. Alexa Hocevar recorded a career-high 19 points in Wednesday’s victory while Maddy Skorupski led Oakland with 28 points.
The Jags landed two All-League honors this season with Katie Davidson earning All-League First Team and Azyah Newson-Cole earning All-Freshman Team. Davidson, a senior from Indianapolis, Ind., averaged a team-high 19.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game this season while shooting 50.2 percent from the floor, 46.7 percent from three and 88.6 perfect from the free throw line. She leads the Horizon League in scoring in conference games with 20.6 points per game. Newson-Cole was named to the All-Freshman Team after averaging 5.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this season.
Skorupski also found herself among the honored with an All-League Second Team nod. She averaged the second-most points per game in the conference (16 ppg), and the most steals per game (2.9 spg) in the conference. She also leads the Golden Grizzlies with 3.1 assists per game, which is top ten in the Horizon League.
Both teams are looking to find their way back to the Horizon League Quarterfinals since 2022, as both teams have been knocked out in the opening round the last two seasons.
The win or go home contest will tip off at 7:00 PM. Tickets are available at IUIndyJags.com/tickets. Students that attend the gave will receive free pizza while supplies last.
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
March 4
1960 — Phil Latrielle of Middlebury scores an NCAA-record 10 goals in a 13-2 victory over Colgate. Latrielle, a three time All-American, would score a record 250 goals in the 85 games of his collegiate ice hockey career.
1962 — Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors registers his fifth straight 50-point game with 58 against the New York Knicks and sets a season scoring record with 3,921 points.
1968 — Joe Frazier wins the vacant New York world heavyweight title with an 11th-round TKO of Buster Mathis at Madison Square Garden.
1981 — Guy LaFleur of the Montreal Canadiens scores his 1,000th point with a goal in a 9-3 rout over the Winnipeg Jets.
1990 — Hank Gathers, one of two Division I players to lead the nation in scoring and rebounding in the same season, dies after collapsing during Loyola Marymount’s West Coast Conference tournament game against Portland. He was 23.
2004 — Mianne Bagger makes sports history at the Women’s Australian Open as the first transsexual to play in a pro golf tournament.
2006 — Rafael Nadal ends top-ranked Roger Federer’s 56-match hardcourt winning streak with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory in the final of the Dubai Open.
2011 — Miikka Kiprusoff becomes the first goalie in 25 years to stop two penalty shots in a game and finishes with 37 saves, leading Calgary past Columbus 4-3.
2013 — Gonzaga, the small Northwest school that has delivered big NCAA tournament wins, is on top of The Associated Press’ Top 25 for the first time. Riding the best record in Division I at 29-2, the Bulldogs become the 57th school to be ranked No. 1 since the AP poll began in January 1949.
2013 — Brittney Griner scores a Big 12 single-game record 50 points in her final regular-season game at Baylor and leads the Bears to a 98-50 win over Kansas State.
2015 — Russell Westbrook becomes the first player since Michael Jordan in 1989 to have four consecutive triple-doubles and the first since Jordan that year to have back-to-back triple-doubles with at least 40 points. Westbrook sets career highs with 49 points and 16 rebounds, and adds 10 assists, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Philadelphia 76ers 123-118 in overtime.
2017 — Marit Bjoergen wins world championship gold in the 30-kilometer classical race as Norway completes a sweep of women’s cross-country ski titles at the world championships in Lahti, Finland. Bjoergen takes her record 18th career gold medal and fourth of the championships. No country had won all women’s cross-country gold medals at a single world championships since Russia in 1997, when there were only five events, rather than the current six.
2017 — Austrian Marcel Hirscher stuns the world of Alpine skiing by locking up an unprecedented sixth straight overall World Cup He becomes the first male skier to win six overall titles. Hirscher’s 44th career win also secures him the giant slalom title.
2017 — Napheesa Collier scores 24 points and top-ranked UConn routed Tulsa 105-57 in the American Athletic Conference quarterfinals. The Huskies (30-0) extend their NCAA-record winning streak to 105 games and reach the 30-victory mark for the 12th consecutive season.
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March 5
1924 — Frank Carauna, of Buffalo, N.Y., becomes the first to bowl two straight perfect 300 games. Carauna throws five strikes to open his third game, giving him 29 straight strikes.
1931 — WGL radio broadcasts the first game of the American Basketball League championship series. The Brooklyn Visitations beat the Fort Wayne Hoosiers 14-10 in the first professional basketball game to be broadcast live on radio.
1960 — Carol Heiss wins the ladies title at the World Figure Skating Championships in Vancouver.
1965 — Ernest Terrell wins the world heavyweight title with a unanimous 15-round decision over Eddie Machen in Chicago.
1973 — New York Yankee pitchers Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich announce that they’ve swapped wives and children.
1981 — Scott Hamilton wins the men’s title at the World Figure Skating Championships held in Hartford, Conn.
1985 — Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders scores his 50th goal, becoming the first NHL player to score 50 goals in eight consecutive seasons.
2004 — Ottawa and Philadelphia combine for an NHL-record 419 penalty minutes, with the Flyers setting a single-team mark with 213. There are five consecutive brawls in the final two minutes, including one involving both goalies. The previous record for penalty minutes was 406 by the Minnesota North Stars and Boston Bruins in 1981. The Flyers beat the Senators 5-3.
2016 — Makai Mason scores 22 points to lead Yale to a 71-55 victory over Columbia, clinching the Bulldogs’ first NCAA Men’s Tournament bid since 1962. The Bulldogs shared the Ivy championship last year with Harvard, but lost the playoff game with the Crimson. The win ends the second longest NCAA drought of any team that has made the tournament previously.
2016 — Clemson beats Boston College 66-50, completing the Eagles’ winless regular season in Atlantic Coast Conference play. The Eagles (7-24, 0-18) are the first men’s ACC team to go winless in their conference regular-season games since Maryland went 0-14 in 1986-87. Worse, BC’s football team went 0-8 in league play, making the school the first in ACC history to go winless in both sports in the same academic year.
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March 6
1920 — Mickey Roach of Toronto scores five goals to lead the St. Patrick’s to an 11-2 rout of the Quebec Bulldogs.
1964 — Boxing legend Cassius Clay joins the Nation of Islam and changes his name to ”Muhammad Ali″, calling his former title a “slave name”.
1976 — Dorothy Hamill wins the World Figure Skating Championships in Goteberg, Sweden.
1977 — Montclair State’s Carol Blazejowski scores 52 points against Queens College, setting a new collegiate scoring record (for men or women) in the current Madison Square Garden in New York.
1982 — The San Antonio Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks combine for 337 points in the highest scoring game in NBA history, to that point. The Spurs win, 171-166, in three overtimes.
1983 — The 12-team United States Football League begins its first season with five games.
1984 — Dale Hawerchuck of the Winnipeg Jets sets the NHL record for most assists in one period, with five in the second period of a 7-3 triumph over the Los Angeles Kings.
1988 — Julie Krone becomes the winningest female jockey in history with her 1,205th career victory. Krone rides a filly named Squawter to victory in the ninth race at Aqueduct Racetrack.
1996 — Detroit’s Chris Osgood becomes the third goalie in NHL history to score a goal, firing the puck into an empty net with 11 seconds remaining in the Red Wings’ 4-2 victory over Hartford.
2000 — Shaquille O’Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers scores an NBA season-high 61 points and had 23 rebounds in a 123-103 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
2001 — George Mason beats North Carolina-Wilmington 35-33 in the second-lowest scoring game in the shot-clock era of NCAA basketball.
2010 — Devin Harris scores 31 points and the New Jersey Nets erased an early 16-point deficit to beat New York 113-93. The Knicks miss all 18 attempts in the most futile 3-point shooting night in league history.
2011 — Lindsey Vonn clinches her third discipline title in three days with a super-G victory to wrap up a memorable weekend of ski racing in Tarvisio, Italy. Vonn took the super-combined and downhill titles the previous two days.
2014 — The Los Angeles Clippers rout the rival Los Angeles Lakers 142-94. It’s the most lopsided victory ever for the Clippers’ franchise and the most one-sided loss in Lakers history.
2015 — Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim is suspended for nine games, with the school punished for ignoring the “most fundamental core values of the NCAA” for academic, drug and other violations committed primarily by the men’s basketball program. The school is put on probation for five years and the basketball team is forced to vacate 108 wins in which ineligible players participated.
2015 — Shane Walsh scores the winning goal in the fifth overtime to lead UMass to a 4-3 victory over Notre Dame in the longest game in NCAA Division I ice hockey history.
2019 — LeBron James scores his 32,293rd point in the 2nd quarter of a Lakers’ 115-99 loss to Denver in LA to pass Michael Jordan into 4th place on the NBA all-time point scoring list.
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
3 – 1 – 22 – 8
March 4, 1927 – The New York Yankeesfamous Number 3, Babe Ruth, becomes the highest paid player in baseball with a whopper of a contract at the time of nearly $70,000 per season over a three year contract.
March 4, 1941 – The Chicago Black Hawks goaltender Number 1, Sam LoPresti, certainly earned his pay on this day! The opposing Boston Bruinsfired an NHL record 83 shots at the goal minder and remarkably only three of them slipped stone wall Sam. Unfortunately it was in a losing effort as the Bruins outlasted the Black Hawks 3-2.
March 4, 1980 – Mike Bossy, Number 22 of the New York Islanders posted his 40th hattrick in a game on this day.
March 4, 1984 – Pee Wee Reese and Rick Ferrell were both elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame. Reese wore Number 1 on his uniform for the Brooklyn Dodgers as an infielder from 1940 through 1957 and then an additional season when the team moved to LA. Ferrell was a catcher that wore many different jersey digits with multiple teams but may be best known as being Number 8 on the Washington Senators roster from 1938 to 1944
March 4, 1993 – Perhaps the most famous Number 23 of All-Time, NBA player Michael Jordan won an ESPY award on this day for his play on the court for the Chicago Bulls.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
1956 – Inventors working with the Cleveland Browns used the first radio transmitter in a QB helmet. John Campbell and George Sarles, a couple of inventors from Ohio approached Cleveland’s head Coach Paul Brown, who was always up for being on the cutting edge of innovation, with an idea. The two inventors had developed a radio transmission system that they felt could be installed into a football helmet safely to improve communication with the sideline. Brown loved the idea and asked the two men to develop the gadget in secrecy. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the radio was carefully mounted into the helmet and, using the seclusion of a wooded area behind Campbell’s home, the pair proceeded to test the unit. Sarles retreated to the woods with the helmet. The signal became weak and communication broke off.
When Sarles did not return, Campbell set out to find his partner. Soon thereafter, he spotted Sarles talking with a police officer who had intercepted the signal. It was very Fortunate for Sarles and Campbell, that the officer was a Browns fan and agreed to keep the discovery under wraps. It is this test that we believe took place on March 4, 1956. Nonetheless, the pair changed the frequency on the unit.
The helmet was first used by Quarterback George Ratterman in a preseason exhibition against Detroit. The Lions sideline became suspicious during the game when they didn’t see Brown’s shuttling lineman into the game to carry plays so they sent a scout who discovered the transmitter on a light pole behind the Cleveland bench. The Browns were able to use the radio helmet for three more games but then NFL Commissioner Bert Bell stepped in and banned the device. In 1985 John Campbell donated the innovative helmet to the Pro Football Hall of Fame where it is currently on display. The device was patented by Sarles on September 15, 1959, see that story here.
1888 – Marks the birth of Knute Rockne, a name synonymous with Notre Dame football and a pivotal figure in the sport’s early development. His innovative coaching strategies, including the famed “Notre Dame Box” offense, revolutionized the game. During his 13-year tenure, Rockne amassed over 100 victories and secured three national championships, solidifying Notre Dame’s place as a football powerhouse. Beyond wins, Rockne’s charisma and motivational prowess elevated football’s popularity, transforming it into a national spectacle. His legacy extends far beyond his lifetime, influencing the very fabric of American football.
1964 – Frewsburg, New York – The stud linebacker of the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1983 through 1986, Shane Conlan was born. Shane according to the NFF’s bio on his was a 1986 Consensus First-Team All-American and a finalist for the Butkus Award. Conlan recorded eight tackles and two interceptions in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl over Miami (Fla.) to give Penn State the national title. In two different seasons Shane led the Penn State defense in tackles and he finished off his collegiate career ranked second on the Lions’ All-Time tackles list with 274, and his 183 solo tackles still rank third in school history. The National Football Foundation selected the name of Shane Conlan for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014. After graduation Shane became the 8th overall pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 1987 NFL Draft. The linebacker played six seasons with the Bills and three for the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams before retiring after the 1995 season. Conlan was the 1987 Rookie of the Year and a three-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection played in three straight Super Bowls with the Bills.
1971 – Rochester, New York – The standout running back of 1990 to 1992 from Ithaca College, Jeff Wittman arrived into this life. The FootballFoundation.org website states that Jeff earned First -Team All-America status 3 times with the Bombers. Jeff led his Ithaca Bombers team to the Division III national title in 1991 and was subsequently named as the MVP of the Stagg Bowl after punching in three touchdowns in the contest. .The NFF voters chose Jeff Wittman to receive the honor of entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013. He is only the second person from the school to have made it into the HOF, the other being head coach Jim Butterfield.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
| 1912 | With the shacks torn down and the garbage pits filled in the Pigtown section in Brooklyn, Charles Ebbets breaks ground for his team’s new Bedford Avenue ballpark. The Dodgers’ Flatbush facility, which will serve as the team’s beloved home for 44 years, will be named for its owner after a reporter at the ceremony suggested the idea to Charley. |
| 1913 | The Yankees become the first team to train outside of the United States when they start spring training in Bermuda, playing nine games against the International League’s New Jersey Skeeters. The minor league team had trained on the island nation in 1912, playing on a converted cricket field in Hamilton, known as Bernard Park today. |
| 1919 | Giants’ manager John McGraw sells Slim Sallee to the Reds, but the team will purchase the southpaw back next year. During his five seasons with New York, ‘Scatter’ compiles a 42-23 (.646) record and an ERA of 2.26. |
| 1921 | After spending the first 12 years of his career with the Red Sox, the team trades veteran outfielder Harry Hooper to the White Sox for Nemo Leibold and Shano Collins. The future Hall of Famer will finish his playing days in Chicago, hitting .302 during his five seasons in the Windy City, thirty points higher than his average in Boston, finishing with a .281 lifetime batting average during his 17-year tenure in the major leagues. |
| 1948 | Cardinals outfielder Stan Musial ends his holdout, signing for $31,000, the same salary he made last season, after new owners Robert Hannegan and Fred Saigh assure him that his salary will increase based on his performance. ‘Stan the Man’ gets a pay raise of $5,000 when he is hitting .403 at the All-Star break en route to being named the National League’s MVP. |
| 1972 | The Rangers swap former 30-game winner Denny McLain to the A’s for two minor league pitchers, Jim Panther and Don Stanhouse. After making five starts for his new team, the two-time Cy Young Award winner will traded to the Braves in exchange for Orlando Cepeda. |
| 1976 | The Giants, due to the intervention of San Francisco mayor George Moscone, will stay in the City by the Bay. In a last-minute deal, the Stoneham family sells the team to Bob Lurie and Bud Herseth for $8 million instead of the Labatt’s Brewery, which had planned to move the Giants to Canada. |
| 1984 | The Special Veterans Committee selects two outstanding defensive players, shortstop Pee Wee Reese and catcher Rick Ferrell, as members of Baseball’s Hall of Fame. Cooperstown’s newest infielder batted .269 during his 16-year career, all with the Dodgers, and the former Browns, Senators, and Red Sox’s backstop hit .281 in his 18-year major league tenure. |
| 2004 | Commissioner Bud Selig announces Major League Baseball will celebrate “Jackie Robinson Day” in every ballpark on April 15, the anniversary of the debut of the first black player in the major leagues. Jackie’s number (42) was retired for all time in a ceremony at Shea Stadium in April of 1997 to mark the 50th anniversary of Robinson’s achievement. |
| 2006 | “We are sorry that certain players will not be present for portions of spring training. These players have elected to participate in the World Baseball Classic. The World Baseball Classic is an event sanctioned by the commissioner of Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association. The New York Yankees did not vote to support this event.”– LEGENDS FIELD SIGN, apologizing for the absence of star players. Before the scheduled exhibition game at Legends Field in Tampa, the Yankees, using a sign outside the park, apologize to the fans for Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon, and Bernie Williams not playing due to their participation in the World Baseball Classic. Bronx Bombers boss George Steinbrenner had abstained when the owners approved the World Cup-type tournament at the urging of baseball commissioner Bud Selig. |
| 2008 | Brad Hawpe and the Rockies agree to $17,425,000 for three years, replacing the $3,925,000, one-year contract signed in January. Joining right-hander Aaron Cook, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, and closer Manny Corpas, the Colorado right fielder becomes the fourth young player of the National League champs to receive a long-term deal. |
| 2012 | A swarm of bees that moved down the right-field line and settled near the Giants’ dugout behind first base causes the evacuation of two sections of fans, delaying the split-squad game against the Diamondbacks for 41 minutes. The Salt River Fields grounds crew uses a combination of lemonade and cotton candy obtained from the concession stand to lure the buzzing insects away from fans and players. |
TV SPORTS TUESDAY
| MLB SPRING TRAINING | TIME ET | TV |
| NY Mets vs St. Louis | 1:05pm | ESPN |
| Cincinnati vs LA Dodgers | 8:05pm | MLBN |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Toronto Raptors vs Orlando Magic | 7:00pm | Sportsnet FanDuel Sports FL |
| Houston Rockets vs Indiana Pacers | 7:00 PM | SCHN FanDuel Sports IND |
| Milwaukee Bucks vs Atlanta Hawks | 7:30 PM | FanDuel Sports WI FanDuel Sports ATL |
| Golden State Warriors vs New York Knicks | 7:30 PM | TNT MAX |
| Cleveland Cavaliers vs Chicago Bulls | 8:00 PM | CHSN FanDuel Sports Ohio |
| Philadelphia 76ers vs Minnesota Timberwolves | 8:00 PM | NBCS-PHI FanDuel Sports North |
| Brooklyn Nets vs San Antonio Spurs | 8:30 PM | YES KENS |
| Los Angeles Clippers vs Phoenix Suns | 10:00 PM | TNT truTV MAX |
| New Orleans Pelicans vs Los Angeles Lakers | 10:30 PM | GCSN Spectrum |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Carolina Hurricanes vs Detroit Red Wings | 7:00pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports South FanDuel Sports Detroit |
| Columbus Blue Jackets vs Tampa Bay Lightning | 7:00pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports Ohio FanDuel Sports Sun |
| Nashville Predators vs Boston Bruins | 7:00pm | ESPN+ NESN FanDuel Sports South |
| San Jose Sharks vs Buffalo Sabres | 7:00pm | ESPN+ MSG-BUF NBCS-CA |
| Calgary Flames vs Philadelphia Flyers | 7:00pm | ESPN+ Sportsnet NBCS-PHI |
| Winnipeg Jets vs New York Islanders | 7:30pm | ESPN+ Sportsnet MSGSN |
| New Jersey Devils vs Dallas Stars | 8:00pm | Hulu ESPN+ |
| Anaheim Ducks vs Edmonton Oilers | 9:00pm | Sportsnet Victory+ |
| Pittsburgh Penguins vs Colorado Avalanche | 9:00pm | ATTSN-PIT ALT |
| Minnesota Wild vs Seattle Kraken | 10:00pm | FanDuel Sports North KONG |
| MEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Georgia at South Carolina | 6:00pm | SECN |
| NJIT at Binghamton | 6:00pm | SNY |
| Sun Belt First Round | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UMass Lowell at Maine | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| New Hampshire at Bryant | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| LSU at Kentucky | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |
| North Carolina at Virginia Tech | 7:00pm | ESPNU |
| Creighton at Seton Hall | 7:00pm | FS1 |
| VCU at Duquesne | 7:00pm | CBSSN |
| Miami (FL) at Georgia Tech | 7:00pm | ACCN |
| Saint Louis at Dayton | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Rutgers at Purdue | 7:00pm | Peacock |
| Memphis at UTSA | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UAlbany at Vermont | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Akron at Toledo | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Bowling Green at Northern Illinois | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Central Michigan at Ball State | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Eastern Michigan at Ohio | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Kent State at Western Michigan | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Miami (OH) at Buffalo | 7:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Texas at Mississippi State | 8:00pm | SECN |
| Missouri at Oklahoma | 8:00pm | SEC+ |
| Villanova at Georgetown | 8:00pm | Peacock |
| Temple at Tulsa | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Baylor at TCU | 8:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Sun Belt First Round | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Auburn at Texas A&M | 9:00pm | ESPN |
| BYU at Iowa State | 9:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| Syracuse at SMU | 9:00pm | ESPN2/U |
| Indiana at Oregon | 9:00pm | FS1 |
| Florida State at Virginia | 9:00pm | ACCN |
| New Mexico at Nevada | 9:00pm | CBSSN |
| Boise State at Air Force | 9:00pm | ALT2 |
| San Jose State at Colorado State | 9:00pm | MWN |
| Nebraska at Ohio State | 9:00pm | Peacock |
| West Virginia at Utah | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Arkansas at Vanderbilt | 10:00pm | SECN |
| Wyoming at Fresno State | 10:00pm | MWN |
| Arizona State at Arizona | 11:00pm | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| San Diego State at UNLV | 11:00pm | CBSSN |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| UEFA Champions League: Club Brugge vs Aston Villa | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Champions League: Borussia Dortmund vs Lille | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Champions League: PSV vs Arsenal | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
| UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |