“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL SECTIONAL FINALS
HOMESTEAD.COM
| CLASS 4A | ||||
| LAKE CENTRAL | ||||
| CROWN POINT | 52 | LAKE CENTRAL | 36 | |
| VALPARAISO | ||||
| PORTAGE | 83 | MERRILLVILLE | 62 | |
| MICHIGAN CITY | ||||
| SOUTH BEND RILEY | 55 | LAPORTE | 39 | |
| ELKHART | ||||
| WARSAW | 78 | NORTHRIDGE | 74 | OT |
| CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) | ||||
| CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) | 58 | FORT WAYNE NORTHROP | 39 | |
| FORT WAYNE WAYNE | ||||
| HOMESTEAD | 56 | FORT WAYNE WAYNE | 52 | |
| KOKOMO | ||||
| HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) | 70 | KOKOMO | 63 | |
| CARMEL | ||||
| FISHERS | 55 | NOBLESVILLE | 46 | |
| MUNCIE CENTRAL | ||||
| MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) | 83 | GREENFIELD-CENTRAL | 76 | 2OT |
| LAWRENCE CENTRAL | ||||
| LAWRENCE NORTH | 74 | NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) | 59 | |
| AVON | ||||
| BROWNSBURG | 52 | BEN DAVIS | 49 | 2OT |
| DECATUR CENTRAL | ||||
| MOORESVILLE | 57 | FRANKLIN CENTRAL | 51 | |
| BLOOMINGTON SOUTH | ||||
| TERRE HAUTE NORTH | 64 | BLOOMINGTON SOUTH | 62 | |
| COLUMBUS EAST | ||||
| WHITELAND | 63 | COLUMBUS EAST | 59 | |
| SEYMOUR | ||||
| JEFFERSONVILLE | 62 | NEW ALBANY | 47 | |
| EVANSVILLE HARRISON | ||||
| EVANSVILLE HARRISON | 68 | EVANSVILLE REITZ | 61 | |
| CLASS 3A | ||||
| EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL | ||||
| EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL | 64 | GARY WEST | 53 | |
| KANKAKEE VALLEY | ||||
| HANOVER CENTRAL | 67 | RIVER FOREST | 50 | |
| PLYMOUTH | ||||
| SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH | 47 | CULVER ACADEMY | 45 | |
| NORTHWOOD | ||||
| COLUMBIA CITY | 45 | TIPPECANOE VALLEY | 43 | OT |
| GARRETT | ||||
| FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK | 55 | LEO | 34 | |
| BELLMONT | ||||
| MARION | 92 | NEW HAVEN | 88 | OT |
| LOGANSPORT | ||||
| MACONAQUAH | 88 | LOGANSPORT | 77 | |
| NEW CASTLE | ||||
| DELTA | 50 | NEW CASTLE | 37 | |
| FRANKFORT | ||||
| GUERIN CATHOLIC | 63 | TRI-WEST | 39 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE | ||||
| INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS | 71 | INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE | 55 | |
| CASCADE | ||||
| NORTHVIEW | 70 | SPEEDWAY | 40 | |
| SHELBYVILLE | ||||
| NEW PALESTINE | 66 | INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI | 55 | |
| SOUTH DEARBORN | ||||
| JENNINGS COUNTY | 69 | SOUTH DEARBORN | 55 | |
| CHARLESTOWN | ||||
| BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL | 52 | SILVER CREEK | 50 | |
| SOUTHRIDGE | ||||
| PRINCETON | 43 | WASHINGTON | 33 | |
| BOONVILLE | ||||
| EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL | 56 | EVANSVILLE CENTRAL | 43 | |
| CLASS 2A | ||||
| HEBRON | ||||
| GARY 21ST CENTURY | 84 | HEBRON | 50 | |
| JIMTOWN | ||||
| JIMTOWN | 54 | BREMEN | 40 | |
| WESTVIEW | ||||
| WESTVIEW | 52 | CENTRAL NOBLE | 44 | |
| SOUTH ADAMS | ||||
| FORT WAYNE LUERS | 73 | WOODLAN | 47 | |
| NORTH MONTGOMERY | ||||
| WESTERN BOONE | 55 | SEEGER | 37 | |
| WABASH | ||||
| MANCHESTER | 70 | OAK HILL | 38 | |
| FRANKTON | ||||
| TIPTON | 43 | FRANKTON | 42 | |
| BLACKFORD | ||||
| WAPAHANI | 74 | MADISON-GRANT | 46 | |
| GREENCASTLE | ||||
| PARKE HERITAGE | 67 | SOUTH VERMILLION | 32 | |
| PARK TUDOR | ||||
| UNIVERSITY | 58 | INDIANAPOLIS RITTER | 42 | |
| CHRISTEL HOUSE | ||||
| TRITON CENTRAL | 37 | INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA | 30 | |
| HAGERSTOWN | ||||
| CENTERVILLE | 61 | NORTHEASTERN | 57 | |
| SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER) | ||||
| SOUTH RIPLEY | 75 | SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER) | 60 | |
| PAOLI | ||||
| PROVIDENCE | 41 | PAOLI | 40 | |
| EASTERN GREENE | ||||
| LINTON | 61 | WEST VIGO | 36 | |
| TELL CITY | ||||
| FOREST PARK | 69 | EVANSVILLE MATER DEI | 67 | |
| CLASS 1A | ||||
| KOUTS | ||||
| KOUTS | 61 | WASHINGTON TWP. | 52 | |
| TRI-COUNTY | ||||
| TRI-COUNTY | 58 | WEST CENTRAL | 51 | |
| NORTH JUDSON | ||||
| TRITON | 51 | TRINITY GREENLAWN | 32 | |
| FREMONT | ||||
| LAKEWOOD PARK | 36 | FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY | 35 | |
| NORTH VERMILLION | ||||
| LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC | 50 | COVINGTON | 40 | |
| CLINTON CENTRAL | ||||
| CLINTON PRAIRIE | 65 | FRONTIER | 37 | |
| SOUTHWOOD | ||||
| DALEVILLE | 64 | NORTHFIELD | 60 | |
| BLUE RIVER | ||||
| MONROE CENTRAL | 73 | SETON CATHOLIC | 55 | |
| PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE | ||||
| LIBERTY CHRISTIAN | 61 | ANDERSON PREP | 40 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN | ||||
| INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN | 59 | INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN | 49 | |
| EDINBURGH | ||||
| NORTH DECATUR | 49 | EDINBURGH | 36 | |
| MILAN | ||||
| HAUSER | 81 | MILAN | 49 | |
| WHITE RIVER VALLEY | ||||
| CLAY CITY | 82 | NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) | 40 | |
| LOOGOOTEE | ||||
| ORLEANS | 42 | NORTH DAVIESS | 34 | |
| WEST WASHINGTON | ||||
| CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | 48 | BORDEN | 35 | |
| SPRINGS VALLEY | ||||
| NORTHEAST DUBOIS | 73 | WOOD MEMORIAL | 58 | |
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
#19 KENTUCKY 91 #15 MISSOURI 83
ARKANSAS 93 #25 MISSISSIPPI STATE 92
#6 ST. JOHN’S 86 #20 MARQUETTE 84 OT
PENN STATE 86 #12 WISCONSIN 75
#10 IOWA STATE 73 KANSAS STATE 57
#4 TENNESSEE 75 SOUTH CAROLINA 65
#14 LOUISVILLE 68 STANFORD 48
#7 ALABAMA 93 #1 AUBURN 91 OT
#13 MAYRLAND 74 NORTHWESTERN 61
#3 HOUSTON 65 BAYLOR 61
#23 BYU 85 UTAH 74
#2 DUKE 82 NORTH CAROLINA 69
#9 TEXAS TECH 85 ARIZONA STATE 57
#5 FLORIDA 90 OLE MISS 71
KANSAS 83 #24 ARIZONA 76
#11 CLEMSON 65 VIRGINIA TECH 47
#22 TEXAS A&M 66 LSU 52
BIG 10:
INDIANA 66 OHIO STATE 60
UCLA 90 USC 63
BIG EAST:
DEPAUL 83 GEORGETOWN 77
UCONN 81 SETON HALL 50
XAVIER 76 PROVIDENCE 68
CREIGHTON 87 BUTLER 74
ACC:
WAKE FOREST 69 GEORGIA TECH 43
MIAMI 72 NC STATE 70
FLORIDA STATE 76 SMU 69
NOTRE DAME 112 CALIFORNIA 110 4OT
PITTSBURGH 93 BOSTON COLLEGE 67
SYRACUSE 84 VIRGINIA 70
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
#7 NC STATE 66 #14 NORTH CAROLINA 55
#3 UCONN 71 ST. JOHN’S 40
#11 DUKE 61 #6 NOTRE DAME 56
#25 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 84 NORTH DAKOTA 55
#2 USC 82 MICHIGAN 70
#8 TCU 71 #16 WEST VIRGINIA 65
#5 SOUTH CAROLINA 93 #10 OKLAHOMA 75
#4 UCLA 75 #13 OHIO STATE 46
#17 BAYLOR 84 #21 OKLAHOMA STATE 74 OT
#23 CREIGHTON 72 GEORGETOWN 70
#1 TEXAS 56 #9 LSU 49
MAC:
CENTRAL MICHIGAN 70 AKRON 61
BALL STATE 82 OHIO 57
MIAMI OH 89 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 79
BOWLING GREEN 87 EASTERN MICHIGAN 67
BUFFALO 80 WESTERN MICHIGAN 54
KENT STATE 69 TOLEDO 62
MISSOURI VALLEY:
MURRAY STATE 109 INDIANA STATE 70
MISSOURI STATE 64 BRADLEY 54
NORTHERN IOWA 85 VALPO 73
ILLINOIS STATE 99 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 86
BELMONT 75 EVANSVILLE 48
BIG EAST:
SETON HALL 48 XAVIER 40
INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES
BUTLER 11 LINDENWOOD 10
TENNESSEE TECH 5 PURDUE FT. WAYNE 0
BALL STATE 8 WESTERN MICHIGAN 2
OHIO STATE 15 VALPO 4
EVANSVILLE 6 CENTRAL ARKANSAS 5
INDIANA STATE 3 SE MISSOURI 0
ORAL ROBERTS 4 SOUTHERN INDIANA 2
WAKE FOREST 6 NOTRE DAME 5
PURDUE 11 MINNESOTA 6
INDIANA COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES
NOTRE DAME 3 LOUISVILLE 2
BUTLER 7 DEPAUL 4
ST. LOUIS 8 PURDUE 5
PURDUE 3 BRADLEY 1
INDIANA 11 WESTERN MICHIGAN 3
IU INDY 7 WESTERN MICHIGAN 2
PURDUE FT. WAYNE 4 INDIANA STATE 0
INDIANA STATE 3 SE MISSOURI 0
SE MISSOURI 4 INDIANA STATE 1
BOWLING GREEN 7 IU INDY 2
EASTERN KENTUCKY 12 PURDUE FT. WAYNE 4
BALL STATE 6 EVANSVILLE 1
LOYOLA CHICAGO 11 VALPO 4
OHIO STATE 15 VALPO 4
EVANSVILLE 5 STONEHILL 2
WESTERN ILLINOIS 4 SOUTHERN INDIANA 2
INDIANA MEN’S COLLEGE LAX SCORES
#15 OHIO STATE 10 #2 NOTRE DAME 9
INDIANA WOMEN’S COLLEGE LAX SCORES
#1 BOSTON COLLEGE 15 #22 NOTRE DAME 9
NBA SCORES
CHARLOTTE 105 BROOKLYN 102
HOUSTON 146 NEW ORLEANS 117
WASHINGTON 118 TORONTO 117
ATLANTA 120 INDIANA 118
ORLANDO 111 MILWAUKEE 109
CHICAGO 114 MIAMI 109
GOLDEN STATE 115 DETROIT 110
BOSTON 111 LA LAKERS 101
NHL SCORES
SEATTLE 4 PHILADELPHIA 1
OTTAWA 4 NY RANGERS 3
BOSTON 4 TAMPA BAY 0
FLORIDA 4 BUFFALO 0
CALGARY 1 MONTRÉAL 0
COLORADO 7 TORONTO 4
LOS ANGELES 2 ST. LOUIS 1 OT
NASHVILLE 3 CHICAGO 2 OT
NY ISLANDERS 4 SAN JOSE 2
EDMONTON 5 DALLAS 4
MLS SCORES
COLUMBUS 0 HOUSTON 0
SEATTLE 5 LOS ANGELES 2
NEW YORK CITY 2 ORLANDO CITY 1
PHILADELPHIA 2 NEW ENGLAND 0
DC UNITED 2 KANSAS CITY 1
CINCINNATI 2 TORONTO 0
ATLANTA 0 NY RED BULLS 0
NASHVILLE 2 PORTLAND 0
CHICAGO 3 DALLAS 1
COLORADO 1 AUSTIN 0
VANCOUVER 2 MONTRÉAL 0
SAN DIEGO 3 SALT LAKE 1
MINNESOTA 1 SAN JOSE 0
MLB SCORES
ST. LOUIS 5 WASHINGTON 3
ATLANTA 6 PITTSBURGH 5
PHILADELPHIA 5 TORONTO 4
MINNESOTA 9 BOSTON 8
TAMPA BAY 6 BALTIMORE 3
TORONTO 5 DETROIT 0
CHICAGO WHITE SOX 5 LA DODGERS 2
CINCINNATI 9 ARIZONA 8
SAN FRANCISCO 7 KANSAS CITY 3
CHICAGO CUBS 9 SEATTLE 8
TEXAS 5 KANSAS CITY 3
SAN DIEGO 7 CLEVELAND 2
LAS VEGAS 8 COLORADO 1
LA ANGELS 6 MILWAUKEE 2
LAS VEGAS 4 ARIZONA 2
HOUSTON 5 NY YANKEES 2
NY METS 7 MIAMI 3
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
NFL NEWS
REPORT: DARNOLD NOT EXPECTED TO RETURN TO VIKINGS
Sam Darnold is not expected to return to the Minnesota Vikings, sources told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The Vikings are now focused on other options, which include re-signing Daniel Jones. J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota’s first-round pick in 2024, is expected to be ready for spring practices after undergoing meniscus surgery in August. However, the team still wants to add a veteran signal-caller behind McCarthy.
Minnesota decided not to franchise tag Darnold, who will become an unrestricted free agent in a few days. After the tag deadline passed, the two sides were reportedly open to a reunion.
The Seattle Seahawks, after trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, have shifted their primary focus to signing Darnold when free agency opens, sources told Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. He is their top option, and both sides have mutual interest.
Darnold, 27, signed a one-year, $10-million contract with Minnesota in 2024. He started all 17 regular-season games, throwing for 4,319 yards with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. It was the first time Darnold was a primary starter since 2021.
BILLS SIGN ROUSSEAU TO 4-YEAR EXTENSION REPORTEDLY WORTH $80M
The Buffalo Bills signed defensive end Greg Rousseau to a four-year, extension, the team announced Saturday.
The deal keeps Rousseau in Buffalo through the 2029 season and is worth $80 million, including $54 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Rousseau is coming off his best season since being drafted in the first round by the Bills in 2021, totaling 53 tackles, 24 quarterback hits, and eight sacks last campaign.
Buffalo has been active in locking up key players this offseason. In addition to the Rousseau extension, the Bills signed wide receiver Khalil Shakir and linebacker Terrel Bernard to long-term deals.
Rousseau, 24, has 66 quarterback hits and 25 sacks in 62 career games.
CHIEFS’ WORTHY ARRESTED ON FELONY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CHARGE
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs rookie Xavier Worthy has been arrested on a felony domestic violence charge, the second high-profile wide receiver from the reigning AFC champions to be facing serious legal trouble in Texas in less than a year.
Williamson County online jail records Saturday showed that Worthy was arrested Friday by deputies and held in the county jail on a charge of assault on a family or household member in which their breath was impeded, or choking in common terms.
Williamson County includes parts of Austin, where Worthy played college football at the University of Texas.
In a statement, Worthy’s attorneys, Chip Lewis and Sam Bassett, said their client was innocent of the charge against him.
His attorneys said the allegation was made by a female who had been living in Worthy’s home in Williamson County. The statement said the female had been asked to leave the home multiple times over the last two weeks “upon discovery of her infidelity.”
“She has refused to vacate the residence and made a number of extortive efforts prior to resorting to this baseless allegation against Mr. Worthy,” the statement said. “The complainant further destroyed a room in the residence, scratched Mr. Worthy’s face and ripped out parts of his hair, which there is photographic evidence of. Worthy told law enforcement at the time of the incident he did not want to press charges against the complainant.”
The Chiefs told The Associated Press on Saturday that they were aware of the situation and still gathering information.
Under Texas law, impeding breathing means “intentionally, knowingly or recklessly impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of the person by applying pressure to the person’s throat or neck or by blocking the person’s nose or mouth.”
The charge is a third-degree felony in Texas, with a possible punishment of two to 10 years in prison. Jail records showed Worthy had not yet posted bond by Saturday morning. The records did not have any details of the arrest or list an attorney.
Worthy was chosen by the Chiefs with the 28th overall pick in last year’s draft after setting the record for the fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He got off to a quick start by scoring a pair of touchdowns in his NFL debut, and after a midseason lull, he became the Chiefs’ go-to wide receiver as they chased an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title.
Worthy finished with 59 catches for 638 yards and six TDs while running 20 times for 104 yards and three more scores.
He was one of the few bright spots for the Chiefs in a 40-22 loss to Philadelphia in the Super Bowl, too. Worthy caught all eight of his targets for 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns at the Superdome in New Orleans.
The Chiefs came to rely on Worthy in part because of a season-ending injury to wide receiver Rashee Rice, who was coming off a brilliant rookie season of his own. Rice caught 24 passes for 288 yards and two TDs in four games before getting hurt.
Rice and another driver, Theodore Knox, were involved in a high-speed car crash in March 2024 that triggered a chain reaction on a highway in Dallas, close to where he had played college football at SMU. Rice is currently facing at least two civil lawsuits along with numerous criminal charges for his role in the wreck.
Rice turned himself in following the crash, and his attorney, Texas Sen. Royce West, said that the wide receiver admitted that he was driving the Lamborghini involved. Rice also posted on social media that he took responsibility for his role in the crash.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Mark Sears connected on a 15-foot floater as time expired in overtime to give No. 7 Alabama a dramatic 93-91 victory over top-ranked Auburn in Southeastern Conference play on Saturday afternoon.
Sears had a quiet game with nine points but hit the big shot to give the Crimson Tide (24-7, 13-5 SEC) a regular-season split with the Tigers. Grant Nelson led Alabama with 23 points and eight rebounds, Clifford Omoruyi had a 15-point, eight-rebound effort and Labaron Philon also added 15 points in the upset.
Johni Broome notched a career-high 34 points and added eight rebounds, five blocked shots and three steals for Auburn (27-4, 15-3). Tahaad Pettiford had 19 points and six assists while Miles Kelly added 13 points for the Tigers.
After a Nelson layup put Alabama on top 79-77 with two minutes remaining, the Tigers evened things up with Broome’s lay-in with under a minute to go. Both teams missed potential game-winners before the contest went to overtime. In the extra session, Broome hit a 3-pointer to tie the game 91-91 with 15 seconds left, but Sears sealed the win for the Crimson Tide with his shot at the buzzer.
No. 2 Duke 82, North Carolina 69
After trailing by seven points in the second half, the Blue Devils rallied to clinch the outright regular-season Atlantic Coast Conference championship with a win over the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Kon Knueppel had 17 points to pace Duke (28-3, 19-1 ACC), while Tyrese Proctor and Sion James each added 16.
RJ Davis paced North Carolina (20-12, 13-7) with 20 points, while Ven-Allen Lubin chipped in with 11. UNC led 59-53 in the second half before Duke ripped off a 22-5 run to go in front 75-64 with under five minutes to play.
No. 3 Houston 65, Baylor 61
L.J. Cryer tied his season high of six 3-pointers and scored 23 points to help the Cougars notch a victory over the Bears in Big 12 play at Waco, Texas.
Milos Uzan added 12 points as the Cougars (27-4, 19-1 Big 12) won their 10th consecutive game. Houston also improved to 10-0 on the road this season and won its 14th straight overall, the longest active streak in the nation. J’Wan Roberts contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds and Emanuel Sharp also scored 11 points for the Cougars, who will be the No. 1 seed in next week’s Big 12 tournament. Baylor will be the No. 7 seed.
V.J. Edgecombe recorded 23 points and three steals for the Bears (18-13, 10-10), who lost for the fourth time in six games. Norchad Omier had 13 points and 16 rebounds for his 19th double-double of the season and Langston Love had 10 points.
No. 4 Tennessee 75, South Carolina 65
The Volunteers closed out Southeastern Conference play with a win over the Gamecocks behind Chaz Laniers’ 23 points in Knoxville, Tenn.
Cade Phillips had a career-high 15 points for Tennessee (25-6, 12-6 SEC), which earned a double-bye in the SEC tournament, and Igor Milicic Jr. added 13.
South Carolina (12-19, 2-16) was led by Jamarii Thomas’ 20 points. Nick Pringle contributed 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Gamecocks, who lost for the 12th time in 14 games against the Volunteers.
No. 5 Florida 90, Ole Miss 71
With Walter Clayton Jr. scoring 23 points and handing out eight assists, the Gators earned the No. 2 seed in the Southeastern Conference with the win over the Rebels in Gainesville, Fla.
Alex Condon finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds for Florida (27-4, 14-4 SEC), while Alijah Martin added 13 points.
Sean Pedulla led Ole Miss (21-10, 10-8) with 22 points, and Jaylen Murray scored 12. But the Rebels allowed 19 second-chance points in the loss.
No. 6 St. John’s 86, No. 20 Marquette 84 (OT)
Zuby Ejiofor buried a buzzer-beating floater in overtime to lift the Red Storm to a Big East win against the Golden Eagles in Milwaukee, Wisc.
Ejiofor also at 12 rebounds for the Red Storm (27-4, 18-2 Big East), and RJ Luis Jr. led the way with 28 points. With 10 points, 11 assists and 12 boards, Kadary Richmond recorded the first St. John’s triple-double since Ron Artest in 1999.
Kam Jones paced Marquette (22-9, 13-7) with 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. David Joplin added 21 points for the Golden Eagles.
No. 9 Texas Tech 85, Arizona State 57
JT Toppin had 25 points and 11 rebounds for his 14th double-double of the season as the Red Raiders posted a Big 12 Conference win over the Sun Devils in Tempe, Ariz.
Christian Anderson had 21 points off the bench for Texas Tech (24-7, 15-5 Big 12), and Kerwin Walton finished with 11 points.
Basheer Jihad had 22 points and six rebounds to lead Arizona State (13-18, 4-16), Joson Sanon added 16 points, and Alston Mason scored 14.
No. 10 Iowa State 73, Kansas State 57
Curtis Jones had 24 points, Joshua Jefferson contributed 14, and the Cyclones never trailed as they picked up a Big 12 Conference win over the Wildcats in Manhattan Kan.
David N’Guessan put up 19 points to pace Kansas State (15-16, 9-11 Big 12), Dug McDaniel added 14, but the Wildcats missed seven of their first eight shots to fall into a 17-6 deficit out of the gate.
Iowa State (23-8, 13-7) put together an 11-0 run to extend its lead to 51-34 midway through the second half and never had its lead tip to single digits the rest of the way.
No. 11 Clemson 65, Virginia Tech 47
The Tigers picked up the wire-to-wire win thanks in part to Viktor Lakhin’s 16 points and seven rebounds in the Atlantic Coast Conference victory over the visiting Hokies.
Jaeden Zackery had 12 points for Clemson (26-5, 18-2 ACC), which won its eighth straight and matched the program record for single-season wins.
Brandon Rechsteiner posted 11 points and Jaydon Young had 10 for the Hokes (13-18, 8-12), who were outscored 25-11 in points off turnovers.
Penn State 86, No. 12 Wisconsin 75
D’Marco Dunn had a career-high 25 points as the Nittany Lions concluded Big Ten play with a Big Ten upset over the Badgers in Madison, Wis.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser registered 15 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks for Penn State (16-14, 6-14 Big Ten), which snapped a 23-game losing streak on the road against Wisconsin. Zach Hicks added 14 points and seven boards for the Nittany Lions, who did not qualify for the conference tournament next week.
Steven Crowl and John Blackwell both scored 19 points for the Badgers (23-8, 13-7), who lost despite leading by as much as 13 points. Jon Tonje had 13 points and seven rebounds for Wisconsin, and Kamari McGee chipped in with 11.
No. 13 Maryland 74, Northwestern 61
Julian Reese had 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Terrapins to a Big Ten Conference regular season-ending win over the Wildcats in College Park, Md.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie added 17 points and Derik Queen totaled 10 points and 10 boards for Maryland (24-7, 14-6 Big Ten), which won for the seventh time in eight games.
Nick Martinelli had 28 points and seven rebounds to pace Northwestern (16-15, 7-13), and Ty Berry had 10 points.
No. 14 Louisville 68, Stanford 48
Chucky Hepburn and Terrence Edwards Jr. each scored 16 points and the Cardinals closed the regular season with their ninth straight Atlantic Coast Conference victory thanks to a win over the visiting Cardinal.
J’Vonne Hadley added 11 points to go with nine rebounds for Louisville (25-6, 18-2 ACC).
Maxime Raynaud paced Stanford (19-12, 11-9) with 17 points and 11 rebounds for his nation-leading 23rd double-double of the season.
No. 19 Kentucky 91, No. 15 Missouri 83
Otega Oweh had 22 points, Koby Brea chipped in with 17 and the Wildcats picked up a Southeastern Conference win over the Tigers in Columbia, Mo.
Andrew Carr posted 16 points and 12 rebounds for Kentucky (21-10, 10-8 SEC) and Amari Williams added 14 points and eight boards for Kentucky.
Mark Mitchell paced the Tigers (21-10, 10-8) with 22 points and Marques Warrick has 17. Jacob Crews contributed 12 points for Missouri, which lost at home for just the second time in 20 games.
No. 22 Texas A&M 66, LSU 52
The Aggies opened the second half on a 23-5 run as they cruised to a regular season-ending Southeastern Conference win over the Tigers in Baton Rouge, La.
Wade Taylor IV had 17 points to pace Texas A&M (22-9, 11-7 SEC) and Henry Coleman added 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Aggies picked up their second straight win.
Jordan Sears led LSU (14-17, 3-15) with 21 points, including 16 in the first half. The Tigers, though, were outrebounded 42-27 and outscored in second-chance points 17-9.
No. 23 BYU 85, Utah 74
Five players scored in double figures to help the Cougars avenge a January loss to Utah with a victory in Provo, giving the Cougars an eight-game winning streak heading into next week’s Big 12 Conference tournament.
At 23-8 overall and 14-6 in the conference, the Cougars will be no worse than the fourth seed at the Big 12 tourney. Dawson Baker came off the bench to score a team-high 15 points for BYU, while Richie Saunders added 14 despite foul trouble.
Miro Little hit 6 of 8 3-pointers and scored a game-high 21 points off the bench for the Utes (16-15, 8-12), who fell to 1-3 under interim coach Josh Eilert. Leading scorer Gabe Madsen made just 3 of 13 3-pointers and tallied just nine points.
Kansas 83, No. 24 Arizona 76
Hunter Dickinson exploded for 33 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Jayhawks to the Big 12 Conference win over the Wildcats in Lawrence, Kan.
Zeke Mayo finished with 20 points on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range for Kansas (20-11, 11-9 Big 12), while KJ Adams totaled 12 points and eight boards.
Jaden Bradley posted 21 points to lead Arizona (20-11, 14-6), while Caleb Love contributed 16. Kansas, however, ended the game on a 17-8 run to secure the victory.
Arkansas 93, No. 25 Mississippi State 92
Jonas Aidoo hit a free throw with 11 seconds left, and the Razorbacks escaped with a 93-92 Southeastern Conference upset win in Fayetteville, Ark., as Riley Kugel missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer for Mississippi State.
DJ Wagner had 24 points for Arkansas (19-12, 8-10 SEC), while Aidoo added 10 rebounds. Johnell Davis had 15 points for Arkansas.
Claudell Harris Jr. had 18 points for Mississippi State (20-11, 8-10), Josh Hubbard finished with 17, and both Cameron Matthews and KeShawn Murphy added 13.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
BIG 10
Unanimous first-team all-Big Ten forward Kiki Iriafen scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as No. 2 Southern California pulled away late for an 82-70 win over fifth-seeded Michigan in the first Big Ten tournament semifinal Saturday in Indianapolis.
JuJu Watkins scored 11 of her 20 points in the fourth quarter and added 11 rebounds as the top-seeded Trojans (28-2) rallied from their second halftime deficit this season to advance to Sunday’s championship game versus the winner of the No. 4 UCLA vs. No.13 Ohio State semifinal.
Freshman Syla Swords paced the Wolverines (22-10) with 26 points and six rebounds. Fellow frosh Olivia Olson posted 13 points and nine rebounds while Jordan Hobbs added 12 points.
Michigan had chances to pull off its first win over a Top 2 team in program history. The Wolverines built a 27-18 first-half lead, owned a 46-39 lead midway through the third quarter and forged a 60-60 tie on Swords’ pair of free throws with 6:29 left. But USC reeled off the next 14 points against a Wolverines squad playing their fourth game in 72 hours.
BIG EAST
Paige Bueckers scored 20 points and Sarah Strong had 10 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks as No. 3 UConn blew past St. John’s 71-40 in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament on Saturday in Uncasville, Conn.
Top-seeded UConn outshot eighth-seeded St. John’s 45.3 percent to 28.6 percent and forced 16 turnovers while committing only four. The Huskies (29-3), who also got 11 points from Azzi Fudd, will face Villanova in the semifinals.
St. John’s made its first shot of the game for a 2-0 lead but proceeded to finish the first quarter 1-for-11 with six turnovers, letting UConn race ahead 18-2. Kaitlyn Chen made it 22-2 early in the second on a fastbreak jumper. The Huskies cruised despite shooting 2-for-19 from 3-point range.
Ariana Vanderhoop and Kylie Lavelle each scored 11 points and Lashae Dwyer had 10 for the Red Storm (16-15).
Villanova 73, Marquette 66
Jasmine Bascoe tallied 18 points, 10 rebounds and four assists as the fifth-seeded Wildcats got past the fourth-seeded Golden Eagles.
Maddie Burke also scored 18 and Maddie Webber had 10 points with five assists for Villanova (18-13), which narrowly won all four quarters to keep Marquette at bay. The Wildcats outscored the Golden Eagles 27-6 at the 3-point line and turned 12 takeaways into 14 points.
Skylar Forbes racked up 20 points and eight rebounds for Marquette (20-10). Halle Vice added 17 and nine, respectively.
SEC
Joyce Edwards scored 21 points to lead a balanced scoring effort and No. 5 South Carolina never trailed in defeating No. 10 Oklahoma 93-75 in the SEC tournament semifinals Saturday in Greenville, S.C.
MiLaysia Fulwiley scored 19, Sania Feagin had 14, Tessa Johnson scored 11 and Chloe Kitts added 10 for the top-seeded Gamecocks (29-3), who will face the winner between No. 1 Texas and No. 9 LSU in the championship game Sunday afternoon.
Sahara Williams scored 17, Payton Verhulst had 15 points, nine assists and six rebounds and Reyna Scott scored 10 points to lead the No. 5 seed Sooners (25-7), who won their previous nine games.
The score was tied three times before South Carolina grabbed a 23-15 lead at the end of the first quarter, built it to 45-28 and halftime maintained control throughout the second half.
NBA NEWS
Jayson Tatum had 40 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists to help the Boston Celtics extend their winning streak to four games by beating the visiting Los Angeles Lakers 111-101 on Saturday night.
It was Tatum’s fourth game with at least 40 points this season. He was 12 of 28 from the field and played 45 minutes.
Jaylen Brown added 31 points and six rebounds for the Celtics, who also received 14 points and nine rebounds from Al Horford.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 34 points and eight rebounds. He made 5 of 10 3-point attempts. The loss ended the Lakers’ eight-game winning streak.
LeBron James had 22 points and 14 rebounds, but he missed each of his six shots from behind the 3-point line. James left the game with a groin strain in the fourth quarter and did not return. Austin Reaves (16 points) was the only other Laker who scored in double figures.
Hornets 105, Nets 102
Miles Bridges poured in 26 points and Charlotte closed the game by scoring the final 12 points to rally past visiting Brooklyn.
Nick Smith Jr. scored 19 points and Moussa Diabate added 16 points and 15 rebounds to help the Hornets snap a nine-game losing streak and beat the Nets for the first time in four meetings this season.
D’Angelo Russell racked up 28 points and Ziare Williams 29 for the Nets, who have lost seven straight.
Rockets 146, Pelicans 117
Dillon Brooks scored a game-high 27 points, Aaron Holiday added 20 off the bench and Amen Thompson flirted with a triple-double as Houston opened a six-game homestand with a wire-to-wire victory over New Orleans.
The Rockets shot 55.6 percent overall, including 17 of 40 from behind the 3-point arc. Seven players scored in double figures for Houston en route to a season-high point total.
Zion Williamson tallied 20 points for the Pelicans. CJ McCollum added 17 points while Jose Alvarado paired 17 points with seven assists off the bench. New Orleans lost for the fourth time in five games.
Hawks 120, Pacers 118
Trae Young had team highs of 36 points and eight assists, helping Atlanta defeat visiting Indiana.
Caris LeVert added 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting off the bench, and Onyeka Okongwu collected 16 points and 16 rebounds. Dyson Daniels added 10 points and five steals as the Hawks won their second game against the Pacers in three days.
Bennedict Mathurin led Indiana with 30 points off the bench, followed by starter Pascal Siakam’s 23. Aaron Nesmith and Myles turner scored 14 points apiece, and Andrew Nembhard posted 11 points and 12 assists. Thomas Bryant chipped in 10 points for the Pacers.
Wizards 118, Raptors 117
Jordan Poole returned after missing three games with an elbow injury to score 34 points and visiting Washington defeated Toronto.
Washington had to wait out a review that ruled that Jamal Shead’s shot that could have won the game for Toronto did not beat the buzzer. Bilal Coulibaly added 18 points for the Wizards, who have won two straight. Khris Middleton and Corey Kispert each scored 12 points. Richaun Holmes had 10 points and 11 rebounds, and Alex Sarr had 10 points and 14 rebounds.
RJ Barrett scored 23 points and Jakob Poeltl scored 21 for Toronto. Scottie Barnes added 18 points for the Raptors. Jared Rhoden scored 13 points, Shead and Jamison Battle each scored 11 points.
Bulls 114, Heat 109
Josh Giddey recorded his third triple-double of the season and hit a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left as visiting Chicago rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Miami.
Giddey had 26 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists for Chicago, which outscored Miami 36-20 in the fourth quarter. Coby White scored 21 points, Zach Collins contributed 18 points and 15 rebounds, Tre Jones added 15 points, Matas Buzelis had 13 and Kevin Huerter chipped in 11 off the bench.
Andrew Wiggins and Bam Adebayo scored 22 points apiece for Miami, which shot 1 of 11 (9.1 percent) in the fourth quarter. The Heat fell a season-low five games under .500. Tyler Herro scored 21 points, Terry Rozier scored 15 points on five 3-pointers, Duncan Robinson added 12 points, and Kel’el Ware had seven points and 12 rebounds.
Warriors 115, Pistons 110
Stephen Curry had 32 points and hit a major milestone with 25,000 career points as Golden State downed Detroit in San Francisco.
Jimmy Butler supplied 26 points, nine rebounds and five assists for the Warriors, who won for the 11th time in 13 games. Draymond Green had 12 points — including a late pivotal 3-pointer — along with nine rebounds and seven assists. Gui Santos had 15 points and six rebounds while Moses Moody added 12 points.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 31 points but also committed nine turnovers. Malik Beasley had 17 points and Tobias Harris contributed 15 with 12 rebounds. Jalen Duren added 13 points with 13 rebounds.
NHL NEWS
Steven Stamkos completed a hat trick in overtime to lift the Nashville Predators to a 3-2 win against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.
Stamkos fired a one-timer from the left circle at 2:39 of the extra frame for his 14th career hat trick.
Justus Annunen made 17 saves for the Predators, who have won three straight.
Alex Vlasic and Ilya Mikheyev scored for the Blackhawks, who are 3-0-2 in their past five games. Arvid Soderblom made 38 saves.
Flames 1, Canadiens 0
Rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf recorded his third shutout of the season and his career while backstopping host Calgary to a shutout victory over Montreal.
Joel Farabee scored the game’s lone goal for the Flames, who moved back into the Western Conference’s second wild-card position. Wolf made 26 saves in an excellent goaltending battle to pitch the goose egg in his team’s first game at home after a six-game road trip. He is the first rookie goaltender in franchise history to record three shutouts in a season.
Jakub Dobes, another freshman netminder, stopped 23 shots for the Canadiens, who had their streak of earning points snapped at six games.
Panthers 4, Sabres 0
Vitek Vanecek made 21 saves in his Panthers debut, and defenseman Nate Schmidt provided two primary assists as Florida defeated visiting Buffalo in Sunrise, Fla.
Florida has won six straight games, and the Panthers have never trailed during that span. The Panthers are also 19-for-19 on the penalty kill in those six games. A.J. Greer, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell and Sam Bennett (empty-netter) scored on Saturday for the Panthers.
Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 32 saves.
Senators 4, Rangers 3 (OT)
Brady Tkachuk scored his second goal of the game 33 seconds into overtime as host Ottawa stormed back for a victory over New York to move into the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot.
Tkachuk scored Ottawa’s first goal just over four minutes into the second and then capped the comeback with a quick shot from the left circle that sailed by goalie Igor Shesterkin’s stick. Ridly Greig and Michael Amadio scored in the final 9:44 of regulation to help Ottawa move one point ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Artemi Panarin gave the Rangers a 3-1 lead by scoring for the fourth straight game 7:08 into the third. Carson Soucy scored 8:37 into the first and Mika Zibanejad scored 3:55 into the second, 11 seconds before Tkachuk’s first goal.
Kings 2, Blues 1 (OT)
Quinton Byfield scored the game-winning goal 27 seconds into overtime for Los Angeles, which snapped a five-game losing streak with a win over visiting St. Louis.
Anze Kopitar scored for the Kings off assists from Drew Doughty and Mikey Anderson, whose stickwork prevented the Blues from scoring less than a minute into the game. Adrian Kempe assisted on Byfield’s second overtime goal of the season, and Darcy Kuemper stopped 19 shots.
Nick Leddy, who missed 45 games because of a lower-body injury, registered his first goal of the season. Jake Neighbours and Zachary Bolduc earned assists for the Blues. Joel Hofer made 21 saves.
Oilers 5, Stars 4
Zach Hyman had two goals and an assist for Edmonton in a win against visiting Dallas.
Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist, Viktor Arvidsson and Connor Brown also scored and Stuart Skinner made 21 saves for Edmonton, which has won three of four following a season-long five-game losing streak.
Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist in his first game with the Stars, who had their four-game winning streak snapped. Wyatt Johnston, Jamie Benn and Matt Dumba also scored and Jake Oettinger made 22 saves for Dallas in the opener of a four-game road trip.
Kraken 4, Flyers 1
Matty Beniers had a goal and an assist and goaltender Philipp Grubauer made 23 saves for his first victory since Dec. 30 as Seattle defeated host Philadelphia.
Tye Kartye, Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour also tallied as the Kraken snapped a two-game losing streak. Kartye and Grubauer were both making their first NHL appearances in more than a month after being recalled from Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League.
Owen Tippett scored for the Flyers, who dropped to 0-3-0 on their seven-game homestand. Samuel Ersson stopped 28 of 32 shots.
Bruins 4, Lightning 0
Goaltender Jeremy Swayman broke a personal six-game losing streak with his fourth shutout as Boston, depleted by an active NHL trade deadline, blanked host Tampa Bay.
Swayman made 26 saves, including an incredible stick stop on Brandon Hagel in front of an open cage with 15:40 left, for his 16th career shutout and first win since Feb. 4 (1-4-2). Boston won for just the second time in 10 matches (2-6-2).
In the Bruins’ first game since trading captain Brad Marchand on Friday and playing without injured defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm, former Lightning forward Cole Koepke scored twice for his first career multi-goal game and Nikita Zadorov added an empty-net goal. Mark Kastelic scored in his 200th NHL game.
Avalanche 7, Maple Leafs 4
Valeri Nichushkin had three goals for his first career regular-season hat trick, Nathan MacKinnon had two goals to reach 100 points for the season, and Colorado rallied with four third-period goals to beat Toronto in Denver.
Joel Kiviranta and Jonathan Drouin also had goals, Ross Colton and Sam Malinski finished with two assists each and Mackenzie Blackwood made 17 saves for Colorado. Nichushkin also has a postseason hat trick. He assisted on MacKinnon’s empty-net goal at 19:07, which was his 999th career point.
Mitch Marner and John Tavares scored two goals apiece, Auston Matthews had three assists, William Nylander contributed two assists and Anthony Stolarz turned away 27 shots for the Maple Leafs, who have dropped three in a row.
Islanders 4, Sharks 2
Jean-Gabriel Pageau had a goal and two assists for retooled New York, which beat host San Jose in the Islanders’ first game without Brock Nelson, who spent his entire 12-year career with New York before he was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.
Anthony Duclair scored in the first period, and Anders Lee and Adam Boqvist scored in the third for the Islanders, who have won four of five (4-1-0) to move within three points of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Goalie Ilya Sorokin made 38 saves.
Nikolai Kovalenko scored in the second and Will Smith had a goal late in the third for the Sharks, who lost for the 19th time in 23 games (4-16-3). San Jose has 43 points, the fewest in the NHL Goalie Alexander Georgiev recorded 24 saves.
BASEBALL NEWS
Making his third spring training start, Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer struck out six over 3 1/3 strong innings in a 5-0 win over the visiting Detroit Tigers on Saturday in Dunedin, Fla.
Scherzer, who signed a one-year, $15 million deal last month to join Toronto’s rotation, allowed one hit and no walks to lower his spring ERA to 2.00.
Ernie Clement sparked Toronto’s offense, going 2-for-3 with a three-run home run, while Bo Bichette delivered an RBI single.
Detroit starter Jackson Jobe, who is 18 years younger than the 40-year-old Scherzer, delivered 3 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and two walks. Brant Hurter yielded five runs (four earned) on six hits in two innings.
Braves 6, Pirates 5
Matthew Batten capped a four-run, ninth-inning comeback with a tiebreaking RBI single to lift Atlanta over visiting Pittsburgh in North Port, Fla.
Marcell Ozuna’s two-run double gave Atlanta an early 2-0 lead, but starter Spencer Schwellenbach yielded three runs on six hits in three-plus innings. Ambioris Tavarez, Stephen Paolini and Lizandro Espinoza each had an RBI.
Andrew McCutchen, Endy Rodriguez, Jack Suwinski, Bryan Reynolds and Matt Gorski had RBIs as Pittsburgh built a 5-2 lead. Jaden Woods couldn’t close it out, allowing all four Braves runs (three earned) in the ninth.
Twins 9, Red Sox 8
Despite blowing a seven-run lead and falling behind late, host Minnesota rallied to beat Boston on Aaron Sabato’s walk-off single in Fort Myers, Fla.
Trayce Thompson’s go-ahead grand slam capped a six-run eighth for Boston, which trailed 7-0 entering the seventh. Nick Sogard hit a two-run shot to get the Red Sox on the board in the seventh.
Ty France was Minnesota’s hitting star, going 2-for-3 with four RBIs, including a three-run homer in the sixth. Luke Keaschall hit his first spring homer, a solo shot.
Rays 6, Orioles 3
Tre’ Morgan capped a five-run seventh inning with a two-run home run as visiting Tampa Bay defeated Baltimore in Sarasota, Fla.
Bob Seymour, Tanner Murray and Jake Mangum notched RBI hits in the seventh before Morgan went deep. Kameron Misner added a solo shot in the ninth.
Charlie Morton was sharp for Baltimore, allowing one hit over three scoreless frames. Jeremiah Jackson drilled a two-run homer and Adley Rutschman, who is hitting .438 this spring, knocked an RBI single.
Cardinals 5, Nationals 3
Ryan Vilade and Michael Helman each drove in a pair as visiting St. Louis posted a win over Washington in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Thomas Saggese went 2-for-3 with two runs and Pedro Pages also scored twice for the Cardinals, who got solid pitching from starter Steven Matz and the bullpen.
For the Nationals, Keibert Ruiz notched a hit and two RBIs and Jacob Young went 2-for-3 with two runs. Starter DJ Herz was touched for four runs (two earned) over 3 1/3 innings.
Phillies 5, Blue Jays 4
Philadelphia build an early five-run lead and held off a late Toronto comeback to post a home victory in Clearwater, Fla.
Alec Bohm belted his third spring homer, a solo drive, to give Philadelphia a 4-0 lead in the third. J.T. Realmuto, Bryson Stott, Kyle Schwarber and Brandon Marsh all collected RBI singles.
Bowden Francis endured a tough start for Toronto, giving up all five Philadelphia runs on seven hits over 2 2/3 innings. Addison Barger, Alan Roden and Eddinson Paulino all went deep.
GOLF NEWS
Australia’s Karl Vilips is fighting stomach problems and the rest of the field in pursuit of his first PGA Tour title after grabbing a one-stroke lead Saturday through three rounds of the Puerto Rico Open.
Vilips, 23, collected seven birdies against one bogey in carding a 6-under-par 66 to reach 18-under 198 at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande. He leads another former Stanford University player, Joseph Bramlett (8-under 64 on Saturday) and amateur Kieron Van Wyk (65) of South Africa, who are at 17 under.
In only his fourt PGA Tour event, Vilips said he didn’t know why he has lost a lot of weight this week.
“Just like it feels like it’s shrinking me,” said Vilips, nonetheless competing very well in his first time playing this course.
“Feeling pretty good with the position I’m in,” he said. “I wish my stomach felt a little bit better, but it is what it is. You’ve got one more day, just battle through it.”
Vilips earned his PGA Tour card last season on the Korn Ferry Tour. He said Saturday that he has a back injury that delayed his start this season. Still, he made the cut at the Mexico Open at VidantWorld in February (tie for 72nd) and the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches last week (T39).
The 36-year-old Bramlett, who has played 159 PGA Tour events and is seeking his first title, fired a bogey-free round with birdies at Nos. 3, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 16 and 18.
Van Wyk, 23, made an eagle on the par-5 No. 14 and birdies at Nos. 1, 7, 9, 11 and 17 with no blemishes. The senior at the College of Charleston is making his PGA Tour debut. He is ranked No. 1 in the APGA Collegiate Ranking and earned an exemption into this event by winning the 2024 White Sands Bahamas Men’s NCAA Golf Invitational.
He is aiming to become the second amateur winner in two years on the tour, joining Nick Dunlap, who won The American Express at La Quinta in January 2024.
The Puerto Rico Open is an alternate event for players who did not qualify for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Second-round leader Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen of Denmark shot a 73 and fell into a tie for ninth at 14 under.
**Peter Uihlein and Sergio Garcia each shot a 6-under-par 64 to move into a three-way tie for first place after the second round at LIV Golf Hong Kong on Saturday.
Uihlein finished his uneven round with one eagle, eight birdies and four bogeys to join Garcia of Spain and first-round leader Paul Casey (66 on Saturday) of England at 11-under at Hong Kong Golf Club.
“I’ve had four runners-up, so getting that first win would be awesome,” said Uihlein, a two-time winner on The International Series. “I think that’s kind of the goal at the start of every year is to get a win. To get a team win would be nice as well, but an individual win would be fantastic.”
Garcia had six birdies and Casey added four during their respective bogey-free rounds on Saturday.
“I just watched the Peter Uihlein show today,” Casey said. “It was impressive stuff. I’m very happy that I’m sitting here tied for the lead. … If Pete had not made a bogey today, he’d be about five shots ahead because of his firepower.”
Mito Pereira highlighted his stellar 64 on Saturday with the 10th hole-in-one in LIV Golf history. The Chilean aced the 149-yard second hole as part of his round and joined Torque GC teammate Sebastian Munoz (67) of Colombia and Phil Mickelson (65) in a tie for fourth place at 8-under.
Mickelson kept in the hunt after carding seven birdies and two bogeys on Saturday. He has yet to win an LIV event.
“(On Sunday) I’ve got to make seven birdies and have no bogeys, and I’ve got a shot at winning this tournament,” Mickelson said. “Minimizing the mistakes allows me to not have to make as many birdies and to play a much easier style of game. I should say less stressful style. That’s what I’m looking at doing.”
Thanks to Pereira and Munoz, Torque GC ascended to the top of the leaderboard at 25-under, two strokes ahead of Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII and Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC.
Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau shot a 67 on Saturday to join Rahm (64) of Spain in a seven-golfer tie for seventh place.
DeChambeau hit all 14 fairways during the second round to become the only player in the first five LIV Golf rounds played at Hong Kong Golf Club to hit every fairway in a single round.
***LPGA Tour rookie Rio Takeda carded a 69 to take a two-stroke lead after three rounds on Saturday at the Blue Bay LPGA on Hainan Island, China.
Takeda, 21, sits at 9-under 207 for the tournament and is the only player in the field to post three rounds in the 60s at the Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course. The last time she had a lead after 54 holes came in 2024 at the Toto Japan Classic, which she won before becoming a tour member.
Tied for second at 209 are Americans Gigi Stoll (68 on Saturday) and Auston Kim (70) along with Cassie Porter of Australia (72).
Kim had a share of the first-round lead, and Porter was atop the leaderboard along with Nasa Hataoka of Japan entering play Saturday. Hataoka recorded a 76 to fall into a tie for 16th at 3-under par.
In a tie for fifth at 6-under 210 are Japan’s Ayaka Furue and Mao Saigo, both with rounds of 70, as well as Minjee Lee of Australia (68) and Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul (68).
For leader Takeda, the moment doesn’t seem to be too big, despite her young age and lack of extensive LPGA Tour experience.
“I’ve had three great days with a lot of confidence, and I want to bring that confidence tomorrow and finish up on a strong note,” she said.
“I don’t want to pay too much attention to the score, but just take it hole by hole and do my best.”
Stoll, 28, is in her second season on the LPGA Tour and looking for her first victory. She is ready for a Sunday battle, especially after weathering ups and downs on Saturday.
She birdied the first three and the last three holes. In between, she recorded two birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey.
“The putter has been hot. Definitely got off to a really good start birdieing the first three,” she said. “Some stuff happened in the middle, but it was nice to close with three as well.”
And like Takeda, she heads into the final round with some confidence.
“Golf is funny,” she said. “It’s a long day. You could always come back and you are never really out of it. Anything can happen. I just tell myself a lot to stay really present and stay in there. I’m really proud of myself for doing that.”
Porter started the round at 7 under and ended there, recording a round similar to that of Stoll. The tour rookie, making just her second official LPGA Tour start, mixed five birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey to finish with 72.
“Yeah, that was a lot of fight out there. Bit of a mess in the middle of the round there, but we came back, so that’s all that matters,” Porter, 22, said.
RACING
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Daytona 500 winner William Byron climbed out of his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on Phoenix Raceway pit road with a huge smile after claiming his first pole position in nearly a year on Saturday — and his was last car to turn a qualifying lap.
The 27-year-old North Carolinian conceded he wasn’t expecting his chart-topping lap of 133.680 mph (26.93 seconds) but is ready to seize the strong start for Sunday’s Shriners Children’s 500 (3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
“I did not hit my marks, I was sideways and carried a ton of entry speed, missed the middle of the corner, and coming off the dogleg I was so loose,” Byron said of his fast lap on the 1-mile Phoenix oval, the 14th pole of his career. “I was just going to try to commit to the exits and see how much I could get out, even though I missed the center (of the turn).
“Just a fast car,” said Byron, who leads the NASCAR Cup Series championship and has two top-two finishes in the season’s first three races. “Thanks to my whole team. They’ve been bringing fast cars, and we’ve been doing a really good job of executing. So definitely want to go out there and have a great day tomorrow.”
Team Penske’s Joey Logano will start alongside Byron, marking his third front-row start in four races this year. The three-time and reigning series champion turned a lap of 133.195 mph (27.028 seconds in his No. 22 Ford Mustang in Saturday’s single-round NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session.
“I don’t like William Byron anymore,” Logano said with a laugh. “Man, that stinks. I just got through telling (crew chief) Paul (Wolfe) that it would really suck if the last car beat us.
“That was going to be Penske’s 700th pole across all motorsports, so we’ll have to go try and do that next week. But overall, proud of the effort.”
Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar will start his No. 77 Chevrolet third, leading an impressive weekend for the Spire team. For the first time ever, all three of its cars will start among the top eight on the grid. Michael McDowell (No. 71) and Justin Haley (No. 7) will start seventh and eighth, respectively.
Wood Brothers Racing’s Josh Berry was fourth quickest in the No. 21 Ford, followed by Legacy Motor Club’s Erik Jones in the No. 43 Toyota.
Defending Phoenix spring race winner Christopher Bell, who brings a two-race winning streak into Phoenix, was 11th quickest.
Katherine Legge, making her NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend, qualified last among the 37 cars. However, she improved her practice speed in the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet by more than 2 mph in qualifying — a strong sign of progress for the sports car and open-wheel driver.
Logano, who won the last NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix in November, is the last driver to win a race from the pole at the desert 1-miler, claiming that win in fall 2022. Hendrick Motorsports drivers Kyle Larson (2021) and Chase Elliott (2020) are the only other active drivers with a Phoenix victory from the pole.
Hocevar was not only quick in qualifying but also fastest in Saturday afternoon’s practice using Goodyear’s “option” tires. His Spire Motorsports Chevrolet teammate McDowell was second-fastest, with 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick (Toyota), Team Penske’s Austin Cindric (Ford), and Roush Fenway Keselowski’s Chris Buescher (Ford) rounding out the top five.
Teams tested the option tire in the 45-minute practice session to evaluate its impact in race trim. Race conditions are expected to differ, with temperatures forecasted to be at least 10 degrees warmer. Every team will have two sets of the option tire and six of the Goodyear primary sets.
“I don’t know, but it’s definitely a much faster tire and pretty strong as well,” Larson said of running practice laps on the option tire. “It’s going to be interesting.”
TOP INDIANA HEADLINES
INDIANA PACERS
Indiana returned to State Farm Arena in Atlanta seeking revenge after the Hawks defeated the Pacers on Thursday. With Tyrese Haliburton inactive due to a hip injury, Ben Sheppard slotted into the starting five. Sheppard made his ninth start of the season, and Bennedict Mathurin returned to the lineup after a four-game absence due to a wrist sprain. After trailing by as many as 20 points, the Pacers (35-27) stormed back to lead in the fourth quarter, but ultimately fell to Atlanta (30-34), 120-118.
Trae Young came out with intensity for the Hawks as he notched a 10-point first quarter by the 8:00 mark of the opening frame. Young started 4-for-4 from the floor as the Hawks jumped out to an early 10-point lead.
Atlanta recorded 65.4 percent from the field through the first quarter – a stark contrast to Indiana’s 28.6 percent from the field. The Hawks’ efficiency led them to a 20-point advantage after the first quarter, 39-19.
T.J. McConnell sustained a sprain to his right ankle midway through the first quarter – the same ankle that caused him to miss two contests earlier in the season. He did not return to the game.
The Pacers bounced-back with energy as they opened the second quarter with a 16-6 run. Mathurin accounted for seven of those 16 points himself as he gave Indiana’s offense some life off the bench.
Indiana cut the 20-point Atlanta lead down to single digits after Pascal Siakam connected on a 3-pointer with 7:38 remaining in the half, 47-38.
Myles Turner and Mathurin each reached double figures in the first half for the Pacers, as Turner recorded 10 points and Mathurin scored 13.
After shooting under 30 percent from the field in the first quarter, the Pacers connected on 44 percent of their second quarter shots. Atlanta won the battle for rebounds through the first half of play, out-rebounding Indiana 25-17. That trend continued in the second half as the Hawks finished the game with a 48-41 rebound advantage over the Pacers.
A 9-for-13 first half gave Young 26 points at the halftime break for the Hawks, who entered the locker room with a 17-point advantage.
Indiana danced within 10 points of Atlanta’s lead for much of the third quarter. Mathurin continued to power the Pacers’ offense, drawing a flagrant foul against Atlanta’s Terance Mann. That sequence resulted in a five-point swing for Indiana – two points from Mathurin’s made free throws, and three more on a Sheppard three-point play. The Pacers cut the lead to just six points with three minutes to play in the third, 86-80.
Atlanta quickly restored its double-digit lead as Mann converted two free throws and Georges Niang connected on a 3-point shot with 2:17 remaining in the third quarter.
Mathurin’s 11-point third quarter helped Indiana to outscore Atlanta by 10 points in the period, and cut the Hawks’ lead down to just seven points entering the fourth quarter, 95-88.
An 8-2 run for the Pacers opened the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer from Mathurin to bring Indiana within just one point of the lead. Thomas Bryant gave Indiana its first lead since it led 2-0 in the first quarter as he drained a corner 3-pointer to regain control, 104-102.
Mathurin’s 3-pointer with just under six minutes to play gave Indiana a 107-106 advantage, and marked the ninth 30-point game of his career.
Indiana posted a productive second half after a slow start from the field – the Pacers recorded 50 percent shooting from the field, including 45.5 percent from 3-point range. Aaron Nesmith tallied 12 of his 14 points in the second half alone.
Andrew Nembhard made two clutch shots late in the fourth quarter to secure a double-double and ensure Indiana stayed within striking distance of the lead. A late shot clock jump shot brought the Pacers to within two points of the lead, and a tough layup on the following possession ensured they stayed within two points after allowing a Hawks basket on defense.
Mathurin drove to the basket with 13.3 seconds left and the Pacers trailed by just one point, 117-116. He left the layup short, and Atlanta collected the defensive rebound with 11 seconds remaining. Indiana would get within one point of the lead just one more time before the conclusion of the game, but ultimately fell to the Hawks, 120-118.
Mathurin’s 30-point night led the Pacers as he recorded eight rebounds and five assists along with his offensive explosion. Siakam tallied 23 points, and Nembhard contributed 11 points, six rebounds, and 12 assists.
Young notched 36 points for Atlanta, who now possess a two-game winning streak.
The Pacers are back on the floor on Monday, March 10, as they take on the Bulls in Chicago.
Inside the Numbers
After losing the rebounding battle 25-17 in the first half, the Pacers won the rebounding battle 24-23 in the second half.
Aaron Nesmith recorded 12 of his 14 points in the second half.
Andrew Nembhard recorded his second consecutive double-double this season with 11 points and 12 assists. It’s the eighth double-double of his career.
Indiana posted six double-figure scorers – Mathurin (30), Siakam (23), Turner (14), Nesmith (14), Nembhard (11), and Bryant (10).
INDY FUEL
FISHERS- The Fuel hosted the Wichita Thunder for the first of two games this weekend against the Mountain division team. In front of a sold out crowd of 6,590 fans on Indy 500 Night powered by Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which took place 78 days out from “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Memorial Day weekend, the Fuel defeated the Wichita Thunder 4-3.
1ST PERIOD
Dillon Boucher opened the scoring for Wichita at 2:50 to make it 1-0 in favor of the visiting team.
About two minutes later, Brett Bulmer scored with the help of Kevin Lynch to tie the game at 1-1 before the five minute mark.
At 11:15, Jesse Tucker scored his first professional goal to make it 2-1.
After the first period, the Fuel were outshooting Wichita 15-5.
2ND PERIOD
While Logan Neaton started the game in goal for the Fuel, Ben Gaudreau took to the crease in the second frame.
Kyle Maksimovich scored at 2:09 to give Indy a 3-1 lead. Bryan Lemos and Lucas Brenton had the assists on that goal.
At 5:17, Nathan Burke took a tripping penalty, giving the Thunder the first power play of the game but Indy killed it off.
Kale Howarth took the game’s next penalty at 16:25 with a double minor for high sticking.
Wichita’s Peter Bates immediately capitalized with a goal at 16:33 to make it 3-2.
Time expired soon after with Indy outshooting Wichita 25-11.
3RD PERIOD
At 2:55, Indy’s Ty Farmer took a holding penalty but Wichita could not score.
About a minute later, the Thunder earned a penalty shot after a slashing call on Victor Hadfield, but Gaudreau stopped Kobe Walker’s shot and the score remained 3-2 in favor of the Fuel.
Kale Howarth took his second penalty of the game at 5:21, this time for hooking. The Fuel killed it off.
At 9:20, Carter Jones took a holding penalty but the Thunder killed that off as well.
Kevin Lynch scored for Indy at 12:11 with the help of Matus Spodniak and Lucas Brenton to make it 4-2.
With 6:27 to go in regulation, Bulmer was in on goal but ended up with a roughing minor penalty and five minutes for fighting along with Wichita’s Nolan Kneen who also got five for fighting after some extracurriculars behind the net.
T.J. Lloyd made it a one-goal game with a score at 16:43 assisted by Jones and Boucher.
With about a minute left, Wichita pulled their goaltender in favor of the extra skater and the Thunder put the pressure on but could not score before time expired and the Fuel could claim the 4-3 victory.
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Postseason intensity arrived with eardrum-bursting decibel force at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Indiana surged; Ohio State faded.
When it was over Saturday, when deficits as large as 10 points in the second half were overcome amid raucous, the Hoosiers had a 66-60 Senior Day victory and potential postseason momentum.
“We’re not done yet,” guard Trey Galloway said. “We have to focus on that.”
Who had time to sit? The Hoosiers, winners of five of their last seven games, were too busy saving their NCAA tourney at-large bid hopes. Their 12-0 crunch-time run — highlighted by a 27-foot three-pointer from guard Trey Galloway — blasted past a five-point deficit and gave them an opening round bye in next week’s Big Ten tourney in Indianapolis.
“We’ve known we have what it takes in the locker room,” senior forward Luke Goode said. “We have the right guys with the right mentality. When we have a collective effort, it all comes together into something good.”
IU (19-12 overall, 10-10 in the Big Ten) will play Oregon (23-8, 12-8) Thursday at noon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Ducks won their only meeting last week, 73-64.
“We have an opportunity to win the Big Ten Tournament,” said coach Mike Woodson, who is retiring at the end of the season. “That’s all I’m thinking about.”
Woodson, who coached in his last home game, limited his retirement comments.
“We’ve been in the (NCAA tourney) a few times We were able to recruit and graduate good players. I want the program to be successful.”
Woodson’s last home game as a player also was against Ohio State. The Hoosiers won that game to win the 1980 Big Ten title.
“This was a very emotional game,” Woodson said. “I think back to 1980 playing the same team for Big ten title. I wanted it so much for these seniors to win. I knew how special it was for me.”
It was special to win for Woodson, guard Anthony Leal said.
“A shout out to Coach Woodson. We’re happy to send him out on a win.”
IU won despite shooting just 35 percent from the field, just 25 percent on three-pointers. Defense fueled the comeback. Ohio State (17-14, 9-11) didn’t make a field goal in the last six minutes, and made only one of its last 11 shots.
“When we were going through scoring ruts,” Goode said, “it doesn’t matter how well we shoot. We should be able to win an ugly game. To play the defense we did at the end is a testament to how much we’ve grown as a team.”
Galloway and forward Malik Reneau set the offensive tone. They each scored 16 points. Galloway became the 56th Hoosier to score 1,000 career points. His three-pointer, Goode said, was a game-breaker.
“Some of the games we’ve lost, other teams have hit big shots on us. It was good to see one to go down for us.”
Galloway’s three-pointer countered player confusion over how much time was left on the shot clock.
“The play broke down,” he said. “I trusted my shot.”
Leal and Goode set career highs with eight rebounds each as IU won the rebounding battle 40-31.
“They were seniors who didn’t want to lose,” Woodson said. “I rode them. I didn’t take them out at the end.”
Senior Day festivities were highlighted by Galloway, Leal, Goode and Oumar Ballo. Also honored were center Langdon Hatton, and guards Jaden Bobbert, Shaun Burke and Jackson Creel, plus team doctor Larry Rink, who was retiring after 45 seasons.
IU opened the game with a Galloway-to-Ballo layup and consecutive defensive stops before Ohio State countered with a three-pointer, and a turnover, and then another turnover. A Galloway-to Ballo-dunk followed.
Eight minutes produced a 9-9 tie. A 6-0 Ohio State run, fueled by an IU 1-for-12 shooting slump, forced a Woodson timeout. Guard Myles Rice responded with a three-pointer.
Swingman Mackenzie Mgbako hustled for an offensive rebound and basket. Reneau rebounded his own miss for a basket. Still, the Buckeyes shot their way to a 26-17 lead.
Galloway hit a floater. Goode made a pair of free throws. IU reached halftime trailing 29-25. Galloway led with seven points and three assists.
The Hoosiers opened the second half with a defensive stop and a Goode three-pointer. Ohio State countered with its own three-pointer.
Ohio State pushed ahead 39-32, then 43-34, then 46-36 with 12 minutes left in the game. IU responded with a Leal layup off a Galloway pass, and a Galloway three-pointer. The crowd roared.
Leal’s ferocious defense forced a Buckeye flagrant foul and two free throws, which he made. Another Ohio State foul produced two Goode free throws and a 49-49 tie with 8:15 left. Two Reneau free throws pushed the Hoosiers ahead 51-50.
Six straight free throws gave the Buckeyes a 56-51 lead with 4:31 left. Galloway came back with a three-pointer after Ohio State fumbled a rebound out of bounds. The Hoosiers forced a turnover. Four straight Reneau free throws, then a 27-foot Galloway three-pointer followed by two Goode free throws pushed IU ahead 63-56 as the clock ticked under one minute.
The Buckeyes were finished.
During a post-game TV interview, Woodson said he might be leaving too soon:
“There’s always that thought,” he said, “but at end of the day, it’s not about me, it’s about this team. We’re going to Indianapolis and trying to win the Big Ten tournament.”
That means winning four games in four days.
“We hope to start playing our best ball,” Leal said. “This is when it counts. Our goals are all still in front of us.”
Postgame Notes
Indiana vs. Ohio State
March 8, 2025
• The Indiana men’s basketball team (19-12, 10-10 B1G) earned the program’s fifth-straight win over Ohio State (17-14, 9-11 B1G) with a 66-60 result at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday, March 8.
• The five-game winning streak over the Buckeyes marks the longest by the Hoosiers since claiming eight-straight games from Jan. 15, 1986, through March 8, 1989.
• Indiana honored seniors Jaden Bobbett, Oumar Ballo, Shaan Burke, Jackson Creel, Trey Galloway, Luke Goode, Langdon Hatton, and Anthony Leal following the game.
• The Hoosiers outrebounded the Buckeyes, 40-31. IU grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and turned it into 18 second-chance points.
• Indiana shot 31 free throws, the highest output since shooting 33 against UNC Greensboro on Nov. 21, 2024.
• Fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway became the 56th player in program history to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau and scored 16 points, six assists, and two rebounds. The game marked the 39th of his career with at least five assists.
• Junior forward Malik Reneau led all bench scorers with 16 point, five rebounds, one steal, and one block. He knocked down all six free throw attempts.
• Senior forward Luke Goode made 8-of-10 free throws and scored 11 points. He added a career-high eight rebounds, one steal, and one block.
• Sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo produced nine points, seven boards, and one block.
• Fifth-year senior guard Anthony Leal charted four points, a career-best eight rebounds, and two blocked shots. The game marked his third multi-block game in his last five outings.
• Sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako chipped in seven points and five rebounds in 31 minutes.
• Redshirt sophomore guard Myles Rice added three points, two assists, and one rebound in 20 minutes off the bench.
• Sophomore guard Kanaan Carlyle saw four minutes of run.
• Indiana will enter postseason play in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. The Hoosiers earned the 9-seed in the event and will play 8-seeded Oregon at noon ET on Thursday, March 13.
INDIANA WRESTLING
EVANSTON, Ill. ––– After wrestling through the semifinals of the championship bracket, reaching the consolation semifinals and one round of 9th place bracket matches, day one of the Big Ten Championships is done.
Every Hoosier who entered the tournament competed in Session II. All of Indiana’s entrants started the night in the consolation bracket and three came away with NCAA Championships berths.
Jacob Moran (125), Angelo Rini (133) and DJ Washington (184) all guaranteed themselves top-eight finishes at their weight classes with their wins in the second round of the wrestlebacks with punched their ticket to Philadelphia.
Moran earned a win by tech fall over No. 13 Caelan Riley (Illinois) to clinch his NCAA bid. It marked his first ticket punched to the NCAA Championships.
Moran followed that up with a dominant 10-3 decision over No. 9 Cooper Flynn (Minnesota) to keep working through the wrestlebacks. He will face No. 1 Matt Ramos (Purdue) in the consolation semifinals to begin his competition tomorrow.
Rini won in a thriller against No. 10 Tyler Wells (Minnesota). Rini shot and nearly earned a takedown in the last 12 seconds of the third period, trailing 4-2. After an Indiana challenge, the takedown was rewarded to put Rini up 5-4. Wells escaped in the last 10 seconds to send the match to sudden victory.
The graduate student kept up his offense in overtime and scored to win 8-5 en route to clinching his second career NCAA berth.
Washington set the tone from start to finish against No. 10 Jaden Bullock (Michigan), earning a 5-2 win over Bullock while being the aggressor throughout the entirety of the match. Washington’s win clinched his fourth career bid to NCAAs, making him the ninth wrestler in program history to be a four-time NCAA qualifier.
Rini and Washington both would drop their matches in the third round of consolation brackets to move to the seventh place match tomorrow.
In addition to Rini and Washington, Henry Porter will wrestle in the seventh place match with an NCAA Championships bid on the line for the winner of that match.
No. 7 Tyler Lillard (165), No. 8 Gabe Sollars (197) and No. 8 Jacob Bullock (285) all could also earn NCAA qualification tomorrow. None will reach the podium, but all were sorted into the extra brackets to determine NCAA bids.
At 165 lbs., there are nine spots available from the Big Ten, while at 197 lbs. and 285 lbs, there are bids available for the top 10 placers.
The action will resume tomorrow at noon for Session III which will feature the consolation semifinals and the seventh-place matches.
TEAM SCORES (Through Session II)
1. Penn State (145.0)
2. Nebraska (118.5)
3. Iowa (98.0)
4. Minnesota (88.5)
5. Illinois (81.5)
6. Ohio State (76.0)
7. Michigan (56.0)
8. Maryland (47.5)
9. Rutgers (46.0)
10. Purdue (33.5)
11. INDIANA (27.0)
12. Northwestern (18.5)
13. Wisconsin (13.5)
14. Michigan State (11.5)
FULL RESULTS (Through Session II)
125 – No. 6 Jacob Moran:
-Round 1: No. 6 Jacob Moran (IU) def. No. 11 Caleb Weiand (MSU): Dec. 9-8
-Quarterfinal: No. 3 Dean Peterson (Rutgers) def. No. 6 Jacob Moran (IU): MD, 8-0
-Cons. R2: No. 6 Jacob Moran (IU) def. No. 13 Caelan Riley (Illinois): TF, 23-6 (5:49)
-Cons. R3: No. 6 Jacob Moran (IU) def. No. 9 Cooper Flynn (Minnesota): Dec. 10-3
133 – No. 8 Angelo Rini:
-Round 1: No. 8 Angelo Rini (IU) def. No. 9 Nic Bouzakis (OSU): Dec. 8-6
-Quarterfinal: No. 1 Drake Ayala (Iowa) def. No. 8 Angelo Rini (IU): Dec. 13-9
-Cons. R2: No. 8 Angelo Rini (IU) def. No. 10 Tyler Wells (Minnesota): SV-1, 8-5
-Cons. R3: No. 4 Braeden Davis (Penn State) def. No. 8 Angelo Rini (IU): Dec. 10-5
141 – No. 8 Henry Porter:
-Round 1: No. 9 Greyson Clark (PUR) def. No. 8 Henry Porter (IU): TF, 16-1 (6:05)
-Cons. R1: No. 8 Henry Porter (IU) advanced on bye.
-Cons. R2: No. 8 Henry Porter (IU) def. No. 7 Danny Pucino (Illinois): MD, 20-9
-Cons. R3: No. 6 Joe Olivieri (Rutgers) def. No. 8 Henry Porter (IU): Fall (2:31)
149 – No. 13 Joey Buttler:
-Round 1: No. 4 Dylan D’Emilio (OSU) def. No. 13 Joey Buttler (IU): TF, 18-0 (5:43)
-Cons. R1: No. 13 Joey Buttler (IU) def. No. 12 Clayton Jones III (MSU): SV-1, 18-12
-Cons. R2: No. 6 Andrew Clark (Rutgers) def. No. 13 Joey Buttler (IU): Dec. 8-1
-9th Place R1: No. 13 Joey Buttler (IU) def. No. 12 Clayton Jones III (MSU): Inj. Def.
157 – No. 12 Ryan Garvick:
-Round 1: No. 5 Tommy Askey (Minnesota) def. No. 12 Ryan Garvick (IU): MD, 14-3
-Cons. R1: No. 13 Luke Mechler (Wisconsin) def. No. 12 Ryan Garvick (IU): Dec. 2-1
-9th Place R1: No 13 Luke Mechler (Wisconsin) def. No. 12 Ryan Garvick (IU): Dec. 6-4
165 – No. 7 Tyler Lillard:
-Round 1: No. 10 Anthony White (Rutgers) def. No. 7 Tyler Lillard (IU): TB-2, 4-3
-Cons. R1: No. 7 Tyler Lillard (IU) advanced on bye.
-Cons. R2: No. 9 Paddy Gallagher (OSU) def. No. 7 Tyler Lillard (IU): Dec. 7-4
174 – No. 10 Derek Gilcher:
-Round 1: No. 7 Dan Braunagel (Illinois) def. No. 10 Derek Gilcher (IU): Fall (5:00)
-Cons. R1: No. 10 Derek Gilcher (Indiana) advanced on bye.
-Cons. R2: No. 8 Brody Baumann (Purdue) def. No. 10 Derek Gilcher (IU): Dec. 4-3
-9th Place R1: No. 10 Derek Gilcher (IU) def. No. 14 Aidan Vandenbush (NU): MD, 17-5
184 – No. 9 DJ Washington:
-Round 1: No. 9 DJ Washington (IU) def. No. 8 Ryder Rogotzke (OSU): Dec. 9-4
-Quarterfinal: No. 1 Carter Starocci (PSU) def. No. 9 DJ Washington (IU): TF, 18-1 (4:54)
-Cons. R2: No. 9 DJ Washington (IU def. No. 10 Jaden Bullock (Michigan): Dec. 5-2
-Cons. R3: No. 4 Gabe Arnold (Iowa) def. No. 9 DJ Washington (IU): Inj. Default
197 – No. 8 Gabe Sollars:
-Round 1: No. 9 Seth Shumate (OSU) def. No. 8 Gabe Sollars (IU): Dec. 9-5
-Cons. R1: No. 8 Gabe Sollars (IU) advanced on bye.
-Cons. R2: No. 7 Camden McDanel (Nebraska) def. No. 8 Gabe Sollars (IU): MD, 16-8
285 – No. 8 Jacob Bullock:
-Round 1: No. 9 Seth Nevills (Maryland) def. No. 8 Jacob Bullock (IU): Dec. 3-0
-Cons. R1: No. 8 Jacob Bullock (IU) advanced on bye.
-Cons. R2: No. 7 Ben Kueter (Iowa) def. No. 8 Jacob Bullock (IU): Dec. 5-1
INDIANA SOFTBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A pair of Saturday run-rule victories for the Indiana softball program capped day two at the Hoosier Classic on Andy Mohr Field to push its winning streak to four games on Saturday (March 8).
Indiana (16-5) improved to 10-0 when scoring double-digits in 2025 with the two run-rule victories. In game one, IU capped an 11-3 victory over Western Michigan (5-15) with a walk-off home run from Brianna Copeland.
The second game of the day featured just two scoring innings during a 12-3 five-inning victory over Bowling Green (3-15). Jasmine Reyes picked up her second win of the weekend with 5.0 innings pitched and a pair of strikeouts and four Hoosiers drove in two RBI in the contest.
Seniors Brianna Copeland and Taylor Minnick and junior Avery Parker each continued their assault of the career home run charts, holding steady at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5, respectively. Copeland homered in each game to push her career total to 34, while Minnick hit her 32nd career long ball in the first game. Parker hit her fifth of the season and No. 28 of her career in the nightcap to tie Michelle Venturella (28; 1992-95) and move into the top five in program history.
Minnick also sits tied for No. 4 on the career doubles chart with Cora Bassett (42; 2022-24) after a two-bagger in each contest on Saturday. Copeland’s second double of the game moved her into the top 10 in program history, as well, with 36. She is tied with Kim Richards (36; 2004-07).
GAME ONE – vs. Western Michigan
KEY MOMENTS
In its third run-rule victory of the weekend, Indiana scored at least once in every inning, with a four-run, fourth inning highlighting the 11-run effort.
The Hoosiers started the game with two runs in their first at bat when Taylor Minnick hit her fifth home run of the season to right-center field for a two-run shot.
Melina Wilkinson brought home a single run in the second inning with a sacrifice fly.
Aly VanBrandt’s infield single pushed a run across in the third inning and Sydni Burko doubled to plate the second run of the frame.
The four-run fourth inning featured RBI from four different Hoosiers. The big hit came on an RBI triple for VanBrandt.
Brianna Copeland capped the scoring with a two-run home run to end the game in walk-off fashion for Indiana.
NOTABLES
Brianna Copeland posted a pair of hits, scored twice and drove in the final two RBI of the five-inning run-rule victory with her third home run of the season.
Taylor Minnick went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and three RBI. She had two extra base hits, which included her fifth home run of the year and 32nd of her career.
The three-hit game marked the 11th time in her career she registered three hits in a game.
Aly VanBrandt posted a career-high-tying three hits in the game with two RBI and one run scored.
As a team, the Hoosiers churned out 16 hits in 27 at-bats, walked once and did not strike out. All 11 runs came via RBI in game one.
IU posted its fourth game of the season with zero strikeouts as an offense.
GAME TWO – vs. Bowling Green
KEY MOMENTS
• The Hoosiers would use seven hits – including two home runs – to pile up eight runs in the second inning. Hannah Haberstroh doubled to plate one RBI and Alex Cooper added two RBI on a base hit.
• A pair of two-run home runs capped the scoring in the inning, with Brianna Copeland and Avery Parker each leaving the yard.
• Bowling Green got three back in the third inning on a two-run home run and a sacrifice fly.
• The final four runs of the contest crossed the plate in the fourth inning for Indiana with three straight hits to start the inning. A single and double put two runners on base for Minnick, who delivered the two-RBI double to right-center field.
• After two outs were recorded, Aly VanBrandt singled to score Minnick and Haberstroh singled to move VanBrandt to third and an error on the play saw her score.
NOTABLES
• Jasmine Reyes tossed all five innings and allowed three runs on five hits with two punchouts to earn her sixth win of the season.
• The quartet of Alex Cooper, Brianna Copeland, Taylor Minnick and Avery Parker all plated two RBI in the game.
• Copeland and Parker each homered in the game.
• Copeland and Parker joined Hannah Haberstroh and Aly VanBrandt with two-hit games.
• As a team, Indiana plated 12 runs on 13 hits with two walks.
UP NEXT
Andy Mohr Field wraps up the Hoosier Classic with three games beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday, March 9. Indiana will play the second game of the day against UIC (noon).
PURDUE WRESTLING
EVANSTON, Ill. – Day One of the 2025 Big Ten Championships concluded with three Boilermakers securing automatic qualifying bids to the NCAA Championship. Four others are still in the mix for auto-bids ahead of Day Two of the conference meet.
Brody Baumann, Joey Blaze and Matt Ramos all punched their tickets to the upcoming national tournament, hosted in Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center on March 20-22.
The last Boiler standing in the winner’s bracket, Ramos wrestled on in Saturday night’s semifinals but lost a 12-4 major decision to Penn State’s No. 4-seeded Luke Lilledahl, his first defeat of the season.
After falling behind 7-0 within the first minute of the match, the hole proved too deep to overcome as Ramos dropped to 24-1 on the year. He can still secure a bronze medal with two more wins on Sunday, which would match his best career finish at the conference tournament.
And ultimately, with his spot in Philadelphia safe, the grand prize of a national title is still on the table for the top-ranked 125-pounder.
After falling in a heartbreaking 4-3 decision to Nebraska’s Antrell Taylor earlier in the day, Blaze responded well in Session II with back-to-back 5-1 decision wins over Luke Mechler (WIS) and Chase Saldate (MICH).
The former guaranteed at least an eighth-place finish for Blaze to clinch an auto-bid, and since he won both, he is still in the mix for a bronze medal if he gets two more wins on Sunday.
Redshirt sophomore Baumann is headed to the national meet for his second-straight year after notching a 4-3 decision over Indiana’s Derek Gilcher in Consolation Round 2.
A later loss to Maryland’s Branson John sent him to Sunday’s seventh-place match against No. 5-seeded Clayton Whiting from Minnesota.
STILL IN THE HUNT
Stoney Buell, Greyson Clark, Hayden Filipovich and Ben Vanadia all still have hope for automatic bids to the big dance depending on how they wrestle Sunday.
Clark, Filipovich and Vanadia find themselves in a win-and-in situation, while Buell has to win twice on Sunday to secure the ninth and final auto-bid in the 165-pound division.
Ramos and Clark will battle in-state rival Indiana Hoosiers on their path to third and seventh place, finishes, respectfully. Both Boilers were victorious in their most recent meetings against their upcoming opponents.
Isaac Ruble will continue in the race for ninth place at 149 pounds, but his division only takes the top eight as automatic qualifiers to Philly. A strong Day Two for Ruble would boost his resume as a potential at-large for the NCAA Tournament.
DAY TWO SCHEDULE
1 p.m. – Session III: Consolation Semifinals, 7th-Place Matches (B1G+)
5:30 p.m. – Session IV: 1st-, 3rd- and 5th-Place Matches (BTN and B1G+)
DAY ONE RESULTS
125 | #1 Matt Ramos (R-Senior)
Round 1: BYE
Quarterfinal: #8 Nicolar Rivera (WIS) – W, Fall SV-1
Semifinal: #4 Luke Lilledahl (PSU) – L, MD 12-4
UP NEXT – 3rd Place Semifinal: #6 Jacob Moran (IU)
133 | #11 Dustin Norris (R-Junior)
Round 1: #6 Jacob Van Dee (NEB) – L, MD 12-4
Cons. Round 1: #14 Nolan Wertanen (MICH) – W, D 8-1
Cons. Round 2: #4 Braeden Davis (PSU) – L, TF 17-2 (2:03)
11th Place Quarterfinal: #14 Nolan Wertanen (MICH) – L, MD 20-12
141 | #9 Greyson Clark (Sophomore)
Round 1: #8 Henry Porter (IU) – W, TF 16-1 (6:05)
Quarterfinal: #1 Beau Bartlett (PSU) – L, MD 13-3
Cons. Round 2: #10 Chris Cannon (NU) – W, D 11-5
3rd Place Quarterfinal: #5 Sergio Lemley (MICH) – L, MD 12-2
UP NEXT – 7th Place Match: #8 Henry Porter (IU)
149 | #11 Isaac Ruble (R-Sophomore)
Round 1: #6 Andrew Clark (RUT) – L, MD 13-2
Cons. Round 1: #14 Royce Nilo (WIS) – W, D 6-1
Cons. Round 2: #4 Dylan D’Emilio (OSU) – L, D 5-1
9th Place Quarterfinal: #14 Royce Nilo (WIS) – W, Fall 5:22
UP NEXT – 9th Place Semifinal: #10 Drew Roberts (MIN)
157 | #6 Joey Blaze (Sophomore)
Round 1: #11 Jason Kraisser (ILL) – W, MD 13-0
Quarterfinal: #3 Antrell Taylor (NEB) – L, D 4-3
Cons. Round 2: #13 Luke Mechler (WIS) – W, D 5-1
3rd Place Quarterfinal: #9 Chase Saldate (MICH) – W, D 5-1
UP NEXT – 3rd Place Semifinal: #5 Tommy Askey (MIN)
165 | #11 Stoney Buell (R-Junior)
Round 1: #6 Braeden Scoles (ILL) – L, Fall 4:59
Cons. Round 1: #14 Jay Nivison (MSU) – W, D 8-5 (SV-1)
Cons. Round 2: #5 Andrew Sparks (MIN) – L, D 12-5
9th Place Quarterfinal: #14 Jay Nivison (MSU) – W, D 4-1 (SV-1)
174 | #8 Brody Baumann (R-Sophomore)
Round 1: #9 Lucas Condon (WIS) – W, D 14-7
Quarterfinal: #1 Levi Haines (PSU) – L, Fall 5:58
Cons. Round 2: #10 Derek Gilcher (IU) – W, D 4-3
3rd Place Quarterfinal: #12 Branson John (MD) – D 9-4
UP NEXT – 7th Place Match: #5 Clayton Whiting (MIN)
184 | #13 Orlando Cruz (R-Freshman)
Round 1: #4 Gabe Arnold (IOWA) – L, TF 19-4 (6:00)
Cons. Round 1: #12 Lucas Daly (MSU) – L, D 5-4
9th Place Quarterfinal: #12 Lucas Daly (MSU) – L, D 10-7 (SV-1)
197 | #11 Ben Vanadia (R-Junior)
Round 1: #6 Evan Bates (NU) – L, MD 10-0
Cons. Round 1: #14 Niccolo Colucci (WIS) – W, Fall 4:07
Cons. Round 2: #4 Isaiah Salazar (MIN) – L, MD 12-0
11th Place Quarterfinal: #14 Niccolo Colucci (WIS) – W, TF 17-2 (5:32)
UP NEXT – 11th Place Semifinal: #10 Remy Cotton (MSU)
285 | #10 Hayden Filipovich (R-Junior)
Round 1: #7 Ben Kueter (IOWA) – L, D 5-1
Cons. Round 1: BYE
Cons. Round 2: #9 Seth Nevills (MD) – L, D 5-0
11th Place Quarterfinal: BYE
UP NEXT – #11 Harley Andrews (NEB)
PURDUE SOFTBALL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Boilers split day one of the Boilermaker Classic, falling to Saint Louis (8-9) in game one and winning out over Bradley (7-13).
Purdue had consistent offense all day, registering five doubles and one triple. Defensively, the Boilers had 41 putouts, 17 made by Julia Gossett.
BOILER BITS (vs. St. Louis)
Offensive Highlights:
Alivia Meeks: 2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI
Moriah Polar: 2-for-4, R
Delaney Reefe: 2-for-4, R
Khloe Banks: 1-for-4, 3B
Jordyn Ramos: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, 1 SF
Pitching Breakdown:
Julia Gossett (L, 3-5): 4.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 6 K, 23 BF
Kadyn Camper: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 K, 13 BF
Madi Elish: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 K, 4 BF
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Julia Gossett started in the circle, tallying two strikeouts, but surrendered one run to the Billikens in the first inning. The Boilers tied it up after Banks stole home, following her triple to centerfield. Jordyn Ramos in centerfield caught a pop fly on the first play of the second inning, before Gossett threw back-to-back strikeouts to bring the Boilers to the plate. Ramos then doubled to left as the only hit of the inning but was thrown out in a rundown.
The Boilermakers pulled ahead in the third with four runs on three hits. Moriah Polar started with a single to centerfield and stole second, then the Boilers capitalized on a dropped third strike, allowing Reefe to reach first and Polar advance to third. Gossett singled to left, allowing Polar to score. Ramos then earned an RBI, putting up another run for the Boilers. Meeks finished the Boilers’ hitting streak with a double to center driving in two more runs for Purdue.
After a scoreless fourth inning, the Billikens registered six runs on seven hits in the top of the fifth. Freshman Kadyn Camper took over the mound after the first out. The Boilermakers went down in order in the bottom of the inning, trailing two runs behind Saint Louis.
Purdue held Saint Louis from scoring in the sixth inning but failed to score in the bottom of the inning. Senior Madi Elish took over the circle after another Billiken run in the middle of the seventh inning, finishing game one and allowing no hits or runs. The Boilermakers ultimately couldn’t catch up in the bottom of the inning. Reefe and Condon were left on base as Purdue fell 8-5.
BOILER BITS (vs. Bradley)
Offensive Highlights:
Moriah Polar: 1-for-3, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Delaney Reefe: 2-for-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Khloe Banks: 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 SB
Pitching Breakdown:
Madi Elish (W, 6-2): 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 K, 25 BF
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Game two of the tournament started with two innings of back-to-back outs on both sides. Elish registered two strikeouts, and Campbell threw out the lead runner to close the top of the third, holding the Braves to no runs.
The Boilers made an impressive double play from Kylie Franks and Gossett in the top of the fourth inning. No runs were scored until Reefe hit a double to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning, allowing Kyndall Bailey to score.
The Boilers added to their lead in the fifth inning with two runs scoring on a double from Polar.
Purdue surrendered one run on three hits from the Braves in the top of the sixth inning, but it wasn’t enough for Bradley to make up the deficit, with the Boilers taking the 3-1 victory.
UP NEXT:
The Boilers will be at home against Saint Louis for the second day of the Boilermaker Classic on Sunday, March 9 at 2:30 p.m. ET before facing off against Bradley at 5:00 p.m. ET Sunday evening.
NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – It was one of the most entertaining and thrilling Notre Dame men’s basketball games and it could only have come in March. The Fighting Irish (14-17, 8-12) outlasted the California Golden Bears (13-18, 6-14) in not one, not two, not three but four overtimes, taking it 112-10.
The leading scorer of the ACC, Markus Burton, was one of the many heroes this evening. The sophomore guard dropped a career high 43 points. Twenty-one of his points came in the four overtime periods where he was 6-9 from the field, 4-4 from beyond the arc and 5-6 from the stripe.
Burton’s 43 points were the most by an Irish player in an ACC game. They were also the most points scored by an ND player since Adrian Dantley recorded 49 against Air Force on Feb. 10, 1975. It’s also the most points scored by any ACC player in any game this season.
Hero number two, Matt Allocco. The graduate guard battling through a right-wrist injury tied his season high of 24 points. Allocco stepped up in the fourth OT after Burton fouled out, dropping 10 points including an insanely clutch go-ahead three with 15 seconds left.
Lost in the craziness of the day was the fact that it was Senior Day. The only four-year player on the team J.R. Konieczny certainly won’t forget this one. He recorded 13 points and a season high eight boards.
It was a complete team game that featured moments from so many players. Nikita Konstantynovskyi reeled in 17 rebounds, the most since Paul Atkinson grabbed 17 vs. Syracuse on Feb. 23, 2022. Julian Roper II recorded seven points and a season high eight rebounds. Tae Davis netted 12 points before fouling out in the second half.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Notre Dame boasted a 37-33 halftime lead primarily thanks to Markus Burton who had 18 points at this point on 7-11 shooting.
Tae Davis got to the basket early in the second half, recording six points to push his total to double-digits by 17:17. However, just as soon as Davis was finding his way offensively, he picked up his fourth foul at 12:14 and had to go to the bench with the Irish up 48-43.
When the Irish lead shrunk to just one point due to a three-minute scoring drought, Burton found Allocco for a big three. That possession was followed by a Konieczny driving floater to make it 53-47 with just under nine minutes remaining.
Minutes later, Konieczny followed that up with back-to-back buckets to delight the crowd and keep the offense churning; however, the Bears kept a hot hand, recording a 6-8 shooting stretch to tie the game at 63-all with 3:27 left.
Enter Konieczny again with a pump fake, step up and score from the midrange to make it 65-63. Later, Burton drove and was sent to the line where he converted 1-2 for the two-point lead, 67-65. Cal’s Jeremiah Wilkinson did the same, drove, was fouled and converted 1-2 from the line. A Burton free-throw was then exchanged for two Cal free throws and we were headed to overtime.
Burton, Konieczny and Allocco combined for the team’s 11 points in OT1. Burton, who didn’t record a made field goal in the second half, was on an absolute heater in the overtime periods. The first of many clutch shots arrived with 36 seconds left when he drained a three for the 79-79 tie.
In OT2, a Burton trey gave the Irish a six-point lead up 88-82 with 1:38 left. Yet, the rollercoaster that was this game saw the Bears climb back to tie it with 29 seconds left. Notre Dame had a chance for the win as Cole Certa attempted a corner three, but the luck of the Irish wasn’t there at that moment.
In OT3, Burton hit three-pointers at 3:48 and 2:06. Later an Allocco layup made it 97-95 with 11 seconds left, but Jeremiah Wilkinson countered with a driving layup with five seconds left. Notre Dame got the ball down quickly and had another shot at the buzzer for the win courtesy of an Allocco pull-up jumper outside the paint, but no dice.
OT4 was shades of Las Vegas Allocco who caught fire vs Rutgers. The Ohio native refused to lose, totaling 10 points, including clutch threes at 1:57 and with 15 seconds left. Cole Certa and Garrett Sundra iced the game from the free-throw line.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame will depart for the ACC Tournament in Charlotte tomorrow night. The Fighting Irish will be the No. 12 seed and play No. 13 seed Pitt on Tuesday, March 11, at 2 p.m. ET.
NOTRE DAME HOCKEY
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — A tightly contested game two of the Big Ten Playoff Quarterfinals went to the home team Saturday as the Irish hockey team fell to the third-ranked Golden Gophers, 4-2, Saturday night. The best-of-three series will be determined Sunday night as the two teams are set to clash once more.
The contest got off to a fast start when Justin Janicke rang a shot off the crossbar just over a minute into the first period. Shortly after Janicke’s near-goal, the Gophers peppered the Irish net with five shots on goal in a short sequence but Owen Say stood tall between the pipes, casting aside each shot faced to keep it scoreless five minutes in.
Following a physical start to the game, the Irish were called for a hook at 12:55 of the first and headed to the box. With Zach Plucinski jumping in front of a puck late in the special teams opportunity, the graduate defenseman helped hold the Gophers without a single shot on the two-minute man-advantage as the game remained scoreless.
The game would remain knotted, 0-0, through the first 20 minutes of play as both teams headed to their respective locker rooms in search of the elusive opening goal.
Notre Dame struck first with a goal off the stick of Hunter Strand just under three minutes into the second stanza.
After the first goal momentum shifted in Notre Dame’s favor as the Irish pressured the Golden Gophers’ net with a series of shots, including a second crossbar for Janicke. Despite the effort, the Irish were unable to break the netminder Nathan Airey and play continued with the 1-0 score.
Just over the halfway mark of the contest, Owen Say made the save of the game as he covered a loose puck behind him right on the goal line. The initial shot by the Minnesota skater bounced off and over his left pad before Michael Mastrodomenico fought off the rebound attempt as Say dove to cover the puck and keep the Gophers off the scoreboard.
The Irish were called for a trip shortly after the defensive output by the Irish and the Gophers would convert, finding the equalizer at 12:29 of the second to make it a 1-1 contest.
Minnesota garnered their first lead of the series at 4:16 of the third period after a failed clear attempt by the Irish wound up in the back of the net to make it a 2-1 contest. The Gophers extended their lead shortly after as a rebound ended up beating the toe save attempt of Say at 7:18 of the third.
The Golden Gophers were called for a hook moments after their third goal of the night and the Irish powerplay unit saw its first chance of the night. Although both lines saw chances at the net, the Irish were unable to break Airey in net and continued to trail, 3-1, as Minnesota returned to full strength.
Just under half-way through the third period Henry Nelson responded for the Irish with a shot from the slot, bringing the Irish within one of the Gophers.
The Irish opted for the extra attacker with 85 seconds left on the clock as Say headed to the bench. However, Minnesota took advantage of the open goal mouth at the opposite end of the ice after Airey was peppered with shots from the Irish attackers and sealed the game with the 4-2 final, forcing a decisive game three Sunday evening.
GOALS
The Irish took the lead early in the second period when defensemen Paul Fisher fed the puck through the neutral zone to Hunter Strand who skated into the offensive end. The senior then sent it to fellow forward Jack Larrigan who fired a onetimer on net, dinging the far post, and setting Strand up for the rebound goal.
Back in his hometown, Henry Nelson fired a shot top shelf from the slot to give the Irish their second goal of the night. The Maple Grove, Minnesota, native gathered the puck after a tight angle shot from Carter Slaggert hit the pads of Airey in the Gopher crease and bounced back out into play. Strand also registered an assist on the play.
KEY STATS
The Irish opened the scoring for the second consecutive night inside 3M Arena at Mariucci after Hunter Strand’s shot at 2:40 of the middle frame beat Nathan Airey in goal.
Strand also picked up an assist on the team’s third period goal to post his 10th career multi-point game, and first since Jan. 11 against Michigan.
Owen Say stopped 31 shots in the Saturday loss, including all 15 shots faced in the first period to open the Irish up to take the early lead in the second.
The Irish blocked 17 shots in Saturday night’s contest, with a pair of sophomores in Brennan Ali and Paul Fischer combining for four blocked shots a piece.
With four shots on goal in the contest, Tyler Carpenter led the team in the category.
UP NEXT
The Irish and Golden Gophers close out the best-of-three series Sunday night with puck drop slated for 6p.m. CT inside 3M Arena at Mariucci.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Notre Dame baseball team battled to the final out but had their comeback effort stopped short in a 6-5 nail-biter at No. 15 Wake Forest on Saturday evening.
The Demon Deacons took advantage of the wind blowing out to right field in the bottom of the first with three solo home runs all to right field for a fast 3-0 lead.
Nick DeMarco flashed the leather on a hard-hit grounder to record the first out of the second inning, and Noah Coy collected a bouncer up the middle for the second out of the stanza. Jackson Dennies made quick work of the Wake Forest side by inducing an easy fly out to Jayce Lee in left field for a six-pitch inning defensively for the Irish.
DM Jefferson bounced a single past the Wake Forest first baseman with two outs in the top of the third for the Irish. Parker Brzustewicz then curled a single to shallow right-center field as Jefferson moved to third base on the play. Bino Watters hit a high-bouncing ball in the infield and beat out the play at first for an RBI single as Jefferson scored. A passed ball then allowed Brzustewicz and Watters to move up 90 feet to put a pair in scoring position, but the Irish were unable to push either across.
In the bottom of the third, Jayce Lee tracked down a fly out for the first out of the inning. DM Jefferson ran down a ball in the right-center gap at the warning track, and Jackson Dennies induced a two-out grounder to Estevan Moreno with runners on the corners to shut the door on the scoring chance for the Demon Deacons.
The Irish sat down the side in order in the fourth inning, and the defense stifled the Demon Deacons in the fifth as Jackson Dennies retired seven in-a-row to move the game to the sixth inning.
After the Irish hitters had a pair of chances earlier in the game cut down by the Demon Deacons’ outfielders, the Notre Dame bats got a bounce to go their way. Carson Tinney used the swirling wind to get a seeing-eye ball to drop in the outfield for a double with one out in the top of the sixth. While the Irish were unable to plate a run in the inning, that play provided a spark for the Notre Dame side.
Defensively, Tinney tracked down a pop up in foul territory to record the first out of the sixth, and DJ Helwig came on in relief for the Irish. With runners on first and second, DJ Helwig dialed up a big strikeout looking for the second out. The sophomore then shut the door on the Demon Deacons with a ground out to Nick DeMarco at third to end the inning.
The bottom of the seventh saw Wake Forest plate three runs with two outs before Ricky Reeth ended the frame with a strikeout.
Undeterred, the Irish responded right away in the top of the eighth. Carson Tinney was hit by a pitch before Brady Gumpf used a slow roller to leg out an infield single. Connor Hincks drew a full-count walk to load the bases with one out gone in the inning. Noah Coy hit a slow dribbler and beat out an infield single while forcing a throwing error to plate a pair and pull the Irish within 6-3 as Tinney and Gumpf both scored. Nick DeMarco drew a walk to again load the bases for Notre Dame. After a pitching change by Wake Forest, DM Jefferson used a fielder’s choice to drive in Hincks to make it a two-run game at 6-4.
The defense made quick work of the Demon Deacons with a seven-pitch, three-up, three-down stop in the bottom of the eighth.
Estevan Moreno hit a chopper up the third-base line for a single to bring the tying run up to bat. Carson Tinney then drew a walk to put a pair on base, and Davis Johnson came in to pinch run at first for Tinney. Brady Gumpf had his bat broken just above the grip, and Estevan Moreno beat out the play at third on the fielder’s choice attempt for the force out to load the bases. Another pitching change for the Demon Deacons set up a wild pitch, and Moreno slid head first into home to make it a one-run game. Wake Forest, however, induced an infield ground out for the force play at first to end the game by the 6-5 final score.
Jackson Dennies suffered the loss after he went 5.1 on the mound with three strikeouts. DJ Helwig struck out a pair over an inning and a third of work, and Ricky Reeth struck out one and allowed one hit with no runs over the final one-and-a-third of the game.
Noah Coy went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a walk. Parker Brzustewicz added a 2-for-4 effort, and Brady Gumpf went 2-for-5 and scored a run. Carson Tinney had a double and scored a run, and Bino Watters added a hit and an RBI. Estevan Moreno had a hit and scored a run for the Irish. Connor Hincks added a run in the contest.
The Irish (8-3, 0-2 ACC) close out the series at Wake Forest on Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. ET contest against the Demon Deacons.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S LAX
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The #20 Notre Dame Fighting Irish fell 15-9 to #1 Boston College at Arlotta Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Kate Timarky recorded her third hat trick of the season as she led the Irish with three goals on the day, all three coming in the second half.
She was followed by Emma Murphy and Kathryn Morrissey with two goals apiece. Morrissey finished the day with a team-best four points as she also dished out two assists for the Irish. Kristen Shanahan recorded a goal and two assists for three points on the day. Wynter Jock also sent home a goal for the Irish and Isabel Pithie recorded eight saves against the top team in the country.
It was a close battle to start as Murphy sent home the first goal of the day for Notre Dame to tie up at 1-1. While the Eagles responded with two more goals, Morrissey found Jock on the back side of the goal to bring the Irish within one at 3-2 heading into the second quarter.
Boston College’s offense was able to get going in the second as they outscored the Irish 5-0 in the period to lead 8-2 at the half.
Murphy was back at it to start the third as she scored a free position goal to make it 8-3 with 12:43 left. The Eagles responded with three straight goals, but the Irish weren’t going anywhere as they answered two goals of their own to close out the quarter. Shanahan dished it to Timarky and Meghan O’Hare found Morrissey on the cut to make it 11-5 heading into the fourth.
While the Eagles struck first in the final period, the Irish offense really started to click. The Morrissey-Shanahan connection was apparent as they each scored and assisted each other on back-to-back goals to make it a 12-7 ballgame. Another Timarky goal capped off Notre Dame’s 3-0 run to bring the Irish within four at 12-8.
Boston College put away two more goals to make it 14-8 with 6:10 remaining, but Timarky found the back of the net on a pass from Angie Conley to complete the hat trick. The Eagles would score one last time as they went on to take it home, 15-9.
UP NEXT
The Irish are back in action next week as they head out west to California to take on Cal and UC Davis.
BUTLER BASEBALL
The Bulldogs won game three of the weekend series at Lindenwood by the final score of 11-10. The teams combined for 30 hits on Saturday as the Lions made a push to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. BU held on for their sixth win of the year. Gabe Pancratz got his first win on the mound and Simon Linde came up with his first save.
Tate Foxson struck out a team-best five batters in his quality start that lasted four innings and Pancratz would throw a clean fifth to keep BU in front 8-2.
Lindenwood fired back with three runs in the bottom of the sixth and five in the bottom of the ninth to get back within one of BU, but Linde got his matchup to ground out allowing BU to move ahead in the series two games to one.
David Ayers, Jack Bello and Zach Munton all had three RBI’s for the Bulldogs. Every member of that trio hit a double on Saturday and Tommy Townsend would return to the lineup as the designated hitter to provide BU with two more RBI’s.
Butler enjoyed a 9-2 lead after the sixth, but saw the Lions hit two home runs late in the game to charge back into the contest. Buschschulte took the loss on the mound for Lindenwood. He struck out four batters and didn’t issue a walk.
The two evenly matched teams will wrap up their weekend series tomorrow with a 2 p.m. eastern, 1 p.m. central finale.
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner and Steven Ashworth combined for 50 points, leading the host Bluejays to an 87-74 win over Butler Saturday night at CHI Health Center in Omaha.
With the win, Creighton improves to 22-9 on the season and 15-5 in BIG EAST play. Butler is now 13-18 (6-14) entering next week’s BIG EAST Tournament in New York City.
KEY STRETCH: Creighton closed the first half on an 11-2 run that turned a 42-41 Butler lead with 3:07 remaining into a 52-44 Creighton halftime lead. The first five points of the second half gave the Bluejays a 13-point advantage.
OF NOTE:
The game started out as a shootout as Butler lead, 29-22, over the first 8:13 of the game; the teams combined to start 13-for-19 from three-point range during that opening stretch.
Creighton’s lead got to as many as 15 in the second half, but the Bulldogs were able to claw back to 76-70 with 4:31 remaining before back-to-back three-pointers by Creighton returned the lead to double figures.
Kalkbrenner had 27 points on 13-for-17 shooting; he added 15 rebounds.
Ashworth scored 23 points with seven made three-pointers (all in the first half). He added 11 assists.
Patrick McCaffery and Jahmyl Telfort led the Bulldogs with 19 points apiece. Telfort handed out six assists, one shy of his career-high.
Butler went 9-for-22 from three-point range, but that included 7-for-10 shooting over the opening 20 minutes.
Creighton shot 52 percent from the field, and went 16-for-37 from three-point range.
The teams combined to commit only 14 fouls.
The Bluejays held a 43-26 rebounding advantage, aided by 13 offensive caroms.
Butler committed a season-low one turnover.
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs head to New York City for the BIG EAST Tournament. Butler and Providence will meet in the first game of the tournament Wednesday afternoon. The 4 p.m. tip will stream on Peacock. Mark Minner and Nick Gardner will also call the action live for fans to listen in on Butler Basketball Live through the Varsity Network and other platforms.
BUTLER SOFTBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler softball team came from behind to defeat DePaul in game two of a three-game BIG EAST series on Saturday. The Blue Demons (10-10, 0-2 BIG EAST) took a 4-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning, but the Bulldogs (13-5, 2-0 BIG EAST) rallied in the bottom half to score seven and secure the victory.
Game 2: Butler 7, DePaul 4 (7 innings)
In the top of the sixth, DePaul used four singles to score four runs and force a pitching change.
In the bottom half, Butler re-took the lead. First, Ella White walked and was knocked home by a Makena Alexander two-run home run over the left-center wall. Back-to-back singles put runners on first and second for Kieli Ryan, who laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. After a Sydney Carter RBI single scored one more, leaving runners on first and third, a double steal tied the game at 4-4. Cate Lehner then singled, pushing Carter to third, and then Lehner stole second. With two runners in scoring position, Hailey Conger reached on an error, and Carter scored, putting the Dawgs up, 5-4. One batter later, White hit a two-RBI double to put Butler up, 7-4.
In the top of the seventh, DePaul put its first two runners on base. A throw from center to third produced the first out, and a foul out followed by a line out ended the game.
Katie Petran (5.2 IP, 4R, 7H, BB, 7K) started in the circle for Butler and lasted into the sixth. Rylyn Dyer (5-1) come in with the Bulldogs down, 4-0, and with two outs and a runner on first. She got out of the inning and finished the game, taking credit for the win. In 1.1 innings, she faced five batters, allowing one hit and one walk.
Bulldog Bits
Makena Alexander’s home run, her second of the series, was her sixth of the season and the ninth of her career. Her double was her sixth this season and the ninth of her career.
Ella White’s double was her fourth of the season and the 38th of her career.
Rylyn Dyer picked up her fifth win of the season and the eleventh of her career.
Up Next
Butler and DePaul wrap up the three-game series with the final game on Sunday, March 9. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
IU INDY SOFTBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The IU Indy softball team put together a strong performance against Western Michigan, securing a 7-2 victory before falling to Bowling Green 7-2 on day two of the Hoosier Classic at Andy Mohr Field.
The Jaguars jumped out to an early lead, plating two runs in each of the first two innings to establish control against Western Michigan in game one. Molly Kable singled to right field to score Kendal Calvert to start the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Then while Kable was caught stealing, Gilbert swiped home to give the Jags a 2-0 lead.
Gilbert then added to the Jags lead with a double up the middle to score Piper Stephens and Reese Rosenbaum in the second inning, 4-0.
IU Indy tacked on three more runs in the third inning, capitalizing on timely hitting and Western Michigan’s defensive miscues. With the bases loaded, Karley Kavanaugh walked to score Tori Candler. Calvert reached on a fielding error by the second baseman to score Alexa Holman. Gilbert then added another RBI to her strong day at the plate with a single through the left side to sore Rosenbaum, 7-0.
Western Michigan’s only runs came in the seventh inning on a two-run homer by Caitlin Tighe, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Jags’ early offensive surge.
Holman (W, 2-3) delivered a dominant complete-game performance, allowing just three hits and striking out five over seven innings. Gilbert went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI and one run while Kable and Kavanaugh also added an RBI each.
The Jaguars couldn’t carry their momentum into the next game, falling to Bowling Green despite an early 1-0 lead. Candler was a bright spot for IU Indy, driving in both of the team’s runs with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.
Bowling Green responded quickly, scoring twice in the first and adding two more in the second. A three-run sixth inning sealed the game for the Falcons, highlighted by Addie Martin’s two-run homer.
IU Indy struggled to generate offense against Bowling Green’s pitching duo of Alyvia Roth and Scarlet Anderson (W, 2-1), who combined to allow just six hits while striking out five.
Clara Phariss (L, 1-5) took the loss in the circle for the Jags giving up four runs on three hits with one strikeout in 1.1 innings of work.
The Jags are now 2-2 on the weekend and will close out the Hoosier Classic tomorrow afternoon when they face Western Michigan at 2:00 PM.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State baseball team got home runs from Alex Richter and Nick Husovsky and a strong pitching performance from the duo of Jacob Hartlaub and Zach Leduc on its way to an 8-2 win over Western Michigan on Saturday afternoon at Shebek Stadium.
The Cardinals (10-5, 2-0 Mid-American Conference) got off to a 1-0 lead thanks to a leadoff home run from Alex Richter in the bottom of the first inning. Blake Bevis and Gavin Balius followed that up with RBI singles in the second to increase the edge to 3-0 for the hosts.
Balius added an RBI double in the fourth before Husovsky homered to center field in the fifth, scoring Dylan Grego, to increase Ball State’s advantage to six runs. Bevis and Clay Jacobs tacked on RBI singles in the inning for a four-run fifth.
Hartlaub (3-1) tossed 5.2 innings of 1-run ball and struck out five to earn his third win of the year. Zach Leduc picked up his first save, striking out two in 3.1 frames to close out the contests for the Cardinals.
For the game, Bevis finished a home run short of the cycle, and Jacobs and Balius had two hits each. Garrett Arnold scored twice after walking and hitting a double.
“Another solid pitching performance from Jacob Hartlaub and Zach Leduc led us, and several guys contributed offensively,” head coach Rich Maloney said.
Western Michigan (0-13, 0-2 MAC) put single tallies on the board in the sixth and seventh innings but they weren’t enough to come back on a Ball State team that has won four straight games.
Joey Wizceb (0-3) suffered the loss for the Broncos after giving up six runs in 4.1 innings.
Ball State wraps up the series with Western at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
BALL STATE SOFTBALL
LOUISVILLE – – The Ball State softball team turned to a familiar recipe to pick up its third win of the weekend, using dominating pitching from junior Ella Whitney and another solid day on offense to earn a 6-1 victory over in-state rival Evansville on the second day of the Bellarmine Invitational.
One of the nation’s top scoring teams, the Cardinals (11-6) broke onto the scoreboard early when redshirt senior catcher McKayla Timmons was able to score on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first. She reached base on a double, upping her hitting streak to nine games, stole third and then scored on the errant pitch.
While the Aces (11-10) were able to tie the score with a run in the top of the third, Ball State countered with two in the bottom of the frame to reclaim the lead. Timmons scored the first run on an error, after collecting her second double and moving to third on a passed ball.
Redshirt freshman pinch runner Veronica Peitersen scored the second, entering for Whitney who reached on the RBI error, and eventually scoring from third on an RBI groundout from senior left fielder Kara Gunter.
The Cardinals then tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fourth to take compete control of the contest. The first two runs came on a single up the middle from Timmons, her third of four hits in the game. The final run came on an RBI double to center from senior right fielder Maddie Weaver.
That was all the run support Whitney would need, as she limited Evansville to just one run and two hits to pick up her Mid-American Conference leading seventh win of the season. She also struck out two batters in the game.
NOTES:
– In addition to extending her hitting streak to nine games with just her second collegiate four-hit game, Timmons upped her active streak of reaching base safely to 43 dating back to last season.
– Timmons accounted for five of Ball State’s six runs in the game, scoring three times while driving in a pair.
– Including today’s victory, Whitney has held opposing teams to zero or one run in eight of her 10 outings this season. She owns a team-low 1.79 ERA and has held opposing teams to a .198 average.
UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team closes play in the Bellarmine Invitational Sunday with games versus Stonehill (10:30 a.m.) and Evansville (1:00 p.m.).
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Indiana State and Southeast Missouri State split Saturday’s doubleheader as the teams continued the weekend series at Capaha Field. The Sycamores’ took the opener, 3-0, behind the strong pitching of Colby Morse, while SEMO responded with a similar effort on the mound and timely hitting in the nightcap to secure the 4-1 win.
The Sycamores (7-8) and Redhawks (7-7) will close out the weekend series on Sunday afternoon at Capaha Field with first pitch set for 2 p.m. ET.
Game One: Indiana State 3, SEMO 0
Indiana State scored in each of the first three innings and Colby Morse worked a masterpiece in relief as the Sycamores topped host SEMO in Saturday’s first game of the doubleheader, 3-0.
The Sycamores took the early 3-0 lead after three innings highlighted by Zach Henderson and Carlos Pena RBI doubles, while Carter Beck scored an early run off a bases-loaded double play to provide the Indiana State pitching staff all the support they would need in the contest.
Morse (2-0) entered the game in the bottom of the second inning after starter Grant Parson was relieved early in the contest and the senior right-hander delivered. Morse worked his way out of a two-on, two-out jam in the second inning getting a groundout to Jackson Taylor at second to keep SEMO off the board.
From there, Morse faced just one batter over the minimum the rest of the way, surrendering singles to Mikey Rocha (fourth) and Brooks Kettering (fifth), with a double play keeping the SEMO offense at bay in the fifth inning. He retired the final 14 batters in a row on his way to a career-high 7.1-inning relief stint in securing his second win on the mound with the Sycamores.
Morse went 7.1 innings, allowing just the two aforementioned hits while striking out four in a dominant performance on the mound.
Thomas Emerich, Pena, Alex Nevils, and Henderson all had two-hit games for Indiana State as the Sycamores connected on nine hits overall in the contest. Beck, Pena (2), and Henderson all doubled, while Pena, Keegan Garis, and Henderson each picked up a stolen base in the game.
Parson worked the first 1.2 innings allowing four walks and hitting two batters in an atypical start for the Sycamore sophomore right-hander. He added a strikeout and a wild pitch in taking the no-decision.
Sam Heyman (2-2) took the loss on the mound allowing seven hits and three runs while striking out a pair over 4.1 innings. Cade Perkins and Caden Kickhaefer went the final 4.2 frames combining to strike out eight to close out the contest.
How They Scored
The Sycamores struck in the top of the first inning as Carter Beck scored on a double play ball in the infield to give Indiana State the early 1-0 lead.
Zach Henderson drove in the Sycamores’ second run of the game in the top of the second inning with an RBI double down the left field line scoring Alex Nevils to make it a 2-0 game.
The Sycamores added the final run of the contest in the top of the third as Carlos Pena connected on an RBI double to the wall in right center scoring Thomas Emerich to provide the final 3-0 margin.
Game Two: SEMO 4, Indiana State 1
Southeast Missouri State scored early in the contest and the Redhawks pitching staff kept the Sycamores’ rally at bay in the ninth inning to secure the win in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader.
The Redhawks scored first for the first time over the weekend on Bryce Cannon’s RBI double to right center in the second inning, and SEMO added Cole Warehime (single) and Brooks Kettering (sacrifice fly) RBIs to secure the early lead.
Keegan Garis put the Sycamores on the board in the seventh with a solo home run to right field, but the Redhawks responded with Gunnar Doyle’s RBI bunt single scoring Michael Mugan in the bottom of the eighth to put the lead back to three runs.
Indiana State nearly rallied back in the top of the ninth as the Sycamores put the game-tying run at the plate with two outs. Jeremy Martinez drew a leadoff walk and Miguel Cantu added a two-out single to put runners on the corners for the Sycamores. However, SEMO reliever Jackson Kranawetter (S, 1) was able to retire Emil Estrella on strikes to quell the rally and end the contest.
Carter Beck and Jackson Taylor had two hits apiece for Indiana State as the Sycamores connected on seven hits overall in the contest.
Jacob Spencer (0-1) took the loss after going 3.0 innings allowing four hits and two runs. Gavin Morris went the rest of the way allowing eight hits and two runs while striking out one over the final 5.0 innings in relief.
Michael Mugan went 3-for-3 with three runs scored to highlight the SEMO offense in the nightcap. Caleb Corbin added a pair of hits, while Bryce Cannon and Shea McGahan doubled in the win.
Nathan Mertens (1-0) picked up the win going 6.1 innings allowing five hits and a run while striking out five. Kranawetter went the final 2.2 innings recording seven strikeouts in recording his first save.
How They Scored
SEMO’s Bryce Cannon put the Redhawks on the board in the bottom of the second inning with an RBI double to right center scoring Michael Mugan to give SEMO the early 1-0 lead.
The Redhawks added to the lead in the fourth inning as Cole Warehime singled home Mugan to make it 2-0 SEMO.
Brooks Kettering’s sacrifice fly to left field in the bottom of the fifth inning was deep enough for Shea McGahan to score and put SEMO ahead 3-0.
Keegan Garis put one tally in the Sycamores’ column in the top of the seventh as the senior connected on a solo home run into the deck beyond the right field wall to cut the lead down to 3-1.
SEMO answered in the bottom of the eighth as Indiana State pitcher Gavin Morris’ diving effort on Gunnar Doyle’s bunt attempt resulted in the ground knocking the ball out of Morris’ glove and trickling away from the Sycamores’ defense, allowing Mugan to score and put the final margin at 4-1.
News & Notes
Carlos Pena added his team-leading sixth multi-hit game of the season in Saturday’s first game, but saw his stretch of four consecutive multi-hit contests come to an end in the evening finale.
Colby Morse’s 7.1-inning relief stint is Indiana State’s longest pitching appearance of the season.
Morse dropped his team-leading ERA down to 1.17 on the year over 15.1 innings and his WHIP down to .52 following the contest.
Jackson Taylor posted his second multi-hit game of the season in Saturday’s finale.
Keegan Garis’ solo home run in the seventh marked his second home run of the season.
Garis’ home run was Indiana State’s first home run since February 18 when Garis connected on a solo home run in the third inning of the Sycamores’ 8-5 win over Florida Gulf Coast.
Gavin Morris worked a season-best 5.0-innings in relief in Saturday evening’s nightcap.
Up Next
Indiana State and SEMO close out the series tomorrow afternoon at Capaha Field as the teams take the field at 2 p.m. ET.
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL
Richmond, Ky. – The Sycamores battled through a challenging day in Richmond, Ky., falling 4-0 to Purdue Fort Wayne before a late rally by Eastern Kentucky handed them a 6-5 walk-off loss.
Game One: Purdue Fort Wayne 4, Indiana State 0
The Sycamores were held off the scoreboard in the opening game of the day despite a strong effort at the plate from Livi Colip, who accounted for two of Indiana State’s three hits.
Purdue Fort Wayne struck early, plating two runs in the first inning behind a pair of RBI singles. The Mastodons added to their lead in the fifth on a two-run homer from Hollopeter.
Lauren Sackett took the loss in the circle, pitching 4.1 innings while allowing four runs on seven hits with four strikeouts.
Megan Asher provided 1.2 innings of scoreless relief, working out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth to keep the game within reach.
The Sycamores threatened in the seventh, as Colip singled and Jordan Thatcher doubled, but Purdue Fort Wayne held on for the shutout victory.
Game Two: EKU 6, Indiana State 5
In the second game of the day, the Sycamores fell short, losing 6-5 to Eastern Kentucky.
Sophie Esposito led the offense with a home run and an RBI, while Kenzie Cornwell contributed a hit, scoring twice. Livi Colip and Hannah Welch each recorded two hits, with Welch adding a double. Lauren Marsicek also delivered a key double and drove in three RBIs.
After a scoreless first two innings, Eastern Kentucky capitalized in the third with a three-run homer from McLeod to take a 3-0 lead.
The Sycamores answered in the fourth, as Esposito blasted her first collegiate home run to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Indiana State mounted a rally in the fifth, as Cornwell and Colip hit singles, followed by a wild pitch that allowed Cornwell to score, narrowing the gap to 3-2.
In the sixth, the Sycamores surged ahead, capitalizing on walks and a single to load the bases.
Marsicek delivered with a clutch double down the left field line, clearing the bases and giving the Sycamores a 5-3 lead.
However, Eastern Kentucky responded with a rally in the seventh. After a run scored and the bases were loaded, Hailey Griffin was replaced by Annie Waggoner in the circle. EKU sealed the game with a walk-off RBI single, scoring two runs to win 6-5.
Griffin (3-5) was charged with the loss after pitching 6.1 innings, allowing six earned runs on seven hits while striking out four and walking five.
Up Next: Indiana State will conclude the EKU Round Robin on Sunday with matchups against Purdue Fort Wayne at 10 a.m. and Eastern Kentucky at 12:30 p.m., with the EKU game streaming live on ESPN+.
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Keslyn Secrist scored a career-high 26 points Saturday afternoon, but visiting Murray State’s offense proved too much for the Sycamores to overcome in a 109-70 loss inside Hulman Center.
Seniors Deja Jones and Semie Brar joined Secrist in double-figures with 12 and 11, respectively, with Brar setting a season high in scoring in the process. Bella Finnegan had seven points and a career-high 10 rebounds, while Jones also dished out seven assists.
Indiana State kept pace early by shooting better than 50 percent in the first quarter, but Murray State built a double-digit lead by the intermission. The Racers exploded for 35 points in the third quarter to break the game open. Indiana State had another strong shooting quarter in the fourth, but the game was out of reach by that point as Murray State claimed a share of the MVC regular season title.
First Half
Secrist and Brar combined to score Indiana State’s first 15 points, with the duo knocking down three 3-pointers in the process. Indiana State pulled within three following a Saige Stahl layup late in the quarter, while Secrist added another basket inside the final minute. Despite the strong start from the field for the Sycamores, Murray State led 26-19 after the opening quarter.
Queen Ruffin and Davina Smith tacked on early second quarter baskets for the Blue and White, and Secrist added another layup within the first three minutes of the frame. Secrist added a pair of baskets to keep the Trees within eight just past the midway point of the second, but an 8-0 run for Murray State extended the Racer lead to 47-31. Jones and Secrist combined for five points in the final 90 seconds of the frame, as Indian State pulled within 47-36 at the half.
Second Half
Things got out of hand quickly in the third quarter for Indiana State, as Murray State started the frame on a 9-2 run. Baskets from Finnegan and Secrist gave the Sycamores some momentum, but it was short-lived. Indiana State went more than five minutes without a basket, during which Murray State went on a 24-3 run to break the game wide open. Secrist hit a buzzer-beating layup to close the quarter, but the Sycamores trailed 82-47 after three.
Layups from Savannah White and Brar gave the Sycamores a good start to the fourth quarter, while Secrist and Jones connected on treys midway through. Jones and White added layups, with Secrist tacking on another basket late in the frame, as the Sycamores shot better than 50 percent in the final frame. White closed the scoring for the Sycamores with a late layup, but the game was well out of reach by that point for the Sycamores as Murray State clinched a share of the MVC regular season crown with a 109-70 win.
News and Notes
Indiana State honored its senior class, consisting of guards Semie Brar and Deja Jones, forward Leah Yarbrough, and graduate assistants Jada Haines and Donald Metoyer Jr., prior to Saturday’s game.
Keslyn Secrist set career highs with 26 points and 11 field goals, with her 26 points being the second-most in a game for a Sycamore this season.
Semie Brar set season highs of 11 points and four field goals Saturday.
Bella Finnegan registered double-digit rebounds for the first time in her career Saturday, leading the Sycamores with 10 boards.
The third quarter proved costly for Indiana State, with the Sycamores being outscored 35-11 in the period. Indiana State was just 4-for-20 from the field in the third.
Up Next
Indiana State turns its attention to the MVC Tournament, with the Sycamores’ first game taking place Thursday. The Trees’ first round opponent and time will be announced Sunday.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE SOFTBALL
GAME 1: Purdue Fort Wayne 4, Indiana State 0
Alanah Jones’ pitching was on full display in the opener against Indiana State, as the junior recorded five strikeouts and allowed just three hits in the shutout victory. Jones allowed just one hit in the first six innings of action.
Offensive, Purdue Fort Wayne racked up nine hits from seven different players. Bailey Manos and Grace Hollopeter had two each.
The Mastodons jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to four hits. Manos doubled, then Hollopeter singled to bring her home. Hollopeter advanced on a single from Addison Zimpleman, then scored on a single from Jones.
The 2-0 lead held until the fifth when Manos doubled again and Hollopeter sent the first pitch she saw over the center field wall.
Indiana State threatened in the seventh with the tying run on deck, but the ‘Dons turned away a two-out comeback from the Sycamores.
Jones improved to 2-6 with the win and ISU’s Lauren Sackett took the loss to fall to 0-6.
ISU fell to 5-14.
GAME 2: Eastern Kentucky 12. Purdue Fort Wayne 4
Manos had another two-hit performance against Eastern Kentucky, but the Colonels found 12 hits and 12 runs to take the game on their home field.
EKU built up a 6-0 lead with three runs in both the first and second innings before the Mastodons scored their first in the fourth. Freshman Skylar Smith got Manos home on a sacrifice fly. EKU answered with two more runs in the bottom of the frame.
An inning later, the Mastodons strung together a three-run push. Morgan Cantrell singled up the middle and worked her way around to third before Manos doubled again. Hollopeter followed up with a single bring home Manos for the fourth time in two games.
The Colonels kept the game from going into a sixth inning with a four-run response in the bottom of the fifth.
The Mastodons had Aubrey Zachary, Gracie Brinkerhoff and Mackenzie Arroyo split the pitching duties. Zachary took the loss. EKU’s Maddi Rutan got the win.
Eastern Kentucky improved to 14-5. Purdue Fort Wayne moved to 3-11. The Mastodons will play ISU and EKU again on Sunday (March 9) at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE BASEBALL
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Mastodon baseball team lost to Tennessee Tech on Saturday (March 8) afternoon 5-0 in non-league action.
The Golden Eagles scored single runs in each of the first three innings. They added two insurance runs in the eighth.
The Mastodons put a runner on in six of nine innings. They loaded the bases in the second and stranded two in the seventh.
Augusto Schroeder had two hits.
Mack Whitcomb earned three hits for the Golden Eagles.
Tennessee Tech moves to 12-4 with the win. The ‘Dons fall to 1-12 and are back in action on Sunday against the Golden Eagles.
EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Niki Bode recorded two RBI in Saturday’s opening game against Stonehill to lead the University of Evansville softball team to a 5-2 win at Knights Field. In the second game of the day, the Purple Aces dropped a 6-2 decision to Ball State.
Game 1 – UE 5, Stonehill 2
Evansville’s offense registered 10 hits while Elle Jarrett tossed a complete game in a 5-2 win over the Skyhawks. Niki Bode had two RBI while Morgan Adams notched three hits.
Kynadee Warner scored the first run of the game in the top of the first, coming in from second on a wild pitch. UE added to the advantage with a 3-run third inning. Warner and Adams both reached on 1-out singles before Bode brought in Warner with her first hit of the game. Eliza Piggott brought in Adams on sacrifice fly before Jess Willsey came through with an RBI single to score Bode.
Stonehill got on the board with a single run in the third before UE matched it with a score in the top of the fourth. Another RBI single by Bode brought in Miriah Powell, who led the inning off with a bunt single. The Skyhawks got one run closer in the bottom of the frame, but Jarrett kept them scoreless over the final three innings to seal the win. She improved to 4-0 on the season with two runs, one earned, scoring.
Game 2 – Ball State 6, UE 1
Ball State scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth to pull away for a 6-1 win in the second game of the day at Knights Field.
After the Cardinals opened the day with a run in the first, Evansville tied the score in the third. Kynadee Warner reached on a 1-out triple and scored on a ground out by Taylor Howe. The Cardinals quickly responded with two runs in the bottom of the third before opening things up with a 3-run fourth frame to go up 6-1.
Looking to rally in the sixth, the Aces put two runners on with Howe reaching on an error while Morgan Adams drew a walk. Unfortunately, the Cardinals got out of the jam and would take the win by a 6-1 final. UE was limited to two hits in the contest. Gracie Hollingsworth took the loss. In 3 1/3 innings, she allowed five runs, three earned, on four hits.
On Sunday, the Aces face Ball State and Bellarmine.
EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team closed out its regular season celebrating its four senior players before dropping the final game to the Belmont Bruins 75-48.
The Purple Aces kept things close with Belmont through three quarters in Saturday’s regular-season finale. But an 18-point run for the Bruins to begin the fourth quarter put the game out of reach for UE. Freshman guard Avery Kelley (Evansville, Ind. / Memorial HS) was Evansville’s offensive leader on Saturday with 14 points and a career-high four steals. Prior to the game, the Aces celebrated their four graduating players, guard Madlena Gerke (Riga, Latvia), guard Alana Striverson (Sellersburg, Ind. / Lindenwood), forward Anica Skrivan (Trebinje, Bosnia & Herzegovina), and guard Júlia Palomo (La Seu d’Urgell, Spain).
It was a slow start to the game for both teams as it took over a minute for anyone to score. Belmont took the early lead with five points, but freshman guard Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind. / Hamilton Heights HS) soon cut the Bruins lead to only a basket with a three just under four minutes into the game. Belmont responded by getting the lead up to six before another three from Kelley brought it back down to a three-point game. The first quarter ended in back-and-forth fashion with UE getting the last points at the line. With 1:51 on the clock in the first, sophomore forward Maggie Hartwig (Sauk City, Wis. / Sauk Prairie HS) pulled down her 500th career rebound. The rebound made Hartwig the first sophomore to reach 500 career rebounds since Christy Greis during the 1990-91 season.
Down by only three points starting the second quarter, an early Bruins foul got Evansville back within a possession. The Aces tied the game up less than a minute into the second as Hartwig made her first three of the game. The teams traded free throws over the next minute until Belmont jumped out on a nine-point run. Freshman guard Kaiden Kreinhagen (Indianapolis / North Central HS) ended UE’s drought with a three and made the next basket of the game two minutes later with a layup. Evansville’s defense held the Bruins scoreless for over three minutes in the second and then kept Belmont from scoring a field goal in the final three minutes of the half. The Aces ended the first half on a 6-3 run and headed into the locker room trailing by only five.
The start of the third quarter was all defense as the first points of the half didn’t come until the 8:45 mark. The teams traded points for most of the quarter as there were multiple two-minute gaps between scoring. The Bruins had the only true run of the quarter, scoring four points in a minute and a half to get the first double-figure lead of the game with 1:58 left on the clock. UE got the score back within single digits as it was a 47-38 game heading into the final 10 minutes of the regular season.
The start of the fourth quarter was all Belmont as they grew their lead to 27 points. Hartwig broke the scoreless streak with a three with just over five minutes left in the game. The Bruins countered with another run getting their lead up to 30 at one point. The final minute of the game was dominated by fouls and free throws as Evansville made six attempts at the line in under 55 seconds. The six points gave the Aces a 75-48 final score in their last regular season contest.
Three UE players had double-figure performances on Saturday with Kelley leading the way. Runner and Hartwig scored 13 and 10 points apiece while Hartwig led the team in rebounds with nine. Kelley also led Evansville in steals with four, setting a new career high. And Palomo led the team in assists with two in her final regular season game as an Ace.
UE has secured the 10th seed in the 2025 Credit Union 1 Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament. Evansville is set to take on the seventh-seed UIC Flames on Thursday, March 13 at 6 p.m. The Aces won’t go far to play in the postseason as the MVC Tournament is being held in downtown Evansville at the Ford Center. UE is one of only two Valley teams to play in the Ford Center this season as they hosted Drake back in December.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
CONWAY, Ark. – The University of Evansville baseball team found its revenge for yesterday’s extra-innings loss with a 6-5 win over the Central Arkansas Bears on Saturday afternoon.
The Purple Aces offense didn’t step off the gas on Saturday as they churned out 15 hits for the team’s first back-to-back games with 10+ hits this season. Senior outfielder Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast CC) continues to be a monster at the plate with another three-hit game, all of which went for extra bases along with leading UE in RBIs with two. On the mound, junior RHP Elias Hachem (Oak Park, Ill. / Mt. Carmel HS) picked up his first career win going 1.1 innings with no hits and one strikeout while facing four batters.
“It was great to win a close game and give us a chance to win a series on the road,” said Head Coach Wes Carroll following Saturday’s win. “Byberg was able to avoid the big inning on the mound. But today comes down to Harrison Taubert. The young man is playing like an All-American at the plate and in the field. An outfield assist to win a game might be the spark this team needs.”
The Aces jumped out to an early lead at Bear Stadium as center fielder Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) took first base on a hit by pitch to lead off the game. Taubert followed up with UE’s first hit of the game with a double to left field as Rumsey landed at third. Shortstop Drew McConnell (Blue Springs, Mo. / Blue Springs HS) then ground out to Central Arkansas pitcher giving Rumsey enough time to score the first run of the game.
Evansville added another run on its next at-bat as designated hitter Jake McGhee (Felton, Mo. / Christian Brothers Academy) put a long single into left field, scoring Taubert. McGhee made it all the way to third on the next at-bat as catcher Evan Waggoner (Bedford, Ind. / North Bedford Lawrence HS) reached on a fielder’s choice and McGhee advanced on a throwing error. McGhee scored the Aces’ third run of the inning when left fielder Charlie Longmeier (Seymour, Ind. / Seymour HS) put a double down the left field line.
UE’s defense didn’t allow a run to score in the bottom of the inning from the Bears despite a lead-off walk and a fielding error as both runners were stranded on base. Evansville had one hit in the top of the second as second baseman Mason McCue (Bourbonnais, Ill. / Bishop McNamara HS) connected on his first hit as an Ace. McCue put the ball into right center with only one out on the board. But a foul out and a strikeout in the next two at-bats stranded the freshman at second.
Central Arkansas added a run in the bottom of the second as two batters connected on a hit and one runner advanced to third on a throwing error. It was a 3-1 game as UE headed into the top of the third and got a lead-off hit by pitch to start the inning. A single for Waggoner followed by first baseman Kevin McCormick (Orland Park, Ill. / St. Laurence HS) walking had the bases loaded for Evansville with two outs on the board. The Aces weren’t able to bring anyone across home as a fielder’s choice with an out at third ended the top of the third.
It seemed like the Bears were threatening early in the bottom of the third with a lead-off single. But the UE defense turned its fifth double play of the season to end the potential threat. Evansville had two runners on early to start the fourth as McCue was hit by a pitch and Rumsey singled up the middle. A strikeout and then a double play from Central Arkansas ended the offensive inning early for the Aces.
The Bears tied the game in the bottom of the fourth as they hit back-to-back solo home runs to make it 3-3. Central Arkansas followed up the home runs with a single down the right field line. UE was able to lock in and end the inning shortly after as starting pitcher Owen Byberg (Barrie, Ontario / Frontier CC) threw his first strikeout and two putouts.
Evansville’s offense had two hits in the top of the fifth but didn’t bring a runner home. While the Bears took a one-run lead in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice bunt after getting both of their first batters on base. The Aces were able to limit Central Arkansas to only one run with a long third out to home from right field.
UE’s offense was able to answer in the top of the sixth as Taubert hit his third home run of the season past the left field fence. The solo homer was the only hit of the sixth for Evansville as they headed to the bottom of the inning tied at four runs each.
The Bears again threatened early in the bottom of the sixth with a lead-off single and a hit by pitch. A sacrifice bunt put both runners for Central Arkansas in scoring position and the Aces made a change on the mound to senior RHP Jacob Jarvis (Farmington, Mo. / Jefferson College). While Jarvis walked the first batter he faced, he got his second batter to hit into a double play by grabbing a lineout to himself and throwing a putout to Waggoner for the third out at home to end the inning still tied 4-4.
McGhee and Longmeier singled for UE in the top of the seventh, but a double play and a caught stealing quickly ended the top of the inning. It was a different story in the bottom of the inning as the Bears had back-to-back walks and a single to load the bases after Evansville switched to RHP Parker MacCauley (Paducah, Ky. / Tennessee Tech) on the mound. The Aces got back-to-back outs on the next two batters, but a wild pitch to Central Arkansas pinch hitter scored the go-ahead run.
UE had a strong start to the eighth inning as McCormick and third baseman Drew Howard (Ferdinand, Ind. / Park Forest HS) had back-to-back singles. Evansville’s next two batters struck out but a balk from Bears pitcher Cole MacRae tied the game at five as McCormick got to walk home. Taubert came up big again for the Aces with his third hit of the game putting a double into right field to score Howard for the lead.
In the bottom of the eighth UE switched pitchers as Hachem made his season debut. Evansville took down the Bears in order for only the second time that day while Hachem threw his first strikeout. The Aces’ offense didn’t add an insurance run in the top of the ninth as Longmeier was the only batter to reach base. But UE’s defense had a strong start to the bottom of the ninth with a ground out.
Evansville switched pitchers one last time, putting in closer RHP Kellen Roberts (Monroe, Mich. / Monroe HS) to get the last two outs. Roberts walked the first batter he faced but struck out the second. Central Arkansas got a single to put a runner into scoring position with two outs on the board. The Bears had another single on their next at-bat but a long throw from Taubert to Waggoner made it to home just in time to record the final out of the game.
Eight Aces recorded a hit on Saturday while Taubert and Longmeier led the way with three apiece. Also recording multiple hits on Saturday was McGhee, Waggoner, and McCormick. On the mound all but one UE pitcher recorded a strikeout while Jarvis and Hachem were the only pitchers to not allow a hit.
Evansville will look to win its first series of the season on Sunday afternoon. The Aces’ main ace on the mound in 2025, sophomore left-handed pitcher Kevin Reed (Martinsville, Ind. / Martinsville HS) is projected to start for UE. First pitch for the finale from Bear Stadium is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 9.
SOUTHERN INDIANA SOFTBALL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball hosted Western Illinois University in a doubleheader on Saturday to open the Screaming Eagles’ 2025 home schedule and Ohio Valley Conference play. The two sides split the two games, as USI bounced back from a 4-2 setback in the series opener and captured a 3-2 victory in the back end of Saturday’s twin bill.
In game one, Western Illinois (5-13, 1-1 OVC) opened the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the first inning. Southern Indiana (4-12, 1-1 OVC) answered with a tying run on an RBI knock by senior outfielder Kennedy Nalley.
USI grabbed a 2-1 advantage on a sac fly by senior third baseman Whitley Hunter in the home half of the fourth, but Western Illinois answered with two runs on a double in the top of the fifth inning to take a 3-2 lead. Western Illinois tacked on an additional run in the seventh to seal the 4-2 result.
Despite the Leathernecks scattering some hits off of senior pitcher Josie Newman (3-6) in the early innings, the right-hander fanned 11 total batters. Newman struck out the side in the first inning to move into second on USI’s career strikeouts list. The senior pitched all seven innings.
USI recorded three hits with one hit apiece for the top three in the batting order.
For Western Illinois, freshman pitcher Libby Spaulding (1-2) was credited the win in middle relief, giving up one run in two innings pitched. Sophomore pitcher Lillie Wools picked up the save, tossing the last three innings scoreless. Freshman starting pitcher Kaitlyn Green took a no-decision in two innings of work.
In the second game, Western Illinois led 1-0 after a first-inning run, but Southern Indiana tied the game in the bottom of the third on a bases-loaded, pinch-hit RBI single by freshman Grace Huffman.
The game remained tied until the home half of the sixth when Hunter, who doubled to lead off the inning, came home to score on a wild pitch and give USI a 2-1 advantage. Later in the inning, junior outfielder Caroline Stapleton added an insurance run with an RBI single to put USI up 3-1.
Freshman pitcher Kylie Witthaus was in the process of a strong start after holding Western Illinois scoreless since the first-inning run. However, Witthaus ran into a tense situation in the top of the seventh after a pair of walks and a sacrifice got runners into second and third with one out. The Leathernecks got a run back on a sac fly to pull within one, 3-2, but with two outs on the board. Unfazed, Witthaus induced a final groundball out to close out the USI victory.
Witthaus (1-5) recorded her first career win in the complete game. The left-hander struck out three and gave up only two runs – one earned. At the plate, Hunter had two of USI’s six hits. Sophomore designated player Alyssa Mumaw had a hit, two walks, and scored two runs.
The Leathernecks mustered only four hits off Witthaus. Wools (2-4) bookended the game for Western Illinois, totaling four innings of work and three runs allowed in being charged with the loss.
The OVC-opening series for Western Illinois and Southern Indiana will be decided Sunday with a rubber match from USI Softball Field. First pitch is slated for Noon. The game can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM.
Sunday’s game is Youth Team Day, and younger fans are encouraged to wear their youth team jerseys. Plus, the first 100 kids get a free USI keychain.
Admission to all USI Softball home games in 2025 is free courtesy of ProRehab.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
TULSA, Okla. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball was downed by Oral Roberts University, 4-2, Saturday afternoon at J.L. Johnson Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma. USI is 6-7 overall in 2025, while ORU goes 8-4 this year.
It was a pitcher’s duel for the first five innings of the contest. USI junior right-hander Blake Kimball shut out the Golden Eagles on five hits through the first five frames before being touched for four runs in the sixth. Kimball (2-2) took the loss allowing the four runs on eight hits and a walk, while striking out two.
The score would remain 4-0 until the top of the ninth when USI closed the gap to 4-2. Junior shortstop Clayton Slack reached on a one-out single and advanced to third on a double by sophomore pinch hitter Evan Zapp before scoring the Screaming Eagles’ first run on a sacrifice fly by junior pinch hitter Charlie Marisca.
Zapp crossed the plate with USI’s second tally when junior third baseman Patrick McLellan reached on an error with two outs. The 4-2 score would be as close as USI would come as ORU closed out the game.
At the plate, junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens led USI with three hits in the contest.
Up Next for the Eagles:
USI and ORU conclude the three-game series Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Screaming Eagles return to the friendly surroundings of the USI Baseball Field Tuesday when they host Austin Peay State for a 5 p.m. contest. USI will be at home for four of the next five games after completing the series at ORU.
VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team saw its run in Arch Madness, the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Louis, come to an end with a 70-65 loss to second-seeded Bradley on Saturday night at the Enterprise Center. The Beacons followed up a regular season filled with breakthrough wins and accomplishments with the team’s most notable feat yet, becoming the first No. 11 seed to reach the semifinal round of the MVC Tournament since the league expanded to 12 teams.
How It Happened
Bradley jumped out to an early 9-4 edge, but Valpo came back by scoring eight straight points to take a 12-9 lead. Redshirt freshman Carson Schwieger (Overland Park, Kan. / Blue Valley Southwest [Wright State / Link Year]) had a go-ahead triple to make it 10-9, then his sophomore twin brother Cooper Schwieger (Overland Park, Kan. / Blue Valley Southwest [Link Year]) followed with a dunk to put Valpo ahead 12-9.
The Beacons went on an 8-0 run in just over a minute to build up a 22-13 lead, forcing a Brian Wardle timeout with 12:35 left in the first half. Wright scored all eight points on that run including back-to-back triples.
The run extended to 10-0 with Wright doing all of the scoring before Bradley finally broke through. The Beacons held a 24-13 lead after Wright’s final basket of that sequence.
Bradley responded with a 10-0 run of its own to get within one at 24-23 at the under eight media timeout of the first half. Wright knocked down two straight from the perimeter to build the lead back to seven at 30-23 with 6:19 left in the half.
The Braves made up some ground down the final stretch of the first half, but the Beacons still held a 34-31 lead at the break.
Bradley closed to within one at 41-40, but junior Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro (LaSalle, Quebec, Canada / Orangeville Prep [Western Michigan] hit a massive 3-pointer despite being fouled with 15:48 left in the second half, lifting the lead to four at 44-40.
The game continued to zig and zag. Wright hit his fifth 3 to make it 47-42 Valpo. Senior Tyler Schmidt (Valparaiso, Ind. / Victory Christian [Olivet Nazarene]) had a big bucket that put Valpo back up five. However, Bradley reeled off five straight to get even at 49. It was again deadlocked at 51 at the under-12 media timeout.
Bradley took the lead at 10:36 with a traditional 3-point play to go up 54-51, the team’s first lead since the 16:24 mark of the first half.
The Bradley lead fluctuated between two and four for several minutes. The Braves led 57-55 with 7:30 on the clock at the under-8 timeout and 61-60 with De La Cruz Monegro going to the free throw line with 4:22 to go.
De La Cruz Monegro hit all three free throws to put Valpo up 63-61 with 4:22 left. A second-chance layup by Bradley’s Darius Hannah tied the game at 63 with 3:27 to play. Duke Deen put Bradley in front with a 3 with 2:45 left, then Cooper made two free throws to cut it to one with 2:21 on the clock.
With just under two minutes remaining, senior point guard Darius DeAveiro (Kanata, Ottawa, Canada / Orangeville Prep) went down with an injury and was helped off the court in an emotional moment for the team. A team captain, quiet leader and the longest-tenured Beacon, DeAveiro played his 120th career game on Saturday. He played all four years of his collegiate career in a Valpo uniform and became etched in the fabric of the program as a favorite of fans, teammates and coaches alike.
All of Bradley’s scoring the rest of the game came on free throws to build the lead up to five. A pair of Valpo shots were off the mark with 35 and 31 seconds to go, putting the Beacons into a situation where they had to foul, setting up the Braves to seal the game at the stripe.
Inside the Game
Valpo’s 15 wins marks the program’s highest win total since capturing 19 victories in 2019-20. The program advanced to the semifinals of Arch Madness for the first time since 2020 and second time since joining the league.
The Beacons played three or more conference tournament games for the first time since 2019-20 and just the second time since 2010-11.
Wright scored 24 points, bringing his three-game Arch Madness total to 75 points (25.0 ppg). He has scored 20 points or more 10 times in Valpo’s last 13 games.
Wright hit six 3s for the second straight game, finishing with 15 total for the tournament. The 15 made 3s were the second most in the history of the MVC Tournament, one shy of tying the record of 16 set by Cooper Niese in 2023.
Wright increased his season point total to 526, climbing to fourth in Missouri Valley Conference history for points by a freshman. His total is the highest by a Valley rookie since Creighton’s Doug McDermott in 2010-11 (581).
Cooper scored 19 points, squeezed eight rebounds and had a pair of blocks. This marked his fifth straight game with 17 points or more and his 24th straight game with a dozen or more.
Cooper blocked 13 shots in the tournament, tied for the second most in the history of Arch Madness. Creighton’s Benoit Benjamin blocked 20 shots in the 1984 MVC Tournament, while Creighton’s Gregory Echenique had 13 in 2013.
Cooper moved into fourth in single-season program history for blocked shots with his two on Saturday. He also moved into sixth in program history in career blocked shots.
Wright and Cooper combined for 65.8 percent of Valpo’s scoring in the tournament.
After being held scoreless in three of his previous four games, De La Cruz Monegro turned in a 15-point, seven-rebound performance on Saturday.
Valpo knocked down 10 3s in the game, the team’s second straight contest in double figures in that area.
Bradley won the turnover battle 8-6 in a game where both teams took good care of the ball.
Valpo shot at a higher clip from the free-throw line – 84.6 percent to 60.7 percent – but Bradley had 28 free-throw attempts to Valpo’s 13.
DeAveiro had five assists and six rebounds.
VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The Valpo women’s basketball program’s career rebounding chart has a new name next to its number one spot, as Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) surpassed Tamra Braun’s previous standard of 870 career boards in the first half Saturday at the ARC. The Beacons dropped their regular season finale to visiting UNI, 85-73, and will open play at the conference tournament Thursday afternoon at noon.
How It Happened
The two teams were deadlocked at 9-9 approaching the midway point of the opening quarter before the Panthers went on a 12-0 run to gain separation.
Maci Rhoades (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek [Radford]) hit a corner 3-pointer to beat the first period buzzer to bring the Beacons with 23-14 after 10 minutes.
Valpo was perfect from the field in the second quarter, hitting all eight of its field goal attempts, including six 3-pointers. But the Beacons committed 10 turnovers in the period as well.
When the dust settled, it ended up being an even 24-24 score in the second quarter, leaving Valpo trailing 47-38 into halftime.
Valpo had just one field goal over a stretch of nearly six minutes in the third quarter, allowing the Panthers to go on a 10-2 run to extend their lead to 18.
UNI led 65-49 with 10 minutes to play and pushed its lead to as many as 24 points in the fourth quarter.
Inside the Game
Earnest moved alongside Braun on the career rebounding chart with a board in the closing seconds of the first quarter, and then pulled down a missed free throw just over a minute into the second quarter to pass Braun.
Earnest finished the day with a game-high eight rebounds and now owns 875 career caroms.
Valpo’s best player had one of the top offensive games of her career in her final home game Saturday, finishing 10-of-13 from the field — including 3-of-5 from 3-point range — and 8-of-9 from the foul line to lead all players with 31 points.
It was the second 30-point game of Earnest’s career, coming up just one point shy of her career high last season at Illinois State.
Earnest moved up to fourth on Valpo’s single-season scoring chart with 540 points, just 10 points shy of third, and is in a tie for fifth for field goals made in a season with 182.
Nevaeh Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) finished with 19 points, including four 3-pointers, and was one off her career high with four assists.
Jackson has hit from deep 73 times this year, fifth-most in a season in program history and just three shy of fourth position.
Rhoades connected on three 3-pointers for the second straight game as she hit double figures with 11 points. The junior also tied her career high with four assists.
Valpo shot a season-best 53.2% from the field and was 12-for-29 from 3-point range, matching its season high for 3-pointers made.
The Beacons committed 21 turnovers, however, and forced just 14 UNI miscues, only five of which were steals — both tied for the team’s second-fewest of the season. The Panthers held a 33-16 advantage in points off turnovers.
Next Up
Valpo (13-18, 9-11 MVC) heads to the 2025 Credit Union 1 MVC Women’s Basketball Tournament at the Ford Center as the tournament’s eighth seed and will kick the tournament off at noon on Thursday against ninth-seeded Bradley. The full tournament bracket will be released by the Valley Sunday morning following the updated release of the NCAA NET rankings.
VALPO SOFTBALL
The Valpo softball team continued action at Marshall March Madness in Huntington, W.V. on Saturday, falling 11-4 to Loyola and 13-5 to the host Thundering Herd.
How It Happened – Loyola
The Ramblers scored a single run in each of their first two turns at the plate.
Valpo sliced the deficit in half in the bottom of the second as Natalie Bush (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian) was able to scamper home on a Loyola error.
Loyola added three runs to its ledger with a three-run homer in the third and then plated five unearned runs in the fourth.
Sophia Leitzen (Orfordville, Wis./Brodhead) connected on a two-run double in the bottom of the fourth and Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) added an RBI as well to cut the deficit to 10-4.
The Ramblers scored a run in the top of the sixth to cap the scoring.
How It Happened – Marshall
The hosts used the long ball to jump out to a lead, connecting on two solo homers in the opening inning and a three-run homer in the second to make it 5-0.
Valpo erased nearly the entire deficit in the top of the fourth. Kayden Krug (Milford, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) opened Valpo’s scoring with a two-run double, Rodas delivered an RBI single and Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) drilled an RBI double to bring the Beacons within 5-4.
Marshall answered Valpo’s four-spot with a four-run inning of its own, however, to return the lead to five runs.
Lexi Szostak (Roselle, Ill./Lake Park) pulled a run back with an RBI single in the top of the fifth, but Marshall closed the game via run-rule with four runs in the bottom half of the frame.
Inside the Games
Vrastil picked up a hit against Loyola and then went 2-for-3 versus Marshall, extending her on-base streak to 17 straight games to open her collegiate career.
Rodas went 2-for-3 with an RBI against Marshall, her first multi-hit game of the season and the 14th of her career.
Krug drove in two runs against the Thundering Herd, already her fourth multi-RBI game of this campaign after tallying just two such games last year as a freshman.
Caitlyn Quickle (Leesburg, Ohio/Fairfield Local) made her first career start in the circle against Marshall.
Next Up
Valpo (9-8) closes its time in West Virginia with two more games on Sunday. The Beacons take on Buffalo at 10 a.m. CT before facing off again with the hosts at 3 p.m. CT. The game against Marshall will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
VALPO BASEBALL
The Valparaiso University baseball team hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the seventh, but fell 15-4 in eight innings on Saturday afternoon at Ohio State.
How It Happened
- Ohio State scored the game’s first six runs, tallying one in the first, two in the second and two on a two-run homer in the third before adding another in the fourth.
- Valpo got back in the game in the seventh inning when Austin Amburgey(Miamisburg, Ohio / Miamisburg) and Connor Giusti(Hoffman Estates, Ill. / Fremd) connected on back-to-back jacks. There were two ducks on the pond for Amburgey’s homer, so that cut the Buckeye edge to 6-4.
- Ohio State responded in the bottom of the seventh, scoring six times before clinching the run rule with three in the bottom of the eighth.
Inside the Game
- Amburgey’s home run was his first in a Valpo uniform, while Giusti had his eighth total and first this season.
- Ohio State held a 12-5 edge in the hit column.
- Amburgey had Valpo’s lone multi-hit game.
Up Next
Valpo (3-7) and Ohio State will do it again on Saturday with a noon CT / 1 p.m. ET first pitch in Columbus, Ohio. The game will be streamed on B1G+.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/
MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/
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 9
1943 — Eddie Dancker banks in a desperation 25-foot hook shot from the corner to give Sheboygan a 30-29 win over Fort Wayne and the National Basketball League crown. The defeat of the Pistons is regarded as one of the biggest upsets in pro basketball history.
1948 — NHL President Clarence Campbell expels Billy Taylor of the New York Rangers and Don Gallagher of the Boston Bruins because of gambling associations.
1958 — George Yardley of the Detroit Pistons becomes the first NBA player to score 2,000 points in a season. Yardley averages 27.8 points in the 72-game season.
1968 — Houston’s Elvin Hayes scores 49 points and pulls down 27 rebounds in a 94-76 win over Loyola of Chicago in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
1977 — Anthony Roberts of Oral Roberts sets an NIT record with 65 points in a 90-89 loss to Oregon in the first round.
1979 — Detroit’s Kevin Porter hands out a franchise-record 25 assists as the Pistons defeat the Boston Celtics 160-117.
1984 — Tim Witherspoon wins the vacant WBC heavyweight title with a 12-round majority decision over Greg Page.
1986 — Buffalo’s Gilbert Perreault scores his 500th goal in a 4-3 win over the New Jersey Devils.
1994 — Detroit’s Dino Ciccarelli scores his 1,000th career point with a goal in a 5-1 win over Calgary.
2001 — Ty Tryon, a 16-year-old high school sophomore, makes the cut in his first PGA Tour event. He’s 1 over after the second round of the Honda Classic, making him the second-youngest player to make the cut in a PGA Tour event.
2011 — Kevin Love records his 52nd consecutive double-double to surpass Moses Malone for the longest such streak since the ABA and NBA merged in 1976 in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 101-75 over the Indiana Pacers. Love overcomes a bruised left knee to put up 16 points and 21 rebounds in just 27 minutes.
2013 — Liberty becomes the second 20-loss team to reach the NCAA tournament, beating Charleston Southern 87-76 to win the Big South Conference title. It joins Coppin State in 2008 as the only schools with 20 or more defeats in the field of 68.
2013 — Bernard Hopkins at 48 becomes the oldest boxer to win a major title, scoring a 12-round unanimous decision over Tavoris Cloud to claim the IBF light heavyweight championship in New York.
2016 — Russell Westbrook has 25 points, a career-high 20 assists and 11 rebounds to help the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Clippers 120-108. It’s the first triple-double with at least 20 points and 20 assists since Rod Strickland did it for the Washington Wizards in 1998.
2017 — Villanova Wildcats shoot 63 percent and commits just five turnovers in a record-setting 108-67 victory over St. John’s in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals. It’s the most points and largest margin of victory in the tournament for Villanova and the worst loss ever for the Red Storm.
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March 10
1913 — The Quebec Bulldogs win the Stanley Cup in two games over Sydney.
1920 — Quebec’s Joe Malone scores six goals to lead the Bulldogs to a 10-4 rout of the Ottawa Senators.
1961 — Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors becomes the first NBA player to score 3,000 points in a season. Chamberlain scores 32 points in a 120-103 loss to Detroit to bring his season total to 3,016.
1963 — Wilt Chamberlain of the San Francisco Warriors scores 70 points in a 163-148 loss to Syracuse.
1985 — Dick Motta becomes the fourth NBA coach to record 700 victories as Dallas beats New Jersey 126-113.
1991 — Eddie Sutton of Oklahoma State becomes the first coach to lead four schools into the NCAA tournament. Sutton also coached Creighton, Arkansas and Kentucky in the tournament.
1992 — New York Islanders coach Al Arbour becomes the second coach in NHL history to win 700 games with a 5-2 victory over Philadelphia.
2001 — With Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark looking on, Hermann Maier wins the giant slalom for his 13th victory this season, equaling one of the mightiest alpine skiing records. Maier, winner of the overall World Cup title three of the last four years, ties the record Stenmark set in 1979.
2002 — John Stockton, the NBA’s career assist leader, has 13 assists in Utah’s 95-92 loss at Houston to give him exactly 15,000 for his career.
2004 — Orlando’s Tracy McGrady scores a franchise record 62 points in a 108-99 win over Washington.
2011 — Veteran referees Jim Burr, Tim Higgins and Earl Walton, cited for two errors in the final seconds of the St. John’s-Rutgers game, withdraw from the rest of the Big East tournament. The three officials missed two calls — a travel and stepping out of bounds — in the final 1.7 seconds of St. John’s 65-63 win in the second-round of Big East tournament. The Big East acknowledged after the game the officials blew the calls.
2014 — The game between Dallas and the Columbus Blue Jackets is postponed by the NHL after Stars forward Rich Peverley collapses on the bench during the first period.
2018 — Texas Southern beats Arkansas-Pine Bluff 84-69 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game. Texas Southern (15-19) earns an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament after starting out 0-13 this season. The Tigers didn’t win a game until Jan. 1 and never beat a nonconference opponent.
2018 — The Vegas Golden Knights set a record for road wins by an expansion team with a 2-1 shootout victory at Buffalo. At 20-12-3, the Golden Knights break a tie with the 1993-94 Anaheim Ducks for most road wins by an NHL team in its first season.
2022 – After a 99-day lockout, Major League Baseball and MLB Players Association reach a new collective bargaining agreement; MLB teams set to play full 162 game season in 2022.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1897 The Cleveland Spiders sign Penobscot Indian Louis Sockalexis. Although the former Holy Cross star plays only three seasons due to alcoholism, the fans, admiring his outstanding skills, refer to the team as the Indians, a name that will become official in 1915.
1922 Rogers Hornsby, coveted by John McGraw of the Giants, signs a three-year contract with Sam Breadon’s Cardinals. The 25-year-old second baseman, who will hit .404 over the three years of the deal, agrees to $18,500 per season, making him the highest-paid player in National League history.
1943 The Dodgers trade first baseman Babe Dahlgren to the Phillies for outfielder Lloyd Waner and infielder Al Glossop. Philadelphia’s new 31-year-old infielder will enjoy an all-star season during his only year in the City of Brotherly Love, hitting a solid .287 for the seventh-place team.
1948 “Golf is a game of coordination, rhythm, and grace; women have these to a high degree.” – BABE DIDRIKSON ZAHARIAS, commenting on women’s ability to play golf. Ted Williams accepts Babe Didrikson Zaharias’s challenge to compete in a driving contest at a local range. The former Olympic track star, turned golf champion, playfully teases the Red Sox superstar, giving him pointers when he slices most of his drives as her shots go straight, usually further.
1960 The police find Arnold Johnson en route to his Palm Beach home after watching his A’s play a spring training intrasquad game semi-conscious and slumped behind the wheel of his car. The 53-year-old club owner will die early tomorrow morning due to a cerebral hemorrhage.
1961 The Yankees announce the team will be leaving its spring training home in St. Petersburg to move to Fort Lauderdale by 1963. Also, the team owners encourage the new, yet unnamed, National League New York franchise to play its home games at the Polo Grounds rather than Yankee Stadium.
1963 Songwriters Ruth Roberts and Bill Katz introduced the official Met theme song, Meet the Mets, to the public. The tune will be modernized in 1984, adding Long Island, New Jersey, Brooklyn, Queens, Uptown and Down, to the team’s East Side, West Side geographical realm.
1979 Bowie Kuhn, fearing legal consequences, gives female reporters access to major league locker rooms. The commissioner’s unpopular ruling makes the players uncomfortable in their once-all-male domain.
1994 John Kruk will be diagnosed with testicular cancer after being hit in the groin by an errant pickoff throw from teammate Mitch Williams that breaks his protective cup. The Phillies’ first baseman/outfielder will fully recover after surgery, hitting .304 in 120 games with Philadelphia and the White Sox over the next two seasons.
1995 At a West Palm Beach (FL) meeting, the major league owners vote unanimously, 28-0, to add their 13th and 14th expansion teams, officially granting Phoenix and Tampa Bay franchises. The new cities, selected over municipalities that included bids from Orlando and two by groups from Washington, DC, will be assigned leagues in January of 1997.
1995 Tampa Bay’s new expansion team will be known as the Devil Rays, a name that will prove unpopular due to its un-Christian reference after being selected from more than 7,000 entries submitted by the public. The club’s owner, Vince Naimoli, preferred his team be called the Sting Rays, but he refused to pay the $35,000 needed to buy the trademark from a club in the Hawaiian Winter League, which owned the nickname’s rights.
2005 Current and former big-league players and baseball executives are issued subpoenas to appear on March 17 by the House Committee on Government Reform. The eleven ‘invitees’ to the congressional hearing on steroid use include Sandy Alderson, Jose Canseco, Donald Fehr, Jason Giambi, Rob Manfred, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa, Frank Thomas, and Kevin Towers.
2005 Nikko Smith, Ozzie’s son who made it to the third round of the American Idol semi-finals, is voted off the popular reality show. Days later, the producers will ask the young entertainer back to replace contestant Mario Vazquez, prompting judge Paula Abdul to call him “The Comeback Kid” after his performance of West Side Story’s “One Hand, One Heart.”
2006 At Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, a Cuban official attending Cuba’s 11-2 WBC win over the Netherlands confronts a person holding a “Down with Fidel” sign, an image seen by millions of television viewers, including those watching the contest in Cuba. The local police quickly intercede, taking Angel Iglesias to a nearby police station, where authorities remind Cuba’s National Institute of Sports vice president that Puerto Ricans enjoy the right to freedom of speech.
2009 Alex Rodriguez undergoes an 80-minute arthroscopic surgical procedure to repair torn cartilage in his right hip. The Yankee’s third baseman, who will need a more extensive operation in the offseason, expects to return to the lineup in May.
2010 Amidst much hoopla, former San Diego State right-hander Stephen Strasburg throws two scoreless innings against Detroit in his first exhibition start for the Nationals this spring. The recipient of the Golden Spikes Award as the best amateur baseball player in the nation was selected as the number one overall pick in last year’s draft, signing a record $15.1 million, four-year deal with Washington.
2011 A helicopter airlifts Luis Salazar from just outside Champion Stadium in Kissimmee (FL) to Orlando Regional Medical Center after he is struck in the face by a line drive pulled into the dugout by Brian McCann in the first inning of a Braves’ exhibition game. The 54-year-old minor league manager sustained a concussion and will lose his left eye due to the injury.
2014 Barry Bonds returns to the Giants as a special spring training instructor for the young Giants’ hitters, a role the organization believes will benefit the club for years. The much-maligned former superstar, who played in his last major league game in 2007, has a ten-year personal services contract with San Francisco, which has yet to commence.
2017 Kris Bryant (.292, 39, 102), who made $652K in his rookie year, becomes the highest-paid second-year player when he comes to terms with the World Champion Cubs on a contract reportedly worth $1.05 million. The Chicago third baseman’s deal surpasses the previous record major league record of one million dollars, given to sophomore outfielder Mike Trout in 2014 by the Angels.
2017 “Major League Baseball’s greatest responsibility is to ensure that today’s youth become active participants in our game as players and fans. The ‘MLB Little League Classic’ exemplifies our entire sport’s commitment to building a stronger connection between young people and the National Pastime” – ROB MANFRED, Commissioner of Baseball.
Major League Baseball announces Williamsport’s BB&T Ballpark, the second-oldest minor league ballpark in the United States, formerly known as Bowman Field when it opened in 1926, will host the first “MLB Little League Classic.” The regular-season game between the Cardinals and Pirates on August 20, originally scheduled to be played at PNC Park, will occur in conjunction with the Little League World Series that will be taking place in nearby Howard J. Lamade Stadium.
2019 Former infielder Alex Rodriguez and pop icon Jennifer Lopez get engaged after dating for two years. The couple will separate in 2021 before marrying, with J-Lo tying the knot a year later with movie star Ben Affleck, her fiancee in 2002.
2019 Former major league infielder Alex Rodriguez and pop icon Jennifer Lopez get engaged after dating for two years. The couple will separate in 2021 before marrying, with J-Lo tying the knot a year later with movie star Ben Affleck, her fiancee in 2002.
2022 After being picked off first base in the second inning, University of Mississippi junior Peyton Chatagnier steals three bases on one play in a game against Alcorn State University. The 21-year-old second baseman swipes second with a head-first slide, takes third when the bag is left uncovered, and continues to a vacant home plate as the catcher leaves his position in an attempt to make a play at third.
TV SPORTS SUNDAY
| MLB SPRING TRAINING | TIME ET | TV |
| Toronto vs Tampa Bay | 1:05pm | MLBN |
| Milwaukee vs Kansas City | 4:05pm | MLBN |
| NBA | TIME ET | TV |
| Denver Nuggets vs Oklahoma City Thunder | 1:00pm | ABC ESPN+ |
| Phoenix Suns vs Dallas Mavericks | 3:30pm | ABC ESPN+ |
| Memphis Grizzlies vs New Orleans Pelicans | 7:00pm | ESPN FanDuel Sports MEM KFAA |
| Utah Jazz vs Philadelphia 76ers | 7:30pm | KJZZ NBCS-PHI |
| San Antonio Spurs vs Minnesota Timberwolves | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports North FanDuel Sports SW |
| Cleveland Cavaliers vs Milwaukee Bucks | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports Ohio FanDuel Sports WI |
| Detroit Pistons vs Portland Trail Blazers | 9:00pm | Rip City FanDuel Sports DET |
| Sacramento Kings vs Los Angeles Clippers | 9:30pm | NBCS-CA FanDuel Sports SoCal |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| New Jersey Devils vs Philadelphia Flyers | 1:00pm | TNT truTV MAX |
| Pittsburgh Penguins vs Minnesota Wild | 3:30pm | TNT truTV MAX |
| Seattle Kraken vs Washington Capitals | 3:30pm | ESPN+ MNMT KONG |
| Winnipeg Jets vs Carolina Hurricanes | 5:00pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports South Sportsnet |
| Columbus Blue Jackets vs New York Rangers | 6:00pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports Ohio MSG |
| Los Angeles Kings vs Vegas Golden Knights | 8:00pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports West Scripps |
| Dallas Stars vs Vancouver Canucks | 9:00pm | ESPN+ Victory+ Sportsnet |
| New York Islanders vs Anaheim Ducks | 9:00pm | ESPN+ MSGSN Victory+ |
| MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Michigan at Michigan State | 12:00pm | CBS |
| Big South Championship | 12:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Patriot League Semifinal | 12:00pm | CBSSN |
| CAA Quarterfinal | 12:00pm | FloSports |
| Iowa at Nebraska | 12:30pm | FOX |
| Minnesota at Rutgers | 1:00pm | BTN |
| East Carolina at Florida Atlantic | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| ASUN Championship | 2:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Patriot League Semifinal | 2:00pm | CBSSN |
| North Texas at Temple | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| UAB at Tulane | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Tulsa at Wichita State | 2:00pm | ESPN+ |
| MVC Championship | 2:15pm | CBS |
| CAA Quarterfinal | 2:30pm | FloSports |
| Oregon at Washington | 3:00pm | BTN |
| SoCon Semifinal | 4:00pm | ESPNU |
| UTSA at Charlotte | 4:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Southland First Round | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Sun Belt Semifinal | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| CAA Quarterfinal | 6:00pm | FloSports |
| SoCon Semifinal | 6:30pm | ESPNU |
| Big Sky Quarterfinal | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| WCC Quarterfinal | 8:30pm | ESPN2 |
| Sun Belt Semifinal | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Southland First Round | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| CAA Quarterfinal | 8:30pm | FloSports |
| Summit League Championship | 9:00pm | CBSSN |
| Big Sky Quarterfinal | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| WCC Quarterfinal | 11:00pm | ESPN2 |
| MOTORSPORTS | TIME ET | TV |
| NASCAR Cup: Shriners Children’s 500 | 3:30pm | FS1 |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| DP World Tour: Joburg Open | 5:30am | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: Arnold Palmer Invitational | 12:30pm | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: Arnold Palmer Invitational | 2:30pm | NBC |
| PGA Tour:PGA Tour: Puerto Rico Open | 2:30pm | GOLF |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Serie A: Hellas Verona vs Bologna | 6:30am | Paramount+ fuboTV |
| La Liga: Getafe vs Atlético Madrid | 8:00am | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| EPL: Chelsea vs Leicester City | 9:00am | USA Peacock fuboTV |
| EPL: Tottenham Hotspur vs AFC Bournemouth | 9:00am | Peacock |
| Ligue 1: Brest vs Angers SCO | 9:00am | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| Serie A: Napoli vs Fiorentina | 9:00am | Paramount+ fuboTV |
| Bundesliga: Eintracht Frankfurt vs Union Berlin | 9:30am | ESPN+ |
| La Liga: Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano | 10:15am | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| Ligue 1: Le Havre vs Saint-Étienne | 11:15am | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| Ligue 1: Nantes vs Strasbourg | 11:15am | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| Ligue 1: Reims vs Auxerre | 11:15am | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| EPL: Manchester United vs Arsenal | 11:30am | USA Peacock fuboTV |
| Bundesliga: Hoffenheim vs Heidenheim | 11:30am | ESPN+ |
| Serie A: Empoli vs Roma | 12:00pm | Paramount+ fuboTV |
| La Liga: Athletic Club vs Mallorca | 12:30pm | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| La Liga: Real Betis vs Las Palmas | 12:30pm | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| Bundesliga: Hoffenheim vs Stuttgart | 1:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Serie A: Juventus vs Atalanta | 2:45pm | Paramount+ fuboTV |
| Ligue 1: Nice vs Olympique Lyonnais | 2:45pm | Fanatiz beIN Sports |
| La Liga: Real Sociedad vs Sevilla | 3:00pm | ESPN+ fuboTV |
| MLS: Inter Miami vs Charlotte | 4:00pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Liga MX: Santos Laguna vs León | 7:00pm | VIX |
| MLS: LA Galaxy vs St. Louis City | 7:00pm | MLS Season Pass |
| Liga MX: Tijuana vs Atlas | 11:00pm | VIX |