“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA BOYS REGIONAL PAIRINGS
NORTHERN HOSTS
MICHIGAN CITY
CLASS 3A | 1 PM CT | EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (19-8) VS. HANOVER CENTRAL (15-11)
CLASS 4A | 4 PM CT | PORTAGE (20-5) VS. CROWN POINT (21-2)
LOGANSPORT
CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | MANCHESTER (22-2) VS. TIPTON (19-6)
CLASS 4A | 7 PM ET | HOMESTEAD (21-5) VS. CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (11-15)
SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON
CLASS 3A | 1 PM ET | SOUTH BEND SAINT JOSEPH (23-3) VS. COLUMBIA CITY (17-9)
CLASS 4A | 4 PM ET | SOUTH BEND RILEY (21-4) VS. WARSAW COMMUNITY (25-4)
NEW CASTLE
CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | DALEVILLE (9-15) VS. MONROE CENTRAL (18-6)
CLASS 3A | 7 PM ET | DELTA (16-7) VS. FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK CHRISTIAN (24-3)
NORTH JUDSON-SAN PIERRE
CLASS 1A | 1 PM CT | KOUTS (22-4) VS. TRI-COUNTY (14-11)
CLASS 2A | 4 PM CT | FORT WAYNE BISHOP LUERS (21-6) VS. GARY 21ST CENTURY (19-6)
LAPEL
CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | WESTERN BOONE (11-14) VS. WAPAHANI (25-1)
CLASS 3A | 7 PM ET | MACONAQUAH (20-5) VS. MARION (14-11)
TRITON
CLASS 1A | 1 PM ET | TRITON (22-4) VS. LAKEWOOD PARK CHRISTIAN (7-16)
CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | JIMTOWN (15-10) VS. WESTVIEW (18-7)
FRANKFORT
CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | CLINTON PRAIRIE (23-2) VS. LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (12-14)
CLASS 4A | 7 PM ET | FISHERS (27-0) VS. HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (19-6)
SOUTHERN HOSTS
SOUTHPORT
CLASS 4A | 1 PM ET | MT. VERNON (FORTVILLE) (20-) VS. BROWNSBURG (13-12)
CLASS 4A | 4 PM ET | MOORESVILLE (14-11) VS. LAWRENCE NORTH (20-6)
SEYMOUR
CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (18-8) VS. ORLEANS (21-4)
CLASS 2A | 7 PM ET | SOUTH RIPLEY (23-1) VS. FOREST PARK (18-6)
LEBANON
CLASS 2A | 1 PM ET | TRITON CENTRAL (16-9) VS. UNIVERSITY (17-9)
CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | INDIANAPOLIS CRISPUS ATTUCKS (19-6) VS. NORTHVIEW (24-2)
WASHINGTON
CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (23-2) VS. EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (18-6)
CLASS 4A | 7 PM ET | TERRE HAUTE NORTH VIGO (20-5) VS. WHITELAND COMMUNITY (15-11)
GREENFIELD-CENTRAL
CLASS 1A | 1 PM ET | NORTH DECATUR (14-13) VS. LIBERTY CHRISTIAN (17-8)
CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | GUERIN CATHOLIC (23-4) VS. NEW PALESTINE (24-3)
SOUTHRIDGE
CLASS 3A | 4 PM ET | JENNINGS COUNTY (12-14) VS. PRINCETON COMMUNITY (23-2)
CLASS 4A | 7 PM ET | JEFFERSONVILLE (20-5) VS. EVANSVILLE HARRISON (17-7)
MARTINSVILLE
CLASS 1A | 1 PM ET | INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (8-15) VS. HAUSER (23-3)
CLASS 2A | 4 PM ET | PARKE HERITAGE (23-4) VS. CENTERVILLE (20-7)
LOOGOOTEE
CLASS 1A | 4 PM ET | NORTHEAST DUBOIS (16-9) VS. CLAY CITY (24-1)
CLASS 2A | 7 PM ET | LINTON-STOCKTON (20-6) VS. PROVIDENCE (17-4)
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
#8 MICHIGAN STATE 79 #17 MICHIGAN 62
IOWA 83 NEBRASKA 68
RUTGERS 75 MINNESOTA 67 OT
OREGON 80 WASHINGTON 73 OT
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
#11 DUKE 76 #7 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 62
#3 CONNECTICUT 82 VILLANOVA 54
#5 SOUTH CAROLINA 64 #1 TEXAS 45
#25 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 84 ORAL ROBERTS 68
#4 UCLA 72 #2 USC 67
#8 TCU 64 #17 BAYLOR 59
#23 CREIGHTON 73 SETON HALL 44
INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL SCORES
WAKE FOREST 11 NOTRE DAME 1
EVANSVILLE 8 CENTRAL ARKANSAS 0
PENN STATE 10 INDIANA 6
MINNESOTA 10 PURDUE 8
LINDENWOOD 5 BUTLER 4
TENNESSEE TECH 8 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 6
BALL STATE 10 WESTERN MICHIGAN 9
OHIO STATE 8 VALPARAISO 3
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE 8 INDIANA STATE 6
ORAL ROBERTS 7 SOUTHERN INDIANA 6
INDIANA COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCORES
PURDUE 4 ST. LOUIS 2
PURDUE 11 BRADLEY 1
LOUISVILLE 4 NOTRE DAME 3 (14)
EVANSVILLE 7 BELLARMINE 4
EASTERN KENTUCKY 11 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 1
EASTERN KENTUCKY 6 INDIANA STATE 4
BUTLER 14 DEPAUL 1
INDIANA 8 ILLINOIS CHICAGO 0
IU INDY 8 WESTERN MICHIGAN 5
PURDUE FORT WAYNE 12 INDIANA STATE 3
BALL STATE 6 STONE HILL 0
BALL STATE 14 EVANSVILLE 6
VALPARAISO TO BUFFALO 1
WESTERN ILLINOIS 4 SOUTHERN INDIANA 3
INDIANA MEN’S COLLEGE LAX SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
INDIANA WOMEN’S COLLEGE LAX SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
NBA SCORES
OKLAHOMA CITY 127 DENVER 103
PHOENIX 125 DALLAS 116
MEMPHIS 107 NEW ORLEANS 104
PHILADELPHIA 126 UTAH 122
CLEVELAND 112 MILWAUKEE 100
MINNESOTA 141 SAN ANTONIO 124
DETROIT 119 PORTLAND 112
LA CLIPPERS 111 SACRAMENTO 110 OT
NHL SCORES
COLUMBUS 7 NY RANGERS 3
CAROLINA 4 WINNIPEG 2
PITTSBURGH 3 MINNESOTA 1
WASHINGTON 4 SEATTLE 2
NEW JERSEY 3 PHILADELPHIA 1
LOS ANGELES 6 VEGAS 5
ANAHEIM 4 NY ISLANDERS 1
DALLAS 4 VANCOUVER 1
MLB SCORES
BALTIMORE 4 MINNESOTA 3
BOSTON 7 ATLANTA 3
MIAMI 10 HOUSTON 6
TORONTO 13 TAMPA BAY 9
PHILADELPHIA 12 BALTIMORE 2
ST. LOUIS 6 NY YANKEES 5
DETROIT 5 PITTSBURGH 3
NY METS 7 WASHINGTON 6
LAS VEGAS 7 LA DODGERS 5
ARIZONA 7 LAS VEGAS 5
KANSAS CITY 5 MILWAUKEE 2
SAN FRANCISCO 8 CHICAGO CUBS 6
SAN FRANCISCO 7 SAN DIEGO 4
CLEVELAND 1 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 0
LA ANGELS 4 CINCINNATI 1
ARIZONA 14 TEXAS 1
SEATTLE 8 COLORADO 1
MLS SCORES
MIAMI 1 CHARLOTTE 0
ST. LOUIS 3 LA GALAXY 0
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
NFL NEWS
**The Buffalo Bills have reached an agreement with Josh Allen that keeps the quarterback under contract through 2030, the team announced Sunday.
The deal is worth $330 million with an NFL-record $250 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Allen’s new $55-million average salary is tied for the second-highest league-wide, trailing only Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s $60-million price tag, according to Spotrac.
He had previously signed a six-year, $258-million extension with the Bills in 2021.
Allen had four years and $130 million left on his existing contract, while the new deal adds two years and $200 million, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The 28-year-old just completed his seventh season in Buffalo, leading the Bills to the AFC East crown for the fifth straight campaign. He won NFL MVP for the first time in his career in 2024 while also being selected to his third career Pro Bowl.
Buffalo made it to the AFC Championship Game this past season, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.
The Bills have only missed the postseason once since drafting Allen seventh overall in 2018, his rookie campaign.
**The Pittsburgh Steelers made a big-time move on Sunday night by acquiring receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks for a second-round draft pick, according to multiple reports.
Metcalf reportedly will sign a five-year, $150 million deal with the Steelers.
The teams reportedly are also switching draft picks in the sixth and seventh rounds.
Metcalf requested a trade last week and the Seahawks agreed to see if they could grant his wish.
Metcalf, 27, narrowly missed his fourth career 1,000-yard receiving season in 2024 by catching 66 passes for 992 yards and five scores in 15 games (12 starts). He topped 1,000 in 2020, 2022 and 2023 with his career best of 1,303 coming in 2020.
The two-time Pro Bowl pick has 438 receptions for 6,324 yards and 48 touchdowns in 97 career games (93 starts) in six seasons with the Seahawks, who selected him in the second round of the 2019 draft.
Pittsburgh could enter next season with two top-notch receivers in Metcalf and George Pickens unless the Steelers decide to deal the latter.
Along with Friday’s reported trade of quarterback Geno Smith to Las Vegas for a third-round pick, Seattle is now set to own four of the top 68 and six of the top 82 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
**Three-time All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams has agreed to terms on a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Rams, the team announced Sunday.
The deal is worth $46 million with $26 million guaranteed, according to multiple outlets.
Adams, 32, was recently released by the New York Jets, where he played 11 games and caught 67 passes for 854 yards and seven touchdowns. New York had acquired Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders to pair him with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, his longtime teammate in Green Bay. The Jets informed Rodgers, 41, last month that they were moving in a different direction at quarterback after two disappointing seasons.
Now Adams joins the Rams and star QB Matthew Stafford, 37, as Los Angeles is preparing to move on from former All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp, 31.
Adams’ 2024 totals of 85 receptions for eight TDs and 1,063 yards in 14 games gave him at least 1,000 receiving yards for a fifth consecutive season.
He has 957 career receptions for 11,844 yards and 103 touchdowns in 164 regular-season games (157 starts) for the Packers (2014-21), Raiders (2022-24) and Jets. Adams also has 72 receptions for 910 yards and eight TDs in 11 playoff games (10 starts).
Adams was selected to six Pro Bowls (2017-22) and is a three-time first-team All-Pro (2020-22).
The Packers selected Adams in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Fresno State. They traded him to the Raiders in March 2022 for first- and second-round picks in 2022.
The Raiders dealt him to the Jets last Oct. 14 for a conditional 2025 third-round pick.
**The Atlanta Falcons have agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with left tackle Jake Matthews for $45 million, the NFL Network reported on Sunday night.
The deal includes a guarantee of $38 million for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Matthews, 33, had two years remaining on his contract, which will extend now through the 2028 season followed by possibly free agency in 2029.
Matthews, who had a three-year contract extension in 2022, has been exceptionally durable for the Falcons, who selected him with the sixth overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M. He has started all 179 regular-season games and five postseason games that he has played, including all 17 games last season.
He has missed only one game, which was the second of his rookie season, as he was inactive because of a high-ankle sprain sustained in his NFL debut a week earlier. Matthews broke former quarterback Matt Ryan’s franchise record for consecutive starts (154 from 2009-19) in 2023 and currently stands at 178.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Conference finals roundup: Lipscomb, High Point, Drake reach NCAAs
Lipscomb defeated North Alabama 76-65 in the Atlantic Sun Conference championship game on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn., to secure its second title in program history.
Led by 23 points from Joe Anderson, 17 from Will Pruitt and 16 from Gyasi Powell, the top-seeded Bisons (25-9, 14-4 ASUN) drained 40.4 percent of their field goals and 12 of 27 (44.4 percent) from 3-point range.
Lipscomb will play in the NCAA Tournament for the second time. The first came in 2018.
Jacari Lane poured in 18 points for the second-seeded Lions (24-10, 14-4), Corneilous Williams added 15 and Will Soucie had 10.
High Point 81, Winthrop 69
The Panthers rallied in the second half, outscoring the Eagles by 22 to win the Big South championship game in Johnson City, Tenn., and earn their first berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Bobby Pettiford scored 17 points and Kezza Giffa added 16 for No. 1 seed High Point (29-5, 14-2), which trailed by 10 at halftime. Abdoulaye Thiam chipped in 12 while Trae Benham posted an eight-point, 10-rebound effort in the win.
No. 3 seed Winthrop (23-11, 11-5) had five players score in double figures, led by Kelton Talford’s 15-point, eight-rebound effort. Bryce Baker and Nick Johnson added 11 points, while K.J. Doucet and Kasen Harrison had 10 apiece.
Drake 63, Bradley 48
Bennett Stirtz scored 24 points and Tavion Banks added 13 to lead the top-seeded Bulldogs over the second-seeded Braves in the Missouri Valley championship game in St. Louis.
Drake’s conference title secured its eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its third in a row.
Drake (30-3, 17-3) drained 21 of 46 shots (45.7 percent) and 6 of 15 3-pointers while outrebounding Bradley 32-19, including 11-3 on the offensive glass. Banks added nine rebounds, while Stirtz, Cam Manyawu and Kael Combs each had four.
Darius Hannah led Bradley (26-8, 15-5) with 19 points, Duke Deen chipped in eight and Christian Davis had seven. The Braves shot just 41.5 percent from the floor and 25 percent from beyond the arc.
TRE HOLLOMAN’S CAREER-HIGH 20 POINTS POWER NO. 8 MICHIGAN STATE PAST NO. 17 MICHIGAN
Tre Holloman scored a career-high 20 points and No. 8 Michigan State led virtually from start to finish in a 79-62 victory over No. 17 Michigan at East Lansing on Sunday afternoon.
The Spartans (26-5 overall, 17-3 Big Ten), who clinched the Big Ten regular-season title in their previous win at Iowa, extended their winning streak to seven games heading into the conference tournament.
Jase Richardson supplied 18 points for Michigan State, which led by as much as 25 points. Jaden Akins added 11 points, and Jaxon Kohler chipped in nine.
Vladislav Goldin led Michigan (22-9, 14-6) with 29 points, and Danny Wolf contributed 18 points and 13 rebounds. The Wolverines made just three of 24 3-point attempts while losing their third straight game.
An early 12-1 run gave Michigan State a 20-6 lead. Holloman had two baskets during that stretch, including a 3-pointer, and Akins also knocked down a shot from beyond the arc.
Nimari Burnett ended that run with a 3-pointer. The Spartans had an 8-0 run to stretch their lead to 33-15 as Holloman and Richardson hit 3-pointers after Michigan turnovers.
A Richardson dunk with 1:48 remaining in the half pushed the advantage to 20. Kohler had a dunk off an Akins steal and assist, and Holloman drained another 3-pointer. Burnett dunked for the final points of the half, but Michigan still trailed at the break, 50-28.
At the half, the Spartans scored 18 points off the Wolverines’ 11 turnovers. Michigan State also made seven 3-pointers off 18 attempts. Holloman and Richardson each had 11 points, while Goldin scored half of Michigan’s points.
Richardson scored the first points of the second half on free throws. The Spartans’ lead fluctuated between 21 and 25 points until the Wolverines scored 14 unanswered points. Goldin scored seven points during that span and Wolf scored five.
Richardson ended Michigan State’s drought with a 3-pointer to make it 64-50. The Wolverines never got closer than 12 points again.
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced the full bracket for the 2025 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament, set to take place March 12-16 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
All-session tickets for the 28th edition of the tournament are available for purchase at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse box office or online at Ticketmaster.com. Fans can purchase all-session seating in the 200-levels, ranging from $400-$460 based on location. All ticket packages are subject to Ticketmaster and facility fees. For more information on this year’s tournament, visit the Big Ten Tournament Central page at bigten.org/MBBT.
All 14 games of this year’s Big Ten Tournament will be broadcast live, with the first-round broadcast on Peacock. Second and quarterfinal round games on Thursday and Friday will air on the Big Ten Network, as well as on the FOX Sports app. The Big Ten Tournament semifinal and championship games will be televised live on CBS and the Paramount+ app.
Michigan State (26-5, 17-3 Big Ten) earns the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2019. The Spartans claimed their 17th Big Ten title, including 11 under head coach Tom Izzo, tied for the most under any coach in Big Ten history. Michigan State’s 17 Big Ten wins are the most in program history.
Maryland (24-7, 14-6 Big Ten) scored the No. 2 seed for the second time since joining the Big Ten in 2014-15 – the last time the Terps were the No. 2 seed and the highest seed as league members. Maryland’s five starters — the team’s five leading scorers — have a combined scoring average of 69.5, the highest among all major conference programs.
Michigan (22-9, 14-6 Big Ten) garnered the No. 3 seed in the tournament and the accompanying double-bye for the third time. After winning just three Big Ten games last season, head coach Dusty May led the Wolverines to 14 this year, the most in program history for a first-year head coach.
UCLA (22-9, 13-7 Big Ten) claimed the No. 4 seed in its inaugural Big Ten campaign. The Bruins capped their regular season with a 90-63 win over crosstown rival USC, marking the first time UCLA has swept the city series since 2018. The Bruins boast the Big Ten’s top scoring defense, surrendering just 65.1 points per game.
Each of the tournament’s top four seeds have earned double-byes and will open tournament play in Friday’s quarterfinal round.
The 2025 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament schedule is as follows:
Wednesday, March 12 (First Round)
Game 1 (#13 Northwestern vs. #12 Minnesota) – 3:30 p.m. ET (Peacock)
Game 2 (#15 vs. #10 Ohio State) – 25 minutes following Game 1 (Peacock)Game 3 (#14 USC vs. #11 Rutgers) – 25 minutes following Game 2 (Peacock)
Thursday, March 13 (Second Round)
Game 4 (#8 Oregon vs. #9 Indiana) – 12 p.m. ET (BTN)
Game 5 (#5 Wisconsin vs. Game 1 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 4 (BTN)
Game 6 (#7 Illinois vs. Game 2 winner) – 6:30 p.m. ET (BTN)
Game 7 (#6 Purdue vs. Game 3 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 5 (BTN)
Friday, March 14 (Quarterfinals)
Game 8 (#1 Michigan State vs. Game 4 winner) – 12 p.m. ET (BTN)
Game 9 (#4 UCLA vs. Game 5 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 7 (BTN)
Game 10 (#2 Maryland vs. Game 6 winner) – 6:30 p.m. ET (BTN)
Game 11 (#3 Michigan vs. Game 7 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 9 (BTN)
Saturday, March 15 (Semifinals)
Game 12 (Game 8 vs. Game 9 winner) – 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Game 13 (Game 10 vs. Game 11 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 11 (CBS)
Sunday, March 16 (Championship)
Game 14 (Game 12 vs. Game 13 winner) – 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS)
NOTES: All times are approximate and subject to change … BTN games are also available on the FOX Sports app … CBS games is also available on the Paramount+ app … for more information, please visit the tournament web site at (bigten.org/MBBT).
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
**Hailey Van Lith has led TCU all season, and she did it again as No. 8 TCU defeated No. 17 Baylor 64-59 in the championship game of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship on Sunday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.
Van Lith led the Horned Frogs with 20 points to help TCU capture its first title in program history. It was also the team’s first appearance in the championship game.
Baylor, meanwhile, was playing in its 16th Big 12 title game, the most in conference history. The Bears have won a record 11 tournament titles.
TCU (31-3) also got a double-double from Sedona Prince with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Donovyn Hunter and Madison Conner each had 11 points for TCU.
Aaronette Vonleh led Baylor (27-7) with 20 points. Sarah Andrews added 13 points and Yaya Felder had 12.
The lead in the third quarter fluctuated between 7 and 12 points, with TCU taking a 51-43 lead into the final frame. Felder had 10 points in the third and Vanleh had 8.
Trailing by eight midway through the fourth quarter, the Bears used an 8-0 run to tie the game at 57-57.
Van Lith hit a layup with 48.8 seconds left to give TCU a 4-point lead. Baylor cut it to 61-59. Conner hit 1 of 2 free throws and Vonleh’s 3-pointer missed with three seconds remaining.
There was good and bad news for TCU in the first half. The Horned Frogs led 30-19 after grabbing a 21-9 advantage on the boards, including 10 by Prince. That made up for 15 first-half turnovers. TCU’s Conner and Hunter led with eight points each at halftime.
The Bears failed to take advantage of the TCU miscues and didn’t have a player with more than four points in the first half.
**Lauren Betts scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half as No. 4 UCLA rallied from a 13-point third-quarter deficit to capture its first Big Ten tournament title with a 72-67 victory over No. 2 Southern California Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis.
The second-seeded Bruins (30-2) avenged two regular-season losses to the top-seeded Trojans (28-3) by holding Big Ten Player of the Year JuJu Watkins (29 points) scoreless during the defining 11-minute stretch of the second half.
The 6-foot-7 Betts finished with five rebounds, four steals and four blocks — two on Watkins in the fourth quarter — and Kiki Rice added 13 points and eight assists as UCLA made its pitch for the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
USC also hopes to garner a No. 1 seed when the field is revealed next week. Watkins finished 9 of 28 from the field and 9 of 10 from the foul line with six rebounds, four steals and five turnovers as UCLA’s Gabriela Jaquez hawked her with consistent help from other Bruins.
UCLA stayed within striking range for most of the second quarter and got as close as 36-35 when Londynn Jones (13 points) made a 3-pointer with 2:28 left in the half. But Watkins responded with six straight points as the Trojans took a 45-35 lead into the break.
Watkins led everyone with 18 points in the first half while Betts, playing with her shooting hand taped, was limited to four points on five shots in 18 minutes.
Talia Von Oelhoffen cashed a 3-pointer to open the third quarter, staking the Trojans to their biggest lead at 48-35, but the Bruins chipped away and Betts scored nine in the period to get UCLA within 54-52 entering the fourth.
With 8:54 to go, Betts drove to the basket and beat the shot clock with a layup that gave UCLA its first tie of the half. Then the Bruins fed Janiah Barker in the post for a jump hook that gave UCLA its first lead since midway through the first quarter.
While Watkins kept slashing to the basket unsuccessfully, USC finally snapped its six-minute-plus scoring drought with Kiki Iriafen’s pair of free throws with 5:55 to go.
Watkins scored her first points of the fourth quarter — two free throws — with 3:13 left to pull the Trojans within 62-58. Betts swatted another Watkins drive before Watkins got a 15-footer to go with 1:13 left to make it 64-60.
USC got as close as 70-67 with 4.2 seconds left as Watkins cashed a 3-pointer and a layup, but Jones sank two free throws to clinch it.
**Chloe Kitts had 15 points and nine rebounds and No. 5 South Carolina completed its dominant run through the Southeastern Conference tournament with a 64-45 victory over No. 1 Texas in the championship game Sunday afternoon in Greenville, S.C.
Tessa Johnson added 14 points and Sonia Feagin and Joyce Edwards scored 11 each for the top-seeded Gamecocks (30-3), who won their previous two games in the tournament by 21 and 18 points, respectively, and never trailed Sunday.
South Carolina won for the second time in three meetings this season against the No. 2 seed Longhorns (31-3), who had their 15-game winning streak snapped. The Gamecocks claimed their third consecutive SEC tournament title and fifth in six seasons while making a record sixth consecutive title game appearance.
For Texas, Taylor Jones had 14 points and eight rebounds and Rori Harmon scored 14, but SEC player of the year Madison Booker had just three points through three quarters before finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Texas didn’t score until nearly 3 1/2 minutes had elapsed and five Gamecocks contributed to a 12-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. Booker, who scored 18 of her 25 points in the first half of a semifinal win against LSU, missed all four of her shots and went scoreless in the first period.
South Carolina used balanced scoring and dominant defense to take command in the second quarter. Johnson scored five points, Kitts and MiLaysia Fulwiley scored three each and Feagin and Edwards had two each during a 15-0 run to start the period, producing a 17-point lead.
The Longhorns missed their first eight shots and turned the ball over four times before Harmon, who left the game briefly after being hit in the face, made a jumper for her team’s first points with 3:29 left in the period.
Booker made a jumper with 1:51 left for her only points of the half, but the Gamecocks wound up with a 21-6 scoring edge in the quarter and a 33-16 halftime lead. They maintained a comfortable lead throughout the second half.
**Paige Bueckers scored 23 points to help No. 3 UConn advance to the Big East tournament championship game with an 82-54 victory over Villanova on Sunday in Uncasville, Conn.
Sarah Strong paired 20 points with 16 rebounds and Azzi Fudd chipped in 14 points for the top-seed Huskies (30-3), who are seeking their fifth straight Big East tournament title since rejoining the conference in 2020. They’ll face either third-seeded Seton Hall or No. 23 Creighton, the second seed, in Monday’s final.
Maddie Webber netted 15 points to lead the fifth-seeded Wildcats (18-14). Villanova got 10 points from both Denae Carter and Ryanne Allen but was outshot 51.7 percent to 31.1 percent for the game.
Bueckers, who also had a game-high six assists, tallied 12 points during the second quarter to help UConn build a 47-37 halftime lead. The Huskies outscored the Wildcats 17-6 in the third quarter and led by as many as 30 in the fourth.
**Ashlon Jackson and Oluchi Okananwa each scored 22 points as No. 11 Duke rallied to win its first Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title since 2013, defeating No. 7 North Carolina State 76-62 on Sunday in Greensboro, N.C.
The Blue Devils overcame a 14-point second-quarter deficit, earning their first ACC tournament title under fifth-year coach Kara Lawson. Duke shot 45.2 percent from the field, including 47.1 percent from 3-point range.
Reigan Richardson added nine points for third-seeded Duke (26-7), which avenged regular-season losses to Louisville and regular-season co-champion Notre Dame in the tournament to reach the final. Taking down NC State marked the Blue Devils’ third victory in three days against a team they lost to in the regular season.
Aziaha James poured in 18 points, Zoe Brooks had 17 and Saniya Rivers posted 16 for top-seeded NC State (26-6), which shot 39 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Duke finished with a 33-4 advantage in bench scoring. Okananwa pulled in 10 rebounds as part of the Blue Devils’ 44-28 edge on the boards, including their 14 offensive rebounds.
Duke scored 27 of the first 37 points of the second half to go up 56-46 on Okananwa’s 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter. A 7-0 spurt stretched the lead to 65-53 with five minutes remaining. That’s as close as NC State would get the rest of the way.
NC State had a strong first quarter for the second straight day, rolling up a 19-10 lead. That expanded to 24-10 before the Blue Devils recovered and closed within 36-29 by halftime.
By the break, Brooks had 13 points and James notched 11, while Duke’s Jackson and Okananwa each had 10 first-half points. James left with an injury and was carried off the court with 43.3 seconds left in the first half but returned for the start of the second half.
Both teams are expected to be selected as NCAA Tournament hosts for the first and second rounds when the brackets are revealed next Sunday.
NBA NEWS
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to their seventh consecutive victory, a 127-103 rout over the visiting Denver Nuggets on Sunday.
It was the first of back-to-back games in Oklahoma City for the teams that entered the day in the top two spots in the Western Conference. The loss dropped the Nuggets into third place, percentage points behind the Los Angeles Lakers.
The West-leading Thunder have won 16 of their last 18 games and snapped the Nuggets’ two-game winning streak. Gilgeous-Alexander his NBA-best 11th 40-point game of the season.
Nikola Jokic, coming off an historic performance (31 points, 21 rebounds and 22 assists) in Friday’s overtime win over Phoenix, came up just short of his 30th triple-double of the season. He finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, along with three blocks.
Clippers 111, Kings 110 (OT)
James Harden scored 29 points, and Kawhi Leonard added 17 with the game-winning basket at the overtime buzzer as Los Angeles helped its playoff prospects by rallying for a victory over visiting Sacramento at Inglewood, Calif.
Ivica Zubac scored 22 points with 14 rebounds and Derrick Jones Jr. also had 17 for the Clippers, who were without leading scorer Norman Powell (hamstring) for the ninth time in the past 10 games. Los Angeles also was without head coach Tyronn Lue because of back pain, while assistant coach Brian Shaw led the team.
DeMar DeRozan scored 31 points with 10 assists and Zach LaVine added 30 points for the Kings, who lost for the second time in their last seven games and fell to 8-6 since LaVine made his debut with the team on Feb. 5.
Suns 125, Mavericks 116
Devin Booker scored 24 points as visiting Phoenix beat severely underhanded Dallas.
Kevin Durant posted 21 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, Bradley Beal contributed 19 points and Grayson Allen added 17 off the bench as 11th-placed Phoenix closed the gap on 10th-ranked Dallas in the West by moving within 1 1/2 games. Naji Marshall scored 34 points, moving past his previous career-best haul of 29 set two nights earlier against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Klay Thompson had 26 points for the Mavericks, who suffered their fifth successive loss and saw their injury crisis deepen with starter Brandon Williams (hamstring) and Dwight Powell (head) both sitting out the fourth quarter.
Grizzlies 107, Pelicans 104
Ja Morant scored 32 points, Desmond Bane had 30 to go with nine rebounds and eight assists, and Memphis held on to defeat host New Orleans.
Scotty Pippen Jr. added 12 points for the Grizzlies, who played without leading scorer Jaren Jackson Jr. (ankle) for the third consecutive game.
Trey Murphy III scored 27 points, Karlo Matkovic had 13 points and 11 rebounds, Jordan Hawkins and Kelly Olynyk scored 12 points each, and Jose Alvarado had 11 points and 11 assists for the Pelicans. New Orleans rested Zion Williamson and fourth-leading scorer CJ McCollum.
Timberwolves 141, Spurs 124
Anthony Edwards scored 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting, and Minnesota pulled away to defeat San Antonio in Minneapolis.
Naz Reid added 20 points on 8-for-15 shooting off the bench for Minnesota, which won its fifth game in a row. Julius Randle flirted with a triple-double with 14 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, and Donte DiVincenzo scored 17 off the bench.
De’Aaron Fox scored 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting, including 4-for-6 from beyond the arc, to lead San Antonio. Harrison Barnes contributed 15 points for the Spurs, who lost for the seventh time in their past nine games.
76ers 126, Jazz 122
Quentin Grimes scored 25 points and Philadelphia received a huge effort from its reserves in a victory over visiting Utah.
While Grimes scored more points than the other four starters combined, the Sixers’ bench poured in 78 points, led by Lonnie Walker IV (25), Jared Butler (15) and Adem Bona (14). Bona added 15 rebounds and Walker had 11.
Kyle Filipowski tied his career high with 25 points, but Utah still lost its 12th consecutive road game. Keyonte George also had 25 points for the Jazz, while Isaiah Collier chipped in 13 points and 10 assists.
Pistons 119, Trail Blazers 112
Cade Cunningham scored 28 points and Tobias Harris added 20 points and nine rebounds to help Detroit notch a victory over host Portland.
Jalen Duren registered 18 points and 12 rebounds and Tim Hardaway Jr. had 13 points and seven rebounds as Detroit snapped a two-game slide. Dennis Schroder added 12 points and Malik Beasley had 10 as the Pistons completed a two-game season sweep of the Trail Blazers.
Anfernee Simons scored 34 points for Portland and posted his third 30-point effort in the last four games. Jerami Grant had 25 points for the Trail Blazers, who lost for the fourth time in their past five games. Scoot Henderson scored 15 points and Shaedon Sharpe added 12 for Portland, which was outrebounded 54-41.
Cavaliers 112, Bucks 100
Max Strus had 17 points to lead eight Cavaliers who scored at least nine as Cleveland won at Milwaukee.
It was the Cavaliers’ 14th consecutive victory, one shy of their season-best streak they started the season with. Donovan Mitchell scored 15, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland added 13 apiece and Jarrett Allen tallied 11. Strus also led the team with nine rebounds.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks, who lost their second in a row, with 30 points and nine rebounds. Damian Lillard added 22 while Kyle Kuzma scored 14.
NHL NEWS
Adam Fantilli registered his second career hat trick and Mathieu Olivier and Dante Fabbro each added a goal and an assist as the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets pulled away for a 7-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Sunday night.
The win sent the Blue Jackets into the first wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The big night by Fantilli upped the Blue Jackets to 70 points, one ahead of the Ottawa Senators.
Fantilli scored twice in 26 seconds to start a four-goal second period for Columbus, and he completed the hat trick with a goal into a slightly vacated net with 8:09 left in the third. Fantilli — who also had a hat trick on Jan. 22 at Toronto — became the fifth Blue Jackets player to reach 20 goals this season. Olivier scored his first goal since signing a six-year contract extension Wednesday.
Artemi Panarin tied a career high by scoring in a fifth straight game as the Rangers dropped their third straight (0-1-2) and heard loud boos in the final minute. New York’s 68 points are two ahead of the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins.
Capitals 4, Kraken 2
Connor McMichael’s goal with 4:16 remaining broke a tie and Alex Ovechkin moved within nine goals of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record as host Washington beat Seattle.
Defenseman Martin Fehervary and Dylan Strome also scored for the Capitals, who won their fourth straight. Charlie Lindgren stopped 30 shots. Ovechkin added an empty-net goal with 1:29 left for the 886th of his career and 33rd of the season. It was also Ovechkin’s 1,600th point.
Shane Wright and captain Jordan Eberle supplied the goals for the Kraken. Joey Daccord made 20 saves.
Devils 3, Flyers 1
Cody Glass scored in his team debut and Erik Haula snapped a 28-game goal drought as visiting New Jersey handed reeling Philadelphia a fourth straight loss.
Glass, one of several players acquired by New Jersey before Friday’s trade deadline, opened the scoring with just under nine minutes left in the first period. Jake Allen was solid in making 23 saves for the Devils, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
Jamie Drysdale scored late in his 200th career game for the Flyers, who have lost each of the first four contests on their seven-game homestand. Ivan Fedotov made 20 saves for the Flyers, who are outside of playoff position in the Eastern Conference and were often booed by the home crowd Sunday.
Penguins 3, Wild 1
Captain Sidney Crosby scored two goals as Pittsburgh spoiled goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury’s final game against his former team, courtesy of a win over host Minnesota in Saint Paul.
Evgeni Malkin also tallied and Tristan Jarry made 29 saves in his first start since being summoned from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Monday. He notched his first NHL win since Dec. 23.
Fleury, 40, turned aside 19 shots against the franchise he spent his first 13 NHL seasons with. The three-time Stanley Cup winner and former Vezina Trophy recipient announced prior to the season that he intends to retire at the conclusion of this campaign. Ryan Hartman scored for Minnesota, which suffered its fifth loss in seven games.
Hurricanes 4, Jets 2
Mark Jankowski scored two goals in his first game with Carolina and fellow newcomer Logan Stankoven also scored in a victory against Winnipeg in Raleigh, N.C.
Seth Jarvis scored an empty-net goal and Frederik Andersen made 20 saves as the Hurricanes extended their winning streak to four games. Jankowski, who was acquired Friday at the trade deadline from the Nashville Predators, scored one goal in each of the first two periods.
Alex Iafallo and Adam Lowry scored late in the game for Winnipeg, which received 23 saves from Connor Hellebuyck. The Jets lost for just the fourth time in their last 17 games.
Kings 6, Golden Knights 5
Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe, Warren Foegele and Brandt Clarke each had a goal and an assist for visiting Los Angeles, which hung on for a win against Vegas.
Kevin Fiala, Phillip Danault and Joel Edmundson each had two assists for the Kings, who have won two straight after a five-game skid. David Rittich made 27 saves.
Tomas Hertl scored a hat trick, and Adin Hill made 29 saves for the Golden Knights, whose four-game winning streak ended.
Stars 4, Canucks 1
Mikael Granlund broke a deadlock late in the second period and sparked visiting Dallas to a victory over Vancouver.
Thomas Harley, Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen also scored for the Stars, who have won five of six games to strengthen their hold on second place in the Central Division. Matt Duchene and Cody Ceci both collected a pair of assists and goaltender Casey DeSmith made 22 saves.
Derek Forbort replied for the Canucks, who had a modest two-game winning streak snapped and remain one point behind the Calgary Flames for the Western Conference’s second wild-card position. Vancouver goalie Kevin Lankinen stopped 15 shots.
Ducks 4, Islanders 1
Sam Colangelo scored twice for host Anaheim, which damaged New York’s playoff hopes with the victory.
Mason McTavish had a goal and helped set up Colangelo’s first of the night with a nifty assist as the Ducks won for just the third time in eight games (3-4-1). Drew Helleson also scored. Lukas Dostal carried a shutout deep into the third and finished with 31 saves.
Tony DeAngelo scored for the Islanders, who fell for the second time in six games (4-2-0) and remained four points behind in the race for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. New York missed a chance to leapfrog the idle Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins in the wild-card race. Goalie Marcus Hogberg, who missed the previous 14 games with a finger injury, recorded 24 saves.
BASEBALL NEWS
Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal earned his first victory of spring training on Sunday as the host Detroit Tigers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-3 in Lakeland, Fla.
Skubal (1-0) gave up two runs and four hits over the first 3 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking one. He has a 2.16 ERA this spring, with eight strikeouts in three starts covering 8 1/3 innings.
Last season, Skubal finished with an 18-4 record, a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts to earn the pitching Triple Crown and the Cy Young Award.
The Pirates’ Tommy Pham hit a solo homer off Skubal in the third on Sunday. For the Tigers, Javier Baez went 2-for-3, including a three-run homer that highlighted the team’s four-run third inning.
Orioles 4, Twins 3
Starter Tomoyuki Sugano pitched three perfect innings to help host Baltimore win its split-squad game against Minnesota in Sarasota, Fla.
Sugano (1-0) struck out five and maintained his 0.00 ERA in three spring games (two starts).
Ramon Laureano led the Orioles with two runs, while the Twins scored all of their runs on solo homers — by Matt Wallner, Edouard Julien and Brooks Lee.
Phillies 12, Orioles 2
Edmundo Sosa went 2-for-3 with a homer and a double as Philadelphia won a rout in Baltimore’s split-squad game in Clearwater, Fla.
The Phillies scored nine runs over their final three innings. Sosa’s homer came in the third, and Bryce Harper’s two-run single made it a three-run inning for Philadelphia. Agnnel Escobar also hit a two-run homer.
Coby Mayo had a double and an RBI for the Orioles.
Cardinals 6, Yankees 5
St. Louis, led by Nolan Gorman’s two hits and two RBIs, extended its spring winning streak to three games with the victory over visiting New York in Jupiter, Fla.
Gorman hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning for the Cardinals, who won despite being out-hit 14-10.
For the Yankees, Anthony Volpe, J.C. Escarra and Jazz Chisholm Jr. all hit home runs. Volpe and Chisholm combined for four hits, three RBIs and three runs.
Blue Jays 13, Rays 9
Daulton Varsho and Addison Barger each had two hits as visiting Toronto used a 15-hit attack to beat Tampa Bay, which got four RBIs from Ricardo Genoves in the game in Port Charlotte, Fla.
The Blue Jays scored eight runs over the final two innings. Will Robertson and Jay Harry hit two-run home runs to ignite a six-run eighth and put the Jays in front for good. Damiano Palmegiani also went deep.
The Rays finished with 14 hits. Brandon Lowe hit a three-run shot in the third and Genoves hit a two-run homer in the sixth.
Red Sox 7, Braves 3
Reliever Liam Hendriks overcame a rough outing to improve to 2-0 this spring as host Boston defeated Atlanta in Fort Myers, Fla.
Hendriks, a cancer survivor who missed the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023, gave up two runs and three hits in one inning on Sunday to raise his spring ERA to 13.50.
Trayce Thompson and Nate Eaton hit back-to-back homers off Bryce Elder (0-1) to put Boston ahead for good in the fifth. The Braves got a two-run homer from Garrett Cooper off Hendriks in the top of that inning.
Marlins 10, Astros 6
Derek Hill homered, knocked in two, walked twice and scored three runs to lead visiting Miami past Houston in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Hill’s home run was a two-run shot in the Marlins’ three-run sixth inning. Eric Wagaman also went yard for Miami.
For the Astros, Jeremy Pena went 2-for-3 with two runs, including a solo homer in the sixth. Yordan Alvarez and Zach Dezenzo homered as well.
Mets 7, Nationals 6
Clay Holmes pitched 3 2/3 shutout innings — giving up only one hit and striking out eight — to help host New York edge Washington in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Mark Vientos hit a two-run shot before Jakson Reetz had a grand slam for the Mets in the first inning.
The Nationals scored their six runs in the seventh, a rally capped by Nasim Nunez’s two-run single.
GOLF NEWS
**Rookie Karl Vilips of Australia shot an 8-under-par 64, his lowest round of the week, and won his maiden title in his fourth PGA Tour start at the Puerto Rico Open on Sunday in Rio Grande.
Vilips carded a 26-under 262 over four days at Grand Reserve Golf Club. After starting the day four back, Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen fired a 63 to get to 23 under and place second in his PGA Tour debut.
Veteran Joseph Bramlett (68) finished third at 21 under, and South African amateur Kieron Van Wyk (70) tied for fourth at 19 under with Steven Fisk (68).
Vilips, 23, had one eagle, one bogey and six birdies on his card, including a 5-under stretch over the last six holes to ensure the result was not in doubt.
“I was just trying to stay in the present as best as I could, not think about it because the job was not finished,” Vilips said.
But the Aussie knew what perks would come with a win: a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and berths in the PGA Championship and The Players Championship, which is next week.
“Last night that was about the only thing on my mind was everything that comes with a victory here. I had a hard time getting to sleep. But on the course it was just staying in the present, doing what I can do and I think I did a really good job of that because it is tough to not think about everything.
“Once I hit that wedge close on 18, those thoughts definitely started flowing in my head.”
Neergaard-Petersen, the 36-hole leader who dropped a bit after a Saturday 73, ran off six birdies in a row at Nos. 10-15 to make a run at Vilips.
“I think the front nine was pretty steady because no one was really pushing me and I knew that the guys in my group were in second, third,” Vilips said. “When I checked the leaderboard after 12 tee I saw Rasmus was pushing a little bit and I made an unforced error there (a bogey).
“Next leaderboard that you could see was on 14, so I just had to get somewhat aggressive, make a couple birdies not only to retake that lead but also try and give myself a cushion.”
Van Wyk, 23, was trying to become the second amateur in as many years to win a PGA Tour event in his PGA Tour debut. He was at 20 under for the event before a bogey-bogey-birdie finish.
“I’m pretty proud of the way I played. I think I impressed myself as well,” Van Wyk said. “If you asked me if I finished T-4 at the beginning of the week, I would have been happy with that result, for sure. So I’m happy with the way I played. It sucks not to get it done, but congrats to Karl, he played a really good round today.”
**Russell Henley seemed surprised that he found a way to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Henley eagled the 16th hole Sunday to vault in front and win at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Fla.
“I’ve tried to just work really hard in all aspects of my game to try to put myself in position to win tournaments and compete at the highest possible level on the biggest and best courses,” Henley said. “Just crazy that it happened like that.”
Henley’s 2-under-par 70 put him at 11-under 277, giving him his first victory since the 2022 World Wide Technology Championship — a span of 854 days. It marks his fifth victory on the PGA Tour and his first at a signature event.
He won by one shot over third-round leader Collin Morikawa, who posted a 72 with a par on the final hole.
“I’ve grown up watching this event and just seeing all the amazing finishes coming down the stretch, and you never really think you’re going to get that opportunity to come down the 18th and make a par to win,” Henley said. “It’s really just hard to take in right now.”
The key moment came when Henley’s eagle chip from just off the 16th green found the cup from about 54 1/2 feet away, sending him from one shot behind Morikawa to one in front.
The ball had lots of momentum and might have gone considerably past the hole.
“Sometimes you get a good break like that and it hits the pin and goes in,” Henley said. “… Guess I need to watch it on the replay to see how fast it was moving, but kind of surreal.”
Henley was 2 over for the day through 10 holes before getting on track. He had birdies on Nos. 12 and 14 before his big move.
“It’s so hard and difficult around this place,” he said. “I just tried to stay really tough this week.”
Morikawa, a two-time major champion whose last victory was in October 2023, had a card with three birdies and three bogeys Sunday.
Canada’s Corey Conners (71) was third at 9 under and Michael Kim (69) placed fourth at 8 under.
The results were encouraging for golfers going into The Players Championship in the coming week.
“I think my ball-striking was really strong, I think I putted quite well,” Conners said. “Most of the days I was hitting my lines. And, yeah, got a lot of freedom with my iron play, hit a lot of great shots this week, and I think that will be important to continue next week.”
Kim shook off an opening-round 75 to end up in contention.
“The driver and just ball-striking in general, I feel like I did really well,” Kim said. “And if the putter heats up in the next week, hopefully I’ll have a great chance.”
Keegan Bradley (64) tied with Austria’s Sepp Straka (69) for fifth place at 7 under, while Ireland’s Shane Lowry, the leader at the tournament’s midway mark, shot 70 and finished seventh at 6 under.
“I played well all week and then today, especially, was really, really solid,” Bradley said.
Bradley made a big early surge, but he was done while the leaders still had about half of the round to complete.
Bradley played the first nine holes at 7-under 29, marking the lowest front-nine score in course history. He eagled the par-5 fifth hole with a pitch from 73 yards away, and followed that with three straight birdies.
“I was walking off 9 trying to figure out if I did shoot 29, and I was pretty sure I did, but it was exciting,” Bradley said.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler (70) tied for 11th at 4 under.
“I could be definitely a little sharper with the irons, a little sharper on the greens, but overall I felt like I did a lot of good stuff,” Scheffler said.
**LPGA Tour rookie Rio Takeda carded an 8-under-par 64 on Sunday to cruise to a six-stroke victory at the Blue Bay LPGA on Hainan Island, China.
Takeda, 21, captured her second LPGA Tour title after recording a bogey-free round to finish 17-under 271 at the Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course. The Japanese native won her initial LPGA Tour title at the 2024 Toto Japan Classic following a six-hole sudden-death playoff as a non-tour member.
“I’m really happy with this,” said Takeda, who pocketed $375,000 for the first-place finish.
“Really happy to win this tournament because the course layout, it’s really, really different. Like compared to Japanese course. So I had so many winning at the JLPGA but this winning is meaningful.”
Takeda birdied three of the first four holes and four of the final six to keep a comfortable cushion over the field.
Australian Minjee Lee benefited from her third chip-in eagle of the tournament to shoot a 67 on Sunday and finish in second place at 11-under, one stroke ahead of Japan’s Ayaka Furue (68).
“I chipped in four times, so that’s obviously going to help,” Lee said. “I think I made three eagles and a birdie chip-in, so, yeah, no, that’s always nice to see it go in. You know, I think for most of the week I was hitting it pretty solid. Just try to capitalize on the shots that I hit close. It’s quite hard if you’re not on the right sections of the greens here, so I did have a few putts over hills. Other than that, nice week this week.”
Australian Cassie Porter shot an even-par 72 on Sunday to finish in fourth place at 7-under, one shot ahead of a three-golfer contingent. Included in that group was Sarah Schmelzel (69), who recorded her second straight top-five finish at Blue Bay.
“Obviously really good vibes coming into it from last year,” she said. “Knew I could play well on this golf course, which always helps. You know, I hadn’t played my best over in Asia, so I had had spurts of some good stuff going on the last two weeks over here, and I was just hoping that it could come together this week. I made a lot more putts this week than I did the last couple weeks over here, and, yeah, it was just nice to play again at a course that I’ve played well at before and just take that confidence.”
BIG 10 HOCKEY
ROSEMONT, lll. — No. 3 seed Ohio State, No. 5 seed Penn State and No. 7 seed Notre Dame won Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinal series over the weekend to advance to the Big Ten Semifinals. No. 1 seed Michigan State received a bye by virtue of its Big Ten regular season championship and a tiebreaker.
Saturday’s semifinal matchups from on-campus sites, to be carried on the Big Ten Network:
March 15, 6:00 p.m. ET — No. 7 Notre Dame (12-24-1) at No. 1 Michigan State (24-6-4)
March 15, 8:30 p.m. ET — No. 5 Penn State (20-12-4) at No. 3 Ohio State (23-12-2)
The winners of the single-elimination semifinal games will meet in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game on Saturday, March 22, at 7:30 p.m. ET on the campus of the highest remaining seed. The game will be broadcast on BTN.
Big Ten Quarterfinal Series Results:
No. 7 Notre Dame defeated No. 2 Minnesota, 2 games to 1
No. 3 Ohio State defeated No. 6 Wisconsin, 2 games to 1
No. 5 Penn State defeated No. 4 Michigan, 2 games to 0
TOP INDIANA HEADLINES
INDIANA PACERS
A regular season sweep against a Central Division rival is in play when the Indiana Pacers wrap up a three-game road trip on Monday in the Windy City.
Indiana will open a difficult span of four games in six days when they take on the Chicago Bulls at United Center.
As the Eastern Conference race tightens with six weeks remaining, each game is critical for the Pacers (35-27) and Bulls (25-39) in the standings.
Indiana is jockeying almost nightly with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Detroit Pistons for the fourth through sixth playoff spots in the East, while the Bulls currently control 10th place – the final Play-in Tournament position.
The Pacers are 3-0 against the Bulls this season, and the last time the Blue & Gold bageled the Bulls was during their 2019-2020 campaign.
Indiana enters Monday night’s matchup coming off two straight road losses against the Atlanta Hawks.
On Saturday, the Pacers trailed by 20 points at the end of the first quarter before rallying in the fourth to briefly retake the lead. In the final minute of game action, the Hawks hit enough free throws to hold on for the win.
Returning from a four-game absence due to a sprained wrist, Bennedict Mathurin put on a sensational performance in the ATL, recording 30 points and eight rebounds off the bench, while Pascal Siakam added 23 points, and Andrew Nembhard posted 11 points and 12 assists.
The Pacers have put up big numbers against the Bulls this season, averaging 129.3 points (50.7 shooting as a team), 42.7 rebounds, and 34.7 assists.
While Mathurin recently returned to play for the Blue & Gold, the Pacers could be without star point guard Tyrese Haliburton for a third straight game on Monday due to a left hip flexor strain. Indiana is 0-3 in games when Haliburton sits, and he’s putting up 18.7 points on 54.8 percent shooting and 11.0 assists against the Bulls this season.
Indiana could also be without veteran backup point guard T.J. McConnell abasing the Bulls, as he exited Saturday’s game in the first quarter with an ankle sprain.
Containing Bulls point guard Coby White will prove an essential part of the Pacers’ game plan. White has averaged 21.3 points, 5.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds against the Pacers this season.
Chicago, winners of back-to-back games, enters its last game with the Pacers coming off a 114-109 victory over the Miami Heat at United Center on Saturday.
Josh Giddey recorded a triple-double in the Bulls win, as he logged 26 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, while White finished with 21 points and Zach Collins notched 18 and 15 rebounds.
Indiana will have a tight turnaround after playing the Bulls, as the Blue & Gold host the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday before commencing another three-game road trip with stops in Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Minnesota.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Andrew Nembhard, G – Ben Sheppard, F – Aaron Nesmith, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Bulls: G – Tre Jones, G – Coby White, F – Josh Giddey, F – Matas Buzelis, C – Zach Collins
Injury Report
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton – TBA (right hip flexor strain), T.J. McConnell – TBA (right ankle sprain), Isaiah Jackson – out (torn right Achilles tendon)
Bulls: Coby White probable (right toe sesamoiditis), Nikola Vucevic – questionable (right calf strain), Patrick Williams – questionable (right quadricep tendinosis), Lonzo Ball – doubtful (right wrist sprain), Ayo Dosunmu – out (left shoulder surgery).
Last Meeting
March 2, 2025: Behind a career-high 27 points by Aaron Nesmith, the Pacers outlasted the Bulls 127-112 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Pacers’ second unit outscored the Bulls 11-4 to start the fourth quarter to go up 106-96, and the Blue & Gold were able to hang on for the remainder of the game.
In addition to Nesmith’s outstanding night, Pacers forward Pascal Siakam recorded 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while point guard Tyrese Haliburton managed a fifth straight double-double by posting 17 points, 11 assists, and five boards.
Coby White topped the Bulls with 26 points, Matas Buzelis dropped 16, and Josh Giddey and Zach Collins each logged 16 points. White scored 20 of his 26 points in the first half.
Indiana outshot Chicago 55.2 to 50 percent in the game, including making 19 3-pointers to the Bulls’ 10 threes. The Bulls won the rebounding battle 42-36 and points in the paint margin 60-48.
Noteworthy
The Bulls have a stronger record on the road (14-16) than at home (12-22) this season.
Chicago leads the all-time regular season series between the Pacers and Bulls 106-104.
Chicago forward Jalen Smith spent three seasons in Indiana (2021-2024) before signing a three-year contract with the Bulls this past offseason.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
FanDuel Sports Network – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (studio host)
Tickets
After a three-game road trip, the Pacers will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for a nationally televised showdown against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, March 11 at 7:30 PM ET.
PLAYOFF PICTURE: https://www.nba.com/pacers/playoff-picture
INDY FUEL
FISHERS- The Fuel hosted the Wichita Thunder for the second day in a row on Sunday for Bluey Day. In front of the first sold out Sunday crowd in franchise history, Indy took an early lead but ultimately fell 5-4 to Wichita.
1ST PERIOD
Fuel newcomer Jesse Tucker opened the scoring at 2:40 to make it 1-0. Tucker now has two goals in three games with the Fuel, after scoring yesterday. Victor Hadfield and Jordan Martin claimed both assists on that goal.
Kevin Lynch added to the Fuel’s lead with a goal at 3:29, extending his point streak to four games this season. Ty Farmer and Nathan Burke each had an assist on that goal.
Things got a bit chippy early between these two teams who collected thirty penalty minutes in yesterday’s game against each other.
At 5:20, Indy’s Victor Hadfield and Wichita’s Michal Stinil took offsetting slashing penalties but neither team scored in two minutes.
Stinil scored for Wichita at 9:19 to make it 2-1 before another small scuffle broke out along the boards between both teams.
At 11:42, Lucas Brenton took an interference penalty to give the Thunder the first power play of the game but the Fuel killed it off.
Indy’s Nick Grima took the game’s next penalty at 16:35 for interference. The Fuel killed it off.
At the end of the first period, Indy was outshooting Wichita 14-12.
2ND PERIOD
At 5:45, Wichita’s Arten Guryev scored off a rebound to tie the game 2-2.
About a minute later, the Fuel began a lengthy delayed penalty power play until the whistle blew on a hooking call on Stinil at 7:31. Wichita ultimately killed it off.
At 11:04, Indy’s Kale Howarth and Wichita’s Jay Dickman each took two minutes for roughing after an altercation in front of the Fuel’s net. Howarth took an additional ten minute misconduct for continuing the altercation.
Dominick Dockery scored a shorthanded goal at 13:58 to give Wichita a 3-2 lead, their first of the series.
Chris Cameron and Wichita’s Dillon Bouchard dropped the gloves at 16:08 and each earned five minutes for fighting near the end of the period.
With 2:07 to go in the second period, Brenton headed to the box for tripping along with Stinil who was called for unsportsmanlike conduct at the same time.
Neither team scored again before time expired in the second frame, with the Thunder up 3-2 while being outshot by Indy 27-23.
3RD PERIOD
Kyle Maksimovich tied the game up for the Fuel at 2:37, 3-3, with the help of Hadfield and Lemos.
At 3:57, Farmer took a holding penalty which put the Thunder back on the power play. They immediately capitalized with a goal by Peter Bates to make it 4-3 in favor of Wichita.
Stinil headed back to the box at 6:26 to serve a too many men bench minor on Wichita. Less than ten seconds later, Indy capitalized with a power play goal by Nathan Burke to tie the game again, this time 4-4. Bilek and Maksimovich had the assists on that goal.
At 12:56, Nico Somerville took a slashing penalty but the Thunder killed it off just before they went to the power play on an embellishment call against Kevin Lynch.
Kobe Walker scored on the power play for Wichita to put them up 5-4 late in the third period.
With just under a minute to go, the Fuel pulled Ben Gaudreau from goal in favor of the extra skater but could not score before time expired.
Ultimately, the Fuel fell 5-4 to Wichita while outshooting them 36-35.
INDY IGNITE
The Indy Ignite couldn’t have come much closer to winning today’s Pro Volleyball Federation match at Atlanta, but the Vibe snuck away with a 3-1 victory in a slugfest duel that saw two sets go to overtime.
Despite losing outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh to an ankle injury for a second time this season, the Ignite displayed the true grit they’ve shown all season and kept plugging away in a valiant but unsuccessful effort to secure the road victory. The set scores of 23-25, 26-28, 25-22 and 31-33 show just how easily the result could have swung in Indy’s favor.
Instead, Indy slipped to 8-7 on the season and remained third in PVF standings, a half-game ahead of the winning Vibe (8-8).
“I was happy with the overall group moving forward after a teammate goes down,” Ignite head coach George Padjen said. “It’s hard, so moving forward with the thought process of trying to just build and more like go for it at the end of games, we’ve been talking about it all year. You’re going to be in (tight match) situations like that at some point, and especially in this league, so I think getting the opportunity to be in those situations more and more often is going to benefit us. We’ve just got to find a way to push through the door.”
The Ignite led the opening set 17-14 before the Vibe went on a 6-1 run to take control. Indy fought off one set point before the Ignite’s fifth service error gave Atlanta the winning point.
Atlanta led 20-18 in the second set when Member-Meneh was injured when her left foot landed on the foot of Atlanta opposite hitter Merritt Beason in a battle at the net. Member-Meneh, the PVF All-Star who returned just a week ago after missing more than three matches with a sprained left ankle, got help to the bench and did not return to play.
In her absence, the remaining Ignite players picked up the pace. Indy held three set points in the second set but couldn’t convert, with Atlanta nailing three straight points to take the 28-26 victory and a 2-0 match lead.
“Obviously (Member-Meneh’s injury) is really unfortunate, but we have a lot of depth and that’s kind of a strength of ours,” Ignite opposite hitter and fellow All-Star Azhani Tealer said. “We had no doubt that Nina (Cajic) was going to come in and fill the spot exactly the way she did. The first two sets weren’t really how we want to play. After that, Lek went down so we had a lot to rally around and a lot to think about. That’s why you saw a little better volleyball those last couple sets.”
Staring at a match sweep when they trailed 16-11 in the third set, the Ignite rallied to tie at 17-all but fell behind again 20-18. Middle blocker Lydia Martyn then came alive with three kills and an ace, and Tealer put an exclamation point on Indy’s 7-2 run to close the set with a block to secure the 25-22 win.
Indy fought back from an early four-point deficit in the fourth set that seesawed throughout. Indy led 21-18 before Atlanta rallied for a 22-21 advantage. The Ignite went ahead 24-22 and were on the precipice of evening the match, but the Vibe fought off three set points. Indy then staved off four set/match points before retaking leads of 30-29 and 31-30, but the Ignite couldn’t close it out. Atlanta went on a three-point run at that point to win the lengthy, nail-biting, decisive set, 33-31.
Tealer led the Ignite with 20 kills, two blocks, two aces and 15 digs, compiling a stellar 47.6% kill percentage and 33.3% kill efficiency. Martyn was amazing in the middle with 16 kills, a block and an ace, with a 55.2% kill percentage and 48.3% kill efficiency.
Anna DeBeer, the Ignite’s first-round draft pick, continues progressing in her fifth match since recovering from her own ankle injury. The outside hitter added 12 kills, two blocks, an ace and 14 digs to the effort. Opposite hitter Grace Wade came off the bench in a couple key double-substitution situations to deliver three kills in seven attempts.
Setter Sydney Hilley orchestrated it all by tying her season high for a four-set match with 52 assists to go along with a kill, a block and 10 digs. Libero Elena Scott led the Ignite with 19 digs as Indy averaged 19 per set.
Despite the difficulty of swallowing the defeat, Tealer agreed with head coach Padjen that it will make the young Ignite roster, which features seven PVF rookies and three second-year players, better in the long run.
“We’re a bunch of rookies and first- and second-year (pro players),” she said, “so being in situations like that is going to be helpful for us when we get further down the road, and that’s what our eyes are on. We want to win now but we definitely want to win later, so it will be good for us.”
Today’s match closed a three-match road trip for the Ignite in the past eight days. They return home to face PVF co-leader and reigning league champion Omaha (10-4) on Thursday. The Women’s History Month Match begins at 7 p.m. ET at Fishers Event Center. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster through the Indy Ignite website. The match also streams live on the PVF YouTube Channel.
INDIANA WRESTLING
EVANSTON, Ill. ––– Indiana ended its time at the 2025 Big Ten Championships with five guaranteed NCAA qualifiers on Sunday afternoon at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Jacob Moran (125), Angelo Rini (133) and DJ Washington (184) all had previously punched their ticket yesterday with Gabe Sollars (197) and Jacob Bullock (285) clinching theirs today.
Sollars and Bullock each took 9th place in the extra brackets to determine NCAA qualification. Sollars defeated Rutgers’ No. 13 PJ Casale by decision, 6-0, and Jacob Bullock topped No. 14 Gannon Rosenfeld of Wisconsin by decision, 9-5, to claim their spots at Philadelphia.
For Moran and Sollars, it was their first NCAA qualification of their career. Bullock and Rini each earned their second career trip to NCAAs, both competed at the national tournament in 2023. This was Rini’s first NCAA bid as a Hoosier after previously competing for Columbia.
In addition to the five NCAA qualifications, Moran, Rini, Washington and Henry Porter each made their way onto the podium.
Moran (125) took fifth place, Rini (133) and Washington (184) got seventh and Porter (141) got eighth place.
The four placers marked back-to-back seasons with four Hoosiers on the podium, matching the best in a season under coach Angel Escobedo.
The Hoosiers finished with 33.0 points at Big Tens for the second consecutive year. The 33.0 points was good for 11th place at the Championships, the best team finish since 2017.
Prior to competing at the NCAAs, Indiana will wait to see if they land any at-large selections for the championships. The full list of qualifiers for the tournament will be announced on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Indiana will next compete in the NCAA Championships from March 20-22 in Philadelphia, Pa.
INDIANA BASEBALL
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Three fielding errors, eight walks from the pitching staff, two baserunning mistakes and eight runners left on base added up to a tough 10-6 loss for the Indiana Baseball team (7-9, 1-2 B1G) on Sunday (March 9) afternoon at Medlar Park in University Park.
Penn State closed out Sunday’s contest to win the series in Happy Valley, IU’s first series loss to the Nittany Lions since 2008. The Hoosiers have gone back-to-back years with a series loss in the opening Big Ten weekend. Following IU’s defeat to Illinois in 2024, it rattled off five-consecutive series victories in conference action.
IU got off to a fast start with two runs in the first three innings but missed too many opportunities to put the game away early. Junior outfielder Devin Taylor was thrown out trying to advance home in the first inning. Junior shortstop Tyler Cerny was thrown out on a failed hit-and-run situation in the second inning. Back-to-back missed chances with the bases loaded in the sixth summed up the game for IU.
Graduate student right-handed pitcher Cole Gilley gave IU four scoreless innings before running into trouble in the fifth frame. He finished with 4.1 innings of work, allowing just three hits and two runs (both unearned). He wasn’t factored into the decision. Graduate student reliever Drew Buhr (L, 0-1) had an uncharacteristic day out of the bullpen. He allowed four runs (one unearned) with four walks in just 2.2 innings of action.
Three Hoosiers finished with multi-hit days but the team was just 4-for-15 in RBI opportunities. The biggest hit of the game in the top of the ninth when redshirt sophomore designated hitter Joey Brenczewski cleared the bases with a double in the gap. On the season, IU is just 7-for-35 (.200) with the bases juiced.
The Hoosiers will need to put this series behind them before a stretch of five-straight games in the state of Indiana. IU has midweek action in Terre Haute against Indiana State (March 11) before the first home weekend of the campaign against Ohio State (March 14-16) at Bart Kaufman Field.
Scoring Recap
Top First
The Hoosiers struck early on a string of hits in the first frame. Joey Brenczewski singled through the left side to score Andrew Wiggins. IU had another chance to score but Devin Taylor was thrown out at home while trying to advance.
Indiana 1, Penn State 0
Top Third
IU added to the early lead with a RBI double into the gap from Korbyn Dickerson.
Indiana 2, Penn State 0
Bottom Fifth
The home team finally got on the board. Cohl Mercado, the nine-hole hitter, singled into center field. It was a routine single into center field but Dickerson over ran the ball and it got past him. Jesse Jaconski came around to score from first. With Mercado already advanced to second, he was able to score on a RBI single from Paxton Kling. Both runs were unearned to IU starter Cole Gilley.
Indiana 2, Penn State 2
Bottom Sixth
After a series of walks, Penn State took advantage of the IU mistakes. Matt Maloney hit a sacrifice fly to the left fielder to score Bryce Molinaro.
Penn State 3, Indiana 2
Top Seventh
IU got the run back on a RBI groundout from Dickerson. The Hoosiers had a chance to strike for more but couldn’t advance runners any further.
Indiana 3, Penn State 3
Bottom Seventh
Things quickly unraveled for IU in the seventh inning. Reliever Drew Buhr allowed a single and two walks to load the bases. Joe Jaconski and Molinaro each had sacrifice flies to go up two runs. Ryan Weingartner scored the third run of the inning after Taylor committed a fielding error in left field.
Penn State 6, Indiana 3
Bottom Eighth
Kling added some insurance to the board with a single through the left side. Joe Jaconski added another pair of runs with a double that glided over the head of the third baseman. Molinaro doubled off the wall as Penn State broke open the game in the eighth.
Penn State 10, Indiana 3
Top Ninth
IU got some consolation in the top of the ninth with Brenczewski clearing the bases on a double into the gap. All three runners, who all reached on walks, came around to score.
Penn State 10, Indiana 6
Top Hoosier Performers
#23 Brenczewski, Joey
2-5, 1 2B, 4 RBI
#5 Taylor, Devin
2-4, 2 R, 1 BB
#32 Gilley, Cole
4.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 K
Inside the Box Score
• IU outhit Penn State 11-7 but was outscored 10-6.
• The Hoosiers left eight runners on base.
• IU’s pitching staff walked eight batters.
• Three IU errors led to three unearned runs.
Notes to Know
• The Hoosiers had 10+ hits as a team for the fifth-consecutive game. The program has had double-digit outputs in hits in 12 of the last 13 contests. In those games, IU is just 7-5.
• Redshirt sophomore center fielder Korbyn Dickerson had a pair of RBIs to take his team lead up to 27 on the season. He also leads IU in runs scored (24), hits (27) and home runs (8).
• Redshirt sophomore designated hitter Joey Brenczewski picked up his second career game with at least four RBIs. Three of those four RBIs game on a bases-clearing double in the ninth inning. In his career against the Nittany Lions, Brenczewski has racked up 12 RBIs and seven hits.
Up Next
IU returns to its home state for over a week. The Hoosiers have a midweek contest at Indiana State on Tuesday (March 11) before a three-game set against Ohio State (March 14-16). Tuesday’s game will be streamed on ESPN+ before the weekend series goes live on B1G+. Austin Render will have all four games on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio.
INDIANA SOFTBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – An 8-0 run-rule victory over UIC capped a perfect 5-0 weekend for the Indiana softball program at the Hoosier Classic on Andy Mohr Field Sunday (March 9).
Indiana (17-5) improved to 16-0 when scoring at least six runs in 2025 in its fifth-straight victory. Brianna Copeland fired five shutout innings and allowed just one hit and one walk. She struck out six and faced just two over the minimum in the game.
On the weekend, Indiana scored 56 runs and allowed just nine to score. The Hoosiers posted five run rule wins, posted two shutouts, which included a no-hitter, and hit seven home runs.
Melina Wilkinson paced the lineup with a 3-for-4 day at the plate and scored a pair of runs, while Josie Bird produced the lone multi-RBI game for IU with a pair of runs batted in. Avery Parker and Alex Cooper each chipped in two hits apiece.
Taylor Minnick broke a tie with Cora Bassett (42; 2022-24) to take sole possession of No. 4 on the career doubles charts with her 43rd career double. She was on base three times in the game – adding a walk and hit-by-pitch – scored one run and drove in one RBI.
KEY MOMENTS
Indiana loaded the bases with one out in the first inning, but a Kelsi Mitchell sacrifice fly accounted for the lone run of the frame.
The Hoosiers put three runs on the board in the second inning, the first on a double steal with runners on the corners and one out. Taylor Minnick followed with a double to drive in the second run of the inning and Avery Parker capped the inning with an RBI single.
A four-run fourth inning setup the fifth-straight run-rule victory of the weekend for Indiana and moved the Hoosiers to 11-0 when reaching double-digits in the run column.
Indiana loaded the bases with a walk, error and base hit. Aly VanBrandt singled to plate the first run of the frame and Sydni Burko pushed the second run across. Josie Bird delivered the two-RBI base hit to make it 8-0.
NOTABLES
Brianna Copeland (2-2) picked up the win with the complete game shutout and 5.0 innings of work. She scattered one hit, walked one and struck out six.
Melina Wilkinson’s three-hit day tied her best as a Hoosier and she added two runs scored.
Avery Parker chipped in two hits and one RBI.
Taylor Minnick was on base three times with a walk, hit-by-pitch and her 43rd career double. She scored one run and drove in one RBI.
Indiana improved to 16-0 when reaching the six-run mark on the season and has posted five-straight run rule victories.
UP NEXT
Indiana will continue its nine-game homestand with a contest against Butler on Tuesday, March 11 on Andy Mohr Field. First pitch will be 5:30 p.m.
PURDUE SOFTBALL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue came back from splitting day one, to sweep day two, defeating the Billikens 4-2 (8-12) and the Bradley Braves 11-1 (8-13).
Emma Bailey took over the end of game one against St. Louis, with a season best, only allowing two hits, with no earned runs. Bailey also struck out two batters, tying her career-best and setting a new season-high. The Boilermakers exploded in game two against Bradley, registering 11 runs on nine hits, four sacrifice bunts and only two strikeouts, a tie for their season-best.
BOILER BITS (vs. St. Louis)
Offensive Highlights:
Khloe Banks: 2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R
Alivia Meeks: 2-for-3, 2B, R
Moriah Polar: 2-for-4, 2 H, 1 SB
Kyndall Bailey: 2-for-3, RBI, BB, HBP
Pitching Breakdown:
Madi Elish: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 19 BF
Emma Bailey (W, 1-1): 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 K, 11 BF
HOW IT HAPPENED
After back-to-back outs in the first inning, the Boilers put a hit on the board when Moriah Polar singled to left field. Saint Louis registered a hit of its own in the top of the second, but Purdue held the Billikens from scoring. Purdue took to the plate and Delaney Reefe, Jordyn Ramos and Kylie Franks went down in a row with ground balls to shortstop.
In the third inning, Purdue executed a perfect play on a Billiken bunt, tagging out the lead runner at second. The batter tried stealing another base, but the Boilermakers quickly reacted and tagged her out to earn back-to-back outs. Meeks started the bottom half of the third with a grounder up the middle, but she was left on base as the Boilers went down in order.
The game still sat with no runs on either side until the fifth inning when Saint Louis went on a hitting streak and registered a run. Emma Bailey came to the mound to relieve Elish, stopping the damage with a big strikeout. The Boilermakers had an explosive inning at the plate, scoring three runs on three hits. Alivia Meeks and Khloe Banks doubled, allowing Franks to put Purdue on the board. Polar then loaded the bases with a single to right. Kyndall Bailey’s hit-by-pitch sent Meeks home. Julia Gossett then had a sac-fly to right field, driving Banks home for the third run.
It was a close call in the sixth inning with another Billiken run, but Purdue stopped the threat with two ground outs with bases loaded. Leading by one going into the bottom of the sixth, the Boilers committed to widening their lead, with Sage Scarmardo taking home on a stunning bunt by Banks, who safely made it to first base, then took second on a Billiken error. Pinch hitter Maura Condon had a line drive to left field as well, adding to the Boilermakers’ three hits for the inning.
Purdue quickly ended the game in the seventh inning, keeping Saint Louis from scoring and defeating them 4-2.
BOILER BITS (vs. Bradley)
Offensive Highlights:
Moriah Polar: 3-for-3, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 SB
Kyndall Bailey: 2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, 1 SB
Maura Condon: 1-for-1, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Pitching Breakdown:
Kendall Klochack (W, 5-1): 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 K, 22 BF
HOW IT HAPPENED
After two errors in the field in the first inning, the Boilermakers bounced back to score two runs on two hits from Banks and Gossett when they took the plate. Purdue held Bradley to nothing in the second inning and had another big inning at the switch. Meeks led off with a hard hit up the middle but went out on third base on a grounder to shortstop by K. Bailey. Franks and Ashlynn Campbell scored when Polar tripled with a line drive up the middle.
The Braves knocked a ball out of the park in the third inning, but the Boilers didn’t let that slow their momentum, running through the whole lineup and then some and scoring seven more runs on five hits. Ramos, Polar, K. Bailey and Reefe singled and Condon doubled out to right center. A series of walks helped to load up the bases at the beginning of the bottom half, and an impressive five RBIs helped Purdue’s cause.
The fourth inning went quickly with no scores for either team, and the Braves went down in order at the top of the fifth, ending the game early with a score of 11-1.
UP NEXT
The Boilers take on #5 UCLA in Los Angeles, Calif. on Fri., March 14 at 9:00 p.m. ET for the opening of Big Ten play.
PURDUE BASEBALL
MINNEAPOLIS – Logan Sutter and Keenan Spence both delivered a run-scoring hit in each of the first two innings as Purdue Baseball raced out to a six-run lead, but Minnesota reeled off nine unanswered runs to rally back and take the series finale 10-8 Sunday inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Boilermakers (14-2, 2-1 Big Ten) were denied of their first-ever sweep in Minneapolis with a loss in the series finale for the fourth consecutive trip to the Twin Cities dating back to 2017. But Purdue still managed to win three of four in its first week of action in the Midwest and now opens a 13-game homestand Wednesday that will keep the team at Alexander Field through April 2.
Spence homered for the second day in a row, connecting for a two-run blast to center field to cap the scoring in the Boilers’ four-run first inning. The following frame, he connected for a ground-rule double into the left field corner to put Purdue in front 7-1.
Sutter’s team-leading 10th double highlighted a day in which he reached base safely in his first four at-bats. He reached 10 doubles by March 9, one day sooner than the program record he established a year ago.
Albert Choi, Aaron Manias, Spence and Sutter each hit safely in all three games of the Big Ten-opening series.
The Gophers (6-7, 1-2 Big Ten) took their first lead in the fifth inning on consecutive run-scoring hits from the 8-9 spots in the lineup. At the bottom of the order, Kris Hokenson and Elbeery both enjoyed three-hit days and finished the win a combined 6-for-8 with four RBI and four runs scored.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Logan Sutter – 18-game on-base (since May 21, 2024), on-base safely multiple times in all 16 games
• Albert Choi – 16-game on-base (as a Boilermaker)
• Brandon Anderson – 15-game on-base
• Aaron Manias: 6-game hit
• Lukas Cook: 6-game hit
• Keenan Spence – 5-game hit
• Houston Russell – 5-game on-base
• Breck Nowik – 5-game on-base
Down 10-7 entering the top of the seventh, Purdue loaded the bases and had the tying run in scoring position. A pinch-hit double from Minnesota native Eli Anderson finally chased reliver Joe Sperry, who was the MVP on the day for the home team. After the Boilermakers roughed up starter Justin Thorsteinson to the tune of five hits and seven runs (three earned) over 14 batters faced, Sperry (2-0) posted four consecutive zeros. The only run he was charged with over 4 2/3 innings scored after he departed in the top of the seventh.
Seth Clausen ultimately closed out the win with 2 2/3 innings of hitless relief. But his command was shaky at first, issuing a four-pitch walk to Choi and forcing in a run with a bases-loaded walk to Brandon Anderson. But Clausen found his release point and struck out Sutter with the game on the line, limiting the damage in the seventh inning. Purdue had just one base runner the rest of the way.
Minnesota matched Purdue’s three-spot in the second inning and then made it one-run game on a two-out, two-run single from Elbeery in the bottom of the third. It was Elbeery’s first RBI of the season.
Isaac Milburn struck out seven of the 16 batters he faced, including five in a row at one point, while accounting for a team-high 10 outs (3 1/3 innings). But the bottom of the lineup got to Milburn (0-1) both times he had to face the duo of Hokenson and Elbeery. Milburn did induce an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the second and struck out the Gophers’ 2-3-4 hitters in order in the fourth. The lefty recorded seven consecutive outs via the K from the third through fifth innings.
Maclane Finley gave Purdue consecutive zeros in the seventh and eighth innings to keep the prospects of a potential comeback alive.
Wednesday’s home opener vs. Butler is slated for a 4 p.m. ET first pitch as the first $3 midweek matchup of the season. General admission tickets, hot dogs, beers, popcorn and nachos are all specially priced at $3.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue men’s basketball team earned the No. 6 seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament and will open play in Thursday’s second round at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Purdue will play the winner of Wednesday’s first-round game between 11th-seeded Rutgers and No. 14-seed USC, at 9 p.m. ET, on Thursday night.
The winner of Thursday’s second-round game will face No. 3 seed Michigan in Friday’s quarterfinals, also tipping at 9 p.m. ET.
The Boilermakers actually finished tied for fourth with UCLA and Wisconsin, but lost out on the second tiebreaker after UCLA earned the No. 4 seed via a win over league champion Michigan State and then the next tiebreaker via head-to-head with Wisconsin. It marks the fifth straight year that Purdue has finished in the top four of the league standings, and Purdue has finished in the top four in 10 of the last 11 seasons.
Purdue is the only Big Ten team to finish in the top four of the Big Ten standings in each of the last five seasons. No other team has more than three top-four Big Ten finishes in that span.
This will mark the first time since the Big Ten went to a double-bye format for the 2014-15 tournament that Purdue has not earned a double-bye. The Boilermakers had earned a double-bye in every tournament that had been contested.
Purdue is looking for its third Big Ten Tournament championship in school history, having won tournament titles in 2009 and 2023.
Led by All-America candidates Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn, the Boilermakers enter the tournament with a 21-10 overall record, having played 25 games against quad-1 and quad-2 competition and ranking 14th in the NCAA NET rankings. Purdue’s 15 quad-1 and quad-2 victories are the seventh most in the country.
NCAA Tournament announcements will be made next Sunday after the completion of the Big Ten Tournament. The Boilermakers will likely be selected for their 10th straight NCAA Tournament.
NOTRE DAME HOCKEY
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The University of Notre Dame hockey team advanced to the Big Ten Playoff Semifinals after a 4-1 victory over No. 3/3 Minnesota in game three of the best-of-three series in Minneapolis. Four separate Irish skaters scored in the contest as Owen Say posted 38 saves in goal en route to the win.
A fast paced first period saw the Irish take the first penalty of the night as Brennan Ali was sent to the box for a slash at 3:50 of the contest.
The Irish had a premium opportunity shorthanded as Cole Knuble raced in uncontested and Nathan Airey attempted to play the puck out of the zone but lost an edge. Knuble tripped over the netminder as he tried to corral the puck and could not send it over the goal line. Notre Dame managed to kill off the penalty unscathed and play returned to five-on-five just under six minutes into the contest.
At the first media timeout of the night the Gophers led 8-1 in shots on goal but Owen Say stood his ground in the ND crease to keep it scoreless just over halfway through the first frame.
The Irish took the lead at 17:25 of the night after a shot from Jack Larrigan at the near circle hit off the chest of Airey and into the air. Jayden Davis found the loose puck atop the crease and buried his shot for his first goal of the season.
Say was contested twice more at the opposite end of the ice before the end of the period but the Irish maintained the 1-0 lead as they headed to the first intermission of the evening.
The Irish extended their lead to two after Grant Silianoff buried a shot glove side with some assistance from Blake Biondi in front of the net.
At 9:08 of the second, the Irish were called for a crosscheck as Axel Kumlin and a Golden Gophers defensemen both raced to the puck along the offensive halfwall. The Irish were successful on the kill for the second time of the night, holding the Gophers without a shot through the two-minute stretch while Notre Dame had a shot that rang off the post shorthanded.
The Irish end was contested in the final minutes of the second period but the defense buckled down, posting two blocked shots and four saves in the last five minutes of the second stanza to keep the Gophers off the board heading into the third period.
Minnesota looked to get on the scoreboard early in the third period as they peppered the Irish end in shots but Ryan Helliwell and Axel Kumlin stepped up to block a pair of shots consecutively before regaining possession.
After a short stint in the Minnesota zone, the Gophers took the puck back and had numbers on the Irish but Henry Nelson poked the puck off target to deny a two-on-one chance from going into the back of the Irish net and Notre Dame held their two goal advantage six minutes into the third.
The Irish were called for a hold at 7:59 of the third period after Ryan Helliwell made a defensive play in front of the Notre Dame net and headed to the box for the team’s third penalty of the night. It took the Gophers just eight seconds to convert on the man-advantage as they sliced the Irish lead in half at 8:07 of the frame.
Notre Dame reclaimed the two-goal lead with 7:51 to play in regulation after Justin Janicke and Cole Knuble created a rush up ice before the sophomore backhanded a shot past the blocker of Airey in the Gophers’ net.
The Gophers pulled their netminder with just under four minutes to play in regulation and Hunter Strand would make them pay as he cashed in on the open ice for the empty net tally at 17:40 for the 4-1 final.
GOALS
Jayden Davis gave the Irish the 1-0 lead late in the first period after settling a rebound in front of the crease. Zach Plucinski gathered a pass from Henry Nelson in the defensive end after a Minnesota dump-in and fed a pass up ice to Jack Larrigan who carried it into the offensive zone. The freshman fired a wrist shot on net from the circle but his chance was denied before Davis buried the rebound, as the sophomore lit the lamp for the first time this season.
A pair of Notre Dame graduate students native to Minnesota made it 2-0 Irish at 3:44 of the second period after a centering pass from Blake Biondi was tipped towards the far boards where Grant Silianoff picked it up. Silianoff then fed the puck back to Biondi behind the net who attempted the wraparound but lost the puck in the crease to set up Silianoff. Axel Kumlin, who chipped the puck out of the defensive zone to set up the rush, was credited with the second assist.
A give and go goal for Cole Knuble and Justin Janicke made it a 3-1 game at 12:09 of the third period. Knuble and Janicke jockeyed the puck int the offensive zone before Knuble backhanded it into the back of the net for his 12th of the season. Michael Mastrodomenico also picked up an assist on the play.
Hunter Strand capped the win for the Irish in his 150th career game as the senior found the empty net on a clear from behind his own blue line. Paul Fischer saved a potential Gophers goal when he jumped in front of a shot before Carter Slaggert gathered the puck along the near boards and centered it to Strand for the final goal of the night.
KEY STATS
Jayden Davis’ goal to open the scoring Sunday was his first of the year and third career goal. With a goal and two assists this season the forward has matched his point total from a season ago.
The Irish blocked six shots in the opening period Sunday night to keep the Gophers off the board in the opening 20 minutes with Paul Fischer jumping in front of two pucks before the end of the first.
A pair of Minnesota natives in Blake Biondi and Grant Silianoff combined for the team’s second goal of the night as Biondi assisted on Silianoff’s fifth of the season to give the Irish the 2-0 lead early in the middle frame.
Skating in his 150th career game, Hunter Strand found the back of the net for the second consecutive night, ultimately clinching the Irish win with an empty net tally at 17:40 of the third.
With his blocked shot to set up Strand’s empty netter, Fischer finished the night with four blocks.
Ryan Helliwell’s career-best six blocked shots led the Irish defense Sunday as the team combined to post 23 blocks, including 10 in the final period of regulation to clinch the series.
Zach Plucinski’s block in the final minute of the second period gave the graduate blueliner his 200th career blocked shot. The fifth-year Irish skater has appeared in 152 career games for the Blue and Gold.
Owen Say registered 38 saves in the contest Sunday night to backstop his Irish team to victory. The junior netminder posted double digit saves in all three periods Sunday in the 4-1 win.
Ten individuals highlighted the box score Sunday night, including the team’s leader in points, Cole Knuble, who boasts 39 points this season behind 12 goals and 27 assists.
The Irish centers won 57.1 percent of the faceoff chances Sunday evening, led by Jayden Davis’ perfect four-for-four. Danny Nelson’s 17 faceoff wins was the most on the team while Strand’s 69.2 percent rate was the most of any center on either team (min. five faceoffs taken).
With the win, the Irish advance to the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals for the first time since 2022.
UP NEXT
The Irish have advanced to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals and will face Big Ten Regular Season Co-Champion and No. 2/2 Michigan State University at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing. The game is slated for a 6 p.m. puck drop on Saturday, March 15.
NOTRE DAME SOFTBALL
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Notre Dame Softball team dropped a heartbreaker in the rubber match at Louisville, 4-3 in 14 innings. It was the longest game Notre Dame has played since 1995 (15 innings on 4/22/95 against Loyola Chicago).
Brianne Weiss was spectacular in relief, throwing 8.1 innings, striking out a career-high nine and only allowing two earned runs.
Both Rachel Allen (4th inning) and Kaia Cortes (5th inning) hit game-tying home runs. It was the second homer of the series for Cortes and the fourth time the Irish have hit multiple homers in a game. Notre Dame has homered in five-straight games.
How it happened
With one out in the top of the first, Kaia Cortes got plunked for the seventh time this season. Entering the weekend, the freshman was in the top-16 nationally in hit by pitches.
Micaela Kastor got the nod for the Irish, making her 11th start of the season and second of the weekend after starting for the series opener on Friday. She worked around a leadoff single to keep the game scoreless after the first.
The Irish put traffic on in the top of the second. Paige Cowley reached on an error, followed by a perfectly placed bunt single by Anna Holloway that snuck past the pitcher. But Louisville starter Brooke Gray halted Notre Dame’s momentum, getting a pop out, strikeout and foul out to end the threat.
Louisville manufactured the first run of the day in the bottom of the second on a sacrifice fly to center. The Cardinals led 1-0 after two.
Allen knotted the game at 1-apiece with a towering homer to left leading off the fourth inning. It was the 11th career homer for the Irish catcher.
Louisville took the lead right back in the bottom half of the inning, scoring on a squeeze bunt to take the lead. Shannon Becker relieved Kastor after that and got out of the frame without allowing anyone other baserunners to cross home.
The Cardinals sent out Alyssa Zabala to start the fifth. The Louisville right hander had started the previous two games of the series. She was greeted by Cortes, who hit her third home run of the season to tie the game at two.
Becker pitched out of danger in the bottom of the fifth. With a runner on third, the senior got a pop out and a strikeout to keep the game tied after five. For Becker, it was her 200th career strikeout.
Following a single by Sydny Poeck and consecutive walks from Kronenberger and O’Brien, Notre Dame had the bases juiced with only one out with the top of the order up. But Sam Booe, the new relief pitcher for Louisville, got a groundout and a pop up to end the threat.
Brianne Weiss was the Irish pitcher to start the bottom of the sixth, making her ninth appearance of the season. She struck out two in both the sixth and the seventh inning to force extra innings.
With two outs in the top of the eighth, Kronenberger looped a triple into right field, past the diving attempt of the right fielder. Next batter up, O’Brien lined a ball over the first baseman’s head on the 11th pitch of the at bat for the go-ahead score at the time. It was O’Brien’s sixth RBI of the season.
The Cardinals wasted no time getting that run back. An RBI double into the left center field gap tied the game at three. Weiss got out of the inning harmlessly after that to send it to the ninth.
Both teams went scoreless from the ninth-thirteenth innings before an RBI single walked it off for Louisville in the 14th.
The Irish head to Columbus, Ohio, for a matchup with Ohio State on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 4:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.
NOTRE DAME BASEBALL
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Notre Dame baseball team fell by an 11-1 score in eight innings in the series finale at No. 15 Wake Forest on Sunday afternoon.
Parker Brzustewicz beat out an infield single in the top of the first inning before the at-bats were ended short for the Irish to open the game. The Demon Deacons plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning to get on the scoreboard first on Sunday afternoon.
Rory Fox got a strikeout swinging and drew a fly out to DM Jefferson in center field to force Wake Forest into stranding a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the second. Parker Brzustewicz got on for the second time in the game after drawing a walk with two outs. The Irish were unable to get the two-out rally going as the Demon Deacons closed the inning.
Wake Forest plated two runs in the bottom of the third and added another in the fourth to go ahead 6-0.
Brady Gumpf tried to get the offense going in the top of the fifth as he beat the shift and punched a single to right field. Gumpf moved into scoring position after a groundout. Noah Coy then laced a double just inside the right field line to drive in Gumpf to get the Irish on the scoreboard.
Chase Van Ameyde retired the side in order in the bottom of the fifth with a groundout, a strikeout, and a flyout. The freshman right-hander repeated that effort again in the sixth with a three-up, three-down inning to flip things over to the seventh.
The Demon Deacons plated three runs in the bottom of the seventh to go ahead 9-1 before a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth ended the game by the 11-1 final margin.
Rory Fox went three complete and struck out four while suffering the loss on the mound. Chase Van Ameyde went three innings and struck out one while retiring eight consecutive batters. Tobey McDonough threw a complete inning, and Brady Koester went two-thirds of an inning down the stretch for the Irish.
Noah Coy collected the first extra-base hit of his career with an RBI double. Parker Brzustewicz added a hit and drew two walks, and Brady Gumpf tallied a hit and scored a run in the contest.
The Irish (8-4, 0-3 ACC) travel to Winthrop for a pair of mid-week contests. The first of the two games is slated for Tuesday, March 11 at 6:00 p.m. ET.
BUTLER BASEBALL
Butler scored three runs in the eighth inning to make the game 5-4, but would not get any closer as the Lindenwood Lions pulled even in the weekend series by posting a one-run win. BU led off the ninth with a double to put a man into scoring position but could not tie the contest in crunch time. The result moves Butler to 6-8 on the year while the Lions improve to 8-8.
Butler scored first in the finale off a Jack Bello double down the rightfield line that scored David Ayers. They sat on that one run until the eighth.
AJ Solomon got the BU bats going late in the game with a double and two at-bats later Jack Moroknek would homer to make the game 5-3. Bello followed in the order with a triple and would score soon after on a Tommy Townsend single to right.
Bello had three hits in the contest to lead the ‘Dawgs. The top five batters in the order recorded seven of Butler’s eight hits on the day.
On the mound, Marcus Goodpaster took the loss while Ethan Smith was credited with the win. Goodpaster went deep into the game, throwing 6.1 innings for BU. He struck out three and walked four. All four runs that came in off the eight hits allowed were earned.
Butler will return to action on Wednesday with a road game at Purdue. First pitch on B1G+ is scheduled for 4 p.m.
BUTLER SOFTBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler softball team completed the sweep of DePaul in the opening series of BIG EAST play, notching a 14-1 game-three victory in five innings on Sunday. The Bulldogs (14-5, 3-0 BIG EAST) scored in every inning in which they batted and held the Blue Demons (10-11, 0-3 BIG EAST) to a single run in the third.
Game 3: Butler 14, DePaul 1 (5 innings)
In the first inning, Butler used a pair of singles, a sacrifice bunt, and a sacrifice fly to take a 2-0 lead.
One inning later, the Dawgs added three runs off three singles, three walks, a wild pitch, and an error. An Ella White two-RBI single highlighted the inning, as Cate Lehner (2-4, 3R, SB) and Leigh Vande Hei (3-3, 2R, 2RBI) crossed the plate.
In the top of the third, DePaul advanced a runner to third and brought her home with a single off the pitcher.
In the bottom half of the third, Butler broke the game open with eight runs off six singles, two walks, and two errors. Makena Alexander (1-2, 3RBI) and Sydney Carter (2-4, 2R, 2RBI) each pushed two across on their singles. The Dawgs were up, 13-1.
Butler added one more run in the bottom of the fourth. Paige Lillie singled off the pitcher which allowed White (2-2, 2R, 2RBI) to score from second.
In the top of the fifth, the Blue Demons advanced runners to second and third but could not score.
Gwen Baker (6-2) started in the circle for Butler and picked up the win. In 4.0 innings she allowed one run on two hits and two walks while striking out a pair. Kayla Noerr (1.0 IP, BB, K) faced four batters in the fifth while finishing the game.
Bulldog Bits
Butler hit 14 singles in the game and had no extra-base hits.
Gwen Baker’s win in the circle was her sixth this season.
Butler’s most recent BIG EAST series sweep was in 2023 at Providence.
Up Next
Butler travels to Bloomington, Indiana, for a midweek contest with the Hoosiers on Tuesday, March 11. The following weekend, the Bulldogs are in Providence, Rhode Island, for a three-game BIG EAST series with the Friars.
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
Butler, the No. 9 seed, will open the 2025 BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Tournament Wednesday afternoon. The Bulldogs will meet eighth-seeded Providence in the opening game of the tournament. That tip is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will stream on Peacock. The winner of Wednesday’s first round match-up will advance to play top-seeded St. John’s Thursday.
The BIG EAST Tournament returns to Madison Square Garden for the 43rd consecutive year. This year’s tournament dates are Wednesday, March 12 through Saturday, March 15.
FOX Sports, the conference’s television partner, will continue its coverage with FS1 televising the Thursday evening quarterfinals games, and the FOX broadcast network will then carry both semifinal games on Friday, as well as the championship game on Saturday, March 15, at 6:30 p.m. ET. Peacock will cover five early round and quarterfinal games. The BIG EAST Tournament at The World’s Most Famous Arena is college basketball’s longest running conference tournament held at the same venue.
Tournament coverage will begin with a first-round tripleheader on Wednesday, March 12. Quarterfinal doubleheaders will be played Thursday afternoon and evening, March 13. The semifinal doubleheader will be held Friday, March 14 followed by the title game on Saturday evening, March 15.
BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Tournament
Presented by JEEP
First Round, March 12 (Peacock)
No. 9 Butler vs. No. 8 Providence
No. 10 DePaul vs. No. 7 Georgetown
No. 11 Seton Hall vs. No. 6 Villanova
Quarterfinal, March 13 (Peacock/FS1)
Butler/Providence vs. No. 1 St. John’s
No. 5 Marquette vs. No. 4 Xavier
DePaul/Georgetown vs. No. 2 Creighton
Seton Hall/Villanova vs. No. 3 UConn
Semifinal, March 14 (FOX)
Quarterfinal Winners
Championship, March 15 (FOX)
Semifinal Winners
IU INDY SOFTBALL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The IU Indy softball team powered past Western Michigan with an 8-5 win on Sunday at Andy Mohr Field. A strong offensive performance, highlighted by 16 hits, helped the Jaguars finish out the Hoosier Classic 3-2.
Western Michigan struck first with a home run from Micaela Booth to give the Broncos an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
IU Indy wasted no time, plating three runs in the second inning. Karley Kavanaugh swiped the first run for the Jags on a passed ball and throwing error from the Western Michigan’s catcher. Then with the bases loaded, Kendal Calvert walked to score Pallas Dominion. On the same play, the Jags pulled off some magic with Piper Stephens following Dominion’s heels, catching the Broncos’ defense sleeping, and stealing home.
The Jags added two more in the third to take a 5-1 lead. Tori Candler singled to left center to score Callie Dickerson. Alex Kiemeyer then grounded out to second base to score Candler.
Western Michigan responded with a pair of runs in both the third and fifth innings, but a three-run sixth by the Jaguars sealed the victory.
Calvert doubled to left field to score Morgan Gilbert to start the scoring in the sixth inning. Dickerson then singled down the left field line to score Calvert and Candler doubled to center field to score Dickerson to seal the victory at 8-5.
Candler led the offensive charge, going a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with two RBI. Dickerson and Gilbert also contributed three hits each, with Dickerson driving in a run. Calvert added three RBI while Stephens added two hits.
Lily Roush started and worked 4.1 innings, allowing five earned runs on five hits. Clara Phariss (W, 2-5) took over in relief, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings to earn the win in the circle.
IU Indy closed out the weekend with a 3-2 mark. They will now open Horizon League play next weekend with a three-game series starting on Friday, March 14.
BALL STATE BASEBALL
MUNCIE, Ind. – Dylan Grego led off the ninth inning with a walkoff solo home run to right field to give the Ball State baseball team a 10-9 win over Western Michigan on Sunday afternoon at Shebek Stadium.
The Cardinals (11-5, 3-0 Mid-American Conference) clinched the series sweep over the Broncos (0-14, 0-3 MAC) with the win, which was their fifth straight.
Grego stepped up to the plate after Western Michigan had tied the score in its half of the ninth on a three-run homer by Brendan Harrity. Grego drilled the second pitch he saw high in the air toward right center field, and the ball cleared the wall at a projected 431 feet. Ball State celebrated as Grego touched home plate to secure the victory.
Western got a run in the first frame and three in the third to open up a 4-0 lead before Houston King put the Cardinals on the board with a solo home run to right in the fourth inning. The visitors added a run in the fifth to give them a 5-1 edge.
Ball State responded with a five-run fifth inning that started with a two-run shot by Alex Richter. King later scored on a wild pitch before Nick Husovsky hit an RBI double and Garrett Arnold a run-scoring single to put Ball State ahead 6-5. The Cardinals added insurance tallies in the sixth on a King RBI single and two in the eighth inning on RBI knocks by Gavin Balius and John Colligan to increase the advantage to 9-6.
Husovsky went 3-for-3 on the day, while King, Grego and Balius each had a pair of hits.
Chambers (1-0) earned the win with two strikeouts in a scoreless frame. Ball State starting pitcher Connor Hutchinson allowed four runs in a pair of innings.
“Our boys battled all day long – you have to give Western Michigan a lot of credit in coming back against an outstanding reliever,” Ball State head coach Rich Maloney said. “John Chambers holding the fort down after Western’s comeback was huge. Dylan Grego came through with the big hit. A lot of guys contributed to our victory.”
Turner Doran (0-1) suffered the loss for the Broncos by giving up three runs in an inning of work. Western’s starter Zach Vriesenga surrendered five runs in 4.2 frames.
Ball State will host Purdue Fort Wayne at 3 p.m. on Tuesday in its fourth of nine straight home games.
BALL STATE SOFTBALL
LOUISVILLE – – Redshirt senior catcher McKayla Timmons kept her streaks alive in a big way Sunday, blasting home runs in a 6-0 win over Stonehill and a 14-6 (6) victory over Evansville to help the Ball State softball team finish play in the Bellarmine Invitational with an unblemished 5-0 record.
With the Cardinals (13-6) leading by two runs entering the top of the fifth in the morning victory over the Sky Hawks (5-5), Timmons doubled the lead with her first home run of the day, a two-run blast to right field.
Ball State would add two more runs in the inning, the first coming on an RBI single from redshirt junior second baseman McKenna Mulholland and the second on a sac fly from senior right fielder Maddie Weaver.
The four-run fifth added to a solid start to the game, which saw senior left fielder Kara Gunter open the scoring with an RBI single to right. Two batters later, sophomore catcher Sophie Schoch picked up her first collegiate RBI by drawing a bases loaded walk.
In the circle, junior starter Ella Whitney threw the first 6.0 innings to earn her MAC-leading eighth win of the season. She allowed just four hits in the game, while striking out two to lower her season ERA to 1.62. Redshirt junior Jessica Hoffman threw the final inning, retiring all three batters she faced.
Ball State’s offense did not let up in the nightcap versus the Aces (11-11), closing the tournament with a dominating 14-6 (6) victory over its in-state rival. Sophomore shortstop Maia Pietrzak opened the scoring with a solo shot in the top of the first, while redshirt freshman left fielder Veronica Peitersen collected her first collegiate RBI after being hit by a pitch with bases loaded in the top of the second.
Timmons added a little more home run magic two batters later, blasting her second grand slam of the season and the third of her career, to push the lead to 6-0.
The offensive barrage continued from there, as the Cardinals scored four in the third and four more in the sixth to earn its seventh run-rule victory of the season. Evansville, who picked up a win over then-No. 24 Kentucky last weekend, would get five runs in the span but never seriously threatened.
Freshman Breanna Severino would pick up her second win of the season in the game, limiting the Aces to 10 hits and five runs over her 3.1 innings of work. She also struck out a pair of batters. Sophomore Brinkley Kitathrew the final 2.2 innings, limiting Evansville to two hits and one run while striking out four.
NOTES:
– With her bombs in each game, Timmons extended her active hitting streak to 11 games and upped her streak of reaching base safely to 45 games.
– Timmons finished the weekend with 10 hits, including three doubles and three home runs. She posted a .625 batting average and led the squad with nine RBI and nine runs scored.
– In addition to going 3-0 on the weekend, Whitney boasted a 0.70 ERA over 20.0 innings of work, allowing just nine hits and two runs scored. She also held opposing batters to a .134 average.
– Ball State turned in another solid effort on defense, committing just three errors over its five games at the Bellarmine Invitational for a .980 fielding percentage. The effort raised Ball State’s season mark to .974.
– With six more home runs over the weekend, the Cardinals raised its season total to 19. Conversely, Ball State’s pitchers have surrendered just three home runs this year.
UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team opens the home portion of its 2025 season Tuesday, when it welcomes Purdue Fort Wayne to the Ball State Softball Stadium for a 2 p.m. first pitch on ESPN+.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Indiana State chipped away at the Southeast Missouri State early lead throughout the contest, but the Sycamores were unable to rally all the way back in Sunday’s finale in falling to the host Redhawks, 8-6.
Sunday’s loss results in a series split between Indiana State (7-9) and SEMO (8-7) as the teams completed the four-game series held at Capaha Field over the weekend.
SEMO jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning as the Redhawks sent all nine batters to the plate in the frame. Demitri Shakotko provided the big hit in the inning with a two-out, two-run single scoring Brooks Kettering and Andrew Ramirez to give the Redhawks the early lead.
The Sycamores rallied back in the third with Carter Beck connecting on a bouncing double down the right field line allowing Jackson Taylor to score from first for Indiana State’s first run of the contest. Beck took third on the relay home and came around to score on Thomas Emerich’s grounder to cut the margin down to 5-2.
Cole Warehime added to SEMO’s lead in the fifth with a two-run home run to left field, but the Sycamores continued to fight their way back as Keegan Garis (sixth inning) and Carlos Pena (seventh inning) connected on solo home runs to keep the Redhawks within striking distance late.
The Sycamores pulled back within one run in the top of the eighth inning as Garis continued to have the hot bat on the day with a one-out single through the right side of the infield. Two batters later, Mason Roell connected on a double to left field with Garis sliding into home to cut the deficit down to 7-6.
SEMO reliever Jackson Kranawetter (S, 2) entered and retired Taylor on strikes to halt the Indiana State rally in the eighth.
After the Redhawks plated an insurance run in the eighth, Indiana State had one final chance as Pena lined a single to left field to put the tying run at the plate with two outs. However, the Sycamore rally ended as Kranawetter retired the final batter on strikes to close out the contest and secure his second save of the weekend.
Pena and Garis both had multi-hit games for Indiana State as the Sycamores connected on eight hits overall in the loss. Beck and Roell both doubled, while Pena and Garis homered to highlight the offense.
Ty Brooks (1-2) took the loss after going the first 2.1 innings on the mound. The freshman allowed five hits and five runs while walking three, before turning the ball over to the Indiana State bullpen. Jack Armstrong, Brady Banker, Carson Seeman, Zac Laird, and Breyllin Suriel combined to go the final 5.2 innings allowing six hits and three runs (two earned), while striking out two.
Warehime and Ty Stauss had three hits apiece to lead a SEMO offense that combined for 11 hits overall in Sunday’s win. Warehime homered and drove in four RBIs, while Bryce Cannon, Stauss, and Shea McGahan all doubled for the Redhawks.
Haden Dow (3-1) picked up the win going 6.0 innings allowing four hits and four runs while striking out six. Alex Hayes allowed two runs over 1.1 innings, while Gavin Johnston and Kranawetter went the rest of the way with a trio of strikeouts to close out the game.
How They Scored
Cole Warehime sparked a five-run SEMO second inning with an RBI single, while Ty Stauss (RBI double) and Demitri Shakotko (two-run single) also drove in runs as the Redhawks took the early lead in Sunday’s finale.
The Sycamores responded with two runs in the top of the third inning. Carter Beck doubled home Jackson Taylor for Indiana State’s first run. Beck came around to score on a SEMO error on Thomas Emerich’s grounder to cut the lead down to 5-2.
Indiana State continued to chip away in the fourth as Taylor singled home Eli Gipson to make it a 5-3 contest.
Warehime put SEMO back in the runs column in the bottom of the fifth inning with a two-run home run scoring Bryce Cannon to give the Redhawks the 7-3 lead.
Keegan Garis went opposite field for a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning, his second in as many days, to cut the SEMO lead down to 7-4.
Carlos Pena pulled the Sycamores back within 7-5 with a solo home run into the party deck in right field to cut the Redhawks’ lead down to two runs.
Mason Roell made it a one-run ballgame in the top of the eighth as the freshman third baseman’s double to left field scored Garis to cut the deficit down to 7-6.
SEMO put across an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth as Warehime’s grounder up the middle went through Taylor at second base allowing Caleb Champion to score to provide the final 8-6 margin.
News & Notes
Carlos Pena ran his on-base streak to 10 consecutive games following his 2-for-3 outing at the plate on Sunday afternoon.
The senior has posted multi-hit games in five of his last six contests and leads the Sycamores with a .364 batting average, 20 hits, and 17 RBIs.
Keegan Garis homered for the second consecutive game and has the team lead with 16 runs scored, while adding 14 RBIs and seven extra-base hits.
Garis and Pena homered in back-to-back innings on Sunday afternoon marking Indiana State’s first multi-home run game since February 18 at Florida Gulf Coast.
Up Next
Indiana State returns home to start a seven-game homestand at Bob Warn Field starting on Tuesday afternoon as the Sycamores welcome Indiana to Terre Haute. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. ET with the game set to be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
INDIANA STATE SOFTBALL
Richmond, Ky. – Indiana State dropped both games on Sunday, falling 12-3 to Purdue Fort Wayne and 6-4 to Eastern Kentucky. Despite late-inning rallies and key hits from Lauren Marsicek, Whitley Wischmeier, and Kenzie Cornwell, the Sycamores couldn’t overcome early deficits.
Game One: Purdue Fort Wayne 12, Indiana State 3 (6 inn.)
Indiana State was defeated 12-3 by Purdue Fort Wayne in six innings, with a strong offensive showing from the Mastodons and a late rally by the Sycamores falling short.
PFW jumped to an early lead in the top of the first, with an RBI double from Hollopeter, taking a 1-0 advantage over the Sycamores. Indiana State threatened in the bottom of the inning as Morgan Goodrich singled and advanced to second on an error, but was left stranded.
PFW extended their lead in the second after a strikeout, an RBI single by McMenemy, and a three-run homer from Manos made it 5-0. Hailey Griffin entered in relief and quickly recorded two outs to close the inning.
The Mastodons added three more runs in the fourth on Manos’ single, a fielding error, a stolen base by Countryman, and a sacrifice fly by Hollopeter, making it 8-0.
Annie Waggoner then entered in the fifth and retired the side with two strikeouts in a perfect inning.
Indiana State got on the board in the bottom of the fifth when Lauren Marsicek doubled and Whitley Wischmeier followed with an RBI single to center to bring in Marsicek.
In the top of the sixth, Manos hit a second three-run homer, and Hollopeter added an RBI double, increasing the lead to 12-1.
The Sycamores rallied in the bottom of the sixth, scoring twice. Sophie Esposito scored on a throwing error after reaching third on a fielding miscue, and Hannah Welch came home on a sacrifice fly by Livi Colip. Taylor Erschen’s double set up Kenzie Cornwell’s walk, but the inning ended with a foul out.
PFW was led by Manos, who went 3-for-4 with two home runs and seven RBIs.
Cassi Newbanks (2-3) took the loss in the circle for ISU, as she pitched 1.1 innings, allowing five hits and five runs, while striking out two. Hailey Griffin followed with 2.2 innings, allowing two hits and three runs (one earned), striking out two. Annie Waggoner pitched two innings, giving up four hits and four runs, with three strikeouts.
Game Two: EKU 6, Indiana State 4
Indiana State battled but came up short in a 6-4 loss to Eastern Kentucky, as the Colonels capitalized on errors and key hits to take the lead in the late innings.
In the top of the first, EKU loaded the bases with a walk and a single before McLeod reached on an error, allowing both Haynes and Rutan to score and give the Colonels a 2-0 lead
Marsicek kept her hitting streak alive this weekend as she singled in the top of the third and advanced to second on a passed ball, followed by a walk to Wischmeier. A fielder’s choice by Goodrich put runners on first and second, but the Sycamores were unable to capitalize.
In the bottom of the third, EKU added a run when Drafton scored on a sacrifice fly by Davis, making it 3-0. Sackett ended the inning with a key strikeout to strand two runners and prevent further scoring.
Livi Colip sparked the momentum with a key single in the fourth, and Lauren Marsicek followed with a double, driving in two RBIs, while Kenzie Cornwell added a double and two more RBIs to take the 4-3 lead.
EKU regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Drafton scored on a throwing error after advancing to second on a wild pitch. Oleksik then drove in a run with an RBI single to center, bringing in McLeod to take the 5-4 lead.
Haynes scored for EKU in the sixth, advancing their lead to 6-4 after a stolen base, throwing error, and wild pitch, giving them an unearned run.
Annie Waggoner came in as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the seventh and recorded a single, but was left stranded as the Sycamores rally fell short.
Lauren Sackett battled through 5.2 innings in the circle for the Sycamores, allowing five hits and six runs while striking out four. Asher took over in the final inning for Indiana State.
Up Next: The Sycamores will travel to Champaign, Illinois, for their first midweek matchup of the season against Illinois on Tuesday, March 11, at 6 p.m. ET.
EVANSVILLE SOFTBALL
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Eliza Piggott went 3-5 with two RBI to pace the University of Evansville softball team to a 7-4 win over Bellarmine in Sunday’s weekend finale at Knights Field.
Game 1 – Ball State 14, UE 6 – Box Score
Ball State scored 10 of the first 11 runs and pulled away for a 14-6 win over the Purple Aces in Sunday’s opener. After recording the first run of the game in the top of the first, the Cardinals plated five in the second and four in the third.
Jess Willsey led the second inning off with a double and scored UE’s first run of the game on a double by Taylor Howe. UE added two more in the bottom of the third on a 2-run single by Morgan Adams to make it a 10-3 game.
In the fourth, RBI hits by Kynadee Warner and Niki Bode saw Evansville cut the deficit to five at 10-5. The Aces looked for more, but stranded the bases loaded. Ball State put the game out of reach with a 4-run seventh to pull away. Willsey added an RBI double in the 7th to make it a 14-6 final.
Bode and Willsey posted three hits apiece as the Aces outhit the Cardinals by a 12-11 final. Elle Jarrett made the start and gave up 10 runs, nine earned, in 2 2/3 innings. Kate Ridgway tossed the final 3 1/3 with four runs scoring.
Game 2 – UE 7, Bellarmine 4 – Box Score
Scoring three runs in the fifth and three more in the seventh, the Aces completed the weekend with a 7-4 win over Bellarmine.
After Callie Meinel scored the opening run of the game in the top half of the second, the Knights matched it with a run in the third. The game remained tied at 1-1 until the Aces scored three times in the fifth. Eliza Piggott hit a leadoff home run while Miriah Powell and Kynadee Warner added RBI hits to put UE in front by a score of 4-1.
Evansville added three runs in the top of the seventh Jess Willsey hit a 2-run single before Piggott’s RBI single put the Aces in front at 7-1. Looking for a rally in the bottom of the inning, the Knights scored three runs and looked to get even closer, but Sydney Weatherford got out of the jam as Bellarmine stranded the bases loaded to end the game.
Gracie Hollingsworth made the start, allowing one run on two hits in six innings on the way to her fourth win of the season. Weatherford tossed the final frame. UE is back in action on Wednesday with a doubleheader at Lindenwood.
EVANSVILLE BASEBALL
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team picked up its first series win in dominating fashion on Sunday with its second shutout of the year in an 8-0 win over the Central Arkansas Bears.
All nine Purple Aces in the lineup on Sunday afternoon recorded a hit in the team’s series-winning game over Central Arkansas. Center fielder Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) and designated hitter Aaron Nehls (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) were the only two UE players who recorded multiple hits on the day while Rumsey led the team in RBIs with three. On the mound southpaw Kevin Reed (Martinsville, Ind. / Martinsville HS) had another gem of a game pitching seven innings, allowing only three hits, and striking out six batters with no walks. Junior LHP Sam Sandy (Athens, Ala. / Frontier CC) had a strong first appearance for Evansville, closing out the game in the final two innings only allowing two hits and two walks in forty pitches.
“It was another special performance from Kevin Reed to get the series win today,” said Head Coach Wes Carroll following the game. “Offense grinded out at-bats early to get the lead. And it was a good series win on the road.”
It was a quick first inning as the Aces got two walks but nothing else, and then they took down the Bears in order. UE took an early lead in the top of the second inning capitalizing on two lead-off walks as a single from third baseman Ben Stuart (Mason, Ohio / William Mason HS) followed by a fielder’s choice from Rumsey scored two runs. Reed added his second and third strikeouts of the game in the bottom of the second, quickly putting Evansville back on offense.
The top of the third inning was another two-spot for the Aces as shortstop Drew McConnell (Blue Springs, Mo. / Blue Springs HS) led off the inning with a double to right field. McConnell’s double was followed up by a single through the right side for catcher Evan Waggoner (Bedford, Ind. / Bedford North Lawrence HS) to have runners at the corners. McConnell scored on UE’s next at-bat as left fielder Charlie Longmeier (Seymour, Ind. / Seymour HS) reached on a fielder’s choice.
Evansville’s next batter grounded out to first but advanced Longmeier to second. The outfielder would score his first run of the day on the next play as Nehls had his first hit into left field. The Aces held a 4-0 advantage going into the bottom of the fourth where Central Arkansas threatened with two runners reaching base on fielding errors. But two straight flyouts to end the inning kept the game all UE after a third.
It was a quiet fourth for both teams as everyone went three up and three down. Reed added another two strikeouts to his game total in the bottom of the fourth for Evansville. The Bears again got two runners on in the bottom of the fifth. But with two outs on the board, a fielder’s choice to get the out at third quickly ended the inning.
The Aces had their best offensive inning in the top of the sixth as their first three batters all singled. With the bases loaded Rumsey found the gap on the right side to score first baseman Kevin McCormick (Orland Park, Ill. / St. Laurence HS) and Nehls for a 6-0 game. Right fielder Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast CC) singled through the left side gap scoring second baseman Mason McCue (Bourbonnais, Ill. / Bishop McNamara HS). UE added its eighth and final run of the game in the next at-bat after a double steal from Rumsey and Taubert had both in scoring position. A fielder’s choice from McConnell that didn’t record an out sent Rumsey home for the 8-0 lead.
Central Arkansas threatened in both the bottom of the sixth and the bottom of the eighth, loading the bases twice. In both circumstances, Evansville’s pitchers were able to work their way out of the jam with a flyout to left center and a double play from second to first base. The double play to end the eighth inning was the Aces’ sixth of the weekend to give them 11 on the season.
UE had two runners reach base in the top of the ninth as Longmeier had a lead-off single and McCormick was hit by a pitch. But Evansville’s bats didn’t find a second hit to bring either runner home. The Aces were able to end things quickly in the bottom of the ninth with only one Bear reaching base. A ground out, a pop-up, and a fielder’s choice in four at-bats secured UE the 8-0 win and the series.
For the third game in a row Evansville’s offense had over 10 hits. In total the Aces connected on 11 hits with two doubles from Rumsey and McConnell. Rumsey was the only UE batter with multiple RBIs on the day while Taubert, McConnell, Longmeier, and Nehls added one each. On the mound Reed and Sandy combined for only five hits, no runs, two walks, and six strikeouts in 140 pitches.
Evansville continues its time away from German American Bank Field with two midweek games. The Aces will first visit 2024 NCAA Tournament team SEMO on Tuesday afternoon in Cape Girardeau. They’ll then follow up their game against the Redhawks with a stop in Edwardsville for a Wednesday afternoon matchup with SIUE. First pitch from Capaha Field on March 11 is set for 3 p.m.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
TULSA, Okla. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball led early, fell behind, and rallied, but fell short of Oral Roberts University, 7-6, Sunday afternoon at J.L. Johnson Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma. USI is 6-8 overall in 2025, while ORU goes 9-4 this year.
USI jumped out in front in the top of the first, 2-0, on a two-run single by junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens. Junior third baseman Patrick McLellan reached on an error to lead off the game and senior centerfielder Khi Holiday singled before moving into scoring position for Kitchens on a ground out by sophomore second baseman Parker Martin.
The Golden Eagles would fly into the lead with six unanswered runs, scoring twice in each of the first three frames to lead 6-2.
The Screaming Eagles would stop the bleeding in the top of the fifth with a pair of runs. Martin cut the deficit to 6-3 by scoring on a wild pitch, while Kitchens crossed the plate for a 6-4 score on a RBI ground out by junior first baseman Kannon Coakley. The Golden Eagles would manage a tally in the bottom of the fifth to re-extend the margin to three, 7-4.
USI cut the deficit to one, 7-6, with a tally in the seventh and the eighth innings. Martin scored USI’s sixth when sophomore rightfielder Evan Zapp hit into a first and third double-play in the seventh, while sophomore pinch hitter Cameron Boyd hit his second home run of the season to close the gap to 7-6.
The Screaming Eagles would not challenge in the ninth, going down in order for the 7-6 final score. Kitchens led the Eagles at the plate by going four-for-five with two RBIs and a run scored and finished the series eight-of-11 at the plate.
On the mound, senior right-hander Hiroyuki Yamada took the loss for the Eagles. Yamada (0-2) went three innings, allowing six runs on seven hits and striking out five.
Up Next for the Eagles:
The Screaming Eagles return to the friendly surroundings of the USI Baseball Field Tuesday when they host Austin Peay State University for a 5 p.m. contest. APSU is 11-5 in 2025 after taking a three-game series with the University of St. Thomas this weekend.
The Governors lead the all-time series with USI, 9-0, and won the last meeting in 2023, 10-6.
USI will be on the road for one game next week, visiting Bellarmine University Wednesday for a 1 p.m. (CDT) first pitch. The Knights are 2-12 after being swept by Southern Illinois University in a three-game series over the weekend.
The Screaming Eagles hold an 88-77 all-time series lead over the Knights after sweeping a three-game series last year, 3-0.
USI Schedule Update:
USI has rescheduled a pair of games that were postponed due to weather. The Screaming Eagles will host the University of Evansville on April 22 at 6 p.m. in a game that was postponed from February 22 and will travel to Saint Louis University May 13 at 5 p.m. for a game that was postponed March 5.
VALPO SOFTBALL
The Valpo softball team split a pair of games on Sunday to close out its final preconference tournament at Marshall, as a two-run homer from Mack Gallagher (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East [MSU Moorhead]) stood up for a 2-1 win over Buffalo before the Beacons fell 5-0 to the hosts in the finale.
How It Happened – Buffalo
Valpo scored all the runs it would need in the top of the first, as Kaia Garnica (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) walked with two outs and Gallagher followed by driving a full-count pitch over the wall in left to put the Beacons up 2-0.
The Beacons had runners on second and third with two outs in the second and second and third with one out in the seventh in efforts to add to their lead, but were unable to do so on either occasion.
Buffalo cut its deficit in half in the bottom of the third as back-to-back base hits to open the frame made it a 2-1 game. The Bulls had runners on second and third with nobody out to try to tie or take the lead, but Erin Metz (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) got a grounder and then back-to-back strikeouts to limit UB to the one run.
Azalya Lopez (Corona, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt [MSU Moorhead]) took care of the rest herself in the circle, entering after a Buffalo leadoff single in the fourth and facing the minimum 12 batters the rest of the way. The only blemish on Lopez’s resume was a one-out single in the seventh, but Madison Vrastil (Oak Forest, Ill./Andrew) erased that runner trying to steal to help preserve the win.
How It Happened – Marshall
Marshall took the lead for good with a one-out RBI single in the second inning.
The Thundering Herd took advantage of three walks, a sacrifice fly and two singles to plate three runs in the third.
Valpo’s best chance at scoring came in the fourth, as Vrastil led off with a double to the wall in center and Marissa Jackson (Willis, Mich./Huron) followed by dropping a single into shallow left to put runners on the corners with nobody out. But three straight outs ended the frame without the Beacons pushing a run across.
Marshall added its final run on a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the fifth.
Inside the Games
Valpo has held its opponent to one run or fewer in seven of 19 games this season.
The Beacons already have five one-run wins this year, including all three of the victories this weekend. This is more one-run wins than the program has had either of the last two seasons.
Vrastil continued the torrid start to her Beacon career, going 2-for-4 with a stolen base in the win over Buffalo and going 2-for-3 with a double versus Marshall — her 10th and 11th multi-hit games of the year. Over the six games this weekend, the rookie went 9-for-19 at the plate and extended her on-base streak to 19 straight games to open the season.
Gallagher’s homer in the opener was her second of the weekend and lifted her season RBI total to a team-best 18.
Kim Rodas (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) went 2-for-3 at the plate in the opener, her second multi-hit game of the weekend.
Lopez earned the win in the circle against Buffalo with her four innings of one-hit relief work, her fourth victory of the campaign. She started versus Marshall and took the loss, tossing 2.1 innings.
Next Up
Valpo (10-9) has one game left on its slate before opening MVC play, making a brief stop in Highland Heights, Ky. for a single game on Tuesday afternoon against Northern Kentucky. First pitch is set for noon.
VALPO SOFTBALL
The Valparaiso University baseball team took Friday’s series opener from Big Ten foe Ohio State, but the Buckeyes battled back to win the next two games including the rubber match 8-3 on Sunday in Columbus, Ohio. Sophomore Kevin Denty (Tinley Park, Ill. / Marian Catholic) had two hits to lead the Beacons.
How It Happened
Valpo threatened in the top of the second, loading the bases with only one away thanks to a walk and two hits, but the Beacons stranded the bases packed.
Three hits including two doubles produced two Ohio State runs in the bottom of the second to start the game’s scoring. The Buckeyes tacked on one more in the third on a sacrifice fly.
Valpo had three hits in the fourth including an RBI single by Denty to put the guests on the board, cutting the Ohio State lead to 3-1.
The bottom of the fourth inning ended with an unusual double play turned by the Valpo defense as a double to left center turned into an 8-4-2-5 double play with runners put out at both home and third to end the inning.
Valpo starter Spencer Boynton (Tampa, Fla. / Seffner Christian) did not yield a run in the fifth, his final frame of work. Adam Guazzo (Huntley, Ill. / Huntley) came on to pitch the sixth and put a zero on the board.
Valpo had runners at second and third and one away and the bases loaded with two down in the top of the seventh, but stranded the max including the potential tying run in scoring position.
Back-to-back home runs for Ohio State in the bottom of that seventh inning expanded the lead to 6-1. Reliever Ryan Kruse (Detroit, Mich. / U of D Jesuit) was inserted into the game in that inning and recorded all three outs in the frame without yielding a run.
Ohio State got two more in the eighth to expand the lead to 8-1.
Senior Liam Patton (Barrington, Ill. / Warsaw) ripped a two-run double down the left field line with two outs in the ninth, cutting the lead to 8-3.
Inside the Game
Denty was the lone Valpo player with multiple hits in the game and had one of the team’s three doubles.
Ohio State held a 13-8 edge in the hit column.
The three through nine spots in the order each had hits.
Kruse had the best pitching line of the day for Valpo with one inning, no hits or walks allowed and two strikeouts.
Up Next
Valpo will take on Vanderbilt on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. The game will air on SEC Network+. Links to live video and stats will be available on ValpoAthletics.com.
VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Valparaiso (13-18, 9-11 MVC)
2025 Credit Union 1 MVC Women’s Basketball Tournament
Game #32 – March 13, 2025 – noon
vs. Bradley (13-18, 7-13 MVC)
Ford Center – Evansville, Ind.
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valpo women’s basketball team opens postseason play from Evansville, Ind. Thursday afternoon, as the eighth-seeded Beacons take on ninth-seeded Bradley in opening-round action. Valpo will have to win four games over four days to claim the tournament title.
Previously: The Beacons dropped their regular season finale Saturday afternoon at the ARC to UNI by an 85-73 final. Leah Earnest broke the program’s career rebounding record in the second quarter of the game and ended the contest with 31 points, one off her career high.
Following Valpo Basketball: Video: ESPN+ – Scott Warmann and Laura Leonard
Radio: WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso) – Eli Conklin and Grayson Merchant
Streaming Audio: TuneIn app
Links for live coverage: Available via ValpoAthletics.com
Head Coach Mary Evans: Mary Evans is in her seventh year at the helm of the program in 2024-25 and owns a record of 73-134. Evans’ first six seasons at the helm have seen Valpo’s six of the top-eight single-season 3-pointers made marks, including each of the top five, while defensively, her teams have racked up steals at a high rate, averaging at least 7.7 steals/game in five of her six seasons. Under her guidance, Valpo players have earned an MVC Sixth Player of the Year honor, five All-Conference accolades, three All-Freshman/Newcomer Team awards and three All-Defensive Team honors.
Series Notes: Bradley leads the all-time series between the two programs by a 12-11 mark, but it has been Valpo coming away with the victory in each of the last eight meetings, sweeping the season series each of the last four seasons. This season, Leah Earnest scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a 59-52 win in Valpo and then hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 6.4 seconds to play in a 66-64 win in Peoria. Notably, this is the first time that the two programs have met in postseason play.
@ValpoWBB…
…and @ValleyHoops
– Valpo met its preseason projection, as the Beacons were picked to finish in eighth place in the MVC preseason poll, totaling 193 points to edge out Indiana State.
– Valpo is in its eighth season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
– The Valley is ranked ninth in the NET this year after being ranked 13th last season. In Valpo’s time in the MVC, the conference has been ranked as high as seventh in NET (2020-21).
…versus UNI
– 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 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.
– Leah Earnest had one of the top offensive games of her career in her final home game, 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, one off her career high.
– Earnest also paced all players with eight rebounds, the fourth of which broke Valpo’s career record.
– Nevaeh Jackson finished with 19 points, including four 3-pointers, and was one off her career high with four assists.
– 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.
…versus Drake
– Valpo led 14-4 5:28 into the game and held a 20-15 lead at the end of the opening period.
– Drake ended the first half on a 15-0 run to lead 35-24 at intermission.
– Drake’s lead hit its apex at 47-27 with 5:48 to play in the third period. Valpo cut that lead to 53-43 at the end of the quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs 16-6 over that stretch as four different Beacons hit from 3-point range.
– Maci Rhoades hit a triple with 6:24 to play to make it a six-point game, and two minutes later, Katie Beyer hit from deep to bring Valpo within 61-56.
– The Bulldogs hit a 3-pointer on their next offensive possession to push their lead back to eight under the four-minute mark, but Valpo would outscore Drake 10-1 the rest of the way, as the Bulldogs missed their final six field goal attempts.
– A fast-break layup by Layla Gold with 1:16 remaining cut the deficit to two, and Gold followed the next time down by converting a pair of free throws with 27 seconds to play to tie the game.
– With the shot clock off, Drake was looking to run the game clock down and did so nearly all the way before the Beacons were called for a foul in a scramble with 2.9 seconds remaining. The Bulldogs split their pair of free throws to take a one-point lead.
– Following a timeout, Valpo inbounded in the frontcourt and got the ball to Leah Earnest, who was fouled outside the 3-point arc with 1.7 seconds remaining. She calmly hit both to put the Beacons in front.
– After a timeout, Drake triggered the inbounds in the frontcourt. The Bulldogs were able to get one final look at the basket, but it was off the mark as the Beacons celebrated their biggest win of the season.
– The victory was just the third in program history in 21 all-time meetings against Drake and was the Beacons’ first of the year when trailing at halftime (1-14).
– Valpo hit at a 42.3% clip from 3-point range in the win, going 11-of-26 from deep — including a 7-of-11 mark in the second half. It was the eighth time this season the Beacons have hit at least 10 triples and the eighth time they have connected on at least 40% of their 3-point attempts.
– Valpo also took advantage of its trips to the foul line, hitting 13-of-15 from the stripe — the 86.7% clip its second-best of the season.
– Earnest led four Valpo players in double figures with 16 points. She outright led the Beacons in all five major statistical categories, also posting seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocked shots.
– Nevaeh Jackson scored in double figures for the 22nd time this year, finishing with 15 points. Beyer scored in double figures for the ninth time this season as she knocked down a career-best four 3-pointers for 12 points, while Rhoades tied her season high with three triples on her way to 11 points while also grabbing six rebounds.
…looking ahead
– With a win on Thursday, Valpo would advance to take on co-regular season champion and top seed Murray State Friday afternoon at noon.
…at neutral sites
– Thursday’s game is Valpo’s third of the season at a neutral venue.
– The Beacons opened the season at the AIA complex in Xenia, Ohio, falling 77-58 to a Liberty squad which went 23-6 this year and claimed a share of the CUSA regular season title.
– Valpo took down North Dakota two days after Thanksgiving at Lehigh, 76-57.
– This week is the first time that Valpo will play at the Ford Center.
@BradleyWBB
– Bradley closed the regular season with a 13-18 overall record and went 7-13 in Valley play to enter the tournament with the ninth seed.
– The Braves dropped their regular season finale at Missouri State, but had won four of their previous six games before that contest.
– Soleil Barnes leads Bradley, averaging 15.7 points/game for an offense which averages just 58.7 points/game.
– On the flip side, the Braves boast the conference’s best scoring defense at 59.6 points/game.
A Look Back at the Bradley Games
…59-52 win at Valpo, Jan. 19
– Valpo used a 13-2 run in the first quarter to earn an early double-figure lead.
– The Beacons led 17-9 at the end of the opening period and were up 25-17 at halftime.
– Bradley got within five points multiple times in the second half, but each time, the Beacons kept the Braves from getting any closer.
– Valpo limited Bradley to 30.5% shooting from the field — the lowest mark by a Valpo D-I opponent this season. The Beacons also sent the Braves to the foul line just 11 times and forced 19 turnovers.
– On the offensive end, Valpo was limited to just 59 points on 36.0% shooting from the floor and 4-of-15 from 3-point range. It was just the program’s fifth win in the seven-year tenure of head coach Mary Evans when scoring less than 60 points.
– The four made triples are tied for second-fewest in a victory in Evans’ tenure as well.
– Valpo did strong work from the free throw line, finishing 19-of-22 at the stripe, including 9-of-10 in the fourth quarter.
– Leah Earnest scored nearly half of the Beacons’ points, finishing with 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field and 6-of-6 from the foul line.
…66-64 win at Bradley, Feb. 27
– The Beacons jumped out to a 21-12 lead after the opening 10 minutes, hitting 9-of-13 from the field in the first quarter.
– Valpo led by as many as 16 points late in the second quarter and went into halftime with a 35-22 lead after holding the Braves to just 2-of-13 shooting from the field for the period.
– An 8-0 run midway through the third quarter gave the Beacons their largest lead of the game at 53-32.
– The Braves scored the final five points of the third quarter, and then opened the fourth quarter on a 14-5 run to close to within 58-51.
– Bradley later hit 3-pointers on three straight possessions to tie the game at 61-61 with 1:38 to play, and then hit another triple to take a 64-62 lead with 42 seconds left.
– Nevaeh Jackson was fouled on the floor while Valpo was in the bonus on the offensive end and split her free throws to halve the deficit, but with the shot clock off, the Beacons were forced to foul on the other end and did so with 21 seconds to play. Bradley missed both its free throws and Earnest secured the rebound off the second miss, setting up her game-winning 3-pointer with 6.4 seconds remaining.
– The game-winning basket by Earnest was the second of her collegiate career within the game’s final 10 seconds. Last season, she beat the buzzer with a game-winning layup at UIC.
– While Earnest had the final shot, the performance of Jackson set the Beacons up for the win. The sophomore was one point off her career high, finishing with a game-high 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range.
– Valpo limited the Braves to 30% shooting from the field through the game’s first three quarters before Bradley hit 8-of-10 from the field — including five 3-pointers — over the final 10 minutes.
Valpo in the Postseason
– After winning its first game in its first three appearances at the MVC Tournament, Valpo has dropped its first game in each of the last three seasons.
– The Beacons last played on Friday in 2022, when they earned a spot directly in the quarterfinals as the six seed.
– Valpo has only played as the better seed in two of its nine MVC Tournament games, winning both such games.
– Thursday’s game will be just the second time since the 2006-07 season that Valpo has faced a team in a conference tournament that it beat twice in the regular season – Valpo took down Loyola twice in the regular season in 2017-18 and then defeated the Ramblers by 17 points in its first time at the MVC Tournament.
– This will be the first time since 2013 that Valpo has played a conference tournament game in its home state – the program hosted three Horizon League Tournament opening-round games at the ARC in its tenure in the league. Valpo last played a neutral-site conference tournament in 2002, when the Mid-Con Tournament was in Fort Wayne.
– This year is the first time Valpo has played in the tournament’s opening session since the expansion to 12 teams. The Beacons’ opening-round game last season was a 6 p.m. tip – the first time since 2019 Valpo’s first tournament game wasn’t the final game of the day.
A One-Sided Series
– Over the last four seasons, the series between these two programs has been all Valpo.
– Valpo has reeled off eight consecutive wins over the Braves, with Bradley’s last win coming at Valpo Feb. 5, 2021.
– Six of the eight wins have come by single digits, including the Beacons’ wins by seven and two points this season.
– The eight-game winning streak is Valpo’s longest active streak against a single opponent. It is also the program’s longest winning streak against a conference foe since defeating Centenary in all eight meetings as Mid-Continent Conference opponents in the mid-2000’s.
Caution, Falling Records
– When Leah Earnest grabbed a rebound off a missed UNI free throw early in the second quarter last time out, it was the 871st board of her collegiate career, surpassing Tamra Braun for the most rebounds in program history.
– Earnest ended the game with 875 career rebounds.
– Earlier this month, when Earnest stepped on the court at Illinois State, she became the program’s all-time leader in games played, moving past Caitlin Morrison’s record of 141 games.
– Earnest enters the MVC Tournament having played in 144 career games.
– While it would take a tournament run of epic proportions for Earnest to threaten Debbie Bolen’s single-season scoring record of 638 points, she does enter the tournament with 540 points this season – fourth-most in a single season in program history and just 19 away from the second spot.
What a Comeback
– The rally to beat Drake last Thursday from 20 points down marks the largest come-from-behind victory in program history. Valpo previously overcame a 19-point deficit to beat Ball State Dec. 29, 2012.
– It also ties the largest known come-from-behind victory by an MVC program. The most recent such game came earlier this season, as UNI overcame a 38-18 deficit to earn a 75-64 win over UIC.
– Per ESPN Analytics, Valpo had just a 0.5% chance of winning when Drake took its 47-27 lead with 5:48 to play in the third quarter. The Beacons’ chance of winning was still just 1.1% with 2:06 to play.
A Highly Ranked Win
– Thursday’s win came over a Drake team which not only entered the day tied atop the MVC standings, but which came in at #69 nationally in NET.
– It was Valpo’s first top-100 win since the 2021-22 campaign.
– Drake is the highest-ranked opponent Valpo has knocked off since taking down a UNI squad which concluded the 2021-22 season ranked 54th in the NET.
Beating the Buzzer
– Leah Earnest knocked down her second game-winning shot inside the final 10 seconds in as many seasons with her triple at Bradley with 6.4 seconds to play.
– Earnest previously connected on a game-winning layup at the buzzer last season in a one-point win at UIC.
– Prior to Earnest’s shot last season, Valpo’s last game-winning shot in the final seconds came back in 2016, a Meredith Hamlet layup at the buzzer at Chicago State.
– While it wasn’t a shot from the floor, Earnest also cinched the victory against Drake with a pair of free throws with 1.7 seconds to play.
Finally, Some Drama
– While most of Valpo’s season has lacked for late-game drama, the Beacons seem to be making up for it down the stretch of the season.
– The closest game in Valpo’s first 26 games this season was its seven-point home win over Bradley – the Beacons did go to double overtime with Detroit Mercy in a game which ended up an eight-point win to the Titans.
– Over the last five games, all three of Valpo’s wins have gone down to the wire – a five-point win over Indiana State which required the Beacons to hit free throws down the stretch to hold off the Sycamores, the two-point win at Bradley which featured Earnest’s game-winning triple in the final seconds and the one-point win over Drake last week thanks to the 10-1 game-ending run, capped by Earnest’s free throws in the final seconds.
Nevaeh Knocks Them Down
– Sophomore Nevaeh Jackson has flown up Valpo’s single-season 3-pointers made chart with a hot stretch from downtown to close the season.
– Jackson hit 14-of-28 from 3-point range over the final four games of the regular season.
– Jackson has connected on 73 3-pointers this year, fifth-most in a single season in program history and just three triples shy of fourth.
– Notably, despite the 3-point shooting prowess of Coach Evans’ teams in her seven years at the helm, the last player to crack that top-10 chart was Meredith Hamlet in 2015-16.
22×1,500
– Leah Earnest became just the third player in program history to hit 1,500 career points with a basket midway through the third quarter against UIC.
– The basket also moved Earnest past Sarrah Stricklett for third on the Beacons’ career scoring chart.
– Earnest became the fifth active MVC player with 1,500 career points at the D-I level, joining Katelyn Young (MUR), Katie Dinnebier (DRA), Maya McDermott (UNI) and Jaida McCloud (UIC).
– Currently sitting on 1,639 career points, a jump to second on the program’s career chart might be a tough ask for Earnest, as Dani Franklin currently occupies that position with 1,721 points.
20 Or More For 22
– Leah Earnest reached the 20-point mark for the 13th time this season with a season-high 31 points on 10-of-13 shooting last time out against UNI – one point off her career best.
– Notably, Earnest did not hit the 20-point mark in any of the first seven games this year, meaning she has 13 20-point efforts in the last 24 games.
– Outside of the regular season, highlights include a 29-point effort at Lehigh and a 27-point game on 10-of-16 shooting in the win over Bradley.
– Earnest scored 20+ in four consecutive games Dec. 21-Jan. 4, the first Valpo player to do so in at least 15 years – the last time a Valpo player had scored 20+ in even three straight games was Shay Frederick in the 2020-21 campaign.
– Earnest has the most 20-point games by a Valpo player in a single season since Michelle Russell had 14 in the 1993-94 season.
Others With 20/20 Vision
– Earnest is far from the only Beacon to hit the 20-point mark this season.
– In all, four Valpo players have combined for 21 games with 20 or more points – compare that to last year, when only two players broke the 20-point barrier in a combined nine games.
– Nevaeh Jackson hit the 20-point mark in back-to-back outings in the Beacons’ final two road games, going for 25 in the win at Bradley and 21 last time out at Illinois State. Earlier this year, Jackson raced past her previous career high with 26 points at Saint Louis, and also had 20-point performances earlier in the season in the win over Goshen and against Purdue Fort Wayne.
– Layla Gold joined Earnest in crossing the 20-point mark versus UDM, finishing with 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Earlier this year, Gold more than doubled her previous career best of 11 points with a 23-point night – which included five 3-pointers – at Milwaukee.
– Against Trinity Christian, Kayla Preston smashed her previous best, going for 20 points on 7-10 FG and 6-8 FT.
An Eye on the Record Book
– As Leah Earnest’s career winds down, she is making an impact all over the program’s career records, and with the season she is having, she’ll look for spots on the team’s single-season charts as well.
Career
– Games played – 1st, 144
– Points – 3rd, 1,639 (Dani Franklin, 2nd, 1,721)
– Rebounds – 1st, 875
– Field goals made – 4th, 585 (Jeanette Gray, 3rd, 595)
– Free throws made – 3rd, 364 (Sarrah Stricklett, 2nd, 494)
– Points per game – 9th, 11.4
– Rebounds/game – 7th, 6.1
– Field goal percentage – 9th, .462
Single-Season
– Points – 4th, 540 (Debbie Bolen 1992-93, 3rd, 550; Dani Franklin 2016-17, 2nd, 559)
– Rebounds – 234 (Marlous Nieuwveen 2001-02, 10th, 244)
– Field goals made – t-5th, 182 (Dani Franklin 2016-17/Lyn Swanson 1985-86, t-3rd, 199)
– Free throws made – 4th, 140 (Sarrah Stricklett 1997-98, 3rd, 152)
– Points/game – 7th, 17.4
Team Single-Season Marks
– As a team this season, Valpo has cracked a pair of the program’s single-season top-10 charts.
– The Beacons have connected on 238 3-pointers this year, fourth-most in a single season in program history and just three shy of third position.
– Mary Evans’ seven seasons have accounted for seven of the nine highest single-season 3-point totals in program history.
– Valpo has racked up 303 steals this year, eighth-most in a single season in program history.
– This year’s team has the program’s highest single-season steals total since 2001-02.
Winning With Defense
– Strong defensive efforts have been a common thread in the Beacons’ victories this season.
– Valpo limited both Bradley (home) and Evansville (road) to 17 first-half points apiece in those victories – the lowest mark by a Valpo D-I opponent at halftime since the Beacons went on the road and limited South Dakota to 17 first-half points on Dec. 10, 2021.
– The Braves scored in single digits in each of the first two quarters, while the Purple Aces hit just one field goal in a three-point second quarter – the lowest-scoring quarter by a Valpo opponent since it held Indiana State scoreless in the second period Feb. 8, 2020.
– Valpo allowed Bradley to shoot just 30.5% from the field in the home win – the lowest mark by a Valpo D-I opponent this year and the second lowest by a D-I opponent over the last three seasons.
– In the win over Drake, Valpo limited the Bulldogs to 65 points – their second-lowest output in MVC play.
– It’s been quite simple if you look at it: when the Beacons have held their opponent under 60 points this year, they are 10-0; when Valpo’s opponent scores at least 60 points, the Beacons are 3-17.
Forcing Miscues
– The Beacons rank as the MVC’s best at forcing miscues, averaging 19.5 turnovers forced/game.
– Valpo also leads the MVC with 9.8 steals/game and has tallied double-figure steals in 16 games this year.
– Valpo has forced at least 20 turnovers in 11 games so far, highlighted by 29 forced turnovers against Detroit Mercy and 28 in the win at Evansville.
– The Beacons racked up a season-best 16 steals in their home wins over Evansville and Indiana State, while they tallied 15 steals apiece in wins over Goshen, Western Michigan and Evansville (road).
– In the win over North Dakota, Valpo turned the Fighting Hawks’ 26 turnovers into 33 points and held a massive 33-9 edge in points off turnovers. It was the program’s greatest number of points off turnovers and the highest edge in the category since a Feb. 22, 2020 win at Loyola, when Valpo forced 31 turnovers and owns a 38-4 advantage in points off turnovers.
No Sophomore Slump
– After ranking fourth on the team in scoring (7.2 points/game) as a rookie, sophomore Nevaeh Jackson has cemented herself as a consistent second scorer this season.
– Jackson has nearly doubled her scoring average, entering the tournament second on the team with 14.0 points/game.
– Jackson has scored in double figures in 23 of 31 games, highlighted by her 26-point effort at Saint Louis.
Closing Strong
– Junior Maci Rhoades has been playing her best basketball late in the season.
– After scoring in double figures just four times in the season’s first 19 games, Rhoades has hit the 10-point mark in seven of the last 12 games – including five of the last six to close the regular season.
– Rhoades was just 15-of-57 to start the season from 3-point range, but is 22-of-58 from deep since, including 6-of-10 last weekend.
Hoosier State Crown
– After sweeping the road trip to Indiana State and Evansville earlier this season, Valpo claimed the unofficial Hoosier State crown among the Valley’s three Indiana-based schools by earning two more wins at home.
– This is the third time since Valpo joined the MVC that it has posted the best record against its in-state foes, also doing so in 2019-20 (4-0) and 2021-22 (3-1).
– Indiana State has finished with the best record three times (2017-18, 4-0; 2018-19, 3-1; 2023-24, 4-0) and Evansville once (2022-23, 3-1), while all three teams went .500 against the other two in 2020-21.
Quite the Turnaround
– Valpo’s nine-point win over UIC was notable given the result when the two squads played in January in Chicago.
– That game ended 60-45 in UIC’s favor, meaning that the Beacons flipped the scoring margin 24 points from one matchup to the next.
– That marks the program’s largest shift from the first meeting of the season to the second meeting since the 2021-22 team fell to Indiana State by 20 the first time out before winning by five the second time around.
Career Highs
– Five of Valpo’s seven returnees have set career bests in the scoring column this season – the only returnees who haven’t are Saniya Jackson, who is out for the season, and Earnest.
– Joining the trio who had their first career 20-point efforts are senior Katie Beyer and sophomore Raeven Raye-Redmond.
– Raye-Redmond smashed past her previous best of nine with a 15-point night on 6-of-9 shooting at Milwaukee.
– Beyer hit three 3-pointers on her way to a 14-point game in the season opener versus Liberty, and then against North Dakota, surpassed that again with a 16-point effort.
All-Tournament Honors
– Valpo had a pair of players recognized as All-Tournament Team honorees following the conclusion of the Christmas City Classic.
– Leah Earnest averaged 23.5 points, 10 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game over the Beacons’ two contests.
– Katie Beyer earned her selection by virtue of a strong 16-point performance, surpassing her career high, in the win over North Dakota.
Missing Pieces
– Valpo is down two starters for the remainder of the season due to injury.
– Saniya Jackson did not see any game action this year, undergoing successful knee surgery in early November.
– Raeven Raye-Redmond suffered a lower leg injury late in regulation Dec. 21 against Detroit Mercy and will miss the rest of the year as well.
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 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
1941 The Dodgers announce their players will start to wear helmets when batting. The safety headgear will not be not mandatory in the National League until 1954, with the AL following suit four years later.
1951 J. Edgar Hoover, longtime director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, declines the baseball commissioner’s post. President Calvin Coolidge appointed him in 1924, and the nation’s top cop remained with the FBI until his death in 1972.
1962 At St. Petersburg’s Al Lang Field, the ballpark the team shares with today’s opponents, the Mets, playing their first major league exhibition game, drop an 8-0 decision to the Cardinals. The New York National League expansion club’s hurlers, Jay Hook, Clem Labine, and Craig Anderson, give up twelve hits, including two homers to Minnie Minoso and Gene Oliver.
1963 In an exhibition game against the White Sox, 21-year-old rookie Pete Rose goes 2-for-2 in his first appearance in a Reds’ uniform. The future all-time major league hit leader will be named the National League’s Rookie of the Year.
1966 The Orioles trade 22-year-old minor league outfielder Lou Piniella to the Indians for reserve catcher Camilo Carreon, who retires at the end of the season after playing in only four contests for his new team. The Tribe’s latest flycatcher will appear in more than 1,700 big-league games, but only six games for Cleveland, all in 1968, before becoming the Pilots selection in the expansion draft, the team that trades him at the start of the 1969 campaign to the Royals for John Gelnar and Steve Whitaker.
1967 Ted Davidson, who had five wins and four saves for the Reds last season, is gunned down in an alley as he leaves a local restaurant, telling police his estranged wife shot him once in the abdomen and twice in the chest. The judge dismisses the charge against Mary Ruth Davidson when the southpaw, who will return to the team in June without his same effectiveness, fails to appear in court twice.
1992 The Pirates trade pitcher Neal Heaton (3-3, 4.33) to the Royals for outfielder Kirk Gibson (.236, 16 HR, 18 SB). After being released by the Bucs in May, the veteran flycatcher, who will turn down an offer to play for the Arena Football League’s Detroit Drive, ends his brief retirement, playing his last three years as a Tiger for his former manager Sparky Anderson.
1993 Sherry Davis becomes the first full-time female major league public address announcer when the Giants hire her to work at Candlestick Park. The legal secretary, chosen from five hundred contestants, won the job in an open audition.
1995 Former Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan, citing labor unrest as the reason, announces that he is leaving the White Sox organization to return to the Chicago Bulls. In his only season in professional baseball, the future NBA Hall of Famer batted .202, hit three home runs, drove in 51 runs, stole 30 bases, and made 11 errors playing the outfield for the Double-A Birmingham Barons last season.
2004 When asked by Senator John McCain to renegotiate the major league baseball’s contract concerning the use of controlled substances, Donald Fehr refuses to comply. Although the union boss condemns the use of steroids, he believes the players oppose random drug testing as a violation of privacy, an argument countered by the Arizona Republican as unacceptable, promising congressional action if the status quo remains in place.
2005 Singling off Brad Thompson in a Cardinal intrasquad game, former pitching prospect Rick Ankiel goes 1-for-2 in his debut as a position player. Historic wildness and injuries ended the 25-year-old’s once-promising career on the mound.
2009 At Puerto Rico’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium, the Netherlands World Baseball Classic team, mostly of unknown players, upsets a heavily favored Dominican Republic club for the second time in four days, advancing to the next round. The Dominicans, considered to be an odds-on favorite, with a roster filled with major league All-Stars, including David Ortiz (Red Sox), Hanley Ramirez (Marlins), and Miguel Tejada (Astros), are eliminated in the first round of the 16-team tournament.
2010 Nomar Garciaparra, announcing his retirement before the exhibition game against Tampa Bay, signs a ceremonial one-day contract with Boston, six years after rejecting the team’s four-year, $60 million offer that resulted in an acrimonious trade to the Cubs in 2004. The former Rookie of the Year and AL batting champion, who finishes his 14-year major league career with a .313 batting average, gets his wish to leave the game in a Red Sox uniform when he throws out the ceremonial first pitch to former teammate Jason Varitek.
2010 Justin Upton (.300, 26, 86) and the Diamondbacks agree on a $51.25 million, six-year contract, the second-largest deal in franchise history being slightly less than Randy Johnson’s $52.4 million pact in 1999. The 22-year-old outfielder, the team’s No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft, was selected to last season’s National League All-Star squad.
TV SPORTS MONDAY
| MLB SPRING TRAINING | TIME ET | TV |
| Houston vs Toronto | 1:07pm | MLBN |
| St. Louis vs NY Mets | 6:10pm | MLBN |
| NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Washington Wizards vs Toronto Raptors | 7:30 pm | MNMT Sportsnet |
| Charlotte Hornets vs Miami Heat | 7:30pm | FanDuel Sports Sun FanDuel Sports CHA |
| Los Angeles Lakers vs Brooklyn Nets | 7:30pm | YES Spectrum |
| Utah Jazz vs Boston Celtics | 7:30pm | KJZZ NBCS-BOS |
| Philadelphia 76ers vs Atlanta Hawks | 7:30pm | NBCS-PHI FanDuel Sports ATL |
| Phoenix Suns vs Memphis Grizzlies | 8:00pm | FanDuel Sports MEM AFSN |
| Orlando Magic vs Houston Rockets | 8:00pm | SCHN FanDuel Sports FL |
| Indiana Pacers vs Chicago Bulls | 8:00pm | CHSN FanDuel Sports IND |
| Denver Nuggets vs Oklahoma City Thunder | 8:00pm | NBATV ALT FanDuel Sports OKC |
| Dallas Mavericks vs San Antonio Spurs | 8:30pm | KFAA KENS |
| Portland Trail Blazers vs Golden State Warriors | 10:00pm | Rip City NBCS-BAY |
| New York Knicks vs Sacramento Kings | 10:30pm | NBATV MSG NBCS-CA |
| NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Edmonton Oilers vs Buffalo Sabres | 6:30pm | ESPN+ Hulu |
| Detroit Red Wings vs Ottawa Senators | 7:30pm | ESPN+ FanDuel Sports DET Sportsnet |
| Chicago Blackhawks vs Colorado Avalanche | 9:00pm | NHLN ChSN ALT2 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs vs Utah Hockey Club | 10:00pm | NHLN Sportsnet Utah16 |
| MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| CAA Semifinal | 6:00pm | CBSSN |
| Southland Quarterfinal | 6:00pm | ESPN+ |
| SoCon Championship | 7:00pm | ESPN |
| Sun Belt Championship | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Horizon League Semifinal | 7:00pm | ESPNU |
| Big Sky Quarterfinal | 7:30pm | ESPN+ |
| CAA Semifinal | 8:30pm | CBSSN |
| Southland Quarterfinal | 8:30pm | ESPN+ |
| WCC Semifinal | 9:00pm | ESPN |
| Horizon League Semifinal | 9:30pm | ESPN2 |
| Big Sky Quarterfinal | 10:00pm | ESPN+ |
| WCC Semifinal | 11:30pm | ESPN2 |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Serie A: Lazio vs Udinese | 2:45pm | Paramount+ fuboTV |
| EPL: West Ham United vs Newcastle United | 3:00pm | USA Peacock fuboTV |
| La Liga: Espanyol vs Girona | 3:00pm | ESPN+ fuboTV |